Tracy Arm Fjiord

For those of you who don't know..... Juneau is land locked.  We're part of the mainland, but there are no roads in or out of Juneau.  The only way you can leave is by plane or boat.  This makes it not only expensive, but also difficult, to get away for the weekend.  For those of us without a boat, a day trip is usually a drive "out the road."  From one end to the other of our road system is about 60 miles. 

Another option for a day trip is to take a cruise to Tracy Arm.  This is a full day of pure enjoyment as you join Adventure Bound Alaska for some of the most beautiful scenery in the world! 

That's what we did on Monday.  My sister is visiting Juneau and it was a challenge to come up with some kind of activity that would keep her mind occupied for the day.  This was important because it was the one-year anniversary of her husband's passing....  We knew it would be a difficult day for her.  That there could be a lot of deep sadness. 

So we packed some survival food.... and headed to the Captain Cook, a 65' sightseeing boat.  Along the journey we saw so many whales....

And icebergs....  Deep deep blue in color.  They say 80 percent of the berg is under water so just imagine the damage this berg could do to our little boat! 

I love finding shapes in objects--like this mushroom. 

We saw some of the most incredible scenery, with sheer cliffs etched out from glaciers long ago.  There were deep deep cracks in walls of rock that look like it would break away at any minute.  Dainty yellow, orange, blue and red wild flowers creeping along any inch of surface they could find. 

This is a trip everyone should take.  At least once in their life time.  I know Steve (my sister's husband) would have enjoyed this trip immensely as he was a mountain climber in his younger days.  I bet he would have imagined himself climbing these very sheer cliffs. 

But Steve is in another place now.  Or so we thought....  Imagine my surprise when I learned that the Captain's name on the boat was Captain Steve!  Coincidence?  I think not.  I hope my sister found peace on this day. 

Father's Day

Well, a little late posting pictures of Father's Day, but things have been busy here!  It doesn't get much better than my son fixing us dinner.  He's some kind of master chef, and everything he makes is a 5 star meal.  I could certainly make the same meal, but it would never taste the same. 

Like vegies roasted on the grill.  They would be over cooked, or the onions would be under cooked.  I'd have too much olive oil on it or not the right spices...  It would be edible but wouldn't have that "just right" taste. 

Our menu meat consisted of slow cooked country ribs.  And by "slow cooked," I mean slooooooowwwww cooked.  Four hours of cooking on a briquette bbque.  They were the best ribs I've ever had. 

Hunter learning to be a camera man: 

Ellis and Grandpa Soapy.

Little Miss Avery.  She's all tom boy!  Look at  how dirty she is!

The finished meal:  slow cooked ribs, marinated flank steak, grilled vegies, and a salad.  A meal certainly fit for any king!

Thank you, kids, for the best day ever! 

today....

Today  is my birthday.... 
I am a "young" 59...
Well, my mind feels like a young 45, but my body...
yea... 59... maybe 60....

 

Today my sister also comes to town....!

We'll celebrate my birthday, then tomorrow go on a day cruise to Tracy Arm Fjiord.

Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of the death of her husband,

and I'm hoping a day trip will help ease the pain of the day.  

We'll put in a full day of babysitting.  I suspect the grandkids will be on their best behavior with someone new in the house....

Then the birthday celebration.... 

I've never cared for birthdays and probably need to do some deep reflecting on why....

Maybe I don't want to be forgotten.

Or maybe I WAS forgotten once....

I know I'm not keen on a lot of personal attention.

Or picture taking (I take HORRIBLE pictures!), of which there will be some taken.
Maybe I secretly DO want all the attention....
But don't want to be disappointed when people don't show the love....
so I pretend like it doesn't matter to me....
(course, you'd have to LET them know it's your birthday
if you want the attention)

Maybe I've been disappointed in gifts before....

Like the jump rope I got many many years ago from my husband... because he thought I could lose some weight....  (yea.... he's no longer my husband!)

I'm certainly not one of those people who celebrate all week long. 

I dread this day and only wait for it to be over....

But then there's all the love from family and friends,

and it makes it a good day

and I wonder.... why do I hate birthdays so much?

christmas 2010

Christmas is over for another year.  It's SO over, that we already have our trees down and decorations put away!  It just seemed the right thing to do. 

