In all of my years of spending time in Washington, D.C. I have yet to time it right in order to see the Cherry Blossoms.  Our son spent 4 years at Georgetown University, which means we were in D.C. at least 8 times in those 4 years.  Never saw the blossoms.

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Lake of the Woods

We interrupt our regular scheduled programming to bring you a photo array of what we like to call a little piece of paradise.  Also known as Lake of the Woods.

A few days ago I was inspired by Kim at So Many Places to stop, take 5 minutes and write a letter of gratitude to my life.  At the time I was reading her blog post I was particularly tired, it’s a busy life – that of an innkeeper, and it struck a chord with me right at that moment that I should be grateful I have a life that gives me the opportunity to feel good about the work I do… and that I have this life.  So I took Kim’s advice and wrote my letter right then and there.

Sometimes, you just have to break with the norm; throw caution to the wind and do things you ordinarily wouldn’t do in an average day.  You know, things such as –

Sometimes, we just need a little whimsy to brighten our day.  You’re welcome.

If you’ve ever “popped” open a Pillsbury dough product, you well-know the Pillsbury Doughboy. I can’t remember where/when I first read, what you are about to read, but it makes me giggle every time I read it and I like to bring it into the spot light from time to time.  I have no idea who the author is, but he/she has a wickedly wonderful imagination.  Enjoy!

Let me start by saying that #1 on my “top 25 things I want to do before I die list” is to live an obligation free life and I’m holding on to that.  #2 is to live in Italy for a couple of months and learn to cook authentic Italian food.  Beyond those, the order of the rest of my list doesn’t really matter.

I read a post written by Kerri at Travel Junkies and at the end of her post she posed the question, “What do you want to do before you die?”  I answered, “I want to live free of obligations.”  It’s a big want, but I’m thinking it can be done.  It just takes a little ingenuity, a lot of planning and enough time to get all of our ducks in a row.  Where did that saying come from, anyway?!  As if we really go through life lining up ducks?!

We’ve just hiked our way to the top of a plateau known as Upper Table Rock and the view is breathtaking!  It’s so quiet I can hear my heart pounding as it settles back into a normal rhythm after our ascent.  The dark gray rain-filled clouds are hovering and ready to burst.  The air is cool while the birds soar in silent flight.