They say the memory goes first...

Although it feels pretty routine now (after my relatively busy travel schedule this year), going through the airport still provides much creative stimulus... people-watching opportunities... different lights, sounds, smells... many things to look at and take in -- and, of course, literally hundreds of places to go.

While I was traveling to Colorado for Christmas, I was in a particular mood to take in all I was seeing and then share about it on my blog.  Needless to say, I observed a whole bunch of GREAT entertaining things that you, I'm sure, would be amused by as I myself was.

I arrived in Denver and, surprisingly, couldn't remember a single one...

Two days later, in the middle of the night (really, it was the middle of the night), this one came back to me:

Standing in line to go through security, I heard one of those dog squeaky toys squeaking -- and we're not talking one or two squeaks. I mean a constant stream of squeakiness.

I surreptitiously glanced around to locate the source of the slight commotion.

It turned out to be none other than an adorable young boy of Asian descent -- or, more specifically, what he was wearing on his feet.

The child was dressed in red plaid flannel pajamas with teddy bear slippers. When he walked slower, the squeaks came more slowly. When he sped up, so did the squeaks. Of course. Squeaky teddy bear slippers.

Trailing behind the boy was who I assumed to be his mother. Though talking on her cell phone, she still managed to keep on eye -- or perhaps an ear? -- on her son and directed him with hand gestures when he was nearby or a word or two if he got too far ahead.

Both squeaky boy and cell phone mom meandered toward the baggage claim area.

Meanwhile I, still in the security line, could hear the squeaks continue even after the child disappeared from view.  And it's not as though the airport was quiet that day...

Also amusing were the comments of the people ahead of and behind me in line who had also witnessed the squeaky-slippered boy.

Is that noise from his slippers?

Oh my.. where is that coming from?

What a smart mom.

Sure makes it easy to keep track of him...

Anyways, I was amused.  If only I had had my camera or a voice recorder handy...

Sigh.  And if only I could remember all the other funny things I observed that day.

Townhouse Christmas

Last night was Townhouse Christmas with my roommates.

Last year, I began the Townhouse Christmas "tradition" because I felt strongly that we needed to celebrate Christmas together early before we all went our separate ways to celebrate the real day with our families.  I wanted us to have "Christmas dinner" and that special togetherness you get during the holiday season.

Last year, I'd say the roommates humored me because they knew it was important to me.  This year, they looked forward to it.  And it turned out being such a special time.  Even though it was 10 days early, it really felt like Christmas.

I had fun creating a menu that highlighted a favorite for each person...

Chicken breasts stuffed with fresh basil and havarti

Mashed potatoes with green onions and creamy chicken gravy

Steamed broccoli with pine nuts

Italian bread with roasted garlic

(Jenny - potatoes, onions; Sarah - broccoli; Me - havarti)

Jenny was sweet to supply the sparkling apple-marionberry juice -- which made the table setting that much more festive.  I think stemware makes anything look festive.

Oh... and for dessert ...  Last year I made a fancy dessert, but we were too full to eat it.  This year, I decided to buy fancy pints of ice cream.  Then if we were to full, I didn't put out any effort.  And if we weren't, we would still get one of our favorite desserts.

Here we are posing before dinner.  

The little tree is real.  Everyone thinks it fake.  But it's really real.  It's about 2 feet tall and still potted (which means I'll probably plant it in January rather than waste a good tree).  It ended up on the table because it's too small to sit on the floor in the living room.

In this picture, I'm being an imp... I'm actually tickling both of the roommates who are trying their best not to show it.  But I'm laughing and enjoying myself immensely.  You would never know it, but right before the picture snapped they were both laughing and squealing "STOP!!  JAMIE!!  AHH!  What are you doing?!?  STOP!!" :)

The mantle, stockings, fireplace, and pile of presents

Jenny is known for giving unique gifts.  Sarah got a kick out of the note on this one: "A warning - this one is weird!"  (And it was, but in a fun way -- and perfect for Sarah)

All in all, we had a wonderful Townhouse Christmas.  These are important times to share together.

