Piano35

Monday, September 7, 2009

Lake Coeur d'Alene is soooo beautiful! - Part 3

We spent one afternoon kayaking (couldn't take the camera on that trip) and swimming at the park in town. Wilson and Bridget enjoyed the beach area closer the shore, and the three 8-year-olds really got adventurous and made it out to the diving board platform - they were all wearing life jackets, of course! It was beautiful weather - a great day with wonderful friends!

Wilson at the beach

Freddy getting ready to jump from the diving board- a first for him!

The three 8-year-olds at the diving platform

Bridget and her buddy Wilson

Bretta, Doug, Abb, Michelle, Wilson, Freddy, Max, and Bridget at the cabin - thank you!!!

Lake Coeur d'Alene is soooo beautiful! - Part 2

On our way back from biking, the kids beat the adults to the dock and they jumped right in - fully clothed! They were having such a good time - it was tons of fun to watch them!

Bretta and Bridget after the swim -

Bretta and Bridget - synchronized swimmers!

Freddy and Abby after the swim - they were so excited about their little swim adventure!

Sweet Wilson joined in too

Even Max got in on the fun

the four older kids, fully clothed in Lake Coeur d'Alene

Action shot of Abby jumping in!

Bretta and Freddy enjoying a dip in the lake

Beautiful Lake Coeur d'Alene

Lake Coeur d'Alene is soooo beautiful! - Part 1

We had such a good time at Lake Coeur d'Alene at the end of August....Doug and Michelle are great friends and we will never forget our weekend out there! It is definitely worth the drive!

Freddy getting his balance....tongue out always seems to help, right?

Bridget, sporting the sequined cap even in outdoor sports...

Bretta and Bridget enjoying the bike path

Beautiful Lake Coeur d'Alene - the Railroad bridge in the far distance....

in the evening as we were arriving.

On the way to Lake Coeur d'Alene....

On our way to Lake Coeur d'Alene we stopped at Ginko Petrified Forest State Park on the Colombia River. We saw petroglyphs and beautiful views of the huge river cutting through the arid landscape. Very beautiful. Only 2.5 hours outside of green and moist Western Washington.

Petrified wood - see the rings?

Freddy and Bridget sitting on petrified wood. They were especially interested in seeing this after having read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where some characters get petrified! (they do recover fully....)

Saturday, August 15, 2009

An excellent article on health care reform by President Obama.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/opinion/16obama.html?_r=1

Thursday, July 9, 2009

-Piano 35 photo at the top of the page -

Just realized - I changed my top photo right around the time that I posted pictures from St. Martin. Well, the top photo is actually at the beautiful, broad, you-gotta-see-it beach at Kalaloch Lodge on the coast of Washington. We've stayed there three times and loved it every time - the picture is from a very quiet morning - it was so peaceful! And for you Twilight lovers out there...this is werewolf country! (Ha...just started reading the third one again....got stuck last summer and dropped it for a year. Everybody keeps telling me that the fourth one is great....actually, it's only the 13-15 year olds that keep telling me the fourth one is the best....so I decided to give it a try and slog through the third so that I could finish up that freakin' series....)

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

More pics! Don't know how to put the text first and the pictures second....so scroll down for a short paragraph of commentary!

Can you believe it? I came back to the blogging world! It has been 9 months..... I would like to show some pictures of my most recent big trip! - St. Maarten/St. Martin - I had a fantastic time and would like to thank my brothers and sisters for giving me such a wonderful and unexpected present - it was just so great to sit on the beach and relax (first couple of days it was hard...when you haven't relaxed in a while, it is easy to forget how! - by the last couple of days I sat on the beach and totally relaxed - it was outstanding).....

Here are some of my favorite pics from the trip - enjoy!

Sunday, October 5, 2008

For your reading pleasure.....

Interesting perspective from one conservative that I respect, David Brooks:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/16/opinion/16brooks.html

A thoughtful read from Roger Cohen:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/06/opinion/06cohen.html

On McCain's vs. Obama's plans for health care reform, by Paul Krugman:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/06/opinion/06krugman.html?ref=opinion

(p.s - my health care plan is indeed one that fits into the $13,000 range per year paid by my employer)

And a great one from my favorite for the last 7 years, Maureen Dowd:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/opinion/14dowd.html

Oh! - just saw one more that's sure to make you smile, again from Maureen:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/opinion/05dowd.html?em

Time flies....

Can't believe it's already been six (or more!) weeks since my last post! I wanted to be posting very regularly (a few times a week?) - now I'm going to shoot for at least a few times a month....

Anyway, I'll start with some photos from the summer trip to Illinois and Ohio - we had such a great time! Highlights of Illinois were the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum with Tony, mini-golfing, swimming with the whole gang every day, and picnics/BBQs at parks and in the backyard. Highlights from Ohio were swimming, the Colombus zoo (vampire bats!), and lots of fun watching the Olympics (and definitely for Bridget a highlight was make-overs with Emma - Emma was wonderful and patient! Thank you Emma!) On our way from Ohio to Illinois we were able to visit my old friend Georgie and her family - her husband Jeff is a farmer who lives only about 2 miles away from Zionsville High School - it was fun to see the school again and visit their farm - the corn is so tall and the tractors/combines are enormous!

Thanks to Tony and Lynne and family and Lisa and Loren and family for giving us a wonderful Midwest vacation!