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.

Almost there

One day more....hmmm...that reminds me of this song .
Then there's this....it's just too too wonderful.
And of course my favorite of all... Ruthie Henshall

Miss Danica

The Miss Danica is a Washington state purse seiner and these three sisters crew on it with their dad, the captain, in southeast Alaska.  It's a fun video and gives you an idea of what life is like on a fishing boat. I enjoyed the discussion as to whether a woman will eventually skipper a seiner and the reply from one of my sons as to what he would do if a woman skipper corked him:o)
Go down to the bottom of the page and turn off the sound so you can enjoy the soothing music of the video :o) 

Welcome Neighbor

Yesterday I stepped back in time :O) The home in the background  is so loved and cared for now, but the last time I visited, it had become terribly run down thanks to total neglect. Years ago, the couple who built it had traveled back east and fallen in love with the homes along Cape Cod. When they decided to build, that was the style they chose.  They had two daughters and all was going well until the Mrs. developed cancer. She passed away, her husband did the best he could to raise their two daughters, with the help of a very dear friend of mine, but when he died, the daughter still living at home wasn't able to keep things together and after a few years, was forced to sell.
The new owners took out the huge, stone, wood burning fireplace in the center of the house and put in a small gas unit on a side wall in the living room. They raised the ceilings upstairs and did the usual kitchen and bathroom remodel, but basically the plan is the same.  It did my heart good to see the love put into that beautiful home along the water and the October Fest they held for the Welcome Neighbor Club was an October feast for all.

Cute Couple

In just a few more days, these two will be hitched :o)  I was amazed at Mike's profile and how much it looks like my dad's. 
Look what I found when I checked the Mt. Rainier cam...fresh snow :o)

Pastel Portrait

Jacob is all snuggled  in among the pillows on my couch to watch one of his favorite movies, "Annie". I don't remember what I did when I stayed at my grandma's house when I was 2 1/2, but I have no doubt it  was  fun. Quite possibly the coolest thing in her house was the garbage drop from the inside of the cupboard next to the sink into the garbage can in the basement below. Or, maybe it was the cool wood storage section next to the fireplace with the door that shut which made it a great place for all of us kids to squeeze into and  hide :o)  As we got older, another huge treat was when grandpa would show us the home movies  he took of us kids. Life was so  simple then,with very few "toys", but we had the beach, the woods, and each other, what more could anyone need or want.

Lookin For Goldfish

A week ago we visited the Olalla Valley Winery and while there, Joey, the owner, and my granddaughter, Ingrid, were looking for the two wiley goldfish that he  knew were hiding somewhere in the pond. Of course I couldn't pass up a really cute photo op.
Joey's dad, Joe, and Ingrid's great grandmother, Maria, were brother and sister. Ingrid's grandmother was the first to come  to this country when she married Ingrid's grandfather who had come to this country a few years earlier, but returned  to the "old country" with the intention of  finding  himself  a wife. He  brought her back to Gig Harbor, with her never returning again to the island of Brac in Croatia...then Yugoslavia.    Later, Joey's dad immigrated, met and married Mary Lovrovich and settled down to raise his family. When I spotted these two, heads together, lookin for goldfish, I couldn't help but imagine Joe and Maria looking down  at that moment from the heavens above, faces beaming.