On the Move

Every May, Josh leaves for his annual fly-fishing trip on the Deschutes River with his step-dad (otherwise known here as Cool Dude).  This year, my brother was also in tow.

After many years joining Cool Dude and friends on the water, Josh decided he has become serious enough about the past time to start collecting his own gear. So for Christmas, I splurged and gifted him a pair of Simms waders, and his parents gave him a matching vest and some starter flies in a tackle box.

Take a look at his past trips here and here.

Meanwhile, back home Gigi and I spent some quality time with the Little Monkey who was on the verge of crawling every day his Papa was away…

It was as though he was waiting for his papa to see the exciting new leap in person, because today, at 8 months and a day, our Little Monkey is on the move!!!

Wherever you go…there you are

Tonight, I was having a conversation with a friend about the fight or flight reflex we have as humans when we are up against difficult scenarios or overwhelming sense of emotions. I mentioned that when I was younger, anytime something felt out of my control, I’d start planning to move abroad in hopes to get as far away from that strong sense of anxiety, sadness, or stagnancy.  I shared with a friend my plans to flee when he said to me,

“Wherever you go, there you are.”

It stopped me in my tracks.

He was right.

I could go to New Zealand or Spain or Brazil, but no matter the destination, my feelings would be right there with me…..to deal with once the temporary distraction subsided. No matter how long I put them off or mask them, my problems would be right there waiting for me.

“Wherever you go, there you are.”

I have learned that every little thing I go through sticks around until I take the time and energy to understand how and why it affected me — no matter how difficult it was to face.

If there is one thing we can promise ourselves to stay true and honest in this life, it is that we own our emotions and our reactions to our greatest battles so that we can begin to understand ourselves that much more and to move to our next lesson or life experience.

As far as we know….or as far as has been scientifically proven, we only have one go at this life, so we might as well make it worth while by delving deeper into the abyss and by growing with every hurdle.

Phase I and II

Nathan Bernert of Beautifilia came to plant the conifers last Friday and started the initial layout for the new low-maintenance, Japanese style garden. Then, today he was back with the maples and some of the shrubs.

The rest of the plants are on order but I thought I’d share progress!

He is so talented and has such an eye for design!

The second phase entailed planting the conifers.

The first phase was the new grass and digging up the old grass for the new beds.

Every suggestion Nathan has made for design and plant selection has been right in line with what we were dreaming of!

Today, the maples arrived! I’m so happy with the splashes of color!

This little guy happily played for about 20 minutes in the shade while this mama was able to get her hands dirty in the garden for the first time in over a year. It felt so wonderful! I’ve missed the soil under my nails!

Nathan lives on a rock quarry and brought over some boulders straight from his own place…

…then picked up some river rock for the dry rock bed at Mt. Scott Fuel Co.

Then began to spread the river rock for the dry beds…

…and moved some grasses from the front yard to work some blue into the scenery…

It’s really coming together!

More next week!

A new garden

I love spring! I love the vibrant colors of the new leaves on all of the trees and that feeling of renewal. Ever since I came to Oregon from Arizona, I have so enjoyed the definitive changes that come with each season.

With the arrival of spring around our house, there is often talk of new projects for the garden but for the past few years we’ve been focusing our energy elsewhere. Until now!

A few weekends ago we had all of our uneven grass removed and new sod laid, while also greatly reducing the amount of lawn in the yard to make way for new plantings as a barrier to the busy street behind us.

Then, last week we met with Nathan Bernert of Beautifolia – www.beautifolia.com – and we are so excited to be able to have him help us with a great design and plant selections for our new garden space! The passion behind his work makes it clear that he is in the right field. He has guided us with such an ease through the plant selection and design process!

We can’t wait to share the progress in the weeks to come.

Spring is Here Again!

There is so much to catch up with on here! It has been a busy few weeks. I used to feel guilty when I’d go even a week without posting, but between my days with the little monkey and work, my spare time is usually spent trying to catch up on sleep or chores.

