Other happenings this year-
~Announcement on Christmas Eve of upcoming birth of 5th grandchild!
~Fun new gadgets in my craft room- Cricut Create (having LOTS of fun with this already) and Sizzix Embosser (the little purse-looking machine). Also got a personal laminator and a book-binder (spiral) for Christmas! I would love to just work my day job 2 days a week and play with my crafting toys the rest of the time!
~Remodeled kitchen. I had hoped to post "after" pictures by my birthday, but it is still a work in progress. My personal contractor/designer had that little setback in the summer (shoulder surgery). But I'm really liking all the details. The island is wonderful! I hope it turns me into a better & more frequent cook...
~I have been VERY flattered to be "commissioned" by some friends to be crafty for them: Tina S. brought me some yarn for a scarf she wanted, and I'm working on photograph-letter name pictures for Sarah R.'s twins! I LOVE this!
Things I would still like to do:
~Drive a Jeep, the kind with a roll-bar, with a cloth top
~Go to a movie by myself
~Make a homemade, cooked banana pudding (found a new tasty-looking recipe in Southern Living magazine)
~Visit/help out at Rice Depot
~See the Trumpeter Swans at Magness Lake, with camera in hand
~Teach adult literacy (after retirement???)
~Grow a butterfly garden
~Ride in a limo :)
~Re-learn how to play at least a scale on the flute
And, finally, a little thought about the "bucket list" concept. I have had people seem to criticize this, as though you shouldn't need such a list if you are satisfied with your life. My experience this year validates my theory that having something, even very little things, to look forward to counteracts those times when you feel like you are low on seratonin (that's the "happy" stuff, isn't it???). Overall, this has definitely been one of my most enjoyable years in a long time! And it's been great fun to have people out & about comment on my "adventures." I highly recommend chasing some adventures- and then documenting them for the rest of us to enjoy, & encourage you on your journey.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Finale
55. YURT!!!
Ever heard of a YURT? Can you guess what the name stands for? (See below) My friend, Toga Tuite, stayed in one a few years ago and posted a great picture. Then, a few months ago, Brian's boss found and planned a stay at a YURT in Arkansas. Didn't know there were any here! When you Google "yurts in arkansas" you will find some at Lake DeGray and some near Lake Ft. Smith, called StoneWind Retreats. We chose the latter and spent last Saturday through Monday there. I was SO excited to see what this was really like- and it was even better than I expected! It was much bigger than I expected. And I thought the walls were probably solid, not tent-like, as they turned out to be. Here is what the outside looks like:
It is similar to camping, except you have this instead of a cookstove:
And this instead of a trek to the community showers:
And this instead of a campfire (that was the only almost-negative):
And this, instead of a sleeping bag:
Throw in temperature controls, wrap-around deck, hot tub, DVD player & available movies, internet access, ... Can you tell I LOVED this experience??? It is so wonderful when the actual experience lives up to, and even exceeds, the anticipated fun! This may have to be an annual pilgrimage. We highly recommend it for a time when you want to run away from home!
ANSWER: YURT stands for "Year-round Universal Recreational Tent"
PS Here is the website, to make your reservation-making even easier!
http://www.stonewindretreat.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=swr&utm_term=yurts+in+arkansas+exact
Ever heard of a YURT? Can you guess what the name stands for? (See below) My friend, Toga Tuite, stayed in one a few years ago and posted a great picture. Then, a few months ago, Brian's boss found and planned a stay at a YURT in Arkansas. Didn't know there were any here! When you Google "yurts in arkansas" you will find some at Lake DeGray and some near Lake Ft. Smith, called StoneWind Retreats. We chose the latter and spent last Saturday through Monday there. I was SO excited to see what this was really like- and it was even better than I expected! It was much bigger than I expected. And I thought the walls were probably solid, not tent-like, as they turned out to be. Here is what the outside looks like:
It is similar to camping, except you have this instead of a cookstove:
And this instead of a trek to the community showers:
And this instead of a campfire (that was the only almost-negative):
And this, instead of a sleeping bag:
Throw in temperature controls, wrap-around deck, hot tub, DVD player & available movies, internet access, ... Can you tell I LOVED this experience??? It is so wonderful when the actual experience lives up to, and even exceeds, the anticipated fun! This may have to be an annual pilgrimage. We highly recommend it for a time when you want to run away from home!
ANSWER: YURT stands for "Year-round Universal Recreational Tent"
PS Here is the website, to make your reservation-making even easier!
http://www.stonewindretreat.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=swr&utm_term=yurts+in+arkansas+exact
Saturday, January 14, 2012
An enjoyable new theater experience
54. "Les Miserables" and The Young Players at Benton Royal Theater
I have worked with a lot of talented high school and younger actors over the past few years at the Royal Theater in Benton. They have their own, student-only productions throughout the year, but I have never managed to see one of their shows. Daphne Shoppach is a class-act lady that I have gotten to work with several times, and she is directing "Les Miserables- School Edition" this weekend. I've never seen this show, so this seemed like a perfect time to do 2 firsts in one. Though not too excited about the outing, Brian graciously accompanied/drove me to Benton last night. It was a sell-out crowd and these young people did an amazing job! To me, much of the music in this show is not very lyrical, more like rapid chanting on a few pitches. I don't know how they all stayed together or memorized such a huge amount of words or found their pitches or... But they were all VERY professional and the set changes and all the little details were very precise. I did finally recognize several songs, and even got a little teary-eyed at the storyline and the drama. I give them 2 thumbs up!
I have worked with a lot of talented high school and younger actors over the past few years at the Royal Theater in Benton. They have their own, student-only productions throughout the year, but I have never managed to see one of their shows. Daphne Shoppach is a class-act lady that I have gotten to work with several times, and she is directing "Les Miserables- School Edition" this weekend. I've never seen this show, so this seemed like a perfect time to do 2 firsts in one. Though not too excited about the outing, Brian graciously accompanied/drove me to Benton last night. It was a sell-out crowd and these young people did an amazing job! To me, much of the music in this show is not very lyrical, more like rapid chanting on a few pitches. I don't know how they all stayed together or memorized such a huge amount of words or found their pitches or... But they were all VERY professional and the set changes and all the little details were very precise. I did finally recognize several songs, and even got a little teary-eyed at the storyline and the drama. I give them 2 thumbs up!
Better photography ahead
53. Digital camera course
We bought a Nikon D40 camera in November, 2008. Bedford gives you a coupon book that includes a free digital camera course when you make your purchase there. I've been meaning to get around to that for all these years! Today, I finally did it. I took a 2-hr. "Digital Crash Course" this morning. The nice little teacher guy had as much trouble setting up his Powerpoint presentation as Tri-District women do... but we finally got started after a 20-min. delay. (Seems like if the class started at 9:30, maybe you could check your AV equipment by at least 9:15- hmmm. But he was very nice.) I did learn several new things about all digital cameras, and played around with some of my camera's settings. I definitely know a little more about what all the little icons mean, and I got some good inspirations for setting up interesting shots. Primarily, I am inspired to get the instruction book out and do a little reading :) And maybe check into taking Royce West's photography class at church.
