Brrrrr

We have had more snow, ice, and cold than we have ever seen while living in western Washington. We have received about six inches of snow on the ground, and the temperatures have stayed below 32 so the snow has been going no where. Now I hear on the news that there is another storm headed our way.

The only way we have been able to navigate our hill is with chains, and even at that, we almost didn't get up this afternoon because we were plowing snow that was clear up to the undercarriage. That was after we waited for the neighbors to shovel enough snow off the road so they could get into their driveway.

Brian, Sheila and the boys arrived at their condo in McCall yesterday for a week of skiing. Keith, Janet and the girls left Ft. Lauderdale yesterday for a Christmas cruise. Keith called from the ship's deck where it was all sunshine and 80 degrees!

We had to cancel our plans to go to our nephew Joel's wedding which is tomorrow. Most everything is at a standstill from Seattle to Spokane, and Spokane has had record-breaking snowfall over the past few days. Even if we could get out of town, I doubt we could get anywhere once we got to Spokane. Even Greyhound and Amtrack hasve stopped service.

We are sorry to miss the wedding, but as we watch the news of weather across the country, we are glad to stay at home and inside where we are warm and comfortable. We are hoping traffic is much improved on the 24th so we can get to Colleen's for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Here is a find for eating your veggies:

Oven Roasted Cauliflower
yield: Makes 4 servings
active time: 10 min
total time: 45 min

Blasting cauliflower florets in a hot oven concentrates their natural sweetness, turning them into something akin to vegetable candy.

Ingredients

* 1 medium head cauliflower (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), cut into 1 1/2-inch-wide florets (8 cups)
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.

Toss cauliflower with oil and salt in a large bowl. Spread in 1 layer in a large shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) and roast, stirring and turning over occasionally, until tender and golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes.

Ciao

Twelve Days til Christmas

We are going to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Colleen's so this feels like quite a leisurely Christmas season. I have done most of my shopping online so haven't even had to deal with stores and traffic. We have two little 'pretend' trees on either side of the fireplace, so their little white lights along with a fire make it look quite festive. The German nutcrackers, smoker, and pyramid are in their places, and the nativity set is in its usual prominent place.

Colleen's sacred music choral is singing three concerts this weekend with the third being here in Tacoma tomorrow nightso my friend Elisabeth is going to join us at least for the concert if not for dinner before.

Then Colleen is staying here Sunday night and taking Monday off so we can have a baking extravaganza, but before I would agree to it, we had to figure out what we would do with the finished products because I certainly don't need baked goods here to tempt me. She has befriended a Russian man who lives in her neighbood so he is going to be the recipient of cookies and goodies. Ilia lost many of his relatives in the Chernobyl disaster, but beyond that I don't know how he ended up in Seattle. He quite likes Colleen and her dog.

We are expecting a blast of Arctic air over the next few days with daytime highs not getting above freezing. Let's hope the electricity and furnace keep going. It makes me stop and think about the homeless and those who can't pay their utility bills.....we are very fortunate.

Ciao

It's December already

I never seem to be able to anticipate December coming right on the heels of Thanksgiving....but it does.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving day with family assembled plus a couple of extras. Ken and Colleen were troopers to help or I probably could not have pulled it off. And of course everyone brought something, so there was way too much food, as usual.

Yesterday was Ken's and my 46th wedding anniversary, and we contemplated doing something special......at least go out for lunch or dinner, but the weather wasn't all that inviting, and we chose to stay home and share a steak dinner and a good bottle of wine. All four of our children remembered and called with good wishes, and Ken gave me a gorgeous bouquet of 3 dozen red roses. How special is all of that?

Our calendar is pretty clear up until Christmas week when we have to go to Spokane for our nephew Joel's wedding on December 23. So we will drive over on the 23rd and return on the 24th. Here's hoping the weather cooperates!!

My recovery is going well with the biggest challenge to be able to walk for longer lengths of time. I think I have some nerves in my leg that are still trying to return to normal, hence the discomfort. The physical therapist has me walking with trekking poles which seem to be making a difference. Patience, Helen.

Boredom does threaten once in a while. I would love to be quilting, but since that requires sitting and bending over, I haven't been given the go-ahead yet. So I quilt vicariously by surfing the net and looking for ideas and good buys on patterns and fabric!!!!! This could be an expensive recovery.

We have Christmas music playing, and I am slowly unpacking some of our Christmas items, so tis the season!! Ciao

Quick Update

Considering we are home about 90% of the time, there is little to write about.

We are having Thanksgiving here with Craig, Colleen, Curt & Cinda, Linea (Josh has to work), Cliff, Jordan and baby Thomas. Colleen is coming this week end to help with some of the prep stuff, and everyone is bringing something so it should be a fun day.

I ventured out last Friday afternoon with two friends to spend some time at a quilt and craft show in Puyallup, and I did survive with a lot of breaks to sit whenever I could find a chair. And I didn't spend a penny!!

Bev came up for a short visit about ten days ago to check on my progress. She came on Saturday and went home on Monday, but we had lots of time to just sit and visit and peruse quilting magazines. Now that is a GOOD friend!!

I am grateful to have the election behind us and to have the political ads and signs disappear. Now it is the Christmas advertisements, but so far they haven't been too bad. I suspect with the economy, businesses are hesitant to spend the money.

I hope everyone has a blessed and happy Thanksgiving. Ciao

Back again

I am getting antsy and crabby so I must be on the mend!!!! I had surgery a week ago, and each day gets a tiny bit better, although sometimes the tiny bits are really tiny. I am heartened with what was done (considerably more extensive than last time) and with the expected outcome. I am prone to spinal stenosis which translates to lots of bone buildup in the nerve canals causing them to be pinched. The surgeon said 25% closure usually causes enough discomfort to require surgery and I had about 8 eight areas, several of which were at 50% to 75% closure. So a major roto rooter job plus fusion should have me dancing the fandango in a matter of weeks. Thanks to all who have called and written and brought food and flowers.

There is the election to occupy me for today, and at least one can't say this hasn't been a full and eventful election year. I suspect Democrats will do well in light of the chaos we are experiencing at the moment.

With nothing but time on my hands, I have been thinking about our trip south this winter and have decided I would like to move around just a bit more this year. We are reserved for two solid months at Casa Grande, but I am thinking we should pick up and take a week's outing for a little change of view. Both Hatch, New Mexico and Ft. Huachuca appeal to me, but they are both a bit chilly. We haven't been to Yuma for several years, so that is a possibility.

Ciao

Whitman County Birthday Trip

Colleen and I spent last weekend in eastern Washington for a little fun trip to celebrate our birthdays. Friday night we stayed at a B&B in Uniontown that was a convent in a former life. There was a huge Catholic presence in the area as it was settled, and every small town has its own church and cemetery, and in this case, its own convent. There was a lot that could have been done to enhance the property, and the experience, but it was fine, and served as a launching pad for our weekend.

There was a Harvest Festival up the road in Colton so we took that in and left with silver earrings, heirloom tomatoes and apple cider. Moscow, Palouse, and Viola were all on the trip of the day, and each had its own charm. Viola has about two houses, and there was a quilt show at Granny's out in the country. We drove several miles and arrived at a non-descript rather unkempt house, but it was full of quilts and fabric!!

We stayed with Rod and Karen on Saturday and Sunday nights, and I spent Sunday afternoon visiting with Mike, Mary, Becky, and baby Ben who is walking around things but hasn't quite taken flight yet. Mary presented both Colleen and I with homemade apple crisp (Colleen's most favorite thing), and in fact Karen had apple crisp for us when we arrived on Saturday evening. Colleen scored big time.

We went to Green Bluff on Sunday and came away with some honey and various beans and lentils. I bought many different varieties of lentils at the Moscow Co-op so we are well supplied. On our way home we stopped in Gleed (between Yakima and Naches) and bought some fruit and squash. What a fun harvest weekend.

Now I am in the throes of a bunch of appointments to get ready for another back surgery on October 28th. The problems are similar to what they were five years ago, and I have ignored them for as long as I can. I am looking forward to being able to walk more than fifteen minutes at a time and to effortlessly turn over in bed at night. Surgery will be in the afternoon, and I will go home the next day.

