Citracal Slow Release 1200

Oh the joys of aging.  My bone density scan showed that my hips were in the peri osteoporosis zone.  My spine was fine and my hips aren’t that bad yet, but...

So I  discussed options with my doctor, I didn’t really want to take Fosamax or Binosta due to possible problems with reflux, so he suggested that I take Provia, the new drug that you have injected twice a year.  

My first red flag was that he didn’t administer it, I had to have an oncologist do it.  So I made an appointment, came home and started reading.  Well, let me tell you, the side effects scared the holy beejus out of me.   And it wasn’t just a few women, it was a lot of women who said to stay away from this.  It’s in your system for six months, over and over again people were reporting trouble breathing, intense jaw and back pain, muscle aches, nausea, blisters, itching, swelling of the face, low energy.  Sometimes symptoms didn’t show up for a month or two, the comments were so negative, it was frightening.

So, the closer to the appointment I got, the more wary I was, and finally decided this just wasn’t for me.  The one thing I’ve learned in life is to listen to my gut, and my gut was telling me not to do this!

So what to do?  You only can absorb 400mg of calcium at a time, and at our age we need 1200mg a day, and I’m the worst at remembering to take pills multiple times during the day.  So yesterday, I Googled time release calcium, and up popped this Citracal Slow Release 1200.  Just what I needed, so I was offf to CVS, they didn’t have it, Walgreens, they didn’t have it either.  Amazon has it, but it’s either an add-on to Prime or you have to buy a 3-pack of it for $40.  I checked Target online and sure enough, they had it in stock at our local store.  

80 tablets is a 40 day supply and it cost me $11 and change.  You take two in the morning, and yep, they’re horse pills, but once a day and it’s done.

Medicare only pays for bone density tests every two years, so I’m going to do my best here.  Leafy greens, salmon, yogurt, and 1200mg daily of calcium.  Weight bearing exercise is a biggie, I need to check into that and see what I can do.  Dr. Weil has good suggestions, you can access his page here.

I’m just telling all of you this because maybe some of you aren’t aware that you can get time release calcium/vitamin D/magnesium tablets, and others don’t realize that your body only absorbs small amounts of calcium at a time.  You can take a large dosage of calcium, but your body just dumps the excess in your urine.

I always say if I can help just one person, it’s worth posting.  ~ Jan

 

Summer Reading...

 

What is it about summer reading.  It’s always been such a special time for me to read, going back to my early teens when I would spend hours and hours in the Carmi public library every chance I got, so it’s no surprise that I’ve had my nose stuck in books all summer.  I’ve got some really good ones to share with you, starting with Danielle Steel’s Country.  I was such a fan of hers back in the day, and then she started grinding them out and the quality just wasn’t there.  I never gave up on her, and I’ve often been disappointed, but not with her latest book.  She’s got a winner with Country, it’s her best novel in years.  

Don’t expect anything heavy on my list, I’m strictly a light, airy romance novel kinda girl.  Mysteries aren’t my thing, bodice rippers I detest, I just like contemporary novels by familiar authors and if it’s a series, even better.  Don’t you just love series, aren’t they wonderful?  You get to know the characters and the town, and it just keeps on going, book after book after book.  For me, the best books are the ones set in a small village, or a seaside or mountain town.  My favorites are never in a city, they’re always in quaint settings.  And I know I keep saying that all of these books are excellent, and they are!  I’m not going to put the duds on my favorites list, even though I’ve had my share.  But back to the synopsis of Country...

Stephanie Adams is a devoted stay-at-home mother, married to a successful lawyer in northern California, in a dead marriage she’s stayed in for years for the sake of her children. Then, on a ski trip in Squaw Valley, her fifty-two-year-old husband dies suddenly and all bets are off. Despite her children’s grief, and her own conflicting emotions and loneliness, Stephanie tries to move on, but struggles to find herself as an independent individual after years of giving up her life for everyone else.

