Two weeks ago Betty and I managed to put together seven days that were stimulating, entertaining, different from the norm, and, well, fun. It was her birthday week. Turning 60 felt like a major milestone to her (and not necessarily a good one!). So, we tried to make the whole week feel like a celebration of the good things in our life.
First was the RV trip to Cottonwood that I wrote about in the post, A Funny Name, A Beautiful Getaway. Just a two night break from routine put smiles on our faces and allowed her to spend her birthday/Valentine's Day free from the normal concern of our life. A full moon one night added to the magic.
Upon our return home we took an afternoon to attend the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show. Tens of thousands of folks come to town for this annual event held just 15 minutes from our home. Hundreds of horses, worth untold millions of dollars, are groomed and then compete in front of appreciate horse lovers and judges. As a former horse owner Betty loves being around them and watching them perform.
Two days later we took a glass fusing class. Looking for something we had never done before, one of our daughters gave us vouchers for this artistic adventure as a Christmas present. What fun! For a little over an hour, Betty and I put small pieces of colored glass on a mold. We had dozens of colors, shapes, and sizes to choose and no "rules" about how the finished projects should look. Here is a photo of the finished efforts.
Finally, we attended one of our favorite Broadway shows, Spamalot, at a local theater. Being Monty Python fans and seeing the show before in a large venue with a national touring company we weren't sure what to expect. Well, not to worry. The cast of fourteen, on a stage not much bigger than our back porch, captured the humor, absurdness, and slightly raunchy character of the show perfectly. We shouting out "Tim" and "killer rabbit with pointy teeth" at the appropriate times. We laughed at the Black Knight and whistled along with "Always look on the bright side of life." It was a splendid two hours.
To cap off a tremendous seven days we gave a gift of three Kindle Fire HD devices: one to each of our two daughters and one for our three grandkids to share. The smiles and excitement when they opened the packages was priceless. The entertainment and learning opportunities made the money spent worth every penny.
The week that was...fun. Sometimes things just align perfectly and the results are memorable. Those seven days certainly qualified.
Horse show sounds like fun. Spamalot is great. The kindle fire is wonderful. The smile you see on your kids' faces when you give them a gift ... priceless!
ReplyDeleteOur youngest daughter is in the midst of a business trip to Australia and then vacation time in New Zealand. Her Kindle was a tremendous help during the 14 hour flight to Sydney: movies and books in one small package!
DeleteAfter watching Spamalot we had an strong desire to watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail...funny, if somewhat irreverent, stuff.
where did you take the glass class, I'd like to do that!
ReplyDeleteCircle 6 Studios in Phoenix. They have a gallery downtown but the class takes place at their glass blowing facility a few miles away. We used a Groupon coupon, otherwise I think the price for the fusion class is too high. But with the coupon the two of us had a very enjoyable time for $60.
DeleteLove it when that kind of week falls together. I like the idea of a glass fusion class and will try to find one in my area. Which bowl is yours and which is Betty's? I'm guessing Betty on the left because of the vivid color choices.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. Most guys I know like blue, so I thought you'd guess mine was the one on the right. But, you are correct: Betty, the artist, actually incorporated both colorful glass and two levels that fused together to create the bowl on the left.
DeleteAs I noted above we used a Groupon deal to make the price much more reasonable.
Sometimes a week like that just perks us up and lifts us up to a higher energy--sounds like a great week! And now you are getting very close to your RV trips--I am sure you and Betty are excited and busy with planning! I am overwhelmed while researching all the parks and places to go, boondocking vs. full hook ups, etc but the research is keeping my brain sharp that's for sure!
ReplyDeleteWe are much farther away from our big RV trip than I'd like: almost 4 months. We do have a quick 2 night getaway to the Tucson area next month to meet up with Mike and Tamara Reddy, and a similar trip to Flagstaff with the whole family in June, but the 2+ month jaunt is still out there on the horizon. Of course, a trip that long takes several months to plan, make reservations for, figure out what to pack, and gather info on what to see. So, the time is well spent.
DeleteYou and Ken are about a week away from saying goodbye to the Valley and moving permanently to the mountains. No wonder your brain is overwhelmed and firing on all cylinders!
We have had this dream for about 17 of the 18 years we had a small getaway cabin up north.It's still like a fairytale to me that we are doing this! We do have a small social network up there, to build upon, I have a possible real estate part time job offer if I want it, and we know our way around.. we're renting out our Gilbert home, vs. selling, so.. Plan B is still in place.. though I can't imagine needing to come back permanently! We have friends to stay with for short visits..and when we get that little RV..woo hoo--I can park in a driveway ,visit friends or family, and be happy! What an adventurous time.On the other hand,I still worry about $$. But reading your blog, and others, past and present entries,helps!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Belated Birthday to Betty!
ReplyDelete