The Marketplace.. just one of the MANY vendors

My weekend really started on Friday. I took the day off to go to the Sock Summit with my best friend Natalie. She and I have known each other for many years. We met when we both worked at Intel in the training department for IT. Natalie is one of my very best friends. She’s an instructional designer too and a VERY avid knitter. She’s into technology too. She’s actually got a great podcast that she’s doing, Cloudy with a chance of fibers. If you haven’t listened to it, you should. She and I went to the Sock Summit on Friday. Who would have known that there were SO many people interested in socks. It was so crazy to see all the booths with yarn!

Results of my shopping binge!

I loved looking at all the beautiful hand dyed yarns and the combinations of bamboo, wool, alpaca, etc. There were so many booths, many more than I think I’ve ever seen for the scrapbook convention. The vendors came from all over the place too! I found so many yarns that I fell in love with. I did a little bit of damage while Natalie and I were there. It was sort of funny when we went because we’d start out walking the marketplace together, one of us would stop, the other would keep going and before you knew it we would loose each other. I don’t know how many times that happened. Ordinarily I would have just texted Natalie on my computer but we were both having a heck of a time with getting our phones working there. I guess most people were having issues. It did make things frustrating. Natalie organized a yarn crawl for those that listen to her podcast, or know her on twitter for the afternoon. We all met at the bell and then took the yellow line Max and headed to The Naked Sheep in North Portland (NoPo). I love that place. They’ve got great seating for people to just hang out and knit. They’ve also got a great collection of yarns and other knitting paraphernalia. So we hung out there for a while and then got pizza and Ruby Jewel ice cream at Atomic Pizza just two doors down. After that it was a walking trip back to the Max and then to Mississippi Avenue to walk the street and have some great dinner. It was such a long day but so AMAZING! I had a great time.

Saturday started out as a lazy day for me. Eric planned to go to the Beer Fest. I’m not a beer drinker so I really had no interest in going. I did want to go downtown though and enjoy the beautiful day. Eric and I hopped on the Max and headed downtown. After eating at the food carts we headed down to the waterfront. Eric headed to the Beer Fest and I headed to Pioneer Mall to get a new shirt because it was so hot.. I needed a new shirt. After hitting the mall I walked down to the waterfront and walked the esplanade. It was so nice to be out in the sunshine and just enjoy being warm. After walking around for a while I decided to head back up toward the Pearl District. I went to Cool Moon Ice Cream. It’s on 11th and Johnson, a bit of a walk but on a nice day, nothing big. I love Cool Moon. They make some of the most amazing custom ice creams. I ended up having the very best Salty Carmel ice cream I’ve ever had.

After grabbing my ice cream I headed across the street to the park to people watch, sit on a park bench in the shade, and knit my sock. It was so nice and cool, I loved it. I could do that every day. Maybe not the ice cream but just being outside on a nice day… that’s amazing. Once I’d been there for a while, and finished my ice cream I decided to head to Powell’s Books. I love that place and it seems that every time. So I went and checked out some books, but nothing spoke to me so I headed off to Stumptown coffee and the Ace Hotel lobby to hang out for a while until Eric, his cousin Brian, and Brian’s wife Diana finished at the Beer Fest. I ended up meeting them down in Old Town at Ground Kontrol. I hadn’t seen Brian in ages and I’d never met his wife until Saturday. Diana is so awesome. She and I chatted for a long time while the guys relived their childhood and played video games. It’s so funny to see Eric get excited about old video games he used to play. At one point I found Eric and Brian playing Joust. After everyone ran out of quarter we headed to dinner at Kin in the Pearl. It’s one of Eric favorite places to go. We sat there and chatted about everything from law, to politics, to family, to wine, and I can’t remember what else. I couldn’t help thinking the whole time that it was nice to see Brian again and nice to meet Diana. She and I would often break off in our own conversation and talk about socks, knitting, sewing, or our jobs. We were there for hours just chatting about everything. Once we were done eating we were off to Clyde Common for a drink. Diana has worked as a bartender so we wanted to take her there to give her the experience of unique drinks. We got there only to find out that junior had just clocked out so we headed to Tear Drop for great drinks. We sat and hung out together enjoying good drinks and just chatting. Junior ended up coming over for a while too which made it just that much more fun. It was such a great night. I loved meeting Diana and seeing Brian again.