We have loosely planned our winter trip down south. We are going to spend the second week of January at Tecopa Hot Springs that we visited two years ago, and Karen and Rod will join us. Then on to the desert at Quartzite for a few days before settling in at Foothills West in Casa Grande the middle of January for two months. We are happy to see the price of gasoline come down, but we had already taken higher gas prices into account as we made our plans.

Ciao

Leavenworth and Wenatchee

We had a great time on our little jaunt last week to Leavenworth and Wenatchee. In addition to four nights in a grass field at the foot of the mountains, we stayed at two local state parks both of which were very nice. There was a parade on Saturday in honor of the Fall Leaf Festival, and it was exactly what you would expect of a small town parade complete with a number of horn-carrying, non-playing out-of-step school bands.

We learned of a particular place to buy apples at a good price so came home with a box of Jonagolds and a box of Golden Delicious. I have apple butter simmering in the slow cooker at the moment, and I suspect there is a pie or two in the near future. We also visited Icicle Winery in Leavenworth so of course bought some of their wine. The tasting room is the home of the owners and is a custom built log house that is full of detail and imagination. And their wine isn't bad either!

Tonight is a fund-raising dinner for Fuller Seminary, so we will meet some of the staff and faculty that Colleen works with as well as hear a speech by the president of Fuller Seminary. The dinner is at a private club in Bellevue, so it should be quite enjoyable.

I have been puttering at quilting projects with finishing up some odds and ends and contemplating what to do next. Yesterday I started cutting strips for a quilt designed by Kaffe Fassett, one of my favorite designers, which is intended to look like strips of faded wallpaper. So far I quite like the effect I am seeing. It is a very simple pattern and process so there is no excuse for not finishing it. I do pretty well with getting the tops pieced, it is the rest of the process where I fall down on the job.

So I am off to the sewing machine. It is overcast and damp today so it is a perfect day to sew. Ciao

Hallelujah!!!!

We are celebrating. The results of Ken's P.E.T. scan proved not only that there was no cancer present, but the suspect site had diminished in size. We are grateful and appreciative of all your good thoughts and prayers. The mystery of the dizziness has not been solved, but he is about two thirds of the way though various checks for that, and nothing has come to the forefront.

We have come to the end of the 'Gathering' or 'Sift and Sort'. It was even more delightful than I could have imagined. We tried to remember the last time just the six of us sat around the table together, and we figure it was probably about 1981; right after we moved back to Washington. It was fun, but it it will be even more fun when there are spouses and children present as well. It is so seldom that the entire family is together.

Keith incorporated a business trip into coming out here so we had him here with us for a week, but it was a tight schedule for Brian since he left Virginia after work on Friday and returned home on Sunday afternoon. However, it was a direct flight both ways so that helped. Craig and Colleen spent the weekend here as well.

We spent time going through boxes of photos, boxes of momentos, and just generally having the kids reacquaint themselves with what is here and the history behind some of it. They each compiled a list of those items that held some meaning or interest for them, and that was all shared among the four of them.

Craig, Brian, and Keith spent a few hours on Craig's boat Saturday afternoon, and came home with five freshly caught crab........which we enjoyed along with grilled bison roast (excellent), and grilled Alaskan salmon fillet from the summer fishing trip. That along with several bottles of nice wine and topped off with huckleberry pie.

It was fun to watch and listen and learn what various items meant to each of the kids; and this was all just easy and fun because nothing is going anywhere at the moment, but when the time comes to seriously downsize, we know where to send the shipping crates!! And if Ken and I were to meet our demise at the same time, there is some direction for the kids. This is an easier process than going through it while planning funerals!!

Now we have to move on to getting ready to take the motor home to Leavenworth this week to join Rod and Karen at a rally during the Fall Leaf Festival. I am excited to be on the road again. We will be at the rally from Wednesday through Sunday and then spend two more nights in the area before coming home on Wednesday. The weather here today was lovely, but the thermometer continues its downward trek so I expect it to be pretty dang chilly in Leavenworth. We will definitely go in with a full tank of propane and charged batteries because there are no services where we will be.

Ciao

I'm baaack!

The time does have a way of sneaking by!!

We pretty much have our lives on hold at the moment. Ken experienced some dizziness while we were back east, so we went to the nearest emergency room. After several hours in ER, there was no definitive answer, so they kept him overnight. One of the routines is a chest x-ray which revealed two very small spots on his right lung........

So the dizziness has pretty well subsided (and sort of faded out of our line of sight) as we stand at the mercy of doctors and their appointment books. Finally today (after one cancellation) we saw a pulmonologist who has ordered a P.E.T. scan to determine if the lung spot (the second spot is so small as to be insignificant) is cancer and to be sure there isn't cancer somewhere else. All of this is heightened as a result of the fact that Ken has been a smoker and he already is a cancer survivor.

The doctor today did say, that if the one spot turns out to be malignant, that it would be classifed as 1A (the very lowest). If the P.E.T. scan is anything other than absolutely and totally negative; a biopsy would be in order and the tissue would be tested on the spot. If positive, the surgeon would continue and remove the upper third of the lung with no further treatment needed, i.e. no radiation or chemotherapy.

So we will continue with our lives and continue with positive thoughts. As I write this, we are watching a special called "Stand Up 2 Cancer."

In the meantime, we are looking forward to having all four kids here the weekend of the 20th. Back when we were considering leasing the house and travelng for a year (which we haven't forgotten about), Colleen rallied the boys for a 'sift and sort' or "Gathering as Brian likes to call it) episode. Keith managed to put a business trip together so he will be here from 9/15 to 9/22. Brian doesn't have that latitude with Uncle Sam so he had to pay cold hard cash to be here from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, but we are happy to have them for as little or as long as is possible. Fortunately, Craig and Colleen don't have to buy plane tickets.

So Ken and I are "cleaning the house before the cleaning lady comes." The whole purpose of having the kids here is to go through, look at, sort, and reminisce over our various and sundry belongings. But of course my first thought is that I can't let them see all of that old stuff that we should have been rid of. So today saw us drop off a half dozen boxes at St. Vincent de Paul!!

We made a mad dash to Spokane last week to bring the MH home. It has been parked in Sprague's alfalfa field, but we knew we would need it when the kids are here. While there, Karen and I managed a bit of shopping, a pedicure, and a bit of quilting. Rod was away on business in Ft. St. John, BC while we were there, and Karen had pretty much dismantled their house. Empty the guest room and remove the carpet to be relaid in the guest room downstairs. Tear up the carpet in the dining room, and remove the wall between the entry and the living room. She was sweating bullets as to how much she could get back together before Rod returned today.

The weather has been absolutely beautiful. When we returned from Spokane this week, we spent one night in Prosser to visit some wineries, and then chose to come home via White Pass. What a beautiful drive, and autumn is beginning to show her colors.

Ciao

From Alaska to Virginia

Ken and Daryl made a valiant effort for their Alaskan fishing trip, but the fruits of their labors could have been more abundant. Daryl caught a 30# king salmon and Ken an 8# sockeye. According to Ken, fishing was brutal in that the weather was cold and wet and generally miserable, but I am still happy that they made the trip and had some time together considering they have known each other for over sixty years!

Ken arrived home on Saturday, July 26, and we were airborne out of McChord on a C-17 on Monday morning. I LOVE THAT AIRCRAFT!! It was an uneventful trip with Brian greeting us when we arrived in Dover. It is about a two hour drive from Dover to Sterling, Virginia where he and Sheila live, and it was very scenic. I couldn’t get over how green and lush everything looked as we drove through lots of rural areas even though we were heading toward DC.

I almost cried when I saw the boys as both have grown taller over the past year, Nolan was the biggest shock as he stands several inches taller than I, but both are as sweet as ever. They have been busy with various camps throughout the summer and attended a computer camp for the first week we were there.

Sheila was out of town attending a a Boeing training seminar, but Brian had the time off during our visit as he was waiting for classes to start at the War College, So we were entertained, fed, and escorted to our heart’s content. The three of us visited the Bureau of Engraving and the Holocaust Museum during one day spent in DC. The Museum was very moving, and very eye-opening to some aspects of that era that I did not know, and, as with all exhibits in Washington DC, it was very well presented.

We spent a bit of time with Sheila’s mother and her sister and family. Our original plan was to spend a week with Betty and the boys at her beach house but we came home earlier than planned, so that will have to be a priority for our next trip east.

