We seem to be keeping busy. We have done a bit of post Christmas shopping and Keith, Janet and the girls just left for a day in Seattle. Since we can go anytime, we opted to stay home for the day. However, we might drive to Curt and Cinda's and rendevouz later in the day.
Craig and Cassie have been here two evenings to share dinner with us, and we will be going their way tomorrow. They gave all of us girls gift certificates for pedicures so tomorrow will be a girls' day at the salon.
There has been much eating, enjoying wine and game and card playing. Our prime rib dinner on Christmas turned out very well, and I probably will never be able to duplicate it. As usual, I combined several recipes plus my own ideas, but it all turned out well with the exception of rather flat yorkshire puddings. Well, you can't win 'em all.
I am already enjoying some of my Christmas gifts. I asked Santa for 100 #2 pencils and chisel-pointed erasers for my puzzle work - and he obliged. I also came across a stemware drying mat, and I love it. It looks like a refined rubber floor mat covered with little rubber bristles that raise the glass up enough to let air circulate; hence glasses air dried without spots. It is great.
We have had lots of rain, but the last two days have produced a few hours of blue sky and sunshine. In a couple of weeks we will be absorbing full days of the stuff once we get to Arizona. Ken looked at the web cams for the Siskyous this morning and the road looked fine with lots and lots of RVs heading south.
I hope all of you are staying well and enjoying the season. Ciao
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Merry Christmas.......
to all our friends and family. We are thrilled to have the 'Baltimore Kirkwoods' here to share this special time with us.
One of Janet's surprise Christmas gifts for Keith was two Seahawks tickets for today's game against the San Diego Chargers so he and his dad left about 9:30 to catch the train to Seattle. it is cloudy and cool outside with a good possibility of showers, but we hope the weather at least stays dry.
Since Craig, Cassie, and Greta were headed to Oregon to spend Christmas with Cassie's parents in Stayton, we all met at the Hawks Prairie Restaurant yesterday morning for breakfast. Greta will stay with her grandparents for the next week or so, this was the only chance for Greta to meet Keith and Janet and the girls. And like the rest of us, they all thought Cassie was great and Greta quite precocious.
As luck would have it, Santa and his wife sat down at a table near us for breakfast. He wasn't wearing his full formal red suit, but he had on a red shirt, and had glasses and a beautiful full white beard. Colleen and Greta approached him after he had finished breakfast and Greta announced she had a question for him. "Where are your reindeer?" He told her they were still at the North Pole. And he gave her his business card. Of course we have a picture, which I will post at a later date, and it couldn't have turned out any better if we had tried.
We will go to church this evening and then come home for our traditional fondue supper. And even though we have no need to wait for Santa, we will wait and open our gifts in the morning. We usually have seafood for Christmas dinner, but this year we are going to be even more traditional and have prime rib and Yorkshire pudding.
Brian, Sheila and the boys are spending their Christmas at the condo in McCall. I think Brian has to work next week, but they will go back up for New Year's week end.
I hope all of you are well and happy this Christmas season. Ciao
One of Janet's surprise Christmas gifts for Keith was two Seahawks tickets for today's game against the San Diego Chargers so he and his dad left about 9:30 to catch the train to Seattle. it is cloudy and cool outside with a good possibility of showers, but we hope the weather at least stays dry.
Since Craig, Cassie, and Greta were headed to Oregon to spend Christmas with Cassie's parents in Stayton, we all met at the Hawks Prairie Restaurant yesterday morning for breakfast. Greta will stay with her grandparents for the next week or so, this was the only chance for Greta to meet Keith and Janet and the girls. And like the rest of us, they all thought Cassie was great and Greta quite precocious.
As luck would have it, Santa and his wife sat down at a table near us for breakfast. He wasn't wearing his full formal red suit, but he had on a red shirt, and had glasses and a beautiful full white beard. Colleen and Greta approached him after he had finished breakfast and Greta announced she had a question for him. "Where are your reindeer?" He told her they were still at the North Pole. And he gave her his business card. Of course we have a picture, which I will post at a later date, and it couldn't have turned out any better if we had tried.
We will go to church this evening and then come home for our traditional fondue supper. And even though we have no need to wait for Santa, we will wait and open our gifts in the morning. We usually have seafood for Christmas dinner, but this year we are going to be even more traditional and have prime rib and Yorkshire pudding.
Brian, Sheila and the boys are spending their Christmas at the condo in McCall. I think Brian has to work next week, but they will go back up for New Year's week end.
I hope all of you are well and happy this Christmas season. Ciao
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Christmas is still coming
even if every last thing isn't done. I can't believe how long it is taking to put this house back together. We still have to decorate and put up the tree which we did get yesterday. The only good thing about this slow painful process is that I won't have to clean house afterwards because I have cleaned every step of the way.
Colleen will be here later tonight. She stayed in Redding last night and when I talked to her about an hour ago, she was just getting to Grants Pass. Now we have to hope the two dogs like each other since they have never met before. We think they will be okay because neither is aggressive, although Colleen said Skyla has become pretty protective and possessive through the move. I don't think Cooper will care as long as he has his bed, his tennis balls, and food and water.
We lost power again night before last around midnight and found out yesterday that it was a feeder line that runs down the middle of Walnut Lane. The utility folks kindly let us know that the road would be torn up for about three hours in case we wanted to get our car out of here so we could go someplace - which we did. And power was restored about two yesterday afternoon.
Curt and Cinda are still without power with nothing on the horizon. They are sequestered in their kitchen/family room with the fireplace and they have a gas range and water heater so they are managing. I haven't talked to Elisabeth for a day or two, but they are out quite a ways so I suspect they may still be without power as well. But they keep themselves well-prepared with a generator and stored water plus a good wood-burning fireplace. For some people of my generation, it is second nature to figure out how to stay warm and dry and fed - I grew up with cold running water, a wood stove for heating and cooking, and no indoor plumbing!!
Colleen is thrilled to be driving through southern Oregon with a gray overcast sky, and I am beginning to have visions of sitting in the sunshine in Arizona - which I will be doing in a month. I don't mind our northwest weather, but sunshine sounds good.
It's time to get back to work. Stay warm. Ciao
Colleen will be here later tonight. She stayed in Redding last night and when I talked to her about an hour ago, she was just getting to Grants Pass. Now we have to hope the two dogs like each other since they have never met before. We think they will be okay because neither is aggressive, although Colleen said Skyla has become pretty protective and possessive through the move. I don't think Cooper will care as long as he has his bed, his tennis balls, and food and water.
We lost power again night before last around midnight and found out yesterday that it was a feeder line that runs down the middle of Walnut Lane. The utility folks kindly let us know that the road would be torn up for about three hours in case we wanted to get our car out of here so we could go someplace - which we did. And power was restored about two yesterday afternoon.
Curt and Cinda are still without power with nothing on the horizon. They are sequestered in their kitchen/family room with the fireplace and they have a gas range and water heater so they are managing. I haven't talked to Elisabeth for a day or two, but they are out quite a ways so I suspect they may still be without power as well. But they keep themselves well-prepared with a generator and stored water plus a good wood-burning fireplace. For some people of my generation, it is second nature to figure out how to stay warm and dry and fed - I grew up with cold running water, a wood stove for heating and cooking, and no indoor plumbing!!
Colleen is thrilled to be driving through southern Oregon with a gray overcast sky, and I am beginning to have visions of sitting in the sunshine in Arizona - which I will be doing in a month. I don't mind our northwest weather, but sunshine sounds good.
It's time to get back to work. Stay warm. Ciao
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Remembering
It was one year ago today that Gary Ousey's brother passed away after having been diagnosed with brain cancer within the month! We were in Yuma at the time, Gary had already flown to Winnepeg earlier in the week, and we took Carolyn to Phoenix on the 17th for her flight out. It was a very sad time for them. Dennis widow, Catherine, has continued with blogging and sharing some of her emotions, the good and the difficult. She is presently visiting their daughter in Vancouver and plans to move there permanently next summer.
We had a very enjoyable evening with the Bakers last Monday night with much of the conversation centered around the RV life. They took their RV to Orlando and back last summer and other than some tire and battery problems they had a great trip. We keep saying we are going to get together and go somewhere, but so far we haven't.
The painting, curtain hanging, Christmas decorating, and general organizing will be finished by tomorrow night. For those of you who live in the Lakewood/Tacoma area, I suggest you go to Rodda Paints on South 84th. Good product, reasonable price, and excellent customer service. We discovered today that they had mixed two gallons of satin instead of flat as I had asked (and the receipt verified), and they apologized, replaced the paint and refused to charge me for the two new paint pads I wanted to purchase. A good business from all that I can tell.
We weathered the massive wind storm with no problems. Steilacoom seems to be quite sheltered from storms, and we especially so. We had a few branches down, and were without power for about 15 hours, but that was it. The only concern was no power to run the sump pump which had been constantly running in the basement because of all the heavy rain associated with the storm. So Ken fired up the generator in the motor home and hooked up the sump pump! Problem solved. Our friends in Gig Harbor, and Curt and Cinda in Bellevue are still without power and are being told it could still be days before it is restored.
Six more sleeps and the Keith and Janet and the girls will be here. And probably fewer than that for Colleen. The moving company picked up her household goods today, and she is leaving Phoenix after church tomorrow. She is staying in Pasadena tomorrow night and then will head north fromt there. She should be here Wednesday or Thursday.
I mailed about eight Christmas cards this year. Since I blog and keep in touch by email, I have limited my list to those whom I don't have contact with during the year. So if you are reading, this you won't be getting a Christmas card! Ciao.
We had a very enjoyable evening with the Bakers last Monday night with much of the conversation centered around the RV life. They took their RV to Orlando and back last summer and other than some tire and battery problems they had a great trip. We keep saying we are going to get together and go somewhere, but so far we haven't.
The painting, curtain hanging, Christmas decorating, and general organizing will be finished by tomorrow night. For those of you who live in the Lakewood/Tacoma area, I suggest you go to Rodda Paints on South 84th. Good product, reasonable price, and excellent customer service. We discovered today that they had mixed two gallons of satin instead of flat as I had asked (and the receipt verified), and they apologized, replaced the paint and refused to charge me for the two new paint pads I wanted to purchase. A good business from all that I can tell.
We weathered the massive wind storm with no problems. Steilacoom seems to be quite sheltered from storms, and we especially so. We had a few branches down, and were without power for about 15 hours, but that was it. The only concern was no power to run the sump pump which had been constantly running in the basement because of all the heavy rain associated with the storm. So Ken fired up the generator in the motor home and hooked up the sump pump! Problem solved. Our friends in Gig Harbor, and Curt and Cinda in Bellevue are still without power and are being told it could still be days before it is restored.
Six more sleeps and the Keith and Janet and the girls will be here. And probably fewer than that for Colleen. The moving company picked up her household goods today, and she is leaving Phoenix after church tomorrow. She is staying in Pasadena tomorrow night and then will head north fromt there. She should be here Wednesday or Thursday.
I mailed about eight Christmas cards this year. Since I blog and keep in touch by email, I have limited my list to those whom I don't have contact with during the year. So if you are reading, this you won't be getting a Christmas card! Ciao.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Projects, Dinners, and North Korea
I am taking a breather from cooking, wrapping, and internet shopping. It seems as if I have a dozen different projects going and can't get any of them to the point of completion. I started wrapping gifts today, and have at least one that must be mailed, so I need to keep at it.
It is cold and drizzly outside today so it is a good day to be inside. I thought Craig, Cassie and Greta were coming for dinner, so put together a couple of dishes this morning.........now they aren't coming because Craig has been sick for three days, but the good part is that dinner is ready~!!
We were invited to Curt and Cinda's for dinner last night, and as always, it was a very enjoyable evening and an excellent meal. She had been shopping at Williams Sonoma so created a marvelous reduction sauce with veal glace and chestnuts. Roast beef and oven roasted carrots rounded out her menu. Our contribution was a green salad with orange segments and pomegranate seeds and an orange-based dressing and for dessert a little plain one egg cake with chocolate frosting right out of my old Betty Crocker cookbook.
While shopping at Williams Sonoma, Cinda purchased a package for me containing four different sea salts including one from the Big Island in Hawaii that is black!! I am excited to try them all.
Colleen is in the throes of last minute packing and will be ready for her movers next week. She said she is so excited for this move that she feels like she could jump in her car and drive straight through -but assured me she wouldn't. She said Skyla is curious about all the boxes but doesn't seem to be distressed. Now when the suitcase comes out it will be a different story....she just doesn't know she gets to go along this time.
We watched the Diane Sawyer special about her visit to North Korea. Of course there was nothing revealing because everyone has been told what to do and say. I find it curious/frightening? that that country's leader has the time to create directives on every little aspect of everyday life. Talk about state control!!
We are invited to Kit and Katherine's tomorrow night for dinner so I feel like we have had a great week of eating out. Katherine and I worked together in real estate about one hundred years ago. Now Kit, who is a retired pilot, is working in real estate.
Back to my chores. Ciao
It is cold and drizzly outside today so it is a good day to be inside. I thought Craig, Cassie and Greta were coming for dinner, so put together a couple of dishes this morning.........now they aren't coming because Craig has been sick for three days, but the good part is that dinner is ready~!!
We were invited to Curt and Cinda's for dinner last night, and as always, it was a very enjoyable evening and an excellent meal. She had been shopping at Williams Sonoma so created a marvelous reduction sauce with veal glace and chestnuts. Roast beef and oven roasted carrots rounded out her menu. Our contribution was a green salad with orange segments and pomegranate seeds and an orange-based dressing and for dessert a little plain one egg cake with chocolate frosting right out of my old Betty Crocker cookbook.
While shopping at Williams Sonoma, Cinda purchased a package for me containing four different sea salts including one from the Big Island in Hawaii that is black!! I am excited to try them all.
Colleen is in the throes of last minute packing and will be ready for her movers next week. She said she is so excited for this move that she feels like she could jump in her car and drive straight through -but assured me she wouldn't. She said Skyla is curious about all the boxes but doesn't seem to be distressed. Now when the suitcase comes out it will be a different story....she just doesn't know she gets to go along this time.
We watched the Diane Sawyer special about her visit to North Korea. Of course there was nothing revealing because everyone has been told what to do and say. I find it curious/frightening? that that country's leader has the time to create directives on every little aspect of everyday life. Talk about state control!!
We are invited to Kit and Katherine's tomorrow night for dinner so I feel like we have had a great week of eating out. Katherine and I worked together in real estate about one hundred years ago. Now Kit, who is a retired pilot, is working in real estate.
Back to my chores. Ciao
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
We had a letter recently from our neighbors at the RV Park in Loma Linda. They are now back in Nampa Idaho after Vic completed his round of proton therapy. Eva wrote that Mad Hattie was asked to leave, and she couldn't believe how quiet it got after she was gone. That poor old lady is going to have a difficult time settling in anywhere. And why she is living in a 24' motor home is beyond me. I have a feeling she doesn't have much of anybody to look after her.
Ken is slowly recovering from some kind of a bronchial malaise. He is now coughing less and has a little more energy. He will recover just in time for me to come down with it I suppose.
The motor home is at South Side Motors now that it has been at the Workhorse facility. There is a problem with the coach battery and no one can figure out the cause. Workhorse says it is losing its charge as a result of the house batteries, but South Side doesn't think that is the case. At least they are talking to each other so perhaps there will be some resolution by the end of the day.
I am down to the last act for the Christmas quilt which is to finish the binding. I have it attached by machine and now just have to sew it down on the back side. Any further embellishments will have to wait to be added for next year because there are too many other things on my agenda at the moment.
We have been following the story of the Kim family that was lost in the Oregon backroads. We took that same road several years ago - in the summertime - and it was iffy then. As I recall, parts of it were just a glorified logging road with hairpin turns and single lane traffic. But as mentioned on an internet site, many maps and online programs show that route as a viable option to get to Gold Beach. Sadly, the body of James Kim was found this morning.
As we talked about what we would do in that situation, we determined that we would not leave our car, and it would behoove us to carry something like a big blue tarp or red tape to put on top of the car to be seen from the air. Duct tape is going to be another addition to our bundle of emergency items we carry in the car. In addition to the usual blankets and flashlight, I also have a metal coffee can jammed full of partialy used candles that would create one good-sized candle for some light and a bit of heat for quite a while. And a good use for all those half-burned candles.
We have a bit of sunshine and it isn't terribly cold, but it is definitely a winter light outside. I am happy to have the temperatures get back to what is normal for us around here because I could not get warm last week when it was so cold.
Ciao
Ken is slowly recovering from some kind of a bronchial malaise. He is now coughing less and has a little more energy. He will recover just in time for me to come down with it I suppose.
The motor home is at South Side Motors now that it has been at the Workhorse facility. There is a problem with the coach battery and no one can figure out the cause. Workhorse says it is losing its charge as a result of the house batteries, but South Side doesn't think that is the case. At least they are talking to each other so perhaps there will be some resolution by the end of the day.
I am down to the last act for the Christmas quilt which is to finish the binding. I have it attached by machine and now just have to sew it down on the back side. Any further embellishments will have to wait to be added for next year because there are too many other things on my agenda at the moment.
