Dear Readers:

I will be taking some time off from blogging for a while. Thank you all so much for you support and encouragement. Not sure when I will resume but I will keep you posted.

Thanks again!

Luana

Having Fun!

Here I am in Massachusetts visiting son Lucas, daughter-in-law Liz and granddaughter Lily. Having a great time. Wish you were here.



Stopped for iced coffee at Hingham Harbor.





Liz and Luke at in Hingham.





I call this "Lily and Sailboats."






The Mayflower II at Plymouth.

 



Crow's Nest of the Mayflower II.



Portico surrounding Plymouth Rock.



Plymouth Rock 1620.



 

Downtown Plymouth.



Lily in the Gene Kelly pose in Plymouth.



Bricks and Flowers in a Plymouth alley.



A Plymouth local.

 





 

The stables in Hingham where Lily takes riding lessons.



Lily and Winnie getting ready for a trot.





A new friend.



Tuesday Tunes: The Break Up Song

This song has been playing on my oldies radio station for months. I love it! A great song for road trips. Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh...

Boston, Beach and Billy

This is my last day at the office until August 7. I'm flying to Boston on the red eye tomorrow night and will arrive Sunday morning at 5:00 a.m. Bean Town time. Bringing my laptop, Kindle and all my camera gear. Yikes!

I wish hubby could go but he has to hold down the fort due to some intense family drama going on now. I'm glad to get away for a while and come up for air. Need to refresh and rejuvinate so I can take on the WORLD when I return.

I am visiting our son Lucas and his lovely wife Liz and our whimsical seven-year-old granddaughter Lily. They live in Hull near the beach so I'll be building sand castles, sight seeing, and hanging out. Nothing like sea air to clear my head.

I'll also be going to see "Billy Elliot" which is playing in Boston! Best show EVER!

Tuesday Tunes: A Horse with No Name

I love the melody of this tune and the mournful acoustic guitar. The rhythm of the guitar is like a horse loping through a desert. The lyrics ignite my imagination -- I'm riding a horse and I feel the heat of the desert on my skin. The horse's flank muscles are moving beneath my legs. I feel myself getting thirsty and I'm reminded of my Cherokee ancestors.

Get Healthy!

My blogger friend Denise has started a fitness blog and it's just what I need for motivation.

I've been on a fitness push since January when I seriously started cutting calories and changing my eating habits. I've lost 15 pounds and am continuing toward my goal. I've started running again this spring and I'm training for my first 5K in decades.

Check out Denise's blog Indigo Horizons and get inspired!

Juicer Update: My Huron jucier is amazing! My first juice was a carrot/apple juice. The next day I tried a carrot/apple/beet juice. I also juiced some oranges for some delicious fresh orange juice. Still haven't tried the green juice but I have all the ingredients (kale, spinach, cucumber).

Rita Hayworth: Stayin' Alive

Is this amazing or WHAT!?

Tuesday Tunes: I've Just Seen a Face

The Fab Four... the Liverpool Lads....Ladies and Gentlemen....THE BEATLES! This upbeat song has such a delightful melody and once this music worm gets in your brain you'll be humming it all day long. What's your favorite Beatles song?

On the Run

On August 11 I will be running the Koman Race for the Cure 5K. I haven't ran in a race in YEARS! Back in the day I entered every 5K I could.

I remember a Wendy's fun run which was a pairs race. I didn't have a partner so they paired me up with this guy and we combined our times. We came in second place.

And there was a run for a fundraiser for the local hospital. Our running shirts were green scrubs (very cool). We looked like M.A.S.H. refugees.

The cool thing about 5Ks and fun runs is that you get to meet other runners and hear their stories. Every body's got a story, yeah? You also get orange juice and yogurt after the race. And some cool prizes.

I'm in training. I've been running several times a week since April when the weather started warming up. My left knee and right foot no longer bother me but I have to be careful because of previous injuries. My running shoes are designed to help with my pronation problem. So far so good.

My morning runs are great. I listen to a classic rock radio station that plays tunes from the 60s and 70s  --It's Only Rock and Roll, I'm a Believer, White Rabbit, Bad LeRoy Brown, Bennie and the Jets. . . you get the idea.

And of course my favorite: "Band on the Run." 

Oz: The Great and Powerful

Oh boy oh boy oh boy! Check this out!

The Wizard of Oz from the perspective of The Wizard. I'm blown away by the trailer. . . I don't know if I'll be able to handle the actual film!

My crystal ball tells me that this movie is going to be FABULOUS!

