{"id":20417,"date":"2025-01-03T01:22:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-03T08:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gentryconnects.net\/?p=20417"},"modified":"2025-01-02T21:29:43","modified_gmt":"2025-01-03T04:29:43","slug":"looking-back-at-the-past-year-what-a-wild-ride","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gentryconnects.net\/?p=20417","title":{"rendered":"LOOKING BACK AT THE PAST YEAR… WHAT A WILD RIDE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

2024 was an amazing combination of wonderful moments with family and friends, new adventures, a little sadness…but much love. I grabbed at life knowing the importance of each precious nanosecond<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ll share a few of my 2024 favorites photos with text…And some thoughts on the past year. The iconic photographer Irving Penn said, “to me personally, photography is a way to overcome mortality.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAVORITE MOMENTS WITH MARLA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Marla in Gorbio France, and in Paris with our granddaughters and with me at lunch by the Seine.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAVORITE MOMENTS WITH OUR DAUGHTERS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lisa and Stacy in Gorbio, France.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAVORITE MOMENTS WITH OUR GRANDKIDS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Logan, their “Papa”, and Paxton in Menton, France. Our wonderful Dallas crew in Gorbio, France.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAVORITE DINNERS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Top left: At Mirazur Restaurant in Menton, France. Top right: Flagstaff<\/strong> House, Boulder, Colorado. Bottom left: At our home. Bottom right: Pizzeria 430 Gradi, Menton, France.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAVORITE WINES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A BIG birthday requires BIG wines!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAVORITE COCKTAILS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Aperol Spritz at Da Nello in St Peter Port, Guernsey. Amazing Mai Tai at Napua in the Mauna Lani Beach Club, Big Island.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAVORITE LUNCHES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Top left: “Restaurant Beau Sejour” in Gorbio, France. Top right: “A picnic in the redwoods with our good friend Lea.” Bottom left: “Caspers Hot Dogs” in Pleasant Hill, California. Bottom right: “Red Barn” food truck at the “Waimea Farmer’s Market”, Big Island, Hawaii.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAVORITE SALAD<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fabulous salad at Venice Restaurant, Greenwood Village, Colorado.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAVORITE…GARLIC BREAD<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We stayed a week on the island of Guernsey<\/strong> this summer. We love connecting with my niece Suzanne and husband Chris, nephew Steve and wife Karen<\/strong>, and my brother-in-law Vic. One evening we dined at Christies Brasserie in St Peter Port. We all thought their garlic bread was the BEST!!!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAVORITE DESERTS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A special birthday treat at Mirazur Restaurant, Menton, France. Picking up “Princess Cake” at Alpine Bakery in Concord, California. Whatever Paxton is having at Restaurant Beau Sejour, Gorbio, France.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAVORITE MUSEUM VISITS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Left: MFA Museum Boston with Logan & Paxton. Right: Victoria & Albert Museum in London.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAVORITE CYCLING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Left: I cycled up a very steep and cold narrow road near Gstaad, Switzerland. Right: Next to the Freddie Mercury Statue in Montreux, Switzerland.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAVORITE HIKES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Left: Hiking near Cedar Creek Lake, Texas. Right: Hiking at Chautauqua Park, Boulder, Colorado.
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FAVORITE SHOPPING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Left: Galeries Lafayette, Paris. Right: The shopping in London is always quite amazing. Bentley & Skinner, on Piccadilly, in London, is the place when you are looking for important items like a…tiara.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAVORITE 2024 NEW DISCOVERIES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Top left: “The Lennon Wall” in Prague. Lower left: Durnstein, Austria, on the Danube River. Right: “Renoir Tea Garden” on Rue du Moulin Huet, Guernsey<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAVORITE SUNSETS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Left: Our back yard looking west. Right: With my brother at the Mauna Lani Point Resort, Big Island, Hawaii.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NEW ADVENTURES IN THE NEW YEAR…CYCLING IN SRI LANKA<\/strong> THIS FEBRUARY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I’ll be riding with my friends Tom and Jennie<\/strong> in Sri Lanka.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAVORITE TV SHOWS & MOVIES THIS YEAR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We probably watched way more TV in 2024 than usual! Loved “Black Doves” on Netflix! (See trailer) We enjoyed “Pachinko”,”Shogun”, “The world According to Lidia Poet”,”The New Look”, “Slow Horses, season 5”. I really like “Van der Valk” and “Miss Scarlet” on PBS.”Blue Lights” on Britbox. “Signora Volpe” & “Inspector Ellis”on Acorn. I’m in the middle of “The Agency” with the amazing Michael Fassbender. Of course many more! We rarely miss the opener for “Jimmy Kimmel Live”, “SNL”, “CBS Sunday Morning”, and “Fareed Zakaria”.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Lee” & “A Complete Unknown” were really enjoyable movies.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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