Before anyone gets concerned or teary eyed, this is one of those inanimate friends, so I promise it will be okay.
I don't know exactly when I got the travel bug. It wasn't something I always had. See, as a child I lived in the little town of Horse Creek, CA, WAAAAAAAAY down the Klamath River on HWY 96. Anyone who has ever driven that road knows the meaning of the word "curvaceous." (I was going to say "windy" but as that could be seen two ways I chose otherwise.) We lived about 35 miles from the nearest town, Yreka. Still not much of a town in case you're curious. That meant every time we needed something from the store and didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for it, we had quite a trip to make. My siblings actually got the joy of a bus ride down this incredible road twice a day during their high school years.
I love this drive now. It's a beautiful trip through the mountains along the river, dotted with wildlife and minimal traffic. I know every curve, and used to know the people living in many of the houses as well. As a child, however, it almost always made me queasy. If I looked out the front window, and didn't do anything crazy like trying to read, I could make it okay, but otherwise I was not a fan of the trek.
As time passed, however, I developed an insatiable desire to see more of the world. Perhaps it's precisely because I grew up in such an isolated place. I wanted to know more, to see more, to experience more.
In 1996 I had my first out of country experience. I've always enjoyed history, and been fascinated by all there is out there in the world to see. Traveling to Italy on a mission trip gave me a beautiful opportunity to meet new people, expand my horizons, and see some seriously old stuff. Let me just tell you that standing in the Collesium, and knowing it's the real thing, is awe inspiring.
I was only 17 back then, almost half a life time away, and I gave the camera a big grin that was slapped into a handy little passport. A couple of years later I wanted to put the thing to use once more, and I was blessed with the opportunity to go to Hong Kong for a summer. Wow. What more can I say. I entered into an entirely new world and felt so alive. Giving my life and love to the babies at the orphanage changed me completely. The first night I was there I knew that three months were not nearly enough time. However, passports acquired by minors are only good for five years, so when it came time to head back to Hong Kong after completing college, a new travel book was required.
I can still remember the day I drove down to Kinkos to get my passport photos taken. It was hot. Like seriously hot. Medford, Oregon can be that way. I was dripping by the time I got there, and my hair was short short short. I was a bit deflated from the heat, but I beamed in the photo, knowing that it would soon be my ticket to the world. I was hesitant to mail in my old passport, fearing that it might be lost or not returned, but I had no other options. Away it went and a few weeks later I was given a ten year pass.
Today, it's time is up. With a July 2011 expiration date, there are no more stamps to be had. Granted, they don't stamp passports as readily as they once did. I've visited a number of countries that didn't make their way visually into the book, but it has still become a dear friend. I have carried it literally around the world. There are visas to Hong Kong, Indonesia, China, and the Czech Republic inside, as well as stamps from Korea, Macau, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and perhaps one or two others from transit points as well. It even has a fat section of beautiful new pages I had to have added when I ran out of visa pages. The visa photos record varying lengths of hair and roundness of face. It's a map, a guide, a journal of sorts. And today it is on it's way to being replaced.
I'm feeling a little squirmy in my stomach thinking about it sitting in an envelope at the post office. I worry again that something might happen to slow its progress, shuffling it off in unknown directions. It has been a source of protection and identification. Without it, I'm stuck, grounded not just on this continent, but in this country. No longer can I even take a quick jaunt up to Canada. I feel as though my legs have been tied.
Despite my worry, I tell myself it will all be okay. The post office won't lose my precious passport. They'll deliver it safely along with the astronomical fee that has nearly doubled in the past ten years. It will arrive and be replaced with a new book with beautiful pages and a new fancy data collection card. And the old passport, now used up and seemingly useless, will have a hole punched through it to show that it is no longer valid for travel. I don't want it to be sad about this change in status, but to feel as though it is time for a well deserved break. It's seen me through a lot of transitions after all. The new photo will have updated hair, but the smile has been removed. For some reason we've also gone over to the somber photo group. Makes me sad really, but at least I don't have those ridiculous corn furrows on my head like I get every now and then.
So there you have it. The entire saga. Now I just have to wait a few long weeks until I have the lovely new little book in my hands and I'll be capable of transit once again.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Weekend Trip to Glacier National Park
Over this past weekend Mark and I were able to go and visit my parents in Seeley Lake, Montana where they've been serving at a small VM church for the past several months. They'll be finishing up their time there next weekend, so this was our last chance to visit them there and enjoy the beauty of their location. The whole time I was there I kept thinking about the time Rebecca there in 2008.
Unfortunately, due to a long hard winter, only 16 miles of road were open from the West Entrance. We would have enjoyed being able to wander around more, but we did the best with what we were able to do.
We headed in by McDonald Lake and then continued along and stopped at different places along the way. I could spend all sorts of time trying to come up with descriptions to do the place justice, but the pictures tell it better.
It was really great to have the chance to spend some time cruising around with Mom and Dad. We were also joined by Mitzi and Trixie just because.
The river provided lots of lovely views and posing opportunities.
On our way to take a break by the souvenir station, we did have a nice encounter with nature. Since I wasn't as ridiculous as the people who got out of their cars to take photos of the bear my photos don't do it justice, but it was pretty cool to watch a bear just enjoying a bite twenty feet away from us.
We enjoyed the local transport, although we stuck with our own car for the ride.