A spur-of-the-moment road trip and fork in the road lead her to Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and a chance meeting—and her whole life changes forever. She meets country music megastar Chase Taylor, who opens his whole world to her. Stephanie is no longer the same woman, and can’t be anymore. A new man. A new life. The excitement of Nashville. She discovers not only Chase, but herself. The music is bittersweet and the lyrics true in his dazzling, exotic, and honest world. As it deftly explores the complex ties between spouses, children, lovers, and friends, and dances between the past and the future, Danielle Steel’s moving novel brilliantly captures the shock of sudden loss, and the freedom it can bring. Here America’s most beloved novelist shares the enduring power of seizing the day. Carpe diem.

Robyn Carr is my very favorite author.  In the 90’s it was LaVyrle Spencer, then she retired much too early and it took years for me to find an author I liked as much, and then I found Robyn Carr.  I was a huge, huge fan of her Virgin River Series, all twenty of them, they are so good.  If you aren’t familiar with her Virgin River Series, start with Book 1 and keep on reading.  You won’t be disappointed.

Book 20 - My Kind of Christmas
Book 19 - Sunrise Point
Book 18 - Redwood Bend
Book 17 - Hidden Summit
Book 16 - Bring Me Home for Christmas
Book 15 - Harvest Moon
Book 14 - Wild Man Creek
Book 13 - Promise Canyon
Book 12 - "Midnight Confessions" (novella)
Book 11 - Moonlight Road
Book 10 - Angel's Peak
Book 9 - Forbidden Falls
Book 8 - "Under the Christmas Tree" (novella)
Book 7 - Paradise Valley
Book 6 - Temptation Ridge
Book 5 - Second Chance Pass
Book 4 - A Virgin River Christmas
Book 3 - Whispering Rock
Book 2 - Shelter Mountain
Book 1 - Virgin River

Her latest series is Thunder Point.  I’ve read all of this series so far, they’re page turners, but still not quite up to Virgin River standards, in my opinion.  Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this book.

After losing her child, Ginger Dysart was lost in grief. But since moving to Thunder Point, a small town on the Oregon coast, Ginger is finally moving forward. Her job at the flower shop is peaceful and fulfilling, and she's excited to be assisting with the Lacoumette wedding. 
In spite of her lasting heartache, Ginger is swept up in the pleasure of the occasion. But the beauty of the Lacoumette farm and the joy of the gregarious family are ruined by an unfortunate encounter with the bride's brother, Matt. Struggling with painful memories of his own, Matt makes a drunken spectacle of himself when he tries to make a pass at Ginger, forcing her to flee the scene in embarrassment. 

But when Matt shows up at the flower shop determined to make amends, what started out as a humiliating first meeting blossoms into something much deeper than either of them expected. Everyone around them worries that Ginger will end up with a broken heart yet again. But if Ginger has the courage to embrace the future, and if Matt can finally learn to let go of the past, there may still be hope for a happy ending.

If you’ve never read Mary Kay Andrews, you’re missing out!  All of her books, Savannah Blues, Savannah Breeze, Summer Rental, The Fixer Upper, and Hissy Fit, just to name a few, are hilarious.  Her latest, Beach Town, is another winner, I really enjoyed it.

Greer Hennessy is a struggling movie location scout. Her last location shoot ended in disaster when a film crew destroyed property on an avocado grove. And Greer ended up with the blame.

Now Greer has been given one more chance--a shot at finding the perfect undiscovered beach town for a big budget movie. She zeroes in on a sleepy Florida panhandle town. There's one motel, a marina, a long stretch of pristine beach and an old fishing pier with a community casino--which will be perfect for the film's climax--when the bad guys blow it up in an all-out assault on the townspeople.
Greer slips into town and is ecstatic to find the last unspoilt patch of the Florida gulf coast. She takes a room at the only motel in town, and starts working her charm. However, she finds a formidable obstacle in the town mayor, Eben Thinadeaux. Eben is a born-again environmentalist who's seen huge damage done to the town by a huge paper company. The bay has only recently been re-born, a fishing industry has sprung up, and Eben has no intention of letting anybody screw with his town again. The only problem is that he finds Greer way too attractive for his own good, and knows that her motivation is in direct conflict with his.