This is probably the last one for just the three of us... at least for now.  Sarah is getting married, and Jenny is moving to the next festival city.

But, I hope that the three of us will have a chance to get together again some day and catch up and share another Townhouse Christmas.  I doubt it will happen every year... or even every 5-10 years.  Maybe spouses and children will be at the next one.  Or maybe we'll all be grandmas.  Who knows? But I'll be watching for that opportunity.

Some day.

Winter Wonderland

Blustery and cold. And, get this - snowing! It's been snowing since early this morning, and unlike most Portland snow it's actually sticking. The high for today was 31, and it's only supposed to get colder from here on out until next week. Crazy!

As beautiful as it is to have snow, I'm bummed it couldn't hold off for just one day. There's a wedding reception I wish I was attending in Newberg right now. And Sarah and I were heading there when we found out that the Oregon department of transportation is requiring chains on all highways.

So, since I don't have chains (and by the way I wouldn't have used them anyways since there is neither ice nor enough accumulated snow on the roads and it would have ruined my tires), and since we can't drive into Newberg without using a highway, Sarah and I went back home. (Well, techincally, we could have taken one of the back roads over a huge hill... but that just wouldn't have been smart since it's often slick when there isn't snow).

Anyways, I suppose I'm still venting about the seemingly over-paranoid weather measures around here. And really, even though I'm used to driving on snowy roads after years of it in Colorado, I am concerned about sharing roads with all the other people who really can't handle driving it or who think their 4-wheel drive makes them invincible. Scary thought.

Now that I'm home wrapping presents and writing Christmas cards as I sit in front of the cozy fire in the living room with the roommates, I'm sort of secretly hoping work is cancelled tomorrow. I'm still recovering from a cold, and tomorrow night is our Townhouse Christmas (since the three of us are going to be out-of-town with our families on Christmas Day). It would be nice to have all the time I want to leisurely cook the gourmet Christmas dinner I have planned... sigh. I guess we'll see what happens through the night and tomorrow morning...

Fog

I really love fog. It's so beautiful.
You wouldn't necessarily think so at first, but fog undeniable holds the fingerprint of its Creator.

Fog brings depth into stark relief. And this so simply by its very nature.

Fog diffuses light, making the presense of it more obvious. And uninterrupted darkness becomes a seemingly empty void.

It blankets.
It shelters.
It surrounds.

And yet, it can't be gathered into a box, bottle, or container. As you reach out to grasp it, somehow it escapes, eludes, evades confinement. But, I know it's there. I cannot doubt its true existence because I can see it all around me, next to me, in front of and behind me. I can feel it in my lungs when I draw breath.

Fog unveils the path only as you approach -- right before your very eyes, one step at a time. Sometimes you must start traveling a direction before you know where exactly it leads. And bends, turns, obstacles are not revealed until the very moment of decision.

Isn't fog a beautiful thing?

The year of surprises, apparently...

...as I was in Colorado the weekend before last for yet another surprise birthday party.

This one was my Grampa's 80th, boy was he surprised! (And, since I'm the only one on that side of the family who lives out-of-state, it was especially good that I was there. The first thing my Grampa said was, "You're here?!?")

But I'm getting ahead of myself. That was Sunday - more to come...

I flew in early Saturday morning, and my Dad and cousin Michelle picked me up at the airport. We went to my sister's house and hung out -- which included making caramel-apples.

Forget the apple... I'm eating the caramel!

Ok... now, back to Sunday and the party.

We surprised my Grampa first at church by having a cake reception during the break time between services.

Mom and me cutting the HUGE cakes.

Then we (meaning my parents, my mom's 3 siblings and their spouses, my sister, and all the cousins) whisked my grandparents to a fancy restaurant for Sunday brunch.

All the grandkids with Gramma and Grampa.

(PS. I'm 10 years older than the next oldest cousin. She's sitting at the far left. On her lap is my "twin" -- well... 21 years and a day younger. But close enough!)

