Floating high above the treeline

I've recently returned from what my husband and I call "the vacation of a lifetime."

We aren't wealthy people, so many of our vacations include camping - which we both love doing. But this one took us by air to Seattle, by train to Vancouver, by cruise ship to Alaska and then back home by air. And, being one who is so terribly fearful of flying and heights (to the point where I must have pharmaceutical help to get on an airplane), this vacation tested every nerve in my body. But it was well worth it. We saw and we did things we'll likely never see and do, again. Out of hundreds of photos taken, I'll share a few of our highlights. I hope you enjoy them and the journey.

It starts with our flight out of Orlando.

And before you know it, we make our descent into Seattle, and catch our first glimpse of Mount Rainier. Stunning!

We hit the ground running, so to speak. We rented a car and drove up to Mount Rainier, making stops along the way to see waterfalls and views of the mountains.

Our first of many, many waterfalls is one named Christine Falls.

                                     

Being from Florida, its not often that I get to see and play in the snow.

 

I wish I had the words to describe the beauty that surrounds us. Just like the Grand Canyon is filled with vivid colors at sundown, the same is true of Mount Rainier and the Cascade Mountains of which it is a part.

We stayed at Paradise Inn, a lodge at the base of Mount Rainier. And after a yummy hot chocolate with mint schnapps, it was early to bed and early to rise for our day of hiking.

Don't get me wrong, though. My husband and I are not trail-blazers. We love to hike prepared trails, but are not equipped for what others might call true hiking. Although the temperatures were in the 70s, we had to climb a 10-foot wall of snow just to get to the trail. And that was just the beginning. My husband and I were not prepared for hiking in the snow (no cleats), so we went as far as we could before the trek became a tad too treacherous for us, and we turned around, wishing our son and his wife well as they marched on. (I found myself wishing we had made this trip when we were younger.)

At this point, we don't know how deep the snow is, but we do know we are standing among treetops.

From there we hiked some lower trails, seeing waterfall after waterfall, and then we crossed a short suspension bridge to see some of the largest and oldest trees in North America at the Grove of the Patriarchs.

My husband finds a friend at the Grove of the Patriarchs.

It was time to leave Mount Rainier National Park and spend a few days in Seattle, where - the next day - I found myself above the tree-line, again, (or so it felt), taking the 605-foot ride to the top of the Space Needle, high above the city. After a delicious lunch, it was over to Pike Place Market where we saw the infamous fish throwing guys and the equally infamous gum wall.

It's totally disgusting, but we had to see it. (That's probably where I caught my cold.)

 

Early the next morning, we board a train to Vancouver where we then embark on our cruise to Alaska.

The train ride was beautiful, overlooking the coast of Washington into Canada. But getting to the cruise ship was even better. My husband and I had been anticipating this trip for nearly a year. That evening, we enjoyed clear skies and a full moon -- could it be any better?

See the cruise ship following us?

 

We spent a day at sea, and the next morning, we grabbed a much smaller boat that took us into Tracy Arm Fjord, while the ship went on to Juneau. There's no better way to experience glaciers than to get as up close and personal as possible, and this excursion allowed us that opportunity.

After going through a field of icebergs, we end up at Sawyer Glacier.

This picture doesn't do the blue-ness of the glacier justice.

This is one of the many waterfalls we encounter while on the Tracy Arm Fjord excursion.

 

The next port of call was Skagway, where we rented a car, went for an early morning hike through the Old Miner's Cemetery, took a glass blowing class and then took the Klondike Highway as far as we could into the Yukon, until it was time to turn around and get back to the ship.

The glass blowing class is phenomenal and great fun; one of many highlights of the trip.

 

Canada's Yukon Territory is nothing short of spectacular. Everything is larger than life and more beautiful than any photo we had seen online. We traveled to the picturesque Emerald Lake, Carcross Desert and beyond Carcross, before we had to make the U-turn to return to the ship.

Emerald Lake -- simply stunning!

On our drive back, we stop and do what hundreds (if not thousands) before us have done, and we build our own stack of rocks, or inuksuit as some call them (if they are in the likeness of man).

 

The next day, our ship sails all the way into Glacier Bay National Park. Wow!

