"First" Friends

1.  One of the most awesome things about "social media" is the ease it allows for us to "find each other".  I love this photo.  This was taken in probably the summer of 56.  That is my oldest brother on the left.  Then sister Nancy, who was only a year old, Christy Myers then me behind her older sister Deb.  These two truly were my very "first friends".  Their parents are still in touch with mine, and I got to visit with them a few weeks ago.  Let them know I was on Facebook and they let the girls know.  
2. How about that pool.  How about that water?  This was taken in the back yard in Kennewick Washington, the tri cities.  I hope it was the water itself that was so yellow and not any additives (NANCY!!)
3. 
   

 We moved from Yakima to Kennewick courtesy of this Consolidated Freightways  truck.  My Dad worked for this company.  The house we were moving into was previously occupied by the Meyer's family!  They had moved into I think a new house that was built across the street.  So that is how we met.  My Mom became very good friends with their Mom whose name was Sharon.  She worked at the Welch's juice factory in town and used to bring us home those amazing concord grapes!  That is why I still love them today.  Such a good memory.  

 This is a photo of my brother Steve and I in front of our new house.  I think we only lived here for maybe a year, before we moved just about two blocks away.  Close enough we could all still be friends.  

I know I have another couple of photos of the three of us, but can't put my mouse on them at the moment.

Their Dad became a State Patrolman.  He was the tallest man I remembered as a kid.  

Thought I better put this photo of Nancy here too.  LOVE those Iris's in the background.  They also became and are still my favorite flower.
I wonder if they grow down here?

Christy and I were pretty close buds.  We would play anything and everything.  Deb would join us more often than not, but there was NO DOUBT who the person in charge was when she was with us.....


It was a sad day when they moved away to Spokane.  Luckily the adults stayed in touch, and so our friendship was able to continue for many more years.  They would come over for a visit, and then take me back to Spokane with them for a stay, and then my family would come over and pick me up.

When we moved to Seattle, we still got together occasionally.  It was a BIG BIG deal when they got to take the train over and we all went to the first Beatles concert in Seattle!!  And we also had probably more fun than we should have attending the Teen Fairs that were help at the Seattle Center, courtesy of Pat O'Day.

I remember being in Spokane one summer and we all went to an outdoor affair at the high school Shadle Park.  The three of us with our long hair, short shorts hanging out around the tennis courts with the music blasting and the boys trailing behind......We also had a memorable night at a skating rink as I recall.....

Lots of time passed as we entered our young adult years.  We kept up with each other via our parents.  Once Lynn and I stopped in Ellensburg where Deb was living with her husband and they (being the hippies) they were, took us out into the woods to hunt for mushrooms......didn't find a single one....LOL!!

Deb had her daughter Jessica, Christa got married.  I began having children and we drifted apart again.  Then after my breast cancer treatment was finished, I connected again with Deb, since she was an attorney and married to a medical malpractice attorney to discuss whether I had a legal case.  Turned out I was about a month too late to file.  Life goes on.

A few calls here and there over the next few years, more children, grandchildren, a move to CA for me and now we are reconnected again.  Christy still lives in Spokane with her son.  Deb lives on Bainbridge with her husband, both of whom have retired.  Her daughter is the attorney in the family now, and her son is going to school at Gonzaga.  We are blessed that our parents are all still mostly healthy and well and enabled us to reconnect once again.

I think now that my "first friends" will turn out to be forever friends.  It will be easier to keep in touch.  But it seems to me that it will be worth the effort.

Getting to Know Yountville

 This is such an amazing small town.  Surrounded by vineyards and wineries.  

The harvest is going on right now, and just like in Lynden when I could hear farm equipment running through the night, now I hear the grape harvesters running.  And the wonderful aroma of crushing grapes in the air is amazing.

 I love this little stone garden!  In Lynden it was the PostKantor!  Here it is the Post Office, and it closes at 4:00 everyday, which is annoying!  

This stone mushroom garden is what runs alongside it.  Talk about easy care gardening!

Although having Jose doing the grounds at the condo is pretty low care for me.......

 There are several of these around town, a narrow bridge.  And notice the sign.  One of the town rules is that signs must be 'framed'.  

