I Do - Chapter 6

Monday, April 23

Good news: Number one, we are on our way home today. Number two, this post will be very brief.

We were in the car by 7:00 a.m., right on schedule. We took turns driving and and sleeping. We stopped for lunch in Post Falls, Idaho. With the assistance of Yelp, we found Capone's Pub and Grill. It had mostly good reviews. I don't know if you ever use Yelp, but I am surprised at the number of people that just seem to have a grand time writing really awful, stupid things about a restaurant. If you look at the profiles of the nasty people that write nasty reviews, you find that they spend a fair amount of time writing nasty things about a lot of things. They must feel some responsibility to alert the world that there is nothing good about anything. I typically throw out a horrible review and an over-the-top great review. The truth always lies somewhere in the middle. Anyway, I would highly recommend Capone's. We had their famous pastrami sandwich on homemade bread with the garlic fries. We both thought lunch was awesome. Since being home, the pastrami sandwich has come up in conversation on more than one occasion, and we've tried to duplicate the fries.

To sum up, the trip was really fun. We met lots of great people, ate lots of great food (about 4 new pounds worth), drank mostly good and one exceptionally great wine, took lots of photos, and visited with family.

I hope you enjoyed the wedding.

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day." ~ author unknown

I Do - Chapter 5

Sunday, April 22

We said good-bye to Kristi and Gordie, checked out of Alderbrook, then headed to Bremerton to catch the ferry to Seattle.

We arrived in Woodinville early afternoon with no plans or expectations. I really think that is the best way to travel; whatever comes your way. We ended up at the Red Hook Brewery for lunch. Does it get much better than that? So many people and so many different beers, you wouldn't believe it.

We then stumbled upon the annual "Passport Day" for the local wineries.

There are approximately 85 wineries in the immediate area. Many of the wineries buy grapes from other areas in Washington and don't have an actual vineyard. Their tasting rooms are separate from where they make the wine, which means the tasting rooms are walking distance from each other in the actual town. For this particular event, about 35 wineries participate. People buy a "passport" that gets them into 35 wineries to taste wine. I would think you should probably pace yourself. There are also food vendors set up all around town. People wander the streets, going from winery to winery, with a wine glass in their hand. The first words out of my mouth: "Hey, we should move here." We didn't have a passport, so we couldn't go to 35 wineries (good thing), but we did go to a couple. It was a beautiful day, and we had a really nice relaxing afternoon.

The first winery we visited was Brian Carter Cellars. We liked their wine. The second winery we visited was Delille Cellars. We liked theirs as well. The "Other Deb" (that is what her business card said), a worker at Delille Cellars, suggested we go to Kirkland to spend the night. The really cool hotel in Woodinville had rooms for $350 a night, but we weren't willing to pay that since we were only going to spend about 12 hours in the area.

Kirkland, home of Costco, was an awesome town.  It was about 5 miles down the road from Woodinville. It had a young feel; lots of people and lots of energy. Oh, yeah, and lots of dogs. Everyone had a dog. Kirkland sits on Lake Washington (maybe). We struggled with the waterways, not knowing when one started and when one ended. Still, it sits on water, is very pretty, and appears to be fun.


We stayed at the Heathman Hotel, a few blocks off the water but still in the thick of things downtown. This particular dog was just pooped and couldn't go a a step further, let alone stand up.

We were looking for a Mexican restaurant, as we were pretty tired of clam chowder, and we needed something simple, spicy and fun. The hotel gal suggested the Cactus. What a great restaurant. I had one of the best Mexican meals of my life. It was called the Chicken Fried Chicken. It was a delicately breaded chicken breast, sitting on chipotle mashed potatoes, with a chorizo gravy. Chris had the braised brisket enchilada. What a great meal to end the trip.




On this trip, Chris and I set out to see new places; eat food that we would remember, talk about, and make our mouths water for years to come; visit breweries and wineries; and share in the joy of Dave and Marita getting married. Mission accomplished.

Tomorrow morning we start home. We are shooting for 7:00 a.m. to be on the road. You know what that means; it might be 7:00, might be 7:30, might be 8:15. Only time will tell.


"In the end, it's not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away." ~ shing xiong

I Do - Chapter 4

Saturday, April 21, Wedding Day

Wedding Day. Chris has lots to do and many things to worry about. Sadly, his assistants don't take their assigned tasks as seriously as he would like. The sorry truth is we just are not as serious as Chris would like us to be. Chris, no doubt, was elevated to sainthood on this trip.

