11/29/11 

HOLIDAY RECITAL

Sunday, Dec. 11th

2:00 PM

First Congregational UCC

724 E. South River St. 

Appleton, WI  54911

Instructor Sunny Link: 920-284-5447

8/23/11  We LOVE our new location!  Fall lesson times are filling up fast, so call today to reserve your spot!

7/16/11  Stone Cottage Studio is moving!  Our new address is 5317 Grande Market Dr. in Appleton, WI.  Our new space is lovely, with a comfy seating area and plenty of room in the studio area.  See you there!

8/28/10   Just returned from a working vacation in Gatlinburg, TN.  Connie and I went as caregivers for 3 developmentally disabled gentlemen.  Let me just say, if you need a wheelchair friendly place to stay, I would highly recommend Westgate Resort in the Smoky Mountains.  Their handicap condos were excellent (for example, the bathroom had enough room for a wheelchair and an attendant.)  They had 2 shuttles that were wheelchair accessible, so we just had to call when we were ready to head to the bottom of the mountain.  The resort itself is built on the side of the mountain, so roads and drives are very steep and winding.  All the staff were very friendly and helpful. 

Wildbear Falls Water Park is an okay visit, but nothing to compare with the Wisconsin Dells.  They do NOT have a handicapped transfer system, so you'll need 2 people to transfer your wheelchair friends into the water.  It includes 2 water slides, 1 lazy river, 1 small toddler area, 1 dump-bucket water jungle gym, 2 hot tubs, and 1 regular pool.  The resort includes 2 outdoor pools, but these are even less wheelchair accessible. 

They have managed to preserve their natural surroundings (so much so that black bears are sometimes a problem!).  If you eat at their restaurant - The Smokehouse Grill - I highly recommend the BBQ Brisket or the Flat Iron Steak.  Staff there are especially friendly.

The Smokies were amazing.  Over 840 miles of trails.  Beautiful drives.  Awe-inspiring scenery.  Wildlife.  The butterflies were amazing!  If you're looking for souvenirs, stop at one of the Welcome Centers.  They really have the best selection, and a portion of the proceeds help support the Great Smoky Mountain National Forest. 

8/17/10  Check out this video clip of our new friends - Humans: Sally and Tom and Alpacas: Olivia and baby Seymour.  Seymour was born at the Outagamie County Fair.  He's the little tan and white fellow running across the field at the very end of this clip.

8/4/10  This week has been fleece week.  Travelled up to Sturgeon Bay with my knitting buddies Rhonda and Debra.  We picked up 5 Cheviot sheep fleece on Wednesday.  This week I washed one up and started combing and spinning it.  Cheviot is traditionally used for tweed fabric, so it is a very dense fluffy fiber.  It will be great for hats, potholders, and other home items.  Not quite soft enough for things close to the skin like sweaters and such.