Columbia River Gorge

Multnomah Falls 

Yes, we went to the bridge and 

this

is that view.

Horsetail Falls:

You can walk along a path behind the falls.

This is Tim, Jacob and Charlie as they came out the other side.

Tuesday started with a trip to Ecola State Park - near Cannon Beach.

We climbed across a trail which cut through the traditional Northwest Pacific forest 

that I had been expecting  all of Oregon to look like.

At one point the trail moved to the front of the bluff and gave us

 this glimpse of the beaches ahead. 

Crescent Beach - which is below us and to the right 

is where we landed.

Cannon Beach is forward - you can see Haystack Rock toward the top of the picture.  

The tide surges between the rock in the center and the cliff face making it impossible

 to walk to Cannon Beach at certain times from this side.

We clamored around rocks in a fairly protected area -

There was a haze over the mountains in the distance adding to the beauty of the morning.

Along one rock face there was a tunnel allowing access to a section of beach that would otherwise be cut off by the tide.  We were there just as the tides were changing and with a bit of artful dodging we were able to make our way through the tunnel to another area.

These next two pictures were taken as I stood just inside the tunnel. 

The dogs - Charlie and Esteban -  had a lot of fun.  

We found sand dollars but very few rocks or shells apart from a few stray piles 

of oyster shells alongside several fire pits along the beach.

More to come...

Mt. St. Helens

We arrived home late - really late - Saturday night after a wonderful trip to the Pacific Northwest.

Yesterday was devoted to laundry, groceries, naps,
and a few other essentials.

Today I picked up the mail and I'm in the kitchen with bran muffins and what I hope turns out to be a creamy pesto sauce to rival the one I ate at the Crab Pot on Friday.

I'll let you know...

A post...

I'm loving all the fall looks - this one is from Pinterest -

and magazine covers are graced with comfort foods and
 fall cooking (you know what I mean)

but it was 100 degrees here yesterday!!

We leave Friday morning for Oregon.  There are piles everywhere

waiting to be consolidated into packable containers.

Two busy days left to pull it all together.

Can't wait!!

BLT

made with tomatoes from our garden
mmmmm

google images

Feeling pleased with myself

My printer has been offline for quite some time.

I've been reminding myself - for quite some time - to ask Tim to take a look.

By take a look I mean fix it!!

You know, though, how this works:

I don't want to print very often, 

think of it at a convenient time, 

fail to leave a note, 

shuffle the priority list,

etcetcetc.

This morning I wanted to print this from a pinterest board:

Did I grind my teeth, remembering that my printer is offline 

and I had let another week go by without asking for help?

No.  I opened the control panel, clicked through the process

and reinstated my printer to full function.

I printed the page.

Another first

Last week saw another first for me:

google images

Monday was our anniversary so Tim put in a couple early morning hours at work

and we headed to the Iowa State Fair.

Familiar refrain:  

Tim's family did; mine didn't.

Fairs were problematic for us when the girls were little 

but we began making them a regular event when we lived in PA.

Tim and I hit the Nebraska State Fair several times.  

Once we won at bingo.  That small grill Tim works his magic with?  It was our bingo prize.

So we wandered.  Day-dreamed.  Chatted.  Laughed.
Had a fun day.

Yes, we saw the butter cow and the chocolate moose.

The view from my hammock

This will tie together eventually - just stay with me!

I enjoy lolling in the hammock on our deck.

With this summer's heat my opportunities have been few

 and mainly limited to around 8AM 

- a time when I normally feel the need to be productive.

I have a variety of decorative geegaws hanging from the lower branches of the tree

which give me a certain satisfied, jackdaw-like pleasure.

A chandelier, 

several small bottles, 

a couple of wire/beaded stars, 

glass balls

you get the idea...

I also enjoy Pinterest but don't want to be one who only gathers other people's ideas.

I actually want to try some of the beautiful/interesting/possible
 things I see posted.

The other day I saw this:

and knew that I wanted one hanging from my tree.

So I gathered my supplies:

a pan and silicon mold from the Dollar Tree

and a bag of $2.99 beads from Hobby Lobby.

20 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees.  

If your timing is good, you can use a toothpick to make the hole

 for hanging while the plastic is still warm.

