I'm off to the white mountains for the weekend as of tomorrow afternoon. I won't be around. It will be good to get away. I need a mini vacation. (I need a Minnie (as in Mouse) vacation, but that won't be unil May) I'm planning on taking pictures of the mountain scenery that I can paint, shopping and writing.

Have a great mini-not-Minnie vacation, Louisa

Enjoy the weekend break, Louisa!

Where are the White Mountains? We have white mountains in AZ too. Have fun.

The hub just told me we have to go to another conference in Feb. Blah. This one is in Florida...Naples, I believe. And, my daughter called me from Nashville and said the best birthday present she could receive (Jan. 26th) would be if I flew in for a visit that week end. Oy Vey! I need a wife!

I'm going to FL in February with my parents (Cedar Key) and I've already worried about getting it all done! I think my daughter and granddaughter will join us for a few days as they are only 2 hours away...Dianne, I would think it would be wonderful to escape Minnesota in January and February!

Louisa, have a wonderful trip!

ANY kind of escape would be fun! Have fun girls!

Can't wait to hear about the White Mountains. Do you ski?

Louisa, looking forward to hearing baout your get-a-way.

Dianne, I love Naples, Florida. My MIL lived there for a few years so we visited often. The downtown area is so nice. Have you been?

Oh Dianne, I love Naples, FL too. We've been there 2 times and can't wait to go again. It is lovely. And yes Dotsie, the downtown area is wonderful. I love walking and checking out the shops and restaurants. It is almost like an old fashioned farmer's market but very upscale. Check out the real estate there. I couldn't afford a garage, never mind a house there!

Have not been to the downtown area. We stayed at The Four Seasons and that's where we'll be staying again. Shabby! It is beautiful but when it gets hot, I can't breathe there. We were there during the turtle thing, whatever it's called, when they head for the water or leave the water and head for the shore(confused yet?) but anyway, they shut down the outside restaurants early so it won't change the pattern of the migration. I was fascinated by that.

I'm back. I went to the White Mountains in New Hampshire, Diane. Didn't know AZ had them too. We had a great weekend. Unseasonably warm, in fact record breaking temperatures on Saturday. Neither of us likes the cold weather, but we always go to North Conway to celebrate our anniversary in January anyway. We don't ski. We go to shop and eat. There are so many great B&B's, Inns, restaurants and outlet stores there. We spent a few hours shopping Saturday in the big outlet mall and it was so warm (in the 60's) I had to leave my jacet in the car. We usually are freezing while we are there. We got a room in the non-smoking adults only Lodge at the New England Inn. Lovely place with gas fireplace. I wanted to sit in front of the fireplace and enjoy it. We couldn't keep it on. It was too hot. It is strange to be up there this time of year and not see mountains covered with snow and the ski crowd coming down off the mountains late in the day. Lots of cancellations up there this weekend. We went to Black Mountain. They had one lift open, but there was mud at the bottom. Most of the places can't even make the snow because it just melts. I felt bad for the people who make their living by this and for the ones who like to ski and snowmobile. But, I enjoyed the old fashioned stores in the center of No. Conway. The 5 and 20 cent store is still the same. The sign on the door says "you are entering the past. No cell phones." I loved it. We spent some time at our favorite little stop, Horsefeathers. It's right in the center of the town. The place we stayed is about 5 mins from there in Intervale, next to Jackson. We met some nice people last night who were from another part of MA. No problem getting a seat at the bar and no lines anywhere. We didn't hit much traffic either and it was easy finding a parking space.

Last night we went back to where we were staying and went over to the restaurant/pub they have so my husband could watch the football game. He told the cute little bartener she looked like Ali McGraw. She said,"Who?" "Have you ever seen Love Story?" we asked. "What's that?" she asked. Needless to say, she had never heard of Ryan O'Neil either. Not even Tatum O'Neil! How old are we anyway?

It's nice to be home.

This might be a bit fuzzy, but I took it at night and through the window. It's the 5 and 10 cent store I mentioned. Don't you just love the things in the window? check out the Radio Flyer, Chinese checkers in the right hand corner and the dollhouse room in the background. That's a cheese grater up against the wagon and little metal wind up toys in the front. Did I mention that I bought pick up sticks and played in my room while my husband napped? I'm not as good at it as I used to be.

Louisa,
What a lovely trip...we're not that old...she's just uninformed! LOL

Louisa, sounds like my kind of get-away! Reading all your posts remind me of myself and my girlfriends. I know if we lived nearby we'd be really good pals!! Just had to say that!

Gee, Pam. Wouldn't that be fun?

I am so glad that you had a great time. Sounds like my kind of fun - shopping and eating and relaxing.

Pick Up Sticks - Used to love that game and have very fond memories of playing with my family when I was a kid.

Weather all over has been unseasonably warm. In Minnesota, it is finally getting colder, in the lower 30's, but that is still very warm for January.

It's raining here today and windy. Looks very dreary out there, but I'm glad it's not snow. Personnally, I can do without it, but they need it in the mountains. They were about to get rain too when we left. The party's over. I'm headed back to work now.

