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  1. Puppy Love!

    December 3, 2011 by Leanne

    looking back at when Mikita was just a puppy… this makes me smile.

    Mikita Head Tilt

    Category Dogs: Mikita & Jefferson, Featured | Tags: ,,, | No Comments

  2. Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake

    November 26, 2011 by Leanne

    I’m going to brag about myself here.  I made the MOST AWESOME Thanksgiving dinner this year.  It was just my mom and me and the menu was the basics – turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, green-bean casserole, gravy and dessert.

    I can’t take too much credit for the turkey. It was a Butterball and frankly, it’s pretty darn hard to screw up a Butterball, which is why I buy them.  The dressing was amazing – I”ll share that recipe in another post. What really stood out and surprised my though, was the dessert.

    I honestly hadn’t really planned on making any dessert. I don’t need the extra calories. It would only be for 2 people so there would be tons of leftovers, which I didn’t need in the house. But I gave in and caved to the Thanksgiving traditions of needing something sweet to end the day.  My mind started craving something pumpkin – and I went with Pumpkin Cheesecake.  It ended up being the biggest surprise in how delicious it was! I found a basic cheesecake recipe and embellished it to my liking.

    Ladies and gentlemen, here is my Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake recipe:

    Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake

    1 pkg regular cream cheese

    1 pkg low-fat cream cheese

    1/3 cup sugar

    1 whole egg

    2 egg whites

    2 Tbl cinnamon (reduce if you’d like to)

    1 Tbl pumpkin pie spice

    1 tsp clove

    1 Tbl vanilla

    Mix all this together until creamy

     

    For pie crust – I used a store-bought graham cracker pie crust and enhanced it by pouring 1/4 cup ground (or pounded) pecans into the bottom of the dish.

    Pour on top of this the cream cheese mixture.  Garnish the top with whole pecans.

    Bake at 325-degrees for  70 minutes (1 hour, 10 minutes)

    It needs to sit for several hours before serving, actually better to refrigerate overnight before serving.

    Bon appetit!

     

     

    Category Daily Life, Featured | Tags: ,,,,,, | 2 Comments

  3. Where’s Leanne?

    September 17, 2011 by Leanne

    Shame on me!  Don’t tell me it’s really been more than 3 months since my last post?  Wow – where did the time go so quickly?

    I wish there was some major reason I could give for this leave of absence, but I think it boils down to two things – 1) Not having any extra time and 2) Writer’s block.

    I think it’s mostly been writer’s block.  I just couldn’t think of anything interesting to share with you.  I seem to go through the same phases on Twitter and Facebook.  I visit those sites daily, often multiple times a day, yet will not post anything from me.  I love reading what other people are doing, what they’re thinking, what they’re sharing, but I find myself with nothing to share back.  I don’t want to be one of those irritating people on social media that everyone complains about – posting they ate whole wheat toast for breakfast.

    Since June – I’ve been on my 4th camping trip to Lake George.  Survived another year there and this time saw NO snakes! Being up there is a total escape from reality. While the bathroom situation is horrendous, everything else about it is heavenly.

     

     

    Immediately after returning from the Lake, Mike and I both came home to face health crises with our moms.  My mom had been to the doctor while I was gone and received an MRI for her severe back pain that has been progressing rapidly over the past few months.  The day after we got back I took mom for her follow up doctor visit where they said she had severe spinal stenosis, caused by arthritis.  It’s too long of a story to detail here, but we’ve had to implement measures to make sure there is someone at her house every day of the week.  New this week – we visited a neurosurgeon who will operate on her in December.  Hopefully this will get her back on her feet again, but December is still almost 3-months away.

    So, between a hectic work schedule and a hectic personal life, I apologize for abandoning this blog as much as I have.  I will try to get back on the saddle with blogging.  To the 2 people who are probably reading this, hang in there and thanks for being patient!

     

     

     

    Category Daily Life, Featured | Tags: | 2 Comments

  4. Ireland: Cobh & Cork

    June 11, 2011 by Leanne

    On our third day of our week in Ireland we took our 2-car caravan and headed to Cobh.  This was going to be the sentimental part of the trip for Mike and Dee.  Cobh was the birthplace of their father and we were not only going to the town, but searching for the house where he was born.

    The drive from Waterford to Cobh took about 2 hours and once again the roads were narrow and curvy.  But the beautiful thing about traveling these country roads is not knowing what you’re going to see next.

