A Beautiful Fall Weekend

I want to thank my daughter for the beautiful pic on my blog page. It depicts what it looks like right now in our beautiful Illinois Valley. We have had a great weekend! Pine needles raked - I could help thinking I could make some money on those if I were in North Carolina!!! Gathered some wood to take to Chicken when we visit in a few weeks. Umbrellas and patio furniture put away, plants moved, some repairs made. Got the laundry done and a couple of shelves cleaned and organized. Angel went to the shot clinic yesterday and got the last of her puppy shots. We did not know if she had any as she was given to me, although he said she had some. We just started from scratch to make sure she is protected. So she is good for a year, then her rabies booster and she will be good for 3 years. Dex will make an appointment for her to be spayed this week if possible. I want to get her done before her next Estrus as otherwise we will be waiting another 6 weeks. She should be good to go on our trip to Shorty's & Bill's. I am looking forward to cooking for them and maybe a trip out to Savvy Island. This is my favorite time of the year to visit - it must be because this is my absolute favorite time of the year. Mild days and cool nights - we sleep so good! Thanks again Mishka darling for the fantastic pic of Fall.

Christmas and all that jazz!

Yesterday my sis and I finished our shopping and it wasn't too bad - we had a great time together and bought the things we had in mind, although I found an extra gift for Mishka that I think she is going to love! It was just sort of a "happening" and those are the best gifts! Dex and I got to spend some time with William and Chicken, we had a marvelous time at the museum and I was turned on to Chuck Close, I got to see a new Van Gogh, aquired by the museum, which was beautiful! I cooked for my kids, beef stroganoff, and they helped me prepare it, boy was it yummy! I left them with some left-overs too! My sis was meeting a guy she has been talking to for quite some time today, through an online dating service she joined. She was like a sixteen year old girl, going on her first date. She asked me if she thought he would like her? I told her if he didn't he was a dumb @?^% and not worth the time of day. At our age, we don't have time to waste on STUPID! I will update you when I get the juicy details. My Christmas message for you all is Love, Love, Love - that is what Jesus, my lord and savior requires of us and guess what, it is fun too!

What I've been up to

Well, we had the company Christmas party, food was good and I was the designated driver so I could drive my sister home. She doesn't usually drink, but she had lots of fun and we all danced our feet off. It is always good to see your colleagues "let their hair down" once in a while. I met some of the folks that I never see face-to-face and that was great. Christmas shopping is just about done, just a few things for some special friends at work and then I am done. I am shopping more and more online. It is a great convenience and it just so happens that my family are all bookworms and music buffs so they make it very easy. They are very socially conscious too, so gifts of Charity were sent in their names also.

I received a big surprise from my son-in-law and I am so proud of it. I received a certificate of appreciation for participating in a work project for him. This means the world to me and it gets a frame and position on the wall above my desk. Thank you J - I was glad I got to help!

Dex and I are going to Portland this weekend to take in a Museum with Shorty and William, see a steam locomotive and just take in the sights and sounds of Christmas in a big city. Maybe we can take the Max downtown and walk around for a bit, if it is not too cold...oh and I do have to make a quick trip to Powell's to get a book for my friend at work. He has never read Con Tiki and it is a must read for anyone with an adventurous heart. ta ta

Red is coming for a visit - woohoo!

Donna or "Red" as we call her, because of her beatiful red hair, is coming for a visit. She will be here on Thursday evening and spend Friday night as well. She is responsible for introducing me to my Dexter. They were longtime friends from Orange County and continued the friendship through their migration to Oregon. She and I have shared a strange part of my life. I am thankful for our friendship as she helped bring me through a dark period of my life. We will go out for dinner, have a few margaritas and stay up late, catching up. Her current job requires her to travel all over the country, which has been marvelous for her. I will give her the postcard book I have put together of her travels...I do miss not getting to see her more often though!

Finally settling in

Well, Mishka and J are finally in their home in Okinawa and finishing up making it cozy. Chase will be home soon and then the whole family will be together finally!!! Fall has arrived, just that first hint - you know the hot part of the day diminishes early and the evening air has a bit of crispness in it. This is absolutely my favorite time of the year. Fall colors coming, some great wind to blow the leaves and whoopee you don't have to water as much! Dex and I usually try and go see Chicken and William at this time of year in Portland. We usually go to a corn maze, but they have decided to take us on a hike on Sauvie Island near the wildlife preserve. I look forward to seeing all the fabulous birds before many of them migrate south. I am going to start my savings for a trip to Oki as I can hardly wait to see it again and I am hoping my Dex will get to go with me this time! I am also going to try and blog more, now that things a winding down. I love that part, a good book, glass of wine and looking out my window at the woods. My winter bird friends will be back soon too!

