re-focusing

I have a lot to say as there is a lot on my mind.  Often when I am out and about and I think all these great things to say yet when I get home, there just isn't time to do it.  Also, many times, I feel I can't say what's on my mind because I don't want to hurt feelings.  Not many folks read my blog and that's ok.  I use it mainly as a journal, but the last thing I want to do is offend someone or hurt someone's feeling.  So much of what I think doesn't get expressed because I'm never quite sure who is reading it.  So, I am thinking of starting another blog that will be strictly private and/or anonymous.  Like a diary.  I need some clarity on things and getting my thoughts out is the best way to think through things, and do it privately is probably best of all.   So I might be irregular with posts here for a bit.  Check back periodically, you never know when I might decide to post a picture or share some tidbit.

so much to be thankful for - things could have been so very different

It's 9 am on Thanksgiving morning and only 3 of us are up so far.  It's a slow, quiet morning and I wouldn't have it any other way.  Not today anyway.  I look out the window at the snow and I marvel at it's beauty, it blankets the streets, the houses, the trees.  I am cozy and warm inside with my cup of coffee.  My children are sleeping upstairs enjoying their break from college.  And they are safe and warm and home.   I could have woken up to an entirely different situation, one that lacked peace and serenity and contentment if yesterday didn't have a happy ending.

As I type this I am looking at the pictures of my children on my desk and I can't stop crying.

Yesterday, I got a phone call around noon that every parent dreads.  My daughters were in an accident.  They were driving on 1-90 and approx 10 miles W of Vantage when they hit black ice, spun around several times and hit a semi and ended up next to a guard rail at the edge of a steep drop off of several hundred feet.   My daughter calls me and between gasps of breaths and tears she says "we are okay".  There were 5 in the car and temperatures were around 8 degrees and she is 200 miles from home.  They are cold and scared. I tell her to call 911 and AAA.  Though I am not cold, I am scared.   She has a great car and very good tires and chains, so worrying about the 'whys' of the accident at this point are irrelevant.  I just wanted them home.


I call Jim and he was heading home.  As the car was not drivable we were going to have to go get them, but it would still be another 4 - 5 hours for us to get there.  Washington was hit with a bad storm over the past week and the snow, ice and cold temps have made a mess of things.  They were planning on having the car towed to Ellensburg and then wait at a warm restaurant for us to get them.  Just before leaving I made a facebook post about the accident and that we were heading out to get them and say some prayers to keep them warm/safe and get them home.  A friend saw it and called her husband who she knew was travelling back from Seattle.  She had no idea where the accident was or where her husband was at the time.  But she said be on the lookout.  About 20 minutes later her husband and his 3 friends see them and stop.  At this point it had been about 30 minutes from the accident and no one had stopped to offer assistance.  A cop had stopped to take their info and search for the semi that didn't stick around.  But he was not there long.  Poor kids were scared and cold.  They were grateful that a big SUV (with people they knew) finally stopped and waited for another 30 minutes for the AAA tow truck to come.  Michael (the owner of the car dealership where we bought the car and our neighbor too) called me and said "I'm with your daughters, they are ok, we'll stay with them".  I was so relieved, I knew they were in good hands. He gave specific instructions to the AAA tow driver on where to take the car (his friends dealership in Ellensburg where it would be safe).  Then they piled all 5 kids and their stuff into the big Ford Excursion and continued on to Spokane where we met them.

We gave the girls a big hug and told them how grateful we were that they were okay.  Kristin was so worried about the car and the problems this has caused etc.  I told her things are replaceable, people aren't.  When we got home I think the realization of what could have happened hit her.  She was upset and agitated.  She took some ibuprofen and went to bed early.  And she is still asleep.  Her sister is too.  They are both alive and well, tucked in their beds.  And I couldn't ask for more.

I am so grateful for family, friends, neighbors and facebook.  Yes, facebook.  It shows the power of instant communication.  If I hadn't made that post, the kids would have still been ok.  But they would have waited alone for an hour for the tow truck then 4 hours at a restaurant for us to get there.  And in 8 degrees it's not fun at all.

My son rocked at being the command center operator, thank you Jake.  My dad rocked at preparing the meal for our arrival home, thank you Dad!  My mom and grandmother rocked for saying prayers and thinking good thoughts, thank you Mom and Nanny!  The "bro-tastic 4" rocked for stopping, helping and bringing the kids from Ellensburg to Spokane (200 miles) and providing them with snacks, jokes and a warm car, thank you Mike, Michael, Duane and Mark.  Terri rocked for calling her husband Duane and saying 'be on the lookout for the DeVleming kids', thank you Terri.

And Kristin rocked for doing her best to stay calm and in control during and after the accident.  Her car companions said she handled it well, thank you Kristin!  And Sarah rocked for being Kristin's support after the accident, hugging her and loving her, thank you Sarah!  I love you both!  And Jake too.  So proud to be your mother!

And thank you God, for watching over them and keeping them safe.

There is so much to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving and always.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, I just love everything about it. The sights, the smells, the people and what it represents.  My parents are coming for the week and I'm really looking forward to their visit.  The house is clean, but I haven't shopped yet - except for the GIANT turkey that's defrosting in my fridge right now.  It will all come together, it always does.  There are a lot of things for which I am thankful and will save for another blog post.  For now, just wanted to share the crafty picture below.  Thanks to Feathering an Empty Nest for sharing the link to all these great free printables. I found an unused frame and now it's on display on the hall table.  It's a nice reminder about the meaning of thanksgiving.

a creative dessert for an evening of fun

We had some friends over last night for dinner and games and it was so much fun.  As of Friday night we had NO plans for Saturday night and thought - 'why not have some friends over'.  So glad we did.  We had beef stew, salad, corn bread and these mini bundt cakes made to look like pumpkins.  We played Imagine If and Bill won.  But the rest of use were very close behind.  Then we had  boys vs girls for Cranium and the girls won!  

