Seattle Vacation Photos

Chad and Heidi's birthday cake. It was delicious!
US Navy aircraft carriers near Bremerton

Marshall being entertained by wind-up toy dog. So cute!
Road leading to Johnston Observatory and Mt. St. Helens
Janet, Heidi and Marshall
Mt. St. Helens
Reading to Marshall just after his bath.

Here are some of the photos I took this past week while at Heidi's. It was a wonderful trip!

Sweet, sweet Marshall

I have loved being with Marshall, Heidi, Chad and Brian this past week. Just this morning I heard him crying in his bedroom which is next to the guest room. I got up, changed him, and handed him off to my sister while I prepared a bottle for him. Then I took him back to his room to feed him. During this time, he took hold of my hand and clutched it tight. These are the memories that I take home with me - and his sweet, spontaneous smile. I don't recall a baby who breaks into a smile as easily as Marshall.

It has been fun seeing him interact with Brian. I should say it has been so interesting to see how Brian is tolerant as Marshall climbs on him, touches his dog tags, pulls at his ears or fur. I never expected that kind of behaviour. This seems unusual to me.

It's a joy to see each of my kids as parents. All of them are doing a fantastic job! And what treasures they are giving me.

Marshall, I shall miss you and eagerly look forward to the next time we get to be together. I'm sure you'll be walking by then - and probably saying a few words.

Mount St. Helens

We're still enjoying our stay in Seattle. Yesterday we spent some time downtown wandering through Pike's Place Market, which is always fun. We had some lunch at a local deli, and for a beverage, I treated myself to some Grape Crush in a glass bottle. For me, that and Coca Cola in glass bottles are like fine wine. As always, the flowers in the market are beautiful. During this visit, bountiful bouquets of sweet peas were in each shop. There were also lilies and peonies, plus filler. Heidi bought a nice bouquet of sweet peas - pink, purple and white. She also bought fresh white peaches. Janet bought some gift items, and Heidi did too.

Today we drove south to Mount St. Helens. The weather forecast was for partly cloudy - and it ended up being wrong. We drove through rain a good part of the way. The drive to the mountain was really neat. There were thousands and thousands of wildflowers - such as lupine and daisies. When we got to the observation building at Johnston Ridge, the sun came out, and most of the clouds moved away from the mountain. We could see the big crater, and all but the very top ridge. In the observation building we watched a video of the volcano eruption - which occurred May 18, 1980. It was a powerful film. They said in the ten days following the volcano, ash from the eruption circled the earth. I remember ash on our cars in Austin. It was amazing. (Photos will be added soon.)

Happy Birthday, America!

In 1775, people in New England began fighting the British for their independence. On July 2, 1776, the Congress secretly voted for independence from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence was first published two days later on July 4, 1776. The first public reading of the Declaration of Independence was on July 8, 1776. Delegates began to sign the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776. In 1870, Independence Day was made an unpaid holiday for federal employees. In 1941, it became a paid holiday for them.

The first description of how Independence Day would be celebrated was in a letter from Thomas Jefferson to his wife. He described "pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations" throughout the United States. However, the term "Independence Day" was not used until 1791. Today we celebrate with picnics, parades, family gatherings, and fireworks.


Interestingly, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, both signers of the Declaration of Independence and presidents of the United States, died on July 4, 1826 - exactly 50 years after the adoption of the declaration.

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Happy Birthday, America!

Poulsbo, Washington

What a good, little traveler Marshall is. He slept most of the way to Poulsbo, and when awake, he talked and sang to himself. We had no problem finding our way - thanks to Map quest. The scenery was really pretty - lots of fir trees, some lupine, and at one point in Bremerton, we saw three US Navy aircraft carriers in port. We drove over a lovely bridge in Tacoma that is similar to the Golden Gate Bridge - very beautiful (hope to post photos soon with Heidi's help)!

