Happy New Year, 2013

Happy New Year!

It’s only the first week of a new year but it’s been exciting.  First of all, I delight in seeing my daughter, Beth Blair, in her first appearance in SHAPE magazine. Throughout 2013 she will be in each issue writing about her exciting weight loss journey. SHAPE Magazine is providing her with a trainer, dietitian and life coach to help in her success. I have already bought a few magazines to pass around and I have my own subscription.  Every time I buy a magazine I open it to page 122 and show the check out clerk my daughter’s page.  So far I have shown people in both Dallas and Ft Worth. When I get home from my road trip to Dallas, I’ll start on the Denver area. That will start tomorrow. I don't waste time in taking advantage of a Mother's bragging rights.  You can also follow Beth on Twitter @ShapeWLDiary and read her blogs at Shape.

Also in this first week of a new year, I have already been on a 800 mile road trip to Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. I hope this is the first of many other wonderful travels this year.  By going to Dallas I was revisiting an area I had lived in for five years. My home was in the northern suburb of Plano. I loved living there. I had a lovely model home with all the decorative extras. I  especially enjoyed the hot air balloons that floated overhead in September and other times of the year. Plano is "The Hot Air Balloon Capital of Texas" The balloons always brought excitement to the neighborhood. The elementary school that my children attended was  a Blue Ribbon school, meaning one of excellence. While living in Plano, I met our family friend, Wayne. I had known his mother while living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. When I told her I was relocating to Texas she asked me to look up her son. I tracked him down and we've been best of friends since. 

Wayne didn’t exactly bribe me to come visit him this week but he did specifically ask me to come, in a car. During these 23 years that I've known Wayne, he's teased me that he wanted to leave me his exquisite collection of Christian Dior china from Neiman Marcus when he died. For years we've had running jokes about the china. I always told him if he died I'd be too sad to eat off the china so I wasn't seriously setting my sights on it. Truthfully, I would truly be devastated if my friend died so I never have considered such a depressing thought. Instead every conversation is filled with lots of fun and laughter. Wayne is a master jokester and I have been the recipient of many of his antics.  I have never been able to give him back his just dues. And I do owe him big time. One common bond we've had all these years is a love of entertaining, parties and fine dining. I still use Wayne's recipes for special events. They are now requested family favorites. Wayne is not just a friend, but a part of our family. As you might have guessed by now, this trip to Dallas was an invitation from Wayne. He wanted to hand over his treasured china service to me. It's too fragile and pricey to risk shipping so it had to be hand carried, while carefully packed for traveling.  I feel a mix of emotions becoming the recipient of these lovingly cared for china settings. However, on the light side, the jokes continued even as we drove away from Wayne's home. On the phone he said he wanted his china back and I said we were stopping at thrift stores to see who would give us the best price for them....and since I dropped them I wasn't getting very good offers. I hope we have many more years to razz each other! Thank you, Wayne!

While in Dallas, I had the opportunity to take one of my favorite drives around the city. When I lived in Plano, I loved  driving at night through downtown in our convertible. I could look straight up at the lighted outlines of the tall buildings.  On this trip I didn't have my convertible to look straight up but I still delighted in seeing the lighted buildings. 

The Bank of America Plaza is the tallest building. It's accented at night by green argon lighting that runs along all of the building's edges. The Renaissance Tower, the 2nd tallest building, has two large X patterns on it. 

Another landmark of the Dallas skyline is the Reunion Tower. The lighted geodesic dome creates a unique flashing light show. This week it was blinking red, white and blue. I reminisced about my numerous visits to the top of the ball to see the city in all it's glory. No wonder I enjoy Dallas' night time skyline so much.

An unexpected surprise on my evening drive was the Omni Hotel Light Show.  I encourage you to watch it here on You Tube as my simple photograph wouldn't do it justice. It was a total delight to  see. 

