Max and Carol Williams - Our Life

Whoa...2010 is Almost Gone

2010-11-27T08:56:00.000-08:00

Good grief. I knew it had been a long time since I posted, but April of 2009 is way too long ago. FaceBook has kind of replaced the blog as a means of communications but FB isn't particularly conducive to the longer narratives.

Life has changed a lot for us since our last post in April of 2009. Max is now bedridden. He got pneumonia last February, spent a week in the hospital, and hasn't walked since. Poor guy wants to be up working in the yard and playing with his cars. But, instead, he is stuck in bed.

We set up our dining room as "his" room. I put a twin bed at the foot of his bed so someone is always with him through the day and night.

We hired a live-in care giver in July. Her name is Terri. She has been such a blessing. She and I (Carol) get along really well and she's really good with Max, which is the main thing! She actually helps take care of me too, which is a good thing because I get so busy taking care of everyone else I don't take care of myself.

Our last big event was to celebrate Max's 80th birthday on August 24th. He still hardly has a wrinkle on his face. He still has his great dry sense of humor. He talks VERY soft and doesn't say much but when he speaks you want to be sure and listen! :-)

We also celebrated our 27th anniversary on September 10th. Still just a couple of newlyweds in love. :-)

Hope you are all well and looking forward to a happy holiday season!

Love,
Max & Carol

Trip To The Beach

2009-04-25T22:05:00.001-07:00

We rarely get out of town any more but we did get to the beach at Florence, Oregon for a couple days last week-end.

We met my cousin Shirley and her friend Richard there.

Had a great time, some excellent sea-food and beautiful sunsets. Here are some pics of our adventure.

There are more pictures on Carol's FaceBook profile.

Love,

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T23:24:00.001-08:00

Whew... we made it through the holiday season and are on our way to a fine '09 !

For all of those we've kind of lost contact with over the last 12 - 18 months, don't give up on us. You have NOT been dropped from our address list (although I did lose my entire e-mail address book when I had to do a system restore on my desktop computer last week, but that's another story).

The last several months have held a lot of changes for us and we're still tryng to figure out how to deal with the transitions required in working our way through life. Max remains sweet and in good spirits in spite of his mobility limitations and the memory tricks his brain plays on him. It's not always easy to know what the right thing to do is at this stage in our lives, so we're just doing the best we can on a day-to-day basis.

On a happy note, we had a very nice Christmas with Lana and Jeremy. Lana flew up from California and Jeremy came in from Yakima. Lana made us an extravagant ham dinner on Christmas eve and we enjoyed the leftovers during a lazy Christmas day.

To check out our entire December photo album, please visit my collection of pictures on Facebook. In order to view these photos, you will need to create a FaceBook identity and this will let you follow me on a day-to-day basis without waiting for an e-mail or blog post. Anyway, click on any photo to enlarge and you can scroll through the entire album.

As we move into the new year, we want all of you to know that in spite of our lack of communication, we do think of you often and would love to hear from you!

As always, we wish you love, health and happiness!

Love,

2008 Golf Bags Christmas Party

2008-12-16T21:50:00.000-08:00

Today was the annual "Golf Bags" Christmas party, which was so graciously hosted by Claudia Speer. I didn't get to play much golf this year but they were gracious enough to let me attend the party anyway. BUT, they said next year I have to play golf or I'm banned from any celebrations at Christmas time in 2009. So, now I have an ultimatum and I'll just have to make time to play because I don't want to miss this event next year!

Attendees were most of the regular Tuesday golfing group. Starting left to right...
Back row: Janet, Sharon, Marly, Linda, Elaine, Darlene
Middle row: Sherry, Carol, MaryLou, Rita, Sherry, Donna
Front row: Chips, Claudia, June, Rita

Everyone brought a salad or dessert and we had a lovely buffett. It was an awesome variety of scrumptious delights.

It was a very cold but beautiful sunny day and the views from Claudia's deck were fabulous.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Wenatchee Senior Center Christmas Tea

2008-12-08T23:28:00.000-08:00

Las Friday my friend, June Dorner, invited me to attend the Senior Center Christmas tea with her. We had tea and coffee and all kinds of goodies.

And we had quite the guest list... Santa, Father Christmas (yes they are different), the local youth Nutcracker dancers and even the Grinch.

The Barn... Or Is That a Chalet?

2008-12-01T20:16:00.000-08:00

On our way home from the beach yesterday, we stopped for a quick visit with Clair & Beverly in Corbett. Clair met us at the front door wanting to know if we wanted to go see his new barn. Didn't ask if we need a drink or to go potty... just wanted to show off his barn.

Well, that barn is one big honker! It's taller than two giraffes standing one on top of the other. I'm not sure actually how tall it is, but it's tall. If you take a look at the picture, the two doors are each 12 feet high, so that can give you some perspective of the size. The picture at the end of this paragraph is taken from the steps to the loft. I'm not even on the top step or I would have had to use the telephoto lens.

This barn (or is that a chalet with a garage underneath) has a loft, with French doors, for Beverly's art studio where she can paint and write and practice her violin.

Clair did make us a very nice turkey noodle soup for lunch and we visited for a couple hours before getting back on the road. We got home about 8:15 Sunday night.

Below are pictures of the original old tractor from when Clair and Beverly first got their berry farm going (many moons ago) AND the new tractor, both of which now have a comfy new home in the Chalet... I mean the barn.

Happy Holiday Season...

Love,

CarolWilliams@charter.net

A Drive to Depoe Bay

2008-11-28T13:16:00.000-08:00

Friday morning we drove the 12 miles south to Depoe Bay thinking we would get a bowl of chowder at the Sea Hag, our favorite chowder restaurant. But, we arrived too early and had to eat breakfast instead which was fine because now we have an excuse to go back. The picture here is of Max, Gracie the Sea Hag and her hunk.

Then we came back to Lincoln City and hit a couple of gift shops where we got a surprise for Shelley's kids.

Will report more fun later.
Love,
Carol & Max

Thanksgiving at the Beach

2008-11-27T19:45:00.003-08:00

Since we didn't have any kids or other company coming for Thanksgiving, we decided on a whim a couple days ago to take a mini excursion to Lincoln City, Oregon. We were lucky enough to score an oceanfront studio condo and arrived here about 4:30 this afternoon. This is a picture looking north (up the beach) from our patio. The stairs to the beach is right in front of our room. Awesome!

Being a holiday, the choices for places to eat were skimpy but we ended up at an unpretentious place called Maxwell's. They had a full turkey dinner and they were very generous with their portions.

It was very good and we had plenty leftover to bring home for snacks. We also brought home the pumpkin pie that came with dinner.

Here's hoping everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,
Carol & Max

Happy Holiday Season

2008-11-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

I am one of the people who hates the early retail attempts to sell Christmas stuff. I just hate it (and threaten boycott) when I see Christmas decorations come out in September (or even October for that matter).

Today is the first day I woke up and felt inclined to use a seasonal mug for my morning coffee. As the last Saturday before Thanksgiving (and the winter nip in the air) I can now be happy and accepting that the holiday season is upon us.

That being said, we don't really have any particular holiday plans. With Max Jr in Iraq (second tour of duty) and the other kids spread out, we don't have any guests coming that we know of yet. But, we're still open if someone decides they want to make the trek for a good old fashioned home cooked meal with turkey and all the trimmings.

I am busy, busy, busy and having fun, fun, fun with my new real estate company. Shelley and I are so blessed to be doing well when so many other agents have taken second jobs to supplement their income during tough times. We were lucky (or extremely wise) to expand heavily into Property Management as a steady source of income for us. The real estate crisis seems to have enhanced the demand for rentals as people just can't buy right now for various reasons. That has been good for us.

Well, Max is taking a nap and I'm off to an appointment so will sign of for now.

Happy Holidays...

Love,

Get Me To The Church On Time

2008-11-02T17:25:00.001-08:00

Lana's been visiting for a few weeks and she came by this morning and took Max to church.

Max loves an excuse to dress up and is still the best looking guy in town (whether he is in a suit or not)!

When they got back home we took a little walk to the rose garden to take in the beauty of the last roses before the freezing temps kill them completely.

We've all been loving the fabulous Fall colors the last few weeks are are sad to see the leaves starting to wilt and Fall. Fall has always been my personal favorite time of year here. I love Spring for the burst of new life but I love the Fall even more for the fabulous variety of yellows, oranges and reds.

A Fall drive to Leavenworth and up the Tumwater Canyon is an annual tradition with Max and me. Our drive a couple weeks ago uncovered a home in Leavenworth with residents sharing their Halloween spirit with all passers by. I just stopped by the side of the road and took this pic out the car window. Click on the image to enlarge and enjoy!

Stay Warm!

Love,

Would love to hear from you!
CarolWilliams@charter.net

More Anniversary Pictures

2008-09-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I posted a picture of my husband Max and me having dinner at Applebees on our 25th anniversary.

Last night we went out to dinner with our friends June & Roger Dorner (at left) who were celebrating their 54th anniversary. There were married in 1954!

We were pretty proud of ourselves at 25, but we have a loooong way to go to catch up with June and Roger!

Congratulations to them. They were prolific home builders in Wenatchee for many years but are enjoying retirement now. They are an amazing couple and we're proud to be good friends.

Life is good!

It's The Silver (And the Diamonds)

2008-09-10T19:43:00.000-07:00

Today is our 25th wedding anniversary. A pretty nice milestone for us.

Here is our picture while at Applebee's for dinner tonight.

Willinger Real Estate Is Born

2008-08-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

Whew... what a whirlwind I (Carol) have been in. Finally, the new business Shelley and I have been planning for many months has been born! After much ado and a mountain of legal forms Thursday, August 14th, was the official "birthday".

Our new company is Willinger Real Estate (a combination of our two last names (Williams and Granger). We are so excited about our new venture in spite of the fact it's going to be a lot of work. But, then, the real estate business is a lot of work any way you look at it. We will serve the entire Wenatchee real estate market working primarily with single family houses, multi-plexes (and other non-commercial investor properties) as well as doing Wenatchee property management... including HOA's.

We have one additional agent who has already joined us, Candy Armstrong. Candy has had her real estate license since 1979 (two years longer than me) but she has been focusing full time on her appraisal business for about 20 years. She will be a good addition to our group.

We don't want to become a BIG company but we're willing to take on a few, select, agents. I have no desire to get so mired in administration that I don't have time to do the fun stuff... spending time with our clients.

So, now you have some idea of why my blog entries have been so scarce. Now that the company is formed and launched I can take a deep breath and refocus. I will try to do better about keeping up.

We'd love to hear from you. Our direct e-mail is: CarolWilliams@charter.net or if you have an AOL e-mail address for us that works too!

Happy Summer!

Oh My Gosh!

2008-08-10T17:28:00.001-07:00

I knew it had been a long time since I posted here but now I realize it's been over 2 months! Whew, it's not like we haven't had anything to write about... just no time I guess.

Our most recent foray was a mini-vacation to the Oregon coast. Click on that highlighted link to go to the photo album. When you get into the album click on the first photo to enlarge it, then you can scroll through the entire album one at a time.

My cousin Shirley and her friend Richard accompanied us and we all shared an ocean front condo at Florence. It was awesome. The feature photo here is of me and Shirley ready for our cherry pit spitting contest from the deck of the condo. We laughed so hard we nearly wet out pants! It is an understatement to say Shirley is very competitive. She pretended not to see my pits that went further than hers... but at least Richard was an honest soul. Finally, Shirley did admit that I won BUT only because I'm full of hot air.

Sadly this trip was instigated by and combined with a last visit my very ill Aunt Marian (who has since passed on). We were very glad to have had this last chance to visit with her and talk about the olden days. She was telling us about a time in the 1950's when there was a gathering at my Mom & Dad's house on Ash Street in Portland. Apparently my Mom made a rather memorable potato salad that included radishes. Marian says it was the first time she had ever tasted radishes in a potato salad. I wonder if they came out of my Dad's garden?

Will try to be better about posting in the future.... but can't make any promises. Life doesn't show any signs of slowing down. Will fill you in on more later.

Hugs...
Max & Carol

There's No Keeping Up Now

2008-05-26T19:42:00.001-07:00

The race is on between me and the rose garden. I did some serious pruning in the roses this week-end, but the untrained eye would never know. the 96 gallon garbage can knows!

