A Treasure Found

I guess I had better take care of this weeks poll question before I do anything else. Email has been rolling in like crazy from people asking what the new question is - well, maybe that's not quite true - :-). But I am a day late for this weeks question. So be sure to check it out and vote. Oh, almost forgot. Last weeks question for favorite cartoon character was a tie between, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, and Casper.

What a busy, busy weekend we had. We did yard work, Dave worked on the new bathroom floor, I worked on cleaning all of the parts of the shower doors that Dave had taken off and put out on the deck, and last but not least - cleaned the garage out. It was in the garage that we found our treasure - but I'll get to that. We made an all out effort at clutter reduction and organization. We opened every box, we pawed thru all of the books, the papers, the clothes, and shoes. We took down each and every piece of sports equipment and tried to figure out who it belonged to - did they want it? did it fit? We sorted, we organized, we threw out, we put things in a pile for Goodwill, and finally - regrouped what we had decided to keep. Next came a new organizational plan - well kind of. We put like things together - novel concept don't you think? We consolidated boxes of college books and paraphanalia. Random bags, and boxes of clothing and bedding were once again put together in groups - hopefully their owners will someday come to claim them once again.

Soooo, box after box was opened - most had been gone thru many times before. Finally we came to a box that looked as though it had not been opened in a very long time. We carefully opened it and were surprised to find that the contents were items that had belonged to Dave's Grandma - who had died 28 years ago. There was her Bible, some family pictures, a jewelry box containing costume jewelry, and last but not least, a small old fashioned washboard. Taped to the back of the washboard, and written by Dave's grandma Nevil was the history of the washboard. The washboard had been made by Grandma Nevill's father as an engagement gift for her mother. At the time her father was working in a factory that made washboards. The year it was made was 1870 - almost 140 years old! A true treasure. As soon as I get it cleaned up just a little, it will be hung in a place of honor on my kitchen wall.

The weekend was hot - we broke records both days. Today was in the mid 80's, very humid tonight, and rain is on the way. I think it will be a relief when the rain finally starts - the air is oppressive and heavy.

The floor in the bathroom is looking good! Tonight is applying the first coat of sealer. Dave will also put the shower back together. Sure will look better than it did before. The plan is to be done with the whole project by Thursday - hope that works.

Now here's some really exciting new for the day. Have I ever told you about my mailman? He is a great guy - always has time to stop and visit. He asks about the kids - what they're doing, how are their jobs, are they making me a grandma yet (really - he does!). I ask him about his family - he has two grown daughters "the princesses" - not married - much to his dismay. He wants those grandchildren! Anyway, I'm getting to the exciting part now. Today he came to the door to bring me a package and visit of course. He took one look at me and said "oh my gosh - you look 18! You got your hair cut - makes you look so young". Now, what do you think about that? That just made my day- even if he might have been stretching the truth just a tiny bit.

Happy days are here again

Record breaking temperatures today. It's 7:45 pm - and it's still 82 degrees outside. It's supposed to be hot again over the weekend, and then start cooling down next week. Whatever - I'm loving it now. I worked outside all morning scrubbing and cleaning all of the outdoor furniture. Tonight we had dinner outside - one of my very favorite things in the whole world. I just love to eat outside.
After working outside all morning I came in the house for the afternoon and cleaned out closets and cupboards. I finally combed thru all of my many turtlenecks - and got rid of the majority of them. My own private little summer make turtlenecks totally uneccessary these days. Always nice to get rid of excess things. Goodwill should be very happy. I finally took my shower and got cleaned up about 4:00 this afternoon. About 5:00 I took out my very best and favorite wine glass, poured myself a cold glass of crisp but buttery chardonnay, added a few crackers, and went outside and sat in the chair under the birch tree. I had my newest Coastal Living magazine with all of it's pretty pictures, and sipped chardonnay and basked in the warmth of the late afternoon sun - heaven. That would be the definition of peace and tranquility as far as I'm concerned.

The kittens are getting bigger by the day. I have named them all - the Mom is Jasmine, the black kitten is blackie (original don't you think?) and the lighter colored one is shylo. Oh - did you think I didn't spell Shylo correctly? Really it is - he/she is named shylo because he/she is the shy one of the two kittens. Jasmine is quite happy to see me when I come out, and always wants me to pet her. Blackie is a little reticent about getting too close, but this morning I picked him up - twice! Shylo usually runs and hides. Jasmine is now wanting me to pick her up also. Oh, what a dilemma this all is.

I just love looking out my bedroom window on a sunny summer day. Seeing the shades of blue in the sky, and all of the colors of green in the trees in the yard - it is just the most peaceful feeling in the world. I'm so glad it's May, and I have about five more months to enjoy all of this. I wait all winter for these first glorious days of summer.

Time to get off the computer and go outside and enjoy. Bye for now.

It finally arrived - THE SUN!

It's 8:15pm and it's still 83 degrees out - now that's pretty amazing considering that we were having snow just two weeks ago, and so far this year I don't think the temperature has been over 70 degrees. Tomorrow is predicted to be 96 - the air conditioning will be going on for the first time tomorrow morning. Funny, there is usually some time between when we quit turning the heat on in the morning, and then finally turn on the air con. This year, we were still turning the heat on two days ago.

