Mind Boggling Month

How do I reconcile all death and destruction that went on this month with all the good, creative events?  As the beautiful golden leaves of October gave way to the bare branches of November, friends and family gathered together to celebrate the harvest, and to comfort each other in their loss. 

Good news first.  Roger and I are heading up our respective organizations this year, he is Master of the Grange for the third year in a row, and I will be the President of the SJC Textile Guild for 2014.  They won’t be easy terms, we are lucky to have great boards to help us through. 

Roger has been busy this month, first he built a root “closet” in our basement—it has a fan that will come on with a thermostat to keep it cold enough for potatoes, etc.  Then he built a new craft table for me so I could donate my bigger worktable to a new food prep area in the basement.  Then he built a new front end on the outdoor boiler for our radiant heat system.  And he’s brought in a lot of firewood on top of that.

I attended a Micro-Macrame/ cavandoli workshop by a nationally known teacher, Joan Babcock from Santa Fe.  Since the class I’ve finished a pendant and two bracelets.  I hope to have earring to match before too long. 

Check out her work at Joan Babcock's jewelry 

Roger’s birthday fell on the day after Thanksgiving this year.  Two days packed with family and friends and great food.  Our friend Shann returned to the island after ten months bouncing back and forth between Fred Hutchinson and University Hospital.  She made an appearance at the Cask and Schooner and made all of our days.

friends celebrating Roger's 58th birthday

 The major event of this past month, my sister Jeannette and my quick trip to Kansas City for the funeral of our Aunt Ruth was really a celebration. My mom and my aunt Ruth were very close growing up so we felt it was important to represent Mom's side of the family.  Aunt Ruth lived to one day shy of her 97^th birthday and was beloved by her children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  It was a privilege to be a part of that.  Jeannette and I immersed ourselves in family lore for three days.  

Jones cousins at Aunt Ruth's funeral

Evelyn and Ruth Jones, ages 14 and 18
 

 A weird week of communication blackout overshadowed this county of islands this past month when the cable connecting all of our long distance and most of our internet was severed, supposedly due to an earthquake.  Everyone experienced the outage differently, I could call Orcas Island for instance, but not anyone on a cellphone in Friday Harbor.  Here is an article in the Atlantic Monthly that describes the situation pretty accurately.

Atlantic Monthly article

The news was bad that week.  For one thing, Eric’s beloved lab, Pepper died suddenly on November 5^th.  My father-in-law made a trip to the emergency room,  two of my aunts were in critical condition one in Kansas City and one in L.A. This same week we learned that a friend’s son had died in a head-on collision on Maui,, and a horrible typhoon hit the Philippines, killing perhaps 10,000 people.

It’s hard to discuss quince/apple pie and macramé in the face of all this mortality.  And yet, I feel so blessed, to be surrounded by all this natural beauty, the great people in the Grange and the Textile Guild and my yoga class, all our dear friends, and large, loving family.  It's incongruous.  It boggles the mind.

 

 

 

Turn, Turn, Turn

The Byrds version of To everything there is a season - please link to this YouTube recording while you are reading this blog.

My brother Joe always manages to tie his blog up with some philosophical theme.  He would have been a good homily writer.  Here is his website for those who don’t have it already:  Joe's latest blog

Trouble is that saying “to everything, there is a season” just isn’t true for me this month.  Everything happens at once!  The planting and reaping part—all happening this month.  I’ve been picking strawberries like crazy, shelling peas, too.  At the same time, we’ve been planting squash, corn, beans, and more.

Roger with bok choi and scapes
 

 We’ve been coming—and going all month.  I just got back from the ANWG Conference in Bellingham.  That’s Association of NW Weavers Guilds.  I stayed in Higginson dorm.  That was a leap back in time!  Plenty of eye candy for the fiber artist.  And the campus was lovely this time of year.

