Tag Archives: East Wenatchee WA

Aug19

Home Sweet Home

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Home Sweet Home

The last few days in Winnipeg were a blur of visiting with Jacque, Audrey, Donna and David. As a bonus I got to see my son one last time as I unexpectedly had to drop by his office to pick up something. My passport was ready on time and a visit to the The Leaf was most enjoyable.

But these 15 hour travel days are getting to me. It’s time my kids started coming to see me instead. Although my flights by some miracle had no noticeable delays, it is exhausting when your day begins at 4 a.m. with a drive to the airport. Every American airport I’ve gone through has a train or a bus to get you from domestic to international. Vancouver does not making the connection times almost impossible. Of course the Canadian airlines don’t care because they overbook the flights anyways.

But I’m back home in East Wenatchee and am more than happy. Once I catch sight of those magnificent mountains I can feel my blood pressure drop significantly. I’ve been back less than 24 hours and have been sleeping most of the time. And I’m quite content to remain at home doing nothing this weekend.

Enjoy your weekend!

Jun12

Apple Loop and Gladsong

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Apple Loop and Gladsong

I am not a hiker. I do not own a pair of hiking boots or poles. I prefer to do my walking on paved surfaces rather than on trails of unstable terrain. I was absolutely delighted to discover the Apple Loop right here in East Wenatchee where the surface is paved. Of course there are still other creatures to watch out for, such as rattlesnakes, but this is a 10 mile trail that is on both sides of the Columbia River near Wenatchee.

The day was partially cloudy and a cooler one as Joyce and I arrived on Saturday. Truthfully we hoped it wasn’t going to rain. The trail is well marked, including caution advisories about getting stranded on the gravel bars should the water suddenly surge. No. We did not do the full ten miles. But we are determined to return and explore more of this trail.

Last night the venue was Christ Center in Cashmere. My friend Charlene invited me to a concert by Gladsong. The name chosen for this choir is most appropriate. All members were definitely glad to be up there singing. And could they ever sing! I had expected to hear mainly Christian hymns and was quite surprised to hear their renditions of other tunes popularized by Queen and Chicago.

This is only the second year that Gladsong have been performing and they are spectacular. The funds they raise at their concert go towards charitable organizations. They recently performed in support of Ukrainian refugees and their next upcoming concert is at Ohme gardens. Last night the proceeds went to ministries at the church.

Those were two of the highlights of my weekend. How was yours?

May31

Time For A Change

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Time For A Change

For the longest time I’ve been posting twice a week, Sunday and Wednesday. I write about whatever happens to come to mind at the time. I’ve decided to change it up for a while. There will be one post a week for sure and the day will vary. If you’re a follower of my blog you’ll be notified in the usual way. If you’re not a follower, I’ll still be sharing to Facebook so you’ll see the announcement there.

I’m much busier here in Washington than I am in Mexico. I’m finding it hard to devote the time I want to the book I’m writing so I have to cut back somewhere. Giving up fitness classes or Tai Chi is not an option. My health is a priority at this stage of the game.

My social life is busier here as well. I have more friends, many of whom have become family to me over the years. I’m in year eight now in Washington. Yes we do go to fitness classes and Tai Chi together, but there are also activities like Leavenworth Summer Theater that I enjoy.

It also looks like a trip to Canada is in order again this summer. I’m hoping to actually be with both of my kids at the same time, something we haven’t done in almost eight years. And of course I’m looking forward to seeing my granddaughter. I enjoy the video calls but what I really want is to hug her and hold her in my arms.

Last week I was out at Lake Chelan for the day. The weather was wild. Windy and rainy when I arrived. Then in a matter of minutes it cleared up and was sunny. The museum is always interesting and they revamped it over the winter. A video about apples was added and some of the displays were changed around.

Fire season has begun. We had a Level 1 warning over the weekend over a 250 acre brush fire out near the airport, about a ten minute drive from where I live. Thankfully it was brought under control quickly. We could really use some rain here but there doesn’t seem to be any in the forecast.

I’m headed into Leavenworth today. That’s where my hair stylist is. Yes, I know there are hair stylists here in East Wenatchee. And I’m reluctant to change that. I discovered Shears during Covid and Lisa knows my hair well although I’m only up here six months of the year.

Jurassic Quest is coming to Wenatchee and I’m contemplating checking it out. The movies were all pretty great and I’ve seen them in English and in Spanish. Now to see those dinosaur up close. I remember a ride at Disney where we were surrounded by dinosaurs. That was back in the 80s and I’m sure the special effects are greatly enhanced now.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

May20

What’s in A Name

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What’s in A Name

When I first arrived in Washington, I heard a lot of strange-sounding names of places. And I wondered where they came from. Naturally I did some investigating.

