1995 Hike in the Smokies

I've been cleaning out my closet this evening and came across this picture. I remember the day and taking this picture as we were hiking up to Abrams Falls. As I recall, when we got up to the Falls, Brian, David and Emily dove in and went swimming. It was springtime and the water wasn't warm. We didn't bring any changes of clothes, but it seems everyone was pretty proud of their accomplishment and that seemed to compensate for their shiverin'! Well, that's the way I remember it.

I'm glad we did fun things like go hiking in the Smokies as a family--and am especially that our teenagers would come with us. Look! They even appear to be happy.

Roland's 3 Wolf Moon Birthday Party

Three Wolf Moon was the perfect theme for Roland's birthday party. Emily and Jason arrived Friday night, Michael came out of his cave and we had a great time. There was a crazy game of Rook in which Roland, Jason, and Emily beat Michael and me. The score was 540 to -265. Thinking back on it, I bet we lost because Michael didn't wear his Three Wolf Moon t-shirt! He's usually a wizard at Rook, but the competition was steep since everyone else had theirs on. (Well, Jason didn't wear one, but he doesn't own one, so that can't be held against him. ; ) Afterward, we enjoyed some amazingly moist brownies made with pumpkin instead of eggs and oil. You'll note the candles say "52", but there are eight additional candles on the cake to make it "60".

The next day we went out to Sitar to continue our party and then to see "Sherlock Holmes". It was a great movie--with some great humor and plenty of action. Then in the evening, Roland, Jason and Emily watched four episodes of 24. Jason and Emily are now fans of 24, too! They took Seasons 1 and 2 back to Manchester with them.

Happy Birthday, Roland!

Fiesta and Dancin'

My sister told me about about an opportunity to share your Fiesta Ware Story and have a chance to win two place settings of it. So I submitted my story and decided to include it on my blog. I really love my Fiesta Ware!

In 1959, as a four-year-old just starting dance lessons, I visited my dance teacher’s apartment. It was like stepping into another world filled with color and personality! My attention was drawn to a small china hutch displaying bright, colorful dishes. My young eyes had never seen a set of dishes made up of so many different colors! She invited me to sit down at her table to enjoy some cookies and fruit. I don’t remember what kind of cookie I chose, but the memory of the turquoise plate it sat on is vivid! My dance teacher’s personality was as vibrant and colorful as her Fiesta Ware.

When I was in high school, my dance teacher suddenly passed away. It was a sad time for the whole community. She had not only taught her students to dance, but to smile and let our unique personalities shine. After her death, her husband gave me some of her Fiesta Ware. Fifty years later, I still feel the same passion that I felt when I first saw it in her hutch. The bright colors help me remember to smile and celebrate every day.

As a post script to this story, we purchased some new Fiesta Ware this weekend at Kohl's. It was 50% off and we were lucky enough to get a coupon for another 30% off. I just couldn't resist. So here's a picture of Roland's salad on a new Fiesta plate. It was like a party eating salad tonight!

Coco Before Chanel

Today I enjoyed an outing with my girlfriends as we went to the theater to view the French movie, Coco Before Chanel, starring Audrey Tautou. (Who does a stunning job portraying Coco!) Before today I didn't realize that Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel grew up in an orphanage. She was born in the late 1800s, which makes her a little older than my grandmother). But, oh, she was way ahead of her time--or maybe I should say she created through her fashions, a style that lingers with us today. Thanks to Coco, we have our stylin' little black dress, bell bottoms and got rid of corsets! In the movie, her life was not portrayed as a happy one. She was taken advantage of and certainly didn't have many options on how she could survive. It was a man's world. Even though we had to read the English subtitles, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and am impressed by Coco's courage and ambition. She was not pampered socialite kind of designer--oh no, she was a pioneer--one strong woman!