Exercise

Temp is 29 degrees and I abhor cold weather so will not be doing any outside activity today or any time soon.  Ya have to do what ya have to do to keep from causing any damage to  yer hamstingz.

High Tide

Had to hop in my car this morning and check out the high tide. It was high, but still not as high as I've seen it. No where near high enough to cover any of the grass at Skansie Park, but high enough to just about reach the light house at the entrance of the harbor. My hubby's cousin lives in the little house on pilings over the water at the very right of the pix...I certainly hope they aren't paddling around their living room and I doubt they are. Had the wind been from the southeast instead of the southwest, it might have been another matter.
I am so happy to be feeling good enough again and have the energy to toss my grubbies on and take off in my unwashed skin for some kind of adventure.  And to think we begin a new year in just another day.  Let's hope it's a good one filled with all kinds of adventures for us all :o)

Dress

Alright already....I just read that Michelle paid $2000.00 for this dress in 2009 !!!!!  Now, what in the world makes it worth that much????  The designer's name I guess, but for anyone who sews...this  simple dress could be made easily for almost nothing. Oh boy of boy...I shoulda gone into the dress making business...coulda made a bundle :o)

Amazon to the rescue

O Amazon,
At Christmastime
indeed I pledge my gratitude

Your canny stock
and shipping speed
vastly improves my attitude

Of Almond Paste
the local shops had
a most plundered inventory

Rainbow cookies
without the stuff
would bring this cook no glory

You shipped it
(overnight no less)
and for a mere three dollars

Thus insuring
a dessert met
with gustatory hollers

O Amazon,
your service doth
set fine new precedents

True service
we do sorely need
Would you run for President?

The Anchoress wrote this poem in praise of Amazon.com. I think we all agree with her sentiment.

Cozy Bed

Since I have been without a voice and not feeling well I have stayed home....but....I am not done with my Christmas shopping. Yesterday morning I still had to buy for two, now it's just one. I spent the day digging through my fabric scraps and came up with enough to make a bed for Ingrid's doll.  Today I will venture out into the germ filled world and tackle Jacob's gift, plus buy enough groceries so I wont have to go out again until Christmas day.  
Oh...and ....Happy Winter Solstice everyone...this is my favorite day of the year...as if you didn't already know that.  Into the light we go :o)
And.....if you want to hear Salute to O'l Blue Eyes from an altogether different perspective, I see someone made a video of our music.  Here's how we sound coming from the audience  instead of from a bag under my chair in front of the brass. A much more balanced sound :o) Just for fun, here is March of the Toys :o)

Happy Chanukah

Chanukah is an eight-day Jewish observance that remembers the Jewish people's struggle for religious freedom. Happy Chanukah to all my jewish friends and to everyone throughout the world. Shalom. Hmmmm...pretty good comin from a Catholic :o) 

Crashed and burned

          

Oh..and while I am mending this worn out  body, I played on my puter and put more songs together from our concert.  Enjoy..or whatever :o)

Concert a success :o)

It is over, it was fun, and as always, it's sad to say goodbye to the music that's been such a big part of our lives for the past three months. We had a good crowd and by the sound of the applause, they enjoyed all of our music.  I put together a few of the songs that we played, but left out a couple, plus the Brandenburg Concerto No. 1.  They did a great job of it...by they, I mean the rest of the orchestra except for the flutes and some of the brass.  It was fun to close my eyes and hear the sound of the harpsichord being played which is something I'd never heard up front and close before. I truly felt that I had gone back in time, oh, say, a couple hundred years. 
Just for fun, here is a video of a few songs that we did...and remember, my digital recorder was in a bag under my chair, that the flutes sit smack dab in front of the trumpets and french horns and none of us are professionals, we play because we love makin music.  Enjoy :o)  Oh..and be sure and listen at 20:50...of course it's the flutes, but I think we make a nice sound  together :o)

Concert today

Today's the day, or I should say tonight's the night....our concert is at 7:00 pm at Peninsula High School and we hope you all come :o)
Check out our website.

