Lipsonland

Weekend Getaway to Paris, TX ~ Feb. 4-5, 2012

2012-02-11T14:05:00.010-06:00

Ira sent Nancy clues all week about a Magical Mystery Tour to depart on Saturday morning and return on Sunday in time to go to a Super Bowl party.

Ready, set, go!
Ira leads the way to ???
Now it's obvious ... we're going to Paris, TX
Our destination is the Old Magnolia House, a delightful and charming B&B

There were three bedrooms. Ours was "The Rose Room"

It was a beautiful day for a 10 minute walk into town for lunch at The Skinny Grille.

What a pleasant surprise! Had a yummy lunch of shrimp and roasted vegetables in a tomato basil wrap.

Back at the B&B we look around ...

The pride of Paris, TX is their mini Eiffel Tower topped with a red cowboy hat.

Bonjour y'all!
Au revoir. Y'all take care now.

Meet Bogart

2012-01-18T12:14:00.004-06:00

He's our new feline dude! Bogart is about a year and a half old and full of fun.
We got him from a fellow who has been doing a lot of traveling and wasn't able to give the kitty enough attention. Bogart moved from a small apartment into our large house and has been fascinated by all the birds and squirrels he watches from all the windows.

A Hot Time

2012-01-18T12:11:00.003-06:00

It's our new spa. A Hot Springs "Envoy" with a million and a half soothing jets.
So-o-o-o-o relaxing.

Hall Of Fame

2011-11-11T10:42:00.003-06:00

On November 6, 2011 Ira was inducted into The Texas Radio Hall of Fame.
Nancy & Ira traveled to Houston to accept the award.Ira enjoyed meeting up with old broadcasting friends and enjoying the honor.

On November 6, 2011

October 2011

2011-10-07T11:43:00.002-05:00

Dallas Greek Festival - September 2011

2011-10-06T14:17:00.004-05:00

Mmmm ... baklava, kourambiethes and koulourakia. Sweet and yummy!

Enjoying a greek salad, with spanikopita (feta cheese and spinach mixture in phyllo) and fresh pita bread.
It was a beautiful night for being outdoors
Waiting to have our caricature sketch done
Voila ... the artist
Doesn't really look like us but it was fun to do!

Cirque!

2011-08-04T10:57:00.004-05:00

We thoroughly enjoyed the Cirque du Soleil "Dralion" show at the Dr. Pepper arena, just north of Dallas in Frisco.

Ira's 65th Birthday / Columbus, OH - June 2011

2011-07-19T12:21:00.014-05:00

Celebrating Ira's 65th birthday at Cap City Diner in Columbus

Nancy and her sweet stepmom Joel

Evan joined us too. It was wonderful to spend time together.

Nancy and Joel hug before saying goodbye.
Birthday cupcakes are a longstanding tradition with Eye's college roommate. This year it was a tiramisu cupcake from Whole Foods. Yum!

Oklahoma City Getaway - May 2011

2011-07-03T12:40:00.007-05:00

Red Stone Inn B&B in Oklahoma City. Great place with a storied history.

Built in the 1930s of the native red stone by skilled craftsmen, and there are horses on the property, but not, thankfully, in your room.

Chihuly chandelier at Oklahoma City Museum of Art
Chihuly chandelier at Oklahoma City Museum of Art, made with Waterford crystal
Eye admires a painting at the OKC Museum of Art
We both loved this painting by the French artist Maurice de Vlaminck
Wonderful dinner at Metro Wine Bar & Bistro
Eye's entree - Southwestern Lasagna with Portobello Mushrooms, Zuchini & Yellow Squash, Roasted Poblano & Red Pepper layered with Swiss Cheese and Corn Tortillas
It was one of the best meals we've had in a long long time. Yum!

Oklahoma City Memorial reflecting pool
A chair for each loss of life. Small chairs honor children who died

Paseo Art Festival
Whimsical art at the festival
In Your Eye indeed!
Enjoying the festival in spite of the 94 degree heat.
Cooling off in front of a giant fan in one of the studios.Crystal Bridge at the Myriad Botanical Gardens

Waterfall at Myriad Botanical Gardens
Beautiful orchids
Cooling off in front of a big fan @ Myriad Botanical Gardens
(Eye is Nancy's biggest fan)

Nicole and Henri visit from France - December 2010

2011-06-02T14:10:00.015-05:00

December 2, 2010 - our friends, Nicole and Henri arrive from France for a two week visit

Having some fun at the Galleria
Beautiful Christmas tree in the center of the ice skating rink at the Galleria
Nicole and Henri were like kids in a candy shop. It was fun to watch them ooh and aah at everything.
Nicole goofing off ...
We took Nicole and Henri to Blue Mesa to introduce them to some of Dallas' best Southwest cuisine. They did not like it! Even the mild chiles were too hot for them.
The Fort Worth Stockyards were a big hit!
Found these two cowboys hanging around
They loved watching the daily cattle drive
Here come the Longhorns
Enjoying lunch at one of the Stockyard restaurants before heading over to the museum
No visit to Dallas/Fort Worth is complete without a trip to the Kimball Museum
Saw a wonderful exhibit on The Maya and The Mythic Sea
Nancy has been in France many times at Christmas. It was fun to share Hanukkah with Nicole and Henri. This is the first Hanukkah for us to use our Nambe menorah we bought in Taos, NM.
Lunch in Salado, TX on our way to San Antonio
Henri and Ira pose by one of the stagecoaches in front of the historic Stagecoach Inn

Dinner at Pappadeaux's in San Antonio. Yum!
The two most handsome men at the restaurant ... Eye and Henri
Goofing off at the East Texas Piney Woods section of the San Antonio Botanical Gardens
Nancy loves roses!
Henri gets in the Texas spirit!
Nicole reads information on the Alamo that she printed out in French before leaving home ...

