Whew! Six hours of driving, a mall walk, a cocktail party, dinner, and gathering and we’re here!
Our drive went fast – no traffic despite the 100+ “Inauguration traffic” signs up I-85 and 95. I started to get hungry around 11 and we whipped out our bag of carrots to munch on, which bought me an hour.
Around 12:30 we broke out the sandwiches – Ham + Swiss with spinach, mustard and pickle on GH High Fiber.
And I finished with an apple and a clementine.
We arrived in Baltimore and drove by my grandparents’ old house. I took mom’s photo on the doorstep. So sad it’s empty and on the market 
My grandparents moved into a new apartment in a retirement center this summer and this is our first time visiting! It’s quite fun – kind of like a college dorm with multiple dining rooms, a bistro, exercise facilities, clubs and even a movie night going on this evening.
Once we arrived and got settled in one of the guest rooms, my mom and I went for a mall power walk since there’s a HUGEEEEE mall across the street. We walked for just over an hour – and made a few stops in stores along the way!
Here’s three generations enjoying the living room 
My grandparents hosted a cocktail party this afternoon in our honor so their new friends could meet my mom and me.
I floated through the party with an Old Fashioned, just like Gram! Bourbon, cherry, orange and a splash of club soda – with lots of ice.
Gram put out quite a spread of festive foods!
Cream cheese + caviar
Cheese straws
Chips + dip
Cheeses
CRAB DIP!
My eats! (I also nibbled on a few extra cheese straws before the party started)
+ crab dip
I ended the party with a tiny bit of merlot –
Grandfather!
Time is set a few hours early here – the party was from 4:30-6 so we could all go down to the casual dining room tonight. Apparently some of the staff from Edenwald reads the blog because my grandparents have been spreading the word! (Hi Susan!)
Mom and I shared a glass of pinot with dinner. It went really well with the food –
I started with a salad from the salad bar – mixed greens, olives, pickles, blackberries, grapefruit, carrots, pineapple, a drizzle of French dressing
For my main course I had the Cognac Haddock (which was very good and slightly sweet!), a piece of salmon, green beans, lima beans and potato. Yum!
And I somehow found room for THREE desserts!! C’mon Kath, get a grip! My mom, Gram and I shared all of these, but I definitely ate more than my third. KEY: An ice cream sundae with a cookie (I ate most of that), chocolate cake with marshmallow and blackberry pie with strawberry cheesecake ice cream!
Check out the gift we brought Pop so he doesn’t have to spell out the blog address to his friends!
I am totally stuffed, but we had a very fun day. I am planning to run in the morning at Goucher College and look what’s in the forecast!
27°
AM Snow Showers
Tomorrow’s agenda:
- Run
- Breakfast
- Church
- Shopping + Girl Time
- Dinner
I’m excited to get in bed early tonight 
I hope the husband is being safe at his fraternity reunion in Chapel Hill!
{ 56 comments… read them below or add one }
Kath, Glad you made it there safely. Food looks great and that sweater on Pop looks amazing.
zesty
Old Fashioned = Best Drink Ever. After Manhattans, of course.
Love the new KERF Model.
Sounds fun. Your grandfather is that sweatshirt is so cute.
Charming house; lovely family photos; I WANT THAT COOKIE SUNDAE, PLEASE!!!
It looks like your grandparents know how to throw one fancy party!
The desserts look fantastic!
Hi,
I noticed you don’t have your blog roll anymore and was wondering if you knew the blog’s address that was called Yoga Is Yummy? I always clicked on it through your blog and now I can’t find it anywhere!
Thanks!
Haha, what a great gift for your grandfather!
Your grandparents are adorable. My grandma just moved to a place like that! Can you believe the desserts those dining halls serve!?
Aww, these pictures of the grandparents are so cute! My grandma was from Baltimore and lived in a similar type of center, and your pictures remind me so much of what it was like to visit — antique family furniture, giant portraits above the sofa, cheese straws, stiff drinks … the whole sh’bang. Enjoy the rest of your visit!
Your grandpa is sooo cute! I love that you got him a sweatshirt too!!!
I’ve never had crab dip before!! The dinner looks fab though. I am craving me a good seafood meal.
HAVE A FABULOUS SUNDAY!
awww i love your entire family! seriously… you’re a lucky girl!
hope you have a fun vacay
So wonderful! It looks like you had a fun evening to kick off your time in Baltimore. Enjoy the time with your family!
Ohmygoodness- that is the cutest picture in the world of you and your Grandpa – with Grandpa sporting your KERF gear! I love it! Looks like you had a wonderful time, and have pretty cool grandparents!
Will you be in that area for the inauguration?
Goucher is a GREAT run Kath–I ran my first 5K there last summer. Have fun in my soon to be hometown!
OMG your grandpa is so awesome in that sweater. Looks like you had some great eats!
Looks like you had a great time and ate lots of yummy food! Loving your Grandpa in that sweatshirt!
Your grandparents are adorable!