Brian drove us to Keith’s after our stay in Virginia. Again, we were wined, dined, and thoroughly pampered and entertained. We met both the girls’ boyfriends, Ryan and Steven, and the newest member of the Kirkwood family, Abbey the Labradoodle. She is just a big lug of a love, and pretty mellow for not yet being one year old.

Sarah has worked for all three of her college years at Mulligans, the bar and grill at the University of Maryland golf course. So we stopped by for a drink and watched our granddaughter go about her duties. Can this be so? Afterward we proceeded on to the off campus school apartment that she shares with Janet whom she has known since grade school days in Arizona. It is quite small with two bedrooms and two bathrooms and high rent!!
We had a house/dog sitter while we were gone and Cooper was well cared for. He decided since he had been abandoned, that he should make himself comfortable, as in sleeping on the leather sofa or the white chair. Soiled dog!!

There will be more stories to tell, but it has been forever since I have blogged so here it comes. Ciao

I'm in the funny papers

Following is my letter to the editor of Tacoma's New Tribune regarding a recent Steilacoom council decision. Truth be known, I actually like the train whistles, but the issue goes much deeper than that.

Too much being spent on the wishes of a few
HELEN KIRKWOOD; Steilacoom
Published: July 19th, 2008 01:00 AM
Re: “Steilacoom council OKs horn system” (TNT, 7-16).

The Steilacoom Town Council voted to spend a minimum of $280,000 to install horns at two railroad crossings to replace train whistles. The council is adhering to the wishes of a few out of 6,000-plus.

That railroad was here long before any current resident moved here so it should be no surprise that trains and whistles make noise. There is limited money for various improvements in town, but the council came up with $280,000 for horns.

The most recent hearing was held the week of July 4, a travel time for many. I e-mailed all five council members and didn’t receive a single response. I was unable to get minutes from that hearing, only a draft, with no response for conflict of interest, since more than one council member lives very close to the tracks.

Anyone willing to run for a council position against the three members who voted for this debacle and bring some integrity to the majority of this council can count on my support. End of article

When I checked messages last night, there was a voice mail from a local resident who said I had voiced the opinion of many in town. I would like to call it my civic duty, but in reality, it is more like grumbling!!!

Ken and Daryl go to Alaska tomorrow for the big fishing trip. The guide is reserved, sleeping arangements are in place, a rental car is at the ready at Elmendorf AFB, and the fish count is up. I hope they have a grand time. I have kept my week pretty open and plan to spend time doing some sorting and packing.

We will be ready to catch a hop as soon as Ken returns from Alaska next Saturday. Thanks to Colleen, we have a dog sitter lined up. Cooper's care was becoming the big concern because we don't want to kennel him since he has developed such separation anxiety in his old age. Tracy is a PLU student and is working at Western State Hospital for the summer so she will be close to work and our house. Tracy's mother is a student at Fuller in Seattle which is how Colleen made the connection.

We were invited to Craig and Cassie's for dinner last night. Her parents were in
town having had Greta all week and bringing her home yesterday, plus another couple, friends of C&C's, joined us. We enjoyed some wine, grilled steaks, pasta salad and homemade rhubarb pie for dessert. The weather was lovely, and they live in a rural setting surrounded by trees so it was idyllic.

Have a good week, and I'll blog later in the week for an update on the success of the salmon fishing. Ciao

Crash Hot Potatoes

I haven't been inspired by a recipe for a while, but I like this one. If you want to see pictures and read some humorous postings by another blogger, go to: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/

Crash-hot potatoes by Jill Dupleix

This is one of those crazy little recipes that once tried, is immediately incorporated into your own repertoire. It's what you want when you want a crisp, roast potato, only better. And all you have to do is boil a few small potatoes, smash them flat and blast them in a hot oven until they are terminally crisp. Serve with lamb, pan-fried fish, grilled sausages, or even on their own, or topped with smoked salmon and cr�me fraiche, with drinks.

Serves 4

* 16 small, round potatoes
* salt
* 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1 tsp sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tbsp fennel or caraway seeds
* 1 tbsp thyme or rosemary sprigs
(I had a few crisp bacon bits that I added as well. hk)

1. Heat oven to 230 or 250C (about 400) - yes, hot. Don't peel the potatoes. Just bung them into a pot of salted water, bring to the boil, and simmer for around 15 minutes until they'll take a skewer without too much resistance. They should be just about cooked, without being soft.

2. Drain, and arrange on a lightly oiled baking tray or sheet. Use a potato masher to squash each potato flat (like a peanut butter cookie), until it is twice its original diameter.

3. Brush the tops with olive oil, and scatter with sea salt, pepper, fennel seeds and thyme.

4. Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until terminally crisp and golden. Serve hot.

Bon Appetite

Ciao

Reread my last Blog

I was shocked to read my latest blog and discover I had not done any editing. So the content remains the same, but it reads with greater ease since I corrected a bunch of errors, and I still probably missed some.

Craig, Cassie and Greta borrowed the Westfalia for the weekend to attend the Oregon County Fair outside of Salem. I have never attended, but it strikes me as a bit of a mini Woodstock so the Westfalia is the perfect traveling companion.

The sun is shining and the forthcoming week looks warm and sunny. It is time to move outside and soak up the rays. ciao

Fourth is Over and Now It Is the Tenth

We are home from the July 4 and reunion festivities, and a good time was had by all. We managed time with the Spragues, the Jaynes, and lots of family.

I love to park at Rod and Karen's since it is still quite country although there must be about 100 houses added since I lived in the area as a youngster. Their property is surrounded by alfalfa that her brother farms so the view is lovely and we frequently see deer munching in the fields. One evening we heard the distinct conversation of a great horned owl. Cooper is a happy dog as he bounds through the field looking for critters.

July 4 found the Kirkwood family (Keith's family, Colleen, Craig, Cassie, Greta, and Ken and I) at the Jaynes for the afternoon for some fun in the sun. Greta paddled around in the water for about 1 1/2 hours entertaining herself. It was warm and sunny and most enjoyable. Late in the afternoon we adjourned to Jerry and Lois' to be joined by their family for dinner. As is her wont, Lois had everything prepared and ready to go including a table to seat 20 that ran the entire length of the room.

Calla and Sam hosted the reunion on July 5. Calla does all the gardening, and it was beautiful with a parklike view in every direction. The pond on the lower level was too much of a temptation for Greta and she went from wading to "Oops" now I am wet to my waist."

There were about 45 of us and we ate and drank well. Two of our nephews, Barry and Don (sons of Bud & Clara) we had not seen for 14 years so it was fun to catch up and get to know their families. They were introduced to the Kirkwood/Scandinavian tradition of toasting with aquavit which made for some fun. Bud and Clara were not there, but we did stop and see them on our way through Moses Lake. Bud has had some health issues due to hepatitis C, but he looked quite good. We visited for about two hours before heading home.

Sunday morning our family plus Barry, Valerie, and Lowell met at the Davenport Hotel for brunch. Since we were 13, the manager grouped some tables for us in the lobby where we had it to ourselves and held court for a couple of hours. The restoration of the Davenport was beautifully done and it was very enjoyable to sit and visit and enjoy the surroundings.

On Monday, before going on to Montana, Keith and Janet and the girls took a look at EWU and Gonzaga campuses since Rachel is looking at colleges for next year. I think both had their appeal, but they are a long way from Maryland!

We drove north of Spokane on Monday to look at the specialty concrete business that Rod and Karen's son, Jeff, operates. He has several employees and has manufactured various machines and equipment to be able to create the forms and make small specialty items such as those needed to match older existing building exteriors. It is definitely a niche market and he is quite well known throughout the northwest.

On the way back on Highway 2, we stopped at the Ram Drive-In in Riverside to have lunch, and who should walk in the door but Keith and Janet and the girls. We had already said our good byes the day before, so it was pure coincidence that they stopped for ice cream at the same time and place that we did.

We left the motor home parked in the alfalfa at the Spragues and drove home on Tuesday. Ken will be off to Alaska on the 21st to return on the 26th and then we will be looking for flights to the east coast. I haven't decided what I will do with almost a week by myself, but I have lots of choices. I really should spend the time doing some of the sorting and packing in anticipation of a lifestyle change, but I suspect quilting is going to create some interference.

Ciao

Family Reunion

Happy Canada Day!!

