There went Santa Claus, There went Santa Claus

There is so much preparation and anticipation, and then Christmas is here and gone so quickly. Craig and Cassie joined us after church on Christmas Eve for our traditional fondue supper followed by exchanging gifts. Then on Christmas Day, Colleen, Ken, and I went to Curt and Cinda's for dinner and some family time.

Now we are in the throes of packing to leave tomorrow. I just keep piling things by the back door hoping I will gather everything I intended to take. I can't believe I have been so casual about getting ready to leave - I have spent more time preparing for a weekend in eastern Washington than I have for this four-month-plus trip, but I'm sure our credit card can replace anything we leave behind.

I gave Ken a new GPS for Christmas, so this will be the shakedown cruise. We have had one that Keith and Janet gave us several years ago, and we have loved it, but the newer technology appeals to us with respect to finding our way around cities like Phoenix and finding points of interest along the way. It is just about impossible to keep up with emerging technology.

After our stop in Stayton tomorrow night, we will be relaxing in Brookings-Harbor, Oregon until about the middle of January. Jeff and Bev will join us this Saturday for our annual holiday rendevous. We are always available via cell phones (253 961 8236 (Helen) 253 988 5146 (Ken), email, IM, or Skype. One of those should work for you. Ciao

Here Comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa........

I can now settle in and enjoy the rest of the season having finished shopping yesterday. I have a ton of baking supplies, some Christmas music, and ribbons and bows to keep me busy. We brought the tree in and decorated it earlier this week, and the gifts to be sent have been mailed and received!!

Depending on what Craig and Cassie decide to do for Christmas Day, we will probably go to Bellevue and spend it with Curt, Cinda, Jerry, Lois, and family. Linea and Josh just moved 'home' from Chicago last week, so there is lots of merriment at the Johnson household. To stay home and just have it be Colleen, Ken, and I seems not quite like it should be.

Craig and Cassie are apt to spend the day insulating and hanging sheetrock. They feel like everything is getting pretty well dried out to where they can begin the repair/replace project. They are hoping they will get by with just having the hardwood floor sanded and refinished rather than having it replaced. I think they are going to run some new water lines while everything is opened up, and they will need new base cabinets in the kitchen.

Elisabeth and I went to Seattle on Wednesday just because and to do some shopping, and we were wishing we hadn't. The rain let up early on, but the wind was brutal. The highlight of the day was lunch with Linea and Cinda at a very nice Italian restaurant in Pacific Place. I had squash-filled ravioli with fried sage leaves and it was to die for.

Speaking of shopping, I have made it a point this season to wish all I encounter a merry Christmas. I am tired of the ACLU and the atheists and their tirades - I'll be tolerant of their believes (or non-beliefs) as long as they are tolerant of mine!! Here is a piece written by Ben Stein that I love:

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

> My confession:
> I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not
> bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled
> trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated
> against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.
> It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't
> think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I
> kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this
> happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on
> display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a
> creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
> I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think
> Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who
> believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no
> idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country.
> I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my
> throat.
> Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should
> worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand
> Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us
> who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew
> went to.
> In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a
> little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's
> intended to get you thinking.
> Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson
> asked her "How could God let something like this happen?" (regarding Katrina)
> Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I
> believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been
> telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get
> out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed
> out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we
> demand He leave us alone?"
> In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think
> it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found
> recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then
> someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt
> not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said
> OK.
> Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they
> misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage
> their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should
> know what he's talking about. And we said OK.
> Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't
> know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their
> classmates, and themselves.
> Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I
> think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."
> Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's
> going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what
> the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread
> like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people
> think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles
> pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in
> the school and workplace.
> Are you laughing?
> Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your
> address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think
> of you for sending it.
> Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than
> what God thinks of us.
> Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... No one
> will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and
> complain about what bad shape the world is in. My Best Regards.
> Honestly and respectfully,
> Ben Stein

Brian's friend, Jim who lost his wife last spring, and his two daughters are going to go to McCall and meet up with Brian and the boys for a few days of skiing after Christmas. I hope they have a good time. Brian and Sheila's condo is so comfy and inviting that it is impossible not to love being there. I'm not a skier, but I know it is fun for everybody who does. Just slogging around McCall in the snow is fun.

I am doing some baking today with the goal of having something to send to McCall with Jim and his girls when they drive down on Christmas Day. Colleen and I are going to Jordan Swain's baby shower tomorrow in Bellevue, so it will be a good opportunity to take the goodies to Jim in Seattle.

We are still planning to leave on the 27th..........knowing us it might be four in the afternoon on the 27th, but it will be the 27th. It is only three hours to Stayton for the first night's stay, so we don't have to be out of here all that early.

Have a joyuous Christmas and may you enjoy the many blessings of our Lord in the coming year. Ciao

Flood, Christmas, and Departure Date

We were awakened a week ago last Monday morning at 4:30 with a phone call from Craig saying that the creek behind their house was covering the back deck and rising. We jumped in the car and headed for west Olympia. Ken helped get some furniture stacked and move a few things as the water rose to six inches inside the house. We left Craig and Cassie to wait and watch and took Greta home with us. We kept her for two nights and I took her to school on Wednesday morning.

Craig and Cassie have a major job ahead of them, but it is nothing compared to the folks down around Chehalis and over in Grays Harbor county where the losses are in the millions. C&C have packed the entire downstairs and stored it in a storage unit they had delivered to them. Now the walls are open to two feet high and the sodden insulation removed. With help from friends, all the lower walls are removed as well as the kitchen base cabinets, the stove and the dishwasher. They have heaters and fans going to try and mitigate the damp and the mildew.

They are fortunate in that there has already been an insurance adjuster to the house, so they pretty much know how everything will shake out. And in fact have already been notified of what their settlement will be, which sounds as if it will pretty well cover the damage. But still a lot of work ahead.

We know this is the Christmas season, but other than a goodly number of hours working on some Christmas gifts for the kids, we haven't done much else. The tree is in a bucket of water in the back yard, and there are a few decorations set out. But that is okay, it allows for more space and time to focus on the true meaning. I suspect the tree will be up by Sunday along with some further decorating.

The scheduled date to leave for Arizona is December 27. We are going as far as Stayton, Oregon and will spend the evening with Cassie's parents. I have met her mom, Joan, but neither Ken nor I have met her dad so we are looking forward to the visit. As it turns out, Cassie and Greta will also be there to celebrate Christmas with her parents. By the next night we should be at our first destination of Brookings, Oregon where we stay until it is time to leave for Arizona; around the 12th of January.

We have been through Brookings a few times, and spent a few days there on one trip and quite like the "banana belt" of Oregon. It is right on the coast, so there should be some good beach exploring and seafood eating. I don't think we have ever had Cooper on a beach so that will be fun for him.

Rod and Karen are probably in the San Diego area by now after having left home on Tuesday. They were worried about the snow and whether or not they would be able to get out their driveway, but it seems the entire trip has avoided bad weather.

Now Karen and I are trying to convince brother Mike and Mary to come and visit us in Arizona this winter. I think every newly retired couple needs to bask in some Arizona sunshine during their first winter of retirement. Of course that would mean being away from grandson Ben for a while, but we will keep them busy so they won't have time to be lonesome!!!!!

One of the joys of the season is to hear from good friends that we haven't seen for years as is the case with dear friends from Nova Scotia, Giff and Betty Anne. They were one of the first couples we met when we moved there, and out of the blue, with not even knowing us, invited us for dinner, and the rest is history. They are born and bred Canadians and love their Nova Scotia, their five boys and their grandchildren. I keep holding out hope that we will get back there to see them!!

(A) Happy Anniversary

December 1 was our 45th wedding anniversary so we celebrated by spending the week end at a lovely resort on the Washington coast - Ocean Crest in Moclips. We stay in the area often, but in the motor home at Pacific Beach State Park which is the property just south of Ocean Crest. This resort has been in the same family since the fifties, and they have continued to expand and improve.

We had a room with a glorious view of the ocean, an excellent restaurant on the premises as well as an indoor pool/spa/sauna/exercise room. We spent many hours sitting beside a small fireplace and watching the surf. Saturday morning we were showered with about 1 1/2 inches of snow, which by afternoon had turned to rain.

Colleen sent us off with a basket of goodies along with some good beverages so we were able to stay in and enjoy the view. Last night we had an excellent dinner in the resort's dining room and enjoyed a bottle of wine that Keith and Janet had purchased for us while they were on a cruise last summer. All in all it was a most memorable time. We had text messaged greetings from Craig and when we got home today there were star gazer lillies from Brian and Sheila and the boys. We love our family!

Now Colleen is threatening Christmas decorations so I think that will be the project for the week. I usually start slowly with nutcrackers, a wreath, the German pyramid and smoker, and the nativity. Then when we get a tree I get up the nerve to unpack the rest of the boxes. But this year is easy because we are going to leave to go south on 12/27 so Colleen will be left with the task of putting everything away.

