A Twisted Christmas Carol

Recently Larry and I had dinner with a group of friends to celebrate the holiday season and one last chance to get together before the New Year arrives. After enjoying a casual meal downtown Bellingham at Bob’s Burgers and Brew we returned to the home of one of the couples to enjoy homemade desserts, a gift exchange, and play a few games which concluded with charades.


We laughed till it hurt, the women accused the men of cheating because they got all the easy charades to act out, and of course the men won. At the end of the evening I secretly gathered up all the slips of paper and took them home to see if I could somehow work them into a Christmas poem. I managed to use all but two: You just received a puppy for Christmas and Elf making a toy. So this poem is called “A Twisted Christmas Carol”.

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas
Remembering
Seeing Santa as a child for the first time
Picking and cutting a tree
A
Christmas tree
Tying the tree to a car roof
With
Tinsel
Bows
Christmas lights
And
Garland
Making a Christmas list for Santa
with
Jingle bells
On my shoes
Poinsettias
On the porch
Mistletoe
Hanging over the door
Wreaths
Hanging on the door
And
Presents
Lots of presents
Playing winter games
Snowball fights
Riding a ski lift
Cross country skiing
Or a
Plane ride
Building a fire in the fireplace
Planning on
Leaving milk and cookies for Santa
And
Sneaking in and checking your presents before Christmas
I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus
And
Sampling the cooking sherry
and
Making a pie
Stuffing
The bird
And cooking the
Cranberry sauce
Daddy getting slacks too tight
Made it hard to itch because
Santa has Rudolf’s fleas in his pants
As he was
Climbing down a ladder
In a
Snow
Hailstorm
When
Grandma got run over by a reindeer
Was it
Donner
or
Dancer
Following behind
Rudolf
Pulling a sleigh
Holding the real
Santa Claus
And an
Elf
Dressed as
Scrooge
Noel
To all
And to all a goodnight
And if I am really good
I’ll be
Getting a toy electric train for Christmas
And you’ll be
Getting your first bike with training wheels

Merry Christmas to our family and friends

Turn off the music player at the bottom of the page before you play this video.

Seattle Garden Show

I’m not a morning person but there are certain things, events, meetings, occasions that require me to get up early. Going to the Seattle Garden show is one of those occasions that I willingly get up for. I said willingly, not wide awake.

My friend Kim was the only member of our small group who was going to be able to go on Friday and Friday was the only day I could go. We were set to meet Kim’s mom Sherry in Mt. Vernon but she hadn’t been feeling well, so decided to stay home.

Kim and I were on the road by 7:45 AM. I left the house early enough to stop by my local Starbucks for a wake-up fix of a Grande, white chocolate, non-fat, two pump, peppermint mocha. We visited all the way to Seattle and in no time at all we had arrived. Kim knows her way around Seattle having grown up there but the most difficult part was finding a parking garage and then remembering what floor we were on.

We had already pre-purchased our tickets so we breezed right on in. The first major display was four outdoor rooms decorated with salvaged doors, windows, tiles, quilts, ironing boards used as tables, and clay tiles used in a checkerboard pattern with grasses to form walkways and patios.

We moved into the mail hall to see the large garden room displays. The vast heights of the convention center were unnoticeable because the lighting was centered on the displays and all overhead lighting was dimmed way down low, almost like looking up at a dark sky with tiny stars overhead. It felt very intimate looking at the plants, the furniture, ponds, and garden structures, even when standing next to hundreds of people.

Kim’s sister Lori arrived with two of her friends and we sort of wandered together, exchanging comments and snapping photos of our favorite displays. Kim’s mom called and said that she felt better and was driving down to meet us and shortly she arrived.

There were vendors selling every type of garden ornament, flags, sculptures, statues, jewelry, clothing, and furniture. The next hall was filled with vendors selling systems that water the garden, fertilize the garden, lights for the garden, garden sheds, ponds, baskets, gloves, and more. On the other side of the room was the main course. The plants and bulbs, the baubles that make a garden come to life and give it bling with color and bloom. I bought red crocosmia masoniorum (lucifer – montbretia) and foxtail lily for my garden. I was looking for voodoo lily - Dracunculus vulgaris but the one vendor who had them, had sold out. Kim bought some dahlias for her growing collection or is that addiction.

When we had walked up and down all the aisles, assured that we hadn’t missed anything, we headed back to the main vendor area near the front entrance. A small artist from Portland had decorative garden lights made from recycled tin cans and hanging garden art pieces that were cut from steel. Kim bought a really cute teapot, cup, and spoon to hang in her garden. Smith and Hawken designed a wall around their display with clay pots set into the walls from floor to chest high and windows to look in. On the other side were benches built into the wall with turquoise and cream fabrics. The upper parts of the walls were filled with a patchwork of grasses in different colors. On the opposite was a matching display to form the room boundaries. A large work table made out of wood and surround by chairs made a beautiful vignette with a tall back wall of large wooden boxes designed to house garden accessories and lit with copper globes and copper down lights. With an unlimited budget anything is possible and I know what I want when I win the lottery. Through in an outdoor fireplace, a waterfall, and a warm weather climate and I would be good.

