tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-296796792024-03-07T08:59:31.470-07:00Down the road & back again...Tourist of life...NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.comBlogger516125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-10243423481734374722010-08-20T22:16:00.002-07:002020-11-10T11:21:35.685-07:00We've Moved to TravelingWithPurpose.com<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEdEvNlR4vKFSJ4aIbFX0i0Z6LDRVRQDM7-WdnT0wLo_7O7O9mi9hUqoOCEpr3xra90eoYt1hmXHZ1sp2yEQA7DFd2bpeOmKNC8IxGC81NFTvYfgE_pA9Ygdw1vz9RJ0uOhre/s1600/We've+Moved.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEdEvNlR4vKFSJ4aIbFX0i0Z6LDRVRQDM7-WdnT0wLo_7O7O9mi9hUqoOCEpr3xra90eoYt1hmXHZ1sp2yEQA7DFd2bpeOmKNC8IxGC81NFTvYfgE_pA9Ygdw1vz9RJ0uOhre/s320/We've+Moved.JPG" /></a>Please come and see me at my blog, Traveling With Purpose where I'm writing about travel and life at home and abroad.<br />
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I hope that those of you who subscribed before, will come over and subscribe to my weekly newsletter on the new site at <a href="https://TravelingWithPurpose.com/">https://TravelingWithPurpose.com/</a> <div><br /></div><div>I've missed your visits and love your input!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://travelingwithpurpose.com" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Traveling with Purpose logo" border="0" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhEKWkU020wPw3Rj1tLvFwqaKX4GwNcGROsltSj6nwpSZM9e_MlUxnfn0Brdq0yZkDjIHiNKXtMAtgqJRVUpVoaXlfwIu0nl-KQ5LbKwYriwTaF2KFCUTETyAmMstn-QrNa5y/w400-h133/Traveling+with+purpose+Email+cover+600.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-18380778456119108122010-06-21T20:03:00.000-07:002019-07-20T13:04:44.109-07:00A Glimpse Into Our Trip to Bosnia<div style="text-align: center;">
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Here's the stage where Bob & Terry played at the Coffee Bar in Mostar</div>
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If you haven't had a chance to see some of my (favorite) pictures culled from the several thousand from Bosnia, they are up on Facebook. <b>You can see them <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=171961&id=519199731&l=a9ec283742">here </a>without signing up for FB. </b><br />
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They don't include many of the sponsored kids' pictures or the couple of days we spent in Croatia and Amsterdam. I'll post those in separate albums later.<br />
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They also don't include photos of Dan and Julie and kids (our missionary family) in Bosnia. For security reasons they have asked that I not post photos online with their last name, so just to be safe, I'm posting their photos on a private page.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">The old city of Mostar was truly a step back in time. The beauty of the StariMost Bridge was spectacular from most any vantage point.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">There's more to come about this amazing trip!</span><br />
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NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-46308399112978765172010-06-09T12:34:00.000-07:002019-07-20T13:13:26.054-07:00The Magical Dalmatian Coast of CroatiaSorry that I haven't had time to post more about our trip to Bosnia. We're home and getting re-acclimated to our sleeping schedules and "real" lives.<br />
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These are a few shots from our first stop in <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=Podstrana,+Croatia&fb=1&gl=us&ftid=0x134a9f7fd6f95899:0xbf2a6a0098051b9f&ei=EuwPTPCKFdL-nAfg7MHGDQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCAQ8gEwAA">Podstrana</a> to catch our breath from the long flight. It's on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia along the Adriatic Sea.<br />
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In the meantime, here's a link with some more photos (but still not the whole trip). They're on my Facebook page, but you don't have to sign up to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=171961&id=519199731&l=a9ec283742">see them here</a>.<br />
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This last photo is from a little town called <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?gl=us&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=omis,+Croatia&fb=1&gl=us&ftid=0x134a98152ce46845:0x46516efef6fd3fc2&ei=OOwPTJXGLYXknAen5KzFDQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCAQ8gEwAA">Omis</a>, in Croatia. I loved the architecture there!<br />
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We did a lot of walking on our trip, which was wonderful. The weather was great everywhere we went!NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-3464268916016509982010-05-26T07:01:00.001-07:002019-07-20T13:11:21.466-07:00Quick Overview of our Bosnia Trip so far...Our trip has gone smoothly, as far as logistics. Bob's head cold has been the biggest hurdle for their performances. Most people can't tell that he's having issues, but for those of us who know what the songs should sound like, we can tell that he's struggling at times.<br />
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Please be praying for him especially the next few days. We leave today for Sarajevo and the guys will be performing either at churches or another venue on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. He will need a strong voice to make it through those times.<br />
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Terry's harmonica and mandolin have been a big hit with everyone.<br />
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Funny note! Not that I want to perpetuate this stereotype, but I think it's hilarious that several Bosnians have also recognized the similarity between Bob and Terry and<a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090415054055/muppet/images/thumb/4/4e/Statler-waldorf.jpg/300px-Statler-waldorf.jpg&imgrefurl=http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Statler_and_Waldorf&usg=__mTjh3CEIP6FDOSB2L_vRvv2pf7I=&h=391&w=300&sz=25&hl=en&start=25&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=EP-WsTibCne1oM:&tbnh=123&tbnw=94&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmuppets%2Bcharacters%2Bstatler%2Band%2Bwaldorf%26start%3D18%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26ndsp%3D18%26tbs%3Disch:1"> Statler and Waldorf from the Muppets</a>. This seems to reveal itself most often in their dry sense of humor when they're performing. The Bosnians weren't going to tell us, but it kind of slipped out at lunch the other day. Apparently they were laughing about it when the guys were performing at the Coffee Bar the other night. I love it!<br />
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Sorry I don't have time to share more, but we're heading out to Sarajevo in a few minutes.<br />
NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-46045323163992830332010-05-14T11:29:00.000-07:002019-07-20T13:14:28.399-07:00Happy Birthday to my favorite guy in all the world!Terry's birthday was yesterday! It's not that I forgot his birthday, it's just that I forgot to create a post in advance about it and we've been so busy that I didn't have time in the last few days.<br />
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That doesn't make him any less special or less loved. I'm so blessed that God gave him to me over 30 years ago. I wouldn't want to share this life and it's adventures with anyone else.<br />
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Here are just a few highlights of the fun we've had this past year... what a great year it's been and now we're heading for Bosnia in the next few days! Can't wait. <br />
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Steamboat Springs, Colorado in August</div>
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Disneyland in September</div>
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Randy Thompson Christmas Concert in December <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5Pm63QGV28Eb7jrkHt5lh3cpXyPu0zhsp4wc3pPayPg6EPnn66elEiYOoOFBVKWMTaSFLKayeGjktV0wQVX2KTykKtUqSgDZ0SL4oiYx2yxED3k9_w6go1kQ6SJK77dnVRXb/s1600/2009.12+Argentati+Band.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5Pm63QGV28Eb7jrkHt5lh3cpXyPu0zhsp4wc3pPayPg6EPnn66elEiYOoOFBVKWMTaSFLKayeGjktV0wQVX2KTykKtUqSgDZ0SL4oiYx2yxED3k9_w6go1kQ6SJK77dnVRXb/s640/2009.12+Argentati+Band.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Dave Argentati Concert in December </div>
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Terry & Bob played several places around town this year</div>
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Flagstaff Snow Day in January</div>
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Suns Game in April </div>
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NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-54107117689265014282010-05-09T20:38:00.000-07:002019-07-20T13:14:55.752-07:00My updated "cottage" furniture!I'm so excited about the transformations that are taking place around my house lately.<br />
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Ever since we moved to Arizona 6 years ago, my goal has been to create a coastal cottage atmosphere in my Southwest desert home. You may think that's crazy and out of place, but my heart just feels at home in the cozy comfort of pale blues, greens and lots of white. I love the unpretentious air of painted furniture, yard sale finds, slipcovers and piles of throw pillows. I want my guests to feel like they can kick off their shoes and put their feet up from the moment they walk in the door.<br />
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My inspiration comes from the <a href="http://nanhann.blogspot.com/search?q=love+about+the+cottage">cottage that my aunt owns</a> on the shores of Lake Erie near Vermilion, Ohio. This precious place is where we spent countless happy-go-lucky days swimming, spitting watermelon seeds and searching for Easter eggs. It's a source of joy in my memory bank and I long to create the same atmosphere in my home even though we're miles and miles from the nearest lake.<br />
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So, it's with that in mind that I've been dreaming of painting some of the furniture that I've had for many years. The pieces were acquired in a different era, when darker colors filled my home. Now, even though I love the pieces, they needed a face-lift. It's been on my To-Do list for years, but because of the time involved, it never quite rose to the top of my priorities for one reason or another.<br />
