Letter to GL

Just a quick note regarding the current breast cancer storyline on GL. First let me say that Kim Zimmer is a wonderful actress and that her portrayal is honest and moving as always.

That being said, I'm very disappointed in how the storyline has been presented. While I understand that soap operas are dramatic in nature, I also know that these programs pride themselves in informing their audiences about important topics.

Being a cancer survivor myself I'm really quite appalled that Reva is taking this journey on by herself. She has loved ones in her life -- people she can count on to be there. This is not the time to push one's family and friends away and deal with it on one's own. From my own experience I can tell you that the support I got from them was crucial for me. Having cancer alone is dramatic enough -- there was no need to keep Josh in the dark so he could turn to his sister-in-law instead. Leave that storyline for another, more appropriate time.

I found the similar storyline on GL's sister-show As The World Turns equally as distressing. Yes, both Reva and Lucinda are strong, independent women, but I have to wonder if this was a missed opportunity to show that it IS all right to lean on one's loved ones in a time of crisis. It's neither a sign of weakness nor a blemish on one's character to do so. It might also have given both characters some oft-needed soft edges. Both have done stupid things in the name of looking out for their children -- it would've been nice to see them do something smart for a change to bring their families closer together.

As for the hair-losing scene, I would've preferred a more positive way of dealing with its falling out. I know this gives the actresses a much more dramatic scene to work with, however, I was rather taken aback by it. I literally turned to my mother to reassure that I did no such overly-dramatic wailing and gnashing of teeth when my hair started to fall out! My doctor had been up front, told me what would happen and I prepared for it in advance. I cut my hair short before chemo, decided on headwear that I felt was as flattering as possible under the circumstances and then when it did start coming out I made a beeline to the salon to shave it off rather than watch it come out in clumps. Frankly it felt gross and dead, and I refused to have it any longer. I knew it would grow back -- and it has and looks even healthier than before the chemo. I just think the writers at both GL & ATWT have missed the boat in providing what could have been an even more courageous, positive storyline by bogging it down with old and tired clichés.

I've been a huge fan of both shows for many years, and plan to be in the future as well. Yet, I couldn't let my disappointment sit idle. Cancer has unfortunately touched so many people's lives -- and will so many more. I just wish both programs could have presented the storylines in a more positive and dignified light.

Cheerio and all that!

Cheerio... mmmm Cheerios... honey nut are my favorite!
Oh, wait! Wrong topic! Now where was I? Ah yes, the continuation of my travelogue...

Sunday, May 14th -- Across the Pond

Well, really it's across the Channel. Cassey and I had a few moments to relax, check out the duty-free shops, eat a snack, etc. They finally called our section of the plane and we boarded, finding seats across the aisle from one another -- which actually worked just as well as sitting next to one another. Cassey started plotting our itinerary for London and I dozed. No free drinks or snacks on this plane -- everything costs, so we made do without.
We had gotten instructions from my cousin Suzanne about how to get to her flat and it all went like clockwork... that is until "Milky White" -- my suitcase (Bway fans of "Into the Woods" may understand why I called my bag that) bit the dust. Or its strap did anyway. I could no longer pull it behind me (drag it?). It would have to be carried. Um... it was really heavy!! But we found a nice taxi driver who was willing to cart it about for me, and we finally made it to Weymouth Court.

OMG! If we thought staying in a Paris flat with a lovely view of the Eiffel Tower and the Seine was wonderful... this was luxury! Like a five-star hotel! I knew Suzanne & Howard's flat would be very nice, but this was the balm we needed after a week of rushing in France. Our body-clocks immediately slowed down and we savored the nicities. S&H took us to dinner at a local pub. I wish I could remember now, the name of it. I had Fish & Chips with a hard cider and Cassey had Bangers & Mash. Once we got back, Suzanne helped us figure out what we wanted to do for the week and offered the phone for us to call our mothers since it was Mother's Day in the States. Of course, the house was full at home, so I spoke to just about everyone! :-)

Monday, May 15th -- *YAWN* *STRETCH*

Well, we didn't get the early start that we might've if we'd still been back in Paris. We took our time getting up and moving. Suzanne had scones and fruit for us for breakfast. We talked some more about our plans -- specifically that we wanted to go to afternoon tea. Sue said there were all sorts of places from which to choose and what kind of experience did we want? Cassey deferred to me on this, since it was something I really looked forward to doing. I told Sue that I didn't care about big and flashy (The Ritz) so much as something really authentic and lovely. She had a few ideas but pondered it more over the day. She had a tennis match with a friend, so she left Cassey and me to our own devices. Since we took it easy in the morning, we decided we didn't really have enough time to do anything big that day. However, we both had some shopping-type errands to take care of. Cassey's camera had gone wonky on her, so we went to the Snappy Snap camera shop to see if they could fix it. Cassey had thought it was a battery issue, but it turned out to be a film issue. They reloaded the camera with a new roll of film and all was well! As for me... I had to give up Milky White and look for a new suitcase. Sad, but I found one at a good price that is much more manuverable. So we came back, victorious with our errands, to a lovely homemade dinner by S&H. Conversation was as wonderful as the food! During the day, Suzanne had come up with the perfect place for us to have tea -- The Milestone across from Kensington Gardens. So she made a reservation for us and our Tuesday plans were all made.

Tuesday, May 16th -- One lump or two?

This was a big day for us! Much to do to make up for lost time the day before. After coffee and juice, we headed out to the National Gallery. There are, of course, many museums in London to visit, but we had been talking about all the Impressionists we had seen in France and I mentioned how much I love John Singer Sargent -- and lo and behold! Suzanne said we must go to the National Gallery because the special exhibit there was "Americans in Paris" -- paintings from all the Americans during that period. So American painters, in the French style in an English museum -- perfect! And the exhibit was wonderful and I got to see as many JSS to my heart's content. The museum is also well laid-out and easy to follow. We took a turn in the regular galleries as well to see a few artists we had, believe it or not, missed in France!
Now the National Gallery is right on Trafalgar Square -- and so is the church of Saint Martin of the Fields! So we hopped on over there to check it out (Cassey and I both being fairly musical and familiar with SMITF's reputation). Bought a few things at the gift shop and discovered that they would be doing the Mozart Requiem on Friday. We had talked of getting tickets to another show at the West End, but this clinched the deal. We went and bought our tix for the concert. Once outside there was a man selling tix to the Big Bus tour, so we decided to get a pair to use the next day. The tour is great because you can hop on and off all day at all the sights, plus get commentary along the way -- but more on that later...

So luncheon... what did we eat? Something quick for sure since we'd be having tea later in the afternoon. I think that was the day we stopped at the Pret a Manger (Ready to Eat). You go in buy a sandwich or a bowl a soup and take it with you. It's sort of fast food, but the food is WAY better. I had a Chicken Caesar sandwich and Cassey had a Hoisin Duck wrap. Both were VERY good! So we came back, ate and relaxed a few moments, then got ready for the evening. Once we were all dolled up, Sue took a picture of us in our finery and we set out for the hotel.

The Milestone... what can I even say about this place? This is how all hotels should be. We were greeted at the door by a doorman -- but not some suspicious sort that gives everyone the fisheye to see if they belonged there. You come up the steps, you surely must belong! He held the door and ushered us in to the concierge desk. Since we weren't sure where to go, we asked the concierege for guidance. He not only pointed us in the right direction, he got up and showed us! We had occasion to ask this man several questions and each time he gave us personal attention in this manner. The tea was exquisite. Normally I wouldn't drink tea -- I'm not a big fan, but for some reason it tasted wonderful. We each got our own pot so we could drink the type that best suited us. Mine was a blend with lemon peel in it and Cassey drank Earl Grey (hot!). They also brought out the three tiered plate: sandwiches on the bottom, strawberry tarts and eclairs on the middle, and scones & clotted cream on the top. YUM-O! Since this was our dinner, we took our time and made the most of the food (it also wasn't exactly inexpensive). The room was cozy with sofas and window seats -- no formal table and chairs here. It was like having tea in the parlour of some duchess's apartments. Sigh...

