Nutcracker Again

Some weeks are so full I can hardly breathe.  Last week was one of those.  We were either rehearsing for the Nutcracker or performing in it.  Just to refresh; our good friend Rachel Tan is a dance instructor. A very good one.  She is a woman with great expectations.  Her dream was to produce a version of the Nutcracker on Temple Hill in Oakland, using her students.  For free.  Her dream became reality three years ago, when the Temple Hill Committee responded to her offer in the affirmative.  It was impressive from the first.  Rachel does nothing half-way.  Her scenery, props and staging were of professional quality.  Her students, from the littlest to the oldest were amazingly well rehearsed.  She sacrificed a lot of time and money to make her production special.  The results have been amazing.  Each year the house has been packed for all performances.  This year was no exception.  Crowds gathered several hours before the doors opened.  It is an amazing experience to be involved with this production.

Rachel asked Layne and me to be the grandparents in the opening party scene for her first performance, and every one since.  It is hard to turn her down.  Actually, it is nigh to impossible to do so.  So we became the grandparents.  It involved a short solo for Layne.  If you know him at all, you know that dancing is not one of his gifts.  Yet he does a great job of it.  The audience loves him.  Our first two years were nerve-racking as we stained to remember what we were to do.  But this year was actually fun.  I felt happy to be there and felt no fear at all in participating in our two adult dances.

Our friend Howard Bernam, who plays Drosselmeyer, stayed with us for three nights.  He is English and very proper.  It was fun to rub shoulders with him and take in his view of life.  He is a professional actor so it was extra fun to watch him at work on his craft in the show.

Saturday night Layne sang with his quartet at our ward party.  We rushed there from Nutcracker.  Layne sang in his tux.  I have to say that there is something grand about a man in a tux.  He looked smashing and the music the quartet performed was wonderful.

Some of the Nutcracker dancers, Jill (she and husband Josh danced
for the BYU Ballroom Dancers), Laura (she and husband are in our
stake), Layne and me.

Layne ("Grandfather")  and Howard (Drosselmeyer)

It has been a week of performances!

The Turn-around

It's not a good idea to get too settled.  I tell this to myself often and even go to lengths to keep myself adjusting to changes by doing crazy things like reorganizing drawers and such.  Just to make my mind think in some small way, and adjust.  Change.  It is built into mortality.

I mention this because I was just getting used to the idea that we will be here for awhile longer when our potential buyers reconsidered their withdrawal.  Layne came up with an idea to include in the purchase package that they liked.  So our home is now in escrow.  This means that we will have to be out of this place next month!  Now I'm trying to readjust my thinking.  Find a home in Boise.  Buy it.  Move in the winter.  Hum.  I'm hoping it'll all work out as it should.

Other than considering a major change in our lives, our week has been rather mundane.  Except for Nutcracker rehearsals and Layne's almost constant comment that he'll never do this again.  Of course he has said that every year for the last three.  This year he will be right.

Our wild rain storm was beating up our flag.  So Allegra and I
decided to rescue it.

 And then there's the rain.  After a summer of no moisture whatsoever, it catches our attention when it rains.  Especially when it pours.  Our week has been full of storms.  I love it.

Allegra and the soggy flag.

Me by the flag pole, in the midst of the storm.  Loved it.
We wandered all around the yard in the rain.  Such fun!

Our Christmas is up.  Here are our Carmen Trees,
full of angels and little pictures of our Angel Carmen.

The Pleasures of Gratitude

Like many families, we share holidays with the in-law side.  This year Thanksgiving belonged to the other side of the family.  So we planned on a smaller scale Thanksgiving.  At first.  But daughter-in-law Dorothy (son Reed's wife) said her children really wanted a Thanksgiving dinner with us.  Son Ben said he had to work on Thanksgiving. It warmed my heart that my children wanted to celebrate together.  So we made special arrangements.  We decided to do our Thanksgiving celebration on Saturday.  We had burgers on Thursday.

We invited some extra guests to join us on Saturday so we had 25 people for dinner.  The usual menu prevailed.  We are creatures of habit now.  We must have turkey, our special jello, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, homemade rolls and, of course, pie.  We are a pie family.  It was fun.  Even though our dishwasher is not working at the moment (the electric one), things went smoothly and the clean-up wasn't all that bad.  I'm trying to cherish these family get-togethers, especially now that we are going to move.

Our Thanksgiving set-up, before the gang arrived.

Grandson Bruce enjoying the view.

Who needs games and movies when you have ipads?  They
provided the after dark entertainment.

Granddaughter Abigail, dabbling in her dinner.

Grandson Jonathan's after dinner activity.  

