Meandering...

Winding Down January

2012-01-31T23:02:00.000-06:00

We have been so busy since we got back from California last Monday evening; our schedule is packed with the kids' activities which is the absolute best thing about being here for the winter.

Tues. Jan 24 ~ After doing chores and getting settled again, we met Dylan and Shelby after school and took them to Subway for dinner while Sandee got ready to host her book club. Jackson had wrestling after school so we brought his dinner home. Sandee made one of her and Rich's favorite desserts to serve that evening, Caramel Chewy Bars.

Wed. Jan 25 ~ That is Wings Day at Filly's so we reconnected with our neighbors and met some new ones. We have to get there by 3:30 to get "our table" but this week...horrors...others were already seated there! They do a huge business on Wednesdays and it's so great to sit outside enjoying our friends and soaking up the atmosphere.

Thurs. Jan 26 ~ This was an evening of firsts for Rich and me. We got to go to Jackson's wrestling meet, knowing nothing about wrestling. This meet was held at his Junior High and we had not been there yet. The wrestling season started while we were in California so this was his second meet. He is on the left, in position for the start of his match.

Fri. Jan 27 ~ Dylan had a fully scheduled weekend of sleepovers and hockey practice but Jackson and Shelby slept over and we watched the movie, Mr Popper's Penguins.

Sat. Jan 28 ~ The kids played on the playground at the RV park for a while. Then we went to a Swap Meet hoping to score an outdoor rug, not the best one ever but it was a first for them and the kids got the idea of it. We went on to Camping World, bought the rug, and checked out a couple of new RVs. I had read about Canal Park on a blog so we checked it out next. There was a cool playground where Jackson and Shelby could climb and some neat cactus.

When we got home everyone pitched in to lay out the new rug and set up the fence so that we now have a fenced yard for the girls! And do they ever love it! Bella stays on patrol, barking at every dog passing by. Dora is content to lie out there in the sun all day. Oh did I mention that it's in the 70s and sunny and we can leave our door open for Dora and Bella to go in and out whenever they want.

There was time for a rousing game of toss the plastic bottle into the wastebasket before we took Jackson home so that he could go to a sleepover at one of his friends'. The girls watched the action closely!

Sun. Jan 29 ~ Shelby had slept over again and she was so interested in our neighbors' parrot, Oliver, that she was asking Janet questions. Those of us who live here enjoy hearing the many different sounds that he makes when he is perched outside. Janet was eager to share her vast knowledge with Shelby and invited us over so that Shelby could hold Oliver and Janet could show us some of his tricks. After that, Shelby played with their tiny dog, Moose; isn't that name perfectly cute?

Rather than take Shelby home first, we met the rest of the family at the ice rink for Dylan's hockey game. He is in the center in the photo below.

Mon. Jan 30 ~ Rich has joined a fitness center here and after he returned from his workout, I did some shopping and got a much needed haircut. Just another glimpse at how life goes on, wherever we are. That evening we again met up with them at Dylan's hockey game. Here the coach is talking to the team between periods. You can see Dylan's #7 to the right of the guy wearing #15.

Tues. Jan 31 ~ We are trying to get the carpet replaced with a smooth-surface flooring in the RV which is turning out to be much more complicated than we had ever imagined so Rich spends a lot of time making calls and we continue to search for an installer and a product. This evening Jackson had a wrestling meet...of course we were there! He is wearing the red shirt in the photo below.

I'm thrilled to have accomplished the posting of these highlights of the final days of January; Rich and I are so blessed and remain thankful for all the joy we are able to experience; and I'm so relieved that this month has finally come to a close.

Lovin' Life ~~ Appreciating the Good

Bev

Our Return to Arizona

2012-01-31T01:21:00.000-06:00

Monday, the 23rd of January was a driving day, as well as being my mom's 85th birthday! When my brother and SIL went to see Mom, my sweet cousin Kathy was there and had brought her some homemade cookies...lucky Mom!

It's nearly inconceivable to me that we have already been back here for a week. Man, life can really throw some curve balls in a very short space of time. We had a fabulous time in California visiting family and friends, returning to familiar places in our life there, and exploring new wonderful places that we just didn't take the time to do when we lived there. It was time to come back to AZ though.

As we approached our winter home, we were welcomed by the most glorious and unusual sunset. The reds and oranges were of such intense colors that the distant mountains reflected a pinkish red color with the cactus and other shrubs appearing orange. None of the photos below have had any color adjustments.

When I turned around from the scene above to shoot directly into the sunset, it appeared that the sky was ablaze! This is what we saw displayed against the fiery colors of the evening sky...

Lovin' Life ~~ Appreciating Its Glorious Colors
Bev

La Jolla, CA ~~ Sea Lions, Seals, and Much More

2012-01-31T00:58:00.000-06:00

I am desperately trying to catch up my blog posts. January has been such a month of turmoil and sadness for our families back home that I just want to start fresh in February.

While there we visited the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla. This view of the building is on the ocean side and the cluster of boats at the top of the museum is an installation called Pleasure Point, created by Nancy Rubin. The angles of the building form a work of art themselves. Unfortunately, no photography is allowed in the museum so I can't share any of the art.

The scene below is of La Jolla Cove where many sea lions, seals, pelicans, cormorants, and sea gulls hang out.

The first time I was there, on Friday the 20th, these two sea lions were carrying on quite a conversation which I filmed and embedded below.

When we returned to La Jolla on Sunday the 22nd, we spent time watching the Harbor Seals at Casa Beach. Harbor seals are hauled out of the ocean 30% to 40% of the time to rest and absorb oxygen; this beach is a favorite spot for them to haul out. I tried to upload a movie of them but can't stay connected long enough to accomplish that so finally just gave up. Here are the Harbor Seals at Casa Beach.

This adorable squirrel just sat there nibbling on blades of grass while I stood not four feet away at the top of the cliffs when I was taking pictures of the seals. What a cutie!

As we walked from Casa Beach to La Jolla Cove, we saw:

Huge Waves

Pelicans

in flight

and perched.

Wind Sculpted Trees

Arriving at the Cove again, we watched the sea lions for a long time. With such huge waves, they were having a tough time getting up onto the rocks. We watched several of them for a long time and then, just two seconds after I turned off my camera, the two on the left caught a wave and leaped up onto the lower ledge. Another movie I had hoped to upload tonight shows them walking around, so proud of their accomplishment; it is very cool.

Lovin' Life ~~ In San Diego and La Jolla

Bev

Balboa Park, San Diego

2012-01-27T00:46:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I want to post a bunch of related photos but think that it's just too many for me to upload or for you to scroll through. The photos I took at Balboa Park last Saturday fall into two categories so I created collages of each.

The Spanish-Renaissance style buildings along the El Prado pedestrian walkway were constructed for the 1915-1916 Panama-California Exposition. The arches and columns were of special interest to me. The reflecting pool in the center of this collage lies in front of the building that houses the Botanical Gardens.

Displayed inside the Botanical Building are many exquisite varieties of orchids.

We also visited the Timken Museum of Art and the San Diego Model Railroad Museum which, at 28,000 square feet, is the largest operating model railroad museum in the world. Of course Rich enjoyed this the most and always gets some ideas for his model railroad.

Although, it appears that they were all enjoying their viewing spot for the toy train layout.

After all that walking and exploring it was finally time to head over to the Old Town Mexican Cafe for dinner. This restaurant was recommended by two of our nieces and for that we say "GRACIAS!" The food was delicious and the atmosphere delightful, starting with the women who make their fabulous tortillas by hand.

The menu listed a dish that was new to all of us, Molcajete, that serves two.

I think both Bill and Deanne would agree that they each could have eaten one! Rich ordered their special Carnitas and I had a combination dinner that included an amazing chicken verde enchilada. When in San Diego, we too recommend this authentic Mexican restaurant.

Lovin' Life ~~ And Days Filled With New Experiences

Bev

Tide Pools

2012-01-26T14:15:00.002-06:00

I know where the past several days have gone so we won't wonder about that. Last Friday, Rich and I spent the day exploring the Pacific Coast up to LaJolla stopping at several beaches. I love the rocky coast that makes up much of this stretch...it is so very beautiful.

We got out with the girls for a while at one less populated area.

While Rich stayed with the girls, I walked along the cliff until I found this path down to the beach. There were people down there exploring and I wanted to check it out.

After crossing the sand, I walked through these rock canyons which were about shoulder high. That's what had really piqued my curiosity when we were up on the cliffs, seeing peoples' heads moving along the ridge of these which was quite a sight.

At the far end of the rock canyons were tide pools! I had never explored tide pools until then so this was most exciting!

Just look at all the pools.

You may want to click on this one to see the hermit crab in the center of the photo. btw, I'm not a biologist so may not properly name anything in these photos.

The variety of colors was amazing!

Areas closer to the beach were covered with green moss.

Some of the pools were encircled by reefs.

The work of nature-as-sculptor was evident everywhere...just look at that round pale orange rock.

And there was life everywhere you looked. Here are a few photos of various species of mussels.

Unlike the #%%&*$@ who left a Coke can out there, I only left my footprint in the sand of the beach.

Lovin' Life ~~ And the Beauty of Tide Pools

Bev

~ ~ ~ Sunday, January 22, 2012 ~ ~ ~

2012-01-23T02:01:00.013-06:00

I took this at the top of Soledad Mountain, San Diego, CA

San Diego ~ Beach, Coronado, & Old Town

2012-01-21T02:32:00.000-06:00

I am so far behind in posting photos of our time here in San Diego. As most of you know, we all have a life behind our blogs. Far far away in miles, but oh-so-close in heart and attention, are major issues currently happening with Rich's family in Milwaukee and with Mom. We continue to enjoy this area while holding close to updates by phone and computer...how did we communicate before all of these electronic media?

