I Traveled to Jordan Today..

...into the Lost City of Petra!

What an adventure for someone who goes no where!
If you want to learn more, as I plan to, click here for starters.

Do you remember the movie
"Indiana Jones:
Last Crusade"?
Well, walk through the Siq
(to the left) and you come out at
'The Treasury'..
(to the right)
Do you recognize this?
It is where parts were filmed.
The Lost City of Petra is built exclusively out of sandstone.
Beautiful colors, which these photos do absolutely NO justice for.


To the left,
is the Monastery
"ed Deir"
which is a mere
900 steps to reach!"
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"Lawrence of Arabia" was filmed mostly
here in Wadi Rum
(to the right).
Home to the Zalabia Bedouin people.
It is said T.E Lawrence wrote "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom" here.

I had the most incredible journey today....
via video and the traveler who took us there!
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THEN....
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I WON!!!
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All because # 11 is always my 'chosen' number when asked....

Aren't they pretty? And they are my 'birth month flower'!
A touch of Fall indoors now!
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I ALSO......
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Got "dressed up" today!
MY kind of 'dressed up'!
My best Wranglers, a pretty shirt and....




The only make up I own,
...Mascara!







And the most dreaded item in my closet,
...SHOES!




That is as dressed up as I get!
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(I did get more dressed for my niece's graduation in June, ONLY because it was in a BIG city in Minnesota... & I think my family would have made me watch from the skylights if I hadn't.
I actually thought about returning the dress I purchased when I got home...heck!
It was only worn for 3 hours!...but didn't...
And I did get dressed up for our daughters wedding years ago...not sure why I had to though. Cowboy was allowed his spanking new Wranglers & Black Tux jacket & black Cowboy hat..."He wouldn't be Dad if he dressed any other way! "
...cough...er... um .. like I was ever seen in anything but Wranglers?
Dress? nada...but that's Ok "Hydro & The Guy"...

I did it for you because I love you!.. )

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WHY?
Did I travel to Jordan?
WHY?
Win a pot of Chrysanthemums?
WHY?
Get 'dressed up'?
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It was Meeting day! That's WHY!
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No, not AA, or PTA; not even a Meeting of the Minds!
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Nope!
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It was our first Women's Farm Club Meeting of the year! Well, more like first of 8!
Why only 8? Because these are hard working Farm/Ranch women!
Harvest is mostly over, and the rush will all begin again in 8 months!
The Club was formed in the 1920's, which is the oldest,still active club in the County!
The women had very little time to socialize, homes were miles and miles apart.
Out of loneliness and lack of the access to socializing, they decided to meet
once a month, at each others homes.
Meeting time was set for 2 pm as these women had to prepare and serve Supper to
their working crews and families~ Supper, being the main large meal of the day.
The women whose families still harvest/ranch,...continue to do that, so the meeting is still 2pm!
There are 42 members ranging from 'Me' to 94 years young.

(Until today, I was the 3rd youngest member. The two younger ones whose lives didn't revolve around agriculture dropped out.)

My~does it feel good to be the "Youngest" at anything these days!

There are 27 active members and the remainder are 'honorary' status, because
they either live too far out and don't drive any longer, or they may be in nursing
or retirement homes elsewhere.
When I was asked to join 3 yrs ago, right after we moved here,
I was honored to be included as a member of the community.
This is the only socializing with other women I get to enjoy.
Everyone has tremendously busy lives and I thoroughly enjoy their company.
The stories they have to tell, the knowledge they willingly share,
and their trials, truiumphs and tears ~I empathize with.
All of these women are strong in faith, family and life.
They are fearless, sincere and have hearts as big as the sky!
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The Club does community work helping to maintain the grounds of the tiny cemetary,
to painting a flag pole or replacing a bench in the park.
They contribute to the battered womens home in Spokane at Christmas with gifts of the little things these women might miss.
Donations are made to certain causes that come to the attention.
(Last year, the Club made a generous contribution to the Fistula Foundation.)
The women help with the sick, the dying or the lonely people in our community.
No matter how wide spread over a map our community is,one of us lives somewhat close to someone in need.Whether it be helping with grocery shopping, a trip to the doctor,
or the need to just have someone sit and listen in a time of suffering.
There is one of us to help. Always.
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Holding to tradition, the two hostesses for the monthly meeting pick a program,
decorate, prepare delicious foods andserve with real china, silver, linens, and tea pots!
I think this idea was incorporated to make their meetings eloquent!To separate themselves from the aprons, stacks of pots and dishes;the dust, the chafe and the grime of their accustomed daily farm lives.
The women know how to put on a grand 'tea party'!
(and, yep, this hillbilly has learned! One time a year, I can pull it off!)
So....
Today, the Program was the sharing of an excursion by a Club member who traveled to Jordan and Egypt last year. Time didn't allow for her to present the complete trip that she had captured on video, but with her narration, her knowledge and the treasures she purchased we all were enthralled and had the feeling we were experiencing the trip with her.
It was an amazing journey! I plan to discover more about the history surrounding the Bedouin people and their country. I am facinated with what I learned today!
The Gift today, was that beautiful pot of Chrysamthemums.

Everyone was asked to speak a number, one at a time.
I was the 21st person to speak,I blurted out #11. Voila! I won!
That just happened to be the number the two hostesses were looking for!
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Yes, I did get 'dressed up'. My way.
The other women go all out with earrings, necklaces, nice slacks and tops.
NONE of them, not even the two gals who dropped outwear jeans and tennis shoes!
JUST ME! I've always been the odd one out.
If someone doesn't like me for the way I am....oh well.
But these women don't care. Everyone is respected in their own rights.
(Besides, I don't own any of those kinds of clothes or accessories they do!
....never been in my budget or on my wish list!)
Now, it's been an exhilerating & exhausting day...
getting gussied up, traveling around the world, and winning a gift!
I'm signing off~
As tomorrow is just another day .....