Fabulous Fall. . . Freezing Weather. . . and Polish Sausage, anyone?

OK. . . I know that title is wildly random and would capture even the slightest intrigued person to peruse through the post. . . so I hope not to disappoint.

But since I really didn't want to use the 'Odds 'N Ends' Part 3' as my post title-- because. . . well, at this point it would be so cliche. . . and since I have just a tad more random stuff to catch up on--I thought I'd put them all in the same title.

That way--if you are looking for info about autumn or winter weather or polish sausage--I've got all bases covered.

Now then---we'll start with Fall:

Fall is my most favorite time of year. I love the cooler weather, the changing color of the leaves, the back to school for the kids, football games, and of course--those fun caloric holidays that fall always brings: Halloween and Thanksgiving. . .



This year, for Halloween, my daughter outdid herself finding clever costumes for my grandsons. They went as giraffes--BOTH of them! And I am pretty certain you could not find two cuter giraffes on the planet.






Although Max was not too sure about this 'going up to stranger's houses thing'--He DID enjoy seeing candy put into his little pumpkin.

And Sam, of course, was a natural at smiling with those big baby blue giraffe eyes and saying the expected 'Trick Or Treat' at each and every home. He always gave the customary 'thanks' afterward as well. (although, he'd still gaze up at you with those big wide eyes--which seemed to plead: 'Please sir, can I have some more?') Needless to say--they got a TON of candy this year and did quite well for themselves.

Next on the list is WINTER. And oh my--as of this posting we are right in the middle of our first major snowstorm--which has the kids really happy because the schools are all closed. . . and many folks are happy too because some businesses are shut down. . . so of course we have taken advantage of this opportunity to go sledding with the kids, walking, traipsing and tripping through the ice and snow, putting chains on our car and driving around just for the sheer excitement of it (and to see who else enough is foolish enough to go out in this weather) and other dumb stuff. . .






Before the 'arctic freeze' set in--and while it was only cold, and rainy and miserable (without the snow and ice yet) we went and checked out the 'Holiday Express' with dear daughter and her family:





The little grandsons were REALLY excited to be on a train--ANY kind of train--never mind how old or decrepit it was:



I would post pictures of the rest of the family--but they don't show the same enthusiasm as the grandkids. . . however I did manage to snap a photo of my daughter and her husband when they were looking somewhat pleasant:



The highlight of the trip was when Santa came to visit and passed out candy canes to the kids and sang with them. Sam was heard to exclaim (after receiving his candy cane from Santa): 'My GOSH! These are bigger than the church ones we got. These are the kind I like, baby!'



Now for the 3rd and final thing I wanted to post about: POLISH SAUSAGE!



I know what some of you are thinking--what does polish sausage have to do with anything, and why would anyone post about it?

To answer the first question--Nothing! To answer the second question--Because I actually had a great time eating it, that's why!

Here's the scoop:

A couple of months back, dear hubby and I went with some friends to this little spot in downtown Portland called: 'Grandpa's Cafe And Polish Deli' because these friends had been to the Polish Festival on several occasions and tried out this cafe and deemed it: 'Good and cheap eats' and that was enough to get dear hubby motivated in this slumped economy.

Amazingly it did not disappoint! This place served authentic polish cuisine with such items as:

Pierogi (dumplings)
Golabki (stuffed cabbage rolls)
Kielbasa I Bigos (sausage and hunter's stew)
Nalesniki (crepes)
Placki (potato pancakes)
Flaki (tripe soup)
Chrusciki (angel wings)

And the stuff was GOOD! And PLENTIFUL! And yes, CHEAP! The most expensive thing on the menu was 6 bucks!

Grandpa's Cafe sells also meats, kielbasa, over 100 products from Poland, and about 15 different kinds of Polish beer:



The place is not much to look at--it sits underneath an old dance hall and library--but the atmosphere is warm and friendly--and the food is very good.

It was one of those unexpected surprises and if you are in the Portland area--you gotta try it out at least once. Oh--grandpa is nearly retired now, so it's only open when he's working--which is Friday nights and Sunday afternoons. . . otherwise he's napping or resting or gone fishing. . .

Stand By Me. . .around the world. . .

I am inserting this Youtube video in here that was sent to me by a friend from Croatia.

