Friendships & Rocks

I have loved rocks since I was a kid.

I don't know why I am fascinated with rocks.

I just am.

I feel honored when someone brings me a rock.

Matt brought me a rock from Florida.

Jack gave me a rock from Camp Norwesca.

Robert has given me several rocks;

a unique rock found on a build site when we were working for Habitat for Humanity,

a nice size piece of quartz,

and most recently an obsidian rock from Utah.

And Jeff and I have certainly picked at, shoveled, hauled, moved, and re-stacked tons of rock!

Maybe I am not alone in this quirky fascination with rocks and stones.

Or maybe its because they are always under foot and can be an inexpensive souvenir.

Whatever the case,

I like finding rocks,

and I like getting rocks. 

My most favorite rock find of all time is a rock that I can't put in my pocket and bring home.

I don't get to look at it when I want,

put it in a bowl,

or give it to someone else who might like it.

But I do like to go back and re-find it when I can.

It is a heart shaped rock I can only see at low tide.

It has been weathered and worn and has taken it's shape

just below the crashing waves off the coast of Pacific City.

I hope to get back there sometime this month for another visit.

And I hope I can show each of you exactly where it is ... someday.

Here are the links to just a few of my past blogs about sticks, stones, rocks and such.

http://jbrownflash.blogspot.com/2009/12/hearts-of-stone.html

http://jbrownflash.blogspot.com/2010/05/rocks-from-rockaway.html

http://jbrownflash.blogspot.com/2008/03/weekend-at-beach.html

http://jbrownflash.blogspot.com/2010/02/friday-coastal-escape.html

http://jbrownflash.blogspot.com/2008/04/simple-pleasures.html

http://steppinoutwithdwntwn.blogspot.com/2011/02/families-in-transition.html

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Living in the Middle

Today, July 14, 2011.
I am Halfway through this month,
Halfway through my summer,
Halfway through the year,
And, Hopefully, only halfway through my life.

I haven't had much time for steppin out lately.
I have missed time to explore, time for photography, and time to blog.
I seem to be right smack in the middle of everything.
Its not a bad place to be, in fact its been quite good.
But being right in the middle is a very busy place.

Our summer has been filled with lots of living in the middle of family life;
yard work, graduations, babies, beer brewing, building retaining walls,
vistors & vacations, backyard barbeques', beer bottling, and more kids moving,


The best part of living in the middle this year has been my new grandson, Gabe.

I am so thankful he is right here,
in the middle of my lap,
living here in the middle of the Pacific Northwest.

It is a luxury I didn't have with my first two grandsons, Cale & Zack.

I am also excited to spend more time in the middle of Portland where my sister has a new garden plot in the middle of a neighborhood community garden.

I like being in the middle of a garden.



On occasion I look back on my old blogs just to remember, reflect, and recall what I was in the middle of back when.


I found an old blog from 2007 when I was halfway through July,
halfway through the year,
feeling quite similar to the way I am feeling today.

http://jbrownflash.blogspot.com/2007/07/mid-year-already.html

While a lot has happened in the past 4 years,
a lot remains the same.

I don't mind being halfway.
I don't mind being in the middle of.
Especially when it means I can be in the middle of this very busy,
often times hectic,
and generally quite chaotic life of mine.

I wouldn't know what to do if my life was calm and I was out of the loop*.

So for now I will have to get by on less time for exploring,
less time for photography,
less time for blogging,
and less time for 'steppin out' because I am living in the middle.

* Kids,  that was for you!




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Big Family Plus 1

Our big family just got bigger!
On June 29, 2011 at 7:35am
Gabriel Edward Welsh entered the world.


Gabe is going to be a tall young man because he got a jumpstart at a lengthy 23 inches.
He weighed 9 pounds, 10 ounces at birth.
Gabe has the longest fingers I have seen on a newborn.
And he is handsome!


All of his aunts and uncles that live close by have been able to


watch him grow and change in the first few days of his life.


What a blessing.
We missed out on being able to watch the daily changes of a


newborn with Cale & Zack, and are thankful to have Gabe & his parents living with us for now.


Next week Gabe and his parents will move into their own place.
I am budgeting extra dollars for gas money as I expect more trips to and from Portland are in our future. We all need our 'baby' time even if all we do is nap together.