I thought the trip into Tracy Arm Fjord was spectacular, but this is really beyond. Miles away from our ship stood centuries old glaciers, yet they seemed as though they were close enough to touch. The day spent in Glacier Bay was like nothing we've ever experienced. We saw whales, bears, eagles, sea otters and seals. 

Marjorie Glacier is one of only 12 out of more than 1,000 glaciers still living and thriving today.

On our way out of Glacier Bay, we pass Sea Lion Island.

The next port was Ketchikan, where my nerves would be tested, once again, as we flew a float plane for about 45-minutes to Anan Creek to see bears, eagles and more. We were not disappointed. After about a one-mile hike, we "perched" and watched as the bears came out to catch their prey - the salmon were running, and it was a field day for the bears.

Mere feet away, we watch as the brown bear catches his meal, then scurries off to play in the river. That's when the black bears come out of hiding.

A very protective mamma watches over her cub.

After one of the most exciting days of my life, it's time to head back to the ship.

We arrived back in Vancouver to spend a few days there sightseeing. Again, I found myself high above the treeline (or so it seemed), as we crossed the Capilano River on the Capilano Suspension Bridge and stayed on the 20th floor of our hotel.

This park is quite fascinating, with many more suspension bridges on the other side that take you high into the treetops and a cliff walk that literally takes my breath away.

 

Our stay in Vancouver included a visit to the Museum of Art (and another gum wall -- what's up with that?),  checking out the place of the Olympic Torch, eating a Japadog, seeing a steam-powered grandfather clock, walking the Gaslight district, biking around Stanley Park and more.

For grins, we walk around downtown Vancouver with moustaches. Fun times!

My husband shades himself under a giant leaf at Stanley Park.

I don't know how we do it, but we get lost bike riding in Stanley Park!

I come out of the woods at Stanley Park, after being lost. (We never confessed this to our son and his wife.)

 

After spending a long day at the park, it was time to end my vacation above the treeline and fly back to Florida.

In the early 1980s, my parents had planned a trip to Alaska. My brother was living there and they were supposed to visit him for a few weeks, but my father came down with shingles only days before they were to leave - forcing them to cancel the trip. They never rescheduled it, and I don't know why. This is one of those times when I wish I could get a simple question answered, but that window of opportunity is closed. So, I took my parents with me -- in heart, soul and mind.

My husband and I celebrated our 40th anniversary nearly a year ago, and that's when I gave him this trip - as an anniversary gift. Our son and his wife decided to also take the trip, and I'm so grateful they did.

One of the things I love most about my daughter-in-law is her zest for the outdoors. If my husband and I had taken this trip on our own, we'd have flown into Vancouver, taken the cruise and come home; perfectly satisfied. But because of our daughter-in-law's insightful planning, we jammed so much more into what became a two-week vacation. We hiked, biked, flew, took glass-enclosed elevators and crossed suspension bridges. To me if feels as though we spent our vacation floating high above the treeline, and - even though it might be short-lived - I overcame some fears and I'm ready to fly, again!

As I get closer to retirement age, I'm quickly learning how to live in the moment. I wish I had learned earlier in life. Better late than never, though.

If you're ever afforded the opportunity to travel to Alaska, I strongly urge you to do so. It's majesty, vastness and beauty cannot be truly appreciated through these few photos.

I love you Daddy and Mom. I hope you enjoyed the trip.

2014 Meets Days of Yore

Before the girls arrived for their STEM science lesson in soap making, I told my friend I was thinking I'd like to be a Girl Scout leader.

Three-hours later, I was admitting that I may have been mistaken.

Don't get me wrong, I had a great time with them. But, gosh, they were energetic and hard to keep focused, and it seems I've lost my sense of communication with young people. At least they weren't glued to cell phones or tablets. It was a technology-free day.

In their defense, though, we held the class at my friend's house, where three, maybe four, dogs and four or five cats greet you at the front door as you walk in. Then there are horses and pigs in the back yard, all of which are rescued.

My friend and I worked hard on our plans to teach the girls all of the science behind soap making - with real, and dangerous, lye. But each of the seven girls' hearts were stolen when they laid eyes and hands on the menagerie of pets. And they were anxious for the opportunity to ride the horses.
On top of that, we had a nice spread of homemade pizza pinwheels, cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies laying out on the counter top, tempting the girls away from their science lesson and badge requirements.

