Westcott Family

Another Good Year!

2011-03-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to celebrate my 9th "Cancerversary" this past Saturday, the 19th of March. I remember like it was yesterday that I was told I had advanced breast cancer at the age of 34. WHAT.......ARE YOU KIDDING ME? It was 9 years ago today that I was undergoing a modified radical mastectomy. This was the first surgery in a line of many to come over that next year. Long and convoluted story short I have been one of the blessed ones and have been given a second chance to live my life. I have been able to do so much over the past 9 years and it saddens me to think I could have missed this time had I not survived. Having to consider one's mortality at 34 years old is a kick in the gut, but learning to live with an uninvited guest like cancer is adding insult to injury......That said I am proud to call myself a "Survivor". I do ponder whether my good fortune can be attributed to luck, determination, devine intervention or something unidentifiable. I will probably never know. I do know that I want another 9 years and regularly turn to my past to help me remain appreciative and humble.

Better Watch Out!!!!!!!

2011-02-26T16:56:00.000-08:00

Older men scam

Women often receive warnings about protecting themselves at the mall and in
dark parking lots, etc. This is the first warning I have seen for men. I
wanted to pass it on in case you haven't heard about it.

A 'heads up' for those men who may be regular customers at Lowe's, Home
Depot, Costco, or even Wal-Mart. This one caught me totally by surprise.
Over the last month I became a victim of a clever scam while out shopping..
Simply going out to get supplies has turned out to be quite traumatic. Don't
be naive enough to think it couldn't happen to you or your friends.

Here's how the scam works:

Two nice-looking, college-aged girls will come over to your car or truck as
you are packing your purchases into your vehicle. They both start wiping
your windshield with a rag and Windex, with their breasts almost falling out
of their skimpy T-shirts. (It's impossible not to look).
When you thank them and offer them a tip, they say 'No' but instead ask for
a ride to McDonald's.

You agree and they climb into the vehicle. On the way, they start
undressing. Then one of them starts crawling all over you, while the other
one steals your wallet.

I had my wallet stolen Mar. 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, 17th, 20th,
24th, & 29th. Also Apr. 1st & 4th, twice on the 8th, 16th, 23rd, 26th &
27th, and very likely again this upcoming weekend.

So tell your friends to be careful. What a horrible way to take advantage of
us older men. Warn your friends to be vigilant.

Wal-Mart has wallets on sale for $2.99 each. I found even cheaper ones for
$.99 at the dollar store and bought them out in three of their stores.

Also, you never get to eat at McDonald's. I've already lost 11 pounds just
running back and forth from Lowe's, to Home Depot, to Costco, Etc.

So please, send this on to all the older men that you know and warn them to
be on the lookout for this scam. (The best times are just before lunch and
around 4:30 in the afternoon.)

You can't be too careful, guys.

2011-02-26T15:26:00.000-08:00

Chilean Fjords

Puerto Montt, Chile

Puerto Varas, Chile

Epic South America...

2011-02-25T18:57:00.000-08:00

Living in South America has afforded us many opportunities for incredible travel. Ideally we would like to visit each country on the continent and when someone locates the elusive "Money Tree" please let me know. On this past trip we were able to visit lots of FABULOUS places. We flew out of Lima to the Brazil side of Iguazu Falls and landed in a city named Foz de Iguazu. We drove to our hotel just over the Argentinean boarder in Iguazu Falls. We spent a day or so exploring the falls and being in awe of the power of nature. Iguazu Falls dwarfs Niagra multiple times over. From there we moved on the Buenos Aires for a few days. We rented a 3 bedroom apartment in the Congreso neighborhood and it was great. What a beautiful city. I would love to book a Tango Tour there in the future and learn the dance the BA is famous for. We boarded a Holland American Cruise line in BA for a 12 day cruise. Along the way we visited the Falkland Islands (or Islas Malvinas if you ask an Argentinean), circled Cape Horn counterclockwise, Ushuaia, Patagonia, took in some Chilean fjords and glaciers, Punto Arenas, Puerto Montt, and Puerto Varas. The cruising crowd is decidedly older with an average age of about 80. There were about 1300 people on the cruise with a whopping 25 of those being kids. Most of these kids were Spanish speaking thus putting to test the Westcott Spanish. The kids were fantastic....they both hold their own easily. We docked in Valparaiso...boo hoo.....the life of luxury comes to an end. We rented cars in the port and drove towards Santiago through the Chilean wine country. We ended up at a very beautiful winery that served equally beautiful lunches and wine. After a splendid lunch we made our way to Santiago and spent two nights and days there exploring the city. Again a beautiful city with much more to see than we were able to accomplish. We had planned this trip for such a long time it is hard to believe it is over. Now it's time to plan the next one. Enjoy!

Iguazu Falls, Argentina

Buenos Aires

Life on the ship

Falkland Islands

Cape Horn & Ushuaia, Patagonia

Punta Arenas, Chile

I am Doing the Happy Dance....

2011-02-25T18:01:00.000-08:00

Oh...how we have sufferred here in the southern hemisphere.....It was mid December when summer vacation began here south of the equator. In other words it has been 2.5 months of kids occupying couches, bean bags, computers, xbox stations and TV sets for hours on end. Eating everything in the fridge the day after the shopping is done, calling mom 5x a day to ask me what I am doing and inventing new ways to torment each other. I was hoping they would get bored at some point, however, they have proved very "hearty" in their ability to deal with the situation they have been dealt. I realize you northern hemisphere folks go through the same drill, but I think the farther one goes south the longer the summer vacation feels. But, just when you think the couch will never regain its shape as a result of too much lounge time the glorias month of March arrives. New uniforms check; school supplies check; new shoes check; backpacks organized check. Wednesday the 2nd will the equivelent of a big sigh of relief on the part of all the southern hemisphere parents who have been awaiting the arrival of the new school year. That said I still think Monday the 28th of February would have been more considerate start date on the part of the area schools. On Wednesday as I leave for work and my little ducklings head off for the first day of school I will give them a kiss goodbye and do a very subtle happy dance in honor of one of the greatest days of the year.

Great Marine Corp Ball

2010-12-12T06:10:00.000-08:00

Had a suite at the Marriott (thanks Lynda) with and ocean view, 2 rooms etc. Totally fun night!

Fantastic Halloween Party- Casa Westcott

2010-12-12T05:54:00.000-08:00

Better late than never! The Montgomery's, The Gamble's and us co-hosted a great Halloween party. Already planning for next year. Maybe we should have it somewhere else. Cleaning up while feeling a little rough is no fun.

A little story about stress during the holidays!

2010-12-09T12:22:00.000-08:00

Just received this one from my friend Kim Carlson.....Awesome.....

Feeling a little stressed?????
>A Christmas Story for people having a bad day:

>When four of Santa's elves got sick, the trainee elves did not
produce toys as
>fast as the regular ones, and Santa began to feel the Pre-Christmas
pressure.
>Then Mrs Claus told Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which
stressed Santa even more.
>When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them
were about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out, Heaven
knows where.
>Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards
cracked, the toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered.
>Frustrated, Santa went in the house for a cup of apple cider and a
shot of rum.
>When he went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drunk all
the cider and hidden the liquor. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped
the cider jug, and it broke into hundreds of little glass pieces all over the
kitchen floor. He went to get the broom and found the mice had eaten all
the straw off the end of the broom.
Just then the doorbell rang, and an irritated Santa marched to the
door, yanked it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big Christmas
tree.
>The angel said very cheerfully, 'Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this
a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to
stick it?
>And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the
Christmas tree.
>Not a lot of people know this

Had To Post This

2010-10-24T06:39:00.000-07:00

My MIL was recently made honest woman....I asked her, "Lynda what is going to be your first dance song"? She says, "It's a secret, but we love the show True Blood". Isn't this great? LOVE IT!