Otherwise wait until it cools/hardens (about 10 minutes)

 and use a drill.

Can you spot it?

What a Day!!

I hope you can see this and appreciate the significance.

It's noon.  I can't decide which is more exciting:

The air conditioner is off.  The temp in the house is 68 - 68!!

Amazing.  

I wish I could tell you how long it has been since we had open windows.

Catching up

While I'm still at the computer I may as well fill in a few blanks from the last month or so...

I am done with school.

google images

The paperwork is in the mail.  Somewhere.  But I have finished.

Of course, the keyboard had hardly cooled before we began discussions on *what next.*

*Next* may happen in January which will give me time to look at my options.

We've had company.  We've been company.

We have had Aidan and Proton for visits of varying lengths 

but everyone is sleeping under their own roof again.

We celebrated Naphtali's birthday.

The garden is producing.  

We are in green bean week which means that supper is a variation on green beans.  

Tonight I will add brown rice, baby bellas and 1/2 a chicken sausage to mine.

There are projects in various stages all over the house.  

Charlie and I are still walking in the mornings.

My wisteria produced a few blooms/blossoms/clusters.

I've joined the world of pinterest - barely.

I'm learning to drink fizzy water.

The days are full and I'm tired when it's time to go to bed.

Hope all is well in your world.

today

It has been a fairly domestic day.

Picked herbs and green beans early this morning.

Laundry, dishes, errands etc.

Moved some furniture around.

Juiced a bag of lemons - freezing the juice for future use.

Why we had a bag of lemons is a mystery...

Necessity's Younger Sister

Our last unit in Psychology dealt with intelligence and creativity. 

 At two units per week this is not just an introduction - it is a cursory introduction.  

It discussed convergent and divergent thinking and

the role they play in creativity.

They didn't, however, mention one factor that I have always considered a 

major underlying motivation for creativity:

budgetary constraints.

 One of the first things people told us about the house in Grimes was that the railing

between the kitchen and *family* room had to be changed.  

Paint it.  Replace it. Something.
It just hasn't been a priority.

So, the other day as I was walking dogs inspiration struck.

That may be hyperbolic but I did have an idea.

Cover half the openings with paper.  

Parchment, rice, handmade, gift wrap - something would surely work.

Here is my first attempt - done over the weekend.

I like it.  

Opaque but not restrictive.

It's wax paper.

Today I changed it to this:

which I like better.

It's crumpled wax paper.

Here's a closer look at the texture:

Measure, crumple, uncrumple, cut and apply with scotch tape.

It Happened One Night

...Sunday night to be exact.

Sunday morning when I walked the dogs this was an empty city park.

Monday morning as we passed the corner had been taken over by flatbeds and travel trailers.

Each day there has been more activity as spots are paced off and equipment tested, 

leading up to the Thursday evening opening of Governor's Days here in Grimes.

Special events Thursday through Sunday.

Of course, there will be a parade Saturday morning.

Several enthusiastic library employees will be along for the ride on a float.

I will be in the crowd with Naphtali and Aidan.

(Aidan misses Proton so much they're making an emergency visit.)

Tim is going to be in the parade for Kennybrook but the details are rather fuzzy...

For $5 you can enter a cake you've decorated for judging - and then watch as the entries 

are auctioned to raise money for the library building fund. 

  

Productivity x Two

Two weeks ago we returned from moving Naphtali done the street.

 Take my word: it's been busy here though you wouldn't know it from this picture.

Have I mentioned that we brought Proton home with us?

He's ours until the beginning of July.

This morning it felt like the chariot race from Ben Hur as I walked the dogs.

Tim's bathroom has been disassembled.

The carpet has been removed from the stairs.

I helped Tim build these garden beds, which he then planted.  

We were able to use compost from my own compost bin!

I bought and assembled this arbor thingy.  Planted a wisteria alongside.  I've also added

a hydrangea to the front of the house.

The planners/owners in this neighborhood love the narrow, L-shaped beds around the house - they are everywhere!  To me they just mean tight right angles for mowing.  

This was a problem area where grass wouldn't grow and mowing was awkward so it's 

been remedied with a new outline and mulch.  Much better! 

Summer school has begun.  The instructor for my latest (and last!) 

class is pushing a pretty tight schedule.

