Virtual Beer Tasting, Yes!

 A local marketing company that I do business with invited me to a virtual beer tasting.  I absolutely despise beer, but it sounded like something fun to do.  I signed up for it and invited my Dad to join me.  About an hour before the beer tasting, a package arrived on my door step from a local brewery, Lost Grove Brewing.  

The bag was full of fun things.  A bag of peanuts from City Peanut Shop and some wonderful chocolate from The Chocolat Bar.  There were also six cans of beer, each a different brew.  

The brewmaster walked us through each of the various beers while we sipped and snacked.  It was a lot of fun!  I learned a lot about beer and also a few fun facts about Idaho's contribution to the beer community, which is actually pretty significant.  Idaho currently ranks as the #1 barley producing state, of which 70% is used for beer bewing.  Huh!

At the end of the night, we each chose our favorite beer and will receive a pack of full size beers in the brew of our choice.  

I Almost Forgot, Halloween.

Wow, I am not sure how I missed posting Halloween, perhaps it was because it was like no other.  We did keep a few of our favorite traditions, one of which included pumpkin carving.  Although Kendall decided not to carve this year.  I suppose I will have to excuse her teenage self:).  I really did not like carving pumpkins while growing up.  As an adult, it is the bomb!  

I have discovered that I am actually quite good at it.  I appreciated Sidney's tenacity this year, as things did not go as planned.  However, she flipper her pumpkin around and stuck with it.  

We did not trick or treat, nor did we hand out candy.  Though their is a funny story.  Just before dusk the doorbell rang.  I had forgotten it was Halloween.  I opened the door, and there were about six kids.  Egads!   I ran to my candy stash and grabbed what I had left...Almond Joys.  I put them in the kids' bags.  One of the kids (the leader of the pack), proceeded to tell me he was allergic to tree nuts and did I have anything else.  Seriously, since when did trick or treating become so highfaluting?  Nope, I did not.  After that, it was lights out.  It felt awful not participating, but I really had not thought the whole thing through.  

Hannah stayed the night and the girls had a great time regardless.  Sidney started the night out as an adorable clown.

The three of them ended the night 'goth' and goofy as ever!

We Miss You, Daddio.

Yesterday marked two years since Kevin passed away.  Terrell, the girls and I started the day off with breakfast, then a trip to the cemetery.  It was so good to be together on a day that can be so filled with highs and lows.  The girls, in true form, were goofy as ever, which makes me forever grateful.  There are times when I truly wish that pulling the cover over my head and shutting the world out would be an option, but it is not.  For that, I am thankful.  Kevin would not approve of me hiding under the blankets.  He would want all of us to keep on living, so we do!  These girls make it easy to do that.

Sometimes it is so difficult to express what it is like to miss someone that was such a huge part of our lives.  I am very proud of Kendall, as she has been allowing herself to be more vulnerable and to express how she is feeling.  As with all of us, sometimes it comes out pretty and sometimes it comes out 'crunchy' (yes, crunchy).  Yesterday, she posted the most beautiful tribute to Kevin.  Here are her words:

Its been 2 years. 2 years since you had to leave this earth.  So much has changed. First off, I’m 13 now. Almost 14. Its so weird to me that I was only 11 when you had to leave. I think about you every day. A lot. All the time actually. But I have gotten a lot taller. Taller than mom, and Grandma Terrell and Grandma Karen. Almost grandpa. We are getting there. I took some online classes this summer. Did okay. I moved schools. I am going to West now. I miss the Farklers. A lot. But I still get to see them at youth group and sometimes church. Hannah has been amazing to me. I love her so much. I don’t know if I would be where I am without her. And I am still playing piano. I know you loved sitting in the sunroom and listening to me play. I got a keyboard in my room too. I love it. I still use the Grandma T’s piano though. Playing reminds me of you. You were so proud how I had found one thing that I was so passionate about. Grandma and Grandpa moved down to Boise. They live really close to Grandma Terrell. And she is still making food for an army every Sunday. She has grown so much. You would be really proud of her. Sidney and I are getting along a lot better. She has grown up so much. She is taking online school now. It is so good for her. And she rides horses too. You would be so proud of how good she is getting. She found her thing. It’s horses. I wish you could see her ride. She is incredible, and it makes her so happy. And Mom…She is working so hard. She is doing a great job raising us. You would be really proud of how strong she is.  I know you wish you could be here to help her. But always in spirit.  Anyways, as of early 2020, there is a global pandemic. Some people aren’t affected very much. Some die. We had to do online school in the spring. It was terrible. We weren’t in school after march. We have to wear masks around. Like the medical ones that we had to wear around the house when you were sick. The whole world has been in quarantine. But anyways, I miss you daddio. So much. And I love you. And I am so sad you had to leave but I am glad you are not in pain anymore. I love you. To the moon and back. A thousand times again.
Your daughter,
Kendall

Young Entrepreneurs.

The other day, I called my sister to tell her that the girls are 'stressing me out' with all of their entrepreneurial ideas.  She laughed and said, "They take after their mother. You always have something cooking."  She then proceeded to console me by telling me that it is good they have something to keep them busy during this very strange time.  I suppose she is correct.  Each of the girls have a business they have created.  I am super proud of their initiative, but it does make me a bit crazy.

Kendall and Hannah started a jewelry business.  They have been doing very well.  I never knew Kendall had such a marketing spirit.  You can check out their Etsy shop at DayDreamDesignShopCo.

