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december 2015: currently

Posted by Carolyn on December 3, 2015 Leave a Comment

reading A Game of Thrones, finally.

understanding so much more about the characters.

wondering when Patrick Rothfuss will finish his next book.

feeling like a nerd, talking about all this fantasy fiction.

embracing it.

loving the nine hours a week I get to myself when the girls are in school.

listening to the Moldy Peaches’ song “Anyone Else But You” on repeat when the kids are in the car.

getting the Moldy Peaches’ song “Anyone Else But You” stuck in my head.

listening to anything but the Moldy Peaches’ song “Anyone Else But You” whenever I can.

choosing Christmas music as much as I can.

scrapbooking for the first time in six years.

enjoying the process and adventure of doing a December Daily album.

thinking about how I’m spending my days.

photographing all the moments.

thinking about all the stories.

planning for the Goodness Gnomes to show up.

slowing down because it’s Advent.

taking time to look at things on my walks.

preparing for Christmas.

loving my husband and his rockstar surprises.

feeling happy and content and warm.

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Posted in: a little moment, created., currently, gave thanks., holidays, learned., one little word | Tagged: autumn, currently, december, little moment, winter

Thanksgiving in the Mountains

Posted by Carolyn on December 1, 2015 2 Comments
Thanksgiving in the Mountains

First of all, please excuse how quiet andthenthey has been.  I had grand plans to write a few blogs while we were away for Thanksgiving, but I dropped my phone in the toilet right when we got to our house.  It spent the whole weekend in a big bowl of rice, and thankfully has made an almost full recovery.

Anyway, we had a wonderful weekend up at Sunriver for Thanksgiving with my Dad and Step-Mom and her brother and family.  We went up to the mountains on Wednesday, and drove on packed snow from before Willamette Pass all the way to Sunriver.  I’ve never seen that much snow, for so long.  Luckily, we got to do the drive during the day, so it was sunny and clear.

We got to the house in time to play in the snow a little bit before dark.  Alma loved it and would have stayed outside longer, despite her cold, wet fingers and legs.  The promise of the big bathtub was the only thing that could lure her inside.

andthenthey sunriver 01The next morning, Thanksgiving, we went to visit our great friends, the Gosses, in their new home in Bend.  It was another snowy, beautiful drive.  It was fun to finally get to see their house, and to get to see them!

The rest of Thanksgiving was spent playing in the snow, cooking dinner, and eating.  I made the turkey this year, and everyone added something to the table.  It was wonderful.

andthenthey sunriver 02 andthenthey sunriver 03 andthenthey sunriver 04On Friday we braved the below freezing temperatures and went to the High Desert Museum.  I love this place so much.  It holds so many memories of my childhood.  The otters (who weren’t on display), the indoor scenes of the West, the old settler’s cabin and sawmill.  It’s all there, all the same, and all incredible.  I loved sharing it with the girls.  Plus, it was amazingly beautiful in the snow.

Alma took this photo of me and Jesse.

andthenthey sunriver 05 andthenthey sunriver 06 andthenthey sunriver 07 andthenthey sunriver 08We went back to the house to watch the Civil War and learn how to knit. Harriet has such a sweet relationship with my dad.  He’s certainly one of her favorite people.  I’m pretty sure the feeling is mutual.

andthenthey sunriver 09 andthenthey sunriver 10Then, we tried to go to the tree lighting.  It was just too cold, and we left before Santa got there and the lights were turned on.  It was still fun, and Alma got to talk to Rudolph and Frosty.  Here’s my favorite exchange:

Alma:  Rudolph, I saw your friends being mean to you!
Rudolph: *nod*
Alma:  Do they let you play with them now?
Rudolph: *nod*

It was sweet to see her so concerned for Rudolph.  She has a sweet heart in her, that’s for sure.

andthenthey sunriver 11

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Posted in: ate., gave thanks., nature | Tagged: autumn, children, holidays, Oregon, Parenting, snow, sunriver, thanksgiving

