Taking a Break

I'll be taking a break from the blog until my Sweetie returns from Afghanistan. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Count your blessings and stop taking it all for granted.

Party Time!

My friend, Pam, came to Colorado for a snow-covered visit and to drive back home with me in the Honda. We had an absolute blast while she was here -- everything from the Mint Room at Celestial Seasonings to the Iron Horse and other bronzes at Leanin' Tree's outdoor gallery to Casa Bonita and all its entertainment to the Butterfly Pavilion and more. What a time we had! We ran around like chickens without heads and ate and shopped and watched movies and sat in front of the fire and did household improvements and...the list goes on and on! Ah...McGuckins! How will we live without you until next summer? Hopefully this is just the first of many visits to come from one wonderful lady with a zest for living!

Hello, Snow!

Tucked away under my down blanket, with the woodstove working quietly away at warming the entire house, I had no idea that another blanket was working its way to me in Vermont. I arose to 3.5 inches of snow, turning my rainbow colored landscape into one of purity and grace. The trees were laden with icy frosting, and the only markings in the lawn were that of some wildlife that had wondered through during the dusting process overnight. Outside, it was warmer than yesterday, but snow gently fell all around me. In the hush, the snapping of limbs under the weight of the snow and the wind in the treetops was eerily soothing. I took my own sweet time preparing for my departure, sure that I'd seen the best of what Vermont had to offer, both in the sense of fall and of winter. My Vermont reawakening comes to an end, but the memories of the brisk air and my peaceful time here will carry me through the long months to come in the heated desert I call home.

Hiking in Waterbury

Rosemary, Lucy (the dog) and I took a hike through Waterbury on Sunday afternoon after I got my pie making out of the way (apple pie for Sunday night). The trail we took was through an area that used to be farmlands in the 1800s, and several ruins were marked of various landowners' homes. We found one cemetery with headstones dating back to the 1700s for births and 1800s for deaths. Most of the folks either lived into their 70s or died before the age of 5! There were 6 unmarked headstones, very small, and we're wondering if those were for stillborns. Very moving. The trail was mostly empty, probably because it was seriously uphill and set the calves a raging! But it was worth the burn -- breathtaking in its beauty. Had a lovely dinner and turned in early -- too tired after that long hike!

New England in its Glory

The drive up to Vermont was an overload for the eyeballs with reds, oranges, greens, yellows, and browns all on full display. Each time you look out from the car, you are sure you are seeing the most gorgeous view anyone could ever see -- picture postcard perfect . . . something out of photoshop -- and then you go a mile or two and see something even more impressive. Awestruck is the only way to describe it. Splashes of color hang from every tree-lined street as we make our way to the house. Mountains and valleys, range after range, wash your soul in the glory of fall and the majesty of God's creation. For a desert girl, it's the stuff dreams are made of!

My hostesses, Barbara and Rosemary, are having an addition put onto their home, so we had one temporary wall on the west side of the house and a huge hole where their new mud room, dining room, and deck will be. After removing the sheets from the furniture and discovering the new hot water heater wasn't hooked up yet, we quickly got a fire started in the woodstove and huddled around it until the house warmed up a bit. Barb grilled mouth-watering steaks and we added a salad of homegrown lettuce and tomatoes, some homegrown beets and voila -- dinner! A Gator win over LSU was just what we needed for dessert! Rosemary arrived about 10:00 p.m. after attending a wedding in Connecticut and then driving up. An incredible start to the Columbus Day weekend.

Boston Starting to Change...

The age-old trees stand as stoic sentinels along the streets and parks of the Boston area, watching over the little ones playing, the dogs walking and running with their owners, the grey squirrels scrambling for acorns to take them through the winter, and the students walking to Boston University through the light drizzle of rain that comes down today. Here and there, a maple sounds the alert that winter is coming with its firey red leaves on full display. Other trees have pockets of color mixed in with large green masses, hinting that the cold and snow are just around the corner. It's a beautiful time for exploring, reflecting, and breathing in the sights and sounds of this wonderful old city.

