Ten and a Half Months

Endings and Beginnings

2012-01-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

Time really HAS gotten away from me! I thought I had posted in November. So here it is the new year.

November brought the mums in our yard into full bloom just as I had predicted. The spider Mums are my favorite. Here you see a yellow spider and an orange spoon mum.

And a new car into our garage:

For the first time in six years, Anna Rae sat down to Thanksgiving dinner with us. Our very good friends, the Kornowskes, hosted. It was, as always, incredibly delicious.

December was a whirlwind, beginning with a trip to Green Bay for my mom's 80th birthday and then "Woohoo!" tailgating at Julie and Terrys' and a Packer game and YES, they won!

December also brought a visit from out of state friends; Tania and her beau, Owen, from Montana.

Then before I knew it, Christmas was here! There was baking to do; Anise Almond Biscotti and Coconut Cranberry Chews and Butterscotch Cookies and Peppermint Pinwheels.

And relaxing with technology. (Yes, Miracle on 54th St. is on the TV)

Anna Rae was showered with gifts. (Poor Americorp girl; she was grateful for the Christmas bounty.)

Of course Christmas meant feasting. We were a table of nine this year. the menu was gumbo, baked lobster tails, scrumptious salads and satsuma cheesecake for dessert and cookies too!

Preceded by dominoes and followed by football!

More feasting on December 30th with the Zarker / Primomo family. This time it was Thai food.

December meant the end to our 1950's avacado green sink in the bathroom. Here is the new vanity and sink. The counter top color is called Coffee Bean.

When it comes to plumbing one thing leads to another. So, a week later, on New Year's Eve day Chris was installing new fixtures in the kitchen.

There are small beginnings for 2012, like the new leaves on my orchid:

And much bigger beginnings like the construction of the new house to the east of our lower lot line.

This is the end to the woodsy solitude that we had when we moved here in 1987 but who knows, it may be the beginning of a friendship with new neighbors.

As for another ending and a beginning; I am going to discontinue posting on this blog at least for a year. I will be adding to my Flickr account regularly. In fact I am starting a set called It's a Colorful Life and I will be taking a picture a day and sometimes adding comments to the pictures. Each month will feature one color. So don't be blue, visit me here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cta/sets/72157628675095039/

Viadoom Dreariness

2011-10-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

The rain is pitter pattering outside my window. My plan was to go walk on the viaduct and take photos from that venerable mid-century highway construction which has contributed to so many breathtaking views of Seattle's waterfront and the distant Olympics. I am waffling, it is pouring now. Demolition started last night. I will miss it but unlike many, it won't put a crimp in my commute. My world is West Seattle.

Fall changes are more rapid now. Here are some shots of the backyard, taken yesterday:

This is a tree that grew as a 'sucker' from a dead tree we had cut down YEARS ago. A neighbor who has since passed away, called it a California Palm. It has thorns on it's trunk and on the underside of the palm-like leaves. The wood is rather soft, almost mealy. At one point, the tree that preceded this one, had a chickadee nesting in a cavity in the trunk. It was fun to watch as it was so close to our deck. Right now, this young tree does it's job of adding shade to my fern garden.

The blush of orange over yellow reminds me of peaches.

The sumac is eye catching and it is complimented by the yellow of the mid-winter fire dogwood. It looks so good you would think I planned it that way! (;

P.S. I did end up going on the viaduct walk! My photos can be seen on my Flickr account. Click herehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/cta/sets/72157627953791792/ It felt good to be part of Seattle's history.

Fall Brilliance

2011-10-16T07:50:00.000-07:00

It may take until noon for the sun to burn away the fog but when it does, everything just 'pops' against the blue fall skies.

Japanese Toad Lily

Autumn Full Moon Maple

Hydrangeas age so gracefully; changing in
color, each shade more beautiful than the last.

Fuzzy plumes of cimicifuga lean over the shady path and wave in the slightest breeze.

Knobby seed pods of abutilon replace the yellow flowers of September.

Hardy Fushias beckon to the hummingbirds.

Dainty Japanese Anemones (aka Windflowers) flutter like nervous ballerinas in the corner of the yard.

I thought I lost this 'Joseph's Coat' climbing rose last winter. Now it is starting to bloom!

The tomato plants are pulled and green tomatoes are in the garden window or wrapped in newspaper to ripen. We ate one squash stuffed with sausage and rice; delicious! The garden 'to do' list is long every fall. If I just make it my goal to fill the yard waste container every weekend between now and the New Year, I'm doing fine. Coming in November: my chrysanthemums should be blooming!

Summer Wanes

2011-09-18T21:08:00.000-07:00

September started with a heat wave. Really, how absurd; after a non-existent summer we start the school year sweating bullets. Labor Day Weekend and THE GIRL is back! Well at least closer; in Walla Walla, not Bangkok. What better excuse to visit wineries? Here you see our souvenirs. the magnum will be our Christmas wine.

And a trip to Walla Walla also includes a purchase of fresh fruit. Nectarines. Some we dry, some we freeze. Oh so sweet!

Surprisingly enough, the plants in our own garden yielded enough tomatoes and chilis (they continue to ripen) to make 8 pints of salsa to freeze.

The late summer heat has left the ground parched and dry. The sumac should be beautiful by the end of the month. There are many cones of fuzzy berries above the green leaves.

It surprises me how the shady path recedes from my line of vision at this time of year and the zinnias and dogwood in the upper rockery catch my eye.

The chrysanthemum have yet to bloom; the colorful zinnias are center stage. The sunflowers have not stood as tall and prominent as most years. This one does look pretty as it bows down; this morning's raindrops decorating both the petals and leaves.

Blueberry picking was a disappointment this year but blackberries are another story. I picked enough today for three pies. I think I timed it right. Along with the start of rain will come mold and more spiders spinning their webs amongst the brambles. Fall is only days away.

Find Sun In Unexpected Places

2011-08-20T17:44:00.000-07:00

Mid August and I saw the first colorful leaf from the Venus dogwood in my front yard:

In spite of the cool summer I am starting to get Sun Gold cherry tomatoes and my salad size tomatoes just might give me a decent crop. I have my doubts about the beans, though. The blossoms are not even open. Pumpkins and squash will be small but quite perfect for a family of two. Peppers are so so. They are not as plentiful as last year. The basil in pots will give me some batches of pesto but the plants in the garden; probably not.

I adore the double petaled lily that is in a pot on my deck. But then, any and every lily is adorable and intoxicating.

The container plants on my front porch are very healthy. The purple Wandering Jew is beginning to sport pink flowers. I will take cuttings inside to start all over again next year.

I have purchased white astilbe at a 2 for 1 sale at the Nursery at Mt. Si. They are already planted along the 'shady path' as I had planned in my last post.

The rumor is that contractors will be building a 3000+ square ft. home on the lot to the east of our lower yard. That of course will mean lots of gardening adjustments as they will cut down all the trees. The less ambient, more persistent shade of a house will be new for me. Good thing I know my shade plants. But then again, I may find sun in unexpected places. I think that is a good motto when facing change: "Find sun in unexpected places."

On a personal front there are changes too. Our daughter is coming home from Bangkok in 4 short days and she will be working MUCH closer to home. Four hours of car travel as opposed to 18+ on airplanes. Another plus; she will be living in Washington's wine country.

On the work horizon I have some minor changes too. We start later; at 9:35, eat lunch later, have an afternoon recess, dismiss later, and my prep time is in the afternoon. Of course as with every year there are new students and families. I have written names on name tags, supply baskets, homework folders, and on the birthday chart. You could give me a spelling test on their first names and I bet I would pass. Isabel, in three different spellings, is the 'name of the year'. There are 3 incoming kindergarten girls with this name. I hope one of them likes "Belle".

Not All Roses

2011-07-31T17:28:00.000-07:00

While many plants refused to grow in our cool wet July weather weather, the roses didn't seem to mind. I was surprised that even the foliage looks pretty this year; no black spot or mildew.

The shady path is magnificent. I love, love, love these white astilbe and plan to plant more on the opposite side of the path to balance the view of the path from the deck.

Most of the hydrangeas are lacking blooms and it was actually 'touch and go' as to whether or not some of them survived the winter. But these two guardians of the gate are as lavish in bloom as ever. The climbing one smells SO good on a sunny day.

Of course my fern garden is flourishing in this cool July. I visited Lakewold Gardens, south of Tacoma and got some good ideas for adding to this area; possibly a moss covered rock or log.

Planting these Orienpet lilies in the pots at the top of the rockery steps was a capital idea. When there is a slight breeze I can smell their spicy, green apple scent from our deck. Just in case you think my gardens are all pretty and weed free, I had to post pictures of one of my 'work in progress' areas;

This is Bishop's Weed, also known as Goutweed. It is in a border that is not readily visible from our deck. I did like the way it lightened this corner of the lot but it has overreached it's boundaries and is now an unwelcome guest. Go here to read an amusing and honest gardener give her opinion of Bishop's Weed.

This is some recently recovered area and I will watch it like a hawk for the return of the Bishop's Weed. I know this will be an uphill battle.

As For the Vegetables....

Nothing is as lush or abundant as it should be. At this time last year the beans were up to the deck. This year they are no more than a foot tall. Of course I had to start them twice as the first batch were cleanly nipped off by slugs or snails.

Itsy bitsy pumpkins; good thing I do not need them to make Jack o' Lanterns!

The chard was better than usual; sweet and slow to bolt.

Even in the vegetable world, blossoms are captivating.

A fair amount of tomatoes on each of my 4 bushes, but the million dollar question is: "Will they ripen?"

Peppers do best in pots for me. I started them from seed in April and in spite of the cool weather, I feel rewarded. I am not sure just how hot or what type this is; banana peppers, maybe? I bought a packet of mixed seed.

Now these plump peppers are an Italian heirloom pepper given to me by my neighbor and friend, Erin. I will save the seeds and plant more next spring. Aren't they cute? they bring to mind a childhood memory; when I was a kid our family would sometimes go to a supper club for dinner. The one I remember best is Shaffer Park Supper Club in Crivitz, WI. Our family of seven would be camping for a week or more at Sandstone Campground, a family place for employees of Wisc. Public Service and it was a VERY big deal to shower, dress up, and take the boat down the Peshtigo River, or go by car, to Shaffers for a chicken dinner. Taking the boat was definitely more unique and exciting. Waiting for that chicken dinner could be L-O-N-G, especially if you were a kid. The relish tray and bread sticks (Grissini; but what did I know then?!) needed replenishing at least once. Now let me get back to those peppers. On the relish tray were these wonderfully juicy and salty and not too spicy peppers. They looked exactly like the ones growing on my pepper plants. Maybe it is time for me to dust off my canning jars.

Halfway

2011-07-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

My birthday, July 2nd is halfway to the new year. Yes, 182.5 days before Jan.1 and 182.5 days after. It always reminds me that I can choose to look at life with a half empty or half full philosophy and half full is what I strive for. This July 2nd was lovely and warm with blue skies and a breeze. I took no pictures in Paulsbo where I sat on the patio of Paulsbohemian Coffee shop in a funky wooden deck chair and read my book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. When I wasn't absorbed in the mystery I could look up and see sailboats skimming across the water and hear the cling clang of the ropes against the masts of the boats in the marina below the coffee shop. Chris hung his paintings inside the shop. I think I had the better end of the deal; a book in hand and sunshine on my knees. Then on we went to Port Townsend and I resisted taking yet more photos of the Victorian houses., I had done that enough on my last visit in 2009. But I did go on the gallery walk in town. The blue skies turned to gray and the pleasant breeze became a chilly wind in the late afternoon. July 3rd the gray skies were back and I was glad I had my jacket when we walked through Chetzemoka Park. The poem at the end of this post was on a sign in the park. The last stanza of the poem is my favorite. It explains the reason why the Gunnera that I am standing in front of is so immense. You almost expect a dinosaur to come galumphing from behind the leaves!

This is a trellis that supports about 4 different colors of climbing roses.

This section of the landscaping was a gift from Vancouver, BC, Canada.

A lot of rain makes for ENORMOUS leaves on this Gunnera.

Gazebos as big as this always make me think of the Sound of Music.

Wonderful views!

Mary Lou Sanelli

July Morning, Chetzemoka Park

I like to sit in the swing, the one closest to the sandbox
where toddlers play, their mothers sitting on the rim
chatting up preschools, the latest movie at The Rose.
As morning strolls toward noon, one will brush the sand
off her child and the others will follow suit.
I love the oneness I feel with this park,
though, today, a woman walks by and throws me
a glance that shoots a blunt arrow into my calm.
It is appropriate to say I am cut
from her life but that’s another small-town poem
entirely.

If I have a day without duties, I like to lie on my back
looking up at a maze of clouds that give shape
to a puffy clan of faces I try to name.
One looks like my Uncle Pete
the morning after a poker game.
This is when I find myself
overcome by happiness, when an afternoon
stretches out before me empty as sky. When rocking
in a wooden swing and watching the crows
is more than enough work for one day.
By the gazebo, a friend mows the lawn
and waves to me because when I think of it
we’ve known each other a decade now
plus a few years.

This park, beach-bound and camouflaged
in cedar wraps me in its arms and laughs.
In this state of mind I resist all I know
of fall, winter, persistent parts of spring.
When sunless skies define what is real, I remind myself,
when you live in a luxury of water. Of rivers, rain,
lakes and sea. Where, if a city park could speak
it would say, Girl, rain is the very reason
I am as ravishing as this.

The May That Was...

2011-05-29T18:17:00.000-07:00

...wet and cold, much like April. Will summer ever come? On Friday we took the kindergarten classes to Seward Park Environmental Center. During the 'Talking Tree' presentation the children learned about the importance of trees. They were told that because trees are living things they need to eat. The 'Talking Tree' in her leafy costume told them about trees needing to drink water and eat sunshine. Photosynthesis was touched on lightly, mostly learning to roll out those five syllables saying an approximation of the word. The day was partly gray. The first group of kindergartners had the weather gods smiling on them and not a drop of rain fell.Then it was our turn to take a naturalist led hike in the woods behind the center. It began to rain; heavily. Now you would think, living in Seattle, that parents when told repeatedly in notes from the teacher: "This will be an outdoor field trip, please dress your child for the weather." it would happen. Nope, guess again. Fortunately the center had umbrellas for the parent volunteers to borrow and once we were under the canopy of the trees, all was fine. The naturalist cheerily queried, "Now where DID that sun go?" and on cue a kindergartner piped up, "The trees ate the sun!" We all laughed and went gamely on our way.

The lack of sun has led to late blooms on just about everything. Lettuce and even sunflowers are doing poorly at germinating outside. BUT, everything green is growing gangbusters; grass, moss, Hostas, Solomon's Seal, Ferns, Disporium Hookeri (a favorite of mine), Mayapples with their gigantic leaves and the flowering Venus Dogwood in the front of our bay window.

Tulips are lovely but...

2011-04-24T20:07:00.001-07:00

...I will be dreaming of the brugmansia, orchids, morning glory, assorted palms and vines that we saw on our trip to Thailand and Cambodia. Jungle flora is amazing!

Click here to view this photo book larger

April Showers...

2011-04-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

... keep on coming. The slugs are having a field day in our gardens. I spread bait and pulled a zillion dandelions and chick weed yesterday. Chris is waiting for a break in the rain to do a second mowing but there is no break in sight. I got my order of chrysanthemums from King's Mums and potted them in 4 and 6 inch pots. I will post their pictures and names once they have recovered from 'pot shock'.

