Personal Legend

I just haven’t gotten back into my routine yet. Ever since I went on vacation and then started a new job, I’m still sorting things out. Often I’m so tired I just can’t seem to make writing a priority. I have to figure out a way to change this. Maybe I need to enroll in a writing workshop. I also can’t seem to motivate myself to do re-writing or more query letters after a round of rejections….I did get a little inspired the other night when we began reading The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho, which talks about the importance of finding your “personal legend,” or realizing your dreams. I’ll keep you posted on that.

My mom is doing IV antibiotics at home for a bacterial infection in her toe. Her recent hospital visit was scary for us all, being her first hospital stay in five years, when she was hospitalized for four months after a stroke. I think she felt—and we all felt—like this recent hospital visit was going to be like it was before, the way we felt when she first woke up and she couldn’t even open her eyes or talk and we all felt completely helpless and vulnerable. At that time, we held her eyes open and she wrote messages with colored markers on a dry-erase board. She went from bedridden to walking with a four-footed hemi-cane in a matter of weeks….but there was still so much healing to do—physically, emotionally, spiritually. I guess what I’m trying to say is that the healing goes on long after you leave the hospital. And this recent hospital visit reminded her of how far she has come. She can ask for what she needs, she’s not afraid to be alone, she speaks up for herself, and she’s much more independent.

I just hope that antibiotics take care of this infection. Every day, I ask the universe for two things: for my family to be safe and healthy, and to be able to realize my “personal legend,” to do the work I’m meant to do, whatever that may be.
 

Slide-Tape Recorder

 

For now, I’ll leave you on a humorous note. You can learn so much about people and past times by looking at their things. I’ve enjoyed looking at old church cookbooks for this reason. I find myself working in a place that seems like a museum—containing relics of the past. I’m uncovering all sorts of crazy gadgets that I’ve never seen before. This is a slide-tape projector. You put your slide carousel on the top and an audio cassette in the slot and it projects the slides on the screen with accompanying audio. I imagine this was quite an improvement to the standard slide projector.

Pictured below is some sort of primitive teleconferencing unit called a “Darome.” Note the dust. Oh, how far we’ve come.



Darome Teleconferencing Unit

Silver Lining

The last few weeks have been such a whirlwind. I had a rejuvenating vacation with friends in Portland and Sacramento. Upon my return, I started a new job, which (so far) seems to be one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time. I knew I needed a change, but I didn’t realize how badly I needed this change. I already feel so comfortable and welcome in this new role—everyone has been so supportive and appreciative. It was long overdue.

We celebrated C’s birthday last weekend with a beautiful canoe trip on the St. Croix River between Taylors Falls, Minnesota and Osceola, Wisconsin. On our way home we stumbled onto the most unique sculpture garden. However, our day trip had an unexpected ending. We stood in the ditch and laughed and appreciated the fact that our car died in the most opportune location: right when we got back home, within sight of the VW dealership, which meant it would get towed for free by AAA. You have to appreciate your blessings in every form. Find the silver lining as they say.



Yesterday I saw this: “A big shot is just a little shot that kept on shooting.” – Anonymous

I am trying to keep on shooting. Although I am happy about the changes with my new job, I’m a little down about a few other things. My mom has a bacterial infection in her toe which has been lingering—despite numerous treatments with oral antibiotics—for several months. Yesterday she was admitted to the hospital to begin IV antibiotics. I’ve now received two rejections on the most recent article I sent out to get published. I haven’t heard back from one place but I’m assuming I won’t at this point. The news about our car has gone from bad to worse. It sounds like it may cost more to fix it than the car is worth.

Sometimes it’s hard to understand why things happen. For example, why my mom should have to suffer any more than she already has. Five years ago she had a stroke that resulted in a craniotomy, loss of function in her left arm, weakness in her left leg,  vision problems, and more. When I start thinking this way I have to remind myself what I learned back then. Accept it for what it is…don’t question it or resist it and flounder in “why” and “what if’s” –this will only lead to more suffering.

Portland Farmer's Market and a Delicious Dinner

Today, my last day in Portland, we visited the Portland farmer's market, got a gourmet sandwich from a food cart downtown called PBJ's, and then came home and made a wonderful dinner (see the following pictures) consisting of homemade bruschetta, pesto, pasta, and more. I was so lazy after all of this that I didn't even want to blog but S bribed with me a bowl of chocolate ice cream topped with a delicious mixture of Farmer's market berries, peaches, and mango. I know, I know. I've been gluttonous all week. But I love experiencing the unique flavors of new places. The last three days have been full of delicious surprises.

It was interesting to see how the Portland farmer's market differs from the ones I'm used to back in the Midwest. I've never been able to buy a fresh, locally grown artichoke, nor have I seen such abundant peaches, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Our peaches come from Michigan and Georgia!

Farmer's market fruit bento

Grilled artichokes

Grilled tomato bruschetta

Oregonian sandwich from PBJ's food cart downtown Portland:
Challah bread, Marion berry jam, Rogue Creamery blue cheese, Oregon hazelnut butter

More pictures are in the following album:

Portland 2010 Final Day

Thanks to S and L for a wonderful visit! I will see you both again soon. Thanks for always making me feel so welcome and allowing me to experience your world so completely. S is making a big decision about something and I will be thinking of her often. S, sometimes you can't reach decisions through facts or logic or what looks good on paper. Sometimes you just have to do what FEELS right and natural and normal and good. I'm there for you.

My hosts, S and L

Hobbes, the bengal (one of their three
beautiful kitties)

Best. Scallops. Ever.

Melt in your mouth. Best. Scallops. Ever. I have to admit, when we first walked in to this restaurant in Cannon Beach, Oregon, I wasn't expecting that much. It's the type of restaurant where you go up to the counter and order, and then go get your food when they call out the number. I just wasn't expecting anything so utterly delicious...sadly, we even noticed several couples walk in the door, take a look around, and then leave right away. They have no idea what they missed out on!

Ecola Restaurant in Cannon Beach, Oregon

Scallops at Ecola

Homemade clam chowder at Ecola

Even their cocktail sauce was delicious and homemade, as was the tartar sauce, which had the most delicious and surprising bite of fresh dill to it.

 It was 1.5 hour drive to this little oceanside town of Cannon Beach, Oregon. The temperature was in the high 80's. We walked the beach for several miles and it was glorious. This included viewing Haystack Rock, which you may remember from the 1985 movie, The Goonies.

Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, Oregon

Below is a link to a slide show of my trip so far.



Aside from experiencing some fantastic sites and super yummy food, S has informed me that I need a new digital camera (mine is an OLD Kodak EasyShare 3.1 megapixel--would you call this vintage digital?) a smart phone, iPad, and cable TV or I am not keeping up with basic professional development! Also, being around her reminds me that I need to read more. How is it that we forget to make time for some of those things we like the most?

Fun in Portland

We got up at 2 a.m. on Monday morning and C dropped me off at the airport at about 5:20 a.m. By the time I got through security, my 6:30 a.m. flight was already boarding when I got to the gate. I had just enough time! I had a 1.5 hour flight to Denver and then a 2 hour flight to Portland.

One of the first things I wanted to do in Portland was go back to Deschutes Brewery. We didn't have any beer this time...it was only 11 a.m. and just didn't seem appealing...but we did share a delicious pretzel and a marionberry cobbler. I made sure to take a picture of the cobbler this time.

House-baked pretzel With a Creamy White Cheese Dipping Sauce ringed
with Black Butte Porter-Stone Ground Ale Mustard.

Marionberry Cobbler

Sunshine is ready for the marionberries

A few blocks down from Deschutes, we spent a few hours at Powell's Books, the largest independent used and new bookstore in the world, according to their website. I bought the book Put 'Em Up! by Sherri Brooks Vinton. It has a recipe for peach salsa that I'm pretty excited about.




We were going to go to the Rose Gardens, but another day hopefully...I was exhausted by 3 pm, which is actually 5 pm in the time zone I'm used to. I even took a short nap before we went out for sushi for dinner, but I was in bed by 9 p.m.

Delicious sushi dinner at Mio

Today we're headed to Cannon Beach for some fun and seafood...in the meantime, I'm being stalked by a bengal named Hobbes. Can you tell the cat from the carpet?

Hobbes

Harvest!

My harvest season has begun! I'm trying to get as much done as possible before I leave for vacation next week...

This weekend, I canned about seven pints of corn relish (on the left in the picture below) and about 19 half-pints of tomatillo salsa (on the right). For some reason, my tomatillo salsa is more brown than green this year. I wonder if it's because I used purple onions? These recipes are from the PDF SALSA RECIPES FOR CANNING by Val Hillers and Richard Dougherty. I used all locally grown produce that I got at our farmer's markets. The tomatillos came from my own garden...

I bought a meal kit from a farmer's market vendor that included the following purple heirloom tomatoes (sorry, I cannot remember the entire name), swiss chard (left), and several types of summer squash (not pictured). I sauteed these vegetables into a delicious sauce that we put on a pizza crust with other pizza fixings and then put it on the grill. It was delicious.

In the background you can see tomatoes, which came from my garden. I'm gearing up this week to can a tomato-peach relish. This tomato-peach relish is from the Preserving Peaches document located at the Clemson University Home & Garden Information Center.

Before the season is done, I hope to can more salsa (tomatillo and regular tomato), plus some seasoned tomato sauce.

We have had an extremely humid and wet summer...and I'm looking forward to fall...wearing sweatshirts and jeans, watching football, making delicious soups from my frozen/canned tomatoes, and enjoying my jellies and salsas.

Moving On…

I am wrapping up my final couple days in the office, then I’m off on a vacation next week to Portland and Sacramento and I’ll be starting a new position in another department the following week.

I have to admit, the private office was a major selling point for this new position. A real office with four walls, a door, and a window. I have spent most of my six years here in a very communal, cubicle environment with no windows and way too many people in a small space... every detail of everyone’s lives becomes common knowledge…

I’ve spent several days this week packing up my office…weeding through file folders and tossing what’s outdated and handing off current project materials to co-workers. I’m left with two small boxes to take with me. It occurred to me that one benefit of having moved offices every year for the last six years is that I had relatively small amount of material to go through. It’s amazing how work becomes so much of your daily life…years of meeting minutes, product deployments that have long since come and gone, pages of notes about things learned and forgotten…

Now that I’m leaving, Management and Administration have begun discussions as to how to redefine my position. I thought it was ironic that it took me leaving to begin discussions as to how to do things differently. But then it also occurred to me…that maybe I had become my own biggest obstacle. Maybe after a certain amount of time in any position, we become our own biggest obstacle and we don’t even know it. Bringing in someone new means they can start fresh here, and I can take what I’ve learned and begin in a new environment. I’m looking forward to the change of scenery.