Turning 90 :: My grandma turned 90 last week. My sister and I surprised her with a visit and a perfect little dinner party in her backyard – complete with balloons, party hats, favors, and a pinata. She really loved it. I’m so glad I’ve gotten to see so much of her these past couple years. She is wonderful. The end of life is hard.

My sister wrote this poem for her as a birthday gift. It’s so good. While you may not get every nuance and reference it makes – I do. It encapsulates the culture in my life and family – that precious culture that is passed down through generations and created by those people who care for you deeply, who have always offered consistent love and a familiar place to be.

Fresh, fresh oranges

Mandarin, Naval, and Valencia

Waiting for me in the morning

Sitting juicy in glasses on your counter

Climbing up dusty branches in the sunshine

–

Crafting so many new creations

Lace cookies, crochet, and pillow cases

Watching batter being poured into delicate designs

Tying intricate knots of yarn

Boiling berries and peaches into sweet and sticky jam

–

Seeking strength and adventure

Iowan cornfields, L.A.’s streetcars, and the fifth wheel

Eloping in Vegas?

Wrap around skirts from Thailand

Alaskan teddy bears snuggling me to sleep

–

Finding home

Pajama pants, pink afghans, and cheesy potatoes

Sleeping under homemade quilts and yellow curtains

Recording our visits with snapshots under the orange tree

A place where I could always be

My Zen Monday + Monmouth Salad :: It’s that time of year when there are hours and hours of daylight left in the day once one gets home from work and it feels like so much can be accomplished and/or treasured during these precious hours. These are my favorite days of the year.

Today, I managed to get out of work a little early – the day was unusually slow, not to mention unusually sunny. Here are all the things that happened post work: I dropped off a bag of stuff at goodwill, filed an insurance claim(someone ran into me the other week!), laid in the yard and journaled 4 pages of thoughts and fears, went to yoga, came home and made an amazing salad(recipe below compliments of Monmouth, Oregon’s hippest resident), ate the salad on the porch in the sun while wearing shorts(important details!), talked with my sister, boxed up a pair of shoes that need to be returned via snail mail, and ordered a new phone for $1.00(I basically threw mine on the ground this weekend causing a horrendous shattering). Good thing I was eligible for the $1.00 upgrade!

There is something amazingly amazing and zenish about days that combine salad for dinner, an hour and a half of yoga, sister talk, and one dollar phones.

Grand Monmouth Salad:

• Greens (Monmouth suggests a combo of chopped spinach, arugula, and red cabbage)
• Avocado
• Green Apple
• Raisins (I used the golden kind)
• Toasted Almonds (I used walnuts, because that’s what I had)
• Grilled Chicken (This is optional and not part of Monmouth’s original directions, but as I’ve noted I was having a particularly ambitious evening, plus my diet lacks protein so I added chicken)
• Dressing: Dijon Mustard, Balsamic Vinegar, Olive Oil + A little soy sauce, maple syrup,and chopped garlic (I didn’t quite follow this exactly bc I didn’t have all the ingredients and it still turned out delicious)

Cool Chairs.

Hawaii :: I took my first visit to Hawaii this year – in March. I know, I’m behind. It was pretty great. I’d never had any real desire to go there, but now having been I understand why people like it so much. It’s all things warm, sunny, slow-paced, and beautiful. There’s really no better escape from Seattle in March.

Citizenship :: The status of being a citizen; membership in a community

National Margarita Day :: Yep, that was the holiday that I hope you didn’t fail to celebrate yesterday – February 22nd. One might think you need Facebook(which I haven’t had for a year now!) to learn of such holidays, but that’s not true. My friends are so amazing that they inform me of such awesome things in real life. Have a margarita if you haven’t already!