Last Farmers' Market of the Year

Yesterday was the last Farmers' Market of the year, here in Edmonds.  I love the market and I especially love that I can walk out my front door, cross the sidewalk, and I'm there.  It's right in front of my house and I love that.  I will miss it and it seems a long, long time until next May, when it will return.

Autumn is my favorite season and the fall colors of the leaves and the jewel-tones of the zinnias and dahlias never cease to delight me.  The sky is such a pretty blue on nice days.  We used to call the warm, sunny days with crisp, cool nights "Indian Summer," but I am thinking that might not still be considered an acceptable term?  I mean no disrespect---that's just what it was called when I was growing up and I know of no other term to describe those glory days of October.

The abundance of produce at the market was astounding.  The colors of the peppers and the tomatoes were so bright they almost hurt your eyes.

Even the garlic was beautiful!

 I watched my son's girls last night so he and his wife could have an evening out with friends.  The Girls and I had a fun time, as always.  We worked on an art project that I plan to turn into a Christmas gift for my daughter-in-law, so I can't share it here....yet.  I love spending time with the Grands!

Aren't they adorable?

The Great Garbage Truck Escapade

My younger daughter and her family were here recently for a visit.  My grandson, who is a BIG fan of all things garbage truck-ish, heard some commotion in the alley early one morning as he, his sister and I were getting ready to go out for an early assault on a stack of pancakes.  Well, when we emerged into the alley behind my house to discover that the garbage truck (a rear loader, I was told by the very informed grandson), was actually picking up the trash, well.....it was very exciting.

It turns out that the gentleman who was operating the garbage truck, and all it's levers and controls, is a most pleasant man.  He took a liking to my grandson (who was jumping up and down and shrieking, "Look, Gramma Gramma, it's the garbage collector!  Look at beautiful his truck!").

My granddaughter, the big sister of the garbage truck aficionado, was interested in the levers and such when the garbage man actually let them operate the mechanism that compacts the trash!  They both got a turn.  (I was rather envious as I would have liked a turn, but decided not to push it.)

Then they were invited to climb up into the cab and sit behind the wheel of the truck!

It was so cool.  Can you imagine the delight for a 4-year-old garbage truck lover to be able to operate a real garbage truck and to sit in the cab??!?  Let me tell you, judging by the the squealing and hand clapping, it was a most big deal.

I would very much like to thank the extremely nice Mr. Nicholson from Sound Disposal in Edmonds for giving my grandchildren a real thrill.  That man has a very big heart, bless him.

The Santa Monica Pier

Last Saturday I spent the day with my daughter, son-in-law and their two children at the Santa Monica Pier.  I haven't spent much time in Los Angeles and environs in my lifetime and had never been to the Pier.  It was great fun!  I had (almost) as much fun as my grandchildren.

 

For someone who loves bright colors and taking photographs of shapes and forms, it was a veritable feast of a place.

The day was perfect....75 degrees, sunny skies and a lovely on shore breeze.

The children rode the rides.  We all had lunch at a pretty fine Mexican restaurant at the end of the pier.  We went to the aquarium and saw all sorts of fishy things.  (The jellies were especially lovely to my eye.)  Ice cream was enjoyed.  Playing on the sand was fun.  Soaking up some sunshine was much appreciated by my old bones.  It was a lovely day.

My granddaughter, minus some front teeth, agrees.  It was a fine day!

They're Here, They're Here!!!

All my family has arrived home for Christmas.  My eldest and her husband brought the newest little grandbaby, known affectionately as Bumbus.  The older cousins are quite enthralled with the baby, the one they don't get to see very often.

Grandpa is happy to show off Bumbus for the camera....

....and Alex is delighted that she got to hold her, all by herself!

This is Olivia.  She wasn't all that taken with the new cousin.  She wanted to read Mommy's Tote
and play with the dry erase pen and notebook....

.....and this is Abby, Olivia's twin sister,  who was very upset that Olivia grabbed Mommy's Tote first and that she wasn't getting to play with the dry erase pen and the notebook.  She, like all of us, really, doesn't enjoy taking turns.  But she did a good job waiting anyway, even though is was hard.

And this is Emma, big sister to Olivia and Abby.  She is very, very happy right now because she gets to play with  her cousin Alex.  They LOVE to play together and really enjoy the few visits they share each year.  Emma looks more and more like her beautiful mommy, Kellie, every day!

