AN ANNIVERSARY TO REMEMBER (Dec. 22nd, 2009)

We have been saying it since our Alaska cruise this summer but this time it is official. Happy 30th Anniversary my love!

We met for breakfast under the thatched roof with great anticipation of the day ahead of us. Snorkels in the bag? Check! Sunglasses? Check! Sunscreen? Check! Towels? Check, check, check! So… our breakfast was a little more leisurely than expected and the drive to the ferry boat at Playa Del Carmen a little longer. We did not make it there for the 10:00 AM departure by just minutes and therefore had to wait for the next ferry at 11:00 AM. John made a quick call to Victor the captain of our boat to give him the heads up. The ferry boat ride was wonderful as we were entertained by a local band that played a wide array of fitting music.

Victor was ready for us when we got to the boat and we were ready to hit the water. We made three different dives today and they were all awesome! Besides seeing beautiful fluorescent colored fish, we also saw a good size sting ray, a sea turtle, a vibrant yellow eel, and lots of barracuda. Victor provided us with drinks through out the day and a great, warm ham & cheese sandwich after the second dive, and boy did that taste good!

After our second dive we were surprised by a pod of bottle nose dolphins that came along the side of our little boat. They were literally within reach. We got so excited! I was about to lean over the edge of the boat to see if I could touch them when…SPLASH, and they all fled like lightning. What happened? Man overboard! In his excitement to swim with the dolphins (that is planned for another day Nolan) he jumped in the water with his mask to get a closer look. Darn him. Why hadn’t I thought of that? Now they were gone.

We caught the ferry back to Playa Del Carmen where we had left our car and drove back to Cancun to clean up for dinner. Correction… a feast! John had made a reservation at La Habichuela for our anniversary celebration, one of the top rated restaurants in Cancun, and we were not disappointed! Yes, the service was fantastic but the food was out-of-this-world! Our table was in the garden area that looked magical with all its little lights. Take a moment and follow the link to see for your self just how beautiful the setting is. We started with some wonderful appetizers (#8 & 34) followed by a couple of different soups (#60 & 62). Then just before the main course we were given a surprisingly fresh tasting little… something. It turned out to be half a guava with a little lime sorbet topped with Mayan liqueur. WOW! For the main course several of us took one of their signature meals…a coconut filled with tasty seafood…a wonderful presentation and delicious.

No room for dessert? The least we had to try while we were there was their famous Mayan Coffee Flambé made with Xtabentun (Mayan liquor). It was so good that we vowed to come back one more time before leaving Cancun just to have the coffee.

And maybe again in another 30 years!

A SLICE OF THE JUNGLE (Dec. 21)

Only after waking up this morning and seeing our accommodations with daylight did I realize just how wonderful the hotel is at which we are staying. El Rey Del Caribe is a four story building that has an older world, Caribbean atmosphere. The center courtyard is overgrown with topical foliage kept green by the tropical rain storms that frequent the area. Today we got to experience one of those first hand.

Our itinerary for the trip was expertly comprised by our very own personal tour guide, John. On today’s schedule was nothing but relaxation and getting acquainted with Cancun itself. After a leisurely breakfast included in our lodging we all hopped in our car and headed for MERCADO 28, the largest of several markets with the greatest diversity in goods. Even though none of us purchased anything, we at least got a feel for what would be available at a later time if we so desired. After that we decided to check out a beach or two. On our way to the touristy hotel zone where most of the beaches are, we got lost and came across some areas that I’m sure we would have missed otherwise. By the time we found the beaches, the skies had opened up and a torrential rain was filling the streets to no avail, no thanks to the poor drainage system. We were amazed by how mopeds and motorcyclist just kept on trucking in this rain.

Since we did not have any commitments for today it seemed like a good idea to take advantage of one of the hotel services: a massage. They were priced so favorably that Anneliese and I could not resist. Anneliese was first. While she was relaxing to the sound of tropical music, the rest of us went to the local SUPER (market) to buy some PAN DULCE (sweet breads). Our original idea was to take them back to the motel with as a light dinner, but we never made it out of the store with them. The four of us just stood there by the entry savoring a bite, one after another, of each different roll we had purchased until we were all done, leaving only a small morsel of each to take back to Anneliese. The security guard by the door was thoroughly entertained by this scene.

Knowing that I would probably miss some more adventures while I was being massaged quickly faded away by the firm yet gently hands of the masseuse. I no longer cared what everyone else was up to. By the time I was done, everyone else had returned as well and we were all ready for bed early since the travel day before had been so long. Besides we had to be well rested for our first official outing tomorrow…. Cozumel here we come!

ON OUR WAY…to CANCUN (Dec. 19 & 20)

The first two days of our Christmas vacation were travel days. We left Da Boys home at the designated time knowing they would be picked up and well cared for by our doggie sitter later in the day. The eight hour drive to SF was uneventful. We had a late lunch / early dinner at In & Out so that we would be just a little bit hungry upon arrival. Our plan was to hit Tuttimellon for a scrumptious dessert, and call it good.

All five of us, John, Nolan & Anneliese, Chelsey and I hit the sack by 9:30 PM as we had to catch the 4:30 AM shuttle to the SF airport. There we had to wait a few hours before embarking on our flight to Mexico City. John had already informed us that our plane from La ciudad de Mexico to Cancun would be delayed an hour, so it appeared that we would have a four hour layover instead of just three before departing. Oh well. At least we would have plenty of time to catch our connecting flight. Unfortunately for us that lay over turned into a good 7 hours. Yes, we were in Mexico. I for one was glad to have a good book with me.

We finally arrived, baggage and all, in Cancun around 11:30 PM and found out that many other flights were delayed until the following day. We were grateful to get to our destination at all that night.

Stop number one: pick up our rental car. We were driven to the location and were glad the agency had someone still waiting for us. Thank you John for calling and giving them the heads-up about our delays. Bags in the trunk and off we were to stop number two: our CASA for the next seven days. Ah, how good it felt to hit the pillow.

It's The ? Day Of Christmas

I have no idea what day of Christmas it is today. All I know is that Christmas is on an express train getting here. Slow down already! What happened to the old Chu-chu locomotives?

Tonight is the last bowling night of the 2009 and we are having a Christmas party. We each bring a present and get to take a present on our first strike. I wonder if there will be anything left to pick from when it is my turn. Actually, our team is doing pretty well. As of last week we’re actually in 1st place! How about that?…thanks to handicaps. I guess that’s what happens when you start at the very bottom with LOTS of room to improve.

John and I packed for Mexico last night. Da Boys could tell something was up and were not happy. I was committed to taking a very small suitcase until it became evident that John had packed his smallest suitcase and neglected to put any of OUR Christmas present in it. So I had to get a larger suitcase down to make accommodation. Sigh! When I grabbed the presents we had so carefully wrapped, I noticed that something had partially UNwrapped them. Thank you Teddy! And thank you Scotch for making clear tape so that I could fix the rips in the paper and the missing parts of the gift bags.

Last night we also had a local artist come to our home to give us an oil painting of our pond she painted during the Garden Tour last August. How very sweet of her. We had a nice visit and I was sure glad they liked animals. Both of Da Boys climbed all over her and her husband, and a little latter Chelsey’s cats joined them too. And… when we were all deep in our conversation, Teddy slipped off their laps and found a Kleenex in the lady’s purse after rummaging through it and then ate it. I guess what they say is true: unwanted behavior becomes worse as dogs age. I hope that is not also true of people. :)

Naughty or Nice?

Well, right now it is definitely NAUGHTY! I'm not sure who, but HE is definitely naughty.

John and I went to see Blind Side. It was awesome...a feel-good movie. Just the kind I like. When we came home we were limited in time before having to leave for a staff Christmas party. We had just enough time to feed Da Boys. As we were ready to head out the door I noticed something odd and wet on John's pant leg and shoe. Upon closer examination using all of my senses, I concluded that it was, you'll never guess.... poo. But John, how did you get poo on your pants and shoe? Is the toilet seat so small that you missed the mark?