Poulsbo is a small town that is quite picturesque. In its harbor are lots of sailboats with the Olympic mountains in the distance. The main street has gorgeous hanging baskets of flowers - full and over-flowing. Probably due to the 4th of July holiday, there were big American flags everywhere, as well as Norwegian flags. Many of the store-fronts looked European. We went in one Norwegian store and saw a big display of Laurainne Snelling's books - The Red River and Return to Red River series from Bethany House. They were currently out of Annika's Secret Wish by Beverly Lewis. In several stores, clerks and customers told us how cute Marshall was. We had a delicious lunch in a bar and grill. Marshall had his bottle and I had a California burger which may have been the best hamburger I have ever eaten!

I didn't buy much, just a couple of books for Marshall and some delicious cookies (for me) in one of the bakeries. This particular bakery had rosettes and lefse. I was tempted to buy some rosettes to take home with us for Heidi and Chad, but decided against it, since they are fragile.

We left to come home a little earlier than planned because it had gotten so hot outside. I'm glad we did because the traffic was a lot heavier going home.

Road Trip

In a little bit, my sister and I are going to venture out with Marshall on a road trip to Poulsbo, a Norwegian town on the west side of Puget Sound. I heard about it lastyear and hoped to go there when we were out here in August for the Alaskan cruise, but time didn't allow it. I took Heidi to work this morning so we can use her car. We have Marshall's bag packed - it looks like a fun day. The skies are clear and it's 65 degrees right now. I'll post about our activities later. Have a great day!

Hello from Seattle

My sweet Marshall
Seattle tower with Mt. Rainier in the background
The Cascade Mountains
Early this morning my brother drove my sister and me to the airport for our flight to Seattle. We each had a window seat - one row apart. Initially we were in clouds, but once we were over North Dakota, we had a great view - which continued for a good part of the flight. Flying over the Rockies and the Cascades was beautiful. About 20 minutes out of Seattle, a big, snow covered mountain came into our view. Is it Mount Rainier? I wasn't sure. But from the angle of our arrival, I knew it had to be some other mountain. Heidi informed me it was Mount Baker. Mount Ranier came into our view just as we were landing. It's a clear day so "the mountain is out," the phrase the locals use for "it's a nice day today."

Arriving at the Heidi's car in the ramp, who should jump out but Brian! That was a fun surprise. He was so excited to see me and lay on the floor so I could rub his tummy. (Brian is a Golden Retriever.)

Marshall was in his bed when we arrived, but Heidi listened at his door and heard him talking, so we got to get him up. Wow, has he changed in the six months since I've seen him. He has a delightful voice - and a contagious smile. He's crawling, pulling up to furniture, and jumping in his jumper (toy).

So far we've gone out for lunch, shopped, and took a scenic ride along Puget Sound. It's been dry here, but the flowers are beautiful!

A Trip to the Minnesota Zoo

Today I got to go to the Minnesota Zoo with Sarah and Aurelia. I don't think I've been there since 1978, when Heidi was in a stroller! Hans said he and I went there - probably while he was in college - but I don't remember it. I tried to see something - anything - familiar today, and came up with nothing.

It was fun seeing Aurelia's reaction to the animals. She was adorable as she would point to them, say their name, and perhaps tell us what sound they make.

My favorite animals are the giraffes. I think they are beautiful, graceful, gentle animals. When I found out they had a couple on loan at the zoo this summer, and that one could buy a couple of biscuits to hand feed them, I was sure I wanted to go. This would be one of the items on my "bucket list." They sell 2 biscuits for $5. They are actually Rykrisp crackers. So if you plan to go to the zoo this summer and want to feed the giraffes, you might consider bringing your own biscuits.
Sarah took a video of me and Aurelia feeding "Sweetie." Sweetie chowed down the biscuits in seconds. Then the handler fed him some leaves. We were instructed not to touch the giraffe because they are very shy and would take off if touched. We did get really close. It was a thrill. If interested, you can see the video Sarah took here.

Communication

[This was taken from a skit at our choir banquet. It's intended to be a joke. I'm not making a statement that men don't communicate.]

"After one year of marriage . . ."
He: I’m home, Honey.
She: How was your day?
He: Oh, fine. Oh, by the way, Mrs. Elliot had her baby.
She: What did they have?
He: A little boy.
She: How big?
He: 8 pounds.
She: How long was he?
He: I don’t know.
She: You don’t know? Honestly! You men. You don’t know how to communicate.

