A New Adventure | Peaches Prattlings

{December 24, 2015} ‘Twas the night before Christmas…

Happy Christmas Eve to one and all!

Today is Christmas Eve and I got to continue a fabulous tradition, spending it with crazy friends.

I started my day seeing my grandson, Baby A. What am I going to call him? I can’t keep calling him Baby A! He’s two and a half! I’ll think of something soon. I drove out to see him and his mom, KAB, had a fabulous time and forgot to take a picture of what he made me, pure awesomeness! I will take a picture tomorrow and post it, promise!

After a fabulous visit, I headed back to JT’s house, picked him up, we went to the store and picked up stuff I could eat for dinner, then back to his place.

People started arriving, including ST, who joined us because JT’s family graciously extended an invitation. I told him how great JT’s family is and ST experienced it.

This year was a slightly different crowd, since some of the usual suspects weren’t there. Some of the same faces, some new, but as always, warm, fun, entertaining and amusing, loud, boisterous and fabulous. What more could you want.

For those of you celebrating…Happy Christmas eve!!! I hope you are with the ones you want to be with and having a fabulous time!

{December 23, 2015} A new experience

Today, I got a ride through the airport…in a wheelchair!

As I am recouping, I am not allowed to lift anything more than seven pounds for about four weeks, doing well, just moving a little slower.

That being said, I decided to make my life a little easier today at the airport and I requested a wheelchair. I have to say, it was different, being taken where I needed to go, at a different level and weaving in and out between people “look out!” “Coming thru!”

It did alleviate some of the pressure of navigating the airports, having to carry or wheel things here and there, so much easier!

If you’re like me, asking for help is not easy, but people want to help, so ask!!

A new experience, what’s the next adventure?

{December 22, 2015} A first concert!

Tonight was my first foray into the world of grade school concerts…from the “parent” side.

EJS decided at the start of the school year that she wanted to play an instrument. Her decision was an interesting choice, the cello! It’s almost bigger than her!

When she was making the decision, I told her, after I told her parents of course, that I wanted to be her patron. Try explaining what a patron of the arts is to an eight year old!

She really likes The cello and tonight we got to witness the results of all the practicing and rehearsals.

We started with the beginner strings, this included EJS’ group, cello, violons, violas. These were the third graders. Then it was the advanced strings, fourth and fifth grade. Next was the wind instruments, beginner, then advanced. The winds include clarinet, which GES and I both played, flute, trombone. Then orchestra.

The beginner strings started with the traditional beginner piece, ‘Hot Cross Buns’, of course, then there was Martian Cross Buns, huh?

I have to say, the beginner strings were better than we expected, fair thinking for a beginner concert.

Along with being very proud family members we, GES, ACS and I realized we are now in the parental group that must attend and sit through not only their own child/family member’s performance, but the entire school’s performances! Oh my!

A realization came to mind, how lucky we were as kids! Our parents did it for us and smiled the biggest smiles they could.

I looked at GES during one of the other group’s performances and said “Does this mean we need to call daddy and thank him?” Yes it does!

To our dad and mom, who sat through our concerts and to all those parents who sat through their child’s concerts, no matter how good or bad, we send a big collective “THANK YOU!!” You are now up for sainthood!

{December 17, 2015} Star Wars…The Force Awakens

Go.

Solo

Skywalker

Leia

Chewbacca

R2-D2

C3 PO

Millennium Falcon

New heros, new villians, new droids [very cute, by the way], new creatures, new storm troopers, new light saber fight, new battles of good and evil. There was some good humor, nods and references to the originals.

I think that about covers it…without giving anything away.

Let me know what you think!

{December 14, 2015} Geek alert!!!

Geeking out tonight!!

I finally got my Samsung Gear S2 watch tonight!

Anyone who knows me knows I LA LA LA LOVE my smartwatch. I have had it for about four years, I’m on my second, the first I dropped on a driveway after about 3 years, so sad, so I had to get another.

The technology is great, it’s just slowing down a bit, I’m sorry to say, part of the reason I had a fitbit as well. And if you know me, you know I want the latest and greatest. I got a Samsung Galaxy Note 5, then I see the watch…ooh…

I researched and since they’re both Samsung, they connect. The other watch, Motorola, was great when I had a Motorola phone, connected easily.

