May you have love to give and love to receive this time of year

I've been feeling really homesick the last few days. They say home is where your heart is... Right now my heart is with my children and grandchildren. I have never experienced a Christmas without family before this - it is not my preference, but it is the way things are this holiday. I keep having this wish in my heart that my family will surprise me and show up at my doorstep tonight for Christmas Eve. Rationally, I know this isn't going to happen, the weather isn't making travel likely or safe. But I can dream. Truthfully, I will be glad when the holidays are over because I don't like feeling especially lonely during this time of year that is filled with memories and unmet expectations. I am however, very grateful for the love and blessings that surround me. I have a beautiful and amazing family and even though we can't be physically together this season we are together in love. May you be blessed with love and light this season as well.

These are a few photos from the local Nativity performance a couple of weeks ago.

Gift from the Sea

The weatherman said yesterday we could expect good weather along the coast and in southern Oregon so I planned a day trip excursion. When I first moved here I was doing these discovery day trips regularly on weekends but I haven't ventured anywhere new in the last couple of months. My day yesterday was a pure treasure- you never know what you will find when you go exploring someplace new. The coastline and beach area in Bandon, OR proved to be a winner. There were miles of trails that led to the beaches and a quaint little Main Street a block from fresh fish eateries on the Bay. So much to see, taste and experience that I could've stayed much longer. I will definitely be back. But in the meantime here are some photos of my wonderful adventure. As you look at these photos just imagine the cool gentle ocean breeze in your hair, the salty smell of fresh ocean spray and the freedom of open endless ocean vistas and the sound of pounding waves.
I have thought many times of Anne Morrow-Lindbergh's book 'Gift from the Sea' since I moved to Oregon. I highly recommend it.

Holidays

Realizing it has been a couple of months since I posted anything, I thought I'd share some thoughts about the current holiday season. It has been fun for me to experience the changing of seasons here since I haven't lived here in fall or winter before. This town sure knows how to bring on the holidays with charm and nostalgia. Because Jacksonville is a historic town there is always an undertone of the 'old' or the history with the new decorations, parties and celebration. Last Friday night I attended the main-street Victorian Christmas parade here in town which included local marching bands and the fire truck but also many old cars, a choir dressed in Victorian dress and a town crier walking up and down the streets wearing a black suit and top hat and ringing a small bell. We've been receiving  a lot of rain the last couple of weeks but luckily the rain stopped during the parade and held off just until the large Christmas trees lights lit up for the first time. It was an event that caused me to stop and think about the fact that I've never liked going to parades and that I was actually enjoying this one at night with the town all lit up in Christmas lights and trimmed with greenery.
On Sunday there was a fundraising event I was thrilled to attend because it was a Christmas home tour. There were 5 beautiful homes to walk through which were all decorated for the holidays. Each home was a different architecture, one was a historic home, another a brand new multi million dollar home, another one was a very large log home on riverfront property and I enjoyed seeing each one and how they were decked out for the holidays. I wasn't sure if I was going to put up a tree and decorate at my house this year but felt inspired by all of the holiday cheer around me and purchased a fresh cut little tree and now enjoy having a the sights and smell of the season in my home as well.

We had a break in the rain today and Montana and I went for a long walk. I was reminded of how green everything is here even without leaves on the trees. I really enjoy the green that comes from the rain and also the fresh air and smell of pine trees (because they are everywhere here). This place is a beautiful spot to call home and I feel very blessed to have found it! Fortunately I have also met some wonderful people here. The majority of people I talk to have moved here from another state and are not originally from this area. A lot of people are from California and some from New York and everywhere in between. Everyone is so friendly and they don't seem too busy to stop and say hello- which has been very important to me as a new person here.

