LOG 31 Las Vegas or Bust...

 Mr. C and I have just returned from a road trip.  I was without computer access the entire trip and I missed my blogging friends very much.  Here are some photos of the trip highlights.  We actually never went into Las Vegas as the conference was in Summerlin at the Red Rock Resort which was very nice.  LOG 31 stands for Lotus Owners Group and this is the 31st annual gathering.  This is the closest West Coast venue and that is why we attended.  Mr. C can now check this off his list.  :o)  The top photo is of his beloved Lotus.  I think it is the prettiest Lotus ever built.  Mr. C loves it for the technical supercar that it is.  He is an engineer and extremely hands on!  He has made improvements to this car that no one can believe he did so amazingly well and efficiently.

 Here we are all packed and ready for the +/-600 mile drive to LV.  As you can see I have tons of room.  My family and friends tease me that I have to wear lots of layers in order to have any change of clothes for the trip.  There really was plenty of room this time in the trunk for some clothes.  As for shoes I pack them carefully in the tiny side windows next to the engine which is right behind our heads. 

 I got a tickle out of this little sign one of the cars had displayed.  Cars and owners came from all over the United States and some people came from Europe but without their cars.  Lotus is British afterall.

An overview photo.  There were approximately 200 cars in attendance and that is a lot!  All colors and models and years.  It really was awesome to see so many in one place. 

 Mr. C looking very dapper and ready for the awards banquet. 

 This was the dessert and it was not only clever but very delicious.  My photo is blurry but the cheesecake on shortbread cookie with the glazed fruit complete with real gold on the tip of the strawberry was quite yummy.  I wanted to save the clever little white chocolate welcome sign but knew it wouldn't make the trip home so I ate it!

 This is us and another Lotus on our way home.  We stopped near Mammoth in the high country and the view was gorgeous.  The weather was crisp as we were over 8000 ft elevation here.  The Fall colors along Highway 395 were gorgeous.  We met this couple and ran in tandem to and from the conference.  Very charming husband and wife that I feel certain we will see again and again as we truly enjoyed their company.  For me that was the best part of this trip...meeting some wonderful people and exchanging contact info so we can stay in touch.  We really did have fun and lots of great stories and laughter were shared.

An overnight stay in Bridgeport before completing the trip home.  We always stay and eat at the Bridgeport Inn as it is charming and historic.  As you can see the car is covered in ice and this was later in the morning about 9 AM.  Brrrrrr...  I had flip flops on and told Mr. C that if he found any toes please gather them so they could be reattached.  LOL  It was COLD!!!  Thank goodness the car has a great heater and warmed us up.  On to Reno and them home.  It is always so good to get home after being gone.
Now for completing my household and pet chores, errands, grocery shopping, bill paying and what nots. I am looking forward to catching up on emails and blogging.  I hated missing so many days being offline.  Addicted?  Yes and proud of it.  Where else can you be part of such a wonderful community of caring and cleverly talented people? 
I do hear my studio calling me however it will have to wait...if I go in there I may never come out and take care of my responsibilities...hmmm...
Our Fall weather is just right and the colors are spectacular.  It is time for Mr. C and I to take our annual tour around town and just enjoy it all.  Maybe in the next few days.

Celebrations Complete...

Ahh the Grand Lady, Elsbeth, herself. A gathering to celebrate her 90th birthday. It was a wonderful celebration enjoyed by many. The setting was beautiful. The food divine. Red Velvet cake for the finishing touch.

Our table decorations were a welcome addition. Bookmarks and candy for all to take home.

Happy Birthday Elsbeth and may we celebrate many more.

This was also my annual girlfriend road trip and the week passed by so quickly. We leave the husbands and our fur-child kitty cats home and off we go. We spend the week with Elsbeth and have a great time telling stories, playing Scrabble, going out to eat when we aren't eating all of her delicious home cooking and relaxing at the dock on the lake. This year our trip was over July 4th so we enjoyed a huge fireworks show down at the lake and it was spectacular. I saw amazing fireworks I had never seen before and some of them had sound effects like sparklers. I lived many years right near Disneyland so believe me I have seen a lot of fireworks in my day.

