Home Again

We're back! I'm trying to get back on Central time, always a little tough. We had a great trip, both our Palm Springs vacation and our writer's retreat at Big Bear. Since coming home, I've been catching up on things and going to meetings and appointments. The weather was nice for the first couple of days, but part of yesterday, last night, and today we've had major thunderstorms, lots of rain, and even tornado watches. A tornado actually did touch down in another county not too far from us.

Ah well. The grass is SO green since we left, and plants are budding and popping up. Above is a picture of 'the girls' sitting on the top of the couch enjoying spring. Note the blossoms starting to come out on our weeping cherry tree as well!

Last Full Day At Writer's Retreat

We've had a great time, and the writing has been very prolific. We've been writing morning, afternoon and night, with breaks for meals and chatting, of course. It has been cool but sunny and beautiful. It is so interesting to see this area of the San Bernardino Mountains, so close to LA yet so much in the country. A great experience, for sure! I have already posted a few pictures from the inside of the home we are in, and now am posting just a few more, mainly views of the outside of the house. You can see how steep this mountain it! Included is a picture of the back porch where we were all stuck and freezing the other night. We all wrote poems about the experience the next day and had a lot of laughs. The different perspectives are amazing. Perhaps I'll post that poem when I have a chance to edit it -- at the moment it is a very long ramble!

Tomorrow we will fly out of Ontario, CA at 2 pm and arrive in Milwaukee around 10:15 pm, making a transfer through Denver. Not sure how long it will take to the airport from here -- probably only an hour but I think we'd best plan for longer!

Looking forward to my own bed and seeing our sweet dogs again soon!

Writer's Retreat

Greetings from Big Bear Lake in Southern California! Mary and I are here attending a writing retreat planned by our online writing group which includes Ann, Peggy and Lynne from California, Victoria from Texas and Judy from Florida. There are two other members of our group who unfortunately, were not able to attend. One lives in Florida, and the other in Costa Rica.

Big Bear Lake is in the San Bernadino Mountains, and we are nearly at the top, at an elevation around 8000 foot. It is spring here, and beautiful. There is still some snow on the ground in places, but also cherry blossoms in bloom. It is sunny and warm in the daytime, and cools way down at night.

The home we are staying at is a very large family cabin that belongs to Peggy. It is up near the top of a very steep hill. The driveway is steep, there are at least 25 steep steps up to the house, and at this altitiude, carrying stuff up and down is quite exhausting. Last night, we were taking a break when one of the group noted the full moon, and persuaded us all to go out and look. The moon was marvelous all right, but in a very short time we discovered we were locked out of the house! Some of us were just in our socks, one barefoot, most with too light clothing for the temperature! We were frantic. There was no key outside, and everything was closed up tight. One of us had a cell phone, though, so we called a locksmith, but they never came. We were outside about an hour before Peggy recalled that there used to be a key in the electrical box a long time ago... so she checked, and sure enough, there it was! Whew!

Last Full Day Palm Springs

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday

Greetings! We've been having a great time showing our guests around the Palm Springs area. They've never been here before and are really enjoying it. On Sunday, we went to the well-known College of the Desert Street Fair in Palm Desert. It was VERY hot, as had been predicted. About 99 degrees or so. After shopping around a bit we headed back to Palm Springs and stopped to enjoy the Sunday Brunch at Las Casuelas Nuevos. It was excellent as usual. In fact, the next day, Monday, when we went on the Celebrity Tour (a bus tour) of Palm Springs, the narrator said it was the best Mexican restaurant in the area, and THE favorite restaurant of Mary Martin.

After our brunch, we drove to the Vista on Highway 74, The Pines to Palms highway from San Diego to Palm Springs. Magnificent view!

Our celebrity tour was interesting, seeing some sites in Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, and Palm Springs, and the homes of celebrities, both past and present. After the tour we had lunch at Mimi's restaurant.

Yesterday, Tuesday, we spent the majority of the day at the wonderful Living Desert Museum, definitely a must see of the area. The flora and fauna are all so interesting, and the place itself is beautiful. This is a place I always enjoy.

I have posted a few pictures above from the last few days. Tomorrow we will be leaving the area... and we will miss it. We definitely want to return.

Sunday from the Desert

Good morning! I love waking up here -- the air is so still and the colorful view is so peaceful, and there's something about the mountains.

On Friday evening, after having enjoyed a great visit with my longtime friend Linda earlier in the date, we got to greet Phyllis who drove up and over the mountains from Encinitas. We had a nice dinner at a well known restaurant, Wally's Desert Turtle, that has been around for thirty years. But, not as long as my friendship with Phyllis. We figured out that we have known each other for about forty-eight years!

After our dinner, we returned to The Oasis and Phyllis and I made a mad dash to the hot tub and pool at about 9:40 p.m. thinking it would close at 10:00 p.m. At 11:00 p.m. Mary appeared in her pajamas and a jacket, checking to see if we were still alive, lol. We were, so she returned to the condo and Phyllis and continued our conversation. They still had not closed the hot tub or pool down on us when we left at about 12:10 a.m. I guess they figured we weren't disturbing anyone!

