Dateline: Seattle, WA
Santa came again on Christmas Day. We had a lovely snowy day, presents to share with each other, and a lazy day of doing nothing. We ate breakfast at 9, went back to our cabin and did nothing all day until dinner at 4:30. Very nice.
Somewhere in there we watched "Elf", which was fun. The key moment for Santa's sleigh to get enough Christmas Spirit to escape the dreaded, dark visored Park Police is for the Dad to join in singing "Santa's Coming To Town". Before that the kids, the crowd, the Mom had joined in, but the final ooomph so the sleigh could gain altitude was for the Dad to join in.
We also watched "Love, Actually" and it is simply a fantastic, well-written and played movie. It will be around for years with it's many variations on love and relationships played out in a season when relationships are renewed, tested, remembered, regretted...
The movie begins and ends in the airport scenes of families, friends, lovers, children and parents meeting or parting with heightened emotions. Once, when Seth was about 8 or 10 we all went to SeaTac airport because I was off somewhere on business. Kathy and Lauren were giving me hugs and all that when Seth came running up, through his arms out wide like a showman, and exclaimed with a large grin "It's a Kodak moment!" We love you Seth, and you are with us every Christmas.
On Wednesday we bid farewell to Sleeping Lady and headed back over Stevens Pass to Seattle. While gassing the car I had to knock great chunks of ice out of the wheel wells of the car. The trip back was uneventful. We did have to chain up to get over Stevens and the new chains I bought two years ago worked great. They are a "no need to lie in the muck" design and it worked fine. We stopped in Gold Bar for lunch at La Hacienda and then rolled on home.
I have worked Thursday and Friday in a very quiet office. I'm throwing old files away, cleaning up piles that accumulate, and making up to do lists for the new year.
Today is Saturday. Lauren will be off for Portland later today to hook up with her pals from Lewis & Clark and for New Year's Eve.
Best to all for 2008.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Dienstag, Christmas Day
Dateline: Leavenworth, WA
On Lauren's laptop from Sleeping Lady Resort. Snow is several feet deep outside our cabin. Weather has been great. Snowing all the way here on Sunday, but we made it over Stevens Pass without chains. Did have trouble with ice buildup on the windshield wipers and had to stop a couple of times to clean them. After checkin we drove to Leavenworth and walked around. The town is a Bavarian village and they decorate the trees and streets. In the main square there is a park which was full of kids sledding down short hills underneath brilliantly lit trees. Christmas music was playing over loudspeakers. The shops and sidewalks were packed. Kathy found an outdoor bar and we had gluhwein (sort of) while sitting under blue and white Hofbrau Haus umbrellas as the snow fell on us. There was a wood fire inside a steel firepit that we clustered around with other folks.
Meals are included as part of our stay at Sleeping Lady so we headed back to the dining hall. It is very good quality cafeteria style service. All of the tables and chairs are rustic wood construction. The dining room has high, pitched ceilings and exposed beam construction. After dinner, we went to our room to settle in.
All of the cars are parked in one lot and there is no driving to the various cabins and buildings. They are reached via paths that wander through the mature forest in which all the buildings sit. There are carts available, like the ones at marinas,which guests use to haul their luggage to their cabins. It took us a couple of trips since we brought a load of presents along with us.
our room is small. wooden floor, high pitched ceiling with a fan 12 feet above us, and a steep ladder leading to a small loft with a double bed. the main floor has a double bed and a single. we could have used a small table and chairs for jigsaw puzzle (Rockefeller Center Holiday) and cards, but we are making do. the entire main room has row of wooden pegs, for hanging clothes, mounted on a board running around the room about 5' above the floor.
On Christmas Eve we went cross country skiing right across the road from Sleeping Lady. So nice to not have to drive the car. A local group has an 8 kilometer groomed trail that winds back and forth over mainly flat terrain. There were a couple of hills to spice things up. We had a lovely sunny day. Blue skies, surrounding mountains covered with snow and trees, and almost no wind. It was fun, and a bit strenuous, but very aerobic and refreshing. Deep lungfuls of crisp, clean air! After a bit of resting at the room, we drove into Leavenworth.
