My dream

This is my first attempt at a crocheted oval rag rug.  Good enough to wipe our feet on when we come in the door.  Finally found something to use up the old sheets and towels.

I have a recurring dream about something that has troubled me for at least three years.  For four summers Bill and I went to a gold prospecting camp in Alaska.  It was pretty primitive, and cost us a bit of time and money, but we enjoyed ourselves (totally).  We had to pay close to a thousand dollars each, and pay for our own airfare, and we were there for seven weeks.  That meant finding someone to stay with our dogs and garden, but we managed.

We worked to make the paying participants as comfortable as possible, and help them find gold.  Bill worked on the beach, and I cleaned the washrooms and cabins.  In my free time I took pictures of wildflowers, and animals that wandered past.  (Fox, muskox, moose, cariboo, and rarely a bear.)  The facilities were primitive, but we loved it!

Then...out of the blue, we got a letter saying that our services were no longer needed.  They had changed how they were running the camp, and they didn't need as many workers anymore...we didn't make the cut.

I cried for months, but figured that maybe the next summer we would get to go back.  I wrote and asked for work applications, and never heard a thing.  Friends who were still going up there had no idea why we hadn't been selected, and told us that there had been no bad things said about us.

I have requested an explanation from the directors of the camp several times: Did we do something wrong?  Were there complaints from anyone?  Can we do anything to correct things? I have never received an answer.  It's almost like talking to a brick wall.

One of my friends from the camp notified me that she missed us and asked us to try to apply again.  She sent me a copy of the application that she had received, and said to fill it out and send it in. 

In my dream, I  am   confronting the camp manager and asking him why we can't work there anymore, and he ignores me.  It is as if I'm invisible, and aren't there. Sometimes we are at the camp, but sometimes were at a meeting in a convention center.  I always wake up frustrated and angry.  Not having answers to my questions and not knowing WHY.

I'm sure that we won't be going to the camp again this summer, because there is a reason we haven't been asked back...I just don't know what it is.

'Til later....

Family History

 

 Remember back last September when I was complaining about the work I had ahead of me with the family pictures?

This weekend my three cousins, two sisters-in-laws and sister all joined me to get it all sorted. 

We divided them into the Sheffer side (my Mother's) and the Lund side (my Dad's).  We scanned them into my computer and everybody got to take a thumb drive home with them.  It took us three days to get it accomplished, but it was very rewarding.

Claire brought all the notes that her brother (now deceased) had made while doing the geneology for the Sheffer family.  Included was a journal from our great-great grandfather when he was doing missionary work for the Mormon Church.  He traveled all around California and helped found the town of Port Townsend, Washington.  What a great find.

It sounded like we were having a religous experience with all the "OH MY GOD"s we were exclaiming.  Poor Jan kept appealing to the heavens whenever she came upon an old photo with no name:  "Please tell me who you are!!"

Altogether, we had a blast!

'Til later...

  


 

Merry Christmas

Yesterday was the big annual Christmas Eve Party in Creston.  The whole town meets in front of the post office with tables of snacks, grilled sausages, coffee cooked over an open campfire, and goodwill.  Santa arrives at 11:00 am and gives out gifts to all the little kids.  As you can see, Haley wanted NOTHING to do with that strange man in the red suit, but she did tell him thank you for the little stuffed animal.

Today Ben, Jamie, Haley and Doris joined us for a dinner.  Santa had brought a battery powered tricycle for Haley, and she didn't even hesitate.  She climbed right on and took off. Nothing hesitant about that kid.

We enjoyed the day, and hope that everybody else did too.

Have a very Merry Christmas, everyone!!!!

'Til later....

Agatha Raisin

Today I finished a series of books called The Agatha Raisin Mysteries by M.C. Beaton.  Agatha is a middle aged retired public relations executive in Great Britan.  She stumbles into murder and mayhem, and generally causes a lot of problems for the local police. 

I love her because she has no idea how bossy, opinionated, abrasive and self absorbed she is.  Every time a handsome male comes into the picture, she makes a fool of herself trying to capture him.  She has a group of friends who are fully aware of her faults and like her anyway. 

Each book has twists and turns until she finally figures out "who done it".  There are twenty three books so far, and I'm waiting for more.  They are very light reading and only take about a day to get through; full of humor and fun.

'Til later...

November 23, 2012

Well, the Christmas Season is upon us again...is everybody ready???

Me either.  I've taken up bell ringing for the Salvation Army again, and have already had someone complain that I'm being too loud.  I think it's gonna be a long season.  .

Yesterday Bill and I joined Doris at her Grand-daughter's home for a Thanksgiving meal.  Richard and Sara were great hosts; Richard did the cooking  and it was yummy.  Debbie and Les joined us there, but Ben and Jamie were spending the day with her parents.

The only problem with eating dinner at someone elses home, is that there are no leftovers, so I'm cooking a turkey dinner on Sunday.  Ben and Jamie will be joining us at that time, and I will be able to enjoy a turkey snadwich on Monday.

This will be the third Christmas season that I will not be setting up my village.  I was thinking that I might go back to some of the older blogs and post pictures and tell the story again.  What does everybody think???

In the meantime, setting up the village takes too much room and there's nobody to admire it shen I'm done.  Maybe next year,,,Haley will be big enough to enjoy it then.

'Til later...

Yesterday we showed our tri-athlete Grandson how to do an "Old Foggie's triathlon".  We started out going to an historic site by visiting  the Mission San Diego.  From there, we went to a museum:  The Museum of Man.  After a quick snack we toured Old Town, and ended the afternoon inside a Cantina/ Sport's Bar watching the Giants stay alive in the playoffs.  Altogether, it was a very enjoyable day.

Today we will be taking the train back home.  We had a really fun time visiting JT and San Diego.  Hope to return again sometime and spend full days in Balboa Park at more museums and Old Town.

'Til later...

10/20/2012 San Diego

Yesterday we took the train to San Diego to visit with JT for the weekend.  The hotel that we are staying at is the same one that we used last January before departing for Hawaii.

When we woke up this morning there were two cruise ships docked across the street from us.  One of them was the Vaandam, the ship that Gary, Doris, Bill and I went on through the Panama Canal.  I tried to convince them that I owned part of that ship and that they should take me with them, but they wouldn't have any of it.  Seems they still want money for  trip.
JT met us at 7:00, and after having a breakfast, we
wandered  on up to Pala and the Pala Mine where we spent a few hours hunting for tourmalines.  We all had a good time, and some luck finding some pretty crystals.  Most of the stones we got were pink, but JT found a pretty good sized green one.

In the hills behind where we were playing, there were dirt bikes racing around.  We could see the bikes making some pretty impressive jumps.  Couldn't see where they were taking off from or where they were landing, but we got to see them flying through the air.

We left there around 2:00, and had a late lunch at an Indian Casino.  While there, I made a five dollar bill grow into a ten dollar bill at a penny machine.

We're pooped, so we are hitting the hay early.  Tomorrow:  Mission San Diego and a couple of museums.

'Til later...