Breaking the Rules

Subtitle: Recent History Post #1

Rule #1: Blog posts must be current.

Rule #2: Do not use oxymorons such as “Recent History." It is just positively wrong.

Rule #3: Do not start a post with an apology.

Rule #4: A blog is a journal—a reflection—not a diary.

Sister Week on Hilton Head Island was superb—the weather, the beauty, the experiences and being with my sisters.


First things first, I want to mention the food—for three reasons . . . It was fabulous and secondly, if I do not record the places, I will not remember them if we ever have the opportunity to visit again. Thirdly, I am dieting—yes, again—it is January and hope springs eternal but I am thinking about food.

At Stacks Pancakes we shared these yummy entrees . . .

• Crème Brûlée French Toast,
• Bananas Foster French Toast
• And more!
• Yum! Yum! Yum!
  
We also ate at these incredible places!


• Molly MacPherson's in Savannah, GA
• Guiseppi's Pizza at Sea Pines
• San Miguel's Mexican Cafe in Shelter Cove
• Kingfisher Seafood and Steakhouse in Shelter Cove

Enough said. I am drooling.

Here are some memories to put my mind in a better place.

Riding bike

Walking the enormous, beautiful, perfect beach

Touring Savannah

Surprises

Beauty, beauty, everywhere!

The Coastal Museum

The sunrise


The fall color on the homeward road trip

The week was a memory treasure worthy of recording.
We were blessed!

Extraordinary Gifts

I had such fun shopping for and giving some grandchildren gifts . . . Jessica’s cowgirl hat . . .

Morgan’s Harry Potter necklace . . . Allie’s dollhouse furniture . . . all ordinary gifts but fun nonetheless.

However, Bob and I were given some extraordinary gifts this year—gifts of the heart—given in love and with joy.

Bob’s son, Kevin, gave us a fabulous gift. He is perspicacious regarding what would be helpful for his dad—for us. He is observant, creative, considerate, perceptive, hard working, and generous. For Father’s Day 2011, Kevin floored part of our attic.



I have no photos of the process because Kevin and his children worked while we were gone for the week and surprised us with this practical and wonderful labor of love.

For Christmas, he gifted us again. While we were gone enjoying Christmas with our extended Gisel family, Kevin with the help of all of his children designed and installed a lift for the heavy beekeeping equipment that we use to extract honey.

He placed it above the garage door with a crank shaft so that it is easily lowered and raised as needed.

And that is not all! Our garage pull down ladder required two people and a stepladder that needed to be moved twice to pull the ladder down and pull it up again. Kevin invented and installed a system so that one person can easily get the ladder down singlehandedly with no stepladder.


See that hole in the very top step? It is an ingenious idea! You just put the pole in the hole and gently move the ladder down. Kevin made a pole and a handy place to hang it right by the pull down.

I was skeptical and wondered if it really could be that easy but I have done it now several times by myself.


It was an extraordinary gift! We are incredibly blessed! Thank you! Thank you!

Brian and Sharice, my nephew and niece by marriage, gave us a wonderful gift of time and talent and camaraderie and generosity—twice! The two of them honored us with their presence! They bring fun and laughter!

The first weekend they came, Sharice helped me decorate our master bedroom. She used a picture that I had tried to sell numerous times on Craig’s list. I like the picture but thought it was too large for our house. First we shopped together for a whole day! She listened to my likes and dislikes and came up with a plan that I love.

She also helped me buy frames for the grandchildren’s pictures, taught me about monkey hooks, mounted the photos, and hung them.


She and Brian hung a clock going down my stairway.



We even enjoyed little Coco, their sweet Chiweenie. He can make ambivalent, tolerant dog people into receptive though cautiously reserved admirers.


A few weeks later, Brian and Sharice came again.


On Saturday, we spent a little time in Chicago enjoying Christmas.

Sunday, they attended church with us and relaxed and seemed to enjoy just being together.

Then on Monday, we tackled the guest bedroom. Once again, Sharice looked at what I already had and used that for her inspiration and then we shopped—quickly this time—just two stores. We went to Kohl’s armed with my 20% off coupon and then to TJMaxx, heading straight for the clearance items.

Within a few hours, the guest room looked like House Beautiful. (I have ordered a blue drape to hang down the left side of the window that will finish the room.)

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! for your wonderful, extraordinary, immense gifts from the heart. Our hearts were touched and we are still smiling!

Slightly Altered

Sometimes it is just too hard to resist . . .

I could not resist putting these young and old shepherds in a Bethlehem field.

I could not resist putting beautiful Mary and contemplative Joseph in a stable.

I could not resist putting all of the characters in one cast picture.

Votes Taken . . . Motion Carried

I took up a campaign with hubby some time ago to take all of the grandkids into Chicago at the same time for a Christmas experience. I researched, put together my support team, budgeted, and strategized.

We introduced the kids to a Billy Goat Tavern and some stories about the original place.

Experienced a bit of Daley Plaza

and Christkindlmarket.

Took the Brown Line “L” to Southport

Enjoyed “The Christmas Schooner” at the Mercury Theater

Bought pizza from the Ogilvie food court and Garretts popcorn for the train ride home . . .

No one got hurt.
No one cried.
No one got lost.
At least grand, liked the food
At least grand, liked the play
At least grand, liked riding on the “L”

It is not official yet but I think there will be a 2012 Campaign.

Seize the Day!

I took this picture of a few of the grandkids on Labor Day weekend. All of the grandkids are delightful!


It is fun to talk with them, be with them, hear them talk, and watch them mature! They are growing up so fast!

David will be celebrating his 14th birthday on Thursday. This boy is going places. He is in band, jazz band, on tech crew and the football team.


He seldom has a few free hours and almost never a whole free day. Today he was available!

Someday, I will no longer be able to maintain balance on a bike and have the strength to pedal for six miles but today I feel great! I wanted to do something active and outside and was glad that David was willing to accompany me on a bike tour.





I tried to breathe in all of the beauty of the day and capture a few photos.





I love it that David is adventuresome in eating! After our bike ride, we stopped at Max’s on Adam’s Street for lunch. David ate an authentic Chicago hot dog—with all of the toppings-- yellow mustard, onions, relish, a dill pickle, tomatoes, hot peppers, and celery salt on a poppy seed bun. . .


And then he had a second! It made me glad! I don’t know why? It just did.

I love it that David can walk fast and thinks a mile or so is no big deal. It was great to skip the taxi rides!


For about 4-5 years, David has requested to go to the Willis Tower Skydeck when it was still called the Sears Tower.


I have to pause first and I still stumble over the new name every time. It just doesn’t sound right.

For David, Grandma Days have seemed to fall on days when the weather was inclement.


A couple of years ago we went to check out the Skydeck twice but there was “no visibility.”


Today was gorgeous!

We enjoyed our few moments on the Ledge and got the appropriate photos.



And even though David is not genetically related to me, I was glad to discover something else that we have in common.


We made a Garrett’s stop before boarding the train back to Winfield.


Unfortunately, I remember very little from my freshman year of Latin. The older I get though, the more I recognize the wisdom in this phrase—Carpe diem!