Appreciate what you have

Find solace in what you have.
Enjoy what you have.
Appreciate what you have.
That map you're working from, it's the wrong turns you make that make the adventure.
And spend your time accordingly.  It is limited.  Make the most of it.

Change - It's an adventure

Change is never easy for anyone, myself included.
But if you're open to change, it's always an adventure.

My last change brought me to Portland 3 years ago.  I've seen the Oregon Coast, Mt Hood and Mount St Helens.  I've been to all three capitol buildings on the West Coast.  I've found hidden gems on Sunday mornings.  I've learned to slow down and appreciate what's around me.  I've made friends, changed jobs, learned new skills, and learned to enjoy life as it comes.  That's something easily missed in other places.

Can't wait to see where the next change takes me.  It's always an adventure.

Thank you

First Person: Tommy's story

You may ask, what does Sgt. Thomas Vandling Jr have to do with me?  Many years ago, at Christmas time, I stumbled on a website, Anysoldier.com that gives people like me a chance to support the troops in war zones.  What started as a simple request from a son to his parents, that would allow him to support members of his unit who weren't getting mail, quickly grew.  Currently, they are supporting over 95,000 service members with over 2,300 contacts. 

Over time, some of the Anysoldier contacts have been killed in action, making them "lost contacts".  Last spring, Gathering of the Guard was advertised on the site, with the intent to have a flag sponsored for each of the Anysoldier lost contacts.  I choose to sponsor a flag, but since I didn't know any of the lost soldiers, allowed the site to choose one for me to sponsor.  My intent was only to ensure that every one of those lost contacts had a flag.  And they did.

I had forgotten about the event, until I received an email from Marty Horn, President of Any Soldier Inc, that while they wouldn't be able to attend the event, the flags would be sent back to him and he would then send them on to those of us who sponsored them.  In the package would also be a gift for us from Rose at dogtagsforkids.  It made it to me a few weeks later, and I can honestly say, I was in tears when I opened it.  I don't think I knew how big the flag was, or what an impact the dog tag that Rose had included for us would have on me.  Until that moment, this was all an abstract for me.  In fact, when Marty first emailed me that the flag would be shipped to me, I had to ask him the name of the soldier I had sponsored.  But at that moment, with the flag, and the dog tags that showed Tommy was only 26 when he was killed, that made the whole thing real.

That night, I did a quick google search for Tommy's name, not really thinking I'd find much, maybe the usual press releases for a fallen soldier.  I didn't plan on finding April's piece.  We hear about soldier's dying almost daily and I think a lot of us, including myself, forget that these are real people, kids for the most part, someone's son or daughter, mother or father, brother or sister, someone's friend.  I'm thankful April was willing to share so much about her friend and how much she'll miss him.

Over the weekend, I put together a shadowbox with everything.  I think it turned out rather well, even if my picture doesn't show it.  But I think it belongs with someone who knew Tommy.

Thank you Sgt. Thomas Vandling Jr, and your family, for your service and sacrifice.

Wish List

The economy still sucks, at least for most of us.  We all know that some day it's going to come back, at least for most of us.  Until then, I've taken to tightening my belt, and enjoying the finer things in life.  The things that don't cost much, or the things I need to do anyhow.  Like cooking.  I forgot how much I love to cook.

I spent the weekend cooking and baking and putting stuff in the freezer:  turkey meatloaf, turkey black-bean chili, lemon-raspberry muffins (needed more lemon), and apple turnovers (needed less apples).  If it had only been raining, it really would have been the perfect weekend.  But I know it's coming......three years in the Pacific Northwest has taught me, it's coming.

Enjoying the things I've been missing has been a "perk" of the economic downturn.  I've found many AMAZING parks in the Portland area.  At the same time, everyone needs a "Wish List", that list of things that if money were no object, we'd get.  Things to save for.  A goal.  I have a few:

a necklace (it's gone up since I first saw it)

a 32gb iTouch

a vacation with my camera

A wish list, things I want to do, that won't take me a lifetime to save for, but will take just long enough for me to really appreciate them.  And that's the lesson of this economic downturn.

Sunday gems

I don't know what it is, but I seem to find the best gems on Sunday mornings.  I was up pretty early (for a Sunday, 7am is pretty early) and decided to take a walk.  I hadn't made it to George Rogers Park in Lake Oswego yet and started walking that direction.  It's a park that I've driven by at least once a week for two years, but never stopped at.  The softball fields are at the street level, but what's actually at the park is behind all that, and down towards the river.  For someone who gravitates to water, I couldn't believe I hadn't stopped here before.  There's a set up steps that leads you down to the beach and the water.  I spent a few minutes there, listening to the birds flying along the river, watching a few dogs and their owners playing catch in the water, and enjoying the sun coming through the clouds.

It was one of those mornings you appreciate what you have even more.

Walking home, I passed by the condos that are on the Willamette, just down from my apartment.   I had always thought my dream house was on Oswego Lake.  Now I'm thinking it's one of the condos.  Better start saving my pennies.