These mini pumpkins look sort of like something you'd take to a grade school party but the more I look at them the cuter they get.  They were quite tasty though.  I made a brown sugar cake recipe (from scratch!) and frosted them with a butter cream frosting.  I used a 12 cavity mini fluted pan that I got years ago and have only used once so far!  I took two mini cakes and put them bottoms together with icing in the middle to hold and then iced the top. The pumpkin stems are broken pieces of Pirouette cookies by Pepperidge Farm.   I'm certainly NO Martha Stewart, but they do look kind of cute!

feeling nostalgic for costumes, candy and adorable children

Fall is my favorite season.  I love the cool weather, the crisp leaves and the variety of weather patterns that appear in the fall.  Today it's a bright sunny day and tomorrow it's supposed to rain.  And I adore rain.  Seriously, I love gloomy, gray days where I can sit inside and hunker down at my desk and get work done.  Sip a cup of steaming hot coffee while cozy in my nice warm house.  I love the sound of the rain too.  I am waiting for the rain, and the weather man says tomorrow.  I hope he's right!

Fall brings stews, casseroles and hot cocoa.  And Thanksgiving, which is my favorite holiday.  The kids will be home from college and my parents will be visiting, it will undoubtedly be a wonderful week.  Before we can get to Thanksgiving we will be celebrating Halloween.  Halloween was such a fun holiday when the kids were little and in recent years we've been at parties with friends and haven't even been home to pass out candy and see our neighbors cute little kids all dressed up.   I'm feeling nostalgic for the old days with little kids and costumes.  This year I put out the small pumpkin lights and bought a few pumpkins.  Not very exciting, but with no kids at home I just don't have the motivation to go hog wild.

A few pictures of Halloween through the years

They are so adorable it makes my heart melt.  I remember those days like it was yesterday, but it was 13 years ago!  Why does time have to go so fast?

They made this great haunted castle our of graham crackers, pretzels, chocolate frosting and candy.  We did this several years in row.  Ah the memories...

The girls were adorable black cats, even Josefina (Sarah's american girl doll) had a matching costume. 

 

 

Happy Halloween 

a great day

My foot hurt less today and for that I'm thankful.  I slept about 10 hours, 4 of which I had my boot on (to help keep my foot in an appropriate stretch).  I woke up a bit sore, but NOTHING compared to last night.  I made an appointment for eye brow wax, I didn't want to be roaming Portland with two caterpillars above my eyes.  I set out from the hotel with plenty of time to get to the appointment.  I wanted to take things slow today.

The wax was quick and successful and I was off for more exploring.  I LOVE Portland.  It is such a great city.  It's clean, vibrant and has lots of green space.  When I worked in Portland (many, many years ago), I never appreciated all the great things there are to do.  After long days of working I would board the bus back to Forest Grove.  The commute was long.and I never spent much time exploring Portland.   Oh how I was MAX was around back then.  Things were quite different in 1986.  Now you can go from the airport to Hillsboro all on the best transit system ever.  And I love the free downtown zone.  And with my foot making me gimpy I have used the transit system quite a bit the past few days. 

After my wax, I headed towards the Pearl District and walked around.  I was intrigued by all the urban housing - so many great apartments and lofts.  And all the parks and green space.  My dream has been to retire to Seattle in a waterfront loft.  I am rethinking that.  Portland may fit the bill nicely!  I found a great spot for a small lunch.  Everett Street Bistro.  The Hungarian mushroom soup was quite tasty!  I then continued to meander around the   Pearl District and up to Nob Hill.  These areas were very different back in the mid 80's, so I took delight in the architecture, the people, the businesses.  I enjoyed my day immensely.

To help celebrate Jim's birthday tomorrow, I stopped at the Dollar Store to buy a balloon and a silly birthday hat and a table top birthday display.  I am going to make him wear the hat tomorrow to Pine State Biscuits.  That's his favorite biscuit place and he has been itching to go back.  He has meetings starting at 8:30 so we'll have to go early but it will be so much fun!

Tonight we are heading to Nostrana for dinner.  We met head Chef Cathy Whims when she taught us some cooking techniques at the Tom Douglas Culinary Camp in Seattle this summer.  She was kind and gracious and makes some mean fried squash blossoms.  Her restaurant is Italian and she has received numerous awards, most notably the James Beard Foundation Best NW Chef in 2009 and 2010.  We are eager to dine there.

And I talked to Jake today too.  I just love him.  He is a great guy and hearing his voice and chatting about things was icing on the cake to a great day.

anyone have an axe?

We arrived in Portland last night.  I didn't sleep well, mainly due to a late night, crunchy pillows, queen sized bed, etc.  Despite the poor sleep, I woke up eager and excited to start my day.  Jim and I headed out at 7:15 am, him to his meeting and me for a walk.  I asked for map and some guidance at the concierge desk.  I was very excited for the great walk ahead of me.

The sun was coming up and the weather was warm.  I had a wonderful 3+ miles walk.   It was a little hairy navigating the bikers.  I've never seen so many bikers before.  And it wasn't a race.  They were coming and going in every direction.  People had on work clothes, work out gear, kids strapped to special seats, big messenger bags to hold all their work stuff...my oh my...never seen so many bikers on a Thursday before.  This picture doesn't really show ALL the bikers I saw, but they came whizzing by every few seconds.  Thankfully they were nice and rang their bell, said 'on your left' and let me have my space.  Portland has to have the most bikers per capita of any city. 