Driving back into Denver, Colorado, I was keenly aware that I was looking for lights in the skyline. After a trip to Dallas, it's a bit disappointing. At least Denver has the outline of the gorgeous mountains to take our breath away. Maybe the city doesn't want to compete with God's creation.

As a final note, I leave you with this picture of a truck chassis I saw on the interstate coming into Dallas. It tickled me and I wanted to leave you with a smile!

Merry Christmas 2012

Wishing you a blessed Christmas Season!

Thanksgiving Quickly Slips into Christmas

Earlier in the week as I prepared for my Thanksgiving dinner, I was amazed that both of my favorite radio stations were offering full time Christmas music.  I went to a store in search of Thanksgiving decorations and they were already relegated to a small clearance spot. Christmas had already overtaken the entire store. I was excited about preparing for Thanksgiving and wasn't into thinking about my Christmas preparations yet. I was happy to see on Facebook that Nordstrom Inc. wasn't going to jump into the pre-Christmas rush but would decorate on Friday, November 27. As they said "Why? Well, we just like the idea of celebrating one holiday at a time." Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays but it gets rushed through and is buried between the Halloween hoopla and the Christmas frenzy. Have you noticed this too?

  

So, after a yummy family and friend Thanksgiving dinner party, I am happy to shift into Christmas mode. 

With the family gathered around the table we once again discussed how our Christmas present exchange was to happen this year. Last year we each drew a family name out of a Christmas hat.  Then we drew a  letter of the alphabet by which we'd purchase something that begins with that letter. For example, I got my daughter-in-law's name and the letter "L". So I went with "lavender" as my guiding theme. I found things in that color and fragrance. It made for a really awesome gift package. It was a fun time exchanging gifts as some of the family went all out in creativity. This year names were again drawn but the only thing decided was to keep the gifts around $20.00. I like the family's economic thinking. We do have young children in the family and we don't include them in the name drawing. Everyone dotes on the wee ones. It's such a delight in enjoying the excitement of the children. 

This Thanksgiving weekend I rejoice in the excitement that the Christmas season is

acceptably upon us. I went out for a short time on Black Friday to a few stores. I walked until my feet hurt on Small Business Saturday visiting our Old Town stores. I'm enjoying the Christmas music now and the fun of Christmas parties, cookie exchanges and gift shopping. I like my holidays one at a time too. 

Have Thanksgiving Tablecloth, Will Travel

I have a Thanksgiving tablecloth that I have collected signatures on since 1996. It travels to any Thanksgiving meal my family is invited to.

It all started when I found a wonderful piece of autumn fabric that I fell in love with. At a quilting retreat I cut the fabric into squares and started piecing them together like a puzzle. I worked for hours putting the pieces together. Some I cut straight and others were on point. As I worked on it I still didn't know what I was going to do with this creation. Suddenly it dawned on me. I was piecing and quilting a Thanksgiving tablecloth.

The first Thanksgiving that came around since I had started on the quilt was 16 years ago. Our best friends, David and Christy, had invited our family for Thanksgiving dinner. I didn't have the quilted tablecloth finished yet but I basted the edges and brought it along for our decorative tablecloth. After sharing our thankfulness and awesome food, I had everyone sign the muslin back of the tablecloth. It was now an official traveling Thanksgiving tablecloth, so I named it "Have Tablecloth, Will Travel."

Since I have a large family, most holiday dinners are at my home so the tablecloth hasn't traveled much but it has collected a wonderful assortment of autographs.  

Over the years when I've entertained for very special occasions I have pulled out the quilt for signatures to remember the celebration. I have wonderful memories from tea parties, family gatherings, reunions and baptisms. Every Thanksgiving since 1996 is accounted for.  

As I reminisce over the names on my quilt, I remember with great love those who have signed it and are no longer with us. On the quilt below are the names of three of my beloved relatives, my Mother-in-Law Louise, Aunt Mary and Uncle Ed. May they rest in peace.

