TIME MOVES ON WHETHER WE DO OR NOT
January 16, 2013
It is hard to believe we have been home from Yosemite since mid August and I am just now getting around to writing even a few lines. We have been enjoying life in San Diego with each other and extended family. We share meals just because, celebrate birthdays and other events and realize how lucky we and the rest of our family are to basically be in good health.
First thing on the agenda really was a trip for Paul to MD to see his sister and from there to Ohio to see his brother. It was a good trip for him and we are glad he went as he lost his sister on Thanksgiving.
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| Paul, his sis and a 91 year old cousin who had just won a tennis tournament. |
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Halloween is a much bigger holiday then when we kids. Used to be the school carnivals, homemade costumes and maybe if you were lucky you got to bring home a goldfish!
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| Halloween at our house |
Thanksgiving gave us a lot of one of our favorite foods . . .turkey and dressing. Mike did the honors of cooking, we did the honor of eating!
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| Pirate quilt for our favorite pirate |
Christmas came with two more turkeys cooked here and a third one done the Tuesday after Christmas when Robiin was home from her Nutcracker Tour to Billings. Unlike years ago I did very little sewing. One pirate themed quilt for the favorite pirate around here. We had a wonderful time here at home and as with most ate too many goodies. Enjoyed them every one needless to say. A total of 22 family and extended family met at Robin and Mike's for dinner and White Elephant exchange. Dolores and I enjoyed being on the ''other'' side of the counter and letting the 'youngsters' take over most of the work.
We both have our computers and time and space and each spends time doing the usual for us. Paul does stocks and reads news. I check out e-mail, news, Twitter, Facebook and find it hard to remember life before computers. I often walk early mornings around our blocks and through Kate Sessions Park. Paul sometimes walks through the park or goes to the beach and walks.
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| Sunrise from Kate Sessions with Mission Bay |
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| Christmas 2012 at our house |
View from OB Pier where we eat breakfast
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| Christmas at Ocean Beach with Beach Balls for ornaments. |
Reading takes up a lot of time and this pretty much tells it like it is.
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| My philosophy about life as a retiree |
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| Four Tarts and one Lawyer |
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The TARTS are a unique group and as "therapy groups" go, this is one of the best and we go home refreshed after multiple discussions about any and everything. We discuss everything from current ailments, the weather, animals and care, politics, death & dying, books, etc. No subject is taboo and we may not always agree but we remain friends and get new and/or different viewpoints on lots of things.
We wish all of you the best possible 2013 and look forward to contacts in all forms as the year progresses.
I think Gandhi has it right!!
HOME IN SAN DIEGO
HAPPY END OF SUMMER AND BEGINNING OF FALL
Season 20 in Yosemite has ended . . .a bit sooner than planned due to some changes we felt could cause health issues which had nothing to do with Hantavirus. Letters have been written on our part and only time will tell if they help make the park re-evaluate the changes. All else went well and we had the usual good time with friends, both old and new. We were absolutely surprised by the 'award' done by son in law Mike and friend MaryJane. Recognition of our 20 seasons signed by volunteers and others. Weather remained pretty warm with no rain most of the summer. As we were getting ready to leave the clouds were beginning to come.
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| Great friends and visits. |
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| Dawn & Paul July 1012 |
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| Summer Thunderheads in Yosemite |
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| Rainbow during our 3 hour wait! |
A good trip home and two weeks later we were on the road again (550 miles) towards Lake Tahoe for our second week. Almost perfect weather except for the 3 hour wait due to a mudslide which had covered the road. We could see where it was but nary a drop of rain did we feel or go through. Made us glad to have a Kindle which could read to us while we waited. Thought I do NOT like the robot who reads.
Finally all the camping gear is stashed and the camp smell is about gone. Now to get on with sewing, knitting and some of the other fun stuff. Paul took a weekend 'cabin camping' trip with daughter, son in law and great grandson. Had a great time and met a woman there, who had actually lived in the same building at the same time, in China, as he and his family did. They had never really known each other as she was 3 and he 18 at the time. But it still shows what a small world we live in.
