tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2150122392242797872024-03-18T03:01:56.460-04:00JOJO'S JOYSSOME OF MY FAVORITE THINGSJojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.comBlogger530125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-30846176034235702872019-01-05T22:00:00.001-05:002019-01-16T22:56:25.230-05:00Marriage and an Unexpected Gift<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I got married 39 years ago - or so I thought. I mean, we had a ceremony. People came to witness the marriage and I even went on a honeymoon, a trip to Las Vegas. But a little over a year ago My mom called to ask me if I had a copy of my marriage license. Why on earth would she asking me this question? My dad performed our ceremony and on the day of the wedding had in his possession the license which needed to be mailed back to the county. Instead in the wedding chaos, the license got put on a shelf in my parent’s house...for 38 years. How had this happened?<br />
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For Christmas my sister decided to help me finalize my marriage. She called the county where we had initially applied for our license and the clerk did find our records. She then tracked down three people who attended our wedding to get sworn statements which then had to be notarized. Then she went to the local library to pull the microfilm to get a copy of my wedding announcement and my dad’s obituary since he is deceased and would not be present to validate documents.<br />
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For Christmas I got a gift bag that said, “sealed with a kiss”. Inside the bag I found champagne glasses, bubbles and a packet with a poem, paperwork and instructions to follow at the courthouse. I would finally get my marriage license!<br />
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Yesterday, we finalized our marriage paperwork! Congratulations to the happy couple!<br />
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Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-56280599715342296612019-01-01T18:08:00.001-05:002019-01-01T18:38:45.888-05:00Visioning, Looking Ahead and Positivity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">It can be hard to set goals for the future without looking in the rear view mirror to reflect on the previous year. In general 2018 was an amazing year, but the year also presented its challenges. We had a <u>very</u> special highlight which was the birth of our grandson - and he is a cutie! There have been so many days this fall when I have been comforted by lots of snuggles and cuddles at the end of a stressful day. I give thanks for him every day. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGWxQeC4zJCSeB8PTt6rQLYDDKYSpUNdL14NGoV_4G5ecj7_EGNq0yw9YEeMfzJo_KeX3PSs_eHuZeHAFjbjX8wsHNygMGc-0PuKmPDV3cd1QywOHlr697-hceMj7Zph7ze-O-F8lTxE/s1600/Jojo1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="865" data-original-width="643" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGWxQeC4zJCSeB8PTt6rQLYDDKYSpUNdL14NGoV_4G5ecj7_EGNq0yw9YEeMfzJo_KeX3PSs_eHuZeHAFjbjX8wsHNygMGc-0PuKmPDV3cd1QywOHlr697-hceMj7Zph7ze-O-F8lTxE/s320/Jojo1.JPG" width="237" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">Th</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">is little guy is our sweetheart.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rsKyl8NZ423nb4EnjqEd1jQ-D5cBaysXZXwX2oQiUY3ZCH-pvuxd_UfgKIqWVxDTkHqnMXqB38LGQgZYrBLQrx_7WfkJO21FJaYP-GYcidPiMul1hoc4t5jwmgaH4KwM-lRdwtKJygU/s1600/Jojo3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="948" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rsKyl8NZ423nb4EnjqEd1jQ-D5cBaysXZXwX2oQiUY3ZCH-pvuxd_UfgKIqWVxDTkHqnMXqB38LGQgZYrBLQrx_7WfkJO21FJaYP-GYcidPiMul1hoc4t5jwmgaH4KwM-lRdwtKJygU/s400/Jojo3.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I am also so grateful for some amazing travel experiences in 2018 too. Egypt, several different cities in Mexico, Norway, Guatemala, a weekend at a monastery (so powerful and much needed) and Yellowstone! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">We also had another year of good health and much happiness. I'm so grateful for these and many more gifts. Work and life both seem to get busier by the day and the demands can sometimes be overwhelming. Being able to slow down to spend time with family and friends and do some traveling helped me feel balanced and connected to life and the world outside of work.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkf37iQ8z6h0bj_2Lf-tXLNPZuETmb3UBR8jri1jg09evn7PJ6qWUvdia0Nxl2xtI0XGcs-rZho6cx3EjL0YSZIUluVGEs1AgsrmtPHitsWWxQ1ru0tK-20SaiUGnnFnvCuGQwSo26TEU/s1600/Jojo6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="792" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkf37iQ8z6h0bj_2Lf-tXLNPZuETmb3UBR8jri1jg09evn7PJ6qWUvdia0Nxl2xtI0XGcs-rZho6cx3EjL0YSZIUluVGEs1AgsrmtPHitsWWxQ1ru0tK-20SaiUGnnFnvCuGQwSo26TEU/s320/Jojo6.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">At one particular low-point in the summer I cheered myself up by organizing a visioning party. The small gathering brought together a few women, most of whom did not know one another. But this group consisted of working </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">professionals who do extraordinary work in our local community. At the first party we came together to focus on one action that each of us could take that would make a difference. We made a vision board illustrating the action we planned to take post-party, then shared out thoughts behind our personal goal and quickly decided that our group needed to continue to meet. It seems that I was not the only one feeling a bit overwhelmed by busy days and and life demands.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">In October we met again, this time we joined together to write letters to acquaintances, friends and family, encouraging them to get out and vote. It was powerful to sit together with a group of women and write letters. Now we are now planning our next gathering and I'm so excited about our next visioning exercise! It is going to be an inspiration swap. Participants can bring a book, calendar or other item that inspires for an exchange. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNKh9-zgfUnabEFu1U-a-ouwFfShKUwydsjwbY0OwN0vgsrtPDjcFV74TvdMafkqgnzUgk6T38ubHju6bsafPSsZdUmEZVS6Vfr3Whzeaxu9_slfVD47Q4Ju8e05Z3H-XQrab-34_ras/s1600/Jojo5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1200" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNKh9-zgfUnabEFu1U-a-ouwFfShKUwydsjwbY0OwN0vgsrtPDjcFV74TvdMafkqgnzUgk6T38ubHju6bsafPSsZdUmEZVS6Vfr3Whzeaxu9_slfVD47Q4Ju8e05Z3H-XQrab-34_ras/s400/Jojo5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">It has been wonderful to connect with a small, multi-generational group of women who want to focus on growing personally while focusing on things we can do individually to help others. I was also fortunate to be able to participate in a self-care party and I am hoping this becomes a regular habit too! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">In the past I've tried making resolutions - plural, or even just one resolution, but whatever I come up with always gets buried up with busy days and other priorities. My annual vision boards help me personally and I love putting them together but the women's vision group helps keep me on track and reminds me to focus on me personally doing something for the good of the community and beyond.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">No matter how you start your new year I hope you are able to look ahead with positivity and joy. </span></div>
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Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-61253543689211215032018-12-26T19:32:00.002-05:002018-12-26T19:32:23.535-05:00Happy Blogaversary to Me!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0osg-0MZbNWpMuCEbPmmTsa4mImw49Iy1wudL27TRb778Y3LL8jRuuI0PuNggilGlYizCR5MlUc1D-oJEPeXA8ec7HzPZDTK7Uu1BEFTszHl1OB-3cq8WACljpTAJzNTFTW2Wdr21TE/s1600/IMG_3436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0osg-0MZbNWpMuCEbPmmTsa4mImw49Iy1wudL27TRb778Y3LL8jRuuI0PuNggilGlYizCR5MlUc1D-oJEPeXA8ec7HzPZDTK7Uu1BEFTszHl1OB-3cq8WACljpTAJzNTFTW2Wdr21TE/s320/IMG_3436.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loved meeting blogger Bronnie and her Mum, a blogger from Brisbane visiting New York</td></tr>
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It’s so hard to imagine that I made my first blog post on this site on December 29, 2007. Happy blogaversary to me! At the time I started this online journal, I thought it would be a great way to stay connected to my kids. While one son was living 2 hours away, another son was in Germany and my daughter was in Portland, Oregon, so sharing photos and stories through journaling seemed like a fun way to stay connected. Well, my kids never read my blog but other people did and I quickly “met” online friends, many of whom I continue to follow and/or remain in contact with and for this I am grateful.<br />
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Over the years blogging has inspired me in so many ways - from books to music, fashion, home decor, baking, cooking, photography or travel. Ah yes, the travel. Reading and connecting with bloggers around the world helped open my eyes a whole new world. Our first trip to Mexico was inspired by a blogger and we ended up replicating their family vacation. In fact we might never have made the trip were it not for the blog post. Since that trip I’ve made nine trips to Mexico. Having a blog encouraged me to explore a lot of new things and meet people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise. And I really mean met, as in person. In fact I’m looking forward to meeting one of these bloggers next month. But that is another post. And who would have imagined being able to “attend” a fellow bloggers wedding! Yes, thanks to Facebook live an entire “sisterhood” was able to come together to attend the wedding ceremony two years ago.<br />
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There are times when I think abought my blog and I feel bad for not posting with greater regularity or for skimming my favorite bloggers posts and leaving the page without leaving a comment. My apologies. On this blogaversary I want to thank you for each post, comment, private email or photo that you’ve shared over the years and say thanks to you for allowing me to be in the same space with you (sometimes).<br />
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Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-48988217470405215832018-03-04T09:50:00.003-05:002018-03-04T09:50:55.318-05:00Gifting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">Gift-giving has taken a different turn in my lifetime with the use of online registries and gift cards. Don't get me wrong. I sometimes take advantage of these gift-giving short cuts and sometimes I'm relieved to have them as an option. But sometimes I feel frustrated that these options aren't as personal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One of by girlfriends does something that I really like. She has a favorite charity that means the world to her. When she has to give a gift, she gives an amount in honor of the gift recipient. It is such a wonderful idea and I'm always touched when I receive a special card letting me know I was honored in such a way. At my age there is not much I need so it is perfect. This option is great though it might not work in every circumstance. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My sister starts her Christmas shopping in July (you know many stores have special sales then to support the early support this effort), to give her time to take advantage of sales and to make sure she has time to think about each person as she does her shopping.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today as I was walking in the front door of my house I was reminded of a special gift. It is a silver box which was given to me by a very special family member. My husband is Lebanese and on my very first trip to Lebanon we visited there for three months (those were the days!). It was wonderful in that I was able to get to know all of the in-laws, friends of the family, cousins and habits of their day-to-day. During that time I would go out shopping a lot. One day as I decided to go out shopping, I mentioned where I was headed to one particular family member. Without me knowing, she called ahead of me and asked the shopkeeper to keep an eye on me to see if there was anything I really wanted but didn't buy. I went to this little silver shop and fell in love with so many things but one item that I couldn't get off my mind was a silver box. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiav8I-VhrVlIM2_dyRFWi5uZ0ZcHKgkP0_nPesaUVw-AWhohs-8H18mMZ2rQwoH9x0_98ZsJ2AjGE4el2XHyV4oEN0xUYCaqJa8QReP0V98_2ZGslAnPdotYSew2TVNrxtEhReQvo6z8k/s1600/Box1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="949" data-original-width="1265" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiav8I-VhrVlIM2_dyRFWi5uZ0ZcHKgkP0_nPesaUVw-AWhohs-8H18mMZ2rQwoH9x0_98ZsJ2AjGE4el2XHyV4oEN0xUYCaqJa8QReP0V98_2ZGslAnPdotYSew2TVNrxtEhReQvo6z8k/s400/Box1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I wanted a box for my jewelry and I thought this box was perfect. It was beautiful and if I stopped using it for jewelry, it was beautiful enough to be an item of decor and certainly it could be used for keepsakes. Here's the catch - it was silver and way too expensive. Never in a million years would I have paid that kind of money for such an item for myself. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOlaQzFA8HtWcpiLOaSTQDDkOiVygG78RHVtCP-k3YDwrCvHCvm5TXF9kRwsGmdoa3fiyJViLfTtJ-eUxpfudlWGX5MOJ2Qe4geAtjzbDe1mMre1vGUJQxBxarVz0ptS9ASISncJYtSU/s1600/box2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOlaQzFA8HtWcpiLOaSTQDDkOiVygG78RHVtCP-k3YDwrCvHCvm5TXF9kRwsGmdoa3fiyJViLfTtJ-eUxpfudlWGX5MOJ2Qe4geAtjzbDe1mMre1vGUJQxBxarVz0ptS9ASISncJYtSU/s320/box2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Wouldn't you know the very next day a gift showed up at our place and what do you know - it was the silver box! Honestly it was one of the most thoughtful gifts that I'd ever received. Every time I walk past the box I'm reminded of the thoughtfulness which means as much as the gift itself. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJjQRi81QILL9-svIfMfwLADvnzPElW0MXdxEDwwrVDTLCWIbXjHqret7dLUZJtrXxDNG7xhzmXIi-9qE0O2pyD-_eNIoV_tf7GetoikQPY2qaQ0F0SrAWE1qGOFQQHWCirgLaQ1kZ-8/s1600/Box3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJjQRi81QILL9-svIfMfwLADvnzPElW0MXdxEDwwrVDTLCWIbXjHqret7dLUZJtrXxDNG7xhzmXIi-9qE0O2pyD-_eNIoV_tf7GetoikQPY2qaQ0F0SrAWE1qGOFQQHWCirgLaQ1kZ-8/s320/Box3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the beautiful detail inside the box (and I added my ladybug pen which I bought in 1966)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In this hectic, electronic, world where artificial intelligence is moving faster than we even realize, it's nice to sometimes take our time thinking about the gift recipient to make our gift unforgettable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">How do you personalize the gifts you give? </span></div>
Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-1238507326668795862018-01-13T14:09:00.000-05:002018-01-13T15:15:47.857-05:00Rene del Toro<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Have you ever connected with an artist? You know what I mean. It's that feeling of emotion you get when you see the artist's work, the same way you might get goosebumps when you hear certain songs.<br />