25a. I consider this sort of an update to first #25 (Famous Actor Sighting). Thursday night, Tommie & I went to Lakewood Methodist Church to see Dino (Karsonakis) in concert. He is a very flashy pianist that has played Christian music for decades (he will turn 70 this summer). Though my mother doesn't believe this, I have never been able to play his music :) I was curious to see what he did in concert. This particular concert was apparently scheduled just one week in advance, and promoted at the host church & by way of mouth. I didn't see or hear anything about it, but Brian got an email notice from one of his baseball teammates, whose son is the music director at that church. Just a few degrees of separation there :) Dino is still very dramatic, but he was surprisingly nice and engaged the audience constantly. He played several classical songs, and then broke into "Sunday School" songs and had us sing along. We sang "Do Lord" and "This Little Light of Mine" and "Deep and Wide," complete with hand motions. We also sang some good old hymns, in nice harmony. I enjoyed this concert much more than I expected to!
We bought a Nikon D40 camera in November, 2008. Bedford gives you a coupon book that includes a free digital camera course when you make your purchase there. I've been meaning to get around to that for all these years! Today, I finally did it. I took a 2-hr. "Digital Crash Course" this morning. The nice little teacher guy had as much trouble setting up his Powerpoint presentation as Tri-District women do... but we finally got started after a 20-min. delay. (Seems like if the class started at 9:30, maybe you could check your AV equipment by at least 9:15- hmmm. But he was very nice.) I did learn several new things about all digital cameras, and played around with some of my camera's settings. I definitely know a little more about what all the little icons mean, and I got some good inspirations for setting up interesting shots. Primarily, I am inspired to get the instruction book out and do a little reading :) And maybe check into taking Royce West's photography class at church.
25a. I consider this sort of an update to first #25 (Famous Actor Sighting). Thursday night, Tommie & I went to Lakewood Methodist Church to see Dino (Karsonakis) in concert. He is a very flashy pianist that has played Christian music for decades (he will turn 70 this summer). Though my mother doesn't believe this, I have never been able to play his music :) I was curious to see what he did in concert. This particular concert was apparently scheduled just one week in advance, and promoted at the host church & by way of mouth. I didn't see or hear anything about it, but Brian got an email notice from one of his baseball teammates, whose son is the music director at that church. Just a few degrees of separation there :) Dino is still very dramatic, but he was surprisingly nice and engaged the audience constantly. He played several classical songs, and then broke into "Sunday School" songs and had us sing along. We sang "Do Lord" and "This Little Light of Mine" and "Deep and Wide," complete with hand motions. We also sang some good old hymns, in nice harmony. I enjoyed this concert much more than I expected to!
Monday, January 9, 2012
Pay it forward, behind you :)
52. RAOK- pay for the car behind you at McDonald's
I've felt kinda bad that most of my firsts have been just for selfish fun. Really, I do occasionally do the good deed, but if I blog about it, I'll lose a star in my crown, right? :) However, this one is considered blog-worthy 'cause it's easy to do and you should try it, too!
My preschool speech therapy children were a bit trying today- I swear you can tell the phase of the moon by walking in a preschool class! So, I decided to do a Random Act of Kindness to redeem the morning. Drove through McD's for lunch, praying that God would put someone in line behind me that could use a treat. A woman drove up behind me (with a handicapped mirror-tag even!). I asked the money-taker how much her ticket was- a whopping $5.07! Haha :) So I paid it and watched in my rear-view mirror as the cashier handed the customer the paid ticket. The sweet lady in the car then honked at me (in a friendly, appreciative way) and waved. Hope that was a treat that she really needed at that moment. Bet she repays the favor some day.
Side-note:
-For some weird reason, I felt nervous about doing this! Bet it'll be easier next time. And probably cost more, too :)
I've felt kinda bad that most of my firsts have been just for selfish fun. Really, I do occasionally do the good deed, but if I blog about it, I'll lose a star in my crown, right? :) However, this one is considered blog-worthy 'cause it's easy to do and you should try it, too!
My preschool speech therapy children were a bit trying today- I swear you can tell the phase of the moon by walking in a preschool class! So, I decided to do a Random Act of Kindness to redeem the morning. Drove through McD's for lunch, praying that God would put someone in line behind me that could use a treat. A woman drove up behind me (with a handicapped mirror-tag even!). I asked the money-taker how much her ticket was- a whopping $5.07! Haha :) So I paid it and watched in my rear-view mirror as the cashier handed the customer the paid ticket. The sweet lady in the car then honked at me (in a friendly, appreciative way) and waved. Hope that was a treat that she really needed at that moment. Bet she repays the favor some day.
Side-note:
-For some weird reason, I felt nervous about doing this! Bet it'll be easier next time. And probably cost more, too :)
Friday, December 30, 2011
New places to eat this year
51. Restaurant firsts
I decided to lump all of the restaurant firsts, at least the ones I can remember, into one post, with some food critic editorializing thrown in for good measure. Here they are:
*Dogtown Coffee & Cookery in NLR- hopefully, by now, most NLR residents have had coffee or a meal here. It is run by the son of some friends of ours, Hank & Liza Godwin, and seems to have caught on VERY well, very quickly. They have great food, including a salad that I really enjoy. I haven't had coffee from there yet, but plan to soon.
*Brown's Country Store in Benton- I think I mentioned this one when Brian & I went to Arkadelphia to the Henderson House. HUGE buffet. Food was fine, but not necessarily a place that I will need to visit again, though I'm glad we finally ate there, as I have wanted to try it for many years.
*Trading Post Cafe at the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs- we had a fun outdoor BBQ dinner here, at Micah's recommendation. The food was good and the atmosphere was great. And, of course, the view all around the place is amazing!!!
*Houston's in New Orleans- dee-licious! Definitely want a "re-peat" of this restaurant, in N.O. or anywhere else we find it.
*Ed & Kay's in Benton- this was a recommendation from David Wallace and he was right about how good it is! David & Roberta & Brian & I went to a play at the Royal Theater in Benton and we actually got the "boys" to decide on the restaurant. Great home-cooking, with lots of choices, and AMAZING desserts!
*Smokin' Buns in Jacksonville- several of our friends at Trinity Fellowship had raved about this place, telling us you had to get there really early to avoid the crowd. We don't need convincing when it comes to restaurant crowd avoidance :) We went with Bob & Patsy Beatty and had a very good time. Food was very good and so was the "fellowship."
Those are the only ones I can remember at the moment, and, of course, I still have a little over 3 weeks to try more new spots. Recommendations are welcomed :)
I decided to lump all of the restaurant firsts, at least the ones I can remember, into one post, with some food critic editorializing thrown in for good measure. Here they are:
*Dogtown Coffee & Cookery in NLR- hopefully, by now, most NLR residents have had coffee or a meal here. It is run by the son of some friends of ours, Hank & Liza Godwin, and seems to have caught on VERY well, very quickly. They have great food, including a salad that I really enjoy. I haven't had coffee from there yet, but plan to soon.
*Brown's Country Store in Benton- I think I mentioned this one when Brian & I went to Arkadelphia to the Henderson House. HUGE buffet. Food was fine, but not necessarily a place that I will need to visit again, though I'm glad we finally ate there, as I have wanted to try it for many years.
*Trading Post Cafe at the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs- we had a fun outdoor BBQ dinner here, at Micah's recommendation. The food was good and the atmosphere was great. And, of course, the view all around the place is amazing!!!
*Houston's in New Orleans- dee-licious! Definitely want a "re-peat" of this restaurant, in N.O. or anywhere else we find it.
