Best wishes to all for a wonder-filled Christmas!

The Northwest Christian School had their Christmas Concert--yes, CHRISTMAS! (Not "holiday" concert.) I managed to get a decent video of the lower grades' chorus singing about making Christmas cookies. Our granddaughter, Kristen, is in the top row in a light green dress, second to the right of the teacher. All the classes did wonderfully well, including the band with our eldest grandson, Freddy, on the drums and other percussion instruments. Unfortunately, Freddy was blocked from view by the conductor; which is why I have no video for him.

Both the band and the choruses have greatly improved over the past few years. They perform very confidently and clearly, even the littlest ones. Kudos to the music department!

The Life of a Cat

Archie has no worries about the snow. He's settled in for a nice warm day on the couch, or maybe a lap...or a bite to eat...or some grooming in case someone from his fan club stops in...

Early the Next Morning...

Here's what we woke up to this morning--total accumulation: 8 inches! Later today, it will be 39 degrees, and we'll be heading out to the Christmas Craft Fair in our little Moravian village of Hope. It's the closest we can get to the Prague Christmas markets on the other side of the Atlantic. No trdelnik or hot spiced wine here, though (sigh)...

Where Are the Last Two Weeks of Autumn???

The Christmas cards are mailed, the tree is up in the Family room and the box for the Prague members of the family is ready for mailing. I guess that makes this first snowfall appropriate!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We have sooooo many blessings to thank God for! Here are just a few for this year:

*Our new grandson, Elliot
*A visit to Prague at Easter for Elliot's baptism
*Five glorious days in July at Aunt Carol's pool with Kristen and Freddy
*Celebrating Great Grampa's 91st birthday in August (with him in good health)
*My LXV birthday bash in Sept. (also in good health)
*Another visit to Prague in October

Count your blessings--you'd be surprised at how many there are!

Elliot Is a Happy Baby

Whether at home or out with Mom, Elliot is quite content.













Oh, and can you say "adorable???"

Officer Owen and Jack O'Lantern

Owen's preschool had a Fall Festival while we were there, and we enjoyed being able to see the school, meet his teachers and watch the program the children had prepared. Afterward, O. donned his favorite play costume. Since the school is British, the policeman's outfit is actually a Bobbie, complete with helmet and badge. O. thinks he'd like to be a policeman when he grows up.

Later in the week, Owen chose two pumpkins at the nearby garden supply--a large one for him and a smaller one for Elliot. He and Chris designed and carved this scary face, complete with three monster eyes and sharp pointy teeth!

Side Trip to Dresden

One day we took a side trip to Dresden, Germany. European trains are a little different from ours here in the U.S. They are very comfortable and quiet--no clickety-clack as you ride through beautiful countryside. Owen enjoyed taking in the scenery.

When we got to Dresden, we walked to a historic church that was rebuilt after the war. The black stones on the left are part of the only remaining piece of wall still standing after massive fireballs decimated the city. The statue out front is of Martin Luther. Unfortunately, there were long lines waiting to get in, so we couldn't see the interior since we had only a short time before heading back to Prague. Some of the buildings were rebuilt as they were, while the rest of the city is modernized.

After a traditional German lunch in an antique shop-turned restaurant, we headed back to the train station. It was a brief visit to a very historic town which inspired further research into its sad history when we got home. Try Googling it!

WE'RE HOME!

There's no place like home, even when you've had a wonderful visit with two adorable grandchildren who are great fun. Oh yeah, and the rest of the family there, too!

Upon returning to Newark Airport, it was wonderful to hear English being spoken and people smiling again. I hadn't realized what a strain it is to cope with a foreign language in a city where the people rarely smile and almost never laugh out loud. One morning while we were on a tram, it was totally silent, except for the recorded announcements of stops....almost eerie-like....especially for someone who loves to laugh, crack corny one-liners through life and smile a lot.

Watch for photos and video later today!

OFF TO PRAGUE!

Off we go to visit Laura, Chris and our two youngest grandsons. Photos when we get back (or while we're there, if I can do it from Laura's computer.)

Ciao!

...and Celebrate We Did!

