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“Homes for Sale”

Charla — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:37:57 +0000

When traveling around the country, do you ever pick up the little pamphlets that say “Homes for Sale” or something similar? Sometimes, they will be in restaurant lobbies or motel lobbies, and we might pick one up to look at just out of curiosity. If someone happened to be traveling in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, for example, they might pick up outer banks homes for sale. It can be interesting to see how much homes sell for in different areas compared to the area we live in. And it’s fun to see the different styles of homes in different areas.

Famous St. Louis Cookie: Dad’s Original Scotch Oatmeal Cookies

Charla — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:22:21 +0000

What an unassuming little cookie! Just to look at Dad’s Original Oatmeal Cookie, one would never guess how delicious they are. We first encountered them a year ago when we visited the St. Louis Gateway Arch (the nation’s tallest monument at 630 feet). Unseen from ground level is an underground mini-mall area complete with an impressive little museum and shops. We (hubby, me, and our son) went in this cute little 1900-style market. On the checkout counter stood a cookie jar filled with oatmeal cookies, priced modestly at 3/$1. We needed a little snack so I bought several cookies.

When eating these cookies later, we were surprised how yummy they were and wished we had bought more. We were headed to Springfield, Missouri, and figured we might could buy more there but were disappointed to find out the cookies are sold only in the St. Louis area. Sometime after we got back home, I researched Dad’s Original Scotch Oatmeal Cookies and found out their interesting history. I searched and searched for the recipe but didn’t find one that sounded suitable until one day I found this Whole Grain Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookie Recipe (minus the walnuts) that sounds like it’s very close to Dad’s cookies.

My dear husband suggested ordering some of the cookies from Dad’s website recently, but I would rather wait since I’m trying to lose weight. If I need to bake a batch of cookies to take somewhere, though, I just might try the recipe I found online!

Photo courtesy of our son!

“Take Me Away!”

Charla — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:49:12 +0000

The past six weeks have been so hectic with a lot of teacher training for the new state testing system plus seven ARD meetings to prepare for plus just the regular day-to-day stuff that goes with teaching. Add in all the shopping and getting ready for Christmas and I’m ready to go to somewhere like the st lucia resort to recuperate! Remember the old commercial that says “Calgon take me away?” That’s how I feel as well as nearly all the teachers I work with. We’re exhausted and so ready for a break to revitalize!

Travel Trailers

Charla — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:50:53 +0000

There are a lot of people who love to travel and pull their travel trailer behind them. They just get a trailer hitch put on back of their truck or vehicle, and then they’re set to go all over the country. We have several older friends and relatives who just love to do that, and they used to make one or two yearly trips and stay gone for weeks. Of course, someone would need to be retired or else have a really long vacation in order to do that. The great thing about it is that when they go to visit relatives, they have their own place to stay.

Going on a Trek

Charla — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 03:03:25 +0000

A couple of years ago, our son went on a trek up a mountain in Colorado with a group from church. They had two experienced guides with them which eased my mind about our youngest child (age 17 at the time) going up to the top of a huge mountain. I don’t know if any of them used Trekking Poles or not, but I know they wore cleated shoes to grip the mountain as they went up steep slopes.

The hikers spent the night in tents and ate campers food (the exact opposite of deli food). Some parts of the mountain trek were extremely challenging (and sounded almost dangerous to me). I must say that after hearing from some of the other trekkers, we were very proud of our son and how he carried the gear of weaker hikers who were about to collapse, even though that made his load twice as heavy. That is a memory of his trek that I will always treasure!

Utah Real Estate

Charla — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 02:00:59 +0000

Our son visited Utah year before last when he went with his college roommate to visit his family over Spring Break. They drove the whole way, from the north Texas area, through Colorado and the southern part of Wyoming, and then on into Salt Lake City. Our son would take pictures with his iPhone and then we would get to see them via Facebook. That area of Utah is absolutely beautiful. It would be a nice place to have a vacation home.

Utah is west of Colorado, and although we visited Colorado many times while I was growing up and on into my adult years, we didn’t travel into Utah except for one brief time when I was little. So I didn’t realize what breath-taking scenery is in that area. I can see why people look for real estate there. There are a lot of hiking and bike trails, ski resorts, water recreation, golf courses, and much more. All of this is offered in the beautiful mountain surroundings. I can see why the Winter Olympics were held in Park City, Utah, back in 2002.

RV Traveling

Charla — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 23:10:36 +0000

Just for fun this summer, we visited an RV sales lot and looked through some of the RV homes for sale. I was amazed at some of them! They were just like a miniature home, some of them with a full modern kitchen and stainless steel appliances. One even had a washer/dryer combo, and when I say combo that is exactly what I mean. It was one unit where you simply pushed a button for wash and then dry. That one unit did it all. Very impressive!

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Now, if someone were traveling and had a breakdown, I guess they would have to get rv towing, but while they were waiting to be towed they could relax on their sofa and watch TV, cook a full meal in their full-size kitchen, take a shower in their full-size shower, wash their laundry, sleep in their queen-size bed, etc. They could do just about everything that they could do in a regular house…except maybe host a family reunion. And I guess that wouldn’t be hard if most people brought their lawn chairs and sat outside.

Wordless Wednesday: Entrance to a “Castle”

Charla — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 23:17:21 +0000

Wordless Wednesday: 417 Pizza

Charla — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 19:10:36 +0000

Great pizza place in Springfield, Missouri, called 417 Pizza.

Corporate Travel & Meetings in Springfield, Missouri

Charla — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:39:17 +0000

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The Mansion at Elfindale, which looks like a charming European castle, is nestled in the trees. Just a couple of blocks away are your normal everyday shopping and residential areas. However, when you enter the property for this B&B, you feel like you’re out in the country, yet you’re just a few minutes away from the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, the “Grandaddy of all Outdoor Stores”. So, if you’re looking for a get-a-way from the hustle and bustle of the city for your corporate meeting or corporate travel, but yet you like some of the amenities a city has to offer, The Mansion is just for you! Fully restored and renovated a little over 20 years ago, The Mansion is like stepping back in time only with the modern conveniences of today such as an air conditioning system that leaves the air smelling fresh, never musty like I imagine a castle smelling! Here are some of the amenities of this historic and captivating bed and breakfast:

Highspeed Wireless Internet in all the rooms
Breakfast included in the price (ask about breakfast)
Higher level of privacy
Relaxed environment which helps people to be more creative
Competitive rates
Comforts of home & comfortable and quiet sleeping environment
Great place to focus on the work at hand without distractions
Safe area with higher level of security
Close to area attractions which fosters team building

Whatever your corporate needs, whether you need small group space or a meeting room for a larger group, The Mansion at Elfindale can provide accommodations that will inspire creativity and planning sessions for your business.