Burning the past

We are starting to go through things in the house just a little at a time, because we are hoping to move sometime in the Spring/Summer.

There is a box of mine that I decided to sort through. For years I kept a journal. I had them in a box and they traveled with me from place to place, being added to over the years. But I suddenly stopped writing down the things that were happening in my life sometime in 1999 or 2000.

I'm not exactly sure why, but I just stopped. I started up again, sort of, around 2004, but I didn't keep up with it.

I'm also not sure why I kept those ramblings for so many years. Some of them are hardbound books with lined pages filled with words, others were just cheap notepads I picked up in the office section of some store. They are so old that the pages are all separated, and some of them I numbered so they could be kept in order, and held with a rubber band.

Maybe a part of me thought they would be interesting to my kids someday, but since the two who were young when I wrote all of that stuff are grown now, and I'm not so sure they would find them interesting, I decided to get rid of them.

I started with whatever was on top, grazed through it quickly and tossed it into the fireplace. I think it was 1998 or 1999. Then I went to the next one, did the same thing. I got to the year 1995 and I read that one page by page as I tossed them into the fire. Interesting to me, not to anyone else, I decided. I went on a cruise that year. It was fun, but it only means something to me. I was pretty deep into a relationship that was part loyal great friendship/part cat-and-mouse love affair. The words were vivid, but I wouldn't say it was well written. I found it uninteresting and sad.

I have thumbed through at least five of them so far. Some years I was prolific, so there was more than one book for the same year, others were shorter.

Last night I read the last 20 or so pages of a book I've been devouring, "Love Child," by Allegra Houston. I usually take at least a month to read a book, but that one I read in two or three days. I had taken an unintentional nap earlier in the evening, so I wasn't really sleepy, and as I read the last word of the book,  I glanced at the clock. 1:30 a.m. I turned off the light, but I couldn't get settled. The journals, I thought. I should go through another one and try to work my way to the bottom of that box.

The one I pulled out was older. 1992. I started to read through it and decided I'm not ready to burn that one. It was filled with the usual 20-something angst and confusion, but it had some little tidbits about my children, and it was also written well. It was interesting, and I found myself still reading it an hour later.

My writing became bland and uninteresting the older I got. Maybe it was the circumstances. Maybe it was because I had to be a creative and interesting writer by day as a reporter in those later years, so by evening I was spent. Maybe it was because the people in my life at that time were sort of draining me. Or maybe it was because in those early years I was still at the university, and I was being challenged and inspired.

I'm inspired by lots of things: nature, music, art, books, I can find almost anything interesting. But I was surprised that my 1992 self inspired me. I really can write. I just haven't done it in a long time.

Memories: What is real and what gets us through

Christmas is here. It's always packed with activities that add to my fond memories. So because it's Christmas Day and the house is quiet, I started thinking about memories and what they mean to me.

My earliest memory is from around age two, I think. I know I was very small. I was standing on a high step, my mother insisting that I stand there so she could take my picture. I can't really remember what my dress looked like, only that I really liked it. But I did not like standing on that high step. I was afraid. Afraid that I would fall and my mother, who was my world, could not catch me because she was too far away--all the way at the bottom of those high steps.

But if I could ask her about that, she would have her own version of that memory. (She died in 2007.) Or she might not have remembered it at all, except for the little photograph from that day. Maybe she would remember the dress because she picked it out for me, or remember the camera, because it was hers.

My brother remembers things I don't remember at all from our childhood. He remembers some things completely different from my versions.

Recently I started reading a book about childhood trauma. It was written in the 1990s, so the information could be different if there have been more studies since then, but in that book the author illustrates cases where memories have faded, or melded together into a new truth. The point being, it is important for children to talk about the trauma as soon as possible after it happens, because if they hold it in it negatively affects their adulthood. It is very difficult for them to work through it as an adult because the memories are altered by time. They no longer know what is real and what is imagined, or what their minds have altered. Some things they believe to be true, such as locations, and what they could see from that location during the trauma, don't make sense. For example, the location and that view are not congruent. Our brains are a complex organ.

Until recently I had an almost photographic memory. I couldn't remember everything the way people who do have a photographic memory can, but I could remember a lot.  I could recite back, word-for-word, conversations I had with people. (It was a great tool for a reporter to have.) My mother would remark on how wonderful my memory was when I was little, and I was the go-to person when someone couldn't remember something.

Memories of my hometown, my childhood friends, some of the good family moments, and all of the ones I have of my children are like little treasures for me. Not everyone cherishes memories like I do. Life seems to be just a series of events that are lived and forgotten. No big deal.

For me it is fun to reminisce, and I really enjoy doing it with friends and family.

Relationships: Focus on the Positive

There is a fine line between focusing on the positive and being in denial in a relationship, but once you've established a loving, committed relationship I believe it is important to let the small stuff go. By the small stuff I mean the cap off the toothpaste kind of stuff.

There will always be something that the special person in your life does or doesn't do that frustrates you. I can name a few right now that he does. I've mentioned them, and he doesn't consistently remember to do or not do them.

And guess what? He has mentioned some things to me, and I find myself forgetting as well.
We forgive it and move on.

When we knew we were committed to our relationship I wanted to be the best person for my husband that I could be. I still fall short sometimes, in my view. But, I decided that I wanted to be sure that he knew I was his biggest fan. I thought of how awful it feels to be ridiculed, and decided I would never do that to him. I only want him to feel lifted up, and know that I am the person he can always count on to support him and be there when he needs to lean on someone.

There are so many people out in the world who are rude, mean, and freely throw out insults.  I want to be the safe place, the one he will seek out when he has had a bad day.

So I focus on the positive. I remind him on a regular basis why I think he's great, and so perfect for me. It isn't empty praise. I make sure that whatever I say is heartfelt.

I have a personality that tends to focus on what can be done better, what's wrong and how did it get that way. I also question everything, seek the truth, and I don't really believe something just because someone says it's so.

This personality has served me well as a journalist. But work is a different thing. Our marriage requires me to adjust myself accordingly. I admit that I sometimes struggle, since these thoughts and behaviors are in my nature. But I make a conscious decision to see what is working well in our relationship, and how great our lives are.

I find that when I intentionally focus on love, and approaching my husband from a place of love and acceptance, I feel great. The more I notice his incredible acts of love and kindness and acknowledge them, the more I see. It's kind of like that exercise of counting your blessings. You start with one thing, then two, and pretty soon you find so many things each day you are thankful for that your list is never ending.

We aren't perfect, nor should we expect perfection. I try to remember the Golden Rule and talk to my husband the way I want him to talk to me.

