Date night

December was my date night month, and even though we had just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, I was still obligated to fulfill my part of the bargain and create a unique date night.

I decided it would be fun to see a Palm Reader to see what she would have to offer about our next 25 years. She said that she saw travel coming up in the near future.  Fancy that, we are celebrating our anniversary trip in Italy, and I am trying to talk Jeff in to going to Denmark with Brandon and I this summer as well, at least for a short time.  Jeff was skeptical at best until the reader said something about us that we had not shared.  It was interesting and I think I ought to win the prize for the most interesting date night.

We went from there for my annual mammogram which took all of 30 minutes. Now THERE is something one does not usually do on a date night!  It was only a few minutes of non-date activity.  It is out of the way, and it was barely noticed.

We headed from the mammogram to a very expensive, but very well worth the price restaurant that I really enjoy.  This photo was taken by our server.  You will notice in the photo not two but three glasses of wine.  Yep, you guessed it, all for me.  Jeff's Chianti was sitting just outside the frame.  They had a special; they were offering 3-3oz pours of Syrah's my new favorite kind of wine.  It was delightful!  We savored our dinner and talked for about two hours.  Our phones were not in use, save this picture of us, and then it was turned off.  It was nice to really connect.  We used the time to talk about the Palm reading, our past 25 years and our future 25 years. We also received from the restaurant a champagne toast, and dessert on the house in honor of our anniversary. 

Our anniversary gift



Here we are with "Lilly"

 Rissy, Neil, Amy, Bean, Diz and the Tiny Tiger treated us to a live show with the Rockettes for our 25th wedding anniversary which was Christmas.  We had tickets for the following day! 


The show was nothing short of spectacular! Jeff and I were treated to ideal seats. Believe it or not we had the entire row virtually to ourselves; what more could you ask?!? But more than that we were touched by the generosity of our family given the financial challenges they have faced recently. How could we be so deserving? We are honored not only by the kid words, but the thoughtfulness of the gift. They knew that I have always liked watching the Rockettes on television every year during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and even stop in the middle of meal preparations to watch them. To think that I would get to see them in person was more that I would have given myself. I saw the signs up all over town as there were in town for three days only. I just would not have treated us to a show that was so costly. How very nice that they would think enough of us to treat us.


Jeff and I dressed up and went to the show Sunday morning.  The air was abuzz with excitement as were we:-)  The man who took our tickets asked if I had planned on dressing like the Rockette's.  I replied that I had in fact done so.  He then asked if I would be dancing.  I held my finger to my mouth to indicate that he was not to breath a word, but that I was the secret guest dancer.  Ahh such fun.  The ticket taker did say that they were dressed quite like me for the majority of the show.  This was not our experience as the costume changes were frequent, leaving us wondering how they can even have time for some of their quick changes.  All I can say was that I marvelled at the precision of not only the dancers but the backstage hands, the dressers, the property master/mistresses...phenomenal!

Jeff and I spent time oohing and ahhing, time just for us, and were whisked away to the Christmas story as told only as the Rockettes can do.  We loved the show so much, we even bought a video of the show to savor our memories for years to come and to hopefully share SOME of the experience we enjoyed.  Below is just a picture to give you some idea of the elaborate set design that was ours to behold.  In this fuzzy picture you will see the moon, some lighted trees etc., but what you can't see is that the LED screen moved in a way that suggested to your senses that the reindeer and the sleigh were raising up from the ground (which you see here) and flying into the night, through the clouds.  Just fantastic!

Christmas Fireplace Scene

I had peaceful moment to myself while preparing the house for Christmas and thought I would share it with anyone who reads.  While setting up my fireplace mantel, I was listening to peaceful Christmas melodies, humming "Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and I was lost in the illusion of how a town may have looked so many years ago.  I had great fun setting the scene, and putting myself in the scenery.  Here is a small portion of the scene which I created.  I hope you like it.

A moment captured

Jeff had just returned from Ohio when this picture was snapped of Neil and Tiny Tiger.  Neil was talking with Jeff outside the car.  Rissy was chatting with me.  Tiny Tiger was crawling around in the car giving kisses to Grandpa, whom he'd not seen in some time.  Here Neil asked him if he could have a kiss, and I caught the moment right after on camera.

