Christmas 2010 – New York

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Click on the thumbnail below to be directed to the Photo and Movies Gallery on my MobileMe website. Some of the videos are uploaded in large format, which takes just a little longer to load, but which makes the viewing more pleasurable.  You may want to wait a couple of minutes before playing it, or allow the download to catch up.  if the video stops, just wait a short while and then press play or the space bar to continue.  Where available, you may click on the Medium format – it should stream with no problem.  You will need QuickTime 7.2 which you can download for free before playing the video.

Christmas in New York – 2010

Christmas 2010 had to have been one of the most wonderful Christmases we as a family has experienced.  Katie and I spent almost two weeks in New York at our apartment.  We were joined by Tommy and Yuki with our dear grandson, Ryusei. and Katie’s 90-year-old mother, Grace Tharp, came in from Florida on Thursday before Christmas, and was going to stay until Sunday after Christmas.  Of course, we had the big snow storm which wreaked havoc on the airline schedules, and she was unable to get out until Friday, almost a week later. What a bonus it was to have her for those extra days!  I was fortunate to stay until the Monday after New Year’s, and Tommy, Yuki and Ryusei did not have to return to San Francisco until Tuesday.  And with Dan and Jessica here, the picture was complete and perfect.

On Christmas Eve afternoon Katie babysat while Tommy, Yuki, Grandma Grace and I went to see  “A Little Night Music” which is the show Jessica was doing on Broadway, with Bernedette Peters and Elaine Stritch.  What a fantastic show!  Then we all met at Jessica and Dan’s apartment for a lovely evening of fun and wine and cheese.

On Christmas day we had presents and then a lovely Christmas lunch at our apartment.  In the evening all of us went to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall.  The show was, well, spectacular.  After the show we were treated to a back-stage tour by one of Jessica’s friends, and Ryusei got to pet the camels.  We then went to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, had dinner, and sent Jessica off to do her Christmas evening performance of her  show.

The next day, Sunday, we went up to Jessica and Dan’s neigborhood for brunch at Popovers, and walked back in what turned out to be a major snow storm pushing Mother’s wheel  chair and Ryusei’s stroller.  The next couple of days we enjoyed New York in a way that was very special for all of us. Granny Scoot (Grace) was such a trooper.  We bundled her up and took her EVERYWHERE in that 4×4 wheelchair we had!  Snow, sidewalks covered in up to two feet in places… nothing deterred her.  And how much fun we had with Ryusei in his first snow!

Katie and I went to see la Fanciulla del West, one of my favorite Puccini operas at the Metropolitan Opera.  On Monday I left, Tommy, Yuki, Dan and Jessica went to see Mozart’s The Magic Flute at the Met.

Thank you so much to my kids and most of all to Katie for making this such a wonderful Christmas.

Click on the photo above

Kilimanjaro! A Profound Experience (Movie)

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This was a pinnacle adventure in my life – a profound experience. After seven days of incredible beauty, breathtaking vistas, almost impossible hiking and climbing through five different climatic zones, I was standing on top of the highest peak in Africa, the largest free-standing mountain in the world. It gave me an unimaginable feeling of awe and accomplishment. It will take me a long time to come down from this mountaintop!

This is the story of the dangers, the challenges and the triumphs of a group of ten friends, led by the able guides of Tusker Trail on a nine day adventure to the top of Africa and back down.

I will live the rest of my life with the dream of Kilimanjaro fulfilled.

Click on the photo below to be directed to the  YouTube Logo Cropped video.
Thomas and Yuki - about 1,000 feet from Uhuru Peak, the summit of Kilimanjaro

Thomas and Yuki – about 1,000 feet from Uhuru Peak, the summit of Kilimanjaro

This adventure has been chronicled in a coffee-table book entitled Kilimanjaro! available online.  Just click on the book cover below for a full preview of the book on-line.

Cover to my book "Kilimanjaro!"

Cover to my book “Kilimanjaro!”

