My Reading Blog

 The first morning we awoke to this beautiful sunrise.  What a great way to begin our time in Vegas. The front entrance of our resort We had brunch at the South Coast Casino complements of RCI and then listened to the time share pitch.  In the afternoon we took the shuttle to the Strip for see the Mat Franco Show.  What a fantastic magician and illusionist.  How do they do all that magic?  Guess it wouldn't be magic if we knew how it was done! Our sightseeing the rest of the week took us to Ethel M's Chocolate Factory - yummy and then to Parhump Winery - excellent wine.  We drove thru the Valley of Fire and Red Rock Valley, tried to go to Zion National Park (closed due to snow), toured Hoover Dam and other sites around Vegas.  We did go back to the Strip for dinner and a show.  We say Cirque du Soleil Mystere - totally amazing - so much happening at once that you didn't know what to watch. It was a great we...

We're back after 13 days of travel.  It was a fantastic vacation, but it's so good to be home! We traveled 4200 miles through the mid and southwestern states - some of the most beautiful parts of the U.S.  We drove thru the curvy hills of Arkansas into Oklahoma which brought us to our first stop in Oklahoma City to see the memorial and museum of the OKC bombing in 1995.  An awesome and heart-wrenching memorial.  A beautiful place to sit and reflect, not only on this tragedy, but on all that is happening in country and world. From there we traveled to Clinton, OK to see the Route 66 Museum - took us back to the early years of our lives, brought back some great memories! The next day as we headed to Albuquerque, we stopped in Groom, TX to view The Cross.  In the middle of a field, right alongside the highway, a cross bigger than bigger stands staidly.  It is surrounded by the stations of the cross and off to the side is a statue of the Lo...

Truly, I feel like I'm on vacation most of the time.  Yes, there's the everyday stuff that needs to be attended to, but overall I'm free to do what I want, when I want.  But we are going on an actual vacation.  For the past five or six years, we've always headed to Florida.  But this year we decided we needed a change, so we're heading West. Off to Las Vegas. Lodging arrangements have been made Friends have been called to arrange a get together Sightseeing events are planned Tickets for a show have been purchased There might be a slot machine or two that needs to be fed Hubby has determined the route Stops along the way have been researched Meeting a fellow blogger (can't wait to meet Lynn) Hopefully warmer weather Packing has been started The car has new tires and an oil change Max will be cared for with lots of lovin' Two more days and we're off.

After many months of planning and preparing, the day has come to begin an after school mentoring program for 8th and 9th graders at our church.  The plan is to welcome the kids after school for some play time and then some study time, followed by dinner with their families invited. The principal at the junior high is a member of our congregation and has been promoting this program for some time, but as usual, not sure that anyone would come.  What's the phrase?  "Build it and they will come".  So we begin today with six students.  I signed up to help the kids with their homework.  Now I haven't seen an 8th or 9th grade textbook for many years.  Since math and science are not my forte, I'm hoping that I'll be able to assist with other subjects.  Of course, there's always a need for listening ear.  We're having a "run thru" prior to the kids arrival.  So we shall see what happens. We have many hands working together to make this ...

When we were with our kids at Thanksgiving, my daughter-in-law had a table topper for Christmas and commented that it was just right size and that she would like some for different seasons.  Could you make them? she asked.  It was from the Dresden Plate quilt pattern and so I was pretty sure I could handle it.  So before Christmas I checked out different websites, got a similar pattern and tried my hand at it.  It wasn't perfect, but doable.  But I knew someone who could help make it better.  I have quilted some, but only enough to say that I have done it. I have a friend who is a quilter and loves challenges.  She was more than happy to help.  So today is our play date.  I've got the fabric and a pattern and we'll see what kind of mischief we can get into. Here's the original pattern that my DIL loaned me.

One major change is happening in our newly purchased home.  We are not tub people.  We like our shower.  Getting older means that stepping up and over the tub is not easy.  So.... We decided to take out the tub in the master bathroom and replace it with a shower.  We got quotes.  Gulped a couple of times.  Researched alternatives.  Got another quote.  Decided to do marble instead of individual tiles.  No grout to discolor, easy to clean.  Sharp looking.  And less expensive than tile. Today the demolition started.  The tub enclosure came out easy enough.  But as with any older home, nothing is square and there was a 2 x 6 where a 2 x 4 should have been.  Nothing major, just bumps in the way (or so I was told by the contractor).  The plumber gave us an estimate, but said that he would not dig out the concrete (we're on a slab), so hubby says "no problem" (his go to phrase).  He'll take care of it....

Yesterday, as I sat on the front porch basking in sunshine and warmth, I pondered all that still remains to be accomplished before our trip up north.  The presents are bought and wrapped The cookies are baked The cards are addressed and sent The house is decorated The suitcases are out and ready for packing The Christmas music plays on and on I'm ready I'm truly ready to celebrate the birth of Our Savior and to be in the company of those that I love. I pray that each of you will have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah.