Musings from Texas

Oct 20, 2014

Can I just go on record to say that I love Texas?  I love the bigness of it.  I love the food.  I love the people.  I love that politeness reigns everywhere.  I love the "yes, ma'am" and opening doors for people. I love that the people I have encountered here are polite and generous and happy to share with me. My flight was simple and easy---bumped up to first class where this time instead of Drunk Steve as a seat mate I had Quiet Joe who barely even acknowledged my existence until we landed …

Franklin County Harvest Bloggers Tour—First Rate Lodging

Oct 8, 2014

I hardly know where to start with sharing my past weekend in Franklin County but I decided to start with our lodging for the weekend.  The entire weekend was sponsored and paid for in full by the Franklin County Farm Bureau and Franklin County Tourism . I will be writing many posts about this event and that was an expectation of attending this weekend but I am thrilled to highlight all that we experienced over the weekend.  Trust me---it was a lot of fun. Chris was able to make it back from …

Traveling? Do’s and Don’ts for Both the Experienced and the Novice Airline Traveler

Sep 15, 2014

An updated version of a recycled post with a few more tips tacked on. The whole Knee Defender episode has gotten a lot of people hot under the collar about flying these days.  Yes, leg room is less as airlines are cramming more seats into aircrafts and overbooking their flights but it does not mean that people need to be nasty.  I have been known to recline my seat but usually only on longish flights and never when there is a meal service being offered.  Different planes vary on how upright …

Two Planes, A Couple of Storms and a VRBO Scam = Interesting Day

Sep 6, 2014

It was supposed to be a romantic weekend.  Mr. Diamond and I were meeting in Chicago for the weekend.  He was coming from Texas and I was taking the short flight from Cedar Rapids to Chicago so I would not have to mess with driving in Chicago.  We were meeting at the airport and then getting a rental car to take us to our VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner) house in Oak Park. Not only was I super excited because not only would I spend a weekend with my husband, I was also going to be able to tour …

Surf’s Up–2

Aug 22, 2014

Last week I posted about our winter time visit to The Surf Ballroom and Museum in Clear Lake, Iowa.   It is a pretty amazing place but I saved the best part, in my humble opinion, for this post. We did not even know that this existed when we have been to The Surf for various concerts including BB King and Chicago.  But it is there and the very best part of the entire place.  I could have spent hours in the "green room" alone. For decades performers have been leaving their mark on the …

Surf’s Up!

Aug 15, 2014

When Chris was "between jobs" we tried to take in some of the sights around the area that we had not really seen.  We ate in some new to us restaurants and tried to immerse ourselves in all things Iowa.  One of our first stops was to visit The Surf Ballroom and Museum again.  We have been there for various concerts but had never really been able to visit in the light of day. I would highly recommend this to anyone who happens to find themselves near Clear Lake, Iowa.  It is an absolute fun way …

Their Majesties Chappell

Mar 28, 2014

A few weeks ago I shared a post on a lovely church in Bermuda that was left unfinished that we fell in love with.  You can check that post out by clicking here.  The church that was left unfinished was supposed to replace St. Peter's Church which is the one that I am featuring today. From the climbing steps to the white steeple this church is magical and we were thrilled to be able to tour it on one of the most beautiful days in our week in Bermuda.  This lovely church is located in …

Traveling? Take These Along!

Mar 10, 2014

We have had the privilege of being allowed to travel a bit in the past few years and if there is anything that I have learned in our travels, both domestic and international, it is to be prepared, pack as lightly as possible and make a list.  Today I thought I would share with you some of the things that I pack in my suitcase that you may not have thought to pack. 1. Outlet strip.   Our youngest son gifted me this handy dandy outlet strip that goes with me everywhere. The plug actually plugs …

The Unfinished Church

Mar 7, 2014

One of my favorite stops on our recent trip to Bermuda was to visit the quaint town of St. George's.  We had a lovely time strolling around the very quiet town on a warm and sunny day and were thrilled to be able to visit so many of the historic and beautiful places that were within walking distance.  Since our visit was timed in the off season for the island we did not have to fight crowds of people and it really was the most wonderful way to visit the island. Being part of a church family …

Sunny Skies, Warm Sand, Rainbows and Gentle Breezes

Mar 3, 2014

If you are anything like me you look forward to March because it usually means that spring is on  the way.  It has been a pretty brutal winter in the Midwest and quite frankly almost everywhere so when the hubby suggested a Valentine's Day trip to Bermuda  I jumped on the proverbial plane bandwagon and got ready to enjoy some warmth and fun in the sun.  Little did I know all the twists and turns that life would take prior to the trip.  I am often grateful that I can not see into the …