The weather was grand and the scenery beautiful.  I encountered some homeless people sleeping, people heading to work, people exercising, boats heading out on the river, people just living and doing.  I loved that I had no agenda.  Here are a few pictures from my walk.

I got back to the hotel and realized I was HUNGRY.   Other than a cup of coffee in the room (from some really bad packet supplied by the hotel) I hadn't had anything to eat.  I stopped at the restaurant and passed on the buffet, opting instead for 2 eggs baked with tomatoes and spinach topped with pecarino cheese.  It was DELICIOUS!  I went up to the room, showered and set out to explore Portland.  First stop - VOODOO Donuts.  This place was first rate.  I  had seen it on food network.  Thankfully I found it with ease (got to LOVE Portland's rapid transit system - tri met, bus, max - it's so easy to get around).  After a 5 minute wait I selected 3 donuts, a maple/bacon bar, vodoo donut and a raspberry filled glazed donut.  I brought them back to the room.  Jim's timing was perfect - he came back for 5 minutes at the break.  We gobbled up these delicious donuts!  They may look ordinary, but I assure you the they are not.  Delicious goodness for $5.45.  Sadly, my foot started hurting and I decided to put my boot on (to help my plantar fasciitis) for about 30 minutes to give it a good stretch and ease the pain.

Here are two more pictures of the donut shop. As you can see in the case, very unusual donuts filled with all sorts of delicious goodies.  The menu on the right helps decifer all the choices.  The place smelled wonderful as they make all the donuts in house.
 





After fueling up with the donuts and resting my foot, I set out to the bead shop in the Nob Hill district.  It was fun walking through the neighborhoods, the quaint charming houses, the shops etc.  I didn't find what I was looking for at the bead shop but I sure enjoyed looking at all they had to offer.

By this time my foot was causing a great amount of pain.  It took me about 30 minutes to walk 1/2 a mile.  (about half my normal speed).  I could barely contain my frustration.  The pain was getting worse and I didn't know what to do.  I googled 'foot massage' and found a great place nearby that specialized in feet.  It was ridiculously relaxing.   In the 2nd picture my feet were soaking with hot stone massages between the tones and a mud mask on my calves. 

 

The one hour was heaven.  Kristin called and we chatted about her lab job, school, etc.  Always good to hear her voice and she sounded happy.  I was happy too.  But it was short lived.  The massage felt great, heck all massages feel great.  But when I stood up when done, the pain was still there.  It had never went away, it just seemed like it did because I was relaxed and not putting weight on it. 

At this point, I was over 2 miles away from the hotel, tired and hungry.  It was now 4 pm and the donuts were consumed at 11 (and hardly an adequate lunch).  I used urbanspoon to google a wine bar.  I had read they were plentiful in Portland.  I selected one along the water front (and near me via max train).  Though I only had to walk 2 blocks after getting off the transit it took me 20 minutes.  My foot was on fire at this point.  I ordered a small meat and cheese plate and a flight of pinot noir wines.  Being happy hour, the price was right.  I sat and enjoyed the fabulous view and noursihed my tummy while resting my foot.  Here is a picture of my food, my drink, my view.  Pretty sweet, huh?  Too bad my foot was still hurting.

Getting back to the hotel took 45 minutes.  I should have taken a cab, but the waiter at the restaurant said it would take over 20 minutes and I wanted to save money.  Dumb idea.  Though I didn't have to walk far, I did have to walk.  And any amount of walking triggered pain.  It felt like I was walking on sharp thumb tacks.  No matter how I stepped it hurt.  I finally made it back to the hotel at 6:30 and cried.  Thankfully Jim had some ice in a bag for me so I could ice my foot, and brought me some wine.  I nibbled on the leftover meat and cheese I had brought back.  And took ibuprofen.  3 hours later, I am still in pain.  I want to hit something, I want to cry, I want to AMPUTATE MY FOOT.  Seriously, it hurts that badly.  It's had many flareups before, so I know what to expect, but what bothers me is why.  I didn't walk up and down many hills, it was relatively flat.  But looking back on the past 2 weeks, it's been hurting off and on.  Perhaps I should have seen it coming.  I do have an appointment next Monday with the dr. (follow-up).  He mentioned surgery previously, I am afraid that's what will happen.  And it irks me.  I am doing everything he said to make it heel and it's not heeling.  I roll my foot on a frozen ice bottle, I do the exercises, I wear the boot, I take ibuprofen, I only walk on flat surfaces and it still hurts.  DAMN. The pain is so frustrating, the cost of the surgery makes me ill (we have crappy insurance).  So, this is me now, wearing the boot, while my foot throbs, twinges, shoots pain up my leg and makes me want to scream.

This ranks up there with childbirth pain.  I'm thinking amputation could solve things.  Does anyone have an axe?

Bracelet - my newest creation

While in Seattle last week I stopped at Fusion Beads.  I was inspired by one of Betsy's bracelets.  I was wanting something with silver/black and this turned out even better than I'd hoped.  And to think I made it.  Brings a smile to my face.  Can't wait to wear it!

a great day - despite the unseasonably warm temperatures

Today has been a good day.  I went to Jon's office and finished up a tax return, ran some reports and got a few things done for the upcoming tax year.  Then I had a very nice visit with Nanny and took her to the store.  She had missed her normal shopping trip due to a dentist appointment and she needed some fruit and a few other things.  It worked out well because we were out of cereal and I had no idea what I was going to cook for dinner tonight.  I picked up some nice salmon at Safeway and some fresh asparagus.

Not having kids at home is nice when it comes to dinner plans.  We can do whatever floats our boat!  I left Jim a message earlier about the choices for tonight - ice cream sundaes, salmon or cereal.   He thought salmon ice cream with cereal sprinkles would be good.  Not sure about salmon ice cream but I love the freedom of choices.   It's 5:48 pm and I haven't even started dinner.  Jim's not even home yet but I'd guess we won't even eat until 7 or 7:30 at the earliest, and I'm ok with that!