 

A Bit of Family History on Christmas Day, 2010

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Tommy’s First Six Months

Click on the link above or image below to see a slide show of Tommy’s first six months.  There are nice photos of Katie’s as well as my parents and other family members.  The Medium version will load and play immediately.  If you would like to watch the Large version – depending on your internet speed – you may want to press the Pause button to allow the video to load first.

December 25, 2010

Christmas Day

Katie and I are spending a week in New York at our apartment (Christmas 2010).  We are so blessed to have Tommy, Yuki and Ryusei here.  We had a lovely Christmas day with our family.  Katie’s mother, Grace Tharp flew in from Florida.  Yesterday, on Christmas Eve afternoon, Katie babysat while Tommy, Yuki, Grandma Grace and I went to see  “A Little Night Music” which is the show Jessica is currently doing on Broadway .   What a fantastic show!  Then we all met at Jessica and Dan’s apartment for a lovely evening of fun and wine.

Today, after a lovely Christmas lunch at our apartment, all of us went to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall, then went to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, had dinner, and sent Jessica off to do her Christmas evening performance of the show.

This Christmas I have been particularly homesick for South Africa and my family there.  I put together a little slide show of photos I had on my computer from 1979 – scanned from our old photo albums.  There are pictures of Tommy’s very first days, of our American family and my Mom and Dad who came to America for Tommy’s baptism on my Dad’s birthday, September 2, 1979.  My father was quite ill, having suffered TIA’s for some time, even though he was only 62.  They made it to the USA okay, and we had a wonderful celebration of Tommy’s baptism with family and friends.  That evening my Dad was taken to Riverside hospital after another attack.  We made it to our apartment in Birmingham, Michigan the next day, and spent a lovely two weeks with my Mom and Dad, and the new grandson.  This was an important trip for my Dad, since Tommy was named after him, as was I.  He said to someone in South Africa just before they came to the States for the Christening, “I can now die in peace, since my grandson was born.  Once I have seen him, I can die”.

My father became very ill, but made it back to South Africa.  Two weeks later we were in South Africa, because the doctors advised us to come.  A few days after we arrived he passed away.

This Christmas I missed my South African family deeply, and particularly my Mom and Dad.  I am sure it is because of the wonderful time we are having with our kids, and with Ryusei, our grandson who reminds us so much of Tommy at that age.

It’s A Wonderful Life

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Kathie Lee Gifford, John McDaniel, Dan Cooney

 

On Friday December 3, 2010 Katie and I had a most WONDERFUL experience.

Wonderful Life PosterOur son-in-law (that is Jessica’s husband), Dan Cooney has been working on a new Christmas Musical for his theatre in Dexter, Michigan, The Encore Musical Theatre Company, and we got to see the World Premier on Friday night.

Dan gained the support of the good people in this Ann Arbor, MI area community a couple of years ago, and raised the money to convert an old warehouse into a lovely, cosy theatre.  They are concluding their second very successful year, having performed highly acclaimed productions of musicals such as Evita, Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music, Little Shop of Horrors, Sweeny Todd, Guys and Dolls, Annie, Spelling Bee, Jesus Crist Superstar, Club Morocco.

Having had the good fortune to obtain the talent of two celebrities such as Kathie Lee Gifford and John McDaniel was a major boost.  Dan has performed with Kathy Lee in shows before, and has also been in shows music-directed by John.  Dan is currently in a new production of Bonnie and Clyde, The Musical, with music direction by John.

So, last Friday Katie and I had the privilege of driving to Dexter from Columbus to “stand in” for Dan at the World Premiere of It’s A Wonderful Life.

But first, we were to pick up Kathie Lee, her assistant, Christine, John McDaniel, and Kathie’s husband, the football legend, Frank Gifford at the Willow Run Airport.  We were so impressed with these wonderful people.  Frank, a football Hall of Famer and a legend, could not have been nicer.  And Kathtie was an absolute hoot.  John, so imminently brilliant and talented, and gentle.

