Family Time

Earlier tonight we enjoyed Christmas together with one son’s family who've been in Oregon for a week or so. We’ll look forward to a celebration with the other son’s family when they get back home to Oregon from California where they are enjoying the holidays.

Pictured is grandson NJ, looking dapper and a little "preppy" in a new outfit. He zoomed around our condo pushing his portable, interactive “gadget pack” that has music, toys and a phone – a Christmas gift from Grandma and Grandpa. The boy is a gadget-lover to be sure, and now he can “take them with him”. Click on the pic for a larger image; his eyes reveal the fun he's having.

Nothing like Christmas time with family for this grandpa who’s still full from dinner and grandma’s incredible home-made apple pie.

A Very Merry Christmas To You

Merry Christmas!

Raphael's "Nativity" gives us the real story of Christmas -- the Incarnation.

Budding Photographer?

The photo above was taken yesterday by grandson NJ. It's his view of the family Christmas tree from his vantage point on my lap.

As I've mentioned before, he loves anything electronic, and our camera falls perfectly into that category. He watched Kay Lynne and I taking pictures and wanted to try it out himself. He's 15 months old. Not bad, I'd say. He may be a natural.

After the camera fun, he climbed back onto my lap to check out my computer case (which he's tightly holding under his arm in the pic at left). He was hoping there'd be something more of the "blinking lights and push button" variety in there. O, btw, he also gave Grandma his "cute" pose for the pic.

Hayley’s Christmas School Band Concert

Oregon’s Chehalem Valley Middle School music students took on a big challenge by playing some difficult musical pieces Tuesday evening, but they came through with flying colors in a magnificent performance.

We drove down during the day so we could see the concert and our seventh-grade granddaughter, Hayley, (above) who is first-chair clarinet in the Advanced Band. The concert also included performances by the combined Intermediate Bands (Chehalem and Mountain View Middle School), the CVMS Choir and the combined Intermediate and Advanced Strings.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, this school district has one of the strongest music programs at the Middle School level in the entire Pacific Northwest. The bands are directed by David Sanders, and the Strings and Choir are directed by Gwen Gilbertson. Very difficult renditions included Leroy Anderson’s arrangement of Sleigh Ride by the Advanced Band and Robert W. Smith’s The Children’s Carols by the Combined Strings.

Above is the Advanced Band during its performance. Hayley is in the front row, second from left. Thanks to our son, Gregg, for the nice photos.

A Life of Thanksgiving Rather Than Just a Day

“O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever.”

Those well known words of King David were expressed in a Psalm and described in I Chronicles, as the ancient Israelites placed the Ark of the Covenant – containing God’s glory – in a tent that David had made expressly for that purpose. The people were asked to thank and praise the Lord God regularly and to do so as well with harps, cymbals and trumpets.

Today, in our culture, we set aside a day to be with family where possible and to thank our God for our blessings. Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday. Kay Lynne and I today wish you a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving Day.

There is one word in the chapter mentioned above that stood out to me as I read the passage. The word is “regularly.” It’s wonderful that we give thanks on this day, but how much better it would be if we gave thanks regularly and not just on one day.

I continue to be troubled by the fact that we in America have so much, and people in other areas of the world have little or nothing. As my wife often muses, “why should we be so blessed simply as the result of an accident of where we were born, when others are born in poverty?”

It’s a sobering question for a mostly happy day. We may never have an adequate answer, but we can at least do a little bit to help alleviate the pain in our world. And we can start right here in our neighborhood.

I’ve often seen ministers at this time of year use the sermon title, “Thanksgiving is Thanks Living.” It seems to me that “thanks living” must at least be about helping someone who needs it when we have so much.

A Child of Multifaceted Interests

Our grandson loves a variety of things: handheld electronic gadgets of all kinds, music, especially with a little beat, a computer screen that’s got some action, blocks and toys, and food, especially fruit puffs that he can eat by himself.

The photo above was taken earlier today when he was occupying himself with two gadgets but suddenly heard a noise near Grandma who was across the room. The little guy is amazing. He can handle three things at once – kinda like a mom who can see around corners and behind things, including behind her own back.

