When we got to her home and she exited the car, a bit more stressed than usual, she simply said with a chuckle,  ”You’d think I was an old lady.”

 My mother is 87 years young. She continues to work full time at the Five Star Wynn Resort on the Las Vegas Strip. She is known as Grandma Mary in the employee gift shop. She has NEVER been late for work. Has won employee awards, and greets each customer as if he/she were her first.

Live your life and forget your age.

~ Norman Vincent Peale ~

I think he knew my mom, Mary Kepler

My husband, Tim, is a member of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Volunteer Police Department. They were named the #1 volunteer police department in the United States for 2011. That is Sharon Harding, (bottom left photo) holding the trophy, along with Capt. Maczala, from L.V. Metro, and Earl Beach, director of  Metro volunteers at McCarran Airport.

Year-end stats for the McCarran Metro Volunteers are staggering with 3375 shifts and 163,509 public or department assists! Total hours these men and women volunteered at McCarran airport totaled 18,983. That is just for McCarran. Metro Volunteers assist the public all over the Las Vegas Valley in various positions. We can all be proud and grateful for their dedication and time.

When you’re traveling in or out of McCarran Airport and see a YELLOW SHIRT, ask a Volunteer or just say, “Hi.”  They’re there to assist YOU because they care.

Thank you Norman Rockwell

A very warm and thankful Thanksgiving from our house to yours.

Don’t forget to give thanks to whom it belongs.

Our recent trip to Washington D.C. started with a “Welcome to Washington” breakfast in our nation’s capitol. We were greeted in the Lyndon B. Johnson room by Senator Harry Reid of Nevada and several members of his staff. If you are from Nevada, Senator Reid holds a “Welcome to Washington” every Thursday that the Senate is in session. This is followed by a tour of the U.S. Capitol.

Thank you Senator Harry Reid of Nevada

Other state senators/represenatives hold similar greetings.

Go to the name of your senator/represenative and plan ahead.

For more pictures of our “Welcome to Washington” and

our Washington highlights go to

On the Road with Humpty Dumpty.

Dan Wheldon was killed right before our eyes last week, 10-16-11, at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS).

My husband, Tim, and I were in the grandstands on that day, at that time.  Tim is an avid race fan and never misses a main even at the LVMS.  We were in the Neon Garage (pits) that day to see the drivers, crews, cars, and awesome events that took place before the race began. 

U.S. Airforce planes zoomed overhead from Nellis AFB as 34 drivers started their engines. Nineteen cars circled five memorial laps to the tunes of Danny Boy and Amazing Grace in honor of Dan Wheldon only two short hours later. The race was not resumed.

The LVMS is offering a full refund on any tickets that were scanned for the race that day. Tim and I decided to take that refund and when we receive it, we will send it to a charity sponsored for the Wheldon children, Sebastian, 2, and Oliver, 8 months. There is also an online sports auction to take place for Dan’s wife Susie, and children.

1. City Center – new, modern, and huge
2. Wynn Las Vegas – where both my mother and son work
3. Colosseum at Caesars Palace – always great entertainment like Celine Dion or Rod Stewart
4. The Pool at the Mirage Hotel – never swam there but it is beautiful
5. The Canyon Ranch SpaClub at the Venetian – never experienced the spa since my son works at the Wynn Spa but the Venetian is simply fab
6. The Strip – one of a kind on the planet
7. Gaming Classes at the Las Vegas Hilton – I don’t know about the classes but I just heard that their lunch buffet is only $5.00 every Wednesday
8. Dinner at Emeril’s – been there, done that and expect to drop some $
9. Flip it – a big oversized slot machine in several casinos
10. Stratosphere Tower – great view of the whole Vegas Valley from a-top and wild rides t-boot

Kathie’s personal picks:

1. Fountains at the Bellagio – they dance to music
2. UNLV – stroll around the university and the Thomas and Mac Center
3. Downtown – overhead canopy that displays a spectacular show every night
4. Neon Boneyard – a new place for Old Vegas signs
5. Hoover Dam – in a league all its own

You see, there is sooooooo much to see in my city. It’s more than lights and dust. It’s more than showgirls and shows. My family has lived here for 25 years now and its our home. Come visit and find out what Las Vegas is really about.

Oops, I about forgot to mention one of the most popular tourist places in Las Vegas right now, As Seen on TV, The Gold and Silver Pawn Shop – home of Pawn Stars. It’s a hoot not to be missed.

Wish I could have been part of this awesome 45th class reunion.  I was here in Las Vegas thinking of all of the wonderful memories and my friends. I remember something special about each of your endearing faces. We certainly had it all in Iowa Falls. “This feeling will not end.”

The Las Vegas Tenors, Bobby Black, Chris Riggins, and Corwyn Hodge performed a

magnificant Fourth of July concert at the South Point, Las Vegas, NV for an early

afternoon spectacular. The fireworks, presented in the form of musical selections,

celebrated our troops, country, history, boy bands, pop, and opera.

Bobby, thank you for Bring Him Home.

America the Beautiful brought the house to it’s feet,

and two special guests from American Idol and The Jersey Boys

sparked the audience with glee for their performances.

From the first note to the last,

the Las Vegas Tenors certainly exploded on stage with fireworks to remember.

They can be followed on Facebook and their bio can be read on The Tenor Site.

Light it up Cannery

The Eastside Cannery Casino on Boulder Highway, Las Vegas, NV, Lit it up Blue for National Autism Awareness Day the evening of April 2, 2011. Many international communities and organizations joined in this “Blue Event” for a special day of autism awareness. To see a slide show of how the world responded to Light it up Blue follow the highlighted link and you won’t believe your eyes.

Editorial Without Words

That’s the title of this picture, statue, monument, symbol

of Shriners everywhere.

Today, the famous photo is an integral part of the Shriners Hospitals logo, and has been reproduced on stained-glass windows, mosaics, tie tacs, pins, and in statues. A larger-than-life replica of the “Editorial Without Words” stands outside the International Shrine Headquarters building in Tampa. Photographer Randy Dieter presently serves as graphics editor for the Kentucky Post.

Noble Albert Lanier Hortman, the man in the photo carrying Bobbi Jo, passed away on December 6, 2009, two months shy of his 81st birthday. He lived a full life and was one of the fortunate ones to make a place in history that will live in time immemorial.

 Click to see more images of Editorial Without Words