Soap making seemed to be the furthest thing from their minds. So, we needed to kick things into high gear and start the cold process soap making. But first things first - my friend extolled the importance of rescuing unwanted cats and dogs from the many shelters in our community.

My friend, whom in her inner most soul believes she is Amish, makes her own soap, so she had all the needed tools and ingredients, and she had some already made so the girls would be able to take a bar of soap home with them.

Making soap is not real time consuming, but it is a lengthy process to write about. So, rather than take up all this space with instructions, you can go to:
http://www.soap-making-resource.com/cold-process-soap-making.html

In fact, you can find recipes and supplies there.

Here is my friend carefully adding the lye to the recipe.

Some background:
Back in the days of yore, lye was made by dripping water through burning ashes. Then soap was made with that lye. The lard came from pig fat.
Of course, soap making doesn't have to be that complicated. Today you can buy your lye, lard and other ingredients online.
Homemade soap lathers up real bubbly and is filled with glycerine, which is removed from most commercial soaps today so makers can sell it to you separately in lotions. (Better for them to make more money off of you.) Homemade soap is so gentle on your skin.

Once we began the process of making the soap, we had the girls' attention, and they helped with accurate measuring of the ingredients. As the lye mixture and lard mixture cooled, the girls ate some lunch and then took turns riding the horse. And as they waited, we set up a craft table, and they used decorative paper and ribbon to wrap their bars of soap my friend had made in advance for each of them to take home.

Each of the girls took home a specially decorated bar of homemade soap.

 

Here I am showing the girls' leader how to wrap the soap.

 

Throughout the afternoon, my friend and I lost the girls' attention, over and over, again, but the end result was that the girls were able to check off some badge requirements, and I had a great time. I really miss scouting, but wondered throughout the day if it was that hard to keep my attention when I was that young. I suppose it was.

Here we all are, the girls, troop leader and my friend and I - and you can see, the girls love the pets.

I'm never afforded the opportunity to spend time with young girls, so this was a real treat for me.

It also gave me some insight into how my mother kept our attention as she led my scout troop for so long. She'd have loved the soap-making lesson; the soap smells like Jergens lotion, which Mother was faithful to for decades, and the girls had lessons in pet rescue, soap making, crafting and communicating with adults. A win, win, win, win.

Maybe I can talk my friend into donating her time and talent again sometime. Perhaps you'd like to join us?

I love you, Mom.

Fun lessons from Mom

Growing up, Mother often used a phrase that still resonates today, "A wasteful will is a woeful want."
Of course, like so many other Mommyisms, it took me a few years to figure out she was saying that if you deliberately waste things, eventually, you will desperately want.
Like everyone who grew up in the 1950s and 60s, at nearly every meal, I heard, "Sydney, clean your plate. There are starving children in Africa."
I'd have gladly sent those children my peas, salmon cakes or my fried bologna. I'll bet they would have loved my cold, soggy, fried egg sandwich, with ketchup, Mom would send me off to school with every Wednesday.
Of course, that's the part that never made sense to any of us, right? Those poor children weren't going to get any of our food, whether we ate it or not.
But it is something I thought about today when my husband and I visited our little "farm," a part of the Community Garden, and found so many tomatoes that had gone to waste. I felt bad about it.

So that brings me to a few more Mommyisms that popped into my head today.

Here's one: "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."
In today's world it's a reminder not to discard something valuable in your eagerness to get rid of some useless thing that's associated with it. I heard a politician use the phrase today while I was watching the news, and it reminded me of when my little sister and I were very young.
Mother would take a bath, and when she was done and dressed, she'd put the two of us in the bath together, using the same water she had just bathed in. She'd warm it up a little before we got in, but it wasn't something I ever gave any thought to.
As I got a little older and my sister and I no longer bathed together, Mother would remind me to save the water for my little sister. 
Puts a new meaning to that little 'proverb,' doesn't it?

And speaking of baths, she'd also say, "Wash as far as possible and then wash possible." Yikes, I don't even want to think about what that meant. But I can tell you this - we for sure didn't want her to have come in and wash us herself. She was downright brutal. She'd could literally scrub a mole off my face. I swear, she used sandpaper. Whew!
And one more thing about bathing; is there anything more disturbing than having your mother spit-shine you in front of your friends? She'd lick her thumb and then press it back and forth across the dirty spot on my forehead. Yuck!

