Not much has been happening lately but I thought I better write something. I have not taken a picture of the driveway since the big snow storm last winter. Doesn't it look beautiful with the green grass and the Scotchbroom and whatever the shrub is behind the Scotchbroom? Also the Cottonwood trees are blowing all the white stuff around. That is the only thing that bothers me. It makes my eyes water and makes me cough. I should stay inside and away from them, but who can stay inside during this beautiful weather.

Friday the high was 83 degrees. I finally used my air conditioner for the first time this year. I love this kind of weather but it is sure nice to have air conditioning in my room.

Richard came over to visit this morning. He had just come back from the gym. He goes to the gym almost everyday. He taped the panel for my air conditioner for me.

It is very quiet here today. Just Kent and I are here. Debbie is in Salt Lake and Erik is on a camping trip. Erik will be back today and Debbie will be back tomorrow. I don't watch a lot of TV but today I watched a Disney movie that was on the Hallmark channel called "Ironwill" about a dog sledding race. It was so good.

Donna called while Richard was here. She is feeling better. I noticed she is still coughing quite a bit. She got a chance to talk to Richard. Also I read her the letter I got from my sister. She seems to be doing really good at the Assisted Living Center in Lake Stevens. She goes shopping on their bus and takes some of the day trips. She is making hundreds of finger puppets and slippers for children. That kind of living is great for her because she never learned to drive and now she has lots of friends.

Donna and I are looking forward to our trip. Donna has a red letter day marked on her calendar--the 17th of June, which is the last day of school in Sequim. She will be over on the 22nd so we can look over the route she has planned for our trip to the Midwest. Debbie gave her a real good suggestion about looking up hotels because we aren't making reservations ahead as we really don't know what town we will be in for the night. Debbie told her to use Google Earth to find hotels. We will probably spend the first night not too far from Minneapolis and Debbie said we can just look up hotels for the next place we spend the night. Donna will have her laptop and she is going to bring "Miss Garmen" too.

I looked up Modale, Iowa on Google Earth. The town is small and surrounded by farms. Google Earth says the population is 303 people. I just love this new world I live in. Our cell phones and all our computer toys. It is getting harder and harder to remember when I didn't have any of this.

This is a video of Heidi and me walking through Dan's garage. I forgot to ask him how long it was but it is long. It used to be a milking shed. The reason he is building an addition on the end that he needs to be able to drive cars straight in. Right now he can only get them in sideways.

This is the first time I have put a video on my blog. I figured it out all by myself. When you play this video there will be a section where you can't see anything but keep playing it. Part of the garage is very dark but you will hear us.

I took this picture of Mt. Rainier while we were driving into town.

A few more pictures of Dan's place. It is real country living. He has 5 acres.The chicken house. Dan has a lot of hens and a Rooster. Dan and Heidi get more eggs than they can use. They give them to others and the food bank.

More of the backyard.

The boxer is named "Chance". He is such a friendly dog. Just loves people.

Heidi and Dan with the Drake (father in waiting).


I spent most of the afternoon outside working on my counted cross stitch. I still plan on going to the Senior Center Monday so I thought I better get a little of it done. Donna has been really sick with Tonsilitis. She said she is going to try to go to work tomorrow. She is coughing so bad, I don't see how she can but I guess she will figure it out. I hope see gets well soon.

Dan's neighbors are helping Dan with the roof on a new addition to his garage. Just like an old time barn raising. This was on Memorial Day. There were three guys. Heidi made a nice barbecue for everyone. On Sunday Richard had come out and we had a nice little family picnic. So we had picnics two days in a row. It was a lot of fun.

This is Heidi. Heidi and I spent most of one day shopping. I found a very nice pair of sandals at Penny's in Southhill that will be just right for my trip to the Midwest.

This is Dan standing by this beautiful car that he is fixing up for Heidi to use for work. Dan's whole life has been cars since he was a boy.

This is the old farmhouse they live in. The house is in Graham. It is so peaceful and quiet there. I have some more pictures I will put on next time. Dan and Heidi have cats and dogs, chickens, 2 turkeys and a pair of ducks. The mama duck is nesting out near a pond near the house; hidden in the thickets and only comes out for a few minutes once a day to eat. She comes out at the same time everyday. The drake just paces around the yard all day and there is so much excitement when the mama duck comes out. The daddy stays near her while she is eating, trying to keep the chickens away and then he follows her to the nest and in a few minutes he is back. Nature is so amazing. Heidi says the ducklings should be born about next Sunday.

