A Wild & Crazy Night

Liz treated Tricia  & me to an evening of Dina Martina at the Re-Bar. Quite an experience. Dina is hilarious, a little naughty and still remains sweet.
I would go again. Maybe the Spring show.

 I treated for dinner at Habesha Ethiopia restaurant.  They serve good vegetarian fare as well as meat for those who feel the need.

When we arrived at Re-Bar we had problem trying to find  three seats.  Liz and Tricia went on a mission to find them. When we were finally seated I  viewed the rather tacky environment  and asked Trish ( who lives in NYC) if she thought this was Off Broadway or Off Off Broadway.  She said Off off off off off off Broadway.
Dina is a great entertainer, writer and singer ( I mean Dina is great at portraying a really horrific singer)

We all enjoyed the show.

Christmas Gathering

December 26 was a great day.  No major foul-ups.  I did forget to take the healthy juice, filtered water complete with filtered water ice cubes out of the fridge. Also forgot the fresh shrimp.
A big forgot was a family photo.....maybe next year.

Besides our family, we enjoyed the company of  Nancy and Don (step-parents of John Hilgedick, and our friends Joanna and Rachael.
It was especially fun having Joanna & Rachael . It was like having more family, without the pain of child birth.  They are featured in the top photo.

Summer phoned to see if it was OK to stop by, so several persons who were ready to head home were nice enough to stay. Mike, Joe, Deb & Tricia  and Liz, John & family

Zoe made an interesting comment earlier in the day. She said she hates to open presents in front of people and would rather open them in a dark closet all by herself. It reminded me of how I did not enjoy showers. I appreciated them but didn't enjoy the fuss.



My usual routine  is to make notes of what worked & what could be changed. I'll have to think about that one.

Just had a delicious dinner of leftover rice & beans, green beans, green salad topped with Svetlana's cabbage salad. One advantage of cooking extra food is that I won't cook  for the rest of the week.
About the beans. I always add fennel seed to the pot. It seems to prevent gas.

Midnight Mass

This is one of my favorite things.  I just hope I remember all the words, all the notes, and all the places we are supposed to be at specific moments. Singing at St. James can be a challenge but it is so worth it. I'll be singing here until I can no longer drive or sing..whichever comes first.

Santa Joanna and Rachael etc.

A special place in heaven is being reserved for those who spent ten hours at St. James on Sunday.

Now, if they don't  blow it by doing something really evil.

Groove for Thought

Joe and I  were watching the "Sing- off"  on TV.   We listened to a jazz group called "Groove for Thought" .
 We were interested since  the vocalists were  music teachers from Seattle.
Actually, I know at least one is from Renton. His name is Kelly Kunz. His daughter Amanda was also in the group. Photo of Mrs. Kelly Kunz ( also named Kelly and daughter Amanda)
When I went  back to College I signed up for regular classes plus Music Theory and a choral group.
A new teacher, Roger Treese, changed choral to Jazz. I told him I was not a jazz singer but he persuaded me to give it a try and I loved it.
When he moved on, Kelly Kunz was head of music. He was a serious musician, an accomplished bassist and he wanted a great jazz group. At HCC the group was all women. (see photo) I had to audition 3 times before he allowed me to be part of the mix. I had to prove I could sing without vibrato and agree to sing alto.
When he moved to Pierce College I decided to stay with him. 
We were very lucky to have a professional musical trio accompany us when we performed. It was a lot of work and great fun. The young people tolerated having an older woman in the group.  The group was called Farwest Jazz.

I can't honestly say that I immediately recognized Kelly.
My friend John Burton called  to ask if I'd seen Kelly and his daughter on "Sing-Off".
I went online to watch  and there he was...it brought back memories of this older woman singing with a group of much younger women at HCC then following the director (I stalked him)  to Pierce CC where we had a much better group including male voices.I don't have a photo of the group but the two young women in photos were in group.
A great way to learn music.

