Gemelli In Skagit Valley, WA

Careful What You Wish For

2012-02-12T13:30:00.000-08:00

I could apply the above saying to so many different aspects of my life. For example, if some one says to me which happens maybe 5 times a year, "oh I always wanted twins..." I usually reply be careful what you wish for. The same for perhaps returning to work, maybe I shouldn't wish for that? Making my own money and retaining my legal skills sounds good but I will miss out on kids school events, an end to playing tennis during the day with my pals...maybe I will see how that all plays out for a while.

Last night was another example. Two years ago when I was on the Children's Museum auction committee, my friend Tracey who I play tennis with, suckered me into donating a wine tasting event of Italian wines for 10 people. She told me, "oh don't worry they will buy the event and then they will never call you." Why I believed her I will not know because sure enough they called me 6 months later and were ready to have their Italian wine tasting paired with regional Italian antipasti. She was very specific about the date she wanted because she was having friends flown in from California-just your average winery owner from Sonoma, professional caterer to the stars from San Francisco and a food and wine critic from I didn't catch where because by this time I was about to throw up when she explained this to me on the phone. I put an incredible amount of time into my planning. I wrote up a menu with a descriptions of the wines and why they went well with certain foods. It was a 6 page opus. I had the food prepared by a fantastic Italian restaurant. I prepared Italian music on cds to be played. Tracey and Jessica came and did a wonderful job of helping me out and the evening turned out to be a great time. Super interesting people and conversation. Ten bottles of not so cheap red wine were consumed. Many had not had a few of the more obscure wines but enjoyed them so much that they purchased a few bottles from the wine shop where the event was on their way out the door.

I was really happy about how it turned out and a month later a fantastic thank you card arrived in the mail thanking me for the event.

Last year the auction rolled around again. I told Tracey I couldn't be on the committee and she said okay but asked ever so persuasively if I would do another wine tasting. Seeing as I didn't make her daughter's bah mitzvah and I was out of the committee obligations in a moment of weakness I said okay. However, this time I wanted to do wines from around the world and since the wine shop guy where I had the event last year was such a jerk I said let's have it somewhere else. We settled on a friend's winery in town.

A few weeks ago they called. I asked the woman who had purchased the event what the group's wine knowledge was and she said not that extensive. She also said that they wanted to use it as a nice couple's night for Valentines day and everyone was really excited. I thought to myself, oh phew! Last year stressed me out so much. I am so happy I don't have the wine tasting elite to cater. This will be fun. She also said a few whites and reds would be good. I thought to myself, excellent! I won't have to spend as much money on wine too.

The event went down last night. I spent some time researching wines and foods to match. I wrote out a 2 page menu and notes. Jessica offered to make the most amazing brownies ever. Tracey picked up an Italian antipasta from the restaurant and I prepared the rest of the food. I even brought in music from around the world to play. I was looking forward to exposing some enthusiastic wine drinkers to some new wines.

Be careful what you wish for.

The woman who purchased the event announced to me initially that she was on a strict diet and could only have little sips. Five of the people only enjoyed white wines. When I put out a plate of Spanish cheese and ham, one guy blurts out, "this is fancy food!" When I explained that eating asparagus with your Sauvignon Blanc will bring out this flavor in the wine, only 2 people were adventurous enough to eat a piece. After 3 hours of 6 bottles of wine, none of the bottles were empty. The conversation was boring.

At the end of the evening Tracey was even disappointed and we proclaimed that this was a lame bunch. She cheered me up by telling me that the museum was done with doing auctions.

Oh well, at least I can say I learned about some new wines myself and followed through with my obligations and scored some delicious brownies and extra wine for the rest of the weekend.

Seven and Year Twelve

2012-01-13T10:31:00.000-08:00

Age seven seems so old. They are actual boys now and it seems like just of late, there are no more crying tantrums, episodes involving peeing of the pants and separate meal creation. And now that we seem to be coming out of the woods, it gets me thinking about my own future. It has been exactly seven years since I left the practice of law and job where I went to work five days in a row, where I actually wore work clothes and acted like a professional. Since that time, I have messed with new horizons of the wine industry and book publishing and most recently, I am working on a book with my friend Jessica on the history of Mount Vernon through old photos. All of these ventures have been and currently are really fun and morph around the other things that I must do in my daily life such as taking care of the boys and the house. But these are not a profession that I worked so hard to actually attain and spent 10 years of my life practicing. Seven years is a long time to be away from a profession too and now I seem to be at a crossroad. Do I give it up or do I go back? This is where I am at right now but not ready to pursue anything until I have finished my book projects. But I don't want to wait too long. Since I left the practice, everything is conducted online. Technology has vastly changed and I will be practicing in a state that I never really practiced in before. Is it like riding a bike or is it going to take a tremendous amount of energy to catch up?

That Time of Year...

2011-12-29T16:05:00.000-08:00

Oh that time of year when chaos rains down...Eleven years ago we decided to get married during the holiday season, the day before New Years Eve, little did we know 4 years later our kids' both would have their birthday on Christmas. For the last 7 years the holidays have just never been the same...a blur of activity. For their first birthday back in Sicily, a flood forced us all to evacuate our housing and forced us to celebrate in a swanky hotel near Marsala and we stayed through our anniversary. Perhaps it was the flood that got us on the kick to always be on the move and we have never celebrated their birthday or our anniversary in the same place since. This year, due to a bit of a health scare things were toned down but not entirely...We got in a trip of skiing at Whistler. What was so amazing was the entire family skied for 5 days straight. The boys have really embraced the sport.

Christmas morning came very early as two extremely excited boys could not wait for Santa's arrival.

After some delicious Christmas bread that Jessica essentially made for me, we made it over to Christmas Mass and then down to Seattle to Auntie Kristi and Uncle Mel's house.

If I could add a caption bubble over my head it might mention something about the wine choice, the rolls and the frosting? Oh never mind...we had a fantastic Swedish meal!

Next up was the boys' birthday party at this new place called Absolute Air. Since my boys walk around half the time bouncing, it was the perfect place...a trampoline park. They shared their party with one of their best buddies from school, Bryson and I think despite initial trepidation from some of the younger kids, it was a great success.

Baker, Ski Season Take One

2011-12-04T11:02:00.001-08:00

In anticipation of an upcoming trip to Whistler in a few weeks, we made our way up to Mount Baker to get the boys comfortable on their skiis. The past two years have essentially been complete and utter failure and this year were are a little more determined to get them to embrace this wonderful winter activity. We also do not want to pay for ski school and believe we have what it takes to show them the necessary skills on our own. We took our time getting up to the mountain knowing that this was not going to be an all day affair. Plus, due to my own physical incapacity with my stent and overall weakness, our hopes were not high. But they were excited...

We arrived around 12:30 and it was unbelievably perfect sunny weather. Of course, we immediately run into the Hunter and Audrey who have been skiing for a while and this lit a fire. Well, sort of..

But then they got tired and frustrated...

So we had to get some hot chocolate

After refueling, we headed back out and decided to try the rope tow. And it was a giant success...

What Would We Do Without Shutterfly?

2011-11-30T09:27:00.001-08:00

Whimsical Peace Holiday Card

Shutterfly always has unique designs for our holiday cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Scenes From the Feast

2011-11-27T10:51:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving 2011 was a very relaxing affair, cooperative effort at Guemes with good friends and it went off without a hitch.

Turning Bad into Good and Being Thankful

2011-11-23T13:21:00.001-08:00

My blogging over the past six months hasn't really been that great and I apologize. I think it is mainly due to an identity crisis about what I want it to be about. Mainly, I want it to be about the fun stuff so that my parents and Dave's family can see what we are up to and a place to post pictures of the boys. It for me is a great way to give me focus on taking photos of them and provides a place for looking back on all our adventures.

The last two weeks have been a bit of another type of adventure however, but I have to say, my boys handled the trauma of my being hospitalized for a week due to complications over having my gall bladder removed and being down in Seattle at my parent's and sister's house that it makes me so proud of them. While recovering at my parent's house, there were no meltdowns, no fighting, no whining. It was as if they knew that I didn't have the strength and my parent's didn't have the tolerance.

My view...

Now that I am home and going through recovery which includes an essential nonfat diet and not being able to exert myself or lift anything, they are so cute when they say, are you supposed to eat that? I only have to ask them once to do something and they have been combining forces to carry things for me. It just makes me so proud and I think they are so proud to be able to help me.

To reward them, my mom and I took them shopping for some new legos. Knowing that I am not the best at following the steps to a T, Nathan assembled his Star Wars lego ship together entirely himself

I am not saying that I ever want to go through anything like this again but I will say that I am so thankful for my sweet boys and their ability to step up and perhaps even grow up in the face of adversity.

I am also thankful for my equally as sweet husband that has been treating me like a queen since I came home. He has put me to shame on doing laundry and taking care of the boys, though his cooking leaves lots to be desired.

And last, my parents flew home from their winterization in the desert to take care of me after getting discharged and my sister watched the boys at her house. They were all so incredible and I simply have tons to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Halloween, a Photography

2011-11-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

So Goth these days...

Where's Darth Vader?

Oh there he is...P.S. Will, you must never break costume...

Arggg!

Why Struggle

2011-10-24T17:14:00.000-07:00

There are often times when I question why I am pursuing certain interests, endeavors and spending so much time and sometimes money without immediate success. Ever since I stopped my career in law after 10 years of unquestioned solid work, there is always this insecurity of why and it is usually when things have not gone the way I have imagined, if I have been rejected or I have simply been burned by something or someone. It is so easy to say I really do not need this crap.

Because creating something and following through with a vision means taking risks and the possibility of that certain thing we all hate: failure. There is also the aspect of if it were so easy everyone would be doing it. It would be so easy to just simply stop writing the book that I really want to someday finish. It would be so easy to say, yeah, this book publishing thing is taking too long to get going. It would be so easy to just get some part time lawyer job and dictate deposition transcripts and do behind the scenes research and writing. But is that really how I want to spend my time?

Then I think I would miss out on the wonders that can happen when things do go right or something is created out of my actions or ideas. You have to embrace the struggle and keep on moving ahead. Have good days and bad.

I think too, it has to do with having goals in mind that aren't too unrealistic. I think back to the 2nd book that I published. Her book is ironically about finding your true calling which in her mind was being a writing professor at a college. And despite the fact that she spent many a phone call or meeting lamenting why she was not on the New York Times best seller list, because of the book she won an award and she is now teaching so much at a University that I never can get ahold of her.

Then there is my fourth book and the most motivated author I have and just a great person in general. His personality shines through in his book and he has been so great to work with. He knows my limitations as a micro publisher, he recognizes that I simply gave him momentum and a platform for him to reach his goals. He wants his own cooking show and I think it would be so amazing if he did-not because I think it will sell lots of books though I hope it will- but because I feel like he has the right attitude to actually achieve his goals.

Two weeks ago, I woke up so stressed because he was appearing on the Today Show doing a cooking demonstration. The segment was the last one of the entire 3 hour program but being 3 hours later on the West Coast, I was at the ready looking for the video to appear on the website early in the morning. I was a nervous wreck. What if he bombs? What if the show runs out of time? What if some big news story comes in and overtakes his slot? Plus, a few days before the program I learned that he couldn't mention the book because he was slated for a cooking segment not a book segment. I began to think the worst. But guess what? He did amazing for what he was given. I would have completely froze knowing that I only had about 8 minutes to prepare two dishes and make an impression on Kathy Lee and Hoda. I learned from that day two things. Take what you are given and make the most of it and what I am setting out to do with this publishing thing really is cool in these moments. I was felt proud. I felt that I was creating something. I was helping someone else reach their dreams and that made me feel good.

