Much To Be Thankful For
Thanksgiving in Chicago!
Above all, I am thankful every single day for these people and for this life.
Friendsgiving!
You know what? Some truly awesome people live in Rochester. And I feel pretty darn lucky to have found them (or to have had them find me). For them – their wit, brains, humor, talent, crazy personalities, kindness, and generosity – I am incredibly thankful.
{The evening’s wonderful host and her beautiful first bird!}
{These three turkeys.}
{I brought a Rhubarb Fizz – a rhubarb-gin-prosecco cocktail!}
{It was a winner! Recipe here.}
{Tate’s goat cheese and walnut stuffed baked dates and savory sweet potato casserole, both of which were insanely delicious!}
{I also brought a roasted brussel sprout-bacon-shallot-gruyere gratin with thyme and nutmeg. I highly recommend it! Recipe here.}
{The beautifully decorated feasting room.}
{Happy Friendsgiving!}
{The feast!}
{I am also thankful for this.}
{My favorite part of this photo is Chris, in his amazing fox shirt, looking just like dad at the head of the table with his napkin tucked into his shirt.}
{We call this game “flip the crescent roll onto the platter.” It was a success!}
{On pieces of paper, we each wrote down what we were thankful for now and what we will strive to be thankful for in the upcoming year, and then tossed them into the fire to go out into the world with the smoke.}
{A fire and the shoo fly pie song}
{Marshmallows!}
{Happy Friendsgiving, y’all!}
Also, I am so, so thankful for my awesome friends Becca and Shawnda who joined me at Skyzone Indoor Trampoline Park on Sunday night for an hour of bouncing, flipping, and leaping ourselves silly and throwing ourselves off trampolines and into giant foam pits. We didn’t get any pictures of this madcap adventure, but rest assured, this is basically what we looked like. Basically. And it was wonderful. The best kind of friends are the kind you can be silly with. And fortunately, I’ve got great taste in amazing friends!
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I wish you all a beautiful Thanksgiving. We all have so, so very much to be grateful for. Remember to share your gratitude with those you love this week and think loving thoughts for those who need them most. Or, better yet, share what you have with them.
Happy Thanksgiving!
It’s Pretty Wonderful Here
Hey, look! It’s all the rest of the stuff that has happened in the past two months! Well, not all of it, but some of the stuff I took pictures of at least…
{Friday night bingo at a Ukrainian Catholic church with a bunch of Geva staff and our cast of Good People. Now, this is what we call primary research! It was a pretty intense experience – true bingo players don’t mess around – but also a lot of fun! Who knew you could play like 8 cards simultaneously and that they have special bingo paint makers? And those hot dogs! YUM. No winners at our table, but if you saw the show, you’d never know those actors haven’t been playing bingo since they emerged from the womb}
{The first Sonic Drive-In finally opened in Rochester! FIELD TRIP OF EXTREME JOY}
{Fall prettiness}
{Fall yumminess}
{Our lovebug}
{A tour of the Susan B. Anthony house with a few of our playwrights who were in town for our Festival of New Theatre}
{Book club: The Bookman’s Tale. A highly recommended read – a cross between a love story, a history story, and a mystery tale}
{Kitty love! Wash, Sancho, and Leo. My love for orange tabbies is limitless! My friends are all so generous with allowing me to come over and love on their animals. All. The. Time. I’m so very lucky!}
{Girls’ night dinner at Atlas Eats! INCREDIBLE. The food, the wine, the company, the atmosphere, all of it. The best!}
Of course, there’s plenty more things I didn’t get pictures of…like the great new scarf I’m learning to knit, my homemade rhubarb syrup and smorgasbord of soups, my 4x weekly dance class, First Friday fun with Jessica, Michaela’s wonderful visit to Rochester for a girls weekend filled with shows, museums, boutiques, and great food, Becca’s board games and carrot-cake-from-heaven birthday party, and “girls night” with Chelsea and Andrew that consisted of the discovery of a delicious new winter spice beer, an excellent selection of music while dinner was on the stove, Chelsea’s awesome stir-fry, the making of amazingly rich from-scratch brownies, Andrew’s homemade stove-top hot chocolate with a hint of cayenne, the movie Chocolat (which is so good!! Why did I wait so long to see this movie!?), and over two-hours of coon hound cuddles on a very comfy couch.
But, overall, fall in Rochester? Well, it’s pretty wonderful here!
Girls’ Weekend in Stratford, Ontario!