We are hoping to get down the driveway in the MH sometime this afternoon for a week in Spokane. With kudos to niece, Marty, most of the family is gathering at Calla & Sam's on Saturday for a reunion of the descendents of Bill and Lilly Kirkwood. We expect at least 40, and are hoping for more. Keith and Janet have arranged their vacation plans to fly into Spokane on Thursday evening before going on to Billings on Monday to visit her family. Colleen and Craig, Cassie, and Greta are driving over Friday morning.

We will park the motor home at the Sprague RV Park on Big Meadows Road. The price is right (free) and the company delightful. Karen and I are hoping to assemble her mother's quilting frame so we can tie a quilt top that Lillie made many years ago. That to be squeezed in with all the visiting. She and Rod have their entire family with them over the Fourth, and have had/will have various and sundry grandchildreen coming and going.

We are now the proud owners of a new hot water tank after we discovered our showers yesterday morning were a bit on the cool side. That tank was here when we moved in almost 15 years ago, so I guess it was time to replace it. I would love to opt for a tankless system, but it doesn't make sense considering the age of this house and the question as to how long we might live in it.

We are seriously considering renting the house, sorting and storing our stuff, and drifting down the road this fall. I think the daunting part of the equation is the sorting and storing. I miss the days of navy life when we had to sort and purge every two years. Even with obscene gas prices, we wouldn't have to drive very far at any one time to see and do new things.

I need to get busy if we are to be out of here at a reasonable time today. Have a happy and safe Fourth. Ciao

Girls' Fun

It seems I have been playing for most of the past ten days, and I had willing accomplices along the way!

Karen and I spent four nights in Seattle week before last because we attended a six-hour quilting class. That makes sense, right? We stayed at my newly established favorite B&B; Colleen's cute apartment in Queen Anne. She now has a real guest room complete with twin trundle beds, duvets, and guest robes and slippers.

Karen and I enjoyed the class with Brenda Henning of Alaskan quilting fame and Triangulations software, but it wasn't as spectacular as we had expected. Contrary to what we have encountered in other classes, Brenda seemed to be tired and bored and just wanted to be finished with the day. That's not to say we didn't learn some new tips or that we are sorry we attended, but we now know we don't need to completely rearrange our lives if we learn of another class being taught by her.

Since both of us had all our sewing stuff with us, we spent Friday and Saturday alternating between trying two new purse patterns and going out to shop for more fabric and seeking good places to eat. Success was had in both categories and Colleen was the recipient of a fun carryall bag plus a rather stunning little pillow for her living room that boasts satin bees and red and gold cording.

I came home Sunday afternoon to be present for dinner with Craig and Ken for Father's Day and to recuperate from four days of fun and get ready for the next round. Colleen was in Oregon, so it was just the three of us for dinner.

Jeff and Bev arrived on Tuesday so Bev and I, along with Elisabeth and Katherine, could hit the road Wednesday morning for the western Washington Quilt Shop Hop. Three more days of fun!! Katherine drove, and she has a lovely big Dodge Caravan so we had lots of room for luggage, ice chest, and all our purchases. I was the right seat navigator and took Maggie, our Magellan GPS, and she didn't let us down once. We boldly plunged onward with nothing but a street address in towns we had never visited, and she delivered us to the doorstep every time; sometimes over our common sense protests, but she proved she knew what she was doing.

Vancouver was our destination for the first night, and I had cruised the internet to find a great B&B in the downtown area. Success!! We had two rooms to share in a lovely restored Craftsman and were hosted by Ted and Sallie, neither of whom has ever met a stranger. They were ten years in the restoration process and have been in business for two. He is retired from Motorola and she from United Airlines. Sallie steered us to a great Italian restaurant for dinner which was walking distance from the B&B and Ted served yogurt parfaits, scrambled eggs and bacon and gingerbread pancakes for breakfast. We ate well!!

As we head back north on I-5 on day two, we veered off to the west and made our way up the west side of Hood Canal where we stayed the second night. We had done no pre-planning for this part of the trip, but we slept well and ate at a small restaurant on the canal that served marvelous seafood.

The third day for the home stretch took us to the head of Hood Canal and back down through Poulsbo, Port Orchard, Gig Harbor and home. We visited 16 shops over the three days and found fun stuff in all of them.

Ken and Jeff entertained each other for the three days by tearing our computer apart and rebuilding it. All the while grousing at each other as they are wont to do. A normal adventure for the two of them.

Now I am realizing that the Fourth of July is looming so I need to focus. We are planning to take the motor home to Spokane for the 4th weekend for the Bill & Lillie descendents reunion to be held on the fifth at Calla and Sam's in Spokane. We have places we could stay, but Cooper is the problem, so we will take his accomodations with us. Keith and Janet and the girls have arranged their summer vacation to fly into Spokane on July 3 to attend the reunion and then will go on to their lake property near Kalispell and visit her family in Billings.

It sounds like most of the family will be in attendance, and we haven't even met some of the younger people, so it should be fun. Our great niece, Marty, came up with the idea, and I commend her. Families always seem to get together only when there is a funeral!!

Enough for now. Ciao

We have lost a good friend

Our good friend, John Nicoletti, succombed to cancer last week. We lived across the street from John and Carol when we lived in California in the 70s and spent many hours playing bridge, having dinner, and partying with them and others in the neighborhood. I told the Nicoletti family that when I think of John I remember his hearty laugh, his warm touch and kiss when meeting, and his beautiful head of white hair. His mass and celebration of life is this coming Friday, but we are not going to go. There were already too many things on the calendar. Bev and I are thinking we will wait a while and then plan a little road trip with her, Carol and me.

Last weekend I attended a choral concert in which Colleen participated - Sacred Music Chorale is about 60 strong and is comprised of some very talented and educated musicians from around the Seattle area. The first half was the 'Mass Ordinaire' composed by one of the choir members. It was very enjoyable to watch that composer as he participated, and very familiar to me since it was in latin which is how I heard the mass growing up. I must say I enjoyed the entire program and anticipate purchasing their CD when it becomes available.

Colleen is still in the process of getting settled, and organizing the guest room was a priority while I was there. She had trundle bed frames but no mattresses, so after a lot of discussion as to how we were going to get the mattresses from Costco to home, we drove to Costco, rolled the mattresses out to her Honda, hoisted them up on top, lashed them down with bungee cords and headed for Queen Ann. We made it just fine, and now I have an organized guest room to sleep in when I visit.

And visit I will next week, along with Karen, when we attend a quilting class in Edmonds on Thursday. Karen is driving over on Wednesday and we will probably spend Friday poking around Seattle. Colleen is going to be away, so we will have her apartment to ourselves. There are so many great neighborhoods with wonderful shops and restaurants that we should not want for something to do.


We enjoyed the Jaynes' and the Millers' visit last Friday night. The Millers have never been here, and it has been years since Bob and Sharon visited. We spent many hours talking, eating and sipping. The Millers are in the market for a new/different motor home since theirs doesn't have slides, so they visited most of the RV dealerships up and down I-5 from Olympia to Federal Way. However, I haven't heard that they have purchased anything.

It is cold, cold, cold here. When can we expect summer? Ciao

Ho Hum

I am trying to come up with something exciting for this blog, but I'm afraid that won't be the case. We should consider ourselves fortunate that life is rather mundane.

My Mother's Day was exactly as I would wish. Calls from Keith and Brian, flowers and cards and candy, and KFC with Craig and Colleen for dinner. One could not ask for more.

We enjoyed having Rod and Karen in the area for two days. We don't have room for their coach in our driveway, but we have always been fortunate that we have been able to secure a spot for them at the Ft. Lewis Famcamp which is located on North Fort Lewis and is only about a five minute drive from our house.

Karen and I swapped quilting stories and spent one day going to IkEA while the guys met one of Rod's former coworkers for lunch. The four of us seem to talk non stop when we are together which makes for great fun. Karen and I are always fascinated at how well Ken and Rod get along and share so many common interests. Even though Karen and I have known each other for 50+ years, the boys have only really gotten well acquainted over the past three years.

We will be Skyla-sitting from Wednesday to Sunday while Colleen goes to Arizona to attend a friend's wedding. We keep reminding Cooper that he only has to share us for four days and then she will go home again.

The Jaynes are going to be in this part of the country next week so they and their friends are coming to dinner a week from Friday. It has probably been at least six years since they have been to our house so it will be nice to have them and I even have dinner partially planned. They are still adjusting to being without their beloved Angus who had to be put down recently, but it sounds like they plan to get another Gordon Setter in the fall.

