GOOD TIME HAD BY ALL!

It was a dark, dreary December day. The day Pat and I boarded this here "elongated tube" (you know, the one with windows and wings) and wended our way westward. By golly, six hours and 3,000 miles later we set foot in good ol' Portand, OR.

Home of the Christophers. No, not our ancestral home. Home of Mike, Kay and l'il baby Good!

Okay, enuff of the cornball lingo: we went west to see our son Mike, his lovely wife Kay and l'il baby Good.





We were greeted with open arms and feet.














Mamma Kay with Good...when he was a "little guy". One of our favorite pics.

Kay's an artist (MFA). Teaches at Portland State.

Good's still not totally used to daddy's tickly-tickly red beard.

Mike's a beard-guy. Makes him look more professorial. He's a phsychologist. Teaches at Pacific University.

Clever! Artist Kay painted one of the dining room walls with a special black paint. Turning it into a super-sized (8'x12') chalkboard.




Their new home in the western suburbs of Portland. 1/2 acre graced by tremendous evergreen trees.

Douglas Firs and giant Cedars spiral up over 100ft. to the blue sky above.

This Douglas Fir is 8' from the house. Has a 6' circumference. No! Not Pat. The tree!!!!


















Mike, Lord of the Backyard Manor






Mike's old folks, Mom and Dad. Great yard, Mike and Kay!

Got wheels! Gotta go!

Grandma luvin' up Good...Good luvin' up Grandma!


Hard to get a nap.

Oh! Dear me! It was peaceful 'round here before the gramps showed up!

Our last day in town Mike and Kay took us up to Mt. Hood. About 60 miles due east.

So beautiful!

So was our visit to Mike, Kay and Good! Thanks, dear guys!

T'WAS EARLY THANKSGIVING MORNING.....

.....and all thru 23 Dogwood... not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.....well...maybe one or two. Then it happened! Quiet became chaos! The kids woke up Thanksgiving morning!




The Pat's were up at the crack of dawn preparing dinner...getting ready for the onrush of kids!















They ran around the yard screaming and shouting: WE WANT TURKEY! WE WANT TURKEY!

L'il guy Damien was too young to run 'round. So Joe and Pat ran him on their shoulders. Very touching!

MAMMA! MAMMA! TURKEY MILK!

Yes, dear little Rome. Happy Thanksgiving!



































So good to see you, Good, and your mom and dad on Thanksgiving Day! WE WANT TURKEY! TURKEY!

Mike: "Stop snoring, Kim! You'll wake up the ol' man. I'm tryin' to watch this cowboy pic!"

Good ol' Mike protected all of us from a plague of killer(?) bees! Watch out for the seagulls!

Wolfie: "Lordy, all this screaming and shouting for TURKEY! A guy can't even nap around here!













Lady Puffball Siobahn(bhan?). In a calm mood right now. Preparing herself mentally to be nice to the groomer lady.

"I always feel so naked after she clips and snips me. Oh well, it makes Pat happy!"

Later.

Sio: "Ahh, I feel so trim and light! So warm(?). Bring on those Winter blizzards!"

"Bye for now. Great seein' y'all! Esp. you, dear Wolfie!"

THANKS, PAT AND JOE, FOR ANOTHER WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING MEMORY! BE WELL!

THEM THAR' BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS!

Sunday, October 17th was a glorious Autumn day. Cobalt blue sky. The Blue Ridge Mountains' Skyline Drive...all crazy with color! What a day! What a way.... to celebrate my 80th!

The Appalacian Trail criss-crosses the Skyline Drive several times.

Pat and I, for oldtime's sake, hiked on down the Trail for for a mile or so. To soak up its beauty...its history.

"Hey, Pat, slo' down, will ya'! We don't have to jog along the Appalacian. Just hike along!"

Coupla' Mamma Bears!!

Disclaimer: No! We're not 'Palin People'. You know, them thar' Tea Party folk!

A hike in the woods. So much beauty!With the uneasy feeling that...the winter (of life) may be just around the bend!

"Hey, Pat! I reckon it's about 10 miles or so to the other side of the Shennandoah Valley. Let's go!