*Ed & Kay's in Benton- this was a recommendation from David Wallace and he was right about how good it is! David & Roberta & Brian & I went to a play at the Royal Theater in Benton and we actually got the "boys" to decide on the restaurant. Great home-cooking, with lots of choices, and AMAZING desserts!
*Smokin' Buns in Jacksonville- several of our friends at Trinity Fellowship had raved about this place, telling us you had to get there really early to avoid the crowd. We don't need convincing when it comes to restaurant crowd avoidance :) We went with Bob & Patsy Beatty and had a very good time. Food was very good and so was the "fellowship."
Those are the only ones I can remember at the moment, and, of course, I still have a little over 3 weeks to try more new spots. Recommendations are welcomed :)
Friday, December 23, 2011
The Peabody Duck Parade
50. Watched the Peabody Hotel Duck Parade
Today, Brian & I and all 4 grandsons, as well as their parents and Adriann W. and the cute little Joel Winters family, went to the Peabody Hotel in downtown LR to watch the Duck Parade. This was a first for several of us in this group.
We started with a brisk, chillier-than-expected, multi-block walk, because we were too "frugal" to pay for parking :) Then we staked our claim to a spot along the red carpet duck walkway and waited for about 15 minutes. Soon the Duckmaster arrived and gave us a little history lesson regarding this one-of-a-kind spectacle. Soon the "five little ducks" (yes, Jude & Cale & I sang the song quietly) disembarked from the glass elevator and waddled (a little faster than we expected) around the duck pond on their red carpet, climbed up the red carpet stairs and paddled into the water. Their brunch awaited them and they put on a cute little show swimming around and just being duckish.
Next we boarded the trolley. This is always extra fun in December because the trolleys are decorated with lights and wreaths and garlands. I think the inside is always nice, with the pretty wood of the seats and the fun of turning your seats around backward when you get to the course-reversing spot along the route. Our conductor today was having a lot of fun! We all sang Christmas carols, and, at one point, he had a lady come by with mistletoe to encourage you to kiss your seatmate (or someone near you, preferably someone you knew). At one stop, he let the kids come up and step on the floor button that rings the bell. All 3 walking grandsons did it and had great fun. We rode the trolley across the river from LR to NLR and back again, finally departing at a stop (thankfully) near our cars.
SO fun to share this first with all these people! If you haven't ridden the trolley, especially in December, be sure to remedy that oversight soon!!!
Today, Brian & I and all 4 grandsons, as well as their parents and Adriann W. and the cute little Joel Winters family, went to the Peabody Hotel in downtown LR to watch the Duck Parade. This was a first for several of us in this group.
We started with a brisk, chillier-than-expected, multi-block walk, because we were too "frugal" to pay for parking :) Then we staked our claim to a spot along the red carpet duck walkway and waited for about 15 minutes. Soon the Duckmaster arrived and gave us a little history lesson regarding this one-of-a-kind spectacle. Soon the "five little ducks" (yes, Jude & Cale & I sang the song quietly) disembarked from the glass elevator and waddled (a little faster than we expected) around the duck pond on their red carpet, climbed up the red carpet stairs and paddled into the water. Their brunch awaited them and they put on a cute little show swimming around and just being duckish.
Next we boarded the trolley. This is always extra fun in December because the trolleys are decorated with lights and wreaths and garlands. I think the inside is always nice, with the pretty wood of the seats and the fun of turning your seats around backward when you get to the course-reversing spot along the route. Our conductor today was having a lot of fun! We all sang Christmas carols, and, at one point, he had a lady come by with mistletoe to encourage you to kiss your seatmate (or someone near you, preferably someone you knew). At one stop, he let the kids come up and step on the floor button that rings the bell. All 3 walking grandsons did it and had great fun. We rode the trolley across the river from LR to NLR and back again, finally departing at a stop (thankfully) near our cars.
SO fun to share this first with all these people! If you haven't ridden the trolley, especially in December, be sure to remedy that oversight soon!!!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Guess how many more house payments we have???
This first has nothing to do with being brave and trying something new, but it is a biggie, for sure!!!
49. Our house is paid off!
We have lived in this house for 30 years, and today we visited the bank and wired the "pay off" to our mortgage company- hoo-rah!!! The process was considerably more complicated than I expected it to be. Being the financial wizard that I am, I figured I could just call the mortgage company, find out the amount owed, and mail them a check. Apparently, they have to know the exact time you plan to make the pay off (wouldn't want to miss 4 or 5 cents of interest!), and no, no, no, you can't send a personal check. I called dear Bank of America and they faxed me the payoff info, for a mere $30 fee (just to fax it? good grief!). Anyway, I don't know what happens next, but I know I can't wait to have a piece of paper in hand that indicates our little piece of real estate is PIF!!!
Now I plan to funnel these funds to whittle down a couple of credit card balances and car payments. I'd like to be a better and better steward of my finances. Might just take the Dave Ramsey course our church is offering next semester.
I want to wish you a VERY happy, merry, memory-making, fun, calm Christmas! We are looking forward to having all our chickadees home during the holiday. There will be a 36-hour window when all 12 of us will be in North Little Rock, Arkansas, at the same time! Can't wait!!!
49. Our house is paid off!
We have lived in this house for 30 years, and today we visited the bank and wired the "pay off" to our mortgage company- hoo-rah!!! The process was considerably more complicated than I expected it to be. Being the financial wizard that I am, I figured I could just call the mortgage company, find out the amount owed, and mail them a check. Apparently, they have to know the exact time you plan to make the pay off (wouldn't want to miss 4 or 5 cents of interest!), and no, no, no, you can't send a personal check. I called dear Bank of America and they faxed me the payoff info, for a mere $30 fee (just to fax it? good grief!). Anyway, I don't know what happens next, but I know I can't wait to have a piece of paper in hand that indicates our little piece of real estate is PIF!!!
Now I plan to funnel these funds to whittle down a couple of credit card balances and car payments. I'd like to be a better and better steward of my finances. Might just take the Dave Ramsey course our church is offering next semester.
I want to wish you a VERY happy, merry, memory-making, fun, calm Christmas! We are looking forward to having all our chickadees home during the holiday. There will be a 36-hour window when all 12 of us will be in North Little Rock, Arkansas, at the same time! Can't wait!!!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Christmas mementos of 2011
(Just a post for fun, as a reminder to myself of this fun year.)