Then we went for a little nature walk to St. John's Lake. I'm pretty sure that was what it was called at least.
In all it was a really beautiful trip. We all enjoyed the chance to see these natural marvels. It would be nice to go back some day and see a bit more of the place, but for the time being we did enjoy the visit.
I'll leave the rest of our trip for the next post since I had so many pictures for this post.
Unfortunately, due to a long hard winter, only 16 miles of road were open from the West Entrance. We would have enjoyed being able to wander around more, but we did the best with what we were able to do.
We headed in by McDonald Lake and then continued along and stopped at different places along the way. I could spend all sorts of time trying to come up with descriptions to do the place justice, but the pictures tell it better.
It was really great to have the chance to spend some time cruising around with Mom and Dad. We were also joined by Mitzi and Trixie just because.
The river provided lots of lovely views and posing opportunities.
On our way to take a break by the souvenir station, we did have a nice encounter with nature. Since I wasn't as ridiculous as the people who got out of their cars to take photos of the bear my photos don't do it justice, but it was pretty cool to watch a bear just enjoying a bite twenty feet away from us.
We enjoyed the local transport, although we stuck with our own car for the ride.
Then we went for a little nature walk to St. John's Lake. I'm pretty sure that was what it was called at least.
In all it was a really beautiful trip. We all enjoyed the chance to see these natural marvels. It would be nice to go back some day and see a bit more of the place, but for the time being we did enjoy the visit.
I'll leave the rest of our trip for the next post since I had so many pictures for this post.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
'Cause I'm Cool Like a Grandma
When I was eight years old I lived in a world inside my head. Being five and a half years younger than my closest sister, and living out in the middle of nowhere in Horse Creek, California, there weren't many playmate options. I had what I dubbed "play people," a whole entourage of invisible friends at my beck and call whenever I needed them.
I know they showed up at school sometimes. There were even those who played copy cat and started having imaginary folk following them around, but none of them relied on them quite as heavily as I did. As the years passed and the social structure of our little school fluctuated, I was left on the outside, a pasty, pudgy outcast with a head full of dreams and ideas. They called me "Teacher's Pet" or "Miss Goody Two Shoes" and had no interest in me except to acquire answers on assignments. It's actually a little hard to recall exactly what set me on the outs. While many places in small town America remain structured around whether you're a true local (I was two when we moved there) or not, it didn't seem to matter so much in the first years. Our school was super small. We had K-8 with only three teachers, which meant three years in each class. The first three years were fine, but when we moved into third grade, things shifted away from me. I moved more into my own head, and away from the maddening crowd.
It was during this stage that I began to spend more time during recess sitting at the metal picnic table with Viola than playing with my peers. Viola was a rather crusty old bird. Years of smoking had given her a gravelly voice, and her threatened growling was something to be avoided at all costs. We all feared her and loved her at the same time. Being sentenced to sit on the tire, a large tractor left over, next to her table was a fate to be avoided at all costs. Yet I chose to sit with her willingly.
In contrast to her somewhat harsh manner, Viola was a Crafter. She was always working on some crocheting project as she kept a cautious eye on playground politics. Every year at Christmas each student received a hand made ornament. I still cherish those trinkets, and they have hung on my parents tree every year up to the present. Being the focused and outcast kid that I was, I decided I wanted to learn how to make blankets like Viola.
When I first approached her with my plea, she was wary. "You'll never stick with it," she said. "You'll get bored. I don't want to waste my time teaching you if you aren't really serious."
But I was serious. I begged and pleaded, and finally she told me to bring a hook and some yarn. I was so excited by the prospect, and eagerly showed up with my shiny green "G" hook and a skein of red yarn.
"If you really want to learn," she told me gruffly, "I'll teach you how to make a basic chain. If you can crochet a basic chain that stretches from the picnic table to the fence (about 100 feet or so) then I'll teach you the next stitch."
I was determined not to let her down. Recess always haunted me with the fear of feeling alone and rejected, so I was grateful to have something to concentrate my time on. It's possible that the other kids laughed at me for my endeavor, but I really didn't care. My grandmother was a master with a crochet hook. Her blankets and booties kept us warm in the winter, and her delicate angels and snowflakes hung elegantly on our Christmas tree. I wanted to be able to do things like that.
So, day after day, the metal bench pressed lines into my chubby legs, and I wrapped the string around my finger and learned how to make the hook work magic. I don't know how long this project went on, no doubt the better part of third grade, but I never managed to make it all the way to the fence. Even though I stuck to it pretty faithfully, I ran out of steam somewhere along the line, and the dream died. At least for a while.
When I was ten, an exciting thing happened. I was informed that I was going to be an aunt. I was thrilled by the idea, and I wanted to be the best auntie any baby ever had. I decided that, whether Viola would teach me or now, I was going to make a blanket for this baby. I informed Viola of my intent, and I'm sure she was laughing inside, but she agreed to give me some basic guidelines to get me started. Since we didn't know what the baby would be, I made neat rows of alternating blue, pink, sea green, and white. Much to everyone's surprise, by the time David Kirk West entered the world, when I was only 11, I had made him a blanket. Two years later, when Ryder was born, another blanket, this time purple, teal and white, was produced. I'd like to be able to say that additional blankets were made for all 13 of my nieces and nephews, but high school wasn't exactly the best time for such projects. I got out of practice, and the thought of spending hours and hours and hours crocheting just didn't appeal the way it had when I was younger. During that stage I did make one other blanket for my sister Julie, but it took about 5 years to finish because I just couldn't make myself focus.
