Down on the River

This is the lodge we stayed at this past weekend. There was a river running right beside it. There was a wood burning stove and a cute little old Hotpoint fridge. Also a Mr.Coffee and a Blender straight out of the sixties. The beds were wonderful and the view was great. There was a little wagon in the shelter to carry your stuff up to the room.
It was just perfect.

Rest in Peace my son. You are loved and missed every second of every day.
June 28, 1977-May 22,2008

A Surprise Hike

Matthew was off yesterday and so he asked me if instead of taking my regular walk which is around and around the park I wanted to go on another little hike. So that is what we did. This trail leads to a beach, a rocky secluded one and the tide was going to be out that afternoon so he says, "We'll take our rubber boots."
The weather was not so great all day but if there's one thing I've learned about Washington it is not to let the weather stop your plans. It could be pouring down rain one minute and the sun shining the next. So the fact that it rained on us the whole drive to a town called Seabec didn't bother me too much.
I got to use my new backpack for the first time. It is wonderful, very comfortable. It is amazing what you can put in there and carry on your back, even put a pair of rubber boots in a little elastic section! It was still raining as we parked but after a little while it slowed down enough for us to start and we could see blue sky ahead through the trail.
The rain just made all the wild plants so much greener and more fragrant. It made the broken limps look like polished wood. There were wild Rhododendrons, wild ferns and about a million other things I have no idea what was. The trail there was mostly down hill and when we reached the beach it was just beautiful. We couldn't really see the mountains in the background but the fog was pretty and we had a good time uncovering little crabs from under rocks, picking up shells and rocks.
I learned the hard way that the mud in places is like quick sand and so we laughed as the mud sucked my boots in and I just stepped right out of them, getting my socks socked and muddy!
The hike back was completely uphill and I huffed and puffed but made it back up and this morning I am feeling those muscles that got a work out. I loved it once again.
This one is called Guillemot Cove Nature Reserve.

Change

I still wonder who I am these days. I know the world is always changing and circumstances change and yes, even people change. But I still am having trouble recognizing myself these days.
I'm a bit in the dumps today and that always causes me to think way too much. It'll pass I know, I just have my days where I begin to wonder what in the world I'm doing! The whole purpose of this time right now is for me to just live one day at a time and to get my mind straight again. But I feel very insignificant, like I'm not contributing anything to the world or to anyone.
Just one of those days.

Happy Sunday

Yesterday was a good day and we enjoyed the parade. We all got to go even though one of us had to work.

The weather here is suppose to be nice again today.
Hope your day is a good one.
Love,
Robbin

Breakfast Served at Six Thirty

Today we are going to a parade. And not just any parade. It is an Armed Forces Day Parade and here in Bremerton it is the largest and longest running one in the country. There's a bunch of marching units and bands and even Pearl Harbor Survivors! How cool is that?
Haleigh, Amy and I will just walk to the parade, it starts at ten. I've not seen a parade in years and I'm sure I've never seen one this big before in person ever.
Matthew has to work but he'll be there too, working.
Haleigh woke up very early this morning and woke up the household around six thirty, making me a breakfast of toast, whether I was ready or not, lol. It is funny to me and I got up and made coffee to get the toast down with. She is excited about he parade too.
AND then there's the weather. It is just beautiful and should be that way the whole weekend. One of those days where Mt. Rainier shows its whole self in all its glory.
I hope you have a good weekend wherever you may be.
Love,
Robbin

Fish, It's what's for Dinner!

One of our goals since I've moved here is to eat as healthy as we can. And part of that is a rule that we have fish twice a week. Fish is just not my favorite thing and the truth is if it taste like fish, well, I don't really care for it.

Living out here is a little different in that you can get really fresh fish, and fresh of course is the answer. Fresh fish doesn't taste like the Mullet fish of my childhood that my father insisted we had once a week. Mullet that was not fresh and came from who knew where, and was drenched in corn meal and deep fried and left the house smelling so fishy that the cats would go crazy outside wanting to come in. In fact this could be the reason I don't care for fish.

But Amy does a good job and I can eat even the Salmon she cooks. But so far my favorite is the Halibut. Last night we had Cod with a beautiful relish she made with cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives. It made such a pretty plate in fact that when Matthew helped his plate, I had to make him wait for me to get a picture!

We're also into Couscous which is what is our side dish up there along with the squash. It is really good and something different and goes great with the fish.

A SOD Story Part Two

He worked and worked........
and watered and watered........
.........and TADA, we have grass!
And it looks great!

A Sod Story of the Back Yard

The back yard has been a true work in progress every since the kids first moved here. They've fought a big blackberry bush and thought it had won but finally Amy thinks it is gone. They've thrown rocks out, they've stacked rocks, they've had dirt hauled in and Matthew has learned the art of dirt tamping. And now finally they are ready to get some grass.
The sod came this morning and I'm excited. I've never seen anyone lay sod before, I've never experienced an instant yard. So these are the before pictures....

This is the sod, patiently waiting on its new home.

And these are pictures of our little salad garden which Amy is in charge of. We have high hopes!

And a very pretty Rhododendron in the corner of the yard.

Matthew got off early to work on the yard and I'll have "after" pictures too.
Hope your day is a good one!

I'm A Winner!

