Tag: Road Trips & other Travel

2015 Mid-Year Assessment

~ Spence's Girl ~ 2 Comments

The BUGS (Blogging University Graduates) bi-weekly prompt is to track our 2015 New Year’s Resolutions at mid-year.

  • FILING: Starting after the New Year, I combed and sorted through countless boxes, piles and bags of paperwork that have accumulated for more years than I’m willing to admit. A supposed “priority” upon retiring in 2014 – until I committed to “just do it” in 2015, it seemed overwhelming. Once started I nearly burned up our shredder, found things that were important (and ridiculous) even discovering a little black velvet drawstring bag of quarters ($20).  For someone who is a control freak, this felt out of control but once completed, I felt euphoric.
It's liberating!
It’s liberating!
  • MOVING MOM: Not a resolution per se, but a significant commitment for three weeks in March was flying to Florida, helping Mom pack up her home of 26 years and share the drive north to her new home in Michigan. Having my MacBook in tow and the blog established, I chronicled this in my 20 part series called “Moving Mom” (I’d be honored if you wish to check it out).  It was a once-in-a- lifetime experience and I’m glad I documented it since in the moment, it was a blur of activity. What could have been contentious and stressful was in fact exhausting but a bonding experience unlike anything I can imagine. I’m so glad we took that journey together.

IMG_6300

  • NEW BED AT LAST: I bought a bed after at least six years of bitching about my too soft bed. Procrastination and misconceptions had kept me from even starting the process, prolonging my insomnia, aches and pains. In my series “59 Candles, 59 Things – Part Twenty” I wrote about this experience. What I learned is “you don’t know what you don’t know”. I’m grateful I took a rainy day with nothing on the agenda and DID IT ALREADY.
With a good night's sleep, I now awake with pretty thoughts in my head.
With a good night’s sleep, I now awake with pretty thoughts like this in my head.
  • FIND ALTERNATIVE HEALTH SOLUTIONS:  I finally sought out alternative treatments for my aches and pains after realizing that pain meds were simply a bandaid. Besides my yoga and meditation practice, I recently found a doctor who is an osteopath, acupuncturist and physical therapist. At 59, a lot of my “structural” issues can’t be fixed but can and do seem to be responding with better flexibility, toning and some improvement with pain. At 59, I’ve accepted that “we’ve all got something” and feel blessed that any and all health challenges I’ve had are just part of living this long. And given the alternative, I’ll take living any day.

IMG_6297

  • GARDEN – DONE AND SCALED BACK (well sort of) Completed my garden for 2015, and scaled back on my typical annual expenditure. Yes, I’ve given myself tennis elbow (which incidentally is very painful), strained my back and both shoulders from what I called “extreme gardening” pushing to the point of “feeling the burn” then usually 30-60 minutes more to finish up. But hey, the garden looks fabulous and from here out it’s just weeding and dead-heading.
IMG_6295
Good for the soul.

I still have the following things to complete be they resolutions, goals or simply my to-do list:

  • Lose weight
  • Perfect my gnocchi recipe
  • Learn to make crepes
  • Learn to make tamales
  • Learn to make “bath bombs”

I’d love to hear how you’re doing with your resolutions…….leave me a comment!

59 Candles, 59 Things – Part Fifteen

~ Spence's Girl ~ Leave a comment

Twenty Third thing: There is a website that never ceases to make me happy. It has forever changed the way Spence and I travel.  My lifelong BFF was the one who turned me on to http://homeaway.com  She and her husband had taken a trip to the California wine region. Renting a fully furnished home, they’d do vineyard tours and wine tasting, bringing back bottles of great wine that they could share back at their “home” each evening. I was intrigued. How many homes? Where?

The answer: Countless homes and EVERYWHERE! 

So far, we’ve stayed in a log home in the Smoky Mountains, a historic home adjacent to Forsyth Park in Savannah, a condo overlooking the mountains in Canmore, Alberta and a zen villa in the Red Rocks of Sedona.  The appeal for us is living as “locals” in a beautiful fully furnished home with all the amenities, no noise from neighboring hotel rooms, no maids in and out and the convenience of a full kitchen if we want to eat in.