We looked around the only places John had been since coming home, the bathroom, and found the whole floor covered with Poo. It looked like someone had filled a water-gun with IT and been set loose in there. It was EVERYWHERE! So obviously, it would seem that John was not the culprit. He grabbed a roll of paper towels while I returned to the kitchen for a bucket and mop. And what is that I see? More of the same all over the kitchen. Then the light-bulb when on. John had mentioned something earlier in the day about Da Boys getting into my 25 LBS bag of newly purchase, long-grain, jasmin rice sitting on the laundry room floor. And come to think of it, those little odd particles did look a lot like rice.

Bingo. A corner of the bag had been chewed off and that corner was definitely missing a bunch of rice. It didn't take long to figure out who dun it. Otis' belly was bulging when I touched it and no sooner did I do that and he ran out the doggy-door and spayed the lawn with little white pellets. I'm glad that at least he made it outside this time and that the rice won't grow in this environment as the Teddy's birdseed still may. Poor Otis may not sleep with us tonight. He will be confined to the laundry room where he has immediate access to the outdoors.

Needless to say we did not make it to our Christmas party.

I SMELL ROSES

Friday morning we drove to Portland for an appointment. While there we decided to visit The Dutch Import Store. We were actually very good and only purchased a little licorice and cookies along with some desperately awaited sambal. We had been out for several months. We also visited the outlet stores and purchased a few summer clothing items for our Mexico trip. That was a challenge in the middle of winter.

We decided to go back Eugene to spend the night so that we would have less distance to travel home on Saturday. Besides, the Best Western - New Oregon is awesome when it comes to letting dogs stay. Every room is dog-friendly AND they do not charge extra. The local paper was delivered Saturday morning and again it was full of DUCK fever. The main article focused on the quick sale of plane tickets for the Rose Bowl as well as accommodations in Pasadena. That is all it took! No sooner had John read that and he got on the web and ordered plane tickets for two, made hotel reservations, and rented a car. Yep, you guessed it. John and I are going to the Rose Bowl January 1st. Before leaving Eugene we stopped at a DUCK store an purchased a Rose Bowl t-shirt and hat for each of us. It amazed us how quickly they had those for sale. Rose Bowl. Why couldn't it be called the Tulip Bowl? I've never been that fond of roses. Now I have to a wear designer rose on my chest and head. I guess I should be glad it's not called the Toilet Bowl. At least roses do smell nice.

We are home again and need a day to catch our breath so that we can return to work on Monday. Wow, I've put over 2000 miles on my little car in just over one week.

"I LOVE MY DUCKS!"

Brrrrrrr. It was cold in Autzen Stadium tonight. The windchill took the temp down to 25 degrees. Thank you HOTTIES for the warmth you provided for our hands. When we found out that the temps were dropping below freezing, I had second thoughts about leaving Da Boys in the car for the duration of the game, so we took a chance and left them in the hotel room even though we did not have their crate with us. We made sure to unpack and scatter some of our things in the room and on the bed, hoping that the scent of familiar things would help them feel at home.

Just before kick off, when the stadium was already busting with it's new record attendance of 59597, the famous YouTube viral clip was played on the big screen and the the place rocked! From there it only got better. Even though the game had it's ups and down, in the end the Ducks took the Rose Bowl bid. GO DUCKS! Needless to say John is ecstatic! I think he is on his computer right now looking into flight options to Pasadena. The one T-shirt I wanted to get to remember this year's football season is the "I LOVE MY DUCKS" shirt. Unfortunately it was sold out everywhere. We hope that there will be another wave of shirts printed up now that the season has been extended a few weeks.


When we got back to our room, Da Boys were very happy to see us and ready for a spin around the block. The only thing that they got into that I should have put up was the complementary coffee and tea packages. Phew, at least they did not try to dig their way out of the room. Now as far a any barking is concerned, I have no clue what happened but the we presumed that everyone would probably be at the game, so who cares? We did of course leave the TV on so that they could enjoy the game as well. Ha!

I C GREEN

The car is ready with it's flags protruding from the back windows and magnetic DUCK feet on the bumper. No one will mistake us for "the other Oregon team" today. It seems like everything we are packing for this outing is GREEN. Green socks, green underwear,green pants & shirt, green coat & hat. You name it, and it's GREEN! Da Boys are coming on the trip with us and even they have DUCK color ID tags. In the past I've been know to dye my hair green, why didn't I think of that earlier? Oh well.

John tells me that this Civil War between the DUCKS and the Bs is the most significant in about 60 years, so I'm really excited to go to it. But boy, is it going to be cold. The forecast is for possible snow. I've invested in HOTTIES for my toes and HOTTIES for my hands, and I think I'd better take some blankets with me as well.

We leave this morning on the trek with it's usual breakfast stop. John has this thing for breakfast and there are several good eateries along the way. Today we will stop in Gold Beach at Indian Creek because that timing works best. An earlier breakfast will let us have an early dinner, well before the game, so that there will be time to take Da Boys on a solid walk before they're bound to the car for some five hours. Just so you know, I've intentionally let their fur grow quite long in anticipation of this trip, and I'm taking extra HOTTIES and two down throws for them to cuddle with in the car. They will be fine! Later all four of us will do a victory cuddle in the family bed. LOL.

GO DUCKS!!!

Ah, Sweet Gatherings

I am thankful for my family and the opportunity to get together during the holiday season. We are all at the Akin homestead in Placerville, Nolan & Anneliese, Bob & Barb, Nate, Rory, Chelsey, and John and I.

The morning was off to a busy start. We all participated in The Turkey Trot, a fundraiser 5K walk/run. Thanks Bob for the experience. Now we are now back at the house where the turkey aroma is filling the air.

After filling our bellies to overfilling, we spent an hour or so in the family-size hot tub drinking Bob's newest concoction...Baby Blush. Delicious! Friday morning we made our regular visit to Sweetie Pie for an awesome breakfast. Then we split up in two groups, the Moonies (New Moon)- take two for most, and the lookers. John, Bob and I were the lookers...looking at the surrounding areas of Placerville, homes, lakes, hills, etc.

Today, Saturday, we are going Christmas tree hunting followed by a traditional Chinese dinner. Oh what a wonderful season.

Time To Slow Down

What a busy weekend it's been. I gave both of Da Boys a grooming although I didn't take much off of them. I figure they need their winter coats on as much as we do these next few months. I also gave Chloe a clipping... around her butt. Her hair is so long that her poo sometimes sticks to it, so it had to go if she is going to stay in MY house!

After returning from the Hmong New Year yesterday, John and I stopped to bowl a few games. We have so much fun with it. We got home in time to watch the DUCK game and what a game it was. I was all stressed halfway through the last quarter when it didn't look like the Ducks were going to win. And then, everything changed. WOW what a game!!! Two overtime periods and a win. The Civil War is going to be huge this year as the winner of that game will go to the Rose Bowl.

I am in need of a walk. I just gorged on delicious Mexican food. The potlucks from Church are so much fun. I think I'm going to have to ask John to go on trips more often so that I can have more parties. LOL Actually, John, you were missed by all. You are such a good father to make time to take your daughter to all of her appointments in Portland! Just one of the many reasons why I love you!

Okay, I'm on my way out the door with Da Boys while it is not raining. Maybe I can at least walk off the beans.

A Tripple Whammy

This morning I made a point to get to school early as I had a lot of things that needed to be done. When I opened my door, I was surprised and very unhappy about what I saw. Apparently my room is being used by a law-enforcement team that teaches kids about the consequences of getting in trouble at school and with the law. Great program but all the desk had been moved around and all my stuff was tossed into boxes and put on the floor. Mind you that I've been working very hard at getting that stuff ready and sorted. Now I was going to have to start all over. Ggggrrrrr!

Then on my way to the office to complain about the condition of my room, the right pant leg of my brand new pant got caught on a screw that protruded from the doorstop. Now my pants were ripped as well. Double Ggggrrrrrrr!!