Even the stop signs are on wooden posts, with wooden frames around the actual stop sign!

 And this is the road sign on my street.  

All the signs around town are these short wooden pedestal signs, they are so cute.

I pass this tree whenever I drive into Napa.  It is in the median of the highway, so I had to take this from a bit away.  Can you see that big bump on the side? What IS that???

Someone told me, like a carbunckle or something, but I don't remember.  And all the bark has been stripped away.

This is a photo of the tree, from further away.  

So happy to have been introduced to a stick reader for my computer, so all my photos have been transferred now to my photo files, and I will be able to keep my blog more up to date!!  

Thanks for stopping by.

If You are Happy and You Know It

I was squinting in the sun even way back then!

This was taken in front of our home in Eastern Washington where the the summers were hot and sunny and the winters were cold and often sunny.

After growing up and moving to the Western (or WET) side of the state, that blue sky seemed to be rare indeed.

And now, in my 60's (well, barely JUST) I am living again in a world of beautiful weather and blue sky.

I've been an official California resident for just over 3 weeks now.  There are still a handful of boxes in the garage waiting to be opened.  And I notice I am missing a few items I am used to having in the kitchen, so I'm hoping to get through those last boxes this weekend.

But it will be busy.  I am planning to attend a community "health fair" here in Yountville tomorrow before noon.  Then I'm heading to Napa for the demonstration at the Art store of someone who does paintings with spray cans.  On Sunday, the Guild I visited last weekend is having their big Quilt show, so I'll go and check it out.

Weber did indeed send me the clips that were missing from my new charcoal grill, and Jay and I will put that together this weekend and he wants me to go ahead and buy that table and chairs for the deck if it is still available.  

I made my first foray over to the pool this week, and it was lovely.  Need to work on my "tan" so when I go back up north at the end of the month, maybe I will be flesh colored instead of pasty.

Can you tell that I am happy?

Today

Was kind of a big day for me.  I went to the Farmer's Market in St Helena.  It was FABULOUS!!  Only problem was that it started at 0730 and ended at noon.  I got there about 11:30 which was good as far as finding a parking spot, but not as good to get a full flavor of this great market.  They only operate until the end of October.  I did sign up for their weekly newsletter so I'll know when they start again in the spring.
While I was there, I picked up a few things.
First was about 2 pounds of Concord Grapes.  I LOVE them.  It is a childhood memory of eating these grapes.  We lived in the tri cities in Eastern Washington, Kennewick to be specific.  The mother of a friend of mine worked at the Welch's factory and would bring us home these beauties.  I love them seeds, skins and all.  On the drive home from ST Helena the bag of grapes had sat in the sun, so when I popped them in my mouth they were even more wonderful...
I also bought a nice (and a bit pricey) collection of some balsamic vinegar and infused olive oil.  And a jar of a peppered pomegranate jam, which I enjoyed with a smear of cream cheese and a spoon of jam on a honey wheat Ritz cracker.
After the market Jay and I went to his favorite cafe and had breakfast for lunch.  Then strolled down the street and stopped in at the hardware store and got some new batteries for my Boze remote controls, so now I can listen to music at home!!
I arrived at home with about half an hour to spare before my appointment with my new hairdresser!  She is only about 5 minutes away.  A very quirky little shop.  Jenn will be my new hairdresser for sure!  My hair is a shade lighter, which only seems right for being a California girl!!
So why was this a big day?
Because I recognized that my old pattern of being up late, sleeping late and being in the house all day was coming back.  And I can't do that again!!!  So it was big because I have re pledged myself to a new life!  Tonight I'm heading to bed before 11 so I am up by 8 and heading to Napa for a Quilt Guild meeting that starts at 10.  They have social time before the meeting, so if I get there at 9:30 it should give me enough time to mingle a bit.
I'll stop at the Napa market afterwards, then head home and plant the few things I bought the other day for my little front planting area.  Then the Husky game is on at 4.
It is gorgeous here, the weather is perfect, and I need to keep moving forward.
Photos to come!