Well, we thought we were going to move right away.  But it is a good idea not to build a kingdom around something like this until it is really a sure thing.  Our potential buyers appear to be edging out of the sale.  So, maybe we haven't sold our home after all.  My mind moves back and forth between Boise and here.  I'm trying to be flexible with my mind-set.  But it's tricky.  

I'm grateful that we have pleasant alternatives in any case.

Almost Sold

"Life is short," my older relatives used to tell me when I was young.  I didn't believe them.  Life seemed to go on forever in those youthful years.  Now that I am a much older woman I can see an end. I will not be here forever.  In fact, I will not be here much longer, relatively speaking.  This thought comes more forcefully to mind as I organize the photos of my children.  Lately I've been working on son Gerald's collection.  As I look upon his picture life, he seems to have grown up so very quickly.  Indeed, from my mature point of view, I can now agree with my older relatives; life does move speedily along.  Gerald now has children of his own and THEY are growing up quickly as well.

Gerald in 1999:  25 years old

This fast-moving mortality makes our potential move to Idaho seem a bit more consequential.  It seems right for us, but it is a big deal for a couple in their later years.  Part of me is excited by a new adventure  (as Layne is) and part of me wants to be safe, comfortable and with familiar people and surroundings.  Am I becoming a "fuddy-duddy"?  Could it be that I am lapsing into the world of the "old'?  Perhaps a new adventure will be good for us after all.

Our view this morning.

Our home, soon to be sold.

All of these ponderings have become a bit more vital in my mind as, it looks like, we have sold our home.  We have a good offer, counter offer and counter again.  I believe we will settle on the final price soon.  If that all moves along as it should, we will move in January!  We will visit Boise soon and pick out a new home.  Wow!  

Awfully Busy in the Dark

Living in the dark is always an adjustment for me.  I love the winter, except for the dark.  Sunday our daylight ended at 6.  Its a time for candles and holiday lights.  Perhaps that is some consolation.  That, and the hills are beginning to turn green.

Our local children gathered for our extended family home evening on Sunday.  Layne talked to them about us moving to Boise; the hows and the whys.  I think it cleared the air, and settled in my mind once and for all that we will make that move.  I think it was good for the kids to hear the reasoning behind our decision.  They seem supportive.

Tuesday was election day.  I had difficulty sleeping for the two nights preceding it.  I was in charge of a precinct, remember.  Monday night was supposed to be our set-up night.  Layne and I took our ahead- of-time election stuff and waited for over an hour for the custodian to show up to open the room we would be using.  She never came.  So Tuesday morning we had to set up everything the hour before the polls opened.  Stress.  Worry.  Sweat.  The blessing in it was that another precinct was right next to us.  Their workers were quite experienced, so they helped us quite a bit.  Especially their inspector, Carol.  We bonded over our mutual responsibility.

As it turned out, all of my workers were new to the job.  But in spite of that, all went well.  Lots of voters showed up and it turned out to be fun to meet and greet them.  My lady assistants all loved it.  The time passed fairly quickly, considering that we were there from 6 AM to 9 PM.  The only unpleasantness came from a few democratic voters who were a bit brazen in their contempt for the republican cause.  But we all kept our cool.

I didn't check the election results that night at all.  Therefore I slept well.  Early the next morning before we left for the temple we read the results.  I didn't realize how invested I was in the hope for a republican victory.  Obama for another 4 years.  Will we survive it with our freedoms in tact?  I doubt it.  In spite of all of our efforts and prayers, Obama is victorious.  It feels like a political darkness has settled over our land.  I could hardly speak for disappointment all the way to the temple.  My temple ladies and I talked at various times throughout our morning about it and by the time we left I felt much better.  What else can we do but adjust.  Adapt.  So I will.

I was given a lovely diversion from things political Wednesday night when I taught the Young Women at Church how to make pie pastry.  It turned out to be fun.

Thursday morning, early, Layne and I headed to the airport to stand-by for a flight to Seattle and a visit to daughter Jessica and her family.  We got the flight and arrived as planned.  Jessica runs a used bookstore so we spent quite a bit of time there.  I always find books there to buy and this time was no exception.  What fun to be immersed in books and reading opportunities.  I have the terrible habit of starting lots of books that I really do want to read.  Yet I rarely finish a book.  I get distracted.  Or sleepy.  I seem to be a woman on the move.  You have to sit still to read.  Oh, can I ever discipline myself to finish what I start?

We had a great time with Chris and Jes and their three kids.  Seattle was cold, but sunny and the people were friendly, so our time there was fun and bonding.  We came home Saturday night.  The flights were full so we bought tickets on another airline. What luxury to go to the airport knowing that our seats were assured.  It made the trip home lovely.

Chris and Jessica's son, Miles, plays for me.
He did a great job.

Jessica inside her book store, Bumbershoot Books.

Me, surrounded by books in Jessica's store.

