Ahhh, October

Here we are again, at the beginning of October. October holds some special times for us. The Salmon Days Festival in Issaquah is one of our favorite October happenings. We lucked out on weather for that today, with overcast, but no rain. Also, Halloween is special to us - we usually have 125-150 trick-or-treaters arrive on October 31st. Love all the costumes. Always a treat for us.

In the middle of the month we will visit family to celebrate 5 yrs of marriage and a 3 yr birthday for our grand daughter Teal, and a visit with friends in OR. And I will take another plane to Alameda late this month, to visit Violet as she hits the six month old mark. Doug continues with projects: the fence and drainage between our house and our good neighbors to our south. It will be lovely when it is done.

Ahhhh, autumn is here and the trees are turning. We will miss the past season. Winter is dark and cold here in the PNW. So we will escape as much as we can. Then await the spring of 2011.

Helping Feed In Our Community

This weekend was the annual SCHA concert in the park, featuring Red Herring. We have enjoyed listening to Red Herring for several years at this concert.

At last years concert, while enjoying the live entertainment, visiting with neighbors and tipping a few glasses of our favorite beverage, I thought that maybe we could do "more" next year. So we contacted the HO, let them know we would like to advertise a donation at the concert, to benefit the Issaquah Food Bank.

Well, we are happy to announce that we collected over 230 pounds of food plus cash donations. All will be delivered to the IFB tomorrow. It feels good to help less fortunate neighbors. We all have so much and can afford to contribute to those with less.

End Of The Summer Season

September first has arrived and gone. That coolness is in the air, and it shrieks to me that SUMMER IS OVER. Now is the time that I start to plan my fall, winter and spring escapes. As beautiful as the Pacific NW is during a long, hot summer (like the summer of 2009, not 2010), when the days get shorter, light later and dark earlier, all I can think to do is escape.

This week will bring me to Alameda, to visit K&J and Violet. Grammy must visit often so Violet will know who I am. We also skype several times a week, so that helps.

My wonderful husband (WH for short) and I are considering a fall get-away to Zihuatanejo. We visited this small town for a day one time, and are thinking that a week in sunny, hot Mexico would feel good in November or December. We have both been checking out the reviews of where to stay. Lots of nice places to choose from.

The end of the year will be a road trip to visit our children and grand children. And we will enjoy our annual winter get away to Kauai in February. Somehow, I will slip in a few more visits to family & friends in warmer climates. And hopefully that will get us back to late spring and summer when the days are long and the temperatures are high(er).

One Year Later

Wow, I am a smokin' hot blogger, LOL. It has been over a year since I posted to Life Is Good. I guess if I don't want anyone to know what is going on, this is a pretty good blog spot.

The result of my previous blog (August 23, 2009) was born on April 24, 2010. Violet Kira Vona arrived. Now she is such a precious 4 month old, a happy, friendly baby adored by her parents and grand parents alike. Not that I'm prejudice, but Violet is the most photogenic baby I've ever seen. (Now you know for sure that I am her grand mother). Actually all of our grandchildren are just beautiful.

Violet is doing all the things that are normal for a four month old: rolling over, grabbing at her mommy's spoon, getting up on her knees. Soon it will be time to try cereal! Everything happens so fast with a babies development. And I am so enjoying watching my daughter be a mama. She is a much better mother than I ever was, happy and enjoying every moment with her little baby.

Ops!

I didn't know that anyone else could read my blog.  I was thinking this was pretty much my own diary.  My mistake....

My daughter called tonight, thinking I'd put up some "new news" on Facebook.   NO,  NOT ME.  I'd just posted a little bit about a phone call I'd received today - not mentioning my name, her name, anyones name, etc.  I guess that anyone else can read my blog.  I am admitting that I am not web knowledgeable.

My next post will not be about a phone call (at least I hope not.)  I'll try to remember that whatever I post can be read by anyone else.  I didn't even send a link to my daughter, thinking that she could read it later when I let her know about my blog.  I think I'll take my blog off line.

The Call Finally Came - "Hello Grandma".

The call finally came this morning.  It's the one we parents hope will come some day, the one we've been waiting for ever since our child became an adult.  The call we've been expecting since our adult child found the perfect partner, and committed to their soul mate by public display of a wedding.  We were put on "notice" that this couple wanted to start a family.  They search for the appropriate "nest", and sign that long, long mortgage.  The new family keeps cooing at their friends babies, all the while adding one more kitten to their existing feline family of two. The call finally came this morning - with caller ID showing our daughters cell phone number.  And when I answer the phone and say "Hi honey", my daughter answers back "Hello Grandma."

Wow!  I'm not often speechless.  And we knew our youngest daughter and our son-in-law were going to "start trying" soon.  But, wow!  Even they were surprised how fast it became a reality.  So as the mom, I of course listen and hear my daughter excited and also a bit nervous.  It's always easier when it is someone else who just found out they are pregnant.  Different story when that someone is you.  And so we talk about all of the changes that will be coming along over then next few months.  I "welcome" them to the unending roller coaster ride that parenthood is......