He speaks to me with respect and kindness. His intention is always to show love and acceptance. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful man, and I tell him that I know how blessed I am. We both know that we are.

It's a choice, really. Do we want to be negative, or do we want to focus on what is great in our lives? I choose to focus on the positive and let the little things be what they are--insignificant.

Three Days in Orlando, Florida: Yay!

Earlier in the year Chuck and I discussed taking the kids to Disney Land. We didn't think we could afford to do it this year, but when my daughter wanted to meet up with us for a little vacation, we tossed around a few ideas. We eventually settled on Orlando, Florida in November.

Since we were going that far we decided to plunge right in and do it right, and go to Disney World.

When I started looking for deals on flight and hotel I was surprised to find a steal on a resort hotel with flight. The resort room was actually a duplex with two bedrooms and two baths, a kitchen, dining room and living room. It was perfect. And there was a 12-acre water park on site. Truly, this was thousands of dollars less than what I was looking at for Disney Land, and Disney Land is closer for us.

We spent the first day with Jewel, Bjorn and Parsla at Sea World after we all met Chuck's sister, Carla, and her husband for breakfast at The Golden Corral not far from our resort. They live an hour and a half away from where we were in Orlando.

Sea World was a lot of fun. We saw the dolphin show and the Shamu show, went on a couple of rides and looked around at the wild life there. The dolphin touch tank was another stop, but they didn't come close enough to us. Parsla was excited to have Sean with her, and wanted him to ride on her stroller. That was the only day we spent with them, because they were afraid Parsla wouldn't be able to handle all of the parks.

Our second day was spent at Islands of Adventure. I think we all liked it best. We loved the rides there. The Harry Potter ride was our favorite. That Harry Potter area is amazing. Really. It looks exactly like the castle, and the little town where he buys his wand, and the broom, all of it. Amazing!

And as we were walking out of Hogwarts, the Beaubaxton girls and guys marched past us. There were many guys and girls in the Hogwarts robes. It was enchanting, and I'm not even that big of a Harry Potter fan.

A close second on our list of rides was the Spider Man ride. It had great 3-D effects, and was thrilling.

Chuck and I went on the Jurassic Park ride, which was a meandering boat ride that took us through Jurassic Park and eventually down a log flume type run. We rode it twice. The first time we didn't really get wet at all. We sat in the same row the second time, and somehow we got drenched.

Sean had his picture taken with the Green Goblin, a character from the Spider Man series. Sean is a huge fan of Spider Man, and luckily as he was packing I suggested that he bring his Spider Man T-shirt. I had no idea what to expect, but thought he might be glad he brought it.

He was so excited to get his picture taken with the Green Goblin. While we stood in line for the photo, he said, "Oh, no. I'm wearing this Spider Man shirt. He's really going to put the hurt on me."
And I was so glad that when he got up there the Green Goblin was completely offended. He pulled the shirt and folded it over, then pulled Sean's arms across his chest so you could just barely see that it was a Spider Man shirt.
(Thank you Green Goblin! You made a little boy's day!)

Disney World was our last stop on our last day. We started early in the morning and went to Magic Kingdom. Our plan was to take a break at lunch time and spend some time at our water park at the hotel, then go back for the fireworks at Disney.
That day was a bit overcast, but humid. It sprinkled a little, but never really rained. The kids got in the pool after lunch, and had a great time.
We went back after dinner for the fireworks display. We rode a couple of rides while we waited. One of them was a runaway train ride in the Old West area of the park.

Sean isn't much of a roller coaster kid. He decided he would go ahead and try it. He admitted it was fun, but a little too much for him. We went on another one that was a haunted mansion. That one was just really cool. It felt like we were in a real mansion. The details were unbelievable.

It was difficult to find a good spot, but we watched the electrical parade. That was pretty cool. Then it was time for the show at the Cinderella castle. I wish we could have been in front of the Cinderella Castle for that. We weren't. Then the fireworks started, and they were really above us and behind us. Next time we'll know better, and we'll make sure we are somewhere we can actually see the whole display.

It was a great family vacation. The kids got along the whole time, and we had so much fun every day. We were so glad to spend a day with Jewel, Bjorn and Parsla, too. Vacationing together was a great idea. I sure hope we can do it again.

"Wear Something Cute, And Don't Take Any Crap": My visit with Clinton Kelly

The official photo.

Whenever possible I like to venture out and do something fun and unexpected. Something that I will likely never get the chance to do again.

Good ol' Facebook. Well, let me start at the beginning.
A long time back I saw a post that my aunt had shared on Facebook from Clinton Kelly. Until then I didn't even realize he had a FB page. But I immediately became a "Friend" or "Fan" or whatever, and have followed his posts ever since. For those of you not familiar with Clinton, he's been a host of the television show, "What Not To Wear" on TLC, and its final season just ended. That show featured real women who needed a fashion bootcamp, and whose closets needed to be stripped and reloaded. Now he is the host of "The Chew," and that show is about great food.

I vaguely remember hearing something about Clinton Kelly coming to the Macy's in Seattle, but figured it was not even
remotely worth the trouble of trying to get tickets because it would be expensive, or sold out.

Clinton's selfie with us.

But then Clinton posted on Facebook that he was going to be in Seattle, and that post had a link to the page to get tickets, and he said if they were all gone to come anyway and he would find a place for everyone. He was doing a Fall Fashion seminar. And the tickets were FREE.

So I figured what the heck. They're probably all gone, but I'll try to get tickets. I clicked the link, filled out the info, and Waaahoooo. Two tickets for me. And then I was trying to figure out who would want to go with me.  I decided I should first ask Lilly. She's into fashion, and I thought if she wanted to go it would be a chance for us to do something together. She was all about it.

Clinton telling it like it is.

This was my favorite party dress.

We were both not sure what to wear. It was a real tough one for me, but at the last minute I came up with a blouse with a Peter Pan collar, a tweed vest, dark washed skinny jeans, a chunky knit sweater, and my Keen boots and Origami Owl necklace with locket.

Lilly's outfit was a little more "rocker." But a 13-year-old can wear pretty much anything.

Our day started early. So glad we got up and got going at 8:30 a.m. The line started to form at 10 a.m., and we got there just a few minutes after because we were trying to find parking that didn't cost $10+. Found a garage that had a weekend deal for $7 a day, and we took it. AND it was a crosswalk away. (YAY!!)

We took the elevator to the second floor of Macy's Downtown Seattle and found the line.

I want to interject here how amazing that building is. It started out as the Bon Marche (pronounced marshay) and it is beautiful. Just looking at the architecture of the building was a treat for me. It is very old, and walking around in there just feels like you've stepped back in time. If you are into that sort of thing like I am, you can see more about the history of that department store here. This gives a historical timeline of when the first store opened, and when the subsequent stores were constructed, including the downtown Seattle store.

So back to standing in line. Eventually some ladies who work at Macy's came around with tickets to give us a number so we could step out of line to shop and get back in line, in order. We were numbers 32 and 33. We were very glad to be there early. Soon after we arrived the line was as far as we could see.

If you spent $100 in the women's dept. or at the Estee Lauder cosmetics counter you could get a picture with Clinton. I was totally fine with doing that. We don't do things like this often. We set about finding $100 worth of stuff.

But we had to be back in line within about an hour. Believe it or not, we both were having a very hard time finding anything we wanted to purchase, but it could have been because we felt a little under the gun. Later, after we were more relaxed, I saw a ton of stuff I could have bought. But I finally went down to the Estee Lauder counter and I was able to make it happen just before time to get back in line.

Once we were in place, we were kind of hungry, and I was thirsty. We were just discussing how great it would be if they brought us some water when some servers came along with trays of finger foods and spritzers. Ahhh. So good. Delicious. Macaroni balls. Never had them before, but they were amazing. Somehow breaded and inside that crunchy goodness was flavorful macaroni. There were a couple other things as well, but I didn't have any.

We were seated at around noon, and because we were number 32 and 33, we were seated really close to the stage. I think we were about three or four rows back. There were a couple of freebies on the seats.

The seminar was really great. He showcased trends for every age group and body type. His message is one that I believe in, and wish every person could hear. He talked about how important it is to realize that billboards and magazine ads aren't real. Those people displayed there have had a whole crew working to create that look. He also implored young women to focus on being a happy, nice person.

And he said, "Wear Something Cute, And Don't Take Any Crap." That message was on tote bags for those who spent the $100. And we were handed a little wristband to get the photo taken.

Though we were only a few rows from the front of the stage, when it came time for the pictures we were at the end of the line.

A friend of mine has been on the show. I knew she was going, but thought she was going with friends. While we were seated I spied her a few rows behind us.

She found us in line for photos. She had been back stage before the show to chat with Clinton. I was wishing I had been one of the 50 in the audience who received a free copy of his book, "Freaking Fabulous on a Budget," so I could get him to sign it. Lisa offered to run to a bookstore to get one for me. We figured she could get it and get back before we got to the front of the line.

She made it just in time, and I do mean, just in time. We were next as she arrived with the book. But they said he wasn't signing. So I gave her my cell phone to snap a pic in addition to the one the Macy's photog was taking. As Lilly and I got into position with him Lisa called out to me to turn toward her so she could take the picture, and one of his people said, "No. We can't allow photos. Sorry."

But Clinton said, "Oh. No. She's a friend of mine." Lisa was having trouble with my camera, so Clinton asked her to hand it to him, and he took a selfie with us! Then we posed for the official photo. And we were done.

Tired, hungry, thirsty, and elated because we had such a great time, we made our way to the nearest restaurant for lunch.

Thanks Clinton! So much fun! You are Freaking Fabulous!
And special thanks to Lisa, who traipsed around to find a book, and high tailed it back to the store, and also offered to take the extra pics for us. You are also Freaking Fabulous!

Autumn hues

Flames lick the edge of our wood stove, and the logs are glowing. Evenings are getting crisp here in the Pacific Northwest.

I hate to say goodbye to all of those blooms that lit up the gardens with vibrant color. I'm surprised the dahlias are still blooming now that it has gotten so cold at night. And I discovered another bloom today in the front beds. A red flower.

Very soon it will be freezing cold.

So, this could be the final bouquet of the season.

Sigh...

On the moving walkway, heading toward the holidays

It was Halloween Day, and I said to Sean, "Well. This is it. After today we are on the fast track to Christmas."

He didn't quite understand what I was talking about, but it's true. Once we've changed from the costume to the pjs and counted his candy bars there is a switch that gets flipped, and I feel like time moves a lot faster. Days whiz by and I'm in a whirr of Christmas decor in department stores, and non-stop Christmas music. I feel like I'm on one of those moving sidewalks you see at the airport. While I'm trying to take it all in, time is just moving faster than I can keep up.

Thanksgiving is a mere blip on the calendar.

I like my holidays in isolation. I don't want to be celebrating two holidays at once. My m.o. the past couple of years has been a boycott. I refused to participate in any Christmas anything until Thanksgiving had been properly celebrated.

But I'm feeling a shift this year.

Now I feel myself inching toward a place of acceptance. Maybe it's OK to have some pre-Christmas activities while we get ready for Thanksgiving Day.

Some of the cable channels have a countdown to Christmas on weekends. That means there are Christmas movies on already, and I found myself watching a couple of them on Sunday while I had an afternoon alone.

Christmas is so much fun. I've always wanted to prolong it as long as possible. Each year I longed for more time to soak up all the sights and sounds and good cheer. It was always so hard when I was a college student because exams fell in those first weeks of December. By the time I was able to focus on Christmas I only had about two weeks left of it.

I spent years as a single mom, rushing to get kids to school, get myself to work, zipping from one activity and place to the next. At Christmastime it seemed all was a blur.

My life is very different now.

So, maybe I'll try it this year to blend a little bit of Christmas with our Thanksgiving and see if it works for me.

Relationships are hard. Or are they?

A friend of mine is having some struggles with her relationship.
She said to me, "Relationships are hard."
I've heard that before. I've said it before, and more than once. I now realize it was because I wasn't with the right person. When you find the right person, in my opinion anyway, it isn't so hard after all.

I won't dare to try to discuss her struggles here, or those of another friend who is also experiencing some painful issues with a husband and trying to blend their families, because relationships are complex and difficult to understand when you are looking from the outside.What I will discuss is my relationship with my husband, and my observations about what makes our marriage work. I've had some that didn't work.

You see, when my husband and I began dating we were brutally honest with each other. I wasn't afraid to speak my truth, because I was completely and totally fine with being alone. I was doing just fine, and wasn't looking for anyone when we started dating. And he was done with being with someone who wasn't right for him, and trying to please someone by being who he isn't.