Saturday Agenda:
7:30 - get up, get showered, get in the car, get to the Boat House for breakfast
9:00 - arrive at the Boat House, greet Pat, order food and beverages, get our marching orders from Chris, say good-bye to our new friends, Gail and Mark
10:15 - arrive at the church, take pre-wedding photos
11:30 wedding
12:00 - head to Club Sel for reception

Don't get too excited.  This was a stranger's wedding at Alderbrook.

We got out on time, had breakfast, and took pre-wedding photos.

The wedding went off without a hitch, on time, and it was very nice. Marita looked beautiful. Dave looked handsome. They both seemed happy as clams. Congratulations, Dave and Marita.

When we arrived on Wednesday, pretty nice day; Thursday, downpour; Friday, not raining but not nice; Saturday, 70 degrees, sunny, couldn't have asked for better weather.

The reception was held at Club Sel, Ricky's shop, but not the kind of shop you may be thinking. It is perched up on the hill across the road from the main house on the Hood Canal. It is the size of Texas, with an office upstairs on one end and an apartment upstairs on the other end. A big screen TV sits on the wall in the middle of the huge downstairs. It has a kitchen, and the music is piped throughout the building. It is really a party hall.

Ricky and granddaughter Heidi

We were invited guests, years ago, to a wonderfully thrown party at the Ricky and Deb main house on a beautiful summer day. Apparently, they had heard Dave's wayward cousins (us) were coming to town. And, since Ricky and Deb are awesome people and they value Dave's friendship, they wanted to do something nice for him. Ricky and Deb are also teachers. They are gems. As outsiders (the wayward cousins), we would describe them as follows: some of Dave's best friends; hospitable to everyone and anyone they meet; it would appear that they would do anything for anyone; they are also meticulous. The cleanliness of the house and shop, the perfection of the landscape, the height of the grass, the size of the gravel in the driveway, perfection. Ricky and Deb are really fun, nice, caring, manicured people; the whole enchilada.

When we stopped at Club Sel on Thursday (completion of lay of the land task), I noticed that Deb had her name printed on her box of cleaning supplies. I know at my house, I typically am the one to use the cleaning supplies, but I don't consider them my very own personal property. I am happy to share my cleaning supplies with anyone that is willing to use them. Anyway, we love Ricky and Deb. Thank you for a great party.

Club Sel was the perfect place for the reception. I honestly couldn't imagine anything better.

I loved seeing the Washington people that I had known from years past but hadn't seen in a really long time. I loved meeting friends of Dave that I had heard so much about over the years. I loved meeting Marita's family and friends. It was, plain and simple, a good time had by all. (I know I had a good time.)

It was time to leave the reception. After many rounds of good-byes, apparently some people got three, we headed back to Alderbrook. We changed into shorts and headed outside for a beverage and to enjoy the view and weather. As we were sitting there, one of our group looked out onto the long dock/pier, and to our surprise, there was Dave and Marita and a few of their friends. I remember the guy in the red sweater was retired from J.C. Penney, and we discussed how a department store makes money, etc., and what the Ellen commercials are doing for the company, or not doing, but I can't for the life of me remember his name. Once the reception wrapped up, they decided to drive down to Alderbrook, as it is just so beautiful and would be a perfect ending to a perfect day.

As we do live for food, it was now time to discuss dinner. "Where should we eat?" "How about the Robin Hood Pub?" "Why not?" We had fun on Friday, why not go back on Saturday? "Sorry, we're closed, but we can give you some bread and baked garlic, but then you have to leave." Back to Alderbrook. You get the picture. More crazy chaos, sister style.

Kristi and Gordie had to get up early to get to the airport that was almost 2 hours away. Chris and I were going to hang around the area and drive back on Monday. Erik, Marcie's husband, had suggested that we head to Woodinville for the day. We didn't know anything about it, but we took the suggestion, and it turned out to be a great one; Red Hook Brewery and 85 wineries.

Four days down. Wedding over.

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving."

I Do - Chapter 3

Friday, April 20

Today is the day before the wedding. According to Marita and the sticky notes on the sliding glass door, there is a still a fair amount to do. I offered to frost mini cupcakes. My sister and brother-in-law had arrived in Lakebay at 11:00 a.m., right on time for the family brunch that had been canceled. No problem. We had a mini brunch with Dave, Marita, Kristi, Gordie, Rick and Judy, the neighbors, Chris and me. With so much to do, why not let Dave and Marita keep cooking for us? You probably think we are just pathetic. Anyway, we finished eating and everyone set out to complete the chores. Marita, off to to Club Sel (reception spot), don't know where Dave went, Kristi and I stayed at Dave's and frosted cupcakes, Chris and Gordie headed out to get us some Chardonnay, but really went to the local tavern for a beer. They came back with no Chardonnay, but they did have a six-pack of beer for themselves. No problem. As soon as we finish the cupcakes, off to the Trillium Creek Winery for a little wine tasting. Incentive enough to stay  on task.

