Great wedding yesterday. Missy Manning got married to Will Bleich at Kitsap Memorial Park. The weather didn't look too promising and we passed through a downpour on the way to the wedding, but the party was spared. As the afternoon progressed, the weather improved. The wedding was particularly emotional as brother Jeff walked Missy up the aisle and helped 'give her away.' The reception was great and since all the Bulthuis' were there including Ada and Ruby, we were able to share some family time afterward before everyone went home.
Sunday, June 03, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Graduating nieces at Camp Greenwood
Kelsea, Bria and Marika all finished their respective course work at Calvary Chapel Bible School and Canyonview Equestrian College. So this weekend there was a celebration bash in Greenwood. Each girl had a pavilion in honor of their interests. Kelsea had an India tent, Bria an Irish Hobbit house and Marika an Italian tent. There was a meal honoring each girl and their country of passion: Italian, Irish and Indian, for guests to enjoy. We were thankful for yet another rainless weekend (a notable dry Memorial Day weekend) Congratulations to all three girls on their accomplishments.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Not a good start
This year's trip to Neah Bay with our fifth graders did not get off to a good start. I arrived at school at 6am and a student showed up at the last minute with no permission slip signed. Luckily, we were able to get a hold of dad to come to school and sign it. Then there was a driver who showed up late. While dealing with these issues, I sent a dad to the gas station to pump up one of my truck tires since it looked a little low. When he got back we could hear the air leaking and found a screw in the tire. Fortunately, another dad had a fifteen passenger van that was basically empty, so we piled all the supplies into his van and I rode with him. Thinking the drama was finished for the morning, we made our first rest stop and we got a phone call from a frantic mom who I had neglected to rendervous with in Silverdale. One of the drivers went back to pick the boy up while the rest of the nine vehicles kept going. I was starting to think that this was going to be a disastrous trip; but once we got to Neah Bay, things went very well, and despite some rain as we packed up to leave, it was a great time. While I was at Neah Bay, Esther was with the Eides in Oregon, celebrating Marika's graduation from Canyon View Equestrian College.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Mother's Day
We shared the gorgeous sunny day with Markus and Steph exploring the 'Eastside.' We mingled with the crowds in downtown Kirkland and enjoyed an outside dinner at Hectors. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening checking out Chateau St. Michelle grounds and Marymoor park. We had heard much about these two places, but had never actually been there. We are looking forward to taking the bike trail that includes both of these places.
Monday, April 23, 2012
a PINK birthday
This weekend found the family scrounging their closets for pink and yellow to dress for Ada's pink lemonade birthday party. Did I mention that Ada's favorite color is PINK? The weather was cooperative as the Eide clan gathered for the occasion along with friends Craig and Jen and kids. There was food aplenty crowned with a six layer (shades of pink) birthday cake made by Marti. Ada relished the evening with its sweets, gifts and attention. Esther and I also joined my family in a birthday gathering for my mother who will turn 89 next week. She is looking healthy and her coughing has decreased. One more year and she will make it to 90.
Monday, April 09, 2012
messing about in Sacramento
The last two days of our Spring break were spent messing around in Sacramento with my sister Ellen. We spent time in historic Auburn, highway 49 (Sutter Mill - birthplace of the gold rush) Folsom Lake, Old Sac and the capital, as well as some districts of Sacramento that we had never seen. We ended our time with an Saturday night Easter service at Ellen's church before hitting the I5 for the highway grind home.
Friday, April 06, 2012
running out of fingers
Our final day on the mission trail found us visiting a record four missions. The thirteen missions that we visited this week leave us just eight more in the Bay area for another time. A couple of the missions that we visited the last day were pretty remote. We are going to spend our last couple of days with my sister in Sacramento. It's a little cool but plenty sunny!
Wednesday, April 04, 2012
One of these is not like the others
Day three of mission touring and they were starting to blend together until La Purismo. Most of the missions are now located within a town or city and the mission is operated by the catholic church. The gardens and grounds are manicured and the atmosphere is peaceful within the bustle surrounding. This is obviously not the original condition as the missions were dusty, busy centers of farming and industry surrounded by barren country. La Purisimo is much more authentic without the hustle and bustle. The mission is out in the country and is maintained by the state as a state park. We spent a couple of hours enjoying the grounds and historical sites. Tonight is in Pismo Beach.