Once we finished our tea, we set out for the theatre. This was something I was looking forward to even more than the tea because we'd gotten tickets in advance to see Dame Judi Dench in the Noël Coward play "Hayfever." It was sparkling and witty and wicked and great fun. Dame Judi was her usual amazing self! This was a real treat!! The theatre was beautiful too -- plush blue velvet seats and gilt decor. We were in the balcony, but still fairly close to the stage. No need for opera glasses here! :-)

When we got back, we gave S&H a brief recap of the evening and then headed off to bed.

Wednesday, May 17th -- *Hack* *Wheeze*

Well, naturally since I allowed my body to slow down all the nasties decided to attack! I started feeling it Monday night into Tuesday, but we had so much planned that I wouldn't let myself stop. But come Wednesday morning Cassey & Suzanne both decided I needed to stay in and rest. And to be honest I was relieved... so Cassey went on the bus tour without me. The tickets are good for awhile, so I could still use mine later. In the meantime, I dozed awhile... had a nice cousinly chat with Suzanne... read... coughed... blew my nose... you get the idea. Suzanne fixed another nice supper for us and we headed to bed early since the next day would prove another busy day.

Thursday, May 18th -- Not all who wander are lost

No, we didn't get lost at all. I just had to use that quote because it's a Tolkien quote and our host this day reminded me very much of the dear Professor. I felt a bit better on Thursday, but I rallied to take the train to Bath with Cassey. We've been so looking forward to get to the countryside. Rex Savidge met us at the train station, and as I mentioned, looked very much the English gentleman. Crisp shirt, ascot, courderoy jacket... He first drove us around a bit to see the Cotswold -- actually now that I think of it, we did get a bit turned around! But that was part of the fun. The English countryside is quite beautiful -- and the weather changeable! We had drizzle, sunshine and puring rain within an hour's time! We stopped in the town of Lacock, a pretty, typical village. Lots of Tudor-ish buildings and churches, including the one where Lady Camilla's daughter recently married in. Rex is the perfect guide on such a tour as he's an architect and had insight to all the structures we visited.

After our tour, Rex took us to his home to meet his lovely wife Audrey and to eat lunch. The house is quite wonderful. Though it looked very much the English village house on the outside, he had renovated it all inside and you could see that Frank Lloyd Wright had been an influence on his design style. It was very open with clean lines and large windows to bring the outside in -- and yet, like FLW's style it was very warm and inviting since he used so much natural material. Lunch was a delicious soup and bread -- and we sat right next to the Aga stove, which was toasty warm on a chilly day! (Check out what an Aga is here: http://www.aga-ranges.com/aga/ )

After luncheon we piled back in Rex's cute little scrunched Mercedes (I don't know the model name, I don't think we can get it here) and headed to Bath. They showed us the "crescents" and we walked the town, including stopping at Bath Abbey where the very first King of England was crowned! But no trip to Bath is complete without stopping at The Pump Room to "take the waters." Cassey & I both indulged and our hosts were eager to see how we fared with the metallic-tasting water. We both shrugged and said it tastes like well water at home and drained our cups. LOL! The entrance to the ancient Roman baths are also here, but we did not really have the time to tour them. We did, however, take a few photos.

We did a bit of shopping in the town. We were determined to check out a tea shop after our experience at The Milestone, and we both found cups and pots, etc. to take home. Once we checked out all the sights of Bath (we didn't have time at the Jane Austen museum either -- it seems we must come back!), we headed back to Rex & Audrey's for tea. Before we went in, however, Audrey took Cassey & me across the street to show us their village church. She is very fond of it and we were honored to be able to see it.

By this time, I was feeling pretty worn out and our hosts took great care of me! They added a little "extra" in my tea and gave me cough drops for later. While at the house, Rex gave us a full tour, telling us of all the changes he made. We also got a look at the garden, which has the loveliest view of the hills of the countryside. Conversation was lively and interesting and ranged over many topics, including architecture!

Before our trip back to London, Rex & Audrey took us to dinner at a charming local inn called The White Hart. I opted for pasta, but Cassey and our hosts went for the more traditional fish & chips and mushy peas!

Finally though, it was time to head to our train. We had the most delightful time in Bath and I would be eager to go back given half a chance (and a full pocketbook!)!

Friday, May 19th -- Big Ben isn't that big!

Well, it's still big -- but I was somewhat surprised that it wasn't a bit taller. Today Cassey and I split up in the morning again. She explored Portobello Road and Nottinghill and the flea markets while I finally got to take my double-decker bus tour. It really is a great way to see the city and I stayed on the bus until late in the tour when it stopped at Westminster, which is where we planned on meeting up.

I got there a little early, so I checked out the gift shop (I think I've been in every one in France & England!) and found a few last minute souveniers, including a jam spoon which we'd both been looking for. I got one for each of us!

Finally we met up and went inside. It is a huge place and seems more of a crypt than a church now. So many famous names -- heads of state, kings & queens, poets, composers... I was particularly excited to see the tomb of King Henry V! Oh, and Queen Elizabeth I! Not to mention Handel, Sir Isaac Newton, Jane Austen, Winston Churchill... not all were actually tombs, but memorial plaques. We heard a bit of a rehearsal of the choir singing. And the cloisters there are almost as lovely as Mont-Saint-Michel.

After we'd seen our fill of famous graves, we went searching for Temple Church, which is featured promiently in The DaVinci Code. We could see on the map where it SHOULD be, but couldn't find a major thoroughfare to get to it. Finally we found a sort of alley-street that was gated off. It seemed to be the only way in, so we took it on as an adventure and went in! We guessed right and if you go see the movie, you will see Langdon, Sophie and Teabing go down the very same street as we did! The church itself is rather interesting as the more ancient part of the church is round and very bare with only the effigies of the Templar Knights on the floor. The actual sanctuary (which is quite pretty) is of a much later period.

After that it was pretty late in the afternoon, so we headed back to the flat to freshen up to go to the concert at Saint-Martin-in-the-Fields. We had pasties while searching for Temple Church, so didn't eat any dinner as we thought we'd try to catch something after the concert.

Mozart's Requiem is a beautiful piece and it was well-done, but honestly it really wasn't anything stellar. We had expected a bit more from them. Still, we enjoyed it -- and the chamber group that opened the concert was quite, quite good. The atmosphere was very cool too, as they lined the church with votives and turned off the "house" lights.

We were both hungry, but I wasn't up to tromping around in search of a restaurant, so we went almost across the street to Garfunkle's. The place is actually quite American and we told ourselves that we were transitioning back to our usual customs. Back to the flat to pack for our departure in the morning and into bed.

Saturday, May 20th -- Adieu, Au Revoir, Ta-ta, Cheers!

Got up in plenty of time to repack in hopes of keeping our baggage manageable. Suzanne took us to the train station, which would then in turn take us to Gatwick Airport to catch our flight home. Most of our transportation (apart from that mishap with the taxis in Paris) had gone smoothly. Nothing went wrong at Gatwick, but it did take us quite some time to get our boarding passes and checking our luggage and getting through Customs and carting our carry-ons, which had grown exponentially... still, the flight was fine. We watched "Narnia" on the way to Minneapolis. And I tried to doze, but I was coughing quite a bit still. I hated being the passenger that everyone was afraid was contaminating everyone else -- but hey! Someone did it to me first! Anyway, we got back into the US with no problem... just had to wait in a long line to get through Immigration and Customs. Strangely while waiting in line, I noticed a woman in a wheelchair being pushed by a man -- and wouldn't you know it was a couple I knew from my home parish?? They had been to Poland touring all the Pope JPII sights. The layover in Minneapolis seemed interminably long, but finally we boarded our plane and headed home at last. Mom & Dad met us at Baggage Claim and I think we were both very glad to be home!

