Monday, March 31, 2014
Mission Hunting Resumed
After a two year hiatus, we are back on the trail of the historic Spanish Missions of California. We had completed visits to 13 of the 21 missions and today we visited numbers 14 and 15. After spending the weekend with Ellen in Sacramento, we drove down to the Monterey Peninsula to pick up where we left off. San Juan Bautista is the only mission that adjoins a section of the original El Camino Real. They old trail by the rest of them has been replaced by paved road or plowed up into fields. This mission sits in a quaint small town in an agricultural valley. Many old buildings still comprise the town's streets, but it hasn't sold its soul to tourism. The other mission we visited was one we have often peaked at but never gone in. San Carlos Borromeo Carmelo sits on the outskirts of the swanky town of Carmel by the Sea. This mission is beautifully restored and is a functioning parish church. We unfortunately had to deal with rain and cold weather which put a damper on the enjoyment of the mission gardens. We are spending the night at a cozy motel in Pacific Grove just blocks from lighthouse point.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Bishops, Boykins and Bulthuis
Henry and Rebecca Boykin will be moving to South Carolina next month. Henry was fortunate to receive a new military assignment twenty minutes from his childhood home. We took the opportunity to invite the newlyweds and Jack and Sue to a Southworth salmon bake. Henry needed a Puget Sound ferry ride before heading east. We had an enjoyable afternoon of conversing and outdoor strolling. We will miss having Henry and Rebecca around, but it is wonderful that they can live near Henry's family.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Calvin's 'new' car
Evidently I instilled a proclivity for old cars in my sons. Since Calvin is on his own with a job on the other side of the 'pond' (Puget Sound, not Pacific Ocean) it was time for him to buy his own car. As I helped him hunt for one, it became obvious that he wanted an older car in good condition and low miles rather than a not so old car with a lot of miles. He was a little particular on color as well. After about a month of scouring craigslist and checking leads, he zeroed in on a 1990 (his birth year) Toyota Corolla with 122k miles in amazing condition. So I guess we have to chalk up one more Toyota on the Bulthuis fleet list. I only hope that this one will be as reliable as the others.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
New Job at Nintendo
There are many transitions and milestones in life. Some pass without notice, while others are celebrated with much fanfare. At the end of January, Calvin was hired at Nintendo in his first full time job after college. It is not only a milestone for him; as parents we are celebrating all three sons graduating from college and gainfully employed. Calvin was looking for a job in the Seattle area that utilized his knowledge of Japanese. He is hired as a game tester with translation responsibilities as testers of the English version communicate with Japanese programmers in Japan. He is adjusting to work life; and after a week of commuting from Southworth to Redmond, he was offered weekday lodging at cousin Sarah and Mike Hauer's until he can arrange more permanent housing. We are excited for him and look forward to watching his career develop wherever that may bring him.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Congratulations Markus and Steph
Sunday was not only the occasion to cheer the Seahawks into the Super Bowl; it was also the family's opportunity for an engagement party for Markus and Steph. While the Bronco's were taking care of the Patriots, the Bulthuis' and Eides were honoring the newly engaged couple. Though the engagement took place in December, Markus and Steph were in Sri Lanka visiting Steph's parents for the holidays. The Greenwood gang put on a great salmon dinner to toast the couple. For dessert, we donned our Seahawk attire and moved to a different house to cheer on the Hawks.
Sunday, January 05, 2014
Celebration at Seabrook
Ever since our first Seabrook experience several years ago, we have been anxious to share the experience with the Eides. We anticipated the appreciation that Eide Homes might have for the unique housing development. We rented one of the larger houses which facilitated our group very nicely. After a night in Southworth with everyone, the accommodations felt very spacious. A real bonus was the large dining room; and since food is at the center of many of our traditions, it was important. The weather was exceptionally nice. We spent three days and two nights in the seaside getaway, walking the beach, riding or strolling through the 'town,' and playing games. We missed having Kelsea, Markus and Steph in our company and thought of them often. We started the new year off with a big bang.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Chelsea Moore's Wedding Port Gamble
On Saturday we had the opportunity to witness my teaching partner Don Moore's daughter Chelsea get married in Port Gamble. The venue was classic, a small historic chapel and an elegant reception in a nearby hall. Chelsea's new husband, Allen Slade is from South Africa. The couple met through Bethel Church in Redding, where Chelsea has worked for several years.