Tuesday, April 03, 2012
mission hunting
Today was another warm sunny day tracking down missions. We did three again today. It would be pretty hard to do more than three in a day if you spent any time at each mission. They open at 9:00 and close at 5:00; and then there's travel time on clogged southern California freeways. The mission trail skirts around the outside of LA: San Gabriel, San Fernando and Ventura. Our GPS is sure coming in handy! We have enjoyed stopping in different communities that we would never otherwise visit. The missions are usually near the center of town, so we get a flavor for each town. The temperature was in the 80's at noon in San Fernando, but in the 60's in Ventura in the late afternoon.
Monday, April 02, 2012
mission meandering
Today we started the California missions tour. There are 21 Spanish missions, all about a day's horse ride away from each other stretched along the coast from San Diego to Sonoma. Since our van goes at least three times as fast as a horse, we got to three missions today. We started in San Diego de Alcala with the 'mother mission' and it's visionary Father Serra. We next visited San Luis Rey in Oceanside and San Juan Capistrano. The weather was great as we strolled through each enjoying the grounds and gardens in the bright sun light. We also found time to enjoy a little of the beach at Laguna Beach. We are in a motel in Costa Mesa tonight, resting up for a new adventure tomorrow.
Sunday, April 01, 2012
Sun at last!
After months of rain and cold, Esther and I are finally enjoying some 70 degree sunshine. However, we had to drive all the way to San Diego to find it. Northern California was cold so we kept going. After spending most of last night driving with a little sleep at a rest area, we are enjoying a motel at Point Loma. We enjoyed the lighthouse park and Balboa Park and dinner in the Hillcrest district. We are looking forward to some time in the sunshine.
Friday, March 30, 2012
A New Japanese Friend
This past week we had the delightful opportunity to host a Japanese teacher in our home. Sugako Akiyama is an English language teacher in Ibaraki, Japan. She brought 10 elementary students to the US for a cultural experience. The students were guests at Sidney Glen where they spent each morning in our classrooms and the afternoons touring the local community. Su spent the evenings with Esther and I in Southworth. We had such a great time interacting with her. She is very fluent in English and we were able find out a lot about life in Japan. A highlight was skyping Calvin while Su was with us. There is something a little awkward about listening to your son conversing with someone and having no idea what he is saying. Su was very complimentary of Calvin’s language skills. We are so thankful to have spent this week with Su and look forward to a life long friendship with her and her family.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Guess who visited Southworth?
'Papa and Farmor' got to take care of the girls for a couple of days. Bjorn was in Denver at a friends wedding, and Jenny took the opportunity to visit her brother and sister-in-law in Portland. That left Esther and I with the wonderful responsibility of taking care of two special girls! We read lots of books, walked to 'the candy store,' went to the beach and showed them off at church. The weekend went very well. Markus came over as well one night to enjoy his nieces. I was able to ignore my impending report card deadline and sermon prep for 48 hours. Ada is becoming very independent and Ruby is mellow and happy.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Soggy Sea Side
I suppose that you could say that we honored Presidents Day since we were in 'Lincoln City' on Monday. Esther and I took the opportunity of school free days to go to the Oregon coast. Our experience was similar to last year: one rain free afternoon, but the rest a soggy mist. Our dry afternoon was spent in Cannon Beach and Seaside. We enjoyed a walk on the Promenade and dinner at Doogers. On Monday we sludged our way down to the Lincoln City/Depot Bay area to check out Olivia Beach and Bella Beach. We were scouting out an alternative to our annual family Seabrook weekend. Both communities were not as nice as Seabrook, and given the greater distance for everyone to travel, we will probably cross it off our list of possibilities. We did get a great deal on a nice room in Lincoln City. We left our patio door ajar all night as we enjoyed the lullaby of the pounding surf. On Tuesday, we took a leisurely trip home, stopping in Portland for some time at Powell Books and the ReStore where Esther found some decorative 'treasures'.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Ruby's first birthday
The past weekend we took our chances in contracting the noro virus from the Lynden compound. The flu had run its course through the whole family by the time we got there, so we hoped we were safe. The occasion was the celebration of both Ruby and Bjorn's birthdays. Ruby turned one and Bjorn reached exactly half our age. The Whatcom Museum in Bellingham has a great children's section. Bjorn, Esther and I toured the rest of the museum while Jenny and the girls enjoyed the children's section. I 'helped' Bjorn put the finishing touches on the cool kitchen that he made for the girls. Bjorn has been enjoying his new Jambox (bluetooth portable speaker) that he got for his birthday.
