photo updates!

well, since I obviously can't keep myself on track with these entries, I've decided to fill in some gaps with photos. Hopefully, these will be worth much more to you than what I should have written... :)
To start, here are a few of the little kitten when he first came to us in September. He was just about 6 weeks old...






and just today, I took these photos of the little guy as he watched me leaving Berkley's house:





he's a little bigger now! We still can't decide on a name...and why should we, really? He's adorable and loves our attention whether we call him Li'l Guy, Norman, Bailey, Sweetpea... or just kitty. :)

more photos...

These are from my last drive over to Portland. I was irritated when I got on the road because due to work issues, I was starting out about 4 hours later than I had planned. But, my irritation didn't last long because the sunset that I drove into was so incredible that I had to stop a couple of times and take photos! I couldn't help but be happy about my serendipitous good fortune...

...and more photos

the word is out

Apparently, the local animals--stray and otherwise--have all heard that we love little critters and will help them out if they need it. Along with the 3 cats that already live on the property (Li'l Guy included), there is a menagerie of wildlife that likes to stroll about the lawn, including (but not limited to) deer, racoons, an owl, other large and small birds, and a few other cats that like to hang around, too.
Well a few weeks ago, Berkley went outside in the morning and lo and behold, there was a little shivering chihuahua on the front porch! Poor little thing, she'd been there all night it looked like and since she had very short hair, she was freezing! Even so, she was very excited to see him. She had no collar or anything but she looked healthy so we thought she must have been someone's lost pet.
We had no place to keep her sheltered except for on the porch so Berkley made a little bed for her and we fed her some food and water. By the time the animal shelter opened 2 days later, I had placed an ad in the local paper, and called all of the vets in town. Oddly enough, I had no response, and even though we were tempted to keep her, we knew we couldn't take on another animal. So, on Tuesday morning, I put her in my car and sat with her for a bit so she could warm up. She climbed up onto my lap, curled herself up into a ball and promptly fell asleep! She was obviously exhausted, and I wasn't in any hurry to get rid of her, so I just let her sleep for awhile before I took her to the shelter. She was such a little sweetheart, it was difficult to leave her there! It was the best place for her, though, and I felt good about that. She wasn't at the shelter the following week, so I'm hoping that she was reunited with her owner. For a short time though, we had a sweet, precious little dog...

We've adopted a polydactyl!

...Actually, this polydactyl has adopted US.

pol·y·dac·tyl: A person or an animal having more than the normal number of digits.

Six toes on each foot. How cool is THAT?! It looks like he has little tiny thumbs. Sadly, we think his mother was hit on the road in front of Berkley's house. He found a little spot to hide out amongst the trees and brush across the street and cried and meowed for a few days before he would really let us near him. Now, though, he is quite happily a member of the household. Well, Berkley's household that is. I can't have pets at my place. Well...that and I'm allergic. I know, I know... then why have a cat? Because I love animals, that's why! Being allergic doesn't negate my natural desire to have pets, so I'll gladly put up with sneezing and watery eyes for this little guy.
He's a doll!
We can't really decide on a name, so every day we call him something new. Right now he is Bailey, Norman (i.e. PSYCHO!), Franklin, Bear, and sometimes Bob. Mostly, though, we call him Li'l Guy, which seems to suit him just fine...

redheads

There must be something in the Eastern Oregon water, because I have seen more redheads than I ever thought could possibly live in one place. Well, aside from Ireland, that is. It's just the oddest thing.

Supposedly, natural redheads make up less than 4% of the population. LESS than 4%! But over here, you can't go anywhere without seeing at least one--if not more--copper-topped citizen. And a lot of them are children, too. Just the other day I took my niece over to the park, and there was only one other child there at the time. You guessed it--a redhead. Probably no older than two.

Don't get me wrong, I love that this recessive gene has somehow taken hold of this little town. But what does that m-e-a-n, exactly? Are we-- the rare and unique redheads-- destined to become (gulp) NORMAL?!

Well, at least we'll always have our tempers... ;)

Larry, Curly & Moe?

It rained all during the night and even though the ground is still quite wet, my porch is nicely dry, so I went outside to sit and read a bit this morning. There were a few birds here and there, but it was all much calmer and more quiet than other, warmer mornings. The squirrels, though—they were out. I kept hearing them running back and forth along the edge of the roof as I sat in my chair. Occasionally, one would run up to the front of the porch overhang, lean s-l-o-w-l-y over the edge to survey the surroundings and then run back to report his findings to the others. The strange thing was that they didn't really acknowledge that I was there.

This went on for about 10-15 minutes. I loved listening to those little feet running, running, running along the roof. When they finally noticed me, the three of them were trotting along the edge of the roof to my left. The first one saw me and stopped quite abruptly—causing the second one to run right into him, which caused the third little guy to stumble into and OVER the others! Straight out of a cartoon. Seriously. They huddled and held onto each other as they all stared at me, then quickly turned and ran back to the roof behind me, chattering the whole time. I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Apparently, they didn't think it was funny.

Next thing I knew, they were taking turns running up to the edge, peering down at me, and yelling what I can only assume were squirrel obscenities... I'm not kidding. One by one, these three would saunter down to investigate, spout off whatever it was they felt they needed to say to me, then run back, boasting their success to the others. Sorry guys, but that just made it funnier.

space

porch collage
Originally uploaded by redbat.

I miss my Belmont porch.

Well, I did for awhile, anyway. I love my apartment, but it really has no place to sit outside. Here I am in this beautiful valley with big, bright, sunny days and I have no bench to lounge on while reading. Or writing. Or just watching the neighborhood goings-on. By this, I mean the birds, the squirrels, the ladybugs and beetles, and the occasional passersby.

This will not do.

It's up to me to create my own space, I suppose. For the longest time, I thought the backyard would be best, since it's bigger and has more possibilities. But it's also cumbersome to GET to the backyard, and it would require a lot of work clearing out all the weeds and cutting back the overgrown bushes���—not to mention the upkeep. So what I decided on in the end was to start with my small front porch and see where that led me.

I brought home a carload of potting soil, planters, flowers and plants of all types. I trimmed the hedges back from the walkway, but kept some of the overgrowth on each side, so as to keep the area slightly hidden and to create (much-needed) shade on hot days. I planted a small but promising clematis in an oversize pot, complete with climbing trellis. I created two small rock gardens, planted lavender, some dusty miller and arranged all the pots around the perimeter. On one of the side beams, I hung a bamboo windchime. On the other, a basket of red impatiens. And I placed a small shelf along one edge of the porch to hold some tools and more flowers—���and of course, to hold my cold beer on lazy afternoons.

I would never have believed that such a small square of porch could be transformed into such a calming and downright roomy little garden space. To top it off, Berkley surprised me on the morning of my birthday by showing up on my doorstep with a beautiful (and comfy!) chair. The perfect finishing touch.

In the end, what I have is an easy-to-get-to resting spot that really doesn't look like much from the sidewalk. But, I like that. I can simply step out my front door, sit down with (or even without) a book and escape into this soothing and relaxing garden. Secluded and cool, yet open enough to invite in the morning sun, this is my own space.
I created it.

This will most certainly do.

the chair

red chair
Originally uploaded by redbat.

My grandparents' kitchen was filled with all sorts of goodies and fun items we didn't have at home. My favorite cereal was on hand (Frosted Mini-Wheats!), dessert was usually cooling on the counter (chocolate crazy cake!) and something yummy was always cooking in the oven. They had what I thought was the King of all dishwashers, too. It had wheels so you could move it around the room and it hooked up to the sink faucet with a big hose—quite unlike our boring one at home that just sat motionless under the counter.

My favorite item, though, was the step-stool/chair that sat near the kitchen doorway (and still does!). It was my seat at the dinner table and when I'd watch Grammy making dinner or cleaning up afterward—and it always seemed built just for me.

With all the retro-themed items popping up in stores lately, I wasn't too surprised to see a remade version of that same chair at BiMart. I kept my eye on it but could never bring myself to spend $45 on something I didn't really need.

It may sound silly, but the day after Grammy died, I cried my way over to BiMart and I bought that chair—a small but heartfelt tribute to her. It's not quite the same style as the old one and it's certainly not as well made (what is these days?), but it's perfect in my opinion. It sits in my office, bright red and shiny, and although it's painful, it makes me think of her.

All the time.

Who'da Thunk?

the Belmont Gang...together again!
Originally uploaded by redbat.

When Addie and I joined Shane in Boston, we spent much time lamenting our lost Belmont haven in Portland (beer drinking will do that to you...). But on a walk through Sommerville, we stumbled upon a welcome sight.

a long-overdue post!

I guess I haven't really been keeping up with this blog as often as I had hoped I would. Sorry about that! Things have been going really well, though--I've stayed busy with work and finished up some large projects recently, I've spent a lot of time with all "The Littles" (I still spend every Saturday night at Greg and Kalli's for "Family Movie Night"), and of course I've spent lots of time with Berkley, too. :)

My dad and grandma came out for a visit last month and we all had a great time. Dad had not yet seen my new place and I was so happy that my grandma was able to make the trip--especially to see little Ellery (who is still a complete DOLL, by the way, and has thankfully clung on to that red hair). I gave the two of them my apartment to stay in and I had a sleepover weekend with the kids. Fun and comfort for everyone! Well...I'm not sure about "comfort" for me--I had to sleep on a bunk bed--but fun? Yes! ;)

So...what makes me finally write, you ask? Well, because tomorrow is a big day--I'm leaving for vacation! I'm flying to the East Coast for the first time--Boston, to be exact. Addie is already out there and we're both going to stay with Shane and Dana for about a week. I'm SUPER excited to be there, but I could certainly do without the whole flying part if it all. Oh well. I've flown alone before, it's just always a bit scary. I'll just focus, focus, focus on the destination. And being in Boston will be sooooo amazing! I can't wait to take it all in--the scenery, the history, the beer... ;) I plan on taking lots of pictures and experiencing lots of new things, so until then,
hugs and kisses to you all...
--kj :)

post office chat

I had my first real "small town moment" the other day. I was standing in line at the post office and the woman behind me said, "Your hair is so beautiful. Is it naturally curly?" I thanked her, said "yes" and she proceeded to tell me that her son has red hair, too. "He lives in Portland," she said, which obviously launched me into my story of having just moved from there. Turns out that she and her husband had lived for years in the Gladstone/Oregon City area and had moved to La Grande a few years ago. A small world...

As we stood and talked, I couldn't help but picture the usual scene at the grumpy Belmont branch of the Portland post office: a long line of silent, impatient people—myself included. All of us close in proximity, but miles apart in our minds.

The experience caught me off guard a little, but I'd have to say that I enjoyed the line of chatty, friendly people much more—myself included.

Bittersweet Days

baby Ellery
Originally uploaded by redbat.

Though I hated being called "carrot top" when I was a kid, I've always been proud to have red hair, and even more proud knowing that it came from my grandmother ("Grammy")--my mom's mom. My youngest cousin, James, inherited the hair color as well--though ever since he joined the Marines, it's only been allowed to grow about a half inch at most. But there's no denying that he's a redhead; a member of our secret club--forever linked not only by blood, but by the color of our hair.

Sadly--and unexpectedly--this has been a rough couple of days...

Grammy passed away on Saturday afternoon.

James left on Saturday--he's being sent to Iraq.

But in the wee hours of Monday morning, a wonderful gift arrived in the midst of all this: Ellery James Allan Johnson was born at 3:46 am; strong, healthy and full of personality. So, I became an Auntie for the fifth time. Yes, FIFTH time. Oh--and the best part? He has light red hair--a true gift, indeed.

Grammy would be proud.