memories of my grandmother

hiking up Silver Falls . . .perfectly golden brown toasted marshmallows while mine were catching on fire - the patience I never had . . . the color pink . . . playing memory together but I never won a game . . . the best apple pie ever though she couldn't give you the recipe . . . getting my very own apple pie for my birthday one year . . . scalloped potatoes with ham . . . naps where she would hold on tightly and know if you moved an eyelid . . . a house that got hotter with each passing year . . . KFC chicken . . . scrubbing the floors on her hands and knees until I introduced her to the swifter . . . National Geographic & Readers Digest magazines - she kept all of the issues . . . camping trips. . . grandma and grandpa holding hands



I will miss you grandma

hitting the slopes

Skiing - something I love to do but never seem to get enough of. Each year I watch the new Warren Miller ski film and am motivated that this is the year I will get good and lose my fear of crashing.

So far this year is holding true to form and I still don't like to have a yard sale crash and I haven't gotten as good as I was hoping for. My nephew Justin just started skiing this year and he has no fear. I guess it does help if you are much closer to the ground though I do admit I am closer to the ground than others.

Justin just heads down the hill and wants you to follow him - he only stops when he crashes or runs out of speed. It has been fun going up with him though he does make me a bit nervous on the chair lift. I am a bit scared riding up the chair lift anyways since I have a fear of heights and adding a 4 year old to the mix can be a bit challenging. Justin doesn't have the same need to hang onto the pole for dear life as I do and enjoys swinging his feet - all of which make me remind him to hold on for dear life as I am doing. He pretty much ignores my pleas but so far he has stayed on the chair.

I am ready for another dump of fresh snow at Stevens and Mission Ridge. Maybe there still will be time this year to forget my fear and just head straight down the hills - no making the wide turns on those black diamond mogul runs, just point my body down the hill and go for it.

There is something about getting out on the slopes that is invigorating and freeing. My sister Janna used to have a quote in her room as a teenager that said "Socrates said no man is truly free. Socrates never skied." I think that sums it up perfectly.

beaches, sun, & great food

beach at Tulum
Sam & Kayla at Tulum
postcard perfect beach at Playa del Carmen
Carla, Tanya, & Kayla at Tulum
Mayan ruins at Tulum
Iguana posing for us
Somehow Dave found his own cart
glad someone caught us dinner

Carla, Dave, and Sam diving at the Cenote

Click image to see more of the Cenote Dive

What a trip it was to Playa del Carmen. 9 days of sun, beaches, great food, new adventures, and great company - my sisters Tanya & Carla along with their husbands - Corey and Dave, and Corey's brother Eric and his wife Jodi. I think we are now all ready to retire and live in Playa del Carmen during during the winter. Carla, Dave, Sam and I arrived 3 days ahead of the others (that is what you get to do when you don't have children) to scope it all out. The Caribbean ocean was the perfect temp - able to cool off without shivering too much when you jump in. Carla, Dave, and Sam were able to get in 3 days of diving while I worked on not getting too many freckles, applying enormous amounts of sunscreen, and devouring my reading material. Others weren't quite as successful in the sunscreen application and there were some pretty funny looking (though a bit painful) burns. In fact it was amusing to look at the tourists and see all the burns - am sure the locals get quite a few laughs at all the red noses and chests. It must have been a great vacation since I was able to get in several 3 book days. Sam claims I shed books - I leave them behind wherever I finish them and then use the room in my suitcase for my shopping purchases - this works out pretty well if you pack as many books as I do. Hotel was great though the disco noise across the street until 4:30 or 6 got a bit old - thought about joining them but that never happened, hard to be motivated to get out of bed when you are already in it. We rented a van for the day to drive us around and visit the sights. As the pics above prove we did make it to Tulum but it was HOT. We didn't bother with the tour and did our own very quick tour with pics - we had to hurry as we were all melting in the sun -guess we need a pool and a beach chair to endure the heat and sun. We went snorkeling in a lagoon and saw quite a few fish. I was able to snorkel without too much difficulty after Sam provided a refresher course for me. Food was amazing - pretty much ate our way through Playa. Had Mexican food at local hole in the walls, ate Mayan and Argentinian cuisine and even had some great Italian food. I am missing the pico de gallo even as I write this though now I need to start working out after all those tortillas. It was great to travel with a group of 8 of us even though Corey thought it was a bit like herding cats. Even got some fishing in though of the 8 only 2 1/2 were really successful. We will only give Dave 1/2 credit for the small fish he caught. Well am ready for a do-over on this one.