Tag Archives: Washington

Cartoon Graphic From a Cafe With A Good Vibe

Directly in the block across the street from the old Union Station in Tacoma is the Renaissance Cafe. We had some hearty salads there and this cartoon graphic was on the wall behind my son Chris. I thought I should share it. Isn’t it nice to go someplace for lunch that does NOT have wifi and people are actually eating and talking amongst themselves?

Cartoon graphic from the Renaissance Cafe in Tacoma, Washington

P.S. I am posting this from Vancouver, Canada. We are here for a mere 24 hour visit, are hoping that the good weather holds out, and we’ll be winging our way to Australia tomorrow night. If my posts are a little thin for the upcoming days, it’s because I am recovering from jet lag in Sydney!

Silly Games For Sale in the USA

Taking a break from places to see and family pics in Washington State to share these two games that I spotted in a vintage goods shop inside the Freighthouse Square mini-mall in Tacoma yesterday. Seriously, I couldn’t pass these photo-ops up!

Trailer Park Wars game seen in vintage shop in the USA

Redneck Life game for sale in a vintage shop in the USA

Family Time in the USA

It’s been an amazingly busy three weeks here in the USA and we are winding down to our last few days with more than a tinge of wistfulness. My sisters, Karen and Cindy, flew up to Washington State from California to come and visit with us while we were at my son Chris’s house.

The line-up below is as follows — my youngest sister Cindy, my next-youngest sister Karen, yours truly, my son Chris, and his darling wife Diane.

Family time in Tacoma, Washington with Cindy Hatton, Karen Heilbronner, Deborah Harmes, Chris Fowler, & Diane Fowler

On Friday afternoon we all went to the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. Here are some random pictures from that wonderful family-oriented museum.

My son Chris and his youngest son Ryan

My sister Karen Heilbronner helping my grandson Ian with an exhibit

My sisters Karen Heilbronner and Cindy Hatton helping my grandson Ryan with an exhibit

Ryan working with magnets and iron shavings

Mark and Diane after a wee visit to the gift shop

Stay tuned for another post with more images of this marvelous museum in Seattle!

Ever-Present Water & Volcano in Washington State

Two things are an ever-present part of life in places like Tacoma and Seattle and the surrounding communities — the many and varied coastline views and the looming but lovely Mt. Rainier.

Today’s photo is of Mark and my son Chris standing at water’s edge with Mt. Rainier over their right shoulder.

Mark and my son Chris standing at water’s edge at Puget Sound with Mt. Rainier over their right shoulder.

Beautiful Bouncy Boys in Washington State

Time for some more family frolics — this time in Washington State. We took a wonderful 3 and 1/2 day trip across the country on an Amtrak train — and I will have some images from that trip in an upcoming post. Now we’re in Lakewood, Washington just south of Tacoma visiting with my son Chris, his wife Diane, and their two little bouncy bundles named Ian (aged 5) and Ryan (aged 3).

All of the boys were out front the other day when it was time for Ian to head off to school. Each boy had some quick chats with Mark and then Chris walked Ian down to the bus and went on board with him. Know why? School buses have safety belts now and he was making certain that Ian was buckled in safely!

Stay tuned for more family frolics in the days ahead. As Mark said the other day, “This certainly is a different kind of travel for us.”

Mark and Ian (age 5) chatting before school

3 year old Ryan chatting with Mark on a rare & sunny Washington State day.

Chris walking Ian down to the school bus before school.

Chris on board the school bus making sure that Ian is buckled into his seatbelt

A Wanderful Life

The Neverending Journey