An Engagement Party, A Birthday Party, and a Homecoming Too!

Earlier in the week I said to Mr. Bruce, we've got a busy weekend coming up. I guess so! You know how it is, nothing at all to do, and then a big cluster of great stuff happens.

Including this amazing event not mentioned in the title. What with all the venom I've seen posted on facebook regarding the election, I've been sorely tempted to just get rid of my account because, frankly, I don't need such nastiness in my life. But then I remember how something great comes from being on facebook, like learning you have a step cousin living only a few states away..namely Joelle who reached out to me because she thinks I look like our shared Grandfather. It must have been Thursday that a well wrapped, and I'm not kidding about that, package arrived in the day's mail. Inside there was this, which I do realize, now that I've uploaded the photos, is upside down! Use your imagination...

This my friends, is the ring that our Grandfather wore while working as a union aluminum worker in St. Louis! Can you imagine? This was from a time in history when the unions were big and powerful, so wearing the union ring was probably a sign of their strength in numbers. You and I both know how much I love family history and am such a nostalgia bug. I can't wait for my siblings to see this at Thanksgiving, and who knows, maybe one of them will remember it from all those years ago!

Look where I went on Friday afternoon? Say what?

During last Sunday's craft show a woman, named Gail btw, was looking for some photographs to give as small gifts to people who work for them. Do you have nine 8X10 prints in the same subject matter? Beach scenes, or flowers? Telling her I was pretty sure I had some at home and would bring them next week, turns out I DID not have that many of anything! At least in that size. :) Let us hope she actually buys them today.

Here's what fall looks like in Florida; who says we don't have fall color?

About a month ago I heard from Dana to save November 18 for an event. Well, that event turned out to be a celebration party for the engagement of her son Cole, and his sweet fiancee, Courtney.

Held at the Cheyenne Saloon, it was a lovely party. Before we left the house I mentioned to Bruce how thrilled I was that Cole met Courtney, a little minute of a young woman. That's an old saying that seems to fit her perfectly. She's here with her Mom looking adorable.

Cole, who we grew to love while he was managing the market, had a similar story to ours in that he had a long time girlfriend from school that everyone assumed would be married in a matter of time. Except, she was killed in a car accident about six years ago. Lindsay was her name, and she was like a daughter to Dana. As you can imagine, when a 20 something dies in a car accident, it is more than devastating.

We met Courtney early on in their relationship and just fell in love with her. She was in the same nursing program that Fallon is soon to graduate from. These days she's working as a pediatric nurse. Cole left the market about a year or so before we did, and that event alone probably contributed to our end as well.

Here's a little something that long time Orlandoans will get a kick out of. We knew only a handful of people at the party, so when that happens, you talk to strangers, or that is what we do.  Except this man turned out not to be a stranger at all.

It had been so many years since I saw him that I did not recognize him, but during our conversation it came out that he was a doctor. What kind, I asked? Emergency Room. Okay, where? Well he explained, I started my career at Mercy Hospital back in 1974. OH MY GOSH! The memories came flooding back from my time at Mercy Hospital, including being pregnant with Matt. We reminisced about the many gunshot wounds treated there which made me think that things haven't changed much in the last 40 years. In spite of everything the city has done to improve the area, violent crime remains pretty much the same. Some of my very favorite friends I met while working there back when I was just a young woman. :)

But that's not really why you should be interested in Jock Sneddon. If you are of a certain age, you no doubt have heard of the nightclub, JJ Whispers. So Jock was the first J, and Dana's dad John was the second!!!  Although we never went there, I suspect someone reading this has. Orlando is really, at it's heart, a very small town.

I've been making some Christmas gifts for the last two weeks, but now I'm making another patchwork quilt, this time in a controlled color palette which always starts with the cutting.

Last evening the old Darden gang gathered at Earls to celebrate Steve's birthday.

Barb, Steve's wife joked that they could do a punch list while we were there! Instead everyone marveled at how beautiful and complex the restaurant is. Steve and Bruce started at Darden about a year apart, and became fast friends. Needless to say it was a lot of fun.

Steve is one of the sweetest, most generous souls you could ever hope to meet. Barb is pretty darn great as well.