We have been following the story of the Kim family that was lost in the Oregon backroads. We took that same road several years ago - in the summertime - and it was iffy then. As I recall, parts of it were just a glorified logging road with hairpin turns and single lane traffic. But as mentioned on an internet site, many maps and online programs show that route as a viable option to get to Gold Beach. Sadly, the body of James Kim was found this morning.
As we talked about what we would do in that situation, we determined that we would not leave our car, and it would behoove us to carry something like a big blue tarp or red tape to put on top of the car to be seen from the air. Duct tape is going to be another addition to our bundle of emergency items we carry in the car. In addition to the usual blankets and flashlight, I also have a metal coffee can jammed full of partialy used candles that would create one good-sized candle for some light and a bit of heat for quite a while. And a good use for all those half-burned candles.
We have a bit of sunshine and it isn't terribly cold, but it is definitely a winter light outside. I am happy to have the temperatures get back to what is normal for us around here because I could not get warm last week when it was so cold.
Ciao
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Wedded Bliss, Palouse Hills, St. Nicholas
We have been home since last Monday, and the house is still in a pretty significant state of disarray. I do have the kitchen back together, and that was no mean feat since I had to start from the top down and wash and/or dust every single shelf, spice, dish, kettle and wall. But the floors do look very nice, and I am especially excited to be rid of the vinyl in the kitchen and to have the fir floor.
Ken is in the process of painting quarter-round so he can move on to some painting of the walls and trim. It does make it easy since the living room and dining room are both empty……but there is not one open square inch in the guest room!!
On Friday we celebrated 44 years of wedded bliss peppered with a few little exceptions along the way. Ken’s treat was a maple bar for breakfast!! We went out to dinner, but enjoyed a shrimp cocktail and a bottle of Washington wine before going downtown to Le Crème Brule.
I found a Columbia Valley wine, Palouse Hills, that is produced and bottled in Walla Walla. It was a reasonably priced, very tasty cabernet. I bought it for the significance of the name since Ken was at WSU during our early courting days and I can still hear Ray Conniff recordings serenading us at the student union building. Now the challenge is to find more of the wine because there only seem to be a few bottles available on closeout at the state liquor stores.
We had promised ourselves we would give Le Crème Brule one more chance, and it fared quite well this time. Ken had rack of lamb and I had duck maigret en papillote. Both were very nicely presented, and my only criticism is that my duck breast was a bit over-cooked. Espresso and crème brule rounded out the evening. There was even a small jazz combo playing which added to the ambience.
Yesterday was a St. Nicholas faire at the Olympia Waldorf School that Greta attends so I made an appearance for about an hour. Cassie was in charge of making gingerbread that was then being sold for $1 per piece, and there was a brisk business because it was very cold outside where some of the crafts and vendors were located. I purchased a few little stocking stuffers and walked through the school for a peek. Greta’s dad was there with her so I met Jason and visited with Greta for a few minutes. Her latest news is that she is now six!!
I can’t get warm, and I think part of the problem is our heating system rather than having been a hothouse plant down south for three months. For some reason the back of the house just doesn’t get very much heat, and of course that is where the television and computer are located, so it makes for some chilly leisure time.
I am beginning to feel pretty good about Christmas shopping. I think I am at least 50% there with some ideas for the rest. I LOVE the internet. And with many sites offering free shipping, it is hard to beat the bargains. I like to support Operation Christmas Child, but I passed on shopping and packing a box and went with a donation instead since I am so content not to have to go out to shop. Now I am anxious to finish getting the house back together so I can move forward with decorating, wrapping, and menu planning and baking.
The Ziemers called us yesterday to wish us a happy anniversary – Daryl was Ken’s best man. They are planning their annual trip south and hope to leave around the 4th of January. Daryl’s mother was in the hospital recently and now they are making some arrangements for someone to look in on her each day while they are gone. Daryl and Jan always spend most of their time at The Resort in Mesa, but since we will be just down the road in Casa Grande, I am sure we will see them once in a while.
Gary and Carolyn Ousey are now in Harlingen, Texas and then will join us in Casa Grande in the middle of January. They escaped the cold and snow in Victoria, but it looks like they are quite chilly in Texas at the moment.
Since this is not being printed, I don’t have to worry about a corrigendum, even though I am confident there are some errors. Ciao.
Ken is in the process of painting quarter-round so he can move on to some painting of the walls and trim. It does make it easy since the living room and dining room are both empty……but there is not one open square inch in the guest room!!
On Friday we celebrated 44 years of wedded bliss peppered with a few little exceptions along the way. Ken’s treat was a maple bar for breakfast!! We went out to dinner, but enjoyed a shrimp cocktail and a bottle of Washington wine before going downtown to Le Crème Brule.
I found a Columbia Valley wine, Palouse Hills, that is produced and bottled in Walla Walla. It was a reasonably priced, very tasty cabernet. I bought it for the significance of the name since Ken was at WSU during our early courting days and I can still hear Ray Conniff recordings serenading us at the student union building. Now the challenge is to find more of the wine because there only seem to be a few bottles available on closeout at the state liquor stores.
We had promised ourselves we would give Le Crème Brule one more chance, and it fared quite well this time. Ken had rack of lamb and I had duck maigret en papillote. Both were very nicely presented, and my only criticism is that my duck breast was a bit over-cooked. Espresso and crème brule rounded out the evening. There was even a small jazz combo playing which added to the ambience.
Yesterday was a St. Nicholas faire at the Olympia Waldorf School that Greta attends so I made an appearance for about an hour. Cassie was in charge of making gingerbread that was then being sold for $1 per piece, and there was a brisk business because it was very cold outside where some of the crafts and vendors were located. I purchased a few little stocking stuffers and walked through the school for a peek. Greta’s dad was there with her so I met Jason and visited with Greta for a few minutes. Her latest news is that she is now six!!
I can’t get warm, and I think part of the problem is our heating system rather than having been a hothouse plant down south for three months. For some reason the back of the house just doesn’t get very much heat, and of course that is where the television and computer are located, so it makes for some chilly leisure time.
I am beginning to feel pretty good about Christmas shopping. I think I am at least 50% there with some ideas for the rest. I LOVE the internet. And with many sites offering free shipping, it is hard to beat the bargains. I like to support Operation Christmas Child, but I passed on shopping and packing a box and went with a donation instead since I am so content not to have to go out to shop. Now I am anxious to finish getting the house back together so I can move forward with decorating, wrapping, and menu planning and baking.
The Ziemers called us yesterday to wish us a happy anniversary – Daryl was Ken’s best man. They are planning their annual trip south and hope to leave around the 4th of January. Daryl’s mother was in the hospital recently and now they are making some arrangements for someone to look in on her each day while they are gone. Daryl and Jan always spend most of their time at The Resort in Mesa, but since we will be just down the road in Casa Grande, I am sure we will see them once in a while.
Gary and Carolyn Ousey are now in Harlingen, Texas and then will join us in Casa Grande in the middle of January. They escaped the cold and snow in Victoria, but it looks like they are quite chilly in Texas at the moment.
Since this is not being printed, I don’t have to worry about a corrigendum, even though I am confident there are some errors. Ciao.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Thanksgiving Past
We are biding our time until it is time to leave for the Boise airport to go home. Brian is at work at the moment and will be here in another hour to give us a lift.
It was a most enjoyable holiday weekend with Brian and the boys. We drove to McCall on Wednesday evening, and Brian and I had enough time in McCall to do some gorcery shopping before the store closed at ten. For a small town, McCall has a wonderful grocery store by the name of Paul's. They are able to walk a fine line to be able to appeal to a wide range of shoppers from the basic to the gourmand. They have a great deli and gourmet food section. And then to add to the mix, there is a flight of stairs just past the cash registers that leads up to a quilt shop. What more could I ask for? Gourmet groceries and quilting supplies!!
Our dinner was very traditional starting with an appetizer of pickled herring with Aquavit and a beer chaser!! Now that is a Kirkwood tradition with the components coming from Ken's Danish heritage, but we press it into service for every occasion no matter how signifcant or insignificant. Dinner was roast turkey and stuffing, gravy, two kinds of potatoes, Brian's cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. We pretty effectively missed the vegetable/salad course except for some baby peas. Brian found some specialty root beer for the boys for their Thanksgiving libation, and we adults shared some tasty wine.
Brian and his dad installed an outdoor light on each of the six condos in their complex. There are no street lights on their street, and the one tiny light near the entry just doesn't offer much illumation. By the time they got to the sixth unit, they were down to about ten minutes per installation. A Crusty's pizza and a jug of beer was their compensation.
Since there is not enough snow at Brundage to open the ski season (although we got about three inches on Thanksgiving), the boys spent a lot of time with their Play Station, Game Boy, and Legos. They have a wonderful Lego train with both freight and passenger cars. But more track is needed to get the train up to full speed. I loved it.
I added a new game to the condo collection: Blokus. It consists of different colored squares combined in odd shapes to be fitted together on the board with only corners touching. It is a pretty fast game and one that can be enjoyed by most all age groups. Brian won every game he played, and Nolan was a close second. As usual, I participate in games for the sheer pleasure of playing since winning is not usually an option.
I'll blog again after we get home and I get the layer of dust off the keyboard. I need to clean fast and move quickly to accomplish everything and be ready for Christmas when Keith, Janet, and the girls arrive on the 22nd. Ciao.
It was a most enjoyable holiday weekend with Brian and the boys. We drove to McCall on Wednesday evening, and Brian and I had enough time in McCall to do some gorcery shopping before the store closed at ten. For a small town, McCall has a wonderful grocery store by the name of Paul's. They are able to walk a fine line to be able to appeal to a wide range of shoppers from the basic to the gourmand. They have a great deli and gourmet food section. And then to add to the mix, there is a flight of stairs just past the cash registers that leads up to a quilt shop. What more could I ask for? Gourmet groceries and quilting supplies!!
Our dinner was very traditional starting with an appetizer of pickled herring with Aquavit and a beer chaser!! Now that is a Kirkwood tradition with the components coming from Ken's Danish heritage, but we press it into service for every occasion no matter how signifcant or insignificant. Dinner was roast turkey and stuffing, gravy, two kinds of potatoes, Brian's cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. We pretty effectively missed the vegetable/salad course except for some baby peas. Brian found some specialty root beer for the boys for their Thanksgiving libation, and we adults shared some tasty wine.
Brian and his dad installed an outdoor light on each of the six condos in their complex. There are no street lights on their street, and the one tiny light near the entry just doesn't offer much illumation. By the time they got to the sixth unit, they were down to about ten minutes per installation. A Crusty's pizza and a jug of beer was their compensation.
Since there is not enough snow at Brundage to open the ski season (although we got about three inches on Thanksgiving), the boys spent a lot of time with their Play Station, Game Boy, and Legos. They have a wonderful Lego train with both freight and passenger cars. But more track is needed to get the train up to full speed. I loved it.
I added a new game to the condo collection: Blokus. It consists of different colored squares combined in odd shapes to be fitted together on the board with only corners touching. It is a pretty fast game and one that can be enjoyed by most all age groups. Brian won every game he played, and Nolan was a close second. As usual, I participate in games for the sheer pleasure of playing since winning is not usually an option.
I'll blog again after we get home and I get the layer of dust off the keyboard. I need to clean fast and move quickly to accomplish everything and be ready for Christmas when Keith, Janet, and the girls arrive on the 22nd. Ciao.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Eastern Washington Trip
I spent a fun 8 days in the Spokane area. Cinda and I left Bellevue a week ago Friday at ten in the morning assuming we would miss the bad weather that was due later in the day..........not so. The bad weather arrived early and we as we approached the Snoqualmie Summit and for ten miles on the other side we drove through snow and rain and slush. The road crews must have been caught off guard also, becuase we only saw one grader and it was parked behind a jack-knifed semi truck and trailer. I was glad to have someone with me for company and moral support, and we did make it just fine.
Lois had Calla and Sam and Maja up for dinner on Friday night, and then I was whisked off to Coeur d'Alene on Saturday for an overnight of fun. This was all planned by Lois and Calla. We stayed at the Coeur d'Alene Hotel, had drinks and hors d'ourves in the lobby, shopped a bit, and had a marvelous Italian dinner at a local restaurant. Maja joined us, and since she is just sixteen, she was very patient with all of her 'matronly' relatives.
I moved on to Karen's on Sunday evening, and she cracked the whip for three days to be sure I had enough of my latest quilt completed to be ready for the class on Thursday and Friday. However, we did find plenty of time to visit, and shop, and have lunch out.
The two days of quilting class was very good even though I didn't come away feeling as if I had accomplished very much. I spent the better part of the two days learning to cut out bits of fabric to create applique. I'm not so sure I will ever be very good at it. But it was another learning experience.
Karen and I visited with Mike and Mary for a couple of hours on Tuesday evening. Joel came home while we were there so got to visit with him as well. Both Mike and Mary are talking more seriously about retirement, and like most of us, have to wait to make sure all the ducks are in a row for health care.
I drove home last Saturday without incident amd was pleased to find the floor work completed. They do look much improved, but of course not perfect since this is a 100 year old house. There are some places that had to be repaired, and there are a few stains, but overall I am quite pleased.
Of course you can imagine how much dust is layered on EVERYTHING and inside EVERYTHING!! I have emptied, cleaned, washed, and relined four kitchen cupboard shelves and that is it. I know all of this will be waiting when we get back from Idaho next week. We have been staying in the motor home because of the fumes, but they have pretty well dissipated, so we are back in the house tonight.
We are looking forward to a few days with Brian and the boys. Sheila is now in Arizona and will be working twelve-hour days for the next two weeks. She has always been willing to work holidays to allow others to spend time with their families and this year is no exception.
We had dinner at Craig and Cassie's last night which is always a treat. They are a gracious host and hostess, and the food and wine is second to none. Craig is shopping for a chain saw to tackle the big maple tree that went down during the recent heavy rains. They heat with wood so it will be put to good use.
I need to finish packing and get to bed. I probably won't blog until we get back home, but when I do, it's quiddity will be retained.
Lois had Calla and Sam and Maja up for dinner on Friday night, and then I was whisked off to Coeur d'Alene on Saturday for an overnight of fun. This was all planned by Lois and Calla. We stayed at the Coeur d'Alene Hotel, had drinks and hors d'ourves in the lobby, shopped a bit, and had a marvelous Italian dinner at a local restaurant. Maja joined us, and since she is just sixteen, she was very patient with all of her 'matronly' relatives.
I moved on to Karen's on Sunday evening, and she cracked the whip for three days to be sure I had enough of my latest quilt completed to be ready for the class on Thursday and Friday. However, we did find plenty of time to visit, and shop, and have lunch out.
The two days of quilting class was very good even though I didn't come away feeling as if I had accomplished very much. I spent the better part of the two days learning to cut out bits of fabric to create applique. I'm not so sure I will ever be very good at it. But it was another learning experience.
Karen and I visited with Mike and Mary for a couple of hours on Tuesday evening. Joel came home while we were there so got to visit with him as well. Both Mike and Mary are talking more seriously about retirement, and like most of us, have to wait to make sure all the ducks are in a row for health care.
I drove home last Saturday without incident amd was pleased to find the floor work completed. They do look much improved, but of course not perfect since this is a 100 year old house. There are some places that had to be repaired, and there are a few stains, but overall I am quite pleased.
Of course you can imagine how much dust is layered on EVERYTHING and inside EVERYTHING!! I have emptied, cleaned, washed, and relined four kitchen cupboard shelves and that is it. I know all of this will be waiting when we get back from Idaho next week. We have been staying in the motor home because of the fumes, but they have pretty well dissipated, so we are back in the house tonight.
We are looking forward to a few days with Brian and the boys. Sheila is now in Arizona and will be working twelve-hour days for the next two weeks. She has always been willing to work holidays to allow others to spend time with their families and this year is no exception.
We had dinner at Craig and Cassie's last night which is always a treat. They are a gracious host and hostess, and the food and wine is second to none. Craig is shopping for a chain saw to tackle the big maple tree that went down during the recent heavy rains. They heat with wood so it will be put to good use.
I need to finish packing and get to bed. I probably won't blog until we get back home, but when I do, it's quiddity will be retained.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Air Waves, Tulips & Well-diggers' rods
Just when our lives were settling down, we found a way to upset the apple cart. We have toyed with having the floors refinished for quite some time, and so we called a local business to come out today to give us an estimate. Of course we, like everyone else, want the work completed before Christmas……but he said he could do the work next Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
In the meantime, Ken has to tear up the old kitchen vinyl and subfloor, and of course the living room, dining room and hallway have to be emptied. So I spent the better part of the afternoon stashing china and stemware in every possible nook and cranny with most of it going on the shelves in the guest room closet. Oh yes, and the pantry, which is chuck-a-block, had to have everything on the floor moved. The kitchen serving cart is in the bathroom, and the bathtub is stacked full of storage drawers that contain everything from paper plates to beans and rice.
I am going to Spokane tomorrow, and Ken and Cooper will have to move out to the motor home next Tuesday because with the floor plan of this house, there is no place for them to go in here once the floors are in progress. I think I am glad I will be gone.
Well this week’s election truly did give the Republicans a thumping as President Bush called it. I won’t speculate on any of it, but it would seem that the electorate wants something done to bring a closure to Iraq. The stock market hit another record high on Tuesday so I suggested to Ken we stash our investments in our mattress for a while until we see what happens post-election!!