Today was one of those days where, no matter what I did, it just didn't seem to work. I spent most of the afternoon doing errands, and returning home with almost nothing. My prescription has been a problem for the last two days. It was supposed to be filled and ready today - but when I got to the pharmacy, the Dr's. office had not called it in as they had told me they had. I waited while the nice pharmacist called and got it straightened out. They filled it fairly quickly, but I still had to be in the store with the always odd and strange people. From there I moved on to Target. Maybe I should rephrase that. I tried to move on to Target - but was stopped for 30 minutes waiting at the train tracks as workers had the crossing arms going up and down and up and down. Grrrrrr. Finally on to Target - I had a list of about 10 things - they had none of them. They did have dental floss though - I had forgotten I needed some, so that was my major purchase. A really nice clerk tried to help me find something - only to lead me to the place "it used to be". After much discussion with other clerks it was concluded that the item was no longer carried. They suggested Fred Meyer.

I needed to go to Home Depot - toilet shopping - again . I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to be looking for and finally gave up. The measurements I had made no sense to me - at least as far as the toilets were concerned. Next - sinks. Hmmmm - that was pretty easy - there were three to pick from. Wide range of prices - not sure why. I looked at towel racks and faucets but decided I needed to wait until the floor was actually in before I picked those things out. I brought home some samples of things to replace the bathroom counter tops with - not sure I like any of them now that I have them home.

On to Fred Meyer. Now this was the really frustrating part. I was looking for a product that is used to wash windows. You attach your hose to the container, and spray away on your outside windows - and it does a pretty darn good job of cleaning the windows. The first person I asked just stared blankly at me and said there was no such product. The second person had heard of it, but didn't think they carried it at that store. The third person said they had it and it was back in the outdoor and garden area - no it's not. The forth person said she would call the manager - she did and asked for an attachment "like a wand" to clean my windows. I was waving my hands trying to get her attention to tell her that was not what I wanted - no luck. She got off the phone and told me where to go to get the wand. I explained that was not what I was looking for and tried again. She called the manager once again - he said it was in the grocery department with the cleaning products. I trudged across the store to the cleaning aisle. Up and down I went - nothing. I found a clerk, asked for help - he couldn't find it either. Enough - I give up on the damn window cleaner!

On my way out of the store I found Sun Tea jars on sale - "buy one get one free". I could use that - I picked up two, stood in line for a loooong time, got up the the register, and she charged me for both. I explained they were on sale - buy one get one free. She had to call someone to go check. Of course that took quite a long time. When the person called back the said it was buy TWO get ONE free. I didn't think that was right and said I would go look - oh boy did that make the people behind me happy. Well, the person who checked was right, but of course it was one of those displays that you need to look at VERY CAREFULLY. There were several things on sale in the same display - very hard to figure out which was which. Oh well, I picked up a third one and called it good.

I was tired, it was hot, and I was done trying to shop at this point. Back home I went - or tried to. Road construction made me miss my street, non functioning traffic lights sent me off in a direction I didn't want to go, and a car that wouldn't let me change lanes all conspired against me to keep me from getting home. All that and three hours of my time and all I came home with was - my prescription and dental floss - hahahahaha. Too funny.

I forgot, I did go to the fabric store today - now that was a definate high point for me! Just love those fabric stores. I was good - didn't buy too much - well, I didn't buy too much fabric. I did buy patterns and handles for a purse.

Time to be moving along here. It's gonna be HOT tomorrow, so I'm going to go to the early exercise class - maybe even the really early class - 5:40. Hope I get some sleep tonight.
Good night everyone.

Summer is on it's way

Just when you think you can't stand the rain and the cold and the gray skies, the temperature goes from 40 degrees to the 80's and 90's overnight. What is up with that??? We were still having snow just two weeks ago, and tomorrow it's supposed to be 89 degrees. I'm not really complaining - I just don't get it. Oh well, at least I'll be warm. I think it's still 70 degrees out right now at 8:00 at night. With the windows all open it's impossible to even think. Every person in the neighborhood has decided that NOW is the time to mow their lawns, use their weedeaters, and get out their damn leaf blowers to blow every blade of grass off their property. Talk about NOISE. Who cares about air pollution - I care about NOISE pollution. Make it stop.

The kittens are getting bigger by the day. They are feral cats - and at this point a real dilemma for me. I guess until I am actually able to catch them, I can put off doing anything about them. Sad.

The bathroom remodel is coming along. The floor is gone, the toilet is gone, the walls have been spackled and textured and partially painted. Cutting and placing the backerboard comes next, and after that Dave will begin marking and cutting the tiles. Apparently my estimation of how long this would take was about a week off - shows how little I know. After the bathroom floor is finished, we can move on to replacing the counter top, sink, and faucet. After that - it's DONE.

Katie will be home this weekend - we will celebrate Mother's Day with Sean. Greg and Charisse are off to South Beach, Florida on Saturday for a few days, and then on down to the Keys. I'm sure they'll have a great time.

I think that's about it for tonight. There's more going on, but not things I really care to write about. Until next time - ta ta.

Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day today. I'm not so sure about this holiday - I think for a lot of people it just brings up bad memories, or makes them unhappy for other reasons. I'm lucky I have three children who were thoughtful enough to acknowledge the day - though were not able to be here. One brought me a beautiful hanging fuchsia - my traditional Mother's Day gift since I celebrated my very first Mother's Day 28 years ago. The other two were out of town, but both called, and sent cards. We will celebrate with a nice dinner next weekend when they will be able to be here in town. Another Hallmark created holiday.

