Friday, February 11, 2022

Sedona continues to amaze me with its beauty! The Jeep tour yesterday was absolutely fantastic. I think having lived through the open helicopter ride in Hawaii set me up to be comfortable with the Jeep tour. I could not believe what the Jeep climbed up and over! Really cool experience, with a funny and interesting tour guide and a good group including a couple on their honeymoon. Afterwards we poked around some of the shops that are built on all different levels and went to a neat area with restaurants, shops and galleries. Diane S, yes there is a certain hippie-ish vibe but a lot of upscale places here too.

Speaking of honeymoons this happened: We booked a date/time for our after wedding party and paid the deposit yesterday! It is going to be on the afternoon of August 21 at a restaurant on the harbor in my Cape Cod town. We have the entire second floor whi*****ludes a bar area, dance floor and a balcony all around looking out on the harbor. We aren't going to do a reception format, just a party with a DJ (and maybe a wedding cake with a beach theme but no feeding each other). And we just discussed the two of us getting married on the bea*****ey West - I found companies with packages that are fairly inexpensive. We will be about 20 minutes from Key West from 3/1 to 3/31. Now, how and when to tell the kids!?!? The only one who may be surprised and perhaps unhappy is DS. So I am a bit nervous about that...

Today after our breakfast here we are planning a couple of shorter hikes (one to Devils Bridge) and a visit to the Chapel of the Holy Cross Church built into the rocks. Tomorrow we head back to Scottsdale until 2/21 when we go to the Grand Canyon for 2 nights followed by 2 nights in Las Vegas. I am going to hate leaving the beauty here but I don't think we would have wanted to pay the cost to stay in a condo here for an entire month. I agree with Peps that it is MUCH nicer here!

Have a safe and healthy Friday!

So glad you liked Sedona! That gallery/shop/restaurant area sounds like Tlaquepaque. Really pretty in the spring with all the trees leafy and the pots overflowing with flowers. I bought a necklace there I love. There is a bit of climbing right at the end of the Devil's bridge hike that freaked me out to come back down (freaked me out going up knowing I had to come back down too). I am really afraid of heights. So I also didn't walk out on the bridge, but it was worth climbing to see it.

Having lunch with a friend today, and reading endowment agreements for my non-profit role today. It's going to be another scorcher, but at least the wind is gone and it cooled off last night so no need for a/c.

I really need to create a concrete plan for selling my house. Enough waffling!

And I really need to buckle down on my food. It's become more of an issue given I don't feel comfortable in my warm weather clothes. Must easier to ignore in sweatshirts!

Happy Friday all! (and Saturday, Shirl!)

Yes, we did go to Tlaquepaque! I can see why Sedona would be on your list of places to live. And BTW, I am super afraid of heights and made it up to about 10 feet from the top of the Devils Bridge trail and just couldn't do it. Coming back down from there was really hairy!

YES!!! I nearly cried I was so scared about that last bit. Managed to do it, but it was touch and go!

Liz your wedding and reception plans sound lovely and very tailored to your personal tastes. I wish you well introducing this topic to your children. It sounds like the issue is mostly change, and probably, what does this change mean for them. From what you've said, they're team Mike and like him for you.

CC, I hope you find that new place that feels like home, just make sure you don't end up spending a whole winter in Michigan! Not recommended.

DD is touching down in Boston soon. I thought I was actually going to be a bit relieved to have my nest empty again. But I'm feeling a little teary right now. DH works until 9. Its pretty quiet here. Don't get me wrong, I 100% want her to go live her life, in truth, go back to her life. Living here with us was a Covid interlude. Our children are not ours to keep, the Universe loans them to us for awhile, but then we have to let them go. But it takes a little getting used to, which I know I can do, because I've done it before.

So this weekend, not much planned, I am going to do most of my packing for Florida. It's always fun to visit my summer clothes in February, and get reacquainted. Maybe I'll have time to read for some reading.

Hope everyone gets to do something they enjoy this weekend! And yeah for Friday!!

It is always hard to have our children leave but eventually feels good to be empty nested. I have dealt with that roller-coaster a few times.

Amen to that! A few weeks of it and realized I'm not strong enough for a full Michigan winter! Ditto any of our northern Midwest states...

I am in a weird space. I am blaming my spinal decompression treatments. My stance is that the treatments are releasing tension and stress and therefore releasing hormones which is messing with my head. Whether that is the truth or not, it works for me and I'm sticking to it!

Talk about an early spring - first rattlesnake spotted and captured on campus today! I think this is a record. It used to be late March or April before we would see the snakes. They are more aggressive this time of year, too, because they are hunger from wintering in their dens.... Snake safety video is now on the books for this afternoon!

Liz, wedding plans sure are coming together quickly. Hope DS is accepting and happy for you. If not, he'll need to adopt a "Suck it up, Buttercup!" attitude. No Negative Neds allowed at your celebrations!

Ever feel like you've hit the self help ceiling? I think I'm there.... Shrink, Nutritionist, trainer and now the chiropractor..... I'm feeling a little over therapied!

More decompression treatment today..... I'm hoping the soreness ends soon. I have already noticed a difference in my fingers, so I'm happy about that. .

Maybe I don't appreciate the effect cold weather has on snakes!! Its true we don't really have any venomous creatures here, except for a little corner of the state. Rattles are seen in some sandstone bluffs along the Mississippi in the southeast corner of the state. They're really only a threat to rock climbers.

I think it's quite possible hands on therapy releases stressful emotions. The comedian Louie Anderson talked about receiving massage, and when his sternum was touched, he would cry and cry. I'm sure Diane O could explain more to us because of her training with Reiki. I believe that whatever happens to us, the body remembers. Sometimes manipulation of the body is the best way to help it let go of all those things it's holding.

DS may be totally fine but I won't know until I tell him. I am nervous because of his reaction to my dating Mike then us living together. He has been really great lately and even attributes Mike to making me more Covid careful (true or not). Basically he seems to think we are good together. But his fear of change may take over again.