Oh, yes, as of yesterday the hammock has been hung.

Triggers

On a recent trip to Minneapolis I stumbled upon a cache of summertime memories tucked 

amid the travel and trial size bins at Walmart.
 This is what good marketing is all about!

The fragrance of this once familiar but long forgotten product 

is associated with two (2) distinct images:

Large purple rollers 

and 

the cabin at Okoboji.

Feel free to play along - once you've visualized the rollers and the cabin the memories just keep rolling... 

google images

I've been using it daily - have even replaced my travel-sized impulse with a full size jar!

My skin looks and feels better than it has in a long time.

The simple act of opening the jar to release the fragrance brings

 a smile to my face.

Surely we used it all year 'round but for some reason it speaks to me of summer.

A bird in hand

or a needle in a haystack

Recently, Naphtali and I spotted a silhouette of a dove as we were skimming through pinterest, 

following links, and well, I'm not too sure what we were doing or where the whole chain of our search began, but pallet furniture probably figured in...

Anyway.  We found this dove - not this dove

but the perfect dove and we both made an "ooohh" 

or something embarrassingly close

and immediately discussed ways it could be used for Christmas gifts/tags/ornaments.

Did we pin it?  Bookmark it? Save it in any way? No, No, and No.

I have since been looking for said dove.

The one pictured above courtesy of google images as are all the illustrations in this post is close - though ours had no wing.

The array of dove representations from which one may choose is close to overwhelming.

You have the traditional dove signifying peace:

The one pictured below connotes religion:

You can find the fanciful

  as well as its poor country cousin.

And many that aren't even doves!

Persistence has its reward: these may be what I want:

Simple, clean, elegant.  I'll let you know if they work.



In an aside:  I have been told that Christmas = hand-made for the Jordisons this year.
Can anyone confirm that for me??

Mother's Day

At some point during the next few days you may hear

  (find yourself humming along?)

 "M is for the many things... " as all around us

the annual phenomenon known as Mother's Day 

kicks into high gear.

(Yes, I did send cards.  Yes, I do send greetings. Yes, we'll stop in on Sunday.)

Unfortunately, this weekend M also means moving for Naphtali and Aidan.

We're making the run to the northlands to help/pack/load/move. 

Not your traditional Hallmark Mother's Day,

 but an opportunity to be available - to do what we can.

Mothering is a never-ending quest - a daunting job comprised of a
thousand delicate maneuvers each day.

Some accept that quest with fervor and grace -
and we marvel at them.

Others manage as best they can - and we pull for them.

Some lose sight of its fragile complexity in the day-to-day slog.

Others... 

Well, there are always others - they inspire, they challenge, they help, they...  

They do what needs to be done - they are mothers, after all.

Happy Mother's Day

To you and your's

Seriously...

It was a good day for bargains!

I picked up 4 (yes, four!) (took the whole display) of these pots for a buck each.

I am suddenly in love (but no less frugal) with this color for the garden and have passed by so 

many beautiful objet due to the price.  

This was serendipitous - I stopped in the Dollar Store this morning for some oddments 

and they were sitting there waiting for me!

They're 8-inch, BHG pots and a couple of them will travel this weekend as gifts.

But the real find of the day was waiting for me next door - at the Goodwill.

You can probably read the price tag - $1.79.  

What you can't read (poor photo editing options) - just above the tag it says

 "Redwing."  

That's right folks!

I scored this lovely Redwing basket for $1.79.

Finds like this always happen to someone else - always - so you'll have to excuse me while I 

bask/gloat/crow/smile.

They Are Cute

I found these on Pinterest and decided to give them a try.

12" paper was cut into 1/2" strips then folded according to the directions here.

It makes an easy keeps-your-hands-busy-while-your-mind-is-somewhere-else project.

I'm thinking a  bowl of gold and white would look pretty at Christmas.

Enjoy the weekend.

Recycling

Naphtali used this burlap pouch  as a wrapping for a gift to me several years ago.

It has always been my intention to get some burlap and make a few to have on hand, 

and maybe I will.  Soon.

For now, though, I am recycling.

The pouch (containing her Mother's Day gift) will make the trip 

North with us to visit her and Aidan this weekend.

