Do the years go faster, or is it just me?  Where did 2009 go?

I lost my calendar half way thru the year, so can’t remember details from the first half of the year.  (Guess that’s a senior moment!)  Let’s see what I do remember!

Christmas 2008 found us snowed in!  My brother and sister-in-law arrived from Salem before the Christmas storm, stayed for a few days, and friends from nearby came over for Christmas dinner.  We enjoyed watching the storm from inside our cozy home, ate wonderful food, played games and took lots of pictures!

Ed continues to play with the band at church.  I volunteer once a month to make coffee for Sunday morning services (13 pots), and we’ve joined a small bible study group which meets twice a month.

Kenny, grandson from New Mexico, flew out twice this spring.  He is a great traveler and we enjoyed going here and there sightseeing.  Because he was home-schooled, it allowed for any-time visits.  This September, his folks elected to put him in public school, which will make it more difficult for future visits to Grandma & Grandpa’s house.

I flew to New Mexico in October and spent two weeks with Sue, Bill and Kenny.  Visited the Durango, CO area.  Very pretty and fun!

In July we had another annual family camping trip (Kay’s family).   15 of us gathered in Bandon Beach State Park, near Coos Bay on the Southern Oregon Coast, for a week of camping, boating, and sight seeing.  We love to cook out and play games!  As we disbursed from camping, Ed & I drove our motor home on down to Santa Cruz, CA, caravanning with Dan & his family.  Our destination was Dan’s “compound” (tow yard) in Santa Cruz.  Made it to Hwy 17 between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz where our motor home broke down!  Breaking down at night on a turn on Hwy 17 is quite an experience…we couldn’t get off the highway and had 30 minutes of cars coming around the bend to find us blocking the right lane!  Thank goodness for Dan and his family!  He helped with our 911 call, tow truck retrieval, our transfer to his motor home (with two grandsons and two dogs), and towing our rig down to his yard.  Turned out to be a fuse which was easily fixed.

After a week stay in CA, we left our motor home at Dan’s yard in Santa Cruz, and drove home in the car.  We have since made two more trips to Santa Cruz, to see our grandsons (Wesley and Zachery)  play football.  Ed has been expanding business contacts in the Santa Cruz area.  We plan another trip down in January, and will be returning to Santa Cruz in June for our grandson Wesley’s high school graduation.

Ed has diversified his business more this past year.  Along with selling trade show displays and internet marketing, he also develops websites.  This area has taken off, and he is busier every month.  At the beginning of the year, he brought me on board as “Office Manager) to help out (bookkeeping – right up my alley) and to help keep him on track with organizing his files, scheduling, answering the phone.  It is nice to work from home, and I spend just a few hours a day.  We now have two computers.  Ed has moved his desk and office into the living room, leaving me the computer in the family room.  Works out well with us as he has clients to the house several times a week.

Kay is out many days “playing” with her “Red Hat Ladies”.   Kay and good friend, Donna, are the “activities coords” for the Fairview Red Hat group.  We come up with ideas and plan and organize trips to different fun places, parties, and of course eating out!  We also belong to the Gresham Red Hat group.  We visit local places of interest, go to movies, have picnics, and of course have lunch wherever we go!  We had our second Luau this summer in our back yard.  The Christmas party will be hosted at Donna’s house next week.  We’ve had a busy year and enjoy our fun groups. We are also in a Bunco group which meets once a month.  Love retirement!

Ed and I feel God has blessed us this year.  We are healthy, happy, and on a steady increase in our business.  We love Portland!  Love hearing from you all, and always have a spare room for visits.    MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU!!

Kay & Ed

Pre-Snow (Easter Time Actually)

Day one had a slight dusting and a hard freeze.

Day 1

It rained on day two and the pond thawed.

Day 2

On day three we got more snow and a harder freeze

Day 3

Since I was getting cabin fever, I decided to build a snowman.  Having a nice sheet of ice on the pond gave me an idea.  Problem was the snow is VERY dry.  I have to add water to get the snow to stick.

Day 4

I worked on the front yard on day 5, so no picture of the back yard.  But here is a picture of a blur hering sitting on the fence, looking for a snack.

