Finding time for all the things I want to do is always a challenge. This month has been particularly busy. According to FriesenPress Publishing, spring is a season that forces us to be patient.  Here in my corner of the Pacific Northwest, spring is coming—slowly—the rain we have had in this year is seeing to that. We have had lovely days of sunshine, where my only thought is to be out in the garden preparing for coming summer of English High Teas, and walking Henry, my dog to the beach. Unexpected work on my home has ended up taking priority this month—succinctly—rats in the crawl space! There is the added necessarily of taking care of physical and medical issues, one of which will be cataract surgery. Meanwhile household chores take a back seat as do some of my writing projects, of which I have many: four, sometime five in a month—I love doing them all, but finding time isn’t always easy. 

So—the crawl space is rat free. Half the garden is cleaned up. The art work in the loft is well on the way to completion. I have finished all the editing I needed to do for this month, and happily, two, almost three chapters to my latest book are written. Therefore patience has been a virtue as well as the understanding that all will work out in the end, even if each job started isn’t completed in a linear manner. 

Now it is time to post my blog about making a trip to Portland, Oregon, for my youngest son’s wedding! With David and Molly’s permission here are a few pictures of the wonderful day. It was a special moment in time to the end of the month of February.

Thursday, February 26th, was a beautiful day. I’d left my dog in the good hands of a young person I had recently become friends with, and traveled down the I-5 to Milwaukie, Oregon. I was going to be staying in a ADU airbnb, a five minute walk from my son’s home. The wedding was the next day at the Clackamas Registry Office. The wind was a little chilly but it was a nice day. It was the first time I had been to a Registry wedding—It was simple, refreshingly lovely, and full of heartfelt words. 

My favorite! These are Deurali’s people

HAPPENINGS IN MARCH

I continued to work with the elderly at two local senior living facilities. It is incredible listening and writing their stories, as told to me. My goal is to publish a book about stories from the past sometime later this year or next.

 One gentleman told about three generations of men having miraculous lives. His grandfather starting out in Eureka, Kansas earning $10 a month, and by the end of his life he, according to his grandson owned most of the hotels in town. His father who flew B-29 bombers being transferred to Okinawa to continue the fight, arrived the day the war ended. James, the grandson and son, flew 1300 missions in Vietnam in the 1st Infantry Division, returned home without a scratch, despite some really near misses. Another lady’s father worked for NASA and knew the three astronauts from the Apollo 1 launch pad fire in 1967, personally. 

BOOKS READ

So far this month I have read seven books. The ones I enjoyed the most were Bernice: A Fiery Story of Love and Family. I know Bernice’s granddaughter, and every time we talk, the depth of family connection is more complicated, yet amazing. The second book by Paula McLain, When the Stars go Dark, was an eye-opener to how trauma can affect an individual so deeply that it can turn them to the very dark side of life. 

Untethered: A Memoir

The second volume of Elizabeth Jane Pryce’s memoir series begins at her return to England from her home in St. Vincent at the age of 14, leaving behind the only parents she ever knew. Nothing is as she imagined or as she was told—a riveting story of courage and determination.

IN THE GARDEN

Despite the rain that we have had in the area, color is returning to the garden, the streets and parks. I have managed to replaced most go wire on my arches and gates. It looks prettier now.

Camellia

Early Rhododendron

Windflowers