I recently received a group vacation suggestion from my bank, of all places. Here were some choices: Antarctica and South American Cruise (winter here, summer there) — Antarctic peninsula, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Falkland Islands, Cape Horn, Ushuaia, Santiago.Rockies, Rails & Red Rocks (summer) — 3 train excursions, 3 national parksHGTV Southern Road Trip (fall) — Visit well-known fixer-upper locations in Waco, TX, Laurel, MS, Wetumpka, AL, and Muscle Shoals, ALLake Michigan Great Lakes Expedition (summer) — Mackinac Island and Grand Hotel, cross “Mighty Mac” suspension bridge, 7-mile dune tourAmerican Queen steamboat trip (late fall) — Travel up the Mississippi River

Continue reading Where would you go on vacation?

It snowed again on Monday this week, and it might snow again on Friday. Such is March in Kansas City. So I’ve been thinking about beaches a lot. I love beaches. Unfortunately, my life has not been a beach for quite some time, though I want it to be. I haven’t been to a beach since 2019, and that was just in passing. I’m long overdue for a beach. Is your life a beach?

I have lived in a new housing development for the last two and a half years. New construction starts every week, it seems. But I love watching the new houses go up when I’m out for my neighborhood walks.

Took my first cruise to the beautiful Bahamas. I could listen to the waves and look at that amazing turquoise ocean all day. Sand and sea — the best getaway for me!

Not long ago, there I was changing shoes at 12:35 before the twenty-five minute drive to a one o’clock appointment with my hair stylist. And so I didn’t notice until she pointed it out after she’d trimmed my hair that I’d accidentally put on mismatched shoes. I suspect I’m not the first person to do that though.

My husband started something this morning — a discussion of milkweed and the monarch butterfly. Did you know this beautiful butterfly ONLY lays her eggs on the milkweed plant. The only reason this species would dwindle is because of a lack of this plant. There’s something in the plant that makes the monarch taste bitter which is why it doesn’t have many predators. We used to have a big ‘ole vine of it in our chain link fence but when we replaced the fence, it was gone. I think we’ll get some! Except, I want to get the bush kind

Continue reading Would You Plant Milkweed?

I learned to ski during my college years in Vermont, as part of the P.E. requirement to graduate. It was January 1974, and the temperatures hovered around two degrees. Despite the cold, or maybe because of it, the snow base was only fifteen inches. On top of the snow was ice, and underneath was rock. I did pass my ski course. But by then, I hated skiing. I didn’t ski again until after I was married. I married a skier, who took me to the powder snow of the Rockies. Skiing on packed powder is much easier than on ice.

Continue reading Learning to Ski

Merry Christmas, KC peeps! One of the things we like to do on Christmas night is drive around and look at holiday lights. That generally includes The Plaza and Crown Center. Where are your favorite displays?

Hey, KC Wolf! You never know who you’ll see at Panera’s Bread Company. My friend and I enjoyed a bowl of soup the other night at Town Center and ran into a Kansas City icon. I wonder what dish he likes best?