If You Give a Mouse a Cookie ...

Here we go again ... one room leads to another! I have had the grandkids's room on my to-do list for several summers. It just never seemed to get done BUT this year with most of our upstairs rooms torn up ... hey, why not? The more the mess ... the merrier : )
As the kids are now both in school, it was time to put many of the Fisher-Price toys back in the attic and bring down more Legos and Matchbox cars. Not to fear ... I am investing in some girlie things too!
It all started when I found a trundle bed on Craigslist. The toddler bed was getting even too small for Calleigh and I really didn't want to invest in a bunkbed set. The idea of a trundle bed would work great for grown-up guests too, so the wheels started turning and plans were put in motion.
When we moved here 23 years ago this room was darling ... for a GIRL. We had 3 young boys so the girlie wallpaper needed to come down just 36 hours before we moved in. The previous owners had sanded the texture off the walls and we didn't have time to repair it. So ... flash forward several decades ... I wanted to do it right. The first step was to patch the walls from all the sports posters and pendants hung over the years ... hhmmm ... that was really most of the room! We bought a tool to texture the walls and put on a coat of fresh paint. Next we found new bedding and accessories and ... WOW! it feels much larger now with a new configuration!
We also filled the desk with new art supplies, drawing and watercolor tablets, fresh playdoh and even a set of Barbie paperdolls. The grandkids love creativity, art projects and all-things-imagination. Hoping they find that when they come to visit Grandma and Grandpa's house!
O.K. ... now that's off the summer to-do list. I feel a sense of accomplishment!

Summer Gatherings with Former Co-Workers

Summer is always a fun time to get together with former co-workers. As soon as school ended, I met the Templeton ladies at La Provence for a fun breakfast. We used to eat lunch together every day and have continued to meet off and on since. Two ladies still work there, one has retired and I'm in another bldg. I always enjoy a time to get caught up with these ladies.
In early July the Media Assts. gathered at Rosemary's house for a mid-morning brunch. Most of us never worked in the same bldg but had contact through meetings, phone and email. Our initial gatherings were to support one another through our frustration with our employer and the unemployment process. Now we've "healed" from that and moved on to other jobs, interests, or retirement and find joy in our current life adventures, what we're reading etc. You always leave this group uplifted.


And recently I had the opportunity to be with the Sherwood "Lunch Ladies." We were the trio that managed the middle school cafeteria. Donna is still there after 18 years and Mary retired a few years ago. Good memories ...
Always fun to gather with those you share history and good times.
This afternoon I got an early recall to return to work in August. I have missed my current co-workers and look forward to hearing how their summer went.
I have been truly blessed over the years to work with so many wonderful ladies!

Mt. Pines Adventure Golf

Several years ago the Matterhorn Village sold and the new owners updated many things, including an 18-hole miniature golf course. Last year we watched the construction on this site as we licked our delicious Mt. Huckleberry waffle cones.
Now, miniature golfing is right up there with playing Pinochle ... a least favorite activity but I wanted to give this a try and found that I was delightfully entertained with the course. It's so nice to have this new activity added to our camping experience ... fun and affordable!
If you're ever in this area, give it a try!

Hiking Determination

I love to hike and for the past ten years we have attempted the Chief Joseph Trail (at Wallowa Lake) several times but with each adventure we were turned back without reaching the top. The reason this trail is so difficult is due to the 2003 BC Creek bridge washout. The U.S. Forest Service has of yet to replace the bridge and many have accessed this trail near the falls by navigating over a "log" bridge. (Note: Crossing the waterfall is life threatening until late in the fall. Then it is extremely dangerous and the Wallowa Lake Lodge does not recommend crossing). Due to these conditions, the best access to the trail is to climb up above Section A ... and I mean CLIMB ... straight up. In some areas we had to walk on all fours grabbing tree limbs to pull ourselves up.
We set out on our journey at 7 a.m. and it took awhile just to reach the trail above Section A. After Walt directed us on the wrong trail we had to backtrack to the correct trail, losing time and energy. Hardly anyone uses this trail so it is overgrown, hard to follow and steep ... but the views are amazing.
We made it to the open meadow and started toward what I call the "Oz" forest. It's usually dense and dark and many times this is where we have turned back due to time or weather. I was shocked to see the devastation ... it looked like Mt. St. Helens ... greyed trees forced to the ground. The entire forest GONE. We tried to continue on the trail through the devastation but finally turned back due to a large tree blocking the path. It was disappointing to not reach the top again but we were hot, tired and wanted one last day at the lake.
The next day while packing up to head home we realized how sore we were from the hike! Not good for a packing/traveling home day!
My goal is to train for a hike to Aneroid next year for my 60th birthday. It has been 18 years since we tackled that trail and I want to see it one more time!