Will true love find a foothold in this small beach town before it's too late and disaster strikes? Told with Mary Kay Andrews inimitable wit and charm, Beach Town is this year's summer beach read!

Another favorite author, Barbara Delinsky, never fails to spin a good story.  This one was excellent, and I’m loving the fact that these books are written for older women.

Blueprints, the new novel from bestselling author Barbara Delinsky, is the story of two strong women, Caroline MacAfee, a skilled carpenter, and her daughter Jamie, a talented architect. The day after her 56th birthday, Caroline is told the network wants Jamie to replace her as the host on Gut It!, their family-based home construction TV show. The resulting rift couldn't come at a worse time.
For Jamie, life changes overnight when, soon after learning of the host shift, her father and his new wife die in a car accident that orphans their two-year-old son. Accustomed to organization and planning, she is now grappling with a toddler who misses his parents, a fiancé who doesn't want the child, a staggering new attraction, and a work challenge that, if botched, could undermine the future of both MacAfee Homes and Gut It!

For Caroline, hosting Gut It! is part of her identity. Facing its loss, she feels betrayed by her daughter and old in the eyes of the world. When her ex-husband dies, she is thrust into the role of caregiver to his aging father. And then there's Dean, a long-time friend, whose efforts to seduce her awaken desires that have been dormant for so long that she feels foreign to herself.Who am I? Both women ask, as the blueprints they've built their lives around suddenly need revising. While loyalties shift, decisions hover, and new relationships tempt, their challenge comes not only in remaking themselves, but in rebuilding their relationship with each other.

Yep, Christmas in July.  I read this last week, it was a quick, easy read and it was so good!

New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne welcomes you to Haven Point, a small town full of big surprises that are both merry and bright.

Nothing short of a miracle can restore Eliza Hayward's Christmas cheer. The job she pinned her dreams on has gone up in smoke—literally—and now she's stuck in an unfamiliar, if breathtaking, small town. Precariously close to being destitute, Eliza needs a hero, but she's not expecting one who almost runs her down with his car!

Rescuing Eliza is pure instinct for tech genius Aidan Caine. At first, putting the renovation of his lakeside guest lodge in Eliza's hands assuages his guilt—until he sees how quickly he could fall for her. Having focused solely on his business for years, he never knew what his life was missing before Eliza, but now he's willing to risk his heart on a yuletide romance that could lead to forever.

And the following I haven’t read yet, but I’m going to, I read every evening, it’s just what I do.

Jill Shalvis, another favorite author, I have a lot, don’t I?  Here’s a synopsis of her first book of the Cedar Ridge Series:

Cedar Ridge, Colorado, is famous for crisp mountain air, clear blue skies, and pine-scented breezes. And it's the last place Lily Danville wants to be. But she needs a job, and there's an opening at the hottest resort in her hometown. What has her concerned is the other hot property in Cedar Ridge: Aidan Kincaid-firefighter, rescue worker, and heartbreaker. She never could resist that devastating smile . . .

The Kincaid brothers are as rough and rugged as the Rocky Mountains they call home. Aidan has always done things his own way, by his own rules. And never has he regretted anything more than letting Lily walk out of his life ten years ago. If anyone has ever been in need of rescuing, she has. What she needs more than anything are long hikes, slow dances, and sizzling kisses. But that can only happen if he can get her to give Cedar Ridge-and this bad boy-a second chance . . .

Mariah Stewart, she’s fairly new to me, but she’s endorsed by Robyn Carr, so that’s good enough for me.  The synopsis sounds like this is going to be a winner...

Jamie Valentine is the wildly successful author of self-help books advocating transparency in every relationship. But when her widowed mother passes away unexpectedly, Jamie discovers her own life has been based on a lie. Angry and deeply betrayed, she sets out to find the truth—which may be in a small town on the Chesapeake Bay. Cutting her most recent book tour short, Jamie books a room at the Inn at Sinclair’s Point, just outside St. Dennis.