Thursday we drove along the area called Silver Strand and stopped at the beach of the same name. I'm the one who leaves shoes in the car and heads for the water. As I walked toward the ocean, I started noticing the unique patterns in the undisturbed sand. And then I saw them...millions of glittering specks of gold in the sand. I wish you could have seen it. I had to yell at my companions to get them to gingerly traverse the sand in their shoes...yuck, yuck...but they thought it was worth seeing. Here are a very few photos.

Why yes, that is a big wave coming in behind me!
Why yes, I did get very wet!
Why yes, it was worth every cold drop of it!
So glad you asked!

We continued our drive up the Strand to the Hotel del Coronado. Rich and I were fortunate enough to stay here when we lived in California so it is a special place for us.

Beach dunes at Hotel del Coronado

Plants on the beach dunes

Dr. Seuss' Turtle Tower sculpture was one of several of his sculptures on display at the Hotel.

While there, we enjoyed a delicious lunch on the deck overlooking the beach.

We drove up to the Padre Junipero Serra Museum, which is the sight of the first of the California Missions, to find that it is only open on weekends. The cross was raised and this sight was dedicated as a mission on July 16, 1769.

This gunfight was one of the first things we saw after parking our cars in Old Town San Diego.

And then we spied a penny-smashing machine. The kids and I have collected smashed pennies from many of the places we have visited. They make such great souvenirs and I had made a couple of them at San Diego Zoo on Wednesday. This is the first photo of one though. Handing the camera to Rich while I smashed my penny may have been a mistake, but I'll post this photo anyway because the kids will get a kick out of it!

Old Town has lots of original buildings and most of them are now storefronts selling all kinds of tchotckes, which I've gotten pretty good at avoiding since retiring!

Rich, Deanne, & Bill walking around the Plaza. In the photo below, Rich is standing under an enormous olive tree.

This area is called Fiesta de Reyes and we spent time here relaxing in those chairs around the firepit. This is also where I took all the photos of the plants you see in the collage at the beginning of this post. You didn't think I'd close without telling you about that photo did you?

The sunset as we came home from Old Town, was breathtaking in its beauty so I'll close with this...

Lovin' Life ~~ Through It All

Bev

P.S. What do you all think of my new camera so far?

A Tale of Two Takins

2012-01-20T09:34:00.000-06:00

Talk about lucky timing! I stopped to shoot this young male Takin (rhymes with rockin') at the zoo on Wednesday. He was proudly surveying his world from the peak of these rocks...king of the hill it seemed.

As I started to turn away, an older male wanders over and places his front hooves on the bottom step; they stare at each other as if ready to challenge for the peak.

Then, the old guy looks over at me as if to say, "Watch this, lady!"

The younger one is holding on to his spot at the peak though, as senior turns back to the task at hand.

And then he proceeds to climb to the peak while the young one is still trying to hold onto his place, and his pride.

Alas, the youngster was no match for the older guy.

And here he is, the true King of the Takin Hill!

Lovin' Life ~~ And Lucky Timing!

Bev

This Blogger Went to the Zoo...

2012-01-19T11:41:00.000-06:00

...in San Diego and all you get are these...

And throughout the zoo, wherever I went, I saw these three ballcap-billed, free-roaming, map-reading creatures.

Lovin' Life ~~ On a Cool, Sunny Day at the Zoo

Bev

Then & Now

2012-01-18T01:41:00.001-06:00

Rich and I met in January 1980. We both worked for Capitol Records, him in LA, me in Illinois and he came to my plant to lead a project designing an online computer system for the department I managed. The project was groundbreaking so we ended up talking a lot on the phone after he returned to LA and over time became good friends. Fast forward six years and those phone calls led to our January 1986 marriage (mine is a real life fairy tale!). Leaving LA yesterday, we drove past the Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood remembering our "Then" and I got this shot from the freeway.

Our CA BFFs, Bill and Deanne, both worked at Capitol in LA too. We all got married at the same time (quite a story, that!) and celebrated our 26th anniversary together last Friday. Yesterday we all drove to San Diego where we are parked near Mission Bay in our RVs for a few days. Here is what our "Now" looks like.

Dora and Bella are vying for Bill's attention...

...as Deanne looks on.

This looks much like snow on the page here but actually it is the waters of Mission Bay reflecting the sunset early yesterday evening.

About a half hour later the Bay looked like this from our RV Park.

Lovin' Life ~~ Then and Now!

Bev

CSUN & CLU

2012-01-17T08:15:00.001-06:00

Today we are going to take a look at the Universities where Sandee and I earned our degrees. Even though our RV Park is on the street that California State University Northridge faces and we have driven past the campus a few times this week, only yesterday did we stop to take a few photos.

After the kids were settled into their new schools and routines the fall after our move to California, I took a job at the CSUN Student Health Center. Even though I enjoyed my time there and loved the exposure to a field that was so foreign to me, I am not a health care person. Less than a year later, I left CSUN for a position closer to home, but by then the campus and that part of The Valley were familiar to me, as they are still. After Sandee completed two years at College of the Canyons (see the January 14th post) she attended CSUN, earning her bachelor's degree here in spring 1994.

CSUN Student Health Center where I worked.

The magnificent CSUN Library!

This entire area was once covered with orange groves and CSUN maintains a small orchard in recognition of that history.

Remembering: At 4:31 a.m., eighteen years ago today, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake hit Northridge destroying most of the buildings on campus. The response and accomplishments of the administration and staff were stupendous. Temporary facilities in tents and trailers were established on all open areas. Sandee had one semester remaining and she graduated as planned because the campus was reopened only a week or two later than scheduled for the beginning of spring semester...phenomenal.

After completing an A.A. at College of the Canyons in 1991, I transferred to California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks where I graduated in spring 1993.

I seem to recall that the business office was located in this building when I was a student here. Even though it was such a long daily commute, I was so fortunate to be awarded a scholarship that allowed me to attend this great private university where I earned my B.S.

The Orville Dahl Centrum Buildings, shown here, were built in the early 1960s. This architectural style is seen throughout the central campus.

Just look at how lovely the grounds of the campus are landscaped.

This campus is where I fell in love with Bird of Paradise flowers. The vibrant colors and exquisite detail simply take my breath away. I was so thrilled to see them in bloom this past weekend.

Thanks for coming along on our trip down memory lane while we visited some of those special people and places that made our life here so happy and fulfilling. Today we head south for a few days in San Diego with our friends, Bill & Deanne.

Lovin' Life ~~ And Our University Campuses

Bev

Our CA Family

2012-01-16T08:09:00.017-06:00

This was the scene ahead as we drove down the Santa Susanna pass on the 118 going to Thousand Oaks yesterday...gorgeous. This was my daily view when I was going to college over there, but I don't recall appreciating it as much as I do now.

Our nephew, Ted, and his wife, Johanna, invited our California family and us over for a cookout today. Ted's younger three sisters live in Colorado. Ted and Johanna frequently host family get-togethers which is great because they seem to really enjoy doing it and have such a perfect home for entertaining.

Their daughter, Christina, and her boyfriend, Joe, were there. It was great seeing her again and getting to meet him.

Merl, our niece Judy, Johanna, and Rich enjoyed sitting OUTSIDE to visit. I had nearly forgotten how fabulous it is to be in a warmer climate for the winter. Judy is Ted's sister.

Patrick is Judy's and Merl's son. When you haven't seen kids, like Patrick and Christina, for a number of years they really change...like, they're grown up and stuff now...gasp!

Our sister-in-law, Helen, is Ted's and Judy's mom. She stays wonderfully the same, never seeming to age.

Rich is watching Ted make his special beans...I hope he was paying attention because those were some darned good beans!

Time to eat...everybody brought something, Ted grilled the meats, and it was all delicious!

Hadouken, Johanna, and Brewski were winding down for the evening as we all got ready to leave. Their dogs get along great and had played all afternoon so they were ready to rest. Hadouken is Christina's dog and was so comfy sitting with "Grandma" that he did not want to leave.

This was our family, we shared holidays and lots of other family events, when we lived in California so I loved getting to spend a few hours visiting with them while we're here. Today is our last day here and it is clear that I planned this poorly. A week is not enough time to explore all the places that I would like or enough time to spend with the folks who were such a huge part of our lives when we lived here.

Lovin' Life ~~ And Family Ties

Bev

Let's Rock!!!

2012-01-15T14:07:00.000-06:00

After hanging out here taking care of business yesterday morning, we drove out to Thousand Oaks to visit Marion & Frank. This photo of Marion makes me chuckle [maybe not her though...giggle] because right after I took it, Frank made some comment about her mouth moving so fast it will blur the picture. They have always been so much fun!

After we had dinner there, two of their daughters, two of their granddaughters, they and we all drove up to Camarillo to Rock City Studios for a concert. The band is Peripheral Fever...

...and their grandson, Michael, is the drummer. He has never had a lesson and has not been playing very long but he is one very fine rockin' drummer!

Rich and I enjoyed every minute of their performance and were shocked when it ended because we could have listened to them much longer. Loud rock...oh yeah!!! It brought back lots of memories for Rich of when he worked as a bouncer at The Basement while a student at UCLA.

Lovin' Life ~~ And Unexpected Experiences...Always!

