More About the Holidays

The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are always busy and seem to fly by, but December 2015 set a new ‘social’ record for us. Between a week in Portland over Thanksgiving, returning home for a couple of days and then leaving on a road trip to SoCal with Maria in tow, we were gone for over two weeks. We had two short weeks to regroup and prepare for company through the end of the year. Our company was actually family, but that doesn’t minimize the pressure we put on ourselves to have everything perfect…clean house, entertainment planned, and menus created for each of the days of their visit. You have no idea the amount of time Verne and I spend discussing our guests’ food likes, dislikes, and allergies. We scour Moser Family Favorites (over 200 favorite recipes we’ve tested and keep on our computer) and a huge collection of cookbooks and cooking magazines until we come up with a perfect blend of food ideas that leaves everyone with a smile on their face and wanting more.

Our first visit was the Burkhard family. Aaron is still recovering from his back problems (three bulging discs), so entertainment couldn’t include a day working outside cutting, splitting, and hauling fire wood or burning brush piles. Dang! That used to be my favorite way to entertain strong, young men. I would always remind them that some people pay for a visit to a Dude Ranch and here they are getting the experience for free! More recently I remind them that dear old Dad is almost 75 and can use the help. That gets them every time. And it just so happens to be true. With indoor entertainment the only option, I decided to give Aaron another canning lesson.

During our two week hiatus from travel and socializing, we canned a batch of our favorite salsa (similar to the type of salsa you get at Mexican restaurants) and made a second batch using a new recipe, Roasted Tomato Chipotle Salsa, that is made from dried chipotle and cascabel chili peppers and is quite a bit hotter than our old standard made from fresh jalapenos. Aaron loves hot peppers (the hotter the better) and he loved our salsas. In fact, he’s in the process of setting up a hydroponic system to grow peppers in his garage and has been very interested in learning to preserve his harvest by both dehydrating and canning them. So, spending a day in the kitchen was his kind of fun (and mine, of course).  We didn’t limit his lesson to salsa…we also made two batches of Habanero Jelly (one batch with honey that we ended up throwing away and a second batch with sugar that turned out to be a perfect balance between sweet and spicy) and we dehydrated a large batch of granola with all kinds of health food additives. He’s learning, but we both agreed that more lessons (which require regular visits) are in order.

Preparing to make Roasted Tomato Chipotle Salsa

We had planned that Kendall, who was recently chosen to be captain of the JV Color Guard, would show us parts of her rifle routine, but it was too cold and wet the days of their visit. Like typical teenagers, the kids entertained themselves with their electronics (and my phone…yes, Kendall, I did find the two dozen selfies on my phone). Raelin did get them outside for a half hour to help her load the back of their pick-up with firewood -- something that is plentiful on 40 wooded acres.

Sam and Kendall Selfie

Raelin loading the pickup with firewood, Sam helping 

and Kendall watching (she didn't want to dirty her hands)

The same day the Burkhard’s left for home, December 23rd, Jana drove up from SoCal (with her cat, Izzy) to spend the Christmas holiday with us. Lauren flew in from Portland the next day, Christmas Eve, and we started our celebration with dinner at Ruth’s Chris in Sacramento. It was more than a Christmas celebration this year. We celebrated being alive and Jana having survived this past year.

It was just the four of us through the weekend when Jana left to visit her girlfriend in San Francisco and then home to have her final cancer treatment (infusion) on Wednesday. Lauren planned her visit through yearend to help us with a few projects around the house and craft with her mommy. 

Jana with Izzy wearing her antlers

Lauren crafting

We both love our time together in the studio quilting and crafting and finding inspiration in every corner, every drawer, and every storage box. I’m not sure how I can ever be without a studio…something to think about when we finally downsize. I don’t think it will be this year, so no worries for all of you who love to visit “the Property.” But soon...

