Bring on the Holidays....

Classic Black Christmas

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Next - bake gingerbread :)

Gone Explorin' ?

...not really... I just haven't had much time to devote in updating the blog... especially now that I have Facebook on my iPhone! If it wasn't for work, I really wouldn't need to use a computer at all! Since my last post we have spent some time in Sisters, the big DL, Depoe Bay, and Newport. I will update the blog with these travel memories soon. I'm starting a new job in October - not by choice - but, it will still be a good thing. We're heavy into school homework, football (Eagles and Beavs), and middle school dances (yikes!) We are well and spending as much time as possible with Mom and Dad. Dad begins another round of radiation today. He is in good spirits! - and is lucky to have Brad taking care of him. Niece Ashley has started college this week - go Ashley! We were happy to see cousin Betty while she was in Portland visiting - sure miss the cousins in Tennessee.

That's it for now - hopefully it won't be another 6 months before I update this blog again!

a favorite thing...

One great thing about going to work so early in the morning... Hollywood Lights. The folks at Hollywood Lights continually decorate this little tree. Each holiday, it's a different color. Orange for Halloween, Red for Valentines, etc... this was the St. Paddy's version. Caught it on the iPhone, not the best quality. Wanted to show it though. It's one of the many things that makes Portland so festive.

Track is where it's at...

Clark ended his first season of track at the Meet of Champions today at Jesuit High School.

He qualified in the shot put. His put (not throw) was 21.11. Coach gave him some great training tips so he'll be ready for next year. Track was new for us this year. Max ran the 200, and both boys competed in Shot put and Turbo Javelin. It was a beautiful day today in the Portland. Dad's out on the Pacific now - catch'en dinner hopefully!

Magic Memories...

Celebrating our big "50" with Mickey.

Back in March, Mary and I went to Disneyland to celebrate our big birthdays. We've been friends for 43 years now - doesn't seem possible. We left the husbands and kids (they were all just swell about it), and spent a few days at the Happiest Place on Earth. Riding, eating, shopping, repeat - our kind of fun. Plus all the magic that is Disney - that was just the icing on the cake! Mary had her first visit to the Blue Bayou and she talked me into riding Splash Mountain twice - and I actually like it now! While we missed our families, it was a special experience going with a pal, especially an "old" pal! Great memories!!

Old beach photos...

A long time ago, someone built a really cool diftwood fort just north of Long Beach on the Washington coast. It was awesome. Clark was just the right age to explore it. Max as not yet walking so he sat in the sand and watched. Big fun for all.....

Alter Servers...

The boys are enjoying their alter service. They normally take turns serving, but this day Max filled in for a missing server. Tim took the opportunity to get a picture of them together. We're looking forward to the new Mass schedule and getting back to Saturday night Mass.

Out of Season and many moons ago...

I felt the need to remember the good 'ole days and update the blog with something. Our good computer is back with HP again. Hopefully it will be back soon and I can share my newest Disneyland pictures with you'uns. I've been back a week and all it has done is rain! It is totally bringing me down. I need to buy a light box...
My favorite Halloween memory is the year both boys were dressed as Peter Pan complete with pixie dust in their pockets. When people gave them candy the boys would sprinkle them with the pixie dust.... aw....

Goofy Guys!

Bopoe has called the boys "goofy guys" since they were babies. Every chance we get - we visit the real Goofy Guy! Any questions about Disneyland? Just ask....

Winter's last memories...

Before winter is gone, here are some pictures from Bend, Oregon - New Years 08/09


Max with Daisy. Paul and Daria's cabin is the neighborhood hangout for dogs.

The pump-house is a miniature log house. Usually, Uncle Paul decorates the pump-house with Christmas lights. The year he used them on a tree outside our bedroom windows.

This is a picture of the basalt columns on the property....

Lindsey went with us this year....

The boys, playing in the snow...

A boy and his dog. The stained glass window was a craft project. Over the past few years, Daria has had us using glass paint to fill in several windows. It's Big Fun!

When you get bored, fun things happen - like dressing up the dog...

Tim's idea of relaxing -burning downed trees...

