We are back at the Schulers in San Jose after a very fun time at the reunion in San Francisco. We stayed at the Marine Memorial Hotel on Sutter Street which put us within walking distance of most attractions such as Market Street, China Town and lots of good restaurants. Our reunion coordinator did a great job with everything.

We spent lots of time reminiscing with friends we had not seen in almost 40 years - Joe and Marilyn Gareffa, Winnie and Gary Larson, Ken and Ruth Larsen, and Dick and Ramona Lynch. Actually there were about 40 couples in all, and almost all were in the squadron at some time while Ken was there. The reunion reinforced my ongoing belief about the military being family and nothing changes that no matter the years. We discovered that at least a half dozen folks live in the greater Seattle area so we are looking at our own mini-reunion.

There was a wine tasting tour on Tuesday that took us to two wineries in the Napa Valley. The first was Robert Mondavi, but we were given a more exclusive tour of their latest facility that produces some of their more handcrafted upscale wines. And the second was in Carneros; a sparkling wine facility.

Gary and Winnie returned us to San Jose yesterday, but not before we attempted to visit Allied Arts in Palo Alto (closed for remodeling) and Sunset Magazine in Menlo Park (only the gardens available for touring). But the highlight was to visit the apartment complex (Moffett Manor) in Mt. View which is where the Larsons and we lived while with VP46 at Moffett Field. It looks pretty much the same, except there are now grass and shrubs where the swimming pool used to be.

Moffett Field is now a NASA facility, although there is still an exchange and commissary and a Navy Lodge. Hanger One has been painted white, but many of the buildings are in need of paint and repair. A bit sad to see it like that.

We are now waiting for Bev to arrive home from work to proceed with a day of play - whatever that may be. We will probably leave for home on Sunday with a drive toward Bodega Bay to check out RV sites, then on to Brookings-Harbor, Oregon just because we like it, and then head up the Oregon coast. Then we'll head northeast through Oregon wine country and home.

Ciao

Here we are in the land of sunshine with the temps hitting the high 70s. Our drive down on Friday was uneventful, as usual. And it took 13 hours as usual. Mt. Shasta looks quite pathetic with just a few showings of white........and I am always shocked by the increasingly lowering levels of Lake Shasta.

Yesterday was shopping and manicures for the girls and beer for the boys. Bev and I spent some time at Valley Fair Shopping Center which is now about 10 times bigger than when we lived here years ago. It was bustling and crowded; sort of like we might see at Tacoma Mall the week before Christmas. There just seems to be a lot more money to be spent here in Silicone Valley.

Ken and Jeff spent the afternoon at Los Gatos Brewing Company celebrating Octoberfest with 'The Internationals', a local oompah oompah band that is a favorite with the Schuler clan. The two guys came home jovial and grinning so either the music or the beer was good.....or both.

Debbie and Peter (Schuler daughter and son-in-law) pretty much took care of dinner last night: Tomato, bacon, and blue cheese salad, two London broils each with a different marinade, Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and broccoli and brussel sprouts. Accompanied by several bottles of good Northern California red wine.

We are going to church this morning and then will hop on Cal Trans to go to San Francisco for 3 nights for the reunion. We are looking forward to it.

Time to dress for church. Have a great day. Ciao

What was I saying about the beautiful weather? Today has been cool, cloudy, and rainy. So goes fall in the Northwest.

The motor home spent the night at Gilchrist Chevrolet last night while they tried to figure out a problem with the dash display - ordered a new one. The main reason for the trip to Gilchrist was to get the shocks replaced which is a concession by Workhorse for any chassis that was built prior to 4/04. Ken hasn't been able to test it at 65 miles an hour on the freeway, but he said there was a world of difference in the handling on the way home in traffic. I don't know what it came with, but now it has Monroes on the front.

As most of you know, I am addicted to RV.net which is an online forum for all things Rving. The moderator from Spokane Valley has suggested a little rally in October in eastern Washington. So I have given my input and we will see what comes together. We won't be available until the 2nd week end so we will see what the dates are.

Ken has been pouring over old slides to see if he can find any from the days in the 60's when we were with the folks we are going to see next week at the reunion. The few that he has found show all of us as being slim, the guys have crew cuts and we all have dark hair and few if any are wearing glasses!!

We stopped at Costco today to pick up a printer cartridge so we cruised the food aisles for the demo tables to supply us with lunch. I took note of all the Christmas displays. In fact, I think every store I have entered in the past week has had the full gamut of Christmas stuff already. Isn't this just a bit early?

We received the October issue of Sunset magazine today, and there is not even a nod to Octoberfest (nor was there in the September issue), so I igonored their ignoring and prepared sauerkraut and bratwurst for dinner tonight! Last year at this time we were in the land of Octoberfest enjoying all that Germany has to offer along with Brian and Sheila and the Schulers.

Colleen has finished her 2 weeks in the office at Fuller Seminary in Colorado Springs, and is now in Pasadena for a leadership conference and then will be home on Sunday........for about 2 weeks before she leaves for New Zealand to attend a friend's wedding and then on to Australia to see Bassim and meet his family.