I love when memorable times are unplanned but just happen.  Here we dropped Bean off at home and lo and behold Neil, Rissy and the Mighty Mite came out to chat.  It is just a moment I will treasure as it was special in its spontaneity.

Quick and funny

So while we were at Zoolights, I had my hand on the railing to steady myself as we descended the stairs.  We then got popcorn minutes later.  I wasn't thinking about my usual hygiene and popped the popcorn in my mouth...making me sick about 36 hours later...sharing with Bean:-(

Bean got really sick, while is just attacked my throat.  He ran a high fever.  I kept him over as I was already sick, Jeff was not home, and we did not want to further share it with his little brothers, namely Diz as anything he gets goes straight to his lungs and he has difficulty breathing.

So, Friday comes along and Bean is getting sicker and sicker.  He ran a temp all of Thursday, but Friday he was begging me to let him in the bath where he could warm up.  I of course said "no" and told him it was the fever talking.  I covered him and cuddled him until he warmed up and the Tylenol could take effect.  He out of the blue said "I am glad I am a logical person; because logically I know that I cannot be seeing sticks and vines on my Grandmother's walls inside, but I see them!"  He was having visual hallucinations when his temp hit just over 104°.  Poor kid, but I had to laugh at the logic of it all.  Once the Tylenol hit he was crusing and got better as quickly as he got sick.

Christmas activities

A few things I wish to mention as a few of my favorites.

I too Bean and Diz to the Zoo for Zoolights.  Dizzy had been before, as had Bean, but not together in 4 years.  Dizzy as you may recall is only 5.  Jeff was out of town, but the weather was as nice as it was likely to be this entire Christmas Season, so I decided to Carpe Diem and go.  I collected Dizzy right after school and we headed down to the Zoo.  The weather was in the 40's with little rain.  Dizzy was over the moon with excitement and all the lights!  He was well behaved, stayed very close to me, took pictures of the lights, and had a blast.  I had a blast with them. 

I got to watch Bean in the older brother role.  It was nice to see him suggest things that I had suggested to him when he was little like "Diz, would you like to go through the special door?" as we entered the zoo store, to get the zoo 3D special light viewing glasses.  They both chose a pair with aliens on them.  As it turned out these special glasses gave the illusion that there were alien heads anywhere there were lights.  Strange.  We opted to keep those glasses for future reference.  You never know when you might see a real alien and need to compare notes.  

Bean also made sure to hold Dizzy's hand through crowded areas even though I had a firm grip.  He pointed out highlights.  It was just really nice.  So this picture taken with my phone isn't good, BUT you can see the megawatt smiles through the haze.



Zoolights smiles 2010

 We finished up there evening with a trip to Sweet Tomatoes where we could find all sorts of fresh food from a HUGE salad bar.  Even Dizzy found a few things on which to nosh. 

Glitter, glitz and giggles

The final touches

As we enter into the Christmas season we got together to decorate our tree with our new decorations.  When Jeff and I initially did the decorations as mentioned earlier in this blog we saved some back so that our tree would be a family tree; hopefully filled with memories of each person, doing their part to contribute.



It was funny that Bean came over and saw the decorations drying and he said “Oh, those are pretty, why are they out?”  I said that we had made them the prior weekend and they were drying.  He was a little sad and said “Without us???”  Charissa and Amy made similar comments.  Funny thing was, that we had some set aside just for them to decorate before hanging them on our tree.   Diz was IN his element!  Nary a word out of his mouth nearly for 90 minutes.  He certainly is an artsy guy!

I hope you enjoy the pictures:-)  There are more on my Facebook page as I detest the picture format on this blog.  I have neither the time nor the patience required to get it to look just as I want.  Be sure to check out Rissy Reindeer!

Might Mite played with Grandpa



Those creative juices are flowing!







Everyone got involved including the dogs

Sunny St. Louis & giving thanks

We just returned from 5 days in St. Louis, MO.  Jeff is already back in the skies, somewhere in Minneapolis as I write this, awaiting his flight to New York. 

