Eighth-Grade Trips Sound Fun

My sister is on a trip to Europe with her daughter and classmates, for their eighth-grade trip. For ten days, they are traveling to Italy and Greece. I imagine they are having a blast.

My children all went to public schools so there were no exotic trips like they often have at the private schools. The Obama children will have trips like this one scheduled. It's one of those areas where there is truly a big difference between the publics and the privates.

When you talk to someone on a daily basis and then they cannot be reached for ten days, it seems like an eternity! Hurry home, little sister (and bring lots of pictures!).

Family Visits: Surviving the Day They Leave

She's sitting on the plane with her husband, having two hours left of the grueling trip back home. I haven't moved off the couch. We ate so much this weekend, that I feel a bit like a slug. I have the familiar feeling of loss and uncertainty of not knowing when or where I will get to see my sister again. The hard economic times bring an unusual amount of fear that it could be longer than usual until we get back together. But, deep down inside, I am always optimistic about the prospects of spending more time with my sister or my Mom, who lives equally far away from my home in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Distance from one's loved ones can be a bitch. Being stuck so far away makes everything more difficult. It's best not to think about the amount of time between visits. Rather, focus on all the laughs and fun we just experienced. Some families do not have this special relationship and I pity them. It's the best feeling in the world.

Thanks June and Scott for making the trek across country for a short visit! It was the very best. I will sulk for several more days, then come back to normal. It's simply the regular process I go through every time and it does not get easier...it gets harder the older I get.

Photo provided my daughter, Laura, www.flickr/lsphotography


Scottsdale, Arizona has an average of 6" (yes, that's six inches!) of rain annually. So why is it that when my sister and her husband decide to come visit for a long weekend, we are scheduled for three rainy days!



Keep you fingers crossed for a dry Valentine's Day weekend!

Top Items I Would be Buying IF I Had the Money and IF My Sister and I Were Taking a Vacation Together This February: PT.1

Can I help it that the economy is in the tank, and we don't have the time or the money to go on a fabulous trip to some exclusive island in the Caribbean, this February? We really should be going regardless; after all, how many people can claim living happily with one husband for 20 years like my sister can?



Oh well, the 21st year sounds pretty darn good, too.



For me, one of the most fun aspects to vacations and travel was always the buying of a few new items of clothing and accessories. I never bought a whole new season of clothes, just a few fillers and almost always a new bathing suit. Bathing suits do not last very long when you live in a place like Scottsdale. They fade, get ripped up by sitting on the side of the pool and you generally just get tired of them.



So those of you who enjoy shopping or are lucky enough to be heading somewhere warm and wonderful, here is what I would have like to purchase (if, of course, money was no object):



First, this perfect little Eric Javits bag I saw at Saks.com for $450. I have always liked the combination of caramel and off-white. It's bigger than the picture may indicate.

Next, the perfect spring, ladylike dress made by Versace. At $1540, it better be near perfect. I can see wearing this to my son's college graduation, several ladies' luncheons and to church. It comes with a coordinating cardigan, too, around $350 or so. I have perfect shoes to go with it, so all the better.

I have white shorts and slacks, so I really like this rugby shirt from Ralph Lauren's new Rugby store. It's called the Ashby Navy Striped Rugby and it's just $89.50.

Here's another one I really like, called the Adora Puff Sleeve Rugby and costs $79.50.

I'm not sure why I like this top, but I do. Made by 7 for All Mankind and retails for $95 at Saks online. It's like wearing an old comfy grey t-shirt, only more sexy. I would wear it with jeans and maybe throw a white blazer over for a change. Of course, that's if my daughter hasn't "borrowed it from me"!

Let's see, that's $2,604.00 worth of clothing and accessories. A good start at revving up this ole economy, don't you think? Well, it doesn't cost anything to dream!

Part Two: Coming Soon.