Joy on the Journey

Delizioso!

2012-02-09T16:24:00.000-08:00

Last week we enjoyed a Christmas gift treat. Tim and Rae gave us cooking classes at Sur la Table for Italian Family Favorites with Chef Ben Witten (thanks again!). This was a wonderful gift idea. Now I would like to take more classes. It's a great gift idea for empty-nesters and would be fun to take with family or a group of friends.
We worked in groups of four on a full Italian menu that included: Saffron Risotto, Sicilian Fennel Salad with Oranges and Arugula, Chicken Cacciatore, and Tiramisu for dessert. We also enjoyed bread with dipping oil, wine and brushetta. It was amazing!
Not only were we instructed in how to make these recipes but we learned about kitchen tools, ingredients and a few new ways to work in the kitchen. The bonus was the end product ... we got to enjoy the meal we prepared. Every recipe turned out so delicious but I was quite surprised to discover that I probably liked the fennel salad most of all. It's something I've been hesitant to try and it tasted amazing!
You have an opportunity to shop between prep and dining. Sur la Table includes a 10% discount for a week following class. I had a gift card (thanks, Brian and Michelle) and picked up several kitchen tools and accessories. You leave class with all of the recipes, a list of equipment and products used to prepare them.
Sur la Table has a calendar of classes available each month. Check it out at surlatable.com and grab a friend or family member to join you. We'd love to go again some time!
We still have a date night for an Italian dinner @ Bugatti's and a movie to look forward to ... thanks to Matt and Kathy. Oh, how I love Christmas gifts that keep on giving : )

What Have You Got to Lose?

2012-02-03T13:16:00.003-08:00

Since I have been spotlighting intentional eating, I thought I would share my meal plan. Following my surgery I have been eating the same foods before and during work. I know these agree with me and are very filling. I recently read an article by Dr. Oz stating that people who eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch tend to lose and keep weight off. So, this has a dual bonus! Perhaps many could not do this due to boredom but I actually look forward to these meals every day.
Being intentional in this area of my life has made a few changes. My alarm now goes off at 5:20 a.m. and while putting my salad together I have my breakfast simmering. I keep all ingredients gathered together to enable my morning routine to go a little faster. Some items I have prepped, cooked, or packaged in advance.
Here's my eating plan breakdown:
Breakfast includes a Better n Eggs omlette filled with a mixture of precooked peppers, celery, onion, steamed sweet potatoes, 2 pieces of Canadian bacon and a slice of toast ... all for under 200 calories
Mid-morning snack: 24 almonds 163 calories
Lunch: Salad with tomato, cucumber, olives, shrimp, croutons and ranch light dressing, 3 Wasa crackers and a triangle of Laughing Cow or Sonoma Jack cheese. All for under 350 calories
Afternoon snack: After working out at the gym I enjoy Soy Energy Blend mix 1/4c. = 150 calories
I have been eating a variety of foods for dinner (no boredom there!)
Evening Snack: Sugar-free chocolate pudding 150 calories ... it's like having ice cream : )
This is the first time since my surgery eight years ago that my "symptoms" have calmed down! An added bonus ... I've dropped one pant size.
Give Dr. Oz's idea a try ... what do you have to lose?

A Little Surprise!

2012-01-31T15:17:00.000-08:00

During the holidays I tried to use technology to help with my Christmas shopping and to create a personal Wishlist on Amazon. You've got to love technology for this time-saving benefit.
EXCEPT ... in early January I got an email from Amazon. They keep track of what you look at so they sent me a link for a great deal on this wii product. Curious, I checked it out on the iPad. I didn't realize it was logged in to Walt's Amazon account. Anyway, there was a quick shop button so I clicked away thinking I would look it over. Hhmmm ... red flags waved in my mind. Should I be concerned?!?! I looked in my shopping cart ... empty. Whew! Nothing ordered; just "window" shopping on a Sunday afternoon. The following Thursday I pulled in the driveway and noticed a package on the front porch. Well, my first thought was that Walt must have ordered some books from his wishlist. And ... anyway ... HIS name was on the package! But as it sat on the counter I had a flashback regarding that quick shop button. No, it couldn't be ... I slit the packing tape to peek. OH, NO ... yes, it was the wii game! No books inside! Dang!
Target sells this item for $39.99 and I got it for $20.00 so I am convincing myself it was a great deal >clears throat< and guess who feels obligated to "party yourself into shape"???? Yes, that would be me!
Moral of the story ... never click the quick shop button. I'm thankful it wasn't a $200.00 item. On the other hand ... I suppose if you really wanted something it might be tempting .... hahaha. Only kidding!

Wasa! Where Are You?

2012-01-31T15:13:00.001-08:00

What a surprise! While grocery shopping after the beginning of the year I was a little shocked to see the shelf at my store was bare where the Wasa Crisp and Light crackers are located. Did everyone catch on to this tasty treat?!?! With only 20 calories per cracker they are the perfect match with my 35-calorie Laughing Cow cheese wedge. I have been enjoying this in my lunch each day. Walt had to drive to a WINCO near his work to find them and now we buy several boxes at a time.
Sounds like others have made New Year's resolutions to eat healthier!

Goodwill Finds

2012-01-31T15:13:00.000-08:00

I love finding "treasures" at Goodwill. Last week I found this fun red Nine West purse --in perfect condition, a black Banana Republic merino wool sweater, an Ann Taylor top, and a piece of my wedding registry glassware ... yes, it was on my M&F registry nearly 40 years ago. I would love to find more for my china place settings. I will patiently wait and look each visit. There must be more out there! Using all of my discounts and gifts cards, I only had a balance of $13.00 out of pocket.
I had an opportunity to make a quick stop at the Cornell store recently and found these items pictured below. The lemons remind me of Italy and I purchased this sweater in black last year at a Nordstrom's sale for $20.00. This sweater? $6.99 ... Love, love, love this!
Thanks, Donna for the Christmas gift card that keeps on giving. You know the joy I find in a bargain!

Living With Intention -Healthier

2012-01-31T14:57:00.001-08:00

Living with intention changes many of my food/meal choices now. When I grocery shop I am reading labels, looking for calorie content, sodium etc. It takes a little longer to go up and down each aisle. It takes time to return home with bags of food and then spend several hours prepping, chopping and cooking items in order to have the best food choices available.
While looking at cans of refried beans I was a little shocked to see the sodium content. I guess that makes it tasty so we will continue to buy their product. So, I decided to buy pinto beans in bulk and look for a recipe online and make my own. I used to make them in the 80's when I lived on the Covert Bailey Fit or Fat diet. I had an idea that there might be a crockpot recipe that would cook them while I'm at work. I tried the following recipe but I didn't have a jalapeno on hand ... they were tasty anyway. The next time I make them, I think I will eliminate the salt all together.
Beans are inexpensive and a good source of protein. They are easy to make and freeze well. Give them a try. It's one small step to a healthier ... and richer YOU!

1 onion, peeled and halved
3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
5 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
9 cups water

Directions

Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on High for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature is too high.
Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.

Amount Per Serving Calories: 139 | Total Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 0mg

Words With Friends Wow!

2012-01-31T14:57:00.000-08:00

I am still a novice but I was pleasantly surprised when my word: succeeds added up to 128 points. I don't think any of my other words/plays has beat that record. Oh, how I love this game!

2012 Word of the Year

2011-12-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

adjective

1. done with intention (an act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result) or on purpose

This is my word for 2012. I want to live all areas of my life ... physical, spiritual, mental and social with purpose. I want to be intentional in my habits ... eating better, regular exercise, getting enough sleep. I need to focus more on my spiritual growth, spending time in the Word and work on being more balanced mentally and socially.
Last night I had the opportunity to spend time with the ladies from our REACH group sharing and praying for one another. It was a great way to focus on the new year, encourage and support one another in areas where we want to grow. I know these ladies will be checking on me and asking how I've been intentional in my daily walk. Keeping me accountable.
Here's to a new year ... a new page ... a new adventure. Looking forward to 2012!

Words With Friends

2011-12-30T11:05:00.000-08:00

I started playing Words With Friends over the winter break and now I am addicted : ) I'm still getting the hang of it but as I play each game my losses aren't quite so steep. I was beat by 100-200 points while playing my first few games but now I am narrowly losing/winning.
It has been fun to connect with friends and spend a few days playing back and forth. I'm still a little shy about playing with the "pros" but I'm working at building my word skills.

A Reading Milestone

2011-12-30T10:46:00.000-08:00

2011 was a great reading year. Thanks to my reading group I was able to finish 44 books and it wasn't only the number of books but they encouraged me to expand my reading taste. Our theme this year was the Northwest ... books or authors. We each picked four titles for the group to read (a total of 12 books). I read several books that I would have bypassed at the bookstore or library. They became some of my all-time favorites! An added bonus ... a monthly dinner to discuss our current read. Great insights and conversation. Thanks, ladies for sharing this fun adventure with me!
2012 has a new theme ... a mixture of humor, fiction, classic, non-fiction. From our list I know I will be challenged but I'm looking forward to getting lost in a good book in the coming year.
To view the list of books I read this year click the Libarything or Goodreads link on the right sidebar.
Have you read a good book this year? I would love to add a few new titles to my 2011 list!

Christmas Pizza Toss

2011-12-30T10:19:00.000-08:00

Years ago we moved away from a formal Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. It felt like we'd just finish cleaning up breakfast dishes and it was time to prepare another big meal. Actually, we were still quite full from breakfast plus I really didn't want to spend all day in the kitchen ... I wanted to enjoy my family. We came up with the idea of "Build You Own ____." Over the years it has been sub sandwiches, burritos etc. but this year I thought it would be fun to try "Build Your Own Pizza." The grandkids love pizza and with two former Bellagio Pizza makers in the family it seemed like the perfect plan.

I tried to think of every possible pizza topping with the exception of anchovies!

The grandkids were a great help to the "Bellagio Bros." in rolling out the dough just right.

Preparing the pizzas for baking takes some time. So many choices!

Here's a fun clip from our pizza kitchen ...

The pizzas were delicious ... a great idea that also incorporates FUN in our day.
Good memories!

Just What I Wanted!

2011-12-29T17:19:00.000-08:00

We always enjoy Christmas morning brunch with the family. Seems like we start talking and storytelling, forgetting we have a tree full of presents. Last year I went all out with the 12 Months of Christmas but this year we decided on a Date Night theme and several of us received gift cards for dinner and a movie. We also received Italian cooking classes at Sur la Table and many nice, thoughtful gifts. Our best gift ... what was written in the cards, seeing the excitement on the grandkids' faces, love shared and time being together. This was our greatest gift!

This Was Not Planned!

2011-12-29T16:48:00.001-08:00

Another Christmas surprise ... Brian and Walt are dressed alike : ) It was not planned but we had so much fun taking pictures and having a good laugh!!

A Special Christmas Surprise

2011-12-29T16:41:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful surprise! A Christmas morning visit from the Weckerts. We finally got to meet baby Luke. He is such a cute baby boy ... full of smiles and laughter. Eric was always like a 4th son so it was nearly like holding another grandson.
What JOY to see those who "grew up" playing at our house, spending time with our family and now are parents with their new baby boy.
It was a perfect way to start our Christmas morning. Thanks Eric, Whitney and Luke for stopping by!

Christmas Eve ... Tradition

2011-12-29T16:04:00.000-08:00

Our day began with breakfast at 9:00a.m. at Season's and Regions with Bryon and Heather. The food was excellent and it was fun eating on the heated patio. I highly recommend this restaurant and I'm thinking it would be a fun place to have a monthly Saturday breakfast.
After breakfast we drove downtown and met everyone at Pioneer Place.
A great stop for the grandkids to see Santa and have their picture taken. We also had the opportunity to shop for those last-minute Christmas gifts. The kids loved throwing coins in the fountain and making wishes.
Following tradition there is always a stop at Starbucks for our annual hot beverage. The weather was so mild and dry. The perfect day to hang out at Pioneer Square. We also shared the square with Syrian protesters ... a first. It was also a pleasure to run into Jeff Myers while getting coffee. We haven't seen him in years!
Our next stop was Rock Bottom for dinner. This has been an annual tradition for several years, especially now that Hi-Hat closed.
For those brave few ... an 8:00p.m. movie at Bridgeport. We enjoyed MI4 ... quite a bit of action to keep us going until midnight services at church. It was nice to see a full service at TCC. We always love this candlelight service and the focus on the reason for the season --the birth of Jesus. We got home after 1:00a.m. A long but lovely day!

Our Christmas Card to You

2011-12-29T16:00:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

We Rule Still Rules

2011-12-29T15:54:00.001-08:00

It has been six months and I am still playing We Rule. It continues to hold my interest and I have not gotten bored with it. I am now up to level 59 and enjoy "managing" my kingdom. The game is available on the iPad and iPhone. If you give it a try, my user name is kdgee. Did I also mention it's free?!?!
Come on ... you know it will be fun : )

Village People

2011-12-29T15:44:00.001-08:00

In the early 90's I painted an entire ceramic Christmas village. It took hours but it has been fun to display each year over several decades. This year our little Village Elves had such fun rearranging the town, playing with the people and making it "snow." I never dreamed another generation would have such fun with it.
It's nice to have decorations the kids can play with and not have to worry about breakage etc. I remember how fun the decorations were at my Grandma's house ... especially the aluminum tree and color wheel. It was so fascinating!
Maybe someday our grandkids will inherit this little village and carry on the tradition in their homes.