Upon arrival to St. Louis we were greeted by a very dapper Dad at the airport.  After greetings and baggage collection we were treated to a remarkable sunset that made me wish I would have brought my camera with me.  It was left behind as we awoke for our flight an hour and a half late!  I cannot do it justice, but will try and give you a mental picture by saying that it was spectacular!  There were multiple layers of clouds lined in bright oranges and yellows, against a opalescent tangerine backdrop.  Gorgeous!  We then got to witness a rainstorm.  It may sound unexciting or even unappealing to most, but Jeff and I having grown up in the Midwest, miss rainstorms complete with thunder and lightning.

We greeted Stephanie upon our return and caught up, at one of Dad's favorite Mexican restaurants Casa Galliardo.  While Dad was displeased with the service the food was good and the drinks welcome.  They do know how to make a very tasty Margarita.  By the time we ate Jeff and I were famished, having not eaten anything all day, save those big bags of peanuts we were provided on one of our flights.

Each day holds a special memory, but the highlights were Oberweis Ice Cream on Tuesday.  YUM!  I highly recommend it should you find yourself in St. Louis. 

We visited their new Riverfront Casino and donated a few bucks.  We had fun looking around and were treated to lunch by Stephanie with her winnings! Wednesday evening found us viewing Christmas lights just outside of St. Louis.  We were among the first ones there for the season!  They had a brilliant display of lights.  They had so many lighted figurines like an elf putting finishing touches on a teddy bear, a tunnel of white lights, skaters on an ice rink, and each one of the reindeer.  It was over much to quickly, but we will take the memories home with us.

Thursday was touched with a bit of seasonal magic.  A whisper of snow fell early afternoon, blanketing everything but the streets with a fresh touch of pure white.  I was preparing the salad and watched from the kitchen window.  As cold as it looked outside, I am filled with a warm memory.  We were invited to Stephanie's brother and sister-in-laws home. Gerry and Katy, our hosts welcomed us warmly and we got to see the people we so often hear of, and caught up with those we have not seen in years.

We reflected on how much we have to be thankful for in our lives.  Personally, I am thankful that my Dad and Stephanie did not have to make the journey out to Portland to share Thanksgiving.  I am grateful that Jeff has a job which provided us the funds to fly out, stay at a nearby hotel and treat to a few meals here and there.  We have made great friends this year who were able to mind Finnegan (our pug) and in fact were happy to have the opportunity.  This makes going out of town so much easier than thinking of him in a kennel for days on end.  We are especially thankful as we lost one of our beloved pets because he was in a kennel, rather than with us.  I am grateful that we were able to provide our family here in Portland with the main components of a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner without anyone straining their budget too much.  I am thankful for the peace of mind knowing my loved ones were safe and sound.  While the thought of our not sharing Thanksgiving together was difficult on Brandon, most of all, I am thankful that he was surrounded by the rest of his family and that I had the presence of mind to stay in the present,and enjoy the moment.  I was so grateful for everyone's health, including my own, on Thanksgiving.  I am thankful for insights and lessons learned while away, which I shan't elaborate on further, but affirm they will be beneficial to me along life's path.  Lastly, I am thankful that I have so much to be thankful for, that there is neither the time of the space to enumerate all that includes.

I hope that each of you found and continue to find many things for which you remember to give thanks. 

Fallen behind

So, I have fallen sooo far behind on my blog that I have decided NOT to update it by catching everything up, but instead have decided to start anew.

That said, we have in the time since I have written celebrated Jeff's birthday, Jordan's birthday, Amy's birthday and Donovan's 1st birthday.  Once I find spare time, I will probably play catch up on the big events, but it will be awhile. 

As for this post, I am posting because we had such fun.  Jeff and I decided, (well, I decided and he graciously went along with it) to make our own Christmas decoration this year.  We went to the Dollar Tree and got some styrofoam balls, glitter, and a few bits-n-bobs and set about making our own ornaments.  We got home, turned on Glee music, prepared a cup of tea, and glittered, glued, sang and generally had fun making the biggest mess we have made in a long time.  I would highly recommend anyone wanting to revamp their Christmas ornaments, or decorations to do it yourself.  Here are the results, well at least a start of the 1st round of results.  We were so caught up in creating that 4 or 5 hours passed before we knew it!



The face of fun?

