My World and Welcome to It

Halloween Bunco

2011-10-14T08:01:00.000-07:00

It's time once again for my Halloween Bunco.

I have written my annual invitation poem,

but this

year I have added something new....

It’s that time once again, but look for a Twist

And if you dare to not come, the Powers at be will be Pissed

Rumor has it that a Masquerade Party has been planned

With Murder and Mystery, it’s bound to be Grand

An invitation will arrive with your part, which is Key

To give you the tools you will need to administer the Third Degree

You will play an important part,

so bring your Wits and your Cunning

And a Masquerade Mask that is both Glitzy and Stunning

You may Dress as you wish, but in Character I would Choose

Rewards will be given for those that step it up and Amuse.

October 28 is the date I think would be best

Let me know if this works to eliminate my stress

A delicious Mexican dish is the price of Admission

not to mention a lovely Bunco Tradition

Please come ready to play and help solve this Masquerade Mystery

And I apologize ahead…….you do know my History.

We shall be playing a murder mystery...

Something I have been wanting to

try for a long time.

Mystery at the Masquerade Ball,

I will let you know how it goes.

I'm hoping it will become our new tradition

and will be a party to die for.

Pumpkin Bread

2011-10-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

Not too catchy of title...

all the hype is for the pumpkin bread .....

DELICIOUS!!!!

Kristi stopped by with some pumpkin bread

the other morning,

I supplied the chai tea,

and

we had the makings of a little party.

it was so moist and yummy.

She posted the recipe and it's definitely

a keeper. (butter is optional of course)

Go HERE to go to Kristi's blog

for the recipe.

It was good till the last drop...

and I'm not talking about the tea.

Happy Thursday!!

FOT time again

2011-10-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

After deciding not to design a Festival of the Trees,

tree this year,

I found myself...

you guessed it,

with a TREE.

I took delivery and now with a design

in mind will again be decorating a tree for the festival.

As always it is a

terrific cause, and I look forward to it.

Once a tree designer, always

a tree designer I guess....

If you live in Southern California and

would like to see the trees,

here is the website.

It's at the Riverside convention

center, right across from the great little shops

downtown.

You can make a day of it,

and be sure to go to Simple Simon's for lunch.

Here's a tease of this years design.

I will even give you a hint

with my title...

"Home for Christmas"

Welcome October

2011-10-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

I feel like Fall is really here.....

this morning while

having our coffee on the patio
it actually started drizzling.

Felt like Fall!

What do you do in October

when it feels like Fall?

Get out the goulies of course.

Plan a dinner of course!

Light the candles of course!

Put out the appetizers of course!

The only question remains....

~~WHO~~

What shall we

have for dinner?

The Princess Diaries

2011-09-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary,

In August, my mom and dad took me to California

to see the rest of my family. I was very excited to

get on the airplane, because I knew when I got there

I would be able to put my Belle princess dress on,

see my California grandma and she was going to

to take me to Disneyland.

I could hardly wait.

My mommy told my grandma

that we would be landing at 9:00 am.

So my grandma

(after being up very late the night before with bunco)

jumped out of bed, got ready for Disneyland and headed to LAX.

Boy was she surprised when

she got there and found out our plane didn't arrive until 10:15.

No problem for her though...she found

a Carl's Jr, right outside the airport and had her

missed morning coffee.

At 10:15 in excited anticipation she began her circle of the airport and soon got the call from my mommy that we had landed.

By this time I had put on my Belle dress

and was waiting to see my grandma.

Grandma couldn't see us, and got very confused....

why were we outside Southwest terminal when we flew American.

That's when mommy said....

you know we're in Ontario right?

Uhhh NO...

grandma was at the wrong airport.

How silly is that?

So mommy, daddy and I sat on the floor

to eat a chocolate bar and waited

quite patiently for

grandma to drive from LAX to Ontario.

Boy that candy bar was good though.

When she got there, she was so happy

to see me. She sure hugs a lot and

was very excited to head to Disneyland.

So was I.

We did lots of fun things, and one

of my favorites things was the new Ariel ride.

I think daddy was pretty tired

from our trip, but he

loved it too.

I think my mommy likes Disneyland almost as much

as I do. She didn't wear a princess dress though,

I wonder why.

During the parade,

I got to see every single princess.

Even Rapunzel.

Grandma said when we come

back to Disneyland with the rest of the family

she will buy me a Rapunzel dress.

I can't wait.

I also went to Minnie's house.

Did you know Minnie's house is my favorite color

"PINK"

She was sad when I had to go and gave me a

"BIG HUG"

By this time I was kind of tired

and I knew

I would come back with my cousins

in a day or so.

So mommy, daddy, grandma and I headed back

to my grandma's house to see Pop Pop

I think I may have fallen asleep on the way home.

So Dear Diary....my first day

in California was great and I think I get to see

my cousins tomorrow. I can't wait.

I sure do love California and getting

to be a Princess.

See you tomorrow.

Love

Princess Bella

When the Moon Hits the Sky....

2011-09-08T08:12:00.000-07:00

Oh my...August was such a busy month for me it melted into September. And by melted I mean I came back to
triple digit temperatures and well....melted.

The weather was glorious while it lasted though. In August we celebrated my mom's August Bunco
"Under the Tuscan Moon"

The evening didn't go exactly as planned

(does it ever?)

but it was glorious just the same.

We spent the entire evening in the
"Porkadillo"

and it couldn't have been any more perfect.

