Who is this guy?

According to Candidate Calculator, I should be voting for him- Former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel. I know I don't pay attention, but wow - I really have missed this guy.

I would love to hear who you guys should be voting for - take the quiz!

http://www.vajoe.com/candidate_calculator.html

office inspiration - week three

Big shakes in week three of project office inspiration. This won't be a big deal to anyone who doesn't work in a government office but progress is being made in my drone-ish cube space.
Weekly flower arrangement . . .


New shelves:
If I were an extremely talented and tasteful gay man, I would want to be Colin Cowie. He lights a candle at the start of every work day in his office for ritual inspiration. I don't think the county government would appreciate me lighting up but I can pretend.

is it halloween yet?

We've got the fall/Halloween bug. Out came the black and orange storage tub of decorations, gooey eyeballs and spooky disguises. We are talking about apple picking this weekend and soon the faux tombstones will be added to the garden beds.

E is amped up to be Captain America this year and Em will be a leopard. Tall House, Double Cup is slated to be "greenie meanie" - Captain America's nemesis while I will be leopard mama. meow!

a foursome cemeted

We really cemented our family as a foursome this weekend. Maybe it's because Little Miss seem older or because she and E have really started interacting more. But something just feels really complete and lovely. I truly don't believe anyone can have it all -all the time, but sometimes, when everything feels right, you just have to let it take you and be grateful.

perfect weekend

I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. We got lots of time together as a family, saw our favorite friends, a bit of nature, Swedish pancakes and even time to organize the laundry room.
The highlight by far was seeing the swifts at Chapman Elementary. For the uninitiated thousands of swifts nest in the chimney of the school during September. Every year we (and hundreds of other families) take a picnic and watch them sweep dramatically around the sky and then into the chimney. I took a bit of video - even though it doesn't do it justice. We might go back next weekend. It just feels so Portland.

lavender harvest

I have fabulous lavender in my front yard - which gives me a great project each fall. I love to cut and dry it out a bit and then tear off the sweet flowers one by one. My hands get stained with the lavender oil and I truly get all sleepy and happy - just like Dorothy in the poppy fields - well, not quite that good. I love to share the lavender with friends. I've made lavender honey (it didn't really work out), lavender water for ironing clothes (it didn't really work out), and lavender in big bowls to scent a room (total home run). This lavender I'll share with friends and restock my living room bowl. Happy fall, happy lavender.

other's office inspiration

I think I now know the secret to Martha's office inspiration. It's:

A. Her sassy assistant who takes her calls, keeps her email up to date, and can sing a mean "She'll be coming round the mountain."

B. This beautiful window.



I admire her organized space filled with family pictures and lovely light. Marf's a model of work place chic.

project office inspiration week 2

For the second week of "project office inspiration" I had two additions to the office.

First, the lovely weekly flower arrangement - dahlias from the market and my yard along with pineapple sage from my yard.

And lovely office products compliments of Marfie.

More on Marf's office tomorrow (it's quite inspiring!)

wrapped around her finger

Miss Em is already working her
magic on her grandpa. I think my father-in-law has fallen in love.

back to broder's

We went back to Broder's for breakfast on Sunday - I am in completely giving myself over to this place for our morning outings. E happily snacked away on Abelskivers. When I asked how he liked it, he replied, "Delicious, my dear."

market goodness

I was totally taken with these peppers at the farmer's market. The purple ones just seem so special.

We ran into the Welts - who had just had us over for a fabulous dinner the night before. E and Henry are becoming fast friends - and fencing partners.

While I am a strictly muffin/ scone/ morning bun kind of market in the morning person Tall House, Double Cup is much more adventurous - often jumping in a long line just to see what so many people are waiting for. The wait for definitely worth it for this breakfast - fluffly biscuit, grilled chicken, bacon, gravy and chedder cheese. I had a one inch chunk and I was in love.

The market definitely feels like fall. It's a very special time in Portland.

love fest

A little video of Em and Ev.










We are still thoroughly having a love fest at our house. Em is such a delight. The three of us spend a lot of time cooing at her and giving her love. E is an amazing big brother - he never seems jealous or needy - just goes on with what he's doing and seems to feel as in love with Em as we are.

it just wasn't a good fit

We've decided to pull Miss Em from the child care she was going to on Mondays and Tuesdays. We are on the waiting list to be full time at E's school but right now she can only be there for the second half of the week. The place I found for Mondays and Tuesdays was fine but I learned this week that fine just wasn't enough. I found myself unsettled and worried most of the day and feeling pretty yucky. So we decided no more of that place and called up a lovely home care that is very expensive but lovely lovely lovely and much more on par with the care Little Miss gets at E's school. Our budget will be a little extra tight but I know it's worth it.

I never feel like a very intuitive person but this time I couldn't ignore those gut feelings. I am feeling so much relief.

project office inspiration

While I was off on maternity leave this summer, I had my office rearranged. I use the term office loosely since it's really a cubicle -but luckily for me, a double cubicle in a corner with storage and two windows. The new arrangement is fantastic - it created a meeting space, opened up the windows, and gave me a chance to clean out five years worth of accumulated stuff.
In appreciation of this new arrangement and after a realization of how uninspiring my office space was, I am starting "project office inspiration." Each week I will look for one thing I can do in my office to make it a more inspiring place to work.
So for week one, I've actually done three things - I was a little excited about the idea . . .
1. Started a weekly tradition of bringing in a fresh flower arrangement for my desk.
2. Added a tray with pretty glasses, pitcher, teapot and coffee mugs. I can use these instead of plastic and when I have a meeting at my desk, invite co-workers to use them as well. All were purchased at IKEA so I've stayed within my meager budget.
3. Bought a pretty coffee thermos. I've got a time crunch getting Little Miss and E up and out of the house, to preschool and to work on time so coffee on the go is now a must. This thermos is quite lovely to look at.
With all this inspiration, I am feeling energetic and excited about my work. Success!
More next week on project office inspiration.

italia champano

Behold the newest player for Italia football - #10! Ignore the basketball - it was just practice.

little miss

Marfie took this lovely picture of Miss Em at the market. I feel like I am seeing a whole new little person. What a big girl she is turning into. Her newest trick is a lovely, deep Louis Armstrong gurgle - it usually comes out around 3:30am. She can also just ALMOST turn from her back to her side. go Em go!

broder is heaven

I fell in love this morning - with a new breakfast stop. I'll tell you about it if you promise not to start a line on Sunday mornings before we get there . . . .Broder is on 25th and Clinton and serves the most fabulous Swedish breakfasts. Every single thing I had was perfect. It's love, true love.

Moo and E had the abelskivers. They came with a trio of happiness - lemon curd, maple syrup and lingonberry jam. E pronouced them deeeelicious.
I had the Summer Breakfast Plate - which was perfect - a little of everything and not too much altogether. Brown walnut bread, a tiny scoop of soft cheese, a poached egg (in the shell), a wedge of hard cheese, a slice of country ham, lingonberry jam, sun-dried tomatoes and yougurt with fruit and maple sryup drizzled over it. The spoon in the picture is a tiny egg spoon - not a regular spoon which would have given you a better sense of proportion of the meal. Tall House had the Swedish hash with double poached eggs which he decided to like once he located the hot sauce.
Marf's man - Daddio -went withe smoked trout board and loved it. He had a potato pancake and walnut bread as well.
Oh - and they serve Stumptown coffee. My morning was complete. We met other lovely Scandianvians there and I vowed to go back next week. The owner is from Wisconsin - Madison, specifically, so I must do my part to keep Broder's going.

happy birthday tall house, double cup

Happy Birthday to my sweet baboo! THDC opted for a very quiet birthday. The four of us spent the day together - the market, playing around the house, a lovely dinner and his favorite banana cake. He got an extra long nap with Little Miss which left him in quite a good mood - who doesn't love a nap with a cuddle bunny three month-old?
There are many things I love about THDC - but even after nine years of getting to know each other, I learned something new about him this summer. In the book, "Peony in Love" by Lisa Yee I read a line I'll never forget, "I loved him in spite of, and because of, his limitations." The line stayed with me for days before I realized this is exactly how THDC loves - in spite of and even because of people's limitations. What a realization - it was like seeing things through a whole different lens. I don't think I knew how to love that way until I met him. It might be one of the greatest things I've learned from knowing him. It's such a lovely way to go through the world.

september market

There is something exciting about the Farmer's Market in September. This morning I could feel the cool in the air. Apples were piling up instead of berries and cherries. I love love love fall - and I can sense it on the way. Marfie and I went for the dahlias, of course! And I found some lovely brioche bread.

That's E in the back of the picture waiting for me to turn it into french toast. He and Moo had ran the entire morning around the market and he had worked up an appetite.

And I was able to gather up a little arrangement from my yard this afternoon- dahlias and pineapple sage.

ikea for dinner

Em and I took the boys to their first IKEA trip. We went for Friday night dinner and a bit of shopping. My brief review of eating an actual meal at IKEA - ho hum. While I do like the meatballs and loganberry pop, there really isn't any nutritional value in the food - and I suspect it's all straight from a freezer truck making the long haul from a regional distribution center. The dessert cured our sugar cravings but didn't make a long term impression. I am motivated to try to mkae some apple cake from scratch . . . .
The shopping was a success! I am working on Operation Work Inspiration - creating a lovely and inspiring work environment in spite of my government job. I made some great buys to install in my office next week.

first day of "school"

Little Miss is off on her first day of "school." She had a fresh bath last night and got wrapped up like a little mummy for a cuddle after.

This morning I went out to the playground to say goodbye to E and he brought his whole tribe of boys over to the window of the infant room and said, "The pink one is mine. That baby is Em!" The tribe seemed impressed. I cried a little bit - but more in that sweet parenting joy of starting new chapters in life more than regret at the situation. Those feelings of being grateful continue.

pirate moves

I survived my first day back to work and was happily surprised with a party and flowers from my boss and my family - my office looks lovely!
But I am still thinking about the beach. Here are a few more pictures of E finding a treasure map at the cottage, following it to the beach, discovering the X that "marked the spot" and then feeling very sassy about the treasure (red vines, model airplane, etc) that he stole from the pirates.