Grace makes a video!

We hooked up with a play/Video called Let's Move throuht the RCT and Grace made it through the auditons and ....here she is...lots of face time...she is the Hoola Hoop Girl...she wears a green top and a pink top.

Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAIOx5nnywE

This will be played for all the RCSD students along with a play based on Hansel and Gretel. (then Hollywood??)

Greta job Gracie!!

Thankful for much

The family joined Eric and I in Syracuse this year for the annual turkey burn. I used the opportunity to test run an fondue recipe for the upcoming Holiday party at our house.

While dinner was cooking, Many of the gang watched the Thanksgiving sporting event on the television. I think it was the "Brown ball " sport.

......

I also was initiated into the celebration rite for when one obtains a turkey at no cost due to shopping receipts. It is entitled "FreeBird!" And there was much rejoicing.

A Fabulous 50th

.
A beautiful weekend here in upstate New York as we celebrated my sister Cathy's 50th birthday. The day's adventure started with a tour of some fun wineries on the east side of Seneca lake as we headed towards Geneva for the evening. The various wineries and settings proved much fodder for our goofy ways AND we actually tasted some wines as well.















































After the tour and some hotel checking in, we arrived at Belhurst castle. First time I had actually been there. A fantastic ( and haunted! ) mansion located at the top of Seneca lake. Dinner was quite Yum Yum and then there was cake!!










A friend remarked on Facebook that Mom must be smiling and I am sure she is.

Next stop....STATES!!

OFA XC-- 2011 Division Champions

James was the top runner for his team and in this race finished 9th of all those runners! Can you spot him? He was able to qualify during sectionals and will be running NYS XC championships this weekend. I am so amazed and proud of our boy! BRING ON THE COWBELL!!

Aunt Catherine's 88th and Lucy's debut

Cousin Danielle and Pete organized a trip back east for everyone to meet our newest cousin Lucy Clare this past weekend. We made an double occasion out of the visit and all met in Scranton to help celebrate Aunt Catherine's 88th birthday at Marywood.

Lucy Clare made the rounds with all the cousins and there was much cake to be had.

Saturday night we all went out for Irish food and afterwards Kristin hosted a mini celebration for my sister Cathy's 50th birthday. The family will be getting together later for the big party, but we sampled some truffles in the hotel lobby as a warm up for the party in 2 weeks.





A great weekend!

Run James Run

Wow look at James GO! He placed first....yeeehaa. I have no idea why they do this running thing...if there is not a ball involved what is the point?

Surreal to me but good for you JAMES and Carolyn!!!!

traditions

Some traditions, as silly as they may be, must be passed down to the next generation. Here is a sample of one such traditon. I don't know if we made this up at St. Pats those many years ago or if it found its way down from other places or generations before us but...

Paper Football.

You need an 8x11 piece of paper or something close and any size table. Fold the paper like a flag gets folded and create a triangle. This is the ball. The ball is slid by the players (2) back and forth until someone gets part of the triangle to cross the edge of the table...that's a touchdown. afterwards the fun part-the point after...the person who scores goes for the extra point by kicking the ball as shown by Grace above throught the uprights created by the opposing players fingers...the best part was at short range you could smack the opponent in the face. At long range (pro distance) long lunchroom table (6'-8') it was hard to score or kick that far but the sixth graders were expected to play at that distance.

Grace and I stopped at a restaurant the other day and while waiting for lunch the tradition was handed down.

Espana!

A quick upload of some of the best shots from the big Spain trip this past spring.

This was our fairwell dinner with Carl's family. We had a great time with these folks and they were so accommodating ... hopefully we can find a way to thank them some day for the lodging, tour guides and interpreter services.

This from Gijon on Good Friday. St Peatro's(Peter's?). This is built on the bay. The plaza I am standing on is over the Roman garrisons quarters from 200AD. They found an intact suit of armor in an excavation just last year. I love the way this came out with the yellow, blue and greens. I love my Nikons...this was the s8100 (little guy) ...looks as good as the D90?

