Ice Damage

So, last night I was listening to the ice break up, and it was kind of cool. Kit was fascinated, but on edge. That's pretty normal for him. Then, this morning I discovered the origin of one very large craaaaaaaaaack. It was a tree limb. The worst part, it went through the windshield of my car. If it wasn't for the ice, I would've been parked in my nice, covered, parking spot, instead of near the tree.

Snow to Ice

The weather has been the major topic of conversation in the Pacific Northwest. Anyone who saw the Seahawks beat the Jets today saw the snow in Seattle. Portland International has canceled over 300 flights at this point. A bit closer to home we've had rain all day. And it's frozen. The trees behind my place have branches touching the ground. And the ice is a half-inch thick on the shrubs.

Snow Driving

Face it, western Oregon is not exactly snow country. Many years we get just a bare skiff. This year, it just keeps coming down. I know my friends who live in true snow country are appalled by the reaction many Oregonians have to the winter white stuff. This week the Portland news stations have reported little news that is not weather related. But seriously, it's not that bad. I will admit that my Montana driving skills have been sharpened a bit this week, but if people would just use a little common sense, the snow would not be such a big deal!

Cookies

Since they cancelled school in my district today I had to find something to do on my unexpected day off. There was a whole list of chores I should've tackled. Instead, I chose to spend a good piece of the day in the kitchen. I made seven dozen cookies. Love the cookie gun! I'm not good a cut-out cookies. They take way more patience than I seem to possess. And I made my favorite peanut butter fudge. It's a recipe from my maternal grandmother that my mom has made every year for Christmas. It's a good thing I've made it several times myself. I discovered that my candy thermometer needs replacing. Thank goodness for Betty Crocker; I had to test soft-ball stage the old-fashioned way.

Let it snow....

The weather people have been predicting snow in the valley for several days. This weekend it hit. Just a little at first. I woke up to a skiff yesterday, but it wasn't enough to keep me home. This morning, there was a little more. Again, it didn't keep me home, and by noon it was gone. Now it's almost 8:30 pm. The snow which started at 3:30 has stopped, but the temperature continues to drop. I expect school may be delayed tomorrow. I kind of hope so. I really don't want to be out driving those winding, rural roads when they're icy.

Christmas Preparations

It's a short 15 days until Christmas. The tree is decorated. Cards have been mailed. Most of my shopping is done. Some gifts are wrapped and waiting. And I've started making candy. Of course there are many, many more things on my "Christmas To Do List." There are seven more days of school in 2008, and then I'll rush to finish everything up. I love this time of year so much, I just wish it didn't rush by so darn quick.

It's a small world....

That thought always takes me by surprise, but I'm not sure why. I often see people who are "out of context". Today we buried my Aunt Velma. She passed suddenly earlier this week. The service was very nice, and it was good to see my cousins. But during the funeral I kept thinking I knew the funeral director. I just knew his face, but I couldn't place where. It wasn't' until the minister mentioned the director's first name that I realized I'd gone to high school with the man. After the service I took a few moments to ask him if my suspicions were correct, and we spent a little time catching up. Who knew that 20 years after he graduated this man would be helping my cousins bury their mother in a small, rural town 35 miles from where we both grew up. It truly is a small, small world.

Storybook Land

There's a staple of the holiday season in Albany. It's called Storybook Land, and for the last 30 years the creators have built dioramas from favorite children's' stories. At the same time they collect money and foodstuffs for charity. It's been probably 28 years since I last visited, but tonight my parents and I took Lys. It was a lot of fun, there were lots of people, and Santa was waiting at the end of the tour.

For Erin....

Erin and I have been friends for a long time. Since high school. But not the same school. We grew up on opposite sides of the state, and met at Oregon Business Week. The camp experience was not really memorable, but the friendship is. We now live less than ten miles apart. So, getting together for dinner(tonight we had Japanese), shopping or a movie is much easier.

I am Thankful....

It's the season to reflect upon what is good and right in life. So, I'm going to share my Thankful List.

I am Thankful for....

• Faith
• Family
• Friends
• Kitter
• Health
• Work
• Creativity
• Humor
• Honesty
• Balance
• Strength

Here is wishing you a very....

Follow up...and other things.

I can't believe we're well into November already, and it's been so eventful!