It was an awesome trip!! And we learned some lessons while traveling. I think on the whole we did a great job on our own. We saw a lot and did a lot! But next time I'll be much more aware of transportation costs. I don't know if we could've been more frugal with that, but we certainly didn't expect it. Thank goodness we didn't have to worry about lodging! My pix turned out great and I'll be posting some of them here on my 360° page, but in the meantime if you want to see them and haven't already, shoot me an email!

In the Shadow of the Eiffel Tower

Indeed, we were in its shadow while we stayed in Paris. It was quite a trip and I had a fabulous time! But I should back up a bit an explain how and why this all came about...

Almost two years ago I was diagnosed with Stage One Ovarian Cancer. It sounds scary -- and it is! But I know how incredibly lucky I am that it was only stage one -- most women are not diagnosed with this silent killer until stage three or four, and by then it is often too late. That mine was caught so early is akin to a miracle. So I had the surgery (surgeries, actually), did the chemo, and struggled to regain my health. Fast forward two years... I'm cancer-free! My CA-125 is a great level (11 for those of you in the know)! And I am celebrating!

Hence the trip... So, my very good friend Cassey and I decided to take on Europe. The trip had several permutations and postponements, but back in early February we found a pretty good deal on tickets and we threw caution to the wind and began our planning in earnest. This is what we came up with: One week in Paris where we would stay with Cassey's college roommate & her family. One week in London where we would stay with my cousin and her husband. Everything else was TBD basis. Here's how it all eventually shook down...

May 6th (Saturday) -- The adventure begins!

Our flight did not leave until late afternoon, so I spent the morning packing, doing laundry, following up on trip details, a trip to Target, a trip to Larry & Tom's for patio furniture... it was a full day! Cassey arrived at my place around 3pm and my parents soon followed to load us & our belongings up and take us to the airport. No hassles at all getting our tickets & going through security, etc. We sat chatting excitedly waiting to board the plane. The first leg of the trip took us to a layover in Detroit, which was uneventful. We ate some dinner and waited to take off again. Finally we settled into our seats on the very big jet for our flight over. It was as comfortable as most plane seats are -- except for one thing. Each seat had a video screen in the back so you could watch whatever you want (or not at all). Sounds great, right? We both watched "Casanova" with Heath Ledger and enjoyed it greatly. HOWEVER, because those screens require computer equipment and the planes are rather cramped at best anyway, the only place to put this computer is under your seat. Whatever leg-room we thought we had no longer existed. :-p Consequently, sleep mostly eluded us. We made it to Charles de Gaulle airport without incident, got through customs, retrieved our luggage, found our driver (our hosts, used to having guests, sent a shuttle to pick us up) and watched the city greet us as we approached. The shuttle dropped us off at an unassuming building on Avenue de President Kennedy. Only one problem. It was a building that one needs to be buzzed into and we didn't have the info to do so! After a few moments of quandary, Allison and her young daughter Abby came down to get us. And soon after husband Greg arrived with son Adam from their jaunt in the park.

We spent a quiet afternoon catching up and getting to know one another. The children had many, many, many, many questions for us! After they went to bed, the babysitter Liz came to stay with them while we adults headed off to the Champs Elysée and The Lido. Fun show! Singing, dancing, champagne... what's not to like? We got home late, laid our plans for the next day and fell into bed.

May 8th (Monday) -- All Louvred out!

What happened to May 7th, you ask? I forgot to mention that we left on May 6th, but arrived on May 7th due to the time difference. We decided to spend much of the day at the famous museum. We were particularly interested in seeing as many paintings mentioned in "The DaVinci Code" as humanly possible. Mission accomplished! Though we did have to back-track on more than one occasion... it's a big place you know!

Our day actually started by walking in the Tuileries to get the the Louvre. We had started out on the bus, but we found that since it was a holiday (WWII victory holiday) the buses weren't running their usual schedule. Fortunately the walk wasn't that far. The gardens weren't much in bloom yet there, but it was still a pretty walk as the trees are all green with fresh leaves. The museum was packed! We weren't sure what to expect since it was a holiday, but apparently that didn't stop either the tourists or the locals from coming. We entered through the now-famous (our infamous, depending on your view) I.M. Pei glass pyramid. It's really quite something -- and it brings in much light into what was once a dark, cold place. Getting tickets was easy and not too long an affair. So where to go first? Much of what we wanted to see (as well as what EVERYone wanted to see) was in the Denon gallery, so that's where we headed. Mona Lisa... Madonna on the Rocks... Winged Victory... I could go on. And we did -- all morning! It rather makes your head swim. We stopped for some lunch in the cafeteria to regroup and then spent the afternoon going to the other galleries to see what we specifically looking for - like Napoleon's apartments (there was a painting of a peregrine in the dining room, Mom!) - and backtracking to see the things we missed in the morning - like the Venus de Milo. Of course, no trip would be complete without a trip to the gift shop. We got back to the flat in the late afternoon, and once the children were in bed we had a lovely meal made by Allison of lamb roast, haricots verts (green beans), an assortment of cheeses with bread, a lovely wine and chocolate cake. After dinner Cassey and I made plans for the next day and then we went to sleep with the Eiffel Tower twinkling overhead.

May 9th (Tuesday) -- Oh, Versailles is just my summer home!

Well you all know how ol' Louie Quartorze is... even his "get away" has to be larger than life! There's no "keeping up with the Jones" in Versailles -- it's all about the Bourbons in V-town!! Cassey and I took the RER train to Versailles and walked the (relatively) short distance to the palace. Let me tell you, it's pretty impressive walking up the boulevard to get there -- even WITH the dozens of buses parked out front! We were met by hawkers at the gates, but we did not sucumb. We knew the gift shops had much more to offer!

So we stood in line for awhile. There are A LOT of tourists here, but it was organized so it wasn't really too bad. Now once we started the tour it was a free-for-all! Everywhere you wanted to go, there was somebody already standing there -- and not likely to move anytime soon! I'm not usually prejudiced against other nationalities, but my patience with certain former-Axis nationals was beginning to wear thin. LOL! Anyway... I'm certain they are lovely people under other circumstances. :-)

Unlike the Louvre, most of the information at Versailles was in both English and French. However, said bumps-on-logs tended to be standing in front of the English version (not reading, just standing). Fortunately, my HS & College French stood me in pretty good stead and we managed to make sense of everything. The inside of the palace actually goes quite quickly -- only certain parts are open to the public. So we were greeted first at the Chapel, which for my LOTR sisters reminded me much of the Great Hall in Minas Tirith. You can't go in, however; so everyone peers in the doors on the ground floor and then goes up the stairs to look at it from the Royal tier. It's quite beautiful, but by this time lacks a great deal of the sacred, in my humble opinion. So next we tour the King's apartments. Then the Hall of Mirrors, which all you history buffs know was were the Treaty of Versailles was signed ending WWII. They are currently restoring the hall, so only half of it was open. However, they were quite clever in how they blocked off the side under renovation. If you take a look at my pix from it, you would never know the difference! (If you haven't seen my pix and would like the link, just shoot me an email!) Then the Queen's apartments followed. Now, there is no doubt that all of this is quite opulent. Yet, I can't help but feel it looks a little shabby?? I mean it IS all several centuries old, but the linens look like they could use a good wash and the furniture a coat of Pledge. Now, don't hold up your hands in horror, all you Antique Road Show purists... I know that's not possible, but it doesn't mean that it still doesn't need it! LOL!