Day Trips

2011-10-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa from Cincy came and went for a visit this week. It was very busy ...The weather cooperated and we got in a few fun day trips.

Belingham

Nathan outside Chuckanut Brewery and Kitchen. Every time I am Bellingham, I say to myself, "I need to spend more time in Bellingham." It is such a cool artsy upbeat delicious town. Regularly, we gravitate toward Boundary Bay Brewery for fantastic food but this time we headed to the water and found a new favorite. This brewery has a German slant...and what could be better for visiting Hocks?

Next, we headed to the railroad museum which for 6 year old boys with some heavy video game hours under their belts was pretty cool to see for about 15 minutes.

Then, we stopped into the Black Drop Espresso shop for the most delicious cappuccino I have had in a while. Dave was even blown away by his drip coffee. Our last stop was the Whatcom Museum which was in between exhibits and so we didn't get the full experience but I am looking forward to a return trip.

Seattle

Tip of the day: When going into the big city you have to choose just a few things to do or else traffic will sabotage your day. So we had a mission, the Woodland Park Zoo and I knew just the place for lunch: Uneeda Burger. This place was so good, we were able to soak up the sun with their outdoor seating and quick. After lunch we headed up Freemont Ave. to the zoo. And I may be biased but I think it is one of the best...check out how much room this giraffe has!

Stanwood/ Conway

Tucked away in the forest near our house surprisingly is an international school for glass blowing created in part by Chihuly called the Pilchuck School of Glass. I have been wanting to check it out (and attend?) for a few years now. They were so nice about showing us around to the different and expansive layout and out building studios. When school is in session, the artists allow no visitors so they can take in this amazing setting.

My New Labels!

2011-09-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

These Just Make Me Smile

2011-09-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

I keep Forgetting to Introduce...

2011-09-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

...our latest additions to the family! Since we are in the Star Wars phase at our house for an indeterminable amount of time it is only fitting that their names (selected by Nathan and Henry) are Ahsoka and Jango.

Off to a Flying Start

2011-09-08T22:29:00.000-07:00

School actually started last week beginning with the annual 10 minute 3 block long downtown Conway parade. There was tremendous anxiety. Not over the parade but actually starting First Grade. We had gotten a tutor over the summer to help boost their confidence after apparently not learning a thing (according to testing results) in Kindergarten. They were wrecks on the first day until they met their teacher and realized that this kid named Wilder was no longer in their class after 2 years to terrorize them. Their new teacher is young, extremely cute, extremely organized and has total control over the classroom. Their first homework assignment was a brown paper bag with instructions pasted on. They were to put three things in their bag that represented things about themselves and then they were going to go around and tell their classmates about the objects and about themselves. They both put little soccer balls and swim goggles for obvious reasons. Henry put a camouflage hat to say that we used to be in the Navy. Nathan brought an Italian flag to say that he used to live in Italy. Apparently, the flag was a giant success and now he has transformed it into a cape. But even more exciting is the fact that 1st Grade has already transformed Nathan. He is more confident, looks forward to doing his homework each night and even is willing to play soccer again. More on the soccer later as Saturday is their first game!

This is Way Funner than XBOX!

2011-08-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

After struggling for attention away from the XBOX since the summer began, we finally heard those sweet words from our sons this past weekend. We spent the entire day out on Lake Washington in Seattle pulling them on the water ski trainer. They were both hesitant in the beginning but then we couldn't get them off!

River Humpies

2011-08-25T13:16:00.000-07:00

My tennis pal, Terry, who just turned 70 (my Mimmo replacement from Sicily) FINALLY invited me to go fishing on the Skagit. Pink salmon also known as humpies have a spawning phase and during this phase fishing occurs on the river. I invited another fishing enthusiast friend, Josh, along and we had a great morning catching 2!

Playing Army Man...No,... Navy Man!

2011-08-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

Sunday despite being a glorious day of sunshine on Sunday, I felt the need to clean out our garage while Dave had the urge to cut down trees with his chainsaw. To keep the boys busy, Dave pulled out from the depths of both the garage and memory, his Navy uniforms, camping and medical gear. A hammock, hats, bags and MREs from 15 years ago were the highlights. Some friends came by to swim at the lake above our house with us later in the afternoon and all the kids tasted the MREs...hamsteak, mac and cheese, poundcake so fresh! All four boys were in heaven playing not Army but Navy -Nathan likes to point out.

Birthday Hike Whatcom Falls

2011-08-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

For Dave's birthday, the boys wanted to take him to Whatcom Falls. We also spent some time at Whatcom lake swimming and took him out to dinner at the Boundary Bay Brewery. On the way home Nathan and I went into Haggans at Nathan's direction and picked up some cupcakes and some candles. I put the numbers 43 on the cupcakes and we got on ichat with his parents. How cool is that to be able to virtually celebrate a birthday moment! We all sang to him and as he was about to blow out the candles he says, I don't think this is the right number...Umm, he was actually 44 this weekend! Silly mommy.

Riding the Duck

2011-08-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

Vino in the Bottle!

2011-08-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

Sunday evening the boys and I went East of the mountains to the wine mecca of Zillah. Monday morning my wine was to be bottled and I needed to be there. Since I had no part of the process this time around besides picking my grapes...no, not actually picking them but selecting what grapes I wanted turned into wine, I felt I had to do SOMETHING!

The bottling machine...

See the cases behind me? Yes, this is going in my basement...

Brochure pose

I could only get 10 cases out of the 37 inside my car...

Tomato sauce is in our future...

County Fair

2011-08-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

Yard Work

2011-08-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, maybe we have been pretty busy this summer with our yard. I need to find a before picture at some point but our final stage has been planting. With all the "hardscape" in place it was time to soften up the yard. We had a rock guy come in and help reshape the boulders and smaller rocks all around the yard. Then he recommended a landscaper who helped us decide what to plant where. As you might imagine if you know anything about us we sort of got into it. We also reconfigured the fence in a few places and added some pergolas over the gates. Then finally this past week we had the fence all painted and we decided to do the garage doors the same color to match our front door.

The garden area...

Now the apartment underneath the garage is enclosed into the yard and the area down to it is landscaped.

We had the deck dug and the earth moved out so we can walk around it and had it hydroseeded. Now under the deck we can create a new storage area.

We threw wild flower seeds off to the right. The poppies are finally coming alive.

Fire pit area just got fancier with stone stairs leading back up to the garden.

My back is seizing up at just looking at these photos....phew!

Rawjuventation

2011-08-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you know this but I have been in a funk for the last two months. Lots of stuff going on, bad summer weather, and a general lack of motivation to do much of anything has put me in a malaise. I suppose that is what summer is for though-a chance to kind of let go of obligations and structure and enjoy that your kids are out of school and go on adventures. Yes, we have been doing that but then daily obligations start to pile up beyond the laundry and up until recently, I haven't felt the daily spark that I usually do that helps me power through a day to get to these things. But then last week I caught up with an old friend and she told me about the Green Smoothie. It has been 5 days straight of having one for breakfast and seriously, I feel so much better. Rawjuvenated even...

As you will learn, this is not a diet or anything that you have to buy except maybe a better blender but it is all about getting green leafy vegetables at the beginning of your day. I am not sure if it is psychological or not but I really do feel better and I am excited to keep it up since I never know what to eat for breakfast anyway. Plus, it helps me make better choices of eating throughout the day when I start off eating something good. And as an added bonus, I have been growing spinach, romaine lettuce, swiss chard and beets in my garden. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with all of the bounty but now they spell breakfast.

Deconstructing and Embracing the Connotation of the Word Hobby

2011-07-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

I have always sort of not liked the word hobby and not until last night when I was thinking about the word could I give you the exact reason why. Maybe it's because it's deep seeded. I mean I am Queen of Hobbies if that is the word choice. The term "interests" sounds funny. The term "activities" sounds even worse so maybe all the things that I do are just hobbies. Hobbies sounds like something silver haired men do so their wives do not have to deal with them in the house 24/7. To me it connotes making bird houses, making model airplanes, right?

You see, part of the problem is that I never used to be like this- the girl with a million hobbies. At one time, I practiced law and had my own practice, made lots of money and there wasn't much time for much else....except in the evening and weekends. But, I did live on a tropical island with lots of activities that I could afford to do on my own. Due to my addictive personality, I like to embrace my activities wholeheartedly. This attitude actually served me well practicing law too. I was never the smartest or the most cleaver of lawyers but I had a couple strengths (or as I like to think of them-weapons). If I received a case that was fact intensive, I would go to the scene of the event, I would be involved in the investigation, I would go the extra mile to see for myself what was alleged, I would try and think out of the box to explain a point better through extra witnesses or exhibits. I would consume myself with a case and it usually worked out for the best. But when you live on a tropical island, windsurfing, sailing, triathlons, scuba diving, tennis, soccer all were a part of my life. Dreams of wind gusts in Apra Harbor took over my brain in the wintertime, running races, bike rides and teaching myself to swim the crawl stroke took over my free time. Being constantly on the move when not sitting at my desk became how I lived.

Then Dave and I married...we moved to Michigan. When one is used to being outside so much, it was a blow I'm telling you. I have never been so cold in my life and when one has to drive to work in the cold dark and drive home in the cold dark, it wears you down. But I had a good job, I could pay for my new car, clothes and other things. So, I took to new activities. I took art classes and we remodeled our 1929 colonial room by room. I took up landscaping and gardening....wholeheartedly.

Then Dave and I had twin baby boys....we moved to Italy. Not having a job even in one of the most wonderful countries in the world, was a new blow. It doesn't quite hit you right away because you are so sleep deprived and busy running around in circles changing diapers and washing out bottles of formula waiting the arrival of your personal belongings and searching furiously for a babysitter so you can finally get your hair highlighted. But once all those things are in place, you realize you are not waking up every morning, with the intent on using your intellect to generate income anymore. This is the biggest blow of all!

Now your husband no longer sees you as a money generator but a money pit. Not only does he have to pay for my hair highlights but he has to pay for a babysitter for me to get them done. And for the first time he is aware of how long it actually takes to get highlights!

Moreover, you seek new activities to take you away from the chronic daily mind numbing chores. I need exercise and I need to lose 30 pounds of the 65 I gained. I discover cycling. Wholeheartedly. By the time we left, I had climbed Mount Etna, raced on a local team, gotten a fancy bike and had gone on several 100 mile rides. I turn to wine...not really to simply drink but to learn how to make and I start writing about it in the base paper because I need intellectual stimulation. I treat the topic like the biggest legal trial in the history of the world. I decide I am going to write a book about it. I continue painting and was asked to show them. I sell a painting for more money than I ever dreamed and a then a sell another one. I am obsessed with learning Italian. I take class after class. I take Italian cooking classes. By the time we had to leave, I was so in love with my hobby filled life that I cried for days at the mere thought of leaving. Dave was overjoyed at the thought that the hobby money pit would be ending!

Moving back to where I once came from, has certainly been an adjustment. I am back in a place where I could now practice law again and put all of these hobbies behind me. And perhaps that is the next step for some of them. For the first few years I have been trying to hang on to all of them but I can't. My Italian is slipping away, I bike sporadically, I take part in a triathlon on a team, I try and paint when I can, and my wine book will be finished one day. Maybe that is because spending time with the boys is now can be more intellectually stimulating now and we can do physical activities together.

