Honesty IS the Best Policy

I am embarrassed to admit that I made a mistake (not my first, I can assure you), but this one could have cost me a sale in the Store.  First a little background.  As it drew close to Christmas, some family members found they needed a quick gift.  I told them to take whatever they needed - wristlets, pot pinchers, whatever.  Unfortunately, I never went back through the boxes to update what was still available.  Christmas came and went, and I completely forgot about it.

Yesterday, I received an order for a wristlet and a water bottle carrier.  I found the water bottle carrier immediately since I had just repacked them.  But the wristlet was MIA.  I searched everywhere, but no luck.  Then I remembered that I had given the family free rein to take what they needed.  I went back through what I had and updated the store, and also re-listed some items that had expired.  I was so afraid of losing that order.  I asked Rod what he thought I should do, and he replied that I had always been one of the most honest people he knew, and that I should just be honest.  I messaged the purchaser and explained the situation.  I told her that if she wanted I could simply refund her money and send her the bottle carrier at no charge as an apology.  When she messaged me back, she said it wasn't a big deal, and she chose another wristlet.  I'm very thankful that she understood.

This situation reinforced my belief that honesty is always the best policy. But, it also taught me that regardless of what's going on around me, I need to keep on my toes about updating the store sight. I promise to do better from now on.

New Ideas

I have been looking for some new ideas for items to make for the Etsy Store.  I found these braided fabric bracelets that I thought looked really cool.  I  decided to begin with an inspirational theme and ordered some charms - ribbons of hope, hearts, crosses, and angels.

The tutorial I found showed the folded fabric as being unfinished, which left frayed edges.  When I was teaching ceramics (bet you didn't know that I'm a certified ceramic teacher), I couldn't stress to my students enough that all edges needed to be finished.  And I guess that it still holds for me today, since I didn't like the frayed edge look.

So, I started finishing the strips of fabric like I was making shoelaces.  And I think they look crisper and more finished.    Now, I have ordered Ichthus fish and clouds with rainbows that should arrive tomorrow.  I was a Rainbow girl when I was younger, and Genesis 9:13 still is one of my favorite Bible verses.

Now I have had requests for dogs, cats and horses.  So they are also on order.  I believe that these bracelets could be an inspiration for anyone facing a terminal illness, a recent death in the family or a crisis that needs to be resolved.  When you have a chance, please stop by the store and give me your opinions on the bracelets.

Animal Kingdom, a Parade, and a Cruise

Tuesday was our day for Animal Kingdom.  We started the day with an 8:05 breakfast at Tusker House.  This is one of my favorite breakfasts at Disney, it is breakfast with "Character".  You start out with a photo with Donald Duck in his safari clothes.  This was last year's photo, we haven't received the ones from this year yet.  The breakfast has an African theme, and you are visited at your table by Mickey, Goofy, and Daisy in their safari clothes.  The food is really good.  You have your typical breakfast fare, and also some African items.  We finished our breakfast and proceeded to the Kilimanjaro Safari.  I absolutely love this attraction.  The ride is definitely rough - it's been known to nearly bounce me out of my seat, and that's saying something.  We had really good luck this trip and saw nearly every animal imaginable.  We say the baby elephant from last year and were amazed at how much he had grown.

We saw the Festival of the Lion King show, always one of our must-sees.  Some of the group rode Expedition Everest, while others (like me) just killed some time in the gift shops.  Rod and I had pizza and salads at Pizzafari.  We had never eaten here before, and it was really quite good.  Soon it was time to find a good viewing spot for the Jingle Jungle Parade.  A friend of Mary's had made arrangements for Jimmy, Mary and the kids to ride on one of the floats in the parade.  It was really great to see them sitting up there waving to all the crowd.

