Simple Quiet Celebration

We had a lovely New Years weekend, I hope you did too.  Our son Shawn, his wife Beth and our grandsons stopped by with her brother's new wife's sister and husband to show them the farm and meet us.  Then I went on with them to do a bit of sight-seeing in the gorge while Dayle spent the afternoon cleaning up the fallen tree debris.  The image below I just had to use as my first photo as it's so graphic.. it's the ceiling in the dome of Vista House.  It's octagonal but my iPhone would only capture this much of it standing directly under it.

But our first stop was Portland Women's Forum State Viewpoint.  How's this for a cold view of the gorge?  See Vista House?

Then on to Vista House -- here is one of the volunteers at the information desk.  Yes, it was that cold in there. 

Another shot of the ceiling of the dome.. the carved panels each have a different name of an Oregon Pioneer family to which the building was dedicated in 1918.  I virtually lived in this historic building for 15 years while I served as the Executive Director for the Friends of Vista House in the 80s and 90s.  

The building went through a 4 million dollar restoration several years ago.  I love this place.  It was a cold and windy day here today. 

On down the Historic Columbia River Highway to Latourell Falls - here are my grandsons, Gabriel and Michael. 

This is a favorite waterfall of mine.. Wahkeena.. local Native American for "Most Beautiful". 

We then went on to Multnomah Falls where Shawn treated us all to lunch in the warm and cozy Great Hall - I'd called ahead and reserved a table right in front of the crackling fire for the 7 of us.   After lunch I visited with the volunteers in the Visitor Center and ambled up to get a few shots of the falls.. with all the rain we'd had lately the falls were **roaring** and full. 

Misty, cold, roaring, wet... winter at the falls. 

I arranged the new yarn from KnitPicks in one of my African baskets.. I'm mulling over what I want to do with it. 

I've been picking up a few things off eBay for my dollhouse.  Below are a few of them.. two tiny baskets.. the one of the left is sewing.. the one on the right is a knitting basket.  I'll show you the other things soon - we're going to put the dollhouse where the xmas tree was.  I got the cutest tiny spinning wheel and some authentic Williamsburg Stieff pewter things, a pair of candleholders, a chamberstick, a bowl, platter, mugs.. can't wait to show you. 

We kept the boys last night so our son and his wife could go out for New Years.  The boys didn't make it until midnight, but hubby and I did and watched the ball drop in New York City.  This morning hubby made blueberry pancakes for all of us and we watched Looney Tunes cartoons for... way.. toooooooo.. long.  Then we met our son and his wife for dinner at The Country Kitchen and we all had some kind of steak.  Man that place is great.  Yum.  Now we're stuffed and content, sitting by the fire watching Pawn Stars on History Channel.  Ain't life grand!!??  


Thanks for all the fun comments on my 250th post.. you all are **AWESOME**!!  I'm just thrilled to have met you all and wish for you a FABOOOOO 2012!


((hugs)), Teresa :-)