Our Tahoe...

bye Bend...

Thanks!

Mickey Memories...

Our good computer is temporarily dead... so, I have resorted to using the old dinosaur pc. I am finding all kinds of old family photos on this computer. The picture above was taken on the boy's second trip to the Happiest Place on Earth. It was monumental, because Max was old enough to do all his own walking. No more riding on Dad's shoulders!

When we first met Mickey, he didn't have his sorcerer's hat on - but when he saw Clark and Max's hats, he immediately dressed for the occasion. That Mickey, he's just the nicest guy!

Seaside Holiday

Christmas decorations...

I have beautiful childhood memories of summer weekends spent at Seaside. It's always been my favorite beach to visit. Back then, we stayed with friends at their beach cottage "Dak's Shack". There was always a gang of us. Adults and kids. Always a card game going on, or a group heading down to the beach, the bbq being fired up and the red plaid table cloth on the picnic table in the front yard.

Seaside has a promenade walk from 12th street, at the north end, to Sufer's Cove at the south. Broadway is the divider street between north and south and ends at the prom with a turnaround. The first thing to do when arriving at Seaside is to drive down Broadway past the candy stores, pronto pup stands, arcades and bumper cars to cruise the turnaround. That's where you catch your first sight of the Pacific Ocean.

Back in the '60's, Seaside was small enough that with the right combination of older to younger kids in our group, we were allowed to walk the prom all the way to Broadway and go on a ride or two - at night! It was very exciting with the warm ocean air and the neon lights - money in our pockets, and no parents around. Freedom!! The tilt-a-whirl was my favorite ride. My brother got his kicks on the bumper cars.

My hubby and his family vacationed on the south side of Broadway - who knows, we may have rode the tilt-a-whirl together. It's special that we share the same childhood memories.

My most favorite thing to do in Seaside was Spin Art. For a quarter you could squirt paint from ketchup dispensers onto a five by seven inch piece of poster board spinning on a potter's-wheel-type machine. It was a blast! Watching the primary colors blending into secondary colors then adding white and black - sometimes I could stop with a yellow, green, blue theme - but most often I would keep going to the point of making the colors turn to a muddy purple grey. Dad would give me another quarter and I would start again.

The spin art place has been gone for many years now. But these days, you can get a good elephant ear there.

We spent a weekend in Seaside back in November. Staying at our cousin's place for the first time. Their place is just a block from Broadway, giving easy access to all the fun. It was also a pet friendly house so Tahoe was with us. It was fun taking Tahoe for walks down Broadway. The bumper cars were closed, but the aquarium was open and the weather was great. The boys jumped off the "Prom" railing. It took me back 40 years. Seems like just last summer that was me, my brother, and the Daskalos gang making those brave jumps on the prom.

The turnaround...

going to the aquarium is always fun...

cute creature...

Jumping off the Prom...

more Christmas decorations...

...the dog...

looking down Broadway...

..bye from Seaside...

Basketball Jones

Yes, I am the victim of a Basketball Jones...

That basketball was like a basketball to me.

I took that basketball with me everywhere I went

I need, I need someone to set a pick for me at the free-throw line of life

Someone to hit the open man on the give-and-go





I want everybody in the whole stadium to stand up and sing with us...


Basketball Jones,

I got a Basketball Jones

Got a Basketball Jones,

oh baby, oo-oo-ooo

2 days, 7 games

Go Lions!

Tradition!

Every year we make a birthday cake for Jesus. It's tradition. Since the kids were babies. We light the birthday candles and they sing "Happy Birthday". It's sweet.

This year was extra special. My darlings were goofing around a bit too much with their cousin, so I added the new tradition of yelling something like "this is the only thing I ask you to do for Christmas!!!" ...oh, memories... my sister-in-law almost laughed herself silly over my moment of zen - she was so sorry the video camera wasn't rolling.

Hey, I got the picture! Happy Holidays...

H.O.P.E. equals...

Happy Obama (is) President Elect! ...just had to say that before he becomes the President.

After 1/20/09 it will be just Happy Obama is President - HOP!

That is as political as this blog will get - promise.

