Upside Ann

  Portrait by Zupe of his "Star Wars" Rey doll.  I think he is in love.

Our last holiday tour without Zupe last summer was the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park.  Maybe it looks a little familiar?  Maybe you feel a little shiver up your spine?  Maybe the phrase "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" is intruding on your thoughts?  It was afternoon when we arrived - just in time for the daily rainstorm - which suited us fine.  We took "The Shining" tour but didn't see anything spooky that we weren't supposed to see.  I took some photos of the bathroom and the ballroom and ... to share with Marianna who I knew would appreciate it as she is a bigger Stephen King fan than even I am.  But they are not anything special to look at.  If you want to see photos of such elements, you can find better ones on the website. Here I include two shots of the exterior of the hotel - with the stormy skies - looking a bit menacing, the parking token- no free parking at the hotel, and a "Shining" related display I enjoyed.  I do not r...

I recently found my class ring. I realize now from the vantage of time that I shouldn't have had it to find.  Class rings are for giving.  I should have given my ring to the man I loved.  He should be finding it in his box of ephemera - remembering a moment from his youth - and then struggling with discarding it - or not.  The expectation was students would order a ring with their birthstone in the center -- maybe a school color -- but I loved the star-like pattern in the blue.  Blue - my favorite color - at least until the Zupe-man introduced me to Green.  He and I diverge in what makes a heart-stopping green.  He's more of a forest green man and me, you know, prefer mine on the wild side of chartreuse. And what about those veins??!  While you might point to my aging, here you would be incorrect.  OK. Yes, I'm aging - but those veins have been a hallmark of my hands throughout time. (If you're lucky, I'll look for the video of my hand under ...

Poor Zupe.  His mom thinks he needs to keep learning through the summer and even though school has not yet ended, summer school started today.  I had made plans to learn about Viking history and Nordic mythology - while watching (rewatching) Thor and Loki.  As it turns out, last night Zupe picked up the first of the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riodan - in which preteen/young teen siblings are tossed into a quest featuring Egyptian gods.  Totally unprepared I turned to YouTube to provide a little background on Egypt, Egyptian culture, history, and mythology. Zupe has now watched both "King Tut" (Steve Martin on SNL, 1978) and "Walk Like an Egyptian" (The Bangles, 1987). "He gave his life for tourism..." ...and what would we need to study to make "Turning Japanese" a requirement??

This one I dedicate to my mother.  It will be her birthday in 2 more days.  I remember her coming home from work, I suppose, having just heard this song on the radio.  Immediately touching - even if your name isn't Ann.

  My birthday was this week.  Each year Kevin takes a day off and we go "hiking" for a morning and out to lunch to celebrate.  Sometimes it is hot.  Sometimes it is wet.  Friday was "just right".  And I learned something interesting.  My camera phone will identify plants that I photograph.  Sometimes.  This is speedwell.  Maybe.   Speedwell, May 2026 - The actual color is a very intense purple which I couldn't capture.   Still I love the contrast of the yellow stamens with the petals and the drooping blossom starting to open.