Incoming Christmas Banana Nut Fruitcake Memories From Sedro Woolley's Miss Beth

This year I am finding more packages under my virtual Christmas tree than I can remember seeing in a long long time. I do not know what is causing this phenomenon.

One of the recent arrivals you see above. Sent from Sedro-Woolley, Washington by Miss Beth C M.

I have known Miss Beth for over a half a century. We were born in the same hospital in Eugene, Oregon.

About four years after I was born, my parental units moved me north, to Washington, to a town known as Mount Vernon, across the street from what was soon to be the campus of a new school, Skagit Valley College.

Miss Beth's parental units also moved from Eugene. But they headed east, to Ames, Iowa, if I am remembering correctly, and sometimes I do.

Several years passed. My parental units moved us from Mount Vernon to the nearby town of Burlington.

When I was in 6th or 7th grade, one Sunday, myself and my siblings came home from Sunday School, all excited to report to mom and dad that a new family had arrived in town, and that they had a lot of kids, just like us, and all our ages almost matched.

Miss Beth was the oldest of her siblings, with me being the oldest of mine.

Miss Beth's parental units had moved to Washington so her dad could be a professor at that new college I watched getting built when I was a real little kid. Miss Beth's mom was a nurse, nursing at United General Hospital, located between Burlington and Sedro Woolley.

When I was a junior in high school, on a special day in April, a crowd gathered around me at the phone outside the principal's office. I was calling the hospital to see if mom had delivered a new sibling yet. It was Miss Beth's mom who delivered me the news that I had a new baby sister. I turned to the gathered crowd and said "It's a girl". There was a collective groan. I guess most want the baby to be a boy. Miss Beth's mom told my mom that it sounded like I was calling from some sort of assembly and there was cheering when I shared the news.

Later that same day Linda Lou rode with me to United General to meet my new baby sister, Michele, for the first time. It was a happy day.

On August 13, 2017, Linda Lou and Betty Jo Bouvier ventured north to Birch Bay to see me, along with Michele, and to meet David, Theo and Ruby and mama Kristen. It had been many years since either Linda Lou or Betty Jo had seen Michele. I don't think Michele remembered either of them.

Growing up during the holiday season there were always a plethora of baked goods. Mom and dad would cooperate in making some of the goodies, usually things which required a thermometer, like peanut brittle or divinity. Many of the things mom baked were Dutch type pastries, usually with almond paste involved.

I am not a big desert fan, but mom's almond pastries, those I miss.

It was part of the Christmas season, back then, for friends and relatives to share platters of their baked goods. I remember the next door neighbors in Burlington, the Dutch Ploegs, made some real tasty Christmas cookies. The word "krumkaken" comes to mind. Likely totally misspelled.

Miss Beth's mom was also a great baker of tasty goods.

During the past couple years Miss Beth has posted an incalculable number of tasty things to bake, on Facebook. I remember at one point commenting that she was tormenting me with all this tempting tasty stuff. And I recollect asking if I happened to be in the Skagit Valley was it possible to finagle an invite to partake in some of Miss Beth's kitchen products.

And then yesterday a box arrived in my mailbox. From Beth. I asked Miss Beth if this was something I needed to open, or could it reside with the other packages under the virtual Christmas tree.

Beth replied I should stick the package in the fridge. And so I did so.

That lasted about a day before my curiosity caused me to open the package to find a loaf of banana nut bread and two what look to be fruitcakes. I have yet to try the fruitcake, but I have sampled the banana nut bread. Tasty. This made me realize I just do not get good stuff like this anymore at my current location.

I have always liked fruitcake, well, good fruitcake, and have never understood its sort of negative reputation.

These Christmas baked goods from Miss Beth marks the first time in years I have found something like this in my mailbox.

For years every Christmas season I would get a box of baked goodies from mom and dad. When mom's eyesight failed she became the director whilst dad did the actual constructing. I would by lying if I said the quality was at the same level as when mom was still in full function mode.

I do not remember what year was the last one I got a box of Christmas baked goodies from mom and dad. At least five years, probably longer.

Thinking about all this is making me a bit melancholy. 

Thanks Beth! I wish I had baking skills so I could send Beth something tasty...

Point Defiance Zoolights After Ruston Ice Cream Social Theo & Ruby Birthday Party

Photo documentation arrived yesterday documenting the Tacoma Twins, Theo & Ruby's, birthday party celebrating their first decade on Planet Earth. Each twin invited two friends and those friend's siblings, which made for a birthday party of 10, with, I assume, big brother, David, being #10. 

The birthday party started at Point Ruston with something called an Ice Cream Social. Earlier Ruby had reported to me, via text message, that the ice cream cake was deliciously good. 