So we had that talk of, "Let's get it all out on the table. This is who I am. This is what I want. And this is what I don't want. Now if any of that is not in alignment with what you want and don't want that is completely fine. It doesn't mean I don't like you, it means we shouldn't waste our time trying to make this work when it clearly won't."
This conversation took place over many days. Probably more than a week, at least. And then even after that as we would think of more things to talk about, we would add to it. If he had ever dismissed my needs, or if his needs had not been ones I was willing to fulfill, we would have ended the relationship in those first days. We constantly gave each other permission to do so, and kept the conversation going so that we were totally open and honest with ourselves and each other.
Turns out all of our deal breakers were in total alignment.

I allow my husband to be who he is. And when I find myself frustrated by something he is doing, or not doing, I remind myself that I know him. We spent some time getting to know each other before we got married, so I know that he loves to work. I know that he sometimes struggles to communicate clearly with me. I knew these things about him before I married him, and even with these little things that I sometimes wish were different, he is absolutely amazing.

I can't expect him to change. He won't. He is who he is, and that is exactly why I married him. I know there are things that I do or don't do that drive him a little nuts. I try to correct them, but I am who I am also, and so there will always be things that I wish I could change but are just not that easy for me.

So, whenever something crops up that I don't like, I take a breath and remind myself that I don't know everything. I can't control everything. I have to let go and let him do what he does and be who he is, but if there is something we can do to make it better, we do it.

The great thing is that we can communicate about issues, and he truly listens to me and validates my feelings. In that regard I am truly blessed beyond belief, and it is one of the biggest reasons I feel in love with him.

Another thing that I think helps our marriage is that we both give. He gives so much to me. He is so patient with my quirks and mistakes, and he really shows me that he cares about me and loves me.

We send each other messages. They are random. Some days I don't get a message. Other days I get a message and a phone call. Some days I'm just out running an errand and think of him and send him a short message just to say, "I love you."

We don't argue. We really don't. For some people that would not work. They need to argue. We don't. We only need to discuss.

Pretty frequently I think of the vows I spoke to him during our marriage ceremony. I promised to approach him from a place of love and understanding. I try to see things from his perspective. And even when I think I know I have it figured out, I'm usually just wrong. His mistakes and quirks have nothing to do with any intentional slight toward me.

And I've learned that if I have an issue with something, I have to address it immediately instead of waiting. If I address it immediately we can have a calm, intelligent conversation and come to a solution.

We've bumped up against some things, we dealt with some things while we were dating and living together, and we've had some things crop up since our marriage. We have addressed them head-on and worked through them.

Blending a family takes a lot of patience, stamina, thinking outside the box, and attention. We are still learning what works and what doesn't.

We also have to take into account our backgrounds-- where we come from, both geographically and emotionally, and how we grew up. These things are not to be used as a weapon or arguing point, but instead to understand one another and give clues as to why we see things the way we do.

But we are not mind readers. No one is. It is completely unfair to expect someone to automatically know what your needs are without you speaking them out loud. I've seen some posts on Pinterest and Facebook about what it REALLY means when a woman says, "I'm fine," or "Go ahead and do whatever you want," and the list is longer than I am giving you here.

Saying things that mean the opposite of what you feel or think is a waste of breath. It's a waste of your life. We only have a specific number of minutes in our lives. Don't waste them with this kind of garbage.

You want that person to know what your needs are, but they don't. They only know if you tell them. So tell them. If they don't acknowledge your needs after you've spoken them out loud, or they choose to leave your needs unaddressed, you have a decision to make. And it could mean that you need to do some work on yourself before you can move forward in your relationship.

I really believe that the key to making a relationship work is to communicate clearly and honestly, and if what you are saying isn't clear, restate it in a different way. I've started using the words, "What I need," and , "I feel." When this or that happens I feel ____, and so what I need is ______.

This can feel really weird at first if you're used to arguing and yelling. It is best if you try it alone first, and just talk it through with yourself before you address it with your partner. And your partner may be completely thrown off by this if this is not how you normally communicate. You might want to preface the conversation with, "Hey. I am going to try something different, so hang with me while I try this," and then start with your "I feel" and "I need" statements.

A big thing for me is alone time with him. We have kids, and we have a blended family, which means kids come and go on weekends. We rarely, very rarely, EVER have alone time.

So, for instance, if he has been working a lot and we haven't had any time together, I give him a heads up that I need to talk when he has a moment. When that moment comes, and he does makes it happen asap, I start by saying something like,
"You've been working a lot, and I've been busy too, and we haven't had any time alone. When I don't have time alone with you I feel disconnected, and that makes me feel sad and lonely. I notice that I'm not able to function at a high level throughout my day when I feel that way. So what I really need is some alone time with you. Do you think we can schedule some time to do something, just you and me?"

There is no blame. There is no arguing. He doesn't get defensive about working. I don't berate him about working. I'm very specific about my feelings and my need. And I don't harbor negative thoughts and feelings about it. We find a solution together. And then it is over. We don't drudge it up later when something else comes up.

We read a book that our pastor recommended, and we worked through a lot of it prior to our ceremony. It's called "Discovering a Dynamic Marriage." It's a lot of work. I won't lie, it took a lot of commitment from both of us to work through the exercises, but I treasure the memories of meeting once a week to go over our work in those chapters.

In a nutshell, what works to keep our relationship great is:
Honest communication about our feelings and our needs
Addressing issues immediately
No name calling
No arguing
No matter what, approaching each other from a place of love and seeking to understand
Allowing each of us the freedom to be who we are
No unrealistic expectations, i.e., mind reading
Owning mistakes, but practicing forgiveness and gentleness with one another
No keeping score
No drudging up old issues that have already been dealt with

It makes me sad that so many people are having difficult times in their relationships.

Being a partner in a loving relationship has been one of the greatest things that has ever happened for me. If your relationship isn't what you want it to be, there are resources out there. Utilize them before it is too late. Most people who seek marriage counseling have had a dead marriage for at least two years, and so the success rate is low. If you seek help as soon as you realize you could use someone who can walk you through a way to better communicate, your marriage could be a success story.

Thanks, LeMay Car Museum: Building a Solar Toy Car

Whenever I see something interesting that I think Sean would enjoy, and if we are able to do it, I sign us up.

We've gotten memberships to several places in the past couple of years. Last year we were members at the zoo, and I wish we could go enough to make it worth it to get another membership. It just didn't work for us because their hours in the fall are so short that we could never make it before closing time when he was in school. Now that we are homeschooling we could, but we've decided to branch out and do other memberships this year.

A couple of months ago I took Sean to the Pacific Science Center, and decided that would be worth the membership because we plan to go about once a month.

In the Spring, Chuck bought a membership to the LeMay Car Museum in Tacoma. We've already used it a lot. A friend of his came in from Florida and we were able to take him, and then when our guests came in for the wedding we used it then, too.

