Places I love (and would kind of like to be at right now)

The Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis are absolutely lovely. I could spend hours just wandering around or finding a nice quite place to sit and enjoy. 

Next is Ha Ha Tonka. It's a small state park near Lake of the Ozarks. The hiking trails are peaceful and it's a good way to get away for a day. 

Oh, and it's the park where we got our dog. She was a little six week old, four pound puppy. We couldn't say no. She is no longer four pounds... but still really cute. 

The Badlands. Pictures cannot capture the full impact. 

The Rockies. Because they are breathtaking and beautiful!

Lake Superior - North Shore of Minnesota. This particular shot it taken from Split Rock Lighthouse. There are many state parks, hiking trails and beauteous areas up there.  

There are many more places I love visiting but that would take way more than just one blog post. Perhaps I'll do a second part soon. 

Safe travels to anyone setting out on summer excursions. Perhaps one of these places will make your list.

Just a Short Little Ramble

It is so hard to believe that Christmas is only two days away! I am looking forward to spending time with family. We might actually have a white Christmas this year. I can't say I'm a huge fan of driving in snow, but it sure is pretty! 

This first picture is from Thanksgiving at my parent's house. It was a wonderfully relaxed day. My father made gumbo. He makes REALLY tasty gumbo! The only ones who were not having a good time were Ramses and Abby. You can't see it in the picture, but my parent's cats were very displeased by the presence of my dog. They are lurking on the edges of the room in turns glaring and hissing at Ebony. She on the other hand just wanted to make friends and play. 

So now it is officially winter, here are a few pictures of the first real snow. We've had a dusting, but that doesn't really count. It looks so pretty at night with the soft glow of the street lights. 

Well everyone I wish you a very Happy Christmas and all other holidays you might celebrate. Stay safe and enjoy the time with family and friends.Stay safe, be well, and may blessings abound!

Rainy Day Musings

   I finally succumbed to the temptation of Pandora. I'm not sure what took me so long. But I am currently watching the raindrops fall into puddles and listening to The Civil Wars. There is something about rainy days that causes a combination of general sleepiness, introspection, and an odd mix of melancholy and happiness. I love rainy days. I guess that, despite knowing the scientific explanation, I see rain as somewhat miraculous. It can go from a gentle drizzle to a bruising downpour in seconds. Nature is still a mysterious and wonderful creature. I love how there is so much we do know, but such an incredible amount that we don't know. It is sad when we loose our sense of wonder. I love understanding the how's and why's. But it's hard to not feel wonder when you see tress turn from green to golds, reds, and oranges. Or you look at snow capped mountains. I hope I never loose my ability to be amazed and awestruck.

A Lovely Day

                Today I woke up in my normal groggy fashion. It seems that I am no longer quite the morning person. I ate some breakfast, cleaned the house a bit, and stepped outside to enjoy the perfect weather. Today was an absolutely gorgeous day. I gave a couple massages in the afternoon. I got to eat my lunch outside on a patio while reading. You can't beat reading outside on a nice day. It made me long for a hammock and a big shade tree. 

              I was also able to pamper my mother a little today. I treated her and myself to pedicures and manicures (I must sadly report I've already chipped my nail polish). My mom is an awesome person who does far too little for herself. We had a great time chatting and enjoying time with each other. 

             So nothing brilliant or earth shattering to post, but I guess I just want to say today was beautiful and I have a great mom.

 

It has been quite a while since I last posted. Sadly, Christmas is now over. My husband and I had a great time playing games with family and friends. Part of me wishes it had been a white Christmas. There is just something about snow that makes Christmas more magical. The more practical part of my brain was glad it didn't snow. I'm not fond of driving in snow. My dog however LOVES snow. This was her last year after we got a good foot of snow.

So I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Have a safe and wonderful New Years!

Leaf One

Today was Labor Day and what a beautiful day it was. I spent the day enjoying the weather and time with my husband. I also spent time playing with my terribly cute dog. The brothers-in-law visited for a while as well.