Pizza Box Mystery

There is much that comes with living in the country…the obvious peace, quiet, and beautiful surroundings, but there’s also responsibility for water, septic, and trash. When we first moved to the country we quickly learned the importance of a secure area for trash and with the new house (we’re talking twenty years ago, really not so “new” anymore) we built an 8-foot square room off the garage where we accumulate trash between dump-runs. Yesterday was just such a run and Verne filled the back of our long-bed farm truck with over two months worth of trash. Are you asking what this has to do with a pizza box? Well, Verne told me this evening he’d found a pizza box in our trash.

Now this is very odd. We both found it mysterious, because (1) we only eat pizza at Pine Grove Pizza (except for one time this past year when we cheated on our favorite pizza parlor and had pizza at Paisano’s Pizzaria in Jackson); (2) our order is always the same (pepperoni, sausage, and green bell pepper); (3) we always eat at the restaurant so we can people-watch (Amador County is full of strange and interesting people to watch); and, (4) most importantly, we always take home leftover pizza in foil, NEVER a box! So, how did the box get in our trash??? After about 15 minutes of concentrated thinking and discussion, we finally kind-of remembered having pizza with Lara, Rick, and the boys when they visited a few months ago. Neither of us remembered exactly when they’d visited and we actually weren’t sure we’d eaten pizza with them, but it was a process of elimination that we determined it had to be the weekend of October 10th (thanks to a note of their visit on my calendar) and, after all of this memory-jarring, I was beginning to have a fuzzy recollection of ordering our pizza “to go” because of one of the boys having a sick tummy). For confirmation, we looked at Moser Good Eats (our family journal) around that time, but there was only one post in October just prior to the Rausch visit and my first post in November was all about pomegranates…no mention of a family visit. Hmm…how is it I failed to blog about the great time we had at Chaw’Se Indian Grinding Rock Park and share the several dozen pictures we took there?

Just to be sure Verne called Lara to discuss their visit and our dinner at Pine Grove Pizza. No, Lara said, we did not eat pizza that weekend. What??? Impossible! How, then, did the dang pizza box end up in our trash? We were back to square one searching for clues about the pizza box. I continued my quest by looking back through our check register for checks written to Ace for dump fees to determine the timeframe associated with the box. The previous check was written in early September, over three months ago. The box had to have been deposited in our trash sometime during that period. Another fifteen minutes of concentrated thinking and discussion and it came to me! Our young friend Ted Burns came up from SoCal Labor Day weekend to participate in the Kirkwood Chili Cook-Off on Saturday and he met us the following day for dinner at Pine Grove Pizza (his favorite, too). Gradually the memory of that night came back to me and I recalled chastising him when he grabbed a couple of boxes rather than foil for the leftovers. In hindsight, the box is probably a greener approach than foil, but as Verne would say, mox nix. The mystery is finally solved.

I could say something like, “Getting old and forgetful is the pits”, but it is what it is and I’d rather just find the humor in it. We’ve spent over an hour pondering the pizza box and sleuthing like Sherlock himself. We both love a good mystery and it’s been fun. I’m thinking we should dumpster dive more often!

On to the Rausch visit…we always try to plan some fun outdoor adventure for the boys. Chaw’Se is just five minutes from home located between Volcano and Pine Grove and involves a mile hike around the park, which includes a Miwok village and a museum with Miwok and other Sierra Nevada Indian artifacts. The park is best known for its large number of grinding rocks with mortar holes, where the Miwoks ground acorns and other seeds into a meal, their primary sustenance. If you’ve not seen a grinding rock, that would be because you haven’t visited us in Volcano. Our property has over a dozen of these large, flat rocks with mortar holes. The rock pictured below is one of several just outside of Verne’s barn.

