It is Official

Dick has filed for running for Mayor of Lincoln City in the November election. His press release came out in the Newport Newspaper last week and a great article ran on the front page of the Lincoln City News Guard this week. We have received some nice calls from people supporting his campaign. It is encouraging but he may be running against the long time Mayor so we will just have to wait and see how things develop.

All the girls are in town and this weekend, so is Jason. Camp has not started yet but Allison has been busy morning, Noon and night with the administrative work that needs to be done. She is in charge of the camp store this year too, although there is a person experienced in retail working in it for most of the summer. I visited yesterday and the new t-shirt line with Hebrew writing on them looked great. One that I recognized had a Coke ad on it. They do popcorn, big pretzels and home baked cookies for the kids to buy also. No candy sold in the evenings I was told which is a good idea.

I have again been helping by putting together linen packages for those traveling by air (or just for the convenience). I can't imagine carrying on a sleeping bag, blanket, sheets, towels, a beach towel and a pillow with the luggage restrictions we have now so this is a great idea to help campers. I put together about 14 packages for the staffers who are there all summer first. Then went this weekend and put together another 11 for the one-week campers. But, the first 3-week camp session has something like 30 campers who need packages. Guess I better get busy! We did discover a water leak from an old washing machine next door that ran into the linen storage area while I was working yesterday. Ugh! we had to throw out a few pillows and dry and clean a few sleeping bags but luckily most things were up and didn't get wet. We were also lucky at the timing so we aren't scrambling to get all the linens out for another week.

The girls and I have spent a couple of wonderful digging expeditions out on the sand. Dena was tremedously impressed with burying her legs and then fashioning them into a mermaid tail. Wish I had a camera with me. The weather has been gorgeous! Eliana is getting the hang of roller skating in our common driveway area. Sarina and Dena are more impressed with the puddles left behind after rinsing off sand from the beach and come in with black bare feet when they are done. I remember how black my feet used to get in summer as I spent many days washing them off in the bathtub before I was allowed to roam the house. Deja vue.

Today is Family Fun Day at camp. Many families take advantage of this Sunday before the one-week camp session to introduce the new kids to camp life. They can check out all there is to do with their families and even eat 2 meals today in the dining room. If they have never been to camp before or away from their families it is a much easier transition than going cold turkey on Monday when camp starts. Some families just come have a little fun for a day before their kids start because they have heard so much about it. The swimming pool and camp store are open and even the ropes course with tree climbing and all it entails.

Dick and I have a phone conference set up with Pippa today to finish the campaign brochure after many changes. Then off to the printer. Otherwise it is just another sunny day in Lincoln City.

Brochure time again

We were all together at one time this past Saturday so Dick and I took advantage of this rare occasion and we took pictures of Dick with all the grand kids so he could have an updated photo for his campaign brochure. Last time it took about 40 pictures to make sure we had one with all 4 kids looking at the camera, not crying, all sitting still and with Dick looking good. But we set a new record this year with only 26 pictures to get the perfect photo.

Dena decided halfway through that she was done. At 3, she is showing her independence, of course. So, trying to take just a few more photos, her mom, Allison, hid behind Dick while down on all fours and tried to convince Dena it was okay to get back into the photos. Not too much success there. Finally, I had to step into the group so she would give it another try. I don't like being in pictures but anything for the campaign and for my grand kids. I will share a couple with you to give you the idea.

It was just another Spring day for the Anderson clan!

A Whale's Tail

Brett, Liz and St. John were visiting us here on the coast this weekend. We had a great visit with the one-man wrecking crew (SJ) and he discovered all sorts of new adventures at Grandma and Papa's house. There is a window seat that his cousin Dena told him about that can be closed off with curtains for a great escape and hiding place. The rocks on the beach are great for climbing and contain lots of critters. Small rocks on the beach are just right for throwing into the ocean. And, letting Mom and Dad go out by themselves can be a lot of fun when you are at the beach house, too.

The grown up people made one discovery, too. As the whales are migrating North, they decided this was the weekend to come close to shore and romp a little. The sunshine seemed to make us all pretty happy. But this was our first time seeing the whales so close to shore. They were right behind the breakers! One was huge and you could see it's dark shadow/shape in the water as it would swim along and then whoosh, it would break the surface and flip it's tail up or roll it's back out of the water. The most spectacular event was when the whale was swimming right in the breaker as it curled up and broke. At one point with the sun out, you could see the whole whale through the breaker. It was almost like looking at the whole body through a window. What a spectacular view!

I didn't get any perfect pictures because I was glued to watching it, but later on another one was close in and I did try to catch him/her on film. Above is my attempt but you can just barely see the back breaking the surface of the water. I am also posting a picture of the rocks outside our place and the first whale was just past the rocks and breakers in view. It was just another whale of a day.

Garage Sale Anyone?

Have you ever shopped a garage sale? Have you ever held one? This weekend Lincoln City is holding a huge garage sale...all over town. Addresses of the sales were published in the newspaper with maps, times and an idea of what each garage sale might have. Some were individuals, some were churches where members all gathered together for a big garage sale and I even saw one where someone or a group of people are actually using a vacant storefront for their garages sale. A warehouse just up our street and across from the Catholic Church is open as a garage sale selling flowers for the garden. The Connie Hansen Garden is also having their plant sale this weekend. WOW!