Sunday, February 05, 2012
A new throne room
The past couple of weekends I worked on replacing the floor around the main floor toilet. The old tile and adjacent carpet was soiled and needed attention. We decided to replace the flooring with some engineered hardwood, curious to see how well it holds up in a bathroom setting before using it more extensively. The damage from the previous owners became more apparent as I tore up the tile and subfloor. A liberal coat of stain block and some new plywood and I was ready for the new floor. We had not intended to replace the toilet, but I accidentally cracked the tank of the old one. So it was off to the hardware store for a new commode. I did want to replace the old valve and supply hose, but no amount of wrenching on my part could budge the old valve. With fear and trepidation I reattached the old supply to the new toilet and it is holding for now!
Friday, January 20, 2012
a 'wasted' winter week
Had we known that there would be nine days between workdays, we might have taken a Southwest road trip. The unexpected Northwest snow week left us twiddling our fingers and bemoaning the inevitable summer work days. But there's no use crying over spilt milk and we tried to make the best of things. We attacked some low priority projects. Esther washed every piece of fabric in the house and redecorated most of the rooms. I painted the basement stairwell and the hearth room desk area. We also enjoyed reading and net surfing. If this was a taste of retirement, I am not interested in it any time soon.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Pete and Repeat were on the slopes
Yesterday, fellow teacher Pete Darragh and I celebrated MLK Day with a trip to Stevens Pass. It had been four years since I last was on a snowboard. The first couple of runs were a little shaky, but I soon got my 'snow legs' and was 'burning up the slopes' :) It snowed all day, so the conditions were good. The crowds weren't bad either, given it was a holiday. Pete and I made good slope mates as we progress down the slopes at the same speed; even though he needs an extra board to go down the hill:)
The snow is unfortunately not staying in the mountains where it is supposed to be. The lowlands are getting snow as well and school is cancelled today and probably tomorrow. Looks like we'll be having 'summer school' again this year.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Calvin has a new blog
For those of you trying to follow Calvin's doings, 'Big Man Japan' just hasn't been too active lately. Well, it turns out that Calvin has been quietly starting a new blog. His first couple of posts give some details of his holiday activities. You can check it out at http://calvineb.wordpress.com/ There is a link on my sidebar to his new blog. Enjoy!
Sunday, January 01, 2012
Closing out the old with a first
By 'first' I don't want to insinuate that there will be a second. On the final day of 2011, I joined hundreds of others in running the half and full marathons in the 'Yukon Do It'. Last year, I ran the half, so this year I wanted to attempt the full marathon. The first half felt real good at two hours, but at about mile 18 the serious PAIN started. My pace slowed to a crawl and only stubborn determination enabled me to finish in 4 hours 26 minutes. I was rewarded with a cheering family including granddaughters. My legs are suffering from the after effect. In hindsight, I think that I rushed my training a little bit and would have enjoyed it more had I taken more time to train.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Norwegian kjøttkaker
Yesterday we enjoyed Norwegian holiday dinning with Esther's cousins from Tacoma and Norway. Anna and Touren put on a scandinavian feast with kjøttkaker (meat cakes) as the main dish. Uncle George and Aunt Kirstin were also there along with Mike and Marti's family. It was good to catch up with the Norwegian family news. Esther has two uncles and an aunt still living in Norway, all in their nineties. (and with sharp minds :)) Anna gave me some tips and encouragement for my upcoming marathon as she ran the Seattle Rock-n-Roll this summer.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Christmas 2011
After listening to Esther lament the school district's schedule for this year's late vacation dismissal, the holiday burst upon us with Bjorn. Jenny and the girls coming to Southworth Wednesday night. We enjoyed a couple of days with our granddaughters (and their parents) until Markus and Steph joined us for a gift exchange Friday night. Ada loved helping everyone open their gifts. Bjorn and Jenny left Saturday morning for Oregon and we enjoyed a relatively quiet Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with Markus and Steph. A couple of trips to the church helped give the sacred feel. We ate at a Thai restaurant in Gig Harbor on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day, Ellen joined us and we made the trek up to Lynden. We met Jack, Sue and Rebecca at the Courtyard to visit Mom. It was a bit shocking as we had not seen her since she started her violent coughing. Whenever she tries to talk, she explodes with a forced cough. It is very hard to watch, but it was good to be there with my sisters as we sang carols to her. Christmas dinner was excellent as usual at Mike and Marti's. On Monday we enjoyed the reception for Brian and Kate and the Bulthuis gathering at Aaron and Jenn's. We are back in Southworth for a few days with Ellen before another trip to Lynden for the New Year.
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Calvinistic Christmas Lights?
