kandas-adventures

Inspiration in 10 minutes

Enjoy this fast-paced, fact-filled video that may inspire you if you are struggling with the same New Year's resolution I am:

http://www.youtube.com/embed/aUaInS6HIGo

 

First Foster Kitten of 2012

The call came on Saturday.  Someone had found a kitten in the snow by their garage.  It was feral and scared of people.  It's mother was likey in the process of relocating the litter and got spooked and dropped it.

Like so many of the kittens I receive, it was filthy, so first up was a warm bath.  The vet had had trouble determining the gender given all the fur, and first marked the chart as "male," but it's obvious now that this is a little girl.  This kitten has the longest fur of any kitten I've seen, so it was especially difficult to get clean, and had lots of knotty mats in the fur.  I had to cut some of it off from around her backside, which was caked with dried tapeworms.  She is a "high-maintenance" kitty, the kind that needs daily grooming from her person.

She is probably 5 or 6 weeks old.  She has enromous round eyes and is terrified of everything.  Instead of purring, she hisses and hides.  When I pick her up she either goes stiff, or limp, and her heart races.  I'm giving her a couple of high-calorie kitten milk bottles a day, because believe it or not beneath all that fur she is terribly emaciated.  The foster-care coordinator at the shelter named her "Stellar."  I hope she grows into the name.

It's OK, little girl.  You're going to come to like it here, and one day before you know it, you'll be purring.

Snow Scenes

 

Here are some scenes, without much text, of the week-long storm:

 

The first round of snow was minimal, but that didn't keep determined kids off the big sledding hill, mud and all.

 

 

More snow and colder temps arrive, which make for ideal sledding and skiing.

 

Starbucks was doing brisk business as it is located next to the big sledding hill.

When the cars give up, the skis come out.

Dinner outdoors one night:  roasted hotdogs, baked beans, and marshmallows over a fire.  By the time darkness fell more people had joined us. 

 

The best use of a plow blade: backrest for tired sledders.  We were thrilled when the truck broke down just before it reached our little sled hill.  The truck was towed away, leaving the blade behind.  I suggested we bury it in snow so when the new truck arrived to put it back into service, they wouldn't be able to find it and destroy our sled hill.

 

 

 

The ice storm arrives: rain from a warmer sky lands where it is just 26 degrees, and freezes instantly.

 

 

Igloo construction!

 

 

Beautiful icicles that formed during the thaw.  Now we are back to gray and rain, and I miss our winter wonderland.

 

The Snow and Ice that Came to Stay

Sunday... the fun begins!

Monday... on the way to the store, a little chilly and slushy, but not bad yet.

Tuesday... the abandoned blade from a city plow that broke down as it attempted to scrape our sledding hill.  The kids were very happy for that timely breakdown!

Wednesday... a main arterial near our house, usually busy with cars, has walkers, sledders, snowshoers, and skiers instead.

Thursday... no milk delivery, no newspaper, but USPS delivers!  I met him at the mailbox with hot cocoa and cookies.  He admited that ours was the last neighborhood he was going to deliver to, and that all the neighborhoods to the south of us would just have to wait until tomorrow.  He hadn't been home in 2 days.  Poor guy.

It's been a week since I drove my car, and it doesn't look like I'll be going anywhere, anytime soon.  First we had about 8 inches of snow, then we had freezing rain for about 12 hours that turned to ice on contact, since it was only 28F degrees.  It was supposed to be a heavy snow that lasted 2 or 3 days and was washed away with rain and much warmer temps in the 40's.  The weatherman was wrong, though.  The heavy ice has caused trees to fall, and widespread power outages.  We are lucky, we have power, but hundreds of thousands in the region are without.

My van, with snow and a crust of half an inch of ice.  I will be VERY SURPRISED if the engine starts after all this time and all this cold.

I wonder what Friday will bring...

Winter Trails Day 2012

 

 

We went to Winter Trails Day last year to try snowshoeing as a family for the first time.  As a result, we each bought a pair of snowshoes: 2 barely used from an REI "garage sale," 1 off Craigslist, and 1 on clearance from LLBean.  We did a couple snowshoe excursions last spring, but haven't done any yet this season.   The Mountaineers property at Snoqualmie pass is usually only open to paying groups, but on Winter Trails Day it is free and open to all, so we decided to go again this year.

This location is all about snowshoeing (other locations throughout the region offered cross country skis and instruction).  The vendors set up their booths with their hundreds of loaner snowshoes for people to try.  We didn't need to check out snowshoes this year since we had our own, so we went right into the woods to get started on our adventure.