We wanted to find a Christmas tree for our room and our efforts on first night had not been successful. Someone had told us to go find the Safeway so that was the first stop. Alas, the floral lady said they were all sold out. But wait...! Since it was 3 pm on Christmas Eve she deconstructed a holiday floral display and we had a 2' tall live baby pine tree! So, we bought the last tree in Leavenworth...whew!
Then we into the downtown center among all the shops to check out "Andreas' Kellar" a basement restaurant with a German menu. It was quite authentic with a wood panel interior, a woman playing holiday music on an accordian, and reasonably good German food. Kathy had Weisswurst and I had a Schnitzel sandwich. I drank a Spaten Pils beer from Munich. Sehr gut!
We took our little tree, Alfie, back to the room and trimmed it with decorations we have purchased the past two years in Germany. and then of course put presents around it. That left just enough time to go to the bar.
Just one cabin away from us is the Grotto. It's a cozy place with a fireplace and seating built in around the fire...almost like being in a cave. We sat a table by thfe window and played "Golf" a card game we learned from friends, Susie and Doug Bruce. No idea why it is called golf, but it is simple enough to play while having a glass of wine. So, we did that for a bit and then noticed everyone leaving the place. Time for the 7:30 seating at the dining hall for dinner. The food is quite good and we've all eaten way too much.
For instance, my Christmas Eve dinner was Lamb foreleg in a brown sauce, pear salad with red onions, risotto, and vanilla bread pudding with orange sauce. Kathy had filet of sole stuffed with crab.
After dinner we went next door to a theater and enjoyed a Christmas Eve celebration including a quite good brass ensemble playing religious and secular holiday music. There were a couple of scripture readings, a multi-media show about Christmas around the world, all of us sang Silent Night, and then we listed to Vince Gill and his daughter do a duet of "Let There Be Peace".
On Lauren's laptop from Sleeping Lady Resort. Snow is several feet deep outside our cabin. Weather has been great. Snowing all the way here on Sunday, but we made it over Stevens Pass without chains. Did have trouble with ice buildup on the windshield wipers and had to stop a couple of times to clean them. After checkin we drove to Leavenworth and walked around. The town is a Bavarian village and they decorate the trees and streets. In the main square there is a park which was full of kids sledding down short hills underneath brilliantly lit trees. Christmas music was playing over loudspeakers. The shops and sidewalks were packed. Kathy found an outdoor bar and we had gluhwein (sort of) while sitting under blue and white Hofbrau Haus umbrellas as the snow fell on us. There was a wood fire inside a steel firepit that we clustered around with other folks.
Meals are included as part of our stay at Sleeping Lady so we headed back to the dining hall. It is very good quality cafeteria style service. All of the tables and chairs are rustic wood construction. The dining room has high, pitched ceilings and exposed beam construction. After dinner, we went to our room to settle in.
All of the cars are parked in one lot and there is no driving to the various cabins and buildings. They are reached via paths that wander through the mature forest in which all the buildings sit. There are carts available, like the ones at marinas,which guests use to haul their luggage to their cabins. It took us a couple of trips since we brought a load of presents along with us.
our room is small. wooden floor, high pitched ceiling with a fan 12 feet above us, and a steep ladder leading to a small loft with a double bed. the main floor has a double bed and a single. we could have used a small table and chairs for jigsaw puzzle (Rockefeller Center Holiday) and cards, but we are making do. the entire main room has row of wooden pegs, for hanging clothes, mounted on a board running around the room about 5' above the floor.
On Christmas Eve we went cross country skiing right across the road from Sleeping Lady. So nice to not have to drive the car. A local group has an 8 kilometer groomed trail that winds back and forth over mainly flat terrain. There were a couple of hills to spice things up. We had a lovely sunny day. Blue skies, surrounding mountains covered with snow and trees, and almost no wind. It was fun, and a bit strenuous, but very aerobic and refreshing. Deep lungfuls of crisp, clean air! After a bit of resting at the room, we drove into Leavenworth.
We wanted to find a Christmas tree for our room and our efforts on first night had not been successful. Someone had told us to go find the Safeway so that was the first stop. Alas, the floral lady said they were all sold out. But wait...! Since it was 3 pm on Christmas Eve she deconstructed a holiday floral display and we had a 2' tall live baby pine tree! So, we bought the last tree in Leavenworth...whew!