At the restaurant, all 20-25 of us sat at one LONG table. I called it the Viking table. I like Viking tables.

The giant card... and it plays the Star Wars theme music when you open it.

I think Grampa felt honored -- and I'm so glad I got to be a part of the celebration!

Black Thursday

This has got to be the hardest week at work I've had so far in my relatively short professional life.

With the downturn in the economy, many people are struggling to make money - and businesses are looking for ways to cut costs. Churches and ministries are simply not getting the cashflow they need to operate at normal capacity.

And this week, the leadership at work made some very difficult decisions -- hard decisions now to avoid drastic ones later.

Yesterday, 10 team members -- friends -- found out that their positions had to be eliminated.(That's between 10-15% of our team.) Many others are getting pay or hour cuts. But we're all affected.

There is such an overwhelming combination of emotions inside of me... it's hard to know what do and how to feel. Intense sorrow for my friends. Sheer gratitude that I still have a job.

We've all known for a while that finances are tight. We knew they were going to be implementing changes - including postponing one of the festivals in Latin America for a year. And cutting back staff is not an unusual process for ministries (especially) -- and any company really -- to have to undergo during economic recessions... but that doesn't make it any easier to have to experience it.

The team I work with is like a family, and it's hard to describe to people who haven't been a part of it. And because of the depth of the relationships, we are all hurting immensely from the loss of these friends. Those of us remaining are picking up lots of additional responsibilities. The ministry is still moving forward, but now with fewer staff. This is a stretching time. If I were to describe it in terms of pizza crusts, this would be the extra-thin, extra-crispy.

I have to keep reminding myself that God is not forgetting about these friends who no longer work with the team. He's still faithful. He's still going to provide. And He's still working His plans and purposes in all of us.

Please pray for the team as you think of it. These are very difficult times.

A Timely Discovery

I had my suspicions, but the events of last night confirmed it.
My roommate Jenny can play the piano and read music -- quite well, I might add (...though she says she doesn't).
This hidden talent was unveiled when I was playing half of a 4-hand duet. Jenny hesitantly offered to pick up the other half (all the while saying it wouldn't be very good... but that she would try).
Not only did she pick up the other half, but she was sight-reading it and doing a very good job!
I'm so excited! I LOVE playing piano duets!
Who would have thought? She certainly didn't intend to let on... : )

I finally bought a piano!

I did it. I finally bought a piano. It's an 88-key (weighted) portable keyboard that sounds and feels like a real piano. Oh my goodness. I'm so excited. : ) And I just spent the past hour playing it. But I made myself stop because I must get some sleep -- though I could probably play all night (and because it has a headphone jack, I don't have to worry about waking my sleeping roommates).

I have a piano.

And it's downstairs just waiting to be played.

Weekend with Mom and Dad

My parents came from Colorado to visit me this past weekend.

Friday after I picked them up from the airport, we toured IKEA before the decadent 4-course dinner downtown at the Oregon Culinary Institute.

Saturday we headed northwest to Astoria, stopping first at the Astoria Column. Although the Column itself was closed, the view of the mouth of the Columbia meeting the Pacific from the highest hill in Astoria was still quite a sight. (My Dad took these pictures)

We decided to walk around the town.
And we came across the "Windsor House of Tea" just in time for a pre-lunch pick-me-up of scones, lemon curd, clotted cream, and tea (and we each got our own tea pot!).
We continued west to Ft Stevens State Park to see the northern most point of Oregon, the jetty, and the shipwreck of the Peter Iredale.

To my surprise, the Peter Iredale was smaller than when I saw it the first time last February. I think the sand was 7 feet higher... I wonder if it will come back down during the winter months?

After Ft Stevens, we ventured down the coast to Ecola State Park for a late afternoon picnic lunch and view of Cannon Beach and the famous haystack rock.


Saturday night we returned to my townhouse for games.
Sunday was church, the new movie Fireproof, and Pittock Mansion.
Monday, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at my place and a tour of the office before I dropped them off for the airport.
Overall, a very fun weekend indeed. : )

(I'm glad you were able to visit Oregon, Mom and Dad!!)

