My sister organized a Minty-style outdoor adventure for our New Year's Eve celebration. (Thanks, Anne!) What's Minty-style? Luxurious, of course. Our "cabin" had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full-size kitchen, hot tub, TV and, most importantly, heat.
Now before you suggest that we weren't really "roughing it," you must acknowledge that there was no internet connection, no cell phone access, no DVD player and no video-game system.
What did we do on our three-day wilderness adventure? We went hiking, though technically it might be considered more of a walk. We ate a lot. We listened to music and danced. We caught up on our sleep. We stared at the gas fireplace. We watched some TV, but only classics like "Die Hard" and "True Lies."
Oh, and the peaceful woods provided the perfect setting in which to read. I read two books using my Kindle IPhone application. Ah, nature and technology. I love thee both.
Showing posts with label anne. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anne. Show all posts
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Monday, December 28, 2009
Christmas 2009 was very merry
Jeff, Sassy, Alley and I hosted Christmas at home with my sister Anne, her boyfriend Luke, aunt Anita, cousin Ian and his girlfriend Kim. Oh, and Anne and Luke's dogs Kapono and Maggie. On Christmas Eve, we had a few friends (Sonya, Alan and Kara) over.
The people had a great time eating turkey and ham, drinking wine and cocktails, wearing crowns and chatting. The dogs had a better time chasing each other, destroying stuffed toys, barking at nothing, fighting over crumbs and inhaling milk bones.
Here are a few photos from our Christmas gatherings. The crowns come from Christmas crackers which are an English tradition in our family. Christmas crackers are tube-shaped paper presents which make a popping sound (similar to a crackling fire) when opened. Each cracker contains a paper crown, a toy and a joke.
I hope you all had as lovely (and filling) a Christmas as we did. Happy holidays!
Dawn and Jeff are king and queen of Beaver Court on Christmas Eve.
Alan tried to get out of wearing his Christmas crown by saying his cracker didn't have one, but he couldn't fool Dawn who found a crown (in pink) for him to wear.
Don't be fooled by sweet-seeming Kara. The minute she received her Christmas Eve crown she made a run for the throne.
The centerpiece of our Christmas dinner was this... fried turkey. I was glad Jeff, Luke and Ian still had all their limbs when this bird was done. I have to admit that it was delicious.
Confession: A beautiful wood dining table doesn't exist under these linens. Hiding under tablecloths and chair covers are two card tables and seven folding chairs.
O.K. it's not the reason for the season, but eating is a huge part of the season. Here's our Christmas Day feast.
Alley waits patiently to see what presents Santa brought.
Merry first Christmas to Anne's puppy Maggie, who has quickly become best friends with Alley.
Sassy is tired after spending the day as a sizzlin' elf.
Alley wants to be one of the princesses (Anne, Anita, Kim and Dawn), but she doesn't want to wear the crown.
Oh, the kings (Luke, Jeff and Ian) do jest.
After attempting to play the role of king, Luke declares himself a reindeer.
Kapono refuses to share the chair with Anne. He says she sheds everywhere.
The dogs are sleeping after two days of Christmas celebrations and way too many milk bones.
A good time was had by all except this poor giraffe who lost his tail after one morning of "life."
The people had a great time eating turkey and ham, drinking wine and cocktails, wearing crowns and chatting. The dogs had a better time chasing each other, destroying stuffed toys, barking at nothing, fighting over crumbs and inhaling milk bones.
Here are a few photos from our Christmas gatherings. The crowns come from Christmas crackers which are an English tradition in our family. Christmas crackers are tube-shaped paper presents which make a popping sound (similar to a crackling fire) when opened. Each cracker contains a paper crown, a toy and a joke.
I hope you all had as lovely (and filling) a Christmas as we did. Happy holidays!
Dawn and Jeff are king and queen of Beaver Court on Christmas Eve.
