On August 22, 2008 Doc passed away. This is the third anniversary of his death. We always mark on grave markers and pictures and other places the year of the birth and the year of the death with a dash in between.. The 'dash' represents the life in between birth and death. Doc's 'dash' lasted for 87 years
The Registry from Rattermans and the cards off of flowers and the sympathy cards and letters of condolence that I received were all saved in a box in my closet. I had put them all away and knew that one day I would take them all out and read them again. Today was the day. .
The first days after his passing were all so busy. I had to adjust to a whole new way of living. I had spent sixty-six years as part of a 'couple'. After all that many years, your thoughts and actions concern 'we'. If it affected me it would affect him and his actions affected me as well as him. We were a pair! 'for better or for worse'. We had a lot of hard times together and a lot of great times together. But the 'we' became 'I' with his last breath.
The days and weeks following a death are filled with filing papers, signing papers, making hard decisions, evaluating your assets and your status. Sort of starting over, so to speak.
Today, I opened the box and sat for the greater part of the day and read all of the cards and letters and looked at the registry and felt the urge to let people know that their words, prayers and thoughts had consoled me and meant so much to me at the time but mean even more to me today, three years away from the sorrowful days that I received them. I can still recall the soothing words of some of the callers, some of the visitors, I felt all over again the sincerity of the feelings of sympathy and love. I vowed to express my sympathy to the people I care for and help them heal in their losses. It doesn't have to be elaborate or costly, it just has to be heartfelt. It is surprising how just knowing that someone took the time to let you know that they care can lift your spirits.
I put all of the things back in the box to perhaps, read another day. Three years seems like a long time, in some ways, but seems like yesterday in others. The memories linger on. The third anniversary seemed like a good time to take my memories out and look at them.I'm glad I did. Ciao.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Another strong storm hit Louisville a couple of nights ago. This one had straight line winds that were between 65 and 70 miles an hour. Fortunately it only lasted for a few minutes. Well, maybe five or ten minutes. I live in fear of my oak tree crashing in on my home but I escaped again. However the roof and yard were a total mess. There were some small branches and twigs and leaves and just plain clutter all over my yard and windows. I did drive to church the next morning and saw a few large branches down but overall the area did not look too bad. My power flicked off a few times but came right back on. I had to reset the clocks twice. Abrahams lost their power but their yard was about in the same condition as mine. Last time my umbrella on the deck was blown over onto their roof. Not so this time!
Brian called and said he would come and help me clean up the mess. When he got here he was amazed at how good things looked here. He had seen trees that had been uprooted and were on top of cars or houses, wires down, telephone poles pulled from the ground, large signs blown against building and such havoc that he felt I should count my blessings. He did get the blower and cleaned it all up but made me feel thankful for being spared and guilty for whining about my minor mess. That's the story of life.
Things are never so bad that you can't look around and see someone worse off than you. My Grandmother taught me that lesson when I was a young child. I have found so often in life that she was right. So often when I begin to have a pity party for myself I have to look around and see that I am the lucky one.
Does this mean that I don't whine and complain about my plight once in awhile? No,on many occasions I have to adjust my attitude but I try to eventually come around to seeing the good things in my life and let the less than good things go. However, I am still mad at the squirrel or raccoon or whatever it was that ate my tomato plants! I see a few of my neighbors and some members of my family and some of the people at achool that have bumper crops of tomatoes and I ask where did I go wrong? Is there a 'tomato ref' around that I can complain to? Surely, the little beast that ate the plants deserved to have a foul called on him. It just doesn't seem fair. I love tomatoes! Why me,Lord?
Oh well, my oak tree is still standing!!!Ciao.
Brian called and said he would come and help me clean up the mess. When he got here he was amazed at how good things looked here. He had seen trees that had been uprooted and were on top of cars or houses, wires down, telephone poles pulled from the ground, large signs blown against building and such havoc that he felt I should count my blessings. He did get the blower and cleaned it all up but made me feel thankful for being spared and guilty for whining about my minor mess. That's the story of life.
Things are never so bad that you can't look around and see someone worse off than you. My Grandmother taught me that lesson when I was a young child. I have found so often in life that she was right. So often when I begin to have a pity party for myself I have to look around and see that I am the lucky one.
Does this mean that I don't whine and complain about my plight once in awhile? No,on many occasions I have to adjust my attitude but I try to eventually come around to seeing the good things in my life and let the less than good things go. However, I am still mad at the squirrel or raccoon or whatever it was that ate my tomato plants! I see a few of my neighbors and some members of my family and some of the people at achool that have bumper crops of tomatoes and I ask where did I go wrong? Is there a 'tomato ref' around that I can complain to? Surely, the little beast that ate the plants deserved to have a foul called on him. It just doesn't seem fair. I love tomatoes! Why me,Lord?