Basically, I stopped really thinking about this odd old world hobby of mine. There were too many books to be ready, topics to be studied, and friends to entertain. I traveled, I attained higher education, and lost touch with some of my roots.
After my first year in Hong Kong, I came back depressed. I had trouble finding myself in the land of my birth. Despite my experiences and education, I ended up working as a maid (hmmmm...) and was basically miserable, despite having lovely roommates. I decided that it was time to take on a new project. Having never made anything for myself, I decided to make a blanket just for me. I was surprised by how quickly I was able to finish the project, and how much my skill level had grown. While the edges were still a bit wobbly, it actually turned out pretty neat and even.
A good friend of mine from high school was getting married that summer, and two weeks before the wedding I decided I would make them a blanket. Let me just say that when they pulled out the whopping afghan I made for them they were beyond surprised. I'd told them I was bored, and now they finally believed me :)
After that I decided that reviving this skill was definitely a good thing. I started making blankets for my sweet babies in Hong Kong when I moved back. I also made all kinds of scarves as Christmas gifts. I found I could finish one in a few hours, which was just perfect. Watch Christmas movie, complete scarf. What could be better? Sadly, the pictures of most of these blankets are only hard copies, so I can't quite catalog everything. Wedding and baby gifts have almost all turned to yarn. I'm still trying to master new stitches, but with the help of some books and internet tutorials I think Viola would be very proud at what I've managed to figure out on my own.
My backlog or photos doesn't go back very far, and some pictures I know I have somewhere have not yet been transferred to my hard disk, but here are a few.
This first one is from Amy and Scott Slinkard. I was so sad not to be able to attend the wedding of one of my friends who knew me from before I started to crochet, but at least I was able to make a little tribute to her wedding colors. It's too bad I don't have any pictures of my really early work where it was mostly just a basic double crochet. By this point I was already experimenting with new designs.
Next up, in a very similar style, is the blanket I made to welcome Citlali Zavala. It ended up being a bit long and skinny, but it worked just fine for a baby. I actually made this one in Czech with local yarn. It was so hard to know how much to buy because they measure it differently, so I still have quite a bit of leftovers stashed in Czech.
While the actual creation time only took about a month in and out of my work and social schedule, it took me almost two years to finally get around to making this blanket for Nate and Amy Sarchet-Waller. I brought the yarn with me from the US this time, which made things a lot easier. During our long CA meetings it was great to have something to help occupy my hands so I could stay focused.
I've always loved zigzag blankets, so I was really excited to finally figure out how to make them for myself. My first attempt was for my mom, and the second was for Jessie's wedding. No pictures, I'm sorry to say, but I whipped up something similar for Julie and Chad Granum. I was pleased with how the blanket was turning out, only to realize I was going to have a lot of yarn left over, so I decided to make them two. What newly married couple doesn't want a matching set of blankets in their wedding colors, right? Julie, who has become really accomplished in crochet herself, making a vast variety of things that I wouldn't even think of being able to do, made me a really cool blanket for my wedding in return. Perfect :)
Finally, I'll end with a couple more pictures of the Sunflower Afghan. I'm really so pleased with how it turned out. I think it really does look like a field of sunflowers with their heads all turned up in the pale blue sky.
I'll leave you to be the judge. Do you think Viola would be thankful for what she started with me?
I know they showed up at school sometimes. There were even those who played copy cat and started having imaginary folk following them around, but none of them relied on them quite as heavily as I did. As the years passed and the social structure of our little school fluctuated, I was left on the outside, a pasty, pudgy outcast with a head full of dreams and ideas. They called me "Teacher's Pet" or "Miss Goody Two Shoes" and had no interest in me except to acquire answers on assignments. It's actually a little hard to recall exactly what set me on the outs. While many places in small town America remain structured around whether you're a true local (I was two when we moved there) or not, it didn't seem to matter so much in the first years. Our school was super small. We had K-8 with only three teachers, which meant three years in each class. The first three years were fine, but when we moved into third grade, things shifted away from me. I moved more into my own head, and away from the maddening crowd.
It was during this stage that I began to spend more time during recess sitting at the metal picnic table with Viola than playing with my peers. Viola was a rather crusty old bird. Years of smoking had given her a gravelly voice, and her threatened growling was something to be avoided at all costs. We all feared her and loved her at the same time. Being sentenced to sit on the tire, a large tractor left over, next to her table was a fate to be avoided at all costs. Yet I chose to sit with her willingly.
In contrast to her somewhat harsh manner, Viola was a Crafter. She was always working on some crocheting project as she kept a cautious eye on playground politics. Every year at Christmas each student received a hand made ornament. I still cherish those trinkets, and they have hung on my parents tree every year up to the present. Being the focused and outcast kid that I was, I decided I wanted to learn how to make blankets like Viola.
When I first approached her with my plea, she was wary. "You'll never stick with it," she said. "You'll get bored. I don't want to waste my time teaching you if you aren't really serious."
But I was serious. I begged and pleaded, and finally she told me to bring a hook and some yarn. I was so excited by the prospect, and eagerly showed up with my shiny green "G" hook and a skein of red yarn.
