It's A Country Bug's Life

One of the biggest differences between my life in Connecticut and my life here in Oregon is the amount of bugs. They are everywhere... seriously everywhere.... in the country. 
I have decided that Pixar should do a sequel to A Bug's Life and cover the variety of bugs I encounter in the country.

There would be "Dusty" the Squash Bug who is in a gang called the Greasers. I think he would be the main character.
Growing up, I called this little brown, flying insect a dust bug. It makes a mildly gross smell when you smash them and they sort of "pop" when you do. I have recently heard it referred to as a grease bug however when I looked it up on google it looks like it may be known as a squash bug.
These bugs are freaking everywhere! On the toilet paper, on the toilet, in the toilet. Okay, maybe they like bathrooms. I remember when I was young they hung out on windowsills, maybe that the old generation.

Next would be "Herbie" the stinkbug. I see him being Dusty's unlikely best friend. They are technically called a darkling beetle but because they emit a nasty smell as a defense mechanism they are known locally as stinkbugs.  I was fascinated by these bugs when I was young because if they feel threatened, they lower their head, stuck their butt up in the air and let out their smell. I still find it interesting, but there have been so many of them that they are just irritating. They like to get into the garage. Then when I go to get into my car and I'm not looking down, I hear the familiar "crunch" followed by the smell, as I step on one. Gross. Before I pull my car into the garage, I open the door to see them waiting for me. I get out, grab the broom and play stinkbug hockey!

The supporting cast would include a fly, a spider and an ant. The comedic scene stealer would be Will "Evil Knievel" the weevil. He would be a little geeky and love finding his way into non-perishable foods. In Eastern Oregon, finding weevils in your stored dry foods like flour, corn bread mix, and cereal is par for the coarse.

And finally there would be the bad guy, Earl the earwig. These insects are the only one that get to me when I think about them. As a young kid I was told they like to crawl into the ear and pinch. Talk about a traumatic idea! If you've ever seen one, you know how creepy they are. They can do this impressive yoga move where they curl their pincher up over their head. The slither along quickly on their tiny little legs and are little buggers to catch.

So there you go Pixar. I will leave the plot line up to you!

The Nose Knows

The smell of chili simmering in the crock-pot is filling the house today. As I lay on the couch watching old episodes of Gilmore Girls and smelling the chili, I was back in Connecticut. Funny how a single smell can trick your mind into thinking you are somewhere else. I close my eyes and I am back in my little condo, the crisp New England air on my skin and the sound of neighborhood kids playing outside filtering through the screen door.

There's a line in a Trisha Yearwood song that goes "and even if the whole world has forgotten, the song remembers when."Well I say the song may remember when but it's the smell that takes me back.

My aunt is visiting this weekend, my dad's sister; I always enjoy when she visits. I like to get her and my dad talking about their youth and what life was like for them on the farm back in the 40s and 50s. Yesterday my aunt was talking about the smells of her childhood. She was remembering a trip to visit her grandparents in Portland; how everything there smelled damp and moldy, so much different from the dry, sweet smell of our farm.

I know whenever something has a musty, earthy smell it reminds me of the farm and our barn. In turn the smell brings back the memories of 4H and horseback riding. The leather saddle, the hay and oats all come back to me. So many smells.

What smells take you to another place?

Old School Blog

Today is the final day of the blog challenge. The topic is:
Link up a post you wrote on this day (September 28th) from a previous year. If you didn’t publish something on the 28th, link up a post from that week.

However, since I just started blogging a few months ago, I do not have any older posts to link up to. What I do have are my journals from my younger days. You know, the old fashioned blog except you didn't put it out there for everyone to read. I have pulled my old journals out and found an entry from my youth that was written in the fall.


 I have left out the names of my classmates.

------
October 28, 1988 
(my freshman year of high school)
Homecoming last night was okay. It could have been much, much better. Such as if boy-one would have asked me instead of girl-one. I can't believe she actually asked him if he was going to pay before she gave her answer. I cried all night practically. I did dance "Shook Me All Night Long" with him but it was nothing major. I watched him dance a slow dance with girl-one. I would have traded her places. He held her sooo close. As I danced I imagined it was with him.

Boy-two asked me to dance about five slow dances. I got so sick of it. I began dreading slow songs. When I saw him coming, I wanted to get lost. I don't have anything against him but, well you know.

I was happy to see boy-one follow girl-one everywhere. She ignored him too. She said something like she's only danced with boy-one. I watched her dance with as many boys as she could. Boy-one can dance with me as much as he wants.
------

I had forgotten all of the ups and downs of my teenage years. Luckily I immortalized them in my journals. Perhaps I will draw from them for future blog posts.

My Fave Chili Recipe

Continuing on with my blog challenge, today's topic is:
Share either your favorite fall craft or autumn recipe. Or share what you’re eying on Pinterest.

 I love, love, love cookbooks. Mostly for the amazing pictures of food. The cook books that I look at over and over again are the ones with pictures for every recipe. One of my most used cookbooks is Betty Crock Cooking Basics.

This Chili recipe is one that I make over and over again, nearly year-round. Before I moved back to Oregon, I kept my cabinets stocked with the basics for this recipe because it was easy to make and easy to remember how to make without pulling out my recipe book. It is also the only recipe that I have ever just sort of "winged" and not followed to the letter each time.