Oh well, my oak tree is still standing!!!Ciao.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
School Days
Today, all of the teachers are going back to school. How I wish that I could be there,too. I love school! When I was growing up I could hardly wait for Labor Day to come because schools opened the next day,the next week day. I lived in Ohio and we didn't start in August. Many states still follow that pattern. School begins after Labor Day! Kentucky started opening in August because of the possibility of snow causing "snow days"in the winter. In Ohio, when I was growing up, if it snowed you put your boots on and went to school. There was no such thing as a "snow day". Not only did you go to school but you walked there. I loved that too. We would walk to school and the walk was so quiet. The blanket of snow absorbed the usual noises.
For forty years, I went back to school on this day to get ready for the year to come. We always gathered together to enjoy the "Opening donuts". The teachers shared all of their summer experiences and renewed friendships and exuded excitement to be back, they checked out the new faculty members and made their acquaintances. The synergy in the room was almost palpable
I scrutinized all of the class rosters and wondered which kid was out there waiting to see if he could challenge me, see if he could make me wish I had taken up some other career; I wondered which kid was out there waiting for one of us to change his life for the better. Which kid was going to find a friend that would enrich his life forever, which kid would learn how to be more enthused about learning and more enthused to be thinking and recognizing his/her talents.
There are usually workshops presented to keep all teachers up on the latest techniques and new methods of grading, clarification of school rules, dress code infractions, banned articles and so on.
I liked getting the classroom in order, assembling the name tags and making a seating arrangement, posting the "Class Rules" in a prominant place, displaying books suitable for reading, making sure that there are games available for rainy day recesses, charts or posters that refer to subject matters that we will be working on. Of course the alphabet and number line must be visible to them for reference. Class schedules posted for easy access lest they forget what's next.
Lesson plans for the early days were made. A planned recitation of class structure and likes and dislikes. A 'getting to know each other' session. It is always good to establish just what your expectations are. I always thought it was wise to let them know just what you would tolerate. I informed them that I personally had only one rule and as long as they did not break my rule, we would get along just fine! RULE: Do as I say!
I hate it that I am not there today! I feel that a part of my being has been excised. I love school in general. I like volunteering to do some of the mailings and any thing else that I can do. I like the atmosphere of school, the 'smell' of school. I must say that part of the ambiance of schools was tossed out when they switched from 'black boards and chalk' to 'white boards and markers' I know that the thinking is that so many children were allergic to chalk dust but what about the marker odors? Can they be good for you? I inhaled chalk dust from the time I was five years old and so did millions of others and we survived. For tactile learners I think the feel, sound and odor of chalk on a black slate is theraputic and inspiring. Oh, well!
I could hardly wait till Monday when I was a student. I had almost perfect attendance, most illnesses that we have immunization for now, were dealt with by the Health department by quarantining the whole family. My sister got the measles, so I, and the rest of the family were quarantined. I had to miss many days of school. I didn't get the measles but in case my brothers would get it, my aunt took me to stay at her house until the danger was over. I absolutely did not want to miss any more school!
As for going to school to teach for forty years, I made every effort to not miss days. I never woke up in the morning and thought, "I don't want to go today." I always woke up and went to school if I could, no matter what. I loved school and always will.
I wish I were there as I write! Ciao
PS Have a great year, teachers and count your blessings. Go forth and change someone's life for the better.
For forty years, I went back to school on this day to get ready for the year to come. We always gathered together to enjoy the "Opening donuts". The teachers shared all of their summer experiences and renewed friendships and exuded excitement to be back, they checked out the new faculty members and made their acquaintances. The synergy in the room was almost palpable
I scrutinized all of the class rosters and wondered which kid was out there waiting to see if he could challenge me, see if he could make me wish I had taken up some other career; I wondered which kid was out there waiting for one of us to change his life for the better. Which kid was going to find a friend that would enrich his life forever, which kid would learn how to be more enthused about learning and more enthused to be thinking and recognizing his/her talents.
There are usually workshops presented to keep all teachers up on the latest techniques and new methods of grading, clarification of school rules, dress code infractions, banned articles and so on.
I liked getting the classroom in order, assembling the name tags and making a seating arrangement, posting the "Class Rules" in a prominant place, displaying books suitable for reading, making sure that there are games available for rainy day recesses, charts or posters that refer to subject matters that we will be working on. Of course the alphabet and number line must be visible to them for reference. Class schedules posted for easy access lest they forget what's next.
Lesson plans for the early days were made. A planned recitation of class structure and likes and dislikes. A 'getting to know each other' session. It is always good to establish just what your expectations are. I always thought it was wise to let them know just what you would tolerate. I informed them that I personally had only one rule and as long as they did not break my rule, we would get along just fine! RULE: Do as I say!
I hate it that I am not there today! I feel that a part of my being has been excised. I love school in general. I like volunteering to do some of the mailings and any thing else that I can do. I like the atmosphere of school, the 'smell' of school. I must say that part of the ambiance of schools was tossed out when they switched from 'black boards and chalk' to 'white boards and markers' I know that the thinking is that so many children were allergic to chalk dust but what about the marker odors? Can they be good for you? I inhaled chalk dust from the time I was five years old and so did millions of others and we survived. For tactile learners I think the feel, sound and odor of chalk on a black slate is theraputic and inspiring. Oh, well!