I took a long walk with Kathy today and got we caught up on life.  Then it was time to buckle down and hit the grindstone again.  Finished payroll, tax work and some office stuff for Jim.  Uploaded a bunch of pictures from this weekend to my website and shared the link with family.  Sat down with my book for 30 minutes.  I just popped in a new CD from Pike Place market and am loving the sound.  It's Jonny Hahn instrumental.  Beauitful piano music.

I am cleaning out the dining room (we had used the room as staging are Sarah's stuff for college) and will set the table with a few fall decorations. Tonight is a new episode of Gossip Girl.  A crazy stupid show that Sarah got me addicted to a few years ago.  Only wish she were here to watch it with me!

The only thing that would have made today better would have been if it were cooler (and that Sarah wasn't sick - more on that below).  I DO NOT like 80 degree weather at the end of September.  I want cloudy, cool, gray, rainy fall days.  Low 60's would be ideal.  I want to wear jeans and a sweater and my rain boots.  The forecast is warm all week so don't think I'll get my cool weather wish anytime soon.

I did get a call from Sarah today telling me she was fighting a cold.  Poor kiddo.  I'm not surprised though, with rush, moving into a new place and meeting LOTS of new people, bad germs are bound to spread.  I think she was headed for a nap after we talked.  Between airborne, decongestant, lots of fluids and ibuprofen and a nap, hopefully she'll be on the mend soon.  School starts on Wednesday!

Overall, I really enjoyed this past weekend.  I am so proud of all of my kids and I know they'll have a great year in college.  Here's a picture of my two BEAUTIFUL daughters on AGD presentation night. 

Crazy for beets

Tonights dinner - grilled salmon and a salad with roasted beets, goat cheese, bacon, walnuts, heirloom tomatoes, arugula and butter lettuce.

I am in heaven.

Lentils, Roses and Clematis

The Lentil Festival kicks off today at 5 pm!  I am really looking forward to it - the free lentil chili is great, the beer is cold and the sun is shining.  Because parking is scarce I will walk down in a bit and find my hubby.  It's a relatively short walk - about 3/4 a mile.  I will bring my camera and take some pictures.  It really is quite the gathering!

The Palouse area is the largest lentil producer in the US.  Not sure of the exact statistics but we produce/grow a good chunk of the world's lentils.  I really enjoy lentils, whether they are the star of the dish or disguised as something else.  They are very healthy, fat free and nutrient dense. 

At our culinary camp this summer we had some great Indian dishes made with lentils.  As the weather gets cooler I will be making curried chicken and lentils.  Yum!

It's still summer though and warm.  And when I was out watering the plants I noticed how beautiful the roses and clematis are.  Jim planted the roses out front this spring and I'm surprised at how big they've grown and the number of blooms.  And the smell is heavenly.

Tom Douglas Culinary Camp

Today Tom showed us how to bone a pig. I boned the left left. I have pictures of me boning but they are on my camera. When I get home I will upload lots of photos from camp.
Tom Douglas is a wonderful chef and great teacher. And all the food samples...wow. DELICIOUS! I think it's a 6,000 calorie a day week!

Food, Wine and Pie - 4th of July at Hayden Lake

 So proud to be an American!

Hayden Lake is basically the most awesome place EVER.  If you've never been, you are missing out.  This year there was a great mix of people - John, Kathleen, Will, Gen, Bob, Lynn, Jill, Robby, Cathy, Jim and Jake.  The recurring theme was clearly evident about 2 hours into the weekend.  FOOD - WINE - PIE.   Eat, drink, eat, repeat.

Thank goodness for the Pie Bible, seriously, this is a real book that Kathleen is familiar with.  I need to put it on my "must buy" list.  Bet amazon has it, they have EVERYTHING.  Anyway, her pie was awesome.  She starts out by making an incredible pie crust and uses 2 knives to cut the shortening into the flour.  Modern conveniences such as a pastry blender are non-existent so the old fashioned method prevails.  Then it was on to cutting apples.  Apple Pie = 4th of July, well, that and baseball.  Americana at it's finest.  She added some fresh cherries and craisins to the apple pie.  Oh my, it was divine.  In this photo she and John and are having a good laugh because they added a bit of special Hayden whiskey to the apple mixture. 

While Kathleen was making the pie, I was taking pictures and documenting the step by step process of crust making.  Which I think I was a good student - I made a peach/raspberry pie 2 days later and it was quite good.  That pie will be a future blog.

John and Kathleen had recently taken a trip to Napa and brought back 18 bottles of wine.  Quite the haul from the fun wine regions of California.  And guess what? They brought some to share, how cool is that?  We started off with a Schug Chardonnay.  It was freezing cold out and we were baking an apple pie, but we were at the lake and trying to do what folks who are in warm weather do while at the lake...drink white wine.  Hot cocoa might have been the better choice for the weather but this delicious chardonnay was perfect.  With 11 folks, a bottle of wine doesn't last long.  So, we opened another.  And another.  We played cards, prepped dinner, drooled over the apple pie smell from the oven and visited.  We caught up on life, work, travels, etc.  Being with family is so much fun.  :)  I am definitely blessed to be part of such an amazing family.

