Dave and Edie

Big Changes for the New Year?????

2012-01-03T15:40:00.000-08:00

For 2012, I may or may not be making a big change in the way I scrapbook....we'll see how this plays out. I LOVE scrapbooking. It's a creative outlet for me and I relive the moment while I'm working with all the photos. My books have mostly been glorified photo albums, lots of photos and not much journaling (writing about the event). I still portray what's happening, mostly just facts. This summer a read a book written by a scrapbooker. I thought I was purchasing a book with sample pages to copy, but that's not how it turned out. That happens sometimes when you're not in a physical store and able to touch and look. Anyway, this woman encouraged the reader to get out of the photo album mode and make it more of a personal reflection of your life...a journal with photos. Not that I live that interesting of a life, but I may want/need to remember things years from now when my mind is going....oh, that's happening now!!!!!

I bought "Project Life", which is a scrapbook system that includes a binder (not too impressed with it, a little too industrial looking for my tastes), pages that you just slip your photos into (don't know how this will work because all the slots are horizontal and I sometimes take vertical), and pretty stuff that you can slip in to the slots to pretty it up. The big advantage is the options are limited so it should be faster...which means it should be easier and I'm more likely to keep up.

I have been feeling so stressed over my hobby that should be enjoyable. I can barely keep up with the albums for the boys...oh wait, I'm not keeping up....T is 4 months old and I'm only up to 2 months...and I don't even want to think how far behind I am with E.

So this new system encourages taking a photo every day. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be doing that. But I do want to get a little more of the every day and not just big/special events. For day one, January 1st, I took a photo of the first thing I see in the AM...well, other than my adorable husband (could be because he gets up so much earlier than me!)...and here it is......

This oak tree is in my backyard. It's a majestic tree. It's almost as wide as our lot. I can see it from every window on the back of my home. As you can see, right now it's naked, without leaves. Did you know that some oak trees keep their leaves and others drop them? Sometimes when I wake up I lay in my warm, cozy bed staring at this tree for as long as I can stay in bed. There's not much happening during this time of year...in the tree....although watching the colors change as the sun rises is beautiful. A time lapsed photo series would be awesome! During other seasons, mostly when the leaves are back, there's plenty of activity in the tree. It has it's own eco-system. There are several types of birds, squirrels, etc. It's very busy and entertaining. This is my most favorite thing about my home...oh, and that adorable husband I share it with is very cool too.

It's a MINIVAN!!!!!

2012-01-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas we all met up at the local Kia dealer to look at their model of van. I don't think it's called a minivan anymore, just a van. J has been driving the boys around in a two door VW Cabrio. It's pitiful to watch her load up the baby by rolling down the window, sliding him in to the seat, then climbing in to do the buckles, and then rolling the window back up. Al the while E is climbing over the seats to get to the driver's seat, pretend he's driving, pushing buttons, etc.

Everyone had done tons of research on the internet and talking to people. They narrowed it down to Kia, Toyota, and Honda. We were there for moral support, financial experience, and babysitting duty. The Kia was not impressive so we were off to Toyota. This was a hit, but we went to Honda too.

They decided on the Toyota so the negotiations were on. Dave took over and before we knew it a van had been purchased. I'm making it sound quick.....it wasn't.....it took ALL DAY.

E has the automatic doors all figured out and T no longer screams and wails.....and they're way safer than they were in that little Cabrio. We're all very pleased with the new addition.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

Our busy season begins gearing up right after Thanksgiving. We begin to shut down our social calendar, just about the time everyone else begins to ramp it up. We've been through this drill for so many years, that it's just natural to us now. We doggedly work at not getting overwhelmed with parties and everything else that swallows you up during this time of year. I try to have all the cards and gifts wrapped up early too. My approach is to keep it as simple as possible, sticking to what is important to us. This is so difficult to do.

We're also not in to buying tons of gifts for the grandsons, especially while they're so young. Although we may have gone a bit overboard in the last couple of months with Ezra. Anyway.....I started a new tradition last year, I got PJ's for W, J, & E..all in red. They were rather stylish. Then I realized that they LOVE footed PJs. I think it has something to do with not turning up the heat in their home and camping. I found matching sets for W & J, and then scored matching sets for the boys at Costco!!!! Which turned out funny, because W's mom bought the boys PJ's at Costco!!! It's all good, the boys need plenty of PJ's. Don't they look cute and matching?!

We go to their home on Christmas morning to open gifts and have a breakfast of Swedish pancakes. Later in the evening we end up at our home for a big dinner of Prime Rib (which was a tad overdone this year), smoked Gouda mashed potatoes (which I may have gone a bit overboard with the cheese this year), lemon jello salad (special request of my MIL), Pillsbury refrigerator rolls (LOVE), asparagus (mixed this up, we usually have Dave's spectacular green beans). And for dessert, we break open the various gift tins we've received along with coffee (made from our new Keurig this year).

This year we did mix it up for Christmas Eve. The tradition is cioppino with bibs here at home. The kids were lighting the last Advent candle at their church, so we have postponed the cioppino (J may have had a mini fit over this) and joined them. I must say they were so cute. W, E, & T all had matching ties....T's was a bow tie! W was holding E while trying to read the scripture while E kept grabbing for the mic, then W was lighting the candle while E kept grabbing for the flame. This brought a chuckle to the entire congregation.

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas, spent time with family & friends, and thought about the birth of Jesus.

Cold Day at BlackHawk Plaza

2011-12-27T15:03:00.000-08:00

We like to take a trip to San Francisco during this time of year...to see the Christmas decorations and do a little shopping. With two little guys, this just wasn't going to happen. Jessica came up with the idea to go to the Blackhawk Plaza...we could shop, feed the ducks, and grab a bite to eat. It was sunny but VERY cold..I was not bundled up properly and was freezing with the wind and all. Our first stop was Starbucks where I discovered that my 2 year old grandson knows how to order steamed milk...there's something terribly wrong with this...I blame his parents. Then it was off to feed the ducks.

I'm not wild about photos of me...funny because I'm always taking photos of others. I'm learning to include photos, even if I don't like them, just to prove that I was really there

G.Pa is still a super hero in the eyes of Ezra. It's a heavy burden for G.Pa. I'm learning this because all of a sudden he's started asking for me...which is really odd because he wouldn't even say "Grandma", he just grunted for me.

Lovely Mama Jessica with sweet baby Theo

The ducks got fed

Park time....G.Ma did have to chase off Evan, the resident bully

We didn't stay for dinner because we were all cold. Jessica and Theo were dropped off at home and we took Ezra back to the house to spend the night. We watched Toy Story, the original, for the first time...it is scary! But we all were able to fall asleep before 8 pm...grandparenting is exhausting!

Our Gift for Ezra

2011-12-26T14:49:00.000-08:00

After much research, we bought Ezra a Harley Davidson Big Wheel. We were thinking about an electric one, but it was recommended that we keep him exercising....plus the electric one didn't have sound effects and Dave said that is not acceptable. I was a little concerned about the volume level on the one we bought...the reviews all mentioned how loud it was....but after Auntie Donna & Uncle Bret's gifts, we figured we could handle anything.

This combines Ezra love for motorcycles and bicycles

Dave was so relieved that the assembly was easy...nothing compared to the horror of assembling the Cozy Coupe...thank you

Edie put the decals on...not as easy as it looks

It's a HIT!!!!

Jessica can not believe we're letting him ride in the house

So Dave took him outside. He likes to go to the high spot of the driveway and go fast down the hill. Dave told him to bring his helmet next time...the thing isn't that stable.

I can hardly wait to see what we do next!!!!!

Ezra turns TWO!!!!!

2011-12-25T13:17:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it....Ezra is now TWO YEARS OLD!!!! Wow, this has gone by so quickly. We just can't remember life before he arrived. We're really not in to big birthday bashes for little guys (can you say over stimulated?), but we had planned on a party to introduce Theo to family and friends, and well...that just didn't happen. So we decided to combine the whole thing. Since we are the "Swenson Annex", taking care of overflow or when they just need a little more room, we ended up being party central. Jessica did all the work...we just cleaned up.

You know it's important when all the Grandma's show up.....

Dave's mom and both of Edie's moms :)

Jessica set up a simple and elegant display. She used an Exacto knife and a stencil for each letter. I told her I owned a Cricut, for next time

The cupcakes were delicious and William used his skills to frost them

Teresa snagged Theo and Annette is ready for her turn

Auntie Rhonda got some snuggle time

Granny is loving baby Theo

Auntie Donna is a natural

Michelle brought Scott so we could all meet him...we approve

Ezra approves of the cupcakes

Ezra LOVES the remote control car (the big guys like it too)....another great gift from Auntie Donna & Uncle Bret (and not nearly as loud as prior gifts)

The motorcycle and car had races on the coffee table for HOURS! Yep, Dave is correct....we're not getting new furniture while our grandchildren are around.

A good time was had by all! The late arrivals missed out on Theo, he insisted on napping. We were all totally exhausted but content....the way life should be for everyone.

Christmas Birthday Party 2011

2011-12-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Simple, cute, and everyone gets to take home the water glass and snow globe...such a deal! LOVE the chargers....I might even buy those!

Here's a December tradition {three years and it can be a tradition, right?} that I really look forward to each year. A local church has a huge, amazing Women's Christmas Dinner. It happens during the first week of December, which is also my birthday week. And what do I want most for my birthday? To spend some time with friends.

The way this works is each table has a hostess, so I I'm the hostess. The church provides a table, chairs, tablecloth, packets of sugar and cream, lemon for your glass, water, and/or coffee. The hostess must set the table and then clean up the area at the end {which can be a little yucky, but we have this down now and we're finished in no time}. Oh, and Scott's Seafood caters the buffet dinner, which is always VERY delicious.

I try to come up with a theme. I rarely stick with the traditional Christmas theme. Or with the green and red. One year it was blue and white and circles, one year it was the Grinch with bright green and brown. Very cool.

I head over to Pleasanton Rentals for inspiration. This year was really tough because I went during November and all I saw was Thanksgiving stuff. My brain was clogged with autumn, harvest, and turkeys. After much texting with photos to my go to foo foo friend, Margaret,....and eventually I just had to call her. She's very good at getting me focused. Then I went to the Grand Affair in San Ramon....nice shop, great linens, but VERY limited on everything else {NO napkin rings!!!}. At about this time Margaret was leaving Anthropologie with her daughter. They had found snow globes {which were WAY too expensive, but they made them and they were so cute}. So excited, this was our inspiration!

So back to Pleasanton Rentals. Cherie helped me pick out everything and I put it on hold. Margaret made the centerpiece and snow globes {along with her very artsy daughter}. The water glasses were ordered from Amazon (and they do not hold HOT liquids!) and I spent time on Saturday making tags for the glasses, cleaning them, packing them. Oh, and I picked up the glass jars on Friday at Michael's.

Monday I loaded up the car, picked up all the stuff at Pleasanton Rentals and headed to the church. After lugging in a couple of loads on a cart, I spent a touch over an hour to decorate. Now this is challenging for me. I don't do this often......well, once a year! And I had such a time getting the darn table lines even. After I had the table set part way, I noticed the tablecloth was so uneven, I undid the whole thing and started all over again. One of the ladies at the next table helped me determine some of the centerpiece arrangements, very kind, she showed mercy.

The event begins at 6, I wasn't sure of the traffic so I arrived almost 30 minutes early! D would be so proud of me, shocked, but proud too. I had to get in to start up the battery operated lights and light the candles. I fussed with the candles for 30 minutes!!!!! When you see a candle floated in water in a jar without the wide mouth, be VERY IMPRESSED! I burnt a few fingers, used a knife to carve around the wick, prayed.....it looked good, but not a fan of this.

We had an hour to walk around to look at all the tables. I'm not sure how many ladies attend, and this was the second of two nights, but I'm pretty sure there were at least 70 tables of 8 over the two nights.

Mom and Daughter. This is really odd because Mom had on flats and Daughter had on VERY high heels.....there's a much bigger height difference. This looks really good.

This is another table, not mine

Here we are, having a GREAT time!

There was a musician that played the keyboard and sang. We were the percussion for the Little Drummer Boy. I wanted to stomp our feet since that's the way we sing it with E.
The main speaker was Patsy Clairmont and she's wonderful. She's hilarious and profound. Big take away is that Feelings do NOT have Reason...or something like that....should have taken notes....but I was just in the moment and enjoying the evening. And she was hilarious when she explained what it's like when she has to zip her lip.....all her words are swirling in her body wanting out...like a game of Scrabble in her throat! I know how she feels! She totally makes her point hit your heart and your head.
I can hardly wait until next year! Not the birthday part, just the fun time with friends.

Agua

2011-12-02T16:38:00.000-08:00

Ezra loves to have "Agua". This means that G-Pa takes him in the master bathroom, sets him up on the counter, and puts water in his hair and then styles his hair with hair putty. G-Pa started doing this when Ezra's hair was so long that it got in his eyes. G-Ma tries to do the same thing, but Ezra prefers G-Pa. It seems that G-Pa knows how to do it correctly. And oh yeah, there's that hero worship of G-Pa going on too.

You might notice that E has his new tooth brush in his hand. G-Ma bought this for him and it's kept in the brush holder with G-Pa and G-Ma's brushes. I really think that mostly E likes to turn the water on and play in it.

Oh, and in case you're wondering why it's "Agua"......E says WaWa and it was suggested to say agua and introduce some Spanish words. E can say agua just fine. Of course it did throw his parents off....but we translated for them.

Is it Raining Yet?????

2011-12-01T16:57:00.000-08:00

If you want the short version, RDV (Readers' Digest Version), then go down to the photos. For those of you in for the long version.....

I'm always up for a change in hair dressers. My last long-term stylist left a few years ago for Carmel. I tried to follow him, but since I go every five weeks, well, that wasn't going to last for long. So I've been on a search for the new one.....who I would stay with. I've been through a few, and then last year I was strongly referred to Vicky....she's really young, keeps me current, very good with color (if I should ever need that :)) and cut.

Vicky was located in Danville. Now for those who know me, I do not like to travel out of my Pleasanton, Main Street radius, so Danville is way out there. Then she moved to the Blackhawk Plaza.....that really set me off...I may have even whined about it. But then, the shop owners didn't pay their rents (for over $300K!!!)and she had to move at a moments' notice . She ended up at Tribez, in Danville, which is much closer to me. Funny how all of a sudden south Danville now seemed close.

My first visit at the new location was just before Thanksgiving. I'm usually her first appointment, but not this time, and she was running a little behind. I had a half hour to kill. First I went to the consignment store that's just below the salon...what a rip! The prices were so high. Then I saw McCaulous' right across the driveway. My manicurist (yeah, I know, I'm high maintenance) always finds great deals here. So I walk over, open the door, and step right in to the children's department...it was a sign.

