Deck the Halls

The time has come for me to leave my annual bunch of Christmas tree ornaments.  Picking these out annually is such fun.  May the finders enjoy!

Iceland

Just back from an enjoyable vacation to Iceland.  So many travelers flying to Europe from North America take connecting flights through Iceland but don't venture outside the airport.  They are missing out on a country filled with friendly and welcoming people in the city and natural beauty in the sparsely populated rural areas.

Just outside the city the snow covered mountains rise into the distance.  City windows were filled with glowing advent stars which are a traditional Scandinavian decoration during the holidays.  The decorations were plentiful as the days are short this time of year, and the holiday decorations create a warm feeling in the darkness.

Outside the city there are lava fields, black sand beaches, volcanos, geysers and hot springs.  The country has a great deal of geothermal activity and pure water for drinking as glacial water melts and flows over waterfalls.

In recent years the capital of Reykjavik has also become a foodie destination with many restaurants serving local lamb and fish dishes along with carefully crafted cocktails. 

I did bring along some gifts, and instead of posting about them before leaving them for finders, this time I am posting after leaving them along with photos of the gifts waiting for their finders.

A pair of white gloves were left in the lobby area of the Hilton Nordica Hotel....

vaseline lip balm left on a table at the Hallgrimskirkja church...

hand sanitizing wipes at the 871 +/- 2 Museum...

 

and a bookcover at the Whales of Iceland Museum

Cold Winds of Change

One result of the clocks falling back an hour last weekend is that the darkness and cold rolls in earlier in the evening.  Most people leave work into the dark, and children wait to be picked up from practice as the leaves blow down the street and across the fields. 

In many front yards there are vibrant colored mum plants littered with leaves and pumpkins and gourds displayed to represent the last of the fall turning into winter.  With the passing of Halloween, the next holiday stop is Thanksgiving, and the snow is soon to fly.

I always try to wear my fall jackets for as long as I can with them protecting me less and less from the cold weather every day.  I occasionally break down and wear my heavy winter coat when the morning temperatures prove too cold.  There are so many times I reach into my jacket pockets and hope for a pair of gloves to help me keep my hands warm only to be disappointed when I realize they are all in my winter coats.  I have a few pairs of gloves for some lucky finders as I cannot be the only person who could use an extra pair or two. 

 

Berry Fields

Over these last few weeks as the late summer days lead into fall, I have been visiting a farm near the town in which I feel most at home where I have been able to pick my own blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes and apples.  It is a family run farm with row after row of lovingly raised products. 

Week after week I see people of all ages there enjoying time in the beautiful outdoors while picking fruit to enjoy over the coming days.  There is a small sales cabin serving as the starting point for all visitors as it has red wagons for parents and grandparents to pull the young ones in and also yellow buckets, cardboard boxes or bags to take to the fields for use when gathering the fruits.

 

Perhaps as a result of the drought that residents of the Northeast have been experiencing for the last several months, the blueberry as well as raspberry picking went well into August.  Picking 5 pounds of blueberries seemed a lot at first but with two of us eating them they would last just a week before needing to be replenished.  

Now the berries have gone by, and it is the apple and tomato rows bustling with eager pickers.

The last couple times I was at the farm I bought an apple cider donut when checking out with my fresh fruit and enjoyed it on one of the picnic tables outside the sales cabin.  The tables are right next to a pen with a couple goats who run over and love attention. 

 I left a few presents for finders.



Something New



The stores are full of back to school supplies, backpacks, new fall clothes, and individually wrapped snacks and treats for lunchboxes.  While September is not the start of a new year, it often does feel more like the start of a new one than even January does as so much of the normal hustle and bustle subsidies during the summer months and picks up again in the fall. 

 

I must say I do like to have a few new things in September (an outfit, a notebook, etc.) and even look at the grocery store for a new snack to include in the lunch I make daily to bring to work.  There is a child in all of us.

 

I have some "back to school" supplies I think someone of any age would enjoy.