Earlier, Marita had called down to the winery to make sure they were open and to alert them that we were coming. By the time we finished frosting, it was about 2:00. We arrived at Trillium Creek Winery about 2:30. Chris needed to be at the church for rehearsal by 4:00. No problem. Taste fast.

The owners of Trillium Creek Winery, husband and wife team, Claude and Claudia -- you heard right -- were quite entertaining. Chris was more interested in taking photos around the winery since he had a job to do and needed to be on top of his game, but the rest of us were all about tasting. Claudia took Chris on the tour of the vineyard. Claude escorted us into the tasting room.

Claude, a retired Continental pilot, was born and raised in France. Claude has managed to duplicate the wines he grew up drinking, according to his brochure. Not sure if that is good or bad. The very low sulfite, dry white wine was not to our liking. Claude says it is a wine that compliments food. He also says you won't get a headache if you drink this wine. The reason I wouldn't get a headache is because I probably wouldn't drink it. Moving on to the Syrah. I liked that much better. I also liked the creamy cheddar cheese and smoked oysters he brought out. I think he really appreciates visiting (and drinking) with the people that come in, and his cost is not a factor. Claude does not skimp. Each sample was more like a glass. He is a character and very generous. You will be entertained, I promise. I think he was a little sad to see us go, so he brought out his reserve. We sampled that, even though it was not on the sampling menu, and it was pretty good. However, none of us thought it was great. My rating system would give it a 3. It must be because we are not all too familiar with French wines, seeming to drink more wines from California and the Pacific Northwest, and are not as sophisticated and experienced, when it comes to European wines, as Claude. We bought a bottle of Syrah and some cheese and oysters. We had a great time at Trillium Creek Winery and will definitely stop back when we are in town. Thanks Claude and Claudia.

On to the church. Chris had gone ahead of us so as not to be late. We arrived around 4:15. The wedding was rehearsed, and then everyone headed off to the compound in Grapeview (small town down the road) for rehearsal dinner.

Breanne is married to Josh. Josh is an ordained minister, but that is not his day job. Josh is performing the ceremony, just like he had performed the ceremonies for Marcie and Jennie. Might as well be the one to marry all of the girls in the family.

Josh's parents have two houses on the compound, the cabin and the beach house. And what a compound it is; absolutely the coolest place in the world. There are five or six houses along this beautiful waterfront all owned by members of the same family. It is sort of like the Kennedy Compound. I don't know if the Kennedys are all really nice, but this family is. We did not talk politics, so I don't know if they are D's or R's. It is probably a good thing we didn't get into that. Why ruin a good time? We had a very enjoyable visit with the family members we did meet. In fact, some day we plan to come back and rent Aunt Laurie's house, which apparently she does rent out from time to time. After spending a week with us, it will make them appreciate their own family that much more.

The other great thing about  the compound is they have a neighbor that is a winemaker, and, boy, can he make wine. It was the best wine we had on the whole trip. We weren't staying for dinner, as we weren't in the wedding party and had mooched far too many meals by now, but after tasting the wine, we wished we were. We would really like to get added as a friend to the Friends and Family Wine Buying Program. This particular winemaker picks a number of charities. When you buy your wine from him, you make your check out to one of his charities. How cool is that? I don't really know his story, but what a generous winemaker. My rating scale would give his wine a 4.

Off to Alderbrook Resort. Good news: We know the way, as we had completed the lay of the land task the day before. We checked in, then immediately headed to the bar to discuss dinner. We could either eat at Alderbrook or go to the Robin Hood Restaurant and Pub. We got to the bar, and then we sat, and we sat, and we sat. Then we sat and waited some more. Keep in mind that time is of the essence. We are only going to be at Alderbrook for two nights. Service is not Alderbrook's strong suit. Is it beautiful?  Yes. Were we glad to be there? Yes. Is service less than you would expect at a place like this? Yes. When the barmaid came over and informed us that the kitchen was backed up, if we wanted to have dinner we had better get the order in now, the decision was made. Robin Hood, here we come.

(Sorry, you've seen this before, but it is the only picture I have of the Robin Hood Pub)

The Robin Hood Restaurant and Pub has a restaurant side and a pub side. As we tend to be loud people, we automatically head for the pub side. The restaurant was nice but too formal and quiet for Montana people on holiday. We are pub people. A tall table is way more fun than a normal dining room table any day. The menu looked great. We ordered a couple of their special appetizers, clam chowder, cheeseburgers and were happy as clams. The pub had great food and a great atmosphere. Gail and Mark, your recommendation was great, but now you need to go.