I could hardly wait till Monday when I was a student. I had almost perfect attendance, most illnesses that we have immunization for now, were dealt with by the Health department by quarantining the whole family. My sister got the measles, so I, and the rest of the family were quarantined. I had to miss many days of school. I didn't get the measles but in case my brothers would get it, my aunt took me to stay at her house until the danger was over. I absolutely did not want to miss any more school!
As for going to school to teach for forty years, I made every effort to not miss days. I never woke up in the morning and thought, "I don't want to go today." I always woke up and went to school if I could, no matter what. I loved school and always will.
I wish I were there as I write! Ciao
PS Have a great year, teachers and count your blessings. Go forth and change someone's life for the better.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Adventure Number ????
I read a quotation that said,"Man is born to live not to prepare for life." I really don't see how you could prepare for life when you don't know what's coming next! Life is just one adventure after another. I seem to have more than my share but that's Ok. I think life would be mighty dull if there were no adventures.
My latest adventure really livened up an otherwize mundane Friday evening. I was planning to watch "Blue Bloods" at 10 PM and so I prepared for bed so that I could just watch the show, and then read my current book until I fell asleep. I had turned all the lights off downstairs and locked all of the doors and planned to watch from my bed.
I had not yet completed my nightly rituals when I noticed the Police helicopter circling the neighborhood. That routinely happens every month or so. I soon became aware that the circles had become smaller and smaller and seemed to be concentrated on or near my property. The spot light on the plane was shining down on my area. Now, that is not routine so I started to become alarmed. More and more lights were being focused on my house. The living room and kitchen were targeted and as I looked out through the slats in the shades I could see many police with their flash lights in my yard, driveway, Tabb's driveway, the ditch and all the surrounding yards. Many patrol cars were gathered on the streets.
I was very, very frightened! I tried to call the Abrahams and they were not home. I left them a message and hung up and then decided I would call 911. I didn't think about what I was going to say when the dispatcher answered so when she asked the ,"Do you need fire, police or ambulance?" I said I just want information! I'm sure my panic came through in my voice and she, the dispatcher, said,"Tell me what you need to know." I said I wanted to know what all the police and police vehicles and the helicopter were doing. She quickly asked where I was, what my name was, and if I was alone in the house.
She said, "Do not go out of your house!!" She went on to say that the police were chasing someone and then she went on to assure me that I would be safe. She said not to hang up, she said,"I know how scared you are so I am going to ask one of the officers to come to your door, do not hang up! The officers will have flashlights and will identify themselves." At that point I heard them come to the porch and in my nervous state, was trying to get the door unlocked and I dropped the phone and it hung itself up. She immeciately called again and said I could open the door because it definitely was the police. Then she hung up.
I had heard what sounded like a gun shot and I had also heard a 'thump' on the deck. I told the officers about that and they went out back and checked the deck and shined their lights all over the area. They said there had been officers with dogs up and down the ditch and around the yards.I had seen four to six police cruisers on my street and on Sunder. They encouraged me to 'be not afraid'.
About 5 minutes later the Abrahams came home and they were surprised to
see their lights in the front and back yards, and to see an officer walking away from their yard to get in his patrol car. They have sensor lights. They walked back to Chatham Rd. before going into their house. The neighbor back there said he had thought he heard someone shooting off a firework and had come out in time to see all the patrol cars leaving. He was in his basement.
Of course when the Abrahams entered their house they heard my message to them and called to get the details. One neighbor said he heard that the police were chasing an escaped convict. No report on the news nor in the paper today!
Mystery,Nu nee,nu,nee! I hope we find out someday what it was all about.(Probable not about the Hokey Pokey).
P.S.
It did say in the paper that Karen Sypher has already filed papers to get a retrial if and when she gets out of prison in six years or so. She never got to tell her story! (she says).
Stay tuned for the next adventure. Ciao
My latest adventure really livened up an otherwize mundane Friday evening. I was planning to watch "Blue Bloods" at 10 PM and so I prepared for bed so that I could just watch the show, and then read my current book until I fell asleep. I had turned all the lights off downstairs and locked all of the doors and planned to watch from my bed.
I had not yet completed my nightly rituals when I noticed the Police helicopter circling the neighborhood. That routinely happens every month or so. I soon became aware that the circles had become smaller and smaller and seemed to be concentrated on or near my property. The spot light on the plane was shining down on my area. Now, that is not routine so I started to become alarmed. More and more lights were being focused on my house. The living room and kitchen were targeted and as I looked out through the slats in the shades I could see many police with their flash lights in my yard, driveway, Tabb's driveway, the ditch and all the surrounding yards. Many patrol cars were gathered on the streets.
