Family.

My brother and his family are here to visit.  I so love seeing them and took the girls over for a few days to be with cousins, the had a good time playing cards and hanging out.  We too a fishing trip to a friends pond.  What a lovely day!  I have pictures but am having trouble downloading.

Went fishing!

. . . .  with my parents, Aunt and Uncle and a cousin on Spectacle Lake, WA.  Oh my, but we had a good time.  My dad had surgery on his back about a month ago and I was glad I had agreed to go (this trip wasplanned a year in advance).  I loaded and unloaded the boat each day.  I helped him in the boat and it took Mom and I both to haul him up onto the dock. We caught limits of trout on 2 of the three days.  One bucket was salted for pickling and the rest were frozen.  I think it was just the 'tonic' he needed.  When not fishing, we played games and enjoyed the view.

From Spectacle Lake Resort

Island Retreat . . . . . .

This week, while at my parents for a few days, I spent a day mowing the lawn, digging in some bags of steer manure, changing license plates, emptying the composter, storing the compost, starting a new batch, and washing a dog.  They have been slowing down which is so hard because the mind still thinks younger.  I used to think they would be around forever but knew this is not possible.  Generations of family is such a gift.  Looking back into the past with wonderful memories, then living the future and building (like blocks) memories for our children and grandchildren.

Christmas, 2013

We had a wonderful Chrstmas holiday with family!  Christmas eve was a major change up but very nice.  We spent the evening with a cousin, my husband, son and a friend of my son's.  We had simple dinner of roasted rack of beef, steamed vegies, coleslaw, and pumpkin pie.  And some good visiting.  Christmas breakfast was the usual.  Rolls, eggs, bacon, champagne and OJ (with a list of 17 people coming but 4 couln't make it).  And a wonderful time with family.  My parents stayed home this year and grandpa came (he is 95), we had 5 generation of family together.  It is such a joy to share this time with family.  My daughter did wonderful job of opening her home for the holidays.  The evening was spent with my brother in law and wife, my husband and son.  A simple evening with good leftovers from their Christmas eve dinner, visiting and working on a puzzle

Keeping busy with

putting up the tent to air it out,  it's clean  and in good repair. Still.  Also looked over the tarps, then put it all away again. I will take it to my parents next week  and camp out in their yard.  My kids will come, grandgirls and my brother and family from Oklahoma.  I am excited.  Seeing my brother is an every 2 or 3 year event.

Last week I made some bike panniers for my son for the front.  They hang from the center of the bike on a front rack.  He modified a rear rack and had a buddy weld a bar on both side.  After constructing the bag, he put together a rigid insert for the pocket on the inside to hold it away from the tire, modified some metal supports that reinforce corners in construction into hooks.  He is pleased with them.  He also made 5 gallon bucket panniers for the back.  After the first caping trip, I had to modify them a bit and now he is off again.

Mile stone

 . . . .  in my family !  My husband is 60 yrs., my daughter born on Friday the 13th.  On her father's birthday, the 13th of April. A double blessing, my beautiful baby daughter !!! Now 29.   I love You!

A MAJOR change in Scenery!

I am in an Oklahoma City suburb visiting my brother and his family for two weeks.  They are going on a 7 day cruise from Texas down to centrall America.  Here I am with two nieces whom I don't know and they don't know me.  The 14 yr old is so sweet, helpful and accommodating.  The 12 yr old is sweet, stubborn, exhausting and very independent with special needs.  At 13 months old, she had E. coli! with devasting results, brain damage and siezures, eye surgeries and physical therapy.  Being told she would be a vegatable basically did not keep them down.  With the best care and many prayers, country wide, she runs, talks, goes to school and does chores.  She is a miracle. 

My sister in law does not get more than a few hours 'off'.  So they asked is I would come and watch over them.  I kinew what a constant challenge she is.  The first siezure, I had to leave the room.  I could not keep the tears back, watching while mom cradled and talked to her daughter thru out a grand mal and half an hour of lesser episodes.  My brother and sister in law are also a miracle to me because so many couples do not make it thru the stresses of this lifestyle, they are strong, united and in dire need of time away and together.

She had them 3 days in a row which tested her mom's strength but hasn't had a seizure since they have left.  I am watchful!  My days have been full of puzzles, Go fish, yahtzee and movies.  A scary experience but one we will all survive,

It's been 4 years since they last came for a visit home to the Pacific NW and will be coming this summer, so I will see them twice this year!

Oh and the water is sooooooo nasty here!  I drink room temp water and it goes down better here if it is cold.

