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Category Archives: pamily
Time and Tilt
A couple of years ago I found these big xmas lights in the xmas box. They were too much for the tree but I draped them over this cabinet. Even then they were a bit much so I unscrewed light bulbs until I had it at the level I wanted.
Turned out, I liked having this source of lighting better than a lamp. In the evenings when I watch TV I like a little bit of light and this is just perfect.
Later I put it on a timer so it comes on for a couple hours in the evening and is timed to go off right at bedtime. And it comes on for an hour or so in the morning.
As the light changes with the time of year, I adjust the timer. As we head into winter I add more and more time and as we move back to summer I change to shorter and shorter. In June we don’t even use it.
If you look in the background of the top photo in the very top left, you can see the little lights I have on in my room. I like little lights.
I am headed down to Orleans to visit Mom and check out the scene down there. Photos when I return.
In Memoriam – Uncle Barry
All of us out on business
Auntie’s 50th Birthday surprise party
Camping in the Olympic rain forest.(We were out there long enough to set up our tents, have a nice hike, eat a campe dinner, get rained on, pick up camp and go home.)
Uncle Barry cracking us up with one of his hilarious stories.
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Bye Uncle Barry
Look at these hot young kids. My mom and auntie! Too bad my dad’s looking a little stoned. I’m sure it was just bad timing.
What a life! Born in Boyd, Texas. Worked for federal highways and lived all over the country: D.C., Boise, Denver, Juneau, Olympia.
Huge family that loved him and that he loved.
He has been such a huge part of my life since I was a little kid. I can’t believe he’s not in the world anymore. 😢
I have a favorite print photo of me standing on Uncle B’s shoulders on a camping trip. If I can find it, I’ll scan and post at some future date.
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Another Poor Trip Log, Different Trip
Just hint of the unfathomable destruction from the Slater Fire (2020) from our view driving over Greyback Road. There are no words. I was stunned and the further we drove, the worse it got. There are spots where as far as you can see, there are just sticks — the remains of the trees are just sticks. You can’t even believe it’s real. There were moments when it looked like bad CGI. So heartbreaking.
The weekend after we went to Chicago we went to Orleans for a family wedding. On this trip I also took few photos and fewer notes.
(photo by Aileen Wilder, amateur Photoshop by me, hehe)
The wedding was beautiful and fun and a wonderful celebration but also very rainy with mud. It was great to be with family and so fun to see all the kids having such a great time together.
(photo by Bob Hughes)
The canopy was rigged at the last minute using a covering for a greenhouse — but it was magnificent.
Back at the house, the dogs in a rare moment, at rest. Photo and amateur Photoshop by me.
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Things I’m Overwhelmed with At The Moment
Check out this cool car I saw downtown. That’s like two parking spots. How do you think they garage it? When I was in 5th grade my friend’s mom had a car like that only gold.
- You’ve heard it before: my photos. I have a particular way I organize my photos which is not particularly organizational and I don’t want to change. But also I don’t know what’s what. Now I’ve been on two back-to-back trips and there are zillions of photos and I can’t decide what to do with them.
- Ants — we have just enough ants to know there is a problem but not enough ants to find out where the problem is. I have been creeping around the kitchen with a flashlight looking in all the cupboards and corners.
Ticket partner and I were on TV. That was the best part of the game. Our poor team is pretty sad this season.
- The yard. Oh my. Another oldie but true: I either have weather and no time and time and no weather. I love the rain. I’m not complaining about it but it seems like when I finally have time to get out there, it’s too wet to work. The weeds are tremendous. I am looking at the weather for the rest of the week and thinking I might fiddle with my schedule a bit and come home early on one of the nicer days and get some work done.
This is the park-n-ride when I arrive. I have been parking in the same spot since I went back to work during the pandemic around February 2021 — and I arrive the other morning and there is someone in MY SPOT. The whole parking lot is open – why my spot?
- My list — I have a list that says to consolidate the lists. Other than that I don’t know where to start.
These are my shoes after the Great Mud Wedding of June 2022. The Bride, Groom, and family were beautiful. The event was super fun and hopefully I will have something about the trip up here soon.
I cleaned up the shoes this morning but I’m still not sure if they will ever be the same again. We shall see.
Finally, the current progress on Part 2 of the Project of Forever. Didn’t get much done due to travel.
14234 / 40000 words. 36% done!
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Wildlife Everywhere
Dad had cataract surgery last week. The recovery wasn’t quite as smooth as we anticipated but the healing continues.