Anyway, after getting waylaid by the gift shop Cassey and I went outside to the gardens. Naturally, it was raining. So... do we walk in the drizzle? Or do we spend the 5 Euro to ride the tram? The tram won out! And it was worth it! The map makes you think it's not a huge walk... well, it IS a huge walk even for two walkers like Cassey & me (I should mention that while I AM a walker, I still find it difficult to keep up with fast-paced Cassey!). And did I mention it was cold? That sealed the deal as far as Cassey was concerned. So we chugged along in the tram up to La Petite Trianon. The Petite Trianon was commissioned by Louis XV as a place where he could live among botanical gardens that he would personally supervise -- it soon became a place to rendezvous with his mistress Madame du Barry. After he died Louis XVI gave it to Marie-Antoinette, which she used to get away from the Court until she created her little hamlet several years later (Le Hameau). We got out to tour it and the gardens. It's quite a bit smaller and much more "the thing," I would say. I could see why MA preferred to get away to this little home. The gardens were lovely -- in the English style -- and we Americans thought the idea of planting flowers right in the pots and then planting the pots a great idea! Easy to change things around if wanted or needed...

Then on to the Grand Trianon. We didn't get out here. We're not sure if you could tour it or not as no one else got out either. This was Louis get away from his get away. Then on to the Grand Canal. You're thinking... oh, a nice little pond or lake. Uh-uh -- a big ol' canal! They had boat races on it! You can see it in some of my pix. There at the canal we decided we were ready for some lunch. There was a delightful café/restaurant there called La Flotille where we had a delicious, perfectly French meal. Cassey especially liked her "vin chaud" (hot wine) and I had a "cidre" -- France's version of hard cider, though it's quite a bit lighter. After lunch, we found another gift shop then took the tram back up to the palace to take a few more pix before heading back to the train. We took a shortcut through the village, which naturally takes longer! We found a cute little street with some nice shops on it. :-)

Finally back on the train heading back to Paris, though we decide that once we get to the flat we're going to freshen and go right back out to dinner. Greg would be leaving for a job interview in the US the next day and we thought it best to let the family have some private time. So we walked up to the nearby neighborhood of Passy in search of some dinner. It was a little early by French standards, but we were pretty hungry by this time. Allison & Greg had given us a suggestion of where to go, but we got the name mixed up and missed it. Instead, we ended up at a place called "aéro," a sort of hip café-bar-brasserie. I ordered a cidre once again, and the waiter immediately told me that if I ordered that I must have a crepe for dinner! I think he may've been giving me a hard time, but I took his suggestion anyway. Cassey did the same, although she got her ham & cheese crepe with a fried egg on top, which is apparently very popular. Not being a fan of fried eggs, I passed, but mine was just as rich without it. I had a really good crème brulée afterwards too. Back to the flat as we had another big day ahead of us!

May 10th (Wednesday) -- Monet sure made an Impression(ist) on us!

Cassey is mad for French Impressionism, so we couldn't NOT go to the Musée D'Orsay!! :-) It's in an old train station and what they've done with the space is almost as beautiful as the artwork that graces its galleries! It was much more organized than the Louvre, so we managed to see quite a bit in a morning. Good thing as we had Notre Dame planned for after lunch! But we saw them all... Monet, Manet, Degas, Rodin, Van Gogh, Gauguin, LaTreque, Renoir, Seurat and more! Not to mention all that we saw at the Louvre -- and more that we would see later! I probably would have opted for something else if it had been me alone, but I'm glad that Cassey wanted to see it so badly because I definitely would have missed out!

Once we had our fill of the arts we took the train to Place Saint Michel to get to Notre Dame. There was a café just off the place, so we stopped there first for lunch. Our garçon (waiter) was appropriately aloof.

So... Notre Dame... when I was there nearly 20 years ago there was a big scaffolding in front of the great doors -- but not today, thank goodness! They are imposing and quite beautifully intricate (see the pix I took!). There is so much to see inside... the rose windows are spectacular... the high altar is like nothing we see here in the States anymore... even the every day altar has graceful modern lines -- my pix don't really do it justice. We took our time looking at the sanctuary, but it really does not take terribly long. We bought some rosaries at the gift shop then headed outside for the tour of the tower!

Let me just say, that I've spent the last several years walking a great deal (though it has been somewhat intermittent) -- and I was not really fit for these stairs! Many, many stairs and few landings -- but I made it at least to the observation level (Cassey went to the very top). Up there you can go into the bell tower, look at the gargoyles and check out the steeple of the church -- not to mention get a gorgeous panorama view of the city of Paris! It was worth the climb!

After the tour we strolled along the side of the cathedral to look at the back with all it's flying buttresses for which it's so famous. The side park was very pretty and flowers were in bloom there as they were not in other places in the city. Our next sight was one that had been suggested by a friend of Cassey's. She would not tell her much about it, wanting us to experience it for ourselves, but urged us to go. She was not wrong! It was a memorial called Les Déportations -- a Holocaust memorial of sorts that paid tribute to those particularly victimized by the Nazis. It's right at the tip of Ile de la Cité, the small island in the Seine where Notre Dame is located. You walk down a set of stairs into a... a courtyard, I guess. But it's not like any courtyard we're used to. The walls are very high and you cannot see the horizon, just the sky above you. There is nothing in the courtyard but emptiness and a sculpture that hangs on one wall that is made of angry angles and metal, suggesting prison bars, perhaps? You walk into a small alcove and inside is an Eternal Flame and a tomb of an unknown victim. In that tomb area are thousands of tiny lights, signifying the souls persecuted by the Nazis. There are also carvings in the walls of the most amazing quotes. I tried to take pix of them to try to remember them, but I would've been better off copying them down by hand. At the top of the door is carved, "Pardonne. N'oublie pas." Forgive. Do not forget. I remarked to Cassey that I felt that this small, silent place more sacred than Notre Dame, which was filled with many people who were there to gawk and couldn't care less about it being God's house. I was very glad we found it.

Next on our list was to head for a brasserie on Ile Saint Louis across the bridge that was recommended to Cassey by yet another friend! Alas, it was closed that day. But we did find another café right across the street and were very happy to spend the evening there, whiling away the last of the daylight. It was the quintessential moment of sitting outside at a Paris café... Back home at last. The next day would not only be long, but would start EARLY!!

May 11th (Thursday) -- A pilgrimage indeed!

Okay, now I know why they call it a pilgrimage to Mont-Saint-Michel... because even in these modern times it is a HAUL up that ramp & dozens of steps to the abbey!! I made it, but not easily... and it was worth every step and lost breath to get there!! For those of you who might not know, Mont-Saint-Michel is a sort of island off the coast of Normandy in western France. During low tides it is easy enough to get to and there is a road that goes right to the island. But when it's high tide (and I mean full-moon-on-the-equinox kind of high tide) it is surrounded by water. In other days it was like that at most times, but with erosion and modern engineering it's not a problem. There is actually talk of getting rid of the road so the water can surround it once more.

The abbey is incredible -- I can't even begin to describe how wonderful it was to be there. For some reason I've always felt a kinship with the Benedictines (no, I've not felt the actual call to a vocation, though I'm sure some people have wondered why I haven't entered a convent at this late date... I still have HOPE to find my Ranger!) and in a way it was like coming home. I had many questions for our guide, and while she was full of information I don't think she is often asked the questions I wanted answers to?? Perhaps I should've had the abbot take me around -- as if!! LOL! Anyway, I could have spent the rest of the day walking the cloisters and its garden. They weren't large (Westminster's are much, much larger), but they were beautiful and the perfect place to relax and let your mind wander on higher planes... I told Cassey, if the Musée D'Orsay was her perfect "soul" moment in Paris, the cloister at MSM was mine!

