Starts with K

hawaii - last day

2011-01-02T20:36:00.000-08:00

On Monday, we had to head back to Oregon. We had time for a last walk on the beach before heading to the airport. Our flight was delayed but we finally made it back to Portland and drove home. We had a great time in Hawaii, with lots of time for relaxing, chatting, family time, and beautiful weather and things to see. Thanks for taking the time to read about it!

Hawaii Day Seven

2011-01-02T20:31:00.000-08:00

Our last full day in Hawaii. After more tennis, we drove to Wailea and wandered around the shops there. We had a nice lunch at Longhi's. Back to the condo and then Susan and Elizabeth walked south on the beach and connected with the Wailea beach trail, which goes by some very luxurious condos and hotels and has beautiful views of the beach. The round trip was about 5 miles. For dinner we tried to use up all the food we had bought and then did a little last minute souvenir shopping. It rained hard this evening and we were grateful for the great weather we had had all week.

Hawaii Day Six

2011-01-02T20:24:00.000-08:00

The day started with tennis for mom and dad, relaxing in privacy for the kids. About 10 we were all sitting quietly in the condo when we felt the place shaking. Yep, an earthquake, later found to be 3.8. Not too impressive, but the first one for the kids. We packed up again and decided to drive a small part of the road to Hana. We stopped at Hookipu beach and watched the surfers and then went further along the road. We stopped to hike to both of Twin Falls, and then ate our lunch, and a smoothy, at the trailhead. Next we headed "upcountry", stopping in Makawao for gas and benedryl for Nate, who was continually plagued with hives. We went as far as the Tedeschi Winery, where we sampled some pineapple wine. Back we drove to the condo to make dinner and do some shopping in the evening.

Hawaii Day Five

2011-01-02T20:13:00.000-08:00

This was Friday. Jeff and Susan played tennis at the condo courts, as we did for the next few mornings. Even early in the morning, it was hot! Then we packed up and drove south to Big Beach. We did some sunbathing and swimming and relaxed on the beach. Nate got stung by a wasp and we all tried to not get sunburnt. In the afternoon we relaxed at the condo and then drove to Lahaina. We explored the town and revisted some places from our honeymoon. Then we went to the Old Lahaina Luau, a very nice luau. The grounds were lovely and right on the beach. We were greeted with leis and drinks. The buffet dinner was delicious and the entertainment was professional. We all enjoyed it a lot and had a lovely evening together.

Hawaii Day Four

2011-01-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

This was the favorite day for all of us. We got us early and met our guides and boat from Blue Water Rafting at 6:30 am. We headed out on the boat, a large inflatable that holds about 20 people. We got to see whales quite early and then headed to the Kanaio coast, which has awesome volcanic rock and is an area you cannot drive to. We got to go inside of a cave and see all the amazing rock structures. Then we headed to LaPerouse Bay which was our first snorkle stop. Great fish to see. Then we headed to Molokini Island, a popular snorkeling spot. We got to snorkle on the back side, where few boats can get and the water is over 300 feet deep. It was very awesome and the kids favorite thing on the whole trip. Then we headed around to the "inside" of Molokini and did some more snorkeling. We had a final snorkle stop at a place where turtles are often found and did indeed get to snorkle with some big green sea turtles! Then we headed back to the dock but on the way we got to see some whales and dolphins. Whale watching season had just started and we were lucky to see some. We watched humpback whales play around in the water and breech (jump out of the water) three times. So beautiful. We were back at the condo by 1 pm to rest after all the excitement. Jeff and Nate played tennis at the condo courts and later Elizabeth and Susan walked a couple miles down the beach. We made an evening run for Shave Ice to Local Boys.

Hawaii Day Three

2011-01-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

Well, back to our trip. I'll try to do it with less pictures. If you want to see A LOT of pictures, you can go to my facebook album here.

Wednesday we set out for the Maui Ocean Center, an aquarium not far away. It was nice and we got to see turtles, including baby ones, sharks, and lots of fish. Not as impressive as the Sydney Aquarium, but nice in it's own way. We got a snack and then hit the road, driving through west Maui, past Kanapali Beach, where we stayed on our honeymoon 32 years ago. Things have definitely changed and there are tons of hotels and condos and people everywhere. We stopped for some lunch in Kapalua and then went to Slaughterhouse Beach, a nice small, quiet beach, where Nate swam in the water and the rest of us enjoyed the view. We drove by Honolua Bay and watched the surfers some and then around to the Nakalele Blowhole. We continued on Highway 34 around the north end of west Maui. The road got narrower and narrower and curvy and frequently one lane. We bought some banana bread, a coconut, and some pineapple from roadside vendors. We finally made it back to civilized roads and then back to our condo. We fixed dinner, relaxed, swam and walked on the beach.

Hawaii Day Two

2010-12-28T20:16:00.000-08:00

The next morning we headed to the beach for some sun and snorkeling. Saw a few fish and Nate and Elizabeth got to try snorkeling for the first time. After lunch we drove to Iao Needle park and walked around there and at a strange nearby cultural park. We stopped at a fruit stand along the way for some local fruit. Then we drove back south and stopped at Maalaea Bay and hiked along a boardwalk and the beach. We spotted whales out in the bay. Then it was back to the condo for dinner with our tropical fruit,and hot tub time.