Gilman Village Experience

The" Caroleers" sang at Gilman Village each year. One of the members owned a gift shop and was in charge of holiday planning for the Village.
One year we were singing outdoors on this platform  and it collapsed.  We felt a little ridiculous but kept singing
in a lower key!

Christmas Memories ..The Caroleers 1987

It was a wonderful experience singing with the "Caroleers".
  We rode on a special bus that  stopped at many hospitals in Seattle and surrounding areas.   Many of the vocalists had been doing this since 1960. Quite a few also sang with Seattle Symphony Chorale.  One of the sopranos was a bit of a  diva and had an unpleasant speaking voice, but when she sang it was angelic.

We performed for many hospitals, homes and schools, including Children Orthopedic, Swedish, Providence,  Virginia Mason, Doctors, to name a few and also at South Center Mall and Gilman Village.


I remember singing carols  to children with shaven heads. I felt we were getting in the way,   but the nurses were very appreciative and assured us that the children loved the music.

One year my dad was in the hospital during the Christmas holidays.  I asked if we could go to his room and sing. My sister Judy was in the room with him. The music brought tears to her eyes.
Dad seemed very happy to see me and  hear the singing.

I will always be grateful that I had the opportunity to sing for my Dad.

As I remember it he passed away on December 29 1987.

Wet and Wonderful Day at Starfire

Joe and I felt a little crazy going to a soccer game on such a  wet and soggy day.   We left mass after communion and managed to arrive just as game was about to begin. We were able to find a parking space since people were leaving from the last game.. The Gods were with us.
Our Grand-daughter Sami plays on the team called the Cheetahs.  They were playing for State Championship
I enjoyed a  colorful collage of umbrellas.
There are several places  you can watch the game out of the weather but I wanted to be as close as possible since I  have a habit of turning my head just as Sami makes this incredible goal.  I decided to stay glued to the action.
They won the game 3-0 and were so excited. They jumped up and down then  rolled on the wet grass( sort of a group hug).
Our son John has been coaching the girls team for 10 years so it was great to see his team win State Championship.


Joe really did not want to go to game.  I stressed the  need to support the kids while they still care.

His comment later. " You're a great mother, a great grandmother but a terrible wife."
Very funny Mr. MacKenzie!

Bigamist or Procrastinator

 

Tony is the tallest soldier.

When I was a child we would visit Tony and Annuta.  She was my Grandmother's neice.
This is how the story goes.

Tony followed Annuta to the United States and proposed marriage. She refused but he continued to pursue her until she finally said yes.
Her mother, Esterina, was very upset as his chase started in Italy while he was still married. Esterina would scold him but he never listened.  
He probably told her he was available. The talk was that he was never divorced.

I'm sure he meant to get a divorce....just didn't get around to it.

Annuta and Tony had one child, a son named Eros. Eros died of tuberculosis when he was 17.

I remember cousin Eros.
We found a photo of him in one of mom's books.  Eros was in a casket. Not something easily forgotten.

Helping the Helpless

Our son James and Grandson Dylan drove  from Tumwater to help with my computer problems.
It seems the problem is my brain. It looks so easy when they do it.


I told Jim that when he's my age, I'd be in heaven or hell,  looking down or up at him  saying, "See, it's not so easy now, is it?"

They helped Joe move a pile of wood closer to the house.It will make it a lot easier for Joe.

James and his family give hours of labor for a  Christmas gift.
A great gift, plus we have a chance to visit and catch up on all the news.

The End of an Era

One of many great performances.  1947

My good friend and sister Gloria retired from the great choir of St. James.
I have mixed emotions. Sad, because I know how much she loves the music, the choristers, and just being  a member of a choir of such quality.
 I'm  happy for her as she will be  able to spend more time with her family in New Mexico, Oregon and Seattle.
I know she will continue to share her gift with others.

Quotes To Remember

2005  July 4....Late in the evening..
     Seven year old   Zoe said, " I'm tiredly attracted to fireworks."

   About her twin brother.
     Eight year old Sami  said    " Alex is possessed with baseball."