In the 59-years I knew my mother, I never heard her say one single curse word. I think I've mentioned this, but it's worth telling, again. There's a wine my husband and I buy called Fat Bastard, and we'd often try like the dickens to get my mother to read the name on the label, but all she would do is smile. 
I, on the other hand, have been known to have the mouth of a sailor (no disrespect intended). Letting my anger about something get the best of me, I once cursed in front of Mom (and I do mean only once). Her response was - and this is priceless - "Something just came out of your mouth that I wouldn't hold in my hand."
Isn't that great?

Parting thoughts... 
My husband always leaves a restaurant with a toothpick sticking out of his mouth. It drives me crazy, and I always try to pull it -- sometimes to the point that he gets angry with me. I'm pretty sure it's my mom's fault that I feel this way. She used to say, "Never pick your nose or your teeth in public. Nobody wants to see what comes out of either one."

Of course, she also said, "Never try to be someone you're not. Be genuine and be yourself." So, I guess if a toothpick sticking out of the side of his mouth is the worse thing about my husband being himself, then I can accept that and be grateful for what I have. He was always so good to my mother, deeply misses her and remembers her with great respect and love.

I love you, Mom, and miss you like the dickens.

 

The Mizpah Prayer and Devil's Food Cake - Fate Brought Them Together

While my cousin and her husband were here last month for their surprise visit from Colorado, she gave me the gift of an old recipe book, published in 1925 by one of the Circles of the Methodist Episcopal Church in St. Joseph, Illinois. The book had belonged to my aunt (my mother's sister) who gave it to my cousin's mother as a wedding gift (when she married my mother's brother). I'm thrilled to now have it in my little collection.

 

But what immediately caught my eye was the name of the Circle - The Mizpah Circle Ladies.

Was it fate?
In my mind, it was just that - an early connection to what would be my later,
very fortunate, fate - marrying my Jewish husband.
Mizpah is Hebrew for "watchtower," and is often related to Genesis 31:49.

"The Lord watch between me and thee

while we are absent, one from another."

I was taught by a Jewish friend, probably sometime in junior high school, that the verse was often referred to as the Mizpah Prayer.

I was drawn into the cookbook, because of it's connection to my own past; my mother having lived in Homer, Illinois right outside St. Joseph, and her oldest sister being the original owner of the book. But, in a way, that cookbook is also a part of my present.

So, lets' delve inside this no-nonsense, picture-less recipe book, and see what we can bake today. Each of the many recipes is nothing more than a paragraph. No list of ingredients, just the directions, and there are quite a few of them for Devil's Food Cake - so I picked one that was marked on the page. I'm thinking there must be a reason for it being marked. Perhaps after it's baked and frosted, we'll learn this is the best cake recipe ever. It comes to us compliments of one Mrs. Cynthia Fiock from St. Joseph, Illinois.

Devil's Food Cake - Cream one cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter together, then add two well-beaten eggs. 1/4 cup of cocoa in 1/2 cup boiling water; 1/2 teaspoon soda with 1/2 cup sour cream; 1 teaspoon Royal baking powder; 1 1/2 cups flour. Flavor with vanilla.

That's it -- that's all it says.
I'm guessing it goes into a 350-degree oven and I'm guessing it will either make two rounds or one 11X9-inch baking dish.
Let's give it a whirl and see.

I gathered the ingredients, but don't you do what I almost did and forget the vanilla flavoring.

Here's the creamed sugar/butter, the cocoa mixture and the beaten eggs.

I added the eggs and beat the mixture until it was fluffy. Then I added the cocoa mixture and beat well; added the baking soda, sour cream, baking powder, flour and about a teaspoon of vanilla and beat it on medium for about a minute.

I decided to use a prepared 11X9 baking dish.

It went into the oven at 350-degrees and took 25-minutes to bake.

 

 

I made half of a recipe for a classic chocolate frosting to top it:
1/2 cup softened butter, a couple tablespoons of cocoa and about a 1/2 box of 10X powdered sugar, with about 1/8th cup of milk and a teaspoon of vanilla.

It's delicious, moist, chocolaty and it's a recipe from a 1925 cookbook

that took only minutes to prepare - very easy.

