taking recycling to a whole new level

ridiculously small gray bin for trash + ridiculously large blue bin for recyclables = big adjustment

nerd alert

Matt loves puzzles and crosswords; basically, any kind of brain teaser. I won't even attempt to work on a newspaper crossword any day after Monday.

When Matt gets back from working out of town, he usually doesn't want to go out on the weekends. So, these past few weekends have been about puzzles. Making me a nerd by association. He spent too much time on ebay, like a kid in a toy store, looking for the right puzzles to order. Some of those babies can be surprisingly expensive. We have completed a puzzle of The Last Supper by Da Vinci, (still proudly displayed on the kitchen table and will probably be there until Easter), and we are now working on Dowdle's Washington, D.C. puzzle on the coffee table. My family loves Dowdle Folk Art puzzles.

Now, I like puzzles and I get a great sense of accomplishment when I find pieces that fit, but unlike Matt, I have a short attention span. I get easily worn out and take frequent breaks. Even if I had Matt's endurance, they still take hours and I struggle knowing that every piece we put together, we are just going to have to take apart later.

[I realize in this musing that these puzzles can be easily compared to how much time I spend blogging, watching TV or wasting time on Facebook. It's almost 2 in the morning and will be going back to working on the puzzle with Matt now.]

changing it up

As much as Matt comments and states his opinion eagerly all over Facebook, one would think some of that would spill over on here, but unless he is looking for blog updates by his sisters, Matt is not going to do anything else with this. I can't blame him, he warned me. This blog has been a slow work in progress and continues to be.

Main Entry:	haphazard
Part of Speech:	adjective
Definition:	without plan or organization

Story of my wonderful life.

backyard photos

We have an open backyard with beautiful, huge trees that descend downhill. Here are some pictures from the change of seasons. I have enjoyed seeing unassuming plants bloom colorful blossoms as if they are coming back to life. Portland is also known as the City of Roses and I look forward to going to the International Rose Test Garden this summer when the roses are in full bloom. My dad got me a baby rose plant before we moved and I think I have revived it after it had almost lost all of its leaves. Landscape Management major what?

wild blackberries are invasive here and grow around the trunks of the fir trees

random snowstorm that came in the first week we moved in

first day of spring

Picture of the Portland, OR Temple I took yesterday. It is so beautiful. I love the detail on the spires. There are so many big trees around it, it was hard to get a good picture of the whole thing, so I included the picture below I found online.

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I am so grateful we are close to a Temple.

We got a full day of sun yesterday and it felt so good. Here's to hoping for more days like that this spring!

stepping stone cafe

They make some d-e-licious whole wheat "mancakes" served on a plate smaller than the mancakes themselves. Also available in oreo, but for another time. Ornaments are strung all over the ceiling and all attach to the front door, so they'll rise and lower as the front door opens and closes. Painted glass window art, I assume are for sale hang on the walls and stepping stone cafe thongs are also available for purchase (not the first restaurant we have seen do this, but a cafe?). All in all, great breakfast food.

powell's city of books

Powell's City of Books is the largest used and new bookstore in the world and occupies an entire city block. It is pretty overwhelming. Other than picking up a few books and doing a little shopping at Pioneer Square, we saw a crab king-konging it on a building, a parade of male and female brides and got a couple of old-fashioned homemade sodas to go with dinner. All I need now is for the Mavs to beat the Lakers and my day would be complete.