Slice of Life: Our Saturday Shopping Trip!

Today I join my fellow bloggers in "serving up a slice" 

to the Tuesday Slice of Life (SOL) community.

Thanks to Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Beth, Kathleen, Deb, Lisa, and Melanie

                    for hosting this meeting place each Tuesday and nurturing our writing lives.

We are not shoppers, especially not the weekend of Thanksgiving shoppers . . . 

But on Saturday afternoon, we found ourselves shopping.

Within moments of sitting down to discuss our purchase,

my husband's phone rang.  His name had been drawn and 

we were the lucky recipients of the hourly drawing . . . 

an Xbox game system (not too exciting for this couple of a certain age).

We walked outside, we went for a spin, we rode in a golf cart to see all the possibilities

and five hours later, I found myself emptying the glove box, and the side door pockets,

and all the little nooks and crannies of our trusty steed

who had served our family well for thirteen years.

I felt a little sad saying goodbye and the rainy, gloomy night mirrored my mood, 

but there comes a time (even for folks who drive cars for a long time)

to move on.  We drove our magnetic gray metallic RAV4 home.  

I'm still figuring out all the bells and whistles of this tech savvy car

that blinks at me when someone is in my blind spot,

and beeps at me when I'm too close to an object,

and has a bluetooth and a backup mirror and four cameras

and who knows what else that I still need to figure out.

Sunday morning we received a call from the dealer that my name had been drawn. . . 

for another hourly drawing - a $250 Visa gift card (definitely more exciting than the Xbox)!   

Celebrate This Week: Every Precious Moment!

                              Join us each weekend for Celebrate This Week with Ruth Ayres. 

                                                         When we pause to celebrate, we find the joy.

 

A week filled with moments to celebrate and remember.

I started last week by announcing in an early morning church meeting

that I only had two more wake-ups until Teddy's arrival.  He turned 5 months old on the day of his arrival, and this was his first visit to our house.  We cherished every precious moment of our Thanksgiving weekend with family and friends:

The evening time we had with Teddy after encouraging 

"the kids" to go to a movie so we could babysit . . .  

Weather that allowed an outside shot for this cute family pic...

The discovery that Grandpa and Teddy had twinner jackets . . .

Our resident turkey expert, Will, and his able assistant . . .

Wondering who was bigger, Teddy or the turkey . . .

A partial pic of the baker's dozen of friends and family

who filled our dinner table with love and laughter. . . 

Teddy's delight as Grandpa played a few tunes on the piano . . . 

Story time with Aunt Sara . . .

Snuggling with Grandma . . .

And all too soon it was Saturday morning and off to the airport with our precious cargo.  We loved sitting in the backseat with Teddy in the middle.  We came home to a very quiet house and a new countdown to Teddy's next visit in the spring.   Thank goodness for a steady stream of pics from Stefi and FaceTime to keep us connected until then!

Slice of Life: KCLS, How Do I Love Thee?

Today I join my fellow bloggers in "serving up a slice" 

to the Tuesday Slice of Life (SOL) community.

Thanks to Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Beth, Kathleen, Deb, Lisa, and Melanie

                    for hosting this meeting place each Tuesday and nurturing our writing lives.

When I count my blessings, libraries are always in my top ten (honestly they are right up there after God, family, friends, sleep, and chocolate)!  How can I help but love an institution that brings books to everyone?  How can I help but love a gathering place that immediately warms my heart whenever I step through its doors?  And so I want to share my gratitude for KCLS (King County Library System) during this season of thankfulness.  

Last month I stumbled across a list of Picture Books about Refugees created by Erica at What Do We Do All Day.  Our church was hosting a speaker from the International Rescue Committee and I thought how appropriate to have a display of books to share with families about the refugee experience.  I popped over to my online library account and requested the books.  Every single book arrived on my holds shelf ready for me to pick up within the next few days.  And this is where I have a small confession to make - yesterday all those books were due back at the library - and even though I'd been meaning to read the books in that bag, it wasn't until this week that I finally got around to reading them.  All of the books are wonderful, but here's a pic of my favorites.   And my very favorite book of the bunch?  My Two Blankets!

Last week I subbed in a 7th grade classroom.  One would think that a substitute only needs her lunch and a small bag, right?  Only I took a lunch, a small bag, and my rolling carry-on bag filled with picture books.  And not just any picture books, but the top illustrated children's books of 2016 as selected by the NYT.  After viewing the list online, I headed to my KCLS account to request the titles.  And last week I watched seventh graders read those books, sometimes poring over the pages with a friend, and my heart was happy!  I still haven't read all of them, but my favorites so far are these two.  

