First snow of this winter

Four inches of snow fell today causing cancellations throughout the area. I spent two hours shoveling out one side of my driveway. Great exercise!

Brrrrr

A cold front has moved in to St. Joseph. Sunday the temperature dropped from 50 degrees in the early afternoon to 7 by bedtime. Sister Dorothy called me from Florida today when she learned that the temp in St. Joseph this morning was one. That's right...one degree.

Dot was barefoot and wearing a tank top when she phoned. I was wearing a tank top, a sweatshirt and heavy socks over my bare feet.

The photo shows the temperature on the screened porch at my house immediately after she called: five degrees.

Regal Santa

Pierre Noel is ready for the holiday season. This 27 inch tall art doll from the Creative Arts branch of dobomo productions has head and hands sculpted from polymer clay and a soft body stitched over a wire armature. The wefted hair, beard, moustach, and eyebrows are genuine mohair. The blue eyes are imported glass.

Pierre Noel's outer garments feature delicate feathers hand-stitched to the edges of his burgandy velvet hood and robe. Gold and black braid trims the sleeves and accents the front of his opulent outfit.

His underdress is fashioned from a woven designer fabric with a subtle ribbon of gold added to the sleeves and hem. The fabric also lines his hood and the velvet bag of presents slung on his back. Each present in the bag has been individually wrapped.

Pierre Noel's belt is fashioned from an heirloom necklace. Links from the necklace and faux gems from an antique pin also decorate his polymer clay sculpted shoes.

The gold balls on his wreath and staff reflect the European "Saint Nicholas" legend. The greenery at his feet represents the German tradition of decorating pine trees. The detailed wreath and staff were hand-crafted especially for this Santa.

Pierre Noel is a unique, handmade figure available only to qualified collectors.

Age of Aquarius???

Dorothy brought Jean Luc over so that he and Pierre Noel could get their hair on.

Giving Thanks

Barney took the sisters to the Country Club for Thanksgiving. No doggy bags allowed but that didn't stop us from filling our plates AND having dessert.

Paparazzi catch Santa off guard

*******

Ho, Ho, Ho!!

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Italian food for the French guest

Nov. 9 Joyce and I went to KC to have dinner at Larry's because Martine was visiting from France.

Larry prepared a three course meal with Martine as sous chef.

The dinner party included two other guests and Larry's father, Vincent.

Pommes on Girl Time

The Pommes may have taken "girl time" a bit too far by celebrating Norma's birthday a whole MONTH late but it's the food that counts...not the date.

Yes, Virgina, there is a Santa

Sister Dot and I are enrolled in an eight session class to make an art doll Santa. The class meets for two hours weekly but we have to work on the dolls at home also. We've been sculpting the heads during the last three sessions. Finally, Dot insisted that we bake them so that we would have time to make new ones if something went wrong.

Here are our Santa heads, hot from the oven. And they didn't explode. Check out Dot's blog for more pictures. http://www.dorotown.blogspot.com/

"Lydahlkit" goes on-line

You know...cats can't spell.

Way to Seg

Dot and I attended a preview of the East Hills Mall renovations. Here's a short video of our experience.

Check out still photos of us at Dot's Pictures

Around the Neighborhood

I haven't had a cat for ten years but when the neighbor kids showed me the stray that wandered into their garage sale a week ago, I said I'd think about taking it in.

Looks like she's making herself a home. She hasn't told me her name yet.

Overnight

Kelly and family stayed overnight with me when they came to St. Joseph for the funeral of Rodney's Uncle John.

Birthday at Barbosas'

This video is approximately 1:41 minutes long.

Sing a long

Andrew and Adam left a birthday greeting on my voice mail.

It's my birth day!

The background is from the calendar Kelly gave me for Christmas.

California Flowers

Slide show is one minute and 40 seconds long.

Photos from California

Some photos from the San Diego-Claremont trip. I used ProShow Gold to make the slide show.

Slide show is a little over two minutes long.

Opa!!

Joyce, Larry and I dashed off to California during the first week of June. In San Diego, we connected with a young couple we met on the Greek trip last year. Then we traveled by Amtrak to Claremont and spent some time with our former teacher colleague Wendy and her husband Charles.Recreating our Greek experience at the Greek Festival in San Diego.

Family Photo

Roger and Sally, Dorothy and Barney

and the two Friends-in-Law