Aimlessly meandering

Christmas 2011 and End of the Year!

2012-01-02T14:36:00.000-08:00

It was a very good year!
We joined Kristina & Mark in SF during the summer for a reunion and adventure. The picture above is at Golden Gate Park in the Japanese Tea Garden...sushi & tea for all.
Below is Mark & Kristina in a quiet moment..not many of these when you have 2 small children and 2 big jobs! She's my uncle Sonny's daughter from N.C. and I sure don't see her as much as I would like. Will and I promised to visit her "at least once a year" which
I'm sure will be a challenge.

December....Will's ablation & a Holiday!

2011-12-16T14:04:00.000-08:00

We took a trip to Palo Alto area for Will to have his 2nd ablation with Dr. Winkle. He was having regular and frequent arrhythmia's and was again on medication. His first one lasted 5 years so he was happy but concerned. We learned a lot about the study and this time he's hoping for at least 7 years! And maybe more before another procedure. We were able to meet with family before we left for a wonderful Italian dinner and a walk to Starbucks. All grandchildren were there as were Will
's youngest adult-children: Samantha & Matt. We had such a good time...after the ablation! We are also grateful to the Hospital for allowing us to spend 2 nights in their patient home. It was very near the hospital so I stayed as long as I could at the hospital. We again loved being in the Bay Area. Discovered Redwood City, Palo Alto and visited SF
the day we flew out with Roland & Daniel after breakfast with Matt & Samantha. Roland and I had another of our notorious disagreements over "shopping" (actually looking) at Neiman Marcus'. It was absolutely obscene to see the prices of things...I was there because Roland had gone ahead and found an "absolutely fabulous jacket" for $2200.00! He joked that he was only dreaming...and of course I scolded him on how much money things costs there....a simple men's casual shirt was $595...reduced to $350 "on sale." I was so annoyed and shocked at the differences in "life style" between
us & them...."DO YOU KNOW WHAT LOTS OF LOCAL SF'S COULD USE THAT $ FOR?" Roland said he and Daniel love to go eat there during the holidays and honestly we waited over 1 1/2 hours for a table...which the host lost before our 3rd time of asking if we were up yet. And the bill for a simple lunch of rolls and salads?....$97.00 for 4. So
I'm just not a person you want to take shopping to the expensive end stores in the City!!
Now I use to frequent SF back in the 80's....taking advantage of ACT's Wednesday rehearsals and magnificent lunches everywhere you look! There was a time when the
old City of Paris building was astonishing and so beautiful. There was always a center
huge Christmas tree and a pianist in a tux which made just walking through the building a SF experience. Herb Caan wrote often about the sites of the City! And I was always a fan. But somehow NOW with the lack of jobs, incomes and attention to inequities and consumption (in 2005: 76.6% of purchases were made by 20% of the population and it's higher today) I had a very difficult time...with Neiman Marcus'

Politics shadows everything these days and I'm trying very had to keep my mouth shut but you can see it's not going very well. I do miss California more than I can tell you.
I love my life...especially being in the West with my best friend and partner. We have had so many adventures and we love our almost 2 year old boxer, Suki. So will do one more blog before the year ends. Happy Holidays All! And happy shopping....

Makaha, Oahu in Novermber 2011

2011-11-28T16:20:00.001-08:00

The second week of November with local temperatures in the 20's and 30's, Will and I and his cousin Terri from Arizona pooled our resources and decided to head to Hawaii for some warmth and Aloha spirit. I had the condo needing to be used; Will had the airline credits and Terri had a deal on a rental car. We got the available condo which was in Makaha. This is the "land of the locals"...it's where Rell Sunn (the Queen of Makaha) lived and for some time where Iz also lived. There are few high rises and lots of poverty on the West side; there are also great waves and surfers! Just down the road from our condo were some state beaches filled with homeless folks. There is also a political ideology here. It is believed the US stole the Islands from the Natives (read the history...it's true!) There were areas...like
Makaha and Waianae which were promised to the Hawaiians but the tourist business, expensive housing,and "progress" left the natives and locals without jobs, housing or resources to live in their communities. They can't afford it and so of course, there's a resentment of the "outsiders." This doesn't translate to individuals but to the institution of tourism and "the ugly Americans." We were welcomed, treated with the Aloha spirit, and enjoyed the quiet beauty of the West side of Oahu. Waikiki is where most tourist go...and it is a big City with all that that implies. Since Obama and other dignitaries were meeting in Honolulu for the APEC..we stayed away from the area. In Makaha we had a lanai with a 180 degree view of the beach. We could just walk outside and go snorkeling. Lots of turtles on the beach in the mornings and the beach wasn't crowded. Ah...what a life!

We took a hike to Kaena Point, a sacred spot on the Leeward, which was amazing! We saw all kinds of wild birds and monk seals. The Albatross and Shearwater come there and nest in holes in the ground. Will fished a bit and caught 7 different species including the Hawaiian State fish the Humuhumunukunukuapuaha....all catch and release. We had dinner at Buzz's Original Steakhouse with Will's cousin Tim and Pam Dittrick who live neare West side. He works at Pearl Harbor and his wife works for the coast guard. Fun people and what a great dinner we had. We drove around the Island a couple times and across it once, being careful to avoid Honolulu. There was only one negative experience...when we returned from hiking Kaena Point, our rental car back seat passenger side window was broken. The only thing taken from the car was Will's cell phone since it was the only thing left in the car. The trip to Waianae police department to fill out the police report and the late night drive back into the airport to exchange the rental car wasn't fun.

But...you know what? I'd go back again tomorrow!! Terri was fun to share time with and Will as always never meets a stranger. He met John Makele on the beach, a local artist and pure Hawaiian, and they shared old stories of surfing and the islands. The picture with all of us and John is included in this series.

We enjoyed shave ice at Aoki's in Haliewa, home cooking and eating local, including a little Poi, the experience of engaging with the condo owners and renters who come to Makaha for months at a time, the local snorkle shop owners and picking up deals for grandkids and friends as well as for ourselves! It's the best....being in Hawaii. Will did surf but my camera couldn't capture him that far out in the surf. It was the first time he has been in the ocean since Folley Beach last year in South Carolina! We said a brief goodby to Terri in the airport van and took the red-eye home.

October 18, 2011: Charlie Barkhuff's Passing

2011-10-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

The pictures on this section are of Will's brother Charlie who passed on October 18th, 2011. Charlie joined us in Australia a few years ago. He was quite a character with an amazing life. He left 5 living adult children and many wild stories. He was a Chef, a wood carver, a carpenter, an artist, a sailor and a lumber jack! Will can tell you more...Charlie died young..(71) due to his life-long habits of alcohol and cigarettes. His ashes will be scattered along the Oregon Coast in the Spring. He spent his life along the Pacific Coast and in Oregon. He was Will's only
sibling and they loved each other deeply and completely. His favorite motto was "No one gets out of here alive!" But what a life he had...he was the master of his fate and lived life on his own terms.

Well, even though my brother was in a care facility for his last years and his health and quality of life had declined very rapidly, I was not prepared for his passing. It is still hard to believe that he is gone. I obviously knew him my entire life, and I probably knew him better than anyone else did. We had a lot of great times together growing up. He was only 2-1/2 years older than me so we did a lot of things together. I knew all his friends and he knew mine. When we were young we fought like crazy until I was able to inflict enough pain on him or whip him that we finally quit. Charlie always loved the outdoors, nature and animals. When we were in Grammar School in Eagle Rock we both had paper routes and we delivered the papers before school, very early in the morning. In Eagle Rock the hills between there and La Canada were pretty wild. Charlies route was up along the base of the hills. The streets that ended up in the numerous canyons were all on his route. Mine was close by. We would meet and set trap lines up those canyons. Actual old spring traps like small bear traps with a chain to secure the trap. They had numbers that indicated their size from the smallest, #0 which had a single spring on one side only and could hold small animals like a skunk or maybe a possum. #1 and 1-1/2 also had a single spring but could hold bigger animals like a coon or maybe a fox. The biggest traps we had were #2 and they had a spring on each side and could hold a coyote or maybe a bobcat. We baited the traps covered them with leaves and maybe a light layer of fine soil and then drove a stake or chained it to a log or something solid. We would check the traps each morning, reset or move them and take any animals we caught. You might wonder, what the hell did we do with the animals? This is where one of Charlies amazing accomplishments comes in. He had taken a mail order class on taxidermy from some outfit in Omaha, Nebraska. Charlie would mount the animals and we would sell them to various places, mostly to the Feed and Fuel store in Eagle Rock. I was in the 6th grade and Charlie was in the 8th grade when we moved from Eagle Rock to Alhambra.

In Alhambra there were no real hills for setting traps although the house we moved into was on a fairly big grassy hill with not too many houses at that time. One night shortly after we moved in we were coming home from the movies with our folks and a family of striped skunks ran across in front of us just as we were coming up to our house. They ran up into a vacant lot next to the house across the street from us. This house was very large/pricey and belonged to a Mr. and Mrs. Cosby. They raised orchids commercially and had several big glass hot houses in their back yard. Charlie and I decided to try and catch one of the skunks. We set a trap at the base of the large hedge between the Cosby house and the vacant lot. The Cosby gardener, a nice Japanese man was trimming the hedge the next day. As he was picking up the trimmings, WHAM, our trap latched onto his thumb. Well, he immediately screamed and leaped back only to come to an immediate painful stop as he reached the end of the chain which was staked firmly in the ground. Mr. and Mrs. Cosby never cared much for me and Charlie after that.

Another amazing thing Charlie did at a very early age was take a Paleontology class at the LA County Museum in Exposition Park. He took the bus down there and I went with him sometimes. This was all about fossils and dinosaurs and such. He went on field trips with the class and gathered lots of fossils. This started us on a long term fossil collection. Charlie knew all the Latin/scientific names. We got little glass bottles and all sorts of other containers that he labeled & placed in special partitioned wooden display cases that he made. This collection eventually brought out our interest and beginning of a rock collection. Also, a little known fact is that owls generally swallow their food whole. Then after digestion they hock up and spit out a large hairball including the skeleton of the critter. These hairballs are called "castings". We would search for castings and Charlie would carefully take them apart and reassemble the skeletons of mice, gophers, rats, moles and the other small creatures the owl consumed. He would glue them together like assembling a model airplane. There was probably only a very small percentage of kids in LA that were doing his type of thing.

Charlie loved animals and birds. We were constantly trying to catch things and raise them. We raised a screech owl up to the age of release, had numerous snakes, birds, turtles, salamanders, lizards, horny toads and you name it. He was in the Boy Scouts and really loved it. He got to go on camping trips in the mountains and desert around LA and back packing trips for weeks at a time in the Sierras. I could not wait to join the scouts after listening to Charlie talk about all the great wilderness and wild life he would see. Charlie did very well in the scouts and became an Eagle Scout which was the highest rank achievable and definitely not an easy task. He had gobs of Merit Badges for all types of accomplishments.

I have innumerable memories of us exploring the natural world. We had field guides for birds, reptiles and amphibians, fish, mammals, rocks/minerals and books on dinosaurs and fossils, bugs and trees. It was a constant quest to see and identify creatures. We could name every bird, animal, reptile or other critter in the southwest. On trips we took during summer vacation our folks always camped and made an effort to go to National Parks or other areas of interest that were in the vicinity of our journey. For example, on one trip to Nebraska to visit the relatives that lived there, we would go to the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, The Petrified Forest, the Meteor Crater and several lesser attractions on the way and then do a loop coming home and go to the Black Hills , Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole and Las Vegas. These trips were some of the greatest adventures that Charlie and I had in our lives.I have barely scratched the surface on all the memories I have of my brother and his influence on me growing up.

In high school Charlie got a job at a restaurant in Alhambra called Barbeque Heaven. He started out as a bus boy and the owner, Al, liked him and taught him how to cook. After high school he became an accomplished chef and worked at several very fancy restaurants in the LA area. Eventually he had his own restaurant and catering business in San Gabriel. He was married and had three kids at the time. His marriage failed after 10 years and he left LA driving an old International Travel All and headed to Alaska. He cooked for a crew of 80 on an off shore oil rig in Cook Inlet which was totally frozen over. He migrated back south to Oregon after less than a year and bought a piece of land on top a mountain. He cut down trees and built a one room, dirt floor log cabin. He got married again and had three more kids. He was cooking at a big hotel in Portland and dabbling in wood carving. Eventually he quit cooking and carved various things and sold them at craft shows and swap meets. Eventually he hit on carving fireplace bellows. These sold well and he specialized in them for several years. He had an annual booth at Silver Dollar City near Branson Missouri and he went to several other large craft shows across the country. He was pretty handy with wood. He carved all sorts of really nice things including several totem poles and a great chess set with pieces all from the various totem pole creatures of the north west native people.

