Travel – Page 15 – Karla's Cottage

Angie’s castle in the sky

By Karla Nathan / May 20, 2016

Beth and I recently spent an afternoon with Angie at her apartment on the Plaza. She has an enchanting place on the 8th floor within walking distance of the museum and overlooking the grand shopping district.

Personally, I've never been a city person, but after visiting this lofty space, I was pretty taken with the idea of living in the city.

We explored the Kaufman Gardens

and had lunch at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art. I felt like I was on vacation, and the day was a getaway from my regular life, not a typical meal and shopping with friends.

When we arrived, Angie had a fruit plate for us.

And a thoughtful gift.

This apartment is only temporary, Angie is a country girl too and is looking for a home with some land after her wedding date in August. Although, with that vista from the living and dining rooms, this apartment doesn't feel small or closed in like most apartments I've ever lived in. The view is such an expansive space, that her rooms feel larger because of it.

And of course, they are filled with beautiful things. Her decor is light and airy too.

I don't know how I've lived in this area for so many years and have never explored the Plaza, except for a few shops here and there. The Nelson has this gorgeous dining room, that truly made me feel like I was a world traveler.

It was a quite a special day, with special friends.

I hope I get another day to visit and pretend to be a city girl before Angie and her fiance buy their dream house together.

My Hippie getaway

family, Travel

By Karla Nathan / April 27, 2016

Our weekend at the southern Missouri campgrounds for our boy's wedding was a lot more than just attending the ceremony. We had a whole experience of outdoor festival time, and my very first camping adventure.

Honey came along with us and I think she loved the trip more than anyone else. And that is a LOT because it was a pretty cool trip.

I'm not much of a roughing it type. I love being outside, yet I also need my comforts, so we rented a camper to sleep in. We did plenty of cooking out doors, but it was also nice to have a kitchen to use.

And a camper to keep warm in. The days were lovely, but the first night got pretty dang cold. I ended up sleeping with a pair of Toasty Toes on my feet and one stuck to my nose, even though I had a camper with a heater in it.

I'm a wimp.

There were lots of nice people, shows, music, and classes on many subjects like sustainable gardening, yoga, and meditation.

My new daughter-in-law was the yoga instructor.

I'm afraid I didn't take advantage of any of the classes. I kept busy playing with Sugarwings, enjoying the trails, and making a stone fairy on the creek's beach. But my husband did try the acupuncture and he loved it. Although, it was odd to see him sitting by the bonfire with needles sticking out of his ears and eyebrows. Out of the corner of my eye, I kept thinking he had a dragonfly land on his face and wanted to shoo it away.

During the day the girls practiced for their show, and also gave mini lessons to attendees who wanted to try the trapeze or lira. I tried the slack line. It is kind of a cross between a tight rope and a trampoline. I got so that I could balance while sitting on it, but had to watch out because if my attention wandered for just a second, it flung me off. And I didn't just fall of, it really has a lot of tension and bounces a person off powerfully.

I landed upside down in the dirt a couple of times before deciding that maybe it wasn't my thing. I tried the trapeze too, but not in a way that really counted. Kind of like something a 5 year old could do on a playground swingset.

There was a guy camped near us who could stack rocks in a way that defied gravity.

Hammers too! He was showing us how he did it, and both Avahni and my son caught on pretty fast. Again, not something I was good at.

The location was beautiful. Sugarwings loved every second of it, not even noticing the chill. Dewdrop was with her mommy and couldn't come, but I have a feeling she is a bit of a wimp like I am and might have been a tad cold also.

Although, I'm sure that she'd have had plenty of cuddlers to hold her and keep her warm if she could've come.

She was missed.

At the Hotel Del Coronado and some Sugarwings time at Disney

family, Sugarwings, Travel

By Karla Nathan / March 15, 2016

Before I went to the arty girls weekend on the island, I spent some time with Sugarwings and my handsome husband. She had school conferences a couple of days that week, so we snuck her out a couple more, and flew her off to Cali with us for a little Disney getaway.

