SuzeBlogz

Suze's Crazy Year in Review

I've been seeing a few blogs where the best of 2013 was shared....what a cool idea I thought...I ought to try that and so...

HERE I AM!

My Highlights of the year.

Just a few...well..okay, maybe more than JUST a few !

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we began 2013 with a New Years cruise on Norweigian (Gem) to the Carribean

and, a stop in Puerto Rico led me to a bead store..Yay!!

added a new friend, the adorable LaurieAnn Gardner, the ship star singer who, (it turned out by sheer coincidence), uses The Lensters sister Jane (in Nashville) as her Doctor ! Small world. We've stayed in touch.

Then came CHA Anaheim...leading to a reunion with best buds Wendy Aikin (r), Judy Stabile(m) & Daniella Woolf(l) owners of WaxWorksWest and the magnificent Joe Rotella founder and creater of Create and Craft.

There are no words !

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February had me participating in a Blog Hop for Carmi Cimicata using a faux snakeskin....it was such a great project! I eventually participated in many more. I loved every one of them.

and a Valentines dinner/dance

then we celebrated The Lensters Birthday

Then it was a trip to New Orleans for a fantastic Michael DeMeng workshop and a celebration of HIS birthday! He and Andrea are wonderful friends.

and I made a silly purchase at an antique store in NOLA just cause I loved this hat!

and an evening out with friends in NY to hear our friend Laurie (from the ship !) entertain in the Village

and, the flower show in Philadelphia

 

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April took us to South America, Peru, Chile and the Amazon

To Easter Island (with one of my oldest friends Michele DeMayo)

to trying new things and conquering horrible fears (like heights & bridges), climbing Macchu Picchu in 90+ heat (NEVAH again !)

 

trying new makeup ideas.....hmm....still thinking on that one !

 

and, going without electricity for a few days in the Amazon (check out that hair !...Oh, Dear God !)..when a sloth looks better than you,  you know you're in trouble !

 

and celebrating Passover at our friend Gails house

 

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In May we had a Mothers Day celebration at our house

and we went to the NY Stationary Show and hooked up with friends

and I went out to Galena, Illinois and took a weekend workshop from Vintaj and had the time of my life being a student (for a change !)

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In June we discovered our local theater had a renovation and we could now reserve seats and enjoy movies in sheer comfort ! Great for us cause we are total movie goers !

 

we did Philadelphia with friends

we went to see my fabulous gay cousin Julie do her hot hit show in NYC at The Gotham Comedy Club...hilarious...and dirty...bravo !

 

we went to Texas to visit son Lee and family (DIL Lana and granddaughter Darian, & assorted cats and dogs)

 

then, in July,  we headed out to Vegas for the summer CHA show  (here with Donna and Bill Downey...we love them !)

 

stayed at our time share and spent time with our bestest friend in Vegas, Doug Soule who is a producer/director for FOX news..we LOVE Doug.

went to see Penn and Teller....a riot

 

 

then we took a side trip to UTAH and shopped...bought this totally gorgeous hand made piece of pottery.

and took in the exquisite scenery at Zion and the other national parks.

 

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When August rolled around....

we entertained Cheryl and Megan from TenSecondsStudio at our house..what a hoot !

had the monthly dinner with oldest friends...going on 30+ years

In Sept we celebrated our 50th anniversary

again with best friends

attended a wedding and found myself looking at a skinny version of myself !! LOL...we loved it..and played it up all night !

 

and we went to The Lensters 50th College reunion at NY State Maritime Academy In Throgs Neck,NY

and we went to Bead Fest in Pennsylvania

and I went to an amazing exhibition at the Johnson & Johnson center in NJ and marveled at the art from Jennifer Levine

and we went to a fun street fair in trendy Red Bank NJ

and another in Tarrytown, NY

(yes, of course we bought it !)

and we saw the Wizard of Oz in Imax 3-D

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In October I had my very first experience serving on a JURY ! No pix of course, but I really liked it..I had a pedafile case.

The real fun came when we hooked up with Cheryl and her hubby in NYC

and took them to CJS

  

and we celebrated my 70th birthday with another little cruise...to Canada.

 

and then my girlfriends took me for sushi and a gorgeous special cake

Then, our middle son Lee, wife Lana and granddaughter Darian (16) came up from Texas to visit and we had an even bigger party for combined 50th anniv and my birthday which included close friends.

and included a very special cake..ALL OF IT EDIBLE...yes, the passports, the scissors, the 'book', everything.

