Merry Christmas!

The midnight snack

I heard the dog munching on something in the dark and, being a mom, I have learned to recognize the sound of somebody eating something they aren’t supposed to…it didn’t have the ring of any of his chewies.

I got up to check.

He’s so dark I couldn’t see him. All I could see was that he was eating something that was blinking a green light. I was still half asleep and thought, ‘Now what could he have that would do that?’

As I flipped the light on I’m sure I said something special because Peter was instantly awake. It was so funny though nobody got really mad. I did wonder for a second if there was any radioactive substance or something that could kill him. I guess not, he’s still alive.

So now Peter and I are sharing a phone. If anyone is having trouble getting a hold of us, that’s why. Since Peter uses the phone the most for business and long distance calls, he gets it the most. His tendency was to leave his phone in the car or a pocket so he’s sort of doing that with mine!

Perspecitve...

I love it when something takes me from the mundane or brings a whole new perspective to me. This artist is amazing in his ability to bend reality and trick us all!

Vegas

OK, I did get to go somewhere and do something fun. I recently was in Las Vegas for an advanced orthopedic course.

The course was great, lots of technique and hands on experience. But I have to say the highlight of the trip was seeing “O” at the Bellagio. This is a water themed production of Cirque du Soliel. It was fantastic and we had front row center “wet” seats. This video is fuzzy but you get some of the idea. The main character, Guifa, gets swept away into an adventure mainly featuring his pursuit of the “Bride”. At one point the guide and guardian of the theater tries to help him woo her by giving him a flower to present to her. He misunderstands the directions and gives the flower to someone in the audience. In this performance, guess who he gives it to? Right, Moi! At this point they had already pulled two people out of the audience and my biggest fear was that I was going to have to go on stage. But thankfully all I needed to do was accept the flower. Whew, but a very special evening to say the least.

My next favorite experience was watching the water fountains at the Bellagio. This is done on the lake in front of the hotel. The lake is huge and is lit with 4,500 lights while the fountains are synchronized to music. The video of it is taken from very high above but is actually more impressive viewed from ground level where you also hear the water splash. I could have watched it for a lot longer than I got to.

Summer fun for someone

It’s been a great, busy time these last few months. Lucie graduated and has just begun her new life!

All of us (humans and animals) miss her terribly but are very proud (and thankful) for all her success and accomplishments. Everyone in town that knows her, misses her!

Now that summer is here it pretty much means all work – no rest. I look forward to winter and a chance to do something creative. Gardening is creative, yard work isn’t. And most of what I do is “yard work!”… Oh, well, somebody is having fun, I’m sure of that.

Speaking of fun, Jason is taking amazing pictures (as usual) on his trip to Southern Utah.

Dawn and Ned just got back from an Alaskan cruise.

Scott and Briana went to Guatemala to visit Scott’s grandmother.

Yancy and Leah were just here from New York for a visit.

There seems to be a lot of fun going around...just not a whole lot here.

Well, I'd better run, however, just as a side note, I found this really cool link on YouTube. Have a look if you’re a cat lover, or even if you’re not!

Tagged...and starting to blog!

So many people have blogs and I have been thinking about posting for a long time. I decided that the first post should be a “tagging” because a lot of people are doing it and I want you to know just a little bit about me.

Here goes.

Hobbies - knitting, beading, walking, biking, photography.

Favorite film series - Sherlock Holmes with Jeremy Brett, Dr Who, Big Love, Six Feet Under.

Favorite movies - Pieces of April, Fanny and Alexander, Boondock Saints, Fight Club, Love Song for Bobby Long, The Black.

Stallion, Vincent and Theo, Jean de Florette, Babette’s Feast, Pelle the Conqueror, Green Card, Young Frankenstein, Crooklyn and anything by Spike Lee and Robert Altman

Favorite actor- Gerard Depardieu.

Favorite musical artists - Herbie Hancock, Leonard Cohen, Jamie Cullum, Coco Love Alcorn, Pat Metheny, Harry Manx, Victor Wooten, Jesse Cook, Freddy Cole, Lyle Mays, Wayne Johnson, Rufus Wainwright, Danny O’Keefe, Tony Bennett, k.d. lang,

Jonny Lang, Nusrat Fateh, Ali Khan, Dan Hicks, John Doan, The Doors, and Sting.

Favorite musical instruments- drums, didgeridoo, bamboo flute, viola da gamba.

Favorite Song - John Doan ‘Where Horses of Faerie Hide.’

Watching - Dr Who.

Listening to - Outlander by Diana Gabledon (Audio Book).

Reading - Confessions of a Pagan Nun.

Favorite Fictional Character- Jamie Frazier ‘Outlander.’

Favorite books - Dove, Stranger in a Strange Land, The Kite Runner, Life of Pi, Ishmael, The Prophet.

Favorite artists - Van Gogh, Matisse, Monet, Henry von Roessler.

Favorite experiences - Cirque du Soleil, white water rafting, and walking on the beach

Favorite Quote – “Let the beauty we love be what we do. Don’t go back to sleep, don’t go back to sleep.” Rumi

Sorry about this incredibly long first post…I guess I’m just too talkative today.

Also, I want to introduce our newest member of the family, Gryphon.

He is a rescue dog we have had for two weeks now. He was literally a basket case when we got him. It was as though we had captured a wild dog that would not let you approach him. He had never been socialized and was kept in a kennel in someone’s barn. He has progressed to sleeping in our room instead of the crate and even comes up the stairs by himself. He was originally afraid of them and had to be carried up! This weekend he experienced the leash and went for a walk to the coffeehouse where he met several people who were anxiously waiting to meet him. He was incredible on the leash. I continue to learn that I underestimate his intelligence.