Christmas Home Decor

2011-12-29T15:23:00.000-08:00

We have so many lovely decorations but you may wonder about the story behind this one.
One Secretary's Day while I was on staff at Archer Glen a second-grader drew a picture of the three of us with big red lips so it was kind of a joke with the staff.
Our music teacher, Mr. Greiner was quite comical and used to stop by my desk several times a week and ask how my new album was coming along. If you know me, you know I do not possess the gift of carrying a tune so it was quite the tease. He even went as far as to put in his sub notes ..."ask Karen in the office about her new album." So, being that our secretarial team was very clever we decided to get him back. We made a CD of Christmas carols and created our own album cover. We made a tee shirt with our picture on the front and Sherwood concert dates on the back. It was hilarious! We presented it to him for Christmas and it was the first and only time he was totally speechless!
Those were golden years ... work was fun!
And that's the story behind this fun Christmas decoration!
P.S. Credit goes to Donna for providing a lifetime of wax lips!

Secret Shoppers

2011-12-29T14:52:00.000-08:00

For the past few years we have taken the grandkids out for an evening of dinner and Christmas shopping. This year our little shoppers chose Sweet Tomatoes for dinner and boy, was there a crowd! After our meal we drove over to TCC to check out the Drive-Through Nativity. It was our first time attending this event. When we arrived we were greeted with a cup of hot cocoa ... the kids loved it. As we drove through the different stations, we read the verses and enjoyed the Christmas scenes with people from the church and live animals. When we got down to where the sheep were displayed Walt drove on the wrong side of the cones and hit a small concrete curb. He backed up and ran over a large cone dragging it down the parking lot. It not only made a loud scrapping sound but he had to stop to try and remove it. This required backing up, going forward, backing up etc. It was quite comical : ) I do not know how the shepherds or wise men kept a straight face during this comedic routine. I would have been full of giggles! As we neared the end of the display, there's a place to stop and drop off prayer requests and as we rolled down our window, we were told, "We already know what to pray about for you ..." hahaha I know it will be a great family Christmas "legend" to pass down for generations!
We were successful in purchasing and wrapping gifts for mom and dad. While driving them home, Calleigh leaned over to Colin and said, "Wouldn't it be great if Grandma and Grandpa had kids!" LOL! We love this annual tradition with the grandkids!

Gift Bags

2011-12-29T14:38:00.000-08:00

Years ago I used to paint gift bags but as the years went by the project became too time consuming during the holidays.
This year I found a great idea on a blog. I downloaded the jpg but forgot to flag the post in my RSS feed so now I can't give credit where credit is due. Anyway, I opened this file in PSE9, ran white paper bags through my printer and you can see the pictured results.
I used them for my cookie exchange and gift giving at work. I loved how they turned out and I am now thinking of creating files for birthdays etc. I have a large stash of white lunch bags just waiting to be transformed into something fun!

A Little Bit of a White Christmas

2011-12-29T14:26:00.001-08:00

On one of our many Christmas shopping outings we were amazed to see a beautiful winter scene in the Wilsonville area. It was limited to a small pocket surrounding the Costco area. It was so beautiful that we saw a family get out and take pictures in front of a treed area of the parking lot.
While it would have been nice to have a White Christmas I guess we need to find JOY in this small area of winter not far from our home!

Delivering ... Frustration

2011-12-29T14:05:00.000-08:00

December 8th was our scheduled furniture delivery date. Walt had to take the morning off to accept delivery between 10:00 and 2:00. I had asked if they could come after 2:00 when I would be available ... the answer was a solid "NO!" So, I relieved Walt of his "shift" at 2:30 and they did not arrive until nearly 3:30 ... I started feeling a little frustrated : )
The delivery guys brought the sofa into the garage, analyzed the room, doorways etc. and said it would not fit through the door and wanted to return the sofa to the warehouse. Now I was not only frustrated but a little angry. I called the store and the clerk talked to the delivery guy. He told him to take the packaging off the sofa and move it in the room. The guy refused saying it would get damaged. The clerk got back on the phone with me and said the delivery guy wasn't even trying. I contacted Walt and he was very frustrated as he had just arrived at work and would now have to fight rush hour traffic to return home to deal with this.
The delivery guy wanted me to sign the delivery form stating I refused delivery. Now, I couldn't do that ... that would be a lie : ) because in actuality he was refusing to do his job and I would be stuck with the $80 delivery fee if he took it back. Finally he called his dispatcher and then sat in his truck. He couldn't leave until I signed the form. It was a battle of wills and I decided to make dinner and let them sit out in their cold truck!
When Walt arrived he told them to take it into the garage, unpackage it and he would help them get it in the family room. First the dispatcher said we had to sign a form stating that they would not be responsible for any woodwork or wall damage (really!?!?!) Well, with Walt's help they had it in the room within minutes. Such drama ... and frustration!
We love the new look and we are thankful to have that whole episode behind us. It's only now that we can laugh about the whole thing.

Well, it certainly has been awhile ...

2011-12-29T13:15:00.000-08:00

Instead of going back to where my blog left off, I thought I would pick up around Black Friday and move forward from there. Seems like the speed of life picked up during the holidays. It took all my "reserves" to keep up with work, social events, food prep, shopping etc. but it has been so delightful to get the rest I need during the second half of my winter break in order to be ready to face the new year.
Black Friday is a fun tradition we share as a couple. We do get some shopping done but that's not our only goal. It's a taste of the season, enjoying friends and family and the beginning of the Christmas celebration.
We started our day at 5 a.m. We just can't miss the sock sale at Fred Meyer : ) and then grabbed a small, energizing breakfast. This year we were on the hunt for a new sofa for the family room. We decided to check out the sale at JC Penneys and after "test driving" each one ended up with our eye on a leather sofa ... which had not been on my consideration list. We wanted to make sure the color and size would work for that area. We then met friends for lunch at Red Robin. It was fun to see everyone after the busy Thanksgiving schedules. After running home, dropping off packages, taking measurements we drove over to meet the kids at Bridgeport for the tree lighting. It's always festive with "snow" blowing, live music and Santa's appearance. This year featured a group playing the oldies and Colin wanted to dance by the stage. He has some pretty good moves for a 7 year old ... and he's very brave to dance in front of such a large audience.
Since Penneys was open until 11pm we had just enough time to drive back over and write up the sale for the leather sofa. Well, 16 hours later ... we were ready to crash but what a fun day! Couldn't wait to see the new sofa in our family room. It has been more than 15 years with all plaid furniture.

Great Finds in Bend

2011-10-29T15:57:00.001-07:00

Our Sunriver tradition is a Friday trip to Bend. We have our favorite stores and routines. I happen to love perusing the racks at the Bend Goodwill. I found so many amazing things this trip but narrowed it down to this:
Nike Capri workout pants: $4.99
Black jacket: $9.99
Eddie Bauer Shorts: 3.99
Liz Claiborne dress: 6.99
... and I got a discount with my Club Card. I spent under $25.00 for four great wardrobe additions.
All items appear "new" and in perfect condition. I really needed workout pants for the gym and the Eddie Bauer shorts are brand new. I wear the same style/fabric in capri length from this store. I love the dress ... I am thinking I'll wear it with a white cardigan next summer.
I love building my wardrobe off of great bargains I find at Goodwill. I can't believe the things I find there. I am pretty much a "label-snob" as I only buy certain brand-name clothing there. The store in Bend never disappoints. I always leave happy. In this economy it's always a joy to find the perfect "treasure."
The weather here today is perfect ... sunny and warm. Loved sitting out in the hot tub and just relaxing ... watching the trees sway in the breeze. It will be hard going back to reality tomorrow!

Crockpot Applesauce

2011-10-28T21:46:00.000-07:00

While packing for Sunriver I added a few new recipes to try including ingredients to prepare them. Today I made Crockpot Applesauce, a recipe I found on a Skinnytaste.com, a blog I subscribe to. The author "started Skinnytaste back in 2008 in an attempt to help her stay healthy, experiment with creating skinny recipes, and develop her photography skills to expand her own background as a digital photo retoucher."
The applesauce cooked for 6 hours and it turned out delicious ... the perfect fall accompaniment for our dinner this evening. There are only 65.9 calories per 1/4 cup and 1 point (Weight Watchers). Check out her blog ... you'll find this recipe and many more.

What A Day For A Daydream ...

2011-10-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

Only seems right to have another bike picture follow my last post ... only this one is 52 years later!
We enjoyed the first day of our Sunriver fall getaway. Seems like it takes one day just to unwind before enjoying our time here.
It was nice to sleep in, read a book, look through stacks of magazines ... no agenda; no schedule; no to-do list. The sky here is blue, the color palette of the fall foliage is breathtaking and the air is crisp and clean.
Late this afternoon we rode bikes to the Village Mall. It felt good to be outdoors cruising down the bike paths. The song, "What a Day for a Daydream," by the Loving Spoonful kept playing through my mind ..."Dreaming 'bout my bundle of joy. "What a perfect day! It's nearly November and I love that we still need to wear sunglasses.
From the bike path it is fun to see how things have changed since our stay last fall. The Mall has been completely remodeled, an aquatic recreation center is under construction and several homes are being remodeled or listed for sale.
This is our ninth year to enjoy a fall break in Sunriver ... enjoying the same house ... same traditions!

Beast

2011-10-02T19:59:00.001-07:00

Yes, this photo is of me ... 1959. The first day I rode my bicycle "solo." What a great memory. This photo was taken in front of our home. We lived on 30th near Killingsworth with a mix of homes and businesses. It was a fun place to grow up. Such a busy place with buses and pedestrians passing by -- a lot of activity! In the picture you will notice a Coast to Coast Hardware store, a small barber shop and a market on the corner.
Back in July we planned a birthday dinner date with the Dehazes and Auxiers to dine at Beast in my old neighborhood. My, how things have changed on the block I grew up on!
Beast is owned by Chef Naomi Pomeroy, who competed on Top Chef last spring. The dining room is very simple with chalkboard walls and communal dining tables. It is a very cozy, intimate dining experience while watching the chefs in action as your 6-course French cuisine meal is prepared. There is a fixed menu that changes weekly -- but substitutions are politely declined! Fortunately, our menu included Grass Fed Carmen Ranch New York Strip Loin ... from Wallowa : ) It was wonderful!!
I have included the menu from our visit to show you the foods we enjoyed and the wine pairings.
Each course was delicious and the portions were just the right size.
I will honestly tell you ... this is a pricey dining experience. Bring your VISA Gold (LOL) but you also must factor in the atmosphere, the kitchen experience, the delicious food ... and the wonderful company of great friends!
For me it was more than just dining and celebrating ... it was an opportunity to see my childhood neighborhood transformed into a trendy, upscale, happening place. Fifty years ago ... who would have thought?!?!?
Happy Birthday Donna! It was fun celebrating YOU.

Gloves ... The Perfect Accessory

2011-09-29T16:37:00.000-07:00

Well, it certainly has been a while since my last post. It has been a month of intense work with the start of a new school year. It's good to see the hope of routine ahead as we get ready to flip the calendar to October.
I'm breaking my number one blogging rule ... I'm posting about work. In the past, school district employees have been required to watch a bloodborne pathogen training video each year. They are pretty cheesy. I remember one year having to watch the required video in the staff lunchroom. Pity those who were trying to enjoy their break or eat their lunch ... blood displayed everywhere on the TV screen! It was not a pretty sight.
Well, yesterday I got to experience one of the scenarios the BBP video highlighted ... but as a main character. I won't go in to much detail other than to say that I sliced my right index finger on a piece of equipment and there was a lot of blood. Nope ... none of us had gloves in our pockets at the ready as the video always described in the scene -haha! I did end up going to urgent care and thankfully did not need stitches or a tetanus shot but my finger is wrapped to three times the original size. I have to leave the dressing on for three days making it difficult to work ... or type. So if my typing doesn't make sense ... I will blame it on that.
Anyway, for fun I went online and found a modern version of the Bloodborne Pathogen video ... much more entertaining than the one we had to watch. Just a reminder ... don't forget to accessorize each day with those much needed gloves. You never know when you will need them in the workplace :)

Choose Joy

2011-08-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

One way I have been using technology this summer is with daily devotions. I discovered Kay Warren's site through another blog. She is the wife of Rick Warren from Saddleback Church in CA. While visiting her website you can sign up to have a daily video delivered to your inbox each day for 30 days. Each video is only 3-4 minutes in length and the focus is: Choose Joy. Who couldn't use more JOY? I have enjoyed listening to her each day ... her insights, suggestions, the verses she shares ... all stick with me throughout the day. Click here for more info on her site. Spend a few minutes each day learning how you can have more JOY in your life.

Go Big or Go Home

2011-08-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Since we have watched so many theater movies this month, I've noticed how some people in the audience are making themselves right at home.
We now have our favorite seats (thanks to Michelle's suggestion) located on the row just in front of the rail. It makes it easier to get in and out and no one is sitting in front of you.
Tuesday night after the theater darkened and the movie was beginning a guy came in with a large popcorn and giant beverage in hand. He spied one of the only seats available in the crowded auditorium ... next to me. He had to climb OVER the rail to get to his seat ... keep in mind, he wasn't a small guy! I believe he was going to ask me to hold his refreshments while he got settled but decided to set them on the floor in front of him. As the movie was playing, he started talking to me, asking me questions, explaining the movie (yikes!) all while making his popcorn more gourmet with seasoning he brought in with him ... "Would you like to try some on your popcorn?" I pretended to sprinkle some in my bag. So I'm thinking he's settled and ready to watch the movie. Oh, no .... he then removed his shoes and placed his stocking feet ... not on the bottom bar of the rail but the top bar ... asking me, "Do my feet block your view????" O.K. ... so at that point I felt like I was part of a Saturday Night Live skit or something. Where's the hidden camera!!!
The theater has a slogan, "Go big or go home." I think this guy already thought he as there ... making himself right at home!