This thing is magical! Apps, phone, fitness tracker, emails, music, video, you name it! It even comes with a charging stand!!! And yes, I already downloaded some apps including the winter watch face!

I’m in geek heaven! Sigh.

{December 12, 2015} A Fabulous Friend Christmas Party

So much fun!

Tonight we went to a Christmas party hosted by PSM’s good friends A&KM.

The party was called for 4pm and we got there a little after, but before other folks, so it was nice to have some time one on one with A&K before everyone else arrived.

The cool thing is that I knew almost everyone that was there and there was even one person who thought we had met because she had seen so many pictures of me on Facebook that PSM has posted, kinda cool. And I made some new friends.

It’s great to see how many people care about PSM, they’ve all known each other for years, most of them having been in various ski houses together at one time or another.

They wanted to hear about our trip and all about Hawaii, even planning trips out there! Which is all PSM wants, his friends and family to visit, that will make him happier than anything. Wink wink.

We laughed, ate, drank, repeat. PSM even brought palinka, it was a hit with some and some agreed with me!

What a nice feeling, to be with friends, enjoying each other’s company, being goofy and having a great time, what more could you want?

Thanks A&K for including me in the festivities, I had a blast! Ready for next time!

{December 4, 2015} I rode in a tractor!

Today I got to be a kid!

Did you have Tonka Trucks when you were a kid? Did you ever dream of actually riding in one of those vehicles? Was one of them a tractor?

I did! Yes! Yes!

And guess what! I got to do that today!!

Today, I was invited to go with PSM and his co-workers to visit the farms he’s going to be working with in Hawaii. We visited the main site, the farm where his office will be, already had his name on the door, cool, huh?

We got a tour of the facility with some of the workings of what they do there. Then we took a drive to the next farm and what they do, both farms had major equipment. Somehow…someone said I might want to ride in a tractor and they said ok! Next farm!

We went to the North Shore to the third farm on Oahu, saw some cool stuff and then…I got to ride in a tractor, how cool was that!! Big kid time!

What fun thing is next?

{December 1, 2015} I’m in Hawaii, what?

I was in Europe three weeks ago and now I’m in Hawaii? How does that happen? Well, I’ll tell ya…

I couldn’t say anything before, it was very hush-hush, but PSM was looking to shake things up a bit and one of the things he did was interview for new opportunities within his company.

And then we waited.

And we waited.

We got tired of waiting and ran away to Europe. And here’s where the cool part comes in.

It was our first day in Marseille and we were on the Il d’If, the prison I was telling you about that the Count of Monte Cristo was based on. We were in someone’s prison cell when he got the call. Cool, huh? I thought so.

Good thing it was a large prison cell, I had to walk around it for the next twenty minutes while he talked to his new boss! I took a lot of pictures from the same window, great view!

“But, JJ, you still haven’t told us why you’re in Hawaii.” I’m getting to that dear friends. The new position, if you haven’t followed my chaotic train of thought is…in, yup, you guessed it, Hawaii!

It has been a whirlwind! I couldn’t tell you before because I had to tell my family first and I couldn’t tell them until he told his family first and then his first cousin’s wife, AT was waiting so patiently for my sister to find out so she could say something! It was like a sitcom!

Now, I’ve told my immediate family, first reactions were: Dad “I knew that when JJ said PSM was going to Hawaii, she was going with him”, GES “April break, auntie’s house!”. ACS “oh yeah!” then I’ve told some friends and I’m working on telling the world. For PSM, it’s a quick phone call to friends and family, maybe a 15/20 minute call, max. For me…1-2 hours! My mouth went dry!

The plan is that PSM will move in January, he starts work mid-January and I will join him when my lease is up, around August/September. Until then, I will do what I can to visit him as often as possible, hopefully once a month, if not every two months. If I can get a job on the west coast, then it will be a lot easier to come on the weekends.

I have to tell you, it was easier getting here than I thought. PSM got a flight yesterday morning, very early as his girlfriend got him to the airport at 4am, what a girlfriend he has! He flew through Texas and got to Hawaii about 2pm yesterday. I flew out at 6pm, after a fabulous time at the Nutcracker with the family, got to LA about 9:30, got a room for the night and was back at the airport for my 8:30am flight, 10 hour layover and then to Hawaii and I got in about 12:15pm.