Hawaii Day One

2010-12-28T19:55:00.000-08:00

I'm going to attempt telling about our trip to Hawaii - mostly for my benefit, since I tend to forget what we did when and this way I'll have a record of it. It may take a awhile to get it all down. . . .

We left Oregon on a cold day in December, the 13th to be exact. We had a direct flight to Maui from Portland. The flight was full but the free mai tais near arrival were nice. We picked up our rental car, which was "upgraded" to a Dodge Charger (we would have preferred the downgrade) and headed a few blocks to Costco, where we loaded up with groceries. Then we drove on down to Kihei to our condo at Kamaole Sands. The grounds were beautiful and our condo was nice. The beach was across the street so as soon as we were unpacked and ate our pizza from Costco, we headed to the beach. The water was warm! We walked around on some rocks nearby and spied our first turtle. He was huge! We explored some more and then made a run to a nearby grocery store for the rest of our supplies and then we were readyfor bed!

2010-12-28T19:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!

Well, it's been awhile since I've been here. We'll start with a Christmas post and hopefully move on to our Hawaii trip. This first picture is one of us with our gifts from Aaron and Kim - mostly books, hurray! And here's the kids with gifts from Grandma and Grandpa--Benjamins!

In the afternoon we went over to our friends, John and Roz Hadley. We had a great dinner and games and enjoyed their dogs, Spicey and Ober! We had a nice day.

BVI reflections

2010-07-31T21:27:00.000-07:00

Now that we're home again and have had time to process things, I can think of some of my personal favorite things from the trip.

For me, the best part was the snorkeling. I loved observing all the underwater life and the diversity of the fish. It was always amazing to be above the water and seeing all the wind, boats, people and chaos and then putting your head under the water and watching the calm underwater life going on. We were often surprised by a large fish swimming by, but I loved the small ones and the schools of fish swimming together.

I also liked the birds we saw, especially the pelicans we watched diving and the laughing gulls that came to our boat at mealtime and would grab any scraps we offered. They were very pretty and intelligent looking birds and great aviators.

It was great to spend time in warm water and be able to just climb in off of the boat. The salt water was so buoyant it was easy to swim around. We had some good sailing times and the constant breeze was nice.

We had some lovely meals, most fixed by Rachel and I on board the boat. We were able to improvise and put together some great food.

The things I didn't like were mostly the heat and humidity. It was hard to always be sticky, either from sweat, from sunscreen, or from salt water. It was sad to see that the main emphasis in the BVI is on beach bars and drinking. The cruising guides mainly told you where you could eat and drink. We felt like the San Juan Islands were just as beautiful and there were more things to do ashore. Also, things were quite expensive, from showers to mooring balls to groceries. The length of travel was also an issue and all the time going through immigration and customs. The people there are certainly on "island time" and nothing is done with much speed. While I am very glad we went and we got to experience a lot, I think we were all in agreement that we have no desire to return to the same area again.

Final BVI

2010-07-31T21:17:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, July 28

Our last full day in the BVI we headed out of Soper's Hole and across the channel to the Indians, some large rocks sticking out of the water and known as a good snorkeling spot. We hopped in the water and enjoyed some more snorkle time. Back to the boat and it was a good day for sailing so we worked our way up the channel. We ended up on Peter Island, at Great Harbor. It was a pretty little bay and we found a good place to moor. Back in the water for more snorkeling, we saw some cute squid swimming in formation. Rachel and I explored on shore, checking out a resort that was closed for the season and picking some papayas from a tree. We enjoyed the papaya for dinner as well as a "use up the food" meal. We viewed our final sunset and night on the boat.

Thursday, July 29

We were up early to head across the channel and back to the base. Then it was time to clean out the boat and take a taxi to the ferry terminal. That was the beginning of our long journey home which involved taxis, ferries, planes, cars, and lots of standing in lines for customs and immigration and baggage screening. We made it back to the Nichols by 1:20 in the morning (4:20 island time) and crashed quickly. The next morning Jeff and I drove the rest of the way home to Dallas and tried to recover from "travel butt".

still more BVI

2010-07-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

Monday July 26

Today we were up early to beat the crowds to a great snorkeling spot. We made it to Monkey Point before 8 am and the snorkeling was fantastic. We saw a lot of different fish, and rays, and other sea creatures. It was a lot of fun. We finally got tired and returned to the boat. We sailed over near Jost Van Dyke and anchored just off Sandy Spit. This a tiny little island with a couple of palm trees that you can walk around in about 5 minutes. We napped on the boat for awhile and then took the dinghy and explored the island and then over to a nearby spot we had watched pelicans diving. We thought we'd try snorkeling but weren't sure if there was much to see. At the first look we were surprised to see schools of thousands of tiny fish. There were also medium sized fish and then we spotted a huge fish, likely a tarpon, that was easily 6 feet in length! It was a great spot to snorkle. Up above, the pelicans kept diving, as well as some smaller birds. When we looked into the sea, it was easy to see why they had picked this spot. We finally wore out and retired to the boat and fixed a nice dinner. It was a rocky night with a lot of wind but we rode it out okay.

