Betsy's Blog

           Did you know we have entered the Year of the Ox that last occurred 12 years ago? Strange things are happening around us. Not only is it a pandemic, but the world has turned upside down...literally. A popular, local Mexican restaurant just collapsed into a sinkhole. I drove by the area and it was surrounded by a fence with a sign above the building saying it is temporarily closed. I can see why! It even made the national news. Apparently, the ground underneath couldn’t support the building any longer and it collapsed. There water leaked beneath the surface and the floor cracked suddenly as people ran out the door. The restaurant had to lay off 80 workers. I hope their insurance covers the reconstruction. Aren’t we all rebuilding ourselves now as 2020 comes to an end? We are all survivors and this pandemic isn’t going to get us down. As a society, we are coping with a daily, deadly virus. Hospitals are overcrowded and can only take in emergen...

  Do you believe in Magic? Today is ‘Sinterklaas Dag’ in The Netherlands. We used to watch him arrive by boat when we lived in The Netherlands. Sinterklass was dressed in a long red coat and carried a bag of toys as he rode his white horse in the annual Dutch parade. His troop of elves threw candy and cookies into the crowds. They used to paint their faces black to resemble the Moors from Spain. Recently, it became politically incorrect and now the elves have their faces painted every color of the rainbow. At night, Dutch children still follow the tradition of putting out a wooden shoe with a carrot in it for Sinterklaas’s white horse. By morning, their shoes are filled with Dutch chocolates and pepernoten spiced cookies.  My family continues to recognize this Dutch holiday. I had a Speculaas cookie or two to celebrate today. I was so excited to find the cookies in a local international grocery store in Nevada. The cookies are best dipped in coffee and melt in your mouth. My D...

    Have you heard my stories of running into celebrities? Here’s one of my favorites! When I was in my teens, I saw Steve Martin play the banjo in a small Colorado theater. He didn’t tell any jokes or even have much to say. Long ago, he was a dedicated musician trying to make his living playing music. That shows how old I am. I still remember the moment I first saw him in a movie and realized that he became a successful actor. Then I ran into him...literally at an outdoor theater in Laguna Beach, CA. over 30 years later.. He was there with Diane Keaton and my children spotted them as they took their seats. We turned our attention to watching the paintings come alive with the actors onstage until intermission. My children asked if they could take their programs over to the famous couple and ask for an autograph. I watched them run-up to the gracious couple who even talked to them as they signed their programs. It was a moment in time that showed the kindness of a beautiful act...