Holiday Magic

I spent the afternoon with E. and the grandgirls.  We made chocolate and peanut butter fudge.  They so love to "help".  I have not made Christmas candy or cookies in years since my kids left home and my husband became diabetic, he allows himself too much surgar without having the mass amounts I used to make for the holidays in the house.  I had fun sharing the kitchen with my family, it brings the holidays alive!

Getting Away

My husband and I went to Ocean Shores for 4 days.  Stormy weather, unstructured days, a soaking bathtub is my idea of heaven.  The coast was hit with a moderate storm that kept me glued to the windows all morning with my tea, the book I brought forgotten, unopened.  Waves crashing up over the rock wall, Pelicans in groups heading out to sea in the a.m. (drafting each other like the geese do).  Also, deer everywhere we went.  On the third day it was decent enough to walk the beaches.  The a.m. was windy with dampness trying but also failing to soak thru us, watching surfers and sea lions.  In the afternoon, on another beach, we had a slow and meandering walk, enjoying the ocean sounds and smells.

Oyhut Wildlife Recreation Area, Protection Island (a cape)  Ocean Shore on the horizon

Friday was spent with my daughter and a friend sewing for 24 hours.  Good company, very productive (Christmas gift making), and a movie till 2 in the morning.  Fun!  This week I have finished one of the projects to make way for the other that I cut out (baby doll carriers x 2 for the grandgirls).

Kelcema Lake, WA

We took a day hike today with our daugher's family, this hike is described as kid friendly and the 3 1/2 yr old did very well.  I think the trail becomes a winter/spring run off even though there is a permanent creek that is the lakes outlet.  The lake is in a bowl that looks exactly like a volcano (probably ancient, when the range was created).   The lake is at an elevation of 3,500 ft (we live at sea level).
                                                                                                                                                                   The bowl on three sides is steep and almost straight up, the road up to the trail (4.2 miles UP) is probably the outlet.  From the trailhead up to the lake (300 ft elevation hike) we walked on HUGE boulders and the land was strewn with boulders that were probably flung out or carried down with a volcanic flow.  The lake was pristine and clear (you could see the bottom).                                                                                    

We climbed the rock on the right side

The rock we climbed from the lake edge.

Old trees, even though it's a logging area, were everwhere (if logeed, maybe 100 yrs ago).  Gorgeous natural  plant life.  Tiny, delicate trillium in flower.  What looked like a tiny hosta blanketing some areas and many that is don't recognize.  Two grandaughter running around barefoot, fishing, exploring and having the best time.  An amazing day to share!

A few days . . . . .

. . . . .  with my parents.  I am helping my mother clean up a sewing room, a friend of theirs who is in advanced stages of  Alziemers.  She may have been sick earlier than was thought because "junk" was coming home and being tossed into the pile.  Think of the Hoarder shows, it's frightening to see it in person.  In bout 3 days of work (weeks apart) my mom and I have taken out a dozen bags of garbage, a dozen bags of good will donations and the same in recycles,  and we are half done (this is way too much for my mom to do and having company helps).  This was a beautiful, organized room at one time and mom's friend was very talented (I have some Christmas decor of hers).  It is so hard to see her and know that she is locked up inside with no hope.  We will help put on a garage sale to get the good stuff out:  fabric, notions, machines, everthing knitting, baskets, art supplies, bookshelf (full), silk  flowers, tools, crafting.  OMG!  Makes me want to finished a few projects!

I did enjoy time with my parent, it's never enough because visiting is restricted to summer.  Mom and I watched 4 deer playing which was fun.  A mom, her baby and her twins from last year.  The baby wanted to play and mom tried so hard to drive them away with kicking and blocking.  I forgot my camera a home, does no good there!  Loved it! and had a good visit.

Summer? Here?

Right on schedule, summer starts after July 4th!  Although we did not have the usual rain on the holiday.  We had the first hot day of summer yesterday and enjoyed Sunday dinner outside with family, goats and pickings from the garden (and farmers market).  A cloudless sky, cooling breeze and the hot sun  ....  so perfect.  As the sun was setting (with lavender clouds down in the hills and gold edged, I have never seen the color and wished to capture it but the vibrance never comes thru), we took a short walk and all played with the girls until bedtime.  I say "perfection" !

This morning, I am drinking tea to the sound of the fish tank and gazing at my plants in the little window that get's morning sun, (they are glowing, spectled with shadows and so pretty.  I have taken pictures before and captured how they look).  More perfection! and so peaceful.

A bit of heaven!