He eventually got a little saw mill that ran off a Volkswagen engine. He cut down trees and milled the lumber and built a pretty nice looking two story pole house on his land. He had problems with his marriage again and soon moved down into the valley on another small piece of land he bought. He lived in a funky little trailer that he had covered with shake shingles. He had a workshop at least twenty times bigger than his living quarters. He built a Viking boat from museum specs. It was 35-40 feet long, lapstrake construction. He made a steaming box to bend the boards. It used an old tea kettle for the steam supply. When the wood was pliable he bent each piece into the proper shape by using pegs in a jig table that he made. The bottom of the boat was covered with copper sheet to a bit above the water line. Copper nails were used throughout. The bowsprit was an elaborate carved Dragon head that he made. The mast step which is in the very bottom of the bilge and holds the mast in place was a very large carved whale. This boat was a work of art. All rigging was authentic gear that he made. It had a square sail and used the old hemp type rope. No modern stuff. He kept it for years on the river west of Portland. I sailed it with him and a couple friends of ours for two days up the Columbia River to the town of Hood River. It was another unique and great adventure with Charlie. Eventually he acquired a 42 foot Chinese Junk that was built in Asia and sailed across the Pacific. It was solid teak. He moved onto it in a little marina west of Portland and lived on it for years with the Viking boat tied up along side. He did handyman work in the Marina for his living expenses which were quite low.

Eventually Charlie began a journey he had dreamed about for years.He donated his Viking boat to a museum. He wanted to sail his Chinese Junk down the coast and into Mexican waters and live there anchored up for free in various coves and harbors for the rest of his days or until he wanted to do something else. He gradually worked his way down the Oregon coast stopping in several harbors along the way and doing handyman work. He sailed down the California coast and was anchored up at Capitola, near Santa Cruz for several weeks. One night while he was asleep his anchor rope parted and his boat drifted in to the beach. When he finally woke up the surf was pushing his boat in and it was hitting bottom. It was eventually a total loss and a sad day indeed for Charlie. He was fortunate to be rescued in total darkness and to be able to save his Parrot, Moe. Before too long he was able to buy another sailboat. It was a fairly old boat, about 26 feet long and a traditional type fiberglass sloop. He continued his journey and eventually made it to San Diego Bay. While there he had a change of heart and decided to get rid of his boat and go live with our Mom in Nebraska. I think he finally got tired of the work and the loneliness and after several close calls during the journey he realized what a powerful and dangerous foe the ocean is. He traded his boat for an old pickup truck and probably a bit of cash. He lived with Mom for several years until she passed.

After Mom died he went back to Oregon and lived in a "floating home" in a funky little marina west of Portland. After a few years he moved into a little apartment in Dundee, a small town south of Portland. His health was fading and he started falling down frequently. This was what finally got him into the Chehalem Health and Rehab Center in Newberg, Oregon where he lived until the end.

Charlie loved to grow vegetables in the garden. Even when he lived on his boats and when he lived with Mom, he always had a garden. When he lived on the floating home he sent away for a kit that was a really nice redwood and glass hot house. He rigged up an irrigation system with mist and drips and grew beautiful vegetables for the table.
He also was quite a fine painter for a number of years. His main medium and style was acrylic paint applied with a palette knife. He did some very colorful and beautiful ones up to about 3x5 feet. For many years Charlie rode bicycles up to about 25-50 miles a day. He competed in numerous 100 mile races including an exciting one we attended at Laguna Seca Raceway near Monterey, California.

Charlie had a lot of interests in life, a lot of talent and a big clumsy heart. He made friends easily everywhere he went and had many lifelong friends.
This is brief sketch of Charlie and his unconventional life style. He was definitely a colorful character and the only brother I had. I still find it hard to believe that he is gone. I miss him already.

Colder Temperatures & Changing Color

2011-10-16T13:00:00.001-07:00

Went to the Symphony last night with Betsy. She's on the board for creating a Preforming Arts Theater here so she invited us and Will did not fall asleep! Will took Suki fishing for 2 days over the weekend and I'm reading school text books. I love
reading about Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism and especially Taoism. We are discussing Confucianism on Tuesday. Class discussions are interesting....most of the students are 17-19 year olds who are not too far from home. The instructor really is wonderful in his approach to "opening their hearts and minds" to other ways of thinking.
These students are nothing like we were in the 70's
I remember engaging a Zen Buddhist disciple once out at Mangus Corners in old Suisun (at Solano Community College area) about his path, study and beliefs. He was on a bicycle and was so gracious and accommodating for those of us willing to listen. I learned so much from him...and even went hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail near Mill Valley as he spoke of the Zen Center there. Wandering...the way to learn and seek spirituality.
The students in this class have negative beliefs about "wanderers" and "drifters." So let's just say they are not the protesters in Portland and larger Cities discussing the Wall Street Crooks!

The other class: "PhysioPsychology of the Brain" has me speeding along with lectures and texts wondering how much of this stuff I will retain. I'm especially enjoying this current topic about brain damage and neuroplasticity...Alzheimer's, etc. After reading "Still Alice" this material seems ever so pertinent and important. After all I will be 65 years old soon.

Our community group is coming along and we really enjoy attending twice a month. Last time we discussed the "I" behind such expressions as "I" think, "I" believe..."I" am...to learn who besides ego, persona, masks, projection to the others...who am I beyond thinking, feeling, acting.
Was a wonderful discussion; Daniel you would have loved it. I'm having social connections, intellectual engagement and wonderful contacts with the continuing hope of more intimates.

I also have a sponsor now for Alanon. Only on the first step so long way to go but after several years of attending, I feel ready for letting go and changing my (some anyway) controlling ways.

As the holidays come around, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas; Will and I will be here in Washington. We will miss our families, friends and celebrating together as in years pasts. We will adventure into the new places, people and things we haven't yet encountered ...during these times. But come January, 2012....we are headed to the Bay area. I am so sorry to miss Kannon, Kiara and especially Marly (I've only seen her 4-5 times total in the last 2 years). So be warm, productive, (or not!) and let us hear from you about this upcoming season.

October...WSU classes & Windy Fall

2011-10-11T13:27:00.000-07:00

Hi All! As you can see, I could not figure out how to narrate the last post...so you just have pictures. September was a busy month for us. We had lots of visitors and travel. It was a blast. Just sorry it's over. I started my world religions class and the Physio-Psy. class (brain anatomy)
which gave me a structure but my mistake was taking a class every day! After Mary's visit in August...Tom & Martie flew in on September 7th and stayed till September 19th. It was great to have them here...especially after all the times we've slept over at their Woodland home. We went to the Columbia Gorge the first weekend and met our South Carolina neighbors, Joel & Carolyn. What a surprise to find they wanted to met at our favorite resort for lunch...The Edgefield Inn.
We stopped on our journey in Hood River which is such "a fine place to see" and had brunch. John Prine was playing that night at the Edgefield plus there were several weddings going on so the place was hopping! We managed to have a wonderful lunch, catch some pictures and travel in a caravan up to the Vista House and then on to Multnomah Falls. Carolyn & Joel traveled all over the country this year including Alaska so they were headed down through California and onward to destinations Eastward. It was great to see them and hear all about the old neighborhood! Sure miss them already & again!

Tom, Martie, Will and I spent the night at Cascade Locks and had dinner at a wonderful little place in Hood River. I have such control issues!!! (I know you find that hard to believe!) but I wanted to eat at the Black Rabbit in Troutdale and you can't believe how hard it was for me to be open and willing to do something different. And of course it was fabulous and we had a blast. Then we drove up the coast, stopping at the Mary Hill Winery (meant to take them to the museum which was up the road a piece) and enjoying the views as we headed back to the TriCities and for Will to work on Monday. I enrolled Tom & Martie in a trip to Walla Walla and to my favorite lunch place: Grazen followed by caffee at the French Patisserie. I don't think Tom was impressed! Martie was impressed however with the old-movie-theatre turned into Macy's and we shopped for a while. Then on Thursday, with Will off work, we traveled to Seattle after lunch in Ellensburg. We took Suki and the truck. We thought she would ride well in the back of the truck in her kennel but alas...it got cold and rainy. Fairly soon she ended up inside the back seat of the truck with Martie and I. A wet dog isn't the best company on a long road trip! But we made it to Whidbey without tossing her so I think all went well.

Tom's mobility (he suffered a stroke about 10 years ago) isn't the best...and no matter how much I goaded him to get a scooter, cane or bicycle...he did it his way. Imagine that! The two of us butted heads a few times...just can't get along always with your ex's.. but Will, Martie and Tom got along fabulously. We drove them around the towns on the Island and got to see Gerry at the Farmer's Market and enjoyed some of his great bread and cookies. On our return from Whidbey, we drove through Leavenworth (no, not the prison) but the wonderful little Holland-like town north of Wanachee. I think they got to see a good amount of Washington and Oregon while here. They left on Monday afternoon and I was sad to see them go.

Then on Thursday of that week, I drove to Seattle to the airport to pickup Debby. It was my first trip to the SeaTac airport....picking up someone else that is...I've been picked up there many times! Debby and I drove to Ellensburg...the drive was slow as there is so much road work..planning for the snow season...and we arrived after 1:00am. We managed to stop at a Taco Bell...nothing but the best!...before getting to sleep. Arrived home on Friday and hung around before Will came home and we were off to met Chris & Beth for dinner before going to see "Money Ball." It was fun and Sunday was a day of rest before Debby and I drove back to
Seattle and on to Whidbey. I took her to my favorite coffee house (a secluded place which is deliberately kept hidden from tourists) and treated her to breakfast....lemon french toast...which was way to lemony and too much rosemary! We did spend a night in Seattle near the airport where we drove into Pike's Market area for a wonderful dinner and had a counseling session. I was so relieved and relaxed afterwards. I need my friends around more often!!! Thank you Debby...I love having you in my life. And she left on the 27th...just a day before her birthday.

So...here it is October. Will's daughter-in-law Sandy and her twin sister Suzie, ran the Portland
Marathon on Sunday October 9th. We were able to find them in Portland on Saturday and have dinner (seems like all we ever do is eat!) We met Suzie's son and grandson...Jackson (and his Dad J.R.) as well as seeing Nikky and Austin. She's in her first semester at Humboldt in northern California. They are such courageous, talented young people...philosophy is her favorite class! We totally enjoyed them and ourselves before the twins completed the 1/2 marathon on Sunday. I have pictures but need to get a cable to download them. Whew! What
a month it's been. But having friends and family to spend time with has filled us with such love and comfort. Thank you all!

By the way...when we were in Portland, we encountered some of the "Wall Street" protesters. They were a welcome sight. They were courteous, polite and informative. They moved their sleeping quarters around to allow the marathon runners lots of area for the run. They were peaceful, young and encouraging. The TV newsfolks kept saying how friendly, kind and helpful they were...like it was a surprise! Remember when the old conservative folks use to say.."Why
don't they get a job?" Well....let's get those jobs up and running! I'd like one myself!

Hugs to you all....miss you.

End of Summer

2011-10-11T13:01:00.001-07:00

Another Visit To Charlie, Terri's Visit from Arizona, And Summer's Almost Gone

2011-08-14T17:11:00.001-07:00

August 15th....We have now been here six months. Was much easier to settle here than South Carolina. Westerners at heart I guess. We drove to Portland where we visited Chuck (Charlie) and together cleaned out his wardrobe. He is progressively getting weaker and less communicative. He's still able to water his small garden and occasionally grasp his old sense of humor. Terri, Will and I drove to good ole Fred Meyer's where we bought him some new clothes and a couple of hats. He loved the hats and actually kissed a pair of leisure pants Will picked out; they were black & white checks like a Chef wears. It was both joyful and sad to visit him...he certainly isn't the man he use to be and it's difficult to remain connected to him both in conversation and in presence. But the place he lives is loaded with folks who know and appreciate him.....especially now that he's not so angry.

We stayed in Troutdale again at the Edgefield. It's always fun and Terri enjoyed it. We arrived late on Saturday and were actually too tired to attend the film they were showing out in the vineyard. We encountered no ghosts and enjoyed the grounds, food and liveliness of the place; there were 3 weddings taking place that night. We drove home through the Columbia Gorge and stopped in Cascade Locks for lunch. Hiked Multnomah Falls for over 2 miles and loved the beauty (as always) of the Gorge. Riding home along the Washington side of the River, seeing all the wind surfers and the fantastic River views. Then we stopped at a neat State Park on the rivers edge to look at a few dozen petroglyphs and a pictograph all done many hundreds of years ago by the local native people. It was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday.

Terri stayed with us for a week....we went to Walla Walla and shopped. Discovered recycle shops here in Richland and walked along the River both ways for miles. Terri swore I was preparing her for a marathon! Feels good to know I walk miles without even thinking about it. Suki loved both Terri & Mary being here in the house and she now wonders "what happened?"

