Category Archives: Adventures

Picnic at Chimney Bluffs

Deborah and I went to Chimney Bluffs State Park along Lake Ontario near Sodus, NY (about an hour from my home). We parked in the alternate parking lot near the steps to the top and a path to the beach. … Continue reading

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Halloween Treats 2022

This was my first Halloween in my new home. It was also my first time to have trick-or-treaters since I last had a house in 2016. I don’t have a prominent porch as I did before. Maybe in future years … Continue reading

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Birthday at Lake

This year I celebrated my birthday a little early (last weekend) at my family Lake House with my parents and 20 year old niece. When I woke, a “birthday fairy” was there overnight. The table and fireplace were decorated and … Continue reading

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Bug Snack Tortilla Chips

I made this for my 20 year old niece. My niece, my brother, and I hiked up a nearby mountain. In the photo below I asked her to hold out the snack box so I could get her back, the … Continue reading

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New to Neighborhood Cookies

Since I am new to my neighborhood, I wanted to meet my neighbors. I thought it would be easier to ring their bell if I had something to give them. At first I considered making my mini bagels. My Mom … Continue reading

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New House Ravioli

On January 4, I closed on a house. I moved in on January 21. It has been a whirlwind of stress, planning, and hard work. The house needed a large amount of somewhat cosmetic work that does not seem minor … Continue reading

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Goats on Bread Lunch

I made this for my Dad on a day I met family at the Utica Zoo. This was actually my first time making fougasse. I had to significantly modify the recipe from the original so I won’t link to the … Continue reading

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Peacock Bread Lunch

I made this for my sister-in-law on a day I met her and my brother at the Utica Zoo. This was actually my first time making fougasse. I had to significantly modify the recipe from the original so I won’t … Continue reading

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Pontoon Boat Christening Party

My Mom had a boat christening party for my parent’s new Pontoon Boat. The weather did not cooperate as we had planned. It was cold and rainy. We adapted and still held the christening ceremony and party but instead of … Continue reading

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COVID-19 Vaccine Themed Lunch

This week I received my second COVID-19 vaccine. It seemed fitting to make a themed meal for myself to honor the occasion. I was excited to use the COVID-19 cookie cutter made by my friend Renae. She now has a … Continue reading

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Europe Inspired Christmas Meals 2020

I was fortunate to spend 5 days at my parents house for Christmas this year. When my Mom and I planned the meals, she wanted to have themed nights celebrating different countries. My Mom planned the tablescapes for each of … Continue reading

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Gingerbread Castle

This year I made a gingerbread castle for Sweet Creations at the Eastman Museum. I used a slightly smaller board (14 x 16) and created an easier to assemble design. In the past I relied on an extra pair of hands … Continue reading

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Online Reypenaer Cheese Tasting

My Dad wanted a fun social distancing activity for us so he ordered cheese from Amsterdam for an online cheese tasting. It took 3 weeks to arrive because mail is not as good these days but the cheese arrived! We … Continue reading

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Walk Brighton Project Week 5

I am nearing the end of this project. I expect that Week 6 will be the last week. Friends ask me what I will do next. It is not as fascinating as Walking Brighton, but I will start training for … Continue reading

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Walk Brighton Project Week 4

Another week of my Walk Brighton Project completed. I am guessing that it will take 2 – 3 more weeks to finish. I don’t want it to end but I am also looking forward to completing this project. Of course, … Continue reading

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Walk Brighton Project Week 3

It is spring and I am falling in love…with my town, Brighton, NY. I liked it before but now that I am getting to know it more intimately, it is love. Spring is a special time of year to spend … Continue reading

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Walk Brighton Project Week 2

Walk Brighton Project Welcome to Week 2 of my Walk Brighton Project. It is bringing a lot of excitement into my life of working from home and social distancing. I am always looking forward to walking new segments of my … Continue reading

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Walk Brighton Project Week 1

What is the Walk Brighton Project? I live in Brighton (Rochester, NY). Due to COVID-19, I am currently living a life of social distancing and working from home. When I brainstormed ways to keep things interesting for myself, I remembered … Continue reading

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2019 Gingerbread Sweet Creations

For the 3rd year in a row, I made gingerbread for the Eastman Museum’s Sweet Creations gingerbread show. I enjoy seeing the variety. Here is a sampling of some of the creations that were memorable to me.  

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Iceland

In May, I went alone to Iceland for a few days. It was a time of transition (leaving one job and starting a new one) so I planned a last minute adventure to a new place. It was fantastic! Iceland … Continue reading

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1000 Islands Day Trip Lunch

Last Saturday, my friend Dennis and I went on a day trip from Rochester, NY to the 1000 Islands. It was the first time for both of us. We took the Boldt Castle and Two Nation Tour. It was a … Continue reading

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2017 Gingerbread Sweet Creations

I am excited to have a gingerbread creation in a museum! I am part of the 2017 Sweet Creations at the Eastman Museum. This year there are 60 different submissions. I have visited this exhibit at least 5 times in … Continue reading

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Gingerbread Row Houses

My place smelled like gingerbread in October this year. I decided to enter a gingerbread house in Sweet Creations at the Eastman Museum.  In September, I was accepted as a participant. My gingerbread had to be delivered by November 1. … Continue reading

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Picnic Lunch

I made lunches for a new companion Dennis and myself. His work is not far from mine so we met for lunch at a park along the Erie Canal. You can see both lunches in the last photo. I think … Continue reading

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Daffodil Lunch and Walk

This week one night after work, my niece and I took a walk to a daffodil meadow and had this themed meal (I made 2 identical bentos). We ate our dinner sitting on a log under trees. It was a … Continue reading

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Tokyo Travel and Bento Lunch

