Tea Ceremony...

A Friday tea outing in Portland with friend Kahana.

We chose the Red Robe Tea House and Cafe in China Town. 

Our server prepared our tea in the traditional tea ceremony style.  First our little cups and tea pots were filled with hot water. The tea leaves washed with hot water to wake them up. Then all that hot water poured out while fresh hot water was poured in the pots and over the pots. The leaves were steeped for 45 seconds then strained into a glass carafe and finally poured into our tiny cups.  The following pots were to be steeped 15-20 seconds.  We also learned (or read) The Tea Drinking Song.  7 cups of tea!  My kind of song! 

Along with our tea we enjoyed bowls of noodle soup to warm us on a rainy PNW day.

China Town decor and modern Portland architecture.

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Gram G took a two week break from blogging.  My brain needed a rest while I was physically busy giving a few of my rooms and floors a good cleaning.  The trouble is I don't know how to quit cleaning until no dust bunnies are to be seen.

January is GeoLou Schmidt family calendar project month.  A couple weeks were busy with picking out favorite pictures from 2017 and programming the calendar. Our GeoLou Schmidt year runs from February to February.  This year's big deal was a July family gathering here in Vancouver and the coast.  Gram G's goal was to get ALL the family pictured in the featured blue T-shirts.  Not everyone was together at any one time so the solution is a collage of families. Yay! The "WOW!" prize goes to Burt's family who stood outside with their shirts in -20 degree temperature.  Yes, that is snow. 

All 14 calendars are on their way to family members! 

One of these past days was a perfect "make banana bread" day.  Two to keep and 2 to give away.

I had an enjoyable lunch out with daughter Debbie.  Last summer I thought we could meet up once a month, but this is the first since then....

Sunday's weather was balmy, close to 60 degrees and no rain....a perfect afternoon for a 2 mile walk...spring flowers in January are still a wonder to me.  Almost daffodil time!

 


This has been a good 14 "blog break" days in the life of Grandma G.

"Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or if both will do equally well."  (Ecclesiastes 1:16)

Finished It!

With the end of the holidays and the start of a new year I thought I would be more diligent to blog more often.  However with the passing of another week I find I have not.  I do have an excuse, which I think is a good one.  I develop the GeoLou Schmidt family "surprise" calendar which runs from February to February, since there is no time to work on it before Christmas. 

This year I tried a new website.  I was quite pleased until I tried uploading and sizing a collage picture.  It seemed to work well except that anytime a picture was deleted or added the entire format changed.  There were so many personalized options and design features the pictures went from toothpick to elephant with the slightest touch.  Exhausting and frustrating.  But hopefully worth the struggle.  There are hours of work into producing my masterpiece.  (That is last year's edition.) The new one is on its way so our Schmidt New Year can begin on time Feb. 1.  I needed to complete the project by 11:59 PM in order get a significant sale price.  Did it.  Finished it.  Hope I like it when it arrives.   

Vancouver weather....Monday morning I started out to an eye exam appointment in the fog and arrived in a "sunbreak".  Had a satisfactory result of the exam since this age brings on a few concerns. 

Tuesday Deb treated Carole and me to the movie, The Greatest Showman. We had a great time watching the story of P.T. Barnum and his circus while munching a huge carton of popcorn.   


Mexican cuisine was on the menu for ladies' lunch out on Wednesday...Holy, moly, Oly..It's mole!  Spicy mole.  My digestion rebelled the next day.  There were only 7 ladies this time.  They were patient as one lady quipped, "She has to take a picture of EVERYTHING".  I think they are on to me..... 



This week brought a sudden surprise.  My Sam has moved to San Diego!  She had considered that for sometime, but thought it would

be in the spring.  Last Monday her aunt called with an offer to come that week.  By Friday she was visiting friends in the area.
I hope all goes well for her, that she finds her destiny with the help of sunshine and warm weather!  I miss her already. All the family will be visiting there late March for a family wedding!  

Saturday I got the cleaning bug and left no messy pile of clothes or random fuzz ball taking up space in my bedroom.  When one stumbles over whatnot and can't find an open area on the floor it is time to take action.  I now luxuriate in a totally spotless room....until adolescent instincts take over again.  

