Rather be...

I know a lot of people around here is real tired of all this snow and cold weather. The first go around we had 18 inches of scary snow, followed by a month of deep freeze. Then we got hit with 8 more inches a week ago, now this morning Brint and I drove to work in a 7-11 slushy. Only to expect more snow tomorrow, next week, and probably the week after that. Ground hog day was just two days ago, and Punxsutawney Phil said we would have 6 more weeks of winter, whereas Asheville Nibbles said spring was soon.

I am hoping for Nibbles guess-tamite. In the mean time, I am hoping for a warmer, dryer, sunnier place. Here are some places that I am dreaming about. Some of these are places I been, and lived, and some I would just love to go.

Where I have been and lived...

Point Arena light house, first lighthouse I had ever seen and been in.The movie Forever Young (with Mel Gibson) was filmed there.

Point Reyes National Seashore. This is where SIr Frances Drake "landed" back in the 1600's.


Point Cabrillo lighthouse.

Russian Fort Ross.

My favorite bridge that has my heart, the Golden Gate Bridge. The pic below is of the west side of Golden Gate Park, many happy memories there. I love San Francisco!



Sonoma, Napa, Santa Rosa, and Petaluma is where my mom and her family are from. When you drive through the roads, you can smell the eucalyptus trees that line many of the roads. Mmmm, miss that!


The sign of our hometown. Roseville, California

Roseville is the largest rail yard west of Chicago. Often times the hum of the engines would put us to sleep, the horns would drift through our window with the summer breeze, and the historic homes we lived in belonged to the first rail workers and their families.
Bright lights on Main Street, two blocks from our home.


Where I would love to go.

Versailles


The Royal Crescent where Jane Austen and her characters once walked.

A little place called Venice, Italy


Florida Keys. Ever since the movie Fool's Gold, I have wanted to go. Who wouldn't?


Buckingham Palace, England. Queen Victoria was the first royal to live there.

Well, I think I feel a little better, and a little warmer now. As little orphan Annie said ..."The sun will come out tomorrow"!

Things of beauty ...to me

These are the objects of beauty ...to me

Queen of the screen ...The Dame Judi Dench


Queen Elizabeth I


Queen of the skies ...Amelia Earhart


Dresses







Did I say dresses??


Home Decor. The beauty of home decor came from big influences from my Uncle Bill. He lived in San Francisco for all of MY life. He traveled the world more time then people go to the grocery store. With those trips he brought the world home with him. Hence, grew my love for the finer things in life.






But wait... there is more to come!

Have you heard?

I ment to post this blog a couple of months ago, but there is a new show that I just adore. Have you heard of it? It's called...



The show is about a Glee club in a high school that has lost it's luster, a long time ago (1993 to be exact). A spanish teacher, who once in the award winning Glee club, decides to resurrect this long gone club. They hold try outs, and with most try outs come the interesting characters. There is some recruiting of the football team and the cheerleading team, called the Cheerios. However, there is some dark plot to crush the Glee club, by the Cheerios coach named Sue. You see, the Glee club is taking up some of their budget, for important Cheerios activities like ...tanning beds, first class flights to competitions, and Sue's rockin' uniforms.

All that being said, in between all of this high school drama is the most amazing music and dancing. The music you are listening to now is from Glee (well the first two songs). Of course, there are no new episodes till Spring (boo, hoo), however, you can watch past episodes on . If you are already a fan tell me what you think. Who's your favorite? What's your favorite episode? Mine is episode number 4. Where Kurt joins the football team, because his dad catches him dancing to the song "Single Ladies" in his room. He joins the football team to please his dad, but teaches the WHOLE football team the same dance to bring them together as a team and to get them to focus. Check it out on Hulu.com, or see the two vids below. The first is Kurt dancing in his room, the second ...well you can guess.



Here is the second AWESOME video!!

2010 Passions

I have noticed over the years there is always certain subjects that I focus on all year. They always stem from my passions.

The passion that is always in first place is "Everything Austen". If you were to put a phrase to who I am that would be it ..."Everything Austen". It defines who I am, who I want to be, and where I want to be. The clothes, the people, the society, the country, the homes, the language, the romance, the lifestyle, and on, and on, and on. Enjoy this great montage of Jane Austen couples from the recent adaptations of Mansfield Park 2007, Persuasion 2007, Northanger Abbey 2007 and Sense and Sensibility 2008 included in "The Complete Jane Austen" on Masterpiece Classic in 2008.




My newest passion, thanks to Laurin and Robyn, is ZUMBA. I have a 13year background in dance. I did tap, jazz, ballet, and point. I loved, and still love, dancing. This was a passion that I stored away deep inside me years ago. Until, I was introduced to this workout class that our local gym called The Rush. The first time I went I didn't know what to think of it, but when I went back again and again it had a different meaning. It brought memories back to my dance classes. The three things you focused on ...what your instructor is saying and the direction she is giving you, focus on your body (from your posture, the expression on your face, the tip of your fingers to the tips of your toes, and everything else in between), and focus on the music and it's rhythm. Love the moves, love the fun, love that it makes me sweat (and loose a pound or two), and love that it makes me move like I did back in the day. Sheila, the instructor, is just a ton of fun and gets you to just let go. The Zumba video that I am posting is my most favorite. Robyn, Laurin, and I go crazy over it too. It's one of those songs and routines that you just can't sit still when you listen/watch. Sheila put's the routine in the middle of the class to get us all energized again. Just watch and listen, and TRY not to move!!



There is a new magazine that has inspired me to no ends. It is called "Where Women Create". I love it because they highlight women who artistically create, where they create, what inspires them, advise, and favorite quotes. It only comes out every three months, but it's like Christmas every time I open a new addition. You should take a peek!






A passion that comes in a quick second is my love of flight, and aircraft. My goal this year, in my spare time - he, he, is to start a women's club for the love of flight. It will not matter how young or old, a new admirer or a seasoned pilot. All women are welcome to come. I do have a name picked out, plans that are sketched out, and a couple of people who are already interested. However, these things will remain under wraps till certain ends are "tightened". Here is the person who has inspired me for many years...




If you choose to know more about her, and I suggest you should ...just to be inspired, there is a great blog posting that sums her up in a nice little package. Here is the link...

www.bluetramontana.blogspot.com/2009/12/amelia-earhart-first-lady-of-air.html

I'm sure that is enough to undertake for now. Do you have the same interest and passions? What are your passions?

And then ...there still was snow!

So today marks a month today since the blizzard dropped 18inches at our house. Yesterday was a bikini wearing heatwave, it was a whopping 48 degrees, right now it is 52 degrees. There is also quite a bit of snow left too. Here is a look around our house of the "snow islands" that are left.