Kevin had brought in a wheelbarrow full of wood that is still there, waiting to be called upon,

to warm our first cool fall evening.

Ours was perfect...as is.

Welcome to our dining experience...

Everything is ready in anticipation of Diana's guests...

Our gorgeous April Cornell sunflower

tablecloth was our inspiration.

Yellow dishes...sunflowers....and

Dean, ready to lend a song

Mom's yellow dishes

always make an appearance for August bunco.

We paired them with green and brown napkins adorned

with a raffia tied sunflower

Fun and festive

You can't have Italian without Red Pepper flakes

to spice things up.

and of course the Vino

I always love do get the Chianti in these

basket bottles.

It makes me feel Italian

All we need now are a few guests

My friend Tammy made our invitations and our

bunco score sheets.

Everything was so cute.

Menu:

Appetizers

Vegetables and Fiesta Dip

(with Jicama of course)

Kristi's fabulous Bruschetta

Main Course

Italian Chopped Salad
with Balsamic and Olive Oil dressing

Roasted Red Pepper Eggplant Parmesan

Sausage, Cheese and Basil Pizza

Pine Nut and Feta Angel Hair Pasta

(another one of Kristi's fabulous creations)

Dessert

Italian Cheesecake

(do I dare say it??? another

delicious creation by Kristi,

and did I mention she is

the most fantastic partner to work with

when we are having any sort of party?)

Kristi....did we take pictures of that delicious food or did we just eat it, as soon as it came out of the oven?

Tammy and me

We ate, drank, talked, laughed and

maybe played a game or two of bunco.

What we didn't do was karaoke.

but that just gives us an excuse for another

party.

Not that we need an excuse of course.

Bunco only started my August festivities...next up

Stacy, James and Bella come for a visit.

There's a Party a Brew'in

2011-08-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

and NO it's not Halloween yet.

Mom's bunco is tomorrow and her theme is always

"Under the Tuscan Moon"

We usually eat Italian in the Gazebo...

August nights are so warm and

gorgeous that no one wants to come in to play bunco.

This year we will have dinner and bunco in the

"Pork".

The house can be back up

if it gets too chilly...

but Kevin has already put in a load of wood for

a nice big fire.

Here's a little preview of mom's inspiration

Tammie made us these killer invitations....

but we do have a few surprises.

Do you see whats peeking out from behind?

Look closer.

That's right Lisa....

get your song on ladies,

concert in the "Pork" and you're

the entertainment.

and we may even have a celebrity

join us

Creepy I know...

the only thing that would be better than only Dean

would be

The whole "Rat Pack"...

maybe next year but for now....

there's a party a brew'in.

To Infinity and Beyond

2011-08-19T07:50:00.000-07:00

Since I always feel our annual trip to Hawaii

is in celebration of our anniversary every year,

we usually just go out to dinner on our actual day.

This year we decided

to do a light dinner at a fun restaurant

and then hit Disneyland afterward.

I didn't bring my camera so the pictures

are not too good but dinner was.

We chose an assortment of appetizers as well as an assortment of beverages.

and then headed off to the happiest place on earth.

Does anyone remember this old sign when it was at

the entrance to Disneyland?

I don't know if it's the

original one but it did bring back some memories.

The Fantasmic show was fantastic and the fireworks

were great.

We saw Tinker Bell fly and had a

surprise appearance by Dumbo....

elephants really can fly.

and then home to start a

brand new year....

Happy Anniversary ....

2011-08-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

Seems like yesterday....

Where did the time go???

Ingredients

2011-08-16T06:37:00.000-07:00

All great chefs know that the best ingredients

create the best things...

as in a party...

and as in the celebration of a life....

Only using the best ingredients...

we started with the pretties...

good colors,

and a fun table,

just waiting for the festivities to begin.

Stir in a few flowers

and a gorgeous evening

a splash or two of liquid .....

Most importantly

we must add our vintage ingredients...like

great wine.... great family

and

lifelong friends

A dash of food for spice

and good conversation...

One serving of "Old Fart"

and

a little help from a local Sous Chef

or two

A pair of well worn but ever so useful hands.

and a pinch of laughter for good measure.

Don't forget the balance....

with salt you need a little sugar

and a whole lot of LOVE

Yup...

we mixed up those ingredients and helped

create a very special birthday party

for a very special

MAN...HUSBAND....FATHER...

GRANDFATHER...GREAT GRANDFATHER

AND

DEAR FRIEND

So many hats, so many years...

and Jim, the best is yet to come.

Happy "80th" Birthday!!!

(and many more)

Porch Pick Me Up...

2011-08-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

AKA

Someone is turning 80 and we

have to clean up for a party.

I killed 2 birds with one stone this past weekend.

My porch was

badly in need of a face lift and someone

I know will be celebrating

his 80th birthday this Saturday.

His actual birthday isn't until Tuesday

but we thought we would surprise him

with a little celebration on Saturday.

Sushhhh... I don't think he knows.

First think Saturday morning

I headed to the nursery for some

new flowers,

knowing that with all of our rain this year,

the porch would be a mess.

We're also working on a much needed step going

from the upper level to the lower level in the backyard,

making it much more "80 year old" friendly.

And of course I

did some trimming and planting in the backyard as well.

The Porch

Everything on the porch looked something like this.

so with a little hosing

and planting and some help from a friend

we spruced it up.

and made it a bit more welcoming,

just ask kitty.

The gazebo practically decorated itself with

masses of flowers surrounding it.