Blue Hering looking for food

Day 6

The morning of day six found my pond surface almost thawed and Mr. snowman leaning over.  Two hours later!  MORE SNOW!

Tonight is Christmas Eve service.  Our pastor (T.J.) really wants the service to go foorward.  Actually, so do I, I haven’t played a Christmas Eve service in 25 years!  Lets all pray for clear streets.

Stay warm.

Ed & Kay Bejarana

Merry Christmas

Blue Heron on Rock

A week ago I made the trek out into the snow to enjoy my morning soak in the hot tub, but the Columbia Gore winds and sub zero (celsius) made the steam freeze in my beard.  Not comfortable or relaxing.  Ever since that day it has been activly snowing or raining: so my muscles are in desperate need of a soak.

This evening the ice thawed long enough for a Blue Heron to swoop down and take a peek at the bright orange fishies.  Kay saw him from the window, I only saw the shadow of the wings as the huge bird took flight.  Twice before we have seen the Blue Heron peeking in on our fishes, I know they been around because we’ve lost many fish over the last couple of years.  Oh well, birds got to eat, right?

While driving by Fairview Lake today I noticed the entire surface was white.  the lake has apparently formed ice and the snow has temporarily protected the fish: so the next best thing to eating fish out of Fairview lake must be eating fish at Ed’s.

For a few days this past week our water falls had ice build-up, but then the warm 35 degree rain melted it almost immediately.  The back yard seems quite when it snows, or maybe it is just too cold to open the door and listen.  No matter which is the case, the Portland Metro is experiencing stormy weather.

It sounds like the storm will only get wrose from here for the next few days.  Tomorrow night I play at church.  Kay asked if I was going to go to church even if the storm hit?

I said “Yes.”  “I figure I’m pretty save driving in inclement weather going to serve god.”

This weekend we are playing Christmas music and was suppose to have the full choir, but Dave feared too many choir members would be unable to make it to church: so it is just the band this weekend.

I was able to sign up for drums for the Christmas eve service.  This will be the first time playing Christmas Eve since my sophomore year in high school.  That year I played marimba in the church group with Dan, sue, Kay and Pat.  That was twenty five years ago.  We didn’t even play Christmas services in the army, I also had the evening off.

Ed

Kay’s health has been good this past year.  Her legs are getting stronger and she is able to walk and get out much more.  Ed has elected to not have surgery for his heart.  He lost some weight and is maintaining at this time.

We joined the Mountain View Christian Church in March.  We enjoy the pastor, friends and the music.  Ed joined the band and has been playing drums and percussion.  Kay has been assisting with guest receptions once a month.

In May, we loaded up our motorhome (including dogs) and took a two-week vacation to Yellowstone.  Tim & Trina in their fifth-wheel, caravanned with us across Idaho, up into Yellowstone, and back across Montana.  We were early enough to beat the summer crowds.  Weather was cool, but the scenery was awesome!  Saw lots of wildlife:  buffalo, deer, elk, bear.

A week after our return from Yellowstone, we pulled the motorhome out of storage, heading for California.  However, the motorhome broke down two miles from our house!  Had it towed to a repair shop where it sat two months having a variety of repairs done from brakes to fuel pump to electronic ignition system.

We loaded up the jeep, made beds for the dogs in the back, and headed for California to attend a family reunion.  20 of us spent a day at Harvey West Park Clubhouse in Santa Cruz.  Kay’s niece, Joann, planned the event, pulling together family memorabilia, planning games, watching old slides and of course eating!  This event was in place of our annual camping trip.

This past October, Ed’s family, from Buffalo, New York, joined us for a week long vacation.  We rented a van and viewed the sights:  Mt. Saint Helens, over to the coast and shopping, east to Multnomah Falls and shopping mall.  We had a great time!  Ed’s family also had their very first chance to see Ed play drums and percussion at church.

In late October, Kay flew to New Mexico and spent 10 days with Sue, Bill and Kenny.  She was there for Kenny’s 9th birthday party, and for Halloween trick-or-treating!  Kay caught a bad cold and cough and came home a week earlier than planned.  A week of recuperation found her feeling much better… just in time for jury duty!

All she needed to say was “he is obviously guilty,” but love of country compelled her to serve.  It was the first time Kay had been called to serve on a jury.  Five days was a small part to give back to the community.   Kay found the process interesting and enjoyed the experience.