I was a guest of Elisabeth's to attend a reception and private showing for the quilts of Gee's Bend that are now on display at the Tacoma Art Museum. I don't believe one has to be a quilter to appreciate the originality, the creativity and the sheer tenacity that shows through in these works of art. I quite enjoyed all of it.

You might recall that Brian and Sheila and the boys moved from Mt. Home, Idaho to Virginia this past summer, which was quite a leap for the boys coming from a pretty small rural community. Nolan had been wrestling while at Mt. Home, and now as a freshman in a large high school in Virginia, he has made the varsity wrestling team. Go Nolan!!

Ciao

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone who reads this has lots and lots to be thankful for. We certainly do!

We had hoped to have an "orphan" couple (Army friends of Craig's) join us for dinner, but the man has to leave early for an overseas trip. But we will enjoy having Craig, Cassie and Greta here with us. Brian, Sheila, and the boys are going to go to Keith and Janet's for dinner tomorrow. That will be the first time the two families have been able to get together since Brian and Sheila moved to Virginia in July.

I am sticking to a very traditional meal with little in the way of being creative. A different recipe for sweet potatoes is about as exciting as it gets. But my family is happiest when I don't get too carried away. Cassie is bring an apple pie which is awesome because she is a great cook and baker. We have several bottles of wine at the ready, so even if my dinner is less-than, no one will know the difference.

We are making some progress toward Christmas gifting and planning. Of course I think that every year, and still end up with something pushing me at the last minute.

Ken gave me a television for my birthday, and he has been struggling to get it hooked up to cable for a week. Who would have thought it would be so complicated. But it will be very nice when it is up and running in my sewing area. With some rearranging and a new higher cutting table (thanks to Craig), I can sew my heart out and be entertained. I could stash some food upstairs and have everything I need without ever coming downstairs.

Happy Thanksgiving. Ciao

Baby Ben Balks

I spent several days in eastern Washington and spent three mornings watching Ben; or sometimes I spent the time almost standing on my head to please him!! He is just three months old, but he decided I was neither his mother nor his grandmother, and he really didn't take a shine to me. But even after all of that, I think he is very cute. I plopped him in his little 'saucer seat' so he could be upright and look at me, and he charmed me with lots of cooing and smiles.

I spent the afternoons with Karen as we visited some fabric stores, took her mother to lunch, went out to dinner, and spent some time sewing. She and Rod and I also spent some time discussing winter travel plans, and we do have something in place at least for the month of January!!!

Ken and I have decided to stay home for Christmas and leave just a day or two after. We will spend some time in Brookings, OR, and then move on to the desert around Quartzite where we will meet up with Rod and Karen for a "Desert Rat Rally" which is sponsored by their Alpine group. Of course we don't drive an Alpine, but this rally is open to SOBs (some other brand), so we get to join in.

This will be a good learning experience because we have been tempted to try to desert camping for a few days, but never quite figured out where to get a permit much less figure out where to park. This way someone else can figure all of that out. So that takes us to the first week of February, and that becomes a big mystery again.

Colleen and I went in to Seattle early this morning to meet Cinda for breakfast at quite an authentic French cafe near Seattle University. I had cafe au lait, bread and butter and an egg bake in a ham cup w/cheese and lots of butter. Yum yum.

Colleen had a couple of hours of work before she had to be back down here, so I whiled away the time in the Queen Anne neighborhood near her office. It was quite enjoyable and I managed to spend very little money.

Cool fall days with some color lingering, but I think we have rain later this week, and then it will undoubtedly look very much like winter. Ciao

It's been a week, must be time to blog

The party is over, and it was lots of fun. As of tomorrow, all the October birthdays will be over. There are 4 in our immediate family, plus a couple of friends.

Now Colleen is in Texas for a wedding and a day of work at a Fuller satellite office and will be home Tuesday evening. I'll be going to Spokane Tuesday afternoon to take care of Ben for a few days while Becky works and Mike and Mary go to Iowa. Keeping an eye on a two-month old shouldn't be too strenuous.

I have been doing some quilting, but it seems the projects are all in various stages of completion, as in none are completed. But then if I am out shopping and find some fantastic buy on fabric, I can't resist. Bev and I visited a very cute home decor shop in downtown Tacoma yesterday, and found some roll ends of lightweight decorator fabrics, sixty inches wide, at $5/yard. I don't know what I'll do with the 3 yards I purchased, but they are awesome.

The last two afternoons have been glorious with sunshine and blue sky breaking through the fog. Lots of leaves still on the trees makes for some beautiful scenery. And of course with the blue sky comes a spectacular view of Mt. Rainier.

Don't ask us what our winter plans are, because we still don't know, to the extent that we haven't decided in which month we are going to leave!! I'll let you know when we finally make a decision.

Ciao

Party, Weather, and UFOs

Tomorrow is a 40 Already? party that Colleen is having ala German style. She and I have been busy in the kitchen preparing some hearty fall foods such as tasty homemade bread, hearty soups, and tasty beef casserole; all to be precluded by drinks and Aquivit and concluded with warm and spicy apple crisp and coffee. So we will get to meet and greet her coworkers from her Fuller office, and some of her college classmates. Fun!!! And I decided to capitalize on the party and invite some of our ‘contemporaries’.

We are still trying to figure out what our address was in Pensacola, Florida back in 1964 when Ken was going through pre-flight. Apparently one of the tornados of this week hit that street. I don’t remember any sort of threat while we were there, although we left in the fall, and I remember feeling as if we were being pursued by hurricanes when we made the trek from Pensacola to Corpus Christi; the two of us and 18 month-old Keith.

We have had some wild weather the past two days with rain, wind, and tonight we heard a clap of thunder. This is the first storm of the season, and I think there is more weather to come over the next few days.

Our youngest grandchild, Warren, turned twelve today. It seems what he really wanted for his birthday was a plane ticket to Roswell, New Mexico to check up on UFOs. That sounds like our Warren.

Steilacoom made national news with a 13 car train derailment here in town. It made the news simply because this is the main north/south rail line so the derailment has caused all trains from as far south as LA including Amtrak to be stopped. I think the line was supposed to be open again by this evening. It occurred right at the ferry crossing, so ferry traffic was held up for several hours too.

Ciao

She's a poet and didn't know it

Colleen is in southern California this week meeting with the other directors of Fuller from around the west. So just an hour or two before leaving for the airport she created this little ditty as a greeting from the soggy, coffee-laden Seattle office.

Imagine if you will a tree – tall and proud,

With Little Seminarians hugging it all ‘round

They have salmon in their lunch pails

And coffee in their veins

And they go outside and play

Even when it rains

And rain it does!

Day after day, month in and month out.

But let there not ever be even thoughts of a drought!

When they aren’t playing, camping and recycling things

The Little Seminarians are at work with their brains

Most have the Three M’s so school take a while

Ministry, mortgage and marriage already set on their dial.

They read Childs and Fee and even some Mouw

(Hagner, Murphey and Guder round out their large pile!)

They parse verbs, use endnote and proofread for hours

The Seminarians of Seattle are bundles of power!

By bike or by hybrid, they schlep off to school

In their fleece and their gortex and smart socks of wool.

With their books and their laptops and yes, thoughts of YOU!

Did you know your hard work reached way up North too?
Student loans, drop/adds, pass/fails and tuition

We all work together to bring dreams to fruition!

Lift an espresso in a little blue cup!

To the Little Seminarians on the map way way up.

For so many people study has long been a wish….

So celebrate success by eating a fish!

Rain bound Seattleites and Portlanders too

Are so very thankful to be part of the few

Who can study and stay in their soggy, green homes

With spouses and kids and even yard gnomes!

I know I am prejudiced, but I thought it quite cute!!!

And rain

October Musings

Another week has gone by……….and a leisurely weekend approaches. We have canceled out trip to eastern Washington wine country because the winery canceled the German wine and onion pie fest. As it turns out, it is not a good time for Rod and Karen to be away as his dad is in a coma and not expected to live but a few hours or days. He has been in failing health for the past year, and this comes as no surprise, but of course they need to be nearby.

Colleen is going out to dinner with girlfriends this evening to celebrate turning 40, and we had Craig, Cassie and Greta here for an early birthday dinner last night. It was Colleen’s favorite meal: pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, squash, broccoli, homemade bread, and apple crisp for dessert.

We spent last weekend with Craig and Cassie as well. Saturday afternoon we went to the Oktoberfest at the Puyallup Fair Grounds where there was German music, beer, and the worst schnitzel I have ever encountered. In an adjacent building was a Scandinavian Heritage festival, with lots of booths to browse.

Then on Sunday we joined C&C at the Mason County Fairgrounds in Shelton for the annual Oysterfest, which would have been fabulous had it not been raining cats and dogs. I felt sorry for all the organizations that had put so much effort into setting up booths with everything from food (oyster shooters, bacon-wrapped oysters, pie, chowder, etc. etc.) to sea life displays, wine tastings and musical entertainment. It ran for two days, so I hope the previous day was more lucrative for everyone.