I received a notice about some of their programs and saw that there was a family workshop to build a toy solar car. That sounded fun, so I signed us up and we went on Saturday morning. Sean and Chuck worked together to build the cars. Lilly was supposed to do it, but she was being dropped off there later and didn't make it in time to build one.

Sean had a lot of fun building his solar car.
We brought it home and he has had a great
time taking it outside and watching it go. 

Each table had a couple of kits to build the cars. There were no tools required, but the instructor gave some tips for making sure the car would run straight and not sideways. The car was a simple construction with a plastic corrugated board for the base, two tiny dowels for the axels, four wooden dics with a hole in them for the wheels, two small wooden rectangular pieces which held the eye screws that were screwed into the base so that the axels slipped through the eyes, and then the motor and mechanism that hold the rubber band, which made the wheels turn, and of course the solar panel on top of the car.

Sean had fun working with Chuck to put it together, and he was interviewed by someone who works for the museum newsletter. The guy asked Sean a lot of questions about what he likes to do, what he wants to be when he grows up, etc. Sean's answer to his question about what he wants to be was: Pilot/Doctor/Game Creator.

The museum is just starting its education component and the director said in the next couple of months they will have a lot more going on. There are some interesting student workshops for various age groups. I'd like to take him again for their "fuels for the future,"class, and the pinewood derby. I downloaded one of their classroom pdfs called "Science on Wheels." If you're interested, you can find it here.

There are some things you can do at home or in the classroom, but part of it includes a skit at the museum where people act out different parts of the engine. I'm sure it's fun. I'm going to try to get a homeschool group together and see if we can participate in it.

Who knows your child? You do.

Experience, age and years of child rearing have given me an insight that I believe is unique and has shaped the way I am currently parenting.

In those first years of parenting I did what my mom did with me and my brother, mixed with a little of my own intuition and knowledge I picked up along the way. I devoured parenting magazines, and I loved reading anything I could find that would give me information on the latest and best baby products, toys, strollers, car seats.

I was a very young mother, and was constantly judged. I felt that I was under a microscope wherever I went.
Grocery store, department store, and later on it was other parents at their school. I was young, and I looked even younger than I was. It made life difficult.

But I wanted to be a parent, and I wanted to be a good parent, and so I absorbed as much parenting education as possible in any format available. I religiously watched Terry Brazelton, a pediatrician, talk about childhood development on a PBS show.  It was seriously one of my favorite shows at the age of, what, 19 or 20, I guess.

All of this is to say that I've been parenting for many years, and I've always tried hard, but I've also made some mistakes.
One thing I know is that we have to make sure that our children know they are loved, that we care about them, that we want to listen to what they are saying, and that we are always there for them no matter what they do. We also have to set limits and be consistent in those, but we have to know our children, and treat them as individuals.

Recently I encountered someone who hinted that my child needed their direction. I sought this person out for something we needed, so I was more open to hearing what they had to say. And I almost convinced myself that they knew better than I did, and that maybe my child did need a firm hand. I could see that they believed my child needed not only a firm hand, but a militaristic approach--and none of these things were what I was seeking.

My inner voice was nagging me the whole time, and once I was able to come home and process the encounter I realized that I had almost allowed a total stranger to convince me that they know better than I do what my child needs.

I know my child. I know his quirks, I can read him and I know when he's upset, when he's feeling overwhelmed, when he needs to take a break, when his behavior is the result of low blood sugar or the lack of protein, and I know when he needs me to be stern and firm, and when he needs me to just listen.

No one knows him better than I do. No one knows what he needs more than I do. No teacher, preacher, or family friend knows him better than I do.

Parents know their children. Period.

Camp Seymour: Family Camp, Fungi and Climbing

Sometimes I wish I had continued homeschooling instead of sending Sean to school. Like last week, when we went to Camp Seymour for the homeschooling family camp night. It was a lot of fun, and I'm afraid he might be aging out of that activity. I think it is only through age 12, which only gives us one more year.

On Thursday we arrived in the afternoon to get settled into our cabin and do some evening activities. We were so happy that Chuck was off work and wanted to go with us. It was raining when we got there, but we were dressed for it. I had purchased a new rain jacket the day before. So glad I did.

I wasn't sure what to expect, since we had never done family camp before. All of the other families had been there for it last year, and buddied up in cabins. The three of us had a cabin to ourselves. I, for one, was relieved. I wasn't so excited about the idea of sleeping in a cabin with strangers.

So we got settled into our cabin, which was pretty great. There were 12 bunks, and the cabin was heated and quite comfortable.  Chuck ran out to the store to get a few "camp" snacks for us. We had dinner in the dining hall, and got used to the system there.

Sean got all the way to the top of this
37-foot-high climbing wall.

After dinner there was a short time to hang out in the cabin, and then it was time for the camp fire songs and skits. Once it was good and dark our leaders, Matt and Amelia, took us on a night hike to see nocturnal animals.

A little trip to the beach provided a fascinating sight. We were able to see the plankton that light up. They light up when predators are near so that the predator can see other, bigger prey and leave them alone. Matt dipped an oar into the water and spun it like a propeller to get them to light up. It was really amazing. Wish I could have gotten a picture.

We didn't see any other night animals, but Matt showed us how to light up our mouths in the dark with wintergreen lifesavers. He told a tale about a meteor and that he had a piece of it and would show us how it lit up in his mouth. Then confessed that the whole meteor story wasn't true, and we could all do the same thing with a lifesaver.

Next morning Chuck was up super early and off to work. Sean and I almost completely missed breakfast because we just aren't early risers. After breakfast we had to get everything out of the cabin and check out. This took a while because it was just the two of us, and we had to carry all of our gear. We made two trips, then we were supposed to clean the cabin.

After check-out we met the rest of the homeschoolers who were arriving for the fungi instruction and afternoon activities. Then it was time for lunch.

Lunch was delicious pizza, and our table really put it away. I was the only adult at the table, which was just fine with me. I had a good time talking to the kids.

The kids did the climbing wall, and Sean shimmied up that wall like Spider Man.

By the time we were on the fungi hike I was exhausted, but I tried to persevere. It was a long hike and I was so cold and tired. The kids were really into it. They were spotting mushrooms everywhere, of all colors, shapes and sizes. And Matt, our fungi leader, was helping to identify some of them.

Sean recognized some that we also have on our property. It is Fungi Season here.

Thanks Camp Seymour! We had a great time and hope to do it again next year.