Both girls grew a size and were in new (to them) bibs, coats, and boots.  A few years back I hit the after-season sales (80% off) and stocked up in every future size, so I just go to the garage and pull out a bin and have them try things on until they find what fits.  So far they've been consistent in their growth, getting one or two seasons out of each item, so nothing has gone unworn.

This way, or that way... to the fun!

It hadn't snowed for awhile so the snow was very crusty and hard.  Not the best conditions, but at least it wasn't slush.

The girls enjoyed scaling every little mound or pile of snow that fell off the trees during the previous week's warm spell.

Sometimes getting back upright was a challenge.

Little K got so overheated that she unzipped her parka and took off her mittens.  Not the best choice, but we knew hot chocolate was on the horizon, so I didn't argue with her about the need to keep her hands from getting chilled.  Her little fingers would soon be wrapped around a steaming cup of chocolatey goodness.

At the end of the day the vendors loaded snowshoes in these duffles by the dozen, clipped them together, and then hauled them back down the hill to the road (the only parking area).  It was a fun afternoon out in the snow, and we look forward to more snowshoeing soon.  In fact, snow is in the forecast for our neighborhood, so maybe we won't have to go to the mountains next time!

 

The New Year

Now that the winter holidays are over and we're back to school and work, I am again rising in the darkness (5:45 am).  Most mornings dawn gray and drizzly.  It is still dark when I wave farewell to A as she boards her bus for the 40 minute ride to school.  Sometime between getting Little K out of bed and myself in and out of the shower, I might glance out the window.  One morning last week I was lucky enough to see this sunrise. It was glorious like this for just a few moments.  I took this shot from an upstairs window, and by the time I'd run downstairs and out into the street to get a more expansive view, the pink glow was entirely gone, and everything was gray again.

There is so much potential in a new year.  This year we have big plans, and there is much to be accomplished.  There are also mounting obstacles, from health challenges to financial uncertainty.  The occasional brilliant sunrise I'm lucky enough to witness during these dark Northwest winter days are like a glimpse into the future -- a future that could be brighter if I could just conquer my fears and work hard at what needs doing. The low gray clouds that hang on me during the day are the process, which I don't enjoy and which fills me with sloth and dread.  Then, the end of the day nears, and sometimes, if I can remember to look outside, I might see a spectacular sunset, or just another darkening descent into nighttime.  I never know which I will see, but I have to keep getting up in the morning, and going through my days with purpose, ever hopeful that the future will be brighter.

Here are some of the things I am wrestling with:

* Losing weight and getting in better shape for the sake of my heart, which is already under enough strain from a defective valve.  This has to be the hardest task on my list.

* Clearing out the clutter in my life.  There is an entire room filled with stuff, all of it "meaningful" in some way.  Half of it arrived when my dad sold the house that belonged to my grandparents, and I grabbed boxes of stuff that I felt shouldn't go to the dump: love letters between my grandparents during WWII, family photos, home movies and slides, projectors, mementos, a brand-new sewing machine, etc. Then there's stuff my mom keeps giving me: books and toys from my childhood, her childhood... things that belonged to my grandmother, stuff of possible monetary as well as sentimental value, but things that are hard to store and take up space.  Then there are children's things I hang onto, to pass on to future grandchildren, or to pull out when friends are visiting with little ones.  Things that are both handy to have and filled with memories.  I have to come to terms with the fact that I cannot save everything, and that things that I don't wish to use or display need to find their way to others who might enjoy them more. I'm tired of being a hoarder, holding onto things because I "should" or "might use them someday."  Then there is the garage, overflowing with camping gear, sports equipment, tools, lumber, etc.  We can't even walk in there!  This must change!

* Going back to school and getting retrained in a new field (a 3 year time commitment, and something that will cost a lot of money which may not be worth the investment) or keep applying for jobs that I'm unlikely to get because I've been out of the workforce for too many years.

* Planning a epic journey, on a shoestring.  This should be fun, but the pressure is on because it is likely to be the last vacation we'll take as a family for a long, long time.  The logistics, the cost, the expectations of all involved... it's going to be a lot of work to make it happen.

Can I do all this?  I don't know, but right now the months and weeks stretch out ahead of me, and anything is possible.  As a bonus, the days are getting longer.  Wish me strength and determination.  I need it.

New Year 2012

We spent New Year's Eve at home, as we always have.  Many board games were played. 

We even broke out some old games the girls hadn't played in years, like this German game called Shwuppdibus with little wooden buses and people that hop on and off at bus stops and towns.  After a few more "preschool" games that were entirely chance-based, we moved on to the complex strategy games.

