Fall is here in the mountains...the mornings/nights are cool and clear, the days still fairly warm...it is a lovely time of year!

The Emmys were last night.  I chose not to watch, but I did check out the net to see who won.  Obviously I do not watch what is popular on television -- I didn't recognize any of the shows or the actors/actresses who won!

Oh, I have heard people talk about "Orange Is The New Black" and the "Game of Thrones," but I have never watched either of those.  I guess I like lighter fare, and I tend to watch old shows like Matlock and Murder She Wrote!

As it turns out, I'm not a big football fan either.  I will occasionally watch a game showcasing a team I like or know something about, but I can NOT sit for hours on end watching guys bang their heads together chasing a pigskin!  So in the Fall, I like many other wives, become a football widow!  Believe me, I have tried to watch like my hubby does, but it just bores me to tears!

For me this time of year is about the beautiful foliage, the crispness in the air, the pumpkins on the vine, Fall festivals and Halloween is coming. Saturday was the Harvest Moon Festival in Ogden.  What a fun event it is and it is also FREE!  They have lots of free activities for the children, and vendors for goods and foods.  There is live music and all the restaurants set up little outdoor cafes on the street.  What a festive time!

 Halloween is a big event here in Ogden.  It actually begins early with Witchstock on the 24th!  I already have my beautiful witches hat and cape, and will join my granddaughters in the fun that is Witchstock on 25th Street.  They also have a Zombi Walk here, but that kind of freaks me out!  There are a lot of Hispanics here who celebrate the "Day of the Dead."  Many houses are decorated in everything from gigantic spiders to glowing pumpkins and ghosts!

It seems that this Summer passed so quickly.  I love the Fall, and I anticipate the Winter to do my snowshoeing at Snowbasin.  We have such dramatic season changes here in the rockies.  Each has its own special pleasures.

I bought a little sweater for my Rosebud puppy today, as she is already shivering when we go out in the morning.  This will be her first winter, so I have purchased boots for her for when the snow falls. It should be an interesting time.

So whatever Fall is like where you live, get outdoors and enjoy it! I plan on doing just that!

PEACE, LOVE & JOY 

Packing It Up! AGAIN!!!

Well, it is now March.  In fact, it is bearing down on the END of March.  I have sold my condo on Beautiful Okaloosa Island and have made the decision to become a full time permanent resident of Ogden, Utah.

Yep, the Okaloosagirl who thought she could/would never leave the beautiful Gulf of Mexico behind.  However, I have fallen in love with this amazing place, and besides that my beautiful daughter and granddaughters are here too!

We have actually enjoyed every single minute and new adventure here in Utah.  The people here are amazingly friendly and giving…volunteerism here is beyond belief and people are proud of their home town and work to take care of the environment.

I decided to sell the condo on Friday, February 28th and flew down on Saturday….the first day of March!  They started showing the condo immediately to the tune of two to three times a day!  Dawn and I had to keep leaving because every time we came back, they called to show it again.  By Wednesday, March 5th I had a Contract and we CLOSED on Friday, March 7th! What a whirlwind.

Just before I left to go to Florida, and immediately after calling my Realtor, Mary Ann Miller, I contacted a Realtor here in Utah, Shawna with Cornerstone Real Estate.  I went out to see the some on the Monday before I left for Florida and immediately fell in love with the very first one I saw!  Good grief…come to find out the people who were selling it had just listed it the Friday before!  All of this has been amazing.  The Riley's, family who own the town home, are being transferred to Georgia, from whence we came! What an interesting turn of events.  The home has EVERYTHING I could possibly want and more, including a lovely view of the mountains.  We are sitting right at the mouth of Ogden Canyon and one tenth of a mile from my favorite walking trail along the Ogden River!  I don't believe in coincidence, and know this was all orchestrated by an all-knowing, all loving God who has looked out for me all my life.  Amazing.

So, here we go again, packing up to move for the FOURTH time in two years!  Hysterical! I am becoming an expert at packing.  In addition to this monumental move across town, we are leaving for Italy on April 1st!  This lovely trip to Venice, Florence and Rome is a gift from my son Charles!  What a gift!  We can hardly wait to get there and see all the lovely things Italy has to offer (Kevin is anxious to eat a lot of pasta!).

So in a few weeks I will be posting a lot of pictures from Italy as we enjoy our trip.  I am also excited and somewhat melancholy to say I will be going back to Macon to watch Eric Kline graduate from High School the middle of May!  Melancholy because I can not believe how quickly the last 18 years have passed…but, so proud of the amazing young man he has become!  I will collect my hugs and cry a lot I am sure!