Tuesday, July 27

Today we were up very early after a rough night. We brought up the anchor and motored a short distance to a close harbor. Rachel and I took the dinhy ashore and hiked to a spot known as the Bubbly Pool. The tide was out so it wasn't too bubbly, but we had a good walk. Along the way we saw many small hermit crabs, scurrying across out path. When we got back to the boat we found that Richard had spotted some sea turtles surfacing nearby so we did some more snorkeling right off the boat and got to see the turtles, and Jeff spotted a baracuda. We could see a small shark circuling right next to our boat and waited until he swam off before we went in the water! Next we dried off and sailed up Jost Van Dyke to Great Harbor. We moored the boat and went ashore to have lunch at the famous Foxy's Bar. Lunch was great and afterward we even got to meet Foxy! We walked around Great Harbor a little but it was very hot. We headed back to the boat and sailed across to Tortola once again and went into the harbor on the west end, known as Soper's Hole. We found a mooring ball for the night and relaxed and tried to cool off. We got showers on shore and enjoyed a quiet evening.

And More BVI

2010-07-25T18:09:00.000-07:00

Tonight I am sitting on the bow of the boat under a full moon and with a breeze to cool me, uploading pictures. I am quite a ways from land but the wonders of technology assist me. It's been another nice day in the Virgin Islands. We left Virgin Gorda and sailed over to Marina Cay. It's a cute little island with a small resort, restaurant and gift shop. We took the dinghy to a nearby reef to snorkle and had fun swimming around. Then back to the boat and over to the Cay for a drink before dinner. Dinner back on the boat and time to relax. Here's some pictures from today:

And one more thing. On Marina Cay on the dock they have this red phone booth that has a a webcam that takes pictures every 15 seconds. If you go here: www.pussers.com/redbox/ and search for today at 1:50 pm you can see us!

More BVI

2010-07-24T17:58:00.000-07:00

Friday, July 23

Woke up to a nice morning at our mooring at Leverick Bay. We decided to make the run to Anegada, the farthest island in the BVIs and about 12 miles away. It was our first "open water" sail, meaning you can't see where you are going. The weather held and the sailing went well and we got there by about noon. Anegada is low and long and the only island in the Virgin Islands that is coral, as opposed to volcanic. We dinghyed ashore and explored a little but it was very HOT! We went back to the boat and jumped in the water to cool off. We relaxed the rest of the afternoon before heading to shore to enjoy a lobster dinner on the beach. Anegada is famous for this. We had a pleasant evening on the beach and then back to the boat for the night.

Saturday, July 24

We got a early start to make the run back to Virgin Gorda. The weather was rainy and we got hit with a few showers. We hit one bad squall just before coming into the Gorda Sound. We had some issues with one of our sails and took awhile to fix it. Unfortunately we moored just off a beach to fix the sail and the beach was full of partiers with load music pumping from their boats. Once we did the repair we moved to a quieter mooring at Saba Rock. Jeff and I went ashore and checked it out as well as the nearby Bitter End Yacht Club, a huge watersports resort. We had dinner back on the boat and then Rachel and I headed to shore to use the internet. We are all sunburned and bumped and bruised in various places and the weather continues to be very warm and humid but the water and islands are lovely and we are enjoying our time here.

BVI Adventure 2010

2010-07-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

July 19, Sunday

Our trip began with horrid highway traffic and a five hour drive to Lacey. We connected with R and R and headed to SeaTac under more heavy traffic. A five hour flight to New York and 4 more hours to St. Thomas and we were in the Caribbean. We debarked to warm and humid weather. We explored around Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas and had lunch at a Jamaiican restaurant before taking a ferry to Tortola. That was followed by a cab to our hotel and then a cab to a local restaurant before returning to our rooms to crash after over 24 hours of travel! We were beat!

Tuesday, July 20
Once we drug ourselves out of bed, Rachel and I walked to Roadtown Bakery to pick up some goodies for breakfast, then we walked over to the Moorings base. The guys took a cab and brought the luggage. We sat through the morning briefing and then checked out our boat. We are on the 39 foot “Abbey”. We unloaded our stuff and learned about the boat and waited for some minor repairs. We had a couple of rain showers while at the base but nothing big. We left about one pm once the rain had stopped. We set out from Roadtown toward Norman Island. Not long after the rain began again and then the wind picked up some. We put the sails out but reefed them. I was “at the helm”, i.e. “driving the boat” and the wind and rain got stronger. Then we were hit with a squall- very strong wind, rain, and seas. It felt like “Deadliest Catch” meets “Pirates of the Caribbean”. We were soaked to the skin and tossed all about and visibility was about one yard. The lightning cracked nearby and the thunder rolled. We rode it out but it was SCARY. The rain continued but the major squall passed. We watched the lightning all around us. We finally figured out where we were and motored across the channel and found a mooring ball in “The Bight”, a protected anchorage off Norman Island. Normally it is known for the party scene but the pouring rain made for a quiet night. There were about 30 boats moored there. We fixed dinner and settled down from our big adventure. The rain continued most of the night but we stayed dry on the boat.

Wednesday, July 21
We woke up to a dry morning. We were up early and unmoored and motored over to the The Caves. After a quick breakfast we hopped in the water and got our first taste of snorkeling. The water is warm and full of life. We climbed back aboard and then headed out to the main channel and hoisted our sails and headed toward Cooper Island. The skies were overcast with some blue and the day was great for sailing. We sailed for several hours and then resorted to motoring to get to our final destination – Machioneel Bay. We got a mooring ball about 2 and fixed lunch and decided to relax a bit. Shortly after that another squall came through and the rain poured. We were glad to be safely moored this time. The weather is very warm and humid and water is warm as well. Late this afternoon we dinghyed over to a nearby spot to snorkel and then came back to the boat to fix dinner. It’s still rainy and very warm but pleasant. This evening (sunset is about 7) we took the dinghy to shore and had some "painkillers" at the Cooper Island Beach Resort. Back to the boat to crash!