59 is Fine @ Terminal Gravity

What a fun evening celebrating the last year of my 50's at the Terminal Gravity Brewery in Enterprise. I love the setting in their outdoor "dining room" ... a quaint farm house with a stream running through the property ... lots of trees and beautiful plants. The food was delicious. I ordered a Rancher's Steak Pita Sandwich (red and yellow onion, red and green peppers marinated in a spicy oil then seared with tri-tip steak and served on a grilled pita with melted jack cheese) that was the best I've tasted. Nancy recreated the recipe after we returned home and it's one of the first things I will cook in my new kitchen.
The best part of the evening was the story behind the cake Michelle ordered. She made many calls to this eastern corner of Oregon looking for a bakery or someone who decorates cakes. After ordering one, Michelle made a "cake deal" in the parking lot in town! We enjoyed a good laugh when she told us the cake story. I was so touched by how much time and energy she invested in making sure I had a birthday cake while camping at Wallowa. Thanks again, Michelle!

A I On Tour

We were late-comers to American Idol, but since we started watching, we have been loyal fans. We love following the contestants ... their music styles and stories.
This year we had many favorites and Phillip was one of them. I liked his unique style and sound.
We joined Don, Paula and Tim for dinner and the Rose Garden concert celebrating Tim's graduation. What a fun evening ... great music! This year the top ten were very talented and it was fun to see how they have grown as performers. We always enjoy a fun evening with the Petersons no matter what the venue!

Backing Up a Bit ...

Donna is such an amazing party planner. She coordinated the perfect birthday celebration. Our evening started at Otto and Anita's Schnitzel House This is a place we have been talking about trying for quite a few years. The food was delicious and we had to try the dill pickle soup ... fabulous!
Our next destination: Timber's game at Jeld-Wen field against LA Galaxy. What a treat to see Beckham play.
We completed our evening with dessert at Pix Pâtisserie in Southeast Portland. It was close to midnight and the place was packed inside and out. While perusing the display case it was hard to make a decision on just one dessert. I ordered the Shazam! Rich and creamy caramel mousse, salted almonds, dense chocolate almond cake, and more caramel. It looked like a chocolate paper bag brimming with yummy goodness. They are moving to 22 and East Burnside if you ever want to experience dessert heaven : )
Thanks to Donna and Pierre for an extremely fun evening ... so many new and delicious experiences!

Moving Forward

It's been a month since I last posted and we have made drastic changes in our remodeling project. Despite taking a vacation and attending many social events we have managed to get to this point. Now it's time to dig in ...
install flooring
tile backsplash
beam, columns and molding up
have the electrical finished
... all the details before moving back in.
It has been a LONG eleven weeks but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm Type-A and it has been hard to live in chaos and dust for such a long period of time. I think it wouldn't bother me as much if I worked during the construction period, a chance to get away each day. I am so grateful we have been able to do this but, to be perfectly honest, it can wear on you after awhile. I am most looking forward to eating home cooked meals again : )
Tomorrow we start the flooring ... nice to be moving forward!

Decisions!