Dan & Karla drove up for Thanksgiving weekend.  Joann & Aerik & boys were visiting Tim & Trina in Salem, so we joined them for Thanksgiving dinner,  The rest of the weekend was spent shopping and putting up our Christmas tree (thank you Dan & Karla!)

Ed’s business is still plugging along.  This year he added an internet marketing service.  He helps small businesses incorporate business blogging as one of their internet marketing strategies.  Ed also started work on a book about business blogging.  The concept he has coined is called Personality Based Marketing.  He figures it will take two or three years to complete the manuscript and get published.

We hope this Christmas finds you all happy and healthy!
Please visit our website or email us!

Ed’s business sites:

Here is what eNature has to say about the Wild Turkey:

Although the Wild Turkey was well known to American Indians and widely used by them as food, certain tribes considered these birds stupid and cowardly and did not eat them for fear of acquiring these characteristics. By the end of the 19th century, the Wild Turkey had been hunted almost to extinction in much of its original range. Now, with protection, restocking programs, and the return of the mature forests favored by turkeys, this species is making a marked comeback. It is now common in areas where it was totally absent a few decades ago. Turkeys are swift runners and quite wary. They often roost over water because of the added protection that this location offers. They are polygamous, and the male gobbles and struts with tail fanned to attract and hold his harem.

The Turkey is only one of only two domesticated birds that originated in the New World.  The Muscovy Duck is the other.

In 2006, the USDA estimated that there were 262 million Turkey’s raised in the US and about 1/6th of them were consumed on November 24th.  Each year PETA and several vegetarian organizations speak out against this American tradition and this year is no different.  Here is a link to the GoVeg.com site’s Top 10 Reasons Not to Eat Turkeys.  While I support the rights of Americans to protest, this is one message I will NOT take to heart.  Instead, I plan on taking the turkey to stomach again this year!  Not being cruel, just exercising my rights as an American citizen to EAT what I want.  Darn I drifted political again…sorry.

On this Thanksgiving Day, Kay and I wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Ed & Kay Bejarana

Representing the end of the harvest season, Halloween has been a time of celebration that symbolizes the beginning of the cold months.  As our society has moved so far from that of an agriculturally based life style, the true spirit (pardon the pun) of all saints days has been skewed.

October 31st was a time from bringing in the last of the grains from the fields and slaughtering live stock for winter.  Big bonfires were set to burn off the animal carcass and in the true spirit of all saints day, people wore masks to symbolize the evil spirits.  To help ward off superstitions, pumpkins were carved into the shapes of heads (considered the most powerful part of the body) and lit with candles so they could be seen in the night hours.

Today we dress up in customs and celebrate our indulgences.  Sure some still worship the recently departed, but in America we mostly eat junk food and pass out candy.  However, a new tradition seems to be creeping into our culture–Halloween seems to represent the NEW beginning of the Christmas season.  Huh?

Go to ANY store today and you’ll see the Christmas items are already on display.  Stores are already bidding for the consumers attention (and dollars) with hopes of capturing our diminished disposal income before the other guy.  A true dichotomy, October 31 is the day we beginning our celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and the death of cattle–all while welcoming in untold numbers of cavities.

Rather than taking our children out to corn fields to pick some food, we dress then and send them out in to the neighborhood to beg for treats.  Although, based on the way these kids today beg I question their understanding of the concept known as trick or treat! The gem of a concept behind trick-or-treat is the homeowner MUST give candy or suffer some sort of prank or ridicule.  Can you image such a lesson in school?  How about government?  Wait, back on December 6, 1773 we kind of did play a trick on the owner of Tea.  I guess buried deep with-in the American traditions we’ve always played with the notion of “give it to me” or else.  Not to draw too many parallel, but this November 4th, I think we are faced with a similar decision–spread the wealth around?

Is it appropriate for me to use bah-humbug and avoid the spirit of Halloween?  After all, if the stores can jump right to Christmas, why can’t I?

Tonight, instead of sending your children out to threaten your neighbors, how about taking them to a local grower and teach them what it means to prepare for the future.

Happy Halloween!

Ed Bejarana