Thursday, July 22
Another pleasant morning. We sailed over to an island called Fallen Jerusalam, part of Virgin Gorda, actually and near the famous "Baths". It had big boulders and a small beach. We took the dinghy to shore and did some snorkeling and exploring. Next we set sail again and went up the channel to the other end of Virgin Gorda. The sailing was good and the weather held. By about 5 we made it to Leverick Bay where we moored. Rachel and I quickly took the dinghy to shore for some very needed showers. Back to boat for dinner and then back to shore to do some laundry and use the wifi. Pictures to come later. We are having a good time and getting lots of sun!

Pictures from New York

2010-01-26T17:01:00.000-08:00

If you want to see a whole bunch of pictures from our New York trip, click on the title and go to my facebook album.

New York Part Four

2010-01-16T19:28:00.000-08:00

Here's another quick pictureless post. Maybe I'll add some once we're home. I think we completed all the things on our "must-do in New York" list so it must be time to head home.
Today we walked around mid-town and saw the Chrysler Building, the New York Public Libary (which is gorgeous), St. Patrick's Cathedral, and went the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). It was really crowded and a 6 story building with many galleries. We saw some of it but it was hard with so many people milling around. Next we headed up Broadway and went to see a matinee of "The Lion King" -we enjoyed it a lot, especially the puppetry and costumes. After the show we headed to Greenwich Village again to do some shopping and have dinner at a Cuban restaurant. Elizabeth connected briefly with a couple of friends in the area and then we took the subway back to midtown and went to the Empire State Building and rode up to the top. The view was lovely but it was cold and windy. Now we are back at our hotel and getting ready for our early morning flight home. Goodbye New York, it's been fun.

New York Part Three

2010-01-15T20:41:00.000-08:00

I don't seem to have the energy to post some pictures tonight or sort through them but for the benefit of those of you playing along at home, here's what we did today. Reluctantly drug ourselves out of bed, got some bagels at H&H Bagels ("the best bagels in new york" - well, maybe), took the subway, involving several wrong ways and wrong stops, met up with a food tour of Greenwich Village. Enjoyed hearing the history and eating the food along the way. Be glad you don't live in Greenwhich Village where a modest 300 sq. foot apartment rents for $2000 per month! Then we met up with Elizabeth's friend Nat. He took us to his Dad's apartment on Broadway, in the West Village. Elizabeth also knows his Dad, from IDEA. He has a PhD in Drama and has written books on Clowns. Their apartment was a riot, including built in ramps for the cats to climb around on. After that we headed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is huge and extensive and has every kind of art from all over the world. After 2 hours we were exhausted and had only seen a small part of it. We took the subway back to our hotel and Elizabeth went to a comedy show with Nat and I enjoyed walking around and reading by myself. Tomorrow is our last day to see New York.

New York pt. 2

2010-01-14T20:46:00.000-08:00

Another busy day today. Here's the short version. Took the subway to Battery Park, rode the ferry to the Statue of Liberty, walked around and climbed up to the base, ferry to Ellis Island and looking around, ferry back to Manhattan. Walked around the financial district, soup for lunch, walked some more through Chinatown. Went to the Lower Eastside Tennement Museum and had a tour (Great!), walked and ate and subwayed, walked through Times Square, saw the Broadway show "Next to Normal" (also Great!), subway to hotel. Beautiful sunny but cold day. Tired. Pictures tomorrow.

New York!! Part one

2010-01-13T20:16:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth and I are in New York, on a grand adventure to see the big apple for the first time. We flew in last night from Eugene and got to our hotel at 1 am. Luckily for us it was only 10 pm on Oregon time. We did have trouble waking up early but managed to get going eventually. First stop was the American Museum of Natural History. The place was amazing and huge. I am a big diorama fan and this place had more dioramas than I have ever seen. We started in the "Hall of African Mammals" and kept going from there. We saw the planetarium show and walked around until our feet were sore, seeing lots of dioramas and displays and bones and a huge life size model of a sperm whale and enormous dinosaur skeletons. After 4 hours we were beat so crossed the street and there was Central Park. . We walked across the park which was nearly deserted and cold and beautiful, even in the winter. We found a small ornate Austrian restaurant for a late lunch. We were revived enough to tackle another museum but decided against the Metropolitan Museum of Art and will save it for another day. We headed to the Guggenheim, which is in a very cool Frank Lloyd Wright designed building. It was swarming with people inside. Most of the museum was taken up with a special exhibit on Kandinsky. While not much a fan of his, it was interesting to see the progression in his work. It was presented chronologically and the gallery winds up in a circle. Next we headed uptown to watch a taping of the Colbert Report TV show. We had gotten free tickets on the internet just the night before. We attempted to get a taxi but failing that, went to the subway. We took two subway trains and then walked quite a few blocks and made it to the studio just in time. Still had to wait in line awhile and make it through security and wait some more. We got nearly the last seats, in the back row of the studio. We enjoyed the warm-up comic and the then the shows taping. You can't see us on TV but maybe you'll hear us laughing! Then it was time for a 20 block walk back to our hotel and some dinner at a Greek diner. Whew! More adventures tomorrow!

