I'll catch up, I promise!

I have a good excuse. We were gone for 3 weeks. On vacation, internet use cost 55 cents a minute. No blog updates at that price. It was Christmas Christmas everywhere when we got home. Running all day, old age collapse at night.
After today, I'll be at home with time on my hands. I'll briefly blog about our fabulous trip abroad and then I'll do Christmas.
Thanks for being patient :-)

Day 1 & 2 in Barcelona

After a good nights sleep Al and I headed out for a walking tour of the city. We started at the Music Center and then visited the Cathedral of Barcelona. Both are examples of colorful Catalan architecture. Then we walked down to the port and saw some very fancy and very large yachts. Where do these people make the kind of money that can afford these gigantic boats? By this time we were getting hungry so we walked down to the sand. As we were gazing at the blue Med Sea, I noticed an older man looking out to sea wearing a tiny thong. As I continued to look, the man turned toward me. Again I was surprised that this man would wear such a tiny tiny swimsuit. Suddenly I realized that he wasn´t wearing a thong or anything else. My American sensibilities told me to avert my eyes but my curiosity kept drawing me back. Al agreed that the guy was naked and that he was proud of it. After a quick picture we continued toward our lunch destination. As we sat down at this funky little cafe on the sand, I looked back at the boardwalk and noticed an older man riding his bike along the path. And guess what? He was also buck naked! OW OW OW! After our lunch, Al and I went exploring along the boardwalk and came upon another group of totally naked people frolicking in the sand. Interestingly enough, when in France the beautiful young women bare their tanned and perky breasts. Here in Spain, fat old men bare it all. Toto, I don´t think we´re in Kansas anymore. And who says travel abroad isn´t educational. From here we stumbled across a fully clothed monument to Christopher Columbus pointing to America. Small world eh? Later that eveing we ate at a cute restaurant, took another long walk and then crashed at the hotel. This morning we walked to La Sagrada Familia, a cathedral that Antoni Gaudi started building in 1890. It is still under construction and will be finished in 20 years...maybe. I won´t try to describe it because it defies description. Suffice it to say it is amazing and huge and amazing! We spent 2 hours enjoying an audio guided tour of the place and then headed way down the road to the Picasso Museum. Wow! That guy is a crazy good painter. He started when he was 15 and painted like the old masters...portrait style, then progressed to the wild stuff we are now familiar with. It was really interesting. We are in an interenet cafe, sipping on yummy red wine, listening to good jazz and trying to figure out how to download our pictures. Hopefully we´ll add them on at the end. If not, we´ll update tomorrow on the ship.

Twas the Night Before Halloween

Thursday night we had our usual gang of diners, minus Corban and Lauren, over for crab cake sandwiches, french fries, lemon/pineapple jello salad and fresh vegees. I had seen a fun idea in one of the many magazines I read so I decided to try and make a Halloween centerpiece. You start with a bunch of moon pies for the owl's head/face. I melted chocolate almond bark for the "glue", seperated 2 Oreo cookies and used the white sides for the eyes. Add a little chocolate glue to the back of a black M&M and you have eyeballs. And one piece of candy corn makes the perfect owl nose. Stick a dowel in the side of the moon pie, tie a halloween ribbon around the dowel, stick the dowel in a black and orange container, cover with black and white shredded paper and you've got a pretty cool centerpiece. I did some plain pies coated with colored candy just to add interest. As an extra bonus, it's completely edible!

The next night was Halloween and Al and I manned the fort while AJ, Maryanne & Porter had dinner at JJ & Jana's. This year we decided to count the number of kids that came trick or treating and between 6:40 and 9:00 when I turned off the porch light, we had 147 little pricesses, vampires, hobos and Harry Potters. What fun!

IT'S A BOY!!

Last night we had a "reveal" party and this is the minute the kids found out

that they're having a boy. Details about the party later.

I have to hurry to my Bible study this morning but I wanted to post the great news about Jana and JJ. Yesterday the ultrasound showed without a doubt that they are having a baby boy. If he was born today his name would be Finn Tokala Avison. But by March, who knows. Thanks to all of you who have prayed for this little guy. Keep it up!

