Kudos

Kudos to you for reading all my K blogs, or some of them. Kudos to me for making it through the month. I've had enough K words and blogging for awhile so it's time for a break. I'm glad I managed to stick with it, though. I realize how hard it must be for those who have to write every day, especially for a job or other commitment. Although I suppose it does get easier once you get used to it. It's not hard to write, but it is hard to write something worthwhile. Happy New Year to everyone. I'll be out of touch with cyberspace while I go celebrate 2010 with my extended family. Who knows what 2010 will bring to this space?

Kittens

No list of K words could be complete without kittens. Who doesn't love kittens? They are adorable and cute and cuddly. Elizabeth is in Japan and hopes to go to a "cat cafe" - a place where you can hang out with cats. Aaron and Kim visited one when they were in Japan. Lucy wouldn't do well with a kitten around here so I have to admire them from afar. I'm glad I'm about to the end of the month, as I'm running out of k words. One more day to go!

Keurig

This is the brand name of the coffeemaker we have. It brews coffee one cup at a time by the way of little plastic cups you put in the machine. I'm not a coffee drinker but you can make hot chocolate the same way, or use it to make tea by just heating the water. It's fast and easy. We got one for Elizabeth for Christmas and she was delighted to be able to fix her own coffee in the mornings. A nice cup of hot anything sounds good right now- we got unexpected snow today and it's still hanging around. It's beautiful on the trees and bushes, since they were already frozen when it began to fall. It was supposed to be rain by now but we've still got a winter wonderland!

kaleidoscopes

I really like Kaleidoscopes. I like all the pretty designs they make and I like how you can move one just a tiny bit and get a totally different image. When the kids were little we seemed to have a lot around and I think we even learned how to make them. They can keep me entertained for hours. We had one that was a glass tube with colored water and beads in it and then an attached mirror to look in. The designs were so pretty. Sometimes life is like a kaleidoscope, it only takes one little movement to change the whole picture.

Kibble

Today Lucy was out in the garage with Jeff and left to her own devices got into a big bag of dog food kibble. Not sure how much she ate but she's been dragging around ever since, obviously stuffed. Sort of how we feel after all the Christmas goodies. It's time to hide the dog food and throw out the Christmas cookies and go back to better eating, less oversnacking. If you'd like to help out some other doggies who maybe don't have a big bag of food to sneak into, visit freekibble a site started by an Oregon girl to get food for dogs at humane societies.

Kristof, Nicholas D

Nicholas Kristof is a columnist for the New York Times. He grew up in nearby Yamhill, Oregon and went on to Harvard and Oxford and has travled and written all over the world, winning the Pulitizer Prize twice. He has a new book out, written with his wife Cheryl WuDunn, called Half the Sky. I've just started it, but it is great and definitely required reading. It's subtitled "turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide" and that sums it up well. I frequently read his column on the New York Times website and it's always compelling. For Christmas, he has a list of little known charities worth donating to. Check it out here.

Kris Kringle

He managed to make it to our house last night, even though there are really no children here anymore. We've had nice day together. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Kith and kin

Kith and kin means friends and neighbors and dates from the 1300s, kith being "one's countrymen" and kin being relatives. I am certainly blessed with wonderful kith and kin. Especially today, I am reminded of what special friends and family I have. I am lucky to have such good friends that I can chat with about anything and I know would jump to my aid in an instant. My family is truly wonderful. I have three amazing kids that I am so thankful for as well as terrific in-laws, siblings, nieces, nephews, and extended family. I cannot even begin to name you all. Just know that I feel like the luckiest person alive to have such great people in my life. Thank you, my kith and kin!

Keel

The keel is the foundation of a boat. For a sailboat, it's what provides stability and counteracts the force of the wind. It also provides ballast, for more stability. There are different kinds of keels, from full keels, that extend all along the bottom of the boat, to fin keels, to wing or bulb keels. They all have different purposes. This summer we sailed a boat with a wing keel and that meant we could sail in shallower water than a boat with a deeper fin keel. I am thinking tonight about keels and what they do for boats and how important they are. We sometimes talk about people being "even keeled", that is being balanced and centered. When you realized where that phrase comes from, it makes sense. The keel is the structural center of the boat, the spine, and the major source of strength. When people have a good source of strength and good foundations, it is easier to live a balanced and centered life. When the central foundation is missing or broken, it is easy to get off track. How important it is then, to provide our children with a good solid foundation that can help provide stability their whole life.

Another related term is keelhauled. This is what sailors would use for punishment "back in the day". They would tie a sailor to a rope that went under the boat and then throw them overboard and then pull them up on the other side. They would likely get scraped up on the keel and all the barnacles, etc. that were on the keel. If the boat had a deep keel and they pulled the rope slowly, they might drown before coming up to the other side. Pretty harsh punishment and one that was eventually abolished. When someone is not even keeled, or lacking that good foundation, it is tempting to want to have them keelhauled!