I went to see my parents for a few days and it is so hard to come home (they live on 2 acres of green beauty!)  and watched hummingbirds for hours, they are so fascinating.  What is so interesting is you can stand right by a feeder and they will still come for food!  It's so calm, quiet and slow.  I sometimes question how a city kid became such a country adult?  A morning walk around the properties with my Dad is a great way to start the day (the road goes around a 20 acre area that equals a 1 mile walk) and an afternoon stroll under the canopy of the forest.  My mom cooked a rack of lamb just because she knows how much I like it (the rack was big and too much for 2 people, it seemed melted like butter when chewing and smelled good AND tasted better.  She sent the rest home for my daughter (she loves lamb too).  E and the girls came for one day to spend some quiet time, the girls spent a lot of time wandering the woods, playing and searching for treasures.

One of the Best Dinners!

My husband and son went grouse hunting last week.  My son bagged 5 grouse.  Last night he made dinner with a few hints here and there.  He found a recipe on line for the breast with orange wrapped in bacon (they didn't have the cooking time right . . . 20 min., I told him 45 to 60 min).  Served with wild and rice mix. OMG!  so good!  The meat was enhanced perfectly and not overpowered by the bacon.  He did a good job even though dinner was 2 hours late, it was worth it.  I made a blackberry pie for dinner which was a perfect end with wild game.  I like to add 2 extra cups of berries to my pies with the sugar not changed.  I think the fruit flavors come thru better and it's not so cloyingly sweet.  Our daughter came for dinner with the girls and his girl friend.  It was a great evening!

Fair Time!

Evergreen State Fair!  First, see the horses especially the gentle giants. A pony ride for the girls with smiles of pure enjoyment and then the big carousel.  Grab a treat and walk thru the bombardment of carny noise to see the inspiration's for the next year.  The quiet contemplation of quilts and needle arts, so beautiful then showing granddaughter J the possibilities of building with K'nex or drawing pictures.  Wondering how canned food entries received blue ribbons when the air space at the top is too much (I follow this rule to the letter: quarter, half and one inch) Hmmm!  An interesting talk with the Master Gardeners (they want to recruit you!). They introduced us to what looked like a round zucchini (which are too wet for my taste) but was pale orange inside . . .  crossed with a pumpkin! A Pumchini!  We visit the cows, my daughters neighbors have Limoisin's, to say Hi!  Watched a class going on:  Dexter cattle originally from Ireland and naturally miniature, no horns producing both for meat and milk. Sounds good to me. Then a quick peak at the 12 day old baby pigs, the girls were quietly in awe!  Cooing over the pygmy goats, the dairy goats, a quick peak at the chickens (too may to comtemplate as always). We're exhausted, V sat in the stroller mostly but J never complained and at 6 yr. that is pretty amazing. This was good day (overcast, of course). I am amazed at the lack of crowds and the entries for baking, canning and a few other departments have half of what I used to see about 8 yrs. ago. Sad!

Family

Saturday was the annual family picnic. Grandpa is 92, getting frail but still able to teach Bible class (he was a missionary till he was 80). Our family may number in the 70's and almost half came (a few families from out of state).  We get together a couple times a year to keep in touch. It's seems to be getting harder every year, not everyone comes (or thinks it's important). Sad . . . .   Still, it was good to see everyone, fun for the kids and good food.

Went to my parents this week and took my two granddaughters with me, what a joy they are. 'Helping' with little chores like gardening and looking for deer (they walk thru all the time). Their mom came the next day bringing the baby goats.  My mom fell in love, she grew up with goats and other small animals because instead of tithe food was given. They would play with them and then would end up on the table, this was 60 yrs. ago or so. It was fun to watch! My son came also, he helped my dad with digging holes for posts and moving log rounds to be split.

A longtime, good friend of my moms is in the late stages of Alzheimer's, we started on clearing out some of her things for donation, sale and clothes for her to wear.  The closet took about 4 hours and left us tired. Next will be her sewing room which is 10 times the room and stuff. OMGosh, but mom cannot do this herself and the husband is overwhelmed already and has to find a 'home' because of the wandering off and the agitation over noises and changes or talking as if knowing you, then a string of words come out all meaningless and disconnected. My granddaughter found her to be a bit scary, it was hard to explain what was wrong, I tried. She was so artistic (and crafty) and now it's buried and gone! Very sad.

Summer Joys

Spent a few days helping out our daughter, she is moving up North (1 1/2 drive).  We brought the mower down to do the lawn.  We dug up her garden, I hope it survives but what else do you do - leave it? I enjoyed the garden and eating the peas just coming on.  Hubby helped her finish packing up the sewing room and taking stuff of the walls.  Her guy is in Kabul, Afghanistan and I pray that the hand of God is over him.

We spent the most amazing afternoon out in the backyard with a picnic, books and the laughter of happy little girls, catching frogs and dragonflies.  It felt like a quiet meadow with no traffic of neighbor noises, just the sound of woodpeckers and a nice breeze to cool the heat in the shade.  There is nothing better!