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That's why I was thrilled when my sister, Sharon told me that she and her boyfriend, Craig were starting a business of refinishing furniture. Craig has been doing furniture refinishing for many years, so it was a natural progression to open his own shop. These are the pieces I had them start with, for me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnaDl5d8iL7EIVSaqQd_gs4YZhY0S795pg5tIW8QiGDD1pLxFF41lzdlOIQ65J7psinRq2WDnffNjBaBb1PWXG4KhWAxpfaiKFElOnuDJP6Nbz7Ef5qmCVW_ikKtgvvcebIlp/s1600/Cabinet+Before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnaDl5d8iL7EIVSaqQd_gs4YZhY0S795pg5tIW8QiGDD1pLxFF41lzdlOIQ65J7psinRq2WDnffNjBaBb1PWXG4KhWAxpfaiKFElOnuDJP6Nbz7Ef5qmCVW_ikKtgvvcebIlp/s200/Cabinet+Before.jpg" width="157" /></a>Unfortunately, I forgot to take a "before" photo of this cabinet, but this little slice from another photo gives you an idea of the original colors. The body was a forest green and the top was a deep red. Terry bought the piece (with beautiful hand carved wood front) for me years ago when I pointed it out at a craft fair. In recent years I was using it to store VHS video tapes, so it was a bit outdated, both inside and out. I still love it, but wanted a lighter version.<br />
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The other pieces were 2 vintage school chairs that I picked up at a swap meet in Ohio. <br />
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I decided on a palette of pale colors that can be moved throughout the house when I feel like mixing things up, which I often do.<br />
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The cabinet sports two subtle tones of sage green and the chairs are a pale buttery yellow. An added bonus is their use of eco-friendly paints, stains and materials. Low-VOC paint, etc.<br />
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Of course, Craig did a gorgeous and thorough job on the inside of the cabinet as well. When I re-loaded the cabinet I updated the contents too, with some of my placemats and napkins, so it's more practical and user friendly since it sits in the dining room.<br />
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If you need any furniture painted or refinished, or are looking for some gorgeous pieces that they've already <i>"Re-imagined</i>" check them out. Below is a link to their Facebook page and contact info as well. They can also re-create new pieces from a combination of partially damaged old pieces. Check out their pics on their FB page.<br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/RE-Imagine/112400578794444?v=wall"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Re-Imagine Fine Furnishings</span></i></a></div>
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Call Sharon or Craig at 480 343 1189</div>
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Furniture <i>Re-Imagined</i> from a green perspective with Eco-friendly products and upcycle quality furniture for your home.</div>
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<i>Re-created, Refinished, Re-purposed, Recycled, and Re-imagined.</i></div>
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Follow my blog and keep an eye out for my post about the other pieces that they're working on for me. I have "before" photos of the next pieces. I'll also be showing the transformation of the living room with my new white sofa slipcover.<i> Hope to see you again soon!</i></div>
NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-72094841800605123242010-05-09T18:59:00.000-07:002019-07-20T13:16:02.647-07:00Flying over the Grand CanyonThis is what the sky looked like when we took off from Boise. It was cloudy and windy, but the takeoff was as smooth as silk. Phil and Mark are great pilots!<br />
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On the way home we flew over the Grand Canyon. Isn't it gorgeous from 40,000 feet? <br />
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NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-66839861140225465992010-04-29T19:15:00.000-07:002019-07-20T13:17:13.151-07:00Private flight to Boise, IdahoSome of you may have seen my note on Facebook about my unexpected trip to Boise for work. My boss asked me if I could go today and tomorrow to do some training for a new project that we're working on.<br />
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Imagine my surprise when I find out that we're going in his private plane! Turns out that he and his wife and another couple need to go to Montana, so they decided to drop me and my cohort off in Boise on the way. So, about 8:30 this morning I arrived at the Scottsdale airport and drove right up to this plane. They drove my car away to hold until we get back and I climbed aboard (after a few pics). Crazy, huh?<br />
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Part of the fun of this trip was seeing my friends, Phil the pilot (and Mark his co-pilot). I hadn't seen them in a while. I've never had the privilege of riding in the plane before, so this was a REAL treat! <br />
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This is what it looks like on the inside. There are 6 seats, plus 2 for the pilots. Very comfy and everything you need, like cup holders, pull up tables, electrical outlets, etc. After about a 2 hour flight, we arrived in Boise and they brought our rental car right to us. <br />
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We spent the afternoon learning and gathering information for the project.<br />
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This is the view from our hotel window. There are snow capped mountains in the background. The temperature right now is 47 degrees and it's windy with a chance of showers (as you can probably tell). Tomorrow the sky's supposed to clear up a bit, but the high is still only forecast for 56. I don't mind though because it's just one more day that it won't be hot.<br />
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Tomorrow we go back for more training, then we'll meet up with the others and the plane late afternoon or early evening to fly back home.<br />
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What a fun trip and I can see why people that can afford it, go this way. It's so much less stressful than fighting the crowds at the big airports.NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-13369157283540850382010-04-20T22:22:00.000-07:002019-07-20T13:18:31.620-07:002 Sweet Friends + 1 Husband's Birthday = 1 AMAZING Suns Game!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmlYZjSGE6t5ZCI7DPCYhcIooM4jl2caFHbc12M8T2qXdmhnQq2hkYPwk0FoZ37w1hJ6YLAITftvz5Y4Xax9XtQbMvn9YtHtmfJrXZ1r81t2NVAhNSk_RmfHgZpwnsjGfgqen/s1600/2010.04.13+Front+Row+Suns+Game_0180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmlYZjSGE6t5ZCI7DPCYhcIooM4jl2caFHbc12M8T2qXdmhnQq2hkYPwk0FoZ37w1hJ6YLAITftvz5Y4Xax9XtQbMvn9YtHtmfJrXZ1r81t2NVAhNSk_RmfHgZpwnsjGfgqen/s640/2010.04.13+Front+Row+Suns+Game_0180.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
In case you haven't heard, Terry and I had the awesome privilege of going to the last Suns home game of the season this past Tuesday against the Denver Nuggets. And you know what made it the most fun EVER? We got to sit in the FRONT row!!! Yes, on the floor just a single NBA basketball player step from the court.<br />
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Let me start out by admitting that even though it was intended as an early birthday present for Terry, I probably had as much or more fun than he did. I was so excited that I could hardly sleep the night before and I kept catching myself just before I would blurt out something about it in the days prior.<br />
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You see, Phoenix Suns basketball is my absolute favorite sport to watch. Even though Terry watches nearly every team sport with legs, and has tried to teach me about all of them, my first sports love is those "Sunnies" (as my son-in-law calls them). I fell in love with them back in the mid-70's in the early days of our relationship. That was when he took me to a game and I thought that all they did was run up and down the court and whoever made the last basket won. Now I know most of the players by name and position and can point out a pick-and-roll or an alley-oop when I see one. I have realized that the reason I like basketball more than other sports is because it's a more relational game. There are no helmets to block their expressions and there's constant movement and interaction between the players. I love to isolate on one player and follow them on and off the court. Not in a stalking sort of way, but like a proud mom watching their favorite "Sun" and their progress. I generally choose my favorites, based on personality and temperament, not necessarily their accomplishments on the court. Anyway, I could write a whole post just on my love of the game, but I'll save it for another time.<br />
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Today I get to take you into some those special places where I (and some of you) have never been. It was an experience I'll never forget. I don't want to say too much about where we got the tickets, but suffice it to say that there are a couple of angels out there that shared a little bit of heaven with us and we will forever be grateful. Do you think they'll have basketball in heaven? I think so, and the home team will always win. :-)<br />
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Fun stuff! Terry figured out that we were going to a game, which didn't surprise me because I had taken him to Suns games for his birthday before. But he had NO IDEA where we would be sitting and the other treats that were in store for him. It was so great to see his eyes open wide with surprise when we pulled up for valet parking, then walked into the building and found our way to the special entrance for these ticket holders.<br />
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We held 2 tickets for <a href="http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1E004479B7C9573C?artistid=806004&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=7">ROW A, Section 113</a> but I hadn't showed them to him yet. I didn't tell him about the free food throughout the game at the <a href="http://www.usairwayscenter.com/arena/welcome/courtside_club/">AOT Club</a> either. I was trying to be discreet so as not to look like a total geek, so here's a shot of the club from my camera location at my side. To the right you'll see the underside of the seats that are behind the basket. Up ahead are the food stations where we had our choice of so many tasty treats. One of my favorites was the 4-cheese mac-n-cheese. Mmmm...it was good and probably tasted even better since I've been trying to watch calories lately and have been staying away from things like that. There were several meat options and all the sides you would want. Free beverages too.<br />
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We arrived fairly early because we weren't sure how crowded it would be and weren't sure exactly where we were going. When we entered the club we were warmly greeted and got the low-down on how things worked. Fortunately, we had plenty of time to have some dinner and even stop into the Team Shop. Afterward we sauntered out to see the players warm up before the game started. If we had chosen to, we could have stayed in the club and watched the players come out of the locker room and go thru the tunnel. It's just beyond the eating area above.<br />