    We knew with each new bend in the road we were going to be treated to something gorgeous, scenic, quaint and breathtaking.

    Cow pastures and sheep farms were standard. The grass is so green and lush.

    This picture is a scene we saw over and over again but it never got old.

    We found our way (thanks to the GPS) to Cobh after a taking a few very tight figure-8 style curves we found their father’s birthplace.  

    Mike and Dee found the house and took a few photos in front of it. People were living in it so it was a pretty short visit but it was pretty cool that the home was still standing and they could visualize what their father’s life must have been like.

    From there we went into downtown Cobh. Although it is a small town, pretty much a waterfront park and a long Main Street populated with pubs and a few hotels, it is also a port of call for cruise ships.

     

    As we walked around exploring we realized this was also a historic place.  Cobh, was formerly known as Queenstown, and was the last port of call for the Titanic on April 11, 1912.  How interesting!

    The actual dock is barely standing today but it’s still there. It is very beaten up and broken down with many missing slats and rotten wood.  It was quite chilling to see, imagining all the happy passengers milling around walking up and down the pier, boarding the ship with no idea what was ahead.  So sad.

     

     

     

     

    Around the corner from the Titanic pier was a beautiful Catholic church, St. Colman’s Cathedral.  The church was relatively new considering how old so many other buildings are in Europe, it was completed in 1915, and took 47 years to build.  It stood on a slight hill and towered over the town of Cobh.

    After a late lunch in Cobh, we decided to get back on the road and spend the night in Cork, about an hour or so away.  Here’s where I got to say “I told you so.”   Back when we were planning the trip Mike convinced me that we should try to be flexible and not over-plan every day.  You know – “wing it” some days.  While I like being spontaneous it’s not my nature.  I have TV news producing blood which means I like to have a Plan A, B and C.  I like to know what’s next.  So “winging it” makes me very nervous at times.  We were at the portion of the trip where we were without a definitive plan, basically, we didn’t know where we were going to stay that night.  Cork is a fairly major Irish city so finding a hotel room should be fairly easy.

    We arrived in Cork we found one of the 4 big hotels in the city and parked outside to go check on room availability. (By the way, time of day was now about 5:30pm.)  That hotel was booked full for the night.  Mike, Dee and I walked around a few blocks to find another hotel that was supposed to be nearby.  We got a little lost but found our way and went in to see what was available. Oh – that hotel was booked full, too.  The receptionist there couldn’t have been nicer.  She felt my anxiety and went out of her way to try to help us find two rooms for the night. She even called the other two hotels that we hadn’t been to yet only to find they were booked, too.  Apparently, the volcanic ash from Iceland had delayed flights out of Cork and all those passengers were filling up the hotel rooms.  She even called hotels in the next village down the road and found those booked, too.

    We walked back to the cars where Brian was watching the kids who were asleep.  We were standing on the sidewalk trying to figure out what our options were.  I was trying my best to not be mad because it wasn’t going to help the situation.  As we were standing there talking, a woman walking by overheard our conversation and stopped to offer to help us.  She owned a bed and breakfast and knew the area well.  Unfortunately, her B&B was too far away but she called someone who owned one just about 2 miles away and he had vacancy!  It was 6:30pm and we were now for sure going to have a bed to sleep in and I wouldn’t have to spend the night in the car on the side of the road, which was my nightmare.

    The lovely little Killarney Guest House Bed & Breakfast just outside of Cork.

    Needless to say, after that night I was allowed to book hotel rooms for the remainder of the trip.

    Next up:  Blarney Castle and Killarney

     

    Category Daily Life | Tags: ,,,,, | 2 Comments

  5. Ireland – Waterford & Tramore

    June 6, 2011 by Leanne

    Our trip to Ireland included traveling with Mike’s sister Dee and her family, husband Brian and two boys, Aidan (11) and Grady (9). Mike and Dee for years had been talking about visiting Ireland and going to see the house in Cobh (County Cork) where their father was born in the early 1920s.

    But before we could do that leg of the trip, we needed to pick up Dee in Waterford.  Dee writes and publishes a nautical magazine and had the honor of sailing to Ireland from the U.S. aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Barque Eagle.

    The USCG Eagle coming into port at Waterford on Thursday, May 26.