Saturday night we attended an 80th birthday party for a lady with whom I used to play bridge. Her sister and brother-in-law, Jerry and Mary Ellen McKain who live a stone’s throw away, hosted the party and most attendees were family save the Kirkwoods. I had a good visit with Dick and Patty Quinn (Mary Ellen’s brother and wife). They lived in Spokane while brother Pat was ill, and Dick was a godsend through all of it.

I can’t believe how entangled we become with medical care. The more we try to tie up loose ends before we leave for the winter, the more convoluted it becomes. It seems like every step/appointment forward equates to two backward. A single follow-up appointment with my regular doctor resulted in some consultation/physical therapy to determine what if anything can be done for my aching back, so that will certainly take some time. And Ken has ongoing appointments between his regular doctor and oncologist. Getting old is not for the faint of heart.

It is very fall-like around here, and the trees are spectacular. We have had rain off and on with more predicted, but nothing we can’t live with. All in all quite mild and pleasant.

Ciao

Bad News turns to Good News

Craig called earlier this week to say that someone broke into their house on Monday, and took electronics, chain saw, and some sentimental items such as a ring that had been Cassie's great grandmothers, an afghan that Craig's grandmother had made for him, and a .22 rifle that a neighbor in California had given Craig when Craig was still in grade school.

Fortunately, a next door neighbor took note of the frantic activity and got descriptions, car make and model and license number. So by Tuesday, the detective had found the female who was involved. He called Craig and Cassie and took them out to the house where they found what they think is most everything. As Craig said, it is difficult to know what you are really missing.

The house was awful and strewn with needles so Craig and Cassie cleaned everything with hydrogen peroxide.The detective said there would be additional jail time (five years?) because they stole a gun which means they left the premises armed!! That was a new one one me.

I know we shouldn't be so attached to worldly possessions, but it hurts to lose those possessions that hold sentimental value. I hardly slept on Monday night for thinking about their loss. So we are all much relieved.

Ken and I went to the Tacoma Dome RV show today, and didn't fall for anything. We are still pretty happy with what we have. Not that we went with buying in mind, but we always go with an open mind. I continue to be amazed at how uninviting I find the decor. At least they have gotten away from the garish of a few years ago, but now so many of the interiors look like a waiting room in a doctor's office. More and more with the high end units, the televisions (flat screens) are located mid-coach to allow for a more comfortable viewing area, and some coaches even have double 'theater-style' loungers.

Unitl next time, Ciao.

Fall, Quilts, and Fests

The trees are showing their colors, and we have a healthy rainstorm coming our way. It has been cool enough on recent mornings that the furnace has kicked on. I am in the mode of thinking about hearty meals of stews and soups. We had kale soup and homemade biscuits for dinner tonight which should help to keep the chill off.

I finally finished the Quilt of Valor quilt top and now need to contact the organization to find out where to send it to be quilted. I am quite pleased with how it looks, and know it will only get better once it is quilted and bound. So now which of my UFOs should I work on? I probably have eight or ten choices. All the patterns and fabrics in the stores are so tempting; but I have resisted all year because I know I have lots at home to keep me busy.

We chatted with all the east coast Kirkwoods this weekend and all is well with them. All are busy with school, and Rachel is going to be extra busy because she missed this past week of school due of mono. I think she will be ready to go back tomorrow, and fortunately, in her new Catholic high school, all the teachers assured her parents that they would see that she gets caught up when she returns.

We hope to spend some time with Craig and Cassie next weekend either at the Shelton Oyster Fest or the Puyallup Oktoberfest. Either one will afford us an opportunity for good beer and good food. I would like to return to Germany in the fall just to enjoy some of the fests in the small towns. The Germans seem to be able to find many excuses to put up a tent, cook up some wursts, and get the local oom pah pah band together.

Ken is off having some work done on the motor home which should be the last before we take it south for the winter. The fall RV show at the Tacoma Dome starts on Wednesday so we will make our annual pilgrimage to kick tires and chat with sales people, but there is not a new motor home in our future. I quite like what we have, and the only change would be to go to a diesel, which is more money for everything and less space to squirrel stuff away.

You may recall my blog of about one year ago when I talked about our niece, Linea, who was suffering from some severe mental health issues that called for extended hospitalization and electroshock therapy. I was circumspect at the time, but since have learned that she and her parents are quite okay with my naming them. I am happy to report that she is dong well, but is fully aware she will always have to deal with this health issue. She is in a relationship with a young man named Josh who has been there for her every step of the way and they are both students at Columbia in Chicago

Linea is very bright, attractive, and articulate; has journaled ever since she was in middle school, and has continued to do so through all of her health problems. As she has written about her journey, so also has her mother, Cinda, and they have been contacted by an editor to publish their experiences each from their own perspective. I admire Linea and her parents for all their inner strength and honesty, and I know this book will be an invaluable source for others who are struggling with this disease. I'll let you know when it is published.

I hear the sewing machine calling me..........Ciao

Some Trips down Memory Lane

Tomorrow we are homeward-bound, but the last two days have been a lot of fun. Yesterday was a memory trip for Ken, and today it was for me.

I have been wanting to go fishing, so I purchased a one-day license, and we headed for Lake Roosevelt north of Davenport. We meandered our way there and back, and Ken pointed out the various farms and who lived or used to live there as well as the canyons and fields where he had shot deer or pheasant when he was growing up in Davenport.

We ended up at a little federal park called Hawk Creek, and after schlepping poles, tackle, chairs, cooler, and dog over a little path and then encountering a small seemingly harmless snake who wriggled away, we settled in on a little sliver of rocky shoreline. Ken did not even get a bite, and both of mine, one a perch and the other a shiner, were about six inches long. But it was still great fun.

On the way back to town, we meandered some more and took a look at the old Ft. Spokane as well as the nearby campground. Then across the bridge on the reservation side is Two Rivers Casino which has quite a nice RV park with full hook ups and lots of green grass. By the time we got back to Davenport we were hungry so we ate at the Mexican restaurant that opened about one year ago. We were pleased to see it is thriving because we thought the food quite good.

I can’t believe how beautiful the country and farmland look to me when I didn’t give any of it a second look when growing up here. The rolling stubble fields in Lincoln County were like undulating pieces of art dotted with the occasional farm or outcropping of trees.

Today, Ken wanted to attend a gun show at the Spokane fair grounds, so rather than pay admission for me of little interest, I drove out toward the valley in search of the Quilting Bee quilt shop. I poked around for a while, and suddenly came face to face with the owner, Jackie Wolfe, who lives at Liberty Lake and whom we knew when we lived there. In fact her husband, Jamie, was a Realtor when we moved to Spokane and he was involved in our purchasing the Liberty Lake House. So Jackie and I visited about our families and folks we both know. We tried to tell each other that it was just yesterday when we were neighbors rather than almost twenty years ago.

After retrieving Ken from the gun show (he spent no money!!), we decided we were hungry so made a beeline for North Division and the Steer Inn. When I was in high school, that was the closest place to the high school in Mead where we could go after a game or a dance and get something to eat. As I sat eating my hamburger which tasted as good as it did when I was a teen, I could even picture the stately white haired gentleman who owned the Steer Inn at that time.

Then on to Green Bluff which is just over the hill from where I grew up. Green Bluff was just a few truck farms back then, and now there are lots of “truck farms” all with their individual styles of promotion. This time of year the peaches and cherries are finished, but the apples and pumpkins and cabbages and squash are coming on strong. The Hansons are friends of Mike and Mary’s so we stopped, and I had a chance to visit with Rod Hanson a bit before making one of my purchases – the yummiest and juiciest caramel apple I have ever had. I have the drips of juice on the front of my shirt to prove it.

So yet this afternoon I want to go up the hill to some neighbors who sell fresh eggs so I will have a supply to take home tomorrow. The sun is shining beautifully in this part of the country and it has been a great place to sit and enjoy the beautiful surroundings over this past week. Ciao

Big Meadows Road to Montana and Back

Hello from Big Meadows Road. We are into our second week of being vagabonds and are in no hurry to get home. We returned from Montana on Monday and are now comfortably set up at Rod and Karen’s “RV Park” with my favorite view looking out over their lovely garden and out to the fields and hill beyond.

Rod and Karen are still on their three week Seafood Tour in western Washington and it sounds like it has been fun. We might get to see them once we get home and before they leave to come back here.

We started our Montana trip a week ago Monday with two nights at a very nice Montana state campground about 40 miles west of Marion, Montana – Logan State Park. No hookups, but very large secluded sites, and the park has a boat launch and fishing dock. We couldn’t partake since we didn’t want to spend the big buck for an out-of-state license. The park is right on Highway 2, but surprisingly, that highway is not very heavily trafficked.