Rather than go back down to the bus they way we went up, the tour leads you through the town that grew up around the abbey. It was sort of twisty and steep and had many, many shops along the way to tempt the tourist. We stopped in a few shops, but I had spent my wad up in the abbey gift shop! We did stop for some ice cream and to sit along the wall and watch all the visitors walk up and down the street -- stopped into a small village church (the name escapes me at the moment) -- saw the famous restaurant that serves the omelets cooked over an open hearth -- and made it down to the bus with about 20 minutes to spare.

Back on the road we tried to nap some more, but stopped about an hour later in the town of Caen at La Memorial de Caen - L'Histoire de la Paix -- a WWII museum. We had dinner in one of its dining rooms and shared a table with a Romanian couple and two ladies from Quebec -- we were the only ones that all spoke English. I think the other tables were either all French or all Japanese. I must admit that I thought a moment about what the Japanese might've thought about the museum, but as we weren't able to communicate in a common language I guess I'll have to continue to wonder... Of course, the Japanese weren't involved in the European theatre, but I was still curious. We had five minutes in the gift shop where I bought my friend Frink a pencil (I ended up with quite a collection for her by the end of the trip!) and then back to the bus. No time, alas, to check out the museum but from what we saw in the lobby it looked to be pretty interesting.

Home pretty late, but had some time to stay up and talk to Allison and watch the end of the movie "Birth" with Nicole Kidman. It was in English, but she had the French subtitles on -- quite different than what I'm used to here at home where it's the other way 'round! Very strange movie, by the way.

May 12th (Friday) -- Is it ZHEE-ver-nee or Gee-ver-nee or Guee-ver-nee??

We never did get a straight answer from anyone -- not even from our French hosts! Oh, but this wasojournming soujourn into the French countryside... and a European mini-moot as well!!!! (for the definition of "moot" see the 3-13-06 entry below) I knew for certain before we left that we would be meeting up with Sheri (aka Estelina) and her daughter Jesse. What I didn't know until nearly the day before was that somehow Sofia had found a way to evade her WORCs (work + orcs -- this is another Lord of the Rings reference) and join us too!!! So Sheri & Jesse traveled from Germany and Sofia came from Portugal -- and Cassey (who would be a full-fledged Shieldmaiden once I can get her actually to read some Tolkien!) and I from the US. It was truly an amazing two days to be able to share this with my shieldsisters...

So Cassey & I arrived first and after a few moments of confusion finally found our hosts Alain & Arlette who picked us up and took us for a brief tour of Vernon and then to Les Lilas (The Lilacs) where we would be staying. Alain showed us all it's delightful oddities and we absolutely loved it! Then they dropped us off in town where we had lunch at a pizza place, stopped to change some money and bought some pastries. At 3pm we walked to the train station to meet our friends and Arlette returned with the van to take us all back to the Lilacs to get settled in. Once all the beds & sleeping arrangements were decided upon, I went out back to the little table in the garden while the others walked up to a grocery store for some afternoon snacks. We had a lovely little party under the trees (and the lilacs, of course!) gabbing and catching up. Cassey went upstairs for a nap and fell deeply asleep -- which was amazing since we were talking and making quite a bit of noise despite trying to remain quiet for her! :-)

For dinner we decided to try the restaurant Alain & Arlette recommended called Les Fleurs (The Flowers) -- this apparently is Alain's favorite restaurant! We had some difficulty finding it on foot, but thanks to Sofia's superior language skills we finally found it! We quickly discovered why Alain liked it so much -- the food was amazing! We were brought a plate of hors d'ouevres -- grape tomatoes stuffed with goat cheese, tiny deviled eggs & cheese sticks. Then we all got a small cup of creamed asparagus soup -- delicious as the asparagus was fresh and in season! I had a filet in a cidre sauce with this wonderful terrine of mashed potatoes with carrots, onions & lardons (bacon) -- exquisitely done! Cassey & Sofia had a roasted leg of duck in a spicy cocoa sauce with mashed sweet potatoes. I really can't remember what Sheri had... she might've had the filet like me or something else entirely... wow... I really can't remember... Anyway... Jesse wasn't feeling all that well, so she skipped dinner. Dessert was lovely too! I really can't remember what everyone had here... let's see... Sofia may've had crème brulée? Cassey had some sort of hazelnut mousse-y thing? Again, I don't remember what Sheri had... but I had strawberries and cream between two wafer-thin shortbread cookies in a pool of strawberry coulis -- Yum-O!! I was grateful for the walk back in hopes that at least SOME of that wonderful food got worked off!

Once we got back we sat around in the living room and chatted for quite awhile, but when we couldn't keep our eyes open any longer (Jesse had long since taken a nose-dive into the sheets of Sofia's bed in the living room!), we repaired to our respective rooms. I hardly even remember my head hitting the pillow!

Five women -- one bathroom! But we did it... we were all up, had some breakfast and were ready when Alain & Arlette picked us up to take us into Giverny and Monet's house. The house is cute and some of the rooms (like the kitchen) were to die for, but really... the reason to go is the gardens -- and we were NOT disappointed! Even in early May the garden was in full bloom and a riot of color! We saw the famous bridge... and the water lily pond... all those things in his paintings... and the garden is quite large! I don't know if it was in his day, but it's quite incredible now. You can tell they have master gardeners keeping it up because I'm sure even now there are new flowers blooming, taking over from the ones in bloom while we were there. That would be the azaleas... amazing! There was a beautiful mango-y orange colored one -- I've never seen that color in an azalea before... the wisteria too... it covered the entire bridge in a most romantic way... sigh...

Oh wait... sorry I was daydreaming a bit there! Anyway, once again we hit the gift shop then headed back to the house. Cassey & Sofia walked the whole way back, but Jesse still wasn't feeling well and I was a bit tired, so Sheri, Jesse and I went to take the bus back -- there was only one problem... the next bus back to Vernon wasn't until 2pm and it was only 1pm! So fast thinker that she is, Sheri steered us to an information booth where she called a taxi. Fortunately Vernon is about 4km from Giverny so it wasn't a long or expensive trip. We actually even saw Cassey & Sofia from the road!! Our meeting point was a restaurant in town called La Paris Plage, so we three got our table and the other ladies joined very soon after. We had a nice lunch then headed back to the house to wait for Arlette & Alain to pick us up to go back to the train station. We at least all got to travel back together to Paris to La Gare Saint Lazare, but there we had to say good-bye to Sheri & Jesse. Somewhat sadder even for Sofia since Sheri was the only other Shieldmaiden in Europe, but now they are moving back to the US at the end of May! Really... thank goodness for the internet!

Sofia came back to the flat on Avenue de President Kennedy with us until her flight later in the afternoon. We had great plans to go to the Eiffel Tower or the Trocadero, but we were pooped, frankly, and just relaxed with Allison, Greg & the kids. Sofia had to leave around 7pm to make it to Charles de Gaulle for her flight and the kids had to go to bed. Then Liz returned for babysitting duty as Allison had planned an nice evening out for all of us on our last night in Paris. First we walked to a very trendy, hip bar for drinks -- the place was called "Bon" and we loved it! Lots of silver and chocolate and teal (sounds a bit like my living room here!). The bar was unusual as it looked to be a former sushi bar... it rotated scandelabra lit candelabra placed strategically around the loop. When you ordered a drink at the bar, the bartender would put your drink up there and it would come to you automatically. There was also a restaurant attached, but we moved on to "La Gare" for dinner instead. It is so named because it was a former train station (La Gare means train station in French). This place too was quite trendy, but not so upscale as to be out of our price range. I'll try to remember what we had... For starters: Cassey & Allison had duck foie gras in a corn chowder -- very creamy, very rich! Greg & I had thinly shaved white mushrooms molded with parmesan cheese and topped with shrimp -- a very good quality balsamic graced the plate as well. Delicious! For dinner: I'm blanking on what everyone else had, but I had a lovely roasted veal. For dessert: Molten chocolate cake for me. I think Cassey & Allison shared a crème brulée? No recollection of what Greg had. Whatever it was, it was damn good!! :-)

Once back at the flat Cassey & I started repacking for the next day since we had plans for the morning and had to be ready to go as soon as we got back.

