West Sacramento City Hall decorated for the holidays

The holiday tree in front of our City hall stands tall and bright even though storms caused the annual West Sacramento Christmas tree lighting party to be cancelled this year.

Happy New Year 2012

The kids helped celebrate the welcoming of 2012 on London Time which is 8 hours before California. The last two years our family and friends have gathered at the Streets of London Pub in West Sacramento to have lunch, drink a pint or two then enjoy a champagne toast at Midnight London time (4:00 PM California). The Streets of London is a family friendly establishment.

Barky Ballidays To You!

Happy Holidays to you all! This is Juno's first Christmas and she is enjoying all the good smells coming from the kitchen this week. Here she sits patiently waiting for her morning Puparoni treat....

Christmas House On Fernwood Street

The whole lawn is decked out in colorful display! These folks also had great Halloween decorations in their front yard this year.

Frosty Sighting in the 95695

Kurt and Hal posed with their original rendition of Frosty. Made from plywood and painted we think it is much more cool than a vinyl blowup import from China!

Sláinte: Good Health to you all on Saint Patrick's Day

Christy and Hal stopped at the Boudin Bakery in San Francisco and bought the Shamrock shaped sour dough loaf. We hope you all found your own "pot of gold" on the day the Irish Americans honor "Maewyn Succat" aka St. Patrick.

Chinese New Year - The Year of the Tiger!

We took this photo last August of one of the Sumatran Tigers housed at our Sacramento Zoo. Since the last Year of the Tiger 12 years ago, the worldwide population of wild tigers has almost halved to 3,200. What do Chinese Astrologers predict for The Year of the Tiger? Watch this video on Youtube What will the Year of the Tiger hold for the world?

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day! What better way to say it than with delicious pancakes prepared by Christy Jourdan (my daughter) a kitchen volunteer at the weekly Sunday breakfast at the West Sacramento Moose Lodge.

One theory is that Valentines Day was fashioned from Courtly Love (medieval Europe) ....a secret romance between members of the nobility..It was also generally not practiced between husband and wife.

Christmas Lights in West Sacramento

David Kamminga and his son were driving around West Sacramento looking at Christmas lights and really liked this display near Linden road and Higgins Road. Great shot David!

The Niña's real name was Santa Clara

Folks along the Sacramento River got a treat as the Nina replica sailed up-river to dock in Old Sacramento last year. "The Niña was by far Columbus' favorite".

The Niña is a replica of the ship on which Columbus sailed across the Atlantic on his three voyages of discovery to the new world beginning in 1492. Columbus sailed the tiny ship over 25,000 miles. That ship was last heard of in 1501, but the new Niña has a different mission. We are a floating museum, and we visit ports all over the United States."
The Niña - Most Historically Accurate Columbus Ship Replica Ever Built

Easter Tree

Rosanna sends us this photo of a very unique tree blooming in her neighborhood. Looks like the kids will have to climb to find their Easter Egg Treats this year.

Mulege: Children's Christmas Party

The most traditional style of Piñata looks a bit like Sputnik,
with seven points each with streamers.

We baked 120 cupcakes for the party.

Santa and his helper arrive on a quad-runner.

Each child got a toy from Santa, one cupcake, a bag of candy
and a cup of soda.

Many thanks to Cathy for sending these great photos of
holiday festivities in the village of Mulege, Baja Sur Mexico.

Holiday Festivities Baja Style

In Mulege Mexico, the vaquero's dress up their horses and parade through town and back up to the mission. This year it started right down the road from us, so we had a great view!

Thanks to Cathy in Baja Mexico for sending these photos.

Nugget Market Holiday Display

Thanks to Florene Kunder for this great shot of Nugget Market's Holiday Display.

Holiday in Fort Bragg

Florene sent this photo of the Museium in Fort Bragg, CA elegantly decorated for the
holiday season.

In 2008, Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 21st

Thank you to Prof. Phil Kass and daughter Lauren Kass for sharing these photos of their family Menorahs. Lauren says "the metal one was my Great Grandparents' and the stone one is from Israel"!

Trivia: Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, and may occur from late November to late December on the Gregorian calendar.The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a special candelabrum, the Menorah or Hanukiah, one light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Russ purchased this bracelet for me in Mexico when we visited Tulum, the pre-Columbian Maya walled city along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea.

