snady's blog

The Last Days of Autumn

2011-11-28T22:24:00.001-08:00

We're well into the wet, gray days of fall and winter isn't far away. Christmas lights are going up, the holidays light the dreary cold that settles around us, interrupted occasionally with the crystal blue skies only winter can deliver. Here are some reminders of what we've recently left behind, taken on a day when I was lucky enough to be off work and make it to the lake for a stroll with the Reading Partner.

I know it's been ages (almost a year) since I posted anything but I plan on visiting more often to share what's going on in our world. The house will shortly be finished enough to leave a little time for some form of creativity other than remodeling.

Treasure Hunting

2011-01-29T12:08:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was a weekend for treasures. Saturday's treasures included a long past due visit with a dear friend, followed by a trip home with some items that were transplanted from Kent to Longview ~ two very nice chairs, a lovely little sideboard and a little cubby that needed a place to live. Sunday we went to the antique show in Vancouver with Gloria and I found three little items that also needed a place to live. They are mismatched orphans (my favorite) but they were very happy to come home with me.

Bottom left is a lovely little Franciscan Ware snack plate (crackers and cheese, a cookie and some tea) that belonged to the seller's mother. I know, sweet huh? Not that I'm a sucker for a sentimental story or anything.....anyway...

Next to that is a Hull piece, a little, oh I don't know, sugar bowl? Butter dish? I think it will get lots of use, serving gravy or some such, and I love the little hooked handle on top of the lid. This piece belonged to the seller's GRANDMOTHER....I know, I know.

Finally we have little miss Tickled Pink by Vernon. Chips and salsa? Carrots and Peas? All three pieces were at a table and matched nothing else. I knew they were meant to be together and so home they came. The woman who sold them to me was so happy that I was so happy about them.

2011-01-19T20:07:00.000-08:00

Li-Young Lee, “To Hold”

So we’re dust. In the meantime, my wife and I
make the bed. Holding opposite edges of the sheet,
we raise it, billowing, then pull it tight,
measuring by eye as it falls into alignment
between us. We tug, fold, tuck. And if I’m lucky,
she’ll remember a recent dream and tell me.

One day we’ll lie down and not get up.
One day, all we guard will be surrendered.

Until then, we’ll go on learning to recognize
what we love, and what it takes
to tend what isn’t for our having.
So often, fear has led me
to abandon what I know I must relinquish
in time. But for the moment,
I’ll listen to her dream
and she to mine, our mutual hearing calling
more and more detail into the light
of a joint and fragile keeping.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T13:13:00.000-08:00

We have made it through one of the busiest and most eventful years in quite some time. In our families, three new homes were found, there was a college graduation, a wedding, a move to Spain, and a new grandson. The year ended on a very quiet note which was very nice. Whew! As Morgen said, we're looking forward to a little less excitement in 2011.

Yesterday we prepared for our little evening home. We dressed up, put on some jazz, lit a fire and played a couple of cutthroat games of Rummikub, which I dragged out of the old buffet where all the childhood games are kept.

After that we grilled two beautiful steaks and roasted some red fingerling potatoes. Dinner was delicious and so was the bottle of Champagne.

Dessert was homemade Raspberry Gelato made with home grown raspberries from my mom and dad's. We're such party animals, we actually made it until 11:45 and then went to bed.

We did manage to stay awake until midnight, with fireworks going off everywhere around the house.

Much love and blessings to you all in this new year ~

2010-12-27T15:26:00.000-08:00

Oh Friends and Neighbors, it's been such a long time since I've stopped to say hello! Yes, it's been an embarrassingly long time since I posted, but am thinking it's time to get back into the swing of things. Work is about to resume on our house, Christmas was delightful, I'm looking forward to the new year, there have been changes at work, and oh, so much more!

Stay tuned for further developments. Love to all ~

A Delightful Saturday Breakfast

2010-06-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

Last week I found a recipe online at Closet Cooking, a blog I regularly read and enjoy. It was for Savory French Toast with Parmesan cheese, using different variations. One of them was the French toast with steamed asparagus on top of the bread, a little poached egg floating on top of that and finally a light blanket of Hollandaise sauce over the top. I decided that we needed to create this beautiful and (I was certain) tasty dish for Saturday breakfast.

Using a fresh loaf of French bread, Allen sliced it and started cooking the French toast on the griddle. As that was cooking he steamed the asparagus and made the Hollandaise. No, wait, before you start wondering if he did it ALL I have to tell you about the poached eggs. While Allen was doing his part I was reading Julia Child's instructions for poaching eggs. As I was reading the recipe she informed me that the French don't eat eggs for breakfast. Anyway, back to breakfast here in the Northwest...

I waited until the water was just barely simmering and then, following her instructions I cracked the first egg hard on the side of the pan and opened it quickly to let the egg drop into the water. It scared me a little because the whites started flying all over, but she had already told me how to control that and how to do the rest of the eggs after the first. I followed along as I was told. Then set the timer for 3-1/2 minutes and scoop them out when they're done. I plopped them into cold water (yep, it says here...) and when everything was ready I put them back into the hot water and after one minute we assembled our dishes. Here is how it turned out and let me say that it was even more delicious than it looks! :)

Bon Appetit!

Desperate Landscape

2010-05-03T08:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday it so happened that my parents, sister and niece were over to see the new house on the same day we were having the huge cedar in the front yard cut down. Our tree faller had been working on another tree, an old rotted maple, for a couple of days and finally we were getting to the big day. Needless to say there was much suspense about the big fall. We were all standing at the picture window in the living room, waiting and watching.

Everyone kept making comments about all of the bad things that may happen (tree falling in the road, on the house, etc.) and I finally had to go out on the deck to watch by myself. Allen filmed the process with the camera. Scott (tree faller) had the notch cut and was swinging away at the wedge in the back side where he'd done the straight cut. He was running out of steam, the wind was changing direction and it was looking a little bleak when he gave it one more whack and I could hear it crack. Down it came, exactly as he had planned. Great job Scott! Everyone's coming back next weekend for Mother's Day and the question is how will we ever provide entertainment that will top this? There was mention of 'blowing things up', but I think that suggestion won't make it to the final vote.

It was nice to have people over for dinner in our new abode. I made a beef stew with homemade biscuits and coleslaw, and it was almost all gone by the time everyone left. We were quibbling over the last biscuits and counting who got how many. I love having a place to call our own and one that has room enough to actually sit people at a dining table for a good meal together.

The trees should be cleaned up by the end of the day today and we can move on to the next thing which will most likely be stacking wood and more cleanup around the house. It was a great weekend and it's really starting to feel like home.

Archwood

2010-04-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

It's been two weeks since I posted here and at this time we DO have the keys to the house and have had since the 20th. We moved in on April 21st thanks to some amazing movers who worked very hard (one of them literally ran everywhere, including up our steep driveway) to get us moved out of one house and moved into another in about 6-1/2 hours. It was an amazing thing to watch.

Since then we've been cleaning the house inside and out. Allen's been wielding the pressure washer against the who knows how many years of accumulated moss, mildew and algae that had turned every bit of cement around our house completely black. Now it's mostly done and the retaining wall, sidewalk, front steps and driveway look like new. What a change. He also did some cleaning of the siding that looked awful, only because it hadn't been cleaned since it had been put up four years ago (my guess).

The house also needed much cleaning inside and we've only just started on that. Allen did a great job on the kitchen and the bathrooms have been tackled (but not finished), but there is much left to do. The former owners were elderly and hadn't been in the house for almost a year. My guess is that age and health issues kept the house from getting the care it needed.

For now we just want to love it back to health and then start giving it the facelift it deserves. I think we have the whole neighborhood cheering us on.

The House on Archwood Drive

2010-04-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

It's been almost exactly a year since we moved last year and we're doing it again. This time, though, will be to our very own abode. The keys aren't quiiiite in our hands yet, but we close on Monday so they will be very soon!