I was very, very frightened! I tried to call the Abrahams and they were not home. I left them a message and hung up and then decided I would call 911. I didn't think about what I was going to say when the dispatcher answered so when she asked the ,"Do you need fire, police or ambulance?" I said I just want information! I'm sure my panic came through in my voice and she, the dispatcher, said,"Tell me what you need to know." I said I wanted to know what all the police and police vehicles and the helicopter were doing. She quickly asked where I was, what my name was, and if I was alone in the house.
She said, "Do not go out of your house!!" She went on to say that the police were chasing someone and then she went on to assure me that I would be safe. She said not to hang up, she said,"I know how scared you are so I am going to ask one of the officers to come to your door, do not hang up! The officers will have flashlights and will identify themselves." At that point I heard them come to the porch and in my nervous state, was trying to get the door unlocked and I dropped the phone and it hung itself up. She immeciately called again and said I could open the door because it definitely was the police. Then she hung up.
I had heard what sounded like a gun shot and I had also heard a 'thump' on the deck. I told the officers about that and they went out back and checked the deck and shined their lights all over the area. They said there had been officers with dogs up and down the ditch and around the yards.I had seen four to six police cruisers on my street and on Sunder. They encouraged me to 'be not afraid'.
About 5 minutes later the Abrahams came home and they were surprised to
see their lights in the front and back yards, and to see an officer walking away from their yard to get in his patrol car. They have sensor lights. They walked back to Chatham Rd. before going into their house. The neighbor back there said he had thought he heard someone shooting off a firework and had come out in time to see all the patrol cars leaving. He was in his basement.
Of course when the Abrahams entered their house they heard my message to them and called to get the details. One neighbor said he heard that the police were chasing an escaped convict. No report on the news nor in the paper today!
Mystery,Nu nee,nu,nee! I hope we find out someday what it was all about.(Probable not about the Hokey Pokey).
P.S.
It did say in the paper that Karen Sypher has already filed papers to get a retrial if and when she gets out of prison in six years or so. She never got to tell her story! (she says).
Stay tuned for the next adventure. Ciao
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Mount Rainier Adventure
Quite a few of our family members stayed at the same hotel in Seattle. The hotel has a "free" breakfast each morning that is actually very good. It is not just a Continental breakfast with Danish, toast, sweet rolls and coffee,tea and milk. It had scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausages, oatmeal, a variety of dry cereals, make-your-own waffle or pancake equipment, bagels, muffins and juices...but by Sunday most of us were rather tired of the selections and the tables only accommodated four people and there were about 26 of us. We decided to walk to a resturant a few blocks away that Pete Lowry, Paul's nephew, suggested. The weather was perfect and outdoor seating was available and could easily seat all of us together and comfortably. We sat under magnolia trees that had hanging baskets of georgeous yellow flowers hanging between each tree. There was an elaborate iron fence between us and the street. It was brunch time. The food was excellent! I had Eggs Benedict with crab meat and the others ordered various brunch offerings that looked as good as mine. A couple of the guys had Bloody Marys. The kids enjoyed it as well as the adults.We ate and then walked back to the hotel so that part of the group could check out and move on.
The rest of us, that were not planning to leave until Monday, chose to drive to Mt. Rainier National Park. There were enough of us to need two cars. Mt. Rainier is 54 miles south east of Seattle. It is visible from almost anyplace you are in Seattle, when the clouds are not hiding it. It is exciting to drive along and look up ahead to see the snowy peaks rising above the clouds sometimes, at other times the whole mountain is visible, not just the peaks.
After we left I-5 behind us and got away from the city traffic it was a very pleasant ride. Needless to say it was uphill all the way, as we got further and further up the mountain the view out any window was beautiful. The trees almost met overhead and it was like driving in a two lane tunnel. Looking out the left hand window you could see that it was a long way down! The road signs warned of the curving roads ahead. The bright yellow signs with double s's as an example of what we were facing. Rowan had fallen asleep in the back of the car and Kristin was reading books to Maureen.
after a short time Kris said reading and riding the curvy road was making her feel a little queezy so she discontinued her reading. Suddenly, Maureen started crying and as we turned to see what was was wrong, the great breakfast was making a recurrence! Kris had only a book to try to catch it. It was just at that time that a small area on the right side of the road appeared. Fortunately, Tim could pull off the road and we had a major clean-up task. There was an extra change of clothes, even another pair of shoes and sox so that worked out well. Kris and Tim did a yeoman's job of parenting. Kris took care of Maureen and Tim was the clean-up man for the car. Poor Maureen was so sick and kept saying as she cried, I don't feel well! Rowan slept through the whole ordeal. There was a news paper in the car and it became the cleaning tool, when we got back on the road the whole mess was cleaned up. Whew!
