Beautiful Clearlake in California

Beautiful Clearlake in California
Pacific Ocean/Mendocino Feb 2016
Update: March 6th, 2016.
After a very very long year of learning to live a new life with my most recent handicap. I am getting movement in my arm!! :) It started the end of August and has been progressing, slowly. My issues with paranioia and depression are also getting better. I am confident that things will continue to progress. However, loosing a whole YEAR of my life is devastating to say the least. However, keeping a positive attitude for the most part has been a huge challenge, but I do it. I am grateful to all my family and friends that have been so encouraging and helpful. Thank you..




Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Tuesday the 30th with Ron & Suzi and family

Tuesday was Ron & Suzi visit day. They just so happened to be babysitting their newest members of the family Jaxson and Knox. Cutest little boys about 4 1/2 months old.. Handful for sure twins, really? lots of work!! Season & Angie’s son’s!!

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We got to visit a little while.. soon we were on our way shopping.. It was Ron’s birthday on New Years Eve and daughter Meg had invited us for dinner that night (the 30th)..
In the meantime Rick called and invited us to lunch with him and Lynn.. So we did some shopping first then met Rick at the “Firehouse” in Orting, WA for some delicious hamburgers!! You know what? How hard is it to make a fabulous burger? These people have it right on!! The best hamburgers ever!! Awesome job! I know there are many places that can screw them up, so if you know any place that really messes up a hamburger, tell them to take lessons from these guys!

We got Ron his present, so we were ready for the nights festivities.. Of course Lynn couldn’t make it, she had to work the next morning (she gets up at 1am and then work by 3am, ick)..
When we got to Ron & Suzi’s, it was great to see everyone!

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Meghan and her husband John had driven up from El Paso to surprise the family for Christmas!! What a wonderful Christmas Present!! This was our first time to meet Meg’s husband John and truly is a dar’lin man!!

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Meghan cooked up so tex-mex enchiladas/lasagna.. It was very good!
We also had a wonderful surprise from our brother Rod, that were weren’t sure we will going to see while visiting!!
We had a wonderful evening visiting with everyone!! Love my family!

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Travel Day December 29th WA here we come!

OMG if you can believe it we got up at 315am to leave very early on Monday morning the 29th so we could do the whole drive to WASHINGTON state to where my brothers live around Orting/Graham area!! We made it in 14 hours! We arrived at brother Ricks about 6pm.. aww.. what a long ass day driving!! Hey our fuel bit was so cheap!! about $70 to drive up there one way!! The whole trip was about $180!! Thankfully the gas prices are so cheap!..
We were pretty tired by the time we arrived at Rick & Lynn’s.. A good nights sleep and we would be on the move again!
Mt Shasta below

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Sunday, December 28, 2014

After Christmas Party with the Bechlers!

The same day we got a surprise call from Ev’s brother Chuck saying they would like to stop by and visit. We also got a call for an impromptu party with Eric & Twilla that late afternoon!!
They were the host and hostess with the mostess!! Eric and Twilla decorates more than me if you can believe that one! Actually not so much inside, but the outside is beautiful!
We had a lovely few hours with a great group of people..
Thanks guys for having us!! WE LOVED IT!
Happy New Year!!!

Friday, December 26, 2014

Christmas Day with Ev & Linda 2014

Another GREAT Christmas with family and friends!!
As always we have our gift exchange about 2pm on Christmas Day.. Then the dinner is served!
Thankfully everyone is great at pitching in and helping bring food and getting it served! We served Turkey/Stuffing/Ham/Sweet potatoes/mashed potatoes/ gravy/green bean casserole/zucchini casserole/fresh homemade bread from Lee & Laura/crab salad, too much food!! Oh and dessert as well!! OMG!
I do believe we had 16 of us!! and two big tables and one small..
Everett/Linda, Lindsy/Chris/Colin, Cheri/Ali, Jeff/Cesar, Lee/Laura, Janet/Bob, Carrie/Jason/Peyton. Smile
We had additional seating just in case.. Smile

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What a wonderful Day.. Oh so my favorite holiday.. Smile
Love all my family and friends so much! Happy you can share this lovely day with us!

