Round Two

If you haven't been following Sam's Facebook link, you don't know that he's made it as far as Payette, Idaho.  He's met some wonderful and generous people already who have housed and fed both him and his horses.  He's only been turned away once, so far!

After Sam's Milton-Freewater send-off, the Bearded One and I headed back towards Bellingham.  We stopped briefly in Yakima and drove by the old Whitaker homestead which was depressing to say the least.  The owners have let all the gardens that Betty so tenderly tended go completely to seed, the house looks run down and instead of using the multiple driveways for parking their vehicles, they have torn up the front yard and planted them there.  So, so sad.  I couldn't bear to take photos of it all, so nothing to share on that front.  I want to remember it in its glory.

Next we headed for Ellensburg to spend the night and visit with Stacia, one of Jessi's good friends from high school and one of our "adopted" daughters.  She is a youth director at the Chestnut Street Baptist church there and we wanted to worship with her on Sunday.  We arrived around dinner time on Saturday and took her out for dinner in her "new to her" car.  We were so thrilled to see her new wheels, a 2008 Subaru Forester.  To understand our joy, you would have to know that ever since high school she has had to drive beat up, broken down, barely running vehicles that would maybe/maybe not make it to wherever she had to go.  She's on a tiny salary and they were all she could afford.  Her wonderful church family took up a collection and provided her with the funds to purchase a working car... hallelujah!  

Sunday after church we continued west on I-90 and made a not-to-be missed stop in Cle Elum to visit the bakery and the meat shop.  Cle Elum bakery is the only place we've ever found that makes the Italian delicacy known as torchetti.  They are a light, crispy, slightly sweet treat that is  

the perfect accompaniment for coffee or tea.  We cleaned them out, but as you can see, there weren't many left!

Next it was on to Roslyn to get some lunch at Village Pizza which Stacia highly recommended.  We were not disappointed and it was obvious by the number of folks taking up space that it's a well-loved community hangout.  And for those of you who are "Northern Exposure"  fans,

I couldn't leave without sharing the iconic mural from the show's opening

We managed to take the wrong road out of Roslyn that went on and on and on for half a hour until we came to the sign that said "road closed".  Hmmm, don't you think they could have told us that at the start of the road?  That added an hour to our return trip but we finally made it home and now I'm back at work and you won't hear from me again for months.  :)

There and Back Again...

We spent my spring break making a circuitous route through parts of Oregon and Washington, visiting Jessi and Josh, working in her classroom and then venturing on to Milton-Freewater, OR, to participate in the send-off of Josh's Dad, Sam.  Sam is embarking on a 4-months+ long journey on horseback to the Atlantic Ocean, carrying both the American flag and his message about the Declaration of Independence and its implications for the future of America.  He's been preparing for this for over a year, and last Saturday was the departure date.  He's been training the two horses which he is using, one to ride, one to carry the special pack that he and a master saddle maker designed which is carrying his laptop, other electronic equipment and the solar panel which will power it all and, of course, his shelter, food, etc.  

All of Sam's family had gathered from all parts of the country to join with local friends to give Sam a great send-off.  The pastor from the Cowboy Church provided the blessing

and then Sam began packing up, and attaching the horses "hiking boots", in lieu of horseshoes

These will give the horses better protection on gravel and such.  The packs went on next:

Then it was time to head out!  He had a police escort and many friends who accompanied him to a local park and then he headed out solo from there

Sam anticipates that his horses can travel about 5 mph, so he's hoping to finish this trip by late August, but so far it's taking him a little longer than he thought.  If you want to follow Sam's journey you can do so on his Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/onenationride  He's already met some great folks who have extended hospitality to him  and he hopes to really experience the heartbeat of the melting pot of our country through its people.  

I was so impressed with the warmth, big-heartedness and generosity of Sam's friends in Milton-Freewater.  Rural America often gets a bad rap, being characterized as backwards and small-minded.  What I experienced were people who love each other, love their country, love God and are a little less distracted by pursuing the almighty dollar than their city-bred counterparts!  I'm so glad we made the effort to be a part of this adventure!  There's more to come, so stay tuned!

Father of Invention

My father-in-law is a jack-of-all-trades; he can repair, fix, build, invent most anything including electrical, electronic and plumbing projects.  So it was no surprise when he showed us his new battery-free hearing aids...way to go Wayne.  I think Shark Tank should be your next stop!

Happy Endings

Working with high school students has been one of the great joys of my life.  When I worked at the elementary level, I thought it was the best world ever...until I got too old to bend over those tiny little desks and chairs!  When I moved to a middle school, I discovered it  was not the minefield all had led me to believe.  For the most part I found the students friendly and engaging.  It was at a middle school that I first met Maria, a charming and bright Hispanic girl with a large heart and a beaming smile.  We discovered that we shared the same birthday and when I took her out for ice cream to celebrate, we began an enduring mentor/mentee relationship that, over the years, has provided both joy and despair!  

