f e b r u a r y . 2 0 2 3

 surviving the winter

cooking up a storm

     I've been looking at a bunch of different recipes to cook for dinner since I'm able to cook for more than one person in my own kitchen.  one weekend I spent a bunch of time marinating a roast, cooking a Caribbean Pork Roast with drippings gravy, plus a grilled pineapple-red onion-red pepper-English Cucumber salad, and grilled squash, since I was finally able to unpack some more of my favorite cooking tools.  with some of the leftovers from that I also made a stir-fry.  I also whipped up a game hen a l'orange dinner with savory chard and bourbon rice, which was one of Mama's favorite meals that I made for her.  I still have a lot of unpacking, but I was thrilled that I found these really important items to make my cooking activities easier! 
     our team was eliminated from - really brutalized in - the NFC championship game, when the Dirty Birds took out both our only quarterbacks, and we were left to limp through the rest of the game.  needless to say I rooted for the other team to win the big game.  for Super Bowl Sunday I made Pizzelle cookies, plus a really tasty bacon and onion jam that I got from our favorite online cooking team members, who was also a competitor in the post-game Next Level Chef TV program!!  :-O  It was fun to watch her get recognition and major props from the show's host. 

  

     as I did last year, I cooked again for valentines day, and prepared an item I found in our local grocer's freezer section, Nashville hot shrimp.  and the squashes looked appealing too!  one I cooked peppery, and the other sweet.  

 

     had a few more webinars to view from the various historical societies.  these were: Jackie Kennedy - the White House Tour; the 1619 Project docuseries; the most requested photo from the White House archives is that of Elvis meeting Nixon and there is a documentary about that photo archive; Frederick Douglass and Constitutionalism; a Presidents Day organ recital at the National Cathedral; and Judicial Independence.  and based on Joyce's recommendation, I got the audiobook of Prince Harry's "Spare" and listened to that as well.  

     finished out the month in the kitchen, cooking chicken mole, and trying to make a spicy peanut coleslaw like my favorite Texas BBQ joint in the bay area.  and I fired up the wok again, and did a very tasty beef stir fry. 

 

  

j a n u a r y . 2 0 2 3

bring it on!

     still not 100%, I took it easy NY Day and the day after, which luckily was a holiday at work, so I didn't have to work from home until Tuesday.  I can't remember if we watched last year, but we watched the Rose Parade on Monday.  

     by Friday it was apparent no one had gone in to the headquarters building, nor provided any coverage for me while I was out sick.  I took the train down to the bay area since I'm still having vertigo and didn't want to make the drive, especially on a Friday!  the following week I did finally drive down, and ran into several members of the executive staff while I was there.  the weather forecast was for no rain, but it rained both directions, and on the drive home, when the map-app sent me off the highway, onto farm roads, I actually had to drive around stuck-down railroad arms!!  I have never done that before and it was terrifying!  we had the MLK Day as a work holiday, so that was nice!  I drove down the next day since the weather was again supposed to be better, and it actually was.  

     I finally got the chance to make the appetizer special dish that I had planned for NYE.  Mama would pull out her caviar pie recipe any time she wanted to entertain impressively.  I modified it only a little, and instead of preparing in a pie pan, I made it in individual coupes.  These are layers of homemade egg salad, guacamole, minced red onions and cilantro, sour cream and then topped with red salmon caviar, capers and chopped chives.  it was delicious!  we had it for our "football food" and our football team won!  we're in the playoffs!!! 

     the following week I prepared a really delicious stuffed mushroom recipe which was based on an online recipe but had so many substitutions based on what I had in the pantry and fridge that I want to think it was mine. 

