{"id":7957,"date":"2025-12-07T08:41:19","date_gmt":"2025-12-07T13:41:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/?p=7957"},"modified":"2025-12-07T08:41:19","modified_gmt":"2025-12-07T13:41:19","slug":"under-the-big-top","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/?p=7957","title":{"rendered":"Under the Big Top"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\" src=\"http:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/FullSizeRender.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7958\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/FullSizeRender.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/FullSizeRender-300x225.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><figcaption>Oodles of poodles!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>John and I flew home to Hot Springs this week! It\u2019s been really cold here \u2014 we can\u2019t remember when we were last home during winter. Yesterday we bought tickets on a whim to see the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.piccolozoppe.com\/\">Piccolo Zoppe Winter Circus<\/a> and we had so much fun! We laughed and laughed, ooh\u2019ed and ah\u2019ed, and clapped till our hands were red! A small family circus, they are based in Greenbrier, Arkansas &#8211; who knew? More photos below! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the week, I\u2019ve gone to yoga a couple of times\u2026had x-rays of my leg taken, along with a consult with an orthopedic surgeon (all good!)\u2026made a pot of chili with cornbread\u2026baked banana nut bread to take to a new family down the street (coincidentally one of the guys who did our consumables pack-out in October)\u2026went out shopping and to dinner with Alison and Peewee\u2026refilled water jugs downtown\u2026dropped off charity items at the Garland County Humane Society Thrift Store\u2026had lunch with John at the Goat (great hamburger) and at La Hacienda where I had yummy chicken soup:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"240\" height=\"320\" src=\"http:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5339.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5339.jpeg 240w, https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5339-225x300.jpeg 225w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/><figcaption>Cute presentation for the soup!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\" src=\"http:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5334.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7960\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5334.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5334-300x225.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><figcaption>Good Hot Springs mineral water from this fountain on Whittington<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I usually have some things to donate to the Humane Society Thrift Store when I\u2019m home. After a yoga class this week, I noticed a woman in my class carrying a distinctive canvas bag that looked familiar. Yep! It was one that I donated and she bought it at the thrift store! I was happy to see it had a good home! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>John went to a couple of events in Guyana before we left town. Here are a couple of photos from a military event:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"320\" height=\"213\" src=\"http:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5330.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7966\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5330.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5330-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><figcaption>Showing his Army War College tie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"320\" height=\"213\" src=\"http:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5332.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7967\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5332.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5332-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><figcaption>Accepting a plaque for the Embassy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some more photos of the circus!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\" src=\"http:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5355.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7961\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5355.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5355-300x225.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><figcaption>Mongolian acrobats!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"307\" height=\"320\" src=\"http:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/FullSizeRender-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7962\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/FullSizeRender-1.jpeg 307w, https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/FullSizeRender-1-288x300.jpeg 288w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 307px) 100vw, 307px\" \/><figcaption>Jugglers!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"240\" height=\"320\" src=\"http:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5347.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7963\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5347.jpeg 240w, https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5347-225x300.jpeg 225w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/><figcaption>Aerial artists entering the ring<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"240\" height=\"320\" src=\"http:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5350.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7964\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5350.jpeg 240w, https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_5350-225x300.jpeg 225w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/><figcaption>Aerial artists<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"240\" height=\"320\" src=\"http:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/FullSizeRender-2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7965\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/FullSizeRender-2.jpeg 240w, https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/FullSizeRender-2-225x300.jpeg 225w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/><figcaption>Contortionists<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>John and I flew home to Hot Springs this week! It\u2019s been really cold here \u2014 we can\u2019t remember when we were last home during winter. Yesterday we bought tickets on a whim to see the Piccolo Zoppe Winter Circus and we had so much fun! We laughed and laughed, ooh\u2019ed and ah\u2019ed, and clapped [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7957"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7957"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7957\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7968,"href":"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7957\/revisions\/7968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.criplomats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}