Looking in the Rearview Mirror

Spotted this rabbit on a day trip to McNary Bird Refuge.

A Year in Review

One of my favorite blogs, The Art of Non-Conformity, is written by a guy who lives in Portland, Oregon. He's a world traveler, author, changer of attitudes, and I'll bet just a really swell human being. He does an annual review of his year on his blog using the following questions:

What went well in 2011?
What did not go well in 2011?

I thought about 2011 today and quite frankly I couldn't come up with anything that did not go well. Really. It was a banner year for me. I hope it's okay to say that. Do you think I should knock on wood right now? Is it bad karma to talk about how great your life is? I don't think so.  I hope it isn't.  Is it?

It started with a one-week fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants trip to Phoenix in February. We had been tossing around the notion that maybe we should get in on some really dirt-cheap housing prices there and so drove through the worst snow storm in Nevada, with only street tires, to get there. About 3 hours into driving around Phoenix, we looked at each other and said, "what are we thinking???"  We cannot leave the green trees for a concrete jungle. That's how it is with us. We just knew. But we had to get it out of our system.  No bueno.  Phoenix.

The first week of May, I said adios to the law firm where I was working in exchange for the perfect summer. And, it was ... a perfect summer. We headed to Flagstaff the 2nd week in May for my son and his wife's graduation via The Arches National Park in Utah. Arches is quite possibly the most awesome place I've ever visited. 

Our summer was non-stop fun, travel, picnics, hiking, camping, motorcycling, and anything else we could squeeze in between. It was so busy that I was ready to go back to work in September.  I found a great temporary job and we've enjoyed two great trips to the beach since I started working again.

I've said it before .... I feel like I'm hanging on to a runaway train in my life.  And, it's fun! I can't think of one thing that did not go well this year.  Perhaps that's the Pollyanna in me.  

I  look forward to 2012.  How about you? 

love, susan

Four Days Til Solstice

I've noticed that people in Washington don't really give a rip about solstice.  Being a life-long Alaskan, I can tell you that winter solstice is something almost every  Alaskan looks forward to.  It's a date that (if you don't drink yourself to death or go completely insane) gives you hope. December 21st is the shortest day of the year and when you live in Alaska, knowing that you will gain daylight the next day, even if it's only 4 seconds, is something to look forward to. Life-long Alaskans pride themselves in survival.

I've discovered since we moved to Washington, after a 7-year stint in sunny Yuma, Arizona, that the Alaskan in me comes out in the winter time.  I have been thinking about December 21st for a couple of weeks now. This will be my fourth winter here in Eastern Washington. While I love living here, I could do without the long winter.  I know just a short time ago, I wrote that I was happy to see winter arrive because we ran hard last summer.  I'm over it now.  I want summer to come back.  Soon.

This time of year is always busy and I have a full December calendar.  January, not so much. We don't have any trips planned. There are no parties. It's very much like living in Alaska without the -50 weather. Just gotta hang on and watch the days grow longer.

love, susan 

Hey Mouse!

Our supervisor at work gave us each sweet little figurines for Christmas. Mine is a little mouse with the hugest ears and the body is the shape of a pear. My card reader is not working or I would post a photo of it for you.

Opening that little mouse gift reminded me that my nickname in high school was "Mouse".  I said it out loud yesterday and someone asked me why that was my nickname.   Here's why.

Until I was in my mid 30's, I had ears that stuck out like a mouse. I was born that way and I suffered all through my school years into adulthood with those ears. My hair is quite fine and although I tried to wear it in a style that hid those ears, I didn't do a very good job of it. I remembered in the flash of a second the pain of being burdened with such a physical flaw.  I hated windy days because I felt terribly exposed. I hated that I couldn't wear my hair very long or pull it back in a pony tail like my friends. Those mouse ears were something I thought about every single day of my life.

I always wanted to have cosmetic surgery to fix those ears but it was expensive so I could never quite justify having the surgery done. Long story short, I ended up scheduling another medically needed surgery (breast reduction) with a cosmetic surgeon and asked him if he could do something with my ears while I was under the knife. He gladly said he would do it and at half-price since I was already on the table. While the breast reduction was awesome to have done, I was extremely happy to get my ears "fixed". The recovery for the ear job was much more physically painful than the breast reduction.

Surprisingly, it took over a year for my psyche to register the fact that I now had perfect little ears. I liken it to those who have gastric by-pass surgery and lose weight quickly. The mind has a hard time catching up with the fact that our physical appearance has changed.

I have all but forgotten that I had mouse ears and huge, back-breaking boobs at one time. One of the things that came up for me yesterday when opening that gift was the memory of how cruel kids can be and even some unthinking adults. While I know my friends' nickname for me was a term of endearment (my close friends were not bullies), I am certain they never knew how incredibly painful it was having mouse ears.

