A Great time to be in Indy!

Have you heard? The Super Bowl will be played in Indy on Sunday!!

With that being the case, we decided to head downtown with our dear friends in from DC. We were all very impressed with the massive signage on all the buildings around town, the activities in the streets connecting all the sports venues, and especially the friendly volunteers placed everywhere to improve the flow of foot traffic, and answer questions. After seeing the Zipline up close, I'm happy we pre purchased tickets for game day. Having just returned from a fun Vegas jaunt, I naturally compared the two experiences. Las Vegas certainly has things that Indy does not -

as seen here - an overabundance of red velvet for one.

The pink Cadillac being driven by Elvis (or his look alike) following the extended Hummer limo with a working open air hot tub in the back to name another.

Garth Brooks at the Wynn Hotel

(our 60th floor view from our floor to ceiling window)

was surprisingly entertaining for all types of music lovers. We even had a chance to go into the Pawn Stars shop - Gold and Silver, but sadly, Chumley was no where to be seen. Other than that, I believe the corn fields of Indiana rival the rocky desert terrain of Nevada anyday!

After walking 7 miles on the Strip, I decided a view from the top of the Stratosphere and a thrill ride would be in order. Be sure to experience that if you find yourself in Vegas with time on your hands.

Have a great week!

This is January?

Can you see what is in this picture? I know it's blurry, but look closely -

SEA GULLS!

What's so special about sea gulls, you ask?

For one, this is an Indiana (as in land locked) farm field about 180 miles to the closest large body of water, and no where near a coast.

Secondly, the sea gulls are floating on a small body of water....which is NOT supposed to be there anytime, especially in JANUARY!

I find myself dragging today due to the overnight thunderstorms and high winds rattling the house what seemed like all night long. Again, the significance of this may not register if you're not familiar with Indiana in January. Here's a picture from a recent January - note the height of the snow next to the large dog.

and the newspaper usually has headlines like this:

Gusty Winds, Frigid Temps Follow Snow

6 Inches Of Snow Possible

POSTED: 5:12 am EST January 20, 2011

UPDATED: 9:51 pm EST January 20, 2011

INDIANAPOLIS -- Snow that fell steadily Thursday, accumulating across central Indiana, will begin to blow and drift as temperatures drop dramatically Friday.

Mind you, I am not complaining, only contemplating how this 50 degree weather is so very different than what we're use to here in good ole Indiana.

Hope you stay dry, and that the real Spring is not too far off in the future.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas! Blessings Abound!

Meet Charlie! We were blessed with his birth several days prior Christmas, so the whole family greeted him with open arms over the holiday. This aunt's heart literally melted when she got her hands on him. 29 bodies flying around the house, and this precious angel baby just rested peacefully. His mom, Kate, is Kevin's youngest sib, and presented us with Evie just 3 years ago. Why is it that the clock stops ticking when a newborn is in your arms, and you just can't take your eyes off him? The day passed way too quickly, that's for sure!

As we played the "Get a gift, take a gift" game, I eyed the Chicago popcorn can that Uncle Mel had so intuitively selected, and when my turn came, I grabbed it, and then tried to keep the rest of the room distracted until the game was finally over, and my popcorn was safe! (With me!)Be sure to visit Garrett's if you are in the greater Chicagoland area. Scrumptious! The gift though, which made us ooh and awe, was definitely the CES 2011. Grandpa Charlie (note the name) creates a hand crafted gift from wood each year. Each year we recipients anticipate with excitement opening that year's CES model. This year he out did himself. We each received a cross for our homes. Mine, created from Aspen and Mahogany, is in my opinion, the most beautiful of all. Thank you Grandpa! We have already found it a home on our entry way wall! We are blessed.

After attending Christmas Eve service with the family, we headed south, with Kevin at the wheel. He did a spectacular job of getting us home so our kids could be tucked in their own beds about midnight. (Important for them even though they are now both legally adults!) As we went thru the day's mail, I came upon a box for me from my cousin. As the name of this blog implies, I like pigs; flying ones at that. So I occasionally receive flying pigs of all kinds. Upon opening the box, I saw two of these adorable guys:After further inspection, I saw a note explaining that not only had my cousin hand crafted this himself, but also used the walnut wood from my grandfather's farm (established in 1930) and the southern yellow pine from his shed which was just recently taken down. The thoughtfulness of this gift really overwhelmed me. Little did my grandfather who was born in 1892 in Germany, know that a shed he was building on Midwest farm land would be used in 2011 by his grandson to create a lovely gift for his granddaughter, who would pass these ornaments down to his great grandchildren. Again, that overwhelming feeling that I am blessed.

I know that each person reading this is blessed as well, in their own way. Just take the time to notice these blessings and to feel grateful for them!

Merry Christmas 2011, and God Bless!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

The Christmas Cactus has come through yet again this season. This plant is precious to me as it was given to me by my mother who was given a start many years ago from my grandmother. I remember admiring my grandmother's huge plant on her sun patio, and those memories come alive as I see my plant thriving.

It's also beginning to smell a lot like Christmas with the oven in full operating mode these days. I took this plate to a "Wrapping party" which is a fun way to wrap gifts, and share holiday treats.
The sounds of Christmas are filling our home while I'm busy decorating the tree, and starting to work on the cards.
Thanks to my awesome hubby, Kevin, and to ebay, I can put THIS under the tree for me. Now I will have visions of future sewing projects dancing in my head! Yippee!

Well, the sugar cookies are calling for icing - ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS!

Green Eyed Chocolate Junkie

I like to think of myself as a happy, well rounded, healthy person. Typically I delight in others happiness, and don't usually find myself feeling jealous. Because of this, I was surprised this week after viewing a photo so kindly shared via Skype by my first born, that I was feeling slightly annoyed and even green with envy regarding her most recent outing in Paris to a chocolate shop where she was able to drink hot chocolate (actually more like warm, melted chocolate) while eating the most beautiful, drooling inflicting, chocolate treasures.

Most of my family and friends know my feelings about chocolate as evidenced by the many gifts over the years of chocolate treats, cookbooks, and even attire referencing it (see photo of my feet as I write this!) My life philosophy can be summarized as follows: Daily dilemmas- solved with chocolate. Happy occasions- celebrated with chocolate. Sorrows- drowned in chocolate. Boredom- abated by chocolate. Exercise- rewarded with chocolate! There you have it...I am the definition of a "chocolate junkie". Oh well, I guess there are worse things in life than being a green eyed chocolate junkie. Such is life.
On a brighter note, December has arrived which means Sarah returns this month! Can't wait to give her big hugs. In the meantime, our holiday decorations are currently being rediscovered in various boxes, and being placed around the house. Last week we had a day of winter weather, so I snapped this picture:
Warm wishes to all of you as you make your way through this season shopping, baking, writing cards, visiting with loved ones, and of course.....eating lots of CHOCOLATE!!