With any luck, this pouch will make its way back to me someday.  

Responsible recycling ....

A Tip of the Hat

How many times have you seen cheerful quips about new beginnings? 

Frankly, they (the cheerful quips) (maybe even the cheerful quippers) annoy me.

How can a beginning be anything but new!?

I am, however, a firm believer in hoping the best for those:

embarking on a new adventure

 setting a new course

blazing a new trail

building a new life

 taking their mulligan

making the most of a fresh start. 

google images

Fair Warning

The flannel sheets came off the bed today.

Charlie has an appointment for a hair cut on Tuesday.

Tim's sweaters have been washed and put away.

Go ahead and pencil in your preference for one last minute storm for the middle of next week.

Dormancy

The songbirds in our yard are hard at work every morning and pretty much throughout the day.  

Their symphonies are simply splendid.

The sunlight through the bare branches is dazzling.

Crocus are poking through the mulch.  As are the iris in a couple places.

The dormant period seems to be ending.

google images

I woke this morning and dawdled in bed making plans.  

Unlike many (many) mornings this past year when I simply dawdled in bed.  

What occupied my mind between 6 & 7?  Spring clothes?  Supper with Aidan?  

Plans for a compost barrel.  

I am heading North today to see Naphtali and (I hope) Aidan. 

 I do have plans to visit the Unique thrift store and Home Goods at Har-Mar mall once I reach the Cities.

But it was the sound of the coffee grinder that brought things into (albeit fuzzy) focus.

I want to take out quite a few ugly shrubs from the front of the house.  Widen the flower beds.
Reduce my mow-able grass.  Plant a hydrangea and some ferns.

But the soil will need to be amended - bringing me to the compost barrel.
We have a rebate check from Menards to help get this project underway and
I am tempted to rush right over there and make my selection.
  This morning.  Before I leave town.

Which brings me back to the dawdled mornings.

This past year can euphemistically be called a dormant period.  

I hadn't expected everything to be so hard and I hadn't expected such a reaction - but.

This morning I woke with plans - invigorated - for the first time in quite some time.

I feel like I've lost the better part of a year but I hope that this dormant period will result in 

strength, vigor and productive growth. 

hum along...

The sun is shining and I am in a Friday state of mind.

Productivity is predicted to reach near-record lows - even adding a picture to this post 

requires more effort than interests me.

Actually I am caught up with all my homework so the day is 

stretching out ahead of me - free and clear.

I hope you, too, are enjoying an easy start to your weekend.

A bientot...

Today

I have a less-than-roaring but more-than-satisfactory fire to keep me company.

It's cold.  I've finally worn my new down coat*  - several times in the past week.

We had snow yesterday, so I shoveled.

After work I sat up to watch the new episode of Justified making it a long Tuesday 

so I'm having trouble getting a brisk start to my Wednesday.

Good time to blog.

This, as you can see, is the main entrance to the public library at Clive.

I will be doing my 40 hour practicum with the fine folks who work here.

I was here for several hours Monday morning. 

 I have a name tag (magnetic!  just like theirs!) and a mailbox!

Friday night they are hosting an event for ESL students and their families to introduce them to the library.

A meal, presentations, tours, a library card and other goodies. 

They expect 30 families.  It's an ambitious plan.

I'll be there to help.

*Aside: it occurs to me that I haven't told the story of my coat.  Sometime in early November Younkers had all their coats at 50%.  The coat I've been wearing was fine for the short, occasional visits of the past but I knew it couldn't keep pace with the long siege of an Iowa winter.  It seemed that a good down coat would do the job so I went to to see what they had.  Tried on more than a few. Some just for fun. 

 I chose a black, knee length Calvin Klein.  

Even at 50% the price made me swallow hard.

While paying for it I told the clerk that with this purchase I had just guaranteed the warmest winter on record.

She laughed and said that I'd have *plenty* of opportunity to get my money's worth...

Here we are half way through January and its finally had its first outing.  Next week in Minneapolis...

Flotsam and Jetsam

My Karl Malden days are far behind me - these days I'm always leaving home without my ...

camera!

It seems that blogging inspiration can be directly tied to that particular accessory - so today you're getting random observations - apropos to nothing
  or nothing without a lot of work.