Which brings us to today when we will celebrate Matt and Tom's homecoming! In only a matter of hours, we will welcome them home to celebrate Thanksgiving. Tom, of course, will be a great help to me in the kitchen. Matt, of course, will be a great help to me in fixing all my technology. They work for their room and board. Just kidding my friends.

Enjoying the chill in the air,

Gail

Making Something New

To begin with, I wonder if poinsettias are a Christmas tradition everywhere. The weather this year must have been conducive for them because in many yards, the leaves are the brilliant red that you see in the pots sold in stores and garden centers. Lovely, made even more so by the morning dew.

Just like you, we/I have been gathering with folks for the holiday season. Last Thursday I went to the home of a new friend, Lisa, who shares the same birthday as my sister Lisa!! When I was a child my Dad was a huge Ohio State fan, which makes perfect sense because he was born in Ohio, as was I. So, as it turns out are these two ladies.

Pam, waving at me, is a fan via marriage. Lisa, on the other hand, came by her fandom as a student, and what you see on the wall is something pretty darn amazing. That, my friends, is a collage with not only a Woody Hayes signature (long time coach there fyi), but the diagram and photos of the band of which Lisa was not just any old member, she was the very first woman to "dot the I" in Ohio at halftime. Band geeks will get what a big deal this is. If only we got to see those halftimes on television like we used to....

Then, on Friday night, we gathered with the recently unemployed at Barb and Steve's house. You might note the pile of dollar bills in front of Mr. Peck who won them in a dice game.

All but one around the table were laid off from Darden in the last year. Fortunately, most have found new jobs. Someone put a clever little tag on the bottle of wine...

Let the record stand--none of us got Blitzen!

Is this the embodiment of a Florida snowman, or what?

People are so darn clever aren't they? Below, one of my favorite Christmas light displays this season!

Which reminds me, have any amongst you been watching the Great Christmas Light Fight on ABC? I don't know how I happened to see a commercial for this show, but the fellow doing the sound bite hooked me before I'd even seen it...."If you can't see it from Space, it ain't worth doing." Indeed, the episodes we saw embodied that motto! I guess Monday night was the finale which we missed because we were out to dinner for our daughter-in-law's birthday.....well, you knew all this already. Jon and Alissa arrived safe and sound and the dinner was great fun.

The bread I made last week,

would have won no beauty contest, however, the taste was pretty darn good, although, I got such a crust on there it took some muscle to slice it! Excellent hearty toast, that is if you like a work out.

Twix Cookies---what a concept!! Click the link for details!

I did just that, deciding it was a wee bit too time consuming for this time of the year, so I decided to take it slow. Not once have I ever made shortbread even though I love it. Chocolate is good and all, but I'm a buttery cookie girl myself.  I followed the recipe to the letter--none of this saying it was pretty good, but I substituted this, and this, and this......I read those comments online, and it makes me crazy. Follow the darn recipe folks!!

It begins with a lot of butter,

and the iPad. Except the image and words on the iPad were visible for about a minute or two, then I would have to re-enter Bruce's password; when you are making something brand new, this is a real pain in the neck. I texted Matt right then and there, wondering what to do. Fortunately he got back with me, and I changed the setting allowing me to actually consult the recipe about a gazillion times. So, you make the dough, which includes some finely ground oatmeal. After the ingredients look like dough, you mash it all down in an upturned springform pan set on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

I borrowed a biscuit cutter from Corrine to put in the center as directed. Actually when she was over the other day she insisted I keep it as she has no intention of ever making biscuits again.

Here is what it looks like after the first cooking. After removing the biscuit cutter, and the pan form, I scored the dough and using a wooden skewer poked all the holes in it.

After which you return it to the shut off oven, propped barely open with a wooden spoon, to dry out for an hour.

Once it is completely cool, you cut on those lines and it all worked according to plan except for the fact that I was meant to cut it into 16 triangles instead of the 13 pictured! The end result? Delicious!!!
Next up--finding a second biscuit cutter to tackle those Twix cookies! Biscuit cutters seem to be an endangered species as I've yet to find one in the stores.

While we are on the subject of something new--here's a good one for you. In all 41 Christmases in the Peck household, never have I done this before. As you can see our tree, on sunny days, gets afternoon sunshine and heat.

