Some conference pics

Here's the Hyatt at Crown Center where the NGS Conference was held. (you can double click on the photo to enlarge it)





And the lobby from the second floor outside the restaurant.





Here's another view of the lobby. The two crosswalks which collapsed in 1981 were on the second and fourth floors right across this glass area.

Here's a view of downtown KC from outside the hotel at the corner of McGee and 22nd.

The Alexander Calder sculpture "Shiva" in Crown Center outside the Westin.

My Garden....finally!

Dad brought the roto-tiller Sunday and I tilled the garden. Yesterday started my vacation, so I went to Farmer's Market and bought plants and planted them.

Wintering over are my rosemary, chives and two broccoli plants. New for this year 4 sweet banana peppers, 2 Roma plum tomatoes, 4 zucchini and an Italian flat parsley.

Off to Kansas City for the National Genealogy Society Conference in the States! Keep posted!

As always, you can double click on the pics to enlarge them...


My big rosemary bush in the upper left...it's getting huge!


From the left there's the rosemary, then parsley, chives and scattered in the middle are the tomatoes (with the poles), peppers and zucchini (just above the rock).


My red dianthus have really did well this year. Making St. Anthony a nice view!

See ya in a few days! If I can get some pics from the trip out here, I will. Follow me on my blog at

http://mbellmusings.blogspot.com/

See ya!

A new posting...

a new posting at http://mbellmusings.blogspot.com/ .

Happy New Year!! 2008!

Hello again from Nashville! Yes, I know...I haven't added anything out here since the end of June. It's been a tough six months! Really! Maybe I'll tell you about it sometime.

Happy New Year!! WOW! 2008!! Man, I didn't think I'd live this long! I still remembering wondering what it'd be like in 2000 when I turned 39! That was 8 damn years ago!

Just wanted to document the season with some pics I took. I took the Christmas dinner table here at the house. Short crew...Dad, Mom, Uncle John and me. But enough food that I am still eating it...a damn good ham too!!!!


Then my Christmas tree...took off early from work the Tuesday before Christmas to put it up. I'm a late "putter-upper" and I usually leave it up until late January...gives me time to relax and enjoy it.




Now New Years Eve we have a neighborhood party at the intersection of 6th Avenue North and Monroe St. Free champagne and sparklers, a dropping of a neighborhood icon a la the New York Ball, and a good time for everyone. This year, Metro Police joined us, so we had to limit our frivolity. Not as many fireworks...city's don't like neighborhood fireworks. Our dropping icon this year was a beer stein! Even had bubbles coming out...which the camera didn't pick up so well.


And finally, a new addition to the neighborhood festivities...the Eat Me float from "Animal House". It sped around the street the whole evening.


In Germantown you just never know what you'll find!!

It was cold tonight too. That 35 MPH wind cut right through us and the party broke up about 12:20 am. It was 60 today, but only forecasted for 35 tomorrow as the high. Brrr.... Now if it would snow!!!

Wishing you all a very Happy 2008! May you have health, happiness and love! I would like to visit everyone during the year, but I know that is not possible. Maybe in the future, you'll see my smiling face in person.

Mark