... while Henri records everything on video

The weather was perfect for strolling along the Riverwalk

What a beautiful night to enjoy the lights along the San Antonio Riverwalk

We made a quick stop at the Austin capital on our way back to Dallas

Nicole and Henri were very moved by the Sixth Floor Museum where they were able to take the audio tour in French
The trains at Northpark, raising money for the Ronald McDonald House

We had such a wonderful visit with our French friends. Hope to see them in France real soon!

Nancy's 60th Birthday Celebration in Tahiti - October, 2010

2011-05-26T15:51:00.035-05:00

Enjoying a beautiful sunny day in Manhattan Beach, CA on our way to Tahiti
@ LAX waiting for our flight to Papeete, Tahiti
We flew Air Tahiti Nui from Los Angeles to Papeete, Tahiti
Arrived Tahiti 9:30pm local time. It was a LONG 8.5 hour flight
Lei of flowers presented to us on arrival in Tahiti
Our home away from home for the next 11 nights m/s Paul Gauguin
m/s Paul Gauguin

Eye is quick to get into the spirit of the islands

Boarding "Le Truck" for our ride into town on the island of Huahine
Welcome to Huahine, our first port of call
Nancy checks out the map of Huahine
Standing on the dock of the bay ... waiting for the sunshine to roll in
Pareos were for sale on every island, in every shop
Nancy, along with so many others, was reading Stieg Larsen's "Girl With The Dragon Tattoo"
Due to a mix up, this melt-in-your-mouth chocolate mousse birthday treat, along with some caviar was delivered 3 times to our cabin! Who's complaining?
Curls gone wild! Nancy embraces her curls due to the IMPOSSIBILITY of fighting the humidity.
The food presentation was always so artistic
After a few rough days at sea, we stretch our legs and stroll around Raitea
Sunday morning in Raitea was kind of quiet as most of the shops were closed
Bouganvilla in Raitea
Tahitian woman making leis with local flowers
Baguettes for sale in a grocery store in Raitea
Nancy admires a water lily pond on Raitea
Beautiful water lily with bee
Nancy bought an artsy necklace from this woman on Raitea
Tiare (Tahitian gardenia) from which most of the leis are made
Our ship's tender arrives on the island of Aitutaki (Cook Islands)
We're ready for an all day sail and snorkel trip around all the lagoons
Aitutaki Lagoon, Cook Islands

Aitutaki, Cook Islands, where they filmed a season of the TV reality show, Survivor. We were blown away by the color of the water!

Beautiful fish we saw while snorkeling in the lagoon

Aitutaki, Cook Islands
Eye soaks up the incredible views
Wow - look at the color of that water!
Purple coral in the Aitutaki Lagoon
Beautiful Honeymoon Island - Is this marriage on the rocks?
Aitutaki Lagoon

Aitutaki Lagoon, where we stopped and had a picnic lunch

Our day on the private motu, Tahaa, got rained out but it didn't stop anyone from enjoying the liquid refreshments
Tahaa, private motu
There's no shortage of nuts on this island!
Pareo tying lesson
Cloudy, rainy day on private motu, Tahaa
Mt. Otemanu in Bora Bora
Welcome to Bora Bora
We rented a car to drive the leisurely 2 hour trip around the island of Bora Bora
Checking out one of many local shops
Looking for a magazine (in French) to read
T-shirt shopping in Bora Bora
Finally the sun is shining!
The blue water on Bora Bora defies description!
Spectacular views are everywhere on the island of Bora Bora
Another view of Mt. Otemanu

Famous Bloody Mary's Bar and Restaurant on Bora Bora ... our names haven't been added yet
View from Bloody Mary's
Enjoying a drink at Bloody Mary's
Currency from all around the world found on the wall at Bloody Mary's
A mellow fellow
Ira working on his tan
We enjoyed great views from our ship
Nancy catches up on email in the ship's computer center
We both love this beautiful batik which is now in our bedroom
Shop owner, Nancy, who sold us the batik
Eye soaks up more sun in front of one of the many boutiques on Bora Bora
Vendors line the path by the ship's pier
One of the tenders that will take us back to the m/s Paul Gauguin
Blowing in the breeze
I want to take this scenery home with me
Eye cools off in the pool with a cocktail
Birthday girl soaking up some sun
Eye relaxing poolside
Tahitian night in La Veranda dining room. Mmm ... lobsterMenu for Tahitian night
Desserts were NEVER disappointing
Another yummy dessert!
The Gauguines entertain at dinner

How 'bout them curls!