I like to buy ornaments when I go to new places, to remind me at Christmas of some of the fun memory-making times of the past year. In decorating this week, I found that I have 4 new memento ornaments this year! Extra credit if you can "name that location" (not too difficult, since most of them document the sites :)---
A)
B)
C)
D)
Answers:
A) The Parthenon at Centennial Park in Nashville TN- (Girl Trip)(First #16 & 17)
B) Capt. Henderson House Bed & Breakfast in Arkadelphia AR- (the kidnapping of Brian during his shoulder surgery recovery)(#34)
C) New Orleans LA- (visit to Clay at New Orleans Bapt. Theological Seminary)(#41)
D) Frank Lloyd Wright ornament, from Bartlesville OK- (Sister Trip)(#38a)
I like to buy ornaments when I go to new places, to remind me at Christmas of some of the fun memory-making times of the past year. In decorating this week, I found that I have 4 new memento ornaments this year! Extra credit if you can "name that location" (not too difficult, since most of them document the sites :)---
A)
B)
C)
D)
Answers:
A) The Parthenon at Centennial Park in Nashville TN- (Girl Trip)(First #16 & 17)
B) Capt. Henderson House Bed & Breakfast in Arkadelphia AR- (the kidnapping of Brian during his shoulder surgery recovery)(#34)
C) New Orleans LA- (visit to Clay at New Orleans Bapt. Theological Seminary)(#41)
D) Frank Lloyd Wright ornament, from Bartlesville OK- (Sister Trip)(#38a)
Amateur Percussionist
48. Play in the Percussion Pit at church
This is another adventure that has been on my actual written-down list of things I want to do. I begged Park Hill Baptist's percussion master, Marietta Hunt, to let me play something, anything in the percussion pit! She was happy for the help and gave me a few pointers. Primarily, she was very patient with me as I asked:
"Where are we?" "What measure are we on?" "What am I doing???"
I had SO much fun doing this! We had a Christmas Instrumental Concert on Dec. 4 and we percussionists :) played on 3 or 4 songs. I got to play the triangle, crash cymbal (with a mallet), xylophone, and big ole chimes! Video proof:
It is also fun to me that, instead of my children following in my footsteps, I followed in theirs- Ted played in the church orchestra while in high school & college, and Micah played while in high school. In fact, several of the pieces we played had notations of "M" and "W" written in, indicating when Micah & her cousin, Whitney, were to play certain instruments! Love this! And I get to play on the Overture of our adult choir music this coming Sunday night. Ooh, that reminds, I need to get to the church and practice!!!
This is another adventure that has been on my actual written-down list of things I want to do. I begged Park Hill Baptist's percussion master, Marietta Hunt, to let me play something, anything in the percussion pit! She was happy for the help and gave me a few pointers. Primarily, she was very patient with me as I asked:
"Where are we?" "What measure are we on?" "What am I doing???"
I had SO much fun doing this! We had a Christmas Instrumental Concert on Dec. 4 and we percussionists :) played on 3 or 4 songs. I got to play the triangle, crash cymbal (with a mallet), xylophone, and big ole chimes! Video proof:
It is also fun to me that, instead of my children following in my footsteps, I followed in theirs- Ted played in the church orchestra while in high school & college, and Micah played while in high school. In fact, several of the pieces we played had notations of "M" and "W" written in, indicating when Micah & her cousin, Whitney, were to play certain instruments! Love this! And I get to play on the Overture of our adult choir music this coming Sunday night. Ooh, that reminds, I need to get to the church and practice!!!
Thanksgiving 2011- Part 2
47. Thanksgiving in Colorado
Brian & I left NLR 2 days before Thanksgiving & arrived at Micah's early Wednesday morning. She had been getting ready for a big T'giving feast at her house, inviting several folks from her church. She made homemade dressing, cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole, and fancy rolls. Micah & I together made a yummy (& pretty) Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake, fresh off the cover of the Nov. "Southern Living." This was a first for both of us- as labor-intensive as I expected (which is what has scared me off so far), but SO worth it. Guests brought other delicious foods, so we had a true feast!
At the appointed noon-hour, there were 2 couples, a girl Micah's age whose husband is deployed (she is one of those FB friends that you don't really know, but have several mutual friends- so fun to get to know her!), her 1-year old son, plus us family folk there. About 1:30, a single guy arrived; later, another single guy arrived. One was armed with a homemade cheesecake that turned out to not be quite done. After several hours !!! in Micah's oven, we still had to eat it with a spoon :) Tasted good, though. About 3:30, a family of 4 from Kenya dropped by to say hello. Micah & Daniel were VERY great host(esse)s!
Ben, Micah, & I made turkey placecards:
Both my daughter & my daughter-in-law really showed me up this Thanksgiving! They both hosted lots of family/friends in their own home- VERY proud of Micah and Mindy!!
Just a couple of pictures of the youngest redheads, Ben & Isaac---
And a fun Christmas tree picture, as well as the boys (& Mommy) with Santa---
Thank you, God, for so many blessings!!!! I need to always remember to be
"Too blessed to be stressed!"
Brian & I left NLR 2 days before Thanksgiving & arrived at Micah's early Wednesday morning. She had been getting ready for a big T'giving feast at her house, inviting several folks from her church. She made homemade dressing, cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole, and fancy rolls. Micah & I together made a yummy (& pretty) Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake, fresh off the cover of the Nov. "Southern Living." This was a first for both of us- as labor-intensive as I expected (which is what has scared me off so far), but SO worth it. Guests brought other delicious foods, so we had a true feast!
At the appointed noon-hour, there were 2 couples, a girl Micah's age whose husband is deployed (she is one of those FB friends that you don't really know, but have several mutual friends- so fun to get to know her!), her 1-year old son, plus us family folk there. About 1:30, a single guy arrived; later, another single guy arrived. One was armed with a homemade cheesecake that turned out to not be quite done. After several hours !!! in Micah's oven, we still had to eat it with a spoon :) Tasted good, though. About 3:30, a family of 4 from Kenya dropped by to say hello. Micah & Daniel were VERY great host(esse)s!
Ben, Micah, & I made turkey placecards:
Both my daughter & my daughter-in-law really showed me up this Thanksgiving! They both hosted lots of family/friends in their own home- VERY proud of Micah and Mindy!!
Just a couple of pictures of the youngest redheads, Ben & Isaac---
And a fun Christmas tree picture, as well as the boys (& Mommy) with Santa---
Thank you, God, for so many blessings!!!! I need to always remember to be
"Too blessed to be stressed!"
Monday, December 5, 2011
Some Thanksgiving Firsts- Part 1
Our family started a new tradition in 1989- we spend a night or 2 away from home, just enjoying some family togetherness. Our 1st few trips involved spending the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving at the Holidome in NLR, about a mile from our house :) We stayed in a hotel room, swam in the huge indoor pool, and played shuffleboard in the activity area. We would eat breakfast there on Thanksgiving morning and then head to Grandmomma's for the big Graddy family feast.
As the kids got bigger, we moved to booking 2 adjoining rooms, then to Embassy Suites in LR, and then to a cabin or rental house at Petit Jean, Mt. Nebo, Hot Springs, and last year's sight-unseen rental of a duplex mobile home with cows in the front yard :)
Since all the "kids" are now grown and have real jobs, it has become increasingly difficult to schedule around everyone. Last year, Cate & Clay couldn't get off work in time to join us, so this year I scheduled it for the weekend before Thanksgiving. Sadly, Clay still didn't get to be with us. He works at Dillard's in Louisiana and couldn't come to Arkansas until that Sunday. The rest of us had a very good time, though, at the Tanyard House on Petit Jean Mountain. The view was unbelievably gorgeous! We had our traditional pizza Friday night, hiked to the falls Saturday, and had our traditional chili Saturday night. We also celebrated Mindy's birthday a few days early.
Video proof---
To be continued... in Colorado... wait for it...