Greece, oh, Greece, how I miss you

If someone gave me a ticket, I would go back to Greece tomorrow. Maybe tonight if I could swing a ride to the airport. Heck, who am I kidding? I'd drive to the airport and pay for the parking.

The little ones were so cute.

But I would need two tickets, because Chuck loved Greece as much as I did, and I wouldn't want to leave him behind.

We were able to enjoy a little bit of Greece in Tacoma, Washington last weekend at the Greek Festival at St. Nicholas church. There was a lot of authentic food, and some vendors, but the dancing was our favorite that day.

I don't think we were in Greece long enough to figure out where to find this kind of entertainment, but we sure enjoyed it in Tacoma. Even Lilly enjoyed it, but probably because the teenaged group that danced had one cute boy she was admiring.

There were some older gentlemen who were singing along with the Greek songs, and the one who was emceeing the event had a strong accent. He announced the dances and the parts of Greece where they were danced. I think my favorite was from Crete.

I was so glad we were able to attend this event. We love the food, and it was cool to be immersed in the culture again.

Farm Tour Weekend

Last weekend was the Farm Tour, and we LOVE this event. We tour every year, and always stop in to look around at the Fiber Arts Festival. It was beautiful! We had temps in the 60s, and sunshine. We packed in a lot of activities.

Chuck bought us all special T-shirts from the fire department, "Firefighters for the Cure." They are blue shirts with pink lettering. He wanted us all to wear ours today for the tour.

Pancakes and ham for breakfast, served by our local firefighters, was the first stop of the day. Chuck was there, and had just finished his shift. We ate together, then got our picture taken in front of the 1918 fire truck outside the station.

One of our friends has become quite the farmer, and she makes her own yogurt, cheese, and even detergent. I bought some great bath soaps from her.

We were hungry by the time we were finished there, so we made our way to Creviston Valley Farm where they serve lunch. It was really good. Corn on the cob, chili, hotdogs and hamburgers were on the menu.

We spied some Rhode Island Red chicks there at one of the booths, and decided to add two more girls to our family. (Our current girls are slowing down on the egg production.) We went back later to pick up the chicks so they didn't have to ride in the car for hours.

Finally, after five years, I was able to make it to the sheep farm. It's a 70-acre farm, and there are sheep and alpacas and llamas, and several wonderful dogs. They had border collies, and a beautiful Great White Pyrenees. I have wanted one because they are a great farm dog, but they are really big, and I've had a Newfoundland and know how much work those large breeds are. Maybe at our next property...

We brought our new chicks home and tried to get them acquainted with our other girls. I was happy to have some reds, because the one red we have is small and gets picked on sometimes. The chicks are eight weeks old, and they seem to be doing fine.

Holy man holes

So we had one of those nearly once-in-a-lifetime weekends. Alone, sort of. The kids were gone to see their other parents and we were free to do whatever we wanted.

Saturday we both did a little work in the morning and then took the afternoon to go do something we wanted to do together.

It was free museum day, so we downloaded the coupon and headed for the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma. (I know, we are so WILD.)  We had a great time there. Neither of us had ever been, and it really was interesting. The traveling exhibit is D.B. Cooper.  I knew the name and basic story, but the exhibit kind of brought it all to life for us.

We stayed there for quite a long time, it was closing time when we left, and we still hadn't seen everything. I'll definitely be using it for homeschooling.

We parked in the pay lot as close to the entry as possible, or so we thought. Turns out the entry was around the building, but no big deal. It was kind of rainy, but not real bad. Yet.

As we came out it was raining pretty hard.

You might say, "Hey, you're in Washington, the Pacific Northwest. What do you expect?" And you would be right, except that it was a downpour! And I mean violent downpour. The security guard inside allowed people to go out the back door to avoid walking around the building to the parking lot.

We made a run for it to the car, which we were so thankful was parked only three parking spaces from that door we came out, and we were pretty wet.

When Chuck made the turn to go onto Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma, a river was rolling down the street. A Hummer was driving toward us in the other lane, and the water was spraying up onto the hood.

We drove further and were about to make a left turn onto 15th, and a man hole was spouting water like a fountain. And it was like that all through downtown.

This is a view of the manhole on Pacific Avenue from our
back window. 

Once we made a couple of stops for some errands the rain let up a bit and we made our way to Anthony's restaurant for dinner.

I chose the Alaskan Langcod with huckleberry sauce. Soooooo good. I even got a dessert, because it's huckleberry time and it only comes once a year. I got the huckleberry cheescake. I love going there this time of year because they always have huckleberries on the menu. I have to do extra walking and double time on the Yoga and Pilates this week, but it was worth it.

Arrr, it's the doughnuts we're after!

Sean and I were planning all week for today's fun activity.

Today was "Talk Like a Pirate Day," and Krispy Kreme was giving away a dozen doughnuts to anyone dressed like a pirate.

We did this last year, and it was great fun. But last year we didn't realize we would get an entire dozen doughnuts. We thought you had to dress up and talk like a pirate to get one doughnut. 

I wanted to get there early today so we could avoid the after-school crowds, and we arrived just in time. Just after we received our boxes of doughnuts a throng of pirates filed in.

We saw some really great costuming, and I think those people must be part of the Renaissance Fair crowd. We also saw a ton of Captain Morgan hats.

Sean was a great sport. We put a striped dinner napkin on his head, and I found a gold necklace he could wear, and then we used Dollar Tree eye patch, earring and knife.

I dressed up too, in a long peasant skirt and used my thick belt and some long necklaces, and a very long scarf tied around my head.

Of course we didn't need 24 doughnuts, so I passed on the second box to my brother.

It's becoming an annual event for us. Thanks Krispy Kreme, for a fun activity! The doughnuts are delish!

Don't spoil your dinner

I've been told more than once that I am like a cat.

I see it. I know what they mean. There are quite a few things about me that are cat-like, but a couple of my characteristics are routines and schedules.

I used to be much more into them than I am now, but I still love a routine.

I have this schedule in my head, and I don't know where it came from, but I need to stick to it in order to feel normal. Breakfast at 9 a.m., lunch at 12:30 or 1, afternoon snack at 4 p.m. and dinner at 6 or 6:30. (Although in the summer the dinner usually happens closer to 7 p.m.)

So when my day gets started late, and breakfast is consumed close to time for lunch, and lunch gets pushed late, to like, almost 3 p.m., and then the afternoon snack which is supposed to be at 4 gets  pushed to, say, 5:30 and then I'm not hungry for dinner at 6, but that's when I'm supposed to eat dinner, I get a little out of sorts.