The rose bushes were to the point where you couldn't even get between the bushes and there was no way to get to the back row for harvesting OR pruning !

Anyway, in spite of the pruning, it's still prolific and we'll have a hard time keeping up with the crop. We have been cutting bouquets of roses all week-end and I probably pruned away ten times that many. Now that I have the bushes themselves somewhat under control, I can actually get around the garden to do some leaf clean-up from last year and weeding from this year. I am hoping to hire someone to do the actual weeding. I did enough of that this week-end to know that I prefer to use my brain over my brawn.

These rose bushes are getting old and we may have to seriously consider a new design for this space sometime in the next year or two. Might be fun to try a new look.

We did our part for reducing the nation's dependence on oil by staying home ALL week-end. The longest trip we took was to East Wenatchee for Chinese food for dinner tonight.

In addition to the roses, we are grpwomg a new crop of tomatoes planted on April 6th. This is our second crop in the Aero-Garden that Max got for Christmas. I just love watching these plants grow. We have two Red tomato plants and one Golden tomato plant. They are currently 9 inches tall, but I've done a lot of pruning to keep them compact and so they don't get gangly. According to the instructions, this establishes a stronger main stem to support the big crop.

On another subject, we have found a great day respite care center for Max to go to when I am out running about for business. It is at the Grace Lutheran church and they are open Monday - Thursday from 9:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon. It's a good change atmosphere for Max... and a welcome relief for me not to worry about him when I am not home. He loves to work in the yard, but his balance is not good and he has taken a couple of tumbles. Fortunately, he hasn't hurt himself and we'd like to keep it that way. The church has two or three people on duty at all times and they visit and have lunch and play games... and nap whenever they want! Sounds like a schedule I would like! :-)

We're adjusting to life changes. I'm wearing many more hats but Max has been a gem about accepting his increasing limitations. As much as he hates not being able to work in the yard and do other jobs around the house, he does understand the risk involved. I feel very grateful for that. There is nothing worse than having to argue to protect the ones you love.

Well, that's the report from the Williams house. Would love to hear what's up in YOUR life.

Love,

The Good News and The Bad News

2008-05-18T17:05:00.000-07:00

The good news is: J.R. and his girlfriend, Janice, (pronouced Ja-neece) came up this week-end and gave us the news they are getting married. We really like Janice and will be happy to have her in the family. The bad news is, it sounds like they will wait until J.R. gets back from Iraq... his second deployment. He will return in August of 2009, so not sure when the wedding will take place after that.

In the background of the pictures, of course, is one of JR's restoration projects. These pictures were taken just before they took Max out to the car storage to "visit" Max's two classic cars. They took the red convertible out for a spin up to Lake Chelan and back. Next month when J.R. comes back for his last visit before going to Iraq, he promised to take Max out in the blue Buick Riviera. Max will love that.

Also, they presented me with a really beautiful bouquet of delayed Mother's Day flowers. I like this Janice... she's having a very good influence on J.R.!!!

Remember: You can always click on any photo to enlarge.

We're Alive !

2008-05-11T19:32:00.000-07:00

It's about time I stopped working long enough to make a post... at least to let everyone know we're still alive! I have never, ever, ever gone this long without posting to the blog. So, I'm going to make up for it with several subject in this "catch-up" post.

Here I am, sipping a birthday Sangria, with friends June Dorner and DiAnn Heath. The husbands were sitting on the other side of the table.

And, here is Max hanging out with an old car. Even though he can't do the actual restoration work anymore, he still loves to look. Instead of going to the BIG Apple Blossom Parade, we headed over to the Douglas County Park where the Classy Chassis cars were on display. Max still has two classic cars of his own, which he lovingly keeps safely stored. Whenever J.R. comes up to visit, they usually get them out of storage and take them for a carbon-burning spin.

The week-end before the BIG parade was the annual Youth Parade. My friend, and business partner, Shelley (waving in the pic) headed up the committee in charge of the John Newbery Elementary School float. I think it was the most fun and colorful entry of the year.

Yesterday, I took the time to stop by and visit my friend Amy Greenhalgh and her 8-month old baby, Shelby. I had not seen the baby since before we left for California so she has grown A LOT. I've got to get out more often!

Amy's Mom, Patti, was visiting from Las Vegas so it was fun seeing her again too.

Grandma Patti was enjoying spending time with the baby while Amy got to work in the yard. I can't believe Amy was doing this dirty job by herself while Troy was at work. I would have definitely been looking for some professional help! But, Amy used to be a Park Ranger, so I think she likes a good excuse to get dirty.

My Latest New Gadget

2008-02-18T20:39:00.000-08:00

I've always loved gadgets and new technology... like being one of the first in Wenatchee with a Fax machine, and cell phone. That was when Fax's used thermal paper and cell phones were really two-way radio transmitters and receivers. Today I fed my lust for a new gadget.

This morning Max and I went for a random drive around the area, stopped at our favorite little donut shop then headed to the Roger Dunn Golf Store where I chose the newest SG5Golf Caddie. It's not much bigger than a cell phone and will be so cool. I wish everyone had one of these because it's a time saver on the golf course. No more looking for yardage markers on sprinkler heads, or wondering how far the hazards are. The only bad thing, of course, is it won't actually stop the golf ball from going into a hazard, it will only tell me where and how far away they are.

Now, I just have toarrange a game of golf to test it out.

Stay tuned...

Carol

Lunch With Lowell and Mary Jo

2008-02-17T18:23:00.000-08:00

One of the highlights of our annual trip to Palm Springs is getting together for lunch with Max's cousin and his wife. Lowell's Dad and Max's Dad were brothers so Max and Lowell grew up together in Cardston.

Lowell & MaryJo live in Edmonton, Alberta and also have a home in Palm Desert, where they spend 6 months of the year. We try to get together for lunch at the Olive Garden once a week while we're here.

Today they had us over to their condo for lunch and dessert. The upper left picture is Lo & Jo cutting the Apple Pie and dishing up the ice cream. YUMMO!

And here is Max and Lowell sitting on the sofa discussing an article that was printed in the Cardston newspaper about Lowell recently. Lowell has been an avid athlete all of his life and was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame of Edmonton's Royal Glenora Club in Edmonton on his 80th birthday last September. He was quite the runner and basketball player as a youth... got into squash as an adult, but in later years seemed to focus on tennis which he became very good at, has won many trophies, and still plays regularly.

Remember: You can click on any of the pictures in this post or the entire blog to enlarge the image.

Beautiful Day On The Course

2008-02-16T21:33:00.000-08:00

Our golfing friends, Carl & Mary Lou Lattimer, from Wenatchee are down here for 3 weeks. Last night we got together for dinner at the (Cathedral Canyon Country Club) clubhouse with Bud & Dorothy McIntire (who live here). Bud and Dorothy used to live in Wenatchee but moved down here several years ago and love it. They usually go back to Wenatchee for a few weeks in the summer (when it's soooo darn hot here) to visit family and friends.

Above, clockwise: Max, Bud, Willy, Dorothy, Mary Lou, Carl.

Today Carl & Mary Lou invited me to play golf with them. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. Here is a picture of Carl, Max and Mary Lou while we were waiting for our turn on a par 3.

Max rode with me for the first nine then I ran him back to the condo for a nap while I finished the back nine with Carl and Mary Lou. My game didn't start out so great but I finished pretty strong. I shot a 49 on the front, 40 on the back, to break 90. Yay! I was particularly proud of the back nine 40 because it was the "Lake" nine, which (IMHO) is the most difficult on the course. There is not only LOTS of water but plenty of sand too.

I love Palm trees! I'm not sure why, but I find myself fascinated by them. No matter where I am, I find myself gawking around looking at Palm trees. Whether they are tall or short, they seem so graceful. The first picture above is three TALL palms behind the pool near our condo. Orange, lemon and grapefruit trees line the pathway to the pool.

The second set of palms was taken on the golf course today. What you can't see is the BIG lake on the left and the BIG sandtrap on the right.

The Afternoon Office

2008-02-13T16:04:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of my "office" this afternoon... by the pool/spa, just steps away from the patio of our condo in the Cathedral Canyon Country Club.

Looking up, here is a view of the palms from this spot, hovering over the spa area.

Life Is Good!

Max & Carol Williams On The Patio

2008-02-10T17:51:00.001-08:00

Shirley took a picture of Max and me yesterday morning while relaxing on the patio with coffee (and hot chocolate for Max).

In the background you can see the tennis courts which are right next to the clubhouse. We have a very convenient location near the clubhouse and we have a golf cart with our condo so we can tootle around the neighborhood when we don't have anything else to do.

Shirley made me reach back and pull an old 4-H Style Show pose while goofing off under the orange and grapefruit trees this morning. I'm not really super model material any more, but... Oh Well!

More Fun in Palm Springs

2008-02-10T17:25:00.000-08:00

Cousin Shirley St. Clair and her friend Richard have been here since Wednesday but had to fly back home (to the cold Northwest) today. They live in Eugene, so the weather isn't quite as bad as in Wenatchee (and the Cascade mountains of Washington) but it will still be a shock going back after the wonderful 80 degree weather they've been enjoying here. Here we all are out in front of Babe's (a very popular BBQ restaurant) after dinner last night.

Here is Max posing out in front of the pool and spa just a few steps down from our condo.

We had some good times while Shirley & Richard were here. Friday afternoon we went to the Palm Springs Follies, which is a fabulous 3 hour musical and dance show featuring ALL senior citizens. The youngest cast member was 56. The oldest 78. They do 9 shows per week! They don't allow photographs to be taken in the theatre, so no pictures to post.

Random Acts of Fun

2008-02-07T19:16:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe we've already been here one week. Time truly does fly when you're having fun!

I was able to play my first game of golf on Tuesday... the first in 6 months (since I broke my arm in early August of last year. I was invited to join a small group of ladies at the Cathedral Canyon Country Club (where we are staying). In this picture is the 120 yard par 3 hole #9 of the Lake course. Notice the snow capped San Jacinto Mountains in the background? This is a very challenging course, with lots of water and sand traps, making ball placement crititical. In spite of a less than stellar score, I can't use the broken arm, shoulders or last years back surgery as an excuse. I actually felt pretty good. I was also able to play again today with my friend, Dorothy McIntire,during their regular the Ladies Club day. My score improved by 6 strokes and the weather continues to be fabulous. Life is Good!

Anticipating the arrival of cousin Shirley St.Clair and her friend Richard, Max and I took the car down to the local car wash and gave it a good bath and hand wax. It deserved a nice pampering after all it went through (snow, sleet and rain) getting out of the Northwest and down to Palm Springs.

Yesterday, cousin Shirley St.Clair and her friend Richard arrived for a few days of fun in the sun. The temperature here was about 70 degrees yesterday and Richard said that was twice the temperature of when they left Eugene, Oregon that morning! Today was about 72 and supposed to be about 77 tomorrow. Yea! Tonight we all went down to "The River" and had dinner at a California Bistro called Pieros Acqua Pazza. That was fun.

Tomorrow we plan to see the Matinee performance of the annual Palm Springs Follies, which is always a fabulous show of song and dance, featuring ALL senior citizens.

Ginger (Rogers) and Me

2008-02-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

Today Max, Connie and I went to see a stage play called "Ginger and Me". It was a musical about the life of Ginger Rogers, from her Mother's perspective. Her mother was really the driving force behind her rise and success.

Did you know Ginger Rogers was married 5 times? Even Howard Hughes proposed to her but she could see his philandering ways before it was too late. 3 of her husbands turned into alcoholics. I guess it's tough being married to a movie star.

Tomorrow Connie and I plan to go to the Street Fair at the College of the Desert. It's held every Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. It's always one of my favorite things to do when down here. It's still a bit cold in the mornings for Max and said he'll probably opt to stay home. It will be warming up as the month goes by and we will have several more opportunities to go before heading home.

Settling In

2008-02-01T18:27:00.000-08:00

Today was a nice, leisurely, day. I did some grocery shopping to stock up the empty food shelves and refrigerator... and we're settling in.

Here is (from left to right) Max, Connie, and Bill (on the floor watching a Laker game).