Chili
Makes 4 servings • Cook: 1 hour 20 minutes
(I put it in the crock pot on high for 4-6 hours)

INGREDIENTS
Essential Equipment: 3-quart saucepan or 12-inch skillet with high side.

1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons fresh chopped or 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper sauce
1 can (16 ounces) whole tomatoes, undrained
1can (15 to 16 ounces) red kidney beans, undrained

Heidi's modifications:
• I put in extra beans. I usually do 1 can of red kidney, 1 can of black beans and 1 can an additional bean of my choice. I drain the black beans only.
• For the canned tomatoes, I usually go with a diced type with some sort of flavoring like a Basil, Garlic and Oregano to add some different flavors to the Chili.
• I tend to skip the cloves of garlic and just toss in some Garlic Garlic (Tastefully Simple®) or just plain Garlic Salt.
• I usually skip the pepper sauce and put in red pepper flakes.
• If I have left over spaghetti sauce hanging out in the fridge, I toss it in.

DIRECTIONS
1. Peel and chop the onion. Peel and crush the garlic.
2. Cook the beef, onion and garlic in the saucepan over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain.
3. Stir in the chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper sauce and tomatoes with their liquid, breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon or fork.
4. Heat the mixture to boiling over high heat. Once mixture is boiling, reduce heat just enough so mixture bubbles gently. Cover and cook 1 hour, stirring occasionally. (or toss everything into a crock pot, set to high, cover and cook for 4-6 hours; skip step 5)
5. Stir in the beans with their liquid. Heat to boiling over high heat. Once mixture is boiling, reduce heat just enough so mixture bubbles gently. Cook uncovered about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until desired thickness.

1 SERVING: Calories 350 (Calories from Fat 155); Fat 17g (Saturated 7g); Cholesterol 65mg; Sodium 90mg; Carbohydrate 27g (Dietary Fiber 7g); Protein 29g


What is your favorite fall dish?

Quintessential Autumn

Today's blog topic:
Share one of your favorite fall memories with us, or something you look forward to each fall.

Boothe Park, Stratford, CT ©Heidi Nelson

 If you search Google Images for "autumn in New England" you return dozens of breath-taking photos filled with fiery hues. Picturesque foliage, ablaze with color.

Before I moved to the East Coast those were images of a mythical season. A season found only in books and movies. I had experienced fall, but it was nothing like that. Not where I lived anyway.
 A season couldn't be as glorious as the pictures depict, could it?


Let me tell you, it is all of that and so much more! It is not fall.... it is Autumn. And it does not last long. 

Image from www.ThisIsCT.net Photo Gallery

Autumn in Connecticut is this brief period between the humidity of summer and the cold Nor'easter of winter. The sky is a bright, cloudless, clear blue. Everything feels scrubbed clean; fresh and new. The leaves of the trees turn to brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow; their last hurrah before winter.
Outside, the air is seasoned with the smell of wood burning stoves and the aroma of pumpkin, cinnamon and apples drift out of the local shops. Driving through town you spot porches neatly dressed with hearty mums, corn stalks and pumpkins and hear the crunch of fallen leaves beneath pedestrian's feet.

Autumn is what I love most about Connecticut. As I drove to work each morning I would smile to myself, spotting the first batch of leaves that were starting to turn. The full force and color of fall lasts 2-3 weeks at best. But for that short time, you feel as if you are living inside a folk art picture.

Be sure to read all of the great blog posts that others wrote on this topic.

Fall in Eastern Oregon

Today's topic for the blog challenge is: Show us a picture of what fall looks like in your neck of the woods. Or show us a picture that means “fall” to you.

Here in Eastern Oregon, the colors don't really change. There are few trees and a lot of farm ground that is either yellow with stubble from harvest or brown from being plowed and seeded for the next growing season.

The first thing that comes to mind for me is the tractors in the field, pulling the seed drills. However I did not get out to grab a photo of that.

The other topic that means fall to me is hunting season. Deer come past our house a few times a month for a drink of water and a snack in the milk weed. I snapped this photo of a couple bucks just outside the house a few weeks ago.

The picture gives you some idea of how little color there is other than brown, yellow and a little bit of green.

I miss the brilliant, rich colors of a New England fall.



The other images that come to mind for fall in my small town are the fall sports- volleyball and football. Sports are the social center around here. And the school is so small, you don't have to try out for the team; you show up, you're in.

So that is fall in Eastern Oregon, as I see. How about you, fellow Eastern Oregonians? What images come to mind?

Standing On the Corner of Success and Failure

My blog challenge topic for today is to write about my best school memory. When I first saw this topic I knew exactly what I was going to write about- my favorite teacher. Then as I sat down to write the post, I paused and started thinking about so many other school memories. I pulled out my photo album, took a walk down memory lane and made a list of new topic ideas. I put them aside and decided to sleep on it, hoping that I would wake up with the perfect blog post.

However what came to me as I started to write was actually my worst school memory, but it is the one that changed my life forever.

It was the end of the spring quarter of my junior year of college. I was feeling burned out on school and was struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel. My drive and motivation were gone and my grades reflected that fact. And I received the dreaded letter from the school notifying me that I was on academic probation.