Cinda has tomorrow off since it is Veterans’ Day so she is going to ride to Spokane with me. It will be a great chance for us to visit non-stop for about five or six hours. I’m hoping the weather holds with just some wind and rain predicted.
Lois sent a card to me this week with the following verse that I find hilariously funny every time I read it (actually, I can just recite it at will by now because I have read it so often). She sent it to say she can’t wait for my visit this week end. It makes me laugh out loud every time:
Stroke the air waves, pull up the tulips,
Break out the well-digger’s rod…..
We’re gonna yodel tonight
It is from a line of cards called Pondering Pool whose creator is Susan Mrosek. She is my latest heroine.
Well, my jaunt to Spokane doesn’t qualify as a true peregrination, but it is sufficient for me at the moment.
Ciao
In the meantime, Ken has to tear up the old kitchen vinyl and subfloor, and of course the living room, dining room and hallway have to be emptied. So I spent the better part of the afternoon stashing china and stemware in every possible nook and cranny with most of it going on the shelves in the guest room closet. Oh yes, and the pantry, which is chuck-a-block, had to have everything on the floor moved. The kitchen serving cart is in the bathroom, and the bathtub is stacked full of storage drawers that contain everything from paper plates to beans and rice.
I am going to Spokane tomorrow, and Ken and Cooper will have to move out to the motor home next Tuesday because with the floor plan of this house, there is no place for them to go in here once the floors are in progress. I think I am glad I will be gone.
Well this week’s election truly did give the Republicans a thumping as President Bush called it. I won’t speculate on any of it, but it would seem that the electorate wants something done to bring a closure to Iraq. The stock market hit another record high on Tuesday so I suggested to Ken we stash our investments in our mattress for a while until we see what happens post-election!!
Cinda has tomorrow off since it is Veterans’ Day so she is going to ride to Spokane with me. It will be a great chance for us to visit non-stop for about five or six hours. I’m hoping the weather holds with just some wind and rain predicted.
Lois sent a card to me this week with the following verse that I find hilariously funny every time I read it (actually, I can just recite it at will by now because I have read it so often). She sent it to say she can’t wait for my visit this week end. It makes me laugh out loud every time:
Stroke the air waves, pull up the tulips,
Break out the well-digger’s rod…..
We’re gonna yodel tonight
It is from a line of cards called Pondering Pool whose creator is Susan Mrosek. She is my latest heroine.
Well, my jaunt to Spokane doesn’t qualify as a true peregrination, but it is sufficient for me at the moment.
Ciao
Monday, November 06, 2006
It's wet and windy
So now I've quit complaining about being cold because it is wet, wet, wet. There is a state of emergency for every county in western Washington, and there is more rain on its way tonight. Up to now, I haven't heard the sump pump turn on so there must not be all that much water under the house.
Craig and Cassie have a creek running through the property in the backyard and Craig sent pictures showing how high it is. It isn't up to the house yet, and he said the house has been there for 100 years without incident so they are feeling okay. However, Huxley the dog can't figure out what happened to his backyard.
For lack of anything better to do, or lack of good sense, Elisabeth and I drove to south Seattle today to shop at IKEA. We drove both ways without incident and had a great shopping experience because there was no one else there. All of the Christmas items are on display so we had a grand time - after we dined on our usual Swedish meatballs.
Ken went to Spokane yesterday and will return tomorrow or Wednesday; I'm not sure which. He stayed at Jerry and Lois' las night, and who know where he is tonight. I know he went to Rod and Karen's this afternoon to talk about our trip south in January.
We had a good visit with Anita and Larry on Friday night and dinner was fine, but the cook has a poor memory. I forgot to pass the hollandaise sauce for the stuffed chicken and forgot to add the pomegranate seeds to the salad. Hmmm. I made an apple custard cake for dessert which is something I had not made in years and was not positive about my hand-written recipe from our Canadian days in Nova Scotia, but thanks to the internet, I was able to find the exact recipe and rest assured that mine was accurate. After reading Catherine Ousey's blog today and her description of a Jeannie's cake made in Winnipeg, I was able to find a recipe on the internet. It is a light cake, frosted, and perched atop a shortbread cookie crust. Sounds yummy.
Well this doesn't qualify as a florilegium, but it is all you are going to get. Ciao
Craig and Cassie have a creek running through the property in the backyard and Craig sent pictures showing how high it is. It isn't up to the house yet, and he said the house has been there for 100 years without incident so they are feeling okay. However, Huxley the dog can't figure out what happened to his backyard.
For lack of anything better to do, or lack of good sense, Elisabeth and I drove to south Seattle today to shop at IKEA. We drove both ways without incident and had a great shopping experience because there was no one else there. All of the Christmas items are on display so we had a grand time - after we dined on our usual Swedish meatballs.
Ken went to Spokane yesterday and will return tomorrow or Wednesday; I'm not sure which. He stayed at Jerry and Lois' las night, and who know where he is tonight. I know he went to Rod and Karen's this afternoon to talk about our trip south in January.
We had a good visit with Anita and Larry on Friday night and dinner was fine, but the cook has a poor memory. I forgot to pass the hollandaise sauce for the stuffed chicken and forgot to add the pomegranate seeds to the salad. Hmmm. I made an apple custard cake for dessert which is something I had not made in years and was not positive about my hand-written recipe from our Canadian days in Nova Scotia, but thanks to the internet, I was able to find the exact recipe and rest assured that mine was accurate. After reading Catherine Ousey's blog today and her description of a Jeannie's cake made in Winnipeg, I was able to find a recipe on the internet. It is a light cake, frosted, and perched atop a shortbread cookie crust. Sounds yummy.
Well this doesn't qualify as a florilegium, but it is all you are going to get. Ciao
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Brrrrrrrrr
I’m sure part of my problem is having been sweltering in southern California for the past three months, but it is damn cold around here. It has been getting down into the upper 20s at night which is what we might expect in the dead of winter. But rain and clouds are on the way so it will be wetter, but more importantly, It will be warmer.
I have been sewing for a while each day and spending some time just catching up on housework and shopping. Ken has washed the motor home, put the garden to bed, and yesterday he went shopping for a new scanner.
The first attempt was an HP all-in-one scanner, printer, copier, fax, etc., but its design made it too high on the computer table for me to be able to see all the buttons, so now we have just a scanner that doesn’t have any buttons! Its seems I have become more aware of my height (or lack thereof) over the past year and am amazed at how many places are out of reach for me. I realized tonight that the kitchen countertop is above my waist!!
Ken is going to go to Spokane this week end to get a canoe that his brother, Jerry, is giving him, and then he will get out to see the Jaynes and the Spragues. Rod and Karen are our traveling partners for our trip south this winter so we need to agree on where we are going. As soon as he gets home, I’ll head for Spokane.
We are having one of Ken’s high school classmates and her husband Anita (Kanzler) and Larry Foster here for dinner on Friday night. We visited with them at their high school reunion this summer and found that they live in Centralia which is only about 40 miles away. It is fun to reconnect with folks from our ‘growing-up’ years now that we are all grown up.
Well this isn’t exactly a billet-doux, but then that wouldn’t exactly be appropriate would it? Ciao
I have been sewing for a while each day and spending some time just catching up on housework and shopping. Ken has washed the motor home, put the garden to bed, and yesterday he went shopping for a new scanner.
The first attempt was an HP all-in-one scanner, printer, copier, fax, etc., but its design made it too high on the computer table for me to be able to see all the buttons, so now we have just a scanner that doesn’t have any buttons! Its seems I have become more aware of my height (or lack thereof) over the past year and am amazed at how many places are out of reach for me. I realized tonight that the kitchen countertop is above my waist!!
Ken is going to go to Spokane this week end to get a canoe that his brother, Jerry, is giving him, and then he will get out to see the Jaynes and the Spragues. Rod and Karen are our traveling partners for our trip south this winter so we need to agree on where we are going. As soon as he gets home, I’ll head for Spokane.
We are having one of Ken’s high school classmates and her husband Anita (Kanzler) and Larry Foster here for dinner on Friday night. We visited with them at their high school reunion this summer and found that they live in Centralia which is only about 40 miles away. It is fun to reconnect with folks from our ‘growing-up’ years now that we are all grown up.
Well this isn’t exactly a billet-doux, but then that wouldn’t exactly be appropriate would it? Ciao
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Birthday, Wine, and Birthday
Thank you to all who remembered my birthday with good wishes, calls, cards, and gifts. I had a very nice day and ate both lunch and dinner out. I can't remember the last time I did such a thing.
Craig and Cassie came for dinner last night to share some of Craig's wine stash - wonderful - and to have some lamb for dinner. I used a Julia Child cookbook for a bit of the meal, along with bits from other books. Having been reading her autobiography, I wanted to seriously take a look at her recipes. I used her recipe for the apple tart tatin, and it was excellent, but no more outstanding than my former recipe. I was surprised with her pate brisee as it appeared to have the makings of a very tough pastry, but not so, it was wonderful.
As much as i complain about my kitchen in that it is not a good working kitchen with too little counter space and an inefficient arrangement, it seemed quite okay after having cooked in the motor home for the past three months.
Rachel turns sixteen today, and it seems like only yesterday when I was present at her birth - since her dad was in Iraq at the time. She was a very good and cuddly baby. She slept so much at first that Janet worried about her, and I suggested we just appreciate it. Of the four grandchildren, we were with Rachel, as a baby, more than any of the others. Happy Birthday Rachel.
We have a quiet week at home coming up. Just the usual chores and projects. We have some blue sky and sunshine, but a few gusts of wind that flutter some leaves to the ground, and it is cool. Have a good week. C
Craig and Cassie came for dinner last night to share some of Craig's wine stash - wonderful - and to have some lamb for dinner. I used a Julia Child cookbook for a bit of the meal, along with bits from other books. Having been reading her autobiography, I wanted to seriously take a look at her recipes. I used her recipe for the apple tart tatin, and it was excellent, but no more outstanding than my former recipe. I was surprised with her pate brisee as it appeared to have the makings of a very tough pastry, but not so, it was wonderful.
As much as i complain about my kitchen in that it is not a good working kitchen with too little counter space and an inefficient arrangement, it seemed quite okay after having cooked in the motor home for the past three months.
Rachel turns sixteen today, and it seems like only yesterday when I was present at her birth - since her dad was in Iraq at the time. She was a very good and cuddly baby. She slept so much at first that Janet worried about her, and I suggested we just appreciate it. Of the four grandchildren, we were with Rachel, as a baby, more than any of the others. Happy Birthday Rachel.
We have a quiet week at home coming up. Just the usual chores and projects. We have some blue sky and sunshine, but a few gusts of wind that flutter some leaves to the ground, and it is cool. Have a good week. C
Monday, October 23, 2006
We Are Home!!
We were pleased to get home and find everything in good order. Outside looks pretty typical for this time of year with leaves starting to pile up against the garage and fences, and the flowers holding on to their last faint blooms.
It was interesting to walk back into the house after its barely having been opened for 2 1/2 months and being assaulted with that lonely, old, pungent odor of a 100 year old house being uninhabited. It reminded me of the same feeling I had when Ken and I were first married. We went to his parents' house for the day and his mom was away on a trip. Even though his dad, Bill, was home, the one who keeps the home fires burning was not, and it felt empty. Yesterday was a similar sense of something missing: that combination of foods, scents, and "life".
Craig and Cassie and Greta came by after we got home so it was a good occasion to share a bite to eat and a sip of wine. All is well with them, save Craig's car which has a problem that the Subaru people can't seem to figure out. Fortunately, Cassie has a second car that he is using at the moment. We are going to get together later this week for a serious leg of lamb dinner and a bottle of Leonetti wine that Craig has offered to share!
Greta asked if they could sleep over, and of course the answer was no since it was a school and work night, but I'm sure we can arrange for a sleep-over for Greta one of these days.
Attached is a picture of Rachel and her "date" (she says they are just good friends)from last week's homecoming dance. I think she looks very much like her sister Sarah in this picture.
Now to get organized!! I need to catch up on the laundry and finish removing whatever needs to come out of the motor home. Then the focus will be some serious quilt work to be ready for a class in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho the week before Thanksgiving. After returning from that, we will be off to Idaho to spend Thanksgiving with Brian and the boys, and then home to get ready for Keith, Janet and the girls for Christmas. Who could ask for more joy than all of that?
I've enjoyed this time gamming with all of you in blogland. Ciao.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
We are in Yreka, CA and loving it!!!! Everything looks absolutely beautiful. In fact, once we got out of the Loma Linda area, we even thought Bakersfield looked good!!
The trees are just beginning to turn, and right outside our windshield is a delightful ten foot long split rail fence that is robed in golden and green grape vines. Beautiful!! We are going to spend an extra day or two in Oregon to drink………….in the fall colors; and perhaps a little of the Pinot!!
Our youngest grandchild turned 11 today. We just called Warren to wish him a happy birthday, and he said they made fudge in his science class, as some form of an experiment, and he thought that was pretty cool for his birthday. His birthday celebration will be delayed for about two weeks until his dad gets home from somewhere – I know not where.
I drove the MH for a few miles today – my first time. I tend to hug the right side of the road, and the steering is very touchy, so it is a full time job to keep it where it belongs. And Ken says it handles 100% better since he had it realigned this week. I would not have wanted to drive it before the alignment.
Next blog will probably be from Steilacoom. I am able to post this one because this park has free WiFi.
Ciao
The trees are just beginning to turn, and right outside our windshield is a delightful ten foot long split rail fence that is robed in golden and green grape vines. Beautiful!! We are going to spend an extra day or two in Oregon to drink………….in the fall colors; and perhaps a little of the Pinot!!
Our youngest grandchild turned 11 today. We just called Warren to wish him a happy birthday, and he said they made fudge in his science class, as some form of an experiment, and he thought that was pretty cool for his birthday. His birthday celebration will be delayed for about two weeks until his dad gets home from somewhere – I know not where.
I drove the MH for a few miles today – my first time. I tend to hug the right side of the road, and the steering is very touchy, so it is a full time job to keep it where it belongs. And Ken says it handles 100% better since he had it realigned this week. I would not have wanted to drive it before the alignment.
Next blog will probably be from Steilacoom. I am able to post this one because this park has free WiFi.
Ciao
Monday, October 16, 2006
44 Down and None to go
Today is the finish line. Ken will sip his 16 year old Lagavulin scotch that he has been saving for this occasion, we’ll toast our good health, and be on the road tomorrow! The time truly has gone very quickly, and we feel so fortunate to have learned about Loma Linda. A follow-up in four months will begin to tell the tale as to how successful this was.
We are pretty much ready to go. Ken spent the better part of the day stowing everything outside, removing the window sun screens, checking oil and tire pressure, and trying to figure out where we can put everything. We have acquired a bicycle and a rocking chair while being here, and neither is a small item to put away.
We aren’t positive of our route home, but the California portion will pretty much be I-5. We might take an extra day around the Eugene, Oregon area just to take in the fall sights of the Northwest.
Colleen is in Pasadena for meetings for two days, so she and a friend are driving over for dinner this evening. It is less than 60 miles, but with the traffic around here, it is hard to tell how long it will take.
I had a great time visiting the Schulers in San Jose last week. Bev and I went to the Pacific Quilt Show on both Thursday and Friday. Some of the quilts on display were truly amazing. I got to see all three of the Schuler kids, their spouses, and children. Bev had John and Carol Nicoletti over for dinner on Friday night. They were our neighbors when we lived in San Jose. John has just been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and is preparing for chemotherapy treatment. It was 12 years ago that he had the same thing, and beat it, so we are praying for the same this time.
Our next communication should be from Steilacoom.
Ciao
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Three to go!!!!
Almost finished, and Ken would tell you that this was the right decision, and he couldn't be happier with how everything has transpired. Now is the four-month wait before checking PSA levels, but we feel confident about that too. Just yesterday, he heard another story from a new patient: the patient did his research and told his urologist that he was going to seek treatment at LLUMC. The doctor, without another word to the patient, went to the desk to say that the patient was seeking treatment elsewhere and would not be seen again by him!
We have to have the front end of the MH aligned on Tuesday morning, and then we will be on our way. We plan to be home by the weekend.
I am going to San Jose today for the quilt exposition and will return at noon on Sunday. I hope I can stay warm since I only have a light cotton jacket. It was warm when we left Steilacoom, and we knew it was hotter than blazes down here, so we just did not think about mid-October weather. I refuse to buy anything since I have a closetful of sweaters and coats at home, so if worse comes to worse, I'll buy a $5 fleece blanket and cut a hole in the middle to create a poncho!! It has been cool enough here the last few mornings to run the heater while we shower.
Have a good weekend, and if I don't blog for a while, you can find us at home in about ten days. Ciao
We have to have the front end of the MH aligned on Tuesday morning, and then we will be on our way. We plan to be home by the weekend.
I am going to San Jose today for the quilt exposition and will return at noon on Sunday. I hope I can stay warm since I only have a light cotton jacket. It was warm when we left Steilacoom, and we knew it was hotter than blazes down here, so we just did not think about mid-October weather. I refuse to buy anything since I have a closetful of sweaters and coats at home, so if worse comes to worse, I'll buy a $5 fleece blanket and cut a hole in the middle to create a poncho!! It has been cool enough here the last few mornings to run the heater while we shower.
