It's Spring Somewhere...

Photo: David Carson / St. Louis Post-Dispatch

And People In the US Can't Be Bothered...

"A long wait for nothing: A trail of rocks, bone, boots and boxes marks residents' place in line at a polling station in Juba, Sudan. The group waited in vain for hours for the station to open, but were unable to vote due to a missing electoral materials."

Photo: Roberto Schmidt / AFP / Getty Images

Today's Reality Check or How My Knee Doesn't Really Hurt THAT Bad

"As if a hole in the head weren't bad enough: A CAT scan shows a live 14.5-millimeter, high-explosive incendiary bullet lodged in the scalp of an Afghan National Army solder. In a harrowing procedure, doctors at Craig Joint Theater Hospital removed the round without exploding it at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. The patient is reportedly improving."

Photo: Staff Sgt. Richard Williams / U.S. Air Force

Blew Out My Knee

Unhappy. Really unhappy.
After a long weekend at the market, I got home and took the dog to the dogpark. It was later and there were no other dogs there, so I was playing with Koko, chasing her - trying to get her to run around a bit. It had rained for about 3 minutes half an hour before and the grass was damp and slippery. I slipped. Found myself on the ground with a grass stain on my khakis, a bruise on my ass and my left leg sitting at an uncomfortable angle, in pain. After I got myself up and hobbled home (a few blocks), I elevated and iced. I probably tore my meniscus or maybe (hopefully) it's just a sprain. While sleeping was fitful and I woke up stiff and unable to straighten my leg, it's not swollen at all and I really don't think it's that bad. I've been icing all morning - frozen peas are great for this! - and gentle working my leg. My hobbling is much better right now! As I don't have insurance, I'm not rushing off to the doctor at this point, taking a bit of a wait-and-see attitude. I'm getting up and down the stairs ok (food, bed upstairs; computer, workbench downstairs), but I don't know if I'll be able to do the market and my bank account is beginning to scream in pain too...
Sorry Koko, dog walks are on hold for a while too.

Today's Laugh (?)

Dear Spring,

I'm ready for it to not be windy rainy and cold. Thank you.

Still wearing too many layers in Portland,
Judi

Guarding the Backyard

Koko likes to spend a lot of time outside. Fortunately, I have a nice backyard where she can loll in the sun and protect the world from squirrels - mostly in that order. When it's warm enough, I just leave the back door open and she can come and go as she pleases.
When it's cold/windy/rainy I'll let her outside and close the door behind her. She still wants to check out the backyard, but doesn't necessarily like being in the cold and the rain.Such was the case the other day when these pictures were shot. She's taken to sitting on the back steps so she can survey her rhelm, but the house protects her from the wind. That is until I open the door and let her back in again.

These pictures were taken from my kitchen window and the weirdnesses are reflections from inside. Don't forget to take in the beauty that is the mossy astroturf on the back steps.

Berry Berry Exciting

The woman whose house I bought was a canner. She had loads of raspberry bushes (and I'm told they are really good berries). Well, spring is springing and the berry bushes have started to bud.









There is also a currant bush that was way overgrown and had a lot of dead wood. I chopped it way back - almost to the ground - and it's come back with gusto.



I've since put in two blueberry bushes, because I love me some blueberries. I was told you need at least two bushes to cross pollinate. I got two different kinds, one that fruits mid-season, and one that fruits later. And in a strawberry pot... strawberries. As it's been so warm in Portland, all the plants are budding and flowering. I'm very excited about the potential bounty this summer!

Bow Wedding Ring. Yeehaw!

Several months ago, I was commissioned to make my sterling Forget Me Not bow ring in white gold to be a wedding ring. Today I got a great email telling me how much she loves her ring, that they are finally married and sharing some pictures of the big day. She included a link to her blog post about all the things she got for the wedding from Etsy (including, of course, the ring). What a cute wedding! They had a 50s kiddie cowboy theme and went all out. She was able to find a huge amount of items to fit the theme on Etsy. It looks like a good time was had, and I'm happy I could be a small part of their day. Congratulations Julia and Bobby!

Today's Reality Check: Inspiration

"An armless artist paints good-luck messages on canvas in the Mong Kok district of Hong Kong."

Photo: Dale de la Rey / AFP / Getty Images

Numbers

I don't know if I'd call it a milestone,

but I like when numbers like this come up.
Huzzah!

Parking Karma

At the Portland Saturday Market, the vendors have a parking lot we can use for free – well, it’s part of our monthly membership. The on-the-street paid parking begins at 1pm on Sundays (yes, Sunday meters - a sure sign of the apocalypse). So yesterday, when there was a race on Naito Parkway and no way to get to the vendor parking lot, I was forced to park on the street knowing full well that I would probably get a ticket. I can’t really leave my booth during the market, particularly not for the time it would take to move my car and walk back. I did the only thing I could think of. I tore off a piece of paper and left a note on my window for the potential ticket-writer.
Here’s the actual note: I had absolutely no hope this would work at all, but of course, it did. When I finished packing up my booth and headed back to my car, I was sure that I’d find a ticket on my windshield. My parking karma was like a protective cloak, keeping me ticket free. I’d like to thank Sunday’s parking enforcement personnel for their judiciousness. xoxo

Opening Day of the Portland Saturday Market

Today was opening day for the 2010 season of the Portland Saturday Market. The 37th season! It was a perfectly beautiful day and a huge crowd was out. (Some in tank tops! in March!) Also in attendance were some of the local media covering the event. A reporter from the Oregonian came by to chat with me and I was featured in his article, along with a few of the other vendors. It's sweet to be in the paper - even if he didn't get all the details quite right (um, I didn't do environmental work for 20 years, but hey, what's 10 years between friends?). Although it's a ton of work (the constant upkeeping of stock, setting up my booth twice a week, etc), I enjoy the market a lot: the camaraderie, chatting with my fellow sellers and the customers, the instant feedback on my work, and spending beautiful summer days hanging outside. And, most importantly, the Market allows me to make a living, doing what I love, working for myself, with great people in a community that is very supportive of local artisans. I hope today's happy crowds bode well for a prosperous season for all the vendors.
Photo by Oregonian photog Motoya Nakamura