Here are a few pictures from our fun touristy day around good 'ol Portland.

First we went to the Pittock Mansion, which is really pretty. Only, why is my husband always trying to sneak in a nap?






Then we went to the Skyline, which is this rad old diner. Where is it? I have no idea. Why? Because I rarely leave Division and when I do I get confused about what direction I'm headed in (you people out here have north and south switched around, I swear).


In the afternoon we headed to the Chinese Gardens. What a little gem of a place! How come nobody ever tells me about these places? Or, more to the point, why don't I ever listen to anybody when they tell me about places I might actually like in Portland?





Okay, friends. Tell me about your favorite places in Portland. I'm bound and determined to like this here city.

I always love it when people post photographs of things they've found at thrift stores. I thought I'd do the same! We have a great little spot just down the street from us, which is dangerous. We always find a ton of things and Ashley and I are REALLY good at encouraging each other to buy treats for our home.

Here's a treasure:



A beautiful picnic basket in perfect condition. What's more? Service for six inside!



This is an old wooden box that's perfect for a coffee table and now holds some of my (ahem) rather large craft supply stash:



And some cute jars for the kitchen:




Ashley found a reading chair for his little room. It's VERY him:



You can never have enough craft books! Or can you? Seriously...can you? Because I think I have roughly one hundred thousand million:



Lots of fun things happened this weekend! I'll do a big post about our fun times soon. Word!

So, now instead of being addicted to Netflix, I'm all about Court TV. How did I miss this little gem when I've had cable in the past? Last night we watched about 100 episodes of Forensic Files. So good! I also had 3 Izze and vodkas (it was a ROUGH day), so that may have added to the enjoyment.

Yesterday was just....you know. I felt trapped behind the counter and everyone had something to say and very specific needs. Sometimes it's all too much. My 11 hour days are long and I'm not always on my game, I'm afraid. Today is my third of three long days, but Saturdays are always okay with me. I've always liked working on Saturdays because everyone is in a good mood, and it's the day before SUNDAY, which is the very best day of the week. I used to hate Sundays and the terrible "Sunday feeling." I feel like owning your own business throws all the days to the wind and you take what you can get.

And on to Weight Watchers. It's been really easy so far, and I in fact have to eat quite a bit more than I'm used to. It's just different and more sensible. My real concern is that we love to go out to eat, and I can't see how that's really possible. It seems to me that you would just blow all your points at one time. Any suggestions from the WW alum? "Weigh In" is Tuesday, so I'll let you know how that goes.

At the risk of sounding like a crazy convert, I am going to post the WW Zero Point Vegetable soup, which is seriously THE BEST SOUP I'VE EVER MADE.

2/3 c. sliced carrot
1/2 c. diced onion
2 (we used 4) garlic cloves, minced
3 c. fat free broth (we used veg. boullion)
1 1/2 c. diced green cabbage
1/2 c. green beans
1 Tbs. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. diced zucchini

1. In large saucepan (we did it all in our cast iron pan) sprayed with cooking spray, saute the carrot, onion and garlic over low heat until softened (5 min.)
2. Add broth, cabbage, beans, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and salt; bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes or until beans are tender.
3. Stir in zucchini and heat 3-4 minutes and serve hot. Makes four 1-cup servings.

Misha also suggested adding red pepper flakes, which I haven't tried yet.

Go make some and tell me how good it is!

A little confession...

I have gained...well...a bit of weight since moving to Portland. And by a bit, I'm talking 20 pounds or so. And I weighed more than I woulda liked then, anyway. I carry weight pretty well, so I might not look a whole lot different than I did two years ago, but boy can I feel it. I felt heavy at my wedding (which REALLY bums me out - it was such a perfect and wonderful day that I'm angry that I get stuck on that) and I've wanted to really change my lifestyle since the. Problem is, I'm LAZY when it comes to eating properly and excersizing in a consistant fashion - and given the fact that I really don't love the city that I live in, it makes for the perfect storm of inactivity and terrible eating. Mind you, I am not an overeater, but I can make some pretty lame choices. For example? Eating a bowl of rice and three beers for supper is BAD, people!

When I was 17, I left for college and promptly lost 35 pounds off my athletic frame. I dipped right below 100 pounds, and think I messed myself up but good in the process. I haven't been able to be normal about food since then, and I sorely regret not keeping myself in check back in the day.

So? Today I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting. It felt good, and I almost cried 4 times for NO REASON. Then Ashley and I sat down and made a shopping list and went to Trader Joe's. He's going to follow along with me. I feel really inspired by people like Tricia, and I think this is going to work for me. I'm going to write about this more, and might even (gasp!) post some real photographs of myself throughout the process.

I love Sundays. Sunday is the beginning of my weekend, and Monday is usually taken up with business junk, so I try to make the most out of this day.

This morning I met Robin for breakfast at the Laurelthirst, and then we drove around NW Portland for ages looking for Saint Cupcake. We found it!! (NW 17th and Flanders for you locals.)



Now I'm home for a few hours before my ladies business dinner. I think I'll work on this sweater from Handknit Holidays. It'll be a sample for the shop (naturally).



After my meeting I'll make some Chex mix in time for.....


The Sopranos! Oh HECK yeah!

A little sunshine!



Who loves her quilt? Who loves having her picture taken?!

Today is my Dad's birthday - he would have turned 65 today! He died in 1997, when he was only 56 years old.

