Category Archives: Uncategorized

Oct20

New Normal Not Normal

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New Normal Not Normal

A few friends getting together to exercise. That was my experience this morning. Very different from teaching structured fitness classes, but wonderful just the same.

Last night my small group from church got together to converse and pray. It’s my fifth year with this group and I think of them all as family.

I get together with other friends and we go for walks or go to restaurants. In downtown Leavenworth Front Street is closed to vehicular traffic. Tables for outdoor dining line the street instead.

The library is reopening in a couple of weeks. I’ve missed book club and craft activities and wonder when these will resume.

The senior center is still closed. I miss lunches with friends and volunteering in the kitchen. I miss our bridge games and our music nights.

Church has now gone back to two services instead of one to accommodate more people. Masks and physical distancing are mandatory. Seats must be reserved online.

Tree lighting event has been cancelled although the trees will be lit up as usual during the holiday season. Village Voices will not be performing at any concerts.

With Octoberfest cancelled the last few weekends have been relatively quiet here in Leavenworth. There are also no big events planned for Halloween.

The new normal does not feel normal at all.

Oct18

Ghosts And Goats

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Ghosts And Goats

We are more than halfway through October and I’ve been back almost a month. The days are cooler now, the trees are losing their leaves and Halloween 🎃 is only a couple of weeks away.

Scare-Crazy in Cashmere has always been a favorite. Scarecrows are on display for the entire month. I found this one the other day that is decked out in Halloween attire.

While Walmart in Wenatchee already has a Christmas display inside, Halloween is still the theme outside.

My tree in Cashmere is not nearly as resplendent as it has been in past years. Some wicked winds have done their damage and the rain didn’t help matters either.

And now to the goats. These guys were out for a ride the other day when I was walking along Highway 2 in Leavenworth.

I wonder what Halloween will be like this year in view of the Covid situation. There will be no Light The Night at the Leavenworth Church of the Nazarene, an event the whole town looks forward to every year. I imagine that the number of trick or treaters on the streets will be significantly lower as well. Halloween will certainly be different this year.

Oct14

A Rainy Day

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A Rainy Day

Yesterday was actually a very productive day thanks to the rain. I stayed in most of the day and successfully conquered some very tedious tasks.

First on the agenda was sorting through paperwork. How could so much have accumulated over the months I’ve spent here? Why on earth did I have so many photocopies and save so many receipts? They’re all in the trash now.

Next was books. Coloring books with only a handful of pages completed. Books I’ve read and reread so it’s time to pass them along.

Community Cupboard is a thrift store here in Leavenworth. I’d already begun to fill a box with clothes I no longer wear. The books will make a great addition.

Empty file folders and binders are now in the box as well, as are an assortment of rulers, reinforcements and other miscellaneous stationary supplies.

Lastly I had to sort through cards and photos. I’m definitely not as sentimental as I once was which is a good thing.

But I am keeping all of my completed artwork. I was delighted to find my pastels and hope to make use of them again soon. Thanks to Amazon I have a new set of gel pens and a Thomas Kinkade coloring book.

The forecast is for clearing skies and sun today. I’m more than ready for an adventure in Wenatchee after a day of tedious tasks.

Oct11

Fall Is My Favorite Season

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Fall Is My Favorite Season

When I was younger, my favorite season was spring. In the garden, the perennials came began to grow. The bushes and trees came to life again. As the weather warmed up, I would plant the colorful annuals as well as some vegetables. It was heartwarming to see everything thriving over the summer.

But now fall has become my favorite season, especially here in Leavenworth. The leaves on the trees are all various shades of green, yellow, orange, red and purple. Their color changes daily. I love to take photos and have taken hundreds over the years.

As I write this, I can hear the rustle of the leaves in the wind outside my bedroom window. The forecast was for rain today, but it has not yet arrived. But you can almost smell it in the air.

