Deck blessings! Plus, GRAND Social No. 210 link party for grandparents

/

Deck blessings!

May is always a challenging month in Colorado, weather wise, as temps rise and fall in grand rollercoaster fashion. It can be in the 70s one day, blizzard like the next, sunny and clear the day after. Once June arrives, though, the chance of snow has pretty much disappeared and summer-like spring days are more the norm.

Last Friday was such a day. I decided to soak up the sun while kicking back on my deck for an afternoon nap. Three minutes into it, though, I gave in to the natural blessings surrounding me and opted to grab photos instead of shut eye. Here are a few shots of what I caught, never moving more than a few feet from my Adirondack chair.

backyard birds...

Read More

Saturday movie review: Money Monster

/

When soggy skies dampened plans for my husband and me to go on a bike ride over Memorial Day weekend, we resorted to Plan B and headed to the movie theater for a matinee. Though we knew next to nothing about the plot line of MONEY MONSTER, we figured anything starring Julia Roberts and George Clooney and directed by Jodie Foster had to be good.

money monster poster 

It didn't take long for me to realize the plot of MONEY MONSTER was far from what I imagined. I thought for sure there'd be some sort of romantic leanings between the stars. I was quite grateful, though, to find out that wasn't the case at all. Instead, Clooney and Roberts are...

Read More

Newbie to natural: My wine-tasting education courtesy Pacific Coast Wine Trail wineries

/

Chateau Margene cabernetUp until a couple weeks ago, I had never been to a wine tasting. As a relatively new wine drinker — 7&7s, margaritas, and martinis my longtime cocktails of choice — the idea of stepping up to the counter of a cellar and sipping sirahs and sauvignons and such intimidated me to no end.

A mother/daughter trip to California featuring stops along the Pacific Coast Wine Trail courtesy Highway 1 Discovery Route and Morro Bay Tourism Bureau cured me of my wine-tasting trepidation. I owe my conversion from newbie to (kinda sorta) natural to three delightful wineries and the patient, passionate sommeliers who shared their spirits, stories, and expertise with this admittedly ignorant wine drinker.

The Pacific Coast Wine Trail features ten wineries...

Read More

Mactacular moments: Mac is five!

/

"The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been." ― Madeleine L'Engle

My middle grandson, the goofball I call Mac here on the blog, is five years old today.

F-I-V-E years old!

Unbelievable!

surprised boy

I'm so blessed to have proof that I did in fact witness every age Mac has been, otherwise I wouldn't believe it. Without photos I may not recall that each and every age this incredible...

Read More