My poor ligularia riddled with holes by slugs.

Pulmonaria (lungwort) in the foreground and Disporium Hookeri (Fairy Bells) pushing up in the background.

Tiny and red, the first tulip to bloom in my yard is visible from my deck. Yellow ones will be out this week. the pear tree has plump buds ready to bloom if we get a day or two of warmth. Today it is gray and 49 degrees. I am wearing my warm wool socks as I sit at the computer. I think I will convince Chris to start a fire in the fire place tonight.

Marching Towards Spring

2011-03-06T11:56:00.000-08:00

I got my haircut yesterday and then strolled down Pine St. in the half sun of a lovely March morning. Cool, yes, but that sunshine meant so much after the wind, rain, hail, and gray skies of last week. March began with weather evocative of the saying, "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb."

Once home I avoided the report cards stacked on the table and raked and hoed in this garden bed. The soil was surprisingly warm through my garden gloves. I transplanted 5 limey green heuchera and some lettuce and kale starts that wintered over. I am behind in pruning roses. That is the next garden chore at the top of my list.

I love...

2011-02-12T16:01:00.000-08:00

gardening. It takes my mind away from the 'garden of children' that occupy me Monday through Friday. Gardening occupies your every sense. Today my nose was treated to the pungent smell of thyme as I pruned the roaming mass that clambers over and around plants and rocks in the front rockery. I winced at the sound of limb to limb, agonized screeching, that resulted when today's strong winds swayed the cherry trees to and fro. I sampled the greens I wintered over and they are sweet and tender, not bitter in the least. Tomorrow I will thin and transplant them into containers so that we get to eat them before the slugs and snails. I felt the cold, wet soil right through my winterized Atlas garden gloves, but fortunately I felt no pain as I pruned the last of the ornamental grasses, the ferns in the front yard and in the east rockery. I filled our yard waste container to the tippy top in no time flat. What did I see? Well, so much more than even these pictures can share...

Golden crocuses perk up from their drab winter beds.

Hellebores beckon bees. Yes! I saw 3 honeybees busy in my Hellebores. I have a beekeeper neighbor so that may be the source of such early bee activity.

In shades of deepest burgundy, mauve, speckled white, and lightest green, the Hellebores nod downwards, looking at the their cool moist beds as if to say "I want to sleep, please oh please, just one more week!"

It may look drab in this picture but it is anything but. Chris says he will be doing the first mowing of the lawn this month...if it stops raining long enough for the grass to dry.

Feb. 20th In the morning I went to the Sacred Harp convention which was held on Mercer Is. this year. It was a beautiful sunny day and cold, probably in the low 40s. It was SO clear, every single mountain was visible; even Mt. Adams and Mt. Baker. Once at home I worked for 3 hours in the yard cutting the ferns back in the rockery. I do believe I have attacked nearly every fern in the yard. The pile of fronds will not fit into one week of the yard waste bin; but maybe two if I am lucky. Tomorrow I am treating myself to a spa day at Olympus Spa in Tacoma. A massage is just what my gardening muscles need!

Feb. 27th Tomorrow it is back to the classroom for me. I can't remember a mid-winter break that has typified winter more than this one. We had snow and below normal temperatures for most of the week. Looking back, I made the best choice of this time off. I painted AR's bedroom (Durango Dust), started work on taxes, and I saw two movies: Black Swan (creepy) and Winter's Bone (sad, but what beautiful scenery in the midst of squalor).

2011; January in the Garden

2011-01-02T08:10:00.000-08:00

In an effort to simplify my life, gardening will be my 2011 focus for my blog. It will read more like a list of accomplishments in gardening, similar to the one in my sidebar from a couple years back. Of course it will have photos too; taking pictures of plant life is irresistible to me. So here it begins:

1-1-11 In frigid temps, under crystal clear skies, I cut down the Paul's Himalayan Musk Rambling Rose and wrestled with the 30 to 50 foot long brambles, cutting them down to size. The root stock will be dug up when the ground warms.

1-16-11 The Pineapple Express is here! Today it got up to 54 and there was no rain for most of the day. The wind has been blowing nonstop. At one brief point this afternoon the clouds actually parted and I saw blue sky. I cut the epimedium leaves down to the ground and the snowberry and native spiraea to half their size. I moved a peony shrub to a sunnier and more raised position to better appreciate it's nodding red flowers come spring. I severed a main root so I suppose I may be punished with no blooms at all. I also transplanted a Japanese maple from a plastic pot into a larger ceramic pot. This tree will be Anna Rae's someday, when she decides to make roots somewhere. It began as a volunteer seedling from a tree she climbed as a little girl.

1-29-11 The snowdrops dangle their white blooms above muddy flower beds. They have been up for 2 weeks now. The tulips, crocuses and daffodils are spears of green 3 and 4 inches above the ground. Today I stuffed more of the rose brambles into the yard waste container. A pile of miscellaneous branches await the next pickup. This every other week business is for those with tiny, easy to maintain yards. Our needs are considerably more demanding. Buds of the native shrubs shine a clean lime green, ready to leaf out at the tiniest suggestion of sunlight. It has been so consistently gray this month. The threat of snow seems to be truly behind us. I put my snowmen back into the attic to rest till next December. The white lights are still on the deck; they brighten these dark, mid winter nights.

Suddenly Winter

2010-12-25T07:19:00.000-08:00

Snow in November, but thankfully no snow days...

led to so much wind and rain in December, our rain gauge actually broke. But we had no wind calamities like this neighbor. The tree was such a beauty too.

But I did have classroom calamities caused by the whirlwind of 'Naughty Boy #1'; the usual ADHD type behavior along with a bit of block throwing, elbow jabbing, and wagging his backside at the instructional assistant, calling the art teacher a loser and a 'dookie head', threatening classmates with pencil points, putting pencils (POINTY ENDS) into his nostrils and ears, spitting on the floor and blaming someone else, telling me "No, and never" or simply ignoring me when I would give directions, interrupting every lesson that any of us was trying to teach and on and on. Are you getting exhausted yet? Well, we sure are. So, the principal comes in and does a 90 minute observation and we confer together after school with the principal toting his 2 inch thick tome of '500 solutions for 100 behavior problems' and now we have a new plan of sorts which I will need to review before we go back into the classroom on Jan. 3rd. Right now, I am just enjoying the break from all the drama and stress.

Anna Rae is home from Bangkok for the holidays and no gift is greater than that. We ran in the Jingle Bell Run together.

Baked and cooked together, shopped together, watched movies together, and talked and talked. It will be so hard to send her back to Thailand.

As if that wasn't present enough, June, Chris' mom has joined us from Green Bay as well. So we have a family of four in our house this holiday season and that has been splendid!

Here we are in Benaroya Hall, enjoying Charlie Brown's Christmas:

Photographs were verbotene but EVERYONE was snapping shots of the little piano and tree, much to the consternation of the ushers.

Here we all are sitting down to Christmas dinner at the Kornowske's:

Everything was incredibly delicious (as is everything from Valerie's kitchen), from the filet mignon to the egg nog creme brulee and all the libations and goodies in between!

See how glum Galen looks? He has good reason. His dominoe game was more than a little off. But not so for Lindsey!

Here's Galen learning to put on his Thai fisherman's pants. All the guys agreed that they are ready to make a new fashion statement with these pants as they are SO comfortable. I told Anna Rae these pants could be a business an export business for her while Joe is determined that Valerie should learn to sew them with all the bolts of pocket lining they have stored in the closet.

And the final gift from the Kornowskes; hearing Lindsey play lovely music on her new cello.

But that was not the end of the music on Christmas day. Once back in our own own neighborhood we headed over to our friends the Reinholds' and were treated to fabulous guitar playing by Dave Bunker, Teresa Reinhold's dad.

Dave designed and made the touch guitar he is playing.

And what a treat to hear his grand daughter, Brittany, and her aunt Brenda sing:

Brittany is heading off next month to New Mexico to study Theater and English Lit. I can't wait till she makes it 'big time' and I can say I knew her 'way back when'.

So that is our holiday season to date; busy, happy, and with so much for which to be thankful! I hope that 2011 is full of the same.

I Could...

2010-11-20T06:34:00.000-08:00

...write a happy post, or a seasonal post, a ranting post or a raving post; but what is on my mind is a sad post, an all too real post for many public school teachers in urban classrooms. Last week a kindergartner sat on the 'story chair' and was heralded with a sweet rendition of 'Happy Birthday To You' by his classmates. The song ended and the teacher asked the new six year old if he would be doing anything special on his birthday. His eyes opened wide, he smiled and said "Yes! We are going to see my dad in his new jail. We won't be able to touch him though, there will be a thick glass window between him and us. But we will get to see him and he can watch us play at the jail for two hours."

As I become a veteran teacher I may cry less, but I care as passionately as when I was 25. Between 9 and 3 everyday there are teachers in classrooms showing compassion by providing a listening ear, predictable daily routines and high expectations. And this week I have gone to bed wondering what more can be done.

A Weekend of Rain

2010-10-09T16:15:00.000-07:00

My new running shoes arrived yesterday. Friday night I fell asleep dreaming of my long run, the loop up hill and down from home, through Lincoln Park and back home. But I wanted to break my shoes in, not baptize them in puddles. So I waited till 10:00. The rain took a pause and I ran. North to Roxbury, then east to 19thSW and meandered south onto Shorewood Dr. watching the west view of small boats on the Sound and wisps of cloud decorating the trees on Vashon, turning north on 26th, a 5 mile run in all. I was hardly in the door and the rain began again and it has been consistent, filling the rain gauge to above the half inch mark.

The work week was full. Thursday was picture day honestly, this is the cutest bunch of 5 year olds I have ever seen. So many of them seem really small for their age and very naive or, quite honestly, are babied at home. I have 5 boys that I can think of off the top of my head, that are the youngest in their families and they sure do act it! Taking turns and cleaning up after themselves are totally foreign ideas and of course they think that wrestling on the carpet or playground is the only way to play. Yes this is definitely an immature group. They were all fancied up with party dresses on some girls and three fauxhawks on boys, one which was gold! They smiled adorably for the camera, but I always ask for a funny face photo:

On Thursday evening we had our curriculum night and a disappointing total of 11 families represented the 50 kindergartners. This, I think, was the poorest showing in my 18 years at this building. Why? I can only speculate; new boundaries were drawn for assigning attendance, parents are given less choice in where to send their children to school. When drawing from the immediate neighborhood of our school you get a lot more diversity, more bilingual families, and more low income families and they just don't read everything that goes home (I know this by looking at the untouched papers crammed into the bottoms of backpacks and homework folders). I have fewer responses to requests for volunteers this year too; there are less stay at home moms in this group. Fortunately there are two parents available to volunteer for Science which is a HUGE relief. There is no way an investigative program can work without breaking the students into small groups to encourage conversation. In addition to time in the classroom I had one IEP meeting and one SIT meeting before school. On Friday we had professional development in Writers Workshop (out of Columbia College). This is the second time for me...I love the program but there simply is not enough time in the school day to have 45 minutes to an hour of writing on top of the minutes or Math and Reading. We are going to adapt it to our schedule but we certainly won't be purists.

Now it is Saturday and yes, it is still raining. We passed the two inch mark on the rain gauge!
I am off to a presentation at church about Our Lady of Guadalupe. In a couple hours though, we have a Packer game to watch which I hope will be the best part of my Sunday!

More Rain

2010-09-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

Good thing I did my yard work yesterday. Today was a perfect day for baking in my new Frigidaire Gallery oven. I made Zucchini Banana Tea Bread. By time I got the batter put together it was time for me to dash off to church so I used the 'time bake' feature and it worked perfectly. It is so nice to walk into a kitchen on a rainy day and smell something sweet coming from the oven. This afternoon I think I will roast a chicken. I thought I would miss my vintage electric range but apparently not. I am having fun relearning about cooking with gas. There me be a few sun breaks today but even so I had better stick inside and get my class assessment data organized and there is laundry to fold and dusting which is endless. But maybe I will let the dust sit and read a 30 or 40 pages in Freedom.

Fall Rain

2010-09-18T19:18:00.001-07:00

The fall rain is already here. It poured and poured all last night, at least a half inch worth. But this morning we awoke to sunny skies and raindrops sparkling on every leaf and flower and on the multitude of spider webs. The amount of spiders in Seattle is ridiculous. Every morning we are dodging new webs. The one in the photo is a Garden Spider. Yes, that is it's name. They eat lots and lots of insects but they do bite too and the hard red welt lasts longer than a mosquito bite. I pruned and trimmed all afternoon and I managed to avoid getting bit. Now the rain has begun again; good thing I got my yard work (and a very pleasant 4 mile run) done today.

Fall Is...

2010-09-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

Fall is back to school time. My 'back to school' bouquet is of zinnias and sunflowers and two delicate purple scabiosas. They were in my garden beds shouting "Pick me, pick me!" like the hands of so many new kindergartners waving in the air in my classroom. I am one short of being totally full in my classroom. (That is kind of like one short of a full deck.) 27 wiggly, sometimes teary, sometimes sleepy, kindergarten students are assigned to me. Every kindergarten class in Seattle is close to full or is overflowing this fall. Some schools have added an extra classroom of K students. My students are more diverse than ever. Nine receive ELL services: Oromo, Arabic, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Somali are the languages they speak at home. This does not include the Samoan, Cambodian, Filipino, and Japanese students who are at a reasonably proficient level of English but they use at least some of their mother tongue at home and most definitely their home culture is not like mine. There are 15 boys and 12 girls. Three of them heed directions given once, fifteen of them heed directions given twice, the nine remaining need a heap of practice. Eight school days are now tucked under our belts and I can say two things: They are working as a team more than on 'day one' and I have pinpointed exactly who is going to do their darnedest to drain me of every last bit of my time and energy. I won't be as stretched and stressed as last year but it won't be any 'walk in the park' either. My best back to school story: In the kindergarten assessment two items are: asking if the child knows his address and phone number. One little guy shook his head when asked if he knew his address, and once again, more disconsolately he said "no" to the query about his phone number. Then he perked up and exclaimed, "But I know my Facebook number!"

I Have Not...

2010-09-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

done everything on my summer list. The garage could still use a good cleaning, I did not do all the professional reading I intended, the hedge between us and our neighbors to the east is still untrimmed, and I just may not get to hemming the western shirt that Chris recently bought.
But I did tidy the garden shed, I have been using the clothes line instead of the dryer, we picked oodles of blueberries and strawberries, our goal of converting to gas is halfway accomplished; in fact the range was ordered today, I went on nine home visits to incoming students, my classroom is set to go, plans are in place for days 1,2 and 3. On the personal improvement side I improved my Yoga practice; attending at least a dozen classes over the summer, I ran consistently (never a problem for me), I read books for pleasure; The Help, The Street, and The Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, I gardened for many hours and had lovely results in terms of flowers, not so much so with the vegetables; it was just too cool of a summer. Most importantly of all, I had time to visit family in Wisconsin and had friends visit me here.

People often tell me the old saw: " I know why you teach." then follow with the punch line "June, July and August." There is some truth to that but only some. The nine months in the classroom are very fulfilling to me too. I work hard, the kids do too and it is truly amazing all that they learn in the school year.

