Soggy Day Blog

north coast tour

2011-03-25T20:37:00.005-06:00

Three days, many miles and about 12 candy shops later, we're back, dusted free of sand, and once again wearing clothes that don't smell like a salt marsh. Based on our whirlwind and no doubt incomplete trip to Tillamook, Cannon Beach, and Seaside, I feel confident recommending the following:

Go to the Aquarium in Seaside, even though it looks (and is) a little cheesy and perhaps overpriced. It's basically two big rooms on the bottom floor of some sort of hotel, but buying $1 servings of chopped up fish (served in little french fry containers) and feeding them to the seals is a real treat. The seals are very dog-like; they have figured out the system and what people like to see (little encouraging nods, fin slapping) and their shiny eyes and slippery bodies are tremendously cute. Also know that when the sign says "splash zone" they are not kidding.

Spend as much time as you can in Cannon Beach and maybe don't even bother much with the other towns. There are lots of lovely shops including a very nice quilt shop, an indie book store, and (much to Aspen's liking) a candy store on about every block. Mostly, though, it's just so beautiful and charming. All these little clapboard houses and not a fast food place or huge Super 8 sign anywhere in sight. We lucked into a last-minute deal at a guest house that would be worth staying in for the bathtub alone.... huge, beautiful, overlooking the estuary. For once, no one needed to be strong-armed into getting cleaned up (if only there was a fancy sink that had the same effect on getting children to brush their teeth without reminders...).
Go outside whenever there is a break from the rain and/or wind and soak up the wonderfulness of new beaches and big white waves. Get your pants wet and then admit to your mother that you only packed one pair of jeans because "you can wear jeans for two days in a row". Make formerly white socks look an unrecognizable color. Work up an appetite. Demand food every hour and a half and get hot cocoa with whipped cream for every meal. Do not let a single piece of fruit cross your lips. Stay up late and watch programs like Dancing With the Stars and Glee that you don't get to watch at home.

Ah, vacations. :)

road trip

2011-03-20T17:22:00.002-06:00

The girls and I are heading out tomorrow morning for the northern coast. We have no set itinerary, but rather an interest in visiting / exploring Tillamook, Cannon Beach, Astoria and stops in between for the next few days. As you can see, the essential items have already been packed-- books on audio, GPS, maps and guidebooks, homemade cookies.

I hope the weather is bearable and the girls get along and nothing weird happens with the (aging) Honda. I hope we find good places to stay that don't cost a fortune and stop at funky little bakeries and watch movies in our hotel room and return with a back seat full of rocks and interesting driftwood pieces and beach glass. Mostly, I hope it's an adventure, a break from the everyday, and a chance to flop around and kick our legs in the air, so to speak.

all about the food

2011-03-19T13:29:00.003-06:00

I've been thinking a lot about food lately. Really, I'm never not thinking about it, but recently, as I've blogged about, Savanna has been extra interested in cooking, plus I'm reading this very lovely book about food (see sidebar) with accompanying recipes. More about that in a minute.

Savanna has been hankering for potato soup. We eat soup a lot around here, almost never made from a recipe, but rather from whatever is leftover (er, I mean, handy) and the last batch of potato must have been memorable. Since Aspen was at ballet and we had the time, we decided she'd just go ahead and prepare the whole meal, which she did quite wonderfully.

(I love the tongue in corner of mouth concentration of this photo...)

I read a story somewhere recently about a chef who was giving a cooking a class and one of the students kept pestering them about specifics... how much of this and how long of that, wanting to be very concrete about the process, until the chef basically said, look, do you want to be precise or do you want to cook? I definitely fall into the camp of the latter, which luckily, seems to suit Savanna's temperament fine. She found a recipe for lemon squares and I bravely declared that we had all of the ingredients, which we did... just not enough of most of them. But, is true cooking, rather than recipe-following form, we didn't lack a shortage of sugar or a lack of previously frozen butter stop us, and the results were lovely. Since I don't have a potato soup recipe, we just talked about all soups as being a basic combination of sauteed veggies and broth, along with whatever else you might care to add to it-- meat or beans or noodles or half and half or frozen corn or cheese. Really, it was a delicious meal.

Now, the book. I'm only about a third of the way through it, but it's wonderful... just a very gentle, pleasant book that makes you feel good about the world and want to make good food. It's funny, because if I just saw some of these recipes, I'm not sure I'd be that into making them, but after reading the little stories, I feel absolutely compelled to make almost all of it, especially the sweet stuff like macaroons. Last night, unable to sleep for a spell, I was reading the section about Dutch Babies with lemon and powdered sugar and I knew I had to make them for breakfast. The Dutch Baby (an eggy sort of baked pancake) puffed up huge in the oven and would have looked very pretty filled with some sort of fruit and cream, but I stuck to the lemon and powdered sugar for my serving, and it was great. Savvy ate two. Aspen, more of a purist when it comes to things like pancakes, didn't really love hers. And Mike ate a plain piece topped with green salsa and said it was good that way too.

day three of rain

2011-03-16T14:01:00.001-06:00

Rain scatters plum petals;
Weeping stains the earth.
One can only take shelter
And wait for clearing.

Deng Ming-Dao
365 Tao: Daily Meditations

what was

2011-03-14T15:29:00.004-06:00

This weekend was full of...

Savanna wanting to bake and make, as much without assistance as possible. I tried to be available without hovering and she did just fine. I like that she still straps on her cat apron before getting started (Aspen has a similar pig apron). I tried to get some good pictures, which produced a lot of eye rolling and faces of the are you serious? variety? At one point, she asked, "Mom, do you want me to put my little pinkie on the cooling rack so you can get a picture of it?" Sarcastic child.

Finishing some projects...

And starting others...
A sudden storm blowing through about 20 minutes into my regular run. I had been planning to shuttle cars around and run to River Forks Park, about 8.5 miles from here, but the sky looked a little ominous. Figuring it would just rain, Terry dog and I set out for a neighborhood run and there came a point where the wind started blowing like something out of The Wizard of Oz and Terry (always eager, always game for an adventure) looked at me like Mom, are you sure about this? At which point it started hailing...hard, sharp little pellets. We aimed for the shortest way home, me running fast with my head down like a charging rhino, hoping that maybe Mike would look out the window and wonder if we needed a lift. And he did! So nice to be rescued and ride the rest of the way home in a warm car.

We spent the rest of the afternoon with a fire, playing Settlers of Catan and eating popcorn. A happy ending.

while I was gone

2011-03-09T16:02:00.005-07:00

I haven't felt like I've had much to share in this space lately...the combination of a lot of winter blahness and a lot of tackling nothing more than the monotonous and everyday. But, when I think about the last two weeks, a few things have been happening.
I finished the cabinet make over and am liking how it works in the space. I also liked seeing that old 80's style oak desk go, hauled away by two guys from The Salvation Army.

I've been making more fishies. Every time I make one, I think "maybe this will be the time everything works and I don't screw something up". And then, I go and screw something up. Flipped over pieces of trim, excess fabric (to be trimmed away from the edging later) caught in the stitches...you get the idea. I'm also wishing their noses were a little less... what?... stubby? And their faces a little bigger? Must work on this.

Yesterday, I finished a quick spring wreath in the colors I'm really liking right now.

Good food is still being made. Lately, I've been into Brussels sprouts. Aren't they pretty? I love them sauteed and kind of carmelized (cut in half, flat side down) in a little olive oil with sea salt and pepper. The extraneous leaves get all crispy and I can't stop myself from standing there, eating them up. Which is OK, since I'm pretty much the only person in the family that feels this way about sprouts. I like to add them too my salads, too.

And, I finished this book. I believe it's either a finalist for ... or winner of... the Oregon Book Award for fiction. I really liked it. It's about a sad topic, but it doesn't really knock you over the head with sadness... it kinds of creeps up on you a little at a time. It's worth reading.

Potential

2011-02-24T12:19:00.002-07:00

When you live with me, there's always a chance that you will come home from work / school and find something like this sitting in the garage.

Let's just say I like to browse in thrift stores. And, I like to imagine what things could become. And I have a hard time passing up a good deal. Monday, the Salvation Army was having a 50% off furniture sale and this old kitchen cabinet found it's way home with me. I think it's pretty cool and will make a nice craft organizer. I'm currently using an old 90's oak desk (somewhat pictured in the background) that I dislike immensely. I have lots of leftover paint in colors I like, so I just need to get to work, buy a few new knobs and pulls and wait for the magic to happen.

I will post pictures when it does.

The O.C.

2011-02-22T14:28:00.004-07:00

Oregon coast, that is.

We took Mike's sister to Bandon Saturday. When you tell people you've been to the coast, everyone always wants to know how the weather was. Well, it was fine, thank you for asking! A mix of sun and clouds, cool, but not cold, and not too windy. Short of gale force winds and blowing rain, the girls are pretty happy to be there no matter what the weather. Same with the dogs.

I think it would be nice to have a little clapboard house on the rocky hillside. Many of them have little chutes leading down from the road above. For groceries, I'm guessing? I'd enjoy watching the storms come in and taking the dogs for an afternoon walk.

But, maybe the coast is more special as a place to visit occasionally than a place to reside. I hear that newcomers are often driven out by the cloudy - windy - cold weather...and that's summer. We're drenched in sunshine here for a good three months and I'd probably miss that. I might also miss the emerald greenness of the fields and the general lack of wind here.

But it is a very magical place.

Making me happy right now

2011-02-16T09:50:00.004-07:00

My new yellow recliner... I love to read with my feet up.

Primroses, flourishing outside in February.

Getting wonderful California oranges right now... I eat about 3 a day.

Working on more felty fish. This one was a gift to my friend Erica. I'm wanting to make them a good deal bigger so they are more like a pillow and less like a stuffed animal.
I'm having fun adding a lot more detail to them, also.

A new blender, after the last one (estimated age: 22!) cracked and died. Trying to have fruit and Greek yogurt smoothies for breakfast most days.

What is making you happy?

What We Did While We Waited

2011-02-10T17:12:00.005-07:00

Savanna, age 10, has developed a taste for getting massage. This started when she was competing as a gymnast and while she's not doing gym anymore, she still asks for a massage pretty often. No, not for me to give her a massage (though she likes that too)- she wants to go to her massage therapist.

My massage therapist, Cinda, is a cool gal. She just is. She lives on the river in Glide, OR and works out of a dear little backyard house. Her yard has a teepee and a slack line between the trees and a stage and a swing. She has a 6th grade daughter, so the whole giggly touch-my-feet-and-I-squeal girly thing does not phase her. She also gets that Savanna is going to need to wear shorts and a tank top for her massage. No problem - she gives her a 1/2 hour massage for $20 which I think is a deal. And hopefully, something that Savanna will start to learn can relieve some of her stress, because sometimes that gal is wound up pretty tight.

Anyway, Glide is about 3o miles from where we live, so yesterday, Aspen was my reluctant companion. But, it didn't take long for her to discover the wonders of Cinda's yard.
We sat in the sun and admired the river.
We played string with the kitty.
We threw a tennis ball for Cooper (who has the world's softest ears).
She swung on the swing.
Aspen did some musical numbers on the stage. The songs involved lyrics about moss and goats bleating across the river and other impromptu topics and were wildly choreographed.

Kitty and I were a receptive audience.

In fact, it looked like such a good time that kitty jumped up onstage.
I think we were both surprised by how much we enjoyed our waiting time.

