BACK IN BALI AFTER SPENDING THE SUMMER IN THE STATES

We've been back here since the middle of September but haven't posted due to our extremely busy schedule! Just kidding!  Actually we have been kind of busy--hosting friends, the 8th Ubud Writers and Reader Festival (for which we volunteer and attend as many events as we can squeeze in), and working on house updates, repairs and improvements. And of course, spending some quality time with our pug, Milo, now 10 months old and sooo cute!

Sasha & Alicia

Darci & Friends

Our Turn to Feed Aaron

House on Lummi Island

 

Zoe & Palmer

Right now it seems like so long ago, but it was only July & August & part of September that we were with family and friends enjoying great weather wherever we went; wonderful food, both at friend's houses and at restaurants; and partying the nights away until we couldn't stand up any longer!

Willows Inn Birthday Dinner--Darci, Barbara, Sasha, Henry, Alicia, Aaron, Zoe, Jeff

The summer started in Seattle where attended the memorial celebrating the amazing life of our dear, departed friend and partner in our first house in Bali, Steve Bremner. We spent time with our Seattle friends and then drove and took the ferry to Lummi Island in the San Juan Islands where we had a (almost complete) family reunion.  We stayed at a beautiful and perfectly situated house on the Island and celebrated the birthdays of Darci, Zoe, Barbara, Aaron and Alicia at the now famous Willows Inn where Aaron is the Sous Chef and has helped in putting the restaurant on the international culinary map. 

Willows Inn Kitchen

After hangin' and chillin' in Seattle for another week or so we decided to drive for the next two months and take advantage of the invitations to stay with friends.(Aren't you the lucky ones.)

First up was up a stop in Eugene, OR for a meal with a friend from Bali; then south to Oakland (staying and sailing with Vickie & Kenny--who will be visiting us here in Bali very soon); Marin County, where we partied with Isa and Terry and their amazing -looking mother; had dinner with Michele in Sausalito; and a wonderful BBQ chicken dinner with my sister Joan & husband Steve at their golf club in Walnut Creek. 

Sailors

Barbara & Vickie

Ken & Vickie

[Much to my chagrin and disappointment I took very few pictures in the Bay Area, but made up for that omission afterwards.]

Dinner with Fran

Then down to Las Vegas and Fran's house for a couple of days of non-stop gambling (kidding!) and relaxing.

Mark, Gita & Barbara

We went to Crestone, CO to spend a night with Gita and Mark and were amazed by this small, funky town nestled against a number of 14,000 peaks. This place is a throwback to an earlier hippie era, replete with organic food stores, meditation retreats and all the tie dye you can wear. 

Palmer Serrano Alberter (Our cucu--grandson)

This was right before a few weeks in Lakewood, CO with Zoe, Jeff, Eli and our grandson, Palmer-- a year and a half and just so adorable.  Lots of fun with him! During this month in CO we cruised up to Steamboat Springs for a couple of nights with Jack and Brenda (who we met in Bali) in their cool house and cool town.

Jack, Brenda & Barbara

There was also five days in Santa Fe and hangin' with the homeys: a party with Andrea, Linda, Taz, Cherilyn, Mary Ellen and Jessie, Dinners with Angela and Harlin, and with Joseph, Julie & Adam and you know who you are. All along the way we ate in interesting and varied restaurants--some old familiar haunts and some great new places.

Cherilyn, Barbara, Linda, Andrea

 
Back to Colorado with Zoe, Palmer and Eli fora fun-filled night of camping near Vail before we flew to New York and a week on Staten Island with Barbara's sister, Alicia. 

Camping with Palmer, Zoe & Eli

The first few nights in New York saw Barbara go out to South Hampton with Alicia and (a visiting Sasha) to friend Brenda's house and some barbecuing.  I spent a night with my sister Paula and husband Stephen and had dinner with some old (like from way back in the fifties) friends who all looked faaabulous (we're all turning 70 this year) and we had our NY visit extended thanks to a hurricane! In the Big Apple we had a lot of fabulous dinners in some out-of-the-way neighborhoods including one on the boardwalk in Brighton Beach before strolling to Coney Island and a great fireworks show!

Pool in South Hampton

Coney Island Fireworks

Me with Alicia on the Brighton Beach Boardwalk

My Sister Paula & Stephen

Old Fogeys--Steve, Tommy, Hank, Vinnie, Joe

Holy Moly! Did we do all that?  Yes and more, because after New York and many museums and Ellis Island and a Reuben sandwich at Katz's, we went back to Lakewood, CO for more fun with Palmer, Zoe, Jeff & Eli, then a long drive back to Seattle and 
a final few days with Sasha, Darci & Aaron before the flight to Bali. WHEW!!

It was crazy, but fun and good to see so many people and talk, talk, talk. 


























So, now we are back in our house, which survived the summer months with all the guests coming and going, except for some minor work that we have since taken care of.
Peter and Annie Hall, our friends from Northern England were just here for two weeks and they had (I sincerely hope) a pretty good time.  Well, we certainly had a good time showing them around.