Phyllis and I are only a month apart age-wise, and we will both turn sixty this summer. I asked Phyllis if she had any feelings about that. I never have felt like turning 30 or 40 or 50 was crossing a line of some sort, and neither has she. Initially Phyllis indicated that she didn't think 60 was a bit deal either, but when I said it sounded a bit too close to 70, she agreed with me! In any case, we both think turning 60 is an event for celebration!

Our conversation continued on Saturday morning until about 10:00 a.m. when she left to do a little exploring of the area on her own (she's familiar with it). It was great to see her again. It had been about 3 years since we last got together. I promised her we'd be back next year.

Shortly after Phyllis left, we went to the airport to pick up Vicki and Kay, our guests who were flying in from Milwaukee. We'd checked on the computer and they were coming in early. Once at the airport we got a call from Vicki's cell phone letting us know they were on the runway. But, it took another hour and 15 minutes for them to get their luggage! Disgusting, isn't it? I suspect that the reason was that it is the same crew loading and unloading luggage... and that they were occupied with loading the outgoing plane with the incoming luggage pushed aside until they were finished. Just my guess, but I've seen that before with a small airport like Wenatchee.

Vicki and Kay have never been to Palm Springs before and are thrilled and amazed at the beauty. They also like our quarters here. Mary and Vicki went for a walk -- just a 3 mile plus one in 95 degree weather -- and Kay and I took it easy until it was time to go out for dinner.

We dined at Shame On The Moon, a place Mary and I had been to several years ago and liked... and it was even better than we remembered! Today we have some plans. Will fill you in later!

Farmers Market & Visiting A Friend

Last night we went to downtown Palm Springs to attend the weekly Farmer's Market, always a popular event here. The main street is closed down for the evening, and the vendors set up to sell their wares. There are often musicians on street corners as well. In order to get a parking spot, we came early, like many do and once again had a Mexican meal! (We might be getting tired of that soon, lol.) We got a big chuckle when we saw a sign indicating that they were cooking brats from Wisconsin!

More news on the measles front and Mya. Yesterday two more cases from the daycare were diagnosed. The original case never actually came in contact with Mya, we learned, as this 23 month old was hospitalized before Mya even started there. However, she was exposed to the most recent two cases as the daycare was not informed about the measles case until last Monday night. We have now read that the first case child had only been in the daycare for three weeks, and the daycare has one month to check out the immunization records provided. We are praying that Mya and the other children under one year in age will not come down with the measles. Mya is a very strong little girl for her age, and she has been breastfed, so hopefully that will provide more immunity for her. Will post more when I know more.

Today we met with my good friend Linda for lunch. Linda has a winter home on a golf course here, and spends six months of the year here. Like me, she used to live in Wenatchee, WA. It was great to see her and have a chance to visit. Linda had a hole-in-one in January... and I am so thrilled for her. I've always wanted to get one of those!

Tonight I will see another longtime good friend, Phyllis. She is driving up from Encinitas. Our friendship started in high school, and we've been friends ever since. I haven't seen her for about three years now, so I'm looking forward to the visit!

Flowers and Surprises

Although the locals consider the weather of the last two days cool and windy, we consider it lovely! Today, the weather is supposed to be going back to 'normal' and by the weekend, slightly above normal, in the mid 90's or so. 'Mature Spring' they are calling it!

Meanwhile, we've been enjoying the hot tub and the pool that is nearest to our 'villa'. (There are 9 pools and hot tubs in this complex.)

We have wandered to downtown Palm Springs, and driven out to Indian Wells to look at golf attire. We've eaten meals at a couple of places we know well from the past, both of them chains but ones that are not in our home area. (Ruby's Diner and Marie Callendars).

The night of our second day we got some rather astonishing news from home. Mary's four month old granddaughter Mya has been quarantined, and cannot leave her home until cleared to do so on April 17th. This is quite a dilemma for a single mother, but she's managing it.

The problem is exposure to measles at the daycare she had just started being cared for in a week before. Her older brother also goes to this daycare, but he has had all his vaccines, so he is not considered at risk.

The child who came down with the measles was 23 months old, and should have had his first vaccine around 1 year of age. These shots are not given to children under 1 year, so that is why Mya had to be quarantined, along with all the other children under one year at not only this daycare, but the other one this child attended that was part of an exercise/workout facility.

The 23 month old was actually hospitalized, and this whole story has been a big item in the news. The Health Department checks on how Mya is doing every day. So far, she is okay, and we are praying that state will continue!

Anyway, back in Palm Springs... not sure what we will do today. Probably just enjoy the lovely views and weather!

We're Here In Lovely Palm Springs!

Yes, we're here, and it's lovely! We haven't been here since 2005, and we've missed it. There is just something so relaxing about this area, and such a contrast between what is watered and what is not. Both are beautiful.