The sky and clouds put on the most amazing spectacle Sunday afternoon.  The weather was so mild and warm I had to go walk.  The blue and white of the sky captured my attention as the clouds looked like they had been delicately brushed by a heavenly presence, as though angel wings flew through, leaving graceful trails behind.   I can hear them joyfully conversing as they majestically fly through God's earthly creation.     

This has been a good 7 "finished it" days in the life of Grandma G.

"O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.....He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.  He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants."  (Psalm 104:1-4) 

Into the Future.....

This first week of the new year, 2018 has passed in a favorable way.  New Year's day itself was quiet, but enjoyable with telephone visits with Wisconsin family.  I took a late afternoon 2 mile walk, just as the sun was at the perfect angle to cast a long shadow.....
The first moon of the new year was bright with hope and promise.

Wednesday I enjoyed a few hour Christmas tea time visit here with my friend, Mary, whom I haven't seen for awhile.  It was fun to sit and chat in the midst of Christmas decor.  

I was also honored with a Face Time call from my sister Kate from Indianapolis and a surprise Facebook message from a lady friend living out of the country.  Friday I had a 2 hour lunch with a dear friend.  It has been a sociable week!  

The tale of the shiny, round, silver thing....While Angie and I were decorating outside before Christmas I found a sturdy, half-round heavy duty silver "thing" laying in the driveway.  After examining it for a few minutes, determining I didn't know what it might be from I tossed it into the garbage can...efficiency, you know.  Earlier this week my neighbor fellow said to me as I was ready to get into Ted, "You have a lug-nut missing on your front right wheel.  That could cause problems and warp the tire or loosen the others and you lose that wheel".  Oh, I think to myself, must be what that shiny silver thing was.  Hmmmm.  So, on Thursday I took Ted to Midas and told them the tire lost a lug-nut.  Not good, said the fellow.  He told the fellow in the office about the lost lug-nut. Not good he says.  I think, not good that they are saying not good.  They were the ones who put on the new tires last June.  They would rotate the tires and replace the lug-nut for me.  Great!  Soon someone came to me and said good thing you came in. There is a screw stuck in one tire.  You could have had a flat tire soon.  Good thing I came in.  Shortly Ted was all set to go. The tire fix was complementary:$48 for new windshield wipers.  The Happy End....

Gram G's kitchen window beach scene with dancing gnome.  He's quite busy on sunny days, quiet on cloudy days and nighttime.  

Saturday was busy.  I woke up just in time to go to water aerobics. Followed by a hurry home for the installers to finally put in the new dishwasher.  I bought it before Thanksgiving and was informed of needed additional plumbing parts.  Now that all the holiday dishes have been washed by hand it is finally ready for use.

The early afternoon was very springtime with sun and mild air!  The perfect time to take down the Christmas theme in my front yard.  As I was out there a neighbor who is also a Navy veteran stated that all I need is added blue lights with the red and white ones surrounding my yard and I'll be all set for Memorial Day!  I will have to find some blue lights and decorate for that holiday. 

Two o'clock I was off to a fund raising concert at a church just a few blocks from here.  I met up with a couple friends I hadn't seen in a bit, though they didn't know I was going to be there. It featured a Celtic and religious theme, along with a local bagpipe band. Fun. 

Finally it was to the Millers for tacos, B-day cake, little kids and pictures.  And a "little kids duet".  

Getting the Millers together in the same place at the same time...priceless!!

Keys, Jake, Zach, Angie, Mic, Debbie, 

(blue shirts for an extended family theme..Gram G's project)

Sunday it was time to "undecorate".  Seems like Christmas season passed as quickly as the entire year of 2017.  I wanted to organize my decorations and lights as I packed items away.  In the past I was in a hurry and jammed everything into plastic containers to be sorted out the next Christmas.  

    After church, I was helped along with a 4 hour movie of King Kong, "cheesy" but entertaining as I worked through the afternoon of packing the decorations.   And still I continued through the Lion King. I was surprised that it is old enough to be shown on TV.  Actually most of the day was TV time since the evening provided 3 review episodes of Victoria on Masterpiece; the new season starts next Sunday.  

I spent some time this week reflecting, thinking and praying for the coming year.  I was a little apprehensive concerning a few matters, but God encouraged me that 2018 will be a fabulous year. Yay! 

This has been a good 7 "into the future" days in the life of Grandma G.

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and pray to me and I will listen to you'."  (Jeremiah 29:11-12)