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Early last year I discovered a wonderful Mexican artist, Rene del Toro. He lives in Mexico City and you can find him every Saturday at the market in <a href="https://www.afar.com/places/san-angels-saturday-market-mexico-city" target="_blank">San Angel neighborhood.</a> You will find lots of artists in the Plaza San Jacinto but Rene del Toro is more likely to be found in the neighboring Plaza del Carmen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwy7W-swZ1mG7ENVwolS0zqkGIrQXJ7VDTniwAJ1k7EisUL6lTdTxe64Nzgf7pxYSX36hp8glQXZ3EGNfbcwoBaMULWzzqBtp9gLW0cwIR31OpLO6zwOz38oc5XPRiuSN60zarnrwJVqg/s1600/RDT3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="905" data-original-width="687" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwy7W-swZ1mG7ENVwolS0zqkGIrQXJ7VDTniwAJ1k7EisUL6lTdTxe64Nzgf7pxYSX36hp8glQXZ3EGNfbcwoBaMULWzzqBtp9gLW0cwIR31OpLO6zwOz38oc5XPRiuSN60zarnrwJVqg/s640/RDT3.JPG" width="484" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Saturday at the Plaza San Jacinto</i></td></tr>
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When I saw Rene del Toro's work it was love at first sight. I purchased a wonderful and lively piece to bring home but it was small and I kept thinking that on my next trip I would go back to purchase another one of his works.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsJvtdyAZGlF-ib86GPpSzznaoynC2CW2VMPDFxBsRqSZdIKF3mGJx_3xC0JBWIG5d0uSIqjiYdsc-NNjPLi6_6-SL0ciklRQtAQb0Sq6K_otWWl4xKsIF_Hath_ldIjOR96ahHzKeEc/s1600/renedeltoro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="949" data-original-width="712" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsJvtdyAZGlF-ib86GPpSzznaoynC2CW2VMPDFxBsRqSZdIKF3mGJx_3xC0JBWIG5d0uSIqjiYdsc-NNjPLi6_6-SL0ciklRQtAQb0Sq6K_otWWl4xKsIF_Hath_ldIjOR96ahHzKeEc/s640/renedeltoro.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mexican Country Life by Rene del Toro</i></td></tr>
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This artist identifies his work as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Na%C3%AFve_art" target="_blank">Naif Art</a> meaning that he isn't formally trained but in reading about this art form, he's in good company. Naif art will most often be simplistic and unbalanced but expresses joy, happiness and spontaneity. It is said that naif artists paint from their soul and I believe it.<br />
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Some people collect specific things when they travel. For me it is almost always a piece of art. I usually buy a small piece and I have a wall in my dressing area where most of these paintings are mounted. But not these items by Rene del Toro. I put it in the entrance of my house so that I can start and end my day seeing the colors, the dancing, family and celebrations.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-cZ5AP-ZBNuAn0AW1k8W_gaS8xtBm4r03-zAZMTaieIhIOX-azOvg73rBTGiqU7PVSu1XR1A3RAcVoCqWQcDXJdys-S6YZVePhxEGyGVb8QPH4DTlJZ3TAFpnNpKXKbOPI65YPEBGFs/s1600/RDT4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="889" data-original-width="668" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-cZ5AP-ZBNuAn0AW1k8W_gaS8xtBm4r03-zAZMTaieIhIOX-azOvg73rBTGiqU7PVSu1XR1A3RAcVoCqWQcDXJdys-S6YZVePhxEGyGVb8QPH4DTlJZ3TAFpnNpKXKbOPI65YPEBGFs/s640/RDT4.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The work of another artist I really enjoy</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Later in the year we had some vacation changes so at the last minute we ended up planning another trip to Mexico. I was excited about being able to go again with hopes of being able to purchase another one of Rene's works of art. Rene had given me he email so I emailed him (or at least I thought it was him) in advance letting him know that I was coming. He sent me his studio address and I thought we had a plan. While we were in Mexico City we drove over to his studio in </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Coyoacán but we couldn't find him. He didn't answer his phone and I'm here to tell you I was disappointed. I found out this past weekend that it was his son I had been emailing so I don't think he was as interested in connecting with a client. Nor, perhaps, did he realize that I was serious about buying a painting.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">But finally last weekend I was able to meet up with Rene del Toro and purchase another one of his paintings. This was a Christmas gift from my husband (which, I promise, was well-received) so I'd planned to purchase a larger painting. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-6udV8UMHCw7iiLQrFsLxxa6oO4cc9yShWX7O0qkug9Kp3xg1uFPPuurlBavhFhzn6zpgngqz0ymuShzastFD68_6UDLYQ-cme6LT8Q4dLrwTsbNeX-LA3Sl4PONpU8X0wEkNhEuQhg/s1600/RDT%2521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="1182" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-6udV8UMHCw7iiLQrFsLxxa6oO4cc9yShWX7O0qkug9Kp3xg1uFPPuurlBavhFhzn6zpgngqz0ymuShzastFD68_6UDLYQ-cme6LT8Q4dLrwTsbNeX-LA3Sl4PONpU8X0wEkNhEuQhg/s640/RDT%2521.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One very happy customer!</i></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As we parked the car and began walking around the plaza I was nervous. What if he wasn't there? Had something happened to him when he had failed to respond to my call? I'd had no communication with him since last October so there was no way to know what had gone wrong. But then we entered the park and I saw him. He only had a few paintings on display but he was there and I was thrilled!! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">So what do you think? </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_veRu9K0TVn-sERqumle9GZMKnai9HxqYRnkDzSQLb-DWhfalNElOXQBwOerayipEUZx2bGjGjffyvZn6ulrNI0fDkXUwFHxTeH_JCI7QFpBaHbUdj5Lx-nIXC0CiSFqPhuONmJldf8/s1600/IMG_20180113_130433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_veRu9K0TVn-sERqumle9GZMKnai9HxqYRnkDzSQLb-DWhfalNElOXQBwOerayipEUZx2bGjGjffyvZn6ulrNI0fDkXUwFHxTeH_JCI7QFpBaHbUdj5Lx-nIXC0CiSFqPhuONmJldf8/s640/IMG_20180113_130433.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">This piece is about 3 1/2 feet high and about 2 1/2 feet wide so it really adds cheerfulness to the entrance of our house. And of course I couldn't walk away without purchasing this beautiful Tree of Life sculpture. Pure happiness!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjILxSRaUHZgC2ZflfRkVZhFOMKt4j-_u5GPKHm6jY5rEB32eLAfVhTXn7wjAhKwbbKDtjgGFrvoxJL3FNIhTfKsQGxpLB5d2QW7cKU7zwIL7BFgHAgQxpC_wY5FSW5_1CYV8_M6oBukzA/s1600/IMG_20180113_110155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjILxSRaUHZgC2ZflfRkVZhFOMKt4j-_u5GPKHm6jY5rEB32eLAfVhTXn7wjAhKwbbKDtjgGFrvoxJL3FNIhTfKsQGxpLB5d2QW7cKU7zwIL7BFgHAgQxpC_wY5FSW5_1CYV8_M6oBukzA/s640/IMG_20180113_110155.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">When you travel, what do you collect?</span></span></div>
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Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-19471156442281339292018-01-07T18:56:00.001-05:002018-01-08T04:50:53.270-05:00Shall We Danzón?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">While on a recent visit to Mexico City I drove past a park with a large crowd of people and with wonderful music playing. As we drove past I could see that people were fairly dressed up and I was curious. So we decided to circle the block, find a parking spot and head over to the stage. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What a fun discovery! Every Saturday at the Plaza de la Ciudadela (and apparently in several other parks in the city) folks young and old, though I will say I saw more older than younger, gather in the park to dance. It's beautiful. Groups of friends bring picnics and set up tables, people bring folding chairs and most everyone has dressed up to enjoy a Saturday afternoon of music. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The danzón evolved from a Cuban creole dance and the dance still remains popular in Cuba, Puerto Rico and throughout cities in Mexico. One of the things I was fascinated with is the "break" in the music. Sixteen bars of the music is played, then repeated, and then the melody changes. The dancers all seem to know to stop at the "break" in the music, and most just strike a pose and wait until four bars of the melody has played. It's really quite a sight. Many of the dancers are seniors, and they are in their finery and many of the women are in high heels (I stopped wearing heels back in my 40s)! In fact a few of the ladies had beautiful fans and during the four bar rest, they pulled them out in a most romantic, flirty gesture. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">It was a treat to be able to enjoy seeing so many people out enjoying a Saturday afternoon. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PI_bMuezqEWUPL4vwpec0ipRjB0QZH-WnMmLVOT2bssfSZMQbZNTbkpcdyPxT7IGjVTcC6yWc07fxX4lN7p0CLAV1IrLVuGRenwxvSHntLrMbKnTDjWPn64NIUoK1UdS-H7-gEB7B5s/s1600/dance1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="949" data-original-width="712" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PI_bMuezqEWUPL4vwpec0ipRjB0QZH-WnMmLVOT2bssfSZMQbZNTbkpcdyPxT7IGjVTcC6yWc07fxX4lN7p0CLAV1IrLVuGRenwxvSHntLrMbKnTDjWPn64NIUoK1UdS-H7-gEB7B5s/s640/dance1.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He had just asked her to dance</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_k8LKWMz4lzzrxAM1rlagn9XexDHVv2L5yimGO8imBKK9UM1M1afZU0WryAHzjDYopLcX4uejIZzWjjKllIT23TA7Le2wIkSrsn3NCPL2aJqqeDad7u498lbH1adMEldYSKml3xzOdk/s1600/dance2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_k8LKWMz4lzzrxAM1rlagn9XexDHVv2L5yimGO8imBKK9UM1M1afZU0WryAHzjDYopLcX4uejIZzWjjKllIT23TA7Le2wIkSrsn3NCPL2aJqqeDad7u498lbH1adMEldYSKml3xzOdk/s640/dance2.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These two were beautiful dancers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgr_h14J5Tld4Qlid-Kw7oSlEcGQ3XmR6PeT_pjrBjlXilVq91VfR6dlCpBu3ACbJhxrpixZBPxxdD3V9gnOIeeBxsa5hL3AEs8ECruTcdSTT8U9E6bj7lUo8Udq5137LJTuE35qoHX8/s1600/Dance3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgr_h14J5Tld4Qlid-Kw7oSlEcGQ3XmR6PeT_pjrBjlXilVq91VfR6dlCpBu3ACbJhxrpixZBPxxdD3V9gnOIeeBxsa5hL3AEs8ECruTcdSTT8U9E6bj7lUo8Udq5137LJTuE35qoHX8/s640/Dance3.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He was giving lessons</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2K8DoECF60hXJiHXS-9VVixRyRFMEf_c6uSsjX8pvG-srE6wwNJoFS33WiYILTGPUNKM7D-qY9SW-wx1c_nNfqWRSaEVV2lqZq_ftyIcf1uPA_akDslReIUiE4BYyE8TDMEMJnpT_H_4/s1600/Dance4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2K8DoECF60hXJiHXS-9VVixRyRFMEf_c6uSsjX8pvG-srE6wwNJoFS33WiYILTGPUNKM7D-qY9SW-wx1c_nNfqWRSaEVV2lqZq_ftyIcf1uPA_akDslReIUiE4BYyE8TDMEMJnpT_H_4/s640/Dance4.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The guys in the background were just warming up</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhH2r6OCz3OTaMo0iqtSnEc45rqMkY-Sx9rbkEniXoX3I8DTpe7a7wyhNejTxE-C1enFg6xPtGwzqWdYAZ4_rlkY90FIlSXd2M0dtnBy7cY7kC8AkIWFoAxvvQayW6MMUwSyMFtG02D4/s1600/Dance5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhH2r6OCz3OTaMo0iqtSnEc45rqMkY-Sx9rbkEniXoX3I8DTpe7a7wyhNejTxE-C1enFg6xPtGwzqWdYAZ4_rlkY90FIlSXd2M0dtnBy7cY7kC8AkIWFoAxvvQayW6MMUwSyMFtG02D4/s640/Dance5.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Break" in the music</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2g6VOyKdxnQlv480JTXJZFB2pl48HSNFSQ2D619fUckd7RvJsY1uS0xWhYpvJPmlOANqJr4tby2w-iiUBQ39g6hJAf8jQ7ksCwLFdXux1WgUot4cm77cCfSljBWaK6Pt3kDsDjRDqF3I/s1600/Dance6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2g6VOyKdxnQlv480JTXJZFB2pl48HSNFSQ2D619fUckd7RvJsY1uS0xWhYpvJPmlOANqJr4tby2w-iiUBQ39g6hJAf8jQ7ksCwLFdXux1WgUot4cm77cCfSljBWaK6Pt3kDsDjRDqF3I/s640/Dance6.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These two were having so much fun!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNnqf615yWve2zzWdtQRVfIPWSHE_gmfG740A6yBJZzvN26bGeX7YFdBVtpO4sQVH1FnBuexV0kk63Xj-ZNE_ZMO150R3U45R4MyYAiDEoCI838WltAG2NFNM9l7GHT9qKrw7lseCuP4/s1600/Dance7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNnqf615yWve2zzWdtQRVfIPWSHE_gmfG740A6yBJZzvN26bGeX7YFdBVtpO4sQVH1FnBuexV0kk63Xj-ZNE_ZMO150R3U45R4MyYAiDEoCI838WltAG2NFNM9l7GHT9qKrw7lseCuP4/s640/Dance7.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And in her coat pocket, she had a fan</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crowd was growing</td></tr>
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If you ever happen to be in the area, plan to bring your dancing shoes and stay awhile.</div>
Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-47329002785672942702018-01-01T20:39:00.001-05:002018-01-11T21:04:42.599-05:00Some Things Never Change<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yesterday as I was down in my basement packing up Christmas decorations I found a folder with some memories that were packed up in an old briefcase. Most of items in the briefcase were memories from my children but then in the midst of the folder I found an unexpected treasure. Can you imagine how surprised I was to find one of my childhood drawings in the folder? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The paper was yellowed with age and had been torn but the colors and the drawing were still easy to see and as I looked at my work, all I could think is that some things never change. I love flowers, birds and butterflies. I would much rather take a vacation to see nature than to tour a big city. I just loved seeing this photo that puts me in the center of the photo, surrounded by trees, flowers, a butterfly and a bird. This was back in 1965 when I was 9 years old. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What a fun discovery and a reminder to remain true to my authentic self. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy New Year! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">“Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">― </span><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5350.L_M_Montgomery" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;">Lucy Maud Montgomery</a></span><br />
