Groupies

Steve and I recently became bored on one of our across-country drives. We decided to make a list of all the concerts we have been to. I think it's a pretty impressive list. Let's see who can top it!
1. Jackson Browne
2. The Eagles
3. Led Zeppelin
4. Dan Fogelberg
5. Mason Profit
6. Marshall Tucker Band
7. Three Dog Night
8. Herman's Hermits
9. The Judds (2)
10. Don Williams (3)
11. Todd Rundgren
12. REO Speedwagon
13. ZZ Top
14. Little River Band
15. Elton John
16. Blue Oyster Cult
17. Bachman-Turner Overdrive
18. John Denver
19. Beach Boys
20. Crosby, Stills and Nash (2)
21. Bill Quateman
22. Dan Seals
23. Head East
24. Riders In the Sky (2)
25. 38 Special
26. Linda Ronstadt
27. Jennifer Warnes
28. Dave Mason
29. Patty Loveless
30. Willy Nelson (3)
31. David Crosby
32. Dierks Bentley
33. Michael Martin Murphy
34. Tom Petty
35. Ricky vanShelton
36. Lynrd Skynrd
37. Paul Simon
38. Tom Kimmel (3)
39. Christine Kane (2)
40. Mormon Tabernacle Choir (8?)
41. Richie Havens
Well, that's over 50 concerts. I'm impressed. Don't know about you. And, we're not done yet. I'm sure we'll make 100 before we kick off. My favorite? Still Don Williams. He has quit touring, but I'm glad I got to see him three times. You cannot feel bad when you leave his concert. The Eagles are a close second...fabulous group, as well as individual band members who each have their own history and amazing music. Oh, and can't forget the MoTabs..the most perfect music on the earth.
I'm sure there are some I've forgotten, and we're not done yet,

New Saddle and Endurance Riding

My little Ruby has been a lovely young mare, except that she has had a hard time carrying a rider and gaiting at the same time. I kept hearing that if I got a saddle that fit her properly (a gaited Rocky Mountain horse), it would solve my problem.

Well, for a year I bugged Tony Pritchett at Sycamore Creek Saddles http://www.sycamorecreeksaddles.com/, trying to find the ideal saddle for both me and Ruby. I finally ordered this spring, and have received a lovely, lightweight (19 pounds), inexpensive saddle that my horse and I both love. She loves to gait, and I love the fit for both of us.

Tony is beyond what anyone would expect from a man who understands customer service. He goes past keeping his promises, and surprised me with his level of professionalism. Nice guy, too. Thank you, Tony, for the many hours you dedicated to assuring my satisfaction with this purchase.
I have coupled this saddle with an Equipedic saddle pad for endurance riding. It has NASA foam inserts that adapt to the horse's moving back for proper fit while moving (which is why you tack up your horse in the first place...not to stand still). Ruby and I were hoping to do our first 25 mile AERC pre-endurance ride this fall. However, with the hip and back problems I've been having, I'm not sure I will be able to do it. The Equipedic pad along with the CTK Saddlery saddle purchased from Sycamore Creek, seems like the perfect duo. Of course, Ruby and I are both comfortable with the Parelli hackamore for headgear. And, I've switched from Wranglers to Kerrits riding tights for me. I can't believe the difference in comfort! Guess those English people have some things right, after all.

Korea, Utah and London in 3 Months!

Sariah had predicted that I would begin to fall away at blogging, and she was right (as usual). So, to get back on the bandwagon, I have to tell you all (whoever you may be that found me here) about my never-to-be-forgotten trip to South Korea. And then Utah. And then London.


First, let's set parameters. I had a brand new, pristine passport to take with me. At 56, I had never been out of the US, except for flying over Canada to get to and from Alaska a few times. I used to wonder, every time I went, what would happen if we had to emergency land in Canada and I had no passport...I'm probably the only person you know who thinks about such things. I realize now that if we had to emergency land in Canada, I probably would have been dead on impact and there wouldn't be a rush to put me in jail at that point.