Then it was on to Little Bitterroot Lake to spend three nights on Keith and Janet’s property where it was very peaceful and relaxing. There are some properties being developed around them, but it is still very much country. I walked Cooper up on the road the first morning we were there, and after I heard the second quiet little “woof”, I decided we should get back to the motorhome. I know it could have been anything, but I am convinced it could have been a bear.

One afternoon was a drive into Glacier NP and a drive on the Going to the Sun Road up to Logan Pass. The weather has been beautiful so it made for a lovely drive. It has been years since we have been there, and it is still just spectacular. Glacier is my favorite national park of those that I have visited. We saw one small black bear making his way down over the embankment on the side of the road and two mountain goats were grazing near the Logan Pass Visitors Center.

We are always on the lookout for huckleberries when in that part of country, and our usual spot in Hungry Horse still had fresh huckleberries – not inexpensive, but they did have huckleberries, so Ken and Craig will have their birthday pie around the first of March.

It is frightening to see the growth and development in the Kalispell/Whitefish area. Every turn of the road shows another piece of land being developed. It will soon be a solid corridor of business from Kalispell to Whitefish.

I am always keeping my eye out for that perfect piece of property, but I have about decided it is not going to happen – and certainly not waterfront. But I still love any part of eastern Washington-northern-Idaho-western Montana that is quiet and ‘country’.

We found a nice little RV park in Thomopson Falls on our way home. It is called Birdland RV Resort and is not fancy – no pool, spa, or WiFi, but big sites and the area is surrounded by trees and undergrowth. Train tracks almost run through the park, but few trains, and we love their sound so it was not a problem for us.

Keith, Janet and the girls had a very difficult week last week as they had to put down their beloved little Springer – Shelby. She had been failing and developed seizures, but it has been heartbreaking for all of us because she was a little sweetheart.

Speaking of dogs, we drove out to the Sure Thing Kennels in Heron, Montana where Cooper was born. Dan and his wife were surprised to learn that there were any dogs still living from the litters of Cooper’s parents, Peat and Aspen They seemed to be quite impressed with how good he looked and how handsome he was – but of course we already knew that. They still breed Gordons and had six on site.

Yesterday we went to Joel’s property that is located north of Deer Park where he is in the process of building the biggest shop/pole barn I have ever seen; and it will include a 1200 square foot apartment on the second level. He is very good at building/fixing/rebuilding most anything so he has purchased everything from a huge flatbed trailer to a backhoe/tractor to a four-wheeler at ridiculous prices, fixes them and is good to go. In fact he gave me my first-ever ride on a four-wheeler yesterday.

Tonight we are having Mike, Mary, Becky, Joel and Benjamin here for dinner. So I had better get busy and get to the grocery store. The next blog will probably be from home since we need to head that direction sometime in the next few days. Ciao

Lake Tahoe Wedding

Home again for a few days after our jaunt to Lake Tahoe. We will do a bit of catching up around here and go to Spokane on Saturday. We enjoyed our time at The Ridge and visited with some Spokane friends as well as Rana’s sister and husband who were there from Las Vegas. In fact 3 ½ years ago we were in Las Vegas for their wedding.

The four days of driving were uneventful, but we had a very good time for the weekend of the wedding. All the guests stayed at The Ridge so we were all within a building or two of each other. Our room was so small that it made the Quality Inn room in Oregon look like a suite. The Ridge room had a coffee maker and filters, but no coffee; there was a promise of a free paper delivered to our room which didn’t happen on Saturday, and didn’t arrive until nine on Sunday. I was thrilled to find two bars of bath soap because there were no other goodies such as shampoo or lotion.

The wedding was aboard a small cruise boat on the lake – I believe there were about 60 people all together including the bride, groom, and families. It was a civil ceremony with the boat captain officiating. But it was quite a nice venue; we were below the deck so weren’t exposed to the wind and sun. Champagne and hors d’oeurves were served after the short ceremony and then we later adjourned back to the restaurant at The Ridge for the reception.

Rana’s dress was quite stark, but very pretty, and the story of her shoes and earrings were interesting. She is a shoe buyer for Nieman Marcus and found her $1200 shoes for $50 at a sample sale. And the earrings which were designed with pave’ diamonds were the result of an employee drawing at Nieman’s. Pretty good I would say. And she looked lovely.

I chose a fillet for dinner, and it was outstanding, both in flavor and presentation. The little mound of mashed potatoes was topped with a tiny pink baby rose!! Rana’s cake was very pretty, but almost stark; white frosting with the layers circled with bands of navy blue ribbon.

Bob’s birthday was on Sunday so we were all invited over for afternoon drinks and birthday cake. As usual, most of the cards were NOT sweet and sentimental.

So that is what we have done for the past week. Next blog will probably be from Spokane – or Montana!! Ciao

Home again to be gone again

This past week was great fun while staying at the Sprague RV Park on Big Meadows Road; just one mile from the farm where I lived as a small child. Of course the area has built up considerably over the past decades, but I sat in Rod and Karen's beautiful garden and marveled at how quiet it was. Granted an occasional car went by, but overall it was thoroughly peaceful.

Karen had a full slate for us to include a going-away party for her grandson who is going to be attending school in Flagstaff, a rose garden tour, pedicures, shopping, canning, and a party.

I was naming the friends and family we wanted to see this past week, and she suggested we just invite everyone to her house! So along with some neighbors, we were able to visit with Davenport and Spokane friends and relatives. It worked out very well.

For all the cooking, baking, catering, and cookbook reading I have done over the years, I have never canned fruit........but Karen has and she has all the right equipment, so "in our spare time" we canned pears and peaches. With two people it is a perfect match for an assembly line process, and it is very satisfying to see the beautiful fruit sparkling in the jars. We purchased the pears on our way through Prosser, and then Ken and Rod went to Green Bluff to pick the peaches. You can't get fruit much fresher than that.

Now here at home we had a few gravenstein apples beckoning to us, so I now have an apple pie in the oven. The rest of the apples are not ready yet, but there are blackberries galore if we were inclined to pick them.

Oops, no time to do that since we leave in the morning for Tahoe. Two days of driving for two days of fun and then two more days of driving. I find the Jetta to not be very comfortable for a long trip so Colleen has offered us her Honda - which is a very comfortable ride. Thanks Colleen!

And then as soon as we get back from California next week, we are going to go back to Spokane to retrieve the motor home from Rod and Karen's backyard and proceed on to Montana for a few days. Keith says their property is now gated, but accessible with a level place to park, so I think we might check it out. I don't know why I have such a strong draw to Montana, but I do. It is probably all the gorgeous scenery and the sense of wide open spaces. I would be happy as a clam to live in Montana on some remote piece of land - especially if it were on a lake or a creek.

Today is Nolan's birthday. I tried to call but didn't get an answer on his cell phone. I suspect there are great family fun things going on with his Grandma Betty and his cousins, Gray and Celia. I'm not even sure if he and Warren are in school yet, but if not, it must be close.

I have not posted a recipe for a while, and this one is very appropriate because it came from Nolan's Grandma Betty. It is a little different take on the ever-present breakfast casserole and it is tastier and easier than any others I have made.

Bagel Breakfast Casserole

¼ cup butter, melted (you could spray the dish with Pam and use less butter (but wouldn’t be as yummy)
8 cups plain bagels, cut into bite-sized pieces ( 4-6 bagels)
3 oz smoked ham, cut into strips or small pieces (I buy it at the deli)
8 oz Swiss or Monterey Jack cheese – shredded (2 cups)
¼ cup fresh snipped chives or parsley (if parsley, I suggest flat leaf (Italian) rather than the less-flavorful curly-leaf)
8 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk – can use skim
1 cup cottage cheese – can use low-fat
¼ tsp pepper

Place melted butter in a 3-qt rectangular baking dish to cover the bottom. Spread bagel pieces evenly in prepared dish. Sprinkle ham, swiss cheese and chives evenly over bagel pieces. In large bowl, combine eggs, milk, cottage cheese and pepper. Pour over layers in dish.

Press down gently using the back of a wooden spoon to moisten all of the ingredients. Cover and chill for 4-24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, about 45 minutes or until set and edges are puffed and golden. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 10-12 servings. Great reheated. Bon appetit

Ciao

The Kirkwood Clan

Oh my I've been remiss about blogging, but I think that is a typical summer malady - too much to do....

We saw everyone off for home the latter part of July, and within two weeks Keith called to say he had a business trip and would be arriving on the 7th. So we had a fun short visit with him before he went home on Thursday.

It has been quiet on the Virginia front, but I think Brian and Sheila moved into their house last Friday, and I presume by now their household goods have been delivered and they are busy unpacking, arranging furniture, hanging pictures, and assembling whatever has to be assembled. I know Nolan has some new bedroom furniture and Warren is the owner of a basketball-sized chicken for his bedroom decor.

