My Hiatus...

No Spacebook... what does one do with their free time?

Turns out A LOT!

I found by not checking Spacebook I was also spending less time making bulletin boards and playing on-line games. Meanwhile I used the 'down time' for a walk in the neighborhood, pulling a few weeds in the yard or wrapping up an already started project around the house. Maybe my Lent season sacrifice wasn't really...

We spent lots of time with GS. He actually turned FIVE years old! Where has the time gone?

We watched our daughter play hockey in McCall. Chris is their coach. Our first time to see the newlyweds since Christmas. It was brief but so worth the drive.

We thoroughly enjoyed an afternoon matinee of the Lorax with our favorite nearly 5 year old and his folks.

We had breakfast with a 'long time' friend - AND she started a very promising job! Now we have plans for a day trip with our cameras. Way to go Randy!

We've enjoyed time with son while he was still in town. He was very creative by recycling our old deck boards into his garden bed and deck frame. He is very handy and has made good use of the lumber. Reminds me so much of my Dad.

Slowly I'm painting trim in rooms which were desperately in need of a fresh touch. Still have a few to go but it's a rainy-day project.

I created Raggedy Ann and Andy for G-GD. Regrettably the clothes are only partially complete. It will take me an hour to sit and complete but I need to either give up a sunny day project or pray for rain.

We ordered 4,000 lbs. of flagstone and sand. Two days after it was delivered we had the pile all laid out in the back yard. Matt magically appeared both afternoons and his younger back was a grateful addition to our efforts. This week the pea gravel will be delivered, shoveled and put down to fill in - followed by a tool closet and potting bench to clean up the rest of the area.

I started writing newsy emails to family and friends - again. Discovered if you write them they will answer and it's so much fun to get the updates.

In addition to our sleepovers and preschool days, we had lunch with GS and his folks after preschool.

I made chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and peanut butter cookies. And counted the points for my diet. Had to weigh the pros and cons for the value of the treat.

We visited "Heaven" (Kalaloch) with family and friends. It didn't quite go as planned but we had some quality time to recharge on the beach. Nothing better.

I took pictures - lots and lots of pictures.

I had date night with my hubby - Act of Valor. For this Navy family a great story.

Had repairman come for noisy washer. Bad bearings. $. Went shopping for new washer... discovered we purchased a five year warranty - what luck! Egg on our face - we happily shake our heads wondering how it is we DIDN'T know this.

Joined WW... at six weeks I lost my first 5%~ (and then some!)

Tried new recipes for dinner at least twice a week.

Made brownies. Had one to satisfy my chocolate craving and passed the majority off to GS in a ziploc bag.

and... I rejuvenated my blog.

I hope you all had a very blessed Easter, with time for family, reflection and relaxation.

There's a new FIVE YEAR OLD in town...

Happy Birthday Sweet 'Tater!

My Dream...

For years I recall having vivid dreams, often heart pounding, break a sweat kind of dreams, and then when I awaken and want to share absolutely NOTHING comes back to my memory. The past couple of weeks I've had a couple of doozies. So right there in your face - is it real - and I remembered them.

Last night (or was it this morning) I was dreaming about zombies. I would like to clarify I am not in the slightest bit obsessed with the recent zombie craze. I know our daughter, SIL and friends watched a TV series about zombies. I know there is a phone app my sweet coworker used to turn me into a zombie. But so far as understanding the zombie fad I remain clueless. The fact that I was dreaming about zombies made me laugh... even in my dream.

Perhaps it's a follow on to the Twilight vampire and shape shifter/werewolf craze. Or is it because of the "end of the world", Mayan calendar, apocalyptic survival undertones which circle around and leave me on the outskirts? I just don't get it. Nor do I worry.

But last night there were zombies. I was running from them. Mike was with me. We were both very fit (proof it was a dream) and able to run without pain and breathlessness. I wasn't scared. We hid in a raised doorway, sort of an alcove to a warehouse door where a delivery might be made.