A series of unusual events

Saturday, September 6, I flew into Denver for about 24 hours to surprise my Mom for her 50th birthday (just a few weeks late -- I'm still bummed I had to miss the party!). We enjoyed dinner, a movie, a birthday shopping spree, playing the piano, and etc.
The timing worked out well because my Dad had just had surgery the Wednesday before -- so it was good to see him in person and see that he was recovering (rather than just hearing about it over the phone). I had no idea he was going to have surgery when I booked the ticket back in July.

Sunday night I flew to St Louis for work and met up with 2 co-workers. (I really should learn the song "Meet Me in St Louis") The meetings all day Monday went well. And, for the first time in 6 trips to St Louis the past 10 months, my return flights were pretty much on time -- only 10 minutes late. Normally it's more like 40+ minutes late, which is a big deal when you're scheduled to land close to midnight anyways. Later feels exponentially later that time of night.

Coming back to work Tuesday morning after being in St Louis on Monday always feels a bit like syllabi shock in the first few days back to school after the break. There is so much to process -- and tons of items to add to pile onto the never-ending to do list.

Of all weekends, everyone decided to plan things on this past weekend. I had about 7 conflicting things going on... but, alas, I don't have 7 clones.

So, I ended up going north because 2 sets of aunts and uncles were flying into Seattle on Saturday where they would catch a cruise heading to Alaska on Sunday.

I stayed with the Bruce's Friday night, celebrating Timothy's 10th birthday and then winning a game of Risk with the help of Mr B and Nathan.

Saturday I drove to downtown Seattle where I met up with my aunts and uncles. We walked to the Pike Place Market (which I had never been to, but had heard much about), and enjoyed the sights, sounds, smells, and colors. Well... some of the smells.

That night I made it back to the Bruce's just in time to ride with them to the car races -- part 2 of Tim's birthday celebration. Mrs B issued a challenge that I wouldn't be winning a 3rd time in a row at the races. And up until lap 96 of 100, I would have come away victor. Unfortunately, my car's tire got sliced and knocked him out of the race. So, I lost to Mr B by 1 point. It was tight competition -- Nathan was just 1 point behind me.

Sunday was a chill day. After church we played pinochle and ate delicious spicy grilled chicken alla Mr B. The pinochle game was going very strangely with lots of square hands (which we blamed on me shuffling the cards too many times at the very beginning). But then, Nathan -- who happened to be my parter -- got the double run, an instant 1500 points (an instant win)! According to Mrs B, that unlikely hand only comes up once every 3 or 4 years (depending, of course, on how often one plays).

I drove home Sunday night in time to make cupcakes for a baby shower at work the next day. I had fun decorating them with dirt (oreo crumbs) and army figures and animals. They turned out really well.

Then... Tuesday and Wednesday... I was sick and had to take off work -- some flu/cold bug. "Go home," my boss said Tuesday morning. Thursday and today, I worked, but was totally wiped out by the end of the work day.

So, tomorrow, for the first time in 5 weekends, I'm going to have a quiet weekend at home. Some good R&R should get me right as rain for the next round.

What happened?!?

What do YOU think happened here?

Possible explanations:

A. Fickle fancy of a flighty female.
B. Fell asleep chewing gum and had to cut it out.
C. Turned pirate and couldn’t fit the long hair under the cool hat.
D. Gave a renewable resource for charitable causes.
E. Disguise to protect the innocent.


If you chose C, you are… well… incorrect. But that would be an adventure! Or perhaps becoming a spy. But neither of those would be completely accurate. The correct answer is D. (Big surprise, I know.)

The required length for Locks of Love didn’t leave much extra. But I still have more than many – namely the child who will be getting a new red-auburn wig. And beyond that, my hair grows quickly enough that it will be a length I like better within the space of 6-8 months. (Thanks, Mrs B for doing the honors! Thanks Anna for photo-documenting it!)

As you may have guessed, I was in Olympia with the Bruce's this weekend. (We missed you, Sarah!)