Have a good weekend, and if I don't blog for a while, you can find us at home in about ten days. Ciao
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Visitor, guests and plans
What a great treat it was to have Karen here for a few days last week. We spent most of the time with her helping me with my unfinished (read problematic) quilting projects. I now have three projects that are in pretty good shape. We ventured out just one afternoon to go, where else? A quilting shop. She went home yesterday and she has a full schedule for the next ten days.
I go to San Jose on Thursday, and I’m looking forward to that. Bev is taking both Thursday and Friday off so we should have lots of time for a quilt fix.
The weather has remained cool which has been very enjoyable. I have been wearing a jacket to walk Cooper in the mornings. I think it is going to get up to 80 tomorrow, but even that is tolerable.
We have decided to drive the MH home instead of storing it. One reason is because we can’t get in any of the storage areas. March AFB has space, but none that will accommodate 32 feet. We are using the rationale that it won’t be that much more expensive to take it home and bring it back down this way in January because:
1. Gas is costing less at the moment
2. A private storage lot could be upwards of $100/month
3. There would be motels and restaurants if we were to drive the car home
And this way, we will have it available for Keith, Janet, and the girls when they come to spend Christmas with us. We plan to be out of here one week from Tuesday, and maybe take an extra day or two to drive home.
We reciprocated and had the Wheelers over for dinner last Tuesday night. I knew they were vegetarian, and she said they don’t eat anything that has a face or has a mother. So I prepared an Indian masala dish and loaded it up with everything from garbanzo beans to FROZEN spinach to fresh cauliflower. Actually, it was quite good, and Nancy brought a chocolate prune cake for dessert which was very good. These folks don’t drink either, so it was a very healthful evening!!
Colleen is in New England for a friend’s wedding, and she called on Thursday to tell us she was in New Hampshire eating fresh clam chowder. Wish it had been me. I would like to spend more time in Maine, New Hampshire, and Connecticut.
Have a good week.
Ciao
I go to San Jose on Thursday, and I’m looking forward to that. Bev is taking both Thursday and Friday off so we should have lots of time for a quilt fix.
The weather has remained cool which has been very enjoyable. I have been wearing a jacket to walk Cooper in the mornings. I think it is going to get up to 80 tomorrow, but even that is tolerable.
We have decided to drive the MH home instead of storing it. One reason is because we can’t get in any of the storage areas. March AFB has space, but none that will accommodate 32 feet. We are using the rationale that it won’t be that much more expensive to take it home and bring it back down this way in January because:
1. Gas is costing less at the moment
2. A private storage lot could be upwards of $100/month
3. There would be motels and restaurants if we were to drive the car home
And this way, we will have it available for Keith, Janet, and the girls when they come to spend Christmas with us. We plan to be out of here one week from Tuesday, and maybe take an extra day or two to drive home.
We reciprocated and had the Wheelers over for dinner last Tuesday night. I knew they were vegetarian, and she said they don’t eat anything that has a face or has a mother. So I prepared an Indian masala dish and loaded it up with everything from garbanzo beans to FROZEN spinach to fresh cauliflower. Actually, it was quite good, and Nancy brought a chocolate prune cake for dessert which was very good. These folks don’t drink either, so it was a very healthful evening!!
Colleen is in New England for a friend’s wedding, and she called on Thursday to tell us she was in New Hampshire eating fresh clam chowder. Wish it had been me. I would like to spend more time in Maine, New Hampshire, and Connecticut.
Have a good week.
Ciao
Monday, September 25, 2006
The calendar says it's fall
The managers have attempted to make one believe it is fall even though the temperature at the moment is 80 and on its way to 90 today. There are about a dozen white swan planters scattered around the park entrance, and the summer silk flowers have been swapped out for golden chrysanthemums. In front of the office entrance, a scarecrow is standing sentry assisted by some pumpkins and a bale of straw. All quite cute.
The confines and noise level here are getting to me!! In addition to Mad Hattie, who was ranting just a few minutes ago, new neighbors moved in beside us yesterday; a couple about our age and their adult son. This morning around eight, they had their dinette window open and talked loudly (argued) for about 1 ½ hours. Their dinette window is one foot from the chairs on our little patio. So it has NOT been a quiet Sunday morning.
I just scored two bicycles. A lady in a trailer across from us is taking it back to Arizona, and she just wanted to give the bikes away. I don’t know how much we will ride them here in this little park, or whether we will go to the expense and effort to haul them around with us, but they will provide a little entertainment for the next 3 weeks. She also gave us a great little folding rocking chair for the patio. Again, we may not have room for it when we pull up stakes, but we can rock n roll for now.
We just went to dinner with some folks who are staying here in the park. Their home is just a few miles from here, but it suffered a fire as a result of spontaneous combustion in a bale of hay that they had stored on their back porch (for their rabbit). We have chatted from time to time and she always stops to pet Cooper, so she asked if we wanted to go to dinner with them. Sure. It was a local Italian restaurant, and my eggplant parmigiani was very tasty.
Today is now Monday, and the excitement for the day was a trip to LaMesa RV (this site is as bad as their others), and WalMart. I think we spent $10 at WalMart. This isn’t a super store, so less to spend money on.
At LaMesa, I stepped inside one of the Tiffin buses, but assured Ken he didn’t have to enter into immediate negotiations. One floor plan had the refrigerator and sofa on a slide-out across from the stove and sink. But there was no dinette, and the only place for a table and chairs would have been in front of the refrigerator/sofa. The other floor plan had the sink, stove, and workspace lined up in that order, which meant you had the stove smack between the working space and the sink. I am too sloppy for that – I need the sink easily accessible.
I hear my book calling me. I am reading the biography of Julia Child. She was pretty outspoken, frank, and daring for her era. Quite the lady.
Ciao
The confines and noise level here are getting to me!! In addition to Mad Hattie, who was ranting just a few minutes ago, new neighbors moved in beside us yesterday; a couple about our age and their adult son. This morning around eight, they had their dinette window open and talked loudly (argued) for about 1 ½ hours. Their dinette window is one foot from the chairs on our little patio. So it has NOT been a quiet Sunday morning.
I just scored two bicycles. A lady in a trailer across from us is taking it back to Arizona, and she just wanted to give the bikes away. I don’t know how much we will ride them here in this little park, or whether we will go to the expense and effort to haul them around with us, but they will provide a little entertainment for the next 3 weeks. She also gave us a great little folding rocking chair for the patio. Again, we may not have room for it when we pull up stakes, but we can rock n roll for now.
We just went to dinner with some folks who are staying here in the park. Their home is just a few miles from here, but it suffered a fire as a result of spontaneous combustion in a bale of hay that they had stored on their back porch (for their rabbit). We have chatted from time to time and she always stops to pet Cooper, so she asked if we wanted to go to dinner with them. Sure. It was a local Italian restaurant, and my eggplant parmigiani was very tasty.
Today is now Monday, and the excitement for the day was a trip to LaMesa RV (this site is as bad as their others), and WalMart. I think we spent $10 at WalMart. This isn’t a super store, so less to spend money on.
At LaMesa, I stepped inside one of the Tiffin buses, but assured Ken he didn’t have to enter into immediate negotiations. One floor plan had the refrigerator and sofa on a slide-out across from the stove and sink. But there was no dinette, and the only place for a table and chairs would have been in front of the refrigerator/sofa. The other floor plan had the sink, stove, and workspace lined up in that order, which meant you had the stove smack between the working space and the sink. I am too sloppy for that – I need the sink easily accessible.
I hear my book calling me. I am reading the biography of Julia Child. She was pretty outspoken, frank, and daring for her era. Quite the lady.
Ciao
Friday, September 22, 2006
Hattie, Rock, and Geezers
This is the end of another week. Three more weeks, one week end, and one more sleep and we will be free to go………providing there are no more down times for the equipment. I went with Ken today, just to see who all was around and see who there was to chat with. Not many. And everything was running early, so he was finished before his appointment started.
The weather has become quite comfortable. Right now at 4:30 it is just 77 outside!!
Hattie has ceased to be a novelty!! After determining that management was simply trying to placate me with a lot of lip service, I took matters into my own hands. She had her door wide open and was ranting and raving about nine on Wednesday evening. Now keep in mind that her first words to anyone is that she is hard of hearing!! I walked alongside her motor home and tapped twice on the side – she responded immediately, even though she couldn’t see me, her television was on, and she was ranting. I asked if she would close her door, and she said she would. Then she asked me if I was going to bed. I said, “No, I’m trying to read and you are being too loud.” She said, “I’ll cool it.”
All day yesterday I didn’t even see her and her car never moved. Now today, she has gone someplace, but I haven’t heard a word out of her. I suspect the calm is short-lived, but I will simply repeat my actions. I don’t fully understand what is going on, but I am beginning to think she is dumb like a fox.
Last Sunday we decided to take a drive to Big Bear Lake since the crowds should be gone, and it would be cool. About 15 miles out of town, we rounded a curve and hit a rock that had fallen. The noise to the underside of the car was deafening, and the estimate from the VW dealer was heart-stopping - $900 – all because of a piece of rock about the size of a gallon milk jug. So next Thursday is repair day. We can drive it around town, but we aren’t going to take it out on the interstates.
Our friend, Sharon Jayne, turned the big 6-O this month, so Bob threw a surprise party for her last night. We didn’t know anything about it (and could not have been in attendance since we aren’t even in the state of Washington), but I happened to call just as they got home. She said there were about 80 people there, and she was completely surprised. It’s safe to tell her age because she says she doesn’t read my blog!
Just a little over a week before Karen gets here, and I can hardly wait. Oh for some girl talk and wine time. Every time I am out walking in this park I encounter another old geezer with a scraggly beard, dirty fingernails, and cigarette in his hand. Actually, I’ve only encountered two of those, but this place is pretty heavily populated with men – and not a one that I would trade Ken for.
Have a good weekend.
Ciao
The weather has become quite comfortable. Right now at 4:30 it is just 77 outside!!
Hattie has ceased to be a novelty!! After determining that management was simply trying to placate me with a lot of lip service, I took matters into my own hands. She had her door wide open and was ranting and raving about nine on Wednesday evening. Now keep in mind that her first words to anyone is that she is hard of hearing!! I walked alongside her motor home and tapped twice on the side – she responded immediately, even though she couldn’t see me, her television was on, and she was ranting. I asked if she would close her door, and she said she would. Then she asked me if I was going to bed. I said, “No, I’m trying to read and you are being too loud.” She said, “I’ll cool it.”
All day yesterday I didn’t even see her and her car never moved. Now today, she has gone someplace, but I haven’t heard a word out of her. I suspect the calm is short-lived, but I will simply repeat my actions. I don’t fully understand what is going on, but I am beginning to think she is dumb like a fox.
Last Sunday we decided to take a drive to Big Bear Lake since the crowds should be gone, and it would be cool. About 15 miles out of town, we rounded a curve and hit a rock that had fallen. The noise to the underside of the car was deafening, and the estimate from the VW dealer was heart-stopping - $900 – all because of a piece of rock about the size of a gallon milk jug. So next Thursday is repair day. We can drive it around town, but we aren’t going to take it out on the interstates.
Our friend, Sharon Jayne, turned the big 6-O this month, so Bob threw a surprise party for her last night. We didn’t know anything about it (and could not have been in attendance since we aren’t even in the state of Washington), but I happened to call just as they got home. She said there were about 80 people there, and she was completely surprised. It’s safe to tell her age because she says she doesn’t read my blog!
Just a little over a week before Karen gets here, and I can hardly wait. Oh for some girl talk and wine time. Every time I am out walking in this park I encounter another old geezer with a scraggly beard, dirty fingernails, and cigarette in his hand. Actually, I’ve only encountered two of those, but this place is pretty heavily populated with men – and not a one that I would trade Ken for.
Have a good weekend.
Ciao
Friday, September 15, 2006
Equipment Failure, Medicare, Visitors
As of this afternoon, we now know that our earliest departure from here will be Monday, October 16 because today’s appointment had to be cancelled due to equipment failure. That is not the end of the world, we can manage an extra day or two. I think it seems more severe simply because his last treatment was to have been on a Friday to leave us clear to leave, but now we will have to wait through another weekend.
I finally finished assembling the Christmas wall hanging that I have been working on since last spring. Mind you, there is still plenty of tweaking, clipping, straightening, and fixing to do before it is done. I have now decided I will spend the money to have it quilted. I wasn’t going to simply because the workmanship leaves a lot to be desired, but I have a feeling the professional quilting can’t do anything but enhance the overall appearance, and since I used some fabrics that have some history and sentimentality, it will be nice to have it properly finished.
I see according to the newspaper this morning, that for those who are on Medicare (as I will be in a little over a year, and Ken already is); the monthly premium is going to be approaching $100 per month in 2007. That sounds exorbitant, but I’m probably still locked into what Ken’s mother was paying 12 years ago; and it is just the tip of the iceberg with whatever the costs are for those who must purchase supplemental insurance as well.
I believe the last communications I shared with regard to Colleen and Bassim Blazey was that they had resigned themselves to being friends…….and he told her recently that he was emailing with a woman in the Canada whom he met on an online match service. Soooo, she found out last Sunday evening that he wanted to come and see her on Monday, the next day!! He had flown to Vancouver to meet the woman, and it didn’t work out. So when he called Colleen, she said, “So now you’ve decided you’re madly in love with me.” And he said, “Yes.” She said they have had a very nice visit, but neither one is planning to move from their respective countries, and she will let me know if that is to happen. He returns to Australia tomorrow.
The weather turned blessedly cool this week, and we didn’t even turn on the air conditioners yesterday. Right now at 8:30 a.m. it is 69 degrees outside and cloudy; in fact it looks as if we could even get some rain. What a relief, even if it is short lived. I think we approach 90 next week, but even 90 I can handle for a few hours a day.
I think all is well with our boys; we haven’t had much communication recently. They are all busy, busy, busy. Craig started his new job with Finnigan Construction last week as they gear up to build a new high school in Lacey, about four blocks from where we used to live. He will be on the jobsite, not in the office, and it is a great commute for him – about ten minutes.
The Bakers were not able to keep us on their itinerary. The entire trip to Florida went well up until New Mexico where they sustained a flat tire and two dead batteries in as many days, so they had to truck on back to Lakewood. So we will look forward to our next visitor the first part of October which will be Karen. And then a few days after she goes home, I’ll go to San Jose for the quilt show. And when I come back, we will be within just one or two days of going home!
Time to refill my coffee cup and contemplate what to do with the rest of the day.
Ciao
I finally finished assembling the Christmas wall hanging that I have been working on since last spring. Mind you, there is still plenty of tweaking, clipping, straightening, and fixing to do before it is done. I have now decided I will spend the money to have it quilted. I wasn’t going to simply because the workmanship leaves a lot to be desired, but I have a feeling the professional quilting can’t do anything but enhance the overall appearance, and since I used some fabrics that have some history and sentimentality, it will be nice to have it properly finished.
I see according to the newspaper this morning, that for those who are on Medicare (as I will be in a little over a year, and Ken already is); the monthly premium is going to be approaching $100 per month in 2007. That sounds exorbitant, but I’m probably still locked into what Ken’s mother was paying 12 years ago; and it is just the tip of the iceberg with whatever the costs are for those who must purchase supplemental insurance as well.
I believe the last communications I shared with regard to Colleen and Bassim Blazey was that they had resigned themselves to being friends…….and he told her recently that he was emailing with a woman in the Canada whom he met on an online match service. Soooo, she found out last Sunday evening that he wanted to come and see her on Monday, the next day!! He had flown to Vancouver to meet the woman, and it didn’t work out. So when he called Colleen, she said, “So now you’ve decided you’re madly in love with me.” And he said, “Yes.” She said they have had a very nice visit, but neither one is planning to move from their respective countries, and she will let me know if that is to happen. He returns to Australia tomorrow.
The weather turned blessedly cool this week, and we didn’t even turn on the air conditioners yesterday. Right now at 8:30 a.m. it is 69 degrees outside and cloudy; in fact it looks as if we could even get some rain. What a relief, even if it is short lived. I think we approach 90 next week, but even 90 I can handle for a few hours a day.
I think all is well with our boys; we haven’t had much communication recently. They are all busy, busy, busy. Craig started his new job with Finnigan Construction last week as they gear up to build a new high school in Lacey, about four blocks from where we used to live. He will be on the jobsite, not in the office, and it is a great commute for him – about ten minutes.
The Bakers were not able to keep us on their itinerary. The entire trip to Florida went well up until New Mexico where they sustained a flat tire and two dead batteries in as many days, so they had to truck on back to Lakewood. So we will look forward to our next visitor the first part of October which will be Karen. And then a few days after she goes home, I’ll go to San Jose for the quilt show. And when I come back, we will be within just one or two days of going home!
Time to refill my coffee cup and contemplate what to do with the rest of the day.
Ciao
Friday, September 08, 2006
Twenty Down and Twenty Four to Go
Another week is finished!! And all is going well. Ken had his weekly visit with his doctor this morning, and was told that if he were going to have any temporary symptoms as a result of the treatments, they would be evident by now – and he doesn’t have any!! We love receiving emails from all of you and willingly accept all your good wishes and prayers!
Ken drove me to Blythe last Saturday where we met Colleen and I went on to Phoenix with her. We had a good visit, and it was fun to have some girl talk since most everything here centers on men. We did a half day drive into the mountains east of Phoenix and ate out a couple of times while I was there. I visited my favorite quilt shop (and refrained from buying anything) and made a run to IKEA.