St. Nick's Rectory

This picture is of my mother in law on the left and my mother on the right. It was my wedding and
for a Nov. 3rd, it was a fairly warm day. The year was 1962 and things were very different then. Father Kruft was our priest, and the rectory where he lived was to the left of the turquoise Ford with part of  the old St. Nick's church behind. We were married in the new  church and had our reception in Tacoma at the New Yorker restaurant which is now, I think, the Salvation Army.  Things certainly don't stay the same :o)  Oh..and the cute little fella on the left is my nephew who is all grown up now and makes his living doing the finish work on new homes. He does beautiful work and takes a lot of pride in his work.

Boat Parade

I took a picture of a picture of son's boat that a friend put on  facebook and it gives you an idea of how it looked the other evening in the annual Christmas boat parade. It was a perfect evening for the event as the water was calm and the air clear.  Earlier in the day it had rained and was a bit misty, but we all lucked out come parade time. Len and I watched from home and I have to say, from a distance, it was a toss up as to which boat looked the best...we decided it was this boat and a sail boat with a mast that  reached almost to the sky with streams of green lights cascading down, outlining the shape of a tree.  They were both quite stunning :o)

Waimea Canyon

Waimea Canyon is on the island of Kauai in the Hawaiin Islands.   They call it the Grand Canyon of the Pacific and it measures 10 miles long. My flute friend, Gloria, shared this with me this morning after she and her hubby visited there yesterday. She is due back in time for our concert Saturday so let's hope there are no giant tsunamis that keep her from returning :o)

Something different and sad because our government has created this mess. Isn't it time to end all this tribal business and have all who were  born in this country be equal in status:  Citizens of the United States of America?

1907 Kiblinger

I betcha never heard of a 1907 Kiblinger....I know we hadn't, but we thought it would be fun to sit in one and imagine ourselves zooming down the freeway on  the inside lane, passing everyone in sight :o)   We pushed and shoved, but couldn't get Len up and in so Miss DeeDee hopped in and we smiled together for the camera. One of our old schoolmates, Daryl Hedman, is the proud owner of this car, as he is of many others that he's restored through the years.  I had just finished a band concert at Peninsula Retirement Home and after they served us a delicous lunch,we made sure we got a picture for our memory album :o)
Then there's this...do you even remember what you were doing at age 17 ??????

RIP Barbara

One of our favorite orchestra members passed away last week and we were given the news yesterday which I know gave us all a heavy heart. Barbara Leary was an accomplished pianist and, as you can see from her picture, a wonderful timpani player, pounder, or whatever the term would be. She lived in Tacoma and at first managed to grab a ride to orchestra practice  with other members coming our way, but when there were none, she would ride the bus to the Purdy Park n Ride, walk up the long, steep hill hauling  all her equipment behind her, then leave early to get the bus home again. Her trademark was the wild and crazy glasses she wore during the concerts. She was a delight to work with and always "upbeat"...hmmm...and will be missed by all those who knew her. Something tells me that things will never be the same now that she's playing in the heavenly orchestra :o)

Holmaas Collection

The picture above is a copy of one of the Holmaas' annual Christmas cards, done by Lita Dawn Stanton. Because John and I  were classmates, I'm on his mailing list and look forward each year to seeing another of his special memories in print. The reason he chose the Veteran is because he fished on the Skansie boat when young.

The Harbor History Museum is launching its new exhibit, "Through the Artist's Eye: The Holmaas Collection of Historic Renderings", this Friday, Dec. 9. This is the private collection of historic renderings belonging to John and Carole Holmaas.
Over the past four decades, John and Carole have commissioned these works annually for their holiday cards.
"As lifetime Peninsula residents, and as early as our first years of married life we recognized we had a strong affinity both for the community and for the history of the area," said John and Carole Holmaas. "Originally we collected old photos ourselves, later relying on the Museum collection. As real estate brokers we found we had Gig Harbor clients who were talented artists. We asked them to recreate the scene in the photo through their eyes."
"In the exhibit, the historic photograph selected by John and Carole will be positioned next to the finished artwork. Visitors can compare the “original” with the historic rendering to see what the artist chose to include or exclude," wrote Harbor History Museum on its website.
The Holmaas' enjoy their collection both at work and at home, and now you will have the chance to enjoy it as well, on exhibit at the Harbor History Museum Dec. 9- Jan. 22.
Hours
Tuesday - Sunday, 10 a.m. - 5p.m. (Closed Christmas Day)
Admission
Members: Free
Adults: $6
Youth 7-17: $4
Children 6 and under: Free
Miltary/Seniors (65+): $5
Information courtesy of City of Gig Harbor.