Bev

Our California

2012-01-14T14:11:00.000-06:00

Everyone who has ever lived here, or even visited here, has a unique perception of LA depending on their experience. We lived here for eight glorious years, some of the best of my life. The kids were at home, we had Rich's brother and his family here, we had great friends here, our life was filled with a variety of activities. Here is a very brief tour of some of the places we've visited this week as we celebrate our anniversary and the AMAZING years we lived here...beginning with a shot of the front of the anniversary card Rich gave me because it is definitely celebratory!!!

This is where Rich lived in Valencia when we got married.

This is a view of the Commons on the College of the Canyons campus in Valencia that Sandee and I both attended.

Sandee and Greg graduated from Canyon High School in Canyon Country.

Greg attended Junior High here and the Sierra Vista campus also was the location for the services of the church they both attended.

The best burgers and fries you would ever eat are at Cousins in Canyon Country.

This is the house we lived in the eight years we were in California. It's not a great shot but I do also have several of the inside! Yes, the folks who just bought it in December were kind enough to let me tour the whole house. It is so cool to see a home you lived in eighteen years ago so I didn't have the gall to ask her to close the garage so I could get a good exterior shot...giggle

After seeing our house, we stopped at the little park near there to share with the girls the Cousins burger I had saved for them...yummmmm

From there we drove up Soledad Canyon to Acton. Along the way, I got out at Shambala Preserve and took photos of the tigers. I loved this guy's face! And it's a good example of the 35x optical zoom on my new camera.

After driving through Action, we headed toward Agua Dulce and stopped here at Vasquez Rocks Park. The afternoon light was perfect for many great shots of the massive rock formations...can you say "sculpted by earthquakes"...gasp!

This is the house Sandee and Shawn bought and had a large addition built onto in Encino before they moved to Arizona seven and a half years ago.

Not that we spend all of our time eating, but Tommy's is pretty much an LA institution and the chili fries are still pretty much fabulous!

Rich got to spend all the time he wanted perusing the innumerable treasures at All Electronics. This is his idea of mecca...and there is nothing like it anywhere in Chicago.

Last night we had dinner at Benihana's in Encino. If we were all in town, this is where we always celebrated our anniversary when we lived out here.

And here we are, the four of us celebrating yet another anniversary of that auspicious day in 1986 when we all got married in Aspen, CO after a day of skiing the magnificent slopes there.

I should get ready for today's adventures since it's nearly noon...yikes! Since the internet is actually working right now, knock on wood, I wanted to take advantage of it and get a post published.

Lovin' Life ~~ Past & Present

Bev

Happy 26th Anniversary to MOAO!!!

2012-01-13T01:52:00.000-06:00

We're Still Havin' Fun

and

Lovin' Life ~~ Being With You!

Bev

Introducing ~ My New Camera!

2012-01-13T01:27:00.000-06:00

Here is one of my first shots and a favorite among the ones taken as tests Wednesday. I love the palm tree lined streets and that these are reflected in this building in Studio City.

And here is the new star of our show...the Canon SX40 HS. Isn't it a beauty?

This next photo was taken shortly before 4:00 Wednesday afternoon...this is Valley traffic. Rich would rather be driving somewhere else...anywhere else than LA.

I love being here where everything is so familiar; it's amazing that I remember so much about the Valley but I did work in this area at the first job I had after moving to CA. I really love that we got to have dinner with our CA BFFs [Frank & Marion, me & Rich, Bill & Deanne] Wednesday evening and then they all came to our place to visit. And no, I wasn't cold...the rest of them are just weather wimps!

Lovin' Life ~~ And Connecting With Our Past

Bev

With Mixed Emotions

2012-01-11T02:15:00.000-06:00

Written to be posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2012 but...you'll see what happened, just keep reading.

Today was a very special day, it's the first time we've been in California since the kids moved to Arizona seven and a half years ago. It's been even longer since I've traveled that route and it surprised me to see that there are mountains the entire distance between Phoenix and LA.

I was so excited to be coming back to where Rich and began our lives together, where my kids completed high school, and Sandee completed her bachelors.

As we passed around LA on the 210, which is the freeway Rich took to work every day for years, then crossed both the 5 and the 405, transitioned to the 118, exited at Tampa Blvd, and drove past the mall we frequented, so many fond memories of the wonderful eight years we lived here came to the surface.

But...

1. My beloved camera broke shortly after we passed through Palm Springs this afternoon {a moment of silence, please},

2. My phone does not have a very good camera,

3. Clearly, rush hour drivers do not appreciate motorhomes,

4. After a long 428 mile day, I think Rich would have preferred an easier slot to park in, although he did not complain one bit,

5. Rich walked to a nearby BBQ place and brought back beef ribs and shredded pork plus fixin's. The meat was tough and stringy, hardly fit to eat,

6. Rich spent the rest of the evening taking my camera apart and researching the problem on the web. The man is a saint; he found the problem, knows the solution, but it requires parts. Do I go without a camera while here??? What???

7. I tried to blog with the photos that are available from today, some of which are from my phone, but now Blogger won't allow me to post photos so I had to figure out how to put a question on their help forum,

8. With no blog photos, I decided to post just one phone photo on FB but that lovely Verizon Wi-Fi kept failing so I eventually located the code and logged on to the RV Park's internet so that I could finally post one photo on FB. And now it's after midnight,

Last but not least...

9. I am mindful that we will be here for the 18th anniversary of the Northridge Earthquake and, to add a bit of glitter to that lovely thought...the RV Park we're staying at is located at the epicenter of that horrific earthquake.

C'mon LA...where's that hug for someone who was so excited to be returning for a long overdue visit????

Lovin' Life ~~ Even Tonight

Bev

Kids' Winter Break

2012-01-10T12:56:00.001-06:00

Yesterday the kids went back to school from break. We got to spend lots of time with them while they were off which is only part of the reason for my absence here. The main reason is that I can't bear the constant crashes of our internet connection. Today we are on the road heading for California and so far, knock on wood, it's holding pretty steady.

It is so cool for me to be with the kids in a daily routine instead of the hurry, scurry vacation mode that we usually experience. We just hang out...a lot. We went RV shopping. We went to a movie. We play Angry Birds. We go to the park. There are days when I barely take any pictures...gasp! Here are a few shots of things we've done.

It didn't take long for the kids to figure out how to use the pegs on the BMX bikes.

Jackson was sick this day that Shelby, Dylan, & Grandpa played basketball.

We finally had time to take the girls to a huge dog park; it even has a dog beach!

Dylan's hockey games are fun to watch; the action is fast and the periods just fly by. Here's Dylan looking toward the camera after his teammate with the raised stick just scored a goal!

After packing the Christmas decorations away, Sandee took time to remove the contact paper Mom had on the shelves and oil the bookcase/secretary we brought to her this trip. It looks more beautiful than it ever did.

For a family history project, my BFF Sandee B went over to get a book at my house and sent it...thank you again for that! Jackson was able to include information about the Wallace line of our family that we can directly trace for eleven generations beginning with James Wallace born circa 1695! Here Jackson is reading a summary I prepared from that family record book for him to use on that project.

With gift cards that they received for Christmas, Shelby and Dylan both bought Razors so their wheels are now fully restored after having everything stolen a couple of months ago. Shelby just zips around the house on hers!

They spent two nights with us last week. Here Grandpa...

...and Jackson are playing the bean bag game while Shelby and...

...Bella look on.

Why yes, we are having lunch in our PJs, that's what holiday breaks and sleepovers with G'pa and G'ma are for. btw...in this texting world we have become G'pa & G'ma for brevity's sake. Dylan coined the words and they stuck...we like it!

Christmas gifts that show up a few days later may be the best of all...

...especially when they're such a totally unexpected and shocking surprise!

The day before yesterday was prep day for game night. Sandee made a phenomenal Cilantro Dip and baked these BAMA cakes. Well, of course, the game was last night's Alabama/LSU BCS Championship Game. Well, of course, Alabama won...ROLL TIDE! With fans like these could there be any doubt?

Bella just wanted to snuggle with Jackson that afternoon and Dora sat on my lap much of the time. Dexter's puppy energy brings out the ole lady in our nearly eight year old girls.

On the way home from their house Sunday evening, the full moon was hovering over my new love, the Superstition Mountains near our winter home.

As I publish this we are 10 miles from the California border. We'll spend a couple of weeks here. First we'll visit with our family and friends and drive out to our old home...stuff like that; then we'll probably head down to San Diego for a week. See ya in sunny southern California!

Lovin' Life ~~ Returning to Our CA Home

Bev

My 2011 Retrospective

2012-01-01T23:22:00.001-06:00

When I saw that Amy at her blog, prettybabies, had posted a 2011 retrospective, it seemed like a great idea that was just begging to be copied. Unfortunately for me, I took 17,349 photos last year and if you followed this blog throughout the year, you've seen most of the good ones...teehee Instead of realizing how tough this would be and quitting when Rich said "You want me to pick one photo from the northeast trip? Are you crazy?" I invested hours this evening compiling the following twelve+ photos. I did cheat though and created collages for some months.

January 2011

To celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary, we returned to Aspen, CO where we were married. I didn't ski but Rich thoroughly enjoyed his days on the slopes.

February 2011

This photo was taken during one of the several heavy snowfalls last winter and provides a not-so-subtle clue about why we're in Arizona this winter...teehee

March 2011

After a great drive and fun days in New Mexico we arrived to spend a couple of weeks with kids for their Spring Break. This was taken at the Children's Museum in Tucson.