"After three years of marriage . . ."
He: I’m home.
She: Hi. How was your day?
He: Oh, fine. Oh, by the way, Mrs. Johnson had her baby.
She: What did they have?
He: A little 6 pound, 3 oz. girl.
She: What did they name her?
He: Sara.
She: Sara what?
He: Sara Johnson.
She: Sara what Johnson?
He: I don’t know. I didn’t think that was important.
She: You men – you don’t know how to communicate.

"After 5 years of marriage . . ."
He: Hello.
She: Hi, I’m back here, cleaning crayons off the wall. How was your day?
He: Oh, fine. Oh, by the way, Mrs. Reed had her baby.
She: What did they have?
He: They had an 8 pound, 8 oz, 21 inch long little boy. Allen John Reed.
She: What hospital is she at?
He: Methodist.
She: When was he born?
He: This past Friday.
She: Like when on Friday?
He: I’m not sure.
She: Well, didn’t you ask? You men – you don’t know how to communicate.

"After 10 years of marriage. . ."
He: Whose bikes are lying in our driveway?
She: I don’t know. How was your day?
He: Okay. Oh, by the way, Mrs. Michelson had her baby.
She: What did they have?
He: A little girl – 7 pounds, 4 oz – 20 inches long – Rachel Louise – with a bushy head of dark hair. She’s at Fairview Southdale – they barely made it. It went quick.
She: When was she born?
He: On Saturday, just before 11:00 p.m.
She: Is she still there?
He: No. She was discharged this morning at 10:30 – Ed went to pick them up.
She: Do they have other children?
He: I’m not sure.
She: You’ve worked with Ed over 6 years and you don’t know! Hasn’t he ever showed you pictures?
He: No.
She: You men – you don’t know how to communicate.

"After 25 years of marriage. . ."
He: Whose cars are parked in our driveway?
She: Friends of the kids. How was your day?
He: Okay. Oh, by the way, Mrs. Peterson had her baby.
She: What did they have?
He: A little girl – 6 lbs, 14 oz – 19 ½ inches long – Jenny Mae Peterson – Jenny after the maternal grandmother – Mae after the paternal grandmother. She’s got red hair, just like her mom. She’s at Abbott Northwestern in Rm 6538. Her doctor is Dr. Oliverio – graduated in 1989 from Johns Hopkins – did a residency in the Navy for his internship – 1990 – 1994. She was born on Thursday at 10:47 a. m. Her husband and her mother-in-law picked her and little Jenny up. This is their 3rd kid. They have 2 boys – Josh: 8 and Jeremy: 4. All 3 are red heads.
She: Was she in labor very long?
He: I didn’t ask.
She: Honestly, you men. You don’t know how to communicate.

"After 50 years of marriage. . ."
He: I’m home.
She: How was your day and where have you been so long?
He: At church with the guys working on the boiler. Oh, by the way, Mrs. Sanderson had her baby.
She: What did they have?
He: A big boy – 9 lbs, 10 oz – 22 inches long – William Herbert – William after the father – Herbert after the maternal grandfather. No hair at all, a real baldy! She’s at Abbot Northwestern in Rm 6512. She has a roommate named Ruth, who cries a lot. Her doctor is Harold Sloan, who graduated from the U of M Medical School in ’90 – did his internship and residency at HCMC from ’91 – ’95. Baby was born on Saturday at 2:45 am, after a labor of about 7 hours. She went home this morning about 10:15. Her mother is here from Canton, Ohio. She flew in this morning on NWA flight 118 and will be helping out for 17 days. She goes back to Ohio on a Tuesday in the am. Her mother-in-law flies in from Sacramento on that same Tuesday afternoon, on Western Airlines, flight #68. She’ll be in first class. She flies back to Sacramento 10 days later, first class. This is their 3rd kid. They have 2 girls – Kayla: 6 ½ and Jennifer: 4. This is the 6th grandchild for her mother, and the 10th one for her mother-in-law. They’ve repainted the baby’s room a color called "candle light" by Sherwin Williams. They’re covered 100% by Blue Cross. They’ve had Blue Cross/Blue Shield ever since they were married, 8 years ago. Everything is moving along nicely.
She: Have they applied for a Social Security # yet?
He: I don’t know. I didn’t ask.
She: You men – you don’t know how to communicate.

