Miles to go.....

George, Leopold and I had quite the adventure today!  One of the great things about living in Portland is that there are numerous hikes you can take within the city itself - Urban Hikes.  So today we drove 10 minutes from our house, parked the car, walked through a beautiful bird refuge, crossed a bridge over the Willamette and  walked all the way into downtown Portland.  Then we just crossed another bridge and walked back on the other side of the river.

Portland is a very beautiful city!

I love all the bridges!

Leopold seemed to enjoy himself.

He did want to stop and smell the flowers a lot.

But maybe he was just exhausted and looking for a reason to rest!  While we enjoyed our lunch he caught a little nap...so what that people had to walk around him!  The boy was tired.

I guess he has a reason to be as we walked more than 13 miles! 

Soccer Highs

This has been a very good week for us 'soccer nuts'!  First FC Barcelona won the Spanish League again.  That is 5 times in the last 7 years!  Two more games and hopefully two more titles to go this season.  First next Saturday, the King's Cup and then the next week the Champion's League.  Força Barça!

 I have to admit I'm a sucker for the photos of the guys and their adorable children posing with the trophy.

I can't imagine what it must be like to be out there on the pitch listening to 93,000 singing, chanting, happy fans.  Most of the little ones seemed remarkably composed and like children everywhere were fascinated by the falling confetti and fireworks!  Not all were thrilled though!

I guess winning the Spanish League isn't all that impressive to him!

Although the title made for a joyous day, it was also a bit sad as we bid farewell to a true legend, Xavi Hernandez who was leaving after 17 seasons with the first team.  He has been with Barcelona since he was a little boy in the youth program.  I am pretty confident he will be back some year as coach.  I hope so because it seems that he is not only a fantastic soccer player but a really good man.  With his first professional pay check from FC Barcelona, he bought his mother a toaster!  He got emotional when speaking to the 93,000 fans chanting his name.  I love that he said, "I am the happiest man in the world."

In his years with FC Barcelona (1998 - 2015) he was won 8 league titles, and 3 Champion's Leagues, plus numerous other titles.  He was won more titles than any other Barcelona player ever.  As I said he is a true legend and he will be missed.

While all this was happening in Europe, right in Boise, Idaho our own 'legend' Scott Lewis was also winning titles as one of the coaches of the U-16 boys! 

 Yep, another State Championship for Coach Scott!  The first one this group of boys have ever won!

The high school team he helped coach in the fall also won the State Championship!  Way to go Coach Scott!  To make it even more fun, his good buddy and lifelong friend and soccer teammate Logan also coached a team, the U-15s and they won the State Championship also!

These two have come full circle with soccer in Boise, from little 6 year olds playing Recreational soccer to winning state championships themselves, to coaching State Champions!  We couldn't be prouder!  Now it is on the Far West Regional Tournament in Boise.  Hopefully George and I will get to go over and see some games! 

And thanks to big brother Matt for taking Mom's place as photographer!!!

Happy birthday Leopold!

Look who's having a birthday!

Mr. Leopold turned 2 today!  Happy birthday to Leo!  I wanted to buy him a birthday hat but George isn't a fan of dogs in hats so we settled for a birthday bandana.  He's a handsome guy.

For a special treat we gave him this all natural doggie cupcake on a stick.  Do you think he looks interested?

Yes he was and it was gone quite quickly!  He'd like everyday to be his birthday.  I think he thought wearing the birthday bandana was ok, if he got a treat afterwards!

A 'Dog Day' on Saturday

We attended the graduation at Guide Dogs for the Blind because our sweet girl Vashon graduated!  #19 Has Stolen Our Hearts! Can you tell how in-tune she is with her grad?  Definitely focused!

 

Sweet Vashon is never going to lack love and attention.  This very nice lady is a volunteer coordinator at a Senior Center.  She said that all the seniors are so excited that there is going to be a dog around full time!

This picture makes me smile and gives you a good idea of the 'norm' at any Guide Dogs function!