Connie and Bill are staying with us for a couple days, then they have a timeshare they will move into until Wednesday when they will go back home to Sun City West (Phoenix).

Tomorrow we are booked to go see a Broadway play "Ginger and Me"... about Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. Will write about that tomorrow or the next day.

Stay tuned...

Carol Loves Maggie (and the Ford Five-Hundred)

2008-01-31T19:50:00.000-08:00

The last 4 days have been a challenge, but it's all good now.

As many of you know, Max & I head south every February to get out of the cold and enjoy some warmer climates (in Palm Springs). This year has been so cold and snowy at home, I put Max on a plane to Phoenix January 21st so he could get out of the cold and enjoy some time with his sister, Connie (and her husband Bill), in Sun City West.... while I stayed home and finished up some business.

Our Palm Springs condo was reserved for February 1st, so the plan was for me to leave Tuesday (Jan 29th) and drive down to Palm Springs (yes, by myself) and Connie and Bill would bring Max over from Phoenix. Generally this is a long, laborious driving experience. I don't mind driving but Max butt gets tired when just sitting in the car ALL day for three days. Well, truth be known, my butt gets tired too however it's a bit easier for me.

Anyway, Any of you watching the weather channel lately knows the Pacific Northwest has been blasted with snow and challenging driving conditions, so I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out what the best plan of action would be for my "escape".

The distance from Wenatchee to Palm Springs is about 1400 miles and takes about 3 driving days. I had originally planned to leave on Tuesday to give myself one extra day to get to Palm Springs (because of unknown driving conditions).

Turns out I was very fortunate with my travel timing. Due to ANOTHER snow storm predicted to hit the Cascade Mountain range on Monday night, I decided to leave Monday afternoon instead of Tuesday morning. This turned out to be an extremely wise decision. I got over Snoqualmie Pass (which was already a bit nasty) without any problems. I understand it's been a mess ever since.

Having gotten a nice head start, I was able to get over the Siskiyous Tuesday just before dark, which was great. I actually arrived at the base of the Siskiyous just after they lifted a chains required period and, although it was a bit slow, no problems. That is one long stretch from Medford, Oregon (where the mountain ascent begins) to Redding, California (where it flattens out and clear sailing begins).

I was pooped when I arrived in Redding Tuesday night, but booked myself into a nice hotel, had a nice dinner and a glass of wine... and got a great night's sleep. I felt really good for the rest of the trip. I arrived in Palm Springs about 11:30 this morning, so had some time to get the condo a bit organized before Max and his sister arrived about 3:00. The weather is beautiful, which makes the effort to get here worthwhile.

I found a drive-through car wash in Redding but Friday or Saturday would like to get it cleaned in and out! It deserves some pampering after taking such good care of me on the way down. It was a trooper through treacherous weather and California freeway traffic. I do love that car... a 2006 Ford Five-Hundred, a very underrated car on the market. The new model has been renamed the Ford Taurus, but it's the same car as mine.

Once I got out of the mountains, it was time to shift my mind set from treacherous road conditions to treacherous (southern California) "driver" conditions. Traffic is so heavy and goes so fast down here, ones mind can NOT relax for even one moment. AND, due to serious budget issues, California roads are not in good condition. They have attempted to patch them but it wasn't done particularly well and there are still plenty of holes to watch for and avoid. Through all of this maze of traffic and freeways, my GPS navigator system (Maggie Magellan) was an important, and much loved, ally.

Anyway, now we're both in Palm Spring together and the fun can begin!

Max's Garden Update: 1-23-2008

2008-01-23T19:25:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture taken of Max's Aero-Garden, taken January 23, 2008. This is two days short of a month after planting! I have actually snipped the Italian and Purple Basil several times to let the other plants catch up.

This garden is sooooo cool and so much fun to watch on a daily basis. Very low maintenance, just needing water and two nutrient tablets every couple of weeks. Good entertainment for a long cold winter.

Update on Max's Winter Garden

2008-01-05T08:50:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of Max's garden, taken this morning, just 10 days after planting on Christmas Day. It's doing rather well, don't you think? Only the parsley still has it's dome on. The plant is peeking out but we'll let it grow another day or two before removing the dome. We've both been enjoying the watching the progress of all the plants.

J.R. came up for an overnight stay on New Years Eve. He and Max were both in bed way before midnight so I had to welcome in 2008 by myself. It's not the first time and I'm sure won't be the last. :-)

Here is Max later on New Years Day enjoying an Applebee's "Triple Chocolate Meltdown". Max loves going to Applebees. He pretends its for the food, but I know it's really because he knows he will get a Triple Chocolate Meldown for dessert, which is a miniature warmed chocolate bundt type cake with hot chocolate sauce drizzled over it and down the middle AND served with vanilla ice cream. YUMMO !

Happy New Year. May Health and Happiness be with you all year long.

Remember: You can click on any image to enlarge it.

Christmas Day 2007

2007-12-28T08:46:00.001-08:00

Clair and Beverly came up from Corbett to spend a few days with us this Christmas. I wish I had taken some pictures of Clair in the kitchen making a fabulous clam chowder for Christmas Eve dinner.

The clams were compliments of my cousin, Steve Klock. Story is we ended up losing a can of clams (store was out of fresh) between the store and home so when I was talking to Steve's Mom, Kathy, I asked her to see if Steve had any clams on hand. Kathy showed up on our door step with a 51 oz can of clams. We were NOT short of clams in the chowder. Yummo.

Here are some photos from Christmas day.

Clair and Beverly after Christmas dinner.

Beverly helped Max unwrap his garden (see previous post) and Clair helped him put it together.

Happy Holidays!

P.S.: We would love to hear from you!
CarolWilliams@charter.net

Max's New Garden

2007-12-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

With the weather so cold outside, Max hasn't been able to get out and wander in the yard. BUT, Santa did bring him a surprise so he can grow a crop right in our kitchen any time of year! Max was quite intriqued with that big box and was anxious to see what was inside. Here he is unwrapping the surprise garden. Did you know you could buy a garden in a box?

Right now we have a very interesting array of herbs growing including, Italian Basis, Cilantro, Min, Dill, Parsley, Chives, and Purple Basil. It was planted on Christmas Day and as soon as yesterday the Italian Basil was popping it's little head up. It will be fun to watch the progress and how quickly the "crop" matures.

Besides a huge variety of herbs, we can grow tomatoes, peppers, beans, peas, various salad greens, AND flowers. You buy the little pods and "plant" them and they grow right in front of your eyes. Pretty darn cool!

Check back as time goes by and we'll let you know how the garden is doing.

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas From Max & Carol

2007-12-22T19:17:00.000-08:00

We've been remiss in getting Christmas cards out, so we hope this can serve as a way for us to send everyone our very Best Wishes for the Holidays and happiness in the New Year.

Here is a summary of our year 2007. Please click on each month's link to be taken to all pictures and commentary from that month:

January: After a fall on the snow and ice, Carol had successful back surgery to repair a crushed vertebrae. We were on our way to California about 10 days later. This driving trip to California was one of the most eventful we've ever had.

February: Spent the entire month in Palm Springs in a rented condo. Our patio looked out over a lake and fairway and it was fun watching the golfers go by in our spare time. Carol worked ALOT during the month, but it was a nice diversion to be away from the cold of Wenatchee.

March: Not a terribly eventful month, but arrived back home from California and back into the groove of "real life".

April: Besides celebrating Carol's 55th birthday, a trip to Memphis for some training with Shelley was the most exciting thing to happen this month. After two days of meetings, we managed to sneak away for a tour of Graceland.

May: Apple Blossom in Wenatchee, a new patio set for Mother's day and a nice trip to Wapato Point compliments of our friends Wayne and Susan Gerald.

June: Too much work kept Carol off the golf course most of the year, but she snuck in a rare came occasionally. Max didn't golf at all this year.

July: A 4th of July week-end four generation gathering when we met Max Jr, Jeremiah and his kids at the local park where they were camping for the week-end.

August: We celebrated Max's 77th birthday and spent an afternoon at the Waterville rodeo. Carol broke her left arm in a silly fall when she tripped over the lawn mower. That put an end to her run at another Club Championship. After much ado, very negligent treatment from my regular doctor... and a miracle meeting with a local chiropractor, Dr. Wayne Latimer, the arm seems to be doing well now. Seems odd that a chriopractor could be my hero, but he was able to guide me to full use of my arm again.

September: We celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary with a rare visit from cousin, Shirley St. Clair from Eugene, Oregon. We also enjoyed a quick trip to Montana to meet up with Max's sister, Connie, and her husband who had been RVing for several months.

October: We enjoyed one of the longest, most fabulous fall foliage seasons ever in Wenatchee. I revisited my sewing roots by helping Shelley make her Dorothy (from the Wizard of Oz) dress as her Halloween costume. Shelley did ALL of the sewing but we cut it out together and I sewed on a couple buttons and helped with the finishing touches... and took their picture as they left for the party.

November: JR brought his grandson Calvin up and Jeff came over for Thanksgiving. It was a small, but grateful group who enjoyed my traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings.
December: Chronic should problems have flared up and Carol is awaiting the prognosis and whether shoulder surger will be required BEFORE our annual trip to California. It will be a sad event if that does happen because it will mean NO golf during our escape to the sun. Too much work (which is a good thing) has kept Carol from getting any Christmas cards out to family and friends!

December: The cold weather has us staying inside as much as possible... and looking forward to getting away to some warmer climates next month.

We are most grateful for all our wonderful friends and family and send everyone our very best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Love,

The Traditional Recipe: Fudge

2007-12-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

I posted this story for the last two years, so in setting a tradition, I'm posting again this Christmas Season. It's such a good (and funny) story, I wanted to bring it forward and post again. Enjoy!

We received this box of fudge from Amy & Troy two Christmases ago. This is the story of Amy's efforts to get the fudge just the way her Grandma used to make it. The note enclosed with the gift box of fudge read:

"Dear Carol and Max,
Here is some FUDGE I made from the heart. I was thinking about my Grandma and some of her Christmas cooking. I remember her making holiday cookies, popcorn balls, and fudge. A few years back I helped her make fudge for the family.

So…..in my infinite wisdom, I thought it would be a good idea to make fudge and put it in small tins as a part of gift baskets for both sides of the family and close friends. It was a well thought out plan with good intentions.

So here is the FUDGE STORY: (I am now convinced that FUDGE is a very bad word)I dug through many boxes to hunt down Grandma’s recipe book. Found the fudge recipe and scurried down to the store and bought all the ingredients. Everything was going as planned until the actual fudge making process began.

The instructions said to boil until it forms a soft ball and folds. So I kept boiling and boiling until the crap started to crystallize! I took it off the burner and as it started to cool it turned into one massive concrete ball! I ended up with this rock hard blob that adhered itself to the bottom of the pot. It was stuck in there so bad I literally had to throw the pot away. Somehow I missed the “soft” ball stage!

Round Two: I dug up an older pot to cook with just in case round one was repeated. This time I cooked the liquid until it started to fold and then I took it off the heat and stirred it for awhile until I realized it was getting very hard in a hurry. This batch did make it to the cooling pyrex but after it was completely cool it was hard enough to break every tooth in my mouth. I think we could use this batch as additional blocks for the retaining wall.

Round Three: I felt I was getting closer to making edible fudge. All I had to do is pour myself another drink and cook the liquid for a shorter amount of time. That should do it right? Mmmm…..well, I stuck to my plan of more drinking and less boiling. I took the liquid fudge substance off the fire much earlier this time. As it cooled I stirred, and stirred, and stirred. I was so confident that this batch was going to be perfect I added a bunch of expensive walnuts to it. I poured the warm fudge into the pyrex and waited for it to cool. As it cooled it was supposed to harden. I waited, and waited, and waited. It did harden some but not to the classic fudge consistency that I had expected. The fudge looks more like a soft brownie but it is edible and does taste good. I cut it up and individually wrapped the pieces just like Grandma used to do (which was an ordeal in itself that I will not go into).

