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Howdy
Buckaroos, this is an addition to our web page so all our
past guest can keep up with the changes at the ranch.
The biggest change for the new millennium is the management
of the hostel. My two boys, Dirk and Jake have
grown into a couple of fine young men and are now of the age
of responsibility. Dirk graduated from Washington State
University (my Alma Mater) with a BA in Hotel and Resturant
Management. He managed for Boston Market for a few years and
receive top awards for his position. He decided to leave fast
food and try his hand in the hospitality industry. What
better place to begin than his home turf.
Jake graduated from Western State University in Aug of 2001
with a BA in Anthropology and Environmental Studies. I
am so proud of Jake, his schooling was interrupted by a short
term marriage that produced a new man in my life. My
only grandson is now 7. He calls me "TEEPEE
GRANDMA" . Then in 2001 Jake had another
child, a little girl called Kaya. She is grandma's dream come
true. It has all made a difficult challange for Jake to finish
school, but what an accomplishment, and what a nice addition
to our hostel family.
Now that the my two boys are managing the hostel, Malachi
and I are going to Disneyland.
The two of them have some fun changes in mind for the hostel.
Formost on their list is reaching out to more groups and schools.
They want to use the hostel as a teaching ground for all ages.
Jake is putting together a non-profit hostel with his friend
Johnny Street. They want to raise enough money to buy 100
acres near Stevens Pass for an environmental hostel. They
have even signed up for the "Amazing Race" TV show
to try and win the million dollar prize to help fund their
dream. I am excited for both these guys. Without a dream,
it's hard to make it a reality. Their hostel will be called
Maktup. They are building a web site to help others get involved
and soon we will have the site address listed here.
Well the battle with the county is over and I am not sure
if you call it a victory. It all depends on which side
of the fence you are standing on. The bottom line is
that we get to use the barn and thats a relief. Now
we are free to do what we do best, and that is providing you
with a special place in the Pacific Northwest.
We
regret to announce that our old hostel dog Koko passed on
to green pastures. She was a familiar part of the hostel and
greeted all with love and affections. She was with us for
17 years and will be missed. We also lost Miss Piggy, the
cat who also was a resident hosteller. She was 18 and had
a good life, hope she enjoys her travels in the other world.
We
now have 11 teepees, 4 covered wagons, a new tenting area,
the Big Red Barn , 3 private Log Cabin rooms 4 acre nature
walk, and a special new house called the Lavender
Duck for our couples who want more than a teepee.
We are working hard on the new nature trail that will have
benches, interesting art works, 3-D animal totems and new
rhododendrons donated by our school groups, brownie troops,
campfire girls and boy scouts. The flowers add so much to
the nature trail and we thank all that donate them.
This
past summer has seen many school groups using the hostel.
It is particularly satisfying to hear the laughter and see
the children enjoy the little world we have created. I have
been impressed with the quality of teachers that have brought
groups out to study early American history. They are teaching
how to make candles, quilt, write in journals and eat dried
foods they prepared in class. The kids all seem to enjoy learning
in the teepee and covered wagon setting. I am always willing
to share my knowledge with any group that wants to know how
to put up a teepee or how to build a log cabin. I love sharing
my ideas, explaining my tongue-in-cheek humor around the hostel
and explaining the animal totems I painted on the teepees.
I
hope some of you saw our TV documentary in 1996 on "Living
in a Teepee" that aired on Channel 7. I showed how to
put up a teepee and it was filmed at the hostel. Then in 1997
we had a 30 minute program called " An All American Picnic"
which showed on Channel 12 for the Dorothy Wilhelm show. It
was so fabulous. She brought in the Cimeron Dancers from Tacoma,
a great fiddle group and a Dutch-oven cooker. It turned out
very well. Also in 97 we had a nice article in Family
Fun Magazine published by the Disney Company, boy did we see
an increase in bookings from families. As of March of '98,
I am happy to announce, that I am in a new book by Jo
Giese called "A Womans Path".
Jo
picked 40 women from across the USA that had built an interesting
path out of a difficult situation. I am very honored to be
in this beautiful book. I hope you will take the time to look
up my story and all that occurred in building the hostel.
For
those ex-hostellers who might be wondering, I am still flying
the friendly skies or what ever they call us now. In November
I start my 40th year with United Airlines. I am
now a designated Purser on the international flights. I hope
I see you on board United on in my backyard. But first
I am going to take a much needed vacation and head for France
to study the growing of lavender. Hope to see you at
the hostel.