Our trip to Virginia is getting better and better. It sounds like Brian is going to have an extra week before classes start so we are hoping we will get to spend some extra time with him. I know the boys will be available, but we probably won't get to see as much of Sheila because of her work schedule. And even though we will see Keith and family for a day or two in July when we all get together for a reunion in Spokane, we should see more of them after they return to Maryland while we are still in Virginia.

This is house cleaning day so I had better get back at it. Ciao

Happy Mothers Day

I am looking forward to a day of leisure and having KFC for dinner!

I have been back to Seattle twice since I last blogged. Last weekend, Colleen and I painted our hearts out for two days and only finished her bedroom and dressing area. And that after she had already washed and primed!! We decided she needs to purchase better paint for the rest of the apartment. Two coats and it still didn't look so good.

Ken and I spent yesterday afternoon at Colleen's doing odds and ends. Ken reversed the doors on her refrigerator, put the table and base together, and put the mirror on her dresser. I unpacked a few boxes and supervised!!

We have done a bit of work outside and we have purchased a few plants for some of the containers. The rhodies are just starting to bloom and the dogwood is almost in full bloom.

I sneak up to my sewing machine whenever I get the opportunity, but the last two days have seen me ripping out more than I am putting in. I am trying to finish the small project that I started as a result of the class I took in Spokane two weeks ago. To look at what I have done, and ripped out, it is proof positive that I can't tell front from back, left from right nor up from down. No one can sew two pieces of fabric together in more wrong configurations than I!!

Rod and Karen will be in the area from Monday afternoon until Wednesday morning so we are looking forward to their visit. And Bob and Sharon Jayne will be in Centralia the last two days of this month so we will have them up for dinner.

Our summer travel plans have changed a bit. In light of Brian and Sheila's schedules, we are going to wait to go to Virginia the end of July and be there for the first part of August. Those dates work better for everyone, and that allows Ken to return from his Alaskan fishing trip before we go. But the best part of all is that we will now be able to hop since we will be flying together both directions. Yahoo!

It is bedtime for me. Ciao

Happy Friday

Hmmm, long time no blog. Again!!

I've been to Seattle at least once since my last blog, and I spent three days in Spokane last week.

Colleen is still living in chaos because she has had two business trips over the last two weeks, so she hasn't been able to tackle the painting, although the carpet has been replaced, and that has helped considerably with the odor. She has started the painting process so perhaps settling in is in sight.

I went to Spokane last week and spent two days at Rod and Karen's and two days at Jerry & Lois'. Karen and I attended a quilting class last Friday which I enjoyed thoroughly and learned at least a half dozen new tips and shortcuts. So of course another class means another project started, so I have been working to try and finish this small one before going back to some of the other works in progress.

Saturday was Lois' 75th birthday, so several of us showed up for the day and a dinner at Calla and Sam's, but she admitted she wasn't totally surprised. There were a few things leading up to Saturday that lead her to believe something was going on. Curt, Cinda, Linea, and Josh all drove over for the occasion. Calla and Sam are great hosts and serve a mean dinner.

I spent several hours at Mike and Mary's on Sunday and spent most of the time being entertained by grand nephew, Benjamin. At eight months, he is very cute and has developed lots of personality. When I took care of him last fall, he was not much liking me, but this time he seemed to think I was okay. He is a happy baby, and does he ever love his Grandpa Mike. He just beams when Mike walks into the room.

I did catch up with Elisabeth, and we had lunch together recently so we could catch up on each other's news. And today I invited her and Katherine, another friend from real estate days, to come for a day of sewing and chatting. Which we did with wild abandon and liked it so much that we are going to do it again next week at Katherine's.

I finally saw Cassie and Greta yesterday, and Craig. Even though Craig has stopped by a time or two, he was always by himself. Greta's first grade class put on a play yesterday, so I was invited to attend. Visualize about fifty adults seated in first-grade-sized chairs with the twenty or so first graders lined up in a row about two feet in front of us. Each youngster wore a costume, and the entire twenty minute performance was the story of Snow White told in rhyme, in unison, by the group. I was impressed at their ability to memorize that many lines. There was dessert afterwards, and I had a chance to visit with Cassie's mom, Joan, who came to town to see the performance.

I think next week's project is to work on the back patio and try to get it in shape for the summer. A few plants from last year were perennials and made it through the winter, so there is something to start with. Of course there is lots of moss to deal with, and the weeds are popping up.

Ciao

Home Again........Jiggity Jig

We came home last Wednesday and bypassed going to Ft. Stevens. The rain and mud were getting to us, and it is doubly annoying with a dog. Colleen was here to greet us, and Craig stopped by so it was a perfect opportunity to go out for a bite to eat and visit - Colleen's treat.

We tried the newly-opened Jakes's Bistro here in Steilacoom. Jakes started about 18 months ago as a beer and wine stop and has now relocated and added a full menu. As with most restaurant endeavors in Steilacoom it was okay (and over-priced). I haven't found that any of the eating establishments in this town, either current or closed, quite hit the mark for whatever style of dining they are offering.

We are still working on emptying the motor home and moving back into our stick-built house, but we are getting closer. After two weeks on the road and stays in rainy Oregon, I felt like EVERYTHING needed to be laundered! Plus I found on this trip that I was dragging a lot of stuff with me that I had not used in ages, so I have been purging!!

I have chatted with Elisabeth by phone, and we hope to get together next week for an outing, to include lunch of course, and to catch up on each other’s news.

Ken has been busy planning a fishing trip to Alaska with his long-time friend from grade school days, Daryl Ziemer. The guide whom we used twelve years ago is still in business so they are booked with him for two half days on the Kenai. And I think they hope to squeeze in a bit of halibut fishing or try fishing some other river in the area while there. I would love to go, but this needs to be the guys’ trip in honor of their 70th year. Ken’s birthday was in March and Daryl’s is September.

Our summer plans include a family reunion in Spokane on July 5 for the descendents of Bill and Lilly Kirkwood, and then we will be off for Virginia for a visit with the Brian Kirkwoods and the Keith Kirkwoods. Ken’s visit will be shorter since he has to bt back for his fishing trip, but I am thinking of staying longer. Sheila’s mother has invited us to spend a week with her and Nolan and Warren at her newly-built beach home, and I am excited to do that. I always enjoy time with Betty, and who wouldn’t want to spend time with their grandsons?

Brian just learned that he has been selected for a school starting in August so he will be leaving his post at the Pentagon in favor of a year’s worth of school. The downside is that his commute to the Pentagon has proven to be very easy and relaxing since he uses public transportation, and the school commute is going to be longer and more challenging. Everything comes at a price, but of course we are happy for him and this latest bit of good news. Fortunately, the school is at Fort McNair so they don’t have to move. Many Air Force schools are in Alabama. Ugh.

I utilized our bus system last weekend to visit Colleen in her new digs in Seattle. It took over 1 ½ hours from the Park and Ride in Lakewood and a transfer in downtown Seattle to her stop. Had I chosen to leave Steilacoom by bus it would have added at least another half hour. No wonder we cling to our cars!!

Her apartment is great and it is in the heart of Queen Ann. She has a lower level apartment with a narrow concrete patio running the full width of the apartment and accessed by a sliding glass door off the living room. A wonderful spot to dine or sit with coffee and paper and watch the world go by. The patio and apartment entrance face an alley rather than the main street, and it is fun to see all the folks out walking and bicycling. There is a peek-a-boo view of the canal and one can hear the boats and bridge tender honk at each other when a boat wants to pass.

The downside is that there has been a smoker who occupied the apartment, and even though the lease says it is a non-smoking building, we suspect there is another current tenant who smokes. I think the landlady has agreed to replace the carpet, because even though it has been cleaned and deodorized, there is still that lingering stale odor. And we think a good air cleaner would overcome the rest of the problem. It will all be worth it in the end.

I need to save some news for my next blog!! Ciao

A Cooking Tidbit

I haven't had much to say lately, but I happened on something tonight that proved quite successful. I purchased some lamb shoulder chops which are about half the price of lamb loin chops, but everything I read for preparation talked about stews, braising, and long slow cooking. I couldn't be bothered, dinner was due in an hour so I borrowed a page out of Cooks Illustrated as shared with me by Brian.