And last night, I put together a basket of board books in preparation for Teddy's first visit to our home.   My daughter told me a few months ago that while I have a plethora of children's books, my collection of board books is woefully inadequate.  No more!  I purchased these books from our Friends of the Library book sale this fall.  

KCLS blesses my life in so many ways:  last month by providing books for a display about the refugee experience, last week by providing the best illustrated children's books of 2016 for me to share with seventh graders, and last night by providing a bonanza of board books for grandson Teddy's visit!  And did I mention that yesterday I picked up two flyers when I visited the library?  One to share with my book club today (a chocolate- making workshop) and one to remind myself about one of my favorite events of the holiday season (a visit to our library by the Dicken's carolers, sponsored by our Friends of the Library group)!

Celebrate This Week: Sadness and Beauty

                               Join us each weekend for Celebrate This Week with Ruth Ayres. 

                                                         When we pause to celebrate, we find the joy.

 

A week filled with moments to celebrate and remember.

It's a tough week to find the celebrations.

But I'll search amid the sadness to find the good.  

We said goodbye to a member of our congregation who left us too soon.  I celebrate the time I had with his brother, Rowland, who told me stories of our friend, Daniel.   And the chance to meet other members of Daniel's family.  And the helping hands who made the family meal after the funeral a beautiful opportunity for friends and family to be together.

I was saddened by the too soon death of Gwen Ifill.  It's amazing how those who sit in our homes and share the news with us often feel like members of our own families.  I've missed Gwen on PBS Newshour and knew that something was amiss.  So many tributes paid to her this week.   My sad heart was lifted to see beautiful pics and hear tributes this week from her friends and colleagues.

Check out this column from colleague, Mike Melia: 

The cosmic power of Gwen Ifill.

I captured this fall pic last Saturday after my visit

to the Seattle temple.  A typical gray NW day!  

With days like this, you can see why I grabbed a friend and headed to Slater Park for some sun and a sunset walk on Thursday.

I finally joined my husband at an early morning fitness class this month.  As I celebrated my fifth day of attending on Friday, we were greeted with this beautiful sunrise on the way to class. 

I love fall.

 I celebrate this season of color and now almost bare trees 

which are beautiful in their own way too!  

Blessings to each of you as we enter this week

of Thanksgiving and gratitude!  

And gratitude to our dear friend,

Ruth, who brings us together each Saturday.

Slice of Life: I Was Part of the Team!

Today I join my fellow bloggers in "serving up a slice" 

to the Tuesday Slice of Life (SOL) community.

Thanks to Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Beth, Kathleen, Deb, Lisa, and Melanie

                    for hosting this meeting place each Tuesday and nurturing our writing lives.

Today was one of those days when I got to be part of the team.  I've never been involved in sports. Many decades ago my college roommate convinced me that I should play intramural volleyball, but after one game she thought maybe it would be okay if I stayed home.

Today was a funeral for a member of our small congregation.   As the leader of our women's organization, I asked a few people to help set up, prepare food, and clean up after the luncheon.  It was a blessing to work with dedicated, faithful people willing to make this difficult time a little easier for one of our fellow saints and her family.

I just stopped to count the love in action . . . twenty-four people (if I remembered everyone) were on the team!  As I sat in the room with family and friends for a few minutes, I was grateful for all the people who showed their love by giving of their time and talents today.  Tonight I received a call from one of the ladies (my senior by quite a few years) who was upset that someone else (I was the guilty party) had taken the tablecloths that she wanted to launder.  (I promptly delivered them to her home!)  You can see that it's clear that not only was I part of the team, but today I had the good fortune to be on the winning team.

Celebrate This Week: Gathering to Share Words

                               Join us each weekend for Celebrate This Week with Ruth Ayres. 

                                                         When we pause to celebrate, we find the joy.

 

A week filled with moments to celebrate and remember.

"Gather to share the words that will begin to heal our hearts . . . "   I borrowed this phrase from Mary Lee Hahn's Poetry Friday post.  This has definitely been a week of sharing words.