Colleen has a very nice, very Christian landlord (her cottage is at the back of his property and they share the pool and the yard) who had dinner with us twice this week. He is single, an administrator for ASU, and the love of his life is Toby, his golden retriever. Bill isn’t a very savvy drinker so Colleen has managed to thoroughly corrupt him. We had him over dinner one evening and had wine, and the next evening she made cosmopolitans (which she had introduced to him some time ago). While having our drinks, he said, “You know I have some steaks in the freezer that I could put under the broiler.” And of course we said, “Sure and we’ll make the salad and open a bottle of wine!”
Colleen has brokered a deal between Bill and the new hire in her office to rent her cottage when she moves to Seattle in January. Bill said he rented it to Nick and his wife for the same price as he had rented it to Colleen – which is dirt cheap for Phoenix. That is because he said he gives a discount to renters who have a dog!!! They have a Schnoodle who will be a buddy for Toby as Skyla has been.
Speaking of Blythe, here is an update for the Spragues, Robinsons, and Ouseys:
After getting gas in Ehrenberg yesterday, we did a spin through River Breeze to see how it looked. Of course all the grass is a lovely green!! And even though we didn’t stop to check, I’ll bet the pool and the spa are working fine as well. It looks like Michelle still has her job as it looked like her truck parked in front of the park model. About half the sites were filled, and just about every one of them had a toy hauler with a big jet boat parked beside it. I think there were one or two more park models since we were there. The membership park next door was virtually empty.
And Gary and Carolyn, we ate at El Ranchito yesterday before coming home.. It was six in the evening, and as usual, there were just two tables occupied. We got our dinners to go and sat out on the patio so we could have Cooper with us. Tasty as usual.
It seems my friend, Karen, took exception to my calling our crazy little lady Minnie since that is what my mother used to call her, so Ken has renamed her Hattie. Actually, Hattie has been on very good behavior, and if not, she is keeping her door and windows closed so we can’t hear her. She still sails in and out several times a day, hat on her head, in her little Scion going we know not where!
I am so excited…….Karen is coming to visit the first week in October!!! In addition to doing something quilt-like, I said I would lay in a supply of beverages and we could sit on our little patio and guess the lifestyles and comings and goings of our neighbors here in the park. We wanted her to bring Rod, but she is going to make him stay home and work!!
Speaking of neighbors, a couple from Nampa, Idaho arrived recently and are parked directly behind us (and right beside Hattie). Ken described them as older, but I’m afraid to use that term anymore considering our age, but I guess he meant older than we. Ken talked to them when they got here and learned the husband is here for proton therapy. Then this morning I was hearing some lovely trumpet music which was coming from their little trailer. He is quite talented (I’m making the assumption it is he) so we will have some occasional entertainment. I wonder if I could coax him to play in the afternoons while we are sitting outside having a drink?
The week end is here, but we have no plans. We are expecting to hear from our friends, the Bakers, who are supposed to be coming through one of these days for a visit. Otherwise, we will just be staying close to home. I will probably dash out to a local sewing machine shop tomorrow as my machine is acting up. I took it to Phoenix to make doggy pillow covers, and the sewing machine did not cooperate so I was only able to finish one of three. The other two I brought back with me.
Ciao
Ken drove me to Blythe last Saturday where we met Colleen and I went on to Phoenix with her. We had a good visit, and it was fun to have some girl talk since most everything here centers on men. We did a half day drive into the mountains east of Phoenix and ate out a couple of times while I was there. I visited my favorite quilt shop (and refrained from buying anything) and made a run to IKEA.
Colleen has a very nice, very Christian landlord (her cottage is at the back of his property and they share the pool and the yard) who had dinner with us twice this week. He is single, an administrator for ASU, and the love of his life is Toby, his golden retriever. Bill isn’t a very savvy drinker so Colleen has managed to thoroughly corrupt him. We had him over dinner one evening and had wine, and the next evening she made cosmopolitans (which she had introduced to him some time ago). While having our drinks, he said, “You know I have some steaks in the freezer that I could put under the broiler.” And of course we said, “Sure and we’ll make the salad and open a bottle of wine!”
Colleen has brokered a deal between Bill and the new hire in her office to rent her cottage when she moves to Seattle in January. Bill said he rented it to Nick and his wife for the same price as he had rented it to Colleen – which is dirt cheap for Phoenix. That is because he said he gives a discount to renters who have a dog!!! They have a Schnoodle who will be a buddy for Toby as Skyla has been.
Speaking of Blythe, here is an update for the Spragues, Robinsons, and Ouseys:
After getting gas in Ehrenberg yesterday, we did a spin through River Breeze to see how it looked. Of course all the grass is a lovely green!! And even though we didn’t stop to check, I’ll bet the pool and the spa are working fine as well. It looks like Michelle still has her job as it looked like her truck parked in front of the park model. About half the sites were filled, and just about every one of them had a toy hauler with a big jet boat parked beside it. I think there were one or two more park models since we were there. The membership park next door was virtually empty.
And Gary and Carolyn, we ate at El Ranchito yesterday before coming home.. It was six in the evening, and as usual, there were just two tables occupied. We got our dinners to go and sat out on the patio so we could have Cooper with us. Tasty as usual.
It seems my friend, Karen, took exception to my calling our crazy little lady Minnie since that is what my mother used to call her, so Ken has renamed her Hattie. Actually, Hattie has been on very good behavior, and if not, she is keeping her door and windows closed so we can’t hear her. She still sails in and out several times a day, hat on her head, in her little Scion going we know not where!
I am so excited…….Karen is coming to visit the first week in October!!! In addition to doing something quilt-like, I said I would lay in a supply of beverages and we could sit on our little patio and guess the lifestyles and comings and goings of our neighbors here in the park. We wanted her to bring Rod, but she is going to make him stay home and work!!
Speaking of neighbors, a couple from Nampa, Idaho arrived recently and are parked directly behind us (and right beside Hattie). Ken described them as older, but I’m afraid to use that term anymore considering our age, but I guess he meant older than we. Ken talked to them when they got here and learned the husband is here for proton therapy. Then this morning I was hearing some lovely trumpet music which was coming from their little trailer. He is quite talented (I’m making the assumption it is he) so we will have some occasional entertainment. I wonder if I could coax him to play in the afternoons while we are sitting outside having a drink?
The week end is here, but we have no plans. We are expecting to hear from our friends, the Bakers, who are supposed to be coming through one of these days for a visit. Otherwise, we will just be staying close to home. I will probably dash out to a local sewing machine shop tomorrow as my machine is acting up. I took it to Phoenix to make doggy pillow covers, and the sewing machine did not cooperate so I was only able to finish one of three. The other two I brought back with me.
Ciao
Friday, September 01, 2006
FIFTEEN DOWN - TWENTY NINE TO GO
Another week is finished and all is going well. Ken’s appointment is early today, at one, as I suppose everyone wants to get finished and gone for the long week end. I am going to go to Phoenix, but just haven’t settled on how. Either I will drive over early tomorrow morning or Colleen will meet us halfway; Blythe of all places. I have the option of the bus, but since I want to take a sewing project and my machine, that makes it more complicated.
We had Al over for dinner this week and you would have thought he was dining at a five-star restaurant. It was just grilled chicken and salad, but I’m sure it doesn’t take long for a guy to get tired of his own cooking. We will have to do that more often to give him a break.
I finished the book, Chocolat, and am now on to one by John Jakes. Chocolat is a very good read in that it is very well written.
Our garden at home seems to be thriving since Craig sent pictures of parsley and a big mound of tomatoes. Wouldn’t you know, we haven’t had any luck to speak of with tomatoes for the last two years, and now they are great!! But we have been going to the Thursday night market so I can stock up on fresh-picked tomatoes and Bev brought a basketful of heirloom tomatoes from her garden.
There was a forest fire near here in the San Bernardino mountains that actually started in Highland as a result of illegal target practicing, We watched various kinds of aircraft fly over for the first 24 hours as they were hitting it hard, but as of last evening they said it was under control; partly because it burned right into an area that had burned recently. As hot and dry as it is here, I can see why they would take a fire very seriously. As it was, this fire destroyed one or two homes.
Have a happy and safe holiday. Ciao
We had Al over for dinner this week and you would have thought he was dining at a five-star restaurant. It was just grilled chicken and salad, but I’m sure it doesn’t take long for a guy to get tired of his own cooking. We will have to do that more often to give him a break.
I finished the book, Chocolat, and am now on to one by John Jakes. Chocolat is a very good read in that it is very well written.
Our garden at home seems to be thriving since Craig sent pictures of parsley and a big mound of tomatoes. Wouldn’t you know, we haven’t had any luck to speak of with tomatoes for the last two years, and now they are great!! But we have been going to the Thursday night market so I can stock up on fresh-picked tomatoes and Bev brought a basketful of heirloom tomatoes from her garden.
There was a forest fire near here in the San Bernardino mountains that actually started in Highland as a result of illegal target practicing, We watched various kinds of aircraft fly over for the first 24 hours as they were hitting it hard, but as of last evening they said it was under control; partly because it burned right into an area that had burned recently. As hot and dry as it is here, I can see why they would take a fire very seriously. As it was, this fire destroyed one or two homes.
Have a happy and safe holiday. Ciao
Monday, August 28, 2006
Blokus, Quilt Exposition, Neighbors & Pine Nuts
Tomorrow is Nolan’s birthday, and in just a little over a week, it will be Janet’s. August and the first part of September are busy birthday times.
We enjoyed Jeff and Bev’s visit. They got here mid afternoon on Friday and left about 2:30 on Sunday. Jeff suffered in the motor home because of Cooper, so we spent a lot of time sitting outside. They stayed in a nearby motel, so at least he could have a good night’s sleep.
Other than just visiting, the guys went to a baseball game and Bev and I shopped for a couple of hours. Then she and I came home to play Blokus which is a very fun board game, one that everybody from three to ninety three can play.
Bev and I talked about attending the Pacific International Quilt Exposition in Santa Clara the week end of October 13. That is right at the end of Ken’s treatments, so if I were to go, I would have to fly and then have him come through San Jose and pick me up. I think it is second only to the quilt show in Houston in terms of the size so it would be fun to attend.
We aren’t sure if we are going to try to go anywhere next weekend. We are not so sure we want to attempt the traffic. If anything, we will get together with Colleen, either here or in Phoenix, and that all hinges on whether or not she makes other plans. There could be worse things than to stay inside where it is cool.
We now have ‘permanent’ neighbors on both sides of us. Al, a salesman from Missoula has been here about a week and is undergoing proton treatment for cancer in his sinus’. On the other side is Karen, who is a teacher. She is married with 3 teen agers, but they are in Washougal, WA with her husband. They used to live here, he retired as an electrician, they moved to Washougal a little over a year ago, and now she is back here to teach.
I made this recently, didn’t have any pine nuts, and it still was very tasty.
PASTA WITH TOMATOES, PINE NUTS AND BASIL
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 6-ounce jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried, crumbled
Salt and pepper
9 ounces angel hair pasta, freshly cooked
Grated Parmesan
Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add pine nuts and garlic and sauté until light brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and next 3 ingredients and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over pasta and toss thoroughly. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Serve immediately, passing additional Parmesan separately. Serves 4.
Ciao
We enjoyed Jeff and Bev’s visit. They got here mid afternoon on Friday and left about 2:30 on Sunday. Jeff suffered in the motor home because of Cooper, so we spent a lot of time sitting outside. They stayed in a nearby motel, so at least he could have a good night’s sleep.
Other than just visiting, the guys went to a baseball game and Bev and I shopped for a couple of hours. Then she and I came home to play Blokus which is a very fun board game, one that everybody from three to ninety three can play.
Bev and I talked about attending the Pacific International Quilt Exposition in Santa Clara the week end of October 13. That is right at the end of Ken’s treatments, so if I were to go, I would have to fly and then have him come through San Jose and pick me up. I think it is second only to the quilt show in Houston in terms of the size so it would be fun to attend.
We aren’t sure if we are going to try to go anywhere next weekend. We are not so sure we want to attempt the traffic. If anything, we will get together with Colleen, either here or in Phoenix, and that all hinges on whether or not she makes other plans. There could be worse things than to stay inside where it is cool.
We now have ‘permanent’ neighbors on both sides of us. Al, a salesman from Missoula has been here about a week and is undergoing proton treatment for cancer in his sinus’. On the other side is Karen, who is a teacher. She is married with 3 teen agers, but they are in Washougal, WA with her husband. They used to live here, he retired as an electrician, they moved to Washougal a little over a year ago, and now she is back here to teach.
I made this recently, didn’t have any pine nuts, and it still was very tasty.
PASTA WITH TOMATOES, PINE NUTS AND BASIL
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 6-ounce jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried, crumbled
Salt and pepper
9 ounces angel hair pasta, freshly cooked
Grated Parmesan
Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add pine nuts and garlic and sauté until light brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and next 3 ingredients and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over pasta and toss thoroughly. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Serve immediately, passing additional Parmesan separately. Serves 4.
Ciao
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
8 Down 36 To Go
Ken is off getting his daily zap, and I have dinner ready, so here goes the blog.
We are looking forward to a visit from Jeff and Bev this coming weekend. Bev is taking Friday off so they will get here Friday afternoon and leave about noon on Sunday. I don’t know how Jeff is going to fare with Cooper in the motor home so we might spend a lot of time sitting outside………….if we can stand the heat.
The thermometer has climbed above 100 the past two days, but the paper keeps saying it is going to gradually cool back down to the low 90s. I never thought I would see myself being grateful for low 90s, but I am and I will be. We have stayed inside for the better part of the last 2 days.
We did drive to March AFB this morning for grocery shopping. We also drove by the FamCamp to check it out for storing the MH when we go back home in October. It will be just fine. The storage area is inside the guarded gate of the base and is fenced in and locked. For $25/month, I think it will work out just fine. The FamCamp itself is small; only about 20 sites, although each site has a bit of green grass and a picnic table and it is located adjacent to the runway.
The entire base which, I’m sure, was one of the premier bases 30 years ago is quite pathetic now that it is just an Air Force Reserve Base with only a part of it being used. The rest of it is very rundown and deserted looking. Being located here in the sweltering heat with all the dry brown grass and all the smog that obliterates the nearby mountains doesn’t help. But it does have quite a good commissary.
Minnie with the Hat has been very quiet – most of the time. But she must have had a window open about 11:30 last night when she went on a yelling rampage. I had to close the window to get to sleep.
Another friend, another car accident. Sharon Jayne was driving home on I-90 when the car in front of her lost a big inner tube that hit her windshield. In addition the car lost some other part that flew under Sharon’s car and destroyed her oil pan. Thankfully she was not hurt. There are severe penalties in the state of Washington for driving with unsecured loads as a result of a beautiful artist from western Washington who was rendered blind and disfigured because a piece of heavy pressboard flew through her windshield.
Our Sarah turned 19 today and moved into her dorm for her second year at the University of Maryland. We gave her a subscription to Netflix so she can watch movies instead of studying – but I know she won’t!! She said now she and her friends won’t have to walk down the street to rent a movie.
It is official. Colleen will be the assistant director at the Fuller Seattle campus come the first of the year. It is a lateral move for her, but she is thrilled to be moving back to the Northwest. The Seattle director has been talking to her for the last month, but just this week he made it known to the Fuller community. That will put 50% of our kids in Washington!
Ken is back so it must be time to open the bar. Dinner is easy, it is a pasta salad that is chilling out in the refrigerator!!
Ciao
We are looking forward to a visit from Jeff and Bev this coming weekend. Bev is taking Friday off so they will get here Friday afternoon and leave about noon on Sunday. I don’t know how Jeff is going to fare with Cooper in the motor home so we might spend a lot of time sitting outside………….if we can stand the heat.
The thermometer has climbed above 100 the past two days, but the paper keeps saying it is going to gradually cool back down to the low 90s. I never thought I would see myself being grateful for low 90s, but I am and I will be. We have stayed inside for the better part of the last 2 days.
We did drive to March AFB this morning for grocery shopping. We also drove by the FamCamp to check it out for storing the MH when we go back home in October. It will be just fine. The storage area is inside the guarded gate of the base and is fenced in and locked. For $25/month, I think it will work out just fine. The FamCamp itself is small; only about 20 sites, although each site has a bit of green grass and a picnic table and it is located adjacent to the runway.
The entire base which, I’m sure, was one of the premier bases 30 years ago is quite pathetic now that it is just an Air Force Reserve Base with only a part of it being used. The rest of it is very rundown and deserted looking. Being located here in the sweltering heat with all the dry brown grass and all the smog that obliterates the nearby mountains doesn’t help. But it does have quite a good commissary.
Minnie with the Hat has been very quiet – most of the time. But she must have had a window open about 11:30 last night when she went on a yelling rampage. I had to close the window to get to sleep.
Another friend, another car accident. Sharon Jayne was driving home on I-90 when the car in front of her lost a big inner tube that hit her windshield. In addition the car lost some other part that flew under Sharon’s car and destroyed her oil pan. Thankfully she was not hurt. There are severe penalties in the state of Washington for driving with unsecured loads as a result of a beautiful artist from western Washington who was rendered blind and disfigured because a piece of heavy pressboard flew through her windshield.