I have been intrigued by reviews of Jonathan Franzen's new novel, Freedom. Lev Grossman's Time magazine review of the novel says:

"There is something beyond freedom that people need: work, love, belief in something, commitment to something. Freedom is not enough. It's necessary but not sufficient. It's what you do with freedom — what you give it up for — that matters." Teaching is that thing beyond freedom that I need. That is why I will be less free, and quite frankly less motivated, to be writing posts. The challenges of the classroom are more consuming than ever (and I am more determined) so that is where I will put my energy and where I will sacrifice my freedom.

Kicking Back in Soap Lake

2010-08-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

Visitors From Wisconsin

2010-08-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

We were friends since first grade. Her last name began with M and mine with N so we always stood near each other in any alphabetical line. We had our first communions together, she went to every birthday party and we had sleepovers at the Y together and we were in the same swimming class. For a while we even thought we were mermaids and we took synchronized swimming classes. We got our first 'real' jobs at about the same time in the kitchen of a hospital, serving meals to patients and washing dishes in a monstrous, steamy dishwasher. I should have asked her if she remembered the time one of us threw a ball of mashed potatoes into the fan just to see what would happen, or the the times on hot days when we would take breaks in the walk in refrigerator and sneak bites of the cookie dough. We lived in different neighborhoods, went to different high schools and she went to Madison for college and I stayed in Green Bay. I always liked going to Madison for music and 'party times' with her and our other BF, Sue. When I moved to San Francisco, they visited me. She married and moved to the north woods of Wisconsin. And Chris and I chose the west coast and city life in Seattle to begin our life together. Sometimes the connections between friends becomes thin through distance and the passage of time. Those yearly Christmas cards and emails are that last little hook to keep us connected. But sometimes, if you are very lucky, the stars line up perfectly, and a visit happens. You get to laugh about old escapades, cook together in your kitchen, and share your home and city with with your childhood friend.

98.6 is Too Hot For Me

2010-08-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

It may be normal body temperature but for air temperature, 98.6 is too hot for me. This is day two of 90+ weather in Seattle. It is challenging to be productive in weather like this. I did manage to rinse and freeze the last of the 29 pounds of berries that Chris and I picked on Thursday.

It was foggy on Thursday when we left for berry picking in North Bend. Note the nifty new signs that display the rate of speed in each lane. Not exactly correct though. We were going 15 in a lane that said 40.

New highway signs weren't the only signs of progress. McDonald's is now sorting it's garbage along with the rest of Seattle.

It was sunny and very busy with plenty of pickers. Mt Si was lovely as always. The berries were big and plentiful. It was easy work made twice as easy by having Chris along.

A perfect berry piking day always ends with lunch or at least ice cream from Scott's Dairy Freeze. Their blackberry shakes are my favorite!

Today it was beginning to smell like the inside of a pie when you walked into the kitchen. Speaking of pies, I did refrigerate enough berries and crush enough graham crackers, to put together a pie later tonight when hopefully, the kitchen cools down a bit. I washed a load of sheets and have them hanging on the lines under the deck. I am sure they are bone dry but it is just scorching out there so I will stay here in the cool retreat of the basement. It is cool and it is clean. I have vacuumed and washed the floors and scrubbed away every spider and web from the corners. This is no small feat in late summer when spiders and webs abound. I have no trouble believing that spiders make new webs daily. It is my mission to keep them outside where I consider them my garden friends instead of foes. The frenzy of cleaning is in preparation for a visit from a childhood friend Jeanne, and her husband Dan. It is good to get major cleaning out of the way before school starts and my life as a teacher eats away at most of my time. I am also finishing up the last of my pleasure reading (The Street by Ann Perry) for the summer, and overlapping with some professional reading (Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov.

Time to refill my tea glass and I think I'll get my book...guess which one!

A Taste of Summer

2010-08-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

Now I can say I have had, at the least, a taste of summer. I escaped Seattle's cool gray weather and visited friends and relatives in Wisconsin. In addition to warmer weather I had more than my share of decadent food. Perch WITH BONES if you please, and a slice of onion on rye bread from Maricques. (Read the review. It describes the fried perch experience perfectly.)

And an award winning breakfast of cherry stuffed French Toast at the White Gull Inn in Door County.

Sweet Corn that was tender and so tasty with a slathering of real butter. This corn is at Green Bay's Broadway Farmer's Market, held every Wednesday in summer. It is probably delicious but my mom is insistent that we get our corn from the stand at Sunny Hill which is within 5 miles of home. You can't get much fresher than that.

Sharing a meal, reuniting with cousins; lovely ladies one and all.

More food around campfires up north with relatives:

And picnics at the beach between rounds of swimming and tubing:

Dinner at Legends Brew Pub with my childhood friend, Sue. It had been SO long; more years than I can recall since we last had time to sit at a table share food and talk, talk, talk!

Of course I had to stop at Renards to buy cheese.

And now, you guessed it, this post has left me hungry. I think I will go upstairs and eat just a few of those cheese curds.

More Proof...

2010-07-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

...that SEX sells. I titled this photo 'Flowers Are Sexy' on my Flickr account and it got 15 views, which is a lot for me, in less than a day! It is a huge pumpkin blossom. Did you know that the blossoms on the long stems are male and the ones on short stems are female? This is the best site ever for information on growing pumpkins!

The Livin' Is Easy

2010-07-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

It was a perfect day for dog walking and friends talking, and that is what I did. Emik, my friend Beth's husky, sure liked his shower and he was very popular with the kids on the beach.

July 23rd 2010, Alki

2010-07-24T07:35:00.001-07:00

July 23rd 2010, Alki
Originally uploaded by mtnester.

Now THIS is the summer weather we have all been waiting for! Yesterday was a perfect day for a walk along Alki and today looks to be a carbon copy. But it will be a whole lot more crowded as it is a Saturday and the Art Walk is happening.

Hydrangeas Are Blooming

2010-07-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

I know I take the same garden pictures every year and sometimes I think I should leave well enough alone and be happy with my pictures of last year's flowers. But the hydrangeas with their huge floppy heads that look like they should be on some 1950's Easter bonnet, just beg to be photoed. They are the perfect shade garden flower. They look cool, mature, and dignified; unlike the big blooms of spring, the rhododendrons, those rowdy show offs of vibrant color in April and May.

This climbing hydrangea smells wonderful when warmed by a bit of afternoon sun.

The Lady in Red has long red stems that flop to the ground in a tangle with the weight of its blooms. She is under the apple tree and this is really quite a sorry bed. I must rethink that area and get the 'lady' some more suitable companion plants.

Lime foliage always shows off blues and purples to perfection.

A Tidy Shed

2010-07-17T19:06:00.000-07:00

Every summer 'Clean out the shed' is on my list of chores. This time I think it took 2 years before I tackled it. The day started out gray and cold. The sun did not appear till about 2:00. That was a relief. Cleaning the shed is like working in an attic; no fun on a hot day. So now you see the plastic pots are stacked and stored;

Implements are hung, sort of by highest or similar use.

And best of all, a shelf and the potting table are free of clutter. The shelf and table will hold plants that need to wintered over and seedlings that need an inside start in early spring. At least that is my plan.

I should have taken a 'before' photo. It was a mess! The other half that houses the mower, the the blower, the power saw and wheel barrow...that is Chris' responsibility. It's time to put my feet up!

The Elusive Summer

2010-07-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

It is here one day and gone the next. Summer is not taking hold here like it usually does. None of those days on end of blue skies and 72 degree weather. I walked to the end of Seola beach Drive to see the fireworks on the 4th wearing my garden boots and a raincoat that fell to my knees AND I had a sweatshirt on underneath the raincoat. Then we had three days of glorious hot, HOT weather with windows open, shades down, and fans whirring: Anna Rae even decided it was easier to sleep in the basement one night, rather than toss and turn in her breeze less bedroom. Then back to clouds a drizzle or two in the morning and today it is noon and "Tadah!" the sun is out, so off we go, on a hike to Rattlesnake Ridge.

It was an easy hike and as always, well populated with people of every age and fitness level; from a baby in a front pack that looked to be no more than a month old, to aging men puffing along, their beer bellies shiny with sweat. At the ridge there were about 15 to 20 people. I always try not to watch the people. I get all nervous when I see someone getting close to the edge. Last year someone DID fall to their death from the ledgee (fortunately I was not there to see it). The hikers I was most impressed with were two little boys no more than 3 years old. Their parents were not carrying them and there they were; about a quarter mile left to get to the top. They were not moving fast but they did not seem daunted. Once we returned to the bottom of the trail Anna Rae took a swim. It was too cold for me!

Day 178

2010-06-25T17:47:00.000-07:00

June 22nd marked the last day of the 2009-10 school year. Considering that the chemistry of personalities and learning abilities in this class made for a year of sturm und drang for me it was an easy ending. On Wednesday I dusted cabinets, put away books, took down posters, rolled the document camera into storage and cleared my desktop of every checklist, teacher's manual, pencil, eraser, coffee cup, band aid and love note (and the not so nice note in which boy A threatens to beat up boy B at recess). I think back on this year and shed no tears although I will be happy to greet more than one of them in the fall with a great big hug as they travel on to their first grade classroom. In many an end of year letter to the kindergarten families I say that I learn right alongside my students. I am sure I learned more about teaching 'special children' in this past year than in all my 26 previous years combined. When we looked at data at the end of the year, both kindergartens came out as "well above average" for the growth index of our classes. This means that while not every child has a high RIT score (Far from it!), as a class they showed huge gains over their fall scores on MAP.I also remember the unhappy first day of school for one little boy; he would not accept a sticker from me for some work he had done. He yelled "I don't want this sticker! I don't belong in this school! I belong in a jail school!" He then stomped over to the coat hooks, grabbed his coat and I had to get the principal because I thought he was going to bolt. How different he was on the last the day of school when he stood as close as he could to me asking, "Can I be here?" The rest of the class was seated on the carpet, festival style (which means wherever they wanted). Yes, he still has anxiety, and stands, wiggles and jiggles, more than he sits, but he loves school and he has not spoken disparagingly of himself in months. That is worth more than any data can tell me. The first grade teachers can thank their lucky stars because we split up the characters that were like oil and water with one another. Also, one autistic child has moved out of the district and another who should be tested because he certainly is 'on the spectrum' will be transferring to another school. I know I will be hearing from THEIR teachers! I told the Special Ed. teacher that if it were not for the fact that she, along with Instructional Assistants and my team teaching partner, had also witnessed and worked with the challenges of my 09-'10 class, I might think it was all a bad dream.

The Graduate

2010-05-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

The graduate is our one and only, my 'Honey Girl'. We are so excited to be joining her on the Main Quadrangles of the University of Chicago as she graduates with a bachelor's degree in International Studies on June 12th. It seems like only yesterday that she was sitting on her daddy's lap listening to him read One Fish, Two Fish.

Or in pigtails and a plaid jumper, all ready for her first day of kindergarten:

You ask, "After she graduates what will she do?" And I answer with a sparkle of pride and a shudder of trepidation; "She's off to Bangkok to teach English to preschoolers at an elite school." I need to believe she will be safe. My husband reassures me, she reassures me, the school director reassures her and in turn, me. I remind myself that at 22 she IS an adult. I think back to my own graduation from the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay and I reminisce. Leo Buscalgia spoke. Now how many of you can remember who spoke at YOUR college graduation? I was enthralled, empowered, emboldened.
In short; there were stars in my eyes and the love of my life was at my side (although I wasn't certain of that fact then). So, this quote from Buscalgia seems fitting for Anna Rae as she holds her diploma in one hand and her passport in the other:
“The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live.” Leo Buscalgia

It was a wonderful graduation ceremony in spite of the rain and we were happy to be joined by so many relatives in Chicago. I think that our girl felt honored and I know here dad and I enjoyed our time in Chicago. Probably the most memorable moment was our 'small world experience': We had taken the el into Chicago and we were walking across one of the several magnificent bridges crossing the Chicago River, on our way to the Hotel River North. Anna Rae had told us she would be on a boat tour when we arrived but that she would meet us at our hotel afterwards. So at the midspan of the bridge we stop and look down. Chris says, "I wonder what boat she is on." Jokingly I say, "She is on that one," and I point to a tour boat that is just beginning to motor under the bridge. "No, she is on that one." says Chris and he points to a second tour boat coming from the opposite direction. There is a split second pause and he says, "No REALLY, there she is, I see her!" and we yell her name and wave frantically. She looks up and we all laugh and smile as she and the other 50 or so people wave at us! That was the beginning to a wonderful week in Chicago.

In addition to the graduation we saw the ticker tape parade for the Blackhawks who had won the World Cup. I had a spot in a slice of shade against the side of Macys. I was grateful for the cool cement wall at my back because it was a hot and humid 90 degrees and there were thousands of happy people for as far as I could see. On another day we rode the clean and comfortable Metra to the Chicago Botanic Gardens which were beautiful. It was hard not to take an obscene amount of pictures.

And of course we ate lots of great food in Chicago. Anna Rae's celebratory dinner was at Fiddlehead Cafe on the North end and the food was delicious and the company of family and friends made it perfect. We also ate yummy tortas for lunch at XOCO, one of Rick Bayless' restaurants which was very close to our hotel. Just walking around Chicago on a sunny summer day was a treat because at the time, Seattle's weather was so cold and crappy. The graduation and time in Chicago was really a boost that got me through the last 5 days of teaching (although it was not easy to go back to the classroom for those 5 days!).

A Cool, Wet May

2010-05-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

We are having a cool, wet May. My tomato plants are just sitting still, waiting for some sunny days. I have two potted pepper plants that I still won't leave out at night for fear they will drop their blooms and not produce any fruit. Lettuce and spinach are growing at a furious rate. My potato plants are poking out of the ground. The sunflowers are doing ok and today I started beans around poles in various locations of the back yard. In spite, or maybe because of this cool weather, everything that IS blooming seems extra vibrant. I'm thinking mainly of the rhodedendrons, and the dogwoods. The foxgloves have never been taller or more loaded with their trumpet shaped blooms. I can't figure it out...the snails and slugs seem to be leaving my lettuce alone, but maybe I am speaking too soon. I spend hours on weekends pulling weeds and planting; great green therapy for all the stress that has come my way in the classroom this year.
Only 26 teaching days left and boy am I ever ready!

My New 'Baby'

2010-04-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

This is the info that I found on the internet for the Japanese hardy orchid I bought on Saturday. I sure hope they are right and it is easy to grow. At $18. it was a splurge for me!

Calanthe sieboldii Calanthe sieboldii: Japanese name is KI-EBINE (= yellow EBINE) and it is the second most common species after Calanthe discolor in Japan. Blooming season is May-June and it has yellow flowers. The height is 25-50 cm, bigger than Calanthe discolor. This plant is found under deciduous trees in the Southern part of Japan (mainly in Kyushu and Shikoku). It is less hardy than Calanthe discolor.
Growing Tips: prefer drained soil like a mixture of leaf mold and pumice but you can also grow it in usual soil; loves a sunny place in winter-spring and half-shade place in summer; less hardy than Calanthe discolor; easy to grow.

The Blooms of April

2010-04-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

April has been full, blooming full. Spring in Seattle is over the top, crazy with color. Yesterday was windy and as I drove through the Green Lake area, pink petals blew like snow across my windshield and filled the street's gutters. The Arboretum had it's aptly named Florabundance sale and I exercised my restraint than usual. I bought a few coleus, 3 Ilex Crenata (Sky Pencil) which are only 8 inches high right now but someday I hope they make a hedge to shut off the view of the neighbor's waste cans. My big splurge was a Japaneses woodland orchid (yellow). I never thought I would say I am running out of space, but I am, especially sunny space, and that I am reserving for more vegetables this year. So what is in the ground so far? Tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce, and sunflowers.