• My daughter sent me this link "What Do We Tell the Children?" on Wednesday morning.  
• And then I sent her Amy Ludwig VanDerwater's poem, "Hope does indeed have feathers," which I discovered on Facebook.   You'll find it about halfway down Amy's blog post in the blue box.  Scroll down a bit further to hear Amy read it on Soundcloud.  
• My friend Tara shared links for educators in her post, along with her important thinking.
• And then Linda Baie shared this resource from NPR, Teaching in the Age of Trump, on Facebook.  

And that's how I've survived the past few days of shock . . . healing words from friends and family, cookies and milk, fall walks, and pics of grandson Teddy (which always bring a smile to my face).

My sister sent me this mug recently, with a
compartment at the bottom for your cookie!

Blue sky November days in Seattle are a definite cause for celebration!

Love this contrast of red and green on neighbor's drive

Blaze of orange from Shelly's parking lot

Mom was worried when she walked back into
the room and couldn't see me.  Don't worry, Mom!
Just checking out the underneath of the couch. 

Teddy at Week 19 - ALWAYS
 grabbing those little toes!

Slice of Life: Nostalgia for the Past & Hope for the Future!

Today I join my fellow bloggers in "serving up a slice" 

to the Tuesday Slice of Life (SOL) community.

Thanks to Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Beth, Kathleen, Deb, Lisa, and Melanie

                    for hosting this meeting place each Tuesday and nurturing our writing lives.

It's easy as I grow older to find myself occasionally pining for the good ole days.  I always feel this on election days because Washington state operates totally on a mail-in ballot system.   I miss going to the polling place.  I grew up in Oklahoma, and our home was a polling place for our neighborhood.  My Election Day Memories post that I wrote four years ago shares the hustle and bustle of an election day in my childhood home.  I miss adult memories of election day too.  "I miss chatting with neighbors as I stand in line, looking for my name in the big book, signing on the dotted line signifying I was there to cast my vote, and proudly wearing the 'I voted' sticker."  With all this nostalgia floating around for the good ole days, you can see why waking up to this pic made my day and filled my heart with hope!

Celebrate This Week: A Commemorative Tin!

Join us each weekend for Celebrate This Week with Ruth Ayres. 

                                                         When we pause to celebrate, we find the joy.

A week filled with moments to celebrate and remember.

Today I'm celebrating . . .

Finding a use for this little box

I received it when I was lucky enough to visit the West Wing of the White House during our recent  trip to the east coast.  A tour of the West Wing?  Yes, Sara's sister-in-law, Anne, is married to Andrew Coy, former executive director of Digital Harbor Foundation, and now Senior Advisor for Making at the White House.  He gave us an evening tour of the West Wing and showed us the room where he had met with Kid Science Advisors two days before.  President Obama made a visit to the meeting and invited the students to step across the hall and visit the oval office.  We weren't allowed to take any pics inside the White House, but here we are outside,

and here we are in the Press Room, 

and here's my pic of the White House 

taken from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building
where Andrew works.

And my use for the Commemorative White House

Whitman Chocolates Tin?

 These cute push pins that I found 

while shopping with my daughter -

Start Today, Dream Big, Have Fun, Always Smile!

Slice of Life: A Quick Detour!

Today I join my fellow bloggers in "serving up a slice" 

to the Tuesday Slice of Life (SOL) community.

Thanks to Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Beth, Kathleen, Deb, Lisa, and Melanie

                    for hosting this meeting place each Tuesday and nurturing our writing lives.

One of the best things about having my daughter live only twenty minutes away is meeting up on her day off.  Sometimes we go to lunch, sometimes we take a walk, sometimes we work on a project at my house, and sometimes we go to Costco.  Last week it was a Costco trip.  We met up at Sara's new place.  This was my first time to find it by myself since the move.   I wasn't navigating from the old place or riding with my daughter.  Google Maps took me an unusual way through a neighborhood where I spotted some beautiful trees.  I made a mental note to return that way and snap some pictures.  However when we left for Costco, I was following my daughter and so I missed out on that photo op. 

As we neared the turn for Costco, I couldn't help but notice some striking fall color in a car dealership parking lot to my right.  So approximately one hour later, I find myself in the lane headed toward the dealership for some tree pics. My daughter pulls up beside me with a puzzled look on her face (probably thinking I was lost).  I place a quick call to assure her that I know where I am going . . . I am on a mission to capture fall!

 

"Writers look closely at the world,

they see and feel things intensely."

And this writer loves to share what she sees with others!

So the next time you're on a mundane errand, slow down, 

look around you, and prepare to be amazed by what you see.