May 13th (Sunday) -- Wake me up when we get to Nation!

Okay, that quote is really from my first trip to Paris when I was in high school -- Henry Peterson had a little bit too much wine that night and was afraid he'd fall asleep and we'd leave him there! Anyway... Cassey & I got up and repacked again in the morning, making sure we would be ready because we wouldn't have a lot of time when we got back from our morning jaunt. When we were at Notre Dame earlier in the week we'd read that the 10am mass would be a Gregorian mass! We discussed it over the subsequent days and decided that yes, we could make it in time! And so we headed off to mass on Sunday morning like the two good Catholic girls that we are. And we indeed had time, though we had to leave right after communion (not what either of us preferred, but there was no help for it -- the taxi would be at the flat at 11:45am!)

So far so good... we were feeling pretty confident... we'd not had ANY mishaps on the Métro the entire week we were there... until today! We got on the right line -- just going the wrong way! Once we discovered our mistake it was too late to go the train -- we had to go to the surface and hope we could find a taxi... Luck was with us -- our next stop was the Musée D'Orsay and there was a line of taxis outside the museum! I think the driver got us there in record time -- but our other taxi was waiting to take us to the airport -- and had been waiting for 15 minutes!! We quickly said our "good-byes" and fervent "thank yous" and rushed downstairs with our luggage to tumble into the waiting taxi. Now, we weren't really worried so much about the time... we were worried we wouldn't have enough Euros between us to pay the taxi driver!

But we made it... in time... with literally change to spare! It was a costly mistake, but there was no time to rue it. We rushed into the airport, found our ticket counter, turned in our luggage and breathed a sigh of relief... we were on our way to London at last!

*stay tuned for the London installment!*

Watch this space!!

Hi all! I'm running around like the proverbial headless chicken, getting ready to head overseas with my friend Cassey for a jet setting trip to Paris & London!

Watch this space as I'm going to attempt to log our adventures!
A bientot!

Who's Idea Was This Snow?

So here it is... the first full day of Spring... and what do I see out my window?? Snow. Four inches of it. We are not amused (said with an arched eyebrow and a faux Queen Victoria accent).

And we didn't close down today either. Now I now those in Minnesota or Buffalo would laugh in scorn at that statment. Four inches is a "dusting" up there. But the weather here in Indy is so varied from year to year that every snowstorm is like the first one. And you have the ultra-careful drivers and the clueless drivers. Neither really understands the strategy of driving in the snow. Now I'm not the world's greatest driver by any means, but I do all right. And I know both how to be cautious and how to make tracks. I'm more worried about getting in an accident with the other guy out there who hasn't got a clue. I saw a guy in some boat of a car this morning fishtail into the median then bump back to slide across three lanes. Fortunately for him there was only one car even close to him and that person knew how to avoid hitting him or getting hit. As I drove past (on the other side of the 3 lanes) he was still hung up on the curb trying to back out into traffic...

So today is day two of my new position. There's no one even here to show me what to do next... I shoulda stayed home. LOL!

Now where the heck are my ankles?!?!?!

I know I have them around here somewhere...

Okay, water retention has always been a problem for me, but this is getting ridiculous. My ankles and feet are so puffy, I think if you'd poke them with a pin they'd spurt water!

(Is this too gross?!)

Anyway, I take my water pill religiously. I've been exercising both morning and evening. I drink all my water. Now why am I so bloated?

At first I thought it was just as a result from my flights to and from Oregon last weekend. Yet, here it is four days later. I should be able to see my nice slender ankles by now.

We are not amused...

Errata

Well, as with anything that is "printed" there are sure to be some errors or omissions...

1. My apologies to both Charlene and Celtelven, whom I thought were the same person! (I was sure someone had told me that... but I do imagine things on occasion!) To clarify... it was Charlene who joined us at Moot 3. Celtelven had hope to come, but was unable to join us this year. Again, so sorry, ladies!

2. I cannot possibly believe I forgot to mention Wiz's sister Dot and her friend KC. While I did not really get to meet KC at all, I met Dot at the Opening Ceremony and I think we were all much entertained by her (restrained, I hear) antics at the party!

I'm sure I'll come across more corrections I need to explain... so watch this space!! LOL!

So just what is a moot exactly?

Webster's defines Moot as:

To bring up as a subject for debate or discussion -- to debate or discuss. Open to debate: arguable. Having no legal significance.

Tolkien defines Moot like this:

Treebeard: We Ents have not troubled about the wars of Men and wizards for a very long time. But now, something is about to happen that has happened for an age. Entmoot.
Merry: What’s that?
Treebeard: ‘Tis a gathering.

Well, ours is a Shieldmaiden Moot -- a gathering of Shieldmaidens. You then might ask what a Shieldmaiden is. In this case it a tight group of women who are committed to breaking cages that keep us from becoming who we are born to be!

This past weekend I spent an incredible four days in Astoria, Oregon with these amazing women.

My quest really started Wendesday night before leaving -- I had so much to do, but was too tired to get it all done at once. I'd spent the afternoon getting my hair done and hanging with my sister Ann, so I didn't get home until 8pm. I did a bit of packing and straightening up then decided I needed to get some sleep, so I set my alarm for 10:30pm and took a nap. I got up (and suprisingly didn't hit the snooze a coupla times) and got a bunch more done. At 3am I laid down again until 4am. So then I threw in the last minute items, got dressed to go and waited for Diana and Andy to pick me up at 5am to head to the airport.

The flight to Dallas/Ft. Worth was uneventful and I tried to sleep through most of it. When I got to Texas, I was greeted by Bella (Tiffany Mansfield) & Saelind (Marie Meisel). They were able to switch our seat locations so we could sit together -- and after spending a few minutes in the very last row, the flight attendant was able to move all three of us up to the middle of the plane. We spent the next 4 or 5 hours gabbing away, including an intensive one-on-one with Saelind about reading The Silmarillion. Still, as much fun as we had bonding, we were very happy to get off the plane at last. My legs were stiff (and bloated) and they're half the length of Saelind's!

But we still had two hours to get from Portland to Astoria! We met up with AmyGaladriel (Amy Stellmacher), Joielinne (Joy Schwark), Evermind (Jill Andersen) & Kitty (Kathryn Higgins), so once we picked up our rental vehicles we began caravaning towards our destination. Only one problem... it started snowing!! Now for those of us used to driving in the snow it was nothing, but Oregonites do NOT know how to drive in wet flakes -- nor does Saelind who lives in Nashville, TN. So we did a bit of a Chinese fire drill and in our van (Saelind, Bella Evermind & me), Evermind (who is from upper Michigan and well versed in snowy driving conditions) and Saelind switched places. Back on the road we still had one stop to make before the driving began in earnest -- lunch!! We met the other group at a restaurant recommended by a woman at the car rental place called The Oak Tree. She didn't steer us wrong and we had a tasty lunch. Then we hit the road again -- and after a short detour (oops!) we made our way to the Holiday Inn Express in Astoria.

I cannot begin to express how beautiful the scenery is in Oregon. With the odd weather (Wiz assured us this was freakish) the clouds wreathed the mountains and forests in a most magical way. It felt primeval -- and very Middle-earth-like! I guess it gave me the same feeling as when I was in Ireland 3 summers ago. Just lovely...

So we arrive in Astoria and check in. Small glitch... they are housing Katrina refugees. They were supposed to be gone a month or so ago, but they're still there and they can't kick them out obviously -- but they have our suite! We end up with two adjoining rooms -- and after discussing the situation with the management (Mehl & Bella & MEM are awesome negotiators) we stay in the adjoining rooms, but get one extra room for one night. It actually ended up working out well after all. We (Bagshot Row) were Party Central due to Bella's talents as a mixologist, so we had many maidens visiting for cocktails, shots, The Nove and the like... so the bar was in one room -- and the other room seemed better for quieter conversation.