Double Datin' with the Folks

On Thursday night, Dad and Jeanne treated Al and I to an evening of Musical Theater. A group of Broadway performers visited Salem and sang 25-30 selections from famous Broadway musicals. The 5 singers hit on everything from Oklahoma, to Hair, to Cabaret, to Phantom of the Opera, to Rent and a whole lot more. It was 2 hours of great music mixed in with a lot of "behind the scenes" Broadway. It was fun to realize that Al and I had seen almost all of the plays that were featured in the program. As usual the Elsinore theater was beautiful and a nice woman in front of us agreed to take our picture. Obviously Jeanne didn't get the memo that black was the uniform of the day. It's a pretty good picture tho, don't ya think?

Before the theater, we met for dinner at a little French restaurant here in town. I had never been to La Capitale on State Street but I will be going there again. The atmosphere was lovely and the food delish. I had a yummy baked eggplant dish, Al had a thick rich onion soup and epicurian dare devil Dad had a hamburger that he split with Jeanne. The salads were fresh and came with toast points smothered in goat cheese...O baby! Al and I also found a new wine that we love. It's a pinot gris/guwertziminer that is dry and light and so so good. Anyway. the whole evening was delightful and we didn't even have to go to Portland.

Susie Homemaker Times 2

I don't sew very well but I can do curtains

Porter is lovin' eating avacados and sweet potaoes mixed with breast milk. Mmmmm!

Last weekend Al, AJ & JJ drove to Chico CA. for the National YoYo Championships. While they were away, Maryanne and I practiced our domestic goddess skills. We both got caught up on all our ironing, Maryanne made and then froze a whole bunch of organic baby food (sweet potatoes and avacado) for Porter and I made the curtains for his room at the new house. You'll notice there are no pictures of either MA or me and that's because we never got out of our jammies. Neither of us was fit for photographic posterity AND we wanted nothing out there on the web that could be used for blackmail purposes down the road. Sometimes it's fun to just be home and do homey things. Thank goodness no one came to the door!

The Awesome Kroc Center

South Salem makes a fast break towards the goal.

Last Friday night Al and I had the pleasure of watching our multi talented neice Lauren, play water polo for South Salem High School. Al was in 7th heaven watching the teams "duke it out" and remebering his glory days as an All American WP player in high school and college. The Kroc Center compition pool is state of the art and a real gift to our schools. Everyone of our public pools have closed due to lack of funds so the Kroc Center came about at just the right time. Besides the pools, there are wonderful community rooms, a day care center, a pretty nice work out area, a fantastic gym, an amazing kitchen, a beautiful chapel/theater and tons of classes and events that the public can be involved in. I don't love McDonald's food, butI'm sure impressed by what McDonald's money has done for Salem.

The frighteningly high rock wall.

The very fast and very tall water slide in the "play" pool.

Expert Advice

All the baby experts say that your baby will give you clues when they are ready to eat solid foods. I think Porter is ready, don't you?

We did clean the high chair and the table with Clorox Wipes

I'm Back In Business

I finally decided on a new camera! I waffled back and forth, looking at a bigger fancier model, but in the end decided on the sweet little Canon Powershot. The other camera may have been better for our vacation in November but I knew that I would get tired of lugging around a bigger and heavier body. Anyway, I'm happy with my little Powershot. Now I have to get back in the habit of taking pictures and blogging.

How Can I Blog Without a Camera?

Something has gone horribly wrong with my sweet little "purse" camera! We are in the process of deciding to fix it or replace it so I go day after day with no camera. It feels funny not having my trusty documenter of my life tucked inside my purse. I have missed so many photo ops recently that I just haven't been inspired to blog. But in the spirit of keeping you updated, here's the latest.
Maryanne and AJ took posession of their house on the 4th of August. It's an old house that they are renovating top to bottom. AJ and JJ have been re-wiring, replacing all the outlets and switches, adding outlets and cables and things too complicated for me to even remember. JJ has been so wonderful in sharing his genius for all things and teaching AJ how to make his home safe and user friendly. Jana has pulled babysitiing duty with Porter so Maryanne & I could paint. And I have found that all the things that make an old house charming are also the things that make you crazy when you're trying to paint. We have used the best paint and have still had to do at least 3 coats on every surface. I can't tell you how many feet of beautiful carved trim and millwork I have painted and painted and painted. I was one step from being institutionalized (which by the way sounded pretty good at the time). Now the painting is done, some furniture is in place (but needs to be cleaned), part of the backyard fence is up and the hideous and overgrown landscaping out front has been removed. There is a very faint light at the end of a very long tunnel. The kitchen is completely torn apart so that's the next big project that needs to happen. Once that's finished, a move-in date can be scheduled and our nest will be empty.

