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Sun 31 October
Happy Halloween! Jane's tiny horde of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are almost gone now, so we're not even pretending to be ready
for trick-or-treaters this year. And since we use the basement back door, we doubt any young spooks will be clever enough
to find us.
The pumpkin carving is one of a collection that our nephew, Brady Cooper, sent us. But then this morning we saw more about
the artist on the CBS Sunday Morning show. Besides pumpkins, he also carves the models that become many of the toys your kids
may own.
We actually had a real adventure early last week – a tiny auto crash. As we were driving off the ferry, the car in front
of us stopped, and so did we... but not the car behind us. The distracted driver banged into us, bouncing us into the car
ahead, even with David's foot still on the brake. After this horrible 1-MPH crash, we all drove around to the Pt. Defiance
parking lot to exchange vital information and discover that nobody could find more than a few paint dabs from the license
plate behind, and that we were all Island residents who had never met.
We'll huddle this week with our realtor to discuss tactics for the coming holiday season – typically the slowest of
the year for home sales – and probably take the house off the market for now to re-list in late January. February through
April is the busiest season, and it's considered bad to have been listed too long, we hear.
Being homebound for the foreseeable future probably won't generate us any more adventure than our recent 2-month reporting
gap proves, so this page should suffice for the rest of the year.
We'll be back here as soon as anything adventurous happens.
Mon 15 November
It's after lunch now, and we're back home after another of our periodic dashes to vacate the premises while some realtor shows
our rainch to a prospective buyer. We got an hour-and-a-half advance notice this time – just enough to tidy up and sneak
away, leaving the place looking as sterile as possible. Mustn't leave any trace of recent human habitation.
Oh, we have substituted a couple of new photos on our listing. Now that the rains have returned, we can replace the brown shots of dead summer grass with some
lush green ones – our standard look during at least 10 months a year.
And we are starting this week at a new price – $449,500. It's oddly painless to smile and just give away $50,000 of
imaginary property value. Ah, that it might be our final price reduction. House selling is a mean business.
Last night we had a great dinner and long visit with our two favorite Seattle kids, Mark and April. Mark grilled us a flatiron
steak on his birthday BBQ grill, April served her squash soup and salad, we played several rounds of "Would You Rather" [look
it up] and solved most of the world's problems sitting right their on their living room couch. They are very smart, very
talented and very nice people. We like them a lot.
And yesterday morning our little Methodist church celebrated its 125th anniversary. Lots of old friends returned for the service
and lunch afterward. We fondly remember that spectacular 100th anniversary celebration soon after we came to the island. Now
it feels odd to realize we've been here over 27 years. Though we've finally moved beyond "Newcomer," we'll never live long
enough to attain "Old Time Islander."
Finally, we are suffering a brutal windstorm tonight with top gusts predicted up to 35mph! There are whitecaps
on Lake Washington!!! OK, this must sound wimpy to those those of you with personal experience of a Gulf hurricane, but remember
– Seattle summers are nearly windless. Just let us suffer this first winter storm and recall how serious they DO get
here. We got hurricane force winds for our first Thanksgiving on the Island. Batten the hatches!
Tue 16 November
This morning we're waking up to hear that the storm was quite a bit rougher than they had predicted. Our favorite weather
guy reports gusts up to 50mph in the metro area overnight. Huge fallen trees have blocked some roads and crashed into homes,
many areas still have no no power, traffic lights are out and several schools are closed or delayed due to the mess. The most
bizarre report was that a 50-foot aluminum boathouse lifted like a kite and flew some 200 feet across the water where it crashed,
still in one piece, into a waterfront home and is embedded into the dock.
It's still too dark outside to see if we suffered any damage. We are far from any major trees, so it's likely there'll just
be a lot of leaves to rake. We'll just drink another cup of coffee for now and post a damage report if and when we find any.
Mon 22 November
The snows have come to our hilltop. Last night we got a light dusting. This morning what looked like a heavy frost turned
out to be the first of what turned into three inches of powder by mid afternoon, as shown in the photo below. But now it's
7:pm, the north wind is gusting to near 50mph and that powder is being blown off the yard and into real snowdrifts. We'll
get lows tonight in the teens and below-freezing temps until maybe Thanksgiving morning... when the rains return. [Sigh!]
Bill and Joyce were coming over for supper, but as the winds began screaming, trees started falling on power lines and roads
began icing up, they called to reschedule for tomorrow evening. We had hoped they would have the sense to do that.
Lest you fear this is turning into a weather blog, we apologize, but this has been our biggest excitement in some time.
David and the UMC choir participated yesterday afternoon in a combined worship service and choir festival involving 12 Methodist
congregations south and west of Seattle. Both the choirs and the ministers represented the region's diverse ethnic mix, singing
and speaking in English, Samoan, Spanish and Tongan languages. It was a wonderful evening.
