NYC Friday night

Kathleen and Mark Henning came for a Christmas-in-New York visit, with their beautiful daughter, Laura. Don and I went in to meet them for dinner on Friday night. Kathleen and I worked together at BCSI at the multi-tenant site at The North American Life Center; during the fun days of work (before cutbacks!)  For those who know Kathleen, she and Mark are now retired, enjoying travel, their kids, and an active life.  

Kathleen, Laura, Mark, Don and I

We enjoyed catching up with them and getting into the NYC Christmas vibe. Soooo busy, colorful, and alive! After dinner we walked back to our car through Rockefeller Center and grabbed a shot of the tree - always impressive!  

It is always great to see old friends and get into the city!

The gift-giving rule

I've never liked it when someone asks me what I want for Christmas because I feel it will ruin the surprise. I like that a gift means someone went out thinking of you and wanting to make you happy - THAT's the gift. I feel the same as the shopper of the gift. Its a visit with the person in your mind as you think about them - their likes, hobbies, activities - and then come up with ideas.


Recently, I read a paragraph that described the "gift-giving rule" so perfectly when one character suggested to another that "If you buy me a record for Christmas, I'll buy you a book."

"It (the proposition) broke the rules of exchange, innate and unspoken, that governed gift-giving in our family. A gift is not a gift if the giver knows, before giving it, that it is exactly what the person who will receive it has wanted all along. That is another transaction. That is a purchase, not a present. A gift is a gift if you search for it, ponder over it, pick it up, put it down, pick it up again, and walk around with it while, weighing it against the other gifts that are wrangling for your regard.

A gift is a gift if you choose it finally, wrap it with one last gust of uncertianty, and give it away. That is a gift,. An item, inanimate, that reeks with intention and puts us at risk. And that is why gifts are dangerous and difficult and cause such distress."

- Pg. 176, The Tender Land by Kathleen  Finneran 

I can think of lots of other reasons too that gift giving causes distress, such as finding parking at the mall, but I love the sentiment of this "rule."

Cathy & Col connecting in Corning

Thirty years! It was thirty summers ago that I first met my friend, Colleen. We were working on the same shift at Ontario Place and the deal was instantly and forever sealed when we discovered that we had both lived in The Hat at the same time. (That’s Medicine Hat, Alberta for the few of you who wouldn’t just know that!) 

We have kept in touch when we could throughout these 30 years, and last weekend met halfway between our homes in beautiful Corning, NY. We started talking at about 11am on Saturday when we hugged hello, and stopped talking at about 10am Sunday when we hugged good-bye. While talking we had lunch, browsed the cute shops, walked across the river to the Steuben Glass store, where we bought matching bracelets, drank coffee, sipped wine, enjoyed a delicious dinner, etc. etc.

What did we talk about? Our jobs/careers, our husbands (good stuff, except for snoring), our homes, our kids/niece (little Rosebud), friends in common (some we’ve never met but have heard so much about we feel we know, like Col’s friend, Wendy in the Soo), our parents, our futures (new freedoms and adventures, new angsts), our handbags (same brand), being frugal vs. cheap, books we both enjoyed (Olive Kitteridge) and recommendations, cosmetic cases (mine is older than 30 years – okay, I’m sentimentally attached to it because of where and when I bought it – in San Fran from a woman who went by the name “Ocean”), U.S. politics, The Hat, and probably everything in between.

It was a great weekend, Col! 

Coincidentally, my sis-in-law, Vicki, flew to Atlanta the same weekend to catch up with her childhood friend of the same name.  It must have been girlfriend-reunion weekend.

Enough of the toe nails!

I'm back-blogged again. Fall is now upon us. Leaves are down. And I still have summer toe nails showing.  We've had a beautiful fall here in NJ. PR work has been busy, plus I added a new job - just 12 hours/week, out of the house 3 mornings, which gets me out of sweats/jeans. And collecting advertising for our annual community directory, which supports a scholarship program and several charities. Kids are fine at PSU, husband is fine, cat is fine ... we're fine. Hope you are too. (Meeting up with "old" - young like me - friend in Corning, NY this weekend - yah!)

Happy 25th Wedding Anniversary to us!