The death of Daniel Sinclair’s father forced him to take over the family inn, and his wife’s death left him a single parent of two children, so there’s little room for anything else in his life. His lovely new guest is intriguing, though, and he’s curious about the secret she’s clearly hiding. But in the end, Jamie and Dan could discover the greatest truth of all: that the search for one thing just might lead to the find of a lifetime—if you keep your heart open.

This is the second book in a new series by RaeAnne Thane, the first was Snow Cove Angel, the book I just read.

New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne brings you back to Haven Point—a place made for second chances… 
McKenzie Shaw would do anything for her hometown of Haven Point. It may be small, but it's never let her down…unlike gorgeous, infuriating Ben Kilpatrick. He was her childhood hero until he closed his family's factory, leaving the town's economy in shambles. Now his tech firm is considering opening a local facility. For Haven Point's sake, McKenzie has to grit her teeth and play nice. 

What could a town filled with painful memories ever offer Ben? Yet seeing the town through the eyes of McKenzie—its fiery young mayor—he suddenly has his answer. If only he can resolve the animosity crackling between them, Ben may have found the place where he can build ties and find healing…a place where love arrives when it's least expected.

And this is some of what I’m reading this summer.  You can find me every evening, curled up in my comfy chair with Mags on my lap and my nose stuck in an e-book. It just doesn’t get any better than this…  ~ Jan

 

 

Remove Wrinkles Without Ironing

 I saw this trick on Facebook, tried it and it works!  Hey, anything to make life easier… ~ Jan

Happy July 4th!

 Lexi is here with her parents this weekend, she’s such a cute little firecracker...

Nibbles the Duck

 

Your daily dose of cuteness.  The bond between children and animals is a wonderful thing… 

Have you had a shingles vaccine???

 

The above sign is funny, shingles is not!  Do you know that one in three people will have shingles before they die?  People that are near and dear to me have had shingles, and it’s a nasty, painful virus that can have long term repercussions.

Medicare now pays for the shingles vaccine.  I got mine recently at the pharmacy in my grocery store and it cost me under $5.   If you haven’t had your vaccination yet, just do it!  

It’s a good thing… ~ Jan

Summer Houses...

My house is a winter house, the colors are deep and warm.  But then comes summer and I would just like to paint everything white, walls, furniture, cabinets, everything, then slipcover the furniture and just enjoy.  White is so so tranquil, so fresh, so perfect...

But then winter would come and I would yearn for the warm colors, and hubby would absolutely stroke out if I was really serious about painting it all white.  I’m just dreaming *sigh*

Maybe I’ll just watch “Something’s Gotta Give” with Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson again on Netflix.  Hands down, best summer house, EVER!

 

 

Darn, darn, darn, getting old and not being able to change things.  Putting out a few sea shells for summer is just not doing it….

Memories of a Country Garden

This morning I was out on the golf cart, enjoying the damp, cool air, and I could swear I got a whiff of fresh dill.  Then I was making a salad for lunch, and when I cut the vine away from the tomato, the smell of the stem just permeated the air.

Here I go with the nostalgia.  When I was a little girl we always had a garden, always.  Mother saved seeds, tilled her garden with a plow like the one above, then we planted and carried buckets of water daily to keep everything alive.  There was no hose to water with, no air conditioned house to cool off in after we were finished, it was hot in Southern Illinois in the summertime, but we worked early in the morning or late at night.

She always had a beautiful garden, and was so proud of it, people who visited always had to take a tour.  There were gooseberry bushes for pies, I was never a fan, those things were so sour, but she loved them.  We picked blackberries, cherries from our trees, apples, peaches, grew our own strawberries, and then the work really began.  I’ve talked before about how much she canned, I have so many of her recipes, someday I need to make her dill pickles.  The smell of that dill this morning just took me back.

Maybe that was her, reminding me of my roots and never to take for granted the conveniences I have now.

Thanks for the reality check, and the memories, mom...

Older Ladies, We're Divine...

 

Guaranteed to give you a smile this morning… ~ Jan

Joanna Gaines Magnolia Homes New Furniture Line

Fixer Upper is expanding to a furniture line!  It debuts at High Point Market in October and my lucky friend Roxie will be there and get to see it up close and personal!  "The Launch" will showcase styles of Vintage, Industrial, Modern Boho, Farmhouse and Cottage inspired collections, blended with a mix of old and new and will be showcased in a 15,000 square foot building.  