K-9

This one's for my husband, who had K words swirling around his head all night, and thought this was the best one. Our favorite K-9 is Lucy, also known as Lucy-fur the devil dog. She is now 8 1/2 years old and provides plenty of entertainment for us. She's definitely getting older with whiter paws and face all the time and seems to wear out sooner but she never turns down an opportunity to play ball. Her favorite spot is on the couch, preferably with some pillows and blankets to snuggle on. She seems a bit more neurotic these days, jumping up at any odd noise and nervous with all of us coming and going. What she'd like most for Christmas is to eat all of our food, especially the good smelling stuff. She definitely knows who is most likely to toss her a treat and who will take her for a walk and I think she knows what day it is - Thursdays mean Jeff is off and might walk her to the coffee shop, Saturday is time to play ball after morning chores are done, Tuesday is everyone out the door early and there is no need to get off the couch. She can sit, shake, lie down, and tilt her head cutely when you say certain words like walk, play ball, or squirrel. She's a good companion!

Kazoos

Kazoos are funny things. It took me a long time before I figured out you have to HUM into them to make the right sound. I spent years blowing into them and wondering why it didn't sound right. Instead, it's the vibrating of the the hum that makes the little paper vibrate and in turn make the distinctive sound. I just learned that kazoos are a type of mirliton – a device which modifies the sound of a person's voice by way of a vibrating membrane. They can be made out of plastic, metal, wood and for twenty bucks you can even get an electic kazoo! And, you can even get them imprinted with things like "thanks for coming to our wedding" - now that's a gift you can treasure! Happy humming.

Kaput

Here's what the dictionary says about kaput:
1 : utterly finished, defeated, or destroyed
2 : unable to function
3 : hopelessly outmoded
If I don't go to bed now I will be #2 at work tomorrow! Goodnight all!

Kermit the Frog

Kermit has always been my very favorite muppet. I like his sense of humor and outlook on life. He's sensible and goofy at the same time. One of my favorite songs is "The Rainbow Connection" which he did in The Muppet Movie in 1979. Click on the title above to watch the video of the song. Do it, you won't regret it.

Kindness

Kindness cannot be overrated. I'm finding it harder to find something to write about every day but I keep coming back to Kindness. It's probably the most important K word. Here's some quotes from a "kindness quotes" website. I'll let someone else do the work today.

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. ~Plato

Being considerate of others will take your children further in life than any college degree. ~Marian Wright Edelman

Never miss an opportunity to make others happy, even if you have to leave them alone in order to do it. ~Author Unknown

What this world needs is a new kind of army - the army of the kind. ~Cleveland Amory

kookaburra

I don't think we got to see a kookaburra when we were in Australia, but I could be mistaken in that. We do have a kookaburra on our Christmas tree. I finally got the tree up on Tuesday and it's even a live one for the first time in many years. Aaron gave us a set of Australian ornaments for Christmas last year and one is this cute kookaburra. We also have a kangaroo, a koala, and a platypus!

K is still for Kitchen

I've had my "new" kitchen for a year and a half now and I STILL love it. I love to work in it and it makes me happy just to look at it. It's easy to keep clean and I especially love the island. Sometimes it is covered up completely with all the stuff we pile on it, but it can just as quickly be cleaned up and all shiny and pretty. It's the perfect height for prep work and kneading dough. At first I thought the kitchen might be too dark but it doesn't feel dark to me now. I'm so happy we did the remodel and we can enjoy the kitchen!

KOA

Here's another thing I'm a fan of - KOAs, or Kampgrounds of America (?). I'm not a huge fan of actual camping, camping, but I love their "Kamping Cabins" - cute little log cabins with beds and not much else. They usually have a swing on the front porch and a heater inside. The really nice "Kamping Kottages" have kitchens and bathrooms but I don't think I've ever stayed in one of those. My sister and I have planned whole trips with our kids based on where there were KOAs we could stay in. We also have stayed in them when it was just my sister and I. Last year we did the bridgewalk in Astoria and stayed in one. When I took Aaron to college for the first time, we stayed in one near Eureka. It was dark when we got there and we discovered in the morning it was next to a dairy farm and the railroad tracks. The one in Cascade Locks has been visited numerous times. In this photo Aaron is pointing out the birdhouse next to our Kabin. I wish I could remember where this was but it's hard when they all look the same. I think it might be Leavenworth, WA in 1999. I have this marked as being 1998, however, which was a trip to the San Juans and I don't think we stayed at a KOA that year. Help me out, cousins, what do you think?

