Summertime

Have I ever mentioned that summer is my least favorite of the seasons? Don't get me wrong, I don't hate it by any means. I love going on vacations, or taking walks when the evening cools off.

What I don't like is heat. Sweat. Allergies. Boredom.

True, the boredom thing isn't nearly as much of an issue now as it was when I was still a teen. Elora and Joshua take care of that, even when I would prefer they didn't! We've fed the local ducks, gone to a few parks, and the lake. Thats entertaining enough:


But in years past... I never had a summer job until I was in college (I applied for a few, but its hard to get a job in a small town when you don't know somebody. And you refuse to work in fast food, or on Sundays.) Every summer I was literally counting down the days until I could be back in the classroom.
Sigh. I love school.

It didn't help that I had an absurd fear of calling people to ask if they want to hang out, so I'd spend the day hoping someone else would take the initiative and call me. Okay, sometimes I still do that.

I've always hated any team sports (both watching and participating), swimming or getting wet (my glasses used to be a big reason for this) , and I rarely had money to go to a movie. Besides, who would I go with? Unless it was a family vacation year, all I had to look forward to was long days in my basement room (the only cool place in the house) or sitting under the front yard tree reading a book. I enjoy a good book, but there's only so much reading you can do in a day! Even years later when I had some good friends to hang out with, their job schedules were different than mine and it wasn't until nighttime that we could all get together.

I have never lived somewhere that is air conditioned. Currently, our apartment thermostat says it is over 85 degrees in here with the fan on. I suppose thats better than the 95 it is outside....but not by much. Since moving back to a warmer climate, I have informed Joseph that when he is done with school there is no way we are moving somewhere hotter, like Arizona or Texas. Wyoming and Montana don't sound too bad, weather wise. I can stand a little snow more than killer heat!

Allergies..I didn't have them until I was 25 years old, and each year they seem to be getting steadily worse. This summer I can hardly go outside even if I want to do so. I've had the usual nose and throat ailments, but my eyes have been so swollen and itchy I considered clawing them out last week. Luckily I found some ocular antihistamine so I could start wearing my contacts and a little makeup. Now I don't have to feel like this so much:




Yes, I believe the only time I really enjoyed the whole summer was the years when I lived in Washington. Between 75 and 85 almost every day: how perfect is that! I think in western WA you learn to appreciate the summer months more than before, because the perfect weather makes up for the nine months of darkness. Not only that, but there are places to go and things to see. You can find a beach every few miles, there are cultural attractions, and plenty of parks. As long as you don't mind homeless people. Even at my workplace downtown I could sit out on the balcony and look out over beautiful Elliot Bay, while I basked in the not-too-hot sun during my lunch breaks.

When we lived in Everett, Joseph had long breaks between work and school in the middle of the day. We would often take a jaunt down to a beach to find mini-crabs under the rocks, or to have a picnic. There was also an awesome forest trail right by my workplace, so sometimes when he came to get me from work we would take Elora for a little hike under the trees.

Back when we were dating, Joseph worked at a bank in the Roosevelt district north of the UW. I got off work a few hours before he did, and I'd take the bus to the park near his job where I'd take a nap in the grass, write in my journal, or read. (The fifth Harry Potter book had just come out, I believe.) Before that, I used to take a bus that didn't go directly to my home so that I could walk along the Burke Gillman Trail every day. If I didn't stop under the Montlake Bridge to watch the kyaks, then I would go on to the arboretum and look for turtles on logs, or take pictures off of the docks.


Wait, I think I've posted this picture before. Here's a new one:


Wow I loved that place. I guess thats why I keep mentioning it.

I only recall one summer in Washington that seemed unbearably hot. But that was when I was pregnant with Elora, had been layed off from my job, and was home and incredibly bored. Thats when I drew this on the computer to illustrate my anguish:


See, the guy standing represents the sun, or the heat. And the other guy represents the suffering of humanity. It's very avant garde, don't you think? Never mind.

So no, I don't completely hate summer; I have some awesome memories of this time of year. I just don't like to be hot, sweaty, and allergic. Give me some crisp autumn air or some barely budding trees and I'm much more at one with the world.

