Finishing up our vacation

We decided the best way to finish off the vacation was to take the dogs and head over to Edgar's Acres. We needed a place with a slow pace to deal with jet lag, and ...



we needed to address the produce growing in the garden.





I started out by pulling up the hardneck garlic. This is Chesnok Red, which I purchased from Territorial Seeds in Oregon. This is good stuff.



Next I pulled up some of the Walla Walla Sweet Onions. Everyone in the Pacific Northwest loves these onions when they are harvested in late July/early August.



The onions and garlic were set out overnight.



The next day the garlic was cleaned. The Chesnok Red garlic is on the right, and the Polish Soft Neck garlic is on the left (it had been harvested early in July). The soft neck garlic stores over the winter better than the hard neck. Got to have both if you love garlic. The onions also were cleaned and ready for consumption.



I also picked strawberries and broccoli.



Not bad for a first harvest.



Sunday morning we went out to pick raspberries. These canes are LOADED!



This is what we picked in an hour's time. More than enough for David and I, and for some friends in Seattle. Yum.

Finally, I pulled up some of the Red Burgermaster onions, red potatoes, and an artichoke for my secretary, Sandra.

All this was done while my feet and legs were driving me crazy with no-see-ums bites that I got the last couple of nights in NJ. Darned gnats anyway. This was the only downside to the trip back east, and the first time these pesky bugs had bothered me. My legs look like I'm recovering from a bad case of chicken pox.

Today, it was back to work wearing long pants and real shoes.

TTFN

Sue

The Rest of the Story ...

Thursday, Day 8: Jim and Sam took us to Gettysburg for the day. We had a personalized tour where the tour guide drives your car, makes stops and tells you about the battles that happened for three days. I had no idea how really massive the battle was. What an amazing story, and what a blood battle.
That evening Sam's son, Keith, and his family came over for dinner. It was the first time for me to meet Keith, and we loved meeting his wife, Jen, and their adorable daughter Emily. Unfortunately, the battery in my camera took a nap so I didn't get pictures.

Friday, Day 9: David and I headed off to Washington DC and packed in as much as we could in three days. It was hot, and HUMID. We took the evening tour so we could see the monuments at night, and spent some time at the Vietnam Memorial. It is a very moving visit.

Saturday, Day 10. We spent the day riding the "hop on, hop off" bus to see various monuments and sights. We sat on the upper level so we could get a better view and soaked up the heat and sun. By afternoon we were riding inside the bus with the air conditioning.
Arlington Cemetery was on the route so we stopped to see the changing of the guard for the Unknown Soldier. So moving and so respectful. The guard is changed every 30 minutes, 24/7, each day of the year, no matter what the weather or circumstances. I can only imagine what these young men must have been thinking on 9/11 while they continued their revered task.

We had dinner at Union Station that night. David loved Union Station (he's a train guy). While there, we ran into these three.

Sunday, Day 11: We rode the Metro out to Huntington, and met Jim and Mike for a ride to Fort Belvore for Sunday Brunch. It was delightful, and it was so nice to see Christine, meet her husband Mike, and see Katlyn and meet Sophie Mae.

What a great family, I love them all so much.

When we got back, we hung out at the hotel for a breather, and then took a cab to La Tomate in the Dupont Circle area in DC. What a lovely dinner. Since we were so full, we decided to walk a while and then catch a cab. Well, we ended up walking all the way down past the White House, and to the National Mall. We probably would have walked all the way to the hotel but nature was calling so we grabbed a cab back. Note ... no public restrooms in Washington DC. Hold it and suffer.

Monday, Day 12: Another ride on Metro to the Pentagon. Christine's husband, Mike, is stationed at the Pentagon so he was able to take us on a tour. We were able to go to the memorial and chapel where the jetliner hit the Pentagon on 9/11. The tour was very interesting and it was great having Mike giving us any information he could. I couldn't take any pictures (a BIG no no). While we were having lunch, David ran into someone he knew. Out of 27,000 people working at the Pentagon, David sees someone and has a great "catch up" conversation. He always meets up with people he knows no matter where we go.

After the tour we headed back to the hotel, got the rental car, and headed back to New Jersey. After all, I missed this guy. (He's a retired police chief and now teaches criminal justice on the college level.)

Tuesday, Day 13: Chris' daughter works for David Letterman and was able to get three tickets. So we headed back into NYC for the show. What a blast. Kim took us on a tour behind the scenes and we were seated in the VIP section in the balcony. For those of you who grew up watching the Ed Sullivan Show, the Ed Sullivan Theatre is small, seats about 500. It was so cool to see the stage where the Beatles performed. The show was terrific and the guest was Kevin Costner.

Wednesday, Day 14: David and I went back into NYC with Barbara's sister and her husband to see Jersey Boys. WOW. It is the story of Frankie Valle and the Four Seasons and we plan to see it again when it comes to Seattle.

When we got back to Pat and Barbara's, we had another family barbeque so I could see Chris and Kathy again before we head back home. My cousins, Pat and Chris are the nicest guys in the world, and they were so good to me.

Thursday, Day 15: We got on the jet plane and headed back home to rain and polar fleece.

Today, Friday, we are going to be heading over to Edgar's Acres with all of the doggies.

TTFN

Sue

The Vacation Continues

Monday, Day 5. This was David's day. Pat, David and I made a pilgrimage in the morning to a revered gravesite. We went to see Babe Ruth's resting place. Now, I'm not a fan of gravesites. Several weeks back Pat said he had a surprise for us. Before we headed out to NJ Pat was mentioning this surprise trip again. I asked him "you're not taking me to a graveyard are you?" I was right. He confessed we were going to the Babe's grave, and asked me to keep the surprise to myself. I did, and David was surprised. I gave David the camera to take pictures of the Babe's grave, and Billy Martin's. Pictures didn't come through, so ... I ended up walking through the graveyard so I could take the pictures for prosperity.