We Rule

2011-08-24T10:48:00.001-07:00

This summer I have joined a couple of Templeton "retirees" in playing an iPad online game with them.
We Rule is a social game played on the iPad or iPhone. It's a chance for you to govern your own kingdom as city planner, landscaper, builder, farmer, tax collector etc.
Never in my wildest imagination did I ever think I would get hooked on a social game but I am enjoying it : )
Sometimes in our busy schedules we need to make time for PLAY!
Wonder what will happen to my kingdom when I return to work!?!?

Summary of My Summer

2011-08-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

Here's a summary of summer events from my calendar. I gave Tagxedo a try in creating this. You could spend hours trying new fonts, color themes and layouts ... and browsing creations already posted in the gallery. The shapes intrigue me and I hope to get back to this site and give it a try.
Only a few calendar squares open before I head back to work. Summer break is coming to a close!

Summer Movie Date Night

2011-08-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit off the radar with my blog this summer. It seems like all the calendar squares have been filled with people, projects and fun events. One activity we have enjoyed during the month of August ... $5.00 movie night at Regal Cinemas in our area. We've also received several freebies with our Regal card -- popcorn, beverages, $2 popcorn. This has made for a standing Thrifty Tuesday Date Night.
When we went to see The Help we worried about crowds since it had only been released a few days. We quickly drove by Taco Bell for dinner and when we arrived at the theater we discovered we were the first ones there. The total price of that date night for two including dinner, movie and popcorn: $17. You just can't go wrong at that price. Here are a few of the movies we've seen this summer:

Wedding Attendants: Past and Present

2011-07-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

In 1958 I was a flower girl in a wedding for my Sunday School teacher, Carleen. I remember I had a white basket shaped umbrella filled with flower petals. I don't recall too many details from that day but I do remember having to go back after the honeymooners returned to take pictures. I believe there was a camera "malfunction" on the wedding day ... as in ... no film in the camera. Oops!
Saturday Colin and Calleigh were attendants in Matt and Kathy's wedding along with Kathy's niece and nephew, Grayson and Rhiannon. They were at the wedding for nearly eight hours and they did such a great job through all the photo sessions, the ceremony, dinner and dancing. They were excellent!
I'm sure I will have more photos posted in the next few days ...

And I Have Kept Back the Rain From You ...

2011-07-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

Amos 4:7
And I have kept back the rain from you ...

Here's a picture at 3:00 p.m. shortly after we arrived at Vista Hills Vineyard yesterday on the wedding day. Rain was in the forecast (is this REALLY July in Oregon?) and Matt & Kathy would make a decision by 5:30 p.m. to move the ceremony indoors or continue with the outdoor plan.

Here's a picture at 6:30 p.m. Notice how the weather changed!

Here's a Facebook post from a dear friend, Melney yesterday morning:
So excited for you today! Praying everything goes as planned and the clouds clear away and beautiful sunshine comes out for the special wedding day!
Wow ... thanks to all of you for your prayers! We were able to follow the original plan and the bride and groom got to enjoy the wedding of their dreams.
Of course ... more photos to follow!

Oh, We're Going To The Chapel and ...

2011-07-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

This is THE weekend ... what we've looked forward to for the last fourteen months. Today includes rehearsal/luncheon and Saturday is Wedding Day! The weather forecast predicts rain so Thursday the bride and groom geared up for Plan B by ordering an extra tent for the outdoor events. No matter what the weather ... nothing will ruin this special event for our family :)
I have been working on this slideshow since the beginning of my summer break -- scanning pictures, creating slides, and adding music clips to show at the rehearsal luncheon. It was fun and a bit stretching for me including new technology skills. Walt added the professional finish. Sit back and enjoy a little trip down memory lane ...

Matt and Kathy Wedding Slideshow from Karen Germer on Vimeo.

American Idol -Portland

2011-07-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

I found this video on YouTube taken by Mrcooksnumber1fan ... my videos were taken from too far away to post. Great sound but poor image quality.
We were "late bloomers" to the American Idol show. We didn't watch the show until the finale when David Cook won. The following season we became dedicated viewers the entire season from tryouts to the finale and have continued through this year even with all the changes.
I love watching someone move forward professionally and each year I find a favorite from the very beginning. This year Scotty caught my eye early in the season. Even though I have never been a fan of country music, I liked his personality and deep voice. Hard to believe he's only a teenager.
We waited a bit too long to buy our tickets. We went back and forth on the decision and finally made up our minds to go ... we liked the diversity/talent of the eleven in the tour. I have to say ... our seats were up pretty high in the Rose Garden but we still had a good view. It was a fun evening and I would definitely go again.

Best of Italy in Review

2011-07-07T13:29:00.000-07:00

Oh ... one more Italy post :)
I thought I would add a video Walt put together from our trip.
Thank you again for traveling with me in "I Remember ... Italy!"
Now ... I need to get last minute projects finished for the wedding next weekend. Excited!

I Remember ... Goodbye Rome, Hello Portland

2011-07-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

We decided to sign up for the first departure van to the airport. We probably could have slept a little longer and gone with the second group but Walt was concerned about going through customs etc. We were looking forward to a long day ...
We woke up at 5:00 a.m., got the last minute packing done, and set our luggage outside our door. The hotel had breakfast in the lobby area with only a few of us up and ready to depart. We so appreciated having John and Jan there to say goodbye. They were planning to stay several more days so they really didn't need to be up that early ... but that's the kind of people they are ... very sweet and thoughtful.
After our final goodbyes and hugs we boarded the shuttle bus for the ride to the airport.
The airport was the same routine ... going through all the procedures to get through customs and finally to our gate. We faced a long wait since we arrived too early. It was a good time to read and relax a bit. There were a few shops open so I spent the rest of our euros picking up a few more souvenirs.
For some reason the flight seemed so long returning to Philadelphia. And to think ... when our flight landed there would be another six-hour flight to Portland. When we deboarded in Philadelphia it almost seemed to take longer to reenter the United States than leaving it. So many lines to go through. When we were going through customs we noticed John and Carmen behind us in line. They had left in the second shuttle ... so I guess we could have gotten a bit more sleep after all.
The gate to Portland was packed and the airport was extremely warm. We really didn't have time to eat but wifi was available so we contacted family members to let them know we were on our way. By now I felt very "antsy" to get home. Thinking of sitting on a plane for another six hours seemed unbearable. Seems like once you know you're heading home ... you just can't wait to get there!
It was good to see Oregon once again from the sky ... nice to be home. When we left our gate we noticed our grandchildren holding signs saying, "Welcome Home" and Brian and Tim were there too. What a wonderful welcome back! The first thing Walt wanted at the Wendy's (in the airport) was a large iced tea with extra ice ... but wouldn't you know it ... it was not available! By the time Brian dropped us off at home it was 11:00 PM ... and with all the time changes ... it made for a very long day.
Grazie ... I hope you have enjoyed "looking back" with me ... maybe learning something new about Italy or perhaps you are now considering traveling there sometime in the near future. Hopefully one day I will listen to / read about your travel stories. Arrivederci!

I Remember ... The Farewell Dinner

2011-07-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

Once again we boarded the bus for our Farewell Dinner in Rome.
There is live music, warm but comfortable temperatures and tables set up on a tiled patio ... a beautiful setting. I wish I could remember the name and location of the restaurant.

Our table mates for the evening were the DiCarlos. Such enjoyable company!

Here's our tour group enjoying the evening:

Telly made a farewell speech reviewing our time together and there were many toasts and much laughter. Ken was our group spokesperson and thanked Telly for not only being a wonderful tour guide, but a true friend to each of us. She made our trip so wonderful ... we truly felt we had experienced the Best of Italy 2010.

We spent the remainder of the evening photographing each tour family posed with Telly and Enzo. You can only imagine how long they had to smile for each photo taken!
A time for many hugs before boarding the bus for our return trip to our hotel. There were no late evening chats in the lobby, etc. It seems everyone headed back to their room to pack and get ready for our early morning departure. It felt like our trip had truly come to an end.

I Remember ... The Appian Way and the Catacombs

2011-07-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

We arrived back in Rome early in the afternoon and checked in at the Sheraton Hotel near the airport. Everything feels like it's winding down and we are not ready for this trip to end. Even the hotel feels very "American," helping us transition to our journey back home.
Before our scheduled farewell dinner we toured the catacombs of San Callisto. Telly was right ... the catacombs are a must-see in your tour plans for Rome and I'm glad we did not miss this opportunity.
We drove along the Appian Way, which was once the world's most important road. You can see the original pavement stones and the road is lined with ancient tombs and monuments. Below the street are miles of tunnels where the early Christians buried their dead and, when necessary, held secret church services. This was during a time when Christianity was illegal in the Roman Empire. During ancient Roman times no one was allowed to be buried within the city wall. Christians wanted to be buried vs cremated due to their beliefs in the resurrection. Many Christians were poor and land was expensive but a few wealthy Christian landowners allowed their properties to be used as a burial site.
We descended stairs far underground and we found cool temperatures that were a welcome relief from the day's heat. As we pass through these ancient tunnels, it is hard to comprehend life for the early Christians ... to feel the connection to this early heritage of believers.

The walls are covered in frescoes and early Christian symbols still preserved from so long ago. One stop that especially touched me was at the grave-site of Saint Cecilia where we were told the story of her martyrdom.

Exiting the catacombs back out into the heat and bright sunlight, we board the bus to head back to the hotel and get ready for the farewell dinner.

I Remember ... Siena

2011-07-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

After breakfast and packing up we all realized that Siena would be our last city tour. It's a little sad to think that in a few short days we will return home. Instead of walking along cobbled roads and ancient ruins we will return to our jobs and daily routines.
Before starting our journey to Siena we stopped at Piazzale Michalagelo, a square located across the river overlooking the city. From this viewpoint we enjoyed a panoramic view of Florence and captured many great scenic photos. Considering the early morning hour it
was already warm but the soft breeze was refreshing.

Back on the bus ... and heading to Siena.

The bus ride became so routine ... we are in such good hands with our driver, Enzo! This was a great time to enjoy the scenery, take a nap, read a book, or ... play games on the iPhone. By this time I was addicted to Touch Rummy on my phone. It helped pass the time but I had to watch my battery life. We purchased two extra chargers so ... no worries ... play away : )
Siena, south of Florence was another town hit by the Black Death (bubonic plague) in the 1300's and lost a third of its population. From a major trade center and a population of 60,000 ... it never recovered. Today this medieval town is a thriving historic center. There are red-bricked streets leading to the fan-shaped main square, Piazza Del Campo at the heart of this pedestrian only area.

The sloping design encourages people to sit and relax. We noticed quite a few students from the nearby university. There are many narrow elevated streets to climb and views to enjoy.

It was here where we said goodbye to Bill and Marcia. They will join their daughter/granddaughter, who is a student at the university for another week in this area. It was hard to say goodbye and we realized there will be many more in the coming hours.
Since this is the last stop on our tour we needed to get serious about picking up souvenirs for family and friends. We discovered many fun shops in this adventure.
While waiting to leave we snapped another group photo. Walt took the photo ... later he was photoshopped in so everyone would be included. You can hardly tell!

We made one last stop at the AutoGrill and enjoyed our favorite ... Caprese sandwich before heading back to Rome. The reality of the tour ending was sinking in!

I Remember ... A Tuscan Hill Town

2011-07-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

Our next optional excursion for this area was a guided tour of the nearby walled Tuscan hill town of San Gimignano (sahn jee-meen-YAH-noh). Take a fun virtual tour of this village using the link provided.

San Gimignano has fourteen medieval towers still standing and back in the 13th century more than seventy family towers were the norm for the Tuscany area. In the 14th century, San Gimignano's good times turned bad with their population dwindling from 13,000 to 4,000 due to a six-month plague in 1348. Because of this San Gimignano came under Florence's control and was forced to tear down many of their towers. Florence diverted the trade route away from this town and it never recovered.

Walking through the city is like being transported back 700 years to the Middle Ages.

We climbed up steep stairs for breathtaking views of the area.

We waited in a long line for our last gelato in Italy and enjoyed it while sitting in the Piazza della Cisterna. Thunderheads were gathering and even though it missed us, the power/lights went out in the stores. We purchased a few souvenirs before leaving.
Even though this is a "tourist-trap" I loved the medieval feel and the view. The Tuscan hill town area is beautiful and worth seeing.
We returned back to our hotel in Florence for a buffet dinner. The dining room was overly crowded again. Our tour group was pretty tired. I think the long days were starting to catch up with us.