In the midst of all this, my Dad rented his house and had to move ASAP. We helped with the big stuff 2 Saturdays ago and then last Thursday got the house completely emptied. Marek was going to help finish the garage that night so hopefully all went well. Poor Dad & Jeanne. They worked like dogs in miserable Oregon heat to make this happen on such short notice. I need to check in and make sure they're still alive.

This past weekend Maryanne's parents came to help on the house so we had company as well as busy. Maryanne, AJ, Jim & Glenda worked from 9:00 a.m. till about 6:30 p.m. I took Porter around the MCNary Estates garage sale all morning so the workers could actually work. And boy did they! Around 1:00 Al and Porter & I showed up and started in on paint, fence and landscape. By the time we got home that evening, all of us were exhausted. I think everyone was asleep by 10:00.

Next morning some went to church, and some stayed home and ate donuts. At 12:30 we all headed out to the Oregon State Fair. Maryanne's folks went and picked up their three oldest grandkids so all 10 of us wandered around and enjoyed the fair. Al and I are going back tonight to meet Jana and JJ and JJ's folks for dinner and the Fair "after dark". Should be fun!

Hopefully I'll have a camera soon so you won't be completely bored by my posts. I truly believe that a picture is worth way more than 1,000 words.

More Pictures of Dad's Big Day

Jeanne & Dad looked great...and happy

We were so glad that Randy & Robin could be here

Randy & Robin came from Phoenix. Marek & Suzie were unavoidably out of town & Jeff & Kerry were on the road. Maryanne, AJ and Porter had not yet arrived.

The happy couple right before the ceremony

Huge fir trees shaded the glass roof of the chapel

Jeanne couldn't get Dad's ring over his knuckle

Communion

The kiss

Dad & Jeanne were very polite feeding each other the cake

Al offered a beautiful & heart-felt toast

Happy Dad

Finally a quiet minute in our backyard

The last shot before they head to the coast

Wedding # 4 of the Summer

This past weekend my Dad got married.

The ceremony was held at St Paul's Episcopal Church here in Salem on a gorgeous summer day. Jeanne and Dad had a very traditional and personal service that was especially moving to both families. Jeanne has been a widow for 5 1/2 years and my Mom passed away 3 years ago so both were ready to start a new chapter in their lives. They are spending a few days at the coast and then taking a longer honeymoon this Fall.

I didn't take many pictures because I was busy hosting the reception that was held at our house. Al had the yard looking wonderful with all of his huge flowering baskets on the patio and around the grass. We covered 3 tables outside and 1 inside with white linen tablecloths and soft green overlays. Jeanne had selected white and peach and pale yellow for the flowers so I ordered small bouquets in those colors and paired them with white votives as centerpieces. I used my clear glass dishes so th tables looked really simple and fresh. Dad and Jeanne hired a pianist to play the keyboard which I thought would be really cheesy but actually turned out great. He played excellent background type music that Dad and Jeanne and all the guests really enjoyed. I talked to both Dad and Jeanne on Sunday and they were absolutely thrilled with the entire day.

When I get the professional pictures back, I'll post some shots of the ceremony and the family.

Another Wonderful Redding Weekend

We love Redding California. Almost since Al and I moved to Oregon 35 years ago, we have been taking a long weekend a year in Redding. Early on, we met the Huntington Beach part of the family for Memorial Day weekend. We had a favorite motel that we took over for 3 or 4 days of food, relaxation, swimming, the Indy 500 and family reunion. On Monday, we would all go to IHOP for breakfast and a family snapshot then head to points north or south. Once Mom and Dad moved to Oregon we went less often with the whole extended family. However, Al and I and our kids kept up with the tradition and went maybe every other year or so. As spouses were added they too enjoyed the pleasures of Redding. Early morning trips to Starbucks and the doughnut shop, yummy dinners at CR Gibbs, Whiskey Town Lake, the water park, Urban Retreat Day Spa, In-and-Out Burger, Der Wienerschnitzel and a whole lot of hangin' out poolside. We take over a shady corner with lounges, table and chairs, ice chests full of beverages and snacks, decks of cards and good books. Porter even took his morning nap at the pool...Grandpa too. People in Redding think we're crazy for leaving cooler Oregon for their 100+ heat but we love it!

