Spanaway Fantasy Lights 2016

Holiday lights in motion

Having managed to find a Christmas tree yesterday (see previous post), we rounded out the night with a trip to the Pacific Northwest's largest drive-through holiday lights show, the 22nd annual "Fantasy Lights" show in Spanaway Park.  Over 2.5 miles of park roadway, driving in a toasty car at 5 mph, you get to view every permutation of holiday theme.  Frogs in Christmas trees? Check.  Aliens flying in for Christmas? Check.  Dinosaurs and dragons?  Check.  Elves? Of course.  20' fuzzy red teddy bear?  Check.  Christmas lobster? Check. Pirate ship?  Of course.  I've been to Fantasy Lights a few times, and they keep adding to it.  Local technical colleges and a local high school create many of the displays.  The rest were purchased 22 years ago.

Your ride is enhanced by holiday tunes played on your car radio.  And all of this, for just $14.00 per car load.

I'm offering up a few images here, but you need a sophisticated camera (or a better photographer) to really get a sense of the scale of these displays.  Check out a video here.

My sister Alyce drives us past the famous lighted pirate ship. 

Spanaway snow and the tree saga

Snow at my parents' house in Spanaway, WA

So I'm visiting my folks in the suburbs of Tacoma, Washington, in a town called Spanaway.* I arrived on a Wednesday afternoon, cold to my bones.  That night we had a nice dusting of snow.  Only Spanaway was so blessed, because when I checked the news, it was business as usual in Seattle to our north.  We settled in to some breakfast, and then headed out around 10 a.m. to Cox's Christmas tree farm in Eatonville, WA.  Except when we got there, there was a big closed sign.  But all was not lost. Another sign said they would be open at noon.

The gate at Cox Christmas Tree farm. 

So we continued on to center of the old mill town of Eatonville (pop. 2,800), named after Mr. von Eaton.  My brother Adam teaches at the middle school here, so my parents are familiar with all the haunts here, and we proceeded to Mashel River Park, to take a brisk walk in the snow.  My feet were cold, but it was a pleasant short walk.  The river was once teeming with salmon, and you can still see the remains of the Indian fishing platforms along its banks. On our walk we encountered only one other brave soul.  Temperatures in the 30s are not the norm in the Pacific Northwest, so most of the locals were sensibly inside with their coffee.

Roger (Dad) walking the Mashel River trial.

Roger and Mary (Dad and Mom) trying to stay warm at the Mashel River trial

After getting our blood circulating from our walk in the park, we had an early lunch at the local hotspot, Bruno's.  My parents tell me that this place is usually jumping and sometimes there is actually a wait. But not today.  We settled into a booth, had our early lunch and went back to Cox's Christmas Tree Farm.  It was past noon, but it was still closed.  Turns out, it was closed for the season.  But all was not lost.  Down the road a piece, someone had turned their front drive into a Christmas tree lot.  We bought a pre-cut tree, loaded it into my Mom's mini-van and were on our way.

Cox's Christmas Tree Farm was closed, but a local entrepreneur down the road was open for business

Mom and local entrepreneur.  No cutting required.

On the way back to my parent's house, the sun came out.  A rare event this time of year.  "Wow," my mom exclaimed, "that sun is hurting my eyes!"  But the sun soon winked out, and we safely made it back home with our tree.

Setting up the tree.  All's well that end's well. 

*As my sister Alyce explains, Spanaway got its name because it spans between Tacoma and Mount Rainier.  Wikipedia tells me the name is actually an adaptation of the Indian term Spanueh, which means "dug roots," or a place where there are edible roots.  I think I prefer Alyce's definition.  

Succulent Cafe, Carlsbad

Today is a good day to visit the Succulent Cafe. 

The creators of the Succulent Cafe in Oceanside had such success that they recently opened a branch cafe in Carlsbad.  Tucked away on Oak Ave., near a coastal trail and Rebecca's Garden, the new Succulent Cafe is still a work in progress.  But as the name implies, it is full of succulents.  In the roof's drainpipe.  In funnels.  In ladles.  In old blue jeans.  Right now, the cafe just sells good coffee and good pastries, but it looks like they will expand to brunch and lunch.  If not, it's still worth a visit for the good plant vibes.