Both boys brought their journals and pencils with them on the hike. We must have stopped a dozen times to admire the red bark of the Manzanita and Madrone shrubs (they were fascinated with the red color and texture of the bark) and collect leaves that were later pressed. Matthew made notes and detailed drawings of what he saw, preparing to share the experience with his second grade class. Logan is a few years younger, but he does what his big brother does. So, he too made drawings and notes in his journal. Verne always makes these experiences fun with his colorful and sometimes outrageous stories that captivate little boys and big people alike. Here are a few pictures from our day at Chaw’Se.  

Ready to hike the North Trail

Matthew and Logan journaling

'Tis the Season to Give Thanks

Jana and Lauren with Santa (they think he's a Creepy Santa)

at the Spaghetti Factory in Portland on the Williamette River.

I can honestly say that for our immediate family, every day has become a day for giving thanks. The Thanksgiving holiday this year was much anticipated. It was last November, just a few days before her 30th birthday, that Jana discovered a large lump in her breast. We spent Thanksgiving 2014 in Volcano deeply concerned that despite Jana’s young age and good health the lump was something serious. We couldn’t bring ourselves at that point to say the word “cancer”. We were worried sick. This past year has been one of chemotherapy treatments, surgeries, and recovery. I’d like to say that today Jana is cancer-free, but that declaration must be reserved for another four years. Jana’s new ‘norm’ is pill-taking, ultrasounds, and doctors’ appointments. She will finish her final drug infusion at the end of December and have her port removed sometime in January. She has agreed to be part of a test group for a new drug that will be tested in 2016, which will hopefully reduce her chances of a recurrence of cancer in the future.

Cancer has been a life changer for our girl. She has made several changes that have dramatically reduced the stress in her life, beginning with a new job. In September she chose to resign from Liner LLP, a high-stress firm, to a small practice with an emphasis on employment discrimination, something she has experienced first hand over the past year. We helped her move that same month to a smaller apartment that reduced her daily commute from 45+ minutes to 5 minutes. She has joined a yoga studio just a mile from her home and begins most days with an hour of hot yoga. Jana is planning to train in 2016 to become a yoga instructor so that she may teach yoga to women (and men) rehabilitating from breast cancer. During her months recovering from her surgeries, she got back into baking bread and continues to pursue her interest in cooking and baking. I call Jana my “Wilshire Girl”…except for her trips to the UCLA Oncology Center, she spends her life on a 1-1/2 mile stretch of Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles that encompasses work, home, shopping, entertainment (LA County Museum of Art), her yoga studio, car dealer, and even her cat’s vet. No more 70+ hour work weeks and no more stressful commutes and time lost sitting in a car. In other words, she has found balance in her life, which in and of itself is a stress buster.

We are not short on other opportunities to give thanks this year. Scott suffered a heart attack in August and spent the next several months recovering from a quadruple bypass. Not only are we thankful that he was close to a hospital when he began experiencing chest and back pains (he had just returned home from a weekend of camping and hiking with friends where there was no phone service or other form of communication in the event of an emergency), but we are appreciative of his family support. Scott’s significant others, Ini and her mother, Gloria, and Ini’s son Joshua, cared for him throughout his recovery. They make such a beautiful family and the attachment is so strong that when it came time for Scott to return to his apartment in Ballard and go back to work, they all agreed he should move in full time with them.

Speaking of family support, all of our children (his, mine, and ours) have rallied their support over the past year. It has been heart-warming to see and experience the love and selflessness they’ve all shown. I have to say that Lauren, our baby, has shone during these challenging times. Not surprising to anyone who knows her, she is intelligent and articulate. This really came through from her regular updates on Jana’s diagnosis and treatments through her surgery in May. More surprising to me was her strength during the most trying of times. I know she had her share of emotional moments, but we only saw her loving, encouraging, and confident face. She has become the Family Rock…the person everyone will now turn to for strength during tough times. Good job, Sweetie.