April 2011

On the way home from Arizona, we spent sixteen days in Texas. We happened to arrive in San Antonio for Festival and stayed there eleven days to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the festivities.

May 2011

We arrived home in time for the magnificent show put on by the many flowering trees in our community.

June 2011

My immediate family gathered in June to celebrate Dylan's 10th birthday. Mom's four kids, five grandkids, and six great-grandkids were there along with all but one of our in-laws. That was a very special day!

July 2011

The kids were here for three weeks this summer which was such a treat for us. After visiting with all the family we took in some of the many things to do in the Chicago area and also spent five days in Michigan enjoying the beaches there.

August 2011

From July 30th through September 11th we traveled throughout the northeast on the most unbelievably fantastic trip! We had so many amazing experiences that it's difficult to remember all of them...that's why I take so many photos, to capture our incredible life.

September 2011

The month began in Massachusetts where one day was spent exploring Cape Cod...

...and ended with the painting of our bedroom to finally cover the biggest mistake I've ever made in color selection.

October 2011

The kids were with us again in October for one week of their Fall Break. We stayed close to home for this trip with this photo taken at one of our favorite places, Morton Arboretum.

November 2011

I flew out to the kids' in November to stay with them while their folks attended an Alabama football game. While there I had the privilege of attending the Veteran's Day Celebration at their grade school. Dylan and Shelby both participated in this moving program to honor all veterans. Rich's name was on a flag of stars made by students and there was a flag of remembrance for my dad planted in a special area for those who are deceased.

December 2011

And now we have ended the year celebrating the holidays with the kids and settling into our winter home here in Arizona. We have met our wonderful neighbors in the RV Park in addition to spending as much time as possible with our precious grands.

Have I mentioned lately that I'm the luckiest lady I know? I most certainly am you know!

Lovin' Life ~~ Welcoming 2012

Bev

The Final Four...Days

2012-01-01T10:51:00.000-06:00

These last four days of 2011 have passed even more quickly than normal, if only time could slow down just a bit. Here's a brief recap.

Wednesday Rich and I explored the base of the Superstitions, driving through neighborhoods of one to five acre lots on dirt roads and through deep washes with homes ranging from old to magnificent. I envy them the location because I love looking at the craggy spires of these mountains, the desert terrain, the various shapes of cacti, and the occasional jackrabbit.

That evening we joined our new neighbors for wings night at Filly's, just up the road toward the mountains. Here is one of the parking lots...their riders were having wings and beer in the outside dining area too!

After a relaxing morning reading at home on Thursday I had a rare, terrific treat...Sandee and I met for lunch and then saw a movie! This apple pie at Cantina Laredo was to die for but the movie wasn't worth a mention...no matter because the highlight was time spent with my sweet, lovely daughter!

And then there was Freaky Friday. I woke up at 4:00 a.m. with a serious case of vertigo...the world was tilting on its axis to such a degree that I could barely walk and was extremely nauseous. If you've never experienced that, consider yourself lucky. Rich took the girls for their grooming appointment and spent much of the day at the kids' as we had planned. By mid-afternoon I was stable enough to go back to the kids with Rich and for them to spend the night with us on the eve of New Year's Eve...lounging, chatting, snacking and then watching a good movie.

When we took them home, Shawn, Dylan, and Shelby left for a long bike ride and we visited with Sandee until after they returned; Jackson has a cold so stayed behind. On the way home we joined the throngs shopping for party food and then sat outside with our neighbors snacking, chatting, and toasting the close of 2011.

Lisa, Pam, & Don

Bill & Bill

Rich, Mike, & Mary

Bob & Edna

I'm going to close this 2011 post with a photo of Dylan because he obviously has the Lucky Shirt...however,

This Is My Lucky Life!

Lovin' Life ~~ Cheers to You All for a Most Happy New Year!

Bev

Post-Christmas Gifts

2011-12-30T08:38:00.000-06:00

I had mentioned in my last post that I would share more later about the contents of the little "treasure boxes" the kids are opening in this photo.

Inside each of these boxes there was a smaller box of the same design; inside that box there was a small gift bag; inside that gift bag was a note to each of them saying that the actual gift was a shopping trip with Grandpa and me to buy a new bicycle. Their bikes had all been stolen, along with others on their street, one night a couple of months ago.

Little did we know when we came up with the shopping trip idea, that this would turn out to be one of the greatest gifts WE could ever get.

Monday morning we picked up Shelby for the first of the three shopping trips. There were three really cute/cool girls' bikes at the first WalMart we went to...what luck as it turned out. She tried out all three and deliberated for a very short time because one was perfect in her opinion. With such quick shopping, we even had time to take her to lunch. She was so excited to show everyone that she came up with a plan to ride the bike home from the park after Grandpa went on home and got everyone outside to see her...too cute!

Monday afternoon and into evening it was Dylan's turn. We already knew there was nothing at that first WalMart for him, we took off in the opposite direction to one in a town we had never been to. There was a bike there that he really liked but it was a BMX bike with hand brakes and trick pegs, so he wanted to check out some more which was more than fine with us. We went to two other stores, almost settling for a bike at the next one but we weren't sure he was actually thrilled with it. After seeing bikes at the third store, he knew that the one he really wanted was the one he saw at the first store. We raced back to that store, stopping only for snacks and drinks at a convenience store, hoping that "his" bike had not been sold...whew...it was still there and he was thrilled to see it again. Even though it was dark by then, he rode it home from down the block for all his family to see.

Tuesday we picked up Jackson, who was ready for his turn because he really liked Dylan's bike and was excited about finding his own. We went straight to the store where Dylan found his because there was one there the evening before that all three of us thought he might like...it was gone. At the second store they had one that he liked pretty well but he still wanted to look at some more. We decided to buy that one, just in case, but to keep on looking. We took care of a couple of errands on the way to the next store and decided along the way to stop for lunch. Jackson commented that he only wished that the bike we already bought had more blue on it than the two small strips it did have. I said that so far we hadn't seen any that were that great shade of blue. Following the Garmin to a dead end in search of a pizza place we wanted to try, as Rich turned around in a parking lot, I saw a WalMart across the street that we had not even seen on the Garmin and commented how weird it would be if they had the perfect bike. They Did! The right size BMX bike with the same new features as Dylan's BMX but trimmed in the electric blue that he loves.

We were all ecstatic because not only did all three kids find the bike of their dreams but we had a story about each one. The grands and I love our "stories" and retell them often!

Last evening I spent quite a lot of time making the collage below. It has the notes that each of the kids got in their "treasure boxes" along with photos of each at the store when they selected their bikes and a few shots of the three of them with their beautiful new bikes.

The greatest part of this story is that we got to spend that precious time with each of them alone. Usually we have such limited time together that we spend it on activities for all us. Now that we have the luxury of these months with them, we could enjoy the company of each one alone for a few hours...what an amazing gift for us! I highly recommend it!

Lovin' Life ~~ And the Luxury of Time!

Bev

Our Christmas Day

2011-12-29T21:55:00.001-06:00

....began at 4:45 a.m. when we were awakened by a sick dog, but our grands got up less than an hour later anyway. Their stockings were hung on their doors and they all climbed into Jackson's top bunk to check them out while their folks got the coffee started and the tree lights on.

Dylan had awakened during the night and saw the stockings swinging on the door; he told me that he knew he barely missed seeing Santa. Thankfully, Santa did leave lots of presents even though it was such a close call.

Santa had tucked some way behind the tree so it was important to check it out again to see if they had missed any.

All three of them are opening treasure boxes from Grandpa and me. There will be more posted about what was inside these later.

After the kids opened all of their fabulous gifts, we took a break to bake our favorite Monkey Bread and enjoy eating our traditional Christmas morning breakfast casserole.

Later, there were gifts for Sandee and Shawn and Grandpa and ME too!

Dora had gotten sick again after the kids opened gifts and we had breakfast...scary sick...so Rich took her to a vet. We were all greatly relieved to learn that she had a bacteria imbalance in the bowel that would heal quickly with a bland prescription diet and antibiotics. And she did; her symptoms did not reoccur. For the rest of the day though, she just wanted to snuggle on the couch. Bella of course had to snuggle right there too...giggle.

Lovin' Life ~~ And Happy Holidays!

Bev

Our Christmas Eve

2011-12-28T23:32:00.000-06:00

As do most families, we have traditions that are important parts of our holidays, especially on Christmas Eve. As a special treat before dinner this year, Rich and the kids had practiced ahead of time with the guys performing Jingle Bells on the keyboard, recorder, and saxophone while Shelby sang along. I loved that they did this...Grandpa had such a great idea and made it happen!

After sharing opłatki, accompanied by a special blessing for each person, our dinner includes several Polish dishes. No, the glass of wine was not Jackson's, it was Grandpa's.

After dinner, gifts from family back home are opened; the first gifts opened though are the kids' new Christmas pajamas which they stop and put on immediately. Sandee and Dexter enjoyed watching all the excitement!

The last order of business at their house on Christmas Eve is for Shawn and the kids to make sugar cookies for Santa. The design varies and this year they made Santa's initials.

Lovin' Life ~~ Family Traditions

Bev

Our Tree on Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T12:34:00.000-06:00

We have other Christmas decorations all through our cozy abode and perhaps I will share some of them next week. Today though, I'm taking just a minute to show you our Christmas tree and point out three very special ornaments. The perfect angel on top was selected by Dylan from their own tree yesterday, after noticing that we didn't have anything on the top of ours. And the two snowpeople near the top wearing the green and red scarves were very special, early gifts that say "I {heart} Grandma" and "I {heart} Grandpa."