3 bridges in 1 afternoon
46. Walk 3 of the Little Rock Bridges in 1 day
For several months now, I have thought it would be a fun little adventure to walk at least 3 of the new Little Rock pedestrian bridges in one day. I've been on the Big Dam Bridge and the Junction Bridge before, and on the Clinton Center Bridge last month with Ted & his family. The Two Rivers Bridge opened within the past few weeks & I really wanted to see it. So I enlisted my there-for-you-anytime friend, Tommie, who at least pretended to think this was a good idea. I suggested another friend that might want to join us, but Tommie said "I don't think she is really much of a walker." To this I replied "WE are not much of walkers!!!" Athletes we are not!
We started on a Saturday afternoon a couple of weeks ago. We went to the new Two Rivers Bridge first. It is very pretty, with a gorgeous view. That day was kind of the end of the fall leaf colors, so it was even prettier. This bridge's river namesakes are the Arkansas River and the Little Maumelle Rivers. There were quite a few couples, grandparents & grandchildren, and bicyclists on the bridge that day. I almost knocked a poor little boy scout off his bike when I set my timer on my camera & turned around to run into my place for our photo below:
Our 2nd bridge was the Clinton Center Bridge. This one seems to be well cared for (hmmm- wonder why???) and the flowers in the many planters on the bridge had been changed from mums to pansies in the 3 weeks that passed from my 1st to 2nd walk here. The view of fall colors is REALLY pretty here! We also took in the Lego Exhibit in the Clinton Center (happened to be free that day). This exhibit will be on display through February, I think, and you should really see it for yourself. And, of course, walk the bridge!
And, now, for the unexpected (and scary) conclusion to our excursion... Our 3rd bridge was the Junction Bridge. We parked on "lovely" East Washington in NLR, thought twice about starting across this bridge 20-30 minutes before dark, and decided we would make a quick run for it. We took a few pictures on the bridge and then a tall, dark man approached Tommie. He said (read this with an effeminate voice) "Don't worry- I'm a good sssstranger! But I truly am a homelesss perssssson." We assured him we had nothing on us to help him out, we were just out for a stroll. He saw my camera and said "Ooh- take my picture!" He then posed himself & Tommie, and I took their picture:
(That picture makes me laugh every time I look at it!)
Then Mr. Good Stranger wanted to see his picture. He looked at it and loved it. He said "Ooh, girl- I look good! I have lotsss of poses- take my picture again. Wait, wait! Let me get the pose jusssst right..." Here is one of his model poses:
After this, we decided we would hurry back to our car. 'nuff excitement for one afternoon!
Act like a tourist and check out the fun free adventures in your own town!
For several months now, I have thought it would be a fun little adventure to walk at least 3 of the new Little Rock pedestrian bridges in one day. I've been on the Big Dam Bridge and the Junction Bridge before, and on the Clinton Center Bridge last month with Ted & his family. The Two Rivers Bridge opened within the past few weeks & I really wanted to see it. So I enlisted my there-for-you-anytime friend, Tommie, who at least pretended to think this was a good idea. I suggested another friend that might want to join us, but Tommie said "I don't think she is really much of a walker." To this I replied "WE are not much of walkers!!!" Athletes we are not!
We started on a Saturday afternoon a couple of weeks ago. We went to the new Two Rivers Bridge first. It is very pretty, with a gorgeous view. That day was kind of the end of the fall leaf colors, so it was even prettier. This bridge's river namesakes are the Arkansas River and the Little Maumelle Rivers. There were quite a few couples, grandparents & grandchildren, and bicyclists on the bridge that day. I almost knocked a poor little boy scout off his bike when I set my timer on my camera & turned around to run into my place for our photo below:
Our 2nd bridge was the Clinton Center Bridge. This one seems to be well cared for (hmmm- wonder why???) and the flowers in the many planters on the bridge had been changed from mums to pansies in the 3 weeks that passed from my 1st to 2nd walk here. The view of fall colors is REALLY pretty here! We also took in the Lego Exhibit in the Clinton Center (happened to be free that day). This exhibit will be on display through February, I think, and you should really see it for yourself. And, of course, walk the bridge!
And, now, for the unexpected (and scary) conclusion to our excursion... Our 3rd bridge was the Junction Bridge. We parked on "lovely" East Washington in NLR, thought twice about starting across this bridge 20-30 minutes before dark, and decided we would make a quick run for it. We took a few pictures on the bridge and then a tall, dark man approached Tommie. He said (read this with an effeminate voice) "Don't worry- I'm a good sssstranger! But I truly am a homelesss perssssson." We assured him we had nothing on us to help him out, we were just out for a stroll. He saw my camera and said "Ooh- take my picture!" He then posed himself & Tommie, and I took their picture:
(That picture makes me laugh every time I look at it!)
Then Mr. Good Stranger wanted to see his picture. He looked at it and loved it. He said "Ooh, girl- I look good! I have lotsss of poses- take my picture again. Wait, wait! Let me get the pose jusssst right..." Here is one of his model poses:
After this, we decided we would hurry back to our car. 'nuff excitement for one afternoon!
Act like a tourist and check out the fun free adventures in your own town!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Fun in Tulsa- and some OK firsts
My sister, Terri, & I took a wonderful trip to Tulsa this past weekend! We visited our aunt & uncle (actually in Bixby) and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! Art turned 70 this spring & Brenda is several years younger, but, to Terri & me, they will never be older than 40 :) They drop everything just to sit & talk with us or go shopping (tho' Brenda always leaves empty-handed) or go on whatever adventure we cook up.
This trip, we enjoyed these adventures:
-toured Oral Roberts University, where our cousin's daughter, Ali, is a freshman. It is a beautiful campus. We saw the huge praying hands statue, the beautiful chapel, and the Steinway-only music building.
-had a pedicure (Terri, Brenda, & I)- and I continued my polish progression from my old "mauve" to this year's coral and now to dark red! Shocking, I know! (I consider this first #28a)
-drove to Bartlesville to actually go IN a Frank Lloyd Wright building! (First #38a) It is the Price Tower, the only "realized skyscraper" designed by FLW. It is not the most gorgeous building, but I love the stories surrounding his designs. This building also has an art center, housing some FLW furniture & textiles, and a great gift shop. They even have a Lego set of the "Falling Water" house! Thankfully, my grandsons are way too young for that, so I resisted. Though I did get some notecards, a mousepad, a calendar, a Christmas ornament,...
-ate at Zio's Italian Restaurant. This is a tradition, as far as Terri & I are concerned. As is Brenda's chili and chocolate pie :)
-bought some Barbee's Cookies for the trip home. Highly recommended by all.
45. Survived an earthquake!
Haha- "survived" is a little strong. On Friday night- actually Saturday morning at 2:15- Tulsa had a 4.7 magnitude earthquake. I was in a dead sleep and my bed suddenly started shaking like those old motel put-in-a-quarter beds! My first thought was actually that it was an earthquake, but, in the light of day, I was afraid maybe it was a dream- or a seizure! Thankfully, the news confirmed that we had indeed experienced an earthquake. Though I would never consider this a "bucket list" item, and since we didn't have any damage, it really was pretty exciting! No further weather firsts needed or welcomed!
This trip, we enjoyed these adventures:
-toured Oral Roberts University, where our cousin's daughter, Ali, is a freshman. It is a beautiful campus. We saw the huge praying hands statue, the beautiful chapel, and the Steinway-only music building.
