Wednesday, February 25, 2009

We learned some new moves!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Valentine's and more


We did a little bowling at the casino on our way to Red Wing.

Our room at Moondance.


O.k. we really have started taking ballroom dancing lessons...just starting...focusing right now on latin rhythm dance (merengue, rhumba, chacha...). So it seemed like a great idea to go watch some professional ballroom dancers as part of our Valentine's celebration. That was my gift to Joel...last Friday we attended a very theatrical ballroom dance performance at the Southern Theatre. It was very romantic, and inspiring...we have no intentions of ever reaching anything close to that level of dancing, but it would be fun to be able to do some real dancing with some level of grace. Joel and I approach the lessons in very different ways. Joel's the extrovert and loves the social aspect. Being the introvert, I definitely prefer not drawing attention to us...at least till we get a little better (and that will be a while). But it's all about having fun...and obviously Joel was having some fun when he put that little video together. (There's another one coming that you'll get a kick out of!)

Monday we enjoyed the second half of our Valentine celebration. Joel booked our honeymoon suite at the Moondance Inn for a night of romance and relaxation. It was a much needed break from our day to day routine. We also enjoyed a nice trip home through Northfield, which included a long rest stop for lunch and some shopping. There's a great bead store in Northfield, so I went home happy.

So now we're back at home and back in our regular routine...and maybe with a little dancing mixed in.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

What We've Been Doing Lately

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Sunday, February 1, 2009

A relaxing weekend...nice weather included

It has been a great weekend. For the first time in ages, I haven't felt like crap. It's about time.

Friday night, otherwise known as "Date Night" in our home, Joel and I went for dinner at Outback and then a trip to Dick Blick (an art supply store). I bought 20 canvases, mostly small ones, but they're having their semi-annual canvas sale. Dick Blick was followed by a mega-trip to the grocery store. I know, a super-hot date, but it was a good night.

Saturday, aah lovely Saturday, the day the temperature climbed above freezing for the first time in ages. It reached something like 44 or 45 degrees...the warmest we've been since November 6th. I started out the morning in the studio to do a little work. Then in the afternoon I did some running around...driving with the windows down to feel the cool breeze on my face.

Saturday evening we stepped outside our door to watch the Winter Carnival Torchlight parade. St. Paulites like to celebrate winter with not one, but two parades. The first one was last Saturday when it was brutally cold. Ana and I watched that one from the warmth of my 2nd floor studio (which overlooked the parade route). This week it was warm enough to watch the parade outdoors...and Joel & I watched the parade from our doorsteps, along with his 2 kids and my son, Cyrus. It was actually quite fun and hey this particular parade, which is the final event of the Winter Carnival, is supposed to celebrate the end of winter. (We can only wish).

Today was another glorious day. We did not quite reach 44 degrees, but it was still beautiful regardless. Again, I started the day over at the studio. Then this afternoon, Ana and I ran around shopping on Grand Avenue doing as Ana said, "the St. Paul version of Uptown". We hit an antique store, Starbucks, 2 vintage clothing stores, and last, but not least, Cheapo records. I walked out of Cheapo's with a few treasures...including a collection of 70's love songs from Motown. I snatched that CD up once I saw it included the Spinners' One of A Kind (Love Affair). The fact that the CD included 2 Barry White songs was a bonus!

Now we're wrapping up the weekend by watching Mama Mia...I think I might actually end this weekend feeling relaxed. It's about time.