It was a good Christmas.  Josh, Nicholas and Shodie were here to join us this year.  It's been a few years since we woke up to a big Christmas.   

Then we had a long wait before the rest of the kids joined us at 4:00.  Dinner was made.  Table set. 

Then the chaos that is Christmas. 

It was Avery's first Christmas and she knew exactly what needed to be done. 

It was a good day.  A long day.  But an even longer day for the big kids and grandkids.  I'm thinking we need to rethink our Christmas Day plans next year so the kids might be able to enjoy the spirit of Christmas rather than watching the clock to see where they need to be next....

annual sugar cookie decorating extravaganza

an email to my sister
sent Sunday, December 12

We had another successful Sugar Cookie Decorating Party.  I was up and at it by 7:00, getting blueberry muffins made and the breakfast quiche warmed up.  I cheated and bought cut up fruit this year...  I had planned on buying one of those fruit platters that Fred Meyers carries.... it used to be $14.95.... is now $24.95....  So I bought a smaller container and then added other fruit to it. 

I never buy orange juice but on occasions because I know the girls like it, and we also had hot chocolate and coffee (with Baileys).  It was a decent spread for breakfast.  Then for lunch, we had mini croissants filled with chicken salad.  I love putting grapes in it for an added crunch and tanginess. 

The table got set up with all my mini spoons and knives, toothpicks, paint brushes; different tools to use to spread the frosting and make designs with.  And don't forget the frosting.  I think I made 10 pounds of powdered sugar icing this year with only a little left over!  Yes, we were zinging! 

Okay, so this is how the event starts out:  We're crazy about details when decorating the cookies.  We make the snowman look life like; the trees are sparkling with miniature lights.  The snow globe looks as if it's just been shaken and the caps and mittens look like they could actually keep you warm. 

Then, as the morning moves on, and we realize we still have hundreds of cookies to decorate.... we start decorating with less details.  Maybe the snowman only gets eyes and a scarf around his neck.  Maybe the snow globe looks like it hasn't been shaken in years.... 

Then, another hour goes by.  Our pile of undecorated cookies doesn't look like it's getting any smaller.  We start slapping on the frosting a little faster.  Instead of individual cookies, each with their own personality, they're all beginning to look like twins. 

Still, we keep at it.  An hour.  Two.  Then three.  Tracy, Michelle, Shodie, Jill, and I.  Oh, and Miss Ellis who's also here at her first Annual Sugar Cookie Decorating Event.  She's the creative one this year, making sugar cookie SANDWICHES with frosting between them.  Oh, so good!  And Avery got to join us this year and was so good sitting in her high chair, enjoying all the crumbs we gave her.  Hunter was hanging out with his dad today, which was probably for the best.  I had a little table set up for the two little kids to sit at and decorate/eat to their heart's content, but I have to admit, it would have been a little more intense had Hunter been there.  He has so much joy in him, and he would have been so thrilled with each cookie he had decorated, that he wouldn't have been able to contain himself!  Still, it would have been fun to have him there enjoying our family tradition.

Anyway, it was good to have Ellis and Avery there with us this year.  A girl's party.  But I'm glad it's done for another year.  It's a LOT of work, but well worth it.  We have fun.   

Now we have all these cookies to eat, and share, and eat some more.  It's almost a shame to eat them, because they're so pretty!  But we all manage.  I keep mine in the freezer so they're a little less accessible... a "little" less accessible.... 

Merry Christmas! 

an email to my sister

An email to my sister (annual sugar cookie decorating party)
Sunday, December 12

Morning. Seems like forever since I've written, but it's only been a day. I'm looking out the window at all the beautiful snow. We got about 5" yesterday, and with the Christmas lights twinkling in them is so gorgeous.

I'm pooped. Still have this darn cold. Thank you Hunter. I started feeling it Wednesday or Thursday, and now today it's in my chest and I can't cough the darn stuff up. Maybe after my shower. I woke up with my nose all crusted. Fun. But it sure has thrown me for a loop.

