Kids Aviation Day
Check out this link to the
Mid Columbia 99s. We did a Kids Aviation Day last Saturday at the Tri Cities Airport. We had 89 kids and many parents coming and going. There were 6 units on various aspects of flying and we rotated kids through the units in groups of 10-15. We have done this several times before and even though we have got it down to a routine, it is still fun to see it all go smoothly.
Am thinking it would be good if I knew how to group these posts into various categories. It is possible that is difficult with the standard software.
Books
Okay Jane, you have motivated me. The problem with a blog is that I am never sure I have anything to say or that anyone is really interested. But today I wanted to tell someone about a book I read over the holidays and wasn't sure she would be even interested so I thought it better to share it here. Maybe I should just keep track of books I have read on this blog!
The book is
The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill. It is a mystery set in Laos after the Communist takeover. The coroner is a 72 year old man who is very curious about everything. It is set in a country that I know little about. I found it fun and interesting. I sent a copy to son George in Seattle, I also reccommended it to a friend who then chose it for a book group she is in....I am always encouraged when I like something and others do too. Here is one
review altho you will find others out there.
Right now I am reading a Sue Henry mystery set in Alaska. It is more what I would call an easy read....following a JA Jance one set in Seattle. Both of these are of the same ilk ie. written by someone very familiar with the local scenery. Jance sets all her stories in Seattle. And Sue Henry includes all the typical ALaskan fare. This one (
Sleeping Lady) is good because it has lots of airplanes in it and they fly out of an airport I visited when I was in Anchorage for a 99s meeting two years ago. And thus the attraction of these types of books - you know something of the area!
Knitting with ribbon
Over the holidays, I made a drop stitch scarf out of
Lion Brand Incredible yarn. It really isn't yarn but ribbon. The pattern I used was rather simple. I cast on 15 stitches, knit 6 rows, then did a drop stitch on every stitch and then repeated this pattern until the correct length. I made one of these scarves for our friend Cathy in Berkeley and one for Kim. Kim is a young (mid-30's) surgeon in a community up the valley about 60 miles away. The scarves seem to suit them. They would not be for keeping warm but more as a decorative item to wear when they go dancing!
Last Saturday, Kim came to our town to go hiking with me. It was pouring rain so instead we went to the knitting store and then she stayed to go dancing. The public makes these two activities seem so different as if infirmed elderly people knit while active people of all ages dance. Actually I find knitting relaxing but especially when I have time "to kill" like watching tv or as a passenger in the car. Cathy's scarf was knit on our road trip to CA.
Today I am going to go to exercise and then do a little shopping. Tonight I am having my friend Pat and Kim over for dinner and then we are going to see Pat's son (who is 45) in his first acting role in a local play. Pat is very nervous but I am sure her son will do fine.
Delurking
Two somewhat interesting posts this morning. Fillyjonk said today was delurking day to encourage people who don't leave comments to do so. I did because I enjoy her blog but I am overwhelmed with the time all this blogging takes. I can read a few but always am thinking that I need to get on with my day. And how one can do this from work is beyond me.
At Time Goes By, Ronni has a good perspective on a new book that talks about the older woman. I agree with her that it's more about selling a book that what we are.
Nothing much new this week. Spanish is going well. I got some great veggies from the Asian market in our town and have been stir frying them with tofu this week. Last night I added black bean sauce to the mix. Sounds healthy and it is!
Am debating whether to continue this - maybe putting pictures out in internet-land every now and then is enough!
A good start to the NY
The New Year so far has been about friends....and my favorite things to do. We danced the year in. And Sunday I went for a long walk with old friends. Yesterday Kim called and we were going to meet to do a hike up Badger. Wondering who else to ask, my husband came up with a few names and before long we had a lovely group of people who trudged up in nice sunshine and no wind. It got me thinking of how many times we do the hike alone and afterwards others say they would have liked to have gone. So many times we just think others are busy when in fact, more often than not, they are glad to get that call to go. It was a great way to start the year. Our neighbors went with us - their first time up - and we have known them and been friends since 1976!
Now today is another story. I am leading an ice skating event that is at 11 am. I have mentioned that to lots of people and I think we will just have the regulars. We only do it for about an hour. When we get new people, they always say it has been 30 (or 40, or 50) years since the last time. But at least with ice skating, one can just hold on to the edge for awhile.
And my Spanish class is at 1 and my husband is off to his machine shop class which starts again today at the community college. Did I mention how busy retirement is?
Home again
We had a nice trip to Northern California and the Bay area. Saw our friend Cathy and even got in a lesson in Argentine tango! Came back along the coast and it seemed like roads were closing behind us as the rivers got higher. And now it has been raining in our desert - a soft rain which is beautiful.
After dancing our way through New Year's Eve, I got up early yesterday and arranged to meet 3 old friends. One is visiting from Colorado. We had a lunch with black eyed peas and then took a walk along the river. What a good way to start the NY.
Today is beautiful and I think I will hike up Badger.
And everyone should read Ronni's post at Time Goes By about the Health Care crisis in our country.
