In Montreal

Jerry and I drove up with Carol to Montreal today to enjoy the week and New Year's Eve here. So check out my travel blog: www.thetravelingbaesels.blogspot.com to check out what's going on with us here. Happy New Year

Christmas

This was such a wonderful Christmas. We really enjoyed having Yaric and Jason home. We got to spend Christmas Eve with Peg and Jeff. Our friends Nancy and Steve had a fantastic dinner on Boxing Day Night (with the "friends of Peg and Jeff" crowd). We ate well...Jason's Christmas Day dinner was fabulous...great roast...fabulous red wine reduction sauce...brussel sprouts...mashed potatos...salad. Never did get to the dessert. We went to the movies together to see Tales of Despereaux. Yaric and Jason also went to see several other movies including "The Spirit". A really nice week. Here are some happy photos:

Yaric with Luigi on Christmas Eve

Jerry on Christmas Eve

Peg - Christmas Eve

Jeff - Christmas Eve

Geena - On Auntie Peg's lap

Yaric and Jason

Yaric and Jason (and Luigi) in front of their portrait (done in 1998/99)

Jason, Leonard, and Yaric on Christmas Eve

Jason at Samurai Sushi - 12/27

Yaric - Samurai Sushi 12/27

Christmas Eve Eve

This morning Jason and I made cinnamom rolls from scratch (well, Jason made them..I cleaned up and gave sage advice...some taken). He did a great job...all agreed they were scrumptious. He put in a mixture of finely cut almonds, walnuts, pecans, and pistachio along with cinnamon, clove, honey, brown sugar and honey...and a layer of phyllo dough rolled up inside the roll. Again...yummy.

Yaric and Jerry went sporting clay shooting with our friends Jeff and Steve at M&M Preserve and Sporting Clays in New Jersey. We bundled them up and said goodbye and both agreed (Jason and I) we'd rather be cooking in a warm kitchen than shooting in 20 degree weather. But they had a great time and Yaric had a great first day of shooting!

In the late morning Leonard and his cousin Stephann came over to visit Jason. I caught the tail end of the visit and took a few photos. I miss having Jason and Leonard around...they make quite a pair!

Coffee with Peg

Peg is in town!!! Yippeee Yahooo! Let the holidays begin! To start off the celebrating, a number of friends gathered at Cream and Sugar in Wayne for coffee (or tea) with Peg this morning. We had a great time (even if we think the heater could have been set a little higher!). Here are some pics....

Peg

Mariadela

Marda

Betty and Sherrin

Peg - happy to be with her peeps.


After Coffee...Peg and I went over to visit Em

How thankful I am to have all these wonderful women in my life!

A Tree Full of Birds

This morning it was 12 degrees when I woke up with a windchill around 0! The sun was brilliant but just wasn't strong enough to penetrate those winds from the north! First things were first and I pulled on my Uggs, my wool coat, and half gloves and braved the morning cold to fill up the deck platform feeders with millet. Yesterday's leftover were frozen into a sheet of ice and millet that looks curiously like millet brittle. Although, the squirrels like to pick up a chunk and chew on it, the little birds: juncos, sparrows, and wrens... are not that thrilled with it. So fresh millet for everyone!

Then an hour or so later I was upstairs and looked outside into our big backyard walnut tree. There must have been at least 30 red-winged blackbirds decorating the treed like christmas ornaments. They were basically waiting their turns at the feeders. Poor guys...their wetland home a couple of blocks over is all frozen! I had seen a small flock last week mixed with the robins and starlings that were devouring the berries off the hawthorn trees...but this was QUITE a gang!

I'll miss these little winter visitors when I move to Florida. However, I won't have to worry about pulling on my uggs to go out and feed the birds in December!

The Boys are Back in Town

Jason and Yaric arrived on Air Tran 624 from Orlando this afternoon. We've ordered pizza, philly cheesesteak and salads. The boys are happily occupying "their" chairs in the basement playing with the X Box. Jerry is watching a football game. I'm doing compilation CDs for Christmas presents. All is right with the world.