Wenatchee. This is the name of a city in Washington in Chelan County. It’s interesting how the city got its name. The area was inhabited for thousands of years by an indigenous people called the Wenatchi. A nomadic culture closely bound to nature, they interacted with other tribes. Their diet consisted mainly of salmon, roots, berries and nuts.

Peshastin. This is a small unincorporated community in Chelan County. Similar to Wenatchee, several Indian tribes also inhabited this area long before the European settlers arrived. Before the white man arrived, the area’s inhabitants were the forefathers of the Sioux, or Cherokee, or Iroquois.

Chelan County. In 1899 the counties of Kittitas and Okanagan combined to form Chelan County. The name comes from a Chelan Indian word meaning “deep water.” This is mostly a reference to lake Chelan.

Douglas County. Created in 1883, it is named after U.S. Senator Steven Douglas of Illinois. He was the chairman of the U.S. Commission on Territories when the Territory of Washington was created.

Tumwater. This is an Indian word meaning “strong water” or “falling water.”

Cashmere. The original name was Mission. The name change occurred in 1904 and was named after the Vale of Kashmir in northwest India. However it was given the Americanized spelling instead.

Dryden. This town is named after Canadian horticulturalist and Minister of Agriculture John Dryden.

Monitor. Formerly known as Brown’s Flat, in 1902 the name was changed to honor the USS Monitor that fought for the Union Navy during the American Civil War.

I live in East Wenatchee in Douglas County where there are two main bridges that connect this city to Wenatchee in Chelan County.

The Senator George Sellar Bridge was built in 1950 in order to carry U.S. Route 2 across the Columbia River. It was named after Washington State Senator George L. Sellar. The original name was Columbia River Bridge.

Odabashian Bridge is the second bridge and was formerly known as the Olds Station Bridge. it opened in 1975 and was renamed in 1991 for Richard Odabashian, a state transportation commissioner from Cashmere.

That’s it for geography and history for today.

Have a great Sunday!

Apr19

New This Week

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New This Week

I joined the Wenatchee Valley Senior Activity Center. Now that I’m living in East Wenatchee, the Leavenworth Senior Center is just a little too far away. WVSAC is a much larger center with many more activities to choose from. Today I’m going to a writing group, staying for lunch and then will decide if I want to play cribbage in the afternoon. I’m also planning to going to Tai Chi and a book club.

I start teaching fitness classes again this week. I will be teaching mainly in East Wenatchee, although I will still be subbing in Leavenworth. Right now it looks like it will be three classes a week plus the subbing.

Back in Canada WestJet pilots have voted to strike as have the federal public servants. It figures. This is the year I need to get my passport renewed. And I watch from a distance as Trudope continues to dig himself in deeper and deeper.

I just started a course from Wesleyan University entitled Suicide Risk and Prevention. It’s interesting how the terminology has changed over the years. The rates are soaring, much of it being attributed to Covid. The ratio from a couple of decades ago was 4.5 men to 1.5 women. It’s now 4.5 men to 3.5 women. Very significant and very scary.

I had a video call with my granddaughter yesterday. Madeline told me she went camping on the weekend and slept in a tent. They cooked hot dogs and s’mores over a campfire. She also showed me her chocolate Easter bunnies that she hadn’t eaten yet. Madeline also insisted on showing me the medals her mom won in competitions. And of course she wanted me to see Tigger, one of the cats.

It’s warming up and 60s are in the forecast for the weekend. The snow has cooperated and stayed far away atop the mountains. No blizzards or tornados in Washington.

Have A Wonderful Wednesday!

Mar29

Back In East Wenatchee

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Back In East Wenatchee

Alaska you are still my favorite airline. You got me and my bag here as scheduled. Connections went smoothly in Los Angeles and Seattle. The Guadalajara airport is a disaster during construction, but the Alaska staff were most attentive and welcoming. So three flights later I arrived back in Wenatchee. Christina picked me up at the airport and minutes later we were back at home.

The snow looks really pretty up in the mountains. And I hope it stays there. I was in Leavenworth on Monday and there are still mounds of snow around. It hasn’t been warm enough to melt all of it yet.

I’m all unpacked and my bedroom is organized. I can see the floor and suitcases are stacked in the closet. It was nice to find some warmer clothes. Washington isn’t Mexico.