First off, J and I had been talking about rain boots for E that day....and there's an awesome selection of great boots. I see the flames, and we all know how E LOVeS motorcycles, so I must buy them! And they have his size! The flames are really firemen, but still, I MUST buy. Then I talk with two GREAT sales clerks. Then I buy an umbrella!!! I go for Thomas the Train, which I don't really know what that is, but I'm sure I'm about to learn all about. Oh, and they had "unders" on sale, that's E's word for big boy underwear. So of course I had to buy a couple of packages. They had Cars too, E loves his pull-up Cars diapers.

Now I really haven't bought that much for E. He's so young, J finds awesome deals on stuff, plus he has tons of hand me downs. But all of a sudden, I'm buying tons. And now that we have two grandsons, I know I'll get lots of use out of stuff.

Finally I gave E his boots, umbrella, and unders. He LOVES them. His boots went right on. He loved the train on the handle and played with that as though it were a toy train. Then he went outside, looking for rain. The forecast is clear for days. Poor J.....she's going to be hearing about this for some time.

Oh, and he was so busy playing that he did not use the potty, so he got to wear a pair of his new unders.......it's a process.

Napa Weekend

2011-11-30T16:29:00.000-08:00

Dave received a very generous gift card for his birthday to the Carneros Inn in Napa. We booked Friday and Saturday night and were determined to have a very relaxing weekend, our last chance before the busy holidays and the upcoming tax season......especially since we didn't get our trip to Europe or Hawaii this year.

Our cottage

Beautiful grounds

Nice scenery

Let me back up to the prior weekend. We attended a wonderful wedding of the daughter of a long-time dear friend. That could be a post all alone, but I know how you all LOVE photos and I did not take my camera. Sometimes when I have my camera, I get so involved with taking photos that I don't enjoy and experience the moment, so I decided to enjoy the wedding and left the camera at home. Anyway.....the couple are very in to wine and served three different wines at the dinner. I had a friend of theirs sitting next to me and he claimed to have introduced them to wines, and told me the story of each winery. Since we knew we were headed to Napa the next weekend, I took notes and decided we'd visit those wineries. We seem to go to the usual and familiar and rarely wander off to try something new.

On our way up on Friday, we stopped at one of the "wedding wineries", HDV. We had to make reservations. I thought the small boutique wineries require reservations because, well....I was wrong. It seems that a reservation is required by the local zoning laws. They want to keep the traffic down on the agricultural/rural roads. This makes sense. Oh, and the wineries are so small that they would be overloaded with large groups, to say nothing if a bus stopped by.

The host at HDV is really in to wines, he's studying to be a sommelier. This is not a place to stop if you're a casual wine drinker. They're known for their chardonnay, which is spectacular...and expensive. We ended up spending a couple of hours in this itty bitty winery, tasting and visiting....the KMA limo owners were a hoot. But it was time to check in, so off we went.

At the Carneros Inn, our little cottage was wonderful. We especially LOVED the radiant heated floors in the bathroom. The shower had a door on to the deck, just in cast we wanted to shower outdoors. The days were very warm and sunny, but the mornings and evenings were really cold. We had a couples massage on Saturday, laid around and read, and ate both evenings at The Farm. Dave had the BEST oysters ever and I had the BEST lobster risotto ever. The food was SPECTACULAR!!!!!

On our way home Sunday, we stopped at another "wedding winery", Elyse winery. This is a very cozy place. The tasting room is behind a house. The pourers was friendly, knowledgeable, and very fun....oh, and the wines were good too! We didn't make it to the third "wedding winery", we're saving that for our next visit.

New Thanksgiving Traditions

2011-11-29T18:15:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is my absolutely most favorite holiday. I LOVE preparing the meal, having people over, eating left overs for weeks, and even the clean up....maybe not so much the clean up. So it was a HUGE sacrifice for me to "let" the kids travel to SoCal to be with SIL's family. We ended up having dinner at the Club with MIL. I wasn't expecting much, buffet and all, but I was very happy.

We arrived just as they opened at 1 pm and ended up staying two hours. I love long, slow meals where there's plenty of time to eat and visit. This left us with plenty of time to drop in on two other celebrations. We didn't eat at Donna & Bret's...well I did snack, but who's surprised at that?....but we spent a couple of hours watching football on Bret's BIG screen TV and visiting. Then we were off to Wes & Diane's and their group. Where I did a tad more than snack.....it had been hours since we had our meal at the Club...and there was so much food, I just had to help out.

Then on Friday we were off to Napa for the weekend!

Am I Scared???!!!!!

2011-11-25T17:16:00.000-08:00

Is this a guy thing? Tossing small children up to the heavens? I first saw this as a Swenson thing when my SIL and his brother tossed Josiah in the air. Yeah, it's all fun and games, but.......it scares me to death. Here are a few examples.....

Now look at this.....that's some serious air!

This doesn't scare me as much. E is a bit older, but still......

This could be why G.Pa is E's hero...he has him doing all sorts of stuff that he did as a young boy. This tree in our backyard was his tree house/fort. There are still some nails and boards left over in the tree.

I guess with two grandsons (so far) I need to get used to this stuff.....

Christmas Photos 2011

2011-11-24T17:15:00.000-08:00

As the years fly by, I feel like I want to make some meaningful traditions for our family. I've probably done this without realizing it, but now I'm ready to make a choice. One thing I have wanted to do, which we had not been doing, was taking a family photo each Christmas. I LOVE family Christmas photos and newsletters when we receive them from others. An annual family photo would show the changes in our family for our photo albums and to family and friends that we don't see often. In the past, I simply tossed in a school photo of our daughter. But then she finally finished school and went on to a life of her own, and I may have even skipped the Christmas cards.

I missed the family photo when J was engaged, and then the next year after they were married, but now I'm on track (probably all about the grandchildren). The first year, J was pregnant. The second year, we had E. And now we have E & T. Who knows who'll be here next year!

Now that our SIL has a traditional, full-time job we found it especially difficult to synchronize our schedules.....not that ANY of us are complaining about that! We figured we had a two hour window, even less when you factor in naps, feedings, attention spans. So here we go........

This is a desperate attempt at getting E happy enough to continue

This was a pathetic attempt at taking sweet brother photos. Do you see the look of fear in the eyes of T? He's smart. E is just about to maul his little brother.

Then there's the uploading of the photos, scouring the over 100 shots for at least one to print. Here's J and the photographer (my OLDER sister, Rhonda). Rhonda has been doing this for us each year.

I am very happy to report that we were able to find one photo that we could agree on. Oh, and I'm trying something new this year, I'm ordering cards from Apple. We'll all see how that works out...could be a new tradition. Perhaps that's my tradition.....I keep changing :)

Ezra's New Toy

2011-11-23T17:40:00.000-08:00

Once again G.Pa is the most awesome guy around, Ezra's favorite. While baking with G.Ma, one of the lights went out (which could be an entire post..... my anguish and disgust with the six different lights we have, because of the ridiculous ordinances and greenies). Replacing the light bulb requires a ladder. Dave has this six foot wooden ladder that belonged to his dad. He brought it in from the garage to replace the bulb. So that was it for the baking.

Ezra watched Dave complete the task and then had to get on that ladder. He climbed up and down that wobbly ladder for over 30 minutes! He was copying Dave and acting as though he was changing the light bulb. Ezra was so sad when the ladder went back to the garage.

For Ezra, the garage is a magical wonderland of everything he loves......motorcycle, helmets, gloves, crazy coupe, brooms and buckets, and now the ladder!

Baking with Ezra

2011-11-18T18:23:00.000-08:00

Please note the adorable dinosaur apron on my sweet little grandson. Much to the chagrin of his G.Pa it is not the camo apron.

We tried out some new cookie recipes. We made chocolate chocolate-chip cookies that were really good. Then we made pumpkin spice chip cookies that weren't so great. We did this over two separate days.

Things Ezra learned: when a pan comes out of the over it is too hot to touch; when the cookies are on the pan, fresh out of the oven, it is too hot to eat; when you turn the mixer on maximum to begin, everything will be flung all over the kitchen; it's really fun to lick the beater, spoon, fingers, hands, etc.; G.Pa is a big hero for bringing in the step stool (it was formerly used by his mama).

Things G.Ma learned: Ezra is really only interested in the mixer (much like a power tool); Ezra is totally bored with the whole baking part because he only likes the mixer; if Ezra pulls the tablecloth the mixer will slide off the table too (not to worry, G.Ma caught the mixer before it crushed her beloved #1 grandson).

In my past life, I did bake with Jessica each year, even inviting her older cousins to join us. Perhaps I should have gone back to look at those photos so I would have been better prepared to do this with my grandson. But my memory is refreshed and I'm all set to go.

Ezra has a New Bike!!!!

2011-11-11T19:33:00.000-08:00

My SIL is a deal hunter on Craigslist. He found a brand new bicycle, with the tags still on it, for $45! Including the Harley Davidson helmet with flames, perfect for Ezra who has a motorcycle obsession (wonder where that comes from?!).

Ezra was able to ride a tricycle when he was 18months old. He is such an overachiever. Really. That is spectacular. He has really great eye/hand coordination too, but that's for another post.

The training wheels are completely on the ground. I know there are some who are totally against training wheels. There are some little bicycles that do not have peddles. This gets the child accustomed to being upright on two wheels. You can see we're old school, he's using training wheels.

Not too sure that the helmet is effective when worn with a hat underneath, but that's how Ezra rolls. He insists on wearing a hat and goggles (you might call them sunglasses, but you would be wrong).

I spent the afternoon with him so his mama could get stuff done. I decided that he would ride to the local park. Our town has many fantastic parks, one for each neighborhood. He is completely unaware of dangers, but he's learning. He may have learned that those curbs are tricky. There was a bit of a tumble, but he brushed it off.

We left right after his nap, without any lunch, so we went to Safeway (I may have let him ride his bike inside the store because I didn't have a lock) and I bought him....a doughnut!!! His eyes lit up. He LOVED it! Oh, and some water to wash it down. He downed the doughnut as soon as we got to the park.

He was totally exhausted as we turned on to his block. I just mapped it and he rode almost TWO MILES!!!!! And he's not even two years old. WHAT A LITTLE STUD!!!!!

And I'm exhausted because I was trotting right along side of him.....he's fast. Oh the adventures of being a grandparent :)

This and That

2011-11-10T18:30:00.001-08:00

It's been some time since I've posted to this blog. I've been busy, but not too sure with what!!!! How does that happen? Every day speeds by, but when I'm asked what I've been doing I can not think of one single interesting thing to report!!! Here are a few things.......

I taught Ezra about whipped cream in a can.....

He LOVED it!!!!

Oh yeah, I went there....

For Halloween, Ezra dressed up as MacGyver with a mullet, aviator shades, and a vest....

So of course Theo was a Swiss Army knife, costume made by his mom without a pattern

Finally, as promised by William, Ezra got rid of that mullet on November 1st. This is his very first hair cut.....ever....

Miss Emily did a fabulous job and Ezra is happy

Here are current photos of Theo, aka "Butterball"

We did spend last week in SF at a spectacular conference. Our hotel was 1/2 a block from Market, so of course I cut a couple of classes and went shopping. Just when did the clerks in downtown SF at the upscale department stores start dressing down? I was just a tad bit shocked when I saw how they were dressed.

I finished another rag quilt, with a Christmas theme. Jessica approves of my color selections, which means a lot.

Our riding has come to a screeching halt with the cold, rainy weather. Perhaps I'll be able to get some scrapbooking done on the boys' albums.

Friends are in Hawaii this week without us. We were set to go, but got a bad case of "being responsible"...I hate when that happens :(

Fringe Quilt

2011-10-27T21:00:00.000-07:00

I saw a quilt in a shop in Mountain View, Arkansas that I really liked. The woman told me it's called a "fringe quilt" and is really easy to make. I am so annoyed when someone says it's easy, and yeah, that's because they've been doing it for years and have all the appropriate tools?! After we got back from vacation, I Googled "fringe quilt" and found out that the more common name is "rag quilt". I searched many a website and tutorial, and decided the woman was right, it is easy. Or at least easy enough for me to give it a try. I learned to sew as a young girl and at one time had to sew all my own clothes and even worked in a dry cleaners doing tailoring. This is a very forgiving sewing project. Your seams do not need to be even and/or straight.

The big thing on this quilt are the edges. The raw edges are allowed to fray and it looks like fringe. I just really like the look. Most examples are quilts made from squares, but then I saw a new style on Etsy. The quilt was made of strips of fabric. This saves a tremendous amount of time spent cutting and sewing. The added plus is that it looks a bit more "hip" rather than the traditional squares. Although the hipness factor may have more to do with the selected fabric. I finally settled on the style and found a tutorial.

There is plenty of math for this project. You must decide what size quilt you want to end up with, how wide the strips will be, or the size of the squares, plus the one inch of seam allowances. I was planning on a lap quilt to put over the back of my love seat, so 42 by 45 or so would work just fine. This is exactly the dimensions of the tutorial I used, so much of the math was already done for me. I LOVE that when it all works out.

The best fabric for this project is flannel. You can use plenty of other fabrics, but flannel "rags" the best. I used cotton because the selection was better for what I was doing and I'm pleased, but I'm pretty sure there's going to be plenty of "stuff" flying around for some time.

You can make this with the standard foot that comes with every sewing machine, but.......I HIGHLY recommend purchasing and using a "walking foot". Your sewing machine has "feed dogs" on the bottom plate that moves the fabric along. A "walking foot" moves the fabric on the top and bottom. You want this when you have three layers of fabric. I have been sewing for decades and had never heard of this until my friend, Teresa, who is the knower of all things pertaining to sewing, crafting, and wine told me about it. Actually, when she heard me lamenting while making a hand-tied quilt that my fabric was puckering, etc. she had me come over to her house for help. Teresa owns and uses 5 sewing machines, she's serious about her sewing, quilting, etc. She said she wanted to put the walking foot on, I asked what that was, and she looked at me in shock and kindly explained that I NEEDED one. And once again, she is spot on. We all need a friend like Teresa. And if you are going to use your machine for crafting and quilting you need a walking foot. Mine cost about $55.

Some of you will be thrilled and have loads of fun selecting the fabric. I found it very difficult to purchase my fabric. I'm not confident about buying different colors and patterns to work together. My helper in all things of this nature just gave birth so she was not available to help. This caused me much stress and anxiety, but I muddled through.

While I was waiting at the counter to have all my fabric cut, I noticed they were using this tool to sharpen their scissors. I asked if it really worked and they said "YES", it makes their scissors last at least 18 months. Which considering how much fabric they cut, it should work for me just fine. I even had a 50% off coupon that I used to purchase this. I LOVE that when it happens.
I got home with my 2 yards of white flannel and 1/2 yard of seven different fabrics, all on sale. I was ready to get started and I did not wash and iron the fabric first. In fact, you do not want to wash it first. So I pulled out the huge cutting board and laid out the white flannel while it was still folded in half. I used a long ruler and a lead pencil to draw my lines for cutting. If you're going to do many of these, I highly recommend purchasing a self-healing mat, rotary cutter, and large plastic ruler. I ended up at Teresa's and used her tools for my next project....WAY faster than the way I did this blanket.