And then.... I had to have a my you-know-whats put in a vice for their yearly mammogram. Boy, am I glad the weekend is here. ...a movie tonight with my love, Hmong New Year festivities tomorrow (great food), and a Mexican pot-luck after church on Sunday. All that AND I get to relax in the hot tub while reading a book.

Critter Care

I kept hearing the sound of something getting stuck on fabric and being pulled free. It was. Chloe and Kona's nails were so long that they were having trouble walking on the carpet, so off to get a manicure they went to Caldwell's Grooming Salon. They are now happily walking around, and maybe they will leave my sofa alone!!!! As I sit here writing this entry, Chloe is pawing at the cursor as it moves across the screen. Too cute. Oh, oh, now she is trying to bite the screen. I'd better close it quick!

Glaucoma Testing

During my last visit to the optometrist, it was noted that I have some pressure build up in my eyeballs which may lead to glaucoma. To be on the safe side they ordered this special test, and I thought the process was kind off fun. You had to look into this small dome in which they scatter little lights one at a time over, a period of seven minutes. Each time you saw a light you had to press a little button. The process was then repeated with the other eye. As it turns out I had NO false positives and NO false negatives... in other words, I got 100% correct. Pretty nice baseline don't you think? I will have to take this test every other year as I am in a higher risk category for glaucoma since my mother had it.

On both Monday and Tuesday I spent my whole time at work packing and unpacking. Yes, I've moved back to my old room! The good part about that is that I LOVE having my own space again. I mean, you do what you have to do when sharing a room, but it is nice to stretch out again! I also finally got to purchase some desperately needed materials so that I can correctly implement this awesome program that will really make a difference in teaching people how to read and write!!!

And... a short bowling update: We haven't /won't bowl in our league for 4 weeks straight as one or another of our team members is gone. I decided I needed to keep practicing so I took in some games after school yesterday. I want my fans to know that I am indeed improving. I bowled an average of about 130 over the span of 5 games.

Double Duty

So.... People are not the only ones that like company when eating. Barnabas, our poodle guest, does not only like company when he eats, he also likes to be hand-fed...just like Cleopatra.

Barnabas is not one to overeat. As a matter of fact, it appears to be a challenge to get him to eat enough. This problem is compounded when he is not with HIS people. I was told to use my judgement about feeding him. I have taken that to mean to do the best I can. And that I am determined to do.

Unlike Otis, Teddy, and Allison, Barnabas is a VERY slow eater. In order for the other dogs not to snatch and eat his food, I've had to put him in the little bathroom off the laundry room. While he eats, some, I feed the other three and keep an eye on them to make sure each one eats just his/her own bowl's worth. When they are done, I return to Barnabas to keep him company and coach him to eat more.

I've learned after just a time or two that feeding Barnabas can take a while. He takes just one itty-bitty-piece of kibble and chews it at least twenty times before swallowing it. Then he actually thinks about taking on the task of eating another piece. I've found that I can expedited the process just a little by picking out a piece of kibble for him and feed it to him. He seems to like that and thus will keep eating just to keep the attention. Hey, if it works for him, it works for me. My goal is to have Barnabas weighing the same, not less, than when we got him! There is only one down side to this. Barnabas' diet includes 1/4 can of wet food. By the end of the eating session, I have ground whateva under my nails. Yuk!

Rather than bending over or sitting on the cold tile floor when I feed Barnabas, I've taken the only other logical spot in the tiny bathroom...the throne. I realized that I had never sat there that long before and it dawned on me that I can make the time do double duty. Hey, maybe that will help me from getting hemorrhoids. Thank you Barnabas for the idea you gave me.

I've learned one more thing from Barnabas. He doesn't eat much and takes forever to eat the little he does. No wonder he is so thin. I am going to try his approach to eating. Maybe I can get John to feed me little bites of chocolate-covered-strawberries and other delights.

Thank you John!

What would I do without my man? Thanks to the techie in my home, I now have pictures posted with my blog from earlier today. :)

Okay! Okay!!

Yes, I know it's been a while since I've posted anything. I guess I'm just not as creative as SOME people in finding stuff to write about and then the thought, "Who actually reads this stuff anyway?"


What a sunset!!!

I've been to a super football game, a wedding, the dentist in Medford, etc, etc, the last few weeks. Nothing worthy to repeat 'cause most of it is old news by now except that my vertigo is almost all gone. Yay! It's been almost eight weeks. John and I've been kitten-sitting two of our three grand kiddies for the last few weeks. At first we were concerned that Da Boys would have themselves a mouth full of fur, but everything considered they are all getting along better than expected. Chloe and Kona are the epitome of calm cats. I'm sure that has helped tremendously.


Chloe and Kona enjoying some attention.

We have tossed two more dogs into the mix for a few days. We are dogie-sitting Allison (yellow lab) and Barnabas (Standard poodle) for some friends. They also are mellow animals. It has been fun to take all four of them on a walk at once, or dragged as the case may be. I have not dared to let Kona and Chloe out of their room with four dogs in the house. I'm afraid one of their nine lives may be scared off of them.


Four Furry Friends

This weekend I get to enjoy them all by my self as John is going to another Duck game with Chelsey. The writing in on the wall. After Thanksgiving I'm going to actually have to earn my pay. New schedules are being worked on so that my classes will be filled to the rim. Darn it already! But first Thanksgiving break. One thing at a time. Ooh, I took the cutest pictures of all the four legged children at our house but unfortunately I can't seem to figure out how to post them. One of these days.....

Spare Again

John and I went bowling last Sunday to get some much needed practiced, and it payed off this Thursday during league night. We each improved our average by several points and made our team proud. Now you have to understand that improving your average by just a few points means a lot because the later it gets in the season, the higher above your average you have to bowl to bring that average up.

My overall average has fallen to 109, no thanks to the BPPV that is still with me, although much more manageable now. I bowled the first game without any strikes but lost of spares and still managed a 138. I fell apart in the second game and bowled in the 90s. Then I blew it out of the water the third game with the highest ever...173. Wow. John had a similar night so between our two great nights we got two of the four game points of the evening. John's average went from 113 to 115 and mine from 109 to 111. Our goal is to become consistent bowlers in the 150-175 rage. Who knows, maybe we will even bowl a fluke 200 point game some day. Hah! "In your dreams!" you say? Probably!

A Dog With Good Taste

Teddy does have good taste. Did I say good? I meant expensive. He has been know to slum on tissues or toilet paper but he has definitely graduated to above his means, if it is possible, that is, to put a price on the love and affection he gives us.

This year alone Teddy has eaten $10.00 worth Dutch Bro. coffee bucks that had been laying on John's night stand, a twenty-dollar bill found not far from the previous, a hearing aide left on the coffee table, and tonight's choice of entree... a reimbursement check for $117.00 make out to John. Teddy had to dig for that one in John's school bag. How does this dog know were the valuables are kept????

John, I've told you more than once that we need to purchase a safe!!! I'm afraid my new diamond ring is next.

Passing Time

Wow! It’s the weekend again. Nolan & Anneliese will be arriving back in SF tomorrow evening. Yea! I spent the week working on catching the HS up on a bunch of paperwork. Thank goodness I had someone to help me out with it. That sure helped pass the time.

This afternoon I went to the bowling alley to work on my skills. It’s the third time I’ve gone to practice outside of the league games, and I think it is starting to pay off even though I have a long way to go. Gary the alley owner, in an attempt to encourage me said that "bowling a 103 average is not too bad...there are plenty of people who've been bowling for 30 years that bowl a 103 average." My comment was: "They are obviously doing something wrong and I don't want to bowl a 103 when I'm 84!" John did not initially want to go with me, but halfway into my third game he showed up. I think he got some good pointers form Gary as well. I actually am enjoying this game so much more than I could ever have dreamed.