I, of course, had to inform my parents. I told them I was burned out; that I needed a break. They disagreed. It was “spring fever,” I would have the summer and then go back and be motivated, they were certain.

The summer of 1995 was memorable; one of my favorites actually. I fell in love for the first time that summer. Unfortunately, it ended with my heart broken.

Starting the first quarter of my senior year with a broken heart and still feeling burned out was a real challenge. I pushed myself to go to classes, worked at staying focused and struggled to complete my projects. I thought I had made it through but it wasn’t enough. At the end of fall quarter I received a letter that I had flunked out. I was devastated; I had truly done all I could.

I still remember having to make that phone call to my parents. I called my mom at work and asked her not to call dad yet; I couldn’t face telling him I had flunked out. After I talked to mom I went for a walk to figure out what I was supposed to do next. The world was spinning around me, closing in fast.

When I returned, my roommate told me that my dad called. Mom had called him with the news. I felt sick. What would he say? He must be so mad. I really let them down.

Imagine my surprise when they apologized to me.

They told me I had tried to tell them that I needed a break and they didn’t agree. To this day that conversation still surprises me. My mom reminded me of my interest in being a nanny back East; a dream that I put on hold because my parents wanted me to go right off to college. From that moment forward, my life changed.

I took at job with a wonderful family in Connecticut as a nanny for a year. My parents were worried I wouldn’t finish college but I knew I would. I completed my amazing year on the East Coast and went right back to school and finished my degree in Communications/Journalism. However I had fallen in love with Connecticut in that year. Three days after I graduated from college, I was driving back East to find a job. Within three months I got a job with a small publishing company and I still work for them today.

Let's Do The Time Warp...Again

Senior year photo in the yearbook

Since I moved back, I have had many time warp moments; it's as if everyone is frozen in time in my memory. I have actually been standing in front of someone from high school and not realized who it was until they spoke to me. In my mind, they are the age at which I last saw them.... not the adult I am looking at.

I have recently taken over as score keeper for our high school volleyball team, a job I did through junior high and high school. Sitting back up at the score table, I feel as if time has stood still. All of the faces have changed, and I am older (and wiser), yet I feel as if I am back in high school.

1992 Never Had It So Good

I see my classmates in the faces of the current high school students. As I sit at the scoring table and glance quickly around the gymnasium, my brain plays tricks. I am back in high school. The teenage doubts creep back in, the confidence slips a little, that awkward feeling comes over me. And then I remember that was 20 years ago. Thankfully!

What about you? What takes you back to your teenage years?

What Time Zone Am I In??

After some time away from my blog I was thinking today about how my life now compares to the life I left behind in Connecticut and thought I would share.

A typical day in CT went something like this-
Up around 7 or 7:30 a.m. to get ready for work, head out the door about 8 or 8:30 a.m. to arrive to work between 9 and 9:30 a.m. A quick morning staff huddle at 9:40 a.m. then grab something for breakfast at 10 a.m. and start in on whatever work is needed that day. Some days it's more meetings; some days it was a consistent parade of people in and out of my office for various reasons. Around 1 or 1:30 p.m. I would take a lunch break; sometimes it was a quick 15-30 minutes. I tried hard to take the full hour as often as I could.
In the afternoon things were usually a bit calmer. Between 4 and 4:30 p.m. things would pick up again as staff members were working on wrapping up their day and head home. Around 5 p.m. I processed all of the project folders that had come in during the day and generated the following day's project  schedule for the staff. Sometimes I would get the most done between 4:30 and 6 p.m. simply because nearly everyone had left for the day. I would work until 6 or 6:30/7 p.m.
Depending on the time of year, I would sometimes have a meeting at 7 or 7:30 p.m. to get back to Stratford for, getting me home between 8 and 9 p.m. Other nights I would head straight to the gym after work and workout till 8 or 8:30 p.m. Once home I would have a bite to eat, relax with some television then head to bed and get up the next day and do it all over.

In comparison, my day is much calmer these days. However, switching between the East Coast and West Coast time zones get me confused.

This heard of deer passed by while I was skyping into
my morning huddle. I mentioned it to my co-workers and
they asked for pictures so I snapped a few and emailed
them over to everyone.

My day now goes like this-
Alarm goes off at 5:05 a.m., hit snooze till about 5:32 a.m., roll out of bed and get ready for work; grab my laptop, turn on my wifi hotspot and step out the door to the detached garage where my office is located. Once I step into the office, I enter the East Coast time zone and am up and working  by 9 a.m. (6 a.m. Pacific). I am still part of the staff meeting at 9:40 a.m. via skype and join various meetings that way as needed. I check on my social media channels for one of our clients and line up posts that are scheduled to go out throughout the day. I pop back into the house around 10:30 or 11 a.m., reentering the Pacific time zone and getting breakfast. Back into my office and the Eastern time zone to  continue working without much interruption (or face-to-face interaction) till around 3 p.m. (noon Pacific). I stop for lunch, nearly always taking the full hour  and then back to work around 4 p.m. (1 p.m. Pacific). It is around this time that I get the most confused about the local time. The clock on my computer is set to the Eastern time zone so I keep thinking that it IS 4 p.m. and have to remind myself that it really isn't.
I end my work day at 5:30/5:45 p.m. and re-enter my Pacific time zone life at 2:30/2:45 p.m. I have to either pick my niece up at school at 3:30 p.m. or meet her bus at 4 p.m.; this is the reason I panic at 1 p.m. (4 p.m. EST). Can you start to see my time confusion?
My afternoon sometimes includes a nap before "niece duty" which helps keep me going for the rest of the day if there is a sporting event or social event in town. I have dinner around 6 p.m. then have a lot of down time which I fill with various things and some television before getting to bed and doing it all over the next day.