Rod, the twins and I had reservations for the Cape May "clambake" for 6:30.  In the past we have loved this buffet, but the food was somewhat lacking this time and we probably won't eat here again.  After dinner, we made our way to the dock to await our Illuminations cruise.  It was a beautiful night, and the first time I had seen Illuminations with the Christmas tag, which includes the song "Let There Be Peace on Earth".  The first time I had ever heard this song was when my sister had sung it in concert choir in high school, and it still brings tears to my eyes.  Nancy passed away in 1991 at the age of 37, and there isn't a day that I don't miss her. The fireworks were probably the best I've ever seen.  After the cruise, the captain urged me to disembark before the others because their weight kept the boat closer to the height of the dock.  Rod had gone to retrieve my scooter, and I nearly fell as I stepped onto the dock.  That put me in a bit of a bad mood.  We proceeded into the resort and had started to admire the gingerbread, when I realized that my bag wasn't in the basket of my scooter.  I knew I had it on the boat, and Rod and the twins began to search for it while my mood grew more and more black.  But alas, no bag.  While at Disney, that bag holds most of my life - our daily meds, our gift cards, my pins for trading, a first aid kit, and more.  I was nearly in tears over the $350 in gift cards, Rod was more concerned about the pins I was so excited about.  It was a quiet ride to our room that night.

Notes on the day:  All in all it was a great day, although it ended on a dark note.

Tomorrow:  Lost, found, and good bye to Disney.

Day 5 - Hollywood Studios

The kids were at the park for opening, but Rod and I were a little slow to get started.  We arrived about a half hour later and began our day by having our picture taken in front of the Hollywood Studios Christmas tree.  We proceeded to move further into the park and had another picture taken in front of the huge sorceror's hat.  Rod was to meet the kids at Rock n Roller Coaster to use a fast pass.  Since I don't ride coasters, I made my way into the gift shop.  Nearly every ride and attraction at Disney exits into a gift shop, which stocks items pertinent to that ride or attraction.  I had never been inside the one at Rock n Roller coaster.  It had an array of items themed toward Aerosmith and rock music.  I bought a hoodie for George here.  Once I was back outside, I purchased a set of beads for Kristin (in blue) and one for Mary (in pink).

The beads are so unique.  They are made from recycled Disney park maps.  The maps are shipped to Uganda where they are rolled into beads and treated to make them water resistant.  They are then shipped back to Disney where they are sold.  I had bought a set last year for my mom, and the girls loved them.    You can see from the photo how beautiful and colorful they are.  Rod and the kids rode some other rides, and we saw the Beauty and the Beast show.  We had reservations for Mama Melrose's at 2:45 as part of the Fantasmic Dining package.  We were late, and had quite a wait to be seated.  I decided to be brave and try calamari for the first time ever.  It was OK, but nothing for me to crow about. Jimmy and Bubby love it, so I passed my plate to them.  Our server was less than friendly, but we learned by observing her in action that the servers were very overworked.  Toward the end of our meal, she warmed up.  I had decided to have a steak, which was served with five cheese baked macaroni and cheese.  It was really good, but I don't think I'd ever been served a steak with no steak knife until then.

After dinner, we did a little more shopping and then got in line for Fantasmic.  It is the story of Mickey battling evil, and of course Mickey wins.  There are images projected onto water, and fireworks.  It wasn't as good as I remembered.  We then proceeded to the Streets of America to see the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.  It was Incredible!!  This is just one of the pictures Rod took.  There is Christmas music playing and the lights dance in time to the music.

By the time we finished enjoying it was getting really cold, so Rod and I left the park to go back to the room. But first we had to stop and have another photo taken.

Notes on today:  It was really a great day.  The weather was wonderful, and quite frankly being a little chilly while enjoying the lights put me so into the Christmas spirit.  

Next:  Animal Kingdom and the Illuminations Cruise.

Magic Kingdom again and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

Sunday started with a very early breakfast at 1900 Park Fare.  (whose idea was that??)  This is certainly one of my favorite breakfasts at Walt Disney World.  They have really great food here - the cold strawberry soup and lobster eggs Benedict are to die for.  The characters here are Pooh, Tigger, Mary Poppins, Alice and the Mad Hatter.  I adore the Mad Hatter, he is so into character.  When he first arrived at our table, he sat on Bubby's lap and of course, no one had a camera ready.  He is just so goofy, and when he has his photo taken with guests, he almost always sticks out his tongue.  So, Rod and I decided to do the same.   Here's the result.

Since it was an early morning, and Rod and I are "old" and Magic Kingdom is our least favorite park, we decided to go back to the room for a nap.  But not before we paid the gingerbread house a visit.