Later this afternoon we head to Vermont, allegedly at its peak of color for the season. We'll fell a few trees, do a little hiking, ride the tractor to mow the field, cut some firewood, and settle into the quiet life of days gone by. Gee, it's great to be retired!

God's Glorious Gifts

While driving home from Costco today, I was struck by the incredible gifts presented for my enjoyment in the evening sky. In the east, the full moon was rising over the mountains, silhouetting the desert landscaping. To the west, streaks of orange and gold were painted among the clouds as the sun set on this cooler fall day. God is truly good to have created all of this for our enjoyment. Wonder how many people took the time to say thanks...I know I did.

End of the Midwest Tour

What an adventure! After a long day from Toledo to K.C., and then a somewhat long day to Boulder from there, my Midwest journey comes to an end. I cannot even express my thanks to all of my hosts and hostesses, my tour guides, my family, and the good Lord for making this trip such a wonderful memory for me and for my safety along the way. Not one driving hitch (unless you count the torrential rains in Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois) and so many unforgettable sights and opportunities. A trip of a lifetime! Wow!

Library Day

Accompanied Lainie and Sarah to the local library for Story Time. Lainie loves her library! After singing and dancing and listening to pizza stories, she got 9 new books to read over the next week.

Movie Critic for a Day

Had the opportunity to go to Detroit for a press screening for "The Informant!" -- the new Matt Damon movie. Kirk was going so he could write a review and invited me along. The theater was packed, and if I were writing the review, I MIGHT give it 2 stars but no more than that. Very long and tedious in my opinion. Nonetheless, it was fun to get to go. We got there a little early and went to an arcade to pass the 20 minutes -- I won over 500 tickets on a 50-cent Deal or No Deal game, so that was fun! They even had Whack-a-Mole! Haven't seen that since we were kids in Vegas! Anyway, an experience I won't forget.

Goin' to the Zoo!

Toledo has an awesome zoo! We had so much fun seeing the monkeys, gorillas, chimps, giraffes, zebras, and all the other animals. We also got to ride the train and the merry-go-round, play in the interactive children's center where Sarah painted Lainie's face, she climbed the spider web and dressed up like a bee near the honeycomb. We saw ants carrying food and leaves in the giant ant farm, and we got to play in the stream with our shoes off! The flowers were gorgeous and fragrant, and the whole place just screams "Family Fun!" We topped it all off with a picnic (you can take in whatever you want, no problem) and play time on the playground. What a great way to spend half a day (had to get home for nap, you know)!

New Playroom for Lainie

Thanks to Aunt Ruthy, Uncle Roger, and Cousin Travis, Miss Lainie has an Ariel princess costume that is on anytime she's at the house! She loves to cook in her new play kitchen while wearing her dress up clothes and then she serves tea. She has a puffy lounge chair, table and chairs, a bookcase, most of her toys, and even a computer down there in addition to her kitchen! Only put three pics on the blog since most of you have seen the album through Picasa. I don't know how to embed it so it shows up on the blog. Miss Lainie wants to have a tea party every waking minute, so I guess that means she likes it all. What a princess she is!

Playin' in the Park!

The Toledo parks are incredible! There are bike paths, education areas, huge playgrounds with lots of structures and fun things to do, picnic areas aplenty, and big trees and fields all around. We were climbing around one big tree and found a fuzzy caterpillar that was one heck of a climber -- very fast! Check out Lainie's flying hair on the slide -- electrifying! We hope to go back for a picnic later in the week.

Greek For A Day!

We all went down to the Greek Festival in downtown Toledo for some fun this weekend. After watching the dancers and listening to the music, we dined on authentic Greek food, sans falafel which were nowhere to be found, and then Miss Lainie decided to try the ferris wheel all by herself. She loved it! She ended up riding it twice. She also got her first porta-potty experience, and yes, it was a good one. Pristine! It had not been used once (lucky for us!) and she was fine with it. All in all, a very good day!

