VINTAGE #7

Actually, this is VINTAGE #8, in my series of posts showing my brother's heritage album pages I made for him.  But who's counting!!  By now you are probably saying to yourself:  "Is she ever going to run out of these vintage pages?!?!"  Well, if I had my way I would keep on doing them forever -- I have boxes of pictures of my ancestors, and it is really hard trying to decide which ones to use for my own album.  But alas, I still have to create my personal Christmas cards that nobody has seen; so this is on the top of my list of things to do when I get home.

No, I'm still not home -- but left Jerome, Arizona yesterday morning and heading home.  We have actually had warmer weather since we left (outside of the blizzard we went through in Flagstaff).  Yesterday and today it got to almost 70 degrees -- a heat wave!!!  Still gets very cold at night.  God willing, I will be sitting in my own home tomorrow night thinking about getting a month's worth of mail the next day to open.  I will get to look at the new Occasions and Sale-A-Bration mini catalogs -- WooHoo!!  I downloaded a PDF of both mini catalogs, but it is not the same as holding it in my hands and deciding what I HAVE TO HAVE, what I WANT TO HAVE, and what I WON'T GET.  My first glance at the PDF indicated I might have 2 things I won't get (and that is going to be hard), and all the other things fall into the "have to" and "want to" have categories (typical).  I am so excited Sale-A-Bration is coming as it means lots of free stuff, and who can resist that???  I can't tell you what is in the Occasions Mini, but I can tell you it is loaded with awesome new products.

Okay, let's get down to business.  Here are a couple more page layouts (I'm thinking these might be the last):



Another of my favorite double-page spreads, using a lot of Big Shot dies.  You can click on all of my pictures to enlarge.

 

Close-up of right-side page.

 

Close-up of left-side page.

 

This is the last page spread in my brother's album.


The following pictures were taken of our trip to Jerome, Arizona.  We had a condo for the week about 10 miles from Jerome (nine of those miles were going up to the top of the mountain).



On the way to Jerome, Arizona -- fantastic views.

 

This picture is not in order, but it is a view from side of road going DOWN the mountain.

 

Yes, we are pretty far up!!

 

A little history and background on Jerome, Arizona



And here is Jerome!!  The big building up towards top, in middle, is the Grand Hotel.  Note the initial "J" on the side of the mountain.

 

I was trying to get the beautiful colors of the mountains when we were leaving Jerome as it was late afternoon when the sun was setting.  It didn't show up in picture but the colors were beautiful (try enlarging picture).

Another picture from Jerome.

Some of the stores in Jerome.

 

Goodbye Jerome -- but I will be back for sure!!

You will be pleased to know that I am running out of pictures from my trip (well, I might have a few good shots of our trip to Sedona -- LOL.)  So stay tuned for my next post, as I'm sure it will be interesting because I don't even know what it will be.

Until next time,
Sandi
"Blessed are you who hunger now,  for you shall be filled.  Blessed are you who weep now,  for you shall laugh." -- Luke 6:21

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!!

Hello All!!
Today was a beautiful day, we drove up from Prescott, Arizona to Jerome (about 35 miles).  Jerome city clings to the side of Cleopatra Hill, on the side of Mingus Mountain, with a population of under 400.  Prior to 1953 it had a population of about 15,000, then the copper mines closed, and it became a virtual ghost town.  Since then shops, galleries, museums, and studios (some housed in former brothels and saloons) have been established in the restored town.  It is known for its artists and very unique gift shops.  We only stopped for a minute so I could buy some wine for Thanksgiving, but will be going back tomorrow to spend the day -- such a unique town, with very narrow and winding roads as it literally sits on the side of a vertical mountain (houses on stilts of course).  Come back in my next post to see some pictures.

Today I am posting a few more page layouts created for my brother's heritage album (no it never stops) and pictures I took while at Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico.  These caverns are over 30 miles long (largest in the Western Hemisphere), and tours are geared for any age or physical strength (even for old people like us).  We took the Big Room tour because we didn't feel like taking ropes and ladders (with head light gear) down 830 feet.  All we had to do was jump into an elevator to go down 75 stories to the Big Room (my kind of rock climbing!!).  These caves really should be one of the 7 wonders of the world -- words and pictures do not describe the beauty, vastness, and majesty of these caverns.  My pictures aren't the best because there wasn't enough light, but better than no pictures. 

Here are a couple of two-page spreads I did for my brother's heritage album:

I used a discontinued die (I believe) to create the bird and branches -- this was one of my favorite pages.