Kinnikinnick

Kinnikinnick is just one of those words that I like the sound of. It's really a plant, a native Oregon one, at that. It's scientific name is Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, but it's also known as 'Bear-berry' . It's a pretty little plant and we planted a bunch of it at our Mill St. house. Here's a picture of it from my brother's website: Cascade Ramblings, where you can find all sorts of information on hiking in Oregon, as well as plants and animals and fungi. Check it out! :http://www.cascaderamblings.com/

Kindergarten

I attended kindergarten at St. Martin's Episcopal Kindergarten in Lebanon. I believe (and if I'm wrong my siblings will let me know) I was the only one of my siblings to attend Kindergarten. Before that I went to preschool at Mrs. Eskeldson's preschool at the Presbyterian church. I guess my parents were quite ecumenical in their school choice. I think by the time I came along (#6) my mom was ready for some time with ALL her kids in school. I don't remember much about kindergarten. It seems like it was in a HUGE room and I remember playing "Wizard of Oz" with my friends and all of us fighting over who would be who and skipping along our pretend yellow brick road. Here's a photo of me from my graduation, complete with missing teeth and messy hair. I do seem pretty proud of my "diploma"!

Aaron went to kindergarten at Sunshine Cooperative Preschool and Kindergarten. His was the last class in Dallas to not have public kindergarten. Cooperative school was interesting but often a headache. As I recall, the teacher quit the day before school started and we had to find another one fast and the first one we found didn't work out too well. Parents ran the school and worked in the classroom. I was glad to have Elizabeth and Nate go to public kindergarten. They both went to Morrison, back in the days when all the kindergartners in town went to one building. Now they are split up into the area elementary schools. I helped in all of my kid's classes and that age was one of my favorites. My good friend who teaches kindergarten always has a good story about her kids and the funny things they say and do.

Kirksville, Missouri

We lived in Kirksville for 4 years. While not my favorite part of my life, I have many good memories. Kirksville is in the middle of nowhere, 4 hours to St. Louis, 4 to Kansas City, 4 to Des Moines. Lots of small towns nearby with weird names. Cold, cold, cold in winter and hot and very humid in the summer. I went shopping at Hy-Vee Foods and my first Wal-Mart and we walked down the street for fast food at Hardee's. I worked nights at the hospital, my first med tech job and I didn't really know what I was doing but I had to do it all and mostly by myself. When it was slow, I would nap. Jeff was busy studying but we explored the area some. I remember Thousand Hills State Park, particularly beautiful in the fall. I visited nearby Unionville, where my great-grandfather had lived. We went to Hannibal to visit Mark Twain country, and to Quincy, IL when we really wanted to go shopping at a Mall! Jeff went to school at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, which is now A. T. Still University and the local college used to Northeast Missouri State University and is now called Truman State U. Aaron and Elizabeth were both born there. I remember pushing baby Aaron around in the stroller, all bundled up for the cold- all you could see were his big eyes and people always commented. We lived in the student apartments,(on Osteopathy Drive!) across the street from the school and my job, which was very convenient. There was a small playground behind the apartments and I spent hours there swinging in the swings holding Aaron. The janitor of the apartments was named Kermit and he was very kind and would push Aaron around on his dustmop. I went to the Christian Church there and played in the bell choir. My memories of all our time there are a bit goofy due to working nights and having babies and not sleeping much at all. I remember it mostly with pride as we were both working so hard and struggling and learning and making the best of things.

Krispy Kremes

Don't really like them. I think they are overrated. That is all.

K is for Potassium??

Well, this is a bit weird, but at my job many times a day, I see K+ and I know that means potassium. The dictionary says the K is for Kali, from the arabic qily, which means alkali. It's atomic number is 19 and it's chemical symbol is K. Potassium is a necessary element in the human body. When someone's level of potassium is low in their blood, it is called hypokalemia (and not hypopotassemia, through I've seen that written as a diagnosis on lab orders!). When it's high, you have hyperkalemia. We have a big chemistry analyzer that can tell us the level of potassium in a serum sample in a few seconds. Potassium is plentiful inside of red cells, too, so when there is hemolysis of the blood sample, due to a difficult blood draw, the potassium level is falsely elevated, so that's something we are always on the watch for. Wikipedia says potassium was "discovered" in England in 1807, by Sir Humphry Davy, but I think it's been around a long time. Your body does an amazing job of keeping the correct levels of potassium in your blood all the time. Hurray for the K!

Killer Whales

I'm a fan of killer whales, but don't really like the name. I think orca sounds better. There are two times in my life that I got to see a whole bunch of them, and both were very memorable. The first time was in 1998 on one of our many "cousins trips" that my sister and I drug our kids on. We were camping in the San Juan Islands and decided to stop at Lime Kiln State Park and see if we could see any whales. When we drove up we noticed a bunch of people on the rocks, all acting excited and pointing. We jumped out and got the kids out and soon we were watching the many whales swim by. The word on the street was it was the "superpod", or several pods of orcas swimming together. We watched from the rocks as all sizes swam by, including mothers and babies. We were as close as about ten feet to some of the them, and all of us were amazed. It was one of those amazing "right place at the right time" experiences.

The second time was 2008 when I was on a women's sailing class trip. We left Roche Harbor in our boat and headed out to Haro Strait when we started to see whales. We sailed some but mostly watched in awe as whales appeared to every side of us, including one swimming under our boat. We spent close to two hours just watching the whales, constantly scanning the horizon and never knowing where one would surface. We finally reluctantly sailed on but it was a day I'll always remember. I tried to get some pictures of the whales but they are fast and always appearing in a new place, so not many pictures turned out. Here's one, just so you'll know what I'm talking about. Thanks, killer whales, for coming by to say hi!

