Happy Birthday Ava!!

Today was the birthday celebration for Ava, the daughter of a friend of mine Elisa and her husband Frank. It was BBQ time. I ran home from the parade and got ready to go south. Frank and Elisa live right on the river (Willamette). It is seriously in their backyard. So the grill was out the water flowing (it is very calm so from their back patio you can't hear it but you can see it) and the fun was being had. Ava was celebrating turning 3!!

Hot Dog time! She is so stinking cute and she knows it!

Present time.

When I asked Elisa what she needed/wanted she told me I'd be safe with anything princess, pink, or anything girlie in general. I found a cute Disney princesses dish set with plate, bowl, and cup. She got lots of fun and girlie things! Whenever she was opening a gift she'd say "Look! I got this!" She was pleased with all her gifts! Yay for turning 3!!

"Good in the 'hood"

Today was the Annual "Good in the Neighborhood" parade in N/NE Portland. Providence is a huge sponsor for the Festival and always has a large group walk in the parade. Last year was the first year my schedule had allowed me to participate and it was blazing hot (85 degrees when I was on my way to the parade route). This year as one of the Diversity Committee co-chairs for our Laurelhurst site I was there again. It was SO much cooler than last year which was very welcome. We threw lots of candy and unfortunately we always run out before the end. We have said each year that next year we need to remember to get more candy, and each year we do, but as the parade grows larger we still run out. Both years that I have attended I've needed to leave right after the parade is over due to other commitments, but there is lots of music, food, and fun had by all at the festival. Some year I'll get to stick around!

Penny, our EP outings driver was driving the lead van for Providence.

Go ElderPlace!

Getting ready to walk!

Gathering before the parade.

The art of skipping stones

Last night I watched Amelie, a French Film with my friend Megan. It's a film I've often seen in movie rental stores and have always wanted to pick up, but never have. It was an interesting film, and one of the topics that was recurrent in the film was that Amelie, the main character was a skipper of stones. There were countless scenes in which she was picking up random skipping stones. I was amused by this because growing up I recall my dad always picking up stones to skip when we were near a body of water. Numerous times he attempted to teach me, however my stones always sank.

As I drove home last night I was thinking about the skipping of stones, the origination of the activity, and why people partake in the activity. So to Google I went. (What did we do before search engines!) Anywho, according to Wikipedia...

"Stone skipping is a pastime which involves throwing a stone with a flattened surface across a lake or other body of water in such a way that it bounces off the surface of the water. The object of the game is to see how many times a stone can be made to bounce before sinking. In North America it is also referred to as "skipping rocks". In Russian this game is called "baking pancakes", in Ukrainian, it is called "letting the frogs out", in Polish, "letting the ducks out". In Spanish it is called "making white-caps", among other names, in Catalan, "making step-stone bridges" or "furrows", or simply "skipping stones"."

I had no idea that this was an international pasttime, but it is somewhat comforting to know that a person could travel around the world and find a fellow man or woman skipping stones at a tranquil pond.

I also discovered in my Google search that there is a North American Stone Skipping Association (NASSA). Who knew?! According to the website the current holder of the Guinness World record for skips is held by Jerdone McGhee who skipped a stone 38 times (there is currently a contender-Kurt Steiner, who skipped a stone 40 times)!! What I want to know is how a person or a group of persons can count a stone skipping across a peaceful body of water when it skips that many times? I think I'd lose track after 8 or so.

There are several "How to skip a stone" videos and instructions online that I may study and who knows...I may try skipping a stone or two again sometime soon! How about you?

FAFSA

Yes, it stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid; and it is a form I had never thought I would fill out again, but I sort of had this thought that smacked me in the head tonight when I was out walking. Yes, if I indeed want to go back to school this coming fall I had better get my rear in gear and complete the needed paperwork, which includes the FAFSA form. Thankfully I happened to look at the website tonight and discovered the deadline (it's been a long time since I've dealt with a deadline like this) is June 30th! YIKES! I really better get going. This form felt like it was the death of me when I was in my undergrad years. Who would have thought that just subtracting your parents from the equation (not because I want them subtracted from my life or anything of the sort) would make filling out the form that much easier? Anywho, the form that seemed to take me days to compile in my undergrad years took me a matter of 45 minutes tonight. And, yes, I reviewed my answers before hitting the "submit" button (for the teachers in the audience).

I know things aren't finalized for my "back to school" adventure, but things are slowly (very slowly) getting done. Now on to the application for the program (yes, I told you it has been going slowly, I'll have you know that it is partially filled out already)!! Wish me luck!