I hate to not eat the snack, because I really NEED the snack. It's what gets me through 'til dinner. But then I'm not hungry for dinner, and neither is Sean, because he can literally eat a couple of bites of something and not be hungry for hours.

And that is what is happening right now. And now I'm waiting to fix dinner so Sean will eat, but I feel like I need just a little something.

This whole day has been weird. At about noon I just threw in the towel and embraced the fact that this was going to be a throw away day. The only saving grace was Sean's math teacher, who managed to get him through several math operations today, including some algebra and fractions.

First Day of Homeschool 2013-14

It was a drizzly, rainy day. I realized today
that I am operating without an essential garment~
RAIN JACKET. Luckily Sean does have one.

Hydroponics. 

There were microscopes set up, but I never got
the 411 on what was on the petri dish.

Sean had been so happy at the pubic Montessori school. But last school year was really rough. The transition to Upper El was not smooth. It was rough for both of us. And honestly, although it did get somewhat better for Sean after I requested that he be moved to a different classroom, it really didn't get a lot better.
For me, it didn't really get any better.

I won't go into all of it here, I'll just say that Chuck and I decided it would be a better idea to try homeschooling, and Sean's dad agreed it could be a good idea. I have another blog that I began back when Sean was in first grade and we were doing homeschool. So, I've got more information about our homeschool journey there, at montessorielementaryathome.blogspot.com in case you are interested in Montessori, or homeschooling, or following us. I have a list of other blogs on that site that are other homeschooling Montessorians.

Our first official day of homeschool was today, Sept. 6. We've got a Montessori Upper El curriculum we are going to follow, but we are also doing extra activities and field trips. Chuck and I enrolled him in a homeschool program at a YMCA camp. He is signed up for the fall sessions, and today the kids were learning about the water system that recycles waste water on the YMCA site. It was really cool.

I was thinking I would just drop him off, but there was a bit of confusion about whether I could do that, and by the time I knew that I could, Sean was already used to the idea that I was going to be there with him. So I stayed. I'm glad I did for this first session. It was cool to see. It lets me know what he was learning, so now I can spark his interest in going deeper with the study of nitrogen, and water systems, etc.

We hiked a lot today, just getting from one area to the next. I was wet most of the day, but it wasn't cold, so that was a big plus for me.

After the formal instruction on the basics of how the water system is set up, and how it uses nitrogen, we got up close with their compost pile, and then ventured out into the garden to see more of the water system and how it is used. We then went into the garden and were allowed to sample some raspberries, and to look at the pumpkin patch.

Lunch was next, and then some instruction on canoeing and rowing. Sean and a few of the older kids chose to kayak, and it was his first time. He did great, and quickly figured out how to turn and stop and get where he wanted to go. But he was more interested in being along the shore to investigate the sea life.

The instructor today was awesome. He was great at giving information at varying levels for the different ages in our group, and was funny and engaging. It felt like we had ample time to explore and engage with each activity. I was impressed with the program.

Once everyone had a good amount of time in the boats, we put all of the equipment away and headed over to the heated pool for swim time. It was a cloudy, rainy day, but the air was surprisingly warm and kind of humid.

I met a few moms there today, and we've already got another educational outing planned for next week. I think it's going to be a great year for us!

One Direction

Because I now have a soon-to-be-13-year-old stepdaughter, I am inclined to do some things I wouldn't normally do.

When Chuck is working and Lilly is here, we tend to go thrift store shopping, or yard-saling, (is that a word?) and we both enjoy doing that. When both kids are here we either hang out at home, or sometimes we go pick up a cheap pizza and go to a local park to eat it.

This weekend was Sean's weekend to go spend with his dad, so it was just me and Lilly.

On Friday night Lilly wanted to see the new movie about the boy band, One Direction. I wasn't so sure I'd like it, but pleasantly agreed to take her to see it. I've spent enough years raising kids to know they grow up really fast, and it's important to do things they enjoy so you can connect with them and make some good memories. Even if it might not be your first choice of an activity.

We dropped Sean off with his dad then made our way to the theater. We got there too late for the showing we first wanted, but it worked out because we were able to go grab something to eat before the next showing.

I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie. Now, whether those boys are really as nice as they are depicted in the move, I don't know, but if they are they are an amazing group of five teenagers/young adults. They are all fun-loving and normal, and they seem nice. The movie was touching, and there were lots of funny moments.

Lilly said she didn't think she had ever laughed so much during a movie.

The guys seem to genuinely like each other and have a lot of fun together, and they can all sing. I can totally see how a young girl would be crazy about them.

I missed the boy band craze by a few years. I was in the day of Leif Garrett, (I know. I've seen the Where Are They Now) and the Cassidy brothers were THE thing. Shaun was my fav.

Party Time

Sean did a great job helping to prepare for his party. He went with me to choose the plates and napkins. He mowed the lawn, helped me by shaking the rugs in the bathroom, and helped Chuck with a few other outside chores.

It was a great day-- truly enjoyable, and better than I expected it to be.

When we were trying to decide on a theme, I suggested that the kids could make things to take home. We thought of having them make their own creations, but then realized some kids might not be into that and we might have to do something else. Chuck suggested bird houses. We all thought that was a great idea.

I had visions of kids hammering nails and such, but when it came down to it Chuck decided it would be a better idea to prefab the bird houses and have the kids decorate them with foliage from the property. So he and Robert, Chuck's nephew, cut the wood and put the houses together down at the work shed, then brought them up to the house and we set them up on a table outside where the kids could decorate them.

It was a better idea. I don't know if things would have gone as smoothly if we had them following instructions on how to construct the birdhouses.

We had a perfect number of kids, six, including Sean. Sean seemed to be happy the whole time, enjoyed all of the kids, and loved all of his gifts. They had free time to play in the forest, in the tree house, and on the swing set before the party began, and we also had the blow up bouncy obstacle course structure up and going.

Aunt Bennie and Uncle Curtis came, and Rhian, and my grandmother. Bennie surprised Sean with her Cherry Yum Yum for his birthday dessert. I bought a small cake in case others didn't want that dessert, and because it's easier to blow out candles on a cake.

Jennifer brought Aiden and Tala, and it was nice to hang out with her for a while. Shane and Jacob-Joshua came also, and Sean's friends Kyle and Caleb from our old neighborhood got dropped off.

It was a really good day, and Sean is getting to be so grown up and mature. I can't believe he's already 11 years old. I love that boy so much.

Vacation Bible School

Sean and Kyle have attended VBS together since they were in first grade, I believe. So this year was a little sad and nostalgic for me, and I think it was for them a little bit, too.