I Remember ... A Tour of Florence

2011-07-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

It was the fifth of July and early in the morning we called Brian to check on family. It was strange to hear fireworks in the background ... they were still celebrating the 4th back home @ 9:45 p.m. It was so good to talk to them. However, it was sad to hear the sale on their house may fall through. It was hard to be far from home during times such as these.
When we went down to breakfast we encountered a crowd due to other tour groups eating at the same time. It was hard to find a table or to eat with others in our group. The elevators were jammed with young students moving large suitcases from upper floors to the lobby. It was hard to get back to our room. We grabbed a few last minute things from our room and got ready to meet the tour bus. When we tried to use the elevator it never did reach our floor. We finally ran five flights of stairs and nearly missed our bus. Telly was just going to find out where we were. Now that was a little embarrassing ...
This day was starting out with intense heat and our first stop on our guided walking tour was the red-brick domed cathedral, The Duomo ... the centerpiece of the city and an engineering genius. This is the stuff Walt loves! Behind us was the Baptistery with it's beautiful bronze doors facing the Duomo. The doors were opened allowing us to take pictures ... what beautiful mosaics on the ceiling.

We walked over to the Piazza della Repubblica which is a large square sitting on the site of Florence's original Roman Forum and Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall ... a Florentine landmark. In this courtyard is the "fake" David. Michelangelo's David stood in this spot until 1873.

The last of our guided tour included a visit to Santa Croce Church, a 14th-century Franciscan church. It is here that we lit candles for neighbors ... at their request.

We had time on our own and despite the sweltering heat, we walked over Ponte Vecchio, Florence's most famous bridge. It is lined with shops that have traditionally sold gold and silver.

This was probably one of last cities to do souvenir shopping so we spent quite a bit of time checking out various stores. When the heat became unbearable we walked back to the hotel ... which felt like a long distance ... and enjoyed a nice lunch in the hotel cafe with others from our group.

I Remember ... Welcome to Florence

2011-07-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Florence, considered the birthplace of the Renaissance ... for its art, architecture and cultural heritage.
As soon as we arrived we had an appointment for a tour of the Galleria dell' Accademia housing a Michelangelo collection, including the David. The original David has been housed here since 1873. It was moved from its outdoor location for preservation purposes. This 17-foot marble sculpture was created by Michelangelo between 1501-04. A replica was placed in the Piazza della Signoria in 1910. We couldn't get over the size and details. His hands and feet seemed especially large.
We checked into the Grand Hotel Mediterraneo and had time to get settled before heading out for our optional excursion.On this evening we experienced a Florentine dinner complete with entertainment at, Palazzo Borghese ... beautiful setting, delicious food and great entertainment with our group.

When we returned to our hotel it was still warm and we were pretty lively. We sat out on a patio and enjoyed the remainder of our evening.

I Remember ... The Leaning Tower of Pisa

2011-07-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Checking out, turning in keys, and settling hotel bills for a group our size all takes time in our morning routine. It gets pretty crowded in the lobby. Once we were settled in our seats many elected to take a nap on the long morning drive.
It's strange to be away from home on the Fourth of July. No red-white-and blue, fireworks, stars -and -stripes. There was only a mention of it on the bus. It makes us a little homesick for family and friends.
Our day's itinerary involved stopping in Pisa with our final destination: Florence.
Last night's storm moved out and it was once again beautiful and sunny. On the road we moved away from the lake area and had a great view of the Alps ... lovely covered in snow. We drove across the Plains of Lombardy and the forested Apennine Mountains. We were making good time but near Genova we encountered traffic problems, slowing us down. It seems like our travels are taking us through tunnel after tunnel.

At 12:15 p.m. we arrived at Pisa and rode a shuttle to the famous Field of Miracles to see the tower. It was nice to see so much green grass ... and there before us stood the the leaning tower, one of Italy's most famous landmarks.
I think I was expecting something much taller. It is nearly 200 feet tall and 55 feet wide, leaning at a five degree angle. Construction started in 1173 and took two centuries and at least three different architects to complete the project. It was a little crooked right from the beginning and each architect tried to correct the problem without success.
The tower was closed in 1990 for repairs and 30 million was spent trying to stabilize it, probably giving it life for several more centuries. We did not climb the tower, but like everyone in the crowd, we took a few crazy poses of each of us trying to hold the tower up. Not so good : (

The heat was intensifying and we knew the perfect cure ... gelato! We boarded the shuttle and headed toward Florence at 1:30.

I Remember ... a Lake Maggiore Afternoon

2011-07-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

As soon as we returned to our hotel, we changed in to our swimsuits and headed out to relax by the pool. It was a nice time to read and cool off in the water. Dinner was scheduled at 7:30 p.m. so Walt decided to walk to the nearby town and pick up something for lunch. I dozed in the pool lounger while trying to read my book. I was starting to feel a little fatigued and having an afternoon to rest had been wonderful. Walt was gone quite sometime and I was starting to worry a bit. When he arrived at a local sandwich shop it was filled with soccer fans watching the World Cup game ... Germany was playing. No one took his order or made the sandwich until half-time. Also, during our stay at this resort Walt stopped in a nearby store, the Supermercati Savoini. The staff did not speak English. He was able to describe a few things he was looking for, such as hand cream (Crema Mani) by "playing charades" and using hand gestures. I think he enjoyed his shopping experience there!
Dinner was served at 7:30 p.m. and while we were dining a big thunderstorm moved in. We had front row seats to watch the wind, rain and hear the loud, rolling thunder. Quite an entertaining evening. I remember looking over the menu thinking we were getting scallops ... so looking forward to it -- my favorite. BUT when our server brought it to our table it looked like pork or veal. I guess what we translated as "scallop" was in fact, meat cooked in a sauce. When we asked about this our server rolled her eyes and said, "Mama-mia, Americanos!!!" It made everyone at our table laugh. A little "lost in translation" experience.

We had been looking for another late-night walk but it was still too wet to go out. We were able to buy an internet connection that we could only access from the lobby so I spent the evening posting pictures and emailing family and friends. Walt had an opportunity to watch a soccer game on a big-screen TV and Spain won. Tomorrow morning we leave for Florence.

I Remember ... Lugano, Switzerland

2011-07-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning was beautiful, sunny, and warm ... it was hard to leave the paradise of this resort but a road trip was calling us to Switzerland. Passports in hand we boarded the bus for another country. It's somewhat of a long bus ride but filled with winding roads and very pleasant scenery.
Here's a photo of 10-year-old, Jack, a.k.a Mr. Vice President talking to his grandmother. What a trooper! I can only imagine how hard it would be for a boy of this age to sit on a bus for hours at a time. He was amazing ... a delightful guy. We loved getting to know their family ... Mom, Patricia, her three children and grandma.
We crossed the border into Ticino, located in the south of Switzerland and almost entirely surrounded by Italy which lies to its east, west and south. Located at the foothills of the Alps, the atmosphere is very much Italian. It is both alpine and Mediterranean. We were a little disappointed we didn't stop and get out at the border crossing. It would have been nice to have a Switzerland stamp in our passports. We arrived in Lugano at 10:15 a.m. and here's our first glimpse of the area ...

We spent most of the morning on our own at a shopping center. Our brief visit included strolling through the stores, picking up souvenirs and enjoying a few treats. We boarded the bus and headed back to Lake Maggiore at 12:15.

We even found a great place to stay if we ever make a return visit ... Hotel Walter.

I Remember ... Lake Maggiore

2011-07-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

Lake Maggiore (Baveno) will be "home" for the next two days of our tour ... a beautiful lake resort. We arrived at 5:00 p.m. and discovered our tour had been updated to a different hotel, the Grand Hotel Dino located right on the lake. What a gorgeous setting ... a perfect place for restoration and relaxation! So much of the area reminds us of Wallowa Lake ... but much warmer and snazzier.
We walked around the grounds and out by the pools before dinner. On this evening we will celebrate five graduations in our group. We dined by the window and enjoyed a beautiful view of the lake as well as the good company around the table.
After dinner several in our group walked toward town. For the late evening hour there was still a warm breeze reminding us of evenings we've walked on the beach in Hawaii. We walked by a restaurant with live music and people were dancing.

This place just filled my mind with happy memories.

I Remember ... Milan

2011-07-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

Here's what our bus seating charts looked like. We progressively moved to the back of the bus and then forward again. We stopped along the way for a quick lunch. We are getting quite fond of the Caprese sandwich at the AutoGrill. It's quite an interesting experience to place an order at this quick-stop cafe. First you stand in a bit of a chaotic line, decide what you want and pay for it. You then get in another line with your receipt at the service counter and wait for your sandwich to be prepared. So different from fast-food back home. One of the gals in our group got me hooked on gummy bears. It seems like the official candy of Italy ... ahhh, what a life at the AutoGrill.
We arrived in Milan at 1:30 p.m. and as bus parked and unloaded passengers I wondered, "Why visit here?" It felt very "big city" and kind of dirty. I would soon find out ... more about that later.
Milan, Italy's capital of commerce, is sophisticated and has urban appeal. Despite this, Milan seems to take a back seat to Tuscany's hills and the canals of Venice. It feels more European than Italian.
Our first stop was in a grassy area near the DaVinci National Science Museum. We had a guide explain the history of Milan using people in our tour group to represent those who invaded and ruled Milan long ago. It made it very interesting and easy to understand. Milan has had quite a complicated history involving France, Spain and Austria.
We were then led through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. Walt remembers studying this in college. It is a four-story, glass-domed building built in 1870 and the first in town to have electric lighting. I'm thinking ... the first covered shopping mall. The paintings at the base of the dome represent Europe, Asia, Africa and America and the floor mosaics are beautiful. I'm starting to see why we stopped here.
As we exited the Galleria nothing prepared me for the view of the Duomo ... my jaw dropped and my feet stopped moving. Wow, THIS is why we toured this city. AMAZING! This is the fourth largest church in Europe. It is so large ... there are so many spires, pointed arches and gleaming white marble.

This Gothic structure was built between 1386-1810 and has 52 hundred-foot tall pillars representing the weeks of the year and the liturgical calendar. There are more than 2,000 statues inside and it was built to hold 40,000 worshipers. Our guide continued the tour inside and it was beautiful and fascinating ... large columns, stained glass windows. Even after taking many photos, I don't think any of them will reveal how stunningly beautiful this cathedral is.

We left Milan at 3:00 p.m. to travel to our last destination of the day: Lake Maggiore.

I Remember ... Verona

2011-07-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

We packed up, got back on the road early in the morning, and left Venice behind. Our first stop of the day was Verona. The weather was a little hazy and overcast as we left Venice but by the time we arrived in Verona it was sunny again.

Verona is probably best known for its connection with Romeo and Juliet. However, this 2,000-year-old town is rich with genuine history and ruins within an easy walk through the town core near the river. I enjoyed this quaint town and would definitely put it on my list of places to return to in order to spend more time exploring the ancient sites.
Even though you know the House of Juliet is bogus, you still are drawn in to the courtyard to see the balcony, have your picture taken with her statue, and look at all the letters to Juliet posted on the wall.

We had a short time to explore on our own before reboarding the bus at 10:30 a.m. Our next destination: Milan.

I Remember ... Burano

2011-07-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

Our optional excursion for today is a 40-minute lagoon cruise from Venice to Burano for lunch. We were taken by private vaporetto to this nearby island. It was a refreshing change to be out on the water and feel a gentle breeze ... cooling us off.

As soon as we docked I fell in love with this island ... the bright, cheerfully painted houses with drying laundry instantly grabbed my attention ... a vintage village feel in this lagoon known for its lacemaking. I was also fascinated by the leaning San Martino church bell tower.
The island is very small and has stayed well protected from tourism. There are no hotel accommodations so tourism is limited to day trips. The only way to get around this island is on foot and the biggest attractions are the Lace Museum and the colorful homes.
We dined outside at Cafe Vecio Trattoria enjoying many seafood dishes and biscuits called Essi, made in the 'S' shape and yellow in color. They were quite light and delicious. It seems each meal is a feast in Italy and served in a different order than in US. Just when you thought the meal was over ... we were served shots of almond amaretto and cappuccino. We could hardly breathe after moving away from the table.
Pictured below: Shrimp Risotto
We enjoyed great conversation with our table "mates" ... the Aussie group. It was fun explaining things we do in the US. They were quite intrigued by my explanation of my monthly Bunco group. The conversation then turned to camping and S'mores. Even something as common to us as graham crackers was new to them. It was a great way to spend an afternoon of leisure!

I Remember ... A Day in Venice

2011-07-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

Today was the full group tour and there was no Grand Canal entrance ... we were all in one private boat and docked at St. Mark's Square. It is extremely hot for the early morning hours and it is already crowded.

Listen carefully for Telly's famous, "okey-dokey."
Our first tour was the Murano Glassblowing Factory to witness a demonstration of this ancient art. Of course, there was time to make a purchase ... so many beautiful necklaces and serving pieces ... all very spendy! I had my eye on a necklace but even on sale it was 99 euros ... that "unemployment recording" started playing in my mind and I decided it was something I could live without. Another gal in our group, Derrilee bought it and it looked fabulous on her! I decided to buy a Christmas ornament, a glass angel, instead as this is what we usually buy for our Christmas tree when we travel ... it has become a kind of "travelogue" of our lives.

For most of the day we were on our own until the optional excursion to Burano. We walked through stores and visited the tourist must-sees while enjoying a gelato but it seemed as the temperatures climbed, so did the crowds. I especially wanted to walk over the Bridge of Sighs as I am enjoying a summer read with this title.
We wanted to do a little exploring in the residential area so we started walking away from all the noise and shopping to the peaceful quiet of the side streets. We found it very quaint and enjoyed wandering. We loved walking by the street artists and bought a watercolor of St. Mark's square. It will be the perfect addition on our travel wall in the family room.