From Point Ruston the birthday party made its way to Point Defiance Park and the Christmas Zoolights.

In that cool looking photo above you are looking at the birthday party looking down upon the Zoolights. I am assuming this viewing vantage point may be from the pedestrian bridge which connects Point Ruston to Point Defiance Park. I may be erroneous regarding this assumption.

The masks render it difficult to identify who I am looking at above. But, I am fairly certain that is Theo on the lower left, with Ruby next to him. I have no good guess regarding who among the remaining is my nephew David.

Those are some eerie Zoolights, I must say. In this photo I think I can pick out David as being the third from the left. I think I am seeing red hair, which is the David clue. That may be Theo next to David, but I can not tell for sure. With that likely being Ruby slightly in front of the possible Theo.

So, there you go, your virtual participation in Theo & Ruby's 10th Birthday Party...

Wichita Bluff Side Trailing Off The Circle Trail Burning COVID Pounds

What you see here is one of my rare attempts to take one of those selfie photos many people seem to have no trouble taking.

For me it is difficult to see the screen in bright light whilst not remembering I can see the screen better if I take off the sunglasses.

This photo was taken in one of the most scenic areas within a range of a lot of miles of my current scenery scarce location.

The Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

I am standing on a side trail off the Circle Trail which meanders through the Nature Area. 

Directly behind me is one of the ubiquitous swinging benches one finds along the Circle Trail, with the one behind me being on one of that trail's side trails. 

Further behind me you see another swinging bench located on a side trail off the side trail off the Circle Trail.

It looks as if I am looking slightly grumpy in this selfie photo. I may be being slightly grumpy due to growing tired of my volunteer job of driving a senior citizen to multiple doctor appointments. Too many doctor visits and pharmacy visits has wreaked havoc with my regular schedule of biking and hiking.

The cold weather may have something to do with that havoc being wreaked.

As a result of the resulting slowing down of my regular aerobic activity I have reached a new weight gain record. I call this my COVID pounds. Currently the poundage is totally 224 pounds.

I got tired of squeezing myself into the two pairs of pants I could still squeeze into. Those two pair of pants have a waist of 38 inches. Before I gained all this poundage I needed a belt to keep these pants from dropping to my ankles.

So, growing tired of tight fits, I bought a couple pair of COVID blue jeans. Wranglers with a 40 inch waist. These require being belted.

And that has been my exciting day, so far, as this troubling year moves on and on to its soon to end date...

Nephew Theo Text Messaged Me The Tacoma Trio's Christmas Tree

 A week ago, give or take a day or two, after learning my Tacoma Trio of two nephews and a niece, David, Theo and Ruby were now smart phone enabled, I text messaged each member of the Trio to tell them something was heading to their location, which at that point in time was to arrive during a delivery window of December 15 - 21.

The text messages to the Tacoma Trio told them not to open the incoming package til Christmas Eve.

A couple days ago I got an email telling me the package had shipped, and would be delivered December 15. I texted that information to Big Brother David and asked him to pass that information on to his siblings.

And then, yesterday, December 12, I got a package tracking update telling me the package had arrived in Tacoma and was out for delivery.

Shortly after reading the package was out for delivery I got another package tracking message telling me the package had been delivered.

I then texted Theo telling him I am being told the package he and his siblings are not supposed to open til Christmas Eve had been delivered.

Theo then texted me back with the text saying "Thank You!!!" along with the photo you see above, showing the aforementioned package now resting under the Tacoma Trio's Christmas tree.

When I was a kid I did not have a smart phone. There was one phone in the house. It was attached to a wall in the hallway. If I remember right when I was David, Theo and Ruby's age we were on a party line, sharing a connection with next door neighbor Mrs. Ferguson. 

Way back then you paid extra to make what was known as a long distance call. Just calling from Burlington to the Grandma's in Lynden was a long distance call.

And now, I pay a measly $50 a month for two phones with which I can make as many long distance calls as I want, send as many text messages as I want, send photos, video, all without incurring any additional charge.

And the phone is not attached to a wall. 

Over a half a century ago Seattle had a World's Fair. The Century 21 Exposition. One of the pavilions in that Exposition was called, if I remember right, "The World of Tomorrow". You toured a house from the future. Well, what someone thought the future would look like. The kitchen had what we now know as a microwave. A huge bulky thing. One wall was a viewing screen, sort of like our current flat panel TVs. The video phone of tomorrow was a big bulky thing looking like an old style computer monitor.

It is interesting when one lives long enough to be living in that long ago badly imagined future, with the actual future turning out to be way more amazing than anyone imagined long ago, like in the 1960s.