My parents divorced when I was 14. Dad moved out of our house (I didn't even know what was going on - I thought he was leaving to get the paper) and moved in with Susan, who eventually became my step-mother. She lived in town, and we lived only about three miles away. In my memory, I see his car pulling out of our driveway the morning he left, but I'm not sure if that's how it really happened. I may have still been asleep.

I didn't see my father for six months after that, which considering the fact that we lived three miles apart seemed strange. My brother, Jason, saw him all the time and thought that Dad was too ashamed to see me.

I had a job when I was 14 - I cleaned two Doctors' offices at night after they closed. One night I was cleaning one of the bathrooms in the Dentist's office, and I turned around and Jason was standing there (he dropped by often, even though he was 19 at the time and living away from home). He said, "I brought someone to see you!" He looked so excited and relieved. We walked outside the front door and Dad was standing there. He looked embarrassed, and for the first time I could remember, genuinely glad to see me. He looked like a little boy. I was surprised by how happy I was to see him. I ran to him. He had a bag from Brookes Pharmacy. He said "I brought a little something for you." It was a 5 Star notebook and a package of pens. That memory kills me...and imagining him standing in the aisle trying to pick something for me makes me want to sob and makes me miss him like crazy. That's the memory I come back to the most.

When Jason died, Dad and I became very close in our sadness. A lot of it was unspoken, since Susan really forbid him to talk about anything having to do with his son. We both felt the bond, though, and it began a time of very prolific letter writing between us. I will always be thankful for that. He was a great and expressive writer and I cherish the stories and letters I have from him.

I was telling a friend the other day that it still hasn't hit me that I will never see my father again. It's been nine years! I was in Island Pond (the tiny town in Vermont where Dad grew up) with Ashley during our honeymoon, and as we were walking down the street and I saw my father - standing just like him, smoking just like him. My mind still won't tell me he's gone, even though I stood next to him as he died.

I sure miss him today - St. Patrick's Day, his birthday (perfect). Have a beer in his honor!

Our home:





Details

Little Family!

Okay, I was totally down on the Sopranos until the last 5 minutes. Holy cow! That was some action. I feel like so much is going to happen! I'm all wound up. I need to know for sure if this is the last season. Ashley and I were under the impression that there were also going to be 10 episodes at the beginning of 2007. Does anybody know for sure?

We decided that we've seen every episode of the Sopranos more than once, and as many as five times. What does that say about us? I mean other than that we are lazy and useless?

I also watched the premiere of Big Love, which was kind of a snoozer. I think there might be some potential there, and they have the best time spot in all of cable kingdom, so we'll see. But why is Chloe Sevigny so creepy? And why does she have to give me the stink eye through the TV?

It's hard for me to settle down. In the last 12 years (since I left home), I have lived in 18 different places. Fhew...just writing that makes me exhausted and sad. We have lived in our current apartment for over a year. That's a record for me! And we have no immediate plans to move....miraculous. I'm just now starting to see how nice it is to feel a little like my house is my home. I know that most of that feeling has to do with Ashley and Lottie, but I also am really starting to like this place.

I do dream of our own house. It's all I've ever wanted - my little family and my little house. Too much other stuff has happened, and now I just want to settle down for real and for good.

So, yeah - this isn't the final stop, but it's a nice one!

I tried to download pictures of our place, but Blogger gave me the big thumbs down. I'll try again tomorrow!

I really love my husband for many reasons, not the least of which is that he ORDERED HBO SO WE CAN WATCH THE SOPRANOS. Those of you who know Ashley, know this is a big deal. He don't like TV so good. Luckily, his absolute devotion to The Sopranos won out. Score! I read a review of the first four episodes on CNN.com, and nearly lost it. Now we're trying to figure out if we can watch the whole last season (which we did see, but don't own) before Sunday at 9. Though, then I'll have to relive the whole Adriana thing, which was HARSH.

Oh, Tony, Silvio, Paulie Walnuts, Christapha....you've been missed. Janice....not so much.

It kind of snowed in Portland yesterday! That's a picture of Lottie in the backyard, trying to pee, but being too excited by my excitment. I really miss snow!

What the hey is up with this blog? I'm going to try to fix it, but in the meantime you should visit the Mabel's Blog!

Ugh...I know the next entry is posted 3 times....it won't let me delete anything right now. Incidentally, the 2nd one is correct.

UPDATE: Okay! I done fixed it!

Molly sent me this meme (umm....is that how you use that word in a sentence?) to complete and send on:

4 Jobs I've Had:
Flower Farmer
Bartender
Potter's Assistant
Girl Friday

4 Movies I Could Watch Over and Over:
A Room With a View
Stand By Me
Grey Gardens
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf

4 Favorite TV Shows:
The Wonder Years
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
The Sopranos
Six Feet Under

4 Places I Have Lived:
St. Johnsbury, Vermont
London, England
Bozeman, Montana
Brooklyn, New York

4 Places I Have Vacationed:
All over Maine
South Carolina
West Barnet, Vermont
Portland, Oregon

4 Sites I Visit Daily:
Loobylu.com
Soulemama.typepad.com
CNN.com
Mabels.typepad.com

4 Favorite Meals:
Mom's mac 'n cheese
Yellow Curry Soup at Thanh Thao
Hot Noodle Soup at Shin La
Tempura Udon

4 Places I'd Rather Be:
Doris Badger's Camp on Harvey's Lake
Mom's Kitchen
Parker's Pond
Wherever Ashley is

4 People I'm tagging to answer these questions, too:
Ashley
Krista
Jon
Misha