Yes, I'm becoming a Disney freak. Mouse addict? Princess stalker? I don't know what you call it, but I caught a serious case of it. And while my husband the rest of the adults in the family are over the place, the girls and I are not. My husband does say he has one more trip in him to take Dewdrop, since she couldn't come this time. Then he is free and never has to go back with me.

But he does have moments there that he loves, like dancing Downton Disney with his grand fairy.

She and I don't get tired of any of it, and we try to soak up as much as we can. We decided that we would never leave the hotel without walking under the wizard's hat, even if going another way was quicker. You just have to walk under a wizard's hat if it is available, don't you?

The highlight of our girl's day at Disney (my husband went to visit friends and the beach, he didn't come to the park) was seeing Ariel.

We rode her ride too. We actually spent our extra "magic hour" before the park opened, trying to break our record of how many times we could go around and around on that. We hit five times in a row without having to get off, since there were no lines.

Sugarwings had her art journal with her and drew a frame on pages for the princesses to sign.

At the lunch in Ariel's Grotto, all the princesses stop to chat and while I didn't hear all of the conversations, a few were pretty involved, and the ladies were very nice about spending time with her. Many of them told me what a great kid she was, and had some laughs.

Sugarwings was very animated while telling Tiana that she admired her because she was a princess who took care of herself and worked hard. Their conversation turned to Rapunzel and Merida after that.

It was all pretty cute.

Sugarwings is about 9-1/2 now. And looks so grown up. I'm hoping this isn't our last visit to the grotto for lunch, I'll be sad if she is ever too cool to hang out with her grammie there. I know I don't outgrow it.

Neither of us got tired of hunting for Hidden Mickeys and we even found a few.

We certainly picked the right day to be there, a Monday in late February. We never even needed a fast pass, there were hardly any lines.

When there was a little wait, we had a system. I'd read a book on my phone, and she would listen to a book on Audible with headphones hooked to my phone. We were a pretty good team, and it was an ideal day. Great weather, no crowds, no rush, we did what we wanted, when we wanted to.

That is pretty much how the whole trip went, we stayed at Disney a couple days, then at the Hotel Del Coronado a few more. Our poor girl came down with a fever and we missed the San Diego Zoo, and even with that, we had a wonderful trip.

She and I had lazy mornings on the balcony watching the water, wrapped up in hotel robes and reading our books.

The Del gives each kid a backpack with scavenger hunt tools and hints, so we played that game for a while.

We explored the hotel, ate fancy dinners, and watched the Sandcastle Man with his masterpiece. Yes, quite a trip, and all building up to my artful girls getaway. I really felt lucky and blessed.

I'll leave you with a few more pictures of the week. And here is a favorite song from my youth, so dreamy and sweet. And about Disney, too.

Somehow, we did end up with cookies and did not die, but I sure learned a lesson

Food and Drink, Travel

By Karla Nathan / March 13, 2016

One of the reasons (of many) that I wanted to attend this luxury event in Coronado Island was to take a lesson in making macarons, taught by a French Chef.

Well….. there were some issues with that.

First of all, there was a slight gassy smell coming from the 90 year old oven in the morning when it was fired up. The oven was said to need two hours to warm up, but when it was turned on, it didn't seem right.

I hardly noticed it, even though others were complaining. The home's owner was called and he said not to worry.

So, we went on with our morning.

But it got worse. And worse, and worse.

Stupidly, I went along with ignoring it, just complaining about the smell a bit. I did open windows on a couple floors. This is a 13 bedroom house, so is huge,and the smell was prevalent throughout. Which should have set off alarms in my head. But apparently I am a dumb ass.

Well, eventually, we all decided that waiting for the owner to care enough to handle it wasn't a good idea. The gas company was called, Beth and I went outside for fresh air and to escape explosions. I don't know why everyone didn't evacuate, one person took a nap due to a headache from the gas. If we'd had a lick of sense, we'd have brought her outside, not let her nap!!!

Now, if you are ever anywhere with a gas leak, please be smarter than us. You should LEAVE THE BUILDING. Call the gas co. or fire department from another location. When the technician arrived, he said that a cell phone call could set off a static spark that could ignite the house.