Layne in Jessica's back room, checking out an
old family Bible.  We bought it!

The outside of Jessica's bookstore.

Wow.  What a week.

Some Clarity

"Quit asking the kids what they think of our moving away," Layne told me yesterday.  He clarified for me that it is not up to our children where we should live.  I want to be near them, but the best place for us seems to be away from them.  Boise calls.  It calls because we can live comfortably there, with enough savings to take care of us for what remains of our lives.  It is important to us not to become financially dependent.  Layne wants to ensure that there will be enough money to meet my needs should something happen to him.   He has always wanted to take care of me; to plan for a secure future for me.  I love him for that.  It is important to Layne to live someplace that gives him labor and usefulness.  He really wants to go to Boise, where we can have an affordable, comfortable home on a little land.  So, we will go to Boise.

I had an unusually sweet experience at a doctor's office this past week.  I saw a new doctor for a problem with my jaw.  He assured me that it is easily resolved with some rest for an enflamed jaw and, while he was at it, he cured a very sore joint in my finger.  It was a sort of two-for-one experience.  To top it off, we had a lovely, lengthy conversation.  It was altogether one of the most rewarding experiences I've had with a doctor.  It was a happy surprise.

Volunteering is something that appeals to me but I've done little about it.  "Later," I usually tell myself, "when I have more time."  Ah, but when will that ever be?  So I offered to help at the poles this year.  I now find myself in charge of a precinct.  In charge.  I'm not experienced in this, you understand.  It's a little scary to be in charge!  So I've been cramming for the job.  I read the materials each day hoping that I can get all the instructions into my brain and remember them.  Review is the secret to memory, right?  In two days I'll test my theory.

Ben and Jessica's Halloween goblins

Ben and Jessica's youngest, Jonathan,
less than enthusiastic about his costume.

Halloween has come and gone with little celebration at our house.  It still doesn't seem right.  So I was happy when daughter-in-law Jessica invited us to come and spend a little time with her babes on Halloween.  We partook of the Halloween spirit through them; enjoying their enthusiasm and costumes.  Then we came home, ate a quiet dinner, and enjoyed a peaceful evening, with no trick or treaters in sight.  It's too far to come to our country house.  Boo.

Friendshipping

What can I do with all these garden vegetables?  We are buried in tomatoes, zucchini and other squash. It's a blessing and we have enjoyed eating squash every day for the past few months.  Layne is one of those rare people that thrives on repeats of the same thing over and over again.  I tease him that this taste for lack of variety is a quality that is good for our marriage since he has the same girl every day, over and over again, and seems to like it.

But I long for a bit of cuisine variety.  So I took to looking for recipes for squash.  I found an amazing variety of things that can be done just with zucchini.  So, in spite of my lazy tendency to stick to what I know, I'm going to experiment.  First on the menu is zucchini bread and zucchini chocolate cake.  I've done them before and they are pretty safe.  Then I'll advance into riskier territory.

I forgot to get a picture of friend Pat Green so all I have to show
for this past week is this representative sample of garden
vegetables that are currently keeping me busy finding uses for them.
Note the jar of pomegranate jam.  I made a batch from
pomegranates from our neighbor's tree.

"I love your red," my friend Pat Green said to me upon arriving for a visit with us on Sunday.  She was referring to the red walls that fill our living spaces, if you haven't seen them.  That is just the beginning of the things that Pat and I love in common.  She is from Boise.  Now.  She used to be a Fremont girl, which is where we met, worked together and bonded.  She is another of my few kindred spirits.  Like me, she is a lover of wild things, bling and philosophical talking into the night.  We spent three days talking and barely covered the surface of thoughts to share.  People come in various categories of intimacy, it seem to me; there are those that tell me all I want to know of them in a few minutes; those who could connect with me on many levels but do not communicate enough to discover them; those who hold a very different view of life but are interesting to connect with; then there are those who seem to ride on the same mental and spiritual roads that I have carved in my own mind.  With those special ones, the ride can go on indefinitely.  Pat is one of those for me.

Pat is from Boise.  Layne and I have decided that Boise is where we will go once our home is sold.  It seems to be a good compromise between leaving family (which still brings me sorrow) and leaving California (which Layne feels we MUST do).  It is a days drive from here, but closer to daughter Jessica and hub Chris, closer to my sister Maryanne and Layne's brother Lynn.  It seems to be a place that could attract our children eventually, should they decided to resettle sometime in the future.  How convenient it was for Pat to be from the very place we seem to be headed to.  She filled us with information about life in Idaho and which areas around Boise are most desirable.  Her presence seemed to confirm our decision to go there.  With a potential sale in the wings, we may be headed there sooner rather than later.  Or not.  Nothing is for sure, it seems.