On a gorgeous October weekend, Shawnda, Shannon, Heather and I journeyed about 5 hours northwest to Stratford, Ontario for a girls’ weekend at the Legacy House B&B, some window shopping, and two shows at the Stratford Theatre Festival!
{Our stay at the B&B – The Legacy House – was fantastic! Our host was wonderful and gracious and an amazing cook. The rooms were beautiful, the B&B was within easy walking distance from all the restaurants, shops, and theatres in town, and we had a lovely breakfast with the other two couples staying there as well}
{Being in Stratford, Canada reminded me so much of my Shakespearean summer abroad intensive during college in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England. My summer in Stratford, England was – literally – one of the best times of my life and completely life-changing for me, so being in a place that was similar to Stratford-Upon-Avon was a real treat. I really love towns steeped in the arts and Shakespeare that have great architecture and where you can walk anywhere and everywhere…especially in the fall}
{We did some window shopping up and down the main streets – everything from trendy clothing boutiques to book and toy stores to Scottish shops, and then we stopped in for relaxing pre-show dinner at Molly Bloom’s Irish Pub. We shared a plate of poutine because – when in Canada! – and I had a tasty Irish cottage pie for my main entrée. On the way out of the restaurant we ran into a few Rochester folks who we all knew that just happened to be here on the same weekend as us…and eating at the same restaurant and seeing the same show, as well. Small world!}
{I found this amazing coffee shop advertisement and Shakespeare allusion in a playbill. I laughed for hours!}
{Saturday night we saw Noel Coward’s Hay Fever at the Avon Theatre. We all adored the costumes! The show was fun as well and there was one line of the play in particular that still has me laughing to this day}
{After Hay fever we walked back to the B&B, cuddled up in the living room on the couch in our PJs with mugs of hot tea and an episode of Gilmore Girls, and then hit the hay for a great night of sleep}
{For breakfast our host made hot tea, fresh squeezed orange-tangerine juice, a phenomenal roasted pear topped with toasted oats, brown sugar, almonds, cranberries, and butter, and served with a creamy water buffalo yogurt and homemade pear butter. The second course was homemade hazelnut waffles with a fresh berry, cinnamon, and triple sec compote served with a thick homemade cream fraiche. Absolutely delicious and so luxurious and relaxing! And we enjoyed a great conversation with our host and the other two couples who were staying there that weekend. Breakfast with strangers is definitely one of the best parts of staying at a B&B!}
{Before our Sunday matinée show, we walked around town and along the beautiful river, dropped in a few more stores including an amazing milkshake shop, a gourmet loose-leaf tea store, two homemade chocolate stores, and a kitchen shop where I found – and immediately bought – the most amazing sauce ever: a maple cappuccino sauce that now goes on pretty much everything I eat, but especially apple crisp! I also found a kitty in a window! The weather was gorgeous and we had a really lovely morning}
{In the afternoon we saw George Gershwin’s Crazy for You at the Festival Theatre. This is one of my most favorite musicals of all time – ever since I did the show back in high school – and this production did not disappoint. It was incredible!! I absolutely loved the lighting and the choreography! Crazy for You took the cake for best musical performance I’ve seen in quite a while…and that’s definitely saying something! It’s a good thing we went on closing weekend or I would have been seriously tempted to make the trip back to Stratford to see the show again on a subsequent weekend. Getting to see this show made me so happy! **Also worth noting, if you’re age 29 or under, you can score $25 tickets to shows at the Stratford Festival for you and a friend – who does not need to be under 29 – and if you go on Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, they’re only $20. What a steal! Between the cheap theatre tickets, splitting fuel costs, and sharing rooms at the B&B, you too can enjoy a wonderful girls’ weekend on the super-cheap and without breaking the bank}
{Two weekends later Shannon and I scored a pair of free tickets to closing weekend of the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. So back to Canada we went – this time only a 2 hour trek – for one evening only to see Masteroff and Kander’s musical Cabaret at the Shaw Festival Theatre. We desperately wanted to see Priestley’s When We Are Married, but it was being played in a smaller venue and, unfortunately, it was totally sold out. So, Cabaret it was! We got into town just before sunset, walked the main strip in this very sweet little town to pop into a few boutiques and shops, grabbed a quick and delicious dinner at the Coach & Horses Pub – which has a great, fun atmosphere! – then picked up some amazing gelato at Il Gelato di Carlotta, and walked to the theatre for the show. Neither Shannon nor I had ever seen Cabaret before, so it was great to experience this very poignant story for the first time. The Shaw Festival production was pretty dark in terms of style, but they did such a great job with the staging, which really stood out in a strong way. A very sweet older gentleman and his wife, who were seated next to us, are Shaw season ticket holders and were seeing the show for the 7th time. They said that every time they saw it, they found something new in it and it grew on them more and more. We really enjoyed this unique production of the show and lovely conversations with the patrons next to us. **While our tickets were – by sheer luck and kind generosity…thank you Scott! – completely free this time, the Shaw Festival also does $30 discounted tickets for young adults ages 30 and under}
Next, we are planning on a late spring/early summer girls’ weekend – this time to the Shaw Festival for a whole weekend of wineries, shops, shows, and B&Bs. We can’t wait!
