Tag Archives: christmas

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Colonial Williamsburg… Duke of Gloucester Street

January 30, 2020 Rivergirl 22 Comments

Done with the Governor’s Palace, we headed to the main thoroughfare.

Colonial Williamsburg is a town, like any other.

If all the other towns were full of beautifully restored 18th century historic buildings that is.

George Wythe was Thomas Jefferson’s mentor.

So, you know…. that kind of town.

At the corner? The Bruton Parish Church, established in 1674…..

Still an active Presbyterian presence…

You can almost see George Washington walking amongst the stately old live oaks.

(Yes, he worshiped here.)

Taking a left put us on Duke of Gloucester Street, the busiest section of town.

Every house and business was decked out for Christmas….

With the traditional natural fruit and greenery it’s become famous for.

Another carriage made it’s way by….

And as much as I wanted to take one…. the husband had no interest whatsoever.

I mean, look at them…

They were just waiting for me to climb aboard.

But no. The husband had caught sight of this:

And that was where we went next.

Yay. More weapons…

Okay, the collection was impressive as hell.

And filled with various painful ways to kill people.

And yes…

The armory fellow was well versed and full of interesting facts.

But… but…

Horsies….

Are cuter than cannons any ole day.

And you can’t ride a cannon.

(Or maybe you can… but you probably shouldn’t.)

Next up was lunch at Chowning’s Tavern, where it’s wreath spoke volumes.

A reconstructed public house Josiah Chowning operated in 1766…

The menu of Brunswick Stew, Shepherd’s Pye and Welsh Rarebit reflected the fare of the day.

I opted for the hot smoked turkey trencher which was marvelous…. while the husband continued his French Onion soup trend.

Rum cake?

Don’t mind if I do.

Light, rummy and utterly fabulous.

Hot tea and mixed berry crumble for the other half.

Which to be honest, was so God awful sweet he could hardly eat it.

( Lunch photos just for you Martin.)

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The resort, the Manor, a little bad food…. and geese.

January 25, 2020 Rivergirl 20 Comments

There aren’t too many timeshare resorts that have a Manor House…

But ours did.

And for guests….

The doors were wide open.

So before even finding our condo, we explored.

She was a charming old girl.

And fully decked out for Christmas.

Yes, there was even some funky chicken portraiture.

Ya gotta love that.

Traditional Williamsburg colors took center stage.

And board games were set up on various tables.

It really was quite lovely.

And I certainly wouldn’t mind having a meal or two here.

But we were burning daylight…

So, needing liquid refreshment….

We left the Manor House and were pleased to find a restaurant/bar on the property.

Not all resorts have this, so it was a plus.

The friendly bartender introduced the husband to a local beer, and we ordered some appetizers to test the menu.

French Onion Soup for the other half…. which was absolutely horrendous. Croutons instead of French Bread, over salted broth and a glob of gelatinous cheese.

Blech.

My margarita was made with cheap mix and even cheaper tequila…. and the cheesy crab dip? Tasteless, as well as crabless. I couldn’t find a single piece.

Needless to say we passed on ordering dinner there. (Sorry Martin, that’s all the food pics you’ll get today.)

But ya know what?

The resort was beautiful.

They had a Manor House…..

And geese.

I forgave them their bad food.

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No funny business….

December 25, 2019 Rivergirl 22 Comments

Just a heartfelt Merry Christmas to my loyal readers.

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Wishing you joy…

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And a Christmas Day filled with everything that makes your heart sing.

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May your tree stay vertical, may your outdoor lights stay lit…

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And may the birds not strip your wreath down to the wire.

(Speaking from experience)

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And now seems a perfect time to say thanks….

Thanks for being there when I log in.

Thanks for putting up with the 112 part series of my vacations and my endless photos of rocks.

Thanks for the laughter, and the snarky banter.

But most of all?

Thanks for not posting those sickeningly sweet pictures of Elf on a Shelf.

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I really hate that little bastard.

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(Okay, there was a small amount of funny business.

So sue me…)

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Merry Christmas Eve interruption…

December 24, 2019 Rivergirl 35 Comments

As you’ve probably guessed… (Or if you hadn’t? You should have.) we’re currently off on another adventure.

And have been for the last 11 days.

Yes, our annual Christmas vacation.

No holiday stress. No decorating. No cooking. No family drama. We leave it all behind, and have since December 2015.

Why?

Because I used to be Christmas crazy.

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I spent a fortune, I decorated everything that stood still…. (yes, I’m ashamed to say there was even a tree on my toilet.)

