Pictures...

I have officially entered a new phase of technology in my life. I have a digital camera. I have begun to play with it, but have not dropped it. Here is my first "published" picture:

Minerva and I had a "date" tonight. Sadly Gundy couldn't make it, but with my days here dwindling, we forged ahead. Minerva and I had a rather scary walk over some bridges, and then we made our way to a little pizza place for dinner. Though we didn't solve any of the world's problems in our lengthy conversation, we did discuss love and life, work and school, family and friends...the list goes on. We ended with some ice cream at Liks. I split a single scoop with graham cracker station and lemon/raspberry swirl. Oh delicious!

If you read "yesterday's" (okay, yeah, I wrote it today), you may remember that I visited Metro CareRing. No separation anxiety or control issues, just a visit with my friends! Today I went and volunteered in the pantry in the morning. Though there isn't a "tori" nametag, I wrote one and sat down for gathering. Brad tried to be tricky and called on me to share some announcements, but I think I did okay. It was funny to introduce myself "tori, volunteering in the pantry for the morning." All but one around the table knew me. I got a dirty job with some produce, but I only filled one order. A lot of extra help showed up, so I tried to stay out of everyone's way. I think I will volunteer again next Tuesday morning. Walter will be there, so I can get another joke. He was missing yesterday, so I only shared one of his with a few volunteers as we missed him.

The trauma of the day was a shot in each arm. Two vaccinations, two arms! What a doozey! Gratefully, only the typhoid fever vaccination is really tender, but you think they would not have disabled me so by shooting it into the right arm. I could barely open the door of Minerva's car tonight! Plus, they neglected to give me a lollipop, sticker, or fun band-aids. I hope Miki reads this and does a better job when she gives shots to her patients. Truly I was relieved they were going into my arms and not somewhere else.

My gratitude today is for seeing more friends. Surprisingly, it wasn't until tonight that I got to see Mary. I was happy to share with Minerva that Mary and I have been living together for over six years now! It wasn't long ago we were looking for apartments in Denver and sharing Jennifer's room in the Monroe House. I also got to see Claire, who also had a dream that my hair grew in real fast and long. I had this dream in Portland, and it was so believable I didn't recognize myself in the mirror. The picture shows that it is still pretty short.

To bed for me! Buenos suenos! tori

Home again, home again, jiggity jog...

I slept well on the plane, but I was still tired yesterday when I landed in Denver. Nonetheless, I was excited to be home. Landing in Terminal A, I had the thrill to walk over the sky bridge back to the mail terminal. Wowwee! The mountains were so beautifully silhouetted by the orange-ing sunset. Looking East, I saw the fullish moon with a reflection of the mountains' silhouettes! Some things we try to capture on film, try to capture in words, yet nothing comes close to being there. Sorry. I was happy to find Erik at the baggage claim, and despite my usual luck (though still better than Miki's luck), my bags came out right away! The sun felt good, but the chilly evenings are already here. Today was a good Wednesday. I slept in a little. I did a little cleaning, a lot of potting (a dozen spider plant babies wanted good homes for the winter), some talking on the phone, and other productive tasks. No, I didn't unpack my bags; they still sit in the corner, half-opened with contents strewn this way and that. I did bike down to Metro CareRing to share hugs and stories with staff and volunteers, but more importantly, to find out when Minerva wanted me to come in and volunteer - pantry tomorrow. It was fun to see everyone. Tonight I went to a "catechism" class with Erik. It was nice to see where he has been spending his Wednesday nights this month. Everyone was very friendly, and we had a good discussion. The real "sacred" time was walking over to meet Ahna, Oren, Jennifer, and Johnson at Sancho's afterwards. It was fun to be with each other, to talk and talk and talk, to enjoy catching up on stories. I think I would like to find a job when I return that paid me to socialize. I have too much fun meeting people and talking. I think I might get this from Grandpa. My grateful news of the day was a quick chat with my grandma shortly after she arrived in her recovery room. I was praying for her when I awoke (about the time she was going into surgery). Mom and I checked in a couple times, but it was getting to hear her groggy voice that made me grateful. I teased her that I was recording her because she sounded pretty funny, but I know it can be tough coming out of the anesthesia. What a fighter she is! I will let you know how her recovery goes. Till tomorrow...tori

To be early is to be on time...

