Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts

Sunday, March 27, 2016

He Has Risen! Happy Easter!

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Brainard Christmas Pictures - 1993






I used to make collages like this one to greet family and friends during Christmas. I found some of them and will be posting these this holiday season.

I didn't have an accompanying newsletter. I always found those boasting newsletters awful, but now I wish I had included some narrative with the pictures. 

Let's see if I remember what went on: 

Top left - I gave a talk in the Philippines as part of a USIS Lecture Tour;
Top right - Two of my sons and I were in Hong Kong;
Mid left - We think that was taken in Mexico;
Mid right - Lauren and two sons in front of Cal Plaza Building, LA
Bottom left - Graduation of a son; he's with his two grandmothers and his Dad;
Bottom right - Our sons with cousins in the Philippines

Stay tuned for more Brainard Christmas Pictures!

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Tags:  #Christmas, #holiday, family, pictures, Cecilia Brainard, writer, Philippines
This is all for now,
Cecilia and Family




Friday, November 27, 2015

Thanksgiving Day Family Pictures 2015





Here are some Thanksgiving Pictures.

Happy holidays!

Monday, August 31, 2015

Using Short Term Vacation Rental Agencies




There are many online vacation rental agencies that list millions of short-term rentals worldwide, allowing for more competitive and cheaper rentals. In some cases, the rentals are rooms in a house; sometimes it's the entire house, sometimes fabulous mansions. In most cases private owners are the ones listing their places in the online sites.

We used Home Away to find a wonderful apartment in the Saint Germain District of Paris, right across River Seine.

It was a flawless transaction although I should mention that I was diligent in checking the reviews of the apartment. One is advised to check the reviews carefully and to make sure there are many reviews, not just a few, because there are scammers who list in these agencies. I also called and talked to the owner/manager directly, and was careful to pay my deposit with a credit card. I had copies of all email-correspondence as well.


Sunday, December 6, 2009

The Christmas Tree is Up!

The Christmas Tree is Up!
Some favorite Christmas tree decorations: the black sheep, the ballet dancer, the antique German-made glass bird, and the bird in the nest.



Tuesday, March 18, 2008

EASTER PREPARATIONS

After getting back from a quick visit to Cambria, I've had to run around to prepare for Easter. Foremost in my mind is food, dear Readers, because some 45 people will be over on Easter. I'm fixing ham and beef bourgignon; the others will be bringing appetizers, salad, dessert. But regardless, I always make sure I have cheese and crackers and relish dishes, and a cake.

Lest you think, dear Readers, that that is all I know how to fix, let me inform you that I can fix exotic dishes like lengua and paella and so on, but I find ham and beef bourgignon are popular with this Easter crowd. Further, I can cook the beef bourgignon beforehand. We will also have an egg hunt for the children, dear Readers, which means, I have to boil and color some 80 eggs.

And then there's the house, dear Readers, which needs to be spruced up some.

So, for the rest of this Holy Week, you know what I'll be doing.

We got a new toy - an Irobot Roomba. It's a robot vacuum cleaner, recommended to us by the Oleys. Costco sells the model 550, and I like to buy things from Costco because of their good return policy. We opened the box; everything looked pretty simple, and the Roomba already went to work in our room. I cannot believe the amount of lint and dirt the Roomba picked up! It's a wonderful gadget.

So, the Roomba, like me, will be working this week to prepare for Easter!