"After 65 years of marriage . . ."
He: I’m back from my walk. I need new handle grips on my walker. Oh, Mrs. Berg had her baby.
She: Who’s Mrs. Berg?
He: You don’t know her?
She: No.
He: But you told me Mrs. Berg was expecting.
She: I told you Mrs. Youngberg was expecting. Besides not being able to communicate, you men don’t listen.
He: What?
She: I said . . . oh, what’s the use!
He: Let’s have coffee. Then I’m going out to the garage.
She: Good! Being by yourself might make you more aware!

A very good read: DEWEY

I've just finished wiping my eyes and blowing my nose. I completed reading a very good book: Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter. It's a true story that takes place in Spencer, Iowa - an account of a young kitten that had been cruelly dropped into the book return slot of a library on the coldest night of the year and found the next morning under a pile of books, with frozen feet, by the librarian. He ended up living in the library, charming patrons, staff and visitors for the next nineteen years. He became world famous - not just because he was a beautiful cat, but because he seemed to know just what people needed and when they needed it. If you're looking for a good read, check it out.

Retreat

Days are busy, busy, with work and recreation. But whenever possible, I use early Saturday mornings as a kind of retreat. After breakfast, during which I read my Bible and have my devotions, I try to have a quiet time - a chance to reflect on the past week, think and pray for each of my family members and friends, and enjoy my home - both inside and out.

This morning was the perfect morning to sit on my patio. My flowers are blooming profusely, the grass and shrubs with drops of water on them from the morning dew and possibly the lawn sprinklers. The sun screened by the leaves on my trees. While quietly sitting there, I watched a father robin hop from place to place, pulling at least three worms from the ground and gobbling them up. I heard various bird songs, including Peppi, who was singing in my dining room. Suddenly I spotted a humming bird in one of the trees close by. They are adorable little birds. I watched him move from branch to branch - hovering like a tiny helicopter. But then, to my surprise, a tiny wren landed not two feet from my feet, under a bush. He then proceeded to hop onto my patio, right up to the screen door, and then hopped right past my feet - not 12 inches away! I sat very still, and I'm not sure he realized just how close he was! He quickly flew away. I love this quiet time.

"Up" with Rosy

I hadn't seen Rosy since I went to her First Communion on May 3. Since I got out of work yesterday at noon, I phoned her to see if she was free and would like to go to dinner and a movie with me. She asked her daddy and he said it was fine. We chose to go to Up, the 3-D version. The 3-dimensional format was a new experience for her- - an old memory for me.

In my memory as a kid, the 3-D movies were rather frequent. The glasses were cardboard frames with one red and one blue lens. The new 3-D movie from Pixar is very well done. The glasses are hard, black plastic. The lenses are light gray. And in keeping with the times, receptacles are outside the theater asking patrons to deposit the glasses after the movie for recycling. Rosy and I chose to keep ours - for a souvenir. She thought her little sister would enjoy playing with them.

Up was very well done - both visually and content-wise. I looked over at Rosy a few times to see if she was enjoying it and she was thoroughly engrossed. I heard her laugh during different scene. While watching this film, I thought to myself: this is a movie my Aunt Liz should definitely see. I also thought of others. So, if you haven't seen it, and can see the 3-D version (both with and without were offered at this theater), I would highly recommend it. I'll go again with Sarah, if it's okay with her.

For dinner, Rosy chose the Rainforest Cafe at the Mall of America. This is our second time eating at this restaurant. We were seated next to an aquarium, which is a wonderful spot. The food was good, our conversation fun.