Trivia: On December 12, before the Christmas season "officially" begins on December 16, Mexicans join together for the festivities of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This is one of the most important dates in the Mexican calendar. Las Posadas, Spanish for "The Inns", is a nine-day celebration with origins in Mexico beginning December 16th and ending December 24th.

National Cookie Day December 4th: Pick Your Favorite Recipe

Our family enjoys getting together to bake and decorate cookies each year. Here are some of our masterpieces!





1-2-3 Cookies 7 Layer Cookies Allie Nelson's Famous Snickerdoodle Cookies Almond Crescent Shortbread Amish Sugar Cookies Andies Candies Cookies Angel Crisps Angenets Applesauce Cookies Apricot Fold-Overs Aunt Edy's Molasses Crinkles Auntie Linda's Ginger Gems Bakeless Dream Cookies Banana Drop Cookies Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World Biscotti Biscotti Blueberry Cookies Boiled Chocolate Oatmeal Drop Cookies Bronwnies Brown Sugar Shortbread Brownie Cookies Brownie Delight Brownies Buccaneer Snowballs Buried Cherry Cookies Butter Cookies Butter Nut Balls Butterballs Butterscotch Haystacks C.O.P. Cookies Candy Cane Cookies Candy Cookies Caramel Shortbread Cheesecake Brownies Cherry Buns Cherry Crowns Cherry Winks Chewies Chewy Noels Chinese Chews/Haystacks Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Chocolate Chip Cookies Chocolate Chip Meltaways Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies Chocolate Christmas Trees Chocolate Cream Cheese Squares Chocolate Crinkles Chocolate Mint Snow-Top Cookies Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (no bake) Chocolate Snowball Cookies Chocolate Streusel Bars Chocolate Sundae Cookies Chocolate Walnut Crumb Bars Choco-Scotch Crunchies Choose A Cookie Dough Recipe Christmas Crackers Christmas Crunch Bars Christmas Ginger Snaps Christmas Macaroons Christmas Mice Cookies Christmas Shaped Cookies Church Window Cookies Coconut Cookies Congo Squares Cookie in a Jar Corn Flakes Cookies Cornflake Christmas Wreaths Cowboy Cookies (oatmeal) Cream Cheese Cookies with Apricot Filling Crème De Menthe Chocolate Squares Crème Wafers Crescent Cookies Crispy Crunchies Date Nut Balls Date-nut Pinwheel Cookies Diabetic Peanut Butter Cookies Disgustingly Rich Brownies Doodles Double chocolate chip cookies Double-Chocolate Crinkles Eatmore Cookies Eggnog Cookies Elizabeth's Sugar Cookies Elves Quick Fudge Brownies Emily Dickinson's Gingerbread Cookie Recipe Emily's Best Brownies Famous Oatmeal Cookies Firemen Cookies Fluffy Shortbread Cookies Forgotten Cookies Frosted Peanut Butter Brownies Fruit Cake Cookies Fruitcake Squares Fry Pan Cookies Gems Ginger Cookies Ginger Crinkles Gingerbread Baby Gingerbread Cookies with Butter Cream Icing Gingerbread Men Gingerbread Men Ginny's Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies Glory's Golden Graham Squares Glory's Sugar Cookies Gramma Chapman's chocolate coconut drops Grandma Elsie's Zimt (cinnamon) Cookies Grandma J's Butter Cookies Grandma Olson's Parkay Cookies Great Grandmothers Sugar Cookies Gum Drop Cookies Gumdrop Gems Haystack Cookies Ho-Ho Bars Holiday Cereal Snaps Holiday Chocolate Butter Cookies Holiday Raisin Walnut Bars Holly Cookies Hungarian Cookies (Little Nut Rolls) Ice Box Cookies Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies Italian Cookies Jacob's Peppermint Snowballs Jam Bars Jessica's Famous Brownies Jessie's Chocolate Chip Cookies Jubilee Jumbles Juliet's Peanut Butter Blossoms Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies Kentucky Colonels Kiefle (cream cheese cookies with jam filling) Kifflings Kiss Cookies Lacy Swedish Almond Wafers