Burrr it is Cold Outside!

It has been a very festive Christmas week and was enjoyed with family and friends from across the country. I attended my grandsons' Christmas program at the Rushville-Gordon Middle School on Thursday night.

Jarret and Taylen

Jarret playing sax

Taylen the cimbals 

A week ago Friday Jessamyn and Paqui's families, along with James my brother in law all arrived and we enjoyed our early Christmas Eve traditional oyster stew. Saturday we par took in a prime rib early Christmas feast with close friends Dan and his daughter's family Jennee, Dennis, Conner and Trayden from Oklahoma.  On actual Christmas Eve I went with or'dourves and champagne in hand to Tom and Linda's for some holiday cheer and chili. Through all the weeks's festivities, laughter, love, and of course gifts were exchange in the spirit of Christmas. Christmas Day was my day to retrospect the past year by dog sitting Sunny (the bully) and curling up watching vintage Christmas movies  on TV.

Jay and Jessamyn

Gonzales family

Bedlam!

Even the Rico was exhausted!

Yesterday my friends Bruce and Mary from Lisle IL popped in for a visit on their way home from Colorado. It is so nice to see them and they took such good care of Brian and I when we traveled so much back and forth to the Cancer Treatment Center in Zion. We won't be venturing outside too much today because we awoke and it was a frigid -11 degrees with snow on the ground.

I am sending out love for my New Year's wish for 2013. Love our neighbors and do good unto men!

A White Christmas!

Lo and behold, it is snowing today and there is hope yet for a white christmas. There is 2 inches on the ground as I speak and I am waiting until it quits before venturing out to shovel. Imagine, shoveling snow what a novelty.

This past week I have gone to Denver to see a play, Irvin Berlin's White Christmas and attended Zeyda's preschool Christmas program. Both were great shows. The singing and dancing was exceptional, especially in the play.

Preparing for the show

Singing their hearts out

Zeyda asking Santa for a Furbie

After the program we cruised around town to see the Christmas lights. There is one particular house in Scottsbluff that always has a tremendous light show. Imagine their electric bill is sky high like the Christmas tree on top of their home.

On the way to Denver to the play, Linda graciously stopped at Greenwood Cemetery in Sidney so I could see Brian's headstone that was set. I hadn't had a chance to see it until now. I think he would have like it. 

Sitting Grandma

Is it Sitting Bull or a sitting grandma?  I have just returned from Gordon where I was watching my grandsons, the cat and dog while Jessamyn and Jay went to Las Vegas to the National Finals Rodeo. The boys where quite the gentlemen and I had to actually get a few meals on the table. It is good to keep in practice once in awhile. Congratulations goes out to Jessamyn and Jay for today is their first wedding anniversary, Love you both!

Tomorrow I head to Denver with Linda to see the play, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, at the Buell Theatre. We are staying overnight and doing one of my favorite things shopping! There has been no grass growing under my feet! Go. Go, GO and away I go.

I have dragged out ten or more Christmas boxes from the shed and rummaged through them deciding  what went up and not. It got me into the Christmas spirit even though no snow here, just cold. Next week the grandkids have their respective Christmas programs and I will be running up and down the country to attend if the weather is cooperative. What are grandmas for anyway. Our family will be celebrating Christmas on the weekend before so we can spend more time together and so the kids can visit their spouses families. 

These pictures are of the ornament in memory of Brian that I took to the Knight Museum's Christmas memorial tree that they put up every year. It symbolizes his talent and all time love of music.

Aloha and Mahalo

Sunrise on Nancy's lanai

Lanai

This Honolulu trip has been a wonderful experience of renewal! Mahalo goes out to my sister for keeping me entertained and immersed in the Hawaiian culture. Our connection was special and we communed with each other over good gourmet food and martinis, often on her lanai looking over the city.

 Arizona Memorial

Nancy and I visited Pearl Harbor and enjoyed the very historic audio tour and trip out to the Arizona Memorial. It was a very moving and somber visit, seeing the resting place of 1,177 sailors and marines.

Doris Duke's Estate Shangri la

We also enjoy the tour of Shangri la where millionaire Doris Duke devoted most of her life decorating it with the most spectacular Islamic architecture and art. There is a virtual tour on line if you want to see more of the inside decor. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside.

House Without a Key musicians and hula dancer

Nancy took me to the House Without A Key on the beach for pupus (appetizers in Hawaiian) and drinks to listen and watch the Hawaiian music and hula dance.

At Ala Moana Beach

I hung out on Ala Moana Beach  a couple of times trying to soak up some sun and Vitamin D.

 I am home again and trying to get into the Christmas spirit. It is certainly has been a culture shock for me. I was having a devil of a time trying to blog from my iPad so gave up until I returned home.

Aloha to Honolulu!

Oahu Safe and Sound

Bamboo stand

Tuesday I left my house at 4 am and arrived at my sister's condo in Honolulu at 4 pm, gaining 3 hours in the process. It was a long trip with close connections and long hours crossing the ocean to get to my destination. However I made it safely and that I am thankful for.