The sand is back on the northern part of Harris Beach letting us walk all the way to Rainbow Rock should we choose to do so. Da Boys loved it. Teddy found some dead animal to roll around in and Otis found himself plenty of bottles. I recently learned something new… plastic soda bottles with the lid on them, containing some yellow fluid are not to be messed with. Apparently fishermen use empty soda bottles to urinate in before tossing them overboard. Eeeeeeewwwwww

This morning I went to the beach again with Da Boys. They found a pelican with a broken wing, poor thing. I saw it just as they reached it at a full run. What was interesting is that they just sniffed it a couple of times and then ran on to chase other ocean birds. I am so glad that Da Boys are not into tormenting handicapped creatures they find on the beach.

Not Again!

Just how many peanuts did Teddy eat??????? More remnants on the carpet when I came home this afternoon. I'm having the carpets cleaned this weekend!!!!!

PEANUT....

Yesterday I came home and was hungry since I’d had a very early lunch. There wasn’t much in the fridge as I haven’t gone shopping yet this week. I took out a piece of garlic/pepper bread to toast and spread some awesome organic peanut BUTTER on it. Yum. It was sooo good that I just had to have a second piece of toast. Needless to say, I was not hungry for dinner a little later.

When John met up with me he was quick to let me know that Teddy had been naughty that day. Apparently he had managed to unscrew the lid off a jar of ROASTED peanuts that John had left sitting on a table next to his seat by the TV. I have some doubts if the lid was truly on the jar but regardless the jar would have been better off in the cupboard. Oh well. I’d say John will have to live without having peanuts until he buys himself some more.

Since it was cold in the house, John and I decided to get in the hot tub to warm up. I’m sure glad we have one. We use it all the time. From the hot tub I notice that our peanut BUTTER BUSH is, after several years, finally starting to bloom. It has beautiful red flowers at the end of each steam that are supposed to turn into red berries and eventually purple as time goes on. I can’t wait to see the process.

We watched the news and a movie that was pretty lame, and I was more than ready for bed as I had not been sleeping particularly well the last few days due to hot flashes and the vertigo that I’m still harboring. Now, Da Boys like to snuggle under the covers with us, and usually sometime during the night, jump out when they get too warm and go to their doggy bed. At some point during the night I again woke up but not for the usual reasons. I smelled bad in my bed! Several thoughts ran through my head. Had John cut the cheese or did one of Da Boys cut the cheese? Gross!!! I kicked Otis out of bed who was still snuggling by my feet and proceeded to fan out the bedding... trying to vent out the odor. After several attempts I noticed that it didn’t help. I contemplated moving to another bedroom and leave all the male species to themselves. Then it hit me! I jumped out of bed, and yes I was right. There was peanut POO all over my carpet in front of the bedroom door. It looked like someone, or something as the case may be, had taken several fists full of peanuts and scattered them all over. Thank you John for leaving your peanuts out and Teddy for helping yourself to them earlier in the day.

Another sleepless night! Grrrr.

My Little Watchdogs

I love watching the birds feed at all the feeders we have scattered around our yard. Last weekend I realized that it I was overdue with refilling them so I went to the store and bought more bulk seed as well as seed blocks. I was so proud of myself for getting all of that done on a Sunday afternoon. That night Da Boys did something they rarely do.

In the middle of the night Teddy and Otis had a tizzy expressed in a barking episode! I quieted them down so that they wouldn't wake up John, even though it would take more than that since he doesn't sleep with his hearing aides. The next day came and went. I was back in my working routine. Then on Tuesday after work I decided to pick some strawberries for breakfast the next morning. That's when I notice somethings were missing. I found two of my bird feeders at the bottom of the hill full of paw prints on them, and I didn't find the new seed block at all. What I did find was animal dung full of berries. Now I understand that Da Boys had tried to scare off the critters that were robbing our yard.

Morale of the story? Get a taller post to put the bird feeders on so that the deer, coons, and bear won't be able to reach them.

Slow-mow

Not much new these days. I'm still putting up with BPPV. It gets better for a day and then gets worse... over all a slow improvement. Needless to say my bowling averages have continued to fall. My boys are patiently waiting for me to get better so that they can go on their walks again. It's kinda sad to have to disappointment each morning.

Fall is in the air but schools is still off to a slow start this year. I still haven't settled into a routine. I guess that until I finish with all the assessments I'm doing, it will probably stay that way. The good side of this is that I have a lot of flexibility in my schedule.

John is off to another Duck game today with his brother Steve. I get the house to myself. I think I'll cuddle up in the sun or by the fire when it starts raining tonight and read my book. I know the boys will be doing the cuddling tonight to keep me company.

BPPV

“…because of advanced age.” REALLY! I am OFFENDED! I am not THAT OLD!!!

The last few days I have had a pretty bad case of vertigo. I woke up with it Wednesday morning and was wondering what the heck was going on. Apparently there is a condition called BPPV that is not too uncommon in people over 50. It can last just a few days or several weeks, and I’ve had it for five days now. If it does not get better by tomorrow, I guess I'll go into the doctor and see if he can perform the exercises prescribed on the web with me, all assuming that I’ve correctly diagnosed my condition of course. I can’t wait for it to go away. On the other hand, Anneliese, my d-i-l, might actually welcome this condition as she seems to sooooooo much enjoy roller coaster rides as well as anything else that turns her upside-down. Ha! I will will her my symptoms!

Yesterday was DUCK fever day. Yeas, they won although they didn’t look as great as last year’s team. John and I rushed up to Eugene yesterday morning and then came back early this morning in the hopes to get a little R&R and do some domestic chores before the beginning of another work week.

Did I say yet how difficult it is to bowl with BPPV? Needless to say this week I did not improve my average.

Dreams

Finally I got to use my hot tub again. The last couple of weeks have been soooo busy that I've not allowed myself the luxury of relaxing...not even last weekend. The getting-in-work-routine in the morning (getting up earlier) has taken longer than expected, and last weekend John and I gladly took the opportunity to entertain Myles in the early morning so that the girls could sleep in a bit, a rarity when you live with a two-year old. This morning was IT. YES! Hot tub time!!!

I came back from my first walk in over three days and found John already in the hot tub. I quickly joined him, taking my book although I knew we would probably end up talking the whole time. And we did! John shared his latest dreams with me. He had two but I only remember one: He and Bob (Akin) were both crying rivers in his dreams because they were both so sad that they are not living closer to Nolan & Anneliese. Bob cried because he lives too far from Anneliese and could not come to her rescue when she had mechanical issues with her car, and John because he just lives too far way to see them regularly, period! Maybe I just have a wonderful imagination but I visualized Bob and John embracing each other in consolation of their shared grief, each while his runny, snotty nose is getting the other all wet. What a sight. Boys, wanna hanky???

I have the house all to myself tonight as John is in Eugene for the first Duck home football game. At least I have The Boys to keep me company.

No Time

I really thought I'd have some time to catch up on my Blog this weekend but that is not to be so. I guess that is no surprise with a toddler in the house. Boy is he full of it. Here is a short little something to give you an idea of the weekend. More later

Work Assignment Update

I just got word this afternoon that I am not going to be teaching at DNHS this year. The budget crunch is hitting us hard as it is everywhere in the state. I will remain at Crescent Elk in the morning but in the afternoons I will be servicing the English Language Learners at Smith River. One great thing about this is that when I'm done with my work day, I will be that much closer to home. Another fun side of this is that I will be able to communicate much better with the SR students as the majority are from Hispanic homes. I am actually quite fine with the change. I only would like to have gotten this notice a few days ago so that I would've had some time to get ready for the first day of school on Tuesday. I didn't even have a chance to pick up any keys to my new location so that I could setup over the weekend. :( I'll just roll with in on Tuesday.

All In About A Week's Time

I can't believe we packed so much into so little time. Here are just a few pics to document our happenings:


Catching up with the Brocks in Davis on our way to SF.



Nolan, Anna, John, & Anneliese at Great America.



Show offs


Hanging in there for dear life


Getting ready to hit the road to Fresno



Myles, the future architect, aided by Opa's cheap labor.



