lava balls - day 1

An email arrived in my work inbox on June 5th advertising a cabin that belongs to the friend of a coworker. The 2-bedroom wood cabin is located in Sisters, a 3-hour drive from Portland in a charming little spot in central Oregon. The outrageously affordable nightly price prompted me to start planning a trip within 30 minutes of receiving the email. Road trip!

I didn't tell Jesse where we were going, though when he asked if he could bring his surfboard I said yes to throw him off. We departed less than an hour later than planned, and drove south toward Salem. Not long after turning off the main freeway, I revealed our destination. "Sisters! I love Sisters," he said. "I have five of them."

After a 70-mile drive through thick cloud forest, drenching rain and past lovely, churning creeks (and Camp Attitude, of course), we reached the straightaway to Sisters. The small town consists of a bustling little main street, lined with shops, restaurants and llama farms. We decided to check out the cabin before venturing further.

I was told the little hut would be surrounded by big, luxurious mansions and was thereby frightened that the place might be a bit too "rustic" for my tastes. Not in the least! The sweet cabin was small but inviting, surrounded by birdhouses hung in trees, mounted on fence posts and propped on tables. The living room housed a wood-burning stove that I couldn't wait to utilize and the open kitchen featured a breakfast bar and nearly every kitchen tool one might need.


We dropped our belongings off and drove back into town to try out the legendary Sno-Cap Ice Cream. The smell of freshly battered onion rings wafted out the door as we waited in a line stretched around the front of the building. Jesse prompted me to order an indulgent root beer float...possibly the best I've ever had. We finished up and headed back down the road we had taken into town. We reached the turnoff for Jack Lake, my excitement growing in anticipation of a moderate hike to a gorgeous alpine meadow filled with more wildflowers than I'd ever seen, with a quick, cold stream flowing through its center.

We wound around the mountain, climbing higher and higher. At one point, a gorgeous female black-tailed deer appeared directly ahead of us on the side of the dirt road. She confidently stared toward us for several minutes, before calmly walking into the forest. I thought she was trying to communicate with us, but I wasn't quite sure what she was saying. In retrospect, I should have tried harder to discern her message.

We finally reached the parking area and stepped out into the very crisp mountain air. We located the trailhead next to a quiet, silvery lake. The surrounding forest showed obvious signs of recent widespread fire. The whole scene, save little bursts of new green growth, looked like a black and white film. Thin, scorched tree trunks leaned against one another, eminating a horrible, soft screaming noise. We climbed up the path, frequently having to jump over, roll under or hike around fallen tree limbs. We encountered increasingly large snow drifts and a huge outcropping of rock that Jesse was able to "boulder" and climb.


Shortly thereafter, my Piscean intuition kicked in and yelled at me to "Stop!" Jesse and I had a brief discussion about the high likelihood we would loose the difficult-to-spot trail and spend the night in these awful, haunted woods. I agreed to go another 10 minutes in the hopes of finding that seemingly imaginary flower pasture, but we lost our courage and turned back after only a few moments. I have seen way too many episodes of “I Survived” and “I Shouldn’t Be Alive” to make such an elementary mistake and a grievance against my instincts.

I was thoroughly relieved once we made it off the mountain and back into town. We drove to the Three Creeks Brewery in Sisters and tasted their mega-sampler. Wow. I’ve tasted a few beer samplers in my day, but this one was outstanding.

Back to the cabin. Jesse taught me how to play horseshoes (flip the wrist, get good speed and height) and we cooked maple-rosemary skirt steak, baked potatoes and corn on the cob for dinner. Heavenly! He proceeded to kick my butt in Trivial Pursuit and we browsed a local birding guide while relaxing after our meal. Sisters was proving to be the lovely, needed escape from suburban life that I had hoped for.

dead man's hand

Several entries are in the works, forthcoming. The natural waning of my interest in blogging arrived as expected, but I am committed to get the writing up and running once again. I need to get in shape for the next IPRC Creative Writing Certificate program! The upcoming session starts the week before our wedding, so that won’t work, but I’m hoping attendance might be feasible the next time around.

My goal last night was to return home after work, add photos to the two blog entries I recently finished regarding our weekend getaway to Sisters and Bend, and to post a bunch of junk on Craigslist…in the hopes of earning enough cash to buy a wedding dress (a remarkably affordable wedding dress, I might add).

Alas, alack, the kitchen was at the same time lacking supplies and in disarray and I spent a few hours gathering groceries, scrubbing counters and washing dishes. By the time I finished, my stomach growled for dinner and my sore feet requested that I plop down on the couch to watch “The Bachelorette.” For real.

