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As I mentioned yesterday, our San Diego trip was marvelous in every way, and we didn’t let a blade of grass grow under our feet. We saw Nate and Sandra’s new house (it’s very cute! And I forgot to take any pictures!) We ate out at fun, eclectic, and delicious restaurants. And each evening before heading out to dinner, we spent some enjoyable time around our hotel pool and chatted and drank adult beverages (except for Sandra of course).
On Sunday, we took a lengthy drive up a very windy highway with hair-pin curves, 4,000 feet up, to a former mining town called Julian, which is now a quaint apple-centric shopping village. It was a gorgeous drive through interesting terrain—thousands of house-size boulders perched precariously on towering hills, sometimes hanging above homes; lush grasses and trees with dusty blue blooms; prairie dogs prairie dogging on rocks along the side of the road; and vistas as far as you could see because there weren’t forests of Douglas Fir to block the view!
It was windy up there!
We ate lunch and did some shopping (I bought a few little things) and then Sandra drove the crazy curves back down to the sea to avoid car sickness.
THEN, we went to the exact spot where the two of them got married last summer. It’s in the Very high end sea town of La Jolla (“La Hoya”) just up the road from San Diego, and just wow. Ferrari dealerships, gobsmacking homes and condos with ocean views, upscale designer shops and restaurants. Beautiful, for sure! What’s nice about California is that much of the ocean is public space and so no fancy houses or condos or apartments or hotels clogging the view of the ocean. It is RIGHT THERE BESIDE YOU in all of its foaming, rolling, crashing glory as you walk or drive. Panoramic!
We also got a tour of the Navy bases—the small one where Nate is a sonar instructor to newbies just out of boot camp, and then the HUGE one where all the ships live. (And also this lovely area where they train seals and dolphins):
(Sunday was a windy day!)
Here you can get a perspective of how gigantic the ships are. (Click to embiggen!)
Then finally, on Monday (our last full day) the kids had to work until mid-afternoon so John and I hopped in our rental car and drove up I-5 (“the 5”) to the sea town of Carlsbad. Not quite as high-end as La Jolla, but very nice and festive. I definitely SHOPPED there! We found a couple of really nifty shops that I fell in love with! Got me a Baggallini that I am so happy with!
And we had a nummy al fresco lunch!
But even with the delight of finding some really cool little things, the highlight was our drive back. Instead of “the 5,” we drove the coastal highway, which is actually 101, right alongside the ocean almost the whole way! We drove through cool beach towns, like Del Mar, Encinitas, Solanas Beach, and Oceanside (where I was conceived, heh heh). All were festive and fun and of course the one thing they all had in common were lots and lots and lots of surf shops!
So cool! Be sure to embiggen!
Our flight back yesterday was issue-free and smooth sailing flying. (Well, actually it did get a little bit turbulent, but amazingly it lulled me to sleep! Wow!)
I miss those kids. They are so much fun to hang out with. Nate is such a comedian and my body hurts from laughing (and walking!) Obviously I need to do more of both!
Wednesday, April 27, 2016 | Permalink | Comments (3)
If you have Facebook, you likely already know about this. (If not, you know now!)
And instead of me “telling” you how I learned about it, I’ll let you see for yourself. (I was completely unaware that Sandra was videoing me!)
I am over the moon!!!!!!!
Sandra is 12 weeks along, and they worked hard to keep it a secret from me until we arrived to San Diego to see them. I remember thinking that it was a little strange that they would give me a present to “welcome us to San Diego,” but then I love presents and so I was A-OK about it. Totally oblivious to even the possibility of what it was all about. I was GOBSMACKED. (And yet, I’ve off and on wondered since they were here for their wedding reception party last October if it might transpire relatively soon, although I would never have asked or anything). They don’t know the gender yet, but they intend to as soon as it’s possible. (I’m not sure at what point an ultrasound can determine that, but I think pretty soon?) And once I know, OMG! I’m going to have SO MUCH FUN!!!! $$$ Heh heh.
Our trip was absolutely wonderful in every way. We had a BALL. All of the logistics of travel went smoothly, the weather was great, and we experienced San Diego and its environs at its finest in the company of Nate and Sandra who were so much fun to hang out with! (I am so lucky! I just adore my boy and his wife!)
Yep, we spent all day Saturday at the San Diego Zoo, and it was incredible. We saw pandas! And tigers! (This guy was so gorgeous and HUGE. Be sure to click to enlarge—he’d sauntered down the hillside to relax on that ledge and view potential “lunch” of his onlookers):
We saw two young (I think) jaguars frolicking with each other in a river right in front of us! And flamingos!