Before leaving for Burano Lynn took our picture in St. Mark's Square.

I Remember ... Our First Glimpse of Venice

2011-06-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

We were nearing Venice and those who did not sign up for the optional excursion were dropped off at the hotel. The rest of us filled two water taxis, vaporettos and cruised the Grand Canal, Venice's "main street" for an evening of ... "Venetian Magic."

It truly was magic entering this floating city through the canal. The canal is two miles long, nearly 150 feet wide and about 15 feet deep. Our cameras and iPhones were documenting everything ... the palaces, the Rialto Bridge, the boats, the dazzling colors, the people ... it is an amazing place.
We were dropped off near St. Mark's Square to enjoy a Gondola ride through the smaller canals.

We were treated to Italian champagne while musicians and singers entertained us. Seven gondolas awaited our group and we shared the fifth gondola with Bill and his daughter, Marcia. We drifted out to the Grand Canal where they serenaded our group.

Before departing Venice we spent some time in St. Mark's Square. Our first impression was that is was a little dirty and there were so many pigeons ... a little creepy if you aren't fond of them.

We took pictures in the square before leaving and reminded ourselves that we still have an entire day in Venice tomorrow.

We returned to our hotel room (the furnishings reminded us so much of Ikea) and enjoyed a nice dinner. Telly told us we would have an opportunity to sleep in the following morning ... we will not leave until 8:00 a.m. : )
Another exciting and wonderful day!

I Remember ... Ravenna

2011-06-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

On the mornings we traveled Telly posted the day's itinerary. On this day we enjoyed a morning ride through the Apennines to the Adriatic Coast and the Roman town of Ravenna with its ancient mosaics and Byzantine architecture and treasures from that time period. We visited the Church of St. Apollinaris in Classe and dined at a cafe nearby. Our usual lunch fare is stopping at the Auto Grill for a sandwich. We enjoyed a nice pasta meal in Ravenna. A nice change!

One of the highlights of this visit was stopping while Telly told us about the history of a statue nearby. While she was talking church bells were ringing and I wanted to record the sound with my iPhone ... I thought it would be a nice memory when we were back home. While recording, Telly explained that men did not have hair on their bodies during that time period. Jan was standing behind me not realizing I was recording and said in her cute Aussie accent, "Karen, Look up under his skirt and check" When I stated I was recording, not just taking a picture, we all started laughing! A great tour memory!

Before boarding the bus for our trip to Venice, Walt ran over and captured some great shots of nearby sunflower fields ... love all the pictures he took! Fortunately he took these, as it was the only photo opportunity of this kind for the remainder of our tour.

I Remember ... Celebration in Assisi

2011-06-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Happy 36th Anniversary! This trip is our dream-come-true ... the best gift ever!
We were up early, packed and had our luggage out before breakfast. We will be on the road all day traveling to Assisi. Before getting on the road we stopped for a demonstration on the art of inlaid woodworking, one of the crafts of the Sorrento peninsula. It was just a short stop before getting on the road toward the province of Umbria, "the green heart of Italy" and the city of Assisi.
The weather is very warm but the bus is cool. I'm so glad Nancy suggested I pack a pashmina ... the most versatile item in my suitcase. It kept me warm and comfortable.
When we arrived our bus dropped us off at the bottom of the hill and we had quite a walk to our hotel, the Hotel Giotto ... in addition, it was a very warm day.
We met in the hotel lobby for check-in and an explanation of our stay there. The view was breathtaking from the balcony. We had a tour scheduled for the Basilica of St. Francis. From our guide we learned much about this town's famous hometown boy and his message of love and simplicity where he taught by example ... living without worldly goods. Last Sunday in church we sang, "All Creatures of Our God and King" written by St. Francis. Memories from our trip rushed back and the song touched my heart as never before.
I was not aware of the 1997 5.5-magnitude earthquake that not only damaged buildings but also the tourism industry there. We had time to walk around this medieval town before dinner exploring shops and taking many pictures.
When we got to our room our luggage was not there ... a little panic since we were close to the scheduled dinner at our hotel. Walt found it several floors above sitting outside the wrong room. Whew! I wanted to clean up and be presentable for our anniversary dinner.
Dinner was served in the lower level and we enjoyed a great evening dining with Alan & Sue from Australia and Donna and two of her daughters ... Dad and another daughter were still sick. After dinner we took our first group photo out on a patio. We enjoyed visiting with everyone until late into the night. It has been fun getting to know people on a more personal level.Can't remember a better anniversary!

I Remember ... Dining at the Lemon Farm

2011-06-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

We were bussed back to Hotel Johanna Park and after freshening up we re-boarded our bus for our dining experience at a local lemon farm. We had to stop at the bottom of the hill and be shuttled up to the farm because our bus was too big for the road. If I remember correctly, the shuttle could only take about seven passengers at a time so it took a while to transport everyone. I remember it as quite a WILD ride!
Dining with the local people has been one of the highlights of our trip. Some speak very little English but somehow we communicate. One of the younger family members spoke English and we had a long talk about life in Italy and her family.
The food was different ... mostly local produce. It was very tasty until I noticed a purplish object on Walt's plate that had suckers on it ... YIKES, octopus! Can you spot it in the picture on the right??? After that I stuck with a very delicious marinated carrot salad.

This evening we celebrated The Guido's anniversary. It seemed like each family has something to celebrate on this trip. It's fun to be a part of special occasions within the group!

The farm was beautiful, filled with lemon trees. One thing we have noticed while in Italy is how they plant produce, such as tomatoes right in with the landscape. We brought this idea back with us and have tried to do this more and more in our flowerbeds.
It was fun to enjoy another beautiful sunset in such a peaceful environment.
I was beat when we returned to our hotel but Walt was loving the free wireless connection and sat out on the warm patio until after midnight. He got to Skype with Tim. He said it was so good to hear his voice. It made me homesick for our kids! Sorry I missed that opportunity but I really needed my beauty sleep : )

I Remember ... the Isle of Capri

2011-06-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

After quite a night we were up bright and early for breakfast and preparation for a day in Capri. It was a sunny day with a warm breeze and the view from the dining patio was amazing. We once again boarded our tour bus and a short time later we were dropped off at the dock and loaded on a large ferry that took thirty minutes to get to the Isle of Capri. A few members of our group did not join us this day as they were not feeling well.
The Isle of Capri was made famous as a vacation hideaway of Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius. It is only four miles by 2 miles and has only two towns, Capri and Anacapri. Today it is mostly a tourist destination ... a great place to explore. Our first experience was riding the funicolare to Capri Town ... now the song makes sense! We were dropped off near the Piazza Umberto, the town's main square. The first thing you notice about the island ... it seems like most, if not all homes and buildings are white. There are narrow alleyways, lush flowers and gardens all sitting on top of limestone cliffs above the sea. We toured a garden and visited a few shops. Loved the perfume store, especially the lemon-scented solid perfume. Passing up a purchase was my one big disappointment. It was probably 26 euros ... but I had to remind myself that I would be on unemployment when I returned home.
We joined the optional excursion, "Capri Highlights." Minibuses took us on a drive to Anacapri with spectacular views of the Mediterranean. The streets are so narrow that when two minibuses pass each other their sideview mirrors almost touch. If heights bother you, this may be a problem : ) We had tickets to ride the chairlift to up to 1,900-foot summit of Monte Solaro. It takes about 15 minutes to get to the top. I was pretty hesitant about the ride since each person rode individually in a "hanging basket."

It just didn't look secure but I braved it because I wanted to see what was at the top. (Notice the "death grip" on the chairlift pole in the picture on the right. This is where you'll find the best panoramic view possible. Amazing!
In the afternoon we enjoyed a harbor tour of the island by water to visit some of the white and green grottos. The water is a color that I cannot even find a descriptive word for ... you must see it with your own eyes. The boats pulled in the island grottos (caves) and in the darkened area the colors changed to the most beautiful shimmery green ... both the water and ceiling.
We saw the high cliff from which the Emperor Tiberius is said to have thrown women and slaves to the death. Yikes! We also motored through the natural Arch and the Faraglioni rocks. It was not only beautiful but a refreshing ride on such a warm day.
We boarded the ferry for our ride back to Sorrento.

I Remember ... Dinner on a Sorrento Farm

2011-06-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

When we returned from Positano we had a short time to get ready for our second optional excursion of the day, a traditional Neapolitan evening, dining at a countryside 18th century Olive Oil mill. Since the roads were so narrow our bus had to drop us off and we walked the remaining way. Our host family took us on a tour of the gardens, the mill and an ancient wine cellar.

We enjoyed a demonstration on Mozzarella cheese making and then had the opportunity to make pizza and sample the wine and Limoncello.
This was a beautiful place to watch the sunset and even got to celebrate Barb's birthday. It was a great group bonding experience. However, we were pretty giddy when we left. I don't think it's a good idea to mix wine and limoncello in one dining experience! We had to walk to the bus and we were pretty loud!
This was a full day and we arrived back late. Walt sat out on the patio in the warm breezes and found an internet connection. He emailed everyone and then called Tim on his iPhone and enjoyed a nice conversation until late in to the night. So many experiences in one day!!!

I Remember ... Sorrento and Positano

2011-06-27T15:30:00.000-07:00

We were back on the road and heading toward Sorrento ... our "home" for the next two days. Sorrento is the gateway for the Amalfi Coast. I couldn't wait to get there since a co-worker, who traveled to this area last year, said it was her favorite. She said if she could return, this area would be where she wanted to spend her entire vacation. I was not disappointed.
Our tour bus climbed steep winding hills to the top and there stood a beautiful hotel, Johanna Park. It was quaint and welcoming ... exactly what I had in mind. The only problem ... out of our entire group we were not booked for a room. No worries -- it all worked out. However, we had a back view of the olive grove and the front rooms had a gorgeous view. We unpacked and got ready for our optional excursion to Positano.

Our trip along the Amalfi Coast was long with many winding roads ... the views were breathtaking! The water was so blue, the city below so colorful and there were many boats bobbing on the water. Now I see why this area was Heidi's favorite. We reached Positano at 4:00 PM and only had a short time to explore.

There were so many narrow alleyways, abundant flowers hanging everywhere, lemons the size of grapefruit, cafes, clothing stores and a nice beach/harbor with pebbly rocks. We did a little shopping for souvenirs and even had a chance to dip our feet in the Mediterranean.

This place just shouts, "Paradise!" when you arrive. This is definitely one place I would love to return to!

I Remember ... Pompeii

2011-06-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

We woke up to clear blue skies and warm sunshine. I had been looking forward to this part of our tour for so long. In 1985 I read about the Mt. Vesuvius eruption in 79 AD in National Geographic. I was fascinated by it and read many books, articles and novels about this event ... never dreaming I would one day walk the streets of Pompeii ... a town frozen in time!
We packed up, ate breakfast and loaded the bus early in the morning leaving Rome behind. We now feel we have really started this tour. During the morning travel I felt a little motion sick (one of my worries!) but on our first stop we bought Coke and crackers and my stomach settled. The view from our bus window was lush and green with rolling hills and mountains. Beautiful!

Our Pompeii tour was with a guide and we had an hour and a half to walk the streets and see the ruins.
Pompeii was founded in 600 BC and became a booming Roman trading city, mostly middle class. It was once a bustling city with shops, bars, hotels and approximately 20,000 residents. As we view the ruins, it is hard to imagine that most of the buildings were covered in white, ground-marble stucco. It must have been very impressive!

It was interesting to see frescoes still painted on the walls of residences; glass cases holding casts of residents captured in their last moments during the eruption. There is even evidence of "fast-food" restaurants from long ago. Quite modern for those times!

At the end of the tour we sampled some Limoncello and bought three small bottles for the boys. We enjoyed a gelato lunch : ) before boarding the bus for Sorrento.

I Remember ... A Change In Weather

2011-06-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

After a refreshing nap we were ready for dinner. Our group was scheduled for an optional excursion, "Introduction to Rome by Night" and since we had spent three days on our own in Rome we decided to give dining close to the hotel a try. We took the elevator down and started for the door only to see that it was pouring down rain! Fortunately, we had packed a small umbrella and lightweight jackets. Without this we would have been soaked just crossing the street! It was amusing to see street vendors, who only hours ago were hawking plastic umbrellas for protection from the sun, had now switched to umbrellas for the rain. They are always so prepared for a sale!
We chose the closest restaurant to our hotel and were thrilled with the service and our meal. Our waiter helped us with our selection and said he knew just what we would like ... and we were not disappointed. Delicious salad, bread, wine, pizza and gelato. At the end of our meal the rain had eased giving us an opportunity to tour the area before dark.
Looking forward to our trip to the Pompeii-Sorrento area tomorrow ...

I Remember ... We are Officially Tourists!