Kudos

2009-12-31T22:00:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-30T21:52:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-29T22:40:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-28T22:17:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-27T23:05:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-27T08:28:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-25T19:28:00.001-08:00

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

2009-12-24T19:16:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-23T22:18:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-22T20:59:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-21T22:21:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-20T22:19:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-19T21:46:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-18T22:09:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-17T21:13:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-16T21:19:00.001-08:00

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

2009-12-15T22:18:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-14T23:02:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-13T19:41:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-12T22:42:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-11T22:40:00.000-08:00

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

K is for Potassium??

2009-12-10T21:20:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-09T20:00:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-08T20:30:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-06T19:13:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-05T21:01:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-04T09:23:00.000-08:00

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!!

2009-12-03T21:42:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-01T19:59:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-22T19:30:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-06T12:55:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-22T21:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-04T22:06:00.001-07:00

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

2009-07-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

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 . . .

2009-06-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-01T17:47:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-22T21:47:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-12T18:48:00.001-07:00

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.

Happy 92nd!

2009-03-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

Today my mom turned 92! She can remember what year she was born (1917) but doesn't know how old she is. Aaron asked her old she felt and she said 70. Here's some old pictures I dug up. The first one is her with a baby. It is most likely me, but it could be Rachel and the pictures has no notation or year on it. It doesn't matter, my mom spent many years in church (where this was taken) with a baby on her lap. She looks happy and I think she loved having a baby in her lap. With 6 kids, 20 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren and 3 great, great grandchildren she has held many in those arms.

Here's one with the three younger kids and her at the beach. She loved the beach, it was her favorite place to go. Her favorite spot was Beverly Beach on the Oregon coast. She has a big smile on her face, which is how I picture her; she knew how to have fun. She can still make me laugh with her comments and insights.

Here's a couple more from when I was in high school. I have many great memories of my mom. She was an extremely hard worker, endlessly patient, loving, and helpful. She taught me to make pies, bread, cookies, sunday dinners, and meals for a crowd. She was a performer too, willing to perform "Spittin'" in her eighties and ready to entertain any crowd. She took care of all her kids and her mother and mother-in-law and fixed thousands of meals and washed thousands of loads of laundry and rarely complained about any of it. She was the first person I know to have a personal computer and was always ready for a new one. She always said her favorite things to do were eat and talk! Most people think a lot of their mom, but I can tell you I have had the privilege of being raised by the best. Happy Birthday, Mom.

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!!

2009-03-08T22:20:00.000-07:00

Today our baby girl is 24! Since she's in Korea, she is 25 there, as they count the years a bit differently. We miss her very much but we are so proud of her. She is truly the bravest person I know. Here she is as a joyful baby. My wish for her is to feel this kind of joy today!

We're not losing a son, we're gaining a country!

2009-03-07T16:05:00.000-08:00

Aaron and Kim announced their engagement this week!! They'll be married in Australia sometime this summer or fall. We only met Kim a week ago but we're delighted to welcome her to the family. Here's a photo of them with their computers and the new ring. They were busy updating their "status" on facebook! Only one of many important tasks to tackle now.

Blazing News

2009-03-05T15:43:00.000-08:00

It started when we noticed some flames in the area behind our house. Here's what we could see from our yard:

A call to 911 let me know they had engines on the way. It was a storage shed filled with carpet pieces.

Soon it looked like this:

Thanks to Aaron's friend A/C for the snap!

They got the fire out and our arbor vitae was saved. It was good for some excitement, however.

Stay tuned for an even more exciting post soon, I promise.

Snowball

2009-02-13T08:08:00.000-08:00

Here's Nate and Barbara Jane at the winter dance. Pretty cute, huh? No, they're not really in London, just another photographer's prop.

Still Alive in Boring Polk County

2009-02-08T16:04:00.001-08:00

Today the Oregonian travel section has a listing of the 150 places that should be on every Oregonian's list to see, in honor of Oregon's 150th birthday. You can see it broken down by geography here:http://www.oregonlive.com/travel/ In the newspaper, it's broken down by county. Polk County has one lowly listing - Baskett Slough Wildlife refuge. Only Gilliam county has a shorter entry, and it's for the John Day River, which I've canoed on and is awesome! Some counties have up to 10 or so listings. I am proud to say I've been to nearly all the places listed, with the exception of most of the remote counties, such as Lake and Union. Where have you been?

Also, just finished a book I really enjoyed: "Still Life With Rice" by Helie Lee, which is about Korea and one woman's fascinating life through numerous moves and wars and personal disasters and triumphs. Before that, I read "American Wife" by Curtis Sittenfield, a novel loosely based on Laura and George Bush. Both were enlightening books I'd recommend. Happy reading and traveling!

Today it's Aaron's Birthday!

2009-01-06T16:44:00.000-08:00

Happy 26th today to my eldest son! Here he is at 3 months, trying to copy the baby in the background. Such a talented kid, even as a baby! I think he is still just as flexible, too. We're enjoying having him stateside after his world travels. We'll be dining on tatertot casserole and banana cream pie tonight in his honor. Happy Birthday, Aaron!

Happy Birthday, Kathy!