And now, in the actual future, pre-teenage kids have phones with more capabilities than a computer had 20 years ago. And they can text message their favorite uncle who lives a couple thousand miles away, and send him photos.

With no long distance charge.

What a world...

Ruby, David & Theo's Masked 2020 Santa Visit

The above photo arrived on my phone yesterday. There was no accompanying text indicating where the Tacoma Trio of Ruby, David and Theo found a Masked Santa to visit.

Theo and Ruby seem to have had themselves a much finer time visiting Santa Claus in 2020, than they had themselves a few years ago...

A Merry Christmas From Hank Frank & Spencer Jack With Cousin Jeff

The above arrived in my mailbox yesterday. Sent from Washington. Which would make that Hank Frank Jones wishing me a Merry Christmas. 

Hank Frank is the first born son of my favorite nephew Joey and my favorite niece-in-law, Monique.

Is niece-in-law an actual thing? Or did I just make it up?

I can not tell for sure, but it looks like Hank Frank is working in his orchard, posing for the family Christmas card photo.

Hank Frank's orchard, and home abode, is located in what are known as the Skagit Flats. One of the most fertile agricultural areas on the planet. Most famous for the acres of tulips and other bulb bloomers which color up the Skagit Valley each Spring, bringing tourists, daily, by the thousands, every year, to the valley, totaling well over a million visitors by the time each year's Skagit Valley Tulip Festival comes to its month long end.

Hank Frank had birthday number two in September. I was expecting to meet Hank Frank for the first time, along with meeting his mother for the first time, last summer, but those plans went awry.

I am hoping to get to meet Hank Frank before he turns three years old. But, so far, no solid plan to be in Washington next Summer has actually been actualized.

I also have a significant number high school class reunion which takes place next summer. I have indicated zero interest in attending that event. However, I have agreed to doing the get together thing with those from way back then, whom I actually would like to see...

Seconds after I typed the ... after the word "see" incoming email came in from Hank Frank's uncle Jason and cousin Spencer Jack. The email included the photo you see below and the following text...

FUD --  

Spencer photographed me with what I believe is a cardboard cut out of your first cousin. We were holiday shopping at Yeager's in Bellingham this afternoon when we ran into Santa.  Aka Jeff. Thought you'd enjoy the picture...

Cousin Jeff is my dad's brother's eldest son. For years now cousin Jeff has been one of Whatcom County's Santa Clauses. I last saw cousin Jeff on August 12, 2017, in Lynden. It was Summer, but Jeff was still sporting his all natural white Santa Claus beard.

I am guessing during this COVID Christmas year that Santas are not doing their regular duty in my old home state. Thus Cousin Jeff being turned into a Yeager's cardboard Santa.

As for Yeager's. That is a sprawling old-fashioned department store in Bellingham. I have never seen a Yeager's type store in Texas.

In Washington I knew of several of the Yeager's type store. Does Chubby & Tubby still exist in Seattle? I bought my all time favorite inflatable raft at Chubby & Tubby's years ago. Does Northern Sales still exist in Mount Vernon? Maybe I will remember to Google Chubby & Tubby and Northern Sales and get an answer to these probing questions.

I wonder why it was not Spencer Jack posing with Santa Jeff, rather than his dad?

I suspect Spencer Jack was not agreeable to doing such, but was agreeable to being the photographer...

Hunting The Wichita Bluffs For Santa But Finding The Roadrunner

 A couple minutes before leaving my abode this morning to go to the Wichita Bluffs Nature Area to do some communing with nature, along with getting some aerobically induced endorphins, my phone made its incoming text message noise.

It was my favorite nephew Theo texting, he being one of my Tacoma Trio of nephews and a niece. 

I texted Theo back that I wish he were here to go hiking with me. I told Theo that I learned yesterday someone had spotted a Santa on the Wichita Bluffs. The photo documenting this looked familiar. I told Theo I was going to go Santa hunting.

Theo texted back "Cool. I wish I could go..."

Well. I did not find Santa. Perhaps he has already moved on to his next location.

I did see something which I recently mentioned I had not seen for quite some time.

The Wichita Bluffs Roadrunner.

Well, today when I neared the high point on the Bluffs I saw something moving along a side trail. I quickly realized it was the Roadrunner. I gingerly reached in my pocket for the phone, quickly got the phone in camera mode and snapped the photo you see above. 

Can you find the Roadrunner through all that brush?

Continuing on...

The last time I was at the Wichita Bluffs Nature Area's designated Hoodoo construction area there were no Hoodoos. Just piles of rocks.

Today, as you can see above, a tall Hoodoo has risen.

If Theo had been hiking with me today my guess is we would have taken time out from hiking to assemble the rocks which had not already been Hoodoo-ed into a new Hoodoo.