The old oven had given up the ghost, and we were lucky to have not become ghosts ourselves, according the the gas company. The repairman said it was not a matter of "if" but "when" it would have blown up if we had gone on with making cookies.

Yes, I felt dumb as dumb can be for blissfully ignoring the situation and going about my business. I'd like to say I was dizzy from the gas and not making rational decisions, but I'll admit to being plain old careless and stupid and am lucky to be alive.

Well, we lived. The gorgeous house did not blow up. And I learned how to make macarons. Although, the chef insists that all the ingredients must be measured and I am more of an eye baller. She told me, "good luck with that".

Well, I am on a lucky streak, what with being alive and all, so maybe my cookies will be fine.

We couldn't use the oven, and honestly didn't even want to.

I figured the toaster oven should be fine, but the chef said NO, it wouldn't. I figured I'd give it a shot anyway. Some of the cookies weren't as nice as they should have been, but we just piled on tons of extra filling and ate them that way.

They tasted magnificent.

There was one pan load from the toaster oven that looked good though. Very good, I'd say. The chef pointed out that they were a bit brown on top, but I didn't care. I think they are lovely. After all we'd been through that day, I WAS GOING TO HAVE MACARONS and I was going to enjoy them.

Here they are next to our other projects, a crown and a button necklace. I brought some extras to make the necklace and ended up making one long chain of buttons and another, shorter one with some of my rhinestone pieces added. My crown took on a blue bird of happiness theme, and has a lot of extra rhinestoney goodness pieces added to it too.

The kitchen might have been a time bomb, but man it was cool. See those wooden doors? Those are the original, ice box style refrigerators. Still in use. That is the fridge for the house.

This is the butler's pantry, I think.

This door might have been one of my favorite things in the house. Out of soooooo many beautiful things to chose as a fave.

Like this tattered velvet hand rail.

The dainty tile.

The garden trails.

Trees filled with fresh oranges.

Murals in the dining room.

And the chaise lounge in my bedroom suite.

What a lovely suite it was, two bedrooms and a full bath, with cozy beds each topped with a pillow with our names on it.

The house was a mix of comfy, homey furnishings from the family who'd lived there for decades, and antiques. The structure itself seemed to all be original, and the trim work was over the top, especially the dining room ceiling.

But the very, very best part? Interesting new friends to laugh with! And to not die with. I'm glad our headaches and upset stomachs from the gas faded away, not one of us exploded, and we even got to kind of finish one batch of macarons.

You probably had to have been there

Travel

By Karla Nathan / March 11, 2016

The home we stayed in on Coronado Island was a highlight of the trip. It still had so many of its original elements, and we could picture ourselves back in time as we explored the back hallways, servants quarters, and even the kitchen which still had its old, old oven and ice box style wall fridges. (and there is a whole other story to come about the oven…)

While the home was spectacular, it was still homey, you could tell a family had lived there for years. We were comfy hanging out in jammies and crafting till all hours of the night, or coming down to the kitchen still groggy to put on a pot of coffee.

Yep, we got to explore the whole house. One night, we went up to check out the attics. Yes, plural attics. One didn't have a light and it was pitch black in the stairs, and as we were trying to man up to get to the next level and find a light switch, Beth spookily said, "There is something wrong here."

She had stepped in something. We couldn't see what it was, but she guessed a dead bat. I thought maybe a rat. I ran down a few flights and zoomed back up with my phone's flashlight

And discovered, about half way up the flight of stairs, one of the biggest piles of dog poo, I'd ever seen.

Dog poop?

On the stairs?

Of a unused attic of a marvelous mansion?

When we hadn't seen a dog around anywhere?

Yuck, yes dog poop. I've never seen a dog use a stairway to do that on, very odd for many reasons.

Needless to say, that dark stairwell and attic space didn't get explored that night. But we went off another direction to a lower level attic and poked around in there. I'd hoped to see 90 year old, cob webby treasures, but instead, it looked like typical modern day storage from the family. Childhood toys, outgrown sports equipment, a few pieces of unused furniture.

No dog poo, though.