Round Four: After a semi-successful batch, I got the urge to make one final attempt at the perfect fudge. I scraped the bottom of the butter barrel and used every last teaspoon of sugar in the house. This was it, there were no more ingredients to do another batch after this. It had to be done right. I thought about this “soft ball” thing and realized what that means. You drop some boiling liquid onto a plate and when it cools it should form a soft ball. That is the point when you take the fudge off the burner and start beating it until it “folds”. Brilliant! So, I boiled the liquid for awhile and then started making splatters onto a plate. They were not making soft balls, but they sure did taste good. I think my theory was correct with the soft ball idea, but I kept eating all the drippings before they became totally cool enough to make a ball, oops. At this point I was totally “FUDGED up” and just wanted to eat a piece of my creation and be done with the project. I got nervous that the substance would crystallize again so I took the last batch off the burner and started to beat it. I had used all the walnuts in the previous batch so this round would be nut free. I poured the last of the fudge into the cooling pyrex for the final attempt. This might have been it? Well, as close to “good” as it is going to get. It is still a bit soft but at least you won’t break any teeth!

Final Conclusion: I now know why Grandma always had drinks while making fudge. I learned that making fudge is no easy project but love my family and friends enough to attempt making gifts that are truly from the heart.

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

The Greenhalghs "

P.S.: Amy, are you out there? Are you still perfecting the recipe... or are you too busy preparing for baby Shelby Lee's first Christmas? Here are Amy and Troy fitting baby Shelby to her first motorcycle. Click on the image to enlarge and you'll see a full head of black hair!

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-11-22T12:49:00.000-08:00

I'm late in posting this but am back dating it to put it in proper sequence. For Thanksgiving this year J.R. and his grandson (Calvin) came up from Yakima and Jeff came over from Renton.

I cooked a full meal deal with turkey, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, yam casserole, 2-berry salad, rolls, etc. There were plenty of left overs for several meals... including a big batch of soup and lots of sandwiches.

J.R. is always handy to have around because he's the mechanic of the family and Max loves having him work on the cars. Jeff is our carpenter handyman and we can always find odd jobs for him. They're both good workers and happy to help, which we appreciate!

My brother and his wife (Clair and Beverly) will be here for Christmas.

Happy Holidays!

Follow The Yellow Brick Road And... Dr. Death?

2007-10-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

Tonight Shelley and her family were off to a Halloween costume party. Shelley has spent the last few days working on her "Dorothy" dress (between working with me, volunteering at the school, and being a full time Mom). Whew. I don't know how she does it all.

Anyway, here is the pic I took of them as they were getting ready to leave for the party. Click on the image to enlarge.

You can't really see Shelley's dress, but it is sooo cute on her. She even had some cute little Dorothy slippers. Keith is the scarecrow and Olivia is Glenda the good witch. Eli broke from the Wizard of Oz theme and went with some gorry costume. Boys!

Fabulous Fall Foliage

2007-10-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

This time of year I just can't stop saying " I love Fall in Wenatchee". The Fall foliage is soooo fabulous and I revel in the changing colors. I'm constantly stopping at every possible photo op. Here are some of my favorites from this Fall... and these have NOT been color enhanced!

The first at left was taken in the Wenatchee cemetary last Sunday.

From left to right (at the bottom) :
Along Western Avenue in front of the labs for the USDA (from where Max retired) and Washington State University.

The next photo was taken at the State Park along the south shore of Lake Chelan a couple weeks ago.

The next picture is of Max during a trek up Tumwater Canyon (west of Leavenworth along the Wenatchee River) a couple weeks ago.

Next is Fall foliage near Lake Wenatchee in the Pine River Ranch subdivision of cabins.

Remember: You can click on any photo to enlarge

Baby Shelby Lee

2007-09-15T22:55:00.000-07:00

Our friends Amy and Troy's new baby finally arrived Thursday (two weeks late). I got to hold the baby and she did a big dump right there in my arms. The rule is whoever is holding the baby when the pooping happens is the one who does the diaper changing. But, Troy took pity on me and did the deed for me. Thanks Troy!

Take a close look at the baby. Click on the image to enlarge. That is one substantial head of black hair! This baby is only 2 1/2 days old and she already needs a haircut.

Mommy had a tough delivery but she and the baby are doing fine now and will probably be allowed to go home tomorow. Then I'll get some more pictures of the WHOLE family together.

Cousin Shirley & Richard

2007-09-15T22:51:00.000-07:00

It was so nice have my cousin Shirley come visit, if even for a short time. They arrived on Monday afternoon and headed back home early Wednesday. But, we did have time to celebrate our 24th anniversary together and do some other stuff.

On Tuesday night we all went to the Oakwood Bar and Grill to watch Florence do Karaoke. Florence is really into (and good at) Karaoke, but I maintain there aren't enough drugs or alcohol in the world to get me to get up in public and sing!

Max & Carol Williams - 24 Years Of Love

2007-09-15T22:41:00.000-07:00

I'm way behind on my posting, but this was our anniversary week... 24 years! Guess I'd better catch up.

My cousin Shirley, from Eugene, and her friend Richard arrived in time to help us celebrate. Actually one of Shirley's very best childhood friends lives in Wenatchee now too and we ALL went out to dinner to celebrate.

Here is the tribe after dinner at Applebee's in Wenatchee. From left to right: Florence, John, Carol, Max, Shirley, Richard.

Click on images to enlarge

Quck Trip To Montana

2007-09-01T18:41:00.000-07:00

We took a quick trip to Missoula, Montana to spend a couple of days with Connie & Bill. They've been motor homing since May, were spending some time in Idaha, and we all decided to meet up in Missoula for a couple of days.

We hadn't really been anywhere all summer, so thought it was time to get out of town for a few days. We drove over Tuesday and had a nice dinner at a local steak place. To the upper left is Max, me and Connie hamming it up with the big bear protecting the entrance to the restaurant.

On Wednesday we took a short road trip south from Missoula to Hamilton and Darby. We were all amazed at how many log home building companies there were centered in this particular area.

Here is a picture of Max, Connie and Bill in front of the St. Mary's Mission in Hamilton, Montana... and also enjoying some seriously good (and generous portioned) ice cream cones in Darby, Montana.

Here I am just strolling down the sidewalk in Hamilton.

On the way home Thursday we stopped at the famous Lincoln 10,000 Silver Dollar gift shop, restaurant and casino. Mostly we stopped to pick up some memorabalia from our trip.

You can click on any image to enlarge

Contact Max & Carol

Double Trouble at 77 and 55

2007-08-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

Whew!

It's been a long time since I posted to the blog... probably the longest gap ever. Anyway, we've been busy but not doing much of anything exciting enough to post about. Mostly day-to-day life stuff going on. These pictures were taken today at the NCW (North Central Washington) District Fair in Waterville.

It's pretty much a tradition to go to the rodeo on Sunday, the last day of the fair each year. We usually go with our friends, Carl & DiAnn, but they left town today for a week long cruise to Alaska. While they were enjoying the ocean breezes, we were braving the dust stirring Waterville winds.

The fair always comes during Max's birthday week. We celebrated his 77th birthday on Friday. He's the double 7 (77). I am the double 5 (55). Guess that makes us double trouble.

Click on any image to enlarge.

Four Generations

2007-07-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

Here is (from left to right) Max Jr., Max Sr. and Jeremiah. Jeremiah is Max Jr's son.

Today Max Jr. drove his Clampetmobile motor home up from Selah so they could spend the rest of the week in the sun and let the kids play in the water. I inserted a small picture of the motor home so it wouldn't be so "scary". If you're brave, you can click on the image to enlarge it... but don't say I didn't warn you!

They parked down at Confluence Park and set up their blanket and chairs smack dab across from where the fireworks will be set off tonight about 9:30.

Here is the rest of the clan. Back row, of course is Max Jr (JR), Max Sr., and Jeremiah. the kids are from left to right: Calvin who is JR's daughter's son (our great grandson). MacKenzie is Jeremiah's step-daughter, and Jeremiah is holding his daughter Allison. Allison wasn't at all happy about being made to get out of the water for this picture. Anyway, we have 4 generations here.

They plan to spend tonight at the park then move on to Lincoln Rock Park or head up to Chelan tomorrow.

Happy Father's Day

2007-06-17T17:48:00.000-07:00

It was a quiet Father's Day here, but we got calls from two of the boys and one daughter (so far).

After going out to breakfast, we made a couple of stops on our way home to find some artificial tree type plants for the courtyard. Now that we have the furniture we need to decorate the space and set the mood. Here's Max enjoying the sunshine beside the Black Bamboo.

We ended up picking out two Black Bamboos for the courtyard and one Flowering Clematis. We're watching for some wall hangings to add to the decor.

Here are some other pictures of the flowers Max and his kids planted earlier in the Spring.

* Remember, you can click on any image to enlarge

A Rare Game of Golf

2007-06-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

I finally got out for a rare day of golf with the Three Lakes Ladies Club on Thursday. I must stop letting work interfere with golf. Now, I remember how much fun it is.

From left to right are the ladies I played with: Cheryl, Mary, June.

- Carol

Quick Trip To Wapato Point

2007-05-31T10:33:00.000-07:00

Here is Max at the marina in Manson. On Monday, May 21st, we were able to sneak away to Wapato Point for a couple of days. One of my clients had a time share they were unable to use for the week so kindly they offered it to us.

Unfortunately, I had a golf event in Yakima early Thursday morning so we had to get back home Wednesday. We didn't get to take advantage of the full week.

But, we did have two nights at a nice condo at Wapato Point Resort on Lake Chelan at Manson. Being the week before the Memorial Day holiday, we beat the rush of the crowds and had a leisurely time just hanging out and taking it easy. We found a nice little Mom & Pop type restaurant in downtown Manson called Bison Bistro. We ate a light lunch there Monday and a hearty breakfast both Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. I like supporting these family owned restaurants. They give friendly service and provide good food.

We went into Chelan and had dinner at MacDonalds pub the first night. We didn't try any of their ales, but we did have a great steak dinner. We figured since our accommodations were free, we could spring for a nice dinner together. Not being the gambling types, we never did get to the Mill Bay Casino.

Sometimes these short spur-of-the-moment get-a-ways, not far from home, are just as good (or better) than straying too far from home. This particular trip reminded us of our many trips, in days gone by, traveling up the lake and camping on our Bayliner.

The picture to the right is a blast from the past... a photo taken sometime in the late 80's of son Jeff with his now ex-wife Lena (don't know how he let her get away) and Max on the dock at the Lake.

Click on the image to enlarge if you want to see what they all looked like 20 years ago!

Thanks Wayne & Susan!

Happy Mother's Day

2007-05-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

.Today was a Happy Mother's Day. About 12:30 this afternoon my assistant, Shelley, and her husband and two kids pulled up with a surprise for me.

Shelley had found a patio set at Home Depot I really liked and it was our plan for her to come over with their pick-up truck so we could go pick up a set. Little did I know they went shopping before coming over. Not only did they deliver it but they stuck around and we put it all together. Keith did the hard work of putting the chairs together. Shelley and I did the side table and most of the big table. Keith came along afterwards with his ratchet wrench to tighten the bolts up.

While Keith & Shelley worked on the project (in the background of top picture), the kids, Eli and Olivia, entertained themselves playing in the box the chairs came in.

Oh... if only WE were so easily entertained these days!

Thanks Shelly & Keith. That was an awesome surprise!

Apple Blossom Activities: Pancake Breakfast

2007-05-05T17:06:00.000-07:00

It's Apple Blossom Festival time again in Wenatchee. It's an annual tradition for Max & I to meet our friends Carl & DiAnn and Tom & Jane at Triangle Park for the Kiwanis' pancake breakfast prior to the Grand Parade (the first Saturday in May).

Today was no exception. Triangle Park is also where the floats are staged prior to the beginning to the parade. After breakfast we like to walk around, look at the floats and talk to some of the participants.

In some ways it's better than the actual parade because you can get up close and look at your leisure... and even talk with delegates from the various cities. This year, according to the Wenatchee World newspaper, there are 119 floats scheduled for the Grand parade today.

Elvis Ate Here

2007-04-13T21:16:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures from our trip to Graceland. I am standing in Elvis' kitchen and Shelley is standing in the dining room.

Elvis has left the building and is out laying by the memorial fountain.

Remember, you can click on any image to enlarge.

Training in Memphis

2007-04-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

My assistant, Shelley, and I went to Memphis earlier this week for some training with a large (make that HUGE) investment group we work with out of southern California. There wasn't much time for "fun", but we did sneak out of the last days session about 30 minutes early to get to Graceland just before closing Wednesday afternoon.