We're hoping to get one more year

out of it before we have to replace it.

The step will be party ready by Sunday.

We also got some new brush cherry to plant.

We named them...

The shortest one to the right is Tom Cruise

next to him is Katie Holmes

and then Nicole Kidman

and lastly Penelope Cruz.

Tom is a bit of an over achiever. Since he has

been in the ground he has almost caught up with Katie.

as for the birthday boy?

It's my father in law Jim

I will let you know if he's surprised

and how the party goes.

Adventures in Grandmotherhood

2011-08-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

I have often been surprised, delighted

and touched by this thing called
Grandmother-hood.

Who knew that grandmothers were such special people?

Well I guess when I look at it that way....

I DID!!!

I had the most spectacularly amazing grandmothers,

and I don't think they did anything more

than make me feel that
I was the center of THEIR universe.

My grandmothers were two very different

women and I loved them both equally.

One for her practicality and unconditional acceptance

and the other for her vibrant bigger than life self,

along with that same unconditional acceptance.

I now realize how blessed I was to have

these two special ladies in my life.

Funny,

because when I started this post it was all about
ME.

I will give you a quick glimpse at these

two very special ladies.
I think a future post may be in order
in honor of them both.

Can you guess which is which by my description?

Mary -
Making her

ever famous Anise Easter cakes.

Each cake had Easter Eggs in their center
sporting our names.
When you think how many she made...
she had five married children and
ended up with 13 grandchildren.
and she always wore and apron...I
actually own one of them.

and Mary on her wedding day.

(I had to throw this one in because I have

always loved it so much and it gave me

and excuse to finally scan it)

and Rose

I will have to work on getting more pictures of Rose

so you can see her amazingly shocking

RED hair. This lady was bigger

than life and stayed that way until

she passed at 89.

Here she is with my dad.

As for my original thoughts...

I was picking something up from my daughters

this morning and as I was

getting into my car

I thought I heard some little voices.

(I know, I often hear voices)

As I looked up at the house

I saw where these little voices were coming from.

(I wish this were a better picture, it

came from my phone)

After catching numerous waves goodbye

and blown kisses,

I hopped in my car

and headed for work

with the biggest smile on my face.

Just as I pulled in,

I got another little surprise.

A text from another special young lady.

Which prompted this post and my

trip down my own memory lane.

I am now sitting here surrounded by boxes of old photos

preparing to scan them onto my computer,

and hoping I can be

ALMOST

as amazing

as my grandma's were!!

and just think...I haven't even begun grandfathers.

Missed it by that much...

2011-08-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

Milk Money

Remember when you were a kid and you got

milk money every day...???

What was it a nickel and maybe

for a dime you could get milk and an ice cream?

Those were the good old days.....

I NEVER thought I'd say that.

I remember my parents and grandparents

saying that, and I thought,

these are the good old days.

Last night it was pointed out to me

that we didn't have enough

milk for breakfast.

No problem right?

After

our run in the park,

we would stop at the store

and pick up some milk for breakfast.

PROBLEM!!

I forgot to bring money...so there we were scrounging

through the car for enough change

to buy milk.

1.37

That's what we came up with.

Do you know what I could buy for 1.37

This was 1.00...the one I really wanted

was 1.39

missed it by .02

but I did have some change left

If they would have only taken that cap

as the additional .02

ohhhh well.

Enjoy your day!!!!!

Inspired...

2011-08-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

I was walking through the Game Room

the other morning and there was

my mom watching yet another cooking show.

This one was Ina

(one of our very favorites)

making one of my mom's all time favorites....

eggplant.

We love eggplant in our house,

all but Kevin who thinks it's rather mushy.

Maybe, but we love it anyway.

This recipe looked so good, I watched the rest

of the show and then went straight to the kitchen to make it.

I think I should have written it down, and when I go back to watch it again

and write down the directions,

I will probably discover I made it totally wrong.

Perhaps that is the "C" student in me, right Kristi?

You start by sauteing cubed eggplant and onions

in olive oil and BUTTER

(I did say it was Ina)

I actually blanched tomatoes from my garden

used them in my sauce, as well as my fresh basil.

I was so proud.

Throw in some whole garlic cloves too.

a little fresh fettuccine

My finished pasta.

You actually cube mozzarella

and fresh mozzarella and add it to the pasta and sauce, as

well as Parmesan cheese.

It was delicious but not so low cal.

I also used fresh garden ingredients in my salad.

I am looking forward to next year's garden so

I can put what I learned this year to good use.

Perhaps I can strive to be that

"A"

student I know I can be ;)

If you like eggplant, this is definitely

worth making.

Bounty.....less?

2011-07-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

I think not....

We have started to reap the bounty of the garden.

The garden has not been as successful

as I would have liked

(we had a bug)

but we have been enjoying tomatoes

like nobodies business.

Size may not matter in this case,

because they aren't big,

but boy are they yummy.

Kristi had picked several different types of peppers

to plant and these are actually doing great.

Madison helped us out by removing all the

name markers

for these peppers but I think

we can figure out what we have.

Kristi has plans to make salsa

so we can try out our variety of peppers.

Other happenings...

My grapes are looking awesome.

We got the bark down beneath the plants

and I trimmed and tied up the vines.

I even planted a Cabernet...do you think

I can get a bottle of wine out of it?

I have plans for a grape stomping party.

We Kevin and Sean,

put bark under some of the trees too.

It looks so clean and neat.

and I bought a gift for the pork from Cost Plus.

