WINTERFEST Adventure: 2/7/2015

The Gasport Lions sponsored WINTERFEST today at RoyHart Elementary School.  I asked Mary Ann if she wanted to go and she did!  She picked me up and we headed out to Gasport.

The festival offered many various things to see and do.  Mary Ann particularly enjoyed the Siberian Huskies.

 We watched the reptile show and some dancing.

 I purchased a few items from a couple of the vendors.  We had lunch (mac and cheese) in the cafeteria and later on returned for desert.  We looked at the baskets but decided against purchasing tickets.  I offered to donate blood, but since I did not have a picture ID with me, I was not allowed to.

After the event, we headed back to Lockport.  I asked Mary Ann to show me where she lives (for future reference) and she also showed me the house that used to be Joe's Market.  I showed her the house I grew up in on Evans Street.  

I suggested one last stop: there is a new vintage/collectible shop in the old STRANGES GROCERY STORE.  I found this piece of furniture, I don't know what to call it, but I knew it would fit perfectly into this spot just beyond my front door, so I bought it and they delivered it to my house immediately.   It gives me more spots to hang up coats and bags, etc.  I love i!

TASTE OF NIAGARA REGION January 31st, 2015

About ten days ago, I saw a poster at the Lockport Library for this event. It was being put on to benefit HEART OF NIAGARA (an animal shelter).   I asked Peggy if she wanted to go with me.  She said an enthusiastic YES.    So I purchased the $20 each tickets online.

We really didn't know what to expect but it turned out to be a great event.  It was in a convention center in downtown Niagara Falls.

 Restaurants, caterers and bakeries had tables set up around the perimeter of a huge banquet hall.  Each one was giving out one or more samples of items.  We were each given this card to take to the various tables so they could check off that we had received our sample.

Some of the vendors were giving out small samples, but some were giving out very large samples.  We tried many of them and also took many samples home with us.  I particularly loved the BORSCHT which was made by the staff that runs the catering service at the convention center.

After we left Niagara Falls, we went to TRADER JOES and we each picked up several items.

Festival of Trees in Lewiston ADVENTURE December 27, 2014

My cousin Becky was off from work for a couple of weeks (she drives a school bus) and we wanted to do something together.  We met up at my house this morning and headed to Lewiston for the FESTIVAL OF TREES at the Power Vista in Lewiston, New York.

We enjoyed seeing all the trees.  Each one represented an area agency that helps people.

After that we went out to lunch in Lewiston.  My complete set of pictures can be seen here:

www.flickr.com/photos/juneny/sets/72157647652641993/

Trans-Siberian Adventure

I think I first heard A MAD RUSSIANS CHRISTMAS by Trans-Siberian Orchestra nine or ten years ago and since that time I have wanted to go to one of their concerts.  A month or so ago, I saw on TV that they were coming to Buffalo to present CHRISTMAS ATTIC.  I knew my new friend Mary Ann likes to go to concerts so I asked her if she would like to go.  She had never heard of them, but she wanted to go.   I purchased the tickets online, and was shocked at the $160.00 price for the two of them, but I REALLY wanted to go.

We met up at my house at 11;30 a.m. and headed to Buffalo.   We stopped in Amherst/Getzville for lunch at SEAN PATRICKS, a very nice Irish pub/restaurant.  I was surprised at the elegance of this place.  The prices are reasonable.  We had a nice relaxing lunch before continuing on  to Buffalo.

We parked in a lot at the University of Buffalo and walked to the Metro Station.  After wrestling with the ticket machines for several minutes, we finally found one that worked.  It was $2.00 for a round trip ticket.  We were seated on one of the subway trains when Mary Ann realized that she did not have her ticket  for the concert.  She thought it was either in the car, maybe having fallen out of her purse OR it had fallen out in SEAN PATRICKS.  We went back to the car and her cell phone case with the ticket in it was on the seat.  We went back to the subway station and the next car was waiting!

We took the subway/train all the way to the end to the FIRST NIAGARA CENTER.  We were in our seats about a half hour before the performance.  This place is GINORMOUS!!!!!  We had very good seats.

