New Garden Shoes and Socks

We stopped by Molbak's in Woodinville this afternoon for new gardening shoes and socks.  They are almost too nice to get wet and muddy!

It's a new brand calle BOG, and they have a line of shoes and socks for gardeners.  They have special construction and linings that keep you warm and dry.  I can't wait to try them out!

Flowers for the Altar

We joined our new church today, and also dedicated the altar flowers to the memory of my mother-in-law Grace.  The flowers were beautiful on the purple satin cloth on the altar for Lent, and the flowers were a mixture of pink roses, pink lilies, and white hydrangeas.

Alex's 14th Birthday

Alex is 14 already!  We celebrated with lunch at P.F. Chang's at Alderwood Mall, then shopping after lunch at Nordstrom.  We had a lovely day together, and Alex has turned into such a wonderful and engaging young woman.  I'm so proud of her!

spring, ee, me and thee-..

My daffodils are peeking out from the winter-chilled soil, and promise warmer weather and sunshine.

Spring reminds me of a poem by e e cummings--see below.

in Just-

by: e.e. cummings (1894-1962)

N Just-

spring when the world is mud-

luscious the little

lame baloonman

 

whistles far and wee

 

and eddieandbill come

running from marbles and

piracies and it's

spring

 

when the world is puddle-wonderful

 

the queer

old baloonman whistles

far and wee

and bettyandisbel come dancing

 

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

 

it's

spring

and

the

 

goat-footed

 

baloonMan whistles

far

and

wee

Trompe l'oeil at the Grange Cafe

I love this scene painted on the historic building that houses the Grange Cafe in downtown Duvall.  I can almost smell the pie!

The Last Day of Vacation

The weather was sunny, clear and 50+ degrees today!  It really feels like Spring!

Drove to Duvall to spend some time in the bookstore, then on to the antique stores.  Had lunch at the Grange Cafe, which has many different trompe l'oeil adorning the outside walls of the old building that houses the restaurant.

We drove to Sultan, and enjoyed the mountain and river views in the bright sunlight. Discovered Galaxy Chocolates and Bakery on Main Street, and stopped by for cookies and candy.  The candy was beautiful, and there were literally hundreds of chocolates.

On to downtown Snohomish and Simply Sweet Cupcakes for my neighbor Kelly's 50th birthday today.  Happy Birthday, Kelly!

Stopped by Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream for Salted Caramel and Spumoni ice cream to get us through the weekend.  The Salted Caramel is especially good with apple pie, which will be created tomorrow morning!  Do we live in a great 10-mile radius or what?

Cedar Stump Cottage at Seabrook

Cedar Stump Cottage is one of our (so far!) favorite cottages we have stayed at in Seabrook!  It has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a large kitchen, deck, dog-washing station, sun room, and a living room with a gas fireplace.  The gas range is a dream to cook on, and the collection of books in every room is truly impressive!  The owner has a very eclectic taste in literature.

The big-screen TV is on the covered porch, so it's fun to get under a comforter and watch our favorite TV series from our Kindle Fire tablet.  We've also watched some DVD's here at the cottage, including Downton Abbey.  This week is everything a vacation should be!

Here are some pictures of the cottage.  Nala likes the couch!

Salty Dog Boutique at Seabrook

Here's a great wool embroidered pillow of a Black Lab running through the snow.  This is one of many custom pillows available at the Salty Dog boutique here at Seabrook.

It reminds me of Juno, who loved running in and rolling around in the snow.  Being a Great Pyrenees, she must have had that behavior firmly embedded into her genome.

The Slow Life in the Kitchen

My love affair with food and its preparation started when I was a small child, watching my Mom prepare three meals a day and endless snacks.  No matter how ordinary the day, she always set the table with a tablecloth, cloth napkins, Fiesta Ware dishes, with salad plates and all the proper silverware. We'd gather every morning and evening over breakfast and dinner, sharing stories of our days, and weaving together the stories of our lives.

