...a spring break recap

The fun stuff:

1. Silliness at Saturday Market under the Burnside Bridge.
   
2. Being spoiled by Arlene with a chocolate cherry trifle. Yum.


3. Playing Cranium. I really WAS humming the Pink Panther tune.

4. Hanging out with Nate and Katie and their new (fun) significant others.

5. Meandering through the Japanese Gardens.

6. Stumbling upon the filming of something in a cafe in downtown Oregon City.

And the not so fun stuff:

A coworker (and former teacher/coach of my kids) passed away unexpectedly during spring break. His memorial service was yesterday in the gym. He was 55. A crisis team was in our school today to help students and staff cope with the loss. Not much "work" was done as we processed feelings. Nate and Katie came home for the memorial and connected with a lot of old classmates. Good to have them home...wish the circumstances had been different.

...spring break

At exactly 3:00 tomorrow afternoon break will officially begin.

And hopefully....after a week of drivinggabbinglaughingshoppingwanderinghuggingstrollingsleepingreading...there will be more in my step!

...facial hair

If I happened to be a teenage boy...I'd be delighted.

As a middle-aged woman....not so much.

...losing things

I feel like I'm losing my. A week ago Saturday I used my camera. A week ago Sunday I went grocery shopping, and had the camera tucked into the side pocket of my purse (or so I thought). Squirrely teenage boys and a suspicious woman were behind me in line. Later in the week when I couldn't find my camera, after thoroughly searching the house and car....I deducted that those boys had taken it. But something kept bumping around in my memory--nothing I could put words to--just a tiny memory of a sound. So I checked the car one more time, swiping my hand under the passenger seat, one more time. And there it was. And the memory returned. My purse had been in my school bag on the seat behind me, and it had toppled over, dumping my purse to the floor. The tiny memory was the sound of my purse falling, and the camera hitting the floor.


Tonight, I shoved my wallet in one jacket pocket, stashed the cell phone (after switching it to vibrate mode) in the other, grabbed my keys, and dashed out the door to yoga class. As I was backing out I reached for the phone to check the time. Not in the pocket. Oh well, I must have left it on the counter. No big deal. An hour or so later I returned, checked the counter...but no phone. Hmmm. Upstairs? Bedroom? Bathroom? Computer desk? Nope, nope, nope, and nope. So I ran back outside, looked and felt around and under the seat. Nothing. Well. I posted a request on Facebook for someone to call me. Nate did. Repeatedly. (It was on vibrate, so I stood very still and listened for the rrr.) Nothing.


Now a phone is a thing and can be replaced, but losing it was mighty annoying. I thought about the camera incident and knew there was no one to blame this one on. Rats. I checked the car again. Nothing. Rechecked the house. But...it had to be here. Once more out to the car. Ahhhh...THERE it is...way down between the seats. Whew!

So what does this mean? I'm not a person who normally loses things. It makes me feel a little bit off kilter. Am I becoming a person who loses things??
I hope I'm not losing my.

...a geography meme

There are several things I could be doing right now to prepare for the week ahead. But I'm waiting for the brown rice to cook for dinner (and it can't be rushed) so I sat down to check out a few blogs. Limes threw down a challenge that is hard for me to resist: A Geography meme (what a fun word!). Here's how it works:

You must begin your post with a geographical joke-- What did Mississippi say to Missouri? Idaho, Alaska. She said, "What did Delaware?"

Then credit the geographical joke to the source--hmmm....this is a joke I learned years ago in grade school when we were memorizing the states and capitals.

Then in as few words as possible, explain your earliest recollection/ awareness of the following:

Europe - From the time I was a little girl I knew that our family version of Heinz-57 was German-English-Irish-French-Norwegian-Welsch. (My children have only added Dutch to that mix--hence the fair skin and hair.) Family stories abounded with accounts of a great-great grandmother from Norway selling a baby to buy passage for the rest of the family, a great-great uncle from Germany who was a horse thief (or was that a murderer?), a great grandmother from Ireland hiding a flat iron in the folds of her skirt because her luggage was overweight.
America - I was a child in the 60s--we practiced hiding under our desks in case the Communists attacked and dropped an atomic bomb on us. Memorizing the Pledge of Allegience as a 1st grader was a must.
Africa - In about 3rd grade missionary nuns visited our school. Their habits were white--so angelic-looking compared to our nuns all in black. We practiced baptising little heathen babies. (Yikes. This makes me shudder now.)
Australia - While I still enjoyed baby-of-the-family status (for 5 years it was mine!) relatives came to visit us in Hawaii. At the airport store I spotted a koala bear--and had to own it! One of the few times I remember being indulged as the baby (although there were probably others--Arlene can probably list quite a few!). Why a stuffed koala was being sold in an airport in Hawaii puzzles me now. At the time I just accepted that it was from Australia--wherever that was. I still have the ratty old thing.
Asia - Dad traveled to Japan (he was in the Navy) and brought back gifts. A neighbor drove us to the airport to meet his plane. Mom was in the hospital, having just given birth to my sister Lani. It was 1965.
Then say what is your furthest point traveled -
North - Fort St. John, BC Canada to visit a nephew (by marriage) and his family. Summer '96.
South - Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico. August '08
East - Italy in 2000 with my children (and a group from church, including a priest who caused more problems that any of the children ever could have). (Another shudder.)
West - Hawaii. I was 4 when we moved there and 8 when we left. My three youngest siblings were born there.
Longest time living in one place and where was it? Umatilla, Oregon. When we hit the 6 year mark, that was the longest I had ever lived anywhere in my entire life. We lived there for another 11 years.
Shortest time living in one place and where was it? Just a few months in an apartment in La Grande, Oregon. It was just before I got married and dad invited me to move back home to save money. I took him up on it. The apartment was the one that our great-grandmother had lived in for several years before she died. Just a coincidence that I rented the same place.
Brief list of places lived, in rough order of appearance: Whidbey Island, WA, Bainbridge, MD, Castro Valley, CA, Halleiwa, HI, Newport, RI, Vancouver, WA, San Diego, CA, Cove, OR, La Grande, OR, Peace River, AB, Calgary, AB, Cove, OR, Umatilla, OR, and finally....Podunk, where I am now.
How many addresses have you had? I'd have to ask mom about my early childhood but I come up with 22.

Thanks, Limes! Rice was cooked, stir-fry eaten, I finished this, and there's still time to do my chores!

...sewing. And sew, I did.

Back in January when I last saw Jadyn, she put in a request for a new apron with pink bunnies on it. The only fabric I could find with pink bunnies was in the Easter section, so I used it as an accent.

I also found a pink bunny cookie cutter for her to use at Gamma's house. A good day. And now...it's time for bed.

(Katie and I will finish her FAFSA over the phone tomorrow night, so it's really OK that I spent the evening sewing!)

...random thoughts

• One week 'til spring break. I love my students, but...I.am.ready.
  
• Two weeks ago Nate came to visit, and to exchange vehicles. He and his roommates were moving this week and needed my little truck. Just when I finally stop stomping on the floor for the non-existent clutch, we'll trade back again.


• I thought my camera had been stolen. Instead...I lost it. And found it. And have learned a lesson about 1) not leaving my purse in the grocery cart as I unload at the checkout line and 2) not being so quick to jump to the conclusion that the squirrely boys behind me must have taken the camera out of the side pocket. Just because the woman behind them gave a frown and a nod in their direction...doesn't mean they were guilty of anything except being teenagers. Sigh. My sincere apology to the two boys who were on the receiving end of my negative thoughts today.
• Last Saturday I spent the entire day out in Echo, helping out with the Red to Red mountain bike race. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and there were many guys in spandex milling about. What's not to love? My good friend Kathryn is in this crowd somewhere. She finished 3rd in her category.
• I still haven't filed my state taxes, nor filled out the FAFSA for Katie. Yikes. We've never been this late getting it done. This is the weekend.
• There are a couple of sewing projects calling my name. Must resist. FAFSA must be done.
• Oh, and that additional degree I was thinking about getting? Um, yeah. It's been about 15 years since I've paid for a bunch of graduate credits. Yikes. I think a class here and there will have to do for now.
• The weather is more March-like this weekend--raining and windy, and snowing where my folks live.

**Saturday morning update: Not a cloud in the sky! Oh, spring in EO, you do play mind games with us! Now all I want to do is ride. Paperwork first. Paperwork first.

**Saturday afternoon update: State taxes are finished. Missed a step and thought I owed $531. Took a second look and owe $3. I can live with that. FAFSA is started. Need info from Katie to keep going. The house is clean and laundry rebooted. Wind is blowing sideways outside. It looks like I get to sew after all! :-)