-had a pedicure (Terri, Brenda, & I)- and I continued my polish progression from my old "mauve" to this year's coral and now to dark red! Shocking, I know! (I consider this first #28a)
-drove to Bartlesville to actually go IN a Frank Lloyd Wright building! (First #38a) It is the Price Tower, the only "realized skyscraper" designed by FLW. It is not the most gorgeous building, but I love the stories surrounding his designs. This building also has an art center, housing some FLW furniture & textiles, and a great gift shop. They even have a Lego set of the "Falling Water" house! Thankfully, my grandsons are way too young for that, so I resisted. Though I did get some notecards, a mousepad, a calendar, a Christmas ornament,...
-ate at Zio's Italian Restaurant. This is a tradition, as far as Terri & I are concerned. As is Brenda's chili and chocolate pie :)
-bought some Barbee's Cookies for the trip home. Highly recommended by all.
45. Survived an earthquake!
Haha- "survived" is a little strong. On Friday night- actually Saturday morning at 2:15- Tulsa had a 4.7 magnitude earthquake. I was in a dead sleep and my bed suddenly started shaking like those old motel put-in-a-quarter beds! My first thought was actually that it was an earthquake, but, in the light of day, I was afraid maybe it was a dream- or a seizure! Thankfully, the news confirmed that we had indeed experienced an earthquake. Though I would never consider this a "bucket list" item, and since we didn't have any damage, it really was pretty exciting! No further weather firsts needed or welcomed!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Hot Dog Mike
44. Lunch at Hot Dog Mike's stand
When Clay worked at Heifer International, he told me about a moving hot dog stand that was often near his office. Hot Dog Mike has become very well-known in Central Arkansas and beyond. (See his web page: http://hotdogmike.com/blog) I wanted to share a hot dog with Clay before he left for New Orleans, but we never worked that out. Maybe I can treat him when he is home for Thanksgiving or Christmas :)
I follow HDM on Facebook- that's how you find out where he will be set up each day. I noticed last Friday that he would be at 3rd & Broadway in LR that day. He often donates his goods or services or proceeds for charitable causes and that day he was collecting coats & blankets for homeless shelters. My daughter-in-law prompted me to knit some scarves & hats for homeless folks last winter, but then her contact moved away. So, I had several hats & several scarves ready for donation, waiting for a middle man. I FB'd HDM & asked if he was collecting these items as well as coats & blankets. He responded (even spelled my name correctly!) and said all donations would be welcome.
Not being quite brave enough to try this new adventure on my own (I'm trying!), I called a friend to come hold my hand and enjoy a specialty hot dog with me. Thank you, Susan Matthews, for being spontaneous & joining me for this fine dining experience. We had a "Woo Pig Sooiee" dog (the "woo" is 4 drops of some special hot sauce- any more would probably singe your sinuses!) and some Cheetos and some fun conversation.
And I did summon enough courage to have Susan take my picture with the famous man himself---
Hunt Hot Dog Mike down, bring him some warm clothing, and enjoy a special hot dog yourself! I do plan to go back- with or without a friend~
When Clay worked at Heifer International, he told me about a moving hot dog stand that was often near his office. Hot Dog Mike has become very well-known in Central Arkansas and beyond. (See his web page: http://hotdogmike.com/blog) I wanted to share a hot dog with Clay before he left for New Orleans, but we never worked that out. Maybe I can treat him when he is home for Thanksgiving or Christmas :)
I follow HDM on Facebook- that's how you find out where he will be set up each day. I noticed last Friday that he would be at 3rd & Broadway in LR that day. He often donates his goods or services or proceeds for charitable causes and that day he was collecting coats & blankets for homeless shelters. My daughter-in-law prompted me to knit some scarves & hats for homeless folks last winter, but then her contact moved away. So, I had several hats & several scarves ready for donation, waiting for a middle man. I FB'd HDM & asked if he was collecting these items as well as coats & blankets. He responded (even spelled my name correctly!) and said all donations would be welcome.
Not being quite brave enough to try this new adventure on my own (I'm trying!), I called a friend to come hold my hand and enjoy a specialty hot dog with me. Thank you, Susan Matthews, for being spontaneous & joining me for this fine dining experience. We had a "Woo Pig Sooiee" dog (the "woo" is 4 drops of some special hot sauce- any more would probably singe your sinuses!) and some Cheetos and some fun conversation.
And I did summon enough courage to have Susan take my picture with the famous man himself---
Hunt Hot Dog Mike down, bring him some warm clothing, and enjoy a special hot dog yourself! I do plan to go back- with or without a friend~
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Fourth Grandson!
43. First 4th Grandson :)
While this is not my "first" grandchild, it is the first time I have had FOUR grandsons! (Again, my game, my rules :)
We drove to Colorado Springs after work on Tues., Sept. 20, hoping to make SURE we didn't miss the birth of this grandbaby (the previous Colorado grandson arrived a month early & we were in the air somewhere near Denver when he made his grand entrance). The plan was for Brian to stay home with 2-yr. old Ben while I got to be in the delivery room when Isaac was born. This plan was suggested by me (surprise), originally nixed by Micah, then embraced by Micah & Daniel (they could be parents while I was photographer), nixed by one doctor, considered by another, and finally (sadly) not allowed by the anesthesiologist (decision made as I was 1 block from the hospital that morning- boo!). Oh, well- there will be several more chances maybe...
Isaac Miller Wiginton was born on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011, at 7:07 a.m., weighing 8 lbs., 7 ozs., and 20 1/4 inches long. And guess what color his hair is--- red!
100% of my grandchildren are boys, and 75% of them have red hair!!!
Isaac's delivery by C-section was so fast and so perfect. Micah was definitely euphoric for the next 2 days. So many things were so much better and easier with a full-term baby as opposed to a 35-weeker. They were all ready to come home 2 days later, when things changed a bit. Micah's hemoglobin count was dangerously low (5.8, when normal is 12-16) and she ended up having an emergency surgery Saturday morning. The doctor told Daniel it would take about 20 minutes. An hour and a half later !!! he came back in and said he had fixed everything (just 2 small bleeds) and that Micah was doing well. That hour & a half was torture for us, as my sister & my mother can attest from my not-so-calm phone calls to them. But all is well and we are SO thankful that Micah & Isaac are strong and healthy.
Here is my relieved and happy Nana face:
While this is not my "first" grandchild, it is the first time I have had FOUR grandsons! (Again, my game, my rules :)
We drove to Colorado Springs after work on Tues., Sept. 20, hoping to make SURE we didn't miss the birth of this grandbaby (the previous Colorado grandson arrived a month early & we were in the air somewhere near Denver when he made his grand entrance). The plan was for Brian to stay home with 2-yr. old Ben while I got to be in the delivery room when Isaac was born. This plan was suggested by me (surprise), originally nixed by Micah, then embraced by Micah & Daniel (they could be parents while I was photographer), nixed by one doctor, considered by another, and finally (sadly) not allowed by the anesthesiologist (decision made as I was 1 block from the hospital that morning- boo!). Oh, well- there will be several more chances maybe...
Isaac Miller Wiginton was born on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011, at 7:07 a.m., weighing 8 lbs., 7 ozs., and 20 1/4 inches long. And guess what color his hair is--- red!
100% of my grandchildren are boys, and 75% of them have red hair!!!