Endings and Beginnings

2010-04-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

Never has a March looked so different for us. On March 16th, Chris' dad, Eben Goethe passed away at age 86. Over the last dozen years we had watched as first his athletic passions, and eventually the most ordinary of activities such as getting out of a chair were painful and challenging as he suffered with Inclusion Body Myositus . As is said for so many people: "He is certainly in a better place now." Death is final and grieving is complicated. While we shared memories of Eb's frugal ways and the athletic pursuits of his younger years we also strengthened bonds with Chris' cousins and Aunt Lois. We went on long walks, had many meals together, played games and talked for hours. I returned to GB ten days later to spend Spring break in Green Bay and I helped my mother in law clean closets and tried my best, but with very little luck, to introduce her to the internet and the joys of email. June and Eb had been married 63 years. As we cleaned Eb's office I lifted a box of old photos from the top shelf in a closet. I saw pictures of their first house where June's mother in law had demanded that June get a cow to keep in the back yard (which at the time was more pasture than yard). The mother in law seemed to have the idea that a bucolic lifestyle with fresh milk on the table would be good for her daughter in law. June said that she let her MIL know, in very straight forward terms, that she was NOT going to be raising a cow and did her MIL know how cows were induced to make milk? June is petite, but she is good with words and I can just imagine her holding her own against a bossy mother in law. I wonder what Eben thought of that. I'll bet he laughed. I'll bet it was her quick wit as well as her shapely legs that drew him to June.




	Eben F. Goethe, 86, Green Bay, died Tuesday morning, March 16, 2010. He was born on March 4, 1924 in Brown County to the late Leonard and Pearl (Armstrong) Goethe. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1943 to 1945, during World War II and attended UW-Madison and St. Louis University. On Feb. 6, 1947, he married the former Margery “June” Young in St. Louis, MO. Prior to retirement, Eben was employed by Fort Howard Paper for 38 years and was a commercial real estate broker and land developer. He was an active member of Pilgrim Congregational Church and a member of Washington Lodge #21, Free & Accepted Masons. Even at a young age, Eben was an active person, having been awarded the Order of the Arrow by the Boy Scouts and later becoming a Sea Scout. He enjoyed duck hunting, skeet and trap shooting, golf and was particularly enthusiastic about skiing. He had many dear friends over the years and will be greatly missed.

Hope Springs Resort

2010-02-21T18:33:00.000-08:00

At only 10 units it is a small resort and it was absolutely perfect for me. The old sign is there to keep the Mid Century ambiance but this really is Hope Springs. No kids, no dogs, no TV, plenty of time to read my books, lounge poolside or dip into the 3 mineral pools ranging from bathwater temp to a HOT 110. The breakfasts were SO delicious; fresh fruit, hard boiled eggs, good cheeses, bread, fresh tomatoes!, yogurt, granola, good breads and a few pastries. I was first up each morning (yes, I relaxed but I just could NOT sleep past 6:00) and got my pick of the New York Times, LA Times or the Desert Reporter to read. They have spa services; massages (other guests just raved about their massages), wraps, and the like but I didn't indulge in those. Maybe next time... Every good vacation should end with a little bit of longing.

Joshua Tree National Park

2010-02-21T17:30:00.000-08:00

weedyone

These pictures are not in the order I wanted but it will have to do. One of the highlights of my escape to the desert was the day I spent in Joshua Tree National Park. I took two hikes; one to the Arch(.5) and another to 49 Palms Oasis (3.miles). The weather was fabulous at only about 78 degrees and just about no wind. I did make a few comments on the pictures if you want to read them just click on the Webshots Logo and it should take you directly to my photo album. This was Ash Wednesday. How appropriate is that; spending the first day of lent in a desert!

Every Adventure...

2010-02-18T11:27:00.000-08:00

...begins with those first steps, the purchase of a ticket, hotel reservations, arranging the car rental, and reading the travel books. Then for me begins the worry; will the weather cooperate, should I go on guided tour or self guided, how much extra car insurance should I get, should I hike alone and run alone (both of which I love, but go against conventional wisdom). The longer between planning and traveling and the longer my list grows. But now I am here, in Desert Hot Springs, and all has gone better than I could have expected. The first night at pool side when talking with other people I mentioned it was my first time to the Palm Springs area and one woman's eyes got big and she said, "You are experiencing desert weather at it's most sublime!" At 78 degrees and only a whisper of a wind, I couldn't agree with her more. I rented a car, bought the self guided map of Mid-Century architecture and saw about a dozen places that satisfied my thirst for all things googie. The next day I went to Joshua Tree National Monument and saw amazing rocks in amazing hues of red and brown against brilliant blue skies. The 49Palms Oasis hike was probably the highlight for me. I hiked all three miles and saw nary a snake only a few lizards and Gambel's quails that startled me as much as I did them. How do those birds stay so clean and tidy looking in all that sand? They are quite pretty. This morning I awoke to the sounds of doves and a magpie instead of crows and robins. Magpies are loud! The platters of fresh fruit, cheeses, breads and hard boiled eggs drizzled with olive oil, lemon juice and parsley were the perfect start to another perfect day. It will be a poolside day, a book reading day, a slather on sunscreen and soak up the sun kind of day.

Pictures, plenty of pictures, to be coming!

What a Sweetheart!

2010-02-13T18:02:00.000-08:00

Last summer I bought this framed piece of filigreed ironwork at a garage sale for $1.00 and put it in the shed with the intention of refinishing the frame which was ugly. I thought I would strip the ugly paint and then leave the frame looking distressed. My husband disagreed, saying a yellow frame to match the garden shed would be best. Well, I never got around to doing the work and he did, so it is yellow and I like it. I like it a lot. I think its a perfect Valentine's Day surprise!

New Things in the New Year

2010-01-31T13:03:00.000-08:00

New recipe for New Year's Eve: I'm a brown rice girl but I followed this recipe down to the white rice and mmmm... Rachel Ray pegged it right on this Jambalaya recipe.

A new washer. Super capacity, front loading, energy saving, a Frigidaire. The only thing not to like about it is the fact that it can't be stacked with our older dryer. Fortunately we have the space. The capacity is awesome; with just 2 of us here, we only need to do two loads a week.

New insurance and new Dr.: I'm not so sure about my return to Group Health but I do like the online ability to look at test results to communicate with my Dr. As for my first appointment with Dr. Wood... She spent an hour with me and this was a routine, good health check up! Thumbs up for good listening and making that all important 'personal connection.'

New parish: Our Lady of Guadalupe. Father Jack gives great homilies and the singing is awesome but I do wish the 5:30 Saturday Mass had a choir. I would prefer that they kneel for the consecration; the slight bow from the hips doesn't cut it with me. Have any of you other Roman Catholics noticed the huge differences from church to church in when to kneel or stand in recent years?

New running routine: 4 miles daily Monday-Friday (switched with Spinning on some Tuesdays), 3-7 miles on Saturday, 2 miles on Sunday (This used to be my day of rest.)
And I have new Brooks Trance 9 shoes on order online.

New Widget: See the Flickr photos on the left.

New yoga class; every Sunday (at least through Feb.) at Sound Yoga

New growth in the Seattle plant world: Go here first to see some spectacular photography by another West Seattlite. I lust for a new camera every time I visit David Perry's site.He calls the new growth of our warmer that usual January a 'snack'. I prefer to call it an appetizer because there is so much more to come!

New budget: More $$$ towards that elusive retirement date and less towards tuition. Yippee! In Spring the University of Chicago will be getting less of my money.

New favorite book: Lamb by Christopher Moore Don't bother reading this book if your religious beliefs are easily offended. Some may find it blasphemous but I thought it was hilarious and heartwarming and I find myself thinking about it almost every Sunday. Thank you dear daughter for this wonderful Christmas gift!

New music: OK It's not new to me but I am always updating or adding variety to what I listen to on Pandora. I have my Nino Rota station on in the background right now. More specifically, the Pink Panther played by Henry Mancinni.

A new student. Challenging; speaks very little English but is learning quickly, cute as a button, talkative (Believe it or not THAT is a GOOD thing!), doesn't know a letter from a number, but she's trying and that makes all the difference.

New IEPS for not one, not two, but three of my students. Actually one was done before the new year but his time in the resource room didn't start until Jan. One is autistic.He says "Can I tell you something?" twenty times a day to me and conversation never has a straight line or a clear end. The other is probably autistic too but for now he is being called Developmentally Delayed. He's game to copy almost anything you show him once, but original conversation is nil, nada, nothing. Anything you can teach by rote he gets down pat. When people speak of the 'spectrum' of autism, I really get it. The third student has developmental apraxia of speech. He cannot string three words together even if you are asking him to talk about something that is usually riveting for a kindergarten kid like "What kind of cake will you be having at your birthday party?" But he LOVES math and he can count on, recognizes numbers to 100, does simple addition and subtraction in his head, sorts and patterns (just can't tell me how he sorted or describe his pattern). I'm not supportive of merit pay but I must say that I should be given an 'honorary certificate' in special ed. with all I have done to unravel the needs of special kids in my class this year. Those of you in the know understand how hard it is to get our youngest students to qualify for any extra help. It's a 'feather in my cap' that I would rather not wear. It was a hard first trimester folks but I've got my mojo back. This 'teacher gig' was made for me.

New experience in independence : I have a solo visit to a desert clime planned for February. I always was a tease... visit me in late February.

It is better to give...

2009-12-24T06:32:00.000-08:00

than to receive. That is true, but it changes you to be on the receiving end too.
Have you ever received a gift that took your breath away, that made your heart jump, that brought tears to your eyes and a lump to your throat? Well, that happened to each of the teachers at our school this year. John is our 'neighborhood angel'. He is about 80 years old I would guess, gnarled hands, white hair, a tiny bit stooped, never drawing attention to himself, never going further than our front office. He sometimes visits with the principal in the mornings but none of the teachers has had a meaningful conversation with him. The most I ever said was "Good morning, nice to have you visit us." I would see him linger at the gold painted financial contribution box that is locked to the front table and he would appear to be reading all the bulletins on the wall but I had a strong hunch he was putting money into the box every now and then. So the week before the holiday break each classroom teacher received this card (click on the photo to see the words) hand delivered by our principal:

It was made clear that John does not want recognition. There were suggestions that we put together a basket for him or have the children make some card or artwork but we were told "No, he would be uncomfortable." Several of us googled his name and found nothing; not even an address near our school. We all signed a thank you card for him. I hope he knows the impact this had on us. I did my best to' pay it forward', to be more generous in my own seasonal giving. If there was a 'spirit of Christmas' award, John would be my nominee!

Escaping...

2009-12-22T07:18:00.000-08:00

back into time is such an appealing thing for so many people. It is easy to romanticize about simpler times that in all reality, I am sure, were NOT so simple. This Holiday Village with a model train running through it, is inside the Seattle Center. We had time to walk around and browse before the start of the Black Nativity performance (which was rousing, colorful, and glorious to hear). When I saw the village I just knew I had to take pictures for my mom. She has a large Dickens' Village she assembles every December and it is enjoyed by all who come to visit.

Yesterday I took the light rail from Tukwilla into downtown. This is not the most efficient way for us to go downtown; it tacks 20 minutes onto the trip because the nearest station is not convenient to our part of town. But since we have this new, much touted rail system, I was intrigued and had to give it a try.

For the people lucky enough to live in the neighborhoods near the stations it is a clean, quiet, and VERY quick way to get downtown. Now that it serves the airport it is also convenient for tourists to get to and from the city's center. For me it was just a novel experience. The views you get are certainly not worth much. The rail runs alongside I5 and through lower income neighborhoods, zipping past small strip malls with signs for cigar shops, teriyaki joints, and nail salons. Once downtown I was overwhelmed by the crowds and the cacophonous mixture of street musicians, a choral group and traffic. All the stores where I shopped had lines at the counters, which is a good economic sign considering the times. There were many more street people with homeless signs and stories of woe written on cardboard and echoed in the creases of grimy clothes and unshaven faces. The Washington Lottery had a mobile unit parked at Westlake Center and they were doing a brisk business. The only place I did not encounter a line was at the Group Health clinic where I got my H1N1 shot and I was glad of that because if I had to wait I might have walked away. The best part of taking public transportation is not having to find and pay for parking. I took the return trip south to the park and ride, picked up my car and met the daughter at Westfield mall. We saw the movie Precious which is NOT a fun uplifting holiday movie. I left the movie marveling at how some people can have so much resilience in the face of such a grim, oppressive, downright evil environment.

Once at home we fixed a yummy and fun dinner of a salad and a Swiss cheese and beer fondue; all ready to heat and serve, thanks to Trader Joes'. We dipped cubes of french bread into the creamy cheese, each of us vying for the last smear of cheese in the pot. Then we watched the last episode of Dexter, Season 1. I love these lazy evenings with the three of us on the couch or crouched on the floor around the crossword puzzle.
Later nights and lounging mornings, what a 'Break' from the teaching routine! But now the sky is light and I had best put on my running shoes so I won't feel so guilty about eating all that cheese, wine, eggnog, and sweet treats!

Missions Accomplished...

2009-11-27T22:52:00.000-08:00

...twenty four conferences and a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner shared with our friends the Kornowskes. This year I fixed a Moroccan inspired turkey that was roasted with a cilantro/lemon/paprika sauce that kept it moist and gave it a little tang. I also riced the potatoes into a crock pot along with some cream cheese and that freed up the stove top and was done a couple days ahead. We drank a few bottles of wine from our summer visit to wineries in Walla Walla . My personal favorite was the Riesling from Dunham Cellars. We played a LONG and very enjoyable game of dominoes won by Lindsey, much to her surprise and Galens' dismay.

So much ground has been covered in the classroom since September and a lot of it was rugged terrain. One child has been reassigned to another school after copious amounts of documentation by me, several meetings with the Student Intervention Team and the implementation of interventions that went nowhere. One intervention was to place a small tent in a corner of our classroom and I was to say "Tent" in a calm, neutral voice to the child when I thought he might be close to 'going off'. That certainly bombed. He would get inside and roll the tent into things or haul items from around the classroom; small toys, blocks, pencils, etc. into the tent. He became more unpredictable by the day; poking classmates with pencils, punching on the playground, kicking teachers and saying "Kill, die die." spitting at people, (me included), sometimes walking out of the room when he got agitated, other times overturning tables and chairs and tossing pencils, crayons and whatever else was within his reach. There was a very sweet side to this child too, and a real desire to learn, but both those qualities got more and more difficult to find as his destructive and bullying behavior intensified. Hours of communication between myself, his mother (who REALLY seemed to be doing her 'single parent best'), his counselor, the school's Special Ed. teacher, the consulting teacher for special ed., a behaviorist with our district, the school psychologist, the principal and after 45 days of school he was granted a placement in another school. In his new classroom there is one teacher, 10 students, and two Instructional Assistants. I am hoping that the system has worked in his favor because many interested parties spent a lot of time and careful thought to get him a more suitable placement. In my 27 years as a teacher I have never had a student removed from my classroom. It is a lengthy, arduous process that wracked me with anxiety. It is painful to see a young child so far out of control. This child was always the last one I thought of before I fell asleep and the first one on my mind in the morning. In fact, I began this post on Thanksgiving weekend and it was just too painful to write. I thought about just not writing about it at all, but that would be like leaving an important chapter out of a book. So now, Christmas Break is beginning, 66 days of school have passed and I am moving on. The remaining 24 students deserve and need 100% of my care and classroom expertise. They missed out on my attention for the first 25% of the school year so I am scrambling fast to give them their 'dues'.