I know if my dad were here he would take one look at Gabe and exclaim, "Yep, He's a keeper!"


Every year our family grows bigger. I am anxious to see what the coming year holds for the Ranney-Brown-Herrmann-Welsh clan!

Happy Half birthday to my oldest Melissa! Celebrate Well!





- Posted by DWNTWN

Sunny Sunday Morning

It's is a gorgeous sunny Sunday morning.
I opted to sit on the front porch,


sip my coffee, listen to the birds sing, and let the light breeze dry my hair rather than stand in the bathroom listening to the sound of the hair dryer.

I am so pleased with my yard this year! We finished the long awaited rock wall on the north side after spreading 7 cubic yards of bark dust yesterday.


It looks MARVELOUS!

My strawberries are coming on.



My roses are in bloom.



And I am enjoying my new


Lupine & Lily plants.


I had never seen or heard of Lupine before. But it caught my eye because of its blossoms. I especially like the way water droplets rest in its leaves.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0k6h8FRnks&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Now...
if we could just hold that new baby Gabe we are waiting on...
Maybe today!

Hope you all are having a terrific day!


- Posted by DWNTWN

Location:Coho Ave NW,Salem,United States

5th Anniversary

Today marks the 5th anniversary of our move to Oregon.
On June 23rd, 2006
4 of our kids,
myself,
our dog Thor,
our bird George,
our fish (who's name I have forgotten),
and a very dear and brave friend, Matt
loaded into 2 vehicles and headed west.

There were a few misadventures along the way,
but all in all a pretty good trip.

http://jbrownflash.blogspot.com/2010/06/oregon-anniversary.html

I always remember this day because it is also my dad's birthday.
A lot has changed in the past 5 years.

There have been deaths & births,
marriages,
graduations,
moves,
and many other celebrations.

When I look at this picture I am surprised at how much the kids have grown.

I am thankful for the times that we have all been together,
and look forward to all the adventures & misadventures the next 5 years might bring.

We know there will be at least 1 new addition to the family as we await the arrival of Aimee & Mike's baby.
We were hoping for a birth today,
my dad's birthday,
but as the day comes to an end it doesn't look likely.

Thank you to my dear friends back home for helping me sort, pack, clean, and prepare for the move.
I especially appreciate the listening ears and shoulders to cry on.
(You know who you are!)
Thank you to Jose for your prayers, support, and photography skills.
And a HUGE thank you to Matt for your incredible patience and awesome driving skills!

I am forever in your debt.

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TGI 'S'

TGIF...
Thank God it's Friday.

I understand why this acronym has caught on in our society.
There is even a restaurant chain called TGIFridays.
Their slogan is something like, Where every day is Friday.

I say
TGIS...
Thank God it's Saturday!
I work on Fridays.
Saturdays I am off!
It could also be thank God it's Sunday!
I am off on Sundays too!

I enjoyed sleeping in this morning.
It was overcast, dreary and there was a light rain falling.
A perfect morning to just stay snuggled under the covers.
I felt bad for my husband who had to work this morning.

Hopefully tomorrow, Father's Day will be a TGIS day for him.

I didn't even mind the mess I came downstairs to this morning.

Its a lazy Saturday and I have all day to cook, clean, and do laundry.

I don't mind (as much) facing dirty dishes,
empty pop cans and beer bottles....
the residual mess from our first Friday night for the summer...
when I have all day to tackle it.


So about 10:30 I put some music on, grabbed my first diet coke of the day, and got busy. 

In no time, laundry was in the wash,
the kitchen was in tolerable shape,
and the beginnings of a great dinner had been started.

Yep,
I say, "TGIS!"







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The Joy of Big Families

I come from a big family.
Not a big family like the Duggers on the show 19 and counting. And not a big family like Jon and Kate plus 8,
Oh I guess it is just Kate plus 8 now.
I come from a somewhat big family of 9.
I am number 2 of 7 siblings;
4 girls and 3 boys.
My parents had a big family primarily because they loved kids, especially my dad.  I remember on numerous occasions hearing my mom say,  "If your father could have had babies, we would have had a dozen kids."

