It's November already

The last week in October was a busy one. We had Lisa's tenth birthday party and then two days of that week she was home sick, so we painted with watercolors. Then the trunk or treat at church and trick or treating on the street for pounds of candy.
We also went to the Buddhist church and ate Japanese food, and through contacts made there acquired a tutor at last. He lives very close to us and is 89 from Hiroshima, but born in this country. Very cute old man. I have chosen just a few of the recent pictures .

Busy Week

Recent Activities Oct. 2008

My friend Barbara Jarstad and I went to a small local theater and saw ALWAYS PATSY CLINE.
I am not a country western fan, but this was a great play and the music was super.
Then as a chage of pace, I was thrilled to go to the Gladys Knight fireside in Burien. What an uplift! The world needs more people like her. She had that Mormon choir rockin'.
So last night for more variety my friend Lynna and I went to an opera concert. A new group has formed for opera outreach. It was at a church in Spanaway and there were ten singers. They all performed for free and did parts of three operas. Another great night.
The kids had a babysitter for the first one. Then stayed with friends for the other two.
Monday is Lisa's tenth birthday, so we are getting ready for her party, etc. Searching for long, skinny pants for her is quite a task. She is growing those long legs!

Sara and Weston's Wedding

I had a flying trip to Utah to Sara and Weston's wedding. Everything went very well from parking car at airport to rental in Utah, etc. I stayed at my friend Afton and Reed's house near Leslie's house so we went to the wedding in Pleasant Grove together. It was an all day wedding with the reception ending about 8:00 p.m. The exciting part was when the snake snatched the goldfish from the pond! It was wonderful to see nine grandchildren and 14 greats. All of them are great.

Sara's Wedding

I will get away for a little while, two nights, because I'm going to my granddaughter Sara's wedding in Pleasant Grove, Utah Sept. 27. I am excited for her and looking forward to sharing her happy event with all the family too.

Japanese Cooking

My greatest fear about having Lisa and Julie here was what would I feed them. Their mother told me they eat rice, and that is very true. I have learned several quite delicious Japanese dishes thanks to the internet and the library for recipes. Tonight I made okonomiyaki. I can make yakisoba, somen, good fried rice, Japanese hamburgers, etc. It all tastes good to me, and they eat it. Now we have pears and apples from the trees in the yard. The berries were good too. Sadly, I have to buy plums because the old tree is gone. But Costco made up for it.

Fair

Saturday, Lisa, Julie, Amy, a thirteen year old friend, and I went to the Puyallup Fair. It was very crowded, so we didn't cover very much of it. However, we had a spiritual experience. Lisa lost her camera just before we were leaving. They told us at the last place that they had sent it with a Boy Scout to the Lost and Found. We checked and they said it wasn't there. Then Lisa said,"Let's pray." So we prayed and Lisa said we should return to the last place. This time the woman came with us. They opened the drawer for lost cameras this time instead of for cell phones, and there it was! Julie loved petting the rabbits.

Opera and Otters

A special treat I give myself once in a while is to attend the Seattle Opera. In August my friend Maurine Reintjes and I enjoyed Verdi's Aida. I suppose it is one of the most majestic of all operas. The staging was opulent. Rich gold and bronze colors were blended beautifully. The music was gorgeous and the story so tragic, of course. We had a lovely evening. I was even brave and hired a babysitter for Julie and Lisa for the first time. We all survived.
As many of you know, I am partial to otters. At the Tacoma zoo, they now have two kinds of otters which I enjoyed, but the sharks are still the best.

Recent activities

The last month I have been very active: Julie and Lisa are back with me after a month with their grandparents, dad, and sister, and several cats and kittens. We have tried out a few outdoor swimming pools, gone to the zoo, a few parties, school shopping, etc. Now I know why parents think school is wonderful. I, as a teacher, never wanted vacation to end. I have changed my perspective.

Ricky and Ellen's Wedding

Such a beautiful setting for a wedding! Orting's High Cedars Golf Course and Club House.
Beautiful bride. Handsome Groom. Good food. Lots of grandchildren and great grandchildren all equaled an enjoyable event.

I have really enjoyed my walks at Point Defiance Park, Titlow Beach, and around the new Chambers Bay Golf Course. Here are some of my new pictures.

Julie and Lisa

Julie is on the left and Lisa is on the right.

My family has grown again. My new resident kids are Lisa, 9, and Julie,7. They are lively little girls from Nagoya, Japan. They arrived by plane (not stork) March 24 and will be with me approximately one year. They are children of Hitomi, a former exchange student from years ago.
I have visited them in Japan before, so our ties are well established. Their dad is Dan, an American a teacher with whom I have taught in their school. The girls are bi-lingual and doing well in Sunset Primary School in second and third grades. I am getting private Japanese lessons. Right now I'm learning a cute song that I love to hear them sing. (Continued later.)

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