Well, Mrs. Camera Crazy put her hand into what she thought was the water receptacle, and found it dry. Using a gigantic water jug, she added water. And then she added more water because she still could feel none. It was then that she noticed the red cloth, skirting the tree, had some water on it. But she did not remember spilling any of the above mentioned water. Then she noticed it spreading. Followed by more spreading. Followed by a mad scramble to remove all of those lovely packages from under the tree because.......the water receptacle was overflowing!!! And here you thought she was slightly smart. :)

Aside from a few packages that required re-wrapping, a complete disaster was averted with help from Mr. Peck. Talk about something new!!

Merry, Merry Christmas friends,

Gail

p.s. That's a Happy Christmas to those in the UK.

Giving and Receiving

I can still remember Christmas of 2006 which I'm sure surprises most Camera Crazy readers. 2006? Really Gail? With your memory?

 I've long thought that there is an art to both giving and receiving gifts. The art of giving takes time, which some people obviously have more of than others. The art of receiving takes genuine appreciation for the thought that went into a gift. When I opened my Panasonic Lumix DMC FX3 on Christmas 2006, my first words were, "Honey--this cost more than $50!" Not, how sweet and thoughtful of you Bruce; a much more appropriate reaction. He thought and thought about what kind of gift he could give me that would take my mind off my illness. Never, could either of us have imagined it would change my life. Make that our lives!

Because I have more spare time than most, I spent much time this year thinking of gifts that I hoped would delight the recipients. My shopping began in July and continued up until a few days before Christmas. For the most part, I think I succeeded, or at least I hope so. Jonathan was super surprised when he opened a Coach box that held anything but a Coach product.

Jonathan loves the movies, or films as the hipsters say. He and Alissa especially love seeing them at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. Pondering what would be a good gift, it occurred to me that, although I'm not much of a gift card person, it could be a much appreciated present. I dare say the gift was a hit.

Pictured below is a little collage of gifts, mostly for me, one for Bruce.

Jonathan could not wait until my birthday, insisting I open his gift early, as in a six days early! You guessed it--the lens travel mug. Incredible likeness! He told me when he found it he was freaking out with happiness.

 On the bottom left are gifts from Matt and Tom. Liberty fabric baby! Matt knew that I regretted only spending a few minutes in Liberty during our visit so he sent a little piece, or make that pieces home instead. Street Art book and the short stories by Carol Shields will be getting a workout soon. I've read one of her novels in the past and can't wait to dig into this collection from Tom. Thoughtful gifts both. The chocolates Tom sent from Harvey Nichols are absolutely gorgeous in person, scrumptious in taste, and not easily photographed, although I'll keep trying because I know someone in the audience would love seeing them. Tasting might be more welcome but I'm not sharing.

The top right photo is a gift for Mr. Bruce from me. He loves small, personal things and this definitely fits the bill. His own little handmade chips and salsa dish. Anne Marie, one of the ladies I see each year at the Darden Art Fair makes them.

The bottom right is a gorgeous cast iron grill pan from Mr. Bill. Rarely have I received a "gift" from Bill. He's a gift card kind of guy, passing them out like candy on Christmas day. For years I've been encouraging him to give Christmas gifts more thought and he responds that people love gift cards. And they do. But part of the excitement for me is hoping that I've made a thoughtful choice. Something that a person might hang onto for years, thinking fondly of me when they use it. I know I'll be doing just that for many, many years while using this beautiful pan.

Monday evening, while Jonathan and Alissa were visiting Harry Potter at Universal Studios, Bruce and I went to Steve and Kirsten's after Christmas party. It's a terrific party every year and how brilliant of them to think of holding a gathering the day after Christmas. There's so much competition for guest beforehand, after, not so much. As such, there's a big crowd relaxing and enjoying the fantastic food. Oh my, are they quite the hosts! Actually, they share the hosting duties with Kirsten's sister Bea, moving the party between houses each year. Bea lives just down Delaney Avenue which made it all the better for us.

I loved these green bottles on the windowsill. Although much of the house is renovated they have not removed all the charm of a small bungalow.

All the doors and windows were wide open allowing for movement of both air and bodies.

The weather couldn't have been better actually, cool enough for sleeves but not so much that the house couldn't be kept open.

Baxter was happy to see us upon our return, even happier to get into his little chair/bed with the new hedgehog gift from J & A.

Bruce took off for Maryland yesterday morning for just two days; hopefully, if all goes well today he'll come home later tonight. I decided to head downtown for a little photowalk while the young folks were sleeping off their long day at Universal.

