Different Landscaping

This part of Kirkland is very built up with apartment buildings and condominiums. Many of the trees and shrubs used in landscaping are tall and narrow. You don't see many trees with branches spreading wide horizontally. It's a very different look than the landscaping used in less densely built areas. 

Arbor vitae are used quite a bit. It's not unusual to see long, long hedges 

of the tree/shrub. They are often more than one story tall.   

Life - Experiencing, Recording & Reflecting

“… my life is constantly being hit by a barrage of experiences. In fact, so many things are always happening that I run the risk of forgetting to “observe”—to think about, talk about, write about—in short, to reflect on—what’s going on. And if I fail to reflect on my experiences, they never become truly real. If I want to live the fullest kind of life, I must find time for reflection.

"Of course, finding time to reflect is easier said than done. The most reflection-worthy experiences are also usually the most energy- consuming—thus my frustration with journal-writing. And all of us face this dichotomy—between living life, and reflecting on it—all the time. ….. So, I’m convinced, there must be a balance. If I give myself totally over to the moment, and never record or reflect on anything, then I’ll either forget it all or it won’t mean anything to me. But if I’m too busy reflecting on life, I’m not really living it, either, and pretty soon I won’t even have done anything worth reflecting about.”  Marilyn Nielson*

Journaling is a great way to gain more from life’s experiences. When I journal, I step away from what’s going on in my life, whether it’s a busy period or a time of everyday routine. When I pause and write in my journal, I am often more receptive to communication from the Spirit than I am when involved in the busyness of the day.

Each time I journal I have the choice of simply recording what happened that day. Or, I can go deeper and record what I saw, heard, and felt. No matter at what level I choose to record experiences, I’m saving and enhancing the experience and its memory. I’m saving details. I often see connections with past experiences or get insights that didn’t come to me until I sat down to record and reflect.

For several years I’ve been scanning pictures from Mom’s and Dad’s photo albums and our predigital scrapbooks. Pictures bring back many wonderful memories. In addition they preserve details like clothes, dishes, furniture - the things that were part of our lives. Lately I started scanning a scrapbook that includes the family journal we started in 1982. In addition we saved all the letters we received from various family members. Letters are a form of journaling, as are blog posts. I’m amazed at the richness there is when letters, journal entries, and pictures combine to bring back memories of life’s experiences. The personal journals I have stored in the garage would add even more depth and details.

For now, I will continue to record and reflect on my life’s experiences and share some of those thoughts through our letters and blog posts. As I read the letters Mom and Dad wrote, I am reminded of cherished family memories as well as the routine of our lives. I am glad they made the time to record, reflect, and share. I will do the same and hope there is a positive ripple effect.

*Marilyn Nielson wrote these thoughts in her essay “Reality Through Reflection.” Over the years I’ve come across several poems by Nielson. (See blog posts here and here.)  In the essay quoted above she mentions that her father was a physicist. That might help explain where she got her love of science that crops up in her essays, poems, and blog posts. When I looked her up I discovered she is the mother of six children. (The essay was written when she had one child – and she was finding it difficult to find time to journal.) Nielson blogs at Light in Leaves. 

first photo - Jake - "Behold"

picture -Profound pauses 

Birthday Celebrations

Michael came over for a birthday lunch in late August. 

In lieu of cake, we had Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream, Michael's favorite. 

These candle holders have been around a LONG time. 

Somewhere along the line, the giraffe went missing. 

Candle holders at Michael's 5th birthday 

Late in September we got together to celebrate three birthdays 

dinner cooked in pumpkins

top - before going into the oven

bottom - after

The grandchildren wanted to know if I got the idea from Pinterest. 

I told them I'd been doing this before the inventors of Pinterest were even born! 

(Well, maybe not quite that long.)

The checkerboard birthday cake - loaded with traditions - 

animal candle holders & music box that plays "Happy Birthday."

Our family has been using such music boxes since I was very young.

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!

Whidbey Island with Cindy

We drove to Mukilteo to take the ferry to Whidbey Island. 

Worker directs cars onto the ferry

Ivar's restaurant is conveniently located by the ferry terminal

Clam chowder - at 10:30 in the morning! Pretty tasty

We were on the Cathlamet; it holds 124 vehicles

Lunch at Toby’s Tavern, in Coupeville 

Cindy had Penn Cove mussels which are grown 

just down the street/beach from where we ate.

downtown Coupeville

Penn Cove mussels are farmed here. 

They grow on strings suspended from these platforms. 

Deception Pass

The couple who took our picture moved to 

Washington from Ethiopia about 10 years ago

Below - North Beach at Deception Pass State Park

The views from the beach are spectacular

Below -From the Fidalgo Island side of the bridge 

More from North Beach

Can you see it?

Is this a crocodile coming up out of the beach?

looking from left to right - this could be a horse's head (see nose,  mouth, eye)

looking right to left - this could be a lion's head (snout, squinty eye)

Click on Seattle or Washington label on right for more about our adventures with Cindy and earlier posts on Whidbey Island. 

Cindy in Seattle

Fun with Cindy in Seattle

We picked Cindy up at the airport and headed to Kerry Park in Seattle 

Changing Form

Cindy used to work at the Division of Special Education with Joe.

She's originally from Urbana. Ray Pepper taught her brother Tom in high school.

It was a very windy afternoon.

Pike Place Market

long rows of beautiful flowers

This reflects how I feel about Brussels sprouts. Joe loves them. 

Evidently they do have a connection to Brussels, Belgium.

We bought this Romanesco broccoli because it looked intriguing. 

It's a great illustration of fractals that are so often found in nature. 

This site even names Romanesco broccoli as the "ultimate fractal vegetable!"

We ate lunch at Lowell's in the market. This was our view of Elliott Bay. We could see the ferries and the working water front. The giant Ferris wheel opened in 2012. 

Our table for two was so close to the next table for two that we were more like a table for 4. We talked quite a bit with the couple at the other table. Turns out both Cindy and the woman were celebrating their birthdays that day - and they were both dog people!

You've probably heard about the Pike Place Fish Company in Pike Market that throws the fish. Cindy had read a management book that featured the fish market.

Cindy bought "Catch," another book about the company. Many of the fish mongers signed the book for her. We enjoyed talking with many of the vendors in the market. It's a fascinating place. 

The Gum Wall - according to this article it's the 

second germiest tourist attraction in the world

We rode to the top of the Space Needle

views from the top

Space Needle, Chihuly sculpture & bird

Our last stop of the day was the University of Washington to visit with one of Cindy's relatives. He took us to the industrial design building. A professor showed us student projects in a lab. Originally from Germany; the professor received his Master degree at Ohio State!! He went on and on about how football crazy the whole city of Columbus is. He just didn’t understand (or appreciate) it. 

Fun times with a friend!

*********
Click on the Friends, Seattle, or Washington labels to the right for more about Cindy's visit