Isaac's delivery by C-section was so fast and so perfect. Micah was definitely euphoric for the next 2 days. So many things were so much better and easier with a full-term baby as opposed to a 35-weeker. They were all ready to come home 2 days later, when things changed a bit. Micah's hemoglobin count was dangerously low (5.8, when normal is 12-16) and she ended up having an emergency surgery Saturday morning. The doctor told Daniel it would take about 20 minutes. An hour and a half later !!! he came back in and said he had fixed everything (just 2 small bleeds) and that Micah was doing well. That hour & a half was torture for us, as my sister & my mother can attest from my not-so-calm phone calls to them. But all is well and we are SO thankful that Micah & Isaac are strong and healthy.
Here is my relieved and happy Nana face:
Experimenting with technology
42. Getting braver with technology
Most obvious of my new technology experiments- the new look of my blog. As with most new things I try in cyber-space, I'm not sure I could recreate the steps I followed to do this, but it was fun to try new looks. Not sure I love this, but maybe I will change it up "ever so periodically," as my sister says.
And I created a Group on Facebook, all by myself! Again, don't ask me how... I wanted a way to communicate with my Taylor family as a group on FB and I started to try to draft some "youngster" to do it, but then decided to try it myself. Yea- it worked!
Everyone in my office got an iPad at the end of last school year, and I am slowly learning how to use it. (Now I really would like to have one of my own- I knew that would happen!) I did manage to read the directions- independently- and activate the new keyboard case we got recently. This week I will be using my iPad with my preschoolers in Speech Therapy. You know they will love it! Just have to keep myself from the distraction of all the time-wasters at my fingertips...
I predict that some day I will feel "convicted" to go a day or 2 or more "unplugged"- that would certainly be a first!
Most obvious of my new technology experiments- the new look of my blog. As with most new things I try in cyber-space, I'm not sure I could recreate the steps I followed to do this, but it was fun to try new looks. Not sure I love this, but maybe I will change it up "ever so periodically," as my sister says.
And I created a Group on Facebook, all by myself! Again, don't ask me how... I wanted a way to communicate with my Taylor family as a group on FB and I started to try to draft some "youngster" to do it, but then decided to try it myself. Yea- it worked!
Everyone in my office got an iPad at the end of last school year, and I am slowly learning how to use it. (Now I really would like to have one of my own- I knew that would happen!) I did manage to read the directions- independently- and activate the new keyboard case we got recently. This week I will be using my iPad with my preschoolers in Speech Therapy. You know they will love it! Just have to keep myself from the distraction of all the time-wasters at my fingertips...
I predict that some day I will feel "convicted" to go a day or 2 or more "unplugged"- that would certainly be a first!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
New Orleans
41. A visit to New Orleans LA
Our youngest son, Clay, age 23, is a new student at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He recently had a blog post of his own that sounded like he really missed home & family. Mom couldn't stand it !!! so we went to visit him. We arrived Friday night just before midnight & met Clay for just a minute. We stayed at the Providence House, a guest-house type of hotel for seminary-related visitors. Price was very good :) and accomodations were fine & dandy.
Saturday we did as much N.O. tourism as we could. We ate a late breakfast at Cafe du Monde. (Actually went to the one in Metairie, as the main one had a VERY long line.) I love it when the hype surrounding an experience is actually true- and beignets REALLY are as good as their reputation! Cafe au lait was good, too.
Before the day ended, we had:
*driven around the seminary campus, taking advantage of some good photo ops,
*visited the "Before I Die" wall- the side of a building on a small side street that has "Before I Die I want to ______" painted on it, with lots of fill-in-the-blanks that people complete with chalk- it is erased when it is full & the process starts over- very interesting,
*walked around the French Quarter (went to the original Cafe du Monde, just so we could say we did),
*watched some fun street performers doing crazy acrobatics & comedic dialogue,
*walked along Bourbon Street,
*seen a silver lady, one of those funny folks that look like mannequins but are real,
*ridden the ferry across the Mississippi River,
*eaten Mexican food in Metairie (had an interesting lost-in-translation experience trying to order "punch- fruit punch"...),
*driven through City Park (looking forward to taking the grandsons there!),
*taken a 2-hr. trolley/streetcar ride to see The Garden District, nice houses, universities, interesting people.
Sunday, we began with the discovery that 10 a.m. is not a good time to try to go to the new Waffle House! Ended up having a gourmet breakfast at McD's. Then headed to the launch of a new campus of Vintage Church in Metairie. There were 300+ people there, but only about 20 of us were 50 yrs. old or older. We were the only ones that got to sit in chairs during the service :) Glad age has some privileges! We then had a nice lunch at Houston's. We wanted to make sure Clay would want us to come back to visit, so we took him to a few places he couldn't afford to go on his own :)
The entire weekend trip, from driveway back to driveway, lasted about 53 hours. But it was definitely worth it to see Clay. He seems content, though he surely misses familiar faces. We don't expect to see him again until Thanksgiving. I'm not a huge fan of long road trips, but I'm getting better at them. Gotta admit, "I have a dream" where my 4 little children (and all their children) live no more than 1 hour away from the house where they grew up. But as long as they are doing what God has called them to do, I am teary-eyed proud of them!
A few visuals of the weekend:
Our youngest son, Clay, age 23, is a new student at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He recently had a blog post of his own that sounded like he really missed home & family. Mom couldn't stand it !!! so we went to visit him. We arrived Friday night just before midnight & met Clay for just a minute. We stayed at the Providence House, a guest-house type of hotel for seminary-related visitors. Price was very good :) and accomodations were fine & dandy.
Saturday we did as much N.O. tourism as we could. We ate a late breakfast at Cafe du Monde. (Actually went to the one in Metairie, as the main one had a VERY long line.) I love it when the hype surrounding an experience is actually true- and beignets REALLY are as good as their reputation! Cafe au lait was good, too.
Before the day ended, we had:
*driven around the seminary campus, taking advantage of some good photo ops,
*visited the "Before I Die" wall- the side of a building on a small side street that has "Before I Die I want to ______" painted on it, with lots of fill-in-the-blanks that people complete with chalk- it is erased when it is full & the process starts over- very interesting,
*walked around the French Quarter (went to the original Cafe du Monde, just so we could say we did),
*watched some fun street performers doing crazy acrobatics & comedic dialogue,
*walked along Bourbon Street,
*seen a silver lady, one of those funny folks that look like mannequins but are real,
*ridden the ferry across the Mississippi River,
*eaten Mexican food in Metairie (had an interesting lost-in-translation experience trying to order "punch- fruit punch"...),
*driven through City Park (looking forward to taking the grandsons there!),
*taken a 2-hr. trolley/streetcar ride to see The Garden District, nice houses, universities, interesting people.
Sunday, we began with the discovery that 10 a.m. is not a good time to try to go to the new Waffle House! Ended up having a gourmet breakfast at McD's. Then headed to the launch of a new campus of Vintage Church in Metairie. There were 300+ people there, but only about 20 of us were 50 yrs. old or older. We were the only ones that got to sit in chairs during the service :) Glad age has some privileges! We then had a nice lunch at Houston's. We wanted to make sure Clay would want us to come back to visit, so we took him to a few places he couldn't afford to go on his own :)
The entire weekend trip, from driveway back to driveway, lasted about 53 hours. But it was definitely worth it to see Clay. He seems content, though he surely misses familiar faces. We don't expect to see him again until Thanksgiving. I'm not a huge fan of long road trips, but I'm getting better at them. Gotta admit, "I have a dream" where my 4 little children (and all their children) live no more than 1 hour away from the house where they grew up. But as long as they are doing what God has called them to do, I am teary-eyed proud of them!
