Pre-Christmas friend's celebration

One tradition I really enjoy is getting together with my girlfriends for our annual holiday lunch.  This year, I hostessed at my house.  I decided to make one of my Home Chef recipes of Parisian Chicken, Vichy Carrots, and french potatoes.  It was good.  The company was even better!  These are my closest friends.  We've been friends for over 20 years.

Lesley, Stacy, Me, Julie

Love these ladies!

Merry Christmas

I had an absolutely wonderful Christmas.  It went off like clock work with lots of family, friends, love, and laughs.  This year, Nola came to town.  While I decided to "up my game" since she was here, we still worked to make it stress free and as fun as possible.  Because my place is small, we also decided to go out to eat for meals which turned out really nice.

Nola came into town on Thursday before Christmas.  We met Dad's side of the family for Mexican food at La Fountain.  This side of the family has grown and everyone is going in a bunch of directions so it seemed getting together before the holiday was a perfect solution.  La Fountain is a place Philip and I often enjoy.  The food is excellent and they could accommodate 17 people.  It was great fun.

Friday, Nola went to Wendover with Dad for the day while I worked.  Because they get home in the evening, I met my friends Lesley, Jason, Amy, and Boe for a cocktail and catching up.  It was great fun before I went to meet Nola and Dad to bring Nola home.

Saturday, Nola and I met Dad, Cindy, Philip, Jennie, and Tiffany for breakfast.  Then we went to Garner Village to the quilt shop Nola loves.  By the time we came home, Philip and Tiffany were here and we decided to order pizza and jump into a spontaneous cookie party.  We made Mexican Wedding Cake cookies, fudge, sugar cookies, ginger cookies, gumdrop cookies, and rice crispy bars.  Nola and Tiffany also made chocolate pretzel turtles that were a huge hit! 

Sunday was Christmas Eve.  Nola had a few projects that needed finished.  We also finished up cookies.  Mom and Chuck came into town to celebrate.  Philip and Tiffany picked up Jennie and we all went to Market Street to celebrate Christmas together.  It was delicious and so festive.  Sadly, it started to snow and the drive was a little hectic home.  Nola and I stayed up late wrapping and getting ready for the big day.  We did go out at midnight to take photos of the fresh snow.

Christmas morning was at my house.  We made a great Christmas breakfast and then we all opened stockings that everyone contributed too.  It was really fun and a tradition I really enjoy.  We decided years ago to not do gifts anymore so this is a fun and stress free way to celebrate.  Nola and I had a quiet afternoon and made a roast pork dinner and watched TV and rested a little.  Dad and Cindy came by in the afternoon for snacks and a visit.  Before we knew it, it was time to get Nola packed and ready for her flight early in the morning.  I took her to the airport very early Tuesday (4:00 am).  And Christmas is a wrap!

I had a wonderful time and was surrounded by family and friends.  I really enjoyed having Nola here and crafting and cooking with her.  I am truly blessed.

Market Street - Christmas Eve (Me, Nola, Jennie)

Mom and Chuck

Tiffany and Philip (they got engaged!!!)

The Gang

Christmas Eve Snow at Midnight

Sisters at midnight

Christmas Breakfast

Stockings

Bella loving it too

Twinning sisters

Relaxing between festivities

Christmas Day - Nola, Dad, Cindy, Me

The gift that just keeps giving

How are your holiday preparations coming along?  I'm doing pretty good considering I've spent the last few years simplifying the holiday seasons.  Cards are made and in the  mail.  House decorated.  Gifts purchased.  Lists for the day's events are made.  So doing pretty good here but there is one thing I want to talk about.

I think glitter is absolutely beautiful and it is exciting.  But it just won't ever go away!  I have worked pretty hard to minimize the glittered items I have.  Metallic decorations?  I'm all over it. Glitter?  While I love it, I hate the mess.  So I've been working to eliminate it from my world. 