I enjoyed my schedule when I was in Connecticut, I enjoy keeping busy. However I am liking my bizarre East/West schedule too; it's the best of both worlds with less stress.

What is the reward for hard work?

While out for dinner last night my sister and I were having a conversation with TP, another Ionian. We initially started talking about how hard the local farmers push themselves and their crew during harvest, sometimes not even stopping for lunch. That led to TP telling us how her grandson thought that coming and working at her house would be better and possibly easier than going out in the field. She had him working just as hard at her house in the heat, not the cushy easy day he likely imagined. 

The conversation made me remember one I had with a co-worker before I left Connecticut about the work ethic I learned at a young age as the daughter of a farmer.  

I've been working for my current employer since 1998 and most days I worked an extra half hour or hour or longer. For the first five years I wondered what I was doing wrong. Why could everyone walk out the door on time, every day, and I always felt like there was more I needed to get done? Once I started to move up the ladder, I stopped wondering what I was doing wrong and decided I must be doing something right.

I was in my office working late again one evening back in March and a co-worker, who has the same working late tendencies, asked me how I could still be putting in just as much effort now as I did 14 years ago. How could I continue that level of effort without getting a reward or recognition? Honestly, I had never given it any thought until he asked.

My answer was simple, I was raised with the understanding that a hard day's work was it's own reward. I was raised with the work ethic of a farmer.

My co-worker informed me that was a crazy notion. I suppose to a lot of people, that would sound crazy. Perhaps even more so to my niece's generation. However when you look at the example I grew up with, it's really not so crazy.

A farmer doesn't punch a clock. If they do not show up to do the work, then they have nothing to show for it in the end. If the seed does not get into the ground during the right window of time then it will directly effect the success of their harvest and, therefore, their financial bottom line.

No one tells a farmer how hard to work, what time to start or what time to stop. They don't work until they are tired, they work until it's done. A work ethic that has earned me the trust of my employer which granted me the ability to work for my Connecticut-based company from the family farm here in Oregon.

Drop by anytime?

Do you ever just drop by someone's house without calling or texting ahead of time? If you answered yes, you may live in a small town.

My entire life (the years before I moved to the East Coast), people would often stop by our house, unannounced. We lived on one of the main roads used to go from Ione to many of the larger cities, so we were on their way. In the days before the cell phone, it made sense.

When I moved east, I didn't know anyone really, and it took about five years before I had established some strong friendships. Once I did, it didn't really cross my mind that people in the city may not do the casual "drop by."

I only made the mistake once.

I had an extra ticket for a fundraiser gala. I had been dating someone that I intended to bring but realized I couldn't "fake it" with the guy until the event just so I would have a date. I was out one day and saw that a friend's car was in his driveway. I decided to stop and invite him to join me and our other friends at the event. Admittedly I had a crush on him.

When he answered the door, I instantly realized that people don't just "drop by" back east. He looked confused and a bit irritated. I was flustered and regretted even stopping. I don't think I actually ended up inviting him, or if I did he said no.

In the two and a half months that I have been back in my little rural area, I have already experienced about five various "drop bys."  Even in these days where nearly everyone has a cell phone, the casual "drop by" lives on. I am pleasantly surprised each time it happens. It makes me think of that day back in Connecticut, and I smile.

Small-town Fourth of July

Every town has their own way of celebrating Independence Day. In the years that I spent in Connecticut, I had some nice Fourths, mostly the day was celebrated with a barbecue with friends. Never once did I go down to Short Beach in Stratford, CT to watch the fireworks. And if there was a big, town-wide celebration, I wasn't aware of it; not to mention I probably wouldn't go because of the crowds it would likely draw. I think that is why I am rather partial to my small-town celebration. 


The first events happen a few days before the Fourth, though the early events are probably not technically part of the celebration. The afternoon of  Friday, June 29 the local bank put on a customer appreciation BBQ that was free, while the high school volleyball team had a car wash at the same time. Then that evening the Legion Hall hosted a Pulled Pork dinner (by donation) followed by a Texas Hold 'Em Poker and Cribbage Tournament. Then the events stop until a golf tournament on Tuesday, July 3rd with the local Talent Show that same evening.

The big day is obviously on the 4th of July. The day starts off at 7 a.m. with a 5k run/walk fundraiser. Also starting at 7 a.m. is the Fireman's Breakfast. We have a fantastic Volunteer Fire Department and they cook up eggs, ham and pancakes for donations outside of the firehouse with seating inside the station.
At 9 a.m. the Topic Club's Book Sale opened along with the small Craft Fair down at the Legion Hall.

In the park across from the Fire Hall, the annual Blues Cruise Car Show kicked off at 10 a.m., while they set up for the kids Fish Pond at the Fire Hall. The bulk of the day's events take place in the park, on main street and in front of the fire hall. The fish pond line starts for form around 10:30 a.m., it is free for the kids and after they "fish" their prize out they enter a free drawing for a bike. There were eight bikes, each ranging in size for age. 