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These are really OUR seats for the night! Yup, front row. Our feet are on the sidelines very close to the baseline, directly across from the visiting team's bench. We've sat down in this area before to watch the teams warm up, but never for the whole game.<br />
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This is what the Denver warm ups looked like from our seats. He's standing between the 3 point line and the out of bounds line.<br />
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This is <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3605/career">Nene Hilario</a> coming on the court for the starting line up introductions. Apparently he legally changed his name to just Nene, which is more of a nickname - Brazilian Portuguese for baby. He's good friends with Leandro Barbosa.<br />
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What I really need to know is how can I get one of those "PHOTO" stickers for the back of my shirt. Of course my camera's not as big as theirs, but it would still be fun to be able to wander around all over the place to take pictures. And I must say that the male/female photographer ratio is very imbalanced. I could help with that.<br />
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This is the opening tip off.</div>
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Since Denver is one of the most tattooed teams in the NBA, I wanted to try to get some pics of some of them for our son-in-law, Andrew's benefit. Chris Andersen is a prime specimen if you like tattoos. <br />
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Here's a fun action shot with Grant and Amare making a great effort at guarding the Nuggets. </div>
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Sometimes this was the view that we had from our seats. We're willing to make that sacrifice for the location that we had. I must say that the target was very tempting.</div>
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And of course we need a shot of LB since he's our daughter, Amy's favorite player. This is the best one I could get. The Brazilian Blur doesn't stand still for very long.</div>
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Isn't it interesting how intent the guys on the bench are watching everything?</div>
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Our favorite coach, Alvin Gentry! He's doing an amazing job this year. I love the way he's allowing the bench to play in tough stretches of the game. The young guys are growing more and more skilled and confident because of his trust in them. Their new defensive emphasis really seems to be making a difference too.<br />
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The final score of the game was <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/recap/_/id/300413021/denver-nuggets-vs-phoenix-suns">Suns 123 - Nuggets 101</a>. It was so fun to watch and even more so because they won the game! What a special treat to be able to enjoy it from court-side. Wow! It was a night that we'll never forget. We were so thankful for the chance to do this. That's one thing that I can cross off of my "Bucket List".NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-52673343896845437292010-04-07T22:33:00.000-07:002019-07-20T13:20:33.019-07:00Exploring the Apache Trail, ArizonaA few weeks ago we took a drive out on the <a href="http://www.apachetrail.net/">Apache Trail</a> with some of our dear friends to see the spring desert in bloom.<br />
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We made a quick stop at <a href="http://www.pr.state.az.us/parks/lodu/index.html">Lost Dutchman State Park</a> to see if there were flowers in bloom there, but we were a bit too early for that area. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstition_Mountains">Superstitions Mountians</a> were gorgeously green though.<br />
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Spring in the desert is a beautiful thing, especially with all the rain we've had lately.<br />
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This is Canyon Lake. We ate lunch by Apache Lake and also drove beside Roosevelt Lake. It's surprising how much water is out there in the desert.<br />
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We made a quick stop at <a href="http://tortillaflataz.com/">Tortilla Flat</a>. Cathy found a nice necklace in the gift shop and we picked up some drinks in the restaurant. This is the second place I've been this year where the walls are covered with dollar bills. I think it's actually a clever way for the restaurant owners to make a few extra bucks.<br />
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Just look at these amazingly delicate flowers that bloom in the desert before it gets hot. Wow! Aren't they beautiful?<br />
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Then when we got out to take pictures of the flowers we came across this old rusted out can. It's been a long time since I've seen a can that had to be opened this way, so I just had to take a picture of it.<br />
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And look at this sea of lupines! Wow! The roadsides were filled with them. </div>
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There were poppies too! Isn't this a sweet color combination? Blue, white, and that butterscotch yellow!</div>
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Marshall had a bunch of new camera equipment that he was trying out, and I'll bet he got some great photos.</div>
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We stopped to see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt_Dam">Roosevelt Dam</a> (which I had never been to). If you look down near the lower right part of the dam, you'll see two pick up trucks to give you an idea of the size of it. It's massive!</div>
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This bridge is just beyond the dam. Originally the road actually went over the dam, but when they had to raise the height of the it they moved the road.<br />
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And since we were running out of daylight we didn't have time to stop at <a href="http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/fish_creek/canyon.html">Fish Creek</a> or at <a href="http://www.nps.gov/tont/index.htm">Tonto National Monument</a>, so I guess we'll have to plan another trip out there.<br />
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All in all it was a perfect day!<br />
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Have you ever been there?NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-24407512839582540052010-04-05T21:08:00.000-07:002019-07-20T13:23:24.897-07:00Happy Easter 2010This weekend Terry's Dad and his wife, Ginny rolled into town from North Carolina. Ginny drove the whole way 2065 miles over about 4 days. Pretty awesome, huh? They arrived at our house early afternoon on Saturday.<br />
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We were honored that they joined us in going to church on Easter morning. And since they were staying at our house, where the Easter Bunny might not find them, I decided to make up an Easter basket for them. It was fun shopping for a few treats that they could enjoy and take along on their trip home (if the candy lasts that long). We discovered that Terry's dad has quite a sweet tooth, which is not so great when you're diabetic. I bought low carb chocolate especially for him. (<a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/">Trader Joe's</a> is a great place to get that if you're wondering). Plus a few regular chocolates and some Jelly Bellies for Ginny. Turns out Dad likes Jelly Bellies too, even though he's not supposed to have them. <br />
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We enjoyed a great turkey dinner on the back patio in the afternoon. The weather was perfect! We had s<a href="http://nanhann.blogspot.com/2006/11/thanksgiving-so-amy-and-couple-of.html">low roasted turkey</a>, low carb stuffing, green beans and salad. We tried to keep it manageable since we're all either watching carbs or calories to some degree or another.<br />
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Then after dinner we went for a walk with Grandpa and Ginny for a few miles or so (down to Baskin Robbins for dessert, because Cold Stone was closed).<br />
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On the way home when we were just a block or so from our house, we noticed a creature on the roof of one of the houses with a little annoying mocking bird squawking at it. At first we thought it was a big cat sitting on the roof, then we realized it was a big OWL. It just sat there on the peak of the roof right at the edge and only a few feet from the little bird. Every once in a while the owl would turn his head and hoot. I'm sure that he must have been perched near a nest, otherwise the mockingbird wouldn't have been so aggressive.<br />
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We stood there for several minutes watching it, then all of a sudden the owl took off and flew right toward us. Wow! His wingspan was probably close to 4 feet across. This photo is a little blurry because I had to zoom in on it, but you can clearly see the owl's features. I'm not sure I've ever seen an owl in the "wild" that close up.<br />
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And I'll leave you with this sneak peek at one of our Spring flower arrangements. I'll be doing a post about it because I think the "vase" is unique and actually kind of a fun idea, especially to use for an event. I'll tell you more about it later...<br />
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Hope you all had a Happy Easter! <br />
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NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-40371218066094203252010-04-02T05:52:00.002-07:002019-07-20T13:26:04.076-07:00Happy 28th Birthday to our Daughter!Since Kevin had his turn seeing his school pictures, now its Amy's turn. Today is her birthday and I asked her dad to write a birthday note for her too. This first photo is Amy in Kindergarten. They're all cute photos as you'll see.<br />
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Here's the note from her dad: <i>"Wow, are you actually that old? That’s pretty scary for your parents."</i></div>
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<i>We’re so proud of you and what you’ve done with your life. We do wish you had decided to do it here in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Phoenix</st1:place></st1:city> instead of moving back to LA, but that’s OK. </i></div>
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<i>We’re thankful for how you’ve grown and for the choices you’ve made - earning your Master’s, getting married, starting your own business. We’re so glad you brought Andrew into our family. And we’re very thankful for the marriage with which God has blessed you two.</i></div>