I had a full day planned Friday and it was all organized--doctor appt, grocery shopping, make cookies, bake quiche, make chicken salad, get everything ready for Saturday morning. What I failed to add onto the list was a 2 hour nap first thing in the morning. So from there, my day just went downhill.

I came home from my doctor's appt and just felt shitty so thought I'd take a little nap. Well, then grocery shopping ended up being a bigger deal than usual. My brain isn't working at even half capacity and I found myself going back and forth from one end of the store to the other, picking up items I forgot. Never mind I have the list, in order that I shop. It took me longer to shop than I had anticipated and we didn't get home until 1:00. I told Mike to just put the groceries on the table and I would put them away AFTER I got my dough made and chilling. Well, several items I needed were in the bags and I ended up having to scrounge through them. I had groceries out and laying all over the place.

Okay--Batch One. Went okay. It went into the fridge. I decided to make Batch Two and Three together, so I didn't have to waste time washing my bowls and blender, etc., after Batch Two. I have a Kitchen Aid and figured it could handle the load. So in went the 2 pounds of butter and six cups of sugar. Then the first six eggs. It was then that I noticed that oil was dripping out of my beater! Thankfully.... and don't tell anyone.... but I just wiped it down and hoped that none actually dripped into the batter. Hey, I wasn't in the mood. So I continue adding the "one egg at a time" and had added two more eggs when the third slipped from my hand and fell into the bowl. Within mano-seconds it had disappeared from sight, as I frantically tried to shut the damn machine off and salvage my dough! I kept pulling the lever closest to me, which turns out is not the on/off, but the lever to lift the blades up. By the time I reached to the other side of the machine and turned it off, there wasn't an egg shell to be seen....

So here's my dilemma.... Do I keep going or do I toss the batter out and start all over.....? Remember: This is 2 pounds of butter and 6 cups of sugar and 8 eggs.... That's a lot of $$$. And if I can't SEE the egg shells, what are the chances you'll be able to FEEL them as you bite into the cookie....? What would you have done?

Okay, so I tossed it all out and started over. This time, I still did the double batch, which was mistake number one to begin with. But instead of cracking the egg into the bowl, one at a time, which is a challenge in itself with a Kitchen Aid because you only have this little bit of room.... I cracked all the eggs into a bowl and let them slide in that way. Mission accomplished! Now the butter, sugar, and eggs are blended and I've started adding flour. It became clear that I was not going to get 14 cups of flour into this bowl. I don't know what I was thinking. So I poured the batter into a larger bowl and ended up mixing it by hand. Yea, you know how easy that was in my weakened state? Not fun.

So the dough is in the fridge, chilling. I'm putting groceries away and making quiches and doing all that other stuff. I'm so very tired. It's 5:00 by now. The dough has been chilling about 2.5 hours.... I'm looking at the clock asking myself how on earth I'm going to pull all this off with the few hours left. But I go for it. I flour the dining room table (it's granite) and start rolling. As soon as the dough hits the table, it melts on me. I scrape it off, add more flour, try again. It melts. I keep doing this, adding a little more flour to the table, to the rolling pin. To the cookie cutters.  Nothing. I can't get it to roll. It just turns to mush. So I gather it together and throw it in the fridge and grab another handful. Same thing. If I'm lucky, I can get one or two cookies cut out before it melts on me. I'm sick. I'm frustrated. I'm getting mad. I've never had this kind of problem before and I've never let the dough chill for 6 hours. I keep trying, with little success. I finally get two cookie trays filled and am feeling triumphant! Then Shodie and Josh arrive....

She starts helping me. By now, I think the table has become 'seasoned' enough. And the dough has chilled just a little more. And she's having a little more luck than me. But then, as the dough cooks, it melts out of shape. Georgia, it just kept going from bad to worse! I've never had this happen. My snowmen looked like a snowball. My stars looked like starfish. My Christmas trees looked like they were covered in so much heavy snow that all you could see was this rounded shape. Then Shodie asks, "did you use any different ingredients this time?" And I did! I've always used Tillamook butter. This time I used not only a Fred Meyer brand but butter from Costco (Lando Lakes maybe?). Plus I've always used nothing other than Pillsbury Flour and I've converted to generic brands. Same with sugar. So is this why I had so much trouble with my cookies this year?