2006 About a calm smiley face she drew. Zoe said..."  I'm happy about it. I feel that way most of the time."
                                                       


2006  Aunt Blanche ( at least a hundred at the time)....after taking me all around the house she stopped at a cupboard and held up a bar of soap  " I spent a fortune on my wedding and all I got was a bar of soap."


Dylan and Ian   (around 7 & 8)  were describing the size of a puzzle they were working on............Their final comment was " It goes on to infinity, you should see the size of the box!"

WALKING NATURE'S PATH 2007

Shoes crunch
Ice pellets pound umbrella
Tree branches bend   break
Icicles hang from power line
Prints of coyote, deer, squirrel and bird
decorate frozen snow
Icicle lights earn their name

Winter Memories

Some of my favorite winter artwork. Our son James created this solid snow tree many years ago.

Surprise!

Wednesday I received a phone call from the son of a pen pal I had over fifty years ago.
A catholic magazine called Extension asked people to write to servicemen. I wrote to a few and most didn't respond for any length of time but one fellow wrote to me for several years. It was mostly nonsense on my part. My letters were about attending music classes at S.U. working at the Pike Place Market etc. Nothing serious. He had my handwriting analyzed and decided I was an intellectual scatterbrain.
I received a post card this week with his phone number and address.  I won't phone him but would like to hear how he and his family are doing.  It will be interesting. His first wife passed away quite a few years ago and he remarried. At this time we quit sending our annual Christmas card.

Thanksgiving was fun with our family at Elizabeth, John and Zoe's home. It was also our anniversary so it was twice as much fun.

It was good to get back to choir today. The music was beautiful. Howard was especially good.

Our neighbors Chin, Michele and Kenny were planning on stopping by for lunch. Zoe and Liz also stopped by as Zoe is doing some artwork for us.  Liz and Michele seem to get along well. They are certainly closer to the same age. Kenny was a good kid and played a piece on the piano. He is an excellent pianist.

We finally figured out how to handle the parking problem for  the installation of the new Archbishop. Joe will drop me off at church and June and Roger will bring me home and stay for dinner.

So I can stop thinking about parking and concentrate on  what to feed June and Roger

I'll post some photos later..

View From Our Deck

No Christmas decoration can surpass the beauty of nature.

Enjoying our Grandchildren and Feeding the Choristers

We had fun three days in a row. I'm not sure I can handle it.

Friday we drove to Olympia to have a delicious dinner with family before driving to Tumwater High School to see a performance of "Little Women". Our Grandson Ian played the part of the Mr. Brooke. It was very entertaining. Mr. Brooke falls in love with Meg and a sweet kiss ensues. They get married and  have twins so I felt like a Great-grandmother for an hour or so. It was wonderful and no work involved.


Saturday we braved the elements and attended our Granddaughters soccer game. Sami is a very good soccer player and seems to get better each time we see her. It was extremely cold and Joe was headed for the truck when he saw our Grandson Alex and his mother Kelley. It was great to see them and visiting with them kept us warm.  Alex and Sami will be attending Kennedy Catholic High School. It was a difficult decision made easier by the price of tuition.
Our son John has coached the girls soccer team for 10 years.  He  does a great job without going completely crazy. There are coaches who go a little nutty.  I've witnessed a few.

They won the game and we arrived home without frostbite. It was too cold to take off our gloves to take a photo. They won district championship on Sunday. More games?


Today Joe helped me set up the treats for St. James Choir. It was fun.  Gloria was my partner and that's always interesting. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food and that makes it all worthwhile.
The most noticeable objects in the photo are the boxes hiding under the table.

Music was great today. I always enjoy being part of our extraordinary choir, but today was special.  I felt we were helping an artist paint a masterpiece.

The San Francisco Opera Experience 1946

Before the  Seattle Opera existed,the San Francisco Opera would come to Seattle to perform.
If the Opera included a childrens chorus, each city would hold  auditions. 
My Aunt Bena lived in West Seattle and was more in tune with what was happening in Seattle. She informed  my mom of the auditions for childrens chorus and thought we should try.

