tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52001457526329885662024-02-20T01:35:27.740-08:00Gram's GemsPartly diary, partly legacy - such as it is - and partly collection of thoughts. Having reached the senior years of my life, new thoughts, new identity. . Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-18394401947911653052020-03-14T15:48:00.000-07:002020-03-14T15:48:45.204-07:00The down time of Coronavirus National Emergency shut down. 2020<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; position: relative;">
<span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Well here it is, upon us all. My husband and I had already decided to self quarantine 2 1/2 weeks earlier, as I had cold/flu already for too long this season, and we had concern about the information or lack of clarity of the information at that time. Now it is global, and President has declared National Emergency so enough about that, now what to do during the next 3 months as we are shut in as my husband likes to say?</span></h3>
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<br />1) <b><i>Walking in fresh air.</i> </b> First, we walk and likely every other day or daily at public park in our town where few people are out and walking. Come spring and summer, that might well change to too many people to do the social distancing we would like. Of course the people at the park may well want to do social distancing also, so might not be a problem. And if the public park doesn't work, we have our 2 mile walk to the River and back. Today there is Snow for second day (March 2020) and news indicates the snow will be gone soon.<br /><br />2) <i><b>Writing</b></i>. I thought blogging in my old blogs mght be a way to go. Also, using the greeting cards from the time of my mother's death to send out to family and people. Writing my and our memoirs. I have books to actually help a bit with that one, that I have ignored or not written in for years. And I prefer to write, journal as that is my way of remembering, frequently do not refer back to former writing, although my memory is not working as well as it once did.<br /><br />3)<i> <b>Crochet/Knitting.</b></i> Well for me that just goes with the time, whether coronavirus or not, as I have been crocheting for years. Recently our church prayer shawl group suspended itself due to coronavirus, and I was ahead of that one, making prayer shawls anyway to bring when husband and I decided to suspend our self-quarantine. I have a couple of grandchildren though, and it might be timely to online instruct them in this fine business of knitting/crocheting, using yarn they maybe already have.<br /><br />4) <i><b>Downsizing, Clean Up, House Redecorate. </b></i> So many of us have some kind of clean up or clear up to do, ie, garage, house, spring cleaning. For myself, it is time to turn my winter clothing in my dressing room (a bedroom I confiscated to become a dressing room ... lol) to spring and summer clothing. I have much downsizing to do just now, and probably while thrift stores are not receiving much or people aren't using, I can at least separate items out. And well, I have not redone our home in couple years, so can think about how I might do it. I am sure that different people's juices are flowing as people think about what they can do during this down time.<br /><br />5) <b style="font-style: italic;">Turn off the news, Facebook, media about the virus. </b>I know I am frightened and doing stress related constant watching the news or Facebook to learn what is going on, and I also know that I need some relax time out, as do many of us.<br /><br />6) <i><b>Staying in contact with loved ones, people.</b></i> Part of my own reach out has more to do with my own anxiety yet staying in touch and contact helps and takes away some of the anxious feeling. Recognizing I am among the fortunate to have a husband while many people are doing this shut down alone, I think it is more important than ever to do reach out and stay connected, in contact. Even though Facebook is among popular media platforms, using it in productive ways right now might help some. I like our walks, just saying hi to people seems to lift my spirits.<br /><br />7) <i><b>Kids at home.</b></i> That is no longer my expertise, as I said we are the elderly population, no kids at home. Better that parents speak to this one, than me, yet already I am seeing ways to keep children busy while at home. I wouldn't mind a letter or card or two from youngsters.<br /><br />8) <i><b>Music</b></i>. It is, imo, a language of it's own and goes a long way to calming people. Already I have found two places that symphonies are willing to livestream for Free their concerts. My husband likes music and is an accomplished pianist. Our home is filled frequently with music, the many playlists he has developed and the piano he plays himself to a) calm his own nerves and b) to serenade me (was the Memory Care Unit weekly, they have shut down for the interim).<br /><br />9) <i><b>Games, not Internet, not online, board games, cards. </b></i> We haven't done this one yet, hope to, expect to, hasn't really happened yet. We both did this with our kids when they were kids. Might be something we will pick up and do for this shut down period Might be something for younger families, parents and children to do if they aren't already.<br /><br />10) <i><b> Crafting</b></i>. I had plenty to do for a long while, in fact, purchased and collected. Didn't seem to have the heart for it after my mother passed. Or maybe getting along in years. I don't really know. Even as I type this, I don't seem to have inclination to pick the therapeutic manner of crafting. Wondering aloud who I could gift the items I might create? There is still next year. eh? Nonetheless others with the fortitude and inspiration may want to think about it, also an idea for useful child helpers.<br /><br />11) <i><b>Gardening.</b></i> Not really an issue for me, I like to play outside with the yard. Lots of people do, and this would be the time to give that yard an thorough upkeep, planting, cleaning, while growing the newly planted vegetable garden and flower garden. Happy days, plus fresh air, and also that quieting of mind time.<br /><br />12) <i><b>Oil Painting, or any kind of painting</b></i>. I look forward to it warming up a bit where we live so I can get some time oil painting on the enclosed deck which also doubles as our reading area, breakfast area, painting studio, nap time.<br /><br />Other thoughts for how people might use this coronavirus down time are welcome. </div>
Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-52921173946050765082019-05-04T12:52:00.000-07:002019-05-04T12:52:25.417-07:00Switching out this blog - Gram's Gems time to go from serious to fun!I am aging, so to speak, and looking at fun ways to live out the years left to me. I learned I have diabetes 2, my mother passed away almost 2 years ago from complications diabetes 2. I learned it is also a genetic disease. Probably runs in her family, as her father, and 2 brothers had diabetes 2 back in days of little information except what dr told us. <br /><br />In the interim, I have been personally disappointed that my grown children have gone on to have their own lives, and seemingly have little to do with me. I am learning that is not unusual, so depersonalizing it as an issue. My husband's grown children are in the midst of their lives. Between us we each have one child who still puts value into holding onto mother and father's lives. I am learning to accept and adjust to what is rather than what I would want it to be - old ideas that seemingly do not hold the same values as I believed, and had in my era. <br />
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So enough about that, Gram's Gems is going to be about the fun ideas I am working on with my husband's supportive appreciation and often times his help.<br />
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Crafting, Sewing, Gardening, Cooking special diabetes diet, Traveling, Camping, Religion and Spirituality, Oil Painting, Blogging for fun, are among some of the things I like to do. My husband is doing meditations in early morning hours, music on piano, cooking, and lending a helping hand to much of what I would like help with - he is my Angel, to be sure. Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-38403535398193680222019-05-03T16:21:00.002-07:002019-05-04T12:38:50.803-07:00Placemat Repurposes - some of many ideas - try Pinterest for more<div class="NT" id="ctl00_PageContent_ctl00_confirmationHtmlCell" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding-left: 5px;">