Crackling Ice

We all know about crackling fires in the heart of winter, but there is also crackling ice (not nearly as warm and cosy!). We had freezing rain and sleet from sometime around 3am to about 10am...so we had a coating of ice on everything! little icicles frozen in motion off the wheelwells of the car and the edge of the BBQ cover. Bird feed was frozen into something resembling millet brittle (the squirrel would break it apart and chewy off pieces...I had to put fresh millet out for the little juncos and sparrows). And a thin coating of ice on all the branches and leaves on everything in the garden. This evening a wind has picked up, so when I went out on the deck to call the dogs in, I could hear this crackle, crackle, crackle reverberating through the air...all the branches were moving in the wind and cracking the surface of all the ice. Amazing.

In the spirit of "Everyone's a Winner"

Does anyone remember when there were just a handful of bowl games that represented the cream of the cream of college football teams. Let's see: Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl, at some point the Fiesta Bowl and Sun Bowls crept into the mix. At the end of the college season you could argue how the top 5 teams ranked amongst themselves...but you KNEW who the top 5 were! Now there are 33 bowl games PLUS the BCS Championship Game. 33 bowl games played between December 20th and January 8th (oh yes...no longer does the season end on January 1st!). 34 bowls! That is 68 football teams that get to play in a bowl game. Is anyone NOT playing in a bowl game? Gee wow!

And some of the names are...well...hysterical...here are a few:

The MagicJack St. Petersburg bowl (on the TV as I type)
R+L Carriers New Orleans
Meineke Car Care Bowl
Papajohns.com bowl (I love the .com bit)
Chick-Fil-A Bowl
Konica Minolta Gator Bowl
the AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Of the "original" five:

AT&T Cotton Bowl
FedEx Orange Bowl
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
and
Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi (curiously not the Citi Rose Bowl Game)

And then the most curious...we have the International Bowl in Toronto...the two teams playing? Buffalo and Connecticut...don't you think at least one should be Canadian?

Em

My dear friend Em had a lumpectomy yesterday along with several other procedures. The news is cautiously optimistic as there is no involvement in her lymph nodes. VERY good news. The day was long and I'm sure she is sore and exhausted today. But the rest of us, her eM Team gals are doing a happy dance for her.

How is it....

that today it was in the 60s in Philadelphia and tomorrow they may get snow and ice?

In Mourning

There will be no more Boston Legals. Jerry and I are sad. We will miss Alan and Denny sitting on the office balcony of Crane, Poole and Schmidt sharing a scotch and cigars and friendship. We will miss the quirkiness, intellectual play with ideas and words, and off beat humor of the show.

My Top Ten (or so) for 2008

Here is my list of my favorite books that I read in 2008 (just a few more than the target number of 10).

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Anne Shaffer

The Sacred Willow: Four Generations in the Life of a Vietnamese Family: Duong Van Mai Elliott

Queen of the Road : The True Tale of 47 States, 22,000 miles, 200 Shoes, 2 Cats, 1 Poodle, a Husband, and a Bus with a Will of its Own by Doreen Orion

The Glass Castle: A Memoir, by Jeannette Walls

Jacob's Ladder: A Story of Virginia During the War by Donald McCaig

China, Inc: How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America and the World, by Ted C. Fishman

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Darcy's Story by Janet Aylmer

Catfish and Mandala: A Two Wheeled Voyage through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam by Andrew X. Pham

Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl

Roar of the Heavens: Surviving Hurricane Camille, Stefan Bechtel

Cross Creek, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Dragonfly in Amber, Diana Gabaldon.

Empire Falls by Richard Russo

Thanksgiving photos

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend in the NYC area. Jason and Yaric flew up from Florida. Peg and Jeff came in from Ohio. Mo trained down from Boston. And we drove over from Philly. We stayed at the Hyatt on the Hudson in Jersey City which I'd highly recommend. A good value price wise and it is RIGHT next to the Exchange Place Path station so is just one stop away from the World Trade Center Path station and an easy connection to subways.

We ate dinner at Amanda's in Hoboken...a real delight. Good food. Wonderful cheery table in a converted brown stone with lots of small rooms. Excellent prime rib, turkey and Jason says it was the best salmon he's ever had!. They even sent home turkey leftovers so we'd HAVE leftovers.

We saw Tina Turner on WEdnesday night. Billy Elliott on Friday night. Jerry and I saw Hairspray with Harvey Fierstein on Saturday matinee. Jason and Yaric went out with Ahmad and went to dinner and a jazz club on SAturday night. Did some shopping (on 8th street) and had breakfast with Ahmad and Megan at one our favorites the Edison Hotel Cafe (AKA the Polish Tea Room). Oh and we got up early to stand and watch part of the Macy's Parade and see those really big floats.