November has been...

2009-11-22T19:34:00.000-08:00

full of rain; 16 inches of rain so far. This is not a record but the gray and wetness and wind seem to be wearing us all down. As teacher, the inside recesses are certainly getting on my nerves. Today when the sun broke through ever so briefly, even the common kitchen towel next to the shadow of the garden window geranium became photo worthy, along with strappy Madagascar palms

and the Malabar spinach climbing up the palm stems.

The hyacinth bulbs stretch their roots downwards and look so pure and perfect in the unexpected sunlight.

This morning, when the rain fell and the sky was a sheet of gray, I baked my second batch of pumpkin bread using the pumpkins harvested from our vines. Those 5 little pumpkins contain a lot of pulp. The two recipes I used are Orange Pumpkin Loaf and from Epicurus; Spiced Pumpkin Bread.

To say I prefer one recipe over the other would not be fair . Both are tasty. The Orange Pumpkin has the adjectives in the right order, that is for sure. The pumpkin is overshadowed by the orange and it is very moist. I think I would reduce the water if I were to bake it again. Really, that is true for any recipe when you use fresh roasted pumpkin instead of canned. There is more moisture in fresh pumpkin than canned. Many of the Epicurus recipe comments said to use less sugar or substitute applesauce for half the oil but I am hesitant to do either. It is so perfectly delicious as is. Making adjustments would take away some of the calories. We just need to remember to consider these breads to be 'treats' and not regular breakfast items. In fact, it is my intention to use some of the loaves as gifts.

While we could only celebrate my daughter's birthday from a distance, we were happy to attend a party for my friend Christine who celebrated one of those notable decade birthdays; I won't say which one. Christine is my best friend and the most incredible teacher ever. She has been teaching for 34 years and continues to be admired by many of her colleagues. She 'loops'; one year first grade, and second the next. Writer's Workshop, The Daily Five, Guided Literacy; she does it all AND she is a lead teacher for the second grade Science curriculum. None of that may be impressive to you but considering the inner city kids she teaches, she truly is a notch above most of us in the teaching ranks. She is my best garden buddy too. Her thumb is at least as green as mine.

This week we have a wedding reception to attend (one of those "It's about time!" situations), Thanksgiving of course (at our house) and then December is here. Our daughter will be home on the 5th, a champagne tasting on the 12th and watching the Christmas ships, the Jingle Bell run is the 13th, tickets to a Black Nativity performance on the 20th...the season of anticipation is here!

Go Ahead...

2009-11-11T06:37:00.000-08:00

Eat the frosting first, Anna Rae! Twenty two years ago today our 'one and only' was born. Here she is on her first birthday eating carrot cake. As I recall she didn't eat much of the cake but she loved the blueberries and frosting on top.

I have spent my first hour of the day looking through her baby book and at photos. She changed our lives forever and in all the right ways. She has given us laughter, love, and pride along with only a few gray hairs.

She is now a lovely young woman of 22 with brains to match. It is hard to believe that she is in her 4th year at the U of Chicago!

Who's making your cake this year, daughter dear? I'll bet it is chocolate, not carrot!

[Thank You Caroline for making Anna Rae's 22nd birthday cupcakes! I KNEW they would be chocolate!]

A Fall Project

2009-11-07T07:26:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my friend Valerie for these beautiful quince from her tree. She also shared her recipe for Membrillo (Quince Paste). Quince paste is served with the Spanish cheese, Manchego, as an appetizer. It takes alot of stirring but it is well worth the effort. The smell of quince is divine; it reminds me of crushed SweetTarts!

Making Quince Paste

Our First Razor Clamming Experience

2009-10-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

2009 My Fall Garden

2009-10-04T17:06:00.000-07:00

As you can see, fall color is in more places than the leaves on trees. Most of these photos were taken in late September. Today we have brilliant blue skies and a strong fall breeze; there are white caps on the Sound. I don't have my final results but I think I ran the Burien Brat Trot in under 24 minutes which is fast for me. I'm pretty tuckered out or I would be back in my yard today weeding and pruning (although the yard waste container is full to overflowing already) or maybe taking more pictures. Is it the lighting in the fall that makes everything look so crisp and brilliant against blue skies?

I Drew the Short Straw

2009-10-04T08:05:00.000-07:00

September is full of unforeseen challenges for teachers. This year, for me, the challenges keep rolling into October. Everyday I am going to 'Work' with a capital W and I put in ten to eleven hour days. There have been other years similar to this but I guess I wasn't emotionally shored up enough to start another one. It has improved. Most importantly, my feelings of competence are back. I am losing less sleep and I do have the mettle to make it through the year. What are the challenges? ....children who have been abused or witnessed abuse, children who are sad because their daddy is dead or in jail, children with autism (diagnosed and undiagnosed), children who do not know how to hold a pencil and cannot write their name, children who are not toilet trained, children who have never been to preschool and don't know the first thing about group interactions, let alone any letter or number knowledge, and of course children with no English and children whose parents are out of work. I see behaviors that need a counselor's attention, but we don't have a counselor at our school. Behaviors like snapping all your new crayons in half and throwing them on the floor, throwing a chair because someone threw a raisin. I have had several meetings with the principal, the special ed. teacher, the family support worker, the speech and communications specialist, the OT/PT specialist and countless calls, e-mails, and after school conferences with parents. I have had one Student Intervention team meeting and another is scheduled for this week. Changes are happening but this is all an uphill battle and it is only day 18 of school. Meanwhile there are the alert, eager, bunch who are so ready to learn and make new friends. They are my bright spots and are deserving of my energy too. We are trying to start up our literacy groups but that has met with a few wrinkles too: we are short one assistant due to budget restraints and scheduling changes. But we (the other K teacher and myself) are more flexible than our age belies. We can and will make it work. To be honest it is really the academically low end kids that suffer when we have less help in the classroom. Enough of classroom talk. Let's move on to the garden...

A long lovely summer has moved into an equally outstanding fall. The first day of fall it actually got up to 90 degrees! It has gotten cooler since than and we began turning the on the heat Sept. 30th, but the weather for the coming week has temperatures in the 70s and not much rain. I have pulled out the sunflowers, tomato plants and beans in the back yard. So this:

Now looks like this:

We had plenty of tomatoes, the last of which are ripening in our garden window. We had more than enough beans too. I even froze a quart bag. There are some Asian pears still on the tree ripening but we have already taken a bucket of them to the food bank. I know of no good way to preserve them. A fall crop of lettuce has taken hold and I still have carrots in the ground but don't know if they are going to get much bigger before the bugs find them. I harvested 5 little sugar pumpkins which match the garden shed perfectly. The chickadees and bush tits found the hanging sunflowers in no time flat.

This Friday Bartlett Tree Service will come to prune the deodor cedar in the front yard and take down the two dead cherry trees in back. I am also sacrificing this old but graceful pink dogwood. It is just becoming too laborious and dangerous (ladders are no place for middle aged women) to keep trimmed. Once it is gone there will also be more sun to the lower east rockery and we will be able to view that sun garden easier from our deck.

And yes, I still run in the early hours of the morning before work. The smell of chlorinated pools is replaced with wood smoke coming from chimneys of quiet houses. My new lime green jacket with all it's reflective stripes is getting plenty of use. I carry my cell and I have an ID tag attached to my shoe laces. Advancing age does make one more cautious. I see dog walkers and some interesting wildlife; always a raccoon a week at least and an owl buzzed my head one dark moonless morning, on another day a plush white rabbit with little black spots (some body's pet?) stood still enough for me to get within 4 feet and then hopped away with a zig and zag.

With less blogging I read more. I just finished Velva Jean Learns to Drive (a 5* recommendation from me) and I am half way through Julia in France which is not as delightful as the movie Julie and Julia. In fact, I find Julia Child to be quite stuffy and full of herself in her auto biography.

This morning we ate at Youngs Restaurant in White Center. It may be Chinese run but the fare is certainly 'All American'. I hope my breakfast of pancakes and eggs is digested before the 1:00 Burien Brat Trot, the 5k which I will run. Chris is outside painting the pickets to the back stretch of fence which he has repaired. His new bus route is between Auburn and downtown Seattle and he likes it just fine. Driving I 5 is easier than driving city neighborhoods, he tells me. That of course could change if the big flooding occurs with seasonal rains.

So that's it for month #2. Next installment: November!

It Is Time

2009-08-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

to set a goal to be kinder to myself. I began this blog 5 years ago and then it was fun, no pressure. Now I always feel it lingering on my shoulders, getting heavier and heavier as the time lapses between posts. It has become a chore. I do not need chores. I want to live life more and write about it less. As part of the letting go process I did not even take my camera with me when we went to Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma today. I watched the enormous walruses (TRULY; thousands of pounds!) shoot like torpedoes in their tank and burst to the surface with an exhalation of air that sprinkled water on the window between us and glistened on their stiff whiskers. My grin stretched ear to ear as I watched the zoo keepers walk Milly the aardvark down the path on a leash. I asked questions of the naturalist with the Frog Mouthed Owl perched on her arm. Once home I was relieved to not have any photos for sorting and posting.

My goal for this year is one post a month, anything more is a bonus but I really want to stick to just one. I'm sure that September's will be all about school which is my major persona 10 1/2 months of the year. You can always check out my classroom blog for the 'fuzzy version' of teaching in a public school. I bought a public domain for the year so it will be an easy url for folks to remember: sanislokindergarten.com I have gone on 5 home visits and within those five there is evidence of huge variety; a single parent asking to be connected to the family support worker to get clothes and shoes for her child, a little girl who has a Dr. and a nurse for parents, a little boy who speaks Russian and English and his mom wanted to know if buying a desk as a 'special spot' for him to do homework was a good idea. And oh my, are they ever cute! One little girl put her fairy wings on for me and explained the technique for flying which involved lots of bouncing on your tippy toes. Do I love my job? You betcha! But I must say I was close to having a heart attach two weeks ago when our new principal called me at home and asked what I thought of possibly switching classrooms with first grades since they have an overload this year. I told him I would do it if everyone agreed it was for the common good but I think I would need a doctor's order to take time off afterward because I would be so totally spent and near collapse and believe me, Mr. New Principal, I have enough sick leave to do just that! I am willing to share my space but to actually physically trade spaces... 14 years in one spot is a LONG time and even though I am fairly organized it is not something I would do 3 weeks before the start of school especially since it would involve reciprocity of orderliness from the two first grade teachers. As to giving up my classroom bathrooms; never!

Wish me luck, it all starts tomorrow with an Everyday Math workshop followed with a general membership union meeting to vote on our contact ( I sure hope that the required 800 teachers show up to make a quorum for voting.)

Next post...late September, with tales of classroom woes and wows. On the garden front I will be harvesting Asian pears and picking the last of beans and tomatoes (I can hardly keep up with them this month).

When the Whole...

2009-08-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

works better than the two halves, that is a good marriage. This being said, I found it amusing that my parents and our daughter sent us these very cute cards:

Inside: "Don't look so puzzled - you know who's who."

Inside: (Even happy couples have SOME disagreements.) Happy Anniversary, You Two

We went on a mission to buy on microwave on Thursday. I'll bet you didn't know that the microwave is the required 27th Anniversary gift. Off we went to Sears to purchase the Sharp counter top microwave that was, after intensive reading of online reviews the answer to our need to replace the old one which starts up all of it's own accord with nothing inside of it, sometimes waking even ME out of a sound sleep. More recently it has started to rumble when we use it, sounding not unlike a wagon on a gravel road. I have visions of the microwave coming to life in the middle of the night and doing a rumba off the counter, similar to the kitchen characters in Disney's movie, Fantasia. To be on the safe side we unplug the unpredictable appliance whenever it is not in use. Dealing with Sears which is now Sears Holding is a nightmare unto itself. I like their online ordering site. Problem is; there is no follow through at the store level. The online confirmation said the store would have the microwave at pickup in 2 hours and they would call us at that time. It didn't happen. So two DAYS later we call and are told "Next week it will be in stock." So the 27th was the 'next week' and we went in and asked a clerk for directions to the microwaves. As we are heading to the aisle the DH hears one clerk ask another "Do you know anything about microwaves?" Then they both turned and busied their gazes on t.v.s and sound systems; items that were apparently more at their comfort level. The place was DEAD folks; I think that we were two of maybe a half dozen customers on the floor! We see the model we want on display and the DH hunts down one of the hapless clerks. He checks 'the back' for available stock and no luck. "Sorry, it is not in now. We will have it on the Sept. 11th." We probably should have considered the date a bad omen for a deal that is already a bit sour and headed for the escalator. But no, I paid, tucked the receipt in my wallet and that Sharp microwave better be at Sears on the eleventh.

On August 27th 1982...

2009-08-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

we, after five years of living together, became Mr. and Mrs. in a Seattle courtroom. Only five friends were in attendance which makes it easy to remember everyone's name. The reception was at our friends' the Driggers' 4th Av. W., Queen Anne home. I just found out recently via Facebook that they are now living in sunny Sequim. The recepton was potluck style and a whole dozen friends joined us there. Sometimes I look back wistfully and wish I had gone back to Wisconsin and had a larger wedding but at the time this seemed right. Organizing and being part of big events make me hugely anxious. Also, it was not a church wedding (that came 4 years later) and I knew that a secular wedding was probably disappointing to my parents and that's SO like me too; never wanting to disappoint the people I love. Anyway there is certainly no disappointment today because here we are still together after 27 + years of wedded (not all bliss) reality.

The flowers in my bouquet are Stephanosis which I bought to match the border of the jacket to my dress. I bought them from a floral on University Ave.

Our friends Judy and Neil not only opened their home to host the reception, Judy also took the photographs.

The cake was white chocolate mousse from the Honey Bear Bakery in Wallingford. It was almost a disaster because it started to melt and slide down one side in transit from Wallingford to Queen Anne. The bakery had warned us that it was a delicate cake but it was the one I wanted. Fortunately, friends shored it up, refrigerated it, and absolutely refused to let me look at the back of the cake until after we had taken our 'first bite'. It was scrumptious!

Paint Pros

2009-08-19T18:04:00.000-07:00

It was no small task. We prepped and painted our living room together. We were lucky that we did it last week when the weather was cooler and we even had a couple of rainy days. Chris is still doing touch ups. He's truly the Pro. Honey Girl and I stayed away from edging and trim painting. The color is called Tea Light (what in the heck kind of color is THAT?) The pictures do not do justice to our paint job but I think these are pretty great family portraits! The color is blue-green grayish. The sample looked a whole lot more gray than it does on the walls. It is certainly more subtle and calming than the bitter orange that we painted over. Chris painted the door frames and fireplace mantle black to match the baseboards and I think that gives the room a very sharp touch.

In this first shot we tried to have straight faces, kind of like Grant Wood's American Gothic. Apparently, daughter dearest didn't understand, she's just grinning away.

This is the silly shot and we like it best!

Great Sunflower Project

2009-08-19T16:30:00.001-07:00

Great Sunflower Project
Originally uploaded by mtnester.