We even used it Friday night

and last but not least...

the new

outfit I just bought.

In case of frost to the grapes.

And

"NO"

Keanu doesn't

come with.

Happy Tuesday.

The Pig and Me

2011-07-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

Years ago there was a movie that

I just loved called the Egg and I,

in fact I should find that movie and watch it again,

because I remember a really cute farmhouse

owned by Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert

that I would love to see again.

I am indeed showing my age now,

because this was a very old black and white movie

and only people my age would even remember

Fred MacMurray let alone Claudette Colbert.

I think it also featured Ma and Pa Kettle in

their movie debut.

Check out the trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO6wOPlsXb8

It was from a book written by

Betty MacDonald

Anyway that was just a random thought

and has nothing to do with this post,

other than my title reminded me

of that movie.

As for the The Pig and Me....

I love the Pig

aka the Pork

aka the Porkadillo

This morning Kevin got up bright and early to do

a few chores in the yard.

The family was over

last night and we had a fun time swimming and eating.

The kids were joined by their cousins

and we had quite a few laughs.

(Kristi...I hope you are out

shopping for more little children today)

While Kevin was busily working I was still in bed,

but woke up

to the glorious smell of fresh brewed coffee.

I got up,

grabbed 2 cups of coffee and headed to the yard.

Remember, it's the end of July and in July's past,

it's already hot, even by 7:00.

Not this morning, it was overcast and cool.

Kevin took one look at me walking out with coffee and said...

do you want a fire?

So the pig, with open arms welcomed us for a morning in front of the fire.

I even had a light blanket over me.

It was wonderful and

I almost felt like I was back in the mountains.

I love the Pig... oh ya and

the guy who built me my fire.

Recovery ....

2011-07-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

I'm not talking about a 12 step program to recovery from ... you know drugs or alcohol...

this

would have to be recovery from vacation.

I know boo hoo ....

but Rock Creek kicks your butt.

That camping stuff is hard work.

I was barely recovering from the June trip when I found myself on my way back up

with the Rush's ...

and boy was it a great trip.

Kristi took tons of pictures so

you can check them out on her blog.

The kids were great, the fishing fantastic and

the weather a bit on the chilly side

...we were

so busy we almost ran out of time to eat one night.

How does something like that happen?

I did spend the night

in my motor home "all alone"

one night.

That is something I have never done before

and it was kind of an adventure (albeit a small one)

Before Tim dropped me off he courteously mentioned

that he hoped I wouldn't be visited by bears

during the night and that did make me think.

I slept like a baby however and didn't give it a second thought until Kristi knocked on my door next morning. I peeked out and she was there with her coffee and gleam in her eye that said....when are we going to start fishing?

She asked, since I peeked out, if I thought she was a bear.....I said no but the real answer was...........maybe.

So I will leave you with one picture

since a post isn't a post without a picture.

This is one of my favorite
adventures from the trip

and I guess I need one of us

and last but not least the visitor I had

on my evening alone.

Tall, dark and a lot of fun

Until my next vacation...

It's Official

2011-07-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

Even though Miss Bella may not be traveling in

this box her daddy tried

to pack her in...

she has decided to travel to California to see

Grandma, Pop Pop, the California Family

and maybe a Princess or two.

she won't be traveling by Floo Powder

(in honor of the upcoming last installment of Harry Potter)

but by good old fashioned jet.....

ETA August ...

Yay!!!!

Can't Get Enough

2011-07-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

.....Rock Creek

On our last day at Rock Creek...

after losing 2 of our group to an early departure,

we tried to fit as much as we could into that last day.

We started off the day with some fishing.

Everyone fished....but the most successful fishermen

were the "Tubers"

Kevin finally decided to try Ron's tube

and boy did he love it.

After a quick lesson

and a cute new outfit...Kevin was

ready to ~~roll~~ float

The day was gorgeous and the water like glass

Ron chose to fish with Sue this day...so Kevin was a lone floater.

Sue caught a nice fish, with

a little help from Ron.

After fishing...lunch at Pie in the Sky....

and eating Pie...in the Sky,

the ladies decided to have

a relaxing afternoon in the campsite drinking wine

and reading our books.

That turned into a short nap

Next...showers

(often and ordeal with the limited water)

and then

off to Mammoth for a bit of sight seeing and dinner.

We went to upper Twin Lakes

as well as Lake Mary and Lake Mamie

From the top of the waterfall you can see

Upper and Lower Twin

and we also smelled a photo op

Whoever took the pictures of us (can you guess who?)

decided to

add some extra footage...

We were right at the edge of the waterfall

Yes ... you guessed it, the prankster himself...Marc

From there it was off to dinner in Mammoth and

"Mammoth Margaritas"

Yummy

A little light shopping.

Marc was looking for a nice swimsuit to wear on

the upcoming men's trip

I'm not to sure what Ron was shopping for

but everything looks manly on Ron.

and a little something for the girls. Marc

bought all the girls a cute T-shirt.

and last but not least...that night I realized I

was out of water and would not get a morning shower

before the drive home.

Marc to the rescue.

He carried at least 3 of these bad boys to fill

my tank. I was so grateful, I gave him Kevin's scotch.

I decided next mornings shower was the

best ever...

as was Marc. Thanks Marc!!!

I may post some campfire dinners...but since

I will be going back up to Rock Creek with

the family...we shall see. I do have other

interests afterall.