Our Sarah turned 19 today and moved into her dorm for her second year at the University of Maryland. We gave her a subscription to Netflix so she can watch movies instead of studying – but I know she won’t!! She said now she and her friends won’t have to walk down the street to rent a movie.
It is official. Colleen will be the assistant director at the Fuller Seattle campus come the first of the year. It is a lateral move for her, but she is thrilled to be moving back to the Northwest. The Seattle director has been talking to her for the last month, but just this week he made it known to the Fuller community. That will put 50% of our kids in Washington!
Ken is back so it must be time to open the bar. Dinner is easy, it is a pasta salad that is chilling out in the refrigerator!!
Ciao
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Two Down and 42 to go
Ken had his first treatment yesterday, so he is underway. He was told by some of the staff that he was being treated for something, that if he had not been told, he would not know he had and if he didn’t know it, wouldn’t be able to tell that he was being treated.
The actual treatment only lasts one or two minutes, but with driving time and prep time, he is gone about 1 ½ hours.
We took a drive to Temeculah yesterday, but since it was hot and we had Cooper with us, we could not stop and do any wine tasting. We did drive through some areas that were quite pretty, and a relief from all the brown hills around us.
Minne with the hat was pretty quiet over the week end, but she got on a rampage yesterday morning, that after 1 ½ hours, I called the office and ask them to ask her to close her door. They also told her that if she didn’t fix her leaking gray water tank that she would have to leave. There was a repairman there this afternoon!
We have had a repairman here twice for our hot water tank. He has replaced a part and done I don’t know what else. We could use it, but if left on, it would weep. Of course it went out of warranty two months ago!
A motor home came in yesterday that was covered in advertising for ‘on the move internet’ so we tracked them down this morning. They make their money consulting for construction companies and other businesses, but the basic technology utilizes cell phones so with about a $500 investment and a cell phone one can have high speed internet wherever one can get cell service. It could conceivably replace our home service for internet as well I’m ready.
I came across a great quick pasta sauce with the key ingredient being marinated artichoke hearts. Saute some sliced cloves of garlic and a sliced small onion in some olive oil. Add a small can of diced tomatoes and a jar of marinated artichoke hearts, chopped. Add some dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste and let simmer while sipping on your afternoon cocktail. Add some chopped fresh basil before serving over pasta. Pass the fresh grated parmesan cheese.
Ciao.
The actual treatment only lasts one or two minutes, but with driving time and prep time, he is gone about 1 ½ hours.
We took a drive to Temeculah yesterday, but since it was hot and we had Cooper with us, we could not stop and do any wine tasting. We did drive through some areas that were quite pretty, and a relief from all the brown hills around us.
Minne with the hat was pretty quiet over the week end, but she got on a rampage yesterday morning, that after 1 ½ hours, I called the office and ask them to ask her to close her door. They also told her that if she didn’t fix her leaking gray water tank that she would have to leave. There was a repairman there this afternoon!
We have had a repairman here twice for our hot water tank. He has replaced a part and done I don’t know what else. We could use it, but if left on, it would weep. Of course it went out of warranty two months ago!
A motor home came in yesterday that was covered in advertising for ‘on the move internet’ so we tracked them down this morning. They make their money consulting for construction companies and other businesses, but the basic technology utilizes cell phones so with about a $500 investment and a cell phone one can have high speed internet wherever one can get cell service. It could conceivably replace our home service for internet as well I’m ready.
I came across a great quick pasta sauce with the key ingredient being marinated artichoke hearts. Saute some sliced cloves of garlic and a sliced small onion in some olive oil. Add a small can of diced tomatoes and a jar of marinated artichoke hearts, chopped. Add some dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste and let simmer while sipping on your afternoon cocktail. Add some chopped fresh basil before serving over pasta. Pass the fresh grated parmesan cheese.
Ciao.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
TGIF
TGIF. Oh that’s right, we don’t need to do the TGIF anymore.
It has been an unremarkable few days save the heat. I know it has been right around 100 for the last few days, but it looks like it is supposed to cool down by about one degree per day over the next few days.
For those of you who know my friend, Karen Sprague. She is recovering from whiplash and a sore chest (from the seatbelt) after being rear ended by someone while driving on North Division. I think she said this is the fourth time she has been involved in an accident with a male driver and none of them her fault. At least this one had insurance. She thought she was well enough to finish loading the trailer to leave last Wednesday for a trip to the Puget Sound area. You go girl.
We must be pretty settled into a routine. Last night was our second visit to the downtown Farmers’ Market to stock up on fresh produce. None of it inexpensive, but all fresh. Then it was too late and too hot to cook so we dined at In N Out Burgers.
We are feeling more comfortable with leaving Cooper for a few hours as long as everything is closed and he can’t see out. I thought I had done that before but learned that he can see out the window in the door so have to remember to pull that shade. He is feeling more settled too. He hasn’t been sleeping on the floor right beside Ken but rather on the sofa in front; and I was up before he was this morning.
The sewing machine is out, and I started back on my project yesterday. Now maybe I’ll make some good progress. No reason not to!!
We still have problems with the water heater weeping. Ken thought he had solved it, but not to be so we have the repairman on standby if it doesn’t shape up.
Have a great week end. Ciao
It has been an unremarkable few days save the heat. I know it has been right around 100 for the last few days, but it looks like it is supposed to cool down by about one degree per day over the next few days.
For those of you who know my friend, Karen Sprague. She is recovering from whiplash and a sore chest (from the seatbelt) after being rear ended by someone while driving on North Division. I think she said this is the fourth time she has been involved in an accident with a male driver and none of them her fault. At least this one had insurance. She thought she was well enough to finish loading the trailer to leave last Wednesday for a trip to the Puget Sound area. You go girl.
We must be pretty settled into a routine. Last night was our second visit to the downtown Farmers’ Market to stock up on fresh produce. None of it inexpensive, but all fresh. Then it was too late and too hot to cook so we dined at In N Out Burgers.
We are feeling more comfortable with leaving Cooper for a few hours as long as everything is closed and he can’t see out. I thought I had done that before but learned that he can see out the window in the door so have to remember to pull that shade. He is feeling more settled too. He hasn’t been sleeping on the floor right beside Ken but rather on the sofa in front; and I was up before he was this morning.
The sewing machine is out, and I started back on my project yesterday. Now maybe I’ll make some good progress. No reason not to!!
We still have problems with the water heater weeping. Ken thought he had solved it, but not to be so we have the repairman on standby if it doesn’t shape up.
Have a great week end. Ciao
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Minnie in the Hat
This is definitely more a trailer park than RV park. About 1/2 of the sites are either trailers or mobile homes occupied by people who come and go to work every day. But management is very nice, and the price is right. Plus they give a discount for patients of Loma Linda.
We are just one row of trailers from a busy street, but after a while I can almost turn that into white noise. There is a single woman who just parked next to us on one side, and the other side is empty. Then there is the site right behind us!! What I know about it is from observation and input from some folks who have been here a while.
Minnie with the Hat (my name for her) looks to be about 50 or 60 or 70 or 80 years old, black, and only able to hobble around with a cane. She is in a motor home the same size as our first one, but older and no slideout. She has a new little car, a Scion.. And she is probably certifiably crazy. She sometimes starts ranting as early as six in the morning. Our first morning here, I thought she was yelling at someone on the phone, and I thought it was a man because the voice is so raspy from all the yelling. I have only ever understood a word or two, but yesterday she said Bush is an idiot and they should send him back to Africa (maybe she isn’t so dumb after all). Another time she was saying to have the police come and check it out. And another something about right between the eyes. Last night she kept up her tirade for about an hour until after ten. Thank goodness she goes someplace during most of the day.
According to others around here, she says she owns 4 houses in the area but her kids bought this motorhome for her. She says the kids come and help her – haven’t seen a kid yet. There is a leak in her gray water tank so we had to tell management about that. We can tell she showers because that’s when the tank leaks. She comes out all dressed up with a hat on her head, gets in her car and goes somewhere. Sometimes she is in and out of here three times a day. She can hardly get up the steps into the motor home she is so crippled. We wonder how she manages to get around in this traffic and find her way back.
We suspect, if she owns anything, the kids have it and have dumped her here so they don’t have to deal with her. I don’t believe there is a thing we can do for her, and I hesitate to get involved because that is what it would probably be – involved!! Maybe I could invite her over for tea and spike it so she would go to bed earlier and sleep longer.
There isn’t really another good option to move to because of noise, sun, heat, etc. To be continued……..
We have subscribed to an internet service, so we have reliable internet - all the time!!
The weather has been quite bearable. We do have to run the air conditioners in the afternoons, but it cools way down as soon as the sun goes down. We actually sleep under our comforter with the windows open!.
Ciao
We are just one row of trailers from a busy street, but after a while I can almost turn that into white noise. There is a single woman who just parked next to us on one side, and the other side is empty. Then there is the site right behind us!! What I know about it is from observation and input from some folks who have been here a while.
Minnie with the Hat (my name for her) looks to be about 50 or 60 or 70 or 80 years old, black, and only able to hobble around with a cane. She is in a motor home the same size as our first one, but older and no slideout. She has a new little car, a Scion.. And she is probably certifiably crazy. She sometimes starts ranting as early as six in the morning. Our first morning here, I thought she was yelling at someone on the phone, and I thought it was a man because the voice is so raspy from all the yelling. I have only ever understood a word or two, but yesterday she said Bush is an idiot and they should send him back to Africa (maybe she isn’t so dumb after all). Another time she was saying to have the police come and check it out. And another something about right between the eyes. Last night she kept up her tirade for about an hour until after ten. Thank goodness she goes someplace during most of the day.
According to others around here, she says she owns 4 houses in the area but her kids bought this motorhome for her. She says the kids come and help her – haven’t seen a kid yet. There is a leak in her gray water tank so we had to tell management about that. We can tell she showers because that’s when the tank leaks. She comes out all dressed up with a hat on her head, gets in her car and goes somewhere. Sometimes she is in and out of here three times a day. She can hardly get up the steps into the motor home she is so crippled. We wonder how she manages to get around in this traffic and find her way back.
We suspect, if she owns anything, the kids have it and have dumped her here so they don’t have to deal with her. I don’t believe there is a thing we can do for her, and I hesitate to get involved because that is what it would probably be – involved!! Maybe I could invite her over for tea and spike it so she would go to bed earlier and sleep longer.
There isn’t really another good option to move to because of noise, sun, heat, etc. To be continued……..
We have subscribed to an internet service, so we have reliable internet - all the time!!
The weather has been quite bearable. We do have to run the air conditioners in the afternoons, but it cools way down as soon as the sun goes down. We actually sleep under our comforter with the windows open!.
Ciao
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Sewer Pipe, Farmers' Market and Internet
Yesterday was the first official visit to LLUMC. We joined a two-hour newcomers’ tour which included a look inside one of the treatment rooms and an in-depth discussion of the treatment process. Afterwards Ken had his first doctor’s appointment to confirm the treatment plan (9 weeks of Proton Beam Therapy) and schedule a CT scan and full body scan. Once the last scan is done next Monday, it will be about one week before the start of treatments. He is at LLUMC right now for the CT scan and the body mold.
I found it interesting that they use a half piece of plastic sewer pipe for the mold and use an expanding foam to fill in the space around the body. That sounds like great low high tech!!
Having always been in the military or HMO medical system, we are quite taken with the differences found here. Everyone is very professional, helpful, friendly, and available. All of the doctors and nurses wear white coats with the LLUMC logo on the pocket, and they look very professional. We were quite taken aback at how often we were reminded that patients could make requests for such things as a different time for treatment. Even though the Proton Center can treat up to 175 patients per DAY, there is no feeling of being crowded or rushed.
The Proton Center has its own entrance and elevators in one wing of the hospital so it is its own little community. Waiting rooms are very comfortable with coffee and tea available; one room has a piano and both waiting areas have a table with a jigsaw puzzle in progress.
We went to downtown Redlands last night for the weekly Farmers’ Market which consisted of several fresh produce stands, some lively live music, and about 50 booths hawking everything from Avon products to snake oil. We did score some white peaches and some lovely heirloom tomatoes. I think I will look around for a fresh produce stand and skip the Thursday night market. Oh, and we each had a huge tamale for dinner.
We are having trouble with the hot water heater and the awning. At least the awning is still under warranty – the wind sensor is not working. With the hot water heater on electric it acts like the thermostat is gone. The water gets scalding hot which causes the pressure valve to release water so we are thinking there is a problem. We can manage with either of the above for a while as long as the air conditioning keeps working!!
We have been to In N Out Burger and Wal Mart. I know the location of Costco, Camping World and Trader Joes, all of which are quite close by. There is a small mall in Redlands with a Gottschalks and new Penneys. March AFB is about 20 miles away so we haven’t been there yet.
As usual, internet is a problem. This park just decided not to try for WiFi, and for those of us who were down south last winter, we can understand why. I don’t think there is a reliable service out there. Others staying here rented a high speed modem and paid for Adelphia to get reliable service, so guess what we are going to be doing this afternoon?
If you choose to mail anything to us:
Ken and Helen Kirkwood
C/O Mission RV Park
26397 Redlands Blvd
Redlands, CA 92373
Ciao
I found it interesting that they use a half piece of plastic sewer pipe for the mold and use an expanding foam to fill in the space around the body. That sounds like great low high tech!!
Having always been in the military or HMO medical system, we are quite taken with the differences found here. Everyone is very professional, helpful, friendly, and available. All of the doctors and nurses wear white coats with the LLUMC logo on the pocket, and they look very professional. We were quite taken aback at how often we were reminded that patients could make requests for such things as a different time for treatment. Even though the Proton Center can treat up to 175 patients per DAY, there is no feeling of being crowded or rushed.
The Proton Center has its own entrance and elevators in one wing of the hospital so it is its own little community. Waiting rooms are very comfortable with coffee and tea available; one room has a piano and both waiting areas have a table with a jigsaw puzzle in progress.
We went to downtown Redlands last night for the weekly Farmers’ Market which consisted of several fresh produce stands, some lively live music, and about 50 booths hawking everything from Avon products to snake oil. We did score some white peaches and some lovely heirloom tomatoes. I think I will look around for a fresh produce stand and skip the Thursday night market. Oh, and we each had a huge tamale for dinner.
We are having trouble with the hot water heater and the awning. At least the awning is still under warranty – the wind sensor is not working. With the hot water heater on electric it acts like the thermostat is gone. The water gets scalding hot which causes the pressure valve to release water so we are thinking there is a problem. We can manage with either of the above for a while as long as the air conditioning keeps working!!
We have been to In N Out Burger and Wal Mart. I know the location of Costco, Camping World and Trader Joes, all of which are quite close by. There is a small mall in Redlands with a Gottschalks and new Penneys. March AFB is about 20 miles away so we haven’t been there yet.
As usual, internet is a problem. This park just decided not to try for WiFi, and for those of us who were down south last winter, we can understand why. I don’t think there is a reliable service out there. Others staying here rented a high speed modem and paid for Adelphia to get reliable service, so guess what we are going to be doing this afternoon?
If you choose to mail anything to us:
Ken and Helen Kirkwood
C/O Mission RV Park
26397 Redlands Blvd
Redlands, CA 92373
Ciao
Monday, July 31, 2006
We had a fast but uneventful trip down. Since we didn’t get out of Steilacoom until 4 pm on Thursday, we made it only as far as where 205 hooks up with I-5 south of Portland. That is a great rest stop, and after wandering back through additional parking areas we scored a parking spot next to a grassy strip where we could extend the bedroom slide and give Cooper a place to walk.
Friday was from there to Red Bluff and Saturday was Red Bluff to Bakersfield with both towns having great RV parks for us. Sunday was a half day drive from Bakersfield to Redlands. Coming through the San Bernardino Mountains seemed less harrowing than last winter, perhaps because it was a Sunday and perhaps we weren’t trying to keep up with Mario Gary Ousey Andretti!!
We had researched RV parks in this area and only found two that were within a reasonable distance of Loma Linda, and sure enough there are only two. Both are older parks, nicely maintained, but with spaces that would have very nicely accommodated our early 70s pickup and camper. Ken did a great job of maneuvering the MH into our spot.
Cooper has been a trooper. He usually was up on the sofa while we were moving. He hasn’t been overly interested in his dog food, so I have been giving him fresh green beans and cooked rice. He loves the green beans. He has lived a pretty sheltered life, so his nose goes into high gear when we take him outside for walks. He is happy to be with us but isn’t quite sure of what is going on, so he doesn’t let Ken get more than three feet away from him.
We will spend these next three days exploring the area, buying groceries, and locating Costco, Trader Joe’s, Camping World, etc. Costco is about 18 miles away but the others are here in Redlands.
It has been very very lightly raining this morning. Sun is forecast for this afternoon, and the usual temps are around 90 but it looks like it cools down to the low 70s and high 60s at night which I can handle.
Later……………we have met two men here in the park who will finish their treatments this week. They are just as enthusiastic as anyone else we have encountered. I first met one of the wives………where else but the laundry room. Subsequently her husband, and his neighbor both came over to chat. I can see that this whole thing becomes quite the clique.