I’m feeling the inklings of creative inspiration. Hopefully a significant portion of this evening can be spent getting those ideas out of my mind and on to paper.

I’m going to go research the value of several old pennies in my wallet. See you soon.

invitations - part 1

This is part 1 of a 2-part entry on how I am designing and fabricating our wedding invitations! All of my photos are from the Paper Source website, with the exception of the Martha Stewart edge punch from Michael's (the photo of which I found at http://www.michaels.com/) and the MasterCarve blocks from Art Media (photo from http://www.artmediaonline.com/).

The overall form of the invitations came about from a wedding workshop Jesse and I attended at Paper Source on NW 23rd in Portland. The event was supposed to include several brides-to-be drinking champagne and crafting, but low registration led to our chance to have a private workshop session with a Paper Source teacher. We looked at a variety of different shapes and color combinations and practiced several different stamping techniques. We knew we wanted to include a few enclosure items, so we decided on the Gatefold Enclosure card in "Luxe Fino Cream." This card features an inside pocket for enclosures and a folded flap closing. For each of the 4 enclosures (invitation, map, hotel & activity info, rsvp) we chose the Half-Moon/Pocket Folder Enclosure Flat Cards in the same color. Both are shown here in "Chartreuse."

Next came the gorgeous Copper Shimmer envelopes. These were a new release when I was shopping for supplies and they were a perfect match to the copper-laden Flying J, where our reception lunch will be held. Not to mention the fact that Jesse lived in a town known for its huge copper mine when I met him!

Next, I created each of the invitation's components on the computer using Adobe InDesign. I adore the font I found on 1,001 Free Fonts - "One Forty Seven." After changing my mind ten times, I settled on a color palette of dark olive green, light leaf green and an orange-copper shade.

I purchased a copper stamp pad and clear embossing powder, to use on the invitations. I had formatted the text so a large area was left clear for a stamp...but I couldn't decide on what to carve. I wobbled between some kind of quail design or one involving local Arizona plantlife. On our last trip to Sierra Vista I noticed an interesting plant, which I later identified as a desert agave. That was it! I sketched the image and then carved it in Mastercarve block (the best product ever) from Art Media.

Just last night I purchased Shimmer Copper Business Cards and thin "Leaf" ribbon from Paper Source, along with a Martha Stewart Thin Ribbon Threader Edge Punch from Michael's. I'm thinking these items will be used with some Paper Source "Superfine Soft White" Labels to create the invitation's closure.

So nearly all of the components are printed. I just need to cut the smaller ones to size and figure out some way to assemble them into a pretty, cohesive unit! Some photos of completion are hopefully on their way.

commander

I'm lost but not gone forever. Days have been busy, stuffed with hours of sometimes monotonous work. The train ride home, more hours stuffed with entertaining my stepdaughter-to-be. This is a sometimes difficult adjustment, albeit a rewarding one.

Tomorrow she and I are going to an artists' reception for a new book arts exhibit. My favorite local book artist will be there and I hope she again says, "You look familiar..." Chloe is to keep her pink bubblegum fingers off of the pedestals, the gallery owner says.

One of my bosses is on the phone with his fervent admirer. She states her full name and offers up her birthdate for identification. She sends him packets of tea in the mail, wrapped in brightly colored envelopes with scribbled, cryptic messages. He just asked her "How often do you see your psychiatrist?"

My day was wobbly at its start, but I see an improvement. I'm communicating with an Arizona artist who is making my wedding band. She has good energy, asks pertinent questions, seems as excited as me.

There's a call for art for a "Bridges" exhibit. Due in July. I'll keep thinking about it.

Now off to the Thursday farmers' market. I'll be back soon.

etsy gems #1

Some pretty products that caught my eye today:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25328482
Silver Hammered Bangles
ES Designs

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24937855
Squirrel Love Wedding Cake Topper
Middleburg

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25261146
Printemps Photograph
Alicia Bock


http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25249497
Floating Flower Earrings
Fleur Fatale

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25124219
Eat Your Peas Print
Amber Alexander


http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25228415
Coral Poppy Clutch
Ruby Red Rose

scotch

I had been meaning for us to check out the well-liked “Angel’s Rest” hike in the Columbia River Gorge for at least 2 years. Something would always come up, but we finally got up early enough on Sunday to hit the road by 9:30am. We grabbed breakfast on the go and made the fairly short drive down the 84E, along the sparkling Columbia. Jesse had made a special mix CD for the occasion (which I have decided to title “Sweaty Angels Like to Sing”). We listened to old favorites from Muse, Jem, Modest Mouse and Citizen Cope while cruising down the freeway, the smells of river and wildflowers and forest seeping into the car.