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">My projects ahead as I was able to purchase some nice placemats at rummage sale, and husband is looking at me like what are you going to do with those! I am going to make projects out of them, yes? So off I go to Pinterest for ideas, and these are a few of the ideas I could blog today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">DIY Porch Pillows for less than $35</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com/2017/05/diy-porch-pillows-for-less-than-35.html?spref=pi" target="_blank">From My Front Porch to Yours</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xKUOQQoKKYd5qoF7J3pUO5oq8uH_U973KDPHUssfnbefEI9E2IJabyZw9YgU2ZrRB2t08zC1HwR0qcPbFzotQ0Ohv7WDEZiwy2tZXgMmM2s6LElXnFQWjhMMDf5c43Q25C1zlca7a6w/s1600/pillows+outside+from+placemats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="640" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xKUOQQoKKYd5qoF7J3pUO5oq8uH_U973KDPHUssfnbefEI9E2IJabyZw9YgU2ZrRB2t08zC1HwR0qcPbFzotQ0Ohv7WDEZiwy2tZXgMmM2s6LElXnFQWjhMMDf5c43Q25C1zlca7a6w/s320/pillows+outside+from+placemats.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cardo"; font-size: 17.6px;">The carrier can be the gift itself or you can purchase a new casserole dish or bread pan and add your favorite recipe. <a href="http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/2010/10/tool-time-tuesdayeasy-gift-ideas-semi.html" target="_blank">Sew Many Ways</a></span><br />
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This would make a cute gift! Kids apron made from placemats. from <a href="http://athomeinthenorthwestblog.com/2012/01/posts.html" target="_blank">At Home in The Northwest</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOfVh1H9sDlafPAofcXH8CnCy2f2P2j8g1Qf_GIXv3hApeuAFcKwlnSPcCmp4KT2zz44Cc9z9L6PzBElQsirEAPmrjHPDX4C5Eiowr1W2iZoWI3X4e6tFjr3qS6ktJtyljXUrL57GpB8/s1600/Kids-apron-from-a-placemat+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOfVh1H9sDlafPAofcXH8CnCy2f2P2j8g1Qf_GIXv3hApeuAFcKwlnSPcCmp4KT2zz44Cc9z9L6PzBElQsirEAPmrjHPDX4C5Eiowr1W2iZoWI3X4e6tFjr3qS6ktJtyljXUrL57GpB8/s320/Kids-apron-from-a-placemat+%25281%2529.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Hi Pretty Handy Girl readers! It’s Colleen from </span><a href="https://www.prettyhandygirl.com/diy-garden-flags-season/" target="_blank">Pretty Handy Girl</a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"> with a fun collection. One of the easiest and cutest ways to decorate your home’s entrance is with garden flags. Did you know if you use a placemat, there’s little—if any—sewing! Find the perfect DIY Garden Flag for your home and for any season below:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.nobigdill.com/2009/04/how-to.html?spref=bl" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;">no big dill: How To:</a><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">: Placemat Bag I made this pattern up last year and recently sewed up another two for my kids' scriptures. Can check it out at her site. Photo below. Here's a brief and easy ho..</span></div>
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Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-64942978270848473152016-04-04T16:16:00.000-07:002016-04-04T16:23:13.963-07:00Easter 2016 - Family Goes to our Church<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-86438485812122851042016-04-04T14:21:00.002-07:002016-04-04T14:35:04.925-07:00Nanak - What Does It Mean<span style="background-color: white; color: #3d596d; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;">Simple. The father of my latest granddaughter sent a video for Nanna, and in my hurry to respond, I typed the word Nanak. Son sent a photo text of granddaughter to me the next day using the word Nanak. I think it stuck, and I like the word better than I would like to be called Nanna, or Grandma. So Nanak it is. Sounds like a word from Alaska, doesn't it?</span><br />
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Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-17457736799813785762009-08-27T09:23:00.001-07:002009-08-27T09:23:56.329-07:00Daughter’s family stationed in Hawaii, 2006<a href="file:///C:/Users/Lietta/AppData/Local/Temp/WindowsLiveWriter393614076/supfiles9424B2/KoKo Head ocean Hawaii[2].jpg"><img title="KoKo Head ocean Hawaii_thumb[2][2]" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="167" alt="KoKo Head ocean Hawaii_thumb[2][2]" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-qymvURMDt5BTe79i2mhXyFDcZsjL1eN5CY5T0o_rx14HTLoJLPP7noFvASMFv7HoiS8f11niot1IKh7KZPFPuPqQv4wauh8uL4AQk6dI7-dslTuFju_NhgoJlzAjtWHDPAfZ0YfW7S8/?imgmax=800" width="244" border="0" /></a> <p>KoKo Head in Hawaii, photos taken by daughter when stationed in Hawaii, 2006. </p> <p><a href="file:///C:/Users/Lietta/AppData/Local/Temp/WindowsLiveWriter393614076/supfiles9AF49D/KoKo Head Hawaii[2].jpg"><img title="KoKo Head Hawaii_thumb[2]" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="166" alt="KoKo Head Hawaii_thumb[2]" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsVA6QgBp8-1y9_DTA8oXyxq7UshYHjhycVa_b3HQiITr1nbtWTn_LjWqxxL1ICX4o1TIBNsgaBPmis7UP9EHzs2OkMXwG8Y_6QFrOMZnkKWf12LFnfLybBqeiAZGmW73SYe-sY6zhVL6/?imgmax=800" width="244" border="0" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>She did her kitchen in Coffee motif, using  Espresso painted cabinets, and coffee cup napkins pasted to kitchen backdrop </p> <p><a href="file:///C:/Users/Lietta/AppData/Local/Temp/WindowsLiveWriter393614076/supfiles9C6A3A/picturekitchen[2].jpg"><img title="picturekitchen_thumb" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="185" alt="picturekitchen_thumb" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTEjSBVa6L4-no2b5pjuJTNOh6-7KfsxrRGzb3K9ejQ06DBWMKiElFDlPKuGY3C8M_GCn3nlYhqL4BaWCTv4ZPcQKeKZPMfD3YgPrnaA-LpHZyW1ZWiZqOKTT4XRCbYLhSFZlTzdT98Y9/?imgmax=800" width="244" border="0" /></a></p> <p>Her patio garden, Hawaii, 2006</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6R31KzfLfkITAe0ewGcTcdO5RqFeYWdd805HLWiSUEA5Iv3I0Jz3UNqPq4UqeotoMIiH8FptvUB8ou6dczk4Cgs-QtW7ZWTGNb5aaGg52IE6QRVQx-OzDdcLv86-eU4SccMGWq0VxwVtL/s1600-h/IM000899%5B2%5D.jpg"><img title="IM000899" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="184" alt="IM000899" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDBRB1KhmNrXlwODiyKPAkoUpsusBFyPwHxwFOYe5qkNbxBNuOc0QlVlgIvO73pPeIc1XgfU_tPzHBk2K1lqyASwNjpFgOpQbsY45cde6y1El5zjgWSSdqGry5PI3f0gtdp4LAqaRdadN/?imgmax=800" width="244" border="0" /></a></p> Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-14372828391518358452009-07-13T11:50:00.001-07:002009-07-13T11:50:29.609-07:00Our weekend out of town; The Story.<p>Our weekend;   The Story.  I have a peridontist appointment about every three months, in a town about 2 + hours from where we live.  So we have turned it into a weekend getaway, and a visit with my mother who lives in a nearby town to the town where my peridontist is located. </p> <p>Had my peridontist appt Friday and the report was <b>good</b> - some small improvement actually.  Not much improvement, but far better than deterioration.    Then we went to my mother's home, spent the weekend. and then came home to our animals.   Our cat and dog remain at home, and so our time away is limited to a safe duration for the cat and dog to fend for themselves.  Now that my cat bite is healing and the cat is healing, life is returning to normal.   <em>(A couple weeks earlier the cat was bitten by an animal, and in not knowing she was bitten, I picked her up, more rather tugged her out of her hiding place and she bit me…not at all her usual behavior, she is a very loving cat.   We didn’t see her wound at the time, but knew something was wrong with her.  Arthur spotted her wound, and we took her to the vet, who gave her a vaccine, and told me was more concerned that I get myself to hospital to treat the cat bite.  I did, was vaccinated and given antibiotics, the incident reported to County Health, the cat quarantined at our home for 10 days and we are both mending without incident, the primary concern being exposure to rabies).</em>   When we returned home, our dog Jake resumed eating again.  He misses us when we are gone and gets sad - depressed.  Dogs have feelings.  Oh, and our cat too, she has feelings, misses us and glad when we return home.  </p> <p>After my peridontist visit on Friday afternoon we drove to my mother’s home, picked her up and went out to eat.  We live in a rural town, and there aren’t a lot of restaurants or places to eat, so we enjoy the opportunity of eating out at different restaurants on the days of  my peridontist appointments.  It’s an eating out together date we look relish.  Choosing a restaurant in the town where my mother lives proved not to be as obvious as it might seem.  We kind of scoured what we knew to be restaurants in her neighborhood, opted to go further away, settled on Black Angus, since I was hankering for a nice steak lunch.  We got there and it no longer has lunch, open for dinner only.  Must be the economy.  The hour was growing late into the afternoon, I was hungry now, and we had not eaten breakfast that day,  or at all, so we wound up at (oh yuck!) Old Country Buffet.   Arthur likes the many choices of buffet restaurants, and sometimes so do I, but Old Country Buffet is not one of my favorites.  We both really enjoy the buffet variety of primarily healthy choices at  Sweet Tomatoes restaurant, but there were none the town where my Mom lives.     </p> <p>Saturday Arthur spent the day home, defrosted Mom’s freezer for her because it had become so full of ice that the ice on all the shelves were touching each other, no room for food.   He took care of some other taskings for her, then spent the rest of the day fooling around with installing stuff in  his old fashioned computer.  