Holiday Happenings 2024

The year will soon come to a close, and I'd be remiss if I didn't highlight some of our holiday family fun! Photos are limited as I was too busy having fun, but no worries, I have enough to reflect our adventures. 

It wouldn't be the same without the annual sugar cookie extravaganza!  As Iris was prepping the surface for rolling

her sister was busy helping her mom prepare the cheesy potatoes for Christmas Day dinner. 

Rolling was soon underway

and little brother meticulously placed the cookie cutters on the dough.

Within no time the house was filled with heavenly smells, and everyone grabbed some icing and sprinkles to set about decorating. 

except for Mabel who was enjoying the new dog bed that she received as a gift. 

As you can see, the results were perfect!

and delicious as well!

How was that for fun?

Christmas Eve we welcomed Amy and Mabel

and enjoyed our traditional Slovak Christmas Eve dinner after attending evening Mass. 

The food was scrumptious!

On Christmas Day, we headed back to Stacey's for a lovely celebration. 

 It appears that Santa brought make up.

Can you tell?

Grandma G (that's me!) gave them these outfits.  Don't they look fabulous? Well, perhaps I'm a bit biased. 

This gift from my son-in-law certainly confused me and resulted in quite a laugh. 

As I was contemplating just how this would work, I was assured that it was just a box.  The joke was certainly on me!

Dinner began this year with all of us popping Christmas Crackers that Marty and I had picked up when we enjoyed lunch at Best of Britain Tea shop a few weeks ago. There was the thrill of a loud bang

and paper crowns for us all to don.

It really was quite fun.  

Parker impressed us all by reciting grace perfectly before dinner.  I must admit, I felt my hear melt a bit as I watched him intently clasping his tiny hands while he prayed.  A memory that I will surely treasure. 

As always, dinner was scrumptious as Stacey is an excellent cook.  No photos, though.  we were too busy enjoying the meal! 

I brought the Ho Ho cake for dessert.

And I must feature this snowflake brie that Stacey had made as an appetizer.  How beautiful is this?

It apparently takes some time to construct, but the end result was fabulous.  And delicious as well. 

Before moving on, I'd like to share this unique painting that I thought was so clever.

The artist was more than willing to pose for me. 

Perhaps he'll be famous one day!

We headed home the next day, with Mabel tagging along for the ride. 

But she and Amy were with us only overnight before traveling back home. 

Two days later, Marty and I headed their direction for a small Christmas celebration at Jim's house. 

No lacking for entertainment there! 

There might have been some sneaky doggy activity happening.

And this year's Yinzer Fishing gift featured the logo on a new set of hats.  Someone was more than a little bit excited,  I can assure you of that. 

On Sunday, we visited with Mom

and managed to squeeze in some quality time with my high school friend, Tammy. 

She and I always look forward to sharing these special moments when we can make them happen. 

Marty and I treated ourselves to a stay at the Riverside B&B in Bridgewater, which is just a few miles from Mom's house.  Marty loves gazing out at the river from the bedroom, while hearing the trains traveling in the distance. It really is in a peaceful location. 

And, at this time of year, festive decor added to its charm. 

In the morning, Russ, one of the owners, impressed us with his collection of vintage toasters.

As you can see, there was quite an array.  But these don't include the two that were featured in a demonstration from Russ.  They were the oldest toasters in the house, one dating back as early as 1909! We had seen a similar demonstration on one of our previous stays, but this one was even more entertaining! 

Before heading home, we bid fond farewell to Russ and promised we'd make the Riverside our "home away from home" sometime in the near future. 

Not a bad idea, if I say so myself!

Here's wishing all of my followers a Merry Christmas (there are twelve days to celebrate, so we are still in the midst)  and a very Happy New Year!

See you in 2025, and as always, thank you for following along! 

Thanksgiving Memories...A Bit Delayed

I'm sure I don't have to mention just how busy this time of year is.  And, I really did have every intention of getting these memories recorded earlier, but I make no excuses for the delay.  Better late than never as they say!

This Thanksgiving holiday was quite different from past years.  Marty and I stayed in house and welcomed Becky and Joshua for a week long visit.  And when Joshua is in house, there is nary a dull moment. 

They arrived Sunday night and by late Monday morning, we found ourselves venturing into Philadelphia, to visit the Museum of the American Revolution.  Joshua is fascinated with history, and, in particular, the Marquis de Lafayette, and it appears that we stumbled upon a gem of a museum to captivate his interest. 

The museum was featuring a special exhibition entitled Witness to Revolution:  the Unlikely Travels of Washington's Tent. 