The Gauguines entertain us at one of the bars on the ship
Our new friends in Moorea, Lydia and her husband, Christian
Belvedere Point on Moorea
Lydia, our new friend and host for the day, on the island of Moorea
Belvedere Point
Gorgeous Moorea views
Beautiful blue bay on Moorea

Manutea, Tahiti where we sampled and purchased some heavenly coconut liqueur
Lydia and Nancy savour the coconut and vanilla liqueurs
Cheers!
This stuff goes down easy!
@ Lydia and Christian's house, where we toasted Nancy's birthday with champagne
Back in Papeete, Eye relaxes at the hotel before our flight home
Gee I hate to see this wonderful trip come to an end

Welcome To Lipsonland!

2010-10-08T11:32:00.001-05:00

Cottonwood Art Festival

2010-10-03T11:56:00.009-05:00

Picture perfect weather for enjoying the Cottonwood Art Festival

Hundreds of artists from around the country share their artwork twice a year at Cottonwood.
Lots and lots of people, babies and dogs
Nancy and Eye like this funky art work created from old license plates
Eye enjoys a moment of shade under the pretty cottonwood trees
Nancy has her eye on the red and black piece, thinking it might look good in our living room.
Eye soaks up the rays by the little lake at Cottonwood Park.
Fascinating whimsical windmills by an artist from Colorado
This "little" piece had a BIG price tag of $8500.00. Whoa!

Scott and Amanda Come To Dallas For The Holidays And More

2010-10-02T19:28:00.006-05:00

Enjoying lunch at Cafe Neuhaus
Wonderful meal with friends and family at Woodlands Grill
Poppy and Don join us for a delightful dinner
Scott and Amanda ... so happy together

Scott & Amanda and The Cowboys Game

2010-10-02T19:19:00.008-05:00

Game day @ Cowboys Stadium. Thanks to Amanda's Dad, we have VIP seats in one of the Hall Of Fame suites to watch the Cowboys vs. the Chicago Bears.
There's a whole lot of tailgating going on
Wonderful buffet lunch in the suite ...plenty for carnivors AND vegetarians
Nancy checks out the sushi table. It all looks so good!
Ah, the "suite" life
Nancy shows off her Cowboy shirt - a birthday gift from Scott and Evan last year

Pyrotechnics to start the game. We were fairly far away and could still feel the heat!

Champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries. Yum. Who needs nachos???

At halftime, Scott and Amanda explore the stadium
A fun time was had by all, even though the Cowboys lost.
Amanda is all smiles as the Chicago Bears are ahead!
Wow, would you look at the size of that scoreboard - 160 feet wide by 72 feet high and weighs 600 tons!!!
Eye and Nancy are having a great time, even though 'da Boys aren't winning.

Joel Stern Visits Us

2010-10-02T16:31:00.005-05:00

Joel Gleeson Stern visits us from Columbus Ohio. We had a great time together.
Joel hanging out by the backyard creek.
We spent an afternoon walking through the huge IKEA store and had lunch at Blue Mesa Grill, near the store.

Here's Joel and Eye in front of our homestead.
Nancy explains the peace pole, which says "May Peace Prevail On Earth" in English, French, Spanish and Chinese.
Joel fills the bird feeder. They sure go through a lot of seed!

Nancy and Joel at the front door.
We spent a fun afternoon swimming at the old, and still unsold, house.
The gals pose in the living room.

September Storms

2010-09-08T13:58:00.002-05:00

A series of heavy thunderstorms hit Dallas, and our normally tranquil creek was bursting with water.

Happy Birthday Gardener

2010-06-27T18:32:00.003-05:00

It's Eye's birthday! (Happy 39th) Hah Hah Hah!

Nancy commissioned an artist to create a custom metal sign in honor of her special gardener.

It's mid-June and Eye's Garden already has green beans, cucumbers, bell peppers and tomatoes!

Anniversary trip to Taos and Santa Fe - May 2010

2010-06-07T20:40:00.004-05:00

We flew into Albuquerque, picked up some wheels, and drove north a few hours to Taos in northern New Mexico.
Nancy found us a fantastic B&B in Taos.

It had a really nice warm feeling, which was great, since it was really cold outside.

Fresh chocolate chip cookies from chef Louis.
Saddle up kids...we're gonna ride to our room.

Didn't think we'd need the fireplace but it got down into the 20's at night so we did.

Our breakfast plate at the Adobe and Pines B&B was a work of art - berry pancakes filled with butterscotch chips and pecans. What a breakfast!

Old friends

2010-06-07T20:29:00.003-05:00

We visited with Eye's old college buddy Rik Gloff, who lives in Ranchos de Taos.
Rik showed us around his adobe house and land. Neat place!
It was good to catch up on old times over dinner. Nancy and Rik enjoy some of the chef's special anniversary dessert that the maitre d' insisted be on the house. Ira, hurry up and snap the picture or it'll be all gone.
Killer chocolate! Happy 2nd anniversary!

Around Taos

2010-06-07T17:55:00.008-05:00

Outside of town, with snow falling in the distance.
Arroyo Seco just north of Taos, withTaos ski valley in the backgroundNancy checks out the merchandise at the Arroyo Seco General store. She found a very cool color-changing bracelet.
Outside the store there was a cool old Chevy pickup truck. Love the rusty colors!

Downtown Taos Plaza. We looked for Julia Roberts who has a home in Taos but someone must have forgotten to tell her we were coming.

Shopping around the Taos downtown Plaza. Br-r-r it was cold out!

San Francisco de Asis Church in Taos - see the little flakes of snow??
Speaking of flakes, where's Eye?

