Cats, Cut, Check Mate

It seems like I just wrote my last post yesterday but now I see it's been a week! Time is just flying by.

The cats have been such a great source of entertainment. Sharaya and Ally say they love to watch TV and now we've seen it for ourselves. This is Maya. She couldn't take her eyes off that hockey puck!

 

We went to Diana and Peter's on Sunday for lunch. Diana got Peter got a new griddle for his birthday and he couldn't wait to try it out. I'm glad we got to he his testers! The burgers were delicious! While we waited for them to cook, Diana and Sharaya played chess and Beth copied her letters. (She does this at home every day.) It was my second time seeing Poppy, their puppy (does anyone else remember that Christmas song from the 60's? "Poppy the puppy, loves little girls and boys, he checks the list, you won't be missed, you'll get your share of toys." I think I still have the 45) but I didn't get one single picture! There was even some great shots when Poppy was chasing Peter around the yard but I completely missed the opportunity.

 

After dinner we played Phase 10. Have you ever played it? My family used to play Frustration Rummy and they're very similar but I think Phase 10 is more frustrating! (Can you tell I lost?)

I got my hair cut last weekend. You can't really see a difference but I've had an undercut for a few years and this time I got layers. Only about an inch of layers. I'm not a big fan of change so I take baby steps when I can. 😊

 Before

 After

 

 

 On Friday Beth and I are going to see Beauty and the Beast at the 5th Ave Theater! We are so excited we can hardly stand it!

Last Minute

Beth and I were sitting at the kitchen table this morning waiting for her bus. Every Wednesday she goes to karaoke at All Aboard. Her bus was coming between 10:30 - 11:00 so she got up to use the bathroom one last time. At 10:28 I got a text saying All Aboard was closing for the day due to too many exposures to covid. They had already canceled all the DART buses and were sorry for the inconvenience. She was so disappointed. I asked her if she wanted to go down to the waterfront she said yes! I was shocked because she usually always says no.

When we got out of the car back by the street and behind some condos, the temps were very mild so we left our hats, gloves and scarves in the car. Mistake! By the time we got out onto the pier the wind was SO cold! So we found a bench inside a wind-breaker. 

We took pictures, watched the ferry come and go, admired the boats in the marina, and tried our best at some selfies.

 That's Mt. Baker. About 120 miles from us.

We left there and went to the grocery store to pick up some meds and saw some granola that made us smile! Purely Elizabeth!

What could have been a really sad day turned out pretty well!

Off to a Good Start

There doesn't seem to be a lot happening around here right now. That's what I was feeling when I sat down to write this. But then I got to thinking about it...

Sharaya's roommate recently got married and moved out of the house they had rented. Then the owner decided to sell it. I don't know how it is where you live but here in the Seattle area rents are expensive! They're so high that renting a one-bedroom apartment costs more than the mortgage payment on our house! So Sharaya and Ally moved in here so she can continue to save up for a house. Sharaya and I were watching TV last night and it just felt so good having them here. You guys know, your kids grow up, move out and start their own lives (as it should be, that's what you hope for!) but it's hard! You miss them and wonder about them - a lot - and so I'm glad they're here for a while. They made us pancakes for dinner the other night. And, I'm a cat person so I've loved having Moxie and Maya around. 

 

Chuck developed a new spot on the top of his head (I never noticed it actually) and at his appointment with the dermatologist last week he decided to do a biopsy on it. They said it was precancerous. But it's been removed and all is well. (I'm having a hard time being convinced.) This means his body is still making cancer, right? Deep breath. I've been told that once you have cancer it never really goes away. There's always a possibility it can come back, so I just have to trust that the Lord will take care of him. For today though, this was caught and removed. I am thankful for that!

In fact, Chuck is in Denver this weekend helping his sister. She's the one who had the stroke 20+ years ago and is paralyzed on her right side so he's gone to help change light bulbs, clean out a bedroom, and sort through part of the garage. He said they spent the first day just talking. His siblings have never been very close so I'm glad they're getting to spend some time together.  

Diana and Peter got a puppy! Her name is Poppy and she's a Great Pyrenees / German Shepherd / Bernese mix. She's SO cute! Can't wait to meet her!

So, I guess there was more than I thought. The good news is I've been at peace about so many things that I don't feel stressed. The Lord has been impressing upon me lately that He is my Rock. My sure and solid foundation in this ever-changing, crazy world. And that's made all the difference.

I pray you are well and that 2022 is off to a good start for you! 

Growing Up in San Diego, I Never Knew!

I was born and raised in San Diego and I never knew there was such a thing as a snow sky. It's when the temperature drops, and the sky turns a light gray, you can't see any blue, no break in the clouds, it just looks like a silky smooth blanket. 

I never knew that there were different kinds of snow. There's a light, powdery snow that I hear is great for skiing. Here in the Seattle suburbs we mostly get the wet, heavy snow that's bad for skiing for great for building snowmen and having snowball fights!

I never knew you should pop your windshield wipers up so they don't stick to your windshield.

I never knew your pipes could freeze! When the temps dip down to the teens you need to open up the cupboards so your pipes are exposed to the heat of your house, and then turn your faucets on very low so the dripping water keeps them from freezing.

I never knew that it's really quiet when the snow is actually falling. There are no cars, no planes flying overhead, no birds... it's absolutely silent.

On December 26 it started to snow so I woke up early, fixed some tea, opened the blinds and sat at the kitchen table FOR ALMOST 3 HOURS and watched the snow fall. My world changed into a winter wonderland! It is so peaceful. I think it's one of the most peaceful things on the planet.

 

I ended up taking a walk later in the day to check out the neighborhood. It was so cold but so pretty!

The brown house is ours. Anyone who lives behind us we affectionately call 'our back door neighbors.'

I was getting ready to go to work a few days later when I saw this huge pile of ice next to my drivers side door.

Then I looked up to see this crazy icicle hanging right above my head! I ended up breaking it off when I got back home.

The temps dropped into the teens and everything froze. Our church was closed for more than a week so it was quite a few days before Beth and I finally ventured out to the store. Our refrigerators were getting empty so we were desperate!

 I went down to work one night to set the alarm and spotted this crazy frozen waterfall!

When I was growing up we'd sometimes drive up to the mountains to play in the snow and I'd wonder what it was like to live there. I never knew that one day I'd get to find out.

Second Christmas, Bird Watching and The Cat's Pajamas

Chuck's mom and sister used to buy the girls matching pajamas and stuffed animals every year and they got to open them on Christmas Eve. When Ally was born Sharaya asked me to continue the tradition and I was more than happy to ablige!

 1994

 2014

 

This year I didn't get her a stuffed animal because I bought her cats some matching pajamas! They weren't very cooperative when it was time to get dressed. By the time they got Moxie's on, Maya had already wiggled out of hers!

 

We always open our stockings first, then have cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Then we get to the presents! We like to open ours one at a time. One person plays 'Santa' and hands out each gift, that way we all get to see what everyone gets. 

After we're done opening presents, dinner goes in the oven (if it isn't already) and then we turn on The Muppet Christmas Carol. It's tradition! While we watched TV, the cats watched the birds.

 

I don't ever remember doing two Christmases before. When the anticipation of one was over, you still had another one to look forward to! It's not the same when the whole family isn't together but it was still fun to have two of them!