utah facts!

*drinking is allowed without having to find a sponsor (changed a whole year ago)
*polygamy was outlawed in 1890 (yet UT has the largest household size in the nation...)
*the giant salt lake is over a million acres and saltier than the oceans
*has the most natural arches in the world

salt lake city

Took a mini excursion to SLC. The first big snowfall of the season and me arrived in the city at the same time. Brisk walks and hot chocolates from various bakeries were some of my main activities during the stay. Here is the view from the University of Utah.

cupcakes make people happy

"When you look at a cupcake, you've got to smile."
-Anne Byrn, cookbook writer

boo.

Pirate and I were invited to a great Halloween party: The night was filled with old "scary" movie watching, witch cupcake making, high ball eye ball drinking, and pumpkin soup eating. Pirate and his good friend Panda dressed up as a frog and a princess and were the real treats.

muse

I got my new camera just in time to capture the changing leaves. I don't know how this happened, but I ended the day with 150 pictures of Pirate instead. I guess there are a few trees in the background...

killer

Pirate's new favorite activity: munching on squeaky squirrels he got from grandma

labyrinth walking

I spent an afternoon with a certified labyrinth expert and learned some fascinating facts about this ancient configuration. For 5,000 years, labyrinths have been used as a space for walking meditation and the new millennium has sparked more interest and building. We went to three sites in town and all were made of different materials and were different designs. This was my favorite one.