February NaBloPoMo: Relatives, But Not Too Many In Kellogg

 

The theme for NaBloPoMo this month is relative. I didn't make all my posts in Janurary. The internet went down for two days which got me off, then between being ill and semester grading I just couldn't do a post every day. I have high aspirations for February.

Growing up in Kellogg meant being surrounded by people with lots of relatives. We knew families with lots of children,families with lots of aunts, uncles, grandmas, great uncles, and shirt tail relatives. We didn't have relatives in Kellogg. It didn't seem weird to me because I didn't know it any other way. We had lots of friends that included us like family. The Turnbows invited us to Thanksgiving potlucks. The Listoes had us out to their house for dinner. Don and Rosie made sure we were included at the Italian picnic held in the summer. Costas took us camping up the river. We were always surrounded by friends. I loved seeing my relatives and it was a treat to travel to Spokane, Moscow, or Orofino to visit them. Looking back I feel blessed that we had so many families that made us feel welcome in our town. I learned the meaning of loyality, friendship, generousity, humor, and love from these friends. They may not have been relatives, but they were like family to me. Above are a few of them at Mom's 80th birthday party last year.

Photos That Freeze Time

"I love photos, because the best thing about a photo is that it never changes, even when the person in it does. " Iambino

This quote reminded me why I love photography so much. Photos hold the history of life. One image can remind me of an event, a place, a person, or an experience. I can actually smell the room, feel the love, see the yard, hear the sounds of voices. I never get tired of looking at old photos and remininsing with family and friends. " Where were we when this picture was taken?" "Was I really there on that day?", " Did we really look this young?" These question are always followed with more stories or full laughter. Here are a few of those photos. I love the picture above of my dad and brother. It depicts my dad as a working man that found such simple joy in his first born son.

My sister with her friend Tina at her anniversary party last summer.

My brother dancing in my living room with my niece Zoe back in the day.

 

My first dogs Lucy and Nikki in my backyard in Kennewick.

Dad making his infamous Tom and Jerrys at Christmas. Check out the seventies crock pot on the counter. Mom still has that!!

The house I grew up in until I was seven. This is a more recent picture of how it looks.

Photos and memories.... love them.

Beginnings: The Ritual of Writing

I write every day. I write necessary documents for work. I write blog posts, samples to share with students, Facebook posts, and thoughts. Unfortunately I have not given myself enough time to focus on my own personal writing. I have projects that have been put aside for too long. My priority as I move into February is to carve out  more time for my own writing that is longer than a blog post or FB status. Next week-end I am attending a writing retreat at a beautiful lodge in Princeton, Idaho and will be surrounded by writing friends. I think this will just what I need to get a kick start for the ritual of writing more every day. Below is the Palouse Divide Lodge, my retreat home away from home next week-end.

Organizing 101: Savor the Little Things

I have been on a home/life organizing project this month. I am afraid to start the same project at school! I may never find  I have been reading and rereading tips from the experts in orgainzational science. One book that has been very helpful is Organized Simplicity by Tsh Exenreider. She walks you through the house with checklists on what you'll need to clean, declutter, and organize. She also addresses other parts of daily life like finances and time.  If you don't want to wait for the book from the library like I had to, her website simplemom.net is full of information also. She also has plenty of downloads that are helpful for getting life in order.  She also has an inexpensive e-book called One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler, which you can learn about at her website.

One part of the book I just loved was the chapter called "Savor the Little Things". She reminds us how important it is to cherish the little things. One way to do this is to find ways to use our hands. Whether is is learning to fix a leaky faucet, scrapbooking, or creating a homemade gift... these tasks bring us joy. The second little thing is cooking from scratch. I don't need reminding about this because I love to cook from scratch, but she said " a home that nourishes life takes time to cook real food from scratch. " Agreed! Another way to savor little things is to have casual gatherings that include family and friends. It give you a purpose for decluttering and enjoying fellowship with people that important. 

I look forward to moving through my house with her checklists and organizational ideas. When the snow is deep outside and the temperatures are below freezing.... it is a great time to nest inside and organize.

 

 

Amaryllis: The Showstopper Flower of Winter

I don't know what I did or how I did it, but I am now successful with growing amaryllis. These are things I learned in growing them:

1. It doesn't matter if you order them from a fancy catalogue and pay high prices for them. The ones that did best for me were the 5.00 ones from the big box store.

2. It can't be about the quality of soil because all you do is add the peat moss that is in the box.

3. I did water them as instructed on the box. Maybe it is our well water?

4. Wood stove heat must be a key. Perhaps the warm all day, cool all night is what they like.

5. Light is crucial. Ours have sat in full light since they were placed in the pots.

6. Maybe they like getting their pictures taken. More photos.... more blooms!

I have now grown four this year to bloom stage and two more are about there.Those I bought after Christmas for 2.50. They will probably be as beautiful. Plan ahead next year and try them. They really are a foolproof plant in the winter and so pretty when the skies are gray.

A Winter Ten-Mile Road Trip

 

Today started out with sunshine and beautiful snow. It warmed up, clouded over, but remained snowy. We decided it was time to get the dogs out for a run and take some winter photos. Here are some of my favorites from today. The one above is a shot of Lake Roosevelt before sunset.The one below is Meyer Falls Dam in Kettle Falls.

 

The Marina at Kettle Falls Campground on Lake Roosevelt

We chased the sunset as we circle back home again.