It was a great day to wander and see what creative minds could do to inspire us to garden. This was also the last year of the Seattle Garden show so now we will only have our local garden show and private gardens that open to the public for special events to encourage us to garden.

Kim and I stopped at The Red Robin on the way home for dinner and the arrived home about fourteen hours after we left that morning. A full day of exposing the minds to color, whimsy, imagination, ideas and goals of what we can do with our own gardens. Yes it was a very good day.

Peppermint Valentines

I discovered a wonderful artist Anne Hayward at: www.stampingwithbluemooncreations.com

I used her idea to make my own valentines for family and friends.

Please vist Anne's website to see her other creative ideas.

The valentine card was created at: http://stories.scrapbooksetc.com/

Riding With Friends

Riding With Friends

I’ve been everywhere man…Bellingham, Nooksack, Deming, Sumas, Abbotsford, Mission, Derouche, Lake Errock Harrison Hot Springs, Hope, Yale, Boston Bar, Lytton, Lillooet, Pemberton, Whistler, Brackendale, Squamish, Lions Gates, all over Vancouver, Burnaby, Port Coquitlam, Langley, Aldergrove, Lynden, and home to Ferndale…well not everywhere, but I did see a lot in two days time.

Larry and I went with some of our Mt. Baker Chapter H.O.G. family on a two day jaunt into Canada. Accuweather forecast rain for Sunday, so like any good motorcycle rider who lives in the far northwest corner of the USA, you pack rain gear. Even if the weather forecast says sun it might be a good idea to pack rain gear.

Saturday we rode along various rivers right next to the road us or watching the rivers far below us from the rocky mountain roads we were traversing. We arrived at Hells Gate and took a tram four hundred feet down and across the river to have lunch. I’m afraid of heights but the ride on the tram was worth the tingling toes.

We arrived in Lillooet and the weather was warm as we sat on the patio enjoying our dinner as the sun began to disappear behind the mountains. Back in the parking lot at our motel we pulled out our room chairs and kicked back sharing stories. My friend Dave said it’s not how many miles you ride, but the part of the ride where everyone puts the kickstands down, relaxes, and just has a good time visiting. I agree.

Fuel for our bodies, fuel for the bikes and we were off on day two of the adventure. After riding for hours in a downpour we drove right through Whistler (home of the 2010 winter Olympics) without stopping and tiptoed through Brackendale in stop and go traffic for miles before we arrived at Furry Creek Golf & Country Club. We walked in dripping wet and we were welcomed with hot coffee and tea. Pealing off the layers of rain gear and leather we placed our food orders and enjoyed watching the rain from the inside. The one thing the rain had not done was dampen our spirits.

Back on the bikes we headed to the border. We had only a half hour wait to cross and then about another half hour to ride home. Every detail was planned, everyone had a great time, and that made this ride a perfect 10.

The wedding of Kelly and Ryan

Saturday evening Kelly and Ryan committed their lives to each other. The rain gave way to a beautiful garden setting that was enchanting. Everyone mingled, no aisles, no bride or grooms side, just one gathering to celebrate the love that these two young people share.

I first met Kelly B. and her brother Ian when my kids Michael, Kelly, and I moved to Washington ten years ago. Larry was renting a home next to their parents on the Straights of San Juan De Fuca.

The kids went back and forth between the two homes and we included Ian and Kelly in all our family traditions. Michael and Kelly B. became best friends sharing all the ups, downs, good, bad, and best friend’s secrets. So it was fitting that Michael became Kelly’s wedding planner/coordinator for her wedding.

I watched Ryan during the ceremony and he never took his eyes off Kelly, the love of his life. Kelly smiled back into Ryan’s eyes letting him know she loved him completely. The family of both the bride and groom and all their friends shared in this joyous occasion.

God blessed this union and the rain only came appeared when everyone was safely under the cover of the reception hall. The wedding was held at a private residence that rents out the grounds and facilities to weddings and events. The gardens were well tended and flowers bloomed everywhere. There seemed to be no detail untended, and Michaels planning had everyone and everything on schedule.

Larry and I were seated at table #3. This table was family of the groom and close friend’s of Kelly’s parents. Several family members had to leave early and Ryan’s grandmother joined us. When the showers turned into a downpour we were moved to table #20 away from the rain and a much warmer spot. We all began to interact and form a connection. We stole mints from the other tables and we became known as the “unique” table because we had a ring of fire from all the candles that we some how accumulated. Other tables gave us their candles and we spelled out the initials of Kelly and Ryan and we far surpassed table #15 who accused us of being candle stealers. Michael would just smile as he passed us by and the DJ would occasionally mention our table by number.

Michael found a few extra mints and dropped them by our table. A firefighter from another table tried to extinguish some of our candles for safety but we arm wrestled to keep her away. The music played on and our table was clearly the life of the party, well after the bride and grooms table. We were after all there for a wedding celebration.