Here we are 25 years later. I remember our wedding day was an overcast day like it is here in NJ today but at all the right moments the skies cleared enough for us to come and go with a ray of sunshine. I remember waking up that day and having a frank conversation with myself in front of the mirror, just as the minister told me too. He said to remind myself that nothing matters except getting married to the person I love - that little things will go wrong during the day, there will be some surprises - but just let it go. Great advice from Rev Trimble.

I also remember how pretty my mom looked, how my dad walked me up the aisle, how happy Don looked. The wedding party was a fun mix of friends and family - Otis, Kathy & Barb, Henry, Dave & John. I remember my face hurting from smiling so much. Then I remember seeing Don's mom and dad miss the cut-off for the 427 north and watching them head up 27 north to Eglinton thinking, oh-oh. (No GPS or cell phone.) They did get to the hotel somehow and looked proud as punch of their son all night. The Bristol Place was perfect. Speeches were great, esp my bro who embarrassed us all (egads, but he was a highlight!), all kept together by my Uncle Murray who emceed for us. My friends teased me about the band, Terrell Tribe, and another brought out her aerobic tapes when the band took a break. They weren't bad and of course my parents' friends loved them. And then we were off to our honeymoon in Jamaica - along with a trillion other young couples who were also married on Oct. 5th! 


Flash forward 25 years - and it was a flash! Two kids later, both in college, living in New Jersey. Don is in Houston today on business so I am on my own. We celebrated on the weekend by going to a restaurant in NYC - the same restaurant that Don and I went to when we flew to NYC for our 10th anniversary. Bryan and Carolyn came home from school to join us. What a perfect way to celebrate our 25 years together!
 

Don & I outside the Gotham City Bar & Grill

Don, Carolyn, me, Bryan

Thanks to everyone who has sent cards and best wishes! All the messages were nice, and I especially liked what Don's sister, Kathy, said, "We are so proud of you for reaching such a milestone! You have found common pleasures, but also find time to pursue your own personal loves. May the future be filled with good health, wonderful memories and just great moments together." So nice. I am happy!

Last official day of summer

Yesterday our informal Wednesday-after-work group met at the beach to mark the last official day of summer. It was warm and wonderful. Here's the gang:

Dave (Deiter), Sherry, Sue, Bill, Barbara

  

Barbara, Kevin, Bob (the ring leader), Pete, Lynda, Don

Don & Dave

A great day to toast the end of summer.  Cheers!

Back to the Jersey Shore

There's no other way to spend the last official weekend of the summer than at the shore. When Barb & Pete invited us down to their place in Bay Head for the day we jumped at the opportunity.  It was our first time down to that area of the Jersey Shore - wow, so beautiful!  They took us out for a delicious lunch overlooking the inlet of the Masaquan River and then for a driving tour of Sea Girt and Spring Lake to see where the other half live. 

Pete, Don & Barb in Bay Head, NJ - the very top of Barnegat Bay  

We spent the afternoon on the beach watching Hurricane Igor pound huge waves into the shore. Fortunately Igor was far out to sea leaving us with a sunny, warm day. Even the surfers didn't attempt the waves although Don and Pete went in for dunk. 

With warm temps headed our way later this week, we haven't seen the end of summer weather yet.  

The High Line

This past Saturday, 9-11-2010, Don and I went into NYC to walk The High Line. It is a re-purposed and renovated raised railway line that has not been in use for several years. It is now a raised walkway that runs for a few blocks along 10th Ave. to the meat packing district. It is beautiful!

The walkway has been designed with grasses, trees, flowers, and an eclectic array of art that appeals to all senses, including an exhibit of bell sounds from various parts of New York. A different bells rings every 60 seconds. It is a very short journey but if you stop to enjoy the views and exhibits, it can be quite an adventure. There are plans to extend the walkway north along the rest of the raised railway line. 

Me amongst the grasses high above the roadway.

View from the High Line - statements to the world

This is Washington Square near NYU. We then walked north to Union Square, then
Madison Square Park, then back down through the Flat Iron district.

It helped that the weather was perfect! We did not go near Ground Zero where the official memorial ceremonies were being held and many protests. Still so sad. 

The End. Montauk

After both kids got settled in for another year at PSU, Don and I took a week off to vacation on Long Island, NY. Although very close to us, traffic can make it seem very far. Because we started out in rainy weather, the traffic was relatively light (pros and cons!). We spent the first few overcast days visiting the Hamptons - Southampton, East Hampton, Bridgehampton - and every place in the area, including Sag Harbor and Shelter Island. We stayed in Montauk, at "The End" as their slogan goes, so our daily jaunts were not far and the poor weather kept us exploring for a few days. We also switched hotels - from one that thought it was 'trendy' but wasn't, to one that wasn't trendy but was perfect and right on the beach.

