Gardening with the Grandkids
Wayne and I had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. The weather in Port Orchard was perfect, and I used the opportunity to have the grandkids over to plant our garden. We got a bit carried away when it came to purchasing seedlings, but they all found their way into the ground. We planted cauliflower, cabbage, four varieties of tomatoes, carrots, squash, beets and several more veggies that I have since forgotten.
Of Deer, Grandkids and Flowers
Wayne and I flew into Seattle last night for Memorial Day weekend with our family. The timing is perfect as I'll be planting my special grandchildren’s garden with said grandchildren. Although last year the deer—beautiful but pesky creatures that they are—ate more of the crop than we did! Plus, it’s time to get my herbs into the pots situated just off the patio. I don't have anything close to the green thumb my mother did, but I do so love having a garden. We're flying back to Florida on Tuesday, and then we’ll pack
Florida, the Land of . . .
I’ve mentioned before how Wayne and I have been exercising in the pool. We chat, listen to music, and dance in the water. It’s great fun and has quickly become addictive. This morning, though, I ran into a slight problem.
Love of Adventure
Wayne and I were in the Florida Keys this weekend, off to visit Wayne’s cousin, Steve Scott. Steve is a pilot for American Airlines. The love of planes and adventure is clearly something in their blood. (Wayne, too, has flown—at one time he had a license—I don’t recall the official kind of license, but it was for small, personal craft). I decided long ago that being a pilot wasn’t on my bucket list, but I did accompany Wayne on several flights when he flew. The most adventure I’m looking for now is a tricky kn Read more
Baptism by . . .
Yesterday Wayne and I rode our bike to the clubhouse for lunch. I wore my new bike helmet (which cost one-third the price of the bike!), slung my purse over my shoulder, and off we went, free as two lovebirds. The wind wasn’t so bad this time. Because we were hot and sweaty when we arrived, we decided to eat indoors in the air conditioned room to cool off.
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Moving at the Rate of a Turtle
Wayne and I are going bike riding this afternoon. Now, I admit that Florida is nice and flat, unlike the hilly landscape in the Pacific NW, where I learned firsthand that riding a bike can be brutal. So taking up bike-riding here in Florida sounded like fun. Here I wouldn’t need to worry about battling those dreadful hills, pumping my legs for all they’re worth, sticking my butt in the air and struggling to breathe. Wrong! What I didn’t count on was the Florida wind.
Walking in Water
Wayne and I have been “walking” in the pool every morning for a week. We put on the Oldies radio station and be-bop in the pool, dancing, walking and talking. I call it our Pool Talk Time. What I find amazing is that we’re together nearly 24/7 here in Florida (in Port Orchard I have an off-site office and staff), but in Florida it’s just the two of us. Still, we have so much to chat about. While the exercise is good for both of us, and the music brings back such great memories, what I enjoy most is chatting and dancing in
A Bicycle for Me!
Wayne surprised me with a new bicycle for Mother’s Day a day early, so Saturday afternoon we went for a ride to try it out. You know what they say about never forgetting how to ride a bike? Don’t believe it! Well, once I was on the bike it sort of came back to me. The getting on and getting started were the hard parts. Earlier in the year Wayne bought himself a recumbent bicycle. Unfortunately, that’s about the same time he fell and broke his arm, which meant no bike for Wayne for a while.
Mother’s Day
I’ll be away from our family this Mother’s Day which is rare for me. Read more
Wayne’s Birthday
I’m off again this week on another business trip, this time for three days. I travel a lot, so it isn’t unusual for me to return home from one trip, wash clothes and repack. Unfortunately, this trip means I’ll be away from Wayne on his birthday, which is tomorrow, May 8. That’s right—Victory in Europe Day (from World War II).
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What Time Zone am I in Again?
I was awake at 3 a.m. again this morning. It seems my body hasn’t figured out what time zone it’s in just yet. Waking early does has one advantage–I had three loads of laundry done before 6 a.m. Wayne (who seems to be suffering from the same problem), Bogie, and I were finished with our morning walk by 7 a.m. and we still had the entire day stretching out before us. This afternoon I’m packing my bags again for a quick business trip to NY. Does anyone remember what time zone that’s in? Read more
Nice and Monaco
Wayne and I are home after a lovely, lovely time away. We spent the last two days of our vacation in Nice with its spice market and colorful flower market. On Friday we had the opportunity to visit Monaco—think James Bond 007 at Monte Carlo. I’m pleased to tell you my French has greatly improved. Before we left, all my two years of high school French allowed me was the ability to conjugate verbs. Now I can read a menu and order wine. After nearly three weeks I’m here to tell you everything written about French wine, cheese an
Cruising the Rhone River
Wayne and I have so enjoyed touring the wine growing regions in France along the Rhone River. We’ve walked through the vineyards, met with wine makers and enjoyed sampling the wine. Each appellation, or growing area, has its own unique soil, which brings out certain flavors in the wine. It’s been quite a challenge to distinguish the flavors and scents (or nose) of the wines. Some people can detect the aroma of black currant. Others smell strawberries or cherries. Me, with my discerning pallet . . . I smell grapes!