I must have lost my mind because I accidentally bought some glittered ribbon for gift wrapping.  So I decided to use it on  my neighbor gifts because...well...they don't like me anyway.  What a lovely passive aggressive gift to leave at their door....right?  So I was in  my office/scrap room tying ribbons around the little chocolate boxes I bought for them.  The glitter was coming off all over my desk.  It was a mess.  When I got all done, I looked down and it was ALL OVER my dress I had on. Red glitter.....all over.

I decided the best way to get rid of it was to go outside on the driveway off my patio and shake it off my clothes.  And I did just that.  It was spread all over but not my problem right?  Later the next day, I stopped off to drop off some groceries on  my patio and laughed because the driveway was glittering like Santa had just come by with his  magic reindeer.  I snickered to myself and gave a knowing nod.  I wonder how long that glitter will be there.  Maybe that wasn't such a great idea.  But I kind of like it.

Hope your holiday life is pretty like glitter...but  maybe not quite so irritating.

Bella...Just....Can't....Stand.....it

So as Thanksgiving rolled past, it is time to start getting ready for Christmas.  Thanksgiving weekend, I went down to my storage unit and got the tree out.  Can I pause for a moment and tell you how nice it is to have a lightweight tree?  I can finally do my tree myself!!  Okay.  Back to the topic.  Anyway,  when I adopted Bella, I didn't think much about how to handle the excitement of the Christmas tree.  This girl is beautiful but she was once wild and feral to some degree. And the tree was clearly just a new toy for her to play with.  What a wonderful life size cat condo!!!

So I brought it up and set it up.  Immediately, she was curious.  Even as I took the parts out of the box she was thrilled.  So I decided to just let it sit for a while and see what she did.  Let's just let the photos tell the story.

What a cool cat condo.  It looks so life like!!

I'll start loving it from the bottom.  I can chew it!!

Why are you freaking out Mom?  I got up here
but I am not sure how to get out.

Look at all these cat toys on my condo!!  I don't know why
you will only let me look.  Every time I try to play with the
new toys, I get wet.  (I spray her)

I'm not doing anything Mom.  I'm just hanging out.  I promise.

I know this is a tough test for her.  I rarely provide negative reinforcement but climbing the tree and clawing the couches are two times the spray bottle comes out.  It is quite a challenge because she likes water so the other day, she was so worked up about the tree, I sprayed her so many times, her head was totally wet.  The great news is she hasn't "stolen" any ornaments the last 2 nights.  And the tree is still upright.  This year, the entire tree is unbreakable...just in case.

As you can see, Bella is getting to be so big!!  No longer the tiny kitten she was when we met.  She is in the "teen" years of rebellion and sass.  I am really looking forward to her growing out of this stage.  She is just so aggressive with my senior kitties.  She chases them until they are just so upset.  I think we are in the home stretch of her growing up.  I hope she still stays sweet.  She really is a great cat....kitteness curiosity aside.

Happy Thanksgiving 2017

I simply can't believe it is Thanksgiving time!  I've been working way too much and we have unseasonably warm weather so it doesn't help.  But even when you aren't ready, it comes.  I kicked it off by joining some friends for drinks and laughs after work Wednesday.  It was really nice to disconnect and get out and relax.  That is the way to kick off the holiday weekend!!

Me, Lesley, and Amy

For Thanksgiving, I went to Flemings with a few of my foodie/solo members.  We had a reservation at 1:00 which was a perfect time to eat.  We were not the only ones that went out. The restaurant was full of families and others celebrating.  They offered their regular menu but they also had a Thanksgiving menu with turkey or you could get filet.  As much as I was tempted to have the steak, I got the turkey as part of tradition.

We started with biscuits with honey and pumpkin spread.  Then a lovely salad, entree complete with sides, and finished with some delicious pumpkin cheesecake.  Everything was so good.  They gave everyone a little container of left overs for sandwiches.  What a nice surprise.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I practically rolled out of there I was so stuffed.  I enjoyed the company and although they were people I didn't know well, we had a great time and enjoyed ourselves.  It was nice to have someone to share the meal with.

