Another Fun Vacation

This week I did a quick trip to Cedar City and the Utah Shakespeare Festival. I didn’t go last year so it was fun to go back. It was a little bit different this year because mom wasn't with us. The day we left I did let myself have my moment to feel sad. She would have had fun with all of us. This year my sisters wanted to come so I had Anna and her girls and my other niece Katya for the theater. My other sister came with her 5 year old twins as well. They just did other things while we were in the theater but they had fun sitting on the grass with us to watch the Greenshow.

This year we went to The Winter’s Tale, Much Ado About Nothing, and The 39 Steps. I didn’t know much about The Winter’s Tale, but they did a great job and I understood what was going on. It’s kind of a crazy story and it’s labeled as a “Romance” but you wouldn’t know it from the first act. I knew I would love Much Ado About Nothing, and I did. It was fun to see it on stage. The 39 Steps just sounded fun and it was probably my favorite because I laughed almost all the way through.  

All 3 of my nieces want to go back next year and the season has been announced and they are doing some good ones, so I will probably be planning out that trip as well. 

While I have been on some really great trips, this is probably my favorite vacation. I get to spend time with my favorite people and go to the theater. 

And now, I'm out of things to look forward to. Except for autumn coming. But all this year during the hard stuff, I've had my Canada trip, this trip, and a day at the Uintah's with family as the things that I was looking forward to this summer. I still have some time off coming, but nothing planned for it. I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about the holidays this year, but I do love autumn and now that school is back it's the one thing I'm anticipating...even as it's still 90 degrees outside. Ah well...

Trip to Canada

I just spent a fantastic week in Canada. It’s a trip I reserved and booked early in the year, probably January. I had wanted to go somewhere this year and nothing was coming to me. Then I saw this trip listed on the WTT website. It’s the same company I used to go to Egypt. It is always a little bit anxiety-inducing to go on a trip with people I don’t know, but once again we had a great group of women and I was not the youngest (I was second youngest ha ha) person on the trip. My tour leader was really great as well. 

We started in Vancouver. I got there on Friday night and stayed in a hotel near the airport and then took an Uber the next morning to the hotel where we were all staying. I spent the afternoon wandering around the city. Then we met up as a group for the first time and had dinner together. Sunday, we took a tour of the city and then went to the Capilano suspension bridge, which was on my list of things I had wanted to do if I ever got to Vancouver.  After that, it was free time and I went to the Fly Over Canada attraction with another lady. It was so fun. I’ve heard of those kinds of rides, but never been on one. It’s the thing where you sit in the seat and it moves and the screen shows you a bunch of scenes you feel like you are flying over.  

Monday morning we boarded the Rocky Mountaineer train for a 2 day trip across the rocky mountains. It got a little long on the second day, but I had a really good time on the train and the scenery was so beautiful. 

On Wednesday we were in Banff and it was amazing. Mountains, rivers, trees, resort town: I loved all of it. I floated down the Bow river, did a few little hikes and walks and did some shopping in my free time. 

I did get to go to Lake Louise and Lake Moraine. It was raining and cloudy that day and I loved the way the mountains looked and the smell of the rain and pine trees. Unfortunately, since the sun was not shining, you couldn’t see the blue color the lakes are famous for. But whatever, it was still stunning. 

On our final day, we did a quick hike to the lower falls in Johnston canyon. Again, I loved it. I want to go back. I really need to get back up there with my sister. She’d be in heaven up there. 

So all in all a very good trip and I’m glad I got to go. It was the first of two trips I’ve been looking forward to for the summer. And when both trips are over, summer will almost be over and I’ll be looking forward again to fall and cooler temperatures and winter hibernation. Ha ha ha… but not yet. As much as I dislike the heat, I’m trying to live in the moment and enjoy the long days and sun.

More Summer Stuff

Yes, I’m complaining about the heat. But tonight I walked over to pick up my mail and started getting dripped on. It was finally raining. Then it started really coming down and I stood on my porch and just watched. It was so, so nice. 

We haven’t seen water like that for months.

I did get out for a hike with my sister and the kids on Sunday. It was still too hot in the mountains but slightly cooler in the shade and there was a nice breeze.

And on one of my morning walks, I got to enjoy the flowers at the botanical gardens. I guess summer is ok if it looks like this. 

Happy 4th!

I have nothing much planned for the holiday but it’s nice to have the break. Since it falls on a Thursday, like most of my coworkers, I took the 5th off as well so it’s a 4 day weekend. I walked 2.5 miles this morning and did a quick trip to the grocery store. I was in the mood for watermelon and potato salad to celebrate. I think I’ll spend the rest of the day reading or doing some puzzles, maybe some light cleaning. Tomorrow I’m taking some nieces and nephews to the river to play. We’re having a family bbq on Sunday. 