Or should we just consider him a child with multifaceted interests? I like that.

Talli’s Finish in the State H.S. X-C Meet

Well, our high school sophomore granddaughter, Talli, has accomplished something in our family that I don’t believe anyone else has. She competed in a State meet and performed very well.

The sport happened to be Cross-Country, and the meet was held this afternoon at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon. Talli’s time was 20:25, a fine accomplishment for a STATE meet that was held on a cold, windy and wet day. She was just two seconds behind her friend and teammate, Emily, a senior.

Excellent run, Talli. You’ve had a remarkable season!

“Trick or Treat”

Earlier this evening we answered the doorbell and there in his pumpkin costume was grandson “NJ”.

Grandma gave him his (non-edible) treat that quickly dropped into his pumpkin “pail.” The boy was more anxious to find Buddy, our dog, to play with. “NJ” and Buddy are quite good pals now.

Pic above is of grandson, mom and dad (and a pumpkin scarecrow) taken at a Trick or Treat party at Country Village a bit earlier in the evening. Is there anything better than a kid having fun on Halloween?

Still Under Effects of the Flu, Talli Guts Out Qualifying Run For State

We keep observing that our grandchildren are exceptional, and they keep doing things to warrant it.

This afternoon our high school sophomore granddaughter, Talli, qualified to run in the varsity State Cross Country meet a week from Saturday at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon.

But the remarkable thing about what she did was the fact that last Sunday she was still running quite a high fever that finally left on Monday and was feeling the staggering effects of the flu (who knows which variety) that continued through the race today.

So, without any training for almost a week, and weakened by the dreaded bugs going around, Talli still ran a 20:06 time for 5K, which was enough to qualify her for State. Her dad told us after the race that she was “disappointed” with her time. Yikes, girl, how much do you expect of yourself? Seriously, Talli almost always feels she “could have done better”. She’s just made that way.

Congratulations, Talli! You are something very special!

Getting the Hang of Texting…

Our grandson loves to play with cell phones. REAL cell phones, not the plastic imitation "play" ones. The other day he played with my phone for the longest time. Grandma snapped these shots as he sat on my lap...


“Gotta get this note to mom & dad just right…”

“Perfect! There it goes.”

He’s a pretty smart boy for 13 months old!

Hayley Gets Clarinet Solo in Future Concert

Our grandchildren continue to make news, and it’s especially nice for this grandpa who gets to write about it. A few posts ago, we mentioned that Hayley, a 7th grade Intermediate Schooler, had made second chair as a clarinetist in Advanced Band.

As if that wasn’t enough in and of itself, last Friday she was named as the clarinet soloist for an upcoming concert performance. She tried out for the spot and won out over all comers.

As we may have mentioned in the previous post, Hayley only began playing the clarinet about 14 months ago, and has taken to it like a duck to water. No telling what this talented young lady will accomplish. Nice work, Hayley!

Outright Win For Talli Is Her First In X-C

Our granddaughter, Talli, won her first varsity Cross-Country event on Wednesday, taking first place in the 5,000-meter run in a dual meet at Tigard. She is just a high school sophomore, but this is her second year already of varsity competition.

Her winning time was 20:07, at that some 35 seconds off of her personal best this year. This course was a bit tougher, however, than the one on which she did her PR. Click here to read about her win in a news story currently running in the Newberg Graphic.

The pic above is from the race in which she set her personal record (Talli is at left), as I’ve so far not been able to get my hands on a photo of her win. If one does become available, I’ll try to post it.

Congratulations, Talli, on your first varsity win!!

"Tis the Season...

Sometimes photos are just too cute for words. Grandson "NJ," above, last weekend enjoyed his first experience in a real pumpkin patch. I'm told he spent quite a bit of time making friends with his favorite halloween gourd.

I think dad and mom had as much fun as "NJ" checking out every corner of pumpkinland in order to make just the right selection to bring home.

Now dad gets to test his skills once again as a jack-o-lantern carver. I hope "NJ" realizes that it's getting close to "trick or treat" time. I'm sure he'll get the hang of it real quickly after visiting a house or two. That should be a "slam-dunk." Btw, the photos were taken by mom & dad, and they sure turned out super.