Ruby Juice

Alison and I went to Ruby Juice yesterday for the first time and enjoyed a delicious carrot/apple/ginger juice. We clicked cups and said, "Cheers!"

Ruby Juice is now on my list of favorite spots in Cheyenne. I plan on stopping by this morning before I go to the office. Think I'll have the "Ruby Sunrise" (carrot/apple/beet juice).

Speaking of juice -- my brand new Hurom juicer arrived yesterday! Today I will be making my first juice. Gotta get ready for the big "Juice Off" in Boston against my son Lucas who is an expert juicer. GAME ON!

HGTV Fan

I don't know what it is, but I've been watching HGTV a lot lately. My favorite shows include:

House Hunters (Fun to see what homes are like in various locations in the country. House Hunters International takes you around the world. Love the Paris episodes.)

Property Virgins (People learn that you can't have your cake and eat it, too. Word for the day? Compromise.)

Property Brothers (Two cute guys renovating fixer uppers. YES!)

Design Star (LOVE THIS SHOW! Designers compete to become the next HGTV Design Star and get their own show.I enjoy watching the creative process of designers in action. The challenges are awesome.)

For Rent (It's interesting to see what goes on in the world of renters.)

Selling London (Million dollar plus homes in London.)

Selling New York (Million dollar plus homes in NYC.)

Selling L.A. (Million dollar plus homes in L.A.)

Love It or List It (A family has a budget to fix the things that are wrong with their home. They are also shown other homes on the market. After renovations they decided to either Love It and stay in their house, or List It and buy a new home.)

My First Place (New homeowners get their first place.)

Tuesday Tunes: Brand New Key

I love this quirky song by Melanie! Fun to sing on road trips, loud and proud. Did you ever have a pair of skates with a key? I'm not much of a skater.

My Juicer Journey

One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. Or womankind, as the case may be.

I took my first small step in my juicer journey and purchased a juicer. After careful research and deep reflection, I chose the Hurom Slow Juicer. For style I picked the black one, aka "License to Juice."

Today I'm looking for juicer recipes with veggies and fruits. I found a great website I liked with a wonderful variety of recipes at the Williams-Sonoma blog. The carrot pineapple orange juice looks delicious!

Stay tuned, ya'll.

Carrot Pineapple Orange Juice

Friday Flicks: The Odd Couple

I'm a HUGE fan of Neil Simon. His plays are hilarious (Barefoot in the Park, The Sunshine Boys, Plaza Suite, etc.) The movie version of his play The Odd Couple is brilliant, not only because of the superb screenplay (written by Simon), but also for the excellent performances of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. If you haven't seen this movie, run, don't walk to Netflix (or wherever you get your movies) and watch it NOW!

Have Juicer Will Travel

So my 32-year-old son turned me on to this movie called "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.," a documentary by Australian filmmaker Joe Cross. It's about his journey from being overweight, junk food-obsessed and sick to healthy, happy and free of all medications that treated his high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and auto-immune deficiency.

The film shows how he did it by increasing his consumption of macro-nutrients through fresh fruits and vegetables in a juicer. He traveled across America from New York City to San Diego with his juicer, talking to people about his 60 day juice fast.

I'm not going to this extreme, but I like the idea of adding a healthy dose of natural fruit and veggies to my diet by juicing. Hubby and I are gonna get a juicer and detox ourselves. I'll keep you posted.

Here's the link if you want to see the movie.
http://www.jointhereboot.com/

Tuesday Tunes: American Tune

Paul Simon is one of America's best singer/songwriters. A group called Starland Vocal Band sang this on their one-hit wonder album and the harmonies were out of this world. But there's something special about this simple version with just Paul and his guitar. Happy birthday, America.

Friday Flicks: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

This movie scared my socks off.

Bette Davis is horrifying as Baby Jane Hudson, aging child star of Vaudeville. As the years passed, Jane and her sister Blanche (Joan Crawford) would become film stars. Blanche became famous and Jane was so jealous that she ran her over with a car resulting in Blanche living out her days in a wheelchair and ending her acting career. As the sisters aged, Jane took care of Blanche in Blanche's upscale Hollywood home. And Jane just got crazier and crazier. 

Here's the dead rat scene:

Just can't seem to get Devil's Tower out of my head!

A couple of weeks ago we trekked up north to Devil's Tower. It was a fun road trip, listening to Creedence Clearwater Revival, drinking iced coffee and just having a good ol' time in Wonderful Wyoming.

I resisted the urge to build a replica of Devil's Tower with my mashed potatoes, but I was enamoured with it none the less. We hiked around the base of the tower and got some terrific shots. Wish everyone could see this amazing example of God's handiwork.