Then I am coming home to get ready to welcome dear friend Roberta Johstono and her sister, Barbara, to Utah and we will be driving to Seattle, Washington and boarding a Royal Caribbean ship to Alaska! More pictures will be forthcoming!  Blog, blog, blog.

I am still deciding about whether to take my lovely, expensive camera with me on these excursions, or just rely on the old reliable iPhone!  I really need to practice with the camera before I go anywhere!
As you can see, the next couple months are going to be extremely hectic ones, but exciting at the same time.  I better get a B12 shot or I won't be able to keep up with myself.

I also started teaching a nutrition and diet class this week in Layton…as if I don't have enough to do!  But, as usual I am better when I am busy!  So I hope I will have lots of pictures and adventures to share with you all in the coming weeks.  In the meantime, I wish you all

PEACE, LOVE & JOY

Linda

2013 In Review!

 2013 Began with a Lovely cruise to the Bahamas with my sweet girlfriend Roberta! We had a wonderful trip and promised we would go on another cruise in 2014.  In fact, I went ahead and put down a $200 deposit on the next one before we left the ship. 

Then I headed for the condo on Okaloosa Island.  Lovely, lovely place.  Roberta joined me there one time, Vicki another.  It's such a peaceful, wonderful place and I never get tired of the beautiful view of the

 Gulf and the dolphins.  Home sweet Home!  My heart is on the Emerald Coast for sure.

But then, the totally unexpected happened when my Hubby and my Son-in-Law were offered TDY to Ogden, Utah (Hill AFB) for four months. 

The rest of the family left on June 10, and I followed for what I thought was going to be a "visit" on June 26th.  However, as I was boarding the flight with my dog Buddy, I got a text message saying we had been offered a permanent transfer!!!

 Next thing I know, I'm in Utah planning for a major move from the East Coast.

It took me about five minutes to decide that Utah and Ogden were some of the most breathtakingly beautiful places I had ever seen.

Additionally, the people here were so welcoming and friendly, that the thought of a move was suddenly a very welcome one.


There are mountains, and waterfalls and caves and the most amazing hiking and biking trails imaginable!

We celebrated July 4th in Huntsville!  It was amazing! Like something out of the fifties, with games and fun food and people on blankets listening to great music.

Fireworks finished the evening and we were all falling more and more in love with our new home...Ogden.

The girls have been thrilled with all the new experiences, and have talked me into some pretty amazing things too!  Not only have I been hiking up mountains, but they talked me into zip lining in Park City. 

Then there was the Park City Art Festival, which I guarantee you will become a YEARLY event for us.  The display of beautiful and intriguing art was beyond any I have ever seen, and I breathed it all in with relish!

The girlies have talked me into climbing up the most amazing trails from Snowbasin at the right, to Timpanogos Caves (which let me tell you was a FRIGHTENINGLY steep trip to these incredible caves in the side of a mountain).  We have hiked Birdsong Trail in Ogden and walked miles and miles.  I love walking 25th Street in Ogden which has an incredible story from the times of the Golden Spike which is just a few miles away, to Al Capone and more!

We have ridden the Snowbasin gondola numerous times up to Needles Lodge which is beautiful in Summer and now in the Winter is completely amazing!

The girls have had such glorious experiences and it has been thrilling to share it with them. In the Summer Ogden has a wonderful Farmer's Market every Saturday in the Park downtown with every kind of fresh produce and craft and food you can imagine.  We didn't miss any of those. 

My sister Dawn, and Niece Rachel joined us on a trip to Magnificent Yellowstone Park! WOW! The Grand Tetons, the Snake River

Old Faithful were all something I had previously seen only on the pages of my Geography Books!

Dawn and Rachel had a great time, and so did we.  We stopped at Bear Lake on the way home.  It is an amazing aqua lake on the border between Idaho and Utah.  The kids didn't want to leave! 










We had previously gone to Bear Lake and spent a night in a local cabin.  We rented a boat and took the girls tubing!  What wonderful memories we built all Summer.

 

But before we knew it, months had passed and we were now to become permanent residents of Ogden/Layton.  Melanie and Aaron and the girls are in Ogden, we are in Layton about 15 minutes south.  The views here are amazing...we are surrounded by mountains, and when I look out my bedroom window, I see Antelope Island in the middle of Great Salt Lake!