Bottom line.... we eventually got done. Shodie took over rolling the cookies out and I was in charge of putting them in/taking them out of the oven. This was something I could manage at 8:00 at night! I think we finally finished around 8:15 or 8:30, but man what a ride it had been. The whole event was just disastrous from the beginning. I finished cleaning up and just went to bed. I was so sick and so weak and so tired and I hurt so badly, that I could barely stand. I think mostly my ego was hurt.... I've never struggled so much with a simple cookie recipe and then to have Shodie be able to pull it off....

This was last year's batch, but I was too tired to take pics this year.

Anyway, if you need to go to the bathroom or get another cup of coffee, now would be the time. Chapter One has been written.  N.

an email to my sister (just an ordinary day)

An email to my sister. 

Thursday, December 17. 
Okay... Finally, I have a minute to get my email off to you.  I had good intentions this morning, but it's getting hard for me to get out of bed at 6:00 a.m....  A combination of not feeling well, snuggling in my warm bed, and the cold bedroom.  But my trusty alarm clock is there every 15 minutes, shaking me, making sure I don't stay in bed when he thinks I should be up....   So I eventually give in.  Get up.  Sit here at the table for 15 minutes or so, NOT drinking coffee because I don't feel good.  Then I grab my book.... the same book I've been trying to get read for months now.... and head upstairs to ride the bike.  With that done, I barely have time to come down, get my shower (if there's even time), get dressed, and be ready with a smile and love in my heart for when the first grandkids arrive....  I'm almost exhausted by this time.  

So, I decided to make a big batch of cabbage salad, like I said.  I emptied the produce drawer of a whole green head of cabbage, a red head (which I ended up throwing out), a green pepper, an orange pepper, a few stalks of celery, some diced onions that were leftovers from other meals, some chopped green onions, and a bunch of parsley.  Then I chopped up some dried cherries (but you can use raisins or cranraisins) and almonds.  And the dressing is just the typical mayo/sugar/vinegar recipe.  I'm talking a HUGE bowl.  Okay, so now you don't think it went that smoothly do you???? 

I had no sooner started chopping the cabbage..... Did I mention it was around 8:10 a.m..... about the same time I make breakfast for the kids?  Yea, I don't know what I was thinking.   But they could wait.  I'm chopping away and the kids are running in and out of the kitchen, throwing open the fridge door.  At one point I went to close it and the stack of Styrofoam containers from last night's Chinese dinner went flying to the floor.  Chinese food everywhere.  So I stop chopping to clean up the mess.  Well, one thing led to another and next thing you know, I'm cleaning out and scrubbing the produce drawers out and wiping out the fridge.  While on my hands and knees, I notice how grossly disgusting the front of the fridge grate is so I pull it off, pull out the 2" thick pile of lint, or whatever-it-is.  The grate got washed down.  All this, at the same time I'm supposed to be fixing breakfast and making the cabbage salad.  But I'm good. I can multi-task.  So I keep at it.  Get the kids breakfast made.  The fridge cleaned out.  The salad made.  

No sooner did I get that mess cleaned up that the kids were at the table for their glitter project!  Lordy lordy does Hunter have a love for glitter!  This from a boy who will spend very little time doing crafts, seconds.  But give him some popsicle sticks, paint, and glitter, and he's good for an hour!  I sent several glitter "frames" home for the mommies last night, and glitter ornaments.  Let them enjoy some of the flyaway glitter for a few days!  But it makes the kids so giddy.  They're so happy with their little projects, making something for their moms and dads.  So, what's a little glitter on the table.  On the chair.  On the chair pads.  On the carpet.  On me.  On my face.  On my clothes....In the whole scheme of things, it's so minor.  But I have to come up with some new craft projects for them to do.  

I've managed to do four loads of laundry today, in between salad making, fixing breakfast, serving lunch, reading, changing poopy diapers, and craft projects.  An apple crisp just came out of the oven.  The Juncos, Chicadees, and Siskins have been fed.  Dogs have been let out, brought back in, let out, brought back in, let out, brought back in, at least that many times TIMES 2.  Hunter and Ellis are napping. 