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Just loked at my blog today and realized it’s been almost a month since I posted last. I bet you thought I dropped off the face of the earth. Well, no dice. I’ve been super busy… having fun. I spent the first week of April in Florida with Israel, Penny, Erica, and all their kids (Alex, Cade, Drake, Garbriella, and DJ).  In any case, Eric and I had a blast. We went to several of the Disney World parks. Rather than tell you about it here are just a few of the pictures.

Disney World Animal Kingdom Eric and I riding the rapids with the rest of the family in Animal Kingdom. Let me just say we rode twice and the second time I got SOAKED! Tons of fun! We took a safari ride and came across this rhino. Such beautiful animals out there. I love that they have tons of room to roam. This photo is a bit blurry but I have to say it was SO COOL to see a giraffe up close.

Medieval Times Eric and I posing by a Knight before the show started. Here's most of the group sitting in the green knight area ready to cheer him on in hopes that he wins. FYI, he was the evil knight. The green knight sitting tall and waiting to strike.

Disney World Magic Kingdom What a great start to the day. This is the entrance to Disney World Magic Kingdom. Riding the tea cups is one of my favorite things to do. This is a shot of Israel, Penny, and Alex. I'm in another cup with Gabriella. We were lucky enough to catch the parade and see Cinderella, Prince Charming, and the Fairy Godmother.

Sea World Erica, Israel, and Eric off to ride the Kracken roller coaster. I decided to pass and just watch them. I have to say this was one of my favorite things to do at Sea World. I could have stood there and fed the dolphins all day. I loved the Shamu show. Watching the whales was amazing. Interesting too that the trainers don't get in the water with the whales anymore either.

Pirates Much like Medieval Times but way WAY better. The pirates dinner was a blast. Eric sporting his pirate hat for the show. Israel got sucked in again, he's in the white shirt. He had to go on the pirate ship and walk the plank. Poor guy!

Disney World Hollywood Studios What could be better than a picture with "the man" Mickey mouse. Eric and I standing outside the Rockin' Roller Coaster. He was dying to go on this ride and got to go with Erica and Israel. Did I tell you I HATE roller coasters. Loved this. They had a whole section that was a faux New York city with a skyline and everything.

The trip was a TOTAL blast and one I’ll remember for a long time. I had such a good time with the whole family. Can’t wait for the next adventure.

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The middle of July Eric and I headed up to Deer Lake, near Spokane, Washington for a wedding.  It’s a long story but Israel and Penny are pretty much like family to us. Israel and Penny have triplets and a onelet all 6 or under. My mom has been there for them and their kids, since the kids were born. The kids even call my mom “grandma Crosier”. Gavin is Penny’s son and it was Gav

in’s wedding that we were going to attend. Israel and Penny have a cabin on Deer Lake that Gavin and Heather, his wife, decided they wanted to get married at. I don’t think I’ve even gone to a wedding on a lake before. I have to say this one was beautiful. Israel, Penny and Israel’s family did such an outstanding job getting it all looking beautiful. When Mom, Eric and I got there they were wrapping the trees with white lights. It looked gorgeous at night with all those lights. I have to say it was a lot of fun being there. I got to meet more of Israel’s family and get to know them better. I think the best was seeing everyone all dressed up. The boys in their tuxes and the girls in their dresses looked beautiful. I can’t wait for the next time we all go up to the cabin for another visit.

Helping Steph move and trip to Saturday market

Stephanie, a friend of mine and Eric’s has lived in downtown Portland since February. She lives in this great new apartment building, Cyan with her two black labs, Frodo and Kelly. I helped Steph move in and even helped build the many Ikea cabinets she used in the place. Early this summer, when the weather was nice, Steph, Eric and I hit the Portland Saturday market. I haven’t been down there in ages. In some ways the place hasn’t changed at all and in others, it’s not even the same place. In any case… we all had a great day there. Later on in the summer, we helped Stephanie pack up a pod with all of her things. She was moving to Austin, Texas. I have to say I was really bummed that she was moving, Steph and I get along great, but I was happy for her too. It’s always nice to turn the page in life and start a new chapter. Now she’s in Austin, loving it and enjoying her new job!

July Relay for Life

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Isn’t it funny how fast time goes by? Honestly I can’t believe that the summer is over in Portland and I haven’t posted in ages. Ok, the posting thing not so much a surprise… but the weather… what-the-what? I noticed today that I only have a few people subscribed to my blog so I guess that’s a sign I’m boring or more likely, I’m not posting…. I’m living life. Because it’s been so long since I posted last I figured this would be a great “What did you do on your summer vacation” post. Warning this could be long and there are lots of pictures.

