To-do list? What to-do list?

Anybody else need to be doing something other than blogging this morning? I thought not. Go ahead and enjoy that cup of coffee before you take a deep breath and dive into your to-do's that should have been done. I'm not the only one am I?

I need to clean out my frig to make room for the various and hundred sides we prepare for our Thanksgiving meal.

I need to clean out my pantry to make room for the many ingredients needed to prepare those same sides.

I need to clean. Period. Or 'full stop' as they say in England. Sigh...they even make punctuation sound like something special.

I need to catch up on laundry that has accumulated due to our travels. What travels you ask? Well, I think I mentioned that my hubs was in China last week. He arrived home late Friday night to an empty house since I'd flown to South Carolina on Wednesday. Daughter2 had some minor surgery scheduled for Thursday and needed her mama close by. Or her mama needed to be close by...whatever. When daughters need me I scrap my to-do list and go, even if it is exactly seven days before a holiday that requires at least three days of cooking.

Her surgery went well and she is recovering nicely. We spent the weekend in R and R at my sister's house since she conveniently lives in collegetown. So thankful for my sister...she has a heart of gold.

I got home late last night. Okay, it was 9 pm but my kids can attest to the fact that 9 pm is late for me.

We seem to be on the go around here all.the.time. Full stop.

Today will be shopping and cleaning and a little bit of cooking in preparation for daughters arriving home tomorrow night, one with a boyfriend in tow. I am looking forward to the weekend which I'm gonna say officially begins around here tomorrow since hubs is taking the day and rest of the week off and my girls will be here.

Just writing that last sentence makes my heart happy.

Off to clean, cook, and count my blessings now...wishing you a week full of love and gratitude!

A my name is Anna and I come from Alabama

...and I sell apples.

Actually none of that is true. I stumbled across an April blog challenge while reading Sheila's blog yesterday and thought, why not? The challenge starts today so I'm not quite at the top of my game but since I added my link I guess I'm in. For the record, I don't think I've ever been at the top of my game...still sort of waiting for that to happen.

The challenge is called A-Z and the idea is to post every day (except Sundays) during the month of April. This means participants will write 26 posts and those posts can be on any topic. Or no topic as is often the case here but, there is one catch...remember the challenge title? A letter a day-that's the catch.

Since I am the queen of random I initially thought I'd just carry on with my usual nonsense and work the letter in somehow. The more I've thought about it though the more I've decided I need a theme. I love to travel and I've moved umpteen times and I enjoy taking pictures even if I'm not very good at it so here's my plan-I'm going to choose a photo from our very large and still mostly unorganized collection and blog about it. Something about the photo's location will meet the letter of the day requirement. It's still pretty random but I have a jumping off point which helps. Since there's no time like the present, here we go~

A is for Annapolis

circa 2000

This picture says everything I feel when I think about the years we spent living in Maryland. My girls were 4 and 6 when we moved to the Annapolis area and 13 and 15 when we left. They lived out their childhood beside the water and the pinks and purples of this sunset photo taken from the back of our boat makes my heart happy.

Annapolis was the decade of little girls in our house. Little girls who learned to roller blade and water ski, subtract and write cursive, play the violin, tickle the ivories, perform an arabesque and sing on a stage. Little girls who floated innocently into their tweens...who thought they knew what the teenage years held but were surprised by life and the twist it took, carrying them across another sea and into something new and unexpected and scary and wonderful.

The years we spent in Annapolis were happy years, crammed with music and memory...dance and dreams...growing up and getting ready. I think each stage of life helps prepare us for the next. Annapolis is where we planted roots...it's also where we grew our wings.

If you'd like to join the party visit one of the host blogs for information, linking and button codes.

Deutschland part zwei

No I don't speak German but that doesn't stop me from tossing around a word here and there. Actually this post is more Austria than Germany but whatever. Picking up where I left off in my previous post (because I know you need every last detail)...we spent the day Saturday in the oh so picturesque town of Salzburg.

Charming.

Seriously charming.

I was in Salzburg a few years ago with my family and it was fun to see it again, this time with the markets in town. My hubs does a superb imitation of the Mother Superior in The Sound of Music saying, "There's a family in Salzburg...." in a very high pitched voice. It's funny. We took a Sound of Music tour with our girls and visited Mozart's birthplace and we all fell in love with the quaint narrow streets and the staggering beauty of the Alps in Salzburg's backyard.

A-ny-way...this time round I was with friends and we enjoyed visiting the market stalls and also touring the cathedral. You cannot help but feel a sense of awe when you are inside a magnificent cathedral.

The grandeur and beauty and the obvious care and craftsmanship so evident in the detail and design are truly amazing.