I had a really great weekend. The weather, as you know, was absolutely wonderful. You get such a great view of Mount Rainier from Graham. Also, the sunsets are beyond description. The only other time I have seen sunsets like that was when I was staying with Donna and Laif.

I just have to tell you a couple of things that happened to Heidi and me when we were shopping for food. We were a crazy pair anyway. We were laughing about so many things that day. You wouldn't know me we were just being so goofy. Anyway, on Sunday we went to Safeway to buy some things for a picnic because Richard was coming over. Heidi decided to get a watermelon. She was holding it getting ready to put it in the basket and it slipped out of her hands and fell on the floor. I was just standing there waiting for it to smash to pieces. You will not believe this, but it did not break or even have one crack. We put it back anyway and got another one. A guy was standing next to us and he had two watermelons in his basket. He was just staring off at something and did not even notice us. We were not quiet. We were laughing so hard. (By the way, the watermelon we brought home was just so good).

We just had the best picnic and Richard really enjoyed it. He likes to come to Dan's. He said he just loves the peacefulness there. I think it was about 9pm when Richard left. It was about 10pm and Heidi and I were still up talking and Richard called. He just called to thank Heidi again for the nice picnic and how much he enjoyed the day. I thought that was so nice of him. Richard has a special spot in my heart. I will never forget how much he helped me with Clayton.

OK, now for the other goofy story. On Memorial Day the three guys were helping Dan with his garage. They were such nice guys, so polite and so hard working. So we planned on having a barbecue for them. We went to Winco to get some more food. Heidi got two big containers of potato salad at the the deli. You know how it is at the deli. The food is in dishes inside the glass case and you set things on top. The clerk put the containers on top and was getting some Spinach Dip for us. The lid on one of the potato salad containers wasn't quite all the way down. Heidi went to put it on and the container sailed across the top of the deli case and fell inside. It got caught in the little space in front of the food trays instead of hitting the floor and it did not even tip over. What a mess it would have been if it had not fell into that little groove. The clerk put a new lid on it and we were good to go. Heidi and I could hardly wait until we were away from the deli again to start laughing. I wonder if anyone was watching us and wondered where we escaped from.

The barbecue was very nice. The guys were still working on the garage so Heidi took me home. It was a really fun weekend. I surprised myself how well I was able to walk around outside. I walked a lot in the yard and up and down the stairs and walked a lot while we were shopping. I guess I have a few miles left in me.

I hope everyone had a nice weekend.

Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C. Debbie took this picture on our trip to D.C.

This is a picture to remind us of the beautiful country we live in. Memorial Day is a time to think about all our Military men and women have sacrificed in order that we can enjoy this beautiful, free country. I will be spending the weekend with Dan and Heidi so I wanted to write something before I leave. The last time I tried to spend the weekend with Dan and Heidi was at Thanksgiving. I got really ill and had to come home early. I had Broncitis. This weekend should work out fine as it is supposed to be warm and sunny.

Just so I have something to write about, I decided to write a little information about Memorial Day. I think some people view Memorial Day as the beginning of Summer and labor Day as the beginning of Fall. We need to stop and think about what these Holidays really mean.

The Origins of Memorial Day--------

Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of former Union Soldiers and sailors--the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)-established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj.Gen. John A. Logan declared it should be May 30. The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington D.C. The cemetery already held the remains of 20,000 Union dead and several hundred Confederate dead.

Presided over by Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant and other Washington officials, the Memorial Day ceremonies centered around the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Robert E. Lee. After the speeches, children from the Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both the union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.

In 1966. Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the "birthplace" of Memorial Day. There a ceremony on May 5, 1866, was reported to have honored local soldiers and sailors who had fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-mast. Supporters of Waterloo's claim say earlier observances in other places were either informal, not community-wide or one time events.

By the end of the 19th Century, Memorial Day ceremonies were being held on May 30 throughout the nation. State legislatures passed proclamations designating the day. It was not until after World War 1, however, that the day was expanded to honor those who died in all American Wars. In 1971 Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, and designated as the last Monday in May.