Go See Australia

Jerry and I went to see Australia this afternoon. It was fabulous. Don't believe a word those cranky, curmudgeonly critics have been saying. It is NOT too long. It is not too far fetched. They are right...the cinematograpy is great and Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman have great chemistry. Even jerry liked it and his heart does not go pitter pat pitter pat when he looks at Hugh Jackman (like mine). A great date movie. A great movie with the girls. I think I'm going to go off and hum "waltzing matilda" before bed.

Les Bouchees Gourmand

Once upon a time a nice Quebecquois couple owned a chocolate/pastry shop on Rue St. Paul in Old Montreal in a 200 year old building. This couple made beautiful yummy chocolates, the best apple turnovers, tarte taitin, and hot chocolate for miles (and that is saying something in Montreal). On top of that, they couldn't be nicer people...gracious, sweet, and giving (a lot like their chocolates). Then the roof froze, ice jammed the gutters, untimely and unwanted waterfalls sprouted within their store. For reasons not understood the owner wouldn't or couldn't fix the problem and leaks and hi humidity continued into the spring making it impossible to get the chocolate to set properly (it's one thing to be cold and have wet feet, its another thing altogether to be unable to make your chocolates properly). So they sadly hung the closed sign on the door for the last time and left the adorable (but leaky) 200 year building. After 6 long months (seemed long for those of us deprived of their simple yet elegant creations) they have reopened (sound of bugles and crowds cheering) on Rue St. Bernard in the Outremont area of Montreal. Hallelujah! We visited yesterday and feasted on their potage Parisien (leek and potato soup), thick creamy hot chocolate, and the best, flakiest and perhaps biggest sweet apple turnover ever!!! All is right with the world again.

Get Thee to New York City and See Billy Elliott!!!

We saw the new musical (based on the movie of the same name) "Billy Elliott". Music by Elton John. Book/Direction by the same team who did the movie. Set in an English coal mining town during the year long miners strike in 1984...it tells the story about a young boy who discovers he doesn't want to box he wants to dance ballet (imagine the reaction of the coal mining father?) It's a story about hardship, loss, friendship, family, being different, and triumphs. It's empowering and inspiring. Fabulous cast! It is the must see (at least for me) of the season.

We were also lucky to get last minute tickets to see Hairspray (in its final month before closing on the 4th of July) with Harvey Fierstein reprising his original performance as Edna. I'd never seen Hairspray (musical or movie) and loved it. Jerry actually liked it better than Billy Elliott because he loved the music...but trust me...Billy is the ticket.

Thanksfuls

I am thankful for so so many things...I am blessed in many ways...but to name a few:

I'm thankful for:

My husband and that we still get along after all these years. I'm excited to be going into retirement together and look forward to many more adventures.

My son who still likes to talk with his mom (and listens to my opinions) and seems to be in a very good place right now, emotionally and otherwise.

My mother's health...that its holding steady.

Yaric and that he so enjoys his studies at Full Sail.

the ability to travel, to see new places, and experience in some small way other peoples lives

My friend Peg and everything that goes with her.

My friends, Marda, Maridadela, and Emily (the threes eMs) who make me laugh.

My friend Judy for her years of sisterhood, for being there, for letting me be there.

Snow (yep, really)

Finding my birth family over 8 years ago and all the wonderful adventures and connections I've had with them since.

Books...oh, yes, I'm really thankful for books.

Simply the Best!

Last Wednesday night I had the distinct pleasure to experience the phenomena that is Tina Turner. And she is....simply the best! Energetic, in great voice, sexy as all get out, beautiful, and courageous (clearly she has no fear of heights...and no I'm not talking about her 3 inch stilletos). We had great seats (only 5 rows and an aisle away from Beyonce and Jay Z) at the Pru Center in Newark, NJ. It was Tina's 69th birthday and she defied every single one of those years! I feel fortunate beyond measure to have finally seen in her in concert. And the great thing? I get to see her next week in Montreal! woohoo!

Snow?

It snowed here on Friday...early for the season. We got about 1 1/2 inches. it was beautiful. Had to get out the snow scraper and increase the amount of bird seed in the platform feeder...everyone was in town, blue jays, cardinals, red headed flickers, mockingbird, mourning doves, song sparrows, and my favorite winter visitors,,,the juncos. They give the cats endless hours of entertainment (aided by 5 or 6 squirrels and fat snowflakes). The cold has stuck around...so got the corduroys and uggs out (do you know why those boots are called uggs?...because they are so ugly that when you look at them you say "uggg"...but they sure are useful in winter weather). Now all I have to figure out is when it will warm up a little so we can get the frozen ice out of the fountain for the winter!