Smoky Mountains
Smoky Mountains
Savannah
Savannah
Canmore
Canmore
Sedona
Sedona

59 Candles, 59 Things – Part Twelve

~ Spence's Girl ~ Leave a comment

I’m back to the 59 Things – my series on a random assortment of things that make me happy to commemorate my recent 59th birthday.

Twentieth thing: Okra. Yup, you read that right. OKRA MAKES ME HAPPY.

I can imagine some of my followers screaming “What? Say it ain’t so!”

Calm down, let me explain. I’ve always prided myself on trying all food. With few exceptions, I like or love most everything.  However, a few years ago while traveling, Spence and I stopped off at a little roadside spot for a beer and a brisket sandwich in a lovely outdoor setting. When the owner brought our food, she said, “Y’all like pickled okra?” As I looked down, there it sat on my plate, one piece of pickled okra. For about a minute.  Then I discreetly put it on Spence’s plate. “Here ya’ go!”.

Spence took a bite of his, then placed mine back on my plate. “Trust me, you want to try this” was all he had to say. Even though I was certain I didn’t like okra, I took a bite. Then I proceeded to finish it off. Spence just laughed. Clearly I’d liked it. After lunch I found a local vendor and bought 5 jars to take home to Michigan, under the misconception that I could only find this in the south. Thankfully, I was wrong, it’s not difficult to find.

While traveling recently, I saw fried okra featured as a side dish to bbq ribs. I enthusiastically ordered it, confident I would love it.  And I did. The reason I wanted to include okra in my 59 things is that it proved an important point. Never assume you don’t like something you’ve never tried, you may miss out on something terrific!

IMG_5848

Fun at the Gem Mine

~ Spence's Girl ~ 10 Comments

A few days ago, Spence and I did something that we’d never done in 24+ years together. We went panning at a gem mine.  And I’ve got the pictures to prove it.

IMG_5693 2
At Friendly Falls Food & Stuff – where the beer is cold, the folks are friendly and you too can pan for gems!

We paid $10 for a bucket of “sand” (though we could see some crystals peeking through) and a little spade.  Directed down to the waterfalls, next to an old mill, was the panning area.

IMG_5694 2
Using these sifting trays to pan, fresh river water is cascading gently from the right.

By the end of our experience which was truly enjoyable, we got quite a haul including some really gorgeous crystals.

IMG_5714
In a huge ziploc bag, ready to be cleaned and remove small leaves…

Once rinsed and all debris removed, here is our treasure! Fun, sun and a bag of gems for $10. Memory of good times with my guy = priceless.

59 Candles, 59 Things – Part Eight

~ Spence's Girl ~ Leave a comment

Thirteenth thing:  Waterfalls always make me happy.  Sometimes you expect them – as in Niagara Falls. You know you’re going to see them upon arrival and they are magnificent, powerful and unrelenting as they flow and crash without a pause.

Other waterfalls have presented themselves by accidental discovery such as during our travels years back, in Costa Rica. Our friend Carlos had an incredible piece of property – ranch, mountains, caves and he promised, waterfalls. To get to those falls, we would have to go on horseback, then tie up and hike in. These hidden, private falls were pristine and we sat in pools at the bottom, letting the cascading water refresh us from the long, hot ride to get there.

Another couple (Americans) that we met in Costa Rica, were renting a home up in the mountains, very secluded. Don and Dale had chosen the location because they were nudists, (we opted to pass on trying that when invited for the weekend – “no matter” said Don). Driving in their open jeep, on increasingly smaller “roads”, through streams and over rock slides we finally stopped.  Following Don, we hiked, hearing the falls before we could see them.  Again, it appeared that we were the only humans who’d made this trek and for the next hour, we floated and marveled at the spectacular majesty of these waterfalls. The splendor of nature.

In our travels recently, Spence and I returned to a place where we’d found not only waterfalls but a place where you could enjoy them while enjoying an ice cold beer.  And they didn’t disappoint.