The sun is out, the sky is blue - it gives us hope for the promise of summer - I think we've given up on spring. It is cold out - feels more like a day in November than mid May - global warming? I think I will work on my flower pots this week - pull out the weeds, dig up the dirt, add some fertilizer. Next weekend I can plant some flowers - not too many, but a few. My yard is so overgrown with trees, and so shady, not much grows in the way of flowers. I'd love to get at least one of the big trees taken down, and get the photinia trimmed back by at least half - we'll see.

This week we're moving on to the second bathroom re- do. I think we'll paint on Tuesay, rip up the floor on Wednesday, start setting the tile on Thursday, finish setting on Friday. By Saturday we should be ready to put in the new toilet, and then put the first coat of sealer on the floor. At least that seems like the way it might go . . . . . .

A lot has happened in the last few weeks - most of which I have not written about - and I don't think I will now either. They are the kinds of life changing events happening to other people, that cause each of us to look at our own lives. Some have been terrible tragedies, some magical events filled with joy. I am grateful for all that I have, and will pray for those in pain.

Tribute To Jorjah

You were a wonderful dog, a faithful companion to your family, and we loved you like one of our own. You gave many people some of the best times of their lives. You were too smart for your own good sometimes - but you sure made us laugh. We loved seeing you in your various getups for each and every holiday - and you seemed to enjoy the costumes you wore, and the attention you received. We'll miss seeing how happy you were running on the beach, swimming in the ocean, and chasing seagulls.

You may be gone, but you will never be forgotten. Thank you for all of the good times you gave us. We will love you always.

Tucker Comes Home

It's Saturday, and the first nice day we've had in ages. We took advantage of the weather and worked outside most of the day. At this time of the year there seems to be an endless amount of yard work needing to be done. This year we had some extra work to do that we normally wouldn't have. Tucker moved back home this afternoon. We would like to keep him as an indoor cat - however, he has other ideas. At any and every chance he gets, he makes a run for the great outdoors. He's actually made it out three times - and what a chore it was to corral him and return him to the house. Some of today's chores involved repairing any places in the fence that he could easily slip thru, and blocking any places that would allow him to get under the deck. That should help us a little if he escapes again, but I know he's resourceful and I'm sure he could find a way out of the yard given the opportunity. We'll just keep our fingers crossed that doesn't happen.

Have you ever wanted to travel somewhere just because you like the way the name of the place sounds? Maybe it sounds totally exotic, or romantic, or the name evokes some feeling that you can't quite put your finger on. Here are the names of some places that I have wanted to visit - just because of the name. Some I've actually been lucky enough to have travelled to - and was never disappointed!
In no particular order - here they are

Zanzibar, Kenya, Morroco, Marrekech, Siam/Thailand, French Polynesia, Tahiti, Moorea, Casablanca, Ceylon, Tanzania, Bangkok, The Saychelles, The Nile, Egypt, The Amazon, Santorini, The Silk Road, The Galapagos Islands, Singapore, Bali, Hong Kong, Provence, New Orleans, Sante Fe, Kauai, Cape Town, The North Pole, Copenhagen, Vienna, Nova Scotia, Antarctica, Machu Pichu, Tuscany, The Amalfi Coast, Buenos Aries, Borneo, and of course there is always Shanri-La - the mythical and mysterious setting from the book The Lost Horizon. I know there are many others, but these are the ones that come to mind right now. Maybe I'll add others as I think of them.

Six Word Sentence

Do you know about the thing where you write a six word sentence that describes your life? That is what I will write about tonight - nothing more - just that one six word sentence.

Dogs, cats, kids, remodel, I'm tired.''

Now you try it - whatever works for you. I did mine just for today and the way I feel right now. You can do yours anyway you want to - something that conveys the feelings of a lifetime, a year, a month, a week, a day, or an hour. Make it yours and personalize it.

Life At The Zoo

Two dogs, one indoor/outdoor cat, one outdoor mother cat and her two kittens, and another indoor cat to be added on Saturday. These are the current residents of the zoo. All is going well at this point - everyone seems to know their place and just kind of goes with the flow. Jorjah is an EXCELLENT medicine taker! I wasn't so sure how that was going to go - it's a fair amount of liquid to get her to take - but no problem at all. Pills - takes them like a champ. Food - she might just be a tad bit finicky - seems she much preferes chicken over rice - imagine that! She will pick out all of the pieces of chicken, and try to leave the rice. I am trying to outsmart her by cutting the chicken into teeny tiny pieces and then mixing it well with the rice. Makes it harder for her to pick out just her favorite parts of the meal. Haha

Uh oh, just talked to Katie. She says she feels bad that she just can't deal with the cat and is bringing him back home. She's a little worried about having kids of her own - wants to know where she would return them if it doesn't work out and they keep her up at night. I need one of those little emoticon things to insert here - the one where the eyes and mouth are wide open in surprise (and maybe consternation!).

The weather has made just a little improvement today - not much, but a little. That's lucky for Dave and Sean who are now out fishing for salmon. If all goes well, there will be fish coming in the door later tonight, and on the grill for dinner tomorrow. Mmmmmm - I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Today was the second anniversary of the day Lynda and I joined Jazzercise - and we celebrated by going out to lunch (I wonder why we don't lose any weight???). We went to The Cheesecake Factory - and actually for the first time ever, I had a piece of cheesecake there. It was pretty tasty - some sort of chocolate cheescake recommeded by our waiter. I brought half of it home to have for dessert tonight - way too much to eat in one sitting.

Ok, speaking of food - I think it's time to go rustle up something for myself for dinner. I think there is a whole refrigerator full of all kinds of things - not sure what I can make out of them, but I know I will come up with something scrumptious and wonderful. Besides, I'll have a nice glass of chardonnay with it - that will make it perfect no matter what.

