This Week on Gberger

This week, I
1.  finished the second draft of my book on Family-Centered Care
2.  completed two half-days of filming with Paul (of Paul Dudley Photography)
3.  quietly celebrated 20 years of marriage to my best friend
4.  got new shoes (I think I did this at the same time last year - it must be spring shoe fever!)

Check these babies out! They are black, with silver holographic dots all over them.
Memory-foam insoles - comfortable for walking (3 miles on their first outing)!

5.  prepared to return the blue jeans which - although the same size, by the same manufacturer, as my favorite jeans - DO NOT FIT! Can anyone explain that to me, please?
6.  feel as if I've lost 5 pounds (due to #1 & #2 above)
7.  feel as if I've gained 5 pounds (due to #5 above)
8.  watched the season finale of Modern Family (sorry, Oprah)
9.  loved stolen moments spent reading Personal History by Katharine Graham (& highly recommend it!)
10.  discovered McKenna Ryan's art-quilt gallery, where classes are available in my community. Not a fabric shop (though they offer some of their own fabrics), a gallery! Check it out here -the art quilts are too beautiful for words:

I was guided in my work this week by a helpful, centering quote from the Gospel:

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

What a blessing and humble privilege, to be a branch on that Vine, tended by His Vine Grower. I pray that my work will glorify our Father, and bear much fruit.

Now, it's time to relax and really celebrate that anniversary over the holiday weekend! I hope you have a great weekend, too!

David and Neiman Marcus

Yesterday, David had the day off from school. He has been wanting to visit a new store that has been built in my old hometown, so we made the trip over by car, ferry and floating bridge to Bellevue. UGH. I wish I liked the town, but I don't anymore. It wasn't my favorite place growing up, either, but nowadays it is barely recognizable as same city in which I grew up. Too many cars, too many high-rises, too much money, too fast-paced, too much STUFF for my taste.

What was once a nice, drive-around, walk-around, small outdoor shopping mall with a Newberry's, A&P Market, local drugstore, clinic, a couple of restaurants, a shoe store, JC Penney's, Frederick & Nelson's, and (much later), Nordstrom, has become a flashy, smooth, high-end, all-indoor, extravaganza-mall with huge parking garages all around it. David loves it. I can hardly stand it.

We went to some of the stores in the mall that he wanted to visit (Nordstrom, Burberry, Oakley, Bose) and to a ski store, where we bought tickets to the new Warren Miller Ski film, and David found a ski parka that he liked a lot.

The main attraction for him, yesterday, was the brand-new Neiman Marcus store that was built into a new, luxury-goods mall, up the road from the existing mega-extravaganza Bellevue Square Mall.

I have to admit that I liked this smaller mall better than the larger one. We didn't get through all of it, since David's focus was on Neiman's. He walked right into the menswear department. The Loro Piana part of the menswear department. Do you know what Loro Piana is? Loro Piana is one of the premier manufacturers of cashmere and wool clothing in the world. IN THE WORLD, I said. Mostly handmade, with fabulous quality and details that most of us are not accustomed to seeing, much less owning, in our apparel. And, of course, David, with his incredible, laser-like ability to spot and form a bond with only the finest, loves their clothes. LOVES.THEIR.CLOTHES.

He bought one of their cotton sweaters (on sale) in Paris this summer. He was wearing it yesterday.

Have I mentioned that David loves coats? He fell immediately and deeply "in lust" with a coat that retails for $3,195.00. Not a suit coat, but outerwear. I'm sure it would last for years, and never go out of style. But by purchasing a coat at that price, he would have to wait a much longer time - or start all over again - to save enough money for a car. I mean, he'd be taking the bus in a very fancy coat, for a long time.

David put that coat on 2 or 3 times, modeled it, and really, really wanted it. I wish I had taken a photo of him in it. And in that moment, I wished that I had that kind of money to spend on a coat, but I don't.

I also don't want to buy an item like that for him while he's still growing.

And there is something in me that wants to let him feel the longing for it, for a while. If he really wants it, he might work some extra hours this winter, or look for a good next-step-down alternative, or stalk the item in case it ever goes on sale (not too likely)!

But it was a wonderful experience, to see him recognize beauty and craftsmanship, to hear all about the company and its hand-manufacturing traditions from a very well-informed salesman, and to feel the pleasure of shopping in a store like Neiman Marcus.

We ate a quick dinner in a little bistro in the new mall, and then zoomed across the bridge to catch the ferry home. It was a fun way to spend the day with my son, and I am thankful that he wanted to spend it with me.

The New Coat

By popular demand, here are photos of THE COAT!

I'm going to a fashion show tonight! I'm excited, because I can wear my new, $39.00 (originally $144.00), grey wool coat with the plaid taffeta lining (it's still cold here!)

