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December, 2010 Newsletter CARPENTER TRAVEL Your “Enthusiastic” Excursionist E-mail: =
carpentertravel5=
1@gmail.com Contact us at: (619) 208-7170 - Cell (619) 592-4628 or (866) 963-0546 |
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Hello
Everyone!
The Holidays are u=
pon us
once again! I don’t know
about you, but this past year has gone by incredibly fast. We were able to travel a lot this =
year
and visit family and friends along our way. Those moments are really special t=
o us;
and, as many of you know, I usually share those times in my Travelogues.
December greeted m=
e with
a wonderful surprise. I have been named one of the “T=
op 50
Travel Agent Bloggers in the United States”! Here is the link to the website.
As I often do at t=
he end
of the year, I reflect back and think about how lucky I am. Sometimes when the world is so busy
around us, we forget to take time to thank those who have made a difference=
in
our lives. This year, Carpent=
er
Travel has grown because of all of you.&nb=
sp;
If I have not told you before, I will tell you now – I realize
that you have many choices today when it comes to making your travel plans;=
and
I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to help you with yours.
The holidays are a=
very
special time for many of us as we will be traveling near and far to spend t=
ime
with family and dear friends. Many
of us have special traditions; and this month I thought I would share some
German family traditions that I’ve learned about from the German exch=
ange
student that our brother and sister-in-law have had the pleasure of having =
join
their family for this school year.
Leoni is 16 years =
old
and her family lives in a small village about 200 miles south of
Frankfurt. She is quite a tal=
ented
young lady who not only sings but also plays the flute and the piano. She speaks excellent English and h=
as
blended into our family very nicely.
She has beautiful rosy cheeks and her eyes seem to light up when she
speaks about Germany and her family.
Jim and I have been really enjoyed getting to know her and learning =
more
about Germany and their culture and way of life.
In Leoni’s f=
amily,
their holiday celebrations begin on December 5th when each of th=
em
sets one of their boots outside their bedroom door. When they awake in the morning, th=
eir
parents have filled their boot with special treats including some candy or
something sweet. On December =
6th, the neighborhood children will walk door-to-door and either say a=
poem
or sing a song and the neighbors will give them a treat (very reminiscent of
our Halloween except they do not dress up in costume).
Leoni has told us =
that
her family does decorate for the holidays, but not nearly to the extent that
people decorate here with all the lights and festive garlands and trees.
We have talked abo=
ut
special foods that her family prepare s for the holidays and she mentioned =
red
cabbage or Rotkraut. My Grand=
ma
used to make this for every holiday – and my Mom has continued with t=
hat
tradition. The recipe we have=
is
over 100 years old from my Great Grandmother Hoffman. So, I thought I would share that r=
ecipe
with you this month. If you h=
ave
any recipes you’d like to share with me – I would enjoy receivi=
ng
them and giving them a try in my kitchen.&=
nbsp;
I know that you will all be cooking some wonderful things in the kit=
chen
– and your holidays would never be the same without them. Those special aromas and flavors a=
re
distinctly familiar and make our holidays very special.
Grandmother Hoffman’s Red Cabbage
–“Rotkraut”
1 – large he=
ad of
red cabbage – shredded fine
2 – Tablespo=
ons
Crisco shortening
2 - Tablespoons Ca=
nola
oil
1 – Red apple
cored, skinned and shredded
3 – Tablespo=
ons
light brown sugar
½ - Teaspoon salt
¼ - Teaspoon pepper
3 – Tablespo=
ons Vinegar
Stir well. Simmer at least 2 hours. Put lid on tight. Stir often. Serve warm.
******************= ***************************************************************************= **********
May your holidays =
be
filled with special memories.
And, As Always,
Safe Travels
Barbara
Your “Enthus=
iastic”
Excursionist
P. S. Whodunit?
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Whodunit?
You all know I LOVE
cruising! But did you know th=
at I
love a good mystery as well? =
Ever
since my childhood when I read the Nancy Drew books (“The Secret of t=
he Old
Clock” – “The Hidden Staircase”), I enjoyed trying =
to
solve the mystery. When I came
across a company called Whodunit Mystery Cruises, my curiosity was peaked.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> In 2011, I am becoming a “Pa=
rtner
in Crime”!
What better way to=
get
the best of both worlds than on a Whodunit Mystery Cruise!
If you book the cr=
uise
and choose to be a part of Whodunit, when you board you will be given your =
own
deadly role to play. Don't wo=
rry,
if you are on the shy side you can just sit back and watch the plot
unfold. But if you are not sh=
y,
then you can use your character to find out as much as you can. You see, the
actors will be mixing among you and in character for the entire mystery cru=
ise!!!
The hilarious story begins to unfold on the opening night where you will fi=
rst
meet all of the very M Y S T =
E R I
O U S Characters. Then during=
the
week there are mysterious notes slid under your cabin door, secret rendezvo=
us
set up for you ... all kinds of suspicious happenings!
On the days we are=
in
port, nothing will happen aboard the ship at this time, so you won't miss a=
ny
important clues. But be careful.... Captain's Night is bound to be a beauti=
ful,
elegant but- a D E V I L I S H
night, for sure!
Just think...mutiny
and...mayhem... gambling...all the grub you can
handle...intrigue...laughter...star laden skies...and Mystery on the High
Seas!!!! On May 20, 2011 Jim =
and I
will be on Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas sailing out of Seat=
tle
to – where else? ALASKA=
of
course!! (Now, come on –=
; you
knew that was coming didn’t you?)
So - Supersleuths!=
Grab your magnifying glasses,
deerstalker caps, and life vests as Whodunit heads from Seattle to Alaska o=
n a
7-Night Alaska Sawyer Glacier Cruise!
There are bound to be clues around every iceberg as we cruise the in=
side
passage to Juneau, Skagway, Tracy Arm Fjord and Victoria BC.
In addition to the=
May
20, 2011 sailing on Rhapsody of the Seas for 7 nights from Seattle to Alaska
– there are other mystery cruise opportunities for 2011:
1)&n=
bsp;
=
September 3-8, 201=
1 on
Enchantment of the Seas for 5-nights from Baltimore to the Bahamas
2)&n=
bsp;
=
October 28-31, 201=
1 on
Monarch of the Seas for 3-nights from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas =
3)&n=
bsp;
=
December 3-10, 2011 on Voyager of t=
he
Seas for 7-nights from New Orleans to the Western Caribbean.
Pricing starts from
$997.53 including taxes, port fees and Whodunit Murder Mystery per person b=
ased
on double occupancy.