Not the laptop kind, the big bulky kind.  Some guy he knows had given him some Linus software to download or told him about it.  Anyway, it was a dead computer (not working) and when Arthur finished the download it sprung back to life, installed Windows XP and is sort of functional again.  He was delighted.  Still needs an audio driver and something else that would permit it to link to internet.  He was just intrigued that it started working again...kind of like a guy tinkering in his garage with his power tools, only Arthur likes to tinker with puter.</p> <p>Saturday I took Mom to <b>Farmers Market in Proctor area of Tacoma.</b>  That is a district that more resembles Portland or some Seattle districts; organic, green living, conscientious choices - that sort of thing, and an amazingly cool, fun grocery store with very upscale item choices.  For a mere $309.00 you can purchase a wheel of gourmet cheese!  An experience in itself.  (<em>I’m being a bit snarky – it would be very unlikely we would ever spend that kind of  money on cheese.)</em>  We visited a new consignment shop in her immediate neighborhood – delightful items, colorful, fun, upbeat, cheerful.  I liked it.   But I didn’t buy anything, because in truth, neither of us need another thing! </p> <p>And more for the hunt of treasure than because either of us need anything more in our homes, we went to a few garage sales. What was being offered wasn’t<em> </em>the kind of garage sales we were looking for - more like junk sales.  We had fun anyway because we toured many of the University Place neighborhoods, the million + $$ homes with breathtaking views of the Narrows water, Narrows Bridge, the outlying island.  And alongside the million + $$ homes, are more modest ranch style homes.  You can be on a ‘house of dreams’ street and turn to go down the the next street which could well be a quiet and modest street of different ranch style homes.    University Place neighborhoods are in interesting mix of income levels.   After our tour of neighborhoods,  I took her to visit Charlie at cemetary where his ashes are placed.  It is a beautiful, peaceful cemetary, a place of quiet serenity amidst the hubbub of getting from here to there.  Nice place to quietly reflect on life.  I know, it may sound like a strange juxtaposition to reflect on life when at a cemetary where the dead are buried…..but that is how it works for me. </p> <p>We went back to Proctor district that evening to have dinner at a <b><i>niche</i></b> Mexican restaurant (not a restaurant chain) because Mom said she heard good things about the food and atmosphere there.  Lively atmosphere with mix of old and young people dining.    I had a Taste Assault dish called Chicken Mole, although it would be better named <b>Chicken in Mole (prounounced molay)  Sauce, </b>because the sauce was Outrageous -  6 ingredients, and I can remember plums, almonds, mole (an unsweetened chocolate), and some other ingredients.  It wakes up your taste buds like wowza!   Not hot or even spicy, flavorful would be the word I would use to describe it.  Flavorful with each bite.  Arthur took a menu and will experiment at home with making the mole sauce because I liked it so well.  </p> <p>Sunday we took Mom to her church (<i>St Andrews Episcopal Church</i>).   A bit of history here; my mom lost half her sightedness recently and is vision impaired now.  Mom had been saying she felt she needed something inspirational amidst all the doctor appointments and bad news.  Along the way, I decided to call the Priest at St Andrews to talk to him about Mom.  When she was a child, she attended Episcopal church in Spokane.  I explained to him her childhood church exposure, and her current medical condition with being sight impaired, being told by her doctors not to drive anymore. He agreed to visit Mom immediately and arranged for someone to pick her up and take her to church on Sundays.   </p> <p>She has been to St Andrews now, a few times, and wanted us to visit her church.  We wanted to visit it also, as I enjoyed the upbeat conversation with the Priest - he was energetically young, even though he isn't young.    That Sunday they had special guests, a singing group who livened up the entire worship service with renditions of the hymns done to foot tapping music.  Guitars, tambourines, horns, and one of the gals playing guitar was barefoot!   Felt like we were at a campfire gathering!  Geesh!  But the worship service having a combination of traditional liturgy, the laying on of hands for healing, the Eucharist, and the lively music with a welcome invitation to all does reflect ‘The Emerging Church’. </p> <p>We loved the church, it had accommodations our little church building isn’t equipped to have, and if we lived in that area, we would likely attend that church.   Afterwards we ate at a restaurant in her immediate neighborhood that she is fond of - an old fashioned restaurant left over from approximately the 1950’s era.     So lots of eating this weekend, way too many calories, and Mom had a nice weekend.  So did we.   </p> <p>Oh and at the Farmer's Market I bought some snow peas that were priced below what is usually charged for snow peas, so I bought enough to freeze.  Bought a couple of tomato plants already bearing tomatoes, and a basil plant.   I didn’t plant a vegetable garden this year, and haven’t spent much time outside with the herb and flower gardens, so keeping it light this year.   Weather hasn’t been too cooperative where we live – cold, rainy, then unseasonably blistering hot, then cold again.   At the market, I found a growing salad bowl planter that I wanted and Mom bought it for me for my birthday gift.  The planter has growing  lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro plants  - salad ingredients, and that is the extent of my vegetable garden this year.   Except all the herbs I have been growing for a few years now.  </p> <p>And I was delighted to learn about a lovely tasty sauce called <b>Chimichurri?</b>  Oh, I tasted some at the market, and just had to buy one - lime Chimichurri.  Great to use as braising sauce for grilled vegetables, on meats, or just straight on healthy chips or fresh veggies.   Taste delight!</p> <p>It was a rather sweet weekend.  Last year around this time, we had visited Mom and she and I went to Lavender Festival on Vashon Island, ferry ride over and back, a beautiful, clear, sunny day, making the waters deep blue and picturesque. There was a Farmer’s Market there too, and we visited that Farmer’s Market</p> Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-46136470019731226552009-04-23T08:12:00.001-07:002009-04-23T08:12:17.693-07:00Flowers Arrived; doesn’t the gift of flowers just make you smile!<p> </p> <p>Daughter and son-in-law had flowers sent to my house; meant to arrive Easter weekend.  Since we live as far away as we do from urban centers, it takes UPS a bit longer to deliver, so the flowers arrived a couple days later than they planned, but the flowers did arrive.  </p> <p> </p> <p>Came in a florist box that looked like long stemmed roses might be inside.    Opened the box to find fresh spring flowers, a hefty square glass vase and florist preservative packet, along with a happy greeting card from my daughter and son-in-law.</p> <p> </p> <p>I learned later in talking to my daughter that she had chosen another arrangement, but where we are located there are no florists in close by vicinity that could accommodate the choice she made.    I am happy with what was sent – fresh spring flowers that are still looking fresh a week later.   Picture below. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1TLfw786aOB5DZZoB9wyTSrwghltoTB6DFQlFTEjzIt1-kiVf8ZIs7LVq1gNvd7xtQC1YuGJW_73E6eJPij4YXMhWIwExJidoj6UmE4Kwl9-XZLDPix9L4Vxdybf-1yEHeC7yg3NB81M/s1600-h/S7301444%5B10%5D.jpg"><img title="S7301444" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 5px 10px 5px 35px; border-right-width: 0px" height="257" alt="S7301444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpao-_5kjaI258aW6rlRARMtWZMVuqKb_rowz9IqmzdeYl89oQ_8vPAFleMC1CGm2jIloEJbBUKOwgbd_GcDXVzHoL2NX1R6TjV59yR4dNijXdJ54I82Gzaw0NdY3su4LstdBKQ5637Ew/?imgmax=800" width="342" border="0" /></a> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV5wRflhaXtlRVlvTQF6OFUTtC2YVGHF9psATkRgGIKRrrP_dJlLjZCS_Ws36ReswJKXBqWgXcKLruJLRWcMr2xMG7l3qqMI4x2h0BEGXrB_zcMSf1RZtZzin3Y5HJxdVswCWYYX1VZ6Y/s1600-h/S7301441%5B18%5D.jpg"><img title="S7301441" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 5px 10px 5px 25px; border-right-width: 0px" height="257" alt="S7301441" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKBPM4PhUaYPHuVfLtFLqFtNTIeX5Wcn_Fhy6vIWUUHF1TSGC1PJccJFiQoXPpnJOKAHFKwcX4PjJ2r_MIVXiIY19IwBpXguMv_GexTngvrkSUN4Q0s-CLaSwUEBDla2Euv6QWVP36Dc/?imgmax=800" width="342" border="0" /></a></p> Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-7780302829769527482009-04-23T07:31:00.001-07:002009-04-23T07:31:14.258-07:00Two new oil paintings - just finished and still Wet! Unoriginal title of 'Cabin by the Lake'<p>After a too long time away from my paints, brushes, and the messy operation that is oil painting, yesterday I completed two paintings! The paintings I've accomplished grow fewer and fewer over the years since 2006. Lots