Good Day Sunshine! (So far anyway.)

We have been truly lucky of late...   usually living on the coast you get used to misty, chilly, foggy winters. And summers.  However, we moved in a very unusual weather year. Since we have been here I think it has rained lightly once, and has been foggy maybe two afternoons... other than that the winter sun has been brightly shining, and we have loved it.  But now the weather lady tells us we will finally be getting some rain.  Thanks Roberta!

It is about 5 am and the wind is starting to blow hard enough to get my well traveled chimes on the front porch singing.  They are larger chimes so they have a beautiful baritone sound that I have always found relaxing.  There is just something about sitting in your quiet home hearing the chimes slowly ringing.  Love it.  I have been dragging those chimes around for years, they have been ringing through 100 degree weather, -20 degree icy days, and have watched over golfers slogging through the rainy, rainy, rainy days in Oregon.

(Good grief that is awful)

Well, we have been very busy working on the house.  There has been a lot more sheetrock, paint, trim, paint again and things are finally starting to take shape.

We could always see what direction we were going in but I know that has not been the case for all our visitors.

Here is David after, during, before replumbing, rewiring, repainting, and tiling the laundry room: 

A lot of people walk in and are just overwhelmed with no walls... or many different types of walls, wires being reworked, and a migrating 3 foot tall refrigerator which gets plugged in to wherever there is an open spot.  Ya just have to be patient and keep your eyes on the prize.  (The prize being a finished home.)

Speaking of the refrigerator... it has been an interesting job trying to 'keep house' during the remodel.  Fortunately, it was not completely out of my realm of experience but let me give you an idea of the joy of cooking in a house being remodeled.  I have a 3 foot tall refrigerator, that has a "freezer section" about as big as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  This refrigerator always seems to be in the way, so it frequently moves around the house.  I cook in a combination of an electric skillet and a single extra burner...

That is it.

Once in awhile I use the crockpot but for anyone who has used a crockpot you know that the meals prepped usually leave plenty of leftovers... I mean that is the point. You make stuff and save part of it.   Well, with a mini-fridge and no freezer there is no where to put leftovers so I don't use the crockpot as often as one would think.  That leaves the single burner and the electric skillet.

I have to say... the electric skillet is a useless piece of equipment and I plan to get rid of that S.O.B. as soon as I have a range... and I think just to keep it company that single burner will be joining it.   Because of this, lately we eat a lot of very similar meals... very similar.  David is a good sport but I suppose when one has worked all day and is hungry just about anything will do.

Something did happen the other day at Sears though that gives me hope and will call for a celebration!  There was a big ole MLK Jr. day sale at Sears and we ordered this lovely thing (queue Gregorian chant:)

Great sale, great stove, and I will be more than happy to cook on it... someday.  We have to get our cabinets going first but when they are done this puppy will be all ready to hook up and I will be digging my cast iron pans out of.. well.. wherever they are right now! 

Also... I did not want you to think we skipped Christmas.

It literally blew by!  

That is a picture of my Grandson Donovan.  That is what most of his pictures look like...  I even had my camera switched to sports mode. He is just ALWAYS on the run.  Anyway, he rolled in wearing his red footy pajamas and bright yellow Sponge Bob boots on Christmas eve and as usual he hit the ground running. 

Remind you of someone?

 Here he is below with his first view of Great Granny and Great Papa's tree sharing his excitement with David.   

 

After this picture I think he jumped up and down twice and then ran off again.

Then of course after his batteries finally wore out and we were all exhausted ourselves, 

he went down for the night...  

but when he awoke Santa had visited and brought him exactly what he wanted.  

Woody and Buzz

and he has played with little else since then. 

Holidays

I hope your holiday celebrations were filled with happiness, friends, and family. Our was very nice although David and I did not spend it together this year. I believe it is the first Christmas we have spent apart since we have been together... for geez... what is it now 7ish years or so?  Sumthin‘ like that.  We have the golf course right now and that is traditionally an active day on golf courses if the weather holds out.

