SO much has happened in the year since my last posting. Hopefully, I'll "catch up" but, for now, here's our most recent cause for celebration: our 35th wedding anniversary. We went to Disneyland!

Happy Leap Year Day!!

This is why we pay the big bucks to live in California- it's 70 degrees and sunny- and it's still in the middle of Winter!!! As my son, Ben, just said, "We pay the sunshine tax to live here." Yep! And at this point, it's worth every penny! Hope you are enjoying your "extra day"!

Anniversary Weekend...and more

Wally and I celebrated our 34th anniversary by spending a night at the Pelican Inn, near Muir Woods, north of San Francisco. The weather cooperated enough for us to spend a delightful couple of hours on the beach, a ten minute walk from the Inn.

The sun was shining and we were able to play our favorite beach game of "Stick! Stick!" The object of the game is to see how far out you can stick your "stick" in the sand before getting soaked by the waves and if your stick survives the incoming waves- you win! Wally seems to win almost every time! (Look at the photo above right very carefully and you will see his "stick" still upright!) Here we are with a "friend" we found on the beach. He was cute, but didn't have much to say!

We also drove up to the top of Mount Tamalpias and took in the breathtaking views of the whole bay area. I'm afraid the views atop of Mt. Tamp best those of our beloved Mt. Diablo!

The Pelican Inn, a "country inn capturing the spirit of 16th century England's west country," was
fun, complete with Beef Wellington for dinner and a breakfast that included an English "banger" (fancy name for a big, fat sausage!). Aside from almost being smoked out of our room by the chimney's smoke right outside our "balcony", Wally and I enjoyed our relaxing 24 hours together and may go back to the Inn again...in another 34 years!

sigh...

Happenings of the day prove the saying that a parent is only as happy as her most unhappy child...
We remind ourselves of President Hinckley's admonition: "Do your best and things will work out."

Valentine's Day

Wally and I enjoyed Valentines Day together as we drove to the Santa Cruz area where he needed to look at some roofs. The day was sunny and clear and the ocean (when we caught peeks of it) was sparkling from the sun's reflection. We stopped at Holy City, a very little town (population of 1), just off Highway 17 in the Santa Cruz mountains, and I watched the resident glass blower make a glass heart. He even gave me a small (very) heart that he couldn't sell.

Because Wally and I are trying to eat more healthily, instead of a box of chocolates Wally gave me a "bed of apples." Lots of green ones! My favorites!

Grampa's Birthday

Here's Drew helping Grampa take off the candles from Grampa's birthday trifle (Gramma ruin the cake so she had to make it into a trifle!)

Happy February

February is always a busy month for our family: Wally's parents' birthdays (which we celebrate posthumously), Wally and Dan's birthdays, and our anniversary, Presidents Day and Valentines Day thrown in for good measure. It makes for more parties, dinners and fun than usual- a good way to brighten up a winter month. The other way I have to brighten my February days is by talking to my children and occasionally seeing those who live nearby. For me, the mother's perfect dream is to have all her children and grandchildren within an hour's drive. Ah...maybe someday (at least in my dreams!).