Sunny Saturday

Yesterday afternoon as I was watching more of the Wedding I remembered the hat I bought in London from the hatter to the queen and Diana. I got it out and put it on. I decided to wear it when Linda came. I expected to tell her she should have a hat on. She showed up with a "make-shift" hat made of a paper plate and a funky tiara she got at the Dollar Store. We sat on the deck all evening and she and I eventually had to don sweat shirts as it got chilly. Today I'm not sure what we'll do. I'm thinking we may go to lunch some place and maybe just a short drive. Now I need to get dressed and water my plants. It's still chilly but getting to the high 70s this afternoon....later....

The Royal Wedding

We (I) set my clock for 4 a.m. and we watched in bed for about an hour and then moved to the great room where we watched the whole ceremony. I still have it on, but am doing some chores while I watch. They are now at Buckingham Palace. When Charles and Diana were married Anne and I were college touring and we also got up at the motel where we were staying to watch. I'll be glued to the tv on and off all day. I loved the gown and all of the hats were delightful to see. I will break away after lunch to go to the gym. I'm going to call Linda and invite her over after that for brie and such.

All is Well Here

We had tornado warnings into the wee hours and tons of rain with hail on and off. I was very worried about my plants, cars, etc. As soon as it got light this morning I went out and looked around and all seems to be fine. My flowers are a bit beaten down, but they'll perk up with some sunshine. We have a lot of leaves and such on the deck but nothing else. I went out around 9 this morning and encountered no debris on the roads. The hail that we got was not as large as in some areas where the trees are bare of their leaves. Anyway, thank goodness we live where we are somewhat protected by the hills around us. It's supposed to be sunny today, but it is not almost 1 and not a ray of sunshine. I knew Maggie would call this morning and she did and Charlie's people in Alabama are fine because they are down by the coast....later....

Tornado Warning

I'm sitting down in the den as we are under a warning and storms all around us, but we're not seeing much at this point. R. is still upstairs..he thinks nothing will come our way...he may be right, but I think that's stupid. I came home from the gym and got things ready for dinner, but I'm not about to go upstairs. I may be here all night as nothing is expiring. The stupid wrens keep ending up on the porch. Two more were there this afternoon and R. put them back. I called the bird lady from the newspaper and she told me to keep putting them back. They are not able to stand yet, but are getting a few feathers. I may not blog tomorrow morning as I have a bunch of errands to run and want to get a kind of early start.....later...

Weather Headed Our Way

We're at a moderate risk today for strong storms and possible tornados. I'm with Muir..I hate the wind. It's quite windy this morning, but no warnings for us at this point. It's expected in later afternoon toward evening. We went to Knoxville yesterday and had a delicious lunch at Rafferty's and then headed to Sam's and The Fresh Market. Nothing exciting the rest of the day and the same goes for today. We'll hit the gym after lunch. Tomorrow I have a lot to do...library, haircut, gym, post office, and in the evenint out to dinner with Richard, Jr. I'll need to go to bed early so I can get up at 4 to watch the Royal Wedding...can't wait. R. told me just to turn on the tv in the bedroom and he would watch with me

Baby Birds

When Jim and Tommie came on Sunday they were looking at the bird nest. I told them we had 5 eggs, they said..no eggs...babies. Alas we had 5 babies and they must have just hatched. They were so tiny. Yesterday when we had the grass mowed and she came to the door for the check she exclaimed that there were 3 baby birds on the ground. She put them back in the nest and all is fine. I can't figure how they got out of the nest because it is well protected and they are too small to move that far on their own. We figured maybe mama tossed them out bacause she had too many to feed. Anyway they are back in the nest and mama is with them.....later....

Off to Sam's

It will be lunch, Sam's and The Fresh Market today. Knoxville got hit with storms yesterday with trees down and a lot of cleanup today. We heard a bit of thunder and we had a tad of rain, but nothing. More storms expected this afternoon and I hope we'll be back by then. It seems Knoxville always gets it worse than us. More tomorrow. I have nothing else to report. We both had a good workout yesterday and it wasn't as bad as we anticipated. It sure felt good after it was all over. .....later.....

Annoying Computer

For some reason I couldn't pull up Favorites this morning and finally R. found it. Then I posted a nice long post but it wouldn't publish. I'll try again and if this doesn't post I'm giving up. Easter dinner was delicious..I especially loved the risotto!! We had a nice evening with Jim and Tommie. The bees have subsided a bit. We'll see if they go away. However, I guess they are really bad this year and everyone has them. Today it's back to the gym..the first time in quite a while. It's bite the bullet time!....later...