10 Minutes To Great Fishing

A fish like this Lake Sammamish cutthroat trout would be good anywhere. But it was especially sweet catching it this afternoon just 10 minutes away from our son and daughter-in-law's home.

Because the fish was so bright and "silvery," my son thinks that possibly the fish may have been a sea-run cutt that had made its way back up into Lake Samm via the Ballard Locks, the ship canal, Lake Washington and a stream that connects the two lakes. At any rate it was a really nice fish, measuring 18-1/2” in length and weighing over 2 pounds, maybe even close to 3.

It was a gorgeous but crisp and slightly windy afternoon on the lake today. Photo above is of Doug skippering his new Alaskan boat against the backdrop of the foothills of the Cascades. This is but one of the wonderful benefits of living in the State of Washington.

We only fished for two hours, but it was a memorable trip. We got the skunk off of both my son’s new “back-up” pole rig and off an old man fishing Lake Sammamish for only the second time. As an added bonus, when we got back to their house, he filleted the fish and threw it on the BBQ, doused with their secret fish cooking formula. Just one word to describe it:

Incredible.

Talli Scorches A Full Minute Off Her Previous Personal Record

Our high school sophomore granddaughter, Talli, ran the 5,000 meters in 19:31 yesterday at the Harriers Classic in Albany, Oregon, taking a full minute off of her previous personal best. You can see the strain (and the incredible muscle tone) in the above photo taken by her dad.

The best high school runners in the state were all in this meet, and so the competition was fierce. At least this course was a lot more level than her earlier races so far this year, and a lot of kids set personal records.

Talli’s outstanding time in yesterday’s race, I’m told, places her among the top five all-time 5K bests in Newberg High School history. I’d say that’s pretty good company. Fabulous run, Talli!

Hayley Makes 2nd Chair Clarinet in Advanced Band

As grandparents we learned long ago never to underestimate our grandkids.

Hayley, daughter of Gregg and Elaine, 12 years of age and in 7th grade, has been playing the clarinet for just a little over a year. Yet she has already become among the best clarinet players in her school. Above photo of her was taken earlier this year.

Yesterday Hayley learned that that she has earned the second chair position in her Intermediate School’s Advanced Band.

What’s special about all this is that Advanced Band is usually reserved for 8th graders, but Hayley auditioned at the end of her 6th grade Beginning Band class last May and qualified by test to skip Intermediate Band altogether and go directly to Advanced Band this Fall, though in the 7th grade. Now, she is playing at the higher levels of Advanced Band.

She’s obviously really taken to the newer, higher quality instrument her dad found on eBay near the end of the summer. Having a good clarinet to play can not only be more fun, but the results are also showing by her performance.

Hayley is a remarkable young lady, as are all our grandkids, and we congratulate her on an excellent accomplishment. We’re very proud of her, and already we’re looking forward to her Christmas Band concert.

Talli Runs Strong In Third X-C Meet

Our high school sophomore granddaughter, Talli, ran a strong race on another tough course yesterday, coming in 4th overall in the varsity 5K Cross-Country race and missing third place by less than a second. Above, Talli (r) and her friend and teammate, Emily, round a corner and head toward the finish.

Emily, a senior, took third place at 21:22.2, while Talli was an eyelash behind her at 21:23.1. The two gals that finished ahead of them are considered by many to be in the top 10 in the State, so Talli and Emily were competing in very good company.

Yesterday’s meet was in Canby, Oregon and featured 6-A level competition among Lakeridge, Lake Oswego, Newberg and Canby high schools. The course was laid out at Molalla State Park, beginning and ending near the boat ramp. Our son Gregg said it was a “tough, hilly course and not fast,” but yet both gals took more than five minutes off their times in the extremely arduous season-opening run at Trask Mountain.

Nice run, Talli, (and Emily). We’re watching your season with great interest.

Whoever Wins Is OK – For This Game Only

Yesterday was a day when my two favorite football teams played each other, and I can live with whoever wins. Well almost.