Scratch and Sniff - Just Say No

Much to my delight today, the People magazine arrived with Hugh Jackman on the cover as the sexiest man of the year (I say "It's about time!"). So as I settled down for a read, I came across the section called "Sexy Scents" with photos of four "hunks" where you can "rub here to smell Taye Digg's Sexy Scent"....eeeeww. I think we've just crossed the boundary in to "Poor Taste Land". I think Taye Diggs is very handsome...I do not want to scratch his bare chest and smell it....eeeeww. What set of marketing morons came up with that idea? geeesh.

Little tiny albino mice

That is what Geena Davis (my cat...not the actress) thinks snow flakes are: teeny weeny albino mice floating down from the heavens. She runs from window to window (actually I think she has figured out that they really aren't mice...but they sure had her fooled for a while there). And yes, that means it is snowing here...light...a frosting...but early for the season.

Winter is around the corner

It is a foggy and rainy morning in the 50s. The little gray and black juncos have arrived for a stay until April. The squirrels are foraciously eating all the pumpkins we've put out for them. The cats' naps are getting longer if that is possible. And I'm wearing my knitted scarves. I'm ordering Christmas presents online. And we've started making stews again. So once all the leaves are off the trees...winter is here!

Dropped Into the Midst of Autumn at its Peak

Usually we have the luxury of having autumn gradually creep up on us. First the Walnut trees and the locust start to yellow and drop their leaves (first to drop, last to leaf!). Then the dogwoods start to turn along with the oakleaf hydragenea. And then one by one different trees and bushes of different species start to turn on their colors. Until one day its the peak and the next day we're on the downhill slide into winter. This is usually a two to three month process from start to finish. But this year we were out of the country for over 4 weeks (all of October the first few days of November). So when we landed at JFK and drove out the jersey turnpike towards Pennsylvania we were literally assaulted (visually at least) with a barage of oranges, reds, and yellow. EVERYTHING was a firework! We went from the greens and grays of steamy to tropics one day to the peak of autumn the next. how lucky are we! Our Red Leaf Maples at home are really earning their name today...they are like emergency flares set upright in my front yard...I can see them from almost all the windows in the front...against the gray sky...dynamite!

We Got It!

Originally published onThursday, October 2, 2008

Hallelujah!After over 6 months of wrangling, disappointments, frustration, and unexpected twists and turns, we received approval this morning by the St. Pete City Council for our remodel request for our home in Granada Estates. They overturned the denial we received from the CPC (which was actual a vote of 3 to 2 in our favor..but they needed 4 votes to approve...sigh.) The vote in our favor was 8 - 0. We were doing a happy dance outside City Hall afterwards. I cried...happy tears. Thanks to Wayne and Jimmy for showing up and speaking our behalf (as they have in our other two prior hearings). Thanks to our attorney Don Mastry who did a great job. And thanks to our architect John and his wife Susan for their REALLY devoted work on our behalf and being such supportive friends. AFter our big win, the three of us went to the Sports Authority and I bought a Tampa Bay Rays hat and t-shirt (celebrating THEIR victory in winning the American League East Championship). And then we went to La Cabana de mi Tio...for my favorite carnitas tacos and gorditos anywhere!!! A great day.

I'm Moving - Well my Blog is.

AOL is shutting down their blogging function at the end of October...so Annette's Rambles and Curious Mind has moved over to blogspot...check me out at http://www.annettedaytoday.blogspot.com/

UPDATEL Well...I didn't move as far as I thought...AOL figured out a deal with blogger and I was able to moved my blog with a similar URL to blogspot...yea!!!

DWTS

After listening to CNBC for much of the late afternoon and early evening and despairing over this financial debacle we're in and the inability of our congress to find the will to take action....I'm so happy that its Dancing with the Stars night...pure, mindless, fun. 

