Gratitude list for April 2019 #GratitudeCircle

I am late again to write my gratitude list for last month. This month is a bit busy, that's the reason.

April is mostly dedicated to dance performances and I could complete only one book which was a wonderful read. We went on a fabulous family vacation for 4 days which was relaxing.

Here are a few things that I am grateful for last month:

1. Dance performances

In April, I performed twice. I did both solo and group performances. I feel grateful to my parents and to my Guru for imparting me this skill.

I am not very experienced at choreography but I attempted a group choreography of classical dance this time. My choreography came out well but of course, there is a scope for improvement and I will work on that in the future.

2. Family Vacation
As we have always wanted to, we could go on a road trip covering 1200 miles in 3 days and 4 nights. We also enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Utah.

My travelogues are below:


Utah Vacation Plan with Kids

Day 1 - Arches National Park and Canyonlands National park

Day 2 - Monument Valley Park and Four Corners National monument

Day 2 - Mesa Verde National Park

Day 3 - Pagosa Springs and Crestone
I am grateful to my husband for understanding me so well. I am thankful to God that we could pull off this trip successfully with a 4 yr old without any problems.

The Delicate Arch trail was tough but with proper planning and multiple stops, we could make it to the top and see the Arch which is on Utah's License plate. We thoroughly enjoyed the dirt road ride in Monument Valley Park.

3. The Book Of Hidden Things

Last month, I could complete only this book. This is very interesting but I couldn't find time to finish it in one go, I had to read bits and pieces for many days. 

I loved the book, thus, the rating 5/5. Read my review here. I am grateful to the access to the local library here with great books and the free library card.

This gratitude list is not big but the most satisfying one. What are you grateful for this month / last month? Do let me know in comments.

Until next time,

Linking this to #GratitudeCircle hosted by Vidya Sury. 

Lake and mountains #wordlesswednesday

This lake is serene!

Linking this to #wordlesswednesday hosted by Natasha and Esha.

Until next time,

Day 3 : Pagosa Springs and Crestone #UtahVacation

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Before going to our Day 3 travelogue, please go through below posts to follow the itinerary.

Utah Vacation Plan with Kids

Day 1 - Arches National Park and Canyonlands National park

Day 2 - Monument Valley Park and Four Corners National monument

Day 2 - Mesa Verde National Park

We reached our hotel in Pagosa Springs on the night of day 2 itself. We intentionally took more rest on day 3 instead of visiting places. When we plan any vacation with kids, this is very important. Continuous traveling will impact kids making them cranky. So, we wanted to get up late, enjoy the breakfast buffet, relax in the pool and hot tub before starting our drive.

As mentioned in the previous post, Chimney Rock National monument is around 30 mins drive from Pagosa Springs. This is a good place to visit if you are interested in archeology and native American Lifestyle.

Chimney Rock
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It also makes sense to visit the world's deepest geothermal hot springs. There are 3 locations with access to hot springs in Pagosa Springs - The Springs Resort & Spa, Healing waters Resort &Spa and the new Overlook Mineral Springs Spa.

Hot Springs
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We drove towards Treasure falls, which is seen from the highway itself. There is a short hike going near the falls, but we couldn't go on a hike due to time constraint. Treasure falls is beautiful and it is worth the hike.

Treasure Falls

After crossing treasure falls, the drive is very scenic with mountains and valleys. We crossed 'Wolf Creek Pass' and skiing area as well on the way. The views were breathtaking.

Our next stop was to Crestone. 

The drive from Pagosa Springs to Crestone is scenic too.

Near Crestone

This Mahalakshmi temple and Haidakhandi Universal Ashram is in the foothills of San De Cristo mountains. The place is peaceful, good for meditation and yoga. The devotees perform aarti every evening at 6 PM and they provide overnight accommodation as well on request. There is also a Mahalakshmi shop with brass idols and pooja related items. 

Mahalakshmi temple and Haidakhandi Ashram

They have built this ashram in a self-sustainable way by properly utilizing the natural Sunlight to the advantage. The Ashram kitchen also offers lunch to the devotees. Visit this site to know more about this ashram.  

I have also heard that there is a small waterfall near the temple which is accessible by a short hike. We couldn't go for that as we had to return to Colorado Springs. We could reach Springs by 6pm itself which gave us enough time to rest and get ready for our daily grind from Monday. 

Thus, our 3-day Vacation ended on a happy note. 

Bonus Tips:

1. There is one specific part that we left on this trip which is on the way - Telluride and Ouray. These mountain towns are on the way to Pagosa Springs from Mesa Verde. We wanted to cover these places in the next fall and of course, we need another 2 days to relax in the Switzerland of America(Ouray).

2. One more part that you can customize is the plan from Monument Valley Park. We have covered Four Corners and Mesa Verde after Monument valley, But if you have time for 2 more days, I suggest you cover Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and Lake Powell from there as you will be nearer to Arizona border from there. 

Accommodations near Pagosa Springs:

So, How do you like our travelogue? Do let me know in comments.