Book clubs are starting back up. Just finished "The Art of Racing in the Rain" and will attend book club on 8/18. My classes start on August 22nd so it will be interesting to see if I can keep up my book clubs with the homework assigned. We also saw 2 really good movies: "The Help"and "Buck." Wanted to see the Sean Pean-Brad Pitt film "The Tree of Life" but it only played here a few days so we missed it.

The month of September brings shorter days, cooler nights and more visitors! Tom & Martie are coming on September 7th, Carolyn and Joel (our S.C. neighbors) are also visiting for a few days following their Alaska Cruise, and Debby Jeter is visiting the last weekend of the month. Then in October we are trying to get a TimeShare visit to Hawaii. Will is suffering Ocean-wave-loss. He has got to get into the water...preferable without a wetsuit!!!

I miss my grandkids: Kannon, Kiara and Marly most of all. Kannon at 9 is going into 4th grade, Kiara is 7 and climbing rock walls! Marly is talking to all who will listen and brings her parents constant joy. I get to talk with them by telephone and sometimes see them with electronic assistance but there's nothing like holding a grandchild in your arms and experiencing the sheer joy of their being. Be well and stay present.

July & August in the NorthWest!

2011-07-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures from traveling about the area. Will took me to the Walla Walla River on a fishing trip he and Chris usually make. We went by the Grand Coolie Dam...another great reminder of the FDR term of office. He fished the river and caught "tons" of fish...all of course, catch and release. The native trout are beautiful. He also saw a rattle snake on the trail but despite his best efforts couldn't get a picture. Suki loved the hike and the water. She's such a wonderful addition to our family; we try to take her everywhere! There's also a town just north

of Wanachee called Levenworth. No, not a prison town but a bit of Belgium and Holland. It's much like Solvang but without the windmills. We loved it (very touristy!) and agreed to go back and stay a couple of days in the fall. Wanachee was wonderful too. But the pictures are on my cell phone and still unsure how to download them here.

We drove up to Moses Lake to visit with our friends Dennis and Nancy. They are drifting about the Northwest (from Colorado) until their daughter decides whether she's moving to Alaska or not. She's a teacher and you'all know how difficult it is to land a job in that field at this time of the economy. We all played 9 holes of golf while Suki and their labs played in their 5th wheel.

Suki, not use to being neglected by her owners, messed in their home which leads us to believe she still has much training to endure! Nancy was great about it but embarrassing for us.

This last week of July, Mary came to visit from SLO. It was fabulous to have her here and we tried our best to give her a fun vacation. She and I went to Walla Walla where we investigated some local history (same story everywhere...Native Americans used and abused by the Eastern

White folks coming West for treasures and land) and had fun shopping and browsing. The Macy's Store there is a old converted movie theater...great place! And little cafe's everywhere.

The University (School of Social Work) is there and it's a 7-Day Adventist School (thought you

would like that Roland!And it's $525 per unit!). On Thursday, Will got off early and we headed to Seattle bound for Whidbey Island. But of course, the ferry line was a 90 minute wait so we didn't arrive until 7 or so. Was wonderful to see the view from Tessa's Useless Bay home, check out the new house in front of hers, meet the neighbors' who are related to friends we have here in Richland, and frolic about in Langley. We did get the ferry the next day to Port Townsend where we walked, ate, shopped and hung out for the day. I had my cards and tea leaves read which cheered me and gave me much hope. Fabulous town and most assuredly we will be back.

Still reading summer books as book clubs are on break until August. Fun book: "The Art of Racing in the Rain", "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" and "The First Wife". Our community group discussed "Death" and poetry and next time is "Art."

We are both "ocean sick" meaning we miss the ocean. Will hasn't surfed since Folley Beach in SC so you can imagine how out of shape he is...paddling out was his everyday workout. He's spoken with Matt and Samantha more lately and loves hearing from them. We are talking about traveling somewhere so he can surf the warm waters...before he forgets how!!!

His cousin Terri arrives soon from Arizona. So we are off to the Columbia Gorge and beyond. Blessings and summer fun to you all.

June, 2011 Kannon's Birthday & Kristina's SF Visit

2011-07-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

The end of May I made a very long drive to Pleasanton & Woodland to see grand kids and to celebrate Kannon's 9th birthday. It was over 13 hours and I was "dazed and confused" upon
arrival. Welcomed by Tom & Martie, I went to bed and arose to a fabulous breakfast and a visit to my 16 month old granddaughter's home. It was a wonderful week between the two residences

with time for the adults as well as the children. I even got to celebrate Tom Dote's 70th birthday at the Buckhorn in Winters before driving 1/2 of the long drive home.

Will and I had some time together before he left for New Jersey...for work. He had an audit he wasn't looking forward to but did get to see Phil and have dinner before he had to resume his work. I left, again for a very long drive, this time 10 hours. I met my friend Val Slankard from

the foothills of California and many fun times of my past, at Ashland, Oregon. We went to graduate school together for social work and the reunioning was a blast. We saw several plays.

The best was "August, Osage County" an intense story of yet another dysfunctional family from Oklahoma. Written by Tracy Letts' and given the Pulitzer Prize; the play is hailed by the New York Times as "probably the most exciting new American play Broadway has seen in years."

It was both hilarious and sad. 3 acts and honestly we couldn't wait to get back to the next act to see what was going to happen. Not only did I enjoy my friend's company and conversation but I forgot how wonderful Ashland is. I've been going there since 1973 or '74 so the changes are evident but the town has such charm. I had forgotten how beautiful it is in Summer. Many of my visits were in late fall. I only wished I could have stayed longer...both in Ashland and with Val.

I have two new friends, Betsy and Bonnie, both clinical social workers. Imagine that! We celebrated a 40th birthday (that's over 20 years ago for me!) and promised to get together more often (works for me!) soon. On Friday, June 24th we drove to Portland for a promised "Woodstock" weekend at Will's former boss' home. He lives in a beautiful Valley on 6 acres of green Washington country with 6 llamas, 5 cats and a black lab. His house is a gorgeous red/golden log cabin with at least 3 bedrooms and several fireplaces. We went to a Portland restaurant, and an old Theatre for a concert and totally enjoyed the ambiance of Dennis' home. We got home on Sunday and I left Monday for San Francisco to visit my cousin Kristina and her family from N.C.

San Francisco is such a fabulous town....we had both sun and fog. Kristina and Mark rented a 4 bedroom home in the Richland district not far from Golden Gate Park. The first day, Kristina and I took all 3 kids (her two: Kaitlyn 4, Jake 6 and her stepson Zach, 12) to Mill Valley to Muir Woods. Lunch in Mill Valley and then hiked the Redwoods of Muir Woods. Serene, quiet and filled with tourists, it wasn't as quiet as I recalled. As everywhere in the summer "too many tourists" which of course we were! We did so many fun outings: Moscone Center for a Children's Play shop, Golden Gate Park for the Children's play grounds, the Oakland Coliseum
via BART for a baseball game with Florida, Fisherman's Wharf for lunch at Alioto's and on to Pier 39, and the Japanese Tea Gardens where Tom & Martie, Will, Justin, Maia & Marly all joined us. We also took the kids to Max's on Geary for dinner with Tom, Martie, Will and I. It was fun to meet Mark's sister, Michelle who lives in the City, and to have dinner with my friend Debby Jeter in the "cool" Mission area at a Peruvian restaurant which Will and I LOVED but if you asked us for a dish description, we can only say it was fabulous! And desserts to die for.

So the last month feels like a whirl wind...and we are again settling in to "home sweet home...away from home." Will leaves soon for another audit in Ohio where the weather is hotter than here. Mary Peracca and Will's cousin Terri are scheduled to come visit soon. So come on up, weather's better and lots of water with our three rivers: Columbia, Snake and Yakima!

Another Visit Home....Kannon's 9th Birthday

2011-05-23T15:38:00.001-07:00

Let's see if I can catch up. Will and I joined some folks from here in the TriCities area for our first "SIFF"...Seattle International Film Festival. We left on May 19th and stayed until 22nd. Due to

very heavy traffic in Seattle AND Will's having to work later than expected; we missed the opening night gala which included the film: "The First Grader"a UK/Kenya film of 2010. We heard it was good but alas we found our lodging and had a wonderful dinner on the Union Lake at a restaurant called McCormick & Schmicks "Harborside on Lake Union." What a treat!

The next day we saw 5 films: "Happy, Happy" Norway 2010 (very good); "Ex" Hong Kong, 2010 (interesting and about a 3 out of 5); "Copacabana" France, 2020 a wonderful treat from Isabelle Huppert..a 5 by me! "The Pillow Book" France/UK/Netherlands 1996..most interesting part of this film was Ewan McGregor's penis....who knew! I'd give it (the film) a 2-3 rating; and lastly "Hermano" Venezuela 2010. Excellent, a 5. I won't keep listing films but just wanted you to know the international flavor of the event. Two other very interesting films were "Black Narcissus" UK 1947 Deborah Kerr (I had paperdolls of her as a child!) and "Black Venus" the story of Saartjie Baartman, a Khoikoi tribeswoman of southern Africa, France 2010. The last film only wets your appetite for more information on this amazing woman's life. There was an excellent discussion after the film with several anthropologists about this fascinating woman.

We had a grand time...we walked from one film neighborhood to another and thus got better aquainted with Seattle. There was also an awards ceremony for the 10 minute cell phone videos in 3 categories: children/youth/adult. Cute and amazing films as the "directors" were called on stage and given attention to their small films. We so enjoyed this event and the local film folks who met with us for discussions and food. We will return next year for a grand activity.

I left on May 24th for the very long drive, 13 1/2 hours, to Woodland & later to Pleasanton. The best role I've ever had is grandmother...or O'Bachan in Japanese. My 16 month old granddaughter has just learned "No!" and girl is she good at it! I got to spend a few days in her company which is delightful. I also got to attend the Davis Jazzercise group which kept me on my feet...after such a long drive. On Saturday, I drove to Pleasanton, where Kannon and his parents were exhausted after his birthday slumber party the night before. On Sunday all the extended family members...lots of grandparents...as well as Marly..celebrated the honor of having such a wonderful boy (Kannon) in our "village!" He is amazing, talented, smart....you know I could go on and on but of course, what grandmother doesn't! On Monday, I got to take them to see the new Kung Fue Panda movie. Kiara is especially social and a joy to hang out with.

So back to Richland...this time I drove 7 1/2 hours, rested in Bend, Oregon and drove the remained of the way home the next day. Will tells me he and Suki had a blast going fishing. Chris joined him several days and Will caught lots of "really big" trout...both lake trout and wild trout! But...where are the pictures?!

The pictures above are all from our back yard. I am enjoying the color and the fragrances but the weather remains....cool and rainy in this high desert area! We did drive over to Pendleton one weekend just to see the town. Let us hear from you and what you are doing and when are you coming to visit? (I left my camera at Tom David's so no pics of birthday celebration)

May in Palm Springs

2011-05-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

Hello again. Things are picking up here in the Pacific NorthWest. We left on Friday, May 6th for Grand Terrace where we visited with Roland & Dan, and then on to Palm Springs for the weekend until Tuesday. Although there were over 100 golf courses, we didn't play any. We did frolic in the warmer weather and took a hike to an Oasis (see pictures above of Murray Canyon). It was a short trip but we both loved getting to warm places. It is still cold and rainy here.

Our Thursday night discussion group has offered us new friends and just this morning I met with Betsy, Bonnie and Annie for a birthday breakfast for Betsy. We are learning how much we have in common and looking forward to more gatherings. Will has met lots of guys at work that he wants to spend social time with...we are going out tonight to meet a few of them..including the guy who held his position before him. I'm still doing the 2 bookclubs:"Still Alice" written by a neuropsychiatrist and about a professional woman in her 40's being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. The other book is "The Help"...a book I discussed in the South with a group of gals which shocked me. I'm looking forward to the discussion here in the West to experience a different perspective. Taking walks along the river with Suki and planning to take a few classes at Washington State U. in the fall. Work is still unavailable...without a license here, it's slow going.

We are leaving for Seattle on Thursday where we are attending the opening days of the SFF..Seattle Film Festival. Met some friends here from the local film club (no Palm Theatre here...nor even an alternative film theatre) so should have fun running from one place to another down near Pike's Market in the city. Got "Examined Life" from Netflix which we are

enjoying...check it out.."contemporary philosophy to everyday life by speaking with leading philosophers ...." 2008 by Astra Taylor.

Will needs to hit the Ocean soon. He groans when we see a wave on TV! Hopefully we can get to SLO in the fall. He's really getting tired of working. I'm going to Kannon's birthday the 28th of May so it will be my first car trip alone on such a long drive. Suki will keep Will company.