2011-06-26T06:30:00.000-07:00

So begins our life as an official "tourist" ... up early, hotel breakfast, and out to our Trafalgar bus for the day's scheduled sights. We are known as tourists #18 and assigned seating on the tour bus. Each day we rotate seating so that no one sits in the same spot twice. It's a great way to meet people as you have new aisle mates each day.
Today our schedule includes the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Bascilica. We arrived early to see a long line already forming. Because we are a tour group we quickly moved forward ... one of the strengths of being with a group! We had a local guide who provided commentary on all we were about to see.
The Sistine Chapel is the Pope's personal chapel and is famous for Michelangelo's pictorial story of creation, which is 12,000-square-feet, took four years to paint and contains 343 frescoed figures. When we entered the chapel we were told we could not take photos and there should be no talking. However, above the murmur of amazement we heard, "ssshhhhhh" over and over. You could also hear cameras snapping pictures here and there. Our group had twenty minutes to observe Michelangelo's work. As you looked up, you soon realized you had a neck ache. It sure would have been more comfortable with our travel pillows for this part of the tour!
We left this room and visited St. Peter's Basilica. This part of the tour had a dress code: no shorts, bare shoulders or mini-skirts. This is strictly enforced. The dome was beautiful ... it rises 435 feet and measures 138 feet across its base. No camera could capture how magnificent it is ... you simply must see this in person to understand its grandeur.
At the end of this tour we enjoyed a brief break to snack or rest before boarding the bus for our tour of ancient Rome and the Colosseum. It was only mid-morning and it was already quite warm.
Since our visit to the Colosseum several days ago was only from the outside, we were excited to walk around inside. Amazing to walk around something of this size built 2,000 years ago. Built in A.D. 80, this structure represents Rome at its grandest. It accommodated 50,000 fans and could be topped with an enormous canvas awning to shade the spectators. As we toured, it was hard to imagine being a long-ago spectator of so much violence and killing. Before we left this area we all posed for a group photo.

Since only twelve of us signed up for the catacomb tour it was canceled with a chance to reschedule at the end of our tour. We had been looking forward to this optional excursion. We returned to our room and I took a 3-hour nap while Walt worked on his journal and backed photos up to the computer.

I Remember ... Meet the (Trafalgar) Family

2011-06-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

After checking in at the Mediterraneo Hotel we unpacked and freshened up before the 4:45 p.m. scheduled Trafalgar meeting. We met in the lower level of the hotel for wine and appetizers. The room quickly filled up with strangers who would soon become "friends and family" over the course of fourteen days. The dynamics of this group of forty-seven is not what I had anticipated ... I figured it would be comprised of mostly seniors ... haha!
Actually, we were one of the "older" ones of the group. The youngest in our group was ten and there were so many teens-early twenties traveling with their families. Many were celebrating high school graduations. The group consisted of people from U.S. coast-to-coast, Australia, and Canada. They were from all walks of life ... doctor, nurse, dentist, school employees, police, business/finance, funeral director, etc. We all joined together to share "The Best of Italy 2010."
The first time I met our wonderful tour director, Telly, and introduced myself as Karen, she changed my name to Karina for the entire trip : ) Our ten-year-old traveler, Jack, became "Mr. Vice-President." As Telly described our itinerary for the next two weeks we quickly picked up on many "Telly-isms" and sayings. Here are a few ... "okey-dokey," "There are no problems, only situations." Restrooms were nicknamed "the smiley room" and she let us know we would be stopping often for a "smile." We immediately knew we were in good hands and that this would be a wonderful experience. As we concluded our travels at the Farewell dinner, she told us that some of her tour groups are "magical" and said that this group was one of them. She was right ... from the very beginning we felt at home with this group!

Our first Optional Excursion of this trip was a five-course meal at Canova's at the Piazza del Popolo that evening. After the previous night's dining disaster we were anxious to try a reputable Italian restaurant.

A shuttle picked our group up and we were treated to outside dining in a private area. The food was fabulous, we enjoyed live music and it was fun getting acquainted with everyone. We finished our evening with a visit to the Trevi Fountain.Notice the new tourist ID/headset. Even at a distance we can hear Telly talking in crowded areas through our headsets. It will be challenging to keep our group together in busy tourist attractions over the next few weeks. Here's to a great beginning ...

I Remember ... Rome, On Our Own

2011-06-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

We were once again greeted by blue sky and sunshine, energizing us to get out and explore. Our first thought of the day: Happy Birthday, Matte!
Since we would be checking out of our hotel this morning we needed to re-pack and organize our suitcases. We enjoyed another brunch, dropped our luggage at the front desk and set out for another long walking day. Heading over to Via del Corso and winding through narrow streets we passed by some kind of demonstration ... a crowd chanting, media, cameras etc. We were not sure of their cause, however it was very peaceful.
Our mission today: locate and enjoy gelato @ Giolletti's, a place Joelle recommended to us. She studied in Rome and emailed us a list of great touring information. And it was worth the trip ... delicious. I believe I could eat gelato every day! As it appears in the picture, I am not eating two ... one is for Walt!
We continued to explore piazzas, enjoying the quaint residential neighborhoods. I loved how you could hear everyday life ... cooking, quiet conversations etc. We both wondered what it would be like to rent an apartment for a few weeks and make ourselves "at home" here. As we rounded a corner, we could hear a group singing A cappella, which is Italian for "in the manner of the church" or "in the manner of the chapel." It was drifting down from an upstairs room. Not only was it beautiful, but it was familiar to us. It was a worship chorus we've sung in church. As we drew closer, we discovered it was a Baptist church, probably a rarity in a predominately Roman Catholic community.
Our best discovery of the day ... an internet cafe, The Circus Art Cafe, tucked in a quaint little street located just off the Piazza Navona. The decor and art had a flavor of something you would find in the bay area. I ordered Coke and tea for both of us but had a little problem communicating at the cash register. The cashier was having problems understanding English and I didn't know what she was saying in Italian. After several go-arounds a nearby customer lowered his newspaper and told me she was asking for another euro : ) We enjoyed our refreshing beverages while connecting with the world. We checked our email, looked at Facebook, uploaded pictures, and sent birthday greetings to Matt. I wish we had found this place earlier in our stay at Rome.
We returned back to the Cosmopolita and took a taxi to our next destination: The Mediterrano Hotel where we will meet our Trafalgar travel group at a "get acquainted" reception.

I Remember ... Dining @ 12 Apostoli

2011-06-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

After resting our poor, tired feet we put our shoes back on and hit the pavement once again looking for a place to eat. It was nearing 8:00 p.m. when Italians enjoy their evening meal. It seemed like every restaurant was full and people were waiting to be seated. By now I am depleted of energy and really don't want to search high and low for a place to eat. So with my encouragement we find a place to eat at an outside cafe close to our hotel. As soon as we were seated, we knew it was a mistake! Two ladies at a table near us ... I believe they were speaking German ... got up and walked out without paying the amount on their bill. They were angry about something! Another diner left when they brought her the wrong order ... they argued in Italian and she got up and left. Another group of five left when they were seated at a table set up for two. Oh, my ... what's in store for our dining experience?!?!
All day I had envisioned a large glass of iced tea packed with chunky ice cubes ... ha ha! Beverages are not served with ice in Italy. I guess Americans are obsessed with iced drinks : ) Our waiter brought me a semi-cool can of sweetened iced tea (bleh!) Walt ordered white wine and the waiter brought red. When you order water you are asked, "Gas, or No Gas" which means, "do you want mineral water ... or not?" I ordered regular water ... and you guessed it ... I got it gassed! We ordered our food and the waiter brought what he wanted us to eat! I felt like we were on the set of the Saturday Night Live show. We couldn't stop laughing ... until we got the bill. He added several "service" charges and look at the top line in the picture of our receipt ... a question mark = 4 euro ... what?!?! All in all it was quite spendy for what we got. He also stood over us until we paid our bill. He wasn't going to have another customer dine and dash.
Actually, as I was doing a little research about this restaurant for this post, I found many reviews from others who had been scammed with a much higher price tag. I guess we got off pretty easy compared to those who paid 90 euro for lunch. There were many posts on different blogs saying to avoid this place at all costs. Most diners felt robbed. No wonder people where walking away angry! So ... if you're ever visiting Rome DO NOT eat at this restaurant. We still had two weeks of fine dining experiences ahead : ) We just put this one behind us. Ciao!

I Remember ... Walking to the Vatican

2011-06-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

This is where I started wearing down ... the heat, the long walk, the need to refuel = I need dinner! But we had the desire to stick with our plan. We knew the Vatican would be included in our Trafalgar tour but we wanted to get a "taste and see" of the area on our own.
Vatican City is a small independent country of approximately 100 acres. It is the religious capital of more than a billion Roman Catholics. It even has its own postal system and armed guards. There are two main sights: St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museum with the Sistine Chapel.
On this day we just spent time taking pictures in St. Peter's Square. Saturday we were scheduled to return with our group for a full tour. It was amazing to look up at all the grandeur. Here are a few photos from our visit:

Vatican City with a river view

Taking a little break ... hot and tired : (

We made it to St. Peter's Square

Incredible view!

After a long walk back to our hotel ... it's time to head out for our first dining experience in Roma on our own.

I Remember ... The Pantheon Neighborhood

2011-06-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

After a refreshing break and a change of clothes we got back on our feet for more sightseeing. This time we headed out in a different direction ... the Pantheon neighborhood, the heart of Rome.
I loved the urban-village feel of the area. There were so many narrow streets, shops and eateries ... so much foot traffic and scooters zipping by. We could hear the voices of the crowd surrounding the Trevi Fountain drifting in the air as we passed by.
We continued on to the Spanish Steps ... another people gathering place. The wide, curving staircase makes for a great view, a place to capture beautiful photo moments ... and even a wedding taking place!

As we walked along the busy sidewalks filled with stores, flower shops and horse-drawn carriages, one of the horses leaned over and bit Walt's chest. We were so shocked and it was hard to contain laughter until I knew he was o.k :)
We entered the north entrance to Rome at the Piazza del Popolo where the twin domed churches are located. It was refreshing to cool off by the fountain but I experienced what every tourist dreads ... being approached by locals wanting money. A young man tied an embroidery floss bracelet to my wrist and then asked for money for his church. He tried to give me a rose and followed us around the piazza. It was a bit frightening as I worried he was trying to distract me to get my purse. I finally gave him $2 and told him that's all I had. After that I was on "high alert" being more aware of those around me. This is the type of scenario that travel guides warn you about.
Despite this distraction we continued on toward the Vatican during the hottest time of the day. I am so glad I packed this dress at the last minute. With the warm temperatures this lightweight dress is comfortable and perfect for sightseeing. About this time a gelato sounded heavenly but we could not find the shop Joelle recommended and we pressed on ... hot and a little tired.

I Remember ... Walking Tour of Rome

2011-06-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning we woke up at 7:30 refreshed and ready to see the sights and sounds of Rome. With jet lag and fatigue behind us we felt we had adjusted well. We still had two full days on our own and there was so much to see.
After dining on a delicious brunch in our hotel we set out for the sights closest to us ... The Victor Emmanuel Monument, or as some have nicknamed,"The Wedding Cake." We climbed the stairs to the top and had a remarkable view. Below we could see a major transportation hub of Rome ... a circular roundabout that makes it nearly impossible for pedestrians crossing the street. A melody of horns honking, sirens blaring and much activity fills the air. I recorded this "chorus" on my iPhone in order to be carried back to this wonderful memory.
We made our way to the back side of "The Wedding Cake" and found a view of ancient Rome and the ruins. Despite the warming temperatures we journeyed out to get a closer look at the Tiber River, the Forum, Palatine Hill, Circus Maximus and the Colosseum. Wow! Hard to comprehend that these buildings are over 2,000 years old! It's amazing to see with one's own eyes and to stroll through so much history.

The temperatures continued rising and as we made our way back to the Cosmopolita, we stopped for a small can of Coke ... 3.50 euro each! Yikes ... spendy, but oh so refreshing on such a warm day. It was nice to have a little down time at the hotel to plan our afternoon touring strategy. Our next adventure includes the Pantheon neighborhood ... and perhaps, beyond.
Rome ... I have fallen in love with you!

I Remember ... Rome, Love At First Sight

2011-06-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

People have often asked me why I had such a desire to tour Italy. It all began when I read Pat Conroy's, Beach Music. While reading it you could almost feel, touch and taste the culture ... it made you want to experience it first-hand.
So after a refreshing nap, we put on cooler clothes and comfortable shoes and headed out to the streets. We were within blocks to most of the tourist "must-see" attractions. I loved walking the narrow cobblestone streets, scooters side-by-side like dominoes, the aroma of fresh baked breads, people dining outside cafes ... everything was so alive! And as dusk settled over the city ... it was warm and beautiful!
Our first stop was Trevi Fountain. This huge fountain is the world's most spectacular wishing well. If you throw a coin, perhaps this fountain is your ticket back! It was packed and it was fun to soak in the atmosphere and people watch.
We walked over to the Pantheon. Since Walt studied architecture in college he was overwhelmed by the design of this ancient temple.
Nothing says you're in Rome like Piazza Navona. We arrive to a plaza filled with much activity ... artists painting, a beautiful fountain, entertainment and crowded streets ...much like a centuries-old carnival.

So much changed in thirty-six hours and so much yet to see. We were starting to feel at home and the fatigue was lifting.

