Matilda, the Racing Turtle

, I don't claim to have seen it all, not even part of all, but living in Portland I am beginning to move closer to that great claim to fame, "I've seen it all." Yesterday, as the girls and I drove from church to meet folks for dinner, I almost swerved off the road as I passed a lady walking, yes walking, her pet turtle on a leash. She was not dragging the eight inch long amphibian, mind you, but rather being led by the turtle wearing a bright pink rhinestone leash. I pulled over and rolled down the windows so Rynn and Eleanor could get a peek at this strange sight. With an eccentric gait and a wide smile a middle aged woman swept up her turtle and brought her to the window of our car in order to introduce "Matilda" to our family. She proudly explained to us that Matilda would probably outlive her as turtles tend to live to be over one hundred years old. As she spoke, Matilda never stopped moving her legs as though in her mind she was still in a race with the proverbial hare. Apparently Matilda 'runs' the Race for the Cure each year and has the pins and numbers to prove it. "They (the racing pins, that is) are getting a bit heavy for little Matilda, so we might have to find a new activity for next year, " explained Matilda's faitful owner.

On another note, we did get some other, more mundane, but more significantly exciting news this week that Rynn has a place at Richmond Elementary school- a Portland Public School which is an award winning Japanese immersion school. So, starting next fall, Rynn will spend half her kindergarten day speaking Japanese and half speaking English. We are still naive enough to be thoroughly excited. The school gets rave reviews from lots of people, and we are excited for the new door of opportunity for Rynn and for us to meet new people. It also means one of us will be going to Japan in five years with her class. Jason and I will have to rock, paper, scissors for that one. If you are interested you can read more about the school at http://www.richmondjmp.org/jmp.html.

Library Fun Facts

Portland Fun Fact of the Week:
Did you know? "The only library in the U.S. with higher annual circulation than Portland's libraries is Queens, New York which serves a population more than three times the size of Multnomah County (2.2 million v. 693,000), has more than three times the number of libraries (64 v. 17) and has a collection that's over three times larger (6.6 million v. 1.9 million)." So, basically, that translates as Portlanders read a lot. Maybe it is the rain and the cool temps EVEN IN APRIL! I think it also has a bit to do with the ethos of the city, but whatever it is... I like it.

So that little bit of info is from the April issue of our library periodical (yes, we get one free in the mail...amazing, I know). The Little family currently has checked out from our local library 39 books and DVDs which I can conveniently renew online up to 42 times. Crazy. So, the library has become a weekly adventure for the girls and me...which brings me to the subject of books. I have read some really great books in the last few months, but just finished one of the best written books that I have read in a long time. MIDDLESEX by Jeffrey Eugenides is an amazing book. His point of view as narrator, as story teller, as a struggling human being in this world, is absolutely excellent. I feel kind of sad having finished it, and sort of at a lost since the girls and I have not yet made our weekly trek down to our library to find a new book. Some other good ones (although not even in the same league as Eugenides' book) that I've recently enjoyed - Geraldine Brooks' PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, Barbara Kingsolver's THE BEAN TREES, and WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by I can't remember. Any other good suggestions? I NEED A BOOK! Hint. hint...this is a good time for you non-commenting readers out there to leave a note... come on, people, throw me a bone...what's your favorite book?

On the subject of jeans

Ask any woman and I'm sure she will tell you that among the top shopping traumas there are three which rise to the top as the cream of shopping agony- bras, bathing suits, and JEANS. So it has been with great procrastination, and yet also hopeful anticipation, that I have been staring at a small pile of cash which represents the last of my Christmas money. Set aside for great things this bit of cash was baptized with its one and only calling- to be exchanged for a hip, cool pair of jeans. Portland is the city of jeans. Jeans can pass in all settings from cocktail parties to hiking trails. But there is also a great science to jeans- color, texture, fit, style. Wide leg, boot leg, skinny leg, lowrise, midrise, loose fit, boy fit, and the list goes on until one feels like a doctorate degree is needed in order to understand this complex world of THE JEAN. Since it is mid-April and our high temperatures are still struggling to make it out of the 40s, my standard mode of dress is jeans. Now that we live in the music, hipster capital of the West Coast the time had come to succumb to fashion and break out of my standard boot leg Gap jeans. So Tuesday I walked sheepishly into the Levis' store with my wad of cash stuffed into my pocket. I had one goal in mind- to find the perfect pair of jeans. Let's just say that, as in the case of bras and bathing suits, I have come to the sad conclusion that there is no such thing as 'the perfect fit.' BUT, twelve pairs of jeans and a counseling session from the Levis salesgirl later, I walked out of the Levis store a proud owner of a dark pair of tapered 'skinny' jeans with enough length to roll up at the cuff. Jackpot.

