Bumfuzzled

It's getting a little cray-cray around here. Cases of wine are stacked in our dining room. Cases of Camping Journals are stacked in the butler's pantry. Boxes of wedding supplies are stacked in my office. Boxes of things for the casita in Indio are stacked in the garage.

I can honestly say, I am stacked.

These things will all be stacked into the basement of our motorhome in just a few days - and we will drive to Palm Springs.

We are bringing Oregon to the desert.

But enough about the wedding... tonight we entertained Ali & Pat (of Bumfuzzle fame), along with their two toddlers, Ouest (pronounced kinda-like West) and Lowe. Ali & Pat do what we do - travel - except they do it in a sail boat (usually) and have two babies and are just a few years older than The Lovely Lisa. Ali and I started emailing back/forth several years ago. They were on their boat in Mexico. She was pregnant with Lowe. Lowe was born just 11 days after Leo. She reads my blog. I read their blog. Lowe is far ahead of Leo in the "gross motor skills" department. Lowe is walking like it's his job! Lowe is just so sweet - a real Momma's boy - and is quick to smile. He wasn't too sure about this Bubbe though. Neither kid wanted much to do with us.

Until ice cream was offered!

Not knowing what they liked (though from reading their blog it seems they eat everything) I may have cooked too much food. DT grilled Coho salmon and chicken. I made coconut-cilantro rice... but just in case the kids didn't like that, I made mac & cheese. (Whenever I make mac & cheese for kids, the adults eat it all, and tonight was no exception.) I served coleslaw from the deli and a platter of sliced Oregon heirloom tomatoes. Oops... and also maybe Focaccia and a tomato flat bread from New Seasons Market. Appetizers were carrot chips with hummus and figs stuffed with blue cheese. No one starved. And, knowing babies were at our table - everything was organic. Of course.

Come to think of it, the only items NOT organic on this table are the beer & wine.

We bought that high chair when our nieces were little. Delaney and Carla are now 17. Leo uses the high chair, though Lisa thinks it may no longer meet current safety standards. It works just fine. I steamed (organic, duh) broccoli, zucchini, green beans and carrots for Lowe.

Lowe & Pat


Ali & Ouest - chowing-down on my homemade organic buttermilk ice cream with berries

Pat and Ali are spending a few weeks off the boat, visiting Pat's Mom in Portland. Their boat is in Mexico - and it is just too hot in Mexico right now, so they escaping the heat to visit family in Oregon and Minnesota. Their plot didn't work very well - it has been wicked hot in Portland for weeks. Very unusual.

This is the only known photo of Pat with a wine glass in his hand. Pat is a beer drinker.

Ouest didn't warm up to us much, but she had a great time with the contents of our toy box (Lisa's childhood toys) and really loved watching our Betsy's Kindergarten DVD. DT sent the DVD home with Ouest.

Adorable couple. Adorable kids. Adventurous and free-spirited. Not that DT and are adorable or adventurous these days, but we lived in foreign countries and traveled all over the world with a toddler in our early years, so we have some feeling of Ali & Pat's life. The advantages and the struggles. We are honored they drove all the way out to the middle of nowhere to dine with us tonight.

Until my next update, I remain, your bumfuzzled correspondent.

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