Be well and blessed. We miss you all everyday and do hope you will send us an email to say how you are and "what's up."

April in Washington...Wind & Flowers

2011-04-05T22:05:00.000-07:00

Hi All! First to update...We are beginning to get acquainted with the area. The first pictures were taken at the Howard Amon Park here in Richland. The Columbia River trail is beautiful and we walk Suki along the river to Washington State University. The tulips are radiant and though only temporary (as we all are) bring the hope of Spring. It's still cold (today at 10:00am it's 34 degrees F) but there have been days of near 70!

The fall pictures, along with the marmots & deer, were taken at Palouse Falls. It was one of our Sunday jaunts and as you can see the area is high desert and amazing to find such a water fall. We loved the classic car and the evidence of electricity no matter where you are. Will, the ever vigilant bird watcher, kept trying to show me a Horned Lark but alas, forgetting his binoculars had to find an example along the highway...you'd never know this beautiful bird is deceased!

I met my friend Tessa in Ellensburg, my second trip to this wonderful "small" town. It has historic buildings, wonderful restaurants and coffee houses and shops that are NOT chains or big box stores. We also visited "Dick & Jane's" house...a frivolous, fun and wonderful work of art of local couple and friends. I enjoyed my time with my old friend and appreciate that she drove over the cascades in a snow storm for this time we had together (coming & going!).

While in Ellensburg, I found a local book store where the proprietor advised me of the 51 book clubs in the area. She also sold me $5 tickets to see Heiki W. Durrow, author of "The Girl Who Fell From The Sky." Will and I drove up on Monday night to hear this fabulous writer (her first book) and winner of Barbara Kingsolver's Bellwether Prize for Fiction, an organization dedicated to issues of social justice. A graduate of Columbia University's School of Journalism and Yale Law School...she was authentic and passionate in her presentation about this wonderful book. Will bought a copy (it's now in paperback) although I had previously attempted to interest him; she easily convinced him of her talents. Those of you in San Luis Obispo may want to ask Barns and Noble and other local book stores to bring her to your area; you won't regret it. The book has many themes and I'm sure you will be touched by her story.

Another interesting outing we had was a visit to a local winery, Tagaris for a night of dinner and 10 short films. Since there is no foreign film theater here, there is a group of folks who present films once a month at a local auditorium. "The Last Hand Standing" and "The Crush" among others were wonderful. They also advised us of the Seattle Film Festival coming up in May. I'm getting it that sometimes when you don't get what you want...you get other gifts!

Our discussion group "Reflection Cafe" continues to move and evolve. This last time we discussed "stuck-ness" and watched as the struggle between cognitive (protective) discourse overshadow the spirit of authenticity. I walked yesterday with a group member who like myself is a licensed social worker. We shared stories and life events...I'm feeling less lonely now.

We head to Palm Springs for a mini-vacation in May, as well as the Seattle film festival and Kannon's upcoming birthday on May 28th in the Bay area. I'm also looking forward to meeting my old friend Val in Ashland in June. Life is good.

March 2011...Japan Earthquake at 9.0! Tsunami & War with Libya

2011-03-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

What a month! We started out with a weekend trip to Ellensburg and ended up with a trip to see Charlie in Newburg, Oregon. But in between...the world changed. A 9.0 earthquake in Japan where the three tectonic plates stacked themselves and left a huge Tsunami felt clear across the world. March 11th near Honshu...unbelievable. Then the turbines and reactors shut down. The temperatures in Unit 1's suppression chamber exceeded 212 degrees. A nuclear emergency was now in play. On March 13th...an explosion in Unit 1 and seawater was injected. March 14th another explosion...this time Unit 3 and Unit 2's reactor core cooling system failed. "Some uranium fuel rods were uncovered." March 15th...Another explosion and damages now

to the Unit 4 rooftop. The next day workers evacuated and high radiation stopped helicopter's spraying water. March 18th.."Japanese authorities raise crisis severity rating to 5...on a scale of 7"...now both Japan & US military are spraying water on Unit 3. Unit 5 achieves "cold shutdown." By Thursday...3 workers exposed to high levels of radiation. And still the after shocks keep coming. Continued Tsunami alerts and 27,000 confirmed dead. 240,000 homeless. OMG!!!

And what about air strikes in Libya and US actions against General Moammar el Qaddafi (Gadhafi)? Because Clinton failed Bosnia....should we ignore the victims of Qaddafi in Libya? And what about the costs? Are we in yet another Middle East Civil War? At least President Obama and the United Nations made this decision...didn't they? Now where are the Muslims that supported this action??? Wow!

So back to our small little lives and transitioning to Washington. Girl! Does this put my whines about being lonely into perspective. We joined a discussion group facilitated by two psychologists at a local cafe shop which meets every two weeks. There are about 24 folks, divided into locals (one half grew up here and graduated high school here) and us immigrants (the other half who relocated here for the work). We are half men & half women. The first Thursday we discussed community and civility; whether we have it or are longing for it. This last Thursday we discussed intolerance...what our personal intolerance is if we are at all conscious of it. This is the best group I have found thus far. I also have attended 2 bookclubs and plan on going to a third. All gals so far. Still no 5:45am Jazzercise class...I keep telling myself I'll go when the weather changes. I REALLY miss it and so does my body. I walk Suki twice a day (walk about 4 1/2 miles) and am slowly beginning to navigate my way around the "tricities." Will loves his work...he wears regular everyday street clothes instead of work boots and flannels. He talks about the diversity of workers...from China, the Philippines, Japan, India and other places. He loves the sophistication and the quality of the work expected. He also has been fishing along the Columbia and Yakima and is planning many more trips.

We are more at home here in the Pacific Northwest than we were in South Carolina. I miss the Timberlake neighborhood and my house....but otherwise love the serenity and mindset of the West. It's nice experiencing a world view that I feel a part of. But what a shakeup we've had around the world.

The pictures reveal our neighborhood, our visit to Oregon and the beginnings of Spring here. The Bridge of the Gods...is the bridge between Washington & Oregon along the Columbia River. I use to be one of those white folks who complained about the Native Americans fishing with nets until I heard a Modoc Indian mother recently express her outrage at her son being told to buy a fishing license since he's not a local native American. She said "My son is full blooded Modoc Indian and our tradition has always been to fish for our families. He will not buy a fishing license!" And when you think of it...they were here in these parts living quiet lives, caring for the earth and feeding their families...and we imperialists came along and took everything they cherished. It's so interesting and surreal now...we want more electronic devices, better cell phones...more stuff...and we are working more and more to get it. Remember Baby Boomers when we were living the "Small is beautiful" concepts? Trying to use less and less electricity, water and gas??? That way of thinking is hidden in our old clothes drawers and at what costs to us and our grandchildren? What a world. Enuf said. Blessings to you all who try to read this and keep your optimism.

Grandmother "Duties" In California

2011-03-01T09:35:00.001-08:00

Since I missed Kiara's 7th birthday, after promises not to miss another birthday, I left one week after we arrived in Washington for a week in the Bay area of California. Although late for her birthday, I did get to spend a week waking up with her and her brother, have breakfast with them and walk them to school every day! Mornings are the best....in the past it was Kannon who crept into my room (my son's office with a bed) at the wee hours of the morn...this time it was Kiara! Especially since she is usually a late riser and slow to start in the a.m.'s. She was there on occasion before the sunrise. When I was barely communicable; she played her ITouch (I usually called it the incorrect name!) until I "came to." Kannon is especially an energetic morning guy so in no time, he joined us and we eventually made it to the kitchen for breakfast. Lisa and Tom got a bit-of-a-break, even left for work early on several days.

After school I walked the 10 minutes just in time to pick them up at Kiara's class. It was fun being at the elementary school...watching the kids, teachers and parents in both the chaotic play time and the structured class time. It is such an energetic place...made me want to substitute teach sometime! Notice I said sub and not grab another role as an elementary teacher! One day as Kiara and I waited for Kannon...she overheard him and the boys laughing and talking in some language they made up. Sure they were laughing at her; she immediately wanted to know what they said. Kannon, in the style of men everywhere, wouldn't tell her and instead withheld any understanding of the "foreign" language. And Kiara, like girls and women everywhere, was emotionally hurt by being left out. Using logic...to try to get her to "let it go" or to make up a language of her own...didn't work. Oh, the games we play!

On Wednesday I met Tom and Martie in Suisun City for lunch. Using my trusty "old" but reliable GPS (all cells now have them!) I drove from the Bay across the Carquinez bridge into Suisun. Now my youngest son, now 40, was born in Fairfield near Suisun. We lived in what Tom calls "the cow pasture" for a few years as we commuted to the Bay area for work. And each time I pass that area on 680, I look to see the old farm house in the grove of Eucalyptus trees. There are so many new houses there now, it is almost impossible to spot it. So using my GPS, I arrived in time for lunch at the Civic Center in Suisun City. Well...there was no Civic Center or Yacht club there when we lived there..as a matter of fact, in the early 70's it was a slum-of-sorts. I worked for Bank of America in Fairfield and transferred to Suisun City to work for the diversity. Many of the military (Travis AFB) families lived in the area and I loved those days. But ending up in a small city driving around the bay there trying to find Main Street was a riot. After many calls back and forth to Tom & Martie (who also don't know the area but were sitting in the wonderful Bar & Grill awaiting my arrival) I finally found (eureka!) the restaurant. We had a lovely time and walked around a bit afterwards before I had to race back to pick up Kiara & Kannon at 3.

On Thursday night after dinner I drove to Woodland just in time to see Maia & Marly and partake of a delicious cioppino dinner. Of course, afterwards Martie and I played Upwards to the wee hours of the next morning! Maia came by with Marly after 8:00am and I enjoyed her all day! She is just over 1 year, walking confidently and talking incessantly...although in a language not quite english yet. And again the evening was filled with delicious food and scrabble until the next morning! My departure was complete with a trip with Justin, Maia and Marly to a Davis' crape restaurant where they took my S.C. check! Now you don't find that in many places.

Leaving Kannon & Kiara last night was sad for me. I know I will see them again on Kannon's birthday the end of May. But not being able to drive the 3+ hours from SLO to their home at least once a month if not more often is my loss. Although I did see Kiara start her new Tae Kwon Do instruction, I did not get to see Kannon play a baseball game (or basketball or football or interact with his neighborhood friends, etc). I miss their everyday lives but celebrate their touchstones.

So now, the beginning of a new home and community in Richland. Much to do. And Suki is so happy NOT to be staying at the Kennels. Will took in several movies last week and was off to work this morning before I got up. One last point, driving around San Francisco was overwhelming! Proves again...I've been away too long. Until we meet again....

Westward Ho and Plutonium City

2011-02-17T19:00:00.000-08:00

After being delayed for 3 weeks, we began our journey westward on February 4th, Friday morning in the rain. The prior 3 weeks we were treated with loving care by our wonderful Timberlake neighbors and friends. We ate one feast after another all prepared by Mae, Carolyn and Joel, Alex and Beverly or Linda and Dick. I even attended the Assembly of God Church my last Sunday with Mae....Terry was sick...and enjoyed the singing and praises. There has never been a better set of neighbors than we had in Chapin (Timberlake) S.C. My dear friend and realtor, DeeDee Thomas was loving and supportive the entire year and our weekly lunches were a needed social outing for me. And the Jazzercise instructor, Michele, as well as both the morning and Tuesday/Thursday evening classes were such a psychological and physical benefit. I miss the "southern hospitality" and all my friends in S.C. And if it hadn't been for our neighbor Jerry....we would have had to get a motel room instead of being able to sleep in our empty house (Thanks for the wonderful blue, blowup bed!)

Now back to our plan to leave at 9:00am after coffee with Carolyn & Joel....well we both underestimated the list of "things to do before we leave" as well as carrying things to the camper and trailer in the rain. We actually got off at noon. Carolyn was wonderful (as always!) by loading us up with cups of coffee and sending us off with a promise of a visit "sooner than you think." Because the weather forecast was so foreboding..."snow in 49 of 50 states"...we took the southern route, Interstate 20 until west Texas, then Interstate 10. It was dreary, wet and cold...snow along the road in Texas, especially through Dallas on SuperBowl Sunday morning. We were able to get" Dog Friendly" Best Western's...some nicer than others! We watched the SuperBowl in Pecos, Texas where Pizza Hut prepared our meal! Canton, Texas was probably the worst Best Western...only due to the age of the place. Built in the 70's, there has never been any remodeling. The sheets were very thin, there were holes in the carpet, and that green color of the spread was only useful during those "hippy" days when everything was psychedelic! I did check all mattresses for bed bugs and fortunately found NONE. We felt lucky to be on the West side of Dallas in Pecos for the Green Bay Backers win. Texas is the l-o-n-g-e-s-t state to drive through....we were in Texas for 3 days! Enough already!