2009-01-03T11:27:00.001-08:00

Today one of my older sisters becomes an official senior citizen! Here's a picture from when she was about half her current age, but she hasn't changed much. She's had to overcome some significant health stuff this year and she's done a great job. Thanks for always being a big help to me and taking care of all of Mom's financial and organizational matters. Happy Birthday!

The Deep Freeze Continues

2008-12-21T21:02:00.000-08:00

We are still stuck in a frozen land. For nearly a week it has snowed, rained, sleeted, frozen, and snowed some more. We had one day of school last week. Now we are trying to get the kids home for Christmas. Aaron made it to Portland tonight but we can't get to him so he is staying with friends in Portland. We hope it warms up soon. Walking around tonight I saw many neighbors trees down, splintered and shattered with the weight of the ice. Here's a couple of (poor) pictures of the ice coating our yard. I got to walk to work at 6 am the last two days through a beautiful winter wonderland, everything white and quiet. But by now I'm tired of the white and cold and I'm ready to get out of the house!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2008-12-16T11:18:00.000-08:00

It's another snow day in Dallas. The snow came down on Sunday and it's not going anywhere. No school Monday or today, and likely no more this year, if the weather report holds true. That means lots of inside time. It's sunny today and looks like a lovely day from inside the house, but Dick and Jane and Spot are frozen over and it's very chilly out. No matter what, Lucy still loves ball time. She frolics around and throws the ball in the air just like a little kid. Nate's friends have been in and out, and in and out, and who knows who's sleeping in the basement right now. Only endless snow days bring this odd assortment of detritus to our front door!

Happy Birthday, Jeff!

2008-12-07T22:39:00.000-08:00

Today is my sweetheart's birthday! Here's a picture from when he was two. He's still pretty darn good-looking! Thanks for hanging out with me for over 30 years, Dr. J.

L is for Love

2008-12-05T20:57:00.000-08:00

My neice, Lisa, who lives here in Dallas with her husband and three lively boys, was recently diagnosed with synovial sarcoma near her ankle. This is a very rare soft tissue cancer. How rare, you ask? Sarcomas make up only 1% of adult cancers and synovial sarcomas are less than 10% of all sarcomas. She's started a blog to share about the experience. She's an amazingly brave and upbeat mom so I invite you to visit her blog and share some love. Look for the link to it on the side.

Siblings

2008-11-09T19:55:00.000-08:00

Here's two of my big sisters!! Aren't they cute?

This was a family weekend! Mark, Holly and Eric were here on Friday night, Rachel on Saturday night and Kathy was by today. Kathy and Rachel helped hang up the quilt and pictures in the guest room, something that's needed to be done for a long time. I'm glad my parents had so many kids because we all have different gifts. The decorating gene is definitely deficient in my DNA, but luckily it came through in my sisters. I'm glad Mom is in Dallas so I can see my siblings when they come to visit her. Here's another picture from this morning. Thanks for coming, everyone!!

FALL 2008

2008-11-02T16:11:00.000-08:00

Here's the view out the window behind me. This maple is called "Autumn Blaze", which is very accurate. It is gorgeous this time of year.

And, for a blast from the past, here's of photo from 1986 in Wisconsin, where the leaves, not to mention the kids, are especially beautiful in the fall:

Happy Fall, Y'All!

Bridge Walk

2008-10-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I did the Great Columbia Crossing in Astoria, Oregon. My sis Rachel joined me and we walked over the Astoria/Megler bridge along with thousands of others. It was 27th annual 10K walk and run but a first for us. It started at Dismal Nitch on the Washington side of the river and then went over the huge bridge and down into the port of Astoria. At the end, shuttle buses took us to Astoria high school for clam chowder and fixings and then another shuttle bus took us back to the parking lot. It was a perfect day for it, slightly cloudy and slightly cool but a gorgeous view of the river.

On Saturday, we met at Oregon's newest state park, Stubb Stewart, and did some of the many hikes there and checked out the cute cabins and campground. Later we had dinner at a Bosnian restaurant in Astoria. All weekend I was impressed by the beauty of Oregon in the fall.

Bounty

2008-10-05T13:47:00.000-07:00

Last night I made apple crisp from the apples in our yard. The six espaliered trees are full this year. I wish I could find the scrap of paper I jotted their names on but it has gone missing like so many other notes. I peeled them and sampled and tried to discern their varieties and my mind drifted back to some of my favorite childhood memories. My dad would be sitting on a stool in our “breezeway” with buckets of apples around him. We would be gathered around like hungry baby birds. He would pull out his well-worn trusty pocket knife, the one offered to cut my umbilical cord with, and peel and slice the apples and pass them around. Often he would tell us the names. I loved this part, thinking of each name and trying to tell the difference in taste alone. The names still resonate with me: Gravenstein, Cortland, Banana (imagine! An apple named Banana!), Delicious, Grimes Golden, Jonathan, Yellow Transparent, Northern Spy, and my personal favorite, King- large and beautifully multicolored, sweet and crunchy. My grandmothers would be there, and my siblings, and any visiting relatives or friends. Sometimes the apples had worms or bruises or bad spots and my dad would cut around them, salvaging as much as he could, never wanting any to go to waste. The peels and cores would pile up in another bucket, ready to be carted to the compost pile. It was usually fall with a bite in the air and leaves falling in the yard but I felt safe and full and happy and loved, the sweet crunch of apples in my mouth.