Chelsey and Susanne packing albacore. They canned about 180 lbs. and I got to help them. Wow, how nice of them. It took over 14 hours to get it all done but well worth the effort.


I'm thinking "99 jars of tuna on the wall, 99 jars of tuna, take one down, pass it around, 98 jars of tuna on the wall.

Embarrasement Plus

Oooooooh, I SUCK at bowling!!! Twice I threw the ball and my fingers didn't even come out of the holes. Ouch! I think my average tonight was 82.

Patience, patience

Oh, where have the last seven days gone? Last week at this time John and I were in Davis hanging out with the Brocks and attending a prayer meeting. The next day we drove to SF to meet up with Nolan & Anneliese. On Saturday we all went to Great America, compliments of Anneliese. John and I actually rode on roller coasters! I thought for sure that those days were over. I have to admit that we had a wonderful time even though my stomach got just a little queasy a few times. After church on Sunday John and I drove to Fresno to drop off a bunch of stuff that Nolan could not possibly take on his motorcycle. No sooner did we get there and we got a quick bite to eat and then drove back to SF with Anneliese in tow. She actually opted to drive down with Nolan in the 100 degree temperatures. Crazy!

Monday morning came much too soon. We left SF at 7:30 AM to drive back to our little nest in Brookings where we arrived at 3PM. Chelsey was waiting for us and decided to spend one more night with us before heading home herself. On the drive home I got a call from one of the admin telling me that they are not sure what my teaching assignment will be this year. WHAT? Not again. So now three work days have come and gone, tomorrow is an all day workshop and I still don’t have a clue what my assignment will be come Tuesday morning. I’ve unpacked my boxes in one school, packed some of my stuff up in another, and I don’t dare do anything else as I don’t want to make more work for myself later on. I guess it is a waiting game. I just don’t like it when I’m told that I’ll get a call by a specified time that day and then I go not hours but days without hearing. GRRRRR. Well, that’s it! I’m not going to school over the weekend to do any more work even if they call me tonight with an update. I have a life of my own. I will just deal with it on Tuesday and at this point I don’t care if admin likes it or not.

Speaking of a life of my own, my GREEN bowling ball arrived while we were on our road trip. Last night I went to the alley and had the holes drilled and played a couple of games. Boy do I suck! Tonight is our first league meeting so we get to meet our team members. I hope they suck at bowling too then I won’t feel so bad.

It's Official

Susanne's bowling ball came in and she asked me if I wanted to go with her to pick it up and maybe bowl a game or two. Do fish swim? I figured while I was there I'd check up on John and my waiting list status to join the winter league, and guess what? We made it! Our first meeting is next Thursday. The league actually starts the beginning of September, summer I in my book, but because it goes until May it is called a winter league.

So... now that I am a league bowler, I must have my own ball, and bag, and shoes, and towel, and.... And yes, so will John. Since there is no time like the present I went ahead and ordered all of the above while I was at the alley this afternoon. I will be all decked out on the first league night, September 3rd.

The manager wasn't very busy this afternoon so he came over and gave both Susanne and me some much needed pointers. I hope I'll remember all that he told me so that I won't have to unlearn before I can relearn later in the season.

Good Times

Wow. What a bunch of busy days we’ve had. I love all types of company and that is just what we got this week. Wednesday evening’s was very sweet. It was tender and intimate. It is so nice to be able to connect with friends on deeper issues. Friday evening Chelsey came home for the weekend. When she beeped the horn for us to come out to help her carry in her stuff, we were surprised with Heather and Myles being here as well. There is nothing like a toddler to keep you on your toes. We had soooo much fun especially the times when we ALL played in the kiddy pool. We ended up with a water fight of course. Myles and I had a lot of bonding time in the early morning as we spend an hour driving a shopping cart around FM. Myles love his cars and FM has some shopping carts that look like cars. He is as obsessed with cars as Teddy is with his balls and Otis with his bottles. LOL. It sure is nice when Chelsey, Heather, and Myles all come down together. I love having my nest full for a few days now and again.

On Saturday Steve and Linda came down for a visit. We BBQ ed some burgers and then we all went to the Festival of the Arts. There are some really good artisans, and I think both John and I saw many items to put on the “to purchase someday” list. In the evening John and I went to a Luau at a friend’s home. It was very nicely done. Some professional hula dancers were invited from the Medford area that put on numerous original dances and of course, they taught those who were interested in learning a few dances as well. It was fun getting to know some new members of the Brookings community.

Then, to top off the weekend, Carole, Millie, Chuck, and Brook & Dave came down for dinner this evening. In all there were 10 of us. We BBQ ed salmon which John has absolutely perfected. It was dddddddddelicious!!! Carole tried out her molten lava chocolate dessert on us and it was a true hit. We had lots of good laughs and did some reminiscing of the olden days if for no other reason to embarrass Brookieeeeee.

Family and friends… the most precious things we have!

Practice Makes...

...for improvement! Yes! I improved my bowling scores! Okay so you say they couldn't have gotten any worse. That's true. Nontheless I AM IMPROVING! Today I bowled a 77, 141, 95, and 138.

Rubbing Elbows

Today was one of those odd days when the weather could not make up its mind. One moment it was beautifully sunny, the next moment the fog was so think that you could not see your hand in front of your own nose. I spent part of the day nursing a headache as well as reading, and oh yea, I also did a lot of prep cooking for a Chicken/Rice/Curry dinner tomorrow night. Tomorrow promises to be a busy day as I go bowling again in the senior league and we are having company over for dinner.

This evening we had an engagement with the rich and famous. One of the people in the multi-million dollar homes in our hood has a party each August and somehow we got invited again only this time we knew many of the people AND we felt we fit in better… thanks to the Master Garden Tour article and picture of our pond. Everyone seemed to know us.

The relaxing pace of this summer has been so wonderful. I do feel so refreshed. The only problem is that I have to report back to work in just two weeks. Bah Humbug! I need to not think about it until I absolutely have to.

My Professional Opinion?

Definitely obsessive compulsive! No doubt about it. This afternoon we decided to hit the river, something we’ve talked about doing all summer. We took a couple of Mike’s Mango Hard Punch, a couple of chairs, our books, Da Boys, and plenty of towels. Our objective was some R&R and time to read while Da Boys entertained themselves. No sooner had we gotten there when I realized that I had forgotten the Chuck It and the balls for Da Boys.

Okay, so what could we use instead? I started out by tossing some rocks in the water. Otis, just having learned to swin this summer, lost interest in this game quickly as the darn things disappeared under water. Teddy on the other hand would dive down and come up with whatever rock he happened to touch first. Some were so big, the size of softballs, that he could just barely keep his head above the waterline. He would bring them to me begging to toss them again, and when I stopped he did nothing but whine. He is soooo obsessed with fetch games!!! I had to stop no matter how cute it was to watch…Teddy blowing bubbles through his nose while diving down. He is just getting over an ear infection that I’ve been treating with an ointment to dry out the canal. Now I'm really going to have to baby his ears the next few days!

Next I combed the river bank looking for nice little sticks that would serve the purpose, but I could only find one acceptable in size. The other was about three feet long, five inches in diameter, and weighed about 10 lbs. Wouldn’t you know, that’s the one Teddy wanted. I didn’t think Teddy could retrieve the waterlogged piece of hardwood but he did, and no doubt he must have swallowed plenty of water in the process. When he got close to shore he had to grab it by one end and drag it the rest of the way as the piece was probably close to half of his body weight. And then we would do it all over again, and again, and again,.... I finally stopped because I was concerned that Teddy was overdoing it. He is after all almost 8 years old. Otis is learning to love the water as well. What wonderful free entertainment we had! Thank you Boys! Too bad we didn't remember to take the camera. Next time.

Now I need to fix dinner. BBQ tri-tip, rice, veggies, fresh tomatoes, … Yum. The conclusion to a wonderful Sunday afternoon even though, thanks to Teddy, I did not get any reading accomplished.