Until next time,

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This post is written as part of a blog train #letsblogwithpri hosted by Prisha. Thanks to Revati for introducing me to this blog train. I would love to introduce Noor Anand to the blog train. Noor writes on multiple topics like food, travel, parenting etc., Read her posts.

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Spring Blooms #ThursdayTreeLove

I have captured these blooms 1 week ago, unfortunately it is snow this week making trees fall with heavy snow.

Linking this post to #ThursdayTreeLove hosted by Parul and to #wordlesswednesday hosted by Natasha and the sky girl.

Until next time,

Day 2 - Mesa Verde National Park

Before going to our Day 2 travelogue, please go through below posts to follow the itinerary.

Utah Vacation Plan with Kids

Day 1 - Arches National Park and Canyonlands National park

Monument Valley Park and Four Corners National monument

On Day 2, we have covered 2 national monuments and 2 national parks. Since it is becoming a lengthy post, I had to split my Day 2 itinerary to 2 posts.

We covered Monument valley park and Four corners monument by afternoon 3 pm and we headed towards Cortez to reach Mesa Verde National park. 

Our next stop was to Mesa Verde national park. The statue before the visitor center is amazing.

This national park in Southern Colorado is known for it's well preserved ancient Puebloan cliff dwellings. Today, this park protects around 5000 archeological sites and 600 cliff dwellings.

Be sure to stop by the visitor center to buy tickets for the Longhouse, Cliff Palace and Balcony House. Cliff Palace and Balcony house tours are a must if you visit this place and the tours require you to climb ladders and even crawl a bit at some places. Check this website for Visitor center hours and the opening/ closure information of some sites.

Our first stop was to Spruce tree house overlook, which is near the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum. We spent some time in the museum watching the exhibits of ancient pueblo culture. Spruce tree house overlook is very nearer to the museum. This is 3rd largest and best-preserved cliff dwelling in the park. 

The drive to the spruce tree house from the visitor center is also very scenic with road going through the hills and valleys. 

We drove the 20 miles scenic loop in the park. On the way, we stopped at overlooks to watch Cliff palace, Square tower house and Sun temple at the end of the loop. 

Here is a slide show of the pictures:





Square tower house looked really beautiful and we should appreciate the park for preserving these ancient dwellings. Cliff Palace looked great too. Since we reached late, we couldn't go on a tour but I definitely recommend touring it.

Balcony House was closed in April when we visited and it might be open in Summer. We started back by around 7 pm and started our drive to the hotel. We booked our accommodation in Pagosa Springs for that night, which is known for the world's deepest geothermal hot springs.

On the way to Pagosa Springs, we crossed Chimney Rock National monument. It is just 15 to 20 mins before you reach Pagosa Springs. Since it was late for us, we couldn't visit this monument.

Will meet you with the travelogue of Day 3 where we visited 'Treasure Falls' and Mahalakshmi temple in Crestone.

Until next time,

5 tips to overcome Reader's Block #TheBookBlogTrain

In all these years from my childhood, I rarely felt the reader's block. Actually, my situation is the other way around. If possible, I would love to read every day but it is never possible due to work and family. 

But, I remember once or twice feeling like no book is interesting and when I get any bad book for review, this sets me off. I usually, don't stop reading any book in the middle until it is a genre that I really hate or the language is too tough to follow. Did you ever face a reader's block? How did you come out of it?

What is Reader's block?

Reader's block is a feeling of disinterest to finish reading a book. The reason can be any external distraction like responsibilities, stress, or notifications from a smartphone or social media. Whatever may be the reason, sometimes we might feel like the book doesn't sound interesting enough to continue and even after changing to some other book, this feeling continues. Due to this, we cannot complete any book for some time.

A few tips that I suggest if you are going through the phase of Reader's block:

1. Pick a different genre
This works for most of the people. I usually read fiction, thriller, and horror. So, choosing a different genre is refreshing to the mind and it may sound interesting. Try that!

2. Read some short stories
If nothing interests your mind, try reading short stories. One benefit is that you will feel accomplished as you will complete a short story within an hour. So, this brings you out of Reader's block quickly. Usually, a collection of short stories of different genres is interesting and you might like at least one story out of 3.

3. Become busy with some other hobby before picking another book
Try painting or hiking or writing something before picking another book. This will bring your creative mind running and mental relaxation is beneficial. 

4. Read book reviews
When I am bored, I usually read random book reviews on Goodreads.com.  This will help me to pick a good book next time and there are fewer chances of not liking that book or stop reading it in the middle.

5. Visit book stalls and Libraries
A visit to the library/book stall is so refreshing, even when I don't buy any book. Reading different book blurbs, checking the book covers and choosing books is refreshing. When we spend time searching for our favorite book, buy/ rent it and then read it, it is more satisfying and there is less chance of not liking that book.

Do you enjoy visiting Book fairs? It's like a paradise for book lovers, right? We can spend hour and hours browsing books. If you are also like me, check this link from Kotobee website which consolidates the list all international book fairs across the world. 


