The Perfect Exercise Class?

Like so many others, when all the stars align, I love group exercise classes.  Stars aligning include: A good teacher who keeps the class moving, has good technique, interesting choreography, good music and a pleasing personality The class is at a time when I can attend Includes moves I can actually do I can no […]

Veterans Day Parade

What makes for a perfect summer day?  Sunny weather in the 80-degree range?  Smiling faces? A parade?!?!  Now that may sound like the makings for a wonderful Fourth of July in our Northern climes, but here in the small town of Anthem, Arizona, it’s what we get for Veterans Day.  On the Saturday prior to […]

Preparing for the Holidays

Or How to Avoid a Last-Minute Meltdown A couple of years ago I wanted some new furniture before the holidays when we had company coming.  I’m not one to prepare too much ahead of time, but I started shopping in August.  And guess what, the furniture would not have made it on time!  Ok, Thanksgiving […]

How Keeping Organized Changed my Life

I took so many Sociology classes in college; I could have been considered a Sociology minor.  I loved those classes.  I loved the professor.  I loved her vocabulary.  I loved thinking in new ways quite different from how I’d been exposed to the world.  I especially loved that I could vomit on paper and get […]

Happy Halloween

Honestly, this really is my favorite holiday and I love how many people get into the “spirit” of things. I went to exercise class this morning and everyone had a cute little something to nod to the day. Ok, in this pic, you can clearly see that #1 I am not on a low-carb diet […]

Top Tips for Easy Entertaining

We really enjoy getting together frequently with friends, and while I know that having people in your home can be daunting, the benefits make it worth it.  I’m going to share tips that not only work for me, but obviously for many of my friends who are welcoming and wonderful hosts with minimal effort. Our […]

What I Learned Taking a Night Tour

Among all of last week’s activities, probably the biggest was visiting Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home and architectural school, Taliesin West.  It’s located about 30 minutes from our home in the desert hills of Scottsdale.  We went with the University of Denver alum group to a Night Lights Tour which is a comprehensive two-hour guided […]

Having a Ball in Fall

I’ve mentioned before how much fun we start to have in the desert after paying the price of living here in August and September (although we had a mild summer, in my opinion).  For all things weather in Arizona, I check my friend Stu’s blog.  Stu has weather stations in Flagstaff and Anthem, so if […]

The Getty

For years when visiting LA, I would see the white building at the top of the hill and think, “One day I’d like to visit the Getty.”  I had no expectations or thoughts about what it might be, other than a well-known museum.  Last week, we finally made that visit happen, and boy oh boy, […]

A Little History from the American West

Sometimes my little brain makes some crazy connections.  So, here we go, and please stick with me – I promise to wrap this all together at some point. I am taking a R.I.P.P.E.D. exercise class which is new at our gym (big shout out to Kelly, our fantastic instructor!)  RIPPED is a crazy acronym for […]