Spring Music

We've had a busy and musical spring.  The fast-approaching end of school, AP exams, college decisions and practicing for recital has kept all of us busy, not just the teenagers!

Anna's big news is her selection of a college to attend in the fall: the College of Wooster.  We're all very excited by her choice.  She'll attend a registration event in June, then student orientation just before classes start at the end of August.

Warming up for Mother's Day, Sam and Kim had a good time playing at our faculty-parents group picnic at CWRU's farm.

Sam has been out cruising the driveway in his new convertible.  He has to know how to get to his Princeton eating club, after all.

Anna performed in her final piano recital.  She has studied with her teacher Sara Smith since she was 7.  Here are student and teacher before the performance.

And the performance itself!

Maggie had both a concert with the Cleveland Institute of Music Prep Orchestra, and her own solo recital.  Here she is performing her solo piece:

Birthday celebration

Here are a few photos from the last week or two, including from my birthday!  My dad used to say having a birthday beats NOT having a birthday, so I figure best to celebrate.  And why not enjoy time with friends and family at the same time.  Besides:  PRESENTS!

We had some crazy warm weather at the end of March.  Sam usually doesn't care for hats unless they are strictly necessary (why hide that beautiful mane of hair, after all?) but decided that a cap with a brim, like a ball cap, can be useful on a sunny day.

It was so warm, that suddenly snow boots just don't seem to make sense.  Unless you've lost your pants, at which point the footwear choice becomes obvious.

Maggie and Sam enjoy story time.

Maggie rehearsed for seven weeks with the Cleveland Heights-University Heights middle school honor's orchestra, and they had their performance at the end of March.  Another stellar performance!

My birthday landed on a Sunday this year, so we had a great day together celebrating.  French toast and bacon in the morning, and an early dinner out with friends at the Market Garden Brewery.  They even gave us a private dining area in their basement pub room.

 Maggie and Anna deciding what to order for dinner.

Here's Princeton-boy getting ready to help with presents.

Can I help, Mommy?

Sure thing!

Making a wish.  What a great day!  Thanks to the family and friends who helped out, and I'll see you all again next year.

Seattle getaway

Just a couple of photos from our 36 hour long date night in Seattle this week.


Sadly it was lashing rain on Monday night, so I did not get photos of our supper meal at Le Pichet.  The bourguinonne sauce on the root vegetable main dish Kim had was life changingly good.  I had a super tasty selection of charcuterie as a starter and ling cod main dish with pistou sauce that was very tasty.  And wine, most notably a chewy red from Bergerac.  Super dinner.  No pictures.


I did take a few photos on Tuesday.  Mostly food.


Our lunch at Serious Pie was a no brainer.  Their yukon gold/rosemary pizza is to die for.  That's a 3.14 Ale next to it, a joint project between Serious Pie and Elliot Bay Brewery.  3.14?  Pie?  Get it?

We strolled through Pike Place Market- how couldn't we?- and just had to stop at Beecher's Cheese.  Here's just one portion of their selection.  You might notice a dark, grape ash Tomme (goat's milk, soft cheese) in the middle there made by Quillisascut in Oregon, and redolent of some that I enjoyed in France with Anna last summer.  Yep, that's the one we got.  Very delicious.

And here is a festive holiday arrangement of peppers by another vendor.

We did non-food things too: strolled the massive REI flagship store, and even popped across to Feathered Friends, from whom I bought my down sleeping bag some 15 years ago.  Took in a movie at the fantastic Cinerama Theater.  Our favorite Hotel Ändra kept us comfortable overnight.  Cool and modern stationer Paperhaus had some tempting wares.  And we saw the new (to us) location of Elliott Bay Books, no longer in Pioneer Square but near Broadway now.  Finally, coffee with Kim former schoolmate, house mate and dear friend Sara before catching the ferry back to Bremerton.

We had a super time!

Visit from Grandma and Choosing a College

We've had a wonderful visit with Grandma Pam the last two weeks.  We even got some glorious sunny and warm northeast Ohio autumn weather!  She and Sam had a wonderful time, especially on the swings.

Mommy makes sure Sam gets plenty of energy food.

Anna gave a presentation to the local AFS group about her six months in France.  With her were the two other students from Heights High who also were away last year (Finland and France.)

A senior this year, Anna has been busy thinking about where she would like to go to college next year. It's not an easy decision to make!  Sam has done his best to help out.  First he suggested the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, home of the Nanooks (great hockey!)

How about Boston?  I hear Harvard is a pretty good place to get an education.

Of course, both Kim and Sam think you can't get much better than Princeton.  Go, Tigers!

Go Tigers!

Princeton Football might have lost to Harvard today, but field hockey beat the Crimson!

And Tiger fans are pretty darned cute.

Sam is going to hedge his bets and root for the mighty Spartans as well. (And yes, those are his pearly whites in the grin below!)