Returning Home

I had the chance this past week to be up in my home town of Granite Bay for 3 days visiting with old friends from high school, and it was SO good to be home again! It had been a long time! Now that mom and dad don't live there anymore, I haven't had a reason to go back in a couple years. Driving around such familiar streets, smelling the familiar summer smells, eating at my favorite places and seeing all the changes that had taken place over the last two years was so fun for me. And of course it was wonderful being with such good friends! Four of the five of us from high school who were really close made it back into town for a few days and we enjoyed relaxing, hiking, cooking, movie watching, and of course, lots of chatting! Here are some of the pictures from the weekend, more will be coming later as I receive them from the others.

Driving into town on Wednesday I took a trip down memory lane and drove around the neighborhoods. This is the house I lived in for about 10 years.

When I got to Jenn's our first stop was our favorite deli, the Beach Hut deli for the world's greatest sandwiches! The Surfin Bird--turkey, avocado, bacon, cream cheese, tomatoes....SO good!Miranda & Isaac drove up from Concord Wed. evening, where we hung out at Jenn's house catching up. This is me getting acquainted with 7 month old Isaac! We picked Erica up at the airport on Thurs. morning and then spent the afternoon hanging out at the house of the family Jenn grew up baby sitting and house sitting for. They were out of town so we had their entire amazing mansion to ourselves for the day.The most impressive part of the house is the wine room--a separate room kept at a perfect temperature for the red wines--decorated to look like rustic Italy (the husband is Italian). It was the most impressive thing I've ever seen in a house!Playing with IsaacOur resort for the afternoon--swimming, sunbathing, strawberry daiquiris. A great combination!Yes those are bar stools in the poolAnd what yard would be complete without a fireplace where s'mores can be made??The beautiful JenniferWe cooked dinner in their kitchen--a delicious pasta dish that Erica makes frequently. I am glad she introduced us!Prepping the salad--delicious ingredients!Our meal--the pasta contains fresh tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, and squares of fresh mozzarella cheese. Delicious!Dessert later that night back at Jenn's house--strawberries and ice creamFriday we headed up to Tahoe (about 2 hours up the mountain from Granite Bay) for a hike at Lake Tahoe. Our picnic lunch stop before we started hiking.Erica & IsaacErica & IReady to start our hike!One of my favorites--Isaac was a trooper! He was strapped in for a lot of hours!Letting him cool off before making him go back in the carrier for the hike back to the car.Erica takes a turn carrying the baby.Saturday morning we had Jenn's dad (an aspiring photographer) take photos of the 4 of us, which I don't have copies of yet, but I'll post them when I do! Then I took off and drove back to LA--I was missing my husband! Plus, we had plans to see a friend of ours preach her first sermon at her church this morning, so it was good to get back for that. There is a random vista point on I-5 that I decided to check out. I wish the valley was greener, but I still think this is beautiful.

4th of July in Hanford

Chuck & I returned last night from a very relaxing overnight trip up to Hanford, CA (outside of Fresno, about 3 hours north of LA). My brother in law's family lives there, and they had brought Megan & Nathan out for the long weekend, so they invited us up to come spend a night with them just hanging out. We had a delightful time relaxing, swimming, watching movies, eating a lot and just doing nothing! It was great seeing the Backman's again, and it was awesome getting to play in a pool with my sister again! It definitely made me homesick for summer days of our past! And baby Zoe (her nickname until she arrives) is doing quite well and even gave me a kick at one point which was AWESOME to feel!

This is Raffi, who is a black lab puppy being trained by Keith & Gail to be a guide dog. He is awfully adorable and of course, Megan & Nathan loved having a puppy around again!Dinner Friday night by the pool--fajitas! This is Hope, Nathan's sister, and Nathan.After dinner we went to this local place that makes fresh ice cream and gives HUGE portions--this is the single serving. Good thing she is eating for two!Then we wandered around Hanford a bit--this is some old WWI canon they have there. This is Chuck and Nathan about to shoot something.Megan, Hope and IThe Backman's beautiful backyardNathan practicing wearing the baby sling. It fit Megan a bit better!They got a huge box of baby stuff from family friends (so note to people--they do NOT need newborn onesies or sleepers--go for 3-6 month clothes if you are planning on shopping for little Zoe!) Raffi was a great model and helped sort through the clothes.Sorting new born clothesRaffi is apparently going to a beach party in late August, and needed an outift. So hopefully he'll grow into these a bit!It was a hard day. A very, very hard day.Raffi's sister Rene is being traied by the Backman's relatives, so Rene came over to play on Saturday. Puppy swim lessons! They are not born with the instant knowledge of how to swim, Raffi sunk on his first few tries but eventually figured out he could use his back legs to keep him afloat.Sunbathing--or baking the baby, one or the other

More Please!