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Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-14236831255615871422017-12-28T17:04:00.003-05:002018-01-07T20:22:29.254-05:00Friends, It's Been a Long Time...And I've Missed You<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Are you still enjoying your holidays? Oh how the days, weeks, months and years seem to go by so quickly.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family Gathering - Christmas 2017</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It has been over a year since I posted anything on my blog and I've really missed posting, sharing and connecting. It seems that with every passing day there is more to do with less and less time. As I sit down to write this post it is nearly impossible to figure out where to start. In fact, I took a look back to see what I was last blogging about. So I see I was talking about Mexico. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The "blue hour" in <span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Park</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: left;"> Güell, Barcelona</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca, Mexico</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Did you see that post? The one where I was trying to decide between visiting Puebla or Oaxaca, Mexico (and Puebla won)? Well since my last post, I'm happy to say that I've visited both cities. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My trip to Puebla was a long weekend visit and a solo trip. I fell in love with Puebla but was still longing to go to Oaxaca. This November my husband and I spent a week in Oaxaca and it was heavenly. It was one of those slow (well sort of slow) vacations where we relaxed. Our hotel had a rooftop patio so we sat up there to watch the sun rise and set. Then at night we sat up on the roof just to be out under the stars. It really was heavenly. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I finally got to walk in a field of sunflowers!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYLUF6VP8t6pAVIdkXzuvcTHnZ95anwigHv64CNFQcHBoE7LYSEQ-9u3X8eK5NTB6-rh9jv_Ue4zvBkwdGTBbjUl0OY2ABwVRjgWANGSFx8J-zCXS6kXHIHGabiSwrk9R2lJsLgvHZo4/s1600/Family6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYLUF6VP8t6pAVIdkXzuvcTHnZ95anwigHv64CNFQcHBoE7LYSEQ-9u3X8eK5NTB6-rh9jv_Ue4zvBkwdGTBbjUl0OY2ABwVRjgWANGSFx8J-zCXS6kXHIHGabiSwrk9R2lJsLgvHZo4/s320/Family6.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trip to an elephant sanctuary in South Africa</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We've managed to take several trips since that last post and I'm so grateful for each and every experience. We are budget travelers which allows us to take more trips but we cut a lot of corners to do so. And because of my work schedule, most of our trips are jiffy trips over long weekends. It's amazing what you can do and see in 48 - 72 hours. In the past year we've been able to visit Bogota, South Africa (we were able to do some driving around and it was incredible), Barcelona and Oaxaca and I'm looking forward to doing some planning of future trips on New Year's day. I've got several magazines and decided it would be fun to create a new vision board with goals and wishes for the year, including my travel dreams!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As I looked back at my early blog posts, my first post is dated December 29, 2007. In that post I featured my granddaughters and niece. It seems so long ago and so much has changed. My niece is now a freshman at Berklee School of Music and the grandgirls are now 15 and 13!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYu-asQiRM_BaGLYPY6CvAvZMVgLcDV6pdY_8DDZHWieP08vke7fHpcIvCvIrJDj-n4VpRAQPRO_cY6VwSYtG4swi1dGWlQSs3M-qIVQWjQB2rx38DdGUaSSchvS4PyaLebZFi_UDQIeBj/s1600-h/CIMG1948.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149391545053499586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYu-asQiRM_BaGLYPY6CvAvZMVgLcDV6pdY_8DDZHWieP08vke7fHpcIvCvIrJDj-n4VpRAQPRO_cY6VwSYtG4swi1dGWlQSs3M-qIVQWjQB2rx38DdGUaSSchvS4PyaLebZFi_UDQIeBj/s400/CIMG1948.JPG" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas 2007</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goddaughter's dance recital</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbnj9aup7KRg9Aq-t6M7UAuG7zquAxk9OGnijk7c80JyXNPzmY-TaWfXiCgCJpmEydMmlLxZ03i5RMkcIUVUNA_Asm88vzwfeDqtjn8Dw7-WcEjP7X-NeVetZEU4kt-V-HgGABBVauLU/s1600/Family5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbnj9aup7KRg9Aq-t6M7UAuG7zquAxk9OGnijk7c80JyXNPzmY-TaWfXiCgCJpmEydMmlLxZ03i5RMkcIUVUNA_Asm88vzwfeDqtjn8Dw7-WcEjP7X-NeVetZEU4kt-V-HgGABBVauLU/s320/Family5.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lantern Festival with friends</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The past year was a hard one for me in many ways and yet, the year was filled with amazing and wonderful memories too. I lost two friends in 2017 and both deaths, which were less than a month apart, were shocking tragedies. For months it was difficult to find happiness, but as the end of the year approaches, I realize there were happy moments that should be recognized and cherished. But, I'm ready for a new year with new hopes and dreams. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As I get ready for the long weekend, I'm looking forward to a nice quiet few days to have time for reflection, reading, setting goals and creating order. My sister brought me a box of cookies from my favorite hometown bakery and I'm looking forward to curling up with some delicious sweet treats before putting myself on a more healthy regime too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How about you? Any big plans for NYE or the coming year? 2018 is nearly here. Happy New Year!!! I'm so glad to get reconnected. Let's do this!</span></div>
Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-41837264111480811192016-09-05T18:12:00.003-04:002016-09-05T18:21:40.597-04:00Carolina Herrera and SCAD FASH<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last fall SCAD, a/k/a Savannah College of Art & Design, opened a fashion museum that has promised to host international fashion exhibitions, lectures and more. One of the first big featured exhibits was Carolina Herrera's Refined Irreverence showcase of 99 designs and this weekend seemed like the perfect time to see it before it ends at the end of the month.<br />
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It was exciting to see everything from the basic white blouse, day wear to formal wear to bridal wear. The exhibit covers over three decades of design and features designs worn by Angelina Jolie, Renee Zellweiger, Sandra Bullock, Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, of course Carolina Herrera and more.<br />
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One of the things I loved most was being able to get up close to see the detailed work.<br />
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If you happen to be in or near Atlanta, it is worth carving out time to see this exhibit.<br />
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Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-90278417066396324832016-07-10T10:53:00.003-04:002016-07-10T19:14:12.173-04:00What Happened to those "Lazy, Hazy,Crazy" Days of Summer?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Life just keeps speeding up with some days full of excitement, others with too much to do, lots of good times, too many emotions, changes and through all of it, celebrations of summer.<br />
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There haven't been too many nights for sitting on the front porch to watch fireflies or much time for summer reading yet though I've almost finished <i>The Promise of a Pencil </i>and I've really been inspired by it. Have you read it? I'm just getting around to organizing my summer book list so if you have suggestions please pass them along.</div>
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Meanwhile here are some of the things we've been doing over the last few weeks. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_K1a-j3XOO1JvGhyphenhyphenSmmS_qMIKMoOoJRpvi_wDfwx1pQdI5iCHqW_6nhGDL2-hV5hO0Xj5jagVSJM0n3uNdkkT1tO0z4mrrR-ExuOhwE8M63E1NWQkDNPXeSVH1GYbR560mWtxNIt8VQ/s1600/Blog1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_K1a-j3XOO1JvGhyphenhyphenSmmS_qMIKMoOoJRpvi_wDfwx1pQdI5iCHqW_6nhGDL2-hV5hO0Xj5jagVSJM0n3uNdkkT1tO0z4mrrR-ExuOhwE8M63E1NWQkDNPXeSVH1GYbR560mWtxNIt8VQ/s640/Blog1.JPG" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Watched my son and daughter-in-law in a special military salute during the Braves game</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Took an evening tour of the Center for Civil and Human Rights Museum, a place everyone should visit</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9M2oA3K7K0WwPzGKVTIeZQSpP9msShUpIC1MQC68Sq6kvasM4fWQ1zgOWuKVgMlRIU4Zv9MYVqgP3rWPBmZNkZeh_dFd4DZJAv3BYkDL8hnHsoLCCVc07bO_p8S35xAb9hhB0dX9UAo/s1600/Blog3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9M2oA3K7K0WwPzGKVTIeZQSpP9msShUpIC1MQC68Sq6kvasM4fWQ1zgOWuKVgMlRIU4Zv9MYVqgP3rWPBmZNkZeh_dFd4DZJAv3BYkDL8hnHsoLCCVc07bO_p8S35xAb9hhB0dX9UAo/s400/Blog3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Took my granddaughter to camp </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6bvyUClGEAitys-3rz8uqF7hllf8YDOQGgCcHW3V7kDa-BxBCZ0KLIhFqXZDTUhyphenhyphenh-yJ5cfErMMdMiW1k7MRXW_zn9G_QyxMFpUUqFuUs0ke4UsPl425-4MVtqQpIEppseZKbcKp1KI0/s1600/Blog4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6bvyUClGEAitys-3rz8uqF7hllf8YDOQGgCcHW3V7kDa-BxBCZ0KLIhFqXZDTUhyphenhyphenh-yJ5cfErMMdMiW1k7MRXW_zn9G_QyxMFpUUqFuUs0ke4UsPl425-4MVtqQpIEppseZKbcKp1KI0/s640/Blog4.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Attended the Rosie the Riveter Conference. We are pictured with Fran Carter (age 95), the founder of the organization</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmyfIEqtW3G_zxwiymY_33L4NaU0fCRmaYdGYOt7mTwEq4uukg1lxx1xz6uaI-vtzW4oLnEzvR3wzdSXStq_VsNNJ2Mc1PrHCjdpHJhsU6vcWRloSHkc8iZJyL8E9m0UK0fxzA1vh7jI/s1600/Blog5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmyfIEqtW3G_zxwiymY_33L4NaU0fCRmaYdGYOt7mTwEq4uukg1lxx1xz6uaI-vtzW4oLnEzvR3wzdSXStq_VsNNJ2Mc1PrHCjdpHJhsU6vcWRloSHkc8iZJyL8E9m0UK0fxzA1vh7jI/s400/Blog5.JPG" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Walked through the Vineyards in Midtown Atlanta!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCGscp-DXa70mRvG7nvSbOuQqYlPJ_ymTuwqY8kSWUvvLHnIozpAVKLauRmCMhJxC4kxNx4ejHw08FW6mVtPNibEb7aoToQMJAEtkNK9QKfP3GNglU4ydgjg-KKUDYXsyMJpwc-luVzo/s1600/Blog6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCGscp-DXa70mRvG7nvSbOuQqYlPJ_ymTuwqY8kSWUvvLHnIozpAVKLauRmCMhJxC4kxNx4ejHw08FW6mVtPNibEb7aoToQMJAEtkNK9QKfP3GNglU4ydgjg-KKUDYXsyMJpwc-luVzo/s400/Blog6.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Found time for a Girl's Night!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcsFX1Q0oCzIzkzSjx21_fmN2KZ2tfaVF_Hk2Smznt0FfCuelQAgt2CBMCah1wbz16prWYSBqLJXXkUcRRwSEi2PEOd7PorezKDerBPtFRMx5YHgDxIqK1WTcInQSXWOHykfky4ZboYAo/s1600/Blog7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcsFX1Q0oCzIzkzSjx21_fmN2KZ2tfaVF_Hk2Smznt0FfCuelQAgt2CBMCah1wbz16prWYSBqLJXXkUcRRwSEi2PEOd7PorezKDerBPtFRMx5YHgDxIqK1WTcInQSXWOHykfky4ZboYAo/s400/Blog7.JPG" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Said goodbye to a friend headed to law school. Hello Chicago!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzJkMRbxsX2rVjf01m7cjoI1uoKLAAXJMZB68Yq0t2v2WfEGklm-bn2gV6xl81et5cTbc8rgogKQpvU5NNKvjZKo5oAhhRkscUA4dxIR4OpQFghdZbCMGp7_YX5kKlL18eoo94EoItSk/s1600/Blog8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzJkMRbxsX2rVjf01m7cjoI1uoKLAAXJMZB68Yq0t2v2WfEGklm-bn2gV6xl81et5cTbc8rgogKQpvU5NNKvjZKo5oAhhRkscUA4dxIR4OpQFghdZbCMGp7_YX5kKlL18eoo94EoItSk/s400/Blog8.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Went to New York to celebrate my college friend's marriage and had a blast meeting friends that I've heard about for decades</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvY2N_Y-VAduQHGJrNkG_OBn21jcES5Mqp3eZ1BkVJ6_zIH3pdTJHQEKMRyus9ngSORIEler1ny8dN63HzMZ63YLW8pUyFsGEBrlgo-5pckZp-mBmRZIKxWel4N2Yvxdm3srOsf5E_aw/s1600/Blog9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvY2N_Y-VAduQHGJrNkG_OBn21jcES5Mqp3eZ1BkVJ6_zIH3pdTJHQEKMRyus9ngSORIEler1ny8dN63HzMZ63YLW8pUyFsGEBrlgo-5pckZp-mBmRZIKxWel4N2Yvxdm3srOsf5E_aw/s400/Blog9.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Celebrated the 5th annual PRO BONO & COMMUNITY SERVICE WEEK. Incredible!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwMSDNbpHFDz9qFlxrrvqEA0VkwNkcwQCBjU6Kb1yOnOkfIjb6LqdomswETyuFAw9cm9IWImxR3tVFkPT4imMJvSBbkqg397lwMqg7vAm87-JQm-tzGBBX8PisgI2c8WtWbPP06t78b0/s1600/Blog10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwMSDNbpHFDz9qFlxrrvqEA0VkwNkcwQCBjU6Kb1yOnOkfIjb6LqdomswETyuFAw9cm9IWImxR3tVFkPT4imMJvSBbkqg397lwMqg7vAm87-JQm-tzGBBX8PisgI2c8WtWbPP06t78b0/s400/Blog10.JPG" width="326" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Took time to remember one of my mentors. Esther was the "Queen of Pro Bono"</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcPhUydvTw_hAdtF29_2xgTn_YCCMRgyrXLABvKhgYxM9R5mi-f1SuY7jP1-npj5kXb-r5gM79FqQ1FR1efBKujP0-rQgPey-p7lg-OGUMGLQqE1EL6Hsm1W6morMz1V_CWUauyyNHCs/s1600/Blog11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcPhUydvTw_hAdtF29_2xgTn_YCCMRgyrXLABvKhgYxM9R5mi-f1SuY7jP1-npj5kXb-r5gM79FqQ1FR1efBKujP0-rQgPey-p7lg-OGUMGLQqE1EL6Hsm1W6morMz1V_CWUauyyNHCs/s400/Blog11.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Discovered contents from my one of my grandmother's old purses; a real time capsule - the deposit slip is dated 1978</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Spoke at a conference in Detroit with some of my closest friends</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Enjoyed seeing my son and his family have some great times together before my daughter-in-law's deployment. We won't see her again until January 2017</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Enjoyed seeing a friend in Buenos Aires but I'll save details about this trip for a future post!</span></td></tr>
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Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-70955312834617550612016-05-30T20:30:00.000-04:002016-05-31T08:07:44.931-04:00Puebla...or Oaxaca? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I knew that I wanted to spend a couple of days exploring another part of Mexico but I was having trouble trying to decide on the next city to explore. After considering many factors, my final decision was Puebla Mexico and all I can say is WOW.<br />
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Unfortunately work has been busy so there wasn't much time to plan my trip and with only two and a half days to spend sightseeing, I needed to be prepared. Before my flight I sifted through multiple travel blogs and sites gathering up as much information as possible, printing off some material so that I could read and study some things on the flight. Thankfully I'd managed to make a hotel reservation so at least I had a room once I arrived. </div>
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My hotel was a gem. It was nearly 10 p.m. by the time I finally got to the hotel but the front desk was waiting for me with a brochure and a map of the city that listed every major museum, park, church, art district or historic site. It didn't matter that my notes were spotty and I was unprepared. The hotel's brochure made my trip planning simple. Thank you <a href="http://www.colonial.com.mx/colonial/hing.htm" target="_blank">Hotel Colonial de Puebla</a>!</div>
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Did you know that Puebla is one of the 5 great colonial Mexican cities? The city was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987 and it is easy to see why just walking around the city. The city is famous for it chilies en nogado (my favorite), mole poblano (my second favorite) and Talavera pottery but I'll save the food and art for another post. In this city you will see examples of art/architecture from the Renaissance period as well as one of the finest examples from the Baroque period to be found in all of Mexico. One of my favorite places was the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblioteca_Palafoxiana" target="_blank">Biblioteca Palafoxian</a>, a public library that was founded in 1646. The library contains roughly 42,000 texts, the oldest of which dates back to 1473. </div>
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And just in case Puebla couldn't keep your attention, the city of Cholula is just a 15 minute cab ride away. This area has been inhabited for more than 3,000 years and is home to a pyramid that is over 2,000 years old with a base that is larger than any pyramid in the world. </div>
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Traveling to Puebla was also interesting because I traveled alone. I don't speak Spanish, I'm often directionally challenged and I was a little nervous about managing things on my own but there was no need to worry. People were so nice and friendly. Instead of talking with a travel partner I was forced to spend a lot of time listening and people-watching. Twice while walking the streets I overheard English and once was especially interesting. I overheard a man say, "If I didn't know better I would think I was in Europe!" After hearing his comment I stopped to agree with him and learned that he is a professor from a California university who was visiting the city to map a student trip for the next semester (those lucky students)!</div>