In celebration Jason and I actually went out last night to hear live music- a band from Seattle called The Quiet Ones (those CHattanoogans among you will recognize these guys..the Totten-sp?- brothers). I'm sitting there listening to this rock band in my new hipster jeans and throwing around words like 'indie rock' like I actually know what I'm talking about with the tattooed girl across the table, and it hits me. You can put a girl in hipster jeans, but you can't put the hipster into the girl. Fortunately, my hair is finally long enough that I could plug one ear in a desperate attempt to save my eardrums while at the same time just looking as though I was leaning back to take in the music. This worked until the other ear cried out in pain, and I had to switch my pose to accommodate the pounding in the opposite ear. Alas...my cool days are over, if they ever were there to begin with. So, to all you women out there who know the agony of the bra, the bathing suit, and the jean....here is a nod to you from Portland. Cheers.

Why is this man smiling???

Because he is sitting with two beautiful girls? Well, yes, but more so. Kevin Cordell is smiling because he is moving to Portland! Kevin and his wife Tricia, our former RUF intern in Chattanooga, have been praying for months about whether God might have them move their lives to Portland to help be a part of our new church. Kevin came to Portland and stayed with us for the week last week praying that God might open a door with a job offer. THREE engineering job offers and six days later Kevin flew back to Baton Rouge (where he currently is an RUF intern at LSU) to start planning with Tricia their summer move to Portland. We are thrilled and so excited to have two awesome people come join us in Portland. The girls are excited because Kevin builds really cool tents in the living room.

the Willamette Week speaks...

One of the curiously 'Portland' stamps of identity is the weekly paper known as the WILLAMETTE (rhymes with d-it)WEEK. The Willamette Week claims to "provide our audiences with an independent and irreverent understanding of how their world works so they can make a difference." This weekly newspaper spares no one from its witty pen but reflects the humorous ironies and personality of this city we now call home. Here are some of my favorites from this week's issue.

1. In an interview with Hillary Clinton, who is passing through Oregon 'making her pitch for Portland's progressive vote,' the WW asks Clinton,
"If you had to get a tatoo, what would it be?"
She replies, "Gosh, I have been asked a million of questions, and no one has ever asked me that. I have so little interest in having a tatoo, that I just am going to have to ponder this. I think it would be really, really small, like under a microscope.."
WW: "Where would you put it?"
Clinton:"I'm not going to tell you that!"

2. "If you are going to beg for change at an intersection, look like you need it. If you sleep outside and wear a Gore-Tex jacket, you're not homeless. You're camping."

3. "This is a nod to all those rich white Dems on the inner east side (of Portland, that is) who lord diversity of their kids' schools over their westside cronies, as if those black and/or poor classmates existed solely to assuage white guilt. Slapping an Obama sticker on the Lexus hybrid does not bridge the racial divide, especially if your main interest in 'diverse' public schools is how enlightened it makes you look."

Hope at the Old Laurelhurst Church

Many of you have asked how the church is going. Having never done this before I can only say with my limited experience, "Great!." Each week brings new faces which has been very exciting. Our children skip out of church happy and excited to return as they call it our church with a care that inspires me.

Church planting, for me, has been scary, exciting, overwhelming, incredibly humbling, and definitely life changing. Sometimes it feels like we are holding a new baby, and I want every person who comes to gaze at her to grab hold of her and say with confidence, "I want this. I want to see this baby grow and to be a part." It is challenging to be so intimately connected, to care so much, and to be patient and wait as new people come 'check it out.' Sometimes they grab hold of the baby with eagerness, sometimes they smile politely and walk away, and sometimes they just walk away. It is difficult to not want to control everything and everyone so that it will all 'work.' I'm learning in new ways to rest in Jesus, to trust Him with His church, and to love this 'baby' as my own because in the end it is way more than mine...it is Christ's who died for and lives for his bride, the Church.

An Environmentalist and a Fire Fighter

"Mommy, when I grow up, I want to tell people about the polar bears and penguins and how they are in danger because their world is melting. Is there a job for that?," says Rynn OUT OF THE BLUE from the backseat of the car.

"Yeah, and I want to be a fire fighter," says Eleanor, "so I can slide down poles and play with hoses."