Michigan

They made it to Michigan.  Ouch.  My heart hurts. Did you know Michigan is 2,180 driving miles away?

Honestly, I didn't even really know where Michigan was on the map until a couple of weeks ago.  And even then, I only glanced at it briefly because ... well ... that's how I roll. If I don't see it, I won't have to think about it. It's kind of like looking to see where Iraq is on the map ... which I did recently. It isn't that I don't care, it's just that I didn't have a real reason to look at the map. Michigan is a lot closer than Iraq. Always looking on the bright side of things, that's me!

The reality has set in. They've gone on to start a new chapter in their lives. That's what our kids are supposed to do. To me, it seems like just another chapter in letting go ... for me. I'll get used to the idea they are just as far away in Michigan as they were in Arizona. Perhaps we will see them just as often.

Amanda's mom lives in Michigan and although I'll admit I am envious, I'm thrilled at the same time that they won't be far from family. We adore Amanda and her mom. And, here's the part I love ... Amanda's mom adores Justin. If you're a mother reading this, you'll know exactly what I mean when I say this rocks my world.

I have been thinking a lot about when I was first married and setting up an apartment and living life. It doesn't seem all that long ago but it's been 30 years. I remember the excitement of moving into a new place and finding my way around a new town. It's exciting and a little scary at first. Discovering new places to eat and finding things to do for fun.

I hope they enjoy every single minute of their new digs and make new friends quickly. 

In the meantime, I'll be looking at my U.S.A. map a little more closely.  And thinking about "J" and Amanda.  

Which reminds me. I heard Amanda call my son "J" while I was in Flagstaff. It made my heart smile.

love, susan

Riding 10,000 Miles

It's official. I have 10,000 motorcycle miles under my butt belt! We were out for a 100 mile drive today and I knew my odometer would be turning over before we got back home.  The plan was to go all the way to The Dalles and then on to Rowena Point but this chick got cold before I even drove 20 miles. 

When I'm not having fun on the motorcycle, it's not good for me to be out there on the road. We stopped for a cup of coffee out of the thermos and ate the bean burritos I rolled this morning and I told Gene the only thing I could think about was how cold I was.  When I get cold, it's right down to the bone, baby! Luckily, he had an extra thin flannel shirt that I added to my layering and it got me home. Don't call me a wimp. I have survived -60 degree weather along with 115+.  You may, however, call me Princess or truly, I prefer Goldilocks.  I have this small window of temperature where I am comfortable.  It's that niche right between 70 and 75. Today is far from 70.

I bought this motorcycle back in 2005 or 2006 when I lived in Yuma, AZ, from an attorney who only had put 566 miles.  So technically, if you want to get really picky about it, I haven't really put 10,000 miles under my belt. So sue me.  I'm grateful to the guy I bought it from. He practically gave it to me and I have loved it ever since. If you are ever thinking you might like to ride, I would suggest you take a motorcycle safety course. They provide the motorcycles and you'll get your endorsement that way. It will also help you decide if you really want to ride. It's scary out there on the road the first time you take 2 wheels out. After I bought this bike, I drove it around the 'hood in Yuma and just kept branching out a street at a time. Highway driving is not a problem ~ learning to turn your signals on and keeping a constant eye out for what traffic around me is doing is the hardest part. 

Today, we drove through a new round-a-bout and it was a little hairy coming out of it. It's not me I worry about, it's other people ... and quite frankly ... the many distractions drivers have these days.  Not going to get on that soapbox right now.

I always say a little prayer to the motorcycle gods before I roll ~ to please help me be safe, let me be my most attentive self, and if I must die today please let it be quick and painless.  I always ride within my limits and am aware of my surroundings.

Sometimes when I'm riding, I'm thinking about what I'd like to write about next or maybe a recipe I'd like to try. Today I was thinking about the price of gas and how in summers past, we'd think nothing of just getting on the bikes and riding and not think much about the cost. And, oh yeah, I was thinking about what it must be like to freeze to death. 

If you'd read down this far, I decided to throw in a couple of photos of flowers from my back yard as I realize motorcycle talk might be kind of boring.

These little pansies or Johnny Jump Ups (?) came up through the rocks recently. Not sure how the seeds got there but I love surprises!  