My friend and colleague Christina takes a break in front of a wall of succulents. 

Fun with funnels.  

Ronald Reagan Library

Steven Chessler as president?

Though some of you might have preferred my husband as the next president of the United States, our 45th president will be in fact, Donald Trump.  Since we're in the Los Angeles area for Thanksgiving, Steven and I decided to take a look again at the Reagan Presidential Library.  While Trump was a definite surprise winner of the electoral college a few weeks ago, Reagan trounced Carter even more soundly in 1980 and Mondale even worse in 1984.

The Reagan library sits atop a hill in the Simi Valley, and just the view is worth the visit.  We visited the second busiest day of the year -- two days after Thanksgiving.  (We would have visited the day after Thanksgiving, except for the broken engine mount in our car, which required an overnight visit at the dealership and a rather large bill, but that's another story.)  We parked on the hill that winds its way up to the library, and shared a shuttle ride with a teacher that visits the center frequently with her students.  

I visited the Reagan Presidential Library many years ago.  I remember the view and the piece of Berlin wall adorned with flowers and butterflies.  That is all still there.  The museum now has more interactive features than I remember, including the teleprompter display above where Steven pretends to address the nation.  We also viewed Reagan's notebook of quotes, which he collected for years and used for speeches.  We also viewed the suit, with bullet hole, that he wore for the first and last time on the day of his attempted assassination.

What was missing was any mention of his first wife Jane Wyman, and his starring role in Bedtime for Bonzo.

[Update: Another visit to the library on November 29, 2025] This time we had neice Ann and nephew Hayden with. It was again two days after Thanksgiving, and plenty of parking in the regular lot. (Are people forgetting Reagan? Or was coming in the afternoon the key to better parking?) Benjamin tells me Jane Wyman is indeed mentioned briefly in Reagan's early Hollywood career. But bedtime for Bonzo was still absent. Otherwise, it was as I remember it. And Trump is again the president, himself now having survived two assasination attempts. And our enemies (China, Russia, bad actors in the Middle East) are still are enemies.

Lake Arrowhead, Again

Samuel views the vista at Lake Arrowhead

Another year, another MSTP conference at Lake Arrowhead!  Samuel and I tagged along with Steven to the conference on Halloween weekend.  Steven is an advisor and we're guests. Lodging, and a complimentary UC Irvine Medical Scientists Training Program beach blanket, were all included.
Last time we came, the lake was completely socked in and it was cold enough to see your breath. This year, it was practically balmy, so we took the East Lake loop trail along the lake and admired all the mansions and elaborate docks.  The receptionist at the UCLA Lake Arrowhead Conference Center, where we are staying, informed us that most of the homes in the area are vacation homes.  All that square footage remains sadly unoccupied throughout much of the year.

The North Shore Tavern, circa 1932, before it became UCLA's Lake Arrowhead Conference Center

Lake Arrowhead, nestled in the San Bernardino Mountains, was a getaway for L.A. celebrities in the 1920s through the 1950s.  You took a boat across the water from Lake Arrowhead Village to the North Shore Tavern (pictured above) for some R&R.  In a fit of philanthropy, the tavern and surrounding acreage was offered gratis to the University of California in 1957.  UC accepted.  The tavern is now the main lodge where conference goers can listen to lectures on topics like "accurate diagnosis of sepsis" while catching a glimpse of the lake.  At night, you can snuggle up in one of the 42 "condolets" which come with sleeping lofts and a fireplace.  Cut wood is conveniently provided just outside your door.  WiFi (photo below) and electric vehicle charging stations round out the amenities.

Steven ignores nature and tends to his smartphone.

Chesslers try HelloFresh

Our first HelloFresh box arrives. 

At the Chessler household, we have been regularly receiving coupons to try "meal kit delivery services" like Hello Fresh and Blue Apron.  You probably have too.  After some Internet research, and a little recent bad publicity for Blue Apron, we decided we'd give Hello Fresh a chance (plus the $50 off two weeks' worth of meals was a good nudge).  Consumer Reports ranks Hello Fresh as "excellent" and Blue Apron as just "very good."  The price for Hello Fresh is a little higher, but they say you get what you pay for.  

One box per meal. 

