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Ten Things of Thankful: Tractor Driving and Other Stuff


Dorothy, I'm not in Kansas anymore.  Or rather, I'm not in California.  I've come up to Oregon for a while to participate in a strange game of Musical Caregivers.  Sort of.  I think I'm really just comic relief.  My mom and I are about to eat ice cream and watch Austenland, a total chick flick.  It's been easy to come up with 10 Things of Thankful this week.



1.  Before I left for Oregon, I enjoyed a wonderful desert thunderstorm.  The rain was followed by some impressive, pea-sized hail.



2.  I learned a new technique for sewing baby blankets, and I was pleased that the mitered corners turned out pretty well.



3.  On a frivolous front, I found a good deal online for furniture covers.  I ordered some for two chairs and a loveseat.  I had originally purchased the chairs with the intention of learning to reupholster them.  Who was I kidding?!  Thanks to the good deal, the chairs look nice and I avoided the stress (and cost) of trying to learn to reupholster.  (Part of me still thinks it would be a fun skill to know, though.)

4.  This is vague, but we had some very good news this week that relieved a nagging concern.  Happy, happy day!

5.  My flight to Oregon was uneventful, and I'm enjoying seeing my parents and grandma again.  Grandma's place is nice.  The staff, residents, and visitors all seem to know each other, and everyone greets everyone else by name.  I saw a sign hanging in the nurses' station which said something to the effect of, "These clients do not live in our workplace, we are workers in the residents' home." Grandma no longer remembers living at my parents' house.  My mom visits Grandma on an almost-daily basis, and other friends come by on the days my mom can't.  Grandma enjoys watching the staff work out in the gardens.



6.  I've been a big helper here, or at least I'd like to think so.  My dad said he didn't have a tractor license to issue to me, but he did tell me that I earned a field commission.  (The whole time I was learning to drive the tractor, I just kept thinking, "Christine will be so proud of me!")  I'm thankful for a dad who is such a patient teacher.



7.  The green of Oregon soothes my soul.  The flowers are blooming, and everything is just so beautiful.





8.  Mom and I are having a great time together.  We are laughing a lot and attempting (with mixed results) to document our adventures.





9.  Good food.  Years ago, I realized my favorite foods are from the Northwest.  Raspberries, filberts, salmon, Dungeness crab, artichokes--and in the two days I've been here, I've had three of the five!  

10.  As always, I'm thankful for John.  He's home while I'm here, and I'm learning again that absence does make the heart grow fonder.  

Well, Austenland is over, the rain is falling on the roof, and it is past my bedtime.  Better wrap this up!  

What are you thankful for this week?

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Comments

  1. Replies
    1. I love this time of year, when the flowers are blooming so beautifully.

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  2. have a wonderful time in Oregon - great news is always wonderful - your food favorites are delicious and a great skill to learn driving a tractor ..hey you never know! :)

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    1. John and I were talking just the other day about what our next vehicle should be--maybe I have a new suggestion! :-)

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  3. Replies
    1. Sorry to disappoint. Maybe I should stop using comment moderation!

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  4. Well, Kristi, I enjoyed your trip to Oregon, too. Great photos. The three generations is the keeper of the day, but the others are just as wonderful. I loved seeing you channel your inner Christine on the tractor and the tulip farm is beautiful. I could live on crab, salmon artichokes and raspberries. I love me a good thunderstorm in the summer, when the sun comes out right after. What an exciting week!

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    1. It has been a great week, and I'm glad you enjoyed my journey, too! :-)

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  5. Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. My hubby is away for a few days and I miss him - it's good to take a break sometimes. I'm so glad you're having a great week with your Mom. The tulip farm looks incredible! And you look pretty at home up on that tractor too.

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    1. Oh, I'm not sure about the "at home up on that tractor" comment! I never got faster than "turtle" speed. Seriously. The gear to control speed can be pulled from a little picture of a turtle to a little picture of a rabbit. I opted for the slow and steady speed!

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    2. Jen, I had NO idea this was you...been wondering who this Jen is forever!

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  6. Nothing like rain, fields of blooming flowers, and family to lighten the soul. It's good to "hear" a smile in your words. Have a blessed weekend.

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    1. I was left with strict instructions by my dad to keep my mom laughing. If I had a court jester hat, I would have packed it (or forgotten it, like I did my toothbrush!) We are having a great time together.

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  7. Christine would definitely be proud of you!
    Oh my those tulips are gorgeous - I had no idea that's what Oregon looks like. I don't know what I thought it looked like, actually. And hooray for having a great time with your Mom!
    Warm weather thunderstorms...I'm ready for those!

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    1. The eastern part of Oregon is desert, but the western side is rainy. The Willamette Valley is lush and fertile, and agriculture is huge.

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  8. I think my comment disappeared! I'm going to wait a bit and see if it comes through.

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    1. One of these days, I'll stop using comment moderation and it will be easier to tell whether comments have disappeared or not. Sorry about that.