On the day we switched to the beach hotel, Don had to give the ocean a visit. Here he is braving the elements while I took a photo from our balcony. 

Don in the ocean at Montauk on stormy day

The weather suddenly improved and we spent the next 2 days entirely on the beach - something we don't usually do but we were so happy to see the sun! We read, walked, swam and slept.

Don on Montauk beach in front of our hotel on a sunny day

For those who know the area, the first question we always get is, "Did you stay at Gurney's?"  No we didn't but we had dinner there one night. It was absolutely gorgeous dining high above the beach watching the sunset reflecting in the water and then the moon rising.

Dinner at Gurney's, Long Island, NY

At the end of the week we drove up to the North Fork of Long Island, taking two ferries en route. We landed in the cute town of Greenport and spent our last night at a B&B in Southold. The North Fork is famous for its wineries. We did two tastings while there - Shinn and Lieb - both good. (We also sampled Wolff on the South Fork earlier in the week.)  Then we drove back via the south shore taking in the island state parks and Long Beach, NY. All beautiful. 

Nestle group returns to NJ

During the first week in August the Nestle group from Toronto descended up Mahwah and Kinnelon once again. We had so much fun when they visited three years ago, we just had to do a repeat.

The festivities included dinner in Mahwah on Friday, followed by Outlets shopping, beach time and dinner in Kinnelon on Saturday, followed by a group going into NYC while another walked Liberty State Park  enjoying NYC from across the Hudson (which I blogged about before), then dinner at the Liberty House Restaurant on Sunday.  An excellent time was had by all. Catch phrase of the weekend: "junk in my trunk".


And here's the gang:

Dave, Liz, Craig, Linda, Mac, Nancy, Don, Cathy, Cathy & Chris
on Smoke Rise beach

Craig, Don, Nancy, Cathy, Linda, Chris, Cathy, Liz, Dave & Mac 

There's talk of taking this reunion out to Vegas next time. What happens in Vegas ...

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is my Dad's 86th birthday. I hope he has had a great day. We were talking on the phone today about how the years don't seem to match how you feel. Doctors have told my Dad that he's at least 10 years younger than his actual age - and if you knew him you'd agree! 

Dad, you are everything a daughter could want in a father - there's nothing I wish I could have had or that I wish you'd done or said that you haven't already done or already said. I am very lucky to be your daughter. I mean that. And I know Don also feels honored and lucky to be your son-in-law. We mean that for both you and Mom - you are great, generous, loving parents and a great example of how to be a married couple. 


Here are a few shots of my Dad:

Kayaking with Don last summer

With his honey, my Mom, on Smoke Rise beach

1944 in front of his plane in the Canadian Air Force (age 20)

We love you, Dad! Thank you for everything!  Have a very Happy Birthday ... and many more!

Another funny card

One more card.  I also got a chuckle out of this one from Marian.


Sorry kids!

Another birthday

Another birthday has whizzed by for me. I love hearing from friends that I see rarely and from those I see everyday! I want to share one of the cards that I especially enjoyed, this one from my Maryland friend and fellow wine taster, Anne.

I also thought I'd share my cakes!  I got two: one from my Mom & Dad, and one from my sis-in-law, Kathy. Both were delicious and creative.  My Mom's was creative in the baking and Kathy's was a smidge creative with the age (very close to actual - ahem).  Its good to know people who will lie for you. 

Mom & Dad with me

Kathy's cake creation - Thirty-nine and holding

Catching up with friends

A few fun things that have gone on between trips east, west and north:

Carolyn (big - as apposed to Carolyn (teen)), aka Otis, my roommate from university, and her husband, Jim, and daughter, Tamarra, came down for a quick visit. It is always fun to see them again to rehash the old days and catch up on the new. Their son, Nathan, couldn't come with them this time. He's heading into his senior year at Tarelton University in Texas, playing baseball as a star pitcher!

And a weekend prior to this visit, we checked out a local brewery with Marian and Dave for a few tastings and a tour. It was very interesting and we'll have to now check out their award-winning Ramstein oktoberfest lager beer in a few months! Check out: High Point Brewing Company.