NOVEMBER 2015: CURRENTLY

Posted by Carolyn on November 2, 2015 3 Comments

andthenthey currently november 6 andthenthey currently november 5 andthenthey currently november 4 andthenthey currently november 3 andthenthey currently november 2 andthenthey currently november 1reading nothing.  I just finished Moon Over Manifest (for the second time) last night.

looking for a new book to read.

learning about police officers thanks to my great friend Leia and her cop friends.

letting the girls sit on police vehicles.

praying that they will never ever enter a police car ever again.

wishing that all parents could teach their kids that police are helpers, not people to be scared of.

understanding that this isn’t the case for everyone.

subbing the perfect amount.

loving the time I get to spend with middle school kids.  They are the best.

planning lots of fun things for this holiday season.

counting the holiday season as right now.

listening to Christmas music and Sara Barielles on Pandora and Spotify.

giving thanks for everything all month long (#30daysofgratitudeATT)

bottling our new beer tonight.

eating too much candy.

working with artist friends for exciting things later this month.

getting excited about our weekend away in a couple weeks.

preparing for our anniversary party in a few weeks.

vowing to get to writing my vows for our renewal.

publishing this post so I can go write some vows.

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Posted in: currently, learned. | Tagged: autumn, currently, little moment, november, writing

Pumpkin Beer Fest, 2015

Posted by Carolyn on October 26, 2015 4 Comments
Pumpkin Beer Fest, 2015

andthenthey pumpkin beer 1This past weekend, we had six of our very best friends over for a Pumpkin Beer Festival.  We all provided a couple pumpkin beers, and we had a taste test.  Jesse bought a bunch of snacks, the kids were all put to bed, and we all got to tasting.

andthenthey pumpkin beer 2We had a 5 point rating system, but we could award half points if necessary (so really a 10 point rating system, but who’s counting).  As the night wore on, we discussed that it should have been a more specific scale, but it is what it is.  Next year, we’ll adopt the following scoring guide:

5 points:  I would drink more of this RIGHT NOW, and never want to drink anything else.
4 points:  I would totally drink this again and again.
3 points:  I would drink this if someone offered it to me, but probably wouldn’t buy it.
2 points:  Would drink if the only choices were this and Bud.
1 point:  Nope. Not ever again.

But, like I said, we didn’t use this scale, so each of us had our own individual scale, which, I suppose, would still provide accurate results, as long as each of us stuck to our own individual scale.

Here was our process:

  • Pour each person a taste of one beer.
  • Drink taste of beer.
  • Score beer.
  • Average scores.
  • Repeat.

As it turned out, we had two of the first beer we tried, so we went back to it in the end to ensure accuracy (given the fact that beer tasting tends to alter states of being, the more beer is tasted).  This will prove to you the efficacy of our process, given the following results.