Alan tried to get out of wearing his Christmas crown by saying his cracker didn't have one, but he couldn't fool Dawn who found a crown (in pink) for him to wear.
Don't be fooled by sweet-seeming Kara. The minute she received her Christmas Eve crown she made a run for the throne.
The centerpiece of our Christmas dinner was this... fried turkey. I was glad Jeff, Luke and Ian still had all their limbs when this bird was done. I have to admit that it was delicious.
Confession: A beautiful wood dining table doesn't exist under these linens. Hiding under tablecloths and chair covers are two card tables and seven folding chairs.
O.K. it's not the reason for the season, but eating is a huge part of the season. Here's our Christmas Day feast.
Alley waits patiently to see what presents Santa brought.
Merry first Christmas to Anne's puppy Maggie, who has quickly become best friends with Alley.
Sassy is tired after spending the day as a sizzlin' elf.
Alley wants to be one of the princesses (Anne, Anita, Kim and Dawn), but she doesn't want to wear the crown.
Oh, the kings (Luke, Jeff and Ian) do jest.
After attempting to play the role of king, Luke declares himself a reindeer.
Kapono refuses to share the chair with Anne. He says she sheds everywhere.
The dogs are sleeping after two days of Christmas celebrations and way too many milk bones.
A good time was had by all except this poor giraffe who lost his tail after one morning of "life."
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Racing for the arts
Steeplechase, my favorite Georgia event, was Saturday. Horses race around a beautiful course at Callaway Gardens while guests set up picnics around the "track" to watch the races and socialize.
It's an all-day event that focuses more on fashion, cocktails and eating than horse racing. But that's O.K. because the event is a fundraiser for the arts with money going to the museum, symphony and theater in Columbus.
This is the third year that Jeff and I have gone with Anne, Lily, Alan and Sonya. This year we had our largest group yet with 15 people (Stefanie and Andy, Morgan, Chuck and Cathy, Meredith and Mike, Frank and Lauren).
We had two terrace boxes, plus a few extra seats, this year. The ground in the terrace-level boxes has been leveled so that nothing leans downward despite being hillside. We bring our own folding tables and tablecloths. Centerpieces and table decorations are a must. Paper plates and plastic cups are frowned upon (at least by me). Some guests even bring chair covers to give the provided folding chairs a bit of glam. For those wanting a more casual atmosphere, there's a less expensive infield (where Jeff keeps threatening he's going to buy tickets) where it appears the picnics are more like tailgates with chairs in a bag and red plastic cups being the accessories of choice. There are also kids' activities and food vendors. The fanciest area at steeplechase is the Guarantor Tent where I'm told the finer side of society sit at tables and watch the races while sipping mint juleps and snacking on chef-prepared appetizers. (I wouldn't know myself since I've yet to be invited into the high-society tent).
There are all sorts of fashion dos and don'ts at Steeplechase. Many women wear hats, heels and dresses while the men mostly sport khakis and blue shirts. (Why do all men's dress shirts seem to be blue?) However, there are plenty of jeans, boots, shorts and tanktops, too.
One of the most enjoyable parts of planning for the event (besides hat shopping, of course) is organizing the menu. It's not unusual to see guests set up full bars and platters of chilled shrimp and crab cakes. However, it's also not rare to see bags of chips and coolers of bud light. Our group had a wonderfully delicious variety of food and drinks. Lauren made her famous guacamole dip; Lily made pecan pies; Stefanie brought homemade muffins and crackers and cheese; Cathy and Chuck prepared wild boar sandwiches, muffuletta, brownies, bacon wrapped dates and chicken wings; Jeff and I made our annual chicken salad and steak salad sandwiches; and Anne made apricot and cherry scones, chocolate croissants and trail mix. Everyone brought several bottles of wine, coolers of beer and, of course, the horse-race favorite: bourbon.
I think this was the best Steeplechase yet, and I can hardly wait to start planning next year's event.
Jeff and Alan chill between horse races.