Telcel switched me over to T Mobile and I’m not impressed. I have to get down to AT&T in the next few days and get an American chip put in my cellphone. I’m thinking about upgrading my phone as well. This one is past the two year mark so it’s time. I’m afraid I’ve become far too reliant on it.

Other than unpacking and doing laundry, I’ve been busy. Sunday morning at 9 am I went to Sage Hills with Steve and Pamela. It was great to be back at church live and in person instead of online. Of course it was a challenge to be up and out the door so early, something I never did even once when I was in Mexico this past winter.

Monday morning I went to Leavenworth for my 9 am hair appointment with Lisa at Shears. Yep. Two days in a row up and out the door early. Church on Sunday was just across the bridge in Wenatchee. Leavenworth is twenty miles away. But as any woman knows, that hair appointment is far too important and sacrifices must be made to get there on time.

Linda and I went to Gustav’s for lunch after. Then we started binge watching Daisy Jones And The Six. That will do nicely until Virgin River comes out with the new season.

I also squeezed in a quick trip to the East Wenatchee Valley Mall. Bath and Body Works was a must as I was out of absolutely everything. Pretty new packaging since I left last fall as well. And I did get to visit my tree in Cashmere.

By the way, the new puppy is adorable. Sarah is a golden retriever. To me this is a real dog compared to the seven chihuahuas who live here. Of course, she is quite mischievous and loves to chew lol.

Happy Humpday!

Mar5

In Three Weeks

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In Three Weeks

Another week has flown by. As I’ve been adding things to the calendar I noticed that three weeks from today I’ll be back in East Wenatchee. This past week I finished a five week bible study. Five weeks has gone by? We just started! And I started a new discussion group with the Ripple Foundation in Leavenworth. I also got a notice about an upcoming SAIL activity in Wenatchee. Winter is definitely coming to a close.

As I look around my room, I see that I still have some organizing to do before I’m ready to leave. The countdown is on and the last days before I leave go by all too quickly. I hear you people. The snow is mainly up in the mountains and not in the town. But it isn’t the 85 degree weather I’ve grown accustomed to here. At least all my warmer clothes are waiting for me when I get back to Washington.

I had a delightful lunch with Alethia and Raul yesterday. Alethia made the most delicious pozole, one of my favorite Mexican dishes. She sent me a video, in Spanish, and I’m going to attempt to prepare this when I’m in Washington. Hopefully I’ll be able to find the ingredients.

Mysteries? I just registered for a program offered by NCW Libraries. It’s called A Nicer Kind Of Murder: The Evolution Of Crime Fiction. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? I’ll be doing it online but can’t wait to get back and go to some programs in person. I’ve heard some great speakers and done some fun crafts in the past and am looking forward to doing more. NCW has a wonderful variety of programs for adults as well as kids.

My TV remote doesn’t always recognize my gringa accent so I’m back to manually selecting channels. I even got Alexa to talk in Spanish to it but the remote didn’t like her accent either. Sigh………………….

Have A Great Sunday!

Feb22

Looking Back

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Looking Back

I was looking over some older blog posts. I used to share tons of photos which I don’t do anymore. That’s because I used to take tons of photos which I also don’t do anymore. Photos require time, time that I’d rather spend with people or writing. And writing has been my focus this winter. I don’t have the patience to sort through photos, edit them and store them in files. I really admire my friend Ann who has literally gone through thousands of photos and is organizing them all in files. They’re family photos that span a period of decades. My family photos are haphazardly stored in cyberspace as they haven’t really made it out of the ancient photo albums in any type of order at all. But the albums are safely stored in waterproof bins in my son’s basement. I wonder if he even looks at them or if they just come out of hiding when I’m in Winnipeg which has only been a handful of times over the last almost thirteen years.

Yes. This fall it will be thirteen years since I first arrived in Culiacan. I know. The news reports tend to focus on all the violence in that city, but Culiacan will always have a special place in my heart. I have wonderful memories of the year I lived there and I always look forward to going back to visit my family there. When I arrive at the bus station I still have a feeling of coming home although I moved away from there twelve years ago.

Coming home. When I visit Winnipeg it no longer feels like home. I’ve been away too long and the city has changed. Of course I’ve changed too. I feel like I have two homes. One is where I am right now in Aguascalientes. I’ve lived in the same neighborhood now for four years. Not much has changed despite Covid. I no longer do a marathon of museums and art galleries as I did the first couple of years. My Spanish has improved and I now am more comfortable talking with neighbors or people who work in the tiendas and restaurants here. I don’t feel like a tourist anymore.