I recently invited a group of women over to my house for a book club planning session. By the way, most of the women don't know each other, rather I have met them in my different experiences one by one. We will be starting the actual book club in January but needed to meet and decide how to structure the book club and also plan the books to read for the first few months. I must say that I am in awe of the quality of women who came to my home who will participate in the group each month. Women whom I am grateful to call my friends and from whom I can learn from and laugh with. The group ranges in age from 36 to 67 and even though not everyone knew each other prior, there was a definite feeling of camaraderie and 'a meeting of souls' when we all got together. Good stuff in the making - I am starting to see the many synchronicities  in my meeting new people. I have been invited to a holiday party this next weekend and will meet many new people there so it will be fun to see what comes from those 'meetings' as well.

Seasons of Change

I recently returned home after visiting Salt Lake City to find the town of Jacksonville decorated for Autumn with these cornstalks and flowers wrapped around all of the lighposts in town. I love it because it feels so festive and even though it is still warm and green here you can feel the season changing. Driving into town after being gone for ten days was a little emotional for me because it was the first time I've 'come home' to Oregon since moving here the first of June. It definitely feels like home to me and my entire being seems to be resonating with happy feelings upon returning.

I was thrilled to go to Salt Lake City to meet my new grandson! I arrived the day after his birth and got to hold and love him as much as possible while I was there. He is beautiful and healthy and a blessing to his parents and extended family. My oldest daughter came into town to visit the newest addition as well and so all of my children were there and I loved spending time together with them. My sister Paula and her husband were gracious enough to let me stay at their house and bring Montana along. Thank you, thank you! Paula, Heather, Liz and I had a couple of late night talks laughing and talking - good times being together.

While all of us (me and my children) were together at dinner one night I asked my sons if they had been reading my blog, they answered honestly and said maybe they read a little at first but haven't really checked it since then. I thought to myself, "Well, I guess they aren't too interested in what I'm doing, or maybe they just don't find my life that interesting." Truthfully it hurt my feelings a little that they weren't more interested. As a parent life seems to revolve around your children and now that my children are grown and I am off doing my own thing without them you think they'd be a little more curious. I guess not. They are each busy doing their own thing too - which is okay, just thought they would be more interested in the things I'm experiencing. I guess that part never changes - as parents we are always interested in our children and hearing about their lives and experiences.

This month of October the city of Jacksonville does a fun event that I will be attending. You can read all about it here. http://jacksonvilleoregon.com/  Look under Events & Activities and you will see the section titled,  7th annual "Meet the Pioneers". One of Jacksonville’s most popular events, “Meet the Pioneers” is a special evening walking tour of the torch lit cemetery where you will be greeted by some of Jacksonville’s early residents. Hear their fascinating stories of what life was like in the mid to late 1800′s and listen in on the town folks’ discussions of important topics and events of the day. 


This photo is from the same website. I love this photo of Jacksonville with the fall colors in the background, I can hardly wait to see the colors change in person this year.  I really do feel like this place is home for me. The longer I'm here and the more people I meet the more grounded I feel. This place makes me feel more like myself and more comfortable with myself which brings greater peace into my life. Beautiful!

Mount Shasta

Over Labor Day weekend I decided to drive south to California and see Mount Shasta and Lake Shasta. I am only 30 miles from the California border and Mt Shasta is another 70 miles approximately. There is still a huge fire burning (now 22,000 acres) in northern CA so it was quite smokey the further south I went but miraculously Mount Shasta was visable and I was able to get some good photos. I drove up to the parking lot where hikers who have permits (required for the hike above 10,000 feet) usually get started. It was a pretty drive from the town of Shasta up the road about 12 miles to the parking lot.

 

I drove another 75 miles south to see Lake Shasta, I thought it would be closer to Mount Shasta but I was wrong. I had planned to go swimming but there really wasn't any type of beach area to do that. It was very rocky and not a nice beach area at all. It was over a 100 degrees there and when I left Jacksonville it was only 85 degrees so it would have been really nice to swim - I was quite disappointed. So far in my adventure this is my first real disappointment about any place I've visited. I don't think I'll be going back to Shasta Lake anytime soon unless I'm staying on a house boat (they have a lot of boats on the lake).  I was not impressed with any of the towns I passed through in northern CA either. I'm definitely glad to be back in Oregon and I think I'll stick to exploring this state for now.