We had a lot of fun on the trip and learned a lot too. In the upper left is Shelley and me at Elvis' front door. The lower right is the beautiful Cascade mountains as we were flying into Seattle on the way home yesterday.

You can click on the images to enlarge them more.

McMural in Toppenish

2007-03-04T22:53:00.000-08:00

I just love all the beautiful murals in downtown Toppenish but was surprised to find a McDonald's had also gotten into the spirit.

Toppenish is a good rest stop location, so we generally stop her to get Max a chocolate milk shake and me a coke.

Anyway, there was a beautiful mural of Ronald McDonald giving balloons to some Indian children. I made a post with some of the other beautiful murals in downtown Toppenish in May of last year. Click here to access them. Be sure to click on the various images to enlarge them.

These pictures hardly do the real one justice, but I had to try. The upper left is most of the full mural, and lower right is a close-up to "try" to give you an indication to the detail. I guess, an a non-artist type person I am just blown away by such talent.

Sunset in Corbett, Oregon

2007-03-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

The sun was setting on our wonderful winter vacation, after over 6 weeks away from home. One more night and less than 6 hours of driving and we'd be back in the comfort of our own home in Wenatchee. Trips are always fun, but getting home is always oh so sweet.

After two long days on the road, we arrived at Clair & Beverly's house in Corbett on Saturday night. We arrived just as the sun was setting and I was compelled to take a few pictures from the deck before I even announced our arrival. It was almost too late. Clair & Beverly have a fabulous view west toward Portland and they get lots of wonderful sunsets. This is just example.

We had a nice visit during the evening then Max & I enjoyed a trip to the hot tub... then Clair gave each of us a nice massage so we could sleep good. That was a nice treat.

-Carol

Weather Delay

2007-03-01T23:22:00.000-08:00

Whenever we travel we watch the weather channel for the storm patterns that might affect our journey. Our scheduled departure from Palm Springs on March 1st didn't look too good because of storms coming through the Siskiyou Mountains where we would be traveling on March 2nd. We spoke to our condo landlord and they gave us permission to stay a few extra days (at no charge) if we wanted to. We did decide to stay one extra day which was all we needed for the weather pattern to clear for smooth sailing home.

With the bonus day, Dorothy McIntire, invited me to join her at one final ladies day event at Cathedral Canyon Country Club. At the upper left are Dorothy, right, and another member named Marge. Not sure of her last name. Anyway, we had a great time and it was a perfect day for one last game.

After golf, I went back to the condo and packed up for an early morning departure the next day. Here is Max standing in the flower bed in front of the condo we'd be saying goodbye to early the next morning.

We've learned that it's best to get out early in order to get over to I-5 before the morning rush hour traffic hits. We were out of our driveway in Palm Springs by 4:00 a/m. and in stop-n-go rush hour traffic by 5:59 am. Once we hit I-5 at 7:00 a/m....it was smooth sailing from there on. I am sooooo glad I don't have to deal with that traffic everyday. Wenatchee here we come!

2007-02-26T20:24:00.000-08:00

Today Shirley, Max & I went up the aerial Tram to the top of the world. From the top of the mountain, at about 8200 feet above sea level, you can see the valley floor and (to the left) the windmill farm, generating clean, renewable, power for the valley.

We had lunch at the cafeteria, perused the gift shop then took the ride back down to tram central.

After a short nap back at the condo, we went looking for hors' deourves at Babe's Restaurant (at The River complex) but discovered they no longer serve them for happy hour. We were told this is an inexpensive dinner... but it has been discontinued. Strike One.

While at The River, we took this pictures of Max and me.

So, we went to the Fresh Grille at Rancho Las Palmas where we were told they serve Krispy Creme Bread Pudding. But, they no longer have it on their menu. Strike two.

We ended up at the In-N-Out Burger joint which seemed to make everyone happy. In-N-Out is actually a cool place to eat because they have a very simple menu. Hamburgers, Fries, and drinks. Nothing fancy... no complex choices. Just burgers, fries, and drinks.

On the way home from the In-N-Out, we stopped at Stater Bros. and bought some Krispy Kreme doughnuts as a substitute for the Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding we didn't get to have.

Life is full of alternatives.

More Fun In Palm Springs

2007-02-25T18:14:00.000-08:00

My cousin Shirley St. Clair, from Eugene, arrived on Friday night and we've been busy ever since. Yesterday morning we had to do the College of the Desert Street Fair, of course. Shirley loved the Street Fair, but I am the one who scored a lot of really good purchases.

We had dinner (Saturday) at the Black Angus. None of us were starving so we took advantage of a "Dinner For Two" special... and split it amongst the three of us. There was still food left over to bring home.

Today we had reservations for the afternoon matinee of the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies. Before the performance, we had breakfast at Ruby's Cafe then lingered around down and wandered into a few shops. As a single woman, she's always got her eyes open for an interesting man... and she found one in a T-shirt shop. (See picture above)

This other picture is of Max with a bronze of Sonny Bono, prominently displayed in central downtown Palm Springs.

Back to the Follies... No pictures are allowed to be taken inside the theatre and no description can do it justice. You just have to experience the action and incredible costumes. The youngest performer is 54 and the oldest 83. It's truly amazing.

Here is an excerpt from the Follies website:
"The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies is a world-famous, Broadway-caliber celebration of the music, dance, and comedy of the 30's and 40's, with a cast old enough to have lived it. Now playing through May 20, 2007 is our all-new 16th edition entitled Gotta Dance! (And do we ever!!!)

The Follies has proven, beyond a doubt, Billie Burke's (a.k.a. Mrs. Florenz Ziegfeld and a star in her own right) famous quote, "Age doesn't matter unless you're a cheese." We pledge to remain true to the spirit of the 20's, 30's, 40's and promise to provide a world-class entertainment experience at every performance!"

If you ever get to Palm Springs... The Fabulous Follies is simply a must!

Lana, Rob, & the Girls

2007-02-22T22:41:00.001-08:00

Lana, Rob, Rebecca & Michelle came over from San Juan Capistrano (about 110 miles away) for 3 days last week-end. They arrived on Friday and left Sunday evening.

Here is Grandpa Max on the condo patio with (from left to right): Lana, Michelle, Max, Rebecca and Rob. Lara is loving life at BYU and wasn't here for the photo opportunity.

Saturday, as reported on the post below, Rob & I played golf where the elite meet hook and slice. Lana, Max and the girls hung out around the condo and pool area. Sunday Lana, Rob and the girls all got up early and went to the College of the Desert Street Fair while Max and I slept in. Max & I hope to go again this week-end when my cousin, Shirley, is here from Eugene.

And here at the lower right is Grandpa with Michelle and Rebecca. Pretty good looking trio, I'd say.

Hopefully, I'll be able to get some more posts done before heading north to the "real world" next Thursday.

Carol

A Different Kind Of Vacation

2007-02-22T22:18:00.000-08:00

Whew... it has been a different kind of vacation. I have, literally, been working (via phone, computer, printer, scanner, Fax) every spare moment and haven't taken any time to write or post pictures on the blog for some time. Sorry about that. It's not that we aren't having any fun, but I haven't taken a lot of pictures like usual.

Last Saturday (Feb 17th), my son-in-law, Rob (right) was able to arrange a game of golf for him and me with the owner of the local Jag, Bentley and Land Rover Dealerships. David Murphey, the car dealer, is in the middle of the above picture. The guy on the left works for David. They were the nicest guys and we played at The Club At Morningside, a very exclusive private club (designed by Jack Nicklaus) at which David is a member. Every fairway is lined with million dollar (plus) homes. It was a wonderful experience in how the rich live!

Carol

Max & Cousin Lowell

2007-02-21T23:20:00.000-08:00

Every year when we come to Palm Springs, we get together for lunch once a week at the Olive Garden with Max's cousin, Lowell Williams and his wife, MaryJo.

Max & Lowell's Dads were brothers. Max and Lowell both grew up in Cardston, Alberta, Canada. Lowell and MaryJo now live in Edmonton half of the year and Palm Desert the rest of the year.

Carol

College Of The Desert Street Fair

2007-02-04T12:35:00.000-08:00

Our annual tradition is to go to the College of the Desert (COD) Street Fair the first week-end we arrive in Palm Springs. This is held every Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 - 2:00. We were so lazy yesterday, we didn't get there so today it was definitely in the plan. It's important to get there early before it gets so busy you have to park a long way from the actual vendors. There are courtesy carts running around to pick people up, but they aren't always available when you want them.

We love walking up and down the aisles just looking at all the vendor's wares. There is everything from shoes and socks to jewelry, furniture, luggage, purses, fruits and vegetables... and just about anything else you can imagine. There are even massage tables for the weary.

We always hit up the sock vendor for our years supply. You can get 3 or 4 pair of quality socks for just $5. Mostly we love looking but we did buy socks, a pair of new tennis shoes, a small nylon shoulder purse and some strawberries.

After our adventure at the COD, Max was hungry so we stopped at Carl's Jr on the way back to the condo. Here is Max with his "Famous Star" burger and a Chocolate Chip Mint milkshake.

Life is Good. Stay tuned...

On Vacation. Not Off Duty

2007-02-03T19:02:00.000-08:00

Even though we are technically on vacation, Max can attest to the fact that the first thing I do wherever we land is to set up my mobile office. Here is the office corner in our Palm Springs condo... Printer/Fax/Scanner/Copier, laptop computer, and cell phone. You would be hard pressed to give me an assignment I can't handle with this equipment and my two fabulous trusty assistants, Shelley & Perci, back home!

Bring it on...

Carol
Carol's Wenatchee Blog
Carol's Top Properties Website

Settled in Palm Springs

2007-02-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

Whooooooo eeeeeee! We are finally settled in Palm Springs until the end of February. Here is the view from our patio, overlooking the green and up the fairway in the other direction. Do you see the little duckies on the water?

It's been a wild ride getting here. We've been on the road since January 15th, but I've been so busy working every spare moment I haven't even had time to post to the blog. But, hopefully, I'll have a little more time now.

Things are going well back home. We are pleased to hear it is cold and snowy, making us feel good about spending the money to be here! My two assistants are doing a great job of helping me take care of in-the-trenches details. My business is so much bigger than in the past and I love having them working with me.

We spent the first week in San Juan Capistrano, California with Lana & Rob and Rebecca & Michelle. Lara is happily settled in at BYU. The second week we spent with Max's sister, Connie, and her husband, Bill, in Sun City West, Arizona.

But, now we are here in Palm Springs and looking forward to some fun in the sun. We arrived Thursday and are pretty well settled into our condo at the Cathedral Canyon Country Club.

It's been a cool winter in the south but the forecast for tomorrow is 80 and mid 70's all of next week. Perfect.

We went out to dinner and Karaoke at the Club house last night with our friends, Bud & Dorothy McIntire, who live across the street. She is the one who arranged this condo rental for us. Bud loves to sing and the rest of us were content to watch him and the others with good voices (or enough drinks not to care). Bud and Dorothy were members of the Wenatchee Country Club before moving here several years ago. They still have kids in Wenatchee so come back to visit during the summer.

We don't have any golf games scheduled yet, but I will probably play with the ladies club next week. I think it's Tuesday. We have some other friends who stay on a short golf course not far from here. Haven't called them yet. This may be a course I can get Max to try to play 9 holes.

We were going to head to the big flea market this morning, but instead I actually slept in. Didn't get up til 9:00. I was amazed. I was awake at 7:00 without any inclination to get up and going.

That's enough for now. Will try to post some pics and commentary from earlier in the trip... and keep up from here on out.

-Carol

Max & Carol Williams

2007-01-31T21:21:00.000-08:00

Here we are during a lunch break at Macayos Mexican restaurant on our last day in Arizona with Connie & Bill. The giraffe and zebra were watching us during the entire meal.

They took us out for a drive toward Scottsdale to see some of the sights and, particularly, the decorative walls along the freeway system.

Golf With Barb & Leonard

2007-01-31T18:24:00.000-08:00

On Monday, January 29th I had the pleasure of reuniting with Barb & Leonard Keeler for a game of golf. They moved to Buckeye, Arizona (from Wenatchee) last summer and are loving it. We played at their local course, Sundance. Sundance is a very fun and, definitely, challenging golf course.