Some Things I Miss

Two weeks I've been here in BEAUTIFUL Napa Valley California!  I'm loving all my little trips out and about.  It takes me 30 minutes to get to Costco (went today) so I will be planning those trips more carefully than I did when it only took me 15 minutes.  Was interesting to not have a parking lot full of Canadians (NOT that there is anything WRONG with that, Camille).  This store is maybe half the size of the big stores, and the layout is so different.  Some products they don't carry I miss, like the Cascade Ice soda for Jay.
The produce section is really small, maybe because of the abundance of Farmer's Market's.  The prices on the alcohol is amazing....yes, I did pick up a few items.......

Onto the things that I am missing after these two weeks away.

1.  My toilets........We had the TALL thrones in that house and boy do I miss them!

2.  Bathroom storage space.  I have about 20% of what I had, and I keep finding more not yet opened boxes that say "bathroom".

3.  My mail across the street.  Here it is on the other side of the development.

4.  Putting the garbage at the curb.  Also on the other side of the development.  Driving my garbage is umm....weird.

5.  My computer monitor, which somehow didn't survive the trip.

6.  Jillian, Ethan, Jeff and Krista being a 15 minute drive away.....and knowing I can see Carter, Henry, Kyle and Genie in 2 hours instead of 14 hours.  And having Todd come by.....

7.  Reading the letters to the editor from the ultra conservative in the Lynden paper, this time of year.

8.  Knowing what channel is what.

9.  Being able to actually walk on both sides of the bed in the Master bedroom.  Now I have to kind of shimmy (not a pretty picture) along the shutters on the sliding glass door.  I need to learn to get up and go the bathroom when I am not in a hurry.

10.  My Circle of Friends.....

I'm planning to bike around Yountville in the next day or two and get some photos and share them with you all.
Hope you are enjoying your home....

What I Have Learned So Far

The boxes are not all empty yet, but I have learned some things already about being a California Girl

1.  Smaller is okay!  So far I really like the layout of this 1200 square foot condo.  Being the end unit is a real advantage as I can pretend all the property next to me is, well, mine.

2.  Having someone else doing the yard work is very nice.  I know, Jay has done 95% of the yard work for the past few years, but Jose is doing a great job!

3.  Having someone else doing the yard work could become a problem  Now that Jay doesn't have the yard work to do, he is trying to find things to do, in the house!  No Honey, please don't unpack anymore boxes.  

4.  Living in a different environment than I have for the past 60 years is a nice adventure.  Waking to sunshine everyday, and learning to schedule around the heat of the day has been fine, and fun.

5.  Cats do adapt.

6.  Fresh is best in the kitchen.  

7.  Ground turkey is fine to use, though some seasoning adjustments will need to be made.

8.  Picking fresh citrus off a nearby shrub is a great feeling!  

9.  No one needs 23 kitchen towels.

10.  Wireless is nice, plugging the computer IN makes it work better.....that battery doesn't last long.

It's a New Day

My first Monday in my new chapter.  I've mentioned to some that this big move is almost like an opportunity to reinvent myself.  Instead of preparing for a big change, I can now live a big change.
Some things may seem silly, but I think silly and simple is better way to start.
For instance, using a list to go shopping.  Buying what I know I will USE before it expires!!
Planning ahead, for meals, for shopping trips, for chores.

I asked Lynn last night what he wanted for dinner, and he put in a request.  So that is what I went to the store to purchase today.  The St Helena Safeway will probably be my most often go to grocery store.  Yes, things are a bit more expensive but it sure is fun to see some different labels.  I made the decision while standing at the meat counter to make the marinara sauce with ground turkey instead of ground beef.  Maybe I can make the transition to using turkey where ever I used ground beef.

The Farmer's Market is on in Napa again tomorrow, and I will go there!  I want to also find a reasonably priced placed to get some pots for the deck, and first build an herb garden.  I'm told I can grow herbs here just about year round, how exciting!

I did buy a fresh basil plant to have here on the counter.  Just putting my nose in there and inhaling deeply makes me swoon....again silly.....

More to come after I find my printer, so I can load some photos to use.