Today was my birthday, and everything was just perfect: the weather, the food, the friends who came and dinner out afterward with Rick.

There were homemade sandwiches: Roast Beef on slider rolls, tuna "pate" on raisin toast, ham/swiss on rye, and turkey/provolone on multi-grain bread. In addition, Joyce brought some deviled eggs, and there were chips and mixed nuts. The punch was made with apple juice, diet ginger ale and some fresh-squeezed lemon juice. I froze pineapple chunks in apple juice to keep the punch cold without diluting it, plus it added some extra color in our glasses. We drank from bright green plastic martini glasses which coordinated perfectly with the paper plates and napkins.

The cake was very plain--solid chocolate cake with whipped cream icing, some yellow roses and LXV candles that I added. With vanilla ice cream on the side, it was delightful! (Other photos on Stampingtower blog.)

We played some 40's music in the background, since that was the decade when I was born, and had a nice visit. Joyce took all the food items downtown to the Food Pantry afterward (see previous post.)

BIRTHDAY BASH PLANS

Invitations have gone out and friends are responding--10 guests coming, so far. I'll be celebrating BD #LXV, so it's one of those milestone birthdays. Hopefully, the weather will be nice enough to use the deck and enjoy the outdoors.

Since I don't need (or want) any gifts--it's enough that I don't look my age--I've asked everyone to bring something non-perishable for the local food pantry instead. They really need the help! My friend, Joyce, works there and has a key to the building; so after the party, we'll load up her car and take the donations down and put them on the shelves.

I'm looking forward to celebrating!

BLUE RIBBON WINNER

After retrieving my card and Blue Ribbon from the NJ State Fair tonight, Rick and I celebrated my success at Applebee's on the way home. It was a great way to finish up a busy week!

(Click on image for a closer look at all the details!)

Vacation Bible School

Today was the last day at VBS. I helped with Arts and Crafts outdoors under the Pavilion, which made it very pleasant. It was fun, but I'm glad it's over.

The weather was perfect all week! Next week would have been horrible with temps predicted in the high 80's and high humidity, so I'm grateful this was the week. There were over 200 kids, all very excited and having a good time. I enjoyed them, but I'm really tired out (even though they were very good.)

The cicadas are out in Easton, PA. The kids found one near the Pavilion and kept it for the last few days as a VBS Mascot. After a naming contest, the overwhelming vote was for "Speedy" who was released after the last class today. He was very relieved...
and, like me, not very speedy...

"POOLAGE" AT AUNT CAROL'S HOUSE

Freddy and Kristen spent four glorious days in the pool. Noodles and snorkeling equipment added to the fun.



Meals were fun, too...hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, watermelon and baked ziti. One morning, we took Great Grampa out for breakfast at the local eatery. Freddy had pancakes and sausage; Kristen had French Toast and Canadian Bacon. Then, after doing some grocery shopping and getting the snorkels, it was back to the pool.






At one point, we discovered that 3 noodles tucked underneath enabled them to hop around the pool like seahorses.




One afternoon, to avoid a coming thunderstorm, we went to the movies and saw "Ice Age 3" with 3-D glasses. The movie was wonderful, and very age appropriate (even for me...) Guess who went right back in the pool when we got back!


Another afternoon, we painted Kristen's toenails. This photo shows how the top looked spiffy, but the soles of her feet were like prunes.

Poolage--Part 2

One video is worth a thousand pictures!

Freddy named his seahorse "Bob" and can be heard making up a song about it... He "trained" Bob after the seahorse had bucked him and gone wild earlier...Kristen named hers "Comet"...a very gentle seahorse...

HAPPY FOURTH!

I feel liberated!! The sun is finally shining, with no rain clouds in sight (so far, anyway.) This might just be the first full day of sun in weeks! We plan to enjoy the great outdoors today; then tomorrow it's off to Long Island to celebrate Rick's birthday at my sister's house.

After the celebration, I'll be staying for a few days with Freddy and Kristen to make use of Carol's pool and the SUN!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Gardener At Work

Here's Rick, weeding in the company of Archie nearby.





