I am linking to Susan @
A Southern Daydreamer
for
Outdoor Wednesday

Special Delivery

2011-07-07T15:44:00.000-07:00

Someone's daddy is packing up a very special delivery

to send to see her grandma.

I wish!!!!

Horseplay

2011-07-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

Before the "Pork" was complete

(or as complete as it is so far),

the family got together for a work day.

But with work there always comes a little fun.

The Rush Family

took a little break to have a game of tag....

mommy and daddy style.

the giggles that came out of this game were infectious

and I'm not sure who had the most fun

the parents

or the kids ...

but it was obvious that everyone ...won!!!

including the spectators...

Mesquito Flats

2011-07-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

Kevin woke up bright and early the next morning

at Rock Creek and decided to fish.

The morning was cold, so I didn't hesitate

to send him off with my well wishes

and kick back.

I actually built myself a fire and enjoyed my coffee.

and enjoyed the sunshine

Before I knew it plans had been made for

a hike to Mosquito Flats. I think

our ultimate elevation was in the neighborhood of

10,000 plus feet.

The plan was to hike to the "Meadow"

It didn't take us long to get a ways up the mountain.

It's always nice to use a photo op to

rest and get used to the altitude.

Can you see Greg in the background with his map.

Yes, Greg was our navigator.....???

Greg had an ulterior plan.

He had visions of going to

Ruby Lake

which was a much more vigorous hike.

Before we knew it we were way above the "Meadow"

I do remember once or twice someone asking

Greg if we were going the wrong way.

His reply was always the same.

"NO"

I think we spotted the meadow from way up here...

as he was still checking his map.

It was a gorgeous view

But alas, Greg's plan ran into a small snafu....

SNOW

We were forced to turn back because the path was

still snowed in.

So back down the mountain we went....

to the

"Meadow"

Greg was a bit too smug and never

admitted he sent us the wrong way.

We were lucky enough to get someone

to stop and get

a picture of

our little hiking group.

and each lake we passed

was more beautiful then the last.

and Greg is still looking at his map....

and once again we were twarted.

Snow as well as a

rushing stream kept

us from our ultimate goal.

Just on the other side of this stream

about 1/2 mile in was the lake we were heading to.

But because the rocks were a bit

slippery and the path was

covered with snow we turned back.

On the way back...

there was a little snowball fight going on.

Unfortunately, Kevin was aiming for Marc and

hit Cheryl right in the shoulder.

No worries...Cheryl is a trouper.

Boys will be Boys!!

or Girls!!

It was a great hike...I think we

hiked at least 10 miles...if not 10 maybe 9,

but for sure at least 8 ....

We did miss Kris and Ron though....

Ron fished

in Mammoth for the afternoon

and Kris enjoyed her book back at camp.

I am linking to http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/

for Outdoor Wednesday.

Proof?????

2011-07-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July...

Independence Day...

a day for barbecues, swimming, eating and fireworks.

Did it happen?

I am looking for proof...

Proof

that Kevin straightened and hosed

in anticipation of family and friends coming over.

Proof

that I cooked and prepared an assorted variety salads

as well as

hot dogs, hamburgers and brats to barbecue

Proof

that Sean made two flavors of homemade ice cream...fresh strawberry and cookies and cream.

with the help of an electric ice cream maker...

we don't want

to give him too much credit.

He even snuck away

for an additional 2 bags of ice for beverage icing

Proof

that Kristi made a two tier cake

with the same flavors, as well as made deviled eggs,

a yummy pasta salad and brought

after dinner cigars for the firework show.

Proof

that Tim iced drinks

and was the best Cabana ~~Boy~~ Man EVER.

Not to mention, he entertained his

lovely daughters in the pool

(as well as us)

Proof

that Riley and Madison came festively dressed in

Red, White and Blue

Proof

that Baba made little wienie wraps

for our appetizer pleasure ... along with chips and salsa.

Proof

that Grandma Kelley decorated and

added some cute little touches to the "Pork"

and Grandpa Kelley tried out the new TV in the "Pork"

Proof

that the "Pork" received yet

another gift from Auntie and FU.

Proof

that guests arrived bearing lovely gifts, delicious food, iced beverages and a patriotic spirit.

The Trifilletti's brought

the infamous "Fiesta" dip as well

as a delicious bow tie pasta salad.

Proof

The Moore's brought a delicious

capresse salad and I even got to keep

the cute dish it came in...very 4th

Proof

that the Sinner's are a blast as well

as Kim the zip liner...(not that

we did any zip lining yesterday)

Proof

that after much fun, sun, swimming, eating, laughing

and did I mention fun,

I still had

NO PROOF

No pictures to validate the event...

we are limited to only memories

of an extremely fun day.

Hope your 4th was as good....with or without pictures.

Rock Creek Adventure Tours ....

2011-06-30T10:33:00.000-07:00

Who knew I could have so much fun?

Kevin and I headed up to the High Sierras,

between Bishop and Mammoth, about 10,000 feet

up the mountain,

past Schatz Bakery

(actually past Schatz after stopping for some goodies)

to a favorite little slice of heaven.

Our campground,

East Fork,

was our destination for a few days of fun with friends.

We were lucky enough to have 3 other couples join in the adventure and from the sign,

it looks like a little competition too.

As we all began arriving, and almost before their camp was set up, Kris pulled out her trusty chalkboard .....

We could always count on her to

give us the news of the day and of course

which camp would host the bonfire that evening.

For some, it was the first visit

to the campground. Of course a little

exploration was in order.