The Cooks Illustrated article talked about blade steaks which are relatively inexpensive and flavorful, but again not a very tender cut of meat. Their solution in preparation for kebobs was to marinate the trimmed and cubed beef in olive oil with a couple of cloves of chopped garlic. However much of either ingredient for however long from fifteen minutes to four hours. I used about 1/4 cup of oil and two cloves of garlic for two lamb shoulder steaks.

I used the above marinade for the shoulder steaks after trimming them just a bit. i then cooked them on the stovetop at a pretty high heat for not very long........and they were quite tender and very tasty. Bon appetite!!

We are still in Beyond

We are three days into our week's stay at the Cannon Beach RV Resort. Even though spring break is over for Oregon, this park is full this weekend.

Ken drove to Steilacoom on Thursday and will return this afternoon. He had a couple of things to take care of and is going to help load the truck for Colleen's move to Seattle. I think Craig and a friend are also helping on the Steilacoom end, and she has Curt, Cinda, Linea, and one or two others at the other end. I helped with two Arizona moves, so I'm not feeling too guilty.

I jut realized I had not talked about Collen's move. She has been looking for months for something in Seattle that was 1) affordable, 2) close to her office, and 3) would let Skyla move in. Colleen was on her way to work when the landlady/owner was putting up the for-rent sign!!!! And as she and Colleen were talking, a second interested party appeared. So that tells you how difficult housing is.

With an introduction of Skyla and the owner that went swimmingly, the apartment was hers. Not only is it affordable, it is almost the equivalent of a three-bedroom since the second bedroom boasts a large alcove. And it is a two-minute walk to her office. Now I can go play in Seattle and have a place to land if I decide to stay in the city.

So Cooper and I have been out of control with our eating, sleeping, and daytime activities. I didn't even get out of my sweat pants yesterday and my meals consisted of scrambled eggs, jicama, a hot dog and one stale gingersnap. It has been pretty rainy so he and I venture out for his walks and then huddle back inside. I must clean up my act this afternoon.

But I have been sewing my little heart out. This is a paper pieced quilt top with about a million little pieces, so the progress is hard to see at times, but it is fun. Once Ken gets home to babysit, i can visit the local quilt shop!

We will probably move up to Ft. Stevens Park on Wednesday where Rod and Karen will join us for a few days. It is a typical Northwest state park with lots of trees and big sites, and I suspect it will be pretty quiet next week with everyone back in school.


On that happy note, I'll sign off for now. Ciao

Quartzite and Beyond

Monday Quartzite, Tuesday Edwards AFB, Wednesday Sharpe Depot, Thursday & Friday Travis AFB, Saturday Eureka fairgrounds, Sunday Bandon Rv Park, Monday Cape Lookout Oregon State Park.

There, now you know what we have been doing!! Jeff drove to Travis last Friday to bring some shop equipment, visit for a while and have lunch. Otherwise, it has been the three of us keeping each other company.

As you know, you don't make the best time on 101, but it is so much more interesting than driving I-5. We have enjoyed nice weather, although we saw some snow alongside the road coming into the park yesterday.

We have been to this park twice before. The most memorable was about ten years ago with Jeff and Bev. Bev and I arrived before the guys and struggled to set up a new tent that had no instructions with it. As is the norm, we four retired for the night leaving everything out on the table. It was college spring break in the area, and when we awoke the next morning we found that all of our liquor was gone. They had to walk right in front of our tent to get to the ice chest where the beer was, but the scotch and wine was much easier because it was right out on the table. They only thing they left was a bottle that said tonic, but was actually filled with homemade Kahlua.

We figured it was probably payback for some similar moment in our kids' lives when they might have taken advantage of a similar situation.

We have enjoyed lovely weather here with not a spot of rain and barely a puffy cloud in the sky. But it does get down to freezing at night. I am looking out at two sites occupied by folks in tents and realizing why I don't miss that lifestyle. I'll keep the motor home with its furnace!!

There is a quilt shop in Tillamook and another in Cannon Beach so I am looking forward to visitng both. One never knows what treasures are lurking behind those storefronts. My project has been to accumulate fabrics for yet another quilt project I have at the ready.

We had an email from Gary O. this morning saying his mother has suffered some mini-strokes although the CT scan shows no sign of anything. She is in the hospital awaiting more tests. I hav emailed to let him and Carolyn know we are thinking about them.

There are lots of dogs who have brought their families here to camp. My favorite is a little eleven-month-old Corgi. He is very cute. For the most part everyone keeps their dogs in good control, but there is always the one who thinks the leash laws don't apply to him or her.

To be continued from Cannon Beach.

Ciao

Moving On

We spent today, Easter, by ourselves which seemed a little strange. We are occasionally away from family on a holiday, but even at that, we are usually with friends. We could not go to church because of Cooper. It has turned quite hot here (approaching 90) and we are afraid to leave him with the AC on for fear there will be a power outage. And of course it is too hot in the car to leave him there. So I have spent some time reading Bonhoeffer and some Lenten devotions on line.

Tomorrow we will leave here and make our way to Quartzite for the night. Then on to another night in the desert - Edwards AFB which is about one hundred miles west of Barstow. By Wednesday night we should be in the Stockton/Sacramento/Travis area where we will stay for at least two nights.

Jeff has some woodworking equipment he wants Ken to have, so Cooper and I will stay with the motor home while Ken drives to San Jose to rendevous with Jeff. Bev will be in southern California for a conference so no need for me to go with Ken.

Our destination is going to be the Oregon coast for a couple of weeks; probably at Cannon Beach. I do hope the weather is a bit warmer and a little less wild than when we were on the coast in December. Rod and Karen are going to be in Long Beach, WA about the 18th of April, so we are hoping to spend some time with them somewhere.

I am on the verge of finishing one quilt, but now I am in the process of collecting fabric for another. That in addition to all the other unfinished projects. But I just can't resist fabric!!

I hope all had a happy and blessed Easter. Ciao

A Godd Birthday and a Bad Day

Tthere has been a lot of water under the bridge (not!) since I last blogged. Friends, visitors, and Ken's birthday came and went. And I missed the birthday.

Karen and I fell victim to food poisoning the Friday night before the birthday party and spent Saturday in bed. But it was Bev to the rescue as she took command and made it all happen with the able help of Jeff, Ken, and Rod. Fortunately, I had everything pretty well ready to go, so it came together quite nicely. Except no one thought to put out any wine. Oh well. From my bedroom window, it sounded like everyone had a good time.

Karen and I did some shopping on Thursday and stopped at a little coffee shop/Greek cafe for a bite to eat. I should have been suspect considering the "Greek" salad was terrible and didn't even resemble Greek. Karen too had a salad, but hers had rubber turkey. Ugh. We very easily discovered the problem because we could account for everything we had eaten, and everything else consumed had been consumed by several others in our group.

The Spragues went home a week ago last Monday, and she has emailed to say they can't get the motor home close to the house, and the only vehicle available is the Jeep. They were still crawling over snow banks the last time I heard from her.

Gary and Carolyn Ousey left for home on Sunday; about two weeks earlier than planned. He has a history of atrial fibrillation problems, and he had an episode here about three weeks ago. Their insurance company said they had to return to Canada or be prepared to pay for the care should he experience another. So they are currently on the road and plan to be back in Victoria by the week end. We had looked forward to spending time with them over the next two weeks now that they were moved to our park.

So it is down to Ken, Cooper and me. We stay pretty close to home during the day because the weather is heating up so we can't go anywhere and leave Cooper in the car. We can make short escapes out, but we can't leave him home for very long either because he panics and starts barking!!

We have not made any plans for going home; either when or how. We are paid up here for another ten days. Then we will think about what to do next. My inclination is to simply move a bit to the north and meander our way back to Washington while taking in some local sights along the way. I am a frustrated John Steinbeck with his dog, Charlie, and would like to stop and visit and eat in every little burg along the way.

We talk to all the family on a regular basis. Sheila has started a new job with Boeing, Brian is still commuting to the Pentagon, and Warren and Nolan are busy with school, lacrosse, and body building. Sarah, Janet, and Rachel all have spring break at different times so no family trip this year. Sarah is going to paint her bedroom in her apartment, and I haven't heard what Janet and Rachel have planned.

