June is the birthday month for Anastasia (Anne) and John Lightfoot, Dan’s parents, whose passing left such a hole in our family.  Same to be said for Bernice (Nordsven) Nordstrand, who was Mel’s wife.  We remember them all with gratitude that we knew and loved them all.
        Jack’s granddaughter, Sharon Nancarrow, and her daughter, Amber Trigg celebrate birthdays in June as well.

        Closest to us is our youngest grandchild, Zoe Alice, who is Paul’s and Liz’ daughter.  This June marks her 16th birthday.  Can’t believe how quickly she is growing up.

Zoe with moonsnail...(see story below)

        Maybe we should have a crazy dream contest.  I had this one the other night. It was too crazy not to share.

        I dreamed I was walking my wheelie-walker down the alley when kitty “Princess” passed me riding on a skateboard.  She turned right at the end of the alley, and I started running down Latona, trying to stop her from rolling out into traffic on E Greenlake Drive.  I jumped up onto the seat of my wheelie and then vaulted upward to grab onto a branch of Peter’s big rhody, where I hung, yelling for help. A policeman appeared from nowhere and picked Princess off the skateboard just before she hit traffic.  He carried her up to where I was hanging from the rhody and bawled me out for “letting the kitty ride a skateboard”  I was still hanging there when the dream ended.

        At least, I woke up laughing….

From Liz:
“Just wanted to leave you with a little note about Zoe for the June edition (whenever you darn well please to publish it!).  Zoe turned 16 on June 7.  She promptly popped down to the local Subway, picked up an application, and began working there 2 weeks later.  So far she seems to enjoy it.”

        (Good for her! I’ve been hearing jobs are mighty scarce for high school kids this summer.)

More from Liz:
        “I will try to get a few pictures to you of one of our visits to Edmonds Beach during a -2.2 tide.  I have a very amusing picture of Zoe holding an irate Moon Snail in her hand (and over, squishily through, and up her wrist).  She also posed with a rather immense sea star that was wrapped around one of the pilings.  We guesstimated it was about 3 feet in diameter. I do love to take pictures at the beach!”

Zoe

Zoe

Zoe, Kaeli and Keri-Kay

Megan

Zoe

Leslie & John

Zoe & Molly

         I had the fun of seeing one of my stories published in my favorite “over 50s” newspaper, Northwest Prime Time.  Climbing Mt. Si in Midnight in the Rain is a zany memory of ‘way back when my friend Miggs and I were young and just dumb enough to make some wonderful memories.
        Other people like it, too.  Prestigeous HistoryLink has it on their website.
You can read it on the Dixie Press site under Dorothea Writes.

From Bunny Pfister:

“We have just returned from our first PIT project of the season.  We were in Montana south of a wide spot in the road known as Sula.  Our tasks included restoring an old Forest Service Guard Station and constructing a rail fence around the nearby pasture.  Helping with the rail fence was a new experience for me but glazing windows and applying daubing I've done before and find almost as fun as "knitting".  Gordon, as usual, was a Jack of all Trades and was kept busy with multiple tasks requiring his special talents and often creative thinking.  He loves to wrap his head around some new 'how to fix it' problem.  It was interesting to read that Nan and John had followed in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark.  We did the same thing - both on one of our Field Trip days on the project and then, of course, on our drive home.”

        (This made me think of my Dad, Gordon’s grandfather, who also loved to “wrap his head around” a problem.  He was known among our neighbors as Mr. Fixit, which was a cute play on our surname, Pfister.

        Vern and I also followed the Lewis and Clark trail when coming home from an Elderhostel in Montana.  We were taken with the beauty of the Clearwater River, which lives up to its name as it sparkles along. Now it carries river rafters along its current, but it is easy to imagine the boats of the party of explorers so many years ago.)

And, from Bunny, in response to my May story about May baskets:

“May day was always special when I was growing up, too.  I would  sneak out early in the morning and fill my school made basket with posies from the yard - put it on the porch - knock on the door and then run and hide.  One time - in later years - I went to visit my folks at their beach place bringing along my then baby granddaughter Amber.  I put her in a laundry basket along with a big bouquet of lilacs - set it on the porch - knocked on the door and hid around the corner with my camera.  Somewhere (probably in one of Sharon's albums) there is a picture of my Mom finding that basket on her doorstep.” 

And from Frank Withrow -

"Enjoyed you Dixie Press this month.  The weather here in Virginia is hot and humid.  It reached almost 100 yesterday.  My grand daughter Ryan had open heart surgery last month and I am going up to Boston over the 4th to visit with her and my youngest daughter Kirti.  Kirti has become a foster parent to sisters nine and seven year olds. Anne is meeting with her family in Fall River, MA so we have a busy weekend coming up. We are settled into our new home and I have my special reading nook."

(This is our grandson-in-law's uncle, who has become an e-mail buddy of mine since Thomas and Heather's wedding in the summer of 2003)

        Thanks to the folks who sent me notes to share with the family via Dixie Press. Keep them coming, please.

Today’s special thought:
        “What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity.” - Addison

Dixie/Dorothea, Senior Editor

ps - webmaster Nan has set up a new Google "SEARCH" feature in the left column. It allows you to search the entire Dixie Press site, including the archived Family News. Type in someone's name and give it a try!

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