 

and, then came the beginnings of the Blow-Up season....

need I saw more....Hate them!!

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November we had a beautiful moon

and The Lenster took that as a sign that he should buy a new car !! so he did.

and I took it as a sign that I should participate in an antique center Holiday show....which I did !

and sold a lot !

we also celebrated 

a whole new holiday never to appear again for another 70,000 years. I'm not too worried.

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We went to see Billy Crystals Show 700 Sundays and L-O-V-E-D it to pieces (and BTW...his book "Still Foolin' Them"  is hilarious too, especially as he reads it on audio)

and now we're in the last day or so of December 2013...never to come again, and we've alredy been on a cruise to Germany with Wendy, Judy, LynnAnne and their hubbies

 

 

 

AND TO SEE THE OFF BROADWAY SHOW "Bad Jews' IN NYC

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and IN summation:

of course, the entire year was filled with our usual Friday evenings at Synagogue, my many visits to buy the dentist a new add-on to his home (I have had more dental work than God)....making tons of jewelry and selling on ETSY and eating sushi lunches just about every day....

not to mention ALL the wonderful, fabulous friends we have and the new ones we met this year and love...

so..I hope you'll follow me into 2014 cause we'll be going to California, Tucson, Russia and Prague amoung other things...

you know me...life is about LEAPING....and the net will appear !!

COME AND LEAP WITH ME     !!

 

 

 

 

 

Tick Tock, Glassware and a Forest, Oh My

The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in southwestern Germany.

As our tour bus passed by I snapped some pix...while moving..hence a tad blurry..

 

Similar to other forested regions, the Black Forest has had areas that were annihilated by mass logging.

 

The forest mostly consists of pines and firs, chiefly a mixture of the European native Norway Spruce and American imported Douglas Fir and White Pine.

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Wood-carving is a traditional cottage industry in the region and carved ornaments now are produced in substantial numbers as souvenirs for tourists. 

Cuckoo clocks are a popular example; they have been made in the region since the early 18th century and much of their development occurred there.

In the past singing bird boxes were produced as well.

we watched a terrific demo of how the clocks are made piece by piece.

 

 

 

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The Lenster and I spotted this most unusual clock (below).

It is NOT a cuckoo clock...in fact, it is the original type of clock used before the cuckoo clock and was the prototype for the cuckoo.

All the internals are wood. It runs on the concept of a rock pulley. Has a single hand which tells the hour and markings between each hour for quarter of the hour minutes.

and, because we have other art in our house that has 'rocks' as part of their design we fell in love !! WE BOUGHT IT. I used my 3 magic words... "DO YOU SHIP" and it was a done deal !

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Glass Blowing is another art from this area.

and what would Germany be without a stein ?

 

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The unmarried ladies of the Black Forest wear "Bollunhuts"..red pompom hats.....I had to have a snap...No, I didn't buy one ! I'm married...they wear black pompoms!

Even our guide had on traditional dress !

 

 

On the half hour you get a lovely visual as the dancers go around the balcony and the cuckoo comes out of the window.

 

 

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and then it's back to the boat where the swans are there to greet you...

and dinner is waiting

and goodbyes are said ...with our FAAAAABULOUS waiter Juraj

 

and we say so long for now to our besties from California 

and we head for home !!!

WHAT A FABULOUS TRIP WITH FABULOUS FRIENDS !!!

and guess what....we're gonna do it all again when we head out to Russia with them in May 2014 !! STAY TUNED !!

Still Exploring Colmar

I sure hope you're still with me peeps !!

I've gotten lots of nice FB and email responses...SEND MORE !!!!

We're not done exploring Colmar, France....a town you don't want to miss if you ever get a chance to take a cruise.

It is definitely a trip back in history

 

I watched this vendor cut his holly branches with an ax...then bundle them for sale.

 

and, it wasn't even "Hump Day"

It's always fun to grab a candid shot of ordinary folks just enjoying the day

 

Out shopping

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This is The Lensters way of reminding me he's still contemplating buying a scooter as an 'extra' little run-a-round !

I found a Christmas tree outside a shop where I ABANDONED some jewelry ART. Just hung it and beat it outta there !

Now, what would Christmas be without one of my PET PEEVES !!!

A freakin' giant inflatable snowman !

Did you think I meant The Lenster ?? Ha ha ! He's NEVER a pet peeve.!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and this reminded me of the popular TV show....

 

Seriously folks...there WILL be more... I have to share the cuckoo clocks and glass work...and, oh yes, The Black Forest!