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Moose Christmas Party December 20, 2014

Our Moose Christmas party was a long time work in progress. We started planning our party in June of 2014. That is when we called to book the “Charley Baker Band” out of Petaluma (I called and booked him). We were lucky to get a date of December 20, 2014. I would have liked to have had this party earlier in December..?
We worked on getting things planned out. I was the person in charge, mainly. I am pretty good at designating… Smile
We had the “flyers” (I made them up) up in September advertising the Christmas Party/Buffet, thinking that would help sell tickets early. Didn’t seem to be the case. It was a hard push to just sell the first 50! Didn’t seem to make much of a difference by putting the flyers out early. “Charley was our big draw”.
Did a deadline of Dec 3rd to get tickets by (I made the tickets and got the advertising done), otherwise price would go up by $10.. Oh well that strategy didn’t really work.. We ended up selling the second 50 after the deadline and kept the price the same. We were hoping to have a good head count for the prime rib that were going to have to purchase. That didn’t work out so well.. It all turned out lovely anyway!
Everett and I did most of all the shopping. Tina covered the cake for our dessert! Tina & June also did all the twice baked potatoes!!
A special Thanks goes to our cook of the prime rib, Gil Roux.. He cooked them all to perfection!! I was the official meat slicer!! For our buffet we served a little over 100 people on 3 whole prime ribs!! <<this was a “buffet” all you could eat, not take home! Suzanne was pretty much in charge of the salad bar.. she did an awesome job! We had paid dishwashers that evening which was nice..We cooked 7 prime ribs ( I said we only needed 4).. too much obviously.. we ended up selling 3 whole ribs $90 each.. Not sure what happened to the other one?
All in all I do think everyone had a fabulous time!
Charley sang to all the ladies as he does so well..Everyone danced their night away.. Great time by all..

 

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Cookie Exchange at Gayle’s!

This is the second year that I have had the privilege to join Gayle with her Cookie Exchange!
Gayle is so entertaining.. She is so sweet and creative. She has wonderful stories she shares of Christmas’ long ago..
We always have a wonderful “dinner/snack”.. delightful really..
She buys lots of pretty flowers and has us all arrange them in unique containers.. So fun! We get to meet new people and gather with fun and creative women.. Smile  Just love this girl!

Special Friends at Christmas Time

Dear Friends, Jim & Shirley.. Invited us over for a gift exchange and dinner out at Sicily’s Italian Restaurant in Hidden Valley.. had a wonderful evening.. Smile
Love you guys!

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Sunday Philosophical Brunch 12/14

Every month on the second Sunday we meet at the Riviera Golf & Country Club for brunch..
We have lots of fun.. Great group of people.. This month being that it is December, our group size is a bit small.. However it makes no difference how many there are.. We all enjoy the meeting..

After our meeting Ev and I did shopping for our dinner at the Moose for Monday night dinner.. Smile

Monday, December 15, 2014

Maxwell Inn @ Maxwell Gift Exchange with long time Friends..

My family that was here all this past week left early this morning to head home to Orting, WA. About 13 hour drive, if you are lucky.. Apparently they were lucky.. Smile
A few weeks ago Lynn called to let us know we had reservations at the Maxwell Inn for our annual dinner and gift exchange..
Rich drove.. His vehicle seats all of us.. and barely fits all the gifts!! Smile
Just as we were leaving from Clearlake Oaks, brother Rick was just getting home to Orting..
We arrived at the Maxwell Inn about an hour after leaving Clearlake Oaks.
The Maxwell is has been hosting our little gift exchange for a few years now. It is an old hotel with a lovely bar with taxidermy animals all over the walls.. And all of it is decorated so festively for Christmas!! Love it!