K is for Knight in Shining Armor

Today is my knight in shining armor's birthday. He's taken very good care of me through the years and allowed me to live a comfortable life. I am most grateful for his working so hard so that I could stay home and take care of the kids when they were little, a definite gift for both them and me. He's put up with me for over 30 years and slayed a lot of dragons in the process. He had to put in an extra long day at work today and then we had a busy evening with him taking phone calls and trying to open presents. This one put a smile on his face - a bottle of cognac and a flask to put it in! Happy Birthday, Jeff!

Kraft Macraroni and Cheese

Me and mac and cheese go way back. I always loved my mom's homemade mac n' cheese but was never too good at replicating it. She made it by boiling the noodles and then melting the cheese in the same pot with them. Once I was married, I learned to make it the Humphrey way from my mother-in-law, baked in the oven with layers of cheese, noodles and crackers. My kids, however, have always preferred the Kraft variety in the famous blue box. I tried unsuccesfully through the years to serve them the generic brand and the organic kind and the healthier kind, but they swore there was a huge difference and would only dine on Kraft. I have fixed hundreds of boxes of Kraft macaroni and cheese. Back in the 90's we even had some Kraft plastic guys we got for sending in box tops. Now, Aaron is in Australia and the macaroni and cheese there is not the same, so he had to save room in his suitcase for some of the blue boxes. Nate still loves it, too, but swears the specialty kind (Spiderman, SpongeBob, etc.) actually tastes better than the original. The only difference I can tell is the boxes are smaller (less ounces) and cost more. At least now he can fix it himself. I've finally moved on and prefer my tweeked version of the Humphrey mac n' cheese but I think Kraft will always hold a special place in my kids' hearts.

Kims

I now have two favorite Kims in my life - my dear daughter-in-law Kim and my longtime friend Kim. Here's a picture of the two of them. They both work in medicine and are very smart. Other than that, I don't think they are much alike. I'm happy to have Kimberly Humphrey in our family and happy that she and Aaron were here recently. They seem to be a good match and we are happy for them. We loved going to Australia and seeing where they live and meeting her great family. We can't wait to go back again. It is a long way but I know we'll still see them often somehow. My friend Kimberly and I take a walk almost ever Sunday and we never run out of things to talk about. Today we walked and it was so COLD, but we still went out and did it. Hurrah for my favorite Kims!

Knitting

I am not a knitter, but my sister Rachel is. I wish I could knit. I have tried numerous times but I can never get the hang of it. I once made a scarf but it was uneven and lumpy and ugly. So, I leave the knitting to my sister. She has knit me several pair of socks which I love. She makes it look so easy and quick, but for me it's not. I guess we all have different gifts.

Koalas

We got to see some awesome koalas when we were in Australia. We even got to pet them at the Cleland Wildlife Park. They are not that cute and cuddly up close and supposedly a bit cranky. The one we got to touch was old and very busy eating eucalyptus leaves. His name was Sydney. The trainer with him warned us to only touch his hindquarters and not get near his face. Koalas don't drink water, they get all their liquid from the eucalyptus. We watched one pace around his enclosure on big ploppy feet and others hanging out up in the trees. When Aaron was little he wrote comic books about koalas and platypuses. It's amazing to me that now he lives where they do!



Here's my sister Rachel with Sydney. I'm meeting Rachel in Portland this weekend to hang out and Christmas shop. Hurrah!

Kneesocks!!

How random is that? I love good socks. I often decide what to wear based on what socks I want to wear. My favorites are soft and thick and cushy. Smartwool is my favorite brand by far, but they are quite expensive. Today I am wearing a pair that Nate got me for Christmas (or possibly my birthday?)last year. They are grey smartwool and long enough to go to my knees, with yellow and green stripes at the top. They are my favorite pair of socks! I actually love socks that go above my calves, but they are hard to find. Today it is really cold and good socks are a great comfort on cold days. Hope you have great socks to keep you warm!

Kathy

Here's another K - My sister Kathy. She stopped by today after a visit to our Mom. We had a nice chat and then she was on her way. She's 14 years older than me so maybe she's more like an aunt than a sister. When I was a teenager, I lived with her for a couple of short summers in California. Now she lives an hour away and helps me a lot with our mom. At the recent reception for Kim and Aaron, she arranged all the flowers for the centerpieces and then manned the guestbook. I am certainly blessed with a great family!

K is for Kangaroos

My blog has definitely been neglected lately. I'm sure I've lost all 2 of my readers. In an attempt to get back on the bandwagon, I've decide to return to my roots and start with K again. I'm going to try to blog something each day this month about something that starts with K. So, wish me luck.

