There have been lots of changes in the wind just lately. John traveled to Chile and back over the space of 10 days. We were sure that he would miss the birth of our second grandchild during this ill-timed trip, but he didn't.
While I'm at it, our daughter J just graduated this weekend from Cornell, with a PhD in emergency nutrition, and a minor in epidemiology. Congratulations J!
Meanwhile John and I celebrated our wedding anniversary by cutting and stacking firewood on Saturday and then chowing down on fire-baked pizza at the Bread Board in tiny Falls City, Oregon. This is a pic of their fabulous Garlic Knot bread. If you ever get to Falls City-and why shouldn't that happen-you should definitely go to the Bread Board.
Permit me to dump some photos:
This is a detail of an antique farming device, a rake for hay.
Oh man, the clouds!
Oak bark. Do you see a face?
A dead tree, also sculptural.
A tiny cabin.
Inside the cabin, looking out the window. John called it a "writer's cabin."
Aside from a vineyard, Tyee has hazelnut trees, which create a dense and magical shade.
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| I captured a bubble. |
Whew. May the next couple of weeks be...normal?
Normal can be a good thing.
ReplyDeleteThe baby is precious and so is J. :) Who knew they made PhD's in Emergency Nutrition. What a great major. Do you think she'll stay in the U.S? Not that we don't have malnutrition here but I doubt there is funding for it, whereas in a more poor country there may be.
And congrats on the anniversary. The pictures are great.
Rubye, J's work has been in Africa, but I think she hopes to remain in the US for awhile. We'll see. Thanks!
DeleteWOW, Kerry, HUGE congratulations on your second grandchild as well as the other events in your busy life this week! Such a beautiful post, as always. I would love to see Chile, what did John think of the place?
ReplyDeleteOh, b-t-w, i saw a Lioness in the tree bark, the left two-thirds of it's face - isn't it great when we see different visions in the same materials/places? I wonder if it's an indication of where our minds are at during a particular place in time or whether it's due to our minds incredible intricacies that are constantly shifting and changing due to our own life's experiences. Or something else!!!
Great post as ever, Kerry
Saul
Hi Saul!! I think of you so often and wonder what you're up to..those little garden spaces in London...Jane...your victory over cancer. Gosh almighty.
DeleteSo cool that you saw a lioness! I see how that could be.
John traveled to several very different places in Chile, which geographically & climate-wise, is Oregon in the southern hemisphere. Economically Chili is doing well, but politically they are still in the wake of Pinochet.
Beautiful baby. Beautiful pics.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy and congrats.
Christopher, thanks.
DeleteI've missed your gorgeous photos, Karima! And "normal"? With a beautiful new grandson, a child moving into a new home and another child getting married in a couple of months..... honey, nothing's going to be "normal" until September!!!! Or even later!!! Happy anniversary, Happy new grandchild and Happy babysitting!!!! Love you!
ReplyDeleteThe wedding. Riiiiiiight, there IS that. Mustn't forget that! Can't wait to see the whole Midwest clan out this way!
DeleteYour time sounds rich and full. I did take a pause at "emergency nutrition" which sounds paradoxical...I visualize nutrition as a slow mending process!
ReplyDeleteThanks Tabor. :-)
DeleteEmergency nutrition is the 9-1-1 version of a mending process. J was a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger & exposed first-hand to famine in the Sahel region of Africa, particularly infant malnutrition. So there is an urgency to this kind of nutrition, and reasons to study what obstacles exist that prevent mothers from receiving aid.
'I captured a bubble.'
ReplyDeleteTo say the least.
We celebrated our anniversary this weekend, too. And Elliott's b-day is the same as 'The Boyfriend' of my past. Congratulations on capturing so many tremendous wonders with a single post. Amazing.
You celebrated too! I love the synchronicity of this!
DeleteAnd Susan Flett Swiderski and her husband. Are you familiar with her blog?
DeleteI follow her blog, but didn't catch that news. She is hilarious; I must go and look!
DeleteOh Mama! Life is FULL!!!! love it and you!! (and i love abandoned farm equipment kind of like i love the abandoned factories and industrial elevators at the south end of Lake Michigan, driving past Gary and into Chicago - what is it about the shapes of rusty old metal that are so captivating???)
ReplyDeleteYes, so full!
DeleteRusted and abandoned equipment is so photogenic. I bet that drive through Gary is amazing now. I remember it in its hey-days, but now it must be quite a sight.
what a great catch-up post! first congratulations on expanded family and wonderful graduation! awesome! happy, happy anniversary to you both and many more blissful firewood adventures wished for you! LOVE all the photos you shared! gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThanks twg! Funny thing is, I'm not even being facetious about the firewood thing: I love doing firewood.
DeleteGosh, so many milestones! Congratulations on them all. So glad that John was able to be there in time for the birth of the new beautiful baby. Precious!! Your photos were all awesome and I saw the face in the tree!
ReplyDeleteThank you Gail! John was overjoyed that little Elliott waited for him, and not a minute longer. :-)
Deleteyou sound like you've got almost as much stuff going on as I do! whew indeed. great pics. I saw a face in the tree bark but who knows if its the one you saw.
ReplyDeleteYou have a busy time of it now that you have all of that new work space, plus all of the things that summer always brings. Busy-is-good, though.
DeleteA very full week and beautiful images too. I love the sculpture/tree.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rebecca. That is a very dramatic tree.
DeleteMy goodness, there are so many reasons to congratulate you and yours. Yes, I saw the face in the tree.
ReplyDeleteThanks AC! It was a big week.
DeleteWow, Kerry. Lots of beautiful celebrations happening in your family. Congratulations to all.
ReplyDeleteYour photography is wonderful. That face.. an interesting looking primate (I'm talking about the tree, of course.. not the beautiful people). :) There's great texture and whimsey throughout.
I knew what you meant! :) It does look a bit like a primate, doesn't it?
DeleteEnjoy the good and congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThank you BF!
DeleteThis is the kind of post that makes my day. Intelligent children and beautiful new arrivals. Lovely photos, too. Many thanks. I enjoyed your post.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
Thank you Cuban!
DeleteWe celebrated our anniversary this weekend as well. :) Huge congratulations on the gorgeous grandbaby and the PhD. My husband got his PhD from Cornell, too. I was going to ask what emergency nutrition was but I see you answered it above: what an unusual and important specialty!
ReplyDeleteYour photos are like food for the soul. Aaahhhh.
Happy anniversary!
DeleteThe graduation speaker at Cornell was the guy who played Andy on The Office. Remember how he always talked up Cornell? Funny!
J's area of interest is pretty wonderful, but the route to it was extremely intense. People live a marginal, but somehow joyful life in the Sahel where she was first exposed to the issues of famine.
Whew, indeed! You should write about your family more often. Congrats to the grad and how fun to have a new grandchild. Rest well.
ReplyDeleteThank you MR! Honestly? I feel guilty when I rest.
DeleteLoved the trek though this post and yes, I did see the face:)
ReplyDeleteThanks GA. I knew you would see a face. :)
Delete