Goodbye Birth Center

This one is tough.  Not because it was hard to say goodbye, but because it in my last position I never felt like I got much past hello.  I loved taking care of birthing families.  Those of you who KNOW me, know that this is a true passion for me.  Assisting women and their families welcome a new life into their world.  It was a miracle every time.
25 years ago I went to nursing school.  I went because I wanted to be an OB RN and I was so lucky to have been accepted into a residency at Tacoma General.  I met people who were caring, helpful, frustrating, but mostly they welcomed me as part of the team.  Several of those nurses I first met are still good friends.  After about 6 years I added teaching prenatal classes to the mix and and loved every minute of that.  How fortunate I was a few years later when a local OB hired me to help her in her new practice where she built a free standing birth center for women who wanted an out of hospital birthing experience and provided me a wonderful space and support to continue teaching.  There are clients I had who also have become forever friends.  So many women have touched my life in ways that I will be forever grateful. 
Then 12 years ago Lynn was recruited to a new job in a new area and since I had been married to him for 26 years at the time, I thought I ought to go with him.  I told him that I wasn't going to work nights again, and he said I should do what I wanted to I signed up to work per dium at the local (and only) hospital in the area.
There were a few Doc's who were a pleasure to work with and a few nurses.  But there seemed to always be such a lack of leadership on the management team..  In fact there were 7 different managers in the 12 years I was there.  I shouldn't have been surprised when after taking a pretty good fall while at work, and being off work to recover I never heard one word from anyone asking how I was doing.
Most of the nursing staff were long time employees working in the birth center.  They had worked together for a long, long time so 'breaking in' was hard enough, that given my limited working hours, it just became almost too painful to continue to try.  This was especially hard since I had come from a working environment where it was such a joy to go to work everyday.  Where my experience and knowledge were valued and appreciated.  I've always been really easy to get along with and have lived by the thought that it is so much easier to just be nice.....
Three of the long time nurses passed away during my 12 years.  One was a drowning accident, two from disease.  Three of the nicest people I worked with.  It was a gut wrenching time for the department.
As new staff arrived, I did my best to introduce myself and get to know them, to make them feel more welcome than perhaps I had felt.  But as time went on, it became more clear that you were part of that shift group or you were almost invisible.  An unforgettable moment was when I was overwhelmed with a coughing episode in my clients room, and left the room.  Got to the hall, right across from the main nurses station and leaned against the wall with my legs tightly crossed, hacking and coughing and gasping.  Not ONE of the FIVE nurses at the station gave me more than a cursory glance as they continued to chat amongst themselves.  Not one.  After getting myself calmed down and able to walk to a water fountain I realized that I really was on my own in this place.
Ultimately I spent most of my working hours with the clients.  Listening to them, coaching them, encouraging them, helping them to have the kind of birth experience they told me they wanted.  For the most part they expressed their appreciation and that is really what it is all about.
I've been blessed to be present at the births of thousands of births in the past 22 years.  And privileged to  have been involved in the education process for a thousand more.
Now that I have moved, and visited the two nearest hospitals in the area, I have come to realize and accept that my days of being an OB RN have come to an end.  I just don't have the stamina or energy to do it again, and possibly face that same cold working environment that I just left.
I don't think I am ready to give up the world of birthing women yet, so I might dust off my Doula bag and put myself out there, if I can find a market for that here.  Maybe even doing some teaching on a small scale.  Time will tell.  For now, I'll keep learning as much about my new city, county and state as I can and do some research.
It was a great run......





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Dinner in Napa

First of all, I'm so excited to have figured out how to copy the photo to my blog!!

Hello out there from the Napa Valley!!  I'll do a full post of my trip later, but I wanted to share about our dinner tonight.  I arrived on Tuesday night, and tonight was our first meal out being California residents.  We chose this great spot called the Norman Rose Tavern in downtown Napa.  Lynn had had lunch here with the CEO of the Napa Clubs and liked it.  It had been a while since we had a hot meal together, and we both ended up ordering the half roasted chicken dinner, with potato salad and the best fresh green beans I have ever had.  Sorry I forgot to take a photo, I was just plain hungry...

Downtown Napa is only about a 15 minute drive.  Yes, there are TONS of EXCELLENT restaurants in Yountville, our hometown, but we haven't felt quite ready to try any of them yet.  Maybe next week.