I've had a good day. Matthew and I got my car license plates. I made two batches of muffins, one banana nut and one apple. I walked two and half miles on my walk today. We didn't have to cook tonight, we had left over vegetable soup we made yesterday. And then we watched American Idol. The best part of my day was that I won a Tote Bag from my blogging friend Marge, here. I am so very excited. I'll post pictures of it when I get it, I can't wait!
Thank you Marge.
And so I am ready now to retire to my room and read.
Hope your week is going well,
Love,
Robbin

Surprise!

Haleigh and Amy surprised me this morning with a Mother's Day's Gift. They know me so well, and know just the sort of things I love.



And so I put them to use right away. Thank you both, I love you.

I hope your heart was full of love and light today as mine has been.

Happy Mother's Day

We have not much planned for today. Haleigh and her very cold feet are here by my side, laptop in tow, playing a game and talking. Her mom is sleeping in still. I've got to call my own mother but I'm trying to time it right between her church and her lunch and the time difference.
I think the day is going to be a nice one weather wise.
I hope for you a perfect day.
Love,
Robbin

Just This and That on a Saturday Morn

I didn't stay up all night watching my new TV, in fact I fell asleep before ten o'clock I think and slept really good.
Sun is shining this morning, I'm not sure how warm it is out there but it looks like it will be a really nice day.
I am trying to walk at least every other day and yesterday, armed with my new pedometer I walked two miles. I like to walk late in the afternoon here. Back home we walked early in the morning because of the heat but here you don't have to do that.
Haleigh made me a breakfast of toast and Amy and I had a cup of flavored or as Matthew calls it "Fru Fru" coffee. We drink it when he's not here, lol. This morning we had Caramel Cream and it is good too.
Amy is going to see Fiddler on the Roof this afternoon and Matthew has baseball precise and Haleigh and I have no set plans.
I hope everybody has a nice calm weekend and a Happy Mother's Day.
Love,
Robbin

TV Directly

The cable man is here! YAY! I never thought I'd get so excited about having a new TV and so many channels to choose from. I'm a little bit away from TV in my room! YAY!
At first Matthew wasn't all that keen on me getting my own TV. He said, "We'll never see you, you'll never come out of your room", but that is not so! HE was only teasing me.
SO, hurry up MR. Direct TV man, I'm wanting to see how nice and clear my new TV picture will be, HD no less~ OOH, he's taking his ladder down from his truck, we are in serious installation mode now!!

Big News For Today

I got a TV for my room today. It's a 22 inch really super thin one. I've not bought a TV in a long time so this one is amazing to me. I can lift it to where ever I want it, It fits almost anywhere and tomorrow the cable man cometh.
Now, I know this may be hard to believe but I've never ever had cable TV in my life. I'm moving up in the world you see!

A Happy Birthday

I had a good day. We had Kabobs for supper. I got a pedometer and a new back pack for our hikes. The one I had hurt me the last time so this one is made for a woman and has a bunch of places to put stuff, it is too cool.

Instead of a whole cake we decided to do cupcakes, that way we each had one or two, lol, and then took the rest to the neighbors. We are serious you see about trying to eat healthy. I heard from friends and family back home and it was just a really pleasant day.

Thanks to my kids who cooked for me and treated me special all day (they pretty much do that for me everyday though).

TO Market, To Market

Matthew and I went into Seattle and enjoyed a day at the Pike Place Market. I've been several times before as a "tourist" but today I shopped as a Washington Resident.

We got fresh halibut, squash, mushrooms, strawberries, goat cheese, corn, a bouquet of pink and white tulips, some greek yogurt and probably some things I've forgotten. We rode the ferry there and back which is always something I enjoy.

It was a good day to do this as I've had the blues a little today. I don't know why, I just did.

It was a good day.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

I'm a little slow in moving around today. I've not even opened my curtains or blinds to see what kind of day it is. I think I see sun peeking through though.

Haleigh had spend the night company last night so I hear jumping around in the room over me and giggling. Amy has made coffee because I smell the lovely aroma seeping into my room. Even Sweetie had made no effort to get up this morning.

Last week I got my Washington State Driver's License. After reading on the website what I'd need to get it I stressed a little. I had to prove I was who I am and I had to prove residency. It is one of those deals where if you have one item from List A then you are good to go. Only thing is those items were things most people wouldn't normally have. So ok, then if you had nothing from List A you could have two items from list B or one item from list B and two from list C or.........well, you get the picture. I had nothing in the right combination so I took what I had with a prayer. When I got there the lady behind the desk quoted the website things and I explained to her that here was all I had. And she said, "OK, honey, that will be $45. " So I sighed a sigh of relief and smiled for my picture.

Tuesday is my birthday. The kids asked if I wanted to go out to eat or eat at home and have something special. SO I decided we'd eat in and have Kabobs on the grill.

Hope your Sunday is a pleasant one.
Love,
Robbin

Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them
- A. A. Milne, Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh

My Favorite Place of Late

I have to spend some time each day down by the water. It is my most favorite place to be lately. I've picked a favorite place to sit on some rocks and I get lost. You never know what might be floating by...........
Or motoring by.........
The water calms me so, it relaxes me in ways I've not been in so long. I'm so happy to be here for now.