 It is a life size gingerbread house in the lobby of the Grand Floridian, and they actually sell gingerbread out of the house.  It wasn't open when we left, but my girls made sure they bought me some while they were there later,

After a nice nap, Rod and I returned to the Magic Kingdom and met up with the kids.  We did the "Jingle Cruise" - the Jungle Cruise with a Christmas twist.  Mary and I love this ride since we are big fans of the pun.  The captain usually tells the corniest jokes, and ours was the best ever.  We left there and Mary said we should do the Enchanted Tiki Room, since I had really wanted to see that show (although now, I wonder why).  What a ridiculous performance this was!  I just kept shaking my head while laughing all the while.

And I was so excited to be able to meet my idol, the Fairy Godmother.  I have a shirt with her picture on it and it declares me to be the "Fairy Grandmother".  I do try to make all the family's dreams come true, after all.

Rod, the twins and I had an early dinner at the Crystal Palace, where you meet the characters from Winnie the Pooh.  It is a buffet with a lot of varied selections to choose from.  We really enjoyed the meal there, and I did manage to get a really picture of myself with Eeyore.

After dinner, we prepared for the Christmas Party.  It was a lot of fun.  Pam found me a great spot for viewing the parade.  I was right in the front line, and got to interact with quite a few of the characters.  We then proceeded to the Castle area, to watch the projection show and finally the fireworks.  If you've never seen Disney fireworks, you don't know what you're missing. They are phenomenal!  The kids decided to stick around for the second parade, but the "old folks" returned to the resort.

Notes on today:  a fun day, but I don't think I will waste my money on the party again.  We have real snow in PA, not the soap snow they have on Main Street.  I wanted a pin from the Christmas Party, but was told that they had been sold out two weeks before.  The free cookies and cocoa were really good.

Tomorrow - Hollywood Studios

Day 3 - EPCOT

Our second and final day at EPCOT for this trip was to begin with a Fast Pass for Soarin'.  Rod and I decided to sleep in a little, and met the kids at Akershus in Norway for a breakfast with the princesses.  This is truly a good breakfast, served mostly family style.  Bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, and a breakfast potato dish are served at the table.  On the buffet there is fresh fruit, sliced meats, cheeses, yogurt, cinnamon rolls, biscuits, and chocolate croissants.  Our server advised us to try the "brown" cheese.  We did, and it was delicious - yes it was a brown goat cheese.  We had a photo take with Belle, and were visited at the table by Cinderella, Aurora, Snow White and Ariel.

The kids waited in a very long line to meet Santa and Mrs. Clause, while Rod and I shopped.  The kids met with some of the other characters, and in the afternoon returned to do Test Track.  I had wanted to visit some of the other lands in EPCOT and see some of the shows and storytellers, but the park was so packed that I had trouble navigating the crowds. I had heard that there was a Koi Pond in Japan - never found it.  In frustration, I gave up and returned to the front of the park to watch a Christmas concert by a gospel group.  It was very enjoyable, and it seemed to me that the "kind, and happy people" had gathered here. Maybe they were also avoiding the pushy crowds in World Showcase. We went to the aquarium and saw Turtle Talk with Crush (I love that cool dude).  I bid farewell to EPCOT, my favorite park.

We had a late dinner at Kona, where they have the best steaks.  It is one of our favorite restaurants, and we eat here every visit.  We had planned a cruise to view Wishes, the fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom.  Our boat was to leave at 8:30 to view Wishes at 9:00.  But Disney decided to keep the Magic Kingdom open later, so instead we left at 9:00 to view Wishes at 10:00.  If you are a Disney visitor and have never done a cruise, I heartily encourage you to try one.  Although they are a relaxing way to see the fireworks without crowds, they are also very informative.  Our captain took us on a tour of the lake, and showed us a secret island where Disney had originally planned an "animal kingdom".  He showed us the location of Disney's first water park, now defunct.

And we got to see the Electric Boat Parade.  The only downside of this cruise was the weather.  We FROZE!!!  It was so cold and windy.  Non-alcoholic beverages and snacks are provided with the cost of the cruise, but we could certainly have used some hot cocoa.