"If you really want to learn," she told me gruffly, "I'll teach you how to make a basic chain. If you can crochet a basic chain that stretches from the picnic table to the fence (about 100 feet or so) then I'll teach you the next stitch."
I was determined not to let her down. Recess always haunted me with the fear of feeling alone and rejected, so I was grateful to have something to concentrate my time on. It's possible that the other kids laughed at me for my endeavor, but I really didn't care. My grandmother was a master with a crochet hook. Her blankets and booties kept us warm in the winter, and her delicate angels and snowflakes hung elegantly on our Christmas tree. I wanted to be able to do things like that.
So, day after day, the metal bench pressed lines into my chubby legs, and I wrapped the string around my finger and learned how to make the hook work magic. I don't know how long this project went on, no doubt the better part of third grade, but I never managed to make it all the way to the fence. Even though I stuck to it pretty faithfully, I ran out of steam somewhere along the line, and the dream died. At least for a while.
When I was ten, an exciting thing happened. I was informed that I was going to be an aunt. I was thrilled by the idea, and I wanted to be the best auntie any baby ever had. I decided that, whether Viola would teach me or now, I was going to make a blanket for this baby. I informed Viola of my intent, and I'm sure she was laughing inside, but she agreed to give me some basic guidelines to get me started. Since we didn't know what the baby would be, I made neat rows of alternating blue, pink, sea green, and white. Much to everyone's surprise, by the time David Kirk West entered the world, when I was only 11, I had made him a blanket. Two years later, when Ryder was born, another blanket, this time purple, teal and white, was produced. I'd like to be able to say that additional blankets were made for all 13 of my nieces and nephews, but high school wasn't exactly the best time for such projects. I got out of practice, and the thought of spending hours and hours and hours crocheting just didn't appeal the way it had when I was younger. During that stage I did make one other blanket for my sister Julie, but it took about 5 years to finish because I just couldn't make myself focus.
Basically, I stopped really thinking about this odd old world hobby of mine. There were too many books to be ready, topics to be studied, and friends to entertain. I traveled, I attained higher education, and lost touch with some of my roots.
After my first year in Hong Kong, I came back depressed. I had trouble finding myself in the land of my birth. Despite my experiences and education, I ended up working as a maid (hmmmm...) and was basically miserable, despite having lovely roommates. I decided that it was time to take on a new project. Having never made anything for myself, I decided to make a blanket just for me. I was surprised by how quickly I was able to finish the project, and how much my skill level had grown. While the edges were still a bit wobbly, it actually turned out pretty neat and even.
A good friend of mine from high school was getting married that summer, and two weeks before the wedding I decided I would make them a blanket. Let me just say that when they pulled out the whopping afghan I made for them they were beyond surprised. I'd told them I was bored, and now they finally believed me :)
After that I decided that reviving this skill was definitely a good thing. I started making blankets for my sweet babies in Hong Kong when I moved back. I also made all kinds of scarves as Christmas gifts. I found I could finish one in a few hours, which was just perfect. Watch Christmas movie, complete scarf. What could be better? Sadly, the pictures of most of these blankets are only hard copies, so I can't quite catalog everything. Wedding and baby gifts have almost all turned to yarn. I'm still trying to master new stitches, but with the help of some books and internet tutorials I think Viola would be very proud at what I've managed to figure out on my own.
My backlog or photos doesn't go back very far, and some pictures I know I have somewhere have not yet been transferred to my hard disk, but here are a few.
This first one is from Amy and Scott Slinkard. I was so sad not to be able to attend the wedding of one of my friends who knew me from before I started to crochet, but at least I was able to make a little tribute to her wedding colors. It's too bad I don't have any pictures of my really early work where it was mostly just a basic double crochet. By this point I was already experimenting with new designs.
Next up, in a very similar style, is the blanket I made to welcome Citlali Zavala. It ended up being a bit long and skinny, but it worked just fine for a baby. I actually made this one in Czech with local yarn. It was so hard to know how much to buy because they measure it differently, so I still have quite a bit of leftovers stashed in Czech.
While the actual creation time only took about a month in and out of my work and social schedule, it took me almost two years to finally get around to making this blanket for Nate and Amy Sarchet-Waller. I brought the yarn with me from the US this time, which made things a lot easier. During our long CA meetings it was great to have something to help occupy my hands so I could stay focused.
I've always loved zigzag blankets, so I was really excited to finally figure out how to make them for myself. My first attempt was for my mom, and the second was for Jessie's wedding. No pictures, I'm sorry to say, but I whipped up something similar for Julie and Chad Granum. I was pleased with how the blanket was turning out, only to realize I was going to have a lot of yarn left over, so I decided to make them two. What newly married couple doesn't want a matching set of blankets in their wedding colors, right? Julie, who has become really accomplished in crochet herself, making a vast variety of things that I wouldn't even think of being able to do, made me a really cool blanket for my wedding in return. Perfect :)
Finally, I'll end with a couple more pictures of the Sunflower Afghan. I'm really so pleased with how it turned out. I think it really does look like a field of sunflowers with their heads all turned up in the pale blue sky.
I'll leave you to be the judge. Do you think Viola would be thankful for what she started with me?