I should have been a Vet

I'm working on figuring out my schedule for tomorrow - hmmm, let's see how it looks.

5:30 am - feed Abbey and Captain - Dave will actually do this
7:00 am - give Jorjah her medicine
7:30 am - feed Jorjah some breakfast and give her a pill (remember to cut pill in half)
8:00 am - feed kittens and mama cat
10:30 am - feed Jorjah
2:00 pm - give Jorjah her medicine
2:30 pm - feed Jorjah
5:00 pm - feed Abbey and Captain
5:00 pm - give Jorjah her medicine
5:30 pm - feed Jorjah
5:30 pm - feed kittens and mama cat
8:00 pm - feed Jorjah and give pill

That just about covers it - piece of cake! Oh yea, somehow I need to fit in exercise at 8:30, lunch at 11:30, a trip to Costco, and possibly make an apron for Katie's friend for her birthday. I guess I won't be wondering what I'm going to do with my time tomorrow :-). I'll let you know how it all worked out.

The weather is crazy today. We've had winds of 40 plus mph all day long - along with bouts of torrential rains. It's the end of April, we should have blue sky with puffy white clouds, and a big yellow orb shining down on us. My flowers should be reaching up to greet the sun, instead they are huddled up and shivering. We still have our water turned off in the backyard to guard against freezing temperatures. Global warming???????

The bathroom remodel should be finished up tonight - yeaaaaa. When Dave gets home we'll go pick out the new toilet and then come home and install it. There are a few odds and ends that may need to be taken care of, but the major overhaul will be done. We'll take a little break for a few weeks, and then we'll start on our bathroom. I guess as long as the weather is so bad outside, we might as well be working on these inside projects. As soon as the sun comes out, there will be plenty of yardwork to keep us busy - lots and lots of yardwork.

Move to Seattle, Tucker, and the Kittens

Last weeks poll question is now over, and we're on to a new one - be sure to vote. Results from the favorite dessert poll - creme brulet was the winner with 44% of the vote. Second place was a tie at 22% each for bread pudding and cheese and port. I LOVE all of them - but then I like dessert in general - at least good ones. Wish I had some bread pudding right now!

Since I left off on the last post with the kittens missing, I should let you know they are back - actually, they were probably never gone. I think they were just inside napping every time I was going out to look for them. I go out every morning and evening with a bowl of food. Mom is usually right there waiting. The kids are getting braver - they used to run under the house and hide the whole time I was there, but today they were actually out the whole time. They stayed close to the opening under the house, but still were brave enough to stay out the whole time I was there.

We moved Katie into her new apartment in Seattle yesterday. We went thru rain, hail, and snowstorms on the way up - crazy for the end of April! Her apartment is quite cosy and cute. She's on the third floor with a view of Ballard and the water. Very nice. The sad part was leaving Tucker with her - I've grown to love that little guy and will miss him quite a bit. He is quite a good traveler though - hardly a peep out of him all the way to Seattle - so Katie promises to bring him down every time she comes to visit. That will be nice. Sad as I am to see him go, I know that he is Katie's cat, and I know how much she missed him. I'm glad she'll have him with her - he's a good companion.

We're getting closer to being done with the tile on the bathroom floor. We put the first coat of sealer on this afternoon, and will add the second one later tonight. After that, we wait for 72 hours and we're done - yeaaaaa! We'll finish up the rest of this bathroom and then move on to the one in our bedroom. Always something to do when you have a house.

Where Are The Kittens?

Kind of a sad day today - no sign of the kittens. Actually, there was no sign of them yesterday either, but I thought I was just going out at the wrong times. Today - nothing again. The mom was around the yard - but not near the place the where the kittens were hiding under the house - that was weird. She was a good Mom from everything I could see - she wouldn't just leave them alone. Not sure if something happened to them, or maybe she moved them to another place she thought was safer - maybe even her owners home - if she has one. Katie is very sad - she had already claimed the lighter one - even named him. I was ready to take the black one. I will keep looking - and hoping!

Katie has her new apartment for sure! She will come home Friday night, and then we will help her move on Saturday. We will stay overnight to help her get as much done as possible. She will be taking Tucker with her - :-( I will be very sad - so will Captain. The two cats love each other so much - I'm not really sure this is a very good idea. I tried talking her into taking the two kittens instead - of course that was when I still knew where the kittens were! She didn't go for that idea.

Rain again, also snow and hail! Too crazy - it's April - should be warm by now - not 32 degrees when I get up in the morning!!! The rest of the week looks like more of the same. Global warming my ass!

Tonight was the last night of the Blazers home games - and we won! I was awesome - all the players worked hard, and played the best game they could. Channing Frye is my new favorite Blazer - don't ask me why - I just like him - and he's doing GREAT! I think he scored 15 points tonight - can't complaine about that. They are just such a nice group of guys - we've needed that for a while. They play like they really care - and I don't think the fans really care that much if we win or lose - as long as the team is really trying. I loved every game I went to this year!!!

Kitten Pictures

Here are some pictures of our kittens

Change Is Good

Change is good - or so they say. For me, it's more like I just get bored with the same old thing - so I change something. Today I decided that I was bored with looking at the same old things on my blog. Changing the colors seemed like a good idea, and the easiest thing to do. I played around with a few different combinations - nothing really stood out like WOW - I really like this. So, for the time being, these will be my new colors. They seem a little fresher - a little more spring like.