Over the years I have taken a lot of teasing about my roofline Christmas lights. Some have dubbed my straight white lights, ‘the Dutchman lights.’ But this week I heard a new one. A friend came over for our weekly small group, and called them ‘the Calvinistic Lights.’ He proceeded to say they were straight and predictable. You can analyze them any way you want, but that’s the way I like them. And since I am the one bundled up battling the freezing north breeze, pounding in my reused galvanized nails, I’ll put them up the way I like them.
Speaking of Calvinistic, we have been making a big deal about our Jesse Tree tradition this year. Bjorn and Jenny took up the practice using our family set of ornaments. This past week Esther shared the tradition at a ladies meeting, and we indulged a little Jesse sprouting in small group. For those of you unfamiliar with the Jesse Tree, it is much the same as an Advent calendar. Daily Bible readings trace the promise and foreshadowing of the coming of Christ. An ornament corresponds to the daily reading and it is added to the branch each day. We find that it is a wonderful way to remind ourselves of the amazing plan that God has to save the world, and how it all culminates with the coming Messiah. If you are interested in more resources about the Jesse Tree, Ann Voskamp has a nice download on her blog. Another site that has good children devotionals and provocative parent devotions is here.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Eides in SK for Thangsgiving
It has been a long time since I posted on Southworth Sailor. It just seemed like there was nothing to report. I did preach a couple of weeks at our church's new Sunday evening service geared for the twenties crowd. Thanksgiving brought Greenwood down to Lynden. Bjorn, Jenny and the girls left for Chicago early the next day so as long as they needed to be here, we decided to celebrate it with the Eide family down here. It had been a while since we had a Thanksgiving here. We of course missed Calvin and Bria, but the rest of the family was here. Steph went down to Trout Lake, so we missed her as well. A new addition to the Thanksgiving dinner was oyster stuffing. Only the hearty norsks indulged and I think that they only pretended to enjoy it. It was fun having the house full after the two of us have rattled around in it for a long time. On Friday the weather was great, so we went to Esther's park (Bremerton Harborside) and enjoyed a little sun. Then we drove up to Poulsbo to check out an art school that Bria is interested in. Today I ran fifteen miles in preparation for the Yukon Do It race at the end of the year. I still have not decided whether to do the half or full marathon. We shall see how the next few weeks of training go.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Grandparenting the Greenwood Girls
Babysitting granddaughters is one of life's simple pleasures. Since Bjorn and Jenny were at a conference Friday night and Saturday, we were able to have the girls to ourselves for several hours. Ada is becoming quite the big sister and Ruby is developing her own endearing personality. We were able to connect with most of the Eide compound and had Seattle visitors on Sunday afternoon. Markus, Steph and Andy came up to visit Emily, so we got to share a meal them as well. A Skype with Calvin made the weekend feel like one happy family weekend.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Lutefisk Lovers
A large contingent of our small group made the pilgrimage to Poulsbo on Saturday for the annual Lutefisk feed. There were several Lutefisk 'virgins' that got their first encounter. We stuffed ourselves with Lutefisk, meatballs, potatoes, Lefsa and KrumKake. Next year will be the 100th year of the annual feast at First Lutheran. We'll have to bring the Eides over to the Peninsula for the big occasion.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
NYC day 4
For our final day in NYC we headed downtown. We stopped first at Grand Central Station and walked to the Chrysler Building and the United Nations. Next, we had lunch near City Hall and then walked the Brooklyn Bridge with thousands of other tourist. It was in the mid-eighties by then so the vendors were selling lots of drinks. Back on the subway we headed for Battery Park to view the Statue of Liberty and the water traffic. We walked up Broadway through a street fair to Trinity Church and Wall St. Wall St. was closed except for a narrow walkway, presumably to deter the protesters. The protesters were confined to a park a few blocks away with plenty of police and media presence. We didn’t stop to watch the protesters, but made our way to ground zero and St. Paul’s Chapel, site of so much of the recovery effort. Since the memorial museum is not complete, this site offers a glimpse of the days following 9/11. We met Doug and Pam at the memorial site and found a sidewalk cafe for supper before our scheduled 7pm visit to the memorial pools. Unfortunately, the extra tickets did not work for Doug and Pam, so we had to say good-bye before entering the grounds. Even though the memorial is free, reserved tickets are necessary and the security procedures make airports look lax. The memorial pools are very impressive. The waterfalls drown out the noise of the city and the etched names of the victims around the perimeter convey the enormity of the tragedy. The visit to the memorial made a nice climactic ending to our weekend of touring. We headed back to the Hephzibah House for our 4 am taxi ride back to the airport.