This is an annual event and is even extending into Newport this year. We even have a group of women staying in the vacation rental next door who came down last night so they wouldn't miss any bargains. They hit the sales early. Dick and I had a heck of a time downsizing to move here so I don't think I will venture out. I don't really need anything but would probably drag something home anyway. So I think it will be just another flowery day...I might hit that sale up the street!

Spring Break

It has been Spring Break here at the Oregon Coast and lots of people are visiting. Not in our house but in our city. We finally had vacationing neighbors show up next door just a few minutes ago. It is the last Saturday of Spring break so I suspect they are on a different schedule and will be here for more than one night. The vacation times in different areas and states vary so I don't think the onslaught is over after this weekend. Dick informed me the neighbors are from Washington. Aha!

The weather has been better than usual. Most of the rain has been in the evenings with some sun breaks each day. There was one bad day where people either congregated at the mall, swam at the community center or went bowling. It poured! But that isn't bad for Oregon. There are lots of people crawling over the rocks but I think it must be Spring Break for dogs, too. More of them than usual out there having fun. We are seeing extended families around with 2 or 3 dogs so the dogs all have playmates just like the kids. We just saw a three-legged German Shepard having a blast running wobbly along the beach. The unusual sight was a small black dog with him that didn't seem to be having much fun but managed (with 4 legs) to wobble along side the German Shepard. Dick and I wonder if they were raised together and the little black one imitates the big one with the wobble. Cute!

Our cat is enjoying the warmer weather after hibernating all winter. She is on daily treks in the great outdoors. She hides in the grasses and sunbathes on the deck. After originally living on acreage, she certainly has adapted to the coast and no longer roams very far. Just far enough to enjoy all the views of HER ocean.

We are off soon from our vantage point to our regular life but love watching life go on in front of our windows. Wish you were here to enjoy with us. It's just another day, watching the tide come and go.

2010 Census

I am now officially working for the 2010 Census Bureau! I have completed 24 plus hours of training, I have all my materials and I am ready to roll. Can't tell you much about what I will do our I will have to either kill you or go to jail. Privacy is a must. I can tell you that the US Government has labelled me a GQ Enumerator and I will be enumerating. It sounds like exterminator or annihilator so it does sound ominous, doesn't it? I will be counting heads.

I learned the scripts, forms and have boxes of materials. I started each day of my training much earlier than I would have liked but I have a temporary job and it only comes around once every 10 years. It should be fun meeting people, too. Did you send in your survey? Did you receive one? Dick and I didn't but we managed to find a place to get one so as of tomorrow, we will be legal according to the Census Bureau.

Census Day is April 1st. Happy birthday, Janet, also. I will be out interviewing. Be thinking of me. It will be just an Enumerating day!

Aaahhhhhhh!

That is the feeling I have now that I have finished babysitting a 3-year-old at the same time I decided to paint my bathroom. The prep work was all done. Taped off the mirror and anything else that needed it. Removed all hardware and switch covers. Cleaned! Removed towels, tp, kleenex, soap, lotion, etc from the counter and toilet back. Of course, I didn't remove the toilet! That would be too easy. So I was well prepared.

Then, Dena came over after we had coffee together to get my blood pumping. She decided she wanted to paint, too, so Grandma got out the paintbrushes for the kids easel that is always out. She had a great time and took home a cute painting for her Mommy. Did I mention we are also potty training? Dena even brought her own potty along. Well, I decided to set my goals a little lower in the paint project. If I could get the corners and edges done while she was here, I would be happy. The roller part would only take a few minutes to complete later in the afternoon.

When I set lower goals for myself while I am babysitting, the results seem to be much better. I had lots of patience for stopping and starting my painting. We had numerous snacks that also translated to lunch since Dena ate her way through the morning with crackers and cheese, popcorn...I had to pop it...a whole apple (mustn't cut it, you know), another bout of crackers and cheese, some fruit snacks and a little bit of bran muffin....and this is after a half a bagel at the coffee house. We stopped several times to try to go potty and guess what! The pee pee wasn't shy and it came out this time...according to Dena. We celebrated wholeheartedly! And still, I got some painting done.

TV was the next request but at the condo we don't have DVR or on demand TV. This concept is new to Dena. In her lifetime, she hasn't lived without one or the other. So, we settled for what Grandma did have on and I got more painting done.

By the time Mommy got here to pick her up for naptime, Grandma had finished the bathroom, including the roller part. The edges are a bit messed up but I did get to do another once over for spots I didn't get completely covered. I will get back to those edges when I don't have the distractions of any of my grandchildren. They are only kids once so I prefer their company to a perfect bathroom. If you disagree, I will probably stick my tongue out at you and feel sorry for you and your priorities.

I even got the switch covers back on, tp holder back where needed, all the essentials back in place and I have a nice warm sand color in my bathroom. Aahhh! The sun is out and Dick is on his way over from the beach so we can have dinner with friends tonight. Aahhhh, again! It's just a perfectly painted day.