So, I am hating the new format and all the issues I am having with this, BUT I wanted to get the face of enjoyment on this, so I have decided to put it on a separate pade.  Charissa wanted to ride one of two rides, one that was closed or this one which turnes you upside down and holds you there. A swinging arm then thrusts the platform to the other side repeating the torture.  That said, Rissy said this was fun, and though this picture is not the clearest, please share your thoguhts.  Does this look like the face of Wheeee???

Fair Day-Part Two

Amy deer

Learning to lock horns

Just as I was pointing to Jeff to shoot this pic, he was shooting it

I ask you whose bangs (fringe) is longer?

Awww how cute!

Charissa's Birthday Adventure

Charissa had to wait for her birthday adventure this year as the fair simply would not start until the 28th.  So, off we went to the fair on Sunday.  We had many memorable moments, but I dare say Charissa seemed to enjoy all of the moments.

I was lucky enough to walk by a goat pen in which we found two adorable kids about 2 or 3 days old.  We stood around and adored them for 10-15 minutes.  They were such fun to watch!

Next we headed over to the Dinosaur exhibit.  Because the exhibit was extra Jeff and I decided we would take the boys in.  Amy had just gotten nachos, so she used the time to eat those as the exhibit disallowed food. Charissa used the time to nurse Donovan and Neil put him to sleep.  Not only did they get to see animatronic dinosaurs, but they got to dig for bones in a sand pit, and Jordan got to ride a dinosaur.

We then headed over to the rides!  Charissa, Neil, Brandon, and Jordan all rode the Gravitron.  I had already found my favorite part of the fair.  Grilled corn on the cob!  Donovan grew hungry while awaiting his family to arrive back on earth from the Gravitron, so he got to taste the cob:-) Shhh

As you can see Everyone had fun on the Gravitron and Neil looks a bit off kilter after riding the centerfuging ride.

Jordan is about the bravest 4 year old I know.  He wanted to go on every ride that went upside down, inside out, and any which way but loose.  Though he is tall for a 4 year old, he was too short to ride the majority of the grown up ride.  Look out next year!

Neil shot this picture of Donovan while I was wearing him.  We were waiting for Brandon and Jordan to ride the Spider, the one ride I remember hating as I was terrified what I went on with Vickie as a little girl.  Jordan LOVED it.  Both boys exclaimed after they climbed off the ride "That was awesome"!

We headed for the petting zoo and had so many photo opportunities, here are my top picks:-)

Llama llove

Continued on the next post as I am having "fun" figuring out the new format:-)

Festa Italiana a.k.a. date night

The sky from downtown was picture perfect!

 
The lights of the courthouse.

Maserati-need I say more?

Dinner at Festa Italiana

Jeff and I determined that occasionally we need to put ourselves first. In order to facilitate this we decided to focus on one another once a month on a date. This means that we clean up, just as we would for a date, leave the concerns, jobs, well as much as I can when on call, and refocus our attention on one another. I decided since we are aiming to go to Italy that Festa Italiana would be a good first date.

Upon arrival there was a group of Opera students from PSU. While not bad, by any means, and certainly better than I, for one performer broke a glass, it was not our cup of tea, we opted for wine. First we had to find Casa Soldi as all purchases were to be made in Soldi only, no cash. We got a very nice Pinot Grigo to share along with dinner, Italian style of course. I got a pesto pasta and Jeff got some pork pasta. To say it was light on the sauce would be an understatement, BUT it was heavy on the pork. If that is the way pasta is served in Italy then it is no wonder people drink so much wine in Italy; something has to wash it down!

As the night progressed we went along the stairs at Pioneer Courthouse Square (Portland's living room) and listened to the tail end of the opera. Next on was a gentleman whose name now escapes me, but is billed as "The Voice". He did Frank Sinatra tunes, and pretty well. During his hour performance he got people up and dancing. Only Portlanders would use the opportunity to turn The Square in to a dance floor. Of course we mustn't forget the prolific beggars and homeless people that abound as well. I am definitely out of my comfort zone in downtown Portland. It seems EVERY homeless person, beggar, freak etc. is drawn to the one, the only, me! Crowds of people and they find me. Still not sure what I do. Tonight Stinky Sam sat alongside me. We moved and headed for Starbuck's for a coffee. I want to decontaminate and jump in an autoclave, but settled for a relatively clean sink, touch free soap, and touch free paper towels. I went back out with the attitude of just one Funky Fred is not going to ruin my night. I will be darned if Crazy Creep doesn't throw me an imaginary fishing line in an attempt to reel me in, with the rest of the audience surrounding me. We even chose somewhere in the middle of a group of people. We were on a date and wished to be free to creepy people. I cut his imaginary line and exited stage left, never looking back.