We headed back to Alderbrook and eventually went to bed. We had a big day ahead of us.


Today we can actually say that we helped where we could, with the added bonus of having fun along the way; the fourth task completed.

Three days down, tomorrow is wedding day.

 "Some family trees have beautiful leaves, and some have just a bunch of nuts. Remember, it is the nuts that make the tree worth shaking." ~ author unknown

I Do - Chapter 2

Thursday, April 19

On the agenda today: Check out the church; get the lay of the land; help where we can; have fun.

We got up early, not quite as early as Marcie and family, got ready, left Marita's house, and headed for the church. It was a beautiful rainy day, Washington style. To me, Washington rain seems so refreshing. It is lovely, misty, small, sometimes never-ending, but sort of delicate. Montana rain is huge, hard, cold drops of water that a lot of times turn into snow, sleet, or hail, and can sometimes hurt when it hits you. I also had my new rain boots with me that, quite frankly, look pretty out of place in Montana about 90 percent of the time. But I love them, had to have them, really wanted to wear them, and secretly prayed for rain while in Washington so I could wear them for real. My prayers were answered. It rained all day. :)

As you know, we live for food. The plan was to head out, get down the road, find a great, fun place along the way to get something to eat (fish, oysters, etc.). Sort of kill two birds with one stone; find the church and find great food and fun.

We had seen the turnoff to Allyn, home of the Historic Allyn Church, as we were coming in the night before, but today, going the other direction, we missed it. We ended up all the way back to Purdy. There was also nowhere to eat from Lakebay to Purdy at 10:00 in the morning, so we were in a crisis. Why not pull into the grocery store, ask for directions, and maybe get a recommendation for food? Chris could wait in the car and Google directions to Allyn, as he is one of those that would rather catch on fire than ask for directions from a stranger. Not me; strangers become friends.

Debbie and Esther to the rescue: two lovely ladies employed by Harbor Wholesale Foods that just happened to be stocking shelves at the grocery store that day. I spotted them and knew our troubles were over. Sometimes you can just tell what people are made of. Some people look like their mission in life is to find and have fun. Some people look like they are 100 percent opposed to having fun, no matter what. I could tell Debbie and Esther belonged in the fun category. As luck would have it, Debbie has a house in Allyn, so she would be the perfect person to recommend a great place to eat.

Lennard K's Boat House Restaurant and Bar, here we come, where good times are on tap daily, according to their website. Debbie's recommendation: Monster Pizza and beer. We ended up ordering Caprese Pizza, Zach's Fish & Chips, Clam Chowder, Bloody Mary, local beer, and wine. While at the Boat House, we met Pat, the bartender, Gail and Mark, the owners, who, by the way, just happen to be from Whitefish, Montana, and Tom Sawyer, yes, Tom Sawyer, the chef, also sort of from Whitefish, Montana. We were thrilled with the restaurant, thrilled with the food, thrilled with the drinks, thrilled with our new friends, and the view was an added bonus, a simply breathtaking view of the water. I especially loved the clam chowder. Gail and Mark are the proud new owners of the Boat House. You can see Lennard K's rather large house from the restaurant, perched up on a hill. For some reason, I think he was probably of the fun category, even though I'd never met him. If you are ever in Allyn, you should stop in. Tell them I sent you. We said our see-you-later's, as we were pretty certain we would be back for breakfast on wedding day. Great start to this day.

Next stop: Historic Allyn Church
We checked out the church. It was small, quaint, 100 years old, and cute as heck. Down at the water we found a really long pier/dock (don't know the difference) that would be great for photos. Chris took a few pictures around the area without any people. What a beautiful spot for a wedding.

Next stop: Alderbrook Resort
Friday and Saturday night, we (my sister, brother-in-law, Chris and I) would be staying at the very beautiful Alderbrook Resort in the town of Union. Our neighbor would be Bill Gates. Some people said he lived to the right of the resort, others, to the left. Who knows? We would worry about that when we actually checked in. The directions seemed fairly straightforward; a few miles down the road, then turn left; you can't miss it. As we were traveling down the road, after turning left, I noticed a sign on the side of the road. It said "Tarabochia". Guess what? That is my cousin's last name. Could it be that we drove right past the reception spot, which was next on our list to figure out? How many Tarabochias could be getting married and also had the bright idea of putting out a sign? We found Alderbrook, (you really can miss it) checked out Union, found the Robin Hood Restaurant & Pub that Gail and Mark had recommended, then headed back to see what that "Tarabochia" sign was all about. This was our lucky day. This was the reception spot. We now had the lay of the land. The only thing left to find was the freeway entrance to I-90 when it was time to go home.