Autumn in Ogden brought still more adventures.  It seems they celebrate EVERYTHING in a BIG Way in Utah!

Pioneer Days in the Summer...Fall Festival in the Fall!  Decorations everywhere and free events for all to enjoy!  It is a very family oriented place and most of the events are FREE!  Amazing.

 Kevin Jr, and Dylan and Bo joined us to go to Snowbasin for Thanksgiving Dinner along with Melanie's family!

The food was amazing, the views fantastic and of course the company was perfect!

We made and shared so many memories during this time.

As you can see, my little Buddy enjoyed it too!

We took so many pictures that I can't even post them all here although I'm tempted. 


Snowbasin was our Sunday Afternoon haunt as we went to free concerts on the lawn behind Earl's Lodge all summer.  It was lovely and we will be there again when they start up in the Summer of 2014.


I really can't begin to tell you how beautiful it is here in Utah. 

The views are beyond description, and a camera just fails to do it justice.  From Spring, to Summer to Fall and now Winter, we have viewed breathtaking vistas at every turn.

Now the girlies are having a wonderful time skiing at Snowbasin!

Christmas at Melanie and Aaron's!

 Ice Skating on the Pond in Huntsville...the town floods half of the city park and turns it into a huge skating rink!

Absolutely Gorgeous and great fun!

Just can't get over the views of the mountains from everywhere we go in Utah!

There is so much beauty to be enjoyed here.  We haven't had the chance to visit southern Utah yet and all the incredible vistas there. 

So, next Spring before the Summer heat, we will go to Moab and Brice Canyon and some of those other amazing places in Utah.

There is an amazing trip to Italy in our near future and a cruise to Alaska shortly thereafter, so 2014 is going to be another amazing year!

 I hope all of you have a Blessed and Wonderful New Year with all kinds of new experiences and joys! 

PEACE, LOVE & JOY

LINDA

Moving Again!

Oh My, we are moving again! Thank goodness it is only across town, but I sure hope this is the LAST move for awhile!  I am looking forward to getting out of the Hotel, although they have been really good to us here.  It's just kinda strange not having your own things around.  Also, most of my cooking utensils, etc are in storage and that is definitely inconvenient at times! 

We will be living in Layton, Utah now instead of downtown Ogden.  I am going to miss Ogden (but it's only going to be 15 minutes away) because of 25th street and the park across the street.  I absolutely love getting out and walking here.  I can even walk to the train station from where we have been living.  It will be a short drive, but still I will have to drive, to get to the train station in Layton.  The apartments look quite nice though, and there will be a dog park for Buddy!  I am a little concerned that we will be on the third floor and up and down stairs with the dog could be a challenge!  He is weird about stairs.  One good thing about the third floor however, is that no one will be above us stomping around! 

We have hired Two Men and A Truck to help with the move this time as Mel and Aaron have just gotten settled into their place, and I didn't want to ask Aaron to help again.  So, Sunday we will start moving some of the small stuff the movers won't take (like glass table tops) and clothing etc.  Then on Monday the truck will arrive and Tuesday the additional furniture I have bought for the new place.

It will be nice to get back to some kind of "normal."  Really, the Ben Lomond Hotel staff have been amazing, but living in a hotel is definitely different.  One thing I am going to miss is the Monday cleaning service! I'm spoiled.  It was also nice to be able to occasionally wander downstairs and get breakfast!  But, I need to get away from eating out, it's too easy to gain weight doing that!  Bread and potatoes are a big thing out here, and I don't need either!

Mel, Aaron and the girls are going to be staying here in Ogden for awhile.  I will miss just being able to walk a few blocks to see my girlies, but again it is only 15 minutes away, and it will be much closer for Kevin to go to work.  The funny part is I was just learning my way around Ogden, and now I am going to have to learn Layton!  My old brain is definitely getting a workout.

We are all looking forward to the Holidays out here.  The snow on the mountaintops is already providing skiing for the locals and soon all the Ski Resorts will be busy.  So, for now I am just getting ready to move, set up my little electric fireplace and begin "nesting" in my new home. 

PEACE, LOVE & JOY

Linda

A Little Bit of Thailand in Utah? Yep!

 Aaaahhh, Thailand, a country of great beauty and great food!

 On our trip to Thailand in December, Melanie and I experienced eating some of that lovely cuisine!

We went to restaurants in town and restaurants on the beach, we had some really excellent and authentic food in some very exotic places.  We even went to a restaurant which served all that crazy "deconstructed" stuff....but I digress.

