Category: Family

Lemony goodness.

During our visit to Seattle, my niece made ice cream sandwiches for dessert.   They were delicious, so I had to try making them when we returned home.

IMG_0905

If you like lemon, and you like ice cream, you must try these.

Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches (makes 4)

4 or 5 scoops of vanilla ice cream – we used Bluebell Homemade Vanilla, of course
1 Tbsp Dickinson’s lemon curd – or more, to taste
8 belgian butter cookies

Put all ice cream scoops together in a single bowl.  Add lemon curd and stir well.  I used a stiff spatula to blend.  Do this relatively quickly, before ice cream gets too soft.  Place 4 cookies on flat baking sheet.  Spread a scoop of the blended ice cream onto each cookie.   Lightly place another cookie on top of each.  Place in freezer for several hours.

 

 

 

4WILL.

My grandnephew stopped by poet vendor @williamthepoet at a Seattle farmers’ market last weekend.  The sign said “your topic, your price.”  And this is the poem that was written for him.  *snap snap* 🙂IMG_0843

The Boys’ boat.

We stopped at the University of Washington rowing center.  The rowing 8 shell that won the gold medal in the 1936 Olympics, the Husky Clipper, is on display there.   A book was written about it, called The Boys in the Boat.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Then on to Pike Place Market for the obligatory walk-through.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

 

 

A scene from the woodpile.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

View from the 18th green.

We golfed at Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club yesterday with Fran and Art.  It was a great day!  This shot from the 18th green looks west over Hood Canal towards the Olympic Mountains.

FullSizeRender

Head to head.  

We had a little wii competition going on last night.   The competition was fierce.   🙂

Sun set on a lovely lake day.

Today was one of our first days on the lake this year!   Usually we’ve been tearing it up for several months already.  But life has keps us both busy.   Julie and Ryan joined us for the day.   We were excited to see Marty and Sue and their beautiful new boat!

We both went out for a sail in light winds.  It was nice to be out there – a beautiful sunny day.

Back at the marina, we enjoyed watching the setting sun together.  The lake is at 683.66, several feet over full.   The water is flooding parts of the parking lot at the marina.  A site we have not seen for 6 years or more.   The flood gates on the dam will be opened on Monday to lower Lake Travis a bit, as more rain is expected next week.  I have not forgotten the feeling that many years of drought brought, but to see the lake brimming is truly a sight to see.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Catching up.

Yikes, my last post was on March 3rd!   I’ve been a tad busy.  Since then, life has happened.  I have been taking pictures along the way.  Let me bring you up to speed:

– My 6th blogoversary!  Six years ago I started sheila365.com.   I’m not as diligent as I used to be about posting, and my posts have gotten less photo-worthy, but I do enjoy it.  How time flies!

– Celebrated a friend’s birthday – this shot is from the lobby of the Hotel Van Zandt downtown.   I accidentally left my Harvard Business School umbrella in the restaurant there.   Oh well.  😦IMG_9996

– Lots of little birdies out back.  I think I have 9 feeders out, altogether.   I love watching them.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

– We have been dealing with battery problems on Nirvana for the last couple of months.  Ok, I’m using the “Royal We” there.   Short story:  our batteries crapped out on the boat.   The charger was apparantly kaput as well.  Monte has been researching chargers and new deep-cycle house batteries to keep our floating second home powered while we’re not hooked up to shore power.  We have since ordered, and Monte has installed, all the various bits and pieces, and this is a snapshot of the voltmeter on the control panel down below after the installation.   All is well!   I think we will be anchoring out before too long!IMG_9999

– Work took me to Raleigh all last week.   I have been taking advantage of the Austin Library’s on-line e-book and audio-book collection that can be easily checked out via the accompanying Overdrive app.   On this trip, I checked out the audio book for Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley – a story about a roadtrip he took across the country with his poodle in the early 60’s.   The jury is still out on how much I enjoyed it.IMG_0002

– It rained in Raleigh.  Monte’s birthday also happened while I was there – the first that I haven’t been home to celebrate with him.IMG_0004

– I flew home home on Saint Patrick’s Day.   Slainte!

IMG_0384

– And then it rained some more in Austin.  After MANY years of drought, and a little help from last year’s El Niñ0, Lake Travis is officially full now at 681′ above mean sea level.  Hallelujah!

IMG_0013

– Once I was back in Austin, we celebrated Monte’s birthday at a favorite restaurant.  Baked Alaska for dessert!

IMG_0009

– And, this weekend we worked in the yard and welcomed in the first day of spring!

Now you are up to date.   🙂

 

Love-ly day.

Tulips!   I had a very nice Valentine’s Day.  We went to the lake for the afternoon, and enjoyed a great sail up the lake a ways.  Kevin, Kurt, Marty & Sue joined us on our boat, and Lori & Joe sailed along on Camelot.

And to cap off the day we had a delicious dinner at Andiamo.  They were serving a special 4 course dinner with wine flight, and it was wonderful.

Now, I’m trying to get psyched up for Monday…
IMG_9919

The sun sets on January.

IMG_9843

Wow.  That was fast.  January flew by.  This weekend is very un-January-like, though – sunny, with temps inching into the 80s.  I took this shot as the sun was dropping last night.  The light through the trees was gorgeous.

We’ve decided to leave the signpost up that I made for last summer’s family reunion.  It just seems right.

On the threshold.

Here we are again – the last day of the year.   2015 brought lots of things:   fun parties with friends, lots of visits from friends and family, more time spent in Washington State,  a wonderful family reunion, the passing of my mom, happy moments on the lake, stargazing, beautiful spring flowers, roadtrips, the passing of a friend, cooking, sunsets, Seahawks (!), much more reading, breakups between good friends, exploring local breweries and wineries, El Niño rain, a nearly full lake, birthdays, more sunsets, amazing girlfriends and our trip to New Orleans, music, dancing, laughs, tears.

Tonight we are headed to a friend’s house to ring in the new year.  Last year we hosted the New Year’s Eve party – here’s a shot from that night a year ago… how fast time flies:

IMG_7363

A girl can hope…

  
Merry Christmas!

Dogey in residence.

Julie has moved back to Austin!  She’s staying with us, ’til she moves in with friends next month.   Her dog, Blake, is part of the package.  She’s such a pretty dog – my model for the day.  🙂

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Sí, es verdad. 

I bought this ceramic tile in Spain on our honeymoon.  Monte is very much a fine carpenter.  It took a while, but it is finally hanging on the wall – in a homemade frame, of course.