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Friday, December 9, 2011

Christmas in the Place Where Wishes Come True (unless what you're wishing for is affordable prices)

As promised, here are some pics from our recent Disney World expenditure -- er, adventure.  We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, where we were able to see all kinds of wild animals from the safety of our balcony.




I have to admit, the lobby of the hotel was spectacular, all done up for Christmas.





Of course, there were gigantic Christmas trees at each of the theme parks as well.







The weather was gorgeous for our stay, and our favorite part of the trip was seeing the Wild Animal park.  We could actually SEE some of the animals!  Imagine!  When I think of the countless times I tried to see gorillas at the San Diego zoo, and they were always hiding....






Very cool fake tree.



I was looking through the window in this enclosure and announced "Nope, nothing in here."  I turned my head to the right and there they were.  "Except these tigers," I added.

Of course, there was the usual Disney-esque stuff as well, including this little beauty parlor which churned out princesses by the dozens,

and this new rollercoaster I was unable to ride because it seems everyone in Florida wanted to ride it that day.


Oh, well.

While not my favorite vacation of all time, it was nice to get away with the old man.  It was a little loud at times, especially during meals, but room service was okay.  Of course there were thousands of small children, but the place caters to them and that's to be expected.  I wasn't expecting to find them bellied up to the bar, but ....



It's a kid-friendly place, isn't it?

What Ted and I couldn't figure out is why the Disney stock we bought for our smallest grandchildren a few years ago hasn't budged - yet this place was raking in the dough.
Hmm.

Fun was had.  That's what counts.

Ted and I in our flying car.



A fool and his money, Mickey.
 Next time - Amsterdam!

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Glitter in My Lint Filter

Okay - I've spent the past five loooooooooooong days at Disney World (pictures to come, and I'm here to say, size isn't everything.  Disneyland is so much nicer).  I'm just looking at one of our presents to Stevie, thinking about how Bill and Andi are gearing up to move into their own place and how, all too soon, I will no longer have glitter in my lint filter.  :-( 

I remember my own mother's technique with me (my sisters may have different memories), and I have tried, with Stevie (my granddaughter but still), to do the exact opposite.  The first time I pulled glitter-encrusted lint out of the dryer filter, I thought, like my mother,  "Gaa!  What kind of damage did this do to my dryer!  And what a drain on the power bill!  The fire potential!  That eight year old has GOT to keep this out of the regular laundry!"  What I SAID was "Cool!  Glitter in the lint filter!  This must be my lucky day!"

I'm not always successful;  in part, I think, because I was never a mom.  I recently said something which, in retrospect, I realize was pretty mean to Stevie about her reading level - and it broke my heart when I stopped (and Ted made me stop) to think about it.  She is who she is, and who she is is someone I love with all my heart.  I'm not going to try to "help" her by hurting her feelings and making her feel bad in any way about herself.

So, Stevie -- before you and your mom and dad find your own place, you and I (and your momma) will be making a huge mess of the kitchen with Christmas cookies -- some for Mrs. Cochoran and Mrs. Rasmussen, too.  And maybe we'll mess up the bathroom with bubble bath and funky-colored soap and candles.  And just for good measure, let's wrap up some presents and leave bits of tape and paper on the dining room floor.  But most of all, let's leave a big pile of glitter in the lint filter.

I'll keep that last blob of glitter/lint for the rest of my life.





Sunday, November 27, 2011

Holidays

The weather has been cooler, making for some lovely ice formations


and we've been enjoying spectacular sunsets as well here in Central Oregon.




Thanksgiving was a blast, with headdresses, placemats and napkin rings by Stevie,



No pilgrims in our house, my conservative friends will be shocked to discover.

and delicious victuals by Andi and me.



The obligatory Desilets sausage rolls.


Yesterday we watched the Civil War (Go Ducks!) and decorated the house for Christmas,



and last night was the Redmond Starlight Christmas parade.  It wasn't too cold so we had a terrific time watching the floats and the people go by.


Andi and Molly.






A five-year-old giant next to Stevie.

Christmas llamas.


Stevie quickly learned that the more you wave, the more candy you have thrown at you.


While we didn't wait around for Santa (these small town parades are loooooong), it was a great time nonetheless, and we returned home happy and tired!


Ted and I are off to Orlando this week for my first visit to DisneyWorld.  Happy holidays, everyone!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Memories from the Road

Andi, Stevie and I recently took a road trip to Las Vegas for my niece Danielle's wedding.  Here are some highlights....

Stevie:  [Half a mile from the driveway]  AAAAAA!  WE FORGOT HOCUS POCUS!  AAAAAAAA!
[I turned around, returned home and Stevie ran into the house to get the movie for her portable DVD player.]

