Adirondack Pop

While enjoying a game night at a friend's house, I was offered various beverages including Adirondack pop. 

Our friend is also a native New Yorker where Adirondack is found. I had not seen this pop in years!

Comforts from home!

Monopoly

When is the last time you played Monopoly? A friend of ours recently bought a ton of games and invited us over for an evening of games.

The game? Monopoly of course. My husband has never played it until now.

We had a great evening of laughs while playing this game. What a blast from the past!

Rare Breakfast

Since my husband eats mostly a vegetarian diet, I rarely indulge in meat or eggs. 

Breakfast is one of my favorite meals any time of the day. While he was at an all day soccer tournament, I was inspired to have a big farmhouse breakfast in his absence. 

Pancakes, scrambled eggs, and sausage. It wouldn't have been complete without butter and maple syrup.

It was wonderfully tasty!

Eclipse 2017

I can't tell you how I excited I was for the solar eclipse. It is one of those rare occurrences in life that should not be missed. 

I did not attempt to find the eclipse glasses at stores even though that would have been the easiest thing to do. 

I went online and looked for solutions and found one from Nasa. They're the experts right? 

All I needed was a box, foil, white paper, tape, and scissors. 

Once it was assembled, we were ready for eclipse viewing! 

How well did it work? Well, we left our home to meet up with family. Once on the road I remembered we didn't have the pin hole projector! Darn it! We opted for an extra pair of eclipse glasses that they had. 

We still enjoyed the eclipse!

Fortunes

One of my favorite things about going out for Chinese as a kid was getting the fortune cookie. Rumor has it, that this is a tradition instilled in the US and not in China. 

We went out for Chinese recently and there was no fortune in my cookie. That was a first in all these years. 

Things that make you go hmm...

Far & Away: Niagara Falls, Canada

This destination never feels far and away for me. I grew up about an hour away from Niagara Falls. I've frequented the falls since I was a small child. As a family, we would venture out with a picnic for the day. 

It is the pride of the region since visitors worldwide come to view the falls. I have been privileged to take a few visitors from other countries to experience the falls for themselves. Most recently, I took my husband to see them. 

We started by parking in Niagara Falls, New York and walking across the Rainbow Bridge. On the bridge you stand at the border of the 2 countries and then pass through border control. 

Once at the falls, you can take a boat ride up to the falls, view the gardens, walk the pathways along the falls, zipline, visit the floral clock, experience the butterfly conservatory, and more!

Clifton Hill is the tourist section descending to the falls. Here you'll find Hard Rock Café, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Rainforest Café, museums, and gift shops. 

It is always a pleasure to visit Niagara Falls. Even for a few moments to take a look at the breath taking view. 

Orangina

Orangina. This is one of my favorite drinks of all time!

As I look back at a blog I started in 2007, I seem to have mentioned Orangina fairly frequently. 

What makes this drink so delicious is that it is carbonated orange juice. Not like orange pop / soda. It actually tastes like oranges.

I go long periods without having it because it is not always easy to find in the US. I was out for lunch at a local market one day and saw it! Without hesitation, I purchased one. 

Wedding Anniversary

We celebrated our wedding anniversary recently. We're still young and in love!

I checked our mailbox that week and found this lovely card from my mom. She's so creative and crafty. The card is homemade by her. She even made the envelope! She can see the potential in so many things and will repurpose it for her works of art. The envelope this time is a page from a wall calendar. 

I have a box of cards that she's made for me from the last few years. My only regret is that I did not start saving them sooner. 

Scalloped Potatoes

Comfort food is the delicious. It can be nostalgic and instantly transport you to a time gone by just by the smell alone. 

I had a craving for scalloped potatoes and realized it had been years since I have had it.  Fortunately, it was one of those times that I had all the ingredients for this sudden inspiration. 

I found the recipe posted on Gimme Some Oven. There are certain elements of a recipe post that appeal to me. First, the simplicity of the preparation. Second, the ingredients are known and not obscure. Finally, where the recipe is posted aka street cred. The preparation and ingredients are basic. The name of the site, Gimme Some Oven, is clever. I was sold!

Easy enough recipe with sequential steps. 

Bake for 1 hour and serve!

It could have used a tad more salt given the large amount of potatoes I used. 

Creamy + bubbly = delicious

Lessons I Learned Abroad

I originally posted a list of lessons I learned abroad in September 2008 in my other blog. I felt the urge to revisit this list to see if these things still hold true for me. They are still true and I can tell a story for each one. 

