Prairie Poster Girl

Guess what? I had no idea, but someone texted me yesterday to let me know I'm the poster girl for this year's Christmas prairie experience: www.threeriversparks.org

It's a picture taken from two years ago when I had first moved to Minnesota. I'm going to be out there a few times this year, but I cannot fit into my Victorian garb this year. So, I have a tent dress to wear instead that I plan to belt down with an apron. Sans apron, three people could fit inside of it with me.

There will not be poster girl pictures taken of that one.

A low key Florida wedding

Nestled between the bougainvillea and palm trees, there's a little garden in Winter Park, Florida called English Gardens. Dave's cousin, Noah, and his bride Marisa chose this cozy spot for their intimate, low-key wedding. The weather cooperated for a chilly, but beautiful event with friends and family. The children provided the extra entertainment, as the flower girl made an extra lap around the garden, and the son and best man of the couple sat on the step and ate a Snickers during the ceremony. To cap off the ceremony, the benediction from the officiant was "and... Go Seminoles!" to reflect the crowd of FSU graduates present. Unfortunately, that didn't help the Garnet & Gold.
















The wedding was followed up with a nice Italian-style reception. (I noticed in this part of Florida there are no local, mom & pop style restaurants. It's franchise city!) Since the bride's family had quite a bit of Italian heritage or at least an Italian last name, this seemed to fit very well. Fettucini, piccata, salad, and desserts like Italian cookies and spumoni were served up family style in heaping bowls passed around the table. It doesn't have to be a big wedding to be a nice, classy one, and this was proof of that.












The neatest aspect of this wedding was the Candy buffet, which went over very well with kids of all ages.








The bride & groom purchased classic candies like Reese's, Snickers, Gummi Bears, and Lemon Drops, and a few throwbacks, like pop rocks and some other button things I remember eating as a kid and displayed them at the reception. Guests were invited to put candy in clear plastic bags as a wedding favor, although I saw several people put a spoonful of Sour Patch kids beside the fried calamari that was served up as an appetizer. You can't really tell from the photos, but chocolate chips and shavings were spread around the bases of the containers for a nice display.





Congrats and best wishes go out to Noah & Marisa on a special day and a special family.

Meeting up with Kimberly

Dave and I are lucky to have friends practically all over the country. We couldn't make a stop in Central Florida without visiting one of our friends who lives there, Kimberly, who used to work with us in Shreveport. This is her hometown and she works at a local station here.

I highly recommend the restaurant she took us to, Seasons 52, which changes its menu frequently to reflect the season. It's health conscious too...all entrees are under a certain number of calories and the ones we had were absolutely delicious.

We didn't know it, but we happened to be near where a certain golfer had a run-in with a fire hydrant. We could've played paparazzi and didn't even know it!

A very Epcot Thanksgiving

Last year I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for the family who visited from New York and Arkansas.

What did I do this year?

I went to Disney World.

Yep. Actually, we had a family wedding to attend that Saturday, so we took advantage of the holiday to spend extra time with family. The only Disney park we fit in was Epcot and we visited one afternoon to tour the countries, which were already ready for the holiday season.

Even though it was Thanksgiving, there was still quite a crowd at Disney and a surprising number of people sporting football jerseys. We saw several LSU fans and perhaps because of the day, several people were gnawing turkey legs.

We opted for a later dinner at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant in Downtown Disney. The food was fine, but the company made this Thanksgiving even better.

Baby, won't you drive my car?

I stole the title of this blog from a song, and also from a friend who titled an article once the same way. I liked it then, and I like it now.

After 10 years on the road, I sold the little red car. I bought a new car in September and this month I happened upon a buyer with zero advertising. He gave what I asked, so I figured it was time to sell.

But as I drove to hand her off, I got kinda emotional. It's almost like I was in a 10 year relationship that was coming to an end without the bad breakup that makes you glad to see it finished. I mean, I was never stranded on the side of the road with this car. I never got in a wreck. I only had one flat tire. It was simply time to upgrade before my good luck ran out.