We'd been looking for a house for some time and when Allen showed me the online listing I took one look at the photos and said 'Oh, no WAY!'. It's very dated, and as my daughter said, it is a 70's museum. He talked me into looking at it and wouldn't you know, as soon as I was in the door and saw how it was laid out, saw the peaceful outdoor space, and more than anything saw what it COULD be, I was in love. It has its own charm, but you have to have a good imagination (and have watched many home improvement shows) to see what the possibilities are.

I can't believe I'm going to be a homeowner again ~ I think I had quietly talked myself into believing that I would probably just rent the rest of my life. Oh, I talked about owning, but never really imagined myself planted in one place again. I feel really good about this house though, and I can see it full of family, friends, and soon to be appearing grandchildren. It's going to be our next adventure and I can't wait to begin the transformation....of the house and maybe a little bit of ourselves.

Dreaming Life

2010-02-04T20:29:00.000-08:00

When I tell friends about my dreams, the comment I almost always receive is that I must have a very vivid dream life. I'm always surprised that everyone doesn't. It's been one of the most entertaining areas of my life, and some of my memories of dreams are as real and detailed as memories of my waking life. I've learned to treasure this gift I've been given and would miss it greatly if it went away.

That being said, I've always read at night before I went to sleep. A few months ago I decided that I would reserve that reading time for my spiritual reading. I'm ready for that at the end of the day. There's nothing to distract me, I'm comfortable and it's quiet. Recently I've been reading Amazing Grace ~ A Vocabulary of Faith by Kathleen Norris. I've had this book for several (okay, more than several) years and was moved to pull it off the bookshelf and begin reading it. Most chapters are titled with single words, such as Salvation, Detachment, and Prayer, to name a few. These are interspersed with chapters describing her "inheritance" of and "conversion" to the faith she now embraces, after many years of neglect and reluctance.

A wonderful book, but this is only leading me back to where I started - dreaming. Since I've been reading this book, my dream life has gone Technicolor. I've dreamed about people I don't know, telling me things I need to know (but only remember in a shadow way the next day), taking me places I've never seen. Is it because of the book? I don't know ~ I just know that there is something in it that's blowing lightly on the creative spark, lighting it up in my dreams. A person who is "in the know" about such things told me once to involve myself in my dreams, to attempt to move about them at will, and that what I could accomplish there would find its way into my daily accomplishments. Maybe this is a gentle push in that direction.

Well, that's my stream of thought ramble for today. I will leave you with this ~ dream your dreams with great hope and an open heart and mind; marvel at what you let yourself see and hear.

Poems from Oostburg, Wisconsin

2010-01-27T09:45:00.000-08:00

This blog found me this morning and is full of poetry and other writings by Ellen Grace Olinger. I plucked this one from the many jewels to be found here.

What a road we travel
To figure out the
Simplest things and
Return to where we
Knew we belonged
All along

To build friendships
With those whose arms
Are true, all-accepting
And strong

To raise our arms to Heaven,
Dig our toes in sand, and
Throw back our heads to
The wind

What a road, what a road
We travel to figure out
The simplest things and
Return to where we
Knew we belonged
All along.

2010-01-25T14:56:00.000-08:00

If only...I believe I am highly qualified in most of these areas.

A Morning Cuppa With a Friend

2010-01-19T08:07:00.000-08:00

I came to work this morning, in the dark. As I was sitting here at my desk having a little coffee before things begin for the day, one of my coworkers came in and shut off my lights and then went over and pulled up the blinds on my north facing window.

We just stood there for a second and looked at the beautiful sunrise - not much light yet, but beautiful pinks and reds in the sky, a pink pillowy cloud rising up over the back of Mt. Rainier. I decided to just go outside and watch it in the quiet.

When I see Mt. Rainier in its rare pink glory, I think of my friend who sees the same mountain through a little window at the top of her stairs. I think of the first time I was at her house and she pointed it out to me and said "I can stand here in the morning with my cup of coffee and watch the light come up around it."

It feels good this morning to share this with her ~ coffee and mountain sunrises ~ even though she's miles away. Good morning, my friend.

p.s. ~ The photo is not mine, it was found online. If I knew whose it was I would give it proper attribution.

2010-01-15T10:27:00.000-08:00

High Tide by Barbara Kingsolver

In my own worst seasons
I’ve come back
From the colorless world of despair
By forcing myself to look hard,
For a long time, At a single glorious thing

A flame of red geranium
Outside my bedroom window
And then another:
My daughter in a yellow dress
And another:
The perfect outline of a full
Dark sphere behind the crescent moon

Until I learned to be in love with life again
Like a stroke victim
Retraining new parts of the brain
To grasp lost skills,
I have taught myself joy,
Over and over again…

2010-01-13T15:21:00.001-08:00

“Oh! `darkly, deeply, beautifully blue',

As someone somewhere sings about the sky.”

Trouble with Blogger

2010-01-11T09:24:00.000-08:00

And can I just gripe here for a moment ~ if I use a template that isn't wide, my blog photos get cut off, and if I use a stretch template, it won't center the title photo over the blog. Arg.

Silver Lake Wanderings

2010-01-11T08:57:00.001-08:00

Saturday we took a drive up towards Mt. St. Helens and stopped at the Visitor's Center. When we walked around back we found that they'd put a walkway out into Silver Lake, which is a shallow lake that is the largest lake for hundreds of miles and is loved by fishermen for the plentiful catch, including crappie, bluegill, trout, catfish and large mouth bass.

We had a sliver view of Mt. St. Helens behind the clouds and enjoyed our wander through the wetlands in their winter silence, broken only by feeding ducks (and a few teenagers).

Heaven and Earth (Himmel und Erde)

2010-01-07T18:17:00.001-08:00

Following is a recipe for Heaven and Earth, from Allen's cookbook: Authentic German Homestyle Recipes. I have renamed it German Crack. This stuff is so good and so comforting and so simple, it has to be tried to be believed. Do NOT double the recipe unless you're like me and want to work on doubling your chin as well.

Heaven and Earth

2 lb potatoes
2 lb apples, peeled and diced
5 strips bacon, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 tbsp. vinegar
salt and pepper
1 tsp sugar

Peel potatoes and cut into small pieces. Place in a large saucepan and add water to barely cover the potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes. Add apples and cook until tender. Fry bacon and add onions, frying until light brown. Season the potato and apple mixture with salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar. Pour bacon and onions over it and serve.

Serves 4

Now, I have to add that if you put a little bit of sour cream with this it goes straight from 'very good' to 'divine'. Also, I have no photos to share because shortly after it was finished cooking it had disappeared.

Weekend at the beach

2009-12-10T07:22:00.000-08:00

We spent four days at Newport, Oregon recently and I got this little video while we stood mesmerized by the waves at Devil's Punchbowl State Park. Enjoy the roar of the waves ~

Every Step Counts

2009-10-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

"Let the emphasis be on the now in everything. What you do now is extremely important - the decisions you make in this instant, the way you act, the way you think. As you do this, you find yourself changing and expanding. You can become God-filled, God-minded, God-guided as you take this breath now. This is the most wonderful and uplifting thought possible. You literally feel yourself rising in the sheer joy of it. This is where the complete change can come. You need never be the same again. Old habits, old thought forms and ties can be cut this instant and you can become a transformed person - a triumphant being.

You want to be different? You can be, and you can be perfect now. This is a breathtaking thought. You need never, never be the old self again. You are now in the process of building the light-body, raising the vibrations so that every cell in your body is changing. You are becoming light."