I know, it's easier to pick up a box of cake mix, even easier to buy one already baked, but try this. I'm sure you'll like it.

Many of you have probably heard of a Mizpah coin. It's a gold heart inscribed with the Mizpah Prayer, but halved, so that each of the two persons can carry a piece of it. It's what I gave my husband as a wedding gift and we each carried our halves on our key-rings for many years. Today, neither of us knows what happened to them, sad, I know, but still it was a part of our lives.
And now, this little cookbook created by the Mizpah Circle Ladies of the Methodist Episcopal Church of St. Joseph, Illinois is also a part of my life - thanks to my cousin.

Here's a funny advertisement from the cookbook.

I love and miss you, Mom

You Can Pick Your Friends...

We've all heard the old adage, "You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family."

Lucky for me, the person who was my best friend for most of my adult life (of course, other than my husband), was also family...my mother.

Don't get me wrong, she was the last person on earth that I'd have considered to be a friend when I was in high school and going through my own "growing pains." In fact, I thought she and my dad were the enemy, the devil reincarnated, the worst thing to happen since I lost first chair in the clarinet section. I heard the word, "NO" come out of their mouths more often than not, and they absolutely hated my (then) boyfriend - which, of course drove me right into his arms.

Live and learn. As so often happens, my parents turned out to be right about that guy; he was a definite schmo.

It wasn't until after my mother passed away that I saw and bought this adorable ornament, which sums up my feelings in one short quote:

"The truth is, even if she weren't my mom, I would go out of my way to be friends with her."

Today, I have a new-to-me family member about whom I feel the same way. When my cousin was here visiting a few weeks ago - and even though we did not know each other - we both were immediately comfortable enough to be completely real and open - right from the start.
Not too long after my mother passed away, my cousin and I were united through Facebook, and feeling my sadness, she sent me a very special, yet simple gift. She called it a Blessing Ring. (You can find lots of samples on Pinterest.)
It's basically a keepsake in the making; a unique and practical way to save cards, notes and special mementos you receive from family and friends. As you build your Blessing Ring, you keep it hanging where you can see it everyday.

The one my cousin sent me had a few of her handmade cards on the ring and this message:
"Our gift to you is a Blessing Ring. Each time someone encourages you in word or action, put it on our ring. It may be a birthday card or a note of encouragement from a close friend. Hang your Blessing Ring on your door knob so that each time you walk into your room, you're reminded that you, too, are a blessing to your family, your friends and especially to God!"

Since then, among the things I've added have been a very special card my daughter-in-law sent me when I lost Mother, a couple of favorite photographs, and some hilarious cards from my husband. I've added strands of ribbon between the cards to bling it out.

This is a birthday card my husband gave me, and it's so very much me. It's also what my mother always said to me and to others about me.

This is a favorite card our son gave us for our 40th wedding anniversary. He has the best sense of humor.

And this is a photo of two of my cousin's handmade cards and one of my ornament/mantras I have hanging in my Blessing Ring.

This is such an easy project, and can be a very meaningful gift to your bestie, a daughter going off to college, a friend feeling sadness, etc. I think I'm going to work on about a dozen of them for my Craftin' Sistas.
I'm so glad my cousin has come into my life. I not only choose her to be my friend, I also choose her to be in my family.

I love you, Mom

Discovering Family - Good, Better, Best

You might remember that I wrote on March 14 about the Girl Scout Council of SE Florida presenting an award created in my mother's name to a deserving local Girl Scout leader.  (http://alwaysonmymindforeverinmyheart.blogspot.com/2014/03/building-girls-of-courage.html)
The award was presented at a luncheon I co-chaired on May 10. Four other very deserving women received recognition for their accomplishments in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics - careers that have traditionally been filled with men, but these women have broken through that glass ceiling.

What was already a GOOD day was made BETTER by the recognition of the exceptional Girl Scout leader in memory of Mom, my leader. The recipient has found perfect balance in caring for both her family and the girls entrusted to her care.

What made the BETTER day BEST, was being totally surprised when my brother from Texas, my cousins from Colorado and my sister from Titusville, Fla. traveled all that distance to be here, because they, along with my husband, my son and his wife, wanted to be a part of the celebration of my mother's memory and her role as a Girl Scout leader.