I have to admit, I think I liked the way I did it, especially if there were kids involved, fly 5/6 hours spend the night in a bed getting decent rest, then fly 5/6 hours the next morning, get in relatively early and have the entire day ahead of you. On the way back, I am flying through LA again, but with a one hour layover, we’ll see how I feel!

So, the reason I am in Hawaii with PSM…he is here looking for a place to live and I was hoping to, based on my schedule, join him so we could look and make decisions together and much to our surprise, things worked out and here I am!

It was a crazy day. I landed, PSM picked me up, we went to the hotel, dropped bags, went out for a bite to eat, then met the agent taking us around about 2pm, looked at about 6 or 7 properties. A few apartments, some houses, some town houses. We went in a few and others, we checked out the neighborhood to decide whether or not we wanted to even go inside.

The last house we looked at, from outside was in a great neighborhood, on a hill, overlooking the island and the farm PSM will be working with and met the neighbors, great people who we ended up talking to for TWO hours! The sun went down!!! It was a very long day, some of the houses started to blend in with each other, but I think we picked the one we want and fingers crossed it’s available!

We are on the island of Oahu, for those of you with inquiring minds. And now you know why I am in Hawaii! Looking for a place to live, can you believe it?

Yes, we’ll have a guest room, all ready for your visit!

{November 30, 2015} A very long standing family tradition continues…The Nutcracker

Today, the family went to see The Nutcracker Ballet at the Boston Opera House.

This is a tradition my parents started when GES and I were little kids. Every Christmas Eve we would all go into Manhatten and go to Lincoln Center and watch the City Ballet Company performance of The Nutcracker.

We would get dressed up, just like little girls do, get to our seats, settle in and wait for the the dings signaling that the lights were about to go out and the curtain go up.

It’s a little different as now, there are announcements instructing the audience to turn off their cellphones.

The lights go down and we sit on the edge of our seats waiting with anticipation…and then the conductor comes out to applause and the first note is played for the opening overture.

We are transported to a different time and place, not sure where, we were wondering that today, maybe Austria who knows, it’s timeless. We see Clara and her brother Fritz waiting for the party guests to arrive.

We did this every year for, we’ll, forever, it seemed, until we left NYC for other parts of the country and now, my sister had picked up where we left off and is making new memories with her children.

Last year was the first year I was able to go with them as that was my first time in Boston for Thanksgiving in a very long time.

I’ve been to and seen different performances over the years, NYC, as you know, Atlanta with my grandmother, once in an imax theater, on TV and now Boston.

I have to say that my favorite is still the NY City Company, is hard when that’s what you know and you’re used to, but I did enjoy the performance today. I was able to look at it as the ballet that was presented, some things felt different and some felt like they were missing, but it was still quite enjoyable and fun and my nieces enjoyed it and that’s all that really matters.

They were so well behaved, it was a pleasure to be with them. I have to say they outshone a lot of other kids!

We all had a wonderful time and another tradition is going strong and I how to be there for many more.

{November 28, 2015} A fine Chanukah party

Today my family and I were invited to a special event.

PSM hosts a Chanukah party every year for his family. It’s a tradition that has been going on for years.

PSM orders a lot of food, I mean a lot! There are platters of bagels, lox, cream cheeses, cheeses and crackers, a whole whitefish, egg salad, tuna salad, whitefish salad, a salad/salad, a kiegel, two quiches and I made a blintz souffle. We had platters of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and capers, all the things that go with bagels, cream cheese and lox. And of course…potato latkes with applesauce or sour cream

Then there were desserts…cookies, cakes and pies, how could you go wrong?

It was PSM, his brother’s family, aunts and uncles, their kids and their kids kids, cousins and then there was us, and PSM’s best friend from college and his family. 39 people total. That’s a good sized crowd, wouldn’t you say?

So, there was food, then lighting the menorah, then presents for the kids. The nice thing is that only the kids get presents because all the adults make a donation to the charity of the year. Each year a different family member selects a charity. One of his aunts even gives each adult a check made out to the charity in their name.

This year, I got a check!! Along with a desk calendar like all the other “kids”. I guess I’m now part of the family.

It really was a nice party, a good time with good food, family and friends and I’m touched that we got to share in the day and experience, thank you PSM.

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