andthenthey pumpkin beer 4

  1. The Great Pumpkin by Elysian Brewing. Score: 4.714. This was by far our favorite beer.  Elysian is doing something right with all their pumpkin beers.  They should be, since they make so many of them.  The pumpkin-ness was perfect, and it was easy to drink with smooth flavors and an excellent aftertaste.
  2. Pumpkick by New Belgium. Score: 4.357.  This was the first pumpkin beer that I ever liked.  As a wise beer expert once said, “It tastes like Thanksgiving in a bottle.”  Yes, folks, truer words were never spoken.  I love the hint of cranberry, the undertones of lemongrass.  This is a pumpkin beer for the people.
  3. Pumpkin Patch Ale by Rogue. Score: 4.285714.  The thing I liked most about this beer was the almost champagne-like fizziness.  I also like that it’s from Oregon, making it the first of our local beers to make the list.  Third place isn’t a bad finish for our beer loving state.
  4. Big Black Jack by Oakshire.  Score: 4.0714. The first Eugene beer on the list!  I’ve always loved Oakshire, so I’m happy to see it doing so well on our highly prestigious Pumpkin Beer Fest List.  Jesse describes this beer as “a walk down a dark, shadowy trail in the forest.”  Couldn’t have said it better myself!
  5. Punkin Ale by Dogfishhead. Score: 4.000.  This was one of my favorites.  It was easy to drink, and had a lovely pumpkin-ness.  Jesse didn’t like it at all, but I think it’s because he had just had a handful of sour-cream and onion corn puffs (not well known as being a palate cleanser).  I also really liked the label, but that didn’t factor into my scoring.
  6. America’s Original Pumpkin Ale by Buffalo Bill’s. Score: 3.857142.  This beer claims to be the original pumpkin beer (as seen in the name), and that might be true, but I would bet that some home-brewers tried it first.  This was certainly the most pumpkin-pie tasting beer of the bunch.  The pumpkin was very strong, but not unpleasant.
  7. Squash Buckler by Fort George Brewery. Score: 3.5714. This was our first beer, when our palates were clean, our blood was pure, our anticipation high.  It was good, but not amazing.  This beer didn’t taste like pumpkin at all, oddly.
  8. Squash Buckler by Fort George Brewery. Score: 3.07142515. This was our last beer, when our palates were buzzing, our blood was pumping, our anticipation satiated.  It was still good, but still not amazing.  But, our rating system was proved successful to within a half a point.
  9. Pumpkinhead by Shipyard. Score: 2.500. Neither Jesse, nor I, can remember anything specific about this beer, so that’s a pretty good description for why it’s scored to low.02
  10. Imperial Pumpkin Sleigh’r by Ninkasi Brewing. Score: 1.280. A disappointing finish for another Eugene beer.  This was the worst beer by a landslide.  Just look at that score.  More than a whole point lower than the number nine beer.  It didn’t taste good, and we were a bit offended by the feeling that it was a bit of a cop-out.  You can’t just add pumpkin to your winter seasonal and expect people to be amazed.

There you have it, folks.  What do you think of our rankings?  If you hold your own Pumpkin Beer Fest, let me know how your ranking shape up!

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Posted in: ate., beer | Tagged: autumn, beer, beer tasting, friends, pumpkin beer, pumpkin beer fest

My Favorite Autumn Songs

Posted by Carolyn on October 7, 2015 2 Comments

Music is important.  It is the food of love, the breath of life, everything.

When I sit down to write, I do one of two things:  Turn on Pandora and listen to the Nickel Creek/ Sara Bareilles station, or open YouTube and go to Megan’s version of “Manhattan.”  The second option is sort of difficult, because I have to pay attention to go back to the YouTube tab and go back to the beginning before Megan says, “Hi everyone!  Thank you so much for tuning in and watching that…” but I can make it work.

I have already written about this song, but it has certainly turned into my Autumn Theme Song 2015.  It’s just so beautiful.  Here it is again:

Thinking about how this song has become a theme song made me think back to Autumns past.

Last year I was all about Peter Mulvey and Vlad.  This video always gets me.  I first listened to it in my car, last October.  I clearly remember driving around Eugene, looking at the beautiful changing leaves.  I felt the beauty of our Earth very clearly in that moment.   The way that Vlad explains our culture so simply makes my heart ache.  Autumn is such a good time to hear this message of mortality, and connections, and love.

Please watch:

A few years ago, I was taking a class from Kal about being bulletproof and creative.  It was the same time I was teaching art in a middle school.  This song came into my life and the power of the music and lyrics (from a poem by James Baldwin) moved me.

I don’t know, sister,
what I’m saying,
nor do no man,
if he don’t be praying.
I know that love’s the only answer
and the tight-rope lover
the only dancer.

When the lover come off the rope today,
the net which holds him is how we pray,
and not to God’s unknown,
but to each other–:
the falling mortal is our brother!

If I ever have a song stuck in my head, I use this song to get it out.  I just sing it to myself until it’s in my head.  It’s just such a beautiful piece.

Here you go:

The last song I’ll share here is one of my all time favorite Autumn songs.  It just feels like Autumn.  The mandolin, the imagery, Laura’s rich voice.  It doesn’t feel like Autumn has really arrived until I’ve listened to Laura Kemp sing “Hannah Branch.”