I made "sandwiches" of the strips. The cotton fabric is on the outside (right side out) with the white flannel in between.

Here it is all laid out and ready to sew. This took some time since I was using 7 very different fabrics that didn't all look good next to one another. Plus, I just make a big deal out of this kind of stuff. Now just sew a straight stitch joining each sandwich together with the next sandwich, with a 1/2 inch seam allowance. For the stitch length setting, I figured I'd use a short length since I was going to be snipping the edges. This quilt gets heavy, so with 14 strips, I sewed 7 together on one half and then the other 7 together on the other half. Then I combined the two halves. When all the strips are sewn together, I decided to have a fringe border around the edge rather then binding it. This means I simply sewed a straight seam all along the outside of the blanket.

Here's a close-up of the quilt all sewn up. I should have taken a photo of the other side, it looks like a nicely sewn blanket of strips. You might notice that some of the strips have stitching down the middle. Some of the tutorials suggested doing this. As I was sewing down the middle, I figured that I was going to need to change my thread and bobbin because the brown was just not going to work on all the fabric colors. I don't like doing that, so I decided to leave some of them without the stitching down the middle. The strips are really not that wide, the flannel holds the layers in place, plus I pinned the strips together before stitching. I think that the stitching down the middle is not necessary.

I lined up the strips on one side, leaving the other side very different. The fabrics are not all the same length. This just means that after I stitched up the side, I had to trim the edges to even them up.

This is the quilt all sewn and ready to "fringe"

I used my new spring loaded scissors to snip about every 1/4 inch. I STRONGLY suggest that you purchase a pair before you try this, your hand will thank you. I tried to cut through all at once, but it doesn't work. I needed to snip up one side and then down the other side. With two layers of cotton fabric and the flannel in between, that's about all the scissors can handle. It's a good idea to break this up over a couple of days, otherwise your hand might get very sore.

After snipping all the edges, I threw the quilt in the washing machine and then the dryer. You want to do this all by itself. Really. Do not wash anything else at the same time, it will end up a mess with fuzz everywhere. Some people suggest taking it to a laundromat, but I did not find that necessary.

Ta Da! The finished product!

Here's a close up. The edges will continue to "rag" each time it goes through the laundry. You can see there is still plenty of "stuff" left on the quilt. I could have also taken a photo of my black shirt, then you could really see all the "stuff" that's still coming off of the quilt.

I'm really happy with this quilt. I've already cut out the next one. I confess that this was a trial run before I make my grandson's cowboy themed quilt. I'm going with the square pattern for that one. Stay tuned because I'm sure I'll blog that one too. It won't be as long....promise.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

When Jessica was a little girl, we went to a local pumpkin patch. Most of the places that I took Jessica to when she was a little girl are gone. When Jessica was in school, they had field trips at the local pumpkin patch. Always a fun outing as a mother helping out. But now, the patches are gone and the land is filled with McMansions. So off we go to a patch in Livermore, the next city over.

I'm training Ezra to pose for photos. He's usually good for a few, but then he's completely uncooperative. Here's an early one where he's in to it.....

And then, not so much....William tried to get him to pose, but he was having nothing to do with it...at all....and I was hoping to have an annual photo op against the ruler.....oh well

So at Joan's, the patch in Livermore, they have various odd statues that you can sit on, etc. This wolf, or whatever it is, is every spooky. Ezra liked it. I did learn a VERY important lesson.....
Here I am (I do not like seeing photos of myself, but Dave reminds me that in a few years I'll love how young/thin/wonderful I look) with a hand on Ezra. Just after this photo was taken, I looked down at my phone to see if Dave had sent me a text, and yep.....Ezra fell off! Very fortunate that he didn't hit his head. So I learned that you NEVER take your hand off the child when they're high up or in possible danger.....because as stable/safe as they look, they are going to topple.
Next thing I did was put Ezra high up on the horse (or neigh as he calls it). Little did I know that on the other side of the horse there was a sign that said "stay off". Really, I couldn't see it from the side I was standing on. That's the only reason I put him up on the horse. My lovely daughter did tell me that I was breaking the rules....a little late.
Here's another odd photo op. A buggy with a really odd dummy. See? Even Ezra thinks it is odd!
Lovely family photo. I had a little fun with the shadows...and Ezra did not want to stand still...but not too bad. It really is tough getting four humans to look good, all at one time!
This is a strategic photo. We were placing Theo so he was hiding all the drool all over Jessica's shirt!

This donkey was making so much noise. The hee haw was hilarious. Now he looks all mellow, but he was braying like a maniac. Oh, and William does not have a big belly....that's Theo in the wrap.
Ezra liked the train too. There were so many people here today. Everyone was orderly, no pushing...everyone waited in line.
We bought some food to give to the goats and sheep. I think they were well fed because we had a tough time getting them to come to us and eat our food. Ezra tried to feed them, but he preferred William giving them the food.

There were many of these cut-outs, very fun!

Funny thing...this slide was the HUGE hit with the little kids!

We finally got our hands on a wagon, which is MUCH easier than the wheel barrel we were trying to use.

The Swenson clan finally found four lovely pumpkins to take home

Even though it was October, here in CA it was VERY hot! We all had fun, even though we did miss Dave who was out riding with the guys.

Why Yes, I do Have Photos of My Grandsons

2011-10-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of photos....the latest....fresh off the press today.....

E is still a bit rough with T, not that T minds at all, but his Mama and I sure do mind. E just isn't aware....like when he gets up off the floor and places is hand in the middle of T's stomach and pushes up. Somehow I know that T will survive.

Today was really the first time I got to spend some time getting to know my new grandson. Most of the time I'm playing with Ezra. Today I actually got to hold Theo for some time...a couple of times. I have the spit up all over my shirt to prove it. But seriously, isn't this a precious baby? He's gaining so much weight and has rolls....something that his older brother never had. Oh no, here I go comparing again. I must stop that bad habit.

I LOVE these babies!!!!!

E & T Update

2011-10-05T19:51:00.000-07:00

We had a family dinner to celebrate the successful transition of W working full-time, leaving J with the two young lads. The adjustments by all were difficult, but we all survived. It required the additional help of W's mom.

E has had a bumpy road with this big brother role. He isn't taking his regular naps, which he wasn't that into before, and he's using his pacifier a whole lot. He wants to hold T, but he's a little too rough. He does like to love on his little brother.

Isn't he just precious? Of course he is!

G-Pa reading with E. A friend was so thoughtful to give a book to E along with the gifts for T. This book is so funny.....Good Night Gorilla

I'm happy to report that everyone is happy and healthy!

A New Addition to Our Family

2011-10-02T13:19:00.000-07:00

Several months ago we had a death in our family.......the vacuum cleaner died. It just stopped. No warning. Just would not turn on. This is a blessing. I never bonded with the machine. It was LOUD and would not stand up on its own. It was very light and had an extra long cord, but I just didn't care for the thing. But now that it was gone, I needed a replacement........

I went to my OCD uber-cleaning and vacuum freak friend, he said Dyson. I did my research online. People certainly feel strongly about their vacuum cleaners. With the high cost of a Dyson, there are many people who are disappointed. I think the expectations are high for the machine. I continued to ask a few other people. Then a gadget friend said Roomba.

So after more research and looking at prices, I placed the order. If you're not familiar, Roomba is manufactured by iRobot and is a disk with sweepers that just buzzes along your floors sweeping up dust and dirt. It works similar to the old style carpet sweepers. When it's about to run out of juice, it scoots back to the charging station all on its own. The only downside is you do need to clean it out after every use, if it gets full, it is ineffective.

We've had it clean our floors twice and it does a very good job. We have dark wood floors throughout the house. They show every speck of dust, which is plenty because we always have our windows and sliding doors open, plus all the hair that we shed. It is so much fun to watch this thing scoot along the floor and wander from room to room. We think it's like watching a little pet scamper about, which is why we're saying we have a new addition to our family.

So we LOVE the Roomba......but we think we'll probably still need a vacuum cleaner.

Are you missing Ezra?

2011-09-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

Now I'm learning how difficult it is to make sure there are NO favorites. Being the mom of an only child, that was not something I needed to learn. But now that I have two wonderful grandsons, I must not show favorites. So here are some photos of Ezra, just to show that he in fact is still around.......

Do you notice the band-aid? Ezra is in that phase where he LOVES band-aids. Why do they all seem to go through that stage? Is it because we give them so much attention when they suffer an owie?

He's ready for his photo shoot.....he LOVES "goggles", that's what he calls glasses or swim goggles. I think it's because he sees grown-ups wearing sunglasses.

Oh yeah, I give him a bottle with juice. G-Pa even puts ice cubes in it. He LOVES the cold on his teeth and gums...that's why we started doing this....much to the chagrin of him mama. I also didn't like that he flung his sippee cup on my wood floors, etc.

He's so cute!

2011 Street Vibrations

2011-09-28T19:22:00.001-07:00

There's a bike rally in Reno, Nevada every year on the third weekend of September. This could be the very last good weekend to ride in the Sierras. Often times the passes are closed by the end of September. You can have a couple days of HOT weather, and then it snows.

So in case you've forgotten, let me remind you that I am NOT a morning person....I do not like to get out of bed....especially when it is dark outside. I have unfortunately married a person that LOVES to get up early. He thinks that it is the very best time of the day, early am, and that if you "sleep in" (his definition is after 6 am) you have wasted the very best part of the day. It is God's sense of humor that we've matched up. I've tried to change and enjoy the early am, but it is just not to be. And somehow I am in the minority with our riding buddies......they too like to get started early. We met up at the local gas station at 6 am!!!!!! Only to ride 20 miles to a Starbucks to meet up with three of our friends....that are also early morning people. I really need to get some new friends.....that like to sleep in.

Once we got out of the Bay Area commute territory, we were able to breathe and enjoy the scenery. The foothills are all dried out, but there are parts of the ride that are just plain beautiful. We go all over this country to ride, the best parts are right in our own neighborhood.

I uploaded the photos in no particular order, so here we go with photos of Lake Tahoe....you can see the big paddle wheel boat in Emerald Bay
Riding home we followed water along the road. Why is it that a river/creek is just so marvelous to watch?
On Saturday we went through Sierra City and happened upon a Hot Rod show. We had a very good lunch too.

This is just one of the MANY old cars....and the people watching is good too

Rick shows off one of the shirts he purchased. This is odd because it has bullet holes and dripping blood, not his usual style

Our good friends, Scotty and Margaret

My extremely handsome husband

We stopped on the way home at Mosquito Lake, just over Ebbetts Pass

Dave and me

We finally met up with our long-time friends and riding buddies, Bret and Donna, just in time to ride home on Sunday...here's Bret

Here's Donna.....really....it is Donna

We stayed at a B&B, which we are NOT big fans of....not this one, we did like this one, but in general we do not like to stay at B&Bs. We feel like we're staying at a distant relatives and they've wedged us in.....the rooms are generally small, or at least oddly configured, and there's little privacy and we're forced to be pleasant when we just want to be left alone. Not that we can't hang, but we just want to relax. And we feel like we need to eat the breakfast since we paid for it....but we like to get started early (at least one of us likes to get started early) and we like good old fashioned hearty American breakfasts, not foo foo stuff. Even so, this was tasty. Each morning they served some fruit thing, then you had a sweet bread and a delicious quiche.

If you have to stay at a B&B, this is the one to stay at.....it's along the Lake on the West side and the owners are fabulous

This is the view right across the road from the B&B. They have their own dock and pier across the road, which we used to have dinner on one night. We also watched the Lake Tahoe Marathon pass by on Sunday am

Here's our group shot in front of the Cheney House. This is a reunion photo, since we all went on the ride last year to Sturgis

We love riding around the Lake Tahoe area....well except when we get stuck behind the big buses that they used to drop off the runners. I think this area is the most beautiful area I've seen. I'll keep coming up each year, just to ride around the Lake. I am not a fan of bike rallies, and I think Reno is a sorry town, and the ride to Virginia City during the rally is a freak show of humanity. Dave and I sat down and asked ourselves how in the world we ended up in the middle of this again. We decided that we wouldn't do that again.....but then Bret reminded us we said that last year. We just like to ride and we really enjoy riding with this group of people. Somehow it just all works out.......

Arterburn Traditions

2011-09-14T17:21:00.000-07:00

A big thing for us is washing our cars. Dave and I would wash our cars together every weekend when we were first together. After Jessica was born, we still washed our cars together which meant there were plenty of photo ops with that sweet adorable little girl covered in bubbles. Now we mostly pay someone else to wash our cars, especially since moving where the water is so hard it comes out of the faucet in chunks. I know you think I'm making that up, but it is horrible.

I ended up with Ezra this last weekend. He was pretty upset that grandpa and the motorcycle were not in the garage. The car needed washing, and I couldn't see driving across town and trying to watch Ezra while the car got washed. Plus I wasn't feeling good about him seeing others doing these tasks.....so I decided we'd do this together. Yeah, about that........

Here he is cleaning up after he was covered in dirt from digging in the yard

Isn't this just the cutest little guy? I LOVE him!

Theo Update

2011-09-13T18:05:00.001-07:00

Here's the latest on grandson #2, Theo. He is the sweetest, healthiest looking baby. I can't help comparing him to his older brother Ezra, I'm going to need to break that bad habit. Anyway, Ezra had a traumatic entry in to the world, Theo was a breeze. So it's only natural that Theo has a more robust look and feeling about him. We've mostly been spending time with Ezra so his folks can adjust to the newest addition. He was kindly brought over for a visit so we could love on him, and Ezra too.

One thing that is VERY different from his older brother, this little guy has a set of lungs. Funny thing is that today when I was out back hanging laundry, there was a a bunch of birds of prey flying around screeching....yeah, Theo sounds a lot like that when he's hungry. I taught Ezra how to cover his ears today, I'm sure he's going to need that trick. I'm pretty sure Theo won't be as easy to take out in confined public places as Ezra was....just saying.

The Second is Totally Different

2011-09-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

I have barely seen Theo. I've held him two times for a nanosecond. I'm mostly taking Ezra to my home so Jessica, William, and Theo can sleep and carry on. Everyone asks me how Ezra is liking his new brother, well.....I don't think he realizes what is going on. Oh, and Ezra is just beginning to get that two year old "NO" thing going on....not too much, but he is not as totally agreeable as he once was. I have had to physically move him to where he should be....not that he's being mean, he's just testing all of us. Well, I've been through this before, with his mother, and he is NOTHING like his mother....oh, and I'm not like I was either :) And I did figure that if he was really not compliant, I could take him home to his mother! But he is just the cutest thing, and I totally LOVE this little guy. I'm sure I'll feel that way about Theo.....if only I spent some time with the little guy!