This little tree, purchased at the bookstore my first Christmas there, sat near my desk in my office for all the years that I worked at the college. The Mrs. and Santa Claus are two favorites from my collection of Possible Dreams Santas. They remind me of the year that Santa brought us our cocker spaniel, Taffy, when my kids were young.

We are leaving shortly to spend the rest of the day, this magical night, and the excitement of tomorrow with the kids!

Rich and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas with many, many blessings of your own!

Lovin' Life ~~ And All of You

Bev

Tis the Season...

2011-12-23T23:42:00.000-06:00

...for nonstop busyness! It's hard to believe that it's been nearly a week already since I last posted here. Rich had a bad cold/sinus thingie Sunday through Tuesday but has gotten better and better since then. Here are just a few highlights of the things we've done in the past week, along with the typical shopping, wrapping, cooking, cleaning stuff.

Sandee baked last Sunday...

I had promised to do some today but checked out early, leaving her with lots of baking supplies on the island in her kitchen. Oh well, maybe the kids and I will get to that during the week.

The kids and I did make eleven snow globes using canning jars, distilled water with a splash of glycerin, glitter, and a variety of cute little tchotchkes glued in for their teachers and others. Here are three of them...

Tuesday afternoon, Rich and I took a load of gifts over to their house. They had been peeking in the back window before I got out there to unlock the car.

Wednesdays are turning out to be chores day for us. We didn't see the kids at all but Rich got the propane filled in the motorhome. It's pretty cold here at night, often in the 40s, so we use the furnace nearly every night. After laundry and cleaning we took a short drive north on Ironwood to the end of that street. This area is so beautiful and there is so much more to explore.

Looking to the northeast we saw this.

Looking to the west we saw this.

Thursday was the beginning of the kids' winter break so we took them to see ZooLights at the Phoenix Zoo last evening. They display 3.5 million lights throughout the zoo. Most of the animals are inside for the night but we did see a huge komodo dragon, zebras, flamingos, and Jengo, the talking giraffe!

Mine is not a great nighttime camera so sometimes I get these fabulously funky shots.

This was taken shortly after the kids had all zoomed down the 160 foot Polar Slide on snow tubes...what a blast!

There were light displays like these throughout the zoo.

But Jengo was the star of the show. He stands seventeen feet high and talks to the kids, answering their many questions on the spot, telling stories and jokes. Rich nor I ever did figure out how that was done and where the person was who was talking. The kids loved him and would have stood there until the zoo closed at ten o'clock if we hadn't eventually said "brrrrr, let's go home and make some hot chocolate." Here's Jengo and the kids.

Last night was the second time that the kids have slept over. We all conked out not long after getting home from the zoo last night but lounged around this morning making breakfast and talking. At their house this afternoon, I made pierogi for tomorrow evening's dinner. Rich's mom would be so proud...not only do I remember how she taught me to make them, but all three of the kids watched and learned and made some too!

There's more, so much more but this gives you an idea of how our winter in Arizona is going during this holiday season. I couldn't be happier. It is such an amazing gift, just being with the kids and doing all kinds of things big and small without an imminent date of return clouding our days.

Lovin' Life ~~ And Arizona Holidays

Bev

Christmas Lights & Movie Night

2011-12-17T21:25:00.000-06:00

We've been so busy since getting here that I only met our next door neighbors today when the kids and we went to the little playground here at our RV park.

Yesterday I decided that their parents would probably appreciate having some holiday prep time. We were at their house when the kids got home from school. After they did their Friday chores we went to dinner then drove to the Mesa Arizona Temple to see the Christmas lights display in the gardens there. From the moment I saw this at a distance through the trees, it moved me...the star that is.

I wish all of you could see this in person, especially this star. The rest of the gardens were decorated with a multitude of colored lights. The Three Kings leading their camels toward the star, the reflection of the lights and the Temple in the pool, the lighted walkways, the decorated front of the Visitors Center...oh how I wish I could make you feel like you were there!

After strolling through the gardens and soaking in the holiday atmosphere at the Temple, we came home for another holiday tradition...watching the movie Elf! Talk about contrasting holiday experiences! Everyone had their favorite movie candy and the beds were made and we laughed about as much this time as the first time we all saw it!

Lucky us! Their folks didn't pick them up until late this afternoon!

Lovin' Life ~~ And Holiday Traditions

Bev

Snow on the Mazatzal Mountains

2011-12-14T23:37:00.000-06:00

Today was chores day; we didn't see the kids at all. We did laundry, cleaned house, paid bills...you get the drift. All of those things have to be done no matter where we are staying; it's just life.

Driving west on the way to the laundromat this morning we saw a rainbow; it faded before I could shoot.

Driving east on our way back from the laundromat and lunch early this afternoon, this is what we saw...

Just after I took that shot, Rich said "look to the north" and we saw this...

We've never seen snow on the mountains here so we dropped off the laundry at home, loaded the girls in the car, and drove up around the Superstition Mtns to better see the snow on the distant Mazatzal Mtns.

Were we in for a surprise! We've driven up to Canyon Lake on that road before but never when there was so much green on the massive rock formations. Here are a few shots.

No, I haven't forgotten that we went up there to see the snow. How about these views of it?

If you've been paying attention to the detail in these photos...giggle, giggle...you may have noticed the gnarly clouds. Even though it didn't rain today, these clouds were with us throughout, with occasional breaks enabling the sun to highlight this magnificent land. We'll take the rain though if it continues to gift us with rainbows and mountain snows!

You will see much more of this area because we are living at the base of the Superstition Mtns., we're talking mere minutes away! I love these mountains for their craggy spires and, they happen to be at the "gateway" to the southwest end of the Tonto National Forest.

Oh yeah, who else do you know who can turn a drive home from the laundromat into such an adventure?

Lovin' Life ~~ Endless Adventures

Bev

Twelve Days of Christmas

2011-12-14T22:29:00.000-06:00

It has rained ever since the evening we got here, finally stopping during the wee morning hours today. Yesterday, we picked up Dylan & Shelby from school because as Dylan said, "It is raining cats and dogs out here!" As they ran to our car, I was surprised to see them wearing the Santa hats I had bought the night before when Shelby and I were shopping.

Yesterday was the first of the Twelve Days of Christmas so they got to open a gift as soon as Jackson got home from school.

Sandee hung hers this year too. Sweet, artistic Shelby made one for her dad out of paper. She did a great job and even fashioned expanding pockets out of the paper. So Rich and I had wrapped a few grown-up gifts for theirs and the kids had made the rest of their twelve gifts. All five of them hang in the hall leading to the kids' bedrooms.

My mom started such a great tradition when she made the first of these so many years ago for Sandee, Greg, and Amber!

Lovin' Life ~~ And Family Traditions

Bev

A Monday Evening

2011-12-13T00:12:00.000-06:00

I know they won't all be like this, but this evening is a perfect example of why I wanted to spend a lot of time here with the kids this winter. It's certainly not all about the weather because it has rained all day [yes, we are here so of course the rain is too!] and it is very chilly. Through mid-afternoon, Rich and I shopped for and then wrapped gifts for the 12 Days of Christmas. My mom made these for my kids and then for my grandkids...we have all loved them!

Back to this perfect evening...I was walking from the hall into their living room this evening and quickly grabbed my camera to capture this shot. Santa brought Dexter to them for Christmas last year; it seems that Dexter still feels quite at home under their Christmas tree! Isn't this just too adorable???

Jackson needed to finalize the development of his experiment for the upcoming science fair. He and his grandpa talked about it last night, Rich offered a few suggestions and picked up some materials today. This evening, he served as an advisor as Jackson conducted the experiment, documented the process, and graphed the outcomes.

Shelby and I went shopping for materials to make snow globes this weekend for the kids to give as gifts to teachers and friends. I didn't take pictures of us shopping but I am posting the one of her with her 12 Days of Christmas. Of course, the boys have them too. And...they were all made and filled with love by their Great-grandma Pogue, Grandpa and me, and their folks.

Sandee had gone out too...there are so many errands to run and so much shopping to do! Shortly after we all got home, Shawn and Dylan got home from Dylan's hockey game. Of all games for Grandpa and I to miss...Dylan was elected Game MVP by his teammates for tonight's game and is shown here wearing the MVP helmet!

We were one busy family tonight...and THIS is what it's all about!!!

Lovin' Life ~~ Oh Yeah!

Bev

Home Sweet Arizona Home!

2011-12-11T22:43:00.001-06:00

Yes, we finally arrived at our destination, our home for the winter. After getting the RV and the girls settled. We headed out to pick up mail at our P.O. Box and then met our family at the ice rink to watch Dylan's hockey game. It was amazing to me just how much more aggressive he was on the ice since I saw him play a month ago...he must have a great coach this year.

When we got to their house we were finally able to deliver the antique bookcase/secretary that my mom had given Sandee several years ago. It has been in our guest room since then. She and I are both thrilled that it has found its way here in the back of our Saturn this trip!

Their Christmas tree was already decorated, but they had saved ornaments so that we could all put the last ones on after we got here...so sweet!!!

Lovin' Life ~~ Being "Home" Here

Bev

We're In Arizona!

2011-12-11T07:49:00.000-06:00

Written Saturday evening but couldn't finish until Sunday morning.

We still have 150 miles to go to see the kids but we've covered nearly 900 miles through Texas and New Mexico yesterday and today. That's a lot of seat time but it's great to finally be nearing our destination. We saw snow all along the I-10 across both states today.