All my friends land family, including the guys,  love this show, too.   Anytime you mention it to people the response is always positive. It’s so wonderful when ordinary people, especially a young couple with a family, do well.  Talent and hard work is certainly paying off for Chip and Joanna.   I’m looking forward to seeing pictures of her furniture in October or maybe earlier if we’re privy to sneak peaks...

If you don’t follow her blog, you can subscribe here.  Love, love, love the goats!

Photo courtesy Magnolia Homes Blog

A letter to my daughter as an old woman

I saw this on Facebook this morning and just had to share.  I don’t have daughters, but I do have daughters-in-law and girlfriends.  This is a must read… ~ Jan

I had a thought yesterday that made me very sad.

I'll never know you as an old woman. 

My job as a mother is not to teach you to be an amazing kid, but to teach you to be an extraordinary adult. I want to guide you so that when you are an old woman, you will look back on your life and feel that it was well lived. 

These are the things I wish for you when you become an old woman:

When your hair turns silver and your skin turns a bit sallow, I hope that your eyes shine as brightly as they do today. (tweet this)

I hope your happy memories outweigh your worries.

I hope you dance...even if it's slowly.

I hope the world is good and that kind people surround you.

I hope you have a companion, be it a partner, a child or a friend.

I hope the mistakes you've made in life have been long forgotten and the bright spots sparkle.

I hope you found a unicorn.

I hope you celebrated every birthday with those that you love.

I hope you travelled and laughed and sang at the top of your lungs.

I hope you did work that you loved, that you helped people and that you prayed daily.

I hope you aren't in too much pain.

I hope you let your kids stay up late so that you could snuggle under the covers and tell each other secrets. I hope you have grandchildren and that they talk...constantly.

As the years pass, my greatest wish is that I taught you well. That you were able to fight when you needed to and give in when you wanted to. That you helped others and were kind to yourself. 

I hope you shine.

I know you'll shine.

And I hope. I really, really hope....that I taught you well.

 

I had a thought yesterday that made me very sad.
I'll never know you as an old woman. 
My job as a mother is not to teach you to be an amazing kid, but to teach you to be an extraordinary adult. I want to guide you so that when you are an old woman, you will look back on your life and feel that it was well lived. 
These are the things I wish for you when you become an old woman:
When your hair turns silver and your skin turns a bit sallow, I hope that your eyes shine as brightly as they do today. (tweet this)
I hope your happy memories outweigh your worries.
I hope you dance...even if it's slowly.
I hope the world is good and that kind people surround you.
I hope you have a companion, be it a partner, a child or a friend.
I hope the mistakes you've made in life have been long forgotten and the bright spots sparkle.
I hope you found a unicorn.
I hope you celebrated every birthday with those that you love.
I hope you travelled and laughed and sang at the top of your lungs.
I hope you did work that you loved, that you helped people and that you prayed daily.
I hope you aren't in too much pain.
I hope you let your kids stay up late so that you could snuggle under the covers and tell each other secrets. I hope you have grandchildren and that they talk...constantly.
As the years pass, my greatest wish is that I taught you well. That you were able to fight when you needed to and give in when you wanted to. That you helped others and were kind to yourself. 
I hope you shine.
I know you'll shine.
And I hope. I really, really hope....that I taught you well.
 

Martha Stewarts Favorite Place

Martha Stewart's summer home.  WOW!  I don’t know what I like best, the house or the ’58 Edsel.  That car was a nerd mobile back in the day, but now it’s just awesome!

 

Don’t you just love this kitchen.  So vintage and so wonderful sez me, gushing ;-)

It was featured this month in Architectural Digest, you can see more pictures and read about it here….

Grace and Frankie

I was on the fence at first with this show.  It was so sad, finding out their husbands were gay, I just felt sorry for them and  wasn’t finding the humor, but I kept watching and now I’m on episode 10 and it’s hysterical.

