Gratitude Friday list...

PUPPIES!!!

1. for continued great health! Exactly a year ago today, I was suffering from optic neuritis and was blind in my left eye. It took about 2 months for my vision to be restored and a few doses of heavy IV steroids. I had some damage to my optic nerve, but I'm hoping that it wasn't permanent. I'll find out on the 10th when I go back in for a re-check. This year I am feeling great and no problems with the MS!

2. for the five puppies that arrived in my house last night. Jen came home for a visit and brought the puppies, Melody, and her kitten. We have laughed so much with them. One of the puppies is mine and we've named him Dieter (pronounced "DEE- ter") Five little waggy tails are such cuties!

3. for the three wonderful days of teaching after my whirlwind trip from San Jose to Dallas. It was wonderful to be back at my old school to teach for two days. What an awesome staff to work with. It was like coming back home times two!

4. for my Spokane friend Lisa who went shopping at Walmart with me last night, despite the fact she was getting ready to leave the next morning on a 2 week trip. We enjoyed a Starbucks drink together, laughed and talked, picked up her two girls from their evening outings.....I'm going to miss her while she's gone!

5. for the continued beauty of the Inland NW in the fall. The leaves just getting prettier and prettier. I need to go to a few favorite places here and take pictures before it's too late! Of course, there's always the nice long walks in the crunchy leaves, staying snuggled up warm and having a good chat along the way! I'm going to have to plan one of those walks for this weekend. Time to find a friend to walk with~

Klaus the kitty and coffee

This morning, Klaus (our newest member of the family) climbed up on the computer desk next to my coffee cup! He is so funny!! Here's hoping some of his energy will go into catching mice that have taken up residence in our house.

Back in Spokane!

Back in Spokane and at home after 12 days of being away. Strange to wake up in my own bed! :)

Here's a picture of Lisa and I having a cup of coffee on her new front porch in the Ft Worth area. We had our priorities right. Get things unpacked out of the vehicles, find the coffee pot and coffee grinder ("I don't know where it is...I didn't pack it!" Found the grinder tucked away in the camper, coffee pot and coffee beans were in my car.) and get that coffee brewing so we could enjoy our first cup together at the new house! Cheers!!

Vegas....Gratitude Friday

1. Safe travels from San Jose to Las Vegas.
2. Great books on CD to listen to while traveling.
3. soft bed and pillows to sleep on at the Mariott!
4. Starbucks no matter where we travel.
5. rest areas that are open! (ever try to find a friendly bush in the desert?! Crum!)

Princess Weekend in San Francisco!

I felt like a princess all weekend!! Chocolates on my pillow and my bed turned down each night, the softest pillows and most comfortable bed ever, tons of relaxation time, Starbucks all the time and time spent with Ian and Lisa! I have been blessed!!! I can't wait to post pictures for everyone to see.

Nike Theme for the Weekend

Lisa and her name on the wall

San Fran behind me!

Ian at Alcatraz

Pier 39 and the Sea Lions

The beginning of the Wharf

Ian and I at his dorm

Lisa's birthday lunch bunch!

Gratitude Friday!

1. the warm sunny weather in San Jose!
2. friends who continually make me laugh!
3. San Francisco beauty!
4. Ian...I haven't seen him since June and it's great to spend time with him!
5. naps! I have been on the go for the last two weeks and being a tad stressed, I have needed the naps.
   

Very sunny San Jose!

I'm in San Jose with my friends John and Lisa! It's 85 degrees here, a pleasant change from the cold temps in Spokane. We're going to San Francisco on Friday for the weekend -- Lisa is participating in the Nike Half Marathon and Team in Training. Ian lives in San Fran so it'll be fun to spend time with him!!! After the weekend, we're driving from San Jose to Dallas to move the Skiers to their new house. I love driving so I volunteered (after being roped into the project!) to help them move their vehicles. It's a 1700 mile drive, 3 days total. I can't wait to see a different part of the county! Stay tuned for great photos! Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Goodbye, dear friend!

Today David and I received the tragic news that our good friend Uwe died in Germany this past week. Uwe and his sweet family (Veronika, Christian and Fabian) lived across the culdesac from David in Putt. They opened their arms and house to David when he arrived and they quickly became his family. Not very many days went by without a visit to their house or to David's house. The boys knew where David kept the graham crackers and Uwe welcomed David's great coffee anytime! Many, many happy memories were made throughout those short 22 months of David living in Putt. I loved spending time with all of them when I would go to visit. Our absolute favorite memory is the New Year's Eve party at their house, where we would watch "Dinner For One " and celebrate with champagne and fireworks outside with the neighbors!

David is going to try to fly to Germany within the next few weeks, esp. since it's Christian's birthday the end of the month and they always had a Halloween party for the last two years with David's help. If you would remember the Schmitz family in your prayers, I know that they would appreciate them bunches. "Uwe, we love you!"

Gratitude Friday list...

1. Green Bluff and the fall harvest!
2. A day of not working!
3. 20 kindergartners who loved me unconditionally for the past two weeks!
4. A warm quilt to snuggle under as the nights get chillier!
5. Friends who seem to always know when my road is getting tough and give me that extra boost! Thank you~

October 10 on 10

Apple festival at GreenBluff! A very pretty and windy fall day on Green Bluff. I went up for some quiet time and just enjoyed the beauty of the day.

An old barn on the side of the road

Crisp red apples ready for picking!

A bin full of little pumpkins!

Fresh from the fryer -- pumpkin donuts. Yummy!

Of course, Christmas trees grow on Green Bluff, too.

A garden angel at my favorite farm place.

Happy Harvest Time!

Lots of different types of squash

Fresh cider from Hansen's is the best!

A sweet scene on the way out to the orchard

One of the farm animals!

Pumpkins ready to be chosen to go home.

I loved this grouping of country items!

North, south, east and west. This weather vane was going around pretty fast with the wind blowing!

This past week....

...has been a blur! I taught all day kindergarten all week long inbetween two weekends of hectic driving and visiting. Last weekend I drove down to Goldendale to see Jen and the puppies. Too cute! See for yourself.....

My cousin Gigi with me at Jen's house!

And this weekend I went over to beautiful Puget Sound Country (aka Hansville, Poulsbo, Auburn and Tacoma) to do a few errands. This is Point No Point Lighthouse in Hansville where my mom lives. I had dinner in Tacoma with my aunts, uncle and cousins.




Needless to say, I'm a little exhausted from driving hundreds of miles and not a lot of sleep. I'll have to work on the sleep part. But I had a wonderful time seeing everyone!


Back to Kindergarten this week -- I've learned all of their names and have really enjoyed teaching them! Lots of daily hugs and laughter with learning all rolled up together. I love it!