~Eileen Caddy

The Library

2009-10-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

The last time I really spent any time in a library was when I lived in Clatskanie, 10 years ago. I know, I know, it's unbelievable that this could be true, even to me. I love prowling around bookstores, searching out treasures new and used. I am not a collector of any particular thing, except books. When my girls were young we would borrow books from the library and read them and love them, and never get them back on time. Elizabeth, the librarian, would call me and let me know when the girls had books out for too long and we'd do a roundup throughout the house for books that had been loved to much to be let go again.

So, last night Allen and I went to the Longview Library. What a beautiful place, and what giddy joy I felt walking through the stacks, touching the spines, smelling the book smells, seeing all of these books waiting to be read. I was picking out a few, reading the inside covers, trying to decide which I'd like to read first and the thought came to me of how many stories there are in this one library, how many hours spent by authors creating this work that they felt needed to be shared. Now, I've read some books that were not my cup of tea, but to that author it was their work of love. I plan on letting them share that love with me in the coming weeks, months, years as I rediscover the library and all its goodies.

There's a fireplace in the 'front room' of the Longview Library, with comfy chairs all around. I see some rainy winter afternoons being claimed by a good book in front of a warm fire.

HOT.......

2009-07-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

HOT, HOt, Hot, hot........not an air conditioner to be found. This is why I have to live where I do, as I fear any other part of the country would melt me into a whining puddle. Yes, whining. The whining would continue, even from the thin layer of melted Sandy on the sidewalk. People would avoid me, they would begin crossing the street, covering their ears and looking around, wondering where that awful buzzing whine was coming from.

I love summer, being able to go sweaterless and yes, even sleeveless, wearing NO socks with my sandals, wearing CUTE sandals that just don't work with socks, windows down without a hint of needing the heater in the car, sitting on the river beach until the moon comes up and shines across the water....all of these things belong to summer. It is pretty hot, but considering the weather problems nationwide I will accept willingly this relatively small discomfort, refraining from too much whining on the subject of heat.

All of that being said, there's a lovely low temperature of 57 degrees predicted for Saturday and I can't wait.

2009-07-01T09:43:00.000-07:00

Allen and I went for a walk last night, headed towards the Japanese Garden at Lake Sacajawea. It was a beautiful evening, warm with a nice breeze. It's such a great place to go for a walk, many people from our community are also out and about, walking, picnicking, playing games and just generally enjoying this great place we have to enjoy ourselves and the outdoors. This weekend is the big celebration for Longview, with fireworks, logging competitions, musical events, a parade, and so much more. You can already see the city preparing for more people to visit.

Last weekend a good friend came to stay with us. She used to live in Longview, and that's where we met. So we did the walk at the lake, through the garden, down some side streets to her old home and to enjoy wandering around the Old West Side. Along the way we met a gray and white kitty who thought we should take her home. We also had to stop and look at the corner where someone, long ago, imprinted 23TH Ave. into the cement. Years later it's still there, making for a good laugh and thinking about how much ribbing that poor person must have received over the years for the mistake. It's not just one ONE corner, but both!

So it's been a busy week, with a so enjoyable visit with someone I dearly love, a trip to Spokane for work on Monday. I think I could get to like Spokane and plan on returning for fun this time. Then a short work week and three days of celebration for the Fourth this weekend. Oh, and not to forget today's reason for celebration. One year ago today my reading partner and love of my life came to share his life with me. It's our first year together and I'm looking forward to all the years to come.

Fisherman and a family in their raft, in the park

Water Lilies from the bridge

Waterfall, quietly babbling

The bridge to the garden

Rock, water, wood and foliage

Favorite of the day

2009-06-25T11:52:00.000-07:00

Allen and I went camping at Seal Rock Campground near Brinnon, Washington, and on Hood Canal. We did get some RAIN - what a surprise!! It's been a place I've gone back to almost my entire life, and when I get there I can feel the stress or worries start to drop away. It's a place where you have room to breathe. I wish these photos could convey the sounds of the birds and the waves, the smell of the salt water, the splatter of raindrops on the tent, the hiss of a gas lantern, the warmth of the fire. Well, I wish the ACTUAL fire would have conveyed more of its warmth on us, but you get my drift.

We had fresh oysters for lunch, listened to some of our neighbors drumming (oh yes, full tilt), kept our ears open for the cry of the eagle as he would come to light on his dead tree, and made many visits to the beach. I taught Allen to play cribbage and he beat me. Beginner's luck I suppose, but after he trounced me at rummy I was slightly put out. We sat under our blue tarp Friday night, wiping water off the end of the table so the rain wouldn't splash it up on us, wrapped in blankets, reading by lantern light. It was great.

So maybe when we are ready to set our regular jobs aside, we'll get to be camp hosts. It was a serious discussion and I can't imagine how much I would love being in a place like that for months out of the year, even if I did have to get dressed at 9:30 at night to go ask the drummers to put away their instruments. :)

Hamma Hamma River - we're almost there!

On the beach the first day

Fresh oysters for dinner

This tree was across from our camp spot and the eagle in it was a regular visitor. We never heard him except when he was announcing his arrival. With my little camera it was hard to get a clear shot – this was the best of many blurry(er) ones.

Kelp and Sea Stars

Lilac Gardens, Visitors, and Other Thoughts

2009-05-18T09:29:00.001-07:00

Saturday we went to visit the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens in Woodland, Washington. So, you may ask, if you went to see the Lilacs, why do you have a photo of a poppy? Because it was my favorite pic of the day - it looks like it's just floating there, hovering above the greenery. It makes me happy.

I was inspired by what I saw Saturday at the gardens - a miniature Korean Lilac that had been in its pot for 10 years and trimmed back so it almost had a Bonsai look to it. I purchased two small Lilacs of the same variety - one light lavendar and one reddish-pink, went on a search for two appropriate pots that they could live in and got to potting. Now our little back yard has vegetables planted (in planters, alas, but better than nothing), herbs, fuschias, begonias, dahlias, some azaleas and a couple of Lilacs. Some hanging, some on the ground, all beautiful to look at while we sit on the back patio and rest in the quiet.

Moving to a place with so many more options than you can get in an apartment setting has kept me busy trying to get everything just right. It takes time, though, and after looking at my friend's blog this morning, with her reclining Buddha and plants growing all around, I know it will all come together in its own time, and be worth it to watch all the stages of growth and becoming.

Speaking of growing and becoming, we had the opportunity to spend yesterday afternoon with my friend Cindy and her grandson Ethan. Ethan is 1-1/2 years old, knows how to take remote controls apart and put them back together, is very generous, sharing his 'toys' with everyone in the room, loves light switches and running back and forth in the yard. When it's been some time since you've spent time with a baby you realize what you've forgotten, all the little secret words that only Mom and Dad understand, the constant motion, the absolute radiant joy found in touching a switch and seeing a light come on or opening a kitty box only to find another inside. Yes, he has lights coming on in his head at breakneck speed, brain a-twirlin' with discoveries.

We attended a meditation class last Thursday and they shared some dried cranberries with all of us to instruct us in mindful eating. One of the best instructions was "Taste it like you are a child tasting something for the very first time.", this being followed by the visit with Ethan, which was a living demonstration.

We're HERE!

2009-04-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

We are moved in! We started with two helpers and a 17' truck on Saturday. Hmm...well, that didn't hold as much as I thought it would! So we left Vancouver, drove to Longview and unpacked. Brittney got there in the afternoon and put away most of our books. We had pizza for lunch/dinner and later snacking. After awhile we just fell into bed with a blanket for a sheet since we had no idea where the sheets were. And where did my toothbrush go, by the way?

Sunday we got up, went to Stuffy's for a hearty breakfast, headed to Vancouver, rented a 14' truck (still not enough), loaded it up and drove back to Longview. We met the neighbors, unloaded half of the truck because I needed my dresser and some other things. Dinner that night was two tired movers in t-shirts and jeans going to the Masthead for another hearty meal. Who knew going up and down stairs with boxes and furniture all day would make me so hungry (not to mention sore and tired.) Another night falling dead into bed. Who cares about the dang sheet anyway. I have my toothbrush and managed to sort out some clothes. .