We soon found the Moot Room by Gandalf greeting us at the door of Wiz's suite bidding us to "Speak friend and enter" and we found Wiz and other maidens waiting for us there with a gift from Wiz -- fleecy hot pink scarves with our names embroidered on a tag in one of the corners! How we all needed them -- and used them ALL weekend!!

Thursday evening after everyone who was arriving got settled, we all traipsed over to the Pig 'n Pancake (I liked calling it the Pig 'n Poke since it took me the whole weekend to remember its real name!) for dinner. These people are soooo accommodating! They willingly moved tables, took separate checks, broughtAmyG strawberry shortcake with a side of bacon! After dinner Bella and I went down to the hot tub and pool for a relaxing dip (more on the spa later). After a shower we all sat around chatting and catching up 'til we started nodding off.

By the way, the "official" inhabitants of Bagshot Row were: moi, of course; Bella, Mehl (Sara Ann Mehltretter), LadyD (Laura Rudolph) and MEM (Shelley Brown).

Friday morning we ambled down to the breakfast room at the hotel -- bagels, cereal, danish, gravy & biscuits, and lots of coffee. I've also heard tell of some wicked sticky buns, but I never saw them! Probably for the best...

Most of the morning for me was spent in Opening Ceremony preparations: rehearsing with Valkyrië (Christine Crocker) & Tisbé (Liz Scott) -- Ted the Bear was not in attendance. I'm imagining Tisbé would have thought him too disruptive!! And looking at the moot room.

At breakfast we got some thrilling news! Novedhelion (Amy Greene) called from home (she couldn't make the trip) to tell us her manuscript has been accepted for publication by an e-publisher!! So several us retired toBagshot Row to toast her good fortune!! Bella created a special drink for the occasion -- The Nove: Absolut Citron, Orange juice, Amaretto, Seltzer and a marichino cherry. Delicious!!!

At 10:00am, we repared to the the moot room to listen to Saelind give her talk on The Silmarillion, which she will present at a conference in Toronto in July. It was wonderfully informative and we had a great discussion about the book. I think many of us left feeling they might actually figure out who all the "F-ing Elves" actually are!

Lunch was pizza in the Moot Room when everyone finally made it to Astoria (some of the ladies got into Portland in the evening and decided to stay there before heading to the hotel). And then a big group headed over to the Astoria (?) Column. I stayed behind to get some more OC stuff done, so I cannot alas tell of its significance. I saw pictures... it's a lovely-looking column. :-)

While those ladies were trekking Astoria, Evermind, Bella & I decided to head for the hot tub and pool again. We had a lovely, long conversation both in Bagshot Row and again in the pools. While we sat there, the other ladies returned and we beckoned them to join us. At some point we probably had 15 or 20 Shieldmaidens in the water! However... we discovered the hotel had over-chlorinated the water a bit. I'm really wondering how we three stayed in as long as we did! Stinging eyes... coughing... and when we got out of the water, some jewelry disinigrated!!! We decided to leave the pool alone from there on out (I could still smell it on me later that night after I'd taken my shower...)

Dinner and the PnP again. We walked in and the waitress said, "You want us to push the tables together again like last night???" Sweet girls!

Hurry back to our rooms to get ready for the OC.

Everyone looked so beautiful in all our finery!! Wiz's son set up a webcam so those Shieldmaidens who couldn't come could be with us regardless. There were some glitches, but all in all it was a good first attempt. Hopefully next year we can perfect it!

So lots of tears... lots of laughs... I can't speak to the success since I wrote the ceremony, but I was pleased with how it went. It was nice to have more people involved this year. I really don't know what the theme will be next year -- this one was so perfect!!

We got our moot bags with all the little goodies in it. One of the items was a river rock that Wiz and her Jerry collected for this purpose. We wrote our cages on the stone with a Sharpie then walked out to the river and threw it into the water! And we toasted with genuine Portugese Port (provided bySofia) and nibble on Canadian chocolate maple leaves (provided by Laurelindë). Then sat down to review last year's moot DVD (Kally - Cathy Carey - started but had other commitments interfere, then Molly & Chris took over, but had the programs crash on them at the last minute). We thanked them profusely for their efforts, but enjoyed last year's DVD just as much! :-)

After the OC, Bagshot Row was the happenin' place once again... Ted made an appearance and it was shocking how he toyed with Bella's Alpaca...

Saturday morning we met for breakfast again downstairs then trooped up to the moot room again to watch a tribute DVD for our dear mapmakerLlewyn (Karen Wynn-Fonstad) who sailed into the West exactly a year ago that day.

Anyway, at noon we assembled down in the lobby to walk down the river a bit to an outlook. There Saelind led us (admirably, I might add) in a tribute to our lost family & friends, including Llewyn, over the past year. At the end, we all threw a red carnation into the water to let the tide take them out to Sea.

Several of us stopped there at a cafe for lunch. The food was delicious, but the service lacked quite a bit. We had a very surly, unhelpful waiter. We did not leave him a generous tip. Hmpf!

Saelind and I had a nice chat on the way back to the hotel (the group was us two, Pansy [Betty Bigelow]; AmyG; Kitty [Kathryn Higgins]; Jackie Latestarter & Joie) and then I headed up to Bagshot Row for a well-deserved nap. A little later Pansy came and found me to share a hard cider -- yum! Then I had to get ready to meet the Catholic group for Mass at Wiz's church.

Mass at Saint Francis de Sales was a delight! What a vibrant, welcoming parish!! It was cozy with real wood paneling on one wall and windows facing the water on the other. It was a good thing we were on the paneled side as I doubt I would have paid much attention looking out at the beautiful view on the other! As it was, we had difficulty enough focusing on the sermon thanks to the little "darling" in front of us (I hope you read that as sarcasm). Anyway... it was wonderful to celebrate mass with my Shieldsisters. (That group was me, Saelind, Bella, Mehl, Molly, Sofia & Wiz)

After mass, Wiz took us to her house for The Party of Special Magnificence!! One of the main reasons for having moot on the Western Shores was to celebrate Wiz's 50th birthday. And what a celebration it was!! Wiz's family put on quite a shin-dig for her. And their home is so beautiful -- quite hobbity, in fact -- including a sign greeting us saying "No Admittance - Except on Party Business." But for me, it was the view outside the windows on the back side of the house that took my breath away!!!

I don't think I have ever experienced such a party... usually when there are so many people you will find a wall flower or two, but you could join any grouping and feel a part of the conversation. The webcam was again set up for absent Shieldmaiden viewing, hanging from the ceiling, in fact! It seemed to work better than the night before??

Wiz adorable grandbabies made an appearance -- Nikolai & Gabriel dressed in hobbit gear down to knitted slippers that looked like hairy hobbit feet! (They are called Merry & Pippin too). I believe their mom Raingirl (Peggy) created their ensembles -- I was so impressed with the embroidery on their little shirts and pants! Nikolai greeted me with a pretzel at the door then fed me a grape a bit later -- and when ever Queenie (Sally Miller) asked him who's his favorite girl, he'd say, "Sally!" Until Valkyrië got in on it -- much jealousy between these two august ladies for his favor!! Pretty little Lindsay (Maidenette) & Emory, the children of MaidenettesMomma (Heather) also beguiled us for a time. But soon it was bedtime and they were all swept off to dreamland.

In the meantime, Ranger Jerry & Raingirl were minding the kitchen! Such food! Every little while new dishes were brought out -- the best was the fresh fish -- grilled salmon and garlic shrimp! Yum-O!

And the crowning glory was the birthday cake -- seemingly an ordinary, bakery confection with yellow roses and a photo of little Wiz -- but then one bite told us it was no ordinary cake. They put raspberry flavoring in the batter. It was delectable!