Today when I walk into my kitchen, I am not alone.  We bring our fathers and mothers and kitchen tables, and every meal we have ever eaten.  When my father sat down at the table, he saw his childhood meals from his German mother, and my Norwegian mother saw all of the meals from her youth growing up on a North Dakota farm.  My step-grandmother taught me how to make perfect pie crust, and how to grown an organic garden.  From these experiences, I learned to thrill over a perfect red tomato, to savor the smell of cutting onions, and the aroma of spaghetti sauce simmered for hours over a low heat. I learned to see every meal as an offering of some sort, meant to please and nourish those around me.

Every time I walk into my kitchen, I bring all of this with me. In the simple acts of cooking and eating, we are creating and continuing the stories that are our lives.

Lake Quinault Lodge and Restaurant

This stately old lodge has been around since the 1930's, and visiting this place allows you to step back into a different era and a slower time. I love to visit any time of the year and imagine all of the people who've stopped by over the decades for a vacation.

The dining room is stately and majestic, and has a wonderful view of the grassy grounds as they slope down to Lake Quinault.

Lake Quinault Lodge in the Winter Months

The last time we visited Lake Quinault Lodge, it was summer, and the day was warm, and the breeze off the lake was fragrant with summer smells.  There were swimmers and walkers everywhere, and the summer chairs lined the shoreline.

Today, in mid-winter, we were the only ones outside in the light drizzle, walking along the lake, and peering through the mist.  The furniture had been put away, and the canoes were stacked together, their bright colors reminding me of crayons emptied from their box. The Adirondack chairs were lined up in quiet rows, waiting for visitors to spend summer afternoons whiling away the time, talking and gazing at the lake.

Soon spring will emerge from the winter slumber, and the Lodge will once again come alive.  However, even on a wintry day like today, you can feel the promise of summer and all it holds in the air, waiting.

Sleeping Dogs

...and when dogs are not riding in cars and running on the beach, they are resting and sleeping in front of a nice fire...

Dogs on the Beach

When we arrived at Seabrook Sunday, Nala and I headed to the water to check things out.  We had the beach all to ourselves--I guess an overcast day in the middle of February means no crowds!

This little Australian Shepherd loves traveling and staying with us in new places.  We had a good run/walk on the beach, and she scared off about 100 seagulls (and was very proud of herself!).

Here's a picture of her with her "Salty Dog" bandanna on--the Salty Dog is the dog boutique here at Seabrook.

Dinner at the Mill 109 Pub Last Night

Valentine's Day is coming!  We had dinner at the Mill 109 restaurant at Seabrook last evening, and the weather was lovely--high 40's, no wind, and a great view of the ocean.  The tables were decorated with old canning jars filled with red roses.

A Winter Vacation on the Washington Coast

We're headed to the beach this week for a well-deserved vacation.  The trip from Snohomish was fun, and we enjoy the ride a lot more once we get off the freeway and head east from Olympia to Pacific Beach, Washington.  This picture taken at Copalis Beach on the way to Seabrook sums up the slow life on the coast.  This week,  I'll have time to sleep in, savor my coffee, have leisurely breakfasts, take long walks on the beach with the dog, and make time to catch up on my reading and writing.

A Classic Camping Treat Goes Sophisticated

We had a wonderful dinner at Arnie's in Mukilteo last week to celebrate my Mom's 84th birthday.  It was a mild, clear evening, and the view from Arnie's is always spectacular.  While waiting for dinner, it's fun to watch the ferries come and go, and to see the lighthouse with its red tile roof down on the beach.

The Three Seafood Louie salad was the best I've ever had, with crab, salmon and shrimp, and the best Thousand Island dressing around.

Here is the special dessert for that day--S'Mores made with rich chocolate mousse, fancy Graham Crackers, and marshmallows that were seared with a dessert torch (normally used for Creme Brulee).  It was SO good!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Pear Salad with Anjou Pears

For a cold winter evening one day last week, we made this salad from ingredients delivered in our Mother Nature's Organics bi-weekly bin.  The red leaf lettuce, the tomatoes, and the pears joined the baby carrots for a tasty and colorful side dish to our main course.