When we first moved back here I got into making Washington wine, of course. After a few years of failed experiments due to inability to control temperatures, bacteria and experience, I decided to have my wine made at a winery by a winemaker. Yesterday, I got a call that it will be bottled in August. I haven't been able to come up with a name for the wine. Yesterday evening Jessica suggests "Too Many Hobbies?"

And then it hit...

Hobby No. 11

Designs for the label from my latest obsession, graphic design, are pending...

Kamp Kirby ...

2011-07-07T09:23:00.000-07:00

Last week the boys and their pals, Audrey and Henry all attended a day camp put on by the CampFire Council called Kamp Kirby on Samish Island. We were hesitant. Dave and I shared with each other our inter most concerns and detestation of camps way back when. However, they were going with friends and it was just day camp.

But because I can never decide to do something until the last minute, I missed the opportunity during registration to put them on the shuttle van and save myself a 45 minute drive each way each day (adding up to 3 hours of driving per day). However, I do love the drive out there and the scenery daydreaming of all the great paintings I could do did keep me occupied.

After the first day when picking them up I was concerned that it was going to be not as they had imagined. But much to my surprise, they got in the car and said it was "the best day ever." Although nothing specific came to mind as to why it was the best day ever, I was so relieved. They said in their group were 3 boys and 2 girls. And they had two counselors with the nicknames Mango and Sparkles. I inquired, is one of the girls Audrey and one of the boys Henry and they said yes. Then I asked who the other girl was and they said they couldn't remember her name. They also mentioned that they had bunk beds in their cabins and needed to bring their sleeping bags so that they could lay down. Glossing over the reference to bunk beds I instead focussed on the fact that they should need to nap during camp.

On Tuesday when I picked them up, they again said it was so much fun. They were sent home with notes pinned on their shirts asking that I sign the permission slips for swimming on Wednesday and an overnight at the camp on Thursday night. For some reason I had glossed over the initial registration that hinted at a sleepover and thought to myself, they are too young, they will not want to go...so, I sent them on Wednesday morning with their swimming slip and swim gear noting to myself that it was only 60 degrees and not much actual swimming will be had anyway. I again asked what the name of the other girl was but they couldn't remember.

After dropping them off I headed over to another added bonus of the drive -the little town of Edison where I can pick up my favorite lime soaked polenta cakes on the way home.

While in the little bakery another woman walked in that had followed me from the drop off zone of camp. We started talking and figured out that she was the mom of the other girl that none of the other kids could come up with in their group! Almost at the same time we asked each other if they were going to do the overnight. She said her daughter was pretty excited about it and that her older daughter had done it before and had so much fun. Then she sold me on the idea on how nice it will be to not have to drive out and pick them up and I could go out to dinner with my husband and not worry about them until the next day.

Wednesday afternoon AKA swimming day, I waited for them at the pick up spot at the top of the hill down to the camp. I saw the boys walking up the hill carrying all their gear and I asked the lady in charge if I could walk down and assist them or if I thought they were ok. She responds, "They are okay. One of the reasons for camp is to ween them off their mothers." I laughed. That night, we again asked the boys about the over night and they wanted to go. I got all of the their things together and started planning my afternoon and evening of freedom.

After dropping them off with that sinking feeling of worry in my stomach, I played some tennis and ran errands. I then met up with Jessica for a pedicure about the time that I would regularly pick up the boys and things took a turn for the worse. I sat in the salon soaking my feet and was ignored for 45 minutes while everyone around me was getting assisted. I felt like I was in a Seinfeld episode. So I walked out. I get home around 5:00 p.m. and Dave arrives home. He is on community orthopedic call this day but I say, "let's just go out and grab some pizza." He says okay, let me change my clothes. As I am waiting for him to get ready, my cell phone rings. It is Hollie, the other Henry's mom, from camp. "Is Dave on call?"

Oh no! Apparently, Henry had slipped on the ladder from the top bunk and broke his arm. Dave pulls up the x-ray....

What are the odds? Unfortunately, Henry's dad had to drive out and get him instead of the camp calling 911. And then Dave sent them down to Children's in Seattle but all was stable by the next morning when we went back the next morning to pick up the boys and watch their skit. Poor Henry! The 4 left standing don't seemed phased by the incident at all?

I am not sure what the moral of this story is. I suppose this is how every parent feels...when do you let go and when do you know when to keep them safe. Henry could have broken his arm at the playground in front of his parents. And funny thing, even Henry C. wants to go back next year!

Ghetto Tennis

2011-06-22T15:56:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I was picking up the boys from their school when it occurred to me that their tennis courts could use some TLC. I asked their teachers about them and they said the school doesn't have any money...good luck. I asked the Principal and she said I should go to a PTA meeting and discuss. Last week I attended my very first PTA meeting and I must say, it wasn't bad at all. In fact, it was so enlightening. I suppose it also doesn't hurt that they have funds to redo both the soccer fields and the courts and I have been appointed to be in charge of the courts.

Today, I went up to take photos and measurements with the boys now that school is out. We also brought our rackets and actually had a great time playing. It sure ain't no country club court YET but I think it will be a great secret training ground for them and their friends to learn.

Dear Shower...I Love You

2011-06-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

Eggs, Cookies, Indoor Soccer and Bouncy Houses? Oh My..

2011-05-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

The last couple months the boys have had some great times with the cousins in their new house. For Easter we went down for the weekend and the Easter Bunny followed.

We decorated cookies...

And this past weekend was Jill's 6th birthday. I cannot think of a better spot for a birthday party than this place called Arena built inside the old Sand Point Naval Air Station plane hanger.

They along with 16 other kids played soccer games and played in these bouncy houses and then they retired to a room for a ball exchange My sister had everyone bring a ball wrapped up and then they exchanged by pulling numbers out of a hat and cake. Brilliant!

A Little Bit Stronger

2011-05-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

Recently for whatever reason, I am listening to lots of country music. Maybe it's the fact that I have a new car with satellite radio and I just love this one station called the Highway. I even saw Country Strong and absolutely loved it despite its horrible reviews. Maybe it's the fact that we kinda live in the country now and it just fits when driving around the farmland. And when the kids are in the car you don't have to worry about the lyrics. Or maybe, the lyrics when not singing about trucks, alcohol and water (yes, there is a song entitled Water) are actually a little bit insightful? A Little Bit Stronger by Sara Evans is played a ton but it is so relatable right now. It is about a relationship break up and right now I am in one.

Last Friday night after one year and eight months together I broke up with our dog, Blu. I tried so hard to make the relationship work, hoping he would change, hoping he would grow out of his barking, chasing cars and high energy disrespectful behavior but it just proved to be too much for Dave and I. So I called his breeder and drove him down back to where I first met him and fell in love with him. Because that is the hardest part of a break up, emotionally detaching yourself from that love you feel for someone and that bond you once had together and the hope that you will live happily ever after together.

But then there comes that moment when you realize, life could be better if the relationship ends. Too much work, too much time spent, too many moments of frustration, people stop being around you when you have that person or dog with you. They don't like seeing you with the person or dog because they know it should not be. You start to make excuses but know down deep that life cannot go on the way it is.

The hardest part though is having the strength to make the change. Last Friday, apparently, I was the one with more strength and in the pouring rain with the help of my mom got him back to the breeder 2 hours away. It was so heart wrenching but so relieving all at once. This past week has been tough mourning the loss of a relationship but I am getting a little bit stronger each day. The breeder has sent me photos and updates. He is thriving with other dogs, horses and an agility course-not to mention someone that can spend all day with him training him and giving him the attention he needs.

And of course, I cannot tell you how much more relaxing and free my life is without the guilt that he needed a better environment. He needed a job and more structure. I don't have to worry about walking him 2x a day and I have 2 extra hours a day of my day back. When someone comes to the house, I don't have to deal with barking. I don't have to deal with where he will go when we go on vacation.

But still, seeing photos of him is hard and still brings tears to my eyes...It's going to take some time.

Ah the Country Club Life...

2011-04-10T18:04:00.000-07:00

Country Club life is an excellent way to get rid of the winter blues. It starts with a week down in the desert each year and I can understand how by the time you are 65 you own a condo and fit the nickname of snow/rain bird. Sure I have a few decades to toil and save, but in the meantime, I will continue to work on my country club skills...golf, tennis and swimming...And from the looks of last week, my boys are on their way as well. Not much else was accomplished besides attending professional golf tournaments thanks to a friend of mine that works for the Golf Channel. Check out Michelle Wie on the first tee...

And check out Paula Creamer on the 18th....

Then there is playing tennis with the ladies of the club,

playing a few rounds of golf on our own, visiting the driving range and lounging around the pool. The beauty of swimming lessons at a young age is more time in the lounge chair for parents!

Holy Snowstorm, Batman!

2011-02-25T07:48:00.000-08:00

What an unexpected treat. Just when we thought we were going to be moving into Spring, we received a couple of snow days school cancellations and more snow than we have ever seen since moving back to the PNW. So much snow that I had to rustle around the garage and dig out my snowshoes. From our 4 long years living in Michigan, I have all sorts of snow transportation aids...snowshoes, cross country skiis, snowboards, 2 different types of snowboots. A girl must be prepared!

Here are some photos from my snowshoe walk around our house...

H2O

2011-02-14T15:11:00.000-08:00

Water. One of those basics that is necessary to live comfortably within one's home and yet, it can cause so much damage if not managed properly. Sunday afternoon began with no water coming into our well holding tank. Monday, we finally got around to pulling the trigger on redoing our master shower. Monday morning we learned that the well pump burned out and it needed immediate repair. Monday afternoon once the tiles were ripped out of the shower we learned that the shower had been leaking since it was crappily installed by the former owners themselves. This meant redoing the entire floor. All this equals up to is money money money...

Now that we have come to terms with our monetary bloodletting, we have gone into design mode and are excited about our future new bathroom. Our useless but nice looking claw tub is going bye bye. In its place we are getting a double vanity with more storage space. Our shower is going to be carrara marble 6 by 12 subway tiles. Travertine floors. A rainshower and heated floors...oh how I am excited about heated floors...

On the Way to School Picture

2011-01-27T19:28:00.000-08:00

Snowy Days

2011-01-10T22:27:00.000-08:00

Holiday Whirlwind

2010-12-24T23:28:00.000-08:00

Since whence we last left off, the last three weeks have been nonstop. When your only kids have their birthday on Christmas Day, things turn hectic and often times confusing. Seeing as we are still trying to figure out how to handle the situation and add to the mix our ten year wedding anniversary, we just decided to go full tilt.

The day after the big birthday party in MTV we went to Cincinnati where it all began a hard to believe 6 years ago. Skyline chili, cookie decorating, sledding and another trip to the indoor water park took up most of the week. The boys had such a great time playing with their cousins and we were all a bit misty eyed having to leave them.

Upon returning we attended what I hope will be a tradition of an evening of decorating gingerbread houses with our local friends.

Thanks Jessica for the photo! I think we left too early to be given a prize but I am pretty sure we were best in show.

The following morning we exchanged subfreezing Ohio gear for the tropics in our suitcases and drove down to Seattle not only to spend time with my family prior to heading to Kauai but my mom purchased swank tickets for the Nutcracker. It was my first time in McCaw Hall. Our seats were in the side boxes and they were really cool. At least all of thought that except Nathan who couldn't sit still and was having trouble comprehending the story and trading between telling me he was bored and asking me what the heck was going on. Finally, I took him into the hallway and one of the ushers feeling my pain, showed me the perfect place for a squirelly little boy. On the first level is a sound proof room that pipes in the music, gives you a great view and one can be as noisy as they want. We were the only ones in there and it was fantastic.