Dave went for an all day ride, 460 miles. I stayed home to scrapbook. Well, until my daughter called, sounding completely exhausted, and asked if I would come pick up my grandson. Of course I said yes! My whole day was de-railed. I spent the entire day with a 21 month old....I'm exhausted. But I'd rather spend the day with the real thing than simply scrapbooking the lad!

Theophilus Zev Swenson

2011-09-02T12:50:00.000-07:00

Theo was born at home on September 1st at 2:59 pm. He weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces and is 20 1/2 inches long. His mama is doing just fine. The rest of us are doing okay too. We're all tired though :)

He's Here!

2011-09-01T20:46:00.001-07:00

I seriously wondered how I would feel about the second grandson. I LOVE Ezra so much that I didn't know how I would feel about the second one. I'm totally in LOVE with the new one too. Isn't it wonderful that God makes us so that we can LOVE more than we even think possible? I was concerned that Ezra would feel shorted when the new guy came along. Well, Ezra knows something has changed, but doesn't know what to make of it. I told Dave that I needed to show Ezra some extra special attention since this is going to be so traumatic for him. Dave's response? "More? How is that possible?"

Here are some photos from today, a momentous occasion, the arrival of Boy! The grandson to be named later!

This is how Boy's father experienced child birth

This is how Boy's mother experienced child birth

This is how Boy's G.Pa experienced child birth, post-partum

This is how Boy's G.Ma experienced child birth, post-partum

I just didn't know how it could get any better than the first time.....now I know. This is the most fabulous event possible...especially when I'm not the one giving birth! J is a total natural, and W is getting pretty good at it too. They make wonderfully, fabulous babies, with the help of God.....good work W, J & God!

It's Showtime!!!!!

2011-09-01T12:53:00.001-07:00

This is Jessica at 40 weeks...which means Boy is arriving at anytime. In fact, her water broke at 11:30 so it could be anytime!!!!!!!! We have Ezra....and he knows something is going on....he's very amped up....but we put him down for a nap any way. Stay tuned!

Cooling Off

2011-08-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

It's been really hot around here. J & W brought us a pool ages ago, which we've never used. I was flying solo with E so I thought I'd have him play in the water...he's a total water baby. I began with the tub. I thought it was the same one I used with J, but I quickly figured out it was much smaller. I then remembered that we did replace it with a smaller size. Too bad for E.

I set him up in the shade since I didn't have children's sunscreen...and I didn't want to be in the sun either. He wasn't too wild about the very cold water, he can say "Brrrrrr".

See how small the tub is? He can't even sit down.

We quickly moved to the pool. I tried to use the compressor, but I didn't know how to use it, and couldn't find an adapter. E did not like the noise. So that means I got to blow it up. You can see that I didn't bother with the third ring.

He is just so cute....and he keeps getting cuter...how does he do that?

His Mom Dresses Him Funny

2011-08-30T20:49:00.000-07:00

In Jessica's defense, Ezra does insist on wearing a hat and glasses (usually swim goggles)......and you can't tell in the photo, but there are tiny motorcycles on that bright green outfit....and what is that called? A jumpsuit? He has a hairbrush in his hand and proceeded to take off the hat and glasses so he could comb his hair. Then he played with all those balls...and dinosaurs. He is such a boy....and his own person...and his G.Ma and G.Pa love him more than anything :)

Ezra's Play Date with Scott

2011-08-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

Why is it so difficult to take the time to visit with friends? My dear friend Cindy is a school teacher and every summer we have great plans to visit....but then we're squeezing time in to our schedules as August is ending. Since she had her grandson, Scott, for the weekend we decided to have a play date. Scott is about 5 weeks older than Ezra. We're calling this the "Cot & Es-Ra Day" because that's how they say each other's name.

Cindy kept many of the toys her boys played with, including the blocks. This was a huge set of the good solid wood kind that we all remember. Scott was building towers, Ezra mostly walked on them and stuck this one in his mouth.
Riley, the uber-friendly Spaniel was a big hit with Ezra. Me I mostly kept him from giving me a bath. Tough to do when I was down on the floor with the blocks, kids, and dog.
Scott & Ezra both LOVE books. Scott had some old favorites. Neither one of them is in to sharing....yet.

Here we are off to the park!

Scott looks so much like his dad, a mini-Seth. He is so sweet and happy.

Scott LOVES to swing high, Ezra not so much...although with the peer pressure he did put his hands in the air and say "Weeeee", just like Scott.

These are the most ridiculous teeter-totters. I'm sure it's a safety thing.

Scott is learning to like the slide. This is the big slide.

Cindy & Scott on the big cement slide

Ezra & me on the cement slide. Ezra was going down alone until he figured out the friction was very hot....then he wanted to be semi-on my lap

Scott & Ezra making the car do laps

At the end of our visit, Ezra decided he REALLY liked Scott. So being Ezra, he grabs Scott in to a tight bear hug. There's just one thing Ezra didn't figure on.....

Scott isn't in to being squeezed. So Scott, being the solid built guy, pushed back :( But they're still buddies. They just need to figure out the physical stuff :)

Favorite Books

2011-08-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

I have always LOVED books. I passed this along to Jessica and she has passed this along to Ezra. He's been really good about grabbing a book and asking to have it read to him. He'll even grab a book before grabbing toy....not as much now that he's discovered balls, but he will still pick a book. Dave was always the fun reader...he makes funny noises, etc. I'm happy to say that I'm much better at this now.

This is "Baa". Ezra calls it that because there's a lamb in the book and we point and say "baa". The book is pretty much the drummer boy song. We sing the words and when it gets to the "parum pum" part we all stomp our feet. It's very interactive. He LOVES it. I bought it because the author is Ezra!

Ezra loves this one too. To summarize the book, there's a letter to the zoo for a pet, the zoo sends many pets that are unacceptable. The "pet" arrives in a box, you lift up the flap to see what it is. When Ezra lifts the flap to the lion, we roar loudly. There's a snake, and we hiss. It's funny because he lifts the flap and looks at the reader, waiting for the special sound effects.

But Ezra's absolute FAVORITE book to read is the "MoMo magazines". The Lad is obsessed with motorcycles....gee, I wonder why. He goes through the magazine, turning each page, pointing to each "momo" and "helm". We have at least a dozen and he goes through each one, each page. He likes to read them with G-Pa or G-Ma and we have to say "motorcycle" when he says "momo" and "helmet" when he says helmet. Dave is teaching him the names for the various parts of the bikes.

Goofy Ezra

2011-08-19T19:18:00.001-07:00

LOVE this kid. He has so much joy and it's contagious! I was pretty sure that he would enjoy the Cozy Coupe, and not just because it was such a production to put the thing together, but I wanted him to have a toy that he would play with more than once. He is getting really good with it too. He can make it go where he wants to go. He knows how to honk the horn. He even knows where the gas goes. He's such an over achiever (I put that in here just to make Jessica crazy).

Please note that the goggles are not just for driving. The Lad loves hats and glasses. He can even say goggles, and anyone can understand him.

Ezra likes to turn the wheel back and forth as fast as he can and just laugh, I tell him he's a crazy driver

He looks when he backs up. I think he'll be better at this than his G-Ma.....oh yeah, that's not really saying much :(

Alice's Restaurant

2011-08-13T19:43:00.001-07:00

Back from vacation and stacks of mail, loads of wash, and follow up all those e-mails. I'd still go again though:) Now I could tell you that I jumped right in to all the tasks, but then I'd be lying. I did wash three loads of laundry, but that's fun for me. Dave spent his time in the office working on Thursday (while I had my hair done and bought groceries since our cupboards were bare) and Friday (while I went with Teresa to the Santa Clara Scrapbook Expo & our favorite, Super JoAnn's in Fremont).

On Saturday, I was hoping to scrap and play with some of the many new things I purchased. Bret called Friday night to invite us to ride to Alice's Restaurant on the way to the coast. Dave was going for sure. How could I turn it down? Even to scrap and/or work? I hadn't spent anytime with Bret or Donna in ages. We met up at Starbucks at 8:30 am....can I just say how wonderful it is to have a decent cup of coffee? Here are some photos of our ride....

The famous Alice's Restaurant in Woodside, which has delicious food

Bret & Donna, you can see some of the many bikes in the background

Dave is waiting for me to mount up and quit taking his photo

The fog was finally beginning to break, but we're not complaining after the heat and humidity of the last two weeks in the Ozarks

First hang glider we've seen in ages

The guys LOVE to see this sign

curves, pavement, redwood trees...no, it doesn't get much better than this

Beautiful view

Donna, Bret, & Dave at our favorite stop on highway 9 just a little bit south of Skyline

Handsome guy

We made it home safely, I can work or scrap or sit out on my patio....let's see....

Final Day of the Ozark Trip

2011-08-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

We were very concerned about the weather for our ride from Eureka Springs, Arkansas to Kansas City, MO....so basically nothing new for this trip. We had heard that a major cell was coming through between 9 and noon, so we decided to leave at 6:15. Off we went, in the dark, without coffee or breakfast...again.

That driveway at the Inn was killer. Dave made the initial sharp turn, when he put down his boot it was total slippage....we were lucky or possibly he is very skilled, anyway we remained upright and went down the hill very slowly and carefully and did not go off the steep cliff that looked very likely at one point. Scott and Margaret were right behind us and things didn't look too good...but it all worked out fine. And did I mention that it was totally dark and raining?

We had on rain gear because I insisted that we take it, even though Dave thought we would not need it. There was plenty of room so why not pack it? Scott & Margaret were wishing they had theirs.

We rode off and tried not to notice the rain, wind, and lightening. The signs for curvy roads usually excite us, but now we were thinking they might not be that great. We drove on until we needed gas. Then we realized we were stopping at the same place as on the way down....the one that we couldn't stand the smoking. So we drove 2 miles to go to McDonald's....for coffee....we can not believe that we're thinking this is great coffee...and a breakfast burrito.

The rain lifted and we had a dry ride to the Worth Harley Davidson dealership. There was that trip to the gas station to fill up before we turned in the bikes. There really weren't many stations, and we almost rear ended a car that didn't make the turn when we thought it would and we were looking the other way for the station, but again the guys have great skills and can stop on a dime....good thing. We dropped off the bikes, changed in to our traveling clothes, and got a ride to the airport....where we went to the first restaurant that served alcohol and got ripped off and paid over $120 for lunch.

Long trip, 3118 miles....

Oh, and here's what we saw at the airport...good thing we didn't need it

It's good to be home.....

Eureka Springs photos

2011-08-10T20:42:00.001-07:00

Things that we saw on our walk to dinner that we've never seen before.....

An armadillo

Scott & Margaret at our final vacation dinner

Dave's lamb dinner

My pork chop

Finally, Photos!!!

2011-08-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

This is the Harley Davidson dealership in Rogers, Arkansas. We like to go to the dealers to see if they have an interesting logo. Each dealer has a logo, and some have put real energy & creativity in coming up with a logo. For instance, in Seattle they have a very cool image of the Space Needle. We were mostly going here to find a part for Scott's motorcycle to hide the damage from the spill. This dealership did have a very cool logo and shirts were purchased :)

This doesn't even begin to show how intense this was.....lightening, thunder, wind

The fine young man taking Margaret and me to the Hobby Lobby

Our new best friends, the friendly couple that own and operate the BBQ place. Please note all the University of Arkansas stuff...it's every where around here....honestly, I think they tattoo their kids at birth

Local dish, chili pie, which is chili over Fritos

This is the van and trailer of the odd family

Odd family...mom, dad, & little guy up front all holding hands, the rest followed in a single file going in, but got a little out of order on the way out because they were staring at us staring at them. Can you tell the odd haircuts on the boys? It's sort of a butch/buzz with tails...an odd mullet

The black vehicle really got in my way

Eureka Springs, Arkansas 2.0

2011-08-10T07:30:00.000-07:00

GREAT weather....well until around 1 when it went all humid.....still MUCH cooler than it has been.

During our delicious breakfast at the Inn we met some new and interesting people....a couple celebrating their 54th wedding anniversary (she has 15 cats!), a woman here alone because her husband had to go to Africa for mission work and there are no refunds so she decided to come alone, and a gay couple who are both in music (one a college professor and the other a private teacher).

The guys took one last long ride while the ladies shopped, looked at other Inns (just in case), ate lunch, and checked out a place for dinner. This is a lovely little town, a weekend destination for people in the area. There's a hop on/hop off trolley that can take you just about any where for $5 all day. All I bought was a pair of earrings.

My favorite shop was the quilt shop. We went in just to take a look. There was an entire room of quilts, some Amish made. I found one that I loved, $1,875, that I would never be able to touch without getting stressed about something bad happening to it. I can admire without buying, and they were spectacular. No photos because they do not allow it...I also have a bad connection.

The ladies also took the trolley all the way out to the Thorncrown Chapel which is a glass chapel in the woods, just awesome. This would be a spectacular wedding site.

We finished the day with a wonderful dinner at the Grand Tavern....great service, delicious food, and friendly customers (one guy stopped at our table twice to talk). A big plus is that we walked the mile to and from the dinner. On our walk we got a closer look at the area. This is a former hippy area that is still eclectic. There are a few cute places but then again too many weathered places. We're still seeing many empty store fronts, etc. There was plenty of excitement when we watched an armadillo hunting in a yard, deer walking around (we felt back at home), a large beaver/groundhog thing, spiders, and plenty of lightening bugs.

This is the last night of our vacation. We're headed back to Kansas City, MO to return the bikes tomorrow. Weather report is showing thunder storms, possibly severe. Will this crazy weather never end? Oh yeah, when we're back in P-Town :)

Eureka Springs, Arkansas 1.0

2011-08-09T05:30:00.000-07:00

I apologize in advance that there are no photos....and I have some fabulous photos that would so enhance the story....but the Internet connection is spotty at best. I would go nuts if I explained the horrible phone situation.

We left Fayetteville, and our MOST favorite Inn, around 7 am. The breakfast was one of our best. They had FRESH FRUIT!!!!!! Blackberries, strawberries, grapes, and the BEST Watermelon...EVER. Watermelon is a big deal around these parts, they even had a big festival this weekend. We are so spoiled in CA with all our fresh produce.....NOT the case around here. All we see is iceberg lettuce.

The weather is breaking, finally, just as we're finishing up our adventure. The ride to Eureka Springs was FABULOUS....because the weather wasn't life sucking HOT. Oh, and the roads were great too :) We road along the infamous "Pig Trail". There were plenty of sweeping curves (and hairpin S curves too), tree lined stretches, and overall good scenery. I have wonderful photos and videos. There was one patch with a bit too many tar snakes, but the guys adjusted.