Then we into the downtown center among all the shops to check out "Andreas' Kellar" a basement restaurant with a German menu. It was quite authentic with a wood panel interior, a woman playing holiday music on an accordian, and reasonably good German food. Kathy had Weisswurst and I had a Schnitzel sandwich. I drank a Spaten Pils beer from Munich. Sehr gut!
We took our little tree, Alfie, back to the room and trimmed it with decorations we have purchased the past two years in Germany. and then of course put presents around it. That left just enough time to go to the bar.
Just one cabin away from us is the Grotto. It's a cozy place with a fireplace and seating built in around the fire...almost like being in a cave. We sat a table by thfe window and played "Golf" a card game we learned from friends, Susie and Doug Bruce. No idea why it is called golf, but it is simple enough to play while having a glass of wine. So, we did that for a bit and then noticed everyone leaving the place. Time for the 7:30 seating at the dining hall for dinner. The food is quite good and we've all eaten way too much.
For instance, my Christmas Eve dinner was Lamb foreleg in a brown sauce, pear salad with red onions, risotto, and vanilla bread pudding with orange sauce. Kathy had filet of sole stuffed with crab.
After dinner we went next door to a theater and enjoyed a Christmas Eve celebration including a quite good brass ensemble playing religious and secular holiday music. There were a couple of scripture readings, a multi-media show about Christmas around the world, all of us sang Silent Night, and then we listed to Vince Gill and his daughter do a duet of "Let There Be Peace".
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Guten Tag. Heute ist Samstag. Es regnet.
Now you know I paid attention in German class. Good morning. Today is Saturday. It is raining.
After pancakes and bacon, Lauren is off to meet our friend Max and his family for a birthday lunch for him.
Today we'll pack the car for our journey to Sleeping Lady near Leavenworth. Will have to travel over Stevens Pass, which has snow and ice on the roadway.
Last night we walked around downtown amid the lights and crowds for a while and then had dinner at Nordstrom grill. Very nice evening. You wouldn't think there was anything wrong with the economy. Stores are crowded, lines at restaurants, people loaded down with packages, etc.
We received a lovely gift basket full of goodies from Chris & Joyce in Australia. Very thoughtful of them, and organized. They used the internet to order via a Puget Sound company. The leveraging power of technology at work!
Happy Holidays and Peace To All.
After pancakes and bacon, Lauren is off to meet our friend Max and his family for a birthday lunch for him.
Today we'll pack the car for our journey to Sleeping Lady near Leavenworth. Will have to travel over Stevens Pass, which has snow and ice on the roadway.
Last night we walked around downtown amid the lights and crowds for a while and then had dinner at Nordstrom grill. Very nice evening. You wouldn't think there was anything wrong with the economy. Stores are crowded, lines at restaurants, people loaded down with packages, etc.
We received a lovely gift basket full of goodies from Chris & Joyce in Australia. Very thoughtful of them, and organized. They used the internet to order via a Puget Sound company. The leveraging power of technology at work!
Happy Holidays and Peace To All.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Anticipation
Of Lauren coming home tomorrow night.
Of experiencing the holidays mostly as a spectator, but there is a buzz watching people walk, and families shop, kids excited or cranky, lines everywhere, stores open late and all that. The pleasure of finding just the right gift for a person...like a $6 Farmers Almanac to send to the old friend who lives in rural New Mexico.
Of a new year. Maybe it is the darkness of the time, but I'm always more aware of the people who are no longer here at New Year. Getting a year older on my birthday is not the same. Part of that comes from all the TV shows that run clips on famous people who died in the last year.
Of a new year. I will lose some weight. I will blog more. I will get my bill paying shit together and quit losing the mail all over the house.....ha ha! I will go on a long motorcycle ride, but probably after I go to Europe and climb the Eiffel Tower!
Of experiencing the holidays mostly as a spectator, but there is a buzz watching people walk, and families shop, kids excited or cranky, lines everywhere, stores open late and all that. The pleasure of finding just the right gift for a person...like a $6 Farmers Almanac to send to the old friend who lives in rural New Mexico.
