Freshness

Yesterday, Beth and I went for an early morning hike at Silver Creek Falls. And I am not kidding when I say early. I pulled into Beth's driveway shortly after 6 o'clock. We got our coffee fix at Starbucks and headed out!

We started at the North Falls trailhead and took the Canyon Trail in for a few miles, crossed over the river onto the Winter Trail, and hiked back to the trailhead uphill on the Rim Trail. We saw four of the ten waterfalls that are in the park. It was quiet and the air was incredibly fresh. We saw beautiful wildflowers, small wildlife (I even took a video of a chimpmunk eating a berry), breathtaking waterfalls, and heard cheerful birds singing. At one point we realized that the loudest sound was that of our footsteps. When we stopped, it was incredible. You could hear the faint sound of bubbling water and that was it.

Another fun part of the day was that I played photographer...taking myself back to the good ol' days of high school yearbook. I actually got a few shots that I was proud of. And I was inspired to read the manual for my camera because, in my expereince, knowing your camera and the settings is key to getting a really cool pictures. I don't know, I'm thinking about adding photography back onto my hobby list.

Canon Beach Tradition

Haystack Rock, Canon Beach

Every spring break, we take a day trip to Canon Beach. This year was no exception. Mom, Tim and I headed to the north coast, despite the rainy weather. We moseyed through the stores downtown- with a specific stop at the candy store for Tim's yearly taffy fix. Eating lunch at Mo's was a must and of course I savored every bite of my clam chowder. We unitentionally took the long route home, stopping in Manzanita- a small coastal town where my great grandparents lived years ago. We drove down Hwy 101 and admired the grey beauty of a rainy Oregon coast. It was one of those days that was just plain ol' good- a tradition worth keeping!

Mom, Tim, and I

In Mo's, obviously having good hoot about something...

Tim getting fresh taffy!

The best deli on the Oregon Coast...in my humble opinion.

The First Day of Spring

Today is the first day of spring and my first day of spring break. Ahhhh. It feels good. It's a break from the ordinary pace of life and a chance to just breathe, relax, and slow down. When I woke up this morning, I felt the calm of knowing I had no where to be at any certain time. That's a good feeling.

Then, I started to make a to do list for all that I wanted to accomplish this week. You know me and lists. It's an addiction. But, as I was writing, I started to loose a little bit of that "ahhh" feeling. As my list grew longer, the feeling that I could mosey through my day and my week started to fade.

So I made a decision. This week I am living list free.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love lists. Lists give me a sense of direction and accomplishment. Lists keep me organize and help me to use my time wisely and effectively. Lists aren't bad. Lists are good. But for me, this week, I want a breather. No pressure to cross off the items on a list.

Here's to a week off. A week of no to do's, to accomplish now's, to be done's. A week of sporadic, spur of the moment, enjoyment.

A year later...

A little over a year I ago, I blogged about my oven cleaning woes. I had quite the experience scrubbing my oven and was sore for days afterward.

Right now, as I sit here, my self-cleaning oven is hard at work tackling my dirty oven. I had to turn a knob or two, prop the top, take the racks out, etc. But that's it. No vigorous, painful scrubbing.

Life is good. My oven is cleaning itself.

My Momma

"My Momma- she's my favorite person in the whole wide world. Who's yours? You're Momma?"

Last week, a little girl, fresh from the deep south was a new student in my classroom. Her southern drawl and spunky personality brought a new dynamic to our room.

When she asked me who my favorite person in the whole world was, she already had in mind who I better say it was. In fact, it was quite obvious that if my answer differed from that, her opinion of me would drastically take a turn for the worst.

I assured her that my momma was one of my favorite people. I was confident that in saying this, she would be satisfied.

However, she immediately questioned me. "Then why is it that there ain't no picture of her in your office?"

There was no proof in my pudding. She tilted her head, put her hands on her hips, and waited for me to explain this to her.

I managed some sort of explanation, but it didn't matter what I said. I had no picture of my momma. We moved on, but I knew that I had lost a little bit of my standing with her.

But, I wasn't lying when I said my momma was one of my favorites. And here's the proof:

• My momma, she's the one that I can shamelessly watch Lifetime movies with.
• My momma, she's the one that has always laughed at all my jokes, even when I went through a knock knock joke phase.
• My momma, she's the one that always listens to me...and Lord knows I can talk.
• My momma, she's the one who has always told me that I accomplish anything I set my mind to and then supported me through it...even when it meant I thought I had a future in beauty pageants (I was 11.)
• My momma, she's the one who has celebrated every moment in my life from half birthdays to graduations to passing math. There's always a party to be had.

See? My momma is one of my favorites.

My Little Mishap

A few weeks ago my family and I took a little jaunt over to the coast to see some beautiful homes my dad is building in Netarts, OR. We finished off our time at Pelican Pub in Pacific City- a fine dining choice to anyone who ventures that direction. And of course our outing wouldn't be complete without some sort of Palmer mishap.

There were seven of us in our party and the hostess said that she could either sit us in two back to back booths, or there would be a considerably long wait for a table large enough. We opted for the two booths. When led to our tables we noted that these were extra long booths- the kind that comfortably seated six, however, after inquiry, they could not allow a chair placed at the end due to fire safety regulations. Well, it didn't take too long for us to decide to forgo the two booth idea and just squeeze into one booth. Yes, we got funny looks from employees and patrons alike, but it was a close bonding experience nonetheless.

One would think that a person would be perceptive enough to realize that in such tight quarters it would be unwise to "goof off" due to the high likelihood that a mishap of any sort would be very likely.

