hi  kim  .  i will be there  .   i am so excited aleady  . i cant wait to meet you  and the others  . see you in july ..if there anything you want me to do  please let me know  Tammy

Hi Everybody 
Looks like we'll be meeting in Langley on Whidbey Island on August 2nd & 3rd. I've reserved a room at the Saratoga Inn where they've agreed to make their cozy public rooms available to us so we can meet and chat whenever we like. I also reserved the small, private conference room for Saturday, where they'll provide us with hot and cold beverages, and right-out-of-the-oven, home-made muffins and cookies to munch on all day long  .
The dates changed to August 2nd & 3rd because other groups beat me to it and booked the entire inn for the last two weekends in July . But that's OK, as it hardly ever rains here in August  .
Here's the link to the charming Saratoga Inn:


And here's a link to a site that promotes the town of Langley with lots of videos so you can see what it's like here:

(Note: If you click on Whidbey Island Soap Company under Retail Stores then Gift Shops, you'll see a video of my son and I talking about our shop. The video was made just weeks before I had my stroke last summer and was diagnosed with moyamoya that fall. Boy oh boy, did I ever stress over the making of that video.)

I'll post a list of available lodgings in the next few weeks. There are a huge number of lovely B&Bs and a few small inns in and around Langley. The least expensive is $75/night, then there is the spectacular Inn at Langley which is on the Conde Nast Traveler "Gold List of Best Places to Stay in the World" from $275-$495 per/night:


Here's a link to the Chamber of Commerce website which has a lodging referal service:
(Note: A new website is scheduled to be launched any day now, but should have the same URL address.)

Please send me an email , or post a reply to this subject if you're able to join us. Langley is a great place to slow down, relax and get away from the real world for a little while.
See you there,
Kim

Hi Linda,
I'm so very sorry to hear that you lost your Mom. My folks live here on the island - they'll be 79 and 82 this Spring. I'm so very thankful for each and every day that I have them. Going through this moyamoya expereince with me this last year has taken a toll on them, though they won't ever admit it to me.

I hope you and Jack can make it up here this summer. It's a wonderful place to visit and a great place to relax. I've lived in many different parts of the country, but chose Whidbey Island for digging in and growing roots. When I was a kid my grandparents owned an old-fashioned deparment/grocery store and later a fishing resort on the next island over. I grew up land-locked, in the mid-west but got to visit them for a couple of weeks every summer - it was paradise. I promised myself then that I would one day live here.

I've never been to Vegas and I'm feeling lucky these days (found Dr. Steinberg and had the surgery) so thought that maybe I would try my luck with the roulette wheel   8). Also, I want to finally get to meet D.J.. Jill had arranged a dinner get together with D.J. and a couple other patients at Stanford this Fall, but I missed it because I was having some temporary problems. I need to thank him for this amazing, life-saving website that he created. So, it'll be three days of wild & crazy, then back here to peace and tranquility.

A lot of traveling in the near future. I'm off to Stanford for my six-month check-up on May 5th. This may sound somewhat odd, but I'm actually looking forward to it (well not the angiogram). But, I want the confirmation that all is at last OK. Then, I'm hoping that this traumatic moyamoya experience will start to recede into the background a bit.
Kim

Hi Linda,

Oh, I so hope you can come, you'll love it here! You can launch your kyaks right at the marina in Langley. On this side of the island we're more protected then on the west side - lots more open water there. There's a new business here where you can now rent kyaks too. I haven't done it yet, but plan to as soon as it warms up a bit more... Right now, Brrrrrrr. Or you can rent those cute little Vespa motor scooters at Soleil, pickup lunch to go at the Chef's Pantry or the old-fashioned Star Store Deli and explore the backroads of the island - too much fun!

You're sure to see bald eagles flying every day - sometimes three or four at a time and lot of Herons fishing for their meal at the edge of the water and also playful seals- especially when kyaking. Early in the Spring the Orcas go by Langley, but during the summers you'll see the grey whales, if you're lucky. There are whale-watching cruises out of Anacortes, which is about 1 1/2 hours north of here (that's where the ferries leave for the San Juan Islands, though some people claim Whidbey is the south-most island in that chain)   or , and if you take the Chuckanut Drive along the coast heading toward Bellingham, home of Western Washington University, with charming old-town Fairhaven to explore and you can vist the Samish Marine research lab. Not sure what programs they offer, but I can find out if you're interested. You can dig for clams on the beach at Useless Bay (about 10 minutes from Langley) and a great place for children to swim as it's shallow (thus the name useless) so when the tide goes out the sun heats the sand and warms the water. Lots of drift wood to gather and logs to walk and a great place to let a dog run free. You can pick lavender right out of the fields at Sarah's Lavender Winds farm and the raspberries should be ready for picking in August (too late for strawberries though). And we have a fun Saturday Farmer's Market at Bayview about 2 miles from Langley. I could go on forever...