November 1 - OSU Homecoming parade. Short and sweet. See the previous blog entry for pictures. But I found out after a chat with my Dad that OSU used to have really major Homecoming parades. Until one year a student fell off a flat-bed truck on the parade route and was run over the truck.

November 2 - Dad, Eric and the rest of the Great Elk Hunters came home from hunting, ending the elk hunting widowhood of the wives. Unfortunately, it was a lousy year for hunting. Good thing all the elk meat from 2007 wasn't eaten yet. I do love my elk steak!

November 4 - The Historic Election. Hopes are high, and it's going to take a miracle for the man to achieve all those hopes. My advice to all...Keep Praying.

November 7 - Would've been my Grams' 92nd Birthday. It's been almost eight years since she passed and I still miss her very much.

I also had a great dinner with Erin. I love having some of my friends close by!

November 8 - I woke up to rain. It lulled me back to sleep in my soft flannel cocoon. When I finally did surface, it was a good day to hunker down and do nothing. I love those days!

Tomorrow we're having a family dinner. It's one of those little things I'm so thankful for. The three years I was away really brought home how much my family and spending time with them mean to me.

Gotta Love a Parade

There's just about a parade. Whether they are big or small, like this one, they just make me smile. These are some pictures from the OSU Homecoming Parade held on November 1. I don't remember there ever being a homecoming parade for OSU before, but I could be wrong about that. Either way, I hope this tradition continues.

Pondering...the meaning of respect.

There are days when I wonder when the world changed. I work with teenagers and I know there are things they experience I never had to. My life began with a very solid foundation. There were rules and expectations, and there were consequences when I didn't meet those expectations. Tonight I sit here and ponder the path my life has taken, and I wonder do I expect too much from my students?

Is it too much to expect them to be kind, considerate, understanding? I know that patience is difficult. I struggle with it myself sometimes. Is sitting still and staying focused too much to ask? I wonder if the technological world we've created has increased the instances of ADD and ADHD, or have we failed to teach children how to cope with overwhelming stimuli. Part of me thinks its more the latter. I can remember as a child being expected to finish a meal before being able to play. The other day I was at a local fast food restaurant (yes, I know it's not healthy) and this father walked in with three young children, probably 2-7. The kids made a beeline for the playground, and then didn't want to eat when the food was ready.

Is it too much to expect a certain level of courtesy? Or that offensive language doesn't belong in my classroom? When did it become acceptable for a fifteen year old to call me, her teacher, a rather vulgar name?

I know that all children aren't rude, or disrespectful. I'm even willing to bet that most of my students don't behave this way all the time. I just wonder if we, as a society, have failed them and one day when we need them to step to the plate, what kind of reaction will we get.

The Pitfalls of Technology

It's been a crazy week, technology-wise. I love the stuff, but I'm often really frustrated. First case. It appears that my wireless network is up and running, but it won't recognize my computer. After and hour of "verifying identification" I just plug back into the wall. Second case: I have a student in one of my online classes who is special ed. I have a great deal of difficulty evaluating her work when I don't have a clear understanding of her disability. This is one of those moments when I really miss the face-to-face that I get from my kids in the classroom. Of course, some of them share a little too much information with me. But that's another story. The third case is similar to the second. Mom hates texting and email, so we talk on the phone. (And some of you know how much I dislike the phone). Dad gets a kick out of it, so that's one of the ways we communicate. Today I sent a text, he replied and then I stressed about the underlying meaning, and that he missed my meaning. It was a mess. I guess I really need to work on emoting via text messaging!

Winter's Comin'

We spent this past weekend in Sisters for the Harvest Faire. It's sort of a tradition with family and close friends; one that I've missed out on for the last three years. It was a beautiful weekend, but very chilly. On the way over Friday I took this picture near the summit of Santiam Pass. Winter's comin'.

Art at the Museum...and in the Park

The Hallie Ford Art Museum at Willamette University is celebrating it's 10th Anniversary this weekend with free admission, and they just opened an exhibit I wanted to see. Today seemed like the perfect time to visit. The exhibit, ceremonial regalia from the nine Native tribes in Oregon, was interesting. I found out while I was there that the pieces were chosen by the tribes themselves, and not the curator of the exhibit. That's unusual in art circles. I got there just in time for a tour by an anthropology student, and I started to follow along but found myself enjoying my own wanderings better. I'm one of those people who actually likes to read the exhibit signs.