This was a really short ride, even though we stretched it out to ride the Pig Trail, and we arrived in town around 11. The first not so good event happened as we arrived at the Arsenic & Lace Inn. The road is very steep and there's a sharp turn in to the Inn.....treacherous on a motorcycle. I'm sorry to report that Scott & Margaret took a tumble. I did not take photos of them lying on the ground, see how compassionate I am? But I did think about it :) Everyone is fine, but it really shakes you up. This is the only place that has a no refund policy and Margaret wanted to bail. The Inn is too far from the action to walk (although they do have a trolley system here because things are stretched out, there is little parking, and there are no sidewalks) and I'm sure she wasn't looking forward to dealing with the treacherous location...it is confidence shattering when you go down. We decided to grab a bite and fill her with Margaritas before we bolted.

We ended up way down the road at a little center with the Harley Davidson dealer. There's a cafe called the Rockin' Pig, which was okay. I say okay since I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich which was WAY too healthy. The others were very happy, Dave had a huge hamburger, and Margaret had two Margaritas. We're staying at the Inn. So now the real adventures begin....

The HD in Eureka Springs is a satellite of the Rogers location, and had a poor selection of T's. Plus Scotty wanted to find a new clutch lever to replace the broken one (remember the spill?). And now I'm really pumped because there's a HOBBY LOBBY in Rogers!!! We weren't really sure of the location so we pulled in to a gas station where we could fill up, use the facilities, get a drink and check the maps. This would prove to be a poor choice.

The HD dealer had tents set up to park your bike. We thought, Great Shade. We found great T's (another addition to Ezra's wardrobe) and Scotty purchased his part. By the time he and Dave went out to install the new thing, the skies were black...except for the lightening that lit the whole sky, and the thunder was deafening. Buckets of rain were falling from the sky and the wind was whipping around. This is when photos would be great. Those tents helped to keep the bikes dry. And we sat in the loft with a TV, Pool Table, computer, fantastic WiFi, and big comfy sofas.

The rain stopped and we got on the bikes....only Dave's wouldn't start. It finally started for a nanosecond with a huge puff of gray smoke and then died. So Bret, have you figured out the problem? If you're going to have a problem, the parking lot of a huge dealership is where you want to be. The bike got rolled in and they started checking things out. When it was apparent this was not going to be a quick fix, I began to panic....no Hobby Lobby? So I went to several of the employees asking for a ride. I finally worked my way up to the Manager. He hesitated, I looked so sad and desperate that he caved.....Margaret and I got a ride to Hobby Lobby! Again, the photo would have greatly enhanced this story.

I was not disappointed! In fact, I may be despondent the next time I slum it at JoAnn's....even a Super JoAnn's. This place is huge. It has home decor as well as crafts. There's a HUGE selection, good quality, great prices, and vendors that I have never seen before. If Dave ever drags me to live here, this would be my only consolation.

So still no bike repair. We really can't buy anything since we have NO room on the bikes, even though there is a UPS store in this pathetic abandoned mall. We decide to find a coffee shop. Okay, that's not happening in this barren mall. The place has been largely vacated for the new mall on the outside of town. We ended up at the only place, a BBQ joint where we bought ice tea, unsweetened. Once again, we met the best people. The husband and wife that own and operate the place shared stories of their lives...how they ended up there, in this business which they started only a year ago. Can I say that we have met several people that have successfully opened up businesses in the last couple of years, not for the faint of heart. He even gave us a piece of his Cajun cake, for free. We were later joined by a geeky scooter rider that was also friendly and interesting. But the biggest shock was the family that walked in. Again, the photos would GREATLY enhance the story. They husband and wife (I'm assuming) walked hand in hand with the youngest of the MANY children. The rest walked in single file, like ducks. They were dressed in home made clothing...modest....long dresses for the girls...it was almost Amish like. The children were VERY close in age. We asked out new friends if it was a cult or something, they said they didn't have any particulars, just they came in frequently to Hobby Lobby (no jokes, I LOVE that place) and were very well behaved. They said the Dugar family (the one with 19 or whatever it is now) live nearby and they see them too.

The guys finally arrived when the bike was fixed.....bad gas. And Scott's bike was fine. Go figure. No charge to us. They said they have never had a request for a ride to Hobby Lobby. Yeah, that was it :)

GREAT ride back to the Inn, parked without a fall, checked in and got ready for dinner. We rode to the main drag and had a delicious dinner (which was great since our disaster last night and we found out Scott and Margaret had a gourmet dinner so it was especially sad that we missed out) with great service and met some lovely young family with two boys (4 & 2) and a brand new baby girl (6 weeks). The weather is great so we were dining outside...even when it poured down rain we just lifted the big umbrella...we moved inside when lightening began to strike and we couldn't count one second between the strike and the thunder.

Love the shower here (two shower heads) but not a huge fan of the bed, probably because last nights was so wonderful.

So sad, our adventure is almost over.

Fayetteville, Arkansas

2011-08-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

The breakfast buffet was great, the waffles were excellent. We don't usually have waffles, but the woman insisted on us having some because they're so tasty. There was one woman doing all the set up, etc. She was so cheerful, friendly, and wanted us to have a wonderful breakfast. Once again, the people are so nice here. We were fed and on the road by 7:30 am. It was much cooler after the evening thunderstorms. The weather was still a bit unsettled and we did get some showers. This is what it looked like on our way to Fayetteville:

At our gas stop, this is what we saw....a vending machine for live bait...not something I've ever seen before....ever

And just in case you're not sure, the sign further explains that yes, there are live worms inside

These are two good ole boys sitting at one of the picnic tables outside of the market at the gas station...again, you don't usually see picnic tables at a gas station in CA. The guys were very friendly. The one on the left used to drive produce in CA from Oakland to Bakersfield. This is the second guy we've met that drove through Bakersfield. Both of them thought it was real pretty. Tells ya something, doesn't it?

Dave lived in Fayetteville and graduated from the University of Arkansas, which makes him a Razorback, or Hog.....ask him to call the Hogs sometime, it's highly entertaining. Margaret's parents lived in Fayetteville. So upon arrival we took a tour of the homes of their parents and then Dave gave me a guided tour of former work places, home of his friends, high school, college, where he hung out, the place he got pulled over by the police. It was fascinating. We also went to the Wal-Mart, the new one, a Super Wal-Mart. The place was huge! It had two big sections that sold nothing but U of A stuff. I was looking for a cute little T-shirt with a Hog on it for Ezra. No luck. But I did find an adorable sweatshirt and then a T-shirt and short outfit. I'm sure you'll be seeing them in future postings of Ezra.

Our lunch stop was at the Catfish Hole, but we had to hurry before the Baptists got out of church, they get out earlier than the church of Christ. Both places of worship are located very near to the restaurant. We arrived to an empty parking lot that was full when we left. We all agreed that this place was much better than JoJo's in Mountain View. The hush puppies were the BEST and the catfish and pickled green tomatoes were also excellent. We've got to stop eating like this. I think we'll stop and buy Slim Fast on our arrival back home and just drink shakes for a week.

I really wish it wasn't so hot. I tried to go to the mall, they have a fabulous Dillard's, but I just couldn't get cooled. We ended up returning to the B&B (which is our favorite, so far) and taking a cold shower. I finished the Hunger Games and Dave is almost finished with the second book. My big disappointment is that we're here on Sunday and Hobby Lobby is closed on Sundays. We're leaving before it opens on Monday, so I'm missing out...on this trip. I would definitely come back and ride this again, but not at this time of year...Last week of September or first of October would be better...MUCH better.

We finished the evening at the Mexican restaurant across the street. We met up with Dave's friends and former family. The cook called in sick, so it took almost 2 hours to get food. I ate chips and guac and couldn't eat my food when it finally arrived. Right about now the chips are expanding in my belly which is causing a very bad ache. I do not like that when it happens....why oh why do I eat all those chips?

Photos!!!!!

2011-08-07T15:40:00.001-07:00

We have a wonderful interest connection, so here are some photos from the last couple of days!

The local production of Annie at the restored Lyric theater in Harrison, Arkansas. The dog stole the show....

This guy had plenty of jokes and tricks and a whole new audience, US!

Dave & Scott LOVE seeing these signs....some are for 5 to 10 miles!

The last bite of my fried bologna sandwich. My mouth is watering just looking at this :)

We stopped at this gas station just before the deluge

Harrison, Arkansas

2011-08-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

At breakfast we met some of the other guests. People are so interesting. We heard that Mountain Home, just to the north of Mountain View, is filled with Californians. We told them it was probably because they couldn't retire in CA, way too expensive to live.

We didn't leave until 9, which may not have been such a good idea because once again, it is HOT! We took the long way, the Moonshine Run, to Harrison. This is a beautiful ride. The last hour was so hot, and there wasn't a place to stop and get a drink and cool off, so that when we arrived we were so ready to get off the bike. The Seville is located a block off the Square and has been totally renovated. There's also a wedding in the lobby so they're closing it down for an hour!

We walked around the Square and did a little shopping. This weekend is a Sales Tax Holiday in the State...I think a couple other States are doing the same thing. The rate here is 8 percent, but they tax everything, including food purchased at the supermarket. We met many interesting and friendly people. The guy at the boot store was especially entertaining with his puzzles and jokes. We made some purchases, clothing for the ladies and books for everyone at the second hand bookstore. I'm not quite sure how Margaret is going to get everything on their bike, but somehow she makes it work.

There's a local production of Annie at a renovated theater on the Square so we purchased tickets at $8 a piece (we got the senior discount for those 55 and older.....I just missed it, but they gave me the rate too). This makes the third live performance on the trip! We went to a movie too. We are so cultured ;)

Dave and I are splitting dinners, I think we are just overloaded and overfed. Oh, and this is a wet county! Hurray for alcohol! I remain alcohol free and tell people that's because I'm driving. We didn't see trailers as we entered the town, there were huge homes as we rode in...mansions....like nothing we've seen so far....they could fit in around Danville.

Sorry that I'm not including photos...I'm just too tired to load them up. Now to try to sleep with the lightening and thunder...to say nothing of the pounding bass from the wedding reception below.

Mountain View, Arkansas 4.0

2011-08-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

What a difference a little rain makes. The temperature cooled down and it's actually very nice when you don't feel like you're baking in a 400 degree oven. We decided we were safe to leave at a reasonable time, 9 am after a delicious breakfast at the B&B. We had a beautiful ride and I never put on the cooling vest. We pulled in for gas and then the skies opened up for about 20 minutes and just poured. It was perfect timing. We chatted up a woman Harley rider that had a very interesting story...and I'm sure we were only getting a tiny part. There was a guy having breakfast at a table in the middle of the store (bacon & eggs with toast)....really odd.

On the way back to Mountain View, we detoured in to Batesville for a look at their historical district. Can I just say that they are using that term loosely? It was old. The street had an eclectic collection of businesses. Margaret introduced me to Yellow Box flip flops. They were having a 50% sale and I snagged a pair. They are like walking on pillows, LOVE them. We also ate at a place called the Greasy Spoon...really....it has a 50's motif. I was introduced to another delicacy of the area, fried bologna sandwiches. I am ashamed to say that it was delicious. It is served on white bread (I can not remember the last time I ate white bread....not sourdough or anything like that...Wonder Bread style) with a quarter inch slab of bologna, thick sliced onion and tomato with mayonnaise. I know it sounds horrible and unhealthy, but it is really good.

When we returned to the B&B, Scott & Margaret went to the Soda Fountain for dessert (Scott got another banana split!) but we rested and read. Dave is on the second book of the Hunger Games series and I started the first book. I can not believe I'm reading this story. The whole premise is depressing and gruesome. I'm not sure I'll read the second one....we'll see.

For dinner we had cheese & crackers from Yoder's Cupboard and finished off the wine from the earlier liquor run. It wasn't until after 8 that we realized we didn't eat a full dinner. Oh well, we're not starving here.

We met some of the other guests and they have interesting stories. They're teaching us quite a bit about all the instruments, especially the dulcimer.

I'm pretty sure we've covered this area and we're ready to move on. If it hadn't been so hot we may have done more...perhaps spent some time at the Folk Music Center.

Mountain View, Arkansas 3.0

2011-08-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

We all decided to ride today on the "best road in Arkansas", or the Push Mountain ride. We knew it was going to be a better day when we walked out before 6 am and didn't immediately break out in a sweat. It was so much cooler than it has been....at least 20 degrees cooler. The weather is hopefully now closer to the norm, 80 degrees in the summer.

We were still starting out in the dark. Here's what it looks like around 6:15 when the sun is just coming up......

There was at least four instances of deer dashing out in to the road in front of us....VERY dangerous on a bike.

Didn't expect to see this around here! We stopped in Castle Rock at the visitor center which has an artisan shop attached. They do love their visitor centers around here.

Then back to the Inn for naps, do you see how we roll now? And then for lunch, we went back to the Soda Fountain. Margaret was craving another lime-ade drink made with Splenda (she had them skip the layer of pure sugar and try it with Splenda). It's tastes a whole lot like Margarita mix, but without the tequila since this is a dry county. The tuna salad is excellent. Oh, and Scotty ordered another dessert, banana split this time. Dave didn't partake, there was "too much going on in there" for him.....nuts, hot fruits, cold fruits, etc. Plus he was a little stressed from the pie situation. They had a peach pie in the cooler next to our table and it looked like the same pie as yesterday. He even asked the waitress about it. Seems the baker doesn't work all week and she doesn't make any extras for her days off. Dave explained how they could make extra pies so they wouldn't run out.....that idea seemed silly to her....when they're out, they're out.

And this is where we're headed tonight for a live music performance.....way off Broadway.

Dinner was at PJ's, a home cooked (how can that be when you're not at home?) cafe on Main. Dave and I had chicken fried steak (which does not contain chicken, it's pounded beef dipped in batter and fried) with real mashed potatoes and green beans and unsweetened tea. You must be sure to order your tea unsweetened, otherwise you get sweet tea, which is real big in the south....and is so disgustingly sweet...it's like adding just enough liquid to the sugar bowl and then gulping it down. Scott & Margaret went healthy....except that Margaret smuggled in a water bottle full of Margarita mix (including tequila which the guys purchased from the funky liquor store in the next county) and Scott had Ozark Mountain Pie with ice cream for dessert.

This is what chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes covered in gravy looks like....and it is worth every calorie....just don't do it on a regular basis

One of the two lady performers tonight. She's playing the spoons like I've never seen or heard it done before....amazing sounds. She also plays the guitar and dulcimer (which is a stringed instrument from this area and why it's such a famous folk music place).

The other lady performer, she's a pistol. They're both very talented and entertaining. They sing country, gospel, and even a little Motown.

This is the park just across the street from our Inn. We can sit on the porch in a rocking chair and listen to them play and sing. It happens every night, weather permitting. This is the first night it happened for us, since it has been 100+ degrees and no one was going outside before today.

