I wanted to keep this going, but I have neglected to write as I wanted to add pictures, but I discovered I left the cable in Ireland, and well the sequencing story goes on from there. If you don't know the theory of sequencing, look it up, its the story of the woes life.

My past two months, April and May, were sooo full of all that I love calling and coming home to.

I will add photos... at some point . Now I am going stick to a list of run on sentences of event-please forgive me if I overlook something and add it in comments!

One week with my dear mom road tripping the eastern land from Dc to Penn, Conn, Virgina, Mass, NY, Delaware, RI, and some other indistinguishable states in between. We ate mostly ice cream and coffee, followed whatever little line on the map we fancied and bunked in funky B&B's. I was inspired by Abe Lincoln, found many quaint barns, was debunked in the search for Amish, (they do NOT, mill about in Lancaster, nor do they clog the freeway with their buggies for my photographing pleasures ( they only come to market on Tues and Saturday for tourist; it was a wed). A drive by trip to Smith to see my school and panic about my lack of housing, led us to the eastern coast for more ice cream, white sand and bonding at a B&B. A wonderful mom I have!


Home, sweet Oregon HOme!

So I'm bias, but no where in the world smells as good as Oregon, it is indescribable, I'll keep an open mind, but Oregon still hasn't been topped in its greatness.


My dog- who knew you could miss a furry, wiggly, four legged lump so much?


My brother and wife and baby in the belly- love them and being with them and talking and laughing and being a part of them.

A week at the coast- I hope the ocean never stops capturing me and grounding me every time I visit and stand at sunset in silence.

My time was blessed with visits from my mom, grandmas and aunt, then my dear life long friends who challenge, inspire, laugh and loves me. I got to see another set of the same with another baby in a belly.

Many people, family and friends I was able to have coffee, lunch, tea, a hike, an evening, a phone call with and reconnect to all who make life meaningful.( yay to having a cell phone again!- then it took a suicide plunge into the ocean)

A weekend with my parents at wild horse canyon for life 101. My first time back since I graduated highschool- it was enriching, challenging, great to see my parents in a different setting and the rugged weather, time scoured hills and plains of gorgeous eastern Oregon. I could watch the sun color the hills in ever changing ways for days.

I made a quilt!!! For three years I promised my brother a t-shirt quilt at Christmas and his birthday and before his 29th birthday ( with help of a certain mother with a knack for cutting straight) I finished it! In case you were wondering what I did in between all my wanderings I thought I would keep you from worrying about me being a lazy, unemployed bum.

And then....

My dad I set the last weekend before I went to school for our BIG adventure. We had been planning and training and psyching ourselves up for...... a trip to Napa for wine tasting and fine food. Very similar to the mountain climbing we pre-bragged about.

The mountain climb was decommissioned due to a belly situation. You see a certain baby was still in a sister in laws belly, and some of us still had a belly ( okay all) that would keep us on solid ground. So we decided to embrace our bellies, and treat them to wine and chef's my dad and I would have few chances to ever experience again.

I won't go into detail as I would hate for you all to be so jealous you refuse to speak to me, or judge me. :)

But it was all you could ask for - GREAT food- ( i will never again be able to afford to please my tastebuds), and A fantastic wine experience. My dad let me show him how to travel cheap to make up for the... ahem... elevated style of living. He slept in a railroad car, we drove there, ate leftovers and restrained wine purchases. He was considerate of my concerns and vows of poverty ( social work degree from elite school=poverty) and took them in stride. I bought the coffee both mornings. For the finale we skimmed the redwoods on the way home and even just an hour or so of gazing had me redefining majestic

AND THEN.....

I became an AUNT!!!! ( ok so its has little to do with me or my doings but..) This is when I really wish my camera was working, you can't believe how gorgeous she is, again I'm bias, but not blind, nor going to lie. SHe is perfectly golden, round, loong, puckered lipped, darling. No misshapen newborn- Ive been growing in a uterus upside down and just gone through 24 hours of life giving / endangering trauma- look . Really NEVA Ann is oh, oh so so precious.

With greeting my niece off my to do list I decided I best be off to school. So I sorted and gave away most of my remaining belongings and headed east.

I'll add pictures, but if you ( anyone) honestly reads ALL of this, the coffee is on me next time!!!

Smith/ being a Smithy/ NoHo/ friends/ rooms/ life inbetween clinical social work books/ white privledge/new churches to come...