Life has changed

A day in a chapter of our new life

It was Saturday morning and after breakfast I thought it would do both of us good to just  “Escape”   .   

 So, I returned dishes to the neighbors who had treated us with goodies and then the car seemed to head toward the  mall.  

I had Darrell’s new phone with me, ready to be activated.  ( He had been using the phone I had given up about three years ago. Maybe more.  Damon found a cheap replacement online,  so he finally consented to “upgrading” )   Quick and easy.  Thanks Verizon.

 A little walk around the mall and discovered there was a sale going on.  Shoe sale.  This is something I know pretty well.  No flats. No platforms.  No pooinnnted toes.  Didn’t take long to find two pair that fit the right description. 

  I admit I should not go into Papyrus.  That was my first mistake.  The sign said 40% off.   My purchases will make nice gifts ( for me or you ).  

  You can get hungry shopping so I stopped at the Grill.  Courtney gave me fast service and sympathy.  Hard not to chat with the waitress  when you are alone.  She was pretty wild eyed with my story. She even brought  me a large stack of plastic bags. I did not tell her that I needed the HUGE  GARBAGE size to cover all Darrell’s leg, so he won’t get it wet in the shower .   But I did leave her a nice tip.

Time flies when you are having fun.  And I thought I better get back to home base.  Christian and Tanner came for a visit and stayed for supper.  I do not need to write about how adorable Tanner is – you should know that by now.

Our friends Matt and Ellie Sheer are leaving for Indonesia  soon and a farewell   open house  was scheduled for  this evening.  I headed to Westminster to give them my good wishes and was able to load up a plate with at least 7 different treats  for Darrell ( or me ). An amazing family, on an amazing journey 

It just happened that a wedding was  breaking up in the church.  I peeked into the reception door. So  beautiful .   So tempting.  I knew my kids would be a little embarrassed if I took my camera in for photos, especially since I was dressed very casually in rather bright yellow pants and rust colored jacket. So I just turned around and paused by a table with pictures of the bride and groom.   Also, a very cute suitcase was open, with little wedding favors inside.   I was positive my kids would be embarrassed if I gave one to myself. They will be happy to know, I was good.     While heading back out to the car, there on the ground… one of the favors !   So lonely and cute.  So I now have my own little mesh bag with a tea bag, sugar stick and tied with a pok dot ribbon to add to my collection. 

I do not like to pump gas, But I did it all by myself.   Picked out a pie to bring to lunch tomorrow and then one last stop at Bartell’s .  Tully’s coffee on sale. Home.  Many little chores waiting for me. Some things wait for you.

Goodnight to the patient

Darrell's Journey - starting May 17, 2013

Friday morning:  Our house guests had breakfast and were on their way to the conference in Kirkland    
 Darrell had gone to help a neighbor and I was icing my back on the sofa  ( re-injured
 Then the phone  rang, and it was Darrell

Wednesday )

“Hi,  I am in the Emergency room, I cut  my leg with the chain saw, and it’s pretty bad. 
(interpretation: very bad )
They have examined the injury and are waiting for the x-ray results.   I will give you a call when you can come and pick me up”

I asked him where  his pick up was.  Oh, he drove himself.  Only two miles, drove slow in case he fainted.
( interpretation: a miracle.  Stick shift, leg wrapped in dirty towel, very little blood loss.
We exchange a few phone calls.  I try to call all the kids except Anita  who has just left for Europe on a business/pleasure trip.  We will wait to tell her until Dad is home.

My friend Elaine arrives to take me and my salad to have lunch with friends in Seattle.  Elaine does not know how to get there. Tiffany says stay home.  Darrell says go.  Dale  to the rescue. He is in Bellevue and  heads over to Overlake to be with Darrell.
(interpretation:  another miracle of God’s timing.

So  I obey my husband and go to lunch, promising that we would all pray for the patient.
Darrell chats with Dale long enough to  get  Dale  enlisted in  picking up some  “work for Darrell to keep him busy while recuperating “
(Interpretation:  Darrell is not quite ready to  slow down and clear off his calendar.

