Good-Bye 2010. . . Welcome 2011

The holidays are such a wonderful time of year, but they can be stressful, too.  It is so much fun to go to the parties, galas, concerts, pageants, and events, but sometimes the events double timed me.  I’ve had to forgo a few things just because I can’t be in two places at once.   And my list of things that have to be done for the holidays got way shorter this year.  Like I didn’t bake cookies this year.  We don’t eat them anyway, so what’s the point.  And I didn’t put up all of my decorations. . .  I just did the ones I could in the time I had.  It is still all good. 

It isn’t about decorations or cookies or events anyway.  To me the holidays are about the people in my life – none of which missed the cookies or decorations.   I’ve even used paper plates for some of the meals so I’m not stuck working in the kitchen when I can be playing with my family.  It is the people who matter. . . not the food, decorations, gifts. . . just the people.

Some of my favorite memories from this holiday season are watching my gentle father tend to his little dog, Mini; meeting Daniel and Katelyn at the airport; shopping in Corvallis with mom, Jessica and Katelyn, dancing with Jessica in the hall at OMSI, dancing with Daniel at the Calapooia, watching my mom and dad put in earplugs at my church (LOL – yeah, it is a little loud), seeing my mom laugh at my dog Jack, movie time with family, the laughter and conversations at the dinner table. .  .truly these are the blessings of the holidays.  And they all have to do with the people in my life, not what we were doing or eating, just them.

So as 2010 ends and 2011 begins I’m taking these wonderful memories with me, deleting some things off of my obligatory “to do” list, and watching for times I can invest more in the people in my life.  Truly, the gifts in my life are my family and friends.

Things that made me happy this week

1.  Finding my car keys Monday morning.  LOL!
2.  The amazing chili from the kiosk at work.  (not for wimps, trust me!)
3.  Megan's laugh.  She has the best laugh ever!!!
4.  Scratchably pink bellies on my dogs.
5.  Wind chimes during an autumn storm.
6.  Colorful leaves everywhere I look.
7.  An invitation to do an underwater pumpkin carving contest.
8.  Getting to fly an airplane.
9.  Turning 51 with so many blessed wishes from friends.
10. Enjoying sleeping in on the weekend.  

Flying

I had a wonderful experience today.  I got to go flying.  My friend Tim asked me if I wanted to go, and before he got the question out, I was screaming YES!  It was so much fun.  He picked me up at the Albany airport and we flew at 120 knots over I-5 towards Harrisburg, OR.  I loved the flying, but more amazed at the beauty of the town I live in. 

Everyday while driving to work I marvel at the beauty of this place, but seeing it from the air. . . well, it just took my breath away.

Tim offered me the controls of the airplane while traveling over I-5, but I declined.  I needed to know more about what was going on in the cockpit, so I asked a ton of questions about the gauges, and what things were. . . then just watched him operate things while I took pictures.

We landed on a grass strip outside of Harrisburg where he learned to fly.  That was really cool.  The we took off for the Lebanon airport where Tim again offered me control of the airplane. 

My hands were shaking and my palms sweaty as I took hold of the yoke.  It wasn’t 2 seconds in before I realized that any movement I had, no matter how slight, made the airplane move and that I had to undo that movement. 

It isn’t like driving a car.

But, thanks to Tim’s patience with me, I eventually flew the plane for a few minutes alone and am still alive to talk about it. 

We stopped at the airport in Lebanon, OR where I got to meet the owner.  He was a very gentle man who only had wonderful, positive thing to say.  And he had an office dog.  So I liked him immediately.

After leaving the Lebanon airport, we hit some turbulence.  It made me laugh.  It was way better than a roller coaster ride, and I knew there was nothing really wrong with the plane. . .  just bumpy air.  Tim was happy that is didn’t upset me.  In fact, I was laughing.

Our ride ended way too soon.  We got to fly over my house (3rd pic ~ yeah, I live in the woods) and then we had to land and it was over.

