Where has the Time Gone?

I can't believe it's already almost Memorial Day weekend!  Seems like it was just beginning to warm up and be spring, and now summer is almost here.  (Thank God for air conditioning!!)

In April, my husband and I celebrated out 15th anniversary with a trip to Pittsburgh.  We stayed at a great B&B called The Inn on Mexican War Streets.  It was great.  The area was named the Mexican War streets because after the war Pennsylvania had no money to pay  the returning soldiers.  So, Governor Penn gave them this section of Pittsburgh.  Part of it was to farm , the other part was for residences.  It is a neat area that is being revitalized.

While we were there, the Penguins were playing a home play off game, so we went and watched on the jumbo-tron screen outside Melon Arena.  It was a great experience.  It was really neat to see some of the players who used to play for the B-Sens playing for Ottawa.  Unfortunately, Pittsburgh lost that game (yes, we're Pen fans), but won the next, only to be eliminated by the Habs.  Oh well, there's always next year.

We took a day and went to the Phipps Conservatory and the Cathedral of Learning (we looked at the Nationality rooms there).  It was great.  I'll try to link to the photos later!

We also went to the Frick Museum.  That was a neat place as well.  Before we left, we went back and toured a Victorian Mansion, and learned about the Frick's.  (Andrew Carnegie's right hand man, so to speak.)

We also went to the Church Brew Works.  It is a brewery/restaurant built in a church that was closed.  We both thought it was a great way to keep a historic building open (and cared for) while serving a need for the community.

Since then, I have been working my way through several books.  I read the new book in Lisa Shearin's Raine Benares series (Bewitched and Betrayed)-- it was awesome!!! If you haven't read them, and you like fantasy with a modern twist, these are great.  The first book is Magic Lost Trouble Found, then Armed and Magical, the The Trouble With Demons, then, asa I said, Bewitched and Betrayed.  She will have a new book coming out next spring, and I can't wait to get my hands on it.

I also read my way through Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series.  It was great (eight books, plus a few short stories).  She  put a new twist (at least for me) on witches, demons, elves, and vampires. 

If you decide to read them, let me know what you think.

I've also starred writing again.  I needed some time away to get my muse back I guess, and I think it is finally here!  Yea!!!  I am seeing my princess story in a whole new light and am anxious to see where the characters take me this time.

I'll let you know how it goes.

50th Anniversary Party

This post is a few days late, but better late than never.  Saturday I had the privilege of hosting a party for my parents 50th Anniversary.  In an age when many couples don't make it to ten years, fifty seems like a miracle.  Congratulations, Mom and Dad.  I am proud to be able to share this moment with you.

When they married in 1960, they didn't have a big wedding or a reception.  Knowing this I made sure they had a wedding type cake to cut.  We did photos of the cake cutting and everything.

When making the cake, I tried a recipe I hadn't made before.  When I removed the cakes from the pans, two of the four crumbled.  I tried to piece them together and stack them anyway, but it made a big mess.  So, I pulled out a box mix and decorated that instead.  The second time was a charm.

So, what do you do with cake that  didn't come out right?  We set it up with the other cake and served it.  It looked awful, but tasted better than the box mix.  We served it to anyone who wanted it, and it was the first to go.

In addition to the cake, I worked on a video of photos of them across the years, and played it on the TV for everyone to see.  I think I had as much fun making this as my parents had watching it.


Congratulations, Mom and Dad!!!! Here's to many more!!!!