So, with that cheery intro, let's go! There is no short route from SW Nebraska to Osan, South Korea. I started with a 4 1/2 hour drive to Denver and flew to Salt Lake City (where there was no new baby yet), then to San Francisco. From there, I took the 11 1/2 hour flight over the ocean to Tokyo. I was surprised to see that we went all the way up the coast, along Alaska and Siberia! Didn't sleep much...it was daylight all the way. Caught my last flight to Seoul, and finally, it was dark when Sariah picked me up at the airport and drove me another hour to her house.

The first thing I noticed, when I got outside, was that I could see the air. I had wondered why I had seen so many natives in Tokyo with surgical masks on. I was to learn that about half of the Koreans wear them, as well. Nasty.


After a decent night's sleep, our first activity was to go hiking. Sariah's condo is at the base of a mountain that sports a well-developed hiking trail. She hooked me up with a 30 pound twin, plus gear, and expected that after the trip with no sleep, I would be just fine trekking straight up the mountain! Thanks for the confidence in your old ma, Sai. I told her she had to take this photo of me with the first aid station on the mountain, just in case.

Sariah had volunteered to provide 10 vases of roses for the officer's wives luncheon. So, we needed to go to Seoul to the flower market. You want flowers, this is the place to shop.

We spent three hours there, if I remember properly, and didn't even begin to make it through the whole thing. What a fantasy land!
Ellie had fun travelling along with Grandma, checking out the beautiful buds.

Here is half of our finished product. We purchased 100 roses, plus filler. Each needed to be individually trimmed and arranged. Lots of work, but very fun.

Here is one of the vases Sariah purchased for me:

Another treat in Korea is the bakeries. This is a typical cake selection. We took home a panda, and, while I thought it very desireable, the kids didn't thnk it was sweet enough. Koreans seem to use lots less sugar than Americans, and exercise lots more. Perhaps thier crime is low because they feel good!

This is a little boy that Sariah sometimes watches. I just had to have a photo of them together to prove that she was living in Korea.


Korean put lots of pride in their new architecture. Right down to the sidewalks. There are running pads (don't know what else to call them) down the centers of the walks for the joggers. And, this is a sample of the decorative edgings. Quite impressive. Especially with the cute grandkids.
Here's the parting shot. Even with bulgogi, ballet lessons, basketball practice, yoga class, spinning class (I did share burial preference information with Sariah during this class, just in case), swimming, a Korean taxi ride and many other events, this is what is was all about...family. Thank you, Sariah and Adam, for giving me the means and the reason to take my first international trip.


On to Utah. And, the blessing of the fifth grandchild, Kennedy.

Here she is in her blessing gown, held by her "GranDee." She is a beautiful little girl.

Looks just like her grandma, don't you think? She is a very fortunate baby girl, with parents who adore her and lots of loving family and friends...oh, and family dog.

OK, London and grandchild #6 is coming next, but I need to get the photos lined up, so hold your breath!

A Little Bit of Our Mothers

When I was reviewing photos from Thanksgiving, I came back to this one several times. Here we are, PJ and I, in our aprons (that she requested we wear, like our mothers), working together to provide a feast for our families. We were just like kids again for days before the event, phoning, planning, laughing, feeling the excitement build each day. We suddenly realized that this was how our mothers had felt when we were just small girls and could not have understood the importance of deep family ties and traditions.
So here we are, well into our 50s, and finally understanding the link to our past that makes us, not only who we are today, but whom we have always been. And, we have each finally found our sister, whom we longed for all our lives. Ahh, the relief.

Our mothers were both farm wives. Neither PJ nor I are. But, oh, can we pretend together! And, we married these fabulous men who go along with whatever our whims happen to be for the day. So, here we are, playing farm. God definitely had a plan for putting us within a half-day drive of one another, at last.