Tonight's delicious meal was found online thanks to my blogging friend Jenny. It was a huge hit with my husband who ate two big plates, declared it delicious and said I should make even more next time! Enjoy this delightful summer meal! I mixed up the dressing in my handy magic bullet and it was fabulous!

Black Bean Taco Salad with Lime Vinagrette

Vinaigrette:
* 1/4 cup chopped seeded tomato
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
* 1 teaspoon grated lime rind
* 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 garlic clove, peeled

Salad:
* 8 cups thinly sliced iceberg lettuce (I used romaine for a bit more nutritional value)
* 1 1/2 cups chopped ready-to-eat roasted skinned, boned chicken breast (about 2 breasts)
* 1 cup chopped tomato
* 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
* 1 cup finely diced red onion
* 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
* 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
* 4 cups fat-free baked tortilla chips (about 4 ounces—1 cup per person)

Preparation
To prepare vinaigrette, combine first 11 ingredients in a blender or food processor; process until smooth.

To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients except chips in a large bowl. Add vinaigrette; toss well to coat. Serve with chips.

Gramma Nan

Gramma's obituary ran this weekend in the Everett newspaper, and I thought I'd share it with you. Chuck & I were talking about her last night, and about how she is one of the best examples I've ever seen of someone who refused to just "retire and do nothing" with the later years of her life. She served her community until she physically couldn't anymore, she saw things that weren't right in the world and she was determined to make them better. What we were reflecting on is that in most churches it seems acceptable, and even the norm, for people to reach retirement age and then be allowed to simply fill pews on Sunday or attend a couple social events, but the expectation is not that people would remain involved and working for the Kingdom of God. We don't think this is exactly what God had in mind--the church was never meant to be a social club one showed up at and was entertained by. We want to follow in Grandma's footsteps, serving until we physically can't. And what we find even more interesting is that Grandma wasn't part of any faith community. She wasn't motivated to serve because of some Sunday sermon, she just had this deep conviction that there were things in this world that needed to be fixed and she knew someone had to do the work. So for those of us who ARE involved in church communities, who DO have a picture of what the kingdom of God should look like, we have no excuse to not go do something to improve our community. Grandma wanted to leave this world a little better than she found it, and I think there are many in Everett who would say she was able to do just that. Chuck and I are looking forward to joining with the rest of the family in August to celebrate her!

Nancy Weis, age 80, of Everett, WA, born September 21, 1928 to William N. and Emily B. Leaf passed away June 17, 2009.
She attended Augustana University in Rock Island, Illinois and had a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and History. She was a professional volunteer for 50 years and a supermom for 60 years.
She was a charter member of Assistance League of Everett, president of Red Cross Board, visiting nurse Board and United Way president of both county and state. She was an active member of Zonta International for over 20 years. Nancy was a Citizen Advisor for the Department of Social and Health Services and Department of Children and Family Services. Nancy was also a trustee of Everett Community, board member of Compass Health and member of Human Services Council. Nancy was Citizen of the Year in 1978, Centennial Citizen of 1993 and received the Liz McLaughlin Human Service Award in 2000.
Surviving her are children, Elizabeth R. Rathbun, William Weis, Susan W. Hanson, Patty Erickson and Peggy Calhoun; eight grandchildren, Harmony Forbes, Sarah and Megan Hanson, Cori, Chad and Jeff Erickson and Adam and Chelan Calhoun; and two great-grandchildren, Jacob and Jessica Forbes.
A Celebration of Nancy's Life will be on Sunday, August 16, 2009. Please join us. 360 856-4517.
Please make donations to your favorite charity. Lastly, do something special for some one in Nancy's name. Remember her over a cheap glass of white wine, a hot dog roasted on an open fire, fresh caught dungeness crab and a walk on your favorite beach.

In 2000, a beautiful article ran in the paper up in the Seattle area honoring the life of service Grandma gave--her legacy if you will. I love this snapshot of her life. Take a few minutes to read it, and may her legacy inspire someone to go volunteer in some new way. It's never too late to start!

Nancy L. Weis ~ Professional Volunteer

By Roberta Jonnet

It is said that the leaf does not fall far from the tree. When Nancy Leaf Weis was asked what made her want to reach out to her community, she said, “Well, I just remember my mother volunteering.” Nancy helped, too. Referring to a time that her mother was a Red Cross volunteer working at a flood site, Nancy says, “I remember standing on a bank serving mash potatoes out of a brand new garbage can to all the workers.”

Nancy arrived in Snohomish County in 1953 and began her long term of service to the people of this county. The Human Services Council of Snohomish County’s Liz McLaughlin Award of Excellence presented to Nancy in 2000 says, “(this) award epitomizes an individual committed to excellence in the delivery and maintenance of quality human services to the citizens of Snohomish County.” The award is given to “acknowledge a lifetime of contribution which expands contributions in the actual development and delivery of services and includes contributions in the area of public policy.”