Stefanie did her hat shopping at Steeplechase and found this cute wear-more-than-once hat.
Doesn't our table look festive and the food look yummy?
Anne takes a break from grazing the buffet tables to chat with Sonya and Alan.
One hat is not enough at Steeplechase. You must exchange hats to get many different looks for your photos.
Jeff is certainly one of the best dressed men at the event. I think this year's hat was a bit gangster (Al Capone) not to be confused with gangsta (50 cent).
This was Morgan's first Steeplechase since he was busy fighting for our country's freedom the past two years. He got into the spirit with this Burberry hat and bowtie.
Anne was too hot in her sweater so she changed into a T-shirt. It was from the 2007 Steeplechase — our first.
I wish I'd made these cupcakes. The toppers have chocolate jockeys, fences and dogs. These treats were part of the terrace box which won the newspaper's best box contest. So cute!
Everyone prepared delicious food to share with the group. Our tables look pretty good, if I do say so myself. And I do.
Jeff plays photographer without putting down his cigar. Clever.
See it's not just about the food and socializing. There are horse races. And we watch the races.
If we weren't paying attention to the races, how would we know who's horse won? Luckily my horse "Best Alibi" won the last race of the day. My time-tested and often-made-fun-of method of picking horses based on their names works again. Jeff chooses based on stats. Jeff didn't win any races. Luckily Jeff's lovely wife offered to share her $6 winnings.
It's an all-day event that focuses more on fashion, cocktails and eating than horse racing. But that's O.K. because the event is a fundraiser for the arts with money going to the museum, symphony and theater in Columbus.
This is the third year that Jeff and I have gone with Anne, Lily, Alan and Sonya. This year we had our largest group yet with 15 people (Stefanie and Andy, Morgan, Chuck and Cathy, Meredith and Mike, Frank and Lauren).
We had two terrace boxes, plus a few extra seats, this year. The ground in the terrace-level boxes has been leveled so that nothing leans downward despite being hillside. We bring our own folding tables and tablecloths. Centerpieces and table decorations are a must. Paper plates and plastic cups are frowned upon (at least by me). Some guests even bring chair covers to give the provided folding chairs a bit of glam. For those wanting a more casual atmosphere, there's a less expensive infield (where Jeff keeps threatening he's going to buy tickets) where it appears the picnics are more like tailgates with chairs in a bag and red plastic cups being the accessories of choice. There are also kids' activities and food vendors. The fanciest area at steeplechase is the Guarantor Tent where I'm told the finer side of society sit at tables and watch the races while sipping mint juleps and snacking on chef-prepared appetizers. (I wouldn't know myself since I've yet to be invited into the high-society tent).
There are all sorts of fashion dos and don'ts at Steeplechase. Many women wear hats, heels and dresses while the men mostly sport khakis and blue shirts. (Why do all men's dress shirts seem to be blue?) However, there are plenty of jeans, boots, shorts and tanktops, too.
One of the most enjoyable parts of planning for the event (besides hat shopping, of course) is organizing the menu. It's not unusual to see guests set up full bars and platters of chilled shrimp and crab cakes. However, it's also not rare to see bags of chips and coolers of bud light. Our group had a wonderfully delicious variety of food and drinks. Lauren made her famous guacamole dip; Lily made pecan pies; Stefanie brought homemade muffins and crackers and cheese; Cathy and Chuck prepared wild boar sandwiches, muffuletta, brownies, bacon wrapped dates and chicken wings; Jeff and I made our annual chicken salad and steak salad sandwiches; and Anne made apricot and cherry scones, chocolate croissants and trail mix. Everyone brought several bottles of wine, coolers of beer and, of course, the horse-race favorite: bourbon.
I think this was the best Steeplechase yet, and I can hardly wait to start planning next year's event.
Jeff and Alan chill between horse races.
Stefanie did her hat shopping at Steeplechase and found this cute wear-more-than-once hat.