So our refrigerated box arrived Monday evening and it felt a bit like opening a present.  We ordered three meals so we got three boxes containing ingredients for those three meals.  Beneath the boxes, and underneath two big bricks of ice, was our meat.  (If you're concerned your produce and meat will warm up while it's sitting on your porch, I wouldn't worry.  I unpacked our box and left the empty box (with icepacks) sitting in the living room overnight and it was still cold the next day.)

Ingredients and recipe for coffee-rubbed tacos.  (Steak is in the fridge).

Except for oil and salt and pepper, all your ingredients are provided, along with a very nice recipe booklet.  There is a certain zen quality to having everything you need assembled in its own box. And the produce was exceptionally fresh. Having said that, you still have to chop up that produce. It's not like zapping some frozen food from Trader Joe's in the microwave.  On the other hand, there is no improvisation of ingredients (I have, I confess, improvised a little too freely with my recipes in the past, as family members will tell you).  And if you follow the well written directions, you will be rewarded with a good meal that passes muster with the teenage son. 

Produce chopped; ready to cook the steak. 

 Our experiment with a meal kit delivery service continues.  Our first two meals were quite delicious, in my opinion.  Does such a service save money?  Maybe, if you cut down on grocery trips.  Definitely, if  you cut back on eating out.  I think it's not completely about the money. Hello Fresh touts their service as "more than food." They're selling food adventure.

Have Suit. Will Debate.

Samuel models official debate uniform. 

It's a Saturday in October and I'm at a high school for the big event of the day.  No, it's not football or lacrosse or track or soccer.   It's Speech and Debate.  Many moons ago I myself was a debater and now my son Samuel is continuing the tradition.  The consumption of junk food and bonding over "evidence" and "cards" continues, but now the uniform of choice is the suit, preferably black.

Samuel started his day at 6 a.m., donning his suit and trying to remember how to knot his tie.  He grabbed his printed speeches, and he and his bleary-eyed parents drove up to Mission Vista High School in Oceanside.  Steven and I are both serving as judges (no experience necessary), so it's now officially a family activity.

After observing several types of debating events, Samuel settled on Congress. In Congress, high school students become senators debating bills.  Each kid gets three minutes on the floor to debate their position on the bill, with one minute of cross-examination.  Samuel prepared speeches on four bills and I heard them all last night.  I can say unequivocally that they were all brilliant.  Of course, I am his mother.  What other judges (read, other kids' parents) think of his performance may vary.

p.s. After a rousing beginning judging two Lincoln Douglas debates, I sat around for many hours waiting to be called to judge again. Thank goodness for my Kindle!  After an unfortunate delay due to tabulation software problems, I was called again to judge, this time the novice Congress finals.  This of course meant that my son and his spectacular speeches had *not* made it to finals.  (Granted, this was his very first tournament ever.)  Having never judged this new fangled event "Congress," (they didn't have that back in my day), I was a little nervous. But it was the absolute last event of the evening, and everyone was desperate to get home. I accepted the challenge, which involved ranking all participants, all fourteen of them, and writing out evaluations for each one.  Using a seating chart, I scribbled notes for 45 minutes during the event, which centered on a bill applying Sarbane Oxley requirements to nonprofits, then scribbled notes on ballots for another twenty.  I was on fire! (Also, the A/C had been shut off by then.)  Many of the participants, teens in suits, shook my hand and thanked me for judging, and that made it all worthwhile.  I drove home in the dark, exhausted from all the mental fatigue, but ready to do it again.    

Boise and pickles other stuff

I have just returned to San Diego from Boise where I was visiting my friend Kathy.  Never fear, I still have some posts left in me.  Also, it's projected to reach 102 today in San Diego, and I prefer to hide inside with the air conditioner and my MacBook.

Lucky the cat in Kathy's garden.

In addition to Basque adult beverages and urban garden tours, Kathy and I decided to make full use of her bountiful garden, and make "bread and butter" pickles.  Bread and butter pickles contain no bread and no butter. The name apparently refers to the dark days of the Depression when you buttered some bread and threw a few pickles in and called it a sandwich.  These pickles are slightly sweet and maximally sublime with just the right blend of vinegar, sugar and spices.  We used the the recipe from Food Wishes (Use Google to find "bread and butter pickle video recipe").  Most of the ingredients Kathy had on hand, though the mustard seeds required a walk to Albertsons.  Luckily, this also allowed me the opportunity to purchase a Boise State Broncos t-shirt.  We "borrowed" the red jalapenos from a neighbor's yard whilst unloading a too-big cucumber on Charlotte, the neighborhood pig (see previous post).

