oldest sister + co. visits (2014 - because I'm anticipating more in the future.)

Downtime at home & the farm 

 Bryan & Lisa had a lovely first few days here, weather-wise. The kids had a blast in the sunshine & green; Roxy "fed" my plants frequently, David discovered golfing. They stayed in the guest house across the breezeway, so every morning until they were acclimated to our time zone, we were awakened by a vigorous doorbell ringing. We didn't mind:).

 

 We spent an evening out at the farm, to David's ten-year old delight. He & Riley tried to catch frogs, fish, & whatever else it is 10-year old boys line their pockets with (puppy dog tails?). Roxy tagged along with Dad & Dar on a tour of the farm. I can't say that I'm surprised, because I am in complete agreement, but Roxy shamelessly observed at the Sinn's, "Darwin is the cutest one in the whole room!" (Upon their return to Illinois, it seems I am in danger of losing my husband to a 6-year old! I can't be too shocked though; she just has impeccable taste. We have managed to convince her that perhaps Riley will be a suitable replacement.)

 Day at the Coast

We drove past the capitol on our way to the coast after a tip that the cherry trees there were in bloom. They didn't disappoint! Once out at the coast, the kids had a ball. The first hour we were there it was beautifully sunny. Not something that you normally get at the Oregon coast! We hunted first for sand dollars, and after long searching we finally found a whole one. The wind picked up later, and sand was blowing everywhere so we decided to head on down the coast via 101. 

We hit up the Newport aquarium, which wasn't very big or worth the price we paid, but the kids enjoyed it. They had some tunnel acquariums to walk through with small sharks, tropical fish, & manta rays. The sea otters made the kids' day by flirting with them through the glass, giving them nose kisses, then washing its whiskers which led David to tease Roxy that it didn't like her kisses & was washing them off! He's got a sense of humor, that one. 

 

Seattle

  Seattle is a fun city. Nestled in inlets & coves of the Puget Sound, hills rolling from the waterlines, it has great character. Despite its chic new skyscrapers & hipster music scene, it still feels like a salty old sailor to me. Coffee shops abound here & the waterfront has Pike's Place Market, the Ferris wheel, & lots of shops. I brought my umbrella along so naturally the sun came out. But, hey, I was fine with that! We took a harbor tour, then attempted the Ferris wheel. David couldn't quite work up the courage to go...

The famous fish throwing market at Pike's Place: the workers toss your purchase to you, so be ready for it!

   Randomly, my mom's brother, who has been living abroad for the past few decades has moved to Seattle temporarily. We got to see his wife & daughter & dog (roxy's favorite part of the trip:) ) even though he was gone on business. Their apartment is on the 21st floor with a view if the Ferris wheel. Really cool! I'll take my little Willamette Valley anyway though:) it's weaseling it's way surely & completely into my heart.

More Pike's Place.

OMSI

We went to Oregon Museum of Science & Industry on the way back to my house from Seattle. A fun place to take kids if you're ever in the area. There's a submarine you can tour that's housed in the nearby Columbia River. Lots of green exhibits--this IS Oregon after all:).

The kids were asking when they were going to come back as their trip came to a close. Soon, I hope. Despite missing out in most of their lives to date, I feel as if they've always been around. Gods been good to their little family & it feels so right having them around. 

And sigh, now they're gone. I don't like it that people have to leave, but such is life on the West Coast. I do have some great memories now though & some love notes from a niece on my fridge:). 

the last art class

The last art class. I taught a basic drawing class at the Senior Center--a place where those of a certain age can take classes, socialize, participate in trips, etc.--in Silverton the month of March. I only had 2 ladies sign up for the class, so we had a great time getting to really know each other. It was very relaxed & low-key. I had a lot of fun teaching.

But the last class was absolutely amazing. I'd done instruction & demonstrations the first two classes & then we spent the last two completing a self-portrait.

One of the women started out the class saying, "I can't draw. This is going to be a hoot because I can't even draw stick people!" This woman had recently moved here from California to live the green Oregon life & is living by herself so she doesn't really know anyone. She came to class for something to do, I'm sure. And she learned that she can draw. She was so pleased & shocked by her final portrait that she actually got tears in her eyes. All of her life, she'd thought she couldn't draw. Here she was, 65 & still learning & discovering. Maybe it seems a little silly to be so excited by such a thing. But I don't think so. I think it's absolutely amazing! Not that I'm proud of my teaching skills (ha! I'm not really an instructor) or so into art that I think anyone not doing it is missing out on a key part of life, I don't think that. But...hmmm...let me try to clarify: it isn't that she learned she could draw; it's that she achieved something she thought she couldn't. And she had thought all her life she couldn't. And here she was, years beyond the bloom of youth & innocent expectations, & she emerged triumphant.

It was one of those rare moments in life when all seems right. Oddly, it was such a faith-boosting experience.