Usually at this time of year I am starting to think about returning to Mexico. Instead I have just arrived in Leavenworth. Covid-19 has certainly turned my world upside down.

Thankfully I arrived in time to enjoy the colorful leaves before the temperature plummets. The harvesting of pears and apples from the trees is also almost complete.
In addition to the spectacular sight of all the gorgeous trees, I love to hear the crunch of the fallen leaves as I walk. Of course fallen leaves also means the chores of raking and burning, which I gladly leave to others.

I hope that autumn lingers for a while longer.

Oct3

Open And Closed

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Open And Closed

I’ve been back in Leavenworth now for two weeks and it’s a very different town than when I left 11 months ago.

Shops have closed and others have closing sale signs or for sale signs in the window. Restaurants such as Gustav’s, Good Mood Food and Wok About are closed with no intention of reopening.

We went to Visconti’s the other night for dinner. Reservations are recommended due to the limited number of tables available due to physical distancing. Fewer choices appear on the menu but the food was amazing as usual.

In Cashmere the 59er Diner closed its doors this week. Thankfully the owner has kept the other location at Coles Corner open. We ventured out there for lunch one day and I thoroughly enjoyed my very favorite chocolate milkshake with my meal.

Several restaurants offer takeout and curbside only. They are unable to comply with the necessary restrictions that have come into place regarding physical distancing. But at least they are still open.

In Wenatchee we went to Walmart and it was a very different experience than in Mexico. In Aguascalientes, masks required, my temperature was taken, staff disinfected the shopping cart and there was the ever present antibacterial gel. In Wenatchee I wiped down my cart myself and masks required. I prefer the self-checkout and was happy that it was still available.

There is one thing that has not been affected by Covid-19 and is far removed from the threat of being forced to close. Mother Nature will always remain open. The leaves are truly a sight to behold in all their autumn splendor.

Sep30

Yesterday

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Yesterday

Yesterday morning I went to Cashmere. I remember vividly the first time I visited this town and a flood of memories of other visits came to mind as well.

I’ll start with Spirit of America. And the 9/11 memorial services I’ve attended. And the many times I’ve come here to just think and reflect.

I wandered through the downtown. I went to the bakery for an apple fritter and had a lovely visit with staff who remembered me, the Canadian who has adopted Leavenworth as a summer home. I went to the bank. I passed by the library. I noticed a few minor changes as a result of Covid-19. My favorite Mexican restaurant, Agave Azul now offers takeout and curbside only. Scarecrows have begun to appear as October is just around the corner bringing with it Scarecrow Days.

My favorite pastime is walking the streets and admiring the trees as they change color. My favorite red maple is just beginning to show its fall color.

Here are some other photos of trees on Cottage Avenue.

October also means Halloween is on the way. Decorating has begun early this year.

It’s the end of September and some flowers are still blooming.

Later in the day a walk through downtown Leavenworth was on the agenda. Front Street is closed to traffic now in order to provide additional outdoor seating for restaurants due to physical distancing practices. It was sad to see that some shops and restaurants are now permanently closed as a result of Covid-19. The usual celebrations and festivals have all been cancelled this year as well. But even the virus can’t stop the glorious fall colors of the leaves.

The beautiful hanging baskets add to the charm of this Bavarian village.

The park and gazebo area are also favorites of mine.

I’m here. I’m back. Very different from where I was living ten days ago. It’s nice to be back home.

Sep27

Going Going Gone

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Going Going Gone

My morning routine is only slightly different now. As I sip my first cup of coffee I still laze in bed. But I have the added luxury of listening to Pachelbel while watching a beautiful video on YouTube on TV.

I sort through email and other texts, briefly glance at Facebook and realize I’ve been back in Leavenworth for seven days.

Where has that first week gone?

It’s been a blur of doing nothing yet doing everything. I unpacked and settled in to this delightful cabin my friend Ann graciously offered me for a couple of weeks until I could move back into town. It’s steps away from her house so we’ve spent a lot of time together. Lots to catch up on since I left 11 months ago.