Tonado Hits Austin

This morning I woke up to the news that Austin had been hit by a tornado last night. The report was that damage was mostly in the north - northwest part of town. When I thought some folks I know would be awake this morning, I called down there to get their report. Steve's phone was busy, busy, so I tried David. He answered and gave me the following news:

Austin lost power around 8 pm yesterday and it was returned around 4:30 am today. David's daughter, Amy, and her family spent the night at his home since it is on rural power and wasn't affected. There are some large trees down in the Oakwood cemetery (where our folks are buried). There is some damage to Culver's. The most damage appears to be out at Todd Park. A building was leveled. One man was injured. Witnesses playing ball at the park saw the funnel. Many trees are down.

After talking to David, I got a hold of Steve on his cell phone. He was walking to the hospital to have his blood checked (a continuing process due to a blood clot he had in his leg some weeks ago). He said he had no damage at his home, but his phone is dead and his cable service is out. The TV station in Austin is also down. He tried to read by candle light last night, but got weary from that.

Peder added a video that was taken last night. It's incredible that no one was seriously hurt. You can see the video here.

Tea Party with Aurelia

Saturday Aurelia and I had a tea party (pretend). We had juice and cookies, and she was the hostess. She was so cute, pretending to drink and eat, and mimicking me saying, "Mmm. Good." She is so much fun!

Scary Minutes

Today while cleaning Peppi's cage, I noticed his nails had gotten a bit long. This is bad for a bird - if they get too long, it's difficult for them to clasp a perch or branch. There is one ceramic perch in his cage that acts as a nail file, but it doesn't do a complete job.

After his cage was totally cleaned, I put it back together, and then reached my hand in to catch him. He doesn't like this and flies from one side to the other. I try my best to gently grab him and once caught, I take him out, and very carefully hold him in my left hand while I use the nail clippers in my right, being careful to not clip too close to the blood vein.

I was on his second foot when all of a sudden he was loose. He flew to the living room, hit the wall, turned and flew into and through the kitchen to the dining room, where he hit the wall and dropped to the floor, in a corner behind a 3-shelf stand. I quickly reached back there and took him in my hands. I held him for a second while I inspected his feet and decided I had trimmed enough and then put him back into his cage. He sat on the bottom of the cage, breathing heavily, his tail going up and down. I felt so bad. I told him I was sorry. I prayed he would be okay and then left the room to give him some quiet time to recompose himself.

After 15 minutes I went to check on him. He was still on the floor. I prayed some more and went back in 15 minutes to check on him. He was up on his perch. Everything is fine. I think he was just really scared. Thankfully I only have to clip his nails about every six months.

Happy Anniversary to Peder and Sarah!

Today marks the 4th wedding anniversary for

Peder and Sarah.

Congratulations!

And Pat was in labor . . .

A long time ago, Steve and I lived in an efficiency apartment in Dinky Town. It had a very small kitchen with yellow walls and one of those old wooden cabinets for our food and dishes - a hoosier.

Anyway, I decided it needed a little redecorating. It was Pat and Aunt Liz who came to my rescue. I bought red brick contact paper and with their help, we put it on the lower half of the walls. Part way through the process, Pat announced she was in labor! Did they leave? No, they continued to work on the walls - until the job was done. I was so concerned that Pat would have the baby in our kitchen, but I was wrong. This is the way I remember it. What do you think, Pat?

Back Home . . .

This is one scene during the performance of Noah, the Musical

I had a wonderful time in Branson. I knew I would! It was fun being with Lil and Jim again. Lil made delicious meals. We didn't eat out even once! The weather was beautiful - in the 70's, sunny most except for early this morning. On Saturday night we went to see Noah, the Musical. This was an incredible production with a wonderful cast, great songs, and lots and lots of live animals - in pairs. The set of the ark is amazing! It's huge - and during part of the production, we were in the ark! At one point, I sneaked a photo (without flash). I was so impressed that I didn't want to forget it. If you get a chance, go to see it!

Leaving the new Branson Airport today was a fun experience. The airport is the first privately financed and operated commercial airport in the United States. I think Lil said the price tag to the city was $65 million. It is 5 miles off highway 65, and to make the roads, they blasted through beautiful rock, making it a very enjoyable ride. There is also a beautiful golf course along this road. There is an air traffic control tower, but of course, it is much smaller than the one in Minneapolis, Seattle, or even Rochester. I thought to myself, Heidi would pretty much be bored if she worked in this tower.