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Catching up at last
So now that I've officially gotten married here in Blogsville, I'll finally finish catching up on my past photo postings and be ready to enter into the normal day to day excitement of life in Moscow. Ha ha ha. No, really, that was a VERY funny comment. You see, life in Moscow (Idaho that is) doesn't exactly have a lot of chills and thrills to report. It'll just be more about how exciting it is when someone has explosive, eh hem, issues in the bathroom that I get blessed to help clean up. Here I thought I'd given up on life as a maid after three miserable attempts in the past, but it seems there's always a chance that I'll be called back to the front lines or hygiene duty. But that's definitely enough of that.
After the wedding Mark's parents stayed with us for another week. While this sort of cancelled out the idea of a traditional honeymoon, it really did make the most sense. The week before the wedding was so hectic that about all I did was drive them to shopping malls while I got more work done. So after a night to ourselves we came back and were able to say goodbye to my family and spend some quality time with his.
We bandied about lots of ideas where we could take them, but in the end decided on a trip down the Pacific Coast. Funny that my parents and my sister Julie and her husband both had spent their honeymoons on this same stretch of highway.
I've always loved the Pacific Ocean, and it was great to be able to share it with my new family. We drove all the way from Lincoln City, Or to Crescent City, CA. We were actually there just a week before the Japan earthquake, which sent harbor destroying tsunami waves into the little town.
Everyone enjoyed time spent at the beach. One afternoon we were walking on a beach just south of town and we discovered dozens of complete sand dollars. Sadly, I don't have any pictures of them, but we collected over 30. We also spent a day visiting the Redwoods. Mark's dad is a big nature enthusiast, and really loved these massive trees. He was so cute using the new video camera we got for them, and trying to get quiet shots of the towering giants.
Our drive back up coastal HWY 101 took place on a day of insane weather. We had blue skies, rain, and, believe it or not, snow! I'd never seen snow falling on the ocean. It was fascinating, but made the drive a bit stressful as I was trying to be really good for my in-laws.
We made a stop at the Sea Lion Caves, just as my parents also did on their honeymoon trip back in 1962. After almost 50 years, I don't think the place had changed much. This was apparently a good time of year to visit, because during the winter they spend most of their time inside. There were over 200 stinky barking sea lions in the cave. It was definitely a memorable experience.
It was here that we watched the storm clouds sweep in, dropping a flurry of snowflakes right into the ocean. Just craziness.
After a lovely trip, we returned the Jindrich's to the airport and sent them back to Czech land. I'm so thankful that they were able to come here and experience this place. It helps everything seem more possible, somehow.
Mark and I did end up with a few days of honeymoon, again at the Oregon Coast. Thanks to my parents we got to stay in some really nice timeshare places right near the beach. Then we had a little while in McMinnville before heading back to Idaho to try out married life.
And here we are, pretty much caught up to the present. I just wanted to add one more thing here before I end my catch up posts. I finally had the chance to finish up a wedding blanket for my friend Laura and her husband Dan. Managed to get this one done before their two year anniversary, so that was good. It actually took me about three weeks to complete I think. I found the directions here and just had to adapt it a bit to my own desires. There was no explanation for how to attach the sunflowers together individually, so I just had to figure that bit out for myself, but I think it worked out pretty well in the end. When she opened the package, Laura was able to recognize that it was designed after her wedding. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.
Maybe some day I'll do a post of all my wedding/baby blanket projects. I've been trying to archive my pictures recently, and have found quite a few of my projects there. Could be interesting.
For now, however, it's time to relax a bit after a long day of work. Tomorrow we're off to Spokane, and hopefully we'll head out to Montana for the weekend, so I'm sure I'll be able to post fresh photos soon.
After the wedding Mark's parents stayed with us for another week. While this sort of cancelled out the idea of a traditional honeymoon, it really did make the most sense. The week before the wedding was so hectic that about all I did was drive them to shopping malls while I got more work done. So after a night to ourselves we came back and were able to say goodbye to my family and spend some quality time with his.
We bandied about lots of ideas where we could take them, but in the end decided on a trip down the Pacific Coast. Funny that my parents and my sister Julie and her husband both had spent their honeymoons on this same stretch of highway.
I've always loved the Pacific Ocean, and it was great to be able to share it with my new family. We drove all the way from Lincoln City, Or to Crescent City, CA. We were actually there just a week before the Japan earthquake, which sent harbor destroying tsunami waves into the little town.
Everyone enjoyed time spent at the beach. One afternoon we were walking on a beach just south of town and we discovered dozens of complete sand dollars. Sadly, I don't have any pictures of them, but we collected over 30. We also spent a day visiting the Redwoods. Mark's dad is a big nature enthusiast, and really loved these massive trees. He was so cute using the new video camera we got for them, and trying to get quiet shots of the towering giants.
Our drive back up coastal HWY 101 took place on a day of insane weather. We had blue skies, rain, and, believe it or not, snow! I'd never seen snow falling on the ocean. It was fascinating, but made the drive a bit stressful as I was trying to be really good for my in-laws.
We made a stop at the Sea Lion Caves, just as my parents also did on their honeymoon trip back in 1962. After almost 50 years, I don't think the place had changed much. This was apparently a good time of year to visit, because during the winter they spend most of their time inside. There were over 200 stinky barking sea lions in the cave. It was definitely a memorable experience.
It was here that we watched the storm clouds sweep in, dropping a flurry of snowflakes right into the ocean. Just craziness.