The Pie Sale started at 11 a.m., in the kitchen area of the fire hall. The pies/cakes are made by the Catholic Church's Altar Society and sell for $2.50. There was a huge variety from carrot cake to cheesecake and Marionberry (a variety of blackberry that is native to Oregon) pie and much, much more. 
The food vendors are also set up around 11 a.m. The Mexican food booth was highly anticipated and is run by a family in town. When I was visiting with some ladies at the fireman's breakfast they were already looking forward to that specific food booth. At 12:30 p.m. the names for the bike raffle were drawn and those riding in the parade reported to their floats to begin lining up while the crowd gathered along main street.


The parade started at 1 p.m. running down Main Street with the announcer stand in front of the Fire Hall. Leading the parade were the US and Oregon flags. They were presented while our own K.G. did an amazing job singing The Star Spangled Banner, a Capella. 

At the front of the parade rode the Grand Marshals, our own high school volleyball team who were the State 1A Champions with a record 0-32 season. My sister happens to be the assistant coach. The rest of the parade was comprised of towing trucks from the local towing company, local political candidates, Morrow County Fair representatives, Little League All Star team, some of the classic cars from the car show, some farm equipment and then bringing up the rear was the fleet of fire trucks and ending with one of the county sheriff's. Nearly all of the floats tossed out candy for the kids.


Following the parade are some activities in the park including a dunk tank, a frog jumping contest and a free craft area for kids. The afternoon is filled with music from various Blues bands, briefly interrupted for a few live auction items at 7 p.m., and the entire day ends with an impressive fireworks display.


Looking at the list of activities, it is a busy day. 
So what do you think? How did my small-town Fourth of July compare with the celebration in your town?

There is no Better Friend than a Sister

Taken Summer,  2008

Today just happens to be my sister's birthday. I won't say how old she is but I will mention that she is only 2 years and 5 months older than me.

Living on a farm, outside of a small town, we kept each other entertained. A rousing game of "hot dog" where one of us would lay between one red bean bag and one yellow bean bag while the other sat on top is a game I remember fondly.

Another favorite was when I was her rag doll– I think that was the game. We would stand back to back and hook our arms together and then walk around. I would go wherever she walked. I can still hear us giggling.

Being the younger sister, I, of course, did my part to irritate her. I desperately wanted to be her twin sister. Our mother is a twin and I wanted to be one too. During one of our many family vacations to Wallowa Lake a little boy asked us if we were twins. I was thrilled that he thought we could be, but then crushed the very next moment as my sister snarled back "no!"

But as you can see from the photo above, there were times when she didn't mind looking like my twin. The photo above was after we had our new Dorothy Hamill hair cuts.

I worshiped her. Anything she did, I wanted to do, even from an early age. She folded laundry and emptied the dishwasher and I had to do it too. She did tap dance and tumbling...so did I. I know it bugged her sometimes.

However since we lived in a rural area, we became great friends. My friends liked hanging out with her and her friends wouldn't mind me hanging around. As we got older the slight age difference mattered less and less.

When I moved to Connecticut she gave me a stern warning that if I became a snobby, materialist person as a result of being on the East Coast then she was dragging me back. I, in turn, told her if she wanted me to come back she just had to tell me she was pregnant. I ended up taking nine years to fulfill that promise as I had been in CT for five years by the time she had my adorable niece. 

Now that I am back, having more time with her been priceless. I will admit that knowing I would have more time with her and being around to help her was a huge reason I wanted to come back. I look forward to making many new memories.

We are sisters by blood, friends by choice.

Farmhouse Remodel Dream

View shows the front door and the windows into the
kitchen which is the area to the right of the door.

For lack of anything else on television tonight, I find myself watching the new Dallas. Have you watched it?


I love the scenery/location where they shoot the scenes that take place at "South Fork." It makes me think about the renovation I hope to someday do to the old house on the ranch.


The old house was built by my grandfather and is where my father, aunt and uncle grew up. It sits at the bottom of a slope, below the house my dad built in 1985, where my sister now lives with my brother-in-law and niece. It also sits next to the original homestead house where my cousin lives with his wife and daughter. Then tucked in the back between the old house and original farmhouse is a little one-bedroom cabin that was built for my great-grandparents to use when they visited the farm.


I hope to someday renovate this old house. It is debatable if the house can/should be salvaged as it is or if it should just be leveled and something else put in its place. I would like to salvage the existing house and do as green a remodel as possible. This post is the first of many about my fantasy of remodeling the house.


FYI, I played with my pictures at a site called PicMonkey, that is how I added the effects and watermark/copyright. Check it out after you finish this post.


A few weeks ago I went down and did a room by room measurement so I could accurately imagine a new floor plan using www.floorplanner.com, a really fun website if you like doing floor plans.


This is the original floor plan as the house looks now:

Original floor plan as the house is now.

Then I re-configured it on the website to turn it into a floor plan that I like much, much better.

My dream floor plan.

More posts to come as I show you my vision and dream. It just takes time and money!

Through the Eyes of a Child

On Sunday my mom, dad and I started the long process of cleaning out the barn as my niece wants to have a 4-H animal next year. As expected, my niece eventually wandered down and joined the work. Our main project was sorting through the collection of wood that had formed in one end. 