On the way to Seattle, I get the call. Surgery at 6:30.
Wonderful luncheon. Yes, we prayed for the patient
Home for a massage.  Thank you Kristine, yes you hurt me, but I needed that.
Hospital pre op room –Tiffany and Sebastian have arrived with Damon
 Whole Foods dinner while we wait

         Dr. Nathe has reconnected   the MCL and  3 hamstring tendons. The severed nerve  was left alone. A small chip in the bone will heal itself. Countless stitches in the leg ( 5.5 inch  long gash ) and  then closing the skin . It is all wrapped up and in a long brace – keeping the leg straight for 6 weeks.  SIX WEEKS!

  10:00 Patient is back in his room.  Roger, Barb and Damon and me ,  we say our goodbyes. Nurses like                to visit every 30 minutes all night long. He is in good hands.  
   Our house guests are taking care of themselves and us.There  is nothing like the comfort of
         old friends. Good old friends
( Interpretation: miracle of God’s timing
                             Good night to a long day.

The flowers I bought at Trader Joe's for him and me . A long 6 weeks ahead.

A road trip.
          It is our 5th road trip with Rog and Barb...
We are heading south, hoping to get as far as Sausalito, California.
      

We have gotten as far as Long View where I ride the  carrousel.  Can you tell it is very wet. It has been raining cats and dogs, but I never turn down an opportunity to ride a horse.

    Cousins:   Bruce and Kristina Berney.

                               inside their very cozy home

                                                   In Astoria Washington.

The view from Ships Inn Restaurant

Kathy's Entree

This is day one

We leave our Seaside motel which is not your typical "comfort inn".

You might notice that the  NO is blocked with a piece of cardboard, but the "office" closes at 9:00 and there is no welcome mat for visitors.    You might notice the table with set with a full ashtray and fading flowers.       There is no  breakfast so we head into town.

The place to stop is Pig and Pancake.   and you can see why. Very yummy. And right across the street is the local carousel.  Once again, I take a ride on a white horse. 

After Seaside it is Tillamook. 

      and the line is long for ice cream cones.  Many flavors. Very good.

               Just pausing for a few laughs before we are off to Coos Bay

 Super good salad

               super good desserts

                     Super good service in a newly painted Italian Restaurant Benetti's
Tonight we stay in a very pleasant motel with a welcoming lobby. TV. computer and eager to help staff.          There is plenty of room for a project  and asked Rose if she had a pair of scissors I could borrow.    She came right out to make sure we were not cutting the pillows ( for real )
I assured her I was trimming photos of my grandchildren and I immediately introduced her to them. She them informed us that she did not have any grandkids .Just one son who was not married but had a girlfriend for 6 years and then they broke up but he only missed the daughter of his girlfriend because it was a bad relationship.   ( there was more, but enough is enough )
It is almost midnight, but we are just getting to the good part of a fun movie ( we missed the title, so we can't share that part )  There are so many ads, but we wanted to see the  end. By the final scenes we were laughing  so hard       1,  we had tears coming down our cheeks
                                                 2.  Rose at the front desk woke up and was on hand to say good night.
It is now one in the morning and Barb and I want to take advantage of the "spa bath". We are not sure what time the light went out, but we slept good.
This is the end of Day Two.

At this point I am not able to use the keyboard on my Ipad  ( I think when I get home I will take a course in ipad 101 ).
Did I say it was raining?  It is pouring.
The only complaint is from Roger
He was complaining about the shampoo.  Barb asked why?   "because it made my hair so slippery, it slipped right off the pillow "    Yes, his hair that is 1/16 inch long.  What a bother.
He is serious but we are all laughing  by now.
 Treasures:  candy, mug, place mats, surprise for Damon.

We are off to Myrtle wood forest  and

   elk.   Lots of elk, but they are all resting.

      and now we are on the road to Eureka

                             Dinner with our good friends Tim and Doreen and Haley

                         and Tim and Reada.    Very happy to get acquainted with this young family.
She is a pampered Chef Manager and shared some of her goodies with us
    AND  - figured out why my ipad  keyboard was not working.  Fixed !
Tonight is another good motel with a friendly guy in the lobby. We can stay until 11:00.  

It is now Day Four - Monday.  We leave Eureka and the sun is shining
                         before we get out of town we visit the local auto dealer

The hours for the carousel are 12:00 to 4:00 and it is free.  But it is 10:00 so I am content with a photo.


The   Red Wood Forrest..

Yes,, there are huge trees.  Hundreds.  Tall trees and blue sky.
We go into the city to spend the night in Santa Rosa.   It is Monday night and most of the shops are closed.   But we find a nice little place to eat.