Rio Grande Gorge and a Snowy Surprise

2010-06-07T17:36:00.004-05:00

The Rio Grande Gorge is a few miles outside of Taos...and it's breathtaking.
It's windy up on top of the bridge. Hold on to your hat, eye!

Is that Nancy...or Annie Hall?
A quick stop at Taos Pizza Out Back. It's not "outback." It's called "out back" because it's out back of some other buildings. And one slice is about all one person can eat of this delicious pizza made with all local and organic ingredients.

Driving along the high road from Taos to Santa Fe we encountered some snow which Nancy couldn't resist making into a snowball. Lookout - duck!!!

Las Palomas B&B in Santa Fe

2010-06-07T16:46:00.004-05:00

At Las Palomas we had our own Casita close to the center of town

Breakfast cappucino and lots to eat.

Enjoying Santa Fe

2010-06-07T16:34:00.006-05:00

We grab lunch at the Tesque Village Market Restaurant, near the flea market.It's a great day for strolling the plaza
And viewing the jewelry from Native American Indian vendors.Checking out the artsy shops in town.
Lunch at Tomasita's - great grub! Nancy likes New Mexican food. Ira Too.
Man, those margaritas are STRONG! Woo Hoo!

Ten Thousand Waves and Pasquals

2010-06-07T16:21:00.001-05:00

Getting Ready for a relaxing couples massage at Ten Thousand Waves.
Nancy is looking forward to it too!

A few hours later they softly ooze into the night...

Next day - A yummy breakfast at Cafe Pasqual's

Ira enjoys his morning coffee at the famous Cafe Pasqual's

Festive ceiling art at Pasqual's

Cruisin Canyon Road

2010-06-07T16:06:00.004-05:00

It's a gorgeous sunny day and our dynamic duo stroll the galleries on Canyon Road.

Pushkin Gallery featuring modern Russian artists.

What are they Russian for? Hey guys, slow down!

Quite the cut-up! Contemporary whimsical art on Canyon Road

Canyon Road sculpture garden

More cool sculptures and yard art

Beautiful blown glassworks in a gallery along Canyon Road

View of the mountains from Canyon Road

Santacafe and Jackalope

2010-06-04T14:24:00.005-05:00

Anniversary dinner at Santacafe Restaurant - this has been and probably always will be one of Santa Fe's best restaurants!

in a word - YUM! The chocolate was so decadent we didn't care that they spelled "anniversary" wrong!

We drove over to Jackalope - acres of cool stuff to see. We bought some new placemats, and Nancy checked out their beads.

Prairie Dog Glassworks studio at Jackalope shops just outside of Santa Fe. We thought this was going to be a vase or bowl and it ended up being a large platter (see next picture.)

Blown glass platters sell for big bucks.

The Meadow In Spring

2010-04-30T15:44:00.002-05:00

The flowering vines are beautiful at the side of our old (and still unsold) home.

Meadow Spring Blooms

2010-04-06T10:46:00.003-05:00

Our old Meadow Road house still hasn't sold, but the landscaping is busting out all over this Spring. This is a garden bed near the front circular driveway.

De-Lish Passover dish

2010-04-01T12:10:00.003-05:00

Nancy got creative in the kitchen and made this wonderful vegetarian Passover lasagna filled with zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, red bell peppers, onions and cheese. Oh, and a little matzoh.

Laugh Mania

2010-03-31T09:59:00.003-05:00

Our pals AC and Melinda joined us for a night of "Recession Proof Comedy" at the Eisemann Center in Richardson. Some good laughs.
The white blob of a comedian in the photo is not the Michelin Man.
He is an over-exposed comic, and not from being on TV and in movies too much.

Shower Power

2010-03-16T17:16:00.004-05:00

Our two and a half month bathroom repair is finally done!
We had a broken shower drain, so we had to tunnel under the house to replace the pipe.
The shower floor had to be ripped up to replace the shower pan. And then we discovered that the studs had rotted from years of leaking water. Everything had to be replaced.

But then we found another clogged pipe under the bathroom floor, so we had to jackhammer the floor here...
and also here...
What a mess!
We finally found new tile for the shower and replacement tile for the floor, and although the workmen were nice, we were glad to see them go. We love the new shower.

Re-Leaf

2010-03-16T16:38:00.003-05:00

Back in the Fall, Eye took a photo of beautiful colored leaves in the swimming pool. Larry Stevens saw that picture here on the Lipsonland blog and applied his artistic magic to it, adding new layers of color and beauty. We love the result and have ordered a huge canvas print of it.
Click the pic to get a bigger view.
After a morning munch breakfast with Larry at Cafe Brazil, he took this panoramic photo.

Winter Wonderland

2010-02-14T17:28:00.009-06:00

February 11, 2010 - Dallas set an all time record with 12.5" of snow.

It snowed all day on Thursday and was still snowing when we went to sleep.

We woke up to find ourselves surrounded by a winter wonderland with beautiful views from all the windows in the house.

View from our living room

(Far left - our neighbor's tree lies broken on the ground)

View of the creek from the kitchen

View of trees along the creek

View from Nancy's office

Tree on our backyard patio
Several tree limbs in the backyard and along the creek snapped under the weight of the wet and very heavy snow.