  On the appointed day,we walked down the road to flag down the Greyhound bus to Seattle. It was rather exciting as we lived in Earlington Flats ( between Renton and Kent) and didn't get to Seattle very often.( We had one big trip a year to buy school shoes.)

The ages were supposed to be 12 and under but kids of all ages showed up for the audition. My sisters Barbara and Judy were with me.

When we arrived at the audition hall there were young people practicing  arias. After hearing these experienced singers we didn't know what to think. Luckily, the conductor was interested in children with good pitch. We sang la, la, la to one of the songs from La Boheme.  We all passed.  Some of the children who auditioned were so cute but singing was not their thing so Gustav Stern had to send them home.
The costumes were for children 12 and under so my sister Barbara (age 14) didn't get to sing in the chorus. She was asked to be a super along with the snooty kids who were singing arias.
It was great fun and most of the stars were nice to us. Ezio Pinza was not one of them.
Judy and I were asked to do something extra and we felt really special. We had to run on stage to the fire and warm our hands.
We were in" Carmen" and " La Boheme". We learned to sing one song in Italian and one in French. It was a wonderful experience. 
At the end of one of the performances of "Carmen" the man with the cart full of toys let us take some home forgetting  there were other performances. Another man came out yelling at us so we put most of them back. I have one in my cedar chest.
We were given tickets to the show so our parents could attend. Judy and I have matching dresses. Barbara is to the right of Mr. Stern. She's wearing a scarf on her head.Judy has a bow in her hair.
.                                                                 

The Sprinkling

Uncle Art died while preparing a birthday dinner for his sister Mary. It would seem a good way to go....doing something nice for your sister. However, it was difficult for Aunt Mary as she arrived at the house to enjoy  a meal and found her brother, on the floor, no longer with us.
This situation helped me decide that I should help her get through this.. I cleaned his apartment, packed up his belongings and whatever else she asked of me. The whatever else was the tough part. Not that the cleaning was pleasant but when she asked for help disposing of his ashes.......
Aunt Mary was very disturbed for many reasons..she was still in mourning for my Dad  (her brother), very upset at finding the body, against cremation, but he had requested it legally so she had to go ahead with it.  When Mary was finished with all the legalities, we still had the problem of what to do with the ashes.  Mary did not want to keep them( I suggested she save them & bury them with her). The look on her face was one of shock that I would suggest such a thing. Then I suggested sprinkling them on the water since Uncle Art had been a Merchant Marine for many years. ( I remember his tales of being a cook on a ship and especially the story about cockroaches running around the rim of the soup pot).  Mary did not like that suggestion. She seemed to need the security of knowing where the ashes were located and still comply with Uncle Art's wishes.
Finally I suggested my brothers, my mothers, or our property and ours was chosen.
I pointed out the areas that were left in the natural state, not bothered by digging ,weeding, the bulldozer etc.  I drove to her home, picked up Art's ashes, drove to Art's Apartment to pick up the ashes of Aunt Frances ( which had been on the window sill for five years) stopped by Mom's to pick her up and on to MacKenzie's Acres.
Earlier that day I had been laughing nervously at the situation, then had to stop and tell myself how much this meant to Aunt Mary. I decided to buy a few plants to color the area that she had chosen.

Mother was a real trouper, stomping through the area to be the head sprinkler. The ashes were like gravel as the bone does not burn but is semi-pulverized.
Mary spoke to each of them and said her goodbyes, we said the Lord's Prayer together and then I sang the beginning of " In Paradisum"  " May the angels lead you into paradise, may the martyrs come to welcome you, and bring you to the holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem."
It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining on the ferns and after all my giddiness, I thought to myself, what a peaceful way to go. I felt very good inside and for a moment wished that Dad was also in our woods.

