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November 25, 2011

Arches National Park

Our vacation ended over two months ago. But I’ve been busy. So busy that I haven’t had time to go through all the pictures to post on my blog in any sort of orderly fashion.

Wednesday evening, I actually had some downtime. Imagine that. So I did some photo organizing. Not just vacation pics, mind you. I had images on my hard drive going way back to June!

Those of you who are also into photography know how many files that might be. Hundreds. Maybe even thousands. And image files are huge. So that little clean-up was long overdue.

While I was deleting and moving files, I saw the vacation pics. Which I never did share. So I figured I’d take advantage of this long holiday weekend and share some of those images with you. Instead of trying to be all orderly about it, I decided to pick a date at random. The date was September 7. The location was the Moab, Utah area. That was the day we visited Dead Horse Point State Park and Arches National Park.

As you will see, the scenery was amazing.

I’ve always been fascinated by rocks. I don’t know why. Cool rock formations were EVERYWHERE.

I found the colors and lines on the cliff walls particularly fascinating. It wasn’t until later in the day, after asking a park ranger, that I learned about desert varnish.

If you didn’t follow that link, I’ll just tell you that desert varnish is what’s responsible for a lot of the varying dark colors on the rock faces.

Utah is one of the most picturesque, diverse places I have ever seen. Everyone knows about the Grand Canyon in Arizona. And lots know about the canyons and red rock country of Utah. Have you ever head of Dead Horse Point State Park?

Stroll along the Rim Walk, towering 2,000 feet directly above the Colorado River. The mesa that is Dead Horse Point provides breathtaking views of the canyon country of southeastern Utah and the pinnacles and buttes of Canyonlands National Park.

It is very close to Moab, where we were staying. If you are ever in the area, it’s a must-see destination. You don’t have to hike to see views like the one shown above either. I’m pretty sure that was taken from the parking lot of the visitor center. Or a scenic viewpoint. I’m not sure which of the two. The point is, views like this are mere steps from the comfort of your car.

The state and national parks in Utah area amazing. But so is the landscape in general. The image above was just a random snapshot captured while driving down the road, between destinations.

Speaking of destinations… at Arches National Park, Annelies and I wisely (if I do say so myself) decided to sign our group up for the ranger-led Fiery Furnace Tour.

That’s the Fiery Furnace, pictured above. If I remember correctly, it wasn’t named that for any reason other than to intrigue people. It’s much more interesting to say “I’m going to see the Fiery Furnace” than it is to say “I’m going to see a bunch of cool rocks.” If you’d like to learn more, you can watch this National Park Service video.

Essentially it was a walk down into and among the sandstone rock formations.

We really got an up close and personal look at the rocks. And listened to the ranger’s explanation for how erosion, over millions of years, has shaped the landscape.

IMG_2910_fiery_furnace — Walking in the Fiery Furnace

It wasn’t an easy walk. We had to scramble up and over rocks. Through small passageways. Up steep walls. But it was all so worth it.

IMG_2870_fiery_furnace — Dwarfed by Rock

It’s one thing to see the beautiful landscape from afar, but to get down into and among the rocks was amazing. We were all very happy to have taken the tour.

In terms of geographic area, Arches is one of the smaller, if not the smallest, national parks in Utah. Yet, as the park’s website explains…

Arches National Park preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, like the world-famous Delicate Arch, as well as many other unusual rock formations. In some areas, the forces of nature have exposed millions of years of geologic history. The extraordinary features of the park create a landscape of contrasting colors, landforms and textures that is unlike any other in the world.

Again, you don’t have to hike to see gorgeous scenery. Going into the Fiery Furnace was a plus. But just driving around and/or stopping at the various viewpoints will yield vistas unlike any you may ever experience elsewhere.

It really was a fabulous vacation. In fact, it was one of the best vacations we’ve ever taken. Part of what made it so enjoyable was having such great travel companions. I swear, we all laughed for two weeks straight.

Think I am exaggerating? Check out this little slideshow of what we had to go through to capture what should have been a simple group shot.

I’m smiling now, thinking about it, and will smile again every time I see these pictures.

October 14, 2011October 14, 2011

Snippets

Over the past several months, I’ve neglected my blog friends horribly. I’ve been trying to catch up on all my favorite folks when I have a few spare moments here and there.