Farmer’s market

This summer was no exception when it cam to trips to the Farmer’s market. Eric and I went to the Beaverton market and Saturday market in Portland. I love the farmer’s market. It’s so nice to see all the things they have and enjoy great food and friends at the same time. Eric loves getting Morel mushrooms at the market. I love the food and looking at all the cool and crazy things people make. When Steph, Eric, and I went to Saturday market we saw one vendor had soaps that looked like little truffles. I could have almost eaten them they looked so good. That’s never a good thing.

Quilting projects

In the last year I have been doing more sewing and quilting. Earlier this year I found some great pictures of dinosaurs and figured I’d create a dino quilt for my neighbors little guy, Matthew. He turns three the beginning of November. Eric’s mom did all the quilting for me, I can’t believe it.  I have to say it was a blast creating. The other quilt is one of the ones I’ve done for “Quilt for Kids”. They are a great group that sends me the fabric, cut and everything, and all I have to do is sew the quilt, provide the batting for the middle and then send them back. It’s a great way to give my time and do something that’s fun.

June trip to Oakland to teach Lectora

In June I went to Oakland to teach Lectora to several KP employees that are interested in developing web-based training. The class was full of students, like 15. I don’t know what I was thinking. In any case I did manage to really connect with a few students. This picture is of three of the students in the class. Denise is from MAS and has the best laugh and smile. Sean, well he reminds me of Calvin of Calvin & Hobbes. Carlo looks a lot like Wanye Brady to me. Devon took the picture so he’s not in it but he was another great guy. I had a blast with them all. I do have to say I’m going to miss teaching Lectora, but happy for the new challenges ahead.

Dinner out with friends

This summer I also spent hitting Portland with friends. Eric and I met up several times with friends downtown. One of our favorite places is Clyde Common. They make some awesome drinks there. I found out that I like Rye Whiskey. I never knew that. I always thought I didn’t like Whiskey. I mean I hate Whiskey sours.. but there’s something about Rye Whiskey that I like. I also had drinks with egg whites, that was anew thing for me too. All in all every trip to “The Clyde” was a good one. FYI they’re fries and sauce are to die for. In another adventure, our friends Jenny and Jessica hit Blue Hour with us. In this picture Jessica is posing with her burger. She’s got a blog, Jess Loves Burgers, where she posts about different burgers in Portland and why she likes, or doesn’t like them. Eric and I ALWAYS have a blast when we’re out with Jenny and Jessica. I think the night this was taken we did a crawl of sorts. One place for a drink and appetizers, another for drinks and a salad, another for our main.. and another for a drink and dessert. I can’t remember all the places we went that night, I’m not good with names, but I remember it was a lot of fun.

… That’s the first part of my summer. Busy and lots of fun. Stay tune for the second part….

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Friday night we went to dinner at Jenny and Jessica’s house. Those two girls are somethings else. Both are the sweetest every and Jenny is a cooking rockstar. After I finished work we headed over for some visiting, good food, and of course dessert. I have to share a super funny story though.. hope you don’t mind Jess. Ok, so we’re hanging out in the kitchen while Jenny cooks dinner and Jessica says she’s going to make dessert but she can’t remember what the dessert is called. She knows that it’s Italian and these light, fluffy cookie like things that you top with cream. We came up with all manner of Italian things.. but none were right. Then, out of the blue, Jessica says, “I know eclairs!” Without hesitation Jenny, Eric and I all looked at Jessica with “that look” that says.. “what .. are you nuts?”. Yeah, OK. we told Jessica they’re French.. not Italian. We all had a great laugh at that and in the end.. decided to head to Pix for dessert. Yummy French macaroons.

Saturday found Eric and I in our PJs, sitting on the couch, drinking the great lattes he’d made and reading our books. Yeah, ALL DAY! It was so awesome. I loved just sitting there in my PJs all day without a care in the world and enjoying my book. I have to do that more. I remember being able to do that when I was younger but I think now I just think of so many things that need to be done around the house.. or garden.. and feel guilty taking that time for me. I wish I could do a better job of switching off the type A in me because I enjoy the break and it does recharge my batteries. Between reading my book, cat naps, and having the cat sleep on me.. the day was made and not an ounce of guilt was felt. Note to self… DO THIS MORE!!!

