News Trend First Impressions|Actual

"Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent."

?Dalai Lama

If you walk into my house, shut the door behind you, and look at your immediate surroundings, this is what you will see. This space tells you a lot about me; it's almost as if you could look inside my brain. Each facet of the room reveals something that I want you to know.

But rather than explain, describe or narrate the scene, I will simply let you look around and make your own first impressions.

And if you haven't been to my house in person, I hope you will come someday soon. Because then you can meet me in real life and form some face-to-face first impressions too.

A firm, hearty handshake gives a good first impression,

and you?Ll never be forgiven if you don?T live up to it.

? P. J. O?Rourke

News Trend Golf Course-Turned-Park|Actual

Among a number of far-fetched fantasies that my fourth-born daughter and I like to discuss is this: what if we bought up all the golf courses in the world and reverted them back to their natural condition?

Obviously, we are not golfers. Seems such a pity to us that large swaths of land are subjected to tedious shaping, sculpting, and surfacing that destroy their natural beauty as much as any strip mall or housing development. And then only a tiny elite of paying customers are allowed to enjoy them.

But if these spaces were parks? The terrain could revert back to its natural state, trees and shrubs would sprout up as nature allows, and all humans would be welcome in these natural settings.

The more we talked about this idea, the more we liked it.

And the more we realized how unlikely it was that our dream would ever come true.

But we were delightfully and decidedly wrong.

Our neighboring city of Bothell, Washington, recently bought up a local golf course and turned it into - you guessed it - a park.

And today, my daughter and I - along with Gracie, of course - popped over to see exactly how our dream came true.

^ We parked at the old clubhouse and headed down the gravel path to the first of two footbridges that lead up and over the Sammamish River. This is a protected watershed for salmon so no swimming is allowed for dogs or humans. But we were happy to stay dry and continue on with our adventure.

^  We explored first along the more rugged terrain on the south side of the river. Though most visitors stuck to the paths, we chose to ramble out and across the old fairways with deep, shaggy grass. The bones of the old golf course - the tee areas, the broad fairways and the manicured greens are slowly fading away.

^ The gravel path gradually twists and turns up a series of hills but following Gracie's example, we just plowed straight up. Though it was mid-afternoon, dew still lay heavy on the long grasses and our shoes  - as well as Gracie's coat - were soaked in minutes.

^ Simple stone benches sit here and there and we found one up near the top of our climb.

^ Gracie lay in the shadow of the bench and recharged her batteries.

^ Back over the second footbridge to the north side of the park.

^ Here the land was level and even, the grasses soft and green. We sat down just beyond the shade of this tree, and daydreamed about what a perfect place this is for kids to play. Gracie dozed in the shade as we talked, and we all agreed that this golf course-turned-park is indeed a dream come true.

News Trend Anemone Hupehensis|Actual

True fact: I am a wildly enthusiastic gardener. Each spring, as soon as the longstanding puddles of winter rain show the first signs of fading away, I'm toeing up to the start line with my tools in hand, itching to get to work.

The passion fuels me all summer long. My family can attest to the many evenings when they have to come outside and all but drag me out of the garden and into the house for dinner.

I truly and genuinely love digging around in my garden.

Until autumn rolls around.

It's the weirdest thing. Sometime around mid-September, I've had enough gardening for the year.

Of course, I still want my gardens on point. I could fuss around with dahlias or chrysanthemums or pots of ornamental cabbage and flowering kale, but honestly, I just cant get excited about any autumn flowers that need my help. I'm all about a fall-blooming plant that will do the heavy lifting for me.

And that is why I love anemones.

You are looking at a path through my garden that has been overrun by sweet pink blossoms on delicate yet surprisingly sturdy stems. I will enjoy them until they are done blooming, and then I will yank out each plant in a single, satisfying tug and heave them into the compost, and my path will be a good as new.

Known as Japanese anemones or windflowers, they wait patiently all summer, lush dark green leaves filling in forgotten corners in my beds and borders. And then just as I am running out of enthusiasm, these pink darlings burst into bloom.

And here's the best thing of all - anemones are ridiculously easy to grow. They spread through underground tubers and honestly, if left unchecked, they can become a bit invasive.

