Ruthless

I had the pleasure of hosting my dear friend and former college-and-beyond roommate, Ruth, and Ruth's friend (and my new friend), Tamra last week. The two of them take a trip each year to visit a temple. This year they chose the Seattle Temple, and I got to accompany them to the Temple and to some scenic locales in our area. What fun I had!

They arrived last Tuesday afternoon. We went to Issaquah and Seattle Wednesday. We toured the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery--one of Annica's and my old "haunts" when we lived in Issaquah. We also sampled and bought (of course!) delectable chocolates from Boehm's Chocolate Factory. The weather was quite drizzly, but when we drove into Seattle, the skies cleared. Our next stop was Pike Place Market. What fun! We even purchased fresh salmon to take home and cook for dinner. We ate lunch at the famous Ivar's Restaurant on the waterfront. That evening, the ladies joined me for a fun night of doughnut making with our ward's Priests and Laurels. (We made Brigham's Buttermilk Doughnuts, reportedly a favorite treat of Brigham Young. They were scrumptious!)

We ventured to a spot I had never before visited in my 21+ years of living in Western Washington. We took the Anacortes-Friday Harbor ferry to San Juan Island. The weather cooperated nicely with our adventure. We feasted on a yummy lunch of Salmon Tacos and Chicken Gorgonzola Salad before heading out to explore the island. We visited the Pelindaba Lavendar Farm, an alpaca farm, and two lighthouses, and saw lots of beautiful, interesting spots in between. We took pictures of cute piglets and sly foxes, and saw a blue heron, a bald eagle, and some seals and porpoises. We were disappointed in our quest to see orcas. Ruth really had her heart set on seeing those magnificent whales; however, it was an amazing experience just to gaze quietly at the still waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and ponder the beauty before our eyes. We left happy despite not being able to see the whales. We parked the van in the ferry waiting line and went in quest of something to eat for dinner. We found a little cafe near the ferry dock and ordered some food. The proprietor was quite a bossy lady, and punished Ruth and Tamra with cold split pea soup and a less-than-desirable roasted vegetable sandwich. My turkey vegetable soup was hot and tasty despite the lack of turkey (only 1 small piece was found swimming in my bowl), and my wheat-free oatmeal blueberry bar was delicious. We fell into our respective beds quite exhausted that evening.

Friday we headed up to Leavenworth. The fall colors were vibrant during the drive to and from our destination. We enjoyed the Bavarian village shops. It was Oktoberfest, but we didn't stick around for the evening's festivities which I'm sure included a lot of beer drinking. We ate a nice lunch and then headed back to Redmond. We changed into our dresses and then went to the Temple. It was so nice to be with such delightful ladies in that setting.

I was sad to take Ruth and Tamra to the airport Saturday. I loved having them here, and my family enjoyed them as well. They showered the kids and me with gifts and paid too much for meals and gas. Rachelle sacrificed her bedroom and her time to help out. She spent 4 nights at her Carlson cousins' home so that Ruth and Tamra could have her bedroom. She was a nanny and chauffeur for her siblings which allowed me to spend so much time with my guests.

I've long considered Ruth one of my "guardian angels." She helped me through the roughest time in my life--the months before my marriage. She is a true saint! Well, now I'm "Ruthless."