Tag Archives: Cashmere WA

Sep7

The Dream And The Usual

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The Dream And The Usual

The weekend was a dream that ended far too quickly. I got to hug my granddaughter live and in person. No more blowing kisses on a video call. Grandma is a real person who doesn’t live in a phone. And Maddie is no longer the baby she was when I last saw her.

It was exciting to see Leavenworth through the eyes of a child. I never realized how many “no touch” shops there are in town. Or how many candy and fudge shops there are. Or how much fun it is to run around in the gazebo or up the grassy hill. Or how a simple gingerbread butterfly could light up a child’s face so brightly.

Picnics. Maddie is a big fan of these. We had three of them on Sunday. The first was a snack picnic at Walla Walla Park in Wenatchee. The second was lunch in Cashmere at a playground. The third was dinner in my backyard at home in East Wenatchee.

I was determined not to cry when we said goodbye. But I did anyways. Maddie is four years old and I’ve only seen her three times. The first time she was only a few weeks old. The second time she was still a baby. Barring another crazy pandemic, I hope to be able to see Maddie more often.

But the weekend came and went. Labor Day found Maddie and Kimmy on their way home to Kelowna.

Back to the usual. Teaching a SAIL class in Leavenworth Tuesday morning followed by lunch at the golf club with Linda. Next was another afternoon bingeing Virgin River on Netflix. Then it was time to head back to East Wenatchee.

And now it’s another Wednesday, another humpday. The week is half over and I need to start researching flights back to Mexico. It’s almost October. The temperature is starting to drop and that means the leaves will soon begin to change color. Fall is my favorite time of year here in Washington state.

Aug17

It’s Hot Here

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It’s Hot Here

Last night at 7:30 it had cooled off to a comfortable 86 degrees. I’m getting used to the heat again after the cool temperatures in Winnipeg. Daytime highs here in East Wenatchee are supposed to continue in the range of 105 degrees plus for at least another week.

Yesterday morning I taught a fitness class in an un-airconditioned room in a church. And I get to do it again tomorrow. There isn’t even a fan in the room and unfortunately this means we open windows in an attempt to get some air circulation.

Church was air-conditioned on Sunday. It was great to be back at Sage Hills in person and not on line.

Tonight we’re going to see The Music Man, a Leavenworth Summer Theater production. The venue is the amphitheater, one of my favorite places in Leavenworth.

Because it’s so hot and dry here, the fire risk is extremely high. So now the alerts on my phone are no longer for Manitoba tornados. Instead they’re wildfire and evacuation alerts.

BTW, I visited my tree in Cashmere yesterday. It’s still really green and I hope I’ll still be here when the leaves turn that gorgeous crimson red in the fall.

My characters are talking to me. Time for coffee and writing.

May22

Kreplach or Perogies

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Kreplach or Perogies

I can’t believe that it’s Sunday again already. I just wrote a Sunday blog post a few minutes ago. But wait. That was last week’s. And it was a week ago.

Tomorrow is my birthday and it’s one of those where you leave one decade behind and enter a new one. People often refer to them as milestone birthdays. But I call every birthday a milestone.

The weather here in Washington has been a lot cooler than usual as well as being rainy and windy. Well, it does beat snow and my friends back in Mexico tell me they’re roasting in the heat.

Yesterday was interesting. The clouds allowed some sunshine to peak through so Christina and I headed for the community wide yard sale in Cashmere. Our biggest find was an oak armoire with lovely shelves and drawers and not even a hint of particle board. $5 well spent.

Back at home in the afternoon the rain finally poured down. I decided to spend my time doing research for one of my characters in my WIP. What’s App was the medium I used to chat with a friend in Mexico, a doctor from Calgary originally from England where she received her medical training. The topics wavered between bipolar 1 and atrial fibrillation. Heavy stuff.

Now where was I going with this post? Oh yes! Kreplach or perogies. I guess it really doesn’t matter what you call them. They are delicious.

I grew up with a Jewish background and they were kreplach. My Bobba had Russian roots and I can still envision her in the kitchen making them from scratch. I did it that way exactly once. Much easier to buy them frozen from Naleway or to head down to the nearest Ukrainian church where the ladies there offer homemade ones for sale on Friday afternoons. I also recall driving out to restaurants in rural communities where the Mennonite version was available.