The chamomile is starting to bloom now. It has kind spread all over in the herb garden and I'm okay with that.  I think their little faces are so cute ... don't they just want to make you smile?

Hope wherever you are that you've got flowers and sunshine.  I've got to go warm my toes now.

love, susan

Flowers

We took an impromptu trip to the library last night. They have a magnificent flower, herb and vegetable garden which is raised by volunteers. I was amazed by the number of plants flowering already but then realized it IS the end of May. You can't tell by the weather. It has been cold and gray. We had a lot of wind yesterday but the sun came out and gave us a beautiful afternoon and evening sky.

I have a friend who is in roller derby. She told me they practice two nights a week at the rink which is on the library grounds.  So, I got a two-for-one photo opportunity. Enjoy!

That's my friend, Daidra, on the left. It looks like fun until the coach tells each one of them to drop and then the others have to skate around her. Hopefully. Ouch. I did that last October (fell while skating) and my wrist has never been the same since. I'll leave the skating to younger people. There are just some things a 52 year old should not do.

I love the deep color of this Iris.  I didn't know there were so many varieties at the library garden. What a joy to see them all in one place.

The lupine reminded me of my days of living in Alaska. They grow along the lonely highways and really brighten up the short summer months there.

Do you have a community garden where you live?

love, susan

All Rise

Franklin County Courthouse

I know I already wrote a post for this blog today but it's raining and I have these photos I just took from a morning jaunt over to check out the Franklin County Courthouse. I had been there once to deliver paperwork and I've been dying to take Gene there ever since. I don't know when the County renovated this building but it's definitely worth a trip inside to see how beautiful it is.

We walked through security and asked the officers if it was okay for us to take photos today. They said, "Oh yes, we're very proud of this building."  What a nice departure from what we expected.

There wasn't much going on at the courthouse today, which was just fine with me. I didn't want people in my photos anyway!

I don't have much else to say about this except that if you see a building in your hometown that you've always wanted to see on the inside, I hope you'll take the time to visit it. There are lots of other buildings in the Tri-Cities that I plan to just pull up to the parking lot and go inside to have a look-see. I never have time to do that when I'm working so it's one of those things on my list that I want to accomplish over the summer.   Hope this post inspires you to venture out!

"Come this way, please."

Very elaborate, me thinks.

We loved the marble staircase. Wow!!

Hallway into the courtrooms.

Taken on the 2nd floor.

Looking up to the 2nd floor and ceiling.

  love, susan

Bee Happy

"When the flower blooms, the bees come uninvited."    ~ Ramakrishna
 **********************************************

Yeah, those darn bees.  I hit one yesterday while rolling along at 70 mph on my motorcycle. You'd think the impact would have killed it but it stung me anyway. What a weird feeling, knowing I'm being stung but having to keep my head together until I can find the next rest stop. When we pulled over, the bee was actually still alive on my shirt. The last time we rode, I had a bee come up underneath my full-face helmet. It walked around on my face shield briefly until I opened my shield and set it free. Don't panic were the words my head screamed. It was like a bad nightmare seeing that bee crawling up my face shield. How one little bee can make a grown woman scream is beyond me ... but I don't like 'em ... at all.

It was a beautiful day for riding yesterday. We ended up in Ellensburg and did a drive-by the University. I'm sorry I didn't have my new camera with me but it's a little clunkier for rode trips. Nonetheless, Ellensburg reminds me a bit of Flagstaff.  I love college towns! I hope we'll go there again sometime in the car so we can get out and walk the downtown area. It's not fun walking with leathers on.

After cruising through Ellensburg, we drove along Canyon Road to get home. The river is swollen and running faster than usual. It was a really nice 5-hour trip but I was glad to get home. I'm not quite ready for those long trips yet ... my back and knee ached something terrible by the time we got home. I think it's just a matter of working myself back into longer rides. (keep telling myself that)

The clouds have rolled back in so today we're going to drive over to Pasco and visit Fiesta Foods for some fresh veggies and I want to take Gene to the Franklin County Courthouse. He's never been inside and it is truly a beautiful building. I'm hoping we can snap some photos while there so I can share them here.

Hope you have a wonderful day, wherever you are.

love, susan

I'm a Tornado

Happy Tuesday everybody. This morning I see blue skies poking through yesterday's clouds which brought rain the entire day. 