Other long weekend exploits:

Cars races at a dirt track. Most of the cars I "bet on" won... so I ended up with the most points again.

Hike to the top of Mount Beljica…which has an up-close and personal look at Mount Rainier – except for the giant cloud enveloping us. Still beautiful though – even with the fog (especially), hail, rain, and cool (40 degrees) temps. YAY for polypros!

There was a hole in the cloud for a few minutes -- but not enough to see Rainier, just some moments of sunshine. (The base of Mt Rainier is centered behind me where the valley floor begins to rise again.)

Pinochle. I played for the first time this weekend. It’s complicated, but so fun. I can't wait to play more so I can get better and learn more strategies. Mr. and Mrs. B were great teachers, and Nathan was a very patient and helpful partner!

Wii!!! Anna, Nathan, and I stayed up WAY too late playing the Wii. Anna and I got a bit silly the later it got... but we sure had fun. : )

Playing the piano.
Making cards with fancy stamps, papers, and emboss powders.
Kicking around the soccer ball with Timothy.
Good chats.
Yummy ice cream.

YAY for long weekends. The alarm sounded too early this morning. Work went well, but I was tired.

Jenny and I watched Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End tonight. I didn't really like it. There were a few funny parts, but really, I'd rather just repress the whole 169 minutes (plus Pirates 2) and think of Pirates of the Caribbean only as the first movie they came out with.

And now? To bed.

Last Week

Can you guess what this is? That's right... the cocoa powder I sprinkled over a 5-point snowflake I cut out and placed on the birthday cake for a co-worker in my department. (Just because it was the week of the festival and the President's Council didn't mean we skip celebrating his 50-something-th birthday.)

The early morning view from my Waterfront hotel room. (The only reason I stayed at a hotel in my own hometown is because I was working the President's Council.) It was really nice... only a few blocks from the festival.

Crazy clouds!
In 2 days, over 185,000 heard Luis preach the Good News of Jesus Christ at Portland CityFest...
We're armed and ready to counsel decision-makers once Luis gives the invitation.

For more info about Portland CityFest and great pics, check out http://www.portlandcityfest.com/.

August Rush!

Time waits for no one, and it's already past the middle of the month.

This past weekend was really relaxing. It was pretty quiet since Sarah was at a wedding in Ashland and Jenny is working really long hours since the festival is only a few days out.

Movie night Friday night with Anna Riedl. She brought Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey and Krispie Kremes, and I made popcorn and "apple cider cocktails" (dilute unpasturized raw apple cider vinegar, club soda, a few drops of stevia to sweeten, and vanilla - the acidity of the "cocktail" helps balance the sugars in the body). I thought Northanger Abbey was really funny. Maybe it wasn't meant to be... but I thought it was.

Saturday I went shopping to get the food for Luis' snack baskets in his hotel room and at the festival site. I had so much fun! Normally I wouldn't get such an opportunity, but fortunately, Jenny is the the Operations Director of the festival and it was on her To Do list. And fortunately she didn't really want to or have time to - and I did on both accounts. So, I had a blast.

Saturday evening I drove to Woodland to the Bresnahan's beautiful country home to see Nicole who is visiting from Lousiana. I hadn't seen Nicole for almost a year - and it was so good to see her again and hear her stories. Also, because she's only here for a short time, she invited several others over as well... and it never ceases to amaze me how many incredible people I never met at Fox. We all had some great conversations -- and it's so encouraging to meet other people who share so many of the same beliefs as I do... who feel so strongly about absolute truth and other topics relating to Christianity. And all of them still live in this area, so I'm hoping to catch up with at least a few of them again and get to know them better.

(If I had any regrets about my time at Fox, it may be how focused I was on school. Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying I would have slacked off. But, I probably wouldn't have spent so much time getting a perfect score when I could have spent more time getting to know people and still ended up with an A.)