After a lovely trip, we returned the Jindrich's to the airport and sent them back to Czech land. I'm so thankful that they were able to come here and experience this place. It helps everything seem more possible, somehow.
Mark and I did end up with a few days of honeymoon, again at the Oregon Coast. Thanks to my parents we got to stay in some really nice timeshare places right near the beach. Then we had a little while in McMinnville before heading back to Idaho to try out married life.
And here we are, pretty much caught up to the present. I just wanted to add one more thing here before I end my catch up posts. I finally had the chance to finish up a wedding blanket for my friend Laura and her husband Dan. Managed to get this one done before their two year anniversary, so that was good. It actually took me about three weeks to complete I think. I found the directions here and just had to adapt it a bit to my own desires. There was no explanation for how to attach the sunflowers together individually, so I just had to figure that bit out for myself, but I think it worked out pretty well in the end. When she opened the package, Laura was able to recognize that it was designed after her wedding. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.
Maybe some day I'll do a post of all my wedding/baby blanket projects. I've been trying to archive my pictures recently, and have found quite a few of my projects there. Could be interesting.
For now, however, it's time to relax a bit after a long day of work. Tomorrow we're off to Spokane, and hopefully we'll head out to Montana for the weekend, so I'm sure I'll be able to post fresh photos soon.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Oh Yeah, I Got Married...
Life changes some times in the most startling ways. Okay, it's not like I didn't see my wedding coming or anything like that, but in a sense, it still all took me by surprise. Some of the changes are subtle at first, but as time passes they become more obvious. When you're single for the first thirty years or your life, you tend to form some habits. Most of these habits have to do with the fact that you're responsibilities are few. I'm not talking about what you do for work, or what you have to do to survive or anything like that. Obviously, you could be single and still be doing something that requires you to act responsibly, like taking care of babies alone on a night shift. However, ultimately, you're only responsible for yourself. Your decisions are your own. You can go where you want, when you want (within reason of course.) Being in a relationship starts to change that gradually, but once you're married, it's a whole new ballgame.
I find myself now living a life in which I'm really not in control anymore. Not only is God in control, a fact which I've long had to wrestle with, but I have to think of someone else too. I can't just make up my own mind about what I'm going to do or where I'm going to go. I have to take into consideration the thoughts, feelings, and needs of someone else. And after thirty years of getting all set in my ways about how I want to do things, that's a pretty big adjustment. It would be great if I could say this is something that comes joyfully and easily to me, but that would be a lie. I can be pretty selfish when I get right down to it. I like to do things my own way, and when another person comes up with a whole new line of thoughts and opinions that aren't exactly in tune with my own? Well, I have to adjust.
Living cross culturally has often forced me to learn how to "be flexible." When I joined ESI (aka Teach Overseas) they pounded into my head the importance of living with ambiguity. It would appear that this is exactly what I've chosen as my life style. It should fit in rather well with the transient world I've called my home, but it still makes me stop and force myself to think on a regular basis. No more lackadaisical running around for me anymore. I'm a wife now.
That all being said, I'll jump right back into the big photo share I started working on lately. Along with the collision of friend worlds, I also was so happy to have my entire immediate family involved. To my knowledge, this was the first time all of my siblings, their spouses and their children have been in the same place at the same time, because the last big get together we had was before all the kids were born. So cool.
Sadly, not many people from Mark's family were able to come, but we were so thankful that it worked out for his parents to be there. His mom was really sick the week before they were supposed to fly, and since they're not used to flying, and don't speak any English at all, we were really afraid they wouldn't be able to make it, but thankfully God had other plans and knew just how important it was for them to be there with us.
Having these people, my friends and family, all together to celebrate was really such a miracle. Just look at how great they all looked :)
We also had the usual sorts of things like a cake that ended up a bit sad looking, but at least tasted good.
And these beautiful mints that my sister Janet made. They were just like the ones we had at her wedding only those were sea green and pink and there was such an overabundance that we had to freeze them and continued to eat them for years. She was much better at calculating this time around.
I had a lot more photos I thought about putting in, but for now I think this will have to suffice. It's at least enough to make it pretty obvious that a wedding did, indeed, take place. After years of being more than certain that it would never happen for me, having failed to get my MRS. while attending Simpson Bridal College (funny, they didn't give me my money back...) I at last have it in hand.
I find myself now living a life in which I'm really not in control anymore. Not only is God in control, a fact which I've long had to wrestle with, but I have to think of someone else too. I can't just make up my own mind about what I'm going to do or where I'm going to go. I have to take into consideration the thoughts, feelings, and needs of someone else. And after thirty years of getting all set in my ways about how I want to do things, that's a pretty big adjustment. It would be great if I could say this is something that comes joyfully and easily to me, but that would be a lie. I can be pretty selfish when I get right down to it. I like to do things my own way, and when another person comes up with a whole new line of thoughts and opinions that aren't exactly in tune with my own? Well, I have to adjust.
Living cross culturally has often forced me to learn how to "be flexible." When I joined ESI (aka Teach Overseas) they pounded into my head the importance of living with ambiguity. It would appear that this is exactly what I've chosen as my life style. It should fit in rather well with the transient world I've called my home, but it still makes me stop and force myself to think on a regular basis. No more lackadaisical running around for me anymore. I'm a wife now.