After seeing the galleries, including an exhibit of Native American basketry, in the museum I wandered outside, and across the street to Willson Park. It's one of those small, urban green spaces with a gazebo and a fountain. It neighbors the capital building, and the golden pioneer gazes across it. I found myself drawn to the sculptures in the park. I don't what it's called, but it's kind of whimsical.

First Wednesday

Last night Traci and partook of downtown Salem's First Wednesday. On the first Wednesday of the month businesses downtown stay open a little later. There's live music and interesting people. Since October is breast cancer awareness month the theme was pink. It was fun hanging with my sis. The weather was excellent and we browsed through some stores we'd never visited. And we discovered Casey's Cafe on Court Street. (Want a review? check out the Eat Salem blog) I will say that Casey's has really good burgers, dogs, fries and onion rings. It's nice to find local places to eat.

The Oregon Encyclopedia

I just returned from a community meeting for the Oregon Encyclopedia. It's a project originating from Portland State University to create an online encyclopedia of things, people, places, and events of Oregon from ancient history to present day. It's an ambitious project, and one of partner projects of Oregon 150, the celebration in 2009 for Oregon's sesquicentennial.

The community meetings are designed to spread the word about the project and to solicit suggestions for entries and authors. It was interesting. Only a few people attended, and the amount of knowledge was astounding. While the input was decidedly around Marion County, I couldn't resist adding some things from Benton, Polk, Yamhill and Curry Counties. It elicited an interesting response a couple of times, "Okay, let's get back to Salem". One of the other interesting tidbits I discovered was that one of the other attendees had ancestors who lived very close to mine in north Benton County from the 1840's until the 1940's when Camp Adair was built. As soon as I unearth my genealogy books, I'll have to do some digging.

Reflection

Last week was tough. Starting a new job and being in a position where people are going to dislike you, and tell you they do just because you're there, is hard and frustrating. For those of you who know about my job, you're thinking that's par for the course. You're right, but that doesn't make it any easier.

I use my computer as an escape. I love the detachment of email, Facebook, Myspace and Blogger. I've never been a huge fan of the telephone, so email is a beautiful thing. I know that not everyone agrees with me. One friend recently posted on her Facebook page that there's too much information. I know, but I love it anyway. So rather than go on and on and on...I'll end with a bible verse I found on another friend's Facebook page:

And now,dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think things that are excellent and worthy of praise." Philippians 4:8

Here's hoping the week to come is much more pleasant.

Invasive Species

Okay, I admit I watch public television. That may not sound strange to some, but as a kid I never thought I'd actually watch OPB. But that's neither here nor there. Last night I stumbled across a real gem. It was called "Silent Invasion", a documentary about invasive species and the damage they've done. I don't know that I'll ever be able to look at some familiar places the same again. One of the things I love most about living in Oregon is the beauty. Yet those familiar landscapes aren't all native. Humans have changed things both intentionally and accidentally. Anyway, if you want to see more, click on the link. OPB does great websites.

Perceptions...a lesson

Last week I made a comment to a student that was not taken in the manner I intended it. Most of the time teenagers react well to sarcasm, but his particular individual did not. I apologized immediately and I thought the matter over. Lesson learned. I don't have the relationship with this group that I had at my old school. Today, the situation reared it's ugly head again when I had to consequence this student for an rule infraction. The phone call to his mother was enlightening in several ways. So, the moral of this story. Curb my tongue, at least until the situation has become much more familiar.

Family Reunion

Yesterday we had a little family reunion at my cousin Sally's house. It was an opportunity to celebrate Uncle Lawrence and Aunt Charlotte's 65th wedding anniversary. Uncle Lawrence is my grandfather's last surviving sibling. It's sad to think that as the generations before us pass on, it takes more and more effort for the cousins to get together. I'm thankful to Sally for taking the time and effort to host this little party. It was fun.

September....

It's hard to believe September is here. The summer rushed by much too fast. Moving and traveling left me with much to do in such little time. I've been in my new home for a couple weeks now, and I'm slowing readjusting to apartment life. Lucky for me the neighbors have been quiet...so far. And there's something very reassuring about having my own things out and about me again.

