KateThoughts

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here are three great quotes in honor of this holiday.

"The greatest thing is to give thanks for everything. He who has learned this knows what it means to live. He has penetrated the whole mystery of life: giving thanks for everything." 
Albert Schweitzer

"Gratitude is one of the sweet shortcuts to finding peace of mind and happiness inside. No matter what's going on outside, there's always something we can be grateful for." 
Barry Neil Kaufman

 

"To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven." 
Johannes A. Gaertner

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We are home, at last. And I'm out on my last pet-job. yea!
I promised a few more pictures of the trip, and I want to share a link to some pics of a great party!

First, more Florida. We spent one night in Ft. Walton Beach, but the weather (for the first time) cooperated with some wind-sailors rather than with us. The water and winds were wild, too cold for sitting around outside. But, we found a very cool group enjoying all this wildness to go kite-boarding and wind-surfing.
And they didn't mind talking to me and answering a few questions.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click on these to see them larger (maybe too large).
There are two kinds of activities going on and the names for them are flexible, according to one of the riders: Kite surfing or Kite boarding are fairly obvious. The rider is harnessed to a huge kite whose front edge is inflated with air to help keep it open during maneuvers. It is easy to get 'air' as you can see in the last shot; the board is similar to a snowboard. The other is Wind surfing or Wind boarding, mostly. That's the one with a mast and sail attached to a board similar to a surfboard. At the rider's chest height is a rigid curved bar that allows the rider to 'walk' around the sail to change sides/directions.

The distance shots will give you an idea (I hope) of just how many riders were out in those winds.
It was really something to see.

Now, coming from New Orleans where we saw Joel's brother, Curt, we took I-20 to Lubbock. This would be our last night on the road - just 250 miles from HOME.
We didn't know that we were arriving just in time for my Aunt Ann's 75th birthday bash! Our invitation was in our mailbox back home, having arrived after we started this little trip. And we even had dress-up clothes with us!

Ann's b-day is the 6th, but the party was on Friday, the 5th - JOEL'S BIRTHDAY!!  I call that extreme serendipity and great blessings. The party was wonderful and was in an terrifically interesting venue, that even show-cased our family.  The American Wind Power Center & Museum.
Just way too cool.

I've posted pictures of that event on Facebook. You can see them thru this public link; no need to sign up for FB. : )

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2098813&id=1352153322&l=ee4b4d4bee

It is GREAT to be home. We learned how much we really love it.
We also learned that miles of soft sand can wreak havoc on one's knees and achilles tendons.

And we learned - again - just how blessed our lives really are. May we never forget.

From the road...

As you might guess, I'm having too much fun to spend a great deal of time on the computer!

We're still in Florida, USA and enjoying lovely weather. The native Floridians think it is cold here - nights have been into the 50 degree (F) range from time to time. Makes me laugh, really. Back home in the mountains of New Mexico our friends are REALLY cold. Nights there have been into the 30 degree range and the heaters are on. Poor babies.

Yesterday, we spent a few hours on Manasota Beach. I had hoped to insert a picture or two, but I am on a friend's computer and ...well... it's just this way. This link will show you a few lovely things even though they are not my own pictures.

Also, due to technical difficulties with the internet connection here at my friend's house, I'm also not able to check up on my Google Reader links and so haven't found most of you. I'm woefully behind on checking up on what you are up to these days. I confess, I really only miss you while I'm having my morning coffee; otherwise, I'm just having way too much fun.

We'll settle in by a good WiFi connection one of these days and I'll check in. Meanwhile, may all be well with you.

ttfn

Our Florida Vacation ~ 10 days in July 08

As usual with airlines, we went to Florida from New Mexico by way of Denver. Considering the 3hr drive to the airport from home, you'll realize that Tuesday was devoted to traveling...ALL of Tuesday.
We arrived in Orlando about 10:30 and by the time we got the shuttle to the hotel, we were pooped.

Dad picked us up the next morning and took us back to his home in Rockledge about 40 minutes east.
We spent that day and one night there, then repacked for Clearwater - our favorite beach and our chosen fireworks location. We had such a good time there! As you can see, the 3rd & 4th were as different as two days could be.