Besides the signatures on my quilt, I have it well documented. Having been a docent at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, Golden, Colorado, I learned the value of writing down the story of a quilt. I have the details of the story written in my quilt journal but even more important is the sewn in tag in the corner. I have recorded the name of every quilt square and the name, date and purpose of the quilt. 

 

Thanksgiving traditions will be in full force later this week. Families gather to celebrate another year of thankfulness and togetherness.  This holiday has always been one of my favorites. I love the food of the season and I love offering an open invitation to anyone who needs a place to go for the day.  I know I always cook too much food but that way I'm assured no one goes away hungry. 

My family has a few favorite food traditions we look forward to every year. Besides the usual turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, one of our most popular dishes is the potato casserole.  Even with a huge bowl of mashed potatoes, the potato casserole demands its place on the holiday table. Here is the recipe I use in case you want to add it to your Thanksgiving meal. Warning, it will be a favorite.

Cheesy Potato Casserole

2 lbs frozen hash browns

1/2 cup melted butter

2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cans of cream of chicken soup (sometimes I add a 3rd)

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

12 oz sour cream (or a little extra to add to the creaminess) 

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Topping:

Melt 1/2 cup butter

Add 2 cups crushed corn flakes

Sprinkle on top of casserole

Bake 350 degrees 1 hour

(I don't know the origin of this recipe I have it written out on a piece of paper so I apologize for not giving credit to the original creator of this delightful dish.)

I am thankful for each of you who are reading my blog posts. I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. May we always remember to be thankful for all the blessings we enjoy every day.  A grateful heart is a joyful heart (Luke 1:38).

Traveling with my Shelia House Collection

Today I am taking you  on a trip across the country. We'll be visiting replicas of Historic houses. These charming houses actually line a shelf in my home but the real houses do exist. Maybe you've visited some of them.  The houses are from Shelia's Collectibles started by Shelia Thompson in 1979.  Most of my collection of 20+ houses are from the Victorian Springtime collection.  I just love these elegant and grand painted ladies.  I have houses from San Francisco, California, to Key West, Florida, and from Massachusetts to Galveston, Texas.

The houses we are visiting today are each made of solid wood. They are 3-D replicas of Historical houses from all over the country. Every piece is silk-screened with hand painted shrubbery, flowers and greenery. I think it was the beauty of the first little house I saw that caught my attention. 

The house I'm most excited about is the Dragon House. It's actually here in Denver. So our tour will start here. 

  

Here is the Shelia collectible you can compare with the real house above.

On the back of every Shelia house is a bit of history, information about the state, and Shelia Thompson's signature and date of release. 

Besides the extraordinary craftsmanship on each miniature house, if you look closely you will be able to find a hidden hand painted skeleton key symbol. This key can be tricky to find but it identifies that the little house is a genuine Shelia house. From Denver we're making a quick trip to the northeast so I can show you this key. I marked the key on the White Cottage, below, from Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts. This is a replica of Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting Association. It was first opened on August 24, 1835. 

Below you can see the full view of White Cottage. In Oak Bluffs, there is a favorite tourist stop with over 300 of these gingerbread-trimmed and painted homes. I also have the Butterfly Cottage located in Oak Bluffs (not shown). This cottage colony must be a treat for the eyes.  I would  love to visit there. It's my kind of place. Next to the White Cottage below is the colorful Gibney Home in South Bend, Indiana. That is another quick jaunt for us on this tour. The Gibney Home was built in 1888 and its mauve color and green trim make it a striking piece. The gold doors and lace curtains make it a dream house worthy of a visit. 

I joined the Shelia's Collectors Society one year so I could purchase "The Three Sisters" Collection in honor of my two sisters.  A trip to Charleston, South Carolina, is our next stop to view these houses. Legend says that a father built these houses for his three daughters' dowry. The girls were said to be so ugly that he hoped these houses would help them catch a husband. The three girls, a blond, a brunette and a red-head never married but lived long happy lives in their houses. A less fanciful story is that the houses were called "The Three Sisters" because of their similar style and charm. Charleston is also the hometown of Shelia Collectibles where  skilled craftsmen carefully make each miniature . My girlfriend made a trip from Colorado to South Carolina and brought an empty suitcase so she could bring back houses. She has the most awesome collection that goes on and on. 