Deb, our hostess, was thrilled to see 1950s Barbies in their cases full of clothes and wanted to get a photo of Beth and I with them on the steps.

As soon as I held mine up, this happened.

And we started laughing like little girls on a sleepover being silly with their besties. Laughing til our bellies ached. Laughing like this was the funniest thing that could ever, ever happen. Laughing til I had an asthma attack.

I ran down a few more flights of stairs and to the other wing, bent over with laughter, unable to breathe, while Deb and Beth followed me, to get my inhaler from my purse in my suite.

It ain't a good belly laugh unless it almost kills you.

This was a typical moment from the weekend. Beth and I had the sillies, and made the most of them. Laughing like a carefree child and being goofy is not what I expected to do on our formal Downton Abbey art retreat, but man, it sure was a fun turn of events.

A weekend full of goofy behaviour is something everyone should have. We climbed out of our bedroom window to explore a hidden patio.

Where we had a beautiful view from our part of the roof top, but made fools of ourselves in ways I won't even mention. But we sure entertained ourselves.

Beth wrote "HELP" in sticks on the roof top, and we rolled around on the roof laughing at how clever it was. It is a good laugh that knocks you down to the ground so that you can't get up.

Here is a little sketch I made for my book, showing highlights of the trip.

Maybe you had to be there?

Here is Beth's post about the mansion. You can see how stately it is, not a typical backdrop for our juvenile giggle fits.

A sea shell “Farewell Fairy” at Coronado Beach

sea shell fairies, Sugarwings, Travel

By Karla Nathan / March 9, 2016

For the last few years, every time I go to a beach, I leave behind fairies made from the shells I find while walking the shores there.

I've been told that Coronado Beach can be shell heaven or be totally bare. And I caught it on one so-so day then a few days of bareness. So I was lucky to have found enough to create this little sprite, my beach treasure hunt didn't yield many shells. Lots of sand dollars though. My husband was a champion sand dollar finder, he even found living ones that we couldn't pick up. They were everywhere he looked.

I never break or alter a shell for my fairies, so I was happy to have him find this 3/4 sand dollar that made a pretty skirt with the ruffled conch shell topper.

The shore was a bit rocky, lucky for me, one was just right for the fairy's head, because I couldn't find a shell that worked anywhere.

There might have been a lack of shells, but the sand itself more than made up for it. There were GOLD FLAKES OF GLITTER throughout on my first day there!!!!!!!!!!

Real GLITTER!!!!!!!!!!!

Apparently, the waves are filled with Mica flakes that wash up on the shore. When the surf is light, they are big, fat, flakes of gold glitter. On rougher days, the mica is pulverised into a shimmer of stardust. Every day, the sand along the water is different, but it is always sparkling.

I was in love.

I just wish the sparkles had photographed better. The glitter (and that is what real glitter is made of, MICA flakes) was one of the most unexpected treats I've ever come across on a vacation.

Well, beaches each have their own personality and specialness, like the quartz crystal on Siesta Key that keeps cool to the touch no matter how hot the sun is. And the heart shaped pieces of coral that wash up on Kaanapali in Maui. Or the shark's teeth fossils all over Venice Beach.

Why oh why do I live in the smack dab, middle of the USA, as far from any beach as you can get?

Of course, I really can't complain. We have made it to the ocean quite a bit in the last few years for Kansans.

Which is why I make all these sea shell fairies to leave behind, I want to show my love of the shore, and my gratitude for the opportunity to be there.

I treasure each moment I get to be by the water. And thank my lucky stars that I had a chance to be there.

Every day should be considered a gift, but a day by the beach is a true treasure.

I missed Kansas, but I did love Cali!

Travel

By Karla Nathan / March 5, 2016

Everything about our trip was just wonderful. Well, Sugarwings did come down with a fever and we missed the San Diego zoo, but she told me that she'd rather be sick in the hotel by the ocean with the door open than at home in bed, and seemed to be pretty happy even with a fever.

And the gas company repairman told us that the leak at the mansion where I was at for the art retreat could have blown up at any time, he said it was a "when" not an "if" for the explosion.

