Beginning of 2022 amid pandemic

Well, I haven't written on this domain for quite some time. Ten years, maybe? I just started a new domain and now am sorry I did. Don't need two certainly when I'm not using the first one. I'll try to cancel. We are finishing up two years of living in the weird world of a covid 19 pandemic. This coming May it will be two years since our son called us to say his second wife, Desi, had left him after just barely one year since their Buckley wedding. We jumped into the car and headed for his home in Renton. What a heart breaker. So many tears. Thoughts about never being a Father and never giving us grandchildren crowding in to the hurt of being literally abandoned. She just didn't come home one night. The cruelty of leaving someone alone at the beginning of a sequestered existence made the situation all the more tragic. Now, a year and half down the road, we are proud of how our son handled himself publicly. I don't even want to think of the private moments of panic and angst. At his yearly job review with Costco Corporate he received $30,000 in stock options and an 18% raise. This will definitely help the shattered self image. Our son seems strong and handling this alone thing quite well. We just ventured out for a New Year's Eve two night stay in Woodinville, our son and the Owens, staying at The Willows and dining New Year's Eve at The Lounge at DeLille Cellars. I was disappointed with the industrial feel of the inside of the restaurant and the price was high enough that the ice cold bathrooms should have had heat of some kind. To be fair, the restaurant hasn't been open a year yet and the heavy snowfall didn't help folks get around. Still and all it was a fun weekend and we hope to venture back in the near future.

Pour at Four gets new parents

    

                                                                                    

It is midnight, Saturday, November 15, 2014. . .we are still at Pour at Four with Mark and Sue Merrill, Tom, Howie, Shaun, and Liz.  They are taking things off the walls, putting chairs up on tables and turning the "OPEN" sign to "CLOSED" for the last time.  Come Monday the new owner Steve will take over, keeping the name, chefs and Tom as server. . .for now. . .A liquor license will change the atmosphere. . .or will it?  We will visit and find out. 

     As we entered Pour at four fifteen in the afternoon two ladies sitting at the bar said "They're here!"
and got up off their bar stools and headed toward us.  It was then I noticed it was Jordan and Joanie DeGrande, a former first grade student and her mom.  What a wonderful surprise.  They had seen my Facebook posts about our "Zen" place and stopped by, heard from Mark and Sue that we would be there at four and waited to see us.  We invited to sit at "our table" and we talked the afternoon away about travel, changes, teaching (Jordan is in her second year at Olympic View as a kindergarten teach, telling me it was my year that started her dream of becoming a teacher - what an honor).  Carol joined us for a bit after working two days at a bazaar selling her crafts, and Liz Heath had asked to join our table, a regular patron at Pour, Liz is teary about losing her special treatment by owners Mark and Sue.  I'm holding back the tears. . .though I know it will not be the same with Steve, the new owner.  The Merrills are special folks.  Generous of heart and spirit, offering us free tastes and sometimes even a bottle appearing on our table for our future enjoyment. 

     We're on the lookout for a new place, but we'll return to Pour at Four under the new management and hope that it continues to provide us a cozy dine-out experience.   The memories we've made there will forever warm our hearts and for that we say "Thank you, Mark and Sue".

 

                                                                                                                                                          

"Oh, Captain, My Captain!

It's a hot August day in 2014. . .and I'm angry.  I'll keep listening to the news and I may change my mind, but right now I'm furious.  Someone just entered my house and stole something precious from me - laughter.  How dare he take away the future chuckles that might have put light into my day.  A new chapter with Mrs. Doubtfire. . .How dare he take away his deep love from his 25 year old daughter.  Mike called me from the car on the way to paddle practice with the shocking news ~ that Robin Williams had taken his own life at the age of 63.  Suffering from severe depression in recent days, I can't help but wonder with ALL THAT HELP out there for depression, why he couldn't avail himself of it.  I recently watched a special on TV about Muriel Hemingway and the struggles her family has gone through with depression and suicide.  It is such a selfish thing.  People love you, need you, die a little themselves, when you take your own life.  Robin, you have burdened those loved ones and us with that dark thought for the rest of our searching-for-happiness lives.  Why did you do that?  You were one of the good guys, people are saying so all over the news tonight.  Do good guys bring that much pain to folks that love them?  I think not.  ". . .that the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse".  You spoke those words in Dead Poet's Society.  What verse do you contribute, Mr. Williams?  Laughter?  Perhaps. . .eventually. . .but not tonight, Mr. Williams.  Not tonight.