I think this yellow Queen Anne house is one of the prettiest in my collection. It's the Gilson Residence in Saratoga Springs, New York. Colonel Joseph Gilson built this  in 1885 as a summer home. This miniature was crafted for the 20th Anniversary commemoration of Shelia's Collectibles. This lovely house in New York is now a funeral parlor. How do you like zipping around the country so quickly?

From New York we'll travel down to Charlotte, North Carolina, to visit this house named Victoria. It's a surviving home from the 1890's fashionable residential district of Tryan Street. This home still stands today because it was moved and mule-hauled several miles to its present location. This house was built by a local businessman for his younger son with a complementing house built for his older son.  The older son's house was destroyed to make way for progress. This house claims to be one of the last survivors of Charlotte's nineteenth century past. You can easily see the key on the right glass pane of the front door. 

Last time I was in Mobile, Alabama, I didn't know to look up the Shepard House. Next trip, I will for sure. This 1897 house boasts 18 rooms and 11 fireplaces and four stained glass windows. It was a great house for lavish entertaining. The daughters of the owner used this house as a private boarding and day school in 1910. Prominent Mobile citizens were the students. It is believed that this house was brought in from Tennessee in thirteen railroad cars. Today the Shepard House is a Bed and Breakfast .    If you have a sharp eye you might spot the key. It's small but something that appears out of place. 

From Mobile, Alabama, it's a little under 200 miles to Reserve, Louisiana for a "wow" moment at the antebellum San Francisco Plantation. It is considered the most opulent Plantation in North America.  It is a National Historic Landmark. The home is famous for its fine painted ceilings and faux marbling and wood grains. It also has one of the finest antique collections in the country. It is visited annually by over 100,000 people. When I lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, we drove by the plantation but didn't stop for a daily tour as bringing five children through such an exquisite place probably wasn't a good idea.  However, the centuries old live oaks surrounding the plantation made for a most pleasant drive-by. 

Moving along the coast line we arrive in Galveston, Texas, to view a beautiful, large red house that was originally called Heffron House. The round porches and unusual columns suggests the look of a steamboat. It is now called Victorian Inn and it operates as a Bed and Breakfast. The reviews on Trip Advisor are raving and after reading them a stay at Victorian Inn/Heffron House is now on my Bucket List.

Before we head back to the Midwest, a trip to the west coast is in order. San Francisco was the first location where the description "Painted Ladies" referring to the Victorian and Edwardian architecture was used. We've already visited Queen Anne styles of homes so now we will see a sample of an Edwardian Green home which was a popular style between 1905 and 1920. 

After the Victorian era when King Edward VII was on the throne, a new and cheerful, simple style came into vogue. Edwardian style was a freshness that people wanted. The heavy clutter and ornate decor of Queen Anne gave way to a more modern style. San Francisco row houses are typically two floors with the first floor raised to allow for a basement that doesn't require deep digging into the sandy layers of ground. The porches  are narrow, not the wrap around style we saw earlier. The beautiful Painted Ladies seen in San Francisco are not shy in posing for photographers. I took this picture on one of my San Francisco trips. I love these houses.

Heading east to Nebraska, it's a 1,393.9 mile trip taking 21 hours and 46 minutes to arrive in my husband's birthplace of North Platte, Nebraska. This is where Buffalo Bill Cody made his home in 1869

This three story Victorian House, Scout's Rest Ranch, was built for $3,900 to house William "Buffalo Bill" Frederick Cody during his Wild West Show days.The architecture is called Second Empire which was popular between 1865 and 1880. It was named for the French elements in vogue at that time.  Today it is part of The Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Buffalo Bill had many ventures but he earned this nickname by hunting and killing over 4,000 buffalo which were used to feed construction crews working on building railroads. Tours are available for the house, park and barn on the property.