Today I have my last post in my 2017 Japan travel series. After Osaka / Kyoto, I took the Shinkansen to Tokyo. I stayed with language partners in Yokohama, Tsukuba, and stayed overnight at a hotel near Disneyland with another … Continue reading

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Osaka – Kyoto Travel and Bento Lunch

Continuing in my 2017 Japan Travel and Bento series I have Osaka and Kyoto. After Niigata, I flew to Osaka. A language partner who lives in Ibaraki City graciously invited me to stay with her and her family for a … Continue reading

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7 Lucky Gods Tour Kyoto

This is the third in my 2017 series of travel photos and food inspired by my trip to Japan. When I looked for things to do in Kyoto in January, I found the idea to visit each temple of the … Continue reading

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Sado Island Travel and Bento Lunch

Today I have the second in my 2017 series of travel photos and bento inspired by my trip to Japan. I am sharing photos from Sado Island and a Toki, (Japanese Crested Ibis) made from cheesy mashed potatoes. The Toki … Continue reading

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50 Summer Activities

Last year my nephews and I completed 100 Summer Activities. This year it was requested that we only do 50. I was surprised but it might end up being easier for me. Some of these activities are repeats from last … Continue reading

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100 Summer Activities for Tween and Teen Boys

Update: See the end of this post for an update on the changes we made to the list. We completed 100 activities but we did make many changes along the way. This summer I will have my nearly 11 year … Continue reading

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Bluebells

Saturday May 9, I went on a hike to see bluebells. I am not sure if I had ever seen a bluebell before that day. This is the description that I read before attending the hike, “This walk is 3.5 … Continue reading

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Lunches for the Zoo

My husband and I took our nephews to the zoo. Of course I made themed lunches for each of us. They were quick to make with cookie cutters. The only template I had to make was for the flamingo. My … Continue reading

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Japan Travel and Bento Roundup

Here is a roundup of my Japan travel and inspired bento articles. It was such an amazing trip and I enjoyed making bento and sharing my photos with you. See the links below for details about each location and bento. … Continue reading

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Kyoto Travel and Bento

This is my last Japan travel and inspired bento article but I will share a compilation post to put all of the links in one place. My Mom and I rented a house in Kyoto from Japan Experience. It was … Continue reading

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Osaka Travel and Bento

This is the next to last article in my Japan travel and bento series. My Mom and I spent time in Osaka at the beginning and the end of our trip. At the end of our trip my friend who … Continue reading

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Nara Travel and Bento

The city of Nara is next in my series of travel photos and bento inspired by my trip to Japan. My Mom and I visited Nara as a day trip from Kyoto. I laughed out loud at the results of … Continue reading

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Arashiyama Travel and Bento Lunch

This is a continuation of my series of travel photos from my trip to Japan and bentos inspired by my experiences. When planning our Kyoto portion of our trip, I knew that I wanted to visit the Monkey Park in … Continue reading

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Ikebana Experience and Bento

This is next in my series of travel photos from my trip with my Mom to Japan. The bento lunch was inspired by an Ikebana class we took. This bento did not come out as beautiful as it did in … Continue reading

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Travel to See Mt Fuji and Bento Lunch

This is the third article in my series of travel photos and bentos inspired by my trip to Japan. My Mom wanted to to see Mt. Fuji. We knew it is often covered by clouds. Since we had a Japan … Continue reading

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Okayama Travel and Bento Lunch

This is the second article in my series of travel photos and bentos inspired by my trip to Japan. My Mom and I stayed at the Hilton in Osaka and took the Shinkansen (Bullet train) to Okayama for a day … Continue reading

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Hiroshima Travel and Bento Lunch

In March my Mom and I returned from a 2 week trip to Japan. My plan is to make bento and share travel photos and memories. I am not yet sure how many articles will be in this series but … Continue reading

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Union Square Greenmarket in July

The city that never sleeps does not wake up early on Saturday morning. I had some time Saturday morning before leaving NYC for my Great Aunt’s 80th birthday party on Long Island. I decided to go to the Union Square … Continue reading

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Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge

A few days ago my 11 year old nephew and I went hiking at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama, NY. We walked the Swallow Hollow and Onondaga trails. This was our second time visiting these trails. Our first … Continue reading

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NGC Flower Show

The National Garden Club (NGC) convention was in Buffalo this year. My garden club attended their flower show. It was fun and educational to see entries in the various categories. Apples are in the water Bamboo and roses Columbine Cafe … Continue reading

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Hilmar Cheese Visitor Center

While on the CLAAS tour, our bus stopped at the Hilmar Cheese Visitor Center. Hilmar Cheese is the largest cheese processing plant in the United States. First our bus took a tour of the processing facilities. We then ate a … Continue reading

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Japantown San Francisco

When I heard that we would start the CLAAS Tour in San Francisco, my first thought was Japantown. The last time I went to Japantown was 2005. This year we were able to spend time in Japantown during our brief … Continue reading

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World Ag Expo

The main reason my husband and I joined the CLAAS tour was to attend the World Ag Expo in Tulare, California. The World Ag Expo is a large agriculture exhibition. It covers most aspects of agriculture (equipment, communication, technology, etc.) … Continue reading

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CLAAS Tour – World Ag Expo

My husband and I went on a business trip to California for the World Ag Expo in Tulare, CA. We joined a tour sponsored by CLAAS. The tour was to promote CLAAS agricultural equipment and reward Jaguar owners. Our tour … Continue reading

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Rockefeller Center Holiday Decorations

I took these photos in December, 2010 when I worked in New York City near Rockefeller Center. 2010 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Nutcracker on Avenue of the Americas Giant Red Christmas Ornaments Santa dog Minnie & Mickey Radio City

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