I spent some time in his room at the retirement home with him and there is this high-pitched whining sound that goes on for extended lengths of time.
I finally asked Dad if it bothered him but whatever the frequency is, his hearing is gone. When the nurse came by for the covid check she made a face: “What is that noise?”
She poked around trying to figure out its source. (I think it has to do with water use upstairs.)
Dad said, another care worker at the retirement home heard the noise and sent maintenance and the maintenance guy couldn’t hear anything.
The nurse said: “Maybe we can get one of his younger helpers who hasn’t had his ears blown out by working around heavy machinery come up here and listen.”
I laughed because Dad also worked around heavy machinery. As of right now, there is no resolution.
Once or twice a day Dad likes to take a lap around the retirement home and he feeds nuts to the squirrels. As soon as we appeared the squirrels scampered closer.
Dad had emptied the storage pouch on his walker because we were getting it in and out of the car for our doctor appointments so sadly we had nothing for the critters.
Meanwhile, they were following along the path.
Every time I stopped to take a picture they would run closer. I repacked a supply into the walker for next time.
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Old Married People
This is from 2002 when Erin ran with the torch. Photo Credit: Aunt Aileen.
Today we are married 24 years. I’d post a more recent photo but I can’t find a good one right now.
Soothes The Eyes
This belonged to my grandfather’s father on my mom’s side. I had the original for a short time and scanned it.
I’m tempted to research these people and transcribe all the pages but don’t want to get sidetracked from other projects I need to take care of today.
G-Gpa was in Orleans, CA. Weitchpec is downriver on Yurok rez. Catameen, now more familiarly spelled Katamin, is upriver where the Salmon River meets the Klamath. It is a ceremonial place known as the center of the world.
I should probably put this as a table but I’m too lazy. My best guess at transcribing:
Expense Acct.
June 8, 1927
Pd to Mrs. Dr. Domingo Weitchpec
on deposit in advance $20.00
Cost of this Mem. Book .10
Stamped Envelopes .55
Writing Tablet .30
June 8th. Trip in Ford to Weitchpec
with Philip Donahue to hire
Medicine Woman Mrs. Domingo
June 21. Trip in Ford to Weitchpec to see
Tommy Peters with P. Donahue
June 30. Trip to Catameen to get
Mrs. Fritz Hanson. Phillips
Mother & load things
June 30. Will Ferris makes trip
to Weitchpec to get Mrs. Domingo Dr. Pd. 5.00
June 28. Stamped Envelopes .55
26.50
Crying Over Creased Pants
That one tulip looks like its wiping its face. I thought about going back in and drawing eyes on it — but we have Creative Cloud and when I have Photoshop open my computer runs like it’s stoned so I hate using it. We’re going to give it up when Bob retires and I’ll learn to use something else which I’m sure will go smoothly.
Awhile back, one of the ladies at the retirement home good-naturedly told my dad that people were talking about him.
Later she told him it’s because he irons his jeans.
I shared this with colleague and he told me about a friend of his whose older dad likes good crease in his jeans.
This reminded me of once when I was in middle school, my grandma was staying with us and she ironed a gnarly crease in my jeans.
There was no way I was going to go to school and endure mockery on that scale and for middle school reasons, of course I wasn’t flexible enough to change my plans on what to wear.
I stood there at the ironing board, in my underwear, frantic to get out of the house, sobbing and furiously trying to get the crease out, blubbering with preemptive dread about the field day the kids at school would have with this nerd blunder.
Actually dork. That’s what I said to my grandma, “I’LL LOOK LIKE A DORK.”
She rescued me. She put a damp towel over the crease (a very specific detail I remember 40+ plus years later) and ironed it right out while gently tutting: I don’t understand what all the fuss is about.
Did You Know About the National Mustard Museum?
I have a ton of flower photos but no energy to go through them and post right this second. I think the uncertainty in the world is a big drain. Not just me. It seems like lots of people I talk to.
Bob’s birthday was the 13th and I sort-of forgot about finding a gift for him. I panic shopped online and did a search for “gifts for people who like condiments” and I learned about the National Mustard Museum. I chose the staff favorites gift box — it was between that and the best sellers — and no one has ever appreciated a box of condiments more. We already tried the cranberry chardonnay and the champagne garlic honey. Delicious.
Bookmark the link. You never know when you might need to buy someone a Poupon U T-shirt.
Tele-commuting starting next week. We’ll see how it goes.