But here's the great thing about them: if I don't like where they are growing, I just reach down through their leaves, grab them down at the base of their stems, and yank them out.

You heard me. Yank.

One smooth, even tug and the whole plant comes out clean as a whistle. This is a species that is a strong self-starter but also takes direction like a champ.

So if your fall garden could use an effortless pick-me-up, trust me. The anemone hupehensis is my friend and yours.

News Trend Fox In The Snow|Actual

So last night I caught a red eye flight to Columbus, Ohio, to visit my second-born daughter. And as soon as I hit the ground, our first plan of attack was to go out for coffee.

Well. That isn?T entirely true.

The very first thing we did, once my daughter unbolted the door and let me in to her apartment, was to crawl into bed and catch a few hours of sleep.

So technically, it was the second event of my visit that we went to coffee at Fox In The Snow.

Fox In The Snow is a lovely name for a lovely shop, but after a good look around, I submit that it is all wrong. Hear me out.

^ First, up, the hidangan did not disappoint. I don?T drink coffee. But after a good long look at the mandatory chalkboard, I discovered that they serve chai tea. And every now and then, I do love me a foamy cup of chai. So bring on the oversized hipster coffee cups and let?S order some food.

^ Though there were loads of gorgeous pastries and rustic breakfast rolls to choose from, I was craving protein. The egg sandwich delivered exactly what I needed - two eggs with a couple hearty slices of bacon, a slice of white cheese and the perfect touch of spicy and lightly sauteed arugula. At first sight, I feared the bread would be dense and chewy. But it gave way beneath my teeth with a satisfying crunch and melted in my mouth.

Yum.

Extra points for serving my sandwich on a chunky bread board.

^ Once I ate up every crumb of my delicious breakfast, I took a good look around. Interior is a post-industrial dream. Huge windows with black trim. Exposed duct work and functional garage doors. Oh, and pretty potted plants in a row of matching white pots. Yes.

^ But. As adorable as the interiors may be, it?S the outside of the coffee shop that really shines. That?S the actual Fox of the Fox In The Snow. But look. He is clearly jumping through a big patch of green ivy. You have to work awful hard to imagine the snow.

^ Back up a few steps and the dilema only gets worse.

Ivy as far as the eye can see.

And a cute front door and another gorgeous black-trimmed window. But no snow anywhere in sight.

^ Side view of the front door. That gorgeous light fixture is distracting me. Oh right, back to the ivy.

^ Go round to the left of the front door and check out the side of the building.

Ivy for dayzzz.

No snow.

^ And if the overall impact of the glossy green ivy alone isn?T gorgeous enough, how about these autumn-tinged babies?

^ So  despite the poetic imagery of the original title, I submit that a much more appropriate name for this amazing coffee shop would be Fox In The Ivy.

And I do believe that Mr. Fox agrees.

* * * * *

I spent an eventful week in Columbus with my second-born - here are all the details:

Suitcase Signals

Fox In The Snow

Picking Pumpkins

The Bean

The Gorilla And The Flamingo

Doughnut Vault

Wells Street Bridge

The Rookery

Flamingo Again

Wabash Arts Corridor

The Berghoff

Glossier Pop-Up

Bookcase Bonanza

News Trend Sunday Morning Munchies|Actual

This week's fare was a kecil omelet with chicken sausage,

Monterrey jack cheese, onion and some salsa on the side.

On Sunday mornings, long before my body clock is ready, I wake up and haul myself off to church. I go because I want to go, but by the time worship is over, all I want to do is crawl back into bed for a nap.

And eat. First I want to eat.

A quick scramble of eggs with some interesting tidbits - whatever is hiding in the back of the fridge. Or sausage on toast. Maybe a toasted bagel and a little cream cheese Doesn't have to be fancy; just warm and hearty enough to help me drift off to sleep.

For the past few months, my husband has been cooking me a post-church pre-nap meal. This is usually the one and only meal, all week long, that someone else prepares for me, and it is quite a treat to be served this way.

Sunday mornings have never tasted better.

News Trend Picking Pumpkins|Actual

^ Nobody puts baby in a corner pumpkins.

^ Seattlites in winter pumpkins.

