This year we joined our Missouri and Florida family in a new spot: Fripp Island, SC. We were pleasantly surprised: very private location, rustic, two fine golf courses, nice beaches, swimming pools and all water related activities. Only thing lacking was food — available shopping and dining. Never mind, we had a great vacation and plan a return soon!
Another family tradition, going back to St Joseph and the Borghoffs, is the Easter egg hunt. Since we don't have children, we involve our two dogs. And since they don't really like hard boiled eggs, we get them treats that look as close to eggs as we can find. This year, just like every year, Lillie Mae was the big winner, 18-2. April 20, 2014
Just click the doggie, and cycle through...
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Reports are in from Missouri and it seems this year's Christmas was a resounding success! Good food, good times, good presents and a lot of good time with family.
Flaunting tradition, I made a typical Easter dish for Christmas: rack of lamb with a persillade crust. Made the fresh breadcrumbs with the Vitamix. (Not only does the Vitamix clean itself, but you never have to disassemble it or worry about a lot of loose parts falling around!) Works great, thank you charming wife!
It has been my experience that dogs really love the smell of lamb cooking in the oven. Our two girls are no exception. Lillie Mae was turning in circles and speaking in tongues by the time this was ready. Chloe just put her book down, took off her glasses and joined her sister awaiting treats.
The rain has departed, it is getting warmer, and we have a wet, low fog. Outside it is uneasily quiet, almost as after a snowfall. But it is a damp, not a white Christmas this year.
When she was a little girl, Cherie wanted a train set. As was a somewhat reoccurring theme, Cherie seemed to always want what she was told by her parents that she could not have. And as was also reoccurring, Cherie's parents gave it to her.
My wife seems to have retained every possession that she ever had as a child, hidden in the back of a little-used closet, slipped under the bed in a guest room, nestled in a pile of my things that are gathering dust. And then, when the mood assaults her, these parentally forbidden objects appear in our home, like inanimate shades from the 'fifties, wrinkled, dented, rusty, missing a part or a piece, batteries not included, and all, of course, made in America.
I share none of these burdens with my wife. Because of my gender and transitory upbringing, my oldest possession barely predates our marriage. It is difficult to be nostalgic with a copper pot that you have had for a mere 25 years, and that is in the same condition as it was when new.
So I indulge my wife. Not true. I suppose I envy her. Things came much easier for her, but she has not lost the appreciation of a gift well earned, a forbidden treat surprisingly granted, a small thing made large by time and the memory of Christmas and family and the love of others now gone.
My lovely wife and I exchanged gifts this morning, as she is flying out to Missouri later today. (Update: she just arrived in Columbia.) 2012 is "The Year of Technology" for our home, as we gave and received some pretty spiffy gadgets this year. Cherie got a new camera, new Fitbit and some sweaters, while I received a Vitamix. Smoothies coming up!
For the past several years we have had custom front door decorations for the holidays. Last year we were not particularly enamored with the results, so my brave (and cheap) wife determined to do her own for 2012. The results are pretty impressive, don't you think?
The concept this year was to move away from the tradition of front door/wreath and dog photos to one featuring "The Rock" and either a view of the lake, or of the house. And, of course, the dogs.
The setup had us looking into the sun — not very desirable as we were both squinting. Maybe the dogs were too! What do you think?