Archive for the ‘Friends’ Category
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
Down to Colorado Springs to spend the day at Focus on the Family, to spend the night at Glen Eyrie, home of the Navigators, and celebrate our 39th anniversary over a Fondue dinner!
The Focus organization has grown to to an amazing world-wide outreach that Steve and I can say we have supported since practically since the very beginning with our tithes. I hang my hat on Dr. Dobson’s books for raising our kids.
The Navigators group arose from sailors sharing their faith. They have an awesome complex next door to the Garden of the Gods and we were so fortunate to find they had room for us in the castle.
From the Springs we drove up to see Dave and Sandi Sunde in Louisville, Co. before heading to the airport!
Tags: anniversary, castle, colorado springs, focus on the family, fondue, garden of the gods, glen eyrie, louisville, navigators, sunde
Posted in Colorado, Friends | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
We were graciously hosted by Darlene and Chuck Kroll at their condo in the mountains near Silverthorn . With snow covered peaks surrounding us, we took in the beauty of the region and did a little driving, a little hiking, and a little sitting by the fire with a book!
Breckingridge and Vail were not too far away and we explored them also, but because it wasn’t winter for skiing, or summer for biking and hiking, most everything was closed for Mud Season; the time when the ground is just soggy with the snowmelt and spring rains.
I mean to tell you that shops, restaurants, and some roads were closed up tight! So I had to spend time at the Outlets, darn.
Tags: breckinridge, kroll, silverthorn, vail
Posted in Colorado, Friends | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
Elaine and I were thrilled to join my old college buddy, Pam Hasbrouck, on a tour of the Celestial Seasonings Tea Tour at their factory outside of Boulder. Pam has great roots in this state even though she spent most of her growing up days in Southern California. We were glad to have her as our guide. Celestial Seasonings is a business that grew out of the hippie era, when the founders picked herbs at the foot of the rockies and stitched them up in fabric tea bags. Today it is a huge operation!
When we first got there we signed up for the tour and were given a tea bag as our ticket. We were encouraged to sample any of their current 80 flavors. We downed a few, had lunch in their colorful cafeteria, and then reported back for our tour. This place goes 25/7 and brings in ingredients from all over the world. The gift shop was tea-riffic , and I bought several flavors I had not seen before (“Orange Zinger” makes a great ice tea). We went back to try even MORE flavors after the tour.
We took in the pedestrian walk in Boulder…also a hippie throwback, but the day was all about the tea and being together!
Tags: boulder, celestial seasonings, faille's, pam hasbouck, rocky mountains, tea
Posted in Colorado, Friends | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
Steve and I got to travel around Colorado (May 12-19) mostly on Pfizer’s dime. Cliff and Elaine Faille traveled out from North Carolina to join us for the convention in Denver, then we stayed on and reconnected with friends and toured an amazing state.
Colorado had not decided what season it was yet because we had hail, rain, snow, sunshine, thunder and lightning all in the same hour!
Tags: denver, faille, pfizer
Posted in Colorado, Friends | 4 Comments »
Monday, May 3rd, 2010
Got brave and went to a reunion of my sorority at the University of Redlands. Delta Kappa Psi celebrated its 100th birthday at a beautiful luncheon and afternoon tea, and my pledge class celebrated 40 years since we joined.
I haven’t seen most of these Lavender Ladies since graduation, 39 years ago though Christmas cards keep us updated with some. Many hugs, tears, and remembrances! I think we look great (you can tell who we still are, if that makes sense), and are all on the verge, or have just retired and are eagerly tackling new challenges. And not to be trite, but 60 sure looks and acts like the new 40!
A few aches and pains, several grandchildren — or none at all — lots of travel, and all good people. I even made some new delta friends from other classes. Imagine, 425 ladies attended out of the 1200 members that are still alive — a whopping third! We were singing sorority songs, eating, and drinking a lot of wine or ice tea. I never thought I’d be at this end of the spectrum, age wise, but was amazed and challenged by the sisters attending who were in the decades ahead of me.
What a beautiful day to treasure forever!
