Water Under the Bridge

It has been some years since I have posted anything on my blog. Now that I am retired, I may have more time, and I want to give this a shot again, especially after reviewing older posts. There is something valuable about recording perceptions that later may seem helpful in reminding me about how things have changed. So, this is somewhat of a test to see if my blog really is still active. Hope so! Cheers......

Cambria

On Saturday and Sunday nights Olga and I spent time in Cambria which is just south of Hearst Castle and approximately in the center of California. We had a delightful couple of days, enjoying pleasant weather, great food and some interesting interactions with locals. We purchased a rocking chair made by the Shakers in Pa. which is now resting comfortably in the back seat. I found a few knicknacks for the outdoor arbor @ Bell Springs and generally speaking we just had a relaxing time. We then headed south to Santa Monica where we will spend two nights. Today we will go out to the JP Getty Museum for the day. We hear there are some wonderful pieces in the permanent collection, and we hope to take that in as we stroll through the day. We'll keep you posted.

Myra

I had the good fortune to attend Myra's graduation from Leslie University in Cambridge on May 19, 2012. It was a beautiful warm day and the graduation took place right along side Boston Harbor. There were about 2200 hundred graduates! Clearly this is a quite well utilized institution of higher learning. Because Olga was with Maggie and Roman, I found myself @ the graduation by myself. I was so happy for Myra knowing just how hard she has worked over the past couple of years to complete her Master's in education. The night before the graduation we celebrated the event by going out for dinner in Davis Square at a restaurant named the "Elephant Walk". There were many vegetarian and vegan options. Myra's cousin Elizebeth and her intended Michael joined us along with her two current room mates Jillian and Saddie, and a former room mate and good friend Orinda. We had a great time toasting Myra and recounting her accomplishments. The next day we set out for Burlington Vermont, about a five hour drive from Boston. WE spent a couple of days exploring the unique college town, and trying fun restaurants that Myra found on line. We had a great time and as we returned to Boston our thoughts traveled to the future and the question about whether Myra will be able to find employment as a teacher in this history rich Boston area? My guess is that when prospective schools see Myra's background and begin to catch a glimpse of the dedicated and skilled teacher she is along with her loving and energetic disposition, she will be selected by some area that values the kind of human being that Myra is. All I can say is that it has been a great year!

Roman

So little Roman Charles has been a part of our lives since May 15th, 2012. He comes into this world blessed with good health and a great family. He has a mother who loves and cares for him and a dad that enjoys and appreciates his son's presence. As Roman is our first grandchild of course we fully expect to spoil him crazy. More than anything it is just simply fun to have new life energy around the home. Who knows what destiny this little guy has in store in his future? I hope he is able to live a rich and full life, and that he makes a contribution whereby the world is a better place because of his coming.

Another picture of the garage

I have been working on this project for nearly three years. There is nothing speedy about it, but, on the other hand, the time has allowed for careful planning and the gathering of resources to make it happen. I will say right out front that my brother Matt who is also our land partner was key to manifesting this new building. He helped with the design and was the lead builder. He organized the crew of very talented carpenters and together they put their expertise together and made the building materialize from a pile of supplies that arrived from the building materials yard. Of course no one can predict the future, but it is my hunch that this building will outlast any other structure on the property, such is the quality of the materials and craftsmanship. I have until next April to finish the details and get it signed off by the county and the Cal Fire crew. There should be no trouble in meeting this timeline.

The New Garage!

Well it has been a long time coming, but here is a post about the new garage. The picture shows an "almost" finished project. Still a few details as well as the painting.

A Family Together!

OK, the big day is over, but boy did we have fun! The baby shower, which the boys did not attend, went well, so I am told. It was held @ the Masonic Hall, and there were many women/girls present. The food was eaten, and the sisterly support and love was passed on to the mother to be. I stayed home and made the food for dinner; a Mexican Fiesta. It was nice to have the two newly married couples present as part of the family. We all posed for the picture above, and our hope is that come May, there will be one more member to join the circle on the outside of mother's tummy. The last day of March also saw the last day of the rain storm with ultimately dropped 7 and 1/4 inches of rain in our backyard. Ok, now it is onward with life. Myra and I leave for the SFO Airport by 4:00 PM today and then in the morning it is on to Weaverville. Blessings!