Colorful Pictures

The last couple of days have been the classical lazy days of summer. I’ve washed and groomed Da Boys, I’ve gone out to lunch with The Ladies, and rented some Blue Ray videos to watch with my hubby in the evenings. Last night’s choice was The Duchess. What a sad, sad story! I don’t think I’d do well in that era.

Today’s local paper,The Pilot, featured a picture of our pond on last weekend’s Master Garden Tour. To see additional pictures of our home and garden check out our Picasa Web Album entitled Home Aug 09. Looking back at some of the older pictures of our home I decided that I really LOVE the new paint color even more than I thought I did!

Bowling 101

I was invited to substitute bowl in a Sr. league yesterday with some friends that fit into that elite age group. I wasn’t sure if they would have asked me if they knew just how I stink at this game. Apparently when you use handicaps it does not really matter how bad you are. We played four games and just to show you what I mean by saying that I suck at this game, here are my scores: 88, 95, 106, and 60. I should have quit after the 3rd game.

The most embarrassing part of the afternoon was when I knocked down 3 pins on my own but a fourth pin was scooted out of it’s place enough to where the machine could not pick it up and it was therefore wiped off the lane. The ladies I was bowling with insisted that the pin be placed back on the lane as that would improve my chance at knocking down more with my second ball. They called over the manager and had him walk, to his obvious agitation, all the way down to the back of the lanes to correct the seeming problem. Well, he should not have bothered. My next ball was a gutter ball. I returned to my seat and covered my face with my vest that had been draped over the chairs.

So, would anyone like me to substitute for them next time they need to be absent? I think not. Maybe I’ll improve with practice. I signed John and myself up for an evening league starting in September. Ha!

Hindsight

I had an interesting conversation with a friend a few days ago. We were discussing the aging process and when in this process we start looking back on our lives rather than looking ahead to what is still to come. I can definitely say that John and I are looking in opposite directions, although this said, because of our age difference I think I am starting to glance back some sooner than I might have otherwise.

This morning John and I were attempting to do a little of both, looking back and looking ahead. We found ourselves crying about the darndest little things: how much we love each other, the day to day ups and downs, the major life changing events in our relationship, the commitment we’ve had to our marriage, the travels we want to make together and with our children, the someday grandchildren to bop on our knees, how much we don’t want to do things without the other, the pros and cons of my working additional years after turning 55, the fears of being left behind when one of us has to stay in this world without the other, and the list goes on.

Conclusion? Boy do I love that man of mine! The only problem I have is that I want to be even closer to him than I already am. I want to burrow into him, crawl inside of his skin with him. If only that were possible! So, I am left just making the most of the time we have together, to laugh at the spats we occasionally have, and always remembering how deep our love has grown and continues to grow. I love you my love. OMG am I being mushy or what!


My love at work.

Sangria

Yesterday we celebrated Susanne Griswold’s retirement with a party at our home. The nice thing about that was that the yard still looked in tip-top shape from the Garden Tour the day before. A nice size group of people (about 30) were able to make it. I think Susanne had a good time even though she kept wanting to back out of her party… something about not wanting to be the center of attention. Too bad Susanne!

Besides the usual beer and sodas we also put together a Sangria recipe I found on line and boy was it good. It taste a lot like what I sorta, kinda remember from my youth. The recipe called for brandy and Cointreau. No wonder it was sooooo delicious.

And What Fun We Had

Yesterday was the Master Gardener’s Tour… the long awaited event. The presale of the tickets had not been what was hoped for so we were not anticipating a huge crowd. The artisans started showing up by 8:30 AM to set up their booths, the MGT workers showed up to set up the information and ticket both, and we were running around like chickens without our heads trying to snip of a few spent flowers here and there as well as get the snacks and the lemonade put out. And, let’s not forget the most important task to complete before the tour: picking up any doggy-doo!

No sooner had ten o’clock rolled around when the first cars started to pull up, and they never stopped until it was time to close shop at four PM. We had sooooo many cars that we had to get a parking attendant to direct where visitors could park. Wow. Everyone was very cooperative and so were the flowers that we’d had a chat with the night before. All the plants produced beautiful blooms on the right day including the water lily and the Mexican Shell flower that I’ve posted pictures of before.

It was so much fun to share our garden with everyone. We were able to answer questions about our pond, plant destruction from deer, identify plant species, show off our blueberry cage and fruit tree cages, as well as details as to what plants do well where and what kind of fertilizer we use and as well as what works for slug prevention. Needless to say we got lots of wonderful feedback.

Since the Da Boys would not have free reign of their yard, all the gates were open, we had to put them in the car in the garage for the duration. Of course, I let them out to stretch their legs every couple of hours. I had contemplated putting them in a bedroom and closing the door but I was afraid that they would try to dig their way out. They love the car so that was a safe bet.

As much as we have LOVED being part of the tour, we are glad it is over. John and I are in need of some R&R with no pressure to have every weed pulled, etc. I think we will just vacation this next week in our own home, after today’s event that is.

And Then There Was Light.

Two garden viewings down, one to go. Today I took the tour of the other gardens as I won’t be able to go on Saturday. It is really fun to see the different characteristics of each one. Here are a few more pics of ours that I took today.


A cage around the fruit trees to keep the deer from eating them.


A new bath for the birds.

John and I are actually ready to take a break from all the gardening. After this weekend I think we are going to hit the road and take in some sites other than those found around here. The last few days we’ve had pea soup (thick fog) and we are ready to see the sun a little more. I am thinking a day at the river with a picnic, and a book, and Da Boys, and some sunshine… YES! On the other hand, I am oh so grateful that it’s not 109 degrees here as it is in the valley.

This week we took care of yet another home improvement that has been on our minds. As much as we LOVE our home, it does tend to get a little dark in the living room because of the covered porch. So, we had two solar tubes installed one in the living room and one in the kitchen. BIG difference, see?

Money Maker

Wow, the doctors and interns are coming by in groves. Different groups are waiting outside the door for the other groups to leave. I think I'm going to start selling admission tickets.

A "Ha Ha" a la Anna

So, I went it to the surgery prep area with Chelsey this morning. They got her settled and then they started in on all the usual questions. Next came inserting the IV. The nurse proceeded with how he usually does it which is not the way Chelsey preferred it. Needless to say she let it be known. After years of experience Chelsey KNOWS what works for her. It was then done her way. Unfortunately he was apparently not very gentle because the area was very sore.

After a while, I left Chelsey’s bedside to see if I could find a different nurse to see what could be done to correct the situation. She quickly followed me to Chelsey’s corner. As soon as Chelsey saw her, her eyes light up because it was a nurse that had assisted Chelsey in the past and had done a wonderful job. Like a little girl Chelsey said, “Do you remember me? You took care of me last time.” The nurse had trouble pulling Chelsey’s face up in her memory. In fairness to this nurse, Chelsey’s looks have changed just a bit. Anyway, she ended up giving Chelsey some localized pain meds to ease the discomfort.

After this second nurse left I leaned over to Chelsey and said, “The reason why she doesn’t remember you is because Papa is not with you.” LOL It seems that John charms all the ladies on each floor and they ALWAYS remember him.

Chelsey’s surgery went very well. Her larynx looked the least inflamed it has in a long time so Dr. Schindler was able to surgically remove some of the scare tissue in addition to giving her a laryngoscope. He said these procedures quadrupled her air way! Chelsey is now comfortably resting in the hospital where she was admitted for overnight stay until she gets her last dose of citoxan in the morning. Now we are back to finding a drug that will keep her in this state, other than prednisone of course!

Not Just Another Day

It looks like we are in the market for a new vacuum. We’ve had our present one since Nolan was three (21 years), wow, but I can’t help wonder if it might have lasted longer if we hadn’t needed it to vacuum up all the seeds embedded in our carpet this last week.