http://gigharbor.patch.com/articles/through-the-artist-s-eye-the-holmaas-collection-of-historic-renderings

Zoo Lights

Jacob went with mommy and daddy to Zoo Lights at the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma  last night and he loooooooved the lights, as you can see from the smile on his face :o) I've never been to see them and am not sure I  want to go out in the cold at night when I can stay home in my cozy, warm  living room :o)

Harbor Holiday 2011

Just a reminder that the Gig Harbor Peninsula Civic Orchestra concert is just around the corner. December 17th, 7:00pm at Peninsula High School.

Concert

It seem that I'm doing a lot of posting about music, but it seems that this time of year there are oodles of things musical.  Our New Horizon's Band  will be doing a concert at one of the retirement homes in Tacoma today and a week from today we'll  be playing at a retirement home here in the harbor. I love doing these concerts because I know they give a lot of folks a lot of pleasure :o) 
The picture above is of Joanne, DeeDee, Darlene and Ronnie, playing at a concert in high school.  Joanne on the left and Ronnie on the right are brother and sister....she passed away years ago and he's lived  in Alaska since graduating from high school,  leading a most interesting life.

Okay....this is something you don't want to listen to if you don't like the F bomb. I had never heard of Adam Corolla, but this is his take on the OWSers.

And...there's this...all I can say is STOP !!!!!!

And...this will cheer you up for sure.

Soundsations

The Christmas season started yesterday for me with a trip to the old folks home :o) Not to play and not to take up residence,  but to listen to my friend, Arlene, sing. She belongs to a women's choir from our community who love to sing as much as my band buddies like to play, so Len and I went to listen. We sat waaaaay in the back, that way Len wouldn't have to walk too far, and I did manage to give you a good shot of how the woman in front of me  braids and scrunchies her hair, but I also got a fairly good recording of this song too....one of my favorites :o)

Black Friday

Black Friday is appropriately named as far as I am concerned. Not because the stores hope to see their balance sheets  go from red to black, but because it's a real downer for those who, after spending a special day with family and friends,  have to go to work at midnight and take on crazed mobs. I'm not the only one that feels this way.
And  something completely different that most of us would probably love to do...or would have in our youth :o)

Thanksgiving past

Not sure what year this was taken, possibly 1959, but again, I love the way mom always set a nice table.

Happy Thanksgiving

Whether your family is the one on the left or the one on the right, may you all have as much fun as they are having. Happy Thanksgiving.
And, just for fun :o)

Rosedale School

Mrs. Cheney was the combined first and second grade teacher at the two room school house in Rosedale and those of us in her class were very lucky as she was so very kind and patient. I went to school in Gig Harbor in the first grade, but because of crowding, those of us who lived in Purdy were switched to Rosedale the next year. Because I didn't attend the year this picture was taken, you wont see my smiling face. but, you will see someone who has built a business at which you might have enjoyed a dinner with friends. The Crab Pot restaurant in Bellevue is his and when I heard he was in the restaurant business, I wasn't surprised because when we were in high school he was the one selling hotdogs at the football games and he was the one figuring out all kinds of ways to sell things. In the picture, he is the tall boy, on the top level, far right, Harold Griffith, super salesman.

Floor of flour

If you're in need of a good laugh today, give this video a watch. As I sat and watched little Jack try to explain with his limited vocabulary, my mind was trying to figure out how one would go about cleaning up the mess. I think the first thing one would do is pop the kids in the tub..and make sure there is no shampoo anywhere near.

Tuna

No wonder people get upset with government........Here is an article from The Anchoress' blog....