I am taking part in the Great Sunflower Project; counting bees that visit my Lemon Queen sunflowers. I observe for half an hour or 5 bee visits to a flower, whichever comes first. Go to www.greatsunflower.org for more info. They don't ask you to do a huge amount of observations. They are gathering bee observation data from all over the world. Did you know that bees are responsible for every third bite of food that you eat? They visit a lot more than sunflowers in my garden beds! Here is one on the Russian Sage that borders our driveway and always wants to flop. Someone, me, most likely, will probably get stung eventually because it is so easy to brush against the sage when getting in or out of the car.

And my Zinnias are absolutely stunning this year and the bees are taking notice.

But the absolute favorite spot for the honey bees in our yard is the oregano. they have been working this huge mound in the rockery for a good two months or more. From dawn to dusk there are literally dozens of bees buzzing away on blossoms that look spent to us but certainly are appealing to bees.

Our Weekend in Walla Walla

2009-08-13T20:58:00.000-07:00

2009 Walla Walla Wine Country

Last weekend our family of three, along with our friend Valerie, went to Walla Walla to visit wineries and just 'kick back'. I wrote captions under many of the photos. If you click on the slide show I think it will take you to Webshots and then you can read more about what is in the pictures. I love wine tasting and yes, I do spit but not all the time. If you visit 5 or 6 tasting rooms in a day you better spit. I taste, I talk with the pourers and confer with other tasters and yet I still am in the dark as to really being able to definitively know at that first sniff and sip if I am tasting a good wine or a great wine. I know I like reds more than whites but I did sincerely try to branch out and we came home with 4 whites; a Riesling, a Chardonnay/Semillion blend from The Foundry (my favorite), an Orange Muscat (too sweet for the man of the family, but us girls will enjoy it for a desert), and a Viogner. I lusted after but did not buy The Boy from K Vintners. The reds we DID buy: Sangiovese, Malbec and a 2006 Syrah from the vintner with the best story, Otis Kenyon. Wine alone does not fill a weekend. We went to Rook Park and chose to skate, run or walk. We also went BOWLING! Certainly it was not part of any plan but there was this alley only two blocks from the condo where we stayed and they were celebrating their 50th anniversary with 50 CENT games and there was disco music playing! Not that I like disco, but it was fun bowling music. I don't think I have bowled in a dozen years or more. I didn't do half bad.First game I scored 96 and second game 136! I think I made the hubs sweat a bit. He had to really 'work it' to get 158 and beat me. Even today he whined about sore gluts from "THAT GAME". We ate out but the food was not as noteworthy as two years ago, so I will leave it at that. We went to the Farmers Market and I bought the most delicious watermelon called Yellow Doll. It is small and has vivid, yellow meat and yes, there are seeds to contend with, but not many. Wow! It is SO juicy and sweet and only cost meet $2.00. Who cares if the other two family members don't like melons. That means more for me! We also stopped and bought a box of yummy nectarines and some big red tomatoes. The dehydrator is humming away, drying fruit as I type. Since returning to Seattle we have been blessed with rain. More of a blessing than usual for me because we have been painting our living room and I sure would hate to be cooped up in the house with paint fumes on a HOT day! My plants are really happy with the return of wet weather too. The tomatoes are ripening and I have plenty of beans and lemon cucumbers to share. The carrots are my treasured crop, they are growing just fine but not as fast as I like to eat them. Next posting will be garden pictures because I can feel it already; alas, the season is winding down.

Look Who's Home!

2009-08-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

It is SO nice to have our girl home! She arrived on Tuesday. She had her teeth cleaned at our dentist's then we went down to the market for lunch at an Italian sandwich shop. When I took this picture she protested "It makes me look like a tourist!" In fact she has a protest of one sort or another every time I take my camera out. We also went shopping for athletic shoes (hers) and new glass frames (mine). I am still working on finding the perfect frames that will fit my every mood. We have been to yoga class together and this evening we are going to the Art Walk in Pioneer Square. She has visited with old friends. Gee, it is even good to see them around our house. We have plans, plans, plans: a weekend in the wine country and then wall painting in the living room next week. She can't call it child labor anymore, she's 21!

Away From It All

2009-08-01T22:36:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I just need to get away. On the hottest day of summer I packed the car and headed over to Hood Canal. The ferry ride was refreshing and the air conditioned car was very calming but no, I did not beat the heat. Once I arrived at Seal's Rock Campground I realized I had not avoided the record breaking heat. The 103 temp made no difference; a change of pace, a change of scenery, and the solitude of the woods were all there waiting for me. I felt like a stick of melting butter but I was out of the city and on my own. No Chris, he had a sweltering bus drive to do. Sometimes it is good to know I can 'go it on my own'. The cell phone connection was still there, it's the 'comfort blanket' that makes it easier for me to be an independent adventurer.

Do you realize how many times I set the camera's photo timer and then leaped into the hammock to get this picture. Really though I did relax a lot. I finished reading Exit Ghost by Phillip Roth and began Onions in the Stew by Betsy MacDonald (a book SO insightful to the character of the Seattle/Vashon area, plus, you will laugh a lot!).

I drove up to the viewpoint at Mt. Walker. No, I did not hike. I would've liked to, but common sense prevailed. Do NOT hike alone!

On Friday there was cool, misty fog in the morning. Oh joy! Such relief. I drove north and east to Port Townsend. This is the Hood Canal Bridge taken from Old Fort Townsend Park/Beach.

I drove on to Fort Worden. This is the old lighthouse at Wilson Point. There is nothing like a lighthouse in fog with the foghorns groaning and the mist kissing your face, to bring to mind romance novels, mystery and a bit of forlornness.

This tree is "How old?" I remember it from the first time I was a Fort Worden, oh, 25 years ago??
It looks the same. I did not wander into the old batteries. It always gives me a lonely, lost feeling to see these military buildings amongst the nature.

Then on to Port Townsend where I took lots of photos of the beautiful old Victorian homes. This just might be my favorite, overlooking the bay. I would be inspired to write novels if I lived in a house such as this.

Can you imagine living in a house with all this spread before you? Not to mention all the weather that would come blasting across the water. Port Townsend is a wonderful place but this weekend it will be too busy for me; they have a hugely popular Blues Festival happening.
To see more photos click here.

Granite Mt. Hike

2009-07-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Valerie and Lindsey invited me to join them on an 8 mile round trip hike up Granite Mountain near North Bend, WA. I was excited to go on a hike with these two experienced hikers. Valerie is the most accomplished hiker/outdoors woman that I know. I told them I kind of felt like the character Mr. Sillypants from the children's series by MK Brown, ill prepared and certainly less competent at hiking than either of them.

Making the 3800 foot elevation gain was certainly easier going up than down. I was glad to have borrowed my husband's hiking poles. Valerie used one and I used one. Valerie and Lindsey patiently stopped every thirty yards or so to let me catch up. All in all, we did the entire hike in about five and a quarter hours and that includes eating lunch and taking photos at the top for about a half hour. During the hike what hurt most was the tips of my toes as they slammed into the toes of my athletic shoes. Granite Mt. and the other trailheads that are at this location are popular. The parking lot was filled to overflowing when we got down at about 1:30. We seriously doubted that anyone starting after noon would be making it to the lookout station at it was SO darn hot by then. We had a real chuckle at the young couple going up with the guy carrying all the gear and the perfumed girlfriend with her glossy long hair following behind. This morning I woke up with my thighs feeling very tired, so no, I did not run today besides it is even hotter than yesterday. Too hot to do anything more than stay downstairs on the computer or swing in the sky chair under the deck and read.

2009 Granite Mountain

In My Front Yard

2009-07-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

...the blooming is abundant! We have excessive heat warnings in Seattle for the next four days. I wanted to capture a few blossom photos before everything wilted away. You are looking at an Orienpet lily with 7 blossoms/buds on one stem and 5 on the other. They smell so incredible, especially when getting an early morning spray of water. Also in the slide show are blooming Hen and Chicks, which love the heat of the rockery, Russian Sage which is a favorite with bees, and a Red Mullein (at least I think that is what it is) with blooms shaped a bit like exotic bird beaks.

2009 Garden

I have 4 different places where I put my photos: Kodakgallery, Photobucket, Flickr, and Webshots. Webshots is my absolute favorite if I ever want to get photos printed. 4x6 prints are only 15 cents each and I can either pick them up at a nearby drugstore or have them mailed to the door. The printing goes through Photoworks. Of course I also have my albums in iphoto on my Mac and about every three months I move them to my hard drive back up. Technology sure can create a lot of invisible clutter! If any of you have a better way to stay on top of managing photos, please share!

Blue as a Blueberry

2009-07-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

This post is probably best read from the bottom up if sequence matters to you.
Here is the fruit of my morning labors. Most of them I freeze but they are always best fresh with my breakfast yogurt or in a cobbler with ice cream for dessert.

See the bench at the end of this path? That is where I ate my lunch of a bagel and a plum; after nibbling on berries all morning I was amazed that I wanted any fruit at all! I saw an eagle flying high above the river. He was probably scoping out lunch for himself.

This morning I joined throngs of other avid blueberry pickers for opening day of picking at Bybee Nims Farm in North Bend. What a location! I marvel at the beauty of this farm every year I go picking. Yes there were LOTS of pickers but the berries were thicker and fatter than I have ever seen so there was no need to feel there was competition to fill your bucket. I picked a bit over 16 pounds in two and a half hours. My friend Valerie and her teenaged daughter picked twice that and then some. The sun didn't start to break the clouds till about noon which was perfect since we were leaving.

I took the back way home from the Thursday night concert in the Admiral District and went past the Dragonfly Pavilion which is looking so much more established now that the landscaping has grown.

It was incredible how many little kids under the age of 5 were at the concert in the park. Honestly, it was like a preschool convention. Even more than the music I enjoyed watching all the antics of the kids and the comfort of knowing no one and having no responsibility to discipline any of them. They were awfully darn cute, especially the ones dancing in front of the stage.
Last night I went to Hiawatha Park to hear a free concert. The venue was the Alma Villegas Quintet . I like Latin music plenty well enough but I was not overly impressed. I did like a Cuban piece that they did but most of the songs were just too over the top 'romantico' for me. It was a beautiful evening though and most families had picnic fare and they were spread out on their blankets having a great time letting the kids run more or less free and that's how summer should be; full of freedom.

My 'Pretties'

2009-07-21T20:30:00.001-07:00

I have been a watering fool to keep all my 'pretties' happy in the heat wave we have been having. OK, if you live in Arizona or Hawaii, 85 does not qualify as a heat wave, but in Seattle it does! Today I did not garden but I did accomplish a whole lot! I ran in Lincoln Park and lifted weights at the Y. Then I went downtown to get the final crown on my tooth. I can't believe how great it feels now. I hope I NEVER need another root canal and getting the mold made for the crown is no picnic either. But now that is all behind me and the tooth feels great and even better...insurance covered every last cent! How rare is that? I made a Costco run on my way home. I had 4 items on my list and somehow I ended up with about 15 and I spent $148. Needless to say I was not following the 'Nakata Rule': never take a cart into Costco if you want to stick to your list! Then I dashed in the house, tossed food in the freezer and went to get my hair cut. Really just an inch and a half trim. But leave it to the DH to say, "Nice cut, but too short!" which is what he says practically every time I get a cut. Then I read a little in my current 'read': Before You Know Kindness and ate a late lunch. Then at 3:00 off I went to Westwood for my annual visit to the eye Dr. The result is not much different than any other middle aged person on the planet, my reading vision is going 'kaput' albeit slowly. The good news is that this year insurance covers new frames. I'm ready for a switch back to plastic instead of wire. Once at home all bleary and goopy eyed, I made Marinated Chinese Noodles for dinner, tossing in leftover chicken from last night's roasted bird along with multicolored peppers and grilled onions and garlic, cilantro from the garden, sliced water chestnuts, and ground peanuts. Yum!

Hydrangea

Queen of the Prairie

Native Spirea

Disporum ('Fairy Lanterns')

July In the Garden

2009-07-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

Everything is growing SO fast! We are having a extra hot summer in Seattle (like above 75). So you see lots of dry grass and TALL tomatoe and bean plants. Yes, your eyes are seeing right, my beans and tomatoe plants are only inches below my garden deck.

There are carrots to thin and and unusual Chinese Radishes to eat in salads.
They don't taste much like radishes; they are much more mild and they sure are colorful in a salad.

And yummy ripe raspberries to eat with our morning yogurt or to go in the afternoon Sangria!

Carnage In the Garden

2009-07-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

Look at what I stepped over on my way down the rockery this morning! One less squirrel in neighborhood to eat our hazelnuts!

2009 Seattle's Georgtown Garden Walk

2009-07-12T23:35:00.001-07:00

I got plenty of creative ideas from the garden walk yesterday. I had no idea that 'working class' Georgetown in the shadow of Boeing Field, had so many lovely gardens. Most impressive was how some people made little nooks and crannies that were very inviting in yards that were really only a fifth of what I have. This is one very LONG slide show and I even left out a few photos. I was so inspired that I went home and made a trellis for my pumpkin vine. I am hoping that it will climb up to the deck! In addition to feeding my plant lust I found a new Mexican restaurant that has very tasty tamales and when you walk in the door you feel like you are in Mexico; Coliman Restaurant and Taqueria on Carleton Ave. S.

Dog in Duds

2009-07-11T14:38:00.001-07:00

Really now, it is MUCH too hot today to subject your doggies to making a fashion statement! But, this is what we saw strolling the booths at West Seattle's Street Fair today. Honestly there were nearly as many dogs as people; teeny tiny yapping Yorkies and Daschunds, big jowled slobbering Bull Dogs, dignified Standard Poodles, friendly Labs, and mutts of indiscernible mixtures. Dogs in strollers, dogs in handbags, dogs in pouches and dogs on leashes, like this 'dog in duds'.

Click on the photo to be directed to Photobucket and my other pictures from the Street Fair.

Some Seattle Sights

2009-07-07T22:59:00.000-07:00

When I posted this slide show I was much too busy enjoying the company of my parents to explain anything in about this slide show. The photos are from Pike Place Market, Wing Luke Asian Art Museum and a few eclectic ones of the ID (International District) thrown in for flavor. I have SO many pictures of the market that I resorted to taking pictures of shop signs as shopping is what it is all about. The Wing Luke Museum had changed a lot since I was last there. For the uninformed, this museum is all about the history of Seattle's Asian community as well as home to some wonderful works of art by local Asian artists. I especially liked the art/historical presentation of letters between immigrants and their families and friends. The letters hang from the ceiling under a sky light in a stairwell and there is a recording of various people reading the letters. The one I listened to was from a woman writing to a man explaining that although she valued the friendship they shared, she was declining his offer of marriage and life in America because her parents were elderly and she was 'the apple of their eye' and could not bear to leave them as their health was in decline. It was very touching. I would like to go back and just sit in that stairwell and listen for a half hour. The fish photos from Liems are lovely but the place is kind of spooky and dingy in it's tucked away location on Maynard St. Alley. For me, the fact that it is only doors from the location of the Wah Mee massacre adds to the spooky, underground atmosphere. We ate Dim Sum at the Jade Garden Restaurant, a restaurant know for this entertaining style of a light and economical Chinese lunch. Waiters and waitresses buzz from the kitchen to the tables with carts loaded with small steamers and plates of food. They entice you to order the food for your table. A party of three is perfect because most of the plates hold three items. Mom and Dad looked a bit overwhelmed; I guess I didn't explain it well enough. But come to think of it, almost every Dim Sum experience I have is overwhelming because the carts are coming at you from the left and the right and the food is unfamiliar (but VERY tasty) and much of the language is unfamiliar too. I'm determined to go back there this summer with Chris and Anna Rae and I will read the descriptions of the food from Wikipedia before we go! I'm not sure what they REALLY thought of the food but I am sure it was a cultural experience they will remember...right down to the cash register which my father thought was disgustingly dirty looking. Good thing mom didn't see that before we ate!