Vacation is Over!!

We've kind of been in the vacation mode ever since Maggie's shower. Right after that we went to Arizona and when we got home we started getting the house and yard ready for spring and awaiting company. Next came Easter, but now we have to get back to working out and eating more sensibly. I guess we're ready. It was nice while it lasted. Yesterday Jim and Tommie came for dinner and I must say..It was delicious. The ham was great and juicy and I loved the risotto. I'm glad we have leftovers so am looking forward for more of the same. It's another beautiful day here in East Tennessee, but rain and storms are predicted for tomorrow and Wednesday. An update on the bees..not as bad yesterday, but we'll see. Tommie told me to get a tennis racket and bash them which we did last night.....later....

Happy Easter to All

For those of you dealing with rain, come on down. We have sunshine and warmth. I finished the back deck yesterday and R. plugged up all of the holes and we're waiting to see what happens with the bees. We definitely won't be throwing them a party...maybe a party for us if they leave. Breakfast is over and the puzzle is started. Soon I'll shower and make an appetizer for later today. The dinner will not take a lot of preparation as the dessert and salad were done yesterday. It's just baking the ham and doing the rissoto later. Hope everyone has a peaceful and happy day....later....

Weather

I'm anxious to know about Cincinnati weather. It looks like they got and are getting more rain. It's bright and sunny down here. I plan to ready the back deck today and Richard is going to deal with the boring bees. The people from Terminix said to squirt WD40 in the holes and then caulk them. The wasp and hornet spray does nothing for the bees and they said there is nothing you can do about them..just plug up the holes they make. No other plans for today....later...

Exchange Clothes Time

Today is the day I put away my winter things and get out the rest of the summer things. I hate this job, but it's never as bad as I anticipate. Thank God for the chair lift. I don't have much else going on today, so I'll take my time doing it. I already have the shoes and the tee shirts taken care of. I'm thinking that very soon I need to start laying things out to take to Maggie's so if she calls in the middle of the night to tell me she is in labor I'll have a head start on this. I also want to make and freeze lasagna and some nut breads and who knows what else. Today is Good Friday and it's cloudy with some rain expected and then clearing and a nice weekend. R. is going to take all of our old electronics to the landfill and stop at Walmart for a few things. We went to Kroger yesterday, but forgot the pears for the Under-the -Sea Salad. I'm having the usual ham for Easter but no scalloped potatoes this year. Instead I'll be making risotto with asparagus and peas and the usual salad and a lemon curd tart for dessert. .....later....

Carol Just Left

We had such a nice visit. She just left and will spend tonight in North Carolina with the daughter of another classmate of ours who died 2 years ago. Then she's off to Mrytle Beach to stay with her cousin. I'm not sure what we'll do today...probably get back to the gym which we haven't been to since before Arizona. We've been working out in the yard and around the house instead. Nothing else going on....later...

Rainy Morning

It was raining when I got up, but it has passed now. Yesterday Carol, Linda and I had a great day. We had lunch at the Tearoom Gallery in Knoxville and then went to the movies and saw Jane Eyre which we all really liked. We got home around 5 and I put together an anti pasta and we all decided to forgo dinner. We noshed on that and sat outside until after dark. I'll have the pork tenderloin tonight. We have no plans for today..just hanging out....later....

Carol has Arrived

We had a lovely evening last night. We ate outside and stayed there for quite a while. I got up this morning and cut fruit for breakfast, marinated the pork tenderloin for tonight and blanched some of the veggies for an antipasto. We're all showered and ready to pick Linda up and head to lunch and the movie. It's another warm and sunny day, but rain is expected tomorrow. So far we have no plans for tomorrow. We may go out to eat..we'll see....later....

Company Coming

Carol is leaving Pt. Marion this morning and should be here around 5. It's going to be near 80 so we'll eat outside. This morning I need to finish up sprucing up the house and then make chicken salad which we will have for dinner. Tomorrow Carol, Linda and I will go to lunch and then see Jane Eyre. Not much more to relate this morning....later....