How shall I solve this problem? Hmm, Maybe I should buy a summer home in Seattle. I think I'll get right on that. (Everyone sing with me: "The bluest skies you've ever seen are in Seattle....." Its in my playlist if you don't know what I'm talking about. And hopefully it works, unlike most the rest of the songs on my list. )

Choir Memories

This last weekend Joseph and I went to a performance of the choir at the Institute of Religion here in town. We don't go on dates very often, so this was fun on many levels, not the least of which being that we left the kids home with someone else.

It also brought back a lot of fond memories for us, as we were members of the choir in the Seattle Institute of Religion. Strangely enough, the director there actually moved here a year before we did, and is directing the choir here.
Here I am in the choir the first year I joined, 2001-2002:


What, you can't see me? Yeah, my roommate took this picture. I promise I am under that white arrow over on the right. It really wasn't that dark there, the photo is just bad.

Sometimes I'm still surprised that I was ever a part of something like this. I never considered myself the 'performing choir type' in Utah: I'm not blonde, and am certainly not perky by any sense of the word. (Not that there is anything wrong with those attributes :)

But it was different in Seattle. The choir ranged in age from 17 to 32, but most kids were around 25 and were more mature than the under-21's where I went to college. Many were students at UW, Seattle Pacific University and other smaller colleges in town. But there were also people like me who weren't attending school at all and worked all day. There were several married couples, and that year I think there were about six girls who were expecting their first baby! I always wondered if people realized they were married.

The choir we saw on Friday is excellent; everyone seemed talented musically as well as in dance, speaking, etc. It was what I expected to see. But in Seattle we were not required to audition (or I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to join. Hello, I still can't sing well.) This resulted in a much broader spectrum of people and attitudes, and a much larger choir: there were well over 100 members.

It was something big and exciting, and we felt like we were a part of something important. Unity was emphasized, and for many the choir was like family. The rehearsals were once a week from 7:00PM until after 9:00PM; before tour dates they had very early morning rehearsals as well.

The first six months I was catching a bus through downtown Seattle to then catch the ferry home to Bainbridge, after 10:00 at night. I loved every minute of it. When I moved into the city, not too far from the UW, I would walk home from rehearsals in the dark, often taking a detour to go look at the water before I went home for the night. Maybe not the smartest thing, but I recall those being some of the most beautiful peaceful walks I've ever had.

The second year I was in the choir, Joseph joined with me while we were dating, and then we married and still fit right in. It was still a great thing to be a part of, but in some ways it was more stressful as a married couple! We went on tour that year to southern Washington and northern Oregon. Here is a picture of our choir in Portland:


Do you see me this time? We are just above that blue arrow down there. I was excited to go on tour but a little sad that I didn't get to go the first year for various reasons. I missed out on the group things that people do, because choir members were housed in people's homes and the married couples were generally just with their spouse.

I credit my membership in the choir with helping boost my social skills which were still somewhat lacking even after college. I also gained better leadership skills while on the Choir Committee. Probably the most important thing I was given at the time was a positive attitude which helped me be in the right place at the right time to meet my husband.

Our simple date last weekend may have been more exciting for us than the rest of the audience, who knows. They did a program very similar to the one I performed in that first year, and I was so happy to have all those memories flooding back. What a great time!

Kiera and Isabelle come to town

This last week my favorite sister, Kiera, (Yes, she’s my only sister) came to visit me with her daughter Isabelle. Her husband, Patrick, stayed home in Texas to work, so it was just us girls…. oh, and Joseph.

Our week probably wasn’t exciting by anyone’s standards, but we all had fun visiting and playing together. After all, we hadn’t seen each other since last summer when the girls were still under one year old! Now Elora is 18 months and Isabelle is 15, so they were much more interested and interesting to each other than at their first encounter in July.

Kiera arrived early on Saturday morning. Although she had to wake up at four AM to get to the airport (and we had to get up by 7:00) we drove straight from the airport to the Seattle Zoo for our big adventure of the week. (Okay, first we had a quick breakfast at McDonalds in Ballard. I love fruit parfaits!)

Kiera and I had visited this zoo together when we were both single, as well as with our family years earlier. Joseph and I took Elora last summer too, but she wasn’t quite old enough to fully appreciate it. We adults were quite entertained by the orangutans and the elephants. The girls seemed to be most impressed with the afternoon show, which consisted of some African acrobats and native drum beats. Isabelle is quite the dancer!