 

Tap Into Your Creativity

Recently when reading a home decorating magazine, I saw a design idea involving washi tape.  Having no idea what that was I turned to the internet and soon was watching multiple YouTube videos on all the ways it can be used to decorate pens, vases, cups, electronics, etc. 

Washi tape comes in endless colors and patterns and peels off as easily as it goes on so it does not damage anything it is attached to.  I have put it on pens, iPhone chargers, etc. and find those things so much more appealing with their fun new looks.  It has also helped me not overlook my chargers when packing up and leaving hotel rooms because they stand out. 

I have several rolls to leave for finders and hope they find creative ways to decorate their own possessions.

Dear.....

I have been traveling ALOT lately.  We have just passed the halfway mark of the year, and I have spent 9 weeks on the road thus far. 

When away I am always making notes of expenses or the things I need to do when returning home.  Occasionally I even send a postcard or note to someone.  This is a time of year when many people are out of their routine or going away to one summer camp or another.  Figured some others could use a fun new pen for their journals or summer correspondence.

Oh Those Sweet Summer Nights

Summer weekends are the best!  Friends, swimming, fireworks, outdoor adventures, water skiing, mini golf, outdoor grilling, zip-lining, etc. are just some of the things that make summer so wonderful.   

Lately I have also been playing many games of my youth....Sorry, Clue, and the many games you can play using a simple deck of playing cards.  When a lazy summer day turns into a fun evening of playing, it reminds me that these simple pleasures create memories and happiness.  It is important to forget the stresses of everyday life now and then.   

 

Since I thought some others might enjoy a fresh new set of cards for themselves or to introduce their children to a new game I have a few decks for giving away.

 

Thought Bubbles

Life and work have been so busy lately, and I have been just trying to stay ahead of the voicemails, texts, emails, etc.  When I am driving, cooking dinner, going to bed, things pop into my head that I need to deal with or an additional item I need to add to a response already sent.  I often feel like they are thought bubbles above my head and reach for a note pad to write them down.  Perhaps others have the same experience and can use some thought bubble post-its.

 

Time is a Wastin

Every day I write out a to do list.  Yes, each and every day I have a list that I follow.  Maybe I am addicted to the sense of satisfaction that results from crossing items off the list.  Whether it be a work day or a weekend day, there is always something to accomplish and the lists keep me focused and help me end the day with a sense of accomplishment.

I found some small clip boards with colorful stripe or polka dot designs and note pads perfect for to do lists. 

 Hope they find their way into happy hands!

Piece of Cake Presentations

I have volunteered to be a judge at an upcoming business bowl at a local university where there are expected to be nearly 250 students from freshman through graduate level competing.  The students will receive their cases in the morning and will work on developing a solution to present to the judges. 


The judges, local business people, will critique the competitors on how they identified the critical issues and their resulting recommendations and presentation.  I remember from the time I spent on case work during my own graduate school career how challenging such team work can be with tight timelines, different personalities and the stress of presenting.


Have a few cake frames to leave for finders.  Wishing them all good luck and hoping they make it all look like a piece of cake!

You Are All Write

I was reading a list of Valentine's Day sayings.  You know the ones I mean that are often on candy hearts or in greeting cards - hug me, love you, kiss me, be mine, etc.  One that said, "you are all write" with a pencil caught my eye.


Since I thought the saying and a pencil would be a great little gift I bought some heart covered pencils and added notes.

Good Morning Sunshine

If there is one thing I definitely am not it is a morning person, but this morning I got myself up in the darkness to head to the airport for a 7am flight.  It was a Southwest Airlines flight, and I did not get myself online in advance to print a boarding pass.  As a result, I feared a C group boarding and a guaranteed middle seat.  However, upon checking my bag I was surprised to see the A group printed on my boarding pass. 


The morning got even better when I arrived at my departure gate and was told there were just 19 passengers on the 23 row aircraft!  After settling into the section of the plane I had all to myself, the flight attendants announced that they had a trainee flight attendant at the very end of her month long training on board and that she would be taking the lead on many of the duties throughout the flight.  When she returns to Dallas at the end of the week she should officially receive her "wings" and graduate from the training program.