Kauai was heavenly. Being that it was our 10 year anniversary and having met and married on Guam, it was the perfect place to feel back in the moment in place of suffering through another 7 hour plane ride from Hawaii.

Neither of us had been to this island before. It was so much more rural than the others which was perfect because I can't say we did much more than hanging by the pool and going to the beach. In fact, there is so much we didn't see of the island but it was a great relaxing time. Plus, we still had a birthday and Christmas to celebrate. Instead of lots of running around we spent it at the beach and had an amazing dinner at our hotel.

Back home we were greeted with a snow storm that has seemed to have stuck around, especially at 900 feet above sea level. Our house has turned into a sledding lodge for the neighborhood.

Stay tuned for an attempt at a video...

Jungle Playland Revisited

2010-12-19T07:18:00.000-08:00

A few years ago a girlfriend of mine who has twin girls the same age invited the boys and I over the this place called Jungle Playland. It was during the middle of the week and supposedly it would be low key because older kids were in school. It would be fun, other moms she knew would be coming, let's go check it out she said...That day turned out to be one of the worst of my mom career. It was a school holiday, Veterans Day, it was pouring rain and thus, packed with kids and my kids were tiny in comparison to everyone else. I knew upon arrival it was going to be bad. The boys shot off in different directions, it was hot and sweaty and I ended up collecting them and leaving with two crying boys under my arms vowing never to return.

Then, at the beginning of this year our friends had a joint birthday party, rented out the place for the evening and it turned out to be delightful. So when the boys told me they wanted their party there, I sprung into action trying to get the place all for myself. When I told Dave of the date that I had secured, he says, um, we have our hospital holiday party that night, you are going to have to change it. When I called the place back, I was given Sunday afternoon and I would have to get one of the rooms. Not knowing the implications...I was happy that the party would go on.

It turned out that the place was not a jungle that day but a zoo. Other kids birthday parties everywhere. Flashbacks of my first experience came flooding back but this time the boys were bigger and we had a room for parents to take refuge in. Most importantly, all the kids were sweaty balls of goo and had a great time. All their best pals from school, their cousins and their other playmates came. Hotdogs, dueling Batman cakes and lots of great presents. You can't get much better than that!

Dear Tooth Fairy...

2010-12-08T10:24:00.001-08:00

Dear Tooth Fairy: Can I have 5 dollars instead of 1 dollar because it took so long to come out? -Nathan

(She read the note and did just that)

We Can't Ride the Bus Anymore..You Need to Pick Us Up

2010-12-02T16:14:00.000-08:00

The boys have been riding the bus pretty regularly these days home from school...not all the way home but to the bottom of the hill at our friends' driveway. My friend has two older boys that are really great with the boys and sort of watch out for them. It is nice for the boys too because they like hanging with older kids and really look up to them. Yesterday, however, they got off the bus and said they couldn't ride the bus anymore and needed to be picked up.

"Why honey?"

Henry blurts out, "because a kid in the back has The Cheese Touch."

"The Cheese Touch? What is that?"

Nathan says, "He touched a piece of rolling cheese on the bus and we can't be around him any more." "Bryson warned us about this kid."

Of course, all sorts of things are going through my mind. They are getting bullied and made fun of on the bus. The older boy of my friend has been sick with the flu and cannot stick up for them. Kids are touching the boys in inappropriate places...man, one could really get worked up over the Cheese Touch.

So today, I picked the boys up from school...got home and googled cheese touch...how funny...I think they will be back on the bus tomorrow...

Sledding, Busted Pipes and the Turkey

2010-11-25T15:25:00.001-08:00

My grandfather, Farfar, had a great sense of humor and was always known for his jokes that he told over and over again. He especially liked to tell the silly ones to my sister and I just to get a reaction. For example, "Do you know what we would do in Sweden when it rained?", he would ask? What Farfar? "Let it rain!" "Do you know what we did when it snowed?" I have no idea Farfar..."Let it snow!"

I don't know why but I seemed to have fallen into this silly pattern when it comes to Thanksgiving and my Italian friends. My friend, Isabella, who has returned to Puglia, called me the other night and wished me a Happy Thanksgiving...I always reply as I did to my other friends in Sicily when living there, "Oh thank you and Happy Thanksgiving to you!" To which I always get the same response like I am some idiot...First there is the long pause and then "Kari, we don't celebrate Thanksgiving." I just laugh like Farfar for pulling it off one more time...

But do you know what we do when it snows on Thanksgiving? We let it snow! Just last Friday we had a gas stove/ fireplace installed for the living room and it came just in the nick of time because the snow started Monday. This lead to really cold temperatures and school closures for Tuesday and Wednesday. Yesterday the boys and I tried out our hill with the sleds with a mere 2 inches and it was totally fun. This morning we woke up to an accumulation of 3 more and our little neighborhood was alive with quads and sleds down the hill. It was so much fun...

Check out the new gas fireplace... all we have to do is flick a switch.

Our quarry was a total ice rink which led us to ponder the fate of some of our plumbing in our unattached garage/ apartment underneath. I was just about to put the turkey in a brine when I realized that we were out of water from our well. At midnight last night we discovered a busted pipe in the garage that leaked into the apartment. It was as if the entire ceiling was raining. At about 1 am we finally found the main water switch and by 2 am we crawled into bed totally pissed that our efforts to prevent frozen pipes had been thwarted.

This morning though, we woke up to more snow and the realization that we had prevented major damage with our discovery last night. Here are the sledders on the road in front of the house...

We have lots to be thankful for. The turkey turned out great and we think the apartment will survive with out too much work.. and I hope everyone had a great day!

Boulder River Hike

2010-11-21T11:58:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, we ventured out for a hike a little south of us called Boulder River near Arlington and Darrington. We found this really great website that lists great hikes and even lists hikes that are good for kidswith not very much elevation gain like this one. This place will definitely be on our list of places to return. There are some major drop offs though and it can get a little hairy but the boys did so well. And although the trial continues on, we stopped at two miles ending at the waterfalls. A roundtrip of four miles is pretty impressive for 5 year olds.
Even on a damp cold day, the colors are so incredible. In the background you can make out the hills covered in snow. This valley holds some of the last old growth in the area.

Blu was his crazy wild man self but luckily there was hardly any one else around so we could let him run free. Here he is with a rare moment of standing still...

Mt. Baker...I am Coming for You...

2010-11-10T16:53:00.000-08:00

From our kitchen we have the fortunate pleasure of looking at this mountain. Oh...I can feel it...ski/ snowboard season is going to be epic....

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T10:48:00.001-07:00

Going in back in time...Here is the aftermath...Before setting out...
The morning of...
That's right, our pjs glow in the dark
....and doesn't everyone shop for pumpkins in costumes the day before?

Oh Sun, It is so Nice to Be in Your Presence

2010-10-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

I was invited to a baby shower of one of my best girlfriends about a month ago. We met in Spain when we both signed up for a summer in Spain through Catholic University. From the day we met, we have been like sisters and even over 20 years later, every time we get a chance to visit one another it is like time has stood still and the distances that always separate us are simply geographical. Since Spain we have never lived even near one another but we have always made efforts to get to the big events in life like new jobs, new houses, new boyfriends, weddings and the birth of my boys at the hospital in Cincinnati. So of course when she called and said her friends in San Diego were having a baby shower for her and knew it was hard to get away these days, I said I would do my best. Thankfully, Mom and Dad have become snowbirds..or more like rainbirds, relocating to Palm Desert come October and graciously agreed to watch the boys while I attended the shower. It was also a great excuse to see the sun and put the boys' swim lessons to good use.

Though the drive is a bit hairy over the mountains from Palm Desert to San Diego I love the ruggedness like that of Sicily.

It was certainly the most fancy baby shower I have ever attended. Lunch was entirely homemade even down to the fresh tomato sauce in the lasagna. Sangria, wine and bubbly were all floating around though I had to keep in mind my dangerous trek through the mountains back home. The cake was a homemade red velvet with chocolate shavings with cream cheese frosting. Ridiculously good.

The rest of our time revolved around the pool. It was all about war with the squirt guns and keeping possession of the raft.

And by 8 pm each night the boys were passed out in their beds. Oh sun, I will miss you...

Il Giorno Opposto e Salumi

2010-10-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had opposite day. I went down to Seattle for a CLE conference and played indoor soccer after dinner-something that I have tasked to Dave since I signed both of us up and the games are too late to ask a babysitter over on a weeknight. But yesterday...Dave got the boys ready for school, took them to school, walked the dog, went to the personal trainer at the gym, cleaned up after dinner and put the boys to bed.

Hmmm, I think it is nice to see how the other half lives once in a while but I am thinking that I am fortunate not to have to go to work every day and really I do not mind doing the mindless chores for the most part. I think I am even over playing soccer? I mean I felt like an ancient relic out there.

Every three years I have to report my CLE's and that means that since I haven't done anything for 3 years, I have much cramming to do. Luckily my friend Larry recognizes the fact that I need to be coaxed into attended some live classes. He tells me that he has the perfect place for lunch, Salumi. Oh, lunch there? I immediately registered. I have been wanting to go there since moving back.

Lectures began at 8:25. I thought if I got on the road by 7:00am, I would be right on time. Well yeah, it took me over 2 hours to get in my chair. All this country living had me cranky after one morning drive into the city. But it was actually great to listen to lectures and daydream about lawyering again...then all of a sudden it was lunch time. We rode the rail to Pioneer Square and using his iphone Larry located the place. But this was only after going around a few blocks and me telling him that he is no longer a contender for being on my Amazing Race team.

The lunch joint was nothing like I expected. For one it is tiny and two, it is not even close to being the tourist trap I would imagine. It was really like being in a little hole in the wall salumeria in Sicily. My panino was amazing...mole salame con mozzarella. Larry's was equally as great with apples, prosciutto and fontina. Yum!

Henry, You are a Money Maker

2010-10-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how quickly the week can go by with all the activities that occur after school. I spend my days picking up the house, taking care of errands, walking the dog, planning meals and getting gear together for go time. Go time is that space in time between after school with things like soccer and swimming, homework and digging through their backpacks for all the crazy amount of forms they get and having to fill them out.....dinner and baths. For the last month, we have gotten into a rhythm with what needs to happen in order to get out the door and make all of the events. Snacks need to be eaten while I collect and get their stuff into the car. There is little room for deviation and I must remain focused...away from the computer and checking my e-mail or the current Amazon sales rank of my books that I have published. This made it all the more funny when just as I was about to herd the boys to the car for their soccer game, the phone rings and Jessica needs me to pick up Audrey for the game and while I was listening to Jessica, I hear in the front hall, "Henry, you are a money maker...just pull it out!"

I peak my head around the corner while hanging up the phone and Henry has pulled out his front tooth...blood is gushing and he hands me his front tooth. Totally proud of myself that another mom would think I had my act together enough to take their daughter to the game on time, I was panicking because this was setting us off track. But I told them we were going to pick up Audrey and with a paper towel applying pressure Henry ran to the car so he could show her his latest tooth lost.

Of course, Nathan who has yet to lose a single tooth is the one who has stockpiled all of Henry's tooth fairy money and has 5 dollars now. The money maker doesn't seem to mind though.