 

WWU must not have suffered from the caterpillar plague that overwhelmed us this Spring.  Roses and Alders and apple trees completely denuded of leaves.  But, the leaves have almost all grown back.  I’ve heard these pests come for four years and I believe this is year #3.  Each one has been worse than the year before.  Friends, you may not want to visit us next May and early June.  I cannot guarantee what it may look like around here.

 Now I’m back and Roger has gone to Ocean Shores for the State Grange Convention.  You’d think a farm organization would know better than to put their yearly convention in June.  So it’s just me and the chickens—and Suzie, of course.

 While I was in Bellingham, Roger constructed a staircase from the mudroom porch down to the new loading dock at the back of the house.  How convenient!  Do you think if I left more often perhaps more major projects would get done around here?

 

There’s been a couple weddings, and sadly, a funeral.  Roger’s brother Leif died this month.  He’s been in late stage Alzheimer’s so it came as no surprise.  But still, very sad.  He would have turned 59 on June 30^th.  And a time to be born—two more granddaughters for members of my book club.

 

two month old James in the CUTEST tee shirt
 

The service group that I belong to is winding up its year while at the same time, the Textile Guild action is heating up as I try to line up a new Board for next year when I take up the Presidency.  I need a Vice-President!  Anyone?

And now it is time to post.

 

Spring Celebrations

Four ex-Metroids gather in Anacortes to celebrate retirement
 

This month’s blog entry will include Roger and my trip to Canada to celebrate our 25^th wedding anniversary, a visit by brother John and Marilyn, a Family open house in memory of Roger’s uncle Don who died in February. A trip to Olympia to stay at a friend’s cabin on Henderson Inlet, a visit to see my great nephew James, a visit to celebrate Bjorn’s birthday and take the grandkids to Red Robin, a potluck dinner with visits by two more brothers, their significant others, and my girlfriend Liz, a trip to Lopez for the Third Annual Lamb, Wool, and Goat Festival, and a host of related events in honor of moi’s 60^thbirthday.

VanDusen Botanical Garden, Vancouver, B.C.

Roger with another Taurus
 

Canada

Twenty-five years ago, Roger and I flew into Victoria Harbour from Lake Union. Then we rented a car and drove all over Vancouver Island for our honeymoon. In honor of that event, we went to Victoria again. But this time, we drove to Vancouver,BC, took a ferry to Salt Spring Island,took a ferry to Vancouver Island at Swartz Bay, and from Victoria Harbour, took the Black Ball Ferry to Port Angeles, drove to Port Townsend, took a ferry to Whidbey Island, drove across DeceptionPass, and took the ferry home from Anacortes. That’s six ferry rides if you’re counting. I always wanted to do that.

Black Ball to Port Angeles
 

One of the many highlights of our trip was staying at The Beaconfield Inn, a B&B that we stayed in the first night of our honeymoon.  Gary and Warren have only owned it for the last nine years, but were more than accommodating by giving us the same garden suite, champagne, directing us to Cafe Brio for dinner and being excellent hosts.



Beaconsfield 1988
 

Beaconsfield 2013

Another highlight was Salt Spring Island, one of the Gulf Islands.  Here is a picture of Roger on the top of Mt Maxwell looking South toward Orcas and San Juan Island.

Once we got to Port Angeles, we had a look at what used to be the Elwha Dam, which was removed a year ago.  Lots of old stumps remain.

Elwha River Restoration

At theTextile Guild Quarterly meeting on Orcas, Lola Deane talked about living in Pakistan and brought examples of the textiles she collected among her many journeys abroad.

 

Green Ghost or Anita in a Burka

Frere Jaques and Souer Marilyn

 

We are always happy to have a visit from John and Marilyn from far off Richland.  They got in on some unseasonably good weather here on the island.  And we took advantage of it with a trip to South Beach and American Camp.  Unfortunately, we had to run out on them to go to Roger's family event in Renton.  Hopefully, they have some fond memories of wildflowers and Cafe Demeter.

 

Olympia                                                                                              

Hard to describe how nice it was on Henderson Inlet on May 5^th:  The people, the setting, the weather, the food . There was music and laughter and tons of clams at low tide on Monday morning.  I loved it.  Thanks to all who contributed.