Falling in Love
Fall is my most favorite time of year!
And for good reason, too…
{pumpkins and pumpkin patches!}
{all kinds of pumpkins! so many unique pumpkins!}
{apple cider donuts, apple cider slushies, and corn-maze-opoly!}
{these sweeties!}
{apple slingshots and apple cannons!}
{corn mazes!}
{chilly mornings at the farm!}
{glorious trees!}
{did I mention pumpkins? so many pumpkins! and hay rides galore!}
{even more animals to love on!}
{local concord grapes!}
{Indian corn!}
{all the fresh apples for eating and baking!}
{gourds!}
{and sharing it all with this guy}
Halloween Night: The Cactus Cometh
{Most of the trees in our area are past peak by now, but this one was in its prime, just in time for a cold, rainy Halloween!}
{Halloween work-day finery}
{This cactus made sure to score her $3 “boorito” at Chipotle on Halloween night!}
{Trick-or-treating}
{Jack-o-lanterns by Seth and Callum}
{Sorting the loot}
{Beer, chips, guac, and cookies & cream cookies for the adults….and the cactus – who neither qualifies as an adult or a kid}
{Like you’ve never had a cactus making guacamole in your kitchen before}
For $10 worth of men’s forest green sweats from the 1980s and a beanie courtesy of Goodwill, $3 in white pipe cleaners, $2 in orange silk flowers, a pair of good old cowboy boots, and 4 hours of hot-glue craftiness, you too can be an exceedingly cozy and extra warm cactus in New York!
Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween!
Arabia!: Part V
This is the last of the UAE posts!
If you missed posts I, II, III, or IV in the series, be sure to check them out!
{Awesome girls night out with Reem and Angelina at the Dubai Mall for some fancy shopping and fantastic Indian Food!}
{The trip home!}
If you’ve followed along with these posts for the past several weeks, you’ve probably noticed that I mostly showcased photos and talked about a few of the things we saw or experienced. I wanted to clarify that there was SO much more to our trip than the few exciting or beautiful moments that the photos show. So, SO much more that I couldn’t possibly put into words on this blog. So many feelings and lessons and stories and people and ideas and joys and challenges and excitements and difficulties. This place and these people and our journey cannot possibly be defined by a few pictures and a few words. I have so much to say and so much to share, but it’s all best done in person. I’ve already shared many of our adventures and observations with those who I’ve seen since we returned about six weeks ago. But, if you’d like to know more about our time in the UAE, please let me know and I’d be happy to share!
Thanks for following along! Hope you’ve enjoyed the small slivers of our trip that we chose to share here!
Arabia!: IV
In case you missed parts I, II, or III…
Our day of exploring Sharjah!
{Authentic Emirati breakfast at Fenyaal Cafe in Al Qasba. I had some superb Egyptian coffee with thick, savory, bread-like pancakes that are seasoned with spices and seeds that you top with a smooth, spreadable cream cheese and drizzle with honey. They were absolutely INCREDIBLE. Definitely one of the most interesting and unique dishes I ate in the UAE and it was delicious beyond words! Ted ordered a dish that consisted of sweet, warm noodles (think shredded crepes) and a flat omelette, which he also loved! We really enjoyed this cafe, the atmosphere, the food, and the views!}
{Eye of the Emirates and Al Qasba}
{Hop-on-hop-off bus tour = best and most inexpensive way to see Sharjah, learn about the culture and landmarks via audio-tour, and get around the city – an excellent form of transportation!}
{Browsing the wares at the Blue Souk in Sharjah. It was enormous – almost overwhelming! Thousands of shops selling gold jewelry, Persian rugs, evening gowns, abayas and hijabs, electronics, spices, traditional trinkets, and anything else you could possibly imagine. There were also men’s and women’s prayer rooms for when the ‘call to prayer’ sounds. At every stall entrance someone was standing at the door urging you to come in to their shop and see what they have for you – a very bold style of shopkeeping we are generally unaccustomed to in the US. It was definitely an experience!}
{Fruit and vegetable market & fish market – we arrived at the fish market after they’d closed for the day. Most markets and souks are open in the morning, shut down between 1 and 4pm, and reopen again in the afternoon/evening.}
{Museum of Islamic Civilization…it was full of amazing, gorgeous things! Sharjah is a cultural capital and has many, many awesome museums to visit…and they cost hardly anything! We’re really looking forward to checking out the classic car museum and the airplane museum next!}
{Back to Al Qasba for a beautiful sunset, a wonderful ‘pick-your-own-fish’ grilled seafood dinner at a lovely restaurant, some late-night ice cream along the water, steamy glasses (because that’s what happens when you step outside – it’s so hot and humid that you glasses instantly fog up), and the most terrifying taxi ride I’ve ever experienced and lived through – the driving there is no joke….but we got home safely!}
The last of our trip is up next!