Sunday morning we got up and did much of nothing until about 2 in the afternoon. I

figured we really need to leave the house if for no other reason that to get some air and see the outside. We ended up hitting NW 23rd with our friend Stephanie. The three of us cruised through Pottery Barn and found some great glasses for Steph. While we were there we also checked out the various couches. I really want to sell our couches and get a four seater sectional so we looked at them. This one Steph is sitting in was one of my favorites because of the colors. Of course the cost was crazy and it’s not the top priority right now but it was fun to look. Later in the day we ended up at this great Peruvian restaurant for happy hour. Oh, wow was the food great. I wish I could remember the name of the place. It’s right across from Ben and Jerry’s and down the street from Cost Plus. Eric would know. In any case.. super good food and drinks.

Today found me hanging with my friend Natalie. We hit Fabric Depot for fabric so I can finish her quilt and then of course I needed fabric for a quilt I’m working on. As like any other time.. Natalie and I found a ton of fabric we loved and some great patterns so now I have her quilt to finish, a couple of shirts for myself, a couple for Natalie and a couple dressed for her too. I love having projects to do. After Fabric Depot we headed to NW 23rd and the Crepe place for coffee and crepes. Natalie finished the sweater she made me while we were there so now I have a new sweater. It is the MOST AWESOME sweater ever. I can’t wait to wear it to work tomorrow. I’ll take a picture in the morning and try to remember to post it so you can see it. It’s green.. of course.. but it’s not just one tone.. it’s several different strands. She made the yard.. just for me so it’s a one of a kind. How special do I feel.. SUPER SPECIAL! Now I need to finish her quilt and things.

It’s been a busy weekend and yet pretty quiet. I have to say I’ve really enjoyed it and I’m ready to get back to work tomorrow. I’ve learned a lot about how to relax.. now I just need to do it with more frequency. Perhaps I’ll blog more.. journal more.. and just be.

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I got to visit my friend Cyndee and her family. She and I had a great girls day in Tri-Cities while Ryan and Daniel went to the Puz’s so Daniel could play with his friend. Cyndee and I went to Tri-Cities and got a pedicures. It was so much fun. It’s not often that I get pedicures so it was a nice treat.

I think after that we ran around to a few other places and then headed back to Connell to work on dinner. Once we got back to Connell Cyndee and I chilled and chatted about everything from what’s she’s doing now, to old teachers we’ve worked with, and more. I miss being closer and visiting her more. I’m so glad she’s lovig her job and working in Connell. It’s great too that Ryan is working there iin town too, so much better than the trips to Walla Walla.

We ended up  BBQing for the night. It was so much fun! Cyndee was running the grill while Daniel and I were playing on his swing set, trampoline and soccer. Daniel is such a cutie pie and so full of energy. After dinner we headed to the pool so Daniel could go swimming. I decided I wasn’t going to goo swimming so no suit for me. I was so  surprised with Dainel. He’s walk up the four flights of stairs to the top of the slide. He’d then slide down. I couldn’t believe it. he’s only 5 years old and he just does it by himself. I would be totally freaked out if that were me. He’s just fearless! It was an awesome visit! Now I just need to convince Cyndee to bring Daniel down here for a visit. I think he’d love the Children’s Museum, the Zoo, and OMSI.

Friday July 24th was the annual American Cancer Society Relay for Life. I’ve been going every year for the last three years. Our team is a bunch of  teachers, friends, and family. I love the relay it’s such a great community event. Othello is a small town, about 6K, with a lot of heart. There are so many people that come out for this event every year. I’m always surprised at how many come out. I think we started out about 7pm with a few words from people that have survived cancer. One of those that talked this year was my mom’s friend, Kristi Spohr. She was actually my French teacher in high school. She did such a great job talking about her experience in finding out she had cancer. I stood there listening to her tearing up and thinking I should really go and get my mammogram done soon. After the talks those that have survived cancer did the survivor walk. It’s the first round around the track and done  by those that have survived cancer. It’s really cool because you see a sea of purple shirts walk the track. It’s neat, and yet bitter-sweet to see all those survivors. I know so many of them too. Some are even people I’ve gone to high school with. I’m so glad they’re survivors.

Every year we raise money and every year we try to do better than the last year. This year we raised $1,700 from our team, the Studs and Duds. I was so happy we’d done so well. I’m always happy if we make more than 1K, maybe next year we’ll make 2K. This year was a ton of fun too because “the kids” (Alex, Cade, Drake, and Gabriella) got to spend the night with us. I think they had a great time! I was proud of myself too because I walked 13 miles straight in the relay. I could have walked farther but I got a blister on my foot so the last 3 miles were hard.