Thank you for the positive thoughts for my six-month. Compared to the first visit, this one should be a breeze. Dr. Steinberg is at the top of my list of all time favorite people. Don't want to think what would have happend to so many of us, if not for him. Everytime I have a task to do that I would like to put off (I'm the all time greatest procrastinator) I think, what if Steinberg decided to just blow off a day of surgery? Helps me to tackle those tasks I really just don't want to do.

I'm really gettiing excited about this gathering on Whidbey Island - guess you can tell from this long post. I'd love to share this magical, healing place with my moyamoya family.

Hope to see you and Jack here this summer,
Kim

Hi all,

I just got a call from the Saratoga Inn after one of us tried to book a room for the gathering on August 2-3 was wait-listed after being told there were no rooms available on those dates . Turns out someone booked the entire place for a wedding party (well, all but for the room I booked and the conference room). I was told that the weekend of August 16-17 is absolutely, positively free. So, after talking to the person who was wait-listed we decided to change the dates. I hope this works out OK for all who are planning to come.

If you are planning to come, it might be a good idea to book a room as soon as you can at either the Saratoga Inn or another B&B. You can check out the lodging listings and availablity on the new Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or web site. If your plans change and you find you're unable to make it, most of the lodgings will refund any deposit you make provided you cancel within a certain period of time.

No more date changes, I promise.

Kim

Hi all -  
The weather FINALLY turned around, sunshine and blue skies. It's been a loooong winter.

I booked a group dinner reservation for 6:00 Saturday eveneing. I chose La Prima restaurant right here in Langley. We can easily add more to the reservation. They have an outdoor deck where we can dine while looking out over the waters of Puget Sound. It's a great place for conversation and the food and wines are wonderful! Here's a link to a video about the restaurant http://video.aol.com/video-detail/prima-bistro-langley-washington-on-whidbey-island/3722843998

Don't forget to make your lodging reservations soon. There are still plenty of rooms available, but now that the kids are out of school and the weather has improved families are starting to book their vacations.

See you soon,
Kim

Hi Kim ....

So....you're going to Lanai.  It's even smaller than the island I live on Kauai.  I've lived in Hawaii all my life, but have never been to Lanai, although Alan has.  He says it's really nice.  Just a little head's-up...watch out for the winter swells (waves), it can be a little rough especially around December/January.

I hope all is going well for your upcoming reunion, I know Tammy is really excited about going.  BTW....it was really great meeting you in Las Vegas!!

Aloha ,

Jan

Hey Kim,

If I'm not mistaken the Mokihana Lodge is in Kapaa.  Alan and I have been living in Puhi for the past 5 or six years now, but I'm originally from Kekaha (the west-side of Kauai, near Kokee).  I live 5 - 10 minutes away from the airport.  Should you come to Kauai over the winter, please give me a call and we can go to dinner somewhere.  I presume since you've been here before you have pretty much visited most places on the island.  May I please have your email address and I will give you my cell number so you can contact me? 

Aloha ,

Jan

Hey Shan,
I didn't realize there were so many folks with moyamoya in the islands! You can all barge in on my vacation any time ol' time. I though I might fly into Maui and then ferry over to Lanai. Haven't made any definite plans yet - have to earn enough income this summer to be able to afford it. This trip has the highest priority on my list as it's been a long, long while since I had a real vacation. And if this moyamoya experience has taught me anything, it's to not put off those things that we dream of doing. My Aunt and Uncle live in Lanikai on Oahu. I've been invited to stay in their guest house. That would probably be a lot more affordable. None of my plans are solid yet, so if you're able to plan something, I'm game.

Jan, one way or another we'll find a way to spend some time together. Now, I so wish my folks hadn't sold their time share there.

It's cold and overcast here today - I sure hope summer returns soon.
Kim

Aw, Kieu, sorry you can't make it. We're a looooong ways from Virginia. I think the next reunion may be in Florida - maybe you can make that one. I promise to take lots of pictures and post them here.
I just realized that the county fair is happening the same weekend as the gathering. It's held right here in Langley. If you've never seen a small, old-fashioned, country fair this one is worth a visit. The best part is the 4-H kids exhibiting their farm animals. Both the kids and their critters are so darn cute.
Only three more weeks - wow, time sure flies!
Kim