School has started...sort of. This week has been full of parent meetings to cover school expectations. So far I've met a couple dozen "normal" teenagers who, unfortunately, have been labeled. I share the program with two new colleagues and one I've known for years. I think it's going to be a great year. I have high hopes, and I'm feeling reassured that I made the right choice coming back to the valley for this job.

To Work...

Today was District Day, an event that I sometimes think of as the "Rah Rah Rah" day when all things are good and the climate is positive. But it's strange being in a new district. It was still rah rah, but there were definitely some differences.First, the energy. This staff is rip roaring, ready to go. It's very refreshing. Second, I've never personally introduced myself so many times in one day. Also refreshing. Third, unlike other jobs where working with a challenging population is met with lots of "they're great kids, they just have issues", today I have several people respond with "God Bless You and Good Luck." One staff member actually crossed herself as she said it. I wasn't quite expecting that.So the new year begins. I work really hard not to build up any preconceived ideas. Other people don't really get that, though. They want to fill me in on all the gossip. I figure I'll get that as I go. Teenagers aren't known for keeping things to themselves.

Cherokee, NC & Great Smoky Mountain National Park

Today was our last full day in North Carolina. We decided to drive west to the town of Cherokee. For those who don't know the story behind the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee were rounded up and marched to what is now Oklahoma in the 1830's. A small group resisted, hiding out in the mountains and the descendants of those individuals are members of the Eastern Cherokee Tribe. They're culture has existed for centuries, and they draw thousands of tourists each year to their events. They have a museum, and a play called "Unto These Hills" which we didn't have time for, but we did visit the Oconaluftee Indian Village and I learned all kinds of interesting things.




After leaving Cherokee, the lure of Great Smoky Mountain National Park was just too much to ignore. It's touted as the most popular national park. I don't know about that, but it does see lots of traffic. I think the park must be a hikers paradise. We, of course, did not have time to hike. But the views are beautiful, and it was worth the 35 mile drive to cross it on Highway 441.

One of the attractions on the North Carolina side is the Mountain Farm Museum. They've pulled together old buildings to recreate a farm complete with chickens and pigs. We saw broom corn, the stuff they make brooms from. I'd never seen it growing before.

On the Tennessee side of the border is Gatlinburg. Wow. It's a town that is unlike any other I've ever seen. Some of you may understand when I describe it as Depoe Bay (Oregon) meets Reno (Nevada) on steroids. I think I'd like to go back and really spend some more time in that area. One day just wasn't enough to see and do everything.

The Biltmore Estate

Today the parents and I toured the Biltmore Estate. It's billed as the largest home in America, and with 250 rooms, I can believe it. A friend of mine, Erin, visited a couple years ago and really recommended seeing the estate. It was a little pricey, but we really enjoyed it.


Originally the estate encompassed 178,000 acres when it was built by the Vanderbilts in the 1890's. Now it's 8000 acres. The house tour includes 62 rooms. Plus you can visit the winery, River Bend Farm, wander through acres of gardens. It's so much more than you can see in a day, but since that' all we had, we made the most of it.

Israel Burial Ground & Reunion Dinner

This morning the family trekked out to the Michael Israel burial ground. Michael was a revolutionary war soldier in the North Carolina Militia. The burial ground is on private property, and from what I understand, if not for the efforts of some family members it would have been obliterated long ago. Like many old cemeterys, the original markers were field stones. The modern stones placed there now are all fairly new. In fact that is part of the reason we went this morning, to dedicate a new stone.


This evening we had our finale dinner event. It's mostly about the fellowship. This year we had a southern fried chicken dinner with sweet potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, cornbread, biscuits, berry and peach cobblers and iced tea. The Moose Cafe did a great job with the food. It was yummy. After eating we shared family stories. It was a very enjoyable evening.

Western North Carolina...by bus

Today we had a reunion event. A bus tour of the route our ancestor, Michael Israel, would have taken to the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780. The idea was a good one, but the execution meant a really long day on a bus.