Moving Mom – Part Two or It’s Not Only About Packing

~ Spence's Girl ~ 2 Comments

March 4th – I awake and realize I’m in Florida, out of the sub-zero, frozen tundra of Michigan.  Lovely. Over breakfast I can see that Mom, who’s by now on her third dose of antibiotic, seems sick but is hanging in there.  We start talking about the tasks at hand and I start my “take-charge/bouncing off” ideas that are cascading out of my amped-up, moving-motivated brain. She’s grateful and all too happy to have someone else suggest ideas on packing the POD which will be dropped off 3/9 and once loaded with her worldly goods, taken away on 3/16.  We discuss our road trip north (I-75 to Michigan) and the importance of stocking in a few bottles of wine (we could be stranded in dry counties!) for the road as well as Kindles and Dominoes.

Part of this trip is the nostalgic last-time tour of my favorite spots. We decide that today is as good as any to drive out to Fisherman’s Village in Punta Gorda for lunch at my favorite seafood restaurant.  Off we go, with me driving her car (a good plan since we’ll share the drive north) and make a bee-line for the Village Fish Market Restaurant.  Our tradition, order the basket of Fried Mozzarella and Zucchini appetizer to split (served with ranch and honey mustard) and I get the fried oyster entree with their exceptional onion rings and the jalapeño cornbread.  I can only say that there is NOWHERE ON EARTH that does fried food any better! (check my Trip Advisor review if you think I’m embellishing)  I almost weep thinking “will I ever be here again?” but suck it up so I don’t make Mom cry as well.  She even makes a point as we’re leaving to say goodbye to their bartender who’s waited on us in the past and is exceptional.  (Sigh)

March 5th – Mom is really sick today. I’m concerned based on her past. Some years back she had a horrific sinus infection that lasted seven months during which she lost 20% of her body weight (and she can’t keep weight on – and yes, lest you ask, she is my birth mother – sadly she didn’t pass on this trait to my sister and I. Sigh again.) She’s now losing her voice and looks (as I did the week prior) like a kitten could kick her ass.  I’m still in the take-charge mode but know she’s grateful and frankly doesn’t even care what I’m doing.  She just wants to lie down and sleep. I decide to get out of her hair and do some pool time since I think my hyper-activity is stressing her out.

IMG_4730
I’m at the pool, hanging out and showing off the pedicure. This picture makes my legs look huge.  Oh well.
The view from the pool, oh how I'll miss this.
The view from the pool, oh how I’ll miss this.

I come back in time to freshen up and meet her Financial Advisor who’s arranged to stop by. I get her out of bed to join us and her voice is down to a squeak.  She looks like she’s barely hanging on.  I think she’s on the wrong antibiotic but she wants to stick with it till the next morning so I back off my “Dr. Laura” routine.  I take out the recycle bin and notice the night sky is full of stars and the moon is magnificent.  I run for my i-phone to capture it.

IMG_4739
My attempt to capture what cannot be described. Not bad but seeing it while standing outside in shorts and sandals at 9 p.m. is a different experience. Take my word for it.

Tomorrow is another day, hoping Mom is improved or I’ll be hog-tying her and dragging her to the doctor!

Scenes from Europe – Lake Geneva, after dark

~ Spence's Girl ~ Leave a comment

For those who saw my earlier post featuring the fondue recipe and story of the “underground” fondue restaurant may recall that Spence and I spent time in Switzerland some years back.  To reach this spot, my cousin Kristin, Spence and I walked out on a pier where we dined surrounded by the beauty of Lake Geneva after dark.

Not a professional photographer but armed with my trusty Nikon Coolpix, I was captivated by the reflections of the city lights in the inky water around us.  The result is less perfection and more “artsy-fartsy” but not unlike my post “Tunnel Travel” (same trip) I have re-evaluated and find these both interesting and pleasing.  The memories of this trip are forever etched in my mind.

100_2009100_2008

100_2012

100_2013

https://spencesgirl.com/2015/01/01/traditional-cheese-fondue-as-its-done-in-switzerland/