To make a long story short, my cousin and I do not know each other, but I recognized her immediately - thanks to our Facebook friendship we began soon after Mother passed away.

After the luncheon, we all went back to our house and began a six-day marathon of remembering Mom and Daddy, aunts and uncles, grandparents, old neighborhoods and more. With other cousins (some I also do not know) posting old photographs to Facebook, my cousin, her husband, my brother and me would sometimes sit at the kitchen table with our electronic devices and, together, look at and discuss those postings, which prompted more memories coming forward. It was fabulous!

How funny is this? Truly, we're all looking at photos being posted on Facebook. You can't beat technology!

One afternoon we sat with a box full of old photos spread out over the entire dining room tabletop and looked at each and everyone of them. My dad had made the task slightly easier; he had written on the backs of some of them. But there were still many that I've looked at time and time, again, and had no idea who was in the picture. Thanks to my cousin, photos of my grandparents and great grandparents were discovered and identified - even photos of my grandfather's family were in the box (he passed away when my mother was a young child).

For me, though, the pièce de résistance was when I found a photo of me sitting next to my grandmother (Mom's mother) with her arm around me and a baby in her lap. Although we don't know who that baby is, it's the only photo there is of me with Gramma! She passed away on my third birthday as we were having a 'pretend' tea party; my only memory of her.
The photo was an amazing discovery.

A few months ago, I mentioned to someone that I wasn't finding joy in much of anything these days. Not since Sept. 26, 2012 have I enjoyed anything like I enjoyed this past week. Connecting and reconnecting with "lost" and known family, listening to stories and learning more about my own past is - to me - priceless.

 I think it was the therapy I didn't know I needed.

My brother is planning a Cousin Union in Texas next year, and I can't wait. We can't actually call it a reunion, since many of us have never met.
I already know of a few cousins who are making plans to be there, and I can't wait.
Did I mention - I can't wait?
Some of the newly identified pictures from that old box will be a welcome sight to many.
I look forward to another great week of discovering family.

Mom, how much fun did you have this past week? WOW!

The generous hearts of grandparents

On my way to work every morning, I see - what to me - is a very beautiful sight.
It's not the sun rising in the east or the moon disappearing in the west. It's not the tall palm trees against the colorful Florida morning sky.
It's something completely different...

Coming from opposite directions and ending up at the same bus stop are a boy walking hand-in-hand with whom I assume is his grandfather, and a girl about the same age, walking hand-in-hand with whom I assume is her grandmother. The boy and girl look to be about 10- or 11-years old.
I've driven past them at different times each morning for the past five-months, witnessing this loving bond between grandparent and grandchild. Neither the boy nor the girl seems to mind that their grandparents stay with them until the bus comes.
It's beautiful, and every morning I pray those two relationships will never change.

It reminds me of the relationship shared by my son and his grandparents.
From the first day he could talk, he spoke to my parents on the phone nearly everyday.

 

 

And when he started school, I was lucky enough to be living only blocks away from my parents, so when I went back to work full-time, the school bus dropped him off at Grampa and Gramma's house every afternoon, where he stayed until I picked him up on my way home from work. It was ideal.

He loved Grampa and Gramma very much, and was never ever embarrassed that he went to their house after school, as opposed to many of his friends who went to empty homes. This continued until we bought our son his first car at the age of 16.

 

My parents never missed a soccer game, a play, a musical performance, a band half-time show, or anything else in which my son was involved. Never.

 

When my son entered college, he still called his grandparents at least twice a week, and when he worked overseas in Japan, he phoned Gramma weekly. (By then my father had passed away and Mother was living with us.) Even after he married the love of his life, he phoned Gramma everyday on his way home from work. Up until the day before she passed away, he spoke to her every single day.

 

I loved that relationship he shared with Gramma -- loved it.

I never had that.

 My father's parents passed away before I was born, my mother's father passed away before I was born and my mother's mother passed away on my third birthday. My younger sister and I never experienced the special love and spoiling of grandparents.

It was a special bond between my son and my parents, especially my mother.
The same type of bond I see in the boy and girl and their grandparents each morning on my way to work.
 It's a beautiful thing.

 

If I'm ever blessed to have grandchildren, I pray for that same beautiful relationship of unconditional love.

 

 

Miss you and love you, Mom and Daddy!