The five years of watching the Seahawks players, organization and coaches make steady and appreciable progress, I must admit, has turned me into a Seahawks fan first. But right behind them are the SF 49ers, with whom I go way back to Kezar stadium, Y.A. Tittle and Hugh McElhenny.

Yesterday, but for two incredible long runs by 9er Frank Gore (one shown above), it was a pretty even, rock ‘em, sock ‘em game. In the end, primarily due to the two long jaunts, the Niners won, 23-10.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle’s recently acquired top WR, played pretty well yesterday (looking for room after a catch, above), but not well enough to overcome the two 79+ yard scampers by Gore.

Also yesterday, the 49er faithful enjoyed the enshrinement of Eddie De Bartolo Jr., into the 49er Hall of Fame at Candlestick Park. De Bartolo was the popular owner under whose tenure the team won five Super Bowls. Above Eddie D. is being welcomed back for the ceremonies by none other than former all-everything WR Jerry Rice.

The era of the five Super Bowls was one of those times in sports history that rarely occurs and may never again for the Niners. Now if the Hawks can get it together under Jim Mora….

Sparkling X-C Debut For Talli

Our High School Sophomore granddaughter Talli kicked off her second year of varsity cross country by coming in eighth out of nearly 150 runners in the “Assault on Trask Mountain” last Saturday.

In the photo above, taken by her dad, she’s trying not to smile too much as her teammate Emily had just fallen in the creek. Note the muddy, uphill grind they were running in.

Schools from all over northern Oregon participated, and her school, Newberg High, came in fifth, team wise. The 5K run included hills, rivers, rugged terrain and MUD. It was a true test of who’s in shape and who’s not.

Talli’s time was 26:49.34, pretty good for her first fall race. Her friend and teammate, Emily, a senior, finished about 30 seconds ahead of her. The two of them run well together, each helping to pace the other. Way to go, gals. It looks like a good year for both of you!

Where's the Cake?

We celebrated "NJ's" first birthday yesterday, and in the pic above, surrounded by cousins, he appears only interested in the cake. But appearances can be a bit deceiving.

Even though Aubrey, Talli and Hayley all eventually enjoyed a full share of delicious cake (along with the rest of us), "NJ" gave his first taste a "4 or 5" (right) on a 10-scale. Of course, that's to his credit. So far in his young life he's only eaten healthy, delicious fruits and vegetables, and he's apparently decided to go a little easy with the acceptance of cakes and like sweets. No problem there; he'll have plenty of time to get acquainted with sugar.

"NJ" received some really cool first birthday gifts. Among them (I shouldn't even attempt a list, 'cause for sure I forgot something:) were: a play work bench with all the bells & whistles (tools:), a "library" of extremely creative, incredulously interactive books, a puzzle where each piece has an appropriate "sound" (think fire engine siren and the like), a gorgeous, hand-made quilt-like blanket, a haberdashery of clothes (that included a really cute "Floyd R. Turbo"-type hat), and a talking, singing play truck with little characters.

Suffice it to say that "NJ" had a wonderful, fun party with family. He conked out really quickly at evening's end, and I haven't heard if he overslept this morning. "NJ" had a ball with his cousins and with his extended family, and last night seemed to pick out Aubrey on whom he practiced his "hair-analysis" antics (right).

Lake Sammamish Prize – A Nice Cutthroat Trout

Well, it didn’t take son Doug long, with new boat and all, to master wily cutthroat trout fishing at Lake Sammamish. Cutts are the prized fish in this beautiful lake, though there are several other species as well that swim in its waters.

Doug took the boat out very late this afternoon on Lake Sammi (for just the third time), and in an hour and a quarter of fishing landed the beautiful fish he’s holding in the above photo. The Cutt was 18-1/2 inches long and weighed at least 2 pounds, maybe more. (It’s always best not to actually weigh a fish, as that gives story-telling latitude later on. :-) That’s his great new boat, a Smokercraft Alaskan, he’s standing in front of.

Here’s the close-up with the tape. What a fine fish! Notice the red slash marks on the lower jaw that identify the species. You can click on the photos for a larger image. What he caught it on will remain a secret for the time being, as once a fisherman finds a system that works, it’s up to others to figure it out for themselves. Especially at this warm time of the year.