The 2.2 mile trail to the top begins with an immediate moderate ascent which quickly turns into inclined switchbacks. The path was busy with hikers of all ages and dogs of all breeds (including a poodle). We passed waterfalls, churning brooks and fields of pretty purple flowers, which I heard someone identify as Columbine. I eventually realized that my lungs were noticeably suffering because I was trying to hike uphill at the same breakneck pace at which I walk on flat ground. Once we slowed a bit, things became much more comfortable and despite the sweat gathering beneath my backpack (and forming salt grains in my hair) I was able to muster mostly-genuine smiles for the individuals we passed.

We finally reached the top and spent a while exploring the rocky bluff of Angel’s Rest. The views of the Columbia beneath us were lovely and the slight breeze at that altitude was much appreciated.

We followed the same path back down to our car, this trip working muscles opposite of those that had been enslaved on the way up. I was pleasantly surprised as I sneezed and was greeted with a friendly “bless you!” upon rounding a sharp corner. We got back to the car in no time and drove on the back scenic road toward Multnomah Falls – which were a horrible, utter madhouse that we were not going to visit (this trip) no matter how gorgeous the weather or how refreshing the water.

We made the short trip to Hood River, Oregon, a favorite spot of ours that is generally only accessible (in our vehicle anyway) in the summer. We had lunch on the patio of the Big Horse Brewing Company, just a few feet away from a delightful group of rowdy, low-tact bikers on one side and a man who didn’t want his two dogs to stand, smile, drool or look in the wrong direction on the other side. Jesse complimented me on my “running social commentary.” I’ll try to keep quiet next time. Not.

We also made a quick, excruciatingly hot visit to the Full Sail Brewery, where we sat in direct sunlight on their deck and watched kite boarders flying into the air in the distance. I had a tiny beer, saving room for the ice cream cones that were to come next. Jesse went with a scoop of fresh banana and one of pistachio, while I chose black walnut and red raspberry cheesecake. Fantastic! We sat beneath a lovely dogwood tree and watched myriad cute children slurp ice cream and have discussions with one another. It was the most wonderful weekend, a good reward for my week of hard work. My mind is buzzing with new ideas for the weekends to come.

olive tree

Saturday’s beautiful weather prompted me to queue up some Motown music on Pandora and clean our patio, in preparation for warm nights spent lounging outside while corn on the cob and steak sizzle on the grill.




















Jesse finished up at work early and we headed for this year’s Alberta Art Hop in the northeast part of Portland. The festival stretched for blocks, white tents shielding local artists for as far as we could see. The art wasn’t overwhelmingly wonderful, but the wide variety of musical performers made me very happy. They were set just far enough apart that the calm notes of a single cello didn’t interfere with the lively funk music, and the funk didn’t interfere with the two guys playing drums and guitar in a vacant parking lot. One man sporting sunglasses played a saxophone while tap dancing on a wood pallet. A young, happy looking kid played guitar and sang a song about many different kinds of laughter (not my favorite).

I have to declare a tie for my favorite overall element of the Art Hop. First was the homemade “Free Advice” booth, manned by a seemingly thoughtful guy who was counseling a person wearing a bike helmet. But then there was the remarkably tiny dog that looked like some kind of ancient cat fish from Asia.

Though we had shared a deliciously messy pulled pork sandwich with extra barbeque sauce (and a side of mac salad that didn’t quite compare to what we sampled in Rochester last summer), we had to hit up The Grilled Cheese Grill once we were finished walking around. We both opted for the tasty “BABS” – toasted rye bread filled with Swiss and bleu cheeses, bacon and slices of green apple. Upon ordering we were given a baseball card rather than the usual numbered plaque. We waited at a shaded picnic table for the sweet words “Dickie Thon, your order is ready” to ring through the air.

popsicle

On Friday and Saturday, my chi dipped to dangerously low levels. Fortunately, Jesse had registered us for an indoor rock climbing instruction class at Stoneworks Climbing Gym in Beaverton on Sunday afternoon. If it weren’t for that commitment, I may have remained in bed all day, sulking.

A sleepy, bored-looking canine princess named Paris greeted us upon our arrival at the very nearby rock gym. We were given very snug climbing shoes and were independently relieved when the expected third class participant failed to show up; a private couple’s lesson – sweet! I didn’t start to feel nervous about this venture until our short-statured, overly bulging bicep-laden instructor started climbing across the walls like Spiderman. I’m not the strongest girl in town, you know?