When we got home that afternoon, the girls were understandably tired, as were the rest of us. We had borrowed a port-a-crib thing from someone in our ward for Isabelle to sleep in while she was here. That first day, she was absolutely terrified of her new accommodations. Kiera finally had to lay down with her in our bed, but eventually we all got some much needed rest. The rest of the week, Isabelle (or “Belly” as I liked to call her) adjusted to the crib just fine.

(incidentally, my nickname for Isabelle somewhat confused her. Whenever I’d say “Belly!” She’d lift her shirt up and look at me inquiringly. “What about my belly?”)

Sunday we all went to church together, and Kiera got to come with us to the nursery, where Joseph and I have our calling. The highlight of that day was seeing the babies in their matching outfits from Grandma Kimber. Isabelle looked like Strawberry Shortcake, and Elora looked like she could work at the Green Show in Cedar City. Cute!

Most of the rest of the week was slightly more mundane. As Joseph has school in the mornings and work in the afternoon and evening, we were left without transportation most of the time. I really wanted to go on a nice walk or something on Monday and Tuesday, but the person we were borrowing a stroller from wasn’t able to drop it off ‘till Tuesday evening.

We did manage a jaunt around the apartment complex on Monday, with a stop at the playground. Unfortunately, we were all suffering from bad allergies and the onset of a bad cold (which Kiera brought with her) so we didn’t stay out too long.

Elora seemed to think Isabelle was a little baby, but was quite excited to see her everyday. She wanted to help put her clothes on, was extremely interested in her diaper changes, and was happy to help give her food and milk whether she wanted it or not. Bathtime was a huge success for everyone.

Since then, Elora has been treating her toys like babies for the first time. Maybe this is an indication of how she'll be with her new brother next month?

Our big adventure on Thursday was a trip to my doctors appointment then off to a picnic at the beach. While waiting for my appointment time, we stopped at a nice park where the girls played on the wet toys. Elora even climbed all the way up the plastic tunnel. What a big girl!

After my appointment (the new baby is doing fine) we picked up Joseph from school and headed to Picnic Point Beach, teriyaki in tow. This beach has a nice grassy picnic area before you hit the beach, and on this day it happened to be covered with beautiful little white flowers. (Elora loves flowers.)

We ate quickly then went down to look at the water. As I wasn’t even close to done with my food, I closed the Styrofoam carton and wrapped it tightly back in the bag it came in.
Unfortunately, we had forgotten about the abundant crows in the area. When we returned about 45 minutes later, our containers were scattered all around the grass and the food was completely gone. Even my tightly secured meal had been violated. There were giant holes in the box and the plastic bag was torn to shreds. My food!

Oh well, at least the beach was pretty fun.

Elora the Explorer

Elora, Joseph, tummy, Me

Kiera gives Isabelle a closer look

The rest of the week involved some movie watching, nap times, and one late night run for McFlurries at McDonalds. We played a few games, and there was some general sillyness from Kiera and I while Joseph fell asleep on the floor more than once. After all, he didn’t get a nap everyday like we did. Elora and Isabelle became fast friends -as much as toddlers can- and even learned to share once in a while.

Although it wasn’t much, the week passed quickly, and this last Saturday found us at the airport again, this time saying goodbye. Who knows when we’ll all see each other again…hopefully sooner than later! But I must say, I’m glad I have a sister and that she was able to come see me, even for a short time.

Good Bye Bellie!!!

Butterfly Flower

Today we found a new arboretum to visit, in Bothel. It was odd, in that when you first came in the gate there was somebody's house there. If I had been alone, I know I would have turned around and left. But Joseph, being the brave one, went and knocked on the door to ask if we could visit the park. I was supposed to be waiting in the car, but Elora and I decided to hide behind a bush instead...the car was hot!
Joseph came back and told me an old lady had answered the door. She and her husband were the caretakers of the arboretum, and the gate was just to keep their dogs in. Visitors were more than welcome.