We drove around the area for a while this afternoon. It turns out that Costco is very close, and Camping World and a lot of chain restaurants, but not much else. In N Out Burger is in San Bernardino which we will track down very soon.
While sitting outside this evening some neighbors came home, came over, chatted, went back and got their lawn chairs and drinks of choice and came back and stayed about two hours. They are just passing through and live in Kennewick. So now we have names and numbers to contact for a visit/MH parking in Kennewick. No one is a stranger in this world of RVs.
Ken and Cooper and I need to take an evening walk. Ken and I plan to attend an orientation at LLUMC on Wednesday. I’ll let you know about that. Ciao
Friday was from there to Red Bluff and Saturday was Red Bluff to Bakersfield with both towns having great RV parks for us. Sunday was a half day drive from Bakersfield to Redlands. Coming through the San Bernardino Mountains seemed less harrowing than last winter, perhaps because it was a Sunday and perhaps we weren’t trying to keep up with Mario Gary Ousey Andretti!!
We had researched RV parks in this area and only found two that were within a reasonable distance of Loma Linda, and sure enough there are only two. Both are older parks, nicely maintained, but with spaces that would have very nicely accommodated our early 70s pickup and camper. Ken did a great job of maneuvering the MH into our spot.
Cooper has been a trooper. He usually was up on the sofa while we were moving. He hasn’t been overly interested in his dog food, so I have been giving him fresh green beans and cooked rice. He loves the green beans. He has lived a pretty sheltered life, so his nose goes into high gear when we take him outside for walks. He is happy to be with us but isn’t quite sure of what is going on, so he doesn’t let Ken get more than three feet away from him.
We will spend these next three days exploring the area, buying groceries, and locating Costco, Trader Joe’s, Camping World, etc. Costco is about 18 miles away but the others are here in Redlands.
It has been very very lightly raining this morning. Sun is forecast for this afternoon, and the usual temps are around 90 but it looks like it cools down to the low 70s and high 60s at night which I can handle.
Later……………we have met two men here in the park who will finish their treatments this week. They are just as enthusiastic as anyone else we have encountered. I first met one of the wives………where else but the laundry room. Subsequently her husband, and his neighbor both came over to chat. I can see that this whole thing becomes quite the clique.
We drove around the area for a while this afternoon. It turns out that Costco is very close, and Camping World and a lot of chain restaurants, but not much else. In N Out Burger is in San Bernardino which we will track down very soon.
While sitting outside this evening some neighbors came home, came over, chatted, went back and got their lawn chairs and drinks of choice and came back and stayed about two hours. They are just passing through and live in Kennewick. So now we have names and numbers to contact for a visit/MH parking in Kennewick. No one is a stranger in this world of RVs.
Ken and Cooper and I need to take an evening walk. Ken and I plan to attend an orientation at LLUMC on Wednesday. I’ll let you know about that. Ciao
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Reunion Weekend in Review
Here is a recap of the past weekend’s activities in celebration of Ken’s graduating class of 1956.
Bob and Sharon entertained the Davenport alumni, class of ’56, on Friday afternoon similar to what we had done with the Jaynes when the class celebrated its 30th. Everyone enjoyed catching up and reminiscing. The dapper dude in the hat is Bob.
Friday morning, Ken and Bob had to be in Davenport by 10:30 to be ready to ride in the Pioneer Days Parade. One of their classmates has restored a late ‘30s truck and he had created some bench seating with bales of straw on the flatbed where the classmates could hold court over the onlookers. They were near the end of the parade, and were preceded primarily by local candidates for office, fire trucks and the local ambulance. Oh yes, and the Schwans truck! You gotta love these small towns.Saturday afternoon we moved on to the park for lunch, some very good musical entertainment, and a display of several dozen restored cars. Davenport has a car club known as the Road Knights which was founded when Ken was in high school, and he designed the club logo which is still being used. I made him purchase the baseball cap with the logo, and he was given a tee shirt since he is one of the “old timers”.
The evening dinner and dance was the usual disappointment, but it provided a venue for us to continue to visit and see old friends. Ken’s second grade teacher (in photo at the right) was in attendance and looked as perky and cute as a teenager. She is probably at least 80. She said she knew how to teach children to read, and when UCLA came in and proceeded to tell her how to do it, she retired. She also taught Brian for a few months when he was in the second grade and we were between moves.Our old house at Liberty Lake was still standing last week end, and Ken and Bob were able to rescue the kitchen sink for me. For those of you who weren’t in that house, I discovered the old original sink and had it installed in the new kitchen when we remodeled. It is the single sink with attached backsplash and drainboard. It has a porcelain finish that must be at least 1/4" thick. I don’t know when we will have time to do something with it in this house, but I am pleased to have it.
The next week will be spent getting the motor home packed and the house ready to be vacated for almost three months while we are in Loma Linda. We will leave next Thursday or Friday. Craig will be available to check on it as well as some friends of his who live down the street. It is hard to leave the yard and garden, but it can be redone next year. Cooper has no idea what he is in for, but I know he will be happy just to be with us. This is all just another adventure! Ciao
Sunday, July 09, 2006
The old and the new
Of course we have been preoccupied with Ken’s health issues, but we have learned a great deal in the past few days.
One of Ken’s former co-workers at the hospital told him that her stepfather had had prostate cancer, and he was treated with proton therapy at Loma Linda Medical Center. From everything we have been able to learn, it is just as effective as other treatments, but its accuracy alleviates all the side effects caused by traditional radiation.
This is a treatment that has been in use for over ten years, it is not experimental, and we have yet to find a negative about it. But isn’t it interesting that if you weren’t looking for it, you would not even come across a discussion of this treatment in any of the usual information? The gentleman Ken spoke with said he even went to the upper levels of administration at Loma Linda to ask why it was not better publicized, and the response from this Seventh Day Adventist institution was that if God wanted him to be there (Loma Linda) he would find out about it!!!???
If you want more information:
http://news.adventist.org/data/2006/03/1144961805/index.html.en
We will be interested to see if it is even mentioned at the appointment at Madigan on Wednesday. The other good news is that the treatment is covered by Medicare.
Next weekend is Ken’s 50th high school reunion. We will drive to Liberty Lake on Thursday and stay with Bob and Sharon. They are hosting a get-together on Friday night and then the classmates will ride in the back of somebody’s truck in the parade in Davenport on Saturday. Then another get-together at Daryl and Jan Ziemer’s Saturday afternoon and the dinner and dance in the evening. My what a social swirl.
Speaking of Liberty Lake, we learned today that the house we owned there is going to be rased within the next few days. The current owners (who purchased from the woman to whom we sold) found the foundation could not withstand the renovations they wanted to do. I must admit that it is with a heavy heart that I learned this. It was unreasonable to believe we would ever return, but it was the most grand and wonderful house I have ever lived in.
Have a good week, and I’ll be blogging again later this week.
Ciao
One of Ken’s former co-workers at the hospital told him that her stepfather had had prostate cancer, and he was treated with proton therapy at Loma Linda Medical Center. From everything we have been able to learn, it is just as effective as other treatments, but its accuracy alleviates all the side effects caused by traditional radiation.
This is a treatment that has been in use for over ten years, it is not experimental, and we have yet to find a negative about it. But isn’t it interesting that if you weren’t looking for it, you would not even come across a discussion of this treatment in any of the usual information? The gentleman Ken spoke with said he even went to the upper levels of administration at Loma Linda to ask why it was not better publicized, and the response from this Seventh Day Adventist institution was that if God wanted him to be there (Loma Linda) he would find out about it!!!???
If you want more information:
http://news.adventist.org/data/2006/03/1144961805/index.html.en
We will be interested to see if it is even mentioned at the appointment at Madigan on Wednesday. The other good news is that the treatment is covered by Medicare.
Next weekend is Ken’s 50th high school reunion. We will drive to Liberty Lake on Thursday and stay with Bob and Sharon. They are hosting a get-together on Friday night and then the classmates will ride in the back of somebody’s truck in the parade in Davenport on Saturday. Then another get-together at Daryl and Jan Ziemer’s Saturday afternoon and the dinner and dance in the evening. My what a social swirl.
Speaking of Liberty Lake, we learned today that the house we owned there is going to be rased within the next few days. The current owners (who purchased from the woman to whom we sold) found the foundation could not withstand the renovations they wanted to do. I must admit that it is with a heavy heart that I learned this. It was unreasonable to believe we would ever return, but it was the most grand and wonderful house I have ever lived in.
Have a good week, and I’ll be blogging again later this week.
Ciao
Saturday, July 08, 2006
From the Fourth Forward
We have had some eventful times over the past 10 days….
Brian and Sheila and Nolan and Warren arrived Friday evening and it took the boys about 5 minutes to check out the tree house and move in. They slept up there all five nights they were here. Grandpa had a new flashlight for each and they utilized the basket/pulley system to haul their belongings up and down. I don’t know who gets more joy out of all of this, the boys or Grandpa and I.
Curt, Cinda, Linea, and her friend Jamie arrived midday on Monday. The girls pitched a tent in the front yard and moved in with their air mattresses and books. Cinda lamented that she and Curt had moved into the “elder” group so were afforded the luxury of a real bed in the guest room.
Craig, Cassie and Greta joined us on Saturday and Monday evenings. Greta is 5 ½ and is very cute and precocious. She was quite the epicurean as she made her way through fresh cherries, clams, and mussels, and most anything else we were serving. She does not have typical preschoolers’ tastes.
I think we ate and drank our way through three days. Brian is a master with the grill and he smoked ribs, a tri-tip roast and two whole chickens for the 4th. Cinda and Sheila were the queens of the salads, breads, and fruits and veggies, and I offered appetizers with a Spanish theme: cured ham and honeydew melon, manchego cheese (if you have not tasted it, be sure to do so), and roasted red bell peppers (recipe to follow). Brian and Sheila store some of their yummy German white wine in our cellar, so that, along with some of our Washington selections and lots of beer kept us in fine fettle.
We all walked downtown on the Fourth to watch the parade which consists of old cars, politicians with campaign signs, kids on bikes and in strollers, the Ft. Lewis Army band, and even some Strykers. After careful scrutiny, we determined that the little old lady in the beige Taurus had simply taken a wrong turn and accidentally became part of the parade so someone proffered a flag for her to wave as she made her way down the street.
From the street fair, Brian and Sheila gifted us with a metal sculpture; a wine glass fitted with a piece of red glass and a plaque reading “wine garden”. It is charming and looks right at home on our property.
The boys had two outings at the beach here in Steilacoom. They can squat for hours digging furiously to get to? And then only to be defeated by hitting water or having the tide come in. Brian, Ken, and the boys went to a Tacoma Rainiers game and the home team won! Sheila and I did a bit of shopping since her time and resources are so limited when she is home.
All the fun was a good diversion for us as we face a bump in the road. Ken had a prostate biopsy come back with some cancer cells present. He has been participating in a study for the past two years, and we feel fortunate that the study called for a biopsy at the two-year point. He had had one two years ago as a result of an elevated PSA, but it showed nothing. From all indications now, it appears to be early and small. We know many men who have gone through this, and Ken has talked to several to be better prepared to make a decision for a course of action. We will meet with a radiation therapist on July 12 to talk it through and decide what comes next. We plan to have all of this behind us a soon as possible to be ready for travel, Christmas and heading south after the first of the year.
This is a heads up for you– pay attention to your prostate and get examined.
We had some glorious weather up until the Fourth. Since then it has been cloudy and cool with a few sprinkles, and we even have the furnace on! Typical Puget Sound weather.
Here is the easy way to prepare roasted peppers:
Several whole red bell peppers
Two or three cloves fresh minced garlic
2 tsp kosher salt
olive oil
Place peppers on a hot outdoor grill, turning as they char, until the entire outside skin is blackened and blistered. Remove to a covered container and let steam for 20 or 30 minutes, and then halve, remove seeds and ribs and remove outer skin. Slice lengthwise into ½” strips. Combine pepper strips and salt and minced garlic mixture. Drizzle with olive oil and let rest for an hour or so. Can be refrigerated, but should be brought back to room temp to serve.
The key to the ease of this is to roast the peppers on the outside gas grill. It is hot and easy to turn the peppers. I’ve tried using the gas flame on my inside range or the oven broiler but with limited success.
Ciao
Brian and Sheila and Nolan and Warren arrived Friday evening and it took the boys about 5 minutes to check out the tree house and move in. They slept up there all five nights they were here. Grandpa had a new flashlight for each and they utilized the basket/pulley system to haul their belongings up and down. I don’t know who gets more joy out of all of this, the boys or Grandpa and I.
Curt, Cinda, Linea, and her friend Jamie arrived midday on Monday. The girls pitched a tent in the front yard and moved in with their air mattresses and books. Cinda lamented that she and Curt had moved into the “elder” group so were afforded the luxury of a real bed in the guest room.
Craig, Cassie and Greta joined us on Saturday and Monday evenings. Greta is 5 ½ and is very cute and precocious. She was quite the epicurean as she made her way through fresh cherries, clams, and mussels, and most anything else we were serving. She does not have typical preschoolers’ tastes.
I think we ate and drank our way through three days. Brian is a master with the grill and he smoked ribs, a tri-tip roast and two whole chickens for the 4th. Cinda and Sheila were the queens of the salads, breads, and fruits and veggies, and I offered appetizers with a Spanish theme: cured ham and honeydew melon, manchego cheese (if you have not tasted it, be sure to do so), and roasted red bell peppers (recipe to follow). Brian and Sheila store some of their yummy German white wine in our cellar, so that, along with some of our Washington selections and lots of beer kept us in fine fettle.
We all walked downtown on the Fourth to watch the parade which consists of old cars, politicians with campaign signs, kids on bikes and in strollers, the Ft. Lewis Army band, and even some Strykers. After careful scrutiny, we determined that the little old lady in the beige Taurus had simply taken a wrong turn and accidentally became part of the parade so someone proffered a flag for her to wave as she made her way down the street.
From the street fair, Brian and Sheila gifted us with a metal sculpture; a wine glass fitted with a piece of red glass and a plaque reading “wine garden”. It is charming and looks right at home on our property.
The boys had two outings at the beach here in Steilacoom. They can squat for hours digging furiously to get to? And then only to be defeated by hitting water or having the tide come in. Brian, Ken, and the boys went to a Tacoma Rainiers game and the home team won! Sheila and I did a bit of shopping since her time and resources are so limited when she is home.
All the fun was a good diversion for us as we face a bump in the road. Ken had a prostate biopsy come back with some cancer cells present. He has been participating in a study for the past two years, and we feel fortunate that the study called for a biopsy at the two-year point. He had had one two years ago as a result of an elevated PSA, but it showed nothing. From all indications now, it appears to be early and small. We know many men who have gone through this, and Ken has talked to several to be better prepared to make a decision for a course of action. We will meet with a radiation therapist on July 12 to talk it through and decide what comes next. We plan to have all of this behind us a soon as possible to be ready for travel, Christmas and heading south after the first of the year.
This is a heads up for you– pay attention to your prostate and get examined.
We had some glorious weather up until the Fourth. Since then it has been cloudy and cool with a few sprinkles, and we even have the furnace on! Typical Puget Sound weather.
Here is the easy way to prepare roasted peppers:
Several whole red bell peppers
Two or three cloves fresh minced garlic
2 tsp kosher salt
olive oil
Place peppers on a hot outdoor grill, turning as they char, until the entire outside skin is blackened and blistered. Remove to a covered container and let steam for 20 or 30 minutes, and then halve, remove seeds and ribs and remove outer skin. Slice lengthwise into ½” strips. Combine pepper strips and salt and minced garlic mixture. Drizzle with olive oil and let rest for an hour or so. Can be refrigerated, but should be brought back to room temp to serve.
The key to the ease of this is to roast the peppers on the outside gas grill. It is hot and easy to turn the peppers. I’ve tried using the gas flame on my inside range or the oven broiler but with limited success.
Ciao
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Shop Hopping and Boat Stopping
We three had a glorious time on our three-day shop hop odyssey. We headed north on Wednesday morning with Lynden as our goal - and we did get there by mid afternoon after a stop or two on the way. After Lynden we had to head back to Mt. Vernon where I had managed to score a reservation on a little houseboat on the Skagit River.
It was little, and it was cozy for three, but it was quite fun. The bathroom left a lot to be desired - it was a working bathroom with restrictions not unlike those we have with the motor home, but it was very little and inconvenient. We made up for it by sitting outside on a little deck at the front while we drank our wine. There was one little houseboat moored a few feet down from us, and that was all we could see except the river. I would do it again!! The owner came at 8:30 in the morning with a basket laden with wonderful warm muffins, and fresh raspberries and currents.
By the next night, we were ready for something more ordinary with a big bathroom so we stayed in Monroe at a Holiday Inn Express. All of our lunches and dinners were great and they ran the gamut from a deli in an upscale grocery store, to a little country tavern and an Italian/Greek restaurant. I think we covered almost 500 miles in the three days and visited about 20 shops. Some were fabulous, and one or two do not deserve to be in business. I suspect we will consider doing it again next year, or perhaps trying one in western Oregon.
Ken and Jeff whiled away the time with the computer and watching and discussing woodworking tactics. They seemed to survive just fine. Jeff and Bev went home yesterday afternoon and now we are working on getting ready for the Fourth.