But I know I will never forget the thrill I got from being in control, even for a short time, of an airplane.

Thank you, Tim, for that opportunity.

It is the people in you life that matter.

I just spent an amazing long weekend in South Florida with old and new friends.  After this weekend, I can promise you that it isn’t the place you at or what is going on in your life, it is the people in your life that matter the most.

My high school friend Charlotte planned this event for us and she did an amazing job.  It was both relaxing and totally fun.  How she managed to blend so much fun and so much down time so we could just chill is amazing to me, but, then Charlotte rocks.

It was our 50^th birthday bash with a bunch of friends from high school.  Yeah, we are all turning 50.  What better place to celebrate than on the beach with each other. .  . right?

We all stayed in the same hotel which was right on Hollywood Beach and the staff at the hotel was wonderful.  I felt so pampered.  And it was nice all of us being in the same place.  We ate together, and played together.

There were so many fun things that happened.  We went on a pub crawl one evening where we just walked the boardwalk and stopped in at the local venues.  Pubs, shops, ice cream, sand, music. . .  all up and down the boardwark.  It was wonderful.

Then there was a catamaran trip that was breathtaking from beginning to end.  The crew on the ship spoiled us rotten, and the views and sun and ocean spray just took away every stress and reminded me of how amazing this world is.  It was so fun to watch everyone play and relax.

I was only in Ft Lauderdale for 4 days, but I already miss my friends, and the new friends I met there.  I hope to go back soon. 

It was so nice to be reminded of my roots from these friends from 30 years back.  The people in you life matter the most.  Everything else is just noise.  

Invest in the people.  

Hugs to you all. 

I am a WARRIOR

OMG. . .  I did the most amazing race this weekend.  Check out the Warrior Dash.  What a COOL race. It was supposed to be with friends, but they all backed out, so I ended up at the starting alone without friends but with 100 other WARRIORS.  I made some connections pretty quick, though.  

The race started with fire belching out of the starting line which actually helped.  By this time I was shivering and fire warmed me up while I waited for my turn to cross the timing mat.  The first 200 yards were nothing but a normal race with some of the steepest hills I’ve ever done in my life, but then I ended up at a pond with five logs 4 feet in diameter in 45* water that was chest high.  I had to scale all five logs. .  . and I did with help and giving help to several other warriors.

Then  onward up a muddy boggy slope to another obstacle….easy one this time.   But the next one was difficult.  It was called the wolfs spider web.  It wasn’t hard except that it totally screwed up our depth perception.  We could see that something was there, but it was difficult to find them without getting tangled in them.  Then a few more climbing challenges, several rope challenges that were difficult at best, (splinter galore and lots of mud) then more steep hills.  And when I say steep hills that we had to climb, the event organizers understood that we were in mud and may need some help.  They had ropes dangling down so we could actually pull ourselves up these horrible, oxygen stealing hills.  Or repel ourselves down them, whatever the case may be.  I actually just sat on one and slid down on my behind.  

THEN, we came to these tunnels.  Okay, no big deal, except once in them. . . . everything was pitch black and they went on for eons.  I was crawling, running into other racers, have other racers run into me.  We couldn’t see ANYTHING.   But once outta that we only had a few more obstacles to go.  

Next was the fire pits.  I was fine with what I saw in the intro videos, but what I had in front of me was WAY bigger.  So I stopped and watched a few others do it first.  Those flames were waist high.  But I ran and scaled them all.  I could feel the flames but didn’t get scorched.  

But the last obstacle  was a mud pit however it wasn’t too deep at first, but it varied.  There was  a lot of barbed wire across the top.  I had to crawl through this mud pit, under the barbed wire. . . . and it was long and scary.  But I made it to the finish line covered in mud, totally proud.  

I am a WARRIOR.   I even have a viking hat to prove it!

