Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Please be safe.

True Grit

The Handsome Husband and I went to see the new version of True Grit. Could Jeff Bridges live up to John Wayne's portrayal of Rooster Cogburn? I thought it was a realistic portrayal of the character; a little more pathetic than the John Wayne version.

The girl who played Mattie did an awesome job. Overall, I liked the movie, but didn't have that "I must see it again" feeling like I did when I saw Tombstone or Overboard. My husband liked the John Wayne version better.

I recommend this movie for adults and older teens. There are a few surprisingly violent scenes that made me jump and I don't think they would be appropriate for a youngster.

Smells and Memories

Orange Blossoms

Baking Bread

It's funny how different smells can trigger memories. I mostly thought of songs as memory triggers. I recently received an email and it asked for your four favorite smells. Thinking quickly, a few popped into my head. But after really thinking about it, I began to think of some favorite smells and the memories associated with them:

Orange Blossoms - growing up in Orange County, I used to smell this a lot. It is like perfume. My memory associated with it is when HH and I bought our new house (19 years ago now). We used to drive through an orange grove to get there. It smelled heavenly. The excitement, the kids in the back seat and the smell of orange blossoms.

Baking Bread - It was always a treat when I would go to visit my Nanny and she would be baking bread. I could eat nothing else. It smelled so good, it tasted so good and I loved my Nanny. Great memory for me.

Diesel Fuel - When HH and I lived in London, all the buses ran on Diesel Fuel. It filled the air. If we were out for a whole day, I would have a headache and would feel like I had a layer of diesel fuel grime on me. So whenever I smell this, I think of myself walking down a busy street in London EXPLORING.

Movie Popcorn: All buttery, a big huge tub. Whenever we went to the movies, we got a big tub of buttery popcorn and a coke. MMMM (I never, ever, get that now. I also associate popcorn with being on a diet thanks to microwaveable bags).

The Beach - The beach consists of the ocean, the sand, the hot sun, music and SUNTAN OIL . Whenever anyone opens up a bottle of Coppertone or Hawaiian Tropic, I am transported back to my high school days when I spent way too much time at the beach. Newport Beach to be specific.

I could go on forever. These are the ones that popped into my head after some consideration.

What are your favorite smells?

Skins

My choice of skin for my kindle

My daughter and her husband bought me a kindle for Christmas and a $50 gift certificate to buy books, case and a skin. Hmmm, what is this skin you speak of? A skin is a decorative, protective cover for your kindle, iphone, ipod, ipad or computer. Wow, and the choices are amazing. I always have a hard time picking. As soon as choose something, I see another that makes me doubt my decision.

I seriously considered this one, especially because I saw it on an ipad and loved it.

This was a top contender.

Oh, the choices. I promised myself I would change every so often, so I could experience them all.

Christmas Night w/Family

Tanner, Katie, Delaney, Jessica, Emma, Alyssa and Greg

Kyle

Funny note about this picture. All the kids were trying to get in the "back row". Only to be concealed by someone just as tall in front of them. Conditioning from being tall. Finally they just all lined up.

On Christmas night we always gather with the Gore side of the family.

We take a picture of the kids. Jacob is missing in this photo, he is on duty in the Coast Guard. We have a new edition, Greg, married to my daughter.

Gore kids 1998

BR: Jessica, Emma and Delaney

Tanner, Jacob, Alyssa and Katie

Kyle

Katie, Alyssa, Delaney, Emma and Jessica

Traditional picture of girls in front of fireplace.

Jack, Lance, Cindy, Stacy and the Handsome Husband

Keeping it real, I forgot to get pictures of Sam and Sharon, the Grandparents and myself. I get worse every year.

The Grandparents introduced us to their new dog Andy (the black dog). Here he is playing with Skylar (Jack and Stacy's dog). They liked each other alot.

Keeping it real:

I just thought I would show you what I go through to get pictures.

You don't know how many pictures I have with a foot, hand or a weird face that takes center stage.

Beautiful

Christmas Morning

Katie's Stocking

Santa always fills the stockings and can't seem to hang them back up. The stockings were all hand made when the girls were little.

Delaney's Stocking

Alyssa's Stocking

Greg's Stocking

Ok, I'm just keeping it real. Last year, Greg had a store bought red and white stocking. I couldn't find it this year so the Bloomingdales bag would have to do. I have purchased a kit to make Greg his own stocking that will match the girls. Hopefully, it will be done by next Christmas.

We wake up really early to open presents. Something Greg is adjusting too. Here is a highlight of some favorite presents. Greg in his All Blacks rugby team shirt.

Alyssa with her Burberry purse and Hunter rain boots.

Delaney with her new watch and camera

and her Griffindor scarf that Alyssa and Greg brought home from Florida for her.

Katie and her new cowboy boots

and favorite shirt (that received a small gasp when opened).

The aftermath.

The table is all set for breakfast. Egg and ham frittata with sourcream and salsa, ham and biscuits with juice.

I used my houndstooth placemats I received for my birthday with my nutcracker dishes I got last Christmas.

The Downside

The downside of fine china, silver and crystal; washing by hand. Ugh.