There it is!





Moving in for a closer look. 







Almost there.. . .



Rock of Ages!





Every nook and cranny.



She's a beauty!



The devil is in the details.




Your's truly.







The amazing Boulder Field at the base of the tower.







All things bright and beautiful

All things great and small

All things wise and wonderful

The Lord God made them all



Tuesday Tunes: Fun! Fun! Fun!

Ya just gotta dance when you hear this "fun" song by the Beach Boys! Ever ride in a Thunderbird? I did. It was my parents' car. Copper with cream interior. I liked the insignia design. Also, my high school team was the East High Thunderbirds! Here's the cheer: We are the T-Birds, mighty mighty T-Birds. Every where we go people want to know who we are. WE ARE THE T-BIRDS!

Friday Flicks: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Paul Newman and Robert Redford pair up in this fabulous buddy flick Western that made them both stars. Eye candy for the ladies. As a female, I remember thinking that Katharine Ross was so lucky. Who's your fave? Redford or Newman?

It's a High Fly Ball, Charlie Brown!

Life is full of unexpected surprises.

THE SCENE
Sunday at church. The service is over and everyone is heading home.

FRIEND: Hey, Luana. Would you like to play on the church softball team?

ME: (Stalling) When is it?

FRIEND: The games will be in August until mid-September.

ME: (Still stalling) Well, I'm going to be out of town the first week of August.

FRIEND: No problem. We really need some players.

ME: (Remembering my history in sports) I'm a terrible player. The worst.

FRIEND: That's okay. It's just for fun. Come on! We could really use you.

ME: (Thinking it might be fun after all) When do you need to know?

FRIEND: By the end of the week.

ME: (Seriously considering it) Okay, let me think about it.

So yesterday I'm at church working with kids at Vacation Bible School and the pastor comes up to me with a roster on a clipboard:

PASTOR: (Handing me the roster and a pen) Would you like to sign up for the church softball team?

ME: Absolutley!

THE END

Tuesday Tunes: Suite Judy Blue Eyes

Another song introduced to me by my adoring hubby back in the days when we were falling in love. I love the harmony in this song by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

Friday Flicks: Lucas

Lucas (Corey Haim) is a 14-year-old who is the ultimate high school nerd. But that doesn't stop him from trying to fit in. He meets Maggie (Kerri Green), the new girl in town, during summer vacation and falls in love. But once school starts, Maggie develops a crush on football star, Cappie. (Charlie Sheen). Meanwhile fellow nerd Rina (Winona Ryder) has a secret crush on Lucas.

This movie has some fun moments, but I was more drawn to the serious side. One scene that really impacted me was the lunchroom scene where Lucas, Rina and the other nerdy kids are talking about a fellow student that had committed suicide. It's a serious, sad discussion. Meanwhile on the other side of the room the football players and cheerleaders are laughing and joking around. The camera juxtaposes between the two groups. It was very powerful.

Tuesday Tunes: You're So Vain

Carly Simon's signature song . . .takes me back to the good old days when it played on the radio. One of the first songs I learned to play and sing when I got my first guitar in 1973.

My Deer!

We were driving up to Cook Lake yesterday and saw
this deer among the aspen.

Friday Flicks: A Few Good Men

Based on Aaron Sorkin's stage play, A Few Good Men (1992), grabs you by the throat from the first scene and doesn't let go. The screenplay (also by Sorkin) is brilliant. I use this movie as inspiration for writing my own screenplays. Would love to see the stage play sometime.

Tuesday Tunes: Hey, Good Lookin'

My mama used to sing this song to me and my brother when we were little tykes running around the house while she was cooking dinner.

Collaboration is like improv

I've learned a lot over the last year about collaboration and have come to this conclusion -- to successfully work with others on a project, you should follow the rules of improv:

NEVER SAY "NO": Say "yes, and. . ."  when someone offers an idea. A positive response keeps the creative flow moving. It just makes sense. When you say, "no," people shut down, confidence falters, people go into survival mode and it's game over.

LISTEN: Don't just wait for your chance to talk. See where they're going and follow them.

TRUST: They want the project to succeed as much as you do. They are not trying to sabotage you.

BE SPECIFIC: Details help others to visualize your idea. Don't say "a man gets into a car" -- say "Raymond Lipton, Attorney at Law, slipped behind the wheel of his red Mustang."

FOCUS: Keep the big picture in mind and everything else will fall into place.

HAVE FUN! Communicating with others and sharing ideas is an exhilarating experience. Enjoy the journey.