In Which the Felt Bug (as other less pleasant bugs) Spread Like Wildfire About the House

2011-02-09T14:35:00.003-07:00

The girls have been heavily into making these cupcake pincushions (found in Betz White's Warm Fuzzies book) of late. And we've discovered they're not a bad sick-day activity...easy, not too much thinking, and most of the stitching doesn't show. Which is good, because lately, Sick Days R Us.

Green Dogger

2011-02-05T15:14:00.002-07:00

This guy - my first attempt at a non-fish felty pillow - is en route to a little friend's 4th birthday party as we speak. I am learning more with each pillow I do, including that I need to remember to go bigger rather than smaller and a "fake serge" exposed edging is kind of nice and more sewer-friendly than leaving allowances, turning and filling. He is backed with a very, very soft piece of felted cashmere (thrifted, of course). I'm going to get back to fish for awhile, but I am spinning with some other possibilities.

The Return

2011-02-02T14:26:00.001-07:00

If I was a smart blogger, I would somehow embed the Beatles singing "Here Comes the Sun" on this post. No matter, it's back, up and over the hill again, and even seen for a few minutes shining inside the house, it is pretty glorious.

Felty Fish

2011-01-29T09:10:00.004-07:00

So, here I am on this Saturday morning, pretending that I don't have to go out and run 10 miles two hours from now. I'm entering a half-marathon in Corvallis in April and our friend Harvey, a real runner and marathoner, has kindly offered to organize (i.e. map out, stash water, cheerlead) some runs with me on Saturdays to help me get there. Last week we did 8.5 miles and really, it was not as bad / painful / embarrassing as I had imagined it could be, so now, today it's a 10-miler through downtown Roseburg. When I was telling Aspen about this and trying to give a feel for how long 10 miles is ("farther than from here to Sutherlin") she said, "Ack, I don't even like to drive to Sutherlin...it takes forever!" Exactly.
Anyhoo, I'm still perfecting my felty fishes around here. Last week I made one which after some debate, I gave to my friend Bille for her birthday. I tried to obtain some encouragement that this would be a good idea.
Me: Should I give her the fish pillow? Or is it too weird?
Mike: Uh... it's a little weird.
Me: She's an artist...
Mike: Well, maybe if she likes weird stuff...?
Aspen (joining the conversation): It's great. She'll love it.
Me: Alrighty then.

Anyway, it's hard to get a good picture of these guys. If I set them on something, the lower fin disappears and the light never seems to be any good in the house.

We visited a ribbon store in Portland and inspired by my new ribbon stash, I set to work yesterday. This guy was finished last night.
And I've already cut out some pieces for another. Still playing around with shape and texture. It seems to me that maybe they should be bigger...? Not sure. And, I want to play around with texture (burlap, chenille scraps) and doing more with beads and sequins.
In other creative news, Savanna has been working on mandalas lately. I really like how they're turning out and the possibility of using mandalas and their inner / outer layers and symbols for one of the groups I do for teenagers.

Happy weekend....gotta run! :)

In the City

2011-01-27T17:11:00.003-07:00

We spent the first part of this week in Portland with Mike, who had work meetings and relatedly, accommodations at a very snazzy downtown hotel. The gals and I covered a lot of ground in our 3 days, much of it via commuter trains and trolleys. I tend to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of gal which meant 1) I put too much trust in the little guide the hotel gave me and 2) I put too much faith in myself to figure things out en route / as we got there. This resulted in arriving at the zoo an hour before it opened AND thinking we could probably hop off the train and cross one of the bridges leading to OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) on foot, which turned out to be laughable. Oh well. The girls were good sports and it all worked out in the end. We tramped around Chinatown and the Chinese gardens, walked around the Pearl District and bought books at Powell's, visited the zoo when it finally opened and drove to OMSI (which took about 5 minutes from the hotel - who knew?).

I couldn't be bothered with taking pictures since I was herding children and consulting a faulty map / guide, but the girls took lots, including a ridiculous number of pictures of Chinatown street signs which I will not post here. From the zoo:
Ducks are not very exotic, but they're still fun to watch. I like how their little legs pump so furiously to power them underwater.
There have been cougar sightings in our neighborhood. Seeing one put the whole "aww... what a cute kitty" thing in perspective.

Aspen is about the size of a Sun Bear. Who knew polar bears were so tall?

And now, I must say, it's pretty nice to be home.

Cold and Gray

2011-01-20T10:08:00.005-07:00

There was a lot of rain over the weekend, creating some impromptu waterfalls in our neighborhood, but the last few days have been cold. And gray. Things feel sort of dreary and socked-in, kind of a February why-can't-it-just-be-spring feeling, but early.

Between other business, I got a coffee drink and grabbed my camera and drove the dogs to North Bank. It's pretty out there, lots of pastureland and views of the North Umpqua River. I saw a wee white lamb with it's mama and wished I'd stopped for a picture. The river looked high and grey. We had the place to ourselves. I threw a ball for Terry, who does not mind the cold and grey. When he gets overheated from running, he finds a mud puddle to lay in. Ember snuffled about.

Back at home, I was craving warmth and color. I built a fire and started working on a project I've had in my head for the last week. Fancy Clancy snaggled up the chair closest to the fire and I went back and forth between the living room and my sewing area, doing some things by hand and some things with the machine.

Viola! A felted fishy pillow. I saw something similar on a blog with a downloadable 10-page pattern, but I knew I would never be able to make sense of that, so I traced a fish platter I have and used freezer paper to cut out the pieces. The head and body are felted sweaters, the rest just quilting cotton stuffed with batting scraps, with a piece of vintage lace on the fin. I wish I had done a few things differently (more stuffing, less stretchy sweater for the face) but I like his little pop of color.

Bit Bad by the Bead Bug

2011-01-10T09:39:00.003-07:00

I stole this quote from my friend Gwen, a beader and jewlery-maker because it makes me smile and is also a pretty apt description of I feel every time I step into a bead store. Saturday, exploring some of the wee towns in our area, we stopped in at Bead Mecca in Canyonville. It's a very sweet little shop with a great selection and they don't roll their eyes if you only buy $1.67 worth of beads.
I'm still playing around with my felty garlands, trying to add some more interesting beads and even make some out of fimo clay. I have no idea what I'm going to do with them, but I sort of like how they're turning out.

After Christmas Christmas crafts

2011-01-06T12:50:00.003-07:00

So, like many people, I am in clean out mode here. Downsize, clean out, get rid of it, store more efficiently, deep clean, all of that. After taking down all the holiday decorations, I found that I didn't want to put all the old stuff back and have been enjoying a slightly more pared-down look. (Note to self: just because you own lots of cool artsy stuff doesn't mean you have to display it all at once. A little rotation keeps things fresher anyway.)

I am also trying oh so hard to tie up some unfinished projects since I am the queen of starting without finishing. Oh, I have such good intentions, I really do, and then I get distracted and busy and tired and maybe catch a cold and things sit atop the ping pong table until someone in the house fusses at me because they remembered they actually like to play ping pong and all my stuff is in their way.

On that note, I finished a folksy painting on an old window (from our local salvage place, Heartwood Resources). It's probably too heavy to mount on a wall next December, but I could lean it somewhere...maybe on the mantle ledge? Or even outside in a protected area?

I'm continuing to work on a holiday lap quilt for us, just using fabric I already have. This is my first stab at the quilt-as-you-go method where the fabric is sewn to batting squares and then all of those squares are sewn together, backed and tied.

Just before Christmas, the girls and I did some felty garlands which we hung from the light fixture above our dining room table. I saw this (minus the beads) on a blog somewhere- can't remember where, but it was perfect, because I had all these pieces of old felted sweaters from OTHER unfinished projects that I was more than happy to chop up. The girls made theirs mostly from red and white squares with a little grey and green thrown in. I've done a few more since, because it's kind of satisfying to make something that comes together very quickly and looks cute. I made two sets (felt squares + clear line + a big needle + random beads) to give to two little friends as holiday presents and think I might make a few more little kits for gifts. Hopefully, in other colors they don't seem too Christmasy. I thought they'd be cute hung from pieces of driftwood as a sort of mobile too. Or you could make a whole, long garland? Maybe pink and red for Valentines Day?

Best of

2010-12-31T09:13:00.009-07:00

I'm a sucker for all the year end lists. Sheepish admission: the People magazine 25 most fascinating people edition is my favorite. Not even for the people...for the lists of books, music and movies. I always have a list of books I'm looking for in my purse, so if I'm at the library or While-a-Way books (our local used book store), I can whip out my list and look for things that my brain would never be able to remember on it's own.

So, in no particular order of relevance, some of my favorite things from 2010: (that is, discovered by me this year...many were released during earlier years).

Favorite addition to the (already overloaded with pets) household: turtles. Corter and Pokey are very interesting...and somewhat animated...when they're not hibernating, as they are right now.
Favorite thing to watch: (hands down) Friday Night Lights, Season 1. Good grief, I love this show. Mike and I are tearing through it thanks to Netflix and I'm unreasonably glad that there are many more seasons to go. Who would have thought a show about a high school football team could be this good? I love how it captures a sense of place-- a small town, southern manners, diverse and imperfect families. Even the secondary characters are interesting and real. It breaks your heart and makes you feel good all at the same time.

Favorite food: Lemon Sesame dressing from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. I bet I've owned this cookbook for ten years and just last November, searching for a homemade salad dressing that I could make with ingredients already in my pantry, I discovered this recipe. And, although this sounds silly to say about a salad dressing, it has changed how I eat. I am a person who typically enjoys a restaurant salad but finds salads at home dull and not worth bothering with. But with this dressing-- which to me has just the perfect flavorful tanginess-- I am eating salads for lunch pretty much every day. My favorite is romaine + leftover sauteed Brussels sprouts or other cooked veggies + grape tomatoes + sunflower seeds + leftover chicken or fish + a few foccacia croutons with this dressing. Perfect, filling, tasty.

The recipe:
3 T toasted sesame seeds
3/4 c veg or canola oil
1/3 c lemon juice
1 T soy sauce
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
few splashed of hot sauce
Blend it up in a blender. Simple!

Music for home listening: Anything by Casey Anderson. "Nemesis" by David Grey. "Something Good Coming" by Tom Petty.

Songs for running: (e.g. not necessarily for little ears) Diddy - "Hello, Good Morning", Enimem - "Love the Way You Lie".

Family road trip listening: Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. He really captures how people alternately embrace and reject outsiders. There's a sequel, but we found it disappointing.

Family reading: (an informal poll this morning confirmed my choices...)
The story of what happens to a boy raised by survivalist parents after he is suddenly orphaned.

An amazing fairy tale that manages to feel both modern and long-ago.

Adult Novels:
2010 was my Ron Rash year. I started with Serena and worked my way through Saints at the River, One Foot in Eden and Burning Bright. Happily, there are more still to read. I think One Foot in Eden was my favorite, but it's difficult to say. He is an Appalachian writer who captures a sense of people and place in a way that really appeals to me.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Snow, Drip, Repeat

2010-12-29T16:40:00.003-07:00

It started snowing about 8:00 this morning. Since this is only the second time it's snowed since we've been here, I was pretty darn excited and ran to the girls rooms to wake up one and draw up the shade of the other.
It is clear that if one wants to frolic in the snow in Oregon, one had better do it right away, even if it is only 8 in the morning and one is still waking up and rubbing one's eyes and not really dressed / presentable. We took the dogs to the park, but it was closer to ten and this is what we encountered.
Partly, perhaps, because the park is beside the river and a bit lower than our neighborhood, which sits in a shady mountain draw.

By noonish it was at it again...and now, not. But maybe as temperatures start to dip closer to evening, some more will fall. It would be lovely to wake up to a blanket of the white stuff tomorrow.