The results speak for themselves, as seen in these white Siberian Irises.

God Answers Prayer

Wednesday morning I got a call letting me know my friend, Gail, was in the hospital in critical condition with serious blood clots in her leg. Word had it that she needed surgery to remove them, and they were waiting for an operating room to become available. So while we waited, we prayed.

Our ladies Bible study has been meeting since 1983, and we have a wonderful fellowship of caring women. When anything happens to one of us (about 25) prayer is our first resort. With Gail in real danger, including surgery to remove 80% of the clots that had accumulated in her leg, we all prayed diligently.

To make a (very) long story short, I got the call last night that Gail's problem corrected itself without the second surgery that had been scheduled! She is now out of danger and will be released sometime over the weekend.

Thank you, Lord, for bringing us all through this ordeal safely...GOD IS GOOD!

OUR ANNIVERSARY!

Today we celebrate 42 years! It's been cold--only 48 degrees by 10 this morning-- and rainy up and down the east coast, so we have postponed our traditional overnight trip for now and will just do lunch today at Mattar's Bistro. Maybe next week...

Meanwhile, the lawn and gardens are being watered by the rain--everything looks so lush and green! By the time the sun returns this weekend, Rick will have more mowing and weeding to do and the cats will be happy to be outside again. Then we'll have our chance to travel--not sure where yet, so stay tuned.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!

The azaleas, past their peak, were gorgeous this year due to the deer fence which kept them (and everything else) from being nibbled to the ground last year.




The chives have flowered, the lilacs are in bloom, and the columbine are popping up in the rock garden--a sea of purple just emerging. Soon there will be deep purple Siberian Iris as well.






















The walls along the driveway have been mulched and are well under way. There are day lilies emerging everywhere.














Beware what may be lurking among the Hostas!

BACK FROM 'STAGING' ON LONG ISLAND

The latest trend these days when trying to sell real estate is to "stage" empty rooms to make them more appealing. After trying to sell a bare co-op apartment in Huntington Village without success (since last Fall) we decided to rent some furniture and decorate.

We thought sure the view of the gardens below would make it sell quickly. Unfortunately, this is the view from Oheka Castle on the other side of town.

The living room, however, turned out great. It really does help to distract the eye from all the imperfections on the walls and floor. It was also fun arranging and decorating a room that would stay clean!

Know anyone who'd like to buy a 2-bedroom apartment on Long Island????

A RAINY WEEK

Everything is finally greening up: the leaves are bursting forth, the daffodils have finished their blooms, the chives are up and the birds are singing. Spring is here!

Last year, with the deer fencing that finally kept our plants and flowers safe from grazing (or is it "razing") we are filled with anticipation of the color and variety of more mature plants this season. I look forward to larger hostas and bigger azaleas to enjoy. It's amazing how much damage the deer have done in years past, and how little we realized it until last summer when the grounds were full of colorful day lilies and lush greenery.

Yes, all the hard work of last year is paying off! We just have to remember to keep the gates closed...

PHOTOS OF OUR PRAGUE VISIT

Easter Egg Hunt in Prague for the three cousins lasted all of 12 seconds! Plastic eggs filled with candy (except for one empty to signify the empty tomb) and "real" eggs that had been colored the day before were collected from their hiding places.







The next day, it was off to Prague castle. After watching the changing of the guard at noon, exploring many of the exhibits, and enjoying hot dogs and pivo (beer) for lunch, we took a break on the steps before going back to St. Vitus Cathedral. The long line we saw earlier was gone, and we walked right in.



Tuesday, it was off to the zoo where Owen had blue ice--one of his favorite treats.



















There was lots of walking all week, with Elliot in the stroller. Sandy enjoyed it, as you can see by her big smile! She learned some Czech words during our visit. Her favorite phrase is "Pivo, prosim" which means "beer, please."

















On our last night, Owen showed us his favorite park where we watched the sun set over the city, an appropriate end to a wonderful week of family, sightseeing, good food and laughter!

Sunset Over Prague

The perfect ending to a perfect week!

(Click to enlarge.)

Blessing for Elliot

(Click to enlarge.)