It is WAY COOL--and since this is an 'Around The World Version' of the song. . . I think it only appropriate that it was sent to me by a friend from another part of the globe I met over the summer. . .

Turn up your speakers, sit back, watch, listen and ENJOY!

Odds 'N Ends Part Two. . . Fixing the Fireplace

Well now, if you've been faithfully (or even a bit UNfaithfully) following my blog, you will note that this past spring into early summer we had the KILLER REMODEL project of our home (where we practically demolished and torched the old place and put up a new one)

One thing that we ran out of time, money, and resources for--but that we really, really, really, really, really, really, REALLY wanted was a fireplace that actually worked.

We'd been living in this home for 15 years and used the fireplace maybe 3 times (each time turning into a smokey, sooty disaster)

We had estimates of redoing it and putting a wood-burning stove in it's place from a few to several thousand dollars. . . but after what we just spent--we were really trying to do something simple (like just FIX it so we could use it) and be cost effective at the same time. (like CHEAP)

One of the things dear hubby heard that made him perk his ears up and cock his head to one side (just like the dog used to do) was when one guy told us that before we could do any major renovation to the fireplace, we needed a 3 foot extension for it.

Apparently the nice people who built this home (back in the late 60's) were trying out those 'funny cigarettes' at the same time--and managed to install our sliding glass door backwards, put all the electrical wall outlets in upside down, and short our fireplace chimney by just a few feet (thereby not creating enough draft--and causing it to smoke horribly every time it was used)

After listening to all the things horrendously wrong with our home by all the various contractors and renovators that came traipsing in and out of our lives this past summer--we wondered how in the heck we ever managed to live in it for so many years without some major mishap. . . but I digress. . .



The idea that caught my dear hubby's fancy (and just wouldn't let him go) was the thought that we could FIX our fireplace! All we needed was an extension--and he began researching on the internet to find just the right size (3 feet) at just the right price. (cheap)

The glorious day came when the package with the fireplace extension arrived at our door and dear hubby was on the roof with it in a flash. . . and doggone it, if he didn't become the HERO of our HOME! It worked like a charm--and we have had a glowing fire in our fireplace every night since! (and the fact that it is now winter time and cold as the arctic also motivates us to use it on a daily basis)

In fact, because we've missed out on 15 years worth of fires in our fireplace--I'm sure we'll continue 'lighting up' until next August. . .

Odds 'N Ends Part One. . . Getting ROCK BAND 2!

Yes! I have some MAJOR catching up to do. . . (as my faithful dozen or so blog fans keep telling me)

So I am putting some little snippets of mirth and mayhem which occurred when I got back from my 'European Vacation' this past September.

One of the first things on my 'MUST DO AT ANY COST' list was was get that much anticipated game of all time:

ROCK BAND 2!

I knew my boys could NOT wait until Christmas (and truth be told, neither could I)

My middle son was prepping his hairstyle for his new rocker image:



I informed him rockers don't smile and he must cop an attitude if he was to really pull off the rocker style--(which as you can see from the next photo was really hard for him to do--as he has to keep some sort of smirk on his face):




Meanwhile, youngest son was wondering if the guitar, drums, or microphone would be bigger than a shoe:



(Well. . . maybe not THAT shoe!)

On the day I brought the game bundle home--I was able to hide it fairly well--so that I could get some much needed work projects done around the house by my boys before I would rescue it from it's hiding place and let them open it. . .

But the moment finally came:



And everything was tested out and deemed: 'pretty sick' (which I think means 'OK')

Confession time here--I really like this game myself and have become the Queen of 'Medium Mode' which I can play now without getting too winded or needing a nap or hospital visit after an extremely killer session.

Meanwhile--my boys have gone on to master the 'Harder Than the Guys Who Actually Play The Song Mode' which requires extreme training and the ability to remove clothing while playing when they get a bit overheated during a mega-marathon session.

So yeah, that age-old adage now applies to our home. . . When our house is a rockin'--don't come a knockin'!

Maybe it's not just the postal workers. . . how about those patrons?

Oh my gosh! Where do these people come from?

Seriously, here is my little RANT for the day:

It's easy in this day and age to give the postal workers (and the entire Post Office, for that matter) a hard time--you know, calling them slow, inept, out-dated, abysmally dysfunctional, poorly managed, and just plain FRUSTRATING AS ALL GET-OUT--well. . . because in fact they are!