Corgacious

2010-12-27T09:50:00.003-07:00

Corgacious (cor/gay/shush), adjective: To be as full of spunky, energetic bossiness as a Corgi. One who is full of good cheer and anticipation. One who believes oneself to be big and powerful when in fact one is small.

This gal likes to invent words.

Just a girl and a mom

2010-12-23T12:00:00.005-07:00

One of the things I wanted to do over the holiday break was to take each girl on a day trip by herself. Our lives at home can feel very hectic and I am often distracted and not as tuned in to conversations with them as I would like to be.

Yesterday, Savanna and I went to Bandon, on the coast. We didn't even check the weather, which can be a little iffy there-- they day was free, Mike could be home with Aspen, it wasn't too close to Christmas doings, so we went for it. Her only request was that we not take the dogs. At first I thought, not take the dogs to the coast? They love the coast! But, she was right. They present their own needs and demands and I would have been less attentive to my time with her with two squeaky dogs in the back.

We got a sweet tea for her and a coffee for me and after we'd talked for a long time about all manner of things, we listened to Sharon Creech's "Red Bird" on audio. The drive there is so beautiful. If it had been just me, I would have been tempted to stop to take pictures of red cows on a narrow emerald green jetty surrounded by water, old rusty barns, clouds reflected in marshlands, and street signs (Fat Elk Drive! Gum Drop Lane!). You can never predict the weather on the coast based on the drive. It always seems to be a mixture of clouds and fog and dazzling sunlight. I took my sunglasses on and off about 50 times.

The weather turned out to be glorious. Sunny and not very windy. We walked a new (for us) beach and hiked some trails through the dunes. We looked for rocks and interesting drift wood (do you agree that the piece above looks like a rhinoceros?). We poked around the outside of the Coquille River Lighthouse and looked, unsuccessfully, for migrating gray whales on the horizon. Eventually, we had lunch and browsed in some shops. WinterMoon, an indie bookstore, had some neat things.
This girl is such a delightful companion, especially when she has your full attention and no one feels rushed. I can't count how many times she said, "Oh, mama, I love it here" or "Oh, mama, this is such a fun day." It made my heart sing.

And lest anyone worry that Aspen was missing out, we had "our" day last Saturday in Eugene... painting pottery at Brushfire, lunch at Cafe Yumm, the holiday market. Fewer photos, but no less fun. I hope these days will become one of our holiday break traditions.

On Break

2010-12-21T08:34:00.002-07:00

Ah, Christmas break. It began Friday afternoon, following pajama day at school, a day when very little learning seemed to take place and these girls, who usually come home and eat 2-3 meals they call snacks, were not hungry at 3:30, indicating to me that they were even more loaded up on junk than I had feared.

It's been the usual coldy-rainy winter weather here, which has been perfect for holing up inside, playing, reading, making things. Aspen has rediscovered a love for playing with her American Girl dolls, which makes me happy. Savanna is plowing through a new book. We've been doing more with watercolor painting. Play is happening with the neighbors and other friends. Fires are being poorly built by me and and adjusted / maintained by Savanna. Today, we have a birthday party for little friend and some long-awaited room re-arranging.

This morning snuggle made me smile. Happy solstice. :)

Neighbor Yummies

2010-12-18T10:51:00.004-07:00

I think I'm just about finished with the holiday making, at least of the gifty kind. Some packages were mailed out yesterday, finally, and the last 2 should hit the air Monday, hopefully to arrive by Christmas for east coast relatives.

I spent Friday afternoon baking. I like to give a box of goodies to our neighbors, though you wonder sometime if people are really glad to get more sweets this time of year. Still, I think a sample of some (possibly new) tastes is fun.

In this year's assortment: peppermint bark (adapted from a recipe that seemed too complicated and required things like candy thermometers. Basically you melt chocolate and add peppermint extract and candy? Why over-think it?), some ridiculously easy pretzel-chocolate kiss-m & m treats, and peppermint whoopie pies. Having sampled, um, a few of all of the treats - you know, to check for quality and freshness - I can honestly say that they were all pretty dang good but those whoopie pies were spectacular. Good thing they left the house when they did!

Christmas Concert

2010-12-17T08:33:00.002-07:00

Aspen's concert was last night. I spent most of the concert 1) thinking music teachers must have unimaginable inner reserves of patience, 2) thinking kids need to be taught "stage" manners before 5th grade (the overall level of behavior, ai yi yi...), 3) feeling very proud of our little gal who looked so poised out there, smiling and looking directly at the audience.

Mornings

2010-12-10T09:25:00.002-07:00

Mike made this little table as a writing desk for me, but Savanna likes to have an elegant breakfast on it in the mornings -- complete with oatmeal...tea...her book...and a lit candle.

The Tree

2010-12-06T09:42:00.003-07:00

Mike and the girls cut the tree Saturday when I was in Eugene. They went outside of Glide, on National Forest Land. When I called to say I was en route home, they sounded pleased with their selection, but disappointed that there had been no snow.

We decorated the tree last night. It had been a challenging day, but hanging ornaments and listening to holiday music had a soothing effect on everyone. I liked hearing the girls' excitement as they re-discovered ornaments they've made in different classes over the years. I also like to try to add a new ornament or two to our tree every year. The one below came from the (very wonderful) Passionflower store in Eugene.

We're enjoying the lights and the girls are enjoying the anticipation of presents under the tree sometime soon.

Wintery Watercolors

2010-12-03T11:18:00.002-07:00

It's fun when you re-discover something that you already have or once enjoyed. This past weekend, for the girls and I, it was watercolors. I got out my ancient paint box, purchased many lifetimes ago (actual number guess: around 1991) when I took a community ed class in watercolor painting in Missoula, Montana. The fact that these colors are still there and still serviceable tells me that 1) I have not painted enough 2) if you buy good stuff, it lasts, like, forever! We used post-card sized pieces from a pad, which are kind of nice and don't make you feel like you have to over-think the whole big painting too much. It's just a postcard, so keep it simple.

I really like Aspen's blue penguin...such simple, modern shapes. I'm wondering about having it made into a fabric on spoonflower. Wouldn't that be sweet? And the Santa with no pants cracks me up too. Maybe he's just wearing nude legging this year...?

I'm hoping this weekend will include more of this... I like the calmness of building a fire, setting out the paints, listening to Christmas or other tunes on the ipod and just creating together.

Halls Were Decked

2010-11-27T11:48:00.004-07:00

I've always told the girls that we can decorate for Christmas after Thanksgiving is over. I remember one year, Thanksgiving dinner had barely been digested when Savanna started asking about. I think the day after is the perfect time, since I am afraid of competitive shopping and avoid Black Friday anyway.

Sometimes I re-discover things I'd forgotten about like this tiny doll. She's made by Woof and Poof in Chico, CA. I'm a fan of their holiday stuffies.

Sometimes, I get a hankering to make some new things. Since we only had one Christmasy pillow, I decided I needed to make covers for all the regular throw pillows. I made this one this morning. The patchwork strips were leftover from last year's holiday gift quilts. Score!

It's nice to have a red door at Christmas.

I made this wreath too. Does anyone remember last year's Brussels sprout wreath? It was pretty cool. I want to make one out of succulents if I can find any this time of year. I even have a round jello-mold type pan that will be the perfect form.

What's happening with holiday decorating at your place?

Tiny icy

2010-11-25T15:24:00.003-07:00

Scenes from this morning's walk...

Happy Thanksgiving.

Morning Walk

2010-11-23T08:42:00.003-07:00

No school this week...we have parent-teacher conferences and then, of course, Thanksgiving break. Yesterday, we took the two dogs and went to Amacher Park, a little park and campground perhaps a mile from our house. In the off season, it's closed to traffic and gated, but lots of people go there to walk their dogs or visit the river.

We walked the loop and threw the ball for Terry dog who likes to multi-task on a walk... chase balls, look for squirrels, take a dip in the river. It's never too cold for him.

We marveled at how green and mossy and pretty it is and took pictures of wee mushrooms and acorns. I brought a smooth rock home to paint later.

Both girls scrambled up hills and slid down and got covered in mud. Neither girl wore especially appropriate footwear. Ten year olds are pretty sure they know what's best in matters such as these and sometimes, it's not worth fighting about. At one point, Savanna, rolled her (former pajama pants...purple) bottoms up to her thighs so they wouldn't get wet. The effect of black high heeled boots, bare legs, rolled pants, fur coat, and ski hat was pretty impressive. I made the mistake of laughing and then she wouldn't let me take her picture. Bad mommy.

As we were walking, there was just a light drizzle, but by afternoon, it was pouring and this morning, we woke up to a dusting of snow. Snow! What a difference a day makes.

Today we are...

2010-11-20T10:45:00.004-07:00

Doing some writing and other creating in front of the fire...

Preparing for tonight's big dance show...

Reading...

Adding a few items to the etsy shop...

Wondering if those two turtles are ever going to hibernate...

Resting...

Girls with cameras

2010-11-17T11:01:00.004-07:00

My dad gave the girls each a used digital camera when they were visiting him in Pennsylvania last week. I had suggested he wait until Christmas, but he liked the idea of being able to show them how they worked and spending some time taking pictures together, which turned out to be a nice thing.

When I talked to them on the phone that night, Aspen, who spoke after her sister, said "Mom, I know Savanna has already told you about this, but I'm really excited, so I want you to pretend you don't already know!"

When they went on trips before, I tried to get a disposable camera for each of them, but I was kind of losing the love for that. So many of the pictures would be blurry and even the good ones would just get stuffed in a drawer somewhere. I like being able to view and store their photos on the computer. If there's something they really love, I can send it online to Wal-mart and pick it up in an hour. Easy.

A thing for books

2010-11-15T17:32:00.003-07:00

I have a weakness for book-buying that has crept up on me over the years. I blame the proximity of a nice local used book store, the one-touch availability and cheapness of half.com and and the constant stream of 33% off coupons I receive from Borders. I mean, a third off? Who can say no to that? Recently, I was even talked into upgrading my Borders membership from the free to the fancy annual-fee kind. At first, I politely declined and told the nice lady I didn't buy all that many books. Very helpfully, she looked at her computer and told me exactly what I'd spent so far this year. Really? Ouch. OK, then.

My habit can be roughly divided into four categories...

Books about cooking and food. I like the ones with really beautiful photographs and of course, I want it to contain food that I'll actually fix. This is a recent purchase. I have 3 of her other books and love them.

Crafting. Especially sewing, but I own lots of others too. Need to know how to make a slipcover or a paper-cut or a cloth doll? I'm probably your gal. I feel a little guilty admitting this, but I rarely make the projects in the books (some of you may recall I have an issue with patterns and written directions) but I find the images incredibly inspiring. I get all giddy when a book such as this arrives in the mail.

Self-improvement. I don't buy as much of this, but if I'm ever trying to figure something out (how to do something, if I'm cut out to do something, how someone else did something) I always go right for a book about it. My issue with non-fiction tends to be my short attention span. I invariably feel like the whole thing could have been summarized in 3 pages instead of gumming it up with examples and fluff to the tune of 200 pages. Usually I speed read and skip the case studies, but every now and then there is something I devour from cover to cover. I love memoirs too. Not about anything big and monumental-- I just think real people's lives are very interesting.

Fiction. I'm almost always reading a novel. Usually, I've read a review and go looking for certain books, but sometimes I just grab something that looks good. I've started to keep a list in purse of all the books I want to read so I can be a little more purposeful (and stand a chance of remembering) when I'm at the library or the used book shop.