Happy Day Dad!

The timing couldn't have been better for my Mom's convention and Father's Day. Because I flew into Denver to drive to WY I was able to come back to Denver to fly back home to Portland. Because of this I was able to spend Father's Day with my Dad for the first time in years! We headed to the Denver Zoo! And had a great time. Thanks Dad! Hope you enjoyed your day!

Dad and the hyena!
Lions and tigers and bears, OH MY!

Flamingos for Mom!

Dad with the camels!
Posing with the Polar Bear!

Department Convention

For the last year my Mom has served as Wyoming's Department President for the American Legion Auxiliary. She spent the year travelling around the state and visiting units in towns of all sizes and in all corners of the great state of Wyoming. The year culminates in a state-wide convention where Auxiliary members traverse to one location for days of meetings. I was unable to make it to my Mom's installation into her office last year, so I trekked the 1000 miles to be there for her convention this year. It was so great to see her and several of the members that attend that I have known for years, but haven't seen in 5 years.

At the end!

Her theme was ducks...they were all over the place!

Because of different circumstances the person who would have proceeded up into the President position was unable to do so, so Mom is serving another year. Who would have known when I couldn't make it to her installation last year that I would be able to see it happen again this year? Congrats Mom!

Views of my home state

I left Colorado this afternoon after going for a ride with my Dad through a beautiful canyon. The drive went well. Before I left on vacation John, one of my co-workers told me that Wyoming is a beautiful state. Unfortunately, being from the state I don't always see and appreciate the beauty, especially when it is ugly and winter time which is when I usually am there (if you visit WY I recommend not going in the winter-everything is gray/brown and ugly, trust me!). However, much to my dismay, as I'll have to admit to John, Wyoming was very beautiful this trip. I attribute it to the thunderstorms and rain produced from them that is keeping the rolling hills green. Here are a few pictures:

Enjoy the little visual trip to my home state! Next time I'll try to get shots of my hometown!

Leaving on a jet plane...

...headed to CO/WY today. Because of storms we were in a holding pattern for close to an hour and then had the roughest landing I've ever experienced. Regardless, I made it and enjoyed the view from the plane while circling Denver. Staying with Dad in Denver tonight and then heading up to booming Wheatland, WY for my Mom's Department Convention for the American Legion Auxiliary.

Strawberries are an "accessory" fruit?!...

...indeed! According to strawberries.com strawberries are an accessory fruit. What exactly does that mean? I was thoroughly surprise to learn the following from Wikipedia: "An accessory fruit, false fruit, spurious fruit, or pseudocarp is a fruit in which some or all of the flesh is derived not from the ovary but from some adjacent tissue. Some examples include cashews and pineappless. A fig is a type of accessory fruit called a syconium. Pomes, such as apples and pears, are also accessory fruits, with the core being the true fruit. "

Regardless of whether strawberries are an accessory fruit they are delicious, especially as they are transformed into freezer jam, which I love to make. Here is the photo sequence of my jam making. It took two nights, but those two nights will be worth it into the coming year as I enjoy my freezer jam on many things, mainly pancakes!

Berries right after I bought them!! One whole flat! yes the people I bought them from were shocked! The berries in the sink soaking!The berries after they've been hulled. I felt like I stood at my sink for eons.

Mashing the berries.

Adding the pectin so the jam, jams!

The finished product! SO yummy!

So you know what I'll be starting to eat again soon? Pancakes!! For some reason I don't enjoy my pancakes as much without this lovely, red, goodness! Pancakes anybody??

Tattoo: a permanent mark or design made on the skin by a process of pricking and ingraining an indelible pigment or by raising scars.

One of the things on my list of things to do before I die is to get a tattoo. I have wanted to do this for several years...since my HS days. I have taken my time and looked at LOTS of designs as I figure I better like something that I have placed permanently on my body. I finally found a design that I like. Instead of irrationally going out and having it tattooed on my body I decided that I would get a henna tattoo done in the design and location I thought I wanted the tattoo. This way I could decide: a) if I liked the design, b) if I liked the location and c) what I thought about size. So today was the day for the henna. Janelle, a friend of mine from work, who is actually an MSW student and completes her hours this coming week and will then leave us, went with me to the Portland Saturday Market (yes they are open Sunday also) for the henna adventure. Janelle had decided she would join the fun. Thanks for accompanying me Janelle!

Below are pictures:

Me getting my henna done!

Janelle getting her henna!

Janelle's finished product. I like it!

My finished product. What do you think about placement/design?