So, you say, they did not have a good time. Oh contrare indeed. I got to talk with Jeff about something other than diving, hold his hand, enjoyed music, visited my brand of car if not the make. The sky was perfect, the weather cool, the lighted buildings beautiful, the tea hot, the wine smooth and the memories unforgettable. Next time, it is Jeff's choice on what we will do for our date night.

My favorite thing is realizing I could be outside my comfort zone and still have fun.

My favorite thing today...

is being all caught up on my blog at long last!

Rissy's ACTUAL birthday

Charissa has wanted to go to Voodoo doughnuts for about three years since she heard about them. They do all sorts of weird doughnuts including bacon maple:-P and put something in the hole in all of their doughnuts. I must say that their plain doughnuts give you a taste of the doughnut beneath the dazzle:-)



So, after dropping off the boys at Zoo Camp this is where we headed.



Here is the doughnuts she selected for herself and her family.

THEN we were on our way to IKEA where she had heard so many people talk of IKEA but had never been herself. She was mesmerized by the individual rooms and commented that she hoped one day she would get rid of everything in her current residence and rebuild with complete rooms/ensembles from IKEA. We had a tasty lunch, and spent the day looking around, buying this-n-that. She got cool tableware for the kiddies, which she disclosed she would likely use too. She found a message board for a steal, and we left IKEA exactly on time without a minute to spare. It was so nice to have my daughter to myself save Donovan who quietly rode int eh cart or slept in the Snugly.

My favorite thing was watching her get animated when it was time to go and find the items she'd decided she wanted earlier in the day. She just enjoys each day and tends to stay in and enjoy the moment. How lucky I am to have birthed such a unique and lovely daughter 29 years ago. She has filled my life with treasures untold.

Zoo Camp

I took a picture of Jordan on the hood of the car, much like the one we have of Brandon on his first day, first year of Zoo Camp.

Of course a picture of Donovan will have to be added in the future, but by that time Brandon will be finished with camp and probably a camp counselor. Jordan will be an experienced camper.

Brandon gets to spend one night at the zoo this year and two next.

Jordan was excited for Zoo Camp and hesitant all at the same time. Charissa said that she was explaining to the counselor that he was initially shy and reserved and probably nervous just as he walked away.

Brandon reported at the end of the day that he was a little bummed because the Animal Investigators (the camp group he is with now) were split in to four groups. His is all girls except for one boy and himself and the boy is "a dork" who brought his DS to camp. He plays it every time they walk somewhere. He brought cash and continually asked the teacher when he could buy stuff. Some time a few years from now, Brandon would be able to see the benefit of being the only boy in a group of girls who is not a dork, but for now he was frustrated. Brandon updated his Mom saying that the second day was better as he made friends with one of the girls.

Jordan reported that he did not make any friends. He said he tried to help the others but they did not want his help. Charissa told him to just be himself. He is usually very good at walking up to a stranger and saying "Hi I'm Jordan." and makes instant friends with whom he runs around. Jordan reported the following day was a 180 degree turn around.

Rissy's last year in the 20's

Charissa and crew were at our house Sunday to celebrate Charissa's birthday a day early. We had a fondue dinner and dessert, cheese and chocolate respectivly. All the adults chose one thing to have in each of the fondues and we all noshed on them.

After we cleaned up the first round of fondue, we played PokerKeno, something all of us could play.

Charissa opened gifts after the game and recieved many nice things from many nice people. She recieved a check from Grandpa, whcih she is saving for something special. We are headed to IKEA for her first time tomorrow on her actual birthday. She beleives she will find something desireable there. I am guessing she will too! Pauline and Chris sent her a lovley pair of earrings that were silver, he favorite to go with her skin tone, and a game from Amy, which unfortunatly we didn't know about until AFTER we played the game. Still we have something to look forward to next time we get together.