Back to Cousin Dave's for dinner. By this time, Marcie had come down with the flu, and we really wanted her to be miserable in private. Chris and I would seek shelter elsewhere. We didn't have to look far. Down below Cousin Dave's house (which, by the way, has a view of Puget Sound out his very large bank of windows) sits Jay and Sue's house (which has an even closer view of the water), and they were kind enough to put us up for the night. It would appear that we are the relatives that everyone talks about; show up at mealtime and bedtime. We really had planned on taking care of ourselves as far as lodging. We typically just wing it. Whatever we find that looks fun will be a perfect spot. We want the freedom to stay or to go. That is how we travel, and so far, it has worked well for us. Our stay at Jay and Sue's was most enjoyable, very interesting, and we had a great time visiting with them, not to mention they have a really great, comfortable house. Both are retired school teachers, having taught 30 years in Alaska. Jay started his teaching career out in the bush, eventually ending up in more civilized, less remote, cities, after meeting and marrying Sue. Jay was a PE and 1st grade teacher, and Sue taught art. Great stay and great stories.

Singer/songwriter Meat Loaf says two out of three ain't bad, but I say three out of four ain't bad: check out the church (done), get the lay of the land (done), help where we can (sorry, tomorrow, I promise), have fun (done).

Two days down, two days until the wedding.

See you tomorrow.

 "A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving." ~ Lao Tzu

I Do - Chapter 1

Wednesday, April 18

The wedding took us from Helena, MT to Lakebay, WA. In Lakebay, we would meet up with Cousin Dave and his wife-to-be, Marita, whom I had yet to meet, to discuss the photo plans for the wedding. Our plan was to drive straight through, eating in the car, and stopping only to get gas and to go to the bathroom. Cousin Dave said it would take about 12 hours to get to his house.

We pulled out of Helena at 6:45 a.m. Our goal was to leave at 5:30, hopefully meaning 6:00, but actually meaning 6:45. We never leave on time. 6:45; that's life. Thinking that we probably drive faster than Cousin Dave, we could still make it for dinner, no problem. We would also gain an hour.

We arrived in Gig Harbor, WA at 3:00 p.m., only 40 minutes from Lakebay. Since Cousin Dave and Marita were not expecting us until probably 6:00, my husband said, "Hey, we better stop at Tide's Tavern." Tide's Tavern has a long history in our family and is also a place we are quite fond of. Our cousins taught us well. The tavern sits on the water, one of the most beautiful harbors in the world. Did I forget to mention it is a really fun spot and holds a lot of great memories? "Great idea, we haven't been there in a while, we must stop."

At Tide's Tavern, we met Crystal and Brett, our servers. We ordered up some local fish & chips and a shrimp cocktail to go with a glass of wine and a local beer. It was the perfect snack and beverage to refuel for the last 40 minutes of the drive. Crystal was from Port Orchard, which we really had no idea where it was when she told us that. We discovered where it was when we missed the Purdy exit and had to go down the freeway a ways to turn around. Now we know. If you are ever in Gig Harbor, you need to stop.

We arrived at Cousin Dave's around 6:00, right on time. We walked into the house, when what to my surprise were people and babies everywhere. I knew Marita had kids, but I didn't know Marita had kids with husbands and more kids. Shoes, and car seats, and blankets, and toys, and movies, and fish crackers everywhere. I was overwhelmed by just the introductions. There was Marcie, married to Erik, with almost 2-year-old Greyson and 3-week-old Owen. Breanne, married to Josh, but Josh not there yet, with Maddison, 3, Kate, 2, and Emerson, 5 months. Jennie married to Jason, but Jennie not there yet, with Cole, 2. Missing was Marita, but she soon arrived with Jennie. Fortunately, none of Marita's daughters look alike, so that helped keep them straight. I took notes, studied my notes, and mastered everyone's name by the next day. I pride myself in my ability to remember names and to spell words backwards (obviously, not all, so don't purposely set out to see me fail).


That night we stayed at Marita's house, along with Marcie, Erik, Greyson and Owen. Marita has a fabulous house. It was a fun, memorable night. Probably the reason it was most memorable is because the heater wasn't working, which no one realized until many hours into the night. Marcie's clan was up at 4:00 a.m. freezing. At 6:30, unable to take it any longer, they headed down to Cousin Dave's to get warm. Cousin Dave then ran up to the house and restarted the furnace, which took all of about of 30 seconds.