I am happy to say that I love all my brothers and sisters and wish I could see them all more often.
We get along well, laugh often, and love much.    
Oh sure...     As kids, it was a different story.
There was the normal amount of bickering, arguing, and fighting that goes on between siblings. But mom and dad told us everyday to love each other.      So we did.
But in spite of my happy childhood,  I did not plan to have kids of my own.  I wanted to be a photojournalist, get my pilots license, work for National Geographic, and see the world from behind the lens of my camera.

My plan wasn't meant to be.
And for that I am extremely grateful.
While I did NOT set out to pass my parents in the number of children I had, somewhere along the way I did.  I have 8;
6 girls and 2 boys.
And I get to live the adventure of raising them.
Everyday I tell them they love each other, and while this love is not always visible in their every day interaction... it is there. 
We share much joy & laughter when we all gather.
Recently #6 Caroline graduated from high school and all my kids, and my mom were here for the celebration.  Time was taken off from work, money was spent on travel, child & pet care had to be arranged, extended family shared the burden while others traveled, and sacrifices were made so we could all share in the joy.
My 8 children, my mother, 1 son in law, 1 boyfriend, my husband & I, as well as 2 dogs all under 1 roof.  It was noisy, chaotic, crazy and a whole lot of fun.  I was just missing another son in law and my 2 grandsons.  I don't know where they would have slept had they been able to join us, but I know we would have made room.  We don't get together often enough.  It has been 2 years since all the siblings were together. So obviously I had my camera at hand, even when I was cooking.  I guess in many ways I AM seeing the world from behind the lens.  It just happens to be my little world.

Out of the over 500 photos I took in the course of 5 days, my favorites are becoming the ones I took of Caroline as she 'posed' with each of her siblings.   I was struck by how the individual relationships seemed to be captured between Caroline and each of her siblings.

Melissa the oldest, and part time mom brings a look of "Oh No!" on Caroline's face as if she was caught doing something wrong.

Brad was in my mind a terrific babysitter.  We called him the 'enforcer' because he always made sure the kids followed the rules.
Because of this they often butted heads.

Aimee has been able to spend many Christmas breaks and some summer months with us the past 5 years giving Caroline an opportunity to grow their relationship as young women in addition to that of big sister/little sister.

I wasn't sure Lindsey was going to be able to make it with her new job, but thankfully she was able to steal away some time and join us.  Its always a party when L. A. is around.












Alex and Caroline are 18 months apart.  They were thrust together and referred to as the "2 little kids" before Jacquie and Laura were born. They have shared a lot in their 18+ years including the same Godparents.

Leaving family and friends while in junior high and moving half way across the country isn't easy for kids.  But my girls handled it quite well largely because they had each other. 

I suppose anyone who is the youngest in their family has stories to tell about how difficult it is to be 'the youngest'. 
And anyone who has a 'youngest' in their family will have a different version of those same stories. 
It is the same with our youngest Laura.  The family she has grown up in and will continue to grow up in is very different from the family that Melissa and Brad remember growing up in.
I know that is true because I am a different parent now with only 4 teenagers in the house than I was when my kids were 17, 14, 12, 10, 6, 4, 2, and 6 months.

I am so thankful to have been raised by 2 wonderful parents that taught me how to deal with all that comes with a large family.

I wish dad was still with us, but his spirit looms large in all of us...especially when we all gather together.

Growing up in a large family taught us there is always room for more. 
We didn't have a lot of money, fancy clothes, or extras of anything, but we always had enough. 
And we always had enough to share. 



It is the same now with my kids.


They make room for more.


More friends.


More family.


More fun.


More hugs!


And always more love!

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Pacific City

It's all good









- Posted by DWNTWN

Location:Nestucca Ridge Rd,Cloverdale,United States

Smoke, Fire, and what's Precious

In the early morning hours,
well before my alarm was set to go off,
I was startled awake by the sound of our smoke detectors.

There is nothing quite like waking up to this sound and the fear of a possible house fire.

Thoughts went rushing through my mind in a split second!
Fire!
The kids!
Get out of the house!
Where is the fire!
Oh Yeah! Put clothes on first!
...And a million other thoughts.

As we explored and took survey of our house and couldn't find smoke or fire, my thoughts then turned to the question,
What would I grab if the house were on fire and I had time?
What is most precious to me?