Today I am making tomato sauce and pear bread and I am thinking of my mom and the many hours she spent in the kitchen. My new Kitchen Aid mixer gets used some but to me it is the tangible reminder of my mom. She spent hours in the kitchen making bread and cookies and thousands of meals. Those same apples from my dad made gallons of applesauce, both “lumpy” and “smooth” to satisfy her picky kids. I remember seeing the huge bowls of sweet applesauce with a swirl of cinnamon on top and thinking they just appeared by magic, and knowing today how many hours of gathering, washing, cutting and cooking it took to make them appear. She canned all she could, pickles, tomatoes, pears, peaches, applesauce in old mason jars with wire closures. The pressure cooker always scared me, but I would dutifully watch it when instructed to make sure the dial stayed at the correct pressure. The cupboards were full of the colorful jars, all lined up and ready to be enjoyed. Later in life my parents discovered drying and the food dryer was always full of apples, pears, prunes, and fruit leather- ready snacks for the growing grandchildren.

Yesterday on a visit with my mom, another resident told me, “This lady sure loves to eat! I don’t think there’s anything she won’t eat!” and my mom chimed in with “Now, don’t be tattling on me!” and I explained how my mom was so happy to have other people fix her food and do the dishes after years of cooking for so many. And I do think that is true but I seldom remember my mom complaining. I whine about cooking one or two meals for three people several times a week and she cooked for eight or more three times a day- full meals, no shortcuts, no convenience food. Some of my fondest memories are sitting on the kitchen counter, my legs hitting the metal cupboards below, watching my mom do her magic.

Our raspberries vines are still full of berries and I am trying to pick them before they mold and I feel lucky to have this bounty. But more importantly, I cherish the bounty of love my parents provided to me, food for the body and food for the soul.

Important Stuff

2008-09-22T21:39:00.001-07:00

I have always been a huge Anna Quindlen fan. Her essays on parenting are the few essays I have ever kept. I heard her speak once and felt like she was saying all the things I wish I could, and saying them much more eloquently. I read her essays in Newsweek and some are good and some aren't. I've read all her fiction books and some are good and some aren't. The essay in Newsweek this week really struck me. It's about the presidential election and here's a link to the full text if you have the time and desire to read it- It's called "This is Important" : http://www.newsweek.com/id/160062
Here's the last couple of sentences and the heart of the issue:
Here is the only thing about anyone's kids that matters now: every time you vote you make your kids a promise. It's a promise that you will look past cheap slogans and lazy alliances to try to find a way to make America worthy of a new generation. And if we keep that promise in November, we not only keep faith with our children, we keep faith with the country.

Hooray for Haircuts

2008-09-19T15:57:00.000-07:00

After about 5 years of hair in the eyes and whining by mom, Nate decided on his own to get his hair cut this week. I think it looks great and he's getting used to it. He's loving being a big senior and just got a job lifeguarding at the aquatic center. Life is good. He gave me permission to put his picture up here and in fact insisted on many posed shots. So here's couple for you. And here's the even better news - his hats don't fit anymore!

Flying away

2008-09-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

Since we've moved on from "front door" pictures for the first day of school, I think I'll do pictures of my kids at the airport as they fly away to one destination after another. Today Elizabeth departed for Korea again. It was great to have her here and share some "girl time", but I know she is very excited to begin her new job. She's looking forward to new challenges and more travel and perhaps a ride on a yak in Mongolia! Happy trails, Elizabeth!

Last First Day

2008-09-03T09:04:00.000-07:00

Today was a momentous day at our house - we took our last "first day of school" picture. Here's youngest son's first day of kindergarten and first day of senior year of high school.

I've always enjoyed the start of the school year. My mom verified that this week when she told me I always loved the first day of school.

To me it is more like New Years Day - a new beginning and much to look forward to.

I even loved it when my kids went off to school the first day- new challenges for them and back on a schedule for all of us. Every September we take a picture in front of our front door.

We have an amazing collection of these shots that measure size by the door frame and fashion by the outfits. I might feel a twinge of sadness today, not for Nate to be off to school but an end to an era and an end to the fight with mom over "why do we always have to take a picture?"

Raspberry Season Continues

2008-09-02T16:36:00.001-07:00

The second crop of raspberries is beginning at our house. Let me know if you'd like some!

Happy Birthday, Lori!

2008-08-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

Today is my sister-in-law's birthday! Here she is with some of her favorite neices and nephews. Have a great day, Lori!

Hiking

2008-08-18T22:15:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, when the heat in the valley finally let up and the relatives headed home, Nathan wanted to go for a hike. We headed to Beazell Memorial Forest, a pleasant half hour drive south. We've been there several times before and it's just a nice peaceful place. We found a new loop trail and a cute gazebo, both added since our last time there. It was very green and cool and it was nice to move around after the heat that had left us motionless. The new loop trail has several cute bridges. Lucy had a great time, too. Here's my companions:

Happy Birthday, Lisa!

2008-08-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

Today is one of my niece's birthdays. Here we are 36 years ago. You can do the math and figure out which significant birthday it is for her. Now she's all grown up and even lives in my town and is a teriffic mom to three cute boys. I got to celebrate with her this weekend and we had a great time. Here's to you, Lisa!

