Beginning 2019

Hi All,

This is my first blog of the year, I missed January’s.  I was off getting  another sunny start to the year. Much like 2018 except this time we came home to record snow.

We left Washington on the 28^thof December and what a month.  First of all the family flew down to Arizona the 5^ththrough the 12^th getting back in time to start the Christmas festivities.  We had a really good time, but it did make for a very busy few weeks.

Three of us drove down this year. The picture is of the three of us standing in the lobby of the London Bridge Resort where we stayed the night.

The drive down was great. I loved the new Highlander with all of its safety features. It was hard to give up the Lexus, but after a lot of going back and forth between the two, the Highlander was better, at least for me.  Coming back the weather was iffy we finally took a chance on what looked like a window and left a week earlier than we had planned.  A good thing as we got back on Wednesday the 6^th of February and record-breaking snow hit on Friday.  I managed to get to the grocery and bank on Thursday so was set for a week of pretty much being snowed in. Marie posted pictures of what the snow looked like here in the Pacific NW. It was pretty, and then it wasn’t. 🙂

This year was different in that Linda and I took off from Arizona and flew to Cancun mid-January. We met up with family there. Seven in all and we had a really fun time.  We did get some rain which is a first for us on the tropical winter vacations but it was still warm.

So now settling back into “normal”.  And, planning to stay home for a while.

I’m ready for Spring!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

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Looking Back on 2018

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Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I love this time of year and what a fun way to end a year.  Only 10 more days until we see 2019. Today is the first day of winter and we … Continue reading →

Bloopers

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I love watching the bloopers when they put trailers in movies.  And, looking at old photo’s when we weren’t at our best is fun.  Well, at least they are if the photos aren’t of me. Years ago, at the suggestion … Continue reading →

Hoquiam Washington

Karen and I picked Hoquiam for our second, “exploring our own backyard”, mission.  The weather the day we went was unbelievable. Perfect for a Sunday outing.

Hoquiam is a small town, population of 8,726 in 2010. I’ve been to Hoquiam, both Karen and I remember going through it to the ocean beaches.  Amazingly it hasn’t changed much, the houses along the route are the same, older but well kept up.

Our first stop was Duffy’s for lunch. We both had shrimp fettuccini. Delicious.  Our main destination for the day was the Polson Museum. Again on the route to the coast, you pass it and yet neither Karen nor I had ever stopped.  The picture at the top of this blog is of the 6,500 square foot mansion. The man at the entrance gave us a brief history of the house and invited us to tour at our leisure.  He told us to look for 1942 photographs as most of the rooms have a picture of how the room looked when the Polson’s lived there.

The house was a wedding gift to Arnold and Priscilla Polson from his uncle. The house has twenty-six rooms with six bathrooms and four fireplaces.  The Polson Museum website is very well designed and includes history and pictures.   If you’re going to the ocean via Aberdeen/Hoquiam I would recommend a stop. If not, a virtual tour is the next best thing.

Another historic site is the Hoquiam Castle. We were fortunate to be able to tour the castle years ago when it was open to the public. There is so much history in Hoquiam. For a while, it was a Bed and Breakfast, but we were told it is now a private residence.   The website from the B/B time is the only tour available. Karen and I drove past it and even though you can’t go in, I would recommend the slight detour to see it.

So what’s next on our mission to see out of way places in Washington? Not sure yet we are thinking of Whidbey Island and Coupeville.  Any suggestions? We are open to ideas.

Oh almost forgot, check out the rose garden at the Polson Museum. It is late in the season but there were still some beautiful blooms.

Anderson Island

I have lived in this area all my life and never visited Anderson Island.  A few weeks ago I was reading a story set in France and the characters were traveling through small villages. This set me to bemoaning that I wasn’t traveling. Then, in a moment,  I realized that there were a lot of places, a whole lot, right here in my backyard, that I hadn’t been to.  I called Karen and we decided to make it our mission to discover our backyard in the coming months.  First stop, Anderson Island.

Anderson Island is called “The Secret Island” and is the southernmost Island in Puget Sound. It is accessible only by boat or float plane and is about a 20-minute ferry ride.  Karen commented that going there is like stepping back in time.  It has one General Store, one Gas Station, One Restaurant and no traffic lights.

The Island is just under 8 miles in size, with a population (in 2010) of 1037.  We picked a perfect day with the weather. The ferry ride was beautiful. The picture shows it a bit windy, but not cold at all. In fact, we stopped at “The Old Swimming Hole”, and watched kids swimming.

Our first stop was the General Store where we picked up a map and met a very friendly guy behind the counter. This is one of the friendliest places I have visited.  Armed with a  map we set out to explore the island.  The guy at the store told us about the restaurant that sets on one of two lakes.  So first stop Riviera Lakeshore Restaurant.  It overlooks Lake Josephine and has a beautiful view of Mt. Rainier.  And, is sooooo quiet. We both had fish and chips, good, and better with the ambiance surrounding us.

A resident of the island stopped by our table and chatted for a bit. The pace of the day was “Island Time”.  Karen had it right when she said it was like stepping back in time.

We drove around the Island stopping at the first school on the Island and Johnson Historic Farm.  You can see more of the farm on their website.  Unfortunately, it was closed but we wandered around enjoying the grounds and wonderful weather.

Altogether an amazing day that made me again wonder at how I could have lived here so long and never visited Anderson Island.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Squash

It’s been awhile since we posted a recipe.  I was never good at posting them but every once in awhile I stumble on one I want to share.  Rick and Linda (Son and Daughter-in-law) have a very productive garden again this year.  Last year Rick gave me a summer squash. I don’t like them but he told me to try it with Pasta which I did and Oh My Gosh so good.  This year I asked for them.  Yummy, fresh out of the garden I made the dish in the picture. There actually are three ways to serve it. And, I’ve tried them all.

1. With sour cream

2. put in a casserole dish and top with cheese. Cook in oven until the cheese is melted and even browned if you like it that way.

3. Just as is with no cream or cheese

I like them all.

Recipe:

Summer Squash – as many as you want

Pasta – I used the Tri-Colored Fusilli but I really like Penne too.

Bacon bits

Fry squash in oil. For this one I used avocado oil but I can’t tell the difference between it and olive oil.  Season with favorite seasoning.  I used  Island Spice we got in Jamaica.

Cook pasta in salt water.

Drain pasta and stir in a little oil. Mix with fried summer squash and put in bacon bits. I love bacon so put in quite a bit.

Enjoy it just way or embellish it with sour cream or cheese.

Cracks In The Sidewalk

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This story is based on true life. The author, Bette Lee Crosby, interviewed the Grandparents extensively.  It’s an amazing story of courage, love and forgiveness.  It might not be an inspirational genre but it was for me as in the … Continue reading →