Christmas 2019

While I can still remember details, here is the schedule plus a few highlights from Christmas 2019.  To be honest, with Steve and me working most of Christmas week some crankiness did set in...  But I'm happy with everything - all went as planned and we had lots of great family time.  The holiday season is wonderful, and good thing it is only once per year.

• Dec. 22 - Aunt Pam's student piano recital at Trinity Church, which Rob and I attended.  Also, baking commenced (cut-out, sugar cookies).  Baking continued over the next couple days, then more on Friday night & Saturday morning.
• Dec. 24 - 7:30 pm service at Wyoming Presbyterian Church.  Laura Lewis was retiring as pastor at the end of the month; also, Pastor Jim Thyren retired back in June.  We've always looked forward to church and other activities with them, and will miss them.
• Dec 24 - 9:30 pm at Aunt Pam's house.  Delicious food including beef rolls with horseradish, crab dip and cookies.  Had a pleasant time with Norbert and Pam's friend Dawn.
• Christmas Day - 12:30 pm present opening, once Alex came over.  Favorite presents:  Alex - mattress & box spring, which arrived about a month earlier, and hopefully a silver and red glazed shot class that Rob brought him from Monaco; Rob - Van Refrigeration (The Office) t-shirt, The World According to Mr Rogers book, and Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon DS game; Mom - black and white kitties crystal pendant; Steve - Sonos lamp with speaker from Ikea.
• Christmas Day - 2 pm ham and chicken dinner with Aunt Pam, Norbert, Joe, Rich & Gary the dog (who was well behaved i.e., no pooping on the rug; of course, our feline companions stayed upstairs).  My pecan pie was excellent, with special thanks to the pecan shopper - see related posting on NCFE:  Pecans.  Unfortunately Taylor didn't join us, since her grandparents' Christmas dinner was at the same time.  
• Christmas Day - 6 pm or so Kate (home from NYC), Becca and Chris came over.  It was a nice, relaxing time to catch up and open presents. 
• Friday Dec. 27 - Korin and Alex came from Massachusetts to stay for the weekend.  Had a pizza dinner together on Friday, then presents on Saturday night.  We are pleased that Alex's room is completely in order as a guest room.  Korin's Alex said the bed was more comfortable than theirs at home  :-)  
• Saturday Dec. 28 - Lunch at Montgomery Ave, then the "final" Star Wars movie from the original series The Rise of Skywalker at Movies 14.  Grammie, John, Fran, Noel, Larson and Paul Fejko (organist at Old Swedes church, think 'Lucia Fest') joined us.
• Sunday Dec. 29 Mid-Day - Grotto party at Harvey's Lake with Brian Gochez-Kerr, David and Natalia Kerr, Alex & Taylor, Grammie and Grandad, Aunt Julie and Mark, Aunt Di and Uncle Lawry, Lou, Uncle John and Aunt Fran, Noel and Larson.  A happy time.  And more importantly, Alex's birthday!!  You turned 23 (wow!!), which was also celebrated with your friends the prior evening.
• Dec. 29 - 31 - Continuing on to Ricketts Glenn, we stayed at Grammie & Grandad's cabin.  Walks, games, more presents and much good food (Aunt Julie's chocolate sauce was a big hit).  On Monday we took a drive with Lou through Lopez and Mildred, to Dushore which is in need of some general repairs and house paint.
• Dec. 31 evening - Jan 1  Came home in the afternoon & thankfully, nothing on the schedule!  There was laundry and general recuperation, including couch time for Mom.

Here's a picture Steve took of our handsome boy Rambo, alongside a lovely Christmas tree.

A New Year's Song

Today was a quiet day, while we recuperated from holiday festivities including a couple nights at the cabins.  It's our first New Year's at home without Alex, which is a little sad for me.  Also it's my birthday, which I could conveniently forget as I'm now eleven lustrum (you may have to look that up).  Although one good reason to be glad for my birthday is that Steve got us tickets to a show - Fiddler on the Roof, which is coming to the Scranton Cultural Center in April (!)  I do love musicals.

We just got back from our annual trek to see the Christmas lights at Nay Aug Park (this year we did not drive up & down Fireman's Hill aka Olive Street, where Rob has said he would like to live some day).  We had a delicious dinner at Fratelli's restaurant too.  The stars are out tonight :-)  When we got home, Rob played a lovely version of "Over the Rainbow" on his phone.  It's a song about hopes and dreams for the future.  And it's just a little melancholy which I sometimes feel during the holiday season, thinking of Chrismas's past even as we're enjoying our kitties (like Rambo under the tree, and Jean Luc lounging among the presents as you opened them), family time, gifts, lights, decorations, cards from friends & family and too many cookies. 