It is difficult to know what Uncle Art and Dad thought of the event...knowing those two they probably had a good belly laugh and then shed a few tears.

A few months later I drove Aunt Mary home after a family dinner...she started to open the door and then said,  "Martha, how are Aunt Frances and Uncle art doing?"      I was a little startled by the question but answered, " Just fine, Aunt Mary, just fine."

Last of the Fall Color

 The leaves are vacating the premises.  The Japanese Maple is the last to go so let's enjoy its brilliance.

Our Mom & Pop Grocery Store

When I was a child we had a grocery store in our home.
One of my clearest memories was of the curtain  between the kitchen and the entry to the store. If you pulled the curtain aside you were able to see glass cases filled with dishes of candy.  I still have some of the  dishes.
Mom waited on the customers while Dad worked at Bemis Bag Company.  Dad trusted  the neighbors and let them charge everything. In those days a handshake was all you needed.
I remember seeing packaged butterhorns from the bakery. ( You notice everything I remember is made of sugar).
Mom had a problem with her leg and had to be hospitalized for a short period of time. While she was gone, Dad closed the store and changed the room  into a living room.
Later on Mom said she wanted a piano. Dad said yes, and it didn't take her long to buy one.
My Uncle Ernie (Mom's brother) was a pianist & also tuned our piano. I remember listening to him tune the piano.   It was much more fun listening to him play.

The children in the photo..From left to right.. Martha .... Judy..... Barbara     

Katie 1992

Mom is the only woman I know who misses her menstrual cycle.
A modern day pioneer who misses her coal and wood stove.
A study in contrast..Two decades away from her centennial birthday, she continues to work two days a week at the Nutrition Center.
She claims to have no self confidence yet becomes the resident advisor wherever she goes.
Years ago, at a  fast food restaurant she asked for a hamburger on whole wheat bread.



Mom died in 1994

Useful comments when you receive a gift ......by Steve MacKenzie

Did you buy it new?
Just my color
I was just  looking at this
It's perfect
Just what I wanted
I can use this
I'm taking it home.

Where's the receipt?

Saint Barbara Church

Joe & I enjoy driving to Black Diamond every so often.  I like to visit the church where my father was an altar boy.  He used to serve at morning mass. The first thing he had to do when he arrived at church was ring the bells. This would act as an alarm clock for the priest.

Book her, Dano

 One evening in 2002 during a visit with Aunt Blanche there was a loud  pounding on the door. "Who is it? I asked. "It's the police .Open the door." It was kind of scary but I slowly opened the door.
  As soon as he stepped into the house the questions began..
1. Who are you?
2. What are you doing here?
3. Identify the persons in that photo?
Luckily, it was the wedding photograph of Nonna and Nonno Rosa.  If  it had been a photo of Uncle Bud's relatives, I may have been incarcerated.
After a short conversation he was convinced that I was one of Blanche's neices.
Jerry, the not so scary policeman was amazed that Aunt Blanche was 100 years old. He had never had a conversation with a person who lived 100 years. He seemed to enjoy it.
He explained the neighbors had phoned when they saw my truck in the alley.  Apparently they were used to relatives parking in front of the house. I always parked in the alley, but usually visited during the day when neighbors were at work.
 I was very grateful that they cared enough to notice.

Aunt Blanche will be 105 this year. If Jerry came over for a visit these days, and listened to her stories, he would probably arrest my cousin Signe's partner, Mike, who had the nerve (according to Blanchie),  to sit on her red chair!!! How dare he?


This was written in 2005 after a visit with Aunt Blanche. She went on & on about Mike sitting in her special red chair.

Being Human Is Such Fun

After an error in judgment or any old mistake, I've been known to make the comment, "Perfection is so boring".
Think about it! How much humor would exist if each day went by without someone having an embarrassing moment.  We may fail to see the humor until days, months or decades later.

Years ago we were at a boat launch on Lake Washington. We saw a boat go under water because the owner failed to set the emergency brake.
The owner was upset and embarrassed but I'm sure ( actually I hope) he enjoyed telling the story many times for many laughs.

