Thoughts on New Year’s Day 2015

By Lynn R. Mitchell

It’s a quiet day at home. We watched the Rose Bowl Parade this morning and are ready for the Rose Bowl game this afternoon between the Florida State Seminoles — our son-in-law’s alma mater so we’ll all be rooting for this ACC team — and Oregon. A heart-warming moment occurred at the conclusion of the parade when a triple Purple Heart Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran and his wife were honored with a new home in Hampton, Virginia … a gift from Wells Fargo.

We’re cold here in the Shenandoah Valley with temps in the upper 30s and very stiff breezes making the wind chill much colder even though the sun is out. Some years we have taken a drive along the Blue Ridge Mountains in Shenandoah National Park but today we’re sticking close to home to work on some chores and watch the game at 4:30.

West Virginia’s Greenbrier Resort unveils impressive 1,000-pound chocolate holiday display

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Pictured clockwise from top left: Jean-Francois Suteau, Executive Pastry Chef at The Greenbrier, stands next to one of his chocolate creations; some of the resort’s holiday-themed chocolate structures; The Greenbrier’s impressive 1,000-pound chocolate Christmas display.