America the Beautiful

We were driving home from a one of our jaunts around our newly found home in Eastern Washington.

The time was just late afternoon, and the beginning of our Autumn sun color, and the harvests had begun early.  As we drove, I saw "O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain"

                                   

                                           For purple mountains Majesty . . . Above the fruited plains....

                                          America,

                                                     America!   God shed His Grace on thee...

                                                     And crown thy good with brotherhood,
                                                     From sea to shining sea

Linda's Theories:

Over the years, I have developed some of my own observations:

1)The 1st one being My Theory of Fat Transposition

Adipose cannot be dissolved.  It just moves from one person to another.  Like whenever
a friend loses 10 pounds, I usually   gain them.  I can't take them off unless I find someone
else to take them.

2) My Theory of Diets.

If you lose a great deal of weight by ordering special foods and their wonderful portions and
meals they have previously prepared for you, and when you quit and gain it all back, you finally
realize that:

A few people that are either models or movie stars have a very fast metabolism.  OR

The only way to lose weight is to starve--ALL OF THE TIME.  Face it--most thin people don't
eat.  When you go out for lunch, they order a small dinner salad.  That's it  No hot turkey sandwiches
smothered with rich turkey gravy, or club sandwiches made with 3 slices of bread each 1/2, and a huge bowl of clam chower with pie for dessert.....with diet pop  .ect.  Like ordering a diet drink makes the food binge OK.

3) My Theory of Death:

I lost my father-in-law,paternal grandfather, and  maternal grandmother right before my son, my
cousin's daughter, and my other cousin's son were born.  In other words, someone is born to take
their place.  My son is a lot like his grandfather--immersed in Boy Scouts, and a scout leader,
Love to cook, fish, and hunt;  etc.

4)

PERCEPTION!

PERCEPTION!

My favorite television show "Perception" was cancelled this year!  Even though the show was quirky, I enjoyed it immensely.  Eric McCormick plays a schizophrenic who has visions of the "perp" ( I hate it when crime shows use the terms "perp"  and "vic" over and over again as though they are really trying to be just like the real guys.  It is stupid, and terrible acting).

Anyway,  Perception is a word that fits the epiphany  I just had today, in regards to my real self, and how old I really am. I was at a gathering, and a fellow Presbyterian, whom I highly respect, was telling a story of what happened at his 55th high school class reunion.  I was stunned, because "I", super young "me", had just had my 50th class reunion, and I'm not nearly that old!  I figured that he had to be at least 80!

Then, I began to do the math.  If he was speaking about his event being a few years in the past, and then I added that many years to my age, perhaps it may be 10 years or so.  I realized that I was not that far from being what I consider what his age is,  Or maybe I look older than I think I look.
A person looks in the mirror and sees only what their brain thinks they they look like.  I had better either get a face lift, or except the fact that I am old!

I Love Summer!

We love summer.  It is very

TransRacial

Rachel Dolezal certainly surprised the news world with her adamant charade on being black, even though her biological parents are as white as can be, and insist that she is too.  She is shocked to realize that she is not black, even though her hair and appearance has been made over to look it.

I suppose there is no difference in her  claim to be in the wrong body, as I call a TransRacial, than the TransSexual.

Grandchildren

As you can see, I adore my Granddaughter Cailin Emily Arnold.  This picture is from her last birthday at Dry Falls.  Dry Falls is near Coulee City, Washington, and is part of Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park.  She went with John & me to camp in our trailer at Sun Lakes,  Dry Falls is a overlook site that has a wonderful little food stand that serves a variety of foods.

We had a a chicken Caesar salad that was pretty good.  They also had an Ice Cream Stand, so
we had to have an ice cream cone, also.  I haven't had one for years!  (really).

I live in Desert Aire, which is a resort community.  A variety of people live here, including
retirees, who live here full time.  Cailin and I had a glorious time swimming in the river.  August
is very warm (over 90 degrees), and by then, our Priest Rapids Lake is warmer.  Because we are
between two dams:  Wanapum and Priest Rapids Dams, It forms two lakes:  ours and Wanapum. 

We also went boating, and Cailin floated on the large inner-tube.  I am afraid I could not do that
sort of thing anymore.  But I will try this year!

Parker Gerrit Arnold is grandchild #2. He is photographed here at the Benton-Franklin Fair near Kennewick, Washington.  He is with us on the Tilt-a-Whirl.  We had a blast.

Parker is a Boy Scout, and won all of the metals available while preparing for "scout-dome".  He is in Jr. High, and like his sister, he plays the Viola.  Cailin plays the violin and cello, and is in the Concert Orchestra as a sophomore in high school.  Both are gifted beyond normalhood, says his Grandma!

Parker and Grandma cut greens for Christmas wreaths and decorations.  He replaces his Dad as my greens cutting partner.

Sunsets over the Columbia

Every evening close to sunset time, I go out to our deck to watch the sunsets.  Each night dresses up in her very best, ready to be photographed.  These are last night's shots, slightly pastel, and later in the setting of the sun.  A soft end to a very warm day.  I lazed in the river, sitting in my lawn chair, my feet up on a rock in the water.  As the temperature climbed to 92 degrees, I sunk deeper into the river,  Now, several hours later, the evening settles down to a soft good night.