Karen's Dangling Conversation: A Weekend in Seattle

My sister and I took a trip home to Seattle to visit Mom and Carol and check up on how things are going now that the cancer treatments have begun. We are happy to report that all is well! Everyone seemed good and happy and thriving. Such good news. I also learned that "Cancer" is a word not a sentence. This from a giant poster at the hospital while we were with Mom for her radiation appointment. Ha, ha, I had to laugh....good point.

So we arrived on friday morning and went over to visit with Mommy. She was doing fine just reading and wasn't expecting us until Saturday. We had a nice afternoon chatting and poking around the apartment complex, which is great by the way, I almost wished that I could live there. Just out the back door of Mom's apartment it looks like this:

And further down the path they have square foot gardens that the residents can rent and use for vegetable gardens. Lots of tomatoes and herbs and lettuce growing there.

So lovely.....and Jeanette kept seeing the cutest little frog....isn't he fun?

We of course had to make a Spud's run first thing when Carol got home from work.

It is still sooooo good! I'm a Spud's girl and not so much an Ivar's girl.

The next morning was the big event! You know, THE BIG EVENT, that hasn't happened in about 15 years! BLACKBERRY PICKING! Yes, the thing we dreaded as children because we were made into slave labor to go out and pick buckets and buckets of berries even if they would be turned into yummy pies, and delicious jams, we still felt a little like slave labor. I wanted to go blackberry picking! I have over the years been able to obtain blackberries in Utah. But somehow they just don't hold a candle to Seattle blackberries. I don't know if it is in the picking or if it is the climate or if it is the berries themselves but I gotta tell you, there is nothing like Seattle blackberries. So I hatched a plan. I decided to try a patch I had seen when we had stayed out by Southcenter. My hunches were good, not that that particular patch was still there but there was others that were great, right along a walking path. I was also in luck because someone had been there before me and cut in several great patches to pick from. I was miserably unprepared with closed toed sandals and cropped pants. I had forgotten what those stickers can do to a person. I had seriously underestimated the size of those blackberry branches, some of those thorn could stick you through a shoe! I was cautious but persistent and I like to think that my yoga training had done me some good here. By the end I was one happy, sticky and scratched up girl with my three pans full of blackberries!

Next on the agenda was a trip down to Pike Place Market. Me, Jeanette and Carol, (mom opted to stay home for this one.) Headed out for a whirl wind tour of the market, which happened to be packed with people because it was Saturday but we didn't care. We got to mix and mingle with all the eclectic people and sample yummy food and buy fresh flowers. Nope, nothing better! It is so fun! Even in a crowd.

Three Crazy Girls Heading off to the Market

We all agreed it only matters if Karen looks good in the picture!

I wanted to take you on a little tour of our fantastic accommodations for this trip. We stayed with Jeanette's childhood friend Kim. Her house is so darling I want to show you!

Super cozy bed....had a really hard time getting Jeanette out of it

Cute little corner of our room

Kim's cute office

Office and sitting room just off our bedroom

Kim's obsession with Sonny and Cher

This is where Jeanette and Kim were while I was picking blackberries....just saying, not BB.

Darling hallway

Cute kitchen

Fun dinning room!

See! Wasn't that darling? Special thanks to Kim and her family for putting up with us for the weekend.

On Saturday evening we had Esther join us for dinner and we ended up going to the very quaint and delicious Luna Park Cafe. I was not aware that near the West Seattle Bridge there used to be an amusement park called Luna Park. All that is left to represent is this cute little cafe.

We all totally enjoyed the little sign above Esther that said
"Flush twice it is a long way to Georgetown"
You have to be from Seattle to get that one....it made us laugh!

Hot Fudge Shake, yes that is hot fudge around the outside of the glass
totally yummy smooth hot fudge

So quaint!

Sunday was a really fun day, guess what we decided to do! We went to the grave yard! Doesn't that sound fun? Well, first we went to church and can I just say that 6th ward has changed, it is tiny now and not too many that I recognize. Sister Janice Christensen was still playing the organ, bless her and Sister Spendlove came in with a walker on the arm of Brother Simonsen. It was nice to attend church.

Next it was on to the grave yard. I really wanted to go and take some flowers to Daddy's grave and bonus Uncle Bill is buried in the same Cemetery. So off we went. It is quite a drive, about an hour out to Kent and through the countryside. I do love this Cemetery it is so beautiful and peaceful.

The beautiful widow

Mom, Karen, Jeanette and Carol

Mom, Esther, Jeanette and Carol

Daddy's Grave

Lovely flowers

Uncle Bill's Grave

Rest in peace Uncle Bill

Our plane was leaving on Monday afternoon so we spent the morning at Mom's doing some deep cleaning for her. Her apartment was in great shape but she can't exactly get down on hands and knees to clean so we scrubbed and cleaned everything really well before we left. As hard as it is having her so far away she is very happy in her little apartment and really doesn't have to go very far or do much. So it is perfect for now. I was very grateful to be able to go up and visit with her and help out in a small way. Carol is doing a great job keeping everything going.

We decided to head down to Alki for our final Seattle goodbyes.......until next time!