Evolving Sweetie

Deception Pass Camping ~ Part 2 Day @ the Beach

Spent a wonderful sunny Saturday afternoon lounging at the Beach.

 

POSTCARDS from Deception Pass Beach

Views from Beach Spot

the kiddos

the ladies

My toes in the sand

The girls brave the water - the Sound is COLD!

Isabel 

Katie

Harry - googles and all

Alex tossing rocks

Here comes the fishermen

 

Micaela & Alex

A beautiful day

 

 

Deception Pass Camping ~ Part 1 Hike to the Bridge

This year the friend family (aka the gang) camped out at Deception Pass State Park campground. Lots of little hikes in the area, two beaches and a lake for swimming. We had a relaxing and enjoyable long weekend. Highly recommend the location, book early to get a good site. Some spaces are tiny.

I've a metric ton of pics 500+ (whittled down from 800!). Going to break my posts out into hikes or events and share a few of my favorities. 

Saturday morning alot of us hiked over to the bridge. Micaela & Thom took the girls earlier, but we did cross paths eventually. We lost Parker to the call of the water and his fishing rod.  But the rest of us had a great little hike. Fabulous views of the straight from the bridges.

 

POSTCARDS from Deception Pass Campground Hike to the Bridge

B & the boys

1/2 way there

Our beach - camping sites right behind the big black rock

Time to start climbing

Almost there

Crossing the Bridge

Views looking West from bridge

Long way down

Crossing under the bridge

Views of the Pass looking East

Hi Eric!

Harry & I

Back down to the beaches

 

Are You Ready for Some Football?

As you can see by the change of banner, football season is upon us. I'm a very fortunately football fan. My wonderful sister takes me to a good number of Seahawk home games. And along with a fair share of the gang, I've U of WA Husky season tickets. Both are very different gaming experiences and crowds. Seahawks - up close and personal, great views of sideline activities, deafening and rambuncious. Huskies - nosebleed section (albeit a great place to see plays develop), views of Rainier and the Lake, youthful excitement and college pride. Fun times. 

Yesterday, the Huskies eek'd out a win over the E. Wa Eagles. Gotta say there is a reason the Eagles were the Nation Champs in their division - the QB has quite an arm! The game was sewn up in a last minute heart stopping interception in the endzone by our boys. If this is a preview for the season, I should start taking an aspirin a day now! Yikes!

The bonus of Husky football is tailgating. Yahoo! We kicked off our 2nd year tailgate in fine style. I spent 2 nights into the wee hours of the morn and Sat AM in my kitchen chopping, cooking and sauting. That is a very happy state for me.

Menu consisted of BBQ Bacon wrapped Jalapeno Poppers from the Pioneer Woman's Cookbook, Wings prepared two ways. First Jerk Style with the jerk marinade from Steven Raichlen's Indoor Grilling with a Jerk Sauce from a last minute web search when the wings needed a tad more pop. Both recipes gave the wings great flavor, depth and lovely spice without too much heat.  The 2nd wings preparation were the Bayou Cajon wings from the same Steven Raichlen book  - dry rub & sauce. Yum! Think it was a tie between the two preparations as a clear winner was not declared.

The tailgate ended with a Taco Salad Bar with lots of fixings. Except I realized much later the I forgot the avocados in my fridge. The boys had a variety of homebrew, domestic and imported beers, while the ladies drank Jameson & Gingerales. Good times.

 

POSTCARDS from Husky Stadium 2011 Home Opener

Beth, Gin & Jen

Parker, B & Guest

Eric & Guests

The E Wa family

Pete & Ty

Ty & Corey

Steve & Dee

Me and the girls (love my crazy hair!)

Last of the poppers and wings - too busy cooking to capture many food shots

Yes, that was a climb!

Parker & I in seats

The Band (note the length of the shadows)

Beautiful day on Lake WA

Bro-In-Law's guest appearance on the visiting team sideline

2 minutes left in the first half the sun peaked below the roofline...Time to bake!

Golden Sunshine

The Mountain's out

Note the length of the shadows now...fun to watch the shadow play from on high

Shadow of the goal post almost make it to the 50 yard line.

Game winning play was in the corner of this endzone right in front of us. 

 

Oh, it certainly wasn't a pretty win, but it's still a 1 in the "W" column. Let's make it a little less hair raising against Hawaii next week. Okay boys?!?

 

 

Weekend Bliss

Last weekend was perfect!

• Super fun gathering with the gang on Friday night enjoying our Park and a beautiful summer night. 
• Back to school shopping and a one-on-one date with my lovely niece Mairead. 
• New hair-do and visit with Joel. Always a pleasure.
• Greek food and dinner with my friend Preeti.
• Long catch up with Janie in Belgium.
• Coffee & pastries at my favorite bakery.
• Yummy berries from Spooner Farms.
• Baked a scrumptous blueberry pie.
• Check in with my parents
• Rounded out with wonderful dinner at my sisters. An evening enjoying family.