We were poking through the Sunday paper and found an ad for an upgraded Kodak camera like mine so we took a short road trip out to Hermiston, Oregon to pick one up. My birthday present to myself.

It's still a point and shoot but the lense has 26X Optical Zoom where my other camera, which now belongs to Gene, has 10X zoom. It's a little hunkier, hence easier to hold, and although all the buttons look much the same, the telephoto button is in a way more convenient place on the body and I'm totally happy about that. I will miss my old camera but luckily it's not going far. I know Gene will be so happy to have his own camera.

On another note, I took a trip to the grocery store yesterday morning and while putting my groceries in the car, I was chatting with a guy about our weather. Admittedly, we complained a little but then he said, "oh, we shouldn't complain ... what about those folks in Joplin, Missouri?"  Talk about putting things in perspective. I was actually grateful for the rain after that short interchange. I watched and listened to a YouTube somebody posted up on FaceBook where a bunch of folks gathered together in a store and recorded the tornado passing over them. I was horrified by the noise of it and also surprised by how quickly it came and went (in less than 6 minutes).  Such devastation in such a short time. I can be a tornado at times.  

So, I woke up deciding to be especially grateful that my house hasn't been torn off its foundation, that I haven't lost all my possessions, and I have electricity and hot water this morning.  It is so easy to take it all for granted. 

How about these strawberries? A previous owner of this house planted them and they sure make a nice decorative front to this place. The neighborhood kids always enjoy picking them. I personally will not eat them as we have far too many cats roaming the 'hood. Need I say more?

Up towards the fence, I planted two rose bushes. One is flourishing and the other is just starting to bud.  I hope I have roses to show you later in the summer.

I cannot close this post without leaving a photo of my very favorite girl I shot with my new camera.  I love this dog so much it makes my heart hurt.

So ... I think I'm going to love my new camera!

Hope you have an awesome day with no tornadoes running through the middle of it.

love, susan

Dog Daze of Summer

Meet Shenzi.  Shenzi was at the K9 American Idol contest yesterday held in Columbia Park. I honestly don't know if Shenzi is a boy or a girl but I looked up the definition of the word Shenzi and it stands for the Lion King so I'm guessing Shenzi is of the male persuasion.  Shenzi has great peeps! When they were on vacation last year, he escaped from the pet-sitter and went missing for a week. My friend, Darice, told me the story of how she finally found him, huddled next to a gravestone in the cemetary. It was February and quite cold here in the Tri Cities. Darice told me they have always walked a certain path so she was sure that's where she'd find him. She placed Petula Oil on her shoes (because Shenzi would recognize it) and walked that path, hoping Shenzi would pick up her scent. I remember following the story last year on FB and feeling the heartbreak of my friend over the loss of her dog. All of us were so happy when he was found. I'm not sure what contest Shenzi was in yesterday but I was happy to meet him.

I loved spending time at the K9 American Idol contest yesterday. We don't have nearly enough dog events here in the Tri Cities but they seem to be well attended when there is one. Yesterday I didn't take my "Missy" because she doesn't really do all that well in crowds of people and, honestly, I really wanted to just enjoy the fun competitions and take photos without the distraction of a high-maintenance dog.

One of my favorite events yesterday was the daschund dash. Those little legs can really cover some ground when they see their peeps behind the finish line. There was even a dog who had paralyzed legs in a cart. He didn't win but he wasn't last either.  The funniest thing I saw yesterday was a runaway wiener dog who took a little girl who was about 8 years old on a very long goose chase trying to catch him. When he got tired of the game, he finally went back to his mama.

I really like this photo I took of two older dogs. They were so sweet and well behaved. It was great fun to just sit and watch the parade of different dogs and people interacting in one place. There are no prouder people than dog lovers. My friend Bonnie,  who is visiting from Phoenix, and I just walked around and visited with people and she got to hold some puppies and I got to scratch chins.

The folks from the Columbia Basin Dog Training Club were there to demonstrate agility. It was great fun to watch the dogs running around the course jumping and weaving through the weave poles. I had Missy in agility last year but she got a bad case of fleas and I pulled her out while I got those treated. We haven't gone back to class and now she's gotten fatter and so have I. It's a little embarrassing when I start huffing and puffing during agility class. Note to self: must get those extra winter pounds off .... soon. Missy is still practicing the weave poles in our back yard and she's really good at it.