I drove this car in college, and I packed it to the hilt while moving out of the dorm after four years. I drove this car around DC several times, lost before finding my way back. I drove this car 1000+ miles to graduate school in Syracuse, and on a few sight-seeing excursions to Maine and through New England. I drove this car to my first job and after I anchored my first newscast. I made many trips from Shreveport to Arkadelphia over 7 semesters teaching college. I drove this car to transport stuff for my wedding. I drove this car to see my family in Florida, and I drove this car packed down once again, away from my family to live in Minnesota, and packed again into my first home. And I kept it clean every step of the way. (that's for you Uncle Jim)

I started counting the moves that I made in this car:
*out of a dorm in Arkansas and to an apartment outside of DC
*out of a dorm in Arkansas and into a sorority house in New York
*out of a sorority house into a friend's house in New Hampshire
*out of the New Hampshire location to Louisiana
*in and out of 2 apartments and 2 houses in Shreveport
*from Shreveport to Minnesota.
*from an apartment to our first house, actual owned property, in Minnesota

Then I decided to count the speeding tickets that I've gotten in this car in 4 states in towns like Cotton Valley, Waskom, Bradley, Arkadelphia, New Orleans, Eden Prairie... My favorite was getting pulled over by a deputy named Opie in the speed trap of Bradley, Arkansas....but I quickly decided I've dwelled on that bit of past long enough. We can move on from that. And fast.

The mailman has been busy

Aside: Some of you will have to put up with a few baby bits from now on. These are for the family, but you are more than welcome to enjoy!

It's the southern way to show your love often not with words, but with gifts and actions. My family tends not to get overly emotional and say mushy things to each other. Instead, they do things like cook and give gifts. We aren't close enough to get food, unfortunately, but only days after the baby news broke, we started getting gifts.

The first care package came, fittingly, from the baby's only surviving set of great-grandparents. My grandmother always sends the best care packages. My first winter in Minnesota she sent me a box of grits with my birthday gift. Not just any grits. Microwave grits. Instant grits. Old fashioned grits. Flavored grits. She wasn't sure what kind I would like, so she just cleaned out the aisle. And 3 years later, I'm still eating on them. Grandmother and Pop sent the baby a package containing sleepers (with a sports theme for Dave, of course), bottle washers, socks, and picture frames. All that mail comes as it always does, addressed to "Mrs. Dave Schwartz" (top picture)

The baby's grandmother in Florida sent sleepers, baby blankets, diapers, and a toy. That has come addressed to "Baby Schwartz" (yellow sleeper picture)

One of my moms, my best friend's mother, made a quilt and called to inform me on the phone yesterday that she had a birthday present for me and she wanted to tell me what it was BEFORE I got it. An ABC quilt, and she's piecing another one too. (below)

My other best friend has texted me saying a package is on the way she just couldn't get in the mail because she kept putting stuff in it.

And my future sister-in-law and brother sent me a maternity package that included among other things "chocolate for baby."

There's already a discussion brewing over who gets to give the shower and just where it will be held in the big D. Apparently there is much noise over how I can get the stuff to Minnesota and how in the world is it proper manners to put 'bring money' or 'buy off a registry online' on a shower invitation? Kudos to my cousin for thinking of these things. I am just tickled the shower committee will have heck deciding what color the punch must be. That's very important, you know.

With stuff coming from Arkansas, Florida, and New York... pretty obvious this baby is already loved.

60 years and counting...

As I've said before.... when it comes to grandparents, I truly hit the grandparent lotttery.

My grandparents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary last week on November 12. I am very lucky to see them reach this milestone, and they are lucky to have reached it as well.

But Grandmother and Pop wouldn't tell you that. They grew up in an era when people just got married and stayed married. It's what people did.

My grandmother had four children in about five years time, and if that wasn't trial enough, she raised them all less than a football field away from her in-laws. She's the kind of housewife who could make clothes out of flower sacks, put up any type of fruit or vegetable, and work a part time job to bring in extra income to boot. My grandfather worked long and hard in soybean fields, hay meadows, and the log woods. They would escape periodically for a Razorback game or a road trip, but the road always led them back to the house on the hill... the one they literally built themselves and have lived in for 50 plus years.

I asked them what was the secret to being married for 60 years. They laughed and skirted around the issue, but they never really came out with any one piece of sage advice. I think that says alot about the two of them. Marriage is something you do everyday. There's not a golden revelation or a lofty reason why things work out. Marriage works because you work at it. Both of you. Everyday.

Of course, I had to chase them down on the cell phone to find this out and wish them a Happy Anniversary....they were off celebrating on a road trip to northern Arkansas and Branson... so maybe there is a key to being married for 60 years.... taking time to get away from everyone else!