Necessary Chocolate

Hanging out at Hoffmans

Hoffman's Playland is a summer tradition, full of kiddy rides and pretty lights after dark. I drive by almost every day, but it's not a place you can visit without kids.

But with a child you can ride the balloons

 

And watch the boats go round and round

 

and watch a little boy discover that the gearshift makes the plane go up and down.

My friend April invited me to go with her and her son as they waited to move out west, and I jumped at the chance. Her son drew up the hood of his jacket and marched to each ride - and then back to the merry-go-round.

When I was little, the best place to go was Frontier Village, where I loved driving the antique autos. It's gone now (replaced by condos, of course), along with much of the San Jose I knew. I'm so happy to now live in a place where, so far, a place like Hoffman's survives.

The Fourth

Thursday evening, I was euphoric - I had a three-day weekend! At home! I could get so much done.

By Saturday afternoon, all I could see in my house was the projects that weren't done. Time to get in the car and drive away to continue my tradition of listening to a reading of the Declaration of Independence.

This year, I headed back to idyllic Williams College, where my tradition first started. Copies of the Declaration of Independence, the British response, and the Constitution are held in the rare books library, and members of the Williamstown Theatre Festival read from the documents each Fourth.

Dylan Baker read the American documents, and Michael Coglon read the British response with all the necessary disdain. We cheered, and boo'd, and had a great time. The museum was open so that we could then go look at the documents themselves.

As long as we left the balloons outside. Probably good advice for any museum visit.

Birthday treats galore

As of yesterday, I am officially 48 years old. I've been saying for months that I was 48, so it's nice that it's finally true.

I think that I may have eaten 48 treats yesterday. Remember the quiet birthday last year? The day I was asked to teach the class that I now love (but a year ago cried because I couldn't imagine how I'd deal with early mornings and lessons)?

This year:

• I took lemon cake to class.
• The students made me cupcakes, and brought a card for me.
• My friends Mame and Katie came through town for lunch. They brought me lunch, cake, a new cake plate (!), and great conversation.
• The office held an Oreo birthday festival: cookies-and-cream ice cream, chocolate-filled Oreos, peanut butter-filled, and regular Oreos. Guess which are my favorite?
• The office gave me a bag of frosted animal cracker cookies. I cannot buy Oreos or frosted animal crackers because I would eat them all, by myself, in one day. But once a year, if they're a gift, I'm happy to indulge.
• My parents sent wonderful, thoughtful gifts, including dark chocolate-covered caramels, dark chocolate-covered cashews, and Burdicks bunnies and marzipan eggs.

Add to that a necklace that my Grandma bought many years ago in Spain.

Wow. It's good to be loved. It's good to be 48.

And for the next few days, it will be good to eat vegetables. Lots of them.

Friends are the best therapy

First of all, thank you for all of your birthday wishes! The title of this blog sums my feelings up; it's the saying on the magnet that my friend Janet left for me. She just spent a week here, away from the Arizona kids.

Luckily, my house was good and pink for her. Not that she needs pink, but it's spring and the Christmas decorations are finally all down.

These images are from a wedding shower at my house, just before my birthday (more pictures at flickr). Since then, I've had Easter, the after-conference party, and reconnecting with friends galore.

This week, it's spring break in my neighborhood, the temperature is way up into the high 50s (ha) and there's no class for me: instead, late nights, lots of books, and sewing. In theory, anyway. In reality, I'm cramming in the taxes and a few more dinners with friends. The books may just wait until summer, but today that doesn't seem too far away.

Another spring, another set of office daffodils

It's Spring! Here in upstate NY, it's about 40 degrees, but at least it's sunny. I am determined not to feel guilty or depressed in any way today, because it's Friday and it's Spring. Even if those model buildings on my desk are the same ones that have needed repairs in the last three years of my ACS daffodil desk photos. Or even if I've still not hung anything on my office walls.

The viewmaster is a new touch - a souvenir from a building opening at RPI.

I'd have photographed the other office sign of spring - the Girl Scout Cookies - but I already ate them. Samoas can't wait for photographs.

Inauguration!

I hoped to make fun treats for an Inauguration Party at the office. But after coming home from Arizona at 11:00pm the night before, I decided that donuts with patriotic sprinkles were celebrations in and of themselves.

I set the TV up in the conference room, and we watched together - people who love history watching history in the making. I love inaugural ceremonies. That peaceful transfer of power gets me, every time.

Loot (part 3)

From my parents, who listen to me: a cake plate to add to the collection!

Loot (part 2)

Another handmade gift this year: Laura (and her mother) made me a quilt. Isn't it wonderful? It's meant to go upstairs, where there are two beds waiting for quilts.

She promises that there will be another quilt for my birthday, for the other bed!

And Allison made me this great Christmas tree with ornaments in some of my favorite colors:

 

Loot (part 1)

In turn, Grandma sent me hotpads that my great-grandmother made for her years ago.

I knew my great-grandmother well; I'm named for her (my middle name). I still remember calling her when I was in graduate school. I had to write a paper on vernacular architecture, and I decided to write about the typical homes in her small Utah town. I asked why the kitchens were consistently big; my great-grandmother answered: "I always assumed it was so we could play ball indoors."  It made for an entertaining paper...

Christmas and mercies

Santa is now in the bakery, and I'm enjoying that wonderful lull between holidays.

So much went right this year. The second week of Christmas, always crazy, lived up to my expectations of exhaustion:  an office cookie exchange, the office party, and my class breakfast, all in one week, all with me in charge. All went well.  And then, that Friday - snow.

Blanketing snow. The close-the-office-at-noon kind of snow. It didn't seem so merciful when I tried to fly to Virginia on Sunday, but I was able to after all, so that I could be in time for my parent's big Christmas party. Another mercy.

Last week was another one filled with friends and family. The friends who invite us each year for Christmas Eve know how to keep Christmas. Besides a feast, there is a talent show, where each family must perform. This year's theme: Rap. We managed to cheat by wrapping candy in layers upon layers of wrapping paper, bubble pack, and shrink wrap. The bundle was tossed around and ripped apart while the Muppet's "Little Saint Nick" set the pace.

Now it's quiet again. I didn't plan a party for New Years - just too exhausted this year. And so far, the only invitation is the "she won't mind if you come" sort. But that's okay. I may stay home and sew and read. Or make a glitter house for my living tree. Or just play computer games. This is my lull, and I plan to enjoy it.