california, Dog, Family, Hiking, holidays, Uncategorized, writing

Happy Gotcha Day, Owen: Ten Years of Love and Adventure

It is extraordinary for me to think that we are upon the ten-year anniversary of Owen's adoption from the Pasadena Humane Society. On January 8, 2013 we signed the adoption documents, and two days later, on January 10, we brought our sweet boy home. And the years flew by. Owen as a young pup Owen,… Continue reading Happy Gotcha Day, Owen: Ten Years of Love and Adventure

american west, california, Family, holidays, new years day, Style, traditions, Travel, Uncategorized, writing

Live From Pasadena: The 134th Tournament of Roses Parade

The state of Illinois submitted a float decorated with over 30000 roses, depicting familiar icons. On this beautiful Monday, the day after New Year's Day, we rang in 2023 with a clear day in between stormageddons and the Rose Parade. While the parade, along with the Rose Bowl game is typically held on January 1st,… Continue reading Live From Pasadena: The 134th Tournament of Roses Parade

breakfast, Brunch, coffee, Dessert, dinner, Europe and the United Kingdom, Family, Food, Lunch, Style, Travel, Uncategorized, Vacation, wine, wine and drink, writing

What Not to Order at a Czech Restaurant

And other recommendations for when in Prague This most recent trip to Prague to celebrate Christmas with Emily was different in that we did not travel outside of Prague, nor did we do anything 'new' beside visiting the Christmas markets. Part of the reason for this was that the trip was very fast in comparison… Continue reading What Not to Order at a Czech Restaurant

Brunch, christmas, Europe and the United Kingdom, Family, Food, Historical sites, holidays, Shopping, Style, Travel, Uncategorized, wine, writing

European Christmas Markets

This Christmas, instead of having Emily fly back home again, we decided to fly out to Prague to visit her and her now bigger bunny, Baby Scout. While this came with a higher cost for airfare than either our summer trip or our Thanksgiving trek last year, it was worth it to finally have the… Continue reading European Christmas Markets

christmas, Family, history, holidays, Opinion, Uncategorized, writing

Wreaths Across America

This Christmas 2022 season, Sami and I participated in a holiday wreath-laying event that took place at national cemeteries across the the country. Every year on the third Saturday in December, Wreaths Across America coordinates wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery and 3400 other locations in the U.S. and overseas. Their mission is to "Remember… Continue reading Wreaths Across America