It is always so good to be home and in my very own bed. My BooBoo kitty is not letting me out of her sight. I shall be spending my week catching up on laundry, grocery shopping and other assorted household and yard chores.

Most of all I am looking forward to catching up on my favorite blogs and see what each of you have been busy doing. I have sincerely missed you. I had no computer, no internet, no access of any kind for over a week and I truly missed my daily blog perusing. I know I owe some serious thank you notes and will get to them as quickly as I can. I had a stack of mail awaiting my return and fortunately little packages of bliss out-weighed bills. I will need to really use my time management skills wisely this coming week in order to get it all done.

Thank you for all of your comments and emails. I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends. May you have a wonderful week and make all the creative art that makes you happy...

Road Trip Experiences...Part 1

Recently Mr. C and I departed on a road trip. We had some places we wanted to visit and some things we wanted to experience and some people we wanted to spend some time with. So we arranged for in home kitty care. Sasha BooBoo is an aging cat who is not the least bit spoiled however she does know what she likes and what she will not tolerate. Home is her best option as it is comfortable and complete. My dear friend Margaret became the daily caregiver. Thank you so much Margaret. Actually Sasha's 17th birthday will be celebrated this Super Bowl Sunday! Next Mr. C and I packed up the car and headed out. We traveled in tandem with another couple in their vehicle which was interesting. One very long drive the first day we stopped for an overnight sleep and met another couple for dinner and a business meeting Mr. C required. The next day we drove another distance and then our friends called another couple to meet us at our first excursion. Have you ever been to Quartzsite Arizona? Now I can say I have! This photo above really does not do justice to the experience. Beginning 5 miles outside of Quartzsite are encampments of hundreds of all types of vans, buses, trailers and motor homes just pulled off the side of the highway and into the desert beyond. We happened to visit just at the high time of Snow Bird season.

This is a typical vendor booth at one of the many many "swap meets". Quartzsite has been a favorite spot for rockhounds since the 1960's. Now it is kind of a cult spot for all types of people wanting to escape their snowy homes and spend a few months basking in the sun. Hmmm... While we were there for one day it was windy and freezing cold! Not my idea of warm and sunny. And of course I was not prepared for this with hiking boots and grunge clothing. I had my little black leather flat sandals with the light beige straw soles...to walk the cactus, rocks and dirt grounds. Please remember this was an unscheduled stop. Mr. C is making up his "bucket list" as he goes along.

This is a typical layout of what the rockhounds display and offer for sale. Luckily we knew our traveling friends friends and spent about 4 hours exploring. Our car is so not a desert and gravel kind of car so that was not happy time but we managed to traverse enough to get the ambiance of Quartzsite.

While going through the open air stalls I did find something I wanted and bought. A very nice lady was selling all types of things including cheesy glass bead pendants I think were from China however she also was selling some of her personal treasures. I bought these wooden spools from her. She seemed very pleased that they would be going to a good home and that I was really smitten with them as I sew and would be displaying them in my sewing room. I do have ideas for them that I will be doing later. Mr. C found the marble egg in another large indoor building and showed it to me and of course then I had to have it also.

I was shocked at the amount of sales tax you must pay in Quartzsite...10.1% Ouch as that really adds up quickly when you are spending your money. Our sales tax here at home in California is 8.875% and that is considered high. Makes shopping in Oregon all the more inviting. They charge 0% sales tax. Oh dear I have gotten off topic. But that is exactly how this trip seemed to go...rather off course for a while.
Later I will share more highlights of this road trip that became about 2500 miles in 13 days. Luckily I packed most of my closet (I tend to always take way too much especially when I am not flying and paying for luggage I must be able to lift and carry) and of course took some food and water along just in case we got hungry. :o) Sadly I gained 3 pounds along the trip and now must work really hard to get it off...again! I have spent the past solid year shedding 10 pounds via Weight Watchers so to gain 1/3 back in such a short time is very disheartening. The good news is that I know exactly how I gained and now will make much smarter choices and get some much needed activity/exercise back into my daily routine.