All of the flight attendants were wonderful throughout the flight.  I even got my coffee with signature Southwest heart stirrer. 

The trainee seemed at ease with all her tasks and adept at making the passengers feel welcome and comfortable.  I was on the flight in order to attend some out of town meetings related to a new position I have, and I could relate to the feelings she was undoubtedly having in terms of being nervous and wanting to do a great job.  Since a little positive energy and encouragement is always welcome, I left a note on the seat to thank her and wish her well with her new career.  Hopefully she found it! 


I included a very small "tip" so she could perhaps buy herself a little celebration morning coffee in the next terminal!  Thank you to the trainee on flight #551 this morning.  

Drinks with Don

I recently spent a whole week at the Intercontinental Hotel on the Plaza in Kansas City.  While Kansas City is not a US city often on must visit lists, I have always really enjoyed the city as I have visited it many times over the past decade.  With a few distinct areas, my favorite is the Plaza which is a Spanish inspired section with low rise buildings based on those in Seville, Spain filled with restaurants and shops. 

I had a beautiful Plaza facing room so I could see the holiday lights on all the buildings which is a holiday tradition for the area.  Additionally I could also easily walk for a bite of the famous Kansas City barbeque at a favorite restaurant of mine. 

I travel frequently and often find that half of the nights away I want to grab a quick dinner that I can bring back to my room.  It was no different at the Intercontinental, and on my second evening there, I stopped by the concierge lounge on my floor and expected to grab a plate full of the appetizers and snacks to then retreat to my room and work. 

When I walked in I was greeted by a concierge named Don who immediately said. "Welcome to Drinks with Don".  I was the only person in the room as early January is not a popular time to be on the road.  Don was so engaging I could not help but to start to chat with him.  What a conversationalist Don was and we just kept chatting about lots of topics until we were joined by one other hotel guest.  I arrived in the room hoping to grab a quick plate to go and two and a half hours later I left having had a wonderful conversation among the three of us in the lounge.

The next night I returned to the lounge rather than going to an outside restaurant as I was hoping to find Don on duty again and to engage in conversation with him and other guests.  I was not disappointed and had yet another great evening in the concierge lounge just having fun conversation and food. 

With just two more nights at the hotel planned I thought I would tip Don as a thank you, but the more I thought about it I wanted to get him a gift as a tip since he and the atmosphere he created in the concierge lounge had really made my trip more enjoyable.

I walked over to the Plaza and bought Don two ties (during our conversation one evening he mentioned how much he loves ties) that would match his "Welcome to Drinks with Don greeting". 

The first tie had grapes, bottle openers and corks on it.... 

and the second beers on skis (aka "brewskies").

On my last day at the hotel I surprised Don with the ties and he was genuinely thrilled.  He immediately put one on and said that he could not wait to be done work for the day so he could show them to everyone.  There is no doubt that the ties will be great conversation subjects in the lounge over the coming weeks.

I so look forward to returning to the hotel soon to enjoy conversation and food in the lounge and catch up with Don.  The Intercontinental is fortunate to have him.

First Flight

I started this year with a flight.  While I somewhat dreaded arriving at the airport the Sunday at the end of what for many people is a two week vacation, I arrived early resigned to the fact the lines would be long.  I assumed extra time would be needed to get through security behind many people who travel infrequently and thus are not speedy in the process. 


Upon arriving at 6:30pm at the airport I was pleasantly surprised to find a nearly empty terminal!  I literally walked right up to the belt to push my carry on baggage through the scanner.  I was checked in at to my gate within 15 minutes of arriving at the airport.


While my flight was delayed an hour, the plane was only 20% full with row after row of empty seats.

So I decided to take advantage of the fact I could move around to row after empty row and leave some notes inside the magazine in the seatback pockets.  It seemed each was newly placed onboard with January 2016 dates and the puzzles in the back not yet completed.

I hope the finders smile and start the year with the same pleasant travel experience I had.