NO, I’M NOT DEAD…I’M JUST LAZY!

This is what happens when the weather turns warm and sunny and you want to soak up all of the natural beauty before winter comes. So forgive me, loyal friends around the globe and accept my belated end of summer greeting.

If you lived in the Northwest during the recent All-American summer heat, you were and are definitely lucky: sunny and 65 in the morning, 75 at midday, and back to 65 at night. Breezy, heavenly, worth enduring all the rain and fog of the winter months!

This is what I wrote two months ago. I better get it posted pronto, before I change my mind!

So, let’s start with my June birthday celebration. It was open to anyone who wanted to come and enjoy the superb music of Nathanial Talbot’s band at the Double Bluff Brewery in downtown Langley. Dancing, libations, good food, and laughter galore. What else can you do when you turn 97, except maybe wish it was 87. But that’s rather fruitless…and who cares?

Among the guests you will see friends and relatives from Maplewood, New England, and Colorado, as well as a superb collection of locals. You have to admit they’re a beautiful bunch!

The summer flew by with many visits from families and friends…always with trips to the beach at Ebey’s Landing, Coupeville, and this year nightime slug collecting in the garden with my great-grandsons.

MP, Ruth Klukoff, Barry Hamilton and Cary in Coupeville

Granddaughter and great-grandsons at Ebey’s Landing

Martha, Cary and MP

Farewell to Heidi Jefferson

Thomas, MP, Tom, Anna and Cary at China City

Brandon Collins, old friend from Jersey

Garden zucchini

Nightime slug catch

My grandson Adam Bixler and his wife Allie celebrated the summer by opening up a new fitness Alpha Fit franchise in Livingston, NJ. Check it out if you live nearby!

Personally…I’m staying away from a minute examination of the world at large and I bet you can figure out why. Unfortunately, that news just gets worse and worse and all we can do is keep up our hope and work for change in our own way.

But in closing, I must share the little ditty I wrote the night of the Nov. 4th election. Yes, I was extremely happy and encouraged as were so many others. Here is the poem that came to mind as I was watching the results unfold.

Today was quite exhausting, but was sunny to the end,
When suddenly a huge surprise occurred that seemed a trend;
At last, from coast to coast as voters streamed to all the polls,
It felt as if America had redefined its goals.

No, we are not a dying country, ridiculed and shocked,
No longer will we watch as our democracy is mocked;
For now we are awake, again, our soul once more in charge,
The struggle will be challenging, but the rewards are large!

We’re back again, my heart breathed in with happy joyous beats,
It’s early, yes, but there’s still time for dancing in the streets….

And keep hugging trees!

Photo by Jerene