So, this is my day.  Not much different from most other days.  Uneventful.  Boring.  Lacking substance, creativity, and love.  Just an ordinary day.  

Anyway, the clock is ticking before the kids will be awake and I need to do a few more things.  It's only 1:30.  I should be able to accomplish a few more things before the day is over.  Mike will be leaving at 4:15 today for a Lions training session.  They learn how to load and unload passengers on to a helicopter in preparation for tomorrow night's Flight Night.  This is where locals can take a helicopter up and over the Mendenhall Valley to look at Christmas lights.  It's an annual event and one of their  biggest fundraisers.  But it will be a long, cold night for the volunteers.  So I need to get all my stuff done before he leaves tonight so I can give the kids my total, undivided attention. 

Glad you're having a good trip.  Be sure to tell the kids hello for us and a Merry  Christmas.  N.

not too old

I went south last weekend to visit my sister and part of the itinerary was to attend the Tillamook Seafood Festival and visit with the aunts. It was the greatest time, and the best memories were made. We'd been planning this trip since July, but I was dragging my feet and almost didn't go. Then my sister shamed me into going, and I'm so grateful she did.

I've not really had an opportunity to spend much time with my aunts since living in Juneau so this visit was long overdue. We stayed up until wee hours visiting! Okay, 9 p.m.... But then was awake at the crack of dawn visiting again. Aunt Rosy served us her famous waffles with homemade strawberry freezer jam. When she brought the waffle iron out, I commented that it looked very old. She replied that it wasn't... it just browned after using it the first time.... Then she hesitated, and thoughtfully said, "it's not very old.... maybe 40 years...."

Yes, Aunt Rosy has probably never thrown a thing out in her life. Her home reflects the love she has for her daughter and the love others have for her. She showed me a package of old flash cubes.... Yes, flash cubes. The kind you used in the 60's, wondering if they still worked.... We laughed and told family stories. Then it was time to leave.

Two of my favorite people:I'll always hold this visit close to my heart as one of my favorites. Aunt Rosy is 91 and you just never know what life has in store for her. But she has been a good role model for all of us on how to take care of ourselves, how to eat healthy, get regular exercise, learn new things, live life. Have no regrets. Of all my favorite people.... she's right up there. I love her dearly.

one day at a time

True love. Don't we all dream about it? Finding our soul mate? Living happily ever after?
Then suddenly, just like that, it can be taken away from you. Now you're a shell of a person, trying to find your new normal. Trying to get into the rhythm of things. Learning to accept, and embrace, the loneliness that surrounds you every single waking moment of the day. But, especially the nights.

I can't imagine what it's like to lose someone you love so deeply. I would stay in bed all day, curled up in a ball. I would relive all the wonderful moments we had, over and over and over again in my head. I would smell him on the pillow next to me. I would want to die.

Then, one day, I would crawl out of bed and maybe even get dressed. I would check the mail and even turn on my computer. I would eat cold cereal. The healing process has begun.

I've never lost someone I loved so desperately, although we did find ourselves in a situation many years ago that required Mike to go south to work. And I stayed here..... It was the worst of times. I could not function. I could not think straight. I missed him so desperately.

We traveled back and forth, but it was never the same as waking up to the smell of fresh brewed coffee every morning, or going to bed in his arms every night. I desperately missed him. Every single moment of every single day. For almost three years.

Besides missing all the every day things we did together, like grocery shopping, holding hands, talking over dinner, I missed Mike even more during those times when I had to do his "manly" chores. I could mow, but I knew nothing about checking the oil in the lawn mower! Or what would happen if you let it go dry.... Then there was the morning I sat outside in the pouring rain, trying to lay flat rocks for a patio affect. I knew nothing about how to do it properly to begin with and the fact that it was so much work.... I missed Mike most that morning when I cried in despair. Silently. In the rain. All by myself.

That's as close as I've ever come to losing someone I loved so deeply. I can't begin to imagine what my sister is going through after suddenly losing her husband.... It's times like this when living so far away has its disadvantages. I don't have the convenience of stopping in for a short visit to make sure she's doing okay nor do I have the luxury of staying for a long visit. Instead, we try to fly south for a long weekend every month, just to be a presence, help her with chores, or just to visit. I hope it helps her. I hope she knows that there isn't anything Mike or I wouldn't do for her. And if we don't catch on that she needs help, all she has to do is ask us and we'll be there. We only get one family and we've learned from experience how quickly that family can be taken away.