A lovely day.....can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Mountain View, Arkansas 2.0

2011-08-04T13:03:00.000-07:00

This is the hottest day EVER! The bank sign had 108 and it wasn't even 11 am yet. I can barely walk from air conditioned store to air conditioned store. We bought umbrellas a couple of days ago, we call them hillbilly parasols.

The guys went out riding before 6 am. They took the camera and were instructed to take a photo of the liquor store where they were ending their ride.....which did not happen.....and it's really too bad because they had a story about the store. As they were leaving, the door opened all by itself, or so they thought....until they looked up and saw that the old guy had rigged up a set of belts and pulleys so all he had to do was pull a rope and the door opened. And about all the photos from the ride? Dave was so excited to show me the photos.....all TWO of them! He looked so surprised, he said..."I thought I took more than that"....how can you not know that you only took two photos?

The ladies went the one block to Main Street and had a manicure and massage and shopped.

Then around 1:30 we met up and went to the Soda Fountain for lunch and dessert.

Then we went back to the Inn for naps. We decided to get on the bikes to go to JoJo's, the catfish place. We had a window view of the river. We started out with hush puppies, this is deep fried corn bread, and then moved on to fried catfish (Scott had his grilled, after that big dessert) with beans, green pickled tomatoes, and baked potato (Dave had fries which he shared). We all had iced tea, we're still in a dry county, but Scott is the only one that has his sweetened.
After dinner Dave and I stopped at Wal-Mart.....what's a trip to this area without a trip to Wal-Mart? Dave picked up the second book in the Hunger Games series.

Here are the two photos that Dave took..........

The guys had breakfast at this 100+ year old cafe, they said it was delicious

Mountain View, Arkansas 1.0

2011-08-03T07:08:00.000-07:00

We left at 5:45 am and arrived at 10:30 am...squeezing breakfast in between. I had two eggs, patty sausage, biscuit and gravy...for $7! Dave splurged for the hash browns so his was $7.25! I didn't clean my plate.....this food is getting to be a bit much.

The ride was fabulous and we arrived before I had time to melt. Our B&B is right on the Square. It is the best so far....the Inn at Mountain View. The only bummer is it's up for sale because of a divorce. I don't even know this guy and I am so sad, I keep thinking about it. Dave was asking him all the about the Inn, the price, how many rooms, etc. Then I was really getting a little worried that Dave wanted to buy the place!

We walked all over the town....running from air conditioned store to air conditioned store. Scott bought a new pair of boots, since his were glued together. Dave tried some on too, but he's still thinking about it. We had fun talking to all the locals. I did enjoy the quilting stores, but my favorite was the Mennonite couple's place, the Yoder Cupboard. I wish there was a store like it back home. They had all sorts of stuff to bake, cook, clothes pin bags, pie fillings, wagon wheel pasta...just very unusual and cool stuff. We talked to them about their business and the local area, they just moved here two years ago. They say the economy is what is killing the resort areas. If people aren't working, and don't have money to spend, they don't go to the resorts....and ripple effect. But they did say that the coasts have economic spikes and the middle America has economic waves. There are plenty of empty store fronts and "bank owned" signs on buildings.

There was quite a surprise when we walked to the Mexican restaurant for lunch and Margaret ordered a Margarita.....the waiter laughed at her and announced this is a dry county! We found out the nearest place to purchase alcohol (the town of 56, must be the road number). One of the clerks at a store told us all about the road blocks they put up to catch drinkers and that they do not take credit or debit cards...but they do have some really good boxed wines...LOL. Gee, it's so hot I might need to put an ice cube in the wine!

The guys are riding the long route tomorrow, without the ladies....we're getting massages tomorrow....a whole hour for $45. And there are about a half dozen nail places, who knew?

We ended up having dinner at the #1 restaurant on Tripadvisor.com.......Tommy's Famous Pizzeria. I think we're all a little done with this food. We're craving some grilled fish and fresh veggies. It'll be some time before we can do that.

Photos!!!!!

2011-08-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

Arrived safely at the Worth Harley dealership in Kansas City, Missouri...on the Party Bus

All suited up and ready to go. That silver vest is my cooling vest, a quilted vest filled with the same stuff as disposable diapers. The air flows through it as we travel along and cools me off, like a swamp cooler. It doesn't work quite as well as at home, without the high humidity.

Scot & Margaret all ready to saddle up

Presley Theater in Branson, Missouri

The little church where we worshipped

The Old Court Museum in Vicksburg, Mississippi

Crossing another river

Great road, the reason we are enduring the heat

Good old boys outside of the Jones Family Diner in Perryville, Arkansas. The guy on the left is a couple years younger than Dave, he moved from Richmond, CA about the time Dave left Arkansas

Another great road

Scott and Margaret following along

Hot Springs, Arkansas

2011-08-02T14:37:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I got on the borderline of bailing on the trip. It is so hot.....breaking all the records....105 or 115 with the heat index.....too hot to do ANYTHING and I'm on the back of a Harley with the sun beating down on me! So I'm forgiven for even thinking of renting an air conditioned car and following the gang?

The roads are beautiful....sweeping curves with great asphalt and green scenery. We even had some tall shady trees and views of water. That last 45 minutes riding in to town with the stop lights is what pushed me over the edge.

This is yet another dying town. We're not sure if it's the recession or just time passing it by. We think it could be the economy. When there's no money, no one goes on a vacation to a resort town. And this part of the country does not have the vibrancy of a large metropolitan area like home. As rough as it is in the Bay Area, this is just plain awful.

The people are really nice, helpful, and gracious. We did have a waitress with horrible teeth that fits all the stereotypes, but she was so wonderful that we just don't care about her teeth....although we did discuss it and I'm telling you about it now. We can understand them when they speak, but that accent is just something else...very high pitched and twangy. It doesn't sound, well, very educated. I can see why people assume they're stupid...but they are not.

We stayed at the Williams House which was clean, well located, and with plenty of room...something that you don't always get in a B&B. They had plenty of nice touches. We were able to walk to lunch and again to dinner. It was really funny when we were walking back from dinner. We shuffled back. We were all so physically depleted from the heat that we could barely lift our flip flops. It made a very funny sound as we shuffled the three blocks back to our Inn.

Vicksburg, Mississippi 2.0

2011-08-01T06:34:00.000-07:00

The guys left at 6 am and headed to Natchez, Mississippi. There's an awesome bike road called the Natchez Trace Parkway. They LOVED it. The Ladies slept in and LOVED it.

Margaret and I decided to attend worship at the church we passed on the way to dinner last night. The sign said 10:45 worship, but we found out that it was wrong. We arrived sometime between 10:15 and 10:30. When we were a block away we heard this raucous music. It was LOUD! And there were instruments! I was expecting some old time hymns. I told Margaret I didn't think I could do this and she scoffed. We devised a plan so that if we wanted to leave we wouldn't be disrespectful to them.

We started walking up the steps and the doors flew open and a man smiled and grabbed us and pulled us in. We couldn't hear a thing he said because it was so LOUD. We sat in one of the back pews where he led us. We looked around. It was definitely "which two things are not like the others". We were the only white people there and I was most definitely the casually dressed one there. Margaret packs an entire wardrobe on the back of the bike. She has three pairs of boots, flip flops, sneakers, and HEELS!

They have a group of women on stage with a lead singer that is belting out a song that we have NEVER heard. There are people of front dancing, hands held high and waving in the air, stomping feet, and plenty of people shouting praises to Jesus. So right away I know I'm not fitting in here. But I did clap and sway.

They sang until 10:45, did announcements (which we could not understand more than a third of what they were saying with that deep south accent coupled with the black dialect). It was Youth Sunday so they had a precious group of children singing. Then there was a modern liturgical dance by 5 gorgeous young women. The preacher finally took the podium around 11 and preached until 12:30! Then he began prophesying and we finally left at 1 so we wouldn't miss our brunch reservations. There was so much going on....they took the chairs off the stage and packed them away backstage, they girls performed, then they brought the chairs back. There was constantly something being done.

We were loved and hugged by everyone. They were all so welcoming. We considered this a very rich cultural experience. It was also a very good (long, but good) sermon. I may start shouting out, lifting my hands high, clapping and dancing the Sunday when I return :)

We went back to the Anchuca Inn for brunch. We met the owners and took a tour of the place. It is beautiful. The men returned from their ride in time to join us so that was wonderful. Then we walked (in the stifling heat where I thought I would just die because I can't breath this heavy air...oh no, I might be whining) to the museum at the old courthouse. All this is within three blocks of our B&B, so it's not like we're hiking. Anyway, let's just say that the history lessons were VERY different than what we all learned in our school books. I must say that this version is probably a little closer to what happened down here. It definitely fits in with what I would expect from people.

This area is extremely poor. We've been talking to the Inn keepers, workers, etc. (and they're all white) and they chalk it up to history and graft. Mississippi was the richest state prior to the war and within 4 years it became the poorest....and has never recovered. They are at the bottom of the barrel in all categories that count. We found out that about two blocks over begins the poor black area....and it is so sad. Everyone seems gracious, just very poor. The church we attended this am talked about their missionaries....they're working in the surrounding blocks.

We rode to Cracker Barrel for dinner. I think I'm over it now.....unless I stick to their breakfast and cobbler....which they've changed! The waitress said they don't have a daily cobbler special anymore! They have mixed berries with berry ice cream! Oh no!

Dave may be getting a new phone. He had his in the front pocket of his mesh jacket, that he wore over his cooling vest. With all that dampness it has caused his screen to be so dark you can't read a thing. It's been a couple of days and it hasn't dried out. I Googled the nearest Apple store and couldn't find one in this state! LOL!!!!! I know he did it on purpose so he could get the newer version ;)

Vicksburg, Mississippi 1.0

2011-07-31T05:35:00.001-07:00

We saddled up at 6 am and then tried to get the guys to stop at the Starbucks, but it wasn't going to happen. So off we went, just as the sun was rising.

We had this map of the "Great River Road" that we received from some tourist site before we left. Dave had the map laminated based up prior experiences with a map in places that were humid, rained, and then there's the wind while I'm looking up stuff on the go. Anyway, let's just say that it was not Great and there was no River...just a Road. We thought it was going to be similar to riding on the levees in the Delta, WRONG. The only time we saw the Mississippi River was when we crossed over it while leaving Arkansas to enter Mississippi.

We had been on the look out for a place for breakfast We thought we'd find one in West Memphis. We were really close to Memphis and I was hoping to visit Graceland. To beat the heat we just couldn't take the time. We were on the back county roads and these people don't dine out. In fact I'm not sure they have enough money to eat.....or fix their homes, which are just a notch above a card board box. We were in the poorest of areas....very rural.

This part of the country is black and white. We have not seen one Asian or Latin. We think they're speaking some other language because we can not understand a word they're saying. We can barely make out the white folk but it is totally impossible with the blacks.

Funny thing about the houses....I couldn't figure out why the people didn't close their garage doors...then I noticed that there were no doors! this is there covered patio! They have their grills and outdoor furniture in there. Some park their cars in there too.

We decided to ride on through to Vicksburg instead of breaking the ride in to two days. There just was nothing of interest along the way. At our eventual breakfast stop, at 8:30, we called the B&B (Baer House Inn) and they had two rooms for the night so we rode until 3 and checked in. Oh, at breakfast the service was so slow. The people were nice and the food was good and cheap. I ordered the most expensive item on the menu, $4.79. But still no coffee for me....they don't have decaf. And there was a big rain while we were waiting for our food, so it was good the service was slow. I did have grits so I feel like I'm officially in the south....the others turned up their nose at the thought of grits.

The B&B is roomy, clean and well located. There's another couple here and her best friends lives in Pleasanton! She visits often. How is that?! We walked a few blocks but it was way too hot for me and we returned to our rooms and showered.

We ate at another Inn located a few blocks away, Anchura Mansion. It's really cute, the service was great, and the food was FABULOUS! Our first really delicious meal. The prices were close to CA prices. We even had dessert for the first time on this trip!. Margaret had her best Lemon Drop ever and the guys shared a bottle of Healdsburg Cab. I'm not drinking on the trip due to the heat.

When we left the Anchura there was a symphony from the insects. Not a big fan of insects but the noise they make is somehow melodious and interesting. We saw a huge beetle on the walk back. Margaret said it was a June Bug......they arrive in June but they're having such a great time they stay through July :) I should tell you that Margaret was born in Arkansas and Scott says he has returned her to her home land. Dave has lived in the South but he lays no claim to the area. And for me? Born and raised in the SF Bay Area, God's Country. I'll visit the South but I know I'm made for home.

Just about everything is closed on Sunday so I may be having a day of rest.

Jonesboro, Arkansas

2011-07-30T06:47:00.000-07:00

We left Branson by 7 am after a very tasty hot breakfast buffet. Good thing because it was hot again. Not like the first day, but the third day of this we knew would take it's toll. The riding was very nice. The roads are in good condition, much better than in CA, but that's not saying much. If you think the roads are bad while driving in a car, just imagine what it's like on a motorcycle. Although I'm still VERY impressed with the smooth ride on this bike.

We thought we might stop by and visit with the Maxwell's in West Plains, MO but it was getting way too hot and we wanted to get to our destination and get off the bike. It is very green during the summer time in the Midwest, I think because of rain and humidity. If you haven't experienced humidity, you are very lucky. The air is so heavy it can be hard to breathe. But your skin is really nice from the moisture!

We arrived in Jonesboro just in time for lunch. We lucked upon a GREAT BBQ place. We knew it was good because the parking lot was packed. We decided to stay here for the night and ended up at a new Candlewood Suites. It's more for an extended stay, but it is clean, well located, and has FREE laundry. I think our friend, who loathes chain hotels, is a new convert. She LOVES this place. And she even did laundry, which she chides me about on every other trip. But with the humidity, your clothes have the possibility of mildew. My jeans have stretched out so much that I can take them off without unzipping them! I wish it was because I've lost tons of weight, but that's not the case.

We ended up at the movies because there's no pool here and it's too hot to do anything else. We thought we had the guys agreeing to take us to Hobby Lobby, but that didn't fly. They did promise to take us in another town though....and they WILL. It was pretty funny trying to get a movie that we could all agree on. We ended up at everyone's second choice, Cowboys and Aliens.....good thing the admission was only $6 each. And we all shared one tub of $6 popcorn.

The funny part, of which there are no photos, is the outfits that the ladies wore. You see, it is very difficult to look stylish for a night out while being safe on a motorcycle. We had on lovely black capris with pretty tops and then....the attire for the feet was so industrial. We both changed once we were off the bike, but there were plenty of seconds looks when we were getting on and off the bikes. I looked at Margaret and laughed at her and she told me to knock it off because I didn't look so hot either....so we stood there pointing at each other and laughing. But there would be no permanent evidence!

