Just an update

Well, the holidays are just about over and hopefully my eating habits will return to a healthier style! My stomach is in pain as I speak. I must get back on track and continue the slooooooow very slooooooow weight loss. In five short months I will have to look good in my new dress. I know I'm not the one everyone will be looking at but just in case, I have to look good. :-) I did order a dress yesterday online from Macy's, ordered 2 sizes to make sure that at least one fit.

We had a very nice Christmas holiday. Chad and Lisa, Eric and Tara, both sets of Grandparents, and Bomi, Erics dad were all here Christmas Eve. Then on Christmas day everyone except Chad and Lisa. They went to her folks. Christmas Eve I made a soup and fresh rolls. I always make soup for some reason. Then on Christmas Day just a regular turkey dinner, every one contributed something. The kids all got me pieces of art that I have come to love. They are unusual hand made ceramic pieces all useable. It is a local artist and I first saw her pieces at the Garlic Festival last summer when I fell in love with a very un-ordinary lamp that is now in my bedroom, it was a bit extravagant but......take a look at her web-site http://www.ceramicsbytoni.com/.

Don't have any big plans for the New Years Eve. The kids are all off doing there own thing so us old folk just get left in the dust. This is another time that I really miss our good ole friends Doug and Sue, ready at a moments notice to have a good time.

Wedding plans continue to be finalized. Saturday I went along with the "boys" to get measured for tuxes and then Chad and Lisa and I went and looked at the Aberdeen Museum for a possible reception site. It is going to be great. To keep with the theme of historical buildings it fits right in. The museum has quite a few displays all around the outer edge and the center is then free to be used for all types of receptions. There is a tiny theater maybe 20 people or so, they plan to use that for showing a DVD of their lives, the ship cabin display will be used to house the DJ, and they General Store display will be used to house the bar. People can roam around and look at all the displays. And...the cost was minimal. So that took care of one more thing on Lisa's list.
Well, see ya next year.

I'M BACK

Well we all survived the wind storm of 2007. Life is pretty much back in order for those with out much damage. For some it has been very devastating. Don has been flying over the Counties timber properties and it is indescribable the damage that is there. They hardly know where to start with the State having all there rules and regulations that you still have to follow. Bob and Ruth ended up spending several nights with us as the area they live in was hit very hard and the power took several days to return. They did buy a generator to keep the freezer going, which they will so kindly share with us when needed. Bob, Don's brother had a "sled" boat stored at there house and it was damaged when a tree fell on it. I have not been over to see all there damage, but do know that nothing terrible happened just minor damage.
Well we know that the upcoming Chad and Lisa wedding will be May 24, 2008. They finally heard back from the 7th Street Theatre on which date was available. Lisa, little miss organizer that she is, has the plans going full speed ahead. We will look at tuxes this Saturday, her dress will be in February 8th, and she now has someone to marry them etc. etc. etc.
I have spent most of this week sick, not a fun experience. Probably just the common cold virus, but with asthma that was not so fun as it settled in the lung area. I guess I have not been sick really since being diagnosed with asthma. Had a total freak out last night as I could not breath. Had been to the Dr. earlier in the day and she started me on medicine but that takes awhile to kick in and my inhaler was not lasting very long. So, then add total panic at about 10 at night and you have a mess. But, my dear sister, the nurse....helped me through it and I was able to get calmed down and get to sleep for a few hours, thus the writing this at 3:21 a.m. in the morning! Next time I will be pumping in the "Wellness Formula" that she swears by if you are even thinking of getting sick. Works miracles.
Am wondering when I will start planning the upcoming Christmas dinners. I have not even started grocery shopping. My folks, Don's folks, both the kids and there mates will be with us for our usual Christmas Eve. Chad will then spend Christmas Day with Lisa's side of the family. Must learn to share now. But they are close by at all times to it will be okay.
Well I suppose that I should attempt to sleep a few more hours and try to go to work again today. Was in and out yesterday, but still felt kind of punk.