2010-10-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

Mi Gargola....hecho por mano por Salley

2010-10-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

We took advantage of a long weekend to visit the central Andean region of Huaraz. Beautiful mountains, rain (haven't seen that in forever), snow and the prettiest colored lagoon water I have ever seen. We hiked up to a very impressive lagoon at approx. 15,000 feet with all the accompanying high altitude side effects. All told it was a great trip, but a bit more acclimatization would have been nice. One other occurance of note would be the family that jumped out of a combi (van type taxi) with their very own sheep. You don't see that everyday. I highly recommend this trek.

2010-10-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

We threw Gracie a "Peruvian Style" birthday party for her 11th bday this year. Lots of people, bouncy for the kids, lots of food, loud music, cotton candy machine. A good time was had by all. We'll see what next year brings....

Iquitos and the Peruvian Amazon

2010-08-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

Connie and Dave joined us for a trip to Iquitos and the Amazon. Heath travels to Iquitos on a monthly basis and says this was the only time that it was cool. We actually wore jackets. That said, the jungle did not disappoint. Mosquitos, piraunas, monkeys, sloths, blow darts, native dances and big bugs.

Floating cities on the Amazon

A home along the Amazon

Betty the sloth

Piranha fishing is FUN! We ate this little guy for dinner. They come out of the water looking for a fight.

Amazonian school

Sitting on the trunk/roots of a huge Ceiba tree

Great trip....will probably make another short trip there....

We're Back

2010-08-11T18:22:00.000-07:00

5 months between posts! Que horible.......I am constantly telling myself that I won't fall behind concerning such important as "Blogging". I promise, I promise and I promise to be better from now on. Lots have happened in these past months. Now I just need to tell you about it. Be ready...

8 Years Today

2010-03-19T20:16:00.000-07:00

I never really thought I would be able to say that it had been 8 years since I was diagnosed with cancer. I remember March 19, 2002 like it was yesterday. I am sure some of you have heard this story and you are going to hear it again. Bear with me.....You know how you sometimes you have a vague feeling that something could go wrong? Maybe not for yourself, but just something out of the ordinary. Well....I remember going for my mammogram appointment that particular Tuesday morning thinking to myself, "I wonder what women do when they get told they have breast cancer". So...I follow the mammogram tech, Deidre, into the testing room. She says to me (in a somewhat nasty tone), "So where is this lump of yours"? I replied, “I have no idea, no one told me I had a lump". All the while I am thinking..."Why don't you look at the chart and figure it out for yourself". Anyway...squish away, both sides and off she goes. Now, I have been in the biz for long enough to know when things are headed south. Well we were headed south as Deidre reentered the room and said, "Ok sweetheart, we are going to need to take some more views". Did she just call me sweetheart? Crap....this can't be good. I knew right then that I was going to find out what a woman does when she is told she has breast cancer. The radiologist told me he thought I had breast cancer that day. I saw my surgeon the day after and had my mastectomy the following day. Whew....We joke (in a somewhat macabre manner) that Heath got his MD and Oncology specialty in those following 48 hours. I think I was almost catatonic at that point and without Heath I might not have made it through those first few days. One bonus though...I did get out of jury duty...just so happens that the one of the town judges lived next door and he excused me. Another bright spot in this whole ordeal was that I really found out how many people loved me and would do anything to make my life easier.
Fast forward 8 years and many adventures later and I think I am doing pretty well. I think my general attitude is pretty good, though of late I could probably be a little more gracious and a lot more thankful. The farther one gets away from a life changing event the harder it seems to channel the good lessons one learned from said event. Instead of New Year’s resolutions I am doing March Musings. This is the best time of year for me to sort myself out, pull up my boot straps and remember that I was one of the lucky ones. I have a plastic container that I kept all my cancer stuff in and on my “Cancer-versary” I look through it, do some boo-hoo’ing, and then pack it away for the next year. One last thing…..I remember asking someone why I had to be the one with breast cancer. She said to me, “It was your turn”. That was something I could understand and it got me through some very rough times.

You Know You Have Had These Thoughts...

2010-03-05T16:12:00.000-08:00

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN GUILTY OF LOOKING AT OTHERS YOUR OWN AGE AND THINKING, SURELY I CAN'T LOOK THAT OLD.

WELL . . . YOU'LL LOVE THIS ONE.

MY NAME IS ALICE , AND I WAS SITTING IN THE WAITING ROOM FOR MY FIRST APPOINTMENT WITH A NEW DENTIST.

I NOTICED HIS DDS DIPLOMA ON THE WALL, WHICH BORE HIS FULL NAME. SUDDENLY, I REMEMBERED A TALL, HANDSOME, DARK-HAIRED BOY WITH THE SAME NAME HAD BEEN IN MY HIGH SCHOOL CLASS SOME 30-ODD YEARS AGO.

COULD HE BE THE SAME GUY THAT I HAD A SECRET CRUSH ON, WAY BACK THEN?

UPON SEEING HIM, HOWEVER, I QUICKLY DISCARDED ANY SUCH THOUGHT.

THIS BALDING, GRAY-HAIRED MAN WITH THE DEEPLY LINED FACE WAS WAY TOO OLD TO HAVE BEEN MY CLASSMATE.

AFTER HE EXAMINED MY TEETH, I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD ATTENDED MORGAN PARK HIGH SCHOOL ..

'YES. YES, I DID. I'M A MUSTANG,' HE GLEAMED WITH PRIDE.

WHEN DID YOU GRADUATE?' I ASKED.

HE ANSWERED, 'IN 1975. WHY DO YOU ASK?'

YOU WERE IN MY CLASS!', I EXCLAIMED.

HE LOOKED AT ME CLOSELY.

THEN, THAT UGLY, OLD, BALD, WRINKLED FACED, FAT-ASSED, GRAY-HAIRED, DECREPIT SON-OF-A-BITCH ASKED,

'WHAT DID YOU TEACH???

Cusco, Lake Titicaca and Arequipa with the Fam

2010-03-05T15:58:00.000-08:00

It was a long time in the planning with a few ups and downs. The torrential rains of late January caused floods and mudslides to the point that Machu Picchu closed (for the very first time) and all of our train routes needed to be changed. Anyway, it all came together and we did southern Peru. We saw a ton, we drank more and we ate even more than that. We stimulated all of these economies with the amounts of money we spent. We took lots of pictures, did tons of talking, played some great cards and generally had an epic time. Muchas gracias a todo y hasta el proximo viaje.

2010-03-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

Wow......pretty crazy.......earthquakes everywhere.....Haiti, Chili and Okinawa. I guess we left just in time. That said....we moved to Peru and it is definitely known for it's earthquakes.

What Would You Do?

2010-01-23T16:58:00.000-08:00

"Of course I won't laugh," said the nurse.

"I'm a professional. In over twenty years I've never laughed at a patient." "Okay then, "said Fred, and he proceeded to drop his trousers. Revealing the tiniest 'man thingy' the nurse had ever seen. Length and width, it couldn't have been bigger than a AAA battery. Unable to control herself, the nurse started giggling, then fell to the floor laughing.

Ten minutes later she was able to struggle to her feet and regain her composure. "I am so sorry," she said. "I don't know what came over me. On my honour as a nurse and a lady, I promise it won't happen again. Now, tell me,what seems to be the problem? ...

"It's swollen," Fred replied.

She ran out of the room.....

Happy New Year!!!!!!!

2010-01-01T15:07:00.000-08:00

Oh my......I didn't realize I hadn't blogged at all in December. Well....I am going to do my best to catch everyone up on the Westcott happenings.

Over Veteran's Day weekend we took a trip to Trujillo in northern Peru. We visited some very interesting pre-Inca ruins. This is the God of the Moche people. He was called the "Beheader God". Human sacrafices included beheading, skinning and bodily mutilation. Sounds like a bad deal to me.....

The four of us went for a hike up this HUGE sand hill next to Huaca Luna. It looked steep before we began and it looked really steep while we were climbing. We made it about half way up before we turned back. It was actually dangerous and not just a Sunday stroll. Note to self...don't wear Keens while hiking in sand as they fill up with sand with every step.

Parque Reserva with Mom and Dad while they visited for the Christmas holiday.