We walked miles throughout that zoo, and just loved every minute of it (in between needing to take breaks now and then for old-fart sore backs. Sort of felt like grandparents at times…)
I have some issues about zoos, but I do feel that San Diego does a good job. The animals were active and healthy and I feel in good hands, considering their captivity. The landscaping and habitats are top-notch and so beautiful. Admittance is definitely pricey, but it’s apparent that the money is spent very prudently on their care and comfort. (It’s cool that Nate and Sandra as military are admitted free).
Part Two of our visit coming next!
Tuesday, April 26, 2016 | Permalink | Comments (4)
This morning we gathered up the weenie dogs, adorned them with a harness and a collar (we were shooting for two harnesses but could only find one the right size), grabbed the leashes, and made a nice long motor-trek around part of Hood Canal. It was a beautiful and record-breaking warm day [with some high clouds] and we witnessed some absolute loveliness out there!
Wild dogwoods everywhere!
Magnificent yards bursting with color, including wisteria, magnolias, and lace leaf maples. (I love wisteria. Isn’t it amazing? I can’t wait to grow some here, complete with an arbor):
We drove along the canal for many miles and this was our view!
No, I didn’t take that picture (the roads were too windy and no shoulders to pull over), but that’s exactly what we were looking at a good portion of the day. That and dense forest! At one point we climbed up in the hills above the Canal on an extremely curvy gravel road that took us deep into rain forest territory. Giant cedars covered in moss with ferns growing out of their massive trunks! It was spectacular, although the narrow (and did I mention gravel?) road had hair-pin turns and did a sheer drop-off on one side through the trees and into the drink way the hell down below. Holy moly.
We stopped at a park and took the dogs for a walk. They are not accustomed to leashes and there was a fair amount of protest. Peanut is shy around strangers and she would often dig her paws in and refuse to budge when we encountered folks on the trail and beach. But, since we’re leaving them with John’s folks next weekend, we figured we’d better acclimate them to the leash so it wouldn’t come as a big shock!
Such a pretty drive!
(And that wiggle on the sign post sums everything up, too!)
Sunday, April 17, 2016 | Permalink | Comments (2)
A week from today, John and I are flying down to San Diego to see Nate and Sandra and their new house! Woohoo! We haven’t flown anywhere since 2009 when we went to Chicago for Nate’s Navy boot camp graduation, which seems like ages ago. So much has changed since then! Looking forward to sun and warmth and a brief change of scenery; we’ll only be there for 4 nights, basically 3 full days. We’ll probably take in the zoo and other sights, plus eat some nummy San Diego food! (The kids like their food HOT AND SPICY—us not so much…) The doggies will stay with John’s folks while we’re gone, and the cats will be left on their own with lots of food and water and free-range ingress and egress. (Plus strategic towels placed to discourage them from continuing to shred the area rugs).
(I wonder how many critter remains we’ll find upon our return).
For those of you who have been here and felt intimidated by the driveway, the width will eventually span from the block wall to the concrete wall (and will be paved). But it’s such a big job, and a large part of it will also involve installing storm drainage. Yet another elephant to eat one bite at a time.
Wylie likes to “help.”
Yesterday I drove into town to have a pedicure (yes! It’s been over a year!) (and then of course the grocery store, because when you’re in town you’ve just gotta…) and I noticed on the island a huge forested area along the county road where someone (commercial, apparently) had completely clear-cut all of those lovely trees, probably for timber. It hurt my heart!
See those tall trees way in the back? That’s how it used to be right up to the road! Makes me sick.
There has been quite a lot of clear-cutting lately on the island, but generally in smaller plots. This area is huge. I should have taken a pano, but I was stopped in the middle of the road and saw a vehicle coming up behind me so I needed to move along.
At least I can be pretty sure that there are no plans to build a development or condos or a Walmart there; this was just for the timber. But still.
Friday, April 15, 2016 | Permalink | Comments (2)
I taped down the big scroll of the Cummings’ family tree (my mom’s paternal side) on the bar counter and I’ve begun attacking it with a fair amount of success!!