Kevin on the other hand,

started coming to East Fork as a kid....

so he

headed off to throw his hook in the creek.

Can you see him in the distance?

The water was extremely high and the creek was

running faster that normal.

Be careful!!!

Marc was always around to

look after Cheryl. This was

Cheryl's first time camping and fishing so

Marc was extra attentive....we do want

her to love it and want to come back.

Was he saving her or trying to push her in?

Hard to tell in this picture.

Greg said, Kevin looks like he is right

out of an L.L. Bean catalog.

Marc and Cheryl on their way to our first

evening bonfire at the Moore's

(Taco and Margarita Night)

This was just the first peek into a weekend of fun

and some beautiful scenery.

Almost just a tease....

because I haven't even taken you outside

the campground yet.

It's a Jungle out there!!!

2011-06-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

My daughter Kristi and I recently

hosted a baby shower for our good friend

Sheryl.

Sheryl and her husband

Sal are expecting a little brother for their small son Leo.

Taking our inspiration from the jungle bedding

Sheryl has chosen for Aidan's new

room we designed her party.

We loved the bright fresh colors that are

so popular right now and decided to

stay away from the baby pastels...

it was great fun!

Oranges, turquoise, yellow and greens...all

anchored with brown. Very boy but very bright.

We served luncheon and each dish was named with our jungle theme.

Menu:

Blazing Safari Salad (Lime Cilantro Salad)

Crocodile Smile Sandwiches (Chicken salad on Croissants)

Jungle Vine Surprise (Capresse Salad)

Piranha Bites (Pesto Pasta Salad)

Wild Passion Fruit (Fruit Platter)

Jungle Juice (Sangria)

Tiger Tail Tea (Stone Gable Tea)

Kristi made these darling cards to

identify the food,

using the graphics from the invitations

she designed.

The food was so pretty and good, but after making

everything ourselves we were beginning to think

catering may be the answer for next time.

Kristi made the cake and cookies too.

The cake was absolutely adorable as well as

delicious.

One tier was lemon cake with citrus cream cheese filling and one tier was cookies and cream cake with chocolate mousse filling.

It was hard to decide which one to choose

so most people had a bit of each.

The cookies were decorated with

animal print icing...too cute!!

We used these as favors and the

colors matched our tables.

We used receiving blankets as toppers on the tables,

tying in all of our colors.

We had this idea several years ago and

it's nice because the decoration

becomes part of Sheryl's gift. She got

to take home all of the blankets and animals on the tables.

I'm a sucker for a paper lantern of any color, shape or size.

They always say party to me.

Aren't these colors happy?

and these little stuffed animals were the perfect colors.

We tied each chair with an cheetah print ribbon to give it

a uniform look. Love this ribbon.

We even swung a vine by her seat and hung

little outfits on it.

They also became decoration as well as gift.

After working so hard on this shower...

we realized we ran out of

time to really take some good pictures.

I can't believe we didn't

get a picture of the guest of honor.

You know you're having a good

time when you forget to take pictures

during the event.

Maybe we can talk Sheryl's mom Donna into sending us a couple of Sheryl.

I think Aidan is due any day....

so we are wishing Sheryl

a happy and healthy delivery

Mr. Pig has a Party ...

2011-06-14T16:46:00.000-07:00

Mr. Pig had decided that the Porkadillo

was ready enough to

accept visitors...

so he planned a small dinner party.

My friend Kris' birthday is in March

and since

March is the craziest part of tax season

I can never seem to get my act together

enough to have her

and her husband for birthday dinner.

Mr. Pig has come up with a solution...

celebrate

Mrs. Grover's birthday in June....

lovely idea I thought.

So our first official party in the "Pork"

was to celebrate Kris' 29th birthday.

Mr. Pig insisted I do it up right and decorate the space.

You don't have to ask me to decorate for a

party twice...

so in keeping with the colors of my seating area,

I used brown, tan, aqua and a bit of

goldish yellow.

(what is that color called?)

Maybe I should call it sunflower!

which I love

Mr and Mrs Grover came bearing gifts for the Porkadillo.

Their gift couldn't have been more perfect.

I love, love, love it and

he now has a place of honor on the hearth.

Kris loves sunflowers so I chose

a sunflower theme for the table.

The wood look of this table is so pretty

I hated to cover it up

so I used a scarf as a runner

and went with place mats instead of a

tablecloth

I had also picked up these candle holders and in keeping

with a more earthy look, filled them full of rocks.

I used an old pitcher with a great patina as my vase.

Mr. Pig was in agreement that it

made a great pitcher...that is until it started leaking

all over everything.

We fixed that by putting a pitcher inside a pitcher.

He thought I was very clever to do that.

I also pulled out my aqua water goblets.

I love these place mats,

they called to me when I was in our new

TJ Maxx

So there I was already for guests and only

the food to prepare.

The menu:

(Appetizer)

Roasted Shrimp and Cocktail Sauce

(Dinner)

Carne Asada

Guacamole and Salsa

Mexican Capresse Salad

Spanish Rice

Lime and Chipotle Salad

Grilled Corn with Roasted Peppers

Fresh Strawberries and Blueberries

I needed something for the (unfinished) mantel

so Senor Pig

(since the dinner had a Mexican flair

he wanted to be called senor)

came up with a great idea.

These are citronella candles that he put in glass vases. I

helped him fill them with some left over rocks

and aqua stones.

I loved the look, and Senor Pig was tickled that

I was pleased

So I would have to say our first event was a success.

