6 best bits: West to Westcliffe and my week driving a 2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited

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The town of Westcliffe is one of my favorite spots in Colorado. My mom had property outside of town for quite a few years, and my husband and I used to take our daughters camping there a few times each summer for several summers in a row. Some of our most memorable family fun took place in Westcliffe, with the Sangre de Cristo mountain range providing a spectacular backdrop.

Though our favorite camping spot was sold many years ago, my family and I still enjoy the scenic trip west to the tiny town—where my dad now lives. Coming around the curve just before town and seeing the Sangres spread out before us never fails to take our breath away.

subaru outback sangre de cristos

The trip to Westcliffe, with its steep grades and twisty-turny pass through the...

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Teach kids Morse code, plus GRAND Social No. 153 link party for grandparents

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Teach kids Morse code

Hard to believe but it's once again Morse Code Day! Yes, today is the beloved annual celebration of the birth of Samuel Morse (April 27, 1791–April 2, 1872), American painter, inventor, and co-developer of the international code bearing his name.

Do you remember learning Morse code in school? I do. A refresher: Morse code (according to Wikipedia) "is a method of transmitting text information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...Each character (letter or numeral) is represented by a unique sequence of dots and dashes."

international morse code

And it's a fun, off-the-wall thing to share with the grandkids! Try...

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Saturday movie review: Rudderless

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A lot of actors seem to think that because they act, they can direct. Every once in a while, they're perfectly correct and prove to have what it takes to combine a heartfelt and well-written script, spectacular performances from top-notch actors, a spot-on soundtrack, and all the other necessary ingredients to make a beautiful, memorable film.

William H. Macy's directorial debut, RUDDERLESS, unquestionably lands him in that category of actors who turn out to be awesome directors.

rudderless movie

RUDDERLESS stars Billy Crudup, Anton Yeltchin, Felicity Huffman...

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