The decor in the passenger waiting area (edited 6/10/09) is a little like Northern Minnesota. The chairs are casual - wooden frames, upholstered - something you could see in a cabin or lodge. There is a Famous Dave's restaurant. After boarding our plane today, the ground crew pulled away the portable ramp, stood in formation, and all 6 of them continued to wave while our plane pulled away. The impression they want to leave on all passengers and airplane personnel is: Welcome to Branson. We're glad you came, and we hope you return soon. So far Sun Country and Air Tran are the only carriers. The flight to Minneapolis only takes and hour and a half.

Off to Branson

In a little over an hour, Peder and Aurelia will be picking me up to drive me to the airport. I'm flying to Branson to visit my dear friends, Lil and Jim. I'm looking forward to spending some time with them again.

Lil and I became friends on March 8, 1988. She and Jim came to the rescue many times in those first years of me and the kids living on our own. They helped get our house repaired and updated - and later sold, were my support group when I had had two major surgeries, treated me to trips up north to their beautiful cabin in Lutsen, showed me how their faith brought them through struggles, and so many, many more things - too numerous to list. When they left Minnesota about 10 or so years ago, to move to Branson, I was sad. I wasn't sure what the distance would do to our friendship. I am pleased to say that we are still "best" friends. Oh, we don't talk on the phone everyday like we used to, and we see each other about two or three times a year, but we are still strongly connected.

50 Good Things on This Beautiful Day

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone for everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Hans Is Back in Germany!

I'm rejoicing because Hans is back home with his family in Germany. Rachel and the kids picked him up today. This is the best news! Happy homecoming, Hans.

Thankfulness

I had an appointment tonight in a building about 3.5 miles from my office at 5:15. It was a continuation of the appointment I had over my lunch hour. This morning, it took me 12 minutes to get there. Tonight it took 30 minutes (yes, I was late). Now, I realize that doesn't sound like a long time. But to me, it brought back memories of when I worked at my former job - 9 miles from my home. Back then, commutes took anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour and a half - depending on the weather or an crash. I soon learned where the alternate routes were.

Many of my co-workers have huge commutes. One lives north of Cambridge! Just today I asked her what time she left home to arrive at the office at 7:30 and she said she left at 6 am. That's not for me! I would do this one day and start looking for another job.

My commute home from my appointment was also 30 minutes. Compared to others in my part of the city tonight, I was lucky. The radio was reporting huge delays due to a head-on crash on south-bound Hwy 169. This is a four lane highway - 2 lanes each way with a grassy median. How on earth did a head-on crash occur? I'll have to watch the news tonight to find out. My prayers are with all involved. I'm thankful that I now live only one mile from my place of employment and don't deal with high traffic very often.

Edelweiss

Edelweiss

While in Germany I searched and searched for Edelweiss seeds. I saw them at a rest stop last year when our choir was en route to Salzburg. Lesson learned: buy them when you see them because you may not see them again. This year my search was fruitless. However, in one attempt to find them, Rachel dropped me off at a big store - something like our Home Depot. I looked around until I found the gardening center, but sadly I found no Edelweiss seeds. I picked up some other flower seeds and proceeded to the check-out line, and lo and behold, there was a pot of blooming Edelweiss. In the best German I could muster, I asked the clerk if the pot was "for sale." She indicated it was, so I bought it for Rachel.

I continued to look for seeds in every store I entered, but found none.

What I've Been Up To . . .

After unpacking from my wonderful trip to Germany, I have been trying to get my house in order. I've gotten my photos printed and into an album, which I took to church Sunday to show to my friends. By the way, they think my grandchildren are adorable - - I fully agree!

I've potted some flowering plants on my patio. This year I went with a pink theme. It's been nice sitting there, enjoying the outdoor birds. In fact, on Saturday a little wren sat in the bush in the foreground, not 3 feet from me and sang the most beautiful song. I've never seen one so close. He was darling.

I'm loving my new mattress and box springs! It sure makes a difference when one gets a good night's sleep!