 

One of my favorite meals

For dinner I often make this... It is delicious! The green salad is fresh and flavorful and the pasta is extremely pleasing to the taste buds! Since switching to a completely vegan diet last year this pasta is one of my favorite new recipes. Every single time I've made this and one of my non vegan family members tries it, it quickly becomes one of their favs as well. The recipe is from the Vegan Yum Yum cookbook which has a great selection of vegan recipes- in fact the most likeable recipes I've found in one vegan cookbook. 

This recipe is called Hurry up Alfredo. You just cook your shell pasta (it must be shell pasta so it holds more of this dreamy sauce)  and steam whatever veggies you want to add. This time I added cauliflower but it is good with any kind of veggies because the sauce is just so yum yum! 

Blend the following ingredients in your blender until smooth and poor over hot cooked pasta and/ or veggies:

1 cup soy milk

1/3 heaping cup raw unsalted cashews

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

3 T tamari sauce or soy sauce 

2 T Earth Balance margarine

1 T tahini (it looks like peanut butter)

1 T fesh lemon juice

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp paprika

A pinch of nutmeg

Salt an pepper to taste

I also add some crushed red pepper - to give it a little kick 
Enjoy!

Natural Abundance

The local blackberries are in full bounty here and literally everywhere! I picked these tonight in my yard. I've discovered that if I wait to pick them until they are big, dark and just a little tender they are the most sweet. I have never tasted anything this sweet that I've picked from my own yard, they are so delicious! I wish I could share them with you!
Today it was only 80 degrees and it felt so nice - I checked the forecast and it is supposed to stay in the low 80's or high 70's for the next five days. I love this time of year when it starts to cool off a bit but it is still very pleasant.

The hard drive in my laptop died this week and so I am typing this on my new iPad ! In just a few days I can already see why people love these tablets. The only thing that is a little different is not being able to connect my camera to download photos directly to the iPad but other than that I really like it.  (However the camera on this is awesome so maybe I'll just start using that instead.)

It has been a fairly quiet week for me and I have been thinking about how simple my life is right now. In fact it is probably the most simple as it has ever been. I've been a mother since I was seventeen and so I have been worried about taking care of children since I was a child. I feel that I have been a damn good mother. Now, I am enjoying having some time to get to know myself without children or family closeby. It isn't that I don't miss them, because I do. I just realize that for me, this distance allows me to really get to know me without anyone telling me who I should be or expecting things from me because that is the way it has been done in the past. If I had gone away to college at age seventeen instead, perhaps I would've already figured this stuff out. But truly, I think a lot of women go through this stage when their family is grown and start to wonder, "Who am I? What do I want? What do I want to accomplish with the rest of my life?" I find myself looking very candidly at myself which seems easier to do because I spend so much time by myself.  I feel that this time is a gift and I am very thankful to be in the present moment discovering new things about myself. It isn't all pleasant - sometimes it is very painful and messy but once I get through that stuff there is always something good on the other side of it. I'll keep you posted on my discoveries, but right now I am going to go eat some delicious blackberries.

Making Memories

My daughter Liz and me walking along the beach together

It really is important to make time to spend with those you love :) I appreciate those I love taking time to be with me!

My sister Lezli and I having fun in the Redwoods - (sister Paula took this picture)

Feeling the blues

My sweet children Liz and Ben. This was Friday at Crescent City, CA beach where  it was only 60 degrees!

We had such a great time together - it went by way too fast! They have come and gone already and I'm feeling the blues with them gone today! We squeezed in every bit of fun and sightseeing we possibly could in the few days they were here. On Thursday we went down the Rogue River with a rafting company and as we were enjoying our day a fire appeared on the mountainside down river near our take out point in Gold Hill, OR. I wish we had some pictures of our day on the river but because of the fire the photographer couldn't access the road to take photos like they normally do. It was quite an adventure - we rode the river with helicopters dipping their buckets in the river right in front of us to use for fighting the fire. Wish we could've gotten photos of that!