Lemon Angel Bar Cookies Lemon Bars Lemon Cake Cookies Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies Lemon Squares Linzer Tarts Log Cabin Cookies Luscious Lemon Squares M&M Cookies Magic Cookie Bars Melt in Your Mouth Cutout Sugar Cookies Melting Shortbread Meme's Cream Cheese Cookies Milk Chocolate Florentine Cookies Mincemeat Cookies Mincemeat Goodies Molasses Cookies Molasses Forest Cookies Molasses Sugar Cookies Mom Mom's Crescent Cookies Mom-Mom's Ginger Cookies Mom's Nutmeg Sugar Cookies Mom's Old Fashion "Puffy" Sugar Cookies Monster Cookies Moravian Christmas Cookies Nana's Famous Soft Southern Cookies Nitey Nite Cookies No Bake Chocolate Cookies No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies No Bake Cookies No Bake Cookies No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies No-Bake Cookies Norwegian Sugar Cookies Nut Balls Oatmeal Bars Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Nut Cookies Oatmeal Coconut Crisps Oatmeal Cookies Oatmeal Scotchies Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies Ooey Gooey Caramel Chocolate Dunk Ooey Gooey Squares Orange Slice Cookies Parking Lot Cookies Peanut Blossoms Peanut Butter Bars Peanut Butter Blossoms Peanut Butter Cereal Cookies Peanut Butter Chewies Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars Peanut Butter Cookies Peanut Butter Cookies Peanut butter fingers Peanut Butter Reindeer Peanut Butter Surprises Peanut Marshmallow Cookies Pecan Puff Cookies Peppermint Snowballs Peppernuts Persimmon Cookies Persimmon Cookies Petey's Yummy Spicy Almond Thins Pfeffernuesse Pffefferneuse Cookies Pineapple Filled Cookies Pizzelles Potato Chip Cookies Potato Flake Cookies Praline Cookies Praline Strips Pterodactyl Nests Pumpkin Bars Pumpkin Bars Pumpkin Chip Cookies Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Pumpkin Cookies Queen Biscuits Quick Cookies Raised Sugar Cookies Raisin Filled Oatmeal Bars Raspberry Meringue Bars Really Peanutty Butter Cookies Reese`S Brownies Reese's Peanut Butter Bars Rich Flavor Christmas Cookies Rich Lemon Bars Ricotta Cheese Cookies Royal Almond Christmas Bars Rudolph Cinnamon Cookies Russian Tea Cookies Russian Teacakes Samantha & Kelsey's Chocolate Chip Cookies Sand Art Brownies Santa Claus Cookie Pops Santa Claus Cookies Santa's Butterscotch Melts Santa's Shorts Santa's Special Squares Scotch Cakes Scotch Shortbread Scotcharoos Scotcheroos Seven Layer Cookies Short Bread Cookies Shortbread Skor Squares Snicker Doodle Cookies Snickerdoodles Snickerdoodles Snow Balls Sour Cream Apple Squares Sour Cream Christmas Cookies Special K Cookies Spice Cookies Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Spritz Cookies Stained Glass Window Cookies Stir & Drop Sugar Cookies Sugar Cookies Sugar Cookies Sugar Cookies Swedish Pepparkakor (Pepper Cake) Cookies Swedish Sugar Cookies Sweet Marie's Swiss Treats Taralle (Italian Cookies) Tea Time Tassies Texas Brownies The Best Shortbread in The World Thumbprint Cookies Thumbprint Cookies Toffee Squares Traditional Christmas Sugar Cookies Traditional Gingerbread Men Cookies Triple-Chocolate Chip Cookies Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies Vanilla Waffer Balls Walnut Butter Cookies Walnut Crumb Bars White Chip Chocolate Cookies Wild Oatmeal Cookies Will's Famous Apple Jack Cookies Yummy Yummy Peanut Butter Blossoms

Happy Thanksgiving!

No turkey and pumpkin pie for us this year ....it will be fish tacos and Cerveza Sol by the pool on the Riveria Maya.

Veteran's Day: Honoring our Heros

An old Navy Salt-Tom meets the new Navy while we toured the Midway in San Diego. (Tom is a veteran of the Viet Nam War and served on the USS Eversole DD789 Destroyer )~ Barbara