Let's begin with one of my favorite K words - Kangaroo. When we went to Australia in August we actually got to hang out with some. The Cleland Wildlife Park near Adelaide is fabulous, at least for Americans unfamiliar with Australian animals. You can wander around and see the animals and even feed them. We got to see potoroos, dingoes, wallabies, lots of birds, including huge pelicans, reptiles, Tasmanian devils, emus, and several kinds of kangaroos. It was great fun! We took lots of pictures, but here's one of my favorites- Jeff hanging out with one of his 'roo buddies!

Mom Tales

This week when I went to visit my mom, I asked, "How are you feeling?" She replied, "With both my hands!" It's nice to know her sense of humor is still intact.

A Visit from the Bones

Things have been pretty boring here in D-town lately. So, we decided to invite a friend over. Mr. Bones was a bit shy coming out of the box. And he didn't really want to Skype with Aaron and Kim. But once we gave him some dinner, he livened up and was chatting away on the cell phone and computer at the same time. He called up some of his family to tell them to stop by and soon we were entertaining Uncle Bub and Aunt Elsie. Uncle Tex dropped by to play a few tunes on the guitar and Jeff enjoyed chatting with The Captain. Things were going well until we accidently popped in on the Captain in the bathroom.

All the ensuing chaos drove Mr. Bones to drink and he found our stash of rum and downed it.

You can guess what happened next.

We sent the relatives home and tried to get him to settle down but he took off on Nate's bike, just as Nate was coming home. The ensuing crash looked bad, but he was okay. Nate carried him up the stairs piggyback and helped him climb into bed. Finally, he drifted off to sleep and then it was back to peace and calm for all of us once again.

Exotic Pests

We found out the problem with the raspberries and it is not happy news. I took a specimen into the county Master Gardener program and spoke with the horticulturist that was there. He immediately figured out it is Spotted Wind Drosophila. This is a brand new problem in Oregon and he directed me to the Oregon Department of Agriculure webpage (http://oregon.gov/ODA/PLANT/IPPM/index.shtml) where it is front page news. It's a new fruit fly that attacts healthy, ripe fruit, unlike other fruit flies who only attack decaying fruit. There's not really any control for it. I'm glad I'm not a commercial grower. They are currently monitoring it and asking for specimens if it is found so my raspberries got sent to the state. Guess we'll just have to see what happens next year.

A little of this and that

First, here's another great book - "Strength in What Remains" by Tracy Kidder. Another non-fiction (my favorite these days) about a young man from Burundi who witnesses the genocide there and ends up in America and with the help of random people, furthers his education and goes on to be successful and goes back to help in Africa. A moving story and one that helped me understand some of the Hutu/Tutsi conflict that I've never figured out. Also, a book to make me appreciate all the blessings I have.

My friend, Kim, has started a blog. You can check it out here: http://www.kimberly-brandt.blogspot.com/ It's called No Particular Place to Go. Kim and I walk and talk most every Sunday, and we don't have any particular place to go either.

The raspberries are gone for the season. Sadly, I discovered worms in them. I think they are raspberry fruit worms but the master gardener I'm meeting tomorrow should help with the identification. We decided the prudent thing to do was cut them all down early so last weekend the guys helped me cut them back. We're hoping to stop the lifecycle and get them back healthy next year but it broke my frugal heart to toss the loaded branches away. Not much jam this year.

Luckily, I am still getting my CSA box. I love the variety and exposure to fruits and vegetables I might otherwise avoid. I can't wait to see what arrives today. Last week I made fresh salsa with the peppers, cilantro, and tomatoes and coleslaw with the cabbage, and the tiny grapes and yellow raspberries were just fun to try. Here's the link to their website: http://www.denisonfarms.com/ The CSA newsletters button has the list of what we get and recipes from each week.

Today is Tuesday, which oddly enough makes me think of Rosana. Back in the day, I would stop by her house in Salem after tennis most weeks. So, she would always be asking "are you coming over to play tennis this week?" As much as I dreaded those visits those days, I miss them now. She always wanted to see what I was wearing (one tennis outfit was a particular favorite) and ask what was new, and then often snuck in the request to go somewhere to get something. But no one really before or since, has seemed so interested in ME and my family. It was frustrating and time-consuming and I was often irritable but she was always, always happy to see me. I miss her knarled, athritic, old-lady hands squeezing mine so tightly.

Which brings me to the last tidbit, because I KNOW Rosana would love this picture. She loved MEN and who doesn't love a man in uniform? Here's Nate in his EMT outfit he wears to class. It's kind of like that "first day of school" picture. Except, now it's college and it's the second week of class.

Good reads

It's been quite awhile since I've posted anything. I could tell you all about our great trip to Australia but it's almost too much to post here. It was great and we'll leave it at that. If you want lots of details, I'd be glad to supply them.

Tonight I am thinking of two great books I've read this week. This year I've had a hard time finding any decent books. I used to always finish books, no matter how bad but the last several months have seen me giving up on quite a few books I couldn't bear to finish, even by established and familiar writers. So, I was especially thrilled to find some great reads this month.

