Meet Tuli

This is Tuli, my new best friend in Anacortes. She is an Electra Amsterdam cruiser bike, true to her name with tulips painted on the bright yellow surfaces of the chain guard (which you can't see because I had her facing the wrong direction for the photo.) And isn't it an appropriate bike to have in Anacortes what with the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival happening each April!

Just like the initial encounter with Danny my mule, Tuli came by way of a serendipidous meeting. Crystal and I were heading out for a walk downtown when Mom and Dad's neighbor, Tuli's previous owner, came riding up the alley on the bike.

I immediately began enthusing over the bike's graceful lines and bright paintwork. This is the sort of bike I've longed for since I began to get wrinkles and cellulite, one that calmly states, "I'm not in a hurry and I don't do hills." After she thanked me, the neighbor mentioned that Tuli (my mom suggested the name, by the way) was for sale.

The next morning Goddy and I were walking up to get the Sunday paper from the corner 7-11, and I was telling him about this beautiful set of wheels, wondering to myself how many Nugget articles it would take to earn the $200 that the neighbor wanted for her. Meanwhile, Goddy had already decided that the cash he'd recieved shearing alpacas the day before would make his little woman's dreams come true.

(Just so you know, I do wear a helmet when I ride but for vanity's sake I took it off for this photo shoot. P.S. My mother took these pictures - Good job, mom!)

In short order, I handed over the cash, the neighbor handed over the bike and off I went. What glorious freedom there is in pedaling serenely down the bike path, passing walkers and joggers, smiling at other bike riders and knowing that I'm looking and acting my age.

I had a bit of fun teaching Henry to trot alongside, though I don't plan on taking him for regular spins down the bike path. He's not fit enough, and I don't like the thought of what might happen if he did one of his little spooks at something.

there's always a bright spot

I spent last week in Anacortes, something I'm doing each month while my dad is ill. I'll do it for as long as he and Mom want me to; it's one of the reason's we live in the US now and it's a joy to serve them.

There's also a bonus with Logan and Evan and their little families being in Washington. This trip, I got to spend some sweet time with Alyssa and Rowan. They met me at the airport and we drove on up to Anacortes.



They spent two nights there, then headed south on a day swathed in snow and buffeted by the wind. Of course, I worried all day, needlessly it turns out. Alyssa has become quite the adventurer and got home in fine form.

Rowan entertained us in his usual sweet ways, and I have photographic evidence of it...

Trying on Grammum's hats. Back when I was a kid, great-grandmother hats had veils and pearls and were either black or pink.


Since we were reading Hairy McClairey From Donaldson's Dairy - a book about a New Zealand dog and his pals that we'd read to the boys when they were little - it seemed appropriate to invite Max and Henry, too.


Aw, shucks... aren't we cute?

Ok, Gremmy, enough book stuff. Let's do something fun. This could be a 1000 foot cliff I'm hanging over.



With two book-worm grandmothers, it's inevitable that Rowan likes to look at words and pictures (probably not in that order.)

Also, I didn't spend the whole weekend lying around in bed!

We're sure looking forward to Alyssa and Rowan's visit to the ranch in April.

Family Ties

I've been to Anacortes again this week, and it was a visit that included seeing most of the family. Goddy drove up for the weekend so we could take a look at some tax stuff for Dad. That took about an hour to realize we didn't have everything needed and even it we did, it might be beyond our meager financial capabilities.

So...then it was onto fun stuff, like raiding the garage, walking around town and other places and seeing how many times we could make Mom and Dad laugh.


Mom and I went to La Conner, a cute little town a bit southeast of Anacortes. We stimulated the economy a bit by having lunch and shopping. We both love independent book stores and this one didn't disappoint.



My mom gave Goddy carte blanche in the garage, as long as he carted stuff he didn't want to the dump. A win-win for everyone.


We stopped in with Evan and Crystal for a night on the way home. Crystal was out to a hockey game so we took Evan to the Mongolian Grill for dinner. I wish I'd had my camera handy while our creations were being cooked. Makes my efforts at stir-fry look pretty amateur - I seem to stir a lot of the fry onto the stove!

We had breakfast the next morning with our favorite person under three feet tall, and his mother. What joy there is being a Gremmy, sharing time and space with my grandson, but just as much in watching Alyssa be a mother. She is skilled in a vocation that so many struggle to master. I love seeing the expressions on her face as she talks to Rowan, and his when he responds. Who needs media entertainment when life plays out in front of you?



I've always tended to be a watcher rather than a doer. And then I think about what I've watched. It is joy indescribable to witness the life of my family.