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Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Swimming in a sea of music




With the spring blooming and the pending arrival of Mama 'B' we decided to do some organizing. You see, we are swimming in a sea that is held in at the edges by our humble basement apartment. Floating in the waves of this neon blue sea are pallets worth of CDs and Vinyl records. In a moment of inspiration we frequented a hip sort of housing solutions store and picked out a new shelving unit. Now I am staring at that erected shelving unit with a growing sense of....oh what is it? I guess I feel overwhelmed. After filling only three of it's six shelves it's becoming clear that we have too many CDs and books. Oh, my virgo dreams of perfect symmetry and breathtaking organization are swirling around the toilet bowl known as reality. This is truly tragic. My reaction? To take pictures and write about it while drinking some tea. Then, I will sneak up on it and wrestle the project to the ground before it could hear me coming. That's the theory anyways.



And of course there is also my burgeoning collection of books (even though I frequent the library more then ever!). We live in a city that is in love with the used bookstore. What am I supposed to do? Yesterday I stumbled on a collection of original hardbound Nancy Drew books! I was transported back to a time when I was young and my parent's took me to my first used book store. (I still remember my selection that fated day, Nancy Drew and the Mystery of the Brass Trunk). The thrill!!! The sense of belonging, of coming home!!!! And the smell, the smell of used books should be bottled and sold as a perfume. Granted, most people would be horrified, but the few who recognize and love the smell would be drawn together with a magnetism that defies gravity. I shouldn't be allowed in bookstores.


This segment of the blog is called:



THINGS I LEARNED IN SCHOOL THIS WEEK

*While being good for you on many levels including antioxidants... Green Tea also acts as an anti inflammatory in your body. Everything from your arteries, veins, down to your digestive tract will thank you.

*There is enough phosphorous in milk to cancel out the calcium. Phosphorus leeches calcium from your bones. So drink all the milk you like but you are not ingesting calcium. Countries in Northern Europe (like Scandinavia) have high levels of Osteoporosis in aging women. These countries drink LOTS of milk. So, if you are a woman in my life and you aren't taking a Calcium supplement, get one! Preferably Calcium and Magnesium combined. P.S. These also have a mildly relaxing effect on the muscles. bonus! P.s.s Testosterone does a great job of protecting bone density. Congratulations guys.

*Several scientific studies have found a direct link between Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) and anxiety and depression. As we have moved farther toward highly refined foods we have moved farther away from EFA. In fact, most of us are experiencing an extreme deficiency. Aside from the many other reasons we need EFA, without them we are prone to feel much more anxiety and depression. Check out Nordic Naturals Fish Oil. It doesn't taste like fish due to their packaging procedure which doesn't allow for oxidation. The peach flavor is especially nice. And it just might make you happier.

Alright, that's it for the school lesson:) And that's it from Deep in the Pacific Northwest today where it is raining again and our street sign is growing a lovely cape of moss.

~CC


Trip To Seattle a Few Months Ago. This is in front of the Hostel we stayed at, right across from Pike's Place Market


(Below)This is what we do in Seattle. Self portrait at Irish Pub after spending day in a museum exhibit of "real" human anatomy.















Most favorite view at the Oregon Coast. Behold the sharp pointy rock below that was featured in the movie "The Goonies" Ah, this place is rich with history:)

Friday, April 20, 2007

Scott and Crystal




Jeff and Crystal





Casey and Hollie's adorable brood (the nieces and nephew keepin' it real)

It's Been a Good Year For Moss




We are anxiously awaiting our first family visitor of the spring. Pam (Scott's mom) will be joining us for a week and we are thrilled. Having family come to visit is an excuse to take some time off and open our own eyes to the beauty around us. We keep a long running list of sorts full of activities we check out then "rate". So, out will come the old list and after some beers and darts thrown at it we will have an itinerary.

I have recently discovered hiking in the Columbia River Gorge. I'm not sure how I managed to live here a year and a half and not partake in this beauty. The waterfalls alone are worth the hike. This spring they are running with such force that I feel renewed after standing in front of these giants.

We are planning a short jaunt to Montana in July. Hopefully my family will congregate there and I will be able to play with my nieces and nephews. Perhaps there will be a mountain summit in Glacier Park (Jeff? This is another big hint:) I think it's about time and we are overdue.

I posted a few pictures above of hiking in the Columbia River Gorge.