Bad Weather Out of Here

Bright and sunny this morning..still chilly, but it will warm up nicely. Breakfast is over and it was delicious. I sauteed onions and then diced a baking potato that had been mostly baked into the onion mixture and added bulk sausage. When all of that was done and nicely browned I broke 3 eggs in spots in the skillet, put the lid on and toasted bread while the eggs cooked....delicious! I'll be putting together an appetizer for tomorrow evening and doing laundry today. Tomorrow I'll clean the great room and kitchen and then wait for Carol to arrive. Lots of things on TV this evening that I want to see and they are all on at the same time so I'll be DVR-ing. Last night we watched part 1 of The Borrgias on Showtime...very interesting!....later...

Lots of Rain and Wind

No damage at our place and very chilly this morning, but the sun is out and since it's still windy things should dry out sooner. I've been to the library and to Kroger's. I'm all ready to resume my cleaning inside. R. vacuumed our bedroom and he's doing other chores. I ordered a new quilt for our bed from Overstocks and it came yesterday. It's really nice and very ample. Our other one was a bit on the skimpy side and even though it was a king size, it came with double size shams. I can't say enough about overstocks. I also got new sheets from them last year and they are really nice and at a good price. Thank you, Maggie. I was in the market for a summer quilt, but didn't think about Overstocks until I talked to you. I got right on line after our conversation and found just what I wanted at the price I wanted to pay....later...

Real Progress

Finished the planting yesterday, R. treated the deck and we opened the awning. The rug is down and the furniture in place. Not much else to do..just a few little things. Now I can focus on the inside. I made orange nut bread this morning and washed the windows on the outside. We're expecting rain and wind this afternoon and then possible storms later this evening and night. I'm hopeful that there will be no damage. R. has gone to do the grocery shopping and get a haircut. ......later....

More Outdoor Chores

For some reason I can't get the picture of the wren's nest to upload. She was unhappy yesterday as we were working around the front where her nest is. I only need to mulch that area today and then I'll leave her in peace. I got most of the planting done, but need 2 varieties of plants that aren't available yet...lantana and penta. We got the major plants at Home Depot but then went to Lowe's to get a few things Home Depot didn't have and discovered that Lowe's is cheaper! I just blew off the deck so R. is about to treat it. First he has to put the tax stuff in the mail. After the deck dries I'll bring up the rest of the furniture, put down the rug and R. will get the fountain going and open the awning. If that all happens today I'll be very happy! Another warm and sunny day today..storms moving in tomorrow night....later....

Plant Day

Today should be a very busy day if I can get my husband moving. We're going to get all of out annals and then the planting will begin. I need to get out all of my containers and deal with all of that. We will also be opening the awning and I need to blow off the deck when it dries off. The trees have started shedding all of the little airplanes and other things and pollen season is upon us. It's a chilly start, but should warm up nicely. I love it when everything is planted and blooming, but the process is back-breaking and I dread it every year. The end result is worth it (I guess)....later..

Hot Followed by Storms

In the picture to the right of Richard and me you can see the Colorado River.

Another hot day yesterday, but last night it started to storm. We got a good amount of rain and a bit of thunder and lightning, but nothing big. Today it's quite cool. Last evening my humming birds returned. Actually I've only seen 1 so far and she is incredibly tiny and green. She drank and drank until dark. She was at it again this morning. Now we have to go on the hunt for a special feeder. We have one utilitarian one, but we always have a unique and decorative one where we can watch and see and the previous one died last year. I also will post a picture soon of my crazy wren. I hung 2 hanging baskets out on my front stoop and 2 days after that Miss Jenny Wren had already built her nest in one of them. She has 5 eggs in there. This basket is right by the front door and every time I go out that door she flies. Anyway, today it is very cool so it is the perfect day for me to clean upstairs in anticipation of Carol's visit next week. I'm also going to post some pictures of The Grand Canyon....later...

Red Rock of Sedona

Lots of work to do around here. I cleaned the deck yesterday and did a lot of other little things. Today I'm finishing the laundry...I had a huge amount. Very warm the last few days..near 90. The pictures don't do the sights justice, but let me just say is's jaw-dropping beautiful!

More Pictures

These are pictures of our effeciency unit, our patio and grill area and beyone that are the tennis and badmitton courts, and other areas. The lodge inside and out...tomorrow I'll take you to Sedona.

Today I'll post pictures of the resort where we stayed. R. has gone to the store and I'm going to clean the deck and deck furniture before golf comes on.....

We're Home

In the picture of Richard and me that is a glass sculpture by Chihully in the background. More tomorrow.