Under the guise of making up to our neighbors for all the traffic, noise, and confusion in July, we invited all of them here on Sunday afternoon. We have lived in this house almost fifteen years, some neighbors have lived here longer, and not a one had ever darkened our doorstep. We all wave to each other as we pass on the street down below, but that is it.

So we had an enjoyable afternoon visiting with some old and some new neighbors. Later in the afternoon we invited 3 other couples for dinner - the McKains who live behind us, Elisabeth Merritt and Katherine and Kit Baker; the latter two women were my buddies in the real estate days.

We served beef kabobs, a tried and true recipe of Brian and Sheila's, along with taboulah, Caesar salad, and a rustic fruit tart for dessert. We didn't do much of anything the next day!! But wait, there's more.

Brian learned while he was here that one of his college friends lost his wife to an infection last spring, and Jim is left to rear his six and ten year old daughters. After several messages from us that we wanted to help if we could, Jim relented and let us go to Seattle for a visit - and take dinner. So that was roasted lemon chickens on croutons, tossed salad, homemade macaroni and cheese, and snickerdoodles. It was a good visit, and I have no doubt Jim will manage just fine, knowing he will have some sad and difficult moments. We are hoping there will be other ways we might be able to intervene with him and the girls.

We are going to Spokane this weekend and taking the motorhome and Cooper. We'll park at Rod and Karen's and she and I have grand plans to do some canning and preserving along with making a batch of sausage strudels. We will also see Mike, Mary and Becky to ooh and aah over new baby Benjamin.

There is a quilt show on the 25th and 26th, in Reardan of all places, so Karen and I plan to take that in. Then Ken and I have to get back here to repack so we can drive to Lake Tahoe for Labor day weekend and Rana Jayne's wedding. We will leave the motorhome at Rod and Karen's and upon returning from Tahoe, we hope to take a little jaunt to Montana or BC, or some other equally interesting spot. More to follow. Ciao

Water Fountain, Australia & a Bug

A quick story to share and a couple of pictures.

While visiting in San Jose in June, it was a must that Bev and I do a bit of shopping.......we didn't need a thing, but the stores were beckoning, so off we went.

At the entrance to one of the stores was a very cute little round metal table and two chairs that Bev determined she needed at home (fortunately all three pieces had folding legs), and sitting next to this cute little set was a wicker rocker (plastic wicker, but cute), and Bev felt the need to own that as well. Now keep in mind that we are traveling in her VW bug, but to our benefit, it is a convertible. So after much lifting, hauling, tugging, moving, and shoving, I share with you the end result.

Also during the month of June, you will recall that Colleen spent three weeks in Australia to visit Bassim and his family. The outcome of the visit was a mutual decision to NOT get married (but I am waiting to see if that holds true), but she had a wonderful visit as can be seen in this handsome photo.

One more story - no picture. While Brian and Sheila were visiting, she and I entered into a discussion about the merits of garden fountains and how I have always wanted one. Always seeking a project, Sheila immediately leafed through a Sunset magazine to an article showing in detail how to make such fountain, and since she is always always up to take on a project she made a mental note of what would be needed, not the least of which were two large pots.

Later that day, still with the fountain plans in hand, she, Brian and I stopped at Costco to do some grocery shopping. As Sheila headed off in one direction, Brian and I ferried our cart toward the produce/bakery departments when what to my wondering eyes should appear but a big fat round beautiful deep red pot that sort of resembled the shape of an apple. "Oh, there is a perfect pot for the fountain", I cried, and then upon closer inspection, Brian chortled, "It IS a fountain." So with one deft swoop, he had it loaded into the cart.

Soon Sheila found us, with not a single item of food in the cart, but said she too had seen the fountains, and had been scheming as to how to purchase one and get it home (in a rented KIA sedan, without my noticing) to surprise me!!!!!

So I have a lovely bubbly fountain on the back patio that gurgles and splashes, and the added bonus is that the little hummingbirds have found it and come to drink and "shower". Ciao

Summer Fun

We have had an ultimately grand and glorious time over this past month…………

Brian and Sheila arrived on July 1, and just the seven of us were here to celebrate the Fourth of July. We made the annual trek downtown to watch the parade and visit the various booths that were set up on the main street but opted to stay home and skip the fireworks. Besides, we had attended the Tacoma Rainiers game the night before and sat down on the infield after the game to watch quite a spectacular display of fireworks.

Keith and Janet and the girls arrived the Friday evening after the Fourth, and we had about 19 here on Saturday. Mike and Mary drove over from Spokane and Curt and Cinda came down from Bellevue. Plus Craig, Cassie and Greta. Of course for every occasion, it was absolutely necessary that we have at least twice as much food and drink as needed. The grill was going at high speed and we enjoyed some awesome salmon, ribs, and beef.

Brian discovered that the Army Recreation Center at Fort Lewis has a brand new pontoon boat that will hold 14 people, so he reserved it for Sunday. We loaded up the canoe and some snacks and headed for American Lake for several hours of cruising. Ken was the captain and the helmsman, and the rest of us just played and relaxed. The boat was awesome with all kinds of seating with storage underneath, a radio, and a plug in for an MP3 player. I think we need to do that again. I envision an afternoon dinner cruise with several other couples!!

Warren and Nolan were looking for a little something to do when they discovered my collection of several hundred wine corks. Now I have been collecting those corks for years, and wouldn’t let just anyone have any, but with lots of packing tape and two days of effort, they created several boats and an airplane. With a bathtub test, they discovered that the boats were in fact seaworthy. Warren and I wrapped his plane in bubble wrap so he could carry it to Virginia in his backpack.

Sarah and Rachel are still two of sweetest teenagers I know. Just as at Christmas time, they happily join in, put up with, and just generally make all of us happy to have them with us. I can’t believe that Sarah will be twenty next month. She is looking forward to moving out of the dorms and into her first apartment next month along with her roommate from school.

We had a week of boring after Brian and Sheila left for Virginia and the Maryland Kirkwoods were off on their Alaskan cruise………..so we spent one night at the Ft. Lewis Famcamp just for something fun to do. But we were back in play mode when Keith and Janet and the girls plus Janet’s brother and family got back. I have gotten quite good at finding places for everyone to sleep.

I knew going in that keeping track of bath towels would be a challenge, so we wrote everyone’s name on two clothespins………….with instructions to take their towel to the clothesline, pin it with their pins, and retrieve it the next day for their shower. It worked like a charm.

There is a little hole-in-the-wall eatery in north Tacoma called Tatonka Takeout, and they sell frozen buffalo meats plus serve buffalo burgers along with a huge mound of freshly cooked home fries. It is a draw for both Brian and Keith so we ate there twice recently. It is located right outside the entrance to Point Defiance Park, so we could take our burgers into the park and find a picnic table for our fine dining experience.

We also had a total of three dogs to add to the mix. Colleen and Ken fenced in about one half of the front yard so we could play musical dogs. Colleen’s and Brian’s dogs got along just fine, so the challenge was to keep Cooper out of the fray since he doesn’t much cotton to other dogs and was particularly miffed that those other two mutts had invaded his domain.

So there you have a brief outline of the month’s events, and given a few more days, I hope to post some pictures. Ciao

Briefly.....................

because we are still in the very fun-filled throes of friends and family. Brian and Sheila and the boys will fly to Virginia this Saturday, and this coming week finds the Keith Kirkwoods on the high seas of Canada and Alaska. But then they will spend another week with us before returning to Baltimore.

We have had as many as 18 here for various get-togethers and meals, and we slept 15 last night. It has all been fun, fun, fun. I will blog the details later. Ciao.

California and Back

Last week was a fun-filled week with our trip to San Jose to celebrate a 50th wedding anniversary and visit with long-time friends. Along the way there was some shopping, some outings, some wine tasting/drinking and just an all ‘round good time.

John and Carol’s anniversary party was especially fun because we had not seen three of their grown children since we moved from Amapola Drive in San Jose in 1981. Big surprise; they all grew up to be gracious and charming individuals. John and Carol have 5 granddaughters ranging in age from mid-twenties to five-month-old twins and four of the five were in attendance.

Carol is a cancer survivor and during this past year John underwent chemotherapy for a second bout with lymphoma. As soon as he finished the chemo earlier this year, he hied himself to the hospital for a hip replacement ……. and was dancing on Saturday night!!!

Of course there were a number of friends in attendance so it was good to visit and catch up with what everyone is doing. The conversations ran the gamut from grandchildren to retirement to social security, and everyone seems to be doing well with all of it.

Jeff and Bev’s granddaughter, Rebekah, has been dancing since she was four (now she is eight), and we attended her studio’s dance recital on Sunday. It was all very well done, and Rebekah was obviously comfortable in her element. I was impressed with the costumes, the music, and the lightning fast changing of groups on stage – all in addition to the great dancing.