Way back in August of 2017 I had myself a mighty fine time building sand castles with Theo at Birch Bay, up near the border with Canada in my old home state of Washington.

Since then Theo and his siblings, David and Ruby, have taken sand castle building classes at a sand castle building school in San Diego.

Next summer, if the plans do not once again go awry, I am looking forward to building sand castles at Birch Bay again, following Theo's engineering directions...

Hello Again From Washington Where The Mountain Was Out

Last week I blogged about someone saying Hello From Seattle Where The Mountain Is Out.

And then today I got a text message from the parental unit of David, Theo and Ruby, who is also my little sister, Michele, with the above photo attached.

With the text saying "The Mountain was out and incredible yesterday."

Those living in an area with no mountains have no clue why a mountain might be in or out. Let alone incredible.

I know a Texas local here in Wichita Falls. We shall call her Lauren. Because that is her name. Lauren has seldom been out of Texas. Lauren knows I am from Washington. Lauren had never been to Washington til last year, when she flew into Seattle to visit some Texas friends who had moved to that enlightened, modern, progressive, beautiful part of America.

Lauren told me she found it just overwhelming, mesmerizing. To look in any direction and see mountains. And then her friends took her to their cabin east of Eatonville. With that cabin having a direct in your face view of Mount Rainier.

When Lauren told me about this I told her at my old home location north of Seattle I could look out my windows at another Washington volcano, Mount Baker.

How could you move from such a place, Lauren asked?

Yeah, that question perplexes me regularly. 

I have no rational answer...

Sikes Lake Gazebo View Talking To Linda Lou

 

As you can see there is nary a ripple rippling Sikes Lake during the noon time frame, on this first Sunday of the 2020 version of December. With no wind and the temperature well north of 50 I took my bike's wheels for a spin for the first time in what seems a long time.

When I neared Sikes Lake my phone made its incoming call noise. At first opportunity to check I saw it was Linda Lou calling from my old home zone of Mount Vernon, Washington.

I put the phone back in its carrying case and continued on til I found a suitable location to call Linda Lou back.

That is the suitable location you see above. A gazebo on the north side of Sikes Lake. The last time I sat at this Gazebo was with Elsie Hotpepper. It seems like that was a couple years ago. So much has happened between then and now, it's hard to track the passage of time.

Linda Lou is feeling the same type COVID stir crazy I feel. This week I had one escape, going on an extended drive outside the city limits.

Linda Lou's one escape this week was to drive herself and Miss Honey Lulu on an extended drive, which ended up in the little town of Edison, where they found an outdoor lunching opportunity.

At my current location there is not what one might call a tourist town for miles and miles and miles. I've only see what I would call tourist towns a couple times since I have been in Texas. Fredericksburg comes to mind. And then I draw a blank. Canton, maybe.

My old home zone of the Skagit Valley has two of what you might call tourist towns. One is La Conner. The other is Edison. Edison was not a tourist town when I lived in the valley. It has blossomed as such in the years since I left. I last saw Edison in August of 2008 and was surprised at what the little town had become.

The Skagit Valley is also home to multiple casino resorts. Big ones.

From my current location, across the border, in Oklahoma, about 25 miles north, I can find a couple casino resorts. Little ones.

I am not a big fan of casinos. But, I do enjoy the resort part. And the buffets. When I lived in the Skagit Valley I think I frequented the Skagit Casino & Resort's buffet more than any other such feeding zone. But it was the Swinomish Casino & Lodge seafood buffet which was my favorite, though frequented far less frequently than the Skagit Casino buffet.

I do not know if I would trust a seafood buffet at my current location located so far from the nearest sea...

If Thunder Roars Go Indoors

I bundled up under a few layers of insulative outerwear this first Saturday of the 2020 version of December and took myself on a walk around Sikes Lake.

Arriving at the lake I saw the sign you see above, which I had not noticed previously, leading me to think this sign has recently been added.

Then again, this sign could have been there for a long time. I am not the most observant of observers.

I saw this sign as I drove past it. My quick glance reading of the sign turned Thunder into Tornado.

Thinking the sign was some sort of Tornado warning I was motivated to walk back to it to take a photo. And then comment that this was not a warning sign one might see in my old home zone on the west coast.

I was going to comment that one might see a "Volcano Eruption Evacuation Route" sign. Or out on the Pacific coast one might see a "Tsunami Evacuation Route" sign. But one would never find a Tornado warning sign.

But, one might find a Thunder warning sign on the west coast. Lightning does strike there. Though not nearly as frequently as I have experienced in Texas.

So, that has been my exciting Saturday, so far...