I drove myself nuts finding the absolutely perfect gifts for people who didn’t appreciate it and cooked the absolutely perfect meal for family who couldn’t care less and always complained.

Maybe my mother dying was the catalyst. But in 2015 we took a trip to the Poconos…. had a blast, and never looked back.

Do I miss the beautiful live fir tree in the living room?

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Yes.

I also miss all the crazy outside lights.

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The well house…

The stone wall…

The funky alligator….

And reindeer who were annually buried up to their butts in white stuff.

The lights in the windows…

And on the bushes.

The sparkling balls on the table…

That caught the sun and turned our living room into a Christmas disco.

The running reindeer on the garage.

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The ribboned garlands….

Yes, I miss it all.

But do I miss the 2 solid weeks of work it took to get everything set up (in the snow , ice and wind) and the solid week of work it took to take it all down (in sub zero temperatures with ice and wind) ?

No. I most definitely do not.

But rest assured I’m not totally Grinchy this year, I did put up a tree.

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This trip? Williamsburg, Virginia until Dec. 30th. Meeting old friends and getting our geek on in a marvelous area filled with American history.

Colonial settlements? Check.

Revolutionary War? Check.

Civil War? Check.

I just hope 2 weeks is enough time.

And I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess there might be a few pictures to post when we get back.

Oh, don’t be so dramatic.

I should be done by …. June.

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Because sometimes all you can do is ask why…..

October 8, 2019 Rivergirl 43 Comments

I stumbled across something the other day and I’m afraid I have to share.

Who knows, some of you may thank me.

Farts Direct

Yes.

There is a website where you can actually order a fart.

In a jar.

And while I fully support small businesses and entrepreneurs, I have to wonder….why?

Why do we need a variety of jarred farts?

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It’s not the first thing I think of when I ask myself, “What do I get the man who has everything?” …. but maybe someone does.

You have to admit the ad campaign is catchy.

“Make a start and choose your fart.”

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Who knows?

Maybe it’s the gift your significant other has always wanted…. but was afraid to ask for.

And if that’s the case?

Christmas shopping just got a little easier this year.

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Remember…

You saw it here first.

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The after Christmas Christmas… and flying poop.

January 1, 2019 Rivergirl 17 Comments

Saturday night found us at our friend’s house… she of the annual weirdo Xmas tree.

By the time we arrived, this year’s forest had sprouted a cat.

There was a small Seussian tree in the dining room…

And shrub Santas by her back door.

The Santas made me smile..

The chipped paint on the steps made me twitch. (Yes, I literally twitched. The husband had to ask if I was alright.) **Note to self – buy friend a gallon of paint for her birthday next month**

We drank, had dinner, drank, and exchanged gifts a week late.

Naturally, the exchange made us laugh.

One of my gifts to her is on the left. A crazy lace agate pendant…

One of her gifts to me? On the right….. a crazy lace agate pendant.

This is what happens when you know your friends too well.

And if that wasn’t bad enough?

I gave her husband the new Game of Thrones book…..

Which she then gave to me.

(This was probably funnier after the 3 margaritas and 1 raspberry martini I had, but you get the idea.)

And then….

Then my husband opened one of his gifts.

And I almost fell off the chair.

Remember my recent blog about poop products?

Oh, yes…

We are now the envy of our neighbors and have a Hovering Poop drone of our very own.

Don’t be jealous.

You know there will be a blog totally devoted to this very soon, and I will share the joy.

Because really.

How can I not?

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We braved the shopping hordes.

December 30, 2018 Rivergirl 15 Comments

And went in search of some after Christmas bargains.

Even when not feeling quite up to par, my reaction is :

While the husband’s is more :

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We found a few things, but come on! 20% – 30% sales?

(That’s not enough to get me out of my pajamas and make me comb my hair.)

But I did manage to pick up this little jewel for my desk –

Which…. for some reason, the husband did not find at all amusing.

We had lunch at a place I’ve been meaning to try for years.

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But were disappointed to find the whole front section had been sold to another business and the restaurant was now relegated to a small space that used to be the bar.

Which would have been okay, had I been feeling well enough to drink.

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Shocking, I know.

But it happens.

Thankfully, the food was good.

French Onion Soup…

And a marvelous baked stuffed haddock with scallops, shrimp and Newburg sauce, roasted fingerling potatoes and asparagus with lemon butter.

While signs at the bar teased me about alcohol…

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I noticed some of the drinking patrons looked a little off.

