Saying goodbye to our friends, children and the Pacific Northwest

It's amazing how much has to change when you leave an address, a city, work, friends, and family.  Steve and I have spent most of today going from place to place to get our lives disengaged so that we can travel for a few months to a year.

Yesterday, we had a gathering of us and all our children (3 natural, 1 "adopted").  It was wonderful to share a meal with them, talk and hug, but it still hasn't quite connected in my head that I will be thousands of miles away from the people that I love most in the world soon.  We met at Six Arms, a lovely little restaurant near Pine and Minor in Seattle and then crossed the street to go to the roof-top garden in the building where my oldest lives.  The city view was magnificent.  You can certainly tell that Seattle is currently booming; there were at least 10-15 cranes all across the city.

The family on the roof of my oldest's apt bldg.

Today, we took care of business: the bank, the School District, the phone company, the mail, and  Steve turned in his Volunteer badge at Multicare Tacoma General Hospital.  He's worked as an official volunteer there, among other things trimming the roses in the Mary Bridge Children's Hospital rose gardens.  It has been a commitment that he has enjoyed for many years.  While he turned in his "shears", I walked among the gardens that he so carefully tended and took some photos to share.  The care that the Multicare groundskeeping crew puts into making these gardens a quiet place to sit for hurting little patients, friends and relatives is inspiring.  I mean, look at these gardens.  The topiary are so easily recognized as playful animals and the roses have such heavenly scents.  There is a fountain, with the musical sounds of water dancing, and a statue of a child dancing right in the middle of the pool.  Steve kept these roses fresh and beautiful and I'm sure they have comforted thousands of people at a time when they needed it most.  He and the rest of the groundskeepers really make a difference in people's lives.