Oddly enough our daughter approached. We told her to stay with us. "Come hide where it's safe!" She seemed to be painting her face with a pastry brush. I rationalized it as an explanation for her odd pallor. When I asked she got the look on her face that all of our children get when they are up to something (even now)! She said she was already 'one of them'. And then starts laughing... "Mom" she says, "they eat one another. They keep trying to get me to share their meals. They just don't get it". I look at her feeling confused. Perhaps she's not really a zombie. Instead she explains... "I can't eat that - I'm a vegetarian!!"

Always making me smile - even as a zombie - that's my girl...

PS: Honestly I am not trying to decipher my dream. I am thrilled to have remembered it. It still makes me giggle.

What to do on a rainy day...

Why you should spend the afternoon at Papa and Gramma's house building tower cranes with Daddy.

Momma was at work and daddy and Tate entertained themselves while Papa was at Birds of Prey and Gramma was working.

Sometimes you just need a change of scenery!

How I Spent the (Past) Weekend...

Isn't it amazing when you plan for something "off in the distance" and suddenly it's the week before and then in a blink of an eye you are home again, unpacked and some-what rested.

Hubby picked me up after work on Thursday and we headed West. It was a wet drive across the Columbia River Gorge. Because of our late start I'd made reservations to overnight along the way and we arrived around midnight for a good night's rest in Cascade Locks.

AM Photo Shoot in Cascade Locks

Friday AM we were up early enough to drive the last 2-1/2 hours to meet our friends Mike & Linda at the Deli in Centralia. There was a plate of Debbie's biscuits and gravy with Tim's thick sliced bacon with my name on it! We had plenty of time to catch up on family news as well as a visit with Debbie & Tim.

Our drive to the coast was still wet. We were surprised to see snow standing on the sides of the road. Of course we usually are heading this direction in July... We were so pleased to see the clouds breaking and blue skies as we neared the coast.

Once the cars were unpacked we headed for the beach, before the kids arrived. Winter storms shuffled the logs around from our last visit in September but we could still find a path with minimal climbing. I managed to get a few shots of the beach before hearing my husband say "Linda fell and hit her head!".

I took this picture just prior to Linda (behind her Mike) falling... dang!

Linda's husband Mike and I backtracked to find her laying on her side, between logs. Her knee gave out on her as she was climbing over a log. She hit her arm on a partially buried log in the sand but managed to catch her head from smacking into same log. We gradually got her back up sitting and then gingerly lifted her where she could sit on a log and twist her legs over to the other side. Her husband took her 'good side' while I grabbed hold of her jeans and we got her to the next log where we repeated our forward motion. It took awhile to clear the logs and rocks, and get her up the stairs.

Once in the cabin we assessed she should probably get her arm x-rayed. The guys asked at the Lodge and a Park Ranger was sent to the cabin. Lesson #1. Park Rangers are also E.M.T's. He took her vitals, checked her glucose (she is diabetic and breakfast was a ways down there), wrapped her knee and splinted her arm in a sling AND recommended she go to the hospital in Forks for x-rays. Lesson #2. There is a hospital in Forks. (Who knew? - although later I was reminded that Carlisle Cullen worked at the Forks Hospital in Twilight - silly me!)

We were still waiting on our kids so Mike & Linda headed up to Forks where she was x-rayed and found out the shoulder was broken at the ball and fractured in the bone down her arm. They contacted the hospital in Everett, around the Sound, for surgery. Unfortunately this also meant returning the 40 miles to the cabin, retrieving their dog and belongings and then another 4 hours to Everett. She was thoroughly braced, iced and medicated for the trip. :-) But by the time they dropped the dog and emptied the car at their home and returned to Everett, it was 1:30 in the morning. The hospital didn't know they were coming (not sure who Forks Hospital made arrangements with...) but Linda finally was admitted by 4am.

Linda had surgery Saturday around noon and remained hospitalized until Monday night. We were able to keep tabs on both of them via the occasional texts and phone calls when we found enough bars to complete our mission.