I hope the birthday girl agrees.

We had

a splendid evening of relaxation with friends,

food and drinks

all in front of a cozy fire.

I know Senor Pig enjoyed himself...

and now he has

a new friend to keep him company.

until next time...Senor Pig says

Adios!!

Update on the Pork

2011-06-09T16:27:00.000-07:00

Every weekend we work like crazies and every

Monday morning

Kevin and I take our coffee

and walk the yard to view our progress.

Funny thing... Sunday night as we both sit in our chairs and feel

the aches and pains of the weekend work,

talking about all we have gotten done....

Monday morning shows us all we still have left to do.

We are definitely crazies.

We have made a bit of progress on

the Porkadillo however.

1. The fireplace is bricked and fire ready.

The mantel still has to be distressed and stained,

but we enjoyed our first fire Monday night.

Mr. Kelley toasted the fire with a glass of 21 year old

Glen Levitt...courtesy of the Rush's

Tim and Kristi...he loves it!!!!

2. We have installed the new weather vane,

which my mother in law

fondly refers to as "Mr. Pig"

We are

still trying to come up with a clever name.

Can you tell which picture is the weather vane?

This guy just makes me laugh every time I look up

as does this guy

3. We have hung the lanterns on the

front posts and actually

lit candles in them

Very precisely

and some of us just think they look like

a nice pair of earrings

4. We have...and when I say

"WE"

I mean everyone ...Sean

and Kevin in this case, have installed the TV

5. We swept up a little and actually

brought in the seating area and table.

We even went as far to have a meal at it....

our first of many

WE had our first tidbit from the garden.....

Everyone helped in one way or another

every chance they got...

and of course dusted....

We have several more things

to do before the official unveiling

But for now we are enjoying the Pork

in all his glory...

Isla de Vieques

2011-05-31T12:59:00.000-07:00

Between my monthly bunco,

hosting a baby shower,

attending a pig roast and completion (almost)

going on in the Porkadillo,

I have not had a second to breath.

I'm not complaining because it has been an

exciting and productive week,

but I still haven't posted the rest of the pictures

from our Puerto Rico trip.

I would skip it but the best

part of the vacation was our excursion the the island of Vieques.

Vieques is a small island off the coast of Puerto Rico

which you can reach by private boat,

airplane or $2.00 ferry.

We opted for ferry, so bright and early

Thursday morning

(Wednesday we spent at the private beach in the bubble)

we packed our bags

and headed out about an hour and a half from

"The Bubble"

to stand in line for tickets on the ferry.

We arrived an hour and 15 minutes

later to the small port of Vieques,

caught a taxi and drove about 15 minutes more,

arriving at our small Bed and Breakfast

on the Caribbean side of the island.

Preston was feeling a little sick, so Kevin and I ventured out alone to one of the beaches across from out hotel.

The ocean was wonderfully

warm and calm with miles of sandy beach.

Kevin...equipped for an

afternoon of sun and surf

While we were sitting there contemplating

the reasons why we had not brought beverages

with us we were visited by these guys.

The island is full of wild horses.

We headed back looking forward to dinner, beverages and a trip

to Bioluminesence Bay ahead of us.

Our Bus was going to pick up right in front

of our hotel, so we choose a great

restaurant right next door for dinner. It was delicious!!!

and then our bus arrived .....

(good thing we had several beverages

with dinner or we would have been a little nervous)

The bio bay experience was incredible. Picture

yourself swimming in a bay of pixie dust

clinging to you.

It made you glow

and was almost magical.

Pictures were

impossible because with the light of the camera you

couldn't see the glow of the pixie dust.

Click on

the link and you'll get an idea of what we saw...nothing like

the reality of it though. Puerto Rico is

one of 3 places in the world that can boast of this phenomenon

http://www.biobay.com/

Next day we were off to see the beautiful

beaches of Vieques.

We followed Karsten, Laura and the boys.

These beaches were deserted and absolutely

beautiful.

We enjoyed a bit of a breakfast beverage....

We went from beach to beach along the coast...

and we took the time to swim at each beach

above and below

Kevin was on a constant quest for

fish....

but the beaches were so sandy

there was little fish activity

Our favorite beach?

Blue Beach.

We were planning to head back on Friday...

but Karsten made

an executive decision and

decided we should stay another night...

Bummer huh?

We were so excited.

Then he told us his friend was heading

over to Vieques in his 50 foot boat and we

would be having cocktails with him...

on his boat.

So our ride arrived to take us to the boat.

This is Paco...

our host

Sunset from the boat

So after a wonderful 3 days on

Vieques we headed back to port...back

to the ferry and home to "The Bubble"

It was a great trip...Karsten and Laura were the

most incredible hosts.
They have already invited us back.

(we were actually planning a catamaran trip in the

Carribean with them for next year)
It was amazing.

El Yunque Rain Forest

2011-05-31T12:58:00.000-07:00

Wednesday

Kids safely at school again, and Kevin

and I sleeping until the ripe old time of 8:00

(unheard of for us)

we hit the road for the El Yunque Rain Forest.

As we passed the Bacardi factory,

we were tempted to stop for a little breakfast rum...

but alas no.

These gorgeous orchids are attached to palm trees

and just grow randomly everywhere.

They are beautiful.

The view from this observation tower was amazing.

The day was overcast...

I can just imagine how

it looks on a clear sunny day.

Water and water fountains everywhere

You can see the ocean in the distance

and of course random dogs just hanging around on

random roofs.