I miss reading about Jess’s crazy farm life and seeing her beautiful pictures. I don’t know what it is about that first feet photo. What? You didn’t click on that link? Do it now!

I also miss her photography experiments. The woman is talented. Yes, she’s got adorable kids, but the way she captures them in photos is a pure delight to see. And don’t you just LOVE that coffee cup shot? Matted and framed, that would certainly make a nice piece of art in my home!

If you would like to see more of Jess, you’ll just have to visit The Old Nichols Farm yourself. Be sure to let her know who sent you!

I also miss my friend Shybiker’s fashion forays. Not because I am all that into fashion (have you seen my collection of t-shirts lately?), but because I love seeing happiness on that face. And reading the funny stories. Some folks are confused by Shybiker, who describes himself as “… a lawyer who enjoys motorcycles, fashion and film. Oh, and I’m transgendered.” He has an amazing story. Ralph is one of the kindest, most articulate, caring, most intelligent people I have befriended via the Internet.

Shannon, Amy, and I were lucky enough to meet Ralph and his lovely wife, Robin, on our trip to New York this past Spring.

For a peek into Ralph’s life and better understanding of the person, you’d have to read the blog. If you want a quick glimpse, have a look at one of the recent profiles (scroll down after you click the link) that appeared on another person’s blog. The level of honesty and openness is amazing.

I saw a quote on one of his posts recently that, due to recent events, really resonated with me…

I’ve learned you can’t predict the future; the best you can do is put one foot in front of the other and head in directions you hope will be fulfilling.

– Shybiker

I’m so glad to be back in the fold. Hopefully, I won’t get so behind in my reading ever again.

Be sure to visit Shybiker when you get a chance. Tell him his buddy, ToadMama, sent you his way.

IMG_9548_dressed to kill — We're Still Hot

There’s also my girlfriend, Tracey, who really seems to have found her calling in the blogosphere as the very creative talent behind Granny Trace Scraps and Squares.

I’ve known Tracey for over 30 years. She’s one of those people who does, and does, and does for everyone around her, yet seldom carves out time for herself. That’s finally changing though. Hallelujah!If anyone deserves her own slice of happiness and love, it’s Tracey.

She’s the friend who taught me how to sew. What? You didn’t know I could sew? Stay tuned. I finally have a space to call my own. A sewing room! I can have the machine readily accessible and all the materials at-hand for those few spare moments I get to do fun stuff instead of stuff that has to be done.

And we can’t forget Rachael (aka Fuzzy), who is the coolest biker chick ever. Except she’s about as much of a “biker” (bad-ass, leather-clad, tattoed, Harley-riding, etc.) as I am.

She’s a motorcyclist. And a photographer (oh yes you are!). And a Mom.

Photo courtesy of Rachael (of Fuzzygalore fame)

She and her main squeeze recently did a motorcycle tour of northern California. It’s so much fun living vicariously through her. If you’d like to see some of the very cool California pics mingled with very entertaining commentary, follow this California link. Or visit her main page at http://www.fuzzygalore.com. Oh yeah, did I mention that she just got a new Tiger? It’s gorgeous…

Now, if I’m being honest, I must admit that I haven’t caught up with everyone.

I told you I’ve been squeezing these sessions in, right?

Next on the list is Jade Keller of Tasting Grace. Her beautiful words, honesty, courage, serenity, and photography, among other things, inspire me. I’ll catch up, soon. I really have missed you.

Then there’s Ann Marie, the Household Diva.

And Mary at Musings of the 60s, the coolest Grandma ever, who I really feel horrible about losing touch with. Especially now that I’ve learned she’s gone through quite an emotional ordeal of late that still isn’t over.

Mary has 20 grandchildren. Yep, 20. That’s a lot! And quite an amazing family. And she does some of the best birthday posts ever. For all of them.

Lots of love and hugs are coming your way, Mary!

Don’t forget… if you go to visit with any of my friends, let them know ToadMama is alive, well, and finally back to following.

Thanks for stopping by!

May 3, 2011

Two Sleepovers in New York

Many months ago when Shannon (oldest daughter) had just gotten back from her solo, round-the-world journey, she and I were talking about cities. When I told her I’d never been to New York City she was flabbergasted. (We only live about 3.5 hours away.) I told her she and I would have to go visit one day.