They have been using all of their profits, thus far, to re-invest in the business and grow their product line.

They did an outdoor photo shoot the other day and had a number of the neighbors stop by and give them an encouraging word.  

Sidney continues to grow her dog bandana business.  She found a way to sell them on a local app.  She has even started to personalize them for $1 extra.  I love that she writes a blog to accompany the bandanas.  BaileysBandanas.blogspot.com/  Customers have been going directly to the blog to let her know which design they are interested in.

The girls took a picture and also made some cute new tags to accompany the bandanas they have for sale in a local pet grooming shop:  Marcie-n-Mack

Yes, it causes me a wee bit of stress, but I should be thankful for the experience that they are gaining.  It is also giving them something productive to do while we are staying at home.

It is...then it Isn't.

When I say this has been an unbelievably strange year, I know that I am not telling you anything you do not already know.  Well, Kendall managed to get a few days of in-person school under her belt, before it was back to virtual learning full-time.  We are not complaining, really.  It was inevitable.  Frankly, with the strangeness of the year, even Kendall prefers this option.  At least it provides a level of consistency in an otherwise unpredictable year.

Most importantly, she got to wear her sparkly white sneakers and school uniform for a few day!  She is adorable.  There is not arguing that!

 

Sidney has been cruising along, un-phased, in her online schooling.  I will say it again, it is astonishing the difference one year makes.  Last year was like pushing rope uphill...the whole way.  This year, she is owning her schooling.  She is taking charge, communicating well and generally killin' it.  The school is having a holiday cookie baking contest.  Sidney was incredibly excited about this.  The only requirement is that the school logo needs to be incorporated somewhere in the design.

She has clearly watched her share of the cooking channel.  She printed out a Christmas tree template and cut around it to make this giant tree cookie.

She spent hours baking and decorating.

Here is her final product.  I love it!  Pretty good for no intervention from mom (though I did agree to do the dishes...sucker).

This picture makes me laugh.  I told her to have big eyes.  I DID NOT say 'crazy' eyes.

Surfing, Shaving and the Sunrise.

When I was living in Point Mugu,  my friend and I used to go surfing at the Ventura - Malibu County Line.  There is a little restaurant there called Neptune's Net.  We loved this place.  We managed to make friends with a number of the regulars there.  I passed one of my t-shirts from there down to Kendall.  She wears it around town from time to time.  The other night we were in line at the grocery store when this older gentlemen leaned over and said "Mom, I like your daughters shirt.  I used to surf there all the time."  Small world!  It was so fun to connect with someone and learn that we knew a few of the same people.  

 

Sidney has been talking about getting an undercut for some time.  Last week, I took her to the Aveda Institute and we got it done.  She was so nervous.

It turned out absolutely adorable.  I have had this done on my hair before.  It is impossible to keep your hands off it.

I captured this beautiful sunrise the other morning.  Sometimes it is disappointing to take a picture and realized that my camera did not do it justice.  This time, the picture did not disappoint.  

McCall Getaway.

 The girls and I managed to get away for a fun weekend in McCall.  My sister and Hallie joined us.  We watched a ton of movies, talked, relaxed, walked and ate a ton of junk food.  It was great to see them.

Of course, we could not go to McCall without a trip to the lake.  It is so beautiful and relaxing there.

Bailey stayed with my parents while we were out of town.  He loves it there, but always seems happy to be home.  I guess he is just like us...loves a vacation, but there is no place like home!

The last time we were in McCall the pool was closed.  This time, we were able to reserve the pool for 30 minutes each day.  It does not seem like near enough time, but we were happy to get the little bits we did.  

The ladies utilized one of their sessions for a water workout.

Yes, I am embarrassed to say, we actually did devour all of this junk food:).

I had forgotten to pack my slippers.  Fortunately I found these toasty delights at the local market.  My toes were thankful.  It was chilly up there.  I think we had not yet adapted to the cold weather.

Keep Me in Your Heart.

November is hard.  Truthfully, October and November are hard.  As much as I try to sail through it, I cannot help but be filled with memories of October/November 2018.  The waves of grief are becoming a bit less overwhelming and further between, but they still sneak up on me.  Tonight I came across this email.  It was a song that Kevin had sent me not too long before he died.  Listening to it, I cannot help but think 'of course'.  Yes, I will keep him in my heart for awhile...a long while.

Eddie Vedder - Keep Me in Your Heart For Awhile (Warren Zevon).

Keep Me in Your Heart

Warren Zevon

Shadows are fallin' and I'm runnin' out of breath
Keep me in your heart for a while
If I leave you it doesn't mean I love you any less
Keep me in your heart for a while

When you get up in the mornin' and you see that crazy sun
Keep me in your heart for a while
There's a train leavin' nightly called "When All is Said and Done"
Keep me in your heart for a while

Keep me in your heart for a while

Keep me in your heart for a while

Sometimes when you're doin' simple things around the house
Maybe you'll think of me and smile
You know I'm tied to you like the buttons on your blouse
Keep me in your heart for a while

Hold me in your thoughts
Take me to your dreams
Touch me as I fall into view
When the winter comes
Keep the fires lit
And I will be right next to you

Engine driver's headed north up to Pleasant Stream
Keep me in your heart for a while
These wheels keep turnin' but they're runnin' out of steam
Keep me in your heart for a while

Keep me in your heart for a while

Keep me in your heart for a while

Keep me in your heart for a while