Happy New Year

Happy New Year!
The seasons pass so quickly it is hard to let it go.  When Christmas arrived we had just finished renting our duplex and I wasn't ready for Christmas.  Finally about the 12th of December we made our annual trip to the

Oak Knoll Christmas Tree Farm where we found a new and interesting friend who owns the farm and the most beautiful tree ever.  It is not supposed to drop needles - and it is as fresh today on New Years Eve, as it was when we cut it!  I have really enjoyed this beautiful Tananbom.

Along with our usual decorations we had a very very large Christmas Stocking!  Our son Tim suggested an idea to help his Dad Bob, and his partner Tim B. pass the time during Bob's recovery from a bone marrow t-cell transplant.  He has to stay "safe from bacteria" for a total of 100 days.  We decided to fill a very very large stocking with things to entertain - puzzles, paint by number kits (multiple) DVD Musicals (several)
foods he can eat, socks, coloring books, bird book, and much more. 

I decided to make a winter scene for the entertainment center top . . .

So with my dried Hydrangia and some big Maple leaves - some spray paint and gold sparkles I will keep this through January 2012!  My son Tim practiced his amazing photography and actually captured Santa as you see!

I made 6 Swedish Tea Rings and everyone says they enjoy my glorified cinnamon rolls!

Jack & Debbie hosted Christmas Eve Family gathering this year.  I am so grateful.  It was so much fun.  We all brought the gifts for the Very Large Stocking and as a precaution I had placed it in the freezer overnight to kill any bacteria.  Debbie used sterile wipes for every gift we dropped in and finally we placed it inside a big black plastic bag and placed it in her car trunk - since she was spending the day on Christmas with Bob and Tim.  It was so much fun.  Pictures are posted on Tim Berg's Facebook site of the whole event.
We enjoyed snacks and baked lasagna and later exchanged presents.  It was a lot of fun.  Thanks, Jack & Debbie for making such a nice event possible!

Jack and Debbie have been spending full days with Bob to help out Tim B. who is working from home and organizing all the medical appointments and tracking necessary.  When Jack takes a day to go - and Debbie is working - I get to help by taking care of my beautiful Granddogs!  They are so good!

Both are really good Dogs - but when Winston wants something he is "an in your face" kind of guy!
My cat "Baby" is tolerant - but likes to stake out her

territory and hiss and spit to keep the dogs away.  Once she declared the Dog Food and water dish her territory.  Oh MY!

I love having them - but have found they don't take naps when I want to!

No problem - I am retired!  I can take a nap any time I choose on another day!

Warmest Greeting to all of our friends and relatives.  Thanks for taking time to look in.  Have a Happy and Safe New Year.  Love to All.

Christmas Greetings 2011

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Ron & I are sending our fondest greetings and love to you our family and friends. Since my birthday celebration time has been flying by as we took care of a tenant eviction (our first) and restored our duplex unit after the clean up. Our neighbors at the duplex are all thrilled to have the negative people gone – so we had a special neighborhood thank you party and got to meet some wonderful people that count on us to use care in selecting the right people to fit the quiet family environment. We are still working on that. Hopefully we will be back to normal by the first of the year.

We are so grateful to our really great tenants who have been with us now for over two years in the duplex and well over a year in our Studio. This was certainly a good choice to secure some additional income for our retirement.

Ron is still turning out his magnificent upholstery. He takes great joy in doing the "impossible" and sharing the results with his clients. He is always busy – word of mouth only – and does work for two local interior design business's by referral. I am so proud of him.

This year we are filling an especially big stocking for my x-husband Bob Lamberson. Ron made the stocking at the request of Tim who thought it would be appropriate since Bob makes such a ritual of giving out Christmas Stockings. Deb & Jack are hosting our Christmas Eve gathering during which we will bring together our gifts to fill the stocking intended to help Bob pass the tenuous 100 days it takes to know if there was success in rebuilding the bone marrow cells after his T-Cell implant in November.

If he succeeds he may be cured of the leukemia he has been fighting since April this year. It will be such fun for us to join our kids in joyful giving for their Dad. Deb will be taking it to Bob and his partner Tim on Christmas Day. Shhh . . . don't tell – lets surprise them!

Ron & I realize that we are no longer the very center of the family – but rather as they all live their own lives and create their own extended families we move further out to the beloved parameter of the family circle. And so it should be. It means that the opportunity to spend time with any of our family is a complete joy!

Ron's sister Cyndi and her family have visited overnight a couple of times since Labor Day which is a real treat. Josh our Grandson has spent a little time here during a stay in Salem. We hear from our Grandson Jesse and his precious wife Amanda often – checking in on us and updating us on our newest Great Granddaughter "Wee little Jessica" born the last of September.

Tim & Marilyn took us out to dinner the night before Thanksgiving - It was fun to spend the evening with them.  Eli – our very special youngest Son and his lovely lady Lindsay shared our Thanksgiving Meal with us. We got to dog-sit our Grand-dogs Winston and Sophie while Jack took a turn at providing care for Bob for a day. Debbie spends each Sunday there caring for Dad and doing household chores that help them so much.

I just received a card from Ulf & Pet who say they will be in Sweden for Christmas. I think that is grand! We send our greetings to our special family there as well. God Jul Maria and family!

I am just starting to send my personalized Christmas Cards – and thinking fondly of all of you. Thanks for looking in. Merry Christmas and Joyful 2012 !

Betty's 70th Birthday Celebration

Looking at the weather forcast you wouldn't believe that we could have such a beautiful weekend - but the proof is in the pictures.  The first taken on Oct 6th Thursday when we checked in the Surfrider along with my daughter Debbie - husband Jack, and Son Ernie and family of four.

