Monday, April 25, 2011

Birthdays and Easter

Ada egg hunting by Southworth Sailor
Ada egg hunting, a photo by Southworth Sailor on Flickr.

Saturday's sunshine greeted the birthday celebrations of mom and Ada. Combined, their ages are 90, Ada 2 and mom 88. We celebrated with Mom at the Courtyard. Balloons were definitely a hit with the young and old alike. Mom really enjoyed batting the balloon back and forth. My sister Ellen was up for spring break so all of Mom's children were there as well as several grandchildren and great grandchildren. Ada's party was later in the afternoon and featured the color blue and pizza. Both sets of grandparents and various friends joined the Greenwood Gang to help celebrate. The next day was Easter and after a worship service at Oikos and a big dinner, Ada enjoyed her first egg hunt. She had a lot of help both finding the eggs and eating the treats.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Cannon Beach

Cannon Beach by Southworth Sailor
Cannon Beach, a photo by Southworth Sailor on Flickr.

We couldn't pass our spring break without a little getaway, so Friday morning we headed for the Oregon Coast. We were fortunate to have great weather on Friday and Saturday. We always take the 'backroad' to the Oregon Coast, avoiding I-5. For years we made it a point to make a meal stop in South Bend at the Boondocks Cafe where Esther would get her beloved hang town fry. Unfortunately, the place shut down last year, so we are searching for another spot. On the recommendation of friends, we tried the Rusty Tractor in Elma. It was OK if you're into Yak burgers, but I think we'll keep looking. Friday we spent the afternoon in 'sunny Seaside' (at least one day of sun). We soaked in as much sun as we could, walking the beach, promenade and streets. Since the building of the Trendwest resort, the town has really been transformed in the last ten years. The streets were filled with vacationing Washingtonians. Friday night was the thrifty night - dinner at Mo's and a stiff bed at Motel 6. Saturday was Cannon Beach day with an excursion to the small village of Manzanita. The clouds started rolling in during the afternoon, but the rain held off until dark. We enjoyed our room at the Waves Motel in town, walking to beach, shops and a dinner at the new LumberYard Grille. The patter of rain woke us up Sunday morning with the cold reality of life in the northwest and the end of another spring break.

Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Paint Party

the paint crew by Southworth Sailor
the paint crew, a photo by Southworth Sailor on Flickr.

This year we are spending our Spring break a little different from our usual travel frenzy. A couple of factors played into this break from tradition. One factor is that our rental home is vacant and in need of a make over. The other is that Calvin is home from Japan for part of the week. With much reluctance, we will put him on the airplane back to Tokyo until late June. His final term of the year starts next week and he does not want to interrupt his course of study. It was a relief to have him home for two weeks. We trust he will be safe. He was able to join the paint party with Markus, Kay and Marti who came down to Southworth to help for a couple of days. We were able to paint the entire inside of the house (all ceilings and walls) in just a few days. A big thanks to Kay and Marti for their help. The rest of the break will see more work at the rental and maybe a couple of days to get away.