By the time we caught up with Scott,Kathy, Paul and the kids it was too late to take a short hike on one of the trails so we just got out and enjoyed the scenery and took some pictures. With binoculars we could see climbers up on the mountain, they looked like little ants crawling along. We saw a deer run across the road and off into the wooded area. We started our trip back down the road. After traveling for a few miles traffic suddenly stopped moving. We could see emergency vehicles ahead and could actually see someone lying on the road. One of the medics ran over to the ambulance and came back with the defibrilator which indicated to me that it was not good. Finally we saw them doing chest compressions. We could hear sirens of more emergency units coming and the people in authority started to let us move on. We were third in line back from the accident on the right lane the action was in the left lane. We were the last to be let pass. As we passed by the scene we could see one motorcycle off on the side of our lane. We headed back to Seattle to meet with Carrie and Gabe so we could go to dinner. It was getting late and we needed to be up at 3:30 AM to get to the airport for our flight home Monday morning. As it was, we had a minor problem finding a resturant that could seat 13 of us but we finally made it. We arrived back at the hotel about 10 PM and had to pack and be ready to go before going to bed. We had to sleep fast! 3:30 AM rolled around very quickly. When Kristen awakened Rowan to get him dressed and ready for the trip home he was quite snarky! She said, "Rowan, don't you want to go home?", he said,"Not now!" He would have preferred to get a little more sleep before going.
Karen checked the internet to see if there was a report on the incident on the Mt. Rainier road and found the account of the accident. Two women were on their motorcycles going up the mountain road and a deer ran out in front of one of them, she swerved to avoid the deer and hit the other motorcycle. The biker died of the impact and the swerver was injured and taken to the hospital. The internet article said that after letting three or four cars get through the rest of the traffic was stopped for three hours before being allowed to go. We were obviously the last car to make it through.
How tragic, instant death on a blacktop mountain road. It can happen so fast! May she rest in peace.
We headed out the next morning and had a smooth trip home. Karen and Paul arrived home on Tuesday evening, Carrie and Gabe are in Hawaii and we will always remember their wedding week!!! Ciao
The rest of us, that were not planning to leave until Monday, chose to drive to Mt. Rainier National Park. There were enough of us to need two cars. Mt. Rainier is 54 miles south east of Seattle. It is visible from almost anyplace you are in Seattle, when the clouds are not hiding it. It is exciting to drive along and look up ahead to see the snowy peaks rising above the clouds sometimes, at other times the whole mountain is visible, not just the peaks.
After we left I-5 behind us and got away from the city traffic it was a very pleasant ride. Needless to say it was uphill all the way, as we got further and further up the mountain the view out any window was beautiful. The trees almost met overhead and it was like driving in a two lane tunnel. Looking out the left hand window you could see that it was a long way down! The road signs warned of the curving roads ahead. The bright yellow signs with double s's as an example of what we were facing. Rowan had fallen asleep in the back of the car and Kristin was reading books to Maureen.
after a short time Kris said reading and riding the curvy road was making her feel a little queezy so she discontinued her reading. Suddenly, Maureen started crying and as we turned to see what was was wrong, the great breakfast was making a recurrence! Kris had only a book to try to catch it. It was just at that time that a small area on the right side of the road appeared. Fortunately, Tim could pull off the road and we had a major clean-up task. There was an extra change of clothes, even another pair of shoes and sox so that worked out well. Kris and Tim did a yeoman's job of parenting. Kris took care of Maureen and Tim was the clean-up man for the car. Poor Maureen was so sick and kept saying as she cried, I don't feel well! Rowan slept through the whole ordeal. There was a news paper in the car and it became the cleaning tool, when we got back on the road the whole mess was cleaned up. Whew!
By the time we caught up with Scott,Kathy, Paul and the kids it was too late to take a short hike on one of the trails so we just got out and enjoyed the scenery and took some pictures. With binoculars we could see climbers up on the mountain, they looked like little ants crawling along. We saw a deer run across the road and off into the wooded area. We started our trip back down the road. After traveling for a few miles traffic suddenly stopped moving. We could see emergency vehicles ahead and could actually see someone lying on the road. One of the medics ran over to the ambulance and came back with the defibrilator which indicated to me that it was not good. Finally we saw them doing chest compressions. We could hear sirens of more emergency units coming and the people in authority started to let us move on. We were third in line back from the accident on the right lane the action was in the left lane. We were the last to be let pass. As we passed by the scene we could see one motorcycle off on the side of our lane. We headed back to Seattle to meet with Carrie and Gabe so we could go to dinner. It was getting late and we needed to be up at 3:30 AM to get to the airport for our flight home Monday morning. As it was, we had a minor problem finding a resturant that could seat 13 of us but we finally made it. We arrived back at the hotel about 10 PM and had to pack and be ready to go before going to bed. We had to sleep fast! 3:30 AM rolled around very quickly. When Kristen awakened Rowan to get him dressed and ready for the trip home he was quite snarky! She said, "Rowan, don't you want to go home?", he said,"Not now!" He would have preferred to get a little more sleep before going.
Karen checked the internet to see if there was a report on the incident on the Mt. Rainier road and found the account of the accident. Two women were on their motorcycles going up the mountain road and a deer ran out in front of one of them, she swerved to avoid the deer and hit the other motorcycle. The biker died of the impact and the swerver was injured and taken to the hospital. The internet article said that after letting three or four cars get through the rest of the traffic was stopped for three hours before being allowed to go. We were obviously the last car to make it through.