I understand why the rule exists, but really, this story just feels wrong:

This fish story may lack the epic qualities of Ernest Hemingway’s 1952 classic“The Old Man and the Sea,” but for New Bedford’s Carlos Rafael, the outcome was about the same. In both cases, despite capturing and bringing home a huge fish, powerful circum­stances conspired to deprive the luckless fishermen of a potentially huge reward.
Boat owner Rafael, a big player in the local fishing industry, was elated when the crew of his 76-foot steel dragger Apollo told him they had unwittingly captured a giant bluefin tuna in their trawl gear while fishing offshore.
“They didn’t catch that fish on the bottom,” he said. “They probably got it in the mid­water when they were setting out and it just got corralled in the net. That only happens once in a blue moon.”
Rafael, who in the last four years purchased 15 tuna permits for his groundfish boats to cover just such an eventuality, imme­diately called a bluefin tuna hot line maintained by fishery regu­lators to report the catch.
When the weather offshore deteriorated, the Apollo decided to seek shelter in Provincetown Harbor on Nov. 12. Rafael imme­diately set off in a truck to meet the boat.
“I wanted to sell the fish while it was fresh instead of letting it age on the boat,”he said.“It was a beautiful fish.”
It was also a lucrative one. Highly prized in Japan, a 754­pound specimen fetched a record price at a Tokyo auction in January this year, selling for nearly $396,000. These fish can grow to enormous size. The world record for a bluefin, which has stood since 1979, was set when a 1,496-pound specimen was caught off Nova Scotia.
However, when Rafael rolled down the dock in Provincetown there was an unexpected and unwelcome development. The authorities were waiting. Agents from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement informed him they were confis­cating his fish — all 881 pounds of it.
Even though the catch had been declared and the boat had a tuna permit, the rules do not allow fishermen to catch bluefin tuna in a net.
“They said it had to be caught with rod and reel,” a frustrated Rafael said.“We didn’t try to hide anything. We did everything by the book. Nobody ever told me we couldn’t catch it with a net.”

So, one way or another, the fish is dead. Apparently whatever the fed sells it for will be held in suspense until the situation is resolved. One assumes that someone buying numerous licenses to fish Tuna would be responsible to understand what the license covers, so I have no doubt it will resolve in the fed’s favor.
Still, it just seems like the feel-good stories are few and far between.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/theanchoress/

Snowy Paradise

Boy of boy...are the skiers ever happy :o)  Let's hope we continue to get snow cause my granddaughter found a nice pair of used skis at the ski swap and so did her mama.

Pillow case dress

You never know what you're gong to find on youtube when looking for something completely different. I can't even remember what I was looking for, but what I found was this video of two Gig Harbor  women discussing the pillow case dresses they make for children in Haiti. Course the next thing I had to do was find out how to make them and the gal in this video gave a good demonstration.
She also showed how to make a pair of long pants for baby out of an old t-shirt. Another great way to use something that still has a bit of life left.
Each time I look for something on youtube, I marvel at the endless supply of good teaching aids, from hooking up the router on my computer, to the music I practice with almost daily.
Maybe if I keep looking, I will find a video that will show me how to heal my very sick friend :o(

Skin deep

How cute they are and how brave they are to pose in their birthday suits.  Now I know why people invented clothing...not so much to keep warm but... so others wont have to see what we're seein :o)
Here is the link to the article and after seeing the individual couple pictures..I came to the conclusion they they all posed separately and then photoshopped this pic so that it looks like it was taken of all eight at the same time.  NOT !!!!!

Something different...and a huge reason the "committee" is having a tough time coming up with a plan to balance the budget !!!!

Dock Project

The Tides Tavern has been closed all week so that their parking lot can be repaved along with the parking area at the new maritime dock next door, all in one clean sweep. This is how things looked yesterday. If all goes according to plan, they will be finished by Friday and  folks will see a much larger parking area with an easier way in and out thanks to a new sidewalk minus the drop offs. Soon there will be a new dock, large enough for heavy vehicles to drive out on so the many boaters will finally be able to load and unload their boats without worrying about ending up in the water. It can't be soon enough :o)

And, something altogether different.