This afternoon I picked up a flooring sample to see how it looked with the kitchen. Love how it picked up the cinnamon in the cabinetry. Had to take pictures of it in the hallway and in the dining room. I wanted to see what it looked like in different lighting etc. I also included a photo of our delivered appliances. I am so ready to cook a tasty meal ... it's hard to remain patient with all these beauties in the room.

A Peek Through the Garden Gate

While we've been busy with the kitchen remodel we have also been trying to maintain the garden and yard. Yesterday Walt took a picture using the app AutoStitch Panorama. You can take several photos with your i-Phone and it stitches them together for a great panorama photo.
A few benefits of working in the yard/garden ... I can multi-task and listen to audiobooks at the same time. Makes time fly by and the work lighter! Also, I can get away from the chaos in the house. After 5 or 6 weeks of chaos ... it can start to make you a bit crazy : )

Coming Together

Things are really starting to come together in the kitchen. All the cabinetry is installed and the finishing touches are being added. What a huge difference the crown molding made. Each step makes a huge impact and I can only imagine what it will look like once we add the doors and pulls. The cupboards pictured will have glass fronts. It's hard to wait patiently ... I am so excited to hang them!
We are now down to making a final decision on flooring. We need to pick a lighter floor since we have so much dark cabinetry. We found one we liked at Lumber Liquidators but they were out of stock for 3-4 weeks and I'm not so sure we want hand-scraped finish. We decided to leave and give it some consideration. Later in the day we drove over to Stone Wood Outlet in Tigard. We are now considering 5-inch Acacia wood with a matte finish. It's a bit busy with various shades of wood so we are hoping to bring home a sample this evening to see how it looks with the entire "package."
This morning at 8 a.m. Lowe's made an unexpected delivery of our appliances. We only had room for the range and dishwasher so they will return later with our refrigerator. You can only imagine how exciting it is to see that shiny new REGULAR size range after cooking on a 27-inch drop-in for 23 years ... may it rest in peace! It makes this long awaited dream of a new kitchen a reality.
Measurements will be taken next week by Precision Countertops and they should be installed after Wallowa. It looks like we should be settled in our new kitchen before school starts! I am so looking forward to some home-cooked, nutritious meals again!

It's Starting to Look Like a Kitchen

Day Two of kitchen cabinetry installation. It makes the dream of a new kitchen more of a reality! Rick is doing a fabulous job and it's nice to see our drawings on paper come alive. I am especially impressed with all the lovely drawers waiting to be filled. Our old kitchen had such limited storage.
This stage of the remodel has been quite a workout. Walt and I moved a majority of the heavy cartons from the garage up two flights of stairs. Who needs a gym membership?!?!
As soon as we have all the lower cabinets in place, the granite guy will come in to take measurements. I think we'll have to wait 10-14 days for that install and then we will have the flooring, trim and details to complete this project. I don't see us settling in until mid-August or later. My only requested deadline for this remodel: I want to be moved in before heading back to work : )
I have been so grateful for each step in this process and for the amazing subcontractors and family who have joined us in this undertaking ...

It's Miller Time ... Paint

After selecting our paint colors at Miller Paint we started the next phase of our remodel. We picked out Weaver's Tool for the living room, hallway and entry and a Devine color, Chicken for the dining/kitchen area. Our first step was to prime the new ceiling and walls. While that was drying I started in the living room Sunday. Monday and Tuesday I moved down our long hallway, and yesterday I painted the entire kitchen and dining area. Some days I had a paint brush in hand for 8 hours. The one thing that has kept me motivated: listening to audiobooks. I listened to The Litigators by John Grisham and I am several disks into Death Benefit by Robin Cook. These books by two of my favorite authors made the painting process fly by.
I love the new colors and I am now in the process of cleaning shreetrock dust off of everything and putting our living room and hallway back in place. It will be nice to see a semblance of "order" before moving on to the next phase: installing cabinetry. This will reveal the reality of a new kitchen! We are moving closer to our goal!