One final family experience I want to share. Our son-in-law, Aaron Burkhard, has had his own physical trial over the past few months. He has suffered from three bulging discs, which have left him with limited mobility and continual pain. It has taken two months to somewhat manage the pain. For weeks, he couldn’t stand or walk, so there has been some progress, but, at this point, it is still uncertain as to whether or not he will require surgery. We recently visited with Aaron and he told me that having the last three months at home with his family and experiencing their day-to-day routine has made all of the pain he’s experienced worthwhile. A dad’s family time is often limited to weekends, which has been the case for Aaron with his hour commute and long workdays. He has found the positive in this experience, just as we have with Jana’s cancer and Scott’s heart attack.

These challenges are all part of life and I’m thankful that my family has shown the strength to rise to the occasion and focus on the good with support and love for each other. You make me proud!

Happy Holidays to each of you and looking forward to a healthy New Year!

Two Hectic Weeks

It’s been two hectic weeks of driving (2,500 miles), visiting (just about everyone in our immediate family), and eating. It all started with a trip to Portland to celebrate Thanksgiving and the girls’ birthdays. Jana arrived from Los Angeles Thanksgiving day and Scott and his family drove down from Seattle to help us celebrate. Our Thanksgiving meal was traditional with a turkey and ham and all of the trimmings, including Jana’s favorite, a pecan pie. Lauren’s home and table were decorated beautifully and with the help of four folding chairs (just purchased from IKEA) we managed to seat everyone around her small table. We started with what has also become a tradition, each of us in turn giving thanks for the year. Surprisingly, considering our family’s significant share of health problems in 2015, there was much for which to be thankful. This process took over 20 minutes with me weeping much of the time from the mature, loving, and insightful thoughts that were expressed. Years past our sharing has been light-hearted and accomplished in a few minutes. It has taken adversity to find the courage, strength, and depth of character we each possess. My children are truly an inspiration to me.

The birthday girls goofing around in the kitchen! Did you 

know they share a birthday? Lauren was born on Jana's 2nd

birthday...she still hasn't forgiven her for ruining her party!

Over the past few years we’ve joined in the craziness of Black Friday and 2015 was no exception. We walked our favorite outdoor shopping mall in the Portland area, Bridgeport Village, and shopped Anthropology (bought more dishes we don’t need, but they were deeply discounted), Origins (bought some beauty products we do need – LOL!), Lululemon (Christmas shopped for yoga clothing – even with the Black Friday discount, they are triple Fred Meyer in price (according to thrifty-conscious Lauren). The best deal of the day was a $20 gift card for every purchase over $50. This required that we stand in line at the outdoor Customer Service kiosk for about 45 minutes and freeze our arses off! Because it was so cold, they handed out hand warmers. Cool! We grabbed a bunch and put them in our pockets and, in Jana’s case, in her beanie to warm her head (she’s got barely an inch of hair). The warmers were a big hit!

Friday night dinner at the (first and original) Spaghetti Factory

that overlooks the Williamette River. Lauren is amazing with

kids. Could that be because she is such a big kid herself?

Saturday morning we all went to OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) for a special exhibit on guitars. Lauren is a volunteer at OMSI and works two or three Saturdays a month giving submarine tours. Her compensation is free membership to the museum and free entrance for friends and family. I really wasn’t expecting I’d enjoy the exhibit as I’ve never played a guitar and know very little about them. Well, I loved it. We all loved it. Besides all of the displays, including the largest guitar in the world, what made it incredible was a live presentation on the science of sound with demonstrations by a scientist/performer who showed how sound waves move. He showed how they could make a candle flame flicker and fire dance to the tune of music. Amazing! We then spent an hour playing with all of the ‘brain teasers’ that were located outside the exhibit hall. It was great fun! I understand why OMSI is such a “happy place” for Lauren.

Waiting for the Science of Sound to begin and afterwards in the OMSI

store modeling a helmet fashioned after the one used in The Martian.