of reasons why, but I hope this change in momentum means 'I'm Back'! </p> <p>I sought out the old painting clothes and found I've outgrown them (that means I weigh more now than I did when last I wore them). Time to set aside another set of painting attire, in larger size. </p> <p>Painted this scene in 16 x 20 size. And then painted the scene again in 11 x 14 size, although it has variables from the larger size, making both 'originals'. <br />I took photo of the larger size and the paint is still Wet! </p> <p>The house just doesn't have much accommodation room for paintings to dry. There is the cat who can jump up anywhere, so the paintings need to be in a room with a door that closes. And as I looked around the house, I see we don't have many 'roooms' that have doors that close. Then there is the odor of oil painting that can permeate the air. If I'm going to paint frequently, I need to figure out the logistics for these challenges. </p> <p>So we put the Wet Painting on top of a wardrobe (a place the cat has not yet figured out how to climb) and I snapped a few photos ... not very good photos due to the angle of looking up at the painting, and the paint is still ..... well Wet! </p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4eSfqjYh-kHn-V8UGWIfGDuF51RdHSNTO-QBu8nXTwEKsJ6gEJoYJaFI-zZsy00No-K7vS9jH8wQu1mFKEEsmZgU1lN8D8ox_Go2h-pk8J1R5KiEJu6B4daFK0UFgKrYOYXtybzbaVWE/s1600-h/S7301461%5B4%5D.jpg"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQQDz9jH45sklmzURlCyEdCFsSr66h7LIFGfMpxNyQGRqXuH94v3hL0RbXyChHzLkT6z-SbJHvTwfzu52EPoSPd4WV38uyMLAg_4YDCjoK6HvitqfIbZmUJAIgmnI3cv_ql4Fb8Kvi9Y/s1600-h/S7301461%5B8%5D.jpg"><img title="S7301461" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="352" alt="S7301461" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_xsOlLodT1vwMva52GPJ8ZTqCH937wQsYmtIZ19DaUosTktTjyXgWrW7PfqsB22YoezRC2td3z-svhpiLHWC28LtvosVbzP0DxSmkee0kH13STqAWDZAXItszpSMtrAV4w1sTSO49Gs/?imgmax=800" width="423" border="0" /></a></p> Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-58161847153588543262008-12-26T09:20:00.001-08:002008-12-26T09:20:39.677-08:00Craftivism, what is it? Where did it come from? Who thought that one up?<p>Well, whewww, someone put it together – activism + craft = craftivism.  That works for me!  </p> <p> </p> <p>Because it is possible to go beyond banners, email petitions and chants as ways of fighting for a cause you believe in. You could have a knit-in, papier-mache puppets, teach a crafty class for kids- all ways of turning that energy into a more positive, more useful, force. Atrocities are happening in our front yards and on our televisions and we need to find ways to react against what is happening without either giving up or exploding. </p> <p> <br />This is less about mass action or more about realizing what you can do to makes things around you better.</p> <p>Read more - link <a href="http://craftivism.com/what.html" target="_blank">here</a>   -  Craftivism.com, created by Betsy Greer, who advanced ‘craftivism’ as a Masters thesis.    Now she’s talking, no, excuse me, now she’s crafting --- with a message!    </p> <p>Gives me that elusive concept that I have been struggling with for over a year now.  How can I go from 5 years of intense and passionate activism to end the Iraq war to dabbling in exploration of hobby crafts – how are those two things congruent at all?   Looks like maybe there is a common thread, after all.   </p> Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-18414304689941835652008-12-13T11:25:00.001-08:002008-12-13T11:25:37.562-08:00Holiday Gatherings are Gaily Wrapped Gifts<p>Lovely holiday luncheon yesterday.  Dear Lady put on a sit-down holiday luncheon for about 20 women in our community.  If  it had been 1950, the luncheon might have looked like women wearing shirt-dresses with petticoats to make them flounce, hats and gloves, and a fashionable purse.   But it isn’t 1950, and that is not what the women looked like at our luncheon yesterday.  Although, our dear hostess, bless her heart, had a gift for each of us at the close of the luncheon --- individual hand-sewn aprons that she had been making since the previous summer.  She made them specifically to gift to each of us at her holiday luncheon.</p> <p> </p> <p>I would share photos, but I haven’t obtained permissions from the women, so in respect for their privacy, if I have photos that don’t reveal faces, I’ll post those later.  </p> <p> </p> <p>I’m just tickled with the holiday festivities this year right here within our small little village.  Open house party, holiday luncheon, church potluck, Women’s Club potluck coming up next week, annual Christmas play put on by the children, Open house party on New Year’s Eve, chili dinner – bring breads later in January.  Perhaps these gatherings have been the norm here for several years, but I’m just entering into all the festive fun this year, so it’s all new to me.  And as such, it’s like opening a lot of gaily wrapped presents, different in form and shape.</p> Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-45341891955595771062008-12-08T10:31:00.001-08:002008-12-08T10:31:59.109-08:00Weekend, meeting our neighbors in new venues<p>Lovely weekend activities.  Last year at this time, everyone was still digging out from the storm (Dec 1-2, 2007) with those hurricane-strength winds at 140 + mph.  Can’t really know the full strength of those winds because the gadget that measured and registered the winds at 140 mph broke.  </p> <p>This year, no windstorms, some temperate, cool weather, bits of sunshine, some normal rainfall, fog and mist.  Just the kind of mix of winter (well, guess technically it is still Autumn) weather to have her on the bay.</p> <p>One of the ‘new’ neighbors who built their beautiful new home here in BC right on the edge of Willapa Bay held a holiday Open House gathering Saturday.  Seemed like most of the people living here in BC attended.  I’ve been working to integrate into community activities after the long six years of intense and heightened political activism where we have focused so much of our attention, time and energy with efforts to end Iraq war, get the troops home.   It’s been a nice change, quieter, and I’ve had chance to get to know our neighbors on a different level.</p> <p>Arthur, on the other hand, hasn’t had that kind of time to get better acquainted so it was delightful to be able to introduce him to many of our neighbors he hasn’t yet ‘officially’ met. </p> <p>At the Edwards holiday open house, (and happily looks like this will be annual gathering here in BC ) we met a few of the  newly moved here neighbors who are either building new homes or refurbishing existing homes.   Bev Olson was there, and I was happy to get a chance to congratulate her on her upcoming trip to the other Washington (DC).  She was invited by Rep. Brian Baird to be his guest at President-Elect Barack Obama inauguration.  How exciting for her, and she certainly deserves the opportunity.</p> <p>I have decided to visit the 2 churches in our community to see what kind of a fit we can find.  I’m impressed with the one that is building it’s new church building on the pay as you go system.  They have made progress with the building and it is looking modestly beautiful since they broke ground a few years back.  We went to the services Sunday, and I was impressed with the warm welcome, the humility of the people and the sense of community amongst them.   </p> <p>I do miss our Episcopal church community at St John’s in South Bend, where we were training to be come licensed lay preachers.   We did revisit last year.  Not much about it has changed, and we know we are not ready to return to being involved with the level of activities we had given at St John’s.  The tug and pull in discerning our passion in ministry we felt was calling to us to challenge the morality of the Iraq war, both as lay preachers in church fellowship and as a military family with loved ones deployed in Iraq.   </p> <p>As the intensity of the war rose, we felt more compelled to put our energies into civic activism, as we were receiving numerous invitations to speak at various events along with our obligations to Sunday services at our church.   In discernment meeting within the Bishop’s Committee, we came to decide to follow the passion of what we believed was our ministry calling, notifying our church family we would need to be freed from the weekly Sunday responsibilities.  </p> <p>That was four years ago.  We had already moved, began buying our home in Bay Center, but continued to attend  services in nearby South Bend.  It will be interesting to see if we can adapt to a different church with a different belief set.   Thus, we will attend services at both churches in our little Bay Center community to see if there is an adaptable fit.</p> <p>One church is conservatively evangelical or pentecostal, and I’m surprised we can even begin to consider continuing to attend after these politically charged years of evangelicals inserting their religious philosophy, such as it is, into the political arena and heavily influencing the controversial polarization of the last eight years.  