The origins of special services to honor those who die in war can be found in antiquity. The Athenian leader Pericles offered a tribute to the fallen heroes of the Peloponnesian War over 24 centuries ago that could be applied today to the 1.1 million Americans who have died in the nation's wars: "Not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions, but there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men."

Everyone, have a wonderful weekend!

Here is another of my Ketchikan pictures with my handsome son on his boat. Now that it is getting near summer and I am trying to work on leaving my comfort zone and doing something different. It is hard to do that because I am so happy where I am. I know I do have to try to do things while I still can and I need to keep up with what is going on.



Anyway, this morning I went to the Senior Center. The woodcarving class that Clayton went to for years, still meets in the same room on Tuesdays. There was not one person left that was there when Clayton and I used to go. (Clayton would carve and I just brought my needlework). There was a very nice lady named Dorothy who was sitting where Clayton and I used to sit and asked if I needed something. I told her about how Clayton and I used to come every Tuesday for a lot of years. Dorothy even asked if anyone remembered Clayton but no one did. It has been a long time since we used to go. Well, anyway, Dorothy asked me if I was a woodcarver. I said just Clayton was and I just kept him company. She asked me where I lived and I told her I lived with my youngest daughter near the Fairwood Library. She told me I was so lucky. She said she lives all alone and she gets so lonely. She comes to the Senior Center every day (the center is not open on weekends). Dorothy invited me to come to the needlework class she goes to on Mondays. She said everybody just brings their own project--crocheting, knitting, embroidery, whatever. We visited a bit. The lady next to Dorothy said she lives on 116th across from the Post Office and she could pick me up if I needed a ride. I thanked her and told her I still drive. When I was leaving, Dorothy told not to forget to come Monday. (This coming Monday the Center is closed for Memorial Day.)

After I left the Senior Center, I went to Jo-Anne's craft store to see if something would jump out at me. I finally decided on a couple of Counted Cross stitch kits. Actually one is called a no-count cross stitch. All their kits were 50% off . I thought maybe they were closing out the cross-stitch kits but the clerk said that right now they were low on a lot of items because the store is going to be changed and will be carrying a lot more items.

Both kits are 14 count. I should be able to manage that. The lower the count, the larger the squares are. There was one nice kit but it was 16 count and I know it would be a struggle. I am at a point where I need a lot of light to do that kind of work. But, I am determined to give it my best. I am curious how the no-count cross-stitch works. The package says easy instructions, so we will see.

While I was at the Senior Center , I stopped by the room that does the Blood Pressure tests on Tuesdays and Thursdays. One of the same nurses was there. She was so happy to see me. She said she wondered what had happened to us. Her husband passed away 3 years ago and she has remarried. She is probably at least 10 years younger than me.

It has been a really beautiful day. I sat out in my deck chair soaking up the sun and reading. I finally finished the one book I had been reading and now I am concentrating on the two books about fishing that David gave me.



I talked to David today. He has been working on his boat and Debby has been practicing for the Diva program which will be tomorrow. I am going to try to remember to call frequently. If David is out fishing, I can talk to Debby. We do not really have an excuse for not keeping in touch with family and friends with our computers and phones. I have T-Mobile and I have my Faves plan so it does not even use my minutes to call David and since Donna has Verizon, I have her on my faves also.



Diane's surgery went well. She wrote an updated progress report today. I don't know how she could do all that when she just had surgery yesterday. Diane did not even spend overnight in the hospital. Sounds like for most surgery now that is the norm. There certainly has been tremendous advancement in the field of medicine. The last time I was in the hospital was 37 years ago when I had a hysterectomy. I was in the hospital for a week. It is the only time I had an IV. Now it seems like that is the first thing they do when you go to the hospital.


Erik has had a cold and cough and was running a fever when he came home from school. Debbie is baby sitting Michael and Rachel's children because it is Michael's birthday. He is 25. Anyway, Kent is taking good care of Erik and he says his fever has gone done a little.

I really don't have a lot to say today but I just felt like writing on my blog.