While visiting, or trying to visit, various urban backyards on the Tour de Coop (see previous post), we sliced and salted and simmered our pickles.  See visual details below.

Freshly sliced cukes, soon to be covered with kosher salt.
The little cukes are Mexican spicy cucumbers. 

Salted cukes, with spices, sugar and vinegar.

Kathy stirs the masterpiece before cooling.
(We let the pickles finish cooling while we went to the movies.)

Final step, filling the jars.  We left the last pickle jar open for easy noshing.

So sometimes it snows in Boise.  Kathy is prepared.  She has knit herself a hat and a scarf, a hat scarf. See picture essay below.  I'd knit myself one too, but I might develop heat exhaustion in the non-snow of San Diego.  

Step1. On wintry Boise nights, knit scarf hat in cozy living room.

Step 2: Don and wrap scarf hat. 

Step 3: All set for Boise blizzard. 

Boise's Tour de Coop

Koontenai Street backyard.  "Happily Ever After" this way. 

Day #2 of Boise off the beaten track.

There is nothing better on a sunny September day in Boise than touring urban gardens and running around with the chickens.  Boise's Best Flower Shop (real name) puts on a Tour de Coop every year with verdant backyards, clucking chickens, butter cookies and new t-shirts.  They also were holding a raffle, for a new chicken coop, a bicycle, and our favorite, a painting of a monk and chicken (see below).  Kathy hopes she wins the painting, but will settle for the chicken coop.

Betsy shows off the monk & rooster raffle prize. 

Visiting with the chicken (the other was in the coop.)

Our first and longest visit was to a house on Kootenai Street that looked like a retreat for elves, but we sneaked a peak anyway.  The backyard was a child's delight of hidden paths with benches and swing sets and a lamp covered in ivy.  A red chicken strutted around us as Kathy and I relaxed with punch and banana bread.  A sign to our left pointed to "Happily Ever After."  We agreed lounging in this backyard felt like happily ever after, but pickle duty called.  See next post for all pickle details.



 

Boise's best vegan

Slow night at Shangri-La.  

"Cheesy" kale chips

After our long tour of downtown Boise, Kathy and I didn't feel like cooking dinner.  Instead, we went to the local vegetarian/vegan joint, appropriately named Shangri La Tea House and Cafe.  The cafe is in a nondescript business park but it sits across from the Boise River.  Kathy tells me it sits on a flood "bench."  You are immediately encased in a zen zone, with Divine Lotus tea and calming sleep tincture.  The waitresses, having not eaten meat or dairy in months or years, are fresh faced and happy.  We started our repast with "cheesy" kale chips, pictured above.  Surprisingly good.  Then I had tuna melt, without the tuna.  Also, surprisingly good.  Then I topped it off with chocolate overload (Overlord) torte, likely all organic.  Also, surprisingly good.  Kathy had some kind of nutritious chocolate pudding, which was just a little too nutritious.  Meanwhile we eavesdropped on the waitstaff chatter and discovered that the waiter and waitress were two of a set of quadruplets. Then the music started up.  The guitarist was a white haired gentlemen who played some riffs on the backstage and told the three diners to not feel obligated to stand and applaud.

We left sated and with a tincture of organic linden leaf and passion flower to help with any insomnia. A delightful evening.

Boise's Charlotte the Pig

Charlotte the pig accepts a slightly overripe cucumber from Kathy

So I've been visiting my friend Kathy in Boise.  She said we should visit Charlotte down the street.  I said fine.  She grabbed a cucumber from her garden that was a little past its prime.  I thought, will Charlotte mind it's a little past its prime?  Charlotte did not mind at all.  It turns out Charlotte is the neighborhood pig and she welcomes your garden excess.  She took that cucumber with great gusto and thanked Kathy with a few delicate pig grunts.

Tomorrow Kathy and I are making bread and butter pickles from her abundant cucumber harvest and we needed to pick more cucumbers.  Kathy came across another cucumber that was too big and too ripe. She said, "We'll save this one for Charlotte."  That's how the gardener rolls in Boise.