A wise, wise, woman used to call, "To be early is to be on time," as we tried not to be late. Sr. Pat McKenzie, out attendance secretary at St. Mary's Academy, was well know for this philosophy. A young man and I exchanged glances about this notion while waiting in line through airport security. A woman two dozen people back was having a fit about missing her flight, which was calling final boarding. Neither of us were feeling too compassionate, as it is standard practice to arrive early and wait at the airport. I do not know if she made it, but I have enough time to type before my flight.

I said farewell to my mom and dad, to Amy and Monica, and to Miki. I stayed up a little too late packing last night, but I felt good to get everything back in the same two bags (plus my puffy sleeping bag). I also had to pack Miki's luggage in the car because her luggage landed in Portland 36 hours after she did - a common problem for her. Hopefully returning it this morning will earn me some good travel karma! It sure got me good lunch karma - beer, chowder, and half a sandwich at McMenamins with a friend of hers. We had a great lunch and enjoyable conversation. Marty is pretty great and earned extra points by bringing chocolate for the ride to the airport. Miki earned points for bringing me.

So a couple thoughts - feel free to post comments. I can send a message back to you. Also, I am notorious for posting multiple days at once, so I apologize now for being a catch-up kind of writer. I posted my itinerary along the side, so my parents know where I am. I will update it with more details and links to the farm as I am able! And here is my attempt to post a few pictures from my trip:

Bath time with Monica, Maddie, and Mia! Bubble baths are so much fun, though it only made Monica thirsty. She sucked a lot of water out of Maddie's Hello Kitty sponge.

Here's Dave before we left for Erin and Lotson's house.

This picture is with Lotson and Erin and their enchanting cat Delila. The picture in the background is one of Erin's paintings that I miss in Denver. It was fun getting to see her artwork again!

Well, my plane is boarding. adios...tori

Am I ready to leave?

This time tomorrow I will be fast asleep in Denver! It is hard to believe how quickly the time has flown, yet I do not feel the rush I typically feel on an eve of departure. This morning Miki and I visited Bob's Red Mill for breakfast, who would have known that cheesey grits good be so good, and I mean Tillamook cheese good! With the biscuits and eggs and everything else, I didn't need to eat again today. My day continued with a sewing project: a silk liner for my sleeping bag. Grandma graciously offered her machine, since Dad buried Mom's, but Annie had to uncover that one. I have lovely brown bag to slide inside my sleeping bag, to keep it clean from dirty traveling me! So handy! Next I delighted to sit with my mom to have our legs and feet pampered as a belated birthday gift. I thought I wasn't so sore today after the big hike, until my calves got kneaded. Then it was time for a snack and purchasing a camera. Soon these posts may come with pictures!! Gratefully, my dad (and Britta earlier) shared his wisdom from his experience with going digital. He helped me see the little difference when I couldn't decide between two: a viewfinder! Much like a "viewpoint", you want to stick with a good one. I also saw my brothers. Auggie stopped by to paint, and Nick stopped by to chat. He also stopped by to eat Mom's pesto, but didn't find any or any other leftovers worthy of his attention. It sure was nice to get in one more talk about the nuts and bolts of our lives. For "dessert" I had cribbage with Grandma. She is having back surgery on Wednesday, but I will have already left, so we played and talked. It is a good thing she has a day to recover from our cards - I skunked her and then won again! I think Grandpa was dealing me the good hands as a confidence booster. When I return to Denver, I have to play a tie-breaking game of cribbage that started 2 1/2 years ago! Since he'll be watching over Grandma, I will have to wing it. I sure loved talking and looking at pictures and planning for our next visit! From start to finish, my day was full again of family love. From start to finish, this trip has been a wonderful reunion of family and friends. Though I can never get enough, I am grateful for each laugh and conversation. Before arriving in Portland, I didn't expect I would leave with so much longing for my return. So this is not good-bye, old home, just a see you soon! loveyoumeanit...tori

The good kind of tired...