Our flight yesterday from Milwaukee to Ontario, California (via Denver) went well. It was a much pleasanter drive to Palm Springs from Ontario than it is from LAX. Only an hour or so on Highway 10. Our first stop when we arrived in Palm Springs was at the Blue Coyote for lunch. We haven't been there in several years (not even the last two times we were here) but it really is a great place for Mexican or Southwestern food. The place itself is a work of art, as well. I would have taken some pictures, but the camera was inside my computer case which was locked in the trunk of our rental car... too much trouble to go back and get it!

Probably the hardest part of the day was arriving at our resort and having to wait 2 hours (until 4 pm) until we could check in. This was hard when we'd been up since 1:20 a.m. Pacific time. They advised us not to go and get groceries... just in case. I don't know the exact temperature, but it was well into the 80's.

When we finally got the news that we could check in, our first action was to go to the grocery store just a short distance away and get some supplies. Then we picked up our keys, and discovered that we were assigned to a lovely unit that we have actually been in before. It is no where near the highway (so no traffic noise) and there are several swimming pools very nearby.

We were too tired to bother about a restaurant, so we just ate leftovers from the Blue Coyote, and then wandered over to swimming pool and hot tub #2 and soaked and swam a bit. Very relaxing!

I have inserted just a few pictures taken from our unit here at the Oasis Resort this morning. Not sure what we will be doing today... just moseying around at golf and other shops I think. And, enjoying the snowless views!

Pictures From March 31 Book Club Meeting

First Post...

I read so many blogs, but I have not been interested in doing one myself, even though I love to write. I feel like they take up so much time! However, if not for blogs, I would not know many things!

So, that is my purpose here -- keeping a blog so that family and close friends can perhaps follow along with what is going on in my life. If interested. Hopefully, someone is interested! (I think I might have said, "Remember me?" on the phone one too many times!)

Here's a quick summary of the month of March and the first few days of April. I know you all know about our volumes of snow here. Everyone in Wisconsin is definitely sick of it! But, for the last few days, it seems that spring is trying to arrive. Most of the snow is now gone, but it's kind of muddy if you try to walk across the lawn. (Just ask our dogs!)

We are really looking forward to lovely dry and warm weather in Palm Springs, where we are headed the day after tomorrow. But, we're also a little concerned that if it decides to pour rain while we are gone, our winterized and covered pool might overflow. We know that shouldn't happen, and we have pumped it down some. Problem is, if we do it too much, we may have problems with our pool liner again, as we did last year.

OK, enough of the weather. Enough of my physical therapy and recovering knee as well. (Enough and I haven't started!) The best piece of news is that I have officially graduated from physical therapy. Yes! I was given a gym bag, a water bottle, a t-shirt, a pad of paper and a pen, all with the Sports Clinic of Greater Milwaukee logo. And here's even better news. The t-shirt actually fits! Yay me, although I'm losing weight slowly, I am losing. Fifty-five pounds now. (Mind you, SOME of that weight was water weight caused by a medication that I stopped taking last July and instantly began losing weight.) I guess I'll wear my new t-shirt to the Y when I go. I'm trying to go on a regular basis now that I have graduated, as I was warned that if I don't keep up with the stretching and strengthening, I'll probably end up back there. Something they see a lot, they tell me.

Excitement for us in March was doing a book reading and signing at the Wauwatosa library, and also last Monday night attending the meeting of a local book club whose members had all read Dare To Dance. The comments made and questions asked have been very interesting, and both events turned out very well. People really seem to like the book, and are especially attached to the character named Drew.

We are now hooked on a few TV shows and series. We love The Biggest Loser, and have become so attached to the participants. We feel that this show is inspiring in so many ways, and I love how open these people are about themselves. I think it's great to see some 'real' weights on people.

Another show we became enthralled with is an HBO series called In Treatment. Hallie told me about this show. It's over for the season, unfortunately, and we've seen all the episodes. We sure hope there is another season.

Two more series I'm sure you've all heard about: John Adams, and The Tudors. Very, very interesting! The Tudors (all about Henry VIII) is rather jaw-dropping, but moves kind of slowly. For instance, we KNOW Ann Boleyn is going to be Henry's second wife of six, the Catholic religion will become The Church of England, Ann will be beheaded, and we've watched this show for hours and hours and hours and they aren't even married yet! Things happen a lot quicker in the John Adams series. But, both are quite fascinating.

By now you are asking yourself if watching TV is all we have done in March and April so far. Well, no. We've enjoyed meals out with friends, and a St. Patrick's Day party (a few days after the date!). This past Thursday we went to the Repertoire Theatre and saw a magnificent play, 'The Night Is A Child'. If you ever have the chance to see this play, GO. It is great.

I don't know how well I will do with my blog here, but I'll give it a shot and share pictures and what is happening in our neck of the woods. Oh, I may share a few poems as well. Feel free to post comments! In fact, I encourage you to do so.

'See' you soon!