Doesn't our table look festive and the food look yummy?
Anne takes a break from grazing the buffet tables to chat with Sonya and Alan.
One hat is not enough at Steeplechase. You must exchange hats to get many different looks for your photos.
Jeff is certainly one of the best dressed men at the event. I think this year's hat was a bit gangster (Al Capone) not to be confused with gangsta (50 cent).
This was Morgan's first Steeplechase since he was busy fighting for our country's freedom the past two years. He got into the spirit with this Burberry hat and bowtie.
Anne was too hot in her sweater so she changed into a T-shirt. It was from the 2007 Steeplechase — our first.
I wish I'd made these cupcakes. The toppers have chocolate jockeys, fences and dogs. These treats were part of the terrace box which won the newspaper's best box contest. So cute!
Everyone prepared delicious food to share with the group. Our tables look pretty good, if I do say so myself. And I do.
Jeff plays photographer without putting down his cigar. Clever.
See it's not just about the food and socializing. There are horse races. And we watch the races.
If we weren't paying attention to the races, how would we know who's horse won? Luckily my horse "Best Alibi" won the last race of the day. My time-tested and often-made-fun-of method of picking horses based on their names works again. Jeff chooses based on stats. Jeff didn't win any races. Luckily Jeff's lovely wife offered to share her $6 winnings.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Birthday weekend: Parts I and II
I got to have two birthday weekends this year. Why? Did you miss that article about how 33 is the new 21?
Last weekend I had my Columbus celebration. A romantic dinner with Jeff and then drinks with friends. This weekend Anne, Luke and Jeff took me to Corks & Forks in Atlanta. It's my favorite food and wine festival. Guests can sample small plates of some of the best dishes from Atlanta restaurants while sipping wine and beer from various Atlanta wine shops and breweries. I tasted watermelon gazpacho, heirloom tomatoes on poppy-seed bread, slow-braised short ribs, pate on raisin toast, chilled cucumber soup, lobster roll and tuna tartar. Yummy!
Here are a few photos:
The adorable little cake that Jeff selected tasted just as good as it looks. It was the perfect size for two.
Tiny cakes don't have room for a lot of candles, thank goodess. I think this is more tasteful — not to mention safer — than cramming 33 candles on a cake
Knowing what an animal lover I am, but not wanting to add a third puppy to the family, Sassy and Alley decided to sponsor an elephant at the Atlanta Zoo in my name. The dogs were sold the moment they realized the elephant would still live at the zoo and not in their yard.
Jeff and I pause between bites of delicious food for a photo.
Feeling completely stuffed after eating 20 small plates of food, Anne and I have a refreshing beer. The full-fat Pacifico really got the metabolism going.
Anne and Luke, who prefer sandwiches and fries to pate and gazpacho, survived the food festival with minimal heartburn. We ordered pizza later that night while watching super-scary "Haunting in Connecticut" on television.
Last weekend I had my Columbus celebration. A romantic dinner with Jeff and then drinks with friends. This weekend Anne, Luke and Jeff took me to Corks & Forks in Atlanta. It's my favorite food and wine festival. Guests can sample small plates of some of the best dishes from Atlanta restaurants while sipping wine and beer from various Atlanta wine shops and breweries. I tasted watermelon gazpacho, heirloom tomatoes on poppy-seed bread, slow-braised short ribs, pate on raisin toast, chilled cucumber soup, lobster roll and tuna tartar. Yummy!
Here are a few photos:
The adorable little cake that Jeff selected tasted just as good as it looks. It was the perfect size for two.
Tiny cakes don't have room for a lot of candles, thank goodess. I think this is more tasteful — not to mention safer — than cramming 33 candles on a cake
Knowing what an animal lover I am, but not wanting to add a third puppy to the family, Sassy and Alley decided to sponsor an elephant at the Atlanta Zoo in my name. The dogs were sold the moment they realized the elephant would still live at the zoo and not in their yard.