Truth is, buy him some gas for trolling, and he’ll be happy to show you how to fish. Can’t wait for the next time I get a chance to go fishing with him.

Mind-Bending Information

I got this video from a friend in California who says it was originally made as a presentation to a large American corporation. No matter, the information contained on it is truly mind-bending. Click on the arrow to start it.



The question at the end is worth pondering.

Cousins

When our granddaughters from Oregon come to visit us, it is the perfect opportunity to take them to Seattle where they can have fun with their youngest cousin, "NJ", just a little more than two weeks from being a year old.

Talli, 15, Hayley, 12, and Aubrey, 7, are the daughters of Gregg and Elaine, while "NJ" is the son of Doug and Jamie. Above, the kids are pictured on what was a very hot afternoon Wednesday (Nathan was checking out birds). Jamie took the picture and gave me permission to use it here.

I’ve also added two other pics that Jamie snapped, one of Hayley and "NJ" (left) and the other of Talli and "NJ". As you can tell, the little guy was smothered in love for an entire day, and enjoyed every minute of it. A cool pic of Aubrey and "NJ" is on my July 15 post.

The day was also a special occasion on two other counts. First, it was our first visit to Doug and Jamie’s new home (it’s absolutely beautiful), and secondly, Doug and I took his new Smokercraft Alaskan fishing boat on its maiden voyage on Lake Sammamish.

It was the middle of the day when we went out, so there was little chance to catch any fish, but the boat, motor, electronics and electric downriggers performed flawlessly. Great choice, Doug! And perfect timing! Right after your pop sold his “last” boat. :-)

The fun day was capped with some incredibly good Chinese take out from Chan’s Place, a Seattle favorite.

It is a Hoax!

Turns out the spectacular accomplishment on video shown in my previous post is a HOAX. My cousin Joel Narva sent me the link today that confirmed it.

Click here to read it, if you like. Apparently, it’s an ad by Microsoft, of all people, that attempted to gain internet attention in Germany. For what, I have no idea.

I guess the old adage is true: if it looks like an impossibility, it likely is an impossibility. Where that adage came from is unknown.

Sure was fun to watch, though. And it’s still moving at warp speed through cyber space.

Is This For Real?

Click on arrow to play.

Obviously, this must be "edited." Right? If not, it's spectacular.

If you're a "techie," maybe don't tell me it's not an actual event!

Trouble in River City

Every once in a while there’s a guy at the boat launch who has to get his boat in the water for the very first time. Sometimes there are problems, as indicated above.

Supposedly, this is a quote from the guy who tried to launch: “I consulted my dealer for advice, but all they said was, ‘Don't let the trailer get too deep when you are trying to launch the boat’."

Thanks to my bud, Bob Rodde, in California, for emailing this unusual shot.

I’m kinda wondering where this might have happened? Wups, probably shouldn’t go there.

Lindsey’s Birthday at Ajax Café

Our niece Lindsey Narva just had her 25th birthday, and her mom and dad, Sandra and Joel, invited us to join them last Thursday to celebrate at the Ajax Café (left) in Port Hadlock. If you live on the west side of the water (and even if you don’t) you’ve likely heard of this great eatery.









At right Linz is blowing out her candle on the special dessert (how does she get off so easy?). Her mom brought a (literal) shopping bag full of gifts; took Linz an hour to get them all opened. We all enjoyed the dinner and party immensely. Pic below is of the bunch of us, Linzz, Sandra, moi, Kay Lynne and Joel.






As an interesting sidelight, we learned that the building shown above, which houses the Ajax Café, is a true historical landmark in Port Hadlock. When it was built just before the turn of the 20th century, it served as the residence for the town’s namesake, Samuel Hadlock. Amazing what you can learn on this blog.

The Sustaining Elements of Authentic Worship

Our church service this morning put spiritual “gas” in the tank, so to speak, for the upcoming week.

What do I mean?

In a previous life I used to think that one went to church “to try and get something out of it.” Was the music good? Did I “enjoy” it? Was the sermon timely? Did it meet “my” needs?

All the wrong questions to ask, of course, as authentic worship focuses on God, not on “me.”