I think I really like it. Now for the real thing...

And they bloom...

I have never had a begonia or a passion flower, but alas, this year I do. I purchased both plants this spring and am happy with my investment. I bought the begonias as tubers and have ben giving them TLC since March when I started them indoors. My first begonia is blooming now and is gorgeous:


I ordered a passion flower plant through a catalog via a co-worker of mine. When it first arrived it was about 3 inches tall and now is at least three feet tall I believe (it is hard to tell as it winds around my railing). I had this gut feeling this last Thursday that it was going to erupt into full bloom (the first and only bloom thus far, but many more buds to blooms to come) while I was at work. When I arrived home it had indeed burst into its full glory. Here is my very first passion flower blossom.I apologize for the fuzzyness of both pictures. The begonia pic was taken at an awkward angle and the passion flower was taken with my cell phone and it closed up before I could even get the camera out. They are still pretty and make me smile though!

My mind at the moment

I have been on a role the last couple of weeks (actually months) and someone asked me today why I was "all over the place". I started thinking and I don't know exactly why, but I have a feeling that it's all the little and not so little things in life that seem to be stacking up. The unfortunate part of it is that most of it is happening in my mind, and thank you, but it isn't "in my mind" in a bad way. I have just had lots of things on my mind and am getting all worked up (in a good way) about them. I was talking to a friend today and I think I've pin-pointed the "beginning" of the sporadic phase I am in. I was debating about applying for another job, and I feel justified in writing this in my blog because the general populous at my workplace is aware that I was considering this. And I wouldn't have left the organization, just change where I was in it. I was hot and cold hour by hour for weeks.

After making a few lists (I make lots of lists), a late night conversation with a friend on a dark freeway and then more thinking (which by the way I was getting tired of doing constantly about this decision I was needing to make) I was again driving and this feeling just, and I say this in all honestly as it is the best way to describe it, smacked me between my eyes. I had this rush of relief that washed over me. I've tried to describe the moment to others and that is the best I can do. After telling the person with hiring responsibility that I WAS NOT going to apply for the position (without really having a substantial reason besides that it just didn't feel right) I couldn't stop smiling. I was elated and knew then that I had made the right decision.

Once that decision process was completed in my brain I was able to focus my energy elsewhere. I have always wanted to go back to school to get my Master's degree and am finally looking at doing that. Still debating about the logistics and have lots of things to figure out, but hopefully by 2011 (yes I need to plan that far out as I am anal about having plans) I will be in a Master's program. And that was a whole other decision that was playing tug of war in my brain. I, at the moment, have settled on getting on MSW (Master's of Social Work) and I've been settled on that for a while now, so hopefully it sticks, as I feel that would be a good route for me.

And then, my little (but bigger) brother made a move to Washington D.C. recently, which just progressed my "all over the place" mindset and actions. The reason you ask? Well, I sort of have this problem that I refer to as wanderlust. I LOVE to travel and see new places. Never have been to D.C., but always wanted to go. I asked him when he was accepting visitors and he said whenever. I have tentatively set a vacation for this coming spring, assuming the fundraising for the trip goes well.

After starting to think about this trip, I decided to crack open an old journal where I had once upon a time recorded my list of things to do before I die (I was spurred on because visiting D.C. is on that list). Got it out, read through it and checked off what I have done! Woohoo for those things and experiences. Then I decided it needed to be bulked up some as there are many more things I would like to do that have come to mind in the last year or two. So I dug in and have a very comprehensive list...2 columns on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper at 10point with a small font. I decided I better get busy if I was going to be successful in checking things off. And thus, here I am with all of this energy and attempting to add spice to my life and complete some of these tasks, experience some of these experiences and enjoy life to the fullest as you never know when your last day will arrive.

I also decided that I would complete a scrapbook--yes Mom...getting started again (hopefully)--that contains all the pictures and commentary on those things on my "List". Some of the items on my list aren't able to be photographed and some I will never tell another soul about as they are that personal to me, but for the photo worthy events I will compile and share via blog with anyone who cares to read and see the story of my life.

Hmmm....long blog, welcome to my brain.

Yummm.....

Celebrating the day of the birth of a friend + Papa Haydn's in NW Portland = Delicious Dessert.

Panna Cotta is described on the menu as: a smooth custard of heavy cream and sour cream, dotted with raspberry sauce and a rolled cookie.

I, of course, omitted the cookie (due to the gluten-free diet restrictions) and was good to go! I highly recommend trying Papa Haydn's sometime, especially on a lovely, perfect weather Portland evening!