Dinner in Des Moines

2009-07-05T23:04:00.000-07:00

This morning we went to mass, got home, barely had time to get a cup of coffee and then went to the movie theater to see UP! I think this is the first time ever I saw a movie and ate popcorn before noon. The animation in Up! is fabulous but I much preferred the Pixar films Wall-E and Cars. Dad took advantage of the L-O-N-G chase scenes to snooze. He didn't snore too loud. The remainder of the afternoon we mostly relaxed around the house. Mom played LOTS of Solitaire till she finally beat 'Sol'. I did have a run in Lincoln Park while mom and dad sat on a park bench and read. There were dozens of families with picnics. I think every grill on the beach was in use. I saw two families from Sanislo and one YMCA friend. In the evening mom and dad treated us to dinner out at Anthony's in Des Moines, overlooking the marina. It was my 'birthday dinner'. (It is fun to stretch out a birthday.) I ordered steak and prawns along with an Ahi tuna appetizer and chocolate mousse with Baileys Cream for dessert. I did share dessert with Chris but just the same, I am stuffed!

Lovely sunset, don't you think?

Happy 4h of July!

2009-07-03T22:49:00.000-07:00

Enjoy your 'firequackers' but do stay safe!

Snoqualmie Falls

2009-07-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

Look who is visiting us from Green Bay, our favorite and most frequent guests; Mom and Dad! They arrived yesterday, on my birthday. What a perfect gift. We had a few friends join us for dinner and I made some fancy hamburgers with Portuguese linguica sausage and ground sirloin, garnished with an orange aioli and cilantro leaves and sliced pineapple. Cooking is so much fun in summer when I have the time and can experiment. Of course I had my favorite birthday cake, the Heath Bar cake mom has made me since I was about 8 years old. Yummy! The guests seem to have slept well, although mom was awake first (I'm sure that surprises non of my siblings). Today we ate breakfast and lounged on the deck and I had a run and then a walk with my mom. Then off we went to Snoqualmie Falls. I hadn't been there in about 14 years! Due to the record snow in the mountains last winter, it was really flowing fiercely. Don't worry, Lisa and Lynn, I took good care them; no one got too close to the edge.

What was I doing, catching flies? I think it is difficult to get a good picture of Chris and I together and usually I blame it on him but this time it is me looking somewhat of a goofball. Oh well, at least it shows that I was happy!

Woo Hoo!

2009-06-28T07:16:00.000-07:00

I sure am happy about these results and had the race been NEXT weekend they would have looked even better because my upcoming birthday will put me in the next division.

1:54:20
Distance HALF MAR
Clock Time 2:06:22
Chip Time 1:54:20
Overall Place 2034 / 15541
Gender Place 882 / 11339
Division Place 30 / 794
Age Grade 70.6%
Pace 8:44
Ttlrace 15541
Ttldiv 794
Ttlsex 11339
5 Km 26:24
10 Km 53:50
9 Mile 1:18:25

The weather was flawless, nary a cloud in the sky and about 70 with a light breeze. The course was, as they described, fast; certainly easier for me than the hills I run going to and from Alki from my front porch. The stretch along Lake Washington was beautiful; made me want to visit Seward Park at a more leisurely pace. Hearing the band that played in the Mt. Baker tunnel made awesome echoes and was wonderfully energizing. Drawbacks were the masses of humanity that made long lines of traffic to get to the starting line and then the lines at the porta potties, getting out of downtown from the finish line was lengthy too. I had alot of anxiety about the run the night before and did not sleep well. People say marathons are a good way to see another part of the country but I am not so sure. I read where people get up at four in the morning to navigate their way to the starting line and I saw people walking a good two miles from hotels just to get to the start. Of course they were walking faster than the cars were driving. When I got home from the race all I wanted to do was take a warm shower, wear comfy clothes, lay around, read, and watch TV. Now if I were in another city I would feel like that was a waste of my time to explore but I wouldn't have the energy to do any sightseeing.

Today my quads ache a bit and I know I will have to do my yoga stretches for my hip flexors (sciatica is still bugging me) but I think I will be a little less sedentary, maybe getting into the flower beds to pull weeds.

Low Tide at Seahurst Beach

2009-06-23T22:14:00.001-07:00

Click on this mosaic of pictures for a more interesting view:

Low Tide at Seahurst Beach
Originally uploaded by mtnester.

I worked for two last hours in my classroom early this morning, then we hit the beach. Today there was a minus 4 low tide which is to be the lowest tide of the summer. The Sun Ray sea star had 21 arms. The little white dot you see on the sea star pulls water into its many tube feet allowing it to move and grasp prey; just a tidbit we learned from a beach naturalist today. In the picture where I am pointing to the tube worm, if you look closely you can see eggs of some sort on the side of the tube. I had no idea the eggs were there until I uploaded the photos! I just had my finger in the photo to give it some perspective. See the big clam that Chris is holding? We retrieved it from where a seagull had dropped it on the beach. He was none too pleased that we had HIS clam. When we put it back down, the bird clumsily picked it up into his beak and flew about 20 feet, dropped the clam onto a rock and there was his lunch; fresh seafood! We picnicked on the beach too; sandwiches for us. What a wonderful way to spend the first hours of freedom from the classroom!

And the prize for the most amusing find at today's low tide goes to the 'Beach Ball'!

Dry for 24 Days

2009-06-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

and no rain in the forecast! I emptied the top yard rain barrel a couple weeks back and have started using the second 55 gallon drum but it is in a mosquito ridden area so I am not as fond of filling my watering cans there. Having rain barrels does not mean you don't turn on the sprinklers; that is still a daily chore (actually more of a pleasure) in our yard. I do a different quadrant every day, or I wander about with the hose in one hand and a coffee cup in the other.

This morning I ran 14 miles along Alki (back and forth 1 1/2 times), bought an iced coffee, came home and after a nice cold shower I worked on report cards and now I have spent two hours reading blogs, newspapers, and in general, wasting time and sipping a couple beers. School ends for the kiddos next Friday and after that I have at least two days of clean up and organizing to do in the classroom. This has been a great year; I have a charming group of 5/6 year old students and a few of them are little geniuses I believe! Anyway... more to post once the chalkdust settles!

For You...

2009-06-07T18:13:00.000-07:00

a June bouquet of one rose the color of the moon, one peony in ravishing pink, Columbines nodding their crowns, Coral Bells, and sweet smelling dianthus.

Beauty in the Backyard

2009-06-07T18:05:00.000-07:00

Did you ever try to photograph a bee? It is NOT easy. They don't sit still. Therefore, here you have the Bee's Behind.

The bees know the Goat's Beard is in bloom and are they ever busy! This actually would have been a good video as the bees were VERY audible as well as visible when I took these pictures.

Our Newest Garden

2009-06-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

Here is our new vegetable bed with one of the rain barrels smack dab in the center, which makes watering very easy. The tomatoes seem to like it here. They have cleared the top of the cages in only three weeks; but then we did have all that hot weather last week.

Also in this bed are pole beans, one sugar pumpkin, lemon cucumbers, two sunflowers, radishes, and carrots. Yes, I may be over zealous in my planting!

A Changing Front Yard

2009-06-07T00:28:00.000-07:00

In 2006 our front yard looked like this:

Now, after some expense, much toil, and time to grow, it looks like this:

It used to be that I hardly ever looked out my front window because I would only be looking at a parking pad or our truck. Now the Venus dogwood is in full bloom and I have all kinds of treasured plants tucked here and there and I spend lots of time gazing out the window, enjoying what I see and trying to decide what new plants to add. Also in front, although not as attractive, is my experiment at straw bale gardening (I explained it in a post last fall). It does take a lot of water as other people had warned. It was unusually hot here last week. It felt more like Hawaii than Seattle and I watered three times. The biggest surprise is the lettuce that is thriving in front of the bales. I planted it as an afterthought. We have had two or three salads off of it already! In the bales are two pepper plants, a tomato and a pumpkin plant, also a few bachelor buttons and some beets.

What In The Devil...

2009-05-30T07:49:00.000-07:00

is going on here? I won't even pretend I can explain this to you. Last night I followed this Afro-Peruvian Dance of the Devils Parade in White Center. No, it did not draw huge crowds; I doubt that there were more than 25 people who followed the parade (and most of us with cameras) and 50 or less at the Cafe afterwards to enjoy this wonderful international music. Some of the performers had just arrived from Lima, Peru. It began and ended at Cafe Rozellas and there the musicians and dancers performed more music, singing and extraordinary dance for us. The music was very lively with lots of percussion; jawbones and little wooden boxes on straps worn around the musician's neck. The boxes had lids they opened and closed as they struck the sides with a wooden stick. My favorite dancing was the street dancing from the coast of Peru which is a little like impromptu soft shoe tap dancing (although I have no photos of this because my memory card was full). Each dancer tried to 'out step' the previous dancer. They were very energetic and their facial expressions added humor to the competitive nature of the dancing. They were clearly enjoying themselves and so did the audience.

Low Tide at Lincoln Park

2009-05-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite photo from my low tide walk in Lincoln Park today. These are Sculpin eggs. I didn't see a Sculpin, just lots and lots of tiny eggs on seaweed.

One of many SeaStars, looking very vulnerable in the low tide.

Today's mystery: a molt from a crayfish or what?

Here you get the 'big picture' of the low tide.

A Dog Whelk

A Kelp Crab with missing pincers

The sea lettuce in this picture was flecked with a dusting of shiny purple specks; my photo does not do it justice.

An anemone closed up tight waiting for the tide to come back and cover him.

Duly Appreciated

2009-05-23T17:38:00.001-07:00

Look at all those flowers! It looked and smelled like a floral shop around our desks this week. We also had breakfast treats on Monday, a car wash on Wednesday, a Barbecue from the principal on Wednesday, soup and salad lunch from the PTA on Thursday and a 'goodie bag' of wine, bread and sweet treats from assorted Sanislo families on Friday. Sanislo teachers are certainly a pampered bunch. Better than all of the 'goodies' was the turn out of 19 parents/grandparents for our Friday field trip to the Center for Wooden Boats on Lake Union on Friday. Go here to see a few photos.

We are having OUTSTANDING weather for this Memorial Day Weekend; blue skies sunrise to sunset. I awoke at 6:00, made coffee, picked rhubarb and made a pie, at 9:00 I ran about 13.5 miles to Alki and back (The first ten minutes I groan and after that there is this grin splashed across my face that just can't be erased; I love to run!). There was this incredible low tide and savvy beach combers were out at Lincoln Park, Lowman Beach, MeeKwa Mooks and Alki. Once at home I fixed these wonderful omelets filled with asparagus and Spam (yes, Spam) and cheddar cheese. Then I went into the gardens and deadheaded tulips, weeded, and planted Impatiens. After that I got online and read a little of this and that (Today's recommendation is Big Happy Funhouse Read the comments.) The most memorial thing I have done this weekend is to listen to audio clips of a marine in Vietnam from the late 1960's on NPR. I hunted high and low for a link of this audio but since I could not remember the title, I was lost.

Now both of my blogs are updated and it is time to fix dinner. Enjoy your long weekend!

U District Street Fair

2009-05-17T15:58:00.001-07:00

The above is a "Hockneyized" version of one photo I took at the University District Street Fair yesterday. If you want to see the original photos click on the title of this post and it will take you to my Flickr account. It was perfect street fair weather at about 75F. The U District Street Fair is the unofficial 'kick off to summer'. The DH and I enjoyed browsing our separate ways and then we met up to share a margarita at the Ness Floral Shop that is now a tavern, return to the car and compare notes. We both got a bit nostalgic about our young years when we lived on 52nd NE and we just rolled down the hill to enjoy the music, street fair food and of course the 'skin' that was on display if the weather was anywhere above 65F.

Other than that, I ran, and ran for a good solid 2 hours yesterday BEFORE walking uppety ump miles at the street fair. We had Greek style pizza at White Center Spaghetti House last night and I tried to watch a DVD with the DH last night but my eyes would NOT stay open. I slept for TEN hours last night; I needed that!

Today I have worked for about 5 hours weeding and planting beans and a couple of sugar pumpkins. Now I am frittering away time on the computer and at some point I need to get upstairs and fix dinner (bok choy, peas pods and chicken stir fry with cashews). There is a wee bit of school work to attend to as well.

Kubota Gardens

2009-05-15T22:35:00.000-07:00

It's grand to know people who live adjacent to places like this. It was a beautiful day in Seattle today and what better way to end it than walking in Kubota Gardens with friends. It was a great way to unwind and better yet, the entire weekend promises to be full of sunshine!

Suzy The Duck Visits Seattle

2009-05-11T08:11:00.001-07:00

Suzy The Duck Visits Seattle
Originally uploaded by mtnester

Suzy the Duck came all the way from Lodi, Wisconsin to visit me herein Seattle! I wish I could have shown off our city in sunnier weather but then again, she IS a duck!

Delicate

2009-05-04T18:31:00.000-07:00

It is pouring rain right now and there is supposed to be more rain along with wind into tomorrow. But I just looked at these photos from yesterday and couldn't help but share them with you. The fading tulip and the cluster of cherry blossoms against the blue sky are the definition of 'delicate pink'. Once the winds blow through the petals will be scattered. I had 'teacher friends' over on Friday after work and we lounged on the grass, gabbed, snacked, and added a few bottles to our recycling bin. I'm happy that I was able to share our yard at it's Spring finest.

Onwards

2009-05-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday ended with a half inch of rain and lots of pine cones and tree crap falling from the enormous cedrus deodor into the street. The wind really blew; it seemed more like a fall storm than a spring one. We even made a fire in the fireplace and watched the TV show Southland which is a new police detective series set in L.A. Then I stayed up way too late just reading blogs on the computer and as you can see, changing the colors of my own. When we woke up to sun and clear skies this morning I was torn; garden/run or run/garden? I chose to run and I really pushed myself. I ran for two hours and fifteen minutes which is what it took to get from my porch to the Cactus restaurant on Alki and back. I did stop to tell call the DH at my half way point just to let him know I was still on my feet and loping along. So how far is this run? Hard to say since I meandered a bit on the return route and in some instances I took pedestrian stairs instead of streets (lots of steep hills) but I think it was 14 miles or close to that. If you run, you may enjoy this video. It's pretty cute. I related to most of it; even the dive bombing crows. However I do NOT blow my nose on the sidewalk, that's what sleeves are for (but NOT in the kindergarten)!

Onwards from AKQA on Vimeo.

I sure hope this beautiful weather holds out through the week, especially since my kindergarten class has a field trip to Seward Park on Friday which includes a short hike on a nature trail. Now I am going to hobble outside on my wobbly legs and try to get a little gardening done.

A Blue Beauty

2009-05-02T17:21:00.000-07:00

Look what burst open on this rainy morn! It is my Himalayan Blue Poppy. Isn't it a beauty? It is a shame that she turns her shy head away from the garden path. I really had to work to get a front view picture. It was drizzly and warm today and working in the garden was actually comfortable. However, that has all changed and right now a big black cloud crossed over our house and it is absolutely POURING outside. I am glad I got in my 4 hours of yard work. I put tomatoes and pepper plants into my straw bale gardening experiment in the front near the driveway. The lettuce, beets and mesclun are all looking healthy in their little 'patch' in back.