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We did a our gift exchange having fun watching each person unwrap a surprise! We had a couple of cocktails while enjoying the unwrapping of gifts..
Soon we were on our way to dinner.. Seems like we sit in the very same place every year..?? We always meet the most interesting people. This year we met a bunch of cowboys on their way to “Old Mexico” to go deer hunting.. They all seemed to be having a GREAT time.. some more than others!
We brought a couple of bottles of wine to share with dinner. Dinner was fabulous! Even one better, one of the cowboys bought our dinner.. Merry Christmas to us.. Smile
Great night with Great friends! Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Family Week Continues

Amazing week! After the “cousins’ left we did a pretty much laid back day.. Wednesday Rick & Lynn went down to Petaluma to visit long time friends Phil & Toni..
Wednesday, Suzi and I did some shopping. We also went Thrift store shopping.. And to everyone’s amazement, I found another “Christmas Tree” to add to the already 47 plus trees you can find in our house! See the “Randy” tree below.. I do believe the current count on trees in the house is 48, however I could have missed one or two?? uummm? recount I guess.. Sad smile

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OMG if you had scene this tree at the thrift store you probably would have passed it up.. It was all matted and smashed! However with a little TLC this lovely “Randy” tree is flourishing!! (it’s fake).
Suzi and I had a fun day a bonding day, if you would..Smile.. We decided on having Pork Pot Roast for dinner on Thursday when Rick & Lynn returned home. In the meantime invited Lee & Laura to join us for dinner.. They love Rick.. Smile
Thursday was the biggest storm of the decade! There was as much as 8 to 9’'” inches of rain that fell, flooding everywhere around our county and nearby counties!! It was a good thing.. Our lake is now filling after a 3 year drought.. Smile
Rick & Lynn arrived home here safely.. This guy is so lucky at the casinos!! OMG! now winning even more money! Now $1500 a head! Smile 
We had a fun time with everyone that night for dinner.. Dinner was delicious..

Friday morning Rick put in a new “insta hot” water faucet for us..The other one we had broke.. This is like our 3rd one in 11 years.. ummm?
Friday afternoon was a kick back day.. we watched movies all day.. Had left over Pork Pot Roast..
Rick, Lynn and Suzi were all going to leave early in the morning Saturday..SADS Great visit! All too short.. Love you all!

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Swesey Christmas Party/Linda’s 60th!

Our Christmas Party actually started on Thursday before the 6th of Dec.. We have the best friends!! Mike & Maryann, trekked all the way from Reno on Thursday with the full intentions of helping us set up!! More great friends, Phil & Toni (from Petaluma) and John & Bette (from Copperopolis)!! We shared in some wonderful dinners!! Smile
I can’t even begin to say “Thank You” for all your help, hard work and your pleasurable company!! I couldn’t have better friends!!
Thanks goes out to all our friends and family that came from long distances to be with us!!
Your pretty awesome Gail, happy you got to eat dinner with us the  night before the party.. :
Amazing Amazing!!!

Not only did we have this wonderful Christmas/60th Birthday party..
I had the biggest surprise of my life!! OMG! I was so surprised when my brother Rick came in as Santa Claus (didn’t’ know it was Rick) and I was wondering who the heck that was, until he pulled the white beard down..And then two of my favorite sister-in-laws(only ones I have Smile) Lynn and Suzi were here!! Oh and then the tears were flowing!!
Then it wasn’t another 25 or 20 minutes and my cousin Randy and his wife from WA also walked in and then my other cousin Dawn from Denver came in!! OMG! I was sooooooooooo happy! Can’t find words to say how I felt! Warm and fuzzy with lots of tears!!
I have such a fabulous loving family! They are the BEST ever!!
Thank you all for being here and sharing in my 60th birthday celebration!! I love you all!!!!
With all the family that was here, I hope no one felt as if I ignored them!! I just hope you all had as great an evening as I did! Because if it wasn’t for all my friends that are always a constant in our lives, I would be lost with out you! Thank showing your support and hope you had a BALL!!
Our friends Dave & Terry provided the Karaoke for the evening.. A great big SPECIAL THANKS goes out to them! You were wonderful!! Thank you for making things lively!!
I am putting all the photos into one big album..so you might have to save them and come back to them later!!
Merry Christmas to you all!! Happy New Year!!
Hope to see some of you at the Crab Feed in Eureka in January!!
Love to you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Said our Good byes to some of guests from the previous nite at the Moose lodge breakfast!! You all are awesome!! How did we become so blessed!
My cousins all went home on Tuesday after the party.. Too short of visit for their first time here! Had a ball..
Brother Rick and my two sister-in-law’s Lynn and Suzi all left on Saturday the 13th.. Love ya!