The really cool thing is there is no stress, no cooking, no clean up.  Just a nice relaxing Thanksgiving Day.  I picked up a paper on my way home and talked to Dad on the phone.  Then I promptly came home and sat on the couch and read the paper.  I did a little Black Friday shopping online which was fun.  Not a bad way to spend the holiday....especially when I have to work Friday.

As a bonus, I caught a beautiful sunset from my patio.  The photo doesn't do it justice.  I would call this a perfect day.

I am grateful for all I have and all those around me.  Thank you for your love and support.  I return it 10 fold.

Grandma Turns 101!

Last weekend, I went down to St George to see family and celebrate Grandma's 101st birthday.  This time,  I decided to pack up Bella (my kitten) and take her with me.  She loves her kennel and I figured I would give it a try.  So we packed up super early Saturday and headed out.  She road like a  dream and slept almost the entire way.  When I got there, I went over to Marsha's house.  John is down for his Fall stay and has Nadine (his kitten, Bella's sister).  I dropped Bella off to see Nadine and we visited for a minute.  She was a little nervous but seems comforted by Nadine and before we knew it, they were off playing together.

Mom, Chuck, and I went to have some lunch and then headed over to the rest home where we planned to have cake and open presents with Grandma.  Marsha and John had headed over before us to help Grandma with her lunch.  The resthome isn't as open as the Meadows was about guests coming to eat.  In fact, they discourage it.  But Grandma needs help eating her meals and the family committed to help at lunch every day. 

When I got there, they had just come into her room.  Her bed had been stripped and she was not feeling well at all.  She had come down with a cold/cough a few days before and just didn't feel good.  We tried to get her to take her medications and waited for them to make her bed.  She could barely wait to get in and that was the end of that visit. Poor Grandma.  I don't think she knows who I am anymore.  But that is okay.  I don't see her often enough.

We decided to head over to Grandpa's pond so people could take a walk.  I always thought they made up the name but indeed, that is what it was called.  It is the cutest pond with a walking path around it.  It was a warm afternoon and the Fall colors were beautiful.

Grandpa's Pond

After that, we headed back so I could check into the hotel and check on the kitties.  They had been playing hard and had a great time.  Nadine and Bella are certainly a bonded pair and love each other so much.  When we walked in, they were sitting together in the rocking chair.  So cute.

Nadine in her chair.  Such a a pretty girl!

 We met up again to go to dinner.  I had really wanted to go to Cliff View restaurant.  Again, another one I frequent when in the area.  We had a little later dinner so we didn't see the sunset but we still had a great time and enjoyed some great food.  After we ate, we went back and had the cake we bought for grandma.  I picked up Bella and headed to the hotel.

I really wasn't sure how she would be in the hotel.  I booked a hotel that allowed pets and they were really sweet about it.  Bella took a few minutes to adjust and check it out.  Then she decided to just stay close and snuggle with me all night.

Bella checking out the room.

Settled in the bed for a bath

In the morning,while I was packing up, she sat by her
kennel, letting me know she was ready to go.

I went back over to Marsha's (which was literally around the corner a few turns) and dropped Bella off to play again before going up to Oscars Restaurant for Breakfast.  It is just outside of Zions.  It was sunny and warm.  Absolutely beautiful.

 

After breakfast, Marsha and John went to go for a hike and the rest of us headed back down the canyon.  I picked up Bella and made our way home.  At first, she cried like crazy.  So much so, I had to pull over.  I thought she might need to go potty but she just missed her Nadine.  I got her settled back in her kennel where she slept the rest the way home.  Such a good travel kitty.

It was a great weekend but I am sorry Grandma didn't feel well enough for company.  I think you can feel that way at 101.  Happy Birthday anyway Grandma!  Love you.

Annual Fall Carolina trip

Earlier in November, I went to visit Nola for our annual get together and scrapbooking fun at the beach.  We are getting pretty good at this.  I usually swing down after a visit to Johns Hopkins but I had to move that appointment because my doctor was out of town.  So this was a much more relaxed and focused trip for me..and I was able to get there a day earlier.  Nola and I decided we would head down to Carolina Beach a day early which is a real treat.

