ASHLAND VISIT - MIKE & BONNIE

Patti & Dick who have a new home

Not seen by one of the "crew"
Welcomed Bro-Mike with Bonita his Bride
To see Blide's new life while it grew . . .

Just ‘cross the street, lies North Mt. Park
With named plants, new buds and deer roaming
Where startled Bro-Mike found a fox who was dying
When on pushing back brushes heard moaning!

We supped at the Dragonfly later that night
With food offered to be quite unique.
Then on to the Bard at Shakespeare’s outside
Where “As you Like it” was the real treat!

We ate and we talked . . . at home, and some out
Coffee Roasters, the fav of the Blides.
Bonita was happy with teas at the best,
While the Mouse picked the buns to be tried . . .

Oh Boy! explained Pat on day number two,
We finally can visit the best. . .
It’s Lithia Park of Beauty to grasp

And values well over the rest

Next trip “up the road” off to Grants Pass
And dinner with Cousins Blackledge
Made us all know how lucky we are
As if “glued” and never a wedge!

Grants Pass: Dick, Bonnie, Patti, Mike, Mary Ann& John Blackledge

Then we drive on to see Crater Lake
Mysterious “Blue” hole in the Earth
We gasp as we see the 30-mile hole
And can’t help but questionits “birth!”

One thousand feet is what we must walk
Down to enter the boat.
Two hours later after our views
Sends us topside with sand in our throat!

The very last day we finally shop
With “Bonita” trying on shoes
And then came huge ice creams ever so big:
With memories to keep out the blues.

NEW JERSEY TRIP

It was a long hard journey and we needed a respite.  After four months of moving into, and re-doing our new home . . .from Kalama, WA to Ashland, OR, we decided to jump  into our little car and drive-fly-drive far away from hard moving decisions, a plethora of new neighbor names to learn and  many rules to follow in our new life. 

Ah-Ha! we said.   We shall escape to the home of Family and Coziness at New Jersey, USA, on the other side of the world (well, kind of).  So after “warning” son Alex with June and encouraging Bro Pete to come, Thursday, April 12, found Patti and Dick Blide driving up to the Alex-selected “Home away from Home” for The Blide stay.

                                      Doctor’s Inn @ Cape May, NJ

Now, this was living!  Four days of gorgeous B andB with credentials back to 1854 when this homestead was built, offering early morning breakfast to start the day.

 But wait!  There’s more!

 A short seven or eight miles later, The Prices, led by Alex, welcomed us over to their home of great beauty (lovely high ceilings. . .all wood beams) along with beautiful June and Friend-Mike’s daughter, Lexi, meeting us at the door with a surprise!    

A baby had been born, to June’s daughter, Christie, and Dad, Paul.  The darling home was definitely filled with happy people, love, two birds and three doggies. 

Shortly thereafter, we picked up Peter for dinner at The Lobster House and ate and conversed until they closed.

Friday, April 13, was a long 2 ½ hr. drive to Rutgers U., home of Zachary, Student and Musician. . . with musician’s long, curly hair, who met us at his apartment and led us to. . .yes, you guessed it, more eating!  

That evening, with everyone there, June’s friend Mike (former husband) cooked a fabulous dinner for all, that was, in fact, chef-quality.  And then to top it all off, Alex and June presented Patti with a huge, home-made (no box) by June, 76th Birthday Cake!!!!!

And then, came the Pete-Shirt performance.  Unwrapping a huge bag, Pete handed each of us one of his past sweat-shirts and/or T-shirts.  A picture was enjoyed by one and all. 

Saturday, was Cape May Zoo day with Alex, June and Zachary.  We were blown away with the depth, beauty, interests of that Zoo.  Patti and Dick had never seen better.

Zach fills time-space with beautiful guitar music:

            The evening closes with a seafood dinner with Alex, June and Zachary.

 Sunday, 4/14, Alex takes Grandson, Zach back to Rutgers while Pete, Heather,Patti  and  Dick  drive up to Galloway to see Granddaughter, Ariel who is rooming with a life-long girlfriend and her boyfriend.  Great “Kids”, who all seem to know what and where they are going in life.  Ariel seems happy but admits to being tired at times as she handles two jobs at once:  Starbucks and Pet Smart.