The first is fiction: The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It's set in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s and is about women and class and race and so much more. I loved it!

The next is nonfiction: Nurture Shock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. This is fascinating reading for anyone who has a child or cares about children. It is evidence based information on child rearing and common misconceptions about praise, lying, early language, teenage rebellion, race, and so much more. I think it should be required reading.
I've already passed on my copies, but if you see one, pick it up. Now I need some more great books. Any suggestions?

Things I'm loving this week

Today I was in Portland, picking up some very special chocolates for a very special wedding that is coming up VERY SOON! As I drove across the St. Johns Bridge for the FOURTH time, having a bit of difficulty locating the very special chocolate's place, I was struck by the beauty of the bridge and then began to think of all the things I am particularly enjoying right now. Near the top of my list would be fresh Oregon PEACHES. August means peaches and they are ready now. I love them any way but they are doubly good with some cool vanilla yogurt. Yum! Next is my farm share! This comes every week from an organic farm in Corvallis. My friend Kim is gracious enough to bring my box to Dallas. Here's what it looked like tonight - fresh purple potatoes, carrots, onion, red pepper, strawberries, plums, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and Romaine lettuce. It's different every week and comes with a newsletter with recipes. I can't wait for Tuesdays to see what we get!

And last but not least, my family! I have the greatest family all the way around - terrific kids of my own, fabulous in-laws, and super extended family, but what I am thinking of tonight specifically is my siblings. Here's a picture of us last year at the place we just got back from staying at, and it was so nice to all be together again. I love that all six of us get along, enjoy each other and are willing to get together at least twice a year. I love that we communicate with each other, and support each other. We all have very different gifts and opinions but we share the same heritage (and nose!). Together, we have 20 kids and they are equally terrific.

A-n-d I love you all!

Iron Mountain

Today I returned to Iron Mountain. If there is a sacred place for the Scott Family, Iron Mountain would be it. We have all climbed the steep trail numerous times and the ashes of my dad and a sister-in-law are scattered there. My mom climbed it well into her 80's and we coaxed our kids to the top when they were small. Rare was the annual trip to Clear Lake that didn't include a trip to Iron Mountain. I have not been back for several years but today was the day to return. Our friends and next-door neighbors had never been there so I went along to provide the expertise. The trail was alive with wildflowers. I had forgotten how beautiful they are. I love the flowers and their names. After awhile, they all seem to have personalities to me. The shy wild ginger, with its shiny leaves hiding the odd looking flowers underneath, the brash indian paintbrush, the ubiquitous lupine, the cheery wooly sunflower, the delicate bluefield gilia, and it's outrageous cousin, the scarlet or skyrocket gilia. I love the deep indigo larkspur and the paler blue flax, the bright columbine, the aptly-named cat's ear, and the varied penstemons. Their names came back to me from the past, some more difficult to remember. One name escaped me completely until we returned home. I could only remember how I loved the name and the flower. It was the delicate white sitka valerian. We climbed up and up, gratefully stopping to admire the flowers when our pulse pounded. The top had changed; no more lookout station, only a platform and fully occupied when we arrived by a large group of giggling teenage girls. The peak was surrounded by clouds today, no view to be seen, but the rapidly swirling clouds were entertainment enough. After lunch we headed down and then around the cone peak trail, enjoying more flowers along the way. The day was cool and perfect for hiking. I was grateful to get the chance to return to a well-loved spot and share it with others. And I was reminded once again of my parents and their legacy of love of this area, love for all of God's creation, and most importantly, love for their family.

Our Sailing Trip

We are just back from a great sailing trip in Washington's San Juan and Canada's Southern Gulf Islands. Luckily, I kept a journal or I wouldn't remember everywhere we went. Here's a short synopsis of our travels. I didn't take any pictures but Richard took over 300 so I may add some pictures once I get copies of his. Jeff and I traveled with my sister Rachel and husband Richard, for the third summer sailing trip. We chartered "Kerendi" a 38 foot Pearson, from San Juan Sailing in Bellingham, Washington. That's it on the right. Here's where we went:



Saturday, June 20 We left Bellingham after noon and sailed across Bellingham Bay and up Hale Passage and over to Sucia Island. We took a mooring ball in Echo Bay. After dinner, Rachel and I took the dinghy over to the island and hiked around to Shallow Bay and Fossil Bay and then came back to the boat for the evening. We had Canada Geese begging for treats at our boat! Weather was cool and overcast.



Sunday, June 21 We woke up early and planned to dinghy over to the island for more hiking when it began to rain. We tried to wait out the rain but it continued so the guys put on their storm gear and we headed out. We motored out of Echo Bay and toward Stuart Island. We sailed some but it was slow going as there was not much wind. We motored up Boundary Pass and into Prevost Harbor on Stuart Island where we moored again for the night. We all went ashore and went for a hike on Stuart Island. There is a school there in the middle of the island, as well as a cemetary we visited. We hiked to the northern tip of the island to Turn Point Lighthouse. It was a beautiful light station and gorgeous view. The weather was perfect, cool and sunny and it was a delightful hike, about 6 miles out and back. We returned to the boat for a late dinner and then bed.