Relaxing and filled with the peeps I love. What could be better. 

This is a hectic, but short week for me. The gang is camping for Fri-Monday up at Deception Pass next weekend. Lots to do between now and then, car repairs, accupuncture, Mariner's Game, Baby party, Work, Work Picnic, shopping and packing out the car. Makes me equally tired and rejuvenated to think about it. Excited for a getaway and some quality outdoors time.

Happy Tuesday!

Staring at the Sea - Part 1

Lucky gal...spent last weekend on the WA shore with my sister and some fabulous new friends. What a treat and mini-vaca away from everyday life. Conjured up dreams of a 2nd home on the beach. Weekends and weeks filled with salt kissed air and sand between my toes. Mmmm, nice daydream.

Too cold for bare-footing down the beach this time of year. Love the shore in the winter. Moody, sparse and contemplative. Relax and recoup was the order of the day. 

Sharing my joyous weekend in 3 posts. Since I'm a life is short eat dessert first kinda girl, today is all about the beauty of the sun setting over the water.

Breath-taking & gorgeous.

 

POSTCARDS from the WA Coast

My lovely weekend roomies - Heather, Stacy & Jennie

Stacy, Tamara & Jennie

 

Summer 2010 Pics

My favorite pictures from the summer...

P-Patch

Birthday Fairy Emmie turns 4! 

Camping 2010

 

 

 

Bridal Veil Falls

 

Twin Falls w/ Preeti

 

My lovely nieces

Emmie - 4 years old

Mairead - 5.75 years old

 

 

 

Friday Night - Summer Edition

Life has been moving at break neck speed recently. Work exhausting and spilling into evenings and weekends. An endless knot of sleep, work, food, water garden, snuggle cats....repeat. Even when I've had something to explore or say here, sleep and rest prevailed. I've definitely missed being here and sharing.

Overjoyed for my friday off today. A much needed step off the merry-go-round. My schedule will be changing in a few weeks and the fridays off will be no more. A blessing while it lasted. I'll make the change beneficial in other ways. 

Tonight was the perfect summer evening spent in the park across the street from my home. The friend family had our 2nd annual Clam Bake. Version 2.0 had beautiful weather. I love that I was on the ground level of this tradition in our clan and that we are enjoying our neighborhood. A few lobsters and many clams were sacrificed. Laughter, relaxing, drinks and good company. A glorious, fun filled evening. 

This year big story was the police had to come to evict someone from our paid reserved picnic tables. Apparently the Russian family staked the table out for hours and wouldn't move even after the park rangers got involved. The special part was that they were all still in spitting distance when it was all said and done. We prevailed, but it definitely added the element of absurd to the festivities.

At sunset, I made my way over to my garden patch to give the plants a good drink. I'll post pictures later this week. My p-patch is in full summer glory. As I reached the garden, to my delighted surprise a moonlight movie was playing in the amphitheater "Where the Wild Things Are". Pulled up a patch of grass and was enchanted by the movie, the stars and the night air. 

A magnificently wonderful way to relax after such a hectic, stressful patch. 

LiveStrong Challenge - Seattle 2010

Up early for the Livestrong Challenge this fine Father's Day morning. It's the 2nd year for Seattle. Over $800K raised in the fight against cancer.  All funds raised go towards working for a cure or providing resources for survivors and families in the battle of their lives. Truly admirable in this economy, on this day.

Today was my 4th Livestrong event. Each one is touching and special. Our groomsmen and friend Mark joined the Peloton this year and rode the 45 mile route, mostly in the rain. My sister, brother-in-law and my lovely nieces walked in honor of our lost Chuck. I brought cowbells that the girls and I had a grand time ringing loud and proud, cheering on everyone. There can never be enough cowbell! And the rains held at bay on all us walkers. 

Livestrong for me is about celebrating the human spirit. Seeing all those survivors overcome and walk or ride. It's about community - knowing that many others walk this journey through cancer and in unity there is empathy, strength and support. It's giving a voice to the fight and taking a stand.

And most intimately, it's about Chuck. For honoring what he accomplished, how he faced life and most notably cancer, and how deep and profound his missing is in our lives. My husband, our friend, brother, uncle, son ... shoes that can not ever be filled. I opted this morning to celebrate, remember and cheer. It wasn't until I was waiting at the threshold for Mark to come rolling in that the tears of grief started to flow. For I alone carry the memory of how proud, overjoyed and grateful Chuck was went he crossed the finish line and collapsed into me in a tearful hug. Reminded of the knowledge that he will never ride again.

