Today in my study skills class. I sent him to turn in a Spanish test. He returned. Wearing a box.

It’s pretty funny, random and bizarre. And that’s my day.

*soy sauce pot at the local sushi hut.

January: H-B Black Box Concert fundraiser for yearbook. Michael’s school play, South Pacific at Kennedy Center, Melissa’s BD, Sunset Boulevard at Signature with Commander Dave, Big Snowstorm, Altar Guild Luncheon

February: Guys and Dolls at H-B, Richard and family in town for Kate’s surgery. Soo Cheng (student’s mom) Memorial Service, fondue party, Mommy’s birthday tea at the Willard, Point Break (with comedy commentary) at Cinema and Drafthouse with Chris, Oscar party, Chris’s BD

March: Wheatly’s Folliy at Signature, Ballet at Kennedy Center with Melissa, Dinner with Paul’s family

April: Career Center Party, Cherry Blossom, Tea, Bill’s Wedding, Marilyn’s Requiem, trip to MA, Spring Break

May: New Living Room Furniture, Baking Scones with Melissa for the Altar Guild Tea, Anne’s Derby Party, Side by Side by Sondheim at Signature, Art at Signature, Opera with Daddy, HB H20 for life 5K, Chaperone choir trip, Dinner with Paul’s Family, All Grades play at H-B (Benegridizir) Gambling trip to WVA for Ali’s BD, Lynn Thompson Requiem, Michael’s BD

June: HMS Pinafore, Dinner with Melissa’s brothers, HB Prom at the Kennedy Center, Miltary Tattoo at Ft. McNair. driving seniors to Shrinemont, Relay for Life, 8^th grade Promotion, HB Graduation, Final cupcake run with Chris, Melissa and Michael., Bill Spahr Requiem

July: Day downtown with Michael, Anne and Clare, Children’s book project with Cheryl, Yearbook workshop in Nashville, Wicked at the Kennedy Center with Michael and AB, Final, Final cupcake run with Chris Melissa and Michael, they head to Carlisle PA, Kelly Requiem, Altar Guild brunch, Dinner with Mary Bluin, Pool with Paul’s family, Clare’s Shakespeare play, Farewell party for Pennie,

August: AB and I go to Virginia Beach to visit Katherine and Jim, Trip to Sanibel Island, Florida with Paul and family, Marcy and Zina Show at signature with Liz and Annette, back to school ice cream social with new TA, spending time at the teacher materials center doing spiral binding of new geography workbooks, Kristen and Grace come for a visit, Baltimore/Washington Football game with Ali, Day trip to Carlisle, AB’s Baconalia party, AB’s basement floods, Teachers go back to school

September: Mom and Dad’s 51^st Anniversary party at Zitiniya, School starts, Al Saunders burial at Arlington Cemetery, ShrineMont, The Hollow at Signature Begin singing in the choir

October: HB 40^th Anniversary party, John Thompson Requiem, AB Birthday Breakfast and Party, Richard, Kate and family move to area, Day Trip to Carlisle, Dinner with Paul’s family, Little Shop of Horrors at HB, Boy Detective Fails at Signature, Sweet Tea at Signature,

November: Trip to Oklahoma for Texas A&M game, Fall Formal at HB, Mike Hix’s Requiem, Help with Field Artillery party, take Michael to movie Felted sweater stocking workshop with Ali and AT, Community Chorus, Thanksgiving, Yarn Bombing,

December: HB Staff holiday party, Army navy game, HB holiday concerts, TA skating, greening of the church, margaritas with 8^th grade team (not the kids) Paul’s family Christmas, family Christmas breakfast, trip to Toledo Spain with Anne and Ali.

Throughout the year: Coffee, workouts, Sushi, Altar Guild, choir, school meetings, dinners with Chris Melissa and Michael

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So our last day in Toledo was full of sight-seeing, the quest for convent marzipan & last minute shopping. We hit the town abt 10am & didn’t head home til after 7pm.

We saw a lot more churches, went to the Museum of Jewish Culture & saw an exhibit on the Templars. Unfortunately, it was all in Spanish so we didn’t get as much out of it as we would have liked. A cool story but couldn’t get a lot of it.

We did an olive oil tasting, stopped for cafe con leche a few times, had spaghetti for lunch & walked around the parts of town we missed from before.

The marzipan experience was cool. Eleanor really drove it & I’m glad she did b/c it was definitely a highlight. Apparently the nuns in the local convents make & sell marzipan but only at certain times in certain convents. You have to look for a small sign that says “Dulce Artesanal” and pointing to a door. You then ring a bell & wait to be let into a foyer where there’s another small door and a picture/sign showing the types of marzipan and the prices. A nun them comes to the sm door & asks what you want. Sometimes you see the nun behind a grate, sometimes it’s just a voice that asks what you want. Eleanor heard that you were supposed to say something abt the Blessed Virgin Mary before you order so she said “Hail Purest Mary” (in Spanish) & they responded with something. There’s a turnstile/lazy susan where you place your money & they put the marzipan. It was very cool. In total we visited 5 & bought from 3. So clearly everyone will be getting marzipan as a gift.