It's a bit weird to see snow surrounding cactus.

Now here is a sight that Mom would love! She loves cowboys and horses anyway, but this scene would be special to her.

Near Sweetwater, TX we drove along many of these fields. I think I know why they don't plow straight rows, but I don't know why the furrows are so deep. Anyone?

The setting sun just west of Pecos, TX. We don't often drive after dark. Last night we were certainly rewarded for our efforts though.

The southern most part of the Rockies can be seen in the distance right after sunset. Often, depending on the clouds, the sky is the most colorful after the sun sets.

It was dark as we approached Van Horn, TX for the night.

We got on the road rather early this morning so that we could get parked at a decent time this evening. All across New Mexico on I-10 we continued to see snow, even more than in Texas. It made us so glad that we exercised the caution of driving south out of Oklahoma and staying in Arlington, TX that few days.

The southern end of the Rockies in the early morning haze as we left Van Horn. These are not what the Rockies look like in Colorado where our nieces see them every day!

Snow and cactus east of El Paso.

A hilltop cross in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, across the Rio Grande River, as we drove through the west end of El Paso, TX.

We stopped in Las Cruces, New Mexico just long enough for me to run in here, San Saba, to pick up Rich's favorite Green Chile seasoning and my white chocolate pecans.

This is in Las Cruces, NM today. On Tuesday, I-10 was still closed between Las Cruces and Lordsburg (our route) and there were many crashes including a multiple car pileup. Temps in the single digits and teens continued during the week. Not for us, not in a motorhome.

Snow highlighting talus fans on a mountainside west of Deming, NM.

Rich taking the girls for a walk during our lunch break at a Rest Area. We all need an occasional stretch on these long driving days.

When you see these mountains off in the distance, you know...Arizona!

Not long after you get into ARIZONA, you enter Texas Canyon. There are Rest Areas on either side of the interstate. We didn't stop this time but please plan to if you're driving through this area. Here are a few shots I took as we went on through.

I couldn't get the last few photos to upload or even save and finish what I had gotten done on this post last night. My Wi-Fi went from working intermittently to totally dying a few days ago and connectivity at RV parks is slow to nonexistent...grrr.

The exciting news is that this morning we will head toward our final destination and finally see the kids!!!

Lovin' Life ~~ Ready to Settle Into Our Winter Life!

Bev

'Art' by Bev

2011-12-09T12:15:00.000-06:00

What is this? What thoughts does this image evoke for you? What was the first thing that came to mind when you saw it?

C'mon all you lurkers, too...you know who you are! It doesn't cost a thing to leave a comment. Can you tell we're driving? What was your first clue? Perhaps that I have time to put up a post like this?

Lovin' Life ~~ Happy to be On The Road Again

Bev

Fort Worth Botanic Garden

2011-12-08T19:44:00.000-06:00

This was the last item on the list of things we had selected to see after having to reroute ourselves down here to Arlington, TX. The sun was shining all day and the temps were in the high fifties...a perfect day to walk around for a few hours enjoying the incredible beauty here in the Fort Worth Botanic Garden.

This should be in my "Come Sit a Spell, Won't Ya?" collection, if I had a collection like that!

There was still bright, glorious fall coloration all throughout this area which was a surprise to me when we got here. However, much of it was lost those two nights that it got down to near freezing.

Those temps didn't destroy all of the roses and pansies though!

The most breathtaking area of the Botanic Garden was its seven acre Japanese Garden. I don't think that my rambling would add anything to the photos so I'll let them show you this magnificent area.

We worked up quite an appetite walking around the Garden so took a gamble on a little place not far from there called Railhead Smokehouse for a late lunch. The food gods were with us when we picked this place. They had the best beef ribs you could ever hope to taste and fries just like the ones at Cousins in Canyon Country all those years ago...it was like inhaling a bit of heaven.

If you ever have the good luck to visit Fort Worth...come hungry! Tomorrow morning we finally get to resume our trip westward. We are so anxious to see the kids! Anytime we're parked this long, there's some housekeeping that needs to be done before we roll...I'd better get started on my part.

Lovin' Life ~~ Movin' On

Bev

NCHA Futurity in Fort Worth

2011-12-07T22:25:00.000-06:00

Just how different could two events possibly be? And we attended both on the same day...the Christmas extravaganza at the Gaylord Texan Resort and the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Futurity!

NCHA Futurity is the oldest and most prestigious of all Cutting Horse competitions. The world's most promising three-year-old cutting horses are competing in Fort Worth's Will Rogers Coliseum for a total purse of $4 million.

Cutting is an equestrian event in the western riding style where a horse and rider are judged on their ability to separate a single animal away from a cattle herd and keep it away for a short period of time. The horses involved are typically Quarter horses, although many other stock horse breeds may be used. A cutting horse is an athletic and willing animal that is trained to instinctively keep a cow from returning to the herd.
In the event, the horse and rider select and separate a cow (typically a steer or heifer) out of a small group. The cow then tries to return to its herd; the rider loosens the reins ("puts his hand down" in the parlance) and leaves it entirely to the horse to keep the cow separated, a job the best horses do with relish, savvy, and style. A contestant has 2 ½ minutes to show the horse; typically three cows are cut during a run, although working only two cows is acceptable. [description from Wikipedia]

Rich and I watched this event for a couple of hours this afternoon. Lucky for us, a cowboy sitting in front of us is a trainer and competitor from California; he provided a Cutting for Dummies course which helped us enjoy it even more. These horses are such magnificent creatures and so hard working! Here are a few shots...

Picking a cow to cut from the herd

Keeping the cow separated from the herd

Here's another rider selecting a cow to cut

Again, keeping the cow separated from the herd

Here are four shots where you can see how the horse twists and turns, anticipating and thwarting every move of the cow to keep it from returning to the herd.

Of course we did make time for lunch between these two special events. You can see the smoke from the pits at the Hard Eight Pit BBQ long before you arrive.

You get in line next to the outdoor smoker pits and select your food from here...

The sides are priced individually and you pay for your meat by the pound. All the food you selected is tossed onto a tray and you find yourself a place to sit at one of the many long, communal tables. The restaurant is fabulously western and the smoked brisket was delicious. Here Rich is bringing our drinks on his tray.

Well, yes, of course we brought some home for the girls. Tomorrow's breakfast will finish with brisket and eggs! Now that's quite a dog's life!

Lovin' Life ~~ Enjoying New Special Events

Bev

Lone Star Christmas at Gaylord Texan Resort

2011-12-07T21:21:00.000-06:00

Today we took advantage of two events going on while we just happen to be in town. Two very different events, I might add.

This morning we drove up to Grapevine on another tip from my friend, Vikki, to see the Lone Star Christmas at the Gaylord while debating whether or not to spend the $$ to see The Ice which is also there. We parked on the top level of the parking structure to view this enormous complex including the hotel, restaurants, meeting rooms, shops, three atriums, and a convention center.

You pass through the lobby into the main atrium which is fully decorated for Christmas. Here are a few photos.

We did decide to visit The Ice. They use TWO MILLION pounds of ice. A team of ice sculptors from China work twelve hour days for a month carving the figures that fill the 14,000 square foot area that is kept at around 3° for the duration of this event. Parkas are provided and we needed them, even over our own coats! But first, just because I love ya and want you to feel like you've been there, here is a shot of the special carpet that covers the floors of the convention center. Isn't it perfect?

After walking what seemed like several city blocks to get here, this is the entrance to The Ice at the Gaylord.

I may share more later but here are a few photos of this uniquely amazing ice exhibit.

Shrek and Donkey

Fiona with Felicia, Farkle, and Fergus

Rich and me with Dragon; check out the closeup of Dragon's face below!

There was more, so much more in The Ice that will have to wait because there is more to post about today. I am going to share a couple more photos from the resort though. In another atrium there is a full size gingerbread house that serves as a candy store. Over 5,000 square feet of gingerbread is used in the construction of this house.

For obvious reasons, if you look closely, I want to share this...

Yes! It is decorated with Christmas Trains and Santa is waving from the locomotives!

I had expected we would see Christmas decorations on our travels but I certainly never dreamed of anything like this.

Lovin' Life ~~ And The Joy of the Unexpected

Bev

Fort Worth Treasures

2011-12-06T21:39:00.001-06:00

After 'the girls' finished their Steak 'n Eggs this morning, we headed out to experience more of Fort Worth. Our first stop was at the Bureau of Engraving & Printing which is one of only two places in the world where U.S. currency is printed. At the Fort Worth facility they will print 139 BILLION dollars this fiscal year!

This is a photo of the facility but DO NOT TRY TO ENTER HERE! Seriously. You just mosey on down the road a piece...

and turn into the visitors' parking lot at this sign. This was a difficult excursion for me because you CANNOT TAKE A CAMERA OR CELL PHONE onto the premises. Me, without a camera...it was a sight to see!

But seriously, the tour is comprehensive because you walk along a glass walled hall above the actual production lines accompanied by an extremely informative guide. I only wish I could show you photos.

There is a gift shop. They sell a few tchotchkes but not a tour book or any photos of the production facility. They will, however, happily sell you uncut sheets of sixteen notes. For example a sheet of sixteen ten dollar bills can be purchased there for $249.00...what a deal! Rich thought he could just take sixteen ten dollar bills and tape them together if he ever had a need for a sheet of them...funny guy. He really cracked up the shop clerks.