Gifts were given and appreciated (the group gave her a beautiful wool stole made from the same wool as used on the Fellowship cloak in the LOTR movies) -- Wiz looked as if the stole was made with her in mind! She also received a statue of Legolas that was part of a set of the Fellowship that Queenie found right there in Astoria!

We also saluted Valkyrië's birthday for March 13th!

And then... an appearance by the sexy Marylindë (ie: Laurelindë/Ina), stealer of the Ranger!! It was a hoot! The Queen (Sal) was properly appalled!

But soon it was time to go back to the hotel. Wiz led the way back since many got turned around on the way there. Bagshot Row was hoppin' again, as we knew quite a few would be leaving in the morning. Those that were leaving betimes we reluctantly said "good night" to... I packed my bag, only to repack it several more times -- including the next morning! In our moot bags we had a book put together by LadyD with help from Rayna, Kai (Cathy Hess) Elhf (Elaine Foster) & Estelina (Sheri) -- with illustrations by Rayna & Pansy, and many of us sent our books around to each other to sign, just like our yearbooks in high school. I think there might've been some belly dancing going on in the other room too. Once again, it was the raucous room! In the quieter room, I had a great conversation with Alatariel (Lynn Wilkerson), Laurelindë & Evermind about movies. Rayna and I also shared a few quiet moments together -- including my trying on the gown she bought but couldn't wear. It's a bit tight on me, but I'm confident by next moot it will fit me just fine! (HOPE, HOPE, HOPE!)

Breakfast had to be early since a big group of us were trooping to the airport at 9am. I sat with Pansy, WhiteFox (Clare Cronin) and Darth Jedi (Cinnea). I should mention that at the OC, White Fox and Saelind presented the threadbearers with citations created especially for each of us. Frink's (Barb Dominey, who couldn't make it) husband came up with the wording and White Fox painted & lettered each one by hand. I treasure it!

Finally it was time to say "good-bye." Many tears and fervent hugs later, I climbed in the van with Saelind & Kally to head to the airport. But we got there and who should we meet but some of the Shieldmaidens we said "farewell" too! We also discovered that Starr's (Pat) daughter Maegan had incorrect flights, but there was no room to get them changed. So she had to stay an extra day! After some consternation, Starr entrusted her girl to Estelina & Wiz and came with Molly, Queenie and me to our gates. We stopped for a bite then went through security and suddenly it was time for me to board!

Farewell to the Western Shores -- but I would be with the Shieldmaidens again on the boards!

The trip home, while not exactly harrowing, wasn't exactly smooth either. Storms were pounding the midwest and left us circling the Chicago area while they passed through. We finally landed about 45 minutes late. Fortunately my connecting flight had also been held up, so I didn't miss it. I went looking for the gate, which I misread the first time and ended up at the wrong end of the terminal. I finally made it to the correct gate, sat there for 20 minutes and then got sent to a new gate. My 8:30pm flight was bumped back to 10:30pm and then bumped again back to 11:30pm. We finally took off, just before the airport closed the field again, and flew into Indy at 2:45am. *yawn!*

I managed to get hold of my family to deceminate the news, as well as call my boss and my work out buddy... I would be sleeping in!!

All in all, it was the most wonderful vacation! I would go back to Oregon in a moment!!

What & Who else did I miss, I wonder...

Oh, Tarfalathwen (Bonnie Petros) was ill most of the weekend! Wiz & Rayna actually took her to the ER so she could get some decent medicine to combat her raging sinus infection!

Celtelven (Charlene) was a new Shieldmaiden to join us this year. I did not get to spend very much time with her, but she seems lovely.

How could I forget the Moot Queen (Beccaie) & Deen (Jennifer Christensen) getting turned back in the snow storm!! They were driving across the country and the snow was bad in the Cascades. They closed the road and had to turn back. So instead of mooting with us, they drove to Boulder, CO to mini-moot with Kementári (Katrina Doumbia), who couldn't come at the last moment.

Arwensrose (Chenoa Torklep) came from the Oregon shores with her DRK (Dear Ranger Kevin). She looks wonderful and happy and her ranger seems perfect for her!

So I think I've at least mentioned all that went. If I have missed anyone, it's not because they weren't important enough to remember! Everything is still a jumble... :-)

The Disco Lounge is Open!!

We got a shout-out from the DJ today on the radio! LOL
Sara & I were listening to the Disco Lounge on The Track 107.9FM and couldn't place a song, so we emailed the DJ, Tom Berg, to ask him what it was. It turned out to be the Theme from SWAT -- we knew it was a cop show from the 1970s!! Anyway, it was fun to hear him tell us "hi!"

Don't know what I'm going to do with myself the next week before I leave for Oregon... Mom & Dad are in Florida, so Pup and I are on our own for the most part. I have a few things scheduled -- Sunday in particular is going to be a busy day, but the rest of the time will be spent getting ready for my trip.

First things first though... I need to go work on a few writing projects. Until later -- groove on!

This whole day started off on the wrong foot... I completely overslept and missed meeting Helen to walk. I couldn't even salvage it by getting over there late. Pooh!

Anyway, I get to work knowing I had a Herculean task ahead of me -- re-inputting 108 charges that didn't go through yesterday into the veriphone. That was problem enough... then the second veriphone went down! So that meant another call to NPC to get it fixed. Hopefully THIS time it works. But that's what they always say...

That whole task started at 9am and now it's 3pm. So now I have two more hours at work in anticipation of going out to dinner tonight with Mom & Dad and Uncle Chuck & Aunt Bobbie. I hope we go someplace good!! And I hope they have cocktails...

Monday Musings...

Busy day at work today. We had a ticket on sale, so it's always crazy with the phones and distractions. I spent the afternoon working on the OC for moot, however. I've sent it on to Queenie & Wiz for their comments. I hope it suits...

Dinner with Marne & Lisa went well last night. They loved the soup & sandwiches -- and kept looking at all the changes I've made to the condo. The Closing Ceremonies of the Olympics were lackluster, but it was good to hang out at my place for a change!

Just got an email from Wiz... must go check it out!

Procratinating as usual...

Well, it's Sunday morning and I have a huge list of things to do today. Once again I'm sitting here at the computer putting it off as long as possible. Maren & Lisa are coming over to watch the Closing Ceremonies of the Olympics and I need to shop and clean. I have all day to do it as they're not due 'til 7pm or so, but knowing how quickly I move -- or not move -- it will be an all day affair.

So first I need to make a shopping list for SuperTarget. I'm making homemade Tomato Basil Soup, so I need to get that started. I don't think the actual cooking time will be all that long, but the prep work is always the time consuming part of cooking. I'll need to clean out the 'fridge too -- there is something NASTY smelling in there that needs to go! Not to mention I have no room to put anything in there. Why do the day-to-day tasks have to be so onerous?

Once the shopping is done and soup is started, cleaning begins in earnest. How can one woman and a dog create so much filth?? It seems like I just did a major cleaning and I'm not really home all that much?? Are there filth-faeries that come in while I'm gone just to mess things up? I need to attract some good house-elves to keep everything tidy instead!

Oh! Well, one point for me... I at least started (well, actually RE-started) a load of laundry. It's sitting in the washer now waiting for the dryer. I really should get that switched around while I'm still putzing before leaving for the store... Roseanne must've been insane when she called it Domestic Goddess. I find it hard to see any of the Divine in such chores, though I'm sure some would call that blasphemous. I suppose I should pray on that... another way to procratistinate!

Initial Musings...

Well, hello!
Here is day one, the first words, the intial thoughts spilling out onto the page... er... computer screen...
I don't really have much to say this first go-round. Mostly just wanted to set this up and see what it's like to"blog" like the rest of the world. So far, so good.