    Since we were meeting Dee our first two nights of the trip were spent in Waterford.  Waterford is probably most famous for the Waterford Crystal which has a factory and museum tour available in town.  Our hotel, the Waterford Marina Hotel was within walking distance of both the ship dock and the Crystal museum. (Mike took the picture above from our hotel room window.)

    Waterford main area is pretty compact, very walkable.  Shopping was minimal unless you’re looking for crystal. There weren’t very many hotels to choose from.  Ours was decent, but not stellar. It was clean, the people were friendly, and it was conveniently located to what we needed.  I’d have to say the restaurant food gets about the same review – mediocre. Although, they did serve a delicious toasted Irish Brown Bread with breakfast that was so yummy.

     

    The main reason were there was to meet Dee.  (That’s her in the photo)

    The captain and crew of the Eagle graciously allowed us on board to tour the ship.

     

     

     

     

    This is me and Dee’s son, Grady on board.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Dee showing Mike and Brian the ropes.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Dee received an award from the crew for special work she did aboard.  It was very touching.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Our second day in Waterford we decided to explore some of the nearby villages and townships.  Looking at the map we basically threw a dart and decided to drive over to Dunmore East – a fishing village located about 20-minutes away.

    We arrived there and found a very sleepy town.  Not much was going on and it didn’t appear to be used to “tourists” coming by.  I went into the little general store to ask where we should be heading or what we should be seeing in particular.  The clerk laughed at me without laughing at me.  Apparently there’s not much to do in Dunmore so he guided us to a walking path across the street and suggested we might want to go to the next village down called Tramore.

    The walking path in Dunmore actually ended up being a little treat.  It was right on the ocean and had some pretty cliffs and rock formations.   The day was chilly, windy and overcast.  The wind is really beautiful in Ireland – it makes the tall grass come alive with almost a dancing move to it.

    After we spent a half-hour or so in Dunmore, which ended up being a very pleasant visit thanks to the cliff walk, we then headed over to Tramore.  It was this journey where we came across the cows in the road I mentioned in my last blog post.

    Once we got there, we found another sleepy town.  Most of the shops and restaurants were still shut down from the winter months and hadn’t reopened yet for summer.  The kids entertained themselves along a beach and played in the sand for awhile.  Brian and I went on a search to find a pub for lunch.  Along the way, we found police setting up roadblocks for a bike race that was coming through within the next two hours.

    The bikers were racing from Cork to Dublin and Tramore was on their route.

    After a few minutes of watching this, we found our pub, had a good fish-n-chips lunch then headed back to Waterford.

    Mike and me at the Tramore pub for lunch.

    Looking back if I had to make a recommendation, I would say Waterford is a place you could skip on your itinerary – at least as a night visit.  You could spend a few hours there and mark it off the list then head on to your next adventure.

    Next day – on to Cobh to see their father’s birthplace.

     

     

    Category Daily Life | Tags: | 1 Comment

  6. When Irish Eyes are Smiling

    June 5, 2011 by Leanne

    Beautiful, quaint, cold, charming, rural, down-to-earth….


    That is Ireland!  A little island country with a population of about 4-Million, where Guinness is beloved, pubs are plentiful, the people are kind, and the views are breathtaking. This was our vacation of 2011.

    Mike and I met up with his sister’s family in Charlotte where we all boarded the plane to Dublin.  We had been studying the Frommer’s Guidebook for months planning this trip.  The only three things we knew for certain were:   1. We would drive directly to Waterford after landing in Dublin;  2.  We would visit Cobh to see the birthplace of Mike and Dee’s father;  3.  We would end the trip with two nights in Dublin before coming home.  Everything in-between was whatever we wanted to do.

    We had two rental cars to tote us all around.  Mike and I in one car and Brian, Dee and their two kids in the other.  

    If you’ve never driven on European roads before it is quite a daunting task.  The cars are all very small – which ends up being a blessing which I’ll explain a little later.  The cars are all stick-shift, which I never learned to drive, so poor Mike was stuck with driving duty the entire trip.  And as you probably know, Europeans drive on the left-side of the road.  Sprinkle onto all these factors a few passing rain showers and you’ve got quite a set-up to deal with.  And then there’s always the unexpected…

    In this photo taken on our 1st full day of sightseeing, we were driving from Tramore back to Waterford, cruising right along until we came to this sudden roadblock – a herd of about 30-cattle stretching across the road.  They had apparently escaped from their farm and were having a blast wandering the country roads.