The subject was completely foreign to me, and I actually never gave much thought to our first president's sleeping arrangements as he was leading the troops during the Revolutionary War.  But, it seems that he slept, ate, and planned his battles in two marquis style tents that journeyed with him throughout.  

By 1778, the original tents had become severely worn, and new ones were commissioned by artisans right here in the Reading PA area.  That was certainly news to me!

After the war, the tents were saved by Washington himself, and stored at Mt. Vernon.  Washington passed, and his wife Martha protected the tents. Upon her death,  these precious items were passed down to her grandson. His daughter was the wife of General Robert E Lee.  When Lee accepted a commission from the Confederates, his wife left the tents at Mt. Vernon under the watchful eye of an enslaved woman named Selina Gray.  Selina was responsible for alerting the Union Army who then went about safe guarding them for future generations. The artifacts passed through a few more hands before finally being placed at the Museum of the American Revolution.

The tent stands behind a screen in a theater room, and one is given a 90 second glimpse to the actual artifact.  No photography is permitted.  But there are several photos on display of the tent as it stood during the late 1700's.  And here is a photo of the tent behind the screen which the museum has presented for closer inspection by the viewer. 

The museum was fascinating, and I particularly enjoyed the presentations that would feature certain events from opposite perspectives.  It gave one the opportunity to try to view the event from each of the claimed "victims." Quite an eye opening experience. 

A copy of the The Declaration of Independence is on display behind glass in one of the rooms.

There was a large room devoted to the Marquis de Lafayette, filled with memorabilia preserved from his travels in this country.  He too, played a part in the history of the famous tent, and his role was documented.  I learned that he was a dear friend of George Washington and they held each other in the highest regards. 

This museum is vast, and I felt like we could easily have stayed for several more hours.  When we entered, we were told that our passes would be valid for the next day as well, and I can see why.  The rooms are bursting with stories to be read and artifacts to admire.  

There was quite a lot of information presented in reference to the plight of the Native Americans, who were really just trying to pair with the side that would help them preserve their land.  There were over 80 nations who were involved, and the museum has detailed selected histories during this time period. 

I was captivated by one story line about the wife of a British Officer, living in Massachusetts, and the hardships she had to endure as "enemy" among the locals. At one point, she and her children were taken as prisoners of war and moved to York PA for their captivity. 

.......So many stories, not enough time....... 

Outside, the weather was brisk, but beautiful, so we ventured around the grounds a bit.

We were able to view the Public Ledger Building where a park ranger gave a brief talk, then let us have a peek at the upstairs rooms. 

There was a lovely view through the window while descending  the stairs to the first floor. 

Of course, we couldn't pass on a photo of the statue of George Washington.

and we headed over to get a close look at the Liberty Bell.

Joshua needed a picture with Ben Franklin.

And that was day one....complete!  What a way to start the holiday week!

The rest of the time was a lot less educational, but certainly  not lacking in entertainment. 

Joshua helped me make giant chocolate chip cookies...always a hit.

He and grandpa worked on cutting the filling ingredients for home made Cornish pasties. 

Turkey cupcakes were loads of fun.

One of our Italy travel partners popped in for a visit!  It was great fun catching up with his adventures.  Joshua took our photo.

Thanksgiving day brought even more excitement!  

There was the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade to enjoy

while I put Jeff in charge of the turkey dinner.

Here you see the finished bird, resting under a beach towel.  Certainly a first time experience for me.  But probably not the last.  The final product was delicious!

We invited the O'Brien clan to join us for the day

which certainly did fill up the dining room table!

Everyone had a blast!

But wait!  There's more!

The week included golfing, always a big hit despite the weather. 

and there was a day trip to Conowingo dam where these two adventurers spotted bald eagles while attempting to do some fishing.  They didn't have any luck, but they did see an eagle swoop down and catch a fish.  That was certainly exciting! Sorry, no photos to document the event. 

On Saturday, we met the cousins in Lititz :  there was some Wilbur chocolate

as well as some fun romping in the park.  How's that for a festive crew?

Amy popped in for an overnight and brought Mabel, who is always a welcome delight. 

And, as if that wasn't enough excitement for the week, Joshua and I had a grand time bringing a tired, old Santa back to life. 

Here's the finished product: 

from faded to fabulous! 

One last excursion found us at a Christmas tree farm, a first for Joshua, where he helped us pick the perfect Christmas tree to adorn our home! 

He held the tree while Marty did the sawing. 

and he helped load it onto the cart as well. 

Unfortunately, he and his mom needed to make their way back home before we even thought about decorating, but he was happy to have experienced the fun of helping us choose, and we were glad to have him along!

So, for now, the adventure is over, but you can be guaranteed that there will be more in the near future. 

Thanks for following along.  Until next time......