Our neighbor's tree bends under the weight of the snow and later snaps

View from Ira's office (upstairs)
View from the stairway to the 2nd floor

Large bois d'arc tree in front of the house

Our visit to the frigid North (Columbus,OH)

2010-02-09T21:05:00.004-06:00

Baby it's cold outside! The skies were sunny but the temperature never got out of the 20's during our stay. What were we thinking when we decided to take a walk around the block??? Br-r-r

We had a wonderful weekend spending time with Nancy's Dad, his wife Joel, and Nancy's brother, Bob.

"Chihuly Reimagined" Exhibit at Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus, OH

2010-02-09T16:53:00.011-06:00

"Venetians" inspired by a collection of art deco era glass made in Venice.

Eye admires glass flowers inspired by Chihuly's visit to Japan in 1990
Various pieces of blown glass form part of the ceiling at the entrance to one of the greenhouses.
Several of Chihuly's paintings were also on display.

One of two large chandeliers. This one is called "Orange Hornet with Eelgrass"

Red reeds grace one of the rooftop gardens. It was a brisk 24 degrees outside. Br-r-r
Blue reeds surround a nearly 200 year old completely hollow white oak tree which, at one time, was located in Franklin Park along East Broad Street.

Glass bubbles inspired by Chihuly's work in Japan during the 1990's

A reimagined version of a glass filled boat from the Chihuly Over Venice project.
Nancy admires one of Chihuly's "Venetians" on display in the lobby of the conservatory.

Orchid Forest at Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus, OH

2010-02-09T16:37:00.006-06:00

We saw such beautiful and unusual orchids. Some looked like they couldn't possibly be real.

Ho Ho SNOW!

2009-12-26T12:30:00.008-06:00

December 23rd it was sunny and 75 degrees. Christmas Eve brought SNOW!

We weren't dreaming of a white Christmas but got one anyway. Christmas Day, we were without power from noon until 11:00pm. Br-r-r

Happy Ha Ha Ha Hanukkah

2009-12-20T17:18:00.009-06:00

Nancy puts up decorations, and puts up with Ira.

Speaking of Ira, he gets the hang of it.

Nancy gets an iPhone for Hanukkah!

Give her a call. Or email her. Or send her an app.

One of Ira's all-time favorite treats is a gooey nutty chocolately caramel apple. Hey Eye, is that gooood?

Thanks For Thanksgiving

2009-12-20T17:11:00.002-06:00

It's our first Thanksgiving at our new house.

We head over to The Sundeen's home for a Thanksgiving dinner with them.

Here's Nancy with Poppy.
It's a warm, wonderful day outside. Here's Poppy with sister Tootie from Omaha.

Stairway To Heaven

2009-12-12T09:45:00.001-06:00

This is the view from Eye's office window. That dark blob on the steps is Smirnoff the cat, taking a midday nap.

Frisbee Time!

2009-11-24T23:12:00.003-06:00

It's a beautiful Fall afternoon, and our dynamic duo take to the backyard for a little tossing of the frisbee.

Fall Colors

2009-11-17T15:27:00.009-06:00

Warm days and cool nights bring out the best of the beautiful Fall colors

Three new crepe myrtle trees were planted where an old, dying silver leaf maple tree used to be

Let There Be Peace On Earth

2009-11-17T15:06:00.005-06:00

The peace pole was moved from our Meadow Road house to our new home where it greets visitors along the walkway to the front door. Eye uses his post hole digger to make a pole hole.

The sign says "May Peace Prevail On Earth" in four languages - English, Spanish, Chinese and Nancy's favorite - French

Go Wolverines!

2009-11-17T15:00:00.005-06:00

When Eye is not busy cheering on the Dallas Cowboys he enjoys supporting his home state and Scott's alma mater, the University of Michigan Wolverines.

Nancy celebrates her 29th birthday ... again!

2009-10-24T12:51:00.005-05:00

The birthday girl is ready to celebrate!

Champagne toast with dear friends, Poppy and Don Sundeen before heading to Popolos for dinner
Ira and his beautiful birthday bride at Popolos
For next year, Ira has promised Nancy a 30th birthday trip to anywhere in the world her heart desires. Let the countdown begin!

Visit with Dad and Joel in Columbus, OH October 2009

2009-10-08T17:10:00.015-05:00

Nancy's son, Evan, drove in from Louisville, KY

Dad's wife and sweetheart, Joel ... such a wonderful and kindhearted woman!
'Da boys - Dad and Ira hit it off like best buddies
What a beautiful love story ...

It's raining, it's pouring, the creek behind our house is roaring!

2009-10-01T18:34:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! L'Shanah Tova!

2009-09-21T19:33:00.008-05:00

Nancy's son, Scott, who lives in Brooklyn, came to Dallas to join Nancy for Rosh Hashanah, the start of the Jewish New Year.

Shabbat dinner on Friday night

We're off ... to Temple Emanu-El for the Rosh Hashanah morning service.

Eye, Nancy and Scott enjoy the Plano Balloon Festival

2009-09-21T17:12:00.009-05:00

After many days of rain and clouds, it was a beautiful night for the balloon festival and balloon "glow"

Looks like this balloon is going to land right on Nancy's head!

Nancy and her son, Scott

Twinkle, Twinkle Hot Air Balloon

2009-09-21T16:58:00.003-05:00

Click below to watch the balloons all twinkle at once.

Buy Me! Buy Me!

2009-09-14T10:14:00.001-05:00

We're still looking for a buyer for our old house.