At 10:00 our game was interrupted by loud booms.  Our neighbor had visited the Indian Reservation and stocked up on illegal pyrotechnics, and was treating the neighborhood to some arial firework displays.  Sparklers were passed around to the all the kids, and after the show the kids ran wild from lawn to lawn in the darkness, squealing and enjoying the special treat of racing through the neighborhood long after bedtime.  by 10:30 we were back inside and back to the board game.  At 11:55 we turned on the TV to watch the firework show in Seattle, then we headed to bed.

The next morning we celebrated with scissors.  It had been almost 3 years since A's last haircut, and it was time again to donate her hair to Locks of Love.

Her new haircut is so cute!  After A's cut, my husband cut my hair, although not as severely.  I just had 2 or 3 inches off my hair, not enough to donate.  I'd cut Little K's hair a few days prior as well, though hers was just a little trim of 3 or 4 inches.  A new haircut is a great way to start a new year!

Happy New Year!

Flashback Friday -- Christmas Surprise 1978

I loved camping when I was a child.  Part of it was my love of the outdoors, but another part was because it was one of the few times I got to be with my dad.  A couple of times my dad made the mistake of bringing along some new child-hating girlfriend he'd hooked up with, and I made sure to make as much trouble for her as possible, in hopes that she would stomp off and I'd get my dad all to myself again.

One time my older half-sister came along.  I didn't mind sharing her with my dad.  Above is a photo of us camping on Lopez Island in the 70's. I'm the hugger on the far-left, there's my half-sister, my dad, little brother, and that's the van my dad camped in.  He built a platform bed in the back, and he and his girlfriend would sleep there, while my brother and I slept in a tent nearby (or not so nearby, on that one trip I was particularly nasty toward his girlfriend du jour).  

Sometimes in the off season my dad would make time to see me, and I always begged to go to the RV shows with him.  Together we'd inspect the latest models of trailers and motorhomes and dream about what we could get if money were no object.  I started to believe that if a motorhome materialized in my life, my dad would want to use it to go camping all the time, and I'd get more time with him.

So I asked Santa for a motor-home when I was 8.  And 9.  I remember looking out my bedroom window on Christmas morning, certain that a beautiful new motor-home, or at the very least, a cozy trailer, would be parked at the curb.  But the street was always empty of RVs.

However, I received a Barbie Camper when I was 9!  I didn't have Barbies, but I had the hippie "Sunshine Family," and they couldn't wait to go camping.

So even though I didn't see my dad that Christmas, my mom knew how much I wanted a camper, and she splurged for this yellow beauty to ease the ache I felt, for both my dad, and the camping I so longed to do.  It was great therapy -- play therapy -- for my 9 year old self.

Today that camper is in my garage.  My daughters played with it for a few years, but it really doesn't compare to the detailed Playmobil camper they have.  I should get rid of it, but I can't.  There are too many memories, too many fantasy camping trips played out within that yellow plastic shell.  When I look at it, those memories come rushing back, with all the details.  It's really eerie how vivid childhood memories can be.

Christmas 2011 in review

The family excitement starts on Christmas eve.  We head to my aunt's saltbox farmhouse, swinging through Seattle on the way to pick up my mom.  At Aunt Ruth's my cousins and their families flood in, some fresh from church, others watching the clock so they can get to the later service on time.  

The cousins socialize, and crowd around the children's table at meal time.  

Dinner was a prime rib roast, with all the fixings, followed by red velvet cheesecake, lemon tart, and assorted home-baked cookies.

Although we were all just together 2 weeks earlier for Lucia, we enjoy the 4 extra hours to continue the conversations.  More than likely it will be another 11 months before we see each other again, even though we always resolve to get together in the summer, but it never seems to happen.

This year my cousin's 17 year old son played Santa, even though there were no little ones in attendance.  The kids played along as the elders shouted, "give Santa a big thank-you kiss!" and some kids pounced on him, while others whined "eeewww!"

After the party we drove in Seatte to see light displays until cries from the back seat of "I'm feeling carsick..." caused us to call it a night.  We dropped Grammy at her house and headed home.

Christmas morning "big sis" arrived around 8:30 (she'd spent Christmas eve and the night at her mom's condo 2 blocks away), followed by Grammy at 10:00am.  The girls were allowed to open their stockings over breakfast, but had to wait until Grammy arrived and finished her breakfast before the big present opening began.  Both girls got "nanoblocks" kits to build an animal model, which kept them busy.

We had German Stollen with rum sauce and Cinnamon chip rolls for breakfast.

We sat around the tree for the rest of the morning.  Above, competitive Little K is looking glum because she's been "keeping score" and feels her sister has received more presents than she has.  In reality, she's just ripped open her packages a lot faster, while her sister has taken her time and still has some to go.  Does the rivalry never end? Grrrr.  But Christmas isn't over yet...