At my friend, Vikki's, suggestion we stopped for lunch at Joe T Garcia's Mexican Restaurant and Fiesta Gardens near the Historic Stockyards. If you are ever within a hundred miles of Fort Worth you must eat there...oh my! The food is amazingly delicious and the ambiance must be experienced to be appreciated. Here is the entrance...don't be fooled by this. The place actually occupies the entire city block!

Here is one interior photo and several of the gardens. Sorry, we both dove right into the food without getting a single photo.

Truly, this is all inside after you enter that unassuming white clapboard 'house' with the small sign on the side. This is one fine example of the hidden gems you can find all around this precious country of ours. Thanks Vikki, we never would have found this on our own.

After lunch we went to the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. It's been a while since I have taken you on a tour of an art museum. Since it's getting late and it's also getting cold here where my computer is in the motorhome, this will be a quick tour. The building itself is magnificent and well worth a stop even if you are not into modern art. All of the exterior walls that face the water are glass and the building appears to float on that rock bottomed water feature...breathtaking.

This 40 x 45 foot stainless steel installation of two trees, Conjoined, sits across the water from the entrance lobby.

Here are some of our favorites...

LADDER TO ?

It sat alone in this rather dark, unadorned space; I loved it.

btw ~ the names of the pieces are names I assigned unless otherwise noted.

I

So named by me because I think that the word "I" is the most powerful word of all. The artist had some mumble jumble about building blocks that could be utilized in an infinite number of ways...yawn.

FUN!

To me this is a great visual illustration of having fun.

UNIMPRESSED

Because that's what Rich was and he tried, he really tried. He looked at it from all angles and read the artist description but remained...

REFLECTIONS

The scale of this piece is immense and I loved that it was the only art in this large hall.

Book With Wings

That is actually what the author named this piece...must have exhausted all creative juices by the time it was named. It is installed in a fabulous oval shaped room of its own.

Now for the piece that seriously brought me to tears...I have no adjectives for this one, only emotions. Here is the description of the work...

And here is the painting...it covered nearly the entire wall of this very large space.

After leaving the building, we walked over to the huge steel sculpture I showed you yesterday. It is named Vortex and is a sound sculpture. When you are inside, all sounds are amplified and repetitive so clap your hands and stomp your feet...WOW! The second photo was taken looking up while standing inside Vortex.

Lovin' Life ~~ While Exploring Fort Worth Treasures

Bev

Steak 'n Eggs

2011-12-06T19:07:00.000-06:00

This was the scene at our place this morning AFTER 'the girls' had eaten their regular kibble for breakfast.

They were focused on Rich in anticipation of an additional morning treat...and a special treat it was today. Steak, which we brought back for them from our lunch yesterday at Rescky's Steakhouse, served along with their usual egg. It's a tough life for our 'girls'!

Lovin' Life ~~ Takin' Care of "The Girls"

Bev

P.S. Stay tuned for some photos from the rest of today!

Historic Fort Worth Stockyards

2011-12-05T23:25:00.000-06:00

Aside from having to miss Dylan's band concert this Wednesday, we're happily making the most of this detour through central Texas. It's so much out of the way that I don't suppose we would have seen this area otherwise. It rained throughout the night and much of the day again today. Someone I chatted with along the way today told me she passed a car from Oklahoma that was covered with snow...even more affirmation that we are making the right move. It's very cold and damp here, but not quite freezing so we're okay.

We started our morning wondering at the empty parking lot when we got to our first destination, the Museum of Modern Art, at 11:30...yes, that's when we start our morning lots of days...R.E.T.I.R.E.D! Anyway, turns out they are closed on Mondays so we'll try again tomorrow. At least I got this great photo. Hopefully the skies will lighten while we're here so I can get shots of the amazing fall color display here...who knew?

We headed toward the Bureau of Engraving & Printing to watch them print money, but didn't get there either. On the way, we stopped at the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District and that's where we spent the rest of the day. This sculpture sits on the corner of Main and Stockyards Blvd.

After we parked, we walked along the brick streets in the district to the Visitors Bureau. Outside the Livestock Exchange building was this magnificent tree with holiday roping along the fence. See the Longhorn steer in front of the tree?

Inside the Livestock Exchange Building there is a small museum and the holiday decorated buggy and carriage were displayed in the hall.

Across the back wall as you enter the Visitors Bureau is this mural depicting the history of the stockyards here in Fort Worth.

After considering the selection of restaurants in this area, we decided to have lunch and warm up at Riscky's Steakhouse. We were delighted when we opened the menu and saw that it was established in 1920 by Polish immigrants and that they still serve their "Famous Kapusta Soup." Of course we ordered a bowl...it was delicious as were the steaks and baked potatoes! And here's the bonus...looking out the window from our table we enjoyed this view of Saunders Park with Marine Creek flowing through it.

We strolled through several Western stores including ML Leddy's which is famous for its handmade boots.

I can't imagine how one would select a pair from the hundreds of one-of-a-kind pairs displayed. This shows only a small portion of their inventory.

Okay. I did have a favorite pair. Aren't they stunning?!? I inquired about the price and was told $3,745.00. Rich was in a hurry to usher me out of the store after hearing that...giggle

Twice each day, cowboys (yes, cowgirls too) drive a small herd of Longhorn cattle right down Exchange Avenue. That was the highlight of the day for me!

Here they come!

There they go! (teehee...I just couldn't resist!)

Before leaving that area, we stopped in Billy Bob's Texas Honky Tonk...not much happenin' there on a cold, dreary, rainy Monday evening.

Last evening I had a great visit with my friend Vikki from Carlinville. She has lived here for many years. She works so it looks like we won't get to see each other this time but it was great to be in touch again.!

Lovin' Life ~~ Longhorns and Old Friends!

Bev

Choctaw, OK

2011-12-04T10:15:00.000-06:00

An old wagon loaded with brightly wrapped Christmas gifts greets you at the entry to the Choctaw KOA where we parked for the last two nights. This the first of what will hopefully be many holiday scenes as we travel to Arizona.

After the rain stopped yesterday evening, Rich took the girls for a long walk around the park and I walked up to the office. On my way back, I noticed that the setting sun behind me was casting a golden glow on all the trees in front of me. I grabbed my camera and captured this...

I have much to be thankful for as we drive south out of Oklahoma City this morning including my Canon G9 that miraculously healed itself and continues to capture shots like these.

Lovin' Life ~~ And the Beauty of Nature

Bev

Early Winter Conditions

2011-12-03T14:51:00.000-06:00

These two photos were taken in Missouri. That is one beautiful state if you're not already aware of that. The day was gray though and the nakedness of the trees and shrubs in winter, added to the fact that we've been through here a few times now, didn't leave much to shoot.

I've always loved the rocky terrain. Seeing the rock outcroppings along the roadway when riding through here as a child was my first awareness that there was much to see that was different than where we lived.

A pasture populated with a very large herd of white cattle that I think may be Charolais. Love the old barn that sits far back from the interstate. This photo is deeply cropped so you can only see a small sample of the herd.

Most of the drive through Oklahoma looked like this...

This next photo was taken as we crossed the Arkansas River. That is downtown Tulsa in the background. The River certainly shows the effects of their drought...we were shocked at how low it is. We're not complaining about all of this rain because the water is desperately needed here.

Trees are natural sculptures and I love seeing their shapes as exposed in winter.

We spent several hours this morning checking and rechecking weather forecasts for the next three days. They're not good. With nighttime temperatures in the mid-teens (yikes!) and icy/rainy/snowy conditions predicted through the Texas Panhandle and all across New Mexico, traveling in an RV would be risky. That is why we are staying here another night and then heading south rather than Meandering west southwest on local highways as we did in March. This route will add enough time to our trip that we won't be there for Dylan's band concert Wednesday evening but he was great about it when his Grandpa explained it all. Safety is paramount...and we might even get to go to Gilley's in Dallas!

Lovin' Life ~~ Changin' With The Weather

Bev

What Happened to November?

2011-12-02T13:08:00.002-06:00

It's a beautiful morning in Missouri, cruising westward with the sun at our back. Yesterday our new mobile wireless hub was dropping my Internet connection every few minutes...grrrr...but Rich tweaked a setting last evening and it's staying up now. We were so busy the last half of November that I neglected my blog. This morning I'm going to put up a few photos to briefly recap.

Bella had surgery Nov 15th to remove a benign cyst on her back. Dora kept a close eye on her after she got home...so sweet!

I went down to Mom's for a couple of days before Thanksgiving. She was drinking pink lemonade and I was teasing her about coordinating the color of her drink with the pink of her blouse which made her smile more joyfully than I had seen for a while.

Thanksgiving day we enjoyed a fabulous dinner at the home of our nephew, Dave, and his family. There were seventeen of us...a perfect holiday group: Rich's sister, Marianne; his brother Joe & wife, Carol; Dave, Kristen and their kids, Sophie & Nick; Rob, Lisel and their kids, Zoe & Oliver; Jonathan; Kristen's sister and her two little girls visiting from the D.C. area; and Rich & I.

Their tables were beautifully set.

The star of the evening for me was this luscious platter of roasted vegetables that Kristen prepared...they were not only gorgeous to the eye, but delectable to the tongue! This was noteworthy simply because I do not like vegetables...hardly any, hardly ever.

The Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend we had Marianne; Greg & Jenny; and Jenny's dad and sister over for a pasta dinner. It was a time to gather for the holiday since they had celebrated Thanksgiving at the home of Jenny's uncle and aunt.

Monday evening we combined the holidays, giving thanks and exchanging gifts at the home of our next door BFFs, Vic and Sandee. She made the most delicious Lemon-Feta Chicken and her famous mashed potatoes. Such gracious hosts...Rich and I even won the tie-breaker game of Hand 'n Foot!