I went to the Bloomington Civic Theater on Sunday with my sister and Aunt Liz to see The Music Man. It was really fun - high energy, great sets, wonderful period clothes. We had great seats in row 4.

Now I'm getting ready for another short trip for this weekend - a flight to Branson, Missouri, to see my dear friends Lil and Jim. Branson just got an airport in May, which I think is only about 3 miles from Lil's home. The flight is only an hour and a half - so much better than the 13 hour road trip when my family drives it.

We're in summer hours at work, meaning we can leave at noon on Fridays if we have worked our 40 hours. I really like it because it feels as though we have a 3 day weekend. The down side is not going home for lunch. I'm sure Peppi misses me. But with the sun staying up longer in the evening, we have more time together then (birds usually go to sleep when the sun sets).

That's about it.

An Hour and a Half on the Phone with Tech-Support

After dinner on Tuesday night I turned on my computer to check on blogs and read my email messages - you know, the ones that most of my family send from day to day (hint, hint). To my dismay, I couldn't access the Internet. Every time I tried, I got this message about a virtual connection. I was convinced it was popping up from my former dial-up provider. After getting frustrated, I turned off my machine and went to bed. Last night after choir I tried again. No such luck. Tonight I had an idea to try to accessing the Internet from my Start button. Somehow I thought that would do the trick. No. Nada. Nein.

Suddenly I remembered to look in my "Welcome Package" from my new provider and noticed a phone number for tech support. I turned on my computer, got my clipboard ready with clean paper, and made the call. After working my way through the automated attendant, I was connected to a real live person, Marlin - from the Philippines. At first I was worried. Would I understand him? I shouldn't have been concerned. He spoke perfect English and was very patient. For an hour and a half, he patiently took me through tools, options, etc. He discovered items that were clicked that shouldn't have been, and instructed me in cleaning up temporary files: cookies (not chocolate chip or Oreos) and files. He told me he deletes his once a week. I had NEVER cleaned mine, and therefore it took about 22 minutes for my files to be deleted.

Now I am working on a fast, cleaned up machine and enjoying it very much. It was worth it to spend the time with tech-support.

Memorial Day in Austin

My flag-waving granddaughter

One of many wreaths dedicated to those killed in action and those currently serving in the military.

Aurelia - and Annika - LOVE ketchup!

Early this morning I drove to Austin to participate in the annual Memorial Day events - flag rising at the court house, the Memorial Day parade, the dedications of wreaths at the Oakwood Cemetery, and the decorating with flowers the graves of my mother and father. I was pleased this year to hear the local organizations paying homage to past and present veterans. Those in Iraq and Afghanistan were included in the dedications and prayers. Following the dedications ceremony, I was interviewed by a nearby TV station. You can watch it here: click on Memorial Day in Austin.

Finally - - a good night's sleep!

Sleep is important. Most adult people spend 1/3 of their life in bed. About a year ago, my mattress just wasn't giving me the support I needed. I checked my warranty and saw that I was still covered. So I called the store where I bought it and they said they would send someone out to check it. A few days later, the guy came. He put a little wooden block - 1.5" high - onto the center of my mattress. Then he took a string and placed it from one side of the bed to the other. The string came to about 1/4" from the top of the block and he announced, "The string has to be above the block before we deem it defective. You can call back for another check in 6 months." Needless to say, I was disappointed.

Fast forward 6 months. I made the appointment and the guy was sent to my home. He placed the wooden block on the center of the mattress and the string was at least 1/2" above the block. He told me he would send in his report and I would be hearing from their service department. A day later, I got a call from the store and was told I had 7 days to come in to pick out a replacement mattress. To the store I went, determined not to get another pillow-top mattress. I looked around and sat on a few. I found a very firm mattress and lay on it for about 10 minutes. I decided this one would do. I made the arrangements to have it delivered and was informed I would have 60 days trial to see if would work for me. My choice ended up being a BIG MISTAKE! This mattress was as hard as a concrete street. I have had fitful sleep and very sore pressure points. So, just before leaving for Germany, and before my 60 day trial period would expire, I went back to the store and stated my claim. Once again, I had to choose another mattress and box spring.