Late afternoon, the beautiful beaches at Cape May “beckoned” us.  We took advantage of the perfect weather, rode down to the ocean where cousin Heather couldn’t resist dashing into water’s edge with the loud rushing waves heading for her feet. 

And Patti couldn’t help but photograph Pete’s natural curly, shining hair

Then, back to our favorite Lobster House, welcomed by that ever-present mermaid beckoning us back to the table.

. . . .  ending with absolutely no question:

 Like blooming flowers, our family and friends’ Love, blossoms

YEA, ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY

‘Twas nineteen hundred and thirty six

When girl twinnies just flat hit the ground

“My gosh” said the Mom on checking them out,

“One seems to look up; the other looks down!”

But later in life all seemed to be fine,

As the Twinnies grew up to each call.

One taught great kids for thirty-six years

The other: piano; then studied the law!

Finally time came to admit to themselves

That AGE was about to begin. . .

What could they do to handle the shock?

Hope to escape just seemed thin.

“I know!” said one twin to the other one’s ear

We’ll go back to the fore as new twins . . .

We’ll bask in the youth that we happily had

With bunnies and brothers and whim!”

When offered a chance to come to the beach,

With fish and fun food and our kin,

We realized the glow that memories gave

And allowed us to start out again

Dearest Kin:

Molly, Bonnie, Michael, Ruthie, Melinda, Hannah, Fred and Dick

Thank you for making our 150 years joyful, fun, memorable and delicious!

Patti and Penny: 150 years old

April 9, 2011

Written by Patti

Unique Mission to NASA's Johnson Space Center

Whoops! Who would have “thunk”. . .our one and only Grandson has gone “spacey”. . .via a NASA space ship, that is.

Zach exiting shuttle

This last weekend, at the NASA Johnson Space Center G-Dad Dick Blide, G-Mom Patti, and G-Son Zachary experienced “the real thing.” All it took was Patti’s former student . . .of 30 (as in thirty) years ago, John Sims, Deputy Chief, Mission Operations Facility Division at NASA “where they take the Russian mockups from hollow shells to an important training and engineering resource,” to invite us after Patti’s re-meeting John at an FCP (Fantastic Cinema Productions: Sponsor – Patti Blide) reunion. So Patti & Dick asked John if we could go through the NASA “experience” with our Engineering major grandson, Zachary.

Dick, Zach, Patti & John Sims (2nd from right)

Original Mission Control

Thoughtful, kind John Sims gave us the absolute royal treatment starting at 10:00 a.m. and finishing at 4:30 p.m. with our having visited building after building and having gasped over and over at the immensity and amazing works of our country along with several other country’s financial, technical and somewhat unbelievable ability to leave our Earth for outer space and the moon.

Mockup of Russian Space Vehicle

Space Shuttle Mockup

Zach in Shuttle

Shuttle Simulator where Astronauts are Trained

One “stand-out” was sitting down. . .INSIDE A REAL SPACE SHUTTLE simulator that John had used to train 3 groups of astronauts. Zach was chosen to be at the controls with John shouting directions and Patti and Dick sitting behind them. . .wide-eyed.

John Sims Instructing Zach on How to Take off and Land

Zach Made 3 Good Landings (means we didn't crash)

As the NASA Q & A reports: It is a very exciting, noisy, shaky ride for the first two minutes (P.B: “I actually felt my body thrust back into the chair as my feet pointed up sky-ward making me feel at a definite angle”). Then the solid rocket boosters drop off and it gets a lot smoother. Those three main engines burn fuel at an incredible rate -- approximately 3,785 liters (1,000 gallons every second. The shuttle goes from standing still on the launch pad to more than 27,359 kilometers per hour (17,000 mph) in just over eight minutes. That means the astronauts accelerate 3,219 kilometers per hour (2,000 mph) faster every minute.

Capsule Sitting on Top of 3 Solid Rocket Boosters

Our Heroes

We could “talk” all day. . .as info was given us. . .but we’ll finish off our little note here to comment on our thoughtful and helpful Hosts, Andy and Anne Woods, who not only “kept us” all three nights and a day, but shared lovely Sarah Woods, great food, walks down and around their winding river, along with family stories sincerely enjoyed by all.

Anne & Sarah

Andy & Sarah

Life is Good,

Patricia and Richard of Kalama