Cooking with Jamie

 

 

We have been eating curry once a week thanks to Jamie. Oh, thank you, Jamie! We both like Thai, Indian, etc. curry but they all seemed so complicated to make; the closest I've gotten to homemade has been buying a jar of simmer sauce and using that. Okay, so that doesn't really count. Anyway, I decided to cook through the curries that he offers in Food Revolution and wow, they have been amazing. The flavors are like nothing I've ever made before. MMMMMM!

(happy weekend! ours is going to be RAINY but we plan to go out on a walk or two to look at all the gorgeous blossoming trees...)

Fun with Drawing

 

 

This book was on sale at the bookstore so we bought it. I had never thought to draw a flamingo or a pelican before--so fun! We also bought one for our little artist, Emma, for Christmas. Her mom tells me that Emma carries around her sketchbook around the house 'to practice'. I think she'll really like this book. There are three in the series--one for animals, another for people, and the last one for trees and flowers.

Up In The Air

 (picture taken in Agoura Hills last year...)

Well, my job is up in the air again. I've been told my last day is Monday. Hmmm...I woke up early this morning with this verse repeating over and over in my brain. I think it was God reminding me that He has this under control.

"I will trust in the Lord with all my heart. I will not lean onto my own understanding. In all my ways, I will acknowledge him and He will direct my paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6, adapted a little by me)

I believe it, I just need to believe it more!!!

It's Definitely March

It's definitely March. The weather has been fluctuating and unable to make up its mind for the past few weeks. This is what we woke up to on Thursday morning. The steps leading up to our apartment have a lot of moss on them so it was a bit treacherous walking down the steps (another reason to always use handrails :)). It stayed in the lows 30s most of the morning, then suddenly jumped 10 degrees. By the time I walked out to my car at the end of the day, the snow was a memory. Thankfully, all of the budding trees don't seem worse for the wear. They're happily flowering and springing out with green leaves...so pretty! Today it is supposed to be in the 50s!!! It'll be nice to not have to wear a jacket... :)

Quiet Weekends

 

 

 

On Saturday, we ran down our street and passed lime-green tinged pine trees, seeding moss on every conceivable surface, and beds of fragrant, wild violets. It was cold but we persevered.

Moss and lichen were collected on a forest path by our apartment. We had barely ventured onto the path when the trail turned sloppy muddy and it began to snow and hail. Time to go home.

Ate sandwiches and fruit and looked out the window at our budding trees. Read magazines and sipped Americanos later on at Barnes. Ran errands. Did chores. Read books. Made and ate raspberry scones.

It was a good weekend.

So Beautiful...

berries overlooking Lake Oswego

It is so pretty here. I think we tell each other that every day. The fact that the weather is constantly changing--storms moving in and flying out within hours--means the clouds here are fantastic. (and you know how I love clouds!) There is an alcove at work where I've been holing up as of late (long story, but my team is part of a 'new portable office initiative' in which you are given a laptop and told to go find some place to sit...no cubicle, no nothing. This has good and bad points)...Anyway, there is an alcove on the 3rd floor facing a window that spans the entire floor. I sit there and watch as the clouds fly by, as the trees sway in the wind, and on Friday, as the sun peeked through and poured sunlight on my face. An employee walked by, looked at me, and said, "You like it here, don't you?" And I said, "Yes!!! Look at the view!" 

It was so beautiful...speaking of which, I think I seem some sky! Time to get out and enjoy this day! :)

Lessons Learned

Portland is teaching me many things.

One is to love each day for itself.

There's no use looking at the weather report

and letting my heart sink.

Each day can be a treasure if I accept it as such.

I am given the health and energy

to get up and go out into the cold, brisk mornings.

I have eyesight to see the clouds and

the bright, green moss.

I am given joy and peace in my heart

and am Loved.

And so today I will respond 

with a grateful heart.

"This is the day the Lord has made; 

let us rejoice and be glad in it!"

(psalm 118:24)

Happy Weekend!

where will your weekend take you?

happy Friday!

This One's For My Mom

 this is our neighborhood kitty. she's very smart and sleeps on the warm cars. 

we always say 'hi' to her when we walk by and she mews.

back to that nap...

Pink!!!

More Lake O.

These tiny daffodils were alongside the road...

and these were along a small path by the lake...

the lichen and moss on the trees here is incredible.

at first, i felt sorry for the trees, but they don't seem to mind.

 they just go ahead and bud...

because it is nearly Spring!!!

A Walk 'Round Lake Oswego

 

 

 

 (my favorite picture of the day!)

A Long Walk

On Sunday, it was sunny. Not just sun peeking out from behind a cloud, but full blast, shadow-casting sun. We even had to squint at times. Being that it was deliriously gorgeous outside and warm (we must be acclimating if 50 feels toasty), we knew it was no day to curl up and read. We donned our tennis shoes and drove down the road to The Forest.

Of course, half of the city was there to hike. You could tell we were newbies because we were wearing jeans and sweatshirts (and maybe perhaps a light jacket). I saw way too many people wearing shorts like it really was warm. Anyway, we chose a trail and began to walk. Oh, it was beyond lovely! I took some pictures (most of them blurry) and we talked and laughed and walked along the wonderful forest path.

Two hours passed and I mentioned that it was difficult to tell where we had parked from the trail. And shouldn't we have made the loop by now? There's something about mentioning rest or home when one is exercising. It has the magical affect of draining any last bit of energy one might have had two seconds prior to the thought or comment. Suddenly, we were tired.

We walked over to a map that happened to be there off to the side of the trail and learned that apparently we were not walking on the trail that makes a loop. We were walking along the one that meanders through the entire ridgeline. It was a very sad moment to realize this, mostly because we had just spent the last 20 minutes slip-sliding our way down some very muddy switchbacks. I did not want to go back up that without some sort of rope to pull me up.

Thankfully, a sweet little trail appeared to our right and it led to a neighborhood where all the rich people live (my, those houses!), and that road led to another and another and finally after much map-searching and compass-checking we collapsed into my car. Our Sunday afternoon walk had morphed into a 4 hour plus trek, and we were exhausted. So, lesson learned. Always, always, always bring cookies.

The End.

Memories

We officially have our printer and scanner set up so this is a big day! :) I made this little drawing 3 years ago...it's hard to believe it's been that long. What amuses me is the right corner that basically says 'more trips to Portland'. No need, Jen. You live here now.

the end.