March 27, 2007

Just like they say.

Damp streets steam with the scents of life outside my window. Spring isn't quite strong enough to break through the gray skies today, but sprouts of leaves hint at an approaching coup.

........

I’ve been trying to drink more water lately. They say 64 ounces a day is important, so I’m carrying my quart sized water bottle with me to work and back. The new habit is threatening to break my “bladder of steel” reputation, but I’m willing to trade the title for happier cells. I’m ¼ finished with my quota today. Just 48 more ounces to go!

........

That wonderland of cheap furniture and Swedish styling is coming to Portland this summer. I was reading this article on the bus this morning, and I laughed at Portland’s inconsistent philosophy of consumerism. “Give us all local, small business… and Ikea because it’s really great also.”

And with all this talk about meatballs and their Swedish café, why does no one ever mention that they have cheap and delicious salmon served there as well? It’s my third favorite part of the experience, the list of favorites being:
1. Picture frames in odd sizes
2. Kitchen gadgets for aspiring gourmets on a limited budget
3. Salmon lunch from their restaurant
4. Various things made from wood

March 20, 2007

Up the hillside.

Ah, city life. My house is about 15 minutes from downtown Portland on the edge of a town called Milwaukie. I picked up a local newspaper this morning while I was waiting for my bus, and, to my delight, I discovered the Police Logs. Among tales of tagging and petty theft, I found the following bit of neighborhood drama:
March 1, 4:25 p.m.—A caller reported two goats in the median at Highway 224 and McLoughlin in Milwaukie. They were not a hazard.

Really, goats?! I took note because that intersection is the edge of my commute. I’ll have to keep an eye out. Good thing I know that they are not a hazard to my driving.

A little further down:
March 4, 2:20 p.m.—A caller at SE Hanna Harvester and Main in Milwaukie reported two goats up against the guard rail.

Goats backed into a corner: maybe not a hazard, but certainly on the defense. Then finally:

March 6, 5:43 p.m.—A caller at SE 17th Avenue and Highway 224 reported that a pair of goats with horns were trying to cross the expressway.

Apparently the goat epidemic is in full swing here in my corner of Portland. I don’t know where the pair came from, but the reports remind me of a certain story from childhood. And now I’m fighting the urge to look for trolls.

March 15, 2007

Up for air.

I'm still around, I promise.

The last two weeks have been packed with the beginning stages of wedding planning. I am determined not to be one of "those girls" with nothing else to talk about, so I've actually been avoiding blogging until I could get past the initial stress stage. Unfortunately, I've heard that it won't get much easier until after the whole thing is over.

Speaking of the big day, mark your calendar for June 9th!

........

Winter is fading away, and little pink buds cover the trees. The first sounds of spring are filling the air.

........

Bethany is coming home tomorrow for a weekend of spring break before she heads down to Mexico with my family. I'm looking forward to seeing her, and I am more than a bit jealous about her upcoming time in the sun.

March 01, 2007

Bursting into light.

The glow of candles lit the room while snow fell in the darkness outside. I did not expect to be in Trout Lake last Tuesday night, nor was I expecting to get engaged that evening. We were supposed to have our church community group at my house like normal. But it wasn't going to be a normal day.

By the time that Dan picked me up from work, everyone from our small group had called me to cancel for one reason or the other. One was sick, one was busy, one couldn't get home in time. I found out later that this was no coincidence. Since it was just the two of us for the night, Dan offered to take me out to dinner. I suggested staying home and cooking something together, but he insisted that he had something special in mind.

I began to suspect a covert operation as we left Portland and headed east up the Columbia Gorge. We passed Multnomah Falls, Crown Point, and other places where we had shared hikes and memories. Finally we arrived at the Riverside Grill in Hood River, Oregon.

We were both hungry, and we shared a delicious plate of hazelnut trout at our window table. Dan suggested the scenic route back on the Washington side of the river, but instead we turned up toward his hometown of Trout Lake.

As we got closer, it began to snow, and there was a beautiful blanket of white covering the tiny town. We pulled into the driveway of Dan's childhood home. His family has been away for almost a month, so I expected it to be dark and quiet. Instead it was cheerily glowing with candlelight in every window, and smoke was puffing out the chimney.

The walkway was strewn with white rose petals, and there were candles flickering in the snow all around. We walked inside the warm house to see a table set for dessert with white linens. Soft background music broke the snowy silence of the outdoors. White rose petals covered the floor, and every surface was crowded with tea lights.

We sat together, and Dan read me some thoughts he had prepared about our relationship while I wiped away tears. There was a small carved trunk on the table, and it had a lock that conveniently fit a key Dan had given me earlier at dinner. (“Look at this key I found,” he had said to me. “Hmm,” I answered unromantically, “It looks like it goes to someone’s filing cabinet.”) Inside was a little book that Dan had created from a story I told him on a whim almost a year ago. It was about a boy and girl who each have half a heart until they find each other. Next to the book was a wooden heart carved with our names that Dan had brought back from Uganda. With these gifts and more kind words, Dan proposed. I quickly answered, “Of course!”

Dan and I had talked about marriage enough that I was expecting to get engaged sometime soon, but he was able to take me completely by surprise with the evening he planned. It was so special, unique to us, and really beautiful. I enjoyed getting engaged, and I am looking forward to getting married. But overall I am so glad to be able to spend my life with Dan! For those of you interested, we are tentatively planning a wedding in early June.