Nancy sums up her commitment to community with her business card, which reads, “Nancy L. Weis, Professional Volunteer, A People Caring Person.”

Nancy was born at Scofield Erickson Army Base, Honolulu, Hawaii. Her father was a 1923 West Point graduate. Nancy terms herself “an Army brat” and says, “I went to twelve different schools before I graduated from high school.” She attended Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. She met her future husband, Don, who was a pre-med student at the University of Iowa. They married and began life in a Quonset hut on the Iowa campus.

In response to the Navy’s call upon Don, Nancy says, “We got out the map and thought, ‘We can have an internship in Massachusetts, Florida or Bremerton, Washington." We (looked at Bremerton and) thought, ‘We’ve never been there.’ We took one look at the Northwest and said, ‘Forget the rest of the country!’”

The Weis family was comprised of four children at that time, and a fifth was on the way. The couple bought a “beach house” on Lake Stevens. Nancy laughs and says, “That first year the pipes froze, and there were rats. The kids had mumps for Thanksgiving and chicken pox for Christmas.” Asked why she became involved in the community with so much going on at home, she replies, “I just couldn’t stay home and be a mother. We started our own childcare center at Lake Stevens because I had this three-year old who had an imaginary bus driver. And I’m thinking, ‘I’ve got to get this child in reality.’ We started in the basement of one of the gal’s houses. It was a volunteer thing, and the parents took part. I was the music director (because) I played the piano, and somebody else did the art. We had two scooters and an inner tube; that was our gym stuff.”

Nancy always enjoyed being part of the community, whether at work or at play. “I always tell people I’m too stupid to play bridge,” she laughs, “and I like to play nine holes of golf, and not keep score, and go out to lunch. I don’t want to play eighteen holes of golf.” She continues, “I did a lot of volunteering at the school. I was a room mother for a hundred years.” When five school levies failed, the district had no library. Nancy and some of the other parents volunteered to keep the library open. She also supported her children’s participation in extracurricular activities. At one time Nancy had a daughter each on the cheer squad in elementary, junior high, high school and college teams.

As the wife of an anesthesiologist, Nancy was deeply involved with the Medical Auxiliary. The auxiliary went beyond giving away “Mr. Yuk” stickers and began a reference list for medical students so they would know where the scholarships were and what courses they had to take. “There were no computers,” Nancy says, “We just looked it up, typed it out, and got it on a card that was kind of like a Rolodex.”

When United Way of Snohomish County asked for a representative to start a new Social Planning Committee, Nancy volunteered. Asked to serve on United Way’s board, Nancy was the first woman president in Snohomish County. She went on to represent Snohomish County at the state level, and became the first woman president of the United Way of Washington. “It was a real education,” she says. “I met people from all over the county and learned about programs.” Nancy paid her own way across the country. “Most of the men who were on the board, their companies would send them,” she says. “I didn’t have anyone to underwrite me.”

In 1965 Nancy became a charter member of the Assistance League of Everett and served as the first Operation School Bell chairperson. “Each community started a program their community needed,” she recalls. “We started Operation School Bell because we learned from the teachers that there were kids who were unable to come to school because they didn’t have school clothes.”

The school district gave the Assistance League a portable building - with no bathroom. “We had to work there for hours!” she remembers. The women started by collecting their children’s outgrown clothing. Nancy says, “We outfitted one hundred children that first year, most of them in Everett.” More than 850 children had been clothed by the start of school in the year 2000.

“I loved that job because you knew you’d taken care of kids and changed their lives that day!” Nancy states emphatically.

Nancy was asked to serve on a Department of Social and Health Services pilot program called the Foster Parent Citizen group. She stayed for six years. “It was really exhausting,” she says. “You hear about kids who have had thirteen placements and they’re only ten years old. And it’s not the department’s fault. I want to ask these people who criticize, ‘How many foster children do you have?’ It’s a hard job. I had foster children. I took teenage girls and had five over a three to four-year period.” Nancy remained close to her foster children. One of them had her wedding at the Weis home on Rucker Hill, and years later Nancy was able to be in the delivery room with another foster daughter when the had her first baby.

Nancy also served on the Homeless Task Force for four years and became chair. “We learned there was some money available, and it makes a lot of sense to cooperate because a person may have a hotel room from the Red Cross and it gets you out of the cold, (but) you need to make a plan; you need a caseworker or a bus ticket home,” she explains. “We needed to have everybody talking to everybody.” At one time a person had to go to five different agencies, but the Homeless Task Force streamlined and computerized the process through the Red Cross of Snohomish County.

“I have a passion for people taking care of one another,” Nancy says. Her children know that she is such a person herself. One of them says, “Through the years, we as a family have relied on her for her knowledge, her willingness to always be there to support, teach, organize, direct, respect and always love us, no matter what.”

Perhaps when asked why they do all this, Nancy’s children will give the same reply that she did. “I just remember my mother volunteering.” It is a legacy worth repeating.