Arabia!: Part III
Check out Parts I and II if you missed ’em!
The adventure: Our first non-essentials-shopping-related day trip into Dubai for some relaxation and sightseeing, and an afternoon in Sharjah.
We left Sharjah bright and early on a Friday morning, which is an ideal time to be out and about for shopping or sightseeing purposes because the first ‘call to prayer’ of the day isn’t until about noon, so most people are home with their families and at the Mosque until 1pm, so there’s no traffic on the roads (read: You get to feel marginally safe on the roads!!!) or crowds of people to contend with, so you can really soak up the experience in a leisurely way.
{Our first stop: The Dubai Mall – home to a gigantic aquarium, the world’s fastest indoor roller coaster, and Ski Dubai. Snow is a beautiful, beautiful sight when it’s 114 degrees out! I wasn’t really sure Ted was ever going to leave this magical place…}
{Window shopping and square donuts at Al Qasr at Madinat Jumeirah}
{The gold dispensing ATM…yes, it exists…for everyone who asked me to verify the rumors}
{We strolled around the gorgeous waterways of Madinat Jumeirah. In the first picture you can see the luxurious Burj Al Arab hotel and in the first two pictures you’ll spot the beautiful wooden abra “water taxi” boats. The slotted openings at the tops of the buildings are how traditional Emirati homes back in the pearl-diving days were designed – they serve as a cooling system that sucks in the “cool” gulf breeze and redirects it down into the interior of the home}
{Can’t ignore a good photo op location!}
{Then we took in the Jumeirah Beach. We walked down the pier and out over the water for a better view of the beach, skyline, and palm tree and world islands….and we all instantly melted into disgusting puddles of sweat}
{Lunch at Lime Tree Cafe. I had an incredible plate packed with the most delicious roasted and curried cauliflower, spinach, and chickpea salad, two salmon and asparagus risotto patties topped with dill cream cheese, a freshly-squeezed beet-pineapple juice smoothie, and a slice of their carrot cake. Seriously, you want to eat here immediately. I actually cannot wait to savor/devour their amazing food again…ASAP!}
{This shark had plans for me…}
{And this friendly eel mugged a big old smile for the camera}
{Back in Sharjah, Fereh accompanied us to the Sharjah Aquarium….which clearly has the best aquarium signs ever, as evidenced above}
{Sharjah views from outside the Aquarium}
{After the Aquarium, we shared dinner at a traditional Emirati cuisine restaurant. It was located right on the river downtown so it had beautiful water and sunset views, as well as really awesome outdoor seating…so, naturally, I decided we must be like the locals and sit outside, in the stifling heat and humidity, and eat hot food for two hours. I’m not sure what I was thinking. Ted still isn’t sure what I was thinking. But, aside from sitting very, very still and trying not to move at all throughout dinner so we didn’t melt into our food, it was really serene, the food was delicious, and I think it was a really great and memorable experience! Ted got some sort of pita, yogurt, and lamb kebobs and I shared a totally delicious Iranian baked fish and saffron rice dish with a pregnant cat – which was pretty much the highlight of my day! You can see her in one of the pictures above – and topped off the meal with a steaming hot kettle of amazing Arabic coffee, which is flavored with cardamom and tastes like a hybrid of coffee and tea}
{The restaurant had a beautiful view of the fountain show and the Al Noor Mosque at night, which was simply stunning, as you can see! Click the photo to enlarge – it’s worth it!}
More to come later! :)