When we got back to Pat and Barbara's house, we went down to the stream and took naps.

Monday night we headed into NYC and the Shrine, Yankee Stadium. David finally arrived at Yankee Stadium and got to see his beloved Yankees play at home.

If you look real hard you can see David in the upper deck about 4 rows from the bottom, behind home plate, cheering on his Yankees.

It was a great day for David.

I do need to say that there is something very moving about singing "God Bless America" in Yankee Stadium in New York City.

Tuesday, Day 6. Off to the Jersey Shore to see Pat and Barbara's beach house. This was my first time to the Atlantic Ocean in New Jersey. It was warm, warm, warm, and we took another 2:00 nap on the beach.

Wednesday, Day 7. David and I head off to see my cousin Sam and her family in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

TTFN

Sue

VACATION!!!!!!!

I love the concept of a vacation. No work, no worries, no alarm clocks. I could get used to this.

We've been on the move since the 17th.

Thursday, Day 1, we got on a plane for Newark, NJ. Of course, we were wearing jeans, and jackets because it's cold at 3:00 a.m. in Seattle. When I stepped outside in NJ, it was HOT and it was HUMID. It was like stepping into a steambath. We were greeted by my cousins Pat and Chris, the original Jersey Boys.

Pat and Chris are great, and I consider myself lucky to have such great guys as my cousins.

Friday and Saturday, Day 2 and 3: Chris and his wife, Kathy came and picked us up for the drive up to Cooperstown, NY, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

What a museum, even if you are not a big baseball fan. The exhibits are beautifully set up, informative, and kid friendly.

And there is the Hall of Fame. The noise level in the Hall of Fame is next to nothing. This is the place of memories, where the ballplayers of our youth are honored.

We stayed at the Tunnicliff Inn, established in 1802.

From Cooperstown, we stopped off at Woodstock.

It took me 39 years, but I finally got there.

We also stopped to see where Chris and Kathy are building their weekend home. It's on 18 acres in New York and a true piece of heaven on earth.

We ended up day 3 at Cousin Pat's house for a big family barbeque where I got to meettheir kids. What a wonderful family!!!

Sunday, Day 4: Off to NYC to see the city and go to a Broadway Show.

We went to Battery Park to see Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty (she's beautiful).

Then to Ground Zero and Trinity Church.

Ground Zero is a humbling experience. I couldn't take a picture, it didn't seem appropriate. There are so many souls and memories in this huge hole in the ground. We did go to Trinity Church, and could feel the presence of God in a time of need.

We then went to Strawberry Fields in Central Park so I could see the memorial to John Lennon.

Then off to the Theatre District to see Young Frankenstein.

This morning we are off to brunch with my Cousin Sam and her family.

TTFN

Sue

Where to Start ...

McDonald's in the theatre district in New York City, where people stand in lines for hours for this show.

It's hard to believe it's been almost a month since I last posted. Life has been a whirlwind for me. You see, David and I are on a two week vacation, with still one week to go. Before we could take off on the vacation, however, life was spinning out of control. I'll try to catch everyone up in the next few posts, but I can't guarantee anything. In the meantime, I have been knitting away. I've done three baby blankets, socks, placemats, started a sweater for ME, and am currently working on a sweater for a darling little girl.

Now where to start. ...

I had to get a new camera for our trip, so I spent one weekend at Edgar's Acres practicing and got some nice shots.

Here's Johnny telling Edgar how much he adores his big brother.

Believe it or not, here's a picture of Johnny in a "still" position. It only lasted 4 seconds. This little heart murmur baby is a flurry of energy.

The picture of my foot was an exercise in using the close up shots.

I had to get this shot of Louie sunbathing while panting his little head off.

The weekend following our trip to Edgar's Acres, we ladies had our Summer Solstice weekend. It was a blast as always, eating, drinking and knitting until 11:00 p.m when it finally started getting dark.

A Dropped Stitch in Sequim had a sock yarn dying party which was a kick. Nora had gone ahead and knit the fabric in white yarn so we would tie to our heart's desire, and then knit into a pair of socks. Since Leslie doesn't knit, she was the official photographer.

The yarn is waiting at home for me to knit up into a pair of socks this winter.

We also placed St. Francis in the Friendship Garden at Edgar's Place, and he is very happy there.

St. Francis belonged to Susan's mother. When her mother passed, Susan brought St. Francis back with her to be placed in the Garden to finish out his life. So far none of the dogs have peed on him, and none of the birds have pooed on him. He looks very special in the garden and we feel blessed to have him in at Edgar's Acres.

Speaking of Edgar. We have discovered he is a convertible dog. He hates riding in cars unless he is tucked into his crate. Unless ...He's riding in the backseat of Cynthia's convertible. He loves it. The look says it all.

He was born to ride with his ears in the wind.

Now, our trip. We have been planning this trip for two years now. I'll give more details later, but so far we have traveled to New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania and leave tomorrow morning for Washington DC.

Off to get some sleep before heading off to DC.

TTFN

Sue

Knitting Gone Bad

Berroco has gone over the edge again with this vest. This looks too close to the very first garment I knit. I got the button holes all messed up and nothing worked. Why spend so much time knitting to have a garment look like you don't know how to place the buttons to match the button holes. Maybe I just knit too slowly.
An then there is the pair of shorts called "Fancy Pants" by Knit Picks. This is knit in self-striping sock yarn. Thank goodness it's for a pair of baby pants, in the winter that is.

I love both companies for the patterns they create, but there are times I wonder ...

TTFN

Sue