Allen took curtains from another room to hang in the bedroom so it would stay dark. We were still awake by 6:30. This morning's repast is Burger King breakfast sandwiches and some mediocre coffee. And we're on the road again to Vancouver to do the final cleanup and gather the last of the leftover items into the car. We managed to get everything into the car, turned in the keys (I thanked them and told them I loved living in the apartment and then just started crying - I was just too tired by that point to deal with any emotion in a reasonable manner) and then stopped at Costco for gas. While we were there we decided to go inside for one last Polish dog and a soda, then one more time up the freeway to finally perch in our new home.

We now have every vehicle empty and/or returned. The kitchen is mostly put away, the living room looks like a regular room, and the rest is reasonable. Home at last!

Moving, Part III

2009-04-22T14:16:00.001-07:00

Here we are, three days from moving and my lack of lists, abundance of loose items floating around, and everyone in the house being sick is beginning to wear. We need to get moved quickly before one or both of us explodes...well, since you all KNOW me you can probably guess who the one would be...ahem...moving along...

We went to the house to pick up the keys from the landlord and do the walk through, which went fairly well except the moment that we walked into our new back yard and could hardly hear ourselves talking over the boom box blasting from the neighbors' back yard. Hmm. That was a little unnerving, but after talking about it we fought off the worst scenario fears and decided to go with the best scenario possibilities, hopeful that it will all be fine.

After we finally got keys and everything was signed we were off to Lake Sacajawea for a nice walk. It was a beautiful sunny day, people were out walking and talking, enjoying life. Allen commented that it is so different than living in a neighborhood mostly made up of apartment communities, where it seems that people don't really go outside much. He said "People are out living their lives here.", which is true and felt very warm and welcoming.

So as of this weekend, the drive back and forth from Vancouver is a done deal except for our planned monthly trip to the big city just for fun. I'm so tired of the commute I can barely stand it, even for a few more days. I drive by Longview and in my mind I see the big sign like on the sides of apartments, but this one is specifically for ME - "Sandy, if you lived in Longview YOU'D be home now." I'm a commuting short-timer.

Saturday we'll have the big truck out front, ready to load and roll. I have a few guys from work showing up to help load things up and unload at the new house, plus my daughter Brittney is coming from Olympia to see her mom's new home and help bring things in. Everyone will be rewarded with a cold beverage and hot pizza, and after they leave Allen and I have a bottle of champagne waiting, to 'launch' our lives here. Sweet!

2009-04-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

From moving days

Boxes, boxes and more boxes....our life right now.

From moving days

Allen in the kitchen, which now sounds like an echo chamber.

From moving days

All of this came out of the liquor cabinet? We're not keeping up with the workflow around here...so to make up for our ignorance of not even being aware of what we had up there, we cracked open the bottle of Carolan's Irish Cream and made a pot of fully caffeinated coffee and indulged ourselves in the middle of all this moving stuff.

From Moving, dinner out and cherry blossoms

The starkness of this photograph just screamed "empty" to me. I liked it.

We found out this morning that we can get the keys to the new house THIS weekend and begin our process of moving in. Because I have this small OC problem in some areas, I needed to go there early so I could measure all the rooms, so I could go home and measure all the furniture and then make a little layout with little paper furniture to move around on the layout, so I could know before we move EXACTLY where everything will go when we get there.

deleted

2009-04-14T12:53:00.000-07:00

*deleted*

Moving, Continued...

2009-04-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

We spent this last weekend packing up all the little stuff that sort of settles around you when you're packing other little stuff. In the past I've compared it to sweeping into a dustpan, but always finding a little left on the floor after you're done. The shadow items that you see so many times in a day that they become invisible. I think this weekend we finally got them all into the light and into a box.

I will share photos tomorrow, but you should see the spare bedroom - it is almost entirely filled with boxes and boxes and more boxes. We have almost all of our clothes packed, the kitchen, the liquor cupboard...."where are my canned pickles?", "what happened to that skirt?", having to buy a water bottle because my nalgenes are in some box, buried under a mountain of other boxes holding items that still may have something in them I need.

I made sure there were at least two books out and my knitting. The holdouts until the last day - although I may need to knit on the way in the moving truck. You never know about these things until the time comes....

Finally ~ Warm Weather!

2009-04-13T10:29:00.001-07:00

Photos from a little hike we did on the 12th. The trailhead is off the main drag through Camas, Washington. The first time I went looking for it I drove by three times before I finally saw the little road to the parking lot. It was beautiful and warm that day, hiking in a tank top. I should have worn shorts and sandals, but who knew? We have to go back after the end of the month to see the Camas Lilies blooming.

It's about a mile walk to get to the bridge over Lacamas Creek. It was running pretty hard on Sunday but reduces down to a very small creek in the summer, allowing you to walk across where there are now rapids.

We climbed down under the bridge and got some nice shots there, but our timing wasn't great (around noon) for taking photos - too much (can I possibly be saying this??) sun!

Farther up the creek. The trail up to the bridge is really a service road but changes after the bridge to a one-person width trail that climbs up alongside the creek.

Trillium ovatum
(Western Trillium, Wake-robin)
Liliaceae
Solitary flower standing above a whorl of three leaves. The white petals turn purple with age. Common springtime forest plant.

These fields are at the top of the trail, near Round Lake. At the end of the month they will be carpeted in blue Camas Lilies, transforming the look of the place.

We were walking back and I spied this little guy resting in the sun on the side of the trail, almost at eye level. I'm not positive but I believe he is a Western Territorial garter snake.

Back across the bridge, a beautiful walk, no coat required.
A great day in the northwest.

566 26th

2009-03-31T10:08:00.001-07:00

Yes, finally we got the perfect little house to reside in until the eventual day when we buy a place of our own. It's in Longview, so my drive to work and back will be shortened a LOT. It's also two blocks from Lake Sacajawea so we will be able to walk there, listen to music, watch fireworks, etc. I am beside myself with glee! Hopefully we'll be moved by mid-April. Allen already has us mostly packed, and last weekend I took care of my stuff that needed special packing! ;)

More as it goes....I plan on journaling the move - I already have some photos of the stacks of boxes that we are now winding our way through.

2009-03-26T12:22:00.001-07:00

WeeklyShot, is a site that closed its doors in January 2008. The premise was that they
would announce a new theme every week and people would submit their ideas of
what that theme represented to them in their photos. No longer going, but
there are many wonderful photos still available to enjoy.

Photo by Jari Hakala

....and speaking of pink, which is tickling my fancy today ~

2009-03-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos from my recent trip to Flagstaff, Arizona. We had fun doing what we've always done whenever we could - sitting around the kitchen table with a cup of coffee or a wee bit of bourbon, talking and laughing into the small hours. It was great visit and we did do a little sightseeing...and...um...went to a spinning class (believe me, no photos of that!). So, this is the view from the plane, the sunny backyard and the back road to Sedona and beyond.

View from the Horizon Bombardier

Oh, lovely hammock in the sun!

The historic Weatherford Hotel in downtown Flagstaff

I've always loved this hotel sign up above the other buildings

My travel guide and funny friend

Signs at the first viewpoint

First good view of red rocks

So we stopped, crossed the road and scrambled down a steep hill to get some better pictures. I knew I wore my new shoes today for a reason.

Kate, Cindy and Julie ~ fellow GC hikers and wonderful women. The photographer had a few beers so forgive the blurry photo.