We ended up having dinner at Ruby Tuesday's because this is a dry county and this is the only place to get a drink. Alas, there was a Cracker Barrel right next door. I was promised that I would be dining at a Cracker Barrel very soon. That gift card is burning a hole in my wallet. So good evening....I'm going to Google a Cracker Barrel for breakfast....I don't want them to forget their promise..and I'm having a cobbler, even if it's breakfast!

Branson, Missouri

2011-07-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

How do you describe this place? Dave says "poor man's Vegas" and I prefer "hillbilly Vegas". It's a mile long strip in the hills completely devoted to entertainment. There are tons of theaters with live shows....mostly music, comedians, and magicians. We opted for the Presley family since they were the first and it's an authentic Branson experience.

We bought the tickets for a total of $65 a couple...which ticked me off because I forgot to ask for the AAA discount and they didn't ask. Anyway, we did enjoy the show, but not enough to buy the $20 DVD :)

We loved our hotel, Land of the Ozarks. It was clean, well located, and the restaurant was really good. As an added plus, we had the cutest waiter, Jay. I was reminded of Alex in Austria, but that's another story....

We've decided to leave early so we can miss the heat. I think it was even beginning to bother Scott & Margaret. I'm feeling a whole lot better. It was about 20 degrees cooler today and I was so much better able to deal with it. For one thing I finally got my appetite back. But I'm finishing day 2 of my vacation and I've had NO DESSERTS!

I haven't taken too many photos. I'm spoiled with my new fancy camera that I did not bring with me, and I've forgotten how to use my point and shoot. I promise to do better :)

Joplin, Missouri

2011-07-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

Please note that I do not have my fancy camera with me. Dave took one look at it and said "we don't have room for that". So I grabbed my little point and shoot, my old favorite that I recently found.....trouble is I've forgotten how to use the thing! I did grab the book so after I read it, I'll be posting some photos.

We left Oakland at 7:30 am which meant I had to crawl out of bed in the dark. Our friends arrived and we crawled in to SIL's truck for a ride to the airport when it was still dark. So by now you all know that I do not like to get up before the sun has warmed the Earth, and I no longer drink caffeine, so this is not my preferred way to begin an adventure.

We arrived in Kansas City, Missouri around 1pm local time, jumped in to the "party bus" from the local Harley dealer that picked us up and we were off. The dealership was really nice, people were great, and we were on our way by 2pm.

So off we go in the hottest part of the day in the middle of a heat wave with the sun beating down on us. It was so HOT! The temperature gauge on the bike was at full tilt, 120 degrees! It was really around 115+ but I have no idea how to factor in the humidity.

We arrived at our B&B at 5:30pm. What with the heat, humidity, and wearing a cooling vest, let's just say that we all looked like we were rode hard and put away wet.....because, well, that's exactly what happened! I had time to climb in the shower with the water on absolute cold to bring my body temperature down and then we were off to dinner with Dave's family. Fortunately they picked us up and we didn't get back on the bike.

I could barely eat because I was exhausted and hot. I drank about a gallon of water and at half a quesadilla....Dave had a grand time. He's a lizard, the heat doesn't bother him...at all. We had fun visiting with the family and then they gave us a quick tour of the tornado devastation.

It has been two months and they've already made great head way in cleaning up the area, which is about 30% of the city of Joplin. They've even begun to rebuild. There's a lot of confusion because the people want to build and the government wants to change the building codes. They'll work it out. Also, there's some dickering with the insurance companies. At least 40% of the homes were not insured. They were owned by slum land lords and it wasn't worth it to insure the structure. In a couple of years the place may be totally new!

Home Depot, WalMart, and JoAnn's are totally ruined, but Hobby Lobby next door is untouched! Home Depot & WalMart are rebuilding already. The place looks like a new city where things are cleared, and like it was bombed in the places where they've done nothing. The trees are splintered or totally uprooted. The community and surrounding areas are being very supportive.

More Ezra!

2011-07-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted photos of Ezra. I know you're wondering what's up with that! And you probably need an update on what fabulous thing he's doing now...because as you know, he is an over achiever! His latest obsession is balls, he loves them.....any and all shapes and sizes. I just bought three new balls in various sizes. He is all about tossing/throwing and catching. He really has eye-hand coordination because, well, he is an over achiever. Dave loves to play catch with him. I do too, but it really is a special thing between Ezra and G-Pa.

See how cute he is? The eyes on the Car shirt match his baby blues

The "ready" position that Dave's taught him

He also likes to kick the ball now

Resting up, after TWO HOURS playing catch with G-Pa

The "Delay" Ride

2011-07-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

This was dubbed the "Delay" ride because we were stopped at many road construction spots. No flag people, there were red lights, with a long delay.

We met up at Starbucks and off we went to Geyersville. We went up the Silverado Trail, then took 128 through Calistoga and then to Geyersville. We had lunch at the Hoffman House. I was so excited because I LOVE the food here. Well.....this experience was not good. I'm ready to write them off, but Margaret made me promise to give them one more try....we'll see. The patio was shaded, but the service was so awful, and my lunch choice wasn't spectacular. It took TWO HOURS for lunch....way too long.

It was getting pretty warm and I did discuss activating the cooling vest.....I should have done this. We took Skaggs Spring Road from Geyersville. It started out cool under the canopy of trees, but as we neared Sonoma Lake (I never knew there was a lake in the area, all the boats trailered behind SUVs should have been a clue) the trees disappeared and the heat rocketed up over 90. This is a tiny two lane (I'm exaggerating) road with plenty of twists and turns. The RV did pull over and let us pass, unlike our Yosemite experience. We were shocked when we came around a corner and met up with two 18 wheelers coming the other way! And just as we came within 5 miles of the end of the road, we came upon this little hippy type community....who decides to live in a place like this? Well, Margaret informed us this is a nudist community. We teased her about how she knew this...she simply smiled and rolled her eyes....lol.

The road ended up on the coast at a "town" called Stewart's Point. There's a little grocery store, gas station, and most importantly....toilets! We didn't buy gas, but we did take advantage of the other amenities....along with at least a dozen other bikers.

My handsome husband is so kind to pose for me

Donna & Bret do not always pose for me.....

Scott & Margaret very kindly pose

And here we are!

If anyone should tell you that CA is over populated and in need of open space, just show them this......within 100 miles of SF

There are plenty of dairy farms

Hard to tell, but plenty of wild flowers along the road

Nice riding...although I failed to take photos along the Coast on Highway 1...amazing scenery

On our way to Tiburon for dinner at Sam's

We left Tiburon at 8, arriving home at 9.....perfect timing since it was close to 100 degrees at home and cooled to low 80's by the time we returned. 320 miles with good friends....GREAT day!

Fun Thursday II

2011-07-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

This is the second week that we had "Fun Thursday". We realized that we just don't spend enough time having fun, just doing fun things. As a reminder the first week we rode up to Yosemite. This week was just sad. We couldn't figure out a fun thing to do! Very sad. But that's why we realized we needed to do this, have a fun day.

I finally figured out that Dave would never think that spending a day scrapbooking was fun, I had to come up with his idea of fun....riding his motorcycle. So where to go? We couldn't come up with a destination. I surfed the motorcycle forums. We looked at maps. Finally I remembered reading about a day ride that included Calaveras Big Trees.

Dave didn't get excited about this, so I was a little concerned that he might not enjoy this destination. Dave is happy to ride, and ride, and ride some more. I like to have somewhere to stop and walk around, discovering what's to discover. We are so different. Because we love and respect one another, we try to humor one another!

After getting up at 4 am to take the kids to the airport, we went back to bed! Then we got up and left around 8:30 am after a quick bite for breakfast. The weather was perfect, not too hot and not too cold. We ended up having lunch around 11:30 in Oakdale. We have this funky diner that we like. It was called The Busy Bee, but it now has new owners and has changed names. We still call it the Busy Bee.

When we arrived at the Park, we paid our $8 and parked the bike. The temp was low 80's, just right. Since we knew we'd be walking around, we brought a change of shoes. Those motorcycle boots are not the best thing to hike in. The recommended hike is a short, flat North Grove Trail

The hike begins with the "Discovery Tree"

This is one HUGE tree stump

Way back in the 1800's the tree was chopped down and advertised as a Tourist destination. It was a HUGE success

We even opted for a guided tour. We usually do this on our own, a self guided hike with the informational map. The guide reminded us of our niece, Joanie

We learned all about the Sequoia's, as opposed to the Coastal Redwoods

The bark is pretty fire retardant & pest resistant....and hairy looking

I'm amazed at how many people visit California and never take the time to see the trees

Another tourist attraction for the early years, a tree to drive through

Then we rode home. It was up in the 90's through the Valley. I should have put on my cooling vest, but didn't. I must learn to use that darn thing and not wait.

Dave informed me that we probably would not be able to have another Fun Thursday for six weeks. That gives us plenty of time to think of something!

O'Dark Thirty

2011-07-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

There are very few reasons to be up in the early morning when it's dark outside. My mind and body do not work until the Earth has been warmed by the sun. This is a real problem during the winter when the sun rises later, or not at all due to weather, I have difficulty functioning. I need sunshine, that's how it is.

So when the kids buy tickets for an EARLY am departure, everyone knows that Dave is doing the duty. But I do drag my body up, at least I think I'm up, so that I can say good-bye. When they leave, I crawl back in to bed. There is just no reason to pretend that I'm functioning. So it is with this warning that I include the following photos:

This is the young Swenson family on their way to the SJ Airport

G-Pa's awake, E...not so much. He still has bed head, and his sleeping binkies in his hand. When he sleeps he has one in his mouth and one in each hand.

And here's a look at Jessica's new do...VERY short hair...the back

The side....she really didn't want her photo taken, can you tell?

It's Fair Time!

2011-06-28T15:29:00.000-07:00

This is the 99th year of the Alameda County Fair. This is a good old-fashioned fair that's so awesome it made the pages of the Wall Street Journal. The kids' next door neighbor is a jockey and he receives plenty of Fair passes which he graciously gives away. We all snagged free passes.

We all know the Fair is all about the food. So we began with funnel cake....well we started out with a corn dog, but ssh, we did that before the kids met up with us.

Ezra really doesn't know what these are all about, even though Diane was trying to teach him about putting a quarter in to massage the feet

Ezra's very first ride on a carousel

Ezra was really enjoying everything. This is the first week of the fair, which means the grounds are still clean and untrampled, on a Monday evening so it wasn't crowded, and the weather was perfect

Ezra saw sheep live and in person for the first time. He was so funny making all the noises that he learned while reading books. He recognized the animals from the pages of his books, awesome!

Okay, sorry about the angle, but it is so cute. He cuddled all the little animals in the petty zoo, which was free to enter

Ezra wasn't afraid of the animals. They had plenty of goats, a deer, a wallaby, ducks, lambs

And of course the hand washing after visiting the petting zoo....he really needs a total bath

A GREAT time was had by all and we can't wait to go again......which says a lot about Dave, he's so over the fair.

50 Years of Wedded Bliss

2011-06-27T19:59:00.000-07:00

On June 24, 1961 Wes and Diane were married. After 50 years they are still madly in love and having fun! Their children put on an amazing, first class, joyous celebration. It was an honor to be included with their closest family and friends for the celebration.

There was dancing, mostly the women as often happens.

The happy couple

A happy couple working on their first 50 years

Tonka Rocks!

2011-06-26T21:43:00.001-07:00

Auntie Donna (& Uncle Bret too) scores big again! It seems that the local school district, where Donna works, has their own "Craigslist" style website. Donna just happened along and found that someone was selling MANY Tonka trucks. They already gave Ezra a dump truck for his birthday, and it was a huge hit. So they brought over a big box full of various models plus they carried in some that didn't fit in to this huge box.

It was almost 100 degrees out, so I wasn't able to stay out too long...and E is way too fair to stay out too. But I'm sure that E and the Tonkas will have plenty of good times.

Tonka rocks, and so does Auntie Donna! and Uncle Bret too.

Thursday Fun

2011-06-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

Our new thing is to take a day off each week, just for fun. We thought it would be a good idea to go to Yosemite since we've heard that the Falls are the greatest they've been in years. Plus we thought we'd beat the crowds going during the week. We were right about the Falls, but wrong on the crowds...it's a VERY popular place.

The Merced River was high and roaring. There's just something about a roaring mountain river that is so cool. And the rafting companies have moved way down, the river is just to wild.

Bridal Veil Falls was dumping tons of water. The mist was all over the road. You needed rain gear to get within a tenth of a mile. We were pretty damp, but it felt good.

We even went all the way to Glacier Point.

We left our home at 6:30 am and returned at 6:30 pm, 400 miles. We stopped for breakfast in Oakdale at an old favorite, it was called the Busy Bee years ago, but has changed hands and names. We arrived in the Park at 9:30 and got to use our Annual Pass one more time. I LOVE a good deal!

It got a bit too hot for me as we left the Park and I really should have activated my cooling vest then. The heat really was tough after that. It could have been that we were behind two RVs that did not pull over when possible so we could all pass. They went 10 MPH on the grade, which is not fast enough for us to get even a little breeze. Dave was not amused by the RVs.

We stopped at Happy Burgers in Mariposa where I put my head under the faucet and activated the vest. All was well after that. Oh, and you really need to stop there, the burgers are FABULOUS!

Sonoma Visit

2011-06-17T20:38:00.001-07:00

Our friends Pete & Teresa, aka Wine Rock Stars, are both retired now and ready to have some fun during the weekdays. It's fabulous to head up to the Wine Country during the middle of week...no crowds! We've been talking about visiting the St. Francis Winery in Sonoma for some time. They have a friend that just stared working at this winery and they've been trying to get up there for the food and wine pairings...which is a big deal at many of the wineries now. We were all over this, it sounded like fun...and it was...

There's a statue of St. Francis of Assisi, who disclaimed his wealthy family to become a hippie...well he was a big holistic earth environmentalist and loved animals, a few centuries ahead of his time

Here we are ready to begin the wine pairings

First course is a sea bass with a Chardonnay and chorizo slider with a spicy Zinfandel

Mushroom with a Merlot and steak with a Cabernet

Bleu cheese and chocolate dessert with a red dessert wine....are you salivating yet? You should be!

We stopped at Artesa since it was recommended to us by our new friends from Tampa that were at the wine pairing with us....

This place was set up in the side of a hill...set up for big buses to visit. Dave HATED the modern styling. We walked up the big hill....

Took some photos

Enjoyed the views

Gawked at the weird sculptures

Entered the building....used the toilets...and left without tasting the wines...it was a bit of a bunker feeling, but there were several balconies that we walked out on and enjoyed the views

We then decided to visit Domain Carneros because we were passing by on our way home. We do not pay for tastings and we thought we might be in a bind here....but Pete and Teresa have a friend that's a member here so they made a call to Canada and get his permission to deputize him so we could use their membership. This involved Pete pretending to be Mike....Olga, our hostess, really put him to the test, but Pete gave a great performance and the entire tasting was comped....we're getting pretty good at this! Here's the awesome view from the patio at Domain Carneros where we had a cheese and sparkling wine pairing.

