And the Beat Goes On

Baby Elsie finally had her party.
Summer mourned her grandmother.
Jane got well.
Ian is opening the new Something Silver concept gift store, Sublime, at Alderwood Mall which is close, very close, May fifth. I'm going to try to be the first customer.
Roger is running around and basking in the Mexican sun.
Julia sailed through surgery.
And walked in the woods.
Tal baked a cake.
Josie turned two.
A storm or two traveled through the Midwest.
Chris and Nora do everything.
Jan wrote a poem.
Amber has one class to go.
Jeff is traveling to England.
Taylor traveled to New York.
Jerry traveled with Marc to California.
Roger, Connor, and I are traveling to California in July.
Jean and Brittany are traveling to ME!

Kathy left. She was good for the soul, insomnia, and diabetes. Somehow she helped sweep the cobwebs out of my head. We had many unguarded conversations. We are alike in many ways, everything from movie preferences to each of us having multiple sneezing fits, basically we only disagreed on Obama and legalized marijuana. Or to quote Julia's neighbor, Colleen I think, "How about them Cubs." Kathy was like traveling with Jean "game" for what ever was next.

And Verla we overused the phrase I said I was going to steal from you. When every we couldn't think of a person, place or thing we said, "I'll tell you later." Worked like a charm. Even though I am way older then that sweet young cousin, we forgot in about equal measure. Thanks Verla it saved me many times.

I spent the days being the fat old lady, Kathy spent the days doing the heavy lifting. Or to use the phrase I stole from Jeff, "Dance monkey, dance." She was, absolutely, the helping hand. The truth is I love her warts and all, maybe I love the warts the most and just accept the rest of her. Traveling with Kathy was like traveling with Julia, she helped me immeasurably.

Before, during and after our one and only fire we talked about the wonderful fire masters of Taylor Family Reunion fame, but what we really needed was their tools. I missed the experts and I missed a microwave. Our yurt was waterproof and fun, but a tad primitive. No Keurig. We had to actually fill up the teapot at the spigot, fire up the camp stove by striking a match, and then wait, and wait, and wait for the water to heat up. Primitive!

Christian provided all the camp necessaries; sleeping bags, chairs, stove, teapot. I stole wine from Ian's stash. He gets gifted wine, a lot of wine, and he doesn't drink, but he still thought I should have asked before I rifled through his belongings. They were delicious.

We talked about everything and everyone; life, death and everything in-between -- nothing and no one was safe. I drove down the wrong side of the road for her, got lost twice, and bumped into a rock and a post while trying to remember how to back up the car. She kept offering to do it for me, I wonder why? Traveling with Kathy was like traveling with Jerry, we never stopped discussing -- stuff.

She loved the Pacific Ocean, the beach, the Columbia River, hated the Astoria Bridge. I knew I loved her for a deep reason. I didn't have to drive over it for her. The Columbia River ferry was closed so that was a no go. Next time Kathy, next time. We saw ships, tugs, kites, kite surfers, dead seals, birds, light houses, clammers with their clamming guns. Who knew? The only complaint she had was the seagulls waking her up at my house. Traveling with Kathy is like traveling with my family, she was ready to love it all.

Kathy the name of the slippers that have great arch support and will bring comfort to your feet is Keen Howsers. the clog kind. Yes, we talked about feet, knees, colonoscopies, actually we talked about health a lot. And retirement and lake living and traveling and kids and grandkids and how early the sun comes up and sits in the Pacific Northwest. Important stuff.

We discovered The Cottage Bakery in Long Beach with the best clam chowder -- EVER -- I promise. And bakery goods that rival The Chestnut Cottage. Nothing will ever beat Chestnut Cottage's apricot walnut scone, but everything else we had, and we had more than we should have, was better. Our favorite find was Sailor Jacks. Have you ever heard of those? Neither had we, but we are big fans now. Maybe the bran muffin was more medicinal than delicious, but we ate it anyway. Kathy was properly impressed with The 42nd Street Cafe beignets, they did not disappoint. It was a great trip, great fun, great adventure, great drive, great sights. Traveling with Kathy was like traveling with Jan; let's eat.

SO who is coming next! I'm ready ladies. 

In two days I had dinner with Jacquie, coffee with Carol, and lunch with Christian -- I love retirement. I can get up, get out of the house, go somewhere -- or not. I can watch a movie, read a book, learn a new language -- or not. I can travel, exercise, nap -- or not. I heard retirement was a relentless effort in creativity. I don't agree with the relentless part.

Time, solitude, and toil are the old time simple requisites for success.

The movie Spotlight was very good.
The book The Reader was very good.

Now, a word about Connor. I gave him a Tin Can Cable Car kit for his birthday. This kit had four pages of dense, dense instructions, but Connor put it together by looking at the pictures including the electrical part. I said, "Connor that is amazing," and he said, "Not really, I put Legos together all the time and they never have words."

It was amazing.

If someone doesn't come soon I might have to go back to Silver Sneakers and, gulp, exercise.
Christian quit smoking and gained weight, so he started drinking smoothies for breakfast and lost ten pounds. Yes, I'm drinking smoothies now.
The prep-nurse called me for medical information before my colonoscopy Monday; she asked me about my vision, hearing, and balance. What could I say, it all sucks.
I had my eyes examined today to check on my cataracts, no surgery, not yet, so I'm still foggy eyed.
To quote my brother Jerry, growing old isn't for sissy's.

And the beat goes on.