1. There's no place like home.
2. People have resolve problems I didn't even know existed with fascinating solutions.
3. People are people no matter where they come from. 
4. Children are children, too.
5. There is a lot of good in the world.
6. Every locale has its own appeal and charm.
7. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 
8. People take for granted the beauty around them and seek beauty elsewhere. 
9. When I'm home, I can't wait to get away. When I'm away, I can't wait to get home. 
10. People are suckers for green eyes and a charming accent. 
11. Sites are more stunning than a picture can ever display. 
12. Don't expect anything to be like it is at home--especially toilets. 
13. You truly learn what you're made of when you're away from your comfort zone. 
14. You learn how big and small the world really is. 

More than 20 trips to 13 different countries were the result these lessons. I have been changed because of these experiences. I cannot go back. I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Indiana Jones

My inspiration of global adventure turned aspiration for my life has many roots. Once can be traced to my childhood neighbors who traveled the world and whose home was filled with objects from every trip (read more here). 

Another root can be traced to Indiana Jones. These movies that we saw in the theater as children and at home periodically were a whirlwind of adventure that stretched from China to the US touching down in India, Nepal, Egypt, Italy, Germany, Italy, and Peru throughout the 4 film series. 

Viewing cultural traditions, religions, clothing, music, and more captured my imagination. 

Obviously, renewing my love for these films and where they've taken me is how I spent my time while I was sick. It's nice going back to the basics. 

Cloud Formations

One of my favorite childhood activities involved the swimming pool in our backyard. I would spend hours in the pool by myself, with my sister, with friends, with the whole family. Swimming laps, splashing, underwater summersaults, handstands, making whirlpools, floating. Day or evening, it mattered very little to me. 

Some sunny afternoons, my mother would come outside and swim with me. We had a variety of tubes and floating lounges to relax and enjoy which is what she need after toiling all day. We would grab ahold of each other's rafts to stay in close proximity to talk. 

Talking about various subjects and laughing together (which is what we do best) while drifting with no goal in mind but to unwind. Gazing at the sky or closing our eyes, we lingered together. 

One such afternoon, we were taken in by the clouds and how they were ever rolling, morphing into various shapes. We remarked that one cloud looked like a dog. Later, the dog-like cloud seemed to transform in a way that looked like the long ears were horizontal. One of us shared with the other that it now looked like the same dog but ears flapping in the wind like he was in a car. 

Serious reflection of clouds lessened as hilarity ensued. Every cloud after that was another animal in a car or other humorous images. We laughed all afternoon at what the clouds appeared to be in our own little world. 

Walking on the beach recently, I was gazing at the clouds feeling nostalgic about those precious moments with my mom. 

This cloud caught my attention in particular because it appeared to be a giraffe, my mom's favorite animal. I no sooner took my phone and snapped a shot to send to her, reminding her of one of our mutually favorite moments together. 

If I had stayed long enough, I wonder if the giraffe would look like he was in a car. Neck out the window, straining to stay upward in vain as the momentum of the car overcomes him. I should have stayed instead of rushing off to do some adulting somewhere else. 

Winter Wonderland

Living in Florida for the last few years has been delightful for the most part. There are certain seasonal signs that elude me (read more here). Living in a tropical location does not create a Winter Wonderland type of atmosphere. That is not necessarily a complaint, by the way.

Wintertime up north was the picture of "walking in a winter wonderland." Even in Florida, people hang icicle lights and snow-themed decorations on and in their homes. It is not quite the same.

If I were to play a word association game and the word was "winter," I would blurt out "snow." 

Once in awhile I start to think about my hometown of Rochester, NY and reminisce about all the fun we had in the snow: sledding, skiing, snow shoeing, making snow angels, building snowmen, polar bear swimming, etc.

My husband has not yet experienced snow. He has experienced somewhat cool temperatures which is cold to him. It's all relative! I bought him a Snuggie for Christmas this year. He loves it!

This year for Christmas Eve, we spent the afternoon at the beach. This was our first Christmas in Florida together.

Despite the warm weather, I turned to my husband and asked him Ana's famous question: do you want to build a snowman?  He had little idea what I was inferring and went on to jump waves in the ocean. I grabbed my ice scraper in the back of the car and got to work.

Here is what I came up with:

Read more about a spiritual meaning I found from the song, "Winter Wonderland" here. 

Christmas Cheer: Breakfast with Santa

The Christmas season is rolling along with our calendar filling up with more and more events. That's one of my favorite parts of Christmas: celebrating with others. I like being out shopping for gifts for my loved ones but I'd rather spend quality time with them. 