Gig Harbor Light House

I don't remember the exact month or day  the light house was built and lowered into place on the spit at the entrance of Gig Harbor, but I was there that day in 1988....to stand in the rain for what seemed like hours,  until she/he/it was firmly planted in the sand.  Just for fun, I wasted a few more hours today, this time in the warmth of my home, and put together bits and pieces of the video I took. When I filmed it originally, I  used my son's  video camera, one of the "new"  models that used video tape. VCR  comes to mind.  And, no I wasn't suffering from Parkinsons at the time.
You can imagine the process of getting it from there to here, but I did it..in my own way and here it is for all to enjoy :o)

Hiding Hannah

Maybe you're an expert on apps, but I'm not, so when I see my 8 years old granddaughter today, I will have her help me download Hiding Hannah.  Hannah has been in the works for quite some time thanks to my friend Len's son, Mike,  who lives in Studio City and works in the movie industry. He mainly does the trailers for TV shows and at one time his dream was to write and SELL a movie script. I don't know if that will ever happen, but in the meantime, he is raising two small children and working on Hiding Hannah, hoping that enough people will be willing to pay the $1.99 to download it, making him independantly wealthy and then he'll be able to work on writing and SELLING a script without any kind of a guilt trip :O)
In the app, Hannah loves to hide from her mommy and daddy in each room of the house, and in a different place each time. You'll  hear daddy/Mike's voice  and mommy/Lia's voice and the giggle belongs to Cadence/their daughter, who is almost 3, thanks to all the wonderful digital toys we have now days. Mike had to hire a programmer to do the code and an artist did the wonderful graphics whom he paid , but...but...Mike wrote the script and recorded their voices.  Now...is the test...will enough people buy it so they can do another...and another...and another...and retire and go back to Chicago and work from there so they can be closer to family.....only time will tell :o)

Here's the link to Hiding Hannah.  Please go buy it if you have an iPad or an iPhone and little ones around the house...they'll love it.....and.....tell all your friends :O)
And...here's the trailer that tells you all about it :o)

Daffodil Parade

 My sis recently sent some old slides that mom took years ago and this 1958 picture of the Peninsula High School band was among them.  Mr Cozart was our teacher/director and he thought it would be great  fun if some of the band members played the glockenspiel in the annual Daffodil Parade. I was one of those chosen, along with at least 3 others, who strapped those heavy contraptions to shoulders and practiced our hearts out.  I don't remember the song, but have mentioned many times through the years what  fun we had marching along Pacific  Avenue, streets lined with admiring smiles, always on the watch for horse poop and loving every plinking minute of it.
Today, as I watch my fellow musicians haul their heavy instruments in and out of practice, I really am thankful, especially as I get older, that I play the flute :o)

Brothers

Alright already, I know I probably bore you all with boats, but I managed to get two of my sons in the same picture last night. It took a few refreshes, but the viewcam cooperated and I was tickled to catch my youngest son heading in while his older brother was still at the tender.  Okay....I know I am a crazy person thanks to all the political stuff I listen to ....at least that is what my sisters think :o) ...and the Gig Harbor webcam is the antidote :o)

Here's an inside view of a day fishing outside the harbor.....what we don't see through a viewcam. It was taken in October by the father of my son's neighbor who was here from the east coast visiting family and who son took out for the day.

Thomas Sowell makes so much sense.

