Grace

Jefferson Park, Mt. Jefferson Wilderness

There's something about Cat Power.  She's got a new song out, Wanderer, that I already just love.  The Greatest used to echo the walls of our post-college rather empty apartment, during a time when we had cardboard boxes for side tables and no furniture.  I easily romanticize it now - backyard fire pit and hammock is all you need, within walking distance to a coffee shop - even better.  The room had to be empty in order to hold our thoughts and feelings - 

and dance parties. 

Now, listening to her lyrics, and actually reading what she's saying, I'm realizing that she is, in fact, a poet.  Her voice is her instrument and I'm hearing what she was writing all along. 

Once I wanted to be the greatest
No wind or waterfall could stall me
And then came the rush of the flood
Stars at night turned deep to dust

Sunrise from Aubrey Butte

It's been a summer of biking.  I've been riding my bike in the early morning and was seeing the sunrise, but this has slowly shifted to the moonshine and stars.  The other morning, the moon almost looked like an eclipse - a silhouette of a circle in the curve of a bright crescent.  Sometimes the horizon looked like it was on fire, or actually was on fire - with the haze of the smoke.  I dive down Mt. Washington drive and cruise past the sprinklers through a burst of cool moisture from the Deschutes River.  I've been more in tune with the tilt of the earth and the changing of the seasons, when the night sky is emerging and the temperature is dropping.

Book Party on Orcas Island

It's been a summer of books.  I've completed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, An American Marriage, The Testament of Gideon Mack, The Dive from Clausen's Pier, and am currently working on The Ensemble as well as Little Fires Everywhere.  I have rediscovered the value of the library - having forgotten that it was there.  Free books and movies?  How could I have forgotten?!  I have not read this much since The Babysitters Club and Nancy Drew.  Here's a memorable quote:

“But home isn't where you land; home is where you launch. You can't pick your home any more than you can choose your family. In poker, you get five cards. Three of them you can swap out, but two are yours to keep: family and native land.” - Tayari Jones, An American Marriage

Puppy Headed to the Ocean

Me and Puppy at the Coast

Mt. Jefferson

Mt. Jefferson, Sunset, and Moonrise

Mountain Flowers

The Reality of Mosquitos

Flower Fields for Days

Spoiled by Feasts on Orcas Island

Just Both Needing Haircuts

Paddling with Puppy

The Madrona Tree on Orcas Island

Arriving at Waldo Lake

Night Sky Over Waldo Lake

Last Morning at Waldo Lake

An Evening Paddle at Crescent Lake

It's been a summer of adventures.  Memorial Day weekend kicked off our summer with a backpacking trip to to the coast, followed by days of my parents visiting, a trip to the East Coast, reunion with camp friends (and the unsuccessful search for the tin), girls' trip backpacking through the Jefferson wilderness, weekends spent lake swimming and SUPping, celebration with friends on Orcas Island, and topping it off with camping at Waldo Lake.  Now I can feel the heat leaving us and can't believe the leaves are starting to change.  I'm starting my search for pumpkin-flavored items.  

Me, Ander, and Mr. Buckley

It's been a summer of grace. Little moments of gratefulness have flooded this summer in the midst of changes, challenges and the usual curve balls that life tends to throw at you. There's a sweet spot between struggle and success that keeps you alive - in the sense of, you feel the moves and shakes of this world rather than caught in a hamster wheel of routine. This is growth. It doesn't happen all the time, but when you're in it, linger uncomfortably just a little - life can be full of too much numbing routine that lets us settle for too long.

Florence and the Machine came out with a new album. Her song Grace speaks to it.

But this is the only thing I've ever had any faith in
Grace, I know you carry us
Grace, and it was such a mess
Grace, I don't say it enough
Grace, you are so loved

May you continue to wander with grace.  Now, bring on the Fall.

The Pool Boy

I'm not sure how this nickname came about... but this is how my Dad refers to Kevin: the pool boy.  We do not have a pool.  Since my brother never gave a best man speech - and unfortunately probably has the best stories to tell - perhaps this can serve as something.  I've known Kevin since he was probably around age 6 or so.  But the first time I remember laughing with Kevin, was sitting in his Mom's car or maybe it was Mrs. Ackerman's car, looking through tapes.  It was not uncommon to sit in the car in the church parking lot before our Moms came out ready to drive us home.  I was probably in middle school or so - can't remember.  We came across some kind of emotional/empowerment/encouraging tape that was entitled "Heart to Heart."  I believe we played it, but I can't even remember what it was about.  We just thought it was really funny - in the same vein as Stuart Smalley and his "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and dog gone it, people like me."  To this day we still refer to each other as "heart to heart sistas" or some variation of that.  One of my favorite Facebook posts from Kevin - back when people used to post personal/funny things - was this one from May 13, 2011 after he graduated college:

There are so many funny/my-face-hurts moments, stories, and photos, that I have shared with Kevin - and Alan.  Kevin sent me 2 Kenny G CDs for my birthday one year.  He, my brother, and I have spent a couple New Years together - I remember one year we were discussing what the saddest songs ever are ("Brick" Ben Folds Five).  We had a Sufjan Stevens dance party one time in Alan's room.  While I was away at college, the two of them created a couple DVDs with a morning show called "Warm Ice Cream in the Morning" along with other sketches which they sent to me.  I found these in my basement recently and re-watched them at Christmas.  Kevin has spent Christmas with us and visited our family in Scotland with Alan and my Mom.  He is more than a pool boy - he is part of our family.

It is with all that, that I say, welcome to the family, Danielle.  I had a great time photographing your wedding and making ya'll stand out there in the hot sticky Monroe heat.  Cheers to you both!

(Oh - and here's a little Kenny G as a soundtrack for these photos)

***