Guarding Over Christmas

This angel has guarded over Christmas for my family for likely close to 60 years. She sits on top of my parent’s Christmas tree and for me, seeing her placed on top of the tree each year when I was a child was truly a sign that Christmas was near. Beneath her gaze, I would sit and pour through the Sears Roebuck catalog, carefully reading the description of every doll, doll buggy, doll high chair, doll clothes, and doll feeding set that populated its pages. Her loving gaze and gentle fairy-like glow brought me excitement for the season and hope for Santa’s visit in my childhood eyes.

I have not been the only one that she has watched over. She has seen each of my brothers and sisters as babies at their first Christmases and watched them grow through the years. She has looked down as our family grew even further with grandchildren and great-grandchildren. And she has seen us all bear the sadness of the holidays celebrated without some of the ones that we love to hold close. Though our family has changed through the years, and we all look a bit older, she has not aged. She once again sits on top of my parent’s tree, steadfastly guarding over Christmas for yet another year.

I’m no longer a child and Sears Roebuck no longer sends out an annual Christmas catalog. And I know now of course that Christmas is about so much more than the excitement of a new toy. For me, it’s about continuing to enjoy it through the eyes of the children in my life – their joy and excitement about everything that is Christmas to them – the tree, the lights, the music, their family together, learning the traditions that we hand down, and yes, their new toys. I also believe that it’s about remembering. Remembering those that aren’t here with us to celebrate. And remembering that we are never alone. We are watched over, guided and guarded, by something that is greater than ourselves. The angel on top of mom’s tree reminds me of this, and all the power of love and hope that this season holds.

Wishing you and your family a Christmas that is guided by love, guarded with care, and enjoyed with the spirt and wonder of a child.

Beautiful. Gorgeous! Wish you were here...New Zealand!

The world is full of so many beautiful places. Recently, I was fortunate to travel to New Zealand - a place that immediately tops my list of places you must go. It is the most unique combination of all that is wonderful about  other beautiful places I have visited like Cape Cod, Banff, San Francisco, and Scotland. A country that overwhelms you with its natural beauty and forces you to join along for a high adrenaline journey through all it has to offer.

The first objection many people have to traveling to New Zealand is the flight time. This worried me too as (believe it or  not), I am somewhat afraid of flying. However, for several reasons, the flight time is no longer a valid excuse in my mind. First of all, you leave LA at night for what is actually about a 12 hour flight, however, arriving in the very early morning (two days later - I know, it's confusing!) But, if you are able to sleep on the plane, this falls right in line with your natural sleep rhythms and you arrive ready to face the day. We flew on Air New Zealand which was recently voted the best airline in the world and due to our upgraded seats, we flew in comfort.

Typically bathrooms on an airplane are not something worth noting but not the case here. The bathrooms were HUGE and even include a wall mural "library" - check out some of the book titles.

We arrived for a whirlwind 5- day adventure that included airplanes, jet boats, helicopters, touring, eating, wineries, and a jump off a 14-story bridge. Whew! Following are some of the highlights from our journey which is impossible to sum up with any amount of words. I'll let the pictures tell the story.

You arrive into Auckland - which is a city that is all about the water and the harbor.

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I found a Cala Lily (my favorite flower after lilacs) growing wild!

New Zealand is famous for its wine and you have to take advantage of the many opportunities to visit any number of wineries for samplings.

This is a Cork Tree (part of the Oak family). The winery uses this cork to bottle their wines.

The cultural museum in Auckland allows you to peek into the history of the island. It is thought that the original inhabitants, the Maori, were from an island called Hawaiiki. Many thought that this was Hawaii but current theory actually is that "Hawaaiki" actually means the entire region of islands from Hawaii through the South Pacific. People moved from island to island until finding their way to New Zealand. The water, which many might think of as something that would separate the people, was actually the thing that brought them together.

Queenstown is everything you might think of when you imagine New Zealand - big and beautiful. We got to experience it firsthand upon our arrival from the seats of a very small plane. This is the pilot - I was the co-pilot.

God Moments

Yikes! Glad I didn't know this until we landed...safely!

Prior to my trip, my dad told me that there are more sheep in New Zealand than people. He was absolutely correct - they are everywhere!

Future Sheep Herder

More sheep...or in many cases...our dinner.

Jeeps took us high into the mountains on narrow roads that tempted you to look down...which you then quickly regretted.

Panning for gold in the river.

Driving up the river...quite literally. (This is where the "running of the horses" scene was filmed in Lord of the Rings.)

A beautiful stop on the jet boat tour.

When in New Zealand, dress for the elements.

And just enjoy the ride!!

Spectactular!

Beautiful! Gorgeous! Wish You Were Here...Asheville, North Carolina

There are a few things about Asheville, North Carolina, that make it an amazing destination to vacation: more craft beers than you could ever try in one weekend, a funky artsy vibe, and amazing mountains and rivers to see and to experience. Over this past weekend, John and I took advantage of every moment to experience this place and were only able to scratch the surface of all it has to offer.

During our stay, we were thrilled to stay at the Grove Park Inn, an incredible historic hotel tucked into the hillside. Built just over one hundred years ago, the hotel is impressive by today's standards and is made all the more so when you consider the feat that it must have been to build something of this size and grandeur in the North Carolina Highlands in the early 1900's.. and to have done so in only 11 months time. From the fireplaces at either end of the lobby (both with working elevators inside the fireplace) to the spa, golf course, and inspiring views from Sunset Terrace, this hotel is an experience in itself.

However, we also took advantage of some of the fun outside the hotel property during our visit including white water rafting, taking in the sights and sounds of the city, and enjoying the Blue Ridge Parkway on the two wheels of a Harley Davidson.

Though the water was low on the French Broad River, the rapids were running and the lower water levels allowed us opportunity to take some pathways down the river that we wouldn't have been able to enjoy in higher water. There were plenty of laughs and lots of exciting splashes but one of the things I always enjoy most about taking a tour such as this is getting to know the guides who make their living taking tourists on these adventures. They are typically young, athletic, adventurous, and always full of life. They are doing what they absolutely love to do and their enthusiasm and passion translates into a more interesting experience for everyone.

The Asheville area has a vibrant, albeit somewhat hippy, artistic community. I traveled some of our stay with a local photographer who guided me to points of interest while sharing photography tips and lessons along the way. We saw notable city landmarks, enjoyed the Friday night drum circle, saw many interesting locals, and appreciated some of the non-traditional art found in the city alleys and backways. One thing he encouraged me to do was to focus on one thing - a color or a shape - when going to explore a new place. The philosophy is that by focusing on looking for one thing, you will see things that you might not have seen before. (Hmmm...I think there is a broader lesson there!)

Much of our trip was dedicated to riding the Blue Ridge Parkway on a Harley Davidson. I've long wanted to see the Blue Ridge and there was no better way to do so than from the back of a motorcycle. Those two wheels allowed us such freedom of travel and the benefit of feeling the sunshine on your cheeks and being able to smell the deep forest smells as we drove through the parkway. If you've never driven the parkway, I highly recommend. We were only able to experience a small portion of the entire parkway but I absolutely intend to return and continue my exploration.

Asheville may not seem, at first suggestion, to be a very exotic choice of vacation. But we found it to be just the opposite. It is exotic, and funky, and outdoorsy, and just plain fun.