Christmas Day
Christmas Day brought Jack, Sue and Ellen to Southworth for a relaxing day of conversation and good food. Calvin patiently put up with the older generation. I insisted on a ham for dinner as it was our family tradition. Ellen split her time in Southworth and Olympia. We had a short extended Bulthuis get together in Lynden later in the week.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Christmas 2013
On Sunday evening, we enjoyed the traditional Christmas Eve clam chowder and gift exchange with the family. Markus and Steph were in Sri Lanka. The girls were excited but patient as we all opened our gifts. A highlight was a surprise iPhone 5s which I gave to Esther. She had no idea and surprisingly was very excited about it. It's hard to imagine that we have held off all these years. It's hard for a Dutchman to shell out that much for a phone.
A dandy dancing holiday start
Our Christmas celebrations this year started with a quick trip to Bellingham as soon as school was dismissed. Ada participated in a ballet performance "We Danced Our Best for Him" at the Mt. Baker theater. She was a dancing donkey and did her daddy proud. The whole performance was very good. The emotion and message gave a great start to our Christmas festivities. It was a short trip to Lynden as we decided to celebrate a gift exchange with Bjorn and Jenny in Southworth as they made their way to Oregon.
Monday, December 09, 2013
Southworth Son Returns
The day before Thanksgiving, Calvin returned home from his Asian adventures. After graduating from ICU and working in Tokyo for the summer, he went to India with Sassa to visit the orphanage where she volunteers. After Sassa left to go back to school, Calvin traveled alone around India and Thailand for a month. You can read much more at
http://calvineb.wordpress.com. It is good to have him home after so long. He celebrated his first Thanksgiving in four years. While continuing to do some free lance work by correspondence, he is looking for full time work here. hopefully, he can find something that incorporates interpretation and translation.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Fourteen and a half years ago John Snell was hired as the youth pastor at Harper Church. Bjorn was in junior high. Over the many years that John and Sugar served at our church, they have greatly influenced the spiritual lives of hundreds of young people. Our sons are no exception. Each one of our boys were closely connected to the youth group and spent a lot of time with John and Sugar: worshipping, praying, learning, gaming, and traveling. Esther and I are eternally grateful for God's work in our sons' lives through the ministry of John and Sugar. Esther and I also became friends with John and Sugar and enjoyed many hours with them. Today, Harper said goodbye to this beloved family. John will become the senior pastor of a church in Kent, Washington. We are very excited for them. We will miss them, but we wish them the best in their new home.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Arizona transplants
For twenty-seven years we have lived on the Kitsap Peninsula as kinship loners, having no relatives nearby. All of that changed this month when Doug and Nancy Peak moved from Arizona to join us on the peninsula. Nancy is Esther's second cousin; and after living in Mexico and Arizona for the past twenty-five years, Doug accepted a job as a GED teacher at the Washington Correction Center for Women in Purdy. He has been working in corrections for the past ten years in Arizona. While feeling a little chilled, they are excited to be in the Northwest, close to both of their families. Doug and Nancy have been living with Esther and I for the past two and half weeks as they looked for a home to rent. Tonight they spent their first night in their new home in uptown Gig Harbor. It is a convenient location for Doug's commute, and Nancy hopes to get a job in Tacoma which is a quick trip across the bridge. Welcome to Kitsap Doug and Nancy.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
safe in her winter berth
My enjoyment of Autumn is always hindered by a subconscious nagging that my boat needs to be put away for the summer. When the chore is accomplished, I can embrace the season without restraint. Today I can fully embrace the beauty of Autumn. Last weekend Tim helped me pull up the mooring anchor and trailer the boat. This weekend I cleaned up a very scummy hull. A maritime friend was telling me about an invasive species of mussels from Asia that is becoming prolific in the Sound. Well, I found them on my hull, plugging up through holes and clinging to any metal bolts or nuts. The boat is ready for a cover and the winter, safely beside the house.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