As the old saying goes, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."

I like to say, "If you can't stand the cold, go down to Cousin Dave's."

One day down, three days until the wedding. See you tomorrow.

I Do

I do:  What you say when you get married.

Burden of proof: Beyond a reasonable doubt. Proof of such a convincing character that a reasonable person would rely and act upon it in the most important of his or her own affairs. It does not mean beyond any doubt or beyond a shadow of a doubt.

I am sure you are wondering what "burden of proof" and "reasonable doubt" has to do with "I do."

The county attorney that I work with always uses getting married as an example of a most important affair when explaining burden of proof and reasonable doubt in a criminal case to a room full of potential jurors. Most people have at least a tiny doubt when walking down the aisle, knowing they are taking a huge leap of faith, and in about 30 minutes their lives will be forever changed. That little nagging doubt, however, is usually not enough for one to do an about-face and run really fast, except for Julia Roberts in the Runaway Bride.

Back to "I do."  My 58-year-old cousin got married for the first time last Saturday in the Hood Canal, Washington area. We all know what that means: A fun wedding. My husband was the photographer, and I was the fun cousin. (Up for debate.) We arrived Wednesday around 5 and returned home Monday around 5.

I struggled with the notion of 6 days crammed into one blog post, as I have a lot to write about. I also knew my 5 followers would tune me out pretty darn quickly. My husband always says you need to get to the point.

My point: I will be writing about the fun, food, and wine for each day as separate chapters. Stay tuned for Chapter 1....

I Heart Neihart Montana

Food, Fun, Wine, all in a 24-hour period.

Saturday, April 14
1:30 - Leave for the cabin
3:30 - Lunch and a beverage at Dempsey's Bar in White Sulphur Springs
5:00 - Arrive at the cabin, build a fire, beat husband at a game of cribbage, pour a glass of wine
6:45 - Head to Bob's Bar for the wine tasting
9:00 - Back to the cabin, pour more wine, beat Gord and Tronny at cribbage (thanks, partner Bob)
12:00 - Go to bed
9:00 - Get up
12:00 Lunch at Bob's Bar (make fun of credit card ticket)
1:30 - Say good-bye, head home

It would have been impossible to fit anything more into that 24-hour period, unless you decided not to sleep, which, trust me, is a fairly routine occurrence at the cabin.

Review of Dempsey's Bar:
There are three places to both eat and drink in White Sulphur: The Mint, the steakhouse (can't remember the name) and Dempsey's. At the Mint you will find an okay hamburger, great bloody mary mix, and what everyone says is fabulous broasted chicken. At the steakhouse, you will find your average selection of appetizers and supposedly a great steak. It doesn't open until 5, so it doesn't help us much. We went there once and got in trouble from cabin people for being late. Dempsey's opens at 11 a.m. We usually pass through too early. The 3:30 time period this particular Saturday was perfect. The BEST cheeseburgers in town, and maybe Montana. The potato chowder was tasty as well. Great little spot; must go back. We also did not feel rushed, which helped, as cabin people were golfing and scheduled to arrive much later.

Fun fact: Did you know that John Ringling, one of the seven (and youngest) Ringling Brothers, had a home in White Sulphur Springs?
There is also a small town, Ringling, Montana, named after John.
John was at one time one of the most wealthy men in America but died with only $311 in the bank.

Review of the Cabin:
Fun. Always fun, but the moles/voles have arrived. And I'm not talking about family members.

Review of Bob's Bar:
Fun. Always fun.  This time, even more fun. Great food and wine. Tony (the owner) is a hoot. He has life figured out. If you are in a hurry, you better not stop at Bob's Bar. Tony is on Tony Time. That means that Tony will take your order when he gets around to taking your order. He will get you your ticket when he feels like getting you a ticket, and you will probably have to ask for it. He pours you a glass of chilled chardonnay but then leaves the bottle sitting out on the bar. (At least it is wine out of a bottle.) His take on that: How warm could it possibly get? (Room temperature, maybe?) Well, if the temperature of your wine is that important, you probably shouldn't stop at Bob's Bar. There are many, many reasons, however, to stop at Bob's Bar. Need some stocking stuffers Christmas Eve? Stop at Bob's Bar and he will give you some pocket calendars. Need a new (or used) apron, stop at Bob's Bar. $20, new or used.

