begonia

I dove into the weekend full force, knowing that a rejuvenatory Monday holiday was in store at the end. Clara and I headed out early on Saturday morning, the promise of a hearty Screen Door breakfast propelling us across the river. We managed to snag a seat inside while we waited and I stared at cute babies while Clara gazed appreciatively at the lazy-cool hipness of most of our fellow diners.

As our wait neared an hour, we were finally called to take a seat in the dining room. We had been considering our menu options while we waited and were soon ready to order. I opted for the heart-healthy biscuits and gravy with a side of cheesy grits. Clara chose an elaborate stack of ingredients than included an English muffin, artichoke hearts, and an egg. A sense of calm pervaded as we dined, despite the busy din of customers and the knowledge that a lot remained to be accomplished that day.

Next, I got to introduce Clara to the affordable joys of SCRAP. Even more fun than digging through buckets of fabric scraps or flipping through boxes of greeting cards is arriving at the cash register and seeing your always-surprisingly-low total pop up on the screen! Where else in the world does this happen? I selected a roll of yellow floral fabric, a small stack of birthday and get well cards, a pretty roll of pale mustard colored thread, and a gorgeous eyeglass case. My grand total? A whopping $1.55. Success!

After a brief detour through downtown (which included me almost driving into oncoming traffic on a one-way street) (oh, and multiple wrong turns in a dark and claustrophobic parking garage), we returned to the burbs. Clara needed to pick up some fabric and notions for a new sewing project and I wanted to stock up on some fun just-because yardage, so we decided on Mill End. I was gladly prepared this time for the onslaught of lovely patterns and bright colors adorning the hundreds of bolts arranged around the store.

I selected four patterned fabrics and some solid back ups, while Clara snagged home décor fabric along with some interestingly shaped and textured buttons in bold, modern shades. Before long, it was time to depart and for me to start preparing for the evening distillery tour that Jesse and I were to embark on!

symphony

It feels like spring is just around the corner – the subtle fresh smell in the air and the increasingly frequent appearance of the sun and tiny green buds on tree branches. This is likely just an illusion, one to be replaced with a damp, gray reality, but it’s fun while it lasts!

I just started reading Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink. I spotted this book on the Powell’s Calendar of Events, but the reading/author visit didn’t fit into my schedule well. Instead, I requested a copy from the library and I picked it up this weekend. It’s been great reading material for my daily commute on the MAX – and it’s a topic of particular interest to me because I find that my own motivation waxes and wanes due to...the phases of the moon...or something.

Overall, I’ve felt a lot more motivated this first month of 2010 and I attribute it to our new home environment and a sense of being more settled since getting married. Life is good and today’s sunshine is streaming through a magnifying glass and setting that belief on fire.

I spent the early part of the week working and continuing my first sewing project, which is now almost complete. Working from a pattern and instructions in Lotta Jansdotter’s Simple Sewing has proven very helpful to me. I’m good at following directions, which zaps good techniques straight into your brain. On the other hand, you can take note of elements that aren’t quite pleasing to you, and change them the next time around. I plan on making another tote bag to give as a gift this month, and there are a couple of changes I plan on implementing.



On Saturday, Lindsey and I ventured out to Forest Grove (much more of a “venture” for me than for her) for a knitting and crochet class. I already knew the basics of knitting, but I wanted my skills to be verified as accurate. When we arrived, we learned that a reporter and photographer from the Forest Grove newspaper would be present. (Hopefully a link to that article is forthcoming.) Lindsey decided to learn crocheting, while I breezed through casting on and the knit stitch. We were interviewed by the reporter while we stitched away. I was eventually taught the proper way to “purl” and lo and behold, it is a heck of a lot easier than I was making it out to be. I ended up with some new bamboo needles and a pretty skein of burnt orange yarn with which to make a lace-like scarf.

I stopped at home briefly, then drove in the opposite direction to SCRAP on the east side. I wanted to pick up some, well, scraps – of fabric – for two birthday projects I’m working on. I managed to find several, along with two balls of yarn, a few greeting cards, a knitting book, and a football trophy (long story), all for $9.