This is Ian.  He is not all that taken with babies.  He is not all that taken with girl cousins, either.  He IS very taken with the car and trailer the Bunny Family have that lives at Gramma Gramma's house.  He spends most of his time on the floor, driving the car and trailer or playing with the wooden train.  Girls?  Um, not so much.

Gramma Gramma is a very happy, very lucky lady.

Merry Christmas, one and all!

Double Double

Today was a good day, a very good day.  I am in Southern California visiting with my daughter and her family.  It's always a treat to be able to spend time with the grandchildren, but if I were to be totally honest, there is one over-riding, completely compelling reason to travel from the Pacific Northwest to Southern California.  And that reason is simple.  We do not have In-N-Out restaurants where I live.  It is very sad but we do not.

There are TWO HUNDRED AND FIVE In-N-Out outlets in California and NOT ONE in Washington state.  Is this fair, I ask you?  NO, it is NOT.

We went to In-N-Out for dinner this evening.  My grandchildren both have their favorite meals, which they got.  Their mommy has her favorite, also.  And Gramma Gramma (that's me) has hers, too,  and they fixed it exactly the way I love it.  Lots of "fresh" onions, not raw onions, but "fresh."  You can have your onions "grilled" or "fresh", or not at all, if that's your choice.  You can only order a hamburger, or a cheeseburger, fries and drinks at In-N-Out.  That's it.  Believe me, you have to understand that they have got that limited menu down.

The burgers are so good that if you even look like you might be thinking about taking a tiny little nibble of your granddaughter's hamburger (ketchup only), you will get a very suspicious look and she will turn away so you can't lunge at her and grab her food away.

My very own daughter (Ungrateful Wretch) will taunt you with the last french fry......

.....and my grandson will gobble up his cheeseburger, from safely across the table, where I couldn't reach it.

I understand they open at 10:30.  Anyone want to meet me there for breakfast?

Rawlings Attends Her Own Baby Shower

The guest of honor at a baby shower for my daughter Jennie was her new daughter, Rawlings, who arrived three weeks early.  Rawlings was a most welcome addition to the festivities, although she apparently had partied hard the night before because she barely opened an eye the whole time she was in attendance.  My sister-in-law, Nancy, and her daughter Megan were the hostesses for this happy event.  From the decorations to the food, it was perfect.  Thank you so much, Nancy & Megan!

She loves to sleep with one or both hands up by her face.  That's the way she was "photographed" in the womb, too, always with the hands held high.

Photo curtesy of Don Whitebread, aka "Grunkle" Don

Here we have Great Grandmother (known as GG in our family) meeting Rawlings for the first time.  She apparently passed muster....

Photo by Don Whitebread

That happy looking young lady in the enter of the photo holding the little sweater is my daughter Jen.  Her sister Annie is to her left, and then me, in the red.  Many family members attended, including my beautiful daughter-in-law Kellie, who you can see just behind me in the white sweater.

Photo by Don Whitebread

The happy parents were gifted with many beautiful items for our new little one.  Rawlings will have quite the wardrobe!

Photo by Don Whitebread

Here is the proud papa, Chris (known as Critter within our family as Annie's husband is also a Chris....it gets confusing!) and his mother, Ginny, the other grandma.

Photo by Don Whitebread

And here is another shot of the very proud papa and his new little one.  He is adorable, too!

Photo by Don Whitebread

My two eldest granddaughters, Emma (6) and Alex (5) were able to attend the baby shower, too.  They both looked like spring gardens in their pretty dresses.  I think they are as cute as can be,  just as ALL my grandbabies are!  Yes, I might be biased.  But still, I bet you, Dear Reader, think they pretty cute, too, don't you?

And here is my beautiful Jennie and her little one again.  The circle of life is something, isn't it?

Beautiful Snail Mail

I received the most wonderful letter in the mail yesterday.  I knew immediately by the envelope who it was from....only Dee and her bother consistantly call me Gramma Gramma.....

The back of the envelope was beautifully decorated.  I love getting hearts on my mail.  Don't you?

Even the front of the card had added hearts and stars.

The message was short and to the point, but it, too, had lovely added artwork.  You must admit, it's not every day you get a thank you note for ....a rock.  And an enthusiastic thank you at that!

Little 5-year-old Dee is planning to grow up to be either a vulcanologist or one of Santa's elves, so you can imagine, Dear Reader, how getting a volcanic rock in the mail from your Gramma Gramma might be very exciting.

Or, quite possibly, our family science nerd-ism is seeping down to the next generation.....