Our home community put on a Breakfast with Santa. The breakfast bar included pancakes, sausage, fruit, yogurt, sweet breads, juice, coffee, and cookies. 

Shortly after breakfast was nearly finished, Santa arrived. He was greeted with a huge welcome, as expected. Each child was called to sit on Santa's lap and was given a gift. While I"m not a big fan of Santa or anything secular, it is nostalgic in a way. 

Every adult was given a raffle ticket at the entrance and later on numbers were called for prizes. Guess who won? This gal!

Christmas Cheer: Christmas Card from Kids

It is said that Christmas time is for children. There is a lot of truth to that considering the amount of activities with Santa, lights, crafts, and songs that are geared towards children. Let's not take our eyes off the birth of Christ which gives us hope and cause to celebrate. His birth gives us hope for the future generations as well as the past and present. 

Parents and grandparents alike will tell you that it is giving their children and grandchildren gifts that make Christmas so special. Seeing the faces of their loved ones opening gifts greatly desired is one of the precious moments that can be had. 

Not being a parent yet, I enjoy the delight of my sister and her husband's daughter, my 3 year old niece. She's loving, caring, creative, beautiful, and smart. 

This year I received a Christmas card from my sister's family with an artwork from my niece. Once I opened it and saw her drawing, the rest of the card's importance faded in comparison. This was my little girl sending me and my husband a piece of her darling little heart. 

Life doesn't get any better than this!

Christmas Cheer: Handmade Cards

My mom always makes Christmas so special. One of the many ways she makes the holiday special is by making her own Christmas cards.

She has a different design each year which outdoes the previous year.

This year's special delivery is...

...DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!

Christmas Cheer: Sending Christmas Cards

My great uncle, Morgan, moved into an assisted living facility earlier this year because he has dementia. My parents live a couple miles from his house and were the key players in moving him and prepping his house for sale. I inherited a great set of Revere pots. See my post on shining up these copper bottoms here. 

This week we received a Christmas card from my great uncle, who we always called Sunny.  The Christmas card had my mother's handwriting on the card and the envelope. My family is still helping him. 

The last time I saw him was last year on Christmas Day. While I was married, my husband hadn't yet arrived due to our visa process still being under way at that time. My uncle greeted me and congratulated me on getting married. Then, he asked where my fella was. I told him he was in Africa. His response was comical because that is the last place he expected me to say. He said, "what the hell is he doing there?" To which I replied, "he's in Western Africa with his family until our visa is granted." His face went from amused to shocked. He then said, "Africa? You mean like 'black'?" When I affirmed that my husband was black, he made a pained grimace and didn't have anything to say to me the rest of the day. He did, however, look at me out of the corner of his eye and then shake his head. 

I understand 2 things about my uncle. First, he comes from a generation that was against interracial couples and black people, in general. Second, he has dementia which can cause the affected person to become agitated easily, such was the case. What a recipe for disaster and / or a case for compassion. Nonetheless, I am proud to be the wife of a talented, intelligent, compassionate, generous, respectful, and respectable man, no matter his race and nationality. That doesn't change the fact that my uncle's mental state is not what it used to be. 

I decided to reciprocate and send my Uncle Sunny a Christmas card this year.  The last few years, I've been slacking in this area. Sending a card to someone with a compromised memory and perception caused me to treat his Christmas card differently than I normally do.  

To tread lightly or not.

His memory comes and goes so he may have forgotten that my husband is black. Another potential issue may be that my husband's name is Michel, a French name that sounds like a girl's name to English speakers. Because my uncle has dementia, I had to think about how a card signed Rachael & Michel may be perceived. He may interpret this as me being in a relationship with a woman. I don't know how he would feel about that in comparison to being married to a black man. Given his generation, I'm not sure he'd be open to either of these options, despite the reality of my marriage.  

Another concern may be that I got married during the time that my uncle's memory and understanding was diminishing. He probably has not retained my married last name in his memory. Perhaps, I should use my maiden name in the return address to help him make a connection since this is a name he has known since the 1940's. 

I talked with my husband about my dilemma. He, in his usual wisdom, counseled me to send a card using my maiden name on the return address and signed on the inside as "Rachael & Michael." He has lived in a couple English-speaking countries where people preferred the English equivalent of Michel. 

My husband has a lot of grace for people who are not well or able. He was not bothered in the least that we chose an alternative name for him in the quest to send a card that would not cause agitation or angst. This was a good way to go about this year's Christmas card for Uncle Sunny. 

