Shroomin'

And by "Shroomin'" I don't mean eating hallucinogenic mushrooms and chasing unicorns in the woods. I mean hunting for mushrooms. This is a thing that people do in Oregon. I don't eat mushrooms, and quite honestly I think people that do are weird. However, hunting for mushrooms is super fun! It's like hiking but with a purpose. Think grown up Easter egg hunt in rugged OR woods.

Yesterday we were looking for chanterelles, which are big, orange, gnarly mushshrooms. They like to hide under green stuff, dirt, sticks, and anything else "woodsy".

i spy with my little eye

a big one

We got a lot!

fungal booty

Birthdays

I love my friends. I love birthdays. This week we celebrate the birthday of one very special Marissa Schroot. Since I live in a faraway place from most of my bestest sister-esk friends, I am making a point of sending my birthday love the old fashioned way- through snail mail.

I doubt the surprise will be spoiled by this post since I don't think Marissa reads my blog anyway (curse you, Marissa, not really, but maybe a little bit), but just in case I won't tell you what's wrapped in the little brown package pictured above. 

"Love Pizza" the recipe

In case you want to try to make your own love pizza, here's the recipe for the dough. This is top secret. Please do not tell the Internet.

It's just too good

to be savored

Have you ever enjoyed reading a book so much so that you didn't actually want to read it?

This is a seldom occurance, but when it does happen it happens hard. I am currently rationing out The Goldfinch page by page because I just don't want it to end. This book is meant to be savored.  I just may never get through it.

I liken this phenomena to when I was a kid, sorting and rationing my halloween candy as if I were preparing for an apocalypse in which candy would never be found upon the Earth again. I would sort by color, genre, and texture, save my favorite pieces for the end, sometimes never even getting to enjoy these bites-the chocolate having gone grey and flakey.

No, I did not grow up during the depression era, instead I just really have an obsession/problem/attachment to never wanting a good thing to end.  At least now, I can recognize this in myself and learn to enjoy the things that I enjoy. The Reese's cup that is The Goldfinch will not go grey and flakey, but instead it will be delicately devoured bite by tiny, bite.

"Love Pizza"

We've been making what we call "Love Pizza" for quite a long time. We originally acquired our dough recipe from Brooke and Ryan at Cup a Joe in Hillsborough and have been riffing off it ever since 2009. "Love Pizza" takes many forms including pesto, spinach, olives, Mexican, pepperoni, and veggies. It's not about what you put on it, but the love you put in it. And the more love, the better it tastes. 

Last night we did a new take on an old favorite and incorporated chicken apple sausage, pesto, spinach, and mozzerella. It was damn good. I suggest you all try it. Making homemade pizza is way easier than you might think and much cheaper than going out or ordering in. All you need is flour, salt, yeast, your favorite toppings, and love of course!

Not bad

This was my view this morning as I drove back up the hill to our new home after teaching the early yoga classes:

It had just rained, but the sun was coming out. You can see that beautiful, blue sky trying to peek out behind the trees. And so much green! (And someone's recycling bin...)

And for those of you who are curious about what our new home looks like, here it is:

Ukulele Goddess

Jason and I are learning to play the ukulele. I find it much easier than playing the guitar, which I briefly started playing when I was 9 and then again at age 20. Both times resulted in my quitting because my fingers were too small. The ukulele is way more manageable. Additionally, it is cute and slightly hip, which supplies the "cool factor".

Learning how to do something new with a loved one is very gratifying. We play. We sing. We drink beer.  It's a great indoor activity for the rainy, Oregon winer ahead.

"There's not much you can do for a broken toe, right?"

I'm about 72% sure that I broke my middle toe yesterday. I rammed it into a hard, little stool very hard.  It hurt like hell. I'm now hobbling around.

 It must be broken, right?

All my life I've heard that "there's not much you can do for a broken toe". Upon purusing the internet, I've deduced that this old adage is in fact true. Unless your bone is sticking out or you've punctured something, there really is very little to do about a broken toe.

The best you can hope for is some medical tape so you can "buddy tape" your toe. It's really called that. I learned it on the Internet. "Buddy Taping" is when you create a splint for your 72% broken toe with another toe, like buddies do:

And there you have it. The saga of my most likely, but possibly not, broken toe.

Advice from a Tree

Good stuff.

Me, the Vintner

My very first weekend back in Eugene and we're invited to a wine making party!

Seventy degrees,  sun shining, wine flowing, and I even got to turn the crank.

        

Ode to Lil' Car

Oh lil' car, you've traveled far

From east to west,

You're still the best 

So many roads and miles

So tough and full of smiles

You carried us near and far

Safe and sound

Lost and found

Thank you, lil' car. 

When you move across the country...again (day 2)

To keep it spicy, and by "it" I mean this drive, we've decided to literally "bust ass", "drive like bats out of hell", "ride like the wind" and all other fast going places euphemisms. Another cross country move and the 6th time I've driven across the country, I'm catching mostly sites from within the car. Such as

Piles of stuff at my feet:

Animal companions:

The great Mississippi River (from the passenger seat window):

And, a pretty amazing Nebraskan sunset (as seen through a screen of bug guts on the windshield):

Made it!

After 4 consecutive days of pulling 12-14 hour driving shifts, we made it. We are officially back in Eugene. With all the intense car time, there wasn't much enjoying of the sites this time around, but we did manage to catch a few cool sites.

As far as being back in Oregon goes, I can't really say too much right now. I think my feelings will slowly be revealed to me as time progresses. What I can say right now is that as weird and transitiony as I feel, it's not a bad weird. I think that's good. Most importantly, right now I feel really grateful. I feel grateful for the love and support of friends and family during this time. I am 100% aware of how completely insane it is to move across the country, move back, and then turn around and go back! Yet, no one ever said that to me (or at least not to my face). The love and understanding that I've received from friends on both coasts has been amazing and ultimately what has empowered me to move through this time. Thank you all for that.