Sayonara Miska and J

It was so great to spend time with Mishka and J. We gathered the families together for a nice long visit at Gma's and all of us had a great time. Mishka and J were able to sell the Carolina house right away and they have been working on the Washington house and now have it on the market. I know it will sell right away also. It is really a cute house and the price is right. I have to pretend in my mind that they are just on vacation, even though is is going to be awhile before they are back to stay in the U.S. But I feel good about Oki - it is a wonderful place and I hope GOD Willing to visit them there again - I have dreams of snorkeling with the beautiful fish and I want to do it again while I am able to do so. I hope the rest of the family will take them up on their hospitality and see this beautiful island and meet the gracious Okinawan people.
So my Children, have a wonderful vacation and don't forget the postcards...

North Carolina and Saying Goodbyes

I haven't posted in awhile, so I thought I would update you on my trip to my daughter's in North Carolina. Flight out was great, stopped in Minneapolis then on into Raleigh. I was about an hours drive to Mishka's home and I have to say NC is absolutely beautiful. Very green like Oregon, but the pine trees are reminiscent to our Ponderosa Pines, but with much longer needles. We did something fun everyday. Got in lots of geocaching and eating and bird watching. Mishka made several Asian dishes for me, that were soooo....good. She is quite the cook. I did get to get my feet wet in the Atlantic and brought home some great seashells.
The best of all was helping J on a work project. It was so exciting and I will never forget it, and I got to see my first fireflies. I could live there with no problem. NC reeks of southern charm and hospitality and graciousness. Their storms are pretty awesome to watch too, but you don't want to get caught in them, they are downpours! Mishka and J are on their way west. We will have a gathering of friends and family and we will be saying goodbyes again....I hate goodbyes!!!

A Real Vacation for HaHa

I will be leaving in a week to go a visit my daughter and son-in-law on the east coast. They will be going overseas later this year and they invited me out to see there home before they sell it. I am really looking forward to spending time with them and seeing a few sites. I love there company so much though that we would not have to go anywhere and that would be fine with me too. I am sure Mishka and I will get a few geocaches in and have a few late nite gab sessions as mothers and daughters like to do. My daughter made all the travel arrangements and fixed it so I do not have to change planes but one time which keeps me pretty worry free. I do think it is so important for people to take their vacations. I work in a job that can be frenzied at times and dull others (but mostly frenzied) and your mind just needs a rest from all that. I was fortunate when I was raising our family, that I was able to go on vacation with them and sometimes had a few days off for myself. That is the best of both worlds.

Good news and bad news

Well, it has been a week of good news and bad news. Let's get the bad out of the way first. A musician friend of Dexter and me, committed suicide this last week. No, it wasn't because of drugs, wait, I correct myself. It was because of drugs - chemotherapy. Janna had survived breast cancer for two years, she suffered a double mastectomy and lots and lots of chemo. She was one of the cancer patients who have very strong reactions to chemo. I learned the other day that her cancer had returned and she chose not to do chemo again. I do not know if she was already in pain or not, but I do know she was not willing or perhaps the odds were not in her favor, so she chose to end her life. As a Christian, that is not an option for me, but I cannot say for sure, that I would not do the same thing if in the same shoes.

The good news is that Chicken,(my youngest daughter) has a new job as of April 23rd. I am so happy for her and she will be learning a very valuable job. Once you learn purchasing, no matter what the product, you can pretty much go where you want to go. Added benefit, she will get to see MindSprite on a daily basis. I hope Sprite will walk with you everyday at work!

The other good news is that Mishka, (my first born daughter) and J will be returning to a place overseas that they love. This means I may have a chance to go to this wonderful land again. I will have a different set of priorities this time, which I am anxious to share with her and J.
Wonderful family friends will be visiting her soon, I know they will have a wonderful time together. The good things about old friends is the old cliche, "IT's LIKE THEY NEVER LEFT." Wish I could be there too.

Sister, Sister

Both of my daughters are together at this moment. The youngest flew out to the East Coast to spend some time with her big sister. These two have a wonderful relationship and enjoy each other's company so much. They are having the time of their lives right now, I can promise you. I have a younger sister myself and we have been hooked at the hip since I can remember. Yes, there were times I wanted to strangle her, just as my two daughters did when they were growing up, but truly, I cannot imagine my life without my sister. She has been my best friend ever and always will be...so heres to sisters!!! Especially my NEKO!!!

She's a Saint but she smokes!

Saturday, William and Chicken took me up to see Mt. St. Helens. The weather was made to order and the drive was beautiful. One of the first things you notice is the replanting of trees. As in most replanted forests the trees are all symetrical and the same size, which creates an impressionistic landscape. Weyerhauser also planted along with fir trees, red alder and it was strange to see whole forests of them. Soon after though, the landscape shifts and rounding up the backside of the mountain you are impressed with the lunar landscape where the Lahare flows are. We saw 3 bull elk from the lookout, visited the museum and saw the film and then we were on our way to the front side of Helen. I cannot impress upon you overwhelming sensation of your own small self in the face of the power of nature when you look at her from this angle. She had at least 3 plumes going up at the same time. At her base we saw more elk crossing a ravine. I don't think she is ready to completely rest yet, time will tell. Nature is so powerful and wonderful and frightening at the same time. If you get a chance, I would encourage you to make the trek as it is a wonder of the age. Thank you William and Chicken for this special trip and another great memory stored.