This time the salesperson got a better idea as to what I needed, and guided me to a unit that he said would probably work for me. It was delivered yesterday, and last night I slept like a contented baby - not waking up once. My back and hips don't hurt. I hope this is the start of many years of good sleep.

I'm Back and Recovered

When Josiah couldn't finish his cone, Annika volunteered to help.

The German/Austrian Alps - gorgeous!

This is one of my favorite photos!

Josiah and I went shopping in Garmisch.

We also took in a local puppet show - all in German.

Josiah enjoyed sitting with the other children.

The picnics Rachel planned were really fun!

Cotorockto (the snail) came to join in our picnic.

Josiah and Annika modeling the aprons I made them.

Annika at the playground.

I was treated to a puppet show one night.

The next five photos are from an indoor park:

Having fun in the mirror room.

My knight in shining armor.

Showing off in our beautiful shoes.

It's raining balls!

The dragon slide.

Annika loves animals.

Josiah and Grandma played trains.

Chocolate milk (in straw) at Mc Donald's

Josiah is up at bat.

Making "mud soup"

Josiah and Annika loved these church steps in Schwäbisch Hall!

Proud Grandma

Annika takes a turn on the zip-line.

Josiah on the zip-line at Schwäbisch Hall.

Birthday cupcakes for Josiah's last day of being four - preschool treat.

Josiah's 5th birthday

I made it safely home on Wednesday, around 4:30 pm. I managed to stay up until 8:30 and then crashed, since I had been up 22 hours. Of course, jet-lag interfered with my night and I was wide awake at 3:30 am, so got up and due to having no one living above me at the moment, I was able to do two loads of laundry plus unpack all of my bags. It was a good feeling to go to work on Thursday and know that it wouldn't be staring at me once I got home.

After work I drove to my friend Laurey's and picked up Peppi. He was so happy to see me. He sang and sang. Laurey said she was really impressed with his singing ability - rolls, trills, etc. It was fun for her to have him around.

There was only one day during my stay in Stuttgart that I was able to add any photos to my posts, so I am going to chose some of my favorites today.

Auf Wiedersehen

After two weeks of having a fabulous time in Germany with Rachel, Josiah and Annika, the time has come for me to say good-bye. Thinking back on my stay, it makes me tired to think of all that we have seen and done. From the German/Austrian Alps to the Schwäbisch Alps, from Patch Barracks to Panzer, from pre-school to t-ball, from playing with the Thomas trains to playing with the toy ponies and puppies, from the playground to shopping in Vaihingen, from watching movies to talking to Hans via video camera, from baking birthday cakes to enjoying picnics, from reading stories, to taking long walks with Annika, and much, much more, I've enjoyed every minute!

Tonight when I go to bed, I will miss my little bed partner Annika. She has been so sweet - just an angel. She was always fast asleep when I came to bed, so once settled in, I would take ahold of her little hand for a minute and tell her how much I love her.

Tomorrow when I return to work, I will miss Josiah saying, "Grandma, do you want to play trains with me?" Has there ever been a more loyal Thomas fan than Josiah? I think not.

At dinner time, I will miss Rachel asking, "Grandma, what would you like for dinner?" and "Please let me do the clean-up. This is something I enjoy." She has helped make my stay so pleasant.

Yesterday was Josiah's 5th birthday. From the moment I got up until I went to bed, it was fun celebrating with him. He is such an amazing child! I can say that - I'm his Grandma. He's been reading to me and just yesterday, he astounded me with his ability to put together a difficult bridge from a new toy from his Aunt Heidi and Uncle Chad.

So to this part of my dear family, I say auf Wiedersehen. Vielen Dank für alles.

Movies

While here in Stuttgart, it's been fun watching movies with Rachel, Josiah, and sometimes Annika. I say the latter, because often she has been in bed during this time.

We have seen:

The Family Stone
Pay It Forward
Enchanted
Charlotte's Web (Peder, did you play the part of Templeton?)
Wall-e

There may be more, but I can't recall.