We first learned how to “boulder,” which is moving more-or-less horizontally across the artificial rock features bolted to the wall. This technique depends on several key movements, which are somewhat difficult to engage all at the same time. Feet wide and balanced, hands only on the features marked with pink tape, hips in toward the wall, arms out straight, hang low, push with your legs, push with your legs.

Next we moved on to the more complicated and more dangerous “top roping.” This style incorporates a climber attached to one end of a rope which is run through a pulley system and attached to another individual who serves as the “belayer,” or guardian of life. Jesse climbed first and I was given strict training on the many safety elements of operating the belay. Then we switched and I had to climb up the massive wall into the reaches of outer space. This was challenging. I’m not overly height-phobic, but I had to calm myself by thinking “don’t look down, don’t look down.” I couldn’t quit…I had two athletic guys watching me. I reached the top and Jesse lowered me back to the ground. We were certified and set out on our own.

Go figure, Jesse was an enviable natural, clamoring to be hooked up to the climber’s rope and scaling more and more difficult routes. On rare occasion he would need a break from climbing and would let go of the wall while 20 feet up. His weight would pull him downward a short distance, meaning my body, attached to other end of his rope, would rocket upwards and forward into the hard, craggy surface in front of me. Good fun.

For my efforts I was rewarded with a long-awaited platter of vegetarian lasagna and spaghetti with brown butter and mizithra cheese from The Old Spaghetti Factory. Somewhat embarrassingly I used to work there and I developed a fairly serious addiction to their succulent yet affordable pasta.

We got home and set out on a sunset bike ride, savoring the last warm hour of the day. We discovered, of all things, a nun cemetery within a block of our house. Also nearby we found a paved bike path running through a relaxing, leafy quarter that seemed much removed from the bustle of the nearby highway. It was a lovely, renewing Sunday.

bite

When Jesse asked if I wanted to go on a date Wednesday (which I deemed “Seiso de Mayo”), I expected a return to one of our favorite, comfortable hangouts like the Hall Street Grill in Beaverton or even Mama Mia in downtown Portland. Instead, while I drove, he directed me away from Beaverton and across the Willamette River to the Northeast part of Portland.

I parked, as instructed, on a block lined with modern, yet inviting buildings housing restaurants and toy stores. We walked up to the door of Lincoln Restaurant, which I had never even heard of before. (Turns out Jesse had read about this place in Conde Nast Traveler magazine while waiting to submit his passport application earlier in the day. The article can be found here.)

Upon entering, a table of four people right behind the host desk turned excitedly to look at me. Jesse slid delicately out of the way and overheard one of them exclaim “Jen!” Mm, no. The host led us to a booth tucked into a cozy corner of the bar as I cursed my universally recognizable appearance. Huge windows exposed the huge sky scattered with tumultuous, crawling clouds. The sky isn’t always so big in Portland.

Practically every item on Lincoln’s small menu sounded delectable, but with our server’s assistance we decided on sharing the Mizuna and tatsoi salad with grapefruit, fennel and pine nuts. Jesse ordered the Lamb leg and loin chop with corona beans, rosemary and arbequena olive oil and I went with the Hanger steak with blue cheese butter and onion rings. This was a dream date. Jesse talked about the importance of taking time to enjoy the present moment, something with which I have great difficulty. I sipped my “El Diablo” and let the residual tension of the long day dissipate.



The salad was fresh, bright and so satisfying I decided I could absolutely eat one every day. My entrée arrived (I had only a 1.3 mega pixel cell phone camera to record the dish’s splendor) and I eagerly stacked a cornmeal battered onion ring on a blue cheese butter-drenched, exquisitely cooked piece of steak. Bliss. If only I could have been anticipating this meal throughout the day. As much as it pained me, I consumed every last morsel of steak on my plate, save the 3 carefully arranged bites I shared with Jesse. Though I personally could not bear to think about eating dessert, we ordered the chocolate espresso cake for the road. I can’t wait to come back.

hau'oli

The book I'm reading says those who notice coincidences are generally more optimistic. I had two coincidences today. The first was when I announced to my coworker that I was going to walk across the building to deliver a check to another coworker (I have about 550 coworkers). I didn't actually get the announcement out of my mouth before the woman to whom I was going to deliver the check walked through the door to my office.

The second, less impressive coincidence was that after talking to my sister, who was babysitting a 10-month old child named Jeremiah, I got in my car and turned to the oldies station, which was playing "Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog."

I decided to assist my optimism by crafting a happy night at home.


Oregon was outside disintegrating under hard, violent rain. I made the waffles I had been craving all day. I had a Kona Wailua Wheat. I took a shower and put on my favorite pajamas. I'm thinking about Arizona, tattoos, weddings, puppies, paper, cooking and rock climbing on Mother's Day.