Irene and Ken have included all four Shepherds again in their big Thanksgiving gathering, so we will have us some fun with
that great bunch. We old Texans just have to stick together for...
Yeow! The power just went out. We puttered around to find flashlights, plan for long blackouts and consider how to manage
baths tonight. In about 15 minutes they came back on, and we'll wrap this up... just in case. Good night.
Wed 24 November
HEY! It's 10:30am and we've been up two hours now!
Monday's blizzard became Tuesday's major power outage about 2:am, and yesterday became winter camp for the old folks. We stayed
under the covers awaiting a miracle for as long as we could. Finally we crept out, bundled up and took stock. It was a gorgeous
day outside – no wind, blue skies and occasional fluffy clouds floating past. But our all-electric basement has no heat
and no way to cook, so we rounded up a big basket of coffee supplies, sandwich fixins, matches, flashlights and utensils and
moved upstairs. We lit several burners on the gas range to create a little warmth. We make coffee. We dined on cold ham sandwiches.
We listened to a battery radio. Jane walked next door to help Ivan get his emergency telephone to ring. The outdoor temps
finally crept up near 28˚.
By 4:pm we were bored enough and curious enough to clear the snow off the Buick, crank up the defrost and creep up to the
road to check driving conditions. The main road down our ski-jump hill had been sanded, so we headed out in hopes of finding
some place showing a light or two. Finding nothing along the way, we drove on into Vashon town. All was dark except our old
reliable Thriftway grocery, which was operating on emergency generators. They had on 1/3 of their lights, and their checkout
scanners worked, but no meat, dairy or frozen food was available. We grabbed a few basics and learned the whole island was
dark and might stay that way through Thanksgiving. Ah well. That's what happens when you live among towering firs. They blow
over.
Back home again, we sat upstairs in the dark as long as we could – more cold ham sandwiches, more hot beverages and
more news radio. David headed for bed before 9:00. Jane, all wrapped in her fleece blanket, hung in there holding the Seattle
Times in one hand and her flashlight in the other. The cold eventually overpowered her aversion to a normal bedtime, and she
gave it up. That fleece blanket on top of the down comforter created a wonderfully warm cocoon, a low-tech miracle.
An unpowered house is alarmingly quiet... and there are so many unexplained noises! We lay there dozing and waking and wondering
what we just heard... and suddenly there was a loud clattering and scratching right in our bedroom! An odd beep...
then another. WOW! The power was back on! The printer had just initialized. The cable modem and the wi-fi transmitter did
the same. The clock radio light was on; it said 12:38am. The song of the furnace returned to our home... but only for a moment...
before we were sound asleep.
This morning it was 18˚ when we turned on the TV. Some 3,000 Islanders still don't have power, and we see photos of fallen
trees and crushed homes and snowy roads and closed schools. But tonight a warmer, gentler storm promises rain and a balmy
40˚ Thanksgiving. We love rain!
Fri 26 November
"'Cause he's a happy boy... He's a happy boy..." is the way the song goes. OK, it's a weird song, but it's perfect
for us today. We are full of great food and Thanksgiving cheer after last night's wonderful gathering at the Hardy Home for
Hungry Hoboes, which also included the Koutroulis gang, Brad Armsworth, Mark and April. And this morning we just slept in
without a worry about who might show up to look at the house. Surely they're all doing the same thing ... or else out stalking
the wily bargain at some mall.
The warm rains arrived yesterday as promised, and we drove into Tacoma mid afternoon with no worries. Today a few die-hard
lumps of snow are the only souvenirs of our Big Blizzard. Our email is full of local news and rescheduled events. Island life
is returning to normal.
There's also sadness. Our old friend, Buzz Brusletten, slipped away this week. Buzz was a wonderful musician, master teacher
and one of the earth's wisest and gentlest souls. He taught so many of David's woodwind students over the years, and conducted
so many outstanding Island performances including Drama Dock musicals and the Island Chorale. The place is just not going
to be the same.
Another friend, John Browne, was very seriously injured while clearing a fallen tree off an icy road when a car lost control
and slid into him. Reports from the hospital are scary but encouraging. John describes himself as one who morphed from "an
idealistic, bright-eyed, & adorable young fellow into a recalcitrant hippy curmudgeon, whose principal preoccupation (aside
from breathing) is attempting to convince others of the value of plants." John is another wise old bearded character who helps
to define the soul of the Island.
Stay well. Stay warm. Get out and spread joy. Somebody's gotta do it.
Sun 26 December
On the second day of Christmas my true love said to me:
"I'll stay in bed.
Why don't you go and watch your TV."
