Tag Archives: Washington State

Jun29

Seventeen Hours

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Seventeen Hours

That’s how long it took me to get from Winnipeg to East Wenatchee last week. Commute to Winnipeg airport, go through TSA, go through Customs, flight to Minneapolis, layover, flight to Seattle, shuttle to Wenatchee, commute to East Wenatchee. Needless to say I slept almost twenty-four hours once I arrived back home.

It’s great to be back. I’ve missed my friends. I’ve missed the mountains. I’ve missed the sunshine.

What I don’t miss is barricading myself in a tiny room and staring at a computer screen as I scanned thousands of photos. I used to jokingly tell my friends that all I left behind in Winnipeg was my son and bins of photo albums. I can now honestly say that all I’ve left behind is my son. The photos are all digitalized. My childhood photos I gave to my brother. The rest of the photos and framed photos are history.

This was a tedious task and it was also emotionally draining. It took twice as long as I thought it would. I’m glad it’s done. Why didn’t we have cellphones with cameras decades ago? This generation has it easy.

I’ll miss my friends in Winnipeg, St. Norbert and Oak Bluff. We had some great times together while I was visiting. We enjoyed stimulating conversations, shared meals, watched movies and did some traveling. I’ll miss you Donna, Loris, Rita, Doug, Audrey, Sheila, Laura, Jacque, Marilyn, Kathy and David. I also enjoyed spending time with my brother.

The moments I treasure most are those with my son, Kyle. I was truly blessed to be with him both on Mother’s Day and on my birthday in May. That hasn’t happened in several years. He also took the time out of his busy schedule to set up a meeting with his attorney so that I could deal with some legal issues. I’m so very proud of Kyle and all of his accomplishments throughout the years. He has come a long way from the photos I scanned of him as a baby and as a child. But it gets harder and harder to say goodbye when it’s time for me to leave again. It’s painful when a mother and her child are separated for such long periods of time.

And now it’s back to life in Washington. Tomorrow I will be volunteering at Founders Day in Cashmere.

Enjoy the weekend!

Apr9

Back in Washington

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Back in Washington

Coming back after 6 months away is always a blur of adjusting and getting organized. We’re actually going to hit 60 today which is a far cry from 87. My sciatica is complaining. But in time it will settle down. It wasn’t exactly thrilled with the 4 hour flight back from Mexico.

I’m unpacked and getting organized. I went to AT&T and got my phone number for the year. I’ve been busy texting and messaging my new number to friends. My What’s App stays on my Mexican number. Also have been dealing with credit card companies to register the new number and access my online accounts. They don’t like it when I change countries and phone numbers as often as I do.

Adjusting to an English world. The only Spanish I’ve done since I’m back is on Duolingo, although I have texted friends in Mexico in Spanish.

Only one trip to Costco so far in terms of shopping. Joyce and I are going to Dollar Tree tomorrow after lunch at the Senior Center. I don’t really miss Waldo’s in Mexico and much prefer the American version of a dollar store.

Did a Bible study with my life group on Zoom this morning. We’re planning on getting together in person later in the month. Not everyone lives in Wenatchee or East Wenatchee so it does take some planning.

I just came home from a SAIL Lunch and Learn and it was nice to reconnect with everyone after several months away. But I don’t intend to do any teaching until I get back from Canada in June. Did I say Canada? Yes I’m back on a plane in 3 weeks to head up north.

Speaking of planes, I didn’t get sucked out of my window seat on the Boeing 737 on my way back from Mexico. No blown tires, cracked windshields or missing parts of the fuselage either. Great flights that left on time and arrived early. Even Immigration welcomed me back.

Yesterday was definitely one of the highlights of my first week back. I traveled to Leavenworth to Shears for my hair appointment. Lisa always has her hands full dealing with the mess the Mexican hairstylists make and she had her hands full yesterday. But as usual she did an amazing job.

Yesterday in Leavenworth I also got to see Linda. We picked up sandwiches at Dan’s and settled in to watch the Virgin River Christmas episodes. We’re also making plans to attend the Leavenworth Summer Theater productions.

I have a CPR refresher on Thursday and then I will finally have a day to relax on Friday, if you call doing laundry and housecleaning relaxing.

Another highlight was going in person to Sage Hills Church on Sunday. So much nicer than on-line. And I got to meet some of the women from my Zoom life group in person as well.

Sunday afternoon Clairesse and I went to Blue Spoon for some delightful frozen yogurt. We had a lot to catch up on. That happens when you don’t see each other for 6 months.

Sunday night Christina and I watched a movie together. We decided that Sunday nights will be movie nights while I’m here.