I hiked about 9 miles with a pretty heavy backpack today! So I am exhausted, shouldn't even be up anymore, but there is always more to do. If I can chisel away at my list, I will be better off in the long run. I am a notorious procrastinator and a night owl, so I trying to feed on the last bits of sugar in my bloodstream before I crash. Amy, Suzanne, and I had a mini-Nora house reunion. Unfortunately, Joyce and Liezl could not partake of the fun, but Upa Machuca Maria Jose, Suzanne's dog, came as a stand in. With a name like that, she could even stand in for old landlord Gare-bear, as Liezl liked to call him. Off to the Columbia Gorge, we took off pretty early and hit the trail at 10 am. We didn't get back to the car until about 4:20 pm. We hiked from Wahkeena Falls to Angels Rest to Multnomah Falls. This was great training for me if elevation is negligible; however, I do think the difference of 12,000 feet is pretty significant. I was also breaking in my boots and conducting research, since both Suzanne and Amy have been to Peru. The weather was a bit cloudy, but the rain held off! We had so much fun! Some of our conversations were pretty intense, but so was our laughter when Suzanne started telling stories of backpacking after college. Potty humor can still get a laugh around here! The reminiscing, too, gave us much to smile about. I think we were all feeling pretty drained when we made it back to the car. Gratefully, McMenamin's Edgefield was on the way home, so we stopped for an adult beverage and wandered through their Oktoberfest before returning home. It was fun to see Pat and the girls when I dropped Amy off. They were also in the gorge today, but they were at the pear festival. I am not sad I missed it because I got to enjoy the best part - licking pumpkin butter off of Mia's fingers. She even fed me like a little birdie. Sadly almost everything was in her mouth first, but at least she shared! And now I must really go to bed because my pumpkin has expired. Buenas noches! tori

Family to love!

I drove home with Joyce and Andy yesterday just in time to celebrate the wonderful love I found in the Mickolas! I walked down to their house for dinner and a typical all-nighter of talking. The tradition has always been to get there around dinner, drink some wine, put the girls to bed, keep talking (used to be Mom called to see if I was still there around 10:30 pm), and then head home close to midnight or whenever we were too tired. Gratefully, Friday night was nothing short of tradition! Gabe turned 18 recently - a shocker for me! How can a kid I can still picture at 3 be getting ready to graduate?!? Ava was off for a soccer party, so Sophie snuck off to play games with Gabe after the talking got too boring. And talk we did! And eat....and drink...and talk. We had some geography lessons with Sophie about where I am headed. Unfortunately we also found some pictures of cuy, a Peruvian specialty, online, too. (I won't tell you what it is, but do something nice and use www.goodsearch.com to find it. Enter "Metro CareRing" as your charity of choice, and search for all sorts of things. Metro CareRing, my former place of employment, gets a penny a search. I found out Sophie is a web-surfer/web-searcher extraordinaire. She can help support good causes every time she looks up something new, and so can you! Today is Saturday, though, so enough about yesterday. I went to see Sophie play soccer. Her team won, and I saw her play, as well as other girls I know from Holy Family School. Gratefully the sun was out, so I could bike to the game and get in some exercise before the big party!! My dad turned 59 today. We had family and friends over for a feast. Maddie, Mia, and Monica all hopped up on his lap to help blow out the candles, along with Noa, who turned 5 today. It was lots of fun, and party after party, I realize the entertaining and social bug I have is from my mom. Actually, I have had many discussions on this trip about how much of my personality and lifestyle could be attributed to my mom. A Franciscan priest in Mexico once called me "little Vicki" (we are both Victoria with different nicknames), and I am realizing how true that is. While many are wary of being compared to their mother, I am not sure I can fight it. We both already know I keep myself busy like her, often too busy, but it is because we have such big hearts and love so many people. So what a fun day it was to celebrate my dad and celebrate with great family to love! tori

Busy lady...

After being such a lucky lady hanging out with family and goddaughters yesterday, today I jetset to Multnomah Village to Pearl District to Eugene! I had a great visit with Lee, my best friend from preschool through high school, and her son Jake. It was a great privilege to play with them and listen to Lee's stories of travel and family. We had a delicious lunch at the Blossoming Lotus in Pearl District - organic vegan! Yum! I'm sure most of you think a sandwich can't be made without meat and cheese, but I sure loved it (and a cold Mothership Wit to remind me of home). From there I walked to the train and enjoyed a ride in a bi-level train car to Eugene! What a visit I had with Joyce and Andy, my college friends who I visited a year ago in Okinawa, Japan!! Their dog Kyoko gave me a super duper warm welcome when we arrived at their home. We were blessed with nearly 24 hours (okay, we did sleep) of great conversation, catching up, and dog-walking. May all be as blessed as I with good friends: people to love who love us, too! tori

Luckiest girl...

