The Non-Shopper's Shopping Trip

Anybody who knows me might know that I don't like shopping. However, if I HAVE to, I can. Ugh. Also, if I need something, I'll do it. Double Ugh.

I decided I needed a dress coat. I've been wearing a parka to school and to Church (and to Music Arts, Concerts, etc.) for years. I have an ancient long quilted garage-sale special that I got right after moving here from Hawaii. It's great for walking to work in the snow or when you have to be out and it's bitter cold. But wearing a parka to church was kind of wearing on me. I wanted a dressier coat. So I went shopping. Gag me. Bealls has some good deals, so I checked them out and I even made Gail come with me. It helps to make the shopping a little more tolerable. And it actually helps quite a bit. She's got good taste. I did find a nice blouse (which I am NOT wearing in the picture), but I passed on the coats. I really liked one, but it had no pockets! I HAVE to have pockets. But I really liked it. I was waffling.

I looked at Penny's when we were in St. George on Friday. Good prices, but not exactly what I wanted. If they were two to three inches longer, I might have bought one. Maybe.

A few days later, I looked at Christensen's. They didn't have a big choice.

A day later, I got a coupon on the mail from Bealls, for $10 off. Then I got to thinking, "Hey, I can sew! If the price is right and I really like that coat, I should just get it and then I can put in my OWN pockets!" Duh. They had fake ones, I thought. Well, I went there after work with Mike and tried it on again today, and guess what? The pockets were NOT fake--they were real! Yay. So they rang it up for me. It rang up for less than what was on the price tag, then my coupon took even MORE off the price so I ended up with a $168 wool-blend coat for under $55. I thought it was a great deal. So much so that I let Mike take a picture of me in it. Boring blah black, but I like it. And it has pockets. :-)

When a non-shopper has a positive shopping experience, she simply MUST share! (Did I mention it had pockets?)

Aunt Tuny's Christmas Get-together 2010

Some Christmas Pictures

The decorating theme was a bit "off" this year. I kind of got behind and never quite caught up. That's a pumpkin on the window sill, along with Christmas pointsettias and gifts. And a tree, of course.
Waiting, waiting, waiting, oh so patiently on Christmas morning.
A new scooter!
I feel loved. I questioned whether or not to even send cards this year. I mean, really, does anyone even care any more? But I do! I LOVE getting cards. So I send cards. That BIG one on the bottom is really a card to Mike from a couple of his students.

A New CAR!
Katie and Casey decided to come to Cedar City and see family this Christmas. They arrived Christmas day in the afternoon and stayed in town until Monday. They spent time with Casey's family, too.
Hayden moves. Fast. All the time, I think. Plus, I'm still getting used to a new camera and not doing so well.
Katie, Nick, Mike's feet and Hayden.
Caroline wearing a "bow" in her hair.
Mike, Nick, Gail on sofa; Seth and Jonathan in background.

Zion, Dec 24.

Nick took me hiking on Christmas Eve. We went to Zion National Park in the morning. It was very cold. See the icicles hanging off the plants above the trail?
You could see your breath. There were not many people around when we started, but the parking lot at Weeping Rock and Observation Point trailheads soon filled up.
These pictures are not in order. Of course. I'm bloggerly challenged. This(above) is a shot that Nick took after we separated. You see, Nick was bound and determined to hike the Observation Point trail. However, partway up the 4 mile trek to the top, we found that water covered the trail. I decided not to cross it. Nick went ahead and removed shoes and socks, borrowed a walking pole from the fellow hikers who caught up with us at the stream crossing (he tossed it back to the fellow after wading across), and waded across freezing water that was way too fast and deep for MY tastes! I kind of have a bum hip right now and didn't relish the thought of going swimming in such cold weather. But he didn't get wet above the knees and just dressed again and headed on up the trail. Here I am below, watching him depart for the rest of the hike. I headed back to the car to study my Sunday Lesson.
Weeping Rock is usually just a weeping rock, maybe a trickle of a water fall. This was a Pouring, Roaring waterfall. I took a video, too, but will not attempt to insert it in the blog. I think I was pushing my luck to get one video posted from AGW. Sobbing Rock. Pouring Your Heart Out Rock. Not just weeping.
Below. Just one of the pretty scenes of why we love Zion National Park. It's just gorgeous.
Looking down into the river valley.
Nick, after removing shoes, socks, rolling up jeans and wading across the quickly-flowing and VERY cold stream.
This is MY version of an "Artsy" shot. The camera was set on the little wall at a switchback and I took a close-up of the teeny little pebbles that were being washed away from all the recent rain. I thought it looked like a little "Mars"-scape.
I love moss. It's one of my favorite things in nature. Nick's is water. I love water, too, but moss has it both! It's full of water this particular day. The water was all over the place, over the trail, running down stark rock cliffs, trickling down the stream beds and rumbling down the river.
Oh, Zion! Dear Zion! That's Angel's Landing in the fore front with the shadow upon it.
Nick walked 8 miles, I did about 3 to 4. But I don't think I was up to the full Hike. That amount was just fine until my hip is back to normal. (Darn Yoga moves!) ha.

Awwww

No Mexico. Nine days before we were to leave, the University administration canceled out Service Learning trip to Guaymas, Mexico. So sad. It seems that even the U.S. State department does not allow their employees or family members to cross any point of the US/Mexico border in any vehicles due to the dangers, so that means we shouldn't go, either.

It's fine in Guaymas. If we could just get ourselves there. Unfortunately, we don't have enough money to fly us all there and avoid the border crossing. And we don't know how to teleport or apparate.

That's the bad news. The good news is I have a week off! Yay! I've been home one day and accomplished a LOT of things on my list, set up a "wrapping station" for gift wrapping in my room, shopped for stuff, mailed some stuff, organized some stuff (like sweaters in my closet, but that was a good thing--they kept falling on my head every time I opened my closet door!). And I'm going to cook dinner tonight, too, and give Gail a little break.

I love being home.