Once we got into Arizona...we began to feel more "at home." Now don't ask me why...I certainly do not agree with the politics of that state. Senator Giffords is still recovering from that gun shot to the head, the result of a another misuse of guns. Citizens armed with weapons in a democratic country is another sign of the insanity of our political system. And now this craziness about the budget....I am sick to death of the Republican agenda!!! But I am sure many of you disagree with my politics (as I've heard over-and-over again in the Bible/Stroke Belt) so I will keep this to a minimum...for now. Back to Arizona...the ocotillos are getting ready to bloom (see pictures) and the saguaros were sparse and thorny. Will is walking Suki...trying to get her to go potty..but she thinks he's taking her on a hike! The Best Western in Gila Bend (we bypassed Phoenix and took a shorter route) was futuristic. Built in the 80's, it was designed with flying saucers and space ships. We were amazed at the place and hope it's used often on movie sets wanting to recapture the 1980's ideas of what the future would look like.

We met with our friends Nancy & Dennis, those SnowBirds! in Salome (see pictures) for a brunch and brief update of the last year. We, of course, talked more than they did...they both are playing excellent golf and continue to work on their house in Colorado. One day we may actually stay for a while in Parker, AZ nearby. We then drove 12+ hours until we reached Woodland, California. This was Tuesday night so we took Wednesday off and stayed with Tom & Martie.

I was able to have my 1 year old granddaughter, Marly over for the day and her parents joined us for a fabulous dinner of Sukiyaki. Tom & Martie are great chefs and hosts and we hated to leave Thursday morning.

We so enjoyed our northern drive through California and Oregon. We stopped in Mt. Shasta City for lunch at a familiar place, read the local "News & Reviews" and continued on to Weed where we took highway 97 to Klamath Falls. We stopped in Bend, Oregon for the night and realized it's a fun town complete with another wonderful McMenamin Brothers (Mike & Brian) Hotel:

The Old St. Francis School. We did stay at a Best Western but only cause we didn't know about the McMenamin Brothers' place. If you haven't stayed at one; you must try it...they are unique and unusual. And you will enjoy yourself. Will and I vowed we will return to Bend for more local art and exploring. (2 pictures are of Bend)

On Friday, we left Bend and drove to Richland. We learned along the way, the costs of our move and were discouraged. We were told our costs would be minimal and were utterly shocked at the $3600 United Van Lines advised us we owed. And...they would not release our furniture until they had their money! Fortunately, we learned on Monday when Will went to work; his company made some payment arrangements for us. So we start out "in the hole."

The Horn Rapids neighborhood appears empty...there are few large trees and no cars on the streets. The weather is cold and our furniture (which we finally got on Tuesday) doesn't go very well in this house. But...Suki loves the fenced backyard, Will is enjoying his job and I have much to do to get socially connected. I still haven't gone to the 5:45am Jazzercise class, found a book club or even applied for a library card. I leave on Monday for Pleasanton for a week of fun with Kannon & Kiara. I get to walk them to school and go to their social activities. After missing Kiara's 7th birthday celebration...I'm very much looking forward to some catch-up fun.

So we are again "Westerners" in a tough time politically. And I thought the 70's was a time of social and political conflict!!!

This is Will here. We are in Richland WA. which used to be called Plutonium City, because since the first manufacture and separation of plutonium for the Manhattan Project in the early 40's nearly all the plutonium for nuclear weapons has been produced here. My new job has to do with procuring the parts and components for the construction of a "Vitrification Plant" which will be used to convert 80 some million gallons of highly radioactive liquid waste into solid form by mixing it with molten glass and pouring it into stainless steel canisters to solidify. The liquid waste was generated during the diffusion process used to separate the plutonium from the multitude of other radionuclides created in the "breeder reactors". It should be challenging and interesting since most of the parts and materials are made of various metal alloys and a multitude of metallurgical issues are involved.

So far the house we rented is nice and the community has a lot to offer. The area is known for fishing so I will be on top of that soon. Also we have a nice, challenging golf course running around through the neighborhood. We are looking forward to warmer weather. Lots of things and places to explore around here. Hope some of you can come and visit some time.

Camping Out in SC....delayed for 3 weeks!

2011-01-20T13:16:00.000-08:00

We were all set to go...movers took our furniture, car and even Will's surf board and then....
we learned he has to work 3 more weeks! So here's another adventure: this time we are camped out in our house with a blow-up bed (a loan from a neighbor), 2 orange camp-chairs, and a folding table for meals. Our TV, phone and computer are all disconnected so there's not much to do besides read and take walks. Suki and I are walking lots. Also LOVE the Jazzercise daily. Will send a few pictures soon and let you know what's next!

Victoria & Will

SNOWED IN 4 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTING

2011-01-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

Here we are on Monday, January 10th...snowed in. They called Will from work last night and alerted him to stay home today. I had lunch with the neighbors planned plus my last week at Jazzercise. And this morning we awoke to this! There's about 4" on the ground but the real concern is tomorrow! The forecast is for more freezing weather and some sleet! So since there are no snow plows (they are not equipped for this kind of weather!) the wet snow on the ground will turn to ice. So since the temperatures are not forecast to go higher than freezing until Wednesday...my guess is we will be "snowed in" again tomorrow. We just drank the last of the milk...so there goes the coffee! Suki, never having experienced snow, decided she didn't want to

poop outside! That's a first...so we learned to leave her in the garage until....I know TMI!

I'm hoping to get in at least 2 days of Jazzercise before sitting in the truck for 3,000 miles. The movers are coming on Friday morning and that's the day we depart. Charlie Carlin, bless his heart!, is driving from Wilmington on Thursday to join Jerry (our neighbor), Will and I for a Newberry dinner and concert: Nanci Griffith is there Thursday night. That is our finale....so wish us luck and send us your prayers and positive weather energy. We are westward...ho!

Birthdays & Christmas: Moving On

2011-01-02T07:17:00.000-08:00

Hello. We traveled to California on my birthday and returned 3 days after Will's. Mine was spent in San Francisco with friends and family. We had dinner at Scala's (to my surprise Maia

reminded me we went there two years ago on my birthday!) and walked back to the hotel with the lunar eclipse overhead. The following day my other son and his 2 kids (Kannon & Kiara) joined us and we hiked around the City for fun. Kannon engaged a mime & street juggler who put him on stage and had him collecting money in no time! We were all surprised at his ease and outgoing spirit as he entertained us and others. Kiara surveyed our rooms at the Hilton and with some disappointment, decided the rooms "don't have enough color." They spent the night along with their dad but not before we feasted at Max's Opera House Cafe. This was my return home andvery special birthday celebration. Thanks to all: Mary, Debby, Penny, Tom, Martie, Maia and Marly for coming to the dinner and to Justin for meeting us on the street with news of the eclipse.

The next few days we spent in Woodland with our wonderful hosts: Tom and Martie. We were

able to enjoy our grandparenthood together with Marly. We also enjoyed great food and lots of

Upwards...sometimes into the wee hours of the morning. Christmas Eve we all traveled to Pleasanton for an authentic Mexican tamale dinner with Lisa, Tom, Londi, Mike, Ken and the kids. I even got to hear "Twas the night before Christmas...." read by mother to her kittens before they wrote Santa a note and left cookies. Then as they snuggled into their beds...Will and I once again slept in the extra room awaiting the morning and Santa's surprises.

We left early to head back to Woodland to prepare our dishes to take to Denise & Mike's home in El Dorado Hills. What a feast it was!! It was quieter without my son's and their families but we enjoyed the delightful food, the sneaky and fun ornament exchange and the LRC gambling game

that netted both Haley and I some cash! Mike's roast was wonderfully tender and Martie's pies were "just desserts!" Nice to see Shari especially since she was gone last year to the Philippines.

The next day we left Woodland for San Luis Obispo...home sweet home. We arrived at Mike's casa in Atascadero and made it up his hill despite the earth's saturation with all the rain coming down. Mike Virgil is generous to the extreme and his "bed and breakfast" was terrific. The following morning, on Will's birthday, the sun was shinning his praises. We drove through San Luis Obispo looking at the changes but mostly celebrating the sameness. We arrived at the Custom House before Benny, Sandi, Nicolette, Tanner, Torri and Brendan...and

Nicolette's friend. Most patrons were outside in the Sun with the ocean as a "bay window." We

decided to eat inside and were shortly joined by Will's family members. Sandi is still running..only she's taken to 13 miles instead of 26 mile runs. Nicolette...now a senior...plans to attend college in Alaska! Her Dad is trying to talk her out of it. She had a beautiful Canon (professional) camera and we hope she sends us pictures as I forgot my camera! Will was so grateful for his loving "children"...(what do you call 40+ year old offspring?!) I thought

he was teary eyed when we left. Mary and I hiked out to Old Port Pier and back while Will

went in search of his other children.

His birthday evening we went to Ian McPhee's Grill in Templeton. And he never disappoints us!

He's a fabulous chef and his restaurant fits in the north county culture. Mikeal Culala, such a humble professional photographer, brought his partner, Janice and took pictures but again I don't have them...yet. Joe, Mark, Mike S and Marilyn, Butch, Virg & Sue,as well and Mike and Janice all joined us for dinner. Only people missing were Bobby & Mary and Bobby hardly gets out of South County for anything but work! Again I think this was bittersweet as it is so difficult for Will to express how much he misses his friends and the culture and freedom (and the Ocean!) of home.

So as our longing-for-home became more and more present; we headed north once again to Woodland to see that beautiful baby girl Marly before we left for San Francicso. We stayed in a hotel near the airport so as to easily turn in our car and depart on 12/30. We had another "last supper" in San Bruno at a 22 year old Japanese restaurant there with Debby....and like Will she ducks any mushey conversation for topics like movies and politics!

We were home late after a long day of traveling so we didn't pick up our dog at the kennels until the next day....and what a bill it was! Fortunately we don't have to take her there again...after

I "discussed" the bill and they refunded some of the money. But between the cost of the rental car and the kennel...we are broke!

We are down to the last 13 days before we head the Tortuga (pickup and camper) West and "roll em" out to Washington State. Lots of dinners with friends here and lunches before departing so seems like we are in farewells constantly. Sad...apprehensive....uncertain...excited...curious. Wonder what's next? (Oh...we ARE going to see Nanci Griffith at the Newberry Opera House

the night before we leave. Remember her? Songwriter and guitarist and singer.)

Weather Outside is Freightful...And We are Headed Home Monday

2010-12-16T16:20:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!

Here we are still in Chapin, SC looking forward to our 10 days "home." It's been very cold here...last several mornings were 13 and 14 degrees F. When I say something about the chill, Will reminds me..."Wait till we get to Washington!" I don't have any pictures to share as 1/ our camera needs replacing and 2/I haven't taken any shots lately. But thought I would just do an update before we are overwhelmed by packing up and heading out.

Several local folks gave me articles about San Luis Obispo: one from the insert of a Sunday newspaper and the other from a Delta Airlines magazine. Then while browsing through Barnes and Noble I found Dan Buettner's book "Thrive, Finding Happiness The Blue Zones Way."
We are so home sick. There is no place like SLO and as I read Buettner's 5th Chapter "San Luis Obispo...A Real American Dream" I cried both with fond memories and the absence of being there. I often tell the stories of my first days in SLO. I recall the smiles and eye contact from total strangers as I drove down the streets of the town. And when I drove through town via Chorro Street and noticed the long line of cars...wondering what on earth they were waiting for...until I heard several people in cars ahead of me...letting me know there was a snake crossing the road!!! And then there was the Mardi Gra...when we just took our lawn chairs and sat along side the street...and Montano de Oro...and... There are SO many things, people and places we miss. From Paso to Nipomo. I loved reading about Ken Schwartz and the downtown plaza's origins. Mary Peracca reminded me when I mentioned this how she was already a SLO resident during this time and fully participated in voting to make the Plaza the "town square"
it is today. The feng shui of the area...the generosity and participation of the towns people. I know there are problems, traffic hours, changes, etc. but after being away for 2 years and traveling the country And living here in SC for a year....San Luis Obispo is the BEST!

I will miss this neighborhood. Timberlake is beautiful and walking Suki daily and sometimes more is a joy. Beautiful trees, all varieties of birds, friendly neighbors and strangers. And the
Country Club looks elegant. Now that they finally have the dinner menu set and staff trained, we will miss walking over there. Golf, tennis and the pool came late in the year so we didn't get to use those facilities much. Columbia and the Nickolodeon (like the Palm) have been a God Send. Tomorrow we are joining a friend (and her husband) from one of my book clubs and going to see "The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest" and afterwards will eat at the downtown Miyo's Asian Cuisine. Then on Monday we leave for home. So San Francisco here we come or Bust!