How tragic, instant death on a blacktop mountain road. It can happen so fast! May she rest in peace.
We headed out the next morning and had a smooth trip home. Karen and Paul arrived home on Tuesday evening, Carrie and Gabe are in Hawaii and we will always remember their wedding week!!! Ciao
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Carrie and Gabe's Wedding Week
Ordinarily I am a very promp person. I like to be on time for things but for this event I was a few days late arriving. The wedding ceremony was on Saturday, July 23, 2011 at 5 PM. The actual festivities began on Sunday July 16. I arrived on Wednesday, July 20th. very late in the evening so my fun began on Thursday.
If you've never been to Seattle, you should put it on your bucket list of places to see before you die. It is a picturesque, quaint, beautiful, city overflowing with lush flora and I'm sure fauna even though I didn't see any. (Other than Harley Rose and the resident cat, whose name escapes me.)The hills remind me of Cincinnati but the homes perched on those hills are of a distinct architectural style that blends in with the natural landscape. The view from Carrie and Gabe's deck/porch is spectacular. It reminded me of a view that I had from the balcony of my room in Delphi, Greece. The majestic mountains in the distance and the cloud formation above them was breath taking. We were fortunate enough to get the full view because the clouds were high above the mountains. Imagine getting up each day and being able to step out your front door to such beauty.
On my first full day there, Thursday, we visited the Aquarium. We drove there and parked near Pike's Market, a tourist attraction in itself, and walked over to the Aquarium. Some of our group took the bus almost there and then got off and walked the rest of the way. Seattle is a great city to walk in if you are not in the burbs where you might need one of those tools that the mountain climbers use. The ones with the big hook on the end? It is a very good aquarium, the kids could pet(?) the star fish and feel the skin of a shark, a dead one, and watch the otters play. They had both river otters and ocean otters. One otter floated on his back using his chest as a table with his food fish on it. He floated and ate and looked so relaxed that we were amused. There is an arch over one of the paths filled with jelly fish, fun to walk under that and see the jelly fish overhead.
After the Aquarium we went to lunch at a Seafood Resturant, Ivars I think. We ate on the patio overlooking the water and watched the pelicans cavorting about. We moved on to our next activity after lunch.
I'll digress here for a minute to relay some information that had an affect on the next activity. When Gabe awakened that morning he became aware of the fact that the tooth that had been giving him some trouble had suddenly become pretty unbearable. It was Thursday, he was to be married on Saturday and leave for Hawaii on Monday! Get thee to the dentist!!
We carried on without him.He went to the Doc-tor and we went on the "Duck-Tour" Reservations had been made for all of us. (24) During WWII there was a need for vehicles that could operate both on land and in the water. (Amphibians) These vehicles are still operable and are used as tour vehicles.We toured around Seattle and saw many of the tourist attractions on land and then went into the water and sailed around the inlet and saw a whole community of houseboat homes. It was remarkable. We had enough life jackets overhead to accommodate us if we needed them! It does give you pause for thought to realize that this vehicle was built about 65 or 70 years ago.
The tour guide was a comedian. He was actually very funny. He found out that Carrie was being married and we were all celebrating the event so he directed most of his comedic spiel to Carrie's wedding. He asked where the groom-to-be was and when told he was dealing with a dental immergency, that really gave him fodder for his act. We did a lot of laughing at Gabe's expence. He, the guide, had a bubble machine and a vast selection of hats. He changed his persona each time he changed his hat and fired bubbles out the window at random. When we arrived at a very busy intersection, he had us all shout, "Hello Seattle, Carrie's getting married!" Meanwhile he is shouting through his mike and shooting bubbles out the window.It sounds very juvenile but it was actually very amusing.He insisted that Carrie come to the front of the bus, she looked so cute and did in fact become a true 'blushing bride"-to-be.
Thursday night was Kareoke(sic) night. It was so much fun! We went in with so many people saying they would be listeners, not participants, but before the evening was over, after a few libations and exhibitions almost every one joined in.
Friday, we went to Carrie's and Gabe's and helped with some last minute preparations for the up-coming rehearsal dinner. Some of us worked on completing the decorative flags for the wedding and we all ate KFC on the deck. Good fun, lots of laughs, camaraderie, and bonding. All Gabe's family and Carrie's family had the chance to meet and share life stories! That was a good thing!
The rehearsal dinner was at the Gas Works Park and we were joined there by all the friends and the rest of the family for excellent food and drink. The tention is building for the main event!! Tomorrow at 5PM we're all good to go.
Early on Saturday morning as we had pretty much taken over the breakfast room in the hotel, Karen's phone rang, she shouted out, "Gabe, that's not funny!" The question? " Have you seen Carrie?" Actually, we all laughed, it was funny.