It's going to be hard to beat the fun we had yesterday but today is a new day and I'm sure there is fun to be had.  Gotta go now and see what adventures I can find!

love, susan

Enter in Silence, Depart in Peace

After the graduation celebrations last weekend, we headed out to Winslow, Arizona to spend one night at the La Posada Hotel & Gardens. It is a grand old, railroad hotel that has been refurbished by some very caring and creative individuals. I wish we would have had just one more night there because I didn't get to see everything there was to see.

Winslow, Arizona is a funky little town out in the middle of nowhere made somewhat famous by the Eagles "Take It Easy". It was actually Jackson Browne who wrote the beginnings of that song and it was Glenn Frey who finished it up.  If you ever go to Winslow, you can't help but think of the Eagles as you pass through the corner Jackson was talking about in his lyrics.

If it were not for this grand hotel, we would not have stopped in Winslow on this trip. But, I'm so glad we did! When you enter the lobby, you know you have been transported to a peaceful, easy place where you are going to enjoy quiet time.  We were not disappointed. 

We checked into our room and my son & his wife arrived shortly thereafter to check into theirs. They rented a larger room with a jacuzzi. It had beautiful, old glass doors that opened out to a false balcony right behind the railroad tracks. I noted there were no screens on the windows, allowing fresh air and doves to light on the window sill.

Garden area

The garden area is very peaceful and really out of place for the desert but it's a wonderful area to take your morning coffee. 

The hotel is still in renovation. The room our kids stayed in was not there 2 years ago when Justin took Amanda to La Posada to propose marriage to her.

There is an art gallery that blew my mind when I walked through it. I wasn't allowed to take photographs in the art gallery so I can only describe it to you by saying it is full of the most gigantic oil canvasses, painted by artist, Tina Mion.  Apparently, Tina lives at La Posada and I would have given just about anything to have met her.  Her paintings are fascinating, odd, dark and light ~ all at the same time. I pulled down an example from her website to show you here.

by Tina Mion

After a short nap on Sunday afternoon, we met my son and his wife in the dining room for a fancy dinner. It was lovely and especially wonderful to have a waiter who took great care of us. Although Gene and I are admittedly far more comfortable in a roadside cafe where the waitress chomps on her gum and yells at the cook, dinner at La Posada was a real treat.

Following are a few more photos from our overnight stay.  If you are ever in need of a retreat and happen to be in Winslow, Arizona, do yourself a big favor and stay here. If you don't have time or budget to stay, at least ask if you can tour the building. The owners should be very proud that you drove all that way to see what they've done to the place!  

our room

In one of the large sitting areas

In one of the long hallways

love, susan

Love With Skin

While on our recent trip, we got to spend one night with two of our very favorite people in the whole world. They live on property that's tucked miles off the main grid and to visit them is to have a relaxing retreat. 

We only stayed overnight but when we left in the morning, I was smilng and had enjoyed several belly laughs the night before.

My very good friend, Peggy, is a like a surrogate mother to me. She has this way of teaching me new things every time I see her and she's one of those friends who, no matter how long it's been since the last visit, always picks up where we left off.  

This visit, I learned a new recipe while watching her put together a wonderful, simple dinner for us. I had made a cake the day before we traveled and we enjoyed it later. While sitting in the kitchen, talking over cups of coffee, I watched a gazillion birds fly into the bird feeder and she told me about the cycle of birds who visit them in the spring. We watched the pine squirrels scurry across their property and we even got to see the first woodpecker of the season land on a tree outside their dining room window.

Peggy is very active and I love hearing her stories about her volunteer job down at the local soup kitchen. She's one of the cooks there one day a week. She also loves crafts and her eyes lit up when she asked if I wanted to see the newest things she's doing. Mostly, she is doing things for other people. She had several little craft projects where she is putting together little gifts for children at the soup kitchen for Christmas. 

She is a great listener and story teller. As we were visiting, I asked her what she had done last year besides volunteering and surprisingly she said, "oh, I went to Ireland for two weeks". Really? I said.  Do tell. While she talked a little about the food and walking into the pubs, the best part was when she non-chalantly said, "oh, and I got a tattoo." A tattoo? Yep, she got a tattoo in Ireland. For the life of me, I can't remember what it is and I never saw it but she said the artist told her she was the oldest person he'd ever tatted. That's my friend ~ she's such a trend setter!

