Shifting Gears   Baby Boomer…Member Life 2.0…Wife, Mother, Grammie…Bicyclist…GoldWinger…Mensan…Girl Scout…Reader…Knitter…Rotarian

Our friends Larry and Nancy arrived today – only 3 hours late coming from Springfield which was great considering the weather being experienced at home.  Thanks to technology they were able to keep us apprised of the changes in their plans and once they were on the plane in Dallas heading our way, American Airlines [...]

It’s hard not to gloat this evening as I watch the weather radar in Springfield and hear the forecast of 6″+ of snow and ice.  So I’m feeling quite fortunate to be enjoying the gorgeous weather in southern California. Over the last few days I’ve done a lot of walking in Stacey’s ‘hood and am really [...]

We’ve driven through Yuma, Arizona several times as we’ve gone between Phoenix and San Diego – and each time we are reminded of the movie “3:10 To Yuma” and we say we need to stop and see the historical prison.  The movie centers around getting a dangerous criminal transported to the Yuma Territorial Prison and [...]

Grandson Devin has all the makings of a Gap Kids ad.  First of all, he’s 50% Chinese so he brings that international look guaranteed to appeal to the Asian shopping sector.  And second of all, he’s just damned cute!  How can you not fall for a kid who does this when you say “Hey, Devin, [...]

We have the route from Springfield to Phoenix practically memorized – and we’re fairly routine as to where we stop for gas, food, pit stops, lodging, etc.  And occasionally we discover something different like all the state rest stops that are closed in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona and the “Jesus if the Lord” truck stop [...]

I write this blog as a way to stir whatever creative juices I may have, to keep the gray matter active and for my own entertainment – not to mention the fact that by writing something that’s public, I insure my kids won’t find any hidden diaries with family secrets after I’m gone. But I’ll [...]

When I left my pesky day job almost two years ago, my retirement gift was a Canon digital camera.  I received a catalog with a variety of selections and since Burl and I were sharing a little camera, decided to get my own.  It served me well for 15 months and took hundreds of photos [...]

I was barely through the comic strips and my first cup of coffee this morning when Woman of Substance, Robin, called.  She had read an article in the local paper, the News Mis-Leader, and wanted me to critique the letter to the editor she had intelligently crafted. The article concerned a local architect’s angst with the [...]

This morning I participated in a Poverty Simulation project sponsored by Leadership Springfield.  The event was run by the Ozarks Community Action Corporation and the volunteers were people who either are or have been poor.  In the simulation, each of us took on a new identity.  I was Ann Aber, a 39 year-old married woman who [...]

I love the way travel reservations have evolved thanks to the Internet.  No more worrying about lost tickets or dealing with reservation agents during their business hours.  It’s easy to compare prices, check schedules, select seat assignments, and even print boarding passes. But I’ll admit that over the last week I’ve enjoyed having someone to [...]