Tanya's Daily Scoop | Elisa's Daily Scoop Roses Galore!Good day folks!! Well, here we are, the second day of the new year! Yesterday was a very mellow day for my gang, but as you can see from my dear cousin's blog, she was up and out early to attend the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. More about this amazing 127 year tradition in a moment. First, let me tell you about my day yesterday.  Cousins New Year's Day Dinner The weather was glorious for the first day of the New Year! Crisp and cool sunny and bright! I decided to continue my morning walk routine and embarked on a 2-hour/3 mile trek around my neighborhood. I managed a stop at Starbucks at the local Stop & Shop and felt thoroughly refreshed upon my return! Our plan for the day was to go to Danielle's for dinner later in the afternoon for a very leisurely get together. The kids had not seen each other in two weeks, since leaving for Florida before Christmas and I truly missed my baby sis!!l  Delicious Pasta and homemade tomato sauce for New Year's Day Dinner After dinner, the kids settled in the basement to watch television and play with their swagways. Me, Sis and brother-in-law, Carlo retired to the den and watched a few movies...Begin Again, about a chance encounter between a disgraced music-business executive and a young singer-songwriter new to Manhattan turns into a promising collaboration between the two talents. It starred Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo and Adam Levine. It was very cute.  Then we moved on to The Intern, starring Anne Hathaway and Robert DeNiro, which was entertaining. It's the story of 70-year-old widower Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro), who seizes the opportunity to become a senior intern at an online fashion site. Ben soon becomes popular with his younger co-workers, including Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway), the boss and founder of the company. Whittaker's charm, wisdom and sense of humor help him develop a special bond and growing friendship with Jules. Unfortunately, we had to get up early to be at the barn, so I left Danielle's before it ended. Yikes - I know, how could I do that - well, I'll have to find out from my sis what happened!  Today, we were out and on the road by 7:45 AM headed for the barn. The kids' excitement was palpable! If we could have flown or snapped our fingers to get there, I would have, as the car ride seemed to way too long for them to endure! A new surprise awaited the girls and their friends today...a new horse arrived at Dream Come True Farm during the holidays! Her name is Brook! She is an adorable 3-year old palomino. Palomino is a coat color in horses, consisting of a gold coat and white mane and tail. She is a cutie!!!  Brook, the newest horse at Dream Come True  Kelsey and Buddy  Gianna and All-Star So, now for some Flowery talk!!! Specifically, about the Rose Parade... 16 Fun Facts About the Rose Parade  1. The Rose Parade, celebrated its 127th year in 2016. 2. It began in 1890, as the members of the Valley Hunt Club decided to promote the city of Pasadena's charm and beautiful weather, as the “Mediterranean of the West” inviting their former East Coast neighbors to a mid-winter holiday celebration. 3. Professor Charles F. Holder at a Club meeting is famous for saying, "In New York, people are buried in snow, here, our flowers are blooming and our oranges are about to bear. Let's hold a festival to tell the world about our paradise." 4. The parade has since become America’s New Year Celebration, each year on the first day of the year. 5. Originally, this celebration began with festivities such as chariot races, jousting, foot races, polo and tug-of-war under the warm California sun. 6. The abundance of fresh flowers, even in the midst of winter, sparked the Valley Hunt Club show off the floral beauty in the city with a parade to precede the competition. Entrants would decorate their carriages with the in-bloom florals. 7. In 1895, the Tournament of Roses Association was formed to take charge of the festival, which had grown too large for the Valley Hunt Club to handle. 8. Today, the Rose Parade’s elaborate floats feature high-tech computerized animation and natural materials from around the world. 9. Most are built by professional float building companies and take nearly a year to construct. 10. The Tournament of Roses Association includes more than 935 volunteer members supplying some 80,000 hours of combined manpower. 11. The Tournament committee members are nicknamed “White Suiters” because of the distinctive white uniform every volunteer wears. 12. As the years progressed, the festival expanded to include marching bands and motorized floats and games included ostrich races, bronco busting demonstrations and a race between a camel and an elephant (the elephant won). 13. The town lot in Pasadena was re-named Tournament Park in 1900. 14. The Tournament has a “never on a Sunday” deal, struck with local churches, that ensures the parade takes place on January 2 in years when Jan. 1 falls on Sunday. 15. The parade starts at 8 am and usually lasts 2.5 hours. 16. it takes about 20 daisies, 30 roses or 36 marigolds to cover just one square foot. All of the floats together take approximately 18 million flowers. For additional information about this amazing event and the Tournament of Roses, CLICK HERE. Hope your day is rosy!!! See ya back here tomorrow! -E xoxo  |