Skagit Grape harvest

2010-10-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

Last week my neighbors down the hill called and asked if I would help them pick their grapes. Of course! I have known them since they first planted their vineyard and after four long years of anticipation they had their first real harvest and sale of their fruit to a real winery.

With Guitars Even Cuter

2010-10-09T22:47:00.000-07:00

Indoor

2010-09-23T15:53:00.000-07:00

On Monday, the boys and one of their best pals, Audrey, began phase 3 of their soccer careers. First, in the Spring it was indoor bitty soccer comprising of simply doing drills for an hour a week. Then, this summer it was outdoor games. And now we are back indoors with the 5 and 6 year old league. I have to admit with the weather turning cold, taking them to the indoor complex is somewhat enjoyable. However, Henry disagrees and is not convinced it is real soccer. After practice, we were handed out our uniforms and the schedule and maybe after receiving these two items having Henry believe it is not real is a good thing. I say this because upon receiving their shirts which were in his favorite color green, he put it on and it went to his ankles. After attempting to shrink it, I ended up cutting 6 inches off the bottoms of their shirts.

Next, we saw who were were going to be playing on Wednesday and it was the only team in the league that had the Spanish translation of their team name. This translates into ridiculously good.

Nathan's attempt at defense...but no matter that kid could shoot with both his left and right foot!

The photos pretty much speak for themselves...we are still working on our cohesion and Nathan is still working on getting in about 15 cartwheels a game which I am pretty sure takes the place of picking weeds in the outdoor games.

Checking out your shadow in this window of light was another cool aspect of indoor.

Summer Flashback

2010-09-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

We attended our neighbor's annual red neck party back in July. I just received this photo of our first attempt at this costume genre. Our friend Chuck to Dave's left has clearly been to this party before because he was completely dialed in.

We all brought our own shotguns and shot skeet. It goes without saying that I was pretty good at it. However, the bruise on my shoulder lasted for weeks!

Squire Lake Hike

2010-09-12T21:47:00.001-07:00

Even in the rain, unfortunately the dog needs to be walked. And it has become a great excuse to explore the area even in the drizzle on the weekends. Today, we researched the trails in the area and came up with one close to the Interstate. It was a great adventure and the perfect length for the less extreme hikers.

Squirrel Lake Hike

2010-09-12T21:47:00.000-07:00

Great Tennis Moments

2010-09-08T11:14:00.000-07:00

I have had some great tennis moments in my life but they all seem like distant memories these days. Taking a 15 year break from a sport really can difuse any sort of burnout in a sport one might have. Getting back into it is taking much more effort than when I was in my late 20's but it has been a year now and I am really having a great time incorporating myself back into the tennis community here. I have been meeting some great people and it is fun to feel like you are getting better and better with each time you play. Of course, there is some pressure since former UW tennis players are treated like tennis royalty and that gives way to expectations Over the weekend I was invited to play on a unique court that I have been wanting to play on all summer since hearing about it. It is made of crushed gravel similar to clay and every bit as fun. The owners have it in their back yard on a local island. Perfect setting, perfect court and great points. We played doubles for 3 hours! A great new tennis moment and hopefully, there will be more in the future.

Launching

2010-08-31T09:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a day filled with launching. A day so emotional in so many different directions that it took until today to all set in. It was the boys' first day of Kindergarten. Sure, I was jazzed about it being that they are now in school from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. But it is more the idea that they are getting to be so independent. They proudly walked from the parking lot to their classroom, knowing exactly where they were headed. When I left, they were like yeah yeah just get going. And before you know it I can see into my future that I will have to drop them off down the street from somewhere so their friends won't see me. Last week at their last soccer game I asked Henry if he was cold and wanted to wear his jacket over his uniform. His response, "No! I don't want to look like a freak!" After school I went to pick them up and they insisted on taking the bus. It is so crazy to see them bound off the bus, like.. like... big kids.

Yesterday, was also the big day for launching Gemelli Press' latest book, Beyond the Pasta. It has been a culmination of so much work over the summer and even when you think things are moving along smoothly, there were some really stressful weeks going on with the editing, ordering and getting the book out to reviewers. Check out the author's new website. Or better yet, buy it on Amazon?

Last evening, it was a launch of a different kind. Last Friday, one of the two other orthopedic surgeons that Dave works with passed away. It was sudden and so tragic. He was close to retirement and one of the reasons Dave chose to work where he now works was to be able to have an opportunity to work with a seasoned teacher someone who he could follow, learn and emulate. The memorial service was really touching without a dry eye in the room. One of the things that was so clear is that Dave was really fortunate to have had an opportunity to work with him for a year and now he knows he has some pretty big shoes to fill. Definitely, a launch of a different kind. Dr. Gordon will be deeply missed but not forgotten.

Enjoying Sea Level Pt.2

2010-08-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we continued to enjoy sea level with some boating up in the Sound. How nice is it to have family friends with a 65 foot yacht? My dad drove us in the little boat to meet up with the big boat in the San Juans and we helped them navigate it into Anacortes.

Later that evening, Dave and I went on a wine boat cruise through Deception Pass for his birthday.

The wineries and their wines were fantastic and ones that I was familiar with as they all buy grapes from the Dineens where I get my grapes and now have them make my wine for me since I am scared to go through so much stress over trying to make my own wine only to dump it out these days.

Check them out:

Dineen Family Vineyards

Darby Winery

Stevens

Pomum cellars

Sunday Drive

2010-08-15T21:55:00.000-07:00

There is no other way better to tour Seattle than by boat-especially in 90 degree weather! This weekend we escaped to the city with a house on Lake Washington and a motor boat at our disposal. It goes without saying, we had so much fun playing in the water and crusing. Both days we spent cruising from the house to Husky stadium, Montlake Bridge, Ivars Salmon house (ahhh the smell...),Space Needle, Gasworks Park, Freemont Bridge and Ballard Locks and back. It was packed and quite a scene...

Foto Friday

2010-08-13T07:41:00.001-07:00

So much can happen in a week...Here is a recap in photo form...

The Skagit County Fair is a wonderful place to spend buckets of money on the simplest of things, like cotton candy,
A Ferris wheel ride that lasts for 5 minutes,
Or non mechanical "rides" from the 1950's!

The soccer games continue. For great recaps of the actual games, you must visit Jessica's blog. I love this photo though. What bad asses!

Besides getting a great review on the children's book this week, I and my graphic artist and copy editor have been working feverishly on Gemelli Press' next release.

This will be thrilling for no one but Dave and I, yet new appliances can be very exciting. Our old dishwasher was sucking our well dry and running for 5 hours. We decided to upgrade. Now, loading the dishwasher is not one of my strengths. For this particular model with two drawers, I have been handed the manual to study different loading configurations. I am not sure if you can teach old dogs new tricks but I will give it my best.

Our new fridge is even cooler. This week it was delivered and framed in. It is not a built in per se but it sure looks like one and not nearly as expensive. Another one of my lacking skills is keeping a fridge neat and tidy. In fact, the first day of use, I wasn't able to touch or put any food in it. Once again, I am going to give it my best but these appliances are exposing my weaknesses!

Harvest time with Baba on Guemes!

Because You Can Never Have Enough Yard Art

2010-08-08T21:54:00.000-07:00

Well, really you can have too much but I intend on finding that perfect balance...Last weekend was the annual Anacortes Arts Festival. I am into the metal art scene these days. I am trying to hold back my urge to buy a blow torch and scrap metal and get to work. Instead, I bought these cool flowers. Since it rained most of the weekend, it was touch and go if I would even make it to the summer event that has been around since I was a kid. Henry asked, "is it a fun festival? I can't remember." I reply, "There is a kid's section. Let's see if we can find anything to do."

Upon arrival, Henry walks up to the clown making balloon concoctions and says, "I would like a sword, a belt and a hat, please." Nathan says, "me too." The clown got to work.

They made quite the scene walking through the street. On, the drive home Henry announced. "It is a fun festival!"

The Big Game

2010-08-03T22:48:00.000-07:00

This evening was the first game of the season for our golden team. Unfortunately, we were still getting over how good we all looked for the team picture to focus on the the main event which was the game itself. Thirty seconds into the game and the other team's ringer had scored 3 goals...

No one was prepared for a kid with a mohawk nor the other kid with the bushy hair whose strategy of either using his hands, pushing you down or simply sitting on the ball were on the table.
But come second half, we got it together...

Nice job team!

July

2010-07-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

Where did you go July? So much happened this month that it is a total blur. I am starting to think I should just get used to the fact that all structure goes out the window during summer vacation. Let's just blow bubbles and see what August has in store....

Anna

2010-07-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

On one of my last days in Sicily, Karen and I had one of those memorable days that just simply stays with you for a lifetime. I think both of us had been wanting to visit Anna Tasca Lanza and her cooking school since the day we both had set foot on the island. For she represents cooking in Sicily. We had such an amazing day with her and her husband. She passed away this month. I feel so fortunate to have had such an opportunity. Being in her kitchen was magical.

10 days, 11 people, 1 House

2010-07-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

Hectic, fun, crazy, quick...what a 10 days of activity. It was a good thing we went to Whistler in the middle of it all since our well and septic tank were stressed. In fact, so much so that this morning first thing at 7 a.m. it was being pumped out as the pump broke setting off the alarm and PTSD from the last septic event set in.

The Fourth Ritual

2010-07-05T16:42:00.000-07:00

I love the idea of knowing that every 4th of July we have a ritual. Each year it begins the Guemes parade, the hotdog feed up at the park afterward and a birthday party in the afternoon. It is a great time to catch up with all the families along the beach and the kids all have a great time playing together on the beach. We have also added another little ritual of making pizzas the night before.

Here are some scenes from the weekend....

Pony Camp

2010-07-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

Friday was the last day of pony camp and the show where the parents get to see all the skills they have acquired during the week. Just like last year, since, it is mainly girls that attend, it is suggested that you bring ribbons to braid the pony's mane and decorate. For some reason, I forgot to pack their bags with ribbons. However, when I arrived for the show, apparently, they had been given some ribbon and shown how to braid hair. They also had been given bandanas for decoration too...but do not think my boys are going to be completely demasculated...they apparently on their own decided they were going to be outlaws for the show...

Summer Vacay

2010-06-30T22:34:00.000-07:00

I must admit that it came upon suddenly and I didn't have a plan in place. Summer vacation for a mother that had just gotten used to her kids being in school full time goes through a major shock to the system. All of a sudden structure is needed or else you find yourself with a couple of kids in their pajamas until dad comes home from work. Okay, it wasn't that bad but maybe when he came home from lunch one time. So, I signed up for Kids Club at the gym. The first time out Henry contracts pink eye. I decide that this just isn't enough. So once he was cured a few days later, I decide that maybe we could have a play date with their school best pal Taylor. Conveniently, Taylor's mom works at the gym and I was able to pick him up and take him home with me. His mom was excited not to have to pay for a sitter that day while she was at work. The boys had a great time.

On Sunday one of our old neighbors told me about Amy's Pony Camp that was starting the following day. It was such a hit last year, I asked the boys if they wanted to go again. A resounding yes was the reply. They still talk about their horses Cody and Marianne from last year. I called the camp and they said there were spaces but that it was mainly for girls, they did lots of crafts and if I was aware of that. Knowing that our old neighbor kids were going to be with them, knowing that they had so much fun last year and who doesn't love a little crafting, I said yes.