All of the food looks wonderful (and your photos are great as always), but mostly the desserts look divine!
Hope you stay warm during that run!
L: I found the blogroll under the favourites heading at the top when snooping around this afternoon.
Your grandparents are SO cute!!! Have fun during your visit to Maryland…it is FREEZING here!!!
Thanks everyone!!,
L,
The blogroll is still on the sidebar – just look for the KERF header and click that. SOrry it was confusing.
Kath
I love that picture of your grandfather in the Kerf T-shirt. You are so lucky to be able to visit them.
I have alot of blog reading to catch up on. I have been in Trinidad since Monday for work and have not done much of anything else. No oatmeal here… but good papaya. I can not wait to get home on Friday and have a bowl on Sat morning.
Glad you arrived safely!!
looks like a delightful evening and your Pop looks so cute in the KERF sweatshirt!!!
I wondered what the apartment/condo looking buildings across the street from Towson were. They sound like a great place to live!
Your grandpa looks so cute in his KERF shirt!
How cute is your grandpa in his KERF sweatshirt??
I wish they had fun housing complexes like that for 20-somethings who can’t afford to buy a house, that would be my dream.
Your Grandparents know how to through a party! That’s so sweet of them. And that picture of your grandpa in his KERF shift is priceless!
That looks like such a fun way to spend a day! Love your grandfather’s shirt. Chocolate cake with marshmallow? Yes, please!
your grandparent’s old house is so charming! the new place looks like party central though! haha!
‘pops’ looks so proud in his new sweatshirt!!
That looks like an awesome time! Your grandparents are so cool!!
btw, looooove your outfit!
the 3 generations are ADORABLE — what a cute post!
Kath,
My grandma went to Goucher College….that was neat to see you mention it.
That looks like a fantastic party!
Gram & Pop – too cute. I love the last picture with the KERF sweatshirt! (By the way, got my KERF mug – love it!).
That was so sweet of your grandparents to host a little party for you guys. I can see where you get some of your food know-how. Your Gram’s spread looked tasty!
Now, about those desserts…I could have eaten ALL 3…ALL BY MYSELF.
I absolutely LOVE the pictures of your grandparents – cherish them!
I haven’t had grandparents since I was 18 years old.
Great eats too!! Love the crab dip – looks like one my Aunt Cele makes in Hilton Head.
Kath, I am an old friend of your mother’s; we were librarians together in Dedham, Mass. and shared pregnancy/baby experiences (my son was born a couple of months before you). I am an oatmeal fanatic and love all your ideas for enhancing it; also enjoy the tofu recipes as I find tofu challenging but am trying to eat healthy. (When my son was little he thought it was “toe food”). And you make the food look so inviting! I loved seeing the photos of you with your Mom and grandparents…thanks for sharing all that on your blog!
Your grampa is cute as a button!
PS- I was away on vacation when you got your new camera. The second I got back and started catching up on blogs… I instantly knew you had a new camera without even knowing you had purchased a new one!! The quality of the photos is AMAZING.
Needless to say, there will be an Elph purchase in my near future!
i love it when apples and oranges get a chance to see the country side too!
I love your grandpa’s sweatshirt! Have fun visiting family.
Aww your grandparents are so cute!! Have fun with your family
Love all the photos! Your Grandmother is very classy – it definitely runs in the family
all of the food looks so good! your grandparents are so sweet for hosting that party, you all look so cute =)
Your grandparents are so cute! My grandpa’s fave drink was also an old fashioned. But he made it with bourbon, diet lemon lime soda, and a splash of grenadine. The orange is an interesting addition. Glad you had a good time! The haddock looked yummy!
Sounds like you’re having fun in Baltimore! Love the sweatshirt on your grandfather!
Great shirt! Looks like such a fun party. Big plans for tonight?
hehe your grandparents are so cute – so proud of you!! Hope you have a great stay!
the pic of you and your grandpa put a huge smile on my face!
What lovely grandparents you have, they must be so proud of you to tell all their friends about your blog. The cocktail party looked great, what a nice spread of food!
Your grandparents are so cute!
Love the photo of you and your grandmother with your twin cocktails
Such a cute post.
Julie ,
That would be very fun!!
Judith ,
Hi!!! Thanks for your comment. I remember riding bikes with you when I was in middle school. And I hear updates of you and Nathan (and Lauren?) from my mom each year. Mom says I’d love chatting with you about heath nut things
Kath
Fun with the fam! Your grandparents are so cute.
that bread on your sandwich looks sooo good!
I. went. to. Hampton Elementary!
For kindergarten, while my family still lived in NC before we moved away.
What a small world.
I love the pictures of the three generations and Pop in his sweatshirt – it looks like it was a fun day!
what a fun trip! your grandparents look fun and healthy!
and the desserts you had look FAB!
Hi Kath, I just read your post about running at Goucher. I just graduated from that college and was reading your blog all last year!!!! It is such a gorgeous campus, I miss it!