We are now located in Ogden, Utah, which is a very, very long way from lovely Thailand.  About the only thing Utah has in common with Thailand is mountains...that is until today!

Today I had lunch at a tiny (seats 40) restaurant in Ogden known as Aroy D.  That didn't sound particularly Thai to me, but boy was I in for a big surprise!

Lunch Combo of a wonderful Chicken Curry and another chicken dish featuring Kaffir Lime Leaves!

Hubby went for the Soup which came with "add ins" including sprouts, basil leaves, crushed peanuts and more.  Fortunately he "only" ordered hot not super hot or Native!  It was hot enough that his nose was running. 

I played it safe and ordered medium, which was just perfect ( I am well aware of the spicy heat of authentic Thai food) and I enjoyed every single bite.  I even ate all the rice (I never finish my rice!). 

The food we had today was authentic Thai and absolutely delicious.  From the Curry to the Mango Sticky Rice it was absolutely amazing, and will require many more trips to satisfy our need for the exquisite food of Thailand.  It was actually voted Number One Thai Restaurant in the State!  Who knew!?!  Here in Ogden...Top of Utah USA! 

We will definitely be going back again soon for more of this delicious food, and recommending it to anyone who wants the best of the best when it comes to Thai food.  You haven't tried Thai food?  Then do it today...but make sure you get the best of the best!


PEACE - LOVE & JOY

Linda

Endorphins, Accapella and Ogden!

We made a last minute decision this afternoon to attend ACappellastock - their tenth anniversary concert here in Ogden.  The concert was held at the Amphitheater across the street from the Ben Lomond Hotel where we are staying.

This turned out to be one of the best decisions we have ever made!  WOW!  It was the first time I have ever attended an all vocal concert and these people were the most amazing Vocal musicians I have ever heard! 

We heard from four different groups, and an amazing Emcee - Paul Sperrazza!  We laughed, cried and clapped our way through the entire evening.  For anyone who wants to check out Paul Sperrazza, and I recommend you do, he can be found at www.spazbox.com and www.fearlessperforming101.com.  This guy was just a ball of fire and oh so much fun!

The FIX, from Provo, Utah came up next and performed an amazing series of music.  They are all blue-collar workers by day, but serious musicians by night.  Wow.

The local boys, TMinus5,  is responsible for putting this thing together every year for the past ten years, and they are amazing also!  Kudos to them for all the hard work it takes to put an event like this together as well as perform.  Wow, another reason to love Ogden, like there weren't already enough!  They asked tonight how many of the thousands of people in attendance would enjoy a Christmas Concert...the roar of the crowd was an overwhelming YES! 

Cadence came in from Toronto, Canada - minus their Bass singer who was kept behind by Customs officials there...geesh.  One of the guys from TMinus5 filled in and did a great job.  They are four harmonious voices which fill the air with all kinds of bebop standards and more.  They are a true vocal band.  Amazing.

Each group brought their own style and excitement to the stage, but I think NOTA was the group that blew me completely away.  They are six male vocalists from Puerto Rico and have sung together for over 15 years in different A Capella groups.  They are a unique vocal band and their amazing vocal capabilities rocked the house! In 2009 they gained international popularity after winning the first season of NBC's hit musical competition THE SING-OFF.  We loved them.

I bounced around my seat all night, clapping and singing and laughing out loud at the antics of the various groups and entertainers.  I think I produced more endorphins tonight than I usually do running a 5K!

Speaking of that, I have always believed that music can move people in ways that nothing else can.  A tender love song, or a hymn or a piece of music from one's childhood can reach inside and bring you to tears, your knees or dancing on your feet in a minute! 

Once again, Ogden has given us another reason to love it, to stay and to call it our home. I am already planning to attend next year when ACapellastock occurs in the Amphitheater!  Join me there if you can, you won't be disappointed and you will certainly produce some much needed endorphins!

PEACE - LOVE & JOY

Linda

Fly Fishing, Trail Walking and Ogden's Beautiful Gardens

 We awoke to a beautiful, breezy morning here in Ogden, so I decided it was time to introduce Kevin one of the beautiful walking/biking/hiking trails here in Ogden.  This particular trail head starts just steps from where we will be living when our Town Home is completed, and runs right alongside the Ogden River.

The trail is paved and therefore works well for casual walking, running, biking and strollers.  There are all kinds of beautiful places to stop and take a break, and there are benches, picnic tables, grills and areas where we can walk down to the river.