I read in our paper the other day that Orlando is the number ONE tourist destination this holiday season. Mostly those folks spend time at the theme parks or shopping. Apparently our outlet malls are nearly as popular! At any rate, what they see is not really the Orlando I know.

This is the Orlando I know, full of contradictions. While people the world over visit the aforementioned places, residents are out enjoying Lake Eola, sharing the park with homeless folks, of which, sadly there are plenty this time of year. Coming down from the North to escape the winter I guess they qualify as tourists as well, just not the spending kind.

There were plenty of the spending kind at Florida Mall yesterday afternoon during our shopping expedition to H & M. Alissa needed her H&M fix. After loving that store in Chicago, it's one of the few things she misses now that they live in Austin. The crowds were so thick, and with the mix of people, I thought of walking down some of the streets in central London this summer.

Later on we met Ha for dinner at a new, or at least new to me, Italian restaurant in Winter Park, Armandos. The place was bustling with diners enjoying what turned out to be delicious food. All that was lacking was the service--crazy and unorganized to say the least.

The happy couple! Jonathan is sporting one of his Christmas gifts, while Alissa is wearing her new sweater from H&M in the Texas Longhorn color.

Which brings me to the end of this post, or at least almost the end. Just like the cinema gift card, when I thought of a MINI t-shirt for Jonathan I was happy. Seriously couldn't wait for him to open it.

Perhaps you gave or received a life changing gift this Christmas? Or maybe not. Or maybe, you just don't know it yet......

Gail

Non-Productive

When I saw the title of my last post I knew immediately what today's would be. The weekend was jam packed with goodness, but I ended up paying dearly for it by Sunday evening. Monday was just a waste. I climbed into bed at.....6:30!!!! Sunday evening and got up about twelve hours later. I shuffled around most of yesterday, heading to bed early, but not as extreme as Sunday night. Today, on the other hand, is a new day, not to mention a new month--I plan to rise to the occasion.

We had the hugest storm last evening just after Bruce got home, with the most extreme thunder and lightening, not to mention rain and wind, that we've had in a few weeks. Baxter was one scared little dog! The back patio flooded sending rain under the door into the sunroom--not too much, but enough that it is still drying out.

As you know my busy season is fast approaching with the gallery show only six weeks away. Last evening before Bruce arrived I was going through my library once again trying to find things to fit the theme. The curator saw one I'd done of the hourglass and loved it--it is the one being used in advertising. She decided she wanted me to show pieces with the sand/glass theme which I originally thought was just fine until I started trying to choose things. Hmmm....the photo above is one I shot with the idea being the divide between people who see things as half empty/half full. I'm unsure if I've succeeded. Anyway, what I wanted to tell you was that I had a tray full in Picasa that I'll have printed at Target to study. The storm arrived quickly shutting my computer down. The tech savvy among you already know the ending to this story. Poof! All gone. I'll start over again today. This morning I couldn't get the computer to start, but after unplugging everything I eventually got it going--Whew!

Somehow I got roped into providing the art for this project. I'd only just picked up my canvases Saturday after the market when after returning from the birthday party Saturday night I checked my email. Long story short--I agreed to letting them "borrow" the canvases until the 67 days is over. If this has you puzzled, check out what I'm talking about here: ORLANDO
Here I am with the lucky couple wearing one of my new creations I might add.

Sunday was good, albeit HOT! The crowds and sales continue to amaze me.

Both parties were fun in their own way. Friday night we saw folks we'd not seen in years and years. One family's situation made us very sad. This couple used to be great friends, but our lives drifted apart when the kids got older. I'm wondering if Matt remembers that they picked up he and his brothers to stay with them while I was delivering Jonathan. Their daughter cried when she learned I'd had another boy! Not me, I was fine and dandy with it! Anyway, they went on to have five children total, and sadly, not a one of them has done much of anything with their lives. As well, the father has prostate cancer which has not only been hazardous to his health, but his finances as well. They were never very good with money, this has proved to be the breaking point. The food, all made by Mary was delicious!

Saturday night Victoria reserved the dock at Houstons for the party, and what a lovely party it was. Beautiful setting, people, and food; it could not have been nicer.

My two month vacation from the museum has come and gone. This morning I start my reception duties again. Time to make myself presentable.