Today John persuaded me into going to Crescent City with him just so we could spend the day together. He needed to pick up some supplies for a gardening class he is teaching tomorrow to a bunch of primary children. The enticement? Lunch at the Thai House. That can talk me into many things even the dreaded stop on a school campus during my vacation. We made a few other stops before coming home to our housekeeper and the fab job she does for us. Apparently Teddy had been up to his old tricks again while we were gone and she was working. He had opened the zipper compartment of her lunch tote, taken out a baggie and eaten her granola bar that was inside. What am I going to do with this dog?

This morning John and I had one of those deep talks were we discuss the things that really matter in life and how easy it is to be wowed away from that with all the sparkle and glitz of worldlier thing. I think the ageing process as well as having a terminally ill friend, makes us reevaluate our priorities. Somehow we wish we could magically instill what we have learned to the younger generation so that they would make the most of the time they have and embrace those things that truly matter. Unfortunatley I think we learn best from our own experience. It's just that time is absolutely FLYING BY!!!

I love our home almost as much as I love my hubby. I love it that he makes bets with me and that I ALWAYS win. Well, almost always. You think he’d learn, but hey, I’m making out like a bandit. Yesterday I won a coffee, the day before a foot rub, today an hour backrub. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. It doesn’t really matter as long as it is spent with my love. I love you John! More!

The Things They Do!

The last few weeks I’ve been working at luring wild birds into our yard by adding a variety of feeders. There are feeders with a patio mix that does NOT sprout if spilled on the lawn or soil, there is thistle for the song birds, suet for the woodpeckers, peanuts for the jays (and squirrels), and a mix of seed with the husk for other birds that is strategically placed so as not to grow unwanted plants on our property. One of the more popular feeders is a compressed rectangular seed brick mix (8"x5"x2") that fits into a basket. Most birds love to cling to the basket and pick away at the seeds. Sometimes suet is placed in the middle of the brick for extra interest. I purchased an extra brick and had it laying on my night stand ready to refill the basket in a day or two, or so I thought.

On Thursday we had been invited to Carole’s for a river swim and BBQ, reminiscing good old days. We decided to not take Da Boys as we did not want to worry about them not being able to climb out of the river on their own, and leaving them in the car would have been a punishment in the hot weather. As we were getting ready to leave our home Da Boys started in on their pouting routine. Darn them. They make leaving them so hard. Well we had a WONDERFUL visit with Carole anyway as well as a great albeit torched dinner, a la Hawaiian. I love you Carole!

We got home tired and ready for bed. I stripped my clothes and was ready to fall into bed without turning on any lights or even brushing my teeth. Wait, what is that I feel under my feet along my side of the bed? Turn on the light. What is this? Where did this come from? Oh wait, I recognize this, I think. Yes I do! It is! Darn them!!!! They did. They ate 95% of the last seed brick I had on my nightstand! OH NO! Not only would I now have to replace the brick but worse: what goes IN must come OUT! But, how soon? Talk about a fibesome diet. Their stomachs were bulging. Is it safe to let them sleep in the house tonight? But they’ve never slept anywhere else. What do I do? So much for sleeping tonight. The only choice I had was to get up during the night several times to make sure they’d relieve themselves OUTSIDE.

The question is, did Da Boys suffer yet another attack of separation anxiety and as a result became destructive or were they trying to help me lure more birds into the backyard by helping me spread the seed around the only way they know how?

See the woodpecker eathing from the seed brick on the right? Click on picture to enlarge.
 

Another shot

Same plant. Different flower!

Another Project Completed

More yard work but oh what fun. We are enjoying the fruit of our labor.


This is a picture of a flower that blooms for only one day. It is about the size of an orange. The same plant produces a variety of colored flowers, some red, some orange, and some yellow. It is stunning!



I just finished my wall art for above the hot tub. I think it looks great! Click on the pictures to enlarge. John said that I should open a driftwood art business. Any takers? LOL

Farmers Market Upset!

(Here is my unedited letter to the local paper.)

Now that the lazy summer days are here we look forward to what we might find at the Farmers Market each Saturday. We absolutely love planning our weekly meals around whatever goodies we find. In addition it is fun to see the few artisans display their art forms.

Last week we found out that the new local Bakery By The Sea would now also have a little booth on the boardwalk. Although we are regular customers of the new little business on Hwy 101 we were excited for them to make the commitment to expand their business to include the Farmers Market. However, we did not see them there this past Saturday even though we made a point to look for them.

Earlier Sunday morning we made our customary stop for a delectable ham and cheese croissant, and while there we inquired why we did not see them on the boardwalk the previous day. We were appalled at the answer we received: Bakery By The Sea was not given permission to join the Farmer’s Market because, “there is already a bakery represented” (from Ashland). WHAT? So how come there is more than one produce stand? Are we missing the boat here? A little variety and competition never hurt anyone. And is the purpose of a Farmer’s Market not to bring us, the customers, items from the area first and foremost from where we live?

Our first response to this news is to boycott the company who makes such unjust rulings. Unfortunately the Farmers Market is not a company, we would only be hurting all the hardworking vendors that provide us with the freshest products that we for one so appreciate. So who is the person responsible for this unfair decision? Of all the vendors who deserve to be represented in OUR Farmers Market it should be our local businesses. Let us, the citizens of Brookings have a choice whose bread we want to purchase each week. Bakery By The Sea needs to be given an opportunity to showcase their delicious goodies not only to all the visitors in the area but also to the locals whom the bakery will be depending on for business during the long winter months. Keep the Farmers Market local, and if necessary, open it up to long distance vendors.

Well I’ll be jiggered!

I had to run some errands in town on Tuesday. I went into the bathroom to get dressed. When I came out I found this on my bedroom floor.

Yep. That is my separation anxiety dog making sure I won’t go on another trip without him. I love Teddy. He is just too cute. Oh, Otis. I love you too!!!

How about that, my brother Joop has finally posted another blog. I had all but given up on him! And…it is in English. Wow. (I wonder how long that will last.)

We had a wonderful 4th of July weekend in Ashland with family and great friends. The food was superb, I ate way too much, and the fireworks were great. Teddy had the best time of all of us. He got just about everyone to toss the ball in the pool for him so that he could jump in after it. The jury is till out on whether Otis liked the pool. He was just starting to get use to it when it was time to leave.

A bowl full of berries from our yard

 

It is berry season and on Saturday I picked myself a bowl full of berries. There was very little room for cereal. Too bad John was not here to share it with me. NOT!

Finally

I know. We have been on land for almost two weeks and we are just now sending out a new Picasa update. Better late than never, as the saying goes. Okay. For some reason the embedded link is not showing up when I publish the post. So... just click on the Picasa link on the side of the postings.

Back To Real Life

My appointment for my knee yesterday was very interesting. I got an injection in each knee with glucosamine and had the cartilage in my left knee bone tapped to promote self-healing. I'm going to get some physical therapy to learn how to appropriately exercises the muscles around my knees. There are some exercises that are good for me and some that I am to stay away from. I have a follow up appointment in the beginning of August.

This morning John and I went for an awesome walk on the beach with Da Boys. There was a minus 2' tide and there is nothing quite like watching Teddy and Otis chase after shorebirds and found water bottles. We took our time and when we got back to the house we had a nice cup of Joe in the hot tub.

On today's agenda is draining the pond and cleaning out the slimy algae from the bottom and sides. When we were in Medford yesterday we picked up a pond-cleaning vacuum that worked pretty well once we figured out the right method. It took the better part of four hours but it was well worth it. The pond is sparkling clean and you can see the colors of the rocks again. One task done, a million to go!

The painter is coming over this evening to make final arrangement for painting our house next week. We've picked out a color that is just slightly darker that what is on there now. This place is going to look so spiffy when everything is done! Tonight John and I are going to vedg and maybe watch some TV.

Home Again

So... our original plan was to hang around Seattle for a couple of day before heading south to Medford. I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday and we thought we'd extend out trip and get that done before going home. As it turned out we decided to surprise Chelsey and go all the way home on Sunday. We left our hotel at 6:00 AM and got home around 4:30 PM. Not bad when you consider that we made several stops along the way.