Peruvian hairless dog vs. llama......Pachacamac, Lima, Peru

My empleada, Fidela, and her daughter Kiara. She allows me to do very little and still have a clean house and food on the table. It's a good gig....I wonder if I could include them in my household goods shipment when we PCS next time.

Paracas, Peru for lunch....on our way to Ica, Peru for the weekend. Enjoyed watching a Peruvian duo playing guitars and pan flutes sing "My Way" by Frank Sinatra.

Tacama winery Ica, Peru. We stayed at Las Dunas Hotel and it was great. Very relaxing. I would recommend it. The kids and I got to take a horse ride for an hour out on the sand dunes. The horses actually ran......Ouch....

My new thing....lighted holiday blocks. Dad and I had a great time making them. They made some great gifts. Get ready for next year.

2009's Christmas tree

Heath with his new charcoal starter. Apparently Peruvian charcoal doesn't want to burn very easily.

A very nice Christmas dinner.

Thanks for the great visit Mom and Dad.....we miss you and the house is quiet (well kind of...Garth and Grace are still here). See you in February for the "Southern Peru Trek".

Sports Day Colegio Newton

2009-11-26T05:13:00.000-08:00

York, York, York, York...........York rules....even though we got last place. Every year Newton has a Sports Day. When students enroll in the school they are made part of a House a la Hogworts. Being a British style school the Houses are British. We were made part of the York house. Lancaster, Tudor and Windsor are the others. My only request would be that York not be the yellow house. The parents wear the house colors as well and yellow is not my best color. I want to be green (my best color). I think it would be considered poor form to wear the Tudor color of green and claim to be part of the York House....Que lastima.......The theme this year was conservation and living a grean lifestyle. The competitions reflected the theme. There is a traditional Tug-o-War at the end for both the children and the parents. The parents are part of the houses as well. I thought we would be formidable in the Tug-0-War, but we got beat badly. Better luck next year........

Happy Birthday Garth

2009-11-26T04:55:00.000-08:00

My first born is 12.......I am a few days late, however, the big day was 11/24. I remember the day Garth was born like it was yesterday. Now my baby is almost as tall as I am, his feet are bigger than mine and he eats a TON. We had a great time at his party. He and 10 of his friends got to play paint ball. GOOD TIMES......Here's to you Garth.....WE LOVE YOU.

Sporting Westcott Style

2009-11-21T19:57:00.001-08:00

This past Saturday we had to divide and conquer. I went with Grace to her partido de basket (basketball game) and Heath went with Garth to his partido de futbol (soccer). Before Grace and I arrived at her game she told me that they would be playing a team whose members were 13-14 years old. Grace plays on a team of 10-11 year olds. As usual I thought she had lost something in translation as her basketball coach speaks only spanish. Well...I was wrong. Imagine my surprise when in walks the other team all, "Bras, boobs and braces". Pre estrogen vs. post estrogen, little girl vs. big girl, the short against the tall. Suffice it to say the post estrogenic state lends itself to superior sporting abilities, however, the pre-estrogenic-short-little girls "out scrapped" their opponents big time....BRING IT ON! Newton Colegio RULES

Credit Where Credit Is Due

2009-10-31T11:41:00.000-07:00

I have to confess....many of my blog ideas from my friend Rebecca Brown's blog. For example, this new blog background site. You can see her blog by clicking the link I have on my page. So.....Thanks Rebecca. Hope all is well with you in NC. Chow........

To Us.....

2009-10-31T10:24:00.000-07:00

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to a close I wanted to extend a "Job Well Done" to all my breast cancer surviving sisters. I feel blessed and extremely lucky to be able to call myself a survivor. I am living a better life because I had cancer and I wanted to say, "Here's to you friends".....I love you- Lynda, Vickie, Julie, Susan, Cindy, Sandie.

Retirement...Watch Out

2009-10-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

My friend Marv sent me this joke. I had to pass it along. All you men out there who play golf and are retired....I'd be careful if I were you.

It is important for men to remember that, as women grow older, it becomes harder for them to maintain the same quality of housekeeping as when they were younger.
When you notice this, try not to yell at them.

Some are over-sensitive, and there's nothing worse than an over-sensitive woman.

My name is Jim.

Let me relate how I handled the situation with my wife, Peggy.

When I retired a few years ago, it became necessary for Peggy to get a full-time job along with her part-time job, both for extra income and for the health benefits that we needed.

Shortly after she started working, I noticed she was beginning to show her age.

I usually get home from the golf club about the same time she gets home from work and although she knows how hungry I am, she almost always says she has to rest for half an hour or so before she starts dinner.

I don't yell at her.

Instead, I tell her to take her time and just wake me when she gets dinner on the table.

I generally have lunch in the Men's Grill at the club so eating out twice is not reasonable. I'm ready for some home-cooked grub when I hit that door.

She used to do the dishes as soon as we finished eating.

But now it's not unusual for them to sit on the table for several hours after dinner. I do what I can by diplomatically reminding her several times each evening that they won't clean themselves.

I know she really appreciates this, as it does seem to motivate her to get them done before she goes to bed.

Another symptom of aging is complaining, I think. For example she will say that it is difficult for her to find time to pay the monthly bills during her lunch hour.

But, boys, we take 'em for better or worse, so I just smile and offer encouragement. I tell her to stretch it out over two or even three days. That way she won't have to rush so much.

I also remind her that missing lunch completely now and then wouldn't hurt her any (if you know what I mean).

I like to think tact is one of my strong points.

When doing simple jobs, she seems to think she needs more rest periods. She had to take a break when she was only half finished mowing the lawn..

I try not to make a scene. I'm a fair man.

I tell her to fix herself a nice, big, cold glass of freshly squeezed lemonade and just sit for awhile.

And, as long as she is making one for herself, she may as well make one for me too.

I know that I probably look like a saint in the way I support Peggy. I'm not saying that showing this much consideration is easy. Many men will find it difficult. Some will even find it impossible!

Nobody knows better than I do how frustrating women get as they get older.

However, guys, even if you just use a little more tact and less criticism of your aging wife because of this article, I will consider that writing it was well worthwhile. After all, we are put on this earth to help each other.

Signed, Jim

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Jim died suddenly on May 27 of a perforated rectum.

The police report says he was found with a Calloway extra long 50-inch Big Bertha Driver II golf club jammed up his rear end, with barely 5 inches of grip showing and a sledge hammer lying nearby.

His wife Peggy was arrested and charged with murder.

The all-woman jury took only 15 minutes to find her Not Guilty, accepting her defense that Jim somehow, without looking, accidentally sat down on his golf club.

The Traveling Turd...Rated PG...Could be considered gross

2009-10-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

OK....we are finally coming clean with the story of our Family Turd. We call it the Traveling Turd. I don't know how this got started, but I am fairly sure it had something to do with playing a trick on Grandpa Dave as he likes that sort of thing. Our plan was to put the Turd on Grandpa's plate at dinner. Well....somehow this has become a tradition and the Turd now travels with us. I have taken many photos of the Turd's travels, but I have only been able to locate these. In all the Turd is well traveled and has been to Mainland Japan and Okinawa, Costa Rica, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Peru and Ecuador. When Grandpa first met the Turd in Costa Rica I remember him exclaiming, "Who pooped in my wine"?. We get some pretty good laughs out of this. What can I say? Is there something wrong with us?

Guayaquil, Ecuador

2009-10-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

We had a nice long weekend in Guayaquil, Ecuador. It was a nice change from Lima for a few days. Enjoy the photos.

The Peruvian Bandit

2009-10-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

There is a new phenomenon happening in the Westcott abode......things are disappearing. I'll take off my flip flops and a few minutes later they are not where I left them. There are socks scattered all over the house (though that very well could be Garth and Grace's doings), and all Gracie's stuffed animals have relocated themselves throughout the house. We have a thief amongst us.....or atleast someone who likes to collect things. The new joke is, "If you are missing anything check the dog's bed". Have a look at this video. Mind you, Pisco, AKA Sweet P, AKA Punk, weighs about 2Kg and regularly drags things around that are much bigger than she is. That all said.....she is SUCH a cool dog.......