Clearwater Beach ~ July 3rd

What a day this was. We were able to find parking close to the beach. No crowds. We found a little restaurant with great grouper sandwiches. While I waited to take them back to the beach, I indulged in a shot (tequila, Laura) and a beer. We're old pros at keeping our picnic out of the hands of marauding sea gulls. The weather was cool & overcast, but that was fine with us; we'd forgotten how HOT Florida is!

Clearwater Beach ~ July 4th

   

Clearwater on the 4th was another matter entirely.
We thought we were there early, arriving about 9:30, but no. Parking was already non-existent, so I let Joel out with 90% of our stuff and headed off on a parking search. I'm not even going to tell you what I paid to park that car, but it was covered and walkable. By the time I schlepped back, Joel had us set up in a great spot. The photo with the two umbrellas is our little piece of beachfront property. It was great fun.

I think we enjoyed watching the little kids more than anything. Some were clearly first-timers and there seemed to be no half measures: either parents couldn't keep them OUT of the water, or the couldn't get them IN. Just way too cute & funny. We had a great day, used tons of sunscreen and got burned anyway, and watched the crowds ebb & flow. By sunset it was beginning to clear out and the crowd was changing to teen couples.
We moved our stuff up to the walkway and picked out a spot for watching fireworks. FUN! We both love fireworks and enjoyed both the planned display and the impromptu exhibits from the beach visitors.

We didn't really know how everything was planned though. We didn't know that the fireworks had been set off from the causeway, or that the causeway was closed to traffic after it was filled up with cars. We didn't know that there was no other way off the island. So...
I didn't know that my 10 minute walk back to the car would then leave me with a 80 minute 'drive' back to Joel and the beach. And then another who-knows-how-long drive back to our motel. Everyone was in a good mood, though, and all in the same boat. There may have been trouble somewhere, but we only had fun!

Sebastian Inlet State Park

Sebastian Inlet is near Barefoot Bay where we lived for about a year in 2004. This map is a good place to look if you want to take a bird's eye view of the coastline.

We happened to go there on a day they were having a regional surfing contest and watched this young man teaching his two boys about the glories of surfing. too cute.

Lone Cabbage ~ Restaurant & Airboats ~ on the St. John's River

This ride was a ton o fun! Even though the river was low and our ride was only 30 minutes, we saw 3-4 times the number of gators as we did on a longer ride 4 years ago. And beautiful skies, lots of birds. The 3rd picture shows a decent shot of a Great Blue Herring as our guide consistently called the heron.
So, he's cute & funny; he doesn't have to be smart, too.

Sebastian, Fl.

For much of the time, we explored places where we had lived. We saw a lot of the wildfire damage from this summer south of Melbourne. And there was still damage visible from the hurricanes of 04. I'm happy to say that Barefoot Bay looked pretty good. It was hit hard just a few months after we left. It is clear that a few just cleared off, left the foundation and moved on. But most were repaired or replaced and were again homey & welcoming.

Our favorite marina was partly still there. Boats are moored and a new building is under construction, but our favorite seafood restaurant was gone with the wind...

Dad & Frankie in Rockledge ~ and Birthday Girl, Alison with hubby Bob and the travelers in Vero Beach

Birthday Bonanza!

You might not know this about me: I can stretch a birthday out for days, sometimes even weeks. It's working that way this year, too! Friends have taken me to meals: New Mexican food for lunch on Thursday, regular and tasty American bacon & eggs for breakfast on Saturday, wonderful roast duck w/dark cherry sauce for dinner on Saturday, a terrific chicken Marsala on Sunday evening, and Joel has promised me lunch out today - the real birthday. Yum! Along with those I've enjoyed great wine, a Dirty Martini, imported beer, and a couple of tasty desserts. And time on my own back patio with friends.

In case you haven't noticed, I really appreciate dining out. From eggs to exotics, I just love to share food & fellowship. Such a great time. I'm the chief cook & bottle washer around home, so it's a double treat when someone else is doing all the work.

Dad sent some cash, as always. This time it will go with us on our trip to Florida tomorrow morning. That will buy some lovely grouper or stone crab while we're there. ...savoring the anticipation already.

Today is the actual official birthday. I got up early, made some coffee and was sitting in a corner with a ton of windows, reading a book, when the movement of this beauty caught my eye.

                                                                                        

 

He's just across the street from me; in this shot maybe 40 ft. away. He lives near here somewhere, and is the same elk we saw last Christmas morning. What a treat to see him today.