    Eventually, the farmer came running out, spewing a few (a lot) of curse words and herded them back onto his ranch.  It was quite a sight to see and was a perfect start to the trip.

    Back to the driving… I give great credit to Mike and Brian for doing all the driving on this trip.

    While there are standard major highways in Ireland, there are also numerous back-roads winding through the countryside. Let me add in “narrow” to that description.  Some of these roads were so tight we were holding our breath hoping not to get sideswiped as trucks and buses passed us by.  In fact, when Mike turned in the rental car in Dublin, the clerk was telling him the couple right before him had turned in their car with both side-view mirrors knocked off.  It was very funny, for us, not for them  I’m sure.  So having small cars was necessary to maneuver the roads.

    Stay left.. stay left…  The whole left-side of the road is very confusing when you’ve been driving for decades on the other side.  Making right-hand turns was challenging trying to remember which way to look for traffic.  We only hit the curb four times and never went off the side of the road.  Yea!

    Also – thank goodness for the GPS.  If you’re going to travel in a foreign country, pay the extra dollars and get a GPS.  It was so worth the money and was a very smart investment.

    Next post – more on our itinerary, sights, accommodations and experiences.

     

     

    Category Daily Life | Tags: ,,, | 1 Comment

  7. R.I.P. Jefferson

    May 24, 2011 by Leanne

    He didn’t make it.  Just a few days to go before he would have turned 16 he passed away on Monday, May 23. He died doing what he loved most – hanging out by the pool.  He loved the water! Even in his old arthritic days when he didn’t swim much he would still go out and lie down by the pool, falling asleep.

    I thought he was going to be 15 but his original owner, Mike H., corrected me that he was going to turn 16!  Wow, what a long life he had.

    I can’t stress what a good dog he was.  Faithful, obedient, calm, happy, friendly, and loving – he didn’t have a mean bone in his body.  He had few health problems most of his life, until this past year when age crept up on him. He brought me so much happiness and love – I will truly  miss him.   Mikita loved him, too.  She would sometimes go up to him while he was sleeping and kiss his face then lay down next to him and go to sleep.  It was so sweet!

    God bless you Jefferson. You were a great dog!

    Category Dogs: Mikita & Jefferson | Tags: ,,, | 7 Comments

  8. What Old Dogs Know

    May 8, 2011 by Leanne

    Jefferson is going to be 15 years old this June.  Thats REALLY old for a Black Lab. He’s been such an amazing dog – a true gentleman if there ever was one in the canine family.

    On Mother’s Day he gave me a great present – he went swimming!  It was his first time in the water in a very long time. In fact, I had given up on him ever going swimming again because he knows his limits and hadn’t wanted to take the plunge.  He knows his body best so I always just let him determine things like that.

    But today, he paced around the pool and whined giving the indication he was ready to get back in again.  With some help from me and Mike, we got him onto the first step of the pool then helped him get fully in the water.  He swam around like fish – going the full length of the pool.  It was such an awesome sight to see.

    Category Dogs: Mikita & Jefferson | Tags: ,,,, | 4 Comments

  9. Sunrise

    May 3, 2011 by Leanne

    Let the pictures speak for themselves.  Location:  Amelia Island

    Have a beautiful day!

    Category Daily Life | Tags: ,, | 1 Comment

  10. Happy Easter

    April 24, 2011 by Leanne

    Easter Weekend – I can’t believe it’s here already. There are so many “events” at this time of year I feel like a juggling act in a 3-ring circus sometimes.

    To start with – it’s not only my mom’s birthday but separated by just a few days is Mike’s mom’s birthday. They’re only one year apart in age, too. And typically, two weeks later it’s Mother’s Day.  Lots of mom shopping going on.

    It’s also a very busy time at work and that’s the time frame that salaried cast members are asked to help with work in the theme parks. I was scheduled today to be at Magic Kingdom for a few hours assistance.  With this you never know what your assignment is until you walk in the door at the Magic Kingdom, check-in and then receive your assignment.  For me this year, it was helping at Cosmic Rays.

    And most important – it’s the anniversary of when Mike and I reunited.  This year marks our 3rd anniversary together.  He remembered it in high-class fashion:

    Category Daily Life | Tags: ,,, | 2 Comments

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