Friday Flicks: Horse Feathers

Big Marx Brothers fan here. Gotta share one of my favorite scenes from Horse Feathers (1932).

The Room

My spare bedroom will be available soon and I can transform it into my dream room. An art studio/office! The room has great light and an eastern exposure.

I want a room where I can have my art supplies available and create to my heart's content. I also want it to serve as an office for my writing and movie projects.

Here's my task list:
Paint the walls
Lay floor tile (You don't want carpet in an art studio. Not practical)
New computer desk (Perhaps an "L" shape with lots of desk area for my computer monitors, printer and writing space)
Book shelves
Floor lamp
Papasan chair (I've always wanted one!)

My shelves will be low so I can use my wall space to hang artwork.

Maybe a decorative table water fountain for relaxation and inspiration.

Don't talk to me about Feng Shui. I'm pretty sure I'll be breaking every rule in the book. I like mirrors and they supposedly bounce the Chi out of your space. Like bullets off Superman's chest.

Pedal Pushers

I'm inspired by the old Victorian bicycles and am doing preliminary sketches for a painting. There's something truly beautiful about the design of these bicycles with the big front tire and the small back tire. I'm trying to imagine what it was like to ride something like this down the street. Seems like it would be hard to climb on and off. Take a look at these beautiful images:

How old were you when you learned to ride a bike? I was about 10 or 11. But once I got going I rode all the time. I remember at age 17 I got a bright yellow ten-speed for my birthday. I didn't get my driver's license until I was 20.

Tuesday Tunes: Prelude Bach Cello Suite in G Major

The film series, Inspired by Bach, features the beautiful interpretation of Bach's Cello Suites performed by world class cellist Yo Yo Ma. The series comprises six short films, each showcasing one of the cello suites and focusing an a different artistic element. This clip is from The Music Garden (the cello suite in G Major), a documentary about creating a music garden in Toronto.

A Hot Night in Bedrock

Today we strike the set for "Casablanca/The Maltese Falcon." I had so much fun in the show, meeting new people and rekindling friendships. I've also acquired new followers on my blog and thought you all might get a kick out of my humorous short story that I posted a while back called "A Hot Night in Bedrock." It's a parody of The Flintstones, 1960s cartoons and Sam Spade.

A Hot Night in Bedrock

It was a hot night in Bedrock. Sweat was pouring down my back and the monkey that pedaled the fan motor decided to take a banana break. When you’re a private investigator, you sometimes have to burn the midnight oil, and this was one of those nights.

It had been a long day and I was just about to mosey down to the local watering hole for a tall glass of pterodactyl juice on the rocks before heading home to watch the match between the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. Bugs, my bookie, had given me a tip that tonight the bird was gonna lose . . . and lose big. I’d bet 100 clams on the coyote. The odds were high, but if Bugs knew what he was talking about, I’d be swimming in oysters for a month.

I grabbed my hat and walked toward the door when a dame walked in. Dames are a dime a dozen in Bedrock, but this one stood out like a cherry on a vanilla cone. She was tall, slender, and her red hair was pinned on top of her head with a little dinosaur bone. Her sexy white dress looped over a shapely shoulder and a single strand of pearls enhanced the curve of her neck. I could tell she was nervous and a little flustered.

“Are you Rocky Feldspar? Private Eye?”

“That depends on who wants to know.”

“My name is Flintstone. Wilma Flintstone.”

Flintstone . . . Flintstone . . . the name was familiar. I knew a Reuben Flintstone who worked out of Jellystone Park undercover as a bear, staking out picnic basket thieves. I’d also heard of a Seymore Flintstone, an informer that had testified in the Bullwinkle Moose trial and was now in the witness protection program. But one look at Wilma’s baby browns told me I was sniffing around the wrong fire hydrant.

“Have a seat,” I said, and offered her a chair next to my desk. She crossed her legs and her skirt slid up a few inches, but she quickly pulled it down over her dimpled knees.

“So, what’s your story,” I asked.

“I think my husband is trying to kill me.”

“What do you mean?”

She started to tear up and unsnapped her turtle purse, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe her eyes.

“Fred’s a foreman at the Rockhead Quarry. He’s not much in the brains department … or looks either, for that matter . . . but he’s a good provider.”

“Go on.”

“He’s a simple man. A member of the Royal Order of Water Buffalos. He goes bowling on Friday nights. And all he wants from me is a rack of barbequed spare ribs ready for him when he comes home.”

“Sounds like a great guy.”

She picked up on my sarcasm right away and a smile played at the corner of her mouth. “Yeah,” she said. “Fred’s one in a million.”

“Then why do you think he wants you dead?”

