Things are clearing up here with the smoke and ash, unfortunately all of the ash falling in our pool ended up tearing up the ceramics inside the pump and breaking the pump. We are going to clean the pool up and possibly get a new pump next year, but right now it sits with ash and debris in the water. We are so looking forward to a more mellow autumn season and a little less stressful. We celebrated Skylar's seventeenth birthday on September 30. He has made Jeff and I so proud lately and we couldn't be more happy with the person he is becoming. He passed his driving test and now has a permit. There's been a lot going on with him lately that has just made us honored to be his parents. I also read that President Trump and the first lady tested positive for Coronavirus. Not sure if that's the truth, or just something made up to convince people that it's not a hoax. Everything in the government is bizarre right now. People are acting so odd currently and it could be the stress of the year, but I don't know. On our own front, here are five things this week.
1. This House.
We closed down our Little Free Library because of the Coronavirus pandemic and this week we decided to sanitize it and clean it to get it ready to reopen possibly before the end of the year.
2. This Doggy.
Hardy has been getting spoiled and being able to be in the house more since the wildfires. He has taken full advantage, too.
3. This Loss.
Clearly, even in a pandemic this guy isn't good at Fantasy Football. Poor guy was even in high heels. ☺
4. This Wash.
Had to take my car through the car wash this week just to get all of the ash off of it. I was afraid it would mess the paint up, so just getting it cleaned made me feel a bit better.
5. These Plums.
Picked up some plums at the local food co-op this week and I'm going to try and bake some plum scones with them this weekend. If we don't eat them all beforehand.☺
We also got a light glimpse of the Northern Lights here in Oregon on September 29.
Skylar and I spent the early part of his birthday in a natural area in Portland named Rocky Butte. It's an area that is a hidden gem in Portland and a lot of people don't know about it, unless they live in the area. It is considered a natural area and is an extinct volcanic cinder cone from the Boring Lava Field. It used to be the area of the Rocky Butte Jail, but the jail was dismantled in the 80s. After which, Jeff and I had a small cupcake celebration for Skylar. With the pandemic going on, we had decided to just do something small and enjoy the day together.
Things are getting a bit better here on the wildfire front. We have finally been able to see some sky over just orange, red, and smoky. We are so grateful for all of the firefighters, wildland agencies, and civilians that have put themselves in harms way and sacrificed a lot to keep us and everyone else as safe as they can. This summer was unbelievable. This entire year so far as been absolutely draining for us and everyone we've spoken to. 2020 has really tested everyone and speaking from a selfish standpoint, it has really tested my mental health. At least there's I am looking forward to finally having a break from constant stress that's keeping me in the the flight or fight mode 24/7. Positive thoughts and talking every evening about how we feel has really helped us keep our mind's in perspective. I am still worried that a mental health break may come, though. Fingers crossed that it won't and I can keep it under control. As far as the Coronavirus pandemic, the CDC released some guidelines for Halloween and also there has been talks of sending families a stimulus check to help get them through the furloughs and struggles. The cases here in Oregon seem to be climbing slower than they were and that's a good sign. Unfortunately, the United States totals have passed 7 million and over 200,000 deaths. Yikes. For now, here are five things this week.
1. These Turkeys.
Wild turkeys are so abundant in the Willamette Valley and it seems like there are more and more as the years go by. It's great seeing so much wildlife this close to the city, because sometimes you forget you're actually in a city. The babies make such a cute sound when they are keeping up with the group.
2. This Cucumber.
Our garden did terrible this year because of the wildfires. We were able to salvage a few things before the season ended, but we didn't eat anything that was from the garden because of all of the ash on everything. We washed this cucumber off and saved the seeds for next year in the freezer. The ash will be good for the garden so, at least.
3. This Book.
A favorite "influencer" of mine created this amazing cookbook and it took me months to find it because it was actually pulled from shelves. People complained that the foraging recipes inside the book would cause harm, or even death, and the publisher felt it was too risky to keep selling. I finally found a copy and I was thrilled. You may still be able to find a copy floating around somewhere out there, or you can wait to see if it gets posted again on Amazon. The pictures and recipes are beautifully laid out and I am so glad I was able to get a hold of a copy.
4. These Ducks.
Letting our ducks out to swim has been nice for them. What you can't see on the side is two fans going so that they don't have to be surrounded by the last bits of smoke that seems to be lingering in the Valley still. They enjoyed getting out and stretching their legs and being able to forage and swim around.
5. This Appointment.
I've been feeling a bit drained lately. I am hoping that it's just my anxiety taking all of my energy and not something worse, but I felt it's better to be safe and just rule Covid-19 out. (Edited to add test results)
Positive affirmations this week:"How did you learn to advocate and stand up for yourself?"
Lots of years I wasted being a people pleaser. It took a long time to get to a good solid foundation where I knew who I was and trusted myself to make the right choices. Don't just take what people tell you and be like, "Okayyy." Advocate for yourself, and over time you'll become an advocate overall. Ask people questions, get out there and learn for yourself. If getting out and talking to others is difficult, than do what I do and read about things on your own. This goes for all things really. Don't just take what other people say and believe it to be true, especially if it's at the expense of you. One more thing, if something doesn't look right, feel right, or is setting off your internal signs of not being okay, don't do it and definitely don't agree to it. If something needs a certain result, follow up and get it sorted out before it because a larger issues. Sweeping things under the carpet, as the saying goes, only invites in other issues later. Speak up. It's uncomfortable at first, but eventually it gets easier and feels more comfortable the more you do it. And, don't just do it for yourself, do it for others, too.
Along with wildfires, and most of them being caused by downed powerlines, we had a horrible thunder storm roll through the last two days. They peeked last night and the lightning strikes had us all on edge. We were hoping that with the rain accompanying the lightning would help keep any fire sparks under control. We didn't have any additional wildfires because of the lightning, but the wind did a lot of damage in our own yard, as well as throughout the city.
We were up most of the night watching, waiting, and hoping that nothing would happen throughout the storm. We have had the oddest year of weather and weather changes here in the Willamette Valley.
Life at a "Swell's" pace is a lifestyle and travel blog chronicling the life and travels while living in Oregon's beautiful Willamette Valley. It is mostly written by Shelly HW. Click the image to learn more»
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