Breakfast with Bacardi and Old San Juan

2011-05-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

Early Monday morning, with boys

safely dropped at school

we were off...

Preston

Jaden

Where would you go to breakfast on your first day

in Puerto Rico....???

To the Bacardi factory of course.

Laura suggested we officially document the time.

for this

It was a fun tour

and we learned the history of how the Bacardi

family made rum. We also got to taste a couple

of their special drinks.

and of course the history of the bat...

"NO"

Edward Cullen was not mentioned

and then off to Old San Juan.

This day was a little overcast as well...

which was good and bad.

Good in that Old San Juan has some very steep walking and we

stayed cool and comfortable.

Bad in that the pictures of the

ocean didn't show the true blue they really were.

We started with lunch here

Karsten wanted us to start with some

very authentic Puerto Rican food. I had

shrimp and Mafungo (a plantain recipe).

They use a lot

of garlic and it was delicious. Of course we

washed it down with some of the local beer....Medalla

After lunch we started our tour.

The buildings

are so old and picturesque

and the churches

My favorite little street

and then we headed to the fort.

El Morro Citadel

(El Castillo San Felipe del Morro - 16th century)

building began 1539 and continued

on for several hundred years.

The walls had to be 30 feet thick...incredible

when you think of the tools they had

to build it.

and it was built on multiple levels

protecting Old San Juan

A glimpse at Old San Juan from the fort.

and then the walk back ...

and home

to plan tomorrows adventure....and the rain forest.

back to the "Bubble"

The "Bubble" and Beyond

2011-05-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

We are back from our Puerto Rican adventure

and it couldn't have been more fun.

We flew into San Juan

and were greeted by Kevin's cousin Karsten.

After grabbing tooooo much luggage

we headed back to Karsten and Laura's

"Bubble".

The "Bubble" is the the isolated gorgeous

resort setting they call home.

We felt like we were living the lifestyle of the Rich and Famous....

actually we were.

We started with a lovely lunch on the veranda

at the country club in the pouring rain.

It was warm and gorgeous, even with the rain coming down in sheets around us. We caught up

on life, and just enjoyed a relaxing visit.

A glimpse at the Bubble

With the overcast weather you don't get the full

beauty of the skies and ocean....but still,

not to shabby ....

Karsten is showing Kevin the mail box area

with a view of the ocean.

Can you see it?

Here let me help you with a closer look.

One of the many play areas for the kids.

This is called the

"Hanger"

One of several pools

A ride through the woods to the ocean

The restaurant at their private beach

Pick a chair...any chair

and then I'm sure someone will

appear as if by magic to bring you

a beverage.

I wish it had been sunnier this day so you

could really see the beauty of the Atlantic.

Yes...

Kevin and I did get to touch the water

Back to the golf cart tour.....

A little place to work out

A bridge to perhaps the backyard of the future home

of Karsten and Laura

Maybe for our next visit

(I wonder which room is ours????)

Another pool

Various water features

and a multi million dollar water park

and back to the house and a beverage.

We didn't sit for long....

next day we were off to the Bacardi factory for breakfast

(just kidding about breakfast...sort of)

and "Old San Juan".

more pics tomorrow.......

Puerto Rico or Bust ......

2011-04-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

When I think of Puerto Rico....

I get visions of the Sharks and the Jets

dancing through the

streets of New York in West Side Story.

Never did it occur to me to actually visit Puerto Rico.

Well that is about to change.

While doing a google

search for images of everything Puerto Rico,

I was surprised to find a picture of me on the beach.

I also came across a picture of Kevin

doing one of his favorite things. Of course

if that was really me in that bikini on the beach ......

Anyway we are very excited....wish us luck ...

we are staying with relatives (tee hee)

Seriously though...

we are so excited and can't wait to see

family and the beautiful island of Puerto Rico

Another 1- Minute Birthday Poem

2011-04-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

For my dad:

When I was a little girl, I'd sit on my daddy's knee

He'd tell me stories and and say "I'm so glad you're with me".

Dad with his passions, was so much bigger than most

His talents were many and his stories most grandiose

He loved his family, his movies, electronics and his art

But mostly to us we remember his heart

Today is his birthday, but we'll not be serving cake

but with memories he'll be here, make no mistake

For daddy has climbed on his daddy's knee

And from Heaven I can hear it…"I'm so glad you're with Me"

Thank you Kristi

2011-04-19T08:23:00.000-07:00

Imagine my delight when I went to my blog

this morning to post a little birthday wish to my dad.

Kristi has totally given me a face lift

without me knowing.

Heaven knows I could use a face lift.

I love it.

Thank you Kristi

New Shoes and an Epiphany

2011-04-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

epiphany -

a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.

My little Bella Boo

sent me a picture the other day.

I guess

she has had these little beauties on her wish list for quite some time.

Luckily for her, Baba came to the rescue with some cold hard cash.

She was so excited to share her purchase.

Bella is also starting to connect the family tree.

She and Stacy

were having a little morning of cuddling time

and Bella said to Stacy....

Bella: Mommy...Grandma Rena is daddy's mommy right?

Stacy: Yes

Bella: and Grandma Maryrose is your mommy right?

Stacy: Yes

Bella: and Grandma Rena buys me clothes.

Stacy: Yes

Bella: and Grandma Maryrose buys me TOYS

Stacy: Yes

Stacy thought this was very

funny and was eager to share it with me.

As for me...

Well let's just score one for Grandma Maryrose shall we?