We have found a new house in Richland, Washington...site unseen. We have rented it and that will be a new experience! The movers are coming on January 14th and they will take our furniture and my Honda across the country. Will and I along with Suki, our boxer, will head out Friday, January 14th. It's interesting that Will will start in Richland on January 31st...and he
started his job here on February 1st, 2010.

So hope to see you in Pleasanton, Woodland, El Dorado Hills or San Luis Obispo over the next few weeks. We'll be the couple with the huge smiles and glassy eyes as we revisit our families and familiar landmarks. Oh, and Will and I are celebrating our birthdays while there...and we are getting wiser but not alas younger!

Lori's Visit: Charleston & Ashville/Vacation on Hilton Head

2010-11-21T06:42:00.000-08:00

On November 6th at 5:30p.m. in Charlotte, NC at the Fig Tree Restaurant (a really neat old house) Chris & Beth were married. At exactly the same time in Columbia, SC I picked up

my friend Lori Hunsted from the airport. So Will got to represent us at the wedding and Lori

and I drove home to Chapin and went to the Club House for dinner. The following day, Lori, Suki, Will and I drove to Charleston for the day. We took a horse drawn carriage tour of the City and especially enjoyed the old Gullah markets which now serve as crafts markets. We walked through Charleston with it's beautiful cobbled streets and huge old trees...color, moss, and history everywhere. We gorged ourselves on southern food and left the area just as the sun was setting.

The next day Lori and I attended my monthly book club meeting at the local library. The book was the second novel by Jeannette Walls (first one was "The Glass Castle") called "Half Broken Horses." Then on Tuesday evening she joined me for the Bunko (some say Bunco) gathering at a local Timberlake gal's home. She is my witness to the southern females' cultural mindset and hospitality. I have made some generous friends here though we are as different as the East and the West. We had fun with lots of laughter and good food. Both Lori & I left with more money than we started with which just goes to show you what democrats can do with a little help from the republicans!

On Wednesday Lori and I drove the 3 1/2 hours to Asheville, NC. The trees are still showing color up in the mountain area so the drive was beautiful. We dropped Suki off for her doggy day care and visited this most culturally diverse of all the Carolina towns (I've seen so far). We saw

(and heard) bluegrass groups on the street playing, visited many art galleries (one in an old Woolworth's building), chatted with locals and took lots of pictures. Unfortunately I failed to charge my camera the night before so Lori took the pictures and I cannot include them on this blog. I understand now why Carol Pimentel, a long time SLO resident and psychotherapist as well as a former Queen of the local Mardi Gra, relocated to Asheville. It reminded me of the 70's

and 80's in Oregon...refreshing and peaceful. And a great time to go is the fall.

Took Lori to the airport on Thursday after a call from Parks and Rec. asking why I wasn't there to do the Senior Fitness Program. Did I tell you all I finally got a fill in position as the Senior Fitness Instructor? I actually made nearly $400!! Not bad for a year's work. Anyway I loved it and due to a planned vacation with Will in Hilton Head, had to leave the class with a video. The regular gal was out for surgery and was due back the day I left. So Friday morning we took Suki to Wescott Acres Pet Resort and drove another 3 hours to Hilton Head. My Aunt Vera and her

partner were originally to accompany us but she found out she had to work....so Will and I had a wonderful 2 bedroom, 2 jacuzzi condo at Marriott's Barony Beach Club to ourselves. We were on a corner with a beautiful view and 3 minutes to the beach.

After exploring the beach for miles, fishing, finding unusual sea shells, soaking our feet in the silky warm Atlantic Ocean...we found wonderful places to eat. After a few meals out, we decided

to use our kitchen and play Upwards. We are now in the 400's and increasing the

scores slightly. We saw 3 movies, went on an alligator boat tour (our guide Kathleen also advised us of a walking trail nearby to the Indian Shell Circle) and visited Savannah for a day. On our last day at Hilton Head (which looks like a foot with a Puma shoe) we looked for T shirts for ourselves and my grandkids but couldn't find a one with this design! Will played golf with 3 guys from Sumter and Ohio. When our departure date rolled around; we were sad to be leaving and look forward to another time at Hilton Head, SC..unlike the way we feel about most of S.C.

So...between now and February 1st, 2011 we will be preparing to move to Washington State. We have so much work to do....finding a renter for this house in Chapin being the very first order of business. We are going to NC for Thanksgiving and will spend 10 days in California around the holidays. So as you can see....our pace will have to increase for a while. Cheers!

North Carolina for Short Visit and Gathering of Gals from DHS

2010-11-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

After months of plans and schedules since our 1965 Durham High School 45th Class reunion in August; we the representatives of Holton High Junior High School finally met in Raleigh at Chili's for a reconnecting luncheon. We spent about 4 hours updating each other on what's happened in our lives since the fall of '65. My friend, Libby helped me find a place for the meeting and took me to her home afterwards and honestly, it felt like we should hurry up and get dressed to go out dancing. That's what we use to do...watch American Bandstand, practice our steps, and dress up to go out! Folks here still shag and spend evenings dancing and laughing with friends. Their other leisure time is spent with Church activities. I cannot tell you how many times I heard "And the Lord told me.....After I was saved, the Lord..." and so on. The culture is SO VERY different from the West, especially California. When we shared our "life stories"; I was the only one with the courage or stupidity to share my ACA childhood, geographic relocation, and two marriages and other relationships as well as career history. I couldn't tell if they were bored or shocked. But at least no one said "Ah, Vicki....I'm so sorry." It was bitter sweet. Mostly because we are probably (we still don't know about Will's job possibility in Washington) moving back to the West. YAHOO!!! And I don't mean the computer site! I found only Libby really knew me back then. It was conforting to be with her. After loosing my friend, Betty Jo to an auto accident this June before the reunion; it was so very soothing to find Libby. She even gave me her '64 & '65 Year books to review and recall old times.

We took Suki with us and stayed with my Aunt Vera...whom is only a couple of years older than me and works at the University of NC in the Library. Before she moved to Kentucky for some years, she worked at Duke in the Library. She's beautiful, intelligent, physically active and almost ready to retire. I keep hoping she will relocate to California but her daughter, Kristina is

truly a Southern woman and rooted to the culture and lifestyle here. So grandmother's often stay close to their grandchildren (and offspring) so there's not much hope for more than some long visits/holidays. We went out to the "42nd Street Oyster Bar" in Raleigh for dinner on Saturday night and enjoyed the streets filled with costumed adults! It felt like Carnival in Europe! Will loves this restaurant so the three of them feasted on oysters while I had chipino.

On Sunday, we brunched at the Fearrington Village (hope that's the correct name) where Vera once lived. The place is beautiful in the autumn with carved pumpkins, gardens, lakes and waterfalls. Kristina and Mark's kids (Jake & Kaitlin) went on a discovery walk; and found fish, turtles, belted goats and all sorts of other creatures covered with the falling golden leaves. It was a splendid way to end a holiday.

The Pacific NorthWest and a Visit with Charlie

2010-10-18T13:28:00.001-07:00

Hello again. The first picture here has to do with Will's casting. He and Suki, our boxer, go fishing down by the marina at Lake Murray almost every evening. Last week when casting, he

states he felt a "pop" in his shoulder but continued to fish as nothing really hurt. Then later, claims he felt the pop again. Next morning, his arm was bruised from the shoulder to the elbow!

He finally went to Urgent Care...at my insistence, on Friday. We believe he tore his bicep however didn't break it so for now, his hematoma is almost gone. You know how he is with scars; he wanted you to see it!

On Wednesday we flew to Southeastern Washington. We had two different flights but found each other in Pasco, Washington. He was visiting with a facility there to interview for a possible job so we checked out the area, talked to the Chamber of Commerce, and went to the Visitor's Bureau. As usual...one of our favorite things...beyond travel is food, so we found the "Fat Olive"

and ate there several times. It's in Richland and food was fabulous.

We headed over to Portland area on Friday where we visited Will's brother, Charlie in Newberry. The area has significantly grown since we were last there about 4 to 5 years ago.

Charlie is wheel chair bound, is unable to speak very loudly but was clearly excited and grateful to see Will. We took him out....to Fred Meyer's Store for clothes, an electric razor and coffee. He and Will enjoyed each other while I ran back and forth getting the right size clothing and shoes.

It's always sad to leave him. He's very lonely although I believe he enjoys his care home. All the staff commented on his humor and his gardening. They claim all the pumpkins on the dining tables were from Charlie's garden.

Some years ago while visiting with Tessa Bevins along the Columbia Gorge, we were browsing a visitor gift shop in Cascade Falls. I found a book on haunted houses and commented to Tessa how there was one nearby in Troutdale. She laughed and advised me she had reservations...a surprise for me...to stay there for the night. Well I loved it! So on our way back to Southeast

Washington, not far from Portland, Will and I made a reservation at the McMenamins Edgefield

Inn. You must go there...or to one of the McMenamins "resort" hotels. Located near the Columbia Gorge and built in 1911, it is an extraordinary place! Originally built as the Multnomah County Poor Farm; it is located on 74 acres where vineyards, gardens, a winery, a glass blowing shop, a brewery and distillery,a full service spa,and a golf course are among the many amenities.

Go on line and check out the 9 or so McMenamin brothers places for a fun filled resort experience at a price we all can afford! And the Black Rabbit Restaurant was delicious. The building also served as an "old people's home" in some years past and you will see their pictures and stories on walls through out. We stayed (unknowingly) in the old Administration Residence in the attic and were told when we checked out that there were "ghosts" often heard in the house. We, of course, slept through any ghosts visits but it was fun just thinking about it. We played darts and pool most of the evening and had a wonderful breakfast (one I have been looking for all these months in South Carolina) right there in the Edgefield before we continued

our drive through the Columbia Gorge and back to Richland, Washington.

So here we are in Chapin with our dog, Suki. Still in uncertain for what's next. I'm currently filling in for a Senior Fitness Coordinator at the local Parks and Rec. We head for NC in a couple of weeks and to Hilton Head in November. Lori Hunsted is coming on November 6th...same date and time as Chris & Beth's wedding in Charlotte. Be well and we'll be in touch!

Fall....is upon us. But where's the color?

2010-10-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

The weather has changed...and we love it! It's in the 70's usually and sometimes low 80's. After so much heat from June to late September, we are really enjoying being able to go outside and walk around. Will takes Suki fishing down near the Club House nearly every evening and doesn't get back until after dark with tales of the fish he caught and the ones that got away! I'm still going to Jazzercise daily, but now have a gig filling in for the Senior Fitness Instructor at the Parks N Rec for 3 weeks to a month while she's out with a surgery. And I got another call yesterday for a part time job so things are looking up. Politics still sucks and I haven't met a single democrat.

Suki brings us great joy. She is fun and good company and much less annoying now that she's finished her first behavior class. Will is so attached to her while he still claims "I don't want a

dog!" She sticks to him like glue...even though I feed her! She thinks he's her playmate.

This month we plan to fly to Washington state and visit both Will's brother Charlie and the Columbia Gorge. The Gorge is one of my very favorite spots in the country. We are also checking out Richland and towns nearby and we'll have more to share later. Then in November

Lori Hunsted is coming for a visit! I can't wait to play tour guide and show her Columbia and

Charleston. But wouldn't you know! Chris Hartz and Beth Anderson are getting married on the very day Lori is flying in! She's flying into Columbia at 5:30pm and they are having a ceremony in Charlotte on the same day at the same time. So Will will have to go alone and I'll send them my best wishes through him.

We are taking a vacation in November in Hilton Head; it's our second trip there. They have fabulous golf courses and lots to do. It will be mid November and by then hopefully we will have

lots of fall colors. Vera and her friend Woody will join us so Will will get to play some challenging golf. I hear Woody is an excellent golfer.

Then Will's granddaughter, Lindsey, who is currently attending college in Washington DC, will join us for Thanksgiving. We are really looking forward to having her come and stay. Being away from family during the holidays gets lonely so come on over and join us for turkey and the works.

I love checking out so many friends on Facebook...it's certainly a new way of being in touch. I also enjoyed the movie "The Social Network" about Zuckerberg. He, like so many talented young 26 year olds has contributed to a changing world. I believe our country is experiencing "growing pains" and the tendency in a transition is to constrict, to try to go back, to be without a road map for "the new order"....that's what the "tea party" is all about. The chaos of change, when there is no clear view of what's ahead. It's exciting and scary..but one thing is for sure: change is the only thing that is for sure!! So let's try to keep up with this next generation and support them in their discoveries....while enjoying the ride.

And Martie..wish you were here for the upwards games. Val...I'll be thinking of you and your surgery and wishing you less pain soon. Nancy & Dennis...are you "home" (Colorado) now? And all you Californians....is it Jerry Brown for Governor? And how on earth will Prop 19 work??? I miss being in California and enjoyed Chris Heimstra's notation about the utopia of Morro Bay.