Here are some pics of the grounds surrounding the cabin.

On Thursday I had my first haircut since COVID-19 invaded our world back in January. Amazing how a simple cut and style can make a world of difference.

I got my annual phone chip at AT&T in Wenatchee on Wednesday. I also did some shopping at Old Navy.

First trip to Safeway was a tad overwhelming as usual. Oh how I’ve missed my Everything Bagels among many other items.

It was so exciting to go back to Cashmere and see my tree! The leaves are just starting to change color.

On my walks I’ve noticed that the pear trees are loaded with fruit ready to be picked.

Some friends have stopped by to visit and I’ve been catching up with others on the phone. It feels wonderful to be back home in Leavenworth. I’m not sure how long I’ll be here. It feels very strange to have just arrived when I am usually preparing to leave for my winter home in Mexico. But 2020 has proven to be a very different year.

Sep23

Traveling During A Pandemic

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Traveling During A Pandemic

Two weeks ago yesterday I had resigned myself to the fact that I wasn’t leaving Mexico anytime soon. Two weeks ago today I found out I could get travel health insurance from the company I usually use that covered COVID-19 if I traveled to the USA. Two weeks ago today my flight was booked. I purchased the health insurance and reserved the Wenatchee Valley Shuttle. Talk about things changing overnight……

My adventure began at 4 am on Monday when Raúl came by to drive me to the airport. After weeks of sanitizing mats, having my temperature checked everywhere and drowning in antibacterial gel, I was surprised that none of these measures were being taken at the airport. There was no physical distancing either. In the waiting area at the gate, there were seats blocked off for physical distancing. However people merely sat down in them anyways despite the clearly labelled tape on them.

My favorite airline is Alaska but that would mean traveling to Guadalajara or Puerto Vallarta first. That would also mean an extra airport. I opted for American Airlines that flies out of Aguascalientes and has a decent connection to get me to Seattle. This airline does not block off middle seats and the flight was completely full. Thankfully everyone wore masks without complaint.

When we landed in Dallas it was business as usual. No health questionnaire. Other than people wearing masks, there was no physical distancing or antibacterial gel anywhere. Once again a completely full flight to Seattle. No objections to the masks either.

When I arrived at SeaTac, the airport was much quieter than usual. When I took the Wenatchee Valley Shuttle to Peshastin, there were only two of us although it was the last shuttle of the day.

This was my experience traveling during a pandemic. I’m thankful that my flights weren’t cancelled or delayed. But I must admit that I’m not looking forward to traveling again in the near future.

Like most people, I want things to revert to the way they were before COVID-19. I want my beach days in Puerto Vallarta back before heading up north in the spring. I want to divide my time equally between Leavenworth and Mexico with side trips to Canada to see my children and my granddaughter. But right now that is only a dream.

Sep20

Nomad On The Move Again

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Nomad On The Move Again

I’ve enjoyed my time in Aguascalientes. But 6 months became 11. I’m not used to staying in one place for such a long period of time without traveling. But now that travel health insurance has become available again and covers COVID-19 it’s time to move on.

My destination is Leavenworth and I leave tomorrow. I’ve missed my friends and my church family. I can’t wait to see the trees and the mountains again. Autumn is my favorite time of the year.

My major regret is that I haven’t been in Culiacán with my family since December and won’t see my grandsons before heading up north. I’ve never gone so long without seeing them in the last ten years since I’ve been coming to Mexico. And I always squeeze in one last visit before I head north. Leaving feels really strange this year.

The worst part of leaving is always saying goodbye to people. It’s especially hard this year because I don’t know when I’ll be coming back. My familiar pattern of six months here and six months up north has been disrupted by the virus.

In the meantime, let’s take care of each other. Wear your masks, use lots of soap and antibacterial gel and practice physical distancing whenever possible. Above all, avoid crowds.

Stay safe!