Reasons to Smile

 my big fat orange cat laying on his back at the foot of my bed

 

crickets and katydids chirping at night

 

short spine massage at pilates

 

the moose keychain that my author friend Doreen Orion sent me

 

Brad Paisley's new video "Waitin on a Woman" with a wonderful Andy Griffith

 

the Phillies winning the National League East Championship

 

the blush of color on the maples and dogwoods in my garden

 

Cheesecake, Shoes, and Great Girlfriends

Ah...the makings of a fine afternoon.  Although it looked like the nor'easter spinning up the coast was about ready to make landfall in Montgomery county,  Marda, Mariadela and I met at the Cheesecake factory expressly to EAT THE CHEESECAKE...I never manage to after one of their huge salads.  So, yes, a deliberate, non-diet, pig out!  it was great.  Followed with a stroll through the aisles of the nicest DSW in Pennsylvania which of course culminated in not 1 not 2 but 3 pairs of shoes being bought!  The only thing better?  if Em and Peg had been with us. 

Everything is just ducky!

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Happy Anniversary Sweetie!

Today is Jerry and my 23rd anniversary.  Hard to believe!  I love you Sweetie...for so many reasons:

1.  Your integrity

2.  Your intelligence and analytical mind.

3.  You are always interested in new ideas, new places, new experiences

4.  You always treat me with respect and as an equal.

5.  Your sense of humor

6.  You are willing to go to concerts with me even if you can't always hear what they are singing...or even like their music.

7.  You are still handsome...yes after all these years.

8.  You love the cats and dogs as much as I do.

9.  You support me in anything I want to do.

10.  You encourage me to spend lots of girl times with myh girlfriends...even if it means going all the way to London for Rolling Stones Concerts.

11.  You are great to shop with.

12.  You want to see as much of the world as I do!

13.  You love to play dominoes and don't mind when i win (which I do a lot :-)

14.  You love Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, and Sugarland!

15.  You  love books and the world of reading.

16. You cook really well...better than me!

17. You love to watch Dancing with the Stars with me.

18.  You've  learned the right end of binoculars and come bird watching with me.

19.  You're a good Dad and love your son.

20.  And, you still love me after all these years

 

 

It's Time to Dance Again!!!!

Dancing with the Stars Returns...finally all is right with Monday and Tuesday nights again!

Last day of summer

Beautiful day: cool and crisps in the morning; warm and sunny in the afternoon; a whisp of a breeze.  Slept in late and then finally finished "Snow" by Orhan Pamuk just in time for Tuesday's book group.  Carol B came over in the mid-afternoon and we enjoyed champagne and shrimp and cheese while playing a game of super Scrabble.  hmm...warm sun...wine...more warm sun...let's just say my scrabble scores kind of dropped off after awhile.  Had to compete with yellow jackets for the shrimp...finally gave them their own plate at the other end of the table and they seemed to leave us alone...yellow jackets LOVE shrimp! 

News from the World of the Aaargh!

this friday is international "talk like a pirate" day...really.

see the official website: http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html

5th anniversary of the best concert ever!

I missed it by a day..chalk it up to traveling!  But Happy Anniversary Peg!  5 years ago yesterday:

 

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The 3 H Factor

There is a reason that September is not considered “in season” for Florida…it’s called the 3 H Factor (actually I just made that up…but it should be called the 3 H Factor):  Heat, Humidity, and Hurricanes.  That pretty much sums up things here.  We’re here because we have to be (working on house permitting “issues”) but assume that in the future that September will definitely be a month in which we travel to cooler climes. 

 

However despite the 3H factor and having to deal with frustratingly insipid permit issues we still had a good time (ONLY because of Air Conditioning…frankly I think whoever developed AC should be given the Nobel Peace Prize…I’m thinking its not surprising that the parts of the world most embroiled in violence and warfare are amongst the hottest and the poorest (hence no AC). 

 

We got to go to our favorite tortilleria/carnitas hole-in-the-wall:  La Cabana del Tio (which is our favorite not just in Florida..which frankly wouldn’t say all that much…but in the entire US).  Stuffed ourselves with tacos and gorditos…yummy…and really good orange soda made in mexico (which means real sugar not corn syrup…so it tastes like the sodas from childhood). 

 

We had a wonderful afternoon with Geri Willingham, a stained glass artist, who is designing a series of windows and transoms for the our “soon-to-be-permitted-we-hope” house in St. Pete.  I can’t tell you how excited I am about the designs…when I get the photos of the sketches I’ll post a few.  They are filled with images native or commonto Florida…bird of paradise, sea grapes, gardenias, orange blossoms, egrets, herons, osprey, and turtles (you know we have to turtles for Jerry) even a roseate spoonbill.  Those of you who know my love of birding can just imagine how “happy as a clam at high tide” I am.