The Rowing Endeth

2009-03-17T09:07:00.000-07:00

I loved this poem by Anne Sexton so much I decided it needed a post of its own, not set to the side. Laugh with me now...

the rowing endeth

I’m mooring my rowboat
at the dock of the island called God.
This dock is made in the shape of a fish
and there are many boat moored
at many different docks.
“It’s okay,” I say to myself,
with blisters that broke and healed
and broke and healed–
saving themselves over and over.
And salt sticking to my face and arms like
a glue-skin pocked with grains of tapioca.
I empty myself from my wooden boat
and onto the flesh of The Island.

“On with it!” he says and thus
we squat on the rocks by the sea and play–can it
be true–a game of poker.
He calls me.
I win because I hold a royal straight flush.
He wins because He holds five aces.
A wild card had been announced
but I had not heard it
being in such a state of awe
when He took out the cards and dealt.
As he plunks down His five aces
and I sit grinning at my royal flush,
He starts to laugh,
the laughter rolling like a hoop out of His mouth
and into mine,
and such laughter that He doubles right over me
laughing a Rejoice-Chorus at our two triumphs.
Then I laugh, the fishy dock laughs
the sea laughs. The Island laughs.
The Absurd laughs.

Dearest dealer,
I with my royal straight flush,
love you so for your wild card,
that untamable, eternal, gut-driven ha-ha
and lucky love.

New Lovely Yarn

2009-03-01T21:38:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. No posts for days and then three in one. What can I say? Interesting things come to me in grocery bags and then I starve for days.

Here is the lovely new yarn I purchased in Olympia while playing around and having basically a great day with my friend. We spent the day in book stores, a tea store, eating, and finally in the Canvas Works store which overflowed with yarn and ideas. Morgen had told me about the Noro yarn and I'd seen photos which made me want some in a bad way.

When I picked up a skein of the Noro Iro in red, I loved the way it felt and even the way it smelled. The colors are fantastic and I can't wait to see how it looks all made up into the Earl Bag from Noro Knits. I will post the resulting work of art (yes, it will be THAT lovely!) when complete.

This project is intermission while I'm getting ready to finish the second half of the green wool Aran Pocket Shawl (also modeled here by he who wished to remain headless).

My New Toy

2009-03-01T16:13:00.000-08:00

Me and Diana. This camera is plastic, has the shutter release lever on the side of the lens like they were when we were kids. There is also a fish-eye lens and an extra wide angle lens that I'll be looking at in the future. In the meantime I'm doing what I've seen recommended and looking on Ebay for old, past dated 120 film, cheap.

What better than to use old film in a retro looking camera? We shall see.

Welcome to the family, my new friend! I have been drawn in and am now thrilled to have a Lomography camera called the DianaF+.

The photo on the right was me being weird and taking a photo with my digital camera through the viewfinder on the Diana. She's a beauty and we're waiting to get some film to test her capabilities.

With this camera you can do double exposures, endless panoramic photos, and do pinhole photography. The photos also have what is called "vignetting", which is darkening around the corners, very bold colors, etc. which can result in photos that have a very retro look. There are so many possibilities. It's going to be fun to try out and to share with my Lomography partner up north.

Peaceful Morning

2009-03-01T15:52:00.001-08:00

Looking east upriver with a barely showing Mt. Hood in the top left.

This morning we opted for a different walking venue and
decided to drive down to the Columbia River and take
advantage of a beautiful walking trail, The Discovery Trail,
that runs along the river shore. About a mile from the car
we were caught in the rain. Thankfully we had prepared
and had our raincoats.

Winter trees

Part of the trail, with the Interstate Bridge in the distance.

We will be missing Vancouver when we leave, but
Longview has its own version of the water path,
the trail around Lake Sacajawea in the center
of town. And my faithful friend, the Columbia is a
10 minute drive to my favorite quiet
place along its shores in Cowlitz County.

2009-02-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

One learns a landscape finally
not knowing the name
or identity of everything in it,
but by perceiving
the relationships in it —
like that between
the sparrow and the twig.

— Barry Lopez, Crossing Open Ground

Purple Finches (#4)
by Paul Brigham

Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge

2009-02-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, feeling outdoorsy, we set out for the wildlife refuge. We hadn't been there before and other than an brief description and a map of the site, we had no idea what to really expect. What we found was magical. The first area we scouted out was the "S" Unit, which at this time of year offers a four mile driving route that took us 2-1/2 hours to complete.

We weren't allowed to leave the car, so we did the best we could getting photos, but mostly we just sat and fought over the one pair of binoculars to see the wildlife. We saw all sorts of ducks, some cormorants, sandhill cranes, swans, bald eagles, one buddha-like little barn owl sitting in the middle of a field, a kingfisher, river otters, nutrias, Canadian geese, red-tail hawks, etc. It was a foggy day which seemed to impart a sense of quiet and calm over the entire place. Cars moved around each other politely and patiently, not interfering with other peoples' views.

After our "three hour tour" we crossed the little wooden bridge back out to the rural roads around Ridgefield and drove to the other end of the refuge where we were able to get out of the car at the Carty Unit and walk a portion of that trail before it got dark. After a short time the fog gave way to the setting sun and the light created truly must have been an example of what photographers call "the magic hour".

The photos don't show it as well as the real thing, but when we were in the woods it looked like something out of a storybook, a forest possibly home to elves or fairies. We took photos, yes, but just as much time was spent just standing there, marveling at this treasure that we will return to again and again.

2009-01-29T15:59:00.000-08:00

Never forget that you are a being of the universe. You have a place and a time. You belong to it and it belongs to you.

What you do with this time, is up to you. Stand up to your responsibilities, be true to your word. Be honest, although sometimes it hurts the teller, and the told. Own your actions, know that you, and only you, control these. Everything else is just a factor in the grand equation. How you choose to infer that factor, is all you.

Live now.

This is the time and place for the now you. This you will not have another chance. If you love someone, tell them. You are a factor in their equation. Odds are they love you too. If you have a goal, achieve it. With right thinking comes right action. You know you can do it, you've just talked yourself out of it.

Lose your fear.

The old saying, that which does not kill us.... well, it's true. Be a friend. Know your limitations, but don't be bound by them. Speak your mind, but speak softly, so as to cut under the noise of the everyday. Make your wishes known, don't hide your troubles out of fear or pride. I have heard a million times, "if I had only known, I would have helped" I have to believe some of those really people meant that.

Be true to yourself, love yourself.

Underneath it all you are perfect, just the way you are.

The "all" is not real.

You are real.

Quote from the wise tonesofhome on stumbleupon.com

More Mothering

2009-01-27T09:47:00.000-08:00

A funny little mothering video ~

The Nature of Mothering

2009-01-27T09:01:00.001-08:00

Seven months ago, the love of my life moved across the country so we could share our lives together. The love of my life, who is highly allergic to the feline sort of pet, and has asthma on top of that. Have I mentioned that I have a cat? A very large, very furry, wants to rub on everything kind of cat? Allen has tried valiantly for these last seven months to live with the cat. He fell in love with his crazy feline ways and his classic stop, drop, and roll move.

So.

It was with great difficulty and sadness that we agreed last week that it wasn't working out with the cat and the asthmatic both in the same small space. Fortunately we were able to find a home for Gunther, our cat, with my daughter Brittney. He will stay in the family, so to speak, and I can visit him at will. How Britt will feel about me showing up to see the cat, I can't say, but I'm sure it will all work out.

I was thinking of this on the way home last night; thinking about having never really been without a pet or children in my entire life. When I had puppies I mothered them. When I had kitties, I mothered them. When I had children I mothered them (the girls would roll their eyes at my use of past tense in that sentence). Now my daughters are grown. I have no pets to care for. Allen needs no mothering.

My wondering mind wondered who I would mother now? Would I give up mothering for a more liberated lifestyle, or could I do that without the guilt of selfishness? Maybe I should turn the mothering in another direction, push myself to grow, to not be afraid, to take chances and accept change freely, because after all, I'm always here to support....me.