Ho Ho Ho

Merry Christmas!

I must say I am glad the holidays are done and over with for another year. Saw a sign in Bend for "Festivous" - it's sounding better and better... not really. It is fun to decorate and shop with friends and bake cookies and wrap presents and lunch with friends and go to church and have parties and send out cards and buy gifts and grocery shop and grocery shop and grocery shop (I have a reserved parking space at Fred Meyers now) - but not necessarily in a three week time span. I swear it's like managing the most important project of the year - with the biggest drop dead timeline - all tasks must be complete by 12/25! Of course, I still have cards sitting on my kitchen counter waiting for addresses to be mailed. Maybe next year all tasks will be completed!

The most special thing about this Christmas was the weather - it was beautiful. We drove to Terry Lee's house the Saturday night before Christmas for our ravioli party. Some roads were closed so we found other roads to get over the Oregon City hills. Every one's Christmas lights were lite and the drive was just magical.

This is the Clackamas County Courthouse 12/20/08

Max said "God must have wanted to make sure this bad year was ending really pretty". Max was referring to the economy, but I thought about the friends we've lost.

Good things happened last year too, right? Hope won - I hope. What can we do to help that hope? I wonder...

Glad tidings to you and yours...

Molalla ave, closed.

Cabana Joy...

Our cabana at the beach club. We stayed at a great condo that provided access to this beach club. It was beautiful. A perfect crescent beach cove, full of fish for the boys, lovely free cabanas, beach toys rental shack, restaurant, and clean bathrooms. Did I mention it was perfect? It was. Active happy boys, sun, warm water, a good book... and a cabana :) that's alls I need!

Volcano Stuff...

Kilauea volcano is the only volcano to have two eruptions at the same time. We were close to the summit caldera eruption and could see the lava flow eruption in the distance. It's another hour drive to the lava flow and a mile hike on the lava bed itself. Max wasn't feeling well and it was a 3 hour drive back to the Kona side, so we headed back around sunset. Ken's Pancake House in Hilo has the best Hawaiian bread french toast - I know!






This is the view of the fuming vent in Halema uma u crater from the Jaggar Museum overlook. We heard a rumble and saw a bit of ash. Nothing like St. Helens but it was fun being so close. The visitors road use to go around this crater "caldera" and there was an observation deck right where the vent opened up. Luckily this vent opened at night and no one was hurt :)

The Sulfur Vents!!... Dad was still blamed for the smell... no respect!!

If it's Fall, It's Football...

Is it fall? It was 90 degrees today! The nights are cool though and by Friday our normal 65 degree rain will be here. Clark and Max are playing on the same Eagles football team this year. Above is a picture of Clark #40, taking on the whole team! Go Eagles!!

Birds of Hawaii

These bird pictures are for Margaret. Max even grabbed the camera at one point and said "I have to get this shot for Margaret"! Many of these were "hotel" residents, but this first one lived in the "wild" near a beach.

The triplets were watching our dinner plates... smallest vultures ever!

Several pairs of pink flamingos live near the beautiful wedding chapel at the hotel.

This red headed guy was my favorite. He stayed and posed for quite a while.

The next two shots are not very focused, but we were on a mission to capture all birds for Margaret.

This guy looks like a penguin... ?

Better picture, but no idea what type of bird this is.

Okay, maybe this is my favorite. Beautiful colors on this bird, and I think he knows it...

This is Butterscotch. He visits the hotel lobby everyday. He likes to be scratched under his wing - so says Max.

Chelsea hung out on the other side of the lobby and we were warned not to wear shinny jewelry near her - she is somewhat of a jewel thief.

busboy or bird? These guys couldn't wait to clean up after our meals.

Here's the one bird we know is from Hawaii. The State bird, the Hawaiian Goose (NeNe). Max won a glass bottom boat tour with that information. It pays to study while traveling!

This looks like some type of dove - we saw lots of these.

Like the yellow beak on this one..

Those are the birds we saw. My guys love to snorkel and hang with the fish, but since fish creep me out - it was fun to focus on the birds. They are just as colorful and the creep factor is low.