Garage Sales and Farmers Markets

One of the things I have discovered since living in Portland is that "garage sale" and "farmers' market" are entirely new concepts in this land of resuse and recycle and live organically whenever possible. Today, on a bike adventure with the girls, Jason and I enjoyed tasting locally grown organic pears, freshly brewed beer, and even $5 silk lampshades (didn't buy it, though, no lamp to go with it....oh there was that $250 mid-19th c. lamp at the one house. she didn't want to bargain. Oh well). As you can see from the pictures, we did come home with one prize- a child sized coat rack to hold all those fleece jackets and hats that we suddenly need since fall has ARRIVED.

On another note, the cultural differences of living in this unique city continue to amaze me. Today I served at a local food bank for one of our neighbors who needed a substitute. I've never had to gather a gluten free-vegan bag of groceries for a homeless person before, but today I had another first. Crazy place, this Portland. The next guy wanted cat food in his bag. Keeping Portland weird. :)

Keep Portland Weird

So I've been seeing these bumper stickers around town and thinking that this pretty much sums up life here in Portland. Today I had a conversation with a woman at this yoga studio about my last name and how, Ha, Ha, isn't it funny because I'm, yes-surprise, surprise, indeed LITTLE. She was shocked to hear that this was my husband's last name. "Wow," she said, "you took your husband's last name. That's unusual." So, it seems perhaps that I am indeed weird. Does this make me a Portlander?

Blogging Brainwashing

So, today, during a trip to the Portland zoo with the girls, it dawned on me, "Why not use blogging as brainwashing?." If I can convince my friends and family that Portland might be one of the coolest places ever, maybe, just maybe, we'll get some visitors out here in the far Pacific NW??? Check out this zebra and giraffe. Wow! And of course...my little zoologists.

Mommy, does our Poop go in the street?

Quite a day at the Little house as we watched three men tear up the front yard and then piece it back together again as they put in a brand new sewer line into our almost one hundred year old house. Rynn and Eleanor got quite a show as did several of the neighbors' kids. We even popped popcorn for some kids and watched the digger (is that what you call those machines?) do its stuff. Eleanor just couldn't figure out why she couldn't flush the toilet. I tried to explain to her that our poop has to leave the house and go out the pipe that the men were fixing. Not sure it all processed.

Nevertheless, we are all making Portland our home in our own way. Eleanor is indeed potty trained (our latest and greatest achievement) and is doing her part to dispose of her poop in a "local, sustainable, and organic" means. Adios PAMPERS. Jason is truly becoming a POrtlander as seen in this photo of him taking Rynn to school. Watch out- his carbon footprint just got smaller.

Greetings friends and family! After weeks of tripping over piles and boxes we are finally feeling a bit settled here in Portland. The computer is plugged in, there are groceries the cabinet, and even some piles of weeds as we clear our new garden beds. Portland is becoming home, and we are thankful. I've wanted to start a blog as a way of staying in touch with family and friends. You probably receive our church newsletters, but my hope with the blog is to stay in touch in a more frequent and more "family news" kind of way.

We miss familiar faces, but, by God's grace, our lives have been so full with people already as Portland becomes less a foreign place and more our home. Rynn is attending preschool three mornings a week. It is less than a mile from our house, so Eleanor and I are enjoying walking Rynn to school and walking Mommy to the coffee shop for some much needed Mommy juice.

I'll try to post at least weekly, perhaps more. Stay in touch!

with love,
caroline