Craig and Cassie are making progress on the post-flood action. The floor has been sanded and finished, and Cassie's dad helped install base cabinets last weekend. I guess the only good to come out of this is a fresh and new downstairs. Craig is waiting to see what work is going to come his way now that the current school remodeling project in Lacey is finishing up. There is a big chance that he could end up with a long commute which would not be good news right now.

Colleen is just coming off a ten day cold from hell. I think she managed to work two half days last week, but finally seems to be recovered. She and Skyla are just home holding down the fort.

Last week we drove the the eastern side of the Saguaro National Park which we had not seen. It is quite different from the western part in that there are fewer saguaros, but for the most part are older and more interesting. We also saw lots of younger ones growing beneath nurse trees. I find the saguaro to be absolutely fascinating.

That's all from sunny Arizona. Ciao

Warming at Last

We are supposed to get close to eighty degrees by the end of this week, so the sun has arrived. I think I can turn off the furnace and get rid of my down vest for morning dog walks!

Mike and Mary were here for four days last week, and we had a good time, even though we didn't get a lot accomplished. We took them to the nearby Casa Grande Ruins and the Saguaro National Park near Tucson. Mary even got an IKEA hit the day before they left. Considering the weather in Spokane, they were quite content to sit and soak up the warmth. Now they are back home waiting for the snow to melt and the temperatures to rise.

Karen and Rod are parked directly behind us so it is convenient to run back and forth. At the moment she is setting up her patio for a quiltfest so I guess I had better hurry and read the Sunday paper. We have worked outside before, and it is always good for some passers by to stop and ask what we are doing.

We are up to 25 for Ken's birthday. He contacted another high school friend from Davenport who lives about 1/2 hour from here so that added another couple. Jeff and Bev fly in on Friday and leave on Monday.

There were two quilt shows in the area yesterday, so of course Karen and I went to both. I always see finished pieces that I would love to try, and then reality sets in with the fact that I have quite a number of UFOs (unfinished objects) that need my attention before I start something else.

The coffee and paper are beckoning!! Ciao

Tough Times......

It has been a tough two weeks - two weeks of doing little or nothing of any importance!! But our days seem to fly by.

The weather has not caused us to want to don our shorts and sandals and cavort in the sun......for several days there was no sun, and the sunshine was liquid. We have had no rain for the past week, but up until today it has been unseasonably cool. It has been in the high 30s on several mornings as I headed out to walk Cooper. My attire consisted of Ken's winter parka, covers for my ears, and gloves to keep my hands warm. This is Arizona?

Rod and Karen will be here during the last week of February and first week of March. After their stint in the desert, they moved on to Yuma, which is where they are now. They are going to spend some time in the Tucson area before they get here.

Plans for Ken's birthday on March 1 are taking shape. It will be a German meal with rouladen, sausages from a meat market in San Jose (delivered by Jeff and Bev), spatzle, saurkraut, and good beer. Dessert is yet to be determined. We have about 18 who are coming including one couple whom we have never met. Rod and Karen met them in Yuma, and the man is a brother to a long-time friend of Rod's. Also, the man is related to one of the guys who will be here at the reunion so he is going to surprise him. Small world.

One of the big selling points for this motor home was the two big pullout pantries in the kitchen. For the second time, one of the pantries developed problems and so we unloaded and pulled it out. We surveyed the problem and then called a friend, Rob Robinson, the go-to-got-all-the-tools-loves a project/challenge-guy. Within 24 hours he was back with the needed parts and he and Ken pretty much dismantled the entire unit, fixed the problems, and put it all back together. I could store all my canned goods in it and do chin-ups and it wouldn't flinch. Thanks guys.

In celebration, we had the Ouseys and Rob here today for brunch. Rob's wife, Sue, has gone to Victoria for a week so we want to be sure and keep him well-fed. He had heard me say I had had a problem with one of my kitchen drawers, so before he left he had tape measure in hand and was planning how he was going to repair the drawer. Actually, it will be rebuilt and better than before when he gets through.

Tomorrow, Carolyn and I are going to IKEA and Trader Joe's, neither of which she has in Victoria. I am going not needing a thing but will undoubtedly find something I can't live without. I haven't even been in an IKEA since last fall.

I have a few chores to do before Brothers and Sisters comes on in a little less than an hour. FINALLY, a new episode!!

Ciao

Room for Comment

Thanks to some prodding from Colleen, there is now a comment section at the bottom of each of my blogs.........should you wish to do so.

And you will notice that I corrected a grammatical (or typographical) error on my previous blog. We HOISTED ourselves up on to the barstools - we didn't HEIST ourselves up!!!!

Antecdote to Ontario Saga

I forgot one little piece of the saga of "Three Girls Loose in Ontario".

On our last evening in Ontario, we decided to hook up our GPS system and find the nearest Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Upon arriving, we were informed it would be a 25 minute wait (turned out to be closer to an hour) for a table, so Karen told them we would wait in the bar. After Karen wrestled a third bar stool from a woman who thought the bar stool was for her personal use as a purse stand, the three of us hoisted ourselves up and considered our options.

Before we could make any decisions, Bev informed us that this was to be her treat; so I weighed my choice against what they were having and determined that it should be about the same price. Bev ordered a gin and tonic and Karen a margarita.

Now thanks to our son, Keith, who while on a cruise to Victoria purchased and gave to his dad a bottle of MacCallan single malt scotch, and I have acquired a taste for it; me who has abhorred even the scent of scotch. But MacCallan has a lovely cinnebark color given it by the aging in sherry casks which offers a lovely smooth and mellow tenor.

I also took note in my musings at the bar that this was an eighteen-year-old bottle versus the twelve-year-old that I had at home so the price would be a bit more but I rationalized that it wouldn't be that much out of line given that I was ordering a drink neat and not something blended like a margarita.

And then the bill came!!!!!! The total bill was about $32............my shot of scotch was $23! Of course i was willing to max out my credit card and told Bev I wanted to pay for my excess, but being the generous soul that she is, she insisted that this was her treat.

Now that I have bared my soul, I doubt any of you who read this will dare to ever ever offer to buy me a drink!! Ciao

Quartzite to Casa Grande

We arrived at Foothills West RV Resort yesterday afternoon after an uneventful drive from the desert. We got the last available spot, so we are parked in the hinterlands where RVs are stored and dumpsters stationed.........but it is next to the doggie park, and on the west side are the shuffleboard courts and horseshoe pits.....so pretty quiet. It is a constant parade of residents going to the dumpsters. My first morning survey says about 90% of the garbage brigade are men with about 90% of them arriving on foot versus car or golf cart. Oh dear, I need to get a life.

Cooper seemed to remember his old hood and has checked out every bush and tree and haunt from last year. I drove up the street where we were parked last year, and the lady with her old old trailer and patio tent is still in residence! I'm much happier back here!!

My only plans are to find a hair salon and visit the quilt shop on Monday. Today is the last day of the big quilt show in Phoenix, but since I just attended one last week, I'll pass. I saw a carload of women leave this morning so suspect that was their destination.

We left Rod and Karen in desert to await the car show next week. They will probably come this way after that, but I'm afraid they won't be able to stay here. Perhaps across the road at Val Vista. That is where the Canadians will be within a week.

So all is well in the southwest. But the clouds are rolling in and rain is predicted for later today and tomorrow. I need to start reading another book!

Ciao

Quilts, Friends, and Worms

Yes, Rod and Karen did catch up with us, and she and I left the guys to their own devices while we zipped up the road to Ontario. Bev arrived on Wednesday evening, and the three of us spent two fun days at the quilt show.

We scored a a great deal on a suite at the Hyatt, and I guess it shouldn’t come as any surprise that my two closest friends, each acquired at a different era in my life, are very compatible. We spent our mornings with coffee and crossword puzzles and our evenings with wine and crossword puzzles – in our pajamas of course. One or two of us would make the coffee/breakfast run downstairs and bring it back to the room.

Keith was in Los Angeles on business last week, so he gallantly drove to Ontario and took we three matrons out to dinner. That was a special bonus for me to get to see him, and I know it has been years since Karen or Bev have seen him. Thank you son.

The quilt show was excellent with dozens and dozens of quilts that boggle the mind as to how they were even created much less finished. Eleanor Burns of quilting world fame was present and signing her books. I didn’t opt for the book and autograph but it was fun to see her since I have watched many many of her shows. I am proud to say that I did not purchase one single item at the show; always my goal to spend less than my shopping companions, and I succeeded.

