Sun Mountain Lodge

The Gourmands arrived at Sun Mountain Lodge in time to check into our incredible suites and freshen up before our first official Lodge activity. Tom and I spent one night here over 20 years ago and were quickly reminded of the beauty of the resort and its breathtaking setting. This mountain top spot opened in 1965 and has treated guests to 360º views of mountains, wilderness and valleys ever since.

Sun Mountain Lodge offers year-round activities, ranging from cross-country skiing in the winter to horseback trail rides in the summer. With beautiful decor, gracious service and the promise of fabulous food throughout our stay, I was ready to unpack.

Lost in Translation

The Gourmands made yet another pit stop enroute to Sun Mountain Lodge to became introduced to the award-winning offerings of Lost River Winery. Located in Winthrop, Washington, this boutique winery holds it own within Washington's ever-growing fine wine industry.


Lost River has been producing wines for nine years, using grapes from regional vineyards to produce reds, whites and reserves. We enjoyed our personal wine tasting session with owner John Morgan, a Bellingham transplant who continues to sell real estate while his winery gains notoriety and profitability.


Tom and I especially appreciated and purchased their 2008 Cedarosa (Cabernet Franc), 2008 Rainshadow (Sauvignon Blanc) and 2007 Merlot. But I think our host died and went to Heaven when fellow Gourmand Ben Rolphe indicated he would be buying seven. Seven cases, that is.

Twisp and Shout

Once a year The Gourmands take a culinary excursion together to celebrate fabulous food, special wines, and many years of friendship. In past years the Rolphes, Jacklins, Stanleys, and Thilos, have explored the offerings of Sooke Harbor Resort (Vancouver Island, British Columbia), Napa Valley, and Walla Walla's Wine Country. This year's travel took us to Sun Mountain Lodge in Washington's beautiful Methow Valley. The road trip to our destination was sprinkled with excellent pit stops, including the magnificent Grand Coulee Dam.

Built from 1933-1975, the dam is 550 feet tall and nearly a mile long. The so-called "Eighth Wonder of the World" is the first structure created by man to exceed that of the Great Pyramid which was built around 2,595 BC.



Built to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation, Grand Coulee Dam is the largest electric power-producing facility in the United States and one of the largest concrete structures in the world.



From the Dam we resumed our journey and headed to Twisp where we satisfied our Sunday brunch appetites at the Twisp River Pub. Situated on the banks of the picturesque Methow River, the popular pub served burgers to some, Eggs Benedict to others and beers to the rest of us. After a particularly cool and rainy Idaho Spring, we especially savored the sunny deck overlooking the river.




Before leaving Twisp, we made a quick stop at the Cinnamon Twisp Bakery. Even though we were delightfully "fed up" with our brunch/lunch at the Pub, we found room to sample the Bakery's famous "Cinnamon Twisp."


Arguably the best cinnamon twist I've ever had, we were thrilled to learn we would be making a return visit on the backside of our Sun Mountain trip.

Trying to Get Back on Track

Mom's Obituary
This is my first blog post in nearly 3 months. I have done some writing, however - just not blogs.

I wrote both the obituary and eulogy for Betty Jean Severeid Breckenfelder who died peacefully last month at the age of 89. I was honored and proud to document the life of my mother. These tasks gave me yet another opportunity to reflect on her very special life and the everlasting influences she had on my brothers, sisters, our children, and me.

All of us have stories about Mom, and there are some really good ones. But no one had more stories - and perhaps no one was a better storyteller than Mom. She had a natural gift for articulating anecdotes in an entertaining, very charming way. Mom was genuinely interested in the lives of those she touched. She looked for the good in people, and she expected to find it. And when she found the good in others, Mom developed just the right phraseology to convey it - then she shared it with everyone. Sometimes over and over. But that was okay, because Mom shared happy observations - always complimentary, and evidence of her great pride in our family and appreciation for others.

I learned so much from Mom - we all did. And I admired her many talents and abilities - singing, cooking, sewing, knitting, craftsmanship, teaching, and yes, storytelling. But perhaps what I admired most was her gift of hospitality. I would be hard-pressed to find anyone who more warmly opened their home or shared their heart more willingly than Mom. Mom was a great entertainer - our home at Christmas time was a virtual holiday Disneyland, and everyone was welcome. Her knack for storytelling and teaching made her historical Teddy Bear programs an absolute delight and a gift to those who heard them.