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My next few posts will focus on a few of the highlights of this trip and believe me, it is going to be hard deciding where to start. </div>
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Where are you planning to visit this summer?</div>
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Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-72297660294121615152016-04-24T18:48:00.003-04:002017-12-29T13:08:48.873-05:00Art for Earth Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm a little late getting my post up but had to share a few colorful and creative examples of recycling.<br />
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While in Isla Holbox, Mexico I spotted several items that had been repurposed. One photo I can't find was a wall of canning jars so if I find it I will add that photo this post. The jars were painted and mounted on wood frames and had a single seashell mounted on the front of each jar. It was a beautiful wall that made a striking impact as you entered the hotel reception area.<br />
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I hope you enjoy these examples. Let's keep reusing and repurposing!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seen at a hotel in Holbox, Mexico</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parking lane dividers in Holbox, Mexico</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seen in Holbox, Mexico</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recycled boat in Holbox Mexico</td></tr>
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Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-41954592878472298912016-04-17T12:50:00.001-04:002016-04-17T17:20:51.384-04:00Holbox Mexico and its Unexpected Treasure<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Two weeks ago my son and his wife held their wedding celebration in Holbox. It was such an adventure to have members of our families from 4 continents fly into Cancun, make a two hour drive to the city of Chiquila and then take the ferry to the beautiful island of Holbox.<br />
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Before meeting my daughter-in-law I'd never heard of Holbox but these days it seems like it's making headlines regularly as one of Mexico's <a href="http://www.coastalliving.com/travel/other-coasts/time-out-in-mexico" target="_blank">best kept secrets</a> - a real paradise.<br />
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There are a few things to know before you go to Holbox.The ATM never has any money available so you have to bring cash. No big banking here. It's a safe place. We were told that if anyone commits a crime, one can expect to face public humiliation and then banishment for life. I'm not sure if that is true but it makes for a good story. There are no cars on the island which means there are no paved roads. Even in the rain, you get around by riding in taxis that look like this.<br />
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But there is GREAT food, lots of friendly people, a town if you want to be around civilization but plenty of quiet at the beach if you want to leave the noise behind. The best part about Holbox is the natural beauty. You really do lose track of time.<br />
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It was great having a big group come together to celebrate the marriage of son and daughter-in-law and we made the most of our time with dining on the beach, rooftop happy hours, shopping, swimming, visiting and taking in the beauty of this island.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half price cocktails every day from 5-6 AND THERE IS A POOL ON THE ROOFTOP!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzM_bEITUdGmhNJ8KM70dVlXoXdd7zPnjSsNxsWqOvfpq020NkT223eV6D59RUc3JSH8jWzSnja4n0FRI-8xaFt1gIVxbG3mISLuHeSwFGpEvIXD7ezH5bv3F8BwDTVYzFADwrBepxWA/s1600/Wedding5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzM_bEITUdGmhNJ8KM70dVlXoXdd7zPnjSsNxsWqOvfpq020NkT223eV6D59RUc3JSH8jWzSnja4n0FRI-8xaFt1gIVxbG3mISLuHeSwFGpEvIXD7ezH5bv3F8BwDTVYzFADwrBepxWA/s320/Wedding5.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hammocks over the water. Just right for reading and napping</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwajNmshYpO9B_jvGTGI0M0rEsLPAc_oqCr_71ZkZD7wvnJwd3HbyK0fLo_-8fviEvhKauMyibagfeoQgpF9WzwC8wrdSQsk-oI8emwZLWllvNYStMNkMoBCdVxX7kB42jkcxb_Rq30Q/s1600/Wedding6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwajNmshYpO9B_jvGTGI0M0rEsLPAc_oqCr_71ZkZD7wvnJwd3HbyK0fLo_-8fviEvhKauMyibagfeoQgpF9WzwC8wrdSQsk-oI8emwZLWllvNYStMNkMoBCdVxX7kB42jkcxb_Rq30Q/s320/Wedding6.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many great shops!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0UsZCLsux_ZH5yFNE_muW6_aeaP2lwHWSPcRR5wLif88DBES_xu5F3mjfASAXU1kwMl7H-nHNHKxBY47x69V5JQAxoulUCMeQ1_jKGzaG3y9wBWS7tGZuP0CbFVTo1jfAqz-_HbADHrU/s1600/Wedding7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0UsZCLsux_ZH5yFNE_muW6_aeaP2lwHWSPcRR5wLif88DBES_xu5F3mjfASAXU1kwMl7H-nHNHKxBY47x69V5JQAxoulUCMeQ1_jKGzaG3y9wBWS7tGZuP0CbFVTo1jfAqz-_HbADHrU/s320/Wedding7.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh catch of the day at Raices</td></tr>
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But one of the best moments for me was spending time with my granddaughter Miah and having time to visit.<br />
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<b>Miah: </b>Jojo, we are on vacation and it is beautiful here but not everyone here lives in such a beautiful place.<br />
<b>Me: </b>You are right, Miah. What made you think about that?<br />
<b>Miah: </b>When we were driving here we passed a lot of houses and I could see inside. Some of the people don't have beds.<br />
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I was deeply touched by her thoughts. There are many treasures to be found on Isla Holbox but I think I found the pearl.<br />
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Thank you Miah.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFZRcFdhy7wk3Xtus8vBWi00zg32aXhozt7j5F1M6VWqNfw1ih6I6zXVi7L-wITdUoXLdkrTEcJzMLbVGuUrZErdWGimgDvTWtXzJLc2wl8F7LOipO1nY-BBLdCYbkypnoLKY375PDYk/s1600/Miah.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFZRcFdhy7wk3Xtus8vBWi00zg32aXhozt7j5F1M6VWqNfw1ih6I6zXVi7L-wITdUoXLdkrTEcJzMLbVGuUrZErdWGimgDvTWtXzJLc2wl8F7LOipO1nY-BBLdCYbkypnoLKY375PDYk/s1600/Miah.JPG" /></a></div>
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Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-14883711567132494082016-03-13T13:01:00.000-04:002016-03-13T20:15:47.734-04:00Hotels - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjwYzs3Q5TV8zFLrOo846_DL7-b4cjJNDQBPCu4T9zA-Z5gfX030I6mYodVrawEUM1Fa-J-PIavaR8K6qRNKm6DLTCcT3OXbg9vbKDPRn_88_WE6hnmkJqWBR0inA7edKlpRTG0t1usw/s1600/Riad.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjwYzs3Q5TV8zFLrOo846_DL7-b4cjJNDQBPCu4T9zA-Z5gfX030I6mYodVrawEUM1Fa-J-PIavaR8K6qRNKm6DLTCcT3OXbg9vbKDPRn_88_WE6hnmkJqWBR0inA7edKlpRTG0t1usw/s640/Riad.JPG" width="476" /></a></div>
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I enjoy various types of hotel experiences but every now and then unexpected and sometimes memorable things happen. Maybe the hotel I booked wasn't quite what I was expecting or somehow things just went wrong. Most of the time these adventures end up being part of my vacation story because they can be both remarkable and memorable. For instance my kids still talk about the family vacation when we were staying outside of Boston and ended up in a room with soaking wet carpet and ants. The most memorable part of the story was that the manager of the hotel was mad about having to move us. So strange. <br />
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Then there was the time we were staying at the historic <a href="http://photoseek.photoshelter.com/image/I0000veRZZzINwLo" target="_blank">Hilltop House Hotel</a> in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia and the staff kept talking about the ghosts. The hotel was amazing and had the most extraordinary views but my kids were terrified. None of us slept a wink but we've never forgotten being able to stay in a haunted hotel. Apparently they have closed this hotel and what a shame. It is a beautiful location with lots of history (and ghosts)!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdruQcav24RN92MoDtW5SjgLXa2UYOOI1PQEEnvZ4j_cWKpK-KB2s6uGSiJiGfNHiKl0tORrhjSEqMM8xprnnAn53yVL7_mn2gqQfHL9IrC_-wiKNNqn0upnxMtrba95OYRr0yDRF4wU0/s1600/HilltopHotel.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdruQcav24RN92MoDtW5SjgLXa2UYOOI1PQEEnvZ4j_cWKpK-KB2s6uGSiJiGfNHiKl0tORrhjSEqMM8xprnnAn53yVL7_mn2gqQfHL9IrC_-wiKNNqn0upnxMtrba95OYRr0yDRF4wU0/s1600/HilltopHotel.gif" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the Portfolio Photoseek website</td></tr>
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Then I had my own fear of ghosts when traveling to LA. I was trying to stay at a reasonably priced hotel near where we were holding a conference and I was so excited to have found the historic <a href="http://untappedcities.com/2013/10/29/10-secrets-historic-millennium-biltmore-hotel-los-angeles/" target="_blank">Millennium Biltmore Hotel</a>. It is a beautiful and a lot of exhibits so that guests can learn more about the history. If you love old Hollywood there's lots to enjoy. And they have ghosts. Not just one, but many, and after hearing that the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Dahlia" target="_blank">Black Dahlia</a> walks the stairwell, that was it. I moved every piece of furniture in front of my door to block out any unwanted guests and of course I never slept that night either.<br />
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India was one of my most favorite places to visit. Ever. In India our accommodations covered a range of places - from home stays to a 5-star, depending on the city. But there was one place we are not likely to ever forget - <a href="http://www.dontworrychickencurry.com/index.html" target="_blank">Don't Worry Chicken Curry</a>. It is the scariest place I've ever stayed. The location of the hotel was creepy, the hotel was not at all what it appeared to be on the website (the website has been revised I see) and the staff was insulting to our guide. Scary, creepy, poor accommodations and rude. Worst. Hotel. Ever. And I was ever so thankful we made it through the night. Again, no sleep.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soggy towels, no toiletries, air conditioning out of order and this was the toilet paper provided. It was too scary to open the window so we toughed it out but it was scary!</td></tr>
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This fall while in Morocco we stayed in the strangest place. Nice but strange. Most of our trip we stayed in gorgeous riads but then there was one hotel we stayed where we could be close to the sea. We got an upgrade when we checked in and it sounded great, but it had the strangest decor. The place had a living room, a bar, a balcony, multiple rooms but all with the weirdest decor. I couldn't stop taking photos. <br />
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It's wonderful when everything on a trip goes as planned, right? After all, it is a vacation and a time to relax and enjoy. But over the years I've learned that some of these weird hotel adventures add to the travel memories and sometimes make the trip even more memorable.<br />
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I'm very grateful for <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/" target="_blank">TripAdvisor</a>. I'm a level 5 contributor and I'm always grateful to travelers who share their experiences - good and bad. What travel forum do you use when you plan a trip?<br />
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Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-65518476695526911982016-02-27T12:54:00.002-05:002016-02-27T12:55:13.184-05:00Sorbet Anyone? A Royal Dessert<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In January my husband reminded me that an exhibit at the
High Museum of Art would soon be closing and he wanted to have the chance to
see it. It was such an odd thing for him
to mention. He generally does not enjoy museums and in fact when we travel
together I carefully plan our itinerary to include museum visits in small
doses. So what was the exhibit? Habsburg Splendor, a collection of masterpieces,
costumes and objet d’art from the Habsburg dynasty. I love the High Museum of Art and I maintain
a membership there so of course I jumped at the opportunity to enjoy a night at
the museum. <o:p></o:p></div>
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What an interesting exhibit and there were several items of
interest but the one item that captivated me and my husband was
a centerpiece for sorbets. Various sea
shells including bonnet snail shells were made into cameo serving pieces. The piece was in a case but I did my best to get photos. Can you imagine what it took to make this item? I wonder how many shells were broken in the process.<o:p> </o:p> </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Official photo from the High Museum</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh276RnhcIYGuN62xe7XuvOc4vKREDDP-Gt5P-3cjozdlaCuGdcvT06j-rgFfvUrchW9-Cwu04rpujFpAemGmFualO4FcLORz-RTDhi6UFbibpoid6TGrxY0b7b-Czq5ABA3fJZE0XcLh4/s1600/MA4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh276RnhcIYGuN62xe7XuvOc4vKREDDP-Gt5P-3cjozdlaCuGdcvT06j-rgFfvUrchW9-Cwu04rpujFpAemGmFualO4FcLORz-RTDhi6UFbibpoid6TGrxY0b7b-Czq5ABA3fJZE0XcLh4/s320/MA4.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43pqhZQeBAXiYbMFPY3V6vJ9ZopEvojItD25J9YEcf_C1To6Vbno4aC6a9MIQrBv9h0m7VjQSYG5vqfpv_0F3ALJhWqmZREQ4zhKhZA4s30GfanA7FU4KAKSNiqHaBdQyI81wxmbb-V4/s1600/MA3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43pqhZQeBAXiYbMFPY3V6vJ9ZopEvojItD25J9YEcf_C1To6Vbno4aC6a9MIQrBv9h0m7VjQSYG5vqfpv_0F3ALJhWqmZREQ4zhKhZA4s30GfanA7FU4KAKSNiqHaBdQyI81wxmbb-V4/s320/MA3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was on the floor looking up to capture the cameo on the underneath part of the shell. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPH9z-YWVumx1XJV_WdDgKD-LiMTpnrhgdSwcJkREsDDP7AQegYGX5lH3U29NJt4oXrBwgeAghG5en3Df045d5IHWVyRCXZfSEQIaMhHDdYNsPRsXFg7X_7CnW4J6eelrp0Wpd7afN9s/s1600/MA%2521JPG.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPH9z-YWVumx1XJV_WdDgKD-LiMTpnrhgdSwcJkREsDDP7AQegYGX5lH3U29NJt4oXrBwgeAghG5en3Df045d5IHWVyRCXZfSEQIaMhHDdYNsPRsXFg7X_7CnW4J6eelrp0Wpd7afN9s/s320/MA%2521JPG.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearly everyone was captivated by this item.</td></tr>
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Just a few weeks after our trip to the museum my husband and I visited
Versailles. It was our first time to visit and in some ways I was disappointed. It seemed so plain and I
couldn’t figure out if it seemed plain because Hollywood has glamourized the
life and times of Marie Antoinette or had my visit to Peterhof Palace minimized my view? I’m not really sure but I’m happy that we
finally had a chance visit Versailles. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-72292952290497750782016-02-20T17:26:00.002-05:002016-02-20T17:34:51.489-05:00Saffron <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do you like saffron?