So for now I shall continue unpacking and doing laundry and errands like grocery shopping.

I shall allow myself great breaks to catch up on all the blogs I so enjoy and missed while gone.

My beloved BooBoo is very needy and will not let me out of her sight or touch so I am enjoying re-bonding with her. I cherish my little fur-child and know my time with her is limited.

I also have lots of plans to be creative and will need to work that into my days.

For now I shall be grateful for each of you who stayed patient and faithful to my blog.

I do understand why Mr. C kept telling me I was addicted to blogging...I really am addicted! It is a great addiction to have and I shall continue to follow and read all the blogs I can as you each inspire me and fill my daily world with joy. Thank You!

Smiles and Happy February Heart Hugs...

Clara's Big Day Out...

Let me introduce you to Clara. She is a 1969 Rambler American and that is the last year built. Isn't she beautiful? Well to me she certainly is! Clara is a true survivor. You are viewing a complete original vehicle. She only now has almost 38,000 miles on her. We purchased her with only 27,000 original miles. Mr. C drives her all over the place. Yesterday Clara had her big day out as she took us to the National Rambler Meet in Sacramento, California.

We arrived early and Barcelona Rose is the first Rambler Clara met. 1965 Rambler 990 and her owner Tracey was very sweet and friendly (and young).

This is the row that Clara was part of as it was mostly Americans of similar vintage. Being in the shade was very nice as it was an extremely warm day.

Oh this row...the testerone row as it was full of fabulous Javelin and AMX Ramblers. Now these owners are serious car club show people. I also got the feeling that they are serious road racers too but shhh we won't tell that.

This is a very cute Nash that a young family owns and enjoys. That was an interesting part of Clara's big day out meeting the variety of people and cars that enjoy Ramblers.

And this has to be the cutest and nicest Metropolitan I have ever seen. It was flawless in every way.

Clara had a good day and enjoyed the meet. When we left Sacramento Clara took us to Costco for a few items I had to pick up. You know her trunk can hold a lot of volume so I bought some large boxed items I needed.

Then on our way home Clara stopped for us to enjoy a nice late lunch/early dinner at one of our favorite spots. We filled our tummies and then onward Clara delivered us home safe and sound. I must thank Mr. C for driving as Clara can be a handful with no power steering, no power brakes and "three on the tree" with no syncro gears first or reverse. I forgot to remember I wanted an automatic when I was searching for a Rambler. However I wouldn't trade Clara as she is the most reliable and wonderful and affordable car we own.

Thank you Clara and what a fun day we had.

Happy traveling...

Vacation 2010...

Anticipation, excitement, explore...

Plan, prepare, pack...

Travel, experience, eat...

Exhaustion, overload, frustration...

Visiting, relaxing, enjoying...

Mr. Createology's sister on her lakefront property living the dream.

We had a wonderful time with Sisty and Tom and we enjoyed our visit.

However...

It is so good to be home, safe and in our own bed.

Road Trip...

This photo from my July calendar says it all.
We Saucy Chicks, Lorraine and Sherry, are heading out on the first annual Road Trip in July. We have over 1000 miles to cover just in getting to our destination and returning home. Then of course we have lots of side trips in between. We will be visiting with family of each of us and friends. It will be so much fun to meet people we don't know, see areas we grew up in and listen to lots of stories of our separate youths.
Southern California here we come. Thank goodness we are not flying as we could not afford all of our baggage. Since we will have the car we can take as many bags as we deem necessary. One each just for shoes, one for snacks, one each for clothes, one each for toiletries, one each for chargers for electronics, a small ice chest etcetera. Some how it just adds up. And who knows what we will find along the way that we acquire and must bring home!
We might not post to our blog while we are gone but we know you will understand.
We will update when we return and fill in the fun stuff we did on our adventure.
Hmmm...what ever will our dear husbands do for so many days? I know mine will enjoy the peace and quiet!