NYC day 3
The day started with another elegant breakfast at the mansion. Our bus ride back to the city turned into a train ride as the bus had a flat tire. The Amtrak ride along the Hudson was scenic and I was surprised to see so many sailboats in the marinas that we past. Once in the city again, we checked into the Hephzibah House with its antique decor and convenient location next to Central Park. We had time to do some sightseeing so we headed for the Rockefeller Center and went to the ‘Top of the Rock’ Having been to the Empire State Building on a previous visit, the Rock, we enjoyed a little different perspective of the city. We visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral before taking the subway down to Greenwich Village and Union Square to check out some NY nightlife. Our day ended with a stop at a sidewalk cafe for dessert.
NYC day 2
The Belvedere Mansion is an expansive historic estate overlooking the Hudson River valley and Catskill Mountains in the distance. The morning sun revealed a hint of autumn color in the valley. After breakfast we spent the day exploring the nearby towns of Rhinebeck and Hyde Park, visiting the landmarks: Beekman Arms Inn, the Vanderbilt Mansion and the FDR library and family grounds. Then it was back to the mansion for the weekend’s main event: Brain and Kate’s wedding ceremony. The beautiful outdoor wedding had may unique touches. Roses were placed on empty chairs for the missing grandmothers, all alive but unable to attend. A candle lighting was replaced with tree planting using soil from New York and Lynden. Pashminas were draped over every other chair and were gifts to the women guests. The reception was outstanding as well with incredible service and a well paced program. Our table was definitely the elderly crowd. Kate and Brian did so much to make every guest feel welcomed and appreciated, everything from special gifts to personal interaction revealed their appreciation for each person who attended.
NYC day 1
Arriving at JFK airport at 6 am after a five hour flight from LA with just winks of sleep was hardly a way to start a day of sightseeing. The NY morning broke into a bright October summer day. We had traveled from Seattle with Jack and Sue, and we met Ellen at the airport before riding the subway to Midtown and Hephzibah House where we stored our luggage for the day. Jack had a handle on the NYC public transit system having been here a couple of times; which turned out to be very helpful. We purchased unlimited weekly passes, which paid for themselves by the visit’s end. We spent the afternoon walking around Central Park and getting used to being in the city. I had anticipated some beautiful Fall colors in the park but everything was still green. We ate a diner before catching the subway to Time Square area where we explored a little and then caught the chartered bus for our trip up the Hudson Valley to Belvedere Mansion. For some reason the bus driver drove up Broadway and straight through Uptown rather than crossing over to Jersey and catching the freeway north. The two hour ride turned into a three hour ride, but we got to experience the traffic mess of NYC exiting town for a long weekend. We arrived at Belvedere Mansion to pizza and pumpkin carving. It was great to see everyone, and the soft bed felt really good after 36 hours.
Sunday, October 02, 2011
back on dry land
This weekend I received help from Markus and Steph as I hauled out my boat and retrieved my mooring anchor for the winter. It is a relief to have the boat out, but sad to see another sailing season finish. For some reason the anchor line had snagged a water-logged buoy and Markus and I had a hard time freeing the 150 lb. mushroom anchor from the sea bottom. No wind meant that we motored over to Manchester under pleasant skies. We decided to postpone the actual haul out until after the Seahawks game which put us in the rain back at the ramp. Now, I can sleep easier let the winter storms roll in.