We missed them dearly - our weekend plans didn't go quite as planned - however we had wonderful weather for our visit and some quality time with the kids walking the beach looking for treasures.

We taught GS to play Trouble... he's too good!

We were blessed to spend time with Papi, Burt and GS. We hiked to Beach 2 (where we scattered the cremains of Mike's folks in '97) in the sunshine while the tide went out. We combed the beach and found treasures - possibly some Tsunami 'artifacts'. We told stories about Nan & Papo. We enjoyed the beauty of a pair of mature bald eagles as well as a yearling. It seemed appropriate since every visit (since scattering the cremains) has been met with bald eagle sightings.

NOT the Newlyweds NOR Bald Eagles - just two old duffs on the beach

The Newlyweds were enjoying a "mini-honeymoon" last week, bunked in a cabin next door and shared meals with us. They explored north to Browns Point, definitely a place where the rest of us will wander during a future visit.

We decided to stop in the Portland area on the way home. Unfortunately due to an accident on the 405, we missed all but the last 30 minutes of great-niece Savannah's soccer game. Fortunately we were able to share a meal all together with the Oregon Shaws before heading east again.

It was a fast weekend with unexpected drama but we learned a few things, relaxed and returned home ready to face our Spring 'to do' list. (H.E.L.P!)

Construction Junction

Matt and Tate educated Gramma on the ins and outs of Heavy Equipment 101. I am IN the know!

PS/ my favorite part of the lesson was Tate spelling the words and sharing what the equipment was called... E-S-C-A-V-A-T-O-R... "esca-mator".

From Marcandangel.com - A Great Reminder...

1. Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Don’t try to be friends with everyone. Cultivate closer relationships with fewer people. Start focusing on being everything to someone. Helping or pleasing everyone is impossible. But making one person smile can change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. So narrow your focus and be yourself.

2. Do what you know in your heart is right. – Stop doing immoral things simply because you can. Start being honest with yourself and everyone else. Don’t cheat. Be faithful. Be kind. Do the right thing! It is a less complicated way to live. Integrity is the essence of everything successful. When you break the rules of integrity you invite serious complications into your life. Keep life simple and enjoyable by doing what you know in your heart is right.

3. Organize your space. – Start clearing clutter. Get rid of stuff you don’t use and then organize what’s left. Keeping both your living and working areas organized is crucial. If you have a cluttered space, it can be distracting and stressful. A clear space is like a blank canvas, available to be used to create something great.

4. Be efficient. – Stop being inefficient simply because you’ve always done it that way. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. Many times we live with unplanned, complex systems in our lives simply because we haven’t given them much thought. Instead, streamline your life by finding better ways of handling common tasks. Focus on one system at a time (your cleaning system, your errands system, your paperwork system, your email system, etc.) and try to make it simplified, efficient, and logical. Then, once you have it perfected, stick to it.

5. Let things be less than perfect. – Smile every chance you get; not because life has been easy, perfect, or exactly as you had anticipated, but because you choose to be happy and grateful for all the good things you do have, and all the problems I know you don’t have. You must accept the fact that life is not perfect, that people are not perfect, and that you are not perfect. And that’s okay, because the real world doesn’t reward perfection. It rewards people who get GOOD things done. And the only way to get GOOD things done is to be imperfect 99% of the time.

6. Let go of needless drama and those who create it. – Never create unnecessary drama, and don’t surround yourself with those who do. Choose friends who you are proud to know, people you admire, who love and respect you – people who make your day a little brighter simply by being in it. Don’t walk away from negative people, RUN! Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.

7. Forget what everyone else thinks and wants for you. – One of the greatest freedoms is simply not caring what everyone else thinks of you. Sometimes you need to step outside, get some air, and remind yourself of who you are and what you want to be. The best thing you can do is follow your heart. Take risks. Don’t just accept the safe and easy choices because you’re afraid of what others will think, or afraid of what might happen. If you do, nothing will ever happen. Don’t let small minds convince you that your dreams are too big. They aren’t.