Yesterday we enjoyed a late breakfast, a quiet drive and peaceful ferry ride to Mark and April's home for coffee and family
gift exchange, and a short drive down Mercer Island to April's parents' home to share gifts, games, goodies and a great dinner
with Noel and Janet Cook. What a wonderful day. Heading home we joined a LOT of others now filling those empty freeways we'd
enjoyed earlier. At the ferry dock we found a long line of waiting cars – very unusual for any night at 9:30 –
and settled in to wait for the 10:20 boat. But the line began moving, and we squeezed aboard... the next-to-last car on. Why
were they so far behind schedule, we wondered.
Back on the island, the line of cars waiting to drive aboard reached all the way to the real estate office at the top of the
hill. No wonder the boats were late. Everyone else was heading home, too.
Flashing back: On Thursday, December 2, we flew to Texas to visit family and friends and to help David's sister, Anne,
celebrate her 70th birthday. It was just what we needed.
After Friday in Pasadena with Jeanne and Lyle, we met Anne, Sarah, Laurie and Curtis that night for dinner in Angleton. On
Saturday we went to Surfside to join most of the Cooper/Sewell gang at the beach house and celebrate little red-headed Declan's
first birthday – Sandy and Wes' first grandboy. The house was packed with family, other young couples with more toddlers,
and lots of good food, including Lloyd's famous smoked brisket. The highlight came when Jessica and Dallas spread a plastic
shower curtain on the living room floor, placed Declan and his highchair in the center, handed him a big slice of blue-frosted
cake and jumped back. Ah, the fun he had exploring the artistic possibilities.
Afterward, Laurie rode with us to Lake Jackson to see Anne's new apartment. She and Eleanor are just across the hall from
each other, both are delighted with the arrangement, and we are so happy that she and her pup, Cowgirl, have adjusted so well
to her new situation there at Carriage Inn.
From there we went on to West Columbia to see Evelyn Welsch, Laurie's first music and art teacher and wife of our beloved
superintendent, Kenneth Welsch, who died earlier this year. Evelyn is just as bubbly and gabby and warm as always, and we
loved our too-short visit with her.
While we were running around, Maggie arrived home from college in San Marcos. She drove all that way to see us, even though
she was in the midst of finals and fighting a cold. What a trooper! Naturally, this called for a celebration – another
dinner out. The entire Heath gang are always such a joy to be around.
On Sunday morning we joined them at the Friends church where Laurie, Curtis and Tyler help lead the worship in the praise
band. This small and very friendly congregation is central in their lives. They always make us welcome. They brag on our kids.
They are right, of course. We love that.
After a potluck dinner at the church, Maggie headed for San Marcos, and we drove back to Pasadena. Laurie came, too, and most
of Jeanne's gang came over for supper. Kay was just days short of finishing her radiation treatments. We are so proud of how
she is coping and keeping her great spirit of fun. [Kay was just diagnosed as cancer-free!]
Jeanne and Lyle work steadily against the health issues that worry all of us old folks, yet they set the standard for good
humor and great hospitality. Sissy and Kay and their families are on the spot, and the whole team is as solid as those families
we all used to read about and admire in the movies. We feel so blessed each time we can all get together.
On Monday Jeanne came with us to meet Jack and Mary Ellen for lunch. Both are in good spirits and battling their own health
issues. The three Harris kids had a great day together. We couldn't remember the last time we all sat down in a quiet place
with time to talk about what's important.
Flying back home Tuesday with an empty seat between us again (every leg of this trip), we kept talking about how very special
this week was – a real visit with almost every family member, especially some whose life situations have recently changed.
Today we are still talking about it fondly.
Change seems to be one of our few constants. May we each manage to make the best of them.
Fri 31 December
We just returned from a neighborhood party, the first we can remember in our 24 years here on the hilltop. We know several
of our neighbors, but the homes here are just far enough apart that distance and our natural tendency to keep to ourselves
have kept most of them nodding acquaintances, if not total strangers. So it was fun tonight meeting many for the first time,
explaining who lives in which house, and having a couple of hours to share good food and family stories. We hope this becomes
a habit.
Don and Mary, our hosts, own a very calm and friendly Great Dane named Abbey. Her massive black head and nose are at the exact
same level as the table top and all that food. We expected a bit of nibbling, or at least sniffing and begging. Though she
occasionally gazed thoughtfully, she never once touched a thing. We were impressed.
Abbey is slightly gray around the muzzle now, so we asked Don what she was like as a frisky pup. "She was really ... um ...
oh man, she was a holy terror! She chewed up everything in the house. She chewed the legs off every chair. She chewed
up the couch. But the worst thing was the TV remote; she chewed that into tiny bits." We didn't discuss the training secrets
that changed her to the sedate lady she is today, but we still have time.
And now before the ball drops, we wish each of you a very happy New Year. This one was certainly eventful for us. We hope
that 2011 brings us a buyer, a great plan for the next chapter in our lives, and a return to some sanity in our nation and
the world.
We'll see you then!
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