Places to go....

While many from our area have been going up to Vancouver BC to take in the 2010 Olympics, there are many fun places to go right here at home.

While you are on your way, you can stop at one of the 7 local Cruisin Coffee locations - they make the BEST Cool Coffee Creams - kind of like a mocha milkshake, but icy - and not as sweet as the ones from Micky D's Golden Arches - They also make a yummy breakfast croissant w/bacon, cheese & egg and a pretty fair deli style lunch sandwich or soups - yum - can you tell I kind of "frequent" these conveniently located spots?

What's even more fun, is they have a couple of stores in Yakima (east of the mountains) where my sister lives - so every once in a while we give each other "Coffee cards" - nothing better than picking up a cup of tea or a Cool Coffee Cream for "free" -


After the downtown Safeway went out of business this building sat empty for many years. Then half of it was a "game time" place for kids - that didn't last either - but some enterprising fellows turned it into a Public Market - there's a wonderful organic foods store called Terra Organica, a coffee shop, a deli, a couple of gift shops and -------






Chocolate Necessities (undoubtedly one of the best chocolate stores in the world...) and they have a big case of Gelato - all different flavors - this was citrus - a mix of orange, lemon and grapefruit - WOW is it good.








Does the old phrase "Like a kid in a candy store" come to mind. I picked out 9 little two truffle boxes for my friends and sisters for Valentine's day - Ok, so I picked out 10 boxes and ate the extra two truffles - and they were reallllllyyyy good!!! (weren't they ladies?)






When you get done downtown, there is no place prettier on a sunny day than down at the harbor. The Port of Bellingham does a pretty darn good job of taking care of their properties










And if you click on this last picture to biggify it you can see Mt. Baker right in the center of the photograph.

Next time, I'll tell you about "Things To Do"







Tonight's Olympic Update is a big WAY TO GO to both the Canadian (gold) and USA (silver) Women's Hockey teams.

I think all of the athletes are getting a little tired though - some of them are getting just a little bit "whiney" don't ya think?

Is there a Patron Saint for Lost Earrings?

This sweet little earring was my Valentine's present from The Shepherd - Actually the PAIR of earrings was my present -

We got them a couple of weeks ago when we went on a "Saturday Drive" - something that we haven't had a chance to do for a long time - both have been so busy on the weekends -

We stopped in LaConner at the Skagit (pronounce the "g" like you would in "George") county museum where they were having an exhibit of NW Native American Arts & Crafts - really some beautiful weaving and carvings - and I fell in love with this little pair of earrings. If you click on the picture to biggify it, you will see that the brown "thing" at the top of the earring is actually a rose made out of cedar bark ribbons. With the turquoise butterfly, I thought it was a nice combination of NW & SW Indian art - but they have kind of a funny bend on the wire and the times that I have worn them, I have caught the one almost coming out of my ear a couple of times - so I don't know why I didn't snag a couple of the "rubber grommets" that I have on some of my other earrings that do that, just didn't think about it I guess.

Well the other day when I got home, I realized that I only had one earring. Oh man, I was so mad and so disappointed - I had only worn them twice and already one was gone.

I imagined it somewhat like a lost animal - "Oh, here I am - don't you see me?" - We looked all along the driveway and I shook out my vest and coat - no luck. Darn. And I knew that if it was lost in the parking lot at work the guys would probably just walk right by it (that is if they didn't step on it first)...not real observant, those guys...

Well, the Patron Saint of Lost Earrings must have heard my prayers - when I got to work. I tried as much as I could to retrace my steps from the night before - no earring - but when I got to my office and looked around - THERE IT WAS, on the floor under my desk. How lucky was that???

Next time, I'll be more careful!

OLYMPIC UPDATE: One of my co-workers and his family spent the day in Vancouver yesterday at the Olympic village. They had a fabulous time - walked about 12 miles - visited all the "Hospitality Rooms", and just generally had a bang up time for "O" dollars. No time for watching Olympics tonight - it was choir practice then doing some computer work - but the Canadians got another GOLD - good for them!

His Valentine's Present.....

Well, I figured I'd better show you his new sweater before the natives got too restless.

You may remember last fall when I spun and spun to make all this yarn for our friend Denise to knit The Shepherd a new sweater vest. She brought it to our guild meeting on Saturday, so he was able to wear it to church on Valentine's Day!








One of the ladies from church is also a spinner and knitter - she gave it her full approval!


















Denise used a pattern that The Shepherd picked out from looking at MANY, MANY mens vest patterns that we found on the internet.

She also used the vest that he has worn for the past 20 years or so that his "ex" made for him. He asked me one time if it didn't bother me that he wore it - "heck no"- it is a beautiful vest made from a gorgeous brown Navajo Churro (I think) wool - (really it is a work of art with cables and everything) - but he has practically worn the poor thing out. So it was time for a new one.

Thank you Denise for your wonderful skill and care that you took - I think he's already planning which fleece he'd like made into the next vest.


Olympic Update: The Chinese won both the gold and silver in "Pairs figure skating" tonight - both couples were just fantastic - how the heck do they do that? - & Congrats to the Canadians for their GOLD medal won by Alexandre Bilodeau in the men's moguls - (he'll need that gold medal to pay for the knee reconstruction surgery they'll have to do when he's 30...)