A Reach Thanksgiving Meal....

Our Reach Team serves homeless people in downtown Seattle. One service was a Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings. Each of us made portions for 45.
Some made great efforts to partake in our meal and celebration.

Some we transported to the Sobering Center because they live across town under bridges.

Drinks served at the Sobering Center.

That's Clover, the brains of our operation. She has vast experience planning these meals and organized us like a finely tuned engine.

Pies were cut and ready to be served (Pecan Pie was a real favorite).

Jen readies herself to begin serving.

Our maitre d' takes names and greets our guests.

A festive, happy group.

Some preferred to be in quieter surroundings.

Dawn and Ryan are case managers and ceaselessly advocate and coordinate services for their clients. They were hired 2 weeks before me.

Two young volunteer good deed doers and future voters.

Balloons are always popular and just make us happy.

She asked to have them "to go".

Clover enjoys a well deserved drink.
She estimates that we served around 135 meals.

A happy jay walker....

Ahhh, but sometimes things change and life takes a different course.
We don't always know what's in store and where we'll end up

Please consider donating money or your time to your favorite charity this holiday season and year around if you can.
To you and yours, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

We Prepare To Give Thanks....at Work

Remember those turkeys from the last blog? Well, they've been moved about 10 blocks away to the King County Sobering Center where 1) there's a big kitchen area and 2) we'll be serving dinner to about 100 of our clients.

To prepare, we all signed up for tasks. Somehow I also was included in the cutting up the turkey task. What my mind thought the duty would entail and what it turned out to be were two very different things. I worked with my colleagues, Ysi and Jeff; Fred (far right) works at the Sobering Center. Working with the guys was interesting--the conversation was extremely varied. Only one time did I have to scream, "STOP IT!"

Our carving task really was shedding, tearing and breaking so that we'd end up with only meat--no bones. We divided the meat into dark and white tins.

There were 14 turkeys and this got really up close and personal on a level that after awhile led to not being so interested in eating turkey. Also, Fred grew up on a farm and it was at him that I was forced to scream "STOP IT!"

Pull pull. Tear tear. Guys discuss topics that are very different from women's conversations.

Dark meat. Bird number 8, or 9 or 10....

I really did enjoy working with them.

By the end, I was the only one who didn't have juices all over the floor as well as bits of turkey. The guys took pride in some of their triumphs, I bested them in the neatness category.

Afterwards, I mopped the floor and was very glad that I had worn my boots. Unfortunately, this picture didn't quite catch the juices image. Are you excited about your own Thanksgiving??? Stay tuned for the big event with our clients!

Only In Seattle....

Only in Seattle will we have window washers washing windows on VERY rainy, windy days. As I walked out of one of my buildings, I saw the AID cars leaving....

He fell 8 stories but his rope broke the impact. The AID car folks said he was very lucky.

Televisions cameras were all over. At one point a camera man put his lens in my face asking me if I'd seen the fall...."No, sorry" was my answer.

Hooray, he is going to be okay...I don't know what kind of wake up call he received.

As I mentioned, it's been very rainy here in Seattle. I enjoy walking the streets in the wind and the rain. But, I am aware that if I were homeless, I probably wouldn't like this weather.....

Back at our office we are getting ready to have a Thanksgiving dinner for our clients. When I came downstairs to file some paper work I was greeted by this sight.....

We're all pitching in as staff. I'm going to help carve these on Monday and on Tuesday I will bring cranberries for 45 people.

Stay tuned. I like this job and the diversity of activities!

Change of Plans...

 

I'll let you come up with your own story. Could be about being stuck in a tree and things are not good. Or could be about having landed unexpectedly in a tree, but the view continues to be good, the sky is blue and the sun is shining....

Fall and Winter Approach....

Our backyard.

A tree a block away. I pass it on my way from the bus stop.

The strength of trees.

Our little Japanese Maple. We've had it for 3 years now.

The Washington Arboretum, just 1/2 mile from our house.

A bat house. I have grown very interested in these and want to add one to our yard. Bats, like the bumble bees, are really important and are suffering from some bad diseases. We have to protect all nature--
just my little opinion.

My friend Jill took this while walking through the Japanese gardens, also at the Arboretum.

Enjoy the beauty!