The concert was fantastic.  About 15 minutes into it, I put soft ear plugs in my ears because it was SO loud.  I am glad I had them.  After THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC, which was about an hour and a half, the chorus performed and then the band.  I was glad that they did A MAD RUSSIANS CHRISTMAS, it was the next to last piece that they played.

We found our way out and to the subway station quickly and even though there was a huge crowd heading back the same way, we got seats.  We discussed possibly stopping for something quick for supper, but decided to skip it since tomorrow is our weekly lunch out with the other girls from our 1967 high school graduating class.

VICTORIAN TEA and SCROOGE (the musical) ADVENTURES

It was a busy Saturday!  My cousin Becky picked me up and we went to the UCC Church on Main Street for their Victorian Tea and basket raffle.  We met up with Elaine and Bonnie (girls I went to high school with).  The tea buffet was great, consisting of small sandwiches, veggies and dip, devilled eggs, lots of desert choices and more.  The UCC Church offers this type of event twice a year, and the buffet is free!

We all spent time looking at the baskets that were being raffled off (I think there were about 90) and placed our tickets.  I was hoping to win a very large basket with some "Christmas Village" buildings in it, so I put most of my  tickets in there, but neither Becky or I won anything.

I went home and rested for a while before David and Peggy picked me up to go to SCROOGE: THE MUSICAL at the Palace Theatre.  

Picture taking was not allowed during the performance, but I took a few of    the interior of the Palace, which opened up in 1925 and I believe it has been in continual use (although usage has changed).

It was a great day!

Thanksgiving 2014

This was my first Thanksgiving in my new home (really, my OLD home) in Lockport.   On Thanksgiving morning, I did some decorating for Christmas.  This is my table BEFORE food and people were added!

on THANKSGIVING DAY, Peggy and Dave, two of Dave's grown children (Catherine and Scott) and my friend Betty joined my daughter Carrie and I.

 We had dinner at 3:30 consisting of

turkey
stuffing
gravy..................all prepared by David

baked sweet potatoes
70's fruit salad
baked butternut squash
mac and cheese
spinach casserole
Paula Deens cornbread casserole
devilled eggs                                      
homemade cranberry/orange sauce                all prepared by me

desert was
elderberry pie and chocolate peanut butter pie from HALL'S
Turtle Brownies and Christmas cookies (baked by me)

Betty brought some great rolls and overfilled my candy bowl!

Everything was delicious.

BLACK FRIDAY
I invited my sister Gail and Peggy and Dave joined us for "leftovers" lunch.
I made myself a "thanksgiving sandwich"  turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy on
a whole wheat roll" and it was absolutely delicious!!!!!

SATURDAY
Peggy and I went to Buffalo to visit a friend, Robin, in the hospital. Then we went to Paula's donuts, and Trader Joes!  It was a great afternoon, which just FLEW by.

WASHINGTON HUNT Adventure Saturday November 15, 2014

When I told Peggy a couple of weeks that the former Washington Hunt Elementary School was going to be open to the public for one last walk through of it before its transformation to a spa/health club, she said she wanted to go.  So I reminded her yesterday and we went today.

First we went down to the remains of the old mill so she could retrieve her geocache which needed maintenance.  Here is what you see from the road.  I took the old geocache and will clean it up and replace the log and add trade items to it.  

Then we headed to SUNNY"S for lunch.  I had the steak sandwich and Peggy had a salad.  Then we went to BONTON'S where Peggy bought a closet organizer (for shoes).

Then it was on to the former Washington Hunt School on Rogers Avenue.

 We walked through and took several pictures.

I think the school closed down at the end of the school year in 2013.  The new owners are going to turn the building into a health spa offering a lot of services.  Today they offered guided tours (we declined) and free popcorn, bottled water and apples.  Also, they are giving away a free membership, which I signed up for.

It was very neat to see the inside of this old school.  Although all the furniture and other movable objects have been removed, there are many traces of the school days.  I am really glad we went to see it.