Tuesday evening I ran errands with Jenny. Wednesday evening Marianne came out. She, Rich, & I had dinner at Applebee's before he left to play poker with the neighborhood guys; Jenny came out for a little while too. I guess it's obvious that we had a jam-packed couple of weeks before leaving on our southwest adventure...great times spent with family and friends!

Lovin' Life ~~ And All Those Left at Home

Bev

P.S. I'm still having connectivity problems so now it's after our lunch break at Joplin, MO and we have just entered Oklahoma in a light rain.

On The Road Again

2011-12-01T20:10:00.000-06:00

If you caught my earlier post today, you know that we are headed southwest for the winter. It takes a lot of planning and organization to prepare. I've been cooking meals for the freezer, Christmas shopping, getting Christmas cards and holiday letter in the mail, cleaning, doing laundry...stuff like that. Rich has built shelves, redesigned drawers, and lots of stuff that is way too technical for me with the end result that he gets all the systems in the RV and the car ready. We spent most of yesterday hauling stuff out to the RV and storing it all away. This morning we shoehorned even more stuff into an already packed RV.

Today we made it past St. Louis, which was what we had hoped to do. Dylan texted me Tuesday evening and one thing he asked was when we were leaving for their house "so i can look at all of your "beautiful" pictures." I texted back to make sure and, yes, he was talking about the photos I post when we're on the road...aaaawww So, here you go Dylan!

This shot was the result of pure luck. It was taken from the I-255 which is a bypass south of the city. I took several blind shots of the St. Louis Arch as we drove past; this is the best. We were quite a distance from it so I did crop the photo. The shot is amazing (even if I do say so myself) and Rich, a rail fan, was awestruck when he saw it.

It was dark before we parked for the night. Here are a few shots of the sunset as we drove into it.

We're crashing early tonight so that we can get a lot of miles put behind us tomorrow.

Lovin' Life ~~ And "Beautiful" Pictures

Bev

Snowbirds

2011-12-01T14:55:00.000-06:00

So, whadya think? This is my rendition of a snowbird and will be our icon for the winter. YES! We left home this morning to spend the next several months in the great American southwest.

Well, of course, there is a story behind this bird...thanks for asking. Rich has a penchant for selecting items that are quite ~~ugly~~ ~~bizarre~~ unique whenever we are asked to participate in a gift exchange or white elephant. This bird is the latest, and actually the nicest, of all. This was his "guy" gift for our family gift exchange last Christmas and he was reluctant to part with it. Apparently his attachment to it was obvious because his nephew regifted it back to him for his birthday. He rejoiced at having it back!

Thinking about an image to represent our winter Meanderings, this pure white bird came to mind immediately! I photographed it sitting on top of a cabinet in our basement. Using Photoshop, I slightly blurred the wall to look a bit like snowy sky and then created some fluffy piles of snow. Now he will reside on my side bar for the next few months.

Lovin' Life ~~ Won't You Come Along?
Bev

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T11:57:00.000-06:00

There is so much to be thankful for and I want to wish all of you pilgrims a joyful holiday! Among the many things for which I am thankful, all of you who continue to visit my blog.

Lovin' Life ~~ Thankful for All We Have!

Bev

Ten Days with Our Grands!

2011-11-23T00:59:00.001-06:00

I am so far behind on my blog but have been so very busy. I had one day at home between the Halloween festivities in C'ville and my flight to AZ. Since returning from there and finally recovering from my cold/flu/sinus thingy, I've been cooking and Christmas shopping and planning my parts of our trip to AZ for the winter. Yesterday I got back from another brief visit with Mom.

You may remember that I flew into Phoenix on November 2nd. Sandee & Shawn left the next morning to meet up with their friends to attend the BAMA/LSU game in Tuscaloosa. If I had time, I would post more but instead here is a brief look at the ten days I was there.

Wednesday, Nov 2

Dexter is at the park with me, watching for the kids after school.

Thursday, Nov 3

Shelby's first tennis lesson

Dylan and friends recycling after their Student Council meeting.

Friday, Nov 4

Lightning would wake up and visit with me while the kids were in school.

Shelby singing with the chorus during Family Night at their school.

Saturday, Nov 5

Jackson, wearing a light blue jersey at far right, working a play in his football game.

The ball is in the air, thrown by Jackson at the far left. Dylan kept the stats for Jackson's team this season and is in light blue nearer the center of this photo. J's team won, which earned them a spot in the championship game the following Saturday.

After Jackson's game, Dylan and Shelby set up a table for the neighborhood garage sale,

while Jackson relaxed in front of the TV in his folks' room with a snack of apple mouths. I wish I had captured his grin when I handed him this plate with the gleaming white marshmallow teeth between the bright red apple lips...teehee

That evening, Dylan had hockey practice. Both the boys spent the night at some friends' house while Shelby and I had a girls night. That was a very full day.

Sunday, Nov 6

On our way to pick up the boys from their sleepover this morning, Shelby and I spied this Roadrunner in the park near their home.

The boys were a bit tired from their sleep~~less~~over so, after going out for breakfast, we relaxed by

...playing video games

...practicing tennis drills

...and watching TV.

But it was much too nice to stay indoors all day, so we went to the park later in the afternoon.

While we were at the park, their folks got home from Alabama!

Monday, Nov 7

Dylan helping Shelby practice her tennis swing.

Shelby practicing her tennis after school.

Dylan had a hockey game that evening. He just passed the puck; he has the white stick.

Dylan in the center with the puck. Tie game.

Tuesday, Nov 8 & Wednesday, Nov 9

I finally had a couple of laid back days and read all day while the kids were at school...what a treat. It was so cool to walk them to school in the mornings and meet them at the park in the afternoon every day! Now that he's in junior high, Jackson has a much longer day so he gets home later.

After homework and dinner, our evenings were filled with video games, computer time, and Farkle.

Thursday, Nov 10

There was a very special event at the kids' grade school on Thursday morning. We really want Rich to be there for this next year. It was the most beautiful Veteran's Day Celebration! I'm going to post several photos. As a member of the Student Council, Dylan was involved in planning the release of 100 butterflies, was a speaker, and a member of the work team. As a member of the chorus, Shelby sang several songs including a medley of the theme songs of each armed services' branch.

Dylan after speaking his part in the program.

Shelby singing with the chorus.

A teacher releasing the last of the butterflies; Dylan, on the right, looking for some of the butterflies.

Shelby, returning to her classroom after the program.

This flag is made up of stars with the names of students' family members who have served in the military.

This is their Grandpa's star, on the flag above.

Sandee, standing behind her grandpa's flag. In this field of flags, each flag carries the name of a student's deceased relative who served in the military.

The flag for Everett Pogue: my dad, Sandee's grandpa, the kids' great-grandpa who spent his career in the Army.

Shawn and Sandee took Dylan away from his Student Council clean-up duties for this photo.

But that's not all, Jackson had football practice that evening.

Here, and in the next photo, Jackson is running one of the many grueling drills demanded by his coach.

Here is that demanding coach, he's the one wearing the maroon ball cap...giggle...Shawn.

Friday, Nov 11

The kids were out of school for Veteran's Day so I fixed burritos and bacon and sausage and scrambled eggs for breakfast. About mid-morning Shelby helped me make our favorite Monkey Bread.

When it was done, I told the kids "lunch is ready" and we had Monkey Bread for lunch before I flew back home that evening...a grandma's prerogative!!!

Maybe it was in my best interest to come home sick...it was a great excuse to rest up after such a fun-filled busy ten days with my favorite kids in the whole wide world!!!

Lovin' Life ~~ Every Day

Bev

A Rootin' Tootin' Good Time...

2011-11-16T17:14:00.000-06:00

...was had by all at the W&M Ranch on Halloween weekend! My bro & SIL used a western theme this year for their annual bonfire and wiener roast which is always held on the night of the Halloween Parade in our hometown.

In my attempt to catch up, I have to reach way back to that weekend and especially the night of October 29th.

Their home sits on several acres with a barn and machine shed at the back of their property. Here Wayne and his grands are taking a spin after he brought a load of straw bales up to the bonfire site for seats and next to the fence for decoration.

My SIL & niece are both great with party decorations (remember our Dylan's 10th b-day party in June?). Amber's dog, Nova, was the first to pose for photos in this Western themed fall scene. Just look at her: a perfect sit, no leash, first shot. Then glance over at The Girls: harnesses, leashes, Rich, twelfth shot...giggle!

Riley demonstrated his tree climbing skills while Braden and Tanner spent time in the jail and soda saloon that their grandma made.

Wayne & Mary continued to decorate through the afternoon.

Our nephew, Chad, with his Grandma Pogue.

Give the girl a theme and you'll see that there's no end to Mary's creativity and artistry.

Just hangin' out

Looks like a serious game of foosball.

I hope you continued to scroll this post because this is the money shot of the day. These three too-cute-for-words desperadoes were the inspiration for the day's theme!

Always in the spirit of the festivities, our son, DIL, and nephew in their costumes...

The Halloween Parade in Carlinville is always a huge annual event for the community. Like others, we have our favorite family 'spot' from which we have watched it for many years.

After the parade, we returned to the W&M Ranch where a roaring bonfire awaited our frozen selves and our wiener-laden roasting sticks.

Thanks, Wayne & Mary, for all the planning, creativity, and work you do to make this such a fun tradition every year!

Lovin' Life ~~ And Family Traditions

Bev