This was dinner.  And boy was it good.  John cooked a pork loin roast on the grill.  I made cole slaw, Kathleen made a great red potato salad, and then we had steamed green beans.  And more red wine.  It was so good and so comforting, despite the ridiculously cold temperatures.  The day had topped out at 63.  Which is very cold for this time of year.  Jake had checked the water temp, and it was a whopping 64 degrees.  WTH?  That is frigid.  The cold weather didn't deter us at all.  We have a big TV, but guess what, IT WAS NEVER ON.  We talked, played games and talked some more.  Who needs a TV when you have food, wine, pie and family?  And dogs.  John brought his dog, Jerry, and Bob and Lynn brought their dogs Tyler and Max.  Though they are nice dogs...I am so happy to be PET FREE.  When everyone was cooking and eating, the dogs were front and center - apparently their noses work well!  :)  Otherwise they were doing their normal dog things - butt sniffing and declaring dominance.

After a good nights sleep everyone was relaxed and ready to go for day 2.  The weather had not improved but that didn't deter Jill.  She is training for a marathon.  Yes, a marathon...26 miles, crazy huh?  She has a training regimen and she was to run for 90 minutes.  So, she gets on her running gear, eats a banana and heads out the door.  That's some serious discipline!  She comes back, hot and sweaty, not surprising if you've run 9 miles.  So, she decides to jump in the lake.  She may be very hot, but the lake is only 64 degrees.  And the air about 60.  She jumps in and swims frantically to the shore.  Apparently the water was quite cold.   Poor Jill.  But thankfully I was there to get a really cute photo of her wrapped in a towel when she was out of the water. ;)

With the swimming nonsense out of the way, we decided to play cards.  We started with go fish and then progressed to crazy 8's.  Oh my, the game took over an hour.  I think it was the longest game EVER.  We finally declared 2 pm as the stopping time.  Then we moved on to bridge.  Jim, Gen, Jill and myself.  Jake sat with Jill and  he attempted to learn.  He was confused though.  Gen and I were on a roll, had great cards every hand.   I really like playing cards with them, because there is table talk allowed (otherwise how do you learn?) and it's very relaxed and low key.  Nothing ruins the spirit of the game more than someone lecturing you on what you should have done/could have done etc.  You learn by playing, mistakes and all, not by being lectured at.  So, it was a great 2 hours of bridge.   So, by this time it's getting to be late afternoon and Lynn had been busy making 2 more pies.  Because you just can't have enough pies.  She made 2 rhubarb pies.  The entire cabin smelled divine.  She had also made a wonderful marinade for the numerous fillets of salmon she brought. It was clear we were going to have a feast.  By this time we had noshed on lots of cheese, crackers, sampled wonderful wines and simply relaxed and enjoyed each others company.  A great day.  Until...the croquet game makes it's appearance.  The front yard of the cabin slopes and the course was quite haphazard, but we took on the challenge anyway.  I think if there is ever a professional croquet circuit, we should sign up.  We rocked.  With wine glasses in hand, we could still rule the course! 

Here we all are at dinner.  Looking good, huh?

Not long after it was time for a bonfire on the beach AND fireworks.  

Not long after it was time for a bonfire on the beach AND fireworks.  

Our 4th of July was awesome.  Hope yours was too.  Wonderful to celebrate living in a country where we have so many freedoms.  We are truly blessed.  And I give my thanks everyday, do you?  Of course, there were lots of family members missing and we talked about them and wished them well and missed them.  Kathryn will be back in the US soon, she's been gone a long time in Japan teaching English.  She's making a beeline right to the lake and her family when she returns, and boy does she have her priorities right! :)  Nancy's family had work and other obligations, but we'll see them, hopefully in August.  Kristin is in Rome on a study abroad having so much fun (and working hard) that she doesn't even have time to communicate with us.  Sarah was working and hanging out with her Pullman friends.  Joe is traveling through Paris and Spain with his girlfriend and Liz is working back east.  It would have been great to have EVERYONE together.  But that's not feasible, and most likely never will be in the future...8 cousins are 18 or older and they have their own lives with work/school etc.  For those of us that were at Hayden over the 4th...I enjoyed it immensely.  I look forward to more gatherings with whomever is available to come.
Since we never know what tomorrow will bring...we need to live each day to the fullest.  Embrace it, love it, own it.  You'll never get it back again.  (That was my touchy feeling plug for the day.)   Oh and get yourself a Pie Bible because everything tastes better with pie. :) :) :)

It's pie time!

Nothing screams summer more than a delicious, home baked pie.  It's a peach/raspberry pie and I made the crust too.  And it is DELICIOUS!  I'm so proud of myself.

Afternoon pie baking

Kathleen made a pie and I assisted. We had fun making this, can't wait to eat it! Detailed photos and recipe will be posted when I get home.

a good day

Today was a good day.  I slept in until 8:30.  Had a nice lunch with Sarah and my grandmother.  Then saw Toy Story 3. Wow, what an emotional movie.  I cried at the beginning and at the end.  And afterwards.  What the heck?  I was not anticipating the movie have that much of an effect on me.   Growth, change, moving on.  The themes in the movie were so relatable to my life now.  So what do I do?  I cry.  Thank goodness for sunglasses.  At least I left the movie theater hidden behind dark shades.

The afternoon was filled with menial home tasks.  I felt some sense of accomplishment.  No dinner was planned so Jim and I went out to Black Cypress.  Very delicious meal tonight.  We started with a flatbread appetizer with roasted asparagus, egg, cheese and lettuce.  Sounds strange I know, but it was delicious!  For the entrees Jim had shish kabobs with couscous that had the perfect touch of mint, lemon, almond and red onion.  I had a seafood stew - but it really wasn't a stew at all.  And it was divine.   Clams, white fish and shrimp simmered in a delicious, light white wine broth with some carrots, celery, onion and seasonings.  We hadn't been there in a while.  Glad we went tonight.

Now it's time for put the feet up, have a glass of wine evening.   Grateful for today.  It was a good one.

oh how I love salmon

My dinner tonight - salmon with dill and lemon, roasted asparagus and tomatoes, and watermelon. Yum.