Monday, June 22 We left Stuart Island and headed north to Canada. We stopped in Bedwell Harbor on South Pender Island to clear customs. We docked temporarily and all enjoyed a shower at the Poet's Cove marina. We walked around the resort and then decided to press on. We had a nice sail over to Prevost Island and anchored in Annette Inlet. Several times today our engine overheated but we were able to sail okay. Rachel took the kayak up the inlet for a tour and we celebrated Richard's birthday with warm brownies and good conversation.



Tuesday, June 23 We were up early to use the tides and currents to our advantage. Rachel and I both took the kayak out for a short ride before we left our anchourage. We headed for Saltspring Island and the town of Ganges. Not much wind meant we mostly motored. We docked at Ganges Marina before 10 am and went to explore the town. They had a Tuesday farmer's market that we shopped at for fresh strawberries, peas,and carrots. We wandered around town checking out the bookstores and chocolate shop and got Canadian money at the bank. We relaxed back at the boat and took showers at the marina. In the evening we headed to Hastings House for our splurge of a dinner out. It was a fantastic dinner in a gorgeous setting. Then it was a walk back to our boat for the night.



Wednesday, June 24 We slept in a bit and woke to pouring rain. We left the marina but the first stop was the public dock to pump out our holding tank. We headed out of Ganges Harbor and across to Galliano Island. We mostly motored but had to sail again once the engine overheated. We made it to Montague Harbor and picked up a mooring ball. We took the dingy to check out the marine park there and back to the marina to try and contact the charter company about our overheating problem. Cell phone service was nonexistent so communication was tricky. We set out our crab pot but didn't catch crab but had a nice dinner on board. The wind picked up and the boat swung around a lot but we relaxed in our cozy home and played scrabble and cards.



Thursday, June 25 We got up early to go with the current and left Montague Harbor and headed south in Trincomali Channel. We had some rain and the wind was in opposition so we mostly motored. We went around Saltspring Island and toward Cowichan Bay, which is on Vancouver Island. Once again the engine overheated but we sailed on. The wind picked up and we had to reef the mainsail and reduce the jib but we managed to make it to the dock. We got moorage at Dungeness Marina in Cowichan Bay and called the charter company to get some help with the engine. They told us a mechanic could come by in the morning. We explored the cute town of Cowichan Bay and the Wooden Boat Society and Maritime Centre. We had ice cream at the Udder Guy's and had a great fish and chips dinner at the Rock Cod Cafe. Rachel and I found a laundry to wash some of our clothes and we relaxed at the boat.

(Here's a map of the area and I drew a line where we went but it's hard to see)

Friday, June 26 We waited for the mechanic to come and got some breakfast buns from the True Grain Bakery and Mill. The mechanic found a problem with the coolant and fixed it so we were ready to roll once again. We headed south on Satellite Channel and down Shute Passage and then Prevost Passage and across Haro Strait to Roche Harbor. We tied up at the customs dock and cleared back in to the US and then anchored out in the harbor. We took the dingy ashore and went exploring. We checked out the hotel, church, sculpture garden, and hiked to the mausoleum and then back to the resort for ice cream and looking at the many boats at the marina docks. We took our dinghy back to our boat and enjoyed a nice dinner on board.



Saturday, June 27 We were up early and sailed out of Roche Harbor and along Spieden Island. We went up Spieden Channel and around the north of Orcas Island. The weather was nice with favorable winds so we sailed on and made it to Bellingham Bay by midafternoon. We picked up our nephew Jon at Fairhaven and took him for a sail around Bellingham Bay before heading into Squalicom Harbor and the charter boat dock. We refueled the boat, emptied the holding tank and tied the boat up at it's proper place. We spent one more night on the boat before heading home in the morning. It was a great trip and we'll treasure the memories. We saw many seals, porpoises, otters, bald eagles, fish and beautiful scenery. We met some kind and interesting people and relaxed and learned and practiced some new sailing skills.

Thirty years ago today . . .

We got married! Gosh, we were young! And 30 years is a long time! Can't believe how the time has flown. Three states, six homes, three kids, and two dogs later we are still together. Happy Anniversary to my sweetie!

Graduation

We made it to graduation day! Here's the proud graduate and his proud parents. It is the end of an era, too, as it marks the end of 20 years of Humphrey kids in the Dallas School District.

We're proud of Nate and there is no question he is wrapped in love from both sides of the family. He was the grateful recipient of a handmade quilt from Aunt Rachel, in the tradition of Grandma Betty, and a handmade afghan from Grandma Pat. Both beautiful works of art and the result of many hours of labor. Thanks everyone for making it a special day for Nathan!

Today is Nathan's 18th Birthday!

Here's to 18 years in Dallas for one cute kid! He's certainly kept us on our toes and entertained us all. I think he's about 2 years old in this picture, but it seems like yesterday.

Happy Birthday Nate the Great!