Next I stopped by the Mill End fabric store in Beaverton, which I’d been told was amazing. Turns out “amazing” is an understatement. I couldn’t believe the fabric selection – and the prices seemed very reasonable to my untrained eye. I selected some batting, canvas, and lighter cottons for my projects and spent a lot of time browsing the unimaginable array of fabrics. Several retro patterns caught my eye, including vintage Mexican prints that will someday live in our eclectically decorated home. Not to mention the gorgeous nature-inspired fabrics. Oooh, the possibilities. I have most certainly found a new passion.

Audubon on Sunday – not much needs to be said on that, as my shift was somewhat depressing. After that, however, Jesse and I headed downtown with Clara and the long-lost Danny. We hit up the Backstage Bar, which is hidden behind the Baghdad Theater on Hawthorne. This narrow, dimly lit space houses a restaurant, bar, free (yes – free) pool, and the all-important jukebox. We hung out for a few hours, playing generally not-very-good pool and choosing awesome songs to hear. It was a nice, low key way to end the weekend.

Then of course, back to work. It’s another very busy week into which I’ll try to squeeze an ounce of creativity. And several ounces of motivation for good measure.

As I walked home from the MAX station this evening, I had a moment of realization - or I remembered, rather - that I am very, very lucky and many pieces have miraculously fit together to make my life the way it is. In nearly that very same instant, I spotted a Great Blue Heron standing in the creek behind our home, so well camouflaged among trees and brush. I'm drawn to this type of bird in particular, and to see one at nightfall, sitting still and silent and hidden, made my heart jump. It was a moment of reassurance, of synchronicity - as Jesse would say. I'm on the right path and these meaningful, happy moments are my reward.

potato leek

The grand plan I developed for my evening while still at work seemed much less appealing as I rode the MAX home from work and the steady, smooth movement of the train over the tracks moved me toward sleep. I had intended on going to SCRAP (Portland’s “Creative Reuse Center”), Collage (one of my favorite local art supply stores) and the recently-opened Grilled Cheese Grill (http://www.grilledcheesegrill.com/).

After dropping Jesse off at work, I went home to grab my camera and had to fight the urge to change into pajamas and fall asleep on the couch. My head was pounding from lack of coffee, but I tried to adhere to the notion that getting out and doing something out of the ordinary would be beneficial.

SCRAP had mysteriously moved since the last time I visited, but I found it without too much difficulty. The place is open, cool and dim, full of buckets and bins and tubs of rubber bands, corks, greeting cards, photographs, postcards, file folders, bubble wrap, carpet samples and zippers. The possibilities are overwhelming, but my creativity needs a bit of improvement before I will be able to stock up on random gizmos and make something attractive or useful out of them. Their stock is constantly changing as donors drop off bags of the most random, seemingly useless objects you’ll ever see. The most interesting things I found this time were huge rolls (four feet tall?) of heavy-duty, plastic/paper with hologram designs in bright colors. I only left with what I had come for: 5 durable cardboard shipping tubes, which I’ll use to protect my bookmaking papers, which keep getting smashed up in my closet.












I drove over to Collage and was greeted by a friendly, yet vaguely imposing homeless man before I could slip inside the store. He started to give me an animated, rehearsed speech about the one dollar he needed for bus fare in order to get to the shelter that had reduced their bed price from four dollars to two dollars, TWO dollars, for the most worthy homeless people. Unfortunately, I had spent my entire $1.25 in change on those handy tubes.


I picked up a couple things for a friend and upon leaving the store, thought for several seconds that my car had been stolen. I thought the man who had spoken to me had found another way of reaching his destination. In actuality, I had just parked much further away than I realized. I drove towards the big painted school bus at Alberta & 11th that houses the seating for the Grilled Cheese Grill when I realized, to my disappointment, that grilled cheese didn’t even sound appetizing. Let down.

The day was so, so gray, the wind too brisk and chilly. Though venturing out hadn’t been awful, I needed to go home. I grabbed some soup on the way, something to warm me up and sooth my spirit. It helped.