Nancy and I have been going to the saltine pool every morning at 5:30 am at her condo complex. Watching the stars and floating easily in the salt water, treading water for an hour. Most times it is breezy and there is some shower activity, but the water is warm and the experience meditation like.

View of Diamond Head

I have met with my financial advisor for the first time, getting to know the man behind the voice. He took both Nancy and I out to lunch Thursday.  Nancy and I also went to the Iolani Palace where we took a tour into the past when a monarchy still ruled the islands. She encouraged me to read up on my Hawaiian history and it made the tour much more interesting. Nancy, Jim (Nancy's friend) and I also went out to dinner at the restaurant, The Top of Waikiki where the restaurant moves in a circular motion. There was great food, wine and company!

Today we are heading to the Arizona Memorial to honor all the Veterans that have gone before us in the name of freedom. Aloha!

Aloha!

Aloha, meaning good-bye and hello. Good bye for now on the mainland and hello to those on Oahu Hawaii. Heading to the island to spend sometime with my sis and have a different type of Thanksgiving  this year. Maybe I am trying to change things up a bit since it is the first holiday season without Brian.
But the trip should be fun and I get to meet my financial advisor in person. Not just a voice on the other end of the line.

Saturday Jessamyn, Andra, Joy and I traveled down to Scottsbluff for Paqui's baby shower at the Sky Port Restaurant at the airport. Trisha did an excellent job of hosting a beautiful shower with brunch and mimosa. She received many nice gifts and showed the latest ultrasound pictures of the little Gonzales boy. I say that since they haven't decided on the name yet. It was nice to see my niece Ila who also is pregnant and due in February and Vicki and Donn who drove down from Sterling. It was the perfect party until the snow started to fall. The trip home was pretty dicy for all of us who had to drive a distance due to the poor visibility and icy roads. We all made home safe and sound in the end, thank goodness!

Well appreciated gifts for the little boy.

Mommy and Special Guest

Paqui and Ila

Zeyda looking a little overwhelmed.

Jessamyn, Hostess Trisha, Jody, and Paqui

Post Political Stress Syndrome

Sorry this post is a little late this week. I have had a little internet problem and had to have it fixed yesterday. Fortunately, with a height increase off the roof due to growing trees the problem seems to be fixed. Speeds have increased and downloads and uploads are again possible, hence I am blogging again.

Halloween has come and gone with it spent in Scottsbluff with my cute little witch Zeyda. She had a preschool Halloween program and we went trick and treating in the evening. Saturday my friend Linda and I headed back to Scottsbluff to catch the holiday crafts show at the Civic Center in Gering. We also lunched and shopped while listening to the nail biter Nebraska Cornhusker game. I just don't know how I could have watched it on the TV anyway, too stressful! Fortunately, the Husker's prevailed.

Sunday I went to church and then back down to Scottsbluff for the Hospice candlelight memorial service to honor all the hospice clients that have passed away in the last year. Paqui and Zeyda also went with me. It was too far for Jessamyn to come, especially because she has to come down to Scottsbluff this next Saturday for Paqui's baby shower. The service was emotional for all present and brought up all those feelings I had tried to suppress over the past seven months. It was very comforting to know others were struggling also and it is all right to let yourself grieve for what you have lost. It isn't fair, but we all have to go on. 

Thank goodness the election is over! Whether you agree with the results or not, it is time to for both parties to start to work on behalf of the people and not political party agendas.  I and many others are suffering from post political stress syndrome.

These wild turkeys across my fence line better be aware that Thanksgiving dinner is in the near future!

Wind, Rain and Devastation

My prayers go out to those who have been affected by the largest hurricane that this country has seen in many a year. Sandy doesn't seem like a name for a hurricane that killed so many from the Caribbean to the United States, but names can be deceiving.  It hasn't stopped the barrage of political adds on TV at least here in the mid west, but it has slowed the campaign trail of the two candidates. What a mess, the devastation, the uncertainty of one's life and what to do next. Prayers, Prayers and more Prayers!

business card

Last week I was having trouble downloading the new business card and brochure logos. Jessamyn was so kind to me and reformatted the PDF file to a JPG. file so I could do so. So here they are.

outside of brochure

inside of brochure

I have been taking a stained glass class every Tuesday for a couple of hours. Believe it or not, I enjoy it. I enjoy it more than the quilt class I tried to take and I flunked by the way. Thank goodness my friend Linda was the instructor and overlooked my shortcomings and let me gracefully bow out of the class. I am not perfect at this glass process either. I was foiled by the foil and the soldering is rather large due to the gaps between my glass pieces. But it will be my creation and my first. As my instructor says practice makes perfect. Hopefully I can incorporate the glass into my jewelry and beading projects.

Tomorrow I head to the valley to spend a spook filled night with my granddaughter Zeyda.

 BOO!