Review of the Wine Tasting:
The wine tasting was pretty darn fun. Tronny had six different wines (2 white, 4 red) and an appetizer (prepared by Alecia) to go with each. My favorite was the zinfandel with the mashed potatoes and chicken with truffle sauce. Very tasty. There was also a California pinot noir that I really liked. My husband loves pinot noir. That is not a wine I typically go looking for, but I did really like this one. I mostly have had Oregon pinot noir, and it is just too light and delicate for my big fat mouth. Give me a big old chew of a big old zinfandel and I am happy. I also heard the term "porch pounding" for the second time in one month, and will definitely be looking forward to summer.

There is nothing like getting away for the weekend, but sometimes the entire weekend is just too much time to give up. There is always something that needs to be done around the house. And sometimes you just need to stay close to home to feel like you had a weekend. Sort of like the first week back after vacation you need a vacation. We don't go to the cabin really that often, but when we go to the cabin, we go to the cabin. It is a production, and it is a lot of fun. This particular trip we took ourselves, and nothing else. No food, wine, chips; nothing. There is something refreshing about having nothing. I think that is what Neihart stands for. That is certainly what Tony stands for. Simplicity. We would all be better, happier people if we lived the Neihart life.

I HEART NEIHART MONTANA

Your Way, My Way, or the Highway?

There are so many ways:  My way; your way; the right way; the wrong way; all the way; my way or the highway; out of the way; but I most recently discovered The Way, one of the greatest movies I've ever seen.

The Way is a fabulous little story about family, friends and the challenges we face while navigating this ever-changing complicated world. Is there anyone in the whole world who couldn't relate to that?  I don't think so.

Martin Sheen is an ophthalmologist that plays Dad. Emilio Estevez plays Martin's son (in the movie and in real life) that is studying to get his doctorate degree (Dad's way). Son then decides to give up on the doctorate and instead travel (Son's way, and, according to Dad, the wrong way). Dad knows Son is in Spain but  no details. Son dies while walking the Camino de Santiago Trail, which starts in St. Jean de Port and finishes in Santiago de Compostela, some 780 km later. Son didn't make it very far before he died. Dad travels to Spain to collect the remains of deceased Son. Dad identifies the body and is then given Son's possessions, which is his backpack with the necessary items to make the trek.  Dad decides to make the historical pilgrimage in honor of Son. Dad meets a Dutchman, a Canadian, and an Irishman. In the end, Dad has developed great new friendships and discovers there is a difference between the life we live and the life we choose.

If you want to know more, you will have to rent the movie. Great movie.

Lesson Learned: For many things in life, there is no right way. We all like to think our way is the right way.  And maybe for ourselves, it is the right way. But one must be open and flexible, not rigid, when it comes to another way for another person. Sure, things like making the perfect pasta, cheesecake, etc., there may be a right way and a wrong way.  But when it comes to a person's happiness and fulfillment in life, there is a way, or many ways, and that is not for others to judge.

Oh, wait, I forgot. A couple summers ago, my family was hiking the back country of Montana. He-who-shall-not-be-named, along with two of the nephews, were going to go ahead of everyone else. They were in superior shape to the others. They would hike out quickly and get the cars moved. When the rest of us made it out of the mountains, we could jump in the cars, get on the road, and get home early. He-who-shall-not-be-named said he didn't need a map; he knew the trails like the back of his hand. He-who-shall-not-be-named took a less desirable fork in the road. (I had to stop myself from saying the "wrong" fork.) So I guess if you finally make it to your destination three hours after the slowpokes, it would technically have to be classified as "a way."

Oh, yeah, and I forgot to tell you, the slowpokes hiked out and had no keys to the one car in the campground parking lot.  And we had to go through the campground begging for water and a cold beer.  And we didn't have any food.  And we didn't know if the three of them were dead or alive or where they might be.  And we were just getting ready to ask the ranger to start a search when they got out of some guy's truck.  They ended up coming out 30 miles down the road, and some guy just happened to be heading "our way."

Life is not the way it's supposed to be.  It's the way it is.  The way you deal with it is what makes the difference."  ~Virginia Satir

The Only Two Certainties In Life Are Death and Taxes

Certainty #1 (taxes) - Have you done your taxes yet? If the answer is no, you've got a couple more days to get them completed and in the mail. I have mine done, mainly because I have a college student, which means I have to complete the FAFSA, which has a deadline. If you don't know what FAFSA is, you don't have a college student. If you have kids, in due time you will know what FAFSA is all about. FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. My son attends a private liberal arts college out of state ($$$), and it is required that you fill out a FAFSA form if you want to be considered for any sort of financial aid. This is my last year. Reason enough for celebration.  As P!nk would say, "So raise your glass."