You really need to read Pillars of the Earth if you haven't already. You'll have a new found appreciation for a beautifully crafted cathedral once you're finished.

High up on the hill behind Salzburg sits the Fortress Hohensalzburg. The fortress is over 900 years old and was originally built to protect the prince from attack. Today you get a great view of the city from up top.

Course we didn't go up there this trip because hello, we had shopping to do...

These are hand painted eggs which come in every color imaginable.

They are absolutely, positively beautiful.

Speaking of beautiful...late Saturday afternoon we had to stop for cake and coffee in one of the local cafes. Yes, we had to stop. I'm pretty sure it's the law in Austria.

We eventually made our way back to the trains and on home to Munich where our friend and hostess (AM) whipped up some fabulous German spatezle for our dinner entree.

Another friend in the group concocted a delicious apple strudel for dessert and we had a relaxed evening sitting round the table chatting. For the record, we never run out of things to talk about. After dinner we had a little gift exchange with small presents we'd bought in the markets. AM's son came in while we were swapping presents and said, "Wait a minute...you all were together all day and you bought gifts for yourselves?" Yes, something like that.

Sunday dawned too soon too fast and almost before we could blink it was time for everyone to head home to their various and sundry cities and countries. I'll post about some of my purchases next week because I'm planning to link to the Christmas tour of homes over at The Nester's blog on December 13th. Which, incidentally, is right around the corner. I know I lost a weekend and it seems a little crazy to be traveling in December, but I'm not complaining...

Some things are worth it.

Guten Morgen

Wow. It was a weekend plus, but here I am, home again. I've been in Munich. And Nuremberg. And Salzburg. And let's not forget the almost full day I spent in Terminal 5 at London Heathrow. Let's just say England's transport system is easily overwhelmed by snow.

I had plans to fly to Munich to meet up with six friends for a weekend of talking, laughing, and shopping at the German Christmas markets and we definitely hit the ground running. Once I got there anyway. I flew out Wednesday night and was supposed to make a connection in London at noon on Thursday but sadly all flights to Munich, including mine, were cancelled. All but one which was going out early evening and thankfully I happened to be standing in the right place at the right time and got a seat on that flight. Many thousands were not so lucky.

So I arrived in Munich (finally!) and in spite of having shopped in Harrods twiddled my thumbs in Heathrow for some 7 hours my bag did not make it. Hey, that's what friends are for, right? We were all staying with my friend A.M. at her lovely home in a suburb of Munich and everyone contributed to my wardrobe on Thursday...long johns and a hat from one friend, warm socks from another, a turtleneck from another and deodorant from another. I'd been in my same clothes for a couple of days so these things matter people. And take note, I had almost no makeup so those pics from Day 1 are a little sad. We had plans to go to Nuremberg for the day on Friday so A.M. said we could leave a note on her door for British Airways to please deposit my bag with a neighbor. I'm sure she could have worked out the wording herself but in the end we felt it was best to ask her German neighbor to compose the note for us so there would be no miscommunication. My bag was there when we got home that night so yay!

We rode the train from Munich to Nuremberg which is an old walled city filled with history and a fabulous Christmas market.

Course you can't ride a German train for two hours without a pretzel so AW bought this for us to share...

The markets consist of a couple hundred stalls full of German crafts and Christmas decorations and lebkuchen and of course gluwhein because baby it's cold outside!

Gluwhein is essentially mulled red wine and it warms you up right down to your tippy toes.

Did I mention the food? Because there are lots and lots of food stalls with all sorts of delicious treats to try and resist...

Or not...

This is the classic 'Nuremberger'...yum!

One of my favorite sites in Nuremberg is the huge Gothic pyramid that sits in the cathedral square. It is stunning...

Nearly every European city has a beautiful cathedral and Nuremberg is no exception...I never get tired of seeing these amazing old churches.

This is getting long so I think I'll save Salzburg for part zwei tomorrow. Before catching the train back to Munich we had a fun dinner out in a little Italian restaurant where we raised our glasses to friendship...

Friendship born while living far from home...

And now-two continents, five countries, seven separate cities.

To friendship that remains.

The Upside

There is an upside to having a husband who travels.

And that upside is presents.

I like presents.

And I like jewelry.

And I especially like presents that are jewelry.

When my hubs got home last night he said he bought me something in Shanghai. He pulled out the gift bag and I asked if this was an anniversary present because we have an anniversary coming up in a couple of weeks. Or maybe a birthday present although my BIG birthday is still a few months away. No, just a present. Or three.

Cultured pearls are a bargain in China and you have to negotiate with the vendors. He loves that sort of thing...he is all about the negotiating. It usually pays off too.

