Happy
Holiday Travels
Disclaimer.....
OK,
I know the blog has been on an extended vacation. There is really no excuse although I could
mention the illness that plagued me during our travels or the one that caught
me on my return. I can’t even blame the
work on the projects Steve has been doing on the boat….. so sorry.
Here are the highlights of the past couple of
months.
For
the holidays we travelled OUT WEST! Our
first stop was Paul and Amanda’s cozy apartment on Capitol Hill. We can testify to why their hospitality has
resulted in a flood of guests. We ate
well both at home and among various Seattle eateries. The walks and tours included urban nooks and
icons as well as parks and trails. The weather – much Colder & Wetter
than our normal Florida temps – did not deter us… much.
Our boating rain gear
did get a work out. The kids also
treated us to a performance at the famed Paramount Theater where we enjoyed the
slightly irreverent “Book of Mormon”. A
happy holiday and as always a treat to spend time with these grown up KIDS!
Nancy
& Craig
Kathy
& Howard
Mike
& Linda hosted a huge family meal - a chance to see (but not photograph) all the kids and even their grands!
Susan
& Dick entertained us both on their floating home and in their new land
home. Both places have fantastic – although different – views. Our arrival at the new home could have been
less dramatic. If we had managed to make it there in the daylight, we might
have missed the wrong turn that GARMIN directed, dropping us down a steep muddy
trail. Fortunately there was a less hilly – exit and the evening ended better
than it started. The neighbor may still be wondering about those tire tracks in
his yard!
Although
we were not able to see all our “old” friends or even family in the area, we
managed a delicious lunch and dessert with Lynette and LaVonne while in Seattle. They spent time with us a few years ago in
Marathon, FL so it was our chance to tour their homes in the charming West
Seattle neighborhood. It will be much easier
to imagine them basking in retirement now that we have seen their lovely
homes. As a special treat they dropped us at the water taxi for our return to
downtown. Thankfully the weather permitted a walk up the hill to burn off some
of the calories we had been consuming!
After
Steve returned to FL and the long list of boat projects, I took a side trip to
California. Sister Mary picked me up and
drove me around to visit both Sister Nora and her husband Ray, as well as
Brother Steve and his wife Toni and finally Aunt Louise - to check out her new apartment at Freedom Village. We logged some miles in a short week all at a
very busy time in Mary’s life. She is in
the midst of planning a wedding and cleaning, sorting and packing for the move to
Oregon. On our travels up North, Steve
and I had lunch with Mary and her BILL.
Everyone is excited for them both and I was grateful she manage to find
time in her hectic schedule to spend some time with me.
