What is on your wish list this holiday season?

Wishing you all the best this holiday season!

What is on your wish list this holiday?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Governors Mansion Tour Part III...

As promised here are the final photos of the Governors mansion holiday tour.

Teddy Bears and Trains set a magical tone for the holiday.

Timeless elegance!

Fresh Fruit and greenery set the tone for the day in the breakfast room.

The bakers were busy baking variates of delicious cookies for each guest.

Recipe can be found at the end of this post.

Gold ornaments and magnificent silver candelabras with attention to detail proudly displayed.

Americana artwork to celebrate the season as you exited the tour.

Butterscotch Meltaways

Ingredients
1 cup butter
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coconut
1 1/4 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
Red & green candied cherries
Sugar

Directions
Preheat convection oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter & confectioners sugar, add yolk, vanilla and coconut. Sift dry ingredients and add to mixture, just incorporating. Stir in butterscotch chips. Scoop mixture onto sheet pan. Dip the bottom of a drinking glass in sugar, then press cookie down. Put half of a candied cherry on each. Bake 10 - 12 minutes until edges just begin to turn golden.

I am linking this post to the following 3 hostesses.
All named Susan!
Please visit them for more wonderful posts.

Susan on Wednesday

http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com Here

&
Susan on Thursday
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com HERE
&
Susan on Monday
http://thoughtsfromovertherainbow.blogspot.com HERE
&
Foodie Friday
http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com HERE

ER... but where was George Clooney?

Well it all started at 3PM yesterday afternoon when we decided we needed to make a trip to the emergency room.

The sign outside the ER says children are not allowed to enter during the flu season, unless of course they are sick , and also pregnant women. Only one person is allowed to accompany each patient. Masks and hand sanitizer are in full supply for all that enter. It is obvious that the dreaded H1N1 has made its ugly appearance in our city.

There was lots of coughing and honking going on and we sure hope we did not bring any of those mean little germs home with us.
Yikees!

The place was packed. Valet parking was full and the regular parking deck was bursting at the seams. The ambulance docks were full to capacity and they were waiting in line to unload their patients. The place was hopping and bopping. It seemed to be the most happening place in town!


I put on a mask and took a seat in an empty area that had a TV. I mean how lucky could we be to have part of the waiting room all to ourselves. People would walk in and take one look at me with the mask and run. I did not think I looked all that bad in the mask. As I look at the photo now I wonder if they were running from my poor choice of bra! Little did I know that there was the following sign posted right as you walked into this part of the waiting room.

The clock was ticking and the hours were flying and we were going no place. For entertainment they play Brahms Lullaby over the loud speaker each time a baby is born in the hospital and those babies seemed to be flying out of the womb up on the maternity ward. Well, that is one way to stimulate the economy! I could write a book about all the symptoms and bathrobes that were marching in and out of this ER. At 6 PM a representative came out to apologize for the long wait and to assure everyone that they would be seen in a timely manner. I guess he has never read the meaning of the word emergency.

Since I already had the pleasure of meeting with an ENT teenage mutant Dr. last week, who Sue from RueMouffatard.blogspot referred to as Doogie Howser, M.D. (am I getting older or are these doctors getting younger?)

I was sort of hoping to see George Clooney come through the doors to usher us back into the patient area. Now George Clooney could raise anyone's blood pressure. No such luck! Instead we were greeted by a nice female doctor who was sweet and kind and very knowledgeable.

Was the wait worth it? You betcha because this story has a happy ending. Minor health issues with a follow up doctors appointment for the patient. We were in the car on the way home by 10PM. Only 7 hours from start to finish. Makes us wonder just what is going to happen if we have government run health care in the future. If that happens we will be sure to bring a tent to camp out for days instead of hours.

* We are thankful for all the wonderful nurses and doctors who serve in the ER each and every day!

** except for the two photos I took I have no idea who took the other 3 photos but they deserve credit whoever they are.

Happy Hanukkah...Part II Governors holiday mansion tour...

Happy Hanukkah from the Governors Mansion in Georgia.

There was a wonderful display of Jewish art work in the Governors mansion made by the students at the Epstein School here in Atlanta ages preK thru 8th grade.

Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days and nights, starting on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar (which is November-December on the Gregorian calendar). In Hebrew, the word "Hanukkah" means "dedication."

The holiday commemorates the rededication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Jews' 165 B.C.E. victory over the Hellenist Syrians. Antiochus, the Greek King of Syria, outlawed Jewish rituals and ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods.

In 168 B.C.E. the Jews' holy Temple was seized and dedicated to the worship of Zeus.

Some Jews were afraid of the Greek soldiers and obeyed them, but most were angry and decided to fight back.

The fighting began in Modiin, a village not far from Jerusalem. A Greek officer and soldiers assembled the villagers, asking them to bow to an idol and eat the flesh of a pig, activities forbidden to Jews. The officer asked Mattathias, a Jewish High Priest, to take part in the ceremony. He refused, and another villager stepped forward and offered to do it instead. Mattathias became outraged, took out his sword and killed the man, then killed the officer. His five sons and the other villagers then attacked and killed the soldiers. Mattathias' family went into hiding in the nearby mountains, where many other Jews who wanted to fight the Greeks joined them. They attacked the Greek soldiers whenever possible.

Judah Maccabee and his soldiers went to the holy Temple, and were saddened that many things were missing or broken, including the golden menorah. They cleaned and repaired the Temple, and when they were finished, they decided to have a big dedication ceremony. For the celebration, the Maccabees wanted to light the menorah. They looked everywhere for oil, and found a small flask that contained only enough oil to light the menorah for one day. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days. This gave them enough time to obtain new oil to keep the menorah lit. Today Jews celebrate Hanukkah for eight days by lighting candles in a menorah every night, thus commemorating the eight-day miracle.

* the above information was provided by History.com

Stay tuned for Part III later this week.

Georgia's Governors Mansion holiday house...

Governor and Mrs. Sonny Perdue of Atlanta Georgia invite ya'll in for a holiday tour.

Every year I drive past the Georgia Governors Mansion and see this :

I can never understand why my friends tell me to stop and take a holiday tour. The big plastic blow ups on the front lawn are not exactly enticing. Yesterday I decided to swing into the mansion and to see what all the hoopla is about.

Security is strict unlike the fiasco at the White House last week with non-invite social climbing wanna be couple. The tours are FREE, they encourage you to bring a new unwrapped toy for Toys For Tots and you need to show your ID to join in the fun.

Come along and take the tour with me.
No need to dress up.
Stay in your PJ's.
Grab a cup of Hot Cocoa and feast your eyes.
Don't forget to click on the photos to see the details.

I opened the front door and immediately entered a world of fantasy.
Each room has a different tree theme.
The theme is different each year.

This lovely angel greets you as you enter the main hallway under the crystal chandelier by the spiral staircase. Live holiday music was playing softly in an adjoining room. The smell of fresh greenery was delightful.

Let's turn right into the main dining room where the theme is Candy Land.

Wonder if you have to pay taxes on this Candy Land House?

Candy land color balls and lots of candy canes go right up to the ceiling on the tree.

Candles and colorful gum drop trees and red bows on chairs just like the game board.

Nutcrackers standing at attention on top of the mantel to guard the table surrounded by candy gumdrop wreaths. I wanted to lick those wreaths!

Talk about a fun Tablescape!

Let's turn up the lights so we can read the cute little candy cane menu.

Gold chargers and lots of gold rimmed plates with lots and lots of crystal stemware and such pretty silverware to adorn the table fit for the Governor and his guests.
This table folds into a small table and the leaves are held underneath and the table just keeps on expanding. There are many helpful volunteers to answer any questions you may have.

What's a meal without a candy land shoppe sitting on the sideboard to make a meal complete?

I hope you enjoyed the Candy Land tour. I have more photos of rooms to share so please stop by later in the week for part II. Please take time and play candy land with someone you love this holiday season. Better yet donate a game to Toys For Tots in your area. Even the Governor had a Toys For Toys display and tree.

I am linking this post to the following 3 hostesses.
All named Susan!
Please visit them for more wonderful posts.

Susan on Wednesday

http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com Here

&
Susan on Thursday
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com HERE
If you can think of any other holiday links please let me know.
&
Susan on Monday
http://thoughtsfromovertherainbow.com HERE