I knit while TV is on, have read several books with more in the wings. Some on the Kindle, some from the rental and new section at the library. I had read some e-books from library and now am working on Audio books which can be downloaded to the Ipod Touch as well as the MacBook Air. The wonders of modern technology. Paul just finished one he really liked called THE PIANO TUNER.
My TACO TARTS group and I meet on Thursday for lunch, book exchange and talk therapy. It is nice to know that we can have differences of opinion whether it is religion, politics or whatever and can laugh and remain friends. We are walking examples of friendships making for healthier people. It works for us.
Yuri started Kindergarten and will turn 6 in December. Dolores has a birthday this month and Paul will turn 91 next. We should all be in as good health as he is. I have started walking or riding the exercise bike again. Paul behaves like he is the energy bunny with a swim first thing in the morning, a couple walks during the day and a ride on the exercise bike in the evening.
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| August Sunrise at Kate Sessions |
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| The Fleet is in! | | | | |
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Yuri is definitely pirate oriented and has made several trips to Lego Land and from time to time I walk through our living room and see the results of he and Kathy. I am not sure if this is a 'bonding' experience or 'all these little parts are going to drive her crazy'!
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| 1812 Overture complete with firework and cannons! |
Another fun activity was all of us going to downtown San Diego to see the last SAN DIEGO SUMMER POPS event for 2012. Held outdoors and with bleacher seats we could watch the lights of the city come on, the bay, the program and the fireworks and cannons at the finale. An interesting comment from the conductor is that the Symphony has had a balanced budget for the last 14 years which in this day and age is unusual.
Now comes the beginning of the holiday season as Robin begins NUTCRACKER auditions and plans for shows both here and on tour. Paul leaves for MD on 22nd to meet up with is sister and then they will go on to see the remaining brother. I opted out and will hope to see my boys and brother and family towards the end of the year or early 2013.
Ranch And Coast Magazine
Recently Voted
San Diego Ballet
“2012 Best Dance Organization of San Diego”
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| NUTCRACKER |
JULY 23, 2012
Our R & R vacation from Yosemite early in July found us spending most days under a tree near the beach, yet in the shade at San Harbor. Several things always impress me when we are there. One is the ease with which the security/lifeguards handle most issues making it a great and safe place for families to spend time. I am not sure I ever saw a family with little kids who did not put them in life jackets or floaties of some kind AFTER coating them well with sunscreen. No fires . .no glass on the beach and not once in an entire week did people walk on our blanket or violate our small section where we had set up chairs. You dodged an occasional frisbee or nerf type ball but always with apologies and laughter. It was fun to watch the interaction of babies and toddlers and the activity in the water itself.
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| Washington's Column across from Half Dome |
Coming back to the park we found we had missed the really high temps. However we had similar at Tahoe. Now we are back to 100 or close to it again but with gorgeous clouds as you can see. Our water continues to get lower and lower in the park and in Tuolumne and Wawona water saving measures are in place. Not here yet but the commercial rafts are being loaded on a truck, as I type, for storage. They took them out a few days ago which was close to the time they went in last season. What a difference a year makes.
These two photos of Yosemite Falls were taken about the same time of year. The other one was a day or two ago.
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| Yosemite Falls summer 2012 |
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| Yosemite Falls summer 2011 |
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| Evening Primrose near Curry Village |
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| Showy Milkweed with Monarch |
One thing I am finding fun to do is experiment with the camera on Paul's IPOD TOUCH. I find it takes fairly decent scenery photos (the clouds and mountains above) and does quite well for macro as you can see from the flower ones, which were taken within the past week.
Parties begin to head us towards the end of summer. Students head back to school and our July Conservancy Group is about to have recognition dinner of pizza and other goodies, after which July people leave and August ones arrive.
Our own 20th season will end with a last week at Lake Tahoe beginning August 17th and ending August 24th. August 16th means a lot of sorting and weeding and deciding what to take and what to donate or toss. You would think that after 20 years the system would be the same but what you brought has morphed into what you have already given/traded/thrown/accumulated so the logistics tend to be a bit different when packing the van.