The Fabulous 80's

2009-10-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

Here in Peru the only American style music we get on the radio is 80's music. That suits me fine as I am definitely and 80's fan. Come to find out Peruvians also love 80's music and can sing all the songs despite many of them not speaking English. Kim and Joel Montgomery hosted an EPIC 80's bash at Casa Montgomery a few weeks ago. Fun was had by all, I won some leg warmers and Heath won a tshirt that says, "So what do you little maniacs want to do first"? Can you say Weird Science......ohhh...the good old days.

The Battle of Angamos- October 8th

2009-10-08T17:23:00.000-07:00

Miguel Grau Seminario holds an important place amongst Peru’s heroes. His military accomplishments, as well as his distinguished and courageous disposition earned him the title of Knight of the Seas (“Caballero de los mares”). At the end of the 20th century, he was also named the Peruvian of the Milenium.

Miguel Grau commanded the great “Huascar” which was the most brilliant ship of the Peruvian fleet of 1879, during the War of the Pacific. This fleet was inferior to that of the enemy Chileans. After losing the valuable battle ship “Independencia,” in the combat of Iquique (during which the “Huascar” sank the Chilean battleship “Esmeralda”), Miguel Grau was given orders to avoid direct combat with the Chilean fleet. Thanks to the superior speed of the “Huascar,” Grau was able to cruise along the coast creating havoc in enemy lands.

On October 8th of that same year, the monitor “Huascar” was captured after the battle of Angamos, during which its commander was killed. The morning of October 8th saw the ship fleeing from its Chilean aggressors; Grau, knowing combat was inevitable, shot cannons towards the Chilean ship “El Almirante Cochrane.” These shots provoked the eventual retaliation and destruction of “Huascar.” Miguel Grau was killed by a projectile from the Chilean ship. The destruction of the “Huascar” was the final step in the clearing of the Peruvian seas, which allowed for the Chilean invasion by land, of the southernmost portion of Peru.

Beautiful Things...

2009-09-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I was inspired to put together a slide show of the different types of artwork we have come accross. In general I find myself intrigued by religious art. I was surprised by this myself as I still consider my Spiritual Wellbeing to be "Under Construction". I love my Greek Orthodox Icon(straight from Greece...thank you Vivian), my Shinto Torii gates and my ornate Christian cross all the same. Here in Peru I find I am partial to the artwork resulting from the Spanish Christian influences combined with the indigenous Peruvian style. I have included an example in this slideshow. The style is known as Esquela Cusquena (Cusco School). Note the face of the Virgen Mary setting atop Pachamama (or Mother Earth). I don't think the photo does the painting justice, however, the colors are vivid, and the work is very detailed. Anyway.....just a few beautiful things to share with the masses.

Antique Homes Tour in Central Lima

2009-09-07T16:54:00.000-07:00

Heath and I were able to go on an Embassy organized tour of various antique homes in the central Lima area. Fantastic, grand and over-the-top big. Spanish, French, Moorish, and Indigenous styles, to name a few. Lima is a huge city with so many things to see. Central Lima is a great area to stroll around, eat and take in the sites.

Tango Anyone?

2009-08-22T07:44:00.000-07:00

Heath and I were walking around in Miraflores after dinner one night and saw a large group of people watching something. Of course had to see what they were doing. To our delight we had the pleasure of watching couples doing the Tango. Heath and I considered "Wowing" everyone with our Cha Cha, but decided we best not embarass ourselves. Viva Peru!

A Little Bit of This....A Little Bit of That......

2009-08-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

Life moves along here in Lima. The kids and I convinced Heath that we needed a puppy. Little Pisco, or Sweet P, to her friends is very cute and does a lot of peeing, pooping and sleeping. It's like having a baby around......anyway, the cats seem to like her so all is well. The kids started school and are fairly disgusted with their new early morning schedule. They have a chaffeur who drives them to and from school named Tiofolo. He is a very nice man. My Empleada (maid), Fidela, is keeping the house spic and span and is cooking some great Peruvian food for us. I am already not looking forward to having to do all my own cooking when we move back to the states. Maybe I can bring her with me. She has a 3 year old named Kiara who has come to work with her on occassion and the kids have had a great time "taking care" of her. All in all we are doing really well. Hope all is well......

Can you say Peru????

2009-07-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

So...the kids and I have been here for 3 weeks today. Heath is more of a local having been here for 6 weeks. We are getting situated and things are starting to feel "normal" again. Our first shipment of household goods arrived (dishes, pictures, books) and I am slowly unpacking the boxes. The more times I move, the slower I am getting my home in order. There are boxes everywhere and I am totally OK with this. We are already making travel plans.....Cali, Columbia (hopefully) in a few weeks, beach cities at Christmas and Machu Picchu in February. There's always something going on in the city so we really don't need to travel far to experience something new. Hope you enjoy the photos. We'll keep you updated. Chow chow as the Peruvians say......

Visiting So. California before heading to Peru

2009-07-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

From Bend we moved on to Huntington Beach, CA to stay with my parents. Heath was able to stay for about 2 weeks during which time he and I made a trip to Chicago for fun. I was able to enjoy HB through the end of June with the kids meeting me mid month after spending a few weeks in OR with their Nana. I had a really nice time in HB. I was able to see my brother and his family for my niece's highschool graduation. Also made a trip to Palm Springs with the girls for a very relaxing weekend. I had some really good, long chats with my BFFs and was able to reconnect with some old friends I had not seen in a very long time. As much as I was ready to move on and get to Peru, I was very sad to leave. It's great to have a place like that to go to.

Stop Over in Oregon

2009-06-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

As we said our goodbyes to Okinawa....it was time to reacquaint ourselves with the United States. We flew into Seattle, WA and stayed the night in Edmunds. It was very cold as compared to Okinawa which was already getting hot and humid by the time we left. We then spent a week in Bend visiting with other family and friends after which time Heath and I flew to HB and at present are staying with my parents. The kids will be in Bend with their Nana until mid June. They will be flying by themselves to meet me in HB. Heath leaves for Peru tomorrow. I will continue to update the blog as to our progress.

So Long Okinawa

2009-06-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

I thought this moving business would get easier the more often I did it. That said, the logistics of the move are the same, however, the emotional aspects have given me pause. On the bright side with each move I have the opportunity to meet new people. On the not so bright side, with each move I leave these new friends. I was lucky enough to find an "AWESOME" group of friends in Okinawa. So many funny, kind, helpful, smart and sassy women......(I don't know if the men will appreciate being described as such). There is something about the smaller, isolated commands that promote close and long term friendships. For this I am so.....thankful. I miss you all and look forward to seeing you in the future. As the saying goes, "Mi casa es su casa".

The Time has Come

2009-04-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's actually happening. Our time here on Okinawa is coming to a close and it's time to move on to our next adventure......Lima, Peru......This is a fairly "set in stone" schedule of our travels.

5/14/09- Leave Okinawa

5/14- Arrive in Seattle, WA- stay with Lynda and JoJo at their place in Edmunds.

5/15- Leave for Bend, OR. Drop off Heath in Long View for "Man Weekend" at Jeff Bauman's. Salley, kids, Cats, Lynda and JoJo continue on to Bend.

5/15-5/21- Hopefully catch up with good friends, drink some GREAT micro brew beer, possibly do some skiing on Mt. Bachelor, get used to driving on the right side of the road.

5/22- Salley & Heath leave for Huntington Beach with the cats. Kids stay with Nana until mid June.

5/26-5/29- Heath and Salley off to Chicago for a little R&R. Hopefully we'll get to see Jenn and Luis. Planning to meet Alex (Heath's soon to be step sister).

5/30- Back to Dave and Connie's. Planning to eat out alot (Rubios, In&Out, Buco de Beppo to mention a few). Hopefully see some Southern CA friends and extended family, go on morning walks with my parents, sit in the jacuzzi, hang out with Kim and Laura. Planning a trek to Magic Mountain.