What are you reading right now?

Thoughts on gift giving with a completely unrelated photo

2010-11-10T08:47:00.003-07:00

Mike and girls are visiting family on the east coast this week (and the camera is with them; hence the lovely fall duck scene taken about a week ago when it wasn't raining two inches every hour) and I have been doing some Serious Cleaning.

This might sound like a poor use of free time, but I actually like to clean, when the conditions are right. I like to the satisfying before and after of it and I like the purging of unneeded items and I like the knowledge that at least for this moment, the baseboards are dust-free and gleaming and there are no cat-sized fluffs of dog fur underneath the beds.

I began my efforts in the two worst spaces in the house: Aspen's room and Savanna's room. I hauled a plastic garbage-bag full of sheer trash (think: balled up notebook paper, old tags from clothing, outdated Scholastic book sale forms, crusty dried-up band-aids) from each of their rooms. I eradicated the fur from under the beds and in the closets. I washed out sticky trash cans and laundered every bit of bedding. I rounded up dozens of stray single socks and returned my scissors, tape dispensers, and coasters to other parts of the house. And still, after all of that, there was a lot of STUFF that required my attention.

Sometimes, I think they inherited the pack-rat gene from my dad...but then, maybe all children have these tendencies? But, I also had to face the hard, ugly truth that a lot of this STUFF that seemed extraneous and pesky (for instance, I bet they each had 10 notebooks of which 3 pages were used and sticker sheets of which one sticker was removed) was given to them by me.

It's really fun for me to find things for the girls... for birthdays and Christmas and other more minor holidays, and also for travel bags when we take longer trips. They unanimously love anything I find for them, which is very satisfying, and quite honestly, I love cute little stuff as much as they do. Sweet little pencils? Funky little notebooks with rubber band closures? Cool tiny art kits? Wee bracelets? I love it all. But there is just too much of it. The stuff I bought 6-12 months ago is the same stuff that is clogging up dresser drawers and making me sigh with overwhelmed frustration now. With Christmas approaching, it makes me think of what I / we can do differently. Some thoughts (I hesitate to say resolutions, but maybe...):

Boo to stocking stuffers. I need to stop buying a bunch of $1 items from Michael's. Why does volume seem to be the key factor in stockings? A few, better quality, more useful items seem like an improvement.
Perhaps instead of giving them a fancy artsy coloring book for travel, maybe take a few pages out of the book and put it in a folder with art supplies they already have? They usually color a few pages, then the book (which no longer feels new, special) gets ignored.
Think experiences rather than gifts for presents. A few nice things are fine. I'm not too bad with the big presents, but I still like the idea of less stuff and more life. Aspen is interested in a "giraffe encounter" at Wildlife Safari... now that seems like a cool present.
More handmade...you can't go wrong with something for the room that is personal and lovingly crafted. I already do this with pretty much everyone else in our lives (neighbors, family), not wanting to contribute to the obligatory / pointless gift-giving of Christmas. Why not more of this for the girls too?

There...I'll let you know how I do in January. :)

Making

2010-11-04T09:52:00.002-06:00

Why is it so much more fun to start a new project than to finish an old one? Pictured here is the project pile (in fairness, it's only one of them. The really obnoxious big unfinished projects are tucked away in a box). Mostly scrappy table-toppers that need to be quilted to some batting and bound.
Instead, I've been baking cookies. These are oatmeal cookies with leftover Halloween candy bits (Reese's cups, Butterfingers and M & M's). I used the white chocolate chunk cookie recipe from the Martha Stewart Cookies book, subbed in the candy for the white chocolate, nuts and golden raisins and also subbed 1/2 c wheat bran for some of the white flour. They are the perfect, very chewy cookie. We packaged up some as a thank-you for Aspen's two volleyball coaches and sent a care package to a niece in college. No one needs to have 4 dozen cookies sitting around right after Halloween.

I love Aspen's drawing style and have been experimenting with converting some of her pictures to fabric collage / raw edge applique. I sort of wish I'd picked a less busy background...maybe plain linen or something. Sadly, this will also need to be mounted / finished in some way and will probably be the newest addition to the pile.

Their choice of fairy books says it all

2010-11-02T15:21:00.005-06:00

Twin girls, age 10, raised by the same parents under the same circumstances. They share a lot of interests as well as an overall friend group and (this year) a teacher. They both love clothes and animals and going to plays and movies and are both big cuddle bugs. But, in other respects, they are stunningly different. One gal likes to play alone, cries if she even thinks you've hinted at maybe raising your voice, has no interest in the silly pretend dating scene that is 5th grade, and still enjoys a good picture book. The other gal is basically 10 going on 17. She has her own funky style, likes to strut her little stuff, can't wait for middle school to meet more interesting boys, loves roller coasters and haunted houses and has an impressive ability to tune out parental feedback. The first gal loves stories but has to be strong-armed into reading and even then, prefers books she's already read or that have been read to her. The other gal munches through books like nobody's business, is always reading something, and generally prefers the YA section to the children's literature. I have to try to support the first gal in finding things she'll actually read and make sure the second gal isn't reading things that are too sophisticated for a 10 year old.

Can you guess who wanted the fairy books to add to her collection and who wanted the Cinderella spin-off that promises to be different from "the fairy tale you remember"?

Witches Tea Party

2010-11-01T16:57:00.005-06:00

Want to come to our next WTP? Mark your calendars for next year. It was a grand time.

There were lots of teeth-numbingly sugary treats. This Halloween bark was a big hit. I had to send the leftovers to work with Mike, since I learned quickly that I could not be trusted with it in the house. (It disappeared - like most food brought into offices - in about 4.6 seconds).

There were a dozen or so tiny witches dressed in Halloween attire... and doing Halloween- themed activities such as jumping on trampolines and chucking volleyballs at each other in the back yard. There were 2 daring males in attendance, one dressed as a small spotted dog and the other being a very good sport about doing this witch's bidding and helping to keep the whole thing running smoothly. He took pictures, too.
There was a very odd, rubbery black cat... for some reason, we all felt the need to regard him (her?) at the same moment in this photo. As you can see, a wide variety of witch attire was represented. Not everyone would consider ballerina toe shoes witch attire, but I say why not?

This was so easy, I'm thinking it may really become our annual event.

And then the family ate tomatoes...

2010-10-30T18:22:00.002-06:00

Who can resist a huge box of local tomatoes for $6? Not I. Especially because my own tomatoes were entirely disappointing and because the rains have started making it clear that the season is over. Even when said tomatoes are a little bruisy and beg to be used pronto before they grow mold and attract fruit flies and all sorts of other unpleasant things, it seems like a deal.

This week I've made salsa, spaghetti sauce and roasted tomatoes - some eaten that night, some frozen. No one can find an empty plastic storage container in this house. And yet, there are still tomatoes to use up. I'm thinking vegetarian chili tonight and then...and then...what? Quick, I need ideas! Preferably for things that don't need to be frozen. Anyone?

Folly

2010-10-26T17:07:00.003-06:00

We took the day off from school and traveled the back roads and small towns around our area, listening to Jerry Spinelli's "Stargirl" on audio. We poked around in antiques stores, cut some cattails for a fall bouquet, and had overpriced milkshakes and whoopie pies at Tolley's in Oakland. Sometimes you just have to play hookie.

T is for...

2010-10-22T11:05:00.003-06:00

Traveling...
Last Saturday I flew out to see my mom and aunt in Minnesota and returned yesterday. Like all cross-country jaunts from one small town to another, it involved getting up early, two flights, and a good deal of driving on either side of the flying. It's nice to be home.

Tornadoes...
The town I visited was struck by a tornado this summer. The high school was damaged as were many homes. It cut a rather wide swatch across town and it very fortunately, no one was killed. I saw lots of home-repair activity on my afternoon walks...people patching up roofs and adding siding to garages.

Time...
seems to move very slowly in central Minnesota. It makes me think of what life must have been like about 4o years ago when lives were simpler and revolved around school, church and the few shops on main street. My aunt's home has no dishwasher, no DVD player, no cordless phone, no computer or internet connection. After dinner, one of us washed dishes and the other dried. One night we watched a mystery on Masterpiece Theater while she knit a shawl. There was pie for dessert on more than one occasion. I could feel my pulse rate stabilizing with the lack of multi-tasking and technology.

Turtles...
There had been much Turtle Talk before I left. Mike and the girls had been searching for them online and had even ordered some. But like many adoption tales, there were bumps in the road, plans fell through, hopes were dashed. Somehow, they pulled everything together in a last minute plan and Pokey and Corter arrived a few hours before I did, wrapped in socks, and delivered by the Fed Ex guy. They seem to be settling in nicely.

Did I mention it's really nice to be home? :)

At the Swap

2010-10-09T22:32:00.004-06:00

I've been on a committee that has labored for months to host a Swap-o-rama-rama, a creative clothing re-purposing event, in our small community. In the week leading up to the event, my stress level (related to other things as well) seemed to reach a crescendo in which I completely messed up and missed one of Aspen's volleyball games, went to a 7 AM meeting that was actually scheduled for 10 days later, and sent the girls and Mike to a birthday party two hours early. In the same week, I also spoke to the local newspaper, a public radio station out of Medford and tried to tie up various loose ends.

It was held today and while attendance was a bit low, everyone seemed to have a good time.

There were tables and tables of donated clothing, workstations on things like making a t-shirt into a knotted scarf and embellishing purses, and lots of fun supplies and equipment to play with. There was free face painting and other activities for kids, raffle items and great local food for sale. There was also a news camera and a general good community feeling. There will be lessons learned from this time, letters of thanks to many who helped, and a fantastic volume of clothing headed to the local mission on Monday.

Snapshots from Saturday

2010-10-02T20:59:00.003-06:00

Here's what you do when you don't have any major projects to post about and feel worn down and woozy from a sinus infection and still need to finish cleaning both bathrooms and pick burrs off the dog. You post pictures.

It is spider season here in a big way. In the morning, when the light is right, I see their webs all over the hillside in back of our house. The girls assure me that up close these spiders are big and hairy. I was barefoot when I took this and didn't care to find out for myself.

Aspen has been very interested in cooking lately. She likes to stir unexpected things into her cocoa (peanut butter, caramel sauce) and make things for Savanna after soccer games. This was created with a (questionable, nutrition-wise ) wafer snack that was handed out at soccer, plus her go-to ingredients whipped cream and chocolate chips.

A wee bit of bubble blowing by the pink-haired child...now that's a good way to spend a Saturday.

The Man Blankie

2010-09-26T17:35:00.003-06:00

Mike is probably the least materialistic person I know, and thus, a very hard person to buy presents for. So, this year, when he told me he'd like a quilt for his birthday - something for weekend naps and sitting under by the fire - I was pretty excited. Make a quilt? Oh, if I must!
I finished it about 3 weeks after his birthday which was pretty fair considering he hadn't placed the order, so to speak, until 3 weeks before his birthday. In my usual manner, I did not use a pattern and tried to use up a lot of what I had, though I did purchase some yardage for the backing. When I ran out of white, I figured some tan would work fine too. I'm not one to over think the whole sewing process...or even to assess my supplies in advance, so sometimes I have to work around surprises.

Mike seems to like it, as evidence by it's recent use. Husband tested, cat approved.

