Grandkids can be very entertaining

Just got through reading a blog post by my daughter, Cindy, regarding how things are going at their house without Granddaughter, Jenna, who is at our house. Sounds like it is going well for them and providing some quality time for Cindy to interact with the other two kids without as much sibling "interaction" going on.

Jenna has been a bit of a character with us...which my daughter warned me about. However, I have been pretty stern with her and she has seemed to respect it. Tonight she was goofing around in the living room around her grandfather's prized glass top tables (which I agree are out of place around a 5 year old) and I just gave her a choice of sitting still and watching the movie or moving into the office and visiting with me while I worked on the computer...she quieted down and within 5 minutes she was asleep on the couch.

Cindy has been amazed when I tell her that Jenna begs to go to bed..."Grandma is it bed time yet???" I think we have been wearing her out. This morning we took her to the Whale Watch Cafe where she was literally glued to the window watching for the splash of a big whale she just was sure was out there. She gobbled down the french toast and bacon like she had not eaten for days. Same thing with the pizza she shared with her grandfather last night.

After breakfast we ran some errands and then finally arrived at the sandy beach for her to play. She ran up and down the sand with the kite she had made by herself and screeched with delight when she got it to fly in the wind. Too bad it did not have a tail and is spiraled hopelessly behind her. She spotted another young lady down the beach feeding seagulls and ran down to visit with her (always very gregarious like her mother was at that age). After the girl and her grandfather left the beach a few minutes later the grandfather came literally running down the beach to ask if it was OK that he gave Jenna some bread so she could feed the seagulls also. Of course I said.

First Jenna was standing there with two full pieces of bread and I was afraid the gulls would pull the full pieces out of her hands before she had time to "feed them". Finally I held them as she took just half piece at a time to dole out to the gulls. It was fun watching her throw the bread every which way making sure that each bird got its share. One gull in particular would start screeching if he did not get any and she would move closer to feed him individually.

Bare toes and coveralls rolled up, she frolicked in the shallows of the water without any sense of how cold it must be. She had fun and the minute we got into the car to leave she was planning out her plans for a return trip tomorrow. We will see...

We are going up to visit friends in Port Angeles so I worked today on getting a batch of Dog Tag letters ready to mail out. Cindy has been such a help in locating matches of dog tags to living veterans who once we notify them will be so glad to get back this valuable lost keepsake. I sent out letters on a total of 42 tags, which was 48 letters. Since most of them were to living veterans they are only one letter for the tag. The ones where I get multiple letters are when I am locating and notifying "next of kin" and will send to all the children at the same time...or to the widow and mother at the same time. Then they can decide who gets it. I am glad that Jess at TOP still takes care of handling the responses as it would be alot of responsibility deciding who to release the dog tags to. I used to do that kind of decision making tasks in my banking days but am glad now to be "retired" from it.

Well that is enough for now and will catch some of you on what we have been up to.

Counting Our Blessings on Thanksgiving

Today was special as we had our daughter, son-in-law and the grandkids here. They arrived late last night and first event this morning was Grandpa making pancakes for the kids. He had fun and the kids seemed to enjoy this treat. We spent the day visiting, previewing the sale ads for tomorrow and doing some diagnostic work on my desk top computer which had slowed to a snail's pace. I feel very fortunate to have both daughter and son-in-law that have a better handle on technology than I do. They were a big help.

Cindy had baked chocolate cupcakes for the kids to decorate with frosting and candies to make turkey table ornaments. They each showed their artistic creativity in the end product. Then Grandpa had joined in with the grandkids painting frosting onto gingerbread men. I think they got as much frosting on the gingerbread men as they did on their faces, hands and the table. It was for certain by the end of the day that everyone had received an ample dose of sugar.

The biggest treat for me was that when Cindy and Mike left, they went home with one fewer kid. We had planned ahead of time with Cindy that we would keep 5 year old Jenna for a few more nights and take her home Sunday or Monday. By the end of the day, the kids had gotten into a bit of a rowdy state of affairs and Gary was exhausted and beginning to have second thoughts. We finally kept her on the basis of...take her home if it becomes more than we can handle.

Well, as I write this...Jenna is sitting with Gary watching a James Bond movie ! She had a bit of a nap on the couch earlier and now seems to have a second wind. In fact...as much as her 3 year old brother and her pick back and forth at each other...she just asked Gary "Are you missing Wilson, Grandpa?" He laughed but when I asked her if she was missing Wilson (Gary's name for her brother Matthew)...she replied "YES". What a sweetie...then she told Grandpa "I love you grandpa !" It's got to be enough to melt his heart...it does mine and I am so glad we will have some special time with her.

A big thank you to daughter Cindy for raising such fine children and also for trusting us with them from time to time...even if we are a bit weird occasionally.