Tennis

Nate is playing his last year of high school tennis. He's improved a lot and it's fun to watch him play. He plays #1 singles and has had a pretty good season. This week someone with the right equipment came and took pictures while they were playing. It's fun to see the kids in action. Here's one shot and if you want to see more, go here: http://www.markeephotography.com/gallery/8074838_6q8tA/1/526032282_x5NEu

Nate is the first 14 pictures, the rest are some more of the kids on the team. Go Dragons!

End of an Era

Last week brought a sad day at our house. The old Dart departed for Japan. Aaron sold it on ebay a few weeks ago and this week, at 10 o'clock at night, a young man arrived to load it on to a car carrier to drive it down to California where it will be loaded on a ship and floated to Japan. It was fascinating to watch him load her up and we were all sad to see the ol' Rosiemobile leave. Lots of memories in one car. This photo is poor but it was 10 at night and I wanted to have a snapshort of the event.

We moved some of Rosana's old furniture into the house this week and even drove by her old house today, so I am reminded of her in many ways. It has been almost two years since she died and I still think of her almost every day. What an amazing lady she was!

In other car news from Dallas, the van was on it's last legs, so we traded it in for a 2000 Ford Ranger that Nate has happily driven out to Black Rock several times already. We were probably the least sentimental about that van than any other car we've had. Our acquaintance was short and we were glad to see it go. We still remember how Aaron cried and cried when we traded in the Escort station wagon about 20 years ago. Good thing he wasn't here to bid the Dart goodbye!

Trip to Zion

Last week my sister Rachel and I took a quick trip to Zion National Park. We had a blast, as we always do traveling together. Here's some notes and photos from our trip:

We left Portland early Tuesday morning and flew to Las Vegas. We rented a car and drove around the city, stopping for lunch at "In n Out" before hitting the road. It's about a 3 hour drive to Zion, traveling from Nevada, through a bit of Arizona, to Utah. We stayed in Springdale, which is just outside the park. We checked into our Bed and Breakfast and then hopped the convenient shuttle to the park. Most of the year, cars are not allowed inside most of the park but they have a great shuttle bus system that we took full advantage of. We rode to the end of the line, checking out the park and then got off for a hike along Riverside Trail, which is along the Virgin River. We hiked to the beginning of The Narrows, which is where the canyon is so narrow you have to walk in the river. It was cold (40 degrees) so we only went a short way but it was very scenic and fun. Then we took the shuttle back towards town, spotting wild turkey and deer along the way. Another short hike took us to the viewpoint for the Court of the Patriarchs, three large stone peaks. We grabbed some dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Springdale and soon hit the hay.

Wednesday dawned clear and we were excited for a full day of hiking. We set out to hike the trail to Angel's Landing. This is a five mile round trip hike with a 1500 foot elevation gain. All the signs warn it is not for those afraid of heights as the trail has steep drop offs and is less than four feet wide in spots. We were up for the challenge! The beginning is an easy stroll along the canyon floor and then the fun begins, with numerous switchbacks up the hill, a drop into aptly named "Refrigerator Canyon" and then on to Walter's Wiggles, a series of 20 switchbacks cut into the rock. Up higher we hit Scout's Landing, the turn around point for anyone nervous about the last half mile. This was where the real fun began- climbing up and over rocks with chains placed in the rock to assist you, and steep drop offs on all sides. We were very excited to reach the top and see the glorious view. Then came the hike down, which was harder than going up along the steep climb. We used the chains as much as possible. We finally made it to the bottom and took a well-deserved rest. Not wanting to waste our time in the park, we set off on another hike, this time to Emerald Pools. There are three pools, Lower, Middle and Upper and we saw them all in a 2.5 mile loop. The views were great of the canyon and all the amazing rock formations. After this hike, our feet were killing us so we took the shuttle back to our room and got some take out food for dinner. After a rest we wanted to see more so we took the rental car to drive along the Zion-Mt. Carmel highway. This road has a mile long tunnel that was built in the 1930's. After the tunnel we stopped for the Canyon Overlook hike. This is a fun hike along the sandstone to a gorgeous view of the canyon. We got there just as the sun was setting and clouds were rolling in and the view was fantastic. Then it was time to head back and get some sleep!

Our last day in Zion was a bit slower, due to our aching muscles. We took the shuttle to the trail to Weeping Rock and enjoyed the stroll. We watched the movie at the Human History Museum and checked out the lodge and the Visitors Center. Then we bade Zion goodbye and hit the road again. On our way to Las Vegas, we stopped at Valley of Fire State Park. This is more amazing rock formations, brightly colored and rising abruptly out of the desert. We did a couple of short walks, clambered around on the rocks, and admired the sandstone and the petroglyphs. A drive along Lake Mead and by more amazing geology brought us into Las Vegas. We checked into our hotel and did a drive down the Strip, but decided we preferred the natural beauty of the parks to the hustle and bustle of Vegas. We flew home the next day, tired but our minds full of all the beauty we had seen.