Sweet Surprises

2010-09-24T15:50:00.004-06:00

The last two weeks or so have been...challenging. I've been working more than usual and at present, I work at 5 different spots for two different agencies. Three of these assignments are relatively new, which means there's a lot I need to remember and often don't (my new motto, stolen from a magnet: "Make New Mistakes Everyday".) The other job (at the VA hospital) involves the use of about 457 different passwords all of which must contain lower case, capitals, numbers and symbols. Gah! Add to that a big volunteer gig I have coming up (a Roseburg Swap-o-rama-rama), a developing cold and a continuous stream of children's activities each afternoon and you see where I'm going with all of this.

And then, today, I came home, and in my mailbox found a sweet little package of 10 note cards and envelopes sent from Jen of Swallowfield. I am a huge fan of her artwork (click here to see her etsy shop) and a reader and commenter on her equally cool blog (click here to see) and she sent these cards out of sheer niceness. How great is that?

And now that my head is in the right place from this random act of kindness, I find that I am able to see some other nice surprises in my world right now.

After some recent rains and coolness, my nasturtium is blooming again. One of my favorite flowers.

And, last night, Mike came home with a big gonzo bag of wild mushrooms that the wildlife biologists at his work found. We think they are chanterelles (anyone -- agree? disagree?). And lest you fear that we're about to eat questionable mushrooms, sneaky Mike gave his friend Susan, the BLM botanist, half of what he was given and she squealed with delight. The botanist is bound to know a good mushroom from a bad, right?

They're a pretty yellowy color and some of them are just huge... see? About the size of the head of a petite house cat. We're serving them tonight, sauteed in olive oil and set atop fettuccine alfredo and spinach. Yum...things are looking up around here!

Happy weekend.

Game Day

2010-09-11T16:47:00.004-06:00

Today's schedule included a birthday party, the first game of the soccer season for Savanna (and coach Mike) and later tonight, a volleyball "Jamboree" for Aspen. So far, 2/3 through this monstrous day, we all seem to be maintaining our good humor, so that's something.

Before the soccer game, Aspen and I walked around the arts center, passing the camera back and forth.

There were lots of bees out enjoying the garden. There are two on this pink flower. See them?
For some reason, they were all congregating on this column. Maybe they have a nest inside it?

On the shady side of the garden, the hydrangeas were huge. I wonder why they're still blooming and mine aren't? Could feeding them have something to do with it?

We wandered back in time to get good seats and Aspen did a very scientific measurement to make sure we were sitting at least 4 feet back from the line. It went something like "I'm almost five feet, so let's see if I can fit." When she heard the camera click, she said "I think I blinked!" I told her that unless her bottom blinked, we were probably fine. (Response: "Mooooooommmmmm!")

Sav's team won. They played hard, but in fairness, the other team had already played one game that day, so they were probably wiped out. She came off the field covered with sweat, immediately drenched herself with her water bottle, and said she loved it. We're keeping our fingers crossed that volleyball goes just as well.

How to Pogo

2010-09-10T14:16:00.004-06:00

First, clear all the dogs out of the immediate area. They will only get in the way.

Mount the pogo stick with the utmost care.

Leaning against the wall and sticking your tongue out of the side of your mouth can help.

Let it go! Pogo with abandon, hair flying.

If you start to feel yourself veering to one side...

Land gracefully, and bow. Then, repeat!

Pretty Food

2010-09-02T08:18:00.003-06:00

Today is the last week of our CSA delivery. I've really enjoyed getting to know Anthony and Sandee from Oh My Gato CSA Farm and seeing what treasures await us each week.

Sometimes, the produce kinds of builds up and I have to quickly do something before it either goes bad or the next week's batch arrives. Such was the case last week when I had a fridge full of good stuff, begging to be used up. I donned my apron and prepared to spend the morning making stuff.

This became curried cream of cauliflower soup (with squash). I love the lavender color of the cauliflower. I also made several loaves of zucchini chocolate chip bread and froze an eggplant parmesan for another day.

It's good to have a CSA delivery when your own veggie harvest looks something like this. I don't know if it was the late spring...or if I need bigger pots...or what, but my patio tomato production has been skimpy to say the least. I am sure I have gathered fewer than 6 puny tomatoes at this point.
But, CSA to the rescue-- we got some very lovely little orange cherry tomatoes last week. And Anthony had included some ciabatta rolls he baked. Viola, dinner!

(Mostly) Happy Campers

2010-08-29T17:06:00.006-06:00

It was a windy day at the coast yesterday. We took our camper to the town of Florence. After playing on the beach for about 12.5 minutes, we were ready to warm up.

Cocoa and lunch were obtained in historic old town which has more dogs and dog boutiques than seems logical for a town of that size.
More stores should offer one of these right outside. Close enough not to lose the husband, far enough away to prevent hovering and unsolicited advice about purchases.

At the campground, the girls made "gardens" out of pebbles and other found items. Aspen also made "an elixir" in a plastic bottle that she wanted to throw on the fire. She was disappointed when Mike told her there would be no throwing plastic in fires on this trip.
More disappointment followed when all her marshmallows burned up. She also burnt her lip on a hot dog. And tipped over in a chair. And stubbed a toe, bonked her head on the camper's screen door and twisted her ankle. Such things are to be expected on camping trips.

In the morning, while Mike was disassembling the pop up, the girls and I explored the marsh area along a jetty. This bird refused to leave despite the presence of rambunctious dogs. Standing her ground, I like that.

We are home now and somewhat less sandy and grimy when we were when we arrived. Going to sleep last night, Savanna said, "I could live here (in the camper) for weeks!" Really? Well, that's probably a a very nice endorsement. Kids should love camping...even if their grown-ups don't love it quite as much.

Four People, One Concert, and a Birthday

2010-08-27T10:29:00.004-06:00

Oh, it was a big 24 hours around here. Tuesday was the much anticipated (by me) Robert Earl Keen concert at the Half Shell. I've heard a lot of people say the Half Shell used to get really big acts...but to me, he is a really big act. Mike and I were talking on the way to the show about who we would most like to see in concert and he was one of my top 3.

The show was great... a lot of newer songs that I didn't know, but I loved it anyway. He played two songs that Todd Snider (my other favorite) wrote and/or sings and that was great. By the end, I was on my feet, dancing. The girls were running around with some friends and plotting something big (in the way only 10 year old girls can...). Hints were dropped and when the parents threatened to ruin everything, The Negotiator (the one who laughs in the face of "no") was sent in: Savanna. They wanted to stand in the line to get REK's autograph for a birthday present for daddy, which they did. They said he was nice, but old (like, about our age?). Savanna added, "I mean, he had little tufts of grey hair everywhere!" Ouch.

The next day was Mike's 45th birthday. He took the day off so we could take him to lunch and that afternoon, go to the open house at the girls' school. It was 103 degrees outside that day (seriously), so that day we were back at the rope swing at the river. We discovered this spot, very close to where we live, maybe a week ago and I bet we've gone there 4 times since. It's perfect, because anyone who wants to can cool off, the girls feel like they're having A Big Adventure, and I can give the dogs a little exercise, in and out of the water.

Add to all that a nice supper and some cake...and you have a near perfect summer day!

The Annual Trampoline Sleepout

2010-08-20T18:26:00.002-06:00

Sleeping outside on the trampoline is one of the things the girls really like to do in summer - or, at least in their memories they really like it. It is easy to forgot all the ways it is actually hard to sleep on a trampoline.

Last night, I caved in to a last-minute request. It seemed like something either I or Mike would have to give in on eventually and with summer dwindling away and nothing of importance planned for today, it made as much sense as anything. I packed out a sleeping bag and pillows. The girls like to do a whole set-up with multiple blankets and quilts and stuffed animals and then cuddle with each other under the heap. Terry dog, remembering this from previous summers, jumped aboard. Ember had to be boosted up but quickly caught the idea that this was a party and settled into enjoying herself.

The downside of the trampoline sleepout is it gets cold (night temps in Oregon dip into the 50's) and every time a person or a dog rolls over or changes position, the whole thing shifts. Very much like it would be in 3 people and two dogs shared a waterbed, only more waves. At one point, in the wee hours, our most obnoxious cat jumped out and ran the loop a few times, just for spite. At about 2 AM, I got up, went in the house, and fetched the girls flimsy sleeping bags so they could be in a bag inside their other bedding. Of course, when I came back, Savanna was "trying out" my very warm sleeping bag and one of the dogs was splayed out on my pillow. We went back to sleep and lasted until 5:30 when I heard the sprinklers come on, thus signifying the end of the night. Then we all jumped in Savvy's bed and slept until 9.

There are some really nice things about the sleepout that tend to get lost in the general chaos. The air is so crisp and silent. The night sky is so beautiful and the girls seem as amazed as I am, watching it, and seem to ask the big questions about infinity and other peoples and worlds. So, it is well worth doing... at least once a year.

Defined by Water

2010-08-15T20:17:00.003-06:00

A lot of what we do here in Oregon seems to be defined by water...we walk around in the rain, we wade at the coast, and locally, we often play in the river (North / South Umpqua). And we're not alone...on any given summer day (normally hot, almost never rainy), there are scads of people out floating the river on all manner of watercraft, fishing, sunning on sandbars, and of course, swimming. Which is why it seemed very fortunate yesterday, when we traveled to Wolf Creek Falls off of the Little River and had the place to ourselves. It was amazing, cold, beautiful, shady, and refreshing in every way possible. The dogs frolicked. Savanna eased off the side and swam about in the deep(er) pool. Aspen collected rocks. Mike helped them skip rocks. I took photos (Savanna, viewing them on the way home: "Mom, they're all of your feet!") And we came come thinking wow, we really have to keep exploring, not just get stuck in a rut with the familiar, because there are all these amazing watery places right in our backyard.

Distracted by patterns

2010-08-12T08:22:00.002-06:00

I had good intentions of posting some pictures of our time back at Celebration Ranch last Saturday...and perhaps I still will...but as I looked through my photos, I was stuck by how much I love repeating shapes and patterns. Perhaps this explains why I love fabric so much? Some recent favorites...

Tastes of summer

2010-08-06T17:59:00.003-06:00

The girls and I were talking about the best parts of summer today and (not surprisingly), many involved food. There is...

...getting a hot dog at the Dog House at Kruse Farms (and today, scoring some fresh peaches afterward).

...getting a 75 cent "kids scoop" (which would be considered a 1.5 scoop anywhere else) of our local Umpqua Dairy Ice Cream at Sherm's Grocery Store. Aspen's recent favorite flavor: birthday cake; perennial fave: peppermint candy.

...making soups (dairy-free potato / zucchini and curried cream of broccoli) from the contents of yesterday's CSA box. With homemade bread and the aforementioned peaches, that's dinner!

What are your favorite summer tastes?

All in a morning's work

2010-08-05T18:08:00.005-06:00

I declared this morning "yard morning". What this really meant was that when I saw things in the house that needed my attention (fluffs of dog fur on the floors, breakfast dishes in the sink, a quilt waiting to be mended) I said, nope, can't do that, because it's yard morning.

My project involved hydrangeas. I have always loved these old-fashioned flowers and (whilst in Utah) wished I could grow some. Well, they do just fine in Oregon, thrive actually, except the deer find them delicious. And our back yard is like an after-hours lounge for deer. Recently, a deer with great dexterity managed to push aside the deer-netting and munch up one side of a plant. Another bush was completely stripped of netting and the hydrangea within munched down to the nub. I would take a picture, but it's too sad and naked looking.