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<i>I miss going to your plays and concerts – I still remember how proud I always felt watching you perform (maybe someday you could think about starting to do that again). I miss the other family times we spent together, like family vacations, holidays, and going to plays, concerts, & Suns games together. I remember how you & your brother used to pick on each other so much, and then what great friends you became. </i></div>
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<i>It’s hard being separated from you by 400 miles and not seeing you as much as we’d like, but as long as I have history books you want to borrow, I know we’ll stay in touch.</i></div>
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<i>Happy Birthday, my beautiful daughter! </i></div>
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<i>Now slow down … I’m going to feel ancient when you turn 30.</i></div>
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<i>Love, Dad"</i></div>
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1st Grade</div>
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2nd/3rd Grade</div>
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Amy was one of just four or five 2nd graders in a combination 2nd/3rd grade class and by the end of the year the teacher recommended that she skip 3rd grade because she had been doing 3rd grade work all year anyway. By then we didn't have much choice since it would have been silly to make her sit thru 3rd grade again. She handled the jump just fine.<br />
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4th Grade</div>
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(her shirt says "Chill Out")</div>
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5th Grade</div>
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6th Grade</div>
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7th Grade</div>
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8th Grade</div>
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9th Grade</div>
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10th Grade</div>
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11th Grade</div>
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12th Grade</div>
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(her casual photo - I like this one better than the formal one because it looks more real, like she is.)</div>
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Formal Senior Portrait</div>
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This was taken in 2005. We sure love being with our girl.</div>
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Happy Birthday, Amy! We hope you have a blast at Hearst Castle and an awesome year ahead.</div>
NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-19510649070110609952010-03-14T21:16:00.002-07:002019-07-20T13:27:51.875-07:00Herb Gardening 101 Class at the Desert Botanical GardenFor the last 3 Sunday afternoons I had the chance to attend a class at the <a href="http://www.dbg.org/index.php/education/adult">Desert Botanical Garden</a> in Phoenix. The class was called "Herbs from Garden to Kitchen". Our teacher was Catherine Crowley, also known as "<a href="http://www.edibleherbsandflowers.blogspot.com/">The Herb Lady</a>" (this is a link to her blog) and wow does she know her stuff! I got a notebook full of tips and useful information.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXuUsBKB4Ke1yDDiW8JOSw-jJvmXAZ5OC6EkGQ-ZryjRVWF3AgwbTCwMlQyUoTGJbuWq68ibpbTeGMuKe_46dufwong4lwnKdoTciAKIL51O16Nyj4ZQPj73gktss3oBj0ppY/s1600-h/2010.03+Herb+Gardening+Class_0001_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="467" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXuUsBKB4Ke1yDDiW8JOSw-jJvmXAZ5OC6EkGQ-ZryjRVWF3AgwbTCwMlQyUoTGJbuWq68ibpbTeGMuKe_46dufwong4lwnKdoTciAKIL51O16Nyj4ZQPj73gktss3oBj0ppY/s640/2010.03+Herb+Gardening+Class_0001_edited-1.JPG" width="640" /></a>We also toured the Herb Garden on site at DBG and had a chance to touch, taste and smell some unique herbs that Catherine brought in from her own garden. Have you ever seen Chocolate Basil? How about Cinnamon Basil? My favorite was Lemon Basil. Actually pretty much anything with lemon smelled delicious. There's also Lemon Thyme, Lemon Grass, Lemon Verbena and even more.<br />
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We learned about shopping for plants & seeds, as well as planting, location, watering, sunlight, fertilizing, insects, etc. I always thought it was nearly impossible to grow anything but cactus here in the desert, but I'm learning that there are actually quite a few plants that will thrive here. The most important thing is WHEN you plant and how much sunlight the plants will get. Even though our days a quite warm, Catherine says that EVERY edible plant needs at least 4 to 6 hours of sun each day.<br />
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For the grand finale of the last class Catherine brought in several samples of recipes that she had made with herbs, plus we watched some video of other recipes that she had created. You can see 4 different kinds of tabouli in the photo above. We got copies of the recipes to take home too. Oh, by the way, in case you don't know...everything tastes better with fresh herbs!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifeAO_FuJvwVAzDrHfPGV58juJ4IWKNFjhQb6pEY1YRP8WOfkllGTRG6pqwAq2x9zIgh7_MyyD1-LNRbX3bfu626FLXJlVdRZmtse1jJhteZYGDuQqmJK3Di-N7DLkkIqSrI_g/s1600-h/2010.03+Herb+Gardening_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifeAO_FuJvwVAzDrHfPGV58juJ4IWKNFjhQb6pEY1YRP8WOfkllGTRG6pqwAq2x9zIgh7_MyyD1-LNRbX3bfu626FLXJlVdRZmtse1jJhteZYGDuQqmJK3Di-N7DLkkIqSrI_g/s640/2010.03+Herb+Gardening_0003.JPG" width="428" /></a></div>
We're pretty much at the end of our range for springtime planting now, so I wanted to pick up a few things before it was too late.<br />
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On Saturday Terry and I did some shopping. Here's what I planted today.<br />
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Yellow Pear Tomatoes, Strawberries, Alyssum, Lavender, Basil, Lemon Basil, Parsley, Rosemary, and Chives. We also picked up these yellow flowers that I thought were Euryop daisies, but the tag on them says some kind of Butterfly something or other...oh well, they look similar, so we'll see how they do.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirU46DnmRmKpnYP8UWvreLDtq5IadKZF1warXoCghJh_-h4VFG8LxXIH5NIT7StyPc8RYmPc-8wiLqFKOS_MrZo-iv5ma14FxWeye0V3JTADG-sFNfNFMKNo3ZL2JO0giMJgUz/s1600-h/2010.03+Herb+Gardening_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirU46DnmRmKpnYP8UWvreLDtq5IadKZF1warXoCghJh_-h4VFG8LxXIH5NIT7StyPc8RYmPc-8wiLqFKOS_MrZo-iv5ma14FxWeye0V3JTADG-sFNfNFMKNo3ZL2JO0giMJgUz/s640/2010.03+Herb+Gardening_0005.JPG" width="428" /></a>We picked up a nice Star Jasmine vine for the atrium in the back yard too. I hope it does o.k. The area doesn't get a lot of sun, so it's iffy. But, I love the scent of star jasmine, so I'm hoping we can make it work.<br />
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This last photo is what the front entry area looks like now with our humble little garden...or maybe I should call it my humbling little garden (depending on how it does).<br />
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I tried a few things that weren't recommended, but we can't really afford to buy a bunch of big flower pots right now, so I had to use what we had. The Herb Lady recommends that you use pots at LEAST 2 FEET across if you do container gardening in Phoenix, in order to insulate the plants from the heat. Most of the pots we have are smaller than that, so I tried to keep them away from the edge. We'll see how they do....<br />
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Eventually we need to extend the water drip lines so we can run one into each pot, but for now we'll hand water them. And the long term plan is to fill the plant shelves in the front of the house with pots as well. I think it will add some nice color, scents and even some goodies for eating too.<br />
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I really love having God's amazing creation around. My grandmother made her living as a farmer, but the knowledge wasn't passed down to my generation. I always thought it would be great to have my grandmother come and live with us for a year or so and teach us how to garden, but unfortunately, that never happened. Terry did pretty well with a garden when we were in California, but so far he hasn't had the time or inclination for it. Hopefully this will get us started and eventually our yard will be overflowing with little bits of God's glorious beauty.<br />
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NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-78878819459039321512010-03-06T11:59:00.008-07:002019-07-20T13:49:37.295-07:00We're Hoping to go to Bosnia!<div style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0000cc;">Terry and I are excited about a chance to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina for a short-term mission trip – our first ever!</span> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;">God has provided the opportunity and the availability of time off for us to travel and we are so very thankful.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">If we can raise the necessary funds, we'll go as part of a team from our church, led by Bob and <st1:personname>Helen Ryan</st1:personname>. Helen leads <i>Open Door to the World</i> (ODW) an outreach arm of our church, Open Door Fellowship, in Phoenix and her husband <a href="http://www.bobryanmusic.com/home.html">Bob </a>is an amazing musician and songwriter. The Ryans have been working for years with the people and churches of this struggling nation since the war that tore <st1:country-region><st1:place>Yugoslavia</st1:place></st1:country-region> apart in the 1990’s. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Open Door to the World, has worked to help bring hope and reconciliation to Bosnia since before the war's end. Beginning with a long-term assistance program to Bosnian refugees arriving in Phoenix, and working to impact the country with yearly teams to Bosnia itself, ODW has formed long-term relationships in the struggle for peace there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Mission:</span></div>
