Christmas Eve

Our family all gathers together on Christmas Eve for our celebration.  It's 1:00 in the afternoon and I am so excited.  Things are in pretty good shape for a change and I am not really frazzled....although there's still time for that I suppose! 

My dining room table is set and it looks just beautiful.  There's Christmas music playing and the new Mr. and Mrs. Claus are in front of the fireplace just waiting to be turned on.  Brent brought the singing Santa down and I can't wait for the girls to sing Christmas songs with him.  My tree is lit and is gorgeous.  I enjoyed having the whole family over to decorate it and have really loved turning it on each night.

The presents have all been wrapped for over a week, although I see that Brent has been a busy little elf and has placed some packages under the tree.  He is doing some crazy looking stretches and getting ready to go run.  I have a few food related things to do, but for the most part, I am in unusually good shape (and thus good spirits!).

Everyone has their traditions, and we are the same.  I love getting all the ornaments out each year.  I look forward to carefully unwrapping each of the heritage balls my Grandma Redlich made for me.  The last few years I've supplemented with some pine cones and birds I bought in Germany at Epcot.  The little angel my parents bought for their second Christmas still hangs on the tree, despite my Mom's best efforts to buy me a new tree topper. 

My brother always cooks Christmas Eve dinner.  The best crab cakes you have ever eaten and home made french fries.  This year we're having cole slaw and asparagus wrapped in filo dough and some rolls.  I look forward to this meal every year.

Since the girls have been old enough to tell their left from their right, we have read a "left/right" story where you pass wrapped packages to the left or right as the story tells you to.  The adults love this game even more than the kids.  This year, I wrote the story myself, incorporating everyone into the story.  It's pretty funny!

Someone always gives a toast at our family gatherings.  The last few years, my brother has been doing it.  They are always meaningful and wonderful.  The girls get plastic champagne flutes filled with ginger ale.  No one is left out!

It is so difficult to get everyone together during the holidays and we have two birthdays too.  Chris's is December 30 and Trav's is December 31.  To make it easy for everyone, we always celebrate them after dinner.  Kera, the family baker, always takes care of the cakes and they are as beautiful as they are delicious. 

Well, I do have a few things to finish up befoe everyone arrives around 4:30. 

Merry Christmas to all!

Zip It

Sometimes I feel like everything in the world is changing, changing, ever changing, and not always for the best.  From great incandescent light bulbs that work like a charm and provide good light to the new "green" bulbs that leave me practically in the dark for several minutes then give me a yellow light and don't even get me started on disposing of them.  Green my butt. 

But, I digress.

Let's talk zippers.

For women, the main zipper mechanism is on the right.  You feed to piece on the left into the mechanism on the right, yank the sucker up, and voila - a zipped closure.  Now men's zippers, like most everything else pertaining to men, are opposite.  The mechanism is on the left...yeah, you get it. 

Apparently not anymore.

I got 3 new zippered jackets/coats this fall/winter and guess what?  I have to learn how to operate a zipper all over again because suddently the mechanism is on the left.  Fifty-seven years of zipping one way, nothing is made in America, and the zipper mechanisms are suddenly on the wrong side.

Who knew.

GAWT IX

This GAWT trip was differrent from all others in two ways.  First, Brent and I decided not to arrive at our usual midnight on Friday, and so took the day off.  Second, so many of our Brooks family members were unable to join us this year so we needed to fill the bus with some friends.  This was the first time it was not totally a family trip.

We left very early in the morning and arrived at Taughannock State Park by 10:30 in the morning.  It was a beautifully crisp morning and an easy hike.  As you can see from these pictures, the views were spectacular too.  The Taughannock Falls is the highet waterr fall in the United States at 215 feet high, making it 33 feet higher than Niagra Falls.

 After our hike, we drove into my birthplace, Auburn, to have lunch with my cousin Memory and her husband Paul.  Paul had just had back surgery a week or two prior to this trip.  I think he's crazy, but he made it through the trip and grimace through the pain.  It was nice to be with just the two of them without the crowd so we could catch up on each other news.  I so wish we lived closer to each other.

We still had quite a bit of time before we needed to be at the hotel to surprise my folks and go to dinner with everyone.  Brent and I decided to hit some wineries on the east side of Cayuga Lake that we had never been to before.  We hit 3 and they were all pretty good.

 Saturday we all hopped on the bus and went to Sweedish Hill.  This is a good one because they open early and because they offer some sweeter wines for those who like such things.  Personally, I think they have some pretty good sparkeling which was my first purchase of the day.  Below you see tthe donkey Doobie.  We had heard a viscious rumor a year ago that Doobie bit the dust, but we were assured that Doobie was alive and well and here's the picture to prove it.

 Our friends Drew and Ginny Bitner and Dave and Bea Walters are reviewing the list of wines available for tasting and are making their selections.

 Here's the family making the first big decision of the day. When you've just had your coffee (or diet coke in my case), you're not really thinking of wine. Ha!  Who am I kidding!  We had no trouble at all.

