Birthday Week

I turned 53 this week. It's been a lovely time of fun activities, not all centered around me (thank goodness!), but a week of things which I've enjoyed immensely.

On Friday, Mom and I went shopping and out to lunch. She & Dad had given me birthday funds for shopping, so we went to TJ Maxx (one of my favorite stores) and had a blast. After that, we drove through the rain to the General Store at Port Gamble (our first time there) for lunch. It is a great place - a real, old, country store, converted into gift shop & restaurant. The food was excellent. If you haven't been to Port Gamble, you might want to look it up. It's a charming old mill town, situated on a bluff overlooking Hood Canal, and has been very well-preserved.

Friday night, Gregg and I went out on a date to one of our favorite places, the Harbour House Pub on Bainbridge Island.

Gregg perusing the menu, which is designed like a newspaper. The pub's yam fries are the best!

Roses bloom outside the pub in June - one of my favorite patches of garden in town

Interior of the pub - yes, a bicycle is always on that beam over the bar.

The pub is in an historic house on the harbor in the little town of Winslow. We love the atmosphere and the food. We had planned to meet friends afterward for an evening of live music at the coffee house nearby, but Gregg was exhausted after two intense weeks at work, so we went home after dinner.

On Saturday, Gregg gave me the best birthday gift: a card and a day at the beach, followed by dinner out. We went to my favorite beach and hiked eight miles. David was invited to join us, but had another invitation to hike on Mount Rainier, so he spent the night with family and went with them. He and I will make the beach hike later in the summer.

Thanks for the cute sweatshirt, Laura!

We ate the picnic lunch we had packed around the halfway point, picked up some beach glass, and were caught in a downpour on the way home. Eight miles of beach walking = heaven on earth!

We visited a couple of thrift stores, and decided to change our dinner plans to escape the rain. We drove back to Bainbridge and went to a wonderful little Japanese restaurant for tea, miso soup and sushi.

Meanwhile, David's group decided that the weather wasn't good enough to go to Rainier, so they went to Cle Elum instead. They were still caught in a lightning-and-hail storm, when the temperature suddenly dropped at least 20 degrees, so I'm grateful they decided to forgo Mt. Rainier! Fortunately, he was with my brother, sister-in-law and nephew, who have mountaineering experience, so they had everything they needed - and came home safely.

On Sunday, we picked up my parents, drove to the ferry and rode to Seattle to see our nephew, Phil, who was visiting from the Bay Area, and my brother and sister-in-law. Some of the group played tennis, while others went for a walk. Afterward, we gathered for lunch together. It was great to see Phil and hear more about their hike.

On my birthday, David worked on the Argosy Camp Goodtimes Cruise (a.k.a. "Da Boata"), so I had a quiet day at home and a massage - a perfect birthday luxury. Tonight, my parents took Gregg and me to Burrata Bistro for dinner. They are so generous!

Kim (the owner) had a bottle of wine waiting for us at the table. The dinner was excellent. Three of us had the special (osso buco with baby carrots and pea greens on garlic polenta). My dad loves the roasted chicken so much that he ordered that instead.

Burrata Bistro's Osso Buco

Kim also sent two desserts for us to share: a lemon tart and tiramisu, both home-made and delicious, beyond my powers of description. Thank you, Kim & Alfonso! Thank you, Mom & Dad!

I bought this top (on sale, 50% off) when Maribeth was here. It's not a style I usually wear, but I like it!

Gregg has been teasing me that this week has reminded him of my grandmother's 90th birthday, when she had two parties given for her (one a private dinner for 35 at the Four Seasons hotel) and decided it wasn't quite enough, so she threw a third party for herself. What a character she was! The difference is that I didn't organize the week this way - it just happened!

Tomorrow, I'm off to volunteer at Camp Goodtimes West in the Arts and Crafts department, and I can't wait! It's also Carnival Day at camp, and it's going to be so much fun for the kids & staff. I hope your week is going well, too.

Busy Week, Sleepy Friday Night

It's been such a busy week - I'm tired, and just about ready to go to bed. But first, a recap:
Monday, I called in (this is my new, part-time job) to find out the specials at Burrata Bistro & Paella Bar. I do this every day, and post the updates (when there are updates) on facebook. We had Gregg's parents and his eldest sister, Linda, and brother-in-law, Bill over for dinner. Walked 3+ miles.

Tuesday, a lady came to measure some of our windows for blinds. We've lived here for 10 years without many window coverings, because we have a lot of privacy. But the cost of propane (to run the furnace) has climbed so high since we built this house that we are going to invest in some more blinds to keep the heat IN. Since the weather people are predicting a very cold winter (El Nino), it's time to act now. Remember this?

I get chilly just thinking about it.

After the appointment, I caught the ferry to Seattle to pick up a donation of fabric from a custom furniture company (see Katie's Comforters Guild's blog for more info). Then I went to the hospital to deliver 42 blankets. After that, I interviewed the director of the Therapeutic Play Program at Seattle Children's Hospital for an article I'm writing about therapy dogs. When it's finished - if it's published - I'll let you know! Walked 4 miles with Gregg after dinner.

Wednesday, I worked on writing and catching up after being out all day on Tuesday. Photographed quilts and fabric for the Guild's blog. I called in to Burrata again, etc. Walked 3+ miles.
Thursday, I went to the Farm Kitchen to learn from the amazing Hollis how to do more complex website work. It's going to take some time to master this, but I feel so grateful to be taught by someone as talented and kind as Hollis. After our meeting, I went to Paella Bar to take some photos,

and then over to Lola's Mexican Kitchen

to do the same. After a quick bite of lunch - take-out from Lola's - I stopped into the local bead store (not my favorite place, but I was in a hurry) to get a few items for some jewelry I'm making. Then home to get dinner ready, and a trip to Costco, the mall (to pick up shoes on sale) and then for a beer at Silver City Brew Pub with Gregg. Walked 3+ miles.

Friday (today), I wrote my piece for Hopeful Parents (I post on the 10th of the month), walked 3 miles, got a haircut, and picked up donation cans from the September (Childhood Cancer Month) drive. I will post a total soon - some of our good can hosts want to keep the cans a bit longer for more donations - I love that! Came home and worked on Burrata business, had my parents over for dinner, and watched a mystery with Gregg.

I'm "plum tuckered out," as they used to say. Good night, all! I wish you a wonderful weekend.