Summer @ Timberline

Hwy 26 to Mt Hood. The first time Al & I saw this view was 33 years ago when we were traveling with A&W. It was just as breathtaking today as it was then.

The rear view of Timberline Lodge and the very bottom of the glacier.

Looking up the Mt at the end of the glacier "run". Amazingly, there were hoardes of skiers & boarders enjoying the only resort in N. American that is open all year round.

If you've never been to Timberline Lodge in the summer, make an effort to get up there this year. It's a fantastic 2 1/2 drive through some of the prettiest country on the planet. On Friday, Al and I put the top down on the Spyder and set out for points north. We took back country roads to Donald/Aurora, hopped on I-5 to Estacada and then Hwy 26 to My Hood. It was a perfect day for travel by convertible so we slathered on the sunscreen and headed out. Timberline Lodge is always a fun place to visit and in the summer you can ride the summit chair lift, hike on wonderfully groomed trails, watch crazy snowboarders and skiers take on the glacier or do as Al and I do... eat!. There are several lovely restaurants with spectacular views of Mt Hood right out your window. Try the BLTA and a brew at the Blue Bull...mmmm. O yea. We did take a short hike in order to get a photo or two but we tried our best not to break a sweat.

What Happens in Vegas...

The view of the strip from our 51st floor room

Valley of Fire

Crazy beautiful red rock formations in the middle of the white desert

Tapas and Sangria at the Firefly

A small part of the pool @ the Wynn Resort

Havin' fun in the Cabana @ the Wynn

I know some of you probably think we're insane for going to the desert in the middle of summer but that's when we like it best. What's better than hanging out at a swanky hotel (that's super cheap because no one in their right mind goes to Vegas in the summer), spending time in a poolside cabana with Nick waiting on you hand and foot, sipping frozen beverages delivered on your slightest whim, eating in 5 Star restaurants, enjoying fabulous entertainment and being warm even at 10:00 in the evening? Jana & JJ and Al and I spent 6 days taking advantage of all of the above. It was so much fun and even though it's only been 3 years since we've been there, Las Vegas is a city on the move. There are a ton of new hotels and the energy is so vibrant and exhilarating. When AJ and Maryanne lived in Vegas they made a point of finding new trendy restaurants so we took their advise and hit a couple of "off strip" places. Yum!!!

Needless to say, when Al and I are looking for a cheap, close to home get-away, LV is it for us!

Wedding # 3 of the Summer

Three days after my niece's wedding, the kids and grandkid and Al and I squeezed into the faithful minivan and headed over to Sisters for wedding #3. Julie Kendall, the daughter of my dear friend from High School, Nancy (Roberts) Kendall, got married on a cold and windy golf course. And even though it was cold, it was still beautiful. The mountains were snow capped and the sky was crystal clear blue. Julie's attendants were in gorgeous deep red dresses so the visual affect was stunning. Thankfully, the reception was inside the lodge and was toasty warm...in temperature and atmosphere. Nancy and Curt threw a great party! Yummy food, fun guests and great dance music. It was a delight to catch up with Nancy's younger brother, David, who when Nance & I were in high school, did nothing but bug us to death. We were uber-cool and he was a pesky but funny Jr High kid who lived to drive us nuts. Dave is now a structural engineer in SoCal with a wife and 2 darling teenage kids. As we visited, we decided we hadn't seen each other since Nancy & Curt's wedding 31 years ago and amazingly, neither of us had changed a bit :-) By all accounts it was a really fun day!

Best of friends for...gulp...43 years

Wedding # 2 of the Summer

On June 17th my darling niece Samantha (Jeff's eldest daughter) got married at the beautiful Abernathy Center. It was a lovely warm evening so the garden setting was perfect. Sammie was a gorgeous bride and it was fun to have almost the entire family together. We missed Randy and Robin from Phoenix but we knew they were thinking of us and celebrating this special occasion. Sammie and Austin will spend 2 months in Provo and then will settle in Beaverton. Hopefully we'll get to see them more often than when they lived in Phoenix.

Tip Toe Thru the Tu...maybe not.

My rose bushes were about to take over the house so Porter & I did some gardening.