Those of you with family miles and miles away may be familiar with the tendency for small children to forget you and not want you closer than three feet unless in Mom's arms. My typical four day visits, while frequent for my budget, are not frequent enough to endear myself to Mia and Monica, Pat and Amy's youngest two (or my goddaughter Maddie's baby sisters). Mia (3) likes to swat me away and tell me "no", "don't do that", and "no, you can't say that". Monica (1) usually just fake cries and holds tight to Amy. Today the three of us girls had a MAJOR break through. If only I had found a digital camera already, then maybe you could see them. My morning started with an early walk to the Rhododendron Garden with Monica in Amy's backpack and Mia in the stroller I pushed. Mia was quite chatty, while maintaining her scolding of me. But when she saw the ducks and geese, she lit up. She forgot she doesn't like me and told me all about the ducks and how falling in the water would be "a BIG mistake." I know this from personal experience. She was so enthralled she held my hand and engaged with me. I even negotiated with her a little. Back at the house, we read a book, she let me help dress her, we sang songs, and she let me have a tickle fight with her. It was upon remarking what a great girl she is one-on-one that she smacked me on the forehead back into reality. I blew it. I left to take my older goddaughters, Sophie and Ava, to lunch. I loved pulling them out of school, and it was so much fun eating our pizza and talking about school, family, and soccer. They let me walk home with them after school, too, so I could see their new house. It was so much fun, though I had a long walk back to Amy's to help make dinner. I get to see those girls again on Friday. I got to talk to Minerva, Anna Belle, and Walter at Metro CareRing. I pass my love along to everyone, and in a week I will be back in Denver. It was funny calling my extension and reaching Minerva. Despite the threats of phone calls, I hadn't heard from MCR yet, so it was good to hear it hadn't burned down. Plus, I got a few jokes out of Walter! Back to Amy's and Maddie showed me how she can ride a two-wheeler with no training wheels! I was pretty impressed. Dinner was amazing - Erin would be impressed: potato leek au gratin, steamed zucchini with a fresh herb sauce, fennel with sauce, and peach crisp. So delightful! The cottage cheese, applesauce, and toast the three little girls had didn't hold up, but it did leave the girls a mess, so in to the bath tub they went. I was lucky enough to be the lifeguard on duty, so Pat and Amy could talk with Grandma. The girls didn't care that Mom wasn't nearby. After sufficient bubble-beards and scrubbies, out they came and dried off, and guess who got to hold Monica, diaper her, find her "Ducky" (blanket), and play with her in the basement - just me! It was remarkable, so that's why I'm writing it down. I stayed for night prayers and walked home a foot off the ground. Granted, the next time I visit, they may think I'm scarier than a monster in the closet, but for now I will sleep happily. Tomorrow brings another reunion - Lee (Josephson) Vandegrift and her son Jake. Then another train ride and reunion - Joyce and Andy, the friends I visited in Okinawa, Japan, and their dog Kyoko. I feel blessed! tori

"a musical mia original"

the eentsy teensy spider went up the water spout

down came the lamp on bonked him on the head

(at this point much laughter ensues,

and the song must be started over to attempt another line)

Old friends...

I got to see a friend I haven't seen in three years - Sarah Granger! How insightful of God to pen her onto my calendar this morning! Her new baby Hannah was not as excited to see me and slept the whole time, but her son Caleb, who is 3 1/2, was excited to interview me: are you married, do you have a partner, where are you sleeping and eating, what color is your car, do you know my dad, how long are you staying, when are you coming back...very thorough and lots of fun to talk with. Sarah and I met when I was a senior in high school (I think). She took me out for my first beer at a bar - Biddy's. She hid me when I came to surprise my dad at his fiftieth birthday party. And she's been a great person to talk with about faith, community, and intention: good things to be talking about again right now. It's almost uncanny how I am taking a closer look at these three things some several years after she was thinking about some similar situations. Thanks, God, I needed this. It seemed like it was just last week we were visiting, not three years. I am so blessed. And I told Caleb I would see him again around Christmas and his birthday. To add an extra heap of blessing to my plate, I got to play dominoes with Grandma tonight. We both lost to my cousin Annie, but M&Ms, a little wine, and a lot fun talking sure felt like a big win. Tomorrow is another full day...g'night! tori

Rain, rain, go away...