This was one fastastic vacation!! I'll start to post some pictures. I thought I took about 1000, but as it turns out I only took 187. The ones I'll post today are of the Botanic Desert Garden in Phoenix and a must to see.

Another Spectacular Sight

We drove to Tonto State Park to see the world's highest and largest natural bridge and again, we were blown away. We couldn't walk down to the bottom as it was 1/2 mile down and anyone with heart/breathing/hip or leg problems were advised that it was quite strenuous and also I had on flip flops and they advised good shoes. The sights from the top were quite amazing. This whole area would be such fun for a young family who could make a day of it by bringing a back pack with drinks and food. The whole area is just great. This whole area is a kid-friendly place to vacation. We're back now and I have started packing while watching the Master's. The day is breezy, but the sun is warm and inviting. We'll take off early tomorrow but with plenty of time. I'll talk to you all sometime this weekend......later....

Last Day in Arizona

We're ready to go home. Today we'll visit the Natural Bridge and just read and play some cards here. Also try to fit everything in our bags. Our plane leaves at 11:35 MST tomorrow. We arrive back in Nashville at 7 CDT. The drive back home is about 3 hours. It rained here last night and is in the 40s this morning. It will likely be around 68 here. Phoenix should be 81. Tomorrow afternoon after we have left cool weather is expected with several inches of snow due in the higher elevations. Flagstaff is 14,000 ft above sea level and gets a lot of snow. It is 5000 ft here in Payson so they will likely get some snow. Nothing much else to report. I need to jump in the shower and then we'll head for Natural Bridge.....later....

A Good Sleep

We both have been having trouble adjusting to this time..forget tv programs. Last night we watched Notre Dame lose. I thought The Good Wife would come on at 10 here, but it came on at 9 and I missed most of it. Letterman comes on at 10:30. Anyway we've both been waking up around 4, but this morning we woke up at 7 and felt really rested. I think today we'll just hang around here. It's chilly this morning but should get warmer. Tomorrow the Natural Bridge Park is open so we'll do that then. It seems we have missed some nasty weather back home and it looks good for the coming week. We have a lot to do when we get there...clean and treat the deck, uncover the furniture, open the awning, get our annuals and plant them, weed the terrace and other areas, put out the humming bird feeders, get the fountain going, shampoo the carpet inside...I'm tired already!!.....later....

Lazy Day

It was very cold when we woke up and I turned on the heat and climbed back in bed. We had steak left over from dinner on Sunday, so I made steak and eggs for breakfast...delicious. We frittered around reading and doing a puzzle and as it warmed up we sat outside. It's a beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky. we're going to explore the Rim (the whole area here) today. We did that with more amazing views and the vegetation here is so interesting and different. Then we drove in to Payson and had lunch..sat outside and drove around the residential area. The homes are so pretty and no one has grass. Most of the yard are tiny red pebbles and very tastefully done. Some have other types of rocks, etc. Then we drove to this park with a natural stone bridge, but it was closed so we stopped at Walmart for burgers to grill tonight and some OJ. We took a swim when we got back. It is 75 here today..90 in Phoenix. Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler with possible rain. It is very dry here and my skin is suffering. Also everyone carries around water..us included. Your mouth gets so dry.....later....

THE GRAND CANYON

Yes, it definitely is grand! We left here at 6:30 this morning and returned at 6:30 this evening. The drive up was so beautiful. The GPS (or Tommie as we call her) routed us up through desolate, but beautiful country. There was no traffic at all...ranches, but we saw no animals. We drove by a large lake..Lake Mary, but no activity there either. We saw snow covered mountain peaks and snow on the ground in many places. It was in the 30s when we left this morning. We drove near, but not through Flagstaff which is the highest point in Arizona. When we got there we were free due to our Golden Age Cards (these have also gotten us into Yellowstone free, Acadia free and discounts in camp grounds). We took free shuttle bus to all of the sistes and I took many pictures. R. has a lot of pictures to put on the computer when we get home. We had thought we might stay the night if we were running out of time, but we were very satisfied that we had seen the most important sites and left about 3. I will have to say that I have seen so many pictures and films of the Grand Canyon, but to really see and feel the magnificence of it, it must be seen in person. Tommie routed us on a totally different way coming back and it was equally wonderful. We made better time because it was mostly 4 lane with 75 mpg, but not a lot of traffic and the scenery was different, once again. I am totally in love with ARizona. R. said AZ has an embarrassment of riches and I think that says it all. Tomorrow we will explore the rim on which we are located and things around here. It will be a more laid-back day. When we got back to our room it had been totally cleaned...new linens, dishes that I had put in the dishwasher had been done, floors cleaned...I love this place. They do this after your 3rd night here....later...it's Hayden's 17th birthday and we need to make a call...we're watching the BB game...go Butler. So happy about the Notre Dame girls last night...it was a great game!...