Roger and I (and Suzie) were able to stop in and visit April and her new baby on that trip.  They live one inlet over from Henderson.  What a pleasant afternoon.

 

 

 

Tired yet?

We got home from Olympia, after stopping in Everett to take Bjorn and the kids to Red Robin for lunch.

This gave us two whole days to prepare for the big celebration, Anita’s 60^th and Christina’s 70^th birthday potluck at Thornbush.  The weather was still great!  Would it hold?  Tension was mounting.  People were coming, then they weren’t, then they were.  Would there be enough food?  Do I know how to grill a whole salmon?  Would there be enough musicians?  Was there enough time?  Only time would tell. . .

     Success!

 

The weather held, the food was great, people came, and the musicians played on and on until almost midnight.  Early the next morning Jeff, Kathy, Liz and I boarded a ferry to Lopez for the third annual

Lopez Lamb Wool and Goat Festival

 

When we weren't admiring the little goats, the smart herding dogs, and the beautiful fiber and fiber arts, we drove around Lopez and beachcombed.  here's a picture of my sister-in-law Kathy skipping stones at Spencer Spit State Park.

And so the celebration continued, dinner at "The Place" with Marc, Nancy, and Liz, and the next day at the spa with Liz.   Ahhhh.  As one of the many birthday cards I received quoted, "To be rich in friends is to be poor in nothing".

Passages

signs of Spring

We didn’t go to the ocean, we are not going to Maui, we are not in Florida or Sayulita, or New Zealand.  We stayed home this February.  Hunkered down.  We are getting things done.  This is the time of year to go to the dentist, get the car tuned up, watch the Academy Award nominated movies on Netflix, get the income tax information together.  In between wind storms, we look for signs of Spring.  Roger cut a lot of firewood.  I went through old photos.  And framed some of them for the family photo gallery in my stairwell.

Roger's side
 

Layer on to that all the regular stuff like book club meetings, grooming the dog, birthday parties, and long walks when the weather allows.  Roger rearranged his nursery and potted up hundreds of plants to sell at the upcoming Farmers Markets.

Aunt Donna, cousins David and Karen visit F.H. for the first time

 Visitors arrived from North Dakota.  We are having better weather than there, right?  Aunt Donna and cousins David and Karen showed up one weekend.  Last time we saw them was at the Noonan, North Dakota Centennial celebration in 2007. (click here to see picture of Travelers Hotel in Noonan.) Donna’s husband Robert died right before Christmas so her son David took Donna out west to visit family.  That same weekend, we received word that Donna’s brother (Roger's uncle Don) in Renton suffered a stroke and subsequently died so it is a good thing that she came out here when she did.

prayer flags in the trees at Thornbush

 

I’ve been reading a lot, between watching movies.  Read a book called Joy for Beginners set in Seattle, about a woman who survived cancer and celebrated by rafting down the Grand Canyon.  She challenges each of her friends to take on a new skill or task that, wouldn’t you know, changes her life.  This was a novel.  But I have a friend who recently rafted down the Grand Canyon.  Now she finds herself in a cancer ward in Seattle.  Family and friends are rallying around as can be expected but it is just another reminder to cherish these Very Rich Hours.  Even in the gloom of February.

5th Anniversary of my Retirement

Hired at Metro 8/9/77 retired at K.C. 1/31/08
 

This month marks the fifth anniversary of my retirement from King County Metro.  It occurred to me that I have now been retired longer than I was Supervisor of Scheduling. Wow.  My successor, Jon, has been a supervisor a year longer than me.

2013 begins with a New Year Celebration with the gang.  Here’s a pix looking down from above. 

I didn’t realize that we had instructions to all wear blue. . .

 Father-in-Law Al turned 87 and celebrated with a visit from Lil and Bree and Guy’s family. 