Nola picked up at the airport like clock work.  We swung by her house becasue I wanted to see Heidi and Gregg.  Nola picked up a few more things for the weekend while I visited and brushed Heidi (her cat).  Heidi is the cutest kitty with a swagger and attitude.  She LOVED being brushed and kept her from being shy which is perfect.  We were on the road before we knew it and swung by the brisket place for a bite to eat.  Nola introduced me last time I was out and I thought it was delicious.  It was just as good as I remembered.  Then we myandered to the beach.  Because it was later on a Wednesday, we skipped the regular beach traffic and got there stress free.  We got checked in and set in to relax.  There is just something soothing to me about the ocean.  Seriously why do I live in Utah?? 

It was rainy and a little chilly so we decided to drive down to Fort Fisher to go to the aquarium.  Nola was great at pushing me around and we enjoyed our time looking at fish that are in the area.  Fort Fisher at  the very end of the land on the beach and about 20 minutes from our hotel.

Starfish in the petting pond

Fishies!

We went in the Hurricane booth to see what 75 mph winds was like.
It was intense!

It was a really cool aquarium.  I enjoyed our time there and very glad we went.  A great activity for a rainy day at the beach.  We weren't the only ones that thought that!

We drove to the end of the road to check out the ocean where the ferry takes off.  It was stormy enough that the birds were pretty much parked.

All the "ducks" in a row.

We were able to set up for scrapbooking in the late afternoon.  We had a very small table of supplies compared to others haul they brought.  But we had what we needed and enjoy being more simple in our travels.  In fact, we spent quite a bit of the weekend scrapbooking and I felt very accomplished.

We did take time to go to my favorite place, the Shuckin' Shack.  We had cocktails, shrimp, hushpuppies, and coleslaw.  There are always some "salty sailors" (the regulars) but we find that part of the charm of the place.  We have come to enjoy sitting at the bar because there is more "flare" there.  Haha.

Before I knew it, it was Sunday and time for me to head home.  It is always really sad for me to leave Nola and come back to Utah.  I feel that restless feeling again that I should consider moving to North Carolina.  The good news is Nola plans to come visit for the Christmas holiday so I get to see her in a few weeks.

I was treated to a spectacular sunset when flying home.  I prefer an aisle seat but I was "upgraded" to comfort seating and could only score a window seat (better than middle seat).  I tried to make the best of it and enjoyed seeing the sunset and the lights of cities from the plane.

Looks so pretty

As the sun continued to set, the sky was pink and orange.  Gorgeous

Next year, we won't be able to go to the retreat.  I'm planned to be on a ship in the Panama Canal.  I will miss it but Nola and I will find another time together.

Happy Halloween Painting

Without kids here and no trick or treaters, there really wasn't any celebratory plans.  No mummy dogs, no scary movies....Notta.  But what I did do is join Tiffany for a fun Paint Nite.  We met at Mellow Mushroom which is one of my favorite foodie places in Sugarhouse.  They have that fantastic soft pretzels with beer cheese dip (screw the pizza).

Tiffany loved Halloween and picked the painting and it was fun.  Sort of an impressionistic style painting of a spooky tree and houses.  The leader of the Paint Nite was spunky and fun and there was actually a pretty large group there.  We were warned there was lots to paint and we were going to have to move along quickly.  And we did.  Poor Tiffany and I were behind from the very start. We were often 2-3 steps behind and were pushed quickly.  The lady came over at one point and told us we were way too uptight and let it go.  Tough to do.  But we kept painting through the drying breaks and finally finished.  The bad news is the pace was so that we couldn't eat our food while it was hot.  We didn't get the breaks she had.  But we were both happy with our paintings and we had great fun together.

Lets get started

So this is my neighbors painting.  While I was painting the side
of my canvas, I accidentally hit her canvas with the corner of mine. 
It left a smudge.  Luckily she was on break. I tried to wipe it
off and it removed all the paint.  So I just added an additional
black flick on the far side.  When she came back, she didn't
seem to notice...thank goodness.

Finished.  Tiffany picked ar eally cook frame for hers.  I'll let mine be free floating.