Sparky

Simba

I had to put these two pictures on from my trip to Alaska. These are Debby's two cats. They are nice cats. Every evening Debby puts Sparky on her lap and brushes and combs his long hair. David likes to tease Debby about the cats, like threatening to put one in my suitcase. I know David really loves cats too. David was telling me how Sparky would try to sneak upon a bird but he is so fat that his stomach drags on the gravel driveway and scares the birds away.

I love cats and dogs. We always had both for years. Now I don't want the responsibility. Now I just love to pet them.

Tomorrow Diane is having her surgery for Breast Cancer. She is meeting with her surgeon today. Keep praying for her.

Pictures of Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren in Ketchikan, Alaska. Top picture is Dani, my Grandson, David's wife. Below is his beautiful daughter, Chevell.

The next picture is my Grandson, David and his other darling daughter, Anna.

The sweet girl below sitting in the chair is Kaitlin. I did see her once when she was just a baby in a stroller.

This next picture is Kaitlin's mother, Melanie. Melanie is my David's daughter.

The last picture is Debby's son , Ryan, and his darling son, Mason. Clayton and I were in Alaska 13 years ago and Ryan was still a boy. He was playing baseball one of the days we were up there.

I was so happy to be able to see everyone. They are all wonderful people. My grandson, David, went on a Safari in Africa. I was able to see some of the pictures. I don't know the names of the animals. There are some weird looking animals in Africa. Anybody who knows me, knows I don't like to think about animals being killed but I was so impressed with David's skill. He killed 4 animals. (You have to pay big bucks to shoot animals there). Every animal he killed he did it with one shot. He doesn't buy meat at the store because they always have enough deer meat. My David says his boy always just uses one shot and gets impatient with people who don"t. My grandson loves to hunt and fish. My David taught him how to fish and hunt from the time he was very small.

I just loved seeing everyone up there and I just hope I will be able to make another trip to Alaska.

Pictures of David's Troller. It is a beautiful boat and very sea worthy.

I am reading "The Last Fisherman " . I am not into the book very far. Already it is so interesting. It is a Historical novel. All the years my son has been fishing, I should learn more about the industry. I didn't get on his boat because I couldn't get my legs up high enough to get on. Maybe next year we might think of a way. I am afraid of water and smaller boats but it would be nice just to stand on it. One of the brothers in our church got his pilot's license and he is almost 91. It seems like I should be able to do something as easy as getting on a boat. I have so many silly fears.

David gave me another book called "Stalking The Side-Hill Salmon". I am going to be so busy reading . I still have the yarn that I intend to make an Afghan with. It has been 10 months and I haven't started it yet. The Afghan will have to wait. Reading is my first love and I will certainly have to read these books first.

I'm back! I have been in Ketchikan, Alaska for a week visiting my oldest son, David, and my dear daughter-in-law, Debby, who is actually a daughter to me. This picture was taken of them where David had his boat hauled so he can work on it and get it ready for the fishing season. Aren't they a great looking couple. They are such wonderful people. I just had the most wonderful time visiting them. It was hard to leave. They will be down in November to visit us. I plan to go to Ketchikan again next May. I don't like to go in the winter and David goes out fishing in June so May works out to be a good month to go.

I didn't take as many pictures as I thought I would but I have some pictures of David's boat that I will put on. He has a beautiful Troller. David has been fishing many years. Debby works for the Burough in Ketchikan. I don't know much about fishing . David explained a lot to me and also played a video for me. He bought me a book called "The Last Fisherman" . The book is a history of Alaskan Salmon Trolling and the tragedy of a dammed Columbia River. It is a large book and I should know a lot more about the fishing industry when I am through reading it. Also, David took me to the store where he buys his fishing gear. He explained to me about the hooks, flashers, etc. that he uses on his boat and how the fishing lines work.

Debby is involved in a local group that puts on plays and musical numbers. She played a video of the one she was in last year. She is very talented. Ketchikan is a beautiful place. The scenery is beyond description. It seems that David knows everyone there. He introduced me to so many people.

I will write some more tomorrow. I just wanted everybody to know that I was still around. One of the sisters said someone asked last week if I was OK. She told her that I was on a trip. When you ask about someone in my age bracket you never know what the answer will be. Anyway, I know I have to hang in for awhile because I want to go to Ketchikan again.