Certainty #2 (death) - Sadly, a friend of my sister and brother-in-law passed away, and the funeral is today.  I will light a candle for the family and friends and think of them at 4:00 p.m. as they go to pay their last respects and say good-bye.    

So.....my sister and I started talking about funerals versus celebrations (parties), and who should decide whether a person has a funeral in a church, or a celebration (party) at some favorite spot, or something in between. If you didn't spend much time in church when you were alive, would anyone be offended that you didn't show up to the church dead? Is the funeral for the person that died or the people left behind? There are many unanswered, personal questions associated with death. We both decided that we will be the ones to decide, organize and plan our respective celebrations (party). Neither of us want a funeral and will be quite offended if someone goes against our wishes. If 100 people were surveyed (at least of my friends) 95 would vote for a fun celebration (party) over a funeral in a church any day. We also don't want to be buried in the ground. We both struggle with being cold all winter long, even with layers and layers of clothes, Uggs, North Face coats, heated steering wheels, and just would not consider for one minute being lowered into the cold ground in the dead of winter in Montana. Cremation seems the warmer, better option.

Given that you cannot escape death or taxes, I would suggest that you get your taxes done today (you probably have a refund coming) and from this day forward, live each day as if it were your last. Oh, and don't forget to plan your party. 

      

TOMS One Day Without Shoes

Sometimes nothing feels better than going barefoot. My preference is usually to do it in the comfort of my own home. I don't particularly like to walk barefoot in grass, especially someone else's grass, nor do I like to walk on hard surfaces, such as sidewalks. I do, though, love to walk barefoot on a nice, clean, beautiful, sandy beach. That is such a great feeling between your toes. But I will always look down, worried that I will step on a piece of glass, a rusty bottle cap, or a razor clam. I don't even know what part of the world you would find a razor clam, but as a child, I remember hearing, "watch out for razor clams." One day a year, though, I willingly, and excitingly, go barefoot for the day, walking on clean sidewalks, dirty sidewalks, streets, grass, whatever surface greets the day. And on this day, I look for broken glass, gum and spit.

Imagine if you had to go barefoot every single minute of every single day because you didn't own a pair of shoes. Even today, that is the very situation that millions of people around the world find themselves in.

TOMS to the rescue. If you are unfamiliar with TOMS shoes, it is time to familiarize yourself ASAP. I am a huge TOMS fan. According to the TOMS website,TOMS was founded in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie, inspired by a trip to Argentina where he saw extreme poverty and health conditions, as well as children walking without shoes. The original TOMS shoe design  was a flat, simple, canvas, slip-on that came in a few fun colors. New styles have come out, new colors, new prints, but I still prefer the original. Here is the kicker:  For every pair of TOMS shoes sold, TOMS gives a pair to a child in need. In September 2010, TOMS gave the One Millionth pair of shoes to someone that would otherwise be without. How cool is that?  TOMS has partnered with charitable organizations around the world to incorporate shoes into health, education, hygiene and community development programs.

That brings me to the "fun" of One Day Without Shoes. One Day Without Shoes is a dedicated day to raise awareness of the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child's life by going without shoes. Millions of children live without shoes. Many are exposed to injury and disease each day, and are not allowed to go to school without shoes. The reason that we can all have "fun" going barefoot for one day is because we are fortunate in our country, and in our lives, to have shoes and to have a choice. We are also very fortunate to have a fabulous little shoe store that sells TOMS, run by a couple of fabulous sisters, that took up the cause last year. Through posters, fliers and letters again this year, the community was made aware of the campaign and events going on for the day. It is not a fundraising campaign, it is an awareness campaign, which means:  No money; just go barefoot for the day. People on the street stop and  ask, "Why aren't you wearing shoes?"  Green light:  Launch into your pre-rehearsed speech, spewing fun facts and telling people all about the diseases and problems associated with not wearing shoes. And don't forget, you should also suggest they run down and buy a pair of TOMS for themselves, which, in turn, is a donation, of sorts, of a pair of shoes to someone that needs them. As I like to say, a win/win for everyone.   

My friend and I took the afternoon off. We grabbed some lunch, helped the store get ready for the event, greeted people on the street, and then joined in the barefoot walk from Carroll College down to Sole Sisters. What a great day for a great cause. Mark it on your calendar for next year, somewhere around the first part of April.

TOMS and One Day Without Shoes is very near and dear to my heart. I saw many children in Tanzania without shoes. It is both eyeopening and heartbreaking. Something so simple can change the lives of so many people.

For more information, go to www.onedaywithoutshoes.com, and then go buy some TOMS.