“This is the time the apples lie rotten on the ground, this is the time the supper sees the sun start goin’ down.”

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Posted in: gave thanks., story telling | Tagged: art, autumn, create, music, Oregon

Playgroup Pumpkins

Posted by Carolyn on October 5, 2015 6 Comments

Our Fourth Annual Pumpkin Patch Playgroup.  I could write a lot about this, but I’d basically just say the same thing I’ve said before (here, and here, and here, and here, and here, and here).  I won’t put you, the reader, through that again.  I’ll just say that I love raising my kids with these people.

Before I post the photos from this year, let’s take a little trip down memory lane, shall we?

2012:  So many Ergos, so few people.  This was one of our first organized outings.  We have grown in families and children.  Most kids weren’t walking yet.  Leia and I were almost pregnant, but this was it!  Seven kids in this photo!

andthenthey pumpkin 2012 2013:  Quite a bit bigger.  A few pregnant moms, two new babies, eleven kids.  andthenthey pumpkin 20132014:  Even more!  More families, more babies, more pregnant moms!  Just more! Fifteen kids (I think!) andthenthey pumpkin 20142015:  Wow!  So many kids!  So many people!  No pregnant women (as far as I know!) Nineteen kids! andthenthey pumpkin playgroup2Today was one for the books.  We were planning on going to our usual, traditional farm.  Someone (Jane I think) checked their website and saw that they didn’t open until noon.  We were all on Facebook discussing what to do.  My family was already in the car, ready to go, so I suggested a change of venue (after changes of time and other ideas had been thrown out there).  Everyone agreed and spread the word.  It might not sound impressive, but it was quite amazing to watch 10 moms discuss and agree and mobilize all within about three minutes.  I told you this playgroup was special.  I love these people.

andthenthey pumpkin playgroup1 andthenthey pumpkin playgroup3 andthenthey pumpkin playgroup6 andthenthey pumpkin playgroup5 andthenthey pumpkin playgroup4 andthenthey pumpkin playgroup7 andthenthey pumpkin playgroup8 andthenthey pumpkin playgroup9 andthenthey pumpkin playgroup9a andthenthey pumpkin playgroup9bHayride, pumpkin picking, corn mazing, fun, fun, fun.  It was an oddly beautiful day.  I love these sunny, crisp days, but I have to admit, I’m getting anxious for the rain to come (and stay for a while).  Call me crazy!

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Posted in: a little moment, gave thanks., gratitude, holidays, parented., playgroup, story telling, STRONG | Tagged: autumn, children, gratitude, kids, Oregon, Parenting, photography, playgroup, pumpkin patch

I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers

Posted by Carolyn on October 2, 2015 Leave a Comment

I can’t write this post without writing about Roseburg.  It is my husband’s town, where my in-laws live.  My sister-in-law is from there.  Some of our best friends.  It is heartbreaking to have this happen there.  It’s hard for me because this is the second big shooting that has happened close to me, and has affected people I know and love.  Events like this always take me right back to high school chemistry class and the grief I felt when a high school in our community experienced a devastating shooting.  The words that my teacher, Sharon Rodgers, spoke always come back to me in the aftermath of these horrific shootings-

I am only one, but I am one.

I cannot do everything, but I can do something.

What I can do, I ought to do.

What I ought to do, by God’s grace, I WILL.

andthenthey apples01Yesterday began beautifully.  We went out to have an Autumn adventure with my parents.  It was a beautiful day out in the country.

Whenever we go out to the farm, we drive though a little town called Coburg.  Whenever we drive through Coburg, Alma says she doesn’t like it.

“Are we in Eugene?” Alma asks.

“Nope, we’re in Coburg.”  I say.

“I don’t like Coburg! I want to go back to Eugene!”

“Well, we’re still in Oregon.”

“Good.”