People are off of work, out of school, and have family visiting.  So David could not leave it. 

 At the same time, I was so close to my family I could not pass up the trip to see them this holiday season since I have missed the last few years... and in particular I wanted to see my daughter and wily Grandson.

I had a wonderful visit with the family.  Everyone is doing great. As for the gift giving part of the celebration we draw names around Thanksgiving to narrow down our shopping lists and then exchanged our gifts Christmas morning.  

My brother-in-law Jeff drew my name and with a bit of detective work he found a necklace on Etsy that I had my eye on and that was his gift to me and I love it.









I had my Mom’s name and picked her up a few things and a book she has been waiting for... she was especially pleased with the book and has already finished it. 









There was almost an international incident as the Xmas tree tried two or three times to tumble over onto the party but Grandpa and Ave saved the day!  They just propped it back up and we simply laughed about it, and partied on.  TIMBER!

 Donovan is a busy bee.  He ran all over the house and is learning to bite. I know because he bit me... he has some pretty nice chompers that he uses on me... his Mama,  and of course on chocolate raisins.  He also climbed the Christmas decorating ladder and let us all know about it ...

and had a great time opening his presents even though his favorite toy was the wrapping paper tube! 


He got some full on Jedi Knight action with that thing until it fell apart and he started eating it. 

 His mother got him a little truck that plays music and/or honks when you push buttons on the top.  Best of all one of the button plays the song... “Funky Town”  and he REALLY enjoyed that and would do the baby dance whenever he could get it going good. The baby dance at this age consists of shifting and bouncing back and forth on his feet and then once in awhile throwing in a shoulder/back twist.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 The drives down to California, and back home again were (thank goodness) uneventful and I decided to travel down Hwy 101 instead of I-5 because of the snow in the mountains.  On the recommendation of my sister and brother-in-law Jeff I also decided to try a couple of audio books.  I downloaded one off of Amazon (via audible.com) and the other from the iTunes store and found I really enjoyed listening to them on the trips.  It was super simple. I downloaded them and then burned them onto discs. 

Then for the very first time I learned just WHO committed the Murder on the Orient Express as I was driving through the Emerald Triangle.  Very exciting!

I was very glad to be home... David missed me and I missed him.  He just about overdosed on frozen burritos and Delta was starting to not be interested in eating her food.

Turns out though, Delta was not moping.... we found out after the fact but she had snuck a dead salmon out of the creek.  In case you did not know... eating dead salmon can kill dogs and is a big issue here in the pacific northwest.  She got sicker and sicker and it was getting hard to get her to eat. We did not know what was wrong at first but when she just stopped eating all together we said enough... there is something really wrong.. and took her to the vet.  Turns out she had salmon poisoning.  Very treatable if caught in time... but if not 90% of dogs will die from it.  Apparently, domestic dogs are the only critters who have an issue with salmon poisoning. Not wolves, foxes, coyotes, cats, raccoons, bears... only domestic dogs and the story is that once they get it and if they are cured they supposedly won’t get it again. 

The salmon eat a snail, the snail has these fluke egg things in them... so the dog eats the salmon and the flukes hatch inside the dogs.  And she was pretty sick.  IV fluids, antibiotics, floppy like a rag doll sick.

It has taken a couple days and we have had to become tricky with her medicine  (hiding it in a spoonful of ice cream) but she is much better and is slowly starting to eat again.  It broke our hearts to see her so sick she is really a tender sweetheart of a girl.  She gives us a lot of love.

Beautiful artwork by Artist & Author Jackie Morris

We are so glad to have her back on track now and feeling better each day that is passes.

Just one more additional story that made the holidays... oh so special.  I went to go get some supplies from the store because we had a small tournament lined up for Jan 1.  The supplies included a few cases of beer.  I set them up on the counter and with my head down I was continuing to unload the cart.  The woman behind the counter grabbed the beer, scanned it, then said “I am going to have to see your...” and I turned my head to listen to what she was going to say.  She looked into my face and said, “oh... never mind.”

