My Little Spud

Here are a couple of pictures from Wyoming- when we crossed into Idaho for a few minutes!

Big Spud and us with the Little Spud (and the drive-in movie marquee)

Spring Break! Spring Break!!!

We had an excellent trip to Colorado and Wyoming. We spent the first few days in Aurora/Denver with my Dad and his wife Patricia: catching up, helping clean out some old relics from my childhood and relaxing. Thanks to them for the warm welcome! We also went to visit my paternal grandparents and enjoyed seeing them as usual. It was nice that we could help out with some yard work.

We saw my sister and her family briefly before heading to Wyoming to visit Eunice and Maz. It was really fun to check out the Teton Valley and their new digs. Walking into snowy canyons, snowshoeing, snowboarding, talking, relaxing by the fireplace, watching the latest Bond (rrrr!) movie, hanging out with their friend Randy, playing instruments, snowmobiling. They live right on the border with Idaho, so we visited Driggs (where Maz works) and Victor (home of the giant screen/small theater at the Timber-Bar). Thanks to them for hosting us and showing us a good time!

Upon returning to Colorado we headed to my sister's in Erie to spend some quality time with her and her family (husband Clif and kids William, Helen and Emily). Except for a brief jaunt north to Fort Collins to visit our friend Em and her boyfriend Kirk (awesome mexican food and good times bowling!), we spent the weekend hanging with the family. It was great to get reacquainted with the game of tag (unfortunately we didn't get around to the hide-n-seek), pushing swings, watching them climb trees, watching cartoons, singing and dancing, sleeping (and jumping! oops!) on the inflatable mattress, drinking leprechaun juice on st pattys and so much more fun!
CD enjoyed hanging with his nephew and nieces and also with Clif: attempting to make cookies in the solar cooker and trimming the willow tree
It was great to spend a whole day with my big Sis, shopping and going to the movies (just like old times! :) Thanks to them for having us; we had a blast!

Now we're back home and back to getting organized- just in time for spring cleaning! Of course, we know that we only have a week before heading out again for a brief roadtrip to Seattle for a fabulous wedding and some friend reunions! yeah!

Maple Candy

That's what I have taken to calling the color we painted our living room. It's like dreams of sugar plums or something... either way, delicious and warm (welcoming?)

We really worked overtime to get the living done before our trip to Colorado and Wyoming. We leave tomorrow and I will be back on the 20th with cute pictures of my sister's kids and some raging fun with Eunice and Maz in Jackson (think snow!).

Now that the living room is done we're trying to get all our books on the shelves and some pictures on the walls. We need to get organized asap! Living with boxes around you is no fun- how I am supposed to break into dancing when a good song comes on the radio. Yep, I'm still listening to KEXP online.

What have we been doing?

Last Saturday, we headed to downtown Eureka for Arts Alive, the monthly celebration of arts and consumerism. It was fun: lots of people (usually downtown is pretty dead after 9pm), music (everyone knows how much i love to hear it live) and art.

Chinese take out (which is very unhealthy compared to sushi, see http://komexian.blogspot.com/) and our new membership to Netflix have kept us fed and entertained. Hope everyone out there is keeping warm, dry and healthy!

Red-Rum! Here's ...

Well, the paint job is at least done for the red room = guest room = office. We still have to put some moulding up, but that is not as pressing. We have already begun to move things into this room in order to free up some of the living room (we paint it next).

Today is a sunny day, so we ventured outside. CD mowed some of the lawn (as far as the cord will reach- don't worry, we're getting an extension cord for the electric mower or a push mower soon). I pulled up some of the blackberry bushes and felt overwhelmed by the mess that is the yard. It's going to take some work, but once we get it organized, it will be fun. I donned my new gardening gloves (thanks Kristen!) and CD is bringing home a shovel later today. Speaking of tools, we met our neighbor today. His name is Tim and he works at the Samoa pulp mill. He offered the use of his shop where he apparently has all the tools you could possibly need. We have observed him in the last couple of weeks welding something in his garage. You can see his barn through the window in the red room. I guess the color kind of matches!

In other news, my library card and driver's license came on the same day earlier this week (Thursday?) I drove to the library and obtained the next book for bookclub. I also checked out the local coffee shop and hung out there drinking coffee and reading. I hear they have a "stitch and bitch" crafty meeting every Sunday. Once I start knitting again I will have to take my projects down there and meet some other crafters. The yarn store near the house also has some group gatherings, although they seem more serious, but they do offer classes in weaving. How cool!

Last night we went to Arcata to check out a blue grass band that one of CD's students recommended. The little coffee shop was packed with students. It was really fun, the kids were dancing madly and the players were good. CD was particularly impressed with the banjo player; since his own banjo has been in its case for a couple of months now, he has missed playing it. I was excited that they covered the song "Helicopter" by M Ward. It's a great catchy tune that I hadn't heard in years.