Next came the chocolate fondue...YUM! As you can see Rissy had a bit of trouble controling the chocolate as it deorated not only our table but her face:-)

Lastly, before they headed home I took the boys out to play with swords to burn off a bit of the sugar rush before heading home for bed.

Brandon's stay

Brandon's week with us was a little uneventful initially, but I think he enjoyed relaxing all the same.

The first day we were together we started off the morning walking Finnegan, which Brandon was shall we say, less than thrilled to be doing, BUT ended up having fun as we were allowed access to Big Al's before it opened and given a tour of sorts by John, the General Manager. Most people in our neighborhood have been anxiously awaiting the opening of Big Al's. When first I proposed we take a look inside the windows to satisfy his curiosity he was hesitant as he is not one to not follow rules, or color outside the lines. I assured him that walking in the parking lot was permissible. When we walked near the doors it just so happened that John was right by the opening and invited us in, Finnegan and all.

Tuesday he made good on a promise to visit Elizabeth Huber at the Hallmark shop where she permitted Brandon to put up a flier for a tournament he was hosting prior to his trip to Australia. He was told by her that she never put fliers up, but would make an exception just for him IF he would agree to write an essay telling her of the adventures he had in Australia. He was very glad to get that monkey off his back. I think he also enjoyed going in the back office and sitting with her and chatting about Australia, life, travel. She also invited him to come and say hello any time he was near her store. I believe Brandon has a fan for life as she was just so enamoured with him and took time to read and discuss the essay with him on the spot. He also got to have a treat at the Godiva Chocolate shop adjacent to her store. He found that while he is not a big fan of Godiva, the experience was pleasant.

Brandon also got to see the new library closest to our condo. Brandon loves books, reading, libraries, and I think libraries are quite possible his happy place, surrounded by books, and soft cushions and people whispering and on their best behavior. We found the new library to be small and quiet as compared to the main library but quiet and quaint. No doubt we will be spending countless hours there this school year.

I can no longer recall why we had Jordan for part of a day, but we did. The funniest thing I recall is Jordan coming up with his "Dancing Eyes". Brandon laughed so hard watching Jordan's eyes dart to and fro in time with the music.

Thursday we went to the Enchanted Forest amusement park. It is old fashioned and reminiscent of a time long ago. But he went with a friend from Village Home and I just tagged along behind them. While his friend was cynical, Brandon by contrast just enjoyed the moment and was happy to be there. I told Brandon that while I liked his friend, I did hope that he did not adopt his friend's sour attitude and outlook on life! It did seem that they had the most fun on a roller coaster and the log ride was a favorite and even his friend could not mask pure joy at shooting down a hill awaiting the inevitable SPLASH!

Saturday we had a party to attend, but because he was with us, he was invited to attend as well. He did very well at chatting with the adults in the crowd and found a new love:

At the weekend we watched a movie he'd been wanting to see. Sunday he got the piece de resistance...a trip with Grandpa to Bullwinkle's Family Fun Center. There was games, golf, laser tag, ropes course, go carts, and rock wall, all for the taking! What more could you ask!?!

Dive Master

I am so pleased to be able to share this moment captured on film for all the world to see. This is Jeff receiving a card from students at their open water weekend congratulating him on his accomplishment, a long time coming and hours of study, practice etc. He now has the distinction of Dive Master. He was so excited to be finished with all of the preparation and study, tests and practical exams. I would like to tell you his Dive Master Number, BUT for reasons unknown to him, it is not yet available, but Dave (the gentleman you see handing him the card, and Dive Instructor) did not want him to have to wait another six weeks to be recognized as a Dive Master.

Even better, Brandon and I were able to go with him. I am frequently on call when he has open water weekends, where he helps out. This time I was blissfully not on call. Brandon happened to be with us right before he went up and asked if he could go too. His Mom and Dad and everyone involved agreed. It was extra special to have Brandon place his Dive Master cap on his Grandpa's head!

My favorite thing was the look of pride, well deserved on not only Jeff's face,but on Brandon's as well recognizing his Grandpa's accomplishment.

Congratulations Jeff!