You might think deer netting is the answer, but really it isn't. It is hard to work with, catches on itself, is somehow too long and not wide enough at the same time, and even if you wrestle it into place, it cramps the plant's growth and really determined deer aren't deterred (see above). It had to go and a length of fence put up in it's place. This involved a lot of unsightly tugging, sweating, and unsnaggling wire (while standing in a cramped space and hoping no black widow spiders were feeling threatened by my presence there). Two other plants were dug up (more sweating and tugging, since the ground was rock hard) and await transfer to a deer-free location. I think all these guys, if they are going to be in our yard, really need to huddle together in one fenced spot, for their own protection. I am envisioning a hydrangea garden, alongside the patio, full of colorful blooms...

Other random morning things--I saw this as I dug. Too pretty not to photograph.

I understand the color of a hydrangea is determined by soil acidity...so why would there be two colors (blue, pink) on the same plant?

These were picked this very morning and delivered to us in our CSA box this afternoon. As much as I like the fresh greens, I'm really excited about some fruit. Yay for berries!

Powered by Blueberries

2010-07-27T18:21:00.002-06:00

Mike and I ventured to Haven Blueberries in Umpqua last Saturday. This was really just a flim-flam excuse to eat lunch at the Lighthouse Bakery, which we did, and then, tummies full, we still managed to pick 11 pounds of blueberries in 15 minutes. It would have been a more leisurely picking experience if it had not been blisteringly hot, but it was still lovely, nestled as it was, right alongside the North Umpqua River. Once home, I baked two blueberry crisps (basically a pan of blueberries with brown sugar, oats, a little flour, walnuts, and cold butter crumbled together as a topping)-- one for now, one for later-- and a pan of almost-too-healthy-to-enjoy blueberry muffins (sweetened only with juice and banana, no sugar). I have a recipe for a berry-green tea blended drink I would like to try and after that I am all out of ideas. How do you like to eat blueberries?

Crabby days

2010-07-22T11:21:00.005-06:00

I'm back from North Carolina, thanks to about 17 hours of travel, 3 flights, and a big honkin' layover in Atlanta yesterday. The girls are still there, staying with the family for another 10 days, which makes me a bit lonely as well as swimming with thoughts of what I should do while I have some children-free time. I should wash the windows, deep clean all the rooms, make slipcovers for chairs, redesign the front yard, create elaborate paintings, figure out my future, etc. Why do I do this to myself? I'm trying hard to breathe and talk myself out of making a to-do list for my first day back.

Crabbing was big this year with Savanna and her cousin Jake catching a record 27 crabs on Tuesday. Timing seems to have something to do with it. A neighbor, standing out on her pier, shouted over that around 2-3 PM is the best time and there seemed to be some truth to this.

They catch them with chicken necks on a line, help each other net them, then dump them in a tub of marsh water where they squabble amongst themselves and re-establish their social order each time a newcomer joins the bunch. Sometimes, one of the bigger guys will tip up out of the water and wave his big blue claws threateningly whichever person is nearest.

When the kids tire of it, they dump out the water and squeal as the crabs scuttle sideways across the pier and tip themselves back into the water. Some of these poor guys probably get caught two, three times a day, but back they go.

Letting the pictures (mostly) speak for themselves

2010-07-16T09:06:00.004-06:00

Spending time at the river...swimming, wading, reading, finding tadpoles and crayfish.

In Oregon, even the weeds at the side of the road are gorgeous. I'm always thunking myself on the head for forgetting the camera. This time I remembered.

For every thing I've finished, there are about 3 unfinished projects atop my pingpong table. I've been enjoying painting on recycled surfaces (scraps of wood, left, and an old window, right) with leftover house paints. It limits the color palette, but that's OK.
Aspen just finished swimming lessons and is getting pretty darn bold about putting her face in the water and jumping off the diving board (here, in the nose plugged, knees tucked position). We're trying to gently encourage her to straighten out those legs.

Heading off for a trip tomorrow...happy summer!

Swinging

2010-07-06T08:15:00.003-06:00

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall
Till I can see so wide,
Rivers and trees and cattle and all
Over the country-side.

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown -
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!

-- Robert Louis Stevenson, "The Swing"

This weekend, Mike put up a swing for the girls on "our" hillside. It is up a steep little deer-trail where you have to watch your step and watch out generally for poison oak. Once there, the swing is hidden in the trees, a very private, very contemplative little spot. I find if I am sitting on our back patio, I can see the legs of whomever is on it and not much more.

It has been in heavy use since it was finished. A few scuffles have even broken out about whose turn it is (A sure sign of success? Or just the way of things around here lately?). Savanna snapped the pictures. (I love that she took a picture of her feet...which is something I would have done. And those little chippy-polish toes just make me smile.)

Loving Summer

2010-06-30T21:24:00.003-06:00

I have been commenting all week that I don't think I've ever seen a people who love summer like Oregonians love summer. Days and weekends are jammed with festivals, people eat in outdoor cafes, bike, play in parks, head to the river to fish and float, and just generally soak up as much sun as can be stockpiled before the next round of rain begins.

Some of the summer doing's in these parts:
Viewing fish at the Winchester Dam. Steelhead and Chinook Salmon were making the trek upriver.

Picnicking and listening to Jonatha Brooke at last night's Music on the Half Shell at Steward Park.

Cherry picking. Somehow, we missed the Rainiers this year, but these are fabulous too.

Baking... Savanna added some pulverized cherries to Moosewood's 6-minute chocolate cake, topped with whipped cream and more cherries. Yum.

What is not happening so much are regular baths, fruits and vegetables at every meal, silent reading time. Today, Aunt Rosie took the girls for a bike ride and they stopped for a humungo ice cream cone...for lunch. Summer is a time for breaking the rules. :)

Beach day

2010-06-23T17:32:00.003-06:00

The six of us (4 humans, 2 dogs) went to Reedsport / Winchester Bay Sunday. Almost every time we go to the coast, I think we should have just brought a picnic, a blanket, some sporting stuff and just planted ourselves in one spot for the day, as I observe other families doing. But our normal MO seems to be to play around for awhile in one spot, go out for lunch, journey to another nearby beach and poke around there, then perhaps do a little shopping, get a treat, and head home, with tired bodies and a car full of sand.

When dreams change

2010-06-17T08:36:00.003-06:00

For the last two or more years, Savanna has lived and breathed gymnastics. Moving here last summer, she had the chance to get even more involved and move up to the team level, which she did mid-fall. She had a great first season, loved it, rarely complained, placed highly at most of her meets and was promoted to the next level.

And then...

I'm not sure whether it was the approach and arrival of summer or the added practice time of the new level - or both - but suddenly, the whole thing is making her frown. She doesn't want to go. Her stomach hurts. The rest of her body hurts. Many conversations later, we have decided to let her stop mid-month (despite the crazy tuition that has already been paid) and re-evaluate. It's not really a sport that you can just take the summer off from, so this is basically considered a quit. She could go back, perhaps at the lower level at first, but I wonder if she will want to. It was wonderful when it was her passion, but it seems to demand an awful lot of a 10 year old: a year-round schedule, lots of strength training, 9-12 hours a week practice time. To say nothing of what it requires of parents / families in terms of costs, weekends, volunteering.

I find that I feel a little sad as she moves on and takes a break from this. It was so wonderful to see her so committed to something and to see her shine at it. It was good for her to be so challenged at something since so many things - like school work - come so easy for this child and leave her bored. But, in the end, it has to be about her finding what she loves, what makes her feel happy and connected and engaged. Next week, absent of gym, she will be taking a hip-hop class and tennis lessons and maybe the seed of a new dream will sprout from this or from one of her other adventures and we'll be there trying to help her find it, see it, and help it grow.

Starting Summer

2010-06-15T08:52:00.002-06:00

...sun coming out... girls spraying each other with squirt guns in one hand and blocking the spray with umbrellas in the other...trip to the river...Terry dog surprising us with his ability to swim out for sticks...dinner on the patio...staying up late...getting up late...sweet peas starting to bloom on roadsides....riding scooters down the hill after dinner...deer returning to the yard to forage...planting some container gardens...making trips to get potting soil to plant more...ice cream after dinner...a good start to summer...

Magical

2010-06-11T15:09:00.005-06:00

We had plans to visit Celebration Ranch this morning for what I assumed would be kind of a quick "howdy do, nice place" kind of meeting. Instead, we spent about 3 hours with the director / founder, Crea, her children and pets on the amazing 200 acre ranch that her father and mother in law own and she hopes to turn into a summer youth camp, starting next year.

We knew we were in a magical place when coming up the driveway, we saw a tiny speckled fawn bedded down in the tall grass alongside the road. We stopped to watch as it's mother fretted about it and the fawn rose on wobbly legs to get closer to her. Our visit also ended with a tiny fawn, but more about that later.

We started by visiting the farm animals.

They hope these two tiny goats will be good milk producers. For now, their tendency to put "hooves up" reminded us of our Corgi.

At one point, Clea's MIL was very involved with raising, showing, and breeding miniature horses. They still have three including this gal:

Two bunnies, one large and one small. This one was unbelievably silky. The other one nipped Savanna. It was quite a rodeo with three kids chasing two bunnies around a small stall. Maybe the biting was in retaliation?

We took a safari-like driving tour in the "Mule", a kind of jeep thing. Dexter, the chihuahua, rode along while Hunter, a yellow lab, ran alongside. At the upper lake, we stopped to take a stroll. Turtles were trying to catch some sun on logs, but they slid off whenever we got very close.

We took two boats (one paddle, one row) on the lower, swimming lake. We in the paddle boat were poor navigators, often approaching our target through a series of circles. Crea's son Theo thought if we could get to one side of the lake, we might see a frog, and sure enough! Savanna snapped this picture while I reminded everyone that even paddle boats can flip over if everyone moves to one side of the boat to get a good look!

Theo found a snake on the hill and found that the snake preferred the hand-wrap position to the traditional holding-by-the-tail approach.

Before we left, Crea received word that her MIL had taken in a fawn just the night before, after it's mother was accidentally killed in at a neighboring farm. This little guy was unimaginably sweet, with his silky spotted fur, enormous ears, and trembly legs. They are feeding him goat's milk and keeping him in a tiny straw-filled crate for now. Such a hard beginning for a tiny animal.

And such a magical place. We can't wait to visit again.

6.10.10

2010-06-10T16:50:00.003-06:00

Well, then. It's been awhile, no? Sometimes it's good to step back from things - even things you enjoy - and regroup. These few months have been packed with many things, but here is a random smattering of what is happening right now:

Today is the first day of summer break here. It doesn't feel very summery yet... quite rainy and chilly, actually. We've had lots of fires in the evenings and I have to fight the urge to turn on some heat in the house. It's even...ahem...too wet and muddy to weed. The dandelions are growing quite tall.

I have been working on different creative projects. I have two illustrations in the UVAA "12 squared" (small works) exhibit, which ends Monday. I am entering a textile piece in their next show, which is open (non juried) to all members: a small batik / wall quilt. If I think of it, I'll take a picture. And I'm finishing a lap quilt for my niece's graduation...just need to attach the binding, put on a label and mail. Her mom says she likes bright colors. :)

I'm transitioning (of my own choosing) from the work I've been doing-- "integrated care" at a community clinic to a few less hours, focusing more with teenagers. I think there are some good opportunities, though I'm also batting around the idea of doing some private practice work (think about, get excited, get overcome with self-doubt, repeat...).

Other fire irons of the work-related variety: I'm doing a "genuine girls" camp for girls 11-15 this summer, housed at the Unitarian church we attend... two hours, four afternoons, focusing on using art / writing / drama to promote girls getting confident about their real selves. This is a test run for a similar group I may do at the art center this fall... and perhaps at a youth camp that is underway in our area. Lots of exciting yet kind of scattered opportunities...