Some of us headed to Carrie's with wedding garb in hand and others headed to Martha Washington Park where the ceremony would take place later in the day. Last minute glitches took over for awhile, the music "thing" somehow or other fell or was dropped and distroyed and Carrie's phone fell into the bath tub and the back-up music met with the same fate as the first or something. I was a little confused by the music disaster and am not sure of all the details but I do know that before long
Gabe was talking about Bridezilla which aptly discribes Carrie's reaction. Gabe's mom was out shopping for solutions for some of the glitches. Pretty soon, Carrie showed up smiling and her usual ebullient self and we knew that ALL WAS WELL! A few of the boys worked on making a blue satin bow and blue ribbons on Harley Rose's collar and Harley was overjoyed to be an integral part of the wedding!
The wedding ceremony went off without a glitch. Alex escorted me down the pathway to the chairs. We were followed by two of Gabe's grandmas then, Karen and Paul, Gabe's mother, his step-mother and his father. The music was provided by a really cool group of musicians that had the look of a Blue Grass band. They played while the guests gathered. The band stood to the right of the area where the actual vows were made. Gabe's friend played and sang a song that I think he composed, and then his dad sang and a friend of Carrie's read a reading. The bride and groom each had composed their own vows. The vows were beautiful and heart felt and sincere. Carrie, cried a little and needed a hankerchief provided by Gabe who later told us that someone had ask him beforehand if he had a handkerchief and when he said,no she provided him with one. How wise of her! Both sets of vows were very touching, very revealing and words to remember. Abbey was the junior brides maid and Gus was the ring bearer. Emotional!
The ceremony took place,as I said, at Martha Washington Park. They chose a spot between two huge oak trees, Carrie had asked that we make flags to string between the trees. They were in keeping with the color theme of the day, turquoise, red and blue. There was a soft breeze that kept the flags moving, the sun was shining, it was about 77 degrees and the clouds were white and puffy, and the mountains were clearly visible beyond the Martha Washing Lake. Blue skies smiling at us on a picture perfect day! Flawless!
We moved on to the reception site. The band came along for that too. Good food, good music and a happy crowd made for a marvelous evening. Carrie and Gabe started off the dancing by dancing together, then Carrie and Paul, Gabe and his mom and finally everyone joined in. We could never have pulled it all off without Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" and Carrie being Carrie came prepared with shorts on under her sensational wedding dress so she could do the splits and wow the crowd with a cart wheel!! Gabe, are you ready for lots of surprises in your future? A good time was had by all!!!!! Aloha.
If you've never been to Seattle, you should put it on your bucket list of places to see before you die. It is a picturesque, quaint, beautiful, city overflowing with lush flora and I'm sure fauna even though I didn't see any. (Other than Harley Rose and the resident cat, whose name escapes me.)The hills remind me of Cincinnati but the homes perched on those hills are of a distinct architectural style that blends in with the natural landscape. The view from Carrie and Gabe's deck/porch is spectacular. It reminded me of a view that I had from the balcony of my room in Delphi, Greece. The majestic mountains in the distance and the cloud formation above them was breath taking. We were fortunate enough to get the full view because the clouds were high above the mountains. Imagine getting up each day and being able to step out your front door to such beauty.
On my first full day there, Thursday, we visited the Aquarium. We drove there and parked near Pike's Market, a tourist attraction in itself, and walked over to the Aquarium. Some of our group took the bus almost there and then got off and walked the rest of the way. Seattle is a great city to walk in if you are not in the burbs where you might need one of those tools that the mountain climbers use. The ones with the big hook on the end? It is a very good aquarium, the kids could pet(?) the star fish and feel the skin of a shark, a dead one, and watch the otters play. They had both river otters and ocean otters. One otter floated on his back using his chest as a table with his food fish on it. He floated and ate and looked so relaxed that we were amused. There is an arch over one of the paths filled with jelly fish, fun to walk under that and see the jelly fish overhead.
After the Aquarium we went to lunch at a Seafood Resturant, Ivars I think. We ate on the patio overlooking the water and watched the pelicans cavorting about. We moved on to our next activity after lunch.
I'll digress here for a minute to relay some information that had an affect on the next activity. When Gabe awakened that morning he became aware of the fact that the tooth that had been giving him some trouble had suddenly become pretty unbearable. It was Thursday, he was to be married on Saturday and leave for Hawaii on Monday! Get thee to the dentist!!
We carried on without him.He went to the Doc-tor and we went on the "Duck-Tour" Reservations had been made for all of us. (24) During WWII there was a need for vehicles that could operate both on land and in the water. (Amphibians) These vehicles are still operable and are used as tour vehicles.We toured around Seattle and saw many of the tourist attractions on land and then went into the water and sailed around the inlet and saw a whole community of houseboat homes. It was remarkable. We had enough life jackets overhead to accommodate us if we needed them! It does give you pause for thought to realize that this vehicle was built about 65 or 70 years ago.