This was my first game since having back surgery and I was so pleased that my back did not give me any trouble at all. My game did have other "issues" but, in all honesty, I couldn't blame it on my back... unless a subconscious grimby was lurking in my brain, messing with my swing. Last year I kept a golf blog, logging each game throughout the season. This year I think I will just post games here on our regular blog.

According to Barb, Buckeye is the fast growing city in the state of Arizona. It is forecast to be the second largest city in Arizona within 5 years!

Visit with Connie and Bill

2007-01-30T17:42:00.000-08:00

After leaving Lana and Rob's on Thursday, January 25th we headed directly to Sun City West, Arizona where Max's sister Connie and her husband, Bill live. We stayed there one week.

The first full day we were there, we all went to lunch at the museum. They have a room set up in the museum with nice table cloths and silverware. It was actually quite hoity toity. But, I don't think we embarrassed ourselves and they didn't tell us we couldn't come back. It was fun.

We didn't actually go through the museum, as everyone was ready for an afternoon nap, but I did take some pictures of the outside art work. I took two pictures of the bottom piece... a depiction of the apple tree in the Garden of Eden. The close-up reveals Satan innocently offering up the apple of sin.
Remember, you can click on any image to enlarge.
-Carol
Carol's Wenatchee Blog

Visit with Lana and Rob and girls

2007-01-29T17:01:00.000-08:00

After a slippery, detoured, trip down I-5 we arrived at Lana and Rob's in San Juan Capistrano, CA at 4:30 in the morning of January 18th. This was one day later than we planned. We planned to be there the evening of the 17th, but the I-5 closure at the Grapevine (north of LA) due to snow, literally the freeway with truck and car accidents, required us to detour East of Bakersfield. We ended up getting a motel at Cajon Pass and driving in the next morning. We were both awake at 3:00 a/m. so decided to hit the road before the rush hour traffic. A sleepy Rob let us in the house at 4:30 and we ALL went back to bed.

Lana is working parttime at Borders Bookstore now so, with Rebecca and Michelle in school, we had quite a bit of time to ourselves during the day. Good thing too, because I had quite a bit going on with my work that needed tending to. Lana said when we left it was going to be quiet because my phone wouldn't be ringing all the time. I'm in the middle of about 7 pending transactions... so it takes a lot of coordination. Fortunately, I have Shelley and Perci back home taking care of a lot of the incessant details involved with each transaction.

I was so busy working when we were there I was remiss in taking pictures. The picture above is of their home, but doesn't do it justice. The house is a very rambling rambler and a bit difficult to take a picture of. The building to the left (that you can barely see) is the 3-car garage. We had a lovely suite while staying there, with a large bedroom, private bath and laundry and big closet. Besides our suite, there are 4 other bedrooms, family room, living room, kitchen, and large entry area. They are all coming over on the week-end of the 16th so we'll get some family pictures then. Rob said he'll try to arrange a golf game with the local Jaquar dealer during the week-end. Wouldn't that be something?

-Carol
Carol's Wenatchee Blog

YUM...

2007-01-22T13:03:00.000-08:00

This morning Max & I were on our way to Borders book store, where Lana works part time. We were going to have some coffee and hot chocolate (for Max) and visit with Lana a bit.

We got side-tracked, though, when we saw a Krispy Kreme store. We did a U-turn and that's where we stopped for our morning coffee and hot chocolate. We've never actually been in a Krispy Kreme store before. We've eaten their doughnuts before, but never IN the store. They've always been delivered from some fundraiser in Wenatchee.

After our break, we were back on the road to our appointed destination. We did bring a dozen more doughnuts home to make points with the rest of the family.

My hectic schedule has finally slowed down enough to sit down at the computer and make a few blog entries. Whew! It's nice to be back.

Max & Carol: On The Road Again

2007-01-21T09:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been so long since the last report. After my back surgery I had to scramble big time to get everything organized for the trip south to warmer climates.

Between a full full full workload and getting packed for the trip, there wasn't time for anything else... literally.We did get on the road about 7:15 a/m. last Monday, January 15th. We stopped very briefly to see Clair & Beverly on our way down I-84 past Corbett.

Before reaching Clair & Beverly's we took a few minutes to stop at Multnomah Falls to take pictures of the icey conditions. If you click on the image, you may be able to see how much of the Falls is frozen. There are hundreds of falls to see coming down the gorge and they were all pretty well frozen.

Our trip was eventful, including freezing rain and icey roads coming out of Eugene the second day. Fortunately, our AWD Ford Five-Hundred moved right along without hesitation. The car seemed much more sure of itself than it's driver. Then the third day, I-5 at the Grapevine, was closed for the entire day due to an overnight snowstorm and a plethora of accidents. We took a long detour through and East of Bakersfield and back around and down to San Juan Capistrano.

We ended up finding a motel at Cajon Pass and came into Lana & Rob's (at San Juan Capistrano) early on the 4th day. We wanted to get on the road before the heavy LA freeway traffic. We were both awake in the middle of the night so we were in the car by 3:00 a/m. and here by 4:30 a.m. They were a little sleepy when we arrived, but glad we are safe.

-Carol
Carol Williams Wenatchee Real Estate Blog

Balloon Kyphoplasty

2007-01-05T22:38:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
I haven't kept up very well with the blog lately. A lot going on in life. Work has been busy and I've been suffering from a fall on the ice and snow in early December. After much ado... x-rays, MRI, pre-op tests Balloon Kyphoplasty back surgery was performed yesterday by Dr. Ian Cunningham at the Wenatchee Valley Hospital (Wenatchee Valley Clinic).

Above is Max delivering a dozen red roses when he came to visit me in the hospital last night. The last time I received a dozen red roses was our 1st anniversary (over 23 years ago). It was a special occasion.

Here are our friends June & Roger Dorner, who entertained Max while I was in the hospital.

The surgery went very well and I was up and moving around 3 hours after the surgery. I had my wireless laptop and was answering e-mail from my hospital bed that evening. I plan to be playing golf in Palm Springs this time next month!

Hopefully, I won't be doing any more gynmastics on the ice and can avoid similar injuries in the future. I had a compression fracture which was repaired. The MRI also showed an old compression fracture which they couldn't do anything about. I found this link to more info on the procedure: www.kyphon.com There is even a link on the right side to view an actual surgery being performed... if you're into that kind of thing. I definitely want to watch it when I get a chance.

Here is the view I had from my room. Not bad, eh? Too bad I didn't get to really enjoy it!

-Carol Williams

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-25T10:59:00.000-08:00

Mindful of the reason for the season, Max & I are enjoying a quiet white Christmas day. We went out for a Christmas breakfast then drove around town to enjoy the peaceful, snow covered, town while there was very little traffic.

We were happy JR, Sarah and Calvin could come up to see us for the quick pre-Christmas visit. See post below for a view of the four generations together.

We extend our prayers to everyone for peace and good health for the New Year.

- Max & Carol

Four Generations

2006-12-24T08:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, oldest son Max Jr brought his daughter and grandson up from Selah (Yakima suburb) for a quick pre-Christmas visit. JR wanted to have dinner at the China Buffet, so here are the four generations of smiling faces, with full tummies, after dinner.

From left to right: Max Sr., Max Jr., Sarah, Calvin... (and Santa in his sleigh).

The Cavalry Has Arrived

2006-12-20T18:15:00.000-08:00

I am pleased to announce the addition of two new assistants to help me with my Wenatchee real estate business. Perci Owens, left, and Shelley Granger have both lived in Wenatchee for quite some time and are fun, smart, personable and care about doing a great job for our clients.

I've been so overwhelmed with business lately, burning the midnight oil has been the rule rather than the exception.

Max, remember me? I'm your wife! I promise to get Shelley & Perci up and running so we can leave for California in mid January.

Having landed two significant investment group accounts this year, it's time to bring in the Cavalry. Welcome to Shelley and Perci. I'm working on coming up with a "team" name. Any ideas?

Update 12/24/06: So far the only nominee for a team name is: "The TOP Team". Being as we are working for Top Properties, it seems appropriate. Want to work with The TOP Team chics? Give us a call and we'll show you how much fun buying or selling real estate can be!

For current Wenatchee real estate news, info and trends, click here.

-Carol

2006: Max & Carol's Year in Review

2006-12-15T18:31:00.000-08:00

As the year 2006 comes to a close, we reflect on how blessed we are. We are blessed with an enduring love, a beautiful place to live, relatively good health, and lots of great friends!

Here is a look back at our "blogged" year. Click on the blue links to go to the archive page for that month and enjoy all the pictures and commentary. The month starts at the bottom of each page and works up, most recent post at top... a diary type format:

January 2006: Departed Wenatchee for our annual trip to Arizona and Palm Springs, California.

February: All month in Palm Springs. Carol takes her computer, fax and cell phone and no-one even knows she is gone unless they want to see her smiling face. Call her the “Roaming Realtor”.

March: Our primary care physician retired so we both had lots of doctor appointments to get the new guys up to speed. Carol finally found a doctor who could help with her allergy problems. Breathing is a good thing!

April: Spring brought the joy of new blossoms, Carol’s birthday, a new golf season and, sadly, the loss of Carol’s dear Aunt Dottie (from Springfield, Oregon)

May: Carol’s new digital camera gets a work-out and a birdhouse collection is born

June: A trip to Oregon for a quick visit with my cousin Shirley (Dottie’s daughter) and on to Bend to see the new home our friends Jim & Kathy were having built.

July: A busy and diverse month. Carol took an overnight trip to Gig Harbor for some training for a new investor group she is working with. Son Jeff installed stones in our entry courtyard, so we now have a place to sit and relax outside the house. We drove to Cardston, Alberta (Max’s birthplace) to attend the 80th birthday gathering for Max’s sister Elinor. Later in the month, Max’s other sister (Connie) and her husband came to Wenatchee and spent a week with us.

August: We were honored to be invited to our friend Karen & Leo Garcia’s house for an authentic home cooked Mexican fiesta. This was timed to coincide with Max’s birthday week.

September: We celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary with our friends Troy & Amy who were celebrating their 1st anniversary on the same day.

October: We savored an absolutely beautiful Fall season.

November: Cowboy Max, Carol’s blogs immortalized in book, Thanksgiving with the boys.

December: Decorating the Christmas Tree, Grandma’s fudge recipe, The Nutcrackers, The Cavalry arrives, Carol suffers back injury, Four generations meet at Christmastime.

May the joy of the Christmas season be with you and may the New Year be happy!

We would love to hear from you! You may contact us at:
CarolWilliams007@aol.com

The Nutcracker Collection

2006-12-15T17:43:00.000-08:00

When my friend Perci got finished decorating the Christmas tree, I was inspired to go out and find some more new and exciting decorations. The nutcrackers caught my eye, so here are three to start my collection. I hope to add at least one every year. The one on the right is a golfer. How cool is that?
-Carol

Grandma's Fudge Recipe

2006-12-07T23:00:00.000-08:00

I posted this story last year about this time. It's such a good (and funny) story, I wanted to bring it forward and post again. Enjoy!

We received this box of fudge from Amy & Troy last Christmas. This is the story of Amy's efforts to get the fudge just the way her Grandma used to make it:

The enclosed note read:

"Dear Carol and Max,
Here is some FUDGE I made from the heart. I was thinking about my Grandma and some of her Christmas cooking. I remember her making holiday cookies, popcorn balls, and fudge. A few years back I helped her make fudge for the family.

So…..in my infinite wisdom, I thought it would be a good idea to make fudge and put it in small tins as a part of gift baskets for both sides of the family and close friends. It was a well thought out plan with good intentions.

So here is the FUDGE STORY: (I am now convinced that FUDGE is a very bad word)I dug through many boxes to hunt down Grandma’s recipe book. Found the fudge recipe and scurried down to the store and bought all the ingredients. Everything was going as planned until the actual fudge making process began.

The instructions said to boil until it forms a soft ball and folds. So I kept boiling and boiling until the crap started to crystallize! I took it off the burner and as it started to cool it turned into one massive concrete ball! I ended up with this rock hard blob that adhered itself to the bottom of the pot. It was stuck in there so bad I literally had to throw the pot away. Somehow I missed the “soft” ball stage!