These ladies are funny with capital F.  It’s such good acting and I live in the moment with Jane Fonda.  I look at her body of work as an actress and she’s excellent.  The woman looks absolutely amazing for 77 years old, whatever she’s had done, it’s been great work and she must exist on lettuce leaves.

Lily Tomlin is a hoot, she’s funny, spunky, she looks so good for her age and is just perfect for her role as an aging hippie.

The guys don’t fare as well as the ladies, Martin Sheen, something about his teeth just isn’t right, it’s kind of like he has dentures that are about to fall out of his mouth.  If you watch it, you will know what I mean.  

And I'm such a fan of Netflix, no waiting for next week for another episode, you can marathon watch these shows.  It’s been renewed for a second season, and it’s so much fun to watch older actresses perform.  We don’t get many chances to do that these days.  If you haven’t seen it, give it a few episodes and see if it doesn’t reel you in as well.

 

Caitlyn, a human tragedy

First of all, let me say that I could care less what Bruce Jenner does to his body, that’s his business.  I feel sorry for the man, he can’t help this, but he’s making his business our business.

We are constantly bombarded with celebrities and the media gushing about Caitlyn.    It’s like the “cool” thing to do, talk about how wonderful this is and how beautiful “she” is.  It’s not wonderful, it’s sad and tragic and it’s painful to watch.  What about his children, they have to be horribly embarrassed by this public display of the new former dad, now mom?  And his mother?  Poor woman, to have all this played out in public, I can’t imagine.

He may feel like a woman, take hormones, enlarge his breasts, shave off his Adam’s apple, reconstruct his facial features, and eventually he will lop off his tallywacker, but he was born a man, he is just making himself into a synthetic woman.  You just can’t change Mother Nature, folks.

He’s turned this personal journey into a public debacle.  He plays to the audience, and why?  For money?  For misguided fame?  It’s such a circus, and it’s so sad for the people who are close to him.  Of course they support him, they love him, but how do you explain this to grandchildren, to older relatives who may not be so enlightened, and to future generations of his family to come.  I hope the best for this man, but despite all the changes he is still a man.  I wish he would quietly go about his life and live it like he chooses, of course that’s now impossible, but so much of this is his fault, he plays to the media.

He needs to go away,  take a sabbatical,  live in nature, pray to whomever he believes in and try to get his house in order.  And if any good can come of this, I hope that young people who struggle with gender identity can have the courage to learn from this tragedy and live their true life from an early age, instead of waiting until they are in their mid-sixties, like he did, after he’s built a family, a reputation, a distinguished career, and have it all come tumbling down like a house of cards.

Waterpik, It's a Good Thing...

You all know I share the good stuff, and even though I’m a little late jumping on the Waterpik bandwagon, this is too good to keep to myself.  Maybe some of you have thought about it but haven’t pulled the plug yet, and if you’re on the fence with this, just go for it!  And if you already use this, you’re just nodding your head and thinking, “Jan, Jan, you should have done this years ago.”  

This all started six months ago when I had my teeth cleaned and the dental tech told me that their entire office uses a Waterpik.  As she was chipping away at my plaque, I’m sure she was thinking, “this woman needs this, seriously.”  I’ve always been a consistently 2-3 times a day brusher, I floss regularly, but obviously this wasn’t enough.  I know, I know, too much information, but I’m just setting this up so hang on.

So last week was my six month appointment and this old(er) girl got an A+, with very minimal cleaning.  And why?  Because I listened to to the tech, and to my buddy V, who is also a fan of water flossing.  Shortly after that last checkup I bought this duo, the sonic toothbrush and the Waterpik and started brushing my teeth with the sonic toothbrush and then immediately rinsing thoughly with the Waterpik 2-3 times a day.  

Oh, it wasn’t fun in the beginning, my lower gums were sensitive and it hurt when the water blasted them, but after a week or so it was fine.  I quickly became a fan because your mouth feels so clean, and obviously this really works.

You can just buy the Water-Pik without the toothbrush, but it’s $70.99 well spent, in my opinion, to have this duo setup.