I love these pearls. The set on the left looks white in the photo but they are more of a pewter color. The set on the right is a combination of white, pewter and a gray blue and they are my favorite. He also bought me a bracelet and it's all white. And he may have bought a little something for daughters 1 and 2 but I'm not showing that here since they read my blog.

Now, who thinks I need a nice dinner out to go with the jewelry?

Oh, and I think I've told you once or a hundred times that I also love pottery. And since hubs will be in Istanbul on our anniversary there is a certain set of beautiful brightly colored dishware made in Turkey that would make an excellent anniversary gift.

Just sayin'...

Even though we don't really exchange gifts on our anniversary.

Essentially I'm talkin' food here...

Note: I've linked this post I wrote last week to the summer recipe exchange over at Fringe Girl...visit there for more summer recipes...read to the end of this post for two yummy summertime salads. Enjoy!

Is it finally Wednesday? My husband travels a lot but this trip has felt especially long. He'll be home from Shanghai this evening and I just finished making a pot of spaghetti sauce and meatballs because he loves them. He has asked that I not prepare any river eel in 'special' sauce or any squirrel fish either, at least not for a while. For the record I've never prepared eel of any sort and I've never heard of squirrel fish which he said was pretty good. It's always fun to travel and try new things but always nice to come home to comfy and familiar too.

I headed down to my moms last Thursday afternoon to spend a few days there because fyi, a husband traveling on a holiday weekend just feels wrong. My mom and I like to go out to breakfast, do a little shopping and play many games of rummikub. Friday afternoon she took me out to lunch and we went to a new restaurant called 52 Seasons. Do you have this where you live because I think its a chain? I loved it...the menu changes every week, hence the name. Everything is seasonally fresh plus nothing on the menu is over 475 calories which is just a little added bonus.

Yesterday was my nephew's birthday...he turned the big 0-4. This is the first birthday he has celebrated that I've been in town for and it was fun to be a part of his big day. My sister and her husband had a cookout with family and neighbors at their house last night and the rain held off so we could sit out in their back garden.

Boys are so funny. They are such boys. He loves snakes and superheros and dragons and anything with a motor. Oh, and chocolate cake. He likes that too. We're definitely related.

Here he is with some of his buds...they have a little table built into an area underneath the swing set and that's where the kiddos like to sit and eat.

My sister asked if I would bring my pasta salad to the party...it's so simple and is always a crowd pleaser. I mentioned it once before on my blog and had a few requests for the recipe so I've posted it below. And because I'm killing time here until hubs gets home I've also included another summer salad recipe which is our family's favorite...enjoy!

Pasta Salad Supreme

1 1lb. box rotini, cooked al dente

1 -8 0z. bottle Zesty Italian salad dressing (or your favorite Italian)

1/2 jar McCormicks Salad Supreme spice mix (found in the spice section of supermarkets that carry McCormick brand spices)

1 cucumber, diced

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved if they are on the large size

1 green pepper, chopped

1/2 jar large black olives, pitted and halved

1 carrot, chopped

Cook pasta and then stir in the vegetables (I usually add other peppers if I have them on hand, sometimes green onion, really whatever you like). Stir in the dressing and seasoning and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. You can adjust the amount of vegetables to taste. We like a lot of vegetables in ours.

Cucumber-Tomato-Onion Salad

2-3 cucumbers, sliced very thinly

3-4 tomatoes quartered

3-4 green onions diced

Sauce:

1/4 c. white sugar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 TBLSP mayonnaise

1 TBLSP milk

salt and pepper

Put the cukes, tomatoes, and onions into a serving bowl. In another small bowl whisk together sugar and mayonnaise. Slowly stir in vinegar. Add the milk and stir to combine. Pour over vegetables and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving. It will be soupy. If you prefer it thicker you can increase the mayo. It's yummy!

Catch a tiger by the tail

My husband is in London today. It's his first trip back since we moved. Tonite he's going to see his buds at the Indian restaurant we loved in the little village where we lived. I'm only
extremelyslightly jealous. Yesterday I got an email from someone new to England. A friend there suggested she visit my blog and she did and I wrote her back and spent some time thinking about how it felt to be new and all that was in front of us that we had no clue was in front of us. The combination of these two things has left me feeling a little bit homesick.

Hubs phoned yesterday after he got checked into his hotel and he did have a small rant about the iron being bungeed to the ironing board in his room and the outlet being in an inconvenient spot which is always the case with outlets in the UK. I used to have a six foot extension chord plugged into my bedroom wall so I could dry my hair in front of the bathroom mirror because there were no outlets in the bathroom itself. Gotta be careful with 220 volts and water in close proximity I guess.