After making sure the family is safe,
My first thought was to grab my bible, not because I am that religious, but because all the sentimental notes, pictures, letters, funeral cards, and such are tucked inside.
Next on my list was my camera, then the external hard-drive with my photographs, but the more I thought about it,
even my pictures were something I could leave behind.
I don't have a long list of possessions that are precious.
I don't even have short list.
I don't have fancy clothes, gold or diamonds.
I don't have precious knickknacks or expensive collectables.

I do collect rocks,
mostly heart-shaped rocks.
But I'm not attached to them.

If I had plenty of time,
I might grab the quilts grandma has made for me & the kids over the years,
but they were not in the top 5 possessions that came to mind.

Honestly, my thoughts were more practical.
(Imagine that, me... practical.)
Change of clothes,
shoes,
phone,
And blanket if it's cold out.
Not just for me, but for the kids as well.
I guess I was in 'mom mode'.

On the drive to school Laura and I had a chance to talk about the smoke detector/fire scare.

I asked Laura, "If it had been a real fire, what would you have done?"
She said, "jump out my window.!"
I said, "What? You know there is concrete under your window. You could die from jumping.
What about the fire safety ladder in your room.
Do you even know where it is?"

With a chuckle she said, "Yes, its under the table by the window."

"So let me understand, you would risk your life by jumping rather than use the fire safety ladder?" I asked.
"Well, I would go over to the grassy part of the yard and then jump.
And then I would tuck and roll." she added with a laugh.

She continued to explain how she envisioned using the safety ladder taking too long.
She would have to get it out of the box,
read the directions,
get it set up, all before climbing out of the window.
It made me realize we need an actual fire drill in addition to the basic instructions we have given the kids.

I then asked Laura, "If there had been a fire, what would you grab first?"
She didn't think long before saying, "I would take my blankie, put everything on it and throw it out the window before I jumped."

"Like what?" I asked.

"My picture books,
whammy (a Lamb she has had since birth-I have restuffed, restitched, and repaired a few times over the past 13 years.)
and maybe my dishes from Japan."

"You know the dishes might break when they land on the concrete?", I reminded her.

"yeah. I know." and she grinned.

I am curious though,
"What picture books?" I asked

"You know, the red one you gave me, and the ones Melissa and Lindsey gave me."
I was drawing a blank.
But it was clear by Laura's reaction that I should know her favorite books.

Then Laura said, "The ones with my favorite pictures."
"Oh! Your photo albums!" (my light finally went on.)
She said, "I call them picture books."

With that we exchanged "I Love You's".
And she was off to school.

I was glad to know that what Laura finds precious are her 'picture books' & whammy.
Sentimental items that hold memories for her,
that is what she would save in event of a fire,
Those are the things she holds precious.

I hope we never have to actually choose!


- Posted by DWNTWN

Location:Silver Ridge Rd SE,Sublimity,United States

Memorial Day Home Improvement Projects

I imagine that I am just one of many homeowners who have spent their Memorial Day working on a home improvement project.

I have heard a number of my neighbors mowing and trimming.
I have noticed new flowers in some yards.
And next door to us is a new raised bed that will soon be providing fresh vegetables.

My home improvement project
However,
is a bit more daunting.


I am finally getting my long awaited for natural rock retaining wall.
It's a vision I have had since signing homeowner papers in 2006.
It's a project that we started 3 years ago.
And today...
I feel we are finally making progress.
It was going quickly with just 2 of us.
It picked up speed with 3 of us.


Then the guys got sidetrack by the call of the Disc Golf Course.

I can't blame them,
It's a gorgeous day.

Progress is much slower with just me though.

But after just a few short hours I can see significant progress.
I am ever hopeful that this will be the year that I get the wall finished.

I think I have been quite patient,
And I have to do something with this pile of rocks!




- Posted by DWNTWN

Location:Westfarthing Way NW,Salem,United States

Grandma Zelma & My next blog.

I have a lot of blogs I want to get out of my mind and onto this site.
But writing has been slow in coming.

My 97 year old Grandma passed away.
My thoughts have been with her.

I thought about blogging about her,
but each time I begin,
I stutter, and trip, and can't get the words out.

I guess for now, I will just wait until the words flow smoothly.

http://www.cochranmortuary.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=1170065&fh_id=10368

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