Celebration "In-between" - 2014

     We bid on a lighthouse luncheon at the Shared Housing Auction and won.  We chose the day between Brandon's birthday and mine to travel to the Brown's Point Lighthouse and we couldn't have had a more delightful visit.  Accompanying Brandon, Mike and I were Brandon's good friend, Luke Johnson and Lynn and Clayt Pollock, the two people who invited us to sit at their table at the auction.

We toured the lighthouse and boathouse as a film crew filmed the cottage and grounds for a website upload.  We signed permission documents so we might see ourselves if we peek at the website.  You can bet I'll be taking a peek. 

 

It was a beautiful day, crisp and clear.  We discovered a delightful tourist attraction right in our own back yard and will recommend this spot for guests to stay.  







Living in a living room

I was watching television yesterday afternoon, suddenly stood up and announced to my very patient husband, "Life is short; it's time for a change here in the living room.  I walked around with my fingers on my chin (better thought comes with this stance, right?) and decided we could do some changes without spending any money.  (Money spending will come later. . .shhhhhh)  Michael rearranged the placement of the three lamp pairs.  Did I say this man is a Saint?  Now we are looking at the placement of the piano and wondering if it could be moved from the entryway to the wall to the left of the fireplace.  We measured and it will fit perfectly.  Mike wants to wait 'till Brandon visits to move the heavy piano.  It means moving the sofas - not sure how that will work. 

 

Putting a cozy bench in that space would make the entry more inviting.  The piano must stay, but it isn't the prettiest piece of furniture.  Mom and Dad bought that piano for me when I was four.  My first two learnings were Charmaine and Diane.  I think I still have the sheet music for those two lovely songs.  Now it's on to decluttering.  





Quiet House Across the Street

 

 

This is the house directly across the street from our front door.  It's a rental.  The current family has lived there three years or so.  We have done no socializing with them, just the brief hand wave and "hello" as we go to our car.  We've seen what appears to be a mother, a red-headed daughter, a son and a well-behaved white dog with black spots.  Smoking must be prohibited in the house because all three come out and smoke on the porch no matter how cold, wet, or dark.  The mother always has a book. The daughter and son both have their own cars and work odd hours.  Well, we actually don't know they are working, they just come home at odd hours, often in the wee hours of the morning.  We have made many assumptions.  We hear their car doors close, we see them on the porch at 1 a.m., 2 a.m., 3 a.m.  The changing light from a TV is on throughout the night as well.  They are quiet, whispering softly as they sit on the porch in the dark, showing polite respect for their neighbors.

 

Last night as I put on my pajamas and padded by the bedroom window toward my side of the bed, I looked out as I always do and noticed the house completely dark. . .no cars.  Odd, was my first thought. . .or is it?  We have recently noticed the thinning mother as she sits on a small stool on the tiny front porch wearing a cannula. . .as she smokes. . .in the winter cold.  Her hair thinned and then was totally gone.  Most recently she has begun wearing a white turban, long white pants, and no book now.  We have noticed people coming to the house. . .Hospice, we wondered?  So many assumptions.

 

I crawled into bed, settled in, Mike turned out the light and I looked at the ceiling of our bedroom, noticing the lack of shadows from the light of the porch of the house across the street.  A sadness settled over me.  I don't even know these people.  But I do know the adult children were very attentive to the mother.  They were respectful neighbors.  What is the story there?  I don't have answers. . .all I have are assumptions.  Sad assumptions.



On my mind. . .

I need to move more.
Tom Selleck is awesome and very appealing, especially in his role as Jesse Stone.
Sunshine is a welcome thing in March.
My husband more than carries his own weight in our relationship.
They've GOT to find that plane!!
My friends are precious.
Motherhood makes me feel wise and dumb all at the same time.
Facebook is a great way to stay in touch.
St. Paddy's Day was fun this week. . .not as fun as last year in Galway. . .but fun - son and friends, Barlines, Rocchis, and Sue Merrill.
Health Insurance is beginning to feel like no insurance.
Eager to meet with new physician, Kathleen Magonigle April 1st.
Glad to have fourth tooth filling replacement behind me.
Gifted bottle of Stymie wine from Ne Ne and husband a complete surprise; gifted because we were   
    bidding on it at Shared Housing Auction and Ne Ne outbid us. 
iPad or Samsung tablet for Mike to take to Italy to Club Crew Championships?
Hoping without holding my breath that blue rose seeds will bloom this Spring.
Looking forward to lunch in Brown's Point Lighthouse for our birthdays.
Sister Carol on death watch for good friend this week.
Lovely pub time with Gretchen and Terry this week.
Nice visit with lifetime friend, Karen, this week.
Tried a new restaurant this week, the Smoke and Cedar - grrreat!
A full week - Life Is Good!

This photo taken in 1937 when house was built.