And now, I must go and watch a 3-girl version of Romeo and Juliet, enacted on a wet trampoline. Welcome summer!

Slowly, slowly...

2010-05-01T10:02:00.001-06:00

...thinking about blogging again. Here's some of what we've been up to.

Day 20: First of Spring

2010-03-20T17:36:00.002-06:00

Today was simply glorious. We've had nice, springish, sunny weather for some time now, but today was even warmer, plus a weekend day, plus the first day of spring break, plus the official beginning of spring (or is that tomorrow?), so it seemed extra-special.

Day 19: Cozy Corner

2010-03-19T08:39:00.002-06:00

I made the pillow when I was home, being sick, Wednesday. Despite the general malaise, it was really hard for me to just rest and to not try to accomplish something. This pillow pretty much encapsulates the impromptu way that I make things. I made the four 12" blocks a few weeks ago. I first thought maybe I'd make a lap quilt. Then, I got tired of that idea and thought, maybe a table topper. Then thought, nah, and sewed all four together into a pillow top. Sewed on a removable back and only then did I start looking around to see if I had a pillow form that might actually fit. And I did! (See, if you keep enough craft stuff around, you have everything you need in a pinch!). And just like that, I have my new favorite throw pillow.

Day 18: Green

2010-03-17T12:01:00.002-06:00

Day 17: The Girl and the Tee

2010-03-14T17:31:00.003-06:00

I suffer from I could make that syndrome. That, combined with my tendency to be more of say, an idea person than a doer, means that I usually am more of a starter than a finisher, more of a buy- the-supplies than get-'er-done kinda gal.

But wait! Not so very long Savanna and I were browsing at a local gift store I really like, Cellar Doors. And they had the most amazingly cute little girl dresses that were 1) too small for either of us and 2) too expensive for either of us. They were basic cotton knit dresses with a contrasting ruffle and some trim. And you know what I thought, right? Right. I could make that.

So, we bought some used t-shits at Goodwill and er, sometime later, I made her a top. One thing that I hadn't initially thought of is the bottom "ruffle" piece needs to be from a much larger t-shirt so it's not just a straight line. I added some ribbon purchased yesterday in Ashland along with a piece of vintage lace a friend from Utah gave me, oh, about a year ago, and viola! I'm pretty happy with it and any day now, I'm going to make another, completely different one for Aspen. And if it's not a disaster, you'll see it here first!

Day 16: Accepted

2010-03-12T08:33:00.003-07:00

I learned yesterday that these two illustrations were accepted into the UVAA show "12 Cubed", a small piece exhibit in which nothing can be larger than 12 inches in any direction, framed. Oregon artists were invited to enter up to three pieces, though from the list, it looks like most of us are from Douglas County. It opens on my birthday.

Sometimes these little validations are very helpful... little messages from the universe to keep creating and to keep putting the work out there. Yesterday, an imperfect day in inumerable ways, I really needed a morsel of encouragement. Yay! :)

Day 15: At the Dog Park

2010-03-10T14:16:00.004-07:00

There are two dog parks in our area and they both have their merits, but this one ("Happy Tails", near the river) is my default choice. It's a wee bit closer, it's more centrally located to everything else I need to do, and it tends to be a little less muddy due to all the leaves (downside of this: dog messes blend with leaves very well. Ugh.). The girls usually try to wiggle out of joining us, but sometimes I can get one or the other to come. Savvy usually likes to climb up in the trees, while Aspen is more interested in collecting small items (bottle tops, walnut shells) to be used in fairy houses. Both are developing good ball-launching arms.

As communities have become in some ways more segregated and less connected, I think dog parks might just be the answer. For the most part, people are very tolerant and friendly. As a person with poorly-behaved dogs, I appreciate this. Ember often catapults herself at people with muddy paws. Terry once peed on someone. Someone, ironically, who works in the same office as Mike. (Actually, this is Terry's second peeing infraction. Long story.) People are good natured at dog parks. They know dogs aren't perfect and they expect them to, well, act like dogs. To tear all around and yip and sniff each other and run right through the middle of conversations, paws a'flying.

Even for people, the normal social rules don't really apply at dog parks, and I find that refreshing. Strangers talk to each other in authentic ways and not just about our dogs. I've had conversations with people about their autistic children and about books. People of different walks of life strike up conversations. Once, a developmentally disabled woman pretty much asked about my life history, then gave me one of the bottle-caps she collects (her mother told me this was a very high form of praise). There are people who I know by there names and people, like Molly's mom, who I remember by their dogs' names.

Maybe instead of more jail beds and more police, what we could really use is a few more dog parks?

A Post About Beauty Without any Pictures

2010-03-08T08:39:00.003-07:00

This beauty "challenge" is more challenging than I thought. And it's made me realize a few things. Such as: I am not good at carrying my camera with me. And, I don't like my camera very much. And, natural light sure makes indoor pictures look nicer.

But, never mind. I will get back to it. And in the mean time, I have been noticing the beauty if not always photographing it. And goodness, it is everywhere. It was at the Umpqua Valley Time Exchange grand opening last Thursday night, in the intent faces of the musicians and the pride in the faces of all the folks who have worked so hard to make this community project happen. It was in the fuchsia quince blossom branches in a leaf green vase and the bowl of day-glo orange cheetos the children would not leave alone. On Saturday, I saw the beauty in the small hamlet of Lookinglass as a drove through. A community race was taking place and the small intersection was abuzz with brightly dressed runners and tight little clusters of watchers. It was along the road to Jemma's place, in the form of dabs of bright yellow daffodils under gnarled old trees and lambs grazing in fields alongside their mamas. It was in Jemma's amazing, colorful house, where five women sat, mostly silently, working on creating beauty, in the form of collage, for the better part of the day. Later that night, the beauty was at Aspen's dance performance, as one small girl danced so incredibly big. Sometimes, maybe having a camera distances you from the beauty of the moment. Sometimes there is a choice to be made between capturing it and being a true part of it.

Day 14: Welcome, March

2010-03-01T14:28:00.002-07:00

Day Thirteen: Pressing Flowers

2010-02-27T19:23:00.003-07:00

The world of siblings is a funny place - perhaps it seems even more so for an only child like myself. I have often been startled by how different two children, twins, raised by the same parents at the same time, could be. And baffled by the way that really anything could be fight-worthy. Once, they argued about who had more A's in her name.

Yesterday, the first day of a 3-day weekend, the girls were snappish with and intolerant of one another. (Full disclosure: there had also been a sleepover the night before. The next day is often painful.). When I came home from yoga last night, both bore sour looks and Aspen made some outrageously one-sided statement about how Savanna has hated her every minute of her life. Today, however, they spent the afternoon cheerfully engaged in collecting flowers to press and hunting up frogs in the marshy area at the top of our street. Tomorrow could be anything.

Day Twelve: Climbing

2010-02-25T20:11:00.003-07:00

Day Eleven: Blooms

2010-02-24T15:54:00.004-07:00

Day Ten: Better Than Sliced Bread

2010-02-22T22:00:00.003-07:00

Many of the blogs I read have posted about this cookbook (Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois), but by golly, I am going to post about it too. I get impulsive about buying books sometimes, especially cook books and craft books, but few of them have been put into nearly everyday use like this one has.

I got this sometime before Christmas and essentially, we have stopped buying store bread. It's that easy and that good. It works more or less like this: 1) Make a batch of dough (enough for 4 loaves) and stick it in the fridge. (A Kitchenaid mixer is very helpful here). 2) Grab a hunk of it when you want some bread, let it rise and give it a few artful slashes with a knife. 3) Bake it in a 450 degree oven on a pizza stone with a water bath simmering on another oven rack. 4) Eat. The ingredient list of the bread we like the most is almost that short-- yeast, water, flour, bran, salt. A little cornmeal for the pizza wheel. Seriously.

Aspen, who until this point, had a very vocal preference for only Sara Lee Soft and Smooth Wheat Bread (at about $3 a loaf) has become my number one fan. She makes her school-lunch PB sandwiches on nice, thick bread. Take this bread to potlucks with some honey butter and people think you are a baking genius. Other bread makers will corner you and gush about how much they too love this cookbook. Take a loaf of the bread with you to people's houses as a hostess gift and people think you have done this very complicated and thoughtful thing for them.

Good stuff, this bread.

Day Nine: Is That What I Think It Is?

2010-02-21T14:55:00.002-07:00

Do you see that? Right there, on the dining room table?

No, not the cat. (Although, cats are not allowed on the table. Very effective rule, that one.) The sun! It's the sun and it's coming in our house, right in our very own dining room window and the window / doors in our bedroom and there is light coming in our house again!

This is an amazing thing that perhaps you have to live in the Northwest or adjacent to a mountain (or, like us, both) to really appreciate. I didn't even have the heart to scold the kitty. We've all been missing it and we're all pleased as punch to see it again.

Day Eight: A Find

2010-02-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

Day Seven: Signs of Spring

2010-02-14T20:11:00.002-07:00

I remember one year the girls were in preschool, they took a field tip to what we called "the up-the-street-park" (Washington Park to the rest of you). After being matched into groups, everyone was sent out to look for signs of spring. I'm sure there were birds' nests and dandelions and those kinds of things, but what I really remember is how the girls looked. How small they were then, how they wore little Hanna Andersson striped dresses and leggings and buckle shoes, how they had bangs and squeaky little voices. Little bodies seemed to be scurrying and shouting everywhere.

I'm also imagining that such a field trip probably took place in early April or so. Here, in mid-February in Oregon, we already have daffodils and budding cherry trees. Showers and earthy smells. Muddy clothing and days that don't really require jackets. The dogs and I were looking for spring on our walk today, and the sights and smells were everywhere.

Day Six: Crafternoon

2010-02-13T18:28:00.003-07:00

I have two artsy women's groups I hang with and sometimes I confuse everyone when I cross-pollinate and invite folks from AWE (Artistic Women's Endeavors-- check out of rarely-update blog here) and a UU Second Saturday (sorry, I love alliteration) women's craft group. A Crafternoon to be precise (I love catchy phrasing, too.)

The former, AWE was started with an ad I posted on craigslist seeking women artists in Douglas County. I actually got cold feel and tried to erase it and failed, and as a result, I now know Cheryl and Tiffany and Reba and Gwen and Catherine (and a few other folks I knew already!). We get together twice a month, usually, with mixed results. Sometimes, everyone comes, other times, I get stood up. But it keeps clicking along, and it's fun.

The other group, loosely organized around the UU church (but also inclusive of people who were say, thinking about going or once went or used to go) met at our place today. We had seven, including myself, a boisterous and (thankfully) dog-loving group. Our projects ranged from knitting to scrap booking to making U of O themed booties to watercolor to beading to illustration (guess who?). Since I wasn't quick enough with the camera to get a shot of Kristen in the hat she made, the only picture I have to display is of my stuff. Still sitting in a pile on the dining room table, by the way.

Day Five: Bare Feet

2010-02-12T17:01:00.002-07:00

Day Four: Nappy Girl

2010-02-11T21:22:00.003-07:00

The sweetest little gal...with the foulest breath you ever smelled. :(

Day Three: Pussywillows + Blue Glass

2010-02-10T16:10:00.001-07:00

I am not really a serious collector of anything, yet sort of a haphazard collector of antique blue tinted glass. I know zero about it - what it's worth, what pieces of it exist, when it was made. I just know I like it and if I find a piece at a yard sale for a reasonable price (say, $4 or less!), I snap it up.