Part of this gorgeous trail takes you right by the Ogden Botanical Gardens.

These meticulously maintained gardens have a huge variety of flowers, fruits, vegetables and trees which will make you Oooohh and Aaahhhh with their beauty and fragrance. 

I couldn't resist taking dozens of pictures, so this blog today is more of an pictorial essay than a true blog...forgive me...just couldn't help myself!

 I hadn't seen this type of day lily before and loved the way their heads hung down like trumpets.  Lovely and that is actually a HUGE plant.

Part of the fascination with this garden, is the constant change as new vegetables and fruits come into their own each week.

Can you think of a more beautiful location for a Botanical Garden?  I can't!  The mountainous backdrop is amazing.

 I haven't a clue what type of Thistle this is, but found myself compmletely fascinated with the lavender stems!

 Huge splashes of color abound everywhere you turn in the garden, from dahlias, and zinnias to cone flowers and daisies...beautiful....

 The mountain air was clean and fresh and there was a great breeze this morning as the suns rays reached down to wake the flowers.

 A Japanese garden area offers some beautiful displays of Japanese Maple and other lovely trees.

There was a lady sitting on the ground beside this group of flowers with a special lens on her camera taking close up photographs of the lovely selection of blossoms here.

Flowers flowers and more flowers everywhere you look!

 Ash and Liv love the lovely Blue spruce trees they call Christmas trees.

 Makes you want to reach out and touch them doesn't it?

 I loved these beautiful deep pink zinnias with white edges...so lovely.

 I enjoy the contrast of the different plants and flowers growing aside each other.

 And then there is the rose garden...

    wish I had smell-a-vision...asaaaahhh.

 Amazing color isn't it?

 Some of the roses are hybrids, some are heirloom varieties...the heirloom varieties tend to have the best smells.

Just another beautiful reason we love Ogden so much.

 I almost hated to leave the beautiful Rose Garden...it is such a peaceful place...

 Isn't it lovely here?

 Nasturtiums...brought me back to my childhood.  I remember getting a seed packet full of them one summer and planting my own special little flower bed.  They are a nice edible flower to put in salads too.

 A huge Sunflower..

         one of God's lovely creations.

 I am just amazed with the variety of flowers available in the garden.

 I'm not sure if this was a giant (as big as my head) hibiscus or Rose of Sharon...beautiful isn't it?

 There are lovely covered pavilions with nicely maintained picnic tables all along the trail...this is one of many...

Many of them have charcoal grills available for use.

 So we were back on the trail again, walking along the lovely Ogden River where we spotted a fisherman fly fishing.

I want to try that soon.

 The trail is paved and has a white line dividing it so that there is a kind of "passing lane" for bikes and runners...

Moving toward the mountains...

 Another little break to walk down to the River's edge to look for some trout...

 If you look hard you can see a rope swing in the center of the picture hanging from that outstretched branch..

 We found a stump where a beaver had chewed off a medium sized tree in an attempt to create a dam.

The view of the mountains here is absolutely breathtaking...

We walked about three miles today, but I am anxious to get a bicycle and travel the entire 9 miles available on the trail.

There is talk of connecting it with another which will make it a total of 23 miles!  Each vista is more beautiful than the next and I never get tired of exploring it.  I can hardly wait for the seasons to change here to experience even more of the West.

Isn't this a beautiful open meandow..I love the sun streaming down through the trees...

 We walk continuously along the river and stop periodically to take in some of the beauty afforded and the cool breezes off the mountainsides.

 You can see the edge of one of the nice benches alongside the path which are available for viewing the river and just relaxing as you hear it roll over the rocks and falls below..

 Aren't these gorgeous?

 I love the glass like quality of these red berries...

 This tunnel passes under the highway between Slackwater at the trailhead and the continuation of the trail...Note the beautiful orange flowered vines trailing down over the rocks.

 The tunnel has whitewashed walls where local artists are encouraged to ply their arts..Wow...

Ogden encourages arts and artists as is evidenced by such groups as "Nuture The Creative Mind," and RAMP (Recreation, Arts, Museums and Parks).

 The Cottonwood trees here are incredibly huge and beautiful ..


We were really taken with this Knarly Dude!  I have no idea how this was formed, but I couldn't resist the picture.

And so another hike ends and we go back to fix a nice lunch from the lovely fresh vegetables we bought from the Farmer's Market last weekend.

Aaaaahhhhh, sweet Ogden!


PEACE, LOVE & JOY

    from God's Country!

Linda