Think about it ladies, it really is amazing.  I should have done this years ago...

Here’s a quick link to buy from Amazon.

Temporary Credit Cards

 

 

 

This is quite possibly one of the best things I’ve found yet.  I read about temporary credit cards  and then researched it further.  This morning I called my credit card provider, Bank of America, and asked them about it.  Their customer service agent highly recommended using a temporary card for online purchases, their service is called “Shop Safe."

Here’s how it works.  First you find out if your credit card provider offers temporary credit cards, if they do, it’s available on their website after you log in.  

Then, pretend for instance that you are buying a magazine subscription online.  This is a biggie, because you can’t do it anymore without “automatic renewal.”  They give you a good rate to hook you, then next year they bump up the renewal rate and you can’t cancel it on your credit card.  But, if you use a temporary credit card, these are only good for as long as you desire, you control how long you want it to be active, whether it be 15 minutes, 15 hours, 15 days, or longer.  Then it expires after the time you set and next year when that sneaky magazine subscription tries to charge you an atrocious rate, they can’t because the credit card isn’t valid.

They have no idea that you are using a temporary credit card, this is just between you and your provider.  Pretty awesome, isn’t it.

Just sharin’ the good stuff.  ~ Jan

Fly Fishing has been on my bucket list ever since I read Mary Alice Monroe’s “Time is a River.”  And last November, for my birthday, John and Deanna gave me a fly fishing lesson in the Smoky Mountain National Park.

We went earlier this month, stayed several days in a mountain cabin, and oh, it was glorious.  The Mountain Laurel was in bloom, the Honeysuckles permeated the air and the weather cooperated.

I went for my lesson with a great guide, Charity, and when she asked me why I wanted to fly fish I told her about reading the book.  She got a big smile on her face and said that she and Mary Alice Monroe were friends, and she was the one who taught her to fly fish as research for her book.  Her name is mentioned in the book foreward, and that made the trip even more special.

And how did I do?  Remarkably well, actually, I thought I would fall on my rear in the stream, but I didn’t.  It was so beautiful, it’s indescribable, the rushing water, the rocks, the trees, the clear stream with the trout swimming, and it’s not hard to learn, either.

And yes, I actually caught a fish, John took a lesson with me, he caught a couple of them.  I would do this again in a heartbeat, it was just an amazing experience, and one I highly recommend for anyone who wants to enjoy Mother Nature and the simplicity of casting into the water.  It was just awesome… ~ Jan

Road Trippin...

 

So much to tell you, but no time.

I’ll be back, have a great and safe Memorial Day Weekend, everyone...

Fly Fishing...

Time is a River

 

Mia Landan is recovering from breast cancer in a mountain cabin near Asheville, NC, when she discovers the journal of a sensational fly fisher of the 1920s, Kate Watkins. The inspiring words of a woman she never knew finally lure Mia from her shell to connect once more with the world around her. As she learns to fish, she uncovers secrets that span generations--secrets that have the power to change no only her life, but the lives of those in her new community. 

 

 

 

I read this book a couple of years ago and the story absolutely intrigued me, so much so that I put fly fishing on my bucket list.  

Last year, for my birthday, John and Deanna gave me fly fishing lessons in the Smoky Mountains as a gift.  And now it’s about to happen.

I’ve got my gear, got my hat, and I’m going to wade fall in a mountain stream.  I’ll let you know how this all plays out.  Should be interesting ~ Jan

The Grands on Mother's Day...

 

 

Ben is in the driver’s seat.  He was two in August, at that age Miss A had no interest in driving this car.  Boys and cars, I think the fascination starts in the womb!  Can’t believe she’s letting him drive her around.  :-)

And baby granddaughter is on the move, there is no stopping her now.  She and her pretty mama are all decked out for Mother’s Day.  Miss Lexalicious has bicycles on her little dress.  They picnicked in the park.

And Grammie?  Hubby made it a special day for me, even though he kept reminding me I wasn’t his mother.  I’ve been married to this man for almost 44 years now, I know his tricks. Father’s day will be payback time.  Yep, it will...