Living in the Pacific NW

Posted on by mariannedecher

How do you know that you are living in the Pacific NW? First off, let’s hope you remember growing up here or moving here. So much for rhetorical questions. 🙂

Forget finding your orientation in the woods by looking for moss growing on the north side of anything. Moss will cover everything in its path, much like the 60’s movie “The Blob”. Secondly, you can construct an entire new fir tree from the branches that smacked onto your roof all night long during last night’s storm.

Is there a good recipe for moss soup??

Is there a good recipe for moss soup??

This is only 1/3 of what I lugged and there is MUCH left in the yard. BIG picture for FULL effect :)

This is only 1/3 of what I lugged and there is MUCH left in the yard. BIG picture for FULL effect 🙂

 

YeeHaa

Posted on by mariannedecher

I love “coincidences”. After my commenting on someone’s comment on someone else’s blog – did you follow all that? *grins* – word got out about my Pen Pal Project. It seems that people are, indeed, interested in HAND written correspondence. Let’s feed those starving mailboxes with cards and letters from around the world and get a bit more connected.

And again I say, “YeeHaa”.

There’s a tab in the menu bar above that will take you to an explanation of the Pen Pal Project.

Ladies and Gentlemen - start your pens!

Ladies and Gentlemen – start your pens!

Ouch and Grrr

Posted on by mariannedecher

I interpreted for one intense hour on Wednesday, and had a pain pill kind of day all Thursday. Won’t be doing that again for a while, unless it’s a wine tasting class and the terp “has to” sample the wares 🙂

And now for the Grrrr. Don’t read if you mind a bit of grumbling.

**Grumbling has been retracted because people have started coming forth to help a friend who just had surgery. Therefore and henceforth, the post entitled “Ouch and Grrr” shall be known simply as “Ouch”**

Here ya go, sugar plum. Let me fluff your pillow for you!

Here ya go, sugar plum. Let me fluff your pillow for you!

A Spinning Adventure

Posted on by mariannedecher

Intention: To learn spinning. I’ve always been intrigued with it.

Problem: I’m allergic to virtually every kind of animal hair.

Possible Solution: Go to the yarn store, handle all the wool and see what happens, forge ahead.

The real problem: It turned out to not be the wool itself but the drafting process – with fine hairs flying everywhere – that brought on the very itchy eyes and need for antihistamine.

Feeling: Discouraged but determined. I paid for the spinning class and the spinning wheel rental. I want to give this a solid try… and still be able to breathe 🙂

The next possible solution: Wear some kind of eye gear and mask (not practical). Spin with a merino/silk blend – will try it. Spin with organic cotton – my preference, but teaching staff says it is harder and I need to master spinning with wool first.

ANY ADVICE OUT THERE – other than, “stay away from animal hair, you silly girl, and stick with crocheting your synthetic fibers”???

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ADDENDUM: Paradise Fibers in Spokane, WA sells all kinds of cotton, bamboo, faux angora and cashmere!!! If I struggle, skill wise, with spinning wool, why not just go ahead and struggle, skill wise, with spinning cotton? 🙂 Hooray. Feeling hopeful.

Isn't it cute???

Isn’t it cute???

Fifty Shades

Posted on by mariannedecher

I’m pretty sure that Oregon invented the original “50 shades of gray” before it became a popular book – which I have not read. Let’s review the highlights of how you know you live in the NW.

1) Standard issue gray – if you cannot afford gray, one will be assigned to you

2) Light gray

3) Medium gray

4) Dark gray

5) Ueber gray

6) Off gray

7) I want to off myself gray

8) I can’t find my gray mittens kind of gray

9) Merlot for breakfast gray

10) This is not an all gray suit I’m wearing, it’s my cloaking device

11) I tripped over my gray pony because I didn’t see him kind of gray

12) Gray with a hint of arctic blast chill

13) Gray with a touch of “soaked to my marrow” moisture 

14) Gray with a super-powered fog horn

15) Gray with fluffy snow-like stuff which turns ordinary people into crazy ass drivers

16) ‘Who put my zebra in a blender?’ kind of gray

17) Oh goody, it’s gray again!!

18) Does this gray make me look fat?

19) Graypes of Wrath

20) Oregon – it’s a GRAYTE state

 

The Pen Pal Project

Posted on by mariannedecher

Who under the age of 30 these days knows firsthand what a pen pal is (as in: real pen, real paper?) Modern technology is groovy, she says in her best baby boomer voice, but I miss the art of sending, and especially receiving, hand written correspondence. Nothing but bills in the mailbox gets discouraging, but a hand written card brightens the day!!

So – write to me and I will write back. If we have interesting things to chat about, perhaps we’ll keep up the correspondence. Or I’ll connect you with someone who is interested in such. I’m especially looking for anyone who is feeling alone or discouraged – but really, anyone who wants to send/receive a note qualifies. Let’s get the world a bit more personally connected!!

There are just 2 rules.

1) Write on a card, note, scroll, napkin – it doesn’t matter as long as it is HAND written (unless you require adaptive equipment). Tell me about yourself, your hobbies, your hometown, a joke – anything really. Draw a picture. The sky is the limit.

2) Keep this family friendly, G rated, don’t write anything you wouldn’t show your grandmother. If you do, your note will be immediately tossed and you will have karmic spiders crawling in your bed for a week 🙂

PASS THIS ALONG TO ANYONE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED! THANK YOU

Marianne Decher

16869 SW 65th Ave #475

Lake Oswego, OR 97035

Blessed

Posted on by mariannedecher
Native Foods Greek Gyro Bowl - super yum

Native Foods Greek Gyro Bowl – super yum

A fabulous dinner, a case of kombucha, and some new running shoes that are not being held together with duct tape. Does life get ANY better than this?? (The winning lottery ticket and world peace would be pretty cool too).

I’m also so grateful to live in a house where I can play 25 minute renditions of the Irish Washer Woman on hammer dulcimer and not bother any condo or apt neighbors!!

Who took my F#?

Posted on by mariannedecher
The mother of all hammer dulcimers

The mother of all hammer dulcimers

Above we see the mother – make that the ueber grandmother – of all hammer dulcimers, to which I aspire someday. This is a big ol’ honkin piece of fabulous equipment that virtually needs its own forklift. For now, I am on the training-wheels model. Look at all those pretty, shiny (I’m supposed to tune a gazillion strings every time?) work of art.

Unlike the various notes on a flute, one string on an HD does not feel differently nor is it hammered differently than another string. To make it even more challenging, there are 3 areas, on the baby model, in which strings may be struck. Their location is confusing though because the pitch of a note does not correspond to its placement on the soundboard. In other words, there’s an F# on a lower location on the far left set of strings that is higher in pitch than the D, that is lower in pitch, that is located on a higher location on the middle set of strings. Confused yet? I was. I emailed my teacher tonight because I could not find my F#. Vanna – I’d like to buy an F#! But it was hiding in plain sight all along. Who knew?

The age old joke amongst those of us who play these beasties is:

Let’s Get Hammered!!