My notes on today - the crowds were unbelievable to say that we had chosen a week that was supposedly  "less crowded". There was more pushing, fewer kind words, and the day was certainly more stressful for me.  One good thing is that there is now a Starbucks in EPCOT, and it was like an oasis in the dessert.

Next - Magic Kingdom and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.

Day 2 - Magic Kingdom

Our first day at Magic Kingdom began with breakfast at Chef Mickey's, a great place to eat.  It's hard to get reservations for this venue, but Mary managed to get a reservation for all 8 of us.  You are visited here by Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Minnie, and Pluto, while dining at a buffet that has just about everything you could want to eat for breakfast.

We left there and took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom, where we headed up Main Street for a photo in front of the castle.  After the photo op, we headed toward Phiharmagic and I noticed that the Fairy Godmother was behind the castle for a meet and greet.  She is one of my fairy tale heroines, and I have a shirt that says that I am a "fairy grandmother".  So, of course I had to stop and meet her and have a photo taken.  We continued making our way through the Kingdom doing our thing, and Rod and I had lunch at the Liberty Tree Tavern.  We eat here every trip, but prefer lunch to dinner.  Near the end of our meal, a little guy at the table next to ours became ill and his lunch came back up.  The staff did everything to make the family more comfortable and were very apologetic to those nearby, but unfortunately did nothing to clean it up.  We asked for our check and left abruptly because the smell was very unpleasant.  (another bad experience).

We met the kids at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and they all rode while I people watched.  We moved onto the new Fantasyland, where I did some shopping.  We all did Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid.  Here I had to transfer to a wheelchair from my scooter, but it was very enjoyable.  But unfortunately, the tires on the wheelchair were flat and it didn't move very well.  Had I not put my feet down, the cast members would have dumped me right out of the chair.  Poor Krissy was in tears, convinced that they were going to hurt me.  It took a few minutes to calm her down, but soon we were on our way to meet Gaston, from The Beauty and the Beast.

 Gaston was an absolute hoot, and was so in character!  He bragged about his muscles, told Mary how excellent he was at expectorating, took our autograph books because "girls shouldn't read, and asked to see Jimmy's muscles.  Jimmy's were real - not stuffed like Gaston's, and Gaston commented on that.  He seemed to get a kick from how short I was, and had to rest his elbow on my head while having our photo taken.

During the course of the day, we saw a medieval show at the sword in the stone.  They had all kinds of big guys try to remove the sword, but none were successful.  Bubby was declared the "Hero of Fantasyland" when he was able to lift the sword out.

The kids did Enchanted Tales with Belle, where Jimmy was chosen to play a Knight.  When they returned, we proceeded to our Be Our Guest reservation.  This is another venue where it is almost possible to get a reservation.  Mary checked every day, two or three times, and was able to score a reservation for all 8 of us.  The decor inside the Beast's castle is absolutely stunning.  We were seated in the West Wing., the rose was there under glass, and the photo of the prince changed each time the thunder clapped.  It was dark.  I wasn't impressed with the food, however.  I ordered the mussels for my appetizer, and felt like I was munching on cloves of garlic.  I ate two of them and didn't eat any more.  I ordered Chicken Breast Provencal as my entree, it was pan-seared and simmered in a blend of heirloom tomatoes, olives, white wine and fresh herbs. After I scraped off the top, the chicken was delicious.  It was served with fingerling potatoes.  For dessert, I chose the sugar-free lemon-strawberry cream puff which was filled with lemon custard.  I have to tell you that Disney makes the best sugar-free desserts.  Our server was amazing, and Rod left him quite a hefty tip.  He tracked us down while we were waiting for a photo with the Beast and questioned Rod as to whether or not the amount of the tip was a mistake.  When Rod assured him that it was not, the wonderful gentleman had tears in his eyes, thanked us profusely, and wished us a Merry Christmas.

Since the Christmas party that evening had already started, we were escorted out of the park, and Rod and I returned to our room.  My notes for today - Magic Kingdom is probably my least favorite park.  There are more screaming, crying kids and frustrated parents dragging their kids around by their arms in this park than you see in any other park.  Today's dining was disappointing at best.  The cast members were friendly, helpful, and cheerful.  I would rate today 97 out of 100.

Tomorrow - Epcot and a cruise.