Boise's Freak Alley

Freak Alley Gallery, a Boise institution since 2002

Most people think alleys are for trash bins and small cars.  In Boise, they can also be works of art. Since 2002, an alley in downtown Boise has been beautified anew each year with exceptional street art.  As our tour guide Bill walked us through what is now a swirl of art, we happened upon his boss, who stood against a wall of art, while her body was painted to match.  Now that's supporting the arts.

Can you see the person in the art? 

Enjoy additional art below.  

This and that in Freak Alley.

There's art on that alley wall. Close up below. 

A face in the crowded lines.

Last supper? Anubis? Aliens? All of the above.

Boise Basque

The Basque have their own museum in Boise

Kathy and I enjoy Basque food and drinks at Bar Gernika.

  

The Basque are big in Boise.  For those not familiar with this ethnic group, the Basque are a friendly folk that originate in Spain and France.  They have their own unique language of unknown origin that looks somewhat like a combination of Greek and Olde English.  They build Frontons and play pelota. (Think racquetball played with sticks in large barns.) They have big outdoor weddings.  They combine wine and coca cola and call it Kalimotxo. (See picture above.  Surprisingly good and surprisingly strong.) Above all, they are very welcoming.

How do I know all this?  Because my friend Kathy and I went on a tour of downtown Boise, sponsored by the historical society.  We started our tour at the Basque Museum, across from the Basque Market and the Basque square where they were setting up for a Basque wedding.  Our tour guide Bill, most recently of New York, had no previous experience with the Basque.  But he saw an ad for singers for the Basque choir when he first moved to Boise and decided, why not?  He called the number and spoke to a Basque gentlemen with a sonorous voice and told the gentleman he knew no Basque (considered one of the hardest languages on the planet to master), was not Basque, and couldn't really sing that well either.  The Basque gentleman paused for a moment, and then said, "Perfect."  Bill has been a fan of the Basque since.  And now I am too.

Boise breakfast

Breakfast in Boise

So I'm visiting my friend Kathy in Boise, Idaho. This is the state that, as my son Samuel says, has the audacity to separate Montana and Washington.  Today Kathy and I are going to look at Basque architect downtown, but first I had a Boise breakfast in Kathy's cozy dining room.  This consisted of toasted Bigwood Bakery multigrain bread from Ketchum, Idaho, topped with apricot jam made by Kathy's friend Margaret, accompanied by Kathy's homemade bran muffin. On the side were fresh raspberries (imported from California), and some French pressed coffee.  Yum.

Relaxing at Sirena del Mar, Cabo San Lucas

A series of pools on the cliffside.  Jacuzzi is on the right 

One of several lounge decks at  Sirena del Mar.  Two more decks step down from this deck.

August and September are slow months in Cabo San Lucas, undoubtedly due to the heat and humidity.  That does not mean you can't completely relax, especially at one of the many resorts lining the Sea of Cortez.  We had selected Sirena del Mar as our resting spot, which is part of Welk Resorts, and is part time-share and part hotel.

View from our hotel of El Arco (with a little camera zoom). 

It is perched on a cliff with a view of the iconic El Arco, a natural rock arch that divides the Sea of Cortez from the Pacific.  While other resorts have more total pool area, Sirena del Mar has just two pools and a jacuzzi.  But both pools are infinity pools that look out on a beach and rocky shoreline. The larger pool, kept at the temperature of bathwater, ends at a convenient swim up bar, where you can get a Cabopolitan and other inventive drinks.  Some guests never seem to leave the pool, except perhaps to play put-put golf poolside, led by an enthusiastic hotel employee. (The golf ball is replaced with limes, and if you make the shot, you get a free margarita).  

Samuel wading into Sirena del Mar's larger infinity pool,  at dusk.
A tropical storm has just passed through, so it is still overcast and the pool is deserted.

We switched rooms on our last day, so had a chance to check out different types of rooms.  All lend themselves to complete relaxation, with couch, dining table, kitchenette and bedroom.  Below is a shot of Steven and the boys after we had just arrived from the airport. Note how rest and relaxation has begun.

Chilling in our room upon arrival.