I know my sister will be just fine; is already doing much better. But it'll take time to completely heal. She'll figure out her new normal, her rhythm, in her own time. She'll eventually re-claim her life. Every day, just a baby step closer to being whole again.

family

We've always known that "life can be short...." But when it happens to you, it gives the saying a whole new meaning. We recently lost a very valued member of our family to a horrible disease. It happened so quickly. We knew he had a short life to live, but didn't realize the disease would take him over two nights. It's been a month and a half now, and we still think of him daily. He was a strong man. A quiet man. An honorable man.

Never assume your family and friends know how much they mean to you. Tell them. Often. Don't beat around the bush. Just tell them through your actions, your gestures, and your words.

family picnic 2010

It starts out like this:


He Who Brings Own Apron, Be Chief Grillmaster:


We visit:


We eat:


We visit some more:


We drink:


We have TOO much to drink:


We make pacts:

We listen to Alika:


And watch Ingrid (pronounced “Inya”) Gosney dance Hawaiian:

We dance:

We listen to Alika perform some more:

The result of too much drinking:

The best times are spent at Camp Kalama....

you have to wonder....

Oh, if you only knew what was behind that mischievous smile and sparkle in his eye!

This little guy is all boy. Never stops. Busy busy busy. Pushes all the buttons. But how can you resist when he smiles at you like that? Or comes over to plant a smooch on your face when he knows he did wrong? Yea, I'm thinking this is my son's payback....

the day after

I'm glad Super Bowl only comes once a year! Course, for me, it's all about the Eats. It's a regular Food Fest! My kids come over and we all sit around and visit and laugh and have a good time while my sweet husband tries to watch the game! He doesn't complain. Although I think he should! We have yakking, three dogs running around, two babies making noises, AND we're all in the same room together! None of us understand the game (except my husband), we're just in it for the food and commercials :O

This year I decided to clean the pantry out of all food tempting. I'm "prediabetic" and am supposed to be watching my sugar and fat content. Well, I do.... I watch it go right in my mouth! So I decided to just bake up all those pre-packaged desserts and empty out the freezer and start the year anew.

(This picture is just the dessert table. Lemon bars, Triple Chocolate Brownies, Rice Krispie Treats, Chocolate Covered Cherries, Harry & David's White Chocolate Moose Munch, leftover candies from Halloween and Christmas, with a little vegies tossed in! )

I tried two new recipes this year--one for ribs and one for chicken wingettes. They were okay.... but not ones I'd make again. The most sought after, and desired, food item at any family event is Mike's Famous Garlic Dip. If you like garlic, you need to try this at your next event. It's a recipe that his step mom always made. Mike adds so much garlic that it makes the top of your head sweat! And it's so addicting.... truly.... once you start, you simply can't stop stuffing it in your mouth. I'm not a delusional person. I know my children come over for the garlic dip, not to see me....

This year we started a new generation of Garlic Dip lovers. Little Hunter LOVED LOVED LOVED it! Mike made him a special dish that wasn't as hot, but he still thought it was pretty yummy.

Garlic Dip

1 cream cheese, softened (8 oz)
1 cup mayo
1 LARGE spoon of crushed garlic (or enough to burn....)
Shake of Worcestershire

Mix it good and serve with potato chips. YummmmME!

and baby makes three

Yes, I became a grandma early this morning for the second time in the last five months. My daughter, Tracy, delivered a healthy, beautiful, little girl at around 3:30 this morning. Ten toes and ten fingers and long, lanky arms, just like her dad. What a precious little baby girl she is.... Mom and dad are doing good, as is Baby G.

And my very first grandchild, well, isn't he just the cutest thing since.... well, since anything? Isn't he just adorable in this polka dot pajamas and pom pom hat? We started babysitting two days a week and boy is it exhausting work! And that's putting it mildly. I don't recall it being so difficult, so exhausting, when I was raising the kids. But by mid-afternoon my head is ready to explode from all the nursery rhymes and the songs and the noises coming out of my head! Seriously. I've come to the conclusion that day care providers do not get paid nearly enough for this 10 hour a day job! But we're glad to be in a position to provide this service to our kids.

tell me it's not so....