Thank you to all for your support!!!

Livestrong!

POSTCARDS from Livestrong Seattle 2010

 
Mark queued up for 45 mile ride.

Riders are OFF!

  
Aunt Jeannette & Mairead

Heather & Emmie

The Family!

 
Sisters

Finish line in sight

 

 

 
     Mark soaked at the end of a long ride. 

LIVESTRONG!!!  

 

Leaving a Decade

It was the best of times, it was the worse of times. These are the very first words that ring through as I've been trying to come to terms with leaving the 00s behind. As the holiday weekend ends, I realize that I've spent days running away from writing this entry. 

This decade represents a loss of innocence to me. We rang in this decade in fear and paranoia over the Y2K bug. No matter where you landed in the spectrum of concern - the opening of the millennium was approached with a degree of caution. 

And then the world stood still as the Towers fell. Generations of us forever changed in those horrific hours. But it's where innocence vanished, that gifted us the room to be compassionate, patriotic, responsible, generous and heroic. One of life's mysteries is the best in humanity is witnessed in our most tragic moments. This is a lesson we'd learn over and over.

Personally - I can't proclaim this decade as good or bad. It's absolutely housed the best days of my life. And unquestionably the worst ones. 

• My entire life with Chuck was written during these years. I fell in love with my soul mate and married him. We barely started our life together when we engaged in the battle against cancer for his life. A scant 2 years later, he was gone, released to a better place. And I'm still reconstructing. The best and the worst days of my life belonged with him.

• I gained a wonderful brother in Mike when he married my little sister. Joyously over the years, I became an aunt to 2 lovely nieces. And I'm forever grateful that they chose Seattle to place their roots down. Love having most of my family close by.

• Gained an amazing friend family through Chuck and they are now my core of friends. On the flip side, I lost a whole family of in-laws.

• Found that I'm so blessed to have many family and friends that lighted my way through the darkest days. 

• Fortunate to travel and see many extraordinary places this decade - England, France, Italy, Prague, Belgium, Germany, Amsterdam, Hawaii, Alaska, Chicago, San Francisco, Las Vegas...

• Worked for 3 employers and had 2 long stints of unemployment. But luckily have always landed on my feet when I truly needed it.

• Started out in a small studio apartment, moved to a tiny house for the duration of my marriage and ended the decade in my very own 2 bedroom condo.

• Blessed to witness some of my longest friendship find their mates, get married and start families. Joyfully watched as most of my friends' families bloomed.

• Found passions in cooking and telling my story through blogging and scrap booking. Continued to look for creative pursuits. 

• Lost my Grandmother. Watched as more friends lost parents. And heartbreakingly a few lose a child.

• Continued my journey with my 2 furry, purry companions by my side. 14+ years and still going strong.

A decade is just a measure in time. My life experienced extraordinary highs and lows during this one. I've been profoundly changed, challenged and blessed. 

Looking forward to seeing what this new decade contains. 

Forty One

Today the calendar turns and officially 41 starts. I love my birthday. And I'm not shy about letting that be known or setting up plans for celebration. Hey, if you aren't going to get excited about your birthday then who is.

After being in a seminar all weekend I figured I'd be exhausted today so I took today as a vacation day to just be. The celebrations started last night with dinner at Crush with Mike & Heather. I love dinner celebrations with my sister and BIL. Wonderful to have some one-on-two adult time and enjoy fabulous food & wine. Been wanting to try Crush for a long time. We all did the pre-fix chef special menu paired with wine. Very lovely. A flavorful take on the apple/hazelnut/blue cheese salad. I wouldn't have thought to pair with a Riesling, but it so worked. And the fish and short beef rib courses were magnificent. Dessert was a deconstructed lemon meyer cheesecake, grapefruit with shaved ginger and a brand new taste to us all Douglas Fir sorbet over a ginger cookie. It was surprising and very refreshing. My inner foodie was singing all the way home.

This morning I'm hoping to find a massage. I'll spend some quality time with my sister this afternoon and get in my fix for hugs from my lovely nieces! Tonight I'm meeting my friend family for neapolitan style pizza at Pizzeria Fondi in the neighborhood. Good company and fun. That is the order for today.

As part of my birthday rituals I reflect on the previous year and set my intentions for the upcoming one. It's funny, always had this belief that even years were my better years. However my 36th year with Chuck getting sick and my 38th year with becoming a widow shattered that illusion. Now - I just look forward to another fresh start. While progress is being made on both of these goals - taking good care of myself and getting back in the dating game are where my energies will be focused this coming year. A healthy fulfilling life and a partner to share it with are my birthday wishes. Time to do more work to make them come true.