But I had an experience a couple of days ago that gave me pause to reflect, that in fact, it might not be just THEM! It could be (gasp!) the people that use the service as well!

What a revolutionary thought! But here's what happened. (and no, I am not making this up--truth is stranger than fiction any ole' day--which is why my blog is so delightfully WEIRD with strangeness)

So I am waiting in that abominably long line that forms around the Holiday Season at the Post Office to dutifully mail out my Christmas packages. . .You know, the line that takes FOREVER and never seems to move?
The one where you end up counting all those folks in front of you again and again--just to make sure the one LONE postal worker is actually taking care of folks and will eventually get to you before the end of the day. . .



I spot this middle-aged gentleman about 3 spaces ahead of me. He is in his mid to late 60's, nicely dressed, looks fairly intelligent--no missing teeth or strange hair or weird body marks or anything--just your nice and normal guy--and he's got about 6 or 7 VERY large packages in front of him that he is shoving ahead with his feet as the line progresses.



Finally it's his turn to be served from one of TWO postal workers on a busy Holiday Season weekday.

Since everyone waiting is eying this guy with pure hatred (because he will take up quite some time with so many large packages to ship) I perk right up and pay attention, so as not to miss anything and watch with amusement (as well as consternation) while this little drama unfolds:

Gentleman Customer: (hefting first large package on to the counter and stacking as many boxes as he can on top of each other)) How much is this gonna cost me?

Postal Worker: Sir, I can only weigh and price one at a time. How about if we start with just one of them?

Gentleman Customer: (trying to take some of the packages off the counter) OK--just do that one nearest you first. How much will that one cost?

Postal Worker: (maneuvering around the boxes and putting the package on the scale--and carefully looking over the package) Where is the address?

Gentleman Customer: (still shuffling all the boxes around) What?

Postal Worker: Where do you want to send this? I don't see a name or address on the package.

Gentleman Customer: Oh--that one is going to my sister.

Postal Worker: OK--where does she live?

Gentleman Customer: In Michigan.

Postal Worker: Do you have an address?

Gentleman Customer: Of course I have an address--I live about two blocks west of here on Main and--

Postal Worker: (cutting him off mid-sentence) I didn't mean YOU, sir. I mean, an address for where this is package is going.

Gentleman Customer: It's going to Michigan to my sister.

Postal Worker: But I need her name and address on the package to be able to send it to her.

Gentleman Customer: (bending around through the stack of packages left on the counter and pointing to each one) And THIS one is going to my nephew Jeffery in Idaho. . . this one to my daughter Claire in Texas, and this one to. . .

Postal Worker: (cutting him off again) Sir, do you have any names or addresses on any of these packages so we know where they are going?

Gentleman Customer: I know where each and everyone of them is going! I'm trying to tell you--THAT one (pointing to the one on the floor by his feet) is for my old boss and his wife, and. . .

Postal Worker: Sir--I need the names and addresses of each of these people--

Gentleman Customer: (becoming NOT so gentlemanly) I'm telling you the names of each of these people--

Postal worker: I need you to write them on the package. Then I can help you ship them. If I give you a pen can you write down the name and address on each of these packages?

Gentleman Customer: Does it have to be exact? How about if I just put directions?

Postal Worker: I need an exact address. And I need YOUR address in the top left corner as well.

Gentleman Customer: What for?

Postal Worker: We need a return address--in case the package is refused, the recipient has moved or the package gets lost in transit--so that we can send it back to you if necessary.

Gentleman Customer: Well, if you just send it to the person I'm telling you to send it to it won't get lost in transit, now will it?

Postal Worker: We STILL need a return address for each package.

Gentleman Customer: Well, I don't want them returned--that's why I'm mailing them out in the first place.

(I was about to offer up my address as a return address--but the guy just in front of me beat me to it!)

Guy in front of me: SHEESH! Haven't you ever been to a post office before?

He starts to go over to help the guy mark his packages, when the postal worker puts up a warning hand.

Postal Worker: That won't be necessary. You can get back in line. (turning to customer) Sir, you need to step out of line and put the name and address of where you want these sent right on the package and then you can come back to the front of the line and we'll take care of you. OK?