Secretly, I'd love to go on a trip with Peggy. I'm not sure she has ever met a stranger and the best way I can desribe her is "love with skin".

What I learned from Peggy this visit: 

~  Make a big batch of brown rice and freeze it in two-cup ziplocs. Flattened the bags so they store well in the freezer. 

~  She made this really yummy pork roast by thawing out some brown rice and placing the roast right on top of the rice. She zested and juiced one large orange. She diced up a whole onion and and placed those ingredients on top of the roast, covered it up and baked it until done. So simple and so delish!

~  Make a batch of steel cut oats and store in a tupperware in the fridge. Every morning, scoop a serving into your bowl, add a slight amount of water and microwave. You'll never know it was pre-cooked.  She told me that's how all the restaurants do it.

I love you, Peggy!

love, susan 

Finding Love in a Small Cafe

"Good food ends with good talk." ~ Geoffrey Neighbor, Northern Exposure, Duets, 1993

It's so good to be home after a 10-day road trip to Flagstaff, Arizona.  We enjoyed two days of graduation celebrations with my son and his grandparents, and his wife and her family. A good part of our trip was spent eating out. While I like to eat out once in a while, it gets old by about the 3rd day of it and I'm always so happy to get home so I can cook things I really like, the way I like them. 

 

However, I have learned how to find really great places to eat while on the road and want to pass on a few tips for those who might just be starting traveling or for those who never gave  much thought about where to eat.

 

1.  Never, never, never eat at corporate America restaurants unless, of course, we are with a group and it's the group's decision. There are so many fantastic family-owned eateries to frequent. Why eat off the same old, formulated menus created by an industry that loves to fill your food with salt, sugar and additives? 

 

2.  When searching for a good place to eat, look past the main street you roll in on.  Granted, there may be some really great places on the main street but chances are if you just drive over one or two blocks, you'll find where the locals eat. There you will find much of heaven and local people. Not only will you find a great home-cooked meal, but you'll find out things about the area.

 

3.  Look for lots of cars in the parking lot. This is the best indicator that you've hit the jackpot when it comes to great food at an affordable price.

 

4. Go into a store or gas station and ask the locals where they eat. That's where we found this "road treasure" on Monday morning on our way through Payson, Arizona. 

 

We had stopped at WalMart on the main drag to pick up something we needed. Gene asked the cashier for a great local place and this is where she told him to take me. I didn't go in with him to WalMart so I asked him, "was she skinny?"

 

5.  Never ask a skinny person to point you to a great local cafe.

 

6.  If the billboard has hearts on it, you'll likely find love inside the doors.  This particular cafe was no exception to "Susan's rule". We found both waitresses to treat us like family. When Gene left a bite of pancake on his plate, our waitress shook her finger and told him to clean his plate. You gotta love that. 

 

I don't have any other tips for you. These simple things have kept us finding the most interesting places and people in our travels. This old cowboy was just sitting there having his morning coffee. He had been talking to a younger gent who was on his way to work. 

 

Take-away: I love being planted in the middle of other people's lives for 30 minutes. And, I love the special attention we get when we eat local. You typically don't get that in corporate America.

 

Do you have a favorite local place to eat? What's your favorite thing about it?  Do you have any other tips for me? Do tell!

 

So happy to be home ..... but can't wait for the next road trip.

 

love, susan 

Black Bird

Oh, how I miss blogging. I'm on the road and just stopped for a few days for my son and his wife's graduation. Really enjoying the new roads we're taking and visiting with old friends.

I finally got warmed up as the weather in Arizona is sunny and dry.  Flagstaff is at 7,000 feet in elevation so even though it's in the low 80's, I got sunburned today while walking to the graduation from the kids' apartment. Feels good to have some color and feel warm again.

I shot this photo at Arches National Park. We drove into a pullout and this raven posed for me.  I think it makes this such a much more interesting picture.

We'll be home soon and while I love traveling, I always love going home.  Until then .... hope wherever you are that you are warm and have sunshine!

love, susan

Sock It To Me, Will Ya?

Yesterday was my last day at a paying job ... for a while. It was quite a day. When I arrived at work, one of the attorneys brought a box of donuts. One of the donuts was in the shape of a  gingerbread girl ~ you had to be there to see it. Of course, I left my camera at home.