Back in the USA! Shopping at Toledo Farmers' Market

Left Ontario, Canada, on Friday morning bright and early to miss the rush hour traffic in Toronto. Got to Sarah's about 1:30 p.m. and got a hero's welcome from Miss Lainie. I think she missed me! Then Sarah, Lainie and I made our way down to the Farmers' Market in downtown Toledo on Saturday morning. What a delight to see all the fresh veggies, gladiolas, mums, and fruits. Unfortunately for me, the Apple Festival is next weekend, so I'll miss it. They have a pie-baking contest and you can bet I would have entered had I been here! Miss Lainie loved the pumpkins the most; as you can see, they had one just her size!

Golf Courses Galore!

Can't believe I forgot to mention that there are at least 3 golf courses on every road you turn down around Stouffville and Toronto! There are something in the neighborhood of 600 courses here! Erick would be in heaven! And they're entirely green -- no desert to walk between the tee off and the fairways! I know when we come back he'll be playing golf every day, and I may be playing right along side him!

Treated like the Queen!

I see I got the pictures in chronologically backwards, so I'll describe them as we go. Rudi and Leanna Wobito took me to the CN Tower for a 4-course delight of a gourmet dinner in the tallest building in Canada. The room rotates so that you get an aerial view of the whole area, hence the other pictures with Lake Ontario and the city of Toronto. The sailboats were out in full force, littering the lake but looking tiny from our sky view. There is an area of the floor that is glass so you can look down to the ground level and experience the feeling of just how high you are. Some folks won't even get on it; too scary for them. I wanted to do it! After dinner we took the scenic route home; Toronto has a breathtaking skyline!

The two lowest pictures are of my host, Ralph Wobito, and a town called Unionville that takes you back in time to a quaint little English village. There's a blacksmith and a candy shop and restaurants and such; it's so cute! We had lunch at an Austrian restaurant with Ralph's wife, Kim, and had schnitzel sandwiches -- yum! Had no idea what they were before seeing it on the menu, but I am sure glad I tried it! Ralph and Kim were kind enough to open their home to me for my stay, and Ralph was my personal tour guide in and around the Toronto/Stouffville area.

Upon my arrival at Stouffville on Wednesday, Ralph and Rudy gave me a demonstration at their shop of the various workstations and processes involved from taking a piece of rough stone, cutting out the best parts, cutting and sand and grinding it into a beautiful gem that folks would want to buy or use in a piece of jewelry. Gemcutting has been in their family for generations, and they build all of their own equipment for the shop. Their pieces are breathtaking! I feel very honored to have been allowed to see the whole process. These guys are the salt of the earth, and they treated me like a queen the whole time I was in Canada. I am truly blessed to count them among my friends.

Niagara Falls and Niagara on the Lake

Seeing Niagara Falls from the Canadian side was a real treat! The view of the straight set of the falls (what you usually see from the U.S. side) is only half of the picture -- the horseshoe-shaped falls are really spectacular! Ralph and his mom took me through the wine country of Niagara on the Lake after we saw the horseshoe falls with its spray overtopping the 4-lane road and soaking everything and everyone in sight. The Maid of the Mist is a boat that you can buy a ticket to ride on and get drenched if you want to as it travels under the falls. We opted not to do that! We then visited several wineries and I bought some new wines that taste delicious. Our fish 'n chips lunch was in the town of Niagara on the Lake at a quaint little restaurant; it was delicious! We made the most of the day and just had a ball! Got back in time for Ralph to grill a fabulous steak dinner. Delightful.

Up North

John and Vickie's place Up North is just delightful, and the view of the lake with all the sailboats is simply breathtaking. We watched a little regata going on the first day, and throughout the week I was there we saw boats out there every day with the weather being the best of the summer. Vickie and I drove to Charlevoix one day and the town is very cozy and cute. We walked about, did a little shopping, and toured the marina in town. The gardens at some of the houses along the waterfront in Charlevoix are just unbelievable! I can see the attraction for spending the summer there.

Labor Day Weekend

We had two beautiful days for boating while John was Up North. Lake Charlevoix was dancing with sailboats and powerboats of all sizes. Sue and Brian and their families, and Dan and Martha joined in and we swam in both Lake Michigan and in Lake Charlevoix. A bit chilly but refreshing. John and Vickie's boat is fantastic! The water was like glass in the morning. Fun, fun, fun!!