 

We drove over to Orlando for the weekend to visit with Jason and Yaric.  Jason and I worked in their garage, sorting, repacking, discovering stuff he forgot he had, purging, AND nearly getting heat stroke.  In retrospect I’m pretty sure it was 110 inside that garage.  So needless to say we didn’t last the afternoon and Jason has Phase2 of the garage cleanup planned so some other time NOT in a 3H month.

 

As a reward and therapy for heat stroke we all went to the movies and saw Burn After Reading (the new Coen Brothers movie)…as always for the Coen Brothers,  a dark comedy with odd twists and odd characters.  We loved it.  We loved the AC.  Matt (jason’s other roommate) met us at PFChangs afterwards and we ate copious amounts of food in…you guessed it Air conditioned comfort.

 

Jason and Yaric seem to be loving classes right now. We’re doing a little happy dance about that.  AND they are doing well in classes…more happy footwork. Jason likes the advertising aspects of what is in learning.  Yaric right now is fascinated with his audio class where they learn to create music and sound effects on the computer.  Music for our happy dance. 

 

 

 

Snow and Willows

I'm slogging my way through "Snow"...no there hasn't been a giant climatic shift so that there is a Blizzard in September in Orlando.  I'm slogging my way through the depressing drifts of Orhan Pamuk's novel "Snow" for book group.  I WILL finish it! I WILL finish it!

But I did LOVE Sacred Willow.  one of my favorite books of the last 5 years...it IS long..but its worth it.  A fascinating portrait of 4 generations of a Vietnamese family that stretches from the traditional "mandarin" culture of northern Vietnam, thourgh French occupation, the Vietnamese war, the aftermath and to life in the US.  It deals with Vietnam War from many sides (as her family was divided physically and ideologically by the war.  Mai Elliott writes well, lived much of the story, and conducted extensive interviews in later years to flesh out the stories of all her relatives who were separated by time, distance, and sometime ideology over the years.  It is one of the clearest explanation of what happened in Vietnam  to the people (north and south) during the years leading up to and during the war.  Told on a personal level it illuminates the experiences of the country as a whole.  I highly recommend this book. Although it is a BIG book...I read it in less than a week because I couldn't put it down. I was a teenager during the last stages of the war and remember only the "headlines"  and photographic portraits...this book has greatly helped illuminate what was really going on.

Boy I am glad I'm not in Galveston

Watching the weather channel waiting for the laundry to be done.  Wow!  The hurricane is over 12 hours away and its low tide and there are parts of Galveston area that have enough water to cover mailboxes!!!  I'm thinking that famous Galveston sea wall is not going to be enough!  Ike may only be a Cat 2 wind wise...but those sea levels are going to be devastating.

Is it hot or am I having a hot flash?

Thank god for air conditioning.  We are in St. Pete in September, sweltering in the humidity left behind by the fringes of  Ike.  We are here to work on house plans and permitting issues not because we thought…hmmm September in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Florida what a nice time of year for a visit!!!  Took a walk today…it was 92…but felt hotter…I was thinking I must be having a hot flash…well who would know because it was  a “feels like” temperature of 110 according to the Weather Channel…egads…no wonder we’ve escaped to the air conditioned bedroom of the little apartment we’ve been renting.

Shopping with Caitlin

Last Sunday after a great brunch at The Filling Station in Orange, CA with family...my niece Caitlin and I spent  a bit of time shopping around the Orange "circle" .  She wanted to take me to the "The Heavenly Hostess".  What a great store!  Filled with all sorts of cool stuff...great retro aprons,  good smelly stuff, cute chinaware, rubber duckies (yes, i got 3 new ones)  just clever clever things...too many to list.  We both got a few items...who wouldn't?  It was a nice time just the two of us...

Interior of the Heavenly Hostess, Glassell St, Orange, CA (just south of the circle)

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Celebrating

Last weekend Jerry and I attended the marriage of one of my long time friends David and his partner TIm.    It was a magical and touching evening as we watched David and Tim pledge their lives together in a ceremony that less than a year ago couldn't have occurred.   It was an lovely warm california evening lit by candles and filled with happiness and memories.  We wish David and Tim a long and happy marriage that will bring them adventure and contentment.   