WHEW THAT WAS A BAD ONE

My oh my!!! Sunday night was the beginning of an amazing storm. Wind like I have never seen, the highest recorded gust was 81 mph at 2:30 a.m and that one took out the weather station so do not know how high it may have gotten after that, I know on the Oregon coast they had 130 mph gusts. We lost power about that same time. Don and I each had our head lamps, they work quite well for knitting in the dark!!!! And of course we had candles, and we have a battery latern, so we had lights. We have just this evening about 8 or so gotten our power back on. Of course just when all us neighbors got generaters. My good friend Kathye and her husband Mike seemed to come up with several and he loaned them to a couple of us but the power came on before we could get home from Olympia tonight so did not have to use it. They are saying that it could be up to 10 days before all the county is restored with power. Those of you that know what our old house is like ( 117yrs) so tall and all. Well when that ole wind hit the side you felt it. One gust inparticular was just like something just crashed into the side of the house. But we just swayed in the breeze and did not get any flying objects through windows and because we have a brand spanking new roof, we still have a roof!!! There where many shingles from places west of us in our yard. Because the weather warmed up so very much during the storm we really did not get to cold. At one point I checked the temp and it was 61. The winds lasted until Monday evening. Plenty long enough, there where still a few straggling gust even this morning. There where lines to get gas that where stretching for quite a ways, and then they where running out because there was a mud slide between here and Olympia and they where not letting the big rigs through on the detour. But the highway is open now and I see big gas trucks filling up the stations tonight. But Elma and Monte where pretty much out of gas. Aberdeen still has no power and points west of there. A main Bonneville power tower got taken out and so until that is fixed they can't really do much. Chad did go to work tonight, but Lisa and Tara have not gone to work yet. I had to go in today. It is very hard to discribe the damage it is so unbelievable. Trees are down like dominos and power lines too. 2 PUD workers where injured when trees feel on the truck. One seriously, he fell 40 feet from the bucket of the truck, they took him to Harborview. Paper said that as they cut trees out from in front of the ambulance they where falling just as fast behind the ambulance. Some of the cotton wood trees that they have planted around here look like someone just took an axe about 6 feet up and whacked them all off. Very interesting site. So a few more lights come on as each hour passes and a few more roads get opened up. I believe you can now go to Aberdeen on the main highway but not out, so have to go over Cosi Hill because Blue Slough is now closed because of high water.
Well, okay that quite a bit for now.

Well we made it home from Raymond today. The rain was literally coming down sideways. It has been a very very rainy windy day. Our power has remained on but others haven't been so lucky.My goal this afternoon was to sew up the brown sweater that I had knit in hopes of having one more Christmas present done.The sweater turned out beautiful, but alas I am afraid it is going to be to small for the recipient. So I guess I will have a nice new brown sweater. Don said that it looked very nice, It's called the Central Park cabled hoodie.Lisa just called and said that they can have the 7th Street theater for there wedding, it will either be the 24th of May or the 7th of June. Chad and she are very excited to have their wedding there. Lisa was looking for uniqueness and it certainly will be. So now we have to set down and figure up a guest list. The reception will be with in walking distance at....someplace, I forgot the name!!!

Tara and Eric

Well it's raining and the snow is gone. I went to town and dinked around, went to Dollar Tree!! Met Eric and Tara there and picked up a few Christmas decorations. Came home and finished decorating. I just love all the white lights that I have up. Now I am frantically thinking and making potluck food for tomorrow. Would have totally forgot to go to Raymond for Union meeting. Am making these yummy baby back ribs. You put this "hot" rub on them and BBQ sauce and cook in the crock pot. Might make a tabbouleh salad and am itching to make a pumpkin mouse pie from WW magazine.
Speaking of WW.....:-( Weigh in before Turkey day I had almost made my goal of 10 lbs. 9.6 but alas that went away after Tday and I am back to 8 pounds total. It has been a slow process but I could improve on my eating and exercising to see better results. But, I will continue to plod on especially now since the wedding is looming in the future. Don't want to be the fat mother and mother-in-law. Weird I am going to be a mother-in-law. So that means that maybe I will be a Nana some day. Not a grandma. I have already decided it's going to be Nana and Poppa! It sounds more hip!!!

Where to begin

Well, I guess I could begin at Thanksgiving time. Don and I, Tara and Eric, and Chad and Lisa all went to Mt. Hood to the annual Thanksgiving feast at Uncle Jim and Aunt Pennys "cabin". We had not been there for about 3 years and a lot has changed in that time. Kids all grown up and there kids now the ones playing in the pond and woods. I think the thing I missed most was cousin Steve's voice. This was the first time at the cabin without him since he passed away in 2006. But inspite of that it was a very exciting time as Chad and Lisa announced there engagement! We look forward to having her as a permanent fixture in our family. No date has been set yet as they are looking for the perfect spot but are thinking possibly in May of next year.
Today we had our first snow, but it looks like that has ended now at about 2 pm and its melting rapidly. My driveway was filled with big trucks this morning as all the boys prepared to head up to play in the snow at Grisdale. I will miss all the activity that Chad and his trucks generate around here. I suppose the neighbors will be glad to see it go though. The boys are usually are very respectful with the noise and working late into the night.
Don and his brother have gone to the Tacoma Dome to watch football games all day. Oh, doesn't that sound fun.
I on the other hand have cleaned out one big messy closet and at 2 in the afternoon am still my pj's!!!! I'm just about ready to get cleaned up and venture into Aberdeen and bum around a bit.
So until I blog again.....hopefully I will remember that I started this blog. It might not be to fancy yet, but will work on that.