She unsnapped her purse again and pulled out an envelope, which she passed on to me. “I found this in his bowling bag. An insurance policy worth 500,000 big ones.”

I opened the envelope. The policy was legit, all right. Looked like Flintstone was in like flint . . . if he could pull it off. But something in my gut told me there was more to the story. I looked up and Wilma was standing next to me. She took the bone out of her hair and auburn tresses cascaded down her back.

“I’m pretty sure Fred is having an affair,” she said in a sultry voice.

I’d been down this road before. A dame finds out her husband has a lover, so she goes after the first guy she finds to prove she’s still desirable. I’d learned that lesson the hard way with Jane Jetson. Her husband George came after me one night with a loaded forty-five. Lucky for me his aim was lousy and he just riddled the wall behind me full of holes. What do you expect from a guy who walks his dog on a treadmill.

“Look, sweetheart,” I growled, grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her back into the chair. “I’m not gonna play your reindeer games.” She looked hurt, but got over it faster than you could say “yabba dabba doo.” She pinned her hair back up with the dinosaur bone and smiled.

“No games, Feldspar. I just thought it would help the case if you knew what Fred was up to in his spare time. Not that I care. Our marriage has been dead for years. We’re only staying together for the sake of Pebbles.”

“Fruity Pebbles? The cereal?”

“No. Our baby daughter.”

“So who’s the dame?”

“Betty Rubble.”

I wrote the name down, but it was just for show. I knew Betty. A slinky brunette with big brown eyes and legs that wouldn’t quit. Fred didn’t know what he was getting in to, the poor sap.

“How do you know he’s having an affair?”

“He comes home late from work with lipstick on his collar. And I found some pink panties in his pocket. Not mine.”

“Maybe they’re his.”

“Not a chance. They were monogrammed ‘B.R.’ I know they belonged to Betty.” She showed about as much emotion as an accountant reciting the tax code at an IRS conference.

Like I said, I knew Betty very well. But I also knew about her dopey husband Barney and the double life he led. Those panties were his or my name wasn’t Rocky Feldspar.

“Can you help me, Feldspar? I heard you were the best P.I. in Bedrock.”

I couldn’t argue with her there. I was proud of my record. If it wasn’t for me, Mr. Magoo would still be jaywalking. And thanks to my efforts, Speedy Gonzales was locked up in the slammer without parole for running guns in Mexico. In fact, because of my deft detective skills, Boris and Natasha were nabbed for trying to skip the country with that nuclear warhead. Now they were waiting their turn at the gas chamber instead of knocking back vodka shots in Minsk.

I walked over to Wilma and put my arms around her. She didn’t resist. Despite her cavalier air, I knew she was in pain. I don’t usually get personally involved with my clients, but there was something about her that aroused my inner caveman.

“Sure angel, I’ll take the case.”

“Can I call you Rocky?”

“Call me whatever you like.” I turned off the desk lamp and we embraced in the moonlight. Tomorrow I would get to work, but first I had a bone to pick with Wilma Flintstone.

THE END

Friday Flicks: All the President's Men

I was 17 when President Nixon resigned in 1974. I remember sitting with my family watching his address to the nation on TV. Everyone was stunned. I wasn't really following politics at the time - I was more into clothes, Linda Ronstadt and the Sonny & Cher Show, but I'll never forget that day.

When the movie came out a few years later, I was older and wiser. Married with a child, politics moved to the front burner pretty quick and I wanted to learn all I could about Watergate. All the President's Men remains one of my all time favorite films.

My Hollywood Rant

Find out what I think about Men in Black 3D. Just visit my movie blog at Skating Buffalo.

Tuesday Tunes: Radar Love

One of my favorite radio songs from the 70s. Great road trip tune!

Cheyenne International Film Festival

This weekend was amazing. My movie, The Bear Switch Project was screened at the CIFF and it was amazing to see the audience laughing and enjoying the movie. I saw some fantastic films and met some wonderful people. I was even on a filmmakers panel fielding questions from the audience. So surreal! I feel like a "reel" filmmaker.

I appeared on our local TV channel a few days ago to promote the festival, which was also amazing. We had a reception almost every night of the festival which took place May 17 through May 20. I also had my photo taken with a couple of other women filmmakers, one from Boulder, Colorado and one from Latvia!

It's Sunday night and I'm exhausted. But it was the craziest, whirlwind weekend of my life!

Tuesday Tunes: Good Day Sunshine

How about kicking off the day with this fun Beatles tune.

We're Not in Kansas Anymore

Courtesy "The Flying McCoys" Glen and Gary McCoy