OUCH! 

I wailed, “OH MAN!  The timing of that!  You could have finished the sentence... Geez!”  She said “oh no.. no.. no... that's not what I meant.  Um... you just seemed to be in a hurry so I was not going to have you get your i.d. out.” 

Not a convincing recovery but I will take what I can get. 

Happy Halloween!

  Here we are again already... the wheel has turned, harvest is in...

(yes I had a harvest... finally)

and time for family gatherings before winter makes her appearance.

 Not goona say whose family this is.

Wild Thing!

Anyhoo, I am anxiously awaiting photos of Donovan's costume this year.  Last year if you recall his mother made him a wonderful "Max" costume from "Where the Wild Things Are".   

He was a bit more horizontal last year so she didn't have to worry about the practicality of his outfit. Look at the great claws on the hands and feet!  Love it!

This year though he is mobile... and is he ever! 

 He likes this walking around business and keeps everybody on the move.  I just love how they take off in a direction they are not supposed to go and then turn around and look to see if you are following them.  They train us well.  

He also likes to make noise... not talking yet but singing and vocalizing at all levels.  I hear he really likes the stairwell because of the echos it makes. 

Rumor has it he will be the man of steel this year. I am hoping to see photos soon... hint hint.






We had some goings-on this year at the course so  I was slow to decorate.  I actually did not dig my decoration box out until early this morning and pulled out some of my favorites and placed them around the clubhouse. Just a few though this year.  We sent out a coupon for half price if people wear their costumes and I thought it would be best that the participating golfers be greeted with some halloween decor. 

I also did a fast  search on the internet for some fun pictures, for inspiration, and of course searched around on Etsy.

I just love Etsy.  One of the artists on Etsy does Dia De Los Muertos sculptures and I have linked to the shop on halloween before. I figured I might check her shop and she what she had going on this year...  she did not disappoint. Not as festive as the one I posted before... but I like this one.. It is called:

Best Friends Forever

 

J.T. Nee Sculpture Etsy Shop

Nice.

 And now for your spooky viewing pleasure...

The night was dark and dismal... (isn't it always!)

Anyhoo...

  The night was dark and dismal, yet the form of the unknown might now in some degree be ascertained. He appeared to be a horseman of large dimensions, and mounted on a black horse of powerful frame. He made no offer of molestation or sociability, but kept aloof on one side of the road, jogging along on the blind side of old Gunpowder, who had now got over his fright and waywardness.

     Ichabod, who had no relish for this strange midnight companion, and bethought himself of the adventure of Brom Bones with the Galloping Hessian, now quickened his steed in hopes of leaving him behind. The stranger, however, quickened his horse to an equal pace. Ichabod pulled up, and fell into a walk, thinking to lag behind, --the other did the same. His heart began to sink within him; he endeavored to resume his psalm tune, but his parched tongue clove to the roof of his mouth, and he could not utter a stave. There was something in the moody and dogged silence of this pertinacious companion that was mysterious and appalling. It was soon fearfully accounted for. On mounting a rising ground, which brought the figure of his fellow-traveller in relief against the sky, gigantic in height, and muffled in a cloak, Ichabod was horror-struck on perceiving that he was headless! but his horror was still more increased on observing that the head, which should have rested on his shoulders, was carried before him on the pommel of his saddle!

     "If I can but reach that bridge," thought Ichabod, " I am safe." Just then he heard the black steed panting and blowing close behind him; he even fancied that he felt his hot breath. Another convulsive kick in the ribs, and old Gunpowder sprang upon the bridge; he thundered over the resounding planks; he gained the opposite side; and now Ichabod cast a look behind to see if his pursuer should vanish, according to rule, in a flash of fire and brimstone. Just then he saw the goblin rising in his stirrups, and in the very act of hurling his head at him. Ichabod endeavored to dodge the horrible missile, but too late. It encountered his cranium with a tremendous crash, --he was tumbled headlong into the dust, and Gunpowder, the black steed, and the goblin rider, passed by like a whirlwind.