Christmas
2000 / New Years
2001
was the most miraculous experience I have ever had
in my life. I share it with you because it is
so wonderful. It is my gift to all who believe
in miracles. It is titled:
"Miracle on UALFlight
50"
What greater gift
could I give my mother than to find her brother. Separated
as children, she had not seen him for sixty-seven years and
assumed he had died in the war. She knew he had gone into
the service before he was eighteen as many young men had done.
Mother was adopted when
she was seven months old. From then until she left home, she
moved every year of her life. It seemed as though her parents
were running away from someone or something.
Mom recalls playing with
her "cousin" when she was eleven. Suddenly she was
whisked off to a neighbors house, hidden for the day,
and promised a string of pearls if she kept quiet. She never
saw him again. At age 22, she was told the "cousin"
was really her brother.
By the time mother was
sixteen, she was tired of moving and left home. She lived
with a Salvation Army family, working for her keep. Life was
tough, but mother lived by the Salvation Army slogan, "Dare
to be a Daniel; Dare to stand alone; Dare to have a purpose,
and Dare to make it known". Through the years,
her slogan was preached to her children. The slogan became
my guiding light, especially whenever I faced a daunting situation.
Mother never asked for
much out of life. She assumed nobody wanted her, and whatever
she got was all that she deserved. The black hole within left
her feeling less about herself but did not affect her willingness
to sacrifice for others.
She has been my helpmate
for twenty years. She helped me raise two sons, build my business
and fulfill my dreams. She has been my best friend for as
long as I can remember.
I have wanted desperately
to repay mother for all she has done for me and help her feel
whole and complete. I began searching for her brother. I searched
records relating to births, deaths, adoption, and military
service. I even paid to list her with a search company. I
always came up empty handed. After a year, I put aside my
efforts and worked on other projects.
Just before Christmas
2000, I was cleaning out my file cabinet when I ran across
the old file on my mothers brother. I shuffled through
all the information. Nothing new jumped off the pages. Reluctantly,
I slid the file back into the cabinet, closed the drawer,
and vowed that I would spend more time in the New Year pursuing
the search. I would have time as soon as I finished my latest
project, the cottage.
In September, I had decided
to build a small cottage for mother. I own a hostel and Bed
and Breakfast. The constant activities of staff and guests
make privacy impossible. My home slash business has become
quite hectic for someone mothers age. I therefore set
out to convert a 103 year old peach-packing shed, into a cottage.
Despite the crooked walls, termites, uneven concrete floor
and two ole carpenters who were not quite up to speed, the
project was doable. The renovation quickly ate up the money
I had budgeted. Rather than borrow more money, I decided
to pick up a few flights to earn the extra cash.
As a flight attendant,
you are paid for flight time only. I told my family that this
year I would fly Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, something
I had avoided in the past. The cottage had to be finished
by March.
On December 29th, I piggy
backed a Hawaii trip onto a New Zealand trip. Its an
exhausting way to pickup time. I would fly in from Hawaii
in the morning, sleep and then fly out to New Zealand late
that night.
I flew the purser position
for the Hawaii trip. When I looked at my crew list for the
flight, I was drawn to one flight attendants name, Stanclift
with a "T". It is not a common spelling, but the
same as my mothers birth name. If I had not been purser,
I would not have noted the last name. United Airlines has
23,000 flight attendants, and we fly with different crews
all the time.
When Camille Stanclift
walked into the briefing room, I thought she resembled my
niece. However, I put aside my curiosity and prepared for
the trip. I didnt think any more about it until an unusual
set of circumstances occurred on the flight. Several passengers
met friends they had not seen for awhile and others discovered
they had close friends in common. While talking about chance
meetings, I mentioned that I was intrigued by Camilles
last name. I brought up the fact that mother was adopted and
her birth name was also Stanclift. I added that I had been
trying to find my mothers brother.
Camille, commented, "Gosh,
my grandfathers sister was stolen by the babysitter!"
I responded. "If
his name is Bobby I will be spooked"
Camille replied.
"No his name is Robert!"
We both got very
excited. When we compared the ages of my mother and her grandfather,
the age difference was right. Mother is 78 and Robert is 80.
When did he last see his sister, what was her name then? Mothers
adoptive parents had changed her first name, and I could not
remember it. Camille could not recall the missing sisters
name. Camille said it was a family joke that they had come
from circus people because her great-grandfather worked in
a circus.
With this bit
of information, I went weak in the knees, and a chill passed
through me as though a ghost of the past was verifying the
words. My mother was told her grandfather was in a circus.