      Janet and I went to see a play together.  I had never seen it before, but knew people in the cast, so I knew it would be excellent ... The Play That Goes Wrong was rolling-on-the-floor-laughing hysterical!  we were in the third row, and could be seen by the cast.  we were so engaged in their breaking the fourth wall that we started conversing with the cast at one point.  the lead character jokingly chastised us by saying, "this isn't a panto!"  it was wonderful to be able to spend time with Janet and give her this slice of a rollicking good time.  the following weekend when Craig was in a golf tournament, I drove down to Foster City to see a friend of mine from 1776 playing the same role I played fifteen years ago, in another powerful production of Sondheim's musical Assassins.  

     a little early for Tu b'Shevat, but I pre-ordered a Disneyland Rose tree a while ago, and it arrived before the last weekend of the month.  I bought a big decorative pot and planted it on Saturday morning while Craig was at the golf course. 

     I took several opportunities to watch webinars from the Capitol History Society and the White House Historical Society.  these included, First Ladies and the Civil Rights Movement, How America Tried to Save the Jews from the Holocaust, Presidential Transitions and the Peaceful Transfer of Power, Citizen Justice: the Environmental Legacy of W. O. Douglas.

highlights of 2022

      this is just a quick review of the year.  to see the full details, keep reading after the Highlights, including many many pictures! 
 

january

     I haven't had resolutions for decades, but this month I decided I needed to work harder at losing all the "pandemic pounds" I've gained.  I signed up for a six week strength training regimen for seniors, three times a week.  if anything I hope to build some habits and learn some low impact activities that will help me to effectively lose.  plus I really enjoy the coach - he's a great motivator!

     our football team made it all the way through playoffs, but lost in the final round.  no super bowl this year. 

     we started the "watch party" for our new house which Craig and I purchased just before Christmas.  we hoped it would be finished in April or May!

february

     I made several trips to the bay area, sometimes driving, sometimes taking the train, and this time there were no incidents to cause a delay!  two of the times I stayed overnight to take advantage of activities in the area.  one night I joined old friends and sang karaoke at a recently reopened destination.  it was so much fun seeing old friends and singing!  on another trip I went to the high school production of Anastasia, which was directed by our band director, and the stars were "his kids."  some of them were truly talented, and I presume I may see them having bright futures on the stage!  I caught a webcast production of a one-woman show about Katherine Hepburn called Kate.  the actress was truly impressive in her performance. 

     we had some special cooking opportunities too.  I participated in a cooking webcast with my favorite group, and we prepared king salmon en papillote, which was excellent!  for valentines, Craig gave me beautiful roses, and I prepared a delicious coq au vin using Julia Child's recipe.  also delicious! 

march

     it had been delayed for over a year, but we finally got to take my Best Colleague Award trip to Hawaii. Janet and I flew from San Jose to Kona first.  The first week we did sightseeing, visited museums, ate at famous and not so famous eateries, and taste-tested multiple mai tais; went coffee tasting and wine tasting; sank our toes into black sands and watched green sea turtles; on an island tour we went to the famous lava tube and near an active volcano, and by a famous waterfall that is a regular tourist destination; we had a wonderful session swimming with dolphins, three of which were a grandma, mom and daughter - a rarity in the wild for them to live that long - and they get to play with each other every day; we rode Segways on a tour of downtown Kona; we went to the horsewomen of Hawaii museum and saw their wonderful parade regalia among other historical artifacts; we went back out to the volcano, as it had gone from being in a passive state to actively fountaining since we had arrived; I had never snorkeled before so we went out on a boat and snorkeled in a cove made famous by Captain Cook; and on our final day on this island, we went parasailing, another first for me! 

     we flew to Kauai next, where we enjoyed chocolate tasting, many more mai tais, and Janet introduced me to avocado toast; we stopped near the spot where Mama's ashes reside; we took a private flight over the entire island, and the pilot even granted my request to change the flight path to fly over the Coco Palms; we took another cruise and saw many many whales and dolphins as well as enjoyed box dinners on the open ocean; we went on an estate's garden tour and enjoyed their evening hula and fire dancing show; on another plantation we went on a train ride around the property and then enjoyed a rum safari of driving around in a safari wagon and drinking the local rums in two festive beverages; and on our final full day we each drove ATVs over another former plantation, getting muddy and having a great deal of fun while seeing several sites, including movie filming locations. too soon it was time to go home, but it was definitely a trip of a lifetime. 