 

Another discontinued SU die I bought last month when SU was having their clearance sales, paper flowers, and distressing kit (inks and files).  It is so hard to remember my product when I have had 3 weeks off from stamping -- so please forgive me.  Everything used is Stampin' Up product!!



My hubby at the beginning of our 1.4 mile walk in the Big Room of Carlsbad Caverns.

And here he is again, still with a smile on his face (that is because he had probably only walked one-tenth of a mile at this point).

And he's still walking -- tried to take picture looking into cavern so you could see some of the rooms.

Make sure you enlarge these pictures by double clicking on them -- wish you could have seen this in person!!



Back of my brother -- still walking!!



Isn't this beautiful -- enlarge it!!

This room is called the "Hall of Giants" because of the size of the stalagmites, with the largest being 83 feet tall.

Trying to get a picture that would depict the vastness, but failed!!

Sorry I was not able to get a picture of what my husband looked like after walking 1.4 miles; but the paramedics would not give me time to take a picture.  Just kidding, I was so proud of him because he made it -- he never walks!!  I couldn't get a picture because my camera battery died.  That gives you a clue how many pictures I took, as I had charged my battery before we left that morning!

As you can tell, we are having a blast.  We have seen a lot and experienced a lot, and God has blessed us with safe travels and wonderful experiences.  Come back soon for another day of our travels.

Blessings to all and have a wonderful Thanksgiving day!

Sandi
"When will you ever have more time than you have now?"

VINTAGE #6

Hello All!!

Well, I'm done traveling for a couple of days.  Told my brother we needed to stay at his place for a couple of days before taking off to Arizona.  And today, of course, is God's day (day of rest) so thought I would spend time to share a few photos with you.

First I want to share a couple of more pages I did for my brother's heritage album (I know, you are getting sick to death of this -- but I have a few more yet to post).  Don't forget to click on the photos to enlarge as the pictures are small and hard to see details.

Two-page spread using discontinued SU Scrapbook Kit and currents stamps and accessories.

Close-up of right page, showing my great-grandmother and her children.

Close-up of left page, showing great-grandmother and great-grandfather.

The following pictures were taken at Holloman Air Force Base on Veteran's Day (where we stayed for 3 nights while taking in the sights in the area).  This is a fighter-training base (49th Tactical Fighter Wing) for airman from all over the country (including Germany).  This display shows various fighter jets, etc., used throughout the years.  I found it very interesting and beautifully displayed.  So today you will get a history lesson -- LOL.  These pictures are just of few of the fighter jets on display (didn't want to bore you with all of them).  The sun was going down, as you will see in the lighting of the pictures toward the end. 

This is the F-80 Shooting Star.  It was the first USAF aircraft to exceed 500 mph in level flight, the first American jet airplane to be manufactured in large quantities, and the first USAF jet to be used in combat.  It was manufactured by Lockheed Aircraft and delivered to the USAF on March 1950.  Starting December 1950, Aircraft 853 flew combat missions during the Korean War with the 49th Fighter-Bomber Wing from Taegu Air Base, Korea, and Tsuki Air Base, Japan.  It is on loan from the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

In 1951, Republic Aviation began a project to develop a supersonic tactical fighter-bomber to replace the F-84F.  The result was the F-105 Thunderchief, affectionately nicknamed the "Thud," delivered to the Air Force on April 27, 1962 by the Republic, this F-105 served with the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing from July 8, 1962 to December 1966 at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.  Nicknamed "Kordel-Eden," to recognize the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing Commander's aircraft.

The F-15A Eagle is a twin-engine, high-performance, all-weather air superiority fighter.  Manufactured by McDonnell Douglas Aircraft in 1977, this particular aircraft flew with the various units in Tactical Air Command and United States Air Forces Europe until being dropped from the inventory in June 1993.  The 49th Tactical Fighter Wing flew the F-15A from 1977 to 1992, including some of the first air superiority missions over the Southern Iraqi no-fly zone during Operation Southern Watch.

This aircraft was the world's first Stealth aircraft to employ ordinance in combat in both operations Just Cause and Desert Storm.  On both occasions, the aircraft was piloted by Major Gregory "Beast" Feest.  It also saw combat action in Operations Allied Force and Iraqi Freedom.  The F-117A served under the Flag of the 49 FW from 1992 through it's retirement in 2008.

Here is a shot of the other side of the Stealth Bomber -- these pictures really don't depict the size and how awesome it looks in person.  What a machine!!