Day Two: Moss

2010-02-09T17:05:00.003-07:00

New Oregonian = obsessed with moss and mossy rocks and even fancy fungi growing out of stumps.

Day One: 30 days of Beauty Challenge

2010-02-08T21:15:00.007-07:00

One of the things I enjoy most about blogging is how it helps me to see-- or even more, to look for-- the beautiful, the comical, and even the profound in everyday life. Often, when I'm running with Terry or simply running errands, I find I am noticing things more: what is blooming or funny things people say or the way certain color combinations make me feel. With this in mind, I'm going to push myself and join the 30 Days of Beauty Challenge that Erin of Bluebirdbaby is doing. A photo a day for 30 days, showing the beautiful in everyday life.

Shall we begin?

Grasshopper Green

2010-02-05T15:29:00.003-07:00

I love this color.

I painted my kitchen and dining room a color called "cricket" (pictured here...looking more dull than it does it real life... with a cat bowl from my friend Chery's Red Bird Pottery).

I spray-painted the metal patio chairs "apple" green. Other examples of it are everywhere around my house:

I don't think I'm the only one who loves it. The new CB2 (Crate and Barrel 2) has it everywhere. I'm especially wanting this end table.

New Favorite Lunch

2010-02-02T17:17:00.004-07:00

Lunch is a problem for me. I mean, I love to go out for lunch and have a nice salad or sandwich, but for some reason, these same foods sound (and are) much less appealing when I make them here at the house. Usually, my best hope is that we have something good left over from the previous nights' dinner, and even then, I'm picky. Some foods are better the next day, but many go all weird-texture when reheated. Anyhoo, last night, I made this as a side for our dinner and I think it may be the perfect lunch solution, at least for now (until I'm tired of it too!). I whipped up a batch again in the morning for today's lunch and felt pretty darn proud of myself.

Quinoa Salad

1 C raw quinoa, cooked (whatever amount that makes, probably more than 2 C)-- or brown rice would work, too

some cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half

a handful of fresh baby spinach, slivered

dressing as follows: 3 T red wine vinegar, 2 T olive oil, 1/4 t sugar, sprinkling of dill, salt and pepper to taste

Mix it up and eat it-- still warm or chilled, it's pretty yummy either way. I'm thinking it would also be good with some add-ins such as:

canned chick peas
chopped grilled mushrooms or eggplant
chunks of cucumber
slivers of basil
feta cheese crumbles
chopped marinated artichokes
roasted pine nuts
chunks of cooked chicken

What is your favorite lunch?

Thoughts about February

2010-02-01T12:46:00.002-07:00

I had thought I would scamper outside today and take some pictures of what Roseburg looks like in February - but no, my camera is missing. I could have sworn I left it near the computer, but it's not there and the usual suspects know nothing about it. This, from the same gang who know nothing about how the milking stool in the living room came to be all carved up or why the new toothpaste now has a big oozing crack in it or why there is not a single set of underwear in the wash some weeks.

Anyway, February. It's different here than it was in Utah, yet still, there is that feeling of waiting, of willing the month to move through quickly. In Utah, February was all brown hills and leftover snow and often, cold. It's the brownness that really sticks with me. I can remember our first weeks there, standing in front of the picture window in our dreary (but pretty decent by local standards) apartment and thinking, this has got to be the ugliest place I've ever seen. And it was, in February, although by early April, trees were flowering and the grass was greening up and things were much improved.

Oregon in February is all emerald green and damp and low hanging cloudy / hazy stuff. It is almost never cold enough to justify a real winter coat and often the girls wear flip flops to run back and forth between our house and our neighbors'. What we are waiting for here is not the weather to warm up or the plants to bloom, but the return of the sun.

It comes out most days, but tucked as we are, up against the side of a little mountain, it does not hit the windows of our house. This of course never occurred to us, coming from sunny Utah-- that a mountain on the southern side = no sun 3-4 months out of the year; a real Oregonian never would have fallen for it. But every day, we're getting closer to having the sun back in our lives. Yesterday, I ran out to look, and it was hitting the roof in some spots. There was a brief, bright spot in the hall as light came in the girls' bedroom windows yesterday afternoon. It's coming back and we can't wait for it to get here.

Now if I could just find my camera...

Making

2010-01-29T11:54:00.003-07:00

Today, between the school bus leaving and going for a run with Terry, I made these little cards. I mention this only because if I, with my directionally / technologically challenged brain, can do it in 30 minutes, anyone else could probably do it in 15. I got the idea from whip up--I had the blank cards in my craft stash, and I used tiny pieces of fabric, mostly pinks and purples, thinking of Valentines Day coming up. I may give some and donate some to a local event...more about this later. This would be a great little project for kids, using a sewing machine, but not in a complicated way. I might tack down the fabric with spray adhesive first though. Doing it without involved a certain amount of maneuvering of tiny pieces. Potentially very frustrating to little ones (and mothers who haven't had coffee).
Have a great weekend!

Every Day

2010-01-27T13:53:00.005-07:00

I try to work on my book. Even if it's just a half-hour, every page counts.

This kitty sleeps in this spot for 23 out of 24 hours. She gets up only to make one trip outside and to eat. And she is very intolerant if the food in the dish is running low.

I think this will be the day that I stop eating so much sugar.

There is a pile of mud-gear on our patio. It reminds me that children don't let mud and wet stop them from playing outside.

The words I utter most are "Ember, go potty!" Followed closely by "Say it again in a nicer voice" and "Have you washed your hands?"

I take one or two dogs for either a walk (both) or a run (Terry). Sometimes both in one day. We are all a little easier to be around when we get our exercise.

What do you do every day?

We Interrupt Our Ambivalence for this Important Message

2010-01-20T19:20:00.002-07:00

The blog, Craft Hope has been soliciting handcrafted items for their etsy shop, with all proceeds being donated to Doctors Without Borders in Haiti. This is such a great way to help a cause, support artists, and obtain something handmade in the process. I am donating three prints, but there is a ton of cool stuff on their site-- quilts, cards, photographs, all sorts of art. Please visit if you can. Every little bit helps.

I'm Still Here

2010-01-20T08:34:00.002-07:00

I'm still here, I'm just a) busy and b) figuring things out. Related to a, I was in Cincinnati last week for work, a wonderful trip, but now I'm playing catch-up on other things. And as far as b, I can't quite decide if I want to keep blogging, or if I want to blog a little differently. Thinking, thinking...

The Totally Awesome Christmas of 2009

2009-12-25T22:11:00.004-07:00

Last night, I found myself feeling a bit homesick for Utah-- our cozy old house, snow, and our tradition of many years of going to the Alleman's house on New Years Eve and eating Kate's chicken enchiladas and guacamole. That and the girls being (ahem-- any young readers sitting nearby?) hip to the real Christmas deal was getting me a little melancholy about the holiday.

So, I'm happy to report that despite all that, we had a really wonderful Christmas and a fun and peaceful day. The girls were up before the sun (6, the earliest allowable time in this family) and were every bit as delighted and excited as in years gone by. The Awesomeness (totally) of this Christmas was remarked on again and again, Savvy said (as she does every year) that this was the best Christmas (Most Totally Awesome) ever, and the (ahem- warning again!) lack of belief in myth made them more grateful and appreciative of Mike and I (kinda nice to get to take credit for Christmas, at last).

The girls spent the day playing with their new things and bopping back and forth across the street to visit with the Miele kids. After lunch, we went for a very enjoyable and oddly warm hike with the dogs (tiny Ember was hysterical, and a really trooper, keeping up with Terry on tiny legs). Despite numerous unnecessary stream crossings (leaps, mossy log balance beams), we stayed dry and returned home for a fire and some quiet time. So quiet that Aspen fell asleep for more than an hour. Then, our traditional king crab dinner and a viewing of The Grinch, and everyone but me headed off for bed.

Hope your Christmas was awesome too! :)

Behold, a Brussel Sprout wreath...and other Christmas oddities

2009-12-21T11:22:00.002-07:00

I have a cold...Aspen has a cold...my head is murky and I don't trust myself to write logical sentences, so this is a (mostly) pictures-only post:

Wood. Lots of Wood.

2009-12-19T11:39:00.002-07:00

I mentioned that we had a cord of wood delivered earlier this winter. We like our fires and probably have several each week, but still, but our calculations, that cord would probably last us at least two winters.

So, what is all of this in our side yard you ask?

Doing field work one day earlier this week, Mike came upon a nice supply of downed wood. An $11 permit later, he and a co-worker returned to the scene and spent the day yesterday cutting it down, loading it into Lenny's truck, and bringing it to our side yard, where it sits in a quite tall mound. Terry is dreaming up ways to scramble up the pile, scale the wall, and play untethered in Brian and Karen's yard next door. Ember enjoys the way her poop resembles the wood chips, resulting in lots of groaning and p.u.-ing by the humans who've stepped in it. Being a lover of pattern and color, I like looking at the swirls and the mossy bits and the way some of it is polished and some of it is rough. And Mike, like men for time immortal, probably feels comforted in some way that we have laid in a supply of more than enough wood for many winters to come.

Sunday Snapshots

2009-12-13T21:31:00.002-07:00

Love at First Sight

2009-12-10T10:21:00.002-07:00

Is there anything like having a new baby in the house? This little one arrived yesterday, 12 weeks old, tiny and precious with shiny, thoughtful eyes and stubby little rabbit-legs. None of us can get enough of her, including Terry who is coping well, sharing his food and water willingly, herding when he feels the situation calls for it, tolerating the attempts at nursing (!), and playing rough-and-tumble games like Bite My Face for hours at a time.

You think you remember what it is like having a tiny being in the house, and in a way you do, and you think it will be easier the second time, and in a way, I believe it is. Yet, I am reminded of how a puppy or a baby forces you to abandon your business, your projects, your to-do lists and just do what needs to be done. We sit on the floor, we play, we go out for potty breaks, and I find that today, I have no real list that I am trying to check off, because it just won't happen, and actually this is kind of good for me. Right now, she (and Terry) are napping by my feet, and although I have fleeting thoughts about running downstairs to finish the Christmas packing or grab the camera or make the bed, I remember the rule: never, ever wake a sleeping baby. So, I'm going to just sit here, sip my coffee, read the blogs I like, maybe do a bit of writing, before they wake up and the whole play / potty / nap cycle starts again.

Have a lovely day. :)

I Have Lists about Lists

2009-12-02T19:24:00.003-07:00

I imagine that when people hear I am not working, they picture my flitting about the house, tidying here and there and reading novels in front of the fireplace... instead of the truth which is more like: rumpusing around frantically, going to meetings, running errands, dog-wrangling, receiving and sending a zillion emails, cleaning up after cats with sensitive stomachs, running at a snail's pace, helping children figure out if earthquakes create gorges, packing lunches, packing snacks, making snacks, cleaning up after snacks, rubbing my back while moaning, running errands, coordinating the activities of children with Mike as if we were running a small country, making art, making a mess where the art had been, etc., etc., etc. Which is not to say it's not lovely and fun and all that. It's more like a question about how this will all still happen when I do start working part-time.

Anyhoo, the craft fair starts this Friday and runs 3 days. My pal Tiffany and I are getting together tomorrow to set up and after that we're splitting the shifts each day. As of this second, I feel like I'm more or less ready: Mike built a display for me out of a reclaimed bi-fold closet door, I tagged and itemized everything, and it's all boxed and ready to roll. The final tally is: 7 mini quilts, 16 framed prints, 73 (!) unframed prints, and 7 tiny originals. So, if I make like $20, I'm going to be ornery. Actually, right now I just want to make enough for a good massage next week.