I had a talk about this with the pastor after services, and he seemed a bit perplexed at what I was asking, assured me he did not tell his congregants how to think, how to vote, and remained free of politics.  </p> <p>The other church is Methodist, and I really don’t know much about Methodist religious philosophy.  I do remember reading that George W. Bush was a member of Methodist church.  That, sadly, is enough to put me off right there, but again, somehow these tiny church congregations in our community do not seem to be aware or part of the bigger picture with religious insertion into politics that have led to the  election of George W. Bush, and his decision as President and Commander-in-Chief to invade and occupy Iraq, bringing with it the immense carnage on all sides that has marked the last six years in Iraq.  </p> <p> </p> <p>Following my own thoughts, back to this past weekend.  It was refreshing to meet with so many of our neighbors in the community in new venues.  It was refreshing to just be one among many of the neighbors who make up our community in Bay Center. </p> Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-3550937111177338472008-12-03T08:25:00.001-08:002008-12-03T08:25:54.737-08:00Another day breaking…<p>Morning revelries.  Up before dawn gives us opportunity to watch the skyline as it goes from dark of night to graying with streaks of pink sunlight for those days promising sun.  Once the dark of night clears, I look out the window as I go through my ‘morning reads’ on my computer.  </p> <p>Familiar sights ground me.  The tall evergreen trees that line the side of my yard and create peek a boo views of my neighbor’s house.  The swirls of smoke escaping from neighbor’s chimney remind me that they use wood heat.  I begin to wonder what it looked like back in the day when everyone had wood heat, chimney’s and smoke filled the air.  I wonder what it smelled like.  I am taken backwards in time to what it might have been like in this village where we chose to settle.</p> <p>I have been watching daily out the same window as the leaves on the trees in my yard escape their moorings and fall to the ground.  The trees go from fully clothed to partially naked to naked skeletons of their former selves.  I can tell how Autumn is evaporating into winter encroachment by how my trees are looking with each day’s passing. </p> <p>If it is to be a windstorm day, I can tell from my window view if it will be mild or growing windstorm by the movement of the trees, shrubs and bushes that adorn my yard.  When the air is still, it is hard to imagine from my window view how much the wind can make them dance and sway. </p> <p>It’s daytime now, and time to shape the outline of what I will do with this day’s treasure. </p> Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-67991456031212921982008-11-30T18:09:00.001-08:002008-11-30T18:09:51.181-08:00Simply Fabulous Blogger Templates<p>Playing around with the templates to my blogger blogs and I ran across this gift from this blogger, some fresh new 3 column templates to use.  I liked what I saw and immediately began changing the templates on several of my blogs.   You can play around with your templates too --- <a href="http://lenatoewsdesigns.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">visit her site .</a>   Oh and a little bonus, she has added many holiday templates </p> Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-17440353499530723172008-11-24T09:23:00.000-08:002008-12-01T09:27:23.292-08:00Still Smoke Free but Weigh Way More!<h3> </h3> <h6><font size="2">Sept 2008 marked my 2nd year anniversary being smoke free after 40 years being a smoker. Quitting was not as difficult as my imagination told me it would be and I sure wish I had done it 20 years earlier or 30 years earlier or never started. But what is done is done.</font></h6> <h6> <br /><font size="2">I'm used to having a somewhat thin body, and the combination of going through menopause and quitting smoking around the same time has left me with weight I didn't have even during my three preganancies. Horrors!</font></h6> <h6> <br /><font size="2">In my mind, I simply imagine doing some of the exercises I used to do as a young dancer (ballet, jazz, aerobics) and all will be well again. Well my imagination is active, but it is not getting the job done. What is it about aging that makes physical activity less agreeable and something I have to work at to make myself do....</font></h6> <h6> <br /><font size="2">I admit it, I'm struggling with this stage of my life. Much as I am trying to adapt, it is not going so well. My mind's eye still embraces my young woman-ness, rejecting my middle age woman-ness. The mirror tells me a different story than my mind's eye and there is internal disharmony. Until I get to a place of resolve and acceptance, my inner world continues to fight within itself. </font></h6> <h6> <br /><font size="2">I didn't intend for this to be a woe is me blog post and I hope it doesn't sound like it is. These are new challenges for me and while it is creating some chaos and confusion in my inner vision of my identity and self, they are nonetheless positive challenges. Embracing new challenges, finding new reasons to look at the blessings of life, living within the framework of a new identity as a middle-age woman -- life is good.</font></h6> Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-57289082629851071272008-11-23T20:30:00.000-08:002008-11-30T17:31:43.318-08:00View Driving Home<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIOwGlSlPCdo8nb3dtGk3-_LShzy5nvNLs2fDTbczJRLx7x-HL1_oP4DySEvsb-iLNp82mIF1SoW756byX1K0KX1wrCxIffdPQ3pTZbDlzDUyN9BbcBeVbcBWSDTf41WmSV4aM8ynBtE/s1600-h/264%5B5%5D.jpg"><img title="264" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; DISPLAY: inline; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" height="354" alt="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXLOJhcIGWRAa-I3AqLi338aK8-wcJFaWL2xxSPDYctoGrY6Xq12g1U8ejIv-aCLziLpXaJJEne5eN-g08a3aNsJqX9sZSP8dHYJECQEgsnQBAThNIc9-Y4KWaIYZBoI2d6zA-aCA3Z5s/?imgmax=800" width="415" border="0" /></a> </p><p> </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOykG4o25N0-lSC5-gcF0Ow5HYrN6grd2SQNGVDORVRDvEVfc9NVbVpl1ob4wnWeqfKU8HnrEb-aBFxpmQo6ku19xApFiPjZlNkpSoNzUu-WHfDMlwPIijIXuPWw_AZv1ff8Bu4yj0HhE/s1600-h/263%5B9%5D.jpg"><img title="263" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; DISPLAY: inline; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" height="359" alt="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GySsE4dT1cSdaQcNC9qJd5hjY_CIUaJispx2gtkzYtw9ndK6DuHKYIMUKHK2zBPAYPuB2l0nxrhYUN8dYo3bPO-w4OrGvuT4Qrg6wt2KsVyc06BzE3ovg9R4a4dVQjcLJZnYFcTtzpy5/?imgmax=800" width="418" border="0" /></a> </p><p> </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0-_DzfUeb2h_KfLveu2mxlf3eJalwoCJtEFjv4EpJY_lzAO0yZXYUwcI0JMZUxFazc3qeNITst_hVOm4Ev2iLdS0JZOt6v2WQ8pOKgLQwhmsjUtOlrSzktUbG-gUty9KtQQr8qRjmlk/s1600-h/261%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="261" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; DISPLAY: inline; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" height="328" alt="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizG2IpLgSjnaPvo58R5Of9JwxBPM7Hjwr4b5VM-xYZpBmc_izHFAL-jZTJpoloVcD9Wn_yR8NeWH_MDwDyL_-Qaix3a7BviHCFixlbL0VP1Oc8tj8gPwKk_WgD4WbdzzsRoEgEEUHyRFW8/?imgmax=800" width="409" border="0" /></a> </p><p> </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5CN6UBsCNhK-FeAgR2-L4BhBvdYtgXwsBsKeSwQL0XAHlK5waaW7l2xhSpPOwa5mTOsz6l4DynQ9CRgLfAEERe_RkCvclSPzGhmRDKid5lGC-BXWZANGodTR3qpK8IkdNkl_3Z0qeoRG/s1600-h/255%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="255" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; DISPLAY: inline; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" height="366" alt="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigG_kGBPgguB_KqX-1YUzr1cYC9EnXGSyjdyav7c5SijtPXsorOapRz02Ma6BnvFVSy8sqhmhJpS5fGDBxkzP_xzXo8SYoOxY7jGk71GbKUd6Lb5LBGXT0ami0ySSYax2QYRmUF3yWS5df/?imgmax=800" width="412" border="0" /></a> </p><p>I was capturing some of the scenery on our drive home. We were driving home as the sun was starting to set. I was able to get a nice set before we lost the light. Not bad considering these were taken as a passenger in a moving vehicle. </p>Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-90047692162334746292008-11-12T17:42:00.000-08:002008-11-30T17:44:49.650-08:00First Lady (to be) Michelle Obama phoned me at my home!!<p>She really did. She phoned on Veterans Day. I was sitting at my desk in my home in my lounge around the house clothes, working on my laptop. The dawning of the fullness of the recognition that I was listening to Michelle Obama, who will very soon be the First Lady hit me like a ton of bricks and blew me away. Wow, I'm on a phone call with the First Lady -- how cool is that!