That girl.  Every single time.  She really doesn’t like it. She says she doesn’t like the buildings, the plants, or the trees.  It’s too small.  I always tell her that I love Coburg.  That I had good friends there, and I had sleepovers there.  It concerns her that I have such a history with Coburg.

When we cross the bridge back into Eugene, she says, “We’re in Eugene!”  She pays attention the whole time, just waiting to get back to Eugene. andthenthey apples03andthenthey apples02 andthenthey apples04 andthenthey apples05

andthenthey apples06 andthenthey apples07 andthenthey apples08 andthenthey apples09 andthenthey apples10 andthenthey apples11 andthenthey apples12 andthenthey apples13

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Posted in: a little moment, gave thanks., learned., nature, parented. | Tagged: apples, autumn, roseburg

October 2015: Currently

Posted by Carolyn on October 1, 2015 Leave a Comment

reading Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe for book club this weekend.  It’s funny, but I’m having a hard time figuring out if there’s a point to it.

walking all over while the girls are in school.

enjoying that I’ve had a couple weeks without work, while the girls are in school.

smiling at every single tree that is changing color.

kicking piles of leaves on sidewalks.  Not the ones that are raked and intentional, that would be mean.

feeling the excitement and goodness that comes to the U of O campus along with the throngs of backpacked students.

eating lots of healthy veggies and too many cashews.

saying no to unhealthy food and not regretting these decisions.

getting a clean bill of dental health from my dentist.

saying I will definitely floss.

knowing I probably won’t.

watching the third season of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.

preparing (mostly mentally) for my first sub job of the year next week.

trying to remember all my tricks and strategies for 6th graders.

planning an anniversary trip and party in the next couple months.

realizing I need to going on those plans!

loving the sorter days, longer shadows, changing leaves, and chilly air.

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Posted in: a little moment, currently, gave thanks., learned. | Tagged: a little moment, autumn, currently, october

30 Days Hath September – Whole30 Reflections

Posted by Carolyn on September 30, 2015 1 Comment

So, it’s September 30th.  this means a lot of things.

October is tomorrow, and Autumn is really, truly here.  I can really see this on my walks.  The trees are beautiful.  There’s a chill in the air.  The students are back on campus.  I’m drinking hot tea instead of iced.

It also means we’ve technically made it to the end of our first Whole30.  I say technically, because it has now been 30 days.  But, really, it’s just the beginning (and not really an ending).  It was a great experience, and we learned a lot about food, nutrition, our bodies, and what we’re capable of.  I lost six pounds in the 3 1/2 weeks, Jesse lost 14).

This past weekend, we had a couple birthday parties to attend, so we decided to relax the rules since we were almost done.  I ended up having a tiny portion of Yumm (locals will know that this means beans, brown rice, veggies and Yumm sauce).  I instantly – I mean instantly – got a stomach ache and it became a gut bomb for the rest of the day.  I was bloated and uncomfortable.  Jesse got instant heartburn.  Now, I always feel like Yumm is a healthy option, and I still think that it is (way better than fried foods, greasy meat, etc), so this surprised me.  I realized that ‘healthy’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘good for you.’  I’m not sure what it was that wasn’t good for me, but with the bloating and discomfort, I’m going to guess it was the beans.  Suffice it to say, after a day of discomfort, I went back to the Whole30 way of eating for the rest of the weekend.

On Monday I wanted to try something else, so I got one of my favorite pumpkin muffins from a local bakery.  I figured I had done really well, and deserved a treat on my walk.  I bought it, started eating it, anticipating it to be the best thing I had ever eaten.  I ate about half of the muffin, and was full and done.  I didn’t feel gross like on Saturday, but I just realized it wasn’t worth it, so I didn’t finish it.  I didn’t get any headaches or pains, so I’m going to assume that grains are okay for me to eat.

Since then, I’ve been back on the Whole30 plan.  From here on out, I’m going to stick to it, but not strictly.  I mean, if there’s something that looks good, and isn’t too unhealthy, I’ll have some of it.  During this past month, I’ve learned ways to snack healthier, choosing an apple or a few banana chips.  I’ve learned that I don’t need as much food as I previously thought.  I feel like I’ve slayed my sugar-beast.  At the parties this weekend, I could have had cupcakes, but didn’t, and truthfully, I didn’t really miss them.