6/5- Heath and the cats leave for Peru. Should be moving in to our house when he arrives.

6/6- Salley time....more Kim and Laura time. Plan to see to old high school friends. Relax....read, play guitar, transition to Spanish.

6/11- ?- Kids arrive in So Cal. They are flying by themselves for the first time. Planning a trip to Lego Land, Airstream camping at the Beach, body surfing with Grandpa. Crank up the math, guitar, Spanish and reading for the kids. Do some shopping at a real store instead of Internet shopping, maybe go to Costco. Kids and I don't know our exact date of departure for Peru and we are going with the flow.

Morning Exercise Japanese Style

2009-04-22T16:56:00.000-07:00

Bullfights

2009-04-11T01:11:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity to go the the bull fights again before we leave the island in May. By the end of this particular match these bulls had been beating each other up for about 30 minutes. It's hard to imagine ramming your head against someones else's head for that long. I bet they had big headaches the next day. I wouldn't call the fighting gruesome, however, you can see that they do injure each other. I love watching the trainers try to get the bulls to do what they want them to.

Only in Japan

2009-04-08T03:55:00.000-07:00

We recommend you start your day here.........cup to cup customer satisfaction......

Fantastic Hong Kong

2009-04-08T03:36:00.000-07:00

The Ladies and Gent had a fantastic time in Hong Kong. We did all the requisite sightseeing including the Lantau Buddha, the Victoria Harbor light show, Victoria Peak and the night markets. We did TONS of walking, had clothes made by the greatest tailor ever (Richard), ate Dim Sum, drank a bunch of Guinness, bought jewels from Johnny the Jeweler and stayed up late EVERY night. I think the group had a great time and would vote Hong Kong as a MUST SEE destination.

Military Wedding

2009-03-27T04:26:00.000-07:00

Only in the military....Heath and I went to a wedding a few weekends ago. I love seeing the raised swords as the couple passes through.

The Strummin' Westcotts

2009-03-27T03:55:00.000-07:00

As a collective group we decided to take guitar lessons this past February. We have a 30 minute lesson every 2 weeks. We make our best effort to practice regularly(Heath and I are more consistent)and I must admit we don't sound half bad. Heath is far more accomplished as he has played guitar prior to our formal lessons. We have learned to play Happy Birthday and Amazing Grace and have progressed to simple versions of Let It Be, Brown Eyed Girl and Margaritaville. Heath makes his music on his father's old classic guitar. The guitar is about 30 years old and it's as if we have a piece of Grandpa Garth in the room when it's played. We bought Gracie the blue gem you see in the photo for Christmas. Garth chose the acoustic guitar second from the left. For myself..........I spent many weeks of my allowance on the "Most Beautiful Guitar in the World" on the right. It has a built in tuner, inlaid abalone on the body and light wood contrasts on the neck. Sweet guitar.......I am sure my playing will never do it justice. Just the same......I'll pretend I am Eric Clapton.......Rest assured....you can hear the Westcott Tribe play during their US tour while they travel between duty stations.

Sea Glass Hunting

2009-03-08T22:39:00.000-07:00

In our final months here on Okinawa we are trying spend time doing things we have enjoyed doing over the past few years. One of those things has been hunting for sea glass. Our favorite beaches are on Ikei Island on the eastern side of Okinawa. During this time of year there are minimal people and the weather is nice. Also, I had to include a picture of one of my favorite things on Okinawa....the ever present soda machine. They are all over the place. As you can see this one is one all by it's lonesome on the side of the rode. They come in handy when you need something to drink.

Garth's First Football Game

2009-02-17T02:18:00.001-08:00

Garth decided this year that he wanted to give football a try. He is on the Foster Cougars. His team practices 3 days a week and they have a game every Sunday. Unfortunately, they lost their first game this past weekend and the boys were pretty upset. Garth got the wind knocked out of him pretty good while going up for a pass, but felt better about the whole situation when he was able to reciprocate the favor. When football ends it will be on to soccer.....Enjoy the photos....

Heather is leaving Okinawa

2009-02-03T03:09:00.000-08:00

I met Heather when I volunteered on the Labor & Delivery floor at the Naval Hospital here in Okinawa. We have become great friends and she is very dear to me. She is out of here and I will be taking she and Scuba to the airport on the 12th. We made one last trip to The Cove last Saturday and drank entirely too much cheap white wine and Orion drafts. Okinawa's loss is Oklahoma's gain. I'll miss you Heather........

What a Way to Go Out

2009-01-28T23:35:00.001-08:00

Just a quick update on the Harwood situation. What do you do with a 70# dog after he has been put down? In the Westcott/Knott Families they get buried in Mom and Dad's Fern Garden. The process to have your dog cremated here on Okinawa is a bit complicated. Heath and I had to go pick him up and deliver him to a little old Japanese man named Joe who owns a grooming business out in town. Apparently he worked at the base Vets office for 40 years and knows his way around the Pet Funeral business. When we got to Joe's we met the "Mortician", so to speak, who was a very sweet and concerned lady. We got the low down on their cremation services and facilities through a mixture of single words in both Japanese/English, photo brochures and sign language. We then put Harwood (frozen like an ice cube...YUCK) in the back of her teeny little car and off we went. I think we were afforded about 50 VERY respectful bows during our encounter. To make a long story short.....I picked him up a few days later in a lovely package and set off to mail him to Mom and Dad. The post office here on base had never mailed pet remains and it took us a bit to figure out what we had to do. You'll be happy to know that Harwood is now sitting proudly in Mom's china cabinet awaiting for a proper burial in the Fern Garden. We'll be there soon buddy......

Adios.....Tonsils

2009-01-15T01:50:00.000-08:00

Gracie did it and came through with flying colors. Good riddens to the pesky tonsils that have given her fits forever. Gracie had her surgery today at about 10am. The surgery lasted about 30 minutes and we were home about 2 hours later. Our friend Jamie Oberman did the surgery and all the hospital staff was fantastic (GO Navy....) Thanks everyone for all the kind phone calls, thoughts, prayers.

Harwood Wyatt Westcott -12/94-1/5/2009

2009-01-07T02:49:00.000-08:00

Parting is such sweet sorrow.....the dreaded day finally arrived. I posted back in July about Harwood's failing health. Since then his tumor had grown drastically. When we got home from our trip on 12/28 we were told and noted that he was doing well (he had been going on his walks, all bodily functions were happening and he was eating well). This past Monday it became evident that the tumor was too large and Harwood was unable to do the things he regularly did during his day. He was very uncomfortable, weak and was almost unable to lift his back side off the floor. I made the decision (Heath was TAD and we had discussed the options) that I needed to put him down (I don't like that term). I was able to see the Vet that afternoon. Harwood had been seen by the Vet about a month ago for a "Euthanasia Consult" so they were familiar with his issues. All things considered the process could not have been more pleasant. Harwood was nicely sedated before the final medication was given. I was able to hold his head and smile into his eyes as he passed over. As you can imagine I was crying, crying, crying and I am happy I didn't wear any mascara. We are going to MISS that dog. I miss the barking, panting and the sounds of a slow moving dog throughout the house. Vaya con Dios sweet puppy.

Epic Asia Holiday

2009-01-03T06:48:00.000-08:00

You must be asking yourself, "Is she CRAZY.......four slide shows in one posting"? Well, once I figured out how to make a slide show for my blog it was all over...More the merrier, ehh? I hope you enjoy the photos.

Let me tell you about this trip we took. We started planning our holiday in 11/07 when my parents were visiting here in Okinawa. On a whim we took a look at cruises around Asia. We booked our cruise that same day (splurging on suites mind you) and the trip morphed from there. The first slide show is of our Bangkok festivities. The second shows us in Chiang Mai, the third is of Cambodia and the 4th details the cruise. In the pictures you will see Dave and Connie (Salley's parents), the Okinawa Westcotts and Lynda (Heath's mom) and Joseph (Lynda's fiance). The Fosters and the Carlsons met us in Singapore where the cruise started. We visited the following places: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Siem Reap, Singapore, Phuket, Langkawi and Kuala Lumpur....Whew....That's alot of moving around.