Happy New Year!  And best wishes for everyone in 2020.

 

Christmas is Coming!

As a quick follow-up to the last post, here is a picture of our front porch.  Steve was in charge of outdoor lighting.  He was also the  main arranger of interior lights and assembler of our Christmas tree, after which Rob and I worked on tree ornaments.  Rambo does chew on tree branches now and then (though no sign of ill effects), while Jean Luc is being a good boy all the time (as it would be a great deal of effort to do otherwise).

Glorious Kingdom

From earlier posts, you can tell that I like choral music including gospel music.  Rob, a couple weeks ago I dropped you off for a Key Club activity at Butler Street Park in Wyoming.  Our old stomping grounds!  I took you to play at the park many times when you were young boys.  Seems like the Wyoming Recreation Board was hosting a Christmas/holiday event starting at twilight, and I happened to hear this wonderful song (which is new to me) on my way home.

So lovely and obviously everyone singing enjoyed it very much.  Maybe you will like too...

Thanksgiving 2019 (minus the turkey)

This year we went out to Thanksgiving dinner - for the the second time (the first being 2 years ago at a restaurant near Hershey, where we met up with Aunt Di, Uncle Lawry and Lu).  Here's a semi-focused picture from that pleasant day:

As you know, we normally spend Thanksgiving with Grammie and Grandad - and I'm sure we will again.  We did in fact see them....  Rob, you Steve and I went down the next day and went to the Museum of the American Revolution downtown in Philadelphia, wandered the Willow Grove Mall and had dinner with Aunt Julie and Mark (newly returned from a visit to Oman and Doha), Meagan and baby Julian.

Really, Thanksgiving was was ssoooo nice.  I didn't have to cook, except for baking a couple pies which I enjoyed.  We had a reasonable, 45 minute drive up to the Hazleton area to a lovely restaurant Top of the Eighties.  I have always wanted to go there, and have always noticed the view from the top of this hill overlooking the Conyngham Valley.  Aunt Pam joined us (we missed Taylor, who went to her grandparents' Thanksgiving dinner), and we had a table near picture windows overlooking a country club and picturesque hills, homes etc.  The room wasn't crowded, everyone ordered meals other than turkey, appetizers, deserts and coffees with liquor for several of us.  It was relaxing, and we hope to go again sometime.

It was also very nice to have Kate, Korin and Alex and Becca and Chris over later on.  We had pie and caught up on everyone's news.  (Korin just finished her dissertation and is now officially Dr. Korin Albert - wow!).  As you can tell, it was a good day.  Here's a picture from Top of the Eighties to help us remember.  Rob wore his Hawaiian shirt with plaid flannel shirt for the occasion.

Still Not Over It

It's been over a year since we saw Bohemian Rhapsody, the movie.  In my many spare moments watching YouTube, I've found so many wonderful renditions of Queen songs.  So I'm going to share two versions of famous Queen hits that I often come back to.  Listen to every moment - I always do.

WA Football State Championship

We are not much into sports, although we were at one time when you boys played baseball (Wyoming/West Wyoming Little League) and soccer (Forty Fort Pioneers and Pittston Stoners).  Alex, you will remember the excitement when your Little League team won the district championship.  Steve and I like going to WA Football games occasionally, especially early in the season while it's warm.  Meanwhile Rob works the Key Club stand during all the games, but barely keeps track of the score.  (I never wanted you to play football because I was concerned about potential serious injuries....  will you forgive me?)

Even so, it must be said that it's a big deal that Wyoming Area won the state AAA league championship yesterday.  This is our district's first state championship, and really will go down in the record books and could help some of our boys get footballs scholarships etc.  Rob successfully avoided pep rallies late last week.  We then heard the sirens as the team was escorted off on its trip to Hershey on Friday, and Rob saw the victory parade getting organized down at the Midway Shopping Center yesterday while hanging out with Key Club friends at Burger King.  And best of all Rob, to recognize this major victory here is no school tomorrow - YAHOO!  (As you said today, supposing that WA goes to the national History Bowl next spring and wins we know for sure that school would be closed to honor that great win as well!)

Maybe sometime you will read all about in the Citizens Voice articles you can link to below. 

WA Wins article

Defense !

Victory Rally at the Stadium