It's good to live in California.....

Ezra Feeds Himself....

2011-06-16T21:33:00.000-07:00

Ezra is closing in on 18 months. He's actually able to use utensils and get enough food in his mouth so that he doesn't starve. It's tough to sit and watch this mess, but he needs to learn.

He has a new "big boy" fork, plastic handle and metal tines

I still put a bib on him, but there's plenty that still gets on the floor

He's so cute

Lunch with Ezra

2011-06-15T21:21:00.001-07:00

Now that it has finally stopped raining, we can spend time on our patio. This is especially helpful when dining with a toddler. No need to place a tarp around the little guy. Plus he gets to practice drinking from a water bottle....he really likes to do everything that he sees grown ups do......he did almost drown the first few times, and there was the incident where he dumped an entire large cup down his entire body, but he's doing much better now...that's how you learn....but it is much easier to clean up the patio than our hardwood floors. Good thing he's so darn cute......

Please note the little water bottle on the table, that's Ezra's, but his sippy cup is still his "go to"

The table is just the right height for Ezra

Here is Ezra putting his hand in his sippy cup, not sure why, but that's how he rolls

And the really good thing is that we can just hose off the patio when we're done....it's not hot enough to hose off Ezra

Electronics!

2011-06-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

This combines two of Ezra's most favorites....electronics (which trumps ANYTHING else) and his G.Pa

One Cool Dude!

2011-06-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

Just way too cute! Ezra is all about following his G.Pa today....and he LOVES to look in to the refrigerator...this is his first look in to the freezer though.

Cozy Coupe!!!!!!

2011-06-04T18:59:00.000-07:00

When Jessica was a toddler, she LOVED the Cozy Coupe. If she was visiting someone who had one, she went straight for it. I just couldn't see spending the $50 to buy yet another toy for her. HUGE mistake on my part. One that I knew I would not repeat with my grandchild. I knew this before he was even conceived. This particular toy became a big thing for me. So in the last couple of months, nearing the end of our busy season, I brought this up with Dave. Much to my delight he totally, completely, and immediately agreed. Just got to LOVE my husband.

I began to do a little research, to see if they still made the darn thing. I was pleased to see it was still sold, in fact this is their 50th anniversary, and was about the same price. After a few weeks, and the girlie trike showing up, I ordered it....and it was about $10 less than the price just six weeks earlier! I ended up ordering it from Amazon. The reviews were all 5 stars, except for a huge number of 3 stars.....all which mentioned the horror that was assembly.

It arrived on Friday afternoon and Dave pulled everything out, read through the pictorial instructions, and watched the two part video. Saturday morning it was time to get it done. I didn't think to pull out the camera until we were half way through, so you really don't get the full experience, but....

Going back to review the video, which was much more descriptive than the pictorial instructions

Once the top is on, it was very difficult to get a good angle. He did get the screws in to the plastic and only stripped one with the electric drill, he did have a replacement though

And Ezra LOVES it! The next one for Boy should go much faster

Random Fun on the Ride

2011-05-29T16:02:00.000-07:00

We rode from Las Vegas to Paso Robles. Leaving Vegas was met with a couple hours of horrendous wind gusts...which are tough in a car but really rough on a motorcycle. We were all pretty beat up and exhausted. But not too tired to enjoy the twisties on the way in to Paso Robles!

We stopped to enjoy the view, stretch our legs, get a drink of water, and then Dave turned over a Gravel sign and upset the home of a mouse family

Bryan and Shanna feeding the fish at the Paso Robles Inn

Can you see the huge Koi?

The ever present telephone....

Checking e-mail

Answering voice mail

Now to be fair, the whole group had to wait for me to finish my phone call. We used our phones many times on this trip.....to check out accommodations, restaurants, gas, maps, etc.....but do you ever really get away?

Paso Robles....wine tasting again

2011-05-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

We just learned about the great wines in Paso Robles. We ended up there on Easter and now we're back. We stayed at the Paso Robles Inn again. This place is old, but clean and with beautiful grounds....and the location is the best. It's located on the lovely square that's filled with cute shops, fabulous dining, and wine tasting shops, etc.

We once again ended up at the Albeno Munari shop. Donna and Bret were good sports....Bret even tasted!

Rocky, same pourer as last month

Shanna is in her element

Bret found something he can embrace about wine tasting

Bryan loving the last day of the ride

Don't they look comfortable?

Then it was off to dinner, dessert, and our last evening of the ride was enjoyed by all

Vegas!

2011-05-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

We had a dreadfully hot day. We began in Cedar City, UT at around 20 degrees and ended up at close to 100 degrees in Las Vegas, NV. We even added on an extra hour of this to take a look at Lake Mead....road was in perfect condition, Lake Mead was deserted, and we were miserably hot.

I'm not too wild about Las Vegas, but I end up going there often. Mostly for conferences. But this city has a very sad and sinful feel to it. With the horrible decline in the economy, things are even worse now.

We had to go to the local Harley dealer because Bryan had worn out the tread on his rear tire. This dealership is MASSIVE! It even has a motorcycle couture section. It is really cool how the service area has a wall of windows so you can watch them work on your bike.

Here's Bryan looking like a new dad seeing his baby in the nursery....well, that's not too far off from reality...he's watching them put the new tire on his bike

Is This Motorcycle Riding Weather?

2011-05-28T15:29:00.000-07:00

The last time we came through this pass it was snowing and I don't remember much of the road. Mostly because the only thing I could see was the tail lights on Dave's bike...I was riding my own bike....and wondering if I had frost bite because I could not feel my feet.....figuring that I could lay the bike down and bail before I went over the edge. But enough about that fun event....that was then and this is now. See how beautiful it is? It was amazingly gorgeous....and cold!

When we see a sign like this, we know it's going to be a marvelous motorcycle ride!

Love to see this sign too....especially when the road isn't covered in black ice

We had a blast and were really glad we had on enough layers!

Marching to Zion

2011-05-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

We're marching to Zion....or motorcycling to Zion!

Here's proof that Bret & Donna made it

Proof that Bryan & Shanna made it

And Dave!

Proof that Dave & Edie were there....together

My handsome husband in front of the Checkerboard

There were plenty of signs like this.....heavenly on a motorcycle

Bryan and Shanna having a good time

Awesome tunnel...over a mile long

We're all studying the map of the park

This is a map of the park, the twist and turn from the mile + long tunnel to the visitor center is the black line

My Love Affair

2011-05-27T15:03:00.001-07:00

I LOVE Cracker Barrel...and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I LOVE that the food is comfort food, simple and inexpensive. I love to have a bit of everything and that's the way Cracker Barrel sets up their menus.

It could be that I'm having a good time, traveling about, whenever I get to eat at a Cracker Barrel. If they were near my home and I could go there often, I may not enjoy it as much. But then again....maybe I would!

Bryce Canyon National Park

2011-05-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

We left Kanab, UT at 7:30 am when it was just 40 degrees. Now that's cold....especially with the wind chill factor of rolling along on a motorcycle. It didn't warm up much during the day...in fact the weather got worse! But I'll save that for later in this post......

Here's Dave at the entrance to the park

Bryan & Shanna being good sports and posing

Bret & Donna know the drill...

There are red rock formations EVERYWHERE and it never gets boring

See....still not boring.....

As you can see, or not see, by the dark faces of Bret & Donna, I still need to get familiar with the manual settings for the new camera

See....still not boring....

And then the heavens opened up! I have tried, but failed, to capture the ordeal that is putting on rain gear. The tiny little folded bundle of rain proof jacket and pants are generally pushed to the bottom of the bag...which bag is another question. All the while you are being pelted with rain on the side of the road. You then try, with cold hands, while the wind is whipping the rain gear around. You try to get your boot through the legs of the pants, while still wearing chaps, balancing on one leg because there are no chairs to sit on.

Off we went while it rained, hailed, and trucks drenched us...it really wasn't that bad....and it only lasted 15 minutes...then it was sunny. And we stopped at the Utah rest stop which I LOVE because it was so warmly heated!

We checked in to Best Western, showered, and went to dinner. The meal was fabulous, we're having really good luck with our meals....and our hotels. With the exception of the National Park, our rooms are under $100. We ride in to town, check our TripAdvisor App and then try to get 3 rooms. We've only been snubbed once, but we went down the road and found rooms. Wednesday we're in Vegas where the room is $29.11 including tax. Which is about what a tank of gas is running us..oh well.

2011-05-23T16:42:00.000-07:00

We made it to the Grand Canyon were we reserved rooms at the Maswik Lodge. We were able to walk to the rim of the canyon. It's pretty amazing to see in person. Here's some of what we saw on the ride in.

The weather has been HOT so far, until we left the park this morning. We were layered up to keep warm.

Dave takes a lot of heat because he prefers to ride rather than stop....unless it's for gas or food. Shanna was a little concerned that she wouldn't be able to see the Canyon, so Dave stopped at each opportunity until she finally said she's had enough magnificence! The rest of us knew what he was doing...

As the day wore on, the temperature warmed up and we took off the layers. The wind did gust quite a bit today.

We're spending the night in Kanab, Utah where we each did a load of laundry and routed the trips for the next couple of days. Now we're off to dinner!

We're all safe and having a great time.

No Helmet Law in AZ

2011-05-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't you know that the young ones just had to go without their helmets. The rest of us kept our full face helmets on. But they just went wild and crazy on us. Just around town.
Can you believe that all this stuff came off of just three bikes? And there were a few things that we kept locked up in the bags.

We arrived in Lake Havasu around noon, unloaded the bikes, and then went to look at the London Bridge.

Route 66

2011-05-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

Highway 40 follows the old Route 66....there really isn't a Route 66 that you can follow for any length of time.....it comes and goes....there isn't much left....some people are trying to preserve bits and pieces of the great highway that so many people travelled for years. It's hot and pretty boring until you get to Arizona and there are some rock formations, etc.

This is in Amboy, CA....they have the Roy's Cafe and hotel that looks pretty good. They've also painted the symbol in the middle of the road along the pavement.
One of the bikes was using a lot of oil, even though they had all been checked out by the mechanics at the dealerships before we left.
An emergency call to Scotty, just to make certain we were doing everything right
Everyone checks their phones at the stops....all six of us will be lined up doing this.....electronic leashes

Big Happy Birthdays, 28 & 30

2011-05-21T07:14:00.000-07:00

Jessica and William have birthdays exactly one week apart. So our family tradition is to pick a day that's midway between the two and celebrate once. We have a family dinner, give them their gifts, and just have a good time together.

Here's Ezra helping with the clean up. He's stripped down to his diaper because once again he covered himself with food while feeding himself. The learning curve on handling a plate and fork is not a straight line. It's much harder than it looks.

Ezra LOVES reading the motorcycle magazines. It makes him very tired....

GREAT dinner.....mushrooms

Plenty of BBQ'd beef

Before dinner, when he still had clothes on.....

Reading motorcycle magazines with G.Pa

This is what 30 looks like

Great G.Ma with Mama and Ezra

Ezra having fun with the wrappings from the gift

Helping Grandpa

2011-05-20T15:38:00.000-07:00

Dave is very particular about his garage.....and he likes to keep it clean. It's been a while since he's cleared everything out and mopped the floor. Now he has a grandson to work with him....sort of.....

And then he was whisked away by grandma to the bath tub.....Ezra, not Dave, he had to put everything back in to the garage.

Peek a Boo

2011-05-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

Why yes, this is yet another post featuring my adorable grandson!

Amgen Bike Tour 2011

2011-05-18T19:22:00.001-07:00

It just worked that I was going to the church building today, right around the time that the Amgen tour was to go down East Avenue in Livermore. So I decided to hang around with some of my friends and watch the bikes go by.

There were so many cars, officials, referees, and various law enforcement (TONS of CHP) leading the race.
Finally....the bikes went by...in a flash. But I got to try out my cameras repeating photos, very cool. The actual bikes passing was a little anticlimactic after all the other vehicles passing by.

A friend, and cycling enthusiast, was following the pack. There were many other cyclists hanging around to see the race. They worked it out so they saw them leave, and then biked over to see them on one of their twists through Tesla Road in Livermore, right past the Wente Winery.

These are our two preachers, they brought chairs

Our youth preacher's wife and baby, they were prepared for the wait and the rain

More of my friends. We lined up around 11:15, the race began at 11:30 and the bikes passed by 11:45. The opposite side of the street was lined with children from the local grade school.

This is really a big deal for the city. The streets were filled with people, and volunteers to keep them on the sidewalk, all over the city. Everyone was having fun. They were pretty quick about opening the streets up after the race passed by.....for a government operation.

If you have a chance, try to catch the race pass by. They headed to San Jose today.

Driving Already?

2011-05-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

Ezra's new thing is the "Drive". One time he just climbed up front and wanted to grab the wheel. We're not encouraging this....but I did have to take a few photos....of course

Park Time!

2011-05-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

Jessica tutored.....at a local restaurant, a culinary class, tough job.......we walked with her to the downtown location, dropped her off, and then proceeded to the nearest park.

This is one of those bridges that wobbles. Ezra was very careful and held on to the handrail. He did pick up his speed as he got used to it, but he's very deliberate.

It's a little tough to get around when you won't put down the water bottle

This is more of a teeter totter than a swing. Ezra is still too small to do most of the stuff at the park, but with g.ma's help, he has fun.

I didn't take any photos of the very interesting people we met while at the park. There was the father with his son that lives in a tiny apartment near the park. He works evenings and the mom works days. Six days a week. A very tough life. They have no family nearby so they barely get a moment to rest. They moved to Pleasanton so their son could be in a better environment.

Which is also why the next person that arrived moved here....or that her boyfriend lived here. Anyway, she left Kentucky, Harlan County. I asked if she watched Justified and she said yes, and that it was just like the show....drugs, etc. She worked all week at "an old folks home, which is VERY hard work" and then her husband would take her paycheck and go out and buy drugs. She was at the park with her 3 boys, ages 2, 4 & 6. She showed up with a bunch of ice cream sundaes from McDonald's and shared with all of us.

I did invite them all to church.....blank stares all around.......I just plant the seed.

Ezra got to exercise and socialize (his mama wasn't too excited about the people when I told her the stories) and I was reminded of just how blessed we are to live in this wonderful town near family & friends.

Sisters

2011-05-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

Lindsay came back for a very quick visit. The official reason for her being back in CA was a cousin's wedding. But we all know that she missed her CA family and friends.
We were able to squeeze in a Saturday morning walk to the Farmers' Market and then coffee. The weather took a turn for the worse....she arrived to sunny and warm and left with cold and wet. Not enough sunny and warm to make her second guess her decision to leave CA....but we know she misses us.....because we sure miss her!