As we entered our neighborhood, I called Chesley to just touch base with her and found out she was watching TV. Perfect. That meant that she would not see us drive up. We parked the car out of view and walked quietly to the front door and then rang the doorbell, all while I was still on the phone with Chelsey. It was funny to hear her make comments about someone being at the door and her trying to quiet Da Boys down. Yes, she was surprised when she finally discovered us crouched in front of the door.

Chelsey was fine. Da Boys were fine. Everything was fine. After visiting for a while, we unpacked all our stuff and grabbed a bite at Torreros...John's pick as it was Father's Day. We were delighted to be back in our own bedroom, however we had to make our own bed first AND again, there was NO towel art. I'm going to have to talk to the management here.

Day #8 Seattle

Were arrived back in Seattle today. Before leaving the ship we had breakfast at the King's table one more time. Disembarking was a piece of cake but getting out of the pier area was another story. We piled all our suitcases on the curb were I again waited while John went to retrieve our vehicle. It did not take him long to come back for me but when he got out of the car he noticed that my car had a flat. Boy was that a mess. The traffic was very congested as many passengers were being picked up, and cars are not to stop for more that a minute or two to load & pickup. In all this business we had to change the tire while other cars waited or tried to make their way around us.

John can be very sensitive about me offering any assistance when it comes to traditional MAN things. Since there were so many people observing us I decided to not even go there so as to not create a scene if John were to have an "I can do it" attitude. I was tempted several times, believe me. I just took care of loading the suit cases by puzzling them around to make them fit. Here is the kicker... an oriental lady not much younger than myself who notice that John was having trouble unscrewing the nuts by himself, went over to help him. Being the gentleman that he is, he let her help him instead of telling her off. I was grateful for his accepting her help and yet at the same time bothered that he would not have let me be the one to help without making a fuss about it. Yes I know, this is all speculation as the other lady stepped in just before I was about to do the same. But, I know my husband and I was trying to do the loving thing by giving him time attempt it by himself.

Our first stop in Seattle was Les Schwab. There was a large screw stuck in the tired that had entered at an angle creating a large hole. The tire could not be fixed but had to be replaced. Even though I purchased the tires but a few months ago, we had already put enough miles on it to not get a free replacement. We ended up having to pay about 1/3 of the cost of the new tire.

Our next stop was our hotel. We unloaded our needed luggage and checked in. We then had the car parked and hit the town. There was a great parade in Fremont along with a street fair that went on and on. The whole town was packed. We could barely move. In the parade were the usual floats and bands along with the BIG CITY folks that have a need to expose their painted nude bodies. Eventually we left taking the bus to downtown Seattle where we walked around Pike Market. The crowds there were not much better so after a while we just went back to our room for a little rest. At 5:00 PM there was some wine tasting in the lobby that we went to followed by an Asian dinner. And then...to bed.

No towel art tonight! :(

Day 7 Victoria BC

Last day on the high seas! This morning was probably the first day that we actually just lounged around for a while. I didn’t get up until 7:30 AM and went to breakfast at 8:00 AM where I had a double helping of Krente Bolletjes. Yum. The rest of the day was spent attending a few workshops such as towel art as well as vegetable and fruit carving. We also had to pack before going into Victoria at 6:00 PM. There was one last show in the middle afternoon that we attended and then we went to the early dinner for a change so that we could hit the gangplank as soon as we got the clearing to go on land.

Victoria is such a beautiful city. The most unfortunate thing about this port stop was its timing. Many shops and tours had already closed down for the day, and one of the only excursions was cancelled due to rough waters. We had to be back on board no later than 11:00 PM. As it turned out John and I were back in our staterooms by 9:30 PM.

The towel art tonight was a squid.

Day #6 Ketchikan

Another typical Alaskan weather day…overcast with a chance of showers. We got up early again in order to make the most of our day on shore. We grabbed some breakfast on the Lido deck rather than the Kings table because the latter did not open until eight o’clock. Today’s port was Ketchikan and we were only there from 7:00 AM until 12:30 PM. Anyone not on board by 12:30PM would be left behind. Apparently this happened to a lady on last week’s trip, so her husband had to finish the cruise by himself while the wife flew back home.

Ketchikan is a much larger city than Sitka and it has lots more shops which were a good thing since we did not have any excursions planned. We visited several very nice art galleries and of course many of the tourist shops as well. Since there is a lot that we did not get to see, we have already decided that we would very much like to go back there some day. One of our guides in Sitka suggested that we take a ferry boat up the Alaskan coast next time and book a berth on it. We could bring a car and travel on our own where roads are available. In all honesty, I think that type of trip would appeal to me more than another cruise. Don’t get me wrong, we are having a vey nice time. It’s just that I feel a little like cattle that is moved from one place to the next, and life on the ship is somewhat confining for my taste, although some of the events are wonderful.

After we returned to the ship we had some lunch and then retired to our stateroom for a well deserved nap. At four o’clock we were supposed to attend an Indonesian Tea Party but…we overslept. At seven o’clock we did make it to The Texas Tenors show. Tonight’s dinner was the last hurrah since tomorrow night most people will probably be enjoying a few hours in Victoria, our last stop, during the regularly scheduled dinner time.

I am sooo constipated! In the last five days I’ve only had two 32 oz bottles of water. That is how much I usually drink in one day! I know. Too much information right? Throughout the day our cabin steward freshens up our room by emptying trash cans, replacing towels, folding down or making the bed, and leaving chocolates on pillows. He also always folds the end of the toilet paper into a little triangle. Where am I going with this? Read on. Just before the show last night the entertainment director of the cruise told this joke: a perfectionist passenger enjoyed the look of his cabin so much when it was all tidied up that he did his best to keep it looking that way. He was particularly intrigued by the folded triangle at the end of the toilet paper so he did his best to duplicate it after each visit to the bathroom. The cabin steward noticed that the toilet paper had gone unused the first day since the little triangle at the end was still in place. The second day the steward became somewhat concerned that his guest had not used the facilities and wondered if he was all right. By the third day when the toilet paper had still not been used the steward became very concerned about his guest’s health so instead of leaving a chocolate on his pillow that night he left him three prunes. LOL. I hope you got a chuckle out of that one.

Tonight’s towel art was a bulldog.

Day #5 Sitka

We arrived in Sitka this morning. What a beautiful entry to the bay area. It is littered with little islands. Our ship had to be escorted through the passage as there was a low tide when we arrived. The tides here will fluctuate 20+ feet each day. Wow. The ship dropped anchor quite a distance from the little harbor and so we had to be tendered in to shore. We were among the first to go ashore as we had another excursion planned.

Today’s adventure was combo volcano exploration by ocean raft and four-by-four. Only six passengers fit onto our raft. No wonder, you should see what they made us wear. I felt like a marshmallow in a space suit. But boy were we glad we had on that protective clothing when we hit the water. Crossing the bay at 50 mph straddling torpedo-like seats that had a “shit” bar for rough waters, was quite an experience. We saw lots of sea otter and a lone humpback as we across the bay. When we arrive on the designated volcanic island we were awaited by Rhino four-by-fours. As our guide said, they drive like golf card but on steroids. We took turns driving the carts on the guided 90 minute trip on which we got some spectacular views of Sitka and its surroundings; we then crossed the bay again in our speedy raft so that we could shop in Sitka the remainder of our stay on land. As it turns out Sitka is pretty small and the shopping was limited. We did purchase one artifact that John has been wanting for some time: a carving called First Breath. It is a mother with her calf that she is lifting to the surface right after it’s birth. What makes this carving extra special is that it is carved out of whale bone that is at least 300 years old.

I’ve been exhausted from lack of sleep and was grateful when I was able to take a nap when we got back on board before getting ready for our second formal dinner. The captain had invited us for cocktails but we opted for another pre-dinner show instead. Heck, we can get a drink anywhere but a good show is hard to come by in Our-Neck-Of-The-Woods.

Tonight’s towel art was an elephant. I’ve got to get the book with the instructions for this art form.