Favorite Christmas Gifts

 

Above is Blaze the Rocking Horse, circa 1960.  He was the Roping Dummy's favorite Christmas gift when he was about five.  You rock on him and his legs move like he's galloping.  Coool...

 

 

 

This is the happy face of the three-faced doll which was a gift to me when I was about five.  I loved this doll.  You could switch her face to be happy, sad, or sleeping.  She even mad crying sounds and laughing sounds with the appropriate turn of the face.  In retrospect, she sounds creepy, sort of like Linda Blair's character in The Exorcist-:).

 

 

Two Princess Parties in One Day

I love my job at the tea room.  Really.  But those birthday parties can really kick my butt!  I'm running around trying to get the talent (Ariel or the Face Painter) all set up and trying to make the guests happy.  Basically, it's difficult for me to be "on" that long.  I'm not that happy of a person, people!

But the little girls all loved the party and while I'm about to fall into bed and snooze, in the end it was a success.

 

Two jobs can get in the way of stuff

If only the office looked like that and I had those clothes!

 

I'll have to quit if Margo makes me wear one of those hats-:)

 

While neither of these pics is an exact representation:  My boss at the day job isn't a meanie like the Meryl Streep character in DevilWears Prada, but the subtleties needed to manage some of the high profile people we deal with remind me of this job.  And my sister is a MUCH better cook than Lucy (thank god we don't do chocolates), sometimes our days seem a little Ethel and Lucyesque.

 

However you look at it, I'm working two jobs for a bit.  My former boss needed a fill-in for my old position (the woman hired to replace me is gone - long story).  I love my old boss who is actually my friend, so of course, I agreed. 

 

I usually leave one place to go to the other, so I'm busy seven days a week for now.  I imagine I'll wrap up the old job in another month, just in time for the Christmas season at the tea room.

 

I miss posting on here, but I have been so darn busy and it's all I can do to do the stuff that needs to happen to keep life going.  And did I mention, our Cub Scout treasurer went AWOL and I'm now doing that too???? 

 

I'll be back soon.

 

 

 

 

Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic

I love the Will Rogers State Park.  It was one of my favorite places to go when I lived in L.A.  Will Rogers has a house on the property that is my dream home, actually.  Not all that big but just perfect and comfortable. 

 

He had two really neat features in the house.  One was the outside fireplace which had a ramada over it - perfect for entertaining.  The other was his upstairs office.  It had a private set of stairs leading out to the barn and he could escape if he didn't want to visit with whoever came calling.  He could see the stables from its second floor window.

 

Picture of Will's horse, Soapsuds, tied up at the house.  Just above him is the office window.

 

The fireplace outside.  Sigh..

 

The Stables are pretty impressive.  I could live in them-:).

 

All of the structures are beautiful but the land around them is simply fantastic.  Giant Eucalyptis trees line the trails and the ocean is just a ways down the road.

 

One day I'm going to the VC Polo Classic.  Mainly because I want the t-shirt and you can't buy it online.  An awfully expensive t-shirt-:).  But seriously, the game will be top notch and fast.  Now dealing with some of the spectators would be horrid (half of them don't even watch the match), but I'd do it for a chance to see those horses galloping at 35 mph, racing to the ball and scoring.  The Argentine Polo Players aren't bad to look at either.

 

With that, I leave you a photo of the Poster Child of Polo, Nacho Figueras.

He plays for Ralph Lauren's Black Watch Team

 

 

 

 



Tea Give Away Winner at DTR's blog

A bridal shower setting at DTR

Hey Ladies,
One of my blog friends won!  So go over to DTR's blog and see (then send me your address via private email-:)).

Need your opinion on books!!

Ladies,
Please go to The Denver Tea Room blog and give me some ideas for books for our Book Lovers Tea Salon.  You might even win some yummy tea and I'll love you forever.  Well, I already love you forever-:).

Thanks!

Book Love - Up at the Villa, Time and Chance

Finished Up at the Villa a couple of night ago.  I like Maugham and had not read this one.  I liked it very much.  Some people don't care for his writing style as it seems to sit back and watch the characters.  But I really enjoy him.  I'm about halfway through his biography, given to me at Christmas, by my sister.

I'm working my way through this one (500 pages), and I'm really enjoying it.  It is the second in a trilogy by Sharon Kay Penman about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitane.  Lots of political plots and personal vendettas.  If it were only that, I shouldn't like it.  But she writes her characters so well and they do come to life for the reader.

On deck for reading in the near future:  The House Next Door by Anne River Siddons (an old one I've always wanted to read), and Sea Change by Karen White (new release).

I've had a very busy and noisy two weeks.  When I wanted silence, I retreated to my office and curled up with my book.  I don't know what I would do if I couldn't read. 

What are you reading?