I had a moment of clouded judgement.

Rewind for a moment to Thanksgiving. My cousin Taylor and I entertained ourselves for an extended amount of time with our water glasses and coasters. You see, what you do, is place the coaster on the edge of the table with it partially hanging over the side. Then, with your four fingers, flick it upwards and forward, aiming for it to land perfectly on the top of the water glass. Another variation can be done without the water glass and you simply flick upwards and then try to clasp it with the same hand when it is coming down. Both methods are entertaining and require quick hand eye coordination.

Back to the smooshed family dinner at Pelican Pub. There was a coaster and water glass in front of me. I was showing off my skill of the latter of the two variations, only trying to clasp the coaster on its way down. This is when the mishap occurred.

In my attempt to retrieve the free falling coaster, with my limited range of motion due to the cramped quarters, I hit the water glass propelling it towards me and directly into my lap. Well, this caused me to jerk upward, trying to avoid the ice cubes and cold water causing more upheaval of the table contents. Needless to say I caused quite the incident. Let's just say no one else was as amused as our family. And I was soaked for the remainder of dinner while avoiding all eye contact from the people walking by our table.

I learned my lesson though. Before entertaining myself with coaster games, evaluate the situation and remove anything that could compromise the integrity of the game.

A List About Lists

• My name is Tiffany and I am a chronic list maker. I admit it. I habitually write lists. I am addicted to it. I’ve always been aware of this little quirk of mine and I’ve accepted it- it is the cross I bare, so to speak.
• There is a possibility that this tendency is genetic. In a recent conversation with my sister, she admitted that she has been trying to cut back on the amount of lists she writes as it can get overwhelming. Though, I totally know the feeling and wish her the best in that endeavor- my first thought was “Thank God I’m not the only one!”
• So, now that I have just put it out there, allow me to draw you a little deeper into this idiosyncratic world of mine.
• One would think that the traditional “to do list” is what a chronic list maker, such as myself, chronically makes. Oh how naïve one would be to assume such a thing, for the “to do list” is merely the beginning of the countless kinds of lists that can be made. It is the door, if you will, into the sick little world of a list maker.
  Though it is just the tip of the iceberg, I frequently write to do lists. I write to do lists for the day and for the week- sometimes even for the month. I write to do lists for what I need to do at home, what I need to do at work, what I need to do online, etc. Sometimes my to do lists are random items that need to be accomplished, place almost haphazardly on some sort of paper.
• Other times, I categorize the items either by priority or type. For instance, if I categorize by type, I group together items that are similar. All of the errands, the phone calls, the paperwork, the chores, the leisure activities, etc are all grouped separately. I can then tackle it one category at a time if I so desire. If I am prioritizing my to do lists, then I usually number the items, otherwise I use bullet points or dashes. (Just a personal preference.)
• If you think that is sick, I warn, it only gets more ridiculous as I go on.
• Then, there is the grocery list. Those who know me well know that I have been a grocery shopper for many moons. As a junior higher, it became one of my chores and I loved it. (Right there we have a problem, don’t you think?) I got to help plan the menu and make the grocery list for our family’s meals. Then, once a week, I would go to Winco with my dad to do the shopping. Due to the longevity this particular list making ritual has had in my life, it has been streamlined to maximum efficiency- the root desire for many list makers. Not only is the template for my grocery list categorically organized (yes, I have a template that I use), but it is also tailored for the specific store where I shop. That’s right folks- my list takes me from the entrance of the store and efficiently makes a path to the registers to check out with minimal backtracking.
• I told you it would keep getting more and more…sick.
  The packing list has also served me well long term. I remember some of my first packing lists scribbled on my Strawberry Shortcake stationary. Even then, it was organized by categories: toiletries, clothing, accessories, toys, etc. One of my best works for this type of list was for a trip a few years ago. I color coded the clothing items that could be mixed and matched for different outfits. How completely satisfying that list was!
• Wish lists are a variation of the traditional “to do list”. These lists are, as the genre clearly states, are things I wish to do, see, go, read, watch, etc. I have ongoing lists of places I wish to travel, activities I wish to try, books I wish to read, movies I wish to watch, etc. Sadly, I add to these lists more frequently than I cross off.
• Writing a list of favorites is also a practice of mine. Often these lists become excellent references later on. For example, a list of my favorite children book authors comes in handy when I am in a bookstore pursing the children’s section, looking for new titles. A list of favorite desserts to make comes in handy when planning the menu for a shower or some sort of gathering that requires a surefire treat to serve!
• Lists to brainstorm- I actually teach my third graders to write lists when they are brainstorming for a topic they want to write about. I teach them to list whatever they know about the topic, questions or wonderings they have about it, where they could find out more about it, etc. The list becomes a great prewriting tool. Hopefully I don’t pass on the tendency to over do it when comes to lists to my third graders!
• What compels me to write lists? Well, there is the sense of accomplishment that comes with crossing off an item- never erasing, always crossing off- one solid and sure stroke with a blue ball point pen. That’s my favorite way. When a list is completely crossed off, you feel like you have conquered something. Also, there is a sense of order about a list. All that needs to be done is not floating around aimlessly in your head. A list takes the pressure off of your memory and creates more brain space for more relaxing thoughts and ideas to float about.
• I think that lists are simple, efficient, and get to the point without other words blubbering on and on and getting in the way. (Well, most lists anyway….)
• I probably will continue to write lists as it is just who I am. It’s part of what makes me, me. So, with that, here’s to all the list makers out there that know exactly what I am talking about!