Day 3 ~ Mt. Shasta ~ Out and about...

Kathi had a day of debriefing with her Breast Cancer Fund climbing group. Ruth and I headed into Mt. Shasta City to do some shopping and exploring. Day 2 of the yummiest almond granola pancakes at the Black Bear Diner.

I spied Fiestaware at the antique store window. But $135 for a flower vase was a little bit out of my price range.

Next was a lavender field at the Mt. Shasta Lavender Farms. We picked our own lavender and enjoyed the view while drinking lavender lemonade!

Lunch was at Ms. Lynn's Tea Room ~ a quaint tea room in Montaugue, CA. Montague is a teeny tiny town that is the halfway point between Portland, Oregon and San Francisco.

DORKIFIED! Lavender fields and tea rooms? It felt a bit like my "work duties."

Kathi's closing dinner and reception was on a perfect beautiful summer night.

So proud of you, KSR!

Tomorrow we head back home. A fun filled 13 hours of windshield time!

I hope that next summer we can have a Hughie family reunion at Lake Shasta! A houseboat or two and a week vacation!

Day 2 ~ Mt. Shasta ~ Kathi finishes her climb

After an amazing breakfast of almond granola pancakes at The Black Bear Diner we headed up to the Bunny Flat Trail Head. There is something magical about Mt. Shasta. I love the town... quaint and filled with outdoors-y friendly people.

I was happy to be a supporter and thankful that I wasn't the one climbing the 14,000+ feet. Sleeping in and being a tourist was much more my speed this vacation!

All of the supporters had signs... I made one for Kathi a while back that hangs in front of her treadmill. It says, "YOU GO GIRL!" And that's what she did. Every morning on her treadmill with 50 pounds worth of flour, sugar and canned goods in her backpack. I witnessed this, many a mornings... while I slept in on her futon.

Here they come! CONGRATS!

She made it. Kath had her own personal summit this climb. She climbed, in the snow, up hill to
reach 13,400 feet, just below Misery Hill.

Friends Forever!

Take note of her silver hoop earrings. She won the, "best dressed climber." That's Kathi, for ya'! She does everything in style!

Retelling us the route that she took.

Some creative treatment for blisters.

Jason, Kathi's AMAZING mountain guide. I hear you get close to someone when your life is in someone else's hands. Literally, as in, attached with a rope!

After some rest (and a nice neck massage for the both of us... Hey! Riding in a car is hard on the body!) we headed to the Community Dinner and Awards Program.

Kathi's group ~ Abby, Wendy, Amy, Kathi an Marcella

This woman, a previous climber and breast cancer survivor from Japan came to cheer on this years climbers. She made 1,000 paper cranes to symbolize good health.

YOWZERS OUCHIE-OUCHIE! These are some blisters. Here's Exhibit A of why I'm not real excited about becoming a mountain climber. (I spared you a photo of Exhibit B. When they say, "leave nothing behind," that includes any human waste. Everything, and I do mean everything, is carried back down the mountain!

I took a detour to take in the headwaters of the Sacramento River.

The water comes right up from the ground. Out of nowhere.

Here's Kathi getting her certificate ~ animated as always.

The Climb Against The Odds Climbers!

I stayed up way past my bedtime reading Breast Cancer Fund's research and findings. Everything from
California Senate Votes to Ban Bisphenol A in Baby Food and Beverage Products to No More Toxic Tub and obsessed with the findings of The Falling Age of Puberty in U.S. Girls: What We Know, What We Need to Know. I read the entire report, and you should too! It's amazing (and shocking) information!

Day 1 ~ Mt. Shasta bound!

My girl Kathi is climbing Mt. Shasta to raise funds and awareness for the Breast Cancer Fund. (More on that later).

Her mom, Ruth, and I are are her cheerleaders and drove to Mt. Shasta to meet her at the trail head and celebrate!

We left bright and early and made our trek up I-5. It took around 11 hours. Our first stop ~ Split Pea Soup stop at Andersen's.

We stayed in a chalet at The Mount Shasta Resort in Mt. Shasta City.

In response to the public health crisis of breast cancer, the Breast Cancer Fund identifies – and advocates for elimination of – the environmental and other preventable causes of the disease.
No more than 10 percent of breast cancers are genetic, and science increasingly points to toxic chemicals and radiation as factors in the sharp rise of breast cancer incidence. Through public education, policy initiatives, outdoor challenges and other innovative campaigns, the Breast Cancer Fund mobilizes the public to secure the changes needed to stop this devastating epidemic.

