Bam!

Here is a picture of the cooking class that we took today. It was just awesome. The chef was incredible, has opened 7 Santa Fe Restaurants in Great Britain and has been a chef for a LONG time. We learned to make: Lime Marinated Salmon, Green Chile Scalloped Potatoes, Citrus Cilantro Dressing, Corn and Black Bean Salsa (to die for) and flan. It was just incredible. I cannot wait to go home and try it. This cooking school is famous world-wide. We then went to the plaza where the Indian vendors had their wares out for sale, beautiful jewelry, all hand made. I was good and did not buy a thing. Amazing. We walked around the historic section of Santa Fe until our feet wore out. It was a great day. It is nice and warm here in the daytime and cool in the evenings. Santa Fe is actually at 7,000 feet, higher than Denver. It is the highest state capitol in the USA. It is an incredibly beautiful city and boasts over 500 restaurants. It is by no means a large city but famous for its cuisine.
Tomorrow we head for Taos, about an hour north of here where I plan to get my best pictures. I can hardly wait. We are having a grand time. I highly recommend New Mexico for anyone wanting an exceptional vacation. I will try to send some "artsy" pictures tomorrow.
"For me a picture should be something likeable, joyous and pretty, yes, pretty. There are enough ugly things in life for us not to add to them"......Renoir

Do you know the way to Santa Fe?

Well, my wish for the last almost 10 years has been to revisit Santa Fe, which I visited briefly many moons ago. I consider it, along with Sedona, Arizona to be one of the most beautiful towns I have ever seen and I have felt drawn back to it ever since.
After arriving in Phoenix last night, where the temperature was a balmy 113 degrees, I got a good night's sleep, and took off this morning with my best friend of MANY years to play Thelma and Louise and take a road trip across the Southwest. The terrain is mystical and beautiful and around every bend in an awe inspiring sight.
My primary focus while I am here is to take some magnificent pictures which I hope to share with you beginning tomorrow and secondly to eat my way across New Mexico. Tomorrow we go to the Santa Fe School of Cooking to learn how to make a traditional Southwest meal from start to finish. I really think I need to quit work and apply for a grant that would enable me to spend the rest of my life traveling and taking pictures. And eating. Oh well, we can dream, can't we?
Happy 4th of July!

Family Trip to Orlando

I thought that you might like to see a few of the pics of the kids at our annual family vacation to Orlando. Hailey, Andrew and Abby had a great time and we have many more pictures to show you once I figure out how to do it! The annual family vacation has now become a tradition after 3 years and we hope that it will go on forever, or at least until the kids think that it is too boring to be hanging out with us old people. We hope to create many great memories over the years. Please stay tuned for many more photos.

Tom flies to Pennsylvania for birthday cake!

Yes, it is true. Tom has flown all the way to PA for a piece of cake. Well, not really. It was much better than that. The fact that the planets lined up properly meant that his birthday AND Father's Day happened on the same day and Tom got to spend a great weekend with his daughter, Lisa. Lisa and Chris have recently purchased a new home and Dad HAD to check it out. In addition, Tom was able to get in a few rounds of golf with his grandson, Derek, and it was a great weekend. Golf, cake, presents and family. Life is good!

As I was returning home from a retreat this week on Seabrook Island, where I was treated to incredible views of the ocean at sunrise, deer chasing each other through the woods, dolphin showing off in the water and the most incredible sunsets, God had one more treat in store for me as I drove home through John's Island. He just loves to show off. A field of sunflowers with their pretty faces toward the sun waved at me as I drove by. We must try never to miss the wonders of nature as we hurry by. We must enjoy every moment and look for surprises.....

Who would want to read what I am thinking about?

Who in the world would want to read what I am thinking about, I wonder as I start this journey into cyberspace with my random thoughts? Well, maybe more people than I think. Since I live so far from all of my family members, save one (my husband), this can be a great way to communicate what is going on in my life. How could anyone know the joys of my journey unless I share them? So many wonderful things flit in and out of my life on a regular basis I cannot help but want to share the blessings with others. So this is it...as I step out into a new and scary world and hope that people will take interest. Maybe something I say or a picture that I show can be a blessing to someone who needs it. So, here goes!