We left our hotel at 7:30 this morning. We got back to the hotel at 7:00 tonight. In the mean time we wandered throughout seven counties in North Carolina and two in South Carolina. We experienced some communication issues between Ken, our family historian, and the bus driver. It made for some interesting detours. It did give us the opportunity to visit with other family members, whom we haven't seen in a year. And we visited some interesting places, such as Kings Mountain Military Park, where in October 1780, the Americans took revenge on the British for the massacre at Waxhaws. It was 96 degrees, so we chose not to hike to the summit of the battlefield. And we had a really good lunch at a little restaurant called Gregory's in Rutherfordton, North Carolina.

After our return from our wanderings we had our reunion business meeting. I now have a reunion to plan. In 2009, the family is coming to Oregon.

Travel Day: MD to NC

We left Baltimore at 6:00 this morning and flew to Greenville-Spartanburg airport in South Carolina. Before today we'd never been to South Carolina, so we took some time to check out Spartanburg before heading north to our family reunion. I love the fact that my parents are so easygoing. They didn't even blink when I pointed to a sign that said 'Cowpens National Battlefield'. We just took a side trip of thirty-eight miles.

The battle at Cowpens was fought in 1781 with the American continentals and militia defeating the British. I admit I'm not a military historian. I have trouble visualizing battle formations and strategy, but I enjoy the stories. And the park ranger at Cowpens could tell a good story.

As we left the battlefield the sky opened up to a thunderstorm. We pulled off in Chesnee, SC and had ice cream at Strawberry Hill, USA on Route 11. Once the storm passed, we continued on to Asheville, North Carolina.

Washington DC: Day 3

Today was a short day in DC. The last ting we really needed to do before moving on was visit Arlington National Cemetery. Again, we took the metro. And then we opted for the NPS tour-mobile. The cemetery is so huge and it encompasses the entire history of our country.

Our first stop was at the Kennedy grave site. It's been built up some since my last visit, and I admit that it's a compelling place. But I don't think that my generation really feels toward it the way the previous generation does. People of my parents' generation know exactly what they were doing when they heard about JFK's assassination. For me, the monument to the Challenger crew, who died in 1986 has more meaning because that is one of the moments I remember. In fact, while standing before it I mentioned to this little boy that our entire school watched the shuttle launch, then explode on TV that day. His grandmother then told me that her students where at recess and didn't have to see that.

Of course when you're at Arlington you must see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. It's precise and very honor-bound. You can feel it emanating from those soldiers who take their duty so seriously. I can't imagine what a weight that must be, especially during a time like now when there are multiple burials every day. We didn't see a funeral in progress, but we did see two fully hitched caissons.

Washington DC: Day 2

Up and attum again. Why is it that vacations are so jam packed that you're tired? And okay, I know the answer: You don't want to miss anything.

This morning we took the metro to the Smithsonian stop. Our goal was to get tickets for the Holocaust Museum. We lucked out and also got tickets for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. It's nice that both are on the same block.

Our tickets for the Holocaust Museum left us a little time, so we walked down to the tidal basin and sat under the cherry trees, gazing across at the Jefferson Memorial. It was the one major memorial I didn't see in 1987, and I still haven't seen it. We just didn't have time to wander over today.

The Holocaust Museum is...intense, disturbing and powerful. The fact that humans can be so incredibly cruel to one another is beyond my sense of compassion. I guess my brain understands it, but my heart does not. This is one museum that I believe everyone needs to see for themselves.

After that, my day needed some brightening. Luckily one of my college friends, Tracy, lives in DC and she and her baby boy joined us for a few hours at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. It was great to see her, and meet the little guy. College is one of those places where you sort of recreate family in the people you live with. Tracy is one of those wonderful friends who became that "college family." I spent two Easters with her family in central Montana and they were so welcoming to the homesick teenager I was. I hate that we live on opposite sides of the country!

After Tracy headed home, the parents and I went to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Mom spent so many years counting money at the bank, we thought it would be fun to see it being printed. Did you know they print money 24/7, 365 days a year? And after the tour Dad struck up a conversation with a printer who showed us how the original 19th Century printing press they have on display works. It's a much more time consuming process than I ever thought about. It's very cool.

Washington D.C.: Day 1

This morning we headed into Washington DC. We parked the car at the University of Maryland metro stop and cruised into town the easy way. I knew that we did not want to tackle driving in the city.