Fast forward some number of months. Earlier this year, Shannon made the decision to move to California. She’s leaving on May 31. I’m going to miss her terribly, so I’ve been trying not to think about it too much. But one day I remembered that New York discussion and said, “Hey, we really should do the New York thing before you leave or we’ll never get there.” Amy (youngest daughter) had never been either, so we decided to make a girls’ weekend out of it.

It was fabulous. For many reasons.

DSCN2124_FDNY — FDNY Engine Co. 6 building on Beekman Street in Lower Manhattan

I have lots of fun pics to share, but I’m only going to share a couple for now. Along with my centerline shot, this one is especially touching since it was taken on the day Osama bin Laden was killed. Engine No. 6, which is mere blocks from Ground Zero, lost at least four men when the towers collapsed.

One of the highlights of the weekend was that we got to meet one of my favorite blog buddies, Ralph aka Shybiker. He and his wife Robin made the trek into the city by train specifically to meet up for lunch with us.

Ralph and I met through our blogs. He’s one of those people I liked instantly and knew early on we’d have to meet one day.

I’m so glad he’s not just one of those people in my computer anymore. In addition to commenting frequently on each other’s blogs, he and I have had some pretty interesting and personal e-mail conversations. He’s a very open, warm, articulate, compassionate, caring individual. He’s just as wonderful in person as he is online. And Robin is also very sweet. The two make quite a charming couple.

I’m sure we were at the restaurant for a while, but the time seemed to absolutely fly right by. I believe. we could have all sat and chatted for hours. Really. Shannon and Amy were both happy that they got to meet the pair, too.

It’s funny, having never met in person, you’d think things would have felt a least a little bit awkward. But they didn’t. Since Shannon and Amy have both read Ralph’s comments on my blog and have visited his blog on occasion, we’ve had several chats about him. So they both sort of felt like they knew him already, too. Robin was the only real unknown for us, but I knew since she’s married to Ralph, she’d have to be pretty cool, too. And I was right.

Ralph is a motorcyclist and Robin is a passenger. We’re all going to have to meet up to ride together one day. Either I’ll make the ride up to Long Island, they’ll come down to West Virginia, or we’ll meet somewhere in between. Whatever we do, I’m sure it’ll be splendid. They were both VERY cool. I really am glad they got to be part of our very special New York experience.

On the way into the city, Amy called home to say goodnight to her husband and kids. The youngest, Joey, who will be four in July, asked why she had to have two sleepovers in New York City. He’s going through a Mommy-separation-anxiety phase. We all think it’s related to TJ having been gone for his recent 14-month Kuwait deployment. How do you explain “me time” to a four-year-old? Not to mention the reasoning behind our girls’ weekend.

I’m really very glad we all got to share this experience. I think we may just have to make it an annual thing. Especially since Shannon won’t be around for Thirsty Third Thursdays anymore.

IMG_0338_ms green — It's Not Easy Being Green

April 19, 2011April 19, 2011

Peeps I Know: Granny Trace

This edition of “Peeps I Know” is a bit different. It’s EXTRA-special, too. Because this post is not about someone I met on-line. It’s about someone I know-know. Like in-the-flesh.

Not that I don’t love all my online Peeps. You guys are awesome, too. But the lady I’m going to tell you about and I go WAY back. She knew me even before I was ToadMama. Heck, even before I knew there was such a thing as a personal computer.

I think we were about 13 when we met. Our families attended the same church in a Baltimore neighborhood called Armistead Gardens (aka “The Gardens”). Tracey didn’t live in The Gardens, but her Grandmother did. In fact, her Gran lived on the street behind my parents’ house.

I could tell you all about the fun, wholesome things we did together as wee lasses. But I won’t. ‘Cause I like to keep this blog real. (Although we weren’t altogether horrible children, we did have a bit of a wild streak.)

If someone would’ve told me, back in the day, that I”d be sitting here one day writing about “Granny” Trace, I would have laughed hysterically. For serious. Back then, I couldn’t imagine any of us as adults, much less parents or, God forbid, grandparents.

