Rice Park and Summit Ave

Before Christmas, Matt and I drove around looking for lights to photograph.  I had seen from other photographers on Capture Minnesota photos taken from Rice Park and Summit Ave.  We hit up both and found some stunning light displays.

 

The Big Tree; this was across the street from the Governer's Mansion.  It made the mansion look plain compared to this tree!

Another house on Summit Ave.  I didn't notice the snow angel in the foreground until after we got home and I was looking at the photo again.

We also visited Rice Park.  Rice Park usually has a nice display of lights during the winter months.  Here, a view from across the street.

Rice Park enterance.

The big blue tree in Rice Park.

I tried some photos in black and white; I was impressed with the classical feel of them.

People in Rice Park.

A colored view of Rice Park. 

A giant Nutcracker watches over the park!

Ugly Christmas Sweater Day

We had an ugly Christmas sweater day at work today.  Though not many of us participated, there were a few of us that sported our best ugly sweaters.

The inventory gals: Sarah, myself, Lisa, and Sara

The participants of ugly sweater day!

Feeling Festive



I took a few snapshots around the house this weekend just for the fun of it.  The weather outside was "frightfully" cold, so I captured the festive decorations inside instead.

An ornament from our tree upstairs.

The upstairs tree.

Classic black and white.

Tic, not looking festive.  I thought I'd pester him anyway, with some "in your face" shots.

Our tree downstairs. This year we're able to have two trees up!

An ornament from the tree downstairs.  My reflection is in the glass.  :)

I interrupted Matt from his video game to get this shot.

Hershey... naughty or nice this year?  From this look, I'd say I just caught him in the act of doing something bad!!

The stockings hung from the....kitchen banister.  No fireplace in this house.  :(

Hershey enjoys camping out underneath the tree upstairs; quite often I find him there.

First Snowfall

We had our first real snowfall in Minnesota yesterday.  The flakes were huge, and it was a pretty sight.  I thought it would be fun to let the cats out in it and see how they would react. 

 

 

Fluff didn't know what to think!  She never has really been out in the snow before, so she was very curious as to what was coming out of the sky.  When she finally ventured out into it, a large flake splatted right on her head. 

Hershey has been out in this before.  He didn't care for it much, but enjoyed watching the big flakes come down and land before him.

In the Days of Young

Over the weekend, while we were looking at letters from my mom's family, we came across this photo.  My dad's aunt had sent this with her memory of my mom.  It's a photo of my sister and I sitting in wildflowers out in the Tetons from 1984 ( I believe was the date on the back of the photo).  Oh how I love the styles back then!

Milestones...Mom's 60th!

 

 

This weekend was a milestone of a weekend.  My mom turned 60!  We planned a surprise visit this weekend down to my parents to celebrate mom's birthday on the 17th.  The plan began with us hiding our vehicles and waiting for her and my stepdad to get home from a dance.  As the headlights shined in the window indicating their arrival, we "army crawled" along the floor through the dark and sat in the kitchen waiting for them to come in.  She was indeed surprised, when the lights came on!  I think we scared her to the point of almost peeing her pants!  Ha!

 

The birthday cake.  I made a 4 layered, chocolate raspberry cake, with enough sugar and fat in it to expand the thighs and add a chin!

On Saturday night, part of the surprise was to bring our mom to a dinner/play.  At the hall, waiting for dinner. Mom and Norm, (hiding from getting his photo taken).

Back at home after the play.  My mom had no idea we still had cake to eat! My sister and Mom.

We didn't put 60 candles on the cake in fear of it melting, or becoming waxified.  So we settled for a few.

The best photo ever!!  Don't mess with the 60 year old!  The cake reflected off the knife, making it look like mom already took out someone.  Classic.  :)

We presented mom with a memory box, with various postcards inside from family and friends that wrote down memories of my mom.

Norm and mom checking out the box.

My nephew and mom.

A closer look at the memory box.  Laura put this together.

 

Another milestone this weekend on the way back home; my car hit the 200,000 mile mark!  Let's hope it hangs on a little while longer yet!

Not only was it my mom's birthday on the 17th, but Matt's mom's birthday as well!.  Sunday night Matt and I went to the MN Wild Hockey game with Matt's mom and Matt's uncle.  Up on the score board, they put a "Happy Birthday" message to her.  She was overjoyed to see her name up there!

Happy Halloween 2013!

Happy Halloween!  Since Hersh looked somewhat like a "Frankenkitty" with his healing scars, I thought he'd look great with a Jack-O-Lantern.

 

 

 

Healing nicely!

 

Who says Halloween's just for black cats? 

 

On the porch with Hersh and our pumpkins.  Matt and I handed out candy to the local "goblins".  Our first Halloween turn out was great; we had 72 total trick-or-treaters!