But, hey, none of us exploded, and I even figured out that we could finish the macaron cooking lesson with the toaster oven since the 100 year old gas stove was not repairable and was ready to blow.

Oh, and when I got home, my computer started dying off… but I did a restore on it and hope all is good. I might take it to visit a Geek just in case.

In the meantime, I'm just popping in for a quick hello, if there are no new posts coming up in the next few days, you'll know that my visit to see the Geeks was not a simple hello, and the computer is staying there a bit.

Hopefully, though, I'll have some of my photos from the trip edited and be posting soon. It really, really, was a good time. When you laugh so hard that you have an asthma attack, that is a sign that the vacation is a blast, huh?

(and thankfully not the kind of blast that a major gas leak makes)

Asian centerpieces and decor for a dinner party

celebrations, Travel, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / February 7, 2016

Well, that is not a photo you'd expect to see on my blog, is it?

Nope, not like me at all.

I travelled with my husband to Long Island to visit the Hamlet club, where the crew there had done an exceptional job and deserved a celebration. My husband's team was going to prepare and serve a special dinner and I offered to help.

When I was asked to pick up some items to decorate with, I was excited, that was right up my alley!

When I was told it was sushi night, I was flummoxed, that isn't exactly my style and I had no idea where to start.

Especially in a strange city, without my regular shopping targets. But, I went out exploring, set my Google Maps to Michaels and promptly got lost.

Very lost.

No cell service, no maps.

So, I turned into the first parking lot that I found, hoping to snag some free wireless from a business. I just so happened to be in front of an AC Moore, a store I'd not heard of, but the sign said "crafts" so I went in.

And found all the inspiration I needed for the table- some handmade, Japanese rice paper in firey dragon colors, and paper, clip on, crayon yellow, dragonflies. I bought enough rice paper to line up and use as a runner, scooped up some colorful bugs, and went from there.

Black "floating frames" were buy one get one free. I got 8, in different sizes (all they had) to use as zen garden style trays to fill with stones and moss, along with simple, cylinder candles and vases. In the larger frames, I centered a strip of coordinating rice paper for an extra layer.

To spice up the candles and vases (cheap ones from the wedding section), I bought some washi tape (that is Japanese, right??). If you are going to use washi tape to add a stripe to the top of a glass, I'd say make sure the vase or votive is as straight up and down as possible, and choose a tape that looks okay with a bit of a wrinkle in it. Because it is very hard to get it perfect. I thought about using an exacto blade to trim Vs out of the tape to make it fit better, then decided that working with the wrinkles, and burnishing them out as flat as I could was good enough.

I think it is fine.

Each frame "tray" was filled with handfuls of pebbles around the candles and flowers, with moss tucked in among the rocks. I also bought some big, black stones, and a gold paint marker. Then, I googled "Japanese lettering" and copied pictures I found.

On the backs, I wrote the English translation. I tried to chose words that went along with the event, and the people it was for, such as: pride, team, strength, friendship, self confidence, etc.

(Uhm, if you are fluent in Japanese, please don't try to read these, let's consider them arty, not accurate)

You can find anything online can't you? I thought that it would be a nice touch to have origami folded napkins too. So looked up youtube videos on folding swans.

I had a short period of time to pull this all off, from shopping to creating to setting the table. And the swans were not going well. So, I quickly switched to butterflies. Which went much, much faster. In all, I had about an hour into ironing and folding the napkins, and most of that was a learning curve. Once I figured out the steps, it went quickly.

The tall, clear vases were filled with more pebbles, and I split a package of curly twigs and bamboo between the 8 vases on the table and a larger one on the buffet.

On the way to the club, I got lost again and found the coolest grocery store I'd ever been in. I am a huge, Trader Joe's fan, and discovered the REAL deal type place that the chain is probably based on. It was an older market, full of imports and good prices too. I could've wandered around sampling cheeses and filling my cart with pasta from Italy, all day, but had to get to the club to set my table.

Before leaving, I picked up two bundles of freesias in yellow and orange for only $6 each, and they were the most perfect finishing touch for the vases. It wasn't something I'd set out to find. I thought that the vases looked pretty good with the washi tape, dragonflies, and curly twigs. But a few, small handful of bright flowers really improved the whole table.