I had a really busy day trying to finish up what I could so as not to leave too much for the paralegals who are absorbing my job duties. At the end of the day, I was okay with where I was leaving them. I was able to walk out the door with no regrets.

One of the attorneys took me to lunch, which was a pleasant surprise. We talked about gardening ... something I know nothing about so it was a learning session for me. She told me about her adventures  nightmare in planting bamboo in her back yard. I try to learn something new every day and that was the take-away yesterday. NOTE TO SELF: do not plant bamboo ... ever.

After lunch, we all had cake at 3:00 p.m. and as much as I didn't want to, I had a tear or two in my eyes about leaving. I'm terrible at good-byes. The truth is, I really love the staff I worked with there ... super great people ... and I will miss seeing them daily. After the cake, I still had a tape to finish transcribing but at 4:00 p.m., my favorite court reporter, ChaRae Kent, stopped by with a plate of these over-the-top killer brownies she makes. I was really touched by that.  My husband nearly went into a coma after eating one ~ they are the best brownies ever. I told him I have the recipe and he said, "that's probably not a good thing". Thank you, ChaRae!

When I got off work, I checked my phone in the parking lot and I had a message from my son on my cell phone. I will not ruin his surprise by telling his great news on my post but just let me say that I was already having an awesome day and his news took me higher!

When I got home from work, Gene had gone down to Papa Murphy's to get a take-n-bake pizza for dinner after scooping up an online coupon for a $6 large pizza. I was impressed.  We went downtown to meet some friends and when we got home, we hit the hay.

It was not until this morning that I saw the little Priority Mail box sitting on the counter from my old high school friend, Debra, which contained a beautiful pair of hand-knitted socks she made for me. Could my day have been any better?  I think not.

Most days don't have quite so many great things going on but yesterday was stellar. Today, we're packing for our trip to Arizona and will be stopping to visit some friends along the way. I feel like the luckiest person on the planet for having such wonderful, caring people in my life. I'm truly on Cloud 9 today.  Wherever you are, I hope something wonderful happens to you today. 

love, susan

 

Seize the Day!

I snapped this pic when we went to visit our kids just before we moved to Washington. That was 2008.  

They are both graduating from their respective master's programs a week from tomorrow. 

I'm pretty "wowed" by that.  Wowed that they are graduating, wowed that they survived a grueling schedule that has kept them in the books, teaching, and just being a young married couple.

We will miss going to visit them in Flagstaff.  We love that place. It holds a lot of great memories for us and I hope I remember to just stay in the moment and take it all in while we're there next week. 

I'm sure Justin and Amanda are going to miss Flagstaff, too. It's where they met, made friends, got married, did the school thing, ate bagels at Bif's Bagels, and walked to school in the snow. 

One of my favorite quotes:

"You'll always miss 100% of the shots you don't take."  ~ Wayne Gretzky

I remember telling Justin that even if we don't know what we want to do, just do something and everything will fall into place.  We'll meet people and get new ideas and our path will appear.  I don't mind saying I was right .... 

 

Carpe Diem!!

love, susan 

Flower Power

When I got home from work yesterday, I looked outside and saw my neighbor's little yellow roses blooming. I don't know when that happend but I'm glad I didn't miss it. Everything is blooming right now and the fact that we've had a lot more rain than usual should mean there will be plenty of May flowers, right?

Last year, I had very few iris bloom but people tell me it's not unusual for that to happen some years. I hope they bloom soon ... I love them.

I had to lay down on the concrete sidewalk in our back yard  this morning to get this shot. These flowers are really tiny and I don't believe I've ever looked at them from this angle but I just love the little "stims" inside. I know there is a proper science name for that but all I really care to know is that these bloom every year and their color really makes me happy.  While I was down on the ground (thank goodness we have a fence or my neighbors might think they are living next to a crazy lady) I noticed the reflection of the blooming tree in my window.

And the blue sky. While I rarely future-trip, I am so ready for it to be Friday, 5:00 p.m.  I want to be outside.

I hope wherever you are, that you take the time to really see what's around you. There's beauty everywhere ...

A tree against the sky possesses the same interest, the same character, the same expression as the figure of a human.   ~ Georges Rouault