We paraded the wood past my father so he could determine if it goes in the Keep, Donate or Toss pile. Eva came across a piece of Formica and dad told her "that's Formica. It can go in the toss pile." She came back into the barn and asked me "who is Mica?"


I laughed and took her back over to dad so he could explain. Of course I then joked that Mica was the name of the man who lived in the burn pile down the canyon and all of the wood we were tossing is "For Mica." 


She made me think about how kids hear words that adults speak and have their own idea of what they mean.


Until I personally went to New York City, I always thought that Wall Street was just a single building, basically the Stock Exchange. Imagine my surprise when I was standing next to that famous Bull on the actual street that is Wall Street.


I also thought that Broadway was a single theater in NYC where all of the great shows were performed. One theater where all of those great shows were performed- that would be one busy venue. I was stunned to find several theaters all located along a street named Broadway.


My Aunt (my father's sister) told me that once, as a younger girl, her mother asked if she needed to go to the restroom. My aunt was tired and thought that a restroom was a place to take a nap so she answered "yes". When she walked in and found a room of bathroom stalls she burst out in tears.


So what words did you mistake as a kid? Or what words have your children thought had other meanings? Share your story in the comments below.

Do I know you?

One of the hardest things about moving back to my hometown after being gone for 20 years is that I have lost my knowledge of who is who. I spend a lot of time asking my sister or my mother "who is that?" I see a lot of people that I think I know, or look familiar but I cannot place them or put a name with the face. 


The other day I was in Pendleton with my sister and niece at the Ooh La La salon, they were getting their hair done. It is owned and operated by a gal who grew up in Ione as well. Anyway as my sister and niece were finishing up, there were two gals sitting on the couch, waiting for their appointment. I glanced over and thought one of them looked familiar—this happens to me a lot.


My sister and niece were in the back of the salon so I couldn't ask if they knew the person I think I recognize. The one I was curious about got up and sat in the chair to have her hair done and started discussing styles and such with the hairdresser. At this point I am standing by the door, basically staring at the gal in the chair. I am watching her with the following dialog in my head:


"She looks a lot like (gal from Heppner who graduated the same year as me).
It's been 20 years, this gal doesn't look as old as me."
"Boy she sure talks like her and has her face. Maybe it's just a fluke that she looks like this gal."
"Should I ask her if she is (person's name)? How stupid would I look if I asked and she wasn't her."
"I'm just standing here staring at her, she probably thinks I'm crazy. I should not be just staring at her like this."


It then turned and looked out the window so I would be a little less crazy.


Thankfully my sister came back. She says to me, as if she could read my mind, "do you recognize the gal in the chair? That's (gal I was thinking of's) younger sister."


"Oh!" I said. "I was standing her staring at her, thinking it looked like (gal from Heppner) but just figured it couldn't be. Glad to know I'm not crazy. She sure looks a lot like (older sister)."


I didn't talk to the gal. Not sure she or her older sister would necessarily remember me. But if you find yourself being watched by someone from across the room, it could be me, wondering if I know you.

Helping a stranger in a small town

I found this letter in the local, weekly newspaper. It epitomizes what I love about a small town.

Kindness to Strangers

Dear Editor and People of Heppner,

On Sunday, May 20, 2012, we were traveling through your beautiful area of the country on our return trip to South Dakota. One of our car tires blew out about 10 miles outside of Heppner, we were feeling stranded with no idea how we were going to get a new tire on a Sunday We were standing outside the car assessing our situation, Betty Jo Colvin and her daughters stopped to ask if we needed help. The girls so kindly made room in their car for me, and Betty Jo took me into Heppner while my husband waited with the car.

Since it was a Sunday, Betty Jo took me to her house, offered me coffee and tried to contact someone to help us. The individuals she called were at church, so Betty Jo took me to the sheriff's office, and some calls were made to assist us. Betty Jo took me back to our car with some water to drink and nutrition bars to eat while we waited. About 15 minutes, Matt Baker from Lew Schwab Tire Center arrived, put on our spare tire, and we followed him back to Heppner, where he opened the business and changed our tire.

Our very heartfelt thanks go to all who helped us on a Sunday when we are sure they all had better ways to spend their time. Their kindness and friendliness meant so much to us and reflect very positively on them and the community of Heppner.

~The Bezpaletz, Pierre, SD

Have you ever had someone go out of their way to help you? Comment below.

Ch-ch-Changes

As far as parents go, mine are rather modern. They both have laptops, kindles and android phones. However, with their daughter in the house, they are learning so many new things! 


My father fell in love with my Keurig. In fact they bought one today for their RV so they have one when they travel. My mom discovered she can use her cell phone to make her grocery list and re-use the list over and over instead of having to keep re-writing it. 


They are very interested in anything I cook or buy and ask me any question with belief I will naturally know the answer. It can be flattering, amusing and a bit bewildering. 


I am trying to go more gluten free and seek out items at the store that are such. I have inspired my parents to do the same so they come home with many of the same groceries and sometimes new ones. If I cook something it will elicit questions like "what smells so good?" and "what are you making?" I am not used to having an audience when I cook, it's a bit tough to take and I find myself avoiding cooking.