It's easy to think that our off-handed comments are funny or witty but I write this post for myself. I am as guilty as the next person to make an unthinking comment and opening that gift yesterday reminded me that I need to choose my words thoughtfully. I'd rather not be the cause of some one's feelings being hurt.

love, susan

Happy Birthday

Gene celebrated his 61st birthday on Sunday. We took a drive out to Naches, which is 12 miles north of Yakima, for a late lunch compliments of his daughter.  Her instructions were to take him to dinner, so I did!  It's a long 90 mile drive for lunch but so worth it. Being retired means he is home a lot so getting out for a drive always makes him smile. 

We love this little cafe we found a couple of years ago. They make the best Reuben sandwich and I love their hamburgers which are hand-formed and nestled on a homemade bun. Everything they serve is totally homemade.  Worth the drive!!

On the way home, I spotted two bald eagles near the river. We also saw a lot of red hawks perched up high, hunting for food. I call them "fatties". They don't seem to be starving this time of year. I felt like a fattie after eating everything on my plate which included sweet potato fries!

Happy birthday, Gene! You are the love of my life! I can't imagine how boring the last 10 years would have been without you. Your wanderlust was contagious and I've been infected with it deeply. You are showing me how to age gracefully and you've shown me that every day is like a birthday. I love how you wake up smiling and laughing even when it's hard to get moving sometimes. What a great life we have! 

love, susan 

My Winter Vacation

Soft, colorful gray skies. Warm breeze. Aqua colored sea foam. Sea lions with whiskers and cute smiles. A bridge like no other. The Sea Hag Restaurant. Salt water taffy. Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus standing on the corner in Depoe Bay collecting dollars for kid toys. Sunrise. Glassblower in shorts. Cheap motel. Sea lions barking into the night. Lighthouses. Workers on the dock. Sunshine. Microwaved popcorn. Movies on HBO. Sunset. Good sleep. New friends. Old friends. Family. 

It was good!

The Green Eyed Monster

I cannot believe it's Thanksgiving ... again ... already. My daughter-in-law and I were conversing on FB the other night and I've been thinking about them all week. 

Last year on this very day, I was baking pies and getting all my food prep done so I could enjoy my son and his lovely wife's visit. This year, her mom will get the pleasure of their company. Read: I'm so jealous. 

However, we are heading to Portland to spend time with Gene's family and meet some new extensions of his daughter's family. Love that!

Last year, we had a wagon-load of snow fall. This year, the forecast is for a balmy 64 today. in Tri-Cities. Of course, it will be raining in Portland and on the coast.  And, it's a tropical day in St. Maarten where my dad and his Nancy are visiting for another 10 days. Lucky schmucks! Read: I'm jealous.

Not much else to write about today. So I guess this is where I will wish you all a peaceful, easy T-day. I can't help but think about those who are alone today, those who don't have enough to eat today, those who have no roof over their heads, those who are jobless, those men and women who are serving in another country. If you see someone who needs help today and every day, I hope you find it in your heart to do what you can. 

love, susan 

Thinking of You

Today I hit the jackpot! When I looked through my stack of mail, there were two hand-written letters from friends. You could have knocked me over with a feather! You have no idea how much it means to me to hear from you. Let me tell you.

One letter writer commented she didn't know how I had time to write hand-written letters. I have to admit that I don't send letters in the summer ... ever. Now that I am back to spending a good part of an hour daily in front of the happy light, I'm writing a lot more and it's so therapeutic for me. I've pretty much gone through my Rolodex and written to everyone I can think of.  The other envelope I  received was from a friend who is not much for writing letters but her note warmed my heart just the same.

I don't know what you all do with letters you get from friends, but I save mine. I have a hanging folder labeled "Cards & Photos from Friends and Family". After I read your letters, I drop them in the hanging folder and I pull them out once in a blue moon to look at and treasure. I don't keep cards that have simply been signed unless they are particularly funny. Gene and I had a conversation about this recently. He's saved every card anyone has ever given to him. He doesn't keep them all in one place so it's like Christmas for him when he looks in a drawer and finds cards he stashed away. He found one the other day that is so personal (it was not from me) that I can't share what was written but I can you tell that it was touching. He left it on the counter for me to read and I cried.

My grandmother died about 4 years ago, or was it 5? When I traveled to her home-town the following year, my aunt handed me a ziploc bag of items my grandmother had kept in her drawer. Among those treasures were letters and photos I had mailed to her throughout my life.  I was surprised to receive them back. The first time I opened the ziploc bag, I had to close it quickly. It was so painful. It's still painful to this day. 

Listen up.  If you are not sending hand-written letters to people you love, they won't have anything tangible to hold in their hands should you leave this earth before them.  When I see my grandmother's hand-writing on a letter she wrote to me, it's like time travel. I can picture her sitting at her dining room table with her white-lined writing tablet, an envelope and a stamp. She always wrote two pages and her letter always included a weather report. I miss her very much.