I know that the Whole30 plan is crazy restrictive and overwhelming.  I get it.  There were days that were really difficult.  There were things I really wanted to eat.  But, I kept going.  It’s easier than counting calories or points.  It isn’t just some fad diet that has crazy things like tons of grapefruits or cabbage soup.  It really felt like everything I put in my body had a purpose and was making me feel healthier and more energetic.  I learned that a microwaved apple with cinnamon and nutmeg is a wonderful dessert, but that I didn’t always even need to have dessert.  I learned that if I was feeling a slump, some tea or a handful of cashews would do the trick.

Most of all, I learned that I’m strong.  My will is strong.  My body is strong.  Today, on my walk, I walked through a beautiful oak grove and couldn’t help taking a selfie.  When I looked at the photo on my phone, I thought I looked great.  My hair is just in a braid, and I’m not wearing makeup, but I still thought I looked great.  I know it’s only six pounds, but I feel like my face looks thinner.  And my skin is clearer, my hair is shinier, my eyes are brighter.  Usually, I’ll take 100 selfies and kind of like one of them.  Today I took about 20, and liked 10 of them.  I know it sounds silly, but to me, that is strength.

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Posted in: 35 Until 35, ate., gave thanks., STRONG | Tagged: autumn, food, gratitude, one little word, strong, whole30

Autumn Decor, 2015

Posted by Carolyn on September 25, 2015 1 Comment

Today was the day.  While the kids were at school, I came home to clean the living room and decorate for Autumn.  How pleasant this task was without little feet underfoot.  Plus, I get the added bonus of surprising them with all the new Autumn decor when they come home!andthenthey autumn decor1This year the mantel is a little more Halloween-y than in the past.  I put our vintage Halloween postcards right in the center, and added some more spooky things.  I love this sphere my grandpa made out of obsidian that looks like a magical eyeball crystal ball or something.  It’s even spookier with my ghostly reflection in this photo… andthenthey autumn decor2 andthenthey autumn decor3I can’t remember if I ever shared a photo of the fireplace all painted.  I ended up painting the inside a charcoal color, and the outside just a plain white, whatever we had in the shed.  I love how it brightens up the room. andthenthey autumn decor4This next decoration cracks me up.  I think my mother-in-law gave this to the girls last Autumn, but I couldn’t find the dowel for hanging it.  It probably became a sword or a wand and had to be taken away.  Anyway, the girls have been playing with this branch and I thought it would a perfectly spooky flagpole.  I doubt it will last long, but it’s funny for now.  Just watch out as you walk into our garage… andthenthey autumn decor5  Here’s our front porch decorations.  The broom is actually my mother-in-law’s; she won it in a raffle and I picked it up for her.  I’m sure she’ll agree that it looks really good on our porch, right?!?  We’ve been collecting the mini pumpkins each time we go out to the farm.   andthenthey autumn decor9andthenthey autumn decor6I’ve also meant to post about our new bench!  Jesse built it and I stained it!  Isn’t it amazing?  We used reclaimed lumber from my dad’s old deck.  I love the nicks and dings and nail holes. andthenthey autumn decor7 I’m so proud of Jesse, following in his woodworking grandfather’s footsteps.  We bought a Kreg Jig for this project and it made the whole thing so easy and perfect.  Now Jesse is inspired and motivated to make all sorts of things.  I love that this is a new hobby for him because he’s really good at it, and I get awesome things out of it!  andthenthey autumn decor8And of course, I needed to get the fairies some new Autumn decor.

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Posted in: created., decorating, DIY, holidays | Tagged: autumn, autumn mantel, creating, decor, decorating, DIY, mantel
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If God said, ‘Rumi pay homage to everything that has helped you enter my arms,’ there would not be one experience of my life, not one thought, not one feeling, nor any act, I would not bow to. -Rumi

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