Pat: "Yeah, sure! I'll see you when you get back!"

Friendly bears all over the place down in these here parts.

Bridge to the future....

Our three day mountain caper went by so fast.

Came home Monday evening to our cats, Rollo and Renee.

And to our miniture condo deck garden....awaiting the first frost for the Fall of '10.

Thankful for such a safe, beautiful trip. Glad to be back!

CORNBALL MUSIC! AHA!

POCONO, UHHH... PATHFINDERS?

Last week. Our week in the Pocono Mountains. Glorious!

Monday and Tues. were gray, rainy days, so Pat led me by the arm down to the Outlet Malls on I-80.

Crossings Premium Outlets: 100 outlet stores. From Tommy Hilfiger to the Gap to...whatever. Due to time constraints (and my nagging) Pat was able to hit only 93 stores.



Pat and I did a lotta trail hikin'.

Then, suddenly....

"Oh, Pat dear....I think we're lost!

Pat: "Lighten up, Chris! We're just romantically traipsin' thru the forest! Lighten up!"

That night....

"Oh, Chris, you may be right...we just may be lost after all! How do we get outta here! I'm scared!"

Chris: "Lighten up, Pat! Night time in the woods is very...romantic! 'Cept for all these beady little eyes a-glarin' at us!"


Here's where we lived for a wonderful week in the woods. Not very primitive, huh!

The end unit was ours.

Fernwood at Bushkill, PA. 660 units scattered hither and yon in a deep, mysterious forest over 440 acres.

Classy accomodations.



Our very own steam sauna right off the kitchen. Eat a big, gorgeous meal...then sweat it off in the sauna!
Hey, the good life!

Tub for two. No comment!

Damien and Shannon and their little one "Rome" stopped by for a visit one evening after a day traversing the Poconos.

Damien Dimino is Joe and Pat's son. My Godson. His father, Joe, and I were monastery/seminary classmates. Ordained in '59.

Living our married lives with Vatican permission.

Life really does move on!

Of course, Pat couldn't resist gathering little guy Rome on her lap. Nice pic, huh?

For over 40 years our favorite Pennsylvania park way out on I-80.

Interstate I-80 toward Scranton. Great swimming and hiking!!

My favorite time of the year.

Breathtaking beauty everywhere!

Pat and I will try to capture all this Autumn beauty in our memories for a long time to come.

Thank you, dear Kelly and Kimberly, for a glorious week. A week mom and I will never forget!

GOTHAM GETAWAY

Last Monday Pat and I hit the trail for 2 nights and 3 days....our annual Gotham Getaway! Pat's sister, Elizabeth, was kind enough to share her time-share with us in her Penthouse Suite at the Manhattan Club!







56th and 7th Avenue

We were on the 28th floor! High? Nah! Just look out the window and ....every building in sight went spiraling up into the sky. Far above us!

The street canyons far below us! All the little Noo-yawk-uhs** down there rushing hither and yon. This is Mahattan, man!

**Clarification: "Noo-yawk-uhs" = New Yorkers when you factor in the accent.














Even tho' Elizabeth, Pat and I are originally from Long Island, we must look like hicks when we visit Manhattan. We walked 'round town for miles. Craning our necks skywise..... at them thar' high buildings! I saw lotsa locals smiling at us.

The Stephens Girls!

l-r Pat and Elizabeth!

Thanks to Elizabeth the concierge arranged to have a wine/candy memento waiting for us in our suite.

In anticipation of my 80th next month. Thanks, Eliz!

Saw a great musical Tueday night at the Walter Kerr Theater. Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch!!













Took the "R" subway down to the Battery to take a cruise of the magnificent New York Harbor.

Ellis Island where 12 million immigrants landed in the USA in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The museum has been totally restored. The movie, so poignant. So many, so many of our ancesters came here in steerage class. Herded together and treated like cattle.

My ancestors came over from Bavaria via Hamburg, Germany to Baltimore, MD

As you look up at Lady Liberty and all she stands for....you feel a real "zing" of patriotism. And gratitude!

Need I say more....

The Stephens Girls at sea!

Thanks, Elizabeth, for a great Gotham Getaway!