We're working on the bathroom today. Laying the tiles is kind of a BIG job. First, just laying out the tiles in a pleasing order could be kind of an ordeal. I think it's one of those things that a person could work on for hours if one were inclined - or extremely picky. I had to stop myself from getting too involved with how the whole thing was going to look. We laid them out, changed just a few, and then called it good. In the end, there will be rugs over most of them, and the only person who will probably even look at the floor is - well, I'm not sure. I was going to say me, but that's probably not true. I had lived in this house for over 15 years and had no idea what color the floor was in that bathroom until a friend mentioned it to me. Decorating, is really not something I spend a lot of time thinking about. I can usually tell you if I like something or not, but beyond that - it's all just kind of background "noise" to me. Not too meaningful. Anyway, back to the floor, I'm sure we'll all love it when it's done.

The kittens are getting bigger by the day. I swear they have quadrupled in size since we found them a week ago. They were out playing again today - with Mom in close attendance. The black one is a little more adventurous than the other one. Both pretty darn cute! I got out my camera to take pictures, but by the time I got back they were pretty much in the shadows and hard to see. Maybe next time.

First Day of Real Spring Weather

The kittens are still here - only they are back under the house where we orignally found them. The Mom must have decided that was a safer, quieter place for them. I have been putting food out, and have watched from a safe distane as the Mom has come out to eat. Today is our first absolutely gorgeous day of spring - 70 degrees today - and I'm loving it. I have checked on the cats several times, and the kittens have been out playing - with Mom in close proximity. They really do have the perfect place to grow up - it's nice and warm and safe under the house, and when they come out to play, they have quite a large area that is fenced in on all sides. They have grown a lot since we found them at the beginning of the week. I have a feeling they had been under the house with no way for Mom to get to them for quite a while. As soon as they were able to get some food in themselves, they just doubled in size practically overnight. I guess we'll just have to keep an eye on them and see what happens.

It's such a beautiful day out - perfect temperature, deep blue sky with just a few puffy white clouds, the spring flowers are in bloom, and the trees are beginning to leaf out. There is nothing as lovely as all of the shades of green as new plants begin to show themselves. I put on shorts, a tank top, and flip flops. I got out the sunscreen and slathered my body, then threw on my lime green baseball hat, and my sunglasses. I drug a kitchen chair onto the deck ( no lawn furniture is out yet), grabbed a book - The Twelve Little Cakes - and read for an hour. OMG - it was heaven. There was just the lightest breeze that carried the scent of flowers blooming in the yard. If I had had a cushion for the lounge I would have layed down and been asleep in about two minutes flat. In the list of things I am grateful for today - this will be at the top!

Dave is Flying with Alex today - his first time up with him. What a perfect day - I'm sure they'll both have a great time. He took the video camera so I'm anxious to see what turns out. They were planning a trip out over the Red Barn - and then on to Gaston to fly over Michael's house.

We have a game tonight, and plans to eat something afterwards. We have a list of the places we might try, and phone numbers to give them a call and see how busy they might be. Should be fun.

I was really good about working on my recipes for the kids - for a while. I've kind of put off doing any more, but need to get back to it. I also would like to begin writing down some of the old stories of grandparents and their lives while I still have the chance to ask my aunts some questions about things I'm unsure of. I'm sure I'm never going to run out of things to do!

Ramblings of the Day

No sign of the kittens today :-(. We're not sure if the Mom really took them away this time, or just moved them to a new hiding place in the garage again. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens. Katie is sad - she was working on picking out a name for one of them.

Nice lunch today with friends. We try to have lunch about once a month - more or less. This time I think it was a little more, so we had lots of catching up to do - four hours worth. It's nice we've found a restaurant that has good food, comfortable booths, and they are very nice about filling and refilling our drinks as we while away the afternoon. Next time we will try out a new restaurant, and visit the nearby quilt shop afterwards. Looking forward to that. Four friends, nine kids, and three parents give us plenty of topics to converse about.

This weekend we will be replacing the floor in one of the bathrooms. That will require removing the old vinyl, and then cutting and setting the new flooring. We picked a Travertine in kind of a neutral cream color - should be fairly versatile. I will be excited to have it finished - it's a job we've been putting off for a very long time - years in fact. After we finish this first bathroom, we will begin working on the one in our room. We'll use the same flooring, so that means I won't have to do another round of trying to figure out what I want to use, and what will work best. Yeaaaaa - I really don't like picking these things out. I'll let you know how it works out.

Kittens rescued

Monday night we rescued two hungry kittens from under our house. We think the mother cat somehow found a way under the house and had her kittens there in a place that was safe and warm and quiet. Something must have happened and she was unable to get back under the house to feed and care for them. For two days we had heard the cries of the kittens, but had mistaken the sound for a bird. Finally on Monday night we made another search and discovered the sound coming from under the house. At first we were sure it wasn't a bird, but were not really sure that it was a kitten. Was it possible it was a squirrel or raccoon? Listening closer we heard what we thought were two different animals making the sounds. We opened the vent that went under the house near the place the cries were coming from. It was too dark to see anything so I got a flashlight. Shining the flashlight down under the house I saw a flash of eyes - but nothing more. We had figured out by now that the cries were coming from two kittens. It was several feet down to the ground under the house, and there was no way the kittens were going to be able to climb out without help. At this point we became aware of a black cat hovering around nearby - probably the mother. We tried putting a board down under the house and hoped they would walk on the board and come out from under the house. Nope, that wasn't going to happen. No enticement worked - no food, or calls, or laser light. We decided we would have to go to the garage and go thru the opening there that led under the house. That proved to be a much better idea. We uncovered the opening, and got the flashlight out to shine around and see if we could spot them. It wasn't long before we saw the two sets of eyes begin to work their way from the other end of the house and come toward us. The first one out was a furry little black fluff ball about the size of a tennis ball. The second one was a little lighter in color. They were so tiny! We saw the mother had followed us and was hiding in the garage watching what was going on with her babies. We decided the best course of action would be to open the garage door a little, and leave them all alone to see what would happen. We left food and water for them, and then came into the house. Before bed Dave went down to the garage to see if they were still there and close the garage door. He found no sign of them, so we assumed the mother had taken her babies out of the garage to a new hiding place.