Katie filmed the curtain speeches… Dan asked me to say a few words.  At intermission Kathie asked if anyone was filming the production.  I just happened to have my small video camera!

The footage is what one gets from filming in a theatre without a tripod and with hot stage lights, but at least it is a record of the second act.  I was also able to film both Kathie and John’s comments.

Curtain Speech

It’s A Wonderful Life Act II

Talk-back with Kathie Lee Gifford and John McDaniel

Kathie Lee With the Cast

Kathie Lee and Hoda With the Scoop – Monday December 6, 2010

Kathie Lee Gifford reports on the world premiere of “It’s a Wonderful Life”

San Francisco – October 2010 (Movie)

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Katie and I had a wonderful visit with Tommy, Yuki, and Ryusei in San Francisco in October.  From just hanging out, to baby sitting so that Tommy and Yuki can get out (at least that was our excuse!), to a bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge to meet Yuki, Katie and Ryusei in Sausalito for breakfast, and then on to Tiburon, and back San Francisco.  A lovely morning on the road!  Came back to watch The Blue Angels from Tommy and Yuki’s rooftop.  What a view!  Lovely dinners, but most of all, a great time with our son and daughter-in-law, and of course our Ryusei!.

Here’s a short video on YouTube Logo Cropped… Click on the image of The Golden Gate Bridge

Alaska 2010

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An Alaska Adventure:

Our Adventure

Katie and I went on a fantastic Alaska adventure and fishing trip from July 30 to August 10, 2010.  We joined Katie’s sister, Sara and her husband, John Textoris in Columbus, OH, and traveled to Phoenix AZ, from there to Seattle, WA, and then on to Sitka, Alaska, and the final stop in Juneau.  This started a wonderful experience in Juneau, with whale watching, a float plane flight to the Taku Glacier and a salmon dinner at Taku Lodge and a hike out to the very impressive Mendenhall Glacier just a few miles outside Juneau.  We rode the tram up the 1,800 ft. Mt Roberts, and the next day John and I climbed to the top on the Mt Roberts Trail, and rode the tram down.  A beautiful view, and a great workout!

A few days later we were joined in Juneau by Katie’s sister, Lolly and her husband Pete Gray, who is a talk show host on a fishing talk show in San Diego, “Let’s Talk Hookup”,  and friends Peggy and Rich Topp, and Denise Werner.  Pete had arranged a wonderful fishing trip for us to Dove Island Lodge in Sitka, but first we had a few days to explore Wrangell and it surrounds.  We flew to Wrangell in two small airplanes operated by Sunrise Aviation out of Wrangell, leaving the beautiful views of Douglas Island and the Juneau mountains behind.

The first day in Wrangell we explored the Anan Wildlife and Bear Observatory.  We left Wrangell by boat and spent an amazing day with Jim Leslie ofAlaska Waters, his son James, and Ivan Simonek, a wonderful, published photographer and master of all trades on the boat.

The following is an excerpt from Pete Gray’s journal on his website: Jim and Ivan took us up the

Katie’s BIG King Salmon – 29 1/2 pounds!

Stikine River on his 35- foot jet boat to get up close and personal with brown and black bears.  We watched the bears feeding on salmon, fighting for territory, mothers and cubs running about and bald eagles flying.  It was a great Alaskan experience.  The next day it was time to accomplish the glacier part of our quest, and Jim chose to take us to the southernmost tidewater glacier in Alaska- the Leconte Glacier.  I have visited Glacier Bay, which is fantastic, but I can tell you this glacier and Jim’s method of getting up close to this massive glacier beat that tenfold.  I would venture to say this day was one of my most enjoyable ever.  Of course the 75 degree bright sunshine did help! Jim navigated the boat through 7 miles of giant icebergs and through tons of ice on our journey up the fjord to the face of the glacier, which towers 200 feet high and 800 feet below the water.  The glacier moves several feet a day and we watched the “calving” of the front of the glacier from a safe distance of a couple hundred yards.  These chunks of ice breaking off the front of the glacier made huge cracking sounds as they fell into the sea, then a huge chunk would rise up from the depths and both together would make a 3-foot wave that rocked our boat.  All this surrounded by incredible views -and we were the only ones there. This is an experience that should not be missed!

