Sunset over Rio de Janeiro. Christ the Redeemer stands on top of the highest mountain peak. My husband recently re-retired, and we are front-loading travel. My #AtoZChallenge posts this year will explore our adventures—some pre-retirement, some post. Today’s location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rio de Janeiro has one of the most beautiful physical settings of any city. The sugar loaf mountains rise dramatically from the nearby beaches, and Christ the Redeemer stands, arms outstretched, looking over the entire area. It is absolutely stunning! A small boat glides through the water as the sun sets behind the mountains of Rio de Janeiro The mountains are called sugar loafs because they resemble the shape of the molded sugar that was traditionally sold in Brazil. Although there are many mountains with that shape, there is one in particular that is known to locals and tourists alike as Sugar Loaf. That one has a tram that can be ridden to the top and offers spectacular views of the c...
An image portraying an empty tomb, with sunlight streaming into it I've had a busy week, as John and I went with his sister and brother-in-law on a BYU chartered cruise to Mexico. While the cruise was sports-themed, the arts were also well-represented. We had an absolute blast! The Family Feud game with the sports legends had us all laughing so hard, as did some of the panel discussions. Who knew that Jim McMahon, Jason Buck, and Lee Johnson could be so funny? David Osmond and Savannah Stevenson gave a musical performance that was the best I've seen on a cruise ship. We swam with dolphins and had a hands-on stained glass class. We really had a great time. Arriving home, we were greeted not only by Drexel, our devoted dog, but also by beautiful flowers: on the redbud tree, apple tree, tulips, and forsythia. The lilacs are budding. Even though the week has been so much fun, and I'm happy to be home, this week's Easter Ten Things of Thankful can be summed up easily: I...