There were even enough yellow freesias to add to the buffet table vase too.

There aren't any pictures of the buffet table because I was helping serve the appetisers by the time the main course was set out.

Yep, I was a waitress too.

When I was a single mom, that is how I supported my kids. And I met my Handsome Husband while waitressing at a Holiday Inn where he worked at the front desk. After I was married, I kept it up for years because the hours were great, I could work lunches while the kiddos were in school.

And I always loved doing the job and thought I was pretty good at it. So, I figured I still would be.

WHOA!!!!!!!!

Not so much.

The first thing I noticed as people were starting to come in, was that the trays were much heavier than I remembered. Very heavy.

Now, I still carry 9 year old Sugarwings around a lot. I garden, I keep busy. I'm not a gym rat, but I do lift some free weights (well sometimes).

But it didn't take long to find out that I do not have a single waitress muscle left in my body. Instead of 8 to 12 plates on a big tray, I could barely heft an empty, large tray over my head. I stayed with small, drink trays and carried a couple plates at a time, making many more trips back and forth that way.

Let me brag a smidge that I still had the drive and the eye for waitressing. I can spot a half filled glass and top it off before the guest even knows they are running low on water. I can whisk away a plate within seconds of the diner deciding he is done eating, and will scoop up all extra items on the placemat, keeping the area tidy.

But, boy, was I achey after all of it. It was fun to be a part of the event, and I loved the challenge of decorating, but the exhaustion that came with serving the meal really threw me emotionally. I wasn't prepared to face the fact that my youth is far, far behind me and I just can't keep up with things I used to do.

I think I'll keep my day job. Or maybe practice carrying trays around and get ready ahead of time before I do it again? I was too cocky to think of that, I figured I'd be a star waitress, not a weak, little old lady.

Because I sure would do this job again, what a delightful party it was, and the food was amazing!

I'd like to see more of Long Island, especially the Hamptons. There wasn't quite enough time to get that far. We did go to Times Square where we posed with one of a dozen or so Elmos walking around. They work for tips and before you know it, you are surrounded by all sorts of characters, each asking for money, even if some weren't in the picture and most weren't asked to be in it. They all crowd in, whether you want them to or not, and then try to get more cash from you. I was a bit taken back by it all, but it was pretty funny to be mobbed by cartoon characters.

I don't think Disneyworld would approve of Minnie Mouse's attitude.

We took a ride up to the top of Rockefeller Center. (Nice venetian plaster on the wall, isn't it?)

I was entranced by the chandelier.

Wouldn't you love to have just one strand from it?

And the lights built into the walls were chunks of crystal with colored lights behind them.

And what a view!

And what nice people we were with. Who knew I'd go all the way to NY just to meet a fellow junker and furniture painter? I enjoyed hanging out with my new friend, Beth.

We ate at Carmine's and I adored the mismatched chandies there too.

The selection of old photos on the wall made me feel right at home. This was my fave.

I've never been a city person, but I sure did love New York.

A sea shell fairy on Jax beach

fairies, family, Travel

By Karla Nathan / February 1, 2016

In the last few years, I've started a tradition of making a sea shell fairy to leave behind as a thank you to every beach that I visit.

Usually,in the days I that I spend along the water, I keep my eyes out for the exact pieces to make the sprite just right. Every stroll in the tides is a chance to gather up the ideal shells. I have a rule that I can't manipulate them. I'm happy to find broken ones in the right shapes, but I never snap off bits myself.

And I like them to be from the shore that I am leaving them on if possible. Sometimes I'll slip a perfectly shaped curl of shell up into my pocket while walking on a nearby beach and save it for the fairy, but that rarely happens.

On this trip, guncle Randy and I only had a short time at the beach (craft day was waiting!!). I wasn't sure if I'd be able to collect what I needed to make a little shell girl that fast, but Randy had a good eye for what we needed and brought me the best wing, ever.