That all being said, I'll jump right back into the big photo share I started working on lately. Along with the collision of friend worlds, I also was so happy to have my entire immediate family involved. To my knowledge, this was the first time all of my siblings, their spouses and their children have been in the same place at the same time, because the last big get together we had was before all the kids were born. So cool.
Sadly, not many people from Mark's family were able to come, but we were so thankful that it worked out for his parents to be there. His mom was really sick the week before they were supposed to fly, and since they're not used to flying, and don't speak any English at all, we were really afraid they wouldn't be able to make it, but thankfully God had other plans and knew just how important it was for them to be there with us.
Having these people, my friends and family, all together to celebrate was really such a miracle. Just look at how great they all looked :)
We also had the usual sorts of things like a cake that ended up a bit sad looking, but at least tasted good.
And these beautiful mints that my sister Janet made. They were just like the ones we had at her wedding only those were sea green and pink and there was such an overabundance that we had to freeze them and continued to eat them for years. She was much better at calculating this time around.
I had a lot more photos I thought about putting in, but for now I think this will have to suffice. It's at least enough to make it pretty obvious that a wedding did, indeed, take place. After years of being more than certain that it would never happen for me, having failed to get my MRS. while attending Simpson Bridal College (funny, they didn't give me my money back...) I at last have it in hand.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Six Months Stateside
I think I've been living in some strange time vacuum. In some ways, it's hard to even fathom life back in Czech. It's such a different world from the one I now in habit that it's difficult to compare time here with time there. On the other hand, I find myself wondering just what exactly I've done for the past six months. Sure, there was the whole wedding business, then the job search, and all that time spent just trying to figure out where I'm at and how my new life is going to look. There has been culture shock, and being a wife shock, and a boundless number of questions about where and when and how. I'm still reeling, trying to figure it all out. I'm ready, just not sure exactly what it is I'm ready for.
In about two weeks my parents will be moving back here to their home, and then it'll be yet another time of transition. I must confess I'm beyond ready to have space that I can really call my own. I love decorating, settling in, putting everything into it's place, and I haven't really been able to do that, well, for about three years now. I put my special spin on the Skalka flat, but the city center flat in Cheb was so fresh and new that there wasn't a whole lot we could do to really decorate. I had a cork board of photos, and a little window sill full of nick-knacks from around Europe, but it's not the same as really claiming space and making it my own.
I have some things hanging in a closet, a few things in drawers, but even the majority of my clothes are in big plastic bins or a trash bag shoved in the bottom of a closet. Not exactly homey, if you know what I mean. My parents house is just beyond full of their things and spill over from my grandparents, not to mention all that stuff of mine that sits around in boxes collecting dust. It's not that I don't want to have it out where I can enjoy it, there just isn't any space, and out time here is always a question mark.
Anyhow, the point of my post is actually supposed to be a bit of a review. I think I set out more than thirty photos, so I might have to make this one a double in order to prevent an overload. I guess the wedding can have it's own post. Hard to believe it's already been three months since then as well. Did I mention time warp?
So here are a smattering of photos to represent time that has passed.
Okay, so I thought I had actually put in some pictures from before the wedding, but then realized I didn't have anything very interesting to show from before that time, so we'll get right into it. Planning a wedding in three months is a bit crazy. It can totally be done, but there were several things that complicated it. One, we were living in Moscow, ID and planning the wedding in Blodgett, OR. Not really all that practical. Second, it was pretty much all up to me because it was in my part of the world, the people attending were my family and friends, it was basically my day, rather than being a celebration combining our two worlds. I was disappointed that it had to be this way, but it was either here or there, and whichever location we chose one side would have been totally empty.
I know that for my sweet shy husband, of whom there will be very few photos because he prefers not to be pictured, it was all overwhelming and insane. He would have preferred a private ceremony with fewer than twenty people (a number so small that it would not even encompass my immediate family comfortably) which is more in keeping with Czech tradition. I, on the other hand, had been dreaming of my wedding being a grand event for as long as I could remember. I wasn't one of those girls who had already planned everything out, but I wanted to be able to invite all the people I could think of. My guest list spanned the world, literally. Obviously, I knew that not everyone would be able to make it, especially on such short notice, but I was blessed to have a combination of my worlds collide for one special day. Of course, it's always a bit crazy at weddings, so I wasn't able to give them each the devoted time I would have liked, but it was still just amazing to have my family and friends from every stage of my life present to witness my entry into marriage.
Bowen Girls Unite! We had a little mini Mother's Choice reunion. While several other HK friends have settled in Portland recently, none of them were able to make it, but Malin flew in from Sweden, and Rachel came with her daughter Lizzy from Memphis.
Some how I didn't end up with any photos to prove it, but two of my friends from elementary school, Savana and her mom, Diane, and Nicole and her husband BJ were also there. There were people from all three of the churches I grew up in as well as Laura and Kelly who I served with in the Czech Republic.
I'm going to cut this post short for now. I suppose this will suffice to at least get things started and maybe I'll have a chance to finish it up tomorrow.
In about two weeks my parents will be moving back here to their home, and then it'll be yet another time of transition. I must confess I'm beyond ready to have space that I can really call my own. I love decorating, settling in, putting everything into it's place, and I haven't really been able to do that, well, for about three years now. I put my special spin on the Skalka flat, but the city center flat in Cheb was so fresh and new that there wasn't a whole lot we could do to really decorate. I had a cork board of photos, and a little window sill full of nick-knacks from around Europe, but it's not the same as really claiming space and making it my own.