Two little robins survived, and they disappeared from the nest about three days ago, so I am hoping they made it okay. Perhaps we will have someone else come and occupy the nest next spring. It is such a great location because we can watch from the kitchen window.
Bassim arrived in Phoenix last Saturday, and he and Colleen have visited the Grand Canyon and are now in San Diego until Tuesday. She called yesterday to find out where there was a Starbucks in Yuma! She was impressed with the new mall, and I assured her that that was the highlight of Yuma.
Mike and Mary should be in South Dakota so I'm going to call this afternoon to find out how their trip has gone so far. Mary said they were going to blast off last Thursday.
Have a good week. Todays word: evanescent - tending to vanish like vapor.
Ciao
It was little, and it was cozy for three, but it was quite fun. The bathroom left a lot to be desired - it was a working bathroom with restrictions not unlike those we have with the motor home, but it was very little and inconvenient. We made up for it by sitting outside on a little deck at the front while we drank our wine. There was one little houseboat moored a few feet down from us, and that was all we could see except the river. I would do it again!! The owner came at 8:30 in the morning with a basket laden with wonderful warm muffins, and fresh raspberries and currents.
By the next night, we were ready for something more ordinary with a big bathroom so we stayed in Monroe at a Holiday Inn Express. All of our lunches and dinners were great and they ran the gamut from a deli in an upscale grocery store, to a little country tavern and an Italian/Greek restaurant. I think we covered almost 500 miles in the three days and visited about 20 shops. Some were fabulous, and one or two do not deserve to be in business. I suspect we will consider doing it again next year, or perhaps trying one in western Oregon.
Ken and Jeff whiled away the time with the computer and watching and discussing woodworking tactics. They seemed to survive just fine. Jeff and Bev went home yesterday afternoon and now we are working on getting ready for the Fourth.
Two little robins survived, and they disappeared from the nest about three days ago, so I am hoping they made it okay. Perhaps we will have someone else come and occupy the nest next spring. It is such a great location because we can watch from the kitchen window.
Bassim arrived in Phoenix last Saturday, and he and Colleen have visited the Grand Canyon and are now in San Diego until Tuesday. She called yesterday to find out where there was a Starbucks in Yuma! She was impressed with the new mall, and I assured her that that was the highlight of Yuma.
Mike and Mary should be in South Dakota so I'm going to call this afternoon to find out how their trip has gone so far. Mary said they were going to blast off last Thursday.
Have a good week. Todays word: evanescent - tending to vanish like vapor.
Ciao
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Big Sky Country, wine, shopping and thaumaturgy
I had a great week in eastern Washington along with a jaunt through the panhandle of Idaho to Kalispell, south to St. Regis and back to I-90. The drive through Montana just made we want to move there even more……and gas was twenty five cents less per gallon. I drove two-lane highways with little traffic; so little that I could drive with the cruise control set on sixty. Of course most everywhere looks glorious this time of year because of all the new spring growth.
But to back up. I spent two nights with Jerry and Lois, and Lois and I treated ourselves to lunch and martinis for her birthday that was in April. The birthday I had done nothing about. We had a good visit and caught up on what has been going on in our lives.
Then on to Big Meadows to stay with Rod and Karen for a few days. She and I spent a fair amount of time (and money) shopping for fabrics for the class we are going to take in November. It is so wonderful to have her holding my hand while I am making all of these decisions. We also did quite a bit of prep work for the class – cutting templates and pattern pieces.
Their yard is beautiful, and we frequently took our coffee or wine out to the pond where we could sit and listen to the bubbling water and look at the green hillsides. They have been hard at work getting ready for their grandson’s graduation party this week end, and it shows. Rod was busy pouring concrete for curbing. He was quite happy with his project.
I spent last Saturday afternoon with Mike and Mary. Mike had been off work all week because of bronchitis, but he seemed to be mending well. Mary looks fabulous. I think she is as slim or slimmer than when she got married. I admire her tenacity. They are getting ready to drive Pat’s pickup back to Indiana to Steven and Sandy. They will stop in South Dakota to visit Martha’s daughter and son-in-law, Rachel and Assad. And not to be left out, Martha plans to hop in her car and zip up from Iowa to see them. Wish I were going to be there.
I came home via the wine country so I could pick up a few bottles to have on hand. I visited with Kathleen Montez who was the bookkeeper for Al when I worked there. She is like a fish out of water having just moved to Benton City to help care for her mother who has cancer. Kathleen has always lived on this side of the state and always had access to a boat and saltwater. It is quite an adjustment since she lives out in the country perched atop a hill surrounded by rock and sagebrush soon to be turned into vineyards.
There are two baby robins in the nest outside the kitchen window. One egg disappeared, and the other didn’t hatch. I suspect it will soon only be one baby bird because there is quite a difference in the size of the two. Mother Nature at work.
We are looking forward to the end of the month and the first part of July when we will get to see Brian and family, and then Keith and family. Brian, Sheila and the boys will be here for several days around the Fourth, and then we will drive to Montana to park the motor home for the Baltimore Kirkwoods to use for a few days on their property at the lake. We will trade them the motor home for their motel reservation in Kalispell.
We are in shock after having received our new tax assessment – the house only increased by about 10%, but the land increased by 60%!!!!!!!!! Talk about following the real estate market. I plan to contest it since there has been nothing done to either the house or the land, and in fact, the view is slowly being eroded by the growth of trees on down the hill. I feel like we are fast approaching the time when we will have to sell to get out from under taxes. Washington is bad enough about taxes upon taxes, and it is even worse in this part of the state.
Word of the day: thaumaturgy – magic.
Ciao
But to back up. I spent two nights with Jerry and Lois, and Lois and I treated ourselves to lunch and martinis for her birthday that was in April. The birthday I had done nothing about. We had a good visit and caught up on what has been going on in our lives.
Then on to Big Meadows to stay with Rod and Karen for a few days. She and I spent a fair amount of time (and money) shopping for fabrics for the class we are going to take in November. It is so wonderful to have her holding my hand while I am making all of these decisions. We also did quite a bit of prep work for the class – cutting templates and pattern pieces.
Their yard is beautiful, and we frequently took our coffee or wine out to the pond where we could sit and listen to the bubbling water and look at the green hillsides. They have been hard at work getting ready for their grandson’s graduation party this week end, and it shows. Rod was busy pouring concrete for curbing. He was quite happy with his project.
I spent last Saturday afternoon with Mike and Mary. Mike had been off work all week because of bronchitis, but he seemed to be mending well. Mary looks fabulous. I think she is as slim or slimmer than when she got married. I admire her tenacity. They are getting ready to drive Pat’s pickup back to Indiana to Steven and Sandy. They will stop in South Dakota to visit Martha’s daughter and son-in-law, Rachel and Assad. And not to be left out, Martha plans to hop in her car and zip up from Iowa to see them. Wish I were going to be there.
I came home via the wine country so I could pick up a few bottles to have on hand. I visited with Kathleen Montez who was the bookkeeper for Al when I worked there. She is like a fish out of water having just moved to Benton City to help care for her mother who has cancer. Kathleen has always lived on this side of the state and always had access to a boat and saltwater. It is quite an adjustment since she lives out in the country perched atop a hill surrounded by rock and sagebrush soon to be turned into vineyards.
There are two baby robins in the nest outside the kitchen window. One egg disappeared, and the other didn’t hatch. I suspect it will soon only be one baby bird because there is quite a difference in the size of the two. Mother Nature at work.
We are looking forward to the end of the month and the first part of July when we will get to see Brian and family, and then Keith and family. Brian, Sheila and the boys will be here for several days around the Fourth, and then we will drive to Montana to park the motor home for the Baltimore Kirkwoods to use for a few days on their property at the lake. We will trade them the motor home for their motel reservation in Kalispell.
We are in shock after having received our new tax assessment – the house only increased by about 10%, but the land increased by 60%!!!!!!!!! Talk about following the real estate market. I plan to contest it since there has been nothing done to either the house or the land, and in fact, the view is slowly being eroded by the growth of trees on down the hill. I feel like we are fast approaching the time when we will have to sell to get out from under taxes. Washington is bad enough about taxes upon taxes, and it is even worse in this part of the state.
Word of the day: thaumaturgy – magic.
Ciao
Monday, June 05, 2006
A New Neighbor
We have a mother robin who has taken up residence right outside our kitchen window. With a bit of judicious pruning, we can see her when she is on the nest and can see the four little blue eggs when she is away. We figure they should hatch in about a week. She seems to be pretty secure where she is, although she is pretty low to the ground. We no longer have a cat, so the only threat would be a raccoon or marauding cat.
Craig, Cassie, and her daughter, Greta, came for dinner yesterday. We met Cassie briefly before we went south last December but this was the first time to meet 5 ½ year old Greta. She is quite precocious, was well-behaved and has a penchant for horses. She arrived with her backpack stuffed with them. She was quite taken with our little robin outside the window.
I am going to Spokane tomorrow for a few days of visiting friends, family, and quilt shops. There are several (quilt shops) that I haven’t seen, or haven’t seen for many years. I will spend a day or two with Jerry and Lois, track down Mike and Mary, and spend some time with Karen. She and Rod are hosting a graduation party for their oldest grandson, so I’m going to lend a hand with some food preparation so Karen and I will have some time for quilting.
Ken has the yard looking quite nice. Although the rhodies are at the end of their bloom, we have some iris and peonies to lend some color. The back patio has always been inundated with grass and weeds coming up between the bricks and blocks so I convinced Ken to take the easy way out this year – Roundup. It worked like a charm and the patio is quite fit looking. I am rather hesitant about pesticides and such, but this one seems to the lesser of what’s out there. The label claims they have even FED it to dogs with no ill effects.
Bassim is going to visit Colleen later this month. He continued to call her even after she said, “The end.” And now he is going to tear himself away from his desk in Sydney where he looks after Australian ex-patriots around the world to spend some time in Phoenix. Now Colleen has added a dog to the mix!! What next?
Word of the Day: objet trouve (ob-zha-tru-va). I love the lyrical sound of it!
A found or discarded object (as a piece of driftwood or an old bathtub) held to have aesthetic value. Hmmm, I have a houseful of those!
Ciao
Craig, Cassie, and her daughter, Greta, came for dinner yesterday. We met Cassie briefly before we went south last December but this was the first time to meet 5 ½ year old Greta. She is quite precocious, was well-behaved and has a penchant for horses. She arrived with her backpack stuffed with them. She was quite taken with our little robin outside the window.
I am going to Spokane tomorrow for a few days of visiting friends, family, and quilt shops. There are several (quilt shops) that I haven’t seen, or haven’t seen for many years. I will spend a day or two with Jerry and Lois, track down Mike and Mary, and spend some time with Karen. She and Rod are hosting a graduation party for their oldest grandson, so I’m going to lend a hand with some food preparation so Karen and I will have some time for quilting.
Ken has the yard looking quite nice. Although the rhodies are at the end of their bloom, we have some iris and peonies to lend some color. The back patio has always been inundated with grass and weeds coming up between the bricks and blocks so I convinced Ken to take the easy way out this year – Roundup. It worked like a charm and the patio is quite fit looking. I am rather hesitant about pesticides and such, but this one seems to the lesser of what’s out there. The label claims they have even FED it to dogs with no ill effects.
Bassim is going to visit Colleen later this month. He continued to call her even after she said, “The end.” And now he is going to tear himself away from his desk in Sydney where he looks after Australian ex-patriots around the world to spend some time in Phoenix. Now Colleen has added a dog to the mix!! What next?
Word of the Day: objet trouve (ob-zha-tru-va). I love the lyrical sound of it!
A found or discarded object (as a piece of driftwood or an old bathtub) held to have aesthetic value. Hmmm, I have a houseful of those!
Ciao
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Physical and Mental
It has been another quiet week, save Ken's encounter with a tree branch which resulted in a visit to the Madigan triage to learn that there is a long scratch on his eye. But the good news is that it is just that, a scratch, and should heal just fine. He told the attending physician that he didn't think gardening was a contact sport.
It was a five-hour process for the doctor to see Ken for a few minutes. As this area continues to bring in more and more troops, the load at Madigan increases, and I'm not so sure they have increased the staff equally. But we have received good care over the years, so I'll keep the faith.
I have been through a huge learning curve about mental illness over the past few weeks. One of my relatives has struggled with some depression, and hit bottom with a visit to her psychologist saying that she had suicidal thoughts. She has been hospitalized ever since and should be released today; a much healthier person. I'm sharing this because she has undergone a series of elctroconvulsive therapy treatments that have made a huge difference; something medications have not been able to do. And even if medications were to work, it is usually at least six weeks before they have an effect which is time that can not be afforded when one is suicidal.
The first thought everyone has is "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" when this treatment is discussed. But I have learned lots lately. This treatment in essence, delivers a one-to-two-second electrical impulse to the brain which induces a seizure. This while the patient is lightly anesthetized. This therapy is very commonplace in the east, and is coming to be used extensively here. After the first treatment, she awoke to say the sucidal thoughts were gone! And she has continued to improve with each successive treatment of which she will have had six. I found it absolutely amazing that a one-second electrical stimulus could so readily alter the brain's activity.
It is unfortunate that our society so often carries such a stigma about mental illness, when it is just that - an illness. But I guess part of the reason is that we can't see anything physical. If you have a minute, do some searching on line which can offer better explanations than I. Doctors are now saying they are very close to implanting a chip in the brain that would allow very specific treatments for various mental maladies.
I'm not naming names even though the family is very open about all of this, but I want them to tell you, not me. And we are so grateful for the continued progress.
I am off to IKEA with my friend Elisabeth. By the time we get there, usually around noon, the first order of business is to fortify ourselves in the cafeteria before we start our marathon shopping. I can't think of anything I need, but I doubt that will stop me from finding something that I will decide I DO need. I'm glad I looked at the site on line, because it appears that our IKEA has been remodeling and expanding, again, and even the parking has been altered.
We will be staying home for the coming three-day week end. For us, every day is like a week end, so no need to take up space on a holiday week end. Besides, we are pretty much without a dog sitter since Craig is living in Olympia, so we are grounded until we get that resolved. We love Cooper, but he is too much dog with too much fur to share our space in the motor home. I tell myself he is happier at home, and I know I am happier when in the motor home without him.
Sarah moved home from college last week end. I can't believe she has finished her freshman year. In June, she is going to take one of her core classes at a junior college near home and then the family is going to Montana to visit Janet's family and to visit their property at Little Bitterroot Lake. And Rachel had her first 'date' last week end. Neither one is old enough to drive, so parents chauffeured to and from the movie.
Have a safe week end, and take a moment to stop and think about all those veterans who have died. They all contributed to the freedoms we enjoy.
Ciao
It was a five-hour process for the doctor to see Ken for a few minutes. As this area continues to bring in more and more troops, the load at Madigan increases, and I'm not so sure they have increased the staff equally. But we have received good care over the years, so I'll keep the faith.
I have been through a huge learning curve about mental illness over the past few weeks. One of my relatives has struggled with some depression, and hit bottom with a visit to her psychologist saying that she had suicidal thoughts. She has been hospitalized ever since and should be released today; a much healthier person. I'm sharing this because she has undergone a series of elctroconvulsive therapy treatments that have made a huge difference; something medications have not been able to do. And even if medications were to work, it is usually at least six weeks before they have an effect which is time that can not be afforded when one is suicidal.
The first thought everyone has is "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" when this treatment is discussed. But I have learned lots lately. This treatment in essence, delivers a one-to-two-second electrical impulse to the brain which induces a seizure. This while the patient is lightly anesthetized. This therapy is very commonplace in the east, and is coming to be used extensively here. After the first treatment, she awoke to say the sucidal thoughts were gone! And she has continued to improve with each successive treatment of which she will have had six. I found it absolutely amazing that a one-second electrical stimulus could so readily alter the brain's activity.
It is unfortunate that our society so often carries such a stigma about mental illness, when it is just that - an illness. But I guess part of the reason is that we can't see anything physical. If you have a minute, do some searching on line which can offer better explanations than I. Doctors are now saying they are very close to implanting a chip in the brain that would allow very specific treatments for various mental maladies.
I'm not naming names even though the family is very open about all of this, but I want them to tell you, not me. And we are so grateful for the continued progress.
I am off to IKEA with my friend Elisabeth. By the time we get there, usually around noon, the first order of business is to fortify ourselves in the cafeteria before we start our marathon shopping. I can't think of anything I need, but I doubt that will stop me from finding something that I will decide I DO need. I'm glad I looked at the site on line, because it appears that our IKEA has been remodeling and expanding, again, and even the parking has been altered.
We will be staying home for the coming three-day week end. For us, every day is like a week end, so no need to take up space on a holiday week end. Besides, we are pretty much without a dog sitter since Craig is living in Olympia, so we are grounded until we get that resolved. We love Cooper, but he is too much dog with too much fur to share our space in the motor home. I tell myself he is happier at home, and I know I am happier when in the motor home without him.
Sarah moved home from college last week end. I can't believe she has finished her freshman year. In June, she is going to take one of her core classes at a junior college near home and then the family is going to Montana to visit Janet's family and to visit their property at Little Bitterroot Lake. And Rachel had her first 'date' last week end. Neither one is old enough to drive, so parents chauffeured to and from the movie.
Have a safe week end, and take a moment to stop and think about all those veterans who have died. They all contributed to the freedoms we enjoy.
Ciao
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