My second home is Washington state. I lived predominantly in Leavenworth the first few years. But last spring I moved to my forever home in East Wenatchee with Christina, Danny and seven chihuahuas. I was talking to Christina last night and she’s excited that I’m coming back in a month. I think she missed me. Okay, I missed her too. It’s been a great winter but it’s time to return to family.

Of course it would be nice if the snow would be gone. But that’s out of my hands. On Monday it even snowed in Tucson. It’s been a crazy winter for weather everywhere except here. I found it quite warm in Mexico this year. Last winter I needed an extra blanket and was glad I’d brought my lined quilted vest with me. But this year I haven’t even needed a light jacket. It did snow up in Durango about a month ago, but that’s miles away from where I am.

Time for my writer’s workshop on Zoom. Fingers crossed that the Internet cooperates today.

Happy Humpday!

Jan25

Coming Up

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Coming Up

I looked at the date on the calendar last night and wondered how come I have only two months left until I head back up north. The time is flying by way too fast. And the older I get the faster it goes.

I fly out of Guadalajara and will be back in East Wenatchee two months from today. Other than my trip to Culiacan, I haven’t done any other traveling this winter. I hope to go to Puerto Vallarta next month but that’s about it. I’ve focused on writing this winter and I’ve taken some courses online. So travel has pretty much been on the backburner this winter.

Tonight I’m doing a library program online from Washington. It’s about Mount St Helens 40 years after the blast. It should be interesting. And I’ll be participating in a Women’s study with Church of the Rock in Winnipeg for the next six weeks. Whatever did we do before we had Zoom?

I’m also going to be taking another psychology course but I haven’t registered for that one yet. I’m still trying to decide. There are so many available and they all appeal.

Duolingo……. I haven’t forgotten you either. I’ve actually come out of retirement and have referred you to a new student who is anxious to learn English. Such a fun place to learn a language!

But I do find time for friends too. I’m meeting a friend from Portland for lunch today. We haven’t seen each other since King’s Day and that was earlier in the month before I went to Culiacan.

Happy Humpday!

Dec25

2022 Part 2

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2022 Part 2

I spent the entire month of July in Winnipeg. I’ve written about it in other blog posts so I’ll just touch on this month briefly. July 4th I found myself out at a cabin rather than celebrating with parades or fireworks as I usually do in the USA. It was nice to get out of the city. I enjoyed spending time with my son and my friends but on a more sad note I attended a funeral. I also replaced my laptop finally. The old one had died during Covid back in 2020 and my tablet had become my best friend.

The first week in August I was back out at the cabin and the following week I flew back to Washington. Leavenworth Summer Theater was in full swing and I enjoyed The Music Man and The Sound of Music. The latter production is a favorite and I try to see it every year. The mountain setting makes this show even more spectacular. I also began teaching four SAIL classes a week instead of the usual two in Leavenworth. The two new ones were in East Wenatchee.

The September long weekend this year was really special as my daughter and granddaughter came from Kelowna. I enjoyed showing them some of my favorite places in Leavenworth and Cashmere. The County Fair began right after they left and I hadn’t been to one in three years due to Covid. September was also the 9/11 Ceremony in Cashmere and Autumn Leaf Festival in Leavenworth. Sadly it was also time to start thinking about returning to Mexico for the winter. Every year it gets harder to say goodbye to friends for six months of the year.

Three flights and a short bus trip and I was back in Aguascalientes. I love my neighborhood. Las Flores doesn’t change much even though I leave for several months every year. It was nice seeing friends again and catching up. I really dived into my writing too. The lure of the new laptop was definitely a factor. My characters were also quite talkative and that certainly helped as well. The internet has also been much better this year too.

November began with the celebration of Day of the Dead. This is one of my favorite holidays in Mexico. The catrinas are always outstanding and even the tiniest shops have colorful decorations. The alters in remembrance of loved ones are also prominent. This year I opted not to go to a cemetery but merely admired everything as I strolled through the streets. The entertainment was amazing and venues were set up throughout the city.

Suddenly it was December and the last month of the year. Festivities were now geared towards Christmas and the Centro area turned into a magical fairyland of colorful lights. Music was an integral part of this celebration and I saw dancers, heard bands and watched children performing. The tienguis was larger than usual with more vendors. I didn’t trim a tree this year. Just didn’t get around to it. Writing occupied much of my time instead. I went to Christmas posadas and Christmas Eve was spent in church. The inevitable fireworks lit up the sky in Mexico as well.

A new year is just around the corner. Here’s to a fabulous one filled with Health and Happiness for all.

HAPPY 2023!