^ County fair prize-winning pumpkins.

^ Captain Hook and his mateys pumpkins

^ Sunshine and shadow pumpkins.

Here in Columbus, I'm visiting my daughter who wanted some pumpkins so off we went to scout out the neighborhood grocery stores and see what we could find.

Only a few years ago, this task was infinitely more simple.   A pumpkin picker’s choice was limited to the classic orange pumpkins. Some were a bit bigger than others; some more perfectly round than their oblong friends. That was about as complicated as it got.

But in today?S pumpkin marketplace, we find endless variety.

Pure whites.

Tiger stripes.

Lumps and bumps of all sorts.

Mini pumpkins.

Great pumpkins.

And on and on it goes.

It took us a fair amount of searching but eventually we found exactly what she wanted. And so another mother-daughter outing ended with some perfectly picked pumpkins.

* * * * *

An eventful week in Columbus - here are all the details:

Suitcase Signals

Fox In The Snow

Picking Pumpkins

The Bean

The Gorilla And The Flamingo

Doughnut Vault

Wells Street Bridge

The Rookery

Flamingo Again

Wabash Arts Corridor

The Berghoff

Glossier Pop-Up

Bookcase Bonanza

News Trend Fighting Back|Actual

My mom spent countless hours playing cards with with my girls as they were growing up.

She and my second-born (whose face is hidden behind the tree) particularly loved Five Crowns,

and even though my mom groaned when my daughters won, I know she was secretly proud of her sharp-witted grandkids.

My mom always had a sharp mind.

She was quick.

She was clever.

She was usually one step ahead of everyone else.

And even though Lewy Body Dementia eventually took much of her brain and eventually her life, she fought back long and well.

* * * * *

Last night I stumbled across an article about how to get your loved one with dementia to go to a doctor's appointment. Oh yes, that was always a tricky maneuver with my mom. The article laid out a lot of good suggestions, ones that worked for my mom and me:

• Do not announce the appointment ahead of time. On the morning of the appointment, simply slip it into the conversation that you'll be going out together. My mom didn't necessarily mind seeing doctors, but the anticipation totally stressed her out. I came to see that my secrecy was a gift to my mom's peace of mind, and I stopped feeling guilty about my manipulation.

• Make sure to schedule the appointment midday so there's lots of time to get ready. My mom did not like to accept help in her dressing routine, and it took a lot of patience to let her do things herself. I would sit on the couch and breathe deep.

• Write down your biggest concerns and privately hand them to the doctor's staff before going in to the exam. Sly as I tried to be, my mom usually noticed and asked me what I had given them. "Paperwork," I would vaguely reply. And that seemed to work.

• If the doctor or staff direct their attention only to you, redirect them to your loved one. When doctors talked exclusively to me - and I was shocked at how often they would - I would simply not reply, look at my mom, and let her answer.

• After the appointment, if your loved one is mad, commiserate with them about that "awful" doctor. But stop short of undermining the doctor's instructions. I have so many memories of listening to my mom rant after doctor's appointments. All my years of mothering teenage daughters came into play as I remembered to acknowledge her feelings without getting too involved in the content of the conversation. These were helpful, healthy moments in our relationship and though I didn't always enjoy them as they were happening, I am grateful for them now.

• Plan to do something super fun after the appointment, so your loved one's outing will end on a high note. My mom was all about that Olive Garden soup and salad combo, and a few warm bread sticks always, always cheered her up.

The full article here has many more nifty ideas.

* * * * *

These tips brought back a lot of sweet memories of the times I had to maneuver my sick but still extremely clever mother into a doctor?S office. They really do work.

And my mom developed her own tricks too. During one visit, as we sat in the waiting room, I noticed that she was repeatedly checking and rechecking the lock screen on her iPhone, so I asked her what she was doing. ?Oh, this fool doctor never knows what day it is so he?S always asking me for the date. I memorize it before I go in.?

* * * * *

My mother has been gone two years now. My feelings about her passing are still mostly unprocessed; I'm still outraged at how she suffered, and I'm so strangely relieved that her battle is over.

But then I remember how her indelibly sharp mind fought back against that terrible disease, and I can't help but smile.