Tags: christmas, delta kappa psi, lavender ladies, retire, reunion, sorority, travel, university of redlands, wine
Posted in Friends | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
This past weekend we thoroughly enjoyed our couples retreat in the mountains below Big Bear. What a treat to be among these ol friends for the 11th year. It use to take major work to be covered at the shop and at church, but now it just takes packing my Bible and a suitcase. With a roaring fire, awesome food, and heartfelt fellowship, we enjoyed a gorgeous snowfall. Couldn’t pass up throwing a few snowballs and making a snow angel.
Tags: big bear, couples retreat, forrest home
Posted in Friends, Potpourri | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
Last year was an awesome year of travel; 22 weeks away from home and on the road! The sights and tastes of the journey were incredible, awesome, priceless. From Barnoldswick, England to Pisa, Italy,to Orland, Sweden the adventure far exceeded all expectations. And the people; oh the kindness of Raymond, Alessandro, Gunner and Dieter, Miranda, Giovani, Father Piernino, and many many others.
We returned home with some inklings that all was not normal, so doctor appointments started lining up. Sonagram, pap,biopsy, specialists, waiting, and then the day you have a date with an oncologist. How do you be cheerful as you walk in that door, the one at the very end of that long hallway?
But just like the adventures in Europe, the doctors, nurse-practitioner, staff and volunteers at Scripps-Mercy Hospital, Scripps-Green and RB joined with all my friends and family to hold me up in prayer. Betty and Mary and Andy babysat me after surgery, Donna cooked and Steve e-mailed updates. I was so loved and cared for that fear NEVER had a chance to take hold. Radiation zapped some strength, but not the knowledge that God loved me and had placed me amongst the most wonderful people in the entire world.
I need to get a map with some bright pins to mark all those special destinations I hold in my heart. Just not sure where to put the trip to cancer pin, cause I don’t want to forget it…it too became a good memory.
Tags: alessandro, andy, barnoldswick, betty bloom, cancer, dieter, donna kalla, father pernino, giovani, gunner, jensons, miranda, orland, pisa, radiation, raymond, scripps-green, scripps-mercy hospital, scripps-rb, steve
Posted in England, Family, Friends, Health, Italy, Sweden | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
The entire east coast from Maine to Texas, has a cluster of islands and jettys that keep the Atlantic from directly hitting the states. This region is called the outer banks. ( it gets the brunt of hurricanes, but had lovely beaches and lots of seasonal homes built on stilts) Names such as Nagshead, CapeHateras, Cape Fear, and Kitty Hawk are names associated with it. Kitty Hawk was really informative and the beginning of turning the world as people knew it around!( I have a really great photo of Steve next ot Orville Wright on a replica of the KittyHawk that is in re-sized cyperspace)
We were priviledged to enjoy the hospitality of Cliff and Elaine Faille, who have a new home (awesome eastern building techniques, and beautiful location in St. James) and boat (the “Y Knot”) We spent the day on the inter-coastal waterway, and even tied up at a restaurant’s dock to have some great viddles. What a wonderful, happy time we had with these two crazy retired Pfizer Pholk.
Tags: cape fear, cape hateras, faille's, kitty hawk, nagshead, orville wright, outerbanks, pfizer, st. james, steve
Posted in Autumn Back East 2009, Friends, Maine, North Carolina, Texas | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
I have been known to tease my “older” friends about me being younger….the south side of 60. So, when it came my turn to hit that landmark number, I thought I would sneak out of town, and no one be the wiser. Could I get away with it? Nooooooooooooooo. A heavy package was delivered bright and early on the big day FULL of cards, gifts, and jabs at making the big turn into this new decade. To Betty, Andy, and Nikki…and all their other partners in crime, thank you, thank you! It’s great to feel loved. ..so many nice things said and special thoughts shared. The birthday I sought to avoid became the blessing I will never forget!!!!!!!!
Tags: andy, betty bloom, birthday, nikki
Posted in Autumn Back East 2009, Family, Friends, Washington DC | 6 Comments »
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
We spent the evening of Nov. 2, touring the capitol with Joan and her friend Doris at night. It was a gorgeous evening and a whole different take on all the monuments. The moon was awesome, and the line up of monuments (Capitol,Washington,Lincoln, Iwo Jima, WWII) was pretty amazing. What a great end to a wonderful day and time in D.C.
Tags: abraham lincoln, george washington, iwo jima, sheldrick, washington capitol, wwii
Posted in Autumn Back East 2009, Friends, Washington DC | 1 Comment »