And before that, back in June, we visited the Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club wooden boat and classic car show. It is the only time of the year the club is open to the public so we joined our friends, Cindy and Kenny, the current LHYC Commodore, for a beautiful day by the lake. Don is itchin' to get back into boating ... some day ...

Summer of 2010 - so far so good!

Croeso i wales!

Welcome to a little Welsh language lesson. We heard lots of Welsh spoken in North Wales amongst the locals dining at nearby tables or in stores. They spoke to us only in English, always friendly and kind. Apparently the Welsh language is well preserved in the north where it is the only language taught in school up to a certain grade, and less so in the south where they are more influenced by England. Signage is all bilingual. What is most interesting is the juxtaposition of consonants (like double 'F's at the beginning of a word, for example) and the unique sounds made with these combinations.  A few examples (love the 3rd sign!):

Here is the alphabet, days of the week, and numbers:

And last but not least, our B&B, named Bryn, which we learned is Hill, shortened from Ty Bryn or Bryn Ty (forget which is way is correct), meaning Hill House as it was once known. It was a beautiful home overlooking the valley and right outside the Conwy walls built with the castle between 1283 and 1289!

A jolly holiday

We recently took advantage of our new empty-nester status and the fact that Don was in the UK on business late in June. I flew over to meet him on July 1st. It was nice to arrive from a red-eye flight and be able to go directly to our hotel where Don was already checked in. (No pretending to sightsee through bleary eyes until our room was ready.)

While Don worked I did a little touring on my own, including the Tate Modern where I hadn't been before. We met one of Bryan's friends who is studying and working abroad for the summer one evening and it was fun getting his perspective on the Brits - all good.  

Blenheim Palace - Woodstock in The Cotswolds

After a day or two in London we drove northwest to the Cotswolds. Incredibly quaint and beautiful with lots of great towns all located near each other.  We stayed in Chippping Camden. Great restaurants and lots of sheep.  We also spent a day in Stratford-Upon-Avon where we did an entertaining walking tour with a talented guide.

Sheep & Cotswolds countryside

Don on Sheep Street, Chipping Camden - "Baaaaa"

From there we drove up to North Wales where we stayed in Conwy, a gorgeous walled town on the edge of the Irish Sea. Our B&B was right outside the walls. From there we could walk up the Conwy mountain for a better view of the sea and could drive through the beautiful valleys to see ... more sheep, and a slate mine. North Wales sheep cover a more rugged territory than Cotswold sheep if you're wondering.

Conwy Harbor & Castle

Then back to the London area where we spent our last night in beautiful Richmond, a trendy town on the Thames close to Heathrow. We caught a few World Cup games in pubs along the way but by this time England was beat out unfortunately. All in all it was a brilliant holiday!

Recommended reading:  The Welsh Girl

Happy 18th Birthday

Carolyn turned 18 last week while Don and I were out of town. It was during her first full week of classes at PSU so she celebrated with her new friends. I moved Carolyn into her dorm two weeks ago with Bryan's help. He drove in from Pittsburgh to help me. (Don was in the UK that day.)

We thought of her all day on her birthday and managed to catch her for a quick phone call. Now-a-days 18 doesn't provide the same benefits as it did in our day but it is still a milestone in a young person's life.

It's also a milestone in every parent's life: "Can you believe we have an 18-year old?!" An 18 and 20-year old in our family now! We can remember their "birth" days like they were yesterday, and we're still in awe.

Goodbye to a "bad piano player"

This obit is the most colorful one I've ever read. Whoever wrote it, perhaps Philip himself, left very little to the imagination. This guy enjoyed sex and lots of it "well into his eighties". If only more obits were as forthcoming, I think the obits could become a must-read section, perhaps reprinted annually in books for bedtime reading.

I mean no disrespect to this man. I think this is quite enlightening and obviously meant to be read as it was in the Toronto papers.

My dad sent this to me.  I'll assume the word "insouciant" caught his eye (highlighted by my dad) and he thought to send it to me, since I blogged on this wonderful word last month.

One other note ... did Philip here have enough names?  Could it be that this "intellectual dragonfly" took his partners' names with his "insouciant attitude" and flitting around in bad fashions?

