Mamaw

Dear sweet Mamaw,

You are a woman, beautiful in faith and generous of character. Full of contradictions, like all of us, your good heart and loving soul were never hard to see.

While it is hard to come to terms with the grasp of death and the idea not doing things with you anymore - to plant (or weed) for, to cry and to laugh with, to cook for or to be cooked for, to eat with, to gossip about the family with, to walk with, send mail to or even to watch TV with, it is a relief to not have you suffer anymore.

I know that faith guided you along in both life and death and am thankful for that. I know that your love for us has made us better people. And God knows that we will miss you.

"Why cry for a soul set free?" I love you more than words can say.

Poetry

I read this excerpt from a poem on Tuesday on a bus ride around town. It seems especially fitting now.

From Walt Whitman's What Is the Grass


What do you think has become of the young and old
   men?
And what do you think has become of the women and
   children?

They are alive and well somewhere,
The smallest sprout shows there is really no death, and
   if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait at the end to arrest it,
And ceas'd the moment life appear'd.

All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses,
And to die is different from what any one supposed,
   and luckier.

Harvest

The garden it grows.

Pretty much every moment of freedom at the house something gets put in or expanded or trimmed and last but not least harvested. Forget cleaning, it's summertime. 

Suddenly there is a hanging planter of thyme and there are two groups of mint plants, three tomato plants (two are recently salvaged and may or may not make it), a rosemary plant, a whole bunch of Thai basil, and a super prolific zucchini squash plant. Mustard greens are coming up, mixed green seeds are in the ground, carrots grow stronger every day. The remaining blackberry bush is producing some delicious fruits. The yard is a mess but a blessing too.

Found some bulbs in a free pile yesterday. Don't know if they're viable but figured it was worth a try. Those are in the ground. A beautiful Hydrangea plant is mine now and I refuse to share. It'll go in the ground soon- maybe Friday evening if not today after my run.   

Here is just a taste of my wealth in zucchini squash. Next to it lie a sliced purple potato and a yukon gold that I got down the street at a farm stand. Here's to making a summer squash torte on Thursday for the boy.

Other things:
Fiona Apple concert on Thursday. Can't wait.

Summer dinner involving the torte, some watermelon, and perhaps a blackberry concoction if we get that ambitious for pre-concert dinner.

Grapes! They're growing in my backyard unbidden.

Poetry and learning to read it.

And, it's back to the work week for me today but the night involves Christmas in July and the day a run. So, I can't even begin to complain.

Nothing but the very best to all of you sweet things.

Camps for Champs: I've said it once and I'll say it again

Yesterday I was on my first non campsite based camping trip and, to date, my favorite camping trip. The last trip I went on was good company and definitely had some perks but this camping trip was just above and beyond.

Firstly, we biked to the park in which we camped, secondly we cooked trout wrapped in fig leaves on the embers of a fire, thirdly, there were barges floating by our shore at all hours of the night, fourthly, such good company. fifth, did I mention we camped on the shore?

The weather was beautiful after raining intermittently all day it cleared up where we were and gave us a pretty sunset and some light to collect firewood by. Delicious snacks were packed and, of course, no pictures were taken. Sorry guys, you're just going to have to imagine. The one downside is: the ground is not comfortable to sleep on. Who knew?

Hope you all are getting some adventures yourself.

Back in

I'm back in it here at home in Portland. Back to work, back to my garden, back to cleaning the house, back to a sweet boy and unkempt crushes, back to roomies, and cooler weather.

Today, I made a salad from herbs in my garden plus lettuces from my farmshare, I went for a run with my regular running buddy and didn't sweat out all of the fluids in my body. Yesterday, I drank tea with a sweet fellow and walked amongst the eternal springtime of Portland. There are flowers everywhere.

While I was away my garden exploded. My tomato plant doubled in size and my squash isn't too far behind all of that. It is nice to remember how sweet the summer is. Bouquets have been picked and made in houses all over Portland from the sweet bounty of early summer. The next few months is going to be wondrous.

Of course, I miss the east. But finally, the winter here is paying off it's dues.

Richmond: The final hours

I haven't updated you! You know nothing about what is going on in my life! How will you live yet another moment without finding out all the sweet deets?!

I know. Life is a constant challenge. I am tired but here I am plugging away at the ol' blog. Trying to make you people happy.

I miss Portland. There I said it. It's almost true. I am excited for the last day and a half of Richmond before Portland becomes a reality for me again but I miss my roomies, my friends, my plants, the boy I'm super excited about. I miss having a regular bowel movement and my regular running partners too.

Wanting everything is hard. I want 100+ degree weather and crazy humidity and I want the beautiful serene of 80 degree Portland and biking everywhere. I want my friends to all live in the same place and I never want to have to leave my family... BUT I want my space. Quiero hablar espanol but I don't want to have to learn. I am lazy in wanting and filled with desire. What to do, what to do? Enjoy what I've got and work towards obtaining these wants? Deny what I've got and all earthly pleasures? Expand my garden, go for runs, and be a regular, employed member of society (boring but probable).

Since I've been in town, I've spent time with the Grams (shout out Mamaw- I love you dearly), spent time with friends, cooked out, watched fireworks, went on 7 mile runs in near 100 degree weather, ate huge breakfasts, gossiped viciously (well not viciously but with great enthusiasm). Eaten frozen greek yogurt, slept fitfully and attended a wedding.

Still to go are walks along the riverside, a huge brunch as part of a lady date, eating out at a crappy restaurant in the airport with my friends who are flying in as I get ready to fly out. Getting more frozen greek yogurt in my belly, visiting with friends not yet visited with, getting a ride from a cousin I haven't had a chance to speak with and little morning time with my parents. This is an ideal world.

Adios Chiquitos.

Don't stop

Vacation: a time of relaxation right? Wrong.

Vacation is a time to pack in all of the social and familial obligations that you have missed out on over the past collection of months. You work and you work so you can go on vacation and then you don't stop moving until you're back to work and vacation is over. And then, honestly, you're still moving because you're at work. It's an interesting structure. Both fulfilling and depleting. When you're not on vacation you miss the feeling of the break: seeing old friends, spending time with family, visiting new places. When you are on vacation you miss all of your new friends, the people you've just started dating, and the regularity of your everyday life. Everywhere you go, you are winning and losing, giving and taking, stopping and starting.

All that I'm saying is, that I'm tired and I'm not sure when that is going to go away. Maybe that's what the actual act of traveling is for. Sleeping. Sleeping on planes is my specialty anyways so I might as well embrace it.