Every year, we have a little Easter gathering, which used to be so much more adult focused (with a beer hunt in the mix), but I have to say that there was a very clear shift this year with only a few people decorating beers and a whole lot more eggs and items for the kid hunt and more people focusing on baking and preparing really beautiful foods for the brunch spread.

My brother and Nancy did a really fine job at decorating though and I have to give them props on here so their beer decor can live on!

Yes, this is indeed a Mr. T beer!

One of several garden gnome beers they made!

And, the adult hunt was still a hit, but, you can’t beat this kind of cuteness:

This was the Little Monkey’s first Easter, so we dressed him in dapper spring colors!

The Little Monkey loves his uncle Ster!

It was such a great day and the weather cooperated too! I don’t recall the last Easter when we were able to do this:

Showing off my dirty feet...

Spring is here and all we can think about is gardening, hiking, bike riding, fishing, strolling, lounging…on that note, I am off to enjoy more of this sunny day we are having!

A Good Ol’ Fashion Scavenger Hunt!

OKAY PORTLANDERS — I am helping to organize this event and it’s going to be AWESOME! So, get your teams together and register at NO COST! This is by far the best way to get out and explore the city we all love. I’ve been a participant in a scavenger hunt in years past and it is SO MUCH FUN! Plus, I think CHARLIE HALES is THE CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR and I’m confident that you will be on the same page with me if you come out and get to know him! That is, if you don’t already think he’s wonderful!

A uniquely Portland Scavenger Hunt

Saturday, April 14, 2012

3PM Check-In | 8 PM Dance Party

Holocene | 1001 SE Morrison Street

 

Explore the City you love! Whether you’re a bonafide politico, scavenger hunter hero or just looking for a creative way to spend a Saturday, On the Hunt is a fun excuse to explore Portland and better get to know the city you live in!

Former City Council member and Mayoral Candidate Charlie Hales helped shape our fine city into the place we are all proud to call home. Pick up points as you better get to know the history of Portland’s prominent, funky & obscure community landmarks—all while galavanting around Portland.

After you’ve zipped about town, meet back at the Holocene to claim your prizes, get to know Charlie…and then strap on your dancing shoes and shake your thang to some sweet tunes courtesy of our sweet DJ.

 

Here’s how it works:

1.      Invite 4-6 friends, co-workers, neighbors, family members to join your team
2.      Choose a team name
3.      Pick a team mascot (an quirky object or creative item that you can easily bring with you on the hunt—a bouquet of roses, a collection of Portland ballcaps, a birdhouse…whatever suits your fancy!)
4.      Should you feel so inclined (and we think you should), wear costumes or team-themed outfits

 

Teams will be provided a list of locations from all 5 quadrants of the city; each location has a corresponding points value.  Using bikes, foot travel, MAX, buses and the streetcar you’ll criss-cross town racking up points by checking in using Instagram* photo app. Teams with the most points win prizes, along with those top out in other categories, such as most creative costumes!

*Please note that each team will need one smartphone equipped with Instagram (free app) and preferably an unlimited data plan.  Don’t have an Instragram account or unsure how to set it up? Not to worry — we have an easy solution for that! Just make sure to arrive at Holocene a little early and we’ll get you all set up with a way for your team to submit photos

COST: Suggested donation at the door of $5-20 per player. Registration is free. A donation will pay your cover for Holocene’s 8 1/2 DJs: SOUL AND R&B EDITION.

Don’t have a team but still want to play? No problemo!  Register as an individual and we’ll get you teamed up with others ahead of time–a great way to make new friends!

 

Questions? Call us at (503) 567-9430 or email contact@charliehales.com

 

Your kiddos are welcome! This is an all-ages event until 8pm.

 

 CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER!

Gratitude

This video is so beautiful and I thought it would be appropriate to share here:

Our First Vacation as a Family

{photo by josh montgomery}

Every year, my hubby’s birthday falls during Spring break – a time when so many people are traveling and it becomes difficult to plan much of anything, so this year, we took a trip to the Oregon Coast!