Ciao

I think I am attempting to take up the slack while Martha Stewart serves her time in jail. I've been so domestic I can hardly stand it. I have all the ironing caught up, and some of it has probably been waiting in the linen closet for a year, and that includes all the tablecloths and napkins I am apt to use between now and the first of the year. And Ken keeps bringing peppers and apples from the garden so that calls for kitchen duty!! And Martha would be proud to see me cruise through the house, removing and rearranging and going from a summer to a fall look!

We just made our reservation for the month of January at Cocopah Resort in Yuma. We are scheduled from January 7 to February 7 so let's hope we can get out of Dodge and down through the Siskiyous in a timely manner. I have been reading some on-line journals from folks who have spent time in Puerto Penasco, Mexico, which is where we plan to spend the month of March, and it all sounds quite appealing. I am amazed that these folks freely go out for margaritas. What happened to the concern about ice in Mexico? I would be a happy camper if the water and ice are not a problem!!

Gary & Carolyn Ousey will be arriving in our area on the 29th of December, so they will join us for our annual New Years Eve/New Years Day festivities with the Schulers. News Years Eve amounts to a good dinner followed by a valiant effort to stay awake until midnight and New Years Day is a full day of football for the guys and a full day of Boggle for the girls.

Keith made his usual Sunday evening phone call last night. Since I had just spoken to Janet and Rachel earlier in the week, and Sarah was at work, Keith was the only conversationalist. They have been in a holding pattern to close on their lake property in Montana, and I think the next day or two will be the day. All the paperwork is signed so it is just a matter of waiting for it to record. Hmm, perhaps Mom and Dad should wander on over just to be sure the lake is still there. Nothing like having a free parking spot! Well, sort of. I'm not sure there is a place for the motor home as it is now, but with a few modifications, it should fit just fine!

This was a beautiful fall day with lots of warm sunshine, but we couldn't see the Sound until the fog lifted about 10:00 a.m. Fall is in the air. Keep on blogging!

Although nothing terribly exciting to report, I'm making a valiant effort to KEEP ON BLOGGING!

Ken is replacing the flooring/toilet seat in the downstairs bathroom - and it has not been fun. If you come to visit, be sure to tell him how great the floor looks!! It is times like these that make me wonder if we shouldn't consider a nice new little bungalow or condominium. This Old House where there is always something that needs to be fixed.

We are finalizing some plans for our winter trip down south. We are going to spend a fair bit of time with Gary and Carolyn Ousey, at least in the same general areas of Yuma, Casa Grande' and Puerto Penasco, Mexico. We spent time in the Casa Grande' area last winter while staying at Picacho Peak, but Yuma and Mexico are new to us. Woohoo! I think I have figured out that the RV lifestyle is made all the more enjoyable by the fact that there is no lawn to mow and nothing to fix (take it to a repair shop) - See paragraph 2 above.

We have been cool and rainy all day today, and I think that is the expected norm for the next few days. Fall is here!!

Keep on bloggin'

I love this fair! That is the mantra for this year's Puyallup Fair, sixth largest in the nation. Ken and I took advantage of military appreciation day yesterday and attended. This was our first visit, and we have lived in Pierce County for about 12 years. We rode a special Pierce Transit bus from Lakewood Mall and were dumped right in front of the gates. We walked through the livestock sheds and saw cows, sheep, goats, chickens, doves, horses, ducks, geese, and pigs. Speaking of which, we supported the Young Life booth by having BBQ sandwiches for lunch, then moved on to scones (a fair must) and coffee, and then I topped it off with a double-dipped caramel apple (not very good).

We watched a demonstration of draft horses which was great fun. Their were Belgians, Clydesdales, Percherons, and even Shetland ponies, but I have to say I love the Clydesdales with their furry hooves. Each horse weights about 2000 pounds, and his harnessings cost about the same number. We saw the award-winning pumpkin that tipped the scales at over 900 pounds, and I always love to look at the fruit and vegetables mosaics created by the area's granges - yes, there are still a few. Ken made the observation that there were not many folks in the animal barns, but the exhibition halls full of commercial booths were packed.

We received the attendee list for the upcoming Navy reunion in San Francisco, and we are excited to see folks whom we haven't seen in 40 years. It looks like there are only about 40 attendees so we should have a good chance to visit with all over the 3 days. We will combine the trip with a visit to the Schulers in San Jose.

We are in a head to head battle with the ivy around here. Any good ideas on how to eradicate it? I think sweat is the only answer. We have been told that there is a product called Caseron that is an emergent, meaning it will prevent new growth, but won't do anything to the existing stuff. It is a granular product so it is easy to control the application, and I don't think it has harmful side effects.

I am going to forward this web address to all of you who might be interested in our activities. I would hate to think that Gary and Carolyn Ousey in Victoria are the only ones following our exciting lives. Ciao

Believe it or not, here we are sitting at home watching television on a Saturday night. Will wonders never cease? We are even considering going to church tomorrow!!

I called and talked to both my brothers this past 2 days and both are doing well. I am pleased that Pat has managed to get on board at the VA hospital in Spokane for some of his medical care. And he will be able to receive his medications through the VA at no charge.