I think my mom is most excited to have me available to answer her technology questions. I have given her a Facebook tutorial and taught her how to customize her smart phone.


I have been slowly introducing items into my mother's kitchen. She is adapting to the changes I am causing. 


Since I am working from home, my dad kindly gave up his big desk and space in his office. He has adapted to his new, smaller desk and space. 


I am adapting to having an audience, less time by myself (until my parents start traveling again next month) and sharing well....everything about my life. 

Small-town Summer Fun

My niece is hanging out today so I decided to put her to work as my guest blogger. Here is her Top 10 favorite things that make a small-town Summer fun!

10. Shopping for School Supplies
9.   Having a fun babysitter
8.   Sleep overs with friends
7.   Riding in the Fourth of July parade on the fire truck with dad
6.   Swimming
5.   The Fourth of July festivities in town
4.   Riding the Sea-Do on the Columbia River
3.   Going on vacation to Wallowa Lake with
      Grandma and Grandpa
2.   Running a Lemonade stand with friends in town
and
1. Going to the Columbia River, being pulled behind the boat on a tube, knee boarding and splashing in the water!

Fathers Day Road Trippin'

My father seems like a private, taciturn man. However, if you get to know him, you will come to know is that he is funny.

I had bought some zucchini bread at the farmer's market and put it out on the kitchen counter with a note that said "zucchini bread to share." The next day a package of seaweed snack appeared next to my zucchini bread with a note that said "seaweed to share."

When I was younger we were driving past a cemetery and my dad asked "do you know how many dead people are in there?" I, of course, had to ask "how many?" To which the answer was "all of them."






One of his newest ways to be funny is to take photos from places he and mom visit and then add funny captions to them. This is one from their trip a few weeks ago when they were trying out their new travel trailer.







He also likes to share old photos and stories of the family farm. This is one he emailed just this week. It is of my dad, his sister and brother and their cousins.

Today in honor of father's day I treated both mom and dad to lunch and then we took a long two-hour drive around the area outside of Ione. It was a really nice day.

What did you do for Father's Day?

Perspective: Rural Life. City Life.

I am always interested in who is reading my blog and what they think of it.

Today my rural life ramblings inspired a blog post from a new friend I made during my move across the country, her name is Anne and she lives in Arizona. Her blog post talks about perspective; how she considered Stratford, CT, (her home town and the town I just moved back from) a small town. Turns out she is very wrong. :)

So this blog post is in response to hers. A little more food for thought for Anne and my other big city friends.
Here is a link to Anne's blog post, to give you some reference:
http://mcauleyfreelancewriting.com/perspectives-turns-out-my-small-town-is-heidis-big-city/

A few comparison stats about Oregon and Connecticut:
Connecticut is 5,544 square miles in size with a 2010 census population of 3,574,097 which is 738.1 persons per square mile.

Oregon is 98,386 square miles in size with a 2010 census population of 3,831,074 which is 39.9 persons per square mile.

Distance from Ione to those big city conveniences-
To a movie theater, fast food and Starbucks: 40+ miles
To a mall: 75+ miles (in Washington State)
To a major airport (not the small one that is closer): 174 miles

My observations of some key differences between city living and county life:
City life traffic jam: Too many cars on the road all going in the same direction at the same time, typically occurs weekday mornings and evenings.

Country life traffic jam: A farmer moving a piece of machinery from one field to another that slows you down for a brief period of time until you come to a stretch of road where you can pass or the farmer pulls over, typically happens in the spring and summer.

City mentality: Distance is measured by time it takes you to get there, usually given in a range as the amount of time depending on traffic. For example a commute to work that is 23 miles in distance will be described as taking 30-45 minutes depending on traffic.

Country mentality: Distance is measured by miles. "It's 40 miles away." Time is typically not given as it generally takes as many minutes as there are miles, or less, depending on how fast a driver you are.

City mentality: What's in it for me? (there are many people who are the exception to this thinking)

Country mentality: How can I help? (exceptions here as well)

So yes, it is all in the perspective. After living in the city for 14 years, it became harder and harder for me to accept the "city mentality" when I knew there was another perspective out there. There was a time in my life when the city was right for me, but that has passed. While the conveniences of city life are extremely nice to have, I am finding that the country life perspectives outweigh the conveniences that I miss... at least for now. ;)

Also check out Anne's other blog: http://beyondthewetnose.wordpress.com/

Beware the Board Tween!

Stock image,
not my actual niece

There is a cold going around my family. It started with my sister, then got my brother-in-law and today it hit my dad and my niece. It is also my niece's first day of summer vacation. Great way to start it off right? She was home all day, while my mom watched her.

At lunch time I got a text from my mom. This is how the conversation went:

Mom: Do u want to go on a walk when u are done with work?
Me: Sure. In town? Or out here?
Mom: In town.
Me: Ok
Mom: Eva is going to ride her bike.
Me: Is she feeling better? Dad feels like crap.
Mom: She's feeling a lot better.
           Text me when u are done with work.
Me: Ok

I went about the rest of my day and when I was done with work, I sent mom a text letting her know I was done so we could go into town for a walk.

Then my phone rang.

It was my mom calling. She was calling to let me know there was a change of plans.

Oh, and to tell me that it was not her who was texting me earlier. It was my niece.
The entire conversation! She had apparently taken my mom's phone to call me and instead decided to text me, pretending to be my mom.