♫ All you need is love ♫

Whenever I look at this note card I smile.  Sarah made it for me and though they are a mere 4 written words, they make my heart sing.  It's nice to love and be loved.  Not everyone needs to hear it and feel it, but I do.  The feeling that you matter to someone else is an important one for me.   I have had this note card by my computer for over a year now and read it often.   Today is one of those days where I could use a little extra love.  So thanks Sarah for reminding me that I am loved. ♥ ♥ ♥

5 Star Gnocchi

After reading Kristin's blog posts the past few days, I've been inspired for some good Italian food.  She's posted some fun pictures of gelato, pizza, paninis and vegetables and they've been making my mouth water.  I had a big chicken in the freezer, vegetables in the fridge and gnocchi in the pantry.    And this is what I made!  Doesn't it look delicious?

Ready and armed with ingredients I began to cook.  I roasted a chicken, which I think is quite simple and fool proof.  Season with salt, pepper and herbs under the skin, rub with a little olive oil and roast uncovered 350° until thermometer reads 160°.  Then let rest for 15 minutes or so.  Perfect EVERYTIME.

For the pasta, I decided to make gnocchi primavera.  I had been reading Kristin's blog and thinking about her, and since gnocchi is something she really enjoys (at least I assume she still does!) AND I had some in the pantry, I thought I could make a light, healthy delicious accompaniment to the roasted chicken.

I chopped/sliced some onion, garlic, asparagus, broccoli, celery, carrots, cherry tomatoes, spinach and basil.  I sauteed the onion in about 2T of olive oil for about 5 minutes, then added the broccoli and cooked for about 2 minutes.  Then added the asparagus, celery, carrots and cherry tomatoes.  I sauteed these for a few minutes adding about 2T of the chicken drippings that I had strained.  It was getting very fragrant at this point.  I added the garlic and cooked for about 1 minute - (I don't like burnt garlic so adding it at the end is a good way to add flavor without the burnt taste).  Next I added the spinach and gave it a quirk stir and removed from heat.  I like my spinach wilted and the residual heat the pan did a fine job of wilting it without overcooking it.

Meanwhile the pasta water (fresh cold salted water) had come to a boil and I added the gnocchi.  2 minutes later they floated to the top (indicating they are done) and I scooped up and added to the vegetable mixture.  Then gave a quick toss, sprinkled with salt and pepper, added some fresh basil and sprinkled with about 1 T of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

This meal was definitely one of my better ones and I will surely make it again.  And the peanut gallery says it's fabulous.  And to me, that's high praise!

interesting blog

Thanks to my sister, I just found Melodee's blog.  I enjoyed her post today Don't Go Changing, if you check it out I think you just might enjoy it.

looking for motivation

I have lost my motivation to do much of anything this afternoon, so instead I choose to blog.  There are so many things I should be doing:

1. Laundry (never ending I know, but starting it would be a plus)
2. Start prepping dinner (seeing that it's already 4:01 and the chicken is still semi-frozen, dinner is going to be late tonight), 
3. Clean up office so I can find my desk (distressing that I just can't keep it neat and organized - the daily flow of incoming mail/paperwork apparently gets the better of me)
4. Sort through pictures from our trip to Florida
5. Pay bills 

This morning started out with at nice breakfast with Jake at Tams.  We had a good heart to heart about a lot of things and cleared the air on some issues that had been bugging us both.  He has his apartment lease through the end of July and will then move into the TKE house.  I am really glad they finally have a house.  It was their original house and after a different fraternity lived in it, it's now theirs again.  I think there is so much to be gained from living in a fraternity.  Being part of a fraternity (or sorority) is a great experience.  So many people give it a bad name and I don't think it's deserved.  I will save my rant on greek haters for another post.  The bond and friendship that is developed in a fraternity/sorority are second to none.  Though Jake has been a TKE for over a year now, they haven't had a common living space.  But that is changing in August!  Woo hoo!  I just hope Jake doesn't get the really scary, dark, dank, basement rooms.  Personally I don't think they are fit for human living!  The rest of the house will be nice once some windows, dryall and rooms and repaired and painted.

The day progressed to listing some items on eBay.  I opted for 24 hour sales because I don't want a sale ending on a weekend, especially not a 3 day holiday weekend.  I learned that the hard way on a previous sale.  Already have watchers and bids - this time tomorrow I should be a couple hundred dollars richer.

After a quick lunch of a pickle (my breakfast with Jake was still sitting with me) I went out for a walk with Kathy.  I haven't walked in a while and it felt good.  3 miles in 70 degree temps.  Nice, very nice.  She and I have such a nice friendship.  I enjoy her company thoroughly and we chatter about big things, little things and everything in between.  I won't see her for quite a while though, she is living with Bill and Danny on Friday and will return on the 11th.  I am leaving the 11th and returning the 16th.  I am going to miss our walks, talks and coffee get togethers.

After my walk, Sarah and I had fun looking at ratemyprofessor.com to check out potential profs for her upcoming classes at UW this fall.  She originally registered yesterday for 3 courses, but changed them all today.  She was kind of bummed because the communications class she wanted to take was open to FIGS (freshman interest group - which she is not doing) only, as was the psych class.  Also finding courses to work with the different times of lectures and quiz sections was a bit challenging.  But in the end it all came together.  Her courses seem very interesting and the professors got good ratings and she is happy.  Her fall schedule is Archeology 101 (exploring archeology), CHID 110 (Question of Human Nature) and Philosophy 120 (intro to logic).

Here is a picture of Sarah's graduation from PHS earlier this month.  I think it's rather nice and evokes good memories of a fun weekend.  Isn't this a great family shot?  I sure think so!
 