There were actually four of us who hung out together. Carol, Laura, Tracey, and me. Carol is the oldest. She’s a full year ahead of me. Laura is six months younger than me. And Tracey is six months younger than Laura. Which, if you do the math, means Tracey is a year younger than I am. We were some crew, I tell ya. Carol, being a whole year older, wasn’t with the three of us all that often. And of all of us, it was Laura and Tracey who spent the most time together.

DSC01719_xmas_2005 — L-R, Carol, Kathy (me), and Tracey - Christmas 2005

When Tracey got pregnant at 16. And then married, we sort of grew apart. At that point, I was busy being a kid and she was busy being a very young mother. We didn’t lose touch completely, but we did drift apart. We just didn’t have much in common. I mean, I was a total tomboy. I’d never so much as baby-sat a kid by myself. The only babysitting I did was when I accompanied Carol to watch her nephew. And that wasn’t because I loved kids. It was because her sister would supply us with beer and a place to drink it. While we watched her toddler. Smart, huh?

We did see each other periodically. But several years passed and before I knew it, Tracey had three children. Laura, who had gotten pregnant and married six months after Tracey, ended up with three kids, too. But hers came one right after the other. Tracey’s are at least a couple of years apart. Carol never did have children. And I managed not to get knocked up until I was a whopping 22.

That’s how old my son is now. He’s the only kid I gave birth to. I earned Shannon and Amy by marriage. (I said “earned” for a reason. Step-motherhood takes work. Trust me.)

Anyway… as you’ll discover after you visit her blog (which I really, really hope you’ll do), Tracey is not your average woman. The guy she married at the tender young age of 16? John? He’s still her husband. They just recently celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary. Between them, they’ve managed to build quite a family (three children and three grandchildren). John, who started out as an apprentice carpenter all those years back, is a very successful, high-level foreman-type (I’m sure he has a fancier title than that) for one of the biggest commercial contracting companies in the area. While he was busy building his career, Tracey was tending the home front. You know, being all domestic. Raising children, cooking, baking, sewing. The whole nine yards. She was a stay-at-home-Mom for many, many years. She did daycare for a while. And she worked VERY HARD for far too many years at a grocery store.

Why did I tell you all that? Because her story deserves to be told. Marriage is hard. Parenthood is hard. To start at 16 and build the kind of life she and John have built together is nothing short of amazing. There was lots of blood, sweat, and tears along the way, trust me. But they persevered. And now Tracey is starting to realize her dream of owning a farm (albeit a small one). She always loved being a mother. She LOVES being a Granny. She loves raising critters (she’s been referred to here previously as The Chicken Lady). And growing stuff. And making things. Not just food stuff either. Tracey is far and away the craftiest person I know. (She’s the one who taught me to sew. Yep, I can make quilts (simple ones) all because of Tracey.)

She’s said for years that she’d love to have her own craft shop. And she totally could. She’s very talented. She could sell baked goods, and crafts, and homemade granola (that was awesome, by the way). She’s the one who baked those brownies filled with double-stuff Oreos. Oh. My. God!

When we were at the WV Place for our girl getaway recently, I asked her if she had an Etsy shop yet. She didn’t. But she’d been thinking of setting one up. I told her she should make a blog. Honestly though, I know she’s no techno-savvy Mama. And I really didn’t think she’d go for it. But she did. It’s not rocket science really. And she’s most definitely got more than enough material to blog about. Before I knew it, she was buying her domain name. and Granny Trace Scraps & Squares was born!

granny_trace_screen_shot — Be sure to visit. And tell her ToadMama sent you!

I’m not trying to take any credit here. I just prodded a teeny weenie bit. But I really am very proud of her. Really. She’s got so much to be proud of. So much to be thankful for. None of it was handed to her either. Not a single, stinkin’ thing. She worked for all of it. Which is why I think her story should be told. I admire her tremendously. We don’t spend nearly enough time together. Heck, we barely communicate during the course of a normal year. But that’s just because we both live different lives.

How different? Here’s Tracey’s new ride. A tractor with a wagon. She likes driving it slowly, in circles, repeatedly through the same field.

Not quite like my new ride. We definitely couldn’t ride together. 🙂

granny_trace — Granny Trace on her brand-new ride! Isn't she just the cutest Granny ever?