But I’m far away from Manitoba now and here in Washington I’ve introduced several people to the frozen perogies I’ve found at Safeway or Albertsons. This afternoon I’ll be frying up some onions and getting out the sour cream. And ketchup. You heard me right. That’s a new twist for me. My friend Clairesse is coming over and she is one of the rare Washingtonians I know who enjoys perogies. She grew up on Camino Island and ate them with ketchup.

So there you have it. Call them what you like. Kreplach or perogies. Happy Sunday!

Apr3

Here And There

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Here And There

I’m sitting here sipping salted caramel tea as I write this. A nice change from the chamomile I drink in Aguascalientes. In the background The Rifleman fills the TV screen. I loved that show as a child and I still do. Not on any of the channels I watch in Mexico.

I enjoy my life where I’ve turned back into a snowbird. When I first arrived in Culiacan I met expats who had decided to revert back to the snowbird life. I didn’t understand it back then, but after living full time in Mexico for almost six years, I made that decision as well.

That was back in 2016 when I retired from teaching ESL. That was also when I discovered Washington state. My planned two week vacation turned into four months when the first snowfall finally chased me back to Mazatlan.

As I was eating a sourdough English muffin with marble cheese for breakfast, I found myself missing gorditas. Yes, that happens. The only Mexican food I eat up here is at Agave Azul in Cashmere. But marble cheese does not exist in Mexico.

I had lunch at Gustav’s with friends the other day. One of my rare red meat fixes. Although the burger was far superior, I found myself missing the country music at Country Break in Aguascalientes.

The mountains here in Washington never cease to amaze me. I see them out my bedroom window. I see them when I go out for walks. The view is magnificent on the drive from East Wenatchee along Highway 2 into Leavenworth.

The NCW Libraries features an abundance of programs and activities in addition to books and movies. I signed up for two of them this month that are offered on Zoom.

The museum in Wenatchee is another of my favorite places. The Martin Luther King Jr. Multicultural Fest is one of the featured events. There is also an art show going on with displays of art from local schools. I will have to check out what programs they are offering this month.

Yesterday Christina and I went out to garage sales and had a blast. We found lots of treasures. Brought back memories of another lifetime in Canada.

Here’s to a new month!

Sep21

Things To Ponder

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Things To Ponder

The sheep reelected the wolf again in 🇨🇦. The decision in the 🇺🇸 was to keep the land borders closed. Here in 🇲🇽 the entire country has been declared green or yellow on the stoplight.

Please take the time to check out the link. A very moving service was held at Spirit of America in Cashmere, Washington on September 11th. I usually attend in person but this year I was already back in Mexico.

We have been getting these incredible thunder boomers at night. After being up in Washington rampant with wildfires and drought, the rainy season here is most welcome. Iracema and I went out for dinner in the pouring rain. By the time we finished eating, the rain had stopped and off we went for a walk in the park.

Talking to friends in Canada this week, it appears that flights to Mexico are still chaotic. Canceled, rescheduled and extremely expensive. I’m so glad I decided to fly down from the USA. Great connections and reasonable fares. Alaska Airlines is the best!

INM is starting to crack down on people with expired tourist visas. They are checking regularly in bus stations and stories are circulating of people being held in detention and/or deported. Original documentation is required and a photo on a phone is not sufficient.

I have finally taken out my gel pens and started coloring again. Now if only King could fix the glitch with Jelly Queen on Candy Crush Friends…..

Aug28

In Case You’re Wondering

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In Case You’re Wondering

I’m into the home stretch. Saying goodbye to people and places.

My Tree. This spectacular red maple captured my heart back in 2016. Right now it’s still very green and I will miss the vibrant red leaves this year. I’m counting on my friends to send me pics. I know they will. After all, they visit my tree when I’m away for the winter.

Something else I will miss is the 9/11 service at Spirit of America. This is always a highlight of my time in Washington and sadly I will be far away in another country on September 11th.

The Chelan County Fair in Cashmere and the Autumn Leaf Festival in Leavenworth are two more favorite events I will miss this year.