Those are some tips to overcome Reader's block. How do you like them? Do you think they are useful to you to continue reading good books?

Let me know your thoughts in comments.

Until next time,

This article is written as a part of #Thebookblogtrain conducted by Vidhya Thakkar and Siddhi Palande powered byPenguin India and Redwolf should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. Hosts are not responsible for any infringement caused.”

Pass on the ball please 🙂 #wordlesswednesday

Found this sculpture at Peublo River walk, Colorado.

Linking this to #wordlesswednesday hosted by Natasha and the sky girl.

Until next time,

Day 2 - Monument Valley Park and Four Corners #UtahRoadTrip

This post may contain affiliate links, clicking on those links may earn some commission to us without any additional cost to you.

Before going to our Day 2 travelogue, please go through below posts to follow the itinerary.

Utah Vacation Plan with Kids

Day 1 - Arches National Park and Canyonlands National park

We stayed at Bluff, UT at Kokopelli Inn. This budget-friendly inn is decent with cool interior decor aligning with the Native American culture.  We have reached the hotel late but realized that it is just 1 mile from Twin rocks and 1 hr away from Monument Valley park. 

Mexican Hat

We started to Monument Valley park after breakfast on Day #2 and our first stop is at Mexican Hat to take a picture. To go nearer to the rock formation, you should go on a dirt road. Then, we saw the Valley of Gods and the drive is very scenic. Wind and water erosion over millions of years on Colorado Plateau resulted in this scenic park with many rock formations. 

The Famous Forrest Gump image

View from the Visitor Center

As you are about to reach the park you will see the famous image of Monument Valley park where Forrest Gump movie is picturized. The road and the rock formations form a fantastic view. Tourists even take photos in the middle of the road. After reaching the Visitor center, we refreshed, bought some momentoes and took photos. The Visitor center has some good photo opportunity places. Entry is $5 per head.

Elephant Butte

There is a scenic 17-mile loop drive which is a dirt road covering all rock formations. A 4X4 vehicle is preferred but we could drive our Van carefully. There are many Ups and Downs full of dirt and sand. The park is all about different rock formations - Buttes, Spires and Mesas. While Mesas are big horizontal gigantic rocks, Spires are lean and tall. Buttes are like Mesas but slightly narrow.

On the way to Four Corners monument from  Monument Valley, we came across Ship Rock, which is a gigantic Volcanic Ash rock. 

Our Next stop is the Four Corners monument. Here is one place in the USA where four states meet - Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico.

Four Corners monument is not properly maintained, no proper toilets and other facilities. But, it is interesting to stand where four states meet, right? So, if you are passing through that way, ensure that you visit this place too.

After our late lunch, we reached Mesa Verde National park around 4 PM. My Next post will cover Mesa Verde National park in detail as this post is becoming very lengthy.

We also came across these rocks on the way to Mesa Verde, which are called Baby Rocks. They looked cute and unique.

So, Guys! That's it about Day #2, Let us meet in the next post where I share details about Mesa Verde National Park.

Accommodations near Monument Valley:

Until next time,

This post is written as part of a blog train #letsblogwithpri hosted by Prisha. Thanks to Revati for introducing me to this blog train. I would love to introduce Shruthi to the blog train. Read her posts : https://aahamyaworldwithmaa.wordpress.com/.





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Mummasaurus.com
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Services & Amenities Offered for Our Senior Living in Denver

Everyone approaches aging a little differently. Everyone's circumstances during their later years differ, too. For some, their life is not disrupted. They suffer no limiting conditions and they have their children to lean on for care and support. For others, chronic health issues do present themselves and complete support from their children is not an option. Now that the population is aging in greater numbers and the population is living longer, solutions are being developed including senior housing denver options.

Housing options for seniors are both increasing and improving. Communities solely for this age group are being built in areas that go beyond the typical retirement cities.

Here are three amenities offered by senior housing communities to consider.

Freedom

The representatives of communities for older adults understand their customers. Not every person looks forward to the day when they are moved out of the home where they made their life and into one that is foreign to them. Suddenly, their routine is gone as well as their neighbors and favorite local stores. So, these alternative options are designed to give residents the freedom they desire. Even those who develop chronic conditions that limit mobility do not want to feel like they are less free to make their own decisions. These communities offer the freedom to participate in hobbies and activities they enjoy like reading, gardening or exercising.

Safety

For older adults, especially those with chronic conditions that limit mobility, safety is very important. Older adults are more vulnerable to those with nefarious intentions simply because their reaction times are slower and their movements could be impeded. Communities for this age group take safety and security seriously. Often, this housing option is gated, and those allowed on the property are screened beforehand.

Support

When residents move into these communities, a profile is set up. If there are conditions or situations that must be monitored, they will be according to specific needs.

Moving into senior housing denver can be a positive experience thanks to the freedom, safety and support their staff offers to residents.

Until next time,