Some of these dogs are puppies in the puppy raising program.  Others are part of the Portland area Therapy Dog teams.  Many of these dogs are 'career changed' at Guide Dogs but go on to be therapy dogs who perform a variety of community service. Some go to grade schools to listen to children read aloud.  Other go to care facilities or ICU waiting rooms to give a little love and petting therapy!  This program gives clear meaning to the term 'career changed'!

And most exciting of all we came home with Guide Dog #21.  Leopold, commonly called Leo in our house!  He's a two year old bundle of energy.  Let's see if two 60+ year olds can keep up with him!

So far so good!!!  And as I always say, "Got to love this face!"

Mother's Day Evening

I'm a bit late but I did want to post a couple of things about Mother's Day.

I remember when I was probably 9 or 10 years old and bought my mother a pillowcase for Mother's Day.  The bright shiny floral material was probably a bit gaudy but the sentiment was heart felt.

As a little girl I was so excited to give it to her.  A few years later I was embarrassed by the cheap material and the overly sweet sentiment.  I'm sure my reaction was a typical teenaged one!  I never thought more about the pillowcase and as far as I knew it had been thrown away.  When my mother died in 2009 and I was cleaning things out of her closet.  Guess what I found, tucked away in a box with scarves?  Yes, you guessed it!  The pillowcase! For more than 45 years she had kept that sweet memory of her little girl.  The poem no longer seems overly sentimental.  Truer words were never spoken....."for there's no other who takes the place of my Dear Mother."

I have been a lucky girl all my life to be loved not only by my own 'dear mother' but also by my dear Aunt Mary. To many of us she seemed like a second mother.  No one can take her place either!

I'm the little girl hiding behind all the fish!  I was 5 years old and Aunt Mary had come to Maryland to visit us.  She wrote on the back of this photo.  "Here are some fish we caught on our last weekend at Bessie's.  You would love this place.  Everyone fishes from the bank."  I remember going to the river and playing while they fished.  Daddy, Moma and Aunt Mary loved fishing!

This dishwashing one made me think of all the years of doing dishes with Moma and Mary.  Neither of them ever had a dishwasher.  I feel so blessed to have been loved and cared for by these two remarkable women for 56 years!  Like the poem on the pillowcase said....no other can take the place of my dear mother....and my dear Aunt Mary!

Cancer Anniversary

Two years ago today I was diagnosed with Medullary Thyroid Cancer.  So far I've been lucky that   regularly scheduled blood draws and neck ultrasounds are the only impact on my life.  I feel absolutely fine.  Let's just hope this continues for many, many more years!

I don't remember anyone ever telling me to check my neck area for lumps.   Two and a half years ago, while talking to someone about their thyroid issues, I just happened to touch my neck and discover a funny little bump right in the center.  That led to an early diagnosis and a much better prognosis.  So check your neck!

More importantly April 23 is the day of the wonderful St. Jordi's festival in Barcelona.....I blogged about it way back in 2009.   http://bondia2000.blogspot.com/2009/04/happy-st-jordis-day.html.

Today the streets of Barcelona are lined with stands selling books

And flowers.

And Las Ramblas, the famous pedestrian street of Barcelona looks like this!

Oh how I wish I were there to celebrate once more - the day of the book and the rose!

A Repeat Visitor

Foster Guide Dog #20 is actually a repeat visitor.  He was originally Guide Dog #8 - Armando!

http://bondia2000.blogspot.com/2013/09/8-armando.html

Now he is a retired guide dog just waiting to be adopted by some lucky family.  He's 78 pounds of love and pure joy!  Obedient, super smart and lots of fun!

Here's an illustration of his obedience and 'smarts'.  When we had him in the summer of 2012 we decided to have him go in his crate while we ate our dinner.  Guide Dogs are not supposed to be beggars and we wanted to discourage any interest in our food.  Tonight when we sat down to eat, before we said a word, he went right in the crate and stayed there until we were finished eating and invited him to come out!  I can hardly believe he remembered that after a year and a half!

Going for walks is one of his great joys!  Here are my two favorite old guys!

And in case you were wondering, he did remember us and greeted us like his long lost family!!