Just before I left, the Fowkes's were very kind to organize a family trip south to see the home of one of Virginia's favorite sons: Thomas Jefferson's - Monticello. To be honest, I am not a great fan of Mr. Jefferson. I know, I know; yes, he was the 3rd President of the United States, brilliant at many things and he did a great job writing the Declaration of Independence, but his politics and treatment of his friend and my hero, John Adams irritate me to no end! That said, after our visit and tour: I really like his house. Monticello is truly beautiful and the view is spectacular! I now understand why he yearned to return home and stay there.
I sadly left Virginia (more importantly, left Scout, Isaak and cute little Ellie) to fly to Arizona and have a reunion with two of my sisters and also a long over-due visit with my sister-in-law Mary and our nieces Wendy and Kelly. We enjoyed some competitive card games and great Mexican food. We were also able to visit the Desert Botanical Gardens together which had a special exhibit of Chihuly glass sculptures which were amazing! This yellow thing is about 4 meters tall!
Judy, Marilyn and I drove north to spend a day in Sedona and see some beautiful red rock country. This picture doesn't really capture the incredible beauty of the "red" but it's fun because it's called "Snoopy's Rock". Can you see Snoopy laying on his dog house, and maybe a tiny Woodstock perched on his nose? If you ever travel to Arizona, Sedona is a must see! We also visited Mesa Grande National Monument Prehistoric Ruins. This 3 story building is about a thousand years old! amazing!
My last stop was Bountiful, Utah to visit my long time buddy Karen. We did a little shopping (fabric and American goodies), rented movies and I continued eating my way across America - enjoying Cafe Rio, Nielsen's ice cream Concretes, Carl's Jr and more Taco Bell whenever I could get it! :) Have I mentioned I easily gained 10+ lbs on this trip? groooannn! :(
I also enjoyed a wonderful reunion party of friends that lived or grew up in my home town on the North Coast of California. Patsy, I can't thank you enough for organizing that! It was so fun to visit with dear friends of my youth.
I also enjoyed a wonderful reunion party of friends that lived or grew up in my home town on the North Coast of California. Patsy, I can't thank you enough for organizing that! It was so fun to visit with dear friends of my youth.
Now you might be wondering: is that woman ever going to return home?Yes, after 4 airplanes, 19 hours in the air, 2 movies, a long nap, 2 meals, numerous glasses of cranberry juice and packages of peanuts, I arrived back in Brisbane safe and sound last Saturday. Two handsome guys were there to greet me at the airport and was I glad to see them both! Dorothy was right: "there's no place like home".