<dl class="info" style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><dd><span style="font-size: small;">This year, the Catfish Hunters musical duo (Terry and Bob Ryan) have been invited to perform at various venues in three towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina. What we’ve been asked to do is present songs that speak about forgiveness, hope and reconciliation to this war-scarred country. It's a badly needed message.</span></dd></dl>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0000cc;">Now here’s the awesome part! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u><span style="color: #0000cc;">Terry’s part in the team will be to use the musical gifts God has given him to minister in the cities of Mostar, </span></u><st1:city><st1:place><u><span style="color: #0000cc;">Sarajevo</span></u></st1:place></st1:city><u><span style="color: #0000cc;"> and perhaps one other.</span></u> For those who haven’t heard him, he’s now playing guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass and harmonica. <st1:personname></st1:personname><st1:personname></st1:personname><span style="color: #0000cc;">Through the Coffee-bar performances, our Team’s prayer is to reach out to the communities as a connecting point between the Christians and their non-believing friends in those cities.</span><span style="color: #0000cc;"> </span></span> They'll be playing both at churches, to encourage believers, and in secular “Coffee-bar” venues to bring the message of forgiveness and reconciliation. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwNffYiCil7PXShWoCTaPvKr2-B-5Jx8yjSuVB8kIpahGppg4K-7UO1aEyONKnEkFUyFutK3DUTK5skr7ULDwS4cWQcCIkz-8xa4al-nJ7Npy2iOQbY4eQEQtAln6HsMLOEi1/s1600-h/Nancy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwNffYiCil7PXShWoCTaPvKr2-B-5Jx8yjSuVB8kIpahGppg4K-7UO1aEyONKnEkFUyFutK3DUTK5skr7ULDwS4cWQcCIkz-8xa4al-nJ7Npy2iOQbY4eQEQtAln6HsMLOEi1/s320/Nancy.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0000cc;"></span><u style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #0000cc;">I hope to use my photography to capture glimpses of the stories of the Bosnian churches, people and ministries and bring them home to those who want to know more about the work God is doing there.</span></u><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> We also look forward to opportunities to share Christ and to encourage the hearts of the believers, young churches and our own Open Door Fellowship missionary family there (the Tinlin’s) in practical ways as well. Along the way I hope to provide written and visual updates, whenever Internet access is available.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">We hope to be a blessing to the people of Bosnia. And we believe that doing so in God’s name will be a blessing to us. <span style="color: #0000cc;">You can share in that blessing</span> – In prayer as we prepare and while we travel, in financially supporting this work, and by keeping in touch with what we find and experience as it happens, through our regular communications during the trip.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0000cc;">In a nation of several million people and fewer than 2,000 evangelical believers, the churches struggle to meet the needs of their members and to have a significant impact on their cities.</span><b><span style="color: #0000cc;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Open Door to the World</i> ministry trips are financed through the fund raising efforts and personal contributions of team members. <span style="color: #0000cc;">Your participation with us is a significant investment in the Bosnian churches and their testimony in the surrounding communities. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0000cc;">And so…</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #0000cc;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> We would welcome any questions you have and will look forward to keeping you abreast of our plans, preparations and travels if you decide to partner with our team. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Bosnia is still filled with strife and ethnic and political division. Without Christ, there is no solution that will bring these divided people together<b><span style="color: #0000cc;">. </span></b><span style="color: #0000cc;">Your prayers and financial support will give us the opportunity to use the gifts and talents that God has given us to encourage and minister to the people of Bosnia, using the universal message of music to reach across language and ethnic barriers to share the Good News of Jesus Christ!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: small; text-align: left;">To learn more about the goals of <b>Open Door to the World</b> visit <a href="http://www.odfchurch.org/">www.ODFchurch.org</a></span><span style="color: blue; text-align: left;"> and click on “Outreach”.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We hope you're as excited about this opportunity as we are! Can't wait to get there and see how God will use us to impact these communities.</span><br />
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NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-16945196798635746382010-03-04T22:04:00.000-07:002019-07-20T13:52:12.937-07:00Playing Music with Dave Argentati in Tucson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last Friday, Terry and I drove down to Tucson so he could join his friends, Dave Argentati and Mark Converti to play music at the <a href="http://www.glassonioncafe.net/">Glass Onion Cafe</a>. </div>
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They played a mix of 70's covers, James Taylor, Jim Croce and others, as well as a good supply of Dave's original songs. Terry even sang lead on a couple of old favorites. One of these days I'll get a video tape of it.</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8TeiePxXvZKfpyxG14Lm7y7d3DeN_ndwivPCyzSOMmqRqpqDcLM91eERpFoQWCn-Bu8AdPDBBglt6YnTCZh6EcHJOtEhexqGCJ-bz-1Mz3pIjwMWBGexvtH1UQQWagVtn8JU/s1600-h/2010.02.26+Tucson+Argentati+Concert_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8TeiePxXvZKfpyxG14Lm7y7d3DeN_ndwivPCyzSOMmqRqpqDcLM91eERpFoQWCn-Bu8AdPDBBglt6YnTCZh6EcHJOtEhexqGCJ-bz-1Mz3pIjwMWBGexvtH1UQQWagVtn8JU/s640/2010.02.26+Tucson+Argentati+Concert_0014.JPG" width="640" /></a> The cafe itself is a quaint little place with about 10 tables or so. All the seats in the house were full and there were even people standing outside to listen to the music. The photos behind the guys are called the "Wall of Fame". The owners take pictures of their patrons and hang them up on the wall.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZCzM8_3SEHwlNG7gFhLK-Fl8zIXO17cpFHyKKhmLFL7sq9dH479hTfEsruryIqruDf8aCoKLm9H2tH-vmti7xZm4T1qC4EXvAmVgEo9btmr5i2mjHggF58t_a4yokIe8rkQg/s1600-h/2010.02.26+Tucson+Argentati+Concert_0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZCzM8_3SEHwlNG7gFhLK-Fl8zIXO17cpFHyKKhmLFL7sq9dH479hTfEsruryIqruDf8aCoKLm9H2tH-vmti7xZm4T1qC4EXvAmVgEo9btmr5i2mjHggF58t_a4yokIe8rkQg/s640/2010.02.26+Tucson+Argentati+Concert_0019.JPG" width="640" /></a> Our friends, Doug and Liz Johnson (Liz is in red on the left -Doug is sitting in front of her on the other side of the table) from Santa Clarita, CA moved to Tucson a few years ago. Liz and I have connected on Facebook and they were so sweet to come and hear Terry and the guys play. They also brought their son, Zach (in brown) who is in high school now. The last time we saw him, he was about 10 years old, so he's changed A LOT and is quite a handsome, well mannered, young man. He was so polite to sit thru 2 hours of oldies and songs that he'd never heard before. Thanks Zach.</div>
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In this photo you can see a glimpse of Mark, the cellist sitting behind and between the guys. He adds such a beautiful sound to the trio. </div>
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After the concert we had a chance to hang out with Dave, Kathrin and some of their friends. What a great group of people they are. It was such a fun night but we didn't leave their house until midnight! We had a wedding to go to the next day (more on that later) so we decided to do the 2 hour drive home. Or should I say, Terry did the 2 hour drive home while I slept most of it. I think we're getting too old to stay out until after 2 am. The next night we ended up coming home early after the wedding and I slept like a rock trying to catch up after a short night before. It was well worth it though, and we would do it again in a second! Maybe next time we'll stay overnight in Tucson.</div>
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If you want to see a few more pictures you can go<a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=150761&id=519199731&l=8ebcbb0c07"> here</a>. </div>
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NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-11230709744583141332010-02-28T21:03:00.001-07:002019-07-20T13:54:44.700-07:00Happy 26th Birthday Kevin!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This past year I've been working on sorting all my printed photos and because of that, I now have (almost) all of the kids' school pictures in one place. For some reason I'm missing Kevin's 4th grade picture (who knows why), but otherwise they're all here -starting with Kindergarten. </div>
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I thought it would be fun to see Kevin and his many faces throughout the years. Isn't he just adorable! Each of these pictures brings back so many memories of watching him grow, change and mature into the man that he is now. This year, I asked Terry if he would write a birthday note for Kevin, so here it is.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhszIsH_Rz5_XsxbwwkaK0xO8fQfxgSsnUtudXKkGw1K27gZlXX3YwA6WQbew9GoL-5QOdrQa5CGKQVQExvSgXb6G8r8GEnKtDbEM3QzMYnxVKVemkCticQqPDSIxtRp1kTOBuW/s1600-h/Kevin+School+pic+-+Kindergarten+89-90+low+res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhszIsH_Rz5_XsxbwwkaK0xO8fQfxgSsnUtudXKkGw1K27gZlXX3YwA6WQbew9GoL-5QOdrQa5CGKQVQExvSgXb6G8r8GEnKtDbEM3QzMYnxVKVemkCticQqPDSIxtRp1kTOBuW/s400/Kevin+School+pic+-+Kindergarten+89-90+low+res.jpg" width="288" /></a><i>"Kevin, we’re so proud of you! We think of you often off in that foreign land called Mississippi, and wish there was a way we could be closer.</i></div>
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<i>We’re very thankful for the man that you’ve become, but I definitely miss those days of watching you grow up. I miss going to your basketball games, plays, and choir concerts. I miss going on camping trips and canoe trips with you and the different places we went on our family vacations. I miss so many different things we did together as you grew up – playing basketball, going on hikes together, playing guitars. As anyone who knows you will agree, you are always a lot of fun to be around.</i><br />
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<i>The fact that you chose to serve your country for the last few years makes me very proud. It’s been a joy and a special privilege to be your father, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what God has in store for you in the years to come.</i><br />
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<i>Have a great birthday, Son! We hope to see you very soon. <b>Love, <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dad"</span></b></i> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0_kvmSnPORqJXOpcce7ApR57Hsf7HV_BHF0KYPKft9sINH464ZCuJ_T9Piu9-iWb63-ajeCKDQ0pOwB7faG7i-AXvUfx4yavx4mvsz7zRdaUXYHjkK4X4bOhEozI5Q71_2ti/s1600-h/Kevin+School+pic+-+1st+grade+90-91+low+res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0_kvmSnPORqJXOpcce7ApR57Hsf7HV_BHF0KYPKft9sINH464ZCuJ_T9Piu9-iWb63-ajeCKDQ0pOwB7faG7i-AXvUfx4yavx4mvsz7zRdaUXYHjkK4X4bOhEozI5Q71_2ti/s400/Kevin+School+pic+-+1st+grade+90-91+low+res.jpg" width="285" /></a> </div>