Strangely enough, it really did seem like we were in their back yard. There were paths that went back through trees and pretty bushes, with squirrels and birds aplenty. It wasn't anything like the arboretum in Seattle, which had been just blocks from my home. This one was much smaller and more private.
Anyway, there was really only one thing in bloom this late in the season. I had never seen anything like it before, and I couldn't find a tag to label it, as many of the other trees had. It was a large bush with beautiful blue flowers. The flowers on this bush grew in such a way that you would almost think they were leaves themselves. They were shaped somewhat like butterflies, I thought, and grew in little clumps with smaller flower parts in the middle, kind of like a spray of baby's breath. (Except that part was blue too.)
So has anyone seen a plant like this before? I like it.

Saturday in the Northwest

If you’d like to hear the story of another one of my cool Saturdays (And I know you would) read on.

This weekend was pretty exciting. In the morning we got to watch about 1,300 youth perform in a dance festival. In the afternoon we got to visit one of the biggest Asian grocery stores in the Northwest. In the evening we stopped at (of course) Wal-Mart for some last minute items, and that night, I got to exercise my art degree in creating exciting birthday cards for two of my brothers!

I know you’re just dying to hear the details, right?

First, the dance festival.

Who is involved?

Participating in a Multi Stake Dance Festival is usually a once in a lifetime experience. Nearly 1,300 wonderful young men and women, ages 12 through 18, from the Bellingham, Bothell, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mount Vernon, Shoreline and Snohomish stakes will be performing April 22, 2006 in the Marysville-Pilchuck High School gym.

Pretty big stuff, huh. And that’s right from the web-site’s mouth.

It was cool because I know all of the youth from our ward, being one of the Young Womens leaders. All of the young men dropped out before the four month practices were done, but at least five of our girls stayed on and participated. I was surprised… I must admit, if our Stake or town had done something like this, I don’t know if I’d have been too keen on participating, though my attitude would be different these days.

It turned out to be a very good show. They wore elaborate costumes for each dance, and put a lot of practice time in. My favorite dances were the Asian dance by the girls, and the Polynesian dance by the boys from many Stakes. The former involved fans and hitting chopsticks with a lot of moving around, the later consisted of a lot of slapping and hitting the floor. It was neat because they had a Polynesian boy in full native garb leading them. Elora really liked that part. There were also dances involving jazz music, hip-hop and other selections. The show was supposed to be in commemoration of the life of President Hinkley, although I'm not sure how that last music selection really fits in.

After the show, we were obliged to follow the long line of cars that inevitably follows a large-scale LDS event. I didn't mind the wait though; spring is in full bloom and Marysville is a quaint town that I wouldn't mind living in someday. Perhaps.

We ate a quick lunch at home then it was off to Seattle. My brothers Dain and Thorin are both celebrating their birthdays this week. Dain is majoring in Asian studies in college and loves Japanese stuff (including his Asian girlfriend), so we thought it would be cool to get him some items from Uwajimaya (pronounced wa -jee- my- uh). Uwaji-what, you ask?

With over 400 employees Uwajimaya is one of the largest Asian grocery retailers in the Pacific Northwest. Since the beginning Uwajimaya has evolved beyond providing basic grocery staples and become known as a tourist and destination store. Uwajimaya believes good customer service is paramount. Its reputation is built on being known as the information specialist on all things Asian and part of its mission is to educate the customer on all aspects of Asian cultures. Uwajimaya's pre-eminence among Asian stores comes from its use of modern technology, its emphasis on cleanliness, and its adherence to its business philosophy.

I had been teasing Dain about getting him squid for his birthday, so I thought, "Hey, why not?" So we got him canned Squid, roasted Eel, Wasabi, and a bunch of cool food items with Japanese lables all over them.

Joseph actually got some squid for himself too, and he ate the whole sardine-style can full. He said it was pretty good, but you have to watch out for the beaks because they're crunchy. Yum.

We would have loved to stay longer, but Elora was pretty tired and cranky by this time. We drove to the neighborhood I used to live in before I was married, where I fed her in the backseat. Even this was exciting, because while we sat there, we saw a ferari get rear-ended! I always knew there would be a wreck on that corner.

Now I will skip over the Wal-mart part...you've heard it before. And if I had a scanner beleive me I would show you my interesting and innovative birthday cards. Alas, this is not the case. Suffice it to say they were nice.

And now, dear friends, I will leave you with what you've been wanting to see.

Pictures of the Spring weather, accompanied by my lovely daughter!