Of a new year. Maybe it is the darkness of the time, but I'm always more aware of the people who are no longer here at New Year. Getting a year older on my birthday is not the same. Part of that comes from all the TV shows that run clips on famous people who died in the last year.
Of a new year. I will lose some weight. I will blog more. I will get my bill paying shit together and quit losing the mail all over the house.....ha ha! I will go on a long motorcycle ride, but probably after I go to Europe and climb the Eiffel Tower!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Lauren Edwards, a natural beauty and wonderful personPerpetual Pain
I'm not feeling that quite, but.....tomorrow we go for mediation regarding the lawsuits from our son's death. The whole focus of it will be determining the economic loss to Seth's estate if he had lived to an average age. At that point, he would have had a net worth, on average, of $490,000. We are his heirs so we can claim that lost net worth, even though, if he had lived to old age we would have been long dead! Bizarre, huh? None of the legal maneuvering tomorrow will be about our emotional loss.
Today while in the attic looking for a few decorations to put around the house, I found a box in which we store various precious items from when the kids were young. One of them was a Christmas art project that our boy did when he was four years old. I didn't dare show it to Kathy. Tears in my eyes as I type this.
Two nights ago we watched "La Vie En Rose" about Edith Piaf. At one point, when she learns that Marcel, the love of her life, has died in a plane wreck, she has a scene of intense grief and anguish when she first learns this....I could barely stand to watch. Those of us who have been there.....know a terrible thing, something monstrous about the depths and pervasiveness of grief.
I suppose I have three strands of pstd. growing up in an alcoholic/drug riddled family with a violent father, combat in Vietnam, and losing my son. maybe not so much compared to some people, but that shit will wear you down. I like that song, "I get knocked down, but I get up again...." but there's a masochistic, ironic comedy aspect to that....being driven by some almost mindless urge to not surrender, to fight, to march on despite your losses, your injuries. March on to what? The next traumatic thing that will befall you? I guess so.
None of you are aware of Ted Rosenthal. He died in his '30's of cancer or leukemia. He wrote a lovely book of poetry about it titled: "How could I not be among you?" One of his themes was that there is a world of pain out there and it is coming for you. So, where I am I going with this? Probably to go watch TV and distract myself. Get up, go to the mediation and think about my son's life and death in terms of the economic loss. Nothing to do with his pain or ours.
Today while in the attic looking for a few decorations to put around the house, I found a box in which we store various precious items from when the kids were young. One of them was a Christmas art project that our boy did when he was four years old. I didn't dare show it to Kathy. Tears in my eyes as I type this.
Two nights ago we watched "La Vie En Rose" about Edith Piaf. At one point, when she learns that Marcel, the love of her life, has died in a plane wreck, she has a scene of intense grief and anguish when she first learns this....I could barely stand to watch. Those of us who have been there.....know a terrible thing, something monstrous about the depths and pervasiveness of grief.
I suppose I have three strands of pstd. growing up in an alcoholic/drug riddled family with a violent father, combat in Vietnam, and losing my son. maybe not so much compared to some people, but that shit will wear you down. I like that song, "I get knocked down, but I get up again...." but there's a masochistic, ironic comedy aspect to that....being driven by some almost mindless urge to not surrender, to fight, to march on despite your losses, your injuries. March on to what? The next traumatic thing that will befall you? I guess so.
None of you are aware of Ted Rosenthal. He died in his '30's of cancer or leukemia. He wrote a lovely book of poetry about it titled: "How could I not be among you?" One of his themes was that there is a world of pain out there and it is coming for you. So, where I am I going with this? Probably to go watch TV and distract myself. Get up, go to the mediation and think about my son's life and death in terms of the economic loss. Nothing to do with his pain or ours.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Holiday Stuff
Greetings from a gray, cold Saturday morning. I'm going to go ride the motorcycle just to clean out the engine and charge the battery. Mine, too.
Weekend of house cleaning, holiday preparations and all that. Lauren will be home on Friday for a couple of weeks...hooray.
