What a Great Year on Camano Island!

2010 was filled with family, friends, fun, travel and prosperity, and I would like to share some of the highlights of my year with you.

Family

As most of you know, I have two daughters, one son, and four grandchildren. How exciting it is to see my grandchildren grow, currently their ages are 2, 10,11 and 12.

One memorable play-date started with a wrestling match (my son is Ray Mather, head wrestling coach for Stanwood). We then had tacos for lunch and headed to the movies to enjoy “Yogi Bear.” It was a very fun day enjoyed by all.

My youngest grandson is talking so much and learns sign language at his day care. He is a natural at signing while he talks. I am thankful my family is all within a close area as I see them often and love creating new memories with them.

Friends

I love having gatherings with friends, especially in the summer with the sunshine beating down on us while we cook way too many oysters and a ton of other food on the barbecue. I swear I can eat enough oysters for 4 people!

One of my favorite parties is my annual 4th of July Day. If the day starts cloudy, I perform the Sun dance I learned as a Camp Fire Girl and by late afternoon, we have full blue skies and plenty of sunshine! The day ends with a real bang as we watch fireworks set off on the beach below and flashes of all kinds can be seen on Whidbey Island as well. It is totally awesome!

Fun

My fun is, in a word, simple. I love to read, camp, go crabbing or clamming, walk the beach or have a bonfire.

One of my favorite things to do is camp on a small property I have that is filled with huge trees. It’s so rewarding to build a large campfire and sit around with family and friends. Of course, refreshments and food are always part of the fun, but for these outings we skip the oysters and opt for the typical “roughing it” sort of food — wouldn’t be camping without it!

I love to go boating, and my new venture this summer will be kayaking. It’s something I have always wanted to do, and the time has come.

Travel

Wow, where could I have gone that would have been new? But I love exploring new parts of local or frequently visited areas, even if it is only an hour away. We always have a good time just spending a night somewhere in Seattle, Bellingham, Vancouver, Anacortes, La Conner or Everett, and love trying different restaurants.

My favorite extended trip is Palm Desert. I pretty much live on the air mattress! We spend all day at the pool, and try something different each night. It is always fun to meet others and we usually share a meal or two with new acquaintances. Last year, we took the tram up the hills, I highly recommend it!

Prosperity

Despite the economic down-turn and housing market, I feel I had a very successful year and appreciate the referrals and loyalty of my clients. THANK YOU!

With all of the happiness and memories of 2010, I want to welcome all of you in 2011 to enjoy Camano Island’s rich beauty- from the parks, art events and trails, to the crabbing, clamming, camping, and being the easy Island without a ferry.

I appreciate your comments and thoughts and would love to hear about your 2010 and plans for 2011. I wish you happiness and joy and a healthy New Year!