 

 

This is funnier when it isn't hurricane season!

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Photography and Birding - What I love about them

I love to take photographs, I love to bird, I love old cemetaries, I love to take photos of birds in old cemetaries.  Today I hit the Trifecta (or is that a quadfecta?) in Alexandria, VA.  I went for a walk in search of the Alexandria National Cemetary founded by Abraham Lincoln as one of several created for the remains and in the memory of Civil War Veterans (eventually expanding to veterans of other wars).  What I found was a warren of cemetaries sited side by side, fence to fence.  Episcopal, Methodist, Jewish, Quaker (I think), presbyterian and then finally the National cemetary.  Gravestones date from the late 1700s to 2008, the interwoven history of the peoples who lived or ended up in Alexandria.

It was a gray, muted day.  Only a few dogs and their owners were out.  Oh dogs and robins and squirrels.  Hundreds of Robins!  So in watching for the "ideal" robin on a gravestone shot, I hear the chatterburr of a belted kingfisher.  What? I say.  That means water somewhere.  Yep, adjacent to the National Cemetary runs Hooff's Run...a small creek with a historic stone bridge.  And next to the bridge on a bush almost under the bridge was a noisy, fluffy adolescent mockingbird nagging its hard working parent for more food!  Quite funny...you could almost see it stamping its little foot! 

So what is it that I love.  Taking photos and looking for birds both make me slow down, stop, listen, watch, take time, breathe. I notice things I would never normally notice as I barrel through life.  I take the time to think and process.  And with photos I have the opprotunity to revisit the experience after the fact sometimes seeing things in the photo I even missed the first time. 

 

Scenes from California Visit

Judy and I at a restaurant in the Ventura Harbor Village getting to know Capt Morgan and his pal Myers!  Oh..they had good fish dinners too.  We are in Ventura "reunioning" with 8 other friends from high school (two we haven't see for 20 years) and we are having a blast.

Mom and Judy outside BJs Grill in Laguna Hills...our favorite place for the three of us to go for lunch...sesame chicken salad, bbq chicken salad, thin crust pizza and let's not forget the chicken tenders dipped in ranch dressing...and excellent margaritas.  Add great conversation and memories and you have the recipe for a perfect meal.

 

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Old Friends, Good Times.

I am in Ventura with Judy getting ready for a reunion weekend with 8 of our friends from high school.  It is so hard to believe that so much time as past (and that we still look so good!!!!).  35 years since graduation.  How have we stayed so young?

Notes from the Left Coast

Visiting Mom in So Cal.  Spending time running errands, visiting doctors, dining with old friends and family.  Weather is particularly fine, especially for August which can be really hot and smoggy.  Getting my fill of really good Mexican food (Casa Blanca last night in Hacienda Heights and Olivia's tonight in Riverside).  Spent a bit of Monday in downtown Laguna Beach (thank heavens for mom's handicapped placard, we would have never had found decent parking for her).  Shopped at chico's...I love Chico's! 

Had dinner with Carol and Jerry and their friend Ellen (who I finally got to meet after hearing of her for years and years and years) overlooking the pacific at The Cliff on Pacific Coast Highway.  A little chilly but worth watching the sun set at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.  Here is Carol with HippieDuck who really enjoyed Laguna Beach.  She wanted to stay!

 

Sunday we had lunch and good talk with Judy.  We ate at BJs grill in Laguna Hills ..our favorite thing to do as a threesome...as always I had the sesame chicken salad and Judy had the barbeque chicken salad with chicken tenders and ranch dressing  (which we always"help" her with). 

  In the afternoon we went with my cousin Bob and went over to see Uncle Bob and Aunt Elena in their new apartment in Leisure World (yes I know it is now Laguna Woods).  My uncle is now 90 and Aunt Elena is almost 87...both are really slowing down...but they seemed happy to be in their new place and closer to my cousins Richard and Bob.  We talked about old times, family, and my cousins Bob, bless him, went out and brought back In and Out Burgers...yeah!!!

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Flying

US Air.  First, charging for luggage.  Second, charging for cokes on the plane. Now.  showing old movies (I don't mean classics like Bogey and BAcall) but Leonard DiCaprio's "Catch me If you CAn".  Must cost them 3 cents to show that one.  At least they aren't charging us for looking at the screen!

