Through The Keyhole

What I Did On My Summer Vacation Pt 1

Vacation Days

We've been on vacation for the last week and a half. Like many, we're not venturing far, exploring new things and doing the things we love. Yesterday we went on a tour of the Theo Chocolate Factory. A definate must for any chocolate lover.

The requisite hair coverings were gorgeous weren't they?

Our lovley tour guide, Becca

The cocoa beans.

The ball roaster where the beans are roasted once before the husks are removed and again after. I wasn't able to get good photos of the process of turning the beans the liquor.

Here the chocolate is being tempered.

Here, chili pepper powder is being mixed with the chocolate.

There was an abundance of samples.

Following the luscious tour we went to see Ponyo. I hadn't heard much about it but a friend gave it a thumbs up. Turns out it was the best movie I'd seen in a long time. The artistry was fabulous and the story was simply wonderful. I'll be searching out more of Hayao Miyazaki's movies now. It sounds like a different version of this film was released in Japan. It might be worth trying to search out a copy of the Japanese version.

I'm not sure what all today holds. We plan to check out an indoor pool that we've heard good things about. Later, Tanner has his first circus school class. I think I might be looking forward to that more than he is.

A Collaboration

Tanner has begun drawing creatures of his imagination in recent months. This little orange dino is from one of his sketches. Below is a friend in the making.

A recent exploration of a nearby island. We found a small beach with several driftwood structures. This little piece of beach must be ideally situated for driftwood to wash up. I've never seen quite so much of it in one place before.

One Boy Told Me

This is a sacred day for me, the anniversary of a loss I didn't think I would survive. I could spin into the depths of my mind, unearthing memories, reliving moments, getting lost in myself. Instead I find my grief has softened, like pages of a well read book. Today is the anniversary of an event that led me to finally live the life I had always wanted. I hold space for those memories to join me but I'm finding I don't need to dig for them. I remember and yet find I want to stay present. I've so very much to be grateful for.

This boy is brimming over with life and keeps me grounded in the here and now.

He got braces this week and for some reason I think they're adorable.

I've recently rediscovered Naomi Shihab Nye thanks to Misty. Here she reads a poem of found words provided by her son. Take a moment to watch and then hear the poetry in your everyday life.

Receiving

A recently finished painting. This one is titled Receiving. My palette seems to have moved into shades of sea green, teal, and turquoise. I'm not sure if this is an internal shift or a reflection of my environment.

I attended a demo by Diane Culhane at Daniel Smith's last weekend. Her ability to make a piece glow enchants me. Now I'm anxious to dive in to some acrylic painting. Life is busy though and it may be a week or so before I have an opportunity.

Seven years ago today this darling boy decided it was time to come out and play. We started today opening presents in bed and ended it with cuddles. There was swimming, pizza, carnival rides, many stuffed toys won, and enormous joy. A celebration fitting of the occasion. I'm so thankful to be one of his moms.

Oregon Coast

We recently took a trip to the Oregon Coast, camping between Waldport and Yachats. Days filled with sun, lolling about, visiting my sister and her family.

Glorious. Until Debbie came down with the stomach flu. Northing worse than camping with the flu. Thankfully she was the only one to become ill.

There was a hike to find well hidden letterboxes on a beautiful trail.

On the way, we stopped in Portland to eat lunch at Pambiche, a wonderful Cuban eatery. Worth a detour if you're ever driving through.

The chocolate was thick and rich with a bit of spice just as the meal was.

While in Waldport, we often saw a green bicycle lieing in odd public places. We wondered how it could travel so frequently to be left unattended and unchained against buildings, on patches of grass at intersections, at the grocery store. We discovered there is not one but several bikes, available for any and all to use.

What a fabulous idea!

Along the way there were a few joyful surprises.

I Love Camping

Our second camping trip this year was on Whidbey Island, South Whidbey State Park. Whidbey Island is fabulous. The beaches were some of the most beautiful I've seen.

I love our tent. It's big enough for our bed, Tanner's air mattress, our suitcases, and a chair or two.