Say Anything 2009

2009-09-03T15:34:00.006-05:00

Nancy and Eye attended the "Say Anything" Art Show at the University of Texas at Dallas, where our friend, Willie Baronet, was one of the artists. Willie's exhibit featured a collection of cardboard signs he has purchased from homeless people on street corners around town.

Here are of few of the signs that Willie bought as a way to help the homeless.

The New Casa Lipson

2009-08-25T21:19:00.005-05:00

Our new house is about 6 miles North of our old place in a quiet residential area. It's situated on a half acre creek lot with loads of trees and wildlife.Here's a view of the rear of the house from near the creek.
Nancy's dad & stepmom sent us this personalized doormat.
Nance put up her mezzuzah next to the front door.

Around The House

2009-08-25T21:11:00.007-05:00

C'mon in - this is part of the entryway.Here are the stairway light globes, each holding air from a different city from around the world.
One globe contains a life form from another planet...or is that just dust?
Need to use the guest bath?
Here's a partial view of the atrium, which is off the main hallway.This is a shot of half of the kitchen area. There's lots of storage and counter space and an enormous 6 burner cooktop. There's even indoor plumbing so Nancy doesn't have to bring in water from a well. What they won't think of next!
Outside the kitchen area is a patio and garden area where we plan to put in a pool.

Home Offices

2009-08-25T20:47:00.004-05:00

Nancy's office is sleek and modern, with her new glass and chrome furnishings.She has a whole wall of bookcases, which display artwork and family pictures.
Eye's friend Larry Stevens pitched in to help install a wall of hanging storage units.
Here the macho men display their impressive tools.
Eye installed his computer, printer, scanner and nuclear reactor on the units.
His trusty old rolltop desk also found a place of honor in his new office.

Dining Room

2009-08-25T20:42:00.003-05:00

We were able to move our oak table and pine cabinets from the Meadow Road home to the new house and they fit in beautifully with the recently re-done wooden floors, salvaged from a 1940's house in South Dallas.

Our Living Room

2009-08-25T18:53:00.006-05:00

We found our living room furniture at Luxury of Leather. We were able to pick the style, size, color, and even the pieces of leather for our sofa and swivel recliners.
Mmmm... that's comfortable.
Does Nancy look relaxed or what?
We splurged on a 52" Sony TV. Man, that looks good!
The house is filled with light from the huge two story windows.
This is the view from the living room toward the creek.

A Tree Disappears

2009-08-25T18:47:00.004-05:00

Our land has some beautiful trees, but one in front of the house was dying and had to be removed.

Going...Going...
Gone!

Eye's studio

2009-08-25T16:09:00.005-05:00

Ira is wired! Moving the recording studio was no easy task. Here's our voice guy sifting through wires and connectors looking for the right ones. Can anybody spare some spaghetti sauce?

Thanks to Eye's buddy Tim Parker and engineer Bill Guyger, the new studio is up and running. And sounding great!

Moving Day

2009-08-25T15:50:00.004-05:00

The moving guys arrive to do the heavy lifting.
Eye is carrying the load and shlepping boxes.
Nancy carries herself very well, and carries boxes, too.
Smirnoff boxes himself up, but isn't too happy about this moving thing.
At day's end, Nancy takes a breather.Eye is pooped, too.
And even Smirnoff is exhausted.It's time for a toast! Peach Bellinis for the Lipsons and a warm welcome to their new home.

Smirnoff Yoga

2009-08-12T10:57:00.008-05:00

Our wonderful cat Smirnoff has started a new business.
He smartly identified a business opportunity teaching Yoga to cats.
Here he is demonstrating the basic Feline Twist posture. Smirnoff studied Yoga in India under the tutelage of Macatma Purrable.
We wish Smirnoff good luck in his venture! If you know a cat interested in Yoga lessons, please have them contact Smirnoff ASAP, as classes are filling up quickly.

Hello

2009-07-02T22:04:00.007-05:00

Say hello to our new house! We're moving to a great new home. It's large, airy and contemporary with lots of windows overlooking the nature views of a half acre creek lot. Although it's still in Dallas, it has a woodsy country feeling.
Here's the view from the creek.
We're just starting to move in and we're getting a lot of new furnishings. We'll have more views in the near future.

Goodbye

2009-07-02T22:00:00.002-05:00

It's goodbye to our old house. Ira bought it back in 1972. Hopefully we'll find a buyer soon.
The big selling feature is the large wooded lot and lush landscaping.

Father's Day Weekend

2009-06-28T20:56:00.007-05:00

Nancy flew up to Columbus, OH for a short but wonderful weekend with her Dad and family.

Rudy and Nancy

Rudy, Nancy's son Evan, and Nancy

Rudy and his bride, Joel

Anniversary Weekend In Fort Worth

2009-05-06T15:20:00.009-05:00

We celebrated our first anniversary with a weekend in Fort Worth. There was an outstanding exhibit at the Kimball Art Museum that suited our celebration well.

