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Taxi 101

The girls moved up to first grade this year. In Montessori, the rules for moving are not quite as hard and fast as in public school. It has been quite a change though, not so much because of the physical move, but because they are growing, physically and mentally. One of the biggest changes is the time spent in the car - taxiing.

New this year - soccer, Brownies and choir. Of course the standbys from previous years: birthday parties and swimming lessons continue. If you participate in only this many things, there are no evenings or weekend days left for the ususal hanging out.

Jim must have noticed and I got my Christmas gift early - an automatic start system for the car. I push a button on my keychain and the car starts running, already heated by the time we get in.

My running around has included travelling to Ontario for my sister Sharons wedding. That week spent with all the family turned into one big meal. We had rehersal dinner, the wedding party, my fathers 65th birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas to celebrate - all in one week.

I continue to quilt - making a memory quilt out of photos and hand prints for my fathers 65th birthday, a giant quilt for my friend Logan going to college in freezing cold Boston, and a fund raising quilt for the girls school class.

When Jim hasn’t been out of town, I have; travelling to Dallas, Chicago, Minneapolis, New York and Toronto for meetings. Family trips took us to Philadelphia and Gettysburg, PA; Lake Pend Orielle, Idaho; Paris, Ontario and Washington, DC.

We also had a family vacation with my parents in Kelowna, British Columbia. The girls played in the pool while the adults rested. We did head up into the mountains to a rails to trails conversion of the Kettle Valley Railway. I can hardly believe I crossed one trestle, let alone 17 and I then I crossed all of them again on the return trip.

We spent two weekends with friends Cathleen, David and Julia. One in a cabin on Mt. Hood, skiing, and the other in Hood River. Jim and I slept on the porch outdoors under the Perseid meteor shower.

We found a weekend or two to camp, one or two to windsurf, one or two to ski, a couple to bike, some to beachcomb. And to think that my husband doesn’t even drink coffee.

While we still contemplate a huge addition to the house or a complete tear out of the kitchen with double ovens and 6 burner stoves, I had to satisfy myself with repainting the outside of the house and the girls bedroom. Perhaps in memory of Hershey or Jim’s love of chocolate, the house is chocolate brown. We actually spent several weeks and about 12 sample quarts of paint assessing how various colors looked. If it weren’t for my husband, it would have been easy, but he never likes the colors I choose and the colors he chooses are just short of ridiculous. Anyway, the house is a forest brown, which suits the Northwest quite well.

At the rate the girls are growing, I couldn’t keep them in their tiny cubicle of a room. The guest room is now a nook and the girls have a larger space. The new room is repainted as well, full of bugs and flowers on the wall. Thanks to Cris Chapman, our house’s creative artist and painter.

This year I got to vote in my first presidential election and what a momentus election it was. It only took 36 days to determine the outcome and needless to say I soon learned that the individual I voted for would not be in the White House in January. My workouts have expanded past running and swimming this year to include Taebo and Yoga. Yoga, especially, has added some perspective in the fast paced lifestyle we live.

I continue to delight in cooking, devouring each issue of Bon Appetite and Sunset Magazine for recipes. In order to satisfy my need to cook, we have guests throughout the year. This year, Jim’s mom, Lillian; my sister Stephanie and husband David; high school pal Julia and family; friends from Chicago all came and stayed awhile. David met Jack Nicklaus, one of his golf heros, on a local golf course so it’s not the cooking that will bring him back.

Professionally, I continue to work at the Shriners Hospital in the clinical research department. This year the focus has been on bringing projects to closure. Cathleen, my co-worker, and I have finished teswting patients for two studies as well as complete three articles and a book chapter. We continue to work on our Botox project although recruitment is slow and we will start a new project evaluating children with SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy). Next year I plan to work three days a week which will give me time to pursue more volunteer opportunities.

That’s what I need to do - Volunteer for more things!