While we were eating a nice looking couple came in and sat at the table next to us.  Several people greeted the gentleman and he sure did look familiar to me.  I think someone called him Kendall, but I couldn't be sure.  He looks like someone I have seen on something like Top Chef.  Will have to search that out a bit.

Our furniture and belongings are due to arrive on Sunday.  I'll have to take some before and after shots of the rooms.  I have to say, I sure enjoy stepping out onto the deck in the late morning with a cuppa coffee and bask in the sunshine and admire the truly blue sky.  I hear there may be rain over the weekend, though there hasn't been any measurable rainfall since Memorial Day.  And then expected to be HOT again next week.

The cats are doing well.  So far Rocco (who traveled with me) is already loving being outside.  Lays under a shrub by the deck in the shade and surveys his new territory.  We did walk over and pick a couple more lemons today.  The limes still seem a bit too firm.

Saturday we are going to the Farmers Market in Napa.  Hopefully I'll remember my camera and get some good shots of the place.  Next week will be busy unpacking, so I'm really enjoying this "down" time.

Until later....

Seven Day Countdown

A week from right now, I'll be on the road, with my van packed with precious cargo.  Most precious will be Rocco, my grey kitty that is already so confused.
The moving van is scheduled to arrive between 8 and 10 and they have allowed 6 hours to load.  I can't imagine it will take that long, but we will see.
With lots of help from Krista (most darling and wonderful daughter in law) and sister Carol I've been making good progress every day.
But today I consider the countdown clock to be running.  Seven more nights.  3 or 4 nights will be sleeping here in the Lynden abode.  The others will be at Sister Carol's, so I can spend a few days saying farewell to friends and family in the King/Pierce county area.

So today I say FAREWELL to the Lynden fair.  It is actually the Northwest Washington Fair.  It is held this week in August.  Starts on Monday, ends on Saturday because goodness, things don't happen much here on Sunday's.  More about that on another day.

When we looked at this property to buy, the agent cautioned us about this week of the fair.  The normally very quiet, peaceful clean neighborhood we live in is only a block from the fairgrounds.  And for this week, it is ANYTHING but quiet or peaceful.  In the beginning, 12 years ago, it was also pretty clean.  But I have noticed over the years that there is more litter each year.  I don't know whether people just quit caring or what.  This year the pick up will be up to me, since Lynn is already ensconced in Yountville in our new home.  So I will go out each morning and pick up the debris that people seem to think is okay to drop in my yard and garden.  Bottles can's wrappers.

This is the first year too that we don't have a pass to get in.  Lynn would always buy a weeks pass so he could go in every night after he got home from work and enjoy some fair food and music from the small stage venues.  He also had gone with Krista for a concert each year.  Their DATE!  This year they were supposed to see Heart.  We have seen many acts.  A highlight for me was seeing Willie Nelson driving his big RV up the street on the day he was performing.

It was very cool for the first 6 or 7 years when every grandstand show (0ne at noon and one at 6) was proceeded by skydivers.  I would sit on a lounge chair in the back yard and enjoy watching them float to the ground.  I do enjoy listening to the concerts in the back yard too.  Unfortunately two days the show is the demolition derby (today and tonight!) and a tractor pull.  I still don't get the whole tractor pull thing.  But it is so loud and overwhelming it vibrates the ground enough to cause my wind chimes to sing.

I have loved introducing my Grands to the fair.  From the year Jillian was just a year and half, then adding Ethan to the day, all the way through having Carter and Henry join us the last two years.  I will miss that part of the fair most of all.  We would go through the animal barns and laugh at the silly pygmy goats, wonder at the baby piglets that are born each year up there.  Cows, horses, sheep.  I grew up going to the Puyallup Fair, and when Fischer Scones finally arrived up here two years ago I was THRILLED. Just texted Todd, who is working sound at one of the stages over there, to have him bring me some scones!

The midway is alive and festive every night until about 11 pm, which isn't too bad.  It is the only week of the year though that I make sure the doors and windows are locked at night and when I leave the house.

One memorable year, darling Sammy (our doggie)who was part border collie, twice escaped the house and yard and would go up and go right into the goat barn and start herding.....

I'll be here Saturday night when the fair ends, and Sunday when all the carnival trucks and vendors and people who trailer in their animals load out...most likely a good cry will happen at that point.