Elk is a power animal for me. I don't really understand that, but my heart beats quicker whenever I see one. To have one so close is wonderful. And to have him appear at sunrise on my natal day is just the grandest thing.

Thanks, Universe.

This one isn't a great picture, but I shows his rack. BIG!

During this I'm wandering around outside with my camera and my sleep shirt, probably scaring the neighbors, but not really caring. what fun!

The cats were with me, as they usually are. Here's one right behind the elk. They stayed fairly near me, then walked me home.

Such a wonderful morning.

I've received many great cards, including one with a 'scratcher' that won me $20. Every single block on the card was a winner!

I just realized, as I linked this post to the one from last Christmas, how much the woods have changed. The land & cabin was purchased (nice couple) and the woods have been cleared for fire control and view stuff... It's not really woods anymore, but a nice tree-studded yard.

The elk looks really different, too, without his winter coat, but I'm confident he's the same one.

Here's a shot of our Big Boy taken on the 26th and a little later in the day.

One of the greatest things for this birthday came to me from my sister, Susan, by way of my Aunt Conny. It's a cool necklace of pewter and bone and shells and beads that my Mom made for her sister, my aunt, back in 1981. Such a special thing to have it come back around to me.  Thanks Susan & Conny.

So, bright & early tomorrow morning we begin the trip to Florida. Since we live in the back of beyond, that starts with a 3 hr. drive to the airport in Albuquerque, from which we head to Denver in order to get to Orlando. (Only the airlines...) We'll be spending time with my Dad, and a friend we met a few years ago when we were living in FL. We'll also share an airboat ride with my Dad and stepmom, Frankie.

On the 3rd & 4th, for the fireworks, we'll be in Clearwater Beach. Joel and I just love fireworks! and Joel will never get enough of beaches and big water. On this trip, we'll get to spend time on both coasts: the Gulf side and the Atlantic. Just so excited - more birthday, as far as I'm concerned!

So, miss me while I'm gone. I'll share photos when we get back.

Albuquerque

Our trip was a blast!

We had a two-part agenda: meet with our lawyer to finalize and sign our new trust (I'm so proud!), and to support our friend Reggie at the Nashville Star auditions. She's terrific; we like her singing almost as much as Shane's!

When we got to the Santa Ana Star Casino (site of the auditions) we were surprised to see so few there: perhaps 200 or less, SO, we called Shane and talked him into coming, too. Amber must be the queen of leadfoot, 'cause they made the 199 miles in 2hr/48min, and beat the 2:00 PM deadline by a whole 2 minutes!

Neither Shane nor Reggie got a call-back - too bad...but neither will be giving up their dreams, either. Good kids - we wish them the best.

Reggie had to get back to Ruidoso, so after a very late lunch at The Range in Bernalillo, she & two others headed back. Shane & Amber were available to stay over and play a little, so we did! We went back to the casino and while I people-watched from a nearby sports bar, Joel, Shane & Amber played the slots. I'm happy to say they won enough money to extend the time of play, have a VERY good time, and make back their stake! If none of you are casino-goers, trust me, that's a great day!

We headed back to the hotel in Albuquerque and chatted, joked, listened to Shane play his guitar and ordered a late night pizza. What scandalous fun.

The next day we did a little shopping and found a wonderful bead shop. Shane found a video game player he's been looking for, and then we went to Trader Joe's - again...second time this month.
For someone like me who loves shopping and cooking, and lives in a tiny town that offers your choice of 6 cheeses (whether you need them or not), Trader Joe's (or Whole Foods) is like getting a day-pass to heaven.

If you're interested, I'll go into more detail later.

For now, a quesadilla is calling my name, the whole wheat chocolate chip cookies are positively SCREAMING, and the Bears are heading into the 3rd quarter - can't leave Joel in there all by herself - We're Ahead!

TTFN

Travelling

We'll be heading to Albuquerque this week to get away - to watch a friend, Reggie, audition for The Nashville Star, - to go to Trader Joe's - maybe for a long lazy lunch of Chicken Marsala at Romano's Macaroni Grill... :)

I'll be away for a few days.
Have a great week (or not; don't let ME push you around!).
See you when we return...

BTW - Here's a great recipe for Chicken Marsala you can make at home: Read the reviews, too, for hints about adjustments folks make. Have fun.

Excellent Travel Photos

There are wonderful links to amazing photos at Erin's post today. Follow the links and be enriched.