 Is that Brent pontificating?  hehehehe.

 My cousin Memory with Paul and the ultimate trouble maker, Tony.

RJ, Tony, Judy, Memory, and Jaqui are listening intently.  I think Jacqi just wants more wine!

 Tony always takes our camera to snap some shots of Brent and me.  Good thing too or I'd never be in the pictures!

 Mom, Dad, and Rick displaying our family T's.

 Bonnie and Winnie enjoying the beautiful day and the spectacular landscaping.

 Mine brither posing at Leidenfrost.  This was a new one for us and they had some good stuff.  Worth a stop.

 Red Newt has long been one of our favorites on the east side of Seneca.  We like their wine and we love their restaurant.  Here's our server with a flight of reserve reislings which were yummy  As much as we like this place, their prices are totally out of hand.  Way pricey, and I don't think people bought much there because of it.

This trip was differrent for us, but every bit as enjoyable as ever.  I hope that more of our family will be available next year.

Renaissance Faire

Last year, I took Gwen to the Renaissance Faire as a trial to see how my knees would hold up walking around all day.  Gwen and I had so much fun that we decided to go again this year.  Grandpa felt left out, so we decided to let him come along.  The first thing Gwen wanted to do was get her hair done.  Last year it was the very last thing we did and Gwen wanted to have her hair French braided again.  Something different this time was using a spear to grab the brass ring.  When the let the unicorn lose, it swings down pretty quickly, but Gwen had a good eye and got the ring..  the prize was a gummy bracelet - she was tickled pink!



 Hmmmm, who're the crazy kids with the gargoyle?!!

 Gwen wanted to ride the wild boar.

 Gwen told me on the way to the Faire that this year she was brave enough to ride the elephant.  I thought she might back out, but she marched right up and climbed on the elephant's back.  What a diffeence a year makes.

...and the Winner Is.....

The girls are old enough now that they enjoy going Christmas dress shopping with Grandma. As a result, I now know the locations of all the little girls clothing stores in the Capital City Mall. And also where all the bathrooms are! LOL!

On a Friday night a few weeks ago, Kylie and I had dinner at the food court. Kylie was very specific that sshe wanted pineapple pizza and french fries with salt and ketchup. Between Sbarro and Boardwalk Fries, we were golden. We tried on only three dresses and were able to narrow it down to two. Kylie thought she'd like to have both of them, but I told her we needed to narrow it down because she needed tights and shoes to go with the dress. She chose the first dress from Macy's. Unfortunately the picture doesn't do the dress justice. The top is black and the bottom is white with silver and black. With silver tights and pretty new black patent leather shoes, she'll be stunning!

The search for Gwen's dress was interesting. She generall still likes the little girl dresses with the big pouffy skirts. They are getting hard to find as she moves from the little girl dresses to the larger sizes. My Mom saw a really pretty one at Penney's and as therre was only one in Gwen's size, she snapped it up. Gwen liked it okay but wanted to go shopping....of course! What little girl wouldn't choose a shopping trip! We tried several that she looked good in and one beautiful emerald green number that Mom and I loved, but Gwen settled on this red dress. Very different than what I expected her to choose, but she is tickled with it.

Clothes shopping with the girls is great fun. But, I have to wonder what these clothing manufacturers are thinking. So many of the dresses were nixed simply because they were inappropriate. At 5 and 7, they don't need to look like a flapper or worse a little ho. I have to wonder not only about those making some of these dresses, but the parents who allow their children to wear them. I'm lucky that both the girls understood when I said, "no, that dress is inappropriate."

It Is What It Is

I had what I hoped, yet again, would be my last appointment with my orthopedic surgeon. He and I are both really happy with my right leg. It's got plenty of flexion and works pretty darn good. The left one...ah, yes, the left one. The left one is simply not as good as the right. It doesn't have as much flexion, it has more stiffness, and I have pain in the outside of my calf when I try to do certain things.

When Dr. Meade examined it he said he could feel the scar issue and he said there was some fluid in there. Well he removed the fluid (and can I just tell you that it hurt), and gave me another shot of cortisone. He believes the pain in my calf may be related to my sciatica - it is not a mechanical issue with my knee. He said that he has seen this issue correct itself up to five years out from the surgery. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that within 3.5 years it will be better.

Anyway, to sum it all up, it is what it is. What it is today is probably what it will be tomorrow, next month, next year and so on. While I may still have some difficulty coming down stairs and while my bike seat is still 1-2 inches too high, I can walk without pain, I am going to yoga, and I am going to boot camp (of all things!). I have my life back and I'm so grateful.

Why Didn't I Think of That

Renee called and asked if I would like to bring Gwen and join her and Kendall on a little road trip to the new American Girl store in Tysons Corner, I was actually pretty excited about it. I have never been in a store, and wasn't quite sure what all the hoopla was all about. Gwen has an American Girl doll, but she's not really a doll kind of girl. She has a million stuffed animals and loves to play with them, cuddle with them, and sleep with them. But, she did have her doll's ears pierced in the New York City AG store and was looking forward to having her doll's hair done this time.