We did a ton. We rode in airplanes, on subways, in Tuk Tuks, and jeeps. We sailed the ocean blue on a huge ocean liner, hauled butt in a long tipped boat in Bangkok and took our lives in our hands in various taxis. We walked everywhere, rode on elephants and sailed through the sky on ziplines. We explored quiet Thai neighborhoods on rickety bikes and had tandem bike races through the Ancient City. We swam, we lounged, we ate and drank (very HOT food in Thailand) and we had a great time. We even had a small Christmas party in Dave and Connie's room on Christmas where we exchanged gifts and thanked our lucky stars.

It's going to be hard to top this latest adventure, but we'll have to take that challenge. Thanks Mom, Dad, G's, Heath, Lynda, JoJo, Fosters and Carlsons. I'll travel with you guys any time. Here's to good times, good friends and a good life. Love you all.....

Happy New Year Everyone

2009-01-01T05:43:00.000-08:00

Wishing you well from Okinawa

Epic Asia

2008-12-21T19:41:00.000-08:00

Our travels started on 12/10 for the US members of the group and the 12Th for the Okinawan crew. We have enjoyed Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Siem Reap and Singapore. We leave today (12/22) on a 5 day cruise which will take us to Phuket (Thailand), Langkawi and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Lots of spicey food, exotic coctails (they make a mean Mojito in Siem Reap) and fantastic people. The elephants in Chiang Mai were great fun and Cambodia is a step back in time. More later.....ENJOY

The New Baby

2008-12-10T02:45:00.001-08:00

This is the newest edition to the Westcott household....Her Japanese name is Mike Neko (sounds like Meekay Neck O) which means tortoise shell patterned cat. Her alias is Miss Mike (rhymes with bike,like,hike). Remember Johnny Cash's song "A Boy Named Sue"? This is "A Girl Named Mike". She is very sweet, talkative and cuddly. Sukoshi (Cat #1) is upset and spends most of his time growling and running away from her. She really wants to be his buddy, but will have to wait until cat #1 is ready. Sushi (Cat #2) is still MIA. We think she is either living large with another family or she has gone on to glory. When I went to the stray animal facility to post a sign about Sushi I met and got hooked on Mike. I gave it a few days and went back. I told myself if she was still there she was mine. SCORE...I was talking with Garth about the fact that we could end up with 3 cats if Sushi came back. "Dad will flip", I said. Garth's reply was, "He'll get over it". Good, good boy.......

Family Photo Japanese Style

2008-12-07T03:05:00.000-08:00

I have never been one for professional "Olan Mills" style photography. Maybe it's the lack of spontaneity or the atrocious backgrounds, I don't know. As a child I distinctly remember a "Knott Family” photo which included alot of polyester and Dad's permed hair and handlebar mustache. I think it was 1976 because we were all wearing red, white and blue. That said, I have always felt a tad remiss about the lack of professional photography documenting the Westcott Family (circa January 1996). The only "real" pictures we have are our wedding photos which are really a collection of photos taken by friends and family. So.....I decided that we needed to get with the program and we had some photos taken professionally. To jazz it up we decided to do it Japanese style (Ageda Photography on the 330 near Gate 2 street). You wouldn't believe how much clothing goes under a kimono. Heath was cinched so tight he could barely breath and it was a production for me to sit down. It’s a wonder the Geiko and Maiko don’t fall flat on their beautifully painted faces. It would be close to impossible not to dismantle the entire outfit trying to go to the bathroom. Anyway, it was great fun and very worthwhile cultural experience. I would highly recommend this for any family here on Okinawa.

2008-12-03T02:57:00.000-08:00

Okuma Weekend

2008-12-03T02:25:00.000-08:00

We had a great time at Okuma a few weekends ago. Our friends Meiko and Vivian made it from Portland, OR to Okinawa unscathed and we thought we'd introduce them to northern Okinawa. Okuma is an Air Force military resort on the western side of the island. We have a group of friends on Okinawa that make regular treks to the resort for some down time. We had a group of about 20 adults and 10 children. We had a birthday celebration for three of the kids (Garth, Aspen and Matt) with 2 pinatas, a water balloon toss and pin the tail on the donkey. Tom and Brian (the chefs) cooked up some Kahlua pork and garlic chicken. Stefanie made a birthday cake that looked like a WWE wrestling ring. For the adults there were homemade pina coladas, ample beer and cigars, golf and big time laughs. Fast forward a few days and we finished our week with Meiko and Vivian. They were delayed leaving Okinawa by 1 day due to the issues with the Bangkok protests, but were able to fly to Honk Kong the day after Thanksgiving. We received and email today saying they were routed to U-tapao airport in Pattaya, Thailand and will somehow make it to Chiang Mai to catch up with her mom........What a trip.

Here's Garth......

2008-12-01T04:49:00.000-08:00

This is my tribute to Garth......The little baby that was born in 29 Palms, CA on 11/24/97 has just turned 11 years old. His feet are bigger than mine and he is almost as tall as me. When did that happen????? As Garth approaches the Tween-Teen years I am hoping that he can hold on to his humor, his enthusiasm and his big heart. It's not easy being a kid, however, I hope he'll look back on his childhood as being a happy one. Here's to you Garth.....LIVE WELL

The Holiday Season is Upon Us......

2008-11-19T00:06:00.000-08:00

We thought these photos would bring a smile to your face as the holiday season begins.....We are going to be joining about 5 families for Thanksgiving dinner. Our friends Vivian and Meiko will be visiting the week prior to the holiday and we look forward to seeing some sights with them and relaxing. Watch for new postings as we have lots of things going on- kids' swim meet, Garth's birthday, Okuma weekend with about 30 other people etc....Have a great day.

Funny Stuff & Myspace layouts

Funny Pictures & Myspace layouts

I love Shisa

2008-11-03T04:03:00.000-08:00

Old Okinawan folklore tells of a Shisa or Lion-Dog that used its' powers to save the island from sea creatures that threatened catastrophe. When exploring Okinawa you will most definitely see varying interpretations of Shisa. They will be on roof tops, flanking a driveway or a gate, at the front entrance to about any type of building or business and in gardens. They are male and female counterparts with the male usually sitting on the right with its mouth closed and the female on the left with its mouth open. I happen to LOVE Shisa and am trying not to go overboard in my collecting of them. You can see them all over Okinawa, however, unless you have lived here they may not hold the same charm. They are not common in mainland Japan. Anyway, I'm sure my future neighbors will wonder what the funny things on my roof, in my garden or at my front door are.

Pretty Toes

2008-10-24T23:23:00.000-07:00

Latest Pedicures for Salley and Grace. Salley went with the alternating black/pink polka dot motif while Gracie opted for a Halloween theme.

Navy Ball 2008

2008-10-24T23:04:00.000-07:00

Every October the Navy Ball rolls around. It is a nice way to celebrate the Navy's birthday while getting dressed up and hanging out with good friends. We started our evening with a pre-party at Tom and Kim Zuzelski's house. From there our designated drivers, Mia and someone else (can't remember who), escorted us to the Butler O'Club for the festivities. It is a formal affair with alot of pomp and circumstance. Lots of toasts, traditions and the ever important cake cutting. They also featured 2movies/slide shows. One was about a Navy Seal who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his valor in Iraq and the other was dedicated to all the sailors who have perished while fighting the current war. You know me, I cry at Hallmark adds so imagine my behavior during those presentations. I think everyone was very moved. We had a really nice time and look forward to future events. GO NAVY....

Grand Prix of Japan

2008-10-24T22:48:00.001-07:00

The boys had a great time at the grand prix. Lots of loud cars going really fast.....what could be better than that? The weather was very pleasant except for one day which was quite chilly. That is a huge change from Okinawa where is it still in the 80's and humid.