Mike and Mary are fine. Mary flew to Texas last week to visit Becky. And she doesn't really like to fly, but Joel said she just announced that she was going to fly to Texas, bought her ticket, and didn't even ask if anybody else wanted to go!! Joel says Becky is much happier teaching at Texas Tech than she is being a student. I'm not sure where she is in the process, but I believe she is working on her thesis for her master's degree.

I spent several hours at the Lakewood Mall today - shopping is a good way to get one's walking time in. I purchased a new saucepan for the MH kitchen as well as some pieces to create a floral decoration for the dashboard of the MH when we are parked. I half-heartedly bought 2 or 3 tops that might work for our trip to San Francisco later this month. I always buy with the attitude that I can (and probably will) return it.

Three years ago today we were just settling in to our hotel room in the south of France when Ken turned on the television and stared in disbelief at what he was seeing. We found all the French and Germans we encountered on that trip to immediately express their sympathy once they learned we were Americans.

Curt and Linea flew to the midwest yesterday as the first leg of her journey to start her college days at Columbia University in Chicago to pursue her singing. Cinda will join them next Thursday and she and Curt will return to a very quiet house on Sunday. We are hoping we will have a week end in October when we can go camping.

I ran across a recipe today that I can't wait to try..........and from the looks of it, I should wait a long time!!

Holy Cow Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix (devils food)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar carmel syrup
1 large bowl Cool Whip
1 block cream cheese
4 Heath candy bars (crushed)

Prepare cake as directed and bake in 9 x 13 pan. When cake is done and still hot, poke holes in it. Pour condensed milk over cake. Then pour carmel syrup. Sprinkle 1/2 of the candy pieces and refrigerate. When chilled, mix Cool Whip and cream cheese together. Spread the mix over the cake. Top with remaining candy pieces and keep cold until ready to serve.

And if you would like something with a little less guilt, we tried this this week and it is pretty good:

Crustless Apple Pie

Vegetable oil spray
Whites of 2 large eggs, or egg substitute equivalent to 1 egg
3/4 cup sugar (I will only use 1/2 next time)
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup flour
1 cup diced, peeled apples (1 to 1 1/2 medium)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 inch pie pan with vegetable oil spray and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites, sugars, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, lemon zest and nutmeg until smooth and fluffy. Beat in flour until smooth and well blended. Stir in apples. Turn into pie pan and sprinkle with nuts. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Pie will puff up as it cooks, then collapse as it cools. 151 calories for 1/8 pie.

I think I have done enough damage for now. Ciao

Well, I was wrong about being home for a while. We just spent a wonderful Labor Day week end with Brian, Sheila, and the boys on the Washington coast at Pacific Beach. It was rather last-minute, but we were able to get a site at the Pacific Beach Conference Center which is owned by the U.S. Navy and is available to all military. We were fortunate, because the park was full! The sites are very nice with lots of green grass and a few trees.

Nolan and Warren dug up about half the coast of Washington as they proceeded to create 'the world's biggest clam farm'. It was only a few hundred yards down a hill to the beach from our campsite, so it worked out well. We were able to drive the car down so we denied ourselves nothing for a day on the beach: wood for a fire, a dutch oven chicken dinner to cook over the fire, lawn chairs, wine, wine glasses, and wine holders and extra long roasting sticks for the marshmallows for s'mores. It was a good time. The down side is that it is a ten hour drive each way for Brian and family.

So now we should be home for about 2 weeks before we leave for California. We have decided to drive instead of fly, so we will be leaving about 9/22. The Navy reunion is Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and then we plan to spend a day or two with the Larsons who were also our neighbors while we were with VP-46. In fact, since Ken was in Hawaii, it was Gary who drove me to the hospital when Colleen was born. They live in Virginia and we haven't seen them for at least 10 years.

We were delighted to have Gary and Carolyn Ousey come through for a week end. We were able to sponsor them so they could stay in the Fam Camp at Ft Lewis and that put them close to our house. We enjoyed some good wine and some good company - and Gary was able to utilize our internet connection and get his on-line fix. We are beginning to talk about a rendevous this winter in Yuma, AZ at a resort where they stayed last year, plus a trip across the border to Puerto Penasco which is about 60 miles south. I have been to San Miquel de Allende, but that is the extent of our Mexican travel, so Puerto Penasco should be fun. I understand one can simply while away the time by eating fresh shrimp and sitting on the beach. Sounds good to me!!

Our warm dry summer is coming to an end. Today it turned cloudy and rainy, and I'm sure this is only the beginning. Although I suspect we will have a few nice fall days. I do love the fall with the chill in the air and all the wonderful produce that is available. We still have a bit of corn in the garden, along with herbs and some strawberries. The dahlias in front are still blooming, and I want to get some flowering kale for the flower pots on the back patio.

The ivy and the blackberries are about to take over everything so we have a young man coming tomorrow to do some clearing in exchange for some money to augment his college fund. Those 2 weeds are insidious and it takes a Heruclean effort to get rid of them.

Ciao