Why I ask

President Obama’s Agriculture Department today announced that it will impose a new 15-cent charge on all fresh Christmas trees—the Christmas Tree Tax—to support a new Federal program to improve the image and marketing of Christmas trees.
In the Federal Register of November 8, 2011, Acting Administrator of Agricultural Marketing David R. Shipman announced that the Secretary of Agriculture will appoint a Christmas Tree Promotion Board. The purpose of the Board is to run a “program of promotion, research, evaluation, and information designed to strengthen the Christmas tree industry’s position in the marketplace; maintain and expend existing markets for Christmas trees; and to carry out programs, plans, and projects designed to provide maximum benefits to the Christmas tree industry” (7 CFR 1214.46(n)). And the program of “information” is to include efforts to “enhance the image of Christmas trees and the Christmas tree industry in the United States” (7 CFR 1214.10).
To pay for the new Federal Christmas tree image improvement and marketing program, the Department of Agriculture imposed a 15-cent fee on all sales of fresh Christmas trees by sellers of more than 500 trees per year (7 CFR 1214.52). And, of course, the Christmas tree sellers are free to pass along the 15-cent Federal fee to consumers who buy their Christmas trees.
Acting Administrator Shipman had the temerity to say the 15-cent mandatory Christmas tree fee “is not a tax nor does it yield revenue for the Federal government” (76 CFR 69102). The Federal government mandates that the Christmas tree sellers pay the 15-cents per tree, whether they want to or not. The Federal government directs that the revenue generated by the 15-cent fee goes to the Board appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out the Christmas tree program established by the Secretary of Agriculture. Mr. President, that’s a new 15-cent tax to pay for a Federal program to improve the image and marketing of Christmas trees.
Nobody is saying President Obama doesn’t have authority to impose his new Christmas Tree Tax — his Administration cites the Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1996. Just because the Obama Administration has the legal power to impose its Christmas Tree Tax doesn’t mean it should do so.
The economy is barely growing and nine percent of the American people have no jobs. Is a new tax on Christmas trees the best President Obama can do?
And, by the way, the American Christmas tree has a great image that doesn’t need any help from the government.

If you stayed with the article and reached the bottom of the page...here is a good read by Dorothy Rabinowitz on Newt Gingrich. I must say, he's a joy to listen to in a debate.

And in my usual fashion, I bounce from one topic to another...here is a view that might make you happy you don't live there.

Early morning set

The fishermen are outside the harbor again this morning taking turns setting their nets in hopes of getting the big one. It's Chums they're fishing for and I sure hope my guys are getting their share.

Rainier West

It looks like winter has finally arrived at Paradise.

Valdez Glacier

With all the discussion about global warming, and whether it's man made or just mother nature doing what mother nature does, I thought these two pictures were interesting. One was taken long before the 1954 picture of Valdez Glacier and you can see the change in the size. With that in mind, I'm sticking by my  theory... it's mother nature doing her thing and not the CO2 that I produce by the truckload when I play my flute that caused it to melt :o).

Messy

Yesterday was such a nice day I decided that I'd walk downtown to do my errands instead of drive. Along the way I passed these fellows cleaning under the area where people walk at the Russell Building. I had always wondered what it looked like under all those concrete  squares  and yesterday I found out :o)
And...something totally different...she's a doll and I see she's as tall as  his chin.

By the way..did you notice that today is 11022011 ?  Happy palindrome day :o)

Halloween 2011

Halloween came and went and I can't remember one more beautiful. Ing and Berg stopped by wearing their costumes and smiles and sat on granny's heath so she could take the annual picture. Jacob stopped by in his Woof outfit and was ever so delighted to see that the girls were here. Later, my friend Arlene stopped by and happened to arrive at the same time as a couple of her children with their children. Some  went home and some stayed and those of us who stayed sat down to some fine boxed wine and chicken soup.  It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

Little House

I found this picture on the Tacoma Public Library website and my first reaction was "what a shame to burn such a cute house".  Just this week in our local newspaper was an article about a local woman who builds little houses on trailers for people who want to live in  tiny spaces.  In today's world, I doubt anyone would burn that cute little house as it would have made a great home for someone.

Date: 06-30-1950 Tacoma News Tribune
Description: Picture of house to be burned at 4th of July activities. Tacoma Athletic Commission. T.A.C.- Mr. Metcalf. Early in the morning, an older wooden structure with greenery on its roof slowly makes its way down Pacific Avenue on a flatbed provided by Northwest Hauling Co. City Hall can be seen in the background. The house will be loaded onto a barge and taken to Commencement Bay where it will be burned as part of the Tacoma Athletic Commission's Big Free 4th of July celebration.

Toys

Here again is living proof that the toy box is more fun than the toys. I was sitting in my living room hearing what sounded like an earthquake taking place in the spare bed room last night  and this is what I found when I snuck a peek.
And something altogether different.

