Alma de Color

My grandpa died this morning. I got messages on my phone about it--strange, impersonal recordings. I don't know how exactly I expected it to end. I don't know how it will affect the family, really. I'm still trying to figure out how it affects me. What is Grandma thinking right now? How does one really deal with the death of the one person you've spent almost every moment of over 60 years with? Every smile. Every tear. Every pondering question. Every joy and every pain. My heart is rent for her. I still think she does not know the Great Comforter, whose heart bleeds along with hers for the death of one Henry George Ripley, dearly known as Rip to his friends and family. He was a mischievous man, my grandfather, but one of deep devotion to his family, to work, to pursuit of peace and justice. But although he was in his younger years devoted to "religion", I never discovered if he had a relationship with the Great I Am. Same story with Grandma. I

This summer heat is melting me. And as I was waiting for my eye appointment at 3:00 today, I decided to make a trip to one of my fav restaurants for breakfast/lunch. I arrived at La Tinga, ordered a burrito con pollo y salsa verde. I had forgotten how intense the burrito is. I have a very high spicy food tolerance. When we were down in Mexico, I ate some food that was making others cry, and it didn't bother me a wit. This burrito, however, was very, very spicy. I loved it as it burned every pore in my mouth, esophagus, and stomach. Anyway, I washed it all down with some lovely jamaíca tea and headed back to the XA house for a bit of work. I had spent the morning visiting my grandma and giving her a haircut. Back at the house, I did some work around the house, played a few tunes, and was just about to leave for my eye appointment when I accidentally touched the corner of my eye. Instant fiery, torturous pain shot through my iris and cornea, and whatever else feels pain in

My last night at the Blue Moon was last night. Rather sad, really, but necessary. The month of July was looking pretty crazy, so I put in my notice. Hopefully, now I can finish what needs to get done this summer. Also, yesterday, Laura, Dad, and I cleaned out our tack shed. When I was little, no one was even able to get in the door because of all the junk stored there...(didn't used to be a tack shed--back in the day it was a blacksmith shed)...and then we cleaned out part so we could store equine gear there. We finally started loading stuff in the back of the truck to head to the dump, and in the process, we discovered various and sundry pieces of history. We also found a lot of JUNK! I had to work before we finished, and by the time I returned, it was completely cleaned out and VERY beautiful. I love it when progress on any project or goal becomes so increasingly visible as the task goes along. And you know, I was pondering the thought that the tack shed is much like ou

Well, friends, you can add another thing to the list of things-Kristel-and-everyone-who-knows-her-never-thought-she'd-ever-do: I'm bartending this summer! Yep, I got a bartending/waitressing job at the good 'ole Blue Moon Saloon in Divide, so I am able to walk or bike to work if I leave on time. Other than arriving home smelling like cigarette butts on occasion, I really do enjoy the job. I like meeting the people, trying to figure out how to make all the drinks, waiting tables--almost everything is enjoyable to some degree. The best part is that my schedule is flexible enough to allow for all my other summer activities. For one, I got the house director position at Chi Alpha House, (NOT a Greek organization, I would like to point out), for this year, so I come back to Bozeman every week for house dinner/maintenance/hanging out/whatever needs to be done. Chi Alpha is a Christian group I've been a part of for four years...sort of like youth group/church for college

A couple Chi Alpha (XA) meetings ago, Rod called me over to the sign up table, and I signed up for an event that I wasn't too sure about. In fact, I sort of forgot about it briefly. I had no clue what I was getting myself into, but I'm glad I did. :) I met up with my team of four other members last night at 7ish and we ambled on over to Shroyer Gym to see what was up. We all got t-shirts and a team bandanna. There were 16 total teams. We began with the egg toss, filled a cup with water using a bucket of "moose blood" (aka water with red food coloring...sick moose, I can tell 'ya!), sudoku, an obstacle course over/under flags and through cones on a tricycle...wearing beer goggles, the equivalent of DDR with a guitar, dodgeball...(no wrenches)...sucking jello through a forked tube, eating baked beans with a toothpick, wheelbarrow races with 5 crackers and whistling at the end, Scattergories (my fav), shooting hoops, and the final test between the top 6 teams

We drove to Chief Joseph ski area down by Lost Trail yesterday. The weather was gorgeous! Mom's bday was on the 9th, and she wanted to go skiing, so we did...on the 10th. Jason and Laura met us there a little after noon, and we headed out on a snow-day adventure. We picked random trails to explore and I tried to practice technique...since I seriously lack all ability in this area. :) Dad and Mom gave me pointers on skating and gliding right, although the gliding thing I have a hard time with the timing. Oh well, it was awesome anyway. My skis are borrowed at the moment, although Laura found me some sweet skis for cheap, and some awesome poles on sale. Just waiting on the boots. Anyway, the skis I used were waxless, and had some serious kicker action...just not too much glide. We hadn't put any Alpina wax...(speeds things up a bit)...so I could go up hills with no effort...but had to practically push myself DOWN them! After a few hours of exploring, we wrapped it up,

Hmmm, well, warp to a new time in my life. I am no longer in Murcia...*shedding silent tear*...but I am content here in Montana in the 2 degree (-16.7 degrees C) weather with snow storms almost every night and some days. The snow is breathtaking. After I got back to Montana in December, I had a whirlwind month of family and friends, you know Christmas time. When we all get together, laugh and tease, drink hot cocoa and eat sugary sweets and cherish the time we have together. Seth and a very pregnant Caia came back from his Air Force base in North Carolina, and Jason and Laura came home for a bit. We all went skiing/boarding as a family like last year. Great times. I was job searching, (I was not returning to MSU-Bozeman this semester), when my grandma had a stroke. She had been the primary caregiver for my grandpa, and when she went down, a big caregiver-gap was created. So that's what I'm doing now. I am living up Bridger Canyon about 11 miles, living like a 24/7 nur