</p><p>Actually, it was a conference call, listen only, that Michelle Obama made on Veterans Day to <a href="http://www.bsf4o.com/">Blue Star Families 4 Obama</a>, to thank them for their pro-active help in the campaign, to thank them for their sacrifices as military families. We are a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_flag">Blue Star family </a>and I had joined the BSF4O group during the campaign at my <a href="http://www.barackobama.com/index.php">mybarackobama</a> campaign site. </p><p>So no, it was not a personal call specifically to me, and I was having a little fun with the first part of this post. Still, I was surprised at my own reaction and recognition -- this really is Michelle Obama, she really will be the First Lady, she is talking to us on a phone conference call, talking about her daughters, getting them into schools, getting ready for the inauguration. It had a surreal feeling to it for me. I am not used to being on a phone call from the First Lady and well, the Vice President -- an earlier conference call I got to participate in (listen only) with Joe Biden. </p><p>If I were to be on a phone conference call with President Elect, Barack Obama, based on my reaction to Michelle Obama's phone conference call, I'm sure my reaction will cause my heart to beat faster. </p><p>Towards the end of the campaign, I was on a listen only conference call from Joe Biden that he set up via his email listserv. He had just concluded his speech in Tacoma, WA, thanked us and was encouraging the many of us on the conference call to get out there and keep working, and not to take anything for granted. </p><p>The audacity of hope..boy, am I feeling it! </p>Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-27583404974231534272008-11-11T15:02:00.000-08:002008-11-30T18:03:55.280-08:00Gifts in a Jar - Collections<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz5wfrzDJ4fIAs6OhQ2vGK5Po18T1D5czS84vemLyDbIhSMzg6V-_W5t-SOg-6kCpsr5lOpx1i2ywbmMtGM4VBeUMQWmeG5GOLvATfV0KZunnbfLZjpH6DyKjXeYNzW5Ou6Y6XdSbNgCmm/s1600-h/kitchen2.jpg"><img title="kitchen" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="232" alt="kitchen" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-FWNbpvZrqXXsleVRsdlVdAJ3YLAI8dQepO_XgekFTsaQfHG4DudbC0ASKJk6QrDif0Rpj5_M0hM2nkT3cAhodwylIym8xoFI7AuQkDT4VvzD-05A4Au3UQ17ure6icn7qtZlXwd61gxn/?imgmax=800" width="244" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Straight from your kitchen; it’s become a holiday tradition now – the growing collections of ‘gifts in a jar’.  They are all over the internet, blogs and websites.  Thought I’d make a post, open a category and collect links to what is already out there.  Since so many have built their own collections, it would be redundant for me to repeat one by one, so let’s go for collections.</p> <p>Found this one today at <a href="http://www.theoldfrontporch.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=126&Itemid=26" target="_blank">‘The Old Front Porch’</a> and they have a pretty good collection already underway there. </p> Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-34704395910371807442008-11-10T19:55:00.000-08:002008-11-30T17:56:54.599-08:00‘Crawford’ – dvd feature film, when George W. Bush came to town<p>Released in 2008, the film <a href="http://crawfordmovie.com/home" target="_blank">‘Crawford’</a> produced/directed by David Modigliani is a documentary/biography of the small town of Crawford, Texas before George W. Bush arrived at their doorstep, during the time of his Presidency. (And now after as new President-Elect, Barack Obama, is preparing to assume the office of President of the United States).  The <a href="http://crawfordmovie.com/" target="_blank">film,’Crawford’</a>  is put together in a way that shows  the residents of the town, their lives, and the impact of what happens to the town and their lives when George Bush moves to their town to set up his ranch in his campaign for President.  </p> <p>The video is embedded below, obtaining it from and assuming that Hulu has necessary permissions to share it online. If the video does not work at my blog, you can view it where I did, online at his <a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/37906/crawford" target="_blank">link – Hulu.</a> </p> <p>I jump ahead of the film, to my own personal experience of Crawford, Texas. Of course, part of the Crawford experience is that month of August 2005, when Cindy Sheehan parked herself in Crawford outside the President’s  ranch during his vacation. For perspective as to why Cindy decided to make her stand at that time, remember that President Bush took vacation shortly after one of his press conferences in which he identifies the deaths of troops in Iraq as having given their lives for a noble cause. </p> <p>Remember that at that time, 23 marines from the Lima Company alone had been killed in Iraq in 2005, 20 were killed over 2 days in August 2005 – six on Aug 1, and fourteen on Aug 3.   Cindy, mother of Casey Sheehan, soldier, who was killed in Iraq April 4, 2004, deliberately went to Crawford almost immediately after the noble cause statement to ask George Bush personally  ‘What Noble Cause?’ .  While the film does not elevate this period of the George Bush ranch in Crawford experience,the film attempts to show the impact on local residents. </p> <p>I was part of that story, part of that August 2005 experience of Crawford.  Since I was not or did not consider myself to be a ‘peace activist’ prior to the Iraq war but chose to present as a military family trying to speak out to a new young generation of military families, the perspectives I have of my own experiences among the peace/activism communities has it’s own unique flavor.  My experience of Crawford, Texas, Camp Casey, August 2005 is colored by my experiences growing up as what is affectionately callled a ‘military brat’ on military bases in between the Korean Conflict (war)  and the Vietnam war, my experiences as a military wife of a young husband, drafted and deployed to Vietnam, my experiences living in the ‘military culture’, my professional career employment in the social services field during my adult years as a civilian employed in state level public sector, and my <em><strong>inexperience</strong></em> with the culture of peace/activism communities.</p> <p>The film does justice to one of the many considerations I had when I was at Crawford.  How does this tiny town cope with having such high profile people make their mark at Crawford?  How does the town deal with and cope with the polarized, political battle of opinions here at home  on the Iraq war which I believe came to head at Crawford during Camp Casey in August 2005.  Now that I actually do live in a small town, and it is a new part of my life experiences,  I wondered how the people in the town where I live would react should something similar happen in their town and lives.</p> <p>Whatever came after the August 2005, Crawford, Texas, Camp Casey experience, I will always credit Cindy with bringing to head the public discourse which at that time had been embroiled in political limitations to the language of what constitutes patriotism, the flag, and support for the troops.  The public political discourse needed to happen and the shift in the political discourse because of that month of August 2005 in Crawford that gave voice to the many-faceted feelings and opinions of the war in Iraq needed to happen.  </p> <p>It opened doors within the public Iraq war political discourse that had been previously deliberately slammed shut. And I would offer those doors were slammed shut with deliberate forethought and premeditation so as to confine, undermine, and squelch any opportunity of public dialogue or public dissent.  For myself, an ordinary person living an ordinary life, my experience of August 2005 in Crawford, Texas was extraordinary and has marked me indelibly.  </p> <p>But August 2005 is not the point of this film, it is a part of the film, as it is a part of the Crawford experience.  The film is presented in a way that does not favor opinions about the Iraq war, about George W. Bush, but brings to bear the experience of both along with other experiences that often times typifies small town America.  The ending of the film shook me up – was something I did not know and was very unsettling.  </p> <p>I hope you’ll watch the film.  It is not a trailer, but the full length film, 1 hour and 15 minutes, so recommend watching it when you have some time to watch it.  </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><object width="512" height="296"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/Tpp-yBQ36dgoXnfD7k155A"></param><embed src="http://www.hulu.com/embed/Tpp-yBQ36dgoXnfD7k155A" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512" height="296"></embed></object></p> <p> </p> <p>Excerpt of one review of the film ‘Crawford’ by Joe Leydon at <a href="http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=review&id=2850&reviewid=VE1117936479" target="_blank">Variety</a></p> <p>By <a href="http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=bio&peopleID=1253">JOE LEYDON</a> <br />David Modiglinai's <a href="http://www.variety.com/profiles/Film/main/194707/Crawford.html?dataSet=1">"Crawford"</a> offers an evenhanded and occasionally poignant account of the impact on the citizenry of the small Texas town chosen by President George W. Bush to be the site of his so-called "Western White House." Filmed over several years, docu plays like a rise-and-fall drama populated with colorful, contrasting characters who have profoundly mixed feelings about being used as props in Bush's political stagecraft. After a spin on the fest circuit, pic might get limited theatrical play before pubcast and/or niche-cable airdates.