Maria's parents brought her here from Mexico, illegally, when she was just a toddler.  Somehow her parents managed to live under the radar until they were eligible for green cards, but they didn't have enough money to provide their children with cards.   When I moved to a job at the high school, I briefly lost touch with Maria until she showed up as a freshman here.  We picked up where we left off--me encouraging her, she working against tough odds to succeed.  She was working hard to do her best academically, even taking some AP classes which were quite a challenge for her...she never did take the AP tests.  I was hoping that when she graduated she would enter our local community college and continue her education.  I used every opportunity during our dinners or lunches out to encourage her along these lines.  At that time, children who had been brought to the USA by their parents illegally were not eligible for higher education.  Fortunately, that rule has been changed.  After graduation, Maria found a job and, unfortunately, began a relationship with a less-than-desirable young man which produced two children.  She struggled in the relationship, working hard to provide some semblance of normalcy for her kids.  Eventually she realized that her partner was not going to be the husband and father she had anticipated and she chose, wisely, to end that relationship.  She found good work here and eventually met and married a good man and together they moved to CA where he had been transferred.  Maria was finally able to get a visa and to enter a local community college. 

She called me today to tell me she just graduated on Monday...on the Dean's List--and that she is now working on a medical assistant certificate which she will complete in the next few weeks.  Her girls are excelling at their school and her marriage is thriving.  

Some butterflies just take longer to break out of their cocoons.

Well done, good and faithful vehicle...

Today marks the end of an era.  In 1984, just before Jessi was born, we purchased this 1981 Toyota Corolla from a local dentist.  Our only other vehicle was a Dodge Van with only two seats--driver and passenger.  Obviously that was not going to work with a new baby and carseat!  It's not your luxury model, just the basics:  5 speed, no air conditioning, nothing fancy, just reliability!

Jessi grew up in this car.  She was hauled to the pediatricians, parent/toddler classes, preschool, shopping, trips to Yakima and back and endless trips on weekends to wherever we all decided to adventure to.  Wally took over this car as "his" car when Jessi was about 13 or so.  He used it to drive back and forth to work, but we still used it for long trips.  For camping we put a carrier on the top and hauled our tent and paraphernalia with us.  

The odometer quit years ago, but we estimate is has over 300,000 miles on it.  Other "incidentals" have quit working over time:  the heater was perpetually on, the radio didn't work and the passenger side door wouldn't open so if Wally and I both rode in it, I played "Miss Daisy" and rode in the backseat.  But...it started up first time, every time, every day.  This despite the fact that the radiator leaked like a sieve requiring Wally to fill it with water every morning to get to work and every afternoon to get home.  But it still started; indeed, last year when the battery on my car gave out, his car jump started mine!  The radiator has quit holding water all together, so it's finally time to let it go to its perpetual rest.  We have donated it to World Vision who will come and pick it up with their flatbed.  They were supposed to come yesterday, but didn't make it.  Just as well, I was fighting back tears all evening anticipating watching it being hauled off.  Silly, I know, but it's been a part of our family for so long.  And I'm sad to see it go.

'Tis the Season

When Jessi was only a few years old, we purchased this Nativity set from Sears.  We wanted something that was inexpensive and that she could "play with" and set up and which could be kept in a prominent place that would not require any "don't touch that" responses from us.  It's been 25+ years and it's still in good shape.  The palm trees were given to us by Wally's Mom, Betty, and they are the perfect addition, lending an authentic desert touch.

Since then I've found a few other Nativity scenes that I've added to my "collection".  It's hard to find good ones that don't cost a fortune or aren't too big to display in a smallish house.  This was the next one I found and I don't remember where we got it.  But I like it's simplicty.

This is one of my favorites.  It was made by my dear friend, Jill, and was a Christmas gift about 10 years ago.

I had another one that I loved that Jessi made out of Fimo when she was in middle school, but she's taken that with her...  :)

This one is the most unique ones I've ever seen.  We purchased it at an import store, it's made out of stone and I can't even imagine how the crafter managed to get so much implied detail out of such a tiny object.  It measures only 1/2" by 1/2".  

If I had the ability to travel, it would be fun to collect different Nativity sets from different countries because each would come with its own cultural influence!  I love this season and all the varied ways we can keep in the forefront of our minds the reason for celebrating it!

Man vs. Squirrel

After a few modifications (due to high winds) I'm happy to report that the score for the feeder remodel is now Wally 1 - Squirrel 0 !