Here is a photo from the rafting company website - it is not our raft however...

After a day on the river we cleaned up and went out for Thai food in Jacksonville

Crescent City, CA

Beautiful photo of Liz overlooking the beach in Brookings, OR

Ben and me walking along path in Stout Grove

Liz and Ben enjoying the Redwoods

Special Guests



Deer are everywhere here in Jacksonville. It was fun to capture this beautiful site of a mamma and her baby sitting in the shade one morning while my sisters were here visiting. (My sister Paula took these pictures.)



I am very excited for my 2 youngest children to arrive later today! I have planned a day of river rafting for us tomorrow and it will be such fun to hang out with them for the next few days! That has been the toughest part of moving here - being so far from my family. I wish they would all move here too but that is probably not realistic at the present time. So I want to make the most of every moment while we are together. I will post some pictures of our time together later on this week. As I've been preparing for guests this summer I decided to paint the furniture in the guest room. Once I did that project and realized how easy it was and how much I liked it, I decided to paint my kitchen table. My next project will be a dresser I have in my laundry room. Here are some photos of the painting projects:

I didn't take before and after photos of the bedroom furniture but this is a big improvement - I love the color! I used Annie Sloan chalk paint and it was so easy - no sanding necessary. I heard about it from someone's 'pin' on pinterest. There are so many great ideas - I painted mine with a basic look but check out what you can do with this paint! Such creative people out there.

Here is the link:

 http://pinterest.com/nypaintedlady/annie-sloan-chalk-paint-passion/

You can kind of see the 'before' oak color in this photo

Heat and Smoke

Well the hot temperatures finally arrived here. I've loved the summer here because we've had very few days above 90 degrees. Currently we are experiencing a heat wave of high 90's with smoky skies from the northern California and southern Oregon fires. Yuck! Fortunately there are options to escape the heat and smoke. You can drive to a higher elevation to get out of the smoke or drive to the coast to get out of the heat. Yesterday I decided to drive to a higher elevation and visit a lake I'd heard about called Lake of the Woods. It was certainly worth the 50 mile drive to see clear blue skies and enjoy a day at the lake. Montana enjoyed cooling off in the water as much as I did ...

Peace and the Britt Orchestra

I don't know if there are any blog readers out there tonight checking out my blog, but if you're out there, I just have to share what this evening is like here in Jacksonville. As I sit here on my couch reading a good book, enjoying the nice cool breeze blowing through the screens and the sound of the Britt Orchestra playing in the background, I am thinking this almost feels like a dream. I can hear the crickets chirping outside my window with the heavenly orchestra playing at the Britt pavilion a couple of streets over. The beautiful sounds are easy to enjoy from where I sit. I’m so thankful that I don’t have cable television right now – even though I am missing the Olympics, this is the life I envisioned for myself at this time. Ahhh, and what a life it is. I feel very grateful to be here, now.

Things girls like

I'm not a big shopper really compared to my other female friends. But there are certain things I enjoy shopping for. There is something that feels good about finding a delicious smelling lotion, an artsy colorful pillow, original greeting cards, or comfy new pajamas. I enjoyed browsing through the boutiques here in Jacksonville with my sisters last week. They had secretly talked about buying me a house warming gift and I was thrilled when they chose the lamp below. I had been thinking about getting something colorful and glowing for my kitchen area. This is perfect on my kitchen table, at night it looks like a candle.

A peek into one of my favorite boutique's here in Jacksonville

The yummy Candy Shoppe

My sister Paula loved seeing the beautiful hydrangea flowers around town

This is Picos boutique where we found the lamp for my kitchen table

A glimpse of Jacksonville's California street where shopping can be an all day experience

Another view of California street