We had a beautiful sunset the first day with rain coming for the second day on Friday the 7th.

Friday was the day for me to take Ernie and his family to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse and Interpretive Center.  It was raining hard but we enjoyed the center and then everyone except me climed the stairs to the top of the lighthouse while I explored inside.

 This is the tallest light house on the Oregon Coast - lots of steps up!

 The pelicans are in their South bound migration to Baja California this time of year.  There were thousands!

Ernie, DD, Alyssa and Justin came a long way to celebrate with me.  Thank you kids!

Nice weather on Saturday and our guests Rolf, Jerry & Angel, Tim & Marilyn, Ernie & family, Eli & Lindsay, along with Ron - all went to Newport Bay where they rented crab boats and all in all came back with 28 Dungeness Crab which they took to Fogerty Creek Park to cook, clean, crack and brought them back to enjoy.  We had Crab Coctails served to 20 on Saturday night - followed by a pot luck to feed a queen - which I am!  Evan & Brandy placed a "Birthday Girl" sash around my neck - and there are plenty of pictures of the guests and I.  My guests have those pictures - so if you will send them to me - I will post them on the blog.  Ulf & Pet honored us on the last two days by joining us in our suite.  I am so honored by all the people who came to help me celebrate.  A better party I could not have asked for!!  Thank you all so much!
E-mail your pics so we can run another blog with people pictures.

As we got ready to check out on Monday the 10th - the storm was coming and the pelicans flew over our door to take refuge on the sheltered beach below.

Thank You Ulf & Pet for driving such a long way and sharing such generous gifts with me.  You are the best!

Thanks especially to Ron who worked so hard for the funding of this big event.  Thank you to my kids Tim & Marilyn who shared beautiful gifts (Roku & Kindle) Debbie & Jack (beautiful scarfe, Cat Wine Bottle, and huge monitary donation to the cause) we will enjoy for years to come.  Thank you to Jerry & Angel who drove so far (7 hours) from Seattle area to join us.  Thank you Rolf who took time out of your schedule to share your expertise with the ocean - and the beautiful bottle of wine.  Thanks to Mike & Cymthia who could not attend - but we enjoyed the bottle of Tequila you brought us from Mexico a couple of years ago - that has just been waiting for such a celebration!  Marilyn and Evan played their guitars while gifts were presented and later a large group took the celebration to the beach Saturday night playing guitars - building a big beach fire - while the guys cooked and cleaned the rest of the crab catch.  Thanks Eli for bringing your boat and for the gift of Salmon and crab.  The JOY is huge.  Thank You from the bottom of my 70 year old healthy heart!!
Love you all,
Betty

Fall Time 2011

Labor Day Weekend Ron's sister, Cyndi and her family came to visit. We invited them to join us in celebrating our daughter's birthday - and we were visiting the Evergreen Air Museum, Space Museum, and taking in a 3D movie at the Evergreen IMAX Theater.

My daughter and her husband are members at the museum so they were very helpful as we explored the exhibits all day long.

At first we took in the Air Museum featuring the Spruce Goose and lots of WWII Aircraft and early 1900's exhibits of aircraft, automobiles, and weapons used in war time.  Next we went to the Space Museum where we had lunch and continued our tour.

There is an exhibit which contains the actual lunch facility that has been moved from it's original site with the same computers, desks, artifacts including the steel doors.  Pushing a button to launch the countdown of 5 minutes begins with checks, count downs, 20% of the volume of the launching Titan Missle that made the walls shake.  It was really exciting.  The IMAX movie we watched was made by astronauts as the Hubble Space Telescope was built, lunched, fixed, and finally the views of the universe that it reveals.  It was an amazing experience.

After a great day that wore us all out - Ron's beautiful niece spent time with him sewing.  She is the Apple of Ron's eye!  She is a very talented seamstress - and she enjoyed making herself a school bag on his big machine.  She also upholstered a stool top - first experience at upholstery.  They both had fun.  Before they left we took them to the Salem River Front Park - where the "kids" had to ride the carousel!

We had a wonderful time and made them promise to come and see us again.  So they were invited to the 2011 Cider Press held by Ruth our Son-in-law's Mom, on her wonderful farm.  Ruth is so comitted to using the bounty from her farm that she invites friends to come to the farm in the fall and pick apples which are they washed, ground up, squashed and turned into fresh apple cider for everyone to share.  We also picked pears and other vegtables from her garden.  The guests shared a delicious pot luck the the fun of being on the farm for a few hours.  The cider press is an antique - made from barrells of wood slats and an electric motor that runs wooden cylinders to break up the apples.  Then it takes strong men to turn the press and extract the juice.  It is delicious. 

Ron's sister learned to add apples slowly so as not to jam the press.  I didn't do so well and soon got fired by the management!

My daughter and my grand dogs were there to help - and enjoy the fall bounty!

The food was great - Ruth's peers of retired school teachers were delightful to talk to.  It was fun!

Ron loves picking apples.  He worked hard and we brought home enough apples for lots of eating and pies.

The Vikings pictured above are Cyndi's husband Luis and Ron.  Luis earned his hat and shirt and badge of honor by surviving the "Warrior Dash" of 2011 in Portland Oregon.  Participants complete a grueling race through obstical course in the woods, though water and mud, under barbed wire - check it out - on the internet link below.  Ron claims his hat for being an old swede!  Cyndi thought she was marrying far away from the family heritage since Luis is from Panama - but go figure! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLnrnA4XMdc&feature=related

It is wonderful to have family come and visit us in Salem.  Next is my 70th Birthday celebration.  We will leave this week to spend a few days at our favorite beach resort and many of our family members will be joining us over the days.  I am so excited.  Maybe we will catch some crab!! 

Love to all. 
Thanks for looking in.