Mission 2: The Old Mission Santa Barbara

I grew up on the East Coast, so I missed learning about the Spanish missions in California. With twenty-one of them running up the California coast, it is easy to visit one. So on a road trip to Santa Barbara last week, we made sure to visit the mission there. Along with the scenic coastline, it was worth the trip. As we approached, I had a... read more

My Friends at San Luis Rey Cemetery

I happened to be in a part of Oceanside today that I’d never been to before. When I started seeing signs for the Mission San Luis Rey, I hoped there’d be a cemetery to visit as well. Praise Big Mary, there was. If you aren’t familiar with this national historic landmark, the full name is Old Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, and it known... read more

Girls Trip to New Mexico

The annual Girls Trip took us to Santa Fe (New Mexico’s capital) and Albuquerque (the state’s largest city) this year. I won’t tell you how many times I’ve had to look up the spelling of Albuquerque. This trip there were four of us and it worked out great for when we didn’t all want to do the same things. For example, some folks... read more

Cruising The Balkans

My husband and I took an amazing ocean cruise with our dear friends from Nevada City, CA. The cruise started in Venice and ended in Athens. While cruising may conjure visions of old folks shuffling their way around the ship and port calls, there was nothing leisurely about this cruise. We stopped in a new port every morning and averaged eight to... read more

Cleaning Out the Closet

We’ve lived in the same house for over 20 years, and until this past month, I’ve never had a reason to clean out my closet. No, it isn’t because of that organizing lady that’s got everyone folding their clothes in new ways. Honestly, if something is over-hyped, I tend to stay away or I’m extra critical. Two examples that come to... read more