You know that I am a simple person of simple tastes.  I like what I like, but I can be swayed.  

You may remember that several, really!?  several?!  yes, several years ago - with the big 5-0 approaching -I felt that it was time to cultivate some adult/mature traits.
Tales of cozy tea-drinking episodes held a certain appeal and I decided to learn to drink tea.
I tried.  Really tried.  Really hard.  

I longed for the soothing effects and intimate confessions that seemed to accompany any mention of tea in novels, movies and the real-life anecdotes found in magazines...

It didn't happen.

As I have abandoned my attempts to become a tea-drinker, some other quest must fill that void.  After much consideration I have a new adult pursuit:

I shall learn to eat cheese.  Uncooked.  Cold.  Without a vehicle.  Go ahead laugh - I'll wait.

I can - and do - enjoy melty cheese in any number of delicious applications.
This is different.

I'm already well into my second (!?) year of this experiment and there has been progress.

It wasn't that long ago that I could only eat *half* of one of those wedges distributed between my standard serving of 6 triscuits.  That is no longer the case.  Please hold your applause til the end.

Recently I tried to combine this with learning to drink red wine.
 I know - how hard can it be.

In November my annual checkup indicated that I have elevated triglyceride levels.  As my primary health care provider the doctor was prepared to send me home with a prescription that day, but we decided that I could have the next 6 months flying by to address the situation through diet and exercise.
Her recommendations included fish oil caplets on a daily basis.

Tim, my secondary health care provider, or do I have that reversed? recommended 4 ounces of red wine before bed.  

It didn't happen.

I gave it an honest, generous month.  

I don't like red wine. 

 I find it medicinal.

Drinking it requires that I eat something with it, like cheese and crackers, 

which seems to complicate the whole process...    

The caplets are working just fine for me, as I hope the fish oil in them is.

Next, I'd like to introduce you to what I must imagine will become my new best friend:

One of these days I'll need to take it out of the package.

The textbook for my math class asserts that there is no such thing as a brain for math - it is within the reach of all of us to solve quadratic equations.  I'll get back to you on that one.

While I do consider my self a simple person I do not consider myself ignorant of the world as it moves outside of my immediate sphere - but please - 

Does it seem unreasonable to you that a calculator - granted: a *graphing* calculator - should cost over a hundred dollars!?  Maybe I need to enlarge the borders of my sphere...

Another recent event took place last weekend as I visited my mother to celebrate her approaching birthday.

I had my first massage.  I loved it.  The masseuse had a great touch and
I can see myself doing it again.

I also had my first fried ice cream.  Not the same success as the massage.  I could only finish less than half and don't foresee it ever happening again. 

Finally, today, prompted by the howling wind and frigid air temps, I have taken some of the

 excellent chili we made for Christmas out of the freezer.  

I also made a pot of rice to go with it. 

We got this little gadget for Christmas and I will say that it makes a good pot of rice.

Looking ahead - I have been invited to attend the Yinghua Academy's Chinese New Year celebration the last weekend of January.
I promise to take my camera...

How did this happen!?

I worked Friday afternoon and over the course of several hours had to write the date 

which made me stumble - you see, I never quite got used to writing 12/xx/11.  

And now it's 01/02/12 - how did that happen!?

You hear it from everyone - that time goes by faster every year - I certainly have to agree.

Saturday we, the three of us, went for a hike at Dolliver Park.  Roughly 6 miles.

 I haven't been there for years.  We all had a great time.

Although at a different time of year those could be my feet this is a google image

We just Tim and I also went out for dinner.  An impromptu stop at Sam and Gabe's.  

It was delicious.  I would go back just for the appetizer and fire roasted tomato basil soup.

Yesterday's planned session of undecorating was derailed by a expedition to find materials to reno Tim's bathroom.  Flooring, paint, toilet, countertop - we came home with a piece of underlayment and a faucet.

Progress.  

Today Tim is marking another birthday.

The gym is waiting for me.  And the undecorating, some laundry, baking, and wrapping presents.  

Did I hear you ask if I have any New Years plans/resolutions?

Of Course - don't we all!?  

Mine I really only have one resolve this year can fall into 2 general categories: 

 Health for the mature, reasonable adult that I have become 

and Vanity well, just because.