I haven’t even looked at my WIP since I’ve been back. I had a lot more time for writing when I was in Mexico. But that’s okay. I still have friends to see and places to go and things to do. And I have writers’ group next week!

And my dear tree in Cashmere, I haven’t forgotten you. I promise I’ll come visit you really soon.

Mar10

March 14

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March 14

March 14. Pi Day. The Greek symbol for 3.14 is π, and 3.14 are the first three digits of Pi. It’s hard to believe that a symbol for a mathematical concept has become somewhat of a national holiday celebration. But back in 1988, a man named Larry Shaw was working at The Exploratorium, a science museum in San Francisco. He declared that Pi Day be celebrated on March 14. Years later on March 11, 2009 the U.S. House of Representatives made it official by declaring that March 14 be National Pi Day. Students, teachers, mathematicians and science geeks are very much aware of the significance of Pi Day. I’m not as interested in going into all the detail about circles and calculus as they are. But it’s interesting to note that March 14 is also Albert Einstein’s birthday.

March 14. The Ides of March. This dates back to ancient Roman times when March 14 was thought of as a day of doom and gloom. Bad things happened on that date commonly also associated with a full moon. I first became aware of The Ides of March in middle school when we studied Julius Caesar, a play by William Shakespeare. A soothsayer warned Caesar, a Roman dictator, to “beware The Ides of March.” Sure enough, Caesar was assassinated on March 14, 44 BC.

That’s your history lesson for this month.

On another note, I’m down to my last month in Mexico before I return to Washington state. That means the snow and cold have less than a month to disappear before I get back. I’m afraid that hearing temps have soared up to 50 does not create the enthusiasm for me as it does for Washingtonians. I’ve become accustomed to 80s. At least I have a closet full of warm clothes awaiting me.

Alexa:

What’s the difference between a cat and a comma? A cat has claws at the end of its paws and a comma is a pause at the end of a clause

Have a great Sunday!

Nov21

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

One of the reasons I live where I do here in Mexico is because I want to totally immerse myself in the Mexican lifestyle rather than in the gringo visiting Mexico lifestyle. In my neighborhood very little English is spoken so I have the opportunity to really focus on speaking Spanish. I don’t care what language you speak but it is customary to speak faster in your own native language. I often find myself saying to Mexicans the expression “mas despacio, por favor.”

I also practice speaking Spanish to my Uber drivers. But today I had a very different experience. My Uber driver was Mexican and spoke fluent English. Why? Because he lived in Seattle for sixteen years. Not often that I find a Washingtonian around here. He told me he used to go to Leavenworth and Wenatchee often. He misses Seattle but came back here to Aguascalientes to care for his parents during Covid. He hopes to someday return to Seattle.

I am helping a cafe owner with English. He is a musician and teaches here in Aguascalientes. However he also played with a group on a cruise ship for two months. He has once again been offered a job on another cruise ship so he really wants to practice his English. His wife speaks very little English and I will be doing inter-cambio with her. I really look forward to that because we will both have the opportunity to practice talking with native speakers.

Thursday is American Thanksgiving. I have fond memories of spending this holiday in Mazatlan and in Guadalajara with friends. This year I will be eating at Country Break with my Mexican friends. Hamburgers are on the menu rather than turkey. And that’s okay. I was talking to one of my Wenatchee friends on the phone and we decided we’re going to do a turkey dinner when I get back in the spring.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends. When we look around at all the chaos in the world today, we need to count our blessings for all that we have. And we definitely have a lot to be thankful for. Actually, every single day of our lives should be a day of Thanksgiving. And if you are celebrating the holiday with family, you are even more blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jul24

Things I Didn’t Know

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Things I Didn’t Know

Whenever I travel to new places, it’s amazing all the things I find out that I never knew before. The cultures all have their own unique twist and eastern Washington state has a few of its own that I encountered when I first came to Leavenworth in 2016. It’s 2023 and I’m still learning new things.

The other day I was having lunch at the senior center and the topic of bears came up. A retired taxidermist informed me that bears are attracted to clover. Someone else told me that the refuse containers are available with bear-proof lids. The problem is that when the trucks arrive it’s all automated and it can’t open these lids. The driver isn’t going to get out of the vehicle to open them either. That means that overnight bears often get into the garbage.

Speaking of garbage. People here have three separate bins. One is for the usual garbage, one is for recycling and one is for yard waste. Bins have to be rolled up to the street for collection. When I lived up the Icicle it was a walk up to the highway. Here in East Wenatchee it’s just at the end of our driveway, much more convenient.

Do you have to go to the bathroom? Then you have to go potty here. I haven’t heard that expression since I was toilet-training my kids back in the eighties.