So camp started Monday afternoon. It is from 2:30 to 6:00 without parent participation. Last year in the Mommy and Me camp we walked exaustively around while they rode the horses. This camp is all about the most sought after horse in the entire farm, Amy, and no parents are allowed. I totally cracked up when the boys brought home their necklaces....

Tomorrow, they are finger painting Amy. Needless to say, they are the only boys in the camp but they seem to like it that way. I think the hats make them pretty cool to the ladies....

Oh, and then back to the PJs...For Christmas, they had gotten shrinky dinks...one of their favorite morning time craft projects of summer vacay....

5 Signs That My Boys are Part Italian

2010-06-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

1. Hold the Mayo.

I once made Santa, our babysitter, a sandwich with mayo and I thought she was going to gag. I get the same reaction out of my boys. The cheese needs to be melted or the sandwich can be plain or with Olio...but that is it. No condiments except Ketchup EVER.

2. Bacon can be infused in anything. Bacon to the boys is a food group. I personally never understood the value of pancetta or cuts from pork, cured meats and sausages until living there. It just makes everything better.

3. Olio not butter. They refuse to eat pasta with butter. It has to be pasta con olio and cheese. Even on vegetables, the only way they tolerate them is with olio e sale.

4. Drama. Watching the Italians in the World Cup, I was once again reminded of how they are so dramatic and it plays in their favor. They fake getting fouled and they win games that way...heck, they one the entire World Cup that way four years ago. Last game against New Zealand, they faked a foul in the penalty box and scored a penalty shot to tie up a game they very easily could have lost. My boys just love to have major meltdowns in order to get something. Since they often do it in stereo, we tend to break and it works for them. Maybe it is ingrained in them?

5. Shorts Only For Sport. The only time I can get them to wear shorts is if we are going to the pool and for soccer. A sure sign of an American male in Italy is the wearing of shorts. For some reason, they prefer pants even if it is in the 80's. Let's just hope they stray away from the white speedo look...

Inevitable Editing Equipment

2010-06-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't hide it any longer. There is one big telltale of your age that no amount of Oil of Olay is going to fix...reading glasses=40. With all this editing of manuscripts and recent recipe test kitchen activities, it was simply inevitable that I would be reaching for the 3 pack at Costco...

On The Fourth Day the Digger Rested...

2010-06-09T14:30:00.000-07:00

It is hard to make it all out simply by photos of the crazy renovation that has taken place over the last 4 days....but when Glen, the giant digger operator, told us he was going to be gone for the summer and if we wanted him to do any more work, we might want to do it this weekend...well, yes, Glen, there are a few things we would like done...

Like digging out the quarry and building up our driveway for one...

A Good Weekend of both Italy and Tennis...

2010-06-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

Oh, this can't be just coincidence can it? The last weekend began with receiving the proof of a book that I have been working on for two years now. Of course it isn't the one that I am writing myself, but an idea that I had and then had two incredibly talented people carryit out. The result is a children's book for learning Italian.

The launch will formerly begin on Friday and it is already available on Amazon and will be available on the Gemelli Press website in the next few days too.

But wait, the weekend was also about tennis. On Sunday there was the ribbon cutting of the new covered courts at the community college. For the last few months, I have been playing with the community college team. For the last week I have been staying up late watching the French Open. Over the last year, the tennis community had raised funds to cover the courts due to the incessant chronic miserable rain that plagues the area year after year. For the Sunday celebration I was asked to be a line judge for the exhibition match. It has been really great to be a part of a tennis community again.

But back to the coincidence, for the first time EVER, an Italian won the French Open on Saturday morning. Francesca Schiavone came out of nowhere. How cool is that?

Lingcod

2010-06-02T07:53:00.001-07:00

Despite the incessant rain over Memorial Day weekend, we did make it out on the boat for a little fishing expedition. It was Dave's first try at cod jigging and he proved to the rest of us that lingcod do still exist. It was the boys' first fishing experience too and I think they are all pretty excited about more of it this summer.

Soddddd

2010-06-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

I am not really sure how to spell sod...but it was put in last Monday and after a day of sun by which the new irrigation system drained the well, we have been thankful for the rain that lasted throughout the holiday weekend.

Just in time for summer soccer practice!

Hello Curtains...Goodbye Stove: Mission Complete

2010-05-21T22:10:00.000-07:00

Now...

Before...

Back about a year ago when we were in the throws of the intense negotiations stage of the house, it came down to one item...one item that somehow eluded us through the scribbled negotiations back and forth. Somehow someway we felt like we had gotten duped. The curtains that went to the super tall windows in the living room had slipped through our fingers. Then our realtor told us that they were special to the sellers as they were acquired when they adopted their two sons from Africa...oh okay fine. But then came the scorching heat of summer and the living room turned into a blazing room of fire. Now that summer is approaching again, I have been searching for a solution. I asked our house cleaner who had also cleaned the house with the prior owners if she had any ideas. She replied, "why don't you just get some more Indian sari's like they had." What? They are special adoption curtains? "No, she got them online, I think." Yes, we were duped. And what are they possibly going to do with them?

So a week ago, I called out a woman that specializes in Hunter Douglas blinds. Her quotes ranged from 9,500 to 12,000. While mulling over this over, Dave suggests I text the previous owners and see if they will sell the curtains back to us...Within 3 minutes of my original text, negotiations were underway.

They arrived a few days later and I am so excited to restore them to their original resting place. Also, last week we finally had the wood stove removed. Sure it is cool looking but it was in such an odd spot and who has time to cut down trees, split wood and make a real fire anymore when you can simply flip a switch?

S'mores

2010-05-18T16:08:00.001-07:00

Anyone up for a S'more?

Come on! I'll show you how....

Thank You Fence Guy

2010-05-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, Dave the Fence Guy returned over a week ago to put the fence back into place after the flattening of the yard was complete. He came on a Monday to begin work but couldn't finish due to prawn season that lasted the rest of the week. With a wild dog in your possession, it sure was a long week.

But on this last Monday he returned not only to finish up but to give us prawns in exchange for the wait. I can't say that it was an even trade but the boys and I had a great time cleaning them and actually eating them.

Now That Decorno Has Retired...

2010-05-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

I REALLY miss the mindless escape that the decorno blog provided me into a world I barely knew. Have you seen that show 9 by Design? I would never have known how to take it had decorno and its commentators shown me the way...But, I understand it is hard to be always funny and it is hard work keeping up a blog. I barely have time to post anything myself but I do like the aspect of escape that blogs provide and I like being able to catch up with the goings on of all my blog friends without having to have individual conversations..it really is a timesaver if you think about it!

So I came across a new funny blog. You see, I love the cooking channel. I could sit around all day and watch it...Speaking of which getting back to the decorno blog...that is how I found my latest author...check out the Gemelli Press blog for more details...

Soccer

2010-05-09T20:58:00.000-07:00

Recently, it seems soccer has crept back into my life. That almost so long forgotten sport that was my life for at least 25 years. The boys are back in Bitty soccer, I played indoor soccer a few times with no incidents and had a good time and now there are the Sounders games to attend. Saturday Dave and I went to our first game. Despite the big loss we had a great time sitting in the sun and taking it all in. We are sharing season tickets with Jessica and Eric and another couple.

And the unique thing about our tickets is the all you can eat hotdogs, peanuts, pretzels and chips. So guys, let's see who can throw down the most dogs in a single game...well today speaking to Eric on the phone he claimed "4 or 5"...hmmm, okay, never mind, you win!

The Big Fat Yard Renovation

2010-05-09T20:46:00.000-07:00

First there was this...

Notice the cement blocks...Notice the berm on the left side...Notice the two levels....

The last two weeks have been spent removing the cement, leveling the yard, moving the fence and creating a new wall of boulders....

Now That We Bought The House...

2010-04-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

Let the trips to Home Depot begin! More photos soon as to what we have been up to...especially in the front yard. Nathan has already had enough though and would like to go back to renting...

Finally....

2010-04-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

Over one year ago we fell in love with this house. It took some pretty creative thinking to figure out how to get it. Coming out of the Navy with not much in savings doesn't leave much for a down payment. So we offered the owners a lease to own situation and to our surprise they accepted. After 2 months of negotiating terms and then another 10 months of renting, today it is finally ours....

Tuilips

2010-04-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning I ventured out solo to do the annual Tulip Pedal bike ride. It was cold and it rained and I didn't see many tulips. However, Sunday was spectacular......

Back to the Desert...Please?

2010-04-15T12:25:00.000-07:00

Oh hum...even though the sun is out back home, I feel like I could have used another week of warm sun. More photos of the week...Poppies remind me of and make me miss Sicily. I can't help it. Sigh.

Dave desperately wanted to see the leopard to compare it to his cougar and bobcat sightings but the kitty was in hiding....

So cute..

Despite all my bragging about their swim lessons, they refused to go without their snappy lifejacket suits. I will let their swim teacher sort out the damage.

Oh, and I have to share our (me and my mom's) find from the College of the Desert flea market....no not, big sun hats or 5 ceramic garlic graters for the price of 4 but tablecloths! Check out the website. I am thinking of getting some pillow covers. Still hoping for a sewing machine in my future to put my fabric fetish to use some day.

Back From the Desert

2010-04-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

Winters in the PNW without some sort of sun rescue relief can be tough to bear. Having lived on a tropical island for near 7 years and sunny Sicily for 2 more, sun and sand has become somewhat necessary. Luckily, Nana and Baba have jumped on the Palm Springs idea permanently in the shape of a condo. And although there is no sand, just a few hours away there is the possibility of seeing the ocean. Yet, the desert has its benefits too. Hot dry heat was a much welcome thing. Lots of pool time, lots of golf and even a trip to the zoo and wine country in Temecula filled up our week.

Buona Paqua Tutti!

2010-04-05T16:39:00.000-07:00

The attempt to lay off the wine drinking last week during Spring Break in anticipation of donning a bikini in the sun this week didn't go exactly as planned but all in all it was a pretty fun week that didn't involve that much in the way of grapey coping juice. The cousins came up to play one day, some great swimming lessons and we went down to Seattle another day. By Friday, Henry had pulled out tooth number 2! That meant that Friday night the tooth fairy came and Saturday night the Easter bunny was in the house...lots of excitement.

Saturday did not go quite as planned as the Spartans weren't as lucky as that little Cinderella team but I am sort of happy that a small school like Butler is in the finals this year and I am also happy that basketball is no longer taking over my life.

After the game, we set to work decorating eggs....

The following morning due to inclimate weather we noticed that the bunny decided to hide eggs inside the house....

March 10

2010-03-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

So behind on the blogging and I blame it completely on my cold that lasted all of February. That sent me into March behind and exhausted. I even pulled a muscle in my back from coughing so much. This in turn really affected my tennis game but see below for more on that. And so behind that I thought I would list the top ten things that we have been up to this month since I can think of probably 20 separate blog posts and really who has the time? Especially in this new age of NOW quickly summarizing all of these things is easier on all of us....

(Can someone tell me how to get the underline off?_

1. Twins and Their Differences. The older the boys get, the more different they become from one another. Henry is bigger and more outgoing. Nathan is faster and more observant. And Henry always seems to achieve everything a little bit in front of Nathan. But not so fast...recently, Nathan is exhibiting his own strengths. It actually began in January when their teachers alerted us to the fact that Henry has trouble "crossing over." No, we are in public school now...not that kind of crossing over. He writes with both his left and right. When he is drawing something on the right side of the paper he uses his right hand and when he is on the left he uses his left. In other words he cannot cross over the midline and draw across the paper. We wonder if that is a part of his eye development. But the developmental specialist at the school referred to him as delayed. Gasp. Delayed? I thought our kids were geniuses? Now after a few more months Henry has actually chosen a hand to write with...his right.