To my friends who took the time to write me recently, there is no gift I would treasure more than your letters. I truly mean that.

love, susan 

Less is More

The other day my friend Jane wrote on her blog about how much she loves house plants. I used to love houseplants but when I lived in Arizona I didn't keep any because we lived in a small space and, quite frankly, I didn't want one more thing to take care of.  I still don't want another thing to care of.   Read: less is more.  However, I do have this sturdy little ivy.  It started out as two leaves coming up through a crack in the driveway near the garage door. I spotted it out of the corner of my eye and thought, "now there's a survivor!". It was a year ago in the heat of summer. I pulled it out and showed it to Gene. He made me promise I wouldn't plant it anywhere on the property. Ivy really takes over and can be very hard to get rid of. So I stuck it in this "garage sale special" ceramic pot and forgot about it. I water it maybe once a month.  I figure if it survived out there by the garage in the dry heat of summer, it should feel lucky to get a sip of H2O when I get around to it. I move it occasionally from my bathroom to my office. I can live with one houseplant as long as it does not get to be high maintenance.

11/11/11 8:00 a.m. ~ Richland, Washington

The weather today is a bit nippy at 18 degrees and the fog seems to be hanging on longer than I think it should. I'm going to be wearing lots of layered clothing today.  

I hope the sun is shining wherever you are.

A Year Ago in November

I was just looking at my posts from one year ago. This time last year we were getting ready for the kids to come for Thanksgiving. We took a random trip to Spokane but ended up in Idaho.  It happens.

A year ago, we were having really nice weather and just in time for Thanksgiving, we experienced a snow storm.

Why am I rehashing the past? Because I have no news. I feel like such a slacker.

Here a list of my blog posts from November 2010. It was a very good month! Hope you'll take a peek.

• Heard on the Bus Today
• Purple Boots
• Out With The Old, In With the New
• Kitties & Kiddies at the Humane Society
• Cross Deep Fried Twinkie Off Bucket List
• Left-Overs Have Never Been This Good
• Nancy, This Is For You!
• I'm on a Pink Cloud!
• Wednesday - Take 5
• 1 Degree
• Public Transportation Rocks!
• Bus Pass = $1.25 Peace of Mind = Priceless
• Winter Storm 2010 - more pics
• This Ain't Arizona! Take 5
• Interesting Weather
• I Hired a Housecleaner!
• Love is a Verb
• Turning 60
• Winter Abyss
• Tragedy in San Diego
• Calm After the Storm
• Thanksgiving Dinner
• Indian Summer - Take 5
• Meet Brittany, et al.
• God Didn't Make Little Green Apples
• Needful Things
• Blue & Moon
• One More Get Up
• Santilly's Is Off The List
• Take 5 - Day Eight - I need a road trip.
• Pros and Cons - the "T" List
• Take 5 - Day Seven
• Keep This Coupon
• My Saturday
• Friday Lunch-Time is 'For the Birds'
• Tombstone, Arizona -- I love you!
• When the Fog Lifts
• Your Attention Please
• I Am So Lame!
• The Little Things You Miss When You Aren't Paying ...
• Take 5 - Day One

love, susan 

November Photowalk

My friend Linda, Sassy Sara and me

I had a great day yesterday. My friend, Linda and her dog Sassy Sara, and I, went on a photowalk over at the McNary Dam. Originally, I thought we were going to the bird refuge but I was really glad we ended up at the dam.  Gene and I visited this place in late August when the leaves were still green and the spiders were still alive and making great webs on all the steel fish ladders. 

2 of 6

We saw a herd of 6 deer as soon as we got out of the van. I wasn't sure how good my pics would be since they were at a pretty good distance but discovered when I got home that some of the deer were bucks.

We strolled around the area where there are great walking trails and since the weather was a bit nippy, we had the entire area to ourselves.  Sassy Sara is still in training so it was good for her to just be able to walk with us without the distraction of other people. I set my camera up for a timed photo and she just could hardly sit still as witnessed by the puppy kiss right at the moment of the shutter opening.

Looking up!

I like this photo of looking up through the center of a tower. I would have never thought to shoot a pic like this if I hadn't seen someone else from my photo club do it.  Even so, it's not exactly lined up perfectly but I like the blue sky and scattered clouds. 

Whirlpool

While this may not be a very exciting photo to look at, I will forever remember the wonder of hearing this little whirlpool making a wet sucking noise. I heard it before I saw it and I went investigating to see what could make such a unique sound. The creek was flowing hard enough to cause it right next to the path. It would spin for quite awhile and then it would just disappear. I am easily amused so I waited long enough to see it reappear. How many times have you seen something like this in your lifetime?

Me and Sassy Sara

You have no idea how much I hate having my photo taken but it was fun to sit with Sassy Sara. I had to firmly hold on to her jowls to keep her from squiqqling so much. Puppies are like that.  Isn't she just the cutest??

What a fantastic day it was.

Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter;

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.