The only saffron I’d ever had before going to Morocco was saffron rice
which I’m sure I enjoyed but I had no knowledge about the harvesting or value
of saffron until our trip. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Kj4Imzk2PVlavm8EAzpx13gTyQwc0sE2Mou98suu-_Q71eN9kErcMDjHNkUxmw7qkxq5hVlQPLTpiJDIfkx5i6QiJtKfZmwkBN2axW0ycWjEXdsPq-hb_cfA2Ddy80PZLicxktuD4VE/s1600/saffron5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Kj4Imzk2PVlavm8EAzpx13gTyQwc0sE2Mou98suu-_Q71eN9kErcMDjHNkUxmw7qkxq5hVlQPLTpiJDIfkx5i6QiJtKfZmwkBN2axW0ycWjEXdsPq-hb_cfA2Ddy80PZLicxktuD4VE/s400/saffron5.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The farmer's field. Saffron (crocuses) grow underneath the almond trees.</td></tr>
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During part of our travels we drove through an area where
the argon trees grow. (And then you start seeing goats in the trees but that’s
another story)! Eventually we entered
an area where there were also a lot of almond trees growing. Our guide asked
us if we were interested in stopping for a cup of tea. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUL8EBWp5wLqa-em7DNErq5jJlruqiZe3yU__yARdDmE6gsZSsSrHvEaog9gbI_3JitCVg1wHxZkAT80PddIhywxz7EXn4JOYSOWOLxSmutIEvxpA1h3oHJ5Ko1Q0gf28Qinh072b2opo/s1600/saffron1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUL8EBWp5wLqa-em7DNErq5jJlruqiZe3yU__yARdDmE6gsZSsSrHvEaog9gbI_3JitCVg1wHxZkAT80PddIhywxz7EXn4JOYSOWOLxSmutIEvxpA1h3oHJ5Ko1Q0gf28Qinh072b2opo/s400/saffron1.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical pouring of the tea - with showmanship</td></tr>
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We stopped in a tiny farming community at a country store and our guide explained to us that we were in a
farming community where they grow saffron. We missed the harvest season by a week. At this small farm a group of seven women had already picked the flowers and harvested the saffron. When the flowers are ready to be
picked they only have a couple of days to remove the saffron threads from the
blossoms.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YjqKuOP-rjssHhVyU92CLRVrdRcIHs50l_4S-fee52oFVhoLLM7grcb157o65lhr1oLZWujrMJiWaRmjORTigbLVL8nN8nwtSRVlu6kUOsmec5IbtUuyZZfnGpOyH6dVAbaEOWE-jsM/s1600/saffron2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YjqKuOP-rjssHhVyU92CLRVrdRcIHs50l_4S-fee52oFVhoLLM7grcb157o65lhr1oLZWujrMJiWaRmjORTigbLVL8nN8nwtSRVlu6kUOsmec5IbtUuyZZfnGpOyH6dVAbaEOWE-jsM/s320/saffron2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you see the small threads?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9jSoHsNGgI-E7xlQkJ-7FfixA7kS6R-bfmKReyFiiCB4BjQujiGWRJht8XT1UR7LXdVVZAS_U_zaWhoyTlNGotMYG61-egVwIuQP0gwe53Rh4IlWn-CeYBzNmZLvAi6Jy9TAYFyRIHs/s1600/saffron3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9jSoHsNGgI-E7xlQkJ-7FfixA7kS6R-bfmKReyFiiCB4BjQujiGWRJht8XT1UR7LXdVVZAS_U_zaWhoyTlNGotMYG61-egVwIuQP0gwe53Rh4IlWn-CeYBzNmZLvAi6Jy9TAYFyRIHs/s320/saffron3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the purple color of the blossoms</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Saffron is expensive.
In fact it is the world's most expensive spice.
One pound of saffron can cost as much as $5000 and tt takes approximately 150,000 flowers to yield
a pound of saffron. That is a lot of flowers! The little roadside
store where we stopped for tea employees 7 neighbors to come help with the
picking and harvesting of the spice so this is big business and an important part of this community's local economy.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZ8ICN5y-TGEWaGZcd0lceAoGcYMPS5L0jci6RxfFlHAJP9cd_ubuKD8m_Mfz6n5GlgaXqEgsFVfKcxi1NI5eUubH1_d0kHALoAybIBFED6WcrNZtYssLCvp0w9UnQe0AppSjcuGqsws/s1600/saffron.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZ8ICN5y-TGEWaGZcd0lceAoGcYMPS5L0jci6RxfFlHAJP9cd_ubuKD8m_Mfz6n5GlgaXqEgsFVfKcxi1NI5eUubH1_d0kHALoAybIBFED6WcrNZtYssLCvp0w9UnQe0AppSjcuGqsws/s320/saffron.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saffron for purchase</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
In addition to learning about the process of growing saffron
the local farmer’s wife offered us saffron tea.
It was delicious and sweetened with local honey. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCIJpu4jhvTKKozjl47Al2jjFLRzEs7c9XweodQkvSRo0SUgMRBtF-lQLw6EhUdL10IT7EORfcVE6XuLlSO-teC4dmIJcUTlzLI0b-xzd5rUp3L7juejtjhUXbRf5_zzHOL0_-C-lMlfg/s1600/saffron4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCIJpu4jhvTKKozjl47Al2jjFLRzEs7c9XweodQkvSRo0SUgMRBtF-lQLw6EhUdL10IT7EORfcVE6XuLlSO-teC4dmIJcUTlzLI0b-xzd5rUp3L7juejtjhUXbRf5_zzHOL0_-C-lMlfg/s320/saffron4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I’m sure I enjoy many foods with a limited understanding of
the efforts of farmers but in the future I’ll be a lot more excited about
saffron when I see it on the menu. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-57970176035014221302016-02-14T17:52:00.001-05:002016-02-14T17:52:04.679-05:00A Perfect Gift<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Have you ever received the perfect gift? I have. This Christmas my niece gave me a gift that nearly took my breath away. I wasn't expecting anything which made this present even more touching but it was also perfect and here's why.<br />
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When I was in high school I selected my china pattern. I fell in love with <i>Autumn </i>by Lenox and I remained determined that one day I would own some place settings of this china. Eventually my dream came true and I have I to say that I love this pattern as much today as I did when I first spotted the pattern back in 1973 when I was working part-time at Belk Matthews in Warner Robins, Georgia. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGFkxI3Pq7Z6f_Ch4W1fUf9lFotuh0iRq7bvYmrwpaOJpIBEQQQEQ0JS0RJK2_GQWpZMnEDWYdwaX1FEXpKR0R5tuEadZ4vc9eErCC3OLOxGVx5vkQbVPWmFRBjoqY-Y3-VlMsZj4vpRA/s1600/Autumn.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGFkxI3Pq7Z6f_Ch4W1fUf9lFotuh0iRq7bvYmrwpaOJpIBEQQQEQ0JS0RJK2_GQWpZMnEDWYdwaX1FEXpKR0R5tuEadZ4vc9eErCC3OLOxGVx5vkQbVPWmFRBjoqY-Y3-VlMsZj4vpRA/s320/Autumn.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This Christmas my niece gave me a small package and as I mentioned, I really wasn't expecting anything but when I opened the wrappings I was amazed when I realized what she'd given me. It was a beautiful necklace that was made from a broken piece of china. But not just any piece of china. It was piece of <i>Autumn</i> by Lenox. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWyJ1HdZOfAIhSWbog2NpLpVF71WXDdUkXROmxcrXKTBqeA2AhHVCmQwIlNK-x0l2svfeVmVmXGI_RI0ylCKJIK-KutlCg2wyk37_Bj3kZmD5b630xBUq2uLTDw3us4hrXc_r1Z1guG0/s1600/Necklace2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWyJ1HdZOfAIhSWbog2NpLpVF71WXDdUkXROmxcrXKTBqeA2AhHVCmQwIlNK-x0l2svfeVmVmXGI_RI0ylCKJIK-KutlCg2wyk37_Bj3kZmD5b630xBUq2uLTDw3us4hrXc_r1Z1guG0/s400/Necklace2.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I love this necklace</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEies1wIEnoTqSDOuMzJiBnytRxflx5Zm_ldaDWSi5ed8Y8XY8EwA_CrtcfFIziuNzYArEb-4LBbNNCYsxTVZtmzTnz-VtIbSYiAdIXWyeehvBhlMXc_J-weOGfqZNlBG988Vkb87M-Py-k/s1600/Necklace.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEies1wIEnoTqSDOuMzJiBnytRxflx5Zm_ldaDWSi5ed8Y8XY8EwA_CrtcfFIziuNzYArEb-4LBbNNCYsxTVZtmzTnz-VtIbSYiAdIXWyeehvBhlMXc_J-weOGfqZNlBG988Vkb87M-Py-k/s400/Necklace.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Notice the fruits are raised</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This gift is a treasure and it has reminded me of the importance of listening and observing during the year. A real gift isn't something we rush out to buy. Instead it is a gift that is well thought out. It is something that touches the heart.</div>
<div>
<br />
This necklace serves as a reminder to listen and observe friends and family more closely so that I can also give the perfect gift. And you know what, it's never to early to start planning for Christmas! </div>
</div>
Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-53664573485666609302016-01-17T11:44:00.001-05:002016-01-18T19:26:07.923-05:0010 Tips for Budget Travel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsRq2TId-AQkUAhGyNmiPdMkpnH-KvBvm9-R30JoUDk5Oep2Kj-xao7L_EcyEud6GRjA9fsi3DrgDgFTVj09nwA1nqXjmXGLTyYYxY1h-MsOdYbCpMJbbquTFctFd2fnqRFNCbO2h4oI/s1600/Travel6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsRq2TId-AQkUAhGyNmiPdMkpnH-KvBvm9-R30JoUDk5Oep2Kj-xao7L_EcyEud6GRjA9fsi3DrgDgFTVj09nwA1nqXjmXGLTyYYxY1h-MsOdYbCpMJbbquTFctFd2fnqRFNCbO2h4oI/s1600/Travel6.JPG" /></a></div>
Two years ago I stopped making new year's resolutions and instead decided to start making a travel wish list and the results have been amazing. In the past couple of years I've been able to:<br />
- Visit the Taj Mahal under a full moon, experience Holi, see the Venice of India and spend spiritual time in Varanasi<br />
- See where the Monarch butterflies go for the winter, discover the amazing city of Guanajuato, eat some incredible food (street food too) and finally see Freda Khalo's home in Mexico<br />
- Relax and enjoy time on the French Riviera<br />
- Spend spring break in St. Petersburg. Not Florida,...Russia<br />
- Vacation in Ireland<br />
- Watch the sun rise and set in the Sahara Desert in Morocco<br />
- Enjoy a weekend in Montreal, Canada.<br />
Three years ago I was inspired by a young friend who in our conversation as I was daydreaming out loud about being able to see the Taj Mahal simply said, "you are never going to go until you buy a ticket." It hit me like a bolt of lightening. From that day on I made up my mind to actually work to fulfill my travel dreams. Now I don't just dream about travel. I buy my ticket.<br />
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Do you daydream about traveling? If so this post is for you. Today I want to share a few of my budget tips to help you make your travel dreams come true. If you are a luxury traveler you can stop reading here.<br />
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<b><u>Getting Started</u></b><br />
I've found it really helpful to make a list of places in the world that I'd like to see. One thing I don't do is lock in to any one destination, ever. Sales pop up all the time and my goal is to find one of my destinations on sale. I am a loyal Delta traveler so I keep up with their sales and I use the Kayak EXPLORE feature to be able to track where the best prices can be found. Have you played around with the EXPLORE feature? Love it.<br />
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I take advantage of Delta Vacations - a lot. Our trip to Nice, France and our summer trip to Ireland were all thanks to incredible packages put together by Delta Vacations. And when I say great, I do mean great. It is so hard to believe that the vacation package to Nice which included hotel stay in a 4-star hotel and airfare was $998! Yes, you read that correctly. Our trip to Ireland was $200 more but we were traveling during the peak summer season so the added cost was to be expected. Delta vacations won't work for every trip but if you plan to use one city as a base, the package deals can save you a boatload of money.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEATRG6y53ALTIYQcMswjztxcjxELdn1q8V0yQlm1JV5Y5DI8bsy1yYlNxw_dJszS3C7JK7uFI1Xu7LLyUGn5C4NL_RMTBq2gktFQLZ7N0AbA0MpbGL7ZZeGxFsrzN838krNObCw2UKMc/s1600/Travel2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEATRG6y53ALTIYQcMswjztxcjxELdn1q8V0yQlm1JV5Y5DI8bsy1yYlNxw_dJszS3C7JK7uFI1Xu7LLyUGn5C4NL_RMTBq2gktFQLZ7N0AbA0MpbGL7ZZeGxFsrzN838krNObCw2UKMc/s1600/Travel2.JPG" title="Guanajuato" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guanajuato Mexico</td></tr>
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Figure out the most expensive cities to fly into and don't go there! Some cities like London are always expensive to visit because of various taxes. But is there a way to access London from another UK or European city? Flexibility is key to be able to maximize your travel experience, your time and most of all, your budget.<br />
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And be sure to keep up with economic news and monitor the exchange rate. I use <a href="http://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/" target="_blank">http://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/</a> which has a tab to also provide historical data. When the economy is in your favor, take advantage of it.<br />
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Speaking of the news, watch international news for inspiring places to visit and for world news. We are huge fans of BBC International and Al-Jazeera America (sad to see it go). I feel I'm a much better ambassador for my country if I'm informed and have a broader understanding of the world.<br />
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<b><u>Got My Ticket, Now What?</u></b><br />
I'm typically not a traveler who wants to be part of a tour group and I really enjoy spending time learning about the target destination and detailing out an itinerary. For me it is part of the journey and I will spend hours combing websites and reading through travel forums to help with the planning. But I've learned that sometimes I need help. Some traveler friends use agencies to help them with their journeys but when I've needed help my best sources of information have been friends who've already been to the target country. Don't get me wrong, agencies can be great and most of my friends who have used agencies do so because they don't have the time to do the research but that is a part of the journey that I love. Calling on friends who've recently traveled makes the planning process more fun. Friends are usually very excited to share their travel knowledge, connections and photos. When planning my trip to India I was determined to do it alone but after two months of lunches with friends it became apparent that help was needed. Lucky for me my husband's cousin leads tour groups on trips to India and she connected me with an Indian tour company that was incredible. Last year I spent 2 months emailing tour companies in Morocco to find a company that would let me customize our trip and luckily we found a small family-owned group that not only let us customize our journey, they are now like extended family (seriously, we have our own private Whats App chat group)! <br />