     I made two additional trips to the bay area for work and play, seeing a friend of mine - a true one-man-band - performing at the local mall's outdoor performance area; and going to the theatre with my fellow co-producer friend Barbara and seeing Fefu and Her Friends. 

april

     Craig and i are still watching our house being built, but we fear the finish date will slip into May due to multiple supply chain issues.  I made two trips to the bay area to see shows, one for an evening show, so an overnight stay.  I saw my friend Brad's production called Broadway Showtunes.  and I drove down and back for the matinee of the beloved Camelot, starring a young man I first saw in a junior production, now performing a very fine Arthur!  his Guinevere was the lovely Anastasia from the high school production I watched earlier in the year!  I was glad I made the trip because the following weekend had show cancellations due to the virus coarsing through the cast.

may

     my first activity at the Folsom site was a painting activity organized by the site's events committee.  I joined my coworker from our local legal department.  another of my theatre friends directed a local production of Allegiance, another show I've wanted to see but hadn't until now.  their cast had been struck with the virus too, but managed to get a recording, and were offering an online viewing opportunity, so I lucked out since the original venue was so far from my work and home locations.  Janet played in her band concert, and I came down to watch, since I do love the music that Bill picks for us.  

     Craig and I finally did the final walk-through and got the keys to our new home.  and just days later, we were re-married by my Elvis impersonator friend on the banks of the Sacramento River in front of a riverboat, wearing Hawaiian attire, and joined by a few family and friends. "Hitched again forever baby!" 

june

     on our original honeymoon in 1986, we went to the theater and watched the first Top Gun.  due to the pandemic, the latest movie sequel wasn't released to theaters until now, which to me was perfect timing.  we went to a theater and watched Maverick, just like the first time.  I personally think this one is better than the first, and I really liked the first one.  Craig moved into our house first, and I spent the month getting ready to move on the July 4th long weekend. 

july

     I moved into the house first in two big truckloads, then had several more small trips in Craig's truck, eventually getting my rental professionally cleaned and handing off the keys. I am now officially a homeowner again. our wedding officiant had been performing before showings of the new Elvis movie, and the local theater owner gave him a free viewing for 150 of his closest fans, so I drove down and joined the crowd to see his performance and watch the movie.  I even won one of his scarves created just for the event!

august

     moving is painful and sometimes dangerous, but unpacking can be too.  a large piece of furniture fell on me and gave me a concussion.  I couldn't take time off for recovery since I was covering for another admin who was on sabbatical!  I did stay home the first eight days, and only did drive down to the bay area because I had tickets to two shows.  I saw Sondheim's Putting it Together at Montalvo, a favorite "happy place" since I discovered it in my teens.  then Janet and I saw our friend James in his cabaret show with several local talents joining him.  

september

     being the anglophile that I am, I was heartbroken when Her Majesty passed.  I knew it would happen in my lifetime, but I still was surprised due to her resiliency and family longevity. I woke in the middle of the night to watch all the funeral activities.  

     my favorite cooking group presented a tiki drinks class, so I built an entire dinner menu around the drinks so we could have a whole tiki-themed meal. the biggest hit was the mini key lime pies.  the chefs even commented during the broadcast that I had a great menu and they were impressed with my initiative. 

october

     I drove to Fairfield and caught the matinee of one of my favorite musicals, Assassins, which I've also performed in several years back.  