Little Monkey and Papa Monkey have a special connection between their birthdays. The birthday of one marks the 1/2 birthday of the other.

This coastal adventure turned out to mark many firsts for all of us! Get ready for a mad photo montage!

First time for Hubby to turn thirty….something!

First time for Little Monkey to see the Ocean!

You can see that the winter storms have washed quite a bit of debris onto the shore…

Though the sun was out, it wasn’t exactly a warm day, so we had to be sure to keep the little monkey all snuggled up!

{photo by josh montgomery}

{photo by josh montgomery}

First timefor me to visit Heceta Head and Heceta Lighthouse

We learned about the history of the lighthouse and about the glass prisms that allow the light to be reflected outward in great distances.

{photo by josh montgomery}

First time as a family to stay at the lakehouse!

First time to take in gorgeous sunsets from the dock as a family. 

First time my lovely husband has ever woken up early just to photograph the sunrise…

First time for Little Monkey to sit in a high chair…

Our very FIRST family vacation together (outside of visiting relatives) and it was perfect!

Simply Budding

I’ve decided that looking at things simply is the best way to go — no matter the subject or activity.

On the most basic scale, when entertaining friends or family, I’ve been keeping the prep work and menus easy so I can be more apt to enjoy the company of those we look so forward to seeing while we are all together.

On a broader scale, I’ve been finding that the most simple of things can seem the most complex and the most complex of things can sometimes feel so simple. Take nature for example. So complex. Yet, so simple when one can just observe and be in awe of it all.

This is the grapevine outside our bedroom window. I’ve been appreciating the intricacy of every living thing and the many ways in which they are so individual in their makeup. A simple approach to happiness really.

If you look closely, you’ll see the buds of spring starting to appear on its branches.

As is usually the case with any change of season, I’ve been admiring the cycles of life in every form…

And feeling joy and love when observing new life that reminds us that things should be so much more simple — whether that is by witnessing the spring buds on the vine outside, or by listening to the giggling innocence of our baby boy.

And we could not imagine a life without those that enrich our every moment and remind us that things do not have to be complicated. We appreciate the simple ease in the relationships with our friends, family and extended family (our pets) that keep us in constant awe of the magic moments of life.

So Very Fancy!

Our new way of staying social is to attend and host small dinner parties. The latest was over at our friend Allegra’s beautiful home. I left there with some serious kitchen envy! It is enormous with ample (and beautiful) counter space.

Our friend Kris gifted several friends Bon Appetite Magazine for the holidays with the intention that we could all pick recipes and cook together. On this particular date, Kris set the menu by choosing tortilla soup as the entree from the magazine and sent the rest of us tasks. We were to bring the salad so Josh made a fresh corn salad with lime, peppers and cilantro. It’s not really a winter dish, but it went with the menu anyway.

Celeste ended up making a delicious corn bread, and Allegra started off the night with Pear Martinis and ended it with a Pear Pie from the cookbook, Seasons by Donna Hay.

I had never even heard of Donna Hay Magazine before but after looking through this cookbook, I am obsessed! She is like the Australian version of Martha Stewart. I can’t say I am a fan of Martha Stewart personally, but her magazine can be inspiring at times. In the Seasons cookbook, not only do all of the recipes sound fresh and delicious, but the cookbook itself is put together so beautifully that I want to live in all of the photographs or at least recreate the scenes for myself.

I kept telling Allegra that evening how fancy she is and laughing about how great it is to spend time with our dancer friends. Their graceful movements are such a part of their makeup that although they might just be walking from the dining room table to the refrigerator to pull out some butter, it looks like a dance.

I made them pose for me:

(Estelle, Allegra, and Celeste)

Then, Josh found some of Allegra’s costumes and decided to try them on for size

Thank you Kris for putting together a lovely evening with all of you fancy pants peeps!