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.

Summer Goodness

We are home from our weekend in Charleston and today I stopped by what has become one of my favorite places to shop in Pasadena, the Lake Avenue Produce. It's only a few blocks from our apartment and sells fresh locally grown produce at incredible prices. Together Chuck and I have made a commitment to eat as healthy as we possibly can for the summer and to exercise several days a week, and Lake Produce is going to be a key piece of this for us! I used to buy produce with the intention of eating it, but it would inevitably go bad. Then I discovered the key to ensuring the delicious vitamins and antioxidants actually make it into our bodies! It's all in the preparation and storing of the food. I'd buy peppers with the intention of dipping them in hummus for a great afternoon snack, yet when I was actually hungry I never wanted to take the time to wash and slice the peppers. I'd want to make salads, but got lazy and wouldn't want to take the time to chop everything. Someone suggested to me that if you take about an hour when you get home from the store to wash, peel, slice, chop and store all the veggies and fruit in accessible containers then when it is time for that snack or that salad to be made everything is ready to go. Plus, storing sliced veggies in tupperware of cold water actually helps keep most of them crisper and hydrated (veggies dehydrate as they sit in your fridge and that is what makes them limp and unappealing, but keeping them in water keeps them crisp for a good week). I've made it my routine the last several weeks to stop by Lake Produce on Monday or Tuesday and load up on fresh fruits and veggies, and then I have spent about an hour prepping everything. I cannot tell you how fast dinner prep is now, we've enjoyed large salads each night of the week, and we're snacking on fruit salad during the day. Plus, the bonus of finding a farmers market or a local produce stand is the prices! Today I got a watermelon, red grapes, 2 red peppers, a green pepper, 2 avocados, 3 tomatoes, 3 apples, a bag of spinach, a head of broccoli, 2 bananas, 2 zucchini, 1 cucumber, 4 nectarines, and a package of strawberries for $15--which you definitely cannot do in a grocery store!

My edible treasures beforeAnd after...ready to enjoy all week!

Heading back east

We just got back from a very quick trip to Charleston to enjoy a couple days of celebrating various occasions with Chuck's family. The main reason for the trip was for our east coast wedding reception to take place on Saturday, but we also had the chance to celebrate several birthdays, my graduation, and an anniversary. It was great seeing everyone again and we were very honored by the number of people who came to celebrate with us--both on Saturday at the family party, and on Sunday at a bbq the church threw us. I don't have any pictures from the parties since I was busy meeting a ton of new people! But here are a few from hanging out with the family!

My graduation cheesecakeThere are a LOT of birthdays in May-July! We celebrated Diana, Jon, Chuck and Carroll!The birthday kidsGoofing offGood thing Jon likes Bionicles! Family photo at the party on Saturday. Left to right: Jon, Rodd, Teddy, Chuck, Ed, Rodney (Audrey's brother). Front: Diana, Helen, Carroll, me, Audrey, LindaSaturday night we had a kit kat tasting party with kit kats Rodd & Carroll brought back from Japan. Over there kit kats come in all kinds of flavors--strawberry, white chocolate, green tea, lemon vinegar (kind of a sour lemon flavor), apple cider and I'm probably forgetting some. Some were decent...some were not.I think this is the strawberry one getting a thumbs down from Diana.the lemon-vinegar got a so-so from Uncle Chuck!

Crazy Beautiful

This is pretty much the only way to describe the things we saw this past week--Chuck kept saying "wow, this is beautiful...crazy beautiful..." over and over again as we drove through the coast of central California. I won't argue with that, it truly is one of the most spectacular parts of the country. We are back from our honeymoon after a long day on the road, a little tired, but relaxed after a beautiful and VERY fun week exploring together! We did a lot, indulged in some scrumptious meals, and took a bazillion pictures! (this post is just photos from Sunday and Monday--I've broken them up by day to make them a bit easier to create!) It was very fun to show Chuck a part of California I adore, and to experience some new places myself. Our trip really was made possible by the gift of a free place to stay--which allowed us to take a portion of our wedding money and enjoy some fancy dinners and a few fun tours/trips in San Francisco. For those who care to read/see more, the story of our week together is below--enjoy the photos, although a picture can't do this scenery justice!

Sunday--the drive north

We left from church on Sunday afternoon and headed north up the 101 from Los Angeles to Boulder Creek, which is in the mountains just above Santa Cruz.

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We had been given a cabin there from Sunday through Thursday which was perfect! It was isolated, quiet, a short walk to town for groceries, wine, and restaurants, and perfect for our first few days away! We drove through some gorgeous valleys, fields, and vineyards on the way.

Ok, some of you may think this is very strange, but throughout the trip I had fun taking various pictures of my feet in different locations. If you think it's strange...well, sorry!Sunday evening we arrived about 8, unloaded, bought wine, cheese & crackers from the local store, and enjoyed a fire in the fireplace while listening to classical music & reading Narnia--a perfect evening after a long day in the car!

Monday--exploring Santa Cruz & Half Moon Bay

Monday we got up and headed into Santa Cruz to spend time wandering the town. We watched waves, surfers, walked around the town a bit, and ate lunch on the Santa Cruz pier before driving northward towards Half Moon Bay (another hour or so up the coast).

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We decided not to explore the beach boardwalk with all the rides and carnival games, that didn't seem relaxing to us at all!

This is the boardwalk & the pier.No, those aren't seals--those are surfers. Lots and lots of surfers off the Santa Cruz coastOne cool place we stumbled upon was a garden dedicated to St. Joseph (the father of Jesus). It was connected to a Catholic church, and was absolutely gorgeous. We didn't know, but St. Joseph is the patron saint of the unborn, so the whole garden is dedicated to his journey as Jesus' father--the joys and sorrows that must have gone with that. It's also a prayer garden for people to pray for newborns, and grieve and remember miscarriages, aborted babies, and stillborns. From a pastoral care perspective we loved that a church had such a space for people to go, we were both really touched by our random visit here.The statue of St. Joseph sits in the center with a tiny baby in his hands. Those rocks you see on the wall each had a name on them, where parents could remember their unborn who didn't make it.Lunch time at a seafood restaurant on the Santa Cruz wharfAfter lunch we decided we were done in Santa Cruz so we headed north up highway 1, stopping along the way to take pictures of the stunning vistas. We also hiked down to a beach at one point.The rock we were hiking to had a heart on it! Made of some type of grass...From this random stop we made it to Half Moon Bay, and the world famous surf break, Mavericks. It's apparently quite impressive, and we both wanted to see it, so we went in search of it. It required a bit of a walk, and we found it, but the waves weren't that impressive today and there were no surfers out.On the walk to Mavericks we found a very randomly placed prayer labyrinth, which was very cool!After going to the beach at Mavericks we hiked up the trail above it to see the beautiful scenes below.Dinner Monday night was back in Santa Cruz--actually Capitola, the town just south of Santa Cruz, at a restaurant called The Shadowbrook. It came recommended from a couple different people, and was a fabulous and romantic spot for our first dinner out! There was a tram you took down the hill to the restaurant, which was nestled into the side of a hill and surrounded by gardens.