...feeding my spirit

• Cycling (Yeah, I know that spinning isn't quite the same, but it's better than nothing this time of year! These folks are fun to hang out with, and the fast guys can't leave us behind.)
  


• Sewing (I finished two projects this week and will rev up the machine again as soon as this blog is posted! This is an apron for Katie to use at work--not sure why I took the picture with my phone and not the camera.)


• Reading (I've been slowly reading the books on the Oregon Battle of Books list. My current book is a tough read and not at all conducive to sweet dreams. I need to find time during the day instead of right before bed.)

Sewing update: Another project complete and ready to be mailed. :-) This is a reversible play mat for my great niece Jadyn. Arlene will keep it at her house for when Jadyn wants to play with her daddy's Matchbox cars from 30+ years ago.

...bugs and other things

Bugs:
1. Greg can no longer claim to be a vegetarian after tonight's ride--the bugs were out in full force and we all ate our share.
2. Some bugs taste kind of nutty.
3. Bugs under semi-rigid contact lenses hurt. Riding with one eye closed waiting for them to float out isn't fun.
4. Bugs tickle in the helmet and under the jersey. (Note to self: Zip up all the way on buggy nights, even though it's too warm.)

Other things:
1. A young man with California plates pulled into the shop right when we got back. "Where's the city center?" he asked. Ummmmm...city center? Do we even have such a thing? We were speaking Spanish and at first I thought he asked where the community center was. We do have one of those.
2. I'm feeling that end-of-school-year giddiness--taking kids on a field trip tomorrow, spending Thursday with another group of kids in an all-day training, modified schedule for finals on Friday and Monday, half day Tuesday....which means...I am finished teaching for this year! Lots of program paperwork and grading to do, but lesson plans?? See ya in September!!
3. I need to get to Portland soon to see Nate--before he takes off for Alaska again and I don't get to see him til October. Funny how we don't talk all that often, but when I know I can't just call whenever I want to, I miss him! I also need some Katie time. Road trip...Portland...yup.
4. It's also time for a good I-can't-put-this-book-down reading fest. Any recommendations?? World Without End will be hard to beat, but I know there are plenty of good books just waiting for me.

Wednesday update: Gonzo emailed this photo to me today. Here I am with my bug-eating buddy Greg. We had just climbed a series of hills to get to the potato sheds and were waiting for the last few to finish. (The unfair thing about hills is that those of us who need the most rest once we reach the top get the least--the fast guys are ready to take off again by the time we're all there!)

...Jadyn

Finally! A video of Jadyn from February. Last weekend while in Cove I copied pictures that mom had taken with her camera and combined them with the few I was able to get on mine. (I have learned my lesson--take camera battery charger with me--even when the camera appears to be fully charged, it's not!) Jadyn is such a sweetie (and a bit of an imp!). She reminds us of her dad when he was little, yet she also looks like her mom. And, she looks like her grandma as a little girl. She's a beautiful combination of her gene pool!

...a joyful moment

I've been reading Esperanza Rising with some of my students (mostly boys), and they are really getting into it. I overheard something today that was immediately jotted down: Student 1--"I love reading books like this. It's like a movie, but inside your head!" Student 2--"Yeah, but only better." Wow. How cool is that? These are teenage boys who don't read very well and are into 4-wheelers and video games--yet they are loving a book about a 13 year old girl. It makes me smile. :-)