Isn't it funny....
how much more you appreciate things after they are gone and life has moved on?   I've been missing my friends, yoga peeps and life back home....and reminiscing about how much joy the routine parts of my life brought me.   Joe would love to hear me say this because he loves routine... I, on the other hand, avoid it when possible.

I think I'm just having a "poor pitiful me" moment.....as Nancy Lopez said (more on this later) so eloquently when I met her recently...."when anyone complains about their golf game I just look at them and say "whah, whah, whah"..... you have the privilege, the free time, the funds, etc to be out here playing this sport...stop whining".      And so I'll stop my whining about missing all of you.

We had a glorious month in Colorado....many friends visited us in the mountains.  Some of you may remember Judy and Mike McDonald from Yoga Class at Sam's many years ago.  They live in Boulder and always come for a visit and a hike.    

One of our favorite hikes in Summit County is to the top of the Eisenhower Tunnel.  Our friend Cindy Gray from The Woodlands joined us on the hike.  You feel like you're on top of the world up there at 12,000ft elevation.  It's above tree line so the 360 degree views are stunning.

                                                    The week before we left Colorado my beautiful niece Haili Ferrino flew to Denver to join us on the trip to Georgia.


Hail & I racked up lots of miles on our bikes
before we left the mountains.....she has been great company!  I love that sweet girl.  There's nothing more refreshing than being with a teenager for a couple of weeks!


We rode down from the top of Vail Pass one day ....what an experience :-)
 It's the same ride we took on the yoga retreat
a few years ago.




I love when wonderful things happen very unexpectedly.    I was playing golf one day with the ladies group at Keystone and the pro came out to tell us Nancy Lopez just called and she wanted to offer us a free clinic the following day.  She has a home in Keystone and visits there often in the summer. What a treat!   She spent a couple of hours with a small group of us the following day.  She has a wicked sense of humor..... not only did I have some great laughs but I got some good golf tips :-) and of course had to take a 'selfie' with my new best friend :-)

 The yoga community in Summit County is wonderful.   Mary Pat Cropper has been teaching there for many years and I've been a student and follower of her teaching for over 15 years.  Each summer I attend her classes while we are in the mountains and I'm always sad to leave this yoga community when we go.  On the last day of class we took this photo for the blog...... thanks for always welcoming me back into your yoga community with open arms!

Joe, Haili and I  left Colorado on Sunday, July 20th on our way to Georgia.   Along the way, we had some fun...stopped in St. Louis to view the arch, then on the Paducah, KY.  In Paducah we had our first AirBNB experience.   Stayed in a renovated artists studio loft near the downtown arts district.   The artist and her husband lived upstairs and our rooms opened into the art studio.  She and her husband attended college and lived in Hawaii for many years.....we are getting excited about the next leg of our trip to Kauai now.
The Grand Ole Opry was awesome.   We enjoyed the music and the excitement of the evening.  
I googled "things to do in Nashville" and found something called "The Great Escape".   All the reviewers raved about it, so of course, I got tickets for Haili and me.
What an experience!   We were locked in a small room with 5 other people, given minimum instructions....like don't climb and told to find our way out.  It took us almost an hour to get out.....it was so much fun.  We ended up breaking the codes getting into room after room by working out clues.  Here are our partners, who helped us escape....

We are all moved into our town home in Athens, Georgia now.  It's located in downtown Athens adjacent to the University of Georgia and right in the middle of a multitude of fraternity and sorority houses.  The next few weeks is going to be interesting :-)

Our place is small and lovely....homey.  Have you seen the documentary 'Tiny:  A Story About Living Small'?    It's on Netflix.... it's thought provoking.   Watch it if you have the opportunity.

I've read a couple of books along the way, some good, some not so good.  I'm reading 'The 5 Love Languages' now.   Lots of wisdom on relationships...perfect timing since I'm spending loads more time with my husband these days.

Haili flew home last Wednesday.  I thought I was going to cry as I realize she is the closest I'll ever come to having a child....my sisters daughter.  Spending time with nieces and nephews over the years has given me a glimpse of what I've missed not having children.  As with all things, it's a mixed bag - yin/yang.

Before she left Georgia we did have some fun climbing.   

I was a bit concerned I might hurt myself but it didn't stop me.

This week is Joe's big birthday.   His brother Bruce lives here in Athens.  We've invited friends & family to join us for dinner at Bruce's home.  Joe will be surrounded by all the people he loves most in the world....what more could one want on their special day.

Love to all of you......I'll be in touch soon.