Laboral Complex also in Gijon....spectacular structure built in the Franco Era...rise of the socialist state and the architecture to support it...originally a labor camp/training center...then abandoned now being restored and converted into a community college/university...one of the largest buildings in Spain. The bell tower is the tallest masonry tower in Spain. The chapel is really beautiful. This is Neoclassism at its peak...perhaps past its zenith?

Lucas is funny. He knows he is a comedian as well. Note the tile in the background. Tile as a wall finish, both interior and exterior, are more prevalent there. The colors and designs were full of Morish influences as well.

drama queen - catching up

Grace did her Christmas show, Madeline's Christmas again this year...she was awesome. She earned a spot as Giselle this year. One of the 12 or one of Madeline's 11 friends. She sang great and the "We're Flying" scene is awesome...
Bravo Gracie...BRAVO.

Giselle, Madeline, her classmates along with Madame Girard welcome a guest

Giselle and Madeline sing...

Grace's teacher, Ms G. Steve Elliott and BFF CeCe stand behind Grace after the show.

Grace , friend CeCe and her cuz Rose

I will post some short clips of this when I remeber what file and what computer/sd card I put it on.

zoom zoom

This needed its own post...

Grassroots 2011

We were supposed to camp with EB and JB Families for the weekend but the 90+ degrees grounded me. JB was sidelined by family issues in Jersey so poor EB was left holding the bag of campsites...however that worked itself out somehow.

Grace and I ended up going down Sunday for the day and caught The Believers, The Heartbeats Reunion with Tara N from Donna, Uniit and girl country band in the caberet. Good tunes and of course great to hook up with EB and his family including sister Christie and their Uncle.
The Heartbeats....

Grace fines the fine cuisine

...and catches a rinbow or two

...and perfects her HULA technique

Here's Grace with Karys, Aunt Christie and Shonia

See ya next year folks!!!

Tour de Cure - Grace is on TV!!

WE had a nice tour...except Grace complained for 2 hours about riding further...the "Tour" people interviewed us because I was a "Red Rider" (diabetic) with my "Red Rider" T shirt (not to be confused with the infamous BB gun that shoots your eye out) then they pointed the news people to us because we were so...?
So we talk to the camera crew for some time and then pow...there she is on the 11 o'clock news...thankfully they picked her because she is way cuter and more animated...this is a fun clip - enjoy.

Oh and sorry blog...I missed you....many posts in the works. I can catch up a little now that school is out.

She blinded me with Science

The Felice Clan came to visit us in Syracuse for the weekend. My Niece Carolyn was competing in a Central New York Science fair here in town on Sunday. So after she set up Saturday afternoon for the Sunday competition - we headed to dinner. Afterwards, Mr. Eric gave the family a little spin in our basement disco.




Sunday afternoon - the family headed over to the local community college to support our brilliant 7th grader and see her science presentation on plant growth.



Way to go Carolyn!

IFONLYS

the IFONLYS

Aunt Betty, Uncle Leo, Aunt Clare and my Dad in Heidleberg having a big brown beer...if only we could get in the time machine and join them...just for one. How much would you pay to have a half an hour with these wonderful people in the prime of their lives having the most fun they probably ever had. I would probably give you everything I have in all my accounts for that half hour. The joy in their faces is overwhelming and yet the sadness of not being able to hear their voices is a resounding reminder that IFONLYS are fleeting. We wil miss Aunt Betty's and Aunt Clare's giggles. Hey Pop, tell us the story behind this picture someday will ya?

I spent a happy day in Heidelberg with my best friend in the summer of 1992...I remember sitting outside a local and having a bratwurst and a haffeweissen...time stood still for an hour for us as we realized we were in a place doing something that we may never get to do again...we were probably in the same place they were...smiling exactly the way they were. If only we could go back one more time and have that beer with them?

IFONLYs....

Thank you Tom Jones and all of them for sharing the awesome pics and for the great blog for Aunt Betty, my Godmother. Was she anyone else's??

Christmas Concert

The SJN School Christmas Concert was the best ever with songs and dances from each class a new number from the teachers called "Snow Day"...Grace and her mates rocked...with cool songs and some nice dances.

Of course the party afterwards at the diner was way fun as usual. "Sista" Maria can't wat to be a SJNS girl like her big sister.

Click on the pic with the students singing and see that they are all actually possesed....