I really don't mind the rain, especially in Denver when the sun comes right back out and dries up all but the deepest puddles, or when I am close to home for puddle-jumping on the sidewalk. Mostly here the drizzly, misty rain started Sunday in Seattle, but truly, we did not let it put a damper on our weekend. My "cousin" Dave picked me up from the train station in Tacoma on Friday. What a reunion! I hadn't seen him in eleven years! Much changes, but we stay the same. I refused the Triple Crown pizza (sausage, beef, and pepperoni), but enjoyed pizza and beer out with Dave and his friends. We made it home for a burn barrel - metal bin and fire - the urban campfire. It was great, since I was a bit chilled. I was glad I packed a scarf from friends Sam and Marcie LaPorte. The entertainment could only get better - Red Sovine, anyone? Dave put in trucker-tunes. Look him up on Goodsearch.com (be sure to enter Metro CareRing as your charity), and you, too, can listen to the sweet story of Teddy Bear and the 18-wheelers. Saturday Dave took me to Erin and Lotson's amazing abode in Renton. We had so much fun catching up and taking in some football. Boy, how I miss them! I was thoroughly impressed and awed by their very grown-up residence: matching furnishings, beautiful kitchen, BIG yard, garden...gorgeous home! Their cat Delilah took to me, and we played many a game of fetch. While in town we went to a brewery for good food and beer, went down to the water to see the locks and spawning ladder for the salmon (saw some jumping), went to the produce market (dreamy, local vegetables and fruit in abundance), watched a movie and a bunch of football (Packers won), baked apple pies with Erin, and ta-dum - helped Lotson take out the dishwasher and get the new one close to installed. That was a highlight, being quasi-handy. And today - Mom took off Monday and picked me up in the rain. We had lunch and saw Hairspray at the movie theater. We had a vacation day together! (The ratio of work to play for my mom is pretty high, so this was a lot of fun.) Nothing much else going on today. Just trying to get things in order in my head. ta-ta-tori

Ahhh...Portland!

So far I have been enjoying so much time with my family! It's been so hot here this week, and it was supposed to hold out till the weekend, but the mist settled in yesterday morning. Now it really feels like fall. This week my sister and I went hiking in the gorge; I had a nice walk with Amy and Monica through the mist one morning; Auggie introduced me to Fir Ridge School, where he works, and we shared lunch; Miki and I visited a couple nuns at Marylhurst and reminisced about grade school and high school; and Miki had us all over for dinner in her new apartment - tasty pizza and pear salad. We did give her a hard time about having to bring the plates we ate off, but it's coming together nicely, despite not having all her furniture in order yet. I like not having to get up when my alarm says, though I have been lately. So much to do! I have my ticket for Peru! The latest plan is to start in Cuzco for two weeks of language school. This will be a big help for traveling solo. Then I will head into La Argentina to farm before coming back to hike the Inca Trail. I have my sleeping bag, and the backpack is on order. I have been spending way too much time with REI, but it's not over yet. My imminent adventure is a train trip to Tacoma and Renton to see friends!! I am excited to take the train for the first time in these parts, but more excited to see Dave, Liezl (?), and Erin & Lotson. Hooray!! Blessings for a safe weekend! tori

Dreaming of work!