Ira poses next to a horny sculpture.
Or is it a sculpture posing next to a horny Ira?We took the audio tour of the "Art & Love" exhibit. Great fun. And romantic.
The Fort Worth Water Gardens were across the street from our hotel.The water was LOUD down there!Nancy used her travel agency magic to get us a great corner suite at the Omni hotel.Even with the rain, the views were good.Ira lazes and prepares to watch the Kentucky Derby with his bride.After all those years in Louisville, Nancy is addicted to watching the Kentucky Derby. We had a wager between us, and it was a tie...just like last year.On Sunday we visited the Fort Worth Modern Art Museum. Here's Nancy checking out a new economy airline.This "art" is thousands of wrapped candies lying on the floor.We had a lot of "Heck, I could paint that" moments.It was fun to explore Fort Worth and get out of Dallas for a weekend. And it was a sweet anniversary trip.
Where with the dynamic duo go next year? Stay tuned.

Heads You Win!

2009-04-27T21:03:00.004-05:00

The country of Bromovia has just issued a new coin honoring one of the world's great women - Nancy Lipson. Issued in a limited edition of 250,000 coins, it is sure to be a collectors item.

Volunteering Behind The Mike

2009-04-26T22:09:00.003-05:00

Ira and Don Sundeen spend a chunk of time every Thursday volunteering at North Texas Radio For The Blind. They present an hour-long "Newspaper Of the Air" program, and then do a wacky half hour "Supermarket Special" show, reading the grocery circulars to the beat of rock 'n' roll instrumentals. It's one of the most popular shows on the station, and Ira & Don have fun doing it.

A Day In The Museum

2009-04-11T10:53:00.002-05:00

Nancy is a work of art!Mona Lisa has nothing on our girl!

Studio Changes

2009-04-11T10:48:00.005-05:00

After many years of use, Eye's big old studio mixer finally died. Here's our voice guy doing one of the last sessions with that console. May it rust in peace.
It was replaced with a new compact mixer that sounds great and takes up much less space.

Mexican Riviera Cruise

2009-04-05T17:35:00.000-05:00

Nancy found us a great super-deluxe suite on a Holland America cruise out of San Diego in February. We had a great time and had stops in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas.
Here we are in San Diego, ready to set sail.
Our stateroom was big and beautiful!
...and comfortable!
Nancy spent some relaxing time reading and sunning on our stateroom deck.

Hanging out on board

2009-04-05T17:31:00.000-05:00

The ship was very nicely appointed, including this Waterford crystal chandelier in the atrium.

Here's Eye, striking his James Bond pose.
Somehow the staff got the idea that it was Nancy's birthday. They were only off by a half year. They put balloons at our door and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY message. Nancy didn't have the heart to tell them it wasn't her birthday.Each morning we received a tiny digest of news highlights that was transmitted to the vessel over the internet...or via magic pixie dust. Anyway, it arrived outside our door and it was great for lazy reading in bed.Because Nancy had booked us into an exclusive hotsy-totsy suite, we were invited to a private luncheon party with the captain. The non-stop delicacies, champagne, caviar and chocolate dipped strawberries were wonderful!
Here's Nancy on the promenade deck. Is she promenading?
Here's a hot dude she picked up on board.
There were two formal nights, and The Lipsons got slicked up.

Puerto Vallarta

2009-04-05T17:30:00.000-05:00

Puerto Vallarta was our first stop after 2 days of sailing.
It was sunny and beautiful outside.
We did a little shopping and discovered mojitos at Bubba Gumps, where we partook of a refreshing beverage or two.

Seeing Mazatlan from the ship

2009-04-05T17:28:00.000-05:00

Click to see the view from our lunch table.

Mazatlan

2009-04-05T17:27:00.000-05:00

We found Mazatlan to be less than charming, but had a good time there anyway.
Nancy & her hubby poked around in some galleries but didn't find any treasures.
We soaked up some local color which was free.
We were impressed by this gallery, which had it's own pond and stepping stones.

When the sun went down

2009-04-05T17:26:00.001-05:00

Mother Nature gave us some spectacular sunsets from our stateroom balcony.

Sunset video

2009-04-05T17:25:00.000-05:00

It's Cabo time!

2009-04-05T17:24:00.001-05:00

We commandered this ship to take us out for some snorkeling and whale watching.
We saw some whales but weren't able to get any photos, so use your imagination.
Here we are at the famous Cabo Arch.
And here's the famous Cabo Arch posing without us.
Here's Nancy enjoying the scenery. I'm sure the scenery enjoyed Nancy, too.

It's snorkel time!And here's the monster from 20,000 leagues beneath the sea.The underwater camera gives proof that we saw real fish.

Back on board - Homeward bound

2009-04-05T17:22:00.001-05:00

Nancy looks beautiful for the final formal night.

It's a special last dinner, and Ira becomes Chef Eye.Nancy clowns around with our waiter Aziz.

We got back to our cabin and found that our cabin steward had created animal art with a towel.

back at our home port of San Diego

2009-04-05T05:21:00.000-05:00

We pull in to San Diego at the end of our cruise.
It was a very very relaxing and fun trip.

How Much Is That Doggy In The...

2009-01-17T16:32:00.002-06:00

While at the pet store to pick up some catnip for Smirnoff, Nancy couldn't resist checking out the cute tiny puppies. They were adorable!
And no, we didn't get one.

We got two.

No we didn't - just kidding!

Our Meet-a-versary

2009-01-17T16:22:00.002-06:00

January 17 was the 3rd anniversary of our first meeting.
We venture back to Starbucks on that date each year to honor the magic.

In The Greenhouse

2009-01-17T16:18:00.003-06:00

The greenhouse heater went kafunky and we needed to get a repairman out.
Eye snapped this sparky shot with his iPhone camera.