Hello, Lee, when you get the card with my blog address. My best pal from Vietnam. The acerbic atheist from Brown U with whom I shared a hootch, many smokes, a trip to Hong Kong, and some aerial adventures while defending freedom from peasants in rubber tire sandals. Some damn tough, smart peasants they were, too.
Best wishes to all. Enjoy this day and find one opportunity to say something nice or be kind to someone.
Weekend of house cleaning, holiday preparations and all that. Lauren will be home on Friday for a couple of weeks...hooray.
Hello, Lee, when you get the card with my blog address. My best pal from Vietnam. The acerbic atheist from Brown U with whom I shared a hootch, many smokes, a trip to Hong Kong, and some aerial adventures while defending freedom from peasants in rubber tire sandals. Some damn tough, smart peasants they were, too.
Best wishes to all. Enjoy this day and find one opportunity to say something nice or be kind to someone.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Thursday
9 p.m. getting tired. got home a bit late. ate mushu pork from Snappy Dragon. went around neighborhood and shot some digi's of houses lit up for Christmas. sending those to Lauren in Deutschland because her pals there are like "what....you put colored lights all over your houses?.." yes, we do. energy wasters that we are.
that's it. the meaning of life is not here tonight. or, it is, and I lack the wit to perceive it. good luck to you out there, you need it.
that's it. the meaning of life is not here tonight. or, it is, and I lack the wit to perceive it. good luck to you out there, you need it.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Snowy Sunday in Seattle
It has snowed the past two days leaving a couple of inches on the ground and a layer of white over all of the neighborhood trees I see through the window behind my computer as I type this. Sky is gray but thanks to all the white there is a luminous quality to what otherwise would be dark day.
Last Thursday Kathy and I went to Vancouver, B.C. for a couple of days. We stayed at hotel in downtown on Granville Street. The first day we went for a long walk along Robson and through downtown. Stopped at pub, very english look to it, and had a drink, then continued into Gas Town, the historic section with brick buildings and ornate street lamps with globes. Our Thanksgiving meal was Punjabi for two at the Sitar restaurant. We stayed busy on Friday and Saturday going to Granville Island, sort of an arts center, tourist shopping area, went for a nice long walk in Stanley Park, and watched a few movies while lounging in our comfortable hotel suite.
Yesterday morning was sunny and I had thoughts of a motorcycle ride just to get the Honda out and run it a bit, but by the time we came back from our dance class the snow clouds had moved in. Here's a picture of me and Don Woodlee in Eagle's Nest New Mexico at a Vietnam memorial last May. I rode from Seattle to Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. and Donald joined me for a couple of days. We camped out near by the night before and woke in the morning to the sound of a wild turkey..yes, "gobble gobble gobble", and with frozen fog on the tent.
Eagle's Nest New Mexico, May 2007
Lauren will be home for a couple of weeks for Christmas and we're looking forward to that.
Best wishes to all of our friends and family, especially our son Seth who has gone on before us but is always in our hearts.
Last Thursday Kathy and I went to Vancouver, B.C. for a couple of days. We stayed at hotel in downtown on Granville Street. The first day we went for a long walk along Robson and through downtown. Stopped at pub, very english look to it, and had a drink, then continued into Gas Town, the historic section with brick buildings and ornate street lamps with globes. Our Thanksgiving meal was Punjabi for two at the Sitar restaurant. We stayed busy on Friday and Saturday going to Granville Island, sort of an arts center, tourist shopping area, went for a nice long walk in Stanley Park, and watched a few movies while lounging in our comfortable hotel suite.
Yesterday morning was sunny and I had thoughts of a motorcycle ride just to get the Honda out and run it a bit, but by the time we came back from our dance class the snow clouds had moved in. Here's a picture of me and Don Woodlee in Eagle's Nest New Mexico at a Vietnam memorial last May. I rode from Seattle to Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. and Donald joined me for a couple of days. We camped out near by the night before and woke in the morning to the sound of a wild turkey..yes, "gobble gobble gobble", and with frozen fog on the tent.
Eagle's Nest New Mexico, May 2007Lauren will be home for a couple of weeks for Christmas and we're looking forward to that.
Best wishes to all of our friends and family, especially our son Seth who has gone on before us but is always in our hearts.
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