Once the relay was over mom and I headed home. Saturday was a day of sleeping and relaxing since we’d not slept the night before. It was so nice not to do anything. Saturday night we went out to Penny and Israel’s place to have dinner and visit with the kids. I love hanging out there with them. The kids are so full of energy and just fun to play with. Cade had recently gotten a new goat so we went out to the pasture to see his new goat and everyone else’s goat too. We also got to see the new chickens.

Monday I headed to Ellensburg to visit with Eric’s parents.  I think it’s so great that we have such a great relationship. I love my in-laws, they’re the best. Tuesday I got to go with Julie to her book club luncheon. It was so much fun. I love Julie’s friends. We all enjoyed a great potluck luncheon and chatted about all things from books, to movies, to computers, to potatoes. I can’t remember everyone’s names but here’s a picture of everyone in attendance at the lunch. A bunch of great ladies.

Later Tuesday night Greg, Hollie, Miles, and Beth came over to Bob and Jullie’s to visit and play for a while  before we headed to dinner. I can’t believe Mile’s is going into 2nd grade this year. I think Beth has one more year before she starts school. I just can’t believe how much time has flown by. It seems like just a bit ago when they lived up the street from us and we saw them more often. I really wish we saw everyone more often but that darn work just gets in the way of it all.

I had an amazing vacation! I actually extended it to include Thursday and Friday so I could spend time with Eric. I was go glad I took the time off.

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One of the many things I got the chance to do while in Arizona on vacation was to meet up with my old manager from Intel and her new baby, Charlie (really Charles Jr.). The little guy was so cute, hard to believe he’s not even a month old yet. It was really nice to spend time with Kristi, Chuck and Charlie. I had forgotten how light and little newborns are. Charlie is so cute and small. I had a blast sitting there holding him while he slept, talking with Kristi. it was funny too because Kristi and CHuck both mentioned that Charlie is either sleeping or hungry right now. They kept waiting for him to wake up and each time he’d move aroudn they’d joke that the crying would be soon because he wanted food. I was very proud of myself when he slept the whole hour and wasn’t fussy at all. he’s so great. I can’t imagine what he’ll look like when he’s older. It was nice too to get the baby fix but the leave Krisit with the diaper changes.

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As promised, this it the new stain glass window my mom made Eric and I. All I can say is, I LOVE IT!!! This is in the guest bathroom upstairs and the window faces out to the street so you can see the light house, etc from outside too. Love that. It’s also cool too that the land and less opaque glass goes up half way so you don’t have to worry about flashing the neighbors. I love, love this window. It goes great in the bathroom which is sort of a coast, beach theme.

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So we get in, go to bed and get up this morning. It was a great morning. We all sat out on the back porch sipping coffee and talking about things. I can’t remember what we were talking about but being there with Eric, my mom and brother was really nice.

One of the reasons we were there in Othello first was because I needed my mom’s help and advice in sewing my very good friend, Natalie’s, wedding dress. It sounds all complicated but it’s not a typical wedding dress and is made up of about 5 pieces. so nothing too hard but still a challenge. So my mom, gotta love her, helped me with the dress today. It was really nice working on it and asking her advice and us getting a long the whole time. It’s nice when we can do that. Sometimes we try and we end up butting heads and it’s not a fun experience but today, today was different and really nice. My mom is so cool that when it came to putting in the zipper, a “blind” zipper which I’ve never done, my mom did the whole thing. I was so happy she did that and thankful because that was the part I was really worried about messing up. SO here’s a shout out to my mom, because I’m not sure she knew how thankful I was for her help and advice.

MOM…. THANKS A MILLION TIMES FOR YOUR HELP TODAY! I DON”T THINK I COULD HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU. THANKS FOR BEING THE GREATEST MOM EVER!!!
Love your daughter

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It was interesting to talk about all that. I mean a lot of people in this world are not internally happy, they think things like “if I only buy (x) then I’ll be happy”, or “I wish I was like (x).” I think the thing that people really fail to realize is that if you’re not happy with yourself, you’re never going to be happy. I mean you may be happy for a moment but not for long term. It’s like I was telling Chad, a person can’t be in a truly happy in life or love until they’re happy with themselves, it’s internal. A person or thing can’t make you happy. You have to make yourself happy. How many people do you know that aren’t happy with themselves? They’re always looking for the next thing to make them happy, they’re counting their friends like pennies and determining their value by the number of friends they have. They’re the person keeping up with the Jones’ and wondering why they’re not as happy as the Jones’ seam to be. It’s silly really, trying to keep up with the Jones’, trying to one up a person, etc. It’s sad really. The whole conversation was a great one. It really made me happy for Chad but happy for myself and very satisfied with things in my life.

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