From Port to Port

Our last day on the cruise took us to Colmar, in the Alsace region of North Eastern France. It was founded in the 9th century. The town is situated along the Alsatian Wine Route and considers itself to be the "capital of Alsatian wine" 

It was the last town in France to be freed after the second World War, on February 2nd, 1945.

We begin the tour....

Our guide was a Brit who now lives in the Alsace region. For a medieval city, it is surprisingly big, but you can get around on foot with no difficulty.

For Georges Duhamel (as he wrote in 1931), Colmar was the "most beautiful town in the world". It has also often been said that it is the most Alsatian town in Alsace! It remains an exceptional town due to the wealth and variety of its historical and architectural heritage.

One of Colmars most famous residents was Aguste Bartoldi,(born 1834)  the 'father' of The Statue of Liberty.

The replica below is in Colmar and was created to commemorate the centenary of his death.

This is the plaza outside his home

His home (now a museum)

Colmar is a dreamy place with a very privileged location near Germany and Switzerland, between the Vosges mountains and the Rhine, between Strasburg and Mulhouse.

Wonderful shop signage

and again...my fascination with the gorgeous churches and their architecture

 

 

 

 

If you look very closely you'll see a storks nest atop this steeple below

 

 

 

 

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The town is also renowned for the half-timbered houses of the Quai de la Poissonnerie, from the 16th century. "Large" seasoned wood was needed for building ships. The "smaller" trees were used to build the upper level of homes..(the bottom level being stone). They marked the wood with "numbers" to remember where they needed to be placed. The panels between the timbers are filled-in with non-structural material that is known as infill. 

 

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This beautiful mural was hanging on the Unterlinden Museum that is currently being renovated

 

 

Tomorrow we'll continue the picture-logue of Colmar...trust me...there is so much more to see....but, the funnest thing I saw reminded me of my favorite food from home...

I'll just leave you with this one for now....LOL

 

Cruising Along

thought I'd share some additional snaps from the trip..just want you to sit back and enjoy the travelogue...and to let me know if you do...I'd love some more FB feedback, peeps !!

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Funny thing...it wasn't actually cold in Germany. It was much colder back in New Jersey, but when you're out walking all day, 3-4 miles on tours it made sense to keep the little puppies warm ! Gloves & hats !

 

 

yup...pigeons are EVERYWHERE !! Must be a universal bird...or, as The Lenster refers to them, rats with wings !

 

beautiful stained glass window in the Red Bull Tavern in Heidelberg

 

 

The table in this tavern was fabulous ! All carved, I'm assuming, by patrons and very probably college students !

  

and the ceiling was a blackboard....it gave me great decorating ideas !

 

I have plenty more to share...

I also came prepared with a bunch of ART ABANDONMENT jewelry pieces

and left one in every port we visited !!

it was so fun making sure no one saw me do it !!

Heidelberg - Part Two

 

 

We LOVED Heidelberg.

 

It also happens to be one of the warmest regions in Germany ( altho you wouldn't guess that from the way we're bundled up !). It has an oceanic climate so almond, fig and olive trees grow beautifully here. I had delicious figs every day with breakfast...what a great treat!

Not to mention BLACK FOREST CAKE !! Hellloooo!

and yummy pastries....WhoHa !!!

I became unconditionally HOOKED on marzipan!

and The Lenster loved a visit to the wine market

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and remember, we were there during the Christmas markets so there was so much to take in visually.

 

 

I'm fascinated by old churches and cathedrals..I love visiting them...the art...the architecture.

Outside the castle...wonderful sculptures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A tobacco shop

 

beside McDonalds, yes, there was also a Subway !!!

 

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The local postal carrier LADY !

  

  

and, what would Heidelberg be without the castle ?

 

 

Castle ceiling in the small church

 

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we also visited the beautiful Jesuit church. 

The Church (Jesuitenkirche) was built following the arrival of the Jesuits in 1698.

The building was opened in 1751 and is monumental, both inside and out.  

On this day the church had a stunning and very unusual display

The "Manger on the River"

Many famous characters from history, including biblical history, are depicted in the "Manger"..like Adam & Eve

  

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of course, what would a foreign trip be without finding an Apple store....well, maybe not the real Apple store..but...nonetheless..

 

Christmas, on the whole, doesn't  "look like" it does in the US...with our decorations all over the place, all over peoples lawns and homes..I found it much more subtle overseas. But...that being said....leave it to me to find a few of those Blow-Ups that I can't stand !!! LOL !!