Mark Schuler scored four box seat tickets to the game between the San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees on Saturday night so he, brother David, Jeff and Ken went. That is the only time Ken has attended a game at AT&T Park in San Francisco but his attendance didn’t create a win for the Giants.

We spent some time shopping and a few hours wine tasting on Saturday afternoon. On Monday, we drove to Half Moon Bay, stopped for a bite to eat, and then proceeded down Highway One to Santa Cruz. It was a very pretty drive, and I don’t think we ever drove it while we lived there. I tend to remember the entire Bay area as being in constant gridlock, but now when we go back to visit, I don’t see that. That drive down Highway One was wide open.

Now we are getting ready for the kids to get here. Brian and Sheila and the boys are on their way from Mt. Home in our motor home, will stay in Prosser tonight and be here tomorrow evening. Monday they are going to do a tour of the UofW campus, and then we are all invited to Curt and Cinda’s for dinner, and Jerry and Lois will be there as well. Then the next big event will be the Fourth of July to be followed by the Baltimore Kirkwoods' arrival on Friday.

I have some fun pictures to share, but can’t seem to get to that last step of downloading from the camera and up to the blog site. Be patient, I get them in one of these times. Ciao

Home from Idaho

We are back home after our visit to Mountain Home for Brian's change of command. We left on Wednesday afternoon, the 6th, and after a brief stop in Toppenish to have a cup of coffee with Rod and Karen who were staying at the Yakima Nation RV Park, we stopped for the night at the Wild Horse Casino just outside Pendleton. Casinos are the best if one just wants to stop, have a bite to eat, and sleep. There were at least a dozen other rigs parked near us as well as a number of semis.

We llke the FAmCamp at Mt. Home AFB. It only has about 20 sites, but it is well-maintained and never at full capacity. We met a lady who full times in her small Class C. Her name is Hazel, "Hazy", is English but was married to a US military man, and now roams the country to pursue her favorite hobby of birdwatching.

Brian's final flight with the squdron took place on Friday afternoon, and as his plane taxied in, there were two fire trucks with their firehoses creating a water arch over the aircraft. Then with all of us out at the flight line, as soon as he left the plane, Nolan, Warren, Gray and Celia greeted him with more water and high-powered squirt guns. Ken and I sedately greeting him with sprays of champage!

Brian's farewell was most enjoyable with a very yummy catered BBQ dinner. Brian's "roast" was fun and we contributed by sending a number of photos that ran the gamut from newborn to college years. He seemingly gained a reputation in the squadron for using a favorite expletive on frequent occasions as a noun, or verb or adjective, or proper name............and coffee and the coffee-making ritual were always a priority before the day could begin. There were several, including the operations group commander, who spoke about Brian's two-plus years as squdron commanding officer whose words make parents beam with pride.


After dinner, Brian was promptly kidnapped by several squadron guys and spirited off to Boise for the evening. I think guys do that sort of thing to try and reclaim some of their college youth, and then realize it can't be done. But all in the name of tradition.

The change of command on Monday was well-executed, and of course less thrilling for us this time around than when Brian took command two years ago, but nontheless always serves to reawaken one's patriotism and pride of country. For those of you who know the military, he was awarded a third oak leaf cluster for his Meritorious Service Medal.

Sheila's sister, Lisa, and her children, Celia and Gray, came from Virginia for the weekend. Gray is eight and had not seen any of the military associated with Brian, so he took everything in. One of the men in the squadron gave us a full-up in-depth tour of the squadron and an F15E. Gray was invited to sit in an ejection seat, try on a helmet, and look through night vision goggles. He was in awe!

We left the motor home for Brian and the boys to use while they pack out, and we took two days to drive home. We spent Tuesday night in Hermiston at a fairly new, but obscure motel chain. Traveling with a dog and staying in a motel subjects one to additional charges as we found out! We are so spoiled by traveling in the motor home!

Now we have one week before we fly to San Jose. I know I have a number of things I want to get done before we leave because we have just about four days upon our return before Brian and family get here and then just a few more before Keith and family arrive. But at least we did concentrate on the yard and flowers early this season, so it is all looking good. What is left to do is probably not all that much except for some serious meal planning and grocery shopping.

We have had one email from Colleen from Australia and it sounded like she was having a good time. It was early in her trip, and I think they had been spending the time in Sydney with Bassim's family. She will be on her way home in about one week. so I should have more news of interest after that.

I have been waiting to post this blog so I could attach some pictures, but that hasn't happened yet, so pictures will follow. Ciao

Getting Ready to Get Ready

I always seem to be in a state of preparing for something. This week it is getting ready to go to Mt. Home for a week. Since someone is coming to stay at the house with Skyla, I not only have to pack the motor home, but have to be sure to leave the house in order and some food in the 'fridge. On a completely unrelated note, I spent the better part of the day putting shelf paper on the shelves in the pantry!! Not a thing to do with getting ready to leave on Wednesday.

Colleen called about 1:30 this afternoon to say she had just arrived in Sydney. Her plane was late getting in to San Francisco, so she and another man had to have them open the plane's door to let them on. Out of the fourteen-plus hours between San Francisco and Sydney, she said she was able to get some sleep. Bassim is taking the full three weeks of vacation while she is there!!

Brian and Sheila have decided to fly to the east coast rather than drive so that means they will be here for an extra five days which makes us happy. They will take a red-eye on Saturday night, July 14. It also makes it easy for Sheila's mother to get them at Dulles on Sunday morning. But the main reason for the night flight is to be sure it is cool enough that the airline will allow the dog and cat to fly!!

Craig, Cassie, and Greta came for a visit yesterday and we had hamburgers and root beer floats for lunch. Greta loves horses and I found a copy of Black Beauty on sale at Elliott Bay Bookstore last week, so I read the first four chapters to her while she was here. I love reading to little ones, so it was a special treat for me. Plus I don't know if I ever read Black Beauty.

We do not have internet access at the FamCamp on the base in Mt. Home, so it will probably be at least a week before you hear from me again! Ciao

Ken and I stopped at IKEA yesterday after taking Colleen to the airport and it looks like they are in the process of yet another expansion/remodel. I think this is the fourth that I am aware of. And even with all the expansion in Seattle, IKEA just opened a new store in Portland. It is quite a success story. We made just a few small purchases, but it was easy shopping at seven in the evening on a Sunday.

Trips and Traditions Continued or Snowball Revisited

I forgot to mention another part of the Memorial Day trip. On our way out into the country to visit some family, we decided to drive in to the now-abandoned homesite of Mike's dad, Bill Weber. Bill purchased this property from his sister, Anna Taylor, and lived there until he died in 1971.

Remember my recent blog about the long-remembered snowball bush at Anna's? Well lo and behold, it is still there, standing large and lush in all its blooming glory. Joel picked a start for me, and then I went off and left it behind. It does look like every other overgrown snowball bush, but needless to say, this one is special.

Since this property has not been inhabited for years, we scared up a bit of wildlife. An owl and two owlets flew up in front of the car, and while walking back to the car from the house, a Chinese pheasant hen flew up in front of us, abandoning her clutch of ten eggs that were nested right at our feet. I'm sure she returned. Oh yes, and a big kitty sitting up on the railroad tracks! Ciao

Trips and Traditions

Getting to Mt. St. Helens with Jeff and Bev proved to be a two-day effort. We only got to the RV dealer and the quilt shop the first day, so had to save the mountain for the next day. We looked at the Winnebago and Alpine coaches again, and again assured our saleman that we have no money, but that didn't seem to slow him down. We are not especially serious about a new coach, but it is fun to look.

Bev was duly impressed with Sister's Quilt Shop in Chehalis, and I think it is the best in the area. Quilt shops are like book stores, one just can't walk out without buying something, even if you have no immediate use for it. Ken and Jeff found the bakery next door to the quilt shop and that is where they whiled away the time while we shopped.

Mt. St. Helens is always a fascinating visit, and I learned more about the dome building process which is continuing inside the crater. There are several ridges that have emerged and over time they build, collapse in on themselves, and then begin the building process again. The movie shown at the visitor's center is very powerful, and when it ends, the curtains open on a windowed wall that looks right out on to the mountainside.

I drove to Spokane on Sunday to continue a family tradition of visiting the Colfax cemetery where Mike's and my family is buried. I remember as a youngster that this was an annual outing combined with visiting some family while in town for the day. When I was young, the 70 mile round trip to Colfax seemed like a major outing. Sheila, I thought of you yesterday because the Palouse Hills were breathtaking with their blanket of green ranging from the light pea green to the winter and summer wheat hues of green. I remember you thought that countryside was quite lovely.

Mike and Mary go to the cemetery every year, but since Mary was in Texas visiting Becky, I said I would go with him as did Joel. After purchasing flowers in Spokane, we got as far as Spangle (about 15 miles south of Spokane's city limits) when I decided we should stop for a snack. Since it was now about 11:30, we opted for breakfast!! Then back down the road.