If you are wanting to catch up on Kristin's adventures in Rome check out her BLOG.  I think you'll enjoy it, I sure do!


Now, if only someone could light a fire under my read end so I could be productive.  I really need to find some motivation and get some stuff done!

Dockside at Snook Inn

After our great dinner at Snook Inn we posed for a family picture on the dock. A lovely evening and a great picture to remember it by.

almost 6 miles high

I am sitting in 21D en route from Orlando to Seattle approximately 30,000 feet up in the air.   They are offering free wifi through July so I decided to test it out.  Hopefully my aging laptop battery will make it through a few posts before dying.  I am really curious as to how we are connecting the internet so high in the sky.  I understand how it works on land but in the air?  We must be going through a satellite or something.  Oh well, I figure it's like TV, just accept that it works.  Reminds me of when I was a kid, I used to think little people were inside my clock radio singing.  The science behind how things works is really cool and often unimaginable.

I am on the aisle (because I get up to pee frequently) Sarah is in the middle and Jim by the window.  I love that the airplane seats now have adjustable headrests in coach.  First class has had them for years, it's about time us peons in the back get a quality seat!  Nice to be able to sleep without getting a major crick in my neck.  Though with free wi-fi I might be dinking on the internet and not sleeping.  Sarah is engrossed in a book, but I give her 30 minutes and she'll be asleep - she is like a cat, sleeping whenever she has the chance.  We've been calling her kitty or kitty cat of late!

It's nice to be going home, well kind of, I could have stayed on Marco Island for another week.  I want to go back.  I want to go with my sister for a girls getaway.  Yesterday was our 4th day on Marco Island and it was wonderful.  We didn't have anything planned and our beach guy, Ty, saved us 3 chairs/umbrella in the front row close to the beach.  We woke up around 7:30, ate breakfast of yogurt, bananas and ham slices.  I got to have my coffee on the balcony and read the US Today.  We headed to the beach around 9.  The sun was shining and the water warm.  We dozed, we read, we swam until 1:00 when we went up to the room for some lunch.

In the morning Sarah and I did take a long walk down the beach - we were gone for over an hour.  We saw lots of interesting things.  Diving pelicans, dolphins, lots of little fish and oodles of shells.  We also saw a one footed seagull.  It had two legs but one leg was a stump and the other had a foot.  I wonder what happened to his other foot?  But he managed to get around and fly, walk with the other seagulls.  We saw an old couple walking slowly through the sand.  The woman had a walker and her husband was trying to help her push it.  Rather difficult through the sand!   On our walk I was very intrigued by the people I saw.  People of all ages, shapes and ethnicity.  The common factor was that everyone was having fun.  AND it seemed that most everyone was comfortable in their own skin.  Many folks had cute fashionable swimsuits, but many did not.  And it was okay.  People were having fun, enjoying their families, friends, the warm air and warm water.  People exuded more self confidence in a bathing suit at the beach than I would have thought.  It was very refreshing.  I wonder if it's because most people realize they'll never see each other again?  Whatever the reason it was nice.  People had piercings, saggy skin, wrinkles, lots of jiggly fat and it just didn't matter.  What did matter was that everyone I saw was smiling and enjoying themselves.  And what's not to enjoy about one of the most beautiful beaches in the world?  Especially while enjoying it with people I love.  Sarah and Jim.  Just wish Kristin and Jake could have been with us too.  We miss them.

We were expecting an afternoon thunderstorm, as we'd had them every day so far.  But hardly a cloud in the sky and not as humid as previous days so perhaps no rain was coming our way.   I went back down to the beach at 3, in time for the smoothie handout - smoothie of the day was lemon ice - delicious!.  Every day at 3 pm they pass out smoothies to all guests at the pool and beach, we've had coconut, strawberry and now lemon ice.  Lemon ice was my favorite!  We lingered in the water for the remainder of the afternoon.  It was heavenly.  And the rain never came.  We went up and showered at 6:30 and went to dinner at 7:30.  Snook Inn was our dining destination this evening and it was a perfect night for dinner there.  The restaurant is located at a marina.  Dolphins swam near the boat slips, the sun was setting in a brilliant orange glow.  And the temperature was warm.  Jim and I had the all you can eat seafood buffet.  They had king crab, which was succulent and sweet, shrimp, oysters, tuna, grouper, frog legs...oh my it was delicious.  Reminded me of a place called the Seven Seas in Vancouver that we went to on a trip in the late 70's.   Sarah got a delicious steak sandwich so she was happy too!

The sun is very exhausting and we were in bed asleep by 10 pm.  We packed up after dinner last night so that we could enjoy our last morning at the beach today.  We lounged beach side from 8 until 11 then showered and headed out by 11:45.  We stopped at Crazy Flamingo for lunch, we needed our seafood fill.  I got the blackened grouper sandwich on garlic bread and Jim had the fried grouper basket (fish and chips).  We shared some conch fritters.  Sarah had another steak sandwich, which was even better than last nights.  We were well sated for our 4 hour drive to Orlando airport.  We made it the airport at 4:20, returned the rental car, checked in, waited in a long security line and made it to the gate by 5.  Our flight boarded at 5:50 and we took off at 6:30.  It's been a long day so far, but lots of fun.  Now, I'm sipping a glass of chardonnay while typing this post 30,000 feet in the air.  According to the flight status tracker of flight 19, we are somewhere above Arkansas right now.  Still a long ways to go. ;)

Balcony bliss

 

We are leaving in 4 1/2 hours. So this is my last morning to sit on

our balcony, sip coffee and read the paper all while surrounded by the
warm air and beautiful view of the gulf of Mexico.
Definitely want to return here.
I wasn't able to post last night about yesterdays adventures. I will
do tomorrow and upload more pictures too.

sunsets

The past 2 days have been so much fun.  The sun has been shining every day along with a few thunderstorms for added excitement.  The rain comes down hard and fast, but it's warm so no complaints here!  And it only lasts about 30 minutes to an hour.  Today it had 2 different rain spells so we were in and out of the water three times, which meant 3 different changes of suits!  Temps are in the low 90's and the water temp is rising each day.  Monday started at 85 degrees and today it's 88.  I really like that there is little surf here.  It's like walking directly into a lake.  We saw 2 dolphins today about 30 yards from us.  When I saw one fin I was thinking maybe it was a shark, but thankfully another fin came up next to it and they proceeded to arc through the water along the shoreline.  We were told by the hotel staff that there are sharks out there and to be aware.  Once I realized they were dolphins I was very relieved.

