The Cruelties of My Husband Exposed!

Have you ever noticed that the people who purport to love you most are the same ones who find little ways to needle you with your craziest fears? You give them the keys to your heart and they take a picture of this??? Why? I mean really... he knows I hate these signs and all that they imply.

Friday's Week-in-Review

This week Greg and I went to Buena Vista where we stayed in a lovely inn, toured two ghost towns, took a walking tour of Leadville, read, talked, ate and played. It was good to have a little escape before the kids return from MI next week.

We drove over Independence Pass and were blown away by the views! We also got our first glimpse of Aspen (and we will definitely return).

On the return trip we walked around the ghost town of Independence. That was one of the favorite parts of that trip. We both loved the feeling of spying upon the lives of those who came here to find their riches in silver.

The Iron Building was one of my favorite buildings in Leadville.

St Elmo - the other ghost town we visited - was an entirely different experience. It is being cared for by local individuals as well as some local historical societies. The renewal is both exciting and off-putting. But I am grateful that when my children want to take their children to see Colorado's mining history they will be able to go to St Elmo.

The part I enjoyed most about St Elmo was knowing that my old friend, Shelly, is the great -granddaughter of one of the town residents in its short heyday. She still own his cabin. And he is buried in the small cemetery nearby.

I took many, many pictures as I always do. I can't wait to scrapbook this trip.

"There's a GIRL on the radio!"

Once upon a time, a LONG time ago, there was a girl who looked a lot like me... but much younger. All during her childhood she said she wanted to be a stewardess (now known as a flight attendant). She had no hopes of flying in any other capacity because ... well ... she was a girl and it was the 70s. Then after high school she was floating through life and working her tail off as a waitress. She quickly realized she needed something important to do with her life. She entered the United States Air Force on November 16, 1981. After basic training they shipped her off to Mississippi for tech school. She was set to be a Radio Operator. Then one day the an instructor visited her class and presented to them the idea of signing up to take another class after finishing this one, to become an Airborne Radio Operator. The girl's response was immediate. She wanted to FLY! So, she kept her test scores high and graduated the first school so that she could be accepted into the second school. As she worked her way through that course she began to learn about the various aircraft to which she could be assigned. She quickly learned that some of the most desirable aircraft were closed to women. Darn! But she kept asking. When might women be allowed to fly on AWACS? But her orders were cut. She would not be going to AWACS. Then on one of the last days of class her instructor entered with new orders for the entire class. Several were changed including her own. She was being sent to AWACS where she would be the first female aircrew member. The newspaper visited and printed a half page article on the girl. Tests were taken, travel was planned, and then she arrived in Oklahoma late one Friday night. The following Monday she began training for her new job. As part of that training they sent her to Saudi Arabia with an aircrew. The girl was excited to establish radio contact the night of her first flight and contacted the men from the navy aboard ship far below her in the Gulf. Everything was perfect. Communication was established. Then the fun began. Words were uttered ... in fact they were yelled. Over the airwaves. The young man aboard that ship forgot to un-key his mic before he screamed those very accurate words: "There's a GIRL on the radio!" Yep, once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a girl who looked a lot like me but much younger. And she was on the airwaves and on the aircraft.

Fun with friends on the 5th (yes, fifth) of July!

Every year I look forward to the fifth of July, with anticipation which equals that of a small child counting the days before her next birthday. I love the fifth of July in Woodland Park! The best event of the year occurs on the fifth. Symphony Above the Clouds. The Colorado Springs Symphony sets up an outdoor concert on the football field at the middle school. Churches and school booster groups set up food concessions. The United States Arm sends up several cannons and the men and women who operate those huge weapons. Add lights, public bathrooms, trash cans and many, many volunteers and you have the recipe for a lovely evening. Especially on a perfect Colorado day. We had a day like that this year. A high of 85 and expansive blue skies. That afternoon we hosted a barbecue with some friends: the Christensen family, the Billings family, and the missionaries. We ate on the back porch, the kids set up sports in the yard, played in the 'play'house, and jumped on the trampoline. And as the afternoon ended we packed one vehicle with oodles of lawn chairs, blankets, sweatshirts and coolers filled with water, soda and food. Holly drove it to the school while the rest of us walked. We claimed our patch of grass and were glad to be joined by many more friends as the evening went on. The music was great... particularly the medley of military songs. Tradition holds that you stand when they play the song for your branch of the military (both active and veteran). And the 1812 Overture is even more profound when you listen to it beneath a banquet of stars and hear it punctuated with a volley of actual cannon fire. Before the song ends the fireworks begin. The only negative to the start of the fireworks is that it means the fun is near its end. It was a beautiful day! And now the anticipation for next July 5th has begun!

top row: Greg and I, Shay and Alex Christensen, Alex, and Holly and Ron Billings.

middle row: RJ Billings, Tag Billings, Caden Billings, Holly and Tori Billings.

bottom row: Shay, Cary Shyanne, Tiffany and Alex Christensen, the missionaries, Shyanne, and Tag and Riley Billings.