We are truly very blessed on this day of Thanksgiving. I hope that the good Lord will keep us healthy enough to continue to share blessings with others as I have found such fulfillment in it lately.

Blessings to all,
Linda & Gary

A Picture Perfect Sunset at Haystack Rock

A November sunset at Haystack Rock just South of Cannon Beach. The old motel where we spent the first nights of our honeymoon has been remodeled and built all around but we still know the spot.

The entire week we spent here was beautiful weather with picture perfect sunsets like this one. Glad I was able to capture at least a bit of it on my handy digital camera. The new technology continues to amaze me.

Familiar Sights of The Beauty of Nature

This picture was taken last week when we visited Ecola Park just North of Cannon Beach, Oregon. Some times I bang myself in the side of the head and ask...why do I leave this beautiful state to see the sights when it is so very glorious here. This was one of those cold, very sunny and occasionally foggy day on the Oregon Coast. We had a great time visiting some of the old places near where my parents had a cabin and I spent most of my summers.

I spent the summers riding my bike on the beach with my cocker spaniel trying to keep up with me. Used to joke I went down there, took my shoes off and did not put them back on until it was time to go back to Portland and school. Us 5 kids would track sand into the cabin all week. Dad would come down on the weekends and we would go out deep sea fishing with him on our old Criss Craft fishing boat. The salmon we threw back and kept the halibut to filet and place in our big freezer. It was a strict diet of fish and chips all summer long...yum.

Reflections on Veteran's Day 2005

It's the Soldier, not the reporter

who has given us the freedom of the press.

It's the Soldier, not the poet,

who has given us the freedom of speech.

It's the Soldier, not the politicians

that ensures our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

It's the Soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag,

and whose coffin is draped by the flag.

I am hoping that you made the time today to say Thank You to the many Veterans around you and that you can adopt it as a daily practice.

We owe them a great debt. They gave us so much when they stepped forward proudly to serve their country. They continue to give...many living with the results of battle injuries, illnesses and diseases years later from exposure to toxic elements (such as Agent Orange) and the nightmares and numerous effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

If you can find a way to make the Veteran's burden lighter...do it. Love them, comfort them, appreciate them and then enjoy your freedom that was bought for you at so high a price.

We are truly blessed to be so fortunate!

Matthew Nelson also known as "Wilson"

This fine young man is grandson Matthew. We never call him that though as he is known to Gary and I as "Wilson".

The first picture we received of him as a very small infant had him wearing a "Wilson" shirt (said Wilson on the chest) and with his little round head he looked just like a Wilson ball and also had a resemblance to the "Wilson" ball that co-starred with Tom Hanks in "Castaways".

Daughter Cindy takes this nickname all in stride and even had him dressed today in a Wilson coat and shirt.

Wilson just turned three and when you ask him how old he is he holds up three fingers...but not all in a row. His thumb holds down one of his center fingers and it looks like he is doing the Hawaiian finger greeting (if you have been there you know what I mean).

Wilson is definitely all boy. Today when they met me at Sizzler in Salem for birthday lunch he was impatient with his mom who was trying to visit with us in the parking lot. Therefore, he got into the car and grabbed a plastic sack that he knew was going to so into the restaurant with us. It just happened to contain a newly purchased carrot cake and once he grabbed the handles it put the cake on its side inside the plastic cover and...well you get the picture. All I can say is the cake was delicious and actually survived his parking lot upturn quite well.

Around this little bundle of energy there is never a dull moment. He is very independent and strong willed...must run in the family...always wants it done his way. When we were done with lunch, Cindy had repacked the two remaining pieces of cake in their plastic box and placed carefully into the grocery sack again. On top were two take home boxes with left overs. Wilson again was impatient so, after rearranging the take home boxes in the sack to just the right balance, he slung the whole thing over his shoulder and headed to the door of the restaurant...he was done and ready to go.

My whole birthday lunch with husband, daughter and grandkids present was quite a treat ! and I feel truely blessed with them all.

Jenna Mae

Beware of Grandparents when they have new pictures of their grandkids. This is my sweetie Jenna. She just turned five years old and is so proud to be attending pre-school. She did not meet the cut off for kindergarden but seems to be flourishing at the private pre-school in spite of it.

I got to see her today when Cindy surprised us by meeting us in Salem for a Birthday lunch for me. What a treat it was to see them.

I love it when they have to jockey to see who gets to sit next to me at the table. My sweet Jenna wanted so bad to go home with me...maybe next time.

Rainbow over Cape Lookout

Wanted to share with you a picture I took at Cape Lookout State Park last weekend. A picture is worth a thousand words and this image is very typical of the beauty of Cape Lookout.