Yesterday started off with 3 1/2 hours at the beach.  We swam, sat, walked, read, napped and relaxed beach side.  We had purchased cheese, crackers, yogurt, cereal, granola and milk at the store on Monday night, so we noshed on these items for breakfast and lunch.  At 1:30 we left for Port of Islands Resort where we met up with Captain George for a Manatee eco-tour.  He was very knowledgeable of the Ten Thousand Islands that make up this area, the manatee & their habitat, birds, alligators, the history of the area.  The boat could take 6 but we were the only ones, so we had our own private tour!  We saw numerous manatees, which are basically giant sea cows that eat vegetation - grass, seaweed etc - natures vacuum of the sea!  They weigh up to 2000 lbs.  They are very docile and slow - a top speed of 5 mph.  Their biggest threat is man and their boat motors.   We spent 90 minutes going through the mangrove areas and canals of Marco Island viewing manatee and even found an alligator.  It is mating season for alligators and so the females are busy building their nests and out of view.  Apparently they are very noisy and aggressive at night during mating season.  During the day, they mainly sun themselves and stay out of the way.

We stopped at Snook Inn in hops of seeing the numerous dolphins that hang out off their pier.  But the weather had other plans.  It rained so hard that we opted to sit with many other folks at the covered outside bar of Snook Inn.  Turns out it was happy hour, so we had some beer and Sarah had free bread with butter.  We were all happy!  Funny that it was still so very warm and everyone was in shorts and tank tops enjoying cold beer while just a few feet away the rain came down in sheets.  It was raining so hard we weren't able to walk to the end of the pier to see the dolphins.  Perhaps we will get back there tomorrow!

When we got back to the hotel, the weather cleared and we went swimming for a bit and went to The Little Bar Restaurant a few miles away in Goodland.  This place looked so sketchy from the outside and was in a really bizarre remote area, and if it hadn't been for the great reviews on Tripadvisor and Urban spoon we NEVER would have set foot in there.  We are so glad we went.  The food was top notch.  We started with steamed muscles, conch chowder and grouper balls.  For entrees I had sauteed soft shell crab, Jim had sauteed butterflied shrimp with panko topping and Sarah had prime rib (of course! 2nd night in a row, 3rd night of prime rib on the trip!).   By the time we left, the place was quite crowded.  Definitely a popular spot.

When we got back to the hotel Jim washed his shirts in the bathtub.  Thankfully I had some tide packets.  Somehow he didn't bring enough shirts, and with this heat and humidity they were getting stinky.  So, he soaked, scrubbed and rinsed the shirts.  They hung to dry nicely on our balcony overnight!

We woke up early to get to Everglade City this morning for an everglade jet boat tour.  Captain Tony of Speedy's Jet Boat Tours gave us an hour ride and wow what an amazing experience.  We went through almost 2 miles of mangrove canals to a grassy swamp area that was so vast.  The jet boats are flat bottomed and loud, so we wore earcovers (look like big headphones) and saw many birds and beautiful scenery.  The boat went 30 mph, but felt much faster.  Captain Tony stopped periodically to point out things, educate us and answer questions.  We even saw an alligator!  Despite the loud noise of the jet boats, the swampy area in the everglades is peaceful and beautiful.  I still marvel at the fact the we didn't get lost.  Tony explained that no two trees look alike...I laughed, because the rest of us had no idea where we were and we thought ALL the trees looked alike.

We stopped at Crazy Flamingo for lunch.  It's a local joint in a goofy location that one would most likely pass by unless told to go there.  I had a blackened fresh grouper sandwich, Jim had fish and chips and Sarah had chicken strips.  It was very good and the folks in there were locals (and that's always a good sign!).  We made it back to the hotel by 1:30.  Beach side, pool side and shell scavenging...we did it all this afternoon admist a few rain showers too.  But when the sun was out - phew look out!  It was HOT.

Dinner tonight was at Sele E Pepe and I had sauted grouper with homemade paparedelle and aspapagus.  Sarah had homemade raviloi stuffed with ricotta and spinach and Jim had risotto with asparagus and shrimp.  It was quite good and this restaurant was in our hotel and the view was 2nd to none.  We snapped quite a few pictures of the sunset and enjoyed a leisurely meal.  Now, I'm finishing this blog post and will read for a bit and then head to bed.

I'm thoroughly enjoying this place.  Of all the warm vacation places I've ever been, this tops them all.  People are kind, it's slow paced and relaxed.  Could be because it's their low season. (pop 8,000)  during high season it swells to 30,000! Seafood is plentiful and excellent, beaches are white soft sand and water is warm.  And this hotel is awesome - can't beat our view!  The staff is friendly, the pool attendants, the free smoothies, the beach attendants,  it's so luxurious without being stuffy.


Only 40 hours left until we have to leave to head to airport for home.  Will be very sad to leave this place.

I leave you with two pictures from dinner tonight.  Check out the others on smugmug.