And then Sunday was just a chill day. Church in the morning. And then I came home in a cooking mood. So Jenny was sweet enough to let me make her blueberry and whipped cream crepes for breakfast. And then I did something I never do -- I fell asleep in the middle of the afternoon for 3 hours. I had been trying to read a book, but I couldn't stay awake for it. (It wasn't an intentional nap.) Then Jenny and I watched a movie that night. Thanks to my nap, I wasn't tired when it was time for bed... so I was awake until 1am, but still felt pretty rested when I woke up this morning.

All in all, a good weekend before the craziness.

Starting tomorrow, I'll be involved in all the festival stuff... the first of the luncheons is happening. The second luncheon is Wednesday, though I'll be a "guest" for that since I'm hosting some ladies at my table. Thursday the PC (for major donors) starts and I'll be helping with the kids program. Friday and Saturday are the festival days - and after PC stuff in the morning, I'll be in the crowd collecting testimony stories and counseling new believers until late. Sunday afternoon the PC is over and normal life will start to resume in the late afternoon - I hope. Please be praying! We hope many thousands of people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ this week.

More poetry

I wrote these poems amidst my most challenging but best semester in French. I need to get back into the language study, because I'm very rusty now... I think you can copy paste into the Microsoft Word 2007 and translate for a rough idea of what I'm talking about (which isn't that complex or profound... but, hey, it sounds cool when read aloud :) )

Comme la pièce d’un puzzle

Chaque personne est comme la pièce d’un puzzle.
Une petite pièce d’un grand tableau.
Unique. Nécessaire.
Chacune remplit une particulière raison d’être.
Indispensable. Irremplaçable.
Une réflexion du cœur de l’artiste.
Belle. En harmonie avec les autres.
L’image n’est pas complète sans toutes les pièces.
Les pièces, elles glorifient leur Créateur
Lorsqu’elles atteignent ce que Dieu leur a confié de faire.


Deux chemins

Depuis le début les humains sont libres
De choisir un chemin pour la durée de vie.
Deux chemins mènent aux deux arrivées
Et chaque personne doit choisir lequel à suivre.
« Décide pour toi-même » dit le Créateur Dieu.

Un chemin est populaire et est emprunté de beaucoup.
Il a l’air de plaisir et il est facile et doux.
Grande ouverte est l’entrée et splendide à l’intérieur.
Mais la plupart qui y vont, ne regardent pas les panneaux
« Danger déguisé, Rebroussez votre chemin ! »
Ce chemin plait un moment et piége la foule
Et il finira dans la destruction de vie.

L’autre chemin n’est pas populaire du tout
Il est difficile à trouver et plus encore à monter
La passe escalade une montagne et a l’air pleine de dangers
Ceux qui cherchent le trouveront et aussi la joie et la paix
Les panneaux encouragent « Ne te détourne pas,
Continue en direction de la Source de lumière. »
Ceux qui persistent se trouveront dans la présence de Dieu.

Quel chemin choisissez-vous ?

Goodnight, Fair Moon

Oh, bright shining Moon, I gaze and wonder...
The dreams you've inspired throughout the ages,
Beautiful sphere in the dark night sky;
What you've said to the stargazers and sages...
In fullness, unhindered reflector of light.
Celestial subject of Beginning and End,
Created before the first of all men;
But at the close of time the soul survives
To tell of forever with no more night
And God's glory outshining your lesser light.
So goodnight, fair Moon, and do as you should;
Continue your path around this dark world
And kiss those you see as I greet the dawn.
Until you're back, adieu -- it won't be long.

Bruce Lube School

This weekend I learned how to change my oil at the Bruce's -- something I've always wanted to know how to do, and finally had my opportunity.

I got my synthetic blend oil and a pretty sweet tough guard filter.

I wore one of those awesome mechanic jumpsuits. (I wish I had a picture!)

I pulled my car into the garage onto risers.

I learned that manual transmission vehicles don't need to have their transmission fluids checked or refilled.

I got to see a flywheel, clutch, manual transmission, pressure plate, and other cool car parts (because Nathan is working on a '48 Plymouth at the moment).

I refilled my windshield washer fluid -- which must have been nearly empty since I poured in the entire 1/2 gallon.

