It is Christmas!

It is the twenty-fifth of December of year two thousand and eleven, the Christmas Day of 2011.

What a year!

I wish Year of 2012, the Dragon Year, would be a year of discovering myself and getting back to my true self and living a peaceful life.

Merry & Bright Holidays at Franklin Park Conservatory

Franklin Park Conservatory has a night of family fun this evening from 6pm - 9pm on December 7, 2011.

The Conservatory has been transformed into a winter wonderland with seasonal decor and twinkling lights both indoors and outside, including a display of over 1300 poinsettias of 50 different varieties, a 15-foot poinsettia tree, and over 60 evergreen trees.

Best of all is the Conservatory's exhibitions of lush plants in Himalayan Mountains, Tropical Rain Forest, Desert, and Pacific Islands; and best of the best is the breathtaking Chihuly Collection of Glass Artwork.

It is interesting to read the history of Chihuly exhibitions at the Conservatory. I Feel lucky and blessed by the Friends of Conservatory, who in 2004 purchased most of the Dale Chihuly pieces included in the 2003 exhibition as a permanent collection for Franklin Park Conservatory. It is the largest collection owned by a conservatory or botanical garden.

Gingerbread Houses we voted

At Mrs. Claus' Kitchen

  
15-foot Poinsettia Tree

Chihuly Collection of Glass Artwork

Black Friday Today!

Black Friday 2011 is approaching its end by the time I write this post. This year Kohl's is on top of our shopping list, then JC Penny Outlet Store, then Walmart.

Just Dance 3 Wii game is the one on top of the kids' list, and they had it today. It was amazing to watch them dance together and perfect their dancing skills. Very good way to sweat and stretch! I tried once on the Mermaid with Nosaj, and he has been the best in the house. Already a four-star dancer!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving in Year 2011!

Today, November 24,  is the fourth Thursday of November, 2011, the official day of Thanksgiving Day in the US.

I am thankful for having food to eat and a house to live. I am thankful for having two kids to keep me alive with hope to see them grow up and be independent with their own lives.

This Thanksgiving holiday I decide to shop less and eat less. I would walk routinly and stay fit for the rest of Year 2011.

Shop only what you need, not what you want. This is the way to go green with Earth's limited resources.

HikeOhio

HikeOhio - get off the couch and outta the house...

HikeOhio is a Meetup group for walking and hiking in Columbus, Ohio, USA. Founded on August 25, 2008, it currently has 1,361 members.

This group is for anyone who likes to hike and walk on nature trails, backpacking trails and just about anywhere in the great outdoors. All those who are dedicated to hiking excursions in Ohio, with a focus on leaving no trace of litter on our lands can join us! We will get together for evening hikes on metro parks trails, gather for day hikes in the Ohio State park and forest system and maybe even do overnight trips if anyone is interested. Lace up your hikers and hit the trail with us!

Proudly joined on November 21, 2011.

If interested, here is HikeOhio's calendar for the upcoming events.

11/11/11

Today it is the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the eleventh year - Year 2011. Yep, it is 11/11/11, and I wrote a check of $11 for Einnoie's Fiddle Fusion T-shirt in lime green. Haven't seen so many ones since 11/11/1911, exactly one hundred years ago.

Gotta do something special to this special day. I bought a pair of Skechers' Shape Up ProBlade Extreme All Terrain Design shoes in Black /Hot Pink, which I have been longing for such a pair of walking shoes for quite a while.

Skechers' Shape-ups are designed to help:

• Maximize Calorie Burn
• Firm Buttock Muscles
• Improve Posture

All Terrain design can also help burn calories and provide support and protection for rugged excursions.

Shape Up While You Walk. Go green and walk in fresh air every day.

Mother's Day on Ohio Free Fishing Day 2011

The second Ohio Free Fishing Day is also Mother's Day. I have a bunch of yellow roses with orange tint,my favorite! The kids also wrote me wonderful poem, drew nice pictures. Thanks!

This afternoon we went fishing again, at the above dam area next to the reservoir bridge. Nosaj continued his luck with blue gills using earthworm as bait. Einnob incidentally caught a white bass without realizing it, as it happened shortly after she cast the fishing line with minnow as bait.

At the end of two days of Ohio Free Fishing 2011, we caught one catfish, two white bass, and eight blue gills.They gave so much fun to our kitty cat Thunder. However, he was not interested in the steam-cooked fish gills and internal organs this time. Shall I try to give him raw fish to eat?

Ohio's Free Fishing Days 2011

Today, May 7th, is one of Ohio's free fishing days in 2011.We went fishing near Columbus Zoo in the afternoon. The Below Dam area was loud and overflown with rapid water. Our hearts sank in disappointment.

After an hour it started to rain so we decided to move up to the above dam area. Nosaj got lucky and he caught all three blue gills! He shared with me his experience: when he reeled in a bit and made the bait move that was when he felt the fish biting! Good for him!

Nosaj was still very excited during our late dinner time even though it was too late to clean and steam the fish for him to enjoy. His look was like dreaming with total satisfaction. Very funny! I guess he was really disappointed but pretended he didn't care when Einnob caught one fish and ate it all on Easter.

Don't forget tomorrow May 8, 2011 is another Free Fishing Day in Ohio.

Our house got the new painting, moroccan brown for the trim, and sierra redwood for the front door.It turned out very nice warm looking!