The following day we had a cultural tour of Wrangell conducted by Brooke Leslie, Jim’s daughter, and in the afternoon flew to Sitka for our next adventure, Dove Island Lodge.  Please read Pete’s article on the Let’s Talk Hookup website for more on this lovely experience.

Alaska Photo Galleries

Album 1: Juneau: Photos by Katie and Willie.  I will add more photo galleries, including photos by others as time permits.

Alaska Videos

Wrangell Sunset: After a wonderful day visiting the Leconte Glacier, we enjoyed a sundowner.  We were treated to a spectacular show.

Dove Island Lodge: Day 1: Our first day fishing was very successful.  I caught the largest King Salmon of the trip: 30 pounds!  Here are a few funny clips.

Last Day at Dove Island Lodge: After Duane Lambert dropped us off at Salmon Creek, our excellent guide, Vic, took us for an amazing day hiking upstream and fishing down Salmon creek. Here are a few humorous clips of the “expert fishermen” and their bloopers, followed by Duane picking us up in his float plane and “Let’s Talk Hookup” radio show host and trip organizer Pete Gray doing a tight-rope cable walk between the pontoons of the Otter…

Dove Island Lodge was terrific, and the adventure amazing!

Jessica and Dan’s Belize Wedding!

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Click on the photo to access Dan and Jessica’s

Belizean Wedding Photo and Video Gallery (Coming soon…)

IMG_0202

On February 13, 2010 we celebrated the marriage of our daughter, Jessica Grové to Dan Cooney.  Giving away your only daughter in marriage is a momentous experience.  I tried to prepare myself for this event, but I could not possibly have anticipated how special this would be.  We had almost 100 guests – friends – many who spent the best part of a week or longer with us in our favorite place, Belize, at our condo there on Ambergris Caye.  We are honored to have gained Dan as a member of our family, and to have joined his family with ours.

Thank you to everyone who made such a special effort to come to Belize to share in this special time in our family’s life.

Jessica and Dan’s Wedding Photo Album - Coming soon…

San Diego Christmas

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Our family spent Christmas in San Diego with Katie’s sister, Lolly and brother-in-law, Pete Gray.  Jessica joined us from New York, Tommy and Yuki and Ryusei joined us from San Francisco, and Yuki’s parents, Shoichi and Kazumi Miyajima joined us from Osaka, Japan.  I have included a  video below, uploaded to YouTube.  Just click on the link.

PETE’S NEW BOAT

You can also see some photos at

San Diego Christmas Photos

Brushstrokes Villa, Belize (Movie)

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Brushstrokes Villa

Featuring paintings and sculptures by Belizean artists, Brushstrokes has a casual island flair. This light and airy condominium home is furnished with a mix of comfortable imported and locally designed furniture, using Belizean Mahogany and other indigenous hardwoods. The beautiful kitchen is large and well equipped and has an adjoining dining area that accommodates 8. The comfortable living room features an entertainment system with a 42 inch high definition TV, and a Bose surround sound system, as well as an iPod docking station. You can enjoy a spectacular beachfront sunrise breakfast on the marble decked veranda adjoining the beautiful pool patio.

The master bedroom, with king bed and luxurious bathroom with shower and whirlpool tub, has a magnificent ocean view. The second bedroom, with queen bed, is decorated in whimsical island colors and a darling third bedroom, with two twin beds, features a Mayan theme in its décor. Each bedroom has a door to the outside, many windows and a full bathroom in Mexican Macedonia marble. This beautiful condominium home is named Brushstrokes Villa to reflect the owners’ love and appreciation for the art and people of Belize.