A Flyover Blog

In Case You're Hitting The Mall...

 

"I love to go shopping. I love to freak out the salespeople. They ask me if they can help me, and I say, "Have you got anything I'd like?" Then they ask me what size I need, and I say, "Extra medium."

-Stephen Wright

Red Friday - November 28, 2008

  

Please remember our service men and women this Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend. Wear something RED when you hit the mall!

 

From Our House to Yours

  

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."

-Jane Howard

Happy Birthday, Carolyn

 

My bloggy friend, Carolyn, is having a birthday today. Happy Birthday, girl! May your next 50 be fantastic! (Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving, too.)

T Minus 24 and Counting

 

It's Wednesday and I'm cooking. Okay, I can hear you laughing from here. No, I'm not cooking a whole meal. Just some pumpkin pies, a tiny turkey breast, a pot of Mitch's Steak Chili and gallons of McAlister's Iced Tea. Everyone is converging here for Thanksgiving and we're going out to eat. I'm just making some holiday-ish nibbles for later when we get out the tree and start decorating for Christmas.

Am I stressed about the food, knowing my cooking history? No. Lucy's Chinese carry out is right across the street from my house. (Hey, it worked in A Christmas Story.)

This is our first holiday season in Springfield and I'm really looking forward to spending it  in a "real" town - not a tourist town that closes up tight until Spring. I have NO plans to join the Black Friday throngs. You'll find me here, hanging tinsel and putting a bow on the front door wreath. Drop by if you're in the neighborhood; you can help me decorate the tree!

 

Holiday Stress Got You Down?

  

Things not goin' picture perfect this week? Does the thought of having dinner with your family have you running for the liquor cabinet? Relax. Breathe. Take some time for yourself. My SIL Sandy sent me this stress-busting diet plan guaranteed to chase away all the bad energy that accompanies the holidays. LMK if this works for you. 

The Coping Diet

Breakfast
1 grapefruit
1 slice whole wheat toast
1 cup skim milk

Lunch
1 small portion lean, steamed chicken
1 cup spinach
1 cup herbal tea
1 Hershey's kiss

Afternoon Snack
The rest of the Hershey kisses in the bag
1 tub of Hagen-Daaz ice cream with chocolate chips

Dinner
4 glasses of wine (red or white)
2 loaves garlic bread
1 family size supreme pizza
3 Snickers Bars

Late Night Snack
1 whole Sarah Lee cheesecake (eaten directly from the
freezer)

Remember: Stressed spelled backward is desserts.

  

I Know You're Busy This Week

Before your Thanksgiving week gets totally outta control, I'd you to take a minute to send a Christmas or Hanukkah card to a soldier. It's a very small gesture that will mean a lot to someone far from home, and with our current political climate, our military men and women can use all the support they can get. You may send your card to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes

P.O. Box 5456

Capital Heights, Maryland 20791-5467

Now, go write your card, then you can go back to stressing over Thursday's dinner.

Thanks to Mr. Perky for this terrific photo. 

Glass Half Full

   

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."

-Epictetus

Red Friday - November 21, 2008

 

It's Red Friday. Now, more than ever, our service men and women need our love, prayers and support.

U.S. Marine photo by Lance Cpl. Joel Abshier

Thursday Thirteen - Week 46: The School House Bed & Breakfast

 

Last Christmas, Mitch and I received a very special gift from our family - a holiday at The School House Bed & Breakfast  in Rocheport, Missouri. Our trip was postponed twice - first by my MIL's stroke in the Spring, then by our move to Springfield. We finally went on or trip the day after the election.

 

The School House B&B is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is an absolute gem! It has been featured in Southern Living and Midwest Living magazines and, most recently in USA Today's 10 Great Places series.

 

I snapped this pic of the back of the inn just before we hit the Katy Trail. Mike and Lisa Friedemann own the inn and are the most gracious innkeepers I have ever met. If you want to be pampered and spoiled, you definitely want to check into this inn! They prepared a gourmet breakfast for us each morning, which was a real treat.

 

I chose this room for our stay because it still has one of the original blackboards from the days when children ran through the halls. This one was called the Schoolmaster; there are 10 beautiful rooms in the School House.

 

Next door is a recent addition - the Dormitory. It is very popular with bicyclers who converge on the town during the busy season. A secure bicycle storage shed is nestled on the grounds between the School House and Dormitory.

 

This is Mitch in the courtyard after breakfast one morning. He made a couple of adjustments to his bike, then we headed for the Katy Trail.

 

The Katy Trail is a big draw in Rocheport, population 208. This historic little village sits on the Missouri River and is filled with quaint shops, gourmet restaurants and a winery. Rocheport is known as the scenic gateway to the Katy Trail State Park. The Katy Trail is America's longest rails-to-trails project and currently spans 225 miles of Missouri; Rocheport sits at mile marker 178.3.

 

Mitch headed off to pedal to a nearby town and I took off in the other direction with the camera.

 

The Katy Trail in Rocheport runs right along the Missouri River. There's water on one side, and high bluffs on the other.

 

A mile or so away from Rocheport, I found this unique room built into the side of the bluff.  It was built by railroad employees decades ago, for explosives storage.

 

I found some persimmon trees along the trail. Of course, I had to snap a picture.

 

This is the Missouri River. I am not fond of water, so I stayed away from the trail's edge.

   

Mitch and I enjoyed every minute we spent in Rocheport, and plan to return to the School House Bed & Breakfast very soon.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants