practicing for the roller derby

look at my girl showing off in her heelys skates -- so adorable!

oregon is in the news...again

i don't know if you've noticed or paid attention, but lately oregon has been mentioned on the national news: whether it be weather-related (november was the wettest month on record here - ever) or tragedy-related (california family lost in the oregon wilderness or climbers lost on mount hood)...which has led my girlie to wonder aloud, ever-so-subtlely, "remind me again -- why did we move to portland?" and "are these events signs from the universe that maybe we weren't supposed to land in oregon?" of course, she's saying things we're both thinking - i'm just not as vocal as she. instead of focusing on the negative, though, it has caused us to reflect upon the positive.

in a narcissistic, self-centered way, we wonder if hearing something about oregon mentioned in the news causes you, our beloved family and friends, to think about us...not in a worried kind of way, but more of a "hmmm, oregon is in the news again -- wonder how lucky and minnesota are doing...."

as i said, it's quite narcissistic, yes, but, to turn the tables a bit, any time i hear anything about georgia, i immediately think of lucky's family and i smile. likewise, anytime i hear anything about minnesota, i immediately think of my family and i smile. wisconsin? my mind shifts to dear friends. similarly, when indiana is mentioned, other dear friends are remembered. you get the idea, yes?

certainly, that's not to negate or minimize the tragedies that have recently occurred in our new home state. our hearts go out to their loved ones. it's just that i try to find little reminders of love throughout my daily existence, regardless of their origin. call me crazy....

yes, we still do love it here, by the way. at times, our patience has been tested, like when it's been raining for the fifteenth straight day or when we've driven around our neighborhood for what seems like an eternity looking for a parking spot...any parking spot. but portland is a beautiful city in a beautiful state, and we're so lucky to live here.

in fact, ohmygosh, we've seen some of the most BEAUTIFUL sunrises since moving to p-town!!! below you'll see a couple of pictures of those spectacular sights, which of course, don't quite do the actual sunrise justice...but you get the idea.

so with that, i'll close. thanks for reading, thanks for thinking of us, and thanks for your love and support. as always sending love and hugs across the miles.

oh, and HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!





our homemade decorations :) cute, huh??

that time of year again

What is it about our culture that says that we have to buy gifts for everyone? It is amazing how people go into debt buying things that are not even appreciated over time. Think back about all the gifts that you have gotten. I'll bet you can't remember most of them. What really makes people happy? Is it the gift or the connection with another person? People create so much more stress for themselves by believing that they have to buy expensive gifts for others. Whatever happened to making something special or just writing a very nice card? What if you gave gifts in the form of donations or charity work? Can you imagine getting a card that said the person had given their time to a charity as a gift to you? How would you feel? Do you have to get and give material presents to be happy, or would you be just as happy with the satisfaction that something nice had been done in your honor? Remember, this is all about your belief system. You are the boss of your own values. - Dr. Rick Blue

i read this quote last friday and it resonated with me - its truth is so simple and yet so profound. mn and i haven't been buying christmas gifts for our families or friends for a couple of years now - we made cookies last year and the year before made donations. sometimes it's still hard for me, tho - the pull of tradition and advertising can be fairly strong. not to mention sometimes it's fun to go on an endless hunt for who knows what. but for me, the holiday season isn't about how many gifts you receive or how many you buy for others. the holiday season is about spending time with family and friends, focusing on each other and catching up on what's been happening while you've been separated. it's a time of reunion, a time of caring, a time of love.

mn and i won't be able to spend time with our families during the holidays this year because the airlines seem to think the holidays are the only time of the year they can make some serious cash - the price jacking is dumbfounding. for example, i'm travelling to atlanta on january 10 and returning on january 16. i found an outstanding price of $220 - yes, round trip. (thank you, karol for spreading the word about farecast.com.) when i search the same criteria with the exception of entering a departure date during the week before christmas, the 79-day low is $479 and the high is $696. how is that possible? how can it possibly cost $476 more to fly to the same city just a few days prior??? the answer is it doesn't. the airlines know people really want to spend time with their friends and family during the holidays, and some are willing to shell out more cash for the tickets. ah, the spirit of the season.

so if you're a member of the crew of mn/lucky's family and friends, please know we would love to be able to spend the holidays with y'all. please know we'll be thinking of y'all and toasting the strength of love and friendship no matter how many miles lie between us.

here's a photo of us in downtown portland on the night of the tree lighting. even though there was a chill in the air, people were cheerful and filled with the holiday spirit. we had a great time participating in a tradition of our new city.

sentimental gratitude

'tis the season to give thanks, so we thought we’d take this opportunity to make a list of things we’re grateful for.

minnesota:
1. the love of my life who’s my partner in crime, my one and only, my joy, my oxygen
2. my family and friends whom i love and miss very much
3. lucky’s family whom i love and miss very much
4. health – i’m ever getting closer to running a marathon!
5. strength – i’m stronger than i look, you know
6. courage – how else could we have moved from indiana to oregon without jobs or a place to live?
7. creativity – it’s a beautiful thing
8. dark chocolate – it’s gotten me through some rough times
9. intelligence – it’s also gotten me through some rough times
10. laughter – it’s gotten me through the roughest times
11. sunrises and sunsets – they’re gorgeous daily gifts
12. adventure – what life is all about
13. puddle diving – one of life’s simplest pleasures
14. the little things – a smile, a touch, an encouraging word, flowers for no reason
15. diamonds! just kidding – wanted to see if you were still reading
16. fresh strawberries – they’re nature’s most perfect food
17. thunderstorms
18. ocean waves and soft breezes
19. meditation
20. most of all, i’m grateful for love – to love and be loved

lucky:
1. my twin soul, my calm in the storm, my teacher of faith, and a love stronger than the oceans
2. my family and their unconditional love and support
3. minnesota's family and their ever-growing understanding
4. kandinsky and indy and their unconditional love
5. friends who provide laughter and love
6. my good health - the result of a regular workouts and eating lots of fruits and vegetables
7. the simple things in life – sunshine when you don’t expect it, the comfort of an embrace, rollerskating
8. grandmama’s chocolate cake – the cupcakes here are a decent substitution, but definitely not the real thing
9. the good nature of most people in the world
10. belly laughs – the kind “America’s Funniest Videos” create
11. flowing creative juices – their power is amazing
12. the people who are still reading our blog
13. thunderstorms – I’m missing those a lot
14. krystal cheeseburgers, sonic chili cheese dogs and cherry limeade – i have papa to thank for introducing me to krystal
15. my job – it’s fantastic to enjoy going to work
16. art and music
17. freedom to travel
18. romantic comedies
19. electricity
20. fearlessness – there’s really nothing to be afraid of

happy thanksgiving everyone! as always, we’re sending love and hugs across the miles.

fancy parties and rain

mn and i attended our first fancy art museum party last saturday night. we donned our best "dress up" clothes, took a taxi (because it was open bar) and hit the town. the party was for the opening of the egypt exhibit and 1000+ portlanders came out to view the exhibit and celebrate the museum. the museum ballrooms were decorated lavishly with hints of egypt including two ice luges for drinks. the food was spectacular - mn even liked the hummus, which usually isn't one of her favorites. we both enjoyed the pyramid cake - yep, a cake in the shape of a pyramid - mainly because it reminded us of the yummy cupcakes we've come to love. after the party, we headed out for cocktails with some of my work peeps and had a great time.

the rain has been falling in historic proportions for the past week - a graphic on the news the other night stated portland has gotten 430% more rain this month than they usually do. we didn't think it was anything unusual because this is portland, but apparently they don't usually get this much rain at one time. it's been fine, though, we just make sure to grab the umbrella and go out into the world. no reason to let a little water keep you indoors. the weather has to take a backseat to what we wanna do and when we wanna do it. otherwise, we're being controlled by an outside force we have no control over and that seems a little crazy to me. there are already enough forces at work against us - shouldn't we stand up to the ones we know we can conquer? i mean, it's not like we're going to melt - we'll just get wet and eventually we'll dry. so the message i'm attempting to get across is this...don't let anything get in the way of you participating in activities you want to participate in - not rain, not snow, not fear, not anything.

stay tuned for more lessons. in the meantime, here is a photo of us from the art museum party.

thanks for continuing to read our ramblings - we love and miss all y'all.

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

she's arrived! our new roomie, v, and her daughter jessica pulled into pdx a week ago after three very long days on the road. although their road trip was fun and filled with lots of adventure, v has remarked she won't be making a drive like that for quite some time. after showing them around portland (international rose test garden, japanese gardens, art museum, cupcakes from saint cupcake), jessica had to depart to fly back home to indy.

this past week has been all about transition, compromise, patience and understanding. it's been an interesting and difficult transition at times, but for the most part, we're doing our best to be cognizant of one another's space. in no time, we'll fall into routines, but until then, we're still finding our respective ways.

my art as business class is half over now. unfortunately, it's not exactly what i hoped it would be in terms of instruction, but i'm trying to make the best of the situation and glean as much information as possible.

lucky continues to become more and more comfortable at the museum. plus, she really enjoys the people with whom she works, so all is well.

other than that, we're still enjoying the beautiful fall colors here, loving life, and continuing to be grateful for your love and support. as always, we're sending love and hugs across the miles...the girlz

hiking in forest park - pittock mansion


view of downtown and mt. hood from pittock mansion


v and jessica at the rose test garden


japanese gardens

pumpkins, work and life

we seem to be melding into life here in our new city fairly well. we pretty much know our way around town and only have to refer to our map on rare occasions, we're participating in activities despite the rain (a big one if you live in the pac nw) and we're now well-equipped with proper raingear. that wasn't the case on sunday, however, when we went to the pumpkin patch with our friends liz and gloria. it was steadily raining and a little chilly, but we had a great time! how many people can say they've taken a hayride out to a pumpkin patch in the rain while sitting on soaking wet hay bales? not many, i dare say.

fall has arrived and the colors are bursting from the leaves. it's a little later than we're used to, but seeing all the glorious golds, reds and oranges is amazing! it's a time of change and we're embracing it.

work continues to go well for me (lucky) although it's really sucky to leave mn and kandinsky every morning. i feel like i'm missing out on so much. we should come up with a "life leave" benefit that resembles the maternity leave benefit. that might not be such a good idea for me, though, since i'd always want to use more life leave than i'd accrued. mn and i definitely think we'd be much better people if neither of us had to work and were independently wealthy. but unless we hit the lottery, that won't be the case. so if i must work, i can't imagine a better place than the art museum here. the people are fun, the work is exciting and innovative, the creative process is collaborative and invigorating.

we've been readying the apartment and are super excited about the arrival of our new roomie. we know she's going to fall in love with the city just as we have. we plan to do our very best to introduce her to our favorite spots, and we're sure it won't take her long to discover favorite spots of her own. welcome, vivi! we love you!

thanks to all of y'all who continue to read our chronicles of adventure. we're so thrilled we have a way to share all of our craziness with the people we love the most. we gotta give a shout out to my lil bro who is (or was - maybe he's back already) touring the coast of florida on his hawg. we love you, lil bro and we hope you had a great trip. everyone take care and keep reading. we love y'all.

here are some photos from our trip to the pumpkin patch - enjoy...

the hayride out to the field - these are our friends, Liz & Gloria


Liz & Gloria with their pumpkins


our big rainbow umbrella


aren't we cute?

harvest moon

first and foremost, happy anniversary to chris and stacy!!! both of us hope you're able to celebrate two glorious years of wedded bliss. we send our love and congratulations! it's hard to believe it's been two years since granny and i cut a rug on the dance floor at your wedding reception :) what a blast!!! while i have an opportunity, i wanted to thank each of lucky's family members for being so sweet and welcoming to me over the past few years. you are such a kind and loving family. i'm so grateful to know you.

speaking of lucky, today was her first day at her new job. it's been strange not having her at home - very sad and lonely. kandinsky has been wandering around in a daze all day - wondering why her mama isn't here, i'm sure....

as the fall colors begin to descend upon the pacific northwest, we've been able to appreciate its beauty and splendor. plus, it's always fun to hear the crunching of leaves below one's feet while walking. today is especially gorgeous - it's 72 degrees and sunny. my kinda weather :)

fall is a particularly important time of year to my family since my brother is a farmer. during fall harvest, my parents help him out (even though they say they're retired!), so long hours are an integral part of their lives for the next few weeks. it's not uncommon for my brother and dad (and sometimes my mom too) to work sixteen hours a day, six days a week, so please say a special prayer for them as they work tirelessly to get the crops harvested.

as always, we love and miss you so very much, and we're sending LOTS of love and hugs across the miles.

the final countdown

it's true - after 3.5 months of not putting in a nine-to-fiver, i'll be returning to the world of fica-paying citizens. only this time, i'm excited about it. it's not going to be a drag-myself-out-of-bed kind of thing (well, maybe the first few days will be since we've gotten out of our early-to-bed, early-to-rise habit). it's going to be exciting and interesting and explorative and collaborative and invigorating. i'm really looking forward to it. stay tuned for more about my adventures back into the working world.

things have been going really well for us. we've done a lot of fun things - minnesota went to her first "art as business" class and feels confident it's going to help guide her through the tumultuous waters of the art world, we went to the coast, we hiked to the top of multnomah falls, we went to an arcade filled with video games from the 80s (i was in heaven, flashing back to my childhood days when i would play galaga for hours on a single quarter, only taking breaks to roller skate) and we went to breakfast at one of portland's best breakfast places. some of these things we've done with our new pals liz, gloria and wendy. it's wonderful to have found such great friends here - we really enjoy getting to know each of them and sharing our views of the crazy world in which we live.

the weather's begun to turn a bit colder here and the gray days are a little more frequent. although we really have nothing to complain about because it's been fairly mild and manageable. there'll be five or six days of bright sunshine and one day that's a little gloomy, but overall ms. sun has made her presence known more days than not. the weather is just another part of the experience of a new place and life is basically all about experiences and perspective, when you get right down to it. seeing different places, different things; seeing how you react to different places, different things; growing as an individual and learning how to be a better person based on what you learned through these experiences. we're always trying to be better people: to be more polite, more aware, more compassionate, simply because at the end of the day if we make one person happier just because of something we've done or said, our lives will be better because of our actions. being good people isn't difficult. you take a little more time to let someone go in front of you in line, you help someone pick up something they've dropped, you smile at the homeless person who's down on their luck, you reach out to someone just because you can. kindness goes much further than any of us could ever imagine...so everyone please play nice.

ok, i'll step down off my soapbox for now. i know my ramblings can get to be a bit much - thank goodness my girlie is so understanding about my going on and on.

here are a few shots of our latest adventures and experiences. please know we think of y'all every day and we miss and love you very much.

the beauty of nature


view from the top


aren't we the cutest girls ever


hey, look - i'm balancing a rock on my head


kandinsky made a "home" in some plastic we had lying around

exciting news!!!

my girlie got her dream job as a graphic designer for the art museum! i'm so proud of her!!!!!! we're absolutely thrilled!!!! the work environment is a perfect fit, plus it's just one mile from home, so she can walk (or ride her bike) every day. she'll start the job on october 9. we've both been thanking the universe frequently for presenting such a wonderful opportunity! to celebrate, we're planning day trips to the beach and multnomah falls this week, which will be big fun.

oh, and speaking of fun, gay skate night was a blast. as a bonus, no one was injured while roller skating. we weren't concerned about lucky - i think she was born with skates on her feet. i, on the other hand, hadn't been skating since i was about 10 years old. thankfully, roller skating is similar to riding a bike - once you learn, it sorta comes back to you when you're older. i wasn't the "skater extraordinaire" that she was (she can skate backwards!!!), but not once did i end up sprawled on the floor - woo hoo! we also met a new friend that night, so that was even better!

so that's about it for us.... as always, we're sending love and hugs across the miles. we miss you!!!!

the perils of procrastination

it seems blogging can quickly go the way of our journal writing - we have the best intentions yet don't seem to connect pen to paper or fingers to keys. since we take turns writing posts on the blog, we've both tended to procrastinate lately.

moving on to what's going on with us...

mn has been painting more and loving it. it's so wonderful to see her in that zone again. she has such incredible talent. i'm so excited for the rest of the world to see it. she registered for a class at the community college which teaches about art as business so we're certain she'll get a lot of great information.

speaking of the community college, i had an interview with them yesterday. it went well, and i'm keeping my mind open to let the energy flow so the universe will let me know if it's the right job for me. the college folks will be making a decision next week so at least i don't have to wait too long to find out. then on tuesday, i have an interview with the art museum, and i'm really looking forward to it.

we're going to gay roller skating monday night with the two girls we met awhile back. i love to roller skate (thanks, mom), so i think we're gonna have a blast. the following monday night, we volunteered to help with gay bingo. that, too, promises to be a belly buster, i'm sure.

we're still loving the apartment and the view. we've been able to watch different weather patterns recently as the seasons are beginning to change. there's a chill in the air and the leaves are beginning to change color. we're still exploring the neighborhood and walking as much as we can. portland really feels a lot like a european city in many ways so we're loving feeling like we're overseas without the hassle of the security lines.

we'll try to be more prompt about writing. we love and miss y'all.

here's our first attempt at video...

those crazy artists

my apologies to the two faithful readers of our blog (just kidding - i'm sure at least five people read it!). it's not that nothing has been happening. on the contrary, actually. lucky has been working diligently on the job hunt and a new portfolio design; i've been working diligently on my paintings.

we've also found time to eat cupcakes, wander the city, enjoy the farmers' market, cook up our farmers' market purchases, view some art, enjoy the gorgeous weather and revel in our love. who could ask for anything more????

as always, we're sending lots of love and hugs across the miles. enjoy the pictures!

alberta street first thursday art fair (mn showed her art here)


a fellow artist at first thursday - check out those fuzzy white boots...maybe i need to get some of those too?!?!?


a local artist has positioned toy horses on the sidewalks throughout the city


one of kandinsky's favorite places to sleep - on the rug in our bedroom


a glorious view of downtown portland and mount hood from our dining room window

more exploration

this week was all about exploring more of our new neighborhood and city.

wednesday night we had dinner with two very sweet girls we met via craigslist. after having pizza, they took us to a cool wine bar. we spent a few hours getting acquainted with two strangers and relished in how easy it was to get to know people. side note: we'd been worried about making friends because stumbling upon those connections isn't always easy. we're fine once we get together with people and begin to talk, but it's the initial drawing together of people we've been having a hard time with. however, we keep the faith and know we'll meet exactly the people we're supposed to meet.

case in point, we met a really nice guy (gary) in the fitness center here in the building and talked with him for quite awhile about art since he's a practicing artist with a nearby studio. then on saturday we attended a farmers' market with gary's wife, michelle. the market was absolutely incredible and one of many (there are markets on most days of the week in different parts of the city), which we're thrilled about. after having lunch with michelle on 23rd avenue, we walked over to gary's art studio to see his digs and get a better idea of what that particular space has to offer. now having seen gary's studio, we've begun talking about getting mn a studio space so her art will have a separate place and she'll have plenty of room to create her masterpieces.

we're loving being immersed in our adventure and awake each day wondering what thrills the day will bring. we're sending a big thank you to all who have been supportive of us in this adventure and all the other adventures of our lives. we love y'all.

here are some pictures of downtown portland - enjoy :)

the portland theater


union station


one of many water fountains around the city


beautiful flower stand

free is good!

settling into our new place has been an easy task - it feels like home already. we're so thankful to have found such a beautiful apartment in such a fantastic city.

while lucky's job hunt continues, i've begun reassembling my paintings (we had to remove the canvases from the stretcher bars when we drove across the country). in our spare time, we've continued our neighborhood exploration and have attended as many free events as we can find :)

speaking of, below are pictures from one of the concerts we attended in the washington park rose garden. we took FULL advantage of those since they were free! one night we heard funk, another night we heard jazz, and we heard the symphony on a third night. so cool!

as always, we're sending lots of love and hugs across the miles.





the rose garden is absolutely gorgeous!!!








our groovy, new (well, secondhand) furniture


kandinsky on her new perch

homeless no longer

yahoo!!! we are getting settled in our new home and we absolutely love it. the apt is flooded with sunlight during the day and the city lights dance against the night sky. totally amazing. we've tried to take some photos of the full moon, but they didn't turn out as spectacular as they looked in person. we'll post them anyway.

we've also been exploring the neighborhood quite a bit. friday around noon we went to the "bite of oregon" where different restaurants from around the state sell their eats. from 11-2 they had free admission - as opposed to $7 - so we took advantage of it. we were disappointed in the food but had a blast people watching.

friday night we walked to washington park to see a free concert by a jazz musician who relocated from new orleans. tonight we're going back to hear the symphony. the park has free concerts every night during the month of august. it's a great outdoor amphitheater where kids run wild and their parents dance around in front of the stage. big fun.

last night we walked around for awhile and watched some of the baseball game. the stadium is kind of open on one side - well, there's a gate, but... - so people can stand outside and watch the game. we're really good at finding the free activities - most of the time they're more fun anyway.

kandinsky (our kitty) has gotten over her fear of the enormity of the apartment and has started coming out more. the first three days we were here she stayed under the covers and hibernated. she's loving the big windows and the hardwood floors. she sends her love and so do we.

tomorrow, tomorrow, we love ya, tomorrow

tomorrow is the big day - moving day!!!! we're absolutely ecstatic!!!! the past few days have been a whirlwind of craigslist purchases: platform bed, coffee table, chest of drawers, dining table and chairs...so we rented a van for our big move. needless to say, our little 200 square foot hotel room is PACKED full o' stuff. see???



the next few days will be exhausting, but amazing - we'll finally get to unpack the boxes we packed two months ago. plus, we're having our sofa, chairs and bed delivered on tuesday - hooray!!!

anyway, we may not be able to add another blog post for about a week as internet is being set up on saturday - so look for an update then!

as always, thanks for your love and support. sending lots of love and hugs across the miles...the girlz

jesus on a circus wheel and our new digs

the past weekend was a very exciting one for us - this is lucky, by the way. on sunday, we headed to seattle to meet up with our third musketeer, vivi. we had great chinese food, explored pike place market, watched the guys throwing fish, made a wish on the pig, people-watched by the sound - all while taking in the beautiful and unusual sights only seattle can offer. it's an amazing city and if you ever get a chance, you should definitely spend some time there.

we returned to portland monday evening and were able to show vi the new apartment tuesday morning - yes we took pictures this time so y'all can see it in all its glory. it was good for us to see it empty so we could better envision our future furnishings in the space.

speaking of new furnishings, this week is going to be filled with lots of shopping. we're planning to look at mattresses, beds, clothing storage, dining room tables and chairs, living room furniture, lamps... basically anything one would need for a new apartment after moving across the country in a honda civic.

shopping update, we bought a mattress today - one thing we can check off the list. now we're perusing craigslist for a sofa, chairs and anything else we need.

things are still going great for us. nothing new to report on the job front for me - i'm applying to anything i think fits my abilities and knowing the perfect job is going to reveal itself at just the right time. minnesota is going to start painting once we get in the apartment and she's ecstatic about doing so. she'll be showing her work at the first and last thursday art events - in a nutshell, artisans sell their crafts along certain streets in different parts of the city.

we hope all is going well with everyone and encourage y'all to continue to add comments to the blog - we love reading others' thoughts. take care and much love from the pac nw.

musketeers


famous landmark


so colorful


very clever


hangin out


drum roll, please...our new pad
the living room


dining room


kitchen


bedroom


view from living room window

10 days and counting

i (minnesota) had a wonderful birthday weekend, which included an amazing seafood dinner at an oceanside restaurant, lots of wine, lounging on the beach, flying a kite (we named the kite "little miss fancy pants," by the way), eating cupcakes, sketching, people-watching and relaxing. who could ask for anything more???

we returned home on tuesday evening and have spent the remainder of the week job hunting, running at niketown, thrift store shopping, and counting down the days until we can move into our new apartment (10 days left!!!).

also, last night we attended an art event called "last thursday" (aptly named since it's held on the last thursday of every month) on the northeast side of portland. it's an opportunity for artists to sell their art on the street. and actually, anyone can sell anything - paintings, jewelry, duct tape wallets, cowboy hats made from recycled materials, monkeys (just kidding)...plus musicians play on almost every street corner. happily, i plan to join in the fun by selling my artwork there next month.

here are a few pictures from our weekend excursion. enjoy!!! and, as always, we're sending love and hugs across the miles...the girlz

lucky flying little miss fancy pants


a closer shot of little miss fancy pants


i'm praying for good pizza (unfortunately, my prayers went unanswered)


us on the beach


no explanation necessary