Nathan meanwhile has been really coming alive with his artwork especially in the superhero category which in turn has prodded Henry along. Nathan is far more into drawing and building. And the super hero thing has been brought to a whole new level. Nathan has drawn out all the characters and cut them out and then plays with them. It is quite clever.

These are the villains...Poison IVy, 2 Face and Mr. Freeze...

2. Soccer and Swimming. We had 4 sessions of soccer over the month and I have been ramping up the swimming as we are heading to Palm Springs next week. They are doing so great with the swimming. They both have learned to swim the width of the pool by taking breaths flipping to their backs. Seriously, swim lessons are stressful for me but they both seem so comfortable in the water and totally love it. Soccer for Henry has been love at first sight. Nathan is not exactly so sure about it but once I get him out on the field then he really does well. I think best of all they were with all their pals and they seemed to have a great time together.

3. Tennis and the 5.0.

Since my little UW tennis reunion back in October, I have started playing more and more. This past month I was asked to be a sub for team out of Stanwood. I started going to their practices and this has spurned on all sorts of invitations to play over the past month. But in order to play on this team, you have to be rated. The team is rated a 4.0 and when I played with them all I thought I fit right in. Especially with my cold/ cough induced injury. But then I went online to rate myself by filling out a questionaire about my past experience and they put me at 5.0. This totally is not good for a number of reasons. For one, I am not that good and I met all these great people to play with and with my ranking I cannot play matches or tournaments with them because I am not their level and number two if I do enter a tournament I will probably get clobbered and now to get my rating down I have to enter tournaments and get clobbered. Ahh the trials and tribulations of country club life....

4. Blu and Little Mountain.

Blu has been such a great doggie lately. One of our favorite things to do is walk on the trails by our house. It is so great to have this trail system so nearby...

5. The House.

We are anxiously awaiting our loan to go through. Though this hasn't stopped us from continuing to revamp our yard. Power of positive thinking or sheer stupidity we can't seem to sit still and play renters anymore. We have big plans....We hate the concrete wall that once was a beautiful concrete driveway that they put in and took out because it was not as environmental as they had wanted? Whatever the case may be, it is a painful reminder that a real concrete driveway once existed on the property that would have been great for kids and their bikes. We have plans to have it all removed and rocks from the quarry put in its place. Once the loan hopefully goes through, we want to pull the trigger on the heavy equipment to arrive...In the meantime, we dug up all the landscaping up above to be poised to leap.

6. Office Hours.

In February our little Italian renter went back home to Vieste, IT. She took a job with a restaurant back there and I am so excited to visit one of these days and see how great she is faring. So now the apartment has been given a new focus, my office and our new gym. It is part of my plan to add a little structure in my life and while the boys are in school actually accomplish some things without being distracted with all my other house chores. Doesn't everyone need office hours?

7. The Wine.

Time to admit that my wine is crap from 2 harvests ago...Well, this whole topic will take some time to explain. More later...The good news is that I have a whole other barrel now in play.

8. TV.

Not only have I been obsessed with all this basketball, but there has been some great tv on. No, not AI which is boring me blind but I still cannot tear myself away...but time for cable. Starz has Sparticus, Showtime has Nurse Jackie, Diary of a Call Girl and The United States of Tara. And HBO has the Pacific. Nevermind that we pay so much for cable...they are totally worth it.

9. Publishing.

Gemelli Press is on the verge of releasing 3 books in the next 6 months. No, none of them are mine but I am so excited about all of this new found profession.

10. The Tulips.

Yes, they are almost in full bloom and we can see them from our house...

Happy Paddy's Day!

2010-03-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a boy who knows what he wants...After school today Henry asked if we could go to Party City and get leprechaun hats. Yes, he specifically said Party City. I had no idea that a store by this name even existed in the area. Yet, after a quick search, I found one by the mall. He bee lined for the hats, tried a few on and was satisfied with one costing his mamma a dollar. Of course, while his brother enjoys hats, Nathan has a different type of vice, namely chocolate. Luckily gold chocolate coins were nearby for a mere $1.50....

Memory Lane Destination: East Lansing

2010-03-12T07:26:00.000-08:00

As we inch further toward true and final home ownership where we are now, I have been a little bit addicted to Zillow. Realizing that you cannot rely on zestimates for the true estimated value of your home, you can get an idea of what the values around you are if there have been recent sales. From my iphone application each night, I check in. Unfortuantely, where we live right now there are no sales to rely upon but maybe that will be a good thing too as our big worry is that home values have gone down over the last 8 months since we entered into a lease to own contract and the bank is not going to be pleased with our purchase price amount we agreed upon back then. Well, we should soon find out!

This got me thinking back to our first house that we bought back in East Lansing. I went on Zillow and plugged in our old address and it popped up! Apparently, it has been for sale for almost a year and I think they took it off the market since they couldn't get the price they wanted. We bought it for 180k. A steal! 1929 colonial that had been owned by the same family for 50 years. It was/ is located in the University's historic neighborhood just a couple blocks off campus amongst professor houses and a fraternities and Sororities. The first time we saw it we fell in love with it. We had flown back from Guam for a week to house hunt. But Dave was worried. He was going to be starting residency soon after closing and the house needed so much work. Nothing had been done to the house for 30 years. Over dinner that night, I assured him it would be fun....And for the most part it was.

When photos popped up on Zillow the other day of the house it was so much fun to see it again. Seriously, there was not a corner of that house we did not work on. layers and layers of wallpaper dating back to the 30's. We painted and painted. We learned how to tile, redo wood floors, a little plumbing, a little electrical work, landscaping, dry wall mudding. It was a four year long education. And then we redid the kitchen...tore down walls, came up with a design together.

From the photos, it looks as though not much has changed. Although they did put a deck off the back which I totally love and wish we had. But it was time to move on. The boys were just born and Sicily was calling.

Oysters

2010-03-08T09:11:00.000-08:00

Saturday, it was all about the oysters. It started with a hike to Oyster Dome off of Chukanut drive. Well, not all the way to the top because that would have been too tough, but we did make it to the lookout. It was the boys' longest hike yet and they did great.

Next stop was the Oyster Bar next to the trailhead. We hadn't planned on such a fancy lunch in our hiking clothes and they told us that they didn't usually let young kids into the restaurant but they found a spot on the lower level for us looking out over the bay. We had baked oysters for lunch that were outstanding while the boys had Halibut and sweet potato fries.

Then it was off to the oyster farm down the road a little further. I love going to Taylor's shellfish farm. I reminds me of getting fresh fish off the docks in Guam and the seafood markets in Sicily. Next to going out and getting it yourself, it is fun adventure. We ended up buying some of the little kumamotos for having on the BBQ.

Flirting With the Olympics

2010-02-25T13:29:00.000-08:00

We are so close to the action and yet, every time the Olympics is nearby....Torino when in Sicily...Nagano when we are in Guam....and now Vancouver when we are here only 2 hours away to the South and I still cannot bring myself to fork over a bunch of money to see someone whiz by in an event. I love watching the Olympics and I love all the emotions associated with it but it is far too easy to simply sit in front of the TV and take it in from there. Recently and often while driving along the I5 around here I have been seeing tons of out of staters heading up or coming back and I feel myself feeling a little left out. I even met a set of parents at our close by gas station whose daughter was on the US nordic team. But then after a few moments of feeling the excitement, I talk myself out of it once again.

Earlier this week some friends went up and stayed over the border in WA at the Semiahmoo resort. On Monday night, we went up to the resort to check it out. From there you can see over the Border into Canada. What an amazing setting and great place from which to launch into Canada. I think though, this will be as close as I get until they are over and the Olympic dust settles.

Goose Chase

2010-02-22T08:10:00.000-08:00

Perhaps, you were all unaware of the excitement that happens in February up here in Skagit County. Sure we have daffodils and the famous tulips coming up next month but February belongs to the birds. Each day as I drive the boys to school, I curse and mumble under my breath how once again I forgot my camera as I pass swans and geese by the hoards just hanging out in the farmland.

Yesterday morning with not a cloud in the sky, D and I were out on the deck with the binoculars looking out over Fir Island trying to figure out the names of the islands below. You could also see giant white patches of birds. How about a drive and photo safari? I suggested.

We drove through Conway over the little bridge and onto Fir Island. Crowds had gathered in the field next to the road not to take in tulips but snow geese!

Next, we headed over to unchartered territory, still on the island, we came to a slough that separates fir island with La Conner. At the end of the road, you can park your car and walk out on trails to mud flats. There we encountered 2 bald eagles sitting on nearby one of the little islands we can see from our house.

And of course, the day would not be complete without lunch at the Conway Pub for some halibut and chips and oyster chowder.

I found the following information online:

If you go
Skagit Valley birding

Key sites
The Skagit Valley is a bird-watcher's paradise in February, when hunting season is over and snow geese, swans and eagles lead a long menu of overwintering birds easily seen from valley roads and recreation sites. Here are some popular birding spots:

• The Pilchuck Audubon group visited Skagit Wildlife Area, Wiley Slough. To get there, take Interstate 5 to Exit 221, just south of Mount Vernon in Skagit County. Go west from the freeway and turn right on Fir Island Road, following the sign for Conway/La Conner. In 1.8 miles, turn left onto Wylie Road and follow for 1 mile to a four-way intersection; go straight following the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife sign. Turn left, following the sign for the boat launch; the parking lot is a few hundred yards ahead.

To follow the route described in the story, just after crossing the Skagit River on Fir Island Road, go left onto Mann Road and follow as it curves along the river, eventually intersecting with Wylie Road just north of Wiley Slough. In fact, just about all of the roads in this area are prime viewing spots depending on the swans, geese, and raptors' moods and feeding habits.

• The nearby Fir Island Farms/Hayton Snow Goose Reserve, which is planted in winter wheat for snow-goose consumption, is also a prime viewing spot and offers a parking area and restroom facilities. To get there, follow the above directions but instead of turning left onto Wylie Road, continue straight for another 1.5 miles. Turn left at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife sign; the parking area is a half-mile ahead.

• Samish Flats and Edison area: The northern Skagit Valley is a prime area for spotting raptors such as eagles, hawks and the occasional falcon.

• Bay View State Park picnic area: Look for waterfowl at this shorefront park.

• Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve: The Breazeale Interpretive Center at this reserve north of Bay View, on Bay View-Edison Road, has bird maps and exhibits interpreting the area's natural history. Look for eagles and waterfowl from a shorefront viewing tower, or meadow and woodland birds from an upland trail. Free. Open Wednesday-Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 360-428-1558 or www.padillabay.gov.

Olio d' Oliva

2010-02-20T11:26:00.000-08:00

I am always reluctant to discuss food, cooking and recipes on this blog because I could spend hours and hours and hours that I don't really have. But... I think I must make a few exceptions once in a while. Even before living in Italy, I have always been interested in food products from different countries. One of my favorite things to do is cruise around grocery stores and markets in the various countries I have visited. These days though, there is much more of watching the travel channel's Anthony Bourdain than my own adventures. However, even here in Skagit county, I love driving around and checking out the local food and trying to support local food producers as much as possible.

