It's Looking Good!

I'm loving my new glasses!

And my soon-to-be new president is not bad either!

Black Lives Matter

 

Oscar Night 2020

A dear friend has been hosting a glamorous pajama party for 20 of her nearest and dearest women friends and relatives for the last several years.  So, while her husband watches football upstairs, Cathy takes over the man cave and transforms it into a swanky lounge and theatre in which to watch the Oscars on TV.

Over the years, the ladies have begun bringing gifts for the other guests, not in any regular way, and it's all completely unpredictable in nature, it's certainly not required, and there's no expectation whatsoever, but we all end up going home with some fun swag.  I think, it's because we are all women, and the caring instinct takes over, especially in the midst of so many other wonderful women.  We all seem to want to give!

This year, remembering the success at Christmas, I decided to bring the ladies some Fannie May candy. 

When I went to the store, I noticed that Fannie May was celebrating its 100th Anniversary, and thought it would be special to take advantage of this opportunity.  Sometimes, things click into place so easily!

The reusable tin box contains creamy caramels covered in chocolate, and features the iconic Chicago "L" — the system of elevated train tracks that loop parts of Chicago's downtown.   I'm not sure how much this would be appreciated outside Chicago, but it was a hit at my Christmas Eve party, and I hope the ladies approve.

The lights were dimmed, and there was a lot of glitter and sparkle . . .

There was lots of champagne!

And, popcorn, of course . . .

as well as many other snacks.

Ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille . . .

Venice Again - Day 7

Our last day in Venice.  Our flight is not until later in the day, so we decided to spend the morning relaxing and strolling around the neighborhood.

Kumquats on the terrace of our hotel.

Our terrace became the place where we planned our activities and relaxed at the end of the day.

One more scrumptious dessert before heading back.  A dish of Tiramisù to share because there was too much for just one person,

The winged lion, symbol of St. Mark.

Piazza San Marco.

Arrivederci, Venezia!

The retreating view of La Serenissima from the water taxi.

The Harry Potter store at Heathrow Airport where we took the connecting flight to the U.S.

This marvelous trip is done.  It was very hard to leave.  Where do we go next?

A proud mama

A special day for our family:  Our son, John, has graduated!

Here we are, celebrating another milestone in our son's life . . .

 Mama standing in the back, thinking that husband is NOT going to photograph her . . .

Miami University tradition decrees that if you step on the school seal you will fail your next exam.  So, here we are . . .

He couldn't wait to get rid of the cap!

We couldn't be prouder!

And, as all good parents have done many times before, we returned home with our backseat filled with our child's "stuff" as he gets ready to move back in for a little bit while he looks for a job.  I look forward to seeing a new chapter in my son's life as he begins to practice adulthood.

No time for the blues . . .

Boy, it's been a busy few months!  What have I been up to?  Well . . .

January flew by in a blur of activity.  Just at the time of year that my body kept telling me to stay home and sleep, I was super busy at work, planning the 2014 Field Sales & Marketing Kick-Off, which took place on February 4th.  It was a 3-part event consisting of . . .

A large meeting that accommodated 550 . . .

Awards were given to the 2013 Top Performers . . .

I was even surprised with an MVP Award of my very own!

Here I am with the Sr. Director of Direct Sales . . .

There was an Expo, featuring many of our programming partners, like HBO and Showtime . . .

Ending the day with a Casino Night!   The event was a huge success and worth the countless hours of work!  Even the day before, I was holding my breath, worried about having to cancel the whole thing because of the weather.  An 8-inch snowstorm was in the forecast!  Thankfully, Mother Nature held off for one day!

I did do a little hibernating after the event, and took a few days off work to recharge my batteries . . .  I curled up in the Living Room which was in cozy winter mode, with furry pillows and snowy white carnations . . .  February was still busy at work though, and I was still wrapping up loose ends from the event all the way to the beginning of April!

But now that I had stopped working so many hours, I could think about other things . . . like my health.  I've learned the hard way that you cannot take for granted the tremendous gift of health . . .

So I did a little reading . . .

Got an amazing new appliance - a Vitamix that truly lives up to the hype!

And that came with more cookbooks to play with  . . .

I tried a recipe or two from the Internet . . . This was my favorite - Baked Salmon with Blood Oranges and Fennel.  I'll share the recipe soon!

Then I had a new passport photo taken . . .

Because in the Fall we are planning to go to Venice!  La Serenissima - at the top of my bucket list!

And now, unhindered by other “business,” thoughts of the Army consume me, as they have absorbed my every waking moment, regardless of how busy I've been, or how much interest I've pretended to have on other things:  My son, David, has joined the United States Army.  He leaves for Basic Combat Training on May 6th.

And how was your winter?

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

A perfect day begins with a bowl of Super Oatmeal, click here for the recipe, freshly squeezed orange juice and a cup of decaf with cream.

It's remarkable that generation after generation orchestra musicians dress so much alike.  Here I am in high school getting ready for a concert.

This was taken in the hotel room of my perfectly sweet, but technology-mad in-laws.  Mary Ann and Bill, and their two kids love their gadgets, and they travel with a lot of them!  The power strip has outlets in every direction, to maximize the number of adapters that can be plugged in at one time.

It would have been too easy to show socks in the "Mismatch" category.  I mean, who doesn't have a stash of orphan socks?  I love socks!  I wear them practically every day to work!  Thank heaven the days of mandatory panty hose are long gone!!!

Boy, this was a tough one for me because I'm very much a matchy-matchy sort of person.  But the organization gods were with me (or actually, NOT with me), and somehow my Birkenstock clogs got mixed up!  And now, if you'll excuse me a minute, I'll go fix them . . .

Stop over at Ashley Sisk's for her delightful Scavenger Hunt Sunday blog party.  Have a great week!

A Tablescape with a Tuscan Vibe

Here was the inspiration . . .

I yearn to see some day the lovely sight of sunflowers growing under the Tuscan sun . . . Until then, I can enjoy the imagery . . . and bring the flowers into my home . . .

Here was the opportunity:  A reunion with my high school classmates and fellow members of the Cuban Club . . .  I am the one seated second from left, with the diagonally-striped sweater . . .

I hope you enjoy the pictures.  Please turn up your speakers so you can enjoy the music:  Vivaldi's "Estate" from "The Four Seasons . . .

Salt cellars masquerading as wheel barrows . . .

Ahh . . . summer . . .  L'estate!

I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.  Please stop by to see the creations of these remarkable tablescapers.