Ode to Gracie

2008-10-15T04:55:00.001-07:00

I did a very "Bad Mommy" thing. I missed Adoption Day. So....better late than never. Gracie has been with us for 8 years and 28 days as of today. We adopted her from Krasnoyarsk, Russia (Siberia near Lake Baikal)on 9/12/00. We arrived home after our second trip to see her on 9/17/00 in time to celebrate her 1st birthday on the 18Th. It's hard to imagine what our lives would be like without her. I can't really imagine another child fitting so well into our family. An added bonus to the whole Grace package is that we were also able to make contact with her birth family and are able to stay in frequent contact via letters and a translator. Her birth mother is Lilia and her sister and brother are Anastacia and Slava. Grace is very proud that she was adopted. She calls herself Russia and knows that it was no accident that she found her family half way across the world. Here's to Grace Oksana Lilia Westcott.........YOU ROCK.....

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2008-10-04T04:39:00.000-07:00

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Each year when October rolls around I straddle the emotional fence between feeling like a "Survivor" and feeling like I am pushing my luck. I have always worried that I would anger the "Cancer Gods" by being too smug and they would really let me have it. "So Salley...you dodged the last bullet, but watch out now", they would say. I was diagnosed with Stage 3a breast cancer in March 2002 at the age of 34. My treatment included 6 months of chemotherapy, 6 1/2 weeks of radiation, 7 surgeries, 5 years of hormonal medication therapy and every 3 month follow ups for 5 years. There was a time when breast cancer occupied my every waking moment. Now I am happy to say that I usually think about other things. I tell you......cancer has a way of knocking you flat on you back and helping you sort things out. I learned alot about myself by having cancer and I call that my silver lining. When someone told me that they would not change the fact they had had cancer I thought they were crazy. Now I understand. My family and friends have been my saving graces and I hope all Survivors are a lucky as I have been. Look......I just called myself a survivor and felt really good about it.

Zoo Trip Okinawa Style

2008-10-04T04:12:00.000-07:00

Garth and Grace both had a field trip to the zoo. I volunteered to chaperone and we had a splendid time. I was in charge of 3 kids and it was my job to keep them in line and out of trouble. I think we were fairly successful. We saw your normal zoo animals including a poop throwing chimpanzee, the spraying lion and mating elephants. As you can imagine the elephant viewing caused quite a stir and the kids were beside themselves. I chose not to take pictures as I am sure your imaginations will do the job. As you look at the photos ask yourself what the 2 hand drawn signs would mean to you if you were to wander by a chimpanzee or lion cage. Garth was the proud recipient of "Chimpanzee Poop" fodder after he and the kids taunted the grumpy old thing into action. Great way to spend a school day.

Typhoon Sinloku

2008-09-21T23:30:00.000-07:00

I guess you had to be here to feel/see/hear the rain, thunder etc.....This typhoon was definitely no Man-Yi (July 07),but was enough reason to tie and weight everything down so things didn't disappear. It was supposed to hit us directly, but ended up moving west. This is a short video taken from our back porch.

Gracie turns 9

2008-09-21T22:22:00.000-07:00

What a gala we had.....Grace has been planning, talking about, rehashing and strategizing about her party for months. With all the pressure I was worried that I would flop as her assistant party planner, however, I am happy to say that we had a grand time. To start 4 little girls, Heath and I went to Burger King drive thru to get lunch. Lunch in hand we progressed to our favorite roller slide park. For those not living in Japan these parks are fantastic. The entire slide is made of rollers and the kids (some adults) travel down the slide on their backsides, feet and various other body parts. The major complaint (if not traveling on cardboard) by the end of the slide is, "My butt is itching and/or vibrating....". Well.....with cardboard in hand we hit the slide. The girls were up and down (in very humid weather) too many times to count. I am happy to say that by the end of my maiden slide yours truly was able to stick a catapult induced landing and earn a very respectable score per our 4 girl judging panel. I am also very proud to say that Heath's slide was not nearly as fast or graceful as mine. After the park we headed home for more festivities. Grace made out like a bandit in the gift department and the kids enjoyed a Lego cake (I am going into the cake making business) and a pinata. Grace is already talking about her 10Th birthday party.....

NOSCO Luncheon

2008-09-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

You might ask....What is NOSCO? NOSCO stands for Naval Officer Spouses Club of Okinawa. NOSCO runs the gift shop that I volunteer at and is one of the organizations that raises money to be donated to local American and Japanese charities. Last year a total of 250,000 dollars was donated. Anyway......who would of thought that I would meet such cool women through this organization. Let me introduce you to Kim, Lea Ann, Rachel, Britt (front row L-R) and Kelly, Rebecca and Amy. We were at the Welcome Aboard Luncheon for the new people on island. It was a nice time and we had the most festive table. They gave away great prizes of which we won NONE while some people won 2-3 times.... We decided the raffle was rigged. All in all a very nice time and probably one of 2-3 times a year where dressier clothes are in order.

Heath Did Good

2008-09-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

Heath was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal for his time in Kuwait. Go Navy.......

My New Friend

2008-09-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

After living on Okinawa for almost 2 years I have finally discovered a better way to
buy fresh vegetables and fruit at a much better value. As most Americans do when stationed overseas we have shopped at the local commissaries. As the food prices have gone up (IE. limes- 5.00/lb, lettuce- 4.75/lb and garlic- 17.00/lb) we have started shopping elsewhere. We have found a few fantastic markets that are so reasonably priced it is unbelievable. And now for the greatest thing.......at my favorite market they have a mascot. His name is Sito (unsure of spelling and because I am not fluent in Japanese I am most likely spelling his name wrong) and he is a Lemur. I visit with him each time I go. He holds my finger and swings around his cage. I do feel a little bad that he is not swinging around in trees, however, I look forward to our weekly visits.

Heath and Salley's Adult Adventure

2008-09-12T19:32:00.000-07:00

Not that we don't love our kids, however, sometimes you need adult time. We had our friends Amy and Rob watch Garth and Grace and off we went. We headed north towards Nago and were able to enjoy a fantastic lunch at the FUU Cafe (don't know what fuu stands for). We happened upon this little gem which is tucked away on a small island off the west coast of Nago. It is a definite place to take visitors. After lunch we went to the Marriott. Because Heath's mom practically lives at Marriott's for her job she was able to hook us up. We were on the top floor (15Th) with a view of the East China Sea. It just so happens that we had the executive floor benefits and got to imbibe for free. We swam in the pool, hung out in the sauna and read out by the pool. I am fairly sure we were the only Americans there. We went for a long road bike the following morning and then headed home. Okinawa is beautiful and the short drive from Chatan to Nago finds one in an entirely different setting. Enjoy the photos.

Proof our kids are getting bigger

2008-08-31T03:18:00.000-07:00

This is Garth on Salley's road bike......Doesn't look too small for him....does it?

Happy 37Th Birthday Heath.....

2008-08-31T03:01:00.000-07:00

August 29Th rang in but another year for Heath. I slaved away making his cake (Margarita Cake which sounded good on paper, but really wasn't) and got this photo of him blowing out his candles. My camera was having a difficult time focusing as it was perplexed by the bonfire of candles on top of the cake. I guess we will need to invest in a fancier camera now that our cakes look like the surface of the sun. Just think.....with each passing year we can satisfy our "Pyro" needs by lighting a small fire. Have a great year Heath.........