A couple weeks ago I'd purchased hop on-hop off double-decker bus tickets. When I'd visited New York and London I found these busses to be an easy way to hit the tourist spots. It was a good choice for DC as well.

We caught the bus at Union Station and took it to Ford's Theater/Peterson House. When I visited DC in 1987, the theater was closed for a special performance. Guess what? Right now it's closed for renovations. So I still haven't seen where President Lincoln was shot. We did tour Peterson house, so the stop wasn't a complete bust.

Our next stop was the White House Visitor's Center. That's another big change since 1987. On that trip people lined up to get tickets to tour some of the rooms of the White House. Now you have to make do with a video tour. We walked over to see the mansion through the fence and had to work our way through a maze of barricades. What we could see of the house and grounds is still beautiful, but the extra distance, really saddens me.

For lunch we went to Georgetown. I really love the atmosphere. It's sort of the Anti-DC. We ate at Martin's Tavern. It was excellent and then we wandered down to the Old Stone House. It's the oldest home in the city, built in the 18th Century.

After lunch we hopped back on the bus and headed to the monuments. We started at the Lincoln Memorial and walked to the Vietnam War Memorial, Korean War Memorial (Today is Korean War Armistace Day), the World War II Memorial and the Washington Monument.

Baltimore & The Orioles

So we headed into Baltimore this morning. A few days ago Mom had the idea that we should go to an Orioles game at Camden Yard if we could get tickets. A little Internet manipulation and, voila!

So, we get into the city without any problems. I'm pretty impressed by that since, in my experience, eastern US freeways can be confusing and often tangled. But we hit a snag downtown. For some reason many of the streets were blocked for just a block or two. Turns out today is a big fireman's parade. We quickly found a place to park and chose a curb to sit on. I don't know how many vehicles we missed, but we say about 70--everything from modern working engines to a human pulled 1820's vintage fire wagon. It was pretty awesome.


After the parade we wandered the Inner Harbor. Even seeing it I have a hard time fathoming just how big the Chesapeake is. Someday I'd like to visit the bay's eastern shore.

Today's Oriole's game was an afternooner against the Angels. We were a little worried since the sky opened up and rained buckets with thunder and lightning about 45 minutes before the first pitch. But then things cleared up and it was game time. We had some excellent tickets. Camden Yards is a beautiful ballpark. And the Birds won, 5-2, breaking a fourteen Sunday game losing streak.

The Trip

Here we are in Maryland. When we decided to come east for the Israel (yes, that's the family surname) National Family Reunion this year I thought it would be a good idea to visit Washington DC. After all, DC is much closer to North Carolina than it is to Oregon. And my parents had never been to the Capitol.We flew into Baltimore Washington International Airport tonight. And we're staying in Maryland for the next few days. It's going to be a busy trip. Keeping up with the blog is going to be tricky with our current Internet situation. I'm going to have to write and publish later.

Fort Vancouver & McLoughlin House

You know how people so seldom visit the sites close to home? Today I set out to partially remedy that. I drove north today and visited Fort Vancouver in Washington and then circled around to McLoughlin House in Oregon City. Both sites are part of the Fort Vancouver National Historical Site and they tell an important part of Oregon's history; the time when Britain claimed what is now Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, as well as all of Canada, placed it under control of the Hudson Bay Company with the goal of harvesting as many furs as possible.



British fashion dictated that the most fashionable, and richest, wear firs. Beavers were highly prized for making gentleman's' hats. Hats that cost more than the average working man could make in a single year! Dr. John McLoughlin began his career with HBC as a trapper. He worked his way up in the company and retired as the Chief Factor of the Fort Vancouver unit. As chief factor he was responsible for the well being of not only realizing a profit, but also the well-being of more than 2000 employees and their families spread across the Columbia District.



Dr. McLoughlin was very well known. The HBC had issued a directive that no trading with the Americans was to take place. McLoughlin disobeyed and carried non-repayable debt for many of the pioneers. I think the case could be made that without Dr. McLoughlin, Oregon might still be part of the British Commonwealth.

Crazy Days!

Okay. It's not really crazy. They just call it that. It's a Corvallis tradition. The second weekend of July is set aside for downtown sidewalk sales. And the name isn't really all that strange. McMinnville's sidewalk sale and summer festival is called Turkey Rama. I have no idea why. I've just always thought that was an odd name.