Spring Arrived in Prague

We're still recovering from jet lag, but will post some pictures soon. Prague was enjoying a vibrant Spring/Easter season when we arrived, so we got to do all our touring and visiting under clear sunny skies and warm temps. More to follow...

Spring Is Not Here YET!

Today, we had high winds and low temperatures for this time of year. It was a good day to spend indoors at the Allentown Stamp Show (see posts at Stamping Tower blog) while Rick stayed in with the cats who didn't like going out in the wind. Rick brought in one lonely daffodil yesterday and surprised me with it on the windowsill over the kitchen sink. Aaah, romance isn't dead... The rest of the daffodils are waiting for warmer days!

Meanwhile, it's actually warmer in Prague! Excitement is building as we prepare to leave for our trip. We're excited about meeting our new grandson, Elliot.

Can't Believe How Long It's Been

...since my last post. We've been busy getting ready for our next trip to Prague, coming up in only 2 more weeks! Looking forward to meeting Elliot in person and playing with big brother, Owen.

Meanwhile, the weather here has been too cold and nasty to get the gardens going. Rick and I both are tired of being cooped up this late in the season.

I did see some robin red-breasts, however...

February Blues Bash 2009

It's that time again, although a little later this year than usual. I wanted to get past all the ice and snow we've had before I tried to invite people over. The theme this year was "Splash of Color Challenge" and we all wore black and white with a splash of just one color. (Meanwhile, the weather has changed for the better with temps in the upper 30's and NO ice. In fact, we can finally see the grass again--Woohoo!)

My splash of color was purple, and I found paper plates with beautiful purple butterflies which provided part of my theme.




There were butterflies everywhere: the decorations, nametags and even on favors that were wrapped in purple tissue paper!






You can see Evelyn's black and white name tag (click to enlarge) as she and Barbara help themselves to the array of cheese and crackers, nuts, chips and fruit kabobs. The punch bowl was filled with grape juice and club soda, what else!





After watching a hilarious episode of "I Love Lucy" in black and white, of course, we had lunch. There was a huge tossed green salad, chunky chicken salad with dried cranberries and tomato/mozzarella tossed in olive oil and fresh basil.


For dessert we had black and white pudding parfaits--a big hit!

GOOD NEWS FROM PRAGUE!

Through the marvels of internet technology, we already have photos of our new grandson, Elliot. He was born just two hours ago! Mother and son are doing fine. Photos will be posted later (as soon as I figure out how.)

Snowed In--AGAIN!

Today was another of those bleak winter days on the edge of a snowstorm. Yesterday it was 52 degrees--a nice breather from the cold--and it was even sunny. This morning we woke up to a dusting of snow and wet roads on the way to Bible Study. By this afternoon, however, the snow started to come down faster and heavier, reminding us that it is still winter. We now have about 4" of new snow on the driveway, and I hope to be able to get out tomorrow for Mothers Class at church, where they only got about an inch. (Being further west, most of the storm missed them.)

The roads will probably be fine. It's just that we live on top of the hill (thus, Fox "Mountain") and our driveway is steep. Getting up is easy with our 4WD Jeeps, but going down can be treacherous with ice underneath. I dread sliding down sideways!

Oh, well...

Donut Diet

This morning, while waiting on line to check out a few groceries, I overheard one of the young girls working there say she was on a diet (although she was quite thin.) Her goal was to limit herself to two donuts instead of three.

My kind of diet!

Christmas Is Over for This Year

The tree has been dismantled and moved to the Living Room until next year. It's always sad to see the decorations move out, but at the same time it's more spacious and cleaner looking without them. The next big event will be the February Blues Bash! Stay tuned...

ICED IN

I feel like we're living in a glazed donut! These photos tell it all...
(Click on photos to get a better view of the icicles.)


The ice is a quarter of an inch thick and has coated everything: trees, rocks, decks and the house. Temps will not be above freezing for the next week! In fact, it is flurrying as I take these pictures.

Although walking is treacherous, driving is safe on treated roads. I'm thankful to have a level driveway with stones that help keep it from getting too slick.

Just another chapter in the winter life of Fox Mountain...