I was a little sad the kittens were gone, but we really didn't need any more animals anyway. That was probably for the best. The next night when Dave was in the garage before coming up to bed - he heard the hiss of a cat in the garage. The mother and babies were there afterall - just in a new hiding place! We left more food and water for them, and in the morning before Dave left for work, he lifted the garage door enough for the mother cat to go out if she wanted to. Later in the day, I went down to check and found no evidence of them and assumed she had really taken them this time. Wrong again. When Dave came home, he went on a search and found them in a new hiding place. So for the time being, we are housing and feeding the mother and babies.

Katie has claimed one for a companion to Tucker, and I would like one myself. We'll see what happens, and if they stay around long enough for us to actually claim them. They seem to belong to no one the best I can tell - but I'm not sure.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

April has started out true to form - showers - lots and lots of showers. Of course that beats the snow, hail, snow, cold, snow, hail, snow, and well, you get the picture, that we had last week - every day. Latest snow in 57 years last week. This week we had the coldest recorded temperature for this time of the year. Today - just rain - and more rain. I'm hoping that all this rain really will bring those May flowers!

Last week Sean and Dave and cousin Steve went salmon fishing on the Columbia one morning. Sean was lucky enough to catch a 14 pound salmon - and then shared some with Dave and I. We both agreed it was the best salmon we'd ever eaten. Dave grilled it with just a little butter and lemon - oh yum! Yesterday one of the people Dave works with caught a salmon, and since she had no idea how to fillet it, Dave did that for her. His reward - a really nice piece to bring home and grill for dinner. Delicious. Sean and Kevin went out this morning to try again - hope that the luck holds out and they both catch a fish.

We're at Cannon Beach today - went to A Pacific Way Cafe in Gearhart for lunch. I love that place! Great atmosphere - an old house converted into a restaurant. They have done a great job keeping all of the character and ambiance of the old house. There is a warmth and charm that resonates throughout the restaurant. The menu is modern and up to date with so many things I'd like to try - I'll have to go back often. Today I had a hard time deciding between the turkey sandwich and the quesadilla - I settled for the spicy quesadilla. A nice cold glass of Kendall Jackson chardonnay added very nicely to the meal.

It's evening now - still raining - I have a nice glass of Erath Pinot Noir by my side. Time to go for now - need to enjoy my wine.
Ciao

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday and we're still at the beach. Slept late - 9:00! - and enjoyed every minute of it. Woke up to what sounded like gale force winds, and rain that was coming down in torrents. Breakfast in bed - toast and coffe - lovely, and then a nice long bubble bath lit by candles surrounding the tub. Doesn't get any better than that. Finally was dressed and ready to go by noon. We went to the cute little bakery that not only has fabulous breads and treats, but makes wonderful sandwich wraps for lunch. We ordered up several each of the vegetarian and southwest chicken wraps. Of course we (or maybe I should say "I") had to have a couple of their soft and chewy home made cookies for dessert. Oatmeal raisin, and molasses - it's a toss up for me which I like best.

The rain continued thru the afternoon, as we amused ourselves watching funny videos on utube. Finally at 5:00 we decided to go to Happy Hour at Bill's. We got there, sat down, and were ready to order when we found out that the nacho's that were on the menu the day before - were no longer on the menu. Since we (or I guess I should say "I") had my heart set on nacho's - we decided to go to Warren House instead. We had FABULOUS nacho's, wine, and visited with our favorite server. I think it was a total win for us!

It's almost 7:00pm now - the rain has stopped - for just a few minutes - the sun is out, and life is good. I'm at the beach - don't you wish you were me? Does that sound snotty? Don't mean for it to - I'm just happy where I am.

Easter Weekend

We're at the beach this weekend - lovely weather today. The kids were all going to be gone when we decided we might as well not stay home. Of course, kids being kids, that changed. Several days before the weekend, Kat called and said she would be home to do the invitations for Katie's wedding. When I said we would cancel our plans and stay home, she said "actually, it would really be easier if you guys - and the dog, weren't here". OK, we can take a hint, and I'm not offended. We totally understand, and just resumed our plans for the beach. Kat did get home Friday night, so we were able to see her before we left for the beach on Saturday morning. That was nice. She was pretty excited to see Tucker (her cat), and talked about how soon she would be able to take him back to Seattle to whatever apartment she would rent. I was sad - I LOVE that cat.

We had a fabulous dinner tonight. The freshest halibut imaginable - on the grill, delicious flakey cheese sticks, marinated artichokes I cooked the other night, carrots - cooked on the grill, and potatoes - cooked on the grill. Along with those delicious things, we had a salad filled with the most wonderful things - lettuce, onion, grape tomatoes, blue cheese, chopped walnuts -fabulous. Of course we had wine with our dinner - a nice chardonnay to compliment all of the flavors in the dinner. Dessert - two wondrful homemade cookies - one ginger/molasses, and the other, oatmeal/raisin. I am so full, but happy about every single bite I ate.