Miles and Austin size up the pony ride

 

Niki shows Al and Bree pictures from her phone

I wanted to show a picture of the loading dock that Roger built last Fall.  It has an outdoor sink perfect for bathing the dog, also we’ve moved the worm compost system here from its original setting behind the shop.  The dock has been very handy for many projects.  Here’s a picture of my willow harvest this winter.

Four kinds of willow plus some plum

 

The weather this winter has been fairly mild, but we have had a few frozen days.  Here are some pictures—of the frozen waterfall at Eric’s and a picture of the path to the pond—compare this to last July’s picture.

 

 

 

Click on to enlarge

 

Roger has been busy rerouting the railroad around the boiler to meet up with the new loading dock.  He has also been collecting up to 18 eggs a day from the two chicken flocks.  And he’s been getting the nursery ready for Spring.  The Grange is busy making plans for the year including a seed exchange.

 I managed to finish a basket this month.  And I got to go to our annual spa retreat with Liz, Jeannette, and Michelle.  And last weekend R and I went to Seattle, visited the new new MOHAI, and celebrated Diane’s big 6-0.   Mine will be coming up soon enough.

Celebrating the 60's

 

The month of January was filled with family, friends, projects, natural beauty . . .

 

It looks as though this retirement thing is working out just fine.

  

The Very Rich Hours in October 2012

Looking back now it is doesn’t look like much of a list, but as it was happening it felt like I couldn’t cram one more thing into this busy month.  Both Roger and I had a lot of projects coming to fruition this month--Things that we’d been working on all year.

 

It began gently enough, the weather unseasonably fine, no rain for many weeks, records being broken.  I joined the island’s walking group on a walk to Cattle Point Lighthouse.

 

 And of course, Roger was again involved in the second annual Farm Parade.  This year, I got to ride in the truck with him, pumpkin man riding with us in the back.

 

 

Midmonth, the weather turned to its normal, rainy conditions, and is still trying to make up for lost time.  But I managed to drive to Olympia and then Rockaway Beach, Oregon in beautiful weather, stopping to have lunch overlooking Canon Beach.

 The reason for this trip South by myself was my attendance at the Columbia Basin Basketry Guild’s Fall Retreat.  I’d been wanting to go for several years, conflicts had always arisen.  This year I was determined to go despite the fact that the Barreca’s were meeting the very weekend of the retreat in Olympia at my sister’s for our annual early Thanksgiving celebration (Thankstween)

 

So I decided to go for just two days and three nights and signed up for one giant two day basketry class—making my own cedar hat.  I would leave Saturday morning and be back in Olympia in time for the big dinner party with 28 other family members.  Unfortunately, the weather going back up to Washington was unruly, I passed through several squalls (or did they pass through me?)  The roads were dicey, but I made it to my sister’s and had a nice visit with the family.  My husband, however, had gotten sick in the meantime and was unable to join us. L

 

 

 As soon as I got back home, it was all about the all-Island Textile Guild Meeting, that I, as SJ Island rep, was in charge of hosting.  We had a new venue, and a great speaker from Whidbey Island.  Also, I had decided to run the first ever “bag raffle” which meant collecting articles to raffle from the members, sorting, and bringing in the infrastructure to show off the items.  Thanks to the hard work of a core group of guild members, the meeting worked out great.

 Having no time to rest, the very next day, Thornbush was spotlighted for a “Farm Tour” as part of the “Savor the San Juans” festival, the festival that had started so many weeks earlier with the Farm parade.  Roger had been working all month to get the place ready, but the big push to make everything beautiful came in this last week.  It rained and poured all week and we weren’t expecting much of a turnout, but on Sunday, it stopped raining and the sun even peaked out for a minute or two.  There wasn’t a big rush of people touring, but a steady little dribble all day long.

 

Of course, out in the real world, the Presidential debates are changing the course of history, the Giants sweep the Tigers in the World Series, and the biggest damn storm ever hits the east coast.  Meanwhile . . .

 Monday, good friends from Seattle visited and left yesterday and today I got into costume and was able to show off my newly-made cowboy hat.  And so October comes to a close.