FFF

FFF stands for Fabulous Friday Feast.  This is a group of 8 (four couples) that I invited to get together once a month for a dinner.  We rotate between the four homes.  The host is responsible for the entire meal, as opposed to each family bringing something.  That way it is a real night of relaxing for the guests.  It has been going on for about a year now.  During that time one couple dropped out and another joined.  This last Friday, it was a Swedish dinner.  There was herring on crackers, two kinds of meatballs, a potato salad and an escalloped potato, followed by three types of desserts.



This is the host and hostess.  She had a Swedish hanging above the table.

The potato salad was served on red cabbage which was a pretty presentation.

After the meal we saw some pictures of their visit to Sweden a few years ago.

I meant to start documenting the dinners but in the past it would be over before I thought about it. So this is the first in pictures.  Hope to do better in the future.

Last night at our AAUW monthly meeting the program was a few members sharing an interest or hobby.  We saw presentations on pottery made on Ohio,( mostly from a century ago), how to make items like a purse from old book (you won't see me carrying that), and a young woman spoke of her journey of learning (by reading and internet) how to garden, can, make jams, raise chickens, rabbits, alpacas, and bees.  I did not do a presentation, just brought a few photos that I have taken.  I don't think I would have shown them at my camera club, but most of the women in AAUW appreciated them.

Loud muffler

G heats his shop with a large waste oil furnace.  At least that is what is supposed to happen,.  This winter it was not working properly.  He has spent many hours on it.  And yesterday he finally go it working without billowing smoke all through the shop.  He was thinking of just trashing it!  So we spent most of the day cleaning and organizing in the shop.  The car lift is now cleaned off so he can put the Audi up there and look at the exhaust system.  It is at times very loud.  I was even wearing earplugs when driving.  (Lucky I have not gotten a ticket yet) I took it in for a repair estimate, which was over $1200.  The car is not worth that much.  He had already worked on it when I took it in for the estimate.  The man asked me" Who last worked on this?"  I said it was my husband.  He just laughed and said, "Actually he did a pretty good job."  So hopefully in the next week, it will get fixed.  In the meantime, I continue to drive it.

Opera

Today I saw the opera , Maria Stuarda which was being preformed at the  Metropolitan Opera.  It was  live beamed into movie theaters world wide today.  I saw it at a theater in Akron.  My ticket was $22, where as a ticket at the Met would have been between $200 and $400.  Seeing it is the theater was like having a front row seat.  I have not seen an opera for some time and have forgotten how the deep emotions come out in the singing.  A friend goes to these performances frequently.  I probably will be going again as I really enjoyed it.  

The usual New Year's Activities

Can't say what got me motivated- but I have spent the last two days editing a drawer in the filing cabinet.  It was the one with all our financial records.  One thing that helped was looking online to see if the information was available there.  Then I could shred the paper.  I also spent time requesting digital statements instead of a hard copies. Just so I don't think I have to print them all out now!  That would be counter productive.  I will add two garbage bags of shredded paper to the trash pick up this week.  In the past I have put some shredded paper in the compost, but don't want to put too much ink in it.

I also started a stretch exercise class.  It is for an hour two times a week and the third day they do line dancing.  I definitely have a ways to go with getting in shape and learning to dance.  But I must start somewhere.

Another change in our life is that G gets up at 5:30 AM each day so he can be on the road by 6 AM to beat the rush hour traffic.  I get up with him (but usually have to sneak in a short nap during the day).  I haven't told him that so will see if he reads my blog.

Christmas Part 2

K was in my office for a long time.  She then appeared with a "stage" she had built with paper and paper puppets.  She presented us with a play with three characters: Her cat Logan, Renee Michelle's cat Phi, and a bird.  She need the help of several people to hold the "stage".

Papa G with his two favorite grandchildren.

It seems that one of the activities was photography. Note that another person had to take this picture.

Ada's first Christmas with us was peaceful.

This really needs no explanation!

Grandson helping

This post will be mainly our grandson helping others (to open their gifts).  A future post will show his sister's activities.

A is happy with a Physics book.

B checking out a gift.

We decided a magnifying glass is necessary for a budding scientist. 

Papa, let me read it!

Let me help by tearing the paper off.

Christmas Part 1

In order to show pictures of our celebrations, I will do several posts.  The first is food preparation.

For breakfast there was homemade sticky rolls and for dinner dessert, Andrew's favorite - apple pie.

On Christmas day itself, there was just Gerry, myself, Renee Michelle, Andrew and Shawn.  I made two lasagnas, one with meat and one vegetarian. Gerry decided he did not like ricotta in his lasagna so we looked up a recipe without it.  I found this one, which took the person who posted it on her blog six years to perfect.  She recommended taking two days to make it.  I tried to do it in four hours: talk about stress.  Still it probably is the best lasagna I have made.   recipe here   Shawn helped by stirring the two sauces.  Renee helped by sitting in the recliner with a timer and the recipe.  (She was not felling well, so was excused.)

Happy New Year

For several years now, G and I have welcomed in the New Year at First Night Akron.  We invited another couple, who went with us two years ago.  G's favorite was listening to a group that dress and sound like the Beatles. He also likes the University of Akron Steel Drum band.  My favorite was a 40 piece Brass band that played an hour long concert of classical music and marches.  They played one of my favorite pieces by Leroy Anderson called "Buglers's Holiday".  Solos were played by various instruments where I heard the Flugle horn with it's mournful but beautiful sound.  There was another hour of the concert, but since there were four us us, all with different tastes, we all had to compromise and go to the ones others liked too.

First Night celebrations are at various cities in the US.  They are "family friendly" which means not a lot of alcohol and loud parties.  I am sure some of this was going on in the bars, but the various venues are in public buildings. There is one fireworks at 10:00 pm for younger children who need to go home and to bed early.  There was another at midnight.  So we got home around 1:00 AM.  It was a great start to the new year.