Part of his act was to break rocks on his chest.
Tears welled up in my
eyes; my mind was spinning. Could it be? We still had to fly
back to Los Angeles, and I was so glad it was an all-nighter.
Most passengers sleep, and I wanted to think. I reviewed the
old files in my mind. I did remember a small picture of Bobby.
He had a lazy eye. It looked half closed, but I wasnt
sure if it was a permanent infliction.
I raced to the back of
the plane and told Camille about the picture. She gasped and
relayed that her grandfather had a lazy eye, but she thought
it was because he was old. She remembered a picture of her
grandfather holding her father when he was a baby. Her grandfathers
eye was half shut. He evidently had his lazy eye his whole
life.
Now the evidence was
overwhelming. Suddenly, I remembered the name of mothers
birth mother. I hurried back to Camille and said, " I
think mothers birth mothers name was Vivian".
Camille looked
as though a ghost had nudged her, and she said, "I just
got the biggest chill all over my body, I think my great grandmothers
name was Vivian."
"Pinch me, I must
be dreaming", I said. "I think we are cousins,"
Had I found my mothers
brother? Did I now have an uncle?
We were stunned. Camille
would call her grandfather and verify some of the information
we had shared. I needed to find out mothers first name
at birth. Camille agreed to e-mail me that night before my
New Zealand trip.
I couldnt
wait to call my mother. "Mother, I have the best Christmas
present ever, are you setting down." I told her the miraculous
story.
Her reply was a long
soft drawn out, "Oh My". She began to cry and said
she was not sure she wanted to open the past. She was stunned
to learn she had a brother who was still alive. She told me
her birth parents had named her Ruth.
Needless to say, I didnt
sleep much before my New Zealand trip. When I woke up, I rushed
to a computer. The e-mail, was titled, "The Scoop."
My heart pounded as I opened it up and read, "Grandpas
sisters name was Ruth. His mothers name was Vivian.
Guess we are cousins.!!!"
How do you stand
in the middle of a crew room and shout for joy without twenty
other flight attendants thinking you are crazy? You dont.
I settled for running to a supervisor and sharing my excitement.
Thank you the powers
that be, the millennium forces were with us. If Camille had
married and changed her name, I would never have put it together.
If she had not been on her first international flight, our
paths would not have crossed. If I had not started the cottage,
I would not have flown the holidays. If I had not been purser,
I would never have seen her last name. She has only been a
flight attendant for two year and I have flown thirty-five.
With that spread in seniority, it is not common to fly together.
And she had only heard the story of her grandfathers
lost sister three years ago.
"What-ifs"
were all around me. An explosion of fireworks danced in my
head. Happy New Year!
My most precious wish
has been granted. Merry Christmas Mother.
HAPPY TRAILS,
Judy Mulhair
PS.
For those of you that have met my mother, Gwen,
you know what an integral part of the hostel she is.
She is our accountant, receptionist, laundry maid and house
cleaner. It would be heard to do what I did without her.
2003 Dirk married a beautiful girl named Katie. He is no longer
managing the hostel but busy creating boarding houses in the
University of Washington area. He bought a beach house on
Vashon, remolded it and then sold it for a handsome profit.
With his gain he bought his first building. As of now he is
on his 4th building. I think they are more like long term
hostels. In 2004 Katie and Dirk welcomed their first son to
the world. Jack is so cute. I call him Captain Jack and I
am known as SEA Grandma.
2004 Judy and Gwen moved from the cottage at the Lavender
Duck to a new Dockton place on the water. Judy plans to do
weddings and enjoy the sunsets.
2005 This was a good year that saw more hostellers
returning to the US. We bought a few more teepees and created
a couple traditional teepees that are very popular with our
guest. More weddings are being booked at the Hostel and at
Judy's new water front property. Both places offer beautiful
settings to tie the knot.
We are now at 2006, this is our 25th year and since
9-11 we have not done well. The hostellers are not coming
and although we do groups and families we need more bodies
to stay open. HI has shown a drop in hostelling by 25% throughout
the hostel net work. I guess people are heading for Asia or
other places. Jake plans to move the hostel in a new direction.
We are not sure of its destiny, but one thing is for sure,
it has been a great journey. It will be exciting to see what
Jake has in store for the hostel. Check back for the status
of the hostel and tell your friends to join you in a fun adventure
at the AYH Ranch Hostel on Vashon Island. One thing for sure,
our hostel is unique and fun and we have many repeat visitors
so you know
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