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
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
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
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
Monday, June 04, 2007
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.
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.
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