Yesterday, Markus and Steph joined us as we attended Karen Miner's memorial service. It was a very meaningful service with a packed house. It was good to talk at length with Javan. Afterward, we went to Gateway to India in Gig Harbor for some great food. Steph guided us to some great choices to indulge our palate.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Mt. Townsend with leaders
We had another successful climb up Mt. Townsend with our classroom leaders. The eight mile round trip hike to the 6200 ft. peak is a real challenge for some of the fifth grade students, but they always appreciate it when they make it to the top. Every year Don and I take turns cattle prodding the stragglers to the summit. The weather was fantastic and the wind at the ridge kept the bugs away. The views are of the neighboring Olympic peaks, the Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the cascades from Mt. Baker to Mt. Rainier. September is the perfect time for hiking some of the high trails.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
nuptials nostalgia
So far we have escaped Alzheimer's, so we don't have to worry about one of us taking Pat Robertson's advice! We celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary with a weekend in Leavenworth and Lake Chelan. Part of our agenda this weekend was to scout out a good getaway spot for our family summer outing next year. We stopped at Suncadia near Roslyn and checked out the resort facilities. Then it was off to familiar Leavenworth for shopping, dining and relaxing in our room with a view. Esther found a new home decor item and I found a pair of hiking boots on sale. (My twenty year old boots from Goodwill are going in the dump!) I also found a good book about cycling. On Sunday we went up to Lake Chelan to explore a couple of resorts and enjoy the town. We found a couple of possible spots that would suit the family. We'll have to see about availability. We escaped the rain, and Chelan was sunny, though quite windy.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Wooden Boat festival 2011
Every couple of years I like to attend the annual Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend. This weekend provided a great opportunity, so Esther and I went up to PT on Saturday. She got to take her time shopping in town while I soaked in the festival. I admire the warmth and beauty of wooden boats and sometimes consider building one, but I doubt whether I have the patience and time to pull it off. Many boats are started, but few are finished. Several of my favorites were there and it was fun talking to the owner/builders who obviously had a lot of pride in their craft. I was fortunate to talk to a world famous sailing adventurer about a new boat called a 'Scamp' and listen to one of my favorite boat designers from New Zealand. The weather of course made the experience additionally enjoyable. All that looking at boats yesterday gave me the sailing itch, so I took my boat out this afternoon. The wind died on me, but I was treated by a pair of of orca whales that passed by me at about 150 yards from my boat. FortunateIy no motorboats were following them and they disappeared after a few minutes. I checked the internet when I got home to see if others had reported sightings and it was confirmed by other reports from ferries and sightings from land.
Monday, September 05, 2011
dinghies, oysters and sunshine
An oyster BBQ has become a Labor Day tradition in the Eide clan. Because Mike and Marti needed to leave for Oregon, the party was on Saturday. It usually involves a trip to Taylor Shellfish Co. on Chuckanut Bay and a meal back at the Cain Lake cabin. This year we decided to have the BBQ down at the Shellfish Co. as they provide picnic tables and cookers for their customers. The weather was great except for the strong wind off the water. After adjusting tables and coals in a sheltered position, the party was on. Oysters were pried open and crabs were cracked apart as the Norwegians attacked their treasure. Then it was back to the cabin for blackberry pie and nanaimo bars, ending a great day of swimming, sailing and eating. I brought my dinghy along to the lake to join Bjorn with his dinghy. Not a lot of wind, but still had fun. Sunday we visited Bjorn and Jenny's church in the new downtown location and then enjoyed the sun at the nearby Maritime Park along Whatcom Creek and lunch at Old Town Cafe. We spent the remainder of the weekend in Greenwood enjoying the weather and family. On the way home we stopped and saw my mom who was all smiles.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
summer work projects
Every summer I like to include one blog post that chronicles my summer work activities. It was great to have Calvin's help this summer as we painted the exterior of the rental including the deck railings. It needed it very badly. We pressure washed, scraped, primed and hand painted the entire exterior. I even hit some spots that were never covered when it was built. In addition, I tore out aluminum windows and installed vinyl windows in a neighbor's house. I did a small deck repair for another neighbor. One of my final projects was one of our own bedroom windows right above our bed. Ever since our first night in the house with a howling November north wind, I have wanted to replace that sliding window. I finally did it and am ready for this winter's storms. Now that school is starting, I get to hang up my tool belt for another year.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Saying good bye again
This morning we said good bye to Calvin again. He is off to Japan for another year of study at International Christian University. It was great having him home for July and August. He was a great help in getting the rental house painted and we were able to share lots of family time. Calvin will quickly adjust to life back in Japan. This year he will be starting with a working knowledge of the language. It is a little easier saying good bye this year, though not a lot. Markus eased our emotions by spending the day with us. He joined us on a 30 mile bike ride on the Foothills Trail near Orting. What great weather for a bike ride! The trail has so much variety: farmland, suburbia, small town, glacial river, and mountain prairie. The enjoyment of the time with Markus helped the loneliness of missing Calvin.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Seabrook family vacation No. 2
This year's summer family vacation saw us back at Seabrook resort on the Washington coast. We added a new Bulthuis to the ranks with Ruby , and Markus' girlfriend Stephanie Rubesh joined us for the four day adventure. Unfortunately, a nasty bug was passed around as one after the other fell victim to its debilitating effects. Only Markus, Stephanie and I were spared. (so far :) We stayed at a nice rental house with a strong beach feel. The weather was better than forecasted and we had no rain or fog and a fair amount of sun. There was lots of reading, biking, beaching, gaming and eating (for those not sick) We do treasure the time together that we can share as a family.