Sentimental Journey 1994

Trapped in a dingy attic, covering the same area rats often travel,
sifting through eighty-four years of collecting, wondering why
Mom was driven to save each memory.

Family Miracle

Our daughter-in-law Debbie was told that her father had only a few weeks to live. His glucose was sky-high.
He was in the hospital receiving medication to keep him alive. The family asked that he be taken off  medication.
He started to improve and is now home doing much better. They hired a nutritionist to supervise his diet.
The family found out that someone had been giving him candy bars at the care facility.
I don't know the entire story. I do know that I already purchased a sympathy card and will not have to use it.
How great is that!

Culinary Memories 9/19/89

I Remember....
My father dressed in his chef's apron, preparing sausage, onion ,garlic, tomato, mushroom, generous portions of cheese, and a secret ingredient to complete the sauce that he would pour over  pasta. The odors filling our home promised pleasure.

I Remember...
The torment of having to say "no thank you" (a family rule) when Nonna Rosa offered her homemade oven fresh parkerhouse rolls.
I watched her grind beef, bacon, spinach, basil to add to her pasta sauce.The delicate reddish-orange color and subtle flavor was tempting but tasting it was not an option.
I was fascinated when she  poured  polenta into a large cloth covered bowl. She lifted out the cloth and turned it out onto a platter.  We did get to taste  little polenta balls filled with cheese that she made for us. Yum.


I remember....

Nonna Torlai serving a bowl of soup from a pot  consisting of one carrot swimming around in flavorless broth. The soup was accompanied by a bottle of frozen pop (soda). Nonna would set the pop on the top ledge of the coal and wood stove to thaw.
Dad apparently received his cooking talent from his Dad and his story telling talent from his mom.

I remember...

The first time I baked bread, the sticky dough made smooth by kneading, the relief when it began to rise, the aroma filling the kitchen as the bread baked, waiting until it was cool enough to slice, and the satisfaction I felt cutting through the golden brown, even textured loaf. The final reward was the feast of warm bread covered with melted butter enjoyed by the family.

Happy Birthday to Joe!

Drove to Kanaskat-Palmer State Park this morning. Lovely drive once you got out of all the little cities. The view of Mt. Rainier, the fields of cows, the three dead raccoons on the side of the road.( It can't all be beautiful)
Bought  gas at new Costco in Covington. We checked out the store.  Huge. As a special gift to Joe, I purchased nothing.
When we returned home  Joe found a gift from Mike on the bench.  There were also two messages for Joe.  We have such a great family.
We decided to take the day off and just spend time together. We should do this more often.

An added gift, Joe will get a day off from my roasted veggies.

Fun Sunday

Yesterday was a long and pleasant day.  After a lovely service, good homily by Fr. Ryan , excellent lector and
beautiful music, we drove, (while munching on cheese,crackers and fruit), to Liz's house to ride with them to Cross Country at Woodland Park.
Cross Country involved all parishes plus some private schools. Lots of runners. The grades were four through eight.  The course for older grades is 1.7 miles, up and down hills etc. Zoe and Sami both ran very well for OLG.

After the run we went back to Liz and John's for a birthday dinner for Joe. Our son, John, and Grandchildren, Sami and Alex were also there. Both families live in West Seattle.
Food was delicious. Liz prepared salmon, brussels sprouts and broccoli and our son John prepared ribs with pineapple.Liz also had pigs in a blanket for kids but we all had a taste. She used  Hebrew Nationals and an excellent bun. All food was delicious.
I wonder why our kids are  such good cooks. It must be the love of good food gene.
  I brought a cake which was OK. It was low carb version of a great recipe, that  I haven't perfected  as yet. Good taste, but texture a little crumbly. It was saved by a dollop of Tillamook Old Fashioned Vanilla ice cream.

Love to watch the Grandchildren visit. They were looking through Zoe's school annuals, getting a laugh at her old class photos.  Zoe is an old lady of 12. Sami and Alex are 13.  Really old.