Visit with Roland & Dan, Justin & Maia, and Will's 50th Class Reunion

2010-09-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

We arrived in LA on Thursday, September 2nd and drove to Roland and Dan's house in Grand Terrace. It has been over a year since we visited with each other so we hung out and went to dinner at the Mission Inn, where his son Kirk was married. We then explored the amazing Mission Inn and walked the streets of Riverside exploring an area new to me and familiar to Will from childhood. Roland and Dan moved from Huntington Beach to Grand Terrace a few months ago. They have 2 pugs and a large wonderful home which they opened to us with such generosity. Justin, Maia and Marley Grace arrived on Friday. Will went golfing with his friend John Steinbacher from Fallbrook near San Diego. Will was awarded one of Steiny's home made apple pies for being the "Most Inspirational" on the golf course. It was great with vanilla frozen yogurt for desert. Steiny and Debbie joined us all for Thai food in Redlands the next evening. We feasted and laughed for hours.

The next day we all went over to Palm Springs and took the famous tram to the top of Mt. San Jacinto. The tram starts at 2600 feet elevation and rises over 6,000 vertical feet to the top. The ride is spectacular and the floor of the circular tram pod slowly rotates as you rise, giving everyone a chance to see in all directions. The view of course is long and huge. You can see the Salton Sea which is over 40 miles south. It was 113 degrees in Palm Springs at the bottom and about 80 on top. The actual top of the mountain is at 10,850 feet. On top where the tram lets you out it is about 8,500 feet and very similar to being in the Sierras. Big pines and meadows with huge granite formations. We had packed a picnic lunch and it was delicious. There is a restaurant at the top for those less industrious. There is also a nice loop trail that we walked with stunning vistas of the desert below and the peak of San Jacinto above. The highest mountain in Southern California is San Gorgonio, known as "Old Grayback"since the summit is above timberline. It was clearly visible to the north in the San Bernardino mountains. Will, bless his heart has climbed it a couple times. The first time he climbed it he was in the Boy Scouts back shortly after the big war.

The next day was Wills' 50 year high school reunion. It was at the Catholic School, Don Bosco Tech and was simply a lunch, a couple slide shows, a talk and then a tour of the school. It was great seeing some old friends, many, I had not seen in 50 years; others I had seen 25 years ago at the last reunion. I had a good visit with them and one of my favorite Metallurgy teachers "Brother"Fred Lockwood...(though he is no longer a Brother). There were lots of changes to the school. As you would expect the equipment in the various shops (acadamies) must keep up with current technology.

Monday evening we had our "last supper" with our hosts. Daniel made a wonderful soup and we laughed, chatted and admired Marley one and all. We had to leave the next day and arrived back in South Carolina just before midnight and in bed a bit after 1 :00 AM. I had to get up at 5:30 for work . It was wonderful seeing friends and family. And let's hope the Don Bosco Tech classmates don't wait another 50 years for another reunion!

1965 Class Reunion- 45 years later

2010-08-18T20:17:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone. These pictures are from Durham High School's graduating class of 1965...and we look it don't we? Will and I went for the festivities last Friday after several weeks of preparation and planning. First I shopped for cocktail attire...the price of the two nights indicated expensive dinners. Then I learned Friday was to be casual and they were serving hot dogs, hamburgers and pulled pork...or as they call it "BBQ." Saturday was to be "dressy casual" so my cocktail clothes went back to Belks and Dillards. Though they were on sale; they took them back...shoes and all. Will, of course, only bought new shoes and guess what!? He needed them.

If you've ever been to one of these reunions; you know they are a look back in the present trying to remember the person(s) in front of you from the past. I have been to my 10th, 20th and 40th and this was the first time to a mid-decade reunion. I think we had about 600 grads and there were only 120 or so at this reunion. There were some folks there on Friday without partners and it was a friendlier crowd. Most of them did not return on Saturday and I only remembered to take my camera on Saturday. Memory is a most important asset and skill at these events. It was a trip; to put it in the vernacular of my time...(and what "time" was that Victoria? Actually I relate "my time" to the 70's and 80's. And that time was in Northern California!)

There were lots of old friends from elementary school and junior high there, especially on Friday and they were interested in recall and catching up on "what took you to California?" "why are you back here and living in SC?" and "remember such and such and so and so?" ...which of course I did not. The time (on Friday) was fun but there's something bitter sweet about knowing this interactive experience would be short lived. Will and I left about 10:30pm and I felt

exhilerated looking forward to seeing these classmates again tomorrow night.

We drove around Durham on Saturday looking at the changes to downtown; my old residences, neighborhoods and trying to find my junior high school. We also went to see "Eat, Pray, Love" which is about 10% as interesting as the book and although Julia Roberts toned herself down for the part...I think Gweneth Paltrow would have been a far better choice. But...the scenes in Italy and Bali are spectacular. And who wouldn't want to live in her little hut in Bali and hang out with Javier??? Although some of my friends criticize the book for "Oh, she just whines...get over it!"

Hey...easier said than going through a divorce...the first time! Others said "So bourgeois...wish I could travel even though I'm broke and getting a divorce!" Hey...you can. It's just not the typical American tourist experience. If you love eating fabulous food, traveling on a low budget and seek personal growth through expansion of your known world...and want more connection with your Higher Power....read the book and go where your heart leads you. Will and I have been so

many places; some we will return to and other places where we haven't been...we are awaiting an opportunity (and our bag is almost packed!)

Back to the class reunion. Saturday night began with entering the Country Club with a guy who

said "Vicki, do you remember Tom Medlin?" Well...that was my first "real" boyfriend. You know the "one" you never forget? Drama, practices of coupling, special occasions, breaking up and getting back together...all learning experiences in the long run. He said Tom (Tommy as I knew him) whispered to tell me hello when his wife of 40+ years went into their vacation home in Myrtle Beach. Well that beginning was mischievious and fun...I wondered what became of him. He got his MBA and has been some sort of CEO or CFO ever since. He didn't go to DHS but went to Southern High School. Had 3 kids but one, a girl, died at about 10 years of age. Now...why is that kind of information helpful? It somehow finishes some longstanding wondering...and that is the real experience of a class reunion. That's the sweet. It's easy to feel lost and alone in a crowd and though I drug Will around as I took pictures (thankfully I remembered my camera and who doesn't like to have his/her picture taken at a class reunion?!) I still felt "out of it" in regards to knowing these folks and being included somewhere. I suppose most folks feel this way..except the ones who continue to meet and play with old friends/classmates.

In preparing for this 2 day event; Will was kind and brave enough to take "shag" lessons. We thought we would have more fun if we could dance in the style of the locals. Well, perhaps because my best friend, Betty Jo Hall Boring, died June 1st of this year in a tragic car accident

or simply because we didn't have any couple to really hang out with; we danced one "shag" dance after dinner and quietly slipped out the back. It was about 9:45p.m. I found myself sad and wondering why I put myself through this every 5-10 years. A let-down from what? An expectation I would connect, remember and reconnect? I have no idea what this meloncholy experience is...missed possibilities? Roots? Since my Uncle Sonny died I have said "There is no one in my life now who carries my history." And yet, many of these folks whom I do not see except every decade, do in fact have a small fraction of my childhood. Where is that girl who was surviving all that dysfunction and family drama? How did I ever make it leaving "home" at 18 and finding a new life in Winters, California? It was truely a miracle. My life has never been better than as a Californian. So these little glimpses into childhood, however sad and fleeting...are worth it.

I have offered some of the women I "re" met there a monthly gathering in Charlotte; it's 2 hours for me and 2 hours for them to drive. We'll see if it works out. With most of the gals being religious and conservative...I'm not sure what we have in common other than our pasts but isn't this an experience in peace making? We do have more in common than our beliefs...what about our humanity and grandchildren? Email me with your class reunion experiences, thoughts and feelings. There are some Asian folks who have taken to commenting on this blog and I don't know who they are or what they are saying so just email me (or Will). And thanks for listening.

Reading, Eating and Waiting

2010-07-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

Hello again. We just returned from a weekend trip to Nashville, Tennessee. I found a "free" workshop: "Trauma Treatment, From Affect to Resolution" so Will took Thursday off and we drove the 7-8 hour drive to Nashville. The workshop offered 5 CEU's so thinking that was a "deal;" we boarded our boxer (costs $90); stayed at the Embassy Suites, where the workshop was held ($167); ate at the Omaha Steak House ($89); went to a movie ($15) and stayed at
Days Inn ($78) on the second night. We also ate at a fabulous Greek Restaurant "Kalamata"
which cost about $27. And of course had breakfast in Georgia on the way home, another $20.00.
Along with 900+ miles on the car, gas and a couple of Starbucks stops...it was not at all a cheap trip. We figure a little over $500. So much for "free." We also thought, foolishly, we would get out of some of this triple digit heat....wrong again. We are home today, where it is at least 100 degrees F; Will just noted "It's like being in jail!" So there you go for how's it's going.

We did discover some interesting things in Nashville. Found a great NY Deli near the hotel and chatted with a gal working there who spent over ten years in Southern California. She recalled Canter's and Jerry's Deli but didn't know Nate & Al's. We also found the "midtown" area of Nashville near Vanderbilt College. There was a great coffee shop, "JJ's Cafe" and nearby Centennial Park where an exact scale replica of the Parthenon stands. No it's not Athens but it was fun to see a memory in stone and it was built in the late 1800s! Also the Grand Ole Opry area was recently under 17 feet of water! The flooding certainly devastated this tourist area and there were tales among the workshop attendees of basements flooding and loss of furniture as well as homes.

I'm reading Pat Conroy's 2009 book, "South of Broad" which not only gives real insight to the Old South of Charleston; but of the classes who still reside here. He speaks with such artistry of San Francisco....at a time when AID's was at an epidemic in the heart of the City. I loved his knowledge of the City and of the places the character's visited. It was apt reading for me at this time after reading "The Help." I highly recommend it. And besides he has a fabulous sense of humor...something I'm only recently cultivating.

Hello people. This is Will adding a bit. While Victoria attended her free class all day
Friday I drove around Nashville and checked it out. I hadn't been there since 1984. It has grown up a bit. I checked out the Ryman Auditorium which is known as the "Mother Church of Country Music". This is where all the old greats like Johnny Cash, Elvis, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and countless others started out. Right next to it across a little alley is "Tootsies Orchid Lounge" which was owned by Tootsie Bess a famous Country singer in her own right and known for helping and nurturing struggling artists like Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and many others. Her place was a hangout and watering hole for untold numbers of famous entertainers. The signed photos on her walls are worth the visit. Tootsies still has plenty of great live music and all the Funk you could ask for. I saw these places in 1984 and they have not changed much, if at all.
I considered going fishing and even went to check on buying a Tennessee license but they wanted $33 for a 3 day license and it was TOO HOT to fish anyway. I did drive down to the river below the dam where they had stocked some trout in January and nobody was fishing and it was TOO HOT anyway.

So that's it for now. We will attend Victoria's 45th class reunion in August and my 50th in LA in September. Stay cool and appreciate California! We miss everything about it.

Just a note on the other pictures included: we went on the Purple Martin cruise over Lake Murray with our friend DeeDee and had a wonderful time. If you stain to see them, there are Purple Martins in the boat scene as well as the sunset. Also while out in the back yard in the hot sun I caught this Cicada Killer wasp carrying her paralyzed Cicada back to her burrow.

Hot & Humid with Culturally Challenging

2010-07-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

Here's our sitting room with the wonderful soothing fountain Justin gave us years ago...finally in a position to enjoy it. Just outside behind the blinds are Will's bird feeders. The bird you see is an immature male Cardinal. Will has spotted Blue jays, Brown Thrashers, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wrens, Morning Doves, Black Capped Chickadees, Brown Headed Cowbirds, Eastern Towhees, Purple Finches, various Sparrows, Eastern Bluebirds just to name a few. It's still too hot to sit outside and enjoy them. Above the Buddha is a painting that reminds Will and I of a bamboo forest we hiked in Maui, near Hana at the Seven Sacred Pools. And in front of the Buddha are Magnolias, another beautiful tree here in South Carolina. The plant growing on the marina is familiar but I don't have my flower books here. So if you know what it is...please tell me.

Over the 4th of July, my Aunt Vera and her partner Woody along with Kristina, (my cousin)Mark and their kids came for a weekend visit. It was fun having a house full of relatives...and especially joyful to have kids here. We did glimpse fireworks over the lake at the country club, however briefly. We also traveled to Newberry on Saturday evening for dinner.