I have a friend of many years (most of my life) who is also finding herself with no one to mother (well, she does have two dogs) and after some many months of worrying about children, has decided to finally take complete and good care of herself, her home, her life. I think I have to follow her good lead and try it out, directing my nature for mothering inward a little.

Untrimming the Tree

2008-12-30T11:29:00.000-08:00

Oh beautiful tree, which was so green
and fragrant. Now you are a little stiff
with age ~ well, that's to be expected, yes?
Our tree wasn't much into Yoga or staying
limber. More into just standing as straight
as could be with its bottom swaying out
like the belle of the ball.

Every year I hate taking down the tree.
I love putting it up, love decorating it
(well, except for hanging the lights),
and love the smell of a fresh green tree
when I walk into the room. Maybe if
I had a live tree that could be wheeled in
and then back out every year I would
like it better. In the meantime, this
tree's time has come to an end. It's been
beautiful and fragrant and filled our little
living room with light and good spirits.

Goodbye tree ~

Thanks for sharing your life with us.

Christmas Interrupted

2008-12-26T16:02:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve was a shopping day/deliver daughter to the airport day, Christmas was a homemade macaroni and cheese day with leftover ham and shrimp salad, the day after Christmas (today) I went to have breakfast at Mother's with my friend Chris and his friend Eric, followed by shopping for ingredients for salsas (traditional and mango) and 5 layer Mexican dip for the Christmas celebration TOMORROW at my parents' house. Mom is serving enchiladas for Christmas dinner this year.

Well.

Not the traditional fare or scheduling, to be sure, but we sure have enjoyed the time just hanging out and being low key. Christmas will be further extended since UPS has decided to wait until "the inclement weather has passed" for them to make deliveries, and several of the gifts I was waiting for are sitting in a warehouse in Vancouver. Maybe this is the reason for 12 days of Christmas - to give us time to get it all done. In the next few weeks I will meet up with friends, exchange late Merry Christmas's and gifts and love and hugs. Christmas extended, which is a good thing in my mind.

Christmas Star

2008-12-24T16:22:00.000-08:00

He will bring us Goodness and Light

Merry Christmas, everyone~

O star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light

Born a King on Bethlehem's plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King for ever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign

O star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light

Freezing Rain

2008-12-21T11:08:00.000-08:00

After watching the snow come down all day yesterday, we woke to freezing rain this morning. Treacherous, but oh so beautiful! We decided to walk to the little store to get a morning newspaper and were surprised to find the ice was about 1/2" thick. As soon as we got back home we went in to get the cameras and went back out to see the ice up close. These are some of the photos I got.

After tromping around for awhile it started raining again so we made or way back inside. I've already had wet camera drama and don't need any more! I came inside, plugged the trusty camera in and loaded up the photos. It's so much fun when you get some of them right! I'm in love with macro shots so please bear with me ~ I'm sure the obsession will pass at some point and you'll get to see photos of something more than a leaf in the future...

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-14T16:08:00.000-08:00

As we sit here today watching the snow come and go, the flakes blown around by the huge winds we are also having, it feels nice to be inside and cozy warm. I went for a short walk to the mailbox and was sorry, even for that short distance, that I hadn't put on a hat or some gloves.

Leftover turkey and dumplings for lunch, potato pancakes and turkey gravy for an early dinner, a good book, a football game or two and a kitty sleeping in his bed. A fine Sunday afternoon, if you ask me.

Last night was a second visit to the Aladdin Theater in Portland to see Holidays with The Trail Band. Last year we went and it was so good I knew it would become a tradition. This was Allen's first visit and he was won over by the wide variety of musical talents, beautiful stories, songs, and some laugh-out-loud humor thrown in.

Afterward, the three of us (my Aunt Gloria who went with me last year was with us) went to a little restaurant called Navarre, which was an unusual dining experience, but also delicious. I was won over when we were served a large bowl of bread with French butter. I had never heard of French butter before, but was tempted to take the leftover chunk home with me wrapped in my napkin! After dinner, a little Christmas light viewing and back home to wait for the snow.

Christmas Cat

2008-12-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

Last night I looked over while we were having dinner and there was Gunther sleeping under the tree. I said Oh look at our Christmas kitty!, to which Allen replied - "He's been doing that since we put the tree up. It's his new hangout."

Personally I think it makes him feel even more beautiful to pose under the pretty tree. The red tree skirt does so much for his coloring ~

Passing It On....

2008-12-07T12:22:00.001-08:00

I am posting a post from my dear friend's blog, The Dresser Drawer. I loved what she had to write about finding light in the darkness, gratitude in the midst of drowning in bad economic news, and the saving grace of friends and neighbors. She ends with "pass it on", and I am doing just that. Now it's your turn to do the same ~

"Every afternoon--which looks like midnight now...I pull into our driveway and more and more I appreciate my neighbors hard work of stringing white lights to dazzle the darkness. And as I sit at my computer now--and later when I hike to the top of the stairs I appreciate our neighbors over the back fence who strung lights across their roof ridge....that greet me every night with a glow and twinkle....especially in the drizzle rain from which we had a slight reprieve, but I have heard is due back tomorrow! Thank you one and all who light our way through darkening days and eves. As many houses sit on the market with now where to go, as joblessness grows, as uncertainty is pedaled like so much Christmas candy until we all have sick stomach aches and want to hide in bed until it all goes away...and so on. Together we stand and light little patches of the night to say dark and dismal never wins and the tide will turn. Choose gratitude over gloom, pass it on."

Finding Time for Creative Loafing

2008-11-30T14:25:00.000-08:00

I've spent the last 8 days (9 including today) at almost total leisure. I decided that since I had Thursday and Friday off for the holiday, why not extend it and have a luxurious nine days at home? Nowhere to go, no itinerary to meet, just the relatively unknown land of free time. I've read two books in that time, added to the length of a shawl that may take me the rest of my life to finish, spent hours just talking with my beloved reading partner, took the train downtown to visit two very dear friends, took up Yoga (finally, and I love it) and generally just relaxed. Slept until I woke up and stayed up until I was tired again.

What I did NOT do is spend hours in front of the television or on the computer, except for some brief work that I had to do from home. I can accept doing payroll while wearing my jammies and sipping on a hot cup of coffee with music playing in the background. It amazes me that they won't let me do that at my office!

I've thought a lot in the past few months about time, and having this time off has brought it to the forefront like a neon-lit 10 foot theater marquee. It's about time spent driving. Time spent working. Time not spent creatively for the most part. Shortly, the time spent driving will be shortened due to a move closer to work ~ hopefully to a place with a small back yard to take advantage of the very fertile creative outlet called a garden. Finding the creative opportunities at work is the next thing to really explore. Are they there? Can I find them?

I have recently picked up a book I bought a few years ago and really didn't read except for the first few pages, but one I think will now be helpful because I'm ready to listen. I'm ready to look for ways to be awake and creative at work. As a matter of fact, that is the name of the book ~ Awake At Work, by Michael Carroll.

I will update on my progress with this as I read.

Confusing Autobiography ~

2008-11-12T08:12:00.000-08:00

This made me laugh and remember to be grateful
for the divine cast of characters in my life
in spite of the sometimes
convoluted and mysterious plot.

Stray Kitties

2008-11-11T10:21:00.001-08:00

Here at work, we have some magnet for people who like to drop off stray kitties. Last week, someone dropped off a mama, who got ran over, and two babies - maybe 5 or 6 weeks old.

My boss spied them running around out by some of our equipment, so Brittney, my daughter, co-worker, and cat rescuer, began her mission to save these two raggedy kids and find them a home.

