Raspberry Pickin' in PA

As a Father’s Day treat, Amber invited Chappy and I to her home in Shrewsbury, PA to celebrate with her Dad and her family. We arrived at her parents’ home in the late afternoon and spent about an hour chatting with her 92-year old grandmother, who just moved into an assisted living facility. She was cracking us up with stories of a man in the home who hums badly all the time and keeps trying to talk to her. I told her Grandmother, “he’s just trying to flirt with you,” and she replied, “oh, I hope not. He doesn’t even do that well.” It was funny, but for the fact that Amber’s spunky grandma is getting more attention from a man than I!

Amber’s parents came home from church – along with their new tenants, Amy and her five children, as well as their son Adam and his wife, Laura, and their four children – and the party got underway. There were a total of 23 people, ranging in age from 92 to 1 – it would be enough to exhaust me, but the Sechrists take it in stride.

The highlight of the BBQ summer dinner was black raspberry pie. On Amber’s grandmother’s property, there are tons of bushes of wild black raspberries that peak 3 weeks a year. It’s an annual tradition in the Sechrist house to have black raspberry pie, and this year I was invited to join in. When they added homemade vanilla ice cream to the mix, Chappy and I thought we had died and gone to dessert heaven.

As an extra bonus, Amber conned her Dad into giving her, her sister, Mendy, me, and Chappy a ride on the family tractor to the grandmother’s property, which is about 1 mile down a country road. Chappy, Mendy and I piled onto the back of an old wooden trailer and spent about 30 minutes picking our way through the thorns of black raspberry bushes to grab handfuls of black raspberries. It was very “Americana” of us and a perfect way to spend Father’s Day.

It was only when we were back at Amber’s house that she announced “be sure you do a tick check. Sometimes ticks get on you when you go into the raspberry bushes.” I’m sorry….WHAT??? That kind of announcement is why I don’t DO nature!! Fortunately for me, Chappy was the winner of the tick check. A little fellow was trying to burrow right into Chappy’s cleavage before she found it, freaked and pitched it out the window! Agh…a lot of risk for some little berries!

Introducing Mrs. Amalia Stott!

Finally, my friend is Mrs. Amalia Stott!!!
After having to postpone their 2009 nuptials due to unemployment and economics, Amalia and Gordon finally tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony at the Round Barn Farm in Red Wing, MN. It was a lovely wedding and Ama looked beautiful.
She had been planning this day for two plus years (ok, more like 30 years!) and everything was perfection. The location was terrific, all of her family and friends were in attendance and the love of her life was at the altar. It was a perfect day for one of my best friends.

The wedding weekend began when Amalia and I drove to Red Wing on Friday morning to organize the decorations and set up. Her wedding took place at the bucolic Round Barn Farm and B&B. The owners were a little quirky, but they were wonderful hosts. I was given the "Bird Room" - complete with a jacuzzi tub at the foot of the bed. Thank goodness I was alone! The bed more than made up for the awkwardness of the tub - it was like diving into a cloud!Later on Friday, we were met at the Farm by Ann Christian and Heather Anfang, Ama's other two bridesmaids whom I love, and the three of us got cracking on setting up everything. Ann and I took a break mid-day for a nice mani & pedi and then we were back at the Farm for a quick dress rehearsal and then we were off to the St. James Hotel for a lovely rehearsal dinner with all of Ama and Gordon's family and friends. There were several toasts, exchanging of gifts and the shedding of tears. It was a memorable evening that set a perfect tone for the weekend.A quick post-rehearsal bar stop!

On Saturday, we awoke to an unfortunate overcast sky. We all crossed our fingers and prayed that the storm clouds would blow over. After an amazing breakfast prepared by the B&B owners - poached pears, quiche, white tea cake and homemade sourdough bread - the girls headed into Red Wing for some fancy up-dos and makeup application. Unfortunately, while we were being pampered, the skies opened up and for five hours we were treated to rain. Amalia handled it like a champ and calmly moved her outdoor wedding into the barn.Torsten officiated at Ama and Gordon's wedding and he did a terrific job. The ceremony was intimate and perfect for Ama and G. The reception was also beautiful and the food was delicious. And, wouldn't you know it, as soon as we sat down for dinner, the rain stopped and a rainbow appeared!! After dinner and some more toasts, the real party got going! Everyone danced well into the night and had a great time watching Ama twirl in her beautiful wedding dress.
It was a perfect wedding for my friend and I'm so happy for her and Gordon!

Back Home on Kauai!

Aaaahhhhh....back on Kauai! After an inexcusable absence of SIX YEARS, I finally returned to the land I love best....Kauai!There is nothing better than this slice of heaven. Especially when I get to share it with my best yaya friends - Amber, Chappy and Juju. How do I love Kauai? Let me count the ways:1. The Tunnel of Trees. The drive along the Tunnel of Trees is like taking a deep breath. As soon as I make that left-hand turn off Highway 50 and start driving under a canopy of trees on Maluhia Road, I leave the mainland and all my stresses and worries behind. This is when I know I'm on vacation and headed to my "happy place!"2. The smell of plumaria flowers that linger in the air.3. The presence of wild roosters on the side of the road. In any other setting, I'd think, "Ewww, how unsanitary!" On Kauai, I think, "Ohhhhh....how charming!"4. Fish tacos and Hula Pie at Keoki's. YUM! Our friend Todd Dorney, who lives on Kauai, joined us for dinner a couple times while we were in town.5. Driving a candy-apple red convertible!6. Crossing the Hanalei wood bridge and escaping to the North Shore, where there's nothing but the Princeville Hotel...Queens Bath... Bubba's Burgers, more fish tacos and beautiful beaches!7. Spending the day doing nothing - and I mean NOTHING - at the Anara Spa.I was handed a robe at 9am and I handed it back at 7:45pm. Somewhere in the middle I received a 60-minute massage; the rest of the time I spent flat on my back napping and reading. Pure heaven!8. Lunch at the Shrimp Shack. I LOVE eating this road-side delicacy. I think three heads of garlic are cooked into one plate of shrimp. It is honestly the yummiest thing on the island and a treat I look forward to every trip.9. Fresh coconut meat and pineapple. Here's a combination that's sure to put a smile on my face: a red convertible, Lady Gaga on the stereo, my best friends in the car, flip-flops on my feet, the beauty of Kauai on the right and the Pacific Ocean on the left, and a container full of freshly cut pineapple and coconut. Just thinking about it makes me exhale a little bit!10. The Hyatt Regency at Poipu. Honestly, it must be Hyatt Hotel's best property in the whole spankin' world. I love everything about the Hyatt on Kauai...the lobby, the parrots, the grilled mahi-mahi sandwiches, the "Aloha!" greeting when you approach the front desk, the curly fries, the lagoon pool, the lazy river, the walking paths to Breneke's Beach, the Anara Spa, the coco-mango lotion, the beige-and-white striped beach towels, the water slide wrist bracelet, the feeling of being a 5-star woman at a 5-star resort! I LOVE the Hyatt Regency at Poipu! And I will be back!

My trip this year was only five days in length, but it was a perfect reminder that I belong on this island and need to make many return visits!

Mahalo for another wonderful vacation!

A Weekend Visit with Friends

Cherstyn & Matt Stockwell brought their two adorable children, Kayla and Nate, to Washington, D.C. for an early summer vacation so I was able to have them over for a quick Sunday lunch before they headed home to Utah.

They're an absolutely terrific family and I loved having them and all of our friends over to my place!