Round Two: I dug up an older pot to cook with just in case round one was repeated. This time I cooked the liquid until it started to fold and then I took it off the heat and stirred it for awhile until I realized it was getting very hard in a hurry. This batch did make it to the cooling pyrex but after it was completely cool it was hard enough to break every tooth in my mouth. I think we could use this batch as additional blocks for the retaining wall.

Round Three: I felt I was getting closer to making edible fudge. All I had to do is pour myself another drink and cook the liquid for a shorter amount of time. That should do it right? Mmmm…..well, I stuck to my plan of more drinking and less boiling. I took the liquid fudge substance off the fire much earlier this time. As it cooled I stirred, and stirred, and stirred. I was so confident that this batch was going to be perfect I added a bunch of expensive walnuts to it. I poured the warm fudge into the pyrex and waited for it to cool. As it cooled it was supposed to harden. I waited, and waited, and waited. It did harden some but not to the classic fudge consistency that I had expected. The fudge looks more like a soft brownie but it is edible and does taste good. I cut it up and individually wrapped the pieces just like Grandma used to do (which was an ordeal in itself that I will not go into).

Round Four:After a semi-successful batch, I got the urge to make one final attempt at the perfect fudge. I scraped the bottom of the butter barrel and used every last teaspoon of sugar in the house. This was it, there were no more ingredients to do another batch after this. It had to be done right. I thought about this “soft ball” thing and realized what that means. You drop some boiling liquid onto a plate and when it cools it should form a soft ball. That is the point when you take the fudge off the burner and start beating it until it “folds”. Brilliant! So, I boiled the liquid for awhile and then started making splatters onto a plate. They were not making soft balls, but they sure did taste good. I think my theory was correct with the soft ball idea, but I kept eating all the drippings before they became totally cool enough to make a ball, oops.At this point I was totally “FUDGED up” and just wanted to eat a piece of my creation and be done with the project. I got nervous that the substance would crystallize again so I took the last batch off the burner and started to beat it. I had used all the walnuts in the previous batch so this round would be nut free. I poured the last of the fudge into the cooling pyrex for the final attempt. This might have been it? Well, as close to “good” as it is going to get. It is still a bit soft but at least you won’t break any teeth!

Final Conclusion:I now know why Grandma always had drinks while making fudge. I learned that making fudge is no easy project but love my family and friends enough to attempt making gifts that are truly from the heart. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!
The Greenhalghs "

Decorating The Christmas Tree

2006-12-05T19:54:00.000-08:00

Today we had our Christmas tree "professionally" decorated. My friend Perci (left) loves to decorate so we let her have some fun with our new 4 1/2' tree, with fibre optic lights.

Max & J.R. went shopping for a new tree a couple weeks ago, and Perci and I went shopping for new decorations last week. Today was decorating day.

All was going according to plan until we tried to get some of the decorations out of their packages. It seems like a simple enough task, but turned into more of an ordeal. You can see me on the floor literally tearing the packaging away from the ornaments. I was afraid I would break them just getting them out.

Perci worked for nearly 3 hours making the tree absolutely beautiful!

(You can click on any image to enlarge, to get a better perspective)

Carol's Self-Portrait

2006-11-29T23:06:00.000-08:00

Since the photographer gets left out of a lot of the pictures, I decided to try taking a photo of myself next to the giant Christmas wreath by our front door.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Thanksgiving Dinner 2006

2006-11-23T18:54:00.000-08:00

Here is our 16-pound bird and the dinner crowd. Besides the turkey, there was mashed potatoes (and gravy), sweet potato casserole, 2-berry salad, rolls... and I forgot to put the cranberry sauce on the table. Too much going on at the last minute to remember everything! According to the troops, it was all yummy. I was too tired from doing all the cooking to really enjoy it. I will enjoy the leftovers, though!

In the picture from left to right:
Amy & Troy Greenhalgh, Max Jr., Max Sr., Jeremy, Jeff, Calvin. I, of course, was taking the picture.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

Carol's Real Estate Blogs Immortalized In Book

2006-11-22T05:53:00.000-08:00

Anyone who is paying attention, knows I'm really into blogging and have been for about 1 1/2 years. Although I've had phenomenal success getting high rankings in the search engines (through my blogs), I'm always looking for ways to improve my skills and understand how to do better.

Last week I ordered a highly recommended and newly published book (not offically released until January 2007) and received it a few days ago. My thrill at getting the book soon changed to jumping-up-and-down excitement when I got to page 22 and found my two Wenatchee real estate blogs listed in the blogroll of one of the nations most highly rated blogs. If you go to the website mentioned in the book, you can actually scroll down the right side column (under Real Estate Blogs) and click on live links and get to MY Wenatchee residential blog and Wenatchee investment blog!

It's amazing to think I was in on the blogging revolution early enough to get my blogs listed in a book about how to blog for real estate. My blogs are now immortalized in a published book!

My arm is still pretty sore from patting myself on the back. How cool is that!

-Carol

Cowboy Max

2006-11-03T20:56:00.000-08:00

You can take the boy off the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the boy. Here are a couple of pictures of Max, taken tonight, in his robe, slippers and cowboy hat. You can click on the pictures to enlarge.

Still a darn handsome dude, isn't he?

Tumwater Canyon: Fall 2006

2006-10-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

Max & I took our annual trip up the Tumwater Canyon today to enjoy the Fall colors. Pictures never do such an excursion justice, but we can't resist trying.

Here are some of the pictures up the Canyon along the Wenatchee River.

Click on any image to enlarge.

The Shoulder

2006-10-20T20:21:00.000-07:00

A chronic shoulder problem has plaqued me for several years. Both shoulders are bad, but the left is the worst. A couple weeks ago, after two golf games in three days, it got serious again. Serious enough that I was willing to let the doctors go in and cut something out (or off) if it would make the pain go away.

BUT, we didn't do anything drastic (yet). As it happened, I couldn't even get a doctors appointment until today, so some pain pills had to do in the meantime.

During a consultation with the doctor, we determined there were three options: Physical therapy, a cortizone shot, or surgery. Physical therapy hasn't been a satisfactory remedy in the past, so we opted for the less drastic of the two remaining options... cortizone.

We're hoping this is a long term solution, but we have doubts. In the meantime, however, we'll give it a try and see what happens. At least for now, I am (mostly) pain free and have some increased mobility in my left arm. I think golf is out for the rest of this season, though. Hopefully, surgery won't be required and I'll be able to play this winter when we go south.

The good news is, I did play well both of the last two games I played, despite my "handicap".

Stay tuned for the rest of the story.

Carol Williams

The Most Expensive Pizza Ever

2006-10-16T12:56:00.000-07:00

To read about the most expensive pizza I've ever bought ($222.72), click here.

Road Trip Of A Lifetime

2006-09-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

Ever since I was a child and my Grandma Oma and her sister, Norma, went on a 6 week road trip across the U.S., it's been a life long dream of mine to do the same.

Max & I have discussed this fantasy of mine many times but never talked about a date or if we would ever actually do such a thing. This week-end I had an inspiration that it's what we should do to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, which will be September 10, 2008... 2 years from now.

We are now discussing the possibility in earnest. I even bought the book "Road Trip USA, Cross Country Adventures On America's Two-Lane Highways". It offers 11 potential driving tour routes... 5 running east & west, and 6 running north & south. If you click on the above link, it will take you to a website with a numbered map. You can click on the route numbers and be taken to a brief description of each route.

At this point, I am definitely interested in starting out, heading east, on the Oregon Trail (Route 8). Besides a keen interest in this historic pioneer route, Mt. Rushmore is the one must see along this route. We have been to Mt. Rushmore once, but we were in such a hurry I've always wanted to go back. Next time I want to spend at least a full day (or more) in the area.

After cruising east and arriving in New England for Fall foliage season, we could possibly drop down the Atlantic Coast (Route 6)... or perhaps the Applachian Trail. We could start the return trip west along the Southern Pacific (Route 10), and then the last leg on a modified version of the Border to Border (Route 2).

One of the biggest decisions is to establish how long we want to be gone, then make the route work within that time frame.

Stay tuned for further developments.

- Carol

1st & 23rd

2006-09-12T12:03:00.000-07:00

Sunday was our 23rd wedding anniversary. Our friends, Amy & Troy Greenhalgh, who were celebrating their 1st anniversary on the same day, invited us to go out to dinner with them that evening. We went to The Windmill restaurant which is famous for their steaks and pies. Amy had ordered an anniversary cake, so we passed on the pie. When Amy ordered the cake by phone (from the same bakery that made her wedding cake last year) she asked for the smallest cake they make. Well... the woman who owns the bakery is Hispanic and apparently didn't fully understand what "small" means.

After dinner, we went to Troy & Amy's house (which I sold them, of course) for cake. When we took a picture of the cake, we put a full size bottle of wine next to it so you could get a perspective as to how big this cake really is! It is, quite literally, big enough for 40-50 people! We ended up splitting it up to share with our respective neighborhoods!

All in all, it was a fun evening. Perhaps we will make this a tradition in the future. Next year, however, Amy said she is going down to the baker and point to a small cake and say "I want that size"!

The Million Dollar Day!

2006-09-02T17:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to some very special friends, I can't help but report my first ever "Million Dollar Day". Two transactions closed yesterday, totalling $1,140,000 in dollar volume. D&C... thanks for trusting me to help you through this very important part of your transition in life!

I've had a million dollars in sales close over a period of a week before but never in one day. Not sure what my previous record was, but this is definitely one to use as a benchmark to work toward again. Next week will be puney, in comparison, with two transactions totalling $176,600! Obviously, I serve a wide spectrum of clients in the Wenatchee, WA real estate market.

Now, in the middle of Labor Day Week-end, we're looking forward to my favorite season in Wenatchee... the beautiful Fall. I love Fall here for the mild temperatures and beautiful foliage colors that lead into winter. It's the best time to golf, too!

Hope you're all having a great week-end and saying goodbye to summer in some fun, relaxing way!

-Carol

Days Gone By

2006-09-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

One of my friends called from Redmond, Oregon this morning, chiding me for not having anything new on the blog. I told her there wasn't really much of anything new going on here. As Labor Day week-end comes and goes, we are looking forward to Fall and some cooler weather.

Then I got to thinking that it might be kind of fun to post some "old" pictures.... from the days when I was still young, cute (and skinny).

Here's one of my Mom & Dad at Crater Lake. Not sure when it was taken, but I would guess in the late 40's.

Here is my Dad holding Clair when he was just a baby. This was taken out in the front yard at our house at 11910 S.E. Ash St. in Portland, Oregon. It was probably taken in late 1951 or early 1952. Notice all those tall old trees?

Then there is me and my brother, Clair, when we were just little munchkins... taken out by the street in front of our house. This was probably taken about 1954 or 1955, when I was 2 or 3 years old. Clair is one year and 10 days older than me.

Until recently, this street, where we lived, was still one of the very few unpaved streets in the city of Portland. It's interesting to look at photos like these, when we were so young, and think about all that's happened since then.

Remember... you can click on any of these images to enlarge them.

-Carol

The Happy Birthday Dinner

2006-08-25T18:16:00.000-07:00

After the fabulous feast on corn smut and other wonderful home-made Mexican dishes at Karen & Leo Garcia's on Tuesday, it was difficult for Max to decide where he wanted to go for the The actual Birthday Dinner. When I asked him where he wanted to go, he could only say "To Leo Garcias"! Since we didn't think Karen and Leo would appreciate us inviting ourselves to dinner again, Max settled on a different Mexican restaurant, El Porton, in East Wenatchee. It was good and they brought Max a special birthday ice cream dessert and plopped a sombrero on his head for this picture.

Our friends, Kathy & Jim Persing, happened to be in town this evening and we enjoyed having them come to dinner with us. They're the ones who just had a new home built in Redmond, Oregon and I posted a picture of them a while back on this blog.

Corn Smut

2006-08-22T22:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight we were invited to Cashmere for an authentic home-made Mexican dinner at the home of our friends Karen & Leo Garcia. The hit dish of the night was "corn smut". Don't ask me to explain it. I just know it looked very bad but was very good! If you want to know any more, you'll need to do the research yourself. That is one informational link, but you can find several others by going to www.Google.com and typing in "corn smut".