My favorite Bible passage is Hebrews 13: 1-2, "Let brotherly love continue - do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it."

I can only imagine all the angels Mom entertained in her 89 years.

Mom's Obituary

Subliminal Messages

After 6 weeks in a goofy velcro-fastening, post-bunion surgical shoe, my foot surgeon gave me the green light to wear a regular shoe. Much to utter Tom's delight, Dr. Shirzad also said I could resume exercising. Although running is out of the question for probably months, swimming, riding a stationary bike, and walking are certainly viable options for getting back into shape.

I discovered I could don my running shoes with reasonable comfort, so beginning this week I returned to the Kroc Center. Armed with reading material and my iPod, I'm once again competing with the sweaty masses to find an vacant bike. God bless my iPod - the best exercising partner I've had since our dog Tipper moved on to greener pastures (or rather moved more specifically to all over Yellowbanks Point). Music is such a motivating force, and I like the surprise of random songs that play when I use Shuffle. Interestingly, today's repertoire started out with Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls." Drat - hitting too close to home.

Sidetracks

After several months of battling the painful wrath of a bunion, I decided to take action. The ever-growing pathological bump on the side of my big right toe joint was making it hard to run, walk, sleep through the night or wear any shoes other than my Birkenstocks. Enough!

My scientific research began by talking to anyone I saw hobbling around in goofy-looking surgical shoes. Folks were happy to share their
war stories, and I typically heard - "It's the most painful surgery you'll every have," "It takes MONTHS to recover," "Surgery may be unsuccessful," and "Bunions often recur." Bolstered by these encouraging words, I opted to take a conservative approach. I altered my exercise routine, used a splint at night, wore pads and ugly shoes during the day, and took an anti-inflammatory round-the-clock. Not enough!

So I resumed my research and identified an orthopedic surgeon in Spokane who specializes in foot and ankle. Dr. Shirzad signed me up for surgery, I did the pre-op requirements (blood work, EKG, etc.), and I went under the knife. After the 2-hour outpatient procedure, Tom dropped me off at home and headed to the pharmacy to fill my prescriptions for pain meds.

One week later, I am off any kind of painkiller and am taking prohibited showers, thanks to the miracle of duct tape. I currently depend on help from precious friends while Tom is out of the country on a 2-week medical mission in the Philippines. For me, the most difficult part of recovery is not being able to drive for several weeks since I'm hobbling around in one of those goofy-looking surgical shoes. But now I have war stories of my own.

Big Tracks to Fill

Over 20 years ago I had the privilege of founding Kootenai Medical Center Foundation's "Festival of Trees." This annual event has become a holiday tradition for our community, and I'm proud this fund raiser has grown to provide significant support for hospital facilities and services.

One of the biggest bonuses I received from directing the Festival was becoming acquainted with longtime Coeur d'Alene citizens Ellen and Ace Walden. This generous couple served as "Honorary Co-Chairmen" of the first Festival of Trees which benefited The Walden House. Named in their honor, this home away from home provides comfortable lodging for outpatients and their families while receiving treatment at KMC.





























Ellen passed away in 1991, but my friendship with Ace continued and grew over the years. A retired banker, Ace remained active in the community until he died October 23, 2010 - at the age of 103. Sharp as a tack and with a memory that could compete with any microprocessor, Ace was simply amazing. His sense of humor was delightful, and I've never known a better storyteller. He thought hard and deeply about important issues, and if asked to comment he would always add, "But that's just one man's opinion."

Ace and Ellen were never blessed with children of their own, but as time passed they "adopted" many folks. Selfishly, I like to think that I was one of those adoptees - but then Ace and Ellen had a way of making everyone they encountered feel special.

Had there been a traditional funeral service for Ace, no church would have held all the people who would have come to pay their respects to Ace Walden. But it was Ace's wish to have a small, private ceremony for family and friends, and he left very specific instructions and had it planned out with great detail.

I was among the lucky handful to be included in Ace's memorial. Along with his minister, we gathered in Ace's home to reflect on his life and share personal memories. From there we boarded a bus for the 2-block ride to the boat launch where we were treated to a 2-hour boat ride and lunch on Lake Coeur d'Alene. Together we spread Ace's ashes in the Lake and said goodbye to a great man and a wonderful friend. But that's just one woman's opinion.