Merry Christmas!

Christmas shopping with my lovely goddaughter Isabel

Wishing you a holy day that is truly holy, 

and filled with peace and love!

Happy Advent!

I'm in a play!

I'm in Agatha Christie's murder mystery Black Coffee at the Lincoln Community Playhouse!

This weekend we are enjoying the hospitality of the Beatrice Community Playhouse, but we'll be back in town Nov 2-4 if you want to come see us.

Some backstage photos from opening night....

Latest creation

Now that I have finished up that one, it is time to start on a commission from Auntie M. She gave me a big box of vintage Christmas cards that her grandmother saved, and I'm going to turn them into Christmas ornaments for her to give to her grandmother's siblings as Christmas gifts. It's a pretty special commission and I'm excited to get going on it.

Metal Detecting: Starting Them Young

Spending time with some dear friends of our and their children.

DIY shelf

Our latest creation!   Made in a weekend -- wood-working seems much quicker than sewing most of the time.

Art with Arwen

Hasn't she got the sweetest smile?

Happy times at the House of Endless Fun!

1st time metal detecting

I finally joined my husband in a nearby park to try out his new hobby.

It was fun not knowing what a beep might mean. The park has been around since the 1800s. We got really excited at one point buy something that seems to be really buried, but it turned out to be a rusted nail...

Below is what we found. So far, it has been about not knowing what you might find, rather than what you actually discover.

Wedding Photos

Here is the happy day when we welcomed Maria to our family!

(Plus one of Mom eating her first sushi....)

Their first dance was, I think, a choreographed tango.

Home now

Time for bed....

The Garment District

We did a walking tour of the area that ended at Mood, beloved of Project Runway fans.  Then we enjoyed the museum at FIT, the Fashion Institute of Technology.  Lots of fun!

Tomorrow morning we leave for NJ and my brother's wedding.

A Thought -Provoking Day in NYC

Today we visited the Statue of Liberty, the Ellis Island Museum of Immigration, and the 911 Memorial.

It was a day of imagining how other people felt and feel. I especially was moved by the thought of the millions of people who were overjoyed to see the Statue of Liberty, and all of the hope that she has represented for so many. It would've taken--and it still takes--such courage to come to a foreign land to build a new life.

A tea party at the Ritz Carlton Hotel

This is one of the fun things about traveling with other people. Because of my background, Aunt Monica gets to experience places like the Metropolitan Museum of Art a little differently. I recognize quotations, and I have historical context from literature, that kind of thing. ( I don't know whether she likes that or tolerates it, but I do see things differently because of my literary background.) Now Aunt  Monica is a foodie. I am not. But because I am in New York with her, I am experiencing it quite differently then I would if I were on my own.

For example, today we had a tea party at the Ritz Carlton Hotel on Fifth Avenue across from Central Park. On my own, I probably would not have sprung for that kind of experience, but it was really fun.

They served tea, with exotic little sandwiches, like one made with yellow beets and blueberries or another one that had prosciutto ham and lime. Then came scones with jam and some kind of cream instead of plain old butter. Then it was time for the desserts. I do not know how to describe the desserts, other than they were combinations that were really enticing, as well as some classics like red velvet cake. It was all really tasty, but it also felt a little like a culinary adventure and because flavors were put together in thoughtful and unexpected ways. It was one of the first times that I ever thought about food that way. I'm not expressing this very well! But I really liked that experience.

A few more pictures of Central Park

Today I went to Central Park with Aunt Monica. We stopped to see the Alice in Wonderland statue and the one of the angel of Bethesda. We also saw some of the horse-drawn carriages.

The Alice in Wonderland group was supposed to have quotations from the Jabberwocky engraved around the base. Actually, those were not where the quotations were from. But rest assured, I was able to recite the Jabberwocky for Aunt Monica and a few random tourists who didn't seem to think it was strange that someone would suddenly burst into poetry in Central Park.

A night on Broadway

We saw Phantom of the Opera on Broadway yesterday. It was magical! For once in my life I had all of the drama my little heart could possibly desire!

Everything was really amazing--- The Story, costumes, acting, the sets, the singers' voices--- it was all just breathtaking. I enjoyed myself very much.

China Town, NYC

I really liked Chinatown. I had never been to one before. We stopped by a Buddhist temple, I had some bubble tea, and we did some shopping. There were some men in the park playing a game that looks like Checkers with a stripe in the middle of the board. I wondered what it was. My husband would probably know. We also got lunch there, which was very good.

The Chinese New Year was two days ago, so the streets were sparkly with confetti.

Seeing the stars

Tonight we are going to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway! So if I don't post anything this evening, it is because I am at the theater, darlings!

20,000 steps in NYC

We did lots of walking today....

I really enjoyed the library.  :)

Central Park and the Met Museum of Art

A good day with lots of walking.  Set a new personal best for number of steps in a day.

Started with the chocolate museum.