Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving was a great time to meet with family.  Carol and Ken flew in and had multiple visits with me while they were in the Seattle area.  I also got to see other family members!  This picture is taken at a place nearby me - a nursery that always has special Christmas decor.  One of the specials they do is build a poinsettia tree for all to see and pose for pictures.  I think the picture of Carol and Ken is quite nice - a fun picture to take so close to their wedding anniversary!

I am doing well - there will be carolers in and out of my residence soon; the kids across the street come by during the holiday to help make decorations for our residence.  We always have a great time! We had a fun Thanksgiving gathering and are now planning one for the Christmas holiday time.

Fall in the Northwest

Greetings everyone!

Now is the time I start thinking about the nice weather coming to southern Arizona!  We experienced a significant storm here at my residence - we were without power for several hours this weekend.  The leaves (as you see from this picture) are turning, and because of the wind we had this weekend many are now no longer on the trees.

I am doing well.  I now have a bed in my room that has power lift support for getting in and out of bed.  I guess at 100 this is most deserved and quite helpful as I transition from bed to my wheelchair daily.  Lunch during the power outage was a great club sandwich with potato salad - all fixable without power.  My eating habits are still quite good, and the food here at my residence still delicious to me.

I didn't get outside this weekend as the weather was just too inclement for anyone to be out and about.  When we get days like this I am grateful for our activities in house - we certainly had lots to do here while waiting for the power to return.  The staff had flashlights and helped us navigate around our facility if we needed to move about.  Luckily, the power came on before it got dark so we were able use regular lighting when we needed it.

Halloween will be coming this Friday - we always have goodies to give out to the little ones who visit us that day.  With a preschool just across the street from my residence, the parade of little ones in costume is really fun.

I am officially 100!

I wanted to share this picture with you all.  Yes, I am 100!  And yes, these are my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren!  We had a great birthday party for me at my residence with family, friends and many staff in attendance.

I had finger/tea sandwiches to nibble on (and indeed I did), a chocolate cake with chocolate icing, balloons and flowers for the party.  I also had a beautiful new outfit (thanks to Carol and Ken) to wear on that special day.

There were cards and well wishes from many people for me to see, plus each of the 3 older great-grandchildren presented me with their specially designed Happy Birthday cards that are now up in my room with pictures for all to see.  Everyone made it so special, and I am extremely grateful for the family members who made the trip from out of town to help me celebrate this special occasion!  We had a great time!  The sound of all the residents singing Happy Birthday to me was another special treat that I will treasure.

Seattle Summer

Hello everyone:

It is hard to hear about the rains and floods as well as the wildfires in many places.  Here at my residence we are having a wonderful summer.  The sun is shining most days with few to no clouds and the sky is a wonderful blue color.  I wish I could share this weather with everyone!  Rain in the summer comes occasionally, making our view lush and green.  The picture that is attached to this post is what the front of my residence looks like right now!  I often get outside to enjoy the weather and warmth, and I enjoy a chocolate milkshake while visiting with Betty & Doug when they drop in for a visit.

I am well, and really looking forward to my upcoming birthday party on Saturday, September 13.  I will be 100 years old, something we all will celebrate!  There will be chocolate cake, finger sandwiches, and lots of flowers and balloons.  I can't imagine achieving this birthday, but here I am!  I am told there will be many family members coming to celebrate with me that day, as well as other friends.  All 4 great-grandchildren are coming and I am sure lots of pictures will be taken.  I hope to share some on this blog with you.

Beautiful summer weather here!

Hello everyone!

The flowers are all up and blooming with spectacular color presently.  The ones in this picture are called "Avalanche Flowers" as they were first found up on Mt. Rainier close to an ice field.  Now they populate areas close to my residence.

The trees outside my window are in full leaf now, and I enjoy the gorgeous blue sky and temperate weather we have in July and most of August.  Yes, much of this state is currently fighting wildfires and we do have a burn ban in effect, but here in this area we are enjoying temperate weather and clear skies.

The Blue Angels from Pensacola Air Base will fly this weekend for our annual SeaFair event here in Seattle.  I won't go to see them in person, but they roar over my residence when reforming for another pass in front of the crowds and they are well covered on television where I see them perform.  Instead, I will sip my chocolate milkshake and visit with family on our deck outside while they are around.

The other big event this weekend is that my oldest great grandson turns 6 and my youngest great grandson is now 3 weeks old.  So happy to have 4 beautiful great grandchildren along with my grandchildren!  It makes turning 100 in a few weeks so much more special.

I am well; having had a dental appointment/cleaning recently.  I am well taken care of, and the residence staff likes me as well as I like them.  Some of them will be celebrating my birthday with me and my family in a few weeks!  Wish all of you could come be here with me for this event.

Post Mt. Rainier visit

It was really fun to see Marc with Betty & Doug, in person, and hear about his trip up to the summit of Mt. Rainier.  We spent time outside on the deck in front of my residence enjoying the sun and the company.  Many tales of Mt. Rainier were told.  I am so glad that Marc and Jeff, 2 of my grandsons, were able to do this together, helping each other and trusting each other as they went along.

I got to speak with my son, Randy, and Carol & Ken were also called.  Between the heat in Southern Arizona and the residual flood damage in Colorado, I live in a place where neither is happening and am glad I do.  We sat out among the leaves on the trees and enjoyed the green grass surrounding us. It truly got hot enough that I had to move into the shade as the sun was beating down on my head.

