trans-siberian orchestra

laser show

Since B and I have birthdays two weeks apart in November, our son Jay gave us a combined gift - tickets to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra at HSBC Arena. We saw the matinee show yesterday. The show started at 3 PM and an hour and a half later we were applauding and commenting to one another that it had been a very enjoyable Christmas show. At this point the main guitar player came out on stage and introduced all the members of the orchestra. The drummer was from Horseheads, NY in the Finger Lakes. The musical director who was also one of the original founders and played the keyboards was born and raised in Buffalo. We were starting to gather our gloves and button our coats and then he said "Are you ready for the second half of our show?".


fire jets

The second half was thrilling and exciting. Classical meets heavy metal. I recognized every piece including "Night on Bald Mountain", "Pachabel's Canon", "Beethoven's Fifth" and "Carmina Burana". The laser show was breathtaking. Huge jets of fire spurted upward choreographed to the music. The choir voices were lovely. The second half also lasted an hour and a half. At the end of the show I had tears of pleasure in my eyes.


jet propelled mini-atage at opposite end of main stage

B took these pics with his cell phone. Thanks, Jay. I highly recommend this show to one and all. You definitely get your money's worth.

christmas tea

For the past several years my friend, Barb, and I have had a tradition of attending a Christmas Tea that was put on by a local Swedish bakery/restaurant. Reservations were required, everyone was seated at the same time and then a lovely little feast would ensue. It began with a cup of soup, followed by two different scones served with jam and whipped cream. This was followed by four different finger sandwiches and then your choice of three or four wonderful desserts. A plate of cookies was on each table when you first sat down and we would divide these between the two of us to take home. The last year we attended we each received a tiny China teapot Christmas decoration. Ohlson's stopped having their tea last year so I recreated it at home. I invited Barb and two other friends - ladies that I used to work with who have remained good friends. Kay accepted my invitation. Karen had a conflict. She was taking her daughter to a Hannah Montana concert in Rochester the evening of my tea.
I didn't realize what an undertaking it would be. Don't get me wrong - I throughly enjoyed preparing for it but when I decide to do something like this I then have to strive for perfection. I morph into Martha. All my food has to be homemade and everything has to be special. I decorated the house more than I'd decorated in years. I spent three weeks making a different special cookie every night. I agonized over my choice of all my various lovely platters and serving dishes that I collect but never have an opportunity to use. I arranged my floral centerpiece and flowers in the powder room.



I have a vast collection of Lusterware so this was an opportunity to show off many of my pieces. Each person had a different Lusterware teapot at their place setting. I followed the bakery menu set-up. I started with a bowl of homemade soup. We proceeded on to two different homemade scones which I recall were delious and a big hit. One was a Maple Nut scone and I can't recall the other. Whipped cream and flavored butters were served in tall decorated Champagne glasses. I had five different finger sandwiches. One of them was served on phyllo dough holly leaves that I brushed with green egg white and decorated with pimento. How cute. Wish I would have gotten photos of the food. White Chocolate Eggnogg Mousse was served for dessert.



I gave each guest a Christmas tin with various small gifts inside and then they were able to fill the tin with cookies to take home with them. Writing about my tea makes me a bit nostalgic to do it again, but not for a few more years. This year Barb suggested doing the Niagara Wine Trail Christmas edition. Wine production is a growing industry in Niagara County. There are now twelve wineries on the trail. At each winery we will receive a Christmas decoration and can taste the wines if we so desire. I know we will desire but maybe not at all the wineries or we may never make it home. So Ho,Ho,Ho. Over the river and through the woods to the wineries we'll go on Sunday.

christmas kitties

Guess what I got you for Christmas


Let me help you open that cash


Santa brought me a new cat bed


You know I can't resist


All tied up

we gather together

\

I Thank Thee

O Thou whose bounty fill my cup,
With every blessing meet!
I give Thee thanks for every drop-
The bitter and the sweet.

I praise Thee for the desert road,
And for the riverside;
For all Thy goodness hath bestowed,
And all thy grace denied.

I thank Thee for both smile and frown,
And for the gain and loss;
I praise Thee for the future crown
And for the present cross.

I thank Thee for both wings of love
Which stirred my wordly nest;
And for the stormy clouds which drove
Me, trembling, to Thy breast.

I bless Thee for the glad increase,
And for the waning joy;
And for this strange, this settled peace
Which nothing can destroy.

--Jane Crewdson (1860)

taking time out for a friend

My friend, Barb, and I discovered (through our daily e-mails back and forth while we are at work) that we were both taking a vacation day today to prepare for Thanksgiving. She suggested we take time out of our morning to meet for coffee at Tim Horton's. Here is Barb enjoying a cup of coffee and a 12-grain bagel. I am so disappointed that I have been taking blurry pictures lately. I carry my camera in my purse and the dial gets so easily turned to a setting other than the ones I like. I didn't notice and I can't see the tiny screen well enough even with my reading glasses to tell that the picture is blurry until I download it. That is why I have put a new camera on my Christmas list. So I'm so sorry about the quality of these pics.



After coffee we walked over to Georgetown Liquor to purchase wine for Thanksgiving dinner. Barb knows a lot about wine. She was afraid that she was beginning to sound like an alcoholic but I told her she just sounds like a wine connoisseur. Since her husband is Italian she chose Prosecco - a white sparkling wine. I chose Pouilly-Fuisse since I know that it is a favorite of B. We considered spending the day talking in these big comfy chairs by the fire but knew we had to get along home to start our busy days. Happy Thanksgiving, my friend. I am thankful that we could spend some time together.

where would you like me to sit?

If you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner, this question can be answered by the use of placecards. Perhaps you can enlist the help of a small child to make the cards for you. This set was made by this little angel, my niece Mandy, seen here playing with baby Jay. Ernie is resting on the sofa.

my salad days

I've been going to Weight Watchers the past couple months and eating a lot of salads. It has paid off. This week after digging my money out of my wallet and stepping on the scales, my money was handed back to me because I'm a Lifetime member and I was within two pounds of my goal. Yeah!! I love salad but I've been trying to come up with something besides the plain old green one. This one I think is especially delish. I'll call it "Autumn Salad". Eating it off my heavy diner style Buffalo China plate makes it even more tasty. It consists of oranges, chick peas, green olives, carrots, fennel, yellow pepper, red onion, cilantro and a splash each of olive oil and lite rice vinegar. Try it. You'll like it.