See what I mean how BIG it is? Holy moly. The main find (so far) is that I finally know what my Irish great-great-great grandmother’s maiden name was, and that I had the WRONG first name for my great-great-great grandfather. And I was able to substantiate that by following breadcrumbs of one of their kids (sister of my great-great-grandfather) and discovered her death notice that listed both of her parents’ names, including her mother’s maiden name! wOOt!!! I also learned that this daughter died in my mother’s hometown way back in 1915 and the newspaper had an in-depth write-up on her death with tons of family details! I was really surprised that the family dated back that far to Monroe, Washington. My mom and her family didn’t move there until Mom was in the 8th grade (about 1949), but I remember that my great-grandfather was living there (Grandpa’s dad). I do have memories of him. They used to all get together with my folks and play Cribbage.
The downside is that even knowing so much more now, I’m still unable to locate any documents about them in Ireland. I do know where they lived (County Mayo), but I suspect their information was lost in the massive fire that burned thousands (maybe millions) of records. If I can’t go back any further (I’m at 1795), it’ll be OK because at least I KNOW that these are the right people!
My brother asked me what the point of all of this is unless you can discover that you were related to royalty or something. I actually used to look at it that way. I don’t know exactly what changed—getting older? Wondering just where I came from? We’re all just “plopped” into our lives and tend to not care about looking back, but I have found this to be fascinating. Part of it is enjoying the mystery, and also the history. Imagining what those lives must have been like so long ago. AND—all of the details that had to fall into place along the way for our existence today. Think about it: down to the the women in our family lines ovulating at the exact right time! Heh heh.
I remember it was a bitch to make!
Update: (it turned out perfectly! And the BLTs were delish!):
Tuesday, April 05, 2016 | Permalink | Comments (5)
We hadn’t been to Mom and Dad’s place on Camano Island since September 2014 when Nate was here for a very brief leave from the Navy (like, just 4 days) when we all went up to see Dad for a day. We did go up there for Dad’s 80th birthday party last summer, but that was at my aunt and uncle’s place down the way and we never went to our place, mostly because Dad’s “companion” was there and we strived to keep our distance from her. (Long, complicated story). At any rate, it had been a long time, and to be honest, the last several visits were fraught with a fair amount of stress with Dad’s declining health (and the companion’s existence…)
My brother and his wife were in the process of purchasing Mom and Dad’s place when Dad died last November (and Mom will have been gone ten years next month). The plan was for them to purchase it (below market price) to ease Dad’s finances and thereby ensure the property stayed in the family and that Dad could live out the rest of his life there.
Fast-forward to the present and the deal is done, (the “companion” is gone), and Dave and his family are living there! My niece now attends Stanwood High School and is loving it! It has worked out great, aside from the fact that Dave still works out of Renton and so he combines telecommuting with having to stay in a hotel down there a couple of nights a week. That part pretty much sucks, but I know how it is to make do when you have to.
So, on Friday John and I and the weenie dogs ventured up to Camano for the weekend! We took the Kingston-Edmonds ferry, which really saved time (and a lot of miles). It was especially great today coming back because traffic was good; Friday going north we got bogged down in Everett, so it took a little longer to get there. But it was so nice to bypass Seattle traffic! And we had beautiful weather, too! (Click the photos to embiggen)
It was strange to not have Dad there, but Mom and Dad’s presence was everywhere because Dave and Julie have kept most of their furnishings, at least for the time being. It’s a magical place! Here’s John, Michelle, and Dave while we took a beach walk:
BIG water! And Mount Baker!
Lovely sunset:
In some of the papers my brother unearthed in the house, he found a goldmine: a big rolled-up family tree that someone in Mom’s family had created, and it’s the IRISH part that I have had such difficulty tracking down! It solves a whole HOST of mysteries and brick walls and I am over the moon!! I can’t believe it! I didn’t know it existed, and I’m not sure who put it together. I may figure it out once I start working on it and transferring over the information to Ancestry (and searching for documentation to substantiate it all). Oh my gosh, I’m so excited! It’s huge, and there are branches on it I was never aware of. Like I said, a heckuva goldmine!! Squeeeeeeee!!!
We headed home today, and on the ferry there was a family of a dad with two or three young kids who were each playing a weird-looking instrument—it was large, with strings played with a bow, and it sat across their laps.
I Googled it, and it’s called a Nyckelharpa. It sounded very much like a fiddle, and they were playing IRISH MUSIC. People were dancing right there on the ferry, and it did make you want to break into the Riverdance! It was very cool, and they were really good! It affected me emotionally, sort of caught me off-guard, because of how it randomly tied in to the discovery of my Irish family tree.
Overall, a great weekend. It was nice to come home to the kitties!
Sunday, April 03, 2016 | Permalink | Comments (5)