I don't think about being 99 but I hear my family is planning a 100th birthday party for me with people coming from out of town for the occasion. I have requested a chocolate cake which is my favorite and I understand we might have some old fashioned finger sandwiches too. These are always fun and I'm looking forward to my party in a few months.

Two of my grandsons summit Mt. Rainier!

 Two of my grandsons - Marc from Boulder and Jeff from Seattle - have just reported in that they are now back off the summit of Mt. Rainier and heading back down today.  Tomorrow I will get a visit from at least one of them and am excited to hear how their adventure went!  They have spent the last few days up at the midway point, Camp Muir, training and practicing their skills before heading up to the summit, which they did on Thursday.  I am so proud of them!  This has been a goal for both of them for many years, and it is wonderful they were able to do this together.

Memorial Day

Today is a day to remember loved ones who have given much of themselves to make our lives better.  I think about my husband, my sons, a daughter-in-law, and others who put their lives in jeopardy to make this world a better place for all of us.  Happy Memorial Day to each and everyone of them.

I am doing well.  We sang patriotic songs today; I had a nice visit from Betty & Doug, and a nice phone conversation with Randy in Tucson.  It is a pleasant day today - the sun is shining and the trees and flowers are out - the "scotch broom" plant here is a beautiful one to look at, but rivals "ragweed"  in terms of allergies.

My next adventure will be to have several teeth reconstructed/extracted so that I can chew better.  The oral surgeon will be my next visit.  I have no pain, but I must admit it will be nice to move from really soft food back to regular meals after this is all done.  However, soft center chocolates are quite delicious and I may continue with them....

Mother's Day

Hello everyone:

I had a really nice Mother's Day weekend.  Betty & Doug came over and brought chocolates, a beautiful outfit from Carol & Ken, and a sweet card.  The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day - I got to go outside for my visit.

The pictures were taken near my residence, and reflect the beauty of the rhododendron as a flower.  No wonder Washington state has it as its state flower.  They are in bloom everywhere and range in colors from white to fiery orange.  They come as bushes and trees, and even grow wild in the forest in many places.

Saturday afternoon we had Mother's Day manicures and I certainly enjoyed that.  There was music and readings about Mother's Day.  All in all, a very nice way to celebrate the occasion.

Fun visit!

Hello everyone!

I had a wonderful visit with Carol & Ken this past week.  They came by my residence and we spent time together.  It was good to see them both!  They also were with me at the doctor's office where I got a good report.  I am grateful for family who cares about my welfare and will spend time with me both visiting me and looking after my care.  They are great!

This week brings lots more sunshine and the clouds are quickly disappearing.  We will go to almost 80 degrees later this week and then have some rain showers to contend with next weekend, but they are fewer and certainly much warmer. 

Tulip time!

The tulips in fields north of me are in full bloom.  The traffic is quite heavy on the weekends when traveling to see them.  Today my grandson Jeff and his wife went and were tied up in traffic, moving quite slowly, as they were driving around to see them.  

This week wasn't my best week.  I fell as I rose from my bed one morning and had to be taken to the hospital for observation.  Good news is I have no broken bones, but my face has quite a bruise!  While I was in the hospital my potassium was adjusted, and now I am back at my residence, and glad to be here!  Carol & Ken arrive shortly for a visit - hope my face is healed before they come!

Spring

Hello everyone!  Spring officially came this past week.  Daffodils are blooming everywhere; tulips will follow shortly.  Don't know yet about a tour of the tulips on our residence bus, but hope we do that again this year!While spring has officially arrived, there is more rain expected up here in the next week.  We are approximately 2.5 times over the normal rainfall in this area for this month and March isn't even finished yet.

I am well - my residence takes good care of me and I enjoy my weekly calls/visits with my sons.  The trees outside my window are beginning to show signs of blooms. There are cherry and dogwood trees nearby getting ready to bloom, and in some areas (like the university campus) they already are in blossom. Going to be time soon to pull out my spring clothes.

Welcome to my world!

Greetings everyone!

I enjoyed conversations with both out of town sons yesterday, and Doug & Betty visited with me at my residence also.

I am aware that some of you are coming to this blog recently and might want to know what I do all day - wish we had bridge, but we don't, so I do many other things.  They take good care of me at my residence, and I am happy with the care and the other residents as well as the staff.

I am posting a picture of me on the phone yesterday with Ken as well as a picture of the February 2014 newsletter to show you what activities we have each day.  I participate in many of them.

As a resident of Life's Neighborhood, but going into the Assisted Living area I am able to partake of both activities.

Post Holiday happenings

Hello everyone!

We are now after the holidays and things are beginning to settle down, but with the Seahawks heading to the Super Bowl (yes, we watch the games here at my residence) there is some excitement afoot and there is lots of blue and green around here!  It certainly is more cheery than outside right now as this is winter and we await the greening of spring to come in a few months.

Had my teeth cleaned and checked last week and all is well.  The dentist was quite pleased with my teeth - something I am quite proud about.  Thanks to Carol and Ken I have some very nice things to wear that are perfect for this weather.  This week we expect cold temperatures but no rain - a welcome break for us.