More tomorrow, but now, I'm tired and think it's time to call it a night. Good night.

Bathroom Redo

Well, it seems like I still have a ways to go before I completely master this whole blog thing. All I did was make a title - and - poof - off it went. There was no blog to go along with it - just a title. Crazy.

Soooo, bathroom redo - there is almost nothing I detest more than home decorating. I DO NOT enjoy the whole house decorating thing - I wish I did, but it's just really not me at all. I would rather be cooking or crafting, or figuring out how and where to travel on my next vacation. Making my house look nice - for other people - is just not a priority for me. So sad. Actually, I wish EVERYONE would just concentrate on what makes them happy - NOT what they think will make them look great in the eyes of other poeple. The really awesome thing about my blog - absolutely, positively no one can find it - including me! I am safe in writing whatever I want - no one will ever read it and criticize me. Hahahaha - I love it!

Vacation Poll

Well, the vacation poll is closing in about 30 minutes - last chance to get your vote in. Right now the vote is evenly split between Sydney and Paris. I haven't voted yet myself, but that is because I can't pick a favorite from Sydney, Rome, or Paris. I love to travel, and I can find wonderful things in just about every city I have ever visited. I've been to Sydney twice - and loved it both times. I've been to Paris once - and will be going back again this summer - can't wait. Rome - what can I say about Rome? For me, there was something truely magical about Rome - but I think I need to go back again to make sure I wasn't under some kind of magical spell - hahahah. I really loved Rome.

India was a place that defies explanation - at least for me. I don't think that anything can really prepare a person for the experience that one encounters there. It is the only place I have ever been that one experiences 500 years of time - all at the same time. Old and new, camels and cars - side by side on the road. Animals as a means of transporation, and next to them cars and scooters. I'm grateful for the opportunity I had to go there and be a part of this tiny space in time where all is happening at once. It is a land of extreme poverty - and yet, the people seemed to be at peace with their lives. It is a land of dismal opportunity for most, yet everywhere one looks, there are women in gorgeous, beautiful saris of all colors. It has a look of hope - even though hope is non existant. Hmmmmm, not really sure how I jumped to India - no cities in India are on my vacation poll. Chalk it up to the wanderings of my mid-life mind. I just never seem to know where it will take me these days.

Time for this weeks poll to close - gotta go so I can check the results, and figure out a new poll for next week.

Where's My Blog?

I never started my blog because I wanted people to read it - I started it because I wanted to see if I could figure out how to do it. I thought maybe it would help bring me into the computer age a little more than I am. Now the interesting thing is, I have figured out how to do it well enough that I can actually post on it, I have customized it, and added pictures. What's driving me crazy is that I can't figure out why it won't show up on a google search. The only way I am able to access it, is that I just happened to put it in my favorites list at some point in the beginning. I just find it very strange that no search will turn it up.

Is It Spring?

It's been a few months since I've posted anything on here - I kind of forgot I even had a blog. Maybe I shouldn't admit that - that's really my age showing - out of sight, out of mind. Oh well, what can I say?

I'd like to post some wildly exciting things that have been going on in my life the last few months - but there really haven't been any. Not to say that life has been dull or uneventful - just not wildly exciting. But then it's winter - time to rest and recoup. Time to lay low, put my pajamas on by 7pm, watch old movies on TV, and store up my energy for the coming months - always need lots of energy for spring and summer. Sooooo, we've had nice weather for days now - at least two weeks - is it possible spring is really here? I see that the bulbs I planted in the fall are beginning to sprout pretty new stems - at least the ones the squirells didn't eat. It shouldn't be long before the beautiful yellow daffodils are showing off and vying for attention with the crocus and narcissus. Nothing says spring to me more than daffodils! Oh wait - also the beautiful spring daphane with their signature fragrance. The smell of daphne always reminds me of my grade school years. We had daphne growing in our front yard around the front porch. I can remember always picking a branch and taking it to school while it was in bloom. They say (whoever "they" are) that smell is our strongest sense. I believe that's true - there's nothing that can put me back into a particular place, era, or time like the smell of a particular scent. There is a certain scent I will smell every few years. I don't know what it is, and I smell it in all kinds of different settings - always indoors - but it will put me right back into my first grade classroom and hallways in nothing flat. It is the smell of the classroom, mingled with the the odors from the school cafeteria drifting down the hallways. Funny - I can't imagine why that is such an intense memory, but it sure is.

Getting Ready For Christmas

What a fast week - didn't realize it's been seven days since I last signed in - haha - kind of sounded like what a person says when they go to confession! At least that's what they show people saying on TV -I'm not Catholic, and don't go to confession. Actually, I think that there is some type of confession in the Episcopal Church - the High Church - whatever that might be. Have to look that up sometime.

I finally got around to begin wrapping presents today. I didn't think I had too many at all - but was surprised as I pulled out one gift after another from various places in the house. For the family Christmas party this weekend, I had to wrap 11 gifts - six for the kids, and one gift for each of the adults that will be coming from my family - five more. Combine those with the ones I needed to wrap from the other side of the family, and the ones I have so far for my family - YIKES! - that's a lot of presents. I got a lot of help from the kitten - he seemed to think it was his duty to inspect each and every present being wrapped. Of course this could only be done as he climbed onto the table to investigate. As fast as he could climb up, I would grab him and put him back on the floor - it was losing battle for me. He was much quicker. Why I didn't just pick him up and put him in another room and shut the door I'm not sure. That sure would have been easier!