VBS started July 22, just after we returned from our honeymoon. It's been a crazy-busy summer.

The boys are both going to be fifth graders this year, and it was their final VBS year at our church. I don't know if there are other VBS programs in our area that offer classes for olders, but ours doesn't.

Each year I've had both boys in the back seat, and driven them to VBS week. Kyle lived across the street from us in our old neighborhood.

When I mentioned VBS Sean hesitated, but when I explained it was his last chance, he was ready to go. Both he and Kyle seemed to have a pretty good time, but they told me they missed a couple of things that were offered before. Science had been their favorite thing about VBS, but they didn't offer it this year.

It was a circus theme this year, and our pastor always enjoys getting in on the action.

Sean and Kyle were in the Mexico group.

Each day they studied a different country and the culture. Sean has been studying these countries and cultures since he was 4 years old through the Montessori curriculum, but he loves it. Plus he got to study them in a new way, through a Christian and Biblical view.

They had a few teachers, but their main teacher was LeAnn O'Neil, and we love her. She is a retired teacher, and she did such a great job of bringing in foods and things to help them experience the country they were studying. She made sure to communicate with me about how things were going for them, and shared little tidbits. Sean was given the nickname, "Terrific Thinker." She said she sometimes wasn't sure he was even paying attention, and when she would ask a question he would be the one to have a really in-depth answer, revealing something more than what she even expected.

And the week after VBS we received a packet in the mail from Mrs. O'Neil. It was so kind of her. She included two bookmarks, one to keep and one to give to a friend. And a personal note. She is so sweet.

I will miss taking Sean and Kyle to VBS. It's so much fun to watch Sean grow and mature, yet sad in some ways, too. Maybe we'll come up with our own thing to replace VBS for them next year.

Another wedding

We returned from our honeymoon and immediately set to work getting ready for Alex and Cass' vow renewal.

They wanted to use the gazebo, so we knew there would be a lot of yard work to do to get ready. We had someone come and weed, and Sean and Chuck did a bit of pressure washing and mowing.

It was a beautiful day July 27, and everyone had a great time. Cass used a lot of items from our reception, so it made it easy and economical for them.

We were so happy to host the event, and everyone had a great time.

We added some hanging baskets, and the white lace bunting flags we had for our reception to the gazebo.

Chuck performed the ceremony.

This isn't the best shot of it, but I was honored and overjoyed when Cass
asked me if I would construct her bouquet. She brought some of the flowers
she wanted to use, and then I cut some that she requested from our garden.
The big white dahlia from our garden was front and center, and I cut some butterfly bush and lavender.
She used green and purple succulents and white carnations and baby's breath.
It was beautiful.

The event was a backyard barbeque, and they requested the bouncy house
for kids. A lot of the big "kids" enjoyed it, too.

Food: Amazing Honeymoon

I'm not really a foodie. I can take food or leave it, and really most of the time I eat because I need to. But as we traveled I wanted to experience and taste the local foods.

Once we got settled into our hotel in Athens, Greece, we made our way out to find lunch. Our first meal there was a Gyro. It was good, but not that much different from the Gyros I've had here.
However, the Greek salad I ordered for dinner was amazing. It was so good that it has ruined me. I can't eat a Greek salad in America. And it frustrates me when I go to a Greek restaurant and still they try to serve me a Greek salad with lettuce. Americans just don't know how to make one. I've tried to make them at home, and I get really close, but there's something I'm missing.

Plus, in Greece, the Kalamata olives are so much better and milder, and the goat cheese is delicious. It's mild, the texture is firmer yet softer at the same time, and adds just the right amount of flavor to the salad.

This is what a Greek salad really looks like. No lettuce, and drizzled with olive oil. This one was at the restaurant in Athens that was nestled just below the Acropolis.

It was so hot, and I didn't want anything hot, so I stuck with the Greek salad in Greece. Except for the dinner cruise in Santorini, which included a warm meal with really good food as well. That meal included a Greek salad, and some potatoes.  Greek potatoes are really good.

Dinner on the dinner cruise.

I've already raved about the breakfast, and it was great in both Greece and Italy. It was buffet style at the hotels, and all of the foods were high quality and well prepared. There were lots of meats, especially in Verona. And there was cheese, fruit, muffins, breads, and the most amazing croissants. I'm surprised I didn't gain weight.
We ate a lot of yogurt, and the yogurt in Greece and Italy was very creamy, light and tasty. It didn't have that yogurt twang that I taste in the American yogurt, even when it claims to be Greek yogurt.

Breakfast at the B&B in Venice included toast with butter and jelly, fresh fruit, yogurt, and juice and tea.

In Italy we ate pizza a couple of times, and they do not cut the pizza. They don't even seem to know what it means to cut it. At least that's how it was in Verona and Venice.

Good pizza, but I don't eat sausage and thought I could just pick it off. Plus it was big enough for both of us. We saved this one and had leftovers the next afternoon for a snack.

I had spaghetti one night, that was super good. I ordered it special without meat, and I couldn't even believe how tasty it was. We were in a neighborhood restaurant in Venice that was really good. The menu was in Italian and we had to ask the waitress to explain the menu items. This was not on the menu, but the waitress asked the chef if he could make this for me.

Soooo good.

And while we were at the Bed and Breakfast one of the guests told us about gnocchi. I decided to try it and it was really good, too. It's a potato dish, made with mashed potatoes the consistency of potato cakes, and I think it is boiled like a dumpling and served with tomato sauce.

Gnocchi is pretty tasty. 

The snack foods are also different than American snacks. In Europe we noticed a lot of milk chocolate, and Nutella. It seems to be used in a lot of snack foods. We even bought some packaged croissants at the grocery store that were filled with Nutella.

The potato chips are so good. They are made with a different type of potato, and are buttery tasting, and the salt content is much less. They have just enough salt to make them perfect.

We bought a small box of cookies in Greece. I don't know what they are filled with. They are sort of like a chocolate covered oreo, but the filling isn't the same. Chuck said they have a definite Greek taste.

Overall the foods we had were much less intense than American foods, and I liked them much better. Especially the yogurt, the olives, goat cheese, and the potato chips. Soooo good. I wish I had taken a picture of the bag. We fist found them in Greece, but also saw them in the Coop in Venice.
I drank a lot of Coke because I wasn't so sure about the tap water in Greece, and when we ordered water at restaurants it was served in large blue bottles to share. Then when we got to Venice I wasn't too sure about that tap water, either. I preferred bottled water when it was available.