Fortunately for most of us the negatives will tend to fade to the background and the positives will surface. It is not all 'rose colored' glasses but enough is, that we have returned for 20 years, still in the tents, which may not be the record but we think it could be. Plans are for year 21 to begin June 2013.
HAPPY REST OF SUMMER TO ALL OF YOU
PAUL & DAWN
WEDNESDAY MAY 9, 2012
I am beginning to look and feel like this chicken and have not had a drop . . .unless you count some wonderfully strong coffee!
"The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things: Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--" and so it is here. Finding all the ingredients to overfill the van (Paul's yearly comment) and have enough to wear, sleep in, cover up with in times of rain, smear on in times of heat, wear in the river and above all enough to read.
We are now here in the progress. Storage in garage. .storage in closet and I think it is all there . . .SOMEWHERE! My job if I choose to accept it . ..is to find it. Wanna help?
I don't know how some of you get ready to go to the park, but it probably takes as much time, effort and thought for a one month volunteer stint as it does for our 3-5 months over the last 20 seasons. You just need more 'stuff'. Those of you who have significant others knows it takes more for us females than the males. More lotions and potions . . .more books . . .more clothes. Modern life also includes electronic gadgets, batteries and a multitude of cables and chargers. I have lived for years hoping they will come up with a small pill you can take that will repel mosquitoes and protect from the sun. Now I want another 'small' item. A cable that fits and charges all the electronics from our Ipads, mp3 players, Kindle and computers.
Driving is different. I love our Saturn ion to drive around town and to Laughlin and this year to Aneheim but our stuff by MY standards would not all fit in it. By Paul's it probably would. However we can sleep in the van in case of an emergency. However the emergency better be on the way to the park. Else we would be picked up for littering when we had to take it all out so we could sleep.
On that note I am back to behaving like the chicken at the top while pulling it all together so we can see all of our Yosemite friends and family next Tuesday. Save a place at the table for dinner at Curry!
WHERE DID FALL AND WINTER GO!!
April 24, 2012
When we were young we often heard our 'elders' say "Where does the time go?". Time has passed and we are now the elders with the same question. I remember someone saying "what goes around. . .comes around" and sure enough it has. A whole 'nother years worth!
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| This was what Lower Pines 63 looked like until July last season. |
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| Ideal looking but only when we are not there does it look like this. |
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As I start to bring this a bit more up to date we begin hearing from friends in Yosemite and environs who wander are we really going to do another season in the park and the answer is YES!! For us it will be our 20th season and in the same accommodations. Changed them as the nylon and zippers wear out but the same basic structure which means one room for us with a roof over our head with the hope there will not be enough rain and/or snow to cave them in (which it actually did one year) or enough wind to blow them away. We also have a 'garage tent' for stuff or occasional guest who doesn't come with a tent and doesn't mind sleeping on a a slope. It would appear that my research for pontoons (after last year) will not be needed this season. The sad thing about this time of year as we prepare is the loss of some who will not be there due to health, death or other activities.
Even family is beginning to ask have we started to pack yet. The answer is not really. However in my mind, what there is of it, things are beginning to fall into place and since it is only about three weeks away, all that is in there should not fall out before van is loaded and ready.
Our time has been happily spent at home. I passed on my annual Laughlin trip but will do it in the fall. Instead MaryJane and I answered a GIRLS ONLY call to Disneyland and spent three truly relaxing and fun filled days in beautiful weather. if any of you reading this have a chance to go, be sure and ride SOARING CALIFORNIA. it is unique and beautiful and you feel you are there, including the hang glider ride in Yosemite.
Reading has taken up a lot of time. Magazines, books and I do love my Kindle Touch. I also love the new MacBook Air which Paul gave me as a combined birthday, Christmas and whatever gift. Each of my devices has an app for Kindle and Nook so I should never be caught without a book. At present I am getting a couple books on CD from the local library and hoping I can convert to mp3 format to use as we travel. Paul reads mostly magazines and recently completed two excellent books by the astronauts.