At this point, I don't know if I'll be able to continue the classes with my new job. Either way, I enjoyed this one, & am so glad I had the opportunity!

new job

Oh my. So, the slow pace of the last 9 months of life came to a...I would say "halt," because that seems the natural word choice, but that would be wrong. Because it hasn't come to a halt, but to an absolute kaleidoscope of activity. I can't even fit it all in one post. But stay tuned! Posts coming soon: family visits me in the Great State of Oregon (hence my internet absence), some really cool diy projects I crammed in before my first day of work, some late birthday coolness (I know, I know, that was weeks ago! I'm milking my birthday for all it's worth!), & the last art class. Those are all subject to change, btw. Just one of the perks of being the author:).

But, job. There is a place called Willamette Valley Fruit Co. (here's a link to their site) a few miles from where we live that I've been in love with since moving here. It is the sweetest little place filled with chalkboard art, ceramic egg cartons, mason jars, prettily packaged jars of jam, marionberry pie, tons of twine, burlap, & just oozing of localness. They have a harvest festival in the fall, (remember this post from last October?) an Easter egg hunt, & all sorts of cute little events in between. People stop by for coffee & a slice of their famous pie & leave feeling as though the world hasn't gone as much to pot as we all thought. They are defined by their pies, which they sell all over the state & West Coast. And get this: the lovely lady we live with started this pie company. (?!)  Also, Dar sells his blackberries there in the summer where they are made into pies, frozen for retail, or otherwise processed. I can give you a small lecture on the varieties of blackberries alone & the lineage of the marionberry, so named because it was developed right here in Marion County.
So, anyway, along with all of those personal connections, I felt an immediate attachment, because as anyone from the Dotterer lineage knows, Dotterers love pie. My uncle used to say that the only thing he liked better than pie was pie with ice cream. I have many fond memories of my dad eating his favorite, peach custard. There was a way to eat a peach custard pie: first, you dipped out all the cinnamon-dusted peach chunks from their firm custardy bed. Then you scraped the custard off & enjoyed it solo. Lastly was the now bare crust which you only ate because you had to. Although, if you were my younger brother, it usually made its way under the table. I speak the truth.

But, I applied for a job there in December & kind of gave up on it when months passed & I didn't hear from them. Until a few weeks ago. And now I am officially an employee & get to work in a berry pie environment & arrange cute jars of lemon curd & make breves (which is only a latte made with cream instead of milk). It is divine. Oh, & it's part time. More divine.

23rd birthday

Thank you, thank you, all you sweet people who wished me a happy birthday! I feel so ashamed that I don't do a better job of that myself. It's been a lovely day, inside & out, here & there. My feet want to dance:).

 I got some mysterious packages in the mail last week & blatantly expecting them to be birthday gifts, I made myself wait to open them til *cough cough* yesterday. They were, in fact, birthday gifts (good thing, huh?). My sister sent a crafty little package via Connecticut. I have been following this set of sisters' blogs for years now & I'm very excited to have some of their latest product! The yarn is beautiful & I'm planning to knit a sweet little something for any (or all!) of the THREE (SQUEAL OF EXCITEMENT!) babies coming this summer.

 This book from my dear mother is joining my ever-growing collection of photo-filled cookbooks. I confess: I totally choose cookbooks by their cover. The sweet little jars below are curtesy of another sister. Her son wasn't sure they were a good birthday gift. Boys, sigh. They just don't get the cute-little thing.

And last, but not least, here is my sweet husband's contribution to the festivities. I've told him that I'd rather have an arrangement he picked himself than a purchased one. He listened:). This morning he made me go back to bed & ordered me to sleep in...then I found coffee & a note waiting for me (when I did finally stir my stumps), that I was not to make lunch today. We had Thai Dish instead. Yum!

 In all seriousness, I do feel so unworthy of all the fine friends & dear family I have. I pray that you will all be blessed for being so wonderful & kind! And thank you for making my 23rd birthday something special.

largeness of heart

I don't think I would describe myself as being big-hearted. I'd like to be. But I don't think I can claim that attribute yet. It's so easy for me to be selfish. My time is usually spent on me, doing things I like to do. I like to be comfortable. And contentment is an everyday battle. To someone looking in from the outside, I'm sure I oughta be slapped for my ungratefulness. I have it all: a lovely home, a sweet, handsome husband, a closely-knit, AWESOME family, no worries about where our next meal's coming from, a stable church, a promised home in heaven, I could go on & on & on.
In a sermon recently, I was struck by something I'd never heard before. And I've been exposed to the Bible my whole life. In I Kings 4:29, besides gaining wisdom & much understanding from God, Solomon was also granted largeness of heart, even as the sands of the sea. Being wise sounds nice, but having largeness of heart appeals to me even more.
I'm not sure what having largeness of heart is exactly. And is it one of those spiritual gifts that God just gives us & we are obligated to exercise it or is it one of those goals to work towards by making effort & dipping into God's supply of grace? I do not claim to be good at it. And my latest attempts at having largeness of heart are puny & I hope I'm not coming across self-righteously. But here they are anyway.