~From "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving 

 

Settling in a bit... finally.

We have been here at the golf course since April or so for David to train on equipment etc.  We officially took over the course in July. Summer here is the busiest time of the year for golf courses so we have not had much time to get settled in to our new home.  We have been up at 5 or 6  am to greet the first golfers at 6:30 or 7 am with a pot of strong-ass coffee and freshly mowed greens.  

Then we would fall into bed around 9:30 at night... 7 days a week.  During summer there are plenty of cold dinners, or meals that are mixed up and confused as I am trying to get some sort of cooking schedule going. Never a missed meal...  heaven forbid... we both are foodies but the eating routine has definitely been disrupted.

That's not to say we did not get any fun time... we had visitors several occasions.  My daughter Amber and Grandson Donovan came to visit during the summer, as did my parents,

Dad and Mom at Japanese Gardens in Portland

David's brother Terry's family, my brother Dale and his wife Kendra, some friends from N. Cali, and our friend Doug the cabinet man and his son Casey.  Doug is the premiere cabinet maker... a master craftsman in my opinion, and is the same fellow who made our cabinets for the house in Michigan.  He came to visit and brought along a customized bookshelf he had crafted to fit along a low wall in the residence that ran along the living area into the kitchen area.

Not only is this a beautiful addition there is very little storage in the apartment so this was very practical as well.  While we left furniture, including beds and stuff in Michigan we DID bring boxes and boxes of books and really had no where to put them.  I also have a few kitchen collectible stuff that I drag around with me wherever we go.  We absolutely love the shelving unit.  Doug does gorgeous work and I have been slowly filling it as time and ambition has allowed. 

Speaking of my Grandson....  he is growing like a weed!  

Look at him showing off his teeth! and his new haircut!  

Mid-Haircut

Playing with Great Grandpa

He also had his first birthday last month and he and his mama, daddy, and the rest of the family enjoyed every bit of it!

Left the walking toy behind!

Look out behind you PAPA! 

And for some more photos:

Look at the rapscallion eyes!

Sweet boys once again!

Not from party but sweet girl just the same.

Donovan with the new high chair that Great Grandpa made.

Grassy Baby Toes! What is this ticklie surface!  LOL

When we first took over the residence at the course I had been Goodwill surfing and found some temporary furniture.  However, by the time September rolled around those straight backed hard wooden Ben Franklin chairs were really not enjoyable any more.

 
We had frequently taken to laying on the carpet with Delta.  So.... finally during a couple of rainy days in a row, David was able to escape with me and we ran to Ikea and got a sofa!

Yayyyy! Finally!

Pretty crazy this sofa came in this little box:

We took it home and in like 5-6 steps *poof* we had a couch!  Literally poof.  The cushions are vacuum packed into bags and when you open them they suck air in and POOF... you got cushions. 

Those vikings are pretty sharp.

And now enters the beginning of Autumn.  Kinda like a heavy happy sigh. Things are slowing down on the course, dark is coming much earlier in the evenings and staying later in the mornings.   There has even been the smell of wood smoke in the air on a couple of the more chilly mornings and finally, we have been able to get tucked in better to our new home. Heck, I even made soup a couple of nights!

It is a wonderful feeling when you are finally able make your abode your own.  When you first move you unpack... you find the absolute 'day to day' necessities and make them easily accessible.  Then you slowly start to settle in.  At some point...  your new place suddenly becomes yours.  It transforms into 'home'.   The process might be a bit different for folks but after you hang a certain photo, or put out a couple of favorite books, or even when you find a spot in the cupboard for your favorite coffee mug.

Either way there is an invisible line of sorts where it goes from just some place you are staying....  to a home.  It took a bit longer for us in this space, but it is finally happening.

Nice.