Bordeaux, France
Wayne and I have been in the city of Bordeaux, France, for a few days. We took a side trip and walked in the walled city of Saint Emilion. Wayne bought a French beret, and I think he looks handsome wearing it! In fact, he has been mistaken as being a Frenchman! We had a private tour of Chateau Lasseque, a wine estate. Our tour guide, Monique, arranged for us to sample their 2011 vintage, which has yet to be bottle.
London!
We had a great time in London, England. One of our stops was the Imperial War Museum . Wayne ventured to other parts while I went to the WWII section. I was especially interested in the V-Day displays because my dad was involved in that. It gave me a much deeper appreciation of the war. We also visited the Churchill War Room and saw where Churchill conducted many of the planning meetings. Wayne has been studying military history, so naturally all of this was extremely interesting to both of us.
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And We’re Off!
The grand adventure is about to begin. Wayne and I are headed to London this evening and then France for a river cruise. This will be Wayne’s first time on the continent. As for me, my French is very poor but I do remember how to conjugate verbs from two years of high school French classes. I hope to send pictures along the way if I can make my electronics work properly! Read more
Easter Egg Hunt
The great Macomber Easter Egg Hunt took place this weekend. My eight-year-old grandson, Isaiah, wrote out a list of ideas for me. First item: more candy, more money. I did my best. On Saturday afternoon, kids and grandkids came to our house here in Washington, eager for our annual family hunt. Read more
A Day at the Beach
My daughter, her husband and three of our grandchildren have been with us for the last eight days. The kids have had a blast fishing off the dock, swimming in the pool and running down the beach. They’ve gone to the beach (less than a half mile from the house) to swim in the ocean, and yesterday they had quite an adventure. Kevin, my son-in-law, was with the kids, who were out quite a way. Read more
Competitive Streak
Both Wayne and I have a competitive nature. We’re constantly looking to best the other, but never more than since we got our FitBit. This tiny device totals our steps every day. (You can also log onto their site and keep track of food intake, workouts, calories burned etc., so it’s more than a pedometer.) Because I have a sedentary job I rarely get in my 10,000 steps a day, but I average a good six to seven thousand, and on good days manage the 10,000. For the last several weeks we’ve been challenging each other to do better, to be m Read more
Rap Song by Bailey
One of the questions I'm asked most often has to do with my children. Will any of them be writers, too? I have wonderfully creative children, but none share my passion for writing. However, my grandchildren show real promise.
Allow me to brag a little. My granddaughter, Bailey, ran for school vice-president and WON, due in large part to a rap song she wrote with her father. Here it is, in part:
Fun Being a Grandma!
Three of my grandchildren are visiting Wayne and me this week. (Their parents tagged along, too!) As soon as we landed, I grabbed the kids with their backpacks and headed to the house, leaving Jenny Adele and Kevin to deal with the luggage. The kids weren’t in the house two minutes before they changed into their swimming gear, raced to the pool and plunged into the water. Read more
First Day of Spring!
Bogie and I welcomed the first day of spring with a long walk this morning. I wanted to give him lots of extra attention, as I’m leaving for Seattle this afternoon and will be away for a week. I’ve been loading up the refrigerator with packaged meals for Wayne. If I don’t he would eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches the entire week. Peanut butter and jelly might not be such a bad thing. A steady diet of PB&J will guarantee Wayne will miss me! Read more
Rehab with Bogie
Wayne is busy at work on his rehab, and I have to admit he's doing a great job with his exercises. Notice the golf club he has in his hands. He's working on his shoulder and improving his game all in one. The only negative is Bogie, who loves to have Wayne down at his level. He thinks it's great fun to lick Wayne's face or climb on his belly while he's exercising. Oh, the joys of recovering from shoulder surgery!
Lunch with The Love Squad
I had a lovely lunch yesterday with a group of ladies who call themselves The Love Squad. They read my book A Turn in the Road and fell in love with Max. The table was set with a toy motorcycle at each place setting and the napkin rings were small tires (I envision toys all over Vero Beach missing tires). There was even a road map on top of the tablecloth, indicating the stops Bethanne and Max made on their trip. Every item on the menu was taken from the Cedar Cove Cookbook. I was wined and dined and loved by the Love Squa
The Dreaded Black Screen
I’m not much of a technical person. When it comes to computers, I can write a chapter, store a chapter and print a chapter, and beyond that I’m pretty much useless.