     Craig's work schedule prevented him from joining me, so I took my birthday trip solo as I have so many times before.  I flew through Washington DC to Charlottesville, VA.  first I went on a tour of a Belle Epoch mansion named Swannanoa.  the next day was spent at Monticello. the following day I woke early and drove up into Maryland and spent several hours with my aunt, my dad's younger sister. on the fourth day, most of it was taken up with getting from Charlottesville to Philadelphia via the Crescent train.  the fifth day I saw several bucket list locations including Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, which we didn't see in 1975, the last time we were in this area.  my last full day's activity was spending the whole day, into the evening, at Longwood Gardens, seeing several Bruce Munro exhibits as well as this beautiful estate's many gardens.  on the morning of my return flight day, my "old" friend (by one month) :-) Bill from fifth grade - so we've known each other over 50 years :-O - picked me up from dropping off the rental car at the train station.  we enjoyed a long leisurely brunch, did some sightseeing by car around the city, and eventually dropped me at the airport for my afternoon flights back home.  it was a wonderful trip where I checked off a number of bucket list activities and made more precious memories with people I love! 

november

     while we had planned to join family in Reno for the long Thanksgiving weekend, I contracted some illness - but was negative on The Test - and we had to spend turkey day at home, eating a nice ham dinner that Craig prepared.  I worked up enough energy to cook bread pudding with rum sauce for dessert.  Craig and I went to see the Van Gogh Experience at the local downtown convention space.  it was just as wonderful as when Janet and I saw it last year. 

 december

     I wrapped up the year seeing several artistic endeavors; first I attended a Sunday matinee of the Nutcracker Ballet that used to be my regular holiday performing activity.  then I went to see Janet play her Horn in our band's annual holiday concert; wish I could still participate as the music this season was wonderful!  and based on a recommendation from a Nutcracker friend, I went to see The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley in downtown Sac.  another friend gave me a ticket to see his panto of Sleeping Beauty in SF. 

     and of course we celebrated both Christmas and Hanukah, with decorations and candle-lighting.  sadly, Covid hit me after Christmas dinner, and I spent the next week completely miserable.

     after not seeing her for over three years again, I finally got to see Joyce early this month, but for a truly sad reason.  once of our dear friends that we've known since he was born passed away in a terrible accident.  we knew we both wanted to attend the memorial for him, so she flew in and I drove down, and we stayed Friday night to Sunday morning, and saw his family and many old friends at the Saturday memorial.  

as we can see, our hold on life is fragile, and we should express our feelings for loved ones year 'round, not just once or twice a year.  

we hope that you will have opportunities to enjoy your special year-end holiday with those you love. 

shalom v'simcha
peace and joy of the Season. 

d e c e m b e r . 2 0 2 2

 happy holidays!

the season is upon us

     I drove down to the bay area for a couple personal activities, and worked from headquarters for a day and a half.  first activity was the Sunday matinee of "my" Nutcracker Ballet, where I also got to see some of my favorite people after the show at the stage door.  it was a wonderful production, as expected, and it made me wish even more to be involved in theater in our area.  [my 'dressing-room-mate' Marji recommended a theater in downtown Sac, so later I planned a Thursday evening trek to see The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley, seeing familiar characters in a sequel of sorts.  truly enjoyable!] 

     on Monday night I went to see Janet performing in "our" band's Holiday concert.  Bill had several pieces I had not heard before, so it was even more enjoyable to hear the band tackling new material!  

     for our admin population at work, we have regular virtual "proximity" gatherings to keep us all feeling like a community.  for the holiday season, we had a 12-days contest where we uploaded a picture of each day's theme.  these were my contributions.  I didn't win for participation in this contest, but I did win one of the four trivia games.  I won a person shredder.  :-) 

     we added a few lights to our backyard, just to make it a little festive.  I also added a few lights to the front door's wreath.