Las Mariachis in Phoenixville

Always in search of authentic Mexican food we followed the recommendation of a Chowhound message board entry and drove up to Phoenixville (northwest of Villanova) to search out Las Mariachis.  Located in a primarily residential area of old downtown Phoenixville, the restaurant is located on the ground floor of a corner building at 201 Gay ST. It is a small, high ceilinged space that seats about 30 (but also offers take-out).  The walls are painted pink (<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />rosa) and detailed with painted “bricks” around the windows,  stylized roses, and a virgin mary.  Sequined decorated mariachi hats adorn the walls and pinats sit on a shelf in the corner.  Mexican kitsch at its best and most honest.  We had a delightfully helpful and friendly waitress.  We tried the ceviche of the day (with shrimp) which was fresh and refreshing.  Corn chips were homemade and fresh.  Salsa (red and green) spicy (but not too).  I had the carnitas with beans and rice and warm corn tortillas (very good).  Jerry had the carnitas in a salsa verde (green chili sauce)…it was excellent.  I tried one of the pork tamales and was delighted to see it served without sauce…sauce was offered but they didn’t immediately assume you wanted it smothered in sauce past recognition  (which many restaurants do and isn’t what my experience was growing up in a Hispanic neighborhood of Los Angeles county).  The menu is divided up between 3 “spacilties”  Mexcian, Tipica, and Tex-Mex.  So there is something for everyone.  I didn’t ask what region the Tipica food is from because I zeroed in the carnitas immediately…next time I’ll ask.  And there WILL be a next time…soon.

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Tags: Las Mariachis, mexicanrestaurant, phoenxiville PA,

Fire in Conshohocken

There was a massive fire late this afternoon (and burning still...although contained) in Conshohocken (the next town over from us on the other side of the Schuylkill River).  Jerry and I were driving to dinner and saw smoke..HUGE amounts of thick black smoke.  I said "come on, I've got my camera, lets go look".  He rolled his eyes and say "No, I don't want to".  Until we saw the flames...we were at least 1/2 mile away looking across a small valley...the flames were at least 100 to 120 feet high!  They were taller than the Marriott Tower which sits on our side of the River.  So we went to look (from a safe distance).  We had no idea at the time what it was.  Except that I have never seen such huge intense flames. 

Turns out it started in an apartment building under construction (burned it completely to the ground) and then skip over to a newly complete but not occupied apartment building.  Then to parts of at least 3 other apartment buildings in the same complex.  There is massive damage (both fire and smoke) and as of 10 tonight they are still pouring huge amounts of water on it...They were even pumping water out of the Schulykill River.

I drove over tonight to take some picture and to check at the RedCross center as to whether they needed help.  They were amazingly organzied and it appeared that most people were going to be put up with friends/family or in hotel rooms in the area.

 

Tags: Conshohocken Fire,

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Tag your it!

I got tagged by my niece, Jenny...you have to find pictures for all the "answers".

Where was I born?

Murphy Hospital in Whittier California.  The hospital no longer exists as it was first converted to dorms for Whittier College and then demolished to make way for condos. So no photos of hospital...instead a photo from agilitynut on flickr of a restaurant from my young days that apparently still exists (maybe I'm not so old!!!)

A guilty pleasure: Concerts: Rock, Country, Pop, Folk...if it has a beat, I'd like to be there!

Favorite Movies:Gosh...depends on my mood, but right now I'm in love with the new Batman movie...amazing

But in general most movies with Johnny Depp, Colin Firth, Robert Downey Jr or Hugh Jackman...I'm there.

Favorite Restaurants of late: Dim Sum at La Maison Kam Fung in Montreal:

Favorite color: To Live in:  Yellows  To Wear: Oranges

Favorite place to shop: It's really the internet:  zappos.com for shoes, amazon.com for books, ebay.com for wierd things...but for "walk-in" shopping

Favorite vacation:

Our trips to Montreal:

And the summer I went to Ireland with Jason:

Favorite Car: My cayenne:

Although I have the fondest memories of my old blue LandCruiser that I put 210,000 miles on!

Favorite Flower: Peonies (I'll miss them when we move to Florida...but I'll get to have camellias and gardenias there!)

Dream Career:  Well I had one already.  But if I could have a career in retirment it would have to be travel writing which I do now for a hobby:

My favorite hobby:  It's a toss up between writing and photography.

 

I tag my nieces Keri and Kelly...have fun!