Waiting in the ferry line, I saw the VW bus of my dreams. I didn't know they came this pretty. It was beautiful.

Changes

It's been a crazy month. Debbie has settled on going to school rather than find a job. She was accepted into a worker retraining program so most of it will be paid for. She'll likely also be able to continue to receive unemployment while going to school. She is so excited about it and I'm thrilled for her.

I finished my jewelry/metalsmithing class and just finished a 4 day mixed media workshop that was meant to help attendees find their language. It was amazing to be in a single class working on my own art for 4 days. I've never had such an extended time and came out of it feeling energized and focused. My instructor was Larry Calkins. An amazing local sculptor, painter, photographer. I'm considering taking his encaustics workshop next quarter.

I worked on two books and one hanging piece. I'll try to photograph them today. I also learned how to make prussian blue ink and milk paint, how to use a wood burning tool for encaustic painting, how to make acetone transfers onto multiple types of surfaces including enamels, and I'm sure other things I'm not remembering.

I swap with Swap-bot!

Thanks to Jane Wynn I found this fun swapsite called Swap-bot where you can sign up for all types of swaps. I signed up for a holiday ornament swap. I've participated in an ornament swap for the last 3 or 4 years but am not part of the online group where I did that so I'm thrilled to have found this. (aargh! I can't figure out why the swap logo isn't working. I'll try again later with it)

Here's my theme song these days.

doors closing

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” Alexander Graham Bell

We're still staring at the closed door in disbelief. Yesterday Debbie was layed-off, along with 7 others. She'd learned earlier in the week that the company she was working for may be sold. We knew that may mean she'd be layed-off but we expected it to happen in a few months, if at all. Not the few days that it turned out to be. She's been with this company since they opened their doors. Started as a massage therapist, managed their products, created and managed the warehouse, and moved into being just their purchaser. She loved it there. Enjoyed what she did, liked the people, was proud of the role she'd had in the companies growth...it was a shocking sad day.

To make it worse, I wasn't able to get away from work for more than a quick lunch as I'm up to my eyeballs in it there. I'll sign off here and put in a few more hours today, bringing my grand total hours worked to about 50 this week. Not high by some peoples standards but unacceptable by mine. I have a full life outside of work with Tanner, his school and homework, art class, that jewelry making and painting I want to do, a house to maintain, an extended family to see, friends... It's been a bit overwhelming.

Debbie's taken Tanner to do some volunteer work at the school. I'd hoped to be able to do some metalsmithing while they were gone but there's too much that has to be finished before I get back to the office on Monday. I'm off to try to whittle the pile down. Think good thoughts for us. Say a prayer, light a candle, whatever it is you do. We'll be fine but could use your support just now. Thanks.

Goodness

We spent yesterday at the zoo with my brother's family. It was great fun, especially for Tanner and his youngest cousin. No photos as I'd forgotten to download the last batch I'd taken and both memory cards were full. Too bad as we saw raptors up close, brown bears trying to catch breakfast, and parrots and parakeets ate out of our hands. Okay, not mine. Everybody else though. We viewed the bears in their pool from a room that allowed us to see them under the water. They would push off of the glass and Tanner was separated from paws as big as his head by just the glass. They are so graceful in their own way. An awesome sight. Back at home, Tanner and I made a strawberry rhubarb crisp. Tanner actually did most of the chopping and mixing. He's helped cut and frost cookies before but this was the first baking project he did beginning to end. We had it fresh out of the oven over vanilla ice cream. Delicious. The recipe is from Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle; A Year of Food Life. I can't recommend this book enough. It has completely changed the way we are shopping and eating. Here's the recipe. Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp 3 cups strawberries, halved 3 cups rhubarb, chopped 1/2 cup honey Mix together thoroughly and place in 8x8 inch ungreased pan. 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup brown sugar (or a bit more, to taste) 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1/3 cup butter Mix until crumbly, sprinkle over fruit mixture, and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until golden. Find more recipes at http://www.AnimalVegetableMiracle.com.