Surviving in "Chaos"

Hard to believe but we are rapidly moving forward with our remodel. The sheetrockers have one more session and then we can prime and paint both rooms. At this point there is not one "sane" room in our home. Even the playroom for the grandkids has a toilet in the middle of their play space. They are quite intrigued with this and we teasingly made sure they knew it was not a working fixture : )
The home chaos was o.k. when I went to work each day but now that I am on summer break the entire house disorder can start to wear on you. I think once we clean up the sheetrock dust and put a few rooms back together life will be a bit more orderly. This has got to be the toughest part of the remodel. Things will really be moving forward from this point on!
One good thing about the chaos is that it has forced me to read, relax, putter in the garden and get out for a walk each day. There's nothing to organize and "busy" myself with inside our home.
Maybe you've experienced this ... it's kind of strange when you change a pattern in life. I can't tell you how many times I've carried groceries or mail up to put on the kitchen counter ... that is no longer there. I remember years ago we had to switch our kitchen garbage can and recycle bin when we put in a new sink. It took years to switch my brain to open the correct door. I hope I am not alone in this : )
Well, I'm off to look at paint samples ... so many choices!

Father's Day Giving and Receiving

This will always be a Father's Day to remember! The guys and gals decided to give Dad a hand with our construction project.
First we enjoyed a tasty lunch prepared and provided by the kids. Of course, as always, our meal included much fun and laughter ... great stories around the patio!


Toolbelts, gloves, crowbars, hammers and goggles soon equipped our construction crew and it wasn't long before they had the dining room sub floor torn up, the sheetrock installed between the kitchen and bath, and the vanity pulled out and removed -- blue tile and all : ) Even Calleigh lent a hand to pulling out the staples left behind from the floor demo.
I can't think of a better day to be with family and how much was accomplished. Thanks to all of you for providing us with great food, fun, support and "muscle" in moving this project forward. It was truly the best gift you could give Dad!
Hopefully you are not too sore today from such backbreaking hard labor!

Three Months ...

Oh, my! It's been three months since my last post. I bet you have been quite bored looking at that lemon cake every time you stop by : ) Life has been in the fast lane with work, our home, our calendar ...
Today was my last day of work until September. While driving home I felt a huge burden lifted --the skies are blue, the sun is shining. I am ready for summer break!
On the home front ... or what's left of it ... we are making progress on our remodel which now includes 3 rooms and a long hallway. Melney has nicknamed our project for us, "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie." It seems like one thing leads to another; one purchase leads to another bank transaction; one demolished area leads to another "brilliant" idea. It's like living one of those HGTV episodes ... while this is torn up we might as well do this and that! Craziness! But the end result will be so worth the time, energy, and $$$. Attempting this at our age should come with a warning: Consult physician before proceeding with heavy demolition. I am amazed at what I can do with a crowbar and hammer : )
Every thing is coming together. We have completed the plumber/mechanical and electrician portion of the project and we are now in the sheetrocking phase. Our cabinetry arrived this week and our garage is filled to the brim. Each phase takes time but it's hard not to get impatient to see the finished product.
You'll now be hearing more from me. As I unwind, I feel more like writing. It's good to feel like "me" again. : )

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Even though we've had morning snowflakes, this cake makes me long for spring. It also makes me think of my favorite vacation spot, Italy!
I found this new blog featuring Weight Watcher - Low Calorie recipes on LaaLoosh.com. I bought the ingredients Saturday night and baked it yesterday afternoon. It's just the right blend of sweet and sour, yummy glaze and the calories have been reduced from Ina Garten's recipe to allow yourself a "sweet treat" without the guilt. Check out this blog and find something delicious yet light on the scales.
I found Laa Loosh through ZipList, a great free shopping list and recipe box app for my iPhone. It's a great place to find new recipes. When you add it to your recipe box and decide to try it, a grocery list is created and it sorts it by the different depts. in your store. It's something I always have with me ... better than carrying a list and with items sorted it makes my shopping trip much quicker. I can also pull up a recipe from my recipe box wherever I go. Love this app! I'm also trying some new dinner entrees this week. I'll let you know my review.
Don't have a smart phone? You can still browse the great recipe selection online http://www.ziplist.com/recipes/search Give it a try and let me know what you think!
In the meantime, try this lemon cake. It's like a taste of spring!