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Study up on the foods and local places before you travel and try to keep an open mind. I heard nothing but bad things about Russian food before I left for St. Petersburg last year and got there and loved it! The Georgian food was a complete surprise and absolutely delicious. Locals are an incredible resource. I love seeing the sights, learning new things and meeting the people but I absolutely love trying new food. Instead of taking a cooking class (travel cooking classes are expensive) ask some of the locals for recipes. One of my favorite things to do is to bring my travels back home and being able to cook some of my favorite foods allows me bring the trip home.<br />
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Four years ago we went to Italy and stayed in a B&B in a tiny town on the hilltop above Positano. Believe me, it was such an affordable stay. And the restaurant in our tiny hilltop village invited us to join mama in the kitchen to make pasta! Now THAT was a cooking lesson and we didn't pay a thing.<br />
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<b><u>Developing Budget Travel Tips</u></b><br />
I follow travel bloggers and subscribe to various travel publications to continuously learn about destinations around the globe. I also try to connect with other travelers when I travel. Travelers from other parts of the world have some great suggestions for on the ground discounts, locally owned companies and cost-savings we might not hear about. Do your homework before you go to determine ground transportation options. On our recent trip to Ireland at the last minute we decided to rent a car. I located a local Irish car company that cost us under $100 (with insurance). In Mexico some of my most memorable experiences have<br />
been taking the local bus to get from city-to-city. What you probably don't want to do is wait until you get there to figure it out. Sometimes that can work but not planning tends to be a lot more costly and can sometimes throw your travel schedule off course.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh the cafes of Montreal!</td></tr>
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My best advice is spend time exploring online, monitor prices and take advantage of the readily available travel forums for some current cost-saving ideas.<br />
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Try to be flexible. This is the most important tip of all. Travel means things will be different and being flexible can help you enjoy your trip, even when things go wrong. My husband and I arrived in Casablanca this fall expecting to take a three hour train ride to get to Marrakesh. We were departing Marrakesh early the next morning. Unfortunately the train was delayed for hours and by 7 o'clock that night we were panicked about how we would make it. Luckily we met the NICEST young woman who helped us get to the train station, bought us dinner and made sure we arrived safely. We couldn't thank her enough. Had it not been for her kindness and our flexibility, I would have ended up paying about $600 for a driver to get us there. Instead, it cost us $22.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Learning About Places</span><br />
Don't let the news scare you too much. Yes, there is evil in the world but the more I travel the more I realize that most people everywhere want the same things I do - a happy life. And, remember there are so many more amazing places in the world that just Europe. Don't get me wrong, Europe is beautiful but the world is full of beautiful places! On recent trips I've met a traveler returning from Iran, another from Rwanda who just returned from a visit with the Silverback Gorillas and a member of the Masaai tribe who lives in the U.S. for six months of the year but returns home for six months each year so that he can maintain his tribal status. I've been inspired to meet numerous workers with NGOs doing incredible work around the globe. I was moved to tears to spend an hour in a waiting area visiting with the sister of a gentleman who was on the MH17 Malaysia Air plane crash and completely amazed by the secretary I met who lives in DC but has spent the last 4 years making frequent trips to France. A secretary by day, yes, but in partnership with a local book store she is soon to launch her travel company leading French tours. How's that for a fun retirement at the age of 63? <br />
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About two years ago my husband and I would wake up early on Sunday morning to watch a beautiful travel series called <i>World From Above</i>. It was incredibly beautiful and I added so many experiences to my travel wish list. Because of this travel program I made it a point to travel to the Balkan sea and bought a beautiful keepsake piece of amber. <br />
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And my best piece of advice - Start planning your next trip before you return from your current trip. I got a few things lined up for the first quarter of the year. Because of my travel wish list I was able to get some budget travels booked last fall.<br />
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Good luck with your travel planning. If you ever want to share experiences let me know. I'm always happy to share my tips and I love learning from other travelers. I would love to hear from you.<br />
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Bon voyage!<br />
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Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-52762075259867142492016-01-01T14:54:00.000-05:002016-01-01T20:50:15.757-05:00Things I Loved About 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Looking back the year went by so quickly but it was packed with travel, fun with friends and family, full of memories including some big moments and professional growth. As New Year's Eve edged closer I was a bit melancholy wishing things would slow down so that I could take in just a few more moments of a great year but at the same time I was feeling so grateful for every opportunity in 2015. <br />
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<u><b>Blogging</b></u> - As I sat down to write this post I also realized how long it has been since I added anything to my blog. 2015 was crazy busy so posting fell by the wayside but I'm very proud to say that most mornings I'm up at 5:00am so that I can read posts from some of my favorite bloggers like Rhoda, Susan, Lorrie, Sue, Penny, Pat, Sarah, Bethany, Shannon, Lynne, Jilly, Robin, Joanne, Linda, Jennifer, Lynne, Carolyn and so many more. I might not leave you a comment but believe me I keep up with you. Susan I loved your Africa photos, Pat, I hope you are feeling better soon. Jilly, I swear that I will meet you in person one of these days. Sarah, I love all of the beauty you add to every day living. Lorrie, you amaze me with all that you find time for in a day. </div>
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I started blogging in 2007 for fun and to connect with others. Many of the bloggers I read and follow have gone on to be full-time influencers and it has been exciting and amazing to witness. This year I became very close friends with one blogger whom I met online in 2008. She isn't able to blog at the moment but I'm hoping one day she can. She has an amazing gift with food that needs to be shared. One of my best blog discoveries this year is Beth's blog at <a href="http://www.styleatacertainage.com/" target="_blank">Style at a Certain Age</a>. I LOVE HER BLOG and it has been so exciting to be able to enjoy a blog that is age appropriate with a wardrobe that takes you from Target to Talbot's. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQI_WeIcXDUsDmXuSrwucc-B_WfYgQPGJNdhgUPg7CXvwSOjhu061XwJhvHXexBEStTION2L3zx7z-PBlfwxs5htR-Asjj0CrJJqcq8sB2wo_KIot_wbWCWwGUmiE8wKYwxPBmOzT0AM/s1600/Blog11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQI_WeIcXDUsDmXuSrwucc-B_WfYgQPGJNdhgUPg7CXvwSOjhu061XwJhvHXexBEStTION2L3zx7z-PBlfwxs5htR-Asjj0CrJJqcq8sB2wo_KIot_wbWCWwGUmiE8wKYwxPBmOzT0AM/s320/Blog11.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-9oOV_2LUr4Q6t4xTelYAMzaXXiINbhUo5t8CCLKQUkDQCSGfwgE8fj1TmF4d-JaJOk4UH7FwhldITkXHWH8Ygj6Sj1gbr2mqauXwn7t9flsIIV9K_4FtsCYQ_BMYH8TrAyZBbsta9Y/s1600/Blog3.PNG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-9oOV_2LUr4Q6t4xTelYAMzaXXiINbhUo5t8CCLKQUkDQCSGfwgE8fj1TmF4d-JaJOk4UH7FwhldITkXHWH8Ygj6Sj1gbr2mqauXwn7t9flsIIV9K_4FtsCYQ_BMYH8TrAyZBbsta9Y/s320/Blog3.PNG" width="232" /></a></div>
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">Travel</u> - 2015 helped me mark a few more destinations off my bucket list. This year's travels took me to: Portland, Hollywood, Detroit, Baltic Sea, St. Petersburg, Russia, Ireland, Montreal and Morocco. These last four destinations had been on my list for years so it was great to be able to finally see and experience these places in person. In 2015 it was exciting to take my first solo trip. I travel solo for work so I'm accustomed to making business trips alone but until September 2015 I'd never taken a pleasure trip alone but I loved it! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtGArXulc1NOX5r5q9IcGLT5cWogXKVkwzncRZfDtCXhfEGUJsEah8FDFl_2pW6tNRuxobPKRI6Y0cRCIIXZRMpiUjCBgiclWFxyGKYvB3qrtsDAvsPk5vNXYaaLlrvnbomEC_vkd35M/s1600/Blog4.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtGArXulc1NOX5r5q9IcGLT5cWogXKVkwzncRZfDtCXhfEGUJsEah8FDFl_2pW6tNRuxobPKRI6Y0cRCIIXZRMpiUjCBgiclWFxyGKYvB3qrtsDAvsPk5vNXYaaLlrvnbomEC_vkd35M/s320/Blog4.PNG" width="272" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWpcr5gb1PaK3OODOYbhprd8RPScsrQFqTa3RbmcUZ-yf60J-sq9fv8zfZwGkZFeej9tgTAFkirzFPRarw0kT7pXx1XpnkJ-ZvNFi-k2FTjPYVPXSanKoIqhf0TR9DMJJqAK56wD8L1I/s1600/Blog10.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWpcr5gb1PaK3OODOYbhprd8RPScsrQFqTa3RbmcUZ-yf60J-sq9fv8zfZwGkZFeej9tgTAFkirzFPRarw0kT7pXx1XpnkJ-ZvNFi-k2FTjPYVPXSanKoIqhf0TR9DMJJqAK56wD8L1I/s320/Blog10.PNG" width="320" /></a>There were a few highlights and observations that I'd like to share. </div>
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- Spent a day with the crew of Turner Classic Movies </div>
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- Went up to the top of Mt. Hood </div>
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- Walked along the Hollywood Walk of Fame</div>
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- Saw Diego Rivera's mural in Detroit - a must-see</div>
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- Honored to escort my daughter-in-law for her Master Sgt. stripe</div>
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- Attended the most beautiful Indian wedding and wore a saree - loved it!!!</div>
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- Graduated from the FBI Citizen's Academy</div>
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- Visited gorgeous St. Petersburg; the people are charming and the food is great</div>
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- Saw a Russian Ballet at the Marinsky</div>
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- Bought an amber bracelet from a shop located near the Baltic Sea</div>
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- Proud to have survived the boat ride to the Aran Islands (and I didn't throw up either)</div>
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- Loved everything about Ireland but especially the people and the music</div>
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- Enjoyed authentic Poutin (and it was delicious)</div>
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- Traveled alone; spent a weekend in Montreal by myself</div>
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- Walked 22,000 steps in a day in Montreal</div>
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- Camped in the Sahara desert - an unforgettable life moment </div>
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- Finally visited Morocco, toured the Draa Valley and visited an oasis </div>
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- Gained an adopted son, Bachir and a daughter, Jihan in Morocco</div>
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">Family</u> - Big things happened this year. My oldest son deployed and was gone for almost 8 months. When family members deploy, military families help each other. His absence was sad, and hard at times, but it also gave us as a family the opportunity to do things like take my granddaughter to summer camp and take my oldest granddaughter to NY to celebrate her 13th birthday. My youngest son got married so we gained a daughter and celebrated a bilingual wedding. It was beautiful and exciting to continue to grow as a family. My daughter's band made some big stops on tours this year including Red Rocks and Bonnaroo but I was most excited that their travels also brought them to Atlanta twice. The older my children get the harder it becomes to get us all in the same place at the same time. It happened twice this year and I've got a couple of photos to prove it! I also got to see my Goddaughter who lives in Seattle. They came to visit this summer so we had time together. A very special moment indeed.</div>
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">Work</u> - Yes it seems to get harder and some days it seems I just can't keep up with all that must be done or that I hope to get done. We all continue to do more with less and some days it gets stressful but <b><u>I love my work</u>.</b> I love what I do, the people I work with and I especially love the outcomes. Over the holidays one of the clients I've worked with and become very personally involved with sent me an incredible gift. When I called to thank her and to sincerely say that she needn't buy me anything she reminded me that she send me a gift because she was grateful. I cried.</div>