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1st grade</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhDXyYnyIAXet8lBLPwpi8SR14VRmovws0rSjYHv_wb217g-GR0_DK4D22F7NvRtXiSoRwwqUqkVMv51MfJ6pu2EHLYu_eQBbY0i2DqZMfe2d7RW4rbhbNo8QYePxun-aTKs0z/s1600-h/Kevin+School+pic+-+2nd+grade+91-92+low+res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhDXyYnyIAXet8lBLPwpi8SR14VRmovws0rSjYHv_wb217g-GR0_DK4D22F7NvRtXiSoRwwqUqkVMv51MfJ6pu2EHLYu_eQBbY0i2DqZMfe2d7RW4rbhbNo8QYePxun-aTKs0z/s400/Kevin+School+pic+-+2nd+grade+91-92+low+res.jpg" width="287" /></a> </div>
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2nd grade</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipy9NbFTTKHe_y9GMsIrssBQnpASNTUMucBtgf6NNwh4Xo3u-pobYDdGjVzPRVSA5LUBDDmUzMJNdJxRYpOpgWT3_NAn-wui-Icm_q4ZYc5J0eUvazZdLIVfkUxiosByOUIycf/s1600-h/Kevin+School+pic+-+3rd+grade+92-93+low+res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipy9NbFTTKHe_y9GMsIrssBQnpASNTUMucBtgf6NNwh4Xo3u-pobYDdGjVzPRVSA5LUBDDmUzMJNdJxRYpOpgWT3_NAn-wui-Icm_q4ZYc5J0eUvazZdLIVfkUxiosByOUIycf/s400/Kevin+School+pic+-+3rd+grade+92-93+low+res.jpg" width="282" /></a> </div>
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3rd grade</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmSR9Uqu_KcDigdFusiWmZzqUPLTVWw96d-vom4CG0bqNOK-pgRrvNDp3O2wTwj1r2sQpusX7R0qtyg7ApnDGW1pK-aNvxZlgm9gnRu6wZErB1-KEGK43wZoobZFlkWAFEeZG/s1600-h/Kevin+School+pic+-+5th+grade+94+low+res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmSR9Uqu_KcDigdFusiWmZzqUPLTVWw96d-vom4CG0bqNOK-pgRrvNDp3O2wTwj1r2sQpusX7R0qtyg7ApnDGW1pK-aNvxZlgm9gnRu6wZErB1-KEGK43wZoobZFlkWAFEeZG/s400/Kevin+School+pic+-+5th+grade+94+low+res.jpg" width="287" /></a> </div>
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5th grade </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKaTmDIMIYECHY3794Bks7oMtdhzTA7LYkKQq9oIIdwqGknICVquH6i5M4rSor_eH9mnOO_mkky37C_xJ0v_OUM3ILH79kuwQPR82ni6p0I8qMcmya3PWbuzrUq0QKjylSkuo1/s1600-h/Kevin+School+pic+-+6th+grade+95+low+res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKaTmDIMIYECHY3794Bks7oMtdhzTA7LYkKQq9oIIdwqGknICVquH6i5M4rSor_eH9mnOO_mkky37C_xJ0v_OUM3ILH79kuwQPR82ni6p0I8qMcmya3PWbuzrUq0QKjylSkuo1/s400/Kevin+School+pic+-+6th+grade+95+low+res.jpg" width="266" /></a> </div>
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6th grade</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxpjzxczRulQk951oSScHP7UNrJ5EIGFkMe0Y4WmoYq1f-gZR5wU1iiD6SqyUV1IrTKqSv1-Xu5VGf_o2HJpLNdo4YGl0i7ypKY4VHfTmF3b_V4Nkp4MFnj2QQG47JJpR6ixX/s1600-h/Kevin+School+pic+-+7th+grade+96+low+res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxpjzxczRulQk951oSScHP7UNrJ5EIGFkMe0Y4WmoYq1f-gZR5wU1iiD6SqyUV1IrTKqSv1-Xu5VGf_o2HJpLNdo4YGl0i7ypKY4VHfTmF3b_V4Nkp4MFnj2QQG47JJpR6ixX/s400/Kevin+School+pic+-+7th+grade+96+low+res.jpg" width="273" /></a> </div>
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7th grade</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksQwkgDWcuZVpPVg-TQfLftjRRkMmEX_Wj_2wsRPRyMmvlSqSyDXunbviEX33VboVOA3aYreP2GsIDn6nsvmkfMeOjD_YRBEl2jS0djClxuSsaLdYtcGIhL83JdDvkHeAxpu-/s1600-h/Kevin+School+pic+-+8th+grade+97+low+res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksQwkgDWcuZVpPVg-TQfLftjRRkMmEX_Wj_2wsRPRyMmvlSqSyDXunbviEX33VboVOA3aYreP2GsIDn6nsvmkfMeOjD_YRBEl2jS0djClxuSsaLdYtcGIhL83JdDvkHeAxpu-/s400/Kevin+School+pic+-+8th+grade+97+low+res.jpg" width="283" /></a> </div>
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8th grade</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV67I2_XLYvDXkC3kdzdgWhOkVv8bHofpdcI-QDyjsuqZ9yYg2_rUxArZ6ylhUWdQ0LEmTinmRBVZa8C4s8T0aQaG2SNW74WkJqU9hqGW4269fFzoTgr7_5xWY1vUAhMkNjjSR/s1600-h/Kevin+School+pic+-+9th+grade+98+low+res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV67I2_XLYvDXkC3kdzdgWhOkVv8bHofpdcI-QDyjsuqZ9yYg2_rUxArZ6ylhUWdQ0LEmTinmRBVZa8C4s8T0aQaG2SNW74WkJqU9hqGW4269fFzoTgr7_5xWY1vUAhMkNjjSR/s400/Kevin+School+pic+-+9th+grade+98+low+res.jpg" width="281" /></a> </div>
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9th grade</div>
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10th grade </div>
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11th grade</div>
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12th grade</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKJkWWBMwMhMG_Dfyr0ziwKPli68BT7TOpykRW0DdN66uqrE0X8hOFDgAI1szIUND_ysbFsMarm4Is7td7DLaJz2OCtRJFIoba5VP_Orj846n6A542j3AsmQ18M_63zZ9CzDp/s1600-h/Kevin+School+pic+-+12th+grade+2001+low+res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKJkWWBMwMhMG_Dfyr0ziwKPli68BT7TOpykRW0DdN66uqrE0X8hOFDgAI1szIUND_ysbFsMarm4Is7td7DLaJz2OCtRJFIoba5VP_Orj846n6A542j3AsmQ18M_63zZ9CzDp/s400/Kevin+School+pic+-+12th+grade+2001+low+res.jpg" width="268" /></a> </div>
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12th grade</div>
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Shortly after his 21st birthday</div>
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Last Summer - as handsome as ever!</div>
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Happy Birthday dear son! We love you forever.</div>
NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-57330356771626886972010-02-27T10:52:00.000-07:002019-07-20T13:59:46.805-07:00Hand of HopeNot sure if you've seen this, but it's amazing!<br />
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The picture below (wait to look at it until after you read this). It's that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas , who is being operated on by surgeon named Joseph Bruner. <br />
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The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother's womb. Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta. She knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb. <br />
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During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby. As Dr. Bruner completed the surgery on Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger. Dr. Bruner was reported as saying that when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life, and that for an instant during the procedure he was just frozen, totally immobile. <br />
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The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity. The editors titled the picture, 'Hand of Hope.’ The text explaining the picture begins, 'The tiny hand of 21-week-old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life.' <br />
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Little Samuel's mother said they 'wept for days' when they saw the picture. Samuel was born in perfect health, the operation 100 percent successful. <br />
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Now see the actual picture, and it is awesome...incredible...and hey, pass<br />
it on. The world needs to see this one!<br />
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NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-4672766350434325712010-02-20T18:28:00.000-07:002019-07-20T14:02:13.811-07:00Fort Myers, Florida (Part 8) - Our Visit to Sea Salt in NaplesI'm sure you're wondering what "Sea Salt" is in the town of Naples, besides of course the actual salt. Well, we were wondering too. Diane had decided that she wanted to buy a few more of those delicious <a href="http://www.normanloveconfections.com/">Norman Love</a> chocolates to take home for family and friends and when checking online, she found out that they were also sold at a place called "Sea Salt" in Naples. We weren't sure if it was a store or what, and didn't really have time to look it up before we left. We didn't even write down the address, but Alice thought she had a good idea of where it might be, since there are a few well known shopping areas in the town.<br />
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After the rest of our adventures in Naples, we decided to try to find <a href="http://www.seasaltnaples.com/">Sea Salt</a>, so we drove around 5th Avenue and 3rd Street with our eyes out for a sign. Finally, we decided to ask a couple of women who were walking down the street. They didn't live in town, but said they thought there was a restaurant named Sea Salt somewhere on 3rd Street. That was the case and soon we were walking up to the door.<br />
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When I saw how welcoming the outdoor terrace was, I was disappointed that we hadn't given it a try for lunch on such a beautiful day. Oh well, too late for that now, but at least we could track down the chocolates we were looking for.<br />
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Well, it turns out that in addition to chocolates, they also have a little shop inside that sells all manner of treats, including - you guessed it - sea salt.<br />
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Now this wasn't just any old run of the mill boring white sea salt. The owners, Venetian chef (that's Venice, Italy, not Florida or California) Fabrizio Aielli and his wife, Ingrid have collected dozens of flavor-infused salts. And our first surprise was that Fabrizio himself offered to let Diane and I sample a few! He was so enthusiastic about every detail of our tasting. I wish we had had more time to savor his descriptions delivered in that wonderful Italian accent, as well as the flavors and the moments of discovery.<br />
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He let us try Lemon Twist, Chipotle and Ghost Pepper infused salts. The Lemon would have definitely been delicious on any kind of fish, chicken or even vegetables.<br />
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Of course, I enjoy lemon flavor on most anything so this was a special treat.<br />
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Next we tried the Chipotle, which had a smoky southwestern flavor reminiscent of our familiar Arizona spices. Obviously this would be great on Mexican food, but also pork, beef and so much more.<br />
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And for the big finale, Fabrizio took great care to explain that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhut_Jolokia_pepper">Ghost Pepper</a> from India, is recognized as the hottest pepper in the world and that it was wise to use it very sparingly. I was actually familiar with it, since our friend Jay is a big fan of hot spices and has been trying to buy some seeds so he could raise his own Ghost Peppers. So, knowing what I know about those peppers, we made sure to have some water available to douse the heat after we tasted this unique salt flavor. When I tasted it, I actually took only one grain of salt and that one little piece felt like it was burning thru my tongue. It wasn't horrible, but I don't think I would use it very often in cooking, if at all. In fact, I think it was quite daring of Fabrizio to even consider using it on his dishes. I imagine that there's an elite audience for it.<br />
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Soon Fabrizio was told that he had a gentleman waiting for an appointment and although he appeared to enjoy our little adventure much more than the thought of his upcoming meeting, he had to say goodbye. We were so appreciative of the time that he took to share his passion with us. Diane bought a small bottle of the Lemon Twist and we headed for the door.<br />