Liz's husband, John brought out the cake complete with candles. Joe really appreciated everyone's thoughtfulness.
Then John asked Joe about his memories as a kid. WWII etc. It was interesting to hear Joe reminisce.

A Pleasant Surprise

Liz just phoned and wanted to give us tickets to a show. They thought they had a sittter for tonight but missed it by a week.   Liz said it would be Dad's birthday gift.  Dad and I talked it over and  decided we would rather have Zoe spend the night. Liz said she would talk  it over with Zoe and call me back. Zoe will be here at 4:30p.m..
She was promised a pizza for dinner if she did a good job cleaning her room, so I don't even have to cook for her.
Zoe or Zoey (she changed her name this year) is an interesting child and it's always fun spending time with her.

More later.

Beyond Our Power

.


The cycle of seasons
visits each year
filled with surprises

Squirrels prepare nests
corncob lined walls
carpet of leaves
pantry filled with apples


Brilliant fall foliage
burned by summer heat
begins to fall

In early winter
hidden nests come into view
nude trees show lines and forms
hidden by Spring and Summer wardrobe

Golden Years

Wisdom rests in furrowed brows
lines drawn by pen of age

For The Sake Of Beauty

Artifice

The bonsai tree in a shallow pot
may have grown to eighty feet
on the side of a mountain
til split by lightening

A gardener carefully prunes
whittles the nine inch tree
and croons,
"It is your nature to be small and cozy
domestic and weak;
how fortunate little one
to have a pot in which to grow."

With living creatures
one must begin very early
to dwarf their growth.
Bound feet and bosom
crippled brain
soft hands to caress.

"A" for Effort

Had a very good day. I returned two pair of jeans at Costco without receipt..no problem. Then back home to fill another bag for "Blind" pickup.  I managed to get another  filled before the truck arrived.
Then on to baking.
I've been trying out almond meal as a substitute for part of the flour in recipes to lower carbohydrates. So far, I've tried Huckleberry Coffee Cake, Beat & Bake Cocoa Cake  and Sourdough Chocolate Cake. The taste is fine but the texture is not right. All are in the freezer.  Joe can have a little on his birthday next week, the rest, I don't know. The wild huckleberry cake is the best. It  didn't raise as much as it should but at least it doesn't fall apart while being sliced.
Joe has been washing the house to ready it for painting in the spring.
We  cleared all plants away from the house to make room for his platform.  Filled about five wheel barrels. It actually looks better. Not quite so wild, just wild enough.
Taking the rest of the night off.  Think I'll play some solitaire.

The Impossible Dream

I was going to write something about the autumn leaves laying a carpet on our grass but I decided to share a dream I had last night.
Angela came up to me at choir practice and said she wanted to give me a baby shower. I was very excited and offered our home for the event.  She said that would be great and started making plans. Thank God I woke up before any thing further developed.

It reminds me of an old song.

I had the craziest dream last night, yes I did
I never dreamed it could be
But  there I was pregnant again




Photo is our son Steve's first trip to Disneyland. He was born six months later.

Grapes of Wrath

    
We wait for the grapes to ripen
and wonder if the deer will arrive
before we receive a share of the harvest..

The Wonders of Nature

A woodpecker pushes food towards the protruding beaks
in the dead hemlock.

Does the woodpecker scout out a dying tree and nest?
Or  hammer a healthy tree, helping it to an early demise?

The Vanishing Forest

Haunting sounds of an owl enter the room
Mating rituals? Hunting signals?
Conversation?
As the woods begin to disappear, I wonder.
Will I hear the owls again

I met a coyote in our driveway
Not a ragamuffin
A well coifed confident animal
We stared.  The coyote won.
Soon bulldozers will push away stumps and brush
Will the coyote return for a rematch?

Many animals live in our woods
Some tunnel deep into the rich earth
Others bed down on softly crushed branches
Where will they go?