It's been awhile

Since I've blogged ...but I feel I have a chance to slow down and breathe tonight. We put up the Christmas tree today, a tree that our neighbor generously provided for us! She works for a tree farmer and got a free tree! I think it's a grand fir. Anyway, it was wrapped up and lying on the long bench on our porch last night. It's the first tree we've gotten 'sight unseen' and it is a pretty thing. Dave put white lights on it and then I added the straw ornaments that Jocelyn sent from Germany, then came the tangerine, bronze, gold ornaments I bought last Christmas in Germany. I'll finish up with the Margaret Furlong ornaments I've collected over the years. I've never actually hung all the MF ornaments at the same time! I'm deliberately keeping the decorations to a minimum in the house this year, trying to keep things simple. There are four 'smokers' (wooden incense figures) on top of the tv, and the advent carousel is on the trunk.
Only three more days of teaching and the holidays begin!

end of summer

It's been a warm day in lovely Oregon. Today was Dave's last day as music minister at a church in nearby Wilsonville. We will be able to attend church services together more often now, though he's definitely on call for church gigs around town.
Tomorrow begins the second week of school and I've worked hard this weekend preparing an 'anticipatory' lesson for the batik unit. Students will draw a word from a basket, they will jigsaw an article, or cook up an Indonesian rice dish, or assemble the items needed to create a batik. Since I'm teaching five classes of the same subject, I'll get 5 opportunities tomorrow to tweak how the lesson goes. The students are chompin' at the bit to wax their fabric, but I want them to have a better understanding first. Last year I threw them 'in the deep end' and let them play around with the wax and dye...but they all agreed that more preplanning would've made for better results.
The cool lamp I bought at IKEA keeps shutting off...I think the lightbulb is too loose in the socket. That's better, just tightened it.
I really should deep clean the house, but I want cooler weather, and help from D and D! We need to clean the living room carpet, organize the overflowing CD collection, put D's room back together and try to eliminate more clutter.

Baby Anna

Here is beautiful Anna, just minutes old! She was born in Germany on June 24, 2007. The midwife was named Sabine, and she caught Anna in the water bath! Early on in the labor, Sabine gave Jocelyn a lemon oil scented kleenex to sniff, to 'wake up the baby' and get the labor moving along. It sure did the trick! Jocelyn went from 7cm at 8pm to delivery at 8:50pm!

Breitenbush Hot Springs

Breitenbush Hot Springs is a wonderful place deep in the Cascade mountains. (It is 52 miles east of Salem on Hwy 22, turn north at Detroit Lake and go 10 miles. Cross a small bridge and take every left fork in the road until you arrive). The geothermal waters of Mt Jefferson pop up near the Breitenbush River, in a place that the native Americans held sacred. Trappers used the hot springs to cook their food, but not to bathe in. In the 1920's a lodge of sorts was built, and the destination was a recreational hot spot until 1967. It lay dormant until 1977 when a family (with a healthy inheritance) bought the land and began rebuilding. Now the property is owned by a community of owner/workers who embody a wholistic, sustainable approach to living on this special land. The power for electricity comes from the river, the heat for the buildings comes from the geothermal water, the food served is organic vegetarian. It is a great place to unplug, relax and rejuvenate.

Where I'm from

I am from a short street called Y-Way
That ends in the woods and moss covered rocks.
I am from the sweet gum tree we planted
And the towering old pine we cut down.
After that the landscape changed.
I am from pine tar soap and vinegar rinse
Because shampoo was considered a luxury.
I am from macaroni and cheese with catsup,
From homemade burgers, spaghetti and enchiladas.
We brought our books to the dinner table and read while we ate.
I am from Luther’s Small Catechism and
“What does this mean?”
From learning to sight read the alto line of Bach’s hymns
While my dad sang bass.
I am from the afternoon storm swept mesa of Albuquerque
And the windblown grass of Bone Hill above Greatgrandma Jensine’s farm
In Colome, South Dakota
I’m from hardworking farmer and teacher stock.
And from the Musical Grays who played for the silent movies.
I am from summer travels to Indiana and back.
Hot summer nights with fireflies and chiggers.
Now I’m from here.
Cloudy windy wet fresh raw green Oregon
And where will my children say they are from?

another self portrait

this painting was done 8 years ago, in the winter of 1999. I sure do seem to make the eyes too large, don't I?
I still use the painting shirt (from Eddie Bauer, cost all of $1) to this day...a large, roomy cotton plaid of many colors. I didn't paint the details of the plaid into the painting, but all the same, it is the painting shirt I love to wear while painting.

It's been a quiet three days in my home town...we woke up to falling snow on Tuesday morning. Soon all the schools had cancelled classes and children were outside trying to roll big balls of snow into snowmen. There were more people than usual out walking in the crunchy stuff, and I ran into four friends as I walked to the post office. I love how snow brings people out of their cars and onto the streets. We are all in a good mood, and ready to offer a cup of tea and linger in conversation. I baked some delicious cornmeal rolls, a recipe from my friend Anita, and made some outrageous lentil soup with lentils I bought at the Flock and Fiber show this fall. I knitted a hat with yarn I hand dyed (I also saw the sheep shorn, and then took the fleece to a shop for cleaning and spinning into a worsted wool...how's them apples, Martha Stewart?)
It's been lovely to be lazy and yet industrious at the same time. I'm looking forward to getting back into the classroom and being with my students again.