After the cake was cut and the bride and groom had their first dance, Larry and I left our table to retreat home. It was an evening to be remembered and I am sure it was all captured by the two photographers who just happened to be lurking around catch table #23 in the act. I am sure Michael never imagined when he did seating charts that our table would be the one everyone talked about during and after the wedding. “Unique.”

A garden of friends

My friend Kim and her husband Greg are the leaders of our small group from church. One of the many things all the ladies in our group have in common is our love of gardening. I have to be honest and say my garden is the unruliest and I definitely have the most weeds. But I love my garden.

Kim called me earlier in the week and invited me to go to Seattle on Sunday for a garden tour. How could I pass up an invitation to peek into the gardens that are hidden behind closed gates and winding city streets?

I met Kim at nine o’clock with my Starbucks chi latte in hand, my walking shoes on, and my camera ready to shoot. We drove south to pick up Kim’s mother Sherry who decided to drive and we took the scenic route back to the freeway around Big Lake and McMurray Lake.

I’ve lived in Washington for ten years but have only taken an occasional trip to Seattle with my husband Larry when he has a business trip and I get to sleep in, shop downtown, and enjoy dinner at a nice restaurant. I don’t know my way around Seattle and after a whirlwind tour today, I still don’t know my way around but I had a great time sightseeing and enjoying all the different areas we visited.

The first garden was near Seward Park and it was filled with exotic plants and garden art created by the owners. Visually it was hard to see everything the first, second, or third time looking into the small pocket gardens. The paths all connected back to each other and the lowest garden was a green swath of grass that would be perfect for a dinner party. The textures of the plants and the sheer variety were almost overwhelming. Pictures were posted throughout the garden to show what it looked like before the owners transformed it into a showpiece that obviously brings much joy to the owners. I asked if they had a master plan before they started and they said no. They just started removing the grass and adding plants and it grew.

So from southeast Seattle we headed to the northwest section via downtown. Sherry drove like a pro, and she should because she lived in Seattle for forty years and worked right downtown where she had her own antiques and collectibles stores at Pikes Market. Kim was riding shotgun and acting as navigator. Several wrong turns, up the hill, down the hill--wait didn’t we go up that road once before?--and we arrived at the second garden.

Sherry took one look at the house and said she was ready to move in and she hadn’t even seen the garden. The home was wood shingled with all the trim done in black and it was magnificent sitting on top of a hill over looking Lake Union. The small front yard was enclosed by a black fence and a small formal triangle garden bordered with a boxwood hedge sat just inside the front entrance. Turning to the right was a gravel garden with a round ceramic art piece from Little and Lewis just before we dropped down several steps into the side garden with views of Lake Union and north Seattle. A small candelier hung in corner, wind chimes dangled from trees, and the patio umbrella was dressed with brass hearts that looked like oversized charms on a bracelet. The tiniest fuchsia I have ever seen with flowers about one half inch or less was tucked into a small walkway garden on the backside of the house. Not a large garden, but the plants, the house, and the view made it probably the most spectacular of all the homes we visited today.

We drove down the hill and stopped at Seattle Pacific University and sat on the front lawn to eat lunch. Sherry had thought of everything and had packed turkey and Swiss roll ups, drinks, chips, and not one but two kinds of cookies. What a treat, because I thought we would probably stop and buy a quick lunch somewhere and this was so much fun to sit in the sunshine and really enjoy the beautiful summer weather.

Next we were off to the university district to an older neighborhood filled with surprises. The curbside raised beds were filled and overflowing with lavender. The front of the house was filled with waves of black mondo grass and a lime green mondo grass. An angle trumpet was one of several centerpieces in the side yard and the owners dig it up and move it to a shelter each winter because it is a tender annual here in Washington. A fountain that dropped into a small pond led us to the back yard with a small sitting area across a wooden plank bridge. Around the corner--another pond filled with gold-fish. Lanterns hung overhead and a most unique art piece made from a piece of wood that was completely covered in nails of every size.

Time was running out and if we hurried we might made one more garden before five o’clock. We headed north and the last garden is still in the beginning stages. You can still see where the paths have been carved out and the plants were beautiful but young and not matured to fill in and out to cover the space. They did have some unusual plants in the garden and they were selling potted plants, which none of the other gardens did. Kim and Sherry both bought several selections and then we headed north.

When we first arrived, Kim had shown me around her father’s new garage that my husband and every guy I know would be envious of, and her mother’s studio that is built over the garage. Now, Sherry was giving me a personal tour and showing me some of her art work that will be used to sell pattern packets. She also told us her idea for a book on art and painting that she is working on. Every nook and cranny is filled with books she collects on art, painting, cooking, and vintage children’s books. Her art pieces include bowls, boxes, chests, and just about anything you can paint on. It is the sort of room you could just curl up in and savor everything as the day slipped away.

Friends are like flowers, you tend them and care for them and they grow more beautiful and treasured.