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">Friends</u> - It seems there is never enough time for gathering with friends but this year I was able to connect with few friends that grew up with but hadn't seen since the 70's. That is no typo - yes, the 70's. It was great and while one of the friend visits was because of a loss, it was still wonderful to be able to spend time together. Our hometown has always had a lot of talent and beauty. In fact the current Miss America is from my hometown. This summer a group of talented alums from one of the high schools put together an amazing show. I had a blast seeing so many friends from the past and the show was fabulous. Now we are all waiting for the next big performance. Dub?<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">Hobbies and Book Clubs</u> - There just aren't enough hours in the day but somehow I manage to find time for the movies, all things French and my book club. I've been in two book clubs but one book club seems to be fading away while the other continues to inspire me. </div>
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Favorite book of 2015 - All the Light We Cannot See </div>
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Favorite movie of 2015 - Trumbo</div>
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Memorable moment - Walking in silence with the French community following the Charlie Hebdo attack. I love being a part of the Alliance Francaise d'Atlanta</div>
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Special highlight - Being a VIP attendee at the Atlanta Downton Abbey Premiere Party</div>
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As the year ends and as the new year begins I can't help but be overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. Today I hope to find the time to revise my travel bucket list, update my reading list, watch a little tv and set a few goals. I'm also taking time to be still and get centered. I'm looking forward to writing some new and exciting chapters in my life's book in the coming year and I sincerely hope to do more blogging. Happy New Year.</div>
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Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-20028485526957989272015-09-07T17:10:00.002-04:002015-09-07T20:38:08.237-04:00How to Enjoy an Amazing Long Weekend in Ireland!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This year hasn't given me many breaks but thankfully back in January we booked the most amazing trip which turned into a long weekend getaway at the end of August.<br />
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Last week we went to Ireland! I worked from 7:30 - 2:30 on Wednesday, then ran home to take a shower and made it to the airport by 4:00 to be ready for our 5:50 flight. Typically I'm not one for packing those neck pillows but because we only had Thursday - Saturday to do our sightseeing so I needed to be rested and ready to tour as soon as we hit the ground. Pillow in the backpack...check! This trip I packed really light with just a small carry-on bag and of course packing a sturdy pair of walking shoes. We arrived in Shannon by 10:00 on Thursday morning, picked up our rental car (one of the bravest things we've ever done) and set out to see County Clare. <br />
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Day 1 - Our first stop was Bunratty Castle and Folk Park and it was a perfect start to the trip after such a long flight. We walked the grounds saving the climb up in the castle until the end. By the time we finished it was lunchtime so we headed over to Gallaghers before driving on to Ennis. <br />
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Maybe I'm in the minority but flipping my driving mindset from L-R to driving R-L would be impossible but my husband was agreeable to handle the driving, provided I made no sounds while he was at the wheel. Leaving Shannon it was a big deal to adjust differences. Little did I know the driving would be even more challenging over the next few days with all those narrow country roads but now that we are home I'm so glad we had a car and that my husband was willing to handle the driving.<br />
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We arrived in Ennis and after circling many blocks several times we finally found our hotel AND the hotel parking lot. We spent our days at the Old Ground Hotel and it was wonderful. We had a suite which was fabulous (thank you Delta vacations). The hotel is right in town so the location is perfect and it also has great restaurants and a top-rated pub.<br />
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We ended the day with Irish music at Cruises Pub.<br />
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Day 2 - Friday morning we got up early and hit the road. We were headed for the Cliffs of Moher and were encouraged that even though it was overcast, there was no rain. That is until we got to the Cliffs. As soon as we stepped out of the car it started sprinkling and by the time we got on the walking trail it was pouring. We were drenched but we continued our walk. Seeing the cliffs in the rain, with crashing waves, winds and heavy clouds, gave the scenery a haunting appearance and it made the walk more beautiful. We stopped in to the cafe and had some tea before heading to Doolin.<br />
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From Doolin we waited at the port to catch a boat to the Inis Oirr, the smallest of the Aran Islands. Our boat ride was the scariest, most turbulent ride ever and I'm not exaggerating or kidding about this. We were not asked to wear life jackets but I spotted their location and had we capsized I was going to be ready. There were so many distractions - people throwing up and working as hard as I could to hold on to my seat actually made me feel like I was holding on for dear life. We had windows from our seating but all we could see was crashing waves. Luckily it was only a 35 minute ride and soon we were on the dock, the sun was out and we were seeing a dolphin! Apparently Dusty Springfield's ashes were strewn near the Cliffs and shortly afterwards "Dusty" the dolphin made an appearance and now stops in every day to visit with visitors and natives alike.<br />
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We spent the day with a local man touring Inis Oirr. It is a beautiful island and we saw St. Kevin's Church, the O'Brien Fort, the Plassey shipwreck, the Holy well, the lighthouse, the handicraft workshop and much more. And we got to enjoy one of the best bowls of seafood chowder ever! After a full afternoon of walking the island it was time to get back on that boat and face the rough sea and another boat of seasick passengers.<br />
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That night back in Enis we made another trip to Cruises for some Irish music.<br />
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Day 3 - Again we got an early start and hit the road in search of faeries and the Burren. Okay, I knew I was pushing my luck to think that I would see the faeries but I was eager to see a ring fort and was hoping to spy a faerie too. Along the way we stopped at the Burren visitor center to learn a bit more about the land and nature before heading to the stone fort. At the fork in the road where we were to turn was a beautiful abandoned castle called Leamaneh so of course we had to stop for photos. I later learned that the fireplace in our hotel was removed from the castle and installed at Old Ground. Driving on we finally arrived at Caherconnell Stone Fort and enjoyed taking in the beauty of the landscape as well as learning about the excavations. We took some time to enjoy the sheepdog demonstration which was an added bonus before heading up the road to Poulnabrone. <br />
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Poulnabrone looks huge in photos that I'd seen but it is not that big really but it was eerily beautiful to see the stones mounted in the midst of nothing but stone. On the drive back to Ennis we stopped to see the Kilnaboy Church with its round tower.<br />
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One thing I've failed to share is that at every stop we just took in the views. The landscape is so beautiful and so perfect that it almost doesn't seem real. We decided that on our last day we needed to see the Ennis Friary and needed to enjoy some time in Ennis. The town has lots of shops, cafes and a lovely river. It seemed like a perfect way to slow down and relax and it was. By late afternoon we decided to go back to our hotel to sit in the garden and have a tea. It was amazing to enjoy a wedding and sunshine! The garden was filled with love, flowers, friends and family celebrating the marriage. As the sun went down it only seemed right that we return to Cruises for our last night of Irish music.<br />
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As we headed out to the airport I couldn't help but think about this trip as perfect. We saw so many things but had plenty of time to relax and visit with people. In fact, I felt right at home. People were so friendly and welcoming making our visit even more memorable.<br />
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I don't know if I'll make it back to Ireland any time soon but I can honestly say it was one of my favorite trips and I sincerely hope to visit again. Delta Vacations helped me put this trip together and while it was short, it was amazing and affordable. I'm sold on Delta Vacations. </div>
Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-35389161288183834142015-08-16T20:33:00.001-04:002015-08-16T20:33:19.836-04:00Where Has the Summer Gone?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I just realized how long it has been since my last post and I can't believe it! But I've got several good excuses. My son got married in July and it has been a whirlwind ever since.<div>
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We've had lots of fun family weekends. Just ask me how many times I've played Apples - to - Apples. </div>
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And then then there were more gatherings and outings (I just love how my niece manages to be the most sophisticated at her most playful moments)!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two of my nieces and their kids</td></tr>
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And of course there was a lot of work and some volunteer fun. </div>
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Then there was back-to-school shopping. </div>
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Even though school has started, thank goodness summer is still with us and I'm hoping to enjoy it for as long as possible. It is by far my favorite season. I hope your summer is bringing you joy.</div>
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Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-81455207104700858972015-07-04T17:47:00.000-04:002015-07-04T17:47:10.770-04:00Fun in Columbus, Georgia!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flag waving in downtown Columbus</td></tr>
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My niece was in the Miss Georgia's Outstanding Teen Pageant so I had the good fortune of going down and spending a few days in Columbus, Georgia. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mel with her best friend</td></tr>
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The Miss Georgia pageant has been held in Columbus for as long and I can remember though until my niece became involved in the pageant I'd never had an overnight stay in the city. I'm hear to tell you that Columbus is great. <br />
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I was able to do some interesting work while visiting the city which was actually quite fascinating. Our firm is helping with a really timely project called Race, Law and Law Enforcement and I had volunteered to conduct some interviews and it just so happened there were candidates willing to be interviewed living in Columbus. It was an unusal way to be introduced to some of the local people while at the same time, very interesting. As much as I was helping, I felt like I learned a lot.<br />
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My hotel was located in the downtown which happens to have lots of shops, restaurants, a riverwalk and on Saturdays a fantastic farmers' market not to mention that it is right in the historic district so there are lots of beautiful homes nearby.<br />
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In the afternoon I managed to walk about 3 miles but who wouldn't? The scenery was lovely!<br />
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Did you know that you can go whitewater rafting in Columbus? And if you cross the bridge you enter Alabama!<br />
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I ended up buying a mess of purple hull peas at the market. They are my favorite and when the afternoon heat got to be too much it was nice to sit in my hotel room and shell peas. (I bet the cleaning ladies got a kick out of the trash I left behind)! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were the cheerleaders!!!</td></tr>
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My grandgirl came down to enjoy the pageant so it was fun to be able to have play time after everything was over.<br />
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Columbus is a beautiful city and after conducting interviews I decided it is a really friendly city. Most of the time I'm rushing around to get to wherever it is I need to be but it was really nice to slow down and enjoy a city in this great country of ours. We've got some great towns, great people and lots to be explored. Happy 4th to those who are celebrating. <br />
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Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-27786400861181831762015-05-31T13:37:00.003-04:002015-05-31T20:17:18.745-04:00Quicken Loans, Detroit AND the Great Place to Work Executive Strategies Network<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Okay, the title of this post probably makes no sense but this month because our firm is a member of the Great Place to Work Executive Strategies Network, I was able to visit Detroit and spend a couple of days at Quicken Loans headquarters and wow, what a great trip!! Detroit was amazing and so is Quicken Loans. I have never experienced so much enthusiasm for a city and a workplace. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Action Words Throughout Quicken Loans<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't You Love This "work" Zone?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work - Life = Balance<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet Melissa - The Woman Who Helps With Buildouts - Amazing!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready for discussion</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love the ESN!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a perk - Red Bull!</td></tr>