Saturday, August 06, 2011
Bria's Fremont Birthday Party
My niece Bria wanted to have a birthday party in Fremont with the family before going off to Hawaii again. So the gang converged from around the Sound to the streets of Fremont. The first venue was the Fremont Coffee Company after realizing ETG was may too small to accommodate the gang. Then a scavenger hunt took us up to the troll and down along the ship canal. Next, we loaded up and went to Gasworks Park for a picnic on the steps overlooking Lake Union and the Seattle skyline. The overcast sky came in handy for the night as it trapped the heat and gave us mild temperatures to enjoy the surroundings until late in the evening.
Thursday, August 04, 2011
sailing overnighter
Esther and I spent our first night in the Montgomery 17. The weather this week was too inviting to pass up a short sailing cruise. The overnight mooring selection was pretty close to home. For twenty-five years we have watched boaters flock to the westside buoys on Blake Island. They are filled every weekend of the summer and many weekdays as well. We decided that we needed to experience the excitement ourselves. It was a little odd seeing our house from our mooring, but it felt like a whole different world. We headed over at noon on Wednesday, and even at that got the last buoy for the evening. After a hike around the island, we settled in for a relaxing evening of reading and soaking in the sunset and stars. The night went great and we got lots of sleep. On Thursday morning we set sail across the sound on a light breeze. After entering Elliot Bay we decided to go across the sound again and find something to eat in Winslow. I had never sailed into Eagle Harbor but watched the ferry wind its way through the channel. With no charts with me, I figured that I would just stay well out of the ferry's track. Bad idea! We were feeling pretty smug, sailing into the harbor when we suddenly ran aground. I quickly doused the sails, started the motor, pulled up the rudder and center board, and motored out of a potentially embarrassing situation. We found a mexican restaurant in Winslow and bought some much needed sunscreen. Then it was back to the boat for a leisurely downwind evening sail to Southworth. Needless to say, I motored through the entrance to Eagle Harbor. The trip was a great success, and I am pleased with how both the sailboat and dinghy handled, not to mention the crew.
Monday, August 01, 2011
Birthdays and Babysitting
The end of July is birthday time for Calvin and Esther. It was also our chance to play grandparents for three days while Bjorn and Jenny took an anniversary getaway to Victoria. I was worried that we might have a statistical oddity with bad weather on Esther and Calvin's birthday, but at the last hour the warm weather came through. Esther and I had a great time with Ada and Ruby, exploring the Southworth neighborhood with the beach and 'candy store', swimming in the front yard pool and visiting SK park. Calvin was working at Miracle Ranch until the afternoon of his birthday, so Alicia, Megan and Tyler spent the previous night putting post it notes over every inch of Calvin's room (except the floor and ceiling) They finally finished the 6000 post its as dawn broke the next morning. If that wasn't enough, Alicia made a kitty litter birthday cake complete with tootsie roll poop. We hope that Ada doesn't get any ideas for future 'yummies.' Markus helped celebrate the birthdays and Bjorn and Jenny came back from the getaway to help celebrate Esther's birthday. Papa and Farmor are back to just themselves in Southworth as summer weather seems to finally be setting in.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Lavender Ladies
The lavender season is extremely late this year and although the annual pilgrimage to Sequim was late, it still preceded the height of the bloom. After picking up Marika from the airport and her Florida internship, the Lynden crowd came to Southworth to join Esther for the weekend. I escaped to Lynden and left Calvin to fend for himself amongst the females. The ladies had a wonderful day in Sequim, taking pictures, picking lavender and strolling the farms. Ada insisted on bare feet and stole the photogenic show. While the ladies were lavendering, Bjorn and I installed their new dishwasher and sailed our dinghies on the light breezes of Wiser Lake. Much to my chagrin, Bjorn's boat sailed circles around my boat. However, mine is more stable and handles the strong winds better.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
31 years of Bulthuis service
I felt somewhat like a traitor today as I signed away the title to the Datsun 200sx. My father bought this car new in 1980 and it was the envy of all the students at the high school where he taught. When Dad went on to bigger and better several years later, it passed to my nephew in Olympia and then in time to two nieces. My brother-in-law Jack kept it in top working condition, even having the engine rebuilt by the mechanic students at the Shelton prison. Seven years ago Jack gave the car to Markus shortly after he got his license. Then it passed to Calvin. I suppose that I could have continued to repair it, but for two months of use each year and an eye sore to the neighbor, I decided it was time to let it go. At 247,000 miles, I am sure that it still has some life. That's less than our 98 Sienna with 251,000.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Trail of the Coeur d'alenes
We just returned from a three day getaway exploring some of the North Idaho bicycle trails. We spent two days on the Trail of the Coeur d'alenes. The trail begins up on the palouse, descends to the lake, then meanders along several lakes and the Coeur d'alenes River up to the town of Mulan near the Montana border (72 miles). Our time was spent on the lower portion from Plummer to Cataldo. Our longest day was 54 miles from Harrison to Cataldo and back. There is only one town on this lower portion, the lakeside hamlet of Harrison. It became our launch site and destination for daily rides. The trail is built on an old rail grade so it is relatively flat. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery of lakes, rivers, mountains and fields as we pedaled side by side talking and listening to the abundance of birds and occasional river traffic. The temperature was a very comfortable 80 degrees for most of the time. Our lodging for the two nights was a bed and breakfast in St. Maries. It was an unique experience in which we interacted significantly with the host family and other guests. It wasn't the most private of accommodations, but it sure gave us a strong feel for the local culture. Our last day was spent in and around Coeur d'alene, exploring the bustling town and checking out the east end of the Centennial bike trail (with sore bottoms).