A few visuals of the weekend:
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Sold gold
40. Sold some gold jewelry
I've been hearing about how high the price of gold is right now- saw on a network news story that someone got $51 for one earring back! So I decided to see what I could find in my meager jewelry box. Surprisingly, being the pack-rat that I am, I determined that I could live without my Parkview High School class ring! I checked with my daughters to make sure they didn't harbor a secret desire to inherit this heirloom- sure 'nough, they didn't. So I took that ring, an old watch face (14K gold) and a gold ring. (BTW, apparently, most class rings are not 14K gold, so don't expect a fortune when you take yours in.)
My "research" told me that you need to go to several different gold-buying establishments to get the best price possible. The first place I visited looked like it was a very temporary set-up. Basically just a couple of folding tables & chairs in an empty store-front. However, they did check the "karat-ness" and weighed the items in front of me. Their offer was $200.05.
Stop #2 was much more permanent looking. They have to buzz you in, then you visit with a young girl at the desk. I told her I was shopping around, & she asked what I had been offered so far, as they like to be the best price in town. She took my jewelry & went through a door into a mysterious back room. When she returned, she asked "If I can talk my boss into $250 cash, would you take that right now?" I figured I surely wouldn't get significantly more than that at a future stop, so I agreed. She disappeared again, to "talk to her boss..." But she did come back with $250 cash :) Not a bad profit for a lunch hour!
I'm motivated to dig deeper into my jewelry box!
I've been hearing about how high the price of gold is right now- saw on a network news story that someone got $51 for one earring back! So I decided to see what I could find in my meager jewelry box. Surprisingly, being the pack-rat that I am, I determined that I could live without my Parkview High School class ring! I checked with my daughters to make sure they didn't harbor a secret desire to inherit this heirloom- sure 'nough, they didn't. So I took that ring, an old watch face (14K gold) and a gold ring. (BTW, apparently, most class rings are not 14K gold, so don't expect a fortune when you take yours in.)
My "research" told me that you need to go to several different gold-buying establishments to get the best price possible. The first place I visited looked like it was a very temporary set-up. Basically just a couple of folding tables & chairs in an empty store-front. However, they did check the "karat-ness" and weighed the items in front of me. Their offer was $200.05.
Stop #2 was much more permanent looking. They have to buzz you in, then you visit with a young girl at the desk. I told her I was shopping around, & she asked what I had been offered so far, as they like to be the best price in town. She took my jewelry & went through a door into a mysterious back room. When she returned, she asked "If I can talk my boss into $250 cash, would you take that right now?" I figured I surely wouldn't get significantly more than that at a future stop, so I agreed. She disappeared again, to "talk to her boss..." But she did come back with $250 cash :) Not a bad profit for a lunch hour!
I'm motivated to dig deeper into my jewelry box!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Inspiration
39. Act on "inspired" ideas.
Most of my "firsts" have been just to INdulge my fantasy list or to get over some INhibitions. This post has to do with INspiration- some I have received and some I want to pay forward to inspire my faithful readers :) Both of you... haha~
a) The idea for this blog of mine was inspired by Micah's "30 by 30 list." She has an official list of things she wants to accomplish before she turns 30, several years from now. The birth of 2 babies in 2 years has slowed her down a little, but I'm confident the list will be completed. Thanks for the inspiration, daughter!
b) Another Micah-inspired act occurred today. A few years ago, she read an article about simplifying your life, paring down to only 100 possessions. No, she didn't go quite that far, but she did actually make a poster of 100 things that she gave away or sold, freeing up some space in her house. My attempt at this was even a little smaller, but better than nothing! Today I gave away 55+ items to Big Brothers/Big Sisters. If I did this once a month for the next 55 months... ahh, how great would that be! I would feel like I had a new big ole house :)
c) A few weekends ago, we kept an adorable little 11-week old baby boy for a weekend. The inspiration for this act, besides the selfish one of getting my hands on a really cute & smiley baby, was The CALL. This is an amazing organization that promotes foster care and adoption of children in need. The baby we kept is in the foster home of a sweet family in our church. They wanted to take their older child for a last-minute quick vacation before school started. My challenge to others (and to myself) is to look for ways to be of a little help to families as the idea pops into your head. We all know of someone that could use the surprise of a casserole or a few hours of baby-sitting or "I'm headed to the store- what can I bring you?" My other inspirers- Tommie & Jill & Pam, who amaze me with the giving of their time to others, just because. Further suggestions are welcome---
d) For several months, I have felt a desire to put into writing how my former pastor of several decades continues to influence me, and to invite the input of others. I finally got around to this, with an open-ended post on Facebook. I LOVED reading what others remember. (Hopefully, just so I will have it forever, I will copy these comments into a future blogpost.) My other inspiration for this act was my friend Andi, who is quick to act when she feels the Holy Spirit leading her to do something, no matter how strange it may seem. Challenge- jot that note you have been meaning to send to someone, do that random act of kindness you've been thinking about, make that long-overdue phone call to a friend, etc.
Other suggestions???
Most of my "firsts" have been just to INdulge my fantasy list or to get over some INhibitions. This post has to do with INspiration- some I have received and some I want to pay forward to inspire my faithful readers :) Both of you... haha~
a) The idea for this blog of mine was inspired by Micah's "30 by 30 list." She has an official list of things she wants to accomplish before she turns 30, several years from now. The birth of 2 babies in 2 years has slowed her down a little, but I'm confident the list will be completed. Thanks for the inspiration, daughter!
b) Another Micah-inspired act occurred today. A few years ago, she read an article about simplifying your life, paring down to only 100 possessions. No, she didn't go quite that far, but she did actually make a poster of 100 things that she gave away or sold, freeing up some space in her house. My attempt at this was even a little smaller, but better than nothing! Today I gave away 55+ items to Big Brothers/Big Sisters. If I did this once a month for the next 55 months... ahh, how great would that be! I would feel like I had a new big ole house :)
c) A few weekends ago, we kept an adorable little 11-week old baby boy for a weekend. The inspiration for this act, besides the selfish one of getting my hands on a really cute & smiley baby, was The CALL. This is an amazing organization that promotes foster care and adoption of children in need. The baby we kept is in the foster home of a sweet family in our church. They wanted to take their older child for a last-minute quick vacation before school started. My challenge to others (and to myself) is to look for ways to be of a little help to families as the idea pops into your head. We all know of someone that could use the surprise of a casserole or a few hours of baby-sitting or "I'm headed to the store- what can I bring you?" My other inspirers- Tommie & Jill & Pam, who amaze me with the giving of their time to others, just because. Further suggestions are welcome---
d) For several months, I have felt a desire to put into writing how my former pastor of several decades continues to influence me, and to invite the input of others. I finally got around to this, with an open-ended post on Facebook. I LOVED reading what others remember. (Hopefully, just so I will have it forever, I will copy these comments into a future blogpost.) My other inspiration for this act was my friend Andi, who is quick to act when she feels the Holy Spirit leading her to do something, no matter how strange it may seem. Challenge- jot that note you have been meaning to send to someone, do that random act of kindness you've been thinking about, make that long-overdue phone call to a friend, etc.
Other suggestions???
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