Sedona

I can't even describe all of the spectacular beauty I saw today. I took tons of pictures...I just couldn't get enough of all that I saw. WE had lunch and stopped at a few shops, but the views were the attraction. Tomorrow we're going to the Grand Canyon and it is further than we thought, so we're taking an overnight bag in case we decided it's too far to come back. We'll be leaving early so I probably won't blog. We just decided we were too close not to do this. I haven't been able to get a phone connection, but I did reach Trip while in Sedona. I tried Anne on the way back but got no connection. I am going to try to call Maggie tomorrow on the way out. We're not in the middle of nowhere, but we are surrounded by mountains everywhere. I'll be in touch sometime. If anyone has a message, we do have the computer...later....

Change of Plans

We started out yesterday planning to go to Sedona and then R. said maybe we should just do things around here as we were getting a late start. That's what we did. We went in to Payson and stopped at this amazing western antique place. This place went on forever and had everything you can imagine and then some. We drove around Payson and stopped for lunch then stopped at a grocery store to get steaks which we grilled for dinner. We got back and took a quick dip and then watched the games. I really wanted VCU to win and when they didn't I wasn't that interested in the last game. We turned off the sound and put music on while we ate. I was really tired and went to bed at 9. I guess it was jet lag catching up to me. I slept for 10 hrs. We're going to breakfast this morning at the Zane Grey Saloon here at the resort and then head for Sedona. Tomorrow we're going to the Grand Canyon which is only 133miles from here. I hope to get some great pictures both days....later....

What A Great Place!

We just hung around here last night. The people next to us are very nice..they live in Mesa..a mother, her son and his girlfriend. The mom is American but of Mexican descent and they were shocked that we (meaning white people) were so accepting of them. It gave us an insight into how good, hard-working Americans of Mexican descent deal with prejudice every day. This woman is educated..her sisters all have advanced degrees, etc. The son has been in trouble before and I think our talking to him convinced him that not all whites hate them. We slept well and woke up to a chilly morning. I had thought we would take a morning dip, but it was too cold. It has warmed up nicely and I think we'll be driving to Sedona shortly. We'll surely miss the first game because it is on very early here...we're 3 hrs. behind EDT. More later.....

We're Here!!!

This place is to die for!! We had some issues with the new GPS which I got R. for our anniversary. First of all, neither of us really knew how to use it and when we decided to use it to get from the aiport rental place to our motel we really didn't believe what she was telling us. Finally we got to our destination and had an ok night. This morning we left early and went to the Botanical Desert Gardens in Phoenix...it blew our minds. I have never seen anything so beautiful! I took tons of pictures but we didn't bring the UBS thing so we'll have to wait until we get home to post them. We could have stayed there much longer, but it was getting hot...100 today in Phoenix and it was 95 when we left at 9:30. After that we went to Frank Lloyds Wrights home here, but the tour was 90 minutes long and most of it was outside...too hot for us. We walked around the gift shop and then decided to leave for Payson where our resport is located. Everyone talks about Payson and how great it is. It is right in the mountains and 20 degrees cooler than Phoenix. The drive here was just beautiful. I've never seen so many or such diverse plants/cacti in my life. We arrived in Payson and had lunch at a Mexican restaurant and then found a Walmart where we shopped for food for the week. This resort is just beautiful...very western..dude ranchy, but very tasteful. We usually get a 2 bedroom, 2 bath place, but this is an efficiency and just perfect for us. The furniture is very rustic and we have our own patio and it leads right to the pool. The afternoon sun is on our patio now, but it will be great for the evening and in the morning. I'm thinking that breakfast may be eaten on the patio tomorrow. There is also a large, very nice gas grill right there for us to use. If the rest of the week stinks we will still be happy with what we've done so far. There is so much to do around here. I know we will be going to Sedona which everyone says we will fall in love with. I'm already in love with what we've seen and done so far. It's 4:30 here, but 7:30 at home. I think we may go for a dip soon. Right now I'm having a glass of wine and R. is having a vodka and tonic...eat your hearts out!!.....later....