 

we ended the day with a delicious dinner at a fantastic German restaurant

 

 and I loved making sure no one as around when I left a small piece of jewelry at the castle as part of the ART ABANDONMENT movement, knowing someone would find it and hopefully enjoy it.

we got home tonight, but I'm going to continue the trip on my blog..hope you'll come back for the rest of the tour !!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heildelberg..Part One !

 

 

  

Heidelberg lies in a steep valley where the Odenwald mountains meet the Rhine and Neckar Rivers and has long been considered the jewel of Germany and its intellectual capital.

 

 

The most defining feature of Heidelberg is surely its castle (which we'll get to in another blog). Mark Twain wrote extensively about his travels in Germany and was the most attracted to Heidelberg...and I can see why. I REALLY loved this city.

 

While other cities were destroyed during the Alied bombings of WW II, Heildelberg was largely spared. As a result it has maintained much of its baroque charm & narrow streets.

 

and of course we are here during the Christmas markets

 

 

 

 

we've had mild temps...in the mid 40's, brisk but with little wind...lucky for touring ! 

 

 

and isn't it cool how they put comfy warm blankets out for you to sit on! I left a little "ART ABANDONMENT" piece of jewelry right on this very table !

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

View from the castle ledge...

 

 

 

Dinner at The RED BULL...the German food was fabulous and so was the ambiance !

 

 

 

Unfortunately I'm stuck with very poor internet resources as th ship works by sattelite which cuts in and out, so I have to break up the travelogues into semi-short ones...so..I do hope you'll keep following along !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cologne to Koblentz via the Chocolate Factory !

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so, after exploring the beautiful Cologne Cathedral.....

 

 

and walking the area

 

 

 

 

 

we popped into the Lindt Chocolate Factory...Oh My !

Now, you may already have Lindt where you live (we do, in New Jersey), but you've never seen anything like this HUGE factory store.

 

 

every shape, size and configuration of chocolate can be found here ! Like...chocolate pizza...boxed and all !!

 

it was incredible, but then..

it was back to the boat and on to Koblentz and Marksberg Castle

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Lots of climbing (outta breath!) and walking on cobblestones and uneven surfaces..whew !

 

The castle is in Braubach on the banks of the Middle Rhine. 

Despite World Wars and turmoil, the castle remains intact. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course there will be more from Koblentz....you'll have to come back tomorrow

In the meantime...I'm sunning myself...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Day at the Market

Cologne (Koln) is located on both sides of the Rhine River and is the largest city in the German Federal State. It was founded and established in the first century AD.

The Cologne Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church

It began in 1248 and was halted in 1473, leaving it unfinished. Work restarted in the 19th century and was completed, to the original plan, in 1880.

 

and, for us, it was the scene of a beautiful Christmas market right out in front in the square.

It was a little chilly but the 8 of us are so much fun together the day seemed warm and friendly !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This vendor had such lovely HAND MADE head wraps....

I had to have one !!!! Kept my ears super warm ! Okay..I did have weird hair afterward !

 

There is much more to share...handing it out to you in small doses !

 

 

 

 

 

Windmills

Kinderdijk is a village in the Netherlands, belonging to the municipality of Molenwaard.

 The windmills of Kinderdijk are one of the best-known Dutch tourist sites. They have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.

The name Kinderdijk is Dutch for "Children dike".

 The reason for the name: Here's the story:

 In 1421, during the Saint Elizabeth flood of 1421, the Grote Hollandse Waard flooded, but the Alblasserwaard polder stayed unflooded. It is said that when the terrible storm had subsided, someone went on to the dike between these two areas, to see what could be saved. In the distance, he saw a wooden cradle floating on the waters. As it came nearer, some movement was detected. A cat was seen in the cradle trying to keep it in balance by jumping back and forth so that no water could get into it. As the cradle eventually came close enough to the dike for a bystander to pick up the cradle, he saw that a baby was quietly sleeping inside it, nice and dry. The cat had kept the cradle balanced and afloat. This folktale and legend has been published as "The Cat and the Cradle" in English.

 

Inside the windmill.....

 

 

 

You make sure to walk on the correct side because the bicycles come flying down the middle

Later that day....dinner with our beautiful besties from California....The WaxWorksWest girls, their hubbies,
plus their brother Kelly and SIL LynneAnne ...

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Wendy & Roger Aikin

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Joe & Judy Stabile

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and tomorrow we sail on to Cologne (Koln)...