Ted on the phone:  [Half a mile again from the driveway]  Honey, you forgot your camera!
Me:  I don't need no stinkin' camera.....
(BTW, it was 12 degrees F when we left)

* * * *

Stevie: [At the Agricultural Checkpoint on the California border near Alturas]  Grandma, why are we stopping?
Me:  Well, honey, California is one of the largest food producing states in the country, so they need to protect their crops from pests like the Mediterranean Fruit Fly which almost decimated their food industry --
Stevie [interrupting]:  Are you talking to me?

* * * *

Stevie:  [After announcing she had to go to the bathroom]  I want to wait for a rest stop.
Me:  Stevie, we're pretty far away from the nearest rest stop.  You're going to have to learn to go in the desert.
Stevie:  I can hold it!
[Andi and I explain to Stevie that it's something she's going to have to learn how to do at some time, since there isn't always a toilet around.  I pull over and Andi shows Stevie how it's done, handing her some toilet paper to use.  Andi instructed her to dispose properly of the toilet paper, at which point Stevie tosses it in the air like a kite, and the breeze threatens to blow it back into the car.]
Andi and Me:  AAAAAAAAAA!

* * * *

Andi and Me: [Generally discussing the fact we are overweight and how hard it is to lose pounds]
Stevie:  Can I have a Tic Tac, Grandma?
Me:  Sure, honey.  But don't have too many or you'll get a bellyache.
[Andi and I continue on the subject of our excess weight.]
Stevie:  You're not fat, Grandma, you're thin.
Me:  [Pause]  Have the whole pack of Tic Tacs, sweetie.

* * * *

Stevie:  Mommy, my tummy hurts. 
[Andi lays back her seat so she and Stevie can cuddle].
Stevie:  [50 miles later] Mommy, my head hurts.
[Andi again lays back her seat to hug Stevie].
Me: [Later, after another complaint] Sweetheart, if you want your mommy to lay back her seat so you can hug her, just say so.  I'm starting to wonder if you need to go to a doctor and get an examination!
[Pause]
Stevie:  Mommy, I'm having chest pains.

* * * *

I have to say, considering how long that poor little girl was stuck in the backseat of a Prius, she was so good that Santa should use her for an example of "nice."  While I'm not ready for another road trip any time soon, this one was a lot more entertaining than many!


Happy Nevada Day - er, Halloween - everyone!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

The Joys of Summer

It's the second day of autumn already, and we're supposed to experience a 20-degree swing in temperatures tomorrow.  I remember how LOOOOOONG winter seemed to drag on (well into what I would otherwise have termed "spring") and so I want to take this chance to reflect on the joys of this past summer, which I have, until now, failed to share.  What a fabulous summer it has been.

I was once again put "in charge" of the beautification committee for the front of our subdivision.  Actually I AM the committee.  You may recall from earlier blogs that I started a bunch of zinnias from seed to plant out front.  Well, they were tiny when I put them out, and they stayed tiny for quite a while.  I gave it up as a failed experiment, when everything just burst into bloom:





My Facebook friends will remember the great pics I posted of the tomato canning session with my sister, She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named on the internet.  Here are a few more, of me in her plot at the community garden, and of our canning session:



These grapes tasted just like grape Kool-Aid.











And who could forget this little gem on a sidestreet near She's garden:

That's right.  A stretch Prius.

We had some lovely dinners as well, and this fantastic pinot at one of them.  I'm posting a picture because I really don't like pinot (a handicap for one living in Oregon) but this one was exceptional.  Many thanks, She and She's husband!


I also had the chance to see She on one of her two rather fine horses, and learned that there is more to dressage than sitting on a horse tapping your heels against their flanks.  I learned this  because her trainer never stopped shouting out crazy commands, like "right hip down" and "left thigh out."  Does a horse really feel that through a saddle and all?



When driving home from She's city, with a nice box of home-canned tomatoes in the backseat, and a belly full of tomatoes (in more ways than one), I laughed aloud when I passed a convoy of these:



My own tomatoes are ripening sloooooowly, but I'm getting two Black Crims and plenty of Green Zebras a day.  When it threatens to freeze, we run out and cover everything. We have the added security of Walls of Water in the beds, but even those won't keep things going for much longer when the cold weather comes.


She also came to visit us here in Oregon, and joined me on my morning walks with the neighbor ladies.  Of course, we had to wear our competing NFC North gear.  Ignore the "Champion" part on her shirt.....  I love her anyway. 


She found a pick your own potato patch, and we visited it with Stevie.  We had a great time.



Ted and I went to see A Prairie Home Companion's summer of Love tour in Bend, and it was one of the best concerts ever.


At intermission, Garrison and and female singer (lead singer of the Wailin' Jennys - can't think of her name) walked through the crowed singing whatever tune came to mind.  It was fantastic, and all the people in my neighborhood loved it.


All in all, it's been a beautiful summer of love!