Yes I will be thousands of miles away but I will be in time for Independence Day celebrations.

So now have you guessed where I’m going?

Jul14

Wildfire Level 3 Evacuate Now

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As I mentioned in my last post, wildfire season is well underway here in Washington state. And a brush fire has escalated to a Level 3 Evacuate Now two towns over in Monitor.

The alert came over my phone last night. The winds are blowing the fire towards Wenatchee. It’s a pretty scarey situation.

Around here being prepared is always a good idea. My to go bag is always packed in my closet. Important documents, passport, jewelry, medication, devices and other valuables that will be difficult to replace. I always have a similar bag packed when I’m in Mexico. When I lived in Tlaquepaque we were evacuated once in the middle of the night due to a gas leak.

Friends on Facebook reported power outages near Monitor. This is one nasty fire. I pray that the firefighters are able to get it under control and that no one will be hurt.

Today’s lunch plans in Cashmere may have to be relocated to Leavenworth. It depends on what the smoke level is like. Cashmere is quite close to Monitor.

My friends in Mexico are posting videos of the torrential rains they are experiencing. I wish some of that moisture could be sent up here. Dry, hot temperatures in the 100s lost their charm quite a while ago.

We need rain. No lightning to cause more fires, just rain.

Apr4

A Year Later

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A Year Later

It’s now Easter of 2021, and the second Easter of the pandemic. Last year I was in Mexico and didn’t go to church. At that time I avoided crowds and religiously wore my mask when I went out for my daily walks. I went out only to buy food or use the ATM.This year I’m in Leavenworth. I went to church on Good Friday and am going to a service today, Easter Sunday. I usually wear a mask only when I go into a public building or a shopping mall. I seldom wear a mask when I’m out walking unless I’m in the downtown area where there tend to be lot of people.My favorite place to walk is in the town of Cashmere. Here are some pics I took the other day while strolling down Cottage Avenue.When I’m in Mexico I don’t get to see the flowers and trees budding. And I’ve missed it.Cashmere is amazing when it comes to scarecrows and Halloween in October. But I did see some Easter decorations including this tree.I stopped at the bakery and was delighted to find hot cross buns. I haven’t tasted those in eleven years. In Mexico Easter is synonymous with empenadas.Happy Easter to those who celebrate. Easter 2021 is definitely better than Easter 2020. But I do wonder if we’ll still be wearing masks in church in Easter 2022.

Mar31

Really Mother Nature???

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Really Mother Nature???

My last post was about how gorgeous the weather is here in Washington state. Of course the day after I published that post I awoke to a winter wonderland out there.

The snow didn’t last, not here in Leavenworth. The mountain passes were a different story, covered in snow and ice.

That afternoon I ventured into Wenatchee where there was no snow at all. Thankfully the wind warnings didn’t materialize into much and the sun shone in all its glory.

On my way back home I stopped in Cashmere to go for a walk. I was delighted to capture these shots of spring flowers.

Even my favorite tree, a red maple, was beginning to bud.

Although it was cool yesterday, today we’re back up into the 60s. I guess Mother Nature was just toying with us on Monday. After all, spring has sprung.

Mar3

A Morning In Cashmere

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A Morning In Cashmere

The weather here has been incredibly mild and sunny. Tuesday was a great time for a day trip to Cashmere.

I bid a fond farewell to my ski jacket and boots. No need for a toque or gloves either.

First stop was the outdoor ATM at Cashmere Valley Bank. And then it was off to the Sure To Rise Bakery. I discovered this amazing bakery the first summer I came to Washington. This place is home to the best apple fritters on the planet. To my delight this year they also began making cinnamon buns, Texas size.

Just down the street is a new bakery that specializes in cookies and cupcakes. We each bought a cookie and our verdict was that this bakery won’t be around too long. No way can they compete with Sure To Rise.

Next we walked down to Spirit of America. If you’ve read my previous blog posts, you’ll know that this is a very special memorial that I visit often.

We then walked down to Aplets and Cotlets. In addition to all the wonderful candy they make it is also home to a quaint gift shop.

No snow was in view anywhere and it was a perfect day for a walk through town.