The first kitten was easy. She caught her with some tuna as bait, and brought the kitten in, where she immediately realized that snuggling was much better than sleeping in a puddle. Brittney posted an ad on CraigsList and got an almost immediate response from a woman who had practically bought out the pet store by the time Brittney got the kitten to her house that night.

The next kitten (pictured here) wasn't so easy to lure. Our shop manager actually caught him, and he was a fireball. He just about took off Jeremy's hand in the catching process! Brittney got hold of him, and as you can see from the photos here, he had the same realization about the cuddling thing as his sister had the day before. He was such a doll, but let me tell you this little guy stunk to high heaven of dirt and grease. His fur was so matted and there were little sticks stuck to him all over.

Brittney took him home that night, and the woman came to pick him up and take him to his sister. From the last report they were happy to be together again and purring next to each other. Britt said it was like Little Orphan Annie meeting up with Daddy Warbucks. Lucky babies, thanks to a determined home-finder!

Gifts Remembered

2008-11-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

Jackson the Basset Hound
by Julie Larsen

My lifelong friend, Julie, sent this to me last night. It's a drawing she's doing for a class she took at the local college in Flagstaff, Arizona. She's always been an amazing artist in my mind, but her mind, heart and hands needed reminded just how good she was after years of setting it aside for living, raising children, running her own (very successful) business, and taking care of everyone she knows.

I am so happy for her and so inspired that these things that seem long lost can work themselves back into our lives with just a little faith and remembering to make it joyful. I'm so proud of this girl, I wanted to share her first 'big' step.

She took it as a sign that a local artist in their community showed up at her workplace about the same time she started her class and said "Julie, I have something I think you need." She then took her outside to see the item - a large blank canvas. After Jackson, I have a feeling this will be the next, and eagerly taken on, project.

I can't wait to see what happens next...

A Busy Weekend

2008-10-31T08:03:00.000-07:00

Well, the long awaited anniversary party for my parents has come and gone and was a great success. I managed to keep from panicking too much, even though I forgot the champagne (and had to make an emergency shopping stop), things for punch and got there late to set up, it all came together just in time. Allen and the kids were setting up tables, Kylie made some great signs, and Morgen and Xan were working like mad in the kitchen, while Cheryl set the tables. It was a quick action group effort!

Mom and Dad had a great time, and maybe Mom got into the champagne a little early, but I can't remember when I've seen her smile so much! They had a great time visiting with their friends and family. We had a little fun with getting into the correct position for cutting the cake (I asked them if they don't ever look at the picture of the original cake cutting!), and there was a very short toast of congratulations. A very good day indeed.

It came and went so fast, like every much anticipated family event/visit, but between photos and our own memories, it won't soon be forgotten.

Thanks to everyone for helping and joining us for the celebration!

Perfect Day for Fall Foliage in Oregon

2008-10-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday began with a few last minute items to complete before next weekend's 50th Anniversary party for Mom and Dad, and after we had lunch we were so efficient we had the whole afternoon left to us. So we decided to see if we could find some fall foliage to photograph.

One of my favorite areas has been the Boring, Estacada, Clackamas River area, so off we went. The following photos were taken along the Clackamas River, where we scrambled down a bank and found a little dirt trail that ran right along the water's edge.

The first photo was of some maple leaves submerged in the river - it shows you how clear the water was! The reflection of the trees is nice, too, but maybe the photographer needs to hold the camera a little straighter....oops.

I took quite a few photos along the river, loving how the light would provide reflection, suddenly clearing in a shady spot to see right through to the bottom of the river.

Of course, no blog post of mine is complete without the photos of me and my exploring companion (and sweetie), Allen.

We found some beautiful wild mushrooms of the bright colored sort. Some large and quite alien-looking and some like they were sprinkled with sugar.

After we left the Clackamas, we wandered down some side roads and headed up towards the Eagle Creek Fish Hatchery. We never made it because we got off the road and went down to the creek for some of the best photographic opportunities around. We walked along the bank, climbing over moss covered rocks and under branches and blackberry bushes, and under a bridge at one point. These are a few of the things that I liked and thought I should share. I hope you like them.

After our day of running around, all the fresh air and climbing around we decided to end it as enjoyably as the rest of the day had been, so we went to Gustav's at Clackamas, ate dinner, enjoyed a nice beer and of course ~ dessert. I had Bavarian Cream with fresh raspberry puree and decided it was so pretty it had to have its own photo!

Nighty night, everyone ~

Resurrection

2008-10-15T14:36:00.000-07:00

Fantastic news!!

The poor Canon A560, my constant camera companion, has risen from the dead! As I wrote in a previous post, we had a small accident at Cannon Beach when I tried to combine saltwater with electronics, resulting in the seeming death of Canon. She gave everything she had to provide her dying moment for others to view.

I brought her to work so I could see if the photos were still salvageable and then consigned the dead to my desk drawer.

This morning I was looking for something and pulled the camera out, sighing and thinking "It's just so hard to throw her away!" So I put two new batteries in just to see if anything would happen (which I expected would NOT). To my surprise, the camera came to life and the lens moved out. Well, this is a change! Still couldn't see anything through the screen on the back, though, which would make it hard to use still because of the menu not being available. About that time my boss came in, and after I explained what was going on he took it into his office and messed with it for awhile. When he brought it back to me it was working! The screen is a little flickery, but it still works.

Just goes to show you, things shouldn't always be thrown out just because they aren't working. You never know what miracles will fix them while they sit silently in a drawer...

Golden Anniversaries

2008-10-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. As I thought about that - about 50 years together, through the proverbial better and worse, all I kept coming up with was how much I admire their (and so many others like them) love, their determination, their patience, stamina, occasional blindness to faults, acceptance, and most of all, the fact that these two people are each other's best friend. They choose this, in spite of the difficulties, and because of the comfort and love they have offered each other for at least the last 5 decades.

These are the same two people who met when they were a mere 19 years old, my dad being two weeks younger than my mom. They were both working at the Montgomery Wards store on Vaughn Street in Portland, Oregon. Mom worked in Catalog and Dad was a salesman in the Furniture Department. One of Mom's friends spied my dad and said Oh, Mary, you should check him out. So she did, not knowing that Dad was also checking HER out. Six months later they were married in a small ceremony in a Lutheran church in North Portland.

From there, their life together began in earnest. Jobs, kids, an old house practically torn to the ground and risen again as the place we grew up.

They've had their ups and downs, good times and bad as most marriages do, but again, they choose to continue. I envy them that continuity. To be married that young and make it this far is a sure testament of their love and friendship, their commitment that is so solid.

Congratulations, Mom and Dad! Here's to the next 50 ~

Fall Beauties

2008-10-06T10:42:00.001-07:00

These pretties were found a few weekends ago
and I was able to create this
lovely collage from the photos.

Hope you enjoy the colors
on this gray rainy day.

Cannon Beach

2008-10-05T13:08:00.000-07:00

Finally I'm able to post photos from our great trip to Cannon Beach a couple of weekends ago. An impossibly beautiful day at Cannon Beach, with temps at about 75 degrees. A beautiful end to an iffy summer, weather-wise.

Allen hadn't seen our beaches yet, and was very surprised at how deep they were compared to Atlantic beaches he'd visited. We made our way up to Haystack Rock, absolutely in wonderment over how beautiful the day was. I laughed because it was the end of September, and about 68 or so when we first got there and people were all over the beach in their swim suits, and in the water! Brave Northwest souls - give us a few rays of sun and we're getting out the shorts and tank tops.

After spending some time on the beach we headed back up into town to stroll the quaint streets and look for something good to eat. Along the way we came across this blue gate. Just the gate, and the screen door on the house, this vivid blue against the bright colors of the nasturtiums. I couldn't resist taking (haha...many) photos of it to bring home with me.

On our way we passed the Center Diamond quilting store, which reminded me of visiting there with Kimberly from Kent quite a few years ago, when we spent quite a bit of time pouring over quilt fabric, buying little square gems of color to bring home and make into something wonderful.