Anyway, I decided to take myself downtown this morning and wander the streets. I found a few things to purchase: a new pair of shoes, chocolate ganaches, really yummy smelling tea. But the best part was being out on a beautiful day with no real schedule or itinerary. In the few years since I've lived here, Corvallis has gained some new shops and restaurants. I followed my nose to this sandwich shop called "Baguette" and had a really excellent sandwich. I'm definitely going back there.

Raspberries!

Summer is hitting hard. Just a couple weeks ago we were picking strawberries. Yesterday, we picked raspberries, and made more jam. In fact I need to crush some berries for ice cream. Maybe next week. Raspberries are my second favorite berry.

In addition, the marionberries are beginning to ripen (these are my favorites!). Luckily we don't have far to go to pick those. I love summer!

Otter Beach

Sunburn. No matter how cautious I am when I slather on the sunblock, I forget to reapply and then...well, it's inevitable. Alyssa and I spent a few hours at the water park today. Otter Beach was added to the Aquatic Center several years ago, but I'd never been. But when entertaining a seven year old, think like a seven year old. And believe me, seven year old me would have loved an afternoon like today.

Blog Anniversary: First Year Reflection

It's kind of hard for me to believe that it's been a year since I began this blog. The whole thing kind of began on a whim. I initially thought that I would focus mostly on interesting places I've seen or want to see. I attempted to create a title that would reflect that. But in the last year this blog has taken on a life of it's own in some ways. I still do some really private journaling on paper. Some things are not meant for public consumption. And so this format has become the public partner of my thoughts and feelings.

Originally I thought I'd try to schedule my blogging. I try to write in my journals every night. That has varying degrees of success. I thought I'd try to do the same with the blog; write regularly, but not daily. That hasn't really happened. I noticed today that It's been almost two weeks since my last entry, and granted I was out of town without Internet access for several days. I've been home since the weekend and just didn't have anything I needed to say. And that's the bottom line. The blog lives, and in some ways, self-directs. I'm just the typist.

Farmer's Market

One of the best things about summer is going to the farmer's market. This time of year in Oregon the booths are just overflowing with fresh produce. My walk through today netted me some fresh cherry and grape tomatoes, zucchini, red potatoes and fresh bread for my dinner tonight. And there were so many other things: fresh meat (beef, pork and rabbit) different lettuce greens, carrots, strawberries, fresh herbs, garlic and flowers. The fresh basil smelled amazing!

Growing up my family always put in a huge garden. Fresh veggies and fruits taste so much better than canned. That's probably why I'm really picky about them and I don't eat them as much during the winter. Even the best produce department doesn't compare.

Strawberries!

It's strawberry season in Oregon! Mom, Dad and I took an hour of out our day to go pick some. My mother grew up picking in the summers of her childhood and adolescence. It was how they helped to supplement the family income and pay for their own personal extras. Needless to say, mom can still out pick me. Then, as my sister and I got older we went with her. I remember my dad threatening to have us weighted in before picking because we preferred to eat the ones we picked. Of course I still have to sample one or two. And these are so good! We've been picking at Twedt's farm fields for as long as I can remember. Now mom's making jam, and I'm going to go slice some for dessert.

All Packed Up.

It's official. My entire life is all packed up in a trailer that now needs to be unpacked into my parents' garage. I don't know where anything is, so as I unpack, all those boxes need to be resorted. I'm not looking forward to it.

On the other hand, it's nice not to be straddling two different lives. I'm ready to move on to the next adventure. That starts with finding a new place to live.

Central Oregon Weekend

It's a family tradition. We spend the second weekend in June in Sisters, at the rodeo. I'm not sure how this all started. One year my sister and I went, and after that the parents joined us, and so on. Now it's just another one of those little traditions. It all starts with the rodeo parade on Saturday morning. Parades are a little slice of Americana. They don't have to be big and spectacular for people to have a good time. The Sisters parade has cars, fire engines, rodeo queens and, of course, horses. Participants range from hardly more than babies to the Pioneer Queen (who may not be the oldest, but is noticeable in her cape and tiara).


We attend the rodeo on Saturday night. We've tried doing multiple shows, but it's just too much. Saturday night was a sell out crowd. And rodeos are never boring.

