Holiday Rundown

Even though I'm not responsible for Thanksgiving dinner, preparing for the holiday takes time and energy a single day doesn't usually require. Here's the rundown on my Thanksgiving week:

11/19 – Put on my game face and strapped on the elbow pads before venturing out to the grocery store. I knew if I put it off another day, the lines would only get longer and the shoppers would only get crankier. I completed my ingredient list for the yummy Apple Cider Spice cake I was baking for my Thursday contribution.

11/20 – Began cleaning my apartment, knowing how nice it is to come home to a clean house after being away for a few days. I had barely begun before being distracted by a book I wanted to finish. Next thing I know it's 11:30 p.m. – way too late to use the vacuum, run the dishwasher, and start laundry. But I'd finished my book!! The evening wasn't a total waste.

11/21 – Tonight I bathed my dog, Abby, in anticipation for her visit to my parents house. A clean dog makes a much nicer house guest than a dirty one. She's a very tolerant bather, but even without her resistance, she's still 62 pounds of dog and is hard to strong-arm. Not to mention how hard it is to suppress her urge to shake! I accomplished a lot Wednesday night, bathing Abby, packing, cleaning, and baking my cake.

11/22 – Happy Thanksgiving! I drove the 110 miles south to my parents' home in Springfield, dog in tow. Our group was small this year, just my parents, my younger sister Jaylyn, and a friend from her church ward, Jenny. Oh, and two dogs. Abby and my sister's dog, Maggie, got along fine. Abby desperately wanted to engage and play with Maggie but Maggie didn't want much to do with Abby. I was worried that part of the visit wouldn't go well, but the dogs were completely fine with one another. Dinner was delicious! Thanksgiving was everything I wanted it to be. Lazy, relaxing, and low-key. No family gathering is complete (no matter how small the group) without playing games. We played Catch-Phrase after dinner and had fun teasing each other about our clue-giving skills!

11/23 – We observed Black Friday with some early-morning shopping. Jaylyn and Mom were out-of-control and out of the house by 5. I met them a little after 6 as I am utterly unable to rise any earlier. Though, my older sister gets the crazy award for leaving to shop with her sister-in-law before 4. Granted, when you have kids I imagine it's even greater incentive to take advantage of all the sales. But why even go to bed? After shopping for a few hours, I returned home to shower and recharge before picking Jaylyn up at work so we could catch an afternoon showing of Enchanted. She and I hit another couple of stores after the movie, got home in time for dinner and I was asleep on the couch by 9. Upstairs in bed by 10. Such excitement!

11/24 – Tried to sleep in, but when Abby heard the rest of the house waking up she became restless. Sometime during the night she jumped up on the bed with me where I found her curled up at my feet the next morning and I knew it was silly to think I could ignore her and continue sleeping. After breakfast, I watched a little football with my dad before the two of us began working on my car. Well, really he did the work and I held the screws and observed. I needed to replace some lights which ended up requiring the dismantling of a large portion of the dashboard. But thanks to my dad I can now see how fast I'm going when driving at night! Thanks, Dad. It was with great satisfaction we put it all back together without any leftover parts. After that we watched a very disappointing Oregon game and then I drove back home to Portland.

All-in-all it was a very enjoyable holiday! I hope yours was good as well.

Gobble, Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Weekend Wedding

This past Saturday I attended my friend, Becky’s, wedding at Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, WA. I also dusted off my photography “skills” and acted as photographer for the event. It was fun having a task to keep myself engaged. The drive out to Stevenson was quite rainy, but I was still able to enjoy the scenic waterfalls and views of Columbia Gorge along the way. AND I was able to use my favorite bridge - The Bridge of the Gods - to cross over to Washington. How great is that name? It has a Native American connotation that evokes wistfulness and intrigue and heritage all rolled up into one. And I like the way the words sound rolling around in my mouth.
Jasmine, the flower girl, insisted on a photo with me!
Views from the lodge

Click here for more information on the Bridge of the Gods, both in modern terms and Native American legend. It’s interesting, especially if you’re familiar with Northwestern geography.

(I didn't take this picture.)

Things I Learned 11/11 - 11/17

Things I Learned This Week:

Florida does not have a state income tax

A flowerpot falling from a second-story apartment will not survive the impact.

Honesty has its rewards.

I can no longer get by on small amounts of sleep.

Timing is everything in my commute.

Some folks do not have a "best behavior".

I enjoy my own company.

What did YOU learn this week?

Sharpest Tool in the Shed

I generally get my news online rather than watching the programs on TV. Due to not having more than seven channels, I find I can access a much broader scope on the internet. I guess that goes without saying. Anyway, yesterday I read this headline "Georgia Farmers Fear Water Hogs." And you know what my first thoughts were? Yeah, that's right. I started wondering what water hogs look like. Are they like wart hogs? Are they mean? Why are they menacing the farmers? NOT my most intelligent moment. I was literally picturing a wild animal chasing the farmers around their fields - an editorial cartoon come to life.

So, if you find yourself on a farm, keep an eye and an ear out for the elusive water hogs. And next time you brush your teeth, wash the car, or do the dishes don't leave the tap running or you might turn into a water hog yourself!

Unexpected Gratitude

Sometimes the best thank yous are the ones we don't expect or feel entitled to receiving. Recently a woman I work with had to make an extremely unexpected trip to England to help her husband arrange funeral services for his mother. I assumed some of her responsibilities while she was away and, as a thank you, she brought me these. I didn't help her out expecting any grand gestures but it was nice being appreciated and having her acknowledge that my help made it easier for her to be away with family. Looking at the flowers on my desk makes me realize how often I let the opportunity to say thank you slip through my fingers because I'm just "too busy" to stop and make it happen. That's something I'm going to work on...remembering to say thank you for the small, human gestures I so often take for granted.

Halloween Pictures

My sister Debbi (aka Peace) and me (aka Quiet).
Jarae and her friend Cameron
Secret Service Agent Tanner Bean