A weekend with the girls
We got our grandparent fix this weekend. Bjorn and Jenny went to Vancouver Island for a wedding, so we were recruited to take care of the girls for two days. The weather was great, so we were able to do lots of activities outside. After enjoying the Seahawks game at Mike and Marti's, we walked over to the neighbor's country pumpkin patch to indulge in some agritourism. On Columbus Day, we dragged the girls to see mom and then checked out the newest Eide Homes in Bellingham and Birch Bay. Of course, a stop at the park and McDonalds was our concession to their active needs. It was fun to once again spend time with our granddaughters who are growing up so fast.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
The Cascade Loop for Anniversary
We waited until the last minute to decide on a destination for our anniversary weekend this year. We had Victoria on our mind, but we wanted to wait to see what the weather brought. As the weekend approached, it became evident that a dry weather destination would be preferable. Booking a stay late meant that there wasn't much available in Leavenworth. So we decided to do Leavenworth on Saturday, stay in Pateros in a motel that we really enjoy, and then go to Winthrop on Sunday and return on the North Cascades Highway. A couple of hours in Leavenworth was enough and then it was off to pick up our annual box of apples at Smallwood Orchard. Esther always enjoys some time at the antique mall in Cashmere, so I got an afternoon nap in the car. The sunny weather held through the evening as we enjoyed a walk and dinner in Pateros. The next morning we made our way through the Methow Valley to Winthrop. It had been at least ten years since we last visited and decided that not much had changed. Esther did find a decorative treasure in one of the stores and we got to watch the first half of the Seahawks humiliating Jaguars in a Mexican restaurant. Unfortunately, the pass was clouds and rain, though we caught a few glimpses of the majestic mountains towering the highway.
Monday, September 02, 2013
Labor Day Weekend
We spent another Labor Day weekend hanging out at the Cain Lake and having a shellfish BBQ. Weather was better than expected, which gave the swimmers and boaters lots of time in the water. Everyone was able to make it for part of the weekend. Markus and Steph had to miss the BBQ and of course Calvin was in Japan; but we did get to Skype him at the cabin. It looks like we will start school on time this week though we had a nervous week as the teachers had voted to strike if a contract was not agreed on by September. Fortunately, the union and district had a tentative agreement by Friday night, and everyone could enjoy the weekend.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Elliot Bay
This being the last week before I go back to school, I decided to take advantage of an unusually windy morning and head to Elliot Bay. The wind was moderate throughout the morning and I made it to Alki lighthouse in a couple of hours. Getting past the point and into the Bay provided a challenge because of the weakening wind and contrary current. Once in the bay, I headed for the city waterfront as I had never sailed that far into the bay. Fortunately, traffic was light; but unfortunately, the wind died. I motored back out to the sound and the late afternoon wind really picked up providing a delightful sail home. My GPS recorded 24 miles of ground under my hull for the day. Who knows how much water!
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
patio project
After years of suggestion from Esther, we finally decided to tackle a flagstone patio for our front yard. We often use the area in our attempts to enjoy the sun, but avoid a prevalent north wind off the water. I was reluctant to make a patio here because of what lies beneath (part of the septic system:) I assumed it would be a three to four day project. One day to excavate, one day to level the sand, and one or two days to lay the flagstone. Right! more like eight days! The first two days went as planned, but placing the stones was an extremely tedious process of guess and check, cut and chisel, and then get lucky once in a while. In the end, we were quite pleased with the result. Now we'll see how it holds up.
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