Sunday we made a little trip up to the Metolius headwaters. It's a short, easy walk from the parking lot. It's a beautiful view. And then we stopped back at the Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery. For a quarter you can buy a handful of fish food and dropping each pellet into a tank of trout can be very entertaining.

Sand Toys

A couple of years ago my sister and brother-in-law bought quads. We now spend some time on the sand, tearin' it up. For some time Eric has been urging my parents and I to get on board with program and buy quads. We've resisted. At least I have. Yesterday, my parents bought a dunebuggy.



I think that Eric must have been a horsetrader in a past life. He seems to find these great deals on Craigslist or Ebay. I think it's become his hobby. I wonder what he'll come up with next.

Graduation Day

Today the Class of 2008 graduated. Believe me, as I sat their with my fellow faculty members I felt such a sense of relief. Many of the kids who I have come to know slightly or well over the last three years were waling across the stage. It was a huge moment.

One of my seniors, J, finally finished two of her classes yesterday, after rehearsal. For that particular student, the last three years was an ongoing struggle. Her freshman year was a total loss, and to complete four years of coursework in three years is pretty amazing.

A second student, B, has shown so much growth and maturity in the last three years. I first met a very argumentative and narrow-minded individual. I don't know that his point of view has broadened, but he's much better at handling conflict that he used to be.

And finally there was S. She's kind, cooperative, but not very empowered. Perhaps she has made the greatest strides from having no direction to applying for the local community college and tentative plans to pursue early childhood education.

For these three and all the others, it's been a pretty amazing journey.

Simple Thank You

Teachers everywhere will tell you we don't do this for the money. Some teach because they love their subjects. Others teach because they really love kids. And some start out on one path and find themselves on another. Working with kids on the edge--there are many--has caused me to spend a great deal of time reflecting on why I go to work everyday to work with a bunch of surly, sometimes uncooperative teenagers with ever-changing attitudes. There are days when I have actually started a letter of resignation. There are days when I wonder why I keep trying when I'm getting kicked (metaphorically) in the teeth. And then there are days like today. It was our last day for seniors. They will graduate on Saturday. Anyway, today one of my seniors came in with her mother and brought me flowers, hugs and a card. In part she wrote, "You are by far the best teacher ever thanks for everything it means alot" I almost cried. I'm going to miss the kids when I move.

Missing Kitter

I miss my cat. After Memorial Weekend I let him go home with my parents. He's having the time of his life at Mom and Dad's, (they let him outside where he can roll in the dirt, eat grass, and climb trees) but I miss having him talk to me when I come home at the end of the day. Plus he's a great alarm clock. I so overslept this morning. Only a few more days and I'll see him, and I'll get more than a earful about abandoning him. Kit's a typical cat: mercurial.

The Beginnings of Goodbye

Moving means saying goodbye to the people you've become attached to. Last night was the final scrapbook crop that I'll attend here. I'm going to miss the Friday night regulars: Marti, Cathy, Ruth, Nicki, Sonja, Shirley, Teri, Jenny, Jackie, Clari... Over the last couple of years I've had many wonderful evenings of fellowship, conversation and crafting.

A Really Good Biography

I just finished reading a really great book, "Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker" by Stacy A. Cordery.

Sometimes I find myself drawn to histories and biographies. Sometimes they're not so great. I don't mean that the material isn't interesting, but some authors just can't fire the imagination. That is not the case with this book. Cordery presented such a complete picture of Alice Longworth. A woman who saw such a wide variety of experiences, and insisted on living life the way she wanted. Alice Longworth was a contemporary of my great-grandmother, and from what I remember about my granny, she had a similar "I'll do it my way" mentality. So, if you're feeling like tackling a big biography, check it out. It's worth it.

Memorial Weekend

I love long weekends. Living so many miles from my family means we actually can get together when I have more than 48 hours. This year we decided to spend the weekend at the dunes near Florence. We went quadin' and sat out in the sun. Luckily the meterologist was wrong and we had beautiful weather. It was nice to just....relax.

Hiking Indian Sands

There's a place in Boardman State Park called Indian Sands. I'd never hiked it, but my friend Lin said we should go. Since it was late in the day, we made it a short one. It's really beautiful. One of the things I'm going to miss about this place is the scenery. The other is friends like Lin.