A Taste of Peru

Sunday afternoon we celebrated Valentine's Day early with a meal at Andina Restaurant in The Pearl with Donna and Pierre. This was a new experience for all of us and the staff made us feel right at home. The menu was explained and "interpreted" along with sharing some great recommendations.
I love being adventurous in trying new things ... well, I have to admit that I was a bit timid about the octopus listed on the menu : )
Each dish served was a rich combination of tastes and aromas. From our beverage right down to the beautifully created desserts -you do not leave disappointed. We will definitely go back. The menu is full of an array of food and beverages waiting to be experienced. Check out this adventure of Peruvian cuisine and culture here. You'll be glad you did!

Delizioso!

Last week we enjoyed a Christmas gift treat. Tim and Rae gave us cooking classes at Sur la Table for Italian Family Favorites with Chef Ben Witten (thanks again!). This was a wonderful gift idea. Now I would like to take more classes. It's a great gift idea for empty-nesters and would be fun to take with family or a group of friends.
We worked in groups of four on a full Italian menu that included: Saffron Risotto, Sicilian Fennel Salad with Oranges and Arugula, Chicken Cacciatore, and Tiramisu for dessert. We also enjoyed bread with dipping oil, wine and brushetta. It was amazing!
Not only were we instructed in how to make these recipes but we learned about kitchen tools, ingredients and a few new ways to work in the kitchen. The bonus was the end product ... we got to enjoy the meal we prepared. Every recipe turned out so delicious but I was quite surprised to discover that I probably liked the fennel salad most of all. It's something I've been hesitant to try and it tasted amazing!
You have an opportunity to shop between prep and dining. Sur la Table includes a 10% discount for a week following class. I had a gift card (thanks, Brian and Michelle) and picked up several kitchen tools and accessories. You leave class with all of the recipes, a list of equipment and products used to prepare them.
Sur la Table has a calendar of classes available each month. Check it out at surlatable.com and grab a friend or family member to join you. We'd love to go again some time!
We still have a date night for an Italian dinner @ Bugatti's and a movie to look forward to ... thanks to Matt and Kathy. Oh, how I love Christmas gifts that keep on giving : )

What Have You Got to Lose?

Since I have been spotlighting intentional eating, I thought I would share my meal plan. Following my surgery I have been eating the same foods before and during work. I know these agree with me and are very filling. I recently read an article by Dr. Oz stating that people who eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch tend to lose and keep weight off. So, this has a dual bonus! Perhaps many could not do this due to boredom but I actually look forward to these meals every day.
Being intentional in this area of my life has made a few changes. My alarm now goes off at 5:20 a.m. and while putting my salad together I have my breakfast simmering. I keep all ingredients gathered together to enable my morning routine to go a little faster. Some items I have prepped, cooked, or packaged in advance.
Here's my eating plan breakdown:
Breakfast includes a Better n Eggs omlette filled with a mixture of precooked peppers, celery, onion, steamed sweet potatoes, 2 pieces of Canadian bacon and a slice of toast ... all for under 200 calories
Mid-morning snack: 24 almonds 163 calories
Lunch: Salad with tomato, cucumber, olives, shrimp, croutons and ranch light dressing, 3 Wasa crackers and a triangle of Laughing Cow or Sonoma Jack cheese. All for under 350 calories
Afternoon snack: After working out at the gym I enjoy Soy Energy Blend mix 1/4c. = 150 calories
I have been eating a variety of foods for dinner (no boredom there!)
Evening Snack: Sugar-free chocolate pudding 150 calories ... it's like having ice cream : )
This is the first time since my surgery eight years ago that my "symptoms" have calmed down! An added bonus ... I've dropped one pant size.
Give Dr. Oz's idea a try ... what do you have to lose?