As with most rural cemeteries, this one sits atop the highest hill overlooking the town, and as usual, it was a bit windy and cold! In talking to a local resident, I learned that the FFA group makes and sets the holders for the veterans flags, and then the VFW places the flags. These are the flags from the coffins that the family has turned over to the VFW, and each of the flags is identified with the veteran's name. It is quite moving to see the 200+ flags flying at this relatively small cemetery.

Unfortunately, my brother Pat was not represented, and I suspect no one has made contact with his kids to ask for the flag. So I will follow up. Uncle Paul's flag was flying.

I have created a pretty tasty inexpensive roadtrip menu for the drive to Spokane. McDonald's coffee is very tasty and a junior hamburger at Wendy's with lettuce, tomato, and onion is plenty ample. So two drive-through windows, and I'm on my way. I was feeling pretty smug over my low-cal dining-stay-awake experiences. My other constraint was to set the cruise control at 65 mph even though everyone including the semis were passing me. That is my path of resistance against the gas prices, but I forgot to save my receipt so have no idea if there was any appreciable savings.

Now for the next week we will focus on getting the motor home ready to go to Mt. Home for Brian's change of command and farewell party. Ciao

It's a long way......

from Pike Place Market to Pioneer Square and back when loaded down with recently purchased books from Elliot Bay Bookstore!!

Bev and I had a great day in Seattle today. We drove in with Colleen and she dropped us off on First Street just a block or two from Pike Place Market. On a whim, we headed for the doors of the Seattle Art Museum and waited just four or five minutes until the doors were unlocked for the day.

SAM has just undergone a year-long renovation, and we found the museum to be top-notch with several collections available for viewing. It was interesting to realize how similar Bev's and my tastes are................realism all the way. We saw works that ran the gamut from Andy Warhol to John Singer Sargent (both of which we appreciated). And of course a number of pieces that didn't do a thing for us. One of the most beautiful and fascinating was a small room devoted to porcelain - with all the walls covered with lighted glass-enclosed floor-to-ceiling cabinets full of beautifully displayed porcelain.

By the time we had finished at the museum, it was time to meet Colleen at Cafe Campagne on Post Alley for lunch. This little cafe was even rated by Zagats, and it was wonderful. Bev treated Colleen and me and we enjoyed grilled goat cheese, mixed bitter greens salad, heavenly quiche and some quite exceptional wine. I had a white burgundy and Bev had a rose. Alas, Colleen had to go back to work, so she had sparkling water.

In the afternoon, Bev and I hiked down to Elliot Bay Bookstore, which is a must when one is in Seattle and we both found some books we just couldn't live without. But now with purchases in hand (in shopping bags), we had to hike the eight or ten blocks back (partly uphill) to get north of Pike Place Market where Colleen was to pick us up. But a rest stop for coffee and a sweet helped us to reach our destination.

So now after dinner and some more wine, I am off to bed. We are going to drive south to Chehalis tomorrow to look at some motor homes and a quilt shop, and then we are going on to Mt. St. Helens. Ciao

Trains and Rain

Since I have been asked by two different people, it would appear I have failed to follow up on Brian and Sheila's move as to where they are moving!! It will be the Pentagon in Washington D.C. For a while it looked like he would get orders to Lakenheath, England (and we were all excited and checking our passports), but that was not meant to be. This will put them very close to Sheila's mother and sister and family, and they will be about 1 1/2 hours from Keith and Janet in Columbia. So for us, one trip allows us to see all four of our grandchildren and their parents. Brian and Sheila will probably stay with her mother in northern Virginia for a while until they decide where to settle in.

I finally talked to brother Mike last night to wish him a happy birthday, and he said he is going to retire the end of June, as is Mary. I know they already have a trip in mind for the summer to drive to Iowa to see Martha, but beyond that I think they are just looking forward to calling their time their own.

There was no way to get in touch with Brian, so we will make up for that when we see him next month.

Bev called last night to say she was looking forward to some wine and cheese and crackers and perhaps a bit of knitting and/or sewing while here next week. She and I are going to drive in to Seattle with Colleen on Tuesday and spend the day browsing some of the neighborhoods such as Fremont or Belltown. Of course we will meet Colleen for lunch.

Jeff called to see what his and Ken's schedule would be because he needs to be available for a conference call on either Monday or Tuesday with regard to the train at Lucille Packard Children's Hospital where Bev works. Once a delightful energetic train layout that drew hundreds of eager children, it recently has fallen into disrepair so Jeff and his former boss, Bob Herendeen, have volunteered to keep the train running and the tracks open.

The reason for the call is that there is a major remodel going on at the hospital, and Jeff and Bob want to make sure the woman back east who is designing the new train layout knows what she is doing and what she needs to do! So while Bev is involved in the design and creation of new operating room suites, Jeff and Bob are making sure the children will have the train to entertain them. Good going guys.

It is a dark, drizzly, cool western Washington day. But the dark and the drizzle cause the rhodies and other blooms to shine. Ciao

Spring in all its glory

The dogwoods in front have been in full bloom for the past week, and the rhododendrons are just now beginning to open. We have one lilac bush on the west side of the house, and it too performed beautifully these past two weeks.

Today Ken is working on planting a snowball tree that the kids gave me for Mother's Day. I shared with Colleen that I remembered, as a youngster, someone whom we would usually visit over Memorial Day (Anna Taylor), and there would be her snowball tree in full bloom. We found one at a nursery in Tumwater and it is going to reside at the edge of the lawn nearest the driveway and close to the sidwalk. This has all been easy for me since I didn't pay for it and I am not the one planting it!! I did however pick it up and bring it home. The tree is about ten feel tall, so on its side it ran the full length of the Jetta, and I had to go through some interesting gyrations to shift gears.

Sunday was very enjoyable with everyone remembering me and pampering me. Colleen started the day with homemade banana bread, spinach quiche and mimosas and then Craig, Cassie and Greta joined us for the annual Mother's Day dining experience: KFC! Phone calls and flowers rounded out a very nice day. I really don't have a very demanding schedule at any time, but Mother's Day is fun to indulge myself and do just exactly what I want to do.

I have several sewing projects going - most of them for quite some time, but now I have ventured back into trying my hand at making myself something to wear. The jury is still out on that one, especially since I am using a pattern that I have had forever, and needless to say, it isn't quite big enough. More challenges.

We are on track to drive to Mountain Home on June 7 and 8 to be present for Brian's farewell and change of command. Then we are going to leave the motor home for them to use while moving out of quarters and they will drive up here with it about the first of July.

Brian's birthday is this coming Friday, May 18, and we have three other relatives who share the birthday as well as at least two people outside the family. Happy birthday to Brian and Mike - the two who read this blog.

Jeff and Bev are coming up for a visit next Monday. Jeff is a season ticket-holder for the San Jose Sharks, so as long as they were in the playoffs, we figured we wouldn't see them. But alas, they were eliminated, so travel plans could be made. We have nothing in particular planned, and if the weather stays as lovely as it has been, I'm sure we would be content to sit on the patio and swap war stories. Ciao

Alpines, Rose of Karen and Rainbows

I need to get with the program with this blogging - I am way behind!!!

We had a brief interlude in Steilacoom before going to Spokane for the opening of fishing season. The greatest accomplishment was to hire a gardening service to spend 2 1/2 days getting the FRONT-YARD-ONLY under control. Craig's affectionate name for the Asian families who do the gardening is Ninjas, and his description of their mode of operation is that they come in and prune everything and what they don't eat they haul away. I found it humorous - and not true. They were three hard-working souls who loved coffee. I put both coffee and tea out for them and one cup of tea was consumed, but the coffee thermos was empty as was the cup of milk and cup of sugar!

They topped the evergreens that are on our neighbors' property (with their permission) and the view we have reclaimed is spectacular. It had been several years since any pruning had been done, so we had lost about 90% of the view of water. Colleen has been edging stepping stones and flower beds and Karen and I worked on the back patio.

We met Rod and Karen in Chehalis a week ago last Sunday and oohed and aahed over big beautiful Alpine and Winnebago motor coaches. And we did manage to come away without doing something foolish like buying a new one. Uhlmans in Chehalis is the only dealer for Alpine coaches in Washington and Karen and Rod are always looking. When we parted ways, Rod headed for Ft. St. John in Canada and we brought Karen home with us.

I am a container-gardener only, and a pathetic one at that, so I seized my chance when Karen came to visit last week. We shopped for mostly flowering annuals such as petunias, snapdragons, and others that I don't know intimately, and as soon as we got home, she was up to her elbows in potting soil. Everything is looking very perky and happy and I can't wait for all of it to fill in with glorious color. Following Karen in the garden store is as befuddling for me as it is for her when I drag her into a kitchen store or gourmet grocery. We do make a good team.