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  9. Looks more like you visited the Netherlands! Tulips and wooden shoes.... If you ever want to compare; you'll always have a place in our home to stay.
    Hooray for good news on nagging concerns.
    A tractor is about the only machine I haven't driven yet. Would love to get a lesson from your dad.
    You really should have a go at reupholstering someday. I did and it's so rewarding and you come to appreciate the piece of furniture even more afterwards. It's not easy, but really fun.
    Have a great time in Oregon. It's a state we really want to see on our next trip to the US. Washington and Oregon and maybe a small piece of Northern California. You make the anticipation a little bigger with this post. Thanks for sharing and have wonderful weekend.
    xxx

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    1. When you visit Washington and Oregon, I'll have to come up and we can meet in person! There are so many great places to see. You'll have to visit Sisters, Oregon, when they have their huge outdoor quilt show. I've never been to the show, but it is billed as the world's largest outdoor quilt show. I've been to Sisters often, though--my dad grew up there--and I've seen it change from a tiny, tiny town to the tourist destination it is today (although it's still a small town).

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  10. (on that comment moderation thing, I was late to doing it, but once I found that (at least for my blog) only previously 'recognized' Comments get through...new people and/or strangers are still held for moderation)

    what mountain is that? (very cool backdrop)
    tractors!! (what's not to enjoy about power equipment?)

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    1. Thank you. I'm going to check on that right now!

      That is Mt. Hood. I'm glad you noticed it; Oregon's overcast skies make it hard to see the snowy mountains.

      As for tractors, they are kinda tippy, and the braking is iffy. For this roger, that doesn't equal tons of fun. But I do like the feeling of accomplishment!

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  11. Oh the tulips are LOVELY though you don't look TOO thrilled about driving the tractor! I bet it was really fun though.

    So glad your Grandma's having a nice time where she is. That makes such a difference, and gives such peace about the placement.

    I can';t remember the other thing I was gonna say. About sum'n sum'n OH your vague one. GOOD! Nice to have a nagging niggle all gone.

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    1. To be honest, we staged the photo. (Though I really did drive the tractor!) My dad said, "Look worried!" and it wasn't too hard to do. I think that's how I really looked when I drove it. I think shooting while I was driving was out of the question, because I needed my dad to walk me through operating the tractor, step by step. :-)

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  12. I'm so glad you're having a great time with your family, Kristi! Oregon indeed looks beautiful right now! Germany is starting to bloom as well, and Lily's been bringing me home blossoms she finds on the way :-) Go you, riding thsi tractor! A friend's sister was crazy enough to let Lily and Violet steer her tractor a couple of years back, the girls had so much fun, and you look as if you had at least as much fun! Enjoy your stay with your family, and a happy reunion with your husband!!

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    1. There is just something so sweet about little bouquets picked by children!

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  13. Oh those flowers are simply amazing. Such a visual treat!

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    1. Aren't they beautiful? I'm soaking up all the greenery before returning to the desert.

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  14. Driving a tractor is very cool. And those tulips! Ahhhh!

    Love the picture of you and your mom and sweet little grandma. I hope she adapts well to her surroundings.

    Nice wooden shoes!

    Mitered corners are nothing to sneeze at! Lovely blanket!

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    1. Oh, you know me, just one of the cool kids. hahahahaha

      Grandma is doing well. She doesn't remember living at my parents' house, and she's invented a history of the care facility. ("All of these buildings around this place used to be owned by individuals, but then the man who owns this bought them all.") She has a picture of an Easter bunny on her wall that "her boss" (a resident at the same facility) made for her. I'm very impressed with the staff and the activities. Children from a nearby childcare facility visit and do crafts with the residents, therapy animals come, and there are gardens that the residents can work in and enjoy.

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  15. Filberts! I don't know many people who say that! My parents always called us filberts as a term of endearment. It's a cute one, I think.
    So cool that you drove a tractor! Adding that to my bucket list.
    Oregon is gorgeous! I've never been, strangely. I'd love to go.
    You mitered corners are masterful! Excellent job!

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    1. They were always filberts to us, though hazelnuts seem to be the popular term nowadays. I've never heard it as a term of endearment, but I think that is cute!

      Oregon is gorgeous. The green beauty comes with a price, though, and many, many days are overcast and drizzly. I love the rain, though.

      Those mitered corners were amazingly not too difficult. I want to make a bunch more of those blankets while the technique is still fresh in my mind, so I'll always be prepared for baby showers!

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  16. I love equipment you can drive! Tractors are a little off base sometimes though...its that front heavy thing I think... but hey ... wheres the sense of adventure in a well-grounded vehicle?

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    1. Yes, they are off base! You should have seen my worried look as I was going up and down hills!

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  17. Are those pics for real!??! Such gorgeous flowers!! :) :)

    Happy to see you happy :)

    Wish you a beautiful new week! :)

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    1. The flower fields are unbelievable, aren't they?

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  18. Hope you got to have those 2 missed favorite foods! It sounds like you are having a wonderful week with your Mom! Makes me wish I could go home and spend a week with mine.

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