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

My Family Week!

Oh what a week!! We crammed everything we could in just a few days! After the party on Saturday night, there was Sunday a very long day. We didn’t get much sleep as you can well imagine.. Sunday morning when I woke we had people all over the place sleeping! Smile You know it was a great party when you have people all over the place sleeping!! What a site!
I’ll skip those pics..
As soon as everyone was moving around we got ready and went to the Moose for Breakfast. I am sure there were about 15 or so of us.

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After breakfast most of went back up the house and hung out and cleaned up from the night before. We had a nice day visiting catching up on everyone’s lives. Sister Kim even stayed an extra day so she could visit with her cousins!
Dinner of course was left over tacos from the night before.

Monday we had crab omelets for breakfast.. yummy.. After breakfast we all decided to go wine tasting up to Brassfields!
Had a fun time! This was Lisa’s first time to go wine tasting! I am happy we picked such a beautiful winery for her first time.
The time passed quickly and soon Everett, Rick and Kim were on the road to Petaluma. Kim had to work on Tuesday, so she needed to get home.

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In the meantime Dawn, Randy, Lisa, Lynn, Suzi and I took a drive about half way around the lake. We headed toward Upper Lake, went to the Blue Wing for a snack and walked through some of the few shops that were left there.
From here we went over to Lakeport and went to a thrift store, only to find just a few treasures..From here we went to the Running Creek Casino where we would meet up with Rick & Ev for dinner.
Rick being the gambler he is (not really) he had to play the machines.. Well it paid off! He hit the machine for about $900 big ones! Dinner obviously was on him.. Smile Had such a wonderful day!!!

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Tuesday morning the “cousins’ all had to go home.. Sad smile We all shared in a last hurrah breakfast.. Soon they were on their way.. No one really wanted to say good bye..
This was the BEST birthday I have ever had! Thankfully I have great memories!! Love you all!!!

Monday, December 1, 2014

Thanksgiving at the Moose in Lewiston, CA

I am pretty sure we planned this trip to the Moose lodge at Lewiston, CA for about a year.
Pam/Doc, Lee/Laura, Jim/Shirley and us. We had other friends (Wendel & Terry) that were on their way, but the motorhome broke down in Redding! And then they ended up going home for Thanksgiving.
We arrived in Lewiston on Monday before Thanksgiving.

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Weather was nice, but knew it was going to change toward the middle of week.
Dave the administrator was a dear man. He was the person in charge of trying to keep the campground reservations so no one would do with out! He did an amazing job! Dave made us all feel welcome! What a fun lodge Lewiston, CA! Everyone was so friendly making you feel like you belong!!
Monday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday meals were being served at the lodge. I cooked a couple of the nights and had everyone in with us.. Pot luck kind of nights..
Tuesday, Doc & Pam and us took a ride to Weaverville and check out the Thrift store and other boutique type stores.. Found a few treasures..

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Wednesday we hung out around camp and the Moose.
Jim and Shirley were going to arrive this evening with their Motorhome.. they missed the turn to Lewiston, however Ev and I found them and brought them in!! Smile
We enjoyed a nice campfire with some other campers one evening.

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We also meet our next door neighbor Tom & Jeanne from Redding area.. Nice people!!

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We enjoyed a fun evening with everyone in our trailer for dinner!!

Thursday we ate dinner with about 150 people at the Moose Lodge. What a wonderful dinner it was!! After our lunch/dinner we all retired to our rigs for a nap..

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Friday was another day at Weaverville shopping for treasures!!
Found more stuff..

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Saturday morning Jim & Shirley took off.. Shirley was coming down with something, so it was good for them to go home..
About 11am on Saturday morning we were escorted through the fish hatchery at Lewiston Lake, by a wonderful hostess Amy.. What a darling women she is.. Young and mother of 2 and works at the Moose as a volunteer bartending and her day job as a hatchery worker..


Saturday evening was the Bridge lighting and fireworks, setting off the Christmas season in full swing! Fireworks were spectacular! The weather was drizzling, but we had rain coats and umbrellas.. It was a beautiful display.. Fun time had by all..
Most everyone else headed home on that Sunday morning..

What a fantastic time we all had! Thanks to everyone!!