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And our last surprise was seeing this adorable dog waiting at the table for Fabrizio to come for his meeting. I'm assuming it belonged to him because he was watching him so intently and waiting so patiently for his master to join them.<br />
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So that was our last big adventure in Florida and what a fun little detour it was!NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-23306639507557610002010-02-20T15:30:00.002-07:002019-07-20T14:05:51.378-07:00Who are you?<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>If your name was in the dictionary, what would the definition be?</b></blockquote>
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Think about it and share. It goes to your core beliefs and values and what you show to the outside world.NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-2456391202554221182010-02-18T22:42:00.000-07:002019-07-20T14:22:35.051-07:00Florida (Part 7) - A Visit to NaplesOn our last day we wanted to be pretty low key so we'd have time to get packed and have a good night's rest that night. Besides, Mom was starting to get tired. At 86, it was a big trip for her and she did so well the whole time!<br />
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Alice suggested that we take a leisurely trip down the coast to the beautiful town of <a href="http://www.visitnaplesonline.com/about.htm">Naples</a>. It was a gorgeous drive along the coast and actually over several islands linked together by simple bridges. When we got into town we made a quick stop just to see the beach.<br />
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The weather was a little cool, but the day was still gorgeous to sit and enjoy the beach. The sand there is much more fine than it is in California. Not sure why. Does anyone know?</div>
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Next we went into town and had lunch at Tin City, then took a drive around the lovely neighborhoods. </div>
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Aren't these birds just sweet in their chorus line?<br />
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There was such a variety of architecture there. I love the boldness of the tropical colors in the aqua house. That one's for you Linda. Most of these homes back up to the water. Besides that, it was an area similar to Beverly Hills, although not sure that the price tag is quite the same. </div>
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The Banyan trees in the front yards were amazing as well. After seeing the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhl3HWa9y8NwWOxRK4T2RxOibm4gwjLE6fHZtiCcOTAo-ObMOEVbYeoRnNX7mAdC8R0tRooyTMTne2ND_O6J78HnX01zcfjEXuG0CbpvsTOmR3wgtBHnJ1ltNXFdzM7s_eOL8/s1600-h/2010.01.06+Ft+Myers_0150.JPG">huge one</a> in Fort Myers, you can tell why they would have to keep these well trimmed so they don't take over their whole yard. They're so unique and a little spooky at the same time.</div>
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I must say that there were quite a few "For Sale" signs in the yards. Just another indication of the state of the economy all over the country. Now we made one more stop at Sea Salt before we ended our day, but I'll save that for the next post since it had surprises that were both fun and a little sad. That was our last official event of the trip.</div>
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Come back tomorrow to see what happened!</div>
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NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-44792031826242240592010-02-13T16:15:00.001-07:002019-07-20T14:28:01.142-07:00Florida (Part 6) - Cruise to Cabbage Key<br />
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On Sunday Alice made reservations for us to take a day cruise to <a href="http://www.cabbagekey.com/home/">Cabbage Key</a> so we got up and out a little earlier than usual and headed across<a href="http://www.sanibel-captiva.org/"> Sanibel and Captiva Islands</a> to catch the Lady Chadwick.<br />
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Our host and guide was so friendly. He spent time explaining so many interesting details about the natural and human history of the area.<br />
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After about an hour on the water, we arrived at the island. This is the restaurant at Cabbage Key where we had lunch. It's also said that the song "Cheeseburger in Paradise" was inspired at this location.<br />
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This is what it looks like inside. The walls are covered with real dollar bills. Our cruise guide said that it's estimated that there's $70,000 or more on those walls. Just look at how thick that pole is in the middle. That's a lot of layers of paper! The bills that fall on the floor are donated to charity.<br />
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Of course we had to add our dollar as well. With all 4 of our names on it. It's hanging near the door between the restaurant and bar. We'll have to go back and visit it sometime.<br />
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The folks who run the restaurant were kind enough to offer to take us down the short walking trail in a golf cart since mom has some trouble getting around. We drove by this house with the friendly blood hound howling from the porch. It kind of reminded me of the Pirates of the Caribbean.</div>
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Alice explained that this is a Strangler Fig tree that has wrapped itself around a palm tree. Very strange and kinda creepy.</div>
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More of the beautiful flora on the island.</div>
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This moss covered speed limit sign reminds us to S-L-O-W down. Of course, on an island that's only 100 acres and has no automobiles, its easy to take it slow.<br />
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This is the observation tower that Alice and I climbed.<br />
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Here's the view from the top.</div>
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This beautiful crane is outside the kitchen door waiting for a treat. </div>
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We had several dolphins swim alongside our boat. I never get tired of watching these amazing creatures.<br />
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We headed back "home" by mid-afternoon and enjoyed watching the Super Bowl and the commercials that night.<br />
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Tomorrow we'll head to Naples, FL for our last day of our mini vacation. Come back soon.NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-1440923267482895962010-02-12T20:50:00.000-07:002019-07-20T14:32:31.321-07:00Fort Myers, Florida (Part 5) - This and ThatHere are some places we visited just for fun.<br />
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We had a chance to "meet" Alice's pets on Friday night. Aren't they the cutest little ones? Lacey is a Pomeranian, but Alice keeps her trimmed really short (except her tail). I really love the look. She looks like a miniature fox.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzeKsKgDhVV1k-ZWjfoBYyO2Vh5v1tIcU2qtK5jnTA8e27SrauDKbQY2QDf6Ao-RNbwq9Kx6-Q1SEOzQTPVpWNWEe7N3K9P6f-EhQzntDzI33W3qp31855dwZGmnqI1nl5TLcL/s1600-h/2010.02.04-09+Fort+Myers+-+FL_0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzeKsKgDhVV1k-ZWjfoBYyO2Vh5v1tIcU2qtK5jnTA8e27SrauDKbQY2QDf6Ao-RNbwq9Kx6-Q1SEOzQTPVpWNWEe7N3K9P6f-EhQzntDzI33W3qp31855dwZGmnqI1nl5TLcL/s640/2010.02.04-09+Fort+Myers+-+FL_0069.JPG" width="640" /></a>And Charlie, the cat was given to her by her neighbor. He's a beauty, isn't he? He's about twice the size of our cat, Shredder.<br />
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Diane was warming up for a fun evening. She looks a little messy from the rain that fell earlier that night. It's amazing what humidity does to your hair. I forget about that when we live here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvXUBsnqn_O6j_35LJPRVdfxccdmacIbJMeZHbLNH2z7NqnCj48w8kTWs2DQKrOLskThBv7UxOa5FTBcQWwKEfoSm-VrkCSh7sLzi408fcX1_ClhMYF3o3wRWaMy0GuVXTwum/s1600-h/2010.01.06+Ft+Myers_0112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvXUBsnqn_O6j_35LJPRVdfxccdmacIbJMeZHbLNH2z7NqnCj48w8kTWs2DQKrOLskThBv7UxOa5FTBcQWwKEfoSm-VrkCSh7sLzi408fcX1_ClhMYF3o3wRWaMy0GuVXTwum/s640/2010.01.06+Ft+Myers_0112.JPG" width="640" /></a>Saturday Alice took us to <a href="http://www.normanloveconfections.com/">Norman Love Confections</a> and it was wonderful! Norman even came out and talked with us. His chocolate is delicious! Look at those gorgeous desserts! I couldn't talk anyone in our group into splitting one with me...bummer.<br />
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We also went to <a href="http://www.leeparks.org/facility-info/facility-details.cfm?Project_Num=0088">Manatee Park</a> to see if we could get a glimpse of those interesting creatures. We were able to see them poke their noses and tails (photo above) out of the water. Sadly the cold weather there in the last month is <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/12/manatee.cold.weather/?hpt=T2">taking it's toll</a> on this endangered species.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14AvLmdZBd2Fi_U4_Ygnp-PyHo1cnU7IhDG26DYgmgrDjc7jovcXb9rQ-0GCYG5gv2gJqAFEa_LbZdliZBmTb4mvZMIcz1ApRo_pi_DSfv94rLC_bLDRWP7L2QpYwb7pWAKLx/s1600-h/2010.01.06+Ft+Myers_0135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14AvLmdZBd2Fi_U4_Ygnp-PyHo1cnU7IhDG26DYgmgrDjc7jovcXb9rQ-0GCYG5gv2gJqAFEa_LbZdliZBmTb4mvZMIcz1ApRo_pi_DSfv94rLC_bLDRWP7L2QpYwb7pWAKLx/s640/2010.01.06+Ft+Myers_0135.JPG" width="640" /></a>Made a quick stop at the <a href="http://www.shellfactory.com/">Shell Factory</a> and saw hundreds of shells of all shapes and sizes. The store is pretty kitchy, but a fun place to visit. Look how cute my mom looks here.<br />
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While passing through town one day, we made a quick stop to see the <a href="http://www.hgtv.com/landscaping/the-banyan/index.html">Banyan </a>tree at the site of the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford summer homes. You can see Diane and Alice standing in the center. Remember this is just ONE tree. They're all over southwestern Florida. The homeowners keep them trimmed, but they are so unusual looking.<br />
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Several times while we were there we had to cross the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caloosahatchee_River">Caloosahatchee River</a> between Fort Myers and North Fort Myers. It's a huge river! There seemed to be water everywhere we went. We were never quite sure if we were looking at a river, a canal, the Gulf of Mexico or some other body of water. <br />
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We had dinner overlooking the beach. It was beautiful. This is the view from our dinner table. Doesn't this look like a preview of the Spring Break crowd?<br />