Oh brother! Maddie woke me up in the middle of the night because her sleeping bag had fallen off the top bunk. She was talking about a dream of an angel (from the cartoon we watched before bed), and none of it made sense in my sleepy state. There was another wake up call later on, but I only remembered that I was dreaming about Metro CareRing. Burt, one of our pantry volunteers, was giving a tour. It had something to do with a new volunteer-touring/training-volunteer program. Or something like that. Usually I am able to write down these dreams before having to tend to things, so I can appropriately clock in my time for work, so as to get paid for them - or at least that is how the joke with Jon goes at Metro CareRing. I am wondering if I can get someone to sign me in and out of the volunteer log, since I can't get paid for dreaming about Metro CareRing anymore!?!? After breakfast out with "Aunt Vicki", we were off for a fabulous morning of swimming and hot tubbing before the drive back to Portland. I enjoyed Maddie's chitter chatter: the hot tub had big bubbles and little bubbles - the little bubbles are probably so kids and babies can relax; the pool is three, four & five feet deep - she'll be ready for four when she's six and five when she's seven; and calling for help as she was "swept away" (did we really start playing the damsel in distress that early - Disney!). I had a nice afternoon with West, dinner with my lil' bro' Nick, and a walk with my sister Miki. A full, wonderful day! Hopefully I will sleep well and not dream of work. This Monday I get to sleep in!!! zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..........

With Child...

No, not me! I am not "with child", but I did get to have a slumber party with my goddaughter Maddie. Maddie is now five years old (not really five and half, as she suggested, since her birthday was last month). She is a big fan of the Bear Hut, my parents' house at Mount Hood. After a lovely outing at the park with her mom, sisters, and Grammy, she suggested wistfully how nice it would be to get to sleep in the bunkbeds at the Bear Hut and go swimming...I repeat, wistfully. My parents didn't mind, since they were headed up to prepare for my dad's golf tournament on Sunday (the Gripit 'n' Ripit Challenge), but we drove up separately to come back early on Sunday. (Now that I am not a teen babysitter, I don't quite have the stamina for a whole day with no naps!) Plus, I was meeting up with my friend West from Gonzaga in the afternoon. In between Maddie's comments that "it doesn't usually take this long to get there" and questions of whether or not my mom really told me how to get there, we told stories. I had to make up stories that had to be sufficiently long or they didn't count. She told me she didn't know how to make up stories, so I asked her to tell me some stories she knows. She loves "Peter and the Wolf", so she told a lovely, brief rendition of the story, going back to fill in details she remembered later. The best line was the last: "The hunters put the wolf in a cage and took him deep into the woods and came back and celebrated with cake and ice cream and broccoli and vegetables and fruit and things that are good for you." I think the broccoli, et al, was for my sake, since she knows that I, like her mom, am a vegetarian that likes healthy food. The drive was a bit long. We had to turn around to get keys for my parents at one point. But we also stopped at a weigh station when Maddie exclaimed, "I have to go pee-pees really, really bad." We were eight minutes from the house. We stopped and dropped trou' along the highway, a very well-lit portion incidentally. The stage-fright was too much, and we had to get back in the car. I guessed the eight minutes exactly; unfortunately, Maddie asked if I could make it in three. (Amy and Pat, I was a good driver and took all eight minutes.) The whole trip up brought such an incredible awareness to me of the responsibility of driving with a small child strapped in the back seat. I caught myself driving under the speed limit, just being so conscientious of her and my responsibility for her safety. Children are such wonderful blessings, and they make our human frailty even more pronounced. How grateful I am for my goddaughter, who reveals God to me in little ways!

THANK YOU!!!

(Today is closed Wednesday work day, so I thought I would contribute some work...) Dear Metro CareRing, Thank you ever so much for all you've given me over the last seven years. Thank you for the parting gifts and words. My friends commented how nice it was to meet you at the party and see what an exceptional and rare community Metro CareRing is and has. No wonder I love it so much! Leaving Metro CareRing may be one of the toughest things I do, but know that while away, I'm there in spirit and there will always remain. I look forward to seeing you again. This poem spoke to me when I first fell in love with Metro CareRing: Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute , final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you will spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything. Pedro Arrupe, SJ

peace and love....tori

First day off...

I thought I would get up and be productive, but potatoes and eggs, sudoku, and reading the paper were more intriguing. So this is what retired people do!?!? Actually, I know a lot who got up early to make it in to volunteer by 9am. My day was busy and slow and hot and lazy and productive all at once. I certainly wasn't bored, but the significant work I have left to do didn't inspire me. I leave Thursday morning for Portland to see my family. Already I have a lot on my agenda while I am in Portland, so typical! I look forward to see so many friends and family and not worry about trying to cram it into three days - I have almost three weeks! I am sure the time will fly. So maybe I should be packing another box...uh-oh...