Thinking about those little annoyances should help but for some reason the quirkiness is something that makes me miss it more. Its a funny thing because when you leave you imagine all the things you will not miss and for sure using an extension chord to dry my hair ranked right up there. Yet, I think about that and I smile. Go figure.

So how about I talk some more about my vacation? Aren't you so glad you stopped by here today? Really there is not too much more to tell because other than the wave runner outing we spent most of the week sitting in beach chairs, swimming in the ocean and then maybe mixing it up with a swim in the pool, reading stacks of books, and walking for miles. Oh, and eating a lot of seafood.

If you've never been to a beach in this area you might have a hard time imagining the shells. The beach is just a mass of shells and of course alot of them are broken but there is also no shortage of beautiful whole shells of every size shape and color. No we did not bring home any live starfish...that's a big no no.

My daughter said it felt like cheating because you could literally just look down at your feet and pick up something pretty all along the beach. You didn't really have to work too hard.

Luckily.

We were on vacation after all.

There is a public beach in Marco called Tigertail and we like to go there to collect shells and also because you can walk to the far end and its likely you will not see another soul. Its pretty amazing to think there are beaches that are not wall to wall people and noise but there are and this is one of those beaches.

Apparently you can walk around from the car park but we always take the 'short cut' which involves crossing some water along with several school of assorted fish. This little bit is also the teensiest bit squishy which I do not care for. At all. I try not to think about the critters under my feet. Shudder.

We saw this guy just as we were taking our first steps. I started referring to him as a squidray because he looked like a cross between a squid and a stingray. My girls are petite so coordination was required.

As soon as we got to the path we saw millions of little bitty crabs. eww. I love crabs but they must be cooked. And these little guys scattered as soon as we stepped onto the path but they made so much racket. I couldn't even get a picture because I was too busy trying not to step on one in my bare feet. ick.

When you get out to the beach it is worth all the trouble. It is one of the most peaceful places I've been...so quiet and beautiful.

We did have a little bit of company...

I love to watch the pelicans...such funny creatures.

I started this post last night and things always look a little better in the light of day. The sun is shining, my pup was supposed to have a little surgical procedure today which was cancelled because the mysterious 'bump' is no longer a mysterious bump, hubs will enjoy seeing friends in our old stomping grounds...

and will especially enjoy his very spicy curry with a side of diced chilies because they will remember that's how he likes it...and as for me?

I think I have a few shells to clean and sort.

Welcome to the Real World

Well, not quite yet...I'm actually looking out at the beautiful Gulf of Mexico as I type this and we think next week will be soon enough for the new graduate to start dealing with the real world. If only sitting in the sand watching the waves lap your freshly polished toes were the real world. Sigh.

Graduation weekend was perfect. For starters, the weather was positively amazing. Crystal clear blue skies and a breeze. Friday night we had dinner with a big group of daughter1's friends and families. The parents all said the same thing, "Weren't we just moving these girls in to their dorms?" And the soon to be graduates all said the same thing too, "Can we really be graduating?"

Yes they really can be graduating. And they did. Saturday morning while they were at rehearsal hubs and I wandered thru the farmers market downtown, had coffee by the river and took a walk. We met up with all the family for gift giving and a celebration lunch a little later in the day. Lots of fun and laughter and hugs, and maybe a tear or two.

A couple of hours before the ceremony start time we headed over to campus to begin the picture taking frenzy. Lots and lots of family pictures and lots of pictures with the friends too. The campus is gorgeous and there are beautiful gardens and fountains and buildings everywhere so no shortage of photo ops.

Daughter2 would say we managed to hit them all.

The ceremony was held in the football stadium and the graduates walk thru the campus and all the way down the 'mall' to the stadium.

You could see them approaching, a huge purple 2010 banner waving out in front, and of course the band was playing Pomp and Circumstance which is always good for a few tears. You feel it all welling up inside of you at that moment.

The program was so beautifully done and except for the uncomfortable stadium seat, it was altogether perfect. Note to self-when daughter2 graduates in a couple more years bring a seat cushion. They called every single name and, fyi, its nice to be near the front of the alphabet. Across the stage she went, smiling and accepting a handshake from the university President along with her diploma. And that was that....from student to alum in a matter of minutes.

We made our way down onto the field when it was all over and took more pictures and hugged all the friends and congratulated everyone and admired their hard earned diplomas.

The graduates were in a state of semi-shock...'Did I really just graduate? Is college really over?'

I'm so glad we planned a mini vacation this week...

...its amazing how the sight of the sea combined with the knowledge that we are now paying tuition for just one can help ease the pain of sending your baby out into the big wide world.