Louisa, Hubby and I were in that 5 & 20 cent store last October. If anyone should want to go there, I can recommend going during Indian summer. It's breathtaking. And Conway is just the way Louisa described it.
The ski business is suffering terribly under the warm climate in Germany as well. Stores can't give their ski equipment away!
Saundra, did you hear about the sport stadium roof caving in Vancouver? I thought they never get snow, and it caved in from the weight of the snow!

Hannelore, I forgot you went there when you were on vacation. I'll have to send you the aol album I made. Don't you just love Zeb's? When there is snow and it's cold out, the skating rink across the street is filled with people ice skating outdoors right in the center of town by the train station with the snow covered mountains in the background. The 5 & 10 has the oldest cash register I've ever seen. It has round black, white and red buttons, a cash drawer and a crank on the side of it. What a hoot. They sell pick-up-sticks, checkers, jackstones, aprons, hairnets, bobby pins, plastic rain bonnets, dollhouse furniture, little cedar boxes, slates, slinky, kitchen utensils, books, small toys, cards and penny candy. (well it's not a penny now, but they have it all.) Zeb's has penny candy too and fudge, hots sauces, spices, home made soaps, and all kinds of different things. I went in the Spruce Hurricane. That store has beautiful things. Jewelry, clothes, fur hats and boots, etc. I almost bought a mink watch! I didn't though. I came to my senses and just bought a lovely green velvet bag with pearl pink beads on it and tiny Indian feathers and some small beads.

Horsefeathers is our traditional stop when we get into town. The food is excellent, inexpensive and we usually sit at the bar. The bartenders are friendly. It's a happy place.

Louisa

On a limited budget but would love to get away (from my husband too). Live in Michigan and if the price was right would take a train. Next is finding a place to say (love bed and breakfast) and a tour bus. Meeting some members would be fun and let you show me the sights or shopping.

Any ideas?

Louisa? Did you mean that about sending the aol album. I'd love to see it.

Ride on, Phyllis! Everyone needs to get away once in a while; just tank up on life. Taking a tour bus sounds good. That way you aren't alone, and may meet some other nice people along the way. I think that's a great idea.

Yes. Apparently, I forgot to do it though. I will email it to you. Glad I saw this post.

Oh Louisa, I think my hubby and I would love to travel with you and yours. Seems like you two have so much fun together. I love the Love Story story. It's a times like that when we realize we are getting older.

A perfect example of feeling older was when I was in the ER a couple weeks ago. Honestly, the doctor looked like he was 18. I couldn't believe my eyes.

Welcome back, Louisa!

Thanks, diamond.

Dotsie - I wonder what this girl thought if she did rent Love Story after? It does make you feel old.

That sounds great! Painting? Do you sell them?

I used to sell them, but I haven't painted in a very long time. I got a new easel for Christmas and plan to paint again soon.

Hannelore, did you get the aol album I sent yet?

Quote:

---

A perfect example of feeling older was when I was in the ER a couple weeks ago. Honestly, the doctor looked like he was 18. I couldn't believe my eyes.

---

HAHAHAHAHA! Oh, Dotsie, I've been feeling that way too - The police officers look like little kids playing "dress up"!

I am also a member of the Michigan Professional Womens Network (for about seven years). Every April we have a retreat and this year it will be in Jonesville, MI. They picked an expensive bed and breakfast who is lowering their rate, sharing room with another, and adding additional meals all for $200. That is Friday night through Sunday morning. Even though we must checkout at 11 am, we can use their place later. Our president is a stress management specialist and likes to do special programs. The goal is to know each other better each time we meet in this event. Regular monthly meetings are too large to really get personal.

I will be in Chicago with my husband sometime in May and would like to know if anyone has a suggest where to stay near the loop. Are there places that should not be visited (for safety)? If I came sometime in May, would anyone want to have a lunch?

Next, I will be in Colorado Springs, CO sometime in June. Any ideas where to stay? We visit my son, wife and grandchildren for the weekend but need to get out of their hair.

Usually we travel in the area and have seem most of it. However new ideas are welcome. We come into Denver via airplane.

While my husband spends time with his son, I would like to stay away from my daughter in law. She has her hands full with two young babies. Time out for coffee and shopping would be great if any of you would like to meet me.

Phyllis, there are nice hotels near downtown, also B&Bs in Old Colorado City, and of the course the Broadmore which is near Cheyenne Mtn and the Zoo! Enjoy your travels!

Thank you for the info. Are there any places to visit for one or two days?

Thanks.

When I lived in CS, I enjoyed the Van Briggle pottery, Old Colorado City, Garden of the Gods, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Also, a couple of days in Vail is lovely or a day trip to Aspen which has good food, cute shops and I really enjoyed driving through the neighborhoods and looking at the homes. Drove by Kathy Lee Gifford's home in Vail (when still married) and learned that she would redecorate often, choosing a room quarterly, as she was never satisfied!

She's still married, isn't she?

Oh gosh, thought she and Giff divorced?

I don't think so. She forgave him for his one-night fling. I'm not a fan of hers so don't keep up on her doings.