Wanna do the race with me next year?  It is amazingly fun, totally challenging and NOTHING like you’ve ever done before.  See you at the starting line.

Summertime in Oregon

I wrote this last summer, but it still rings true today. . .

Summertime in Oregon slows us down. We linger longer on the porch with that first cup of morning coffee, we take more walks enjoying the brisk, beautiful air, and we wander through the farmer’s market picking out berries and freshly grown vegetables, visiting with neighbors, and talking to the vendors about the beautiful flowers. I think we all just are happy the rains have stopped and we feel the blessing of sun, friends, community and the beautiful bounty of Oregon.

Our driving also slows down during the summer. This has nothing to do with our attitudes of bliss. It’s because the road crews are out in force fixing up the potholes and tackling projects that weren’t possible during the rainy season. Flaggers wave cheerfully as they direct us to slow down just a little bit more. Bright orange signs warning us of upcoming road projects sprout along side the roads with the same abundance as blackberry bushes taking over the gardens. But this is a normal summertime event which we all just take in stride.

Driving also slows down because of the tractors and combines traveling from barn to field. Driving time increases as we become part of the parade of necessary farm implements some of which take up 1 ½ lanes so passing is impossible. John Deere green fills the view in front of us. 


Oregon’s colors really are orange and green, but during the summer months that has nothing to do with the UofO Ducks and OSU Beavers. The ODOT road crews and John Deere machinery carry the Oregon colors for the summer.

My Cinderella Garden

There’s just something about sunflowers and pumpkins that means summertime to me.  I used to plant a full garden every year with tomatoes, corn, beans, melons, lettuce, strawberries. . . and sunflowers and pumpkins.  Gardening is a lot of work, and I love it for the first few weeks.  Then it becomes a chore.

I discovered that I enjoy shopping the farmer’s markets better than gardening.  The selections are amazing, even more than I would have grown, plus I get to visit with neighbors, colleagues, listen to local musicians and enjoy the community that is the farmer’s market.   It is a nice way to spend a Saturday morning.  I love strolling from booth to booth, talking to the vendors, sampling the various types of fruits, trying out homemade breads, sniffing the marvelous floral varieties, visiting with friends I haven’t met yet, and friends I’ve known for years. 

As an accountant I’ve figured this is cheaper than the cost of hours spent in the garden, tools, supplements for the plants, and, OMG, the cost of watering. . .  so, if no other way, I can justify my lack of desire to have a full garden as being cost efficient.  Yeah, that’s it.  It is cost efficient.  And I’m supporting local farmers.  So it’s all good.

But, I can’t live a summer here in Oregon without growing my own sunflowers and pumpkins.  This year instead of the mammoth sunflowers which I love growing, I planted dwarfs which I can keep in pots on my porch closer to me.  They are so beautiful. . . golden heads haloed by deep green leafs nestled in burgundy ceramic pots.

As far as pumpkins go, I normally pick smaller varieties that I can use in cooking.  But this year I changed it up.  I bought some smaller ones, plus the Jack-o-lantern variety.  This should be fun.  I love how their vines sprawl across the dirt, orange flowers open to the sun and evolving into gourds that will become my pumpkin chariot into autumn.

Oooo, I better go shopping for some glass slippers.  I wanna be ready when my pumpkins arrive.

Life at a Slower Pace

The softballl season just started and I am on two teams.  I love it.  Fielding, batting, goofy around with my teammates  . . . exercise, friends, gum, fun in the sun. . . what’s not to love?

But during a scrimmage on Memorial weekend I tore a hamstring muscle.  Yeah, it was weird.  It felt like a gunshot to my leg.  Not only did I feel the pop while running to base, but I heard it.  I didn’t know what had happened and wasn’t sure when that leg came down next if it would hold me up, but it did so I continued to run to the base.

In softball you go from a dead stop to a full blown sprint.  I’m fit.  I train for races, and when I’m not training, I still work out.   Let’s just say that I felt totally prepared for softball season so was a little surprised to be sidelined like this.

I didn’t realize the severity of the injury at first even though people were telling me their experiences.  But it’s been a few days now and I’ve seen my doctor.  And now I’m walking slower, sitting more and finding other things to do that don’t require me to use my hamstring.

One thing about an injury, though, is that you don’t realize how often you use that body part till it lets you know every single time you do.  Like with this hamstring tear. . .  did you know you use your hamstrings while riding in a car, laughing, putting on socks, blow drying your hair, picking something up, not to mention just walking, sitting, standing, and bending your knees.

I got to see a hamstring specialist at physical therapy.  He said I will make a full recovery due to my fitness level and determination.  But, this hurts a lot.  Everything I do hurts.  My new mantra is “ice is my friend” but all I know at this point is ice is cold.   Still working on the friendship part. 

Yeah, I’m a happy camper and looking forward to whatever lesson this journey is going to teach me.  Those lessons are always awesome, but so looking forward to a journey without pain.

 

Ready??? Scream!!!

The last several months my husband has been keeping the home fires burning while I've been learning to SCUBA dive, and going on dive weekends.  That changed 2 weeks ago when I volunteered to stay home to tend to the dogs while he went off diving with Jessica and our friends.  They are gone this weekend, too.  


I have learned a lot the past two weekends of being home alone and tending to our dogs.  One is that I love my alone/quiet time.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I ADORE time with friends/family and doing things I love, but there is just a quality in alone time that is missing from our crazy lives.


The solitude was haunting at first because what ever I did was entirely up to me, but it became a friend after a bit.  It has been nice to have time to write, not worry about taking care of others, dealing with all of those things that have been on the back burner. . .  I'm sure you know.


The one thing I've learned over the last 2 weekends of solitude is that I have a lot of interests that don't involve friends or family that get lost in the day to day world.  If I had a choice though, I'd choose friends and family - I LOVE the people in my life and would do anything for them.  But when they aren't a choice, it is so nice to know I have a full buffet of  things that interest me, that inspire me, that matter only to me.  What a nice reminder for me.   


Yeah, life is sweet.  It has its own balances and checks.  We just need to learn to ride the roller coaster of life.   Ready?   Here we go. . .   Okay, hands in the air. . . . SCREAM!!!

Visibility

This past week my kids turned 27 and 25. Yep, their birthdays are just a few days apart. 

Daniel lives 2000 miles away so I didn’t get to celebrate with him in person, but we had fun online and on the phone.  He’s such a wonderful man and a great friend.  I adore him. 

Jessica is here in Oregon for her birthday this year after 2 ½ years in Africa.  God, I missed celebrating her birthday with her while she was gone.  We celebrated this year underwater working on our advanced open water diving certification.  It was a sweet week

end.  Not only did I get to dive with Jessica, but I got to meet two of my high school friends, Debbie and Linda, for dinner, and then I got to celebrate Jessica’s birthday with about 20 other divers.  It was so much fun!  Truly!

The thing I wanted to write about, though, was the visibility on our 2^nd dive on Saturday.  We had very low visibility on that dive.. . . maybe 3 feet, but we were together.  It started out that it was just my dive buddies with me, but, before I knew it, there were other divers around us.  It was a navigation dive and we were diving along compass headings and we were all in the same place.  We couldn’t see where we were going, but we were together and following our designated paths.  It was really cool.

It just reminded me of how our days go.  There are so many times we can’t see the path, but we know where we are supposed to be going, what we are supposed to find.  We trust those around us and our “gear” to get us there.  It isn’t scary when you know that you are following the path that you are destined to be on even though you can’t see.  Just breathe in and breathe out, trust your instincts, the people around you and know that you will end up where you are supposed to.

Just so you know, Jessica and I and the other divers never found the thing we were supposed to on that dive, but we ended up where we were supposed to. . . and that was good enough.

Believe everyday, whether you can see your path or you can’t, that you are where you are supposed to be.  Keep on swimming, follow your buddies, trust yourself. . . . and Happy Bubbles to all of you on your journey.  I’ll meet you there, friend.  

Happy Bubbles

So, my daughter just got back from 2 ½ years in Namibia serving in the Peace Corp in Khorixas.  My surprise for her was to get my diving certification so we could dive together in Hawaii – her homecoming celebration.  It was hard for me to pass all of the tests, but so worth it.  I passed my certification right when her dive master brought her up from her 2nd dive – my 4th.  It was so awesome!  She saw my dive master clap and heard me scream through my regulator.  There were lots of hugs at 54’  It was awesome.


Diving isn’t easy, but it is so worth it.  The gear is overwhelming, and the suits are cumbersome,  but I love it.  Shore diving seems easier until you do it… hauling gear, fins, lots of sand… hard work.  Boat diving seems scary at first – out in the middle of nowhere, but I so loved every single thing.  Dangit, I may be addicted to diving.  Everything was amazing.


We are diving this next weekend at Octopus Hole in Hoodsport. I can’t wait.  Jessica and me and all of my dive friends.. . . .  It will be awesome.  Hope to post pics.  


Happy bubbles, friends.  

Ode to January Close

Oh, January.  Your month ends and I get to start sorting through the details of your financial data . . .payroll, AP, AR and all of the stats for the month.  New parameters and old reports create havoc in the reconciliation process.  New spreadsheets needing to be rolled forward with end of year 2009 balances as the new beginning 2010 balance.  Building new formulas to capture the new parameters that the old reports can’t see take so much time.  


Tums at the ready.  Aspirin for the brain.  Reading glasses to see the tiny numbers, lovingly called the Accountant Font, in row after row on printouts from the old reports that can’t capture the data due to the new parameters.  Nothing is tying out.


Why, January?  Why do you have to be so new?   Why do new processes have to start with you, complicating an already hectic close?  And why do the auditors show up asking questions about 2009 while we are trying to close you?  


I plug in my iPod and try to settle into the groove of making your close happen, oh January.  The beat of the music ends up in my finger tips as I figure your reserve calcs on my dinged up, coffee stained 10 key.   More coffee doesn't help.  Why, January?  Why?


Let’s make peace, January.  You try harder to keep your parameters the same as my spreadsheets and formulas know, and I keep your recons and beginning balances in tune.  Deal?  Um, January. . .   Deal?

Time For Me

Life is so busy right now.  I’m not complaining, but I decided today to just stop.  It has been sweet to catch up on things on the home front. 


I’m taking two classes right now which keep my evenings busy.  My one class is a level 2 poetry class with assignments every night.  Some are just reading assignments, others are writing. After a full day of accounting, sometimes poems just don’t want to come out.  When the weather’s nice I park myself on the back porch.  For some reason I write better, easier on the back porch.  With the crappy weather lately, though, I’ve been working from my comfy chair and it just isn’t the same.  I’m a back porch bum.  I may have to buy a chiminea so I can be outside with the cooler temps of this season.


I love cooking, too, and that takes up evening time.  But there’s just something wonderful about preparing beautiful, delicious food.  It’s a Zen thing for me.


My social calendar has been full lately, too.  I love playing with my friends. . .bunko, blues, brews, burgers.  Last weekend I had a girls weekend at the coast, a blues jam when I got home, then a dinner party after that.  


Do you see what’s missing?  Time to get chores done, yep.  I manage the best I can, but my home deserves more than just a lick and a promise.  Today I stopped, took care of me, took care of my home, and got my homework all caught up.  It feels good to make me the priority today.  Work will still be there tomorrow and I will be better able to deal with it now that things are settled in my life.


So I want to encourage all of you to find some “me” time.  You deserve it and you’ll feel better taking care of yourself.  I know I do.