That’s one of the reasons our annual girl getaway is so important. It gives all of us (we’re down to three) time to catch up. To just be girls again for an entire weekend. You have no idea how refreshing that is.

I still don’t know if she set up that Etsy shop. But I do know she’s up to 35 followers. And she’d really like to hit 50. Really, really.

I’d like her to hit 50, too. Because she could use the encouragement. She’s a very special, very talented lady. (See Trace? I bet you never thought I noticed!)

As an added incentive, she’s giving away some of these awesome little chicks she makes out of vintage wool.

So, if you are at all into crafts, or baking, farm life, or sewing, go visit her blog. Perhaps you know some folks who might be interested in one or more of those things? Tell them to go visit Granny Trace’s blog. And be sure to let her know that ToadMama sent you.

For the record, I never refer to her as “Granny Trace.” I really don’t mind getting old. But calling your girlfriend “Granny” is just weird! Even if she’s really proud of being a granny, and you’re a granny yourself. (No one calls me that, though. I’m just G. It’s very easy for all the grand kids to spell.)

And since we’re talking about records… I don’t know who shot that picture of Tracey on her new ride, but I LOVE it! I totally stole it from her blog. But I couldn’t help myself. Besides, we’re friends. We share stuff.

He were are about a month ago. I can’t wait to see what the next 30 years will bring!

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

UPDATE: I just had to add pics of some of my Granny Trace creations, i.e., gifts she’s made for me.

IMG_9856_snowman — Petite Snowman Pillow

IMG_9859_my chicks — My Collection of Chicks with Rooster Pillow

March 28, 2011

We’re Still Hot…

…It Just Comes in Flashes Now.

I think that might have to be our new tag-line. The “our” being me and my two girlfriends, Carol and Tracey.

I just got back from our annual girlfriend getaway. We’ve all known each other for over 30 years. We met when we were kids and have been lucky enough to maintain our friendship for all these years. We don’t see each other often, so these annual trips we do go a long way toward helping us maintain that very special bond.

IMG_9532_getaway — Girlfriend Getaway at the WV Place

We’ve been doing our girlfriend getaway for 16 years now. Until this year, our destination has been Lancaster, PA. There we’d stay in an inexpensive motel, eat all kinds of good junk food, gorge on at least one really big buffet breakfast (sometimes two), and shop til we dropped.

This year, mainly for monetary reasons, we opted not to go to Lancaster and shop. We couldn’t go to Lancaster and not shop, so we enjoyed free lodging at my WV place instead.

We did do a little bit of shopping. But mostly we just hung out around the house and ate lots of delicious snacks and some yummy home-cooked meals.

Hubby said I was mean for sending him this picture on Wednesday…

IMAG0006_oreo brownie — Double-stuff Oreo Baked Into Brownie

That might just be my new favorite brownie treat. It’s a Double-stuff Oreo, dipped in brownie batter, and then baked in a well-greased muffin pan for 10-12 minutes.

Oh. My. Gawd! You’ve got to try it.

Tracey brought that particular treat with her. She said you really just make brownies (box mix acceptable), dip each cookie into the batter, making sure it’s completely covered, and pop it into the oven. I couldn’t help but wonder how they would taste smothered in peanut butter icing (like this cake).

Carol brought a very yummy, made-from-scratch chocolate cake.

We elected to eat the cake smothered in whipped cream and served with strawberries. Since it was served with fruit, we deemed it a healthy snack.

We had some of my kickin’ and healthy blueberry pancakes for breakfast on Saturday morning.

IMG_9511_blueberry pancakes — Stuffed Blueberry Pancakes

It’s only because we’re all so conscientious about making sure we eat healthy that we were able to lounge around in our bikinis all weekend.

Are you ready for that picture?

You sure?

Tracey was especially hot-looking in her hot-lips bikini.

IMG_9515_butt shot — When You're Hot, You're Hot

As you can probably imagine, we enjoyed lots of laughs over the weekend. The trip was a huge success.

My Hubby loved my new “bikini” figure. He thought the front of the shirt was funny. But he got an even bigger chuckle out of the backside.

His comment?

“Oh, goody. A thong.”

Now it’s back to reality. I’m very glad to be home — I missed my Hubby! — but am already looking forward to next year, too. There’s nothing like a laugh-filled weekend with the girls to de-stress one’s life.