The Boat Show

So last week we took a couple days and went to the Seattle boat show.  A few other folks also came from our island yacht club and we all had a good time together.  We toured the boats that were on display in the water right across the street from the hotel.  Now I have never been one to covet another person's house, but when it comes to boats...well, now that's a different story.  Excuse me, but granite countertops, full size refrigerators, a normal sized bed, a water maker, 42 inch TV screen, an oven, washer/dryer, bow AND stern thrusters, (pure heaven), a hard bottom tender with 50 hp outboard and on and on.  Apparently not everyone uses an inflatable dinghy!!  Suddenly "little" Kaviar, our boat, seems woefully lacking in amenities.   So, back to reality and enough window shopping!!!  This outing did have a purpose, to obtain paper charts and additional resource material for our trip to Alaska this summer.  Yes, I did say Alaska, on our boat, the trip I have been in denial about for a couple years now is currently in full swing for planning.  I'm not sure of the moment when I actually agreed to this adventure...perhaps it was after a lovely dinner and too much wine!  The captain already has routes planned and I'm trying to stay positive about venturing so far.  Thank goodness my hand is improving and my frozen shoulder is almost completely thawed.    

Real Time

Ok, it's not like really being there, but living 1700 miles away, it's the next best thing.  With my two grandchildren turning 3 and 6 within a week of each other it was fun today to be a part of their mutual party and watch them open their gifts and wish them a Happy Birthday.  Thankgoodness for Skype and the abilty to connect in real time and experience their special moments instead of only hearing about them later.  It's a wonderful age we live in and I, especially, appreciate this great tool to make me feel like I am in the moment. 



Night And Day...

...or I should say, snow and no snow.  Tuesday night...yes, this past Tuesday night we got dumped on.  This was after several days of very icy mountain roads resulting in one neighbor sliding off the road into the ditch...always better than over the edge!  I canceled my off island Wednesday appointment as there is no way I could have even gotten up the driveway.  Yesterday all the snow and ice was gone and close to 50 degrees.  Ok, so put away the parkas and snow boots again for awhile, although I must say, walking up and down the road in Sorel snow boots is one heck of a workout! 

Points To Ponder

From this week's church bulletin:  Regarding prayer and God's will versus our will.

"I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had absolutely no other place to go."  Abraham Lincoln

"Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?"  Corrie Ten Boom

"The third petition of the Lord's Prayer is repeated daily by millions who have not the slightest intention of letting anyone's will be done but their own."  Aldous Huxley

"Is the Son of God praying in me, or am I dictating to Him?"  Oswald Chambers

"There are more tears shed over answered prayers than over unanswered prayers."  Teresa of Avila (also quoted by Truman Capote in the preface of his last unfinished novel).

"Prayer in its highest form is agonizing soul sweat."  Leonard Ravenhill

Happy New Year

I'm practicing saying "twenty eleven" rather than "two thousand eleven".  I hope you all have had a relaxing New Year's weekend.  BJ got me a new "point and shoot" camera for Christmas so I have spent the day getting familiar with all it's tools.  I went outside to take an updated photo of the garage and encountered our resident buck and we had a "stare down"...'course I was close to the car in case he decided to get a little aggressive, but rut should be over by now and all the males should be getting a little more mellow.  But he is a beautiful specimen.  Did I really say that?

The garage is coming along.  All the roof trim is in place so I think the roofers can start putting shingles on soon.  At least it's dry inside now for the workers.

 How many more poses, MOM???? Haven't you practiced enough?