Family Fun

2008-07-28T22:16:00.001-07:00

I thought I better post before I lose all my (2) loyal readers. This weekend was the annual family reunion par-tay! Some of us hiked to Niagra Falls, sporting our purple bandanas.

Some of us goofed around on the beach.

And some of us hardly moved. Bonus points for you if you can identify the buns!

P.S. - I love my family! Thanks for being there, guys!

Home Again

2008-06-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

We are back from sailing. We had a glorious week- great weather, great company, beautiful places, and fun sailing. It's hot in the valley and summer is here. Here's what we came home to and a view of the OUTSIDE of the kitchen. Hurrah for roses and honeysuckle and a very tired dog after a week at the kennel!

We got Crabs!

2008-06-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

Hello today from Coupeville, Washington from the "Local Grown" store providing internet access. We continue to have a great time sailing and have had terrific weather. Thursday we went from Port Townsend to Langley, on Whidbey Island. We did a lot of motoring as the wind was not blowing the right way. When we got to the docks, there were boats coming in with live crabs, from a short (50 hour) crab season. We did some trading and got 2 live crabs which we cooked and ate. We also found another ice cream store with internet access.

Here's our boat at Langley with a local heron visitor:

Today we sailed from Langley to Coupeville. The sailing was great and we all had turns at the helm. We got in to Coupeville in time to explore the shops and relax. We'll post pictures of Coupeville later. Tomorrow we start back toward Seattle.

Ahoy Wednesday

2008-06-25T21:06:00.001-07:00

We spent the whole day today in Port Townsend. That means we had time to explore, take photos, do laundry, work on the boat, shop, and walk. Around noon we were back at the docks getting ready for lunch when we looked up at the sky and saw these amazing rainbows in the clouds. It kept changing for about half an hour but was truly beautiful to see. Here is one shot and you can see the colors, but it was even more colorful in real life. We felt fortunate to see such a fabulous sight. The photos on this page are all taken by Richard and note that this was really what we saw.

Here are some shots around town. Port Townsend has many, many beautiful historic houses. This is the lighthouse keeper's house.

Here's the Jefferson County Courthouse, built in 1890. Amazing!! And one of the many gorgeous houses. We set sail again tomorrow. More adventures to follow!

ahoy Tuesday

2008-06-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

Tonight we're blogging from Elevated Ice Cream in Port Townsend, Washington. We had another great day at sea. We sailed out of Port Ludlow and headed north to Admiralty Bay and the Strait of Juan De Fuca. We ended up at Port Townsend. Highlights of the day were being boarded by the US Coast Guard (we checked out okay, whew!) and seeing a US Navy nuclear submarine pass by escorted by a Coast Guard cutter. We saw pelicans, porpoises, herons, and seals. Here's some more shots by Richard:

This last one is a picture of the Adventuress, a tall ship that we saw today that ran aground the day before in the San Juans.

Ahoy Maties

2008-06-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

I'm blogging from our boat at the marina in Port Ludlow, Washington with the free wireless. We are sailing in Puget Sound for a week with my sister and her husband. Our boat is named Frog Prints, it's a 34 foot Dufour. Here it is at the dock in Seattle:

Yesterday we sailed from Seattle to Kingston. Here's Rachel at the helm, and Jeff on the boat.

Today we sailed from Kingston to Port Ludlow. We got here in plenty of time to hike to a pretty waterfall and check out the area. Here's a couple of photos Richard took of the wildlife on the dock:

TA-DA!! Kitchen!

2008-06-07T17:37:00.000-07:00

Well, we are near the finish line. There's still some little stuff to be done but here's a preview for you of our new kitchen. We like it a lot. Come and see for yourself!

Nate the Great

2008-06-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

Nate helped make a video for his careers class. His friend Morgan did the filming and Nate did the riding, out at Black Rock. For those of you who would like to see what he does out there, here is a link to the video, that has been posted on Pinkbike.com. He's the one riding in almost all the scenes. Just click on "play video" to watch.

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/23780/

Kitchen is almost done! It's looking awesome! Pix coming soon.

Unaccustomed Earth

2008-06-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

I'm reading this great book titled "Unaccustomed Earth" by Jhumpa Lahiri. It's a collection of 8 stories and very well-written. I wondered about the title, but then figured it out when I read the quote at the beginning of the book:

"Human nature will not flourish, any more than a potato, if it be planted and replanted, for too long a series of generations, in the same worn-out soil. My children have had other birthplaces, and, so far as their fortunes may be within my control, shall strike their roots into unaccustomed earth."
-Nathaniel Hawthorne, "The Custom-House"

People often ask me how I can "stand" to have my two older kids living so far away. I really don't mind and am truly glad they are citizens of the world. I'm proud of their bravery and williness to try new things and see new places. Now I can tell people they are striking their roots into unaccustomed earth.

Stained and Finished

2008-05-23T17:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a little preview of what it will look like. The finish looks really nice on the cabinets. The drawers and open areas are taped off so it looks a bit strange, but this is the color of things to come. The countertop comes in one week, as opposed to June 16, which is what they told us yesterday, before we found another countertop company.

Cabinets In

2008-05-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

They got the cabinets installed this week. Next comes the staining and finishing. They seem really tall and big- I guess that means lots of storage. It all looks really light now but we're worried it will be too dark when we're done. The best part is the soft-close drawers and pull-out shelves. They close themselves really slowly when you push them in!