We drove home Monday arriving in Volcano around 8 p.m. and got up early Tuesday and headed for the airport to pick up Maria, who was coming for a week long visit. Maria and I spent the first few days working on a quilting project in the studio. We have so many good memories associated with the cabin…or is it a studio? It was first the Cabin when Verne, I, and the girls lived in it for eighteen months while the house was being built; for several years Maria and Scott used it during the months they weren’t fishing. Later, Jeff, Trish, and their first two boys lived there for a year between living in San Francisco and relocating to El Dorado Hills and finally our friends Kathleen and Rita lived in the cabin for two years before moving to Santa Cruz. About five years ago it became the Studio when I decided I needed a long-arm quilting machine and the cabin was the perfect place for it. It’s now home to all things quilting and crafting. It’s my happy place.

On the fourth day of Maria’s visit, we piled in the car and took a driving trip to SoCal that included an afternoon and overnight stop to see our friend Sally Simms in Santa Barbara. I was about to say that the highlight was an amazing dinner at The Palace (a Cajun-Creole eatery on State Street that has the best gumbo I’ve ever tasted), but actually the highlight was spending those hours with our dear friend and fellow quilter. 

We got up the next morning, enjoyed Sally’s delicious and hearty breakfast, and drove on to Los Angeles to visit Jana and our other SoCal girls, Raelin and Lara, and their families. 

Note: Grandpa Verne and youngest grandson, Logan, were competing 

to see who could make the meanest looking face. I think it's a draw!

Here’s where it gets crazy…after dinner at Gloria’s in Culver City we piled back in the car and drove home to Volcano. Yep! We made the round trip in less than 48 hours. It was that or spend all of Sunday driving and we weren’t about to do that. Okay, I’ll admit that we were motivated to make the long drive home that night because we had plans on Sunday that couldn’t be postponed. Over the first few days Maria was with us we watched three episodes of the Hunger Games. We’d all read the trilogy and were anxious to see Mockingjay Part II (second half of the third book), which was in theaters. We worked our plan and got up early Sunday and went to a matinee. We all loved the movie making our late-night, exhausting drive home worth it.

Here are a few more pictures from our whirlwind trip…

Maria didn't believe us that Anderson's split pea soup is not

as we remembered it from 30+ years ago...she's a believer now!

Just an hour from Santa Barbara, we stopped to stretch 

our legs and enjoy the beautiful view!

Lauren's Poems

Lauren included the following poem in her Christmas cards this year...

Christmas, 2015

The season is upon us that we wait for all year,

The holiday season that calls for good cheer.

A snowman stands at attention outside,

A carrot for his nose and some coal for his eyes.

The tree is all decked so festive and bright,

Our family's kept warm on this cold winter's night,

And here we all sit with our toes by the fire,

Reflecting back on the year and all that's transpired.

There has been some misfortune thrown in our paths, 

Some days filled with tears and nary a laugh.

But through those dark times, we all soldiered on,

And found that the struggles strengthened our bond.

The bond of our family -- parents, siblings, and friends --

And that's a great note on which this year could now end.

From our family to yours, may you have a Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year!

Patrick and Marietta Afan, our daughter-in-law's parents, are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on December 26th. Lauren wrote the following poem to go with our gift to them, an art clock. 

Time

A Poem for Patrick and Marietta Afan

Tick tock, tick tock,

Time moves, the hands of the clock counting down seconds, minutes, hours, days,

A steady counting of the moments of our lives,

The good times rush past as time seemingly flies,

And times of sorrow seem to linger, one moment apparently here to stay.

Tick tock, tick tock.

But the weight of sorrows lessen with the clock’s steady drumming,

And with a friend and partner standing side-by-side,

All of those moments are easier to take in stride,

For you face them together, to weather whatever hardships may be coming.

Tick tock, tick tock.

And looking back now on the years passed, you’ll see only the blessings of days bygone,

Your family and friends, health and home,

And each other, whom you are so lucky to call “my own.”

Be grateful for the time you have had and look forward to the time that is yet to come.

Tick tock, tick tock.