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Hello,

We're in the middle of an 'Atmospheric River.' A constant flow of rain coming all the way from the middle of the Pacific. The forecaster said it started almost near Japan. So we're expecting heavy rain for quite a few days which usually leads to river flooding, down trees and power outages. Thankfully we're not in a flood zone and even though we're surrounded by huge evergreen trees, we've never had one fall. Only by God's grace.

December 2022

Beth and I were sitting at the table last week waiting for her bus. We waited and waited but it never came.

Come to find out her eligibility had expired. Every few years we get a large packet in the mail of paperwork to fill out but I guess this year they just sent a small postcard reminder. 

Our fault, we somehow just missed it.

So she's at the table, ready and waiting and I had to tell her she couldn't go. Karaoke day. (I thought about driving her myself but at that time of morning it would have taken an hour or more to get there and I would have had to take the day off work.) I apologized and told her what happened. She just sat there. I apologized again and asked her if I could give her a hug. She nodded. After a couple minutes she picked up her backpack and jacket went back downstairs. I felt horrible!

Plus, she's needed a new phone case so we looked at new cases on-line and she found one of her favorite designs! Chuck ordered it and told her it would be delivered the next day. That was the day her bus never came.

I came home from work and saw the package on the porch. When I brought it to her she was so excited! She opened it and pulled out the new protective covers for my phone and that was it. I asked her if there was anything else in there and she said no. It hadn't come! 😭 She just put the package on the table and went downstairs. She was so sad! Twice in one day! I felt so bad!

We did get an email explaining why the package was late, but I'm not sure it helped.

Well, it's been a week now and we've worked out a plan with DART. We need to get the paperwork done (including a letter from her doctor verifying she is unable to use regular public transportation) by the end of the year and they will continue to pick her up until then. Whew! 

And, her phone case arrived the next day.

All is well again.

Last night she and I made some chocolate chip cookies. She helps with the brown sugar, eggs and mixing. Then she puts some cookies on the tray. 

She's never mastered using an oven, or the stove either. She doesn't like turning the gas burners on but will stir something that is already cooking. She does like to cook, but only with help.

That's about all for now. I hope you have a great week!

Chicken, Past the 'Best By' Date, It's been Five Years

One thing I didn't write about in my last post was that my dad died on 9/11, in 2019. We had seen him in August and he was doing pretty good for 93. Just a couple weeks after we left though, he fell and broke his hip and was put on hospice.

I flew back to San Diego and got to be with him when he died. Most of the family got to say their goodbyes. We all flew back down in October for the memorial. I sometimes dream about him. The other night I had a dream about him, my mom and my sister. An interesting thing, whenever I dream about someone who has died, they never speak. They'll laugh, we're doing things together, but they never talk.

Okay, on to lighter things. Beth has been asking me if we could make chocolate chip cookies so Monday night after work I got out all the ingredients. Since our kids have grown up I just don't bake anymore. So all of our flour was expired. Well I don't know, does flour actually go bad? It was definitely past the 'best by' date so I tossed it. Same with the vegetable oil, we were out of butter... sigh. So I jumped in the car and ran to the store.

Beth puts in the flour, baking soda, salt, she helps add the eggs, runs the mixer, then puts the dough on the tray. I let her make one tray, then she gets to take those downstairs for herself. In this picture she's telling her friends, "Hey everyone at All Aboard! I'm making cookies!"

Have you been able to see the Aurora Borealis this year? It seems to be happening a lot lately. I headed outside this week and looked up through my camera and all I saw was pitch black. Holding my phone up and looking at the screen, there was nothing. But as I took pictures, I could see a light image appear. When I got in the house, this is what I had:

 

 

Just a little bit of pink, but it's there! I was shocked! There really was nothing to see with the naked eye, not even the clouds. It was dark. I don't like the dark so I'd be outside for just a minute, then come back in. Then I'd go out again a few minutes later. I'm such a chicken. 

Saturday Snippets

We drove up to Leavenworth on Tuesday. We had a call from the oncologist that morning and decided to just take off for the day, see some new scenery for a while. We all wouldn't fit in one car so Sharaya, Diana and Allie drove mine. The scenery was gorgeous, we did drive-through for lunch on our way there and stopped at a 50's Diner for shakes on the way home. It was a good distraction from all the doctor visits, Zoom meetings and phone calls back home.

Leavenworth is a small, Bavarian style town nestled in the Cascade Mountains about 2 hours from us. None of the shops were open but we were able to walk around town and look in the windows!

When we're home and not talking to doctors we bake, play games and we try to go for walks every day.

 It's been cold and rainy for a couple of days but it's supposed to be in the high 70's next week! 

I pray your week is filled with sunny skies!