Festival of Lights

Sometimes you just have to take my word for it.  This is my family at the Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo.

We've been there numerous times before, but never when the temperature was so mild and it was actually very enjoyable to stroll around.  This weekend's visitors were advised to come early or late in an attempt to manage what are expected to be record crowds.

There are lights everywhere, and people are happy.  At the large pond, the music of the year is the Star Wars theme, and lights flash to the music.

On the way home from work today and stopped at the grocery for some seasonal beers and I found Braxton Storm, which isn't really seasonal but is brewed in nearby Covington.  Very nice.  Of course, I have to sample now and then, and my favorite so far is Sixth West Christmas Ale, brewed in Lexington.  I really love the craft beers.

Basketball Now

Saturday was the first day of a new sport for the grands.  They have played a lot of street basketball but never on teams.

Nora was so nervous but by the end of the game she had a smile.  She wanted to wear her jersey to school today.  And she was very pleased that there was a Wednesday night conflict with her fifth grade concert and basketball.  The concert would never come out on top.

Aaron did not have a great day.  His team lost 19 - 4 and he was pretty upset.  He is a very competitive player and foresees losing every game this season.  I didn't get a picture of him with his uniform, but here he is at Nora's later game.  He brought his basketball just in case there would be a chance to shoot some baskets and his football just in case someone would want to play.

I'm sure he felt a little better yesterday when his beloved Bengals won.  As game day approaches, he starts to worry and quotes reasons why his team may or may not play well.  His dad can't say that he never pays attention to what his dad tells him.

Table Topper

This table topper, Which Way, by GE Designs, is my favorite new pattern.  I like the quilt as you go, just sew and put on the binding.  And I like that it uses a charm pack, which I sometimes can't resist because the fabrics are so pretty and coordinated.  For you non-quilters, a charm pack is a collection of 5" squares, and it's a good way to use a design collection you love without spending a whole lot.

Snow on the roof tops and cars this morning, and that's ok with me.  We've had the longest and best fall that I can remember.  It should warm up this weekend, which will give me a chance to swap out the outside lights on my railing.  There are now two sections out, and it's time to replace.  The new lights on the inside tree are the same style, only larger, and I'm hoping for better luck there.

 

Greenville, South Carolina

These are the last pictures from last week's trip, a day trip to Greenville, South Carolina.  I've wanted to go there forever, just because I remember that the students from Greenville were so special.

Just imagine having a waterfall like this in the center of your town.

Hospice was having an event in the park with that waterfall.  There were colorful umbrellas in memory of friends or relatives.

There was a skating rink set up downtown, with music and a Christmas tree.  It started to rain and we ducked into the Carolina Ale House for lunch.  There were football games on the big tv's.  Some people liked South Carolina, some liked Clemson. 

And, they had Cold Mountain, a seasonal beer from Highland Brewing. ( The foam left a nice pattern on the glass.) The downtown had lots of shops and galleries.  It reminded me of a classy Galtinburg, maybe because there was a Kilwin's.  I'm so glad we went.

Homemade Applesauce

When I was a kid, my grandmother would save some of the Thanksgiving/Christmas cranberry salad for me because I loved it.  It had cranberries ground in an old-fashioned food grinder and mixed with jello, probably sugar too.  Topped with whipping cream.  

I was thinking of that today when Aaron was enjoying applesauce.  Not exactly left over, but extra that I made for him because he loves it.  He calls it G B Applesauce, for Gran B applesauce.

It's pretty easy to make.  My directions are a little vague, and the applesauce is never quite the same two times in a row.  I usually use about 8 or 9 pounds of Granny Smith apples, although if I have some other apples hanging around I might put those in too.  

Peel, core, and slice the apples and put them in a large pot.  Put in about a cup of water, cover, and bring the water to a boil, then turn it down low enough to just maintain the boil.  Stir with a wooden spoon every five minutes or so, adding more water when there is just a little left.

When the apples are soft enough to mash, turn off the heat and mash them with a potato masher.  Don't worry about getting it all perfectly smooth.  Add about a cup of sugar.

Take out a bit and taste when it's cool enough, adding more sugar half a cup at a time if necessary.  It probably will be necessary.

And that's it.  If this makes more than you need, just freeze some.  I always make applesauce for holiday meals, freezing it ahead of time.

The secrets, I think, are to use a firm apple and as little water as possible.

Warm Thanksgiving

Warm Thanksgiving wishes, everyone.

And it really is.  The warm weather this fall has been a treat and it continues today.  

The parsley and pansies were in a bed in the downtown park in Greenville, South Carolina, where we visited last week.  Parsley and petunias, I like that.  And I never would have thought of that combination on my own.

Winter Lights

Winter Lights at the North Carolina Arboretum was stunning.  So many lights, incorporated so well into the arboretum features.

Somehow, two of the ones I loved were on the quiet side.  The tree was inside one of the buildings and had twigs painted white and added to the evergreen.  Of course, I might have liked it because Sarah cut and painted the twigs but I think I really liked it because of the contrast of the white with the dark green.

It's been a wonderfully warm day here.  I did get the yard mowed and the vines cut off the iron railings.  And then I couldn't resist winding the lights around the railing because there just CAN'T be another day like this for outside decorating.

Happily, my shopping today was simple.  The fabric store for some bits of fabric for alterations I'm doing.  The local ice cream shop just because it's the day before Thanksgiving and it's such a happy place, the kind of place out-of-town people just have to visit when they are home for a holiday.  There were extra donuts and Thanksgiving cakes.  Bags with orders waiting to be picked up.  Cars pulling up at the drive-through for ice cream.  Just happiness.