As you can see, the girls were so excited and very willing to wait in front of the "hair salon" until it was their dolls turn in the salon chair.

Yes, you did read that correctly. Salon chair. Complete with the cape to keep the dolls clothing from being saturated with water. The girls selected their hair styles and their dolls were carefully placed into the salon chair. Gwen's stylist, Tandy, was great, keeping up a running dialogue with Gwen. Gwen was able to pick the color of the rubber bands and the ribbon to hold the braids.



The outcome was a very happy little girl and a beautiful new hair-do for Belle....or Bella....Gwen hasn't quite decided. I'm sure it was worth the $20. Seriously? Why didn't I think of this money pit?

Okay, this was one of the coolest things. Yes, this is the inside of the bathroom stall, but honestly, these people thought of everything. Hooks on which to place the doll not only in the stalls, but also beside the sinks so the dolls were well taken care of in the restroom. Wow. Again, why didn't I think of this?

Then it was on to lunch. Again, quite an experience as we were seated and the dolls were given their own seats which hooked to the tables, just like those infant seats you often see. When the girls were given their drinks, the dolls were given a saucer and tea cup too. Hey, dolls get thirsty too....don't they?

Gwen, Kendall, and Abby pose with their dolls. These are 3 happy kids, and who wouldn't be happy? A $20 hair do, a $36 new outfit, a $22 doll carrier, and a $50 lunch. Whoever said there's a recession couldn't prove it by this experience. This store was absolutely packed, there was a line 20 dolls deep for hair styling, and long lines at the checkout counters.

Honestly? I had a marvelous time and it gave me such pleasure to do this with and for Gwen. I loved seeing her so excited and giggly with Kendall. And the best part was that Gwen was so appreciative of the whole day. She knew this was a costly outing, and when she hugged me and looked me in the eyes and said, "Thank you so much Grandma," my heart just melted.

Boot Camp - Hooah

My friend Deb DeWolf and I did a boot camp "drop in" tonight. I'm hoping I'll be able to move tomorrow morning. Tonight was all about determining if the program could be modified well enough to accommodate my new knees.

The instructor, Roxanne, did a good job of coming up with alternatives for the higher impact moves and a few other things too. My challenge will be figuring out what is just too much. For example, step ups on either the picnic table bench or the slightly lower retaining wall were simply too high. Yes, I managed to get up there, but coming down was a bit more thump than I was totally comfortable with. I will need to find the balance between common sense yet wanting to do it anyway.

I wisely iced my knees tonight and will pop some ibuprofin tonight before I hit the sack. Again, doing things that I know I need to do but would prefer to skip.

So, next week I will be signing up for the Fall session that runs through September and October, 4 times a week. Thanks, Deb, for being willing to make this huge 2 month commitment with me, being my exercise buddy, and giving me the push I need to do this. Many thanks to Kera for coming tonight, critiquing the program, and making suggestions on how I can be most successful. Thanks also to Brent for coming tonight and knowing that his best option was to simply be quiet.

Courthouse Towers

These pictures were taken from the Courthouse Towers Viewpoint. The three interesting stone figures to the left are called the Three Gossips and the large stone formation on the right is known as the Organ because it looks like the pipes in a pipe organ.

I like cacti, so I took numerous pics of them when I found them. The other formations were interesting, so I snapped the pic.

Various Arches

In the Windows Section you find 3 arches. Pictured here are North and South Arches. The sun is best for these in the afternoon so Brent and I made a trip back the second day. It was stinking hot - duh, this is the dessert, but it was so worth the hike.

Skyline Arch - I took this picture right from the view area without hiking to it. Pretty cool huh?

Sand Dune Arch - this was one of my favorites. I know the arch isn't nearly as spectacular as some of the others, but I loved the hike. You go in between several fins and it opens up into this huge sand box area with very cool formations and this arch. It was also very shady in here and it was a welcome break from all the heat.

Partition Arch - Brent snapped these pictures because I did not make this hike. To get here, you continue up up and up from the Landscape arch. The walk was up along the slick rock and got very steep. I wasn't sure if I could make the hike, but I didn't want Brent to miss out on anything. I found a little scrap of shade, settled in with my water bottle and waited for Brent and his pics to make their way back.

Lancscape Arch -What an incredible sight. It was a pretty easy hike and wow, it almost leaves you speachless. This arch is probably the second most photographed.

Delicate Arch - Is the most photographed arch, and unfortunately, we did not make the full hike so this is the best picture that I have. From the parking area, you can do three different hikes. One is about 100 yards, and the one we took was pretty cool. It took about 30 minutes for this hike with about a 500 ft. rise in elevation. I was huffing and puffing for sure. The best hike would have been a 3 mile round trip hike up the slickrock to the arch itself. Next time!