Christmas 2015

Our table top Charlie Brown Christmas tree before the decorations. Bought it at Walgreens for $19.99 the Christmas of 2008. The lights still work!

Can get a ton of ornaments on this tree! Always love unpacking them and remembering past Christmas's!

Santa's decorate the TV console this year.

Coffee table nativity scene.

Lighted Christmas village in entry.

Outdoors - lighted rugged tree and Jesus is the reason for the season manger scene. Also added some new landscape lighting around palms in front yard. Merry Christmas everyone!

Allan's Birthday Weekend and Charlie, the Chameleon!

It was a wonderful fall weather - I'm off - low key kind of weekend. It was also Allan's 39th plus birthday. We started the celebrating at one of our favorite local sea food places!

We love going to Waltz at John's Pass for their fresh-off-the-boat seafood. They usually have five or six fish entrees - and all in limited supply. So we go early! While we were there, all the fresh gulf shrimp was consumed! But we got some!

The grouper was amazing and Allan enjoyed the shrimp. We always order the smoked fish spread and the island rice n' peas and beach slaw. We finish off with key lime pie!

Allan enjoyed his beer and I indulged in a generous pour of wine.

Next up ...

Decadent chocolate birthday cake! Can't have too much chocolate. Although this cake is close. Very rich and gooey!

Happy birthday to you! And many more!

And his favorite and most unusual gift? Why, Charlie, the chameleon, of course!

Pops in the Park and Parish Picnic

Last weekend was packed with my favorite downtown waterfront event and our annual parish picnic. The Florida Orchestra played in Vinoy Park to a packed crowd and weather that was perfect! We feasted on gourmet popcorn, mason jar salads, turkey-strawberry and brie sandwiches, deviled eggs and veggie chips, beer and wine and brownies. Yum!

Allan and I arrived in plenty of time to enjoy the breezy afternoon and listen to the younger musicians entertain the crowd.

I strolled over to the edge of the park to shoot all that is left of the old pier. Know my kids will be sad when I send this shot over to them.

View of the stage and growing crowd of people. Waiting for Bill and Diann to arrive.

The Orchestra begins so let's eat!

Bill, Diann, and I enjoying the music and the wine and beer!

The concert always ends with the 1812 Overture and fireworks! What could be better!

Got up early the next morning to frost my brownie bites for the picnic!

Two-week old baby Micah Cillian was able to join in for his first parish picnic. He slept his way through it!

Mom enjoying brownies and cookies! Pop Pop came too! As did Mary Jo and Joe.

Kids had a blast on this slide!

Cutest dog ever!

The grill guys! They made the yummiest hamburgers and hot dogs!

Corn hole was enjoyed by the family. Although nobody wants to play against Joe!
Another successful picnic and beautiful day enjoyed by many!

Bermuda by Shutterfly & NCL

I received in my email an offer from Norwegian Cruise lines for a free Shutterfly photo book earlier in the month. And since I had never done anything with our pictures from our October 2014 Bermuda trip, this seemed like a fun and FREE project.

Had taken lots of pictures - now I just needed to sort through them and put them in order to tell the story. And in only 20 pages!

This was our beautiful floating hotel - the Norwegian Dawn. She is docked at Heritage Wharf, Royal Navy Dockyards, Bermuda. We spend three fun filled days here. We toured the islands, went to the beach, shopping in Hamilton, and explored all the attractions at the Dockyards. We loved Bermuda! We also discovered Dark N' Stormy's!

Commissioner's House, flag of Bermuda, british phone booths, Lover's Knot, and business man in bermuda shorts and socks!

Even the north Atlantic Ocean was calm, even though the weather in Boston was cold and rainy! But this was a fabulous trip! And thanks to NCL and Shutterfly, we have an awesome souvenir photo book!

Prost!

Look what opened last week in downtown St. Pete! We waited until this week to go - in place of our usual taco Tuesday place. Munich's famous hofbrauhaus was founded in 1589 by The Duke of Bavaria, Wilhelm V. It is Germany's oldest beer hall.

 This place is decorated with long rows of tables and benches and everyone squeezes in together. Large open room tends to get noisy - but hey, it's a beer hall.

A great German oompah band plays all the famous drinking songs and wears silly hats - like chickens- when they play certain pieces - like the chicken song!

Allan had fun sampling all three of their regular beers in their signature mug.

I even had one! It's a beer hall! The first of many toasts that evening!

The food was outstanding! Wiener Schnitzel, Schweinerbraten, spatzle, bavarian potato salad, sauerkraut, pretzels, and Black Forest cake! Nobody left hungry!

Diann, Bill, Allan, and myself had a great time and are planning a return next week! My sister and her husband want to go, too! Hope we get Jamie Marie as our server again! Til next time!!!

Fireside chat

Mom and Dad came over the other day to see our new fireplace.

They found it cozy, too!

Still waiting for cooler weather!

Fireplace.com

Summer is over. The air is changing. Good thing I ordered my new fireplace!

Even better that I installed it!

Colder temps are still away off, but hey, nothing wrong with being ready!

I already love sitting in my chair next to the pretty lights and will enjoy turning up the heat this winter!

My fireplace is wall mounted and has optional side lights.

My mom's fireplace is a large furniture grade electric unit with a mantle.

I put this baby together, too.

Works great - they love it. Matches her decor.

My sister has one, too! Same type, all electric.

Love that we could all shop online and get it in a few days.

Delivered right to our door. Free shipping!

Put it together. Plug it in! Enjoy!

No sweeping ashes!

My Social Book

I have been on Facebook since August 2009.

I have posted hundreds of pictures and events - mostly about my family.

And I was thrilled to find that these posts and pictures could be collected and published in book form!

I saw an ad on Facebook and was intrigued.

It was not that expensive ($32 for 214 pages).

I even liked the picture they chose for the cover and the inside color - coral!

cool, huh?

I'm glad I ordered it and will enjoy looking at it for years to come.

Who knew!

September

New pumpkins from Hobby Lobby and pumpkin pillow from Pier 1

Candy corn from Stein Mart and signs from Pier 1.

Happy fall, y'all!

Family gathering at Camp Lewis

Twenty - count 'em - grand kids!

An August 2015 reunion in Jacksonville, Florida.

Brought Mom and Dad along, too!

Mom and her girls!

Our newest family member, Natalia!

There was plenty to do! Like bounce!

and bounce some more!

And swim!

Or play badminton.

And chase chickens!

Chow line. It's Italian night!

Baked cookie skillet! Yum!

A good time was had by all! Thank you, Kristin and Brian, for hosting such such an extraordinary reunion!