Now we are into our fifth or sixth day in the desert outside Quartzite having joined the Alpine rally group. The rally ended on Sunday but we have stayed put. However, the tanks are all in the wrong state of being full or empty so we either need to get trucks in for service or pull up stakes and move on. Rod is the restless adventurer so I think we will part ways for a while; they to the great unknown and we to a park in Casa Grande or Phoenix area.

The stay in the desert has surprised me!! It is much less hostile and dirty and dusty than I imagined. It is interesting to look out the window and see dozens and dozens of rigs from little tiny campers to forty-foot coaches parked here, there and everywhere at all angles and orientations. For the entire time I have been writing this, Ken has been a few hundred feet away talking to a couple who just pulled up in a Westfalia like his. The two men are deep in discussion!!

Cooper is a trooper, but we do find the various parks welcome pets in varying degrees, so we want to stay someplace after this where it is easy to walk him. He has been quite happy in the desert, and usually manages to pick up at least one spine or burr when we are out walking.

Speaking of pets; Karen has bested us! She is now traveling with a plastic bin full of red worms compliments of her son John. A plastic bin with some vents and layers of newspaper and table scraps and fruit and vegetable peelings seem to be all it takes to keep them happy. And they are especially fond of coffee grounds which we have in good supply.

Yesterday was Karen’s birthday so we had dinner together and finished the meal with gingerbread (Karen’s request). However, it was pretty wimpy gingerbread considering I had to substitute honey and brown sugar for molasses and my ginger had lost its oomph! But with whipped cream, it was passable.

The Canadians (Ouseys and Robinsons) are about ten miles from here at a Bluebird rally, so we might swing by to see if we can even find them. There are sometimes hand-printed signs alongside the main road to indicate the jumping off point into the desert to find a particular group, but that is about it.

We are off to take a look at the big tent in Quartzite. Another of those great shopping opportunities, except there is no one else with us whom I can convince to spend their money instead of spending my own. Hmmm.

Ciao

We have arrived

Yesterday we arrived at Mountain Valley RV Park in Hemet after two days of uneventful driving. We spent Saturday night in Bakersfield after a fairly long drive from Travis AFB. We did encounter some very strong side winds after we crossed El Cajon pass and dropped down into the valley going toward Riverside and San Bernardino.

This park is quite nice, and friendly, even though the sites are a little skinny having been developed before motor homes with slides. It is not the best for Cooper because everything is concrete and asphalt so no opportunity to check out bushes and trees and to hunt. But at the moment he is sound asleep on the sofa so he doesn't look all that concerned.

Today we drove to Redlands for old times sake, had an In N Out burger and haunted some Costco stores to check out their computer inventory. We also had to stop at Trader Joe's in Redlands because Cooper is dangerously close to running out of doggie cookies. This area is much more appealing this time of year with a little green color to the hills as opposed to when we were here 18 months ago in the heat of summer.

The Ouseys and Robinsons are in a park just a mile or so down the street from us, so we just returned from having a drink with them. They are off tomorrow for a week in Yuma, a week in the desert and then on to Val Vista at Casa Grande.

We are expecting the Spragues tomorrow afternoon after they get their coach serviced in El Cajon. I think they have less than 100 miles to drive tomorrow to get here. It will be good to see them. We spent a lot of time parked in their driveway this past summer and fall, but we haven't seen them since the first of August. A large part of the time we were there, they were off on a rally.

We have invited brother Mike, and Mary, to come and see us in the sunny south, but so far I haven't had any feedback. I assured them we would be available whenever they decide to come; just tell us which airport.

I probably won't blog for almost a week because I will be in Ontario from Wednesday to Saturday, and I'll be shopping, shopping, shopping.

Ciao

I've seen fire, and I've seen rain................

Well not exactly ala James Taylor, but we have seen wind, rain, snow, and hail!

We departed Brookings on Sunday about noon (ain’t retirement great?)and started south on 101. After a stop at the California border to stock up on some good deals for Irish whiskey, etc., we proceeded on down the road. We encountered all of the above weather at some point during the day, and the snow part was a bit nerve-wracking since it was two lane highway zigzagging through the redwoods. But as usual, Ken being the competent captain that he is saw us through it all.

Last night we stopped in Ukiah and are parked at the fairgrounds RV park, which is quite adequate. We arrived in the dark, and it is just now turning daylight, so I haven’t seen much, but there are lots of pull-through sites, and I think there is even a laundry. We haven’t decided if we will spend a day poking around Ukiah and leave tomorrow, or mosey on down the road today to Travis AFB where we will stay for a day or two to catch up on shopping and laundry.

Jeff and Bev left Saturday morning, and then we received a phone call about noon from the Ouseys. They had made their way as far as Seven Feathers Casino in Canyonville, but discovered they could have several days’ wait to get over the Siskiyous so decided to come our way and spend the night and drive south on 101 as we did. They are traveling with the Robinsons whom we know from other southern trips, so the four of them joined us for dinner before retiring early to be up and on the road by eight yesterday morning. We didn’t see them alongside the road, so I suspect they are well south of here…..the plan was to get as far as Williams and stay in the parking lot at Bill and Kathy’s restaurant. The restaurant has been there as long as I can remember back to the mid sixties, and they are RV friendly.

The Baltimore Kirkwoods called yesterday, and the biggest news is still Abbey. She has settled in nicely, and is making herself quite at home by chewing on most anything she can find. But since she is pretty well house-broken, I guess you have to pay some penance in some way with a new puppy.

As of Saturday, I think all the Virginia Kirkwoods were back together; Brian and the boys from their ski trip to McCall and Sheila from her Air Force Reserve stint in Arizona. We have talked to Brian briefly about the ski trip, and it sounds like it was a success. They had stored their Trooper in Boise, so with a jump start from AAA, they were on their way to McCall. Brian’s college friend, Jim, and his two daughters drove down from Seattle on the 26th and joined the guys for a few days of skiing. Good for them.

I suspect Cooper is about ready for his morning walk. Ciao

Kirkwoods' Jetta Helps Rescue lost Dog

While out driving around and checking out RV parks, we stopped at a viewing area at the south end of the bridge near Gold Beach. While stopped there, we noticed traffic was pretty well stopped at the bridge with just an occasional vehicle getting through. Just as Ken was putting Cooper back into the car, a little black terrier/spitz mix came running toward us from the highway……………

For the past five minutes, traffic was stopped and several folks were trying to rescue this little stray dog. We kept him from going back toward the highway, and then he decided to take refuge under our car even with Cooper inside barking his lungs out.

One of the ‘rescuers’ crawled part way under our car and was able to grab the little dog, only after enduring a pretty severe bite from the poor little thing. The dog didn’t belong to any of the dozen or so people who had all come in to the rest area to help with the dog, but the man who finally collared the orphan worked for the animal shelter in Gold Beach and said he was not about to let the little dog get away and most surely get hit by a car. So with blood dripping from his hand, he stood and cuddled and kissed this little frightened dog. The story had a happy ending.

We left home on the 27th as planned and spent the first night parked in Cassie’s parents’ driveway in Stayton, OR. We were treated to a yummy dinner and had a good visit with Dick and Joan, plus Cassie and Greta who were there to have Christmas with her parents. Oh yes, we were also hosted by Bailey, their five-year-old labradoodle who is one of the coolest dog I have ever seen. She stands about as tall as Cooper, but probably weighs half again as much. She has never eaten her kibble out of a dish, but has two or three kongs that she takes to her owners to be filled with food. She is a darling.

And now there is a labradoodle in the Kirkwood family. Yesterday, Keith, Janet, and the girls found Abbey at a farm in Lancaster, PA and promptly took her home with them. She is three months old and everybody seems to already be head over heels in love with her.

Jeff and Bev joined us here in Brookings on Sunday, and we are parked at Harris Beach state park with a front-on view of the Pacific. Stunning. The four of us managed to stay up until midnight to have our new year champagne and then trundled off to bed. We will be here until Friday or Saturday when Jeff and Bev leave, and then we will proceed on down the road toward Quartzite. But we don’t have to be there until about the fifteenth, so we can tarry along the way.

Cooper is perfectly happy and has laid claim to his rightful place – stretched out on the sofa with an occasional foray to the dinette to beg for a cookie.

Happy New Year to all. Ciao