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And here's the view down the beach.<br />
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Here's Diane daydreaming that she could live in Florida. She couldn't stop talking about moving there. I told her she'd better go visit for a while in the summer before she made a final decision. I can't quite imagine 90 degrees with 90 percent humidity. Can you say "stifling"?<br />
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So I leave you with a beautiful sunset over the Gulf of Mexico. I hope you enjoyed the quick tour. Tomorrow's post will be about our cruise to Cabbage Key.<br />
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How would you feel about living in Florida?NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-9672531953588712992010-02-08T09:06:00.001-07:002019-07-20T14:37:28.717-07:00Fort Myers, FL (Part 4) - Beautiful Music<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When we went downtown for the First Fridays Art Walk in Fort Myers we had a chance to meet some of Alice's friends, enjoy some delicious food, browse a few galleries and hear some great music!<br />
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These are a few of the friends that Alice meets up with to enjoy First Fridays and other night life around town. They are a sweet bunch of folks.<br />
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While we were there we heard the legendary John Mooney play blues (slide) guitar for free at the <a href="http://www.downtownfortmyers.com/View.cfm/hurl/ID=10">Indigo Room</a>! He's a pretty amazing musician. (There's a photo of him playing with Bonnie Rait among other things). Apparently he has family in Fort Myers, so he comes to see them and drops in at some of the local places to play. Sorry that the photo is blurry. I was using our table as a tripod and it kept getting bumped, but you get the idea.<br />
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After that we wandered down to have dinner at the<a href="http://www.frenchconnectioncafe.com/"> French Connection Cafe</a>. The food was excellent and very reasonably priced. Even though we had a pretty big storm earlier in the evening, the weather was perfect for eating outside.</div>
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Check out Alice's Steak Salad. Mmmm!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUr3qidbyOuauqZY9y4Etm6XHrnCoICCtH3zLgkvcI_-7PW43r8PUP8usswZEKkvyCAds2e4Bm1FoKKKTqvLGhi58p0D_nWkkdVZ4Sb7Qo6GndEt7b1J4ZtJc0KJahieftgip/s1600-h/2010.02.04-09+Fort+Myers+-+FL_0201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUr3qidbyOuauqZY9y4Etm6XHrnCoICCtH3zLgkvcI_-7PW43r8PUP8usswZEKkvyCAds2e4Bm1FoKKKTqvLGhi58p0D_nWkkdVZ4Sb7Qo6GndEt7b1J4ZtJc0KJahieftgip/s640/2010.02.04-09+Fort+Myers+-+FL_0201.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Later we stopped in at this <a href="http://www.artsforactgallery.com/">Arts for ACT Gallery</a> and Boutique set up to raise funds for (<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9pt;"><span style="color: blanchedalmond; font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 12px;"><b><span style="color: black;">Abuse Counseling and Treatment)</span> </b></span></span>in the Fort Myers area. See the beautiful blue scarf hanging over the partition? That's where I found MY beautiful GREEN hand-dyed silk scarf by Sara Long that I promptly purchased to bring home. It was VERY reasonably priced too. I loved all the quilted art and textiles here. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_Pv53dfFhhyepflKNUn-n7xRfBkASITu7SpJnxkOBZzB8s1BT1UKLFLCdXK1diHQv5oNst7AF33S_4EZipMbvJ2OfUwp0MSga9kvQ1gJONaBWGICNIo_3mEmbiX_e_lLwTCE/s1600-h/2010.02.04-09+Fort+Myers+-+FL_0274_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_Pv53dfFhhyepflKNUn-n7xRfBkASITu7SpJnxkOBZzB8s1BT1UKLFLCdXK1diHQv5oNst7AF33S_4EZipMbvJ2OfUwp0MSga9kvQ1gJONaBWGICNIo_3mEmbiX_e_lLwTCE/s320/2010.02.04-09+Fort+Myers+-+FL_0274_edited-1.JPG" /></a> </div>
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Alice has a friend, <a href="http://www.katepple.com/">Kat Epple </a>that was playing music at another gallery - <a href="http://www.spacethirtynine.com/eventsartgallery.htm">Space 39</a> (also free to listen) so we headed over there to hear her music and meet more of Alice's friends. We learned that Kat's music has won 8 Emmys for film scores and has been nominated for Grammys! Pretty awesome, huh? Unfortunately, I don't know the names of the other 2 musicians, but they all played beautifully! The guy on the right is playing a theramin. You can go <a href="http://www.bestofyoutube.com/story.php?title=5317517">here</a> if you want to hear what one sounds like. It has something to do with radio waves...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIKXMR-KO8l3vSvnblVsvPeIGFk7ka-K0NH2x7KzQOSoPuRq5tfwVxpHLpnpjItgVXL69MLMRUnM2l-CSI62SVQAatRpPb2bR57WZQz-ZE-xvJLnoOGmbY27_d-1o_XOuCFZD/s1600-h/2010.02.04-09+Fort+Myers+-+FL_0226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIKXMR-KO8l3vSvnblVsvPeIGFk7ka-K0NH2x7KzQOSoPuRq5tfwVxpHLpnpjItgVXL69MLMRUnM2l-CSI62SVQAatRpPb2bR57WZQz-ZE-xvJLnoOGmbY27_d-1o_XOuCFZD/s640/2010.02.04-09+Fort+Myers+-+FL_0226.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Well we're headed out to Naples today, so that's all I have time for. We had a really fun time at the Art Walk, thanks to our host and tour guide, Alice.</div>
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NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-28306157494805754532010-02-06T21:11:00.001-07:002019-07-20T14:40:51.654-07:00Fort Myers, Florida (Part 3) - Sunsets and Manatees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is all I have time for tonight. First thing this morning we decided to take some pictures in our hotel lobby because the colors are so much fun! This is me and my mom (of course). See how my new scarf matches the bench?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRz1IcRTjRi3N76f2QetXFMOBdOS9eFas7smdpwuQlFAs4nYVWviF_FRb_taPBTH0gGj8qiI2hJtA2I9eOsxdXqxaHDLE-avja6LjRuZomTNJnkw3ibI0oxYf_lkMZuPu1Y6PC/s1600-h/2010.01.06+Ft+Myers_0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRz1IcRTjRi3N76f2QetXFMOBdOS9eFas7smdpwuQlFAs4nYVWviF_FRb_taPBTH0gGj8qiI2hJtA2I9eOsxdXqxaHDLE-avja6LjRuZomTNJnkw3ibI0oxYf_lkMZuPu1Y6PC/s640/2010.01.06+Ft+Myers_0030.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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This is our view from the window of the restaurant where we had dinner tonight at Fort Myers Beach. Isn't it gorgeous!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1Kw1MX0Em1tKPkeXV9ePbtzkG7nP2TzHFe7NSdpAmh-P32OK3BU6lpfDcBeBrzz892QRAV3tNKyPlbL7z3h9qJC5QLJIax5kxTgTDRbyx6zb7fjr7IdeoHuRynnAIKhX3oyn/s1600-h/2010.02.06+Fort+Myers+Sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1Kw1MX0Em1tKPkeXV9ePbtzkG7nP2TzHFe7NSdpAmh-P32OK3BU6lpfDcBeBrzz892QRAV3tNKyPlbL7z3h9qJC5QLJIax5kxTgTDRbyx6zb7fjr7IdeoHuRynnAIKhX3oyn/s640/2010.02.06+Fort+Myers+Sunset.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We also saw <a href="http://www.savethemanatee.org/default.html">Manatees</a> today, or should I say little bitty glimpses of parts of Manatees. I'll post a picture later, but you won't be impressed. I need to go thru and figure out which shot actually shows enough of it that you can recognize something. The water wasn't clear, like it appears to be in the photo below (courtesy of SeaPics.com). It was kind of exciting to see them though. Did you know they're called the "Cows of the Sea"?<br />
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Tomorrow we'll be cruising to<a href="http://www.captivacruises.com/sched_cruises.html#CabbageKey"> Cabbage Key</a>. Hoping to see dolphins along the way. </div>
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More pics to come... Have a great Sunday!</div>
NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29679679.post-72165271324301728172010-02-06T09:07:00.003-07:002019-07-20T14:41:44.691-07:00Fort Myers, Florida (Part 2) First Day <br />
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Here are a few more highlights from our first day or so...be sure to scroll down to see the first post if you missed it.<br />
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When we landed, Mom's sister Alice picked us up from the airport and took us to our hotel. When we walked in the room, she had left a huge bouquet of gladiolas! Did you know that Fort Myers used to be the Gladiola Capitol of the US (maybe the world, I don't remember).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrIMDEK1ZubJxe669mA61sE_nOStFgzDp6cPzJyjCFZlSsESejSaWzqoue0saIon4FgLMBklrZ3TtZM1r36Hl2AYNyVz675xlYNny5-paVweEYbgklPQxbBlbozEoGvNzqL6N/s1600-h/2010.02.04-09+Fort+Myers+-+FL_0289_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrIMDEK1ZubJxe669mA61sE_nOStFgzDp6cPzJyjCFZlSsESejSaWzqoue0saIon4FgLMBklrZ3TtZM1r36Hl2AYNyVz675xlYNny5-paVweEYbgklPQxbBlbozEoGvNzqL6N/s640/2010.02.04-09+Fort+Myers+-+FL_0289_edited-1.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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Alice also had created a huge basket full of local treats with fresh shrimp, gorgeous fruits and veggies, tourist brochures, wine, etc. She even brought a book from a local author and checked out some books about the area from the library. The shrimp and other food were great snacks to have as we settled in for the night.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrikfvUfIoDkB_Cy1LnxhUcazq-O4Hv1kFa53QASbbdAXgaMwqz2FUAWpoiO7n9m27InjsK55NDHObtRepV2P8X7gTUH05dDvywnBvo7o2oxgP_KoCqTZrizIRnRuypTYt0NtP/s1600-h/2010.02.04-09+Fort+Myers+-+FL_0278_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrikfvUfIoDkB_Cy1LnxhUcazq-O4Hv1kFa53QASbbdAXgaMwqz2FUAWpoiO7n9m27InjsK55NDHObtRepV2P8X7gTUH05dDvywnBvo7o2oxgP_KoCqTZrizIRnRuypTYt0NtP/s640/2010.02.04-09+Fort+Myers+-+FL_0278_edited-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
What a fun surprise! I'm sure it took a lot of driving around (and money) to pull all those things together.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHr3NBdd3SKN1l6oQ0jYD89RblXObLvFdgGBOh9jSt94IrATj13ui4BeUrmT0aOZkUit37mLuS2DTJCGcBlVYy1T5We9sbbgBNC3tG2kI7j5UvMREB3uONErGjET5dgiWPnEt-/s1600-h/2010.02.04-09+Fort+Myers+-+FL_0286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHr3NBdd3SKN1l6oQ0jYD89RblXObLvFdgGBOh9jSt94IrATj13ui4BeUrmT0aOZkUit37mLuS2DTJCGcBlVYy1T5We9sbbgBNC3tG2kI7j5UvMREB3uONErGjET5dgiWPnEt-/s640/2010.02.04-09+Fort+Myers+-+FL_0286.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Check out those scrumptious <a href="http://www.normanloveconfections.com/">Norman Love Chocolates</a>! We told her we want to go visit that store. They are works of art! Mmmmm...<br />
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Alice has lived in this area for a long time, so she's the perfect host and tour guide. We're so excited about our time here, but we know it's going to be too short already.<br />
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Next post - Beautiful music in Fort Myers...NanAZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14608375848496775823noreply@blogger.com0