I learned about all the cool things under the hood of my car.

I got to roll under my car on those little flat cart things.

I got motor oil down my arm and sleeve when I pulled the filter off -- which meant that I got to look and smell like a real mechanic!

I reset the oil change tracker that flashes a warning light on my dashboard after 5,000 miles -- all by myself! (And, Stephen, it didn't reset my odometer!)

I got my tires filled so that my car will be quick and nimble again.

All that to say, I passed the Bruce Lube School with flying colors!!! And it was AWESOME! One of the highlights of my weekend :)

C'est la vie - Always 21

Kirsten's birthday was Monday... so yesterday, my roomies, Jodi, Liz, and I took her down to the Hillsboro Tuesday night farmers' market for dinner and live music. (Liz had to leave early... and somehow managed to miss all the pictures)

You can't tell, but for some reason, something was really stinky around this tree. We couldn't locate the source - didn't want to locate the source. It was, otherwise, a great photo opp. SO... we stopped quickly for the shot.

Apple-scented bubbles.
Kirsten being "attacked" by Sarah's bubbles.


Jenny was having bubble trouble.
I looked up... and saw this.
We wanted a group shot, and I had the longest arm.

Then, we went to a nearby neighborhood for dessert.
(I lived in this neighborhood for about 2 months last year. It backs up to a wildlife preservation/wetlands area and has a sheltered picnic table area and walking trails along the wetlands.)

I made mini cheesecakes - chocolate almond truffle and white chocolate raspberry - but forgot the candles. So Kirsten blew out her lighter instead.
(We all started singing in a different key... which is why we spontaneously laugh at the beginning - just in case you wondered. : ) )

PS. Jodi made her wear the hat.

Oh... funny story. Kirsten is wearing this crazy hat, right? So, at the market, she was getting some marionberries. Jodi asked the guy (probably in his 20s) if there were any birthday discounts. The guy asks, "Whose birthday is it?"

Really? Really?!?

Ummm... she's wearing the crazy hat. All of us probably gave him the same incredulous look. Poor guy.

Cherries and Berries and Shoes - oh my!

I spent Sunday evening at Liz's family farm southwest of Hillsboro. The Eischen's have cherries, Italian plums, and honey. The orchards are beautiful to walk through, and the surrounding countryside is so peaceful.

Liz, Maile, and Elinor
The "shaker" that shakes the trees to harvest the cherries.
Maile's son Zach eating cherries with Liz's younger sister Sarah -- sweet, delicious cherries, by the way :)
Liz's youngest brother Jerry helping Zach pump the old-fashioned (but still working!) water pump.

Her dad told us the water source is 80 feet under -- and that the workers hand-dug their way to it years and years ago. (I can't remember... but I think it's over 100 years old!)

Oats!


I took these from inside my car on the drive home...

Today a small posse of us went berry-picking on Sauvie Island to extend the celebration of Jenny's birthday (it was Tuesday - and I suprised her by getting up super early to make her scones with fresh blueberries for breakfast!).

This is my boss's wife Michele and their almost 1-year-old Carter.

Holly, Michele, Jay (boss), and Carter

(Jay is one of my three bosses... but he's my "main" boss and direct supervisor for all my foundation work -- about 75% of my job)

Jenny, Jodi, and me with some spoils!

After 8 years of nearly giving up on the shoe industry (years of "too pointy" "too clunky" "too not-my-style" "too hideous" "gag"), I finally found not one but TWO pairs of shoes that I like (helpful since my old ones have been holding out for years)

These new ones are a little trendy, but I actually like them - in other words, I didn't just say "they'll do." And they were both on sale/clearance.

SO... I now have functional, versatile 2" brown and black heels for skirts, slacks, and jeans for work, church, and going places where flip-flops and barefeet probably shouldn't.

I especially like the brown ones.

Truth be told, I'm not so sure about the knot on the black ones...

Ideally, our culture would one day decide that it's much more preferable not to wear shoes - inside at least. But that's a different battle for a different day.