The tour guide was a comedian. He was actually very funny. He found out that Carrie was being married and we were all celebrating the event so he directed most of his comedic spiel to Carrie's wedding. He asked where the groom-to-be was and when told he was dealing with a dental immergency, that really gave him fodder for his act. We did a lot of laughing at Gabe's expence. He, the guide, had a bubble machine and a vast selection of hats. He changed his persona each time he changed his hat and fired bubbles out the window at random. When we arrived at a very busy intersection, he had us all shout, "Hello Seattle, Carrie's getting married!" Meanwhile he is shouting through his mike and shooting bubbles out the window.It sounds very juvenile but it was actually very amusing.He insisted that Carrie come to the front of the bus, she looked so cute and did in fact become a true 'blushing bride"-to-be.
Thursday night was Kareoke(sic) night. It was so much fun! We went in with so many people saying they would be listeners, not participants, but before the evening was over, after a few libations and exhibitions almost every one joined in.
Friday, we went to Carrie's and Gabe's and helped with some last minute preparations for the up-coming rehearsal dinner. Some of us worked on completing the decorative flags for the wedding and we all ate KFC on the deck. Good fun, lots of laughs, camaraderie, and bonding. All Gabe's family and Carrie's family had the chance to meet and share life stories! That was a good thing!
The rehearsal dinner was at the Gas Works Park and we were joined there by all the friends and the rest of the family for excellent food and drink. The tention is building for the main event!! Tomorrow at 5PM we're all good to go.
Early on Saturday morning as we had pretty much taken over the breakfast room in the hotel, Karen's phone rang, she shouted out, "Gabe, that's not funny!" The question? " Have you seen Carrie?" Actually, we all laughed, it was funny.
Some of us headed to Carrie's with wedding garb in hand and others headed to Martha Washington Park where the ceremony would take place later in the day. Last minute glitches took over for awhile, the music "thing" somehow or other fell or was dropped and distroyed and Carrie's phone fell into the bath tub and the back-up music met with the same fate as the first or something. I was a little confused by the music disaster and am not sure of all the details but I do know that before long
Gabe was talking about Bridezilla which aptly discribes Carrie's reaction. Gabe's mom was out shopping for solutions for some of the glitches. Pretty soon, Carrie showed up smiling and her usual ebullient self and we knew that ALL WAS WELL! A few of the boys worked on making a blue satin bow and blue ribbons on Harley Rose's collar and Harley was overjoyed to be an integral part of the wedding!
The wedding ceremony went off without a glitch. Alex escorted me down the pathway to the chairs. We were followed by two of Gabe's grandmas then, Karen and Paul, Gabe's mother, his step-mother and his father. The music was provided by a really cool group of musicians that had the look of a Blue Grass band. They played while the guests gathered. The band stood to the right of the area where the actual vows were made. Gabe's friend played and sang a song that I think he composed, and then his dad sang and a friend of Carrie's read a reading. The bride and groom each had composed their own vows. The vows were beautiful and heart felt and sincere. Carrie, cried a little and needed a hankerchief provided by Gabe who later told us that someone had ask him beforehand if he had a handkerchief and when he said,no she provided him with one. How wise of her! Both sets of vows were very touching, very revealing and words to remember. Abbey was the junior brides maid and Gus was the ring bearer. Emotional!
The ceremony took place,as I said, at Martha Washington Park. They chose a spot between two huge oak trees, Carrie had asked that we make flags to string between the trees. They were in keeping with the color theme of the day, turquoise, red and blue. There was a soft breeze that kept the flags moving, the sun was shining, it was about 77 degrees and the clouds were white and puffy, and the mountains were clearly visible beyond the Martha Washing Lake. Blue skies smiling at us on a picture perfect day! Flawless!
We moved on to the reception site. The band came along for that too. Good food, good music and a happy crowd made for a marvelous evening. Carrie and Gabe started off the dancing by dancing together, then Carrie and Paul, Gabe and his mom and finally everyone joined in. We could never have pulled it all off without Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" and Carrie being Carrie came prepared with shorts on under her sensational wedding dress so she could do the splits and wow the crowd with a cart wheel!! Gabe, are you ready for lots of surprises in your future? A good time was had by all!!!!! Aloha.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Annie
I've tried two or three times to write about the passing of Karen's friend, Annie. She was so dear to all of us and was a very major part of our lives. She will be sorely missed, not only by Karen but by me also. She was bigger than life! She laughed with us and she cried with us. I would like to offer the words of Charles Dickens as a eulogy to her:
"And can it be that in a world so full and busy,
the loss of one creature makes a void in any heart,
so wide and deep that nothing but the width and depth of eternity
can fill it up!"
At the end of the funeral Mass for Annie the mourners in the church stood and gave her a standing ovation for her life well lived. We loved her.
May she rest in peace.
Ciao, Annie
"And can it be that in a world so full and busy,
the loss of one creature makes a void in any heart,
so wide and deep that nothing but the width and depth of eternity
can fill it up!"
At the end of the funeral Mass for Annie the mourners in the church stood and gave her a standing ovation for her life well lived. We loved her.
May she rest in peace.
Ciao, Annie
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