Before living in the Western Pacific and traveling through Asia for my 6 years in Guam more than any other place, Italy has changed me and the way I approach food and cooking. The Mediterranean diet I think just agrees with me. And one of the most important central figures in this diet is...no is not...the wine but olive oil. If I had to choose between the two, oh, I don't know which way I would go and luckily I don't have to.

Once you have been in an olioficio, a community olive press, and smelled the olive mash from the pressing while all the locals stand around and discuss their harvest and wait in line for their liquid gold to come out the other side of the press, it is a scent that you simply begin to crave. That fresh press scent of the oil is so amazing. After leaving Sicily, I thankfully have had friends nice enough to send me oil in the mail. Back in November, I was even lucky enough to meet up with a fellow blogger Louise from Abbastanza Buono, who brought me some of her delicious liquid fresh from her farm in Tuscany and then one of my friends that is a winery owner on Mt. Etna and featured in my book that has a sister in Seattle. She brought me oil and wine fresh off the tree. Heaven! A few weeks ago, however, I might have gotten my most special oil to date.

My friend, Isabella, who was living in our apartment below our garage, returned to her hometown in Puglia. He mother and Aunt are featured in the photo. The first photo is one of their 100 year old trees. She sent me oil by way of UPS from her family's olive tress from the most recent harvest in November. It is pure heaven. She sent me so much that I am able to share it amongst my friends and family.

Just for fun, I created a little label for the bottles, a spin off of Gemelli Press. Who knows, perhaps a little empire in the making?

Do You Fondue?

2010-02-16T13:35:00.000-08:00

Valentines Day has taken on a different kind of meaning for us. It seems incredible that it has been 5 years since we took the boys home from the NICU. It was a day that has been seared into my memory. Born at 29 weeks, they were in the NICU in Cincy for 7 weeks...Christmas day to Valentines day. Since we were not living in Cincy but East Lansing, MI, the thought of driving in the winter for over 5 hours with 2 newborns created two very unstable new parents. I remember just breaking down when I had to say goodbye and hugged our two main nurses who had been by my side for those surreal 7 weeks. I was so scared to leave the nest myself! Just 5 pounds, they were so tiny in their car seats. But we have made it though...

So, Valentines day this year was spent together and has become more of a family day. We had Swedish pancakes for breakfast and then later in the day went for family swim at the pool. Over the weekend, I had come across our fondue pot that we had gotten as a wedding present and had only used once so I decided that would be a fun dinner. The boys thought it was pretty cool. D had never had cheese fondue and dipped in bread and vegetables which is one of my absolute favorites...it turned out great. Do you fondue?

Cookies!

2010-02-12T20:44:00.000-08:00

I am not a baker. However, the idea of having people over for a cookie party does intrigue me...so I called in support and thankfully they provided the materials and I simply provided the venue.....We are currently on winter break and it was great to have a play date again with their pals.

Sounders Get Ready

2010-02-08T08:18:00.000-08:00

Well, it is time. Time to start living vicariously through your kids. The glory days of soccer are over for me and all I have left are my two sons and I need to make them stars! Just kidding! ...For the first time ever, the boys took an interest in kicking the ball around over the weekend. While the East coast is being pummeled with snow, we are enjoy 60 degree weather and it has been nice to get outside and enjoy it. A few weeks ago we broke out the bikes and I took them over tot he bike trail that runs through MTV. It was the first time I wasn't carrying a bike back because one or both was frustrated about anything. Maybe we are turning a corner and maybe just maybe they are getting big enough to physically start enjoying some of these things. Just like the ski lessons, we always feel like they are just a little behind...late bloomers for sports which is frustrating for 2 athletically inclined parents but what can you do? Forcing them to do stuff only leads to frustration and perhaps they will carry that frustration so we have let them go at their own pace...rigorous soccer drills will have to wait...til next month!

The Off The Grid Downside...

2010-01-29T14:23:00.000-08:00

Country living is not always easy breezy clean air mountain living. Let's take the other day as an example. We get back from a long weekend and do a bit of laundry. I say to D, "what is that smell?" We shrug it off and give the boys a bath. Late in the evening before bed, we notice the smell again and look in out downstairs bathroom to see a bit of sewage backed up in the tub. OOOhh gross, I say. D gets the plunger and gets it back down the drain. We close the door and go to bed.

Next morning, I get up early to take Blu for his little neutaring operation, walk -rolling the garbage cans down to the gate for garbage pick up each about a 100 yards away and get the boys to school. Upon returning, I call the septic tank service to ask them to come up to take a look. While on the phone, I open the door to the bathroom only to witness Armegedon. The toilet is erupting sewage, it has oozed all over the floor 3 inches deep and I can only stop and stare. I am paralyzed and gagging. I slam the door to the bathroom hoping it will go away on its own. I think the woman from the septic tank company sensed my desperation because she had her husband up to the house within 20 minutes.

I eventually was able to run to the garage and get on my rubber boots, find a mop and some rags. Thank God also for the door to the garden from the bathroom so I could mop it out the door. By the time the septic man arrived, I was a wreck and exhausted by the furious mopping I was doing.

By the time I had to pick up the boys from school I was spent. The problem was solved and the bathroom cleaned 3 times over. I had just showered and was drinking a vitamin water bottle in my car. Prior to pulling out of the driveway, when I put the bottle into the cup holder, I noticed ....droppings....not legos or other crumbs from food...but droppings! NOOOO! I cannot take anymore feces in one day but sure enough, these were from a mouse.

I call D and on his way home he picks up 2 mouse traps. They are placed in the back seats down below and the next morning 2 mice are caught. They are set out the second night and a 3rd mouse is caught! Since then we think we have eradicated mice but seriously, how did they get in there? gross, gross, gross....

Lessons

2010-01-28T14:14:00.000-08:00

Recently, we have been taking a lot of lessons.

And isn't that what life is all about? Constantly learning, progressing and evolving....deep, I know. However, it has dawned on me lately that one set of lessons here and there isn't really what works, you have to be committed for not sessions but months or years. So after a batch of swim lessons for the boys, I quickly realized that we were going to be having a long term relationship with their instructor. I mean, you do not learn to swim over night and there is so much to learn. So fridays after school continues to be swim night. They have been doing so well and really love it. Ms. Tammy has them swimming about 5 feet across and they are doing great on their backs and diving for rings.

A couple months ago, I also revived my pipe dream to become fluent in Italian and so Mondays are my day of lessons. There is something so great about taking time out of your routine and simply learning and getting better at something and being committed.

This past weekend we went up to Whistler spur of the moment. After much deliberation since the bust of a time last year trying to teach the boys to ski, we decided to enroll them in 2 days of ski school. Normally, with 5 year olds this wouldn't be so stressful but when your boys are in the 5th percentile in height and weight, it is tough to just send them off onto the gondola with other 5, 6 and 7 year olds who are feet taller than them. So the first part of the day was a little rough or so the instructor said when we checked in at lunch time. After lunch the first day, they placed them with the 3 and 4 year olds, upon our request and they we reinspired for day 2. Granted they only learned to stand up and "glide" down the little hill but most of all they had a great time and were very sad when we returned their skiis to the rental shop.

Old Friends New Guests

2010-01-18T08:21:00.000-08:00

Besides family we haven't had any house guests yet until this past weekend. Although brief as they were on their way to Whistler, it was so great to see our old friends from Anacortes who now live in DC. With twin girls also born in December of 2004, having the name Cary and even looking and plus being married to orthopods that worked together, we were destined to be close friends. The kids got along so well that they did not want to say goodbye in the morning.

Boys Weekend

2010-01-11T16:27:00.000-08:00

Not often do I get to have a girls weekend. And...photos from that will hopefully not make it to anyone's blog or FB.

As for the boys, though, left alone to their own devices from the looks of the photos, they fared pretty well.

Anyone notice a tooth missing?

A Legal Flashback

2010-01-06T14:37:00.000-08:00

It seems so long ago now that I was a lawyer in Guam. Often I am asked if I will go back to practicing again and I guess the answer is, I don't know because I suppose you never know what your life will hold and if you will be forced to go back to work...God forbid. I say forced because I really do not want to go back to it. Ever since I left my practice in Guam I knew I had left the most amazing job I will ever have had. I practiced mainly criminal federal defense and immigration asylum cases. After leaving, I had one of the worst jobs I have ever had as a prosecutor in MI. I think I still carry some PTSD around having experienced being a cog in the wheel of political nonsense and unrealistic policies. While pregnant with the boys, I worked part time doing medical malpractice defense. What can I say...boring?

Living overseas and and having kids now definitely changes your perspective on working. Moving around so much with the Navy, has made things frustrating and having a husband with a stressful and demanding job only adds to the concept that it is almost impossible for me to go back to work. Part-time lawyer is almost a laughable concept. But mainly, it is the interest level. I say I had the best job I will ever have because, I was passionate back then about what I was doing. I felt like I was really doing something and I felt I was good at it. Since that time, I never really felt like a very good lawyer because I never really believed in what I was doing.

I once had an asylum case where my client was from China and was a member of the Fa Lun Gong. He was incarcerated in Guam for 2 months while he awaited his immigration hearing. At the hearing, the judge unexpectedly asked him to perform the movements which are a type of tai chi like exercises. And he did them beautifully. At the end of the hearing she granted him asylum. My client had an uncle who lived in PA and he wired me money for my fees and money for a plane ticket to him. I drove my client to the airport and when he said goodbye, he handed me two bars of soap that he had carved into these dragons. I still have them in my desk.

I was reading CNN on line today and was reading about the refugees and flashed back to those clients that I had gotten asylum for from Sri Lanka and others from Burma. I wonder how they are today.

Because When You Live in The Country You Must Burn Stuff.....

2010-01-06T14:27:00.000-08:00

I have been quietly shopping for fire pits for some time now. I say quietly because in sounds somewhat silly in the dead of winter to be randomly on a such a quest but, who doesn't love a good fire? Plus, it cuts down on all the cardboard and paper in the recycling bin and year round s'mores. So first, I thought about a slice of an old propane tank would do the trick. However, the closest large metal recycler that had them was about a 45 minute drive north and they cost about 65 bucks. Then, I stumbled upon a washed out sign that said "firepits" with a phone number nearby the boys' school. I was skeptical but called when I returned home one day. A few hours later a man returned my call and said to come by and see what type we wanted from basic rings to really fancy welded ones. One cold and rainy day in November Dave and I went down to check them out and check out his shop. I REALLY wish I had brought my camera because inside his studio he has made the most gorgeous lifelike metal tree sculptures. I asked how long it had taken him to make them and he said, 70 years. I asked how much he sells them for and he said 6k?. I will go back and take some photos because he is a local treasure. His fancy fire pits were quite cool but out of our price range and the basic rings also made out of sliced propane tanks were decidedly too small. So I decided to keep looking. Through a tip from dad, I called a metal fabricator and asked if he could make me a fire pit ring out of steel and gave him out dimensions. Much more economical, it was done in a few days. This past weekend we finally got around to clearing out the area and had our first fire. Later in the evening we went out and roasted out first marshmallows. So cool, yes?

Fun With the Other Cousins

2010-01-03T21:42:00.000-08:00

Audrey, Girl's Cannot Be Superhero's!

2010-01-03T21:34:00.000-08:00

Prior to leaving for Cincy, we had a play date/ gift exchange with Audrey and Hunter. Over lunch, the topic of superheroes was discussed which then lead to donning their latest costumes of the collection, The Batman. Audrey, one for always finding a way to dominate the three boys was a little taken aback by the declaration, but I am sure a Wonder Woman costume is in her future.