Some parts of the country are having terrible heat and we are in the 80s. It’s been so nice. This is the type of summer that I won’t complain about. The other day I remembered that I haven’t seen mom all summer and it hit me again she’s gone. It will be 5 months on the 14th. It’s been a lifetime and just a few days ago all at once.  The probate debt period is over after tomorrow. Not much left to do and the estate will be completely settled. 

My “buy less stuff this year” mandate has taken a nosedive over the past 2 weeks. I don’t know what happened but I got into a mood and I wanted a few things and bought them. And I went to a bookstore and bought a few books. I have no excuses but I have made myself purge some stuff in closets and so I’m working on another pile to donate. I also threw away some old stuff that isn’t in good shape and can’t be donated. Still, I need to rein it in. I don’t need more stuff. 

Summer Solstice

The longest day of the year has arrived. I’m glad mostly because that means the days start getting shorter and fall will come. I’m not wishing away my summer yet, I still have fun stuff planned. But looking forward to being in my car without sweating. 

I’ve had 3 days off this week. I took the days so I could go to girl’s camp, but because it was stake camp this year, they didn’t need me except for rides. I already had it on the calendar so I took the time off work anyway. It’s been nice. I did spend a small chunk of yesterday up at the campsite. Then this morning I went to do some volunteer time at the peach orchard. I came home all itchy so I got cleaned up and ate lunch then decided to do some shopping. I know, I’m not supposed to because I’m not supposed to be buying “stuff” this year. But I got a new area rug for my living room and it’s a net zero because the other one is being taken to the D.I. I am really tired of that old rug shedding weird fibers and powdery stuff all over my floor. My new one is made from a different fiber/material so hopefully that problem is gone.

Yesterday, my sister helped me install the new garbage disposal - and by help I mean she did it while I played with her kids. 🥰 We gotta do what we’re best at. It’s nice to have 2 sinks working again. And I finally sprayed WD40 on my deadbolt on my front door so I can turn it again without getting stuck. Just finally getting to the little things is really making me happy. Now I need to borrow a drill to do a few more things on my to-do list.

I miss mom, but life is still good.

Welcome Summer

Well, summer is here and so far it’s been a good one. My sister and I did a mini road trip/vacation this week. Or today.

A favorite food blogger published a cookbook and did a little book signing party in her area: Boise. So my sister thought it would be fun to go to and got us tickets for the event. Yesterday, I took a half day off work and we drove up to Boise. We had just enough time to get there, find something to eat for dinner, and find the venue as it was starting at 6 pm. The venue was some outdoor place that looks like it is probably used for wedding receptions and things like that. It was beautiful and green and had flowers and trees and a small pond/fountain thing. 

We got there early enough that the line for the signing wasn’t so long so we did that first and got to meet her and she was really nice. We had already purchased our cookbooks online and brought them with us. Then we went and got snacks. It was catered and had all kinds of bread with flavored butters. I had blackberry butter on my bread and it was so good. They also had a bunch of different cookies from the cookbook. When the line for the merchandise got shorter we got back in line and I purchased a hoodie that says Homebody on it. LOL it was weird purchasing hoodies in the heat, but it will be nice this winter. 

We left after that and checked into our hotel. It was about 8:30 and we watched HGTV until bedtime. This morning we got up and had breakfast and came back home. So it was a quick trip, but actually a lot of fun and was nice to get out.

It’s going to get hot over the next couple days so summer is really here. This was just the first thing I have planned and I think its a good thing to make time for some fun after what this year has been so far. so I’m actually looking forward to the next couple months this year. 

Walking

My sister talked me into joining a walking challenge for the summer, actually April - September. I have to walk or hike 3 miles a week, 75 miles total. If the weather is bad I can do indoor walking or other exercise but part of the goal is to actually be outside. As of right now I’m caught up and right on target, and 3 miles is not hard, but you have to be making time for it constantly. I got sick one week and got behind for a couple weeks. I’ve completed 26 miles so far. Kind of crazy to think of how they add up. 

I do feel better and am sleeping better. Not every night is great, but I’m having fewer sleepless nights. One thing I’ve really enjoyed though is getting out without my earbuds in. Instead of music or a podcast, I’m listening to the river or the birds and in my own thoughts. I’m not sure I’d want to do that for long distances, but for the mile or so I’ve been walking at a time I kind of like it. 

Now it’s getting warm though. I’m not sure how I’m going to fare through the summer. There will be fewer days walking on my lunch break. My plan is to get up and walk before work on the days I’m working from home. I actually did it this morning. I can’t say I super enjoyed it, but there are positives. The biggest one is that I’m done already and don’t have to worry about walking later. The parkway has fewer people on it and I like that. It’s cooler. With the canyon breeze in the morning, it smells like camping, which is something I love. So maybe it’s not so bad. In June, I want to try turning one of the days of walking into hiking and get out on some of the easy trails near me. Saturday is June 1. I wonder if I can get myself up and out there in the morning?