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.