Whoa...2010 is Almost Gone

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

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 Holiday Season

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

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

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)

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

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

Oh My Gosh!

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

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

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 !

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

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

Beautiful Day On The Course

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.

Max & Carol Williams On The Patio

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

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

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

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

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)

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!