It was completely dark by the time I took this picture (I know, should have taken it first because it would have been beautiful).  After staying 3 nights and 4 days on base you really appreciate all those men and women who are keeping us safe.

 I hope you enjoyed your history lesson today and of course even more important my album pages.  I have some truly awesome pictures to show you on my next post -- our trip to Carlsbad Caves (30 miles of cave!!).

Blessings to all, Sandi

VINTAGE #5

Hello everybody!!

Yes, I'm still traveling around the country.  Yesterday we left Columbus, New Mexico, and headed to the Holloman Air Force Base, in New Mexico, to stay a couple of days in the Holloman Inn on base and travel to various towns and points of interest in the area.  The actual Air Force Base is a like a city; complete with schools, parks, businesses (post office, grocery stores, restaurants, etc.), golf course, and everything a normal town would have.  I have to say I am very impressed and what a glorious place to be on Veteran's Day!!!

Today I have some more pictures of pages from my heritage album I did for my brother and our trip to White Sands, New Mexico yesterday. 

These two pages show my grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great grandfather.  I used a discontinued SU Scrapbook Kit for these pages (sorry, I don't have my stuff on vacation and can't remember the name).

Close-up of left page (yes, I still have to put some journaling on that tag!!)

Close-up of page to right (and another tag that needs journaling).

 A little background on White Mountain National Monument.  These are dunes formed in the Tularosa Basin when the gypsum that forms the white sand was deposited at the bottom of a shallow sea covering the area 250 million years ago.  Eventually it turned into stone, and the gypsum-bearing marine deposits were uplifted into a giant dome 70 million years ago when the Rocky Mountains formed.  Ten million years ago the center of this dome started to collapse, creating the Tularosa Basin.  The remaining sides of the original dome from the San Andres and Sacramento mountain ranges now ring the Tularosa Basin.  Rain and snow dissolve gypsum from the rocks and carry it into the Tularosa Basin.  The eroding mountains have now filled the Tularosa Basin 2,000 feet deep with sediments, including the gypsum that forms its white sands.

San Andres Mountains -- just before we turned into the White Sands National Monument, in New Mexico.  Taken from truck window so not the best-focused picture.

Going into White Sands and parking area.  (You really need to click on these pictures to enlarge and see how this looks just like snow).

This probably would be described as transverse dunes.  We climbed up to the top of this mountain to take this picture (well maybe it would be called a dune).

Doesn't this look like it should be a Christmas Postcard -- and to think it is all sand!!

Hubby and me on top of a dune.

View of mountains in the back and parking spot from on top.

Awesome!!  Pictures do not even come close to showing you the beauty.

Well you got a lot more than you bargained for when you checked out my blog today -- but you have to admit it was all "historical."  Myself, I hated geography when I was in school but found this fascinating.  I do believe one could travel their entire lifetime and not see all of the beautiful wonders of this earth.  I hope you didn't mind the little geography lesson today (I guess those that did aren't reading this far anyway).

As always, thank you so much for stopping by.  And for those leaving a comment, I appreciate it so very much.

Sandi
"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?" -- Matthew 7:3

VACATION PICTURES

Good evening everybody!

A real quick post again tonight.  Don't know why, but I am having a really hard time keeping my eyes open.  Made it to my brother's place in New Mexico today, so thought I would share a couple of pictures.  It got up to 80 degrees today -- perfect temperature for me.  We got here about noon, and took the rest of the day bringing in our luggage, getting a tour of his house and property, and chatting.  He bought this house last year to do a "Flip."  I'm going to assume you all know what it means to "flip" a house because I'm too tired to explain.  Anyway, he has only been here for 3 weeks himself (has homes in Ohio and Texas also), but has done quite a lot already.

We really had a very nice trip down here, which is unusual for us, so hope it continues as we plan to do a lot of traveling yet.  Okay, here are some pictures -- but remember this house needs a lot of  TLC before it is finished the way he wants.

Coming into town (Columbus, New Mexico)

The next few pictures are the scenery by house.

Gate to front of house.

Driveway adobe wall and plants.

Closer picture of front walk.

Side of house and driveway.

Back entrance to house.

Guest House in back of main house.

And here are the guys doing the typical "guy" thing on Sunday:  watching football!!

Okay, I was going to through in a scrapbook page but this is way more pictures than I should have for a post,  So I will leave the page until another post.  Until then, I'm enjoying the weather and the sights!!

Sandi
"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. -- Psalm 18:2.