In addition to the few homes we've visited, more sit on my shelf. One is from the Christmas collection which sports a Christmas tree in the window and painted wreaths on the veranda. On my own Christmas tree, I hang a couple of  miniature painted metal Shelia Houses. After a long winter I add a springtime tree to my row of houses. Other accessories are available as well as a long list of available themed collections. If you have a favorite part of the country you'd like to visit from home, check out the list of collection series and enjoy. Happy travels to you.

Signs and Unusual Sights while Traveling

In my travels near and far I always try to carry my camera with me so I can get a picture of things that make me smile. This week I'm picking a few of my favorites to show you. 

One day I stopped to visit at a nearby retirement community in Arvada, CO. I noticed a sign with the  words "Here I Am" on the car door next to me. The first thing I thought of was that I had just come across the winning plaque on some radio station's search contest. (I'm such an optimist). I then stretched a little more and saw "You Found It". Now I was really getting curious as to what I had found. A final stretch had me laughing. There on the bottom of the sign was "This is Your Car".  I wondered if the owner of the car had a problem of trying to get into the wrong car and some creative person, who can't spell, made up this magnetic sign.  A week later I happened to see a lady getting into the car with the sign. I couldn't resist asking her about the sign. She explained that for years she had a Cadillac that was easy to spot and recognize. More recently she had purchased a Toyota Corolla and to her dismay she found they were very popular cars and she was constantly having trouble finding which car was hers. After many frustrating searches a family member had made this sign for her. Now she knows for sure which car is hers.

When on a road trip I suspect that most people watch for the golden arches, known as McDonald's, for a rest stop. It's the perfect place for a clean bathroom, hot coffee or a quick meal to take with you on the road. On a trip between Amarillo and Wichita Falls on Highway 287, I had a double treat when I made a rest stop at Mickey D's  in Vernon, Texas. Having been a Roy Orbison fan for many decades I was thrilled to find I had landed in the birthplace of my favorite singer. A painting of Roy as well as this plaque graced the walls. I was giddy with joy, or maybe just road weary, but all the same it was an instant lift to my day. 

My second surprise at this Vernon, Texas, McDonald's was this Texas shaped sink in the ladies room. I thought this was such a hoot, I was glad I had my camera with me. I had never seen such a fancy sink in a fast food restaurant. I think it must be a combination of Texas pride and a celebration worthy of Roy Orbison's years of music. 

After all, Pretty Woman is an Orbison hit and this sink is honoring all the pretty women who use it in Vernon, Texas. 

This sign was found in Lyons, Colorado. It seems to be asking "do you need to use the restroom"? It's probably a question shared among a car load of travelers but this puts it out there for discussion. I do know the question mark probably is showing the way for finding travel information but I think it's funny putting the signs all together.

Along the same lines is the photo below. This was in Los Angeles, California. It give a whole new meaning to "port a potty". Who says you can't take it with you?

Downtown Denver, Colorado, had this sign attached high on a building.  I don't think anyone needs to go to class to learn how to get a DUI. At least it's obvious enough for those folks who know the true meaning of this class. 

Women love jewelry and men love hardware stores. Purvis Jewelers plays on both men and women's humor to get  their attention. The sign on the door reads "Gentlemen,  start her engine." I wouldn't mind if my husband wanted to go to this hardware store in Lakewood, Colorado. 

This next place was noteworthy because it declares that it's "A Thinking Place". It's actually a dive bar named Sancho's Broken Arrow and I really have no plans to go there. The reviews say it like it is but for some, it's a great place. How much thinking goes on? I wouldn't think too much.

In the back room of Duke's Restaurant in Malibu, California, is this poster that I dearly love. My ukulele friend, Christy, saw it first and told me about it. Since we are budding ukulele players, it's our motto. Living in Colorado, it took a special trip to Malibu to seek out a picture of the poster.  I was ecstatic to finally see it in person. Next time I'm in California, it might be another good reason to have another yummy dinner at Duke's. 