We are dog sitting for Ayn and Alex this week. They dropped their dog off yesterday afternoon. She seems quite happy and content- though I think she was surprised to find a new cat here. The two of them spent a little bit of time getting acquainted, and now seem like old friends. That's good because she will be here for a week. Now - one more little adjustment might be needed. Sean will be gone for the weekend, and we may watch his cat too. Three cats, and two dogs - that is quite a managerie. The biggest problem is trying to keep the ones inside that are indoor pets. Kind of makes me tired just thinking about it.

Tomorrow I will begin making the first of the rum cakes of the season. I think that I have at least 8 to make this year - maybe a few more. They are kind of spread out over the next few weeks, so I don't have to make too many all at once. I need four before next Friday - that's not too bad.

Time to go - need to get back to the wrapping!

Happy Holidays!

Too much to do, in too little time - that's the usual mantra for this time of the year. We will get our tree on Saturday - and hope that the new kitten doesn't think it's his personal toy. Since he was a stray that we rescued from high up in the neighbors tree, I don't have much hope that he will stay out of it. Don't think we'll put the breakable ornaments on this year. Hmmmm, I think that pretty much leaves a bare tree - nearly all of the ornaments we have are breakable. We discarded everything else a few years ago - after all the kids are all in their 20's, and we're not worried about them breaking things. I guess that will simplify the tree decorating. I will concentrate on the wonderful smell from the Christmas tree instead of all of the decorations and ornaments - that will work for this year. That is my motto - whatever it is - it will work. I am going to apply that to everything.

I have received some Christmas cards already, but haven't even started writing mine yet. I've purchased no more than three gifts, have not decorated the house, and we've have eaten all of the cookies I've made. I think I've got a long way to go to catch up. Funny that I don't seem to have some huge driving force to get it all done. It's not that I have a bah humbug attitude - I'm just not all stressed about getting it all done. I'm enjoying the season.

Happy Birthday Sean

I can recall the day he was born like it was yesterday - or at least last week. The details are clear and bright - how could it have been 26 years ago??? He will go out with friends and his sister tonight - what? he doesn't want to spend his birthday with Mom and Dad???? He stopped by the house this afternoon, and I gave him his birthday presents - mainly clothes (which he asked for) and season one of Deadliest Catch - he loved it. Tomorrow night he will have dinner with us - not sure whether we will go out or have dinner at home - he said either was ok, and he'd love chili if we stay home. I think I'll see how the day goes before I make a decision.

The storm is finally over - now people are dealing with the aftermath, and it's not pretty. Thousands along the coast are still without electricity and phone service, as well as major damage to homes and businesses. Major flooding has put many areas under water. Most roads to the coast are not passable at this point. Hwy 26 not only has hundreds of trees down, but today a gigantic sinkhole developed just west of the tunnel. It will be some time before that road is open to traffic. Vernonia is all but destroyed - flooding everywhere. It is beginning to recede, but will be a long time before homes are habitable again, businesses are open, and the kids are able to go back to school. So very sad.

The hwy between Portland and Seattle - I-5 is totally under water near Chehalis/Centralia. An entire new shopping complex is under water. It will be several days before the road is passable again. There is a loss of four million dollars a day, every day that the road is not open. Not sure exactly how that is calculated, but I'll take their work for that.

I finally heard from Ayn today - the only cell reception available was in Warrenton - so they drove there to try and call. It seemed that the only place Ayn could get reception was in the middle of the road! It was an interesting call as she jumped in and out of the road dodging oncoming traffic from both directions! The good news - they are OK, and so is their house!!! Their neighbors are all ok also - such good news. They still have no electricty or phone service - and probably won't for a while. The conversation was difficult and short, so I will have to find out the details when they are able to return. They were not sure if they would try to make the trip tomorrow - which could be very arduous, or maybe wait until Thursday or Friday. I'm just glad that they are ok, and the house is still standing strong.

The Storm Rages On

Apparantly I still haven't learned the ins and outs of how to use this blog. I spent about a half hour this morning just typing away, tried reading it on "preview" and then I'm not sure exactly what happened, but POOF - it was gone! Since there is a place that says a draft is automatically being saved, I don't understand where the new post went - or why. Oh well, I guess I will try to do a reasonable re-creation.


As the title says, the storm rages on! The winds and rains have continued thru the night and are still going strong this morning at 10:00am. Predictions are that this will be the norm until late afternoon when we may begin to see a slow down. Winds at the coast have been at hurricane force with gusts up to 129 mph in Longview, and 119 in Seaside. The winds have been steady since yesterday, and the forecast continues to include the prediction of more gusts in the 100mph range. The coast is now isolated - highways are closed due to downed trees, and all phone service is out - both land lines, and cell phones. Police are now warning of impending mudslides on the highways to the coast, and asking people to stay away. The last report I had from our friends was about 10:30 last night - winds were howling, and no electricity made it pitch black - a very terrifying night was ahead of them. No way to reach them today to see how they made it thru. I will keep my fingers crossed that all is well!!!!!

Latest reports say there was 10 inches of rain in about 12 hours at Lees Camp in the coast range. There is flooding all over the Portland and surrounding area. Police are out blocking streets that are too dangerous to drive on due to standing water. The rains continue to come down in torrents, and the wind blows it every which way. At least two more inches of rain are predicted today.