Gentleman Customer: What kind of rig-a-ma-role outfit is this? I'm trying to TELL YA where these packages are supposed to go--what's the matter with you? (turning to the rest of us in line) Can you believe these folks? They want us to do all the work for them! Label packages, adding return labels, filling out addresses, I've never heard of such nonsense--I'm telling ya this country is going to hell in a hand basket!

He grudgingly steps out of line and the people next to him help him stack his packages in an open window. . .

And I just smiled because I learned something new that day---it's not necessarily the postal workers who are insane. . . it's the folks who go there too!

Final Day. . . Pisa & Florence Italy!

Oh my! It has taken me FOREVER to sum up this European trip of mine--but I am finally down to the very end. . . so HERE GOES!

Our first stop was Pisa with the leaning tower that you see in the above photo,


The amazing Cathedral (you can see the Baptistery and the Tower in the background) :



Here's a close up of just the Cathedral:



Here's a close up of the Baptistery:



The awesome square with it's arched entrance:





The Clock Tower inside the Square:



Here's a view of the main street inside the Square:



This next photo is one of the cool statues inside the square:



This next photo shows some of the old walls surrounding the city of Pisa:



Here I am, hanging out in front of the Baptistery:



When we went inside--they closed the doors and there were about 30 or so of us in there. Then this woman came and stood by the huge font and explained about the acoustics of the building which was AMAZING! She began to sing an arrangement of notes from the center of the room (dome) and there was about a 3 second delay where the sound was held and vibrated back down from the top of the dome. So she started singing and it sounded like 3 or 4 voices--all in harmony. (she was harmonizing with herself) It was truly beautiful and I was so impressed with the knowledge these people had to build a building with such an amazing natural sound system like that! I was really touched by her singing and just being in such a beautiful old building. It was quite an experience!

Of course, no Pisa experience is complete unless you climb the tower! So of course we did that too! (My mother-in-law was quite the good sport about it) and so we made our way to that amazing 6 degree leaning tower:



Here's a close view--looking right up at it!



Of course, I was concerned about that 6 degree lean--so I did my best to prop it up before we made our way to the top:



And made it we did! As you wend your way up the winding stairs--there are signs periodically along the way that will tell you the degree of lean you are at (as if you can't tell already by the way you are feeling!)



The view from the top was INCREDIBLE! Here is looking down at the Cathedral and Baptistery:



And another view of the city from the top of the tower:



And here is a view looking down on the square:



And this is my best shot of the city from the top of the tower with the mountains in the background:



And then my dear mother-in-law and I took pictures of ourselves by the bells (it was a bell tower after all) on the top of the tower of Pisa--and just after that shot was taken of me--I nearly went over the edge--as the bells RANG OUT on the hour (it was 10:00 a.m. in the morning) and they were so LOUD and surprising--and I had the SNOT scared out of me--let me tell you! (thank goodness I look calm and collected in the picture)



I had to regain my composure before I ventured back down. . . and both my mother-in-law and I made it safe and sound with just a bit of 'ringing in our ears'


And last but not least is Florence!



Florence is an absolutely incredible city--the art is astounding--and the rich history of the city:



The 'standout feature' of those above photos is the amazing Duomo and Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral Of Florence--which took six centuries to complete and is the 3rd largest in the world:







This shows the cathedral with the beautiful carved doors:



And here is a closer view of that beautiful green door:



But of course (for me and MANY others) the piece de resistance--was the STATUE OF DAVID! I mean, that's one of the reasons to go to Florence--to actually SEE David! To me, Florence was the statue capital of the world! There were statues EVERYWHERE and I would have taken a GAZILLIONS photos of many of them--but my camera battery died! However I DID manage to get David before it went kaput--and my mother-in-law graciously lent me her camera for the rest of the trip. . . so I will have to come back and post a 'Florence Statue Slide Show' when I get them off her CD she sent me.

For now I will just end with David--as he is a beauty!



This truly was the trip of a lifetime and I was so happy my face was permanently etched in a HUGE grin (Much like the Joker's) for the entire trip!

And WHEW! I'm FINALLY done blogging about it! So a big thank you to all those who waited patiently for me to finish and didn't bug me THAT much about it!