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
A Family Fourth
This past weekend we had the chance to spend some great time with family. On Sunday, the Bulthuis clan, including my siblings and their children converged on a downtown Seattle condo for Brian Bulthuis' fiance Kate's bridal shower. Brian and Kate live in New York, but came out for the weekend. Kate's sister owns a spectacular condo on 2nd Ave. between Pine and Pike. The ladies stayed at the condo on the 38th floor overlooking the city while the men walked down to Safeco Field to watch a Mariner game. After the game we spent a couple of hours back at the condo visiting and enjoying the view. Then on the Fourth, Ellen, Jenny, Ada, Ruby, Markus and Steph joined us in Southworth for a great day. We enjoyed the great weather and went to Harborside Park and watched Ada enjoy the fountains. Ada and Papa took a couple walks to the beach and the 'gummywormer store' All have gone home and it is painting weather in Southworth.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Home for the summer
I am almost a week late in posting something about Calvin's return, but in the interest of my blog providing a journal of our doings, I better record the event. Calvin returned last Saturday. Josh and Alicia joined us, as well as Camille who drove up from Vancouver, WA to welcome Calvin. He spent a lot of time with friends on the weekend before we put him to work Monday morning on pressure washing and painting prep on the rental. True to form, Calvin has his summer planned out already. It is nice to have him home for a couple of months before he goes back to Japan for ten months. We will try to make the most of our times together. Esther finished the last bit of work obligations and is off until the latter part of August. We look forward to a lot of family time this coming weekend.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Another boat - you've got to be kidding!
It seems that I had just recently rid myself of all unwanted boats and I was going to be content with my Montgomery 17. Actually there are many reasons for my recent purchase. I have often wanted a rowboat for those calm evenings when the water beckons, but there is no wind. I would also like a little sailing dinghy for winter sails or distant lakes. In addition, when cruising with my M17, it would be nice to tow a dinghy. I have been keeping my eye open for a reasonably priced Minto dinghy which is rich in local history. Last week I came across this dinghy for sale in Port Townsend. It was made by Montgomery just like my 'big' boat and was also designed by the same legendary designer, Lyle Hess. I had never seen one of these available, so I had to at least check it out. A deal was negotiated, and I find myself in possession of another classic Monty. I am anxious to test it out.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
back on the hook for another season
My Montgomery 17 is back on her summer mooring, ready for play at her captain's call. It is an annual milestone for me to get her on the mooring -- first comes the sprucing her up with wax, varnish and paint -- then making sure all rigging and gear are functioning and on board -- followed by remaking the mooring with the necessary new chain, swivels and shackles. The final day involves dropping the mooring, using canoe and rubber raft; then off to the launch to rig the boat and drop her in the water. The weekend weather was cooperative and I was able to get her in the water on Saturday and then do some sailing with Tim on Sunday. Another sailing season has begun!
Monday, June 06, 2011
Sri Lanka meets Southworth
Yesterday we had the opportunity to meet Stephanie's parents who live in Sri Lanka. They are here in the Northwest for a couple of weeks to celebrate Stephanie's graduation from SPU. We had heard lots about them from Stephanie, so it was great to meet them in person. Ted and Renate are missionaries in Sri Lanka where they are involved in leadership training of local pastors. While enjoying a delicious salmon dinner from Esther, we soaked up story after story of elephants and monsoons. It was a great evening and we are thankful for the opportunity to visit. Today's somewhat uneventful birthday was placated by the enjoyment of yesterday.
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