</p> Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-3598565150297308332008-11-09T17:45:00.000-08:002008-11-30T17:46:52.790-08:00Sustainable Christmas? The year of 'No Consumer Shopping' gifts<p><a title="lighted Christmas tree" href="http://thriftyskinflint.wordpress.com/files/2007/11/f002.jpg"><img alt="lighted Christmas tree" src="http://thriftyskinflint.wordpress.com/files/2007/11/f002.jpg" /></a></p> <p>I've issued what I think is a fun challenge to the families that make up some of our family tree. This year, with the economic issues, downright crisis in some instances, and with sustainable living - green - recycle - reclaim - reuse - global warming, well seems a perfect year to make a change we've been gradually making anyway.</p> <p>Say No to Consumer Shopping and Yes to Joyously Remade Christmas. In my challenge to my families , I put out simple rules; No purchases at stores, not even Dollar Store but Thrift Stores okay. Food gifts okay, but cannot purchase outside your normal food budget (so can't run out and buy up all kinds of holiday food items to make food gifts). How creatively can we recycle items into gifts?</p> <p>I've been interested in this for a while now, and with re-fashioning clothes into other fashions, re-making used items into something else, and all the crafty, sustainable living, green, recycle, re-use, re-claim websites and blogs online, I think it would be a fun challenge for our families. What do you think? I've asked also for fun links to websites and blogs with how to tutorials, diy (do it yourself), trash to treasures kind of thing. I welcome your participation too. Tell me about your effort towards no consumer shopping Christmas gifts this year.</p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-68105677767866748902008-10-28T19:01:00.000-07:002008-11-30T18:02:14.880-08:00Christmas when the family grows and is gone.he holidays are coming! The holidays are coming! I like to enjoy the celebration part of the holidays, keeping the holiday cheer, without overdoing it and turning it into holiday stress. And since it is a long holiday season, somewhere about midstream I began to fade a little and lose some of my jubilance. The thing is that in my mind's eye, I make plans to do so many things that I lose my focus and do fewer things. I'd like to do some things this year and maybe not do other things and see if I can get a different outcome. <br /> <br />The children are grown, adults now, and have left home, are well into their own lives with their own children and families. When they were young children I liked the idea of a big tree with lots and lots of decorations, not particularly themed, but particularly full. We have now a big artificial tree and the years of decorations. One Christmas I remember we took 2 days to put up the tree, a week to decorate it and the house looked so fantastically Christmas. There were no visitors to our home that year and somehow so much bling seemed kind of lonely, sad and overmuch without the full house of children. <br /> <br />The next year we bought a smaller, slimmer tree and I put on much fewer decorations. In fact, did not even unpack the boxes and boxes of stored Christmas ornaments and decor. Last year I found what I call one of those artificial 'Northern Exposure' kind of Christmas tree or could also be called 'Pacific Northwest' kind of Christmas tree. Three trunks side by side with branches, and overall skinny, not taking up very much room. <br /> <br />We had my mother stay with us last holiday - Thanksgiving to Christmas. Had many festive outings planned, but those plans got nixed and cancelled with the early <a href="http://baycenter.wordpress.com/storm-of-the-decade-pacific-northwest-december-2007/">December storm</a> of the century we had here last year. They don't use the word hurricane, but it was hurricane force winds at 140 mph or more over 2 days. Mom is in her 70s now, and was a real trooper throughout the storm and the long winter days that followed in clean up. It was rather an unforgettable holiday season. <br /> <br /> <br />This, a year later, and well we will have our usual winter wind and rain storms or more of the 'big ones', but I plan to go into this holiday season with high and joyful thoughts. It's taken about a decade, but I'm adapting to the reality that our children are grown and gone, involved with their own families, and it's just the two of us now. It will be a happy holiday as we find new traditions for how we want to spend the holidays. Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-68364842621003639442008-10-26T08:53:00.000-07:002008-11-30T17:54:25.517-08:00Autumn morning<p>aturday Morning. Brisk, snappy cold Autumn morning. House is chilled, and I have on extra layer plus the wrist and neck warmer I crocheted for when I'm sitting at my laptop and not moving around too much. As the morning beckons, the light shines through with the promise of another sunshine filled day, I look forward to doing some work outside to clean up the garden beds. Where we live, with rain a more frequent visitor than sunshine, we have to capitalize on the sun-filled days to our advantage. There are more than enough outside activities to fill those less frequen sunny days and perhaps not quite enough inside activities to fill up all thos rainy days.</p> <p>As usual, though, once I sit down to the computer, one project leads to another to another and too much time elapses. It's like a sinkhole, me and my computer, and as time ticks by when I finally look up, I have once again sunk into the morass.</p> <p>Adding a few items to this blog, but more of the morning and afternoon was used in converting online documents. Off I go now to put the container garden beds to rest for the winter...well except for the root crops, like carrots, beets, parsnips, maybe a turnip or two grew before the cold snap.</p> Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-65258161298121968132008-07-07T10:17:00.000-07:002008-12-01T09:21:08.390-08:0007-07-08, still smoke-free. Happy Birthday to me!<h3> </h3> <p>Today is my birthday = 57 years old. I'm pleased and proud to report that I am still smoke free, having smoked my last cigarette September 2006. Means that I passed my one year anniversary of no smoking September 2007 and am on my way to <strong>second anniversary smoke free this year. </strong></p> <p> <br />It's been entirely 'natural' to give it up without regret, and without much in the way of pangs or temptation to take it up again. Very much, absolutely wish I had given it up 20 years earlier. </p> <p> <br />Recording this post into my blog because my memory is experiencing holes now or 'senior moments' and I couldn't recollect which year I quit. Asked hubby when he quit and knew it was one year later that I quit. So he quit Nov 2005, and I quit Sept 2006. There now, if I forget again, it is recorded here.</p> <p> <br />I haven't thought much about it at all, but visited my account Eon because I received a  birthday greeting from one of the members.  Haven't been back to my Eon account, forgot I had subscription here. But when I did return, I see my one and only blog entry was about quitting smoking. So thought I'd update on that post and then go on from there.</p> Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5200145752632988566.post-74635649484496368392007-12-07T17:49:00.000-08:002008-11-30T17:51:18.307-08:00Survived hurricane-force winds of 119 mph, infrastructure collapse Pacific County, Washington coast, December 2007 Pacific Northwest storm<p>More on page on this website (see tabs above) dedicated to <a href="http://baycenter.wordpress.com/storm-of-the-decade-pacific-northwest-december-2007/" target="_blank">‘Storm of the Decade, Pacific Northwest, December 2007′</a></p> <p>Today is Friday, Dec 7, 2007 and we just got power back yesterday, Thursday, Dec 6, 2007, after being without power, communications, access in or out of the county since the storm hit last Sunday, Dec 2, 2007. It was what it was advertised by the <a href="http://www.chinookobserver.com/" target="_blank">Chinook Observer </a>to be - the storm of the decade and it affected most all of Washington coastline with grave flooding inland and great parts of Oregon coastline. Most hard hit with massive flooding was Lewis County and Grays Harbor County, our neighboring counties. Pacific County was hit hard too, enough to collapse a seemingly fragile infrastructure; no power, no land phones, no cell phones, no 911, no access in or out of the county and even emergency communications out of county to notify status were limited and curtailed. It was an eerie feeling to be so completely cut off.</p> <p>Later as the week wore on the reality of not being able to access our own bank account or get gas as gas pumps need electricity to work, and word of possible contamination of water in South Bend/Raymond, the fragility of the infrastructure not only in our own county but any county became evident to me. We must learn to rely on individual preparedness, and preparedness and help from among our community to see us through those early days of catastrophic weather events. And given what we experienced with this storm, I'm inclined to believe that with climate warming, we will see other such storms, perhaps not at that magnitude, but enough to cause breaks in the infrastructure here in Pacific County and in neighboring counties.