These are just a few of my favorite smile-inducing photos that I've collected. I am always looking for fun signs and unusual sights as I travel near and far. I'll share my next crop with you as well. Thanks for following Roaming Rita.

Mt McKinley Viewed Up Close

I love all kinds of excitement and flying around the summit of Mt. McKinley in Alaska was an amazing adventure that was beyond my wildest imagination. The views from the small plane window were heavenly.

With the first snow fall here in the Denver area this week, it made me yearn for another look at the magnificent snow covered mountain that I was privileged to view up close.

Mount McKinley has the bragging right of being the highest point in North America. It has a summit elevation of 20,320 feet or 6194 meters, above sea level. Measured from base to peak, it is also the world's tallest mountain on land.

The day before my plane excursion I had been on a tour of Denali National Park. The scenery was exquisite and my first sight of Mt. McKinley was when it revealed itself in the distant mountain range. At first I thought it was a cloud but when I realized it was the famed Mt. McKinley I was thrilled. So often the mountain stays hidden from anxious viewers. Below the arrow points to the snow capped mountain in the background. When I saw this I had no idea that the next day I'd be circling it in a small aircraft. 

Because of weather conditions the original reservation for another excursion was cancelled. Weather in the area is like that. To my delight this flight to the Summit was still taking off and there was room for my daughter and I.  Our adventure of an up close look at Mt. McKinley began at the Talkeetna air strip where we climbed into a twin engine, oxygen equipped aircraft.  

Inside the plane we put on our ear phones and checked where our oxygen lines were.

The aircraft was not insulated so we felt the air getting thinner as we gained altitude. We put on our winter coats as the air got chillier and our pilot gave us the word when  to put on our oxygen masks, although I think we all were aware "it was time." Wearing our oxygen masks was definitely a photo opportunity. 

Mt. McKinley, known locally as Denali, meaning "The Great One" in the Athabaskan language, stands as a challenge to high altitude climbers who seek to reach the summit.  In the lodge where we stayed there was a board reporting how many climbers were currently on the mountain. As we flew around the summit we could see the base camp and the pin points of individual climbers on their route.   Below you can see an aerial view of the paths of the climbers as they make their way to the summit.  Climbers take two to four weeks to scale the mountain.

The pin dots you see in the center of the picture below is another view of the base camp for the climbers.  On average there are 1,275 climbers each year. 51% of them reach the summit. 

Permanent snowfields cover over half the mountain. Five giant glaciers, icefalls, spurs and buttresses add to the huge snowy mass seen in these pictures.

A panoramic view of the mountain range as we approached the summit. 

Soaring high around the summit I used my camera to take a bird's eye view of our flight

The summit...20,320 feet right outside my window.

The views were constantly changing as we surveyed the area.

In the 1890's the mountain was named after President William McKinley by a gold prospector in political support of the president from Ohio. The Alaska Board of Geographic Names later changed the mountain's name to Denali. In 1975 the Alaska State Legislature attempted to get the name officially documented but it was blocked by members of the Ohio congressional delegation. Therefore, Denali is the correct name according to the Alaska state board while Mt McKinley is the correct name according to the National Board of Geographic Names. This explains my comment earlier as to why Denali is the local name.

The mountain is recognized as the "coldest" mountain in the world. Temperatures are recorded at an automated weather station at 18,700 feet. The lowest temperature recorded is a minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit (-73 degrees Celsius) with a North American record windchill of a minus 118 degrees Fahrenheit (-83.4 degrees Celsius). The freezing temperatures are cold enough to flash freeze a human. I don't know what the outside temperatures were when I was there but I do know inside the plane is was so cold that my camera on my phone froze and never worked again. 

Seeing this great mountain in all it's splendor was an amazing travel experience that I dearly loved.   

“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” 
― Leonardo da Vinci