While I was finishing up brushing the sand nice and smooth around our elfin creation, a tiny dog ran up and gave me a kiss. It was a Papillion, so we named the girl after her. You can still see some of the itty bitty dog foot prints she left in the heart shaped ring around the fairy.

Disney time, family time, and lots of books

family, Travel

By Karla Nathan / January 29, 2016

My Florida trip was not only a much appreciated break from the cold, Kansas winter, it was a family get together, a chance to explore all the theme parks with two life time experts in all things Disney, and I also attended a "writer and reader retreat"

This was something new for me, the event and the genre of novels. My pal, Terry was helping coordinate the workshop, and I offered to tag along and help her out. Her friend, S. E. Smith is the author of fantasy romance and was quite a sweet person to get to know.

I offered to make name tags from white card stock with book covers taken from the author's book jackets.

We clipped them to lanyards and I wrote the names on the blank backs of the mini books. Attendees could use the books to gather autographs from the writers and messages from their friends.

Gifts given out were non-stop, and I was lucky enough to win a couple myself, even though I was just there as a helper, I was treated so kindly, and like one of the group.You won't find a nicer bunch of ladies, anywhere.

There were games too. This is "Hero Bingo" done with the names of the hunks in the novels instead of numbers. I leafed through a lot of books during the writer's signing night, and "hunk" is a very mild term for the magnificent men described in those pages.

STEAMY STUFF!

All of us had gathered at Disney Springs, and when it ended, Terry, her daughter, Holly, and I moved on to stay at Animal Kingdom and a couple of other resorts there at the parks. They had gone in together to join the Disney Vacation Club and were hotel hopping to check out the various places.

How nice of them to invite me along on their mother/daughter trip!! I didn't want to intrude for long, so spent three nights with them, then let them have their own time together for the rest of of the week, while they visited a few more hotels. My three days were ideal from my point of view, and I hope I didn't wear out my welcome.

Our first night was spent at Animal Kingdom, a resort I've always wanted to stay at, and it was even better than I'd thought it would be. We woke up to the sight of an ostrich wandering around outside our balcony, then as the morning went by, all sorts of wildlife sauntered along on the grass below us. Feeding stations are set up in the courtyard to encourage visits, but we noticed that there isn't a lot going on very early in the morning.

If you are going to splurge on the cost of staying there, my advice is to make sure you aren't trying to get to one of the theme parks when it opens, or you'll miss the herds of hungry critters who happen by as the morning develops. We were lingering and leisurely, or we wouldn't have spotted so many creatures throughout the 9-11am period. This is the kind of hotel that is a vacation in itself, and if you stay there, you'll want to make sure you have plenty of time to take advantage of it.

Leisurely was the name of the game, we took our time and didn't feel rushed anywhere we went. Both of these Disney Pros know the ins and outs of where to be and when, what to see and what not to, short cuts, secrets, and were the perfect guides for seeing the parks.

Terry is a season ticket holder for Florida AND California parks. And she lives in Utah. That right there is true Disney love.

I felt as if I'd hired two expert tour guides to show me around. Not to mention, they are both a lot of fun, and we had a wonderful visit.

But the best bonus was having a chance to get to know a far away niece.

As a Vacation Club member, Terry got a lot of perks. Free photo passes, discounts, etc. And she was generous in sharing them. I rarely had my camera out, since there were professional photo stations at every landmark. Plus, I was a little chilly, and kept my gloves on. So it was extra nice to get photos that I didn't have to take myself.

Of course, cold temps are all relative…

In Orlando, I was loving the blooming flowers, while back home in Kansas, there was an ice storm.

I'm certainly NOT complaining about keeping my gloves on!

And who doesn't need an excuse to pick up a pretty, pink, Minnie Mouse hoody? I didn't pack as good as I should have, layers were the key. I ended up with a few wearable souvenirs to pile on.

We found some hidden Mickeys that I can point out to Sugarwings next time we go, too.

I now have so many things to show the grand fairies when we go back.

This trip was so much fun, that coming back again was on my mind the whole time I was there.

Thanks, Holly and Terry for such a perfect vacation! And thank you, Susan for letting me be a part of your workshop.