</p> <p>Sorting out how to tell parts of the story, and rather than one big fat blog entry, I will want to break it down some. For the days without power and communications (phones, cell phones, 911, emergency access), I started a journal. Now that we have power back and I am seeing via internet news all the devastation around us in our own county and neighboring counties, I recognize we are among the very fortunate.</p> <p>Providing the link to the <a href="http://www.washblog.com/story/2007/12/6/183750/949" target="_blank">Washblog</a> interview Noemie did with me when she phoned me yesterday to check up on us where she gives an account of what I shared with her.</p> <blockquote> <h2><a href="http://www.washblog.com/story/2007/12/6/183750/949" target="_blank">Report from Lietta Ruger: Storm Causes Complete Infrastructure Collapse in Pacific Co.</a></h2> <p class="byline">By noemie maxwell <em> <br />Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 03:37:50 PM PST</em> <br />Section: Pacific County Topic: Climate Change</p> <p>I just spoke with Lietta Ruger, one of Washblog's editors, and she asked me to post a little summary of our conversation. She plans to post something more in-depth later.</p> <p>She and Arthur Ruger live in the Willapa Bay community in Bay Center. There is no locally owned broadcast media in the area, and so they rely primarily on King 5 TV for their storm warnings. KIRO and KOMO generally don't provide coverage on their area. She said that no warnings came through mainstream media on the severe impacts that their community was expected to face from the impending storm last weekend. It was only because they happen to subscribe to what she describes as a tiny newspaper, a weekly called <a href="http://www.chinookobserver.com/">The Chinook Observer</a>, that she learned her community was facing perhaps "the storm of the decade."</p> <p>Having received this one warning, she and Arthur brought out their candles and blankets and cooked up the food in their refrigerator and battened down the hatches - just in case. The storm hit on Sunday and the three of them - including Lietta's mother - stayed indoors for two days as winds up to 119 miles an hour raged outside. There was no electricity, no phone service, no cellphone service. After the storm subsided, the roads were so impassible in every direction, and the power outage and the lack of emergency service so complete -- that as far as people in her community knew, they might have separated from the rest of the United States and floated off into the Pacific Ocean.</p> <p>It wasn't until yesterday that a local store selling crank radios opened and she and Arthur were able to tune into coverage from Astoria, Oregon to find out the extent of the damage to the rest of Washington state.</p> <p>Even then, most of the stores remained locked, the social services office, where emergency help is usually offered, remained closed and dark. The gas pumps, which run on electricity, don't work. People who have medical emergencies are out of luck. And at least one woman did die, when her house caught on fire from the candles she was using to provide light.</p> <p>There was no safe way to travel by water, either, because the water was moving too fast and there were too many other dangers, low tree branches, objects, etc. Even the county's weather monitoring equipment failed. We know that winds reached 119 mph in Bay Center and 120 mph in Astoria, she said, because private citizens had equipment that withstood the wind, while the wind broke the county's equipment.</p> <p>The problem wasn't with community members. People helped each other quite a bit. In fact, the owner of the Bay Center grocery store, a woman named Lori, drove from Long Beach through all the hazards to Bay Center and fired up the generator and stove and cooked soups and made sandwiches to serve the people in that community. And her husband and son did that in the other grocery stores owned by the family in other nearby communities. But now that the electricity has come back on, and she's learned that the rest of the world is still here -- though Grays Harbon and Lewis Counties appear to have suffered even more -- now she's feeling pretty upset.</p> <p>This is a warning, she said, that we need to get our act together on emergency preparedness. We are experiencing the effects of climate change and we can expect more. This kind of storm is not on the usual scale. It's a clear signal, as well, that we need some major changes in how we do media. Pacific County needs its own broadcast media. We talked for awhile about testimony at the recent <a href="http://www.washblog.com/story/2007/11/10/1136/5659">FCC hearing in Seattle</a> that local communities are endangered by the centralization of broadcast media. That is absolutely correct, she said. Now that she has a little time to think, it's hitting her, the extent of this collapse of infrastructure: the lack of emergency preparedness and media coverage and the blackout on all services during the storm or for the 2 days afterwards. "This complete and utter failure, she said, "is unacceptable.</p> <p>(read more at the <a href="http://www.washblog.com/story/2007/12/6/183750/949" target="_blank">Washblog</a> story)</p> </blockquote> <p>A few photos below taken by my mother of Bay Center in Pacific County, after the 2 days</p> <p>of hurricane-force winds. Click on photos to see larger view.</p> <p><a title="Downed treee on Bay Center Road" href="http://baycenter.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/winter-storm-2007-tree-down-across-bay-center-road.jpg"><img alt="Downed tree on Bay Center Road" src="http://baycenter.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/winter-storm-2007-tree-down-across-bay-center-road.thumbnail.jpg" /></a><a title="Downed treee on Bay Center Road" href="http://baycenter.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/winter-storm-2007-tree-down-across-bay-center-road.jpg"></a></p> <p><a title="Downed treee on Bay Center Road" href="http://baycenter.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/winter-storm-2007-tree-down-across-bay-center-road.jpg">Downed treee on Bay Center Road, Bay Center, WA in Pacific County, WA <br /></a></p> <p><a title="Several downed trees at Bay Center residence" href="http://baycenter.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/winter-storm-2007-several-trees-down-at-one-house-in-bay-center.jpg"><img alt="Several downed trees at Bay Center residence" src="http://baycenter.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/winter-storm-2007-several-trees-down-at-one-house-in-bay-center.thumbnail.jpg" /></a></p> <p><a title="Several downed trees at Bay Center residence" href="http://baycenter.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/winter-storm-2007-several-trees-down-at-one-house-in-bay-center.jpg">Several downed trees at Bay Center residence, Bay Center, WA in Pacific County,WA </a></p> <p><a title="Tree down on power line Bay Center Road" href="http://baycenter.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/winter-storm-2007-tree-falling-on-power-line-bay-center-road.jpg"><img alt="Tree down on power line Bay Center Road" src="http://baycenter.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/winter-storm-2007-tree-falling-on-power-line-bay-center-road.thumbnail.jpg" /></a></p> <p><a title="Tree down on power line Bay Center Road" href="http://baycenter.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/winter-storm-2007-tree-falling-on-power-line-bay-center-road.jpg">Tree down on power line Bay Center Road,Bay Center, WA in Pacific County,WA <br /></a></p> <p><a title="Blow down trees in the county park at tip of Bay Center" href="http://baycenter.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/winter-storm-2007-winblow-downed-trees-at-bay-center-county-park.jpg"><img alt="Blow down trees in the county park at tip of Bay Center" src="http://baycenter.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/winter-storm-2007-winblow-downed-trees-at-bay-center-county-park.thumbnail.jpg" /></a></p> <p><a title="Blow down trees in the county park at tip of Bay Center" href="http://baycenter.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/winter-storm-2007-winblow-downed-trees-at-bay-center-county-park.jpg">Blow down trees in the county park at tip of Bay Center, WA in Pacific County,WA <br /></a></p> <p>More on page on this website (see tabs above) dedicated to <a href="http://baycenter.wordpress.com/storm-of-the-decade-pacific-northwest-december-2007/" target="_blank">'Storm of the Decade, Pacific Northwest, December 2007'</a></p> <p><a title="flooding up to the level of the sign in high school field, Elma, WA, Grays Harbor County, WA" href="http://baycenter.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/nitas-photos-of-elma-wa-flooding-from-storm-dec-2007.jpg"> <br /></a></p> Lietta Rugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03013387655042340435noreply@blogger.com0