It was foggy when I woke up this morning....I love fog. Well, I love it as long as I don't have to drive long distances in it or drive it in at night.

Fog changes the canvas of my world in such magical ways. Everything becomes muted, colors are softened, edges disappear, shadows are non-existent. It all becomes a dreamscape.

In the "olden days" Bellingham had a wonderful old foghorn mounted down at the harbor that would emit its deep bass tone to warn ships away from the jetties. I loved waking to that sound! I knew what it was going to look like outside even before I opened the curtains.

With the advent of the GPS, there is no longer the need for old technology and the foghorn no longer tolls its somber tune. I really miss it. At least the fog still rolls in.

End of the Season

The rains have set in. We can't complain, it has been a glorious fall full of color and sun. I finally got around to taking some pics of one of my favorite stands of trees. They line Boulevard Drive, one of the main routes into and out of town from the south. They are some of the last trees to turn color in the fall and they are so dramatic. I don't think the pics do them justice. Their bark is quite dark and the leaves are golden. I wanted to get a shot of them with the bay in the background, because the contrast with the grey/blue water is beautiful, but in order to do that I would have to stand in the middle of the road and the stream of constant traffic makes that impossible.

The Day After the Day Before

I hear from every corner the statement, "well, now there will be healing." As far as I know there is only one recipe for healing:

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

Now that our state has passed an intiative allowing people to take their own lives, we have covered all our bases: we can kill them before they are born and we can kill them when they get too old. I don't think this is "healing".

Gifts That Keep On Giving #1

A few years ago I was visiting Jess in Oregon and we spent an afternoon at Connie's home. Connie's family has basically "adopted" Jess. They take good care of her--lots of home-cooked meals! While I was visiting, Connie showed me her amazing quilting studio which was full of bolts and bolts and bolts of fabric...some of which was already quilted for a special project she and a friend were working on. I was ooohhhing and aaahhhing over one of the bolts of fabric, mentioning what a great vest it would make...I was already picturing it in my mind. Connie graciously cut off some yardage and gave it to me. And now the image in my mind is the image on the blog!

The fabric was prequilted and is a soft, suede-like material in a fawn color!

So, as if that weren't enough, today my friend Jill, from work, comes up to my office after her weekend in Port Orchard. I'm going to teach Jill how to knit and she decided to visit Debbie Macomber's new yarn store in PO. She brought me back treasures: one of Debbie's pattern books that ties into one of her novels and some gorgeous bamboo yarn from a woman who used to own a yarn store in B'ham and was selling her booty at the shop. Both the book and the yarn are signed by their creators...how cool is that?

End Of An Era?

When we first moved into our house on Vallette Street, Halloween was a huge event. Many of the houses on the 3-block stretch went all out with decorations. Our next door neighbor would spend a week before the 31st cleaning out his garage, covering all the walls with black plastic and setting up special lights and sound effects. It was one scary place. But to top it all off, on the appointed eve, he would sit out in his garage dressed as a scruffy "dummy". His mask was very detailed right down to the cigar stub hanging from his mouth. The bowl of candy was strategically placed on a table next to where he was sitting. Kids would enter the "cave" and just as they'd reach for the candy, he'd say "Hey, whattaya doin'?" Squeals of fright and laughter would ensue. His house was so popular that kids were "bussed" in to experience it, year after year. Even though they knew what was coming, they'd come back to do again and again!
As a result, our street had a carnival atmosphere. Large groups of kids and adults would be going house to house. We had such a great time seeing all the costumes and hearing about how scared they were by the neighbor! I'm guessing we'd have 150+ kids come by.

But last year an older "kid" decided to poke Russ with is sword and it took weeks for his face to heal, so that traditon is gone. This year we maybe had 20 kids come to our door. It seems that parents are afraid of neighborhoods--they all take their kids to the mall or to the stores downtown. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but this just does not seem like fun to me. I'm sorry that kids are not experiencing the fun of neighborhood trick or treating and I'm truly glad that Jess was born in the "good old days" when this practice was still considered safe.

"Free Time"

It's been a month since we've had a Saturday to ourselves! This morning I'm up early, preparing a sumptuous breakfast of sausage, vegies and fried eggs. Along with that I will have some delicious "French pressed" style coffee made with the handy dandy Aero Press coffee making system given to me on my 60th birthday!

Whenever we are in the Portland area, Mauri and Sherry Macy graciously allow us to stay in their lovely home. Mauri is a consummate coffee geek who roasts and grinds his own beans and then makes these to-die-for coffee concoctions that spoil me for any other for weeks afterward. So imagine my delight when I received this Aero Press coffee press last May from Mauri and Sherry. Now I can enjoy the special treat of REAL coffee on Saturday mornings. It has become a ritual of sorts! After making a cup I settle in with the paper, my current book, and the classical music station and I'm good to go until the bearded one arises from slumber.

Jess' first grade class on the playground!

"No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness, and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true educator should be to unlock that treasure." - Emma Golman

"They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are endless." ~ Mother Teresa

"The work can wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you do the work." ~ Patricia Clafford

These are some quotes that Jess had on her blog today that echo her philosophy of teaching. They were followed with some poignant, rich, soul-deep comments of her own. To say she is a "born teacher" doesn't even begin to describe the gifts she brings to her chosen profession. I take heart in the knowlege that she is using her passion for creativity and her compassionate heart to their fullest use as she attempts to bring out the inherent treasures that dwell in each of her students. I hope their parents know how blessed they are to have this young woman in their lives!