If you have the time, take a moment to read this.  You will not be disappointed. If you click on it, it should enlarge so that its easier to read.  Really, have you ever read an obit like this?!

Happy Birthday Bro

My brother is celebrating his birthday today.

He's come a long way since this photo (left) in 1969 when he was 7 years old. We had just moved into our house in Mississauga from Alberta.  I don't think he was ever really into dolls unless you count Ken, GI Joe and Major Matt Mason.  I have no earlier photos of him because I didn't have a camera before then - maybe they weren't invented yet.  But about 1969 is when my photo albums begin.


I do wonder what happened to his hair. Its fairly smooth here but later went into a major fro.




And clearly he became quite the stud as you can see here.  Observe his 6-pack abs.  I believe this photo was taken at Daytona Beach in 1978. Remember when you could drive your car on the beach?  (I'm not sure if they allow that anymore.)


That is not me in the background since I'm taking the photo.  No idea who they are, but Dad probably had his girl-watching glasses on, as we used to call them.

And now he is an older guy, married to a great woman and they have raised 2 talented kids.  It all worked out incredibly well.  Who knew?!


This photo was taken at the Hog's Breath Inn in Carmel, CA in August of 2009.


Happy Birthday bro!


(The spacing on this is a mess ... blogspot needs improvement in this area, but then this is free.)

Hot tub time machine

I love this photo!

I just found it behind another photo in a picture frame. It was taken during a visit to John & Vicki's in California in 1999 maybe??? Carolyn is about 7 and Bryan 9.

It makes me nostalgic because this summer will be so different from that summer with both kids now doing their own things.

But Don is still around and living at home! He hasn't left. New freedoms and new adventures ahead. Onward!

Graduation - Class of 2010

Our little girl has now graduated from high school. We're very proud of her and excited for the opportunities that lie ahead for her.

On Sunday I will take her to PSU to start her college life. I miss her already, and she's just upstairs. She has a week to organize her room and get packed. A lifetime of memories and stuff inhabits her room (lots of stuff!). And soon she'll be living in half a room, half the size.

She resigned from her part time job at Staples at the end of May so she has had a few weekends free to enjoy her friends and activities without worrying about a schedule. Her managers gave her a nice card with a gift card enclosed (and not a Staples gift card!).

Carolyn met her PSU roommate via facebook about a week ago and they have been communicating daily. Her name is Kathy. (Nice name!) Kathy seems to be very excited and upbeat and I'm sure they'll get along just fine, as roommates usually do.

We wish her all the best! (Love you sweetheart!)

Own your life

Another interesting article from The Week magazine.  This one drives me nuts!  It's up there with suing McD's because their coffee is hot - hello!

Perhaps drivers should sue if the route suggested includes construction delays or a speed trap.  Does searching for a route mean that you are freed from having to use your own common sense?!  Does Google (and others) need to list all caveats, such as "not responsible for banana peels placed in your path."

Own your life and your actions - stupid or otherwise.  Stuff happens. 


P.S.  I love google maps. I must go there 5x a day. I look up everything.

Kids and their cars

Was looking for a photo for Father's Day and came across this one taken in June 1993:

Carolyn is 11 mths. old here and Bryan is 3 yrs. Carolyn still likes purple, but not on her car.  

Twin Oaks Ice Rink website

Check out my latest website creation with my partner Kelly Barkhurst.

Click to see full site: Twin Oaks Ice Rink

Yikes!

You would never catch me doing this! Our daring painter, Joe Hammel:

  

Barbie goes fishing

I love this story, found in a recent issue of The Week magazine:

Perfect day in Catskill NY

On Saturday I drove up to Catskill, NY to meet my friend, Moira, who lives just as far in the other direction in upstate NY. We had tentatively planned to meet for years, now that we're both stateside, and finally the stars were aligned! Moira and I worked together at BCSI more than 20 years ago and each ran one of Canada's only two multi-tenant telecommunications systems at that time, which brought us together regularly on the job.

Once in Catskill, a first time visit for both of us, we ended up parking at the same time in back-to-back parking spots after our 1-1/2 hour drives! We strolled the main street of Catskill, visited a few shops, and talked and laughed. We had lunch on a deck overlooking the Hudson River.

It was so good to hear how great Moira is doing - busy as usual, and interested in all things as usual - and to reminisce about the job that got us started in telecommunications. We're now planning our next rendezvous, hopefully in the fall.