Dar's cousin's family moved into a fixer-upper last summer & it's been a long process of rennovating, shifting things from one room to another, living in a few rooms til everything's completed. In the middle of all this, they had a baby six weeks early & dealt with major health concerns & a long recovery time for mom. I've babysat a few times to try & help out (and honestly, I need something to do besides selfish crafts & baking). I had two of their girls over to my house a couple times now & it's been entertaining both times. We have tea parties--I drink tea, they drink hot chocolate, paint, color, bake, change outfits frequently, model my embarrassingly large scarf collection, play "sunday school" (this game is my favorite. It's hilarious to see what 5-year olds pick up. And what they think the verses to songs really are), & read books. To have them over doesn't really feel like I'm doing all that much; I enjoy it, & I've been so welcomed by their family, I feel it's a small way to repay them. But I suspect that's probably how God intends largeness of heart to feel. Not like a chore at all.

(Notice the variety of outfits: these were all taken the same day.)

Today I was on my way home from my very first Senior Center art class(!!), & I drove past a man with a beat-up van & "need gas money for Bend" sign. Dar & I have talked about how we should handle these situations. I always feel so guilty driving past, but I don't know if giving money is the best way to help either. Then I think, "Who am I to judge what they do with their money? God is only requiring that I am loving & kind & give a cup of cold water in His name." But then, I've been advised by people at the local homeless shelters that the best thing I can do is to send them on the homeless shelter to get some long-term help. So Dar & I decided we'd give money & Bible. (Which is still kind of just a way to relieve our guilt...) Anyway, I'd driven past the man with his sign, & started feeling guilty. I remembered largeness of heart, even as the sands of the sea. So I turned around & asked if I could fill his gas tank. He told me I could, so I did. And I gave him a Bible & clumsily tried to explain that I didn't do it because I was a good person: I did it because Christ is living in me. This man said he believed. He said we all had to be created by something. I wondered the rest of the way home if I'd really done anything at all. It wasn't much. He might've gotten to Bend on the gas I bought him, but then what?

And then, I remembered a thought that had been lingering in my mind from a few Monday musings ago: "Do what you can, where you are. Just do what you can."

I hope I did. And I hope this man knew I didn't do it because I want people to think I'm good. But because God's given me largeness of heart.

signs of spring & other news

In the Midwest, spring usually starts in late March & by late May, summer is ready to take off. Here in Oregon, to my amazement & sheer delight, the crocuses & daffodils were poking their heads up in February.  I had fresh flowers gracing my windowsills weeks ago (to the chagrin of my sisters). My in-laws are talking garden. The farmers are gearing up again. The natives gently cautioned my exuberance at this by saying, "Spring might come earlier here, but it lasts forever." They get a little tired of the rain & soppy ground after months of it. By June, spring can still be taking it's sweet time to relinquish its wet & blooming hold over to summer. (I have been told this anyway.) I'm trying to temper my spirit & not get too excited too fast & burn out on this lovely little gift of flowers & warmth & sunshine so much earlier than I'm used to...

But then I think, "Why should I?" I'll waste my excitement now. And summer will come someday. I will most likely have moments where I tire of hearing the ground slurp at my pink rainboots (it does! I had no idea how saturated a land can be for so long!), & I want just a day of pure sunshine instead of this moody, shifting dance of sun & clouds, & the daffodils start drooping & I don't even notice, & I forget what winter was like, but until then, I'll bask in a Pacific Northwest spring. 

 Dar asked if we could have a picnic lunch the other day. Um, yeah! Reason #54 why I love this man. (Isn't my picnic basket sweet! Goodwill find.)

Other news & updates:

My aunt Shelly & uncle Ray were out here this past weekend. That was lovely to have some faces from Illinois. We had them & some other relatives over for dinner Sunday, then spent more time with them at Uncle Lynn & Aunt Marilyn's last night. Keep the visitors coming!

I am in a waiting period for a job:/. I have very mixed feelings about jobs.
        #1: I don't really want one because I love my flexible schedule & free time.
        #2: I really want one because I'm starting to feel a little worthless at home all the time.
I get very frustrated at times because after 2 months of applying & looking, absolutely nothing has worked out. Actually, that's not true. I am going to be teaching a drawing class at a Senior Center nearby once a week starting this Thursday. (Yay! I am excited about this, but it's very part-time & very temporary. I'll be right back to square one come Aprtil.) Dar has been very patient with me & listened to all my harebrained creative schemes (sell macarons! design/sell my own cards! be a photographer! take floral design classes! sew aprons & sell them!). I've slowly & somewhat grudgingly accepted that I probably won't be able to jump right into something of that nature, but will maybe have to take a desk job for a while & phase into something like that. Sigh. Sometimes I hate being practical & realistic. But, I know God has a big, beautiful plan for my life, & so I've taken some action forward in the *shudder* desk job department, & now feel as though He's just asking me to wait.

I have started painting a mural for my brother & sister-in-law's nursery. It's the first time I've ever tackled a painting this large & it's been fun & time-consuming so far. I can't wait for this little baby--it will be my first nibling out here! Between this one & two of my sisters in Illinois, I'll be an aunt three times over in the course of a month! Woot!

A lady from church, who is also an artist, asked me to come & help her out at an art class she hosts for the high-schoolers from church. I enjoyed that (& they claim they did, too!) so hopefully I'll be able to repeat that class as well.