In our Lutheran venue, worship consists of many liturgical elements that can be grouped in a number of ways. I’ve put them in four sets here: 1) Confession and forgiveness, 2) Listening to God through the Scriptures (Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Gospels) and through the sermon, 3) Giving thanks to God with our offerings and with the reciting of the the foundational creeds of our faith, and 4) Partaking in Holy Communion for spiritual strength and sustenance and then, with the benediction, being sent out to serve. Click here for a previous post which amplifies this a bit.

When our worship experience focuses on God, rather than on what we might think we need, the wonderful thing that happens is that our needs are met in ways we could not have anticipated. If you look at the elements of worship mentioned, you’ll see that authentic worship is a kind of “dialog with God” in which we confess our inadequateness to Him and He in turn fills us with what we are lacking.

It just could help explain why the Sunday “pit stop” can make the Monday through Saturday raceway that much more effectual in living out God’s grace through our vocation. Thanks be to God.

Mom Would Have Been 102 Today

If she had lived, my mom, Helen, would have been 102 years old today. Of course that’s only a fanciful wish, as she died an early death from a stroke at age 51.

The photo above, taken in 1934, the year she and my dad, Hugh, were married, shows the two of them in Chicago sitting on the running board of my dad’s relatively new Dodge coupe.

As an interesting sidebar, in this car while they were courting, they were robbed in downtown Chicago by none other than the notorious John Dillinger gang. With a gun pointing through the driver’s window, my dad was forced to turn over his gold watch, and my mom was stripped of her engagement ring during the heist.

Not a great way to get to know someone famous -- er, infamous.

Mom was born in Finland and immigrated to the U.S. through Canada and into Minnesota before she and her sister, Lina, moved to Chicago. There, both sisters met their husbands.

Happy Birthday, mom!

Aubrey Visits Her Cousin "NJ"

Today Kay Lynne and I took our granddaughter Aubrey (7) to Seattle to visit her cousin "NJ". They had a blast. I caught the two of them (above) having fun with Grandma who was standing behind me.

"NJ" loved Aubrey’s longer hair and wanted very much to get a hold of it.

In the afternoon Aubrey entertained her cousin by creating some bubbles for "NJ" to watch.

Grandma and grandpa sure enjoyed the day, and the kids seemed to have a lot of fun as well.

More Fun With Aubrey

Today Grandma and I had fun at a local park with our granddaughter Aubrey who is visiting us for a few days. Aubrey is pictured above getting the swing going pretty good. Click on the photo to see her smile.

Grandma and Aubrey stopped for a photo at the base of the enclosed tube slide. We were careful to see that no one was coming down before we shot.

Following the park stop, we headed down to the marina and walked around the boardwalk. There were lots of boats in their slips and exposed seaweed on the beach, as it was low tide, just like yesterday. Not a whole lot of days left before we’ll have to take Aubrey home. Buddy is going to be sad, as she has been his special pal while here.

Fun With Grandkids

Our seven-year-old granddaughter Aubrey is visiting us for a few days, and today we went to Illahee State Park just north of Bremerton. I think her dad had told her we were not allowed to have any fun, but we did so anyway. :-)

Aubrey is pictured above holding an interesting shell she discovered on the beach at a low, but starting-to-rise tide. That’s Bainbridge Island in the distance behind her. Below I caught another phone pic of her after she had scribed her name in the sandy beach. Of course, it’ll only last until the tide fully comes in later this evening. Tomorrow we may visit yet another of the numerous Washington recreational parks that are nearby and on the water.




And on Wednesday Aubrey gets to go with us to Seattle to spend most of the day with her cousin "NJ" (pictured below with his bib on at dinnertime earlier tonight and after his first haircut yesterday). Nothin’ but fun!

Plus, last Friday we were in Oregon and we got to watch Hayley work on some increasingly difficult ice skating moves at a rink in an adjacent town. I forgot my new camera, but at least I was able to snap her lacing up her skates (below) on my phone cam. Hayley loves to ice skate and seems to be a natural on figure skates. We shall see….

If you can tell me what's more fun than grandkids, I probably would not believe you.