SLOW COMING, SLOWER GOING
Winter weather summary: Beginning in November, the days should get cold and
stay
cold. As it was, ponds didn't ice over until the third week of
January. The second week of February wind chills dropped to below -20°
and school was closed so the children wouldn't have to stand in the cold
waiting for buses. We had a heavy snowfall the following week and it
took the condominium's snow removal crew three trips to complete their
job of plowing the streets and driveways and shoveling sidewalks. That
was also the week my yard light bulb had to be replaced. For more on
this read
Sparky. Once the snow was plowed, the big thaw set in and the third week of February, temperatures reached into the 40's. The way
I
look at it, winter was three weeks long, but the weather leading to it
and the weather following it just made for a long six months.
Brandon's birthday was in early January. There was no theme as in
the past. It was just time for gifts, games, cake and ice cream.
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| Opening gifts |
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| Brandon with 7 candles |
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Grandmothers get cabin fever, too, just like their charges. By February, we were asking each other, "Is it April yet?" In other words, can the kids go outdoors to play. One snowy no-school day, Sherry and I took the four grandkids to a nearby indoor game room so that they could work off some of that energy outside the condos' walls.
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| Brandon and Christian playing golf |
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| Sophia and Kelsi on the slide |
Sophia was given an Easy Bake oven which she brought
to the condo to use. Several days we baked a "double batch" -- 3
one-inch cookies to a pan, a total of six cookies. |
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Sophia's preschool celebrates Easter with a parade. The girls wear hats and the boys, ties. Sophia insisted on wearing a hat and tie. |
The days of March and April took turns being sunny and windy or
overcast and temperate. On the best days, sunny and warm, Brandon and
Sophia relished playing outdoors again.
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| Brandon taking aim |
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| Sophia on the slide |
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Brett changed employers in March, leaving San Diego and moving to San
Francisco. His one-bedroom apartment is in a new building in which
units eventually will be sold as condominiums. He has a view of SBC
baseball stadium and San Francisco Bay and he's within walking distance
of Union Square downtown. His office is just west of Pier 39. He's
very pleased with his decision to move -- the job is challenging and
rewarding, his workmates, accommodating and the city, friendly. He's
invested in a mountain bike and has made a couple trips north to pedal
through wine country.
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| Brett and Pier 39 |
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| SBC baseball stadium from Brett's apartment |
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| Gloria, Julie and Mike |
I've done little traveling in last several months. However, when an internet friend announced her plans to marry in May, several of us who belong to that writers' list made the sojourn to Portland, Oregon, to attend. While the bride was involved in preparations for her big day, some of us took the opportunity to visit sights in the area.
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| In front-Cecil; Standing - Kitty, Mike, Julie, Pam, sash, Monique (the bride), Theta, Jena, Gloria |
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| Monique and Andrew saying their I do's |
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Copyright ©2003-2007 Kitty Park