Fisherman Dock

It's nice to see the city working on the new fisherman's dock. It was the Stutz fuel dock for years, where our guys fueled up their boats and where many of us homeowners got our heating oil. There are plans for a dock that can be driven out on so anyone needing to load or unload  their boat will  be able to. To put it mildly, we are extremely happy to finally get a public facility for our fishermen :o)

Roscoe's

I got a kick out of the discussion about Obama's  visit to Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles in Hollywood this week. Jay Leno asked him if  maybe Michelle wouldn't be pleased to know that he ate at the greasy, unhealthy, artery clogging restaurant. After having had breakfast there last year when we visited Len's family in California, I can vouch for the weird menu. Never before in my life have I eaten chicken and waffles for breakfast, and probably wont ever again, but it was fun to  order their specialty, share it with family and giggle our way through the meal. If you're ever in the neighborhood, I'd  most certainly recommend stopping for breakfast.  

Family

At last Len got to meet Parker. He's been with his granddaughter, Cadence, a few times, but oh how we wanted to meet and hold his little grandson.  They came, they saw, they conquered, and now they are back home in sunny southern California. It was a wonderful gift they gave Len and with all the pictures they took, it should hold him until the next time they are together :o)

Memories

Thought I'd take a peek at the Gig Harbor webcam to see if I could catch a boat coming in  and don't ya know, there was the Memories, returning after a day of commercial fishing. They fish right outside the harbor in the fall so it doesn't take long to get home once they unload. I see they are kinda early. so let's hope they had something to unload :o)

Okay....I found out why they came in so early....they managed to snag up on the new sewer outlet pipe that the city just finished laying.  Hmmm...let's hope word got out as to it's location and that it can  spell trouble if you try to catch it.

Look Grandpa

Len's grandchildren arrived yesterday from sunny southern California :o)  He drove over to the airport and picked them up, then they all stopped at Kelly's for ice cream. Cadence is almost 3 and Parker, who he finally got to meet in person, just turned 10 months. They will be here two days and are staying at one of our local hotels, but spending most of their time at Len's. I hauled out all of the toys I have accumulated through the almost 8 years that I have been a granny, and when Cadence opened the door and saw the mountain of new toys, it was like she'd died and gone to heaven. 
Rather than trying to take the kids out for meals, we made spaghetti at home last night, and thanks to the fishermen fishing this week, tonight we will dine on fresh northwest salmon. What could be better than that :o)

Herman Cain

I watched the debate last night and still lean toward Herman Cain. When I read this column this morning, I like him even more.
Here is another debate well worth watching.
And, this is an example of his wonderful voice.

New York Cam

Okay...I found a cool cam. It's New York harbor and the Verrazano Bridge, depending on which way it's aimed. I mentioned it the other day to my friend, Marie, who had sailed under the bridge when she was 10 years old, leaving her island home in what is now Croatia behind and she still remembers the thrill it brought, standing on the deck of the ship, still weak from being seasick most of the trip across the Atlantic, but so happy that they were finally "home".  Her dad had jumped ship when it entered San Pedro, California and once he had made a start here, he sent for his family which included his wife and his two children. They survived the second world war, but nearly starved. The one thing she remembers so well was when the war ended, the americans brought them bread, sugar and crisco. She said they made sandwiches of the three and thought they were the most incredible thing  she had ever tasted :o)

Port Townsend Pier

I had mentioned in my post yesterday that the weather for the wedding had been spectacular. Well here is the proof. The view is from the upper deck of the Northwest Maritime Center where the wedding  and receptiion were held and other than a cool north wind blowing our way, it couldn't have been more beautiful. They took quite a few pictures on the pier and while in the process, one of Jacob's shoes came off, so what does a 2 1/2 year old do then, why toss it overboard of course.  Floating along out there somewhere is a brand spanking new shoe, slowly finding it's way to it's final resting place :o)

The Happy Couple

Well here they are. She was a lovely bride and together they make a sweet couple. The wedding was at the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend and thanks to mother nature smiling down on the day, the sky was clear and the view out of the huge windows, spectacular.