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Prior to the trip I wasn't expecting much and I'm sure you are thinking the same thing - Detroit? There has been so much negative publicity about the blight of the city and the bankruptcy. It just doesn't sound good, right? But what a surprise. Perhaps because the city really had no place to go but up, the city entered a modern-day renaissance and Quicken Loans is one of the major driving forces behind many efforts. It is incredible. Quicken Loans is working to renovate dozens of properties and historical buildings, helping start new companies, encouraging and investing in new entrepreneurs all while growing their core business. You can feel the enthusiasm for the city from the moment you arrive. <br />
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Quicken Loans operates a summer internship and guess what? They never advertise and yet every summer 1,500 students get an opportunity to work at Quicken Loans. They meet for one entire day with Dan Gilbert, the CEO and get a full day introduction into the "isms", the core values that get put into action and are the foundation of QL's success.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isn't this a great philosophy for the workplace?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "isms" as a Fathead.</td></tr>
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We met Melissa. She oversees the build of new space. I was amazed at her enthusiasm, artistic passion, her artistic eye and practical vision in work spaces. Then came Bruce. Believe me - NO ONE is more proud or has a greater passion for Detroit than Bruce. I left there wanting to move to Detroit. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sample work space. Can you say fun?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDqk2wnHji9aOjL8sJSvZW4SBrhyphenhyphenh4IzzBykgjZyrfQ-aJ1irDKD5LGK1l3J3wkhEGMqidChFBl6p6yGOyy7iToVGtLpA5EwdoJEJeAZpN3XhK6JW7XBKpj9ZxZ9hBS_SCTFlpMXY9jw/s1600/P1010278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDqk2wnHji9aOjL8sJSvZW4SBrhyphenhyphenh4IzzBykgjZyrfQ-aJ1irDKD5LGK1l3J3wkhEGMqidChFBl6p6yGOyy7iToVGtLpA5EwdoJEJeAZpN3XhK6JW7XBKpj9ZxZ9hBS_SCTFlpMXY9jw/s320/P1010278.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And cool?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4UdlleNMrMpOd6J1h2dc-JqvrgCYlLoU_3AIg1JPmn9XQVV2Ak2c0s_8BHhNn1T-Gq4o6_FdsLRtyaN2kBIxNlHhHanC5aRuKAxzYIvJQ7wb-lFFDRJgjOjrf5zT006weHH7gtPWDwo/s1600/P1010275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4UdlleNMrMpOd6J1h2dc-JqvrgCYlLoU_3AIg1JPmn9XQVV2Ak2c0s_8BHhNn1T-Gq4o6_FdsLRtyaN2kBIxNlHhHanC5aRuKAxzYIvJQ7wb-lFFDRJgjOjrf5zT006weHH7gtPWDwo/s320/P1010275.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pianos on the street. Music at lunch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMM1-zi-Njv4ZtG10zm5huxQcEJIXwv4OBOQL3wvKt1GDTAlJhmMeyHnE-KwQFRxgUR3KL4LsIwSgaB-F8qjJ3Is4PSoH2Bc4RoD5oA6YV1fs8QeO1f-r22CMHxVq6qth8rPXQRSbFkc/s1600/P1010269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMM1-zi-Njv4ZtG10zm5huxQcEJIXwv4OBOQL3wvKt1GDTAlJhmMeyHnE-KwQFRxgUR3KL4LsIwSgaB-F8qjJ3Is4PSoH2Bc4RoD5oA6YV1fs8QeO1f-r22CMHxVq6qth8rPXQRSbFkc/s320/P1010269.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bruce showing us a layout of downtown. Orange roofs are Quicken Loan Buildings!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGp9NRAE-RBtmEecPEq9i1nS0n2RP0VfAReShQ0ikv1lKo927_YsO6SAF9APhpWQjO7nVh3jmjflspajruhqlZXTwjkcrDchoUxkRMABDP6TNHVt2s7wnLYBW84c4w2Mx1eJNLc0mW7DM/s1600/P1010266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGp9NRAE-RBtmEecPEq9i1nS0n2RP0VfAReShQ0ikv1lKo927_YsO6SAF9APhpWQjO7nVh3jmjflspajruhqlZXTwjkcrDchoUxkRMABDP6TNHVt2s7wnLYBW84c4w2Mx1eJNLc0mW7DM/s320/P1010266.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the QL exec floor</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVKirnXXzVmtnvHQG6GeEAOz9k2Q0y-50xnyxmSN4doCEVcH9rlQ0Ks2gAiWIInt4OIglDvXoO45bE4YwvoExgZvmLkO49NAhHUi7m4kP0G57AKN85byaqvTVwlbFLHnvoQX0dLkm_uc/s1600/P1010265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVKirnXXzVmtnvHQG6GeEAOz9k2Q0y-50xnyxmSN4doCEVcH9rlQ0Ks2gAiWIInt4OIglDvXoO45bE4YwvoExgZvmLkO49NAhHUi7m4kP0G57AKN85byaqvTVwlbFLHnvoQX0dLkm_uc/s320/P1010265.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3r-jrgeqJoi22oEflPD09q0PvFYOrBxRaLd1VZ7pQ_5BIoQ_wF-dh-rejmzKeTCsjzxuTqTNbm_Q0hH4D5UmtFcCI4WdQtniILSLzdM9MYSnHKgE_TwiCRf2HOVOWaLr8a057uB_PNVU/s1600/P1010249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3r-jrgeqJoi22oEflPD09q0PvFYOrBxRaLd1VZ7pQ_5BIoQ_wF-dh-rejmzKeTCsjzxuTqTNbm_Q0hH4D5UmtFcCI4WdQtniILSLzdM9MYSnHKgE_TwiCRf2HOVOWaLr8a057uB_PNVU/s320/P1010249.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dlTk-QoA8SmSP7YVpw6jvP821TDj1IwLddX5VAA7ThoCOffDJCiQQWxypD1vHmR9dcR2mDCZyZYFam_ag5YyOuLKVhuvEDjHYB7TvfmE7V_w2nZGQwFLey10sG7Vlhk2_U-Cb6q2Lfw/s1600/P1010250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dlTk-QoA8SmSP7YVpw6jvP821TDj1IwLddX5VAA7ThoCOffDJCiQQWxypD1vHmR9dcR2mDCZyZYFam_ag5YyOuLKVhuvEDjHYB7TvfmE7V_w2nZGQwFLey10sG7Vlhk2_U-Cb6q2Lfw/s320/P1010250.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bruce on the street. He is something!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_GZE0t_XhijAvmmRrBLPphf-FAGYYmaIWmaAg_vRjaU8pffSM6gO5DmFmfkP-pADxeLJrN1J8CzSZZaoPziDzjS3wcUIzPkX7yUTdvpHw8aeG9176KLNdFEX5XHtE6F72WFHvQJrlT0/s1600/P1010251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_GZE0t_XhijAvmmRrBLPphf-FAGYYmaIWmaAg_vRjaU8pffSM6gO5DmFmfkP-pADxeLJrN1J8CzSZZaoPziDzjS3wcUIzPkX7yUTdvpHw8aeG9176KLNdFEX5XHtE6F72WFHvQJrlT0/s320/P1010251.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bruce showing us art in a parking deck. Artists are leaving their mark everywhere!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZPRK9EWapO60EponbisUjRXG-iCaUemTy7g0H-vx45n9L-kjIirAUStCmE-uqZVJHyoe5-alYt5vHcZcwW_HEdWZwEqNh7D43vQJeH26WPL7faYffdd4FG7UmbJMLSPYdNnoemS8Rt8/s1600/P1010255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZPRK9EWapO60EponbisUjRXG-iCaUemTy7g0H-vx45n9L-kjIirAUStCmE-uqZVJHyoe5-alYt5vHcZcwW_HEdWZwEqNh7D43vQJeH26WPL7faYffdd4FG7UmbJMLSPYdNnoemS8Rt8/s320/P1010255.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, the can says...Detroit, Opportunity! Detroit is an opportunity and even keeping things clean is an opportunity to make a city better!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sUGEjPqbvGm4WmMEsS5juLjsTB_KMurNrBGWNBUEuUdizPac_brSvlAxYuzGCy9F5PccxWvA67Mpz00JL-VhtS0kWC_zmQlfff6mExi0dxKxtDgBEtnoXomnoAewYjt1M4RXQTmEQWs/s1600/P1010264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sUGEjPqbvGm4WmMEsS5juLjsTB_KMurNrBGWNBUEuUdizPac_brSvlAxYuzGCy9F5PccxWvA67Mpz00JL-VhtS0kWC_zmQlfff6mExi0dxKxtDgBEtnoXomnoAewYjt1M4RXQTmEQWs/s320/P1010264.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan Gilbert owns the Cavaliers, thus there is a basketball court in corporate headquarters. Gotta love it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyT35fF_yqyOZp3Mw0EEJX3VMiekB1MZo_V-_EW9iS1aGdqafBBEXLS5Osmhf7busJIDh_-jnhajTDmWmAxHtOS048M4s2bbyEZGABhUkJh-CpLhvA_ZQ2Sl2fH4Q7jhwT6FgNLGCZmiM/s1600/P1010237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyT35fF_yqyOZp3Mw0EEJX3VMiekB1MZo_V-_EW9iS1aGdqafBBEXLS5Osmhf7busJIDh_-jnhajTDmWmAxHtOS048M4s2bbyEZGABhUkJh-CpLhvA_ZQ2Sl2fH4Q7jhwT6FgNLGCZmiM/s320/P1010237.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ezelle and Tony - Great Place to Work</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVo4M7MqFFKzCouk4ZeUIci_mQ1j5QtnKJCkphzVdKpRIDuOONxcqIC5jOtwcLznasAohj9jj06-nIKBmLr241Guntg7kI4OvHJqjD4HA5j_nRLl8GVKoOLvsnljGLNCmPXzS8u_bytB4/s1600/P1010207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVo4M7MqFFKzCouk4ZeUIci_mQ1j5QtnKJCkphzVdKpRIDuOONxcqIC5jOtwcLznasAohj9jj06-nIKBmLr241Guntg7kI4OvHJqjD4HA5j_nRLl8GVKoOLvsnljGLNCmPXzS8u_bytB4/s320/P1010207.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Safety Deposit Boxes - Dime Bank Building </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJ59EffP28eAItLP0Uhd9xFyErbvRL_hevGri4MhaGRQNiZAjBrGzxz2uxwYVBu1-ekCafJFnGxEBTasWNqSY63wlNQbjQAg_rdUtsMxbLZOsGinF93oJrfzVgAeNx_2ITezAuVLSeWM/s1600/P1010208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJ59EffP28eAItLP0Uhd9xFyErbvRL_hevGri4MhaGRQNiZAjBrGzxz2uxwYVBu1-ekCafJFnGxEBTasWNqSY63wlNQbjQAg_rdUtsMxbLZOsGinF93oJrfzVgAeNx_2ITezAuVLSeWM/s320/P1010208.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And Art!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikoAVPqTn3Zd6pxE-Mna9XTRdHr5ONogCHvb1B8GAx0iG7DxTnJOfME2XLEdXvH8zOmIHjyYrDmxZ4CeT1zoyA_a7I_CSp988sJQCSk7f6VBT8JflYqpJHqmf9FUWimJrttsA_tARPGnw/s1600/P1010209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikoAVPqTn3Zd6pxE-Mna9XTRdHr5ONogCHvb1B8GAx0iG7DxTnJOfME2XLEdXvH8zOmIHjyYrDmxZ4CeT1zoyA_a7I_CSp988sJQCSk7f6VBT8JflYqpJHqmf9FUWimJrttsA_tARPGnw/s320/P1010209.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The vault conference room</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzR7_Fn_t50q7l7Lwp950k1vivz8ygawKg0f-i2H_AaSSdQYHKmyy5xB-RINKex26cOde0tfviW6s69BEMzEDdmZGqv48hGLYqg1LU5PndHrp5uKJILN3UKakgccCZV7r2l41Lo5HVU-U/s1600/P1010210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzR7_Fn_t50q7l7Lwp950k1vivz8ygawKg0f-i2H_AaSSdQYHKmyy5xB-RINKex26cOde0tfviW6s69BEMzEDdmZGqv48hGLYqg1LU5PndHrp5uKJILN3UKakgccCZV7r2l41Lo5HVU-U/s320/P1010210.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vault conference room</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3fICoZ7TMTSctmwDCYiQRvJYWqaMpGsisVD1VQKMJ_joJTK1CTccCfJFXl3RnhmpDh8I-GML_PdGITXsq7rFZfwdXJeyIS4e1lg4hCf1zR2bmQlV8kb3q_k1XLrMxAjYb8QqAZn2aSE/s1600/P1010213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3fICoZ7TMTSctmwDCYiQRvJYWqaMpGsisVD1VQKMJ_joJTK1CTccCfJFXl3RnhmpDh8I-GML_PdGITXsq7rFZfwdXJeyIS4e1lg4hCf1zR2bmQlV8kb3q_k1XLrMxAjYb8QqAZn2aSE/s320/P1010213.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little fun!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The vault door</td></tr>
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Were it not for the Executive Strategies Network and my workplace I would not have had this opportunity. Wow! Now I can't wait to go back to Detroit. <br />
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Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-59555285123914244682015-05-10T21:19:00.001-04:002015-05-10T21:19:25.131-04:00LBJ All the Way - The Presidential Library<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm a nerd and I don't mind admitting it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdZ5SUku1Om0kAVn0BsW6-c9gVGSPJ3bpdYEYDg7roHvLxzOztKcvmpFB970exY4G6ZLkspjW3825PJ1NAHSUXYkttncOVU35nd3YG7ocHRhnWfd34HWLHf4xGPqUxJ5n3LpC-5Cd1C4/s1600/P1010116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdZ5SUku1Om0kAVn0BsW6-c9gVGSPJ3bpdYEYDg7roHvLxzOztKcvmpFB970exY4G6ZLkspjW3825PJ1NAHSUXYkttncOVU35nd3YG7ocHRhnWfd34HWLHf4xGPqUxJ5n3LpC-5Cd1C4/s320/P1010116.JPG" width="320" /></a>This week I went to Austin to attend a conference and the night before the conference got underway we were given the opportunity to visit the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum. I was thrilled. It's hard to say what I enjoyed most. He did so many things during his presidential term - declared the war on poverty, began Headstart to help jump start education, kick-started efforts to support the arts, funded NPR, continued the civil rights act, voting rights act, Medicare, and seriously, the list goes on. I loved being able to walk through the museum to see his notes, and photos of personal moments. <br />
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I also loved being able to see Lady Bird's office and see so many special family photos and memorabilia. The docent shared so many stories with us making the tour so special. Throughout the museum you can listen to recorded conversations and my favorite was when the President was practicing his speech and Lady Bird critiques him ultimately giving him a B+. <br />
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Across the street from our hotel was a wonderful Italian restaurant that is housed in a gorgeous building. It was a treat to enjoy non-hotel air, food and atmosphere.<br />
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There was a "Pun-Off" taking place next to our hotel.<br />
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Maybe I'll come back next year and next time maybe I'll get to see more of whatever it is that is supposed to make Austin "weird" but I was happy to leave town after enjoying a Brisket Frito Pie (yes, we slipped out of one of the hotel lunches to go try some brisket) and a fantastic tour of the library.<br />
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Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215012239224279787.post-19405637191487896682015-05-05T09:02:00.000-04:002015-05-05T13:09:49.566-04:00Deployment, Family, Chick-fil-a and ... the Atlanta Falcons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The day is finally here and in just a few short hours we will have to say goodbye. This time it will be for about 7 months, It doesn't sound like much but during that time there are 5 family birthdays, Mother's Day, cheer competitions, summer camp/vacation, anniversary, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, the holiday season and so many other special events. We will feel his absence and we will all be reminded that time doesn't stand still, for us or for him.<br />
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He's a tried-and-true Atlanta Falcons fan so along with his family photo, he's packed up his favorite Falcons jerseys. Today we will lunch on one of his favorites - Chick-fil-a, before heading to the airport to do what military families do - say goodbye and then lean on each other for comfort. <br />
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We are proud of my son, my daughter-in-law and my nephew and all of the other men and women and their families who serve in the armed forces and make these sacrifices every day. <br />
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Godspeed dear son.</div>
Jojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843762553010099404noreply@blogger.com5