Jeff and I pause between bites of delicious food for a photo.
Feeling completely stuffed after eating 20 small plates of food, Anne and I have a refreshing beer. The full-fat Pacifico really got the metabolism going.
Anne and Luke, who prefer sandwiches and fries to pate and gazpacho, survived the food festival with minimal heartburn. We ordered pizza later that night while watching super-scary "Haunting in Connecticut" on television.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Gimme candy, I wanna play
To celebrate Candy Land's 60th birthday, San Francisco turned twisty, curvy Lombard Street into a life-size Candy Land game board.
I have so many fond childhood memories of Candy Land. I'm sure it was the first game I ever won. And I know my competitive spirit first emerged during a particularly fierce game. Young Dawn realized she was losing the game and, to avoid defeat, she flipped the board. The game pieces went flying and her crying sister went running to mom.
I don't remember getting in trouble. Maybe I convinced mom it was "an accident."
I think my sister would be happy to play the Lombard Street version with me, though. After all, I can't flip over an entire street. What do you think, Anne, a Candy Land rematch in San Franciso?
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Redneck Riviera, we love thee
Jeff and I went to Panama City, Fla. for a few days for our summer vacation. It's a popular spot for Georgians to visit, and is affectionately referred to as The Redneck Riviera. Why? Imagine a college spring break that lasts 365 days a year. Panama City is the home of jello shots, buy-one-get-one-free T-shirts, fried-food baskets, jumbo cocktails, ladies' nights, roadside daiquiri stands, nonexistent dress codes and inexpensive everything.
It also has beautiful beaches with white sand and clear water, restaurants serving delicious fresh seafood, seemingly hundreds of mini golf (and real golf) courses and cute tourist shops.
Here are a few photos from our vacation.
The view from our condo was awesome as long we focused on the beach and not the beach goers many of whom chose to wear too-small-for-their-large-belly bathing suits and none of whom had cover-ups.
We went on a sunset boat ride and saw dolphins which refused to be photographed.
Dawn and Jeff can't stop smiling when they realize that the condo complex has no cell phone access. Bye, bye work.
Jeff devoured some tasty key lime pie. Dawn had one teeny, tiny bite which immediately went to her thighs.
Dawn poses for a photo shoot on the bay and dreams of the beach house she'll one day own.
A quiet little cove where the super rich park their yachts.
Dawn took 123 photos before finally capturing this streak of lightning. Thankfully, it only stormed for about an hour one morning during the trip.
Anne and Luke are the best doggie sitters ever. This is their dream home. It's not on the beach, but it sure is charming.
Sassy and Alley were happy to jump in the car for the ride home.
Our neighborhood geese arranged this parade for our arrival home. It's nice to be missed.
It also has beautiful beaches with white sand and clear water, restaurants serving delicious fresh seafood, seemingly hundreds of mini golf (and real golf) courses and cute tourist shops.
Here are a few photos from our vacation.
The view from our condo was awesome as long we focused on the beach and not the beach goers many of whom chose to wear too-small-for-their-large-belly bathing suits and none of whom had cover-ups.
We went on a sunset boat ride and saw dolphins which refused to be photographed.
Dawn and Jeff can't stop smiling when they realize that the condo complex has no cell phone access. Bye, bye work.
Jeff devoured some tasty key lime pie. Dawn had one teeny, tiny bite which immediately went to her thighs.
Dawn poses for a photo shoot on the bay and dreams of the beach house she'll one day own.
A quiet little cove where the super rich park their yachts.
Dawn took 123 photos before finally capturing this streak of lightning. Thankfully, it only stormed for about an hour one morning during the trip.
Anne and Luke are the best doggie sitters ever. This is their dream home. It's not on the beach, but it sure is charming.
Sassy and Alley were happy to jump in the car for the ride home.
Our neighborhood geese arranged this parade for our arrival home. It's nice to be missed.
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