     Hanukkah started and I lit the candles.  this year it ends on Christmas night.  

     during the pandemic I discovered a performing group that encouraged new artists and writers to create and produce short plays.  for this holiday season I watched their productions of A Very Hitchcock Christmas and Holiday Spirits.  each one showcased six different sketches based on the night's theme and both were highly entertaining!

     at work, I got two days off for Christmas this year, the Friday and Monday surrounding the holiday.  my theater friend Gary offered me a ticket to see him in the Friday matinee of a panto of Sleeping Beauty in the fabulously renovated Presidio Theater.  it is quite a drive, which could get ugly since it's along a holiday travel nightmare, but it was worth it!  I left early enough that I could have lunch at the Mexican restaurant two blocks away, and enjoyed sangria and carne asada.

     such a fun and hilarious spoof of the traditional fairy tale, with local references in abundance!  Gary was adorable as the confused king, had great singing opportunities, several great dance scenes, and even did a cartwheel!  I had asked the usher if the cast came out to greet the audience after the show; I was disappointed when he said they don't since they have another performance right after.  however, Gary did come out and greeted several patrons who had been slowly leaving the theatre!  I was happy to get a selfie with him. 

     then it was time to hit the road.  the drive down took a little over two hours, and I was happy that the return only took a little over three.  it could have been so much worse, given it was Friday and a holiday exodus!  

     

     Craig and I made Christmas dinner, with a little Queen Elizabeth flair (including my Jubilee tee-shirt).  he made a prime rib, while I made Yorkshire Pudding, and our favorite bread pudding for dessert!  

     we had two visitors on the back fence in the morning when Craig was putting the rib on the grill on the patio.  

     unfortunately, Christmas was spoiled by Covid ... late Christmas evening I got the worst headache, and by 2am I had a fever over 100.  Craig got me the home-test, which of course was positive.  I endured several calls with Kaiser before they finally filled a prescription for Paxlovid.  I spent the next five days enduring the brutal constant headache, sleeping for hours a day but not restfully, eating just enough to keep the meds down, and wrecking all my breathing passages with the coughing, sneezing, and nose-blowing.  it wasn't until NY Eve day that I was feeling human - though nowhere near 100% - and ate what could be considered a meal.  and coffee!   FINALLY!!!  two positives ... I had avoided catching this crud for 33 and a half months (from the beginning of the pandemic); and I lost nine pounds from Christmas to New Years Eve! 

     we were going to watch the ball drop on one of the many broadcasts, but our foul weather caused a power outage that wasn't restored until just before midnight.  

n o v e m b e r . 2 0 2 2

 always grateful

ever thankful

     I try to feel gratitude, and even express gratitude every day. 

     on one of my trips to the bay area I got to meet with our new general counsel's new exec assistant!  they both live and work remotely, so it was great to see her in person.  I let her know she can absolutely rely on me to keep her connected with the headquarters activities. 

     we had made plans to travel up to Reno for Thanksgiving with Craig's family, but unfortunately I came down with one of the bugs going around, and we had to cancel.  we didn't think it prudent to bring any germs into a gathering where there are some really senior family members.  Joyce went to her cousin Tim's, and we got to video chat with them for a few minutes during the evening.  Craig made a ham and mashed potatoes, and I worked up the energy to make the bread pudding with rum sauce that we both love! 

 

     I was still a little weak, but wanted to start decorating, so we hung two wreaths, one indoors and one outdoors, and a few days later, we picked up a living tree at the hardware big-store.

   

 

     back in March, when they had a pre-sale, I ordered tickets for the local presentation of the van Gogh experience that Janet and I attended a year-ish ago.  Craig and I went on the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, and it was just as wonderful as it was before. 

the obligatory selfie in Starry Night, with appropriate blouse

this painting makes me think of New Orleans

many of the paintings start out as line drawings, and morph into the full artwork

nighttime on the Seine

I want to be on this boat!

I have this painting on my ceramic coffee container in our kitchen

 

when the flowers filled the space, I felt like I was in a garden!

this is my most favorite; it starts as a branch, then the almond blossoms bloom, and then the petals blow away across the event space

a horse or mule doing some farm work

starry night!

the self-portraits

standing with other patrons in the village square

love these irises too

and just like that, the 45 minute sequence completes.