Playing Dress-Up Navy Style

2008-08-31T02:38:00.000-07:00

The Thrill of Victory....and the Agony of Defeat

2008-08-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

On August 16Th the Karama Islands were the setting for a most epic dive trip. We had a full boat and did a total of 3 dives. The last dive at Twin Rocks was the most memorable for me. It was clear and warm and we were able to get some great photos. That being said, the day presented some problems for some of our faithful party. The ocean was a bit rough and our boat was having steering issues. To navigate the waves our captain had to zigzag back and forth thus causing a very noticeable rocking motion. For those of you who know Heath you are probably assuming that I am going to say he was chumming for fish the whole time. Well....you stand corrected.....Heath found a wonder drug in the Scopolamine patch and was able to keep his breakfast and lunch to himself that great day. One little patch and Heath braved the turbulent sea like the sailor he is. I am unable to say that about our friend Stef. She started out good to go, however, as we got further from the coast in a zigzag-rocking-lurching motion things continued to go downhill. The poor thing made the first dive and spent the rest of the day either leaning over the rail or curled up on the deck. I don't know if things improved for her on the way back as the boat's steering issues got worse and we almost needed to be towed. Needless to say we all made it home with some of us a little more empty and pale than the others. To top off the adventure Brian ended up with decompression sickness the following day and was cordially invited to spend 8 hours in the decompression chamber. In Brian's and Stef's defenses we did have one other party member have a spell of narcosis on the first dive and someone else chummed on the way back. All in all it was a very good trip with lots to blog about. Enjoy the slide show......

Sink or Swim

2008-08-11T22:42:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a mass start to ease your nerves. Someone is smacking you in the head and someone else is grabbing your feet. This in not to mention feeling like you are going to drown when someone dunks your head under the water and ruins your rythym. These Westcott kids are amazing.........

Tri Kids

2008-08-11T22:09:00.000-07:00

Garth and Grace participated in a 2 week triathlon camp and finished up with a Tri Kids triathlon (200m swim, 2mile bike, 1mile run). They both did really well and had a lot of fun (despite the heat and wicked humidity). It was great to see them participating in a group event with such great attitudes and sportmanship.

Chuck is Home

2008-08-11T21:58:00.000-07:00

Our neighbor Chuck Foster arrived home from Kuwait on August 8th. Heath promised Chuck that he would meet him at the threshold with a cold beer. They say that they suffered in Kuwait without access to good beer. Heath and Chuck became close friends while deployed. We are happy to have him back.

Around the Island

2008-08-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

We decided that we'd better start exploring the island again lest we find ourselves ready to change duty stations. It would be a shame to miss out on these sights especially when they are almost in our backyard. The Nakagusuku Castle (or "jo") is a World Heritage site. It is a very large castle in top of a hill southeast of Camp Foster. The Pacific Ocean on one side and the East China Sea on the other.

The Futenma Shrine is very near us as well. I was driving the other day and it happened to catch my eye. The Shinto shrines are so peaceful. This is the first one we have visited on Okinawa.

A day out with Garth and Grace

2008-08-03T20:15:00.001-07:00

Our friends Tina, Dave and Max the dog took the kids to a great little beach a few weekends ago. The tide was very high and they had a great time.

Heath is Home

2008-07-28T05:19:00.000-07:00

Team Westcott

2008-07-28T05:17:00.000-07:00

Daddy arrives

2008-07-28T04:56:00.000-07:00

You'll have to excuse my amateur video shooting abilities.......and watch this video sideways. It was so fun to watch to kids spot Heath as he came out of the baggage claim at the airport. After 36 hours of flying Heath was holding up remarkably well. He spent his first day or two getting reacquainted with jet lag and enjoying things he was not able to have for the past 7 months IE. beer (Kuwait is a dry country). He says he is experiencing some unexpected "Culture Shock". He is surprised that there are dishes to do, someone else doesn't do your laundry and you have to pay for your meals verses scanning his ID as payment at the galley. Additionally, Okinawa looks very green, there are kids around all the time that are attached to his hip and he is used to sleeping in a bunk bed in open bay barracks.....On the plus side he says that the humidity in Okinawa is actually easier to tolerate than the average daily temperature of 120F in Arifjan. All in all the adjustment has been very smooth and he is enjoying being back home.

The Man is coming home.....

2008-07-22T02:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes....it is official. After serving his country for the past 7 months my sweetie, The Man of the House, and father /husband extraordinaire is headed back to Okinawa. Just to make his trip home interesting he will fly west (instead of east which would be faster) through Dulles, Chicago, Narita and then back to this little speck in the ocean we call home. We are so excited to have him home. It will be great to have my partner back. I was talking with some good friends I have met since Heath left about our life in general. It's funny because they have never met Heath and only know me and the kids. Thankfully Heath presents well and I am able to take him out in public so. I am sure what these friends are really curious about is what kind of man is married to their "crazy friend Salley" (Ha ha ha ha). I digress.......anyway, I am proud of Heath and I know that he did a great job for the Navy. It will be awesome to be a family again.

PS- Check out Heath getting Lieutenant Dan's (Gary Sinise's) autograph.........

Our baby cats.........

2008-07-21T23:57:00.000-07:00

Aren't they the sweetest cats you have EVER seen? Sushi (siamese) sleeps on top of the fax/copier while I work or when she is hiding from something. Sukoshi has taken to spending his nights outside and sleeping during the day. The cats love to groom each other, wrestle and play hide and seek. We said we'd never have to cats again.......Oh well

Sweet Sweet Harwood

2008-07-14T18:27:00.000-07:00

I am fairly sure that anyone that knows the Westcott Family (circa January 1996) knows Harwood. We got Harwood when we were stationed in 29 Palms at the pound. We had another dog at the time named Diva who needed a companion. Heath decided to choose Harwood because he was very mellow and didn't freak out when he was walking through looking at dogs. Heath changed his name from Wyatt to Harwood in honorof a particularly "Bad Ass" Navy Seal named Pat Harwood. As it turns out Harwood couldn't have been more of a teddy bear though this is not to say that 75 lbs. of growling, teeth bearing dog is not intimidating. Harwood has been the pinnacle of what we think "Mans best Friend" should be. Loyal, sweet and easy to be around.

Lately Harwood's health has been failing him. He has had a slow growing tumor on his left hip since about mid 2006. We had it removed in 2/07 and it is now back and it's much larger. Last Friday I had a big scare. Harwood was vomiting blood and I took him to the vet. The Vet thought that perhaps he had eaten something poisonous due to his very abnormal blood tests. The Vet also thought that many of his problems are related to his cancer which has most likely metastasized (abdomen and liver). Gracie and I sat in the Vet's room and boo-hooed for awhile and decided that we would talk to Heath before we proceeded. I really didn't want to have to put Harwood to sleep before Heath could give him another hug.

I don't know what got into this dog, however, over the weekend he began to rally. No more vomiting, he wants to go on his walks, and he is eating and drinking. He is bright eyed and he looks happy. I am hoping he stays this way until Heath gets home next week. I know that Harwood in not long for this world, but I am sure grateful at the turn of events.

Due to the size of the Harwood Wyatt Westcott Fan Club I will keep you all updated on his progress. Any and all good vibes, prayers and spiritual doggy offerings are much appreciated.

Oh my.....

2008-07-01T03:52:00.000-07:00

There must be something in the water here on Okinawa.....Garth informed me that he had armpit hair and Grace has miraculously grown a mustache.........

Poor Kitties

2008-06-19T01:35:00.000-07:00

I am feeling much better today. I finally had to bite the bullet and have the cats declawed. I was very worried about doing this as I didn't want the cats to suffer. I took them to a Japanese Vet out in town. They were great and the cats are no worse for the wear. The poor babies were groggy when they got home, but were back to mayhem the next morning. I think my couch and leather chair are breathing a sigh of relief...........

Winter Trip to Sapporo

2008-05-19T22:59:00.000-07:00

Salley and Heather (good friend) co-parented Garth and Grace on a great trip to Hokaido to see the Sapporo Ice Festival (check off one of the 1,000 places to see before you die). We stayed in a Japanese Ryokan with tatami rooms and onsen baths. It was about 35F and I think we were all in shock due to living in the tropics for the past 1 1/2 years. I have included some of the highlights of our trip. Of course we made a visit to the beer factory.

Spring Soccer

2008-05-19T22:51:00.000-07:00

Garth and Grace (luckily for me) we able to be on the same soccer team this year. They had a great time playing. I volunteered to be Team Mom. We had very cute "Parent Shirts" made. Mine had their team logo on the front and "Garth & Grace's Mom" on the back.