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And decided staying sober might be the wise choice after all…..

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Better late than never….

December 29, 2018 Rivergirl 17 Comments

The wonderful thing about being sick at Christmas is that I got an extra week until our annual gift exchange party with friends. And since the husband had been sick the week before me, I really needed the extra time.

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Because we all know the man cold is far more severe than anything women experience. When he got sick? I cooked and cleaned and took care of him. When I got sick? I cooked and cleaned and took care of myself.. funny how that works.

So we’re having our gift exchange party tonight and I just finished wrapping. And damn, if there’s anyone who can make a bigger mess putting paper and ribbons on boxes, I don’t want to meet them.

When I wrap? I spread…

And it floats from table to chair to floor to counter to stove and out into the hall. Naturally, everything (including me) is covered in glitter. We’ll be picking that crap out of our pork chops for months to come….

Most of the presents turned out well.

(Yes, those are wine bottles… on a tray… on top of my album collection… in my office. Don’t judge. There’s not a liquor cabinet built that can hold my ever expanding stash.)

And now, a word.

Or to be more exact, a lot of very colorful words every time I tried to peel that little paper backing to reveal the sticky part of a bow.

May I just say… WTF?

It’s like my Band Aid nightmare all over again…. except there’s no blood, and I’m not doing it one handed. Okay, it’s nothing like the Band Aids… but it’s still annoying as hell and the people that produce those things without leaving a pull tab or a flipped corner to grab onto need to suffer some serious consequences.

Drawn and quartered? Maybe…

Flayed alive? Perhaps…

Locked in an elevator with a non stop loop of Justin Bieber’s greatest hits blasting through the speakers? Now we’re talking!

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A quiet Christmas – 2018.

December 28, 2018 Rivergirl 32 Comments

Okay, so I was sick and hacking up a lung and it wasn’t all that quiet.

But it was peaceful.

And full of prime rib….

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Which I manged to cook to rare and juicy perfection… even with a splitting sinus headache that was making my ears pop.

For the first time in years we stayed home for the holiday, so I did a little outside decorating….. and along with wreaths and candles in the front windows there were snowflakes running down the side.

Which looked rather disembodied in the dark.

It’s the first time I’ve tried these battery operated, on a timer things.

Pro? They come on and off by themselves. Con? They only stay lit for 6 hours.

I also did up the barn.

Trees on the porch…

Holly lights in the windows.

I love those things. Have had them for over 20 years and they still work… kind of like my husband.

(I need two more for the front so if you ever find any? Let me know… because I can’t.)

The trees look white from far away, but have a little color as well.

Anyway, we looked slightly festive… at least from the outside.

Inside? All I managed was some Xmas place mats and a Charlie Brown tree…. which my sweet husband put a present under.

Even though we agreed not to exchange.

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He did well, with a lovely handmade gold and silver bracelet….

Which I had to chuckle at …. because 2 years ago, he gave me this lovely handmade gold and silver bracelet.

Same designer, similar style. He’s nothing if not consistent!

But hey, worn together?

Ooh la la!

I love it.

Hope your Christmas was filled with wonderful things as well…..

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Oh, you really shouldn’t have.

December 25, 2018 Rivergirl 29 Comments

Really.

I think I’ve mentioned that the husband and I have dramatically scaled back our Christmas celebrations over the past few years. It used to be all about presents and parties and consumption on a massive scale. Stress about gift giving, stress about cooking dinners for people who never appreciated it, stress about getting it all done in time so everyone would have a wonderful time.

Except us.

And mainly me… who did all the work.

So the last 4 years? We’ve traveled. No decorations, very little gift giving (none between us) and no hosting parties that just gave the family another excuse to fight.

It was great!

This year since we’re going to Arizona in January, we’re staying home. I did a little decorating, a little baking and a little gift giving… though still none between us. Which was fine… until my husband gave me a present I really didn’t want.

It wasn’t jewelry….

Though I think I could totally rock a tiara.

It wasn’t a new car with a big red bow….

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(Does anyone really do that? The only new car I ever received as a gift was a Matchbox. I was 8…. and I think it’s time to try again.)

No, my thoughtful husband gave me a gift I never expected.

The horrible cold I’ve been nursing him through all week. Splitting sinus headache, sore throat, congestion… I’ve got it all.

Which is odd because I’m usually like this –

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And never catch anything.

Never say never.

So while all of you are enjoying your holiday celebrations, I’ll be hacking up half a lung and hoping Santa gets his fat butt stuck coming down our chimney.

How’s that for festive?