Golden is always beautiful, but the quaint little college town nestled in the Rockies becomes a winter wonderland as Christmas approaches. The Clear Creek that provides Colorado School of Mines students “float trips” during the summer months, has frozen to a trickle for the remainder of the year. The bucolic farm scene nearby is lit for the season, and the mainstreet lighting ceremony will begin the day after Thanksgiving. So glad the locals are waiting, as it gives us something to look forward to. It did remind Ika and Matt that it was time for the Christmas card pictures, to remind friends back in Clear Lake what it’s like to celebrate the season in the snow.

At first light on Veterans Day, we woke to a winter wonderland, as we peered out of Bo’s bay window. His maple tree was coated in ice, which turned the branches into a Christmas-card scene. It was time to get his sled out, dress the dogs in their winter coats, and head for the snow-covered path with Ika’s camera. I’m so photo-challenged that it’s always fascinating to me when my daughters-in-law get out their equipment to capture amazing family pics. Ika set the camera on auto-focus and patiently guided me on how to capture their little family in this snow-capped mountain scene. All I had to do was point and shoot. Hope they came out ok:)

It was then time to move indoors for a warmer project. A good friend from Clear Lake, Matt Dickson, flew up to help us turn Matt’s oversized three-car garage into an acceptable man cave for Matt. You can see from the “before” pics that the previous owner had really used his garage for some serious work. It was time for a redo! The two Matt’s sprayed texture onto the walls and ceilings first, which took two days and an extraordinary amount of effort. Then Matt Dickson had to head home, where he could rest on his own couch:) That left Matt and Mom to prime the walls and ceilings first, before the final coat was applied. After a full day’s hard labor, the man cave was ready for a final coat of silver-gray. Thank God for the man who invented paint rollers. When we finally finished several days later, Matt commented that next time he would just fly an extra 3-day trip and pay the local painters for the privilege. I heartily agree!

The girls, plus Bo, earned a trip to Cherry Creek Mall after all that effort. This amazing shopping experience is anchored by Neimans, Nordstroms, and Lord & Taylor. There are over 160 specialty boutiques and over 40 stores exclusive to the area including Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Burberry, Tory Burch, and David Yurman (a personal fav:)  No shopaholic should miss this experience when you find yourself near downtown Denver. Don’t think you need to bring megabucks to enjoy the journey. I found a pair of black velvet leggings half-price at J Crew, Ika found a pair of Christmas-red high top tennis shoes for Bo, and Bo found a royal blue McLaren for his wishlist. Always a great visit with the Colorado kids. I come home feeling like “mission accomplished”. When the plane touched down at Hobby, it felt like I brought a touch of Golden home with me. The temperature outside was a balmy 46 degrees with snow flurries predicted. It was actually warmer than that in Golden.