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| You are looking across the channel towards North Island Navel Base |
We have celebrated several family birthdays together and frequently have family meals just because. It is quality time for all of us. Dinners here for one dau and family who live upstairs, on Thursday night. Lunches and errands on Thursday with my girlfriends, where we eat and catch up on news and views, exchange books and share lots of laughter. Easter was our usual Shelter Island Gig with son in law Mike's family and extended family. A surgery for me and for Dolores, from which we have each recovered. Paul's health continues to amaze us all.
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| Great Grandsons having fun with | Legos |
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| Sunrise from Kate Sessions park where I walk |
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| Dawn & Mary Jane at Disneyland |
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| Bees had a good start on a hive in one of the flower boxes waiting to be set up upstairs. | They did leave fortunately. |
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| A later in the day view overlooking Mission Bay from Kate Sessions Park. |
Movies from NetFlix are entertainment when TV is not all that great. Exercise by walking, exercise bike, swimming, rebounder . . .some of which I can do and read at the same time. Paul walks slower than I but carries weights when he goes to the local park. I also found I can actually knit and ride the exercise bike but I prefer to read. He swims every morning in the backyard pool. Water now up to 75 from about 60!
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| Blues from BIG LOTS, Rainbows from e-bay |
with decision as to what to make yet to be made.
MERRY CHRISTMAS 2011 AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012
Never in my life did I figure I would be dealing with years that began 2000 anything and here we are into our 12th year of said years. Babies born today could see the same age as Paul and their years will be 2100.
We have had a good time since home but the time is really rushing by. One of the first pieces of news once home, was our winning ENDURING VOLUNTEER AWARD for Yosemite National Park. Certificates signed by our currently favorite superintendent Don Neubacher as well as one signed by President Obama and a gift certificate from the Yosemite Conservancy.
Hard to also realize is having our live upstairs great grandson Yuri, turn 5 on the 10th of December, Mariah turned 20 in July and Kegan turned 31 in April. Paul celebrated another milestone and the two of us made it our 22nd anniversary. I have six greats and 8 grandkids from my three progeny who live in in AZ. A trip to see my kids, AZ friends and Laughlin will be in the works before thinking about year 20 in the park.
Paul does lots of walking, swims in our pool, reads, tries to figure out the stocks and enjoys family. I read, knit, sew, do computer things (anyone who knows me well would say I am addicted and I would agree).
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| Kegan and Monica |
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| Headed for home after a day in the Yurt |
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| Lunch and Relaxation in Camp |
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| It has been years since mine were the first prints in the snow. |
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| We keep hanging in and celebrating at Laughlin |
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| Robin's programs are beautiful |
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| Would be fun to attend church at Christmas here. |
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| Two of the Readers at our house |
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| We all understand how we are mistaken for one another. |
Holidays are wonderful. Living in town we celebrate birthdays and whatever days with family. To me friendships and family are what really make the world go round. Sometimes faster than we are ready for but always there. My friends and family are in several states and for Paul and other husbands that is probably just as well or they would be driven to the funny farm faster than we are all already headed there. I miss these friends, especially at this time of year, when Jan and I used to sign up for sewing classes to get our Christmas gifts done. MaryJane and I compare notes via internet and others share ideas back and forth. Recipes, sewing, crafts, etc.
Along with the rest of the world we worry about the conditions throughout the world. Either better reporting or more actual negative events seem to have been in the headlines a good deal of the year. We have neither made any trips as of this writing, unless you count to and from various medical events. They seem to be ongoing among our friends as well as ourselves.
Entertainment here is mostly around the computers and e-readers. Paul had a Kindle and we both have apps on the Ipod Touch and on my birthday/anniversary/Christmas gift of a Mac Book Air. Thanks to E-mail, Facebook and phone calls we are able to stay in touch with friends and family far and wide.
We enjoy movies from Net Flix and I have actually gone to see a real movie . . .THE MUPPETS!! We celebrated Thanksgiving the Sunday before actual date so dau Robin could be with us before taking her ballet troupe on tour to MT. Shows there were good and sell outs. We saw it here a week ago and plan to see again at another venue.