...which I'm going to wear as a blazer, not an overcoat.

It looks interesting from all sides

even the back!

Thanks for asking.

Weekend Ramblings

This weekend was a domestic weekend...we gardened on both Saturday and Sunday, weeding, transplanting and raking the moss out of our lawn. It was great exercise, and we could see the results of our work, which is rewarding. We have a long way to go; aerating and over-seeding are next on the list. I am starting to think that I could be persuaded to continue to help in the garden, with a few caveats:

1. We stop when we are really tired, before we end up hating the work/getting crabby.
2. We work near each other, so we can chat if we get bored.

3. We have a reward after we finish, like a beautiful walk, a glass of wine or a beer.

What do you think of those gardening rules? They work for me.

After we finished with the yard, we got cleaned up, and hung the new curtains that I sewed for our (master) bath room. I figured since Suz has posted pictures of her bath's beautiful remodel, I can post pics of our bath's new curtains.

They have a two-toned yellow stripe background, with a blue and white toile print on them. Very old-fashioned; very French. I didn't add any ribbons or trim, as I thought Gregg would prefer the simpler style, but I am itching to buy some trim and make a pelmet for the top.

The window looks out over our basketball court/parking area and the woods.

Later, we took a long walk by the beach, and afterward, we went to my mom & dad's house for dinner. David was already there, as he and my dad had played their first round of golf together since November. Kappa could see the improvement in David's game, since he plays 5x a week now, with the golf team. I love the fact that they have this interest to share, since my parents gave our children the gift of practically all of the lessons that they took when they were little: piano, tennis, swimming and golf. Though they gave the lessons purely as gifts for the children's enrichment, it has come back to bless my dad: David, Kappa and Gregg can all enjoy tennis and golf together, now.

There were card games in progress when we arrived: David played cribbage with my dad and gin rummy with my mom. They also got out the bocce set (boules in France) and we played a bit of that before it got too chilly. I love the sunshine! Keep it coming!

We spent a little time in Winslow (the town on Bainbridge), and saw that the amazing wool coat that I was so tempted to buy a couple of weeks ago had come down yet again in price. This is a soft, pale gray wool jacket, lined with taffeta, very European in style (think Jacqueline Kennedy), down from $144.00 to $39.00, including tax. I bought it; I confess. Gregg still doesn't get the style, but ladies, we do, we do.

The biggest news of the weekend, by far, came when Andrea called us to tell us the results of her ultrasound: she is expecting a baby GIRL! When I get permission, I will post her name. We are super-excited to meet our little grand-niece!

Easter, Family & a DVF Dress

I hope you all had a blessed Easter.

Neither Gregg nor David wanted to attend worship services, and to be honest, I didn't want to be in a crowd, either. I read Easter devotions here at home, and that fit just fine, this year.

We were planning to have Easter dinner with the Cunninghams (Mike & Andrea's family), but our hostess, Peggy, got sick, so we will reschedule with them. Instead, we moved the gathering to Chuck & Cheri's house. Gregg made a fruit salad and I made Almond Roca bars, we brought some wine and picked up Grandma & Grandpa G, and drove out to Hood Canal.

Above is a photo of Chuck, Cheri, Mike, Andrea, Grandpa G, Grandma G and Joey.

Andrea & Mike were visiting relatives in Arizona this weekend, but Joey was at his parents' house, which was a bonus for us. Joey (okay, Joel) is Andrea's younger brother. Joey is the cousin with whom Katie walked down the aisle at Andrea & Mike's wedding.

He lives near Andrea & Mike, and he works on tugboats, so he is out at sea a fair amount of the time. We don't get to see Joey often these days, and it's always a great treat, when we do.

We used to live practically next-door to Chuck & Cheri, and our kids grew up together. Joey has changed a lot since then, having added a beard, long hair and a fantastic tattoo, but he's just as handsome as ever.

I have to post this photo of one of the beautiful dresses that Alex allowed me to have, which belonged to her mother, Zena. Zena was a beautiful, elegant, spiritual woman whom I never met, but I know & love her daughter.

Zena and Katie never met, either, as they lived on opposite coasts, but Alex knew Katie, and told Zena about her. Zena prayed for Katie during her illness. I sent a glassybaby to Zena to thank her for her prayers & love.

Zena passed away, not long after Katie. Having some of her dresses means a great deal to me. Each time I wear one, I think of Zena and Katie. I hope they have met now. Thank you, Alex; thank you, Angela & Bev, for connecting us!

This dress is by Diane von Furstenberg. I wore it out to dinner with my new boots (60% 0ff at Magnolia's on Madison). Can you believe that I live in the Seattle area and did not own a pair of boots (other than hiking boots)? Seriously.