The churches we visited were very cool & each very different. I’ll have some pictures to show. Some had lots of paintings, some carvings, some frescos, etc but very different personalities.

One thing we learned is that even though Toledo started as a town of “multiple faiths living in harmony” that ended in abt the 11th century when all the Moors (Muslims) & Jews were kicked out & their religious sites turned into churches. There’s not much of their culture left (more Jewish than Muslim) but it’s nice to think abt everyone living together in one community.

The day ended with dinner at The Parador a national historic hotel just outside the city. The view from the Parador onto Toledo was spectacular as it is one of the most beautifully lit cities in the world. Dinner was great, but a lot of food. I had day-old fried bread w/ sausage, egg & ham as an appetizer and a steak for main course. Ali had Iberia pork & El had lamb stew. I had “leche frita” for dessert which tasted like french toast. We ended the night looking over the city before cramming our treasures in our suitcases before our trip home today.

AB:
So we had our second day in Madrid today. Another cold morning & definitely hard to get up after a good, busy day in Toledo. My calves are burning, knees are creaking & my feet are sore but my tummy, my eyes & my brain are happy. I agree. My feet are goners, but we have the hotel spa with it’s hydro thermal circuit to sustain us.

So we arrived in Madrid abt 10am & went straight to the Prado museum. A decent wait to buy tkts but well worth it. We could have spent a day in the museum & still not seen everything. As it was we focused on the highlights which were pretty awesome: Goya, el Greco, Rubens, Caravggio, etc. We saw lots of biblical scenes, hence lots of beheadings, Madonna & baby, various deaths of the Saints then there were the depictions of various battles & Saturn devouring his son. Lots of gore for a Thu AM. My favorite was the adoration of the Magi, by Rubens. No beheading there, but am in agreement, a lot of rough religious imagery in that joint, some much so that a painting of a huge and lavishly dressed crowd, celebrating the beheading of John the baptist was relegated to the elevator lobby.

After having coffee & a sweet (shock!), we headed to the markets we’d seen on Tue including the place where they sell all the wigs. Naturally, I bought 2 (more) & also a chimney hat w/ Santa’s feet sticking out. I now own a pink Heidi pigtail wig, a long curly green/black haired wig, a yellow & red afro (colors of Spanish flag) & the Santa hat. Surely money well spent. And just so you know rons of ppl were wearing these wigs & hats. Some even older than 10. Apparently it’s a big New Year’s thing.

We then headed off in search of lunch. We went to the San Miguel market which is similar in many ways to Pike Place market in Seattle or Eastern Market in DC. They have lots of counter where you can order everything from plates of ham & cheese to empanadas, croquettes, & more. You can even get a squid sandwich which isn’t as gross as it sounds (basically fried calamari on bread). You can also get a glass of wine which makes it fun, festive & very crowded.

Back to Plaza Mayor to people watch then off to a place called Chocolateria San Gines for hot chocolate & churros (fried “sticks” of dough kind of like funnel cake). It was as delicious as it sounds. The hot chocolate is thick like the stuff in Italy & fabulous. The place was packed with families & singles alike. They apparently do a booming business from 3-6am when the clubs close & everyone goes in search of a late night/early morning snack before the sun comes up (when they sleep I’ll never know). They close only from 6:30-9:30AM. I’m assuming that’s to get the drunks out & clean up before the business ppl & families show up.

We then walked to the Puerta del Sol which was packed for 4:30 on a Thu. There were tons of “characters” walking around. We saw Mickie & Minnie Mouse, a lady covered in fruit, a mime, SpongeBob, Capt Jack Sparrow, one of the Mario Bros & even Buzz Lightyear. Along with those there were assorted “statues” that if you threw a few coins in a cup, they would come to life. We saw a street sweeper, a goat, a giant spider, a Wookie, some kind of alien, a very good King Neptune who would blow his horn for a few eurocents & Eleanor’s favorite, a baby with a giant man head that cried & kicked his “feet” for coins. awesome, but I did feel a little bad about making a grown man perform for coins, even if he was dressed like a baby, and frankly, very good at his job.

It was late so we headed toward the train station w/ a quick stop for a “to go” sandwich at the Museo del Jamon (literally Museum of Ham) where they had a jillion different types of ham. There was even a picture menu where you could choose what you wanted. I’m still full from my chocolate & churros so I passed on the sandwich. I’ll have a yogurt & bicarbonate when we’re back at the hotel.

It’s our last trip on the really terrific Spanish train system. It’s on time, clean, quiet, smooth & a really nice ride. Wish Amtrak (even the Acela) were half as nice as this! I’ll miss riding the train for sure.

Tomorrow’s our last day in Toledo so we’re batting clean up & trying to do all the things we missed in the previous days including getting Marzipan from the Convent, seeing the Synagogue Museum, Mosque & eating at the Parador. Should be a plenty full day! I can’t wait to buy marzipan from the convent. Apparently some have a lazy Susan turnstile type of thing, where you put in your money and then they send you the marizipan with out showing their faces. It is also possible we will need to say “Ave Maria purisima” ” hail purest Mary” in order to seal the deal. Too cool!