There were lots of other things to eat that I had never heard of and, to this moment, can not explain... but it was ALL really good.

Karen is my massage therapist and her husband is the Director of the Hispanic Horticultural Program at Wenatchee Valley College.

Karen started us all off with Margaritas and appetizers of skewered shrimp, avocado and cherry tomatoes... while Leo made all of the real food. It was really really good... with homemade Flan as the dessert. It was kind of a special birthday gathering for Max. Notice the birthday candle on Max's flan?

Leo has known Max for many years through the fruit industry, but they have never really gotten together on a social level before. Tucked against a hillside, Karen and Leo have a beautifully remodeled home in Cashmere. It's such a lovely, peaceful setting.

In the pictures (click to enlarge): Top, Max with his birthday flan that Karen made especially for him. Second picture: Leo with the much discussed "corn smut" and surrounded by other dishes. Bottom picture from left to right: Karen Garcia, Leo Garcia, Max, Don Elfving, Dusti Elfving. Sorry this group picture is a little blurry.

Don Elfving works as a scientist at the Washington State University Tree Fruit Rearch center. Max & Don have known each other for many years and Don served as Master of Ceremonies at Max's retirement banquet. Dusti is the owner of Express Personnel and also Dusti's Gift Baskets.

I'm not sure how we'll ever repay Leo & Karen for this special evening, but we'll think of something.

-Carol

A Letter From The Prophet

2006-08-03T20:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a copy of a letter Max received in 1975 for his work with The Church orchards. Click on the image to enlarge.

This is a very special letter, signed by Spencer Kimball, the (then) Prophet and President of The Mormon Church.

-Carol

A Church & A Baby Birdhouse

2006-08-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

When Connie & I were at the Apple Annie's Antique Mall on Monday, I found two more birdhouses I needed to add to my collection.

The one on the left is the very first house of the collection, but I found a maching "baby" birdhouse that I couldn't resist. I also found this cute church birdhouse.

I'm working on a plan to find little display shelves to put in our outside entryway to display these and others I may add to the growing collection. Connie had this bright idea. Now, I need to get to a craft store and find the little shelves and get them installed.
-Carol

A Fun Week

2006-08-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

Connie & Bill (Max's sister and husband) left this morning after spending 9 days with us. They rolled in with their 40 foot motor home a week ago Monday and rolled out this morning. It was a fairly relaxed week, but we did a lot of things too.

I learned Connie is very good at weeding the flower beds and trimming roses... and (I already knew) Bill is a good fix-it man. Connie was also very helpful around the house and with meal planning. Bill had to plan his time around the Arizona Diamondback games and the Bill O'Reilly show each day. Good thing we have multiple TV's in the house because I was watching the Seattle Mariner games, of course! They're easy company to have and we'll miss them.

Here is a picture of (from left to right): Bill, Max & Connie in front of the motor home this morning (Saturn in tow) just before the departure. They're travelling in style! Click on image to enlarge.

They checked in from Wilsonville, Oregon late this afternoon and will work their way down to Trinidad, California (northern coast) where they'll spend a month. They won't actually get back home in Sun City West, Arizona until late October or early November. They've been on the road since April.
-Carol

My Brave Sister-In-Law

2006-08-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

Monday I took Connie to the monster Apple Annie's Antique Mall in Cashmere, which she loved. While wandering around, my friend June Dorner called me on my cell phone to see what I was doing for lunch. June had been on a trip for about a month, so I told her to come on up and have lunch with us at Studebaker's restaurant.

June did come up and brought our friend, Vi. We had a nice time visiting and Connie was admiring June's short haircut. June says she cuts it herself and would give her (Connie) a short cut too if she wanted it. Connie took her up on the offer and here are the results.

Connie is loving the new do... and looking forward to the easy care style for the rest of their trip. Here are the before, during and after photos. Remember to click on the images to enlarge!
-Carol

Visiting Saint Laurent Winery

2006-07-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

This morning we took Connie & Bill for a drive up to the Saint Laurent winery on Hamlin Road, about a mile above the Three Lakes Golf Course.

We went specifically to walk through the gardens, not to partake in the wine tasting. It's absolutely worth a special trip just to stroll through the gardens and gawk at the view of the entire Valley and the Columbia River below. Click on the winery link and you can see more pictures, learn more about their history and keep current with the various events they host up there. It's a pretty cool place.

As with our trip to England, I was fascinated by the (no mortor) rock walls that were everywhere. I'd love to know who constructed them. It's very labor intensive and definitely an art form! Click to enlarge photo.

On the return trip, we continued up over Stemilt Hill, where there are still some unpicked bing cherries hanging on the trees. Then we came down the Stemilt Creek Road to the Malaga/Alcoa Highway and on home.

Believe it or not, this picture at the lower left is the restroom building!

Be sure to click the smaller images to enlarge, so you can get the quality in the details.
-Carol

Strolling Through Leavenworth

2006-07-28T22:59:00.000-07:00

Click on photos to enlarge:

This afternoon Max & I and Connie & Bill went to Leavenworth for an early dinner. We left about 3:00 to beat the Friday night crowds. It's been so hot in Wenatchee, we thought it would be a little cooler up there. It was a little cooler, with a slight breeze and quite pleasant in the shade. We had dinner at a very small place called PAVZ on Front Street.

PAVZ had a fairly diverse menu, with crepes being their apparent specialty. Max had their seafood crepe, which was a generous serving and very very tasty. I know this because I snictched a couple of bites. I had the clam chowder, a salad and some fresh bread. Connie had the spinach and chicken crepe and Bill had the Caesar salad with blackened salmon. Prices were reasonable.

Leavenworth is always a fun short trip, which we often take when company is in town. It's fun to stroll the streets and select a place to eat. Also, they have scads of hanging baskets and barrels full of (mostly) petunias. You can even take a leisurely stroll about town in the horse drawn carriage.

After dinner we strolled around Leavenworth for a bit then stopped at a couple of fruit stands on our way back home. We were specifically looking for fresh cherries. Prey's fruit stand cherries looked a little dehydrated, so we drove onto Smallwood's Fruit Stand near Peshastin, where their catch phrase is "Farm Fun In The Country Sun"... and we found some excellent Bing cherries.

Also, this big fat turkey was wandering around the fruit stand at Smallwoods. I had never seen a real (live) turkey up this close. Smallwood's also has a full fledged petting zoo for the kids and this little train decorated like cows that a tractor pulls around the area. They go all out to decorate the area for the various seasons. If you're traveling and have kids with you, it's a great place to stop for a little entertainment... and a good selection of quality fruits, too!
-Carol

View From The Old Homestead Farm

2006-07-19T11:32:00.000-07:00

Here is a view from the gate of the old farm where Max grew up. The road stretching into the distance is the road Max (woefully) recalls walking two miles to school as a child. Of course, sometimes they rode their old horse Nap (nickname for Napoleon). I don't suppose Max appreciated the fabulous view as a child.

The picture to the right is Max and his sister Connie, with the old farm in the background. Of course, the modern buildings, equipment and grain silos weren't there in the early days.

The farm is now owned and operated by a nephew, Reece Bevans. Reece is one of the sons of Max's oldest sister (Wilda who is now deceased). To the lower left are some big hay bails that Reece had ready to unload from the tractor. They bail hay in huge circular bails these days instead of those smaller rectangular bails. Guess they can't be manhandled like the olden days. I have no idea how much these bails would weigh. Reece wasn't around to ask.
-Carol

An hour in Waterton, Alberta

2006-07-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

Through the trees you can see the tour boat on the lake at the town of Waterton in southern Alberta about 25 miles from the town of Cardston where Max grew up. Click on that blue Waterton icon above and it will take you to a photo gallery of the area.

We didn't spend a lot of time in Waterton because we really only had one free day before heading back home. We bought an ice cream cone, toured around the town a bit then headed back to Cardston.
-Carol

Wild Animals In Canada

2006-07-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the wild animals we saw on the trip. They were all right along the roadway. The first photo is taken somewhere on the road between Cranbrook, BC and up to Crowsnest Pass on Saturday, July 15th. The second photo (on the right) was taken in Glacier national Park on Monday, July 17th. They were, literally, right along the side of the road and not at all afraid of the tourists. You can click on either image to enlarge.
-Carol

Max in Glacier National Park

2006-07-19T05:01:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Max in Glacier National Park, on our way through Logan Pass. This is such a beautiful park, but pictures just cannot do justice. I am fascinated by the narrow, windy, road they have going through the park. It must be a full time job maintaining the road to keep the mass of traffic moving through. Big rigs such as RV's and trucks cannot use this road. The lanes are just too narrow, with rock outcroppings coming right to the edge of the lane in some places. The road is, literally, built into the rock cliffs in places.
-Carol

A Trip To Cardston, Alberta

2006-07-19T04:39:00.000-07:00

Pictured (left to right): Connie, Max, Elinor
Taken at Waterton Park on Sunday afternoon. What does everyone have in their hands? An ice cream cone. Yum!

Last Friday (14th) we took off for Cardston, Alberta to attend the 80th birthday party for Max's sister, Elinor. It was a hectic work week for me getting ready because I had a golf event Thursday (in Chelan) and Friday (in Leavenworth). So I had to get over a week's worth of work done in 3 days.

After golfing in the July team event in Leavenworth, I scurried home... threw the suitcases in the car (already packed) and we headed to Sandpoint, Idaho. I knew we needed to get to Sandpoint Friday night so we would have time to get to Cardston, Alberta by 4:00 in the afternoon Saturday for the birthday party. As it turned out, we arrived in Cardston about 3:30, checked in to our motel and scooted down to the campground where the birthday gathering was.
Max's sister, Connie, and her husband, Bill, have had their 40 foot motorhome parked at Lee's Creek campground in Cardston for the last month. This is where the birthday party was held. The weather was perfect and the mosquitos stayed away, which was one of my greatest concerns. Sad to say, I fear mosquitos more than all those crazy drivers on the road getting to our destinations! I'm sure if there were a million people in a crowd and one mosquito it would find me and only me. Anyway... that wasn't a problem this trip. I think the town has sprayed to keep the mosquito population down.

At the birthday gathering, we saw many nieces and nephews that we have not seen in many years. You know time is marching on when the nieces and nephews have grandkids! These gatherings are a good way to see a lot of people in a short period of time, so we enjoyed it.

We drove up through Cranbrook, BC and over Crowsnest Pass... then home through Glacier National Park and over Logan Pass. It's the short cut... but oh so slow. Such a narrow and winding road but the beauty is spectacular. I took a few pictures but they never do the reality justice! I'll post a few more pictures in another blog entry.
-Carol

The New Courtyard

2006-07-12T21:16:00.000-07:00

Jeff is proud of his work... and Max is enjoying the results! (Click on any image to enlarge).

Jeff did most of the prep work when he was here last week, but he laid ALL of the pavers in one day. He started about 8:00 this morning and finished about 5:00. He only stopped for a couple of short breaks.

Jeff is a one of those guys who can do just about anything having to do with home construction or remodeling. He had never actually done a paver job before, but has seen it done enough that he figured it all out. We came out nearly perfect with our pavers... having to go back to Lowes to get only 4 more stones. We didn't want a bunch left over to return, so calculated pretty close. Can't get much closer than that.

We're looking forward to some nice summer and Fall evening in the courtyard!

-Carol

The Courtyard Project

2006-07-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

I'm so pleased, we're finally getting our courtyard paving stones layed. This has been a project I've wanted to do (I mean have done) since moving here... but always got put on the back burner. We never got around to picking out stones or finding someone who would bid on and actually do the job. All the local sub-contractors are so busy these days with all the new construction going on they don't want to mess with such a tiny project. This worked out great for Jeff to do it for us.

Jeff came back and will spend the next couple of days getting the job done. The pavers were delivered this morning on a pallet from Lowes. The forklift driver did a masterful job of getting the pallet into our carport within a few feet of the courtyard... very convenient for the job.

Above, Max was "pretending" to help Jeff AND here's Jeff actually doing ALL of the work! Max & I have both discovered our calling is in Management. We are great supervisors, but not much for the physical labor!

Will post more pictures when the project is complete.
-Carol