I Remember ... Philadelphia to Rome

2011-06-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

I have never traveled by air for more than six hours so part of our journey to Italy included a long flight during the night. We came prepared with our electronic gadgets ... iPod, iPhone, books, magazines, etc. We even watched a movie on my iPhone and split the headphones ... anything to help us lose track of time. Walt introduced me to Rummikub on my iPhone and we played each other on our phones for hours. I just could not get to sleep and time-wise, I was so turned around. I think there was a bit of excitement and anticipation keeping me on high-alert.
We finally arrived in Rome at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 23rd and de-boarded the plane on the tarmac. What a warm, blue-sky sunny morning. It was wonderful to be on land again ... a place I had only dreamed of visiting!
After a bus ride to the terminal and going through customs, nothing looked better than seeing our luggage waiting for us ( : Whew ... that worry was behind us. We had arranged for a taxi service to pick us up at the airport and drive us to Rome. The driver was dressed in a very expensive suit and drove a Mercedez. Where he lacked in speaking fluent English he made up for in his savvy driving skills.Wow! What a ride! He maneuvered his vehicle right up on someone's bumper going about 50 mph and then made quick lane changes over and over. The route he drove seemed like back roads so we got a tour of Italy ... one I wasn't expecting ... graffiti everywhere and rundown neighborhoods.
We arrived at the Cosmopolita Hotel around 10:45 a.m. to find our room was not yet available. We checked our luggage and explored the area ... I felt like pinching myself realizing that I am really there. We experienced our first gelato and it was wonderful. The day was quite warm and by now I felt like I'd been in the same clothes for days. It took a long time before I wanted to wear my red sweater again!
The Italians don't eat lunch until later in the day so we had to wait for the restaurant to open in our hotel. It was wonderful to eat a delicious meal. When we finally went back to the lobby my eyelids were so heavy and I kept falling asleep. I think the staff felt sorry for us and finally gave us the keys to our room. Despite what everyone warned us not to do: we took a two-hour nap. We then felt refreshed and energized ... ready to go out exploring.

I Remember ... Portland to Rome

2011-06-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

Join me on an adventure ... a dream vacation ... as I reflect back on our Best of Italy 2010 tour. After months of planning, our departure date for Rome finally arrived Tuesday, June 22nd. Much of the joy in traveling is the anticipation and planning. What excitement realizing our dream was coming true! Our bags are packed ... we're ready to go ...
Waiting at PDX for our departure flight we reflected back on our lifetime goal of going to Italy. It was a rough path getting there. We dreamed of going to celebrate our 35th anniversary in 2009 only to have those dreams dashed by my job loss. We agreed to wait a year and see if the economy improved. Eventually I was reassigned to another position and felt pretty confident that we could book this trip ... the euro was down and everything looked positive.
After talking to friends and neighbors who have been to Italy many times we decided to book a Trafalgar tour. We had considered a cruise but decided we wanted to experience more of the flavor of Italy by land. We booked our tour April 28th and not long after our Trafalgar packets/tickets arrived I once again lost my job ... this time it came unexpectedly. With only two and half weeks until departure we decided to go regardless of the circumstances. This thought kept running through my mind ... "Who goes to Italy while on unemployment!?!?!" As we look at life through the "rearview mirror," it was a good decision to continue with our plans.
We arrived at the airport at 6:45 a.m., enjoyed a light breakfast and went to our gate. Before boarding an announcement was made that there was a mechanical issue with our plane and the flight would be delayed. My heart dropped to my knees ... even an hour delay could cause us to miss our connecting flight to Rome. In those tense moments we both got on our iPhones and asked family and friends to be praying ... we were anxious to leave but also wanted safe travels.
The pilot made up for the lost time and we arrived at the Philadelphia airport at 5:30p.m. This only gave us 20 minutes to RUN through the airport from C29 to our gate at A22 ... dragging carry-ons etc behind us. We made our connecting flight but due to weather-related conditions we waited in line for take-off for nearly 30 minutes. Yes, we made our flight but we had one worry ... did our luggage make it?
This day was starting to look like a National Lampoon's Vacation ... ( :

I Remember ... A Tour of Italy

2011-06-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of our "Best of Italy 2010" tour. Since I never blogged about our vacation when we returned home, I will be taking you along with me each day as "I Remember ... Italy."
For the next few weeks I will share a glimpse of our daily adventures through stories and photos. We will make stops in Rome, Pompeii, Sorrento, Isle of Capri, Assisi, Ravenna, Venice, Burano, Verona, Milan, Lake Maggiore, Florence, and Siena.

So buckle up and get ready for our departure to Rome tomorrow morning. It will be a fun virtual staycation.
I hope you'll join me for a tour of Italy!

Simply Delightful

2011-06-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

Even though I greeted my first day of summer break bright and early, I felt energized to make the most of this glorious day. Awesome to have a summer-like day ... love the blue sky and warm breezes. It would be nice to have several days in a row like this!
I decided to celebrate by doing something I normally can't do while working the school year ... garage-saling! I looked on Craigslist and narrowed my search down to just our area. With the price of gas so high you just can't drive all over town looking for a great deal. Fortunately, there were quite a few right near my neighborhood.
I stopped first in an upscale neighborhood and wondered if the items would be a little over-priced but to my surprise ... they had the best bargains of the day. Everything in this picture priced out at exactly twelve dollars ... what great "entertainment" for a reasonable price. I think the best deal of the day was the sweater on the right ... Banana Republic in like-new condition = $1.00! I even picked up a few Christmas ornaments in an estate sale free box. These make nice additions to my Christmas packages!
The second thing on my list was getting a pedicure and manicure. There is nothing as wonderful as being pampered. It seems like the last few weeks of school my schedule gets crazy and I just don't attend to things for myself. Today I tried my first shellac manicure. I read about it on Pioneer Woman's blog and she had positive reviews about it so I thought I would give it a try. The polish instantly dries without chips or smudges and is supposed to stay on for two weeks. I now feel ready for summer.
Here's to a lovely summer break ... I think I'll celebrate with a little nap : )
Hope you are enjoying relaxing moments this summer!

Who Would Have Thought?!?!

2011-05-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

We have enjoyed watching American Idol Season 10 from the auditions right up to the finals. It's fun to follow a favorite contestant throughout the competition. This year I became of fan of Scotty McCreery right from the start. Country music has never been at the top of my playlists. Well ... maybe when we vacation in eastern Oregon. I'll turn on the radio and that's about all there is to listen to in Enterprise : ) But while this competition has been going on, the songs Scotty has selected have become some of my new favorites. Today while strolling through Borders with my 50% +10% coupon/deal I discovered this CD and checked out at the service desk. Final price $4.09! LOVE it ... and I'm enjoying the new music. Who would have thought?!?!?

Spring On the Corner of Nighty-eighth and Siletz

2011-05-22T16:47:00.001-07:00

Yes ... despite a season of cooler temps and ongoing rain our property is bursting with color and new life. I love getting out in the yard ... planting, weeding and tending the plants and flowers. It's amazing what a few hours of "garden therapy" can do for your mental health on a stressful day; the joy of listening to audiobooks and music as you dig, rake and clean flowerbeds; a moment to visit with a neighbor after a long winter of isolation; the satisfaction of a garden well tended. I am looking forward to sunny days but in the meantime I will have to make the most of each opportunity.
"The fair-weather gardener, who will do nothing except when the wind and weather and everything else are favorable, is never master of his/her craft."-- Henry Ellacombe

Easter Art

2011-05-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

This year while shopping for Easter basket goodies we were looking for something fun ... not necessarily sugar-laden treats. Since Colin loves arts & crafts we discovered Crayola Washable Window Markers. They are perfect for decorating and drawing on windows, frames and mirrors ... and the colors wash off.
Colin wanted to try them out so he left a cute little message on our patio door. What grandma wouldn't love this great artwork?!?!
I wish we would have had these when our kids were young. I recall one son in his creative toddler years drawing green grass on our white baseboards. Just think of how much he would have enjoyed this instead!
Check out this fun product here.

Angry Birds ... LIVE

2011-05-09T21:35:00.000-07:00

I have been addicted to the Angry Bird app on my iPhone ... I love playing and have nearly beat all levels including Rio and Seasons. But we have also been dealing with a live version of angry birds this spring with the attack of Flickers on our home!
One of the first signs of spring … waking up at daylight to Flickers drumming on our chimney. These birds drum to communicate/attract a mate or proclaim territory. They will return year after year to the same house and they are hard to get rid of.
After much research on the internet I found many suggestions from homeowner to pest control company strategies. Here are a few things to try:
• hang strips of Mylar foil/balloons in front of the area of activity
• hang aluminum pie pans
• staple large black rubber spiders to your siding
• scare the flicker by shouting and banging pans
• play loud rock music
• squirt water with a garden hose
• create a barrier by covering/wrapping gutter, downspout etc.
• repel flickers by applying a commerce, nontoxic spray
• plastic owls
In reviewing all the suggestions listed above my biggest concern would be ... what are the neighbors thinking about our new behavior?!?!?! We do have foil strips hanging on the south side of our house and boards nailed here and there ... already that is enough to make fellow homeowners wonder, "What in the world is going on at the corner of Siletz?"
If you have a great idea for discouraging these birds from taking over our home, please share! We are running out of patience!
Credits:
Font: CK Fraternity, CK Keystroke, Crunchy Taco, Diesel
Paper: Papercamerontags Moonletter3
Journaling Tag: Redju Journaling 2

Easter Celebration

2011-05-04T20:08:00.001-07:00

This year we hosted a family brunch after Easter church service. Our menu revolved around a Waffle Bar theme. I did a little research online and found some great topping ideas and side dishes. Here's a few of our favorites: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, bananas, fresh pineapple, peaches, creamed honey, peanut butter, Nutella, candied pecans, crushed waffle cones, powdered sugar, raspberry jam, whipped cream, maple syrup, buttermilk syrup, fruit syrup and colorful sprinkles. What fun we had customizing our own waffle delight! In addition we had a spiral ham, Homebased Mom Breakfast Potatoes and egg casserole.
And to top off our family event we celebrated April birthdays with a layered cake and ice cream ... a very filling day.
The Waffle Bar was a great idea and something I would repeat with company for brunch after church one Sunday. If you think of any toppings, please let me know. I would like to expand my list. Just thinking about it ... doesn't caramel topping sound wonderful?!?
What a great day to be with family and celebrate "He is Risen!"
Credits:
Template: LJD 122
WordArt: AEdwards Easter Blessing
Font: Georgia, ChromosoneLight, An Unfortunate Event
Paper: CC Cook gokit paper stripyellite

And Spring Break Begins ...

2011-03-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of my Spring Break and I have planned a "staycation" that includes rest, reading, trying new recipes, cleaning/purging and getting ready to hostess Bunco. It may not include delightful temperatures or sightseeing but it's my idea of a great eleven-day break from the daily routine. Ahhhhh ... the sweetness of doing nothing! The perfect prescription!

Embarrassing Moments

2011-02-24T11:18:00.001-08:00

Remember the popularity of the water parks in the 80's? One sizzling hot day we drove our boys up to Federal Way to cool off at the water park. It was our first experience and we wanted to try everything. The guys talked me in to joining them on the Python Bonzai Giant Waterslide. Having issues with anything claustrophobic I timidly agreed. There were opportunities along the way to turn back ... but I wanted to share the experience with my family. At racing speeds I was hurled through tubes ... up, down, spiraled around and around. It was so disorienting and feelings of vertigo were surfacing in my brain. I was relieved when I finally hit the pool at the end of the ride. HOWEVER ... I could not determine if I was swimming up or down. I couldn't get my bearings and I was a bit panicked. Much to my surprise I heard a lifeguard saying, "Stand Up!" I was in four feet of water. A little EMBARRASSING! Oh, well ... one of those family memories that surfaces every so often around the dinner table. Every time I think about it I laugh ... and "laughter doeth good like medicine."

Memories In Music

2011-02-24T10:37:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been out shopping and while contemplating a purchase, overhead music fills the room and your mind ... triggering a memory from the past? That is exactly what happened while shopping Saturday afternoon.
The song, "Stayin' Alive" (BeeGees) from Saturday Night Fever filled the air and I was instantly transported back to my 10-year class reunion. For many attending the "blast from the past" it was the first time our class had been together since graduation. I remember the live music was so loud you couldn't carry on a conversation. Many escaped to the hallways to catch up with old friends and classmates. I sat down at a table with some friends ... wearing heels was not a common practice and my feet were killing me. Walt was out in the hallway ... talking.
I wasn't paying too much attention because I didn't ever really know the guy ... but in walks a John Travolta clone a.k.a Jerry. Yes ... white pants, shirt unbuttoned ... classic 80's disco. He entered the room as if his presence made the party just begin. I had my back to him so I didn't see it coming ... he grabs my hand and whips me out on the dance floor ... those heels could hardly keep up. I was in shock and discovered we were the only ones on the dance floor. YIKES! I remember Chris Myers laughing hysterically and grabbing Walt from the hallway. Cameras were flashing ... one of life's embarrassing moments.
It's funny how one song can trigger so many memories. Have you ever listened to a song that brought you right back to a memory in your past? I would love to hear your stories!

Real Deals

2011-02-19T17:28:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful day ... felt like spring. It was nice to be out and about in the sunshine.
Last October while vacationing in Sunriver the Groupon of the day was irresistible. I had experienced a shopping adventure at Real Deals with Donna last spring vacation so I knew buying a $12 Groupon worth $25 was truly a great deal.
With the beautiful weather today I ventured over to the Oregon City store. They are only open on Thursdays and Saturdays. I spent about an hour trying to take in everything. I think I circled the store a dozen times. Each time around I discovered something I hadn't noticed before. Not everything in the store is my style but I never leave empty-handed or disappointed.
The picture shows my Groupon purchase and I only added an extra $2.70. I was delighted because everything reminded me ... spring is coming! I am looking forward to bulbs shooting up, the smell of freshly mowed grass and setting up the deck for relaxing times outside.
Anybody else experience spring fever today?