Christmas Cheer: Ice Sculptures

As the Christmas season progresses, there are more opportunities to see the sights and hear the sounds of Christmas. My husband is still adjusting to Christmas as a season and not just a holiday.

We vacationed in Orlando recently and attended the Gaylord Palms Ice show. Our friends gifted us with tickets to attend this amazing display. 

The resort itself is a gigantic property with boutiques, beauty shop, game room, restaurants, cafés, spa, and a water park. To stay here is similar to being on a cruise ship—it is a self contained marvel. 

Theme of the ice show is different each year that features colored ice sculptures that go along with the theme. This year's theme is A Charlie Brown Christmas. A classic Christmas feature by Charles M. Schulz filled with scenes so well known in US pop culture. 

In order to preserve the ice sculpture collection, the venue is kept at 9° F. Fortunately for my African husband, they provided parkas for the visit. I packed scarves and hats for us (read: him), too. 

There was an ice slide, a snow tubing, photos with Santa, marketplace, and a Tudor style village square. There was so much to take in at this event. 

It was a triumph in the creative arts that it was hard to believe it was all ice! The sculptures were so well done that the word "amazing" is an understatement. 

Gaylord Palms Resort

Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree

Linus' Legendary Speech

Nativity Scene

The Season of Christmas

Christmas is my favorite holiday. Thanksgiving is the highlight for many families and is the most traveled holiday in the US. Not that Christmas is a minor holiday. Just search for airfare and you'll see what I mean.

My mom always decorated the entire house for Christmas and always had Christmas music playing. What other holiday has decorations and music to light up the season?

We decorated our tree a few days ago and are feeling festive already! When I say "we" I mean "me." My husband views Christmas as a one day holiday, possibly two with Christmas Eve. It's not an entire season in his African country the way it is in the US.

Childhood Memories in Downtown Rochester

I grew up in Rochester, New York. It's a "big" little city with a lot to offer.

One of the places our family loved to visit at Christmas time, was Midtown Plaza which was the US's first urban indoor mall. The windows of department stores such as McCurdy's and Sibley's were decorated for the season. These department stores also hosted a breakfast with Santa which we attended on several occasions.

 Photo credit: here

The plaza was multilevel with a monorail to ride at one of the upper levels looking over the lower levels. At Christmas time, we all stood in line to sit on Santa's lap as he was perched upon Magic Mountain like a scene out of A Christmas Story (although not as daunting).

Photo credit: here

Midtown Plaza was a place full of so much more than Christmas wonder. It had international flair year round everywhere you looked. The Flag of Nations lined the upper hall representing countries worldwide. My favorite part of Midtown was the Clock of Nations. It contained 12 countries, each with a diorama portraying each nation. At the top of the hour, the clock came alive with music and each country's door opened to reveal the scene hidden behind each door. The clock rotated with the scenes fully displayed. It was captivating.

Photo credit: here (note the flag from Ghana, Africa)

I have such fond memories of this place from my childhood and have to wonder if I was being drawn by all of these international symbols even if only on the subconscious level.

Sadly, the last Christmas season was in 2007 prior to Midtown Plaza's permanent closing. Although I have lived far from Rochester throughout my years of adulting, hearing of the closing felt like the end of an era. No more Magic Mountain. No more monorail. No more Clock of Nations. Such finality to my childhood. 

I still have family in Rochester and visit periodically. Even with Midtown Plaza no longer, there are still so many wonderful treasures to discover and many to revisit.

A few years ago, I returned to my hometown to celebrate Christmas with my family. Upon arrival in the Rochester airport, the only thing on my mind was the excitement of being with family on Christmas day in my childhood home. I was in a holiday hustle, headed to baggage claim, as per the usual airport procedure, rushing to get the festivities started. Making my way through the terminal, THERE.. IT...WAS! In front of me stood none other than the Clock of Nations. I was instantly transported to the glory days of the old Midtown Plaza. 

Shifting my focus, I checked the time. With a few minutes left in the hour, I knew what I had to do. My priorities shifted from the baggage. the hustle, and even the restroom (after a flight? Now that's serious!). I had to wait for a few brief moments for the clock to come to life at the top of the hour.

My own photo in the ROC airport (note: Nigeria, Africa prominently displayed).

And so the Clock of Nations did not disappoint. There it was in full animation, the noble nations parading in splendor as it had to the delight of many for decades in Midtown Plaza. For me time stood still even though the clock kept ticking in forward motion.

Such an unexpected start to the Christmas festivities in Rochester. There's no place like home.