We had to make a stop at the Candy Basket so I could get some of their fantastic (yes, theirs is the best) saltwater taffy. After loading up on the sugary stuff, we finally arrived at Bill's Tavern, where we enjoyed a fine microbrew from Bill's own brewery and some yummy fish and chips and burgers.

We left Bill's after an hour or two and headed back down to the beach with our blanket to just lay in the sun and listen to the surf, but once we got down there of course we had to take our shoes off and go play in the water...with our cameras. Sigh. Yes, we took some grand photos, played with the exposure, close up shots, etc.

The close up shot thing wasn't the greatest idea, as it turns out. Allen was bending down low to get shots of the waves as they came up to him and I thought
Oh, what a GREAT idea! I'll do that the OTHER way - I'll stand with my back to the waves (they were small) and catch a photo of them as they go under me!

It worked. Once. The second time didn't work out so well, as the wave height had risen just a teensy bit....enough to come up over my camera. It's really an interesting experiment to see how well saltwater and electronics work together. It begins slowly, but after a short amount of time the electronics just give up the ghost entirely.

This is the last photo taken by the Canon A560, my true and constant friend, murdered by saltwater. I will miss you.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, not necessarily in that order...

2008-10-03T09:56:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to post some things from last weekend, but find myself impatient with my lack of abilities to get it to work the way I want. So today's post is simply a list of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly ~

The Ugly (may as well get it out of the way)

I feel cruddy, with a virus that "will last about 3 weeks"
I look like Rudolph
Decongestants that keep me awake all night
Too hot, too cold

The Bad (yes, working up to the good)

Falling behind in preparation for my parent's 50th anniversary party
A new humidifier that can be heard across town
Insanely busy at work when I just need a nap
Sad news about the health of friends and family
A camera that died by saltwater

The Good (Ahhhh.....)

Friends who will listen to me whine about being sick
My lovely reading partner who takes such good care of me
A weekend upcoming that is to be hibernation mode only
New yarn
Minestrone soup
A warm blankie
My parents are having their 50th anniversary
My children will both be home at the end of the month

There, now I feel better. Such a listmaker, thanks to someone for suggesting this as a perfect place to make one more list.

More this weekend ~

Today's song - The Bricklayer's Beautiful Daughter, Will Ackerman

On Being A Squirrel

2008-09-19T15:31:00.001-07:00

Fall is upon us. The air has changed, along with the light and it is bringing out the squirrel in me like it hasn't in years. I'm feeling the urge to bake some gorgeous casserole or a squash, make a meatloaf or chicken and noodles, grab a book, curl up with my shawl, and enjoy some comfort at home. This weekend I will re-start my tradition of the annual trek to Sauvie Island to check out the produce markets, buy some late season goodies to eat, can, or freeze (apple pie filling comes to mind). The weather should be cool-ish but nice, a little sun, a little breeze, a light jacket.

It feeds my soul.

Why is it, in the time of year when things are slowing down in nature, that I feel the need to be busy?

I ponder the comparison to this time in my life. Do I feel the need to 'be busy' with doing what needs to be done, finding answers I need to find, patiently listening for words of wisdom and direction, because I'm gaining on my personal Autumn?

Maybe.

The nice thing to discover is that I'm loving and accepting this stage of things with the same ease and anticipation that I feel when Fall comes around. It feels comfortable, peaceful, joyful, and natural.

It nourishes my soul.

For your listening pleasure ~ Last Day at the Beach

2008-09-17T14:24:00.000-07:00

I read this yesterday and knew immediately the 'rightness' of it, the truth of every word. Yes, after all is said and done, kindness is the thing that makes sense.

Kindness

Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
What you counted and carefully saved,
All this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness..

Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,
You must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
How he too was someone
who journeyed through the night with plans
and the simple breath that kept him alive.

Before you know kindness as the deepest
thing inside, You must know sorrow as the
other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.

Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day
to mail letters and purchase bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say:
It is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend.

Naomi Shihab Nye

A Newcomer Visits the Columbia River Gorge

2008-09-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

This weekend I decided to initiate Allen to "THE Gorge". After all, how can you really know about the river and our area of the state(s) without seeing this? How do you believe it without seeing it? So I packed a picnic lunch and said "Come with me, my dear. We're going to go climb Beacon Rock!"

So he could be a tourist, I drove us up Highway 14 on the Washington side of the Columbia to the great monolith. Our climb was good. We stopped for photo ops and to catch our breath,
but mostly just to take in the beauty and scale of it all.

Along the way we found many pretty little ferns, interesting leaves, moss covered rocks and trees growing out of the solid basalt that makes up Beacon Rock.

We made it to the top and then just enjoyed the beautiful view. We heard some fishermen cheering a lucky angler who happened to catch an apparently large salmon down on the river. We basked in the sun and loved the vivid colors of the day.

On the way home we crossed the Bridge of the Gods, and traveled down I-84 until we turned off onto the old highway. We stopped at Multnomah Falls,
then continued on down the road to Crown Point to see Vista House.

Jewels to see all along the way. Tired and hungry, we made our way home with a great day of memories running around our brains.

Canning Season Has Returned

2008-09-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

Canning season has once again raised it's lovely head in my life. After many years of only feeding myself, I was given some cucumbers, green beans, and miscellaneous other goodies from my parents' garden and remembered how good my own pickles tasted compared to store bought.

So, I gathered up some jars, bought some lids and rings and got to work. The pickles were easy - stuff, heat and seal. The tricky part was when Allen and I started to make the green beans, which must be processed in a pressure canner.

When we got the canner heated up with the jars of beans inside, it wouldn't hold a seal, so after figuring out that it needed a new seal, and many phone calls later to stores that may possibly sell canning supplies (not a likely thing these days, apparently), we finally found one and raced down there as if the beans were a critical patient that required urgent care, got the ring, raced back home, and voila ~ canned green beans. Free (well, almost) and very tasty!

I've included a photo here of a lovely jar of pickled beets, made by my mom. I continued on with the canning bent by processing some pint jars of peaches, which we will open and eat this winter, remembering the lovely days of summer when they were made.

Now I have shiny, colorful jars in my cupboards that are so pretty that, as is my way and always has been, I hate to open them. In a way they are my artwork. It's like the produce etch-a-sketch that has to be re-drawn every summer.

Ah, lovely greens and yellows, bits of red pepper, and a pinkish-white garlic thrown in.

A Yankee in a Southern Kitchen

2008-08-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

We're having a little hot-spell here in the Northwest,
so don't ask me why I think I need a casserole in mid-summer, but here it is.

French Toast Casserole

Virginia Willis, BON APPETIT,Y'ALL

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 loaf brioche or challah bread, sliced into 1 1/2 inch slices
8 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Confectioners' sugar for accompaniment
Pure Maple Syrup

*
Combine the melted butter and sugar in the bottom of a baking dish.
*
Make a nice even layer of the mixture to cover the entire area.
*
Arrange the bread slices on top, squeezing them in place.
*
Whisk the eggs, add all the remaining ingredients except the pecans.
*
Pour over the bread, letting it soak in.
*
Top with pecans and cover with plastic wrap. (The casserole will not look real moist,
don't worry I promise it will be so when you eat it)
*
Keep refrigerated for at least 3 hours or up to 12 hours.
*
Set out at room temperature for 20 minutes before popping into a hot oven set to
350 degrees.
*
Bake until lightly browned and set, 35 to 40 minutes.
*
Remove and slightly cook if you can wait a few minutes.
*
Serve hot or warm with sorghum, cane or maple syrup.
*
Serves 8

2008-02-11T14:40:00.001-08:00

Funny, I don't remember these stages... I was always glamorous, even with baby spit on my blouse.