Kathi raised over $8,000 thanks to friends and family who sponsored her climb because they believe in BCF's mission!

Here's our little chalet. It reminded me a lot of Black Butte Ranch, the resort town that I grew up in. No laptop, little cell phone reception and a whole lot of peacefulness.

These are the prayer flags that the climbers carried to the summit in honor and in memory of all who have fought and continue to fight breast cancer. They read:



"The wind carries our prayers of
love, healing and remembrance.
May we all be well."



Ruth and I met up with the other supporters and made signs for the climbers.

KATHI ROCKS!

Tomorrow morning will head to the trail head to meet the climbers. They've climbed the mountain, figuratively and literally, one step at a time. They've trained and will push their bodies to the limit all in the name of Breast Cancer Research. Breast Cancer Survivors and those who care about the cause will be working together as a team to show that they care.

What a great cause!

Blake Ryan is THREE!

I started babysitting Blake when he was a newborn. And now he's three! He's hardly little anymore and the sweet, chill baby boy has turned into a feisty, very strong, active almost pre-schooler!

Blake either loves me or hates me. Last night he greeted with me a, "Get out of my house!" Followed by the insult, "You an idiot, LALA!" I told him we wouldn't be making a cake, to which he didn't miss a beat and added, "Oopsie. I sorry!" My other favorites are, "I LUB (love) you LALA," and "Just one more baba (bottle)...

Happy Birthday, Boos! I LUB you!!!

A day in Crestline

I had some work to do today in Crestline, CA. It's a beautiful and quaint little mountain town. Being that I drive by my friend Carolyn's house to get there, I convinced her that she needed a day off and should come with me! I did my work visit and she spent some time with her kids exploring Crestline and Lake Gregory!

I met up with them when my work was done. They had trekked up to 7-11 for slurpies and had already been to the used book store and spotted an a-ma-zing scrapbook store.

Elizabeth, Carolyn and Robbie

We had lunch at a great Mexican restaurant and then Elizabeth and I perused the Scrapbook store while the non scrapbookers snoozed.

A beautiful day with friends away from smog, traffic and noise. Perfect!

One last day in the Northwest

I had to get out of bed this morning. And let me tell you if I could have I would have stayed in bed a wee bit longer. My toes hurt. My nose hurt. And everything in between. Olivia brought me Advil to my bedside and that is never a good sign.

Tirza was busy in the kitchen making homemade from scratch waffles with oatmeal and do-it-yourself wheat and fresh strawberries from the garden. Far superior to my frozen Eggo's. She's domestic like that.

We headed out to Mt. Angel to pick strawberries. The above picture is the Mt. Angel Monastery. Monks chant several times a day.

Hand picked strawberries are 75 cents a pound.

You're looney if you think I was squatting down to hunt for berries. Olivia and Tirza enjoyed themselves and I took it all in behind my camera lens.

Olivia and her new hardware ~ braces! She's on her way to an even more gorgeous smile!

Tirza will freeze the berries and then can them. She cans. I don't can.

Our next stop was the Oregon Garden Resort. It is beautiful and I have to find a reason to stay there on my next trip up North.

Inside the lodge.

Shane and the girls came home from their Central Oregon weekend just after we arrived. I loaded up Mira and Annah with outfits for their American Girl Dolls and cheerleader outfits and pompoms for Halloween. Shopping for girls is my favorite!

Go! Fight! Win!

Annah Pearl!

The night rounded out with meeting up with Dana and riding back to Portland. We joined her hubby Nick and our brother Ken to watch the Lakers Playoff at Buffalo Wild Wings. I met a guy from the LA area who ran the same half marathon yesterday. He's run 13 and confirmed that yesterday's was the hardest one yet. Now I feel a *little* better of my slacker-dacker-ding-dong achy body-ness!

A jam packed long and fun weekend. I love Oregon and get to go back next month for Sonia's shower. My future sister-in-law is having her bridal shower the same weekend as the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. So I just had to book a flight! My friend Carolyn will be coming along too. Her first trip to Oregon. I can't wait to show her my old stomping grounds and the beauty and awesomeness of the Beaver state!