Angry Birds

2011-02-12T19:25:00.000-08:00

"The survival of the Angry Birds is at stake. Dish out revenge on the green pigs who stole the Birds’ eggs. Use the unique destructive powers of the Angry Birds to lay waste to the pigs’ fortified castles. Angry Birds features hours of gameplay, challenging physics-based castle demolition, and lots of replay value. Each of the 120 levels requires logic, skill, and brute force to crush the enemy." -from Rovio.com
Who would have thought?!?! Walt put this app on my iPhone last weekend and I am ADDICTED. Right now I am working at level 5-4. I usually prefer games like Rummikub, Scrabble etc. BUT this one has me hooked. I like having different levels to conquer and problem-solving a win. Another fun advantage -- Walt is playing on his phone too so we are having a little competitive fun!

Bellissimo

2011-02-12T09:42:00.001-08:00

Ahhhh ... Venice ... How I miss thee! The walls in our recently updated bedroom are screaming for some artwork and what better resource than the 2,400 photo choices from our trip to Italy. Here's one I "tweaked" in Photoshop. Can't think of a better view to wake up to each morning. Bellissimo!

Windows and Doors of Italy

2011-02-12T09:42:00.000-08:00

Windows and Doors of Italy ... they are real eye-catchers. There are so many different sizes, shapes, colors, flowers and greenery, shutters, etc. We wanted to capture the beauty in film and found ourselves clicking away, filling our camera's memory card with photos we could treasure when we returned home.
Even though this photo was bright and very colorful I wanted a little subdued version to hang in our bedroom "photo gallery." While exploring Effects in Photoshop Elements I found the following combination very pleasing: Colorful Center, turning down the brightness and selecting Greenery in the Hue and Saturation setting. Walt likes the "before" photo better but this is much more interesting side by side with the Venice photo in the next post.
I wish I had more time to work on photos, put an album together and blog about our trip but that will have to wait for spring break ... working full-time pretty much wipes out my creative energy!

Quiddler

2011-01-31T19:29:00.001-08:00

I bought this game at a garage sale for fifty-cents several summers ago and only attempted to play it once at Wallowa. There were too many distractions down by the lake so we moved on to something else without really learning to play it.
This weekend I had the opportunity to play many rounds of this game and I LOVED it! Here, all this time, there has been a "jewel" in our game cabinet and I have bypassed it for something else.
Quiddler is a card and word game for 1-8 players and consists of 8 rounds. Players compete by spelling English words from cards in hands of increasing size, each card worth various points. It's kind of a mix of Scrabble and Gin Rummy.
If you enjoy playing games, give this one a try!

Valentine Decor

2011-01-17T11:52:00.000-08:00

I don't have a lot of Valentine decor in my home but I saw this free print on one of the blogs I subscribe to and it looked like a fun addition to our home.
I already had this IKEA shadowbox frame so the only investment I had to make was printing at Costco ... thirty eight cents.
I am grateful for those creative gals on the internet who generously share their talents. I probably would not have thought to design something like it. It's the perfect seasonal touch to our living room decor.

Burano, Italy

2011-01-15T12:35:00.000-08:00

I've been getting acquainted with Photoshop Elements 9 and thought I would work with some of the available effects in the program. I spent an afternoon trying different ones and I should have written down what I did because I liked the outcome of this photo.
The photo is from Burano and we enjoyed an afternoon excursion there while in Venice. As soon as we arrived, we were greeted to a view of the most brightly colored homes I've seen and I fell in love with it. Our visit included a delicious lunch ... the weather was warm with a delightful breeze. Such good memories.
Even though the town was colorful it was fun to change the photo up a bit. And if the tower looks like it's leaning ... it really is ... it's not the camera angle.
I would like to try a few more actions on other photos from our vacation in Italy. If you have a favorite, please share in the comments. I'm in the process of hanging a small "gallery" on our bedroom wall and I would like to make our photos interesting and unique.

Back To Work ...

2011-01-02T20:58:00.000-08:00

Winter Break is over. What a wonderful time of refreshment! Even during a whirlwind of activity, it was good to get some R & R. Just one of the benefits of working for a school district. You've got to LOVE the schedule!
The heavy rain after Christmas was truly a blessing ... it kept me indoors giving me time to do the things I rarely find time for ... blogging, emailing, reading, designing in Photoshop Elements etc.
Not only will I be returning to work tomorrow but it will be the beginning of an additional 4-hour position ... giving me an 8-hour work day. It's a little overwhelming to ponder but I am so grateful for the additional hours and pay. It's a rare thing to have a position open mid-year and I am so thankful for this opportunity.
Praying all goes well ...

2011 Word of the Year

2011-01-01T17:54:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!
For the last week I have been giving my word of the year much thought. Sometimes we find it through others. This morning as I was reading through my RSS Feed I found my word! Exciting! I was reading this blog and as soon as I saw the word cultivate I felt that was the word for me this year. I love the art work she created. She is so inspiring.
Do you pick a word of the year each year? I would love to hear what yours is and what helped you arrive at selecting it.
Last year I started out so strong with the word vitality but with our trip to Italy, unemployment, rehiring etc. ... I got a little off track with my focus on a healthy lifestyle.
May 2011 be a year filled with JOY, good health, and personal growth!

Christmas Morning

2010-12-30T12:42:00.000-08:00

Ahhh ... what can I say ... we have strong Christmas morning traditions. I realized even the food I serve for breakfast is a tradition. At the last minute I added back the Cinnamon Pull-Apart that I had taken off this year's menu ... Tradition! Matt had shared with Kathy that I serve it every year ... oops!
We met for breakfast at 10 a.m. and enjoyed a leisurely meal sharing many Germer stories and isms. We always enjoy our time around the table.
We gathered around the tree and spent time in our traditional way of opening gifts ... one person, one gift at a time. This can take hours and usually involves a story behind many of the gifts. This year I added pictures for the gift tags so "santa's helpers" a.k.a the grandkids could hand out the presents without having to read names on the tags.
Just when everyone thought gift opening was coming to a close ... the finale was just beginning. It was time to distribute the Twelve Months of Christmas gifts -- see previous post. What a great ending to our fun morning together.
To continue our day-long celebration we enjoyed another tradition ... a sub sandwich bar for dinner and playing games. How I cherish this day with the family ... it truly is "the most wonderful time of the year."
What are some of your family traditions?
Credits:
Template: Moriginals 365 Template No. 15
Paper: jld holidayheart bg4
Ribbon: LJD The season
Wordart: dranet Christmas09WA
Font: American Typewriter

Pioneer Courthouse Square Bricks

2010-12-29T18:33:00.000-08:00

While downtown on Christmas Eve Brian wanted to show Calleigh his brick.

Pioneer Courthouse Square was built in 1984 and my mom purchased bricks for our family as a gift in 1981. Matt was born in 1983 ...so he is the only family member without a brick on the Square. The bricks were permanently placed in alpha order by first name so our family is not together in one area ... there are 71,165 named bricks in the Square. Seems like each visit to downtown Portland we plan time to look for our bricks but without success.

While researching for this post I discovered a brick locator online. Wow! I guess it never occurred to me to look for a map on the internet! So far Brian is the only family member to find his brick ... when the weather is warmer we'll need to take our map and locate each of our bricks. Sounds like a fun spring outing!

Christmas Eve Tradition

2010-12-28T18:50:00.000-08:00

One of our Christmas Eve Traditions is to order a Starbucks and pose in front of the Christmas tree at Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland. This year I tried a Salted Caramel Mocha ... rich but tasty!
Tim and Rae were with us but missed the photo session due to some last-minute gift shopping.
This year our day began at Rose's on 23rd for breakfast with Byron and Heather and enjoyed a little shopping at our favorite shops in that area. We then joined our family at Pioneer Place. This year it was very crowded due to so many having the day off. Normally the crowds are quite thin on Christmas Eve.
We also enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Rock Bottom Brewery and visited Finnegan's Toy Store before leaving the downtown area. We headed south back home when the stores closed and added a tradition we haven't participated in since the grandkids were born ... we went to a movie. The guys saw Tron and the gals and grandkids watched Tangled. Following the movie we went to the TCC Candlelight Service at 11:30 p.m. We love this service ... so calm and quiet. I loved having lit candles for each attendee. We haven't done that since our Englewood days. It's a JOY to be a part of the true meaning of Christmas in word and song.
We got home after 1 a.m. and prepared ourselves for the next day ... time with the family!

Christmas Eve Snowfall

2010-12-28T18:35:00.000-08:00

Each year we enjoy a little snow in downtown Portland on Christmas Eve. It "snows" at Pioneer Place.

The kids loved it ... they even made snow angels in the fluffy stuff!
It would have been nice to have a white Christmas but this will have to do this season!

Repeat: Secret Santas

2010-12-28T13:47:00.001-08:00

Just in time for Christmas ...
We squeezed a Secret Santa Shopping date in before the holidays. With the POD move it was a little tricky finding just the right time for our traditional date night with the grandkids.
We gave them a dinner choice and Calleigh picked Wendy's ... she knows her grandpa's favorite place to eat : )
We headed over to the nearest Target and shopped for the perfect present for Mom and Dad. After much consideration we decided to buy them a combined gift of a Harry Potter Lego Wii game. We also included gloves for Mom because she needed them. I heard later that the second pair of the set will be shared with Dad!
We ended our evening with popcorn from the cafe while we wrapped and tagged our gifts.
What a fun evening out with the kids!

Glimpse of Christmas

2010-12-28T13:24:00.000-08:00

It's always fun to play with Mosiac Maker at Big Huge Labs. I created a glimpse of a few Christmas decorations from our home this year.
Our unique pink Barbie tree is always fascinating for Calleigh. It's getting quite full -- so many Barbie ornaments to display.
This year the Christmas village was a delight to the grandkids. They had more fun rearranging the buildings, people and accessories. I painted the entire set about 16 years ago. Nice to see it provides fun and enjoyment many years later.
We always have a display of various angels and snowmen but the newest addition hanging on our tree was the angel we bought from the Murano glass factory in Venice. What a great reminder of our trip to Italy.
I found a few antique Christmas cards in the family trunk and displayed them on the bookcase we moved from our bedroom to the living room. My little birds were a great find at the Hen's Tooth in Sisters during our fall Sunriver getaway. It seems like nearly every blog I read has a glass displayed with shiny ornaments. I found this glass dome/plate at Goodwill this year and decided to fill it with colorful ornaments and display it on our china hutch. I always love my snowman shelf-sitter in our entryway ... a great holiday welcome!
This year I really tried to be more of a minimalist with my decor and found the house felt more comfortable without the holiday clutter. It will be a little sad to put it away but as the new year draws near, I am ready to have everything in it's place before heading back to work.

Goodbye Country, Hello Modern

2010-12-28T12:58:00.000-08:00

One of my goals during the winter break was to move back into our bedroom. We have been living in our downstairs guest room since September while we updated our bedroom/bath. It wasn't so bad but I was definitely ready to sleep in our queen-sized bed again.
I spent two days before Christmas unboxing, moving, cleaning, purging, storing ... until it finally looked like a bedroom again.
I wish I had taken more pictures of the process involved in this transformation. The room was country ... floral wallpaper in mauve, blue and green. Mauve tile countertops in the bathroom ... my Barbie collection inhabiting a great deal of "real estate" and an large oak roll top desk that overpowered the room. It truly needed an upgrade!
Each addition to our bedroom caused new configurations in other rooms of the house. And I don't even want to discuss the garage ... overflowing! However, the room feels much more spacious and relaxing. It's good to see minimal decor ... much more comforting.
We spent Thanksgiving weekend stripping and painting/staining two dressers. They went from country-white to a mahogany top, black body and new contemporary knobs. They feel so updated! We tried to repurpose as many things as possible
We invested in a few new pieces of furniture -- a new sleek black desk, a chair from Pier 1, and a nightstand from Expressions Home Furnishings on 99W. Everything was on sale or clearance. These were great finishing pieces.
In the bathroom area we ordered a new solid surface countertop, stripped and stained the existing vanity, put up a new light fixture, mirror and faucet. What a transformation. Even though this round of remodeling was "lipstick" it is amazing to see how even small changes can make a huge difference.
We will be adding crown moulding this winter for a finishing touch. Even though it is still in-process we are finding this room a comfortable, stylish "retreat."
Truly a great Christmas gift!

Glitter Trees

2010-12-27T17:15:00.000-08:00

I found this great idea at this site and wanted to make them for our home. I think a lot of bloggers liked them because I see them featured on many sites in my RSS Feed.
The subway art was a free download so the only investment I made was printing and the frame. The glitter trees required some time in gathering the materials. I wanted to use my Michael's coupon for each item: 3 styrofoam cones and 3 different colors of Martha Stewart glitter. I found the stands (candleholder) at the Dollar Tree and painted them black to match the frame.
I will not deceive you by saying it was a snap to make these. It wasn't so bad time-wise ... just a little messy. I worked on it in the kitchen because it was too cold in the garage. I placed newspaper on the table to protect the surface. The adhesive spray had a wider-range than the protection I placed on our table and attracted the leftover glitter : ( My fingertips were covered in glitter and I did this BEFORE heading off to work! I would recommend having UNDU available to help with clean up both with your work surface and your hands. I think if I made these again I would paint the cones the same color as the glitter. I think this would help with coverage. This might be a nice summer project where you could glitter these outside : )
I have really like the dazzle of color these simple elements have added to our home during the holidays and I have had many compliments. I am so thankful for the creative blogs I subscribe to. It has changed my decorating style to be more simplistic ... but elegant.