Pest control is big business here. All kinds of unwanted creatures live in the mountains and forests here. And they often find their way into people’s homes or destroy the structures. And let’s not forget those big black flying ants or the creepy spiders either.

Speaking of forests, wildfires are a real danger here. Thunderstorms are dreaded as lightening often causes these fires when careless humans don’t. The strong winds don’t help either. I often get alarms on my phone but I’ve never had more than a level one alert so far this year.

With fire there’s smoke. Over the years I found myself sporing an n95 mask long before the arrival of Covid. There were days where you couldn’t see anything more than a block away. This is problematic for everyone but especially those with respiratory issues.

Washington state is one of the most expensive places in the USA to live and boasts the highest gas prices.

Washington was also one of the first states to legalize marijuana and there is an amazing variety of items available here. You can also trip over all the outlets or have it delivered by ordering online if you’re so inclined.

Then there’s the jargon. Attorney instead of lawyer. PCP instead of doctor. Physical therapist instead of physiotherapist. Etcetera.

Amazon Prime. A staple here. You can order anything and everything and have it delivered pronto. No need to go browsing from store to store in search of treasure. Nope! Those days are long gone.

There’s lots more but that’s it for today’s post. A week from today I’ll be traveling to Canada and still have lots to organize.

Have a marvelous Monday!

Jun24

Saturday Sentiments

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Saturday Sentiments

I just spent the morning taking photos off my phone and backing them up to two of my three external hard drives. The third one I left in Washington when I returned to Mexico last fall and it hasn’t resurfaced yet. While I enjoy taking photos, I despise the tedious task of organizing them into folders afterwards and backing them up. Alexa, why can’t I train you to do that?

It’s been quite a week. The main headline this week was all about the implosion of the Titan. A horrible tragedy. My thoughts and prayers are with people who lost loved ones this week. Another terrible accident claimed the lives of sixteen seniors in Manitoba and nine still remain in hospital in serious condition.

Yay Washington State! It’s official. We have the highest gas prices in the nation!

I had a busy week. Two trips to Leavenworth to teach SAIL. Tai Chi classes and writers’ group. My characters have been quite animated so I’ve been doing a fair amount of writing this week as well. I’ve also had to do some medical research related to my book.

I’m halfway to my 180 so I’m starting to think about traveling. Canada is on my mind once again this summer before I return to Mexico in the fall.

Happy Birthday Kelsey. I’ll be thinking of you tomorrow.

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!

May3

Do It Again!

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Do It Again!

So often people want to talk about what they could have or should have done differently. Or maybe they shouldn’t have done it at all. I like to think of things I’ve done and if I had the opportunity would definitely do again. In this post I’ll touch on four of them.

I missed the first couple of weeks of high school. My friends from middle school were all going to Kelvin High and I lived in the catchment area for Grant Park High. My parents refused to sign the form that would have allowed me to change high schools. I never did hand in the registration form at Grant Park so I wasn’t registered anywhere. Instead I hung out at Memorial Park where I met some really interesting people. Of course eventually someone did catch on and I wound up at Grant Park. But those couple of weeks were awesome!

I had just received my certification for teaching ESL from University of Manitoba. I taught in a program at Red River College over the summer. Then it was time to find a job. I received a phone call from a school in Culiacan, Mexico and decided to head south. Yes, Culiacan is notorious for having one of the strongest cartels in the country. But I had a fabulous year in Mexico. It was so fabulous that when I returned to Canada to supposedly stay, instead I turned around and went back to Mexico. The past twelve years have been amazing!

That brings to mind the summer of 2015 when I came to Leavenworth for two weeks and stayed for four months. Then I made the decision to turn into a snowbird after living fulltime in Mexico for a few years. But I have become a snowbird returning to Washington State and not Canada. I’ve lived in different areas and have done some exploring. I’ve met some wonderful people who have now all become a part of my extended family. We laugh, we cry and we have incredible adventures together. It just doesn’t get any better!

But I’ve saved the best for last. I have two fantastic kids and it was worth all the nausea during pregnancy and all the pain during childbirth to be blessed with my son and my daughter. It was well worth moving my office home so I could be with my kids from infancy to adulthood. I enjoyed numerous hours volunteering with all the activities they were involved in. I have fond memories of bands practicing (of course they practice at the drummer’s home), chauffeuring, living in bowling alleys, coaching sports, being Akela of a cub pack and so much more. Yes, those were incredible days indeed!

I would do all of these all over again given the opportunity. High school, college, adulthood. It doesn’t matter. These are all great experiences that I would gladly repeat again.

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!