The food sort of made up for the loss of shopping time, but not for the accommodations we found.
It was called America's Best Value. that should have told us a little something.
Like no cozy lobby to gather when the guys go to bed. Well, there is a little bench and permission to stay until 10:00. No TV, but we can hear the managers TV behind the locked door. Then there are two coffee makers. But they are empty. No, they do not have coffee at night.  and no coffee pot in our room.
Never, ever have we staying in a room without a coffee pot.
But, my dear husband worked hard to find a nice place not too far from San Francisco and there are clean sheet on the bed and two bars of soap.

The little breakfast bar. The little buns. The little bench.

So far I have written post cards to all my BSF ladies. Here is the truth.
On many trips I have purchased post cards and then i carry them home and never send them.  So this time, I brought the post cards with me and even though most of them were from places we are not going on this trip, they are pretty. And I tell the ladies the truth, they are old cards with new message: thinking of you.

P.S.   one more thing.  Barb and I decided to make the most of the little bench in the little office. As I said we could hear the TV from the adjoining managers apartment. WELL, we can hear a few other things. They must have had a big spicy dinner. Need  I say more.  Barb says when we go back to our room we should pass in front of the motion detector a few times, just to say goodnight.

Day Five is a very big day  - we go from Santa Rosa, to Sausalito, to San  Francisco and then back north to Mill Valley.

First stop the local Ace Hardware.  Never have we seen such a huge and fun Ace Hardware. And would you believe, Barb found a perfect shower curtain.   One of three items she has been looking for for months ( since last May ).  

Next stop:  A fun looking shop with the door blocked and a sign "closed for inventory"
Barb poked her head around the corner and says hello.  a kind lady comes to the door and Barb tells her we have come all the way from Seattle and the kind lady lets us in.
An hour later we leave with some treasures.  While paying for my purchase Mary says the "g" word and I am so glad I had an updated set of pictures right in my handbag ( especially to show our relatives in Astoria and St. Helena )  Mary said the "A" word and I had to agree, my grandkis are adorable.

It is time to be on our way to our next destination, Sausalito.

The Big Warf

Did I mention that we got ice cream at the same place we got ice cream in Maui

                                                   Yes, this is Lamperts
                                                       

                                                          just leaving Sausalito

                                                  One more ice cream cone. But this one is  free,
                                          all day they are giving away Ben and Jerry's ice cream

                                                Things you might never see at home

                                                 People you would like to see at home

                                                   with food you would like to see at home

                                               Seafood and much much more

A brief encounter with Steve and Mimi

                                             And this ends a very long and special day.
At a motel with two balconies, TV, microwave, frig, desk 4 chairs and yes two big beds. 

Very special day, in more ways than one/ Day 6

The Presentation

 The menu

                                                        Voila ! The most delicious dessert so far

The upstairs at " Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen"

added as we leave, the outside seating.  Beautiful day!

We are on an interesting road that leads to a "thrilling" adventure . The highway to Cousin Elfrieda's is pretty scary. When we left "Cindy's" we had 20 miles to go. It took about an hour and a half.

 We are happily greeted by Cousin Elfrieda King. Her mother and Darrell's dad are 1st cousins.

We head down the path to her mobile home where she has lived for many years.

We continue down a path on this 80 acre estate along a river.  At the end of the path is a meadow and a chapel where we are each given a small New Testament and sing her quest book.

Cousin Elfrieda tells us a little of her story:  When she was 17, the lady across the street died, leaving her husband and a small child. within two weeks, the husband asked her out on a date. Before she turns 18 they are married and live happily ever after....for 69 years. He passed away last year.

Their only son died of a brain tumor. they also have a daughter and she is in very poor health, but lives close, along with her husband.   There are two grandchildren and they live close too.

A beautiful area, but we cannot stay forever.

                                     Now if I only knew why these pictures are at the bottom, when they should be at the top of this page.   But, I am too lazy to redo this. 
                                                          You get the picture!

We leave Mill Valley and stop at an amazing park.
The highlights are many, but will post a few

   One of our favorite...jewels handing from the branches and catching the sunlight.

Clear lake, lily pads and blue skies  

           Making a wish....

After a long walk it is time for a little rest...I mean a BIG rest !