Pussy Willows. Skunk Cabbage. Denticulata (primrose). Chives. Red knobby heads of the Rhubarb. More daylight. Dick. Spring King. These are signs of spring in Juneau.

Did I say "spring"? Could it be? Spring? Yea!!!! Yes, I do believe spring has finally sprung in Juneau. It's been sunny AND warm the last few days. So much that I have a tan! Yes! Hard to believe, I know. But I'm back working part-time at the nursery (plant nursery) and it doesn't hurt that I get to be outside all day. This is my therapy.

When I'm not working, we're babysitting my precious little grandbaby, Hunter. He's just so cute, all you want to do is look at him. We started babysitting last week and so far, so good. We've got a nice little routine down, one that works for all of us, and we've only had one temper tantrum.... so far.... Today we're going outside to do yard work. The snow is gone and we're able to rake and do spring clean up. This is the best part of spring. Getting the yard back in shape after a long winter of snow and ice and debris that's been blown around.

Our friend, Dick, arrived last weekend. He comes every year to fish for King Salmon. He stands on the rocky shore of North Douglas, casting his line at the first crack of dawn. Waiting.... Hoping the seals won't return to take their share of the catch.... Dick arrived at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday and by 8:45 a.m. on Sunday he had his first King Salmon of the season. Fish on! That's all he needs to say when he calls and we know to have the barbecue ready. I wish I could describe just how good this first King Salmon of the year is. We look forward to it for months. Our mouths watering. The fish is processed within minutes of being caught and slapped on the grill before you can blink. The key to a fabulous dinner is hot coals and Old Hickory Smoked Salt. Mike has this process down to perfection. The heat of the coals. Only minutes on the grill. Cooked just until the fish is no longer raw. The oils still oozing out of it. The best fish ever.

Yes, spring has sprung!

the cake

I had a vision for this baby shower that included a cake that looked like something out of a magazine. I had the vision! I knew what I wanted! And when I asked my son's siginificant other if she was up to the challenge, she said she was! And she far exceeded my expectations!

Isn't this a gorgeous cake?

It's exactly what I had envisioned. You would never ever have found one in town. Michelle is not a professional baker. She just loves to bake and is so good at it. When she came running into the house, just moments before the shower started, yes, running.... with the cake in her arms...... I thought for sure she was going to trip and drop it.... I quickly took it from her with anticipation in the air. What would it look like???? I swear this cake weighed 10 pounds and was told it took 32 eggs and 16 cubes (yes CUBES, or 4 pounds) of butter. No wonder it tastes so yummy! The house was decorated beautifully, but it was the cake that added that final touch to make it perfect.

The whole dessert table turned out wonderful. The sweet sign was created by Jeanetta at Splendid Designs. And it is sweet!

All the tables had the same centerpiece. The creation of Jerusalem. Cute tower candles with lots of glitter and sparkle; darling little nests; old sheet music and a mirror for a layering look; and a tall baby food jar filled with flowers.

The table cloths were all finished with the corners gathered and tied with a bow. Jerusalem brought a vintage chenile bedspread with her from Arkansas which made a perfect covering for the dessert table. The edges were lined with little pom poms. Can you see them? Very cute.


This is where the guest of honor sat. Presents piled high around her.


And gift opening. Some adorable little boots for all our sloshy weather.




And for me this was the best present of all..... a little, pink tutu! Little Ellis is going to wear it to her first fairy tea party with Grandma!


Okay, so I could go on and on with pictures and stories, but tomorrow's another day. Not another spring day.... but another day. We're still getting snow. But the squirrels are mating so that must mean spring is close by! All our company has returned home....which is a miracle in its own what with all the flight cancellations going on.... and our lives are back to normal. Our phone rang at 6:55 AM this morning and my first thought was BABY!!!! But it was just a friend. All we can do now is sit and wait until Little Ellis decides to make an appearance.

Have a sunshiny day! Nancy