January 2015

Strange as it may be, I am about to post something I wrote 9 months ago and never published on this Blog. I have no idea why it didn't get published, but I've decided that before I write a new post, I will publish this now to catch up to the present! 
So, more coming soon...
It may be in a new Blog with a new name, and I'll send you a notification of that.



The day has finally arrived that I am actually here with keyboard at the ready to share with you some highlights of the past year or so...
It always overwhelms me a bit to not only look back in time, but to decide what has enough significance to even write about! I have some criteria at the ready, and also will be guided by photos that I've gleaned from many taken.
The basics: Tom and I are still living in Bend, and this year will bring us to the 10 year mark! That alone is significant to us. On the one hand, it's no time at all. On the other, it seems like we've always been here!

Early in 2014 we began plans for a major remodel of our house, and we the entire job was completed by mid-April. Unlike all the stories I'd heard, it turned out to be a wonderful experience with no big upsets or delays. The planning was just plain fun, and, with the help of an interior designer friend, we had everything planned and ready to be carried out by the time the weather turned from winter to spring. We did have to completely move everything out of the house, and it fortunately all fit nicely into our garage. Tom is a master space planner and with his guidance we did it ourselves, with the help of a mover for the heavy furniture. After moving in, we put in new landscaping in the front yard.

New Kitchen

Part of living room with new door and new patio beyond.

Our new side patio. The grass is actually common area and is taken care of by the Homeowners Association.

Privacy screening for the new patio.

New front walk and landscaping

We love the openness of the space now and the additional light from having removed two trees from the front. There are many trees around, and, as sad as it was to cut them down, they are not missed.

Lauren and Boo came for a visit in July.....

We did lots of hiking. Tumalo Falls is very near, and

this was Boo's first hike!

Bend has many summer festivals downtown, and here Tom and I danced to a Swing Band....11:30AM.

Lauren and Boo

Rock Concert at the Outdoor Amphitheater

Sparks Lake....30 minutes from our house!

Still snow along with spring flowers at the higher elevations.

 During Lauren's visit we got into some boxes in the garage. While showing her some memorabilia of my life, she came upon this photo. It was taken during my years with Pan Am (probably circa 1965), and this was a "Flapper" party as I remember. She thought it was an great photo as it was a random shot but the layout was perfect. I was flattered that she took it and had it blown up and framed!











More random shots....

Tom and our dear friend, Debra, from Minneapolis
Todd Lake and Mt. Bachelor in the background with
hardly any snow. It's completely white today, and this area is covered in snow

Our "laughing monk" figure gazing
at a 1998 Vision Quest photo of Dottie.

Dottie and June, Tom's niece's new baby, who was 3 months old
when I visited them in Arcata, CA

Tom holding a photo of he and I taken in 1993, when we first met.

Tom fooling around at a Festival.

Manzanita Strings at our Sept. Recital where we played
The Five Novelettes by Glazunov

"Laughing Monk" even as he is buried in snow!

The prayer flags in the backyard symbolize my involvement with the Natural Mind Dharma Center here in Bend. This is a Tibetan Buddhist center that has become a big part of my life. Two years ago, when I first began regularly attending, I felt as if I had finally come home. Many threads of my life's exploring seemed to come together and settle into what just seemed to fit me perfectly. The teachings are challenging, and not easy for the Western way of thinking, but I find them very moving. The practices that one does are powerful, and I am committed and consistent in a way I've not been with spiritual practices in many years. The community is warm and welcoming. It's a small group which is very alive and present with each other. The community is led by a Dharma teacher who has a very relaxed and relevant way to present the teachings. He was an ordained Methodist minister early on, and thus has a background that is helpful. He can relate the Buddhism to other faiths, and understands the backgrounds of many of us there. I find myself to be the most contented and at peace than I've ever been, and it feels just right for this stage of my life.


To close I am adding some photos of our September trip east into the Outback of Oregon, where the wide open spaces and incredible beauty of the high desert, wild horses, ranches and few people make for a most unusual experience....