Salem, OR - Holy Week

Palm Sunday - up early for 7:00 Mass at St. Josephs with G&M.  Had a great breakfast at the Elks Lodge.  Gary decided to join the Elks - they have camping available at many of their Lodge parking lots across the country.  Back home and change - then we all headed for the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival out by Woodburn, OR.  40 acres of tulips in all colors and many different varieties.  Some looked like stars when they were open, others had variegated colors.  Beautiful.  Many of the people there had their little ones dressed up and were having them sit or lay in the rows for pictures.  Cute!  They sell bulbs at the festival and had concessions and kid games and inflatables there for an all afternoon outing.  We could see Mt. Hood in the distance, it was a beautiful clear day.
On the way home, we spied a winery sign, so ended up visiting the St. Joseph Winery.  They had a nice Chardonnay and some nice reds.  Heading home from there, we stopped in Silverton for a late lunch.  Back home, we rested and then went over to G&M's for supper - grilled burgers.

Fields of tulips

Mt. Hood

Little Miss and the tulips

Colorful

Grape stomper in training

Monday - up early for a walk, Marilyn joined us.  Breakfast and then back to work.  Gary went on a job run with Gary F. to Detroit, OR and lunch.  I worked on emails and cleaning the house.  That night we went to the Roadhouse in Salem for supper.  They have yummy fresh rolls with honey butter there too.

Tuesday - Friday  - Walk, work, then to G&M's to do laundry and shower.  Not feeling real well, so back home to rest.  Worked from home these days, except to run some errands for groceries and mending supplies.  Mass Holy Thursday night at St. Joseph's, tri-lingual (readings in Spanish and Vietnamese, Gospel English, Homily in Spanish and English and then Hispanic and Vietnamese choirs..and Latin Mass Propers!) and thenGood Friday night at Queen of Peace Church with Marilyn.  Great music Friday night, we really enjoyed the service.  For the Veneration of the Cross at the end of the service, they invited families, couples and others to come up.  It was very moving to see parents and children, couples and the elderly as they knelt and prayed at the cross.

Saturday -  Gary helped Gary get his camper out and ready to go for the season.  I baked apple pie for Easter dinner and made my pasta salad.  In the afternoon, we went to the house and I baked a rhubarb crunch dessert for Easter and did laundry.  Late afternoon we went over to see Tyler & Jen's new house and color Easter eggs with Nolan and Piper.  40 eggs, Gary had a great time helping Nolan color them all.  Gary F is now famous for creating a camouflage (Duck Dynasty) colored egg.  We had happy hour there and then went to Cafe 22 for supper.  Great prime rib sandwiches.  Home to visit, then to bed early for early Mass. 

The kids coloring eggs

Success!

Easter Sunday - to St. Joseph's for 7:00 Mass.  Breakfast at the pancake house and then home for walks and naps.  We went over to G&M's early afternoon and the boys and their families came about 5:30.  We had put treats in plastic eggs and hid them, so the kids had fun finding them, especially the little girls.  The older kids went out and played softball in the parkway behind the house, it was another beautiful day to be out.  The Easter feast was prime rib, hash brown casserole, pasta salad, deviled eggs - delicious - we all had to let that settle before we could have dessert.  It was very nice to spend Easter with family - our travels have allowed us to be with family on the holidays so far.

Ball player Drake & Umpire

Gary with Scarlett

       Happy Easter to our family and friends.                 

  

Marilyn and her girls.