Vance Gilbert

2009-01-10T16:01:00.002-06:00

We caught a concert at Uncle Calvin's Coffeehouse and were blown away by Vance Gilbert. This guy can sing & play like nobody's business! Plus he was so funny. Nancy & Eye met him after the show & he autographed a CD for us.

Eye Phone

2009-01-10T15:52:00.003-06:00

Nancy gave Eye an iPhone for Hanukkah and he's been having SO much fun with it.
With downloaded applications he can now use it to visit other planets and chat with Abraham Lincoln. Plus it makes great donuts. And if you lick the screen it tastes just like a gin and tonic.

Brunch With The Brandenburgers

2008-12-30T09:35:00.001-06:00

Paul and Linda roll through Dallas and we catch up with them and their cute kids Matthew and McKenna. A fun morning at Cindy's Deli.

December Visit To Columbus Ohio

2008-12-23T21:41:00.003-06:00

Nancy & Eye flew up to Columbus for a great visit with Dad & Joel.
We met up with Nancy's twin cousins Barbara and Amy for lunch at California Pizza Kitchen.
Eye binges on a Cinnabon. Yum!!!
Here we are with Nancy's brother Bob at The Claremont, where we all enjoyed a great dinner Saturday night.

Rudy and his lovely bride Joel enjoying an evening out with us at one of Columbus' best restaurants, and one of Rudy & Joel's favorites.
We both ordered their signature potato latke crusted salmon fillet that was fantabulous!Back at the house, Eye interviews Rudy for a family history CD.

Aw shucks, aren't they just the cutest couple?!!

Fall Color on Meadow Road

2008-12-12T10:32:00.004-06:00

It has been a particularly colorful Autumn in the neighborhood.
Here's a sample of some brilliant fall color at the side of our house.

Hey, Turn That Light Off!

2008-11-08T16:44:00.003-06:00

Smirnoff likes to join us when we read or watch TV on the sofa, but he doesn't like the bright lights. So he covers his eyes with his paw. Maybe we should buy him a blindfold for his birthday.

Radio For The Blind

2008-11-08T16:30:00.002-06:00

Ira sometimes does volunteer work for North Texas Radio For The Blind. On this day he was waiting in the lounge there to meet up with Don Sundeen to co-host the Supermarket Specials Show. The guys have fun broadcasting the grocery store specials to vision-impaired folks who listen on special radios.

Obama Mama

2008-11-08T16:25:00.003-06:00

Nancy shows off her Obama pride, with her Obama sign, and an Obama cookie she got at an election watch party. Ahhh... victory is sweet!

Eye Mouths Off

2008-11-08T16:18:00.002-06:00

Here's Ira recording a script for Tractor Supply Company at the studios of Dallas Audio Post.
There really ARE words on the paper - he doesn't get to make them up as he goes along.

Swimming In November?

2008-11-03T15:32:00.008-06:00

It's November in Dallas, but the temps are still in the 80's so we soak up some sun, crank up the pool heater and enjoy the last swim of the season.Eye is obviously having a hard time relaxing. :-)>

After a good swim we cap off the day in the hot tub.

Halloween Spooktacular

2008-11-03T15:18:00.004-06:00

Eye cranks up the fog machine to go along with the scary sounds blaring out of the hidden speakers, and it's time for another Halloween Spooktacular!
Poppy tries to rip the heart out of poor Don.
It's the War of the Witches! Nancy and Poppy do double evil hexes.
And the winners of the weird hats competition...
AC and Melinda!
Nancy ditches her husband in favor of the handsome Chief Oogabooga.
Oh wait, that's Ira under there! Or is it???
We'd guess about 300 to 400 little beggars visited the Lipson Haunted House. It was a wild evening, punctuated by screams from many frightened little beasties. (Most of the screams came from Ira, who scared himself silly.)

Nancy's 58th Birthday Celebration

2008-10-25T11:43:00.018-05:00

Nancy and Eye are all smiles before going out to dinner with good friends Poppy and Don Sundeen & Melinda Marcus and AC Gonzalez.

Celebrating at one of Nancy's favorite restaurants - Popolos Café

Home Remodeling Tour

2008-10-19T20:37:00.003-05:00

We toured some neat remodeled homes, looking for ideas. We found lots of good ideas.
Paying for those good ideas is a whole other issue. :-)>

Wanda Sykes Is So Damn Funny

2008-09-29T14:48:00.003-05:00

We rolled over to McFarlin Auditorium at SMU Friday night to see Wanda Sykes. We never laughed so hard. She was great!
We got front row tickets and a few days later found out that our good friends AC & Melinda also had front row seats and had been just a few seats down from us! Wild!

Just Gimmee A Little Sign Girl...

2008-09-23T16:42:00.003-05:00

We like Barack Obama for prez.
Here's Nancy planting a sign of the times in our front yard.

The Fall Garden Groweth

2008-09-23T16:39:00.003-05:00

After the Summer heat ends, we get a garden growth spurt in September and October. Eye's veg garden is doing great, and the tomatoes and cukes are very happy. Here he is with his owly friend.

Bob Shannon Rolls Into Town

2008-09-13T13:37:00.005-05:00

Eye's old pal Bob Shannon rolls into town from Bainbridge Island, Washington and catches up with Eye & Nancy over dinner.