If I had the time...

2009-04-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

I would tell you all about the lovely wedding we went to yesterday at Fauntleroy Community Church. I did not bring my camera as it was the wedding of a photographer and about a third of the guests were photographers or stylists and they certainly had it covered. The bride and groom were co-workers of the DH when he was in advertising at Macy's. The reception was at Salty's on Alki and the food was a wonderful surf and turf buffet. Delicious! The view of downtown Seattle as day faded to night and the lights of the city came on, was breathtaking!

Or I would tell you about the picture that DH took of the elderly lady walking with a cane in White Center as she led her miniature PONY down the sidewalk.

Or I would have a list of the treasures for sale at Florabundance, the yearly Arboretum sale. I exercised restraint and only bought tomatoes, beets and peppers.

But, I must write the parent letter for my classroom and I want to maybe, just maybe, get out into the yard, now that the fog is burning off.

Weekends are altogether too short!

Cock a Doodle Doo!

2009-04-18T21:34:00.001-07:00

Cock a Doodle Doo!
Originally uploaded by mtnester.

I didn't get up with the roosters today but I was at the Kornowskes' by 9:15 this morning watching their 'bad boy' roosters sequestered in their mini-pen to prevent them from picking on 'the girls' who have free rein of pecking and scratching everywhere in the yard and pasture. The 'boys' were crowing with all their might as if indignant at their segregated status.

I was back in Kent to run with Lindsey as Joe and Val hiked behind us. We covered six miles of long hills around Lake Youngs. I managed to keep pace (sort of) with the long legged strides of my teen aged running companion. A quiet doe crossed our running path, frog chorus greeted us from trail side bogs, and the smell of skunk cabbage was unmistakable at some points.

As I was having my rural run the DH was on a flight to Port Townsend with our pilot friend, Tom. It was a lovely day of clear skies and temperatures of about 65.

So much is blooming; really too much to mention. Tomorrow I will go to the NW Perennial Alliance Plant Sale. With all the compost spreading I have been doing I have become very aware of my plant inventory and I hope I will be able to exercise some self control in my purchases.

Easter Sunday...

2009-04-12T21:06:00.001-07:00

Easter Dinner
Originally uploaded by mtnester.

2009-04-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

...was very wet but relaxing just the same. We went to our friends' Joe & Valerie. We were joined by their other friends, Penny and Emil. The food was plentiful and delicious and served in their newly remodeled kitchen. It is SO lovely and spacious!

The Egg Collectors: Galen, Lindsey, and Nathaniel found 99 eggs hidden in the pasture in about a half hour's time. I think we all enjoyed the gathering a little more than usual knowing that Valerie begins her chemo for breast cancer this Friday and cooking food and entertaining are going to be on the back burner at their house for a while. As Penny said at one point during our conversation today, there is no woman stronger than Valerie, she will get through this and we are all here to help her in what ever way we can; both practical and prayer-wise. Click on the mosaic above to see more of today's Easter celebrating and Valerie with her new SHORT haircut! It is very stylish and looks great on her.

Rejoice!

2009-04-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter everyone! Although spring has been slow in coming, plenty is in bloom here in the Pacific Northwest. My camera focused low to the ground today but there are plenty of bushes and trees in blossom too. Our own pear is close to bursting out; my guess is a week away...if we get sun. If you run your cursor over the pictures during the slide show it will show you the titles and names of the plants.

My mom is in the hospital tonight recovering from gastrointestinal problems that we all hope are getting closer to resolution. It is NOT cancer, and for that, our family offers up prayers of gratitude this Easter Sunday. In fact, she fully intends on being home for Easter dinner. She was quite upset at not being able to fulfill the role of Easter Bunny for her youngest grand kids and she was VERY particular with my sisters about the details for the Easter dessert she had planned, even as she left for the hospital Friday night! I love you Mom! I wish I were with you in Green Bay!

Clear Skies At Last

2009-04-04T08:19:00.000-07:00

The rain stopped yesterday and everyone is talking about it even Flat Suzy the Duck who is visiting from Lodi, WI was getting a little peeved at all the gray skies.

So besides carting Suzy down to Pike Place Market, here is the short list of what I have done with my Spring Break;

1. Went to SAM with the DH to view the Colonial America art exhibit on display from Yale. Very good from a perspective of learning about American history but not really my favorite type of painting. I had to think of it as a history lesson, not art appreciation.

2. Went to a play: The Underpants (Not at all racy, as you might think) The play was set in Germany in 1910. It was originally written as a satire of what the playwright saw as the ridiculousness of the emerging middle class. The lead in the play has her bloomers drop (she didn't tie them tight enough; pre-elastic days you know) during a parade, as she is standing on tiptoe to wave at the king as he passes by. All kinds of silliness result between her, her totally embarrassed husband, a gossipy neighbor, and males attending the parade who also saw her drawers drop. It wasn't gut busting humor but light hearted and I appreciated trying to understand the lens through which the play may have been viewed in 1910.

3. Lots of chores: cleaning files, cleaning the oven, paying bills.

4. Talking and writing: on the phone, on the computer; to the daughter, sisters, mom and dad. it is so nice to have time to talk, time to listen.

5. Reading: Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold.

This is actually a reread for me. I first read it in the 1970s. Then last year when I read Omnivores Dilemma and Sand County was referenced, my memory was jogged so here I am reading it again, with new eyes. The book was published in 1949 by his son, Luna. Leopold is considered the father of conservationism. I find his writing style very lovely, almost poetic. Also, the setting is Wisconsin, near Sauk County, and the flora and fauna he writes of are familiar to me from my youth. I get a burst of nostalgia for days gone by tramping through the woods with my grandma or grandpa DeNoble, having them point out flowers, bushes, berries, and signs of wild life.

6. Today I have 4 yards of compost/manure to spread in various needy garden beds. But first there is breakfast and I will stroll around my yard, cereal bowl in hand, looking for, as Leopold suggests, 'birthdays' amongst my plants.

"Tell me of what plant-birthday a man takes notice, and I shall tell you a good deal about his vocation, his hobbies, his hay fever, an the general level of his ecological education." from Ch. 7 in Sand County Almanac.

My 'Little Black Dress'

2009-04-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

I wish I could say this is me IN the dress, but it's not. It IS the dress I bought today at Ann Taylor which is not a place I regularly shop, this was most certainly a splurge. I already have the perfect red shoes to wear with it and I think I can find a scarf or jewelry with red to spark it up. We have a wedding to go to this month and I have not bought a dress in over a year. Skirts yes, dress, no. I am not overly fond of shopping, especially if it means I must look for something specific, so I was really glad to find this little classic in less than two hours. Why is it that I can find a dozen or more dresses that would have looked good on me when I was 30 but next to nothing for middle aged me? Dress Barn is OK for work clothes, Marshalls is good for browsing and finding an occasional 'steal', Chicos has colorful clothes but nothing with staying power, Target and even Fred Meyers are OK for jeans or t-shirts, and don't even SPELL Macy's in front of the DH, we crossed that store off my list when he was laid off! So today was my lucky shopping day!

Pleated Skirt Sweater Dress
A classic sweater dress with a removable self-belt. Rolled edge at scoop neckline and short raglan sleeves. Waist seam with pleating details at front skirt. Pull-through loops at waist. 20 1/4" length.

Where Does The time Go?

2009-03-31T20:40:00.000-07:00

Today I worked at school for close to 5 hours. We strung up the wind socks that the kids made last week. They will be so surprised to see them hanging from the ceiling beams with their streamers all aflutter. That job alone took over 3 hours! Then we reassigned kids in their 'Activity Center' groups. We also selected books for next week's guided reading groups and did a bit of copying on the copy machine. Lastly, I rearranged every one's table mates. I do that nearly every three months and it always causes a stir.
At home, Hubs was exercising at the Y, putzing in his studio, reading, cleaning the kitchen, grocery shopping, and surfing the Internet before leaving at 3:20 for his bus route. Then, at last the sun made a brief appearance and I proceeded to do a serious pruning of the wisteria which as you may know is the Hub's favorite botanical feature in our yard. He loves it so much that he finds it hard to take pruning very seriously (Kind of like the plant version of 'spare the rod and spoil the child'). So every year I take the pruning into my own hands and then I shudder to think of how he will respond. Today I was sure to make a scrumptious dinner of Chicken Enchiladas in a Green Sauce with freshly made salsa for dinner. I HAD to tell him about the pruning; it was one of those things like a big bad secret that was hanging in my mind. He kind of scowled and threatened to take revenge on not one, but TWO plants that I love. I did remind him that I AM the one that knows more in the line of gardening and I HAD consulted specifics on Wisterias before grabbing the loppers. He hasn't seen it from the lower yard. We shall see if his rant is 'to be continued'.

Our Hawaiian Visitors

2009-03-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

The sunshine was in their smiles but certainly not in Seattle's weather. This is Chase and his mommy, Tanya. I taught with Tanya here in Seattle oh so long ago. When was that Tanya? 2004? I have kept up with The Adventures of Chase but this is the first time I got to meet him. He is a charmer, that's for sure! A walk on Alki would have been nice if the weather were warmer but it was gray and windy and only about 45 degrees out for most of today. Certainly not a good beach walk day to Hawaiians.

I had fun being 'Auntie Teresa' and brought out some old toys from Anna Rae's closet. Chase loved making music and he was a real good listener to his mommy and played only with his fingers, not his toes which was a mighty tempting idea.

He has nimble little fingers and spent a lot of time with the Fischer Price School House putting the people into the desks and cars and on the seesaw on the playground. He was easily occupied by these toys for the better part of three hours which really amazed me. You're right Barbara, hanging on to the old Fisher Price toys is a very good idea!

Unfortunately...

2009-03-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

the Dracaena needed to have their dead foliage lopped off and I am not at all sure they will regenerate from the root system. My plan is to plant pole beans up the trunks for this season. If no greenery emerges we will need to completely cut them down and pull out the trunks. Surprise! Surprise! Today it was sunny in Seattle and although it wasn't above 50, if you were working in the sun you could toss aside your polar fleece. I worked for at least three hours preparing a bed for lettuces and moving a rose bush (an odd rose bush that likes partial shade). At this time of year the amount of work in our gardens is formidable and I must say I was certainly feeling yesterday's ten mile run. Our house is the perfect size for retiring in, but the yard work; that's another story.

2009-03-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

It is the first day of Spring Break for Seattle schools and this is what it looked like on Alki beach this morning; rainy, gray and cold. It was only 39 degrees this morning when I did my first ever 10 mile run from Fauntleroy to Alki and back. Cheery yellow daffodils and blossoming cherry trees punctuated an otherwise dreary run. I wasn't the only fool out running and we were all soaking wet. I wore my most waterproof jacket and still managed to get soaked to the skin. The hot shower at the Y at the end of it all was welcome solace. My time for the ten miles was one hour and 37 minutes. Report cards stood in the way of writing a post last week. They are behind me now and I look forward to a week of running and hopefully some gardening if this rain ever lets up. I might just give up and pull weeds in my rain gear. At least the roots should be easy enough to pull up.

It feels good...

2009-03-15T16:03:00.001-07:00

to come in first! My time was 29.01 This was not my best but it put me at first place for females ages 51-60 in this morning's Cove to Clover 5k which was, as I had predicted, a real butt burner with lots of up hill running and twists and turns in the first mile. I think my time put me at something like 20th overall but I am not sure. It was a small race of about 350 people and the proceeds went to Highline Food Bank. I do know the male for my age group had a time of about 25 minutes and the best overall time for a male was 20 and some odd seconds and the females' best overall was 24 something. When I drove to the start line it was SNOWING! Yes, there was snow again in Seattle. So it was a COLD race too. My lungs protested against the cold air and I had a bit of a coughing jag when I finished but I feel SO much better than last weekend. Mick Kelly's was packed and the beer was flowing at the finish line. I think I will make this run a regular on my schedule instead of doing the usual St. Patrick's Day Dash downtown. Although I know there were some crazy folks who did BOTH races today; they really earned their beer!

First!
Originally uploaded by mtnester.

By time I got home the sun was shining and the wind blowing. Gale force winds are forecasted but I don't think they are that fierce (at least not yet). It is still cold enough to know that winter has one more week with us and we keep our winter clothes handy and the space heater hums at my feet. Even these Crocuses are huddled together and keeping their petals wrapped close.

The day is slipping away so quickly and I really need to work on report cards for my students. Remember the little guy I wrote about back in December, the one who has a Sensory Integration Dysfunction? His behavior IS improving; he still doesn't produce work like the other kids but at least he joins us at the tables or on the carpet, he rarely asks to 'stir up the crayons' anymore, and chairs were overturned only once last week. Best of all, he came into the classroom on Tuesday and after greeting me he says, "You know, I love school!". Now THAT'S progress!

I've surrendered...

2009-03-11T17:58:00.001-07:00

to the heavy stuff; amoxycilin and cough syrup with codeine. Today I finally gave in and went to the Dr. filled my two prescriptions and stopped at Full Tilt for ice cream which is the only thing that feels good on my throat. It was tough to decide but I chose a small bowl of Toasted Coconut and Jameson Caramel (that's Jameson as in whiskey, which is said to be good for a cold, right?) The Dr. thinks I have a bacterial infection. I have not had to take antibiotics in a LONG, LONG time. When he said amoxycilin I was thinking 'bottle of pink liquid' which I gave to my daughter for ear infections as a baby. Boy but was I disappointed when I saw this bottle of 'horse pills' that I have to take twice a day. Those, along with water, not whiskey, should do the trick.
In addition to getting a possible 'cure' I was lucky enough to miss a staff meeting. A messy staff meeting at that; the one where we set budget priorities. That Washington education budget shortfall that we read about in the news, the $8B one? It's hitting home. Seattle School District has a shortage of about $25 million.
I am sure I will post more about the changes that means for me and my Sanislo
colleagues once our budget is finalized. It ain't gonna be pretty!

Round Two...

2009-03-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

of my cold is worse than round one. The hardest part is getting a good nights sleep. If I can't breathe through my nose, I wake up in the middle of the night with a sore throat or a nagging cough. Don't talk to me about your arsenal of cough remedies, nasal spray, nettie pot, Sudafed, Nyquil, syrup for just the cough, gargling with salt water; I've tried them all. They work, kind of, temporarily, but the cold is still here. It has been three weeks now, I can't smell a thing, don't like to cook, eating is no fun (imagine that) and I think I must be getting cranky.

This morning I spent 3 hours sitting in bed with the laptop reading newspapers and a very interesting six page article in the Atlantic about how this recession will reshape the population centers of our country. Then when my eyes couldn't focus on print anymore I went to TED and listened some interesting talks one of which was by Elizabeth Gilbert:

Isn't the Internet wonderful? I am one who does not sit still easily and there it was, three hours, "poof!" gone. The DH had encouraged me to cut back on my exercise routine and so I did not run Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. But I just couldn't take another day without putting in a couple, three, four miles. So I ran, during a break of blue (we had snow, hail, rain, and sun today)and I it felt great. I am looking forward to the the Cove to Clover 5k next Sunday, cold or no cold.

As for the FAFSA and CSS Profile, I'm almost done. Otherwise I wouldn't do something as frivolous as writing a post. A phone call to the U of Chicago in the morning should clear up my last few questions.

Speaking of frivolous, here is Thing One and Thing Two along with me in the classroom last Friday as we celebrated the children's author Dr. Seuss: