Sunday is the big day!

A couple of weeks ago (literally two) our landlord gave us a buzz to let us know that he is selling the house we rent from him, and we had 60 days to move....YIKES!  Although our lease was signed through July of this year, we were aware of a clause in our contract warning us that this might happen.  It was very scary at first, but now that we are boxed up we can hardly wait to pick up the U-Haul!  This house has been kind to us, but to be honest the backyard was it's prize feature.  Our new place is reminiscent of a Portland version of our old home in Vegas, with vaulted ceilings, updated appliances, a kitchen island and hard wood floors and granite tile.  It even has a fireplace and a bathroom in the Master Bath...yay!! "his" and "hers" bathrooms again :)

Cam and I first met on Hudson Ave. in Albany NY (Go Danes!) and our new rental is on Hudson Street in a quirky little area of Portland called St. Johns.  It's a block away from beautiful Pier Park with a pedestrian bridge to a dog park, and close enough to walk to the main street but far enough from all of the hustle and bustle and traffic.  We'll have a nice yard that allows us to bring our lovely hens, and although they didn't allow dogs initially, after the met Slim and Stan we were given the green light!  Oh.  And they also allow CATS!  I've been needing a little feline furball in my life, and I'm curious to see who will take the place of Hailie after all these years.

Move in day is Superbowl Sunday, but tomorrow we start transporting our things to store in the 2 car garage (total upgrade from our dinky carport!).  We'll do some light moving on Sunday (well I'll be working but Cam and Poppa Bert will), watch the Hawks beat the Patriots and then head back to the house to spend our first night in our new home!  I took an extra day off work so have a 3 day weekend so we can unpack and do some "nesting" before Cameron heads out of town on a business trip to Vegas.  Busy busy days ahead....I better get some zzzzzz's!!

Clean in 2015

Handmade Soaps

Since moving to the great NorthWest, the hubs and I have pretty dramatically changed our lifestyle and it feels great!  We're constantly learning new things, and getting more in touch with nature and ourselves.  It was nice having a big house and new cars, but now that we've scaled back we find ourselves much happier.  Owning our own home again is one of our main goals but the new pad is going to be much different than the ones we've had in the past!  Our number one priority is lots of land to garden on and live off of.  We love knowing exactly where our food is coming from, and feel better physically from watching what we've been putting in our bodies.  
Over the past year we've also started watching what we've been putting ON our bodies .  I  learned how to make our own cleaning products such as laundry detergent, soap, floor cleaners, etc.  Vinegar, lemon, baking soda and essential oils are my new best friend.  It's amazing how simple stuff is and how beneficial things found in nature can be for us.  
To ring in the New Year I decided to take it a step further by "naturalizing" some daily beauty products.  My favorite new blog is Live Simply I learned so much!  I'm a wanna be hippie and started cleaning my hair with baking soda and conditioning with apple cider vinegar.  What is all the stuff found in my old products anyway? I've started cleansing my face with avocado oil, made a homemade astringent (apple cider vinegar, essential oil and water) and moisturize with a mixture of coconut oil, vitamin E, and lavender essential oil.  I even made my own "acne mask" using oatmeal, honey, tea tree oil and lemon.  My favorite part?  Having all the ingredients that I need already on hand!  Didn't even have to leave the house (which if you know me well makes me very happy!).  Why have I been using products with all these unnatural ingredients when I can just use 1 or 2 things that work great?  Since moving to Portland my face has been breaking out a lot, but my new regime has improved my skin greatly.  For the holidays I made some homemade body scrubs and they were a hit!  I'm super excited to ring in 2015 and see what other new "discoveries" the year has in store!

 

Warm Vanilla Sugar & Rosemary Grapefruit Salt Scrubs

How does your Garden GROW?

The best thing about having a garden is being able to step outside and enjoy fresh, free (ish) food!  It's been a busy weekend for Cam and I so we haven't been able to get some of the staples and our cupboards are running a little bare.  All I could muster up for my work lunch was cereal, rice milk, and a banana so I was pretty hungry when it was time to go home!  My friend gave me a ride home and as soon as I stepped out of the car I saw a beautiful radish!  We recently planted peas and radishes in the front of our house trimming the lawn and driveway just to see what would happen.  This was the first radish from that bunch and it was DEElicious.  I got inside, and though I knew what I would find, opened up the fridge and freezer and cupboards again to find nothing.  But as soon as I went out back I had access to a variety of beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, kale, spinach and of course....EGGS!  Since I'm not very creative I went on the internet and found a recipe for Cucumber, Tomato, and Avocado Salad.  It called for dried basil and oregano and I was bummed for a minute because we don't keep dried basil, but then I realized I could just use fresh!  It was such a delightful salad with all of the ingredients besides the avocado being home grown.  I love our herbs and garden and I really look forward to expanding our horizons!  This is our second year "on the farm" and though we learned a LOT in that short time I just know that we are going to continue to expand and learn.


Tomato, Cucumber Salad w/ basil, oregano, sunflower oil & apple cider vinegar

First heirloom tomato!

Homegrown Cukes!



Some of our first progress!

Stan watching me watch Cam garden

When we first planted sunflower seeds

Look at them now!  Towering over my 6'5 father!

Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon and 10k

Last weekend's race was a success!  What started out as a chilly, rainy, Sunday morning turned into the perfect day for running!  Portland is typically a pretty wet city but it was raining harder than usual which made me a little worried at first.  The race started at Waterfront Park so it looked miserable, but once we got started it felt perfect!
 

The Rock 'n' Roll was my favorite Half Marathon I've run so far.  Cam had a great time too, and although we didn't run together it was really fun to chat about all the things that went on when we were hanging out afterwards.  The first 4 miles of the course were the same for the 1/2 and the 10k, and went through the streets downtown.  At every mile there was live music ranging from rock n' roll, to jazz bands to banjo drums!  There were a TON of spectators too, cheering everyone on from the sidelines.  The support from the community was great.  Both routes ran across the Williamette over the Hawthorne Bridge, and then the 10k went left and headed back to the finish over the Morrison Bridge, and the 1/2 took a right.  We headed up (and up and up and up!) SE Hawthorne Blvd,  ran across Belmont to Laurelhurst Park, and then back to the finish over the Steel Bridge. My dad met us at the finish line and got to see both of us cross. I'm super proud of us both ~ we did great!

               

The race was followed by a special performance by G-Love and Special Sauce!  We were really excited and got spots right up front.  G-Love made eye contact with me but Cam thinks he was staring at him : ) We got to hear our 2 favorite songs while "enjoying" a Michelob Ultra (it was the free beer they gave away...gross) and then we made our way back to the MAX station and headed home to clean up and dry off!  Check out our G-Love video here!

The rain really started coming down when we got back to the house, but that didn't stop us from going to the Annual Kenton Neighborhood Street Fair on Denver Street!  There wasn't quite the turnout as the year before because of the weather, but we still managed to buy a few things, reward ourselves with a couple beers, and have a fun afternoon. 

There are more races in our future....Stay Tuned!

Slimmie's 1st (and 2nd) Seizure...

Slim after his follow up appt. today!  What a champ!

After a couple of scary days, Slim is back to his normal self, resting comfortably with me on the bed.  It all started on Saturday when I left work early because I felt under the weather.  I was laying in bed with Slim and Stan when I noticed Slim shake and saw a lot of drool.  I thought it was weird but didn't really think much else of it and dozed off.  A couple hours later as I was sitting up reading in bed when I noticed him drooling again.  I just watched him closely as he started what I thought was trying to get something up, like if he had a popcorn kernel stuck in his throat.  He didn't stop though and he started foaming at the mouth and I knew something was off.  I said "Hey Slim, are you okay?" and when he turned to look at me his body tensed up and he started having a seizure.  I was so scared.  I yelled to Cam and ran from the room...some great motherly instinct I have!  Cam stayed with Slim and made sure he didn't fall off the bed as I fumbled with my phone and tried to call for help.  After about 45 seconds he was done convulsing but still limp and disorientated (post-ictal would be the term I would soon learn) and we took him in the car and drove to Dove Lewis, the 24 hours Emergency Room vet.  I drove as Cam held Slim, and about halfway there Slim snapped back to reality - Cam said he could see the change in his eyes.  I think he thought we were going to the dog park because as we crossed over the Fremont Bridge he started yipping and looking out the window and trying to get on my lap!  By the time we got to the waiting room you would've thought he was entered in the Westminster Dog Show, prancing and high-stepping and looking happy as can be!

The staff at Dove Lewis was great.  They were super busy and we were there for a long time, but they were thorough and kind.  The doctor spent a lot of time with me (in my bright green "Irish" hoodie, purple cow pajama pants (no unders!) and gardening shoes!) and we decided the best thing to do was take bloodwork to make sure his sugar levels were normal.  She suggested I keep him the night, but of course I wanted to take him home and when his bloodwork came back ok we were discharged.  She told us if he had another seizure withing the next 24 hours to bring him back, but that sometimes a dog will have a seizure for no reason. 

Slim was so great on our way home.  He ate a big hearty meal when we got back, and even grabbed his toy and was playing tug-o-war!  I texted my dad and some friends pictures of Slim to let them know that he was home and back to normal.  It was already pretty late so we curled up and turned out the lights.  Not 5 minutes later I knew he was going to have another one.  I called to Cam and he came and turned on the light, but this time I stayed with Slim while he had his seizure.  So sad and scary to watch something you love so much go through such a traumatic event.  It seemed like forever and Cam offered to take over, but it ended and we packed back up to head to the vet again.  I was holding Slim after the seizure but he became squirmy to be let down, so I put him on the ground as I put on some pants.  He ran into the kitchen and hid under the table and didn't even recognize me.  He was afraid of me :( 

Before his 2nd Seizure

This time at the vet we knew that Slim would be spending the night.  He wasn't as alert as he was the time before.  He was still "Slim" but a tired Slim.  The doctor spoke with me and Cam (and Stan) and we decided to start him on an anti-seizure medication called Keppra.  They also placed an IV catheter so they could give him medication quickly in case he had another seizure while he was there. After we signed some paperwork and paid some bills, we were allowed to say goodnight to Slim.  The cutest/saddest part of the whole trip was that he had on his green turtleneck sweater with a little collar with a bell tied to it!  This way if he had a seizure the staff would be sure to notice right away. 



Stan was confused without his brother home :(

We picked Slim up the next day, Easter Sunday, at 4pm after he had had 3 doses of his medication.  He was just as Slim as Slim could be!  I imagined he would be a little wobbly and woozy but he looked great!  We brought the staff an Easter Basket to say "Thank You" for taking such good care of our little man.  What would we have done without them?  He had his first seizure at 6pm on the Saturday night before Easter.  It would've been way scarier if Dove Lewis wasn't there.  Slim had a follow up appointment with our regular vet today and he is due for some bloodwork in a month after he has been on his medication regularly.  One thing that both doctors have made clear is that although the medication reduces the chances of the seizures occurring it doesn't stop them completely.  So we just need to be prepared for more seizures in the future and just make him as safe and comfortable as can be.  You're a trooper little Slim!  You may be tiny but you are a CHAMP!  MY champ!

"Happy Easter!  From Slim & the rest of the little peeps you help today!"

Besties and their Babies :)

This dog mom is worn OUT.  Love you Slim.

Spring Travels!

What a whirlwind the past few days have been!  In a good way : )  A long time friend and coworker of Cameron's got married in Newport Beach, California and asked if Cam could shoot her wedding.  They used to work together at Caesar's Palace in the Wedding Chapel and he couldn't pass up the opportunity to see an old friend and stay at a beach front hotel for a couple of days. I wasn't sure if my work schedule would allow me to tag along or not but when Ellen sent the hotel confirmation and I found out that her husband worked for the airline so the airfare was included I made it work! We flew on standby which was VERY nerve wracking, but luckily we both made it on the same flight.  Cam got on first and I thought I didn't make it on.  Through teary eyes I said goodbye and wished him luck, but fortunately the last passenger on the plane never arrived at the gate and I got on at the very last second!  We checked into our hotel late Friday night and although it was dark we could hear the waves crashing against the sand from our hotel room. We put down our stuff and ran over to the ocean.  I'm not much of a beach bum but I really love the water and the ocean air... it's fascinating.  

The next day we found a little place called The Stand that served all natural vegan food, and then had some coffee and walked the beach.  The wedding was at 3 that afternoon right on the sand, followed by a cocktail hour and reception overlooking the beach.  It was a beautiful afternoon and evening, and I am so happy that I got to attend!

Cam had some business to do back in Las Vegas so we had planned on me going home the next day, and him hitching a ride back to LV with friends of the bride.  Turns out that the flights were pretty full on Sunday because of Spring Break, and it was easiest for me to drive with Cam back to Vegas and catch a flight from there the next day.  We ate at our favorite place again that morning, then played tourist and checked out the city and had a couple of beers.  We hit the road in the afternoon, and got to Vegas around 9pm.  I had to leave for the airport the next morning at 4am, but we still found some time to grab a couple of drinks and walk up and down Fremont Street.  We played a couple of hands of Roulette, then had a nightcap (a 24oz PBR and a shot of jaeger!) at Hogs and Heifers where Cam would be working the next couple of nights. Traveling back to home the next day was a bit hectic, but we're both home now and even though it was a quick trip I'm glad it went down in the books!

It's funny, because when we lived in Vegas I really counted down the days until we were going on a vacation.  I still love traveling and am eager to visit more places, but since we've moved to Portland I don't get as excited when it's time to hit the road.  We're really happy here and I'm glad to call PDX our home. I'm sure it's also a combination of me getting older but as much as I like getting out and seeing new things, I also don't mind when the party's over and it's time to go home. We were only gone 3 full days, but being that it's Spring there were so many changes back on the "farm" in that short period of time.  Even driving down the street you can see new buds on the trees and bushes.  On our walk earlier today you could smell the sweetness in the air.  It's so great!

Speaking of Spring, the Tuesday before we left for California we took at trip to the  Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival!  It was only 45 minutes from here and it was GORGEOUS!  Over 40 acres of beautiful, different varieties of Tulips.  We took the dogs, and my dad, and my dad's dog and had a really nice time. It was surreal!

Me, Dad, Slim, Stan, and Maggie

Compassionate Eating

For whatever reason and however long, I have loved chickens!  I'm sure it must've started out with something simple, like a kitchen towel or something but I somehow started collecting them.  Long before moving to Portland was even a thought, I had quite the collection of chicken things :)  You could imagine my surprised delight when upon moving here my landlord said we could get a couple of real hens!!

When I started my chicken "craze" I began eating less chicken.  Nothing in particular made me do it, I just thought they were cute creatures and eating them just didn't seem right!  That being said, I still had chicken wings on Super Bowl or on vacation or what not.   After moving to Portland and having hens of my own, I became aware of  how unique and funny chickens are first hand!  After they became my pets with names I stopped eating chicken completely.  If I happened to be at a friends house and they were serving chicken I would eat it (as not to waste it) but I stopped buying it for home consumption and at the store.  But then I realized, why do I protect chickens and not other animals?  Why do I consider Slim and Stan, and LayLay, Martini, and EggBerta my pets, yet I have no problem eating a pig for bacon or a cow for a burger?  After watching many documentaries, and undercover farm factory footage, vegetarianism became the only way.  But wait!  Dairy Cows and Laying Hens (besides mine) aren't treated any better than animals that are raised for meat!  And so emerged my motivation to eat a plant based, vegan diet.

Eating a Vegan diet is fun.  Instead of my husband and I eating "steak and potatoes" for dinner, we explore different recipes and unique foods.  Cooking together in the kitchen is even more enjoyable when trying new things.  Tonight we invited my dad over and made Buffalo Chick"pea" Pitas as an appetizer,  "ChickPea" Cutlets for an entree, and Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies with Almond Dream ice cream.  It blows my mind that we, as a society, eat animals when there are so many healthier plant based options.  I always had this fanciful idea that the meat that I was eating was from a happy farm with tons of space and sun, if I even thought about it at all. There is so much to thing about that it makes my brain hurt, but for now I am completely happy living on a plant based diet.  

Buffalo ChickPea Pita with Ranch

ChickPea Cutlets!

mmmm fruit.