A week at the beach

After our whirlwind trips early in July, Rik and I spent a week at the beach in Moclips, a tiny town on the Olympic peninsula of the Washington coast. This was our fourth summer at Moclips, although the first time we stayed for an entire week.

Here’s what we do at Moclips:

Walk on the beach
Eat
Take a nap
Walk on the beach
Read a book
Eat some more
Walk on the beach
Eat again
Gaze at stars

We spent a couple of days alone. Then friends joined us for one afternoon (they were already in Ocean Shores). And other friends came up for a long weekend.

It’s really very relaxing…the dog particularly loves running off-leash on the beach.

New York, New York, it’s a wonderful town!

While back east, I visited New York City. It was hot and humid, the streets steamed, and the odor of garbage rose from the bags strewn along the sidewalks. Ah, New York in the summer!

I enjoyed a childhood favorite, a chocolate egg cream, served with the bit of seltzer remaining in the bottle. Met some friends and spent the afternoon talking, then saw “Avenue Q” at the Golden Theatre, one of the dumpy old Broadway theatres that have not yet been renovated. "Avenue Q" is the Tony Award-winning show with puppets. It was funny, off-beat and very New York.

Rode the subway, took a cab, walked all over – the usual NY stuff!

Oh, I ♥ New York!

The perfect 80th birthday gift

If 80 = four score, then the perfect 80th birthday would be four scores:

1. Baseball cards of top-scoring Yankees (Dad’s favorite team);

2. Deck of playing cards for a high score;

3. Puzzle (scored pieces); and

4. Photo of my parents taken at their engagement – the best score of all!

A visit with the folks

The real reason for the big trip east was to celebrate my dad’s 80th birthday. Rik was a delegate at the National Education Association’s annual meeting in Philadelphia. I joined him after the conference ended for a family visit.

Well, my flight in to Philadelphia was delayed by bad weather. We didn’t have enough fuel to continue circling. We were redirected to Pittsburgh, where we refueled and landed about 3 hours late – just in time for Rik and my folks to drive to the airport and pick me up. (US Airways has a terrible on-time flight record.)

We spent a lovely weekend with my folks. I pampered my mom as much as she would let me by cooking dinner a couple of times. We took my folks out to an Italian restaurant for Dad’s birthday dinner.

In New Jersey, at least where my family lives, it’s evidently very expensive for restaurants to get a liquor license, so most places allow people to bring their own bottle of wine and the restaurant pops the cork for you without charging a fee. We brought a nice prosecco. I think sparkling wine makes every occasion more festive!

Summer Poem

Summer is here
It's hot and it's sunny
I have no energy to write
Let's have iced tea with honey

Happy birthday Dad!

Today my dad celebrated his 80th birthday. Since my parents live on the other coast, I spoke with him on the phone to wish him many happy returns of the day. I asked him, "How does it feel to be 80?" His replay: "I don't feel any different from 79."

So what do you get someone for their 80th birthday? I am open to suggestions....

Celebrating with delicious food

Last Friday our friends celebrated their significant wedding anniversary with a dinner party for 15. This is no easy feat, but they accomplished a most successful evening with the help of a talented local French chef. Since I got to help weigh in on the menu, I thought to share it with you --

Stuffed Belgium endive with grapefruit and spice cream cheese
Artichoke-pine nut-garlic feuillete

Toasted hazelnut salad w/cranberries and hazelnut vinaigrette

Seared sea bass with onion and apple coriander compote and hollandaise sauce
Marinated cauliflower and mushrooms
Colorful vegetable medley

Dessert was a white chocolate mousse cake studded with raspberries and almonds, PLUS an apricot tarte tatin and fresh fruit.

C'etait delicieux!

Race for the Cure

More than 15,000+ people in white (racers), pink (survivors) or blue (volunteers) t-shirts poured up the ramp to the Alaskan Way viaduct to participate in Puget Sound Komen's Race for the Cure. Picture them on the field at Qwest Stadium, picking up free samples from all the corporate sponsors. Hear them cheering the survivors' parade as 1200 women enter the field to the tune of "I Will Survive."

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported that the Race raised about $1.8 million Saturday. The Seattle Times called us cancer-fight foot soldiers.

The P-I also covered the story of seven women in one family who have been struck with breast cancer.

This is one of only two "pink" events I do during the year. (The other benefits Swedish Medical Center's digital mobile mammogram program.) You may remember that I am a little pink-phobic at times. Well, although the Komen Race is literally a sea of pink, it benefits such a worthy cause that I just have to be there.

Thanks to my generous sponsors, I raised $1270 to support early detection, free mammograms for under-served populations, grants to help low-income women undergoing cancer treatment make ends meet, even programs to help women care for lymphedema. Best of all, Komen funds research towards finding a cure.

My doctors always say, I just have to live long enough, one more month at a time, for the next new thing to be available to treat breast cancer.

More on health and happiness

If Jeanne's and my posts on health and happiness intrigued you, here are two more for your consideration:

Lisa is a young doctor who has cancer. She blogged on a classic parable, The Jar of Rocks.

The Cheeky Librarian also has a lot to say.

A new look for the blog

I decided to mix things up and take advantage of some new blogger.com features, such as the sidebar with links to favorite web sites. What do you think?