Don't forget to double click on pictures to enlarge

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Casino

Out here in the west, casino's are pretty commonplace due to the large amount of Indian territory that can be used to build one on. There are many pros's and con's about them and when you go to one you will be surprised at how many Indian's you see working and gambling.
Even if you are not a gambler it is interesting to go and see how elaborate some of them are built, like the Cliff Castle in Camp Verde (about an hour from our home). It sits high on a hill with a beautiful view of the valley and like many has several restaurants. One of those in this facility is named the "Storyteller" and it is a sight to behold............
The picture does not do it justice but the whole restaurant is made to look just like being down in the Grand Canyon.......all the red rock is highlighted with up lights and each booth is set back in the rocks. Well, it is one of those things you have to see to appreciate:) We had been here one time before and had a dinner that was excellent but am afraid that our trip up Fri. only provided the beautiful view.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is when his side and her side get together and smile at each other:)


and we do our best to share....................


Happy Thanksgiving

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Can you relate?


Overload!
Harnessed and going nowhere?
Left hanging?
Your take?????????????????????????????????

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Let's just talk

So many times I post about things of interest and etc. but today I want to talk about my feelings...........mainly inspiration.



One action that ripples to far reaching banks
I get so discouraged with the daily bombardment of bad news that I search for the little good news tidbits that might be available. I am not talking about the faith preaching/miracle type of things, but rather the everyday kindness type of things.
The blog 25 Things for Charity is the type of thing that stirs up my heart. People, who without fanfare, simply do something to make a difference. I have been involved in things like this and it is easy to get discouraged and begin to think it really doesn't make a difference...you don't hear about the mother who's premature baby that died was tenderly wrapped in the blanket you made or the old woman in the rest home that now has her feet covered with slippers because you busied your hands while watching TV. You begin to feel it is each for yourself and don't realize that maybe the kindness you showed someone made the difference between them making the decision to live or die.
I don't believe it is because we don't care....but rather, it's because we forget to.
Men.....there are so many single/widowed women out there who don't know when to change the oil in the car, how their insurance works and etc. Children who's only example of adults was those that hurt them, belittled them and left them to fend for themselves, screen doors that are falling off the hinges that you could fix in a blink of an eye.
I would love to find a blog that would be like "25 things for charity" with a multitude of contributors that each share some act of kindness they have done. It could be anything from letting the person behind you in the check out isle go ahead because they only had one item compared to your 45, to going to your local shelter to adopt a pet, to volunteering at a local school to help a child learn to read, to taking over a hot bowl of soup to a friend that is under the weather, to faithfully putting our bird seed in the middle of winter, to not blowing your horn at the person that cut in front of you..............................................
It seems to me it would encourage us all to do better, be better, stop and take notice and pass it on.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Thanksgiving Traditions

Every family and generation has their set of traditions and after each marriage they get combined/changed and etc.

Here is ours currently:

An afternoon meal of Turkey, Bread Dressing, Mashed Potato's, Gravy, Green Bean Casserole, Home Made Cranberries, Fresh baked rolls, Pie...but no pumpkin

Some that have come and gone......Evening meal, sliced baked apples, pumpkin pie with whipped cream and crushed peanut brittle, and clams in the dressing




How about yours???




Click on the turkey for some fun trivia...see what you know

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Bet you didn't know

In 1926, when a Los Angeles restaurant owner with the all-American name of Bob Cobb was looking for a way to use up leftovers, he threw together some avocado, celery, tomato, chives, watercress, hard-boiled eggs, chicken, bacon and Roquefort cheese, and named it after himself:
Cobb salad.............................................. and 82 years later you call still order it at your favorite restaurant.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Last weekend, hubby and I were in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
What a treat to see all the beautiful fall colors and enjoy the crisp autumn air.
The two things that brought us here was to visit the Gilcrease Museum and participating in the world's largest gun show.

These were some views from our hotel room window

I was determined to get to the Gilcrease Museum to view the special viewing of the 101 collection. I was not prepared for it to be focused on those that became stars from being part of the Wild West show like Tom Mix etc. but I was thrilled to see two wonderful pictures of my lady Bessie, one of which I had never seen. For those of you who may not realize I wrote the book "Buckskin Bessie Her Lost Letters" and it was her discovered and purchased letters and a two year research that made it all possible so of course any new information, picture and etc. is cause for excitement. I was also pleasantly surprised that they quoted information from one of the letters published in the book BUT they did not credit the book with the quote. I spoke to them about it and after arriving home received a phone call and they have agreed to cite it. Wished I was near there so I could check it out but will just have to take their word for it. I was shocked to see this because when I wrote the book it was CRITICAL to site my sources.

I think the most outstanding thing of the display was the painting of Joe Miller...it is just awesome and they also have a wonderful display of Princess Wenona's things, including her engraved rifle.

Now for the gun show...It is the largest in the world......this is just a few pictures that doesn't begin to give you any real view of the thing.............




There were 4,000 tables and each one is 6 ft. long. Let me tell you it is so big you can't even walk the whole thing....two levels worth. We sat there for two days (me knitting) and sold nothing until we began packing up and low and behold we sold four guns....whew!
Blogger, Grannie Annie and I were all set to meet there but at the last minute she had to cancel...we were both disappointed but who knows....there may be another time.
Now for the gun show....I don't claim to be the world's biggest gun fan.... but I did enjoy the animal pelts that were for sale and especially the White Artic Fox...the softest thing I have ever touched...the diamond ring that was for sale that was shaped like an arrowhead and the purses that were handmade using pelts and cloth and the elephant tusks and dinosaur eggs were pretty interesting too. I also nearly finished the stocking cap I am knitting for charity and enjoyed being wined and dined so not a bad way to spend the weekend.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Reflection

Sometimes the world seems like it's
Upside-down
Inside out
Torn down the middle
In need of arrangement
Desperate for guidance
Wanting direction
Lacking leadership
Losing patience
Turning and flipping
Backwards and sideways
Speeding endlessly forward
On a path of self-destruction

And the only thing to stop it,
The only thing to calm it,
Is the lives of the men that
Fight passionately
Fall readily and
Die willingly.
Poem "Sometimes the World Seems"
by Larissa Myschuk
Let us not forget...... we are because they were

Monday, November 3, 2008

Laugh with those that laugh and cry with those that cry

I post this the night before the elections with a note that no matter who leads our country we are going to have a rough four years ahead. Let us encourage and comfort one another to be the best we can be and be grateful we live in a country where we are free to cast our vote.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

This and that



In case you didn't know you can have your bumper sticker customized like the exampe above and here is one that was seen in Texas............................................................

"I'll keep my freedom, my guns, and my money, and you can keep 'THE CHANGE'

and how about this little story I found on oldhorsesnake
Sarah Palin is invited to meet with the Pope while he is vacationing south of Rome in Venice, and the Pope asks her to join him on a Gondolar ride through the canals.
They are admiring the sights and agreeing on moral issues when a gust of wind blows the Pope's zucchetto hat off his head and into the water.
The gondolier starts to reach for the Pontiff's cap with his pole, but this move threatens to overturn the floating craft.Sarah waves off the tour guide saying, "Wait, wait, I'll take care of this. Not to worry."
She steps off the gondola onto the surface of the water and walks over to the Pope's cap, bends over and picks it up. She walks back across the water to the gondola, steps aboard and -- amid stunned by the silence -- hands it back to the Pope.............

The next morning, the topic of Democrats everywhere is, "Palin can't swim."


and what is this?????? A secret gang sign?

No, just I love you in sign language