The big gift was a note from Santa in the tree along with a gift certificate from the Humane Society for the adoption of one kitten -- the foster kitten that we've had since September that both girls asked Santa for.  After 34 foster kittens, we finally got one that we just couldn't part with.  She's got some medical issues, but she also has the most loving personality, and we're happy to be able to offer her a home where she will be cherished and properly cared for.

My husband is a last-minute shopper, which means he's also a last-minute wrapper. On the morning of the 24th when I was out at the market getting the last fresh ingredients for our Christmas meals, he was scrambling to wrap things at home, and couldn't remember where I kept the gift boxes, so he got creative with a pair of scissors and a cereal box pulled from the recycling bin.  Above, my eldest daughter laughs at the 1/4 cereal box containing a present for her.  And my husband, he's holding acutal cereal -- granola -- given to him by another daughter.

The girls got some fun gifts, including Playmobil.  At 10 and 12 you'd think they'd have outgrown it, but they seem to be into it more than ever.

In the afternoon we cleared the table and brought out the board games.  As the game was underway, grammy caught up on her email and showed us stupid you-tube videos, while Daddy napped in the recliner.

We especially love the epic rail-building games, such as Eurorails, and Empire Builder.  The game takes about 3 hours and is heavy on the strategy.

The next day (Boxing Day) my dad came for Christmas and crab fondue.  His usual girlfriend was unavailable, so he brought an old girlfriend from the 1970's.  I had a gift for her, as well as for the usual girlfriend.  When I gave my dad the gift to take to his usual girlfriend, this one asked, "Who is ..." and my dad sheepishly replied that she was his girlfriend for the last 7 years (on and off, of course).  She looked a bit crest-fallen -- I think she thought SHE was his current girlfriend.  He's always played the field, and she's known him for 35 years, so I don't know why she was surprised.  Oh, those awkward holiday moments!

My dad does all his shopping at thrift stores now, so he had some funky treasures for us all.  A got a little house that you put a candle behind and the windows illuminate... and it has a built in music box.  I got a casserole dish.  And Little K got a vintage mink cape!  Real mink!  I'm totally against the fur trade, and I don't know when or where this little girl will wear it.  It will probably go in the dress-up box.

Above, A and Grandpa enjoy the newest boardgame "Pajaggle," a gift from our neighbors.

It was a good Christmas, and I am so thankful to have my crazy extended family nearby to share the holidays with.  Good memories were made this year.

Merry Christmas 2011

I took the girls to see Santa, and since he was so busy getting ready for the big day, he had one of his "senior elves" standing in for him at the photo place.  The theory goes that all those Santas you see at malls and parties are senior elves in training, and the newer, younger ones have to wear this fake beard until their real ones grow in, which can take many years of doing your time in the chair at malls and photo studios.  This Santa was a particularly young one since he had white makeup on his dark eyebrows, and a dark stubble on his upper lip.  He did have a twinkle in his eye, though.

The girls asked for a couple things.  Little K asked Santa to let us keep the foster kitten we've been caring for.  Her first request was a pet rat, but I told her that Santa never brings things to kids that the moms don't want to have to end up being responsible for, so I think she changed her request to something more plausible, because she knows this mommy loves kittens.  She also asked for a toy sailboat, which was a last-minute request inspired by her playmobil advent calendar, which included a child with a tiny toy boat.  

A asked for an ipod shuffle so she can listen to music on the school bus.  Her beloved bus driver, who used to entertain the kids with jokes and trivia questions, transferred to a different route, and now all the kids have retreated back into their electronic devices and she has no one to talk to on the 40 minute ride.  A also asked for Cod Liver Oil again, lemon flavor please, and Santa just about busted his padded gut laughing at that request!  Well, he will be passing over Norway on his way to us, so I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to pick some up along the way.

The girls will not be getting everything on their lists.  They get just a few little things from Santa, and the majority now comes from family, friends, and mom and dad.  

My husband and I got to visit with one of the more senior elves, and according to him we're both on the "nice" list this year.  That's a relief.  I'ts always a close one for me.  Neither my husband nor I asked for anything from Santa, because we feel we are already fully blessed.  

We will spend the next two days at home, with our door open to family, friends, and neighbors.  We will play boardgames, work together on a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle set up on a card table, and there will be an open buffet of food on the kitchen counter: German Stollen fruit bread, cinnamon chip rolls, fruitcake, cheese, olives, meats, crusty potato and rosemary rolls, fresh fruit, vegetables and dip, and lots of cider and egg nog.

We'll revel in our blessings, and remember those who are alone, away from home, or missing loved ones at this time of year.

If you celebrate Christmas, please accept our wish for you to have a joyous holiday filled with the love of friends and family.