Looking at the exchange now, I should have noticed the use of "u" instead of "you" but other than that, my niece did a really good job of sounding just like my mom. I think the line about me texting her when I get off work was what impressed me the most. That a 9 year old thinks about that sort of detail is surprising. But then again, my niece is one of the most composed and observant kids I know.

Socializing in a small town

I am five weeks into small town life and find myself missing my big city social activities. When I first moved to Connecticut I had to make friends and meet new people all on my own, as I knew no one. I started by making friends with some co-workers, then got involved with some volunteer activities and eventually had a great circle of friends. I could call any of them up to meet for coffee, a drink, a movie, dinner, whatever.

This time around I know people but most of them are married with children who keep them busy. I am lucky though. I have a fantastic sister who gets what I am going through. I imagine she went through the same thing a little when she moved back. Having her support and friendship is priceless.

In the city I could go on meetup.com and find fun new events where I could meet people. No one here is utilizing those types of sites. Many places are just discovering Facebook to keep people informed.

The real social activities here are typically community related, sporting events being the biggest of them all. When I first arrived, I was at a baseball game nearly every day. Once the fall comes there will be plenty of volleyball and football games to keep me busy and social. But through the summer I have to seek out alternatives to sports.

Last weekend I went to the neighboring town of Heppner (15 miles away, population approx. 1,400) and checked out Celebrate Heppner. I ran into several people that I knew. My niece, who came with me, saw even more people that she knew. I swear that 9 year old knows everyone in the 30 mile radius! This week I have a Bunco fundraiser, I'm really looking forward to that! A new restaurant opened in town and is doing a Ladies Night every other Thursday, so I have that on my calendar for next week. The last week of the month has some pre-Fourth of July events and following that is the Fourth of July which is the big event in town each year.

Somehow I find making new friends and meeting new people in a small town environment so much harder than it was when I didn't know a single person. I miss the social media savvy city but I am really enjoying the small crowds and lack of traffic. Life moves slower here and I can get into that. I have my East Coast job to give me my fast-pace fix each day.

Remembering those important days

I will be the first to admit that I am not good at remembering birthdays and other dates of importance. Because I am not good at remembering other people's important dates, I never feel bad if they do not remember mine. In fact I do not allow Facebook to notify anyone on the date of my own birthday because I may not always post on other people's timeline when it is theirs.

I also struggle to take note of when Mother's Day and Father's Day are each year. When I lived on the East Coast I was always mailing my cards out late to my parents. And since I was so far away, all that holiday took from me was dropping a card in the mail and then remembering to call on the specific day. However, now that I am back with my family a card and a phone call doesn't exactly cut it.

The one specific date I am guaranteed to forget each and every year is my parents anniversary.

On Sunday my parents were planning to go into town for lunch, which was unusual for them. I made myself a sandwich and gather together my stuff to run out to go through some stuff at the ranch. My father comes in and invites me to lunch with them, his treat. I was surprised. I thanked him but I had already eaten. He then proceeds to inform me that it is their 45th Wedding Anniversary. The voice in my head went "ooh crap!" I'm standing there, dressed to go get dirty and not at all prepared to go into public. I fumble and apologize. "I suddenly feel like I should go," I told him, really not sure what to do. He said it was really okay, it wasn't my day to remember.

I went on with my own plans but raced over to my sister's house to tell her what a schmuck I am. She, of course, manages to remember every year. She very wisely writes it on her calendar every year. Needless to say I am remembering from now on and should probably start planning their 50th now, so I don't forget.

Rural living doesn't mean you can't have good internet

I would have to say that the biggest challenge I have faced during my moving back to the country is finding quality, high-speed internet. Since I kept my job with my East Coast company, having fairly fast internet is paramount in getting my work done and being connected to an office on the other side of the country.

Prior to moving I had done a lot of research on the options in the country. I had researched WiMax (nothing in my area), compared satellite service providers (not the greatest speed) and contacted the local fiber optic company (all tapped out on lines). My parents had switched from satellite to using their cell phone's as a wifi hot spot, but I couldn't image that would provide the connection service I need.

At first I started with satellite, however that had too many problems that slowed down my productivity and was not compatible with the VPN I use for work. Knowing that nothing had changed with the fiber optic company, I was not sure what I was going to do. I posted my problems on Facebook and had some people suggest looking into a wifi hotspot. I ended up in Hermiston, a quick 40 minute drive, with the purpose to look into improved cell phone service and to get more information about a hotspot with my current provider. However when I went into my provider's store and explained the situation, they were honest enough to tell me I would be better off switching cell phone carriers as all of the towers in my area were owned by the other company.

So now I have a new cell phone carrier with better service and a little wifi hotspot that has been the best so far. It works with my VPN and is a fairly good speed for what I do. I have had a few hiccups with the 3G speed, but the carrier company is going 4G at the end of the year so I am hopeful that things will only improve. I have had several people in the area ask me about it. It seems that people are wanting something faster than the satellite option. I think my favorite part is that it is so small (smaller than my smart phone) and I can take it anywhere. Which in essence means I can work anywhere!

So if you feel like you are stuck with a poor, slow country internet connection. Remember that technologies are advancing everyday. If it's been a while since you researched alternatives, maybe now is the time to look into your new options!