Naughty Pine

IMG_0113
Originally uploaded by sasadler.

This is a very old tree up on Picnic Island in the upper lake.

A More Recent Photo of Stephen

And the rest of the remaining Sadler's

Stephen

Stephen
Originally uploaded by Jonathansadler.

Jon, my other brother, thinks this is Stephen. I don't. I think it is a girl. But I could be wrong. I also don't think the woman is our mother. But he is dead-on regarding the handsome devil in the stunning suit. That is, in fact, our father, otherwise known as Daddy or Chuck, or Uncle Chuck.

Happy Birthday Stephen. Many Happy Returns of The Day, dear brother.

The Mrs. Chens

images
Originally uploaded by sasadler.

My new job is so much like my Peace Corps job. There are not very many opportunities for me to say, yeah...it's okay. Complacency is not going to be a problem here. A gardener whom I'll call Richard, called to complain to me several times about Mrs Chen's bean trellis and how it was shadowing his garden, how she said last year she wouldn't plant beans there again, and how his whole garden was ruined by this woman who was probably old and confused and how she was lucky he didn't rip out all the plants and, and, and...

So, I decided to help mediate. I had tried avoidance, but that didn't work. He kept calling. And calling.

We have a new assistant in the office, less new than me, but new. She is a lovely woman, from China. Has lived here for 4 years. I asked her if she spoke Cantonese. Nope, only Mandarin. I needed an interpreter for Mrs. Chen. Mrs Chen arranged for another Mrs Chen to come. She speaks both Cantonese and Mandarin. So, I trooped up to the garden, 5 minutes late. Met Richard, the Mrs Chens and a Chinese man whom I don't know but he was helpful. Mrs Chen the 1st told her side of the story to the 2nd Mrs Chen in Cantonese, who told it to my co-worker, in Mandarin, who told it to me in English. They would speak passionately for several minutes, all 4 of them at once, and then my co-worker would turn to me and say, "She will move the Trellis in Oct. after she collects the seeds." One has to wonder what else was said.

After the resolution, the first Mrs Chen, hugged me. She is about 4 foot 8 or 9, has no front teeth, but an eager smile never-the-less, wore a little white hat, green polyester pants, and white tennis shoes. She is probably around 80 or 85 years old.

She thanked me profusely and began to cry. She had lost two nights sleep over this conflict. I wanted to put her in my pocket and take her home.

Two hours later I was hauling fortified beer bottles, crack pipes, razor blades and other detritus out of the garden when there was a woman who was so far out of it that when I told her to leave, she looked at me as though I was a dream. I called Seattle's finest, who, to there credit, was there 5 minutes later for a "Removal of Persons" I have learned this handy catch all phrase as well as more about drug paraphernalia than I ever really wanted. Yesterday this young guy was starting to light a crack pipe when I turned the corner and told him to leave. He nodded and moseyed on, slowly. Another guy who I've seen around but doesn't do anything disturbing was walking by, I asked him to tell the previous man to get the hell out. He did and came back to report that he had. I have a new strategy, developed at that moment, enlisting the help of one homeless set of folks whom I like to help move the ones that I need out of the garden, out. James was the hero for that moment.

As I said, this is a job that I love and I hate. All at the same time.

Opps.....I forgot I was a Lesbian

Yesterday I was at REI, that is Recreational Equipment Inc, for those who live on, well...the moon. Anyway, out of the corner of my eye I saw that salt and pepper dark bearded look that I seem to be drawn to. He came over and started talking to me, and I was wondering...am I flirting? And, if so, what the heck am I doing? It didn't take me long to realize that the man looked and sounded an awful lot like Len. No surprise to the friends whom I have already told this story to. Jean called right after the Len look alike walked off. I told her about him. She said, "If you ask him out, I'll ask someone out." A dare. Hummmm

I went upstairs in REI and there he was. We started talking again, and wondered around the store. I told him I was going to the NW Outdoor center to try out kayaks, where he, coincidentally has a boat stored. He said he would be there Saturday. Is that a date?

I came home and said to Kim, I have a date. Or I think it is a date.
Kim came running...."What???? Slow down. Tell me what happened."
I told her I met someone...and this person's name is Scott.

Kim said,"Oh..!someone forgot to tell you that you today are a Lesbian."

Apparently.

The Truth Will Set You Free

IMG_0161
Originally uploaded by sasadler.

I came back to the Red Cabin with Ellie and her BBFL (best friend for Life) Daphne one afternoon and told Laurie that I had never, in my 42 years of coming to Echo Lake, jumped off Fishing Rock. She changed into her suit and started hiking the hill to the rock with Daphne and Ellie and me in tow thinking..."I didn't say I wanted to jump off, I just said I had never done it..."

Laurie and I helped the children climb off the rock after she did her dramatic jump. I stood there, thinking. She climbed out and jumped off again to show me how Not A Big Deal it was. As she and the girls were treading water, waiting, waiting...and waiting for me, Laurie said, "Mama Sal lied. She isn't jumping in. Let's swim back to the cabin."

Just as I had pretty much decided to chicken out, Ellie chimed in. "Mama Sal does not lie. I am waiting for her."

So I jumped. While the picture is not the splash I made, I am sure mine looked similar.