Jeff was reading...

and then he became a cat pillow!

Foster Kitten

Jeff signed us up to be Foster Parents with the Animal Friends Rescue Project in Pacific Grove, CA.

We had 5 brown tabby kittens June - September. They were cute and a lot of fun, but a big handfull!!! Our cats loved playing with them.

About two weeks after the first batch of kittens went to be adopted, and they all were adopted within days of us turning them over to ARFP, we got a call that they had a "bottle baby" who needed a foster home.

We bottle fed him every 2-3 hours the first month we had him. He's on regular cat food now. Astro is just about ready to be adopted.

We will miss him, but the fun of being foster parents is that we have more kittens soon!

Topaz the Dragon

I couldn't resist buying a dog costume for Topaz the day after Halloween. That has to be the most fun we got out of $2.50 in a long time.

I think he's scared for life now. He ran under the bed and wouldn't come out for a day after we put his costume on him. He looked so cute!

Halloween 2008

Jeff was a "Fairy F*@king Gawd Fadder"

We got the idea a few years ago when we were watching one of the animated movies about bugs. We can't remember which movie it was now, but there was a ladybug in the movie. When the ladybug spoke, it was a male and was defensive that HE was a LADYbug.

And there the Fairy Godfather idea was born. The costume has been perfected over the last two years to the frail creature you see here....

October 18, 2008 - Robert & Michael's Wedding

Our dear friends Robert and Michael, who we met in Florida, moved out to California in 2005, so they would be able to start a family. This past October, after being together for ten years, they decided to get married. They asked Karen to officiate their marriage. California has a "marriage commissioner for a day" program where you can apply for, to officiate one non-religious wedding on a specific date. I was so touched that they wanted to include us on "Their Day!" Jeff was the official witness to the marriage.

The guys adopted a five year boy at the end of June who is just precious. His birth name is this long name that is really more of a sentence. Its starts out something like "Astro Destiny...." So he goes by Astro. He is a smart little guy full of love and energy. We had fun getting to know him during the wedding adventure.

Robert and Michael picked several places around San Francisco that were significant to them. They said parts of their vows to each other as we visited each place. The park was one of the first places they visited when they came out West. Lombard Street represents the twists and turns that life has taken them. Castro district is where they feel most at home, and finally we went to City Hall to say the final words and sign the Marriage License.

It was a beautiful day!

Final Vows

Castro Street

Robert & Michael driving down Lombard Street

Wedding day

Here we are at the park in San Francisco. Robert, Michael, their son Astro and Jeff.

La mitad del mundo!

Karen and the mountains

"Miniature" Roses in the lobby

A fixed sun dial

The egg...

On the true equator, it is possible to balance a raw egg on the head of a nail... and I did it!

On the true Equator

Here I am trying to balance on the true equator line.

Team Building Class!

Hotel lobby roses

Each rose was easily the size of my fist!

Pictures of the countryside