She and I made a road trip back down to Chehalis so I could take her to Sister's fabric shop which is where any quilter would want to spend her every breathing moment. Ten thousand plus bolts of fabric in tight formation shoulder to shoulder, color by color, for as far as the eye can see to the back of a very small shop. After the frantic shopping we were in need of sustenance, and found a delightful bakery where we supped on quiche and creme brulee. I detected a definite German influence and learned of the couple that owns it that one is German and the other Icelandic.

We returned last night from the annual fishing trip to Spokane. Ken and Bob fished three days straight: Lake Sacheen, Waitts Lake and Liberty Lake with some nice fish, mostly rainbow trout, from all three. The weather was as nice as I've seen it for opening week end and I remember one year when they came home covered in snow.

We caught up with Mike and Mary last Saturday at a neighborhood garage sale in north Spokane, so we chatted and shopped and then had lunch together. Their lives are currently taken up with pending retirement and the anticipation of a grandson. Becky is expecting a baby in July, to be named Benjamin. Now that I know it is a boy, I need to be thinking about a quilt perhaps? She lives in Texas, and Mike and Mary were there to see her in April, and Mary is going back down for a few days the end of May. We haven't had a baby in the family for quite a number of years!

Sharon and I had lunch last week in the restaurant at the new Davenport Towers in Spokane which is just across the street from the original restored hotel. The decor of the entire hotel is a safari theme with two life-sized, gold-leafed rhinoceroses greeting you at the entrance. Once inside, animals and jungle abound with a beautiful stuffed tiger looking at you from above. It was beautifully done, and I was very impressed.

And night before last we spent with Jerry and Lois. We had not seen them since last November, so we had a good time catching up. Jerry is recovering from a pulled hamstring, and Lois was her usual perky self. She had a one-man art show in Spokane recently and has enjoyed some good successes with her work. She is so talented. But the shows are hard work. Not only the creating of new pieces, but the matting and framing, and loading, and hauling, and unloading, and hanging, and "un-hanging". I have helped with just one or two and I was worn out.

It is gray and cool today; a typical Puget Sound spring day. I am off to figure out what it is that I need to do for the day. Ciao

Ah Steilacoom

We found ourselves back home on Saturday afternoon and were welcomed by Colleen and Skyla along with an immaculately clean house and dinner! Who could ask for more? But all that wine tasting must have worn me out because I grabbed my toothbrush out of the motor home and was in bed by nine. Wine tasting is hard work.

We do have plenty of wine to show for our efforts; about 8 cases, so we should be in good shape for some time to come. Ken concentrated on the big reds and I went for the summer sipping wines such as riesling, light reds, and chardonnay. It is amazing to see the growth in wine country. Prosser seems to be the hub and not only are there lots of new wineries, but some of the established wineries are relocating to Prosser. We continue to seek out and support the smaller family-owned businesses rather than the likes of Chateau St. Michelle and Hogue, both of which are now owned by some huge, out-of-state conglomerate.

The weather here is quite all right, but I can't get warm since we have the usual clouds and threat of rain with little blue sky and sunshine.

I am excited that Karen is coming to visit for a few days. We are going to meet her and Rod in Chehalis next Sunday (at the Alpine/Alpenlite dealership), and Karen will come home with us while Rod goes on to Yakima for some work on the trailer and then on the road to Ft. St. John, BC for some business. We will take Karen to Spokane later in the week when we go over for the opening of fishing season. I hope Karen and I get more sewing done this time than we did all the time we were down south. I think I had my machine out just twice the entire winter.

I hear my bed calling me. Ciao

Here are the photos that were promised in my last blog!! Is that awesome or what?











We are now in Prosser after having spent several days with Sheila and the boys in Mt. Home. She didn't tell them when/or if we would be there, so it was a fun surprise to show up at their door to take the boys to the MH for dinner. They are both turning out for track this spring and Warren is still busy creating his Space Chicken saga. Nolan spent Saturday hiding Easter eggs with the church youth group and then went to church with us Sunday.

Sheila treated us to Sunday brunch at the club, and on Saturday night she invited the Hoovers for dinner. She and I prepared beef kebobs and she made an awesome Mediterranean salad with tomatoes, and peppers and feta cheese; that served along with rice and freshly purchased bread with angel food cake for dessert. All washed down with some good wine!!! Yum yum.

Our Sarah has been working in the restaurant at the golf course at the University of Maryland ever since she started school there and is now a manager. Now as she is finishing her second year, she was nominated for the Emma Powers award which recognizes one of the 500 individuals who work in dining services at the UofM..................and yes, she was the chosen employee. We are so proud of her for all of her hard work as well as keeping on track with her grades, and along with the recognition is a $500 scholarship!!

We have had one day of wine tasting while here in Prosser, and will get out to do some more today. We are up to two cases plus two bottles, but I'm sure we can find room for more in the MH before we head to Steilacoom on Saturday.

We heard some rain pattering on the roof early last evening, but at the moment the sky is a glorious blue with just a hint of some poufy white clouds on the horizon. I love this part of the country, probably because I am a farm girl, and I enjoy seeing all the new growth, the green, and the beautiful flowers and flowering trees. The apple trees are in full bloom, but from a distance it looks like the grapes are still asleep. I read in the paper today where the cool weather is creating some worry for the farmers, particularly for the asparagus crop that should be in full swing by now.

The next blog will be from Steilacoom! Ciao

Nellis AFB, Pahrump ooh lala, Tecopa Hot Springs & Yankee Blade

Whew, it has been a long time..............

We said good by to Rod and Karen on Saturday (March 24), and we went our separate ways for a week – they to a rally at AVI in Laughlin, and we to Nellis AFB Famcamp in north Las Vegas.

We endured some mighty winds while at Nellis and our one night in Pahrump – so much so that we pulled the slides in for fear the slide awnings would get damaged. But that weather finally “blew” through and we were back to sunshine and blue sky.

Spragues caught up with us at Tecopa. We have spent two days sightseeing inside Death Valley NP, and one day in between doing very little – brunch around eleven, a two hour visit to a local date farm, and then back to our lawn chairs and wine

I was quite surprised at the size of Death Valley, and I did not expect so many peaks and elevations – both above and below sea level. I think I envisioned a flat desert valley. Period. But the landscape is ever-changing as well as the colors. It is quite amazing.

We drove to the north end of the park to visit Scotty’s castle – which was not Scotty’s but belonged to his wealthy friends, the Johnsons. We enjoyed a tour of the inside of the home that sported every modern convenience that would have been found in the mansions on the east coast during the 30s – even though this little oasis is in the middle of nowhere. The “modern conveniences” such as hot and cold running water and central heat, reminded me of the similar thinking of King Ludwig and his castle at Neuschwanstein.

We stopped at Badwater which is the lowest elevation in the western hemisphere at 293 feet below sea level. There is just a huge expanse of a white salt lakebed, but even in that extreme alkaline environment, there is aquatic life. Needless to say, it is already getting quite hot there, so we limited ourselves to sightseeing by car with just short stops at points of interest.

We discovered Tecopa Hot Springs while staying in Pahrump, and after looking at the three possibilities for a place to stay, chose the one that looked the most normal. A small park with about 50 spaces and two hot mineral baths that were immaculately maintained. But with the heat outside, I found the baths to be not all that appealing with water that is in the 105 degree range. But it was a diversion.

The reason for going to Pahrump was to have lunch at one of the two legal brothels in the area. (Helen’s idea, not Ken’s) because we had talked to folks who had been there and toured the facility. It was interesting, as we ate lunch in the restaurant, to watch the comings and goings of the scantily clad “working” girls as well as the men who seemed to come and go! One of the “girls”, Olivia (not very attractive, about 6 feet tall wearing acrylic platform heels, a thong and a long sheer blouse), gave us a tour of the parlor and the five public entertainment rooms where a couple can have dinner or sit in a whirlpool tub, but the private rooms of the girls are off limits and are not included in the tour. It was just a good opportunity to get a glimpse of the inside of a facility for the world’s oldest profession.

Last Wednesday, we made our way from Tecopa Hot Springs to Austin and finding nothing satisfactory for the night, we headed up the road toward Battle Mountain. We discovered a great pull-out, flat and graveled, about 10 miles out of town – no signs, no warnings, no nothing. So we parked, leveled up, opened our beers and relaxed for the evening. There was one vehicle about every half hour, and that was usually a semi truck. It was unbelievably quiet, and attached is a picture of the awesome view. Ken and Rod, being the cautious Scandanavians that they are, were a bit apprehensive until they saw the county sheriff’s car go by without a glance. It was a very fun experience. With some research by Karen, we learned that the area was known as Yankee Blade which is a ghost town up over the hill.

The next night was spent in Wells, NV at Mountain Shadows RV Park; Passport America, free WiFi, clean restrooms and laundry, dog friendly, and neat as a pin. We got there early in the day, but by dusk all the big sites were full. In the morning Ken discovered a low tire, but Les Schwab said it was just a leaky valve stem – no charge – and we were on our way to Mountain Home. Ciao