What do you do...

...when you have a week of vacation coming up, sans any children for the first time in, oh, about forever (9 years, actually, but close enough), and no idea where you should go?
Ask your blog friends!
Yep, here's your chance to tell Meg where to go...on vacation that is :-)
We've had a little tax-time windfall and I've got the itch to travel after nearly 2 years of staycations, but haven't been able to decide where to go in mid-April that doesn't require a passport (Chris doesn't have his yet & I'm not about to go thru the deadline drama like my trip to Canada!)
Any ideas?

Thankful Thursday

I've mentioned before that I've been following the Simple Abundance path for the past couple of years, and with this new year, I've been feeling convicted about sliding past the very first principle, Gratitude. I know I lead a blessed and contented life, full of gifts, grace, and the simple pleasures that make me happy; yet too often, I fail to express my gratefulness, not only with God, but also with my family and friends. I’m guilty of letting the speed of life and the myriad of commitments to keep me in blinder, focused on the next task, the next goal, instead of savoring the here-and-now moments of joy and blessing.

One of the ladies I visit on my blog rounds is Rhondi at Rose Colored Glasses; she has been posting "Thankful Thursday" for quite some time and I always enjoy dropping by to see what cheers the heart of each person. This time, I’m joining in with a few things I am thankful for and mentally committing myself to being more aware all the good that surrounds me:

A roof over my head each night;

sharing my home those who love me;

having a job, however uncertain;

being able to treat snow as a novelty;

dental insurance;

modern plumbing;

having a car paid off!

A fresh new page

Welcome to the new year, 365 days of promise & mystery; all I will ask for is my daily portion of grace to face whatever comes my way, and that I will find contentment in where I find myself at the end of each day.

Yesterday, after a late morning start, we wound our way east towards the mountains, stopping in the little town of Murphys for lunch (a great burger with fresh sweet potato fries) and then up to Calaveras Big Trees State Park, elevation 4000 ft

We bundled up and went out for an hour stroll thru the giant sequoias~ not particularly strenuous, but somewhat hazardous given the six to ten inches of hard-pack snow and ice on the trails.

For the life of me, I could not get any traction in my hikers, and had to hold on to Chris' arm the whole way to avoid another fall~ now that my arm is finally bordering on the functional, I am not about to go thru all that nonsense again!

We continued up Highway 4 until we reached the road closure at Bear Valley Resort, right around 7000 ft; it was approaching sunset, so we took a little stroll to the Hell's Kitchen overlook to watch for the full moon rising thru the clouds (only glimpses and no decent photos), before heading back to our valley home.

After an impromptu gathering at our friends home for games, snacks, and noise makers at midnight, we were home and in bed by 12:30~ gone are the party days and good riddance, I must say! Today is a perfect snuggle-down-at-home day; it is chilly and wet outside, so I think I'll make soup from turkey leftovers and devote my time to my book, knitting, and some football games~ I wonder who is playing?