Was interesting discussing "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett with the book club. Most of the women are from the South....one is a transplant from NY. The book reveals the intimacy of raising white people's children while being second-class citizens to their parents. I was not surprised by the old familiar presence of institutional racism in the room. I haven't heard the myths, stereotypes and prejudices spoken aloud for many years. Initially excited about Stockett's research and personal sharing, I soon realized a deeper level of self-disclosures would estrange me from the group. There were no black women in the room. And if there were....would she be willing to share her truths? I think not. Not much has changed since the 1960's which was the setting for the book. Except "the help" can now use the toilets. To paraphase Spike Lee, the dominant white culture (especially in SC) knows very little about the culture of the subcultures living around them. I am sad and I don't want to be here long.

"Life is too important to be taken so seriously!" That's my montra for now. We are going on a local dinner boat cruise on Sunday to see the Purple Martins. And my 45 year class reunion is coming up in August in Durham. Then in September Will will attend his Don Bosco Tech Catholic School Reunion in Los Angeles! And we get to visit with Roland and Dan. Two gentle, loving friends whom I miss everyday.

Suki is, as of today, 5 months old. She weighs 36 pounds and is gaining. I walk her every morning and evening as it's too darn hot to get out in the midday. She still jumps and gets so excited when seeing people or animals. We are starting a class at Pet Smart on Saturday to help us get her to slow down and relax. Wish us success!

The Weather Outside is Frightful!

2010-06-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

Here on this very hot afternoon, we find Will playing golf at the country club with a bunch of other hot-weather buffs. The goal is to raise money for the local food bank but I say the goal is to remain alive and upright! It's at least 100 degrees and when I go out with the dog for her potty breaks...the oppressive heat hits me at the door and I can't wait to turn around and get back in! I'm playing Bunko on Tuesday night with 16 other gals and the game is in the pool! So let's see if I can manage to keep my dice (or is it di?) dry.

Let's see....so General McChrystal, commander of U.S. and NATO Coalition Forces in Afghanistan didn't know Twitter, the Web and his Rolling Stone interviewer were listening as he
dissed the VP...his superior??? And "Drill, Baby Drill" would turn out to be a nightmare? And are we sure we can keep the bi product of nuclear energy for 10,000+ years without a "safety"
incident??? As an optimist; life is difficult in these times. On the bright side, Americans always come to help in trying times, (not as voters!) but as volunteers. Here in SC...the old governor,
who found his soul mate while on a clandestine trip out of the country and told his wife on national TV...is supporting the new (probably) governor Nikki Haley who was introduced by Sarah Palin on the State House steps as the BP Oil disaster continued to push thousands of gallons of oil into the gulf coast. And only in SC will you see these captions in the Columbia newspaper: "Sanford on the Rebound"...."after a very public downfall and a divorce, things are looking up.....the Republican has won a major state budget victory and seen his hand-chosen candidate (that's Haley) nominated to succeed him. He's even won a standing ovation from Republicans...." And the article goes on to say that although term limits require him to leave office in January, he may still be seen as the ultraconservative contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. AND another article"Pro Confederate flag groups to rally"...protesting the 10th anniversary of the removal of the Confederate flag from the Dome of the State House in 2000. " (It now flies right in front of the steps of the State House!) this group wants the legislature to allow state residents to vote on the flag's replacement. AND (I love this one) "Language use goes both ways: In response to K. Hankla's article on Tuesday "I ain't your honey, sweetie, darlin", have you ever been to a group luncheon where the waitress asked, What are you guys having?" He goes on to say "I often wonder what the response would be if a waiter asked a group at the "ladies" (my italics) What are you dolls having? It's a two-way street.." The guy is so dumb...ok uninformed, ignorant, isolated....he doesn't know the term
gals goes with guys (not guys and dolls!) as does "ladies and gentlemen", "women and men", "boys and girls". And this is just a small bit of the "cult-cha" in S.C. LOL

Will is surviving his work (the reason we are here) and his mood is positive for the most part..."How long do we have before we go home?" he asks often. I am surviving our boxer's spaying. She "got fixed" on Monday and on Thursday morning broke out with the most plentiful hives I've ever seen. After two trips to the local Vet, and two injections of benadyrl as well as given it orally, we drove to the Emergency Vet Hospital in a nearby town last night after 9 where she was given a steroid injection. She was so uncomfortable and looked awful. We hope she's on the mend.

So for the upcoming 4th of July....we plan to entertain and visit with my Aunt Vera, my cousin Kristina and their families from N.C. Due to the heat, I don't think we will have the outdoors, traditional, picnic but may try to see the fireworks on the lake...if it cools off a bit. Enjoy your scenery, your fog (to cool off with) and your local culture. We are more-than-ever Californians at heart. (Pictures include 3 baby birds in my hanging flowers on the porch)

Four Months Later....

2010-06-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

Suki is 25 pounds and almost 4 months old. My grandson is 8. Tessa just had a birthday, as did
Charlie, Tom Dote and my brother Larry. Life keeps moving forward. And then there's the gulf oil spill. Oh, my God!! In my time we worried about the nuclear push....and human error. And of course, we are tampering again with this energy source. I'm so disheartened by the oil spill and the lethargy with which it takes to repair, change and fix anything! But...that's not why I'm doing this blog. I'm writing so I can share and stay in touch with you all. There are some Asian folks (not anyone I know) writing comments on the blog. Makes me a little uncomfortable that there are strangers viewing my blog....If there is a way YOU KNOW to only allow designated friends to access this blog; please let me know.

Life in South Carolina....is for Southerners...and conservative Republicans. The Republican gubernatorial race is at least interesting. Nikki Haley, a state representative from Lexington,
is the daughter of immigrants and girl! are they giving her hell. There are rumors flying that she had sex with...other candidates and that she's a "raghead." Great! My only dislike of her is that she had Sarah Palin come to the front of the state house (just above where the Confederate Flag flies everyday) in support of her candidacy. Seems she's now a...Methodist! Not a Sikh...but she is a supporter of the outgoing governor....Mark Sanford. Remember he's the one with the "soul mate" he went to see out of country while his staff said he was hiking the Appalachian trail. So the governator isn't so bad after all....just another bad actor.

The coffee shop-bookstore idea is still just that, an idea. The owner called recently asking if I wanted to buy the shop, which might be a worthwhile investment, but we are going home in 20 months. Jazzercise is my only constant; so little structure for a gal who loves structure! I am now in 2 bookclubs and that helps.

The weather is sooo oppressively hot...it was 87 today but the humidity was at least that. I kept thinking it would rain...not that it cools off afterwards. My feet are loaded with ant bites; they blistered...fire ants. Imagine putting on socks and shoes to go outside in this weather!! The country club pool and restaurant will be open soon. It's within walking distance so that will help. Will's off in North Carolina on a fishing expedition. He took Suki fishing on nearby Rivers and Lakes while I was in California. So he deserves to have a blast and catch some big ones....that is if he goes catching instead of fishing! Above are family pictures taken in California during my visit last week. Be well and stay in touch.

As Promised...Suki the 10 week old Boxer Pup

2010-04-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

Wonderful to hear from all of you!! Soothes my lonely heart. And as I promised in my first blog, here are pictures of my torturer...Suki. A picture of my granddaughter will follow when I can figure out how to post it. Be well and keep in touch.

2010-04-21T05:01:00.000-07:00

This new blog is a collection of stories, comments, complaints (I'll try to limit this except as delivered with humor) about our journey from the Central Coast of California to a small town near Columbia, S.C. We completed our national tour last December and returned to our humble San Luis Obispo surroundings. Our home was still rented out...which reminds me NEVER RENT TO FRIENDS. Many of you warned us. And you were right. There are good reasons for keeping friends, friends. When you rent out your house to a friend for a year...you learn who they really are. We learned they didn't respect our stuff...Will's grandfather's desk and file cabinet; sprinklers around the yard; his fine collection of arrow heads from the Avila Beach area; our Arrow Head water table....So consider us learn-ed! We lived in our camper in
the driveway during December and January until they were moved out. Now I may be thick
headed (controlling? stubborn?) but that experience was ENOUGH for me. Will has a higher
tolerance for inappropriate behavior. I learned a lot in the field of mental health. So after cleaning the house, hiring window washers, floor cleaners, repairing the yard and the sprinklers our former friends found us new renters. We have a contract and appreciate the new renters.

That being said...we landed in South Carolina on January 28th, 2010. We lived in an extended stay hotel...I kept calling it "extended living" facility, for about 2 months. It was awful! Nicely
appearing and in some ways a fantasy of mine to live in a "hotel" like a New Yorker!, it came complete with....cock roaches!! Now I grew up "poor, white trash" in North Carolina and remember the roaches...but they are not fun to look at, deal with, and try to get rid of. We complained, they had the exterminator (do you think Arnie would have been better?) come and tell us he comes every 2 weeks and so far cannot get rid of them. We bought "roach hotels" and the little ones just kept coming! They are the German-kind, ugly and tough. They will be here long after the human species is gone. After visiting the Chamber of Commerce, I located a realtor, DeeDee, who found us an affordable house in Chapin. She has become a dear and needed friend. Now you might think things are better but just wait.

Here we are in an affordable house (they call them Patio homes..as they are for older folk like us and have smaller yards) and Will has a job. The drive to his work is along country roads...I mean ten feet and higher pine trees thick all along the road...with deer and other wild life unexpectedly crossing regularly. He has to be there at 6am so most of the time it's dark when
he leaves. Most of the roads have speed limits within the 35 miles to 50 miles an hour speed. We lived with our camping chairs, our TV (which we stuck in the back of the camper) and our mattress from the camper for a while. Slowly we have acquired other furniture...but Will's salary goes to pay for those goods. Not the reason we came here. We came here so he could gen up his retirement. After the economy took a dive, he maxed out his equity account, and began to really worry about his future. He was fortunate to have friends in the nuclear field and now he is helping establish the lab for the new site. He loves his job...has a great attitude and is beginning to be recognized as the talented engineer he is.

Me....after 26 years in the social work field in California...I cannot qualify for a job! Our trip last year was meant to give me a glimpse at retirement. I had fully expected to return to work supervising graduate interns in my San Luis Obispo. So when Will suggested we move to S.C.
I thought: "OK, well it's for a limited time. I can work part-time and see how the South has changed." Well...lemetelya! My license does not transfer; there is no equanimity. I also have tried to just attend an NASW meeting, which I thought was a minor deal...but NO. I have just completed an application and sent in my money to sit for their licensing board. I also have to sign up for a study preparation class after my application is accepted. And on top of that, everything is in Columbia or further away.

And the South...is very different from California!!! For example: we went to get our drivers'
license..what a long arduous task that was. They want your social security card, your birth certificate, your passport, a letter with your local address on it, and your current license from another state...just to get you a S.C. driver's license...AND of course proof of insurance. Now my son Tom, as you all know, is a Farmer's Insurance Agent. So I called him and he suggested I contact State Farm or another Farmer's. So guess what! There is no Farmer's Insurance
Company here. So State Farm was my next task. Well, when the Condo I own (am buying!)
had the plumbing problem last year which costs me an-arm-and-a-leg to repair broke and I attempted to get the homeowners to help me with the costs...I also filed a farmer's homeowners claim (there was an agent that liked working with Condo owners cause she said they are tricky and prized herself as one who might get them to pay but.. did not)...well this "claim" which was not paid on..and was just a technicality...caused State Farm to refuse me as a customer!! Who Knew?? So we found an insurance company through contacts with my friend DeeDee and were finally able to...get our driver's licenses!

Back to the South changing....did I say we are hard core Democrats in the land of the Southern Right-Winged-Baptist-Republicans?! Do I need to say more? As a feminist and a liberal thinker I have had to keep my mouth shut...a good thing! you might say. I have certainly learned (and continue to learn) that one's opinion is just that. Columbia seems to be a little more liberal, they have a Black Mayor and Senator. But let-me-tell-you-girl! the prejudices, beliefs, limitations STILL exist here. At a book club I joined I heard the leader compare Obama to Hitler!! At that point, I just said, "you guys need to know I am a democrat"...which lead to laughter and a brief apology...you know they must keep up that Southern Hospitality.

Lastly let me say we now are the tired, frustrated, old, homicidal owners of a boxer pup. She is keeping us up at night (especially me the one without a job!) and having trouble changing us to fit her play, poop, and chew routine. There is a gal, Sharon, a local dog whisper-er who comes over to show me how to be a pack leader...but I am failing miserably.

The good news...it's hot as hell, it's beautifully green with pinks, fuchsias, whites and blooming bushes everywhere. It's slower living and the movies at the theaters in Irmo and Columbia are not current...the one Palm-like-theater in Columbia, the Nickelodeon only plays one movie at a time...and we've seen them all. So where's my humor? If you have any to spare, please let me know! I will post a picture of my new granddaughter Marley and of our torturer...Suki soon.