I have some things hanging in a closet, a few things in drawers, but even the majority of my clothes are in big plastic bins or a trash bag shoved in the bottom of a closet. Not exactly homey, if you know what I mean. My parents house is just beyond full of their things and spill over from my grandparents, not to mention all that stuff of mine that sits around in boxes collecting dust. It's not that I don't want to have it out where I can enjoy it, there just isn't any space, and out time here is always a question mark.
Anyhow, the point of my post is actually supposed to be a bit of a review. I think I set out more than thirty photos, so I might have to make this one a double in order to prevent an overload. I guess the wedding can have it's own post. Hard to believe it's already been three months since then as well. Did I mention time warp?
So here are a smattering of photos to represent time that has passed.
Okay, so I thought I had actually put in some pictures from before the wedding, but then realized I didn't have anything very interesting to show from before that time, so we'll get right into it. Planning a wedding in three months is a bit crazy. It can totally be done, but there were several things that complicated it. One, we were living in Moscow, ID and planning the wedding in Blodgett, OR. Not really all that practical. Second, it was pretty much all up to me because it was in my part of the world, the people attending were my family and friends, it was basically my day, rather than being a celebration combining our two worlds. I was disappointed that it had to be this way, but it was either here or there, and whichever location we chose one side would have been totally empty.
I know that for my sweet shy husband, of whom there will be very few photos because he prefers not to be pictured, it was all overwhelming and insane. He would have preferred a private ceremony with fewer than twenty people (a number so small that it would not even encompass my immediate family comfortably) which is more in keeping with Czech tradition. I, on the other hand, had been dreaming of my wedding being a grand event for as long as I could remember. I wasn't one of those girls who had already planned everything out, but I wanted to be able to invite all the people I could think of. My guest list spanned the world, literally. Obviously, I knew that not everyone would be able to make it, especially on such short notice, but I was blessed to have a combination of my worlds collide for one special day. Of course, it's always a bit crazy at weddings, so I wasn't able to give them each the devoted time I would have liked, but it was still just amazing to have my family and friends from every stage of my life present to witness my entry into marriage.
Bowen Girls Unite! We had a little mini Mother's Choice reunion. While several other HK friends have settled in Portland recently, none of them were able to make it, but Malin flew in from Sweden, and Rachel came with her daughter Lizzy from Memphis.
Some how I didn't end up with any photos to prove it, but two of my friends from elementary school, Savana and her mom, Diane, and Nicole and her husband BJ were also there. There were people from all three of the churches I grew up in as well as Laura and Kelly who I served with in the Czech Republic.
I'm going to cut this post short for now. I suppose this will suffice to at least get things started and maybe I'll have a chance to finish it up tomorrow.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Retail
When you work in a retail store there are certain things you have to do in order to keep your sanity. Today I spent about 6 hours hanging clothes. That's not normal. And it's not like they just come all ready to put on the hangers either. They're often wrapped in one or two plastic bags, and may even be hung on hangers that have to be thrown away because they don't conform to store standards. (Note: it is impossible to understand why people can't hang clothes back in the right place since they are all so clearly marked and organized. This could come under the heading of "rant" as well.) In order not to succumb to the monotony, or get positively irritated every time I stick a hard tack in my finger, I tell myself that processing clothes, or household items, is like Christmas.
I'm a bit of an odd duck and I've always loved opening plastic. I love the feeling of pulling off the crinkly clear coverings of CDs, DVDs, or anything else that is trapped inside the stuff. So I just try to convince myself that it's just as much fun to pull it off when I know it will be going to the home of someone I don't even know, as when it's coming home with me. Besides, I don't have any space of my own for more stuff anyway, so it's better to be able to find a little joy in these moments, rather than cluttering up my life any more than necessary.
Had a nice past week with my parents around. Kept us extra busy. Mark and I got a lot of painting done in my Dad's shop, so hopefully when they move back here in a couple of weeks it'll be more workable.
Now I'm just so thankful it's the weekend and that I'll finally have a chance to sleep in tomorrow. Rumor has it there will be sun and temperatures as high as the low 70's. I know that sounds rather tragic for the beginning of June, but in contrast to what it's been that's basically amazing. Here's to hope that it all turns out and manages to stick around for a while.
And now let us usher in the weekend together!
I'm a bit of an odd duck and I've always loved opening plastic. I love the feeling of pulling off the crinkly clear coverings of CDs, DVDs, or anything else that is trapped inside the stuff. So I just try to convince myself that it's just as much fun to pull it off when I know it will be going to the home of someone I don't even know, as when it's coming home with me. Besides, I don't have any space of my own for more stuff anyway, so it's better to be able to find a little joy in these moments, rather than cluttering up my life any more than necessary.
Had a nice past week with my parents around. Kept us extra busy. Mark and I got a lot of painting done in my Dad's shop, so hopefully when they move back here in a couple of weeks it'll be more workable.
Now I'm just so thankful it's the weekend and that I'll finally have a chance to sleep in tomorrow. Rumor has it there will be sun and temperatures as high as the low 70's. I know that sounds rather tragic for the beginning of June, but in contrast to what it's been that's basically amazing. Here's to hope that it all turns out and manages to stick around for a while.
And now let us usher in the weekend together!
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