No big travels, adventures, or news, but there are several fun little things to update you about. In case you’re interested, here are some of them:
I’m studying Spanish language again. This time it is not during the pandemic, so I can go into a classroom and have conversations with actual people. It has made a huge difference. I began the winter term in January, and this one goes through March. I plan to take another class after this one, and maybe even a third, if I still feel like I’m getting a lot out of it. I love this professor and my classmates are so awesome because every single one of them is invested, and actively engages in everything. It is so much fun.
The Sylvania campus is only a 10 minute drive from the house, and it’s so pretty there. I think college campuses are so often pretty. I’m super glad that one benefit of living in a city is lots of opportunities to choose classes from multiple colleges and universities.
The holidays are past and our charming gingerbread houses are no longer charming. I took them out, one every few days, to feed to the chickens. The chickens were terrified of the broken gingerbread because it was something new, until a crow began grabbing pieces and eating it. After that, the chickens pounced and devoured the cookies. Silly girls.
Winter is a good time for trails around here because they are often designed to accommodate the rain. So during the cold, grey, wet days, trail walks are the main activity Pedro and I share. Also, there is not much else to do, so heck, might as well hit the trails! I seem to always find something to capture my interest while I’m on a trail, as the photos above and below illustrate.
The scene above caught my eye immediately because this is close to the house and we walk this section of trail several times a month. This gigantic oak has been leaning drastically since we moved here, and that has concerned me. We had tons and tons of rain, then a windstorm, and the tree couldn’t hold itself up anymore, with roots clinging to soft mud. I dug through old photos and found some to show you how it has changed since we moved here.
In the photo above, you can see where the trail crosses the road. Then the trail continues around this corner for one block along this street, around what used to be three big trees. During the aforementioned rainy and windy weather, this group of trees came down onto the power lines. We lost power, and we also lost this route to Pacific Highway from the house, as it was closed for two days while it was cleared and repaired.
A couple days after I took the photo above, I drove past and saw a sign that said, “Free wood, please take.” I got my man and we drove over there. Pedro and I have been wanting slices of logs so we could practice axe throwing. Yes! It’s a fad that has become popular around here, and they charge you $20 for three tries and we are terrible at it, so it’s completely unsatisfying to spend that $20. A brand new hatchet is probably $20, so we thought “If only we could find a chunk of wood to throw it into!”
One of my friends spent an unexpected six days in the hospital. So awful. She was having trouble breathing. Doctors still don’t know what’s causing the problem, but they have figured out a strategy to keep her breathing, so she could go home. I stopped in to see her because hospitals can be the most boring place to spend time, especially when you can’t breathe and have to stay in bed most of the time. I included the photo because it’s one of the few I have of myself lately.
On dry days, I put Jupyter on a leash and take her outside with me. She likes to run around all over the place, so I don’t usually stake her down, just let her drag the leash around. I keep an eye on her, but every now and then she will dash off to chase a squirrel. I caught the following scene:
Why didn’t Boh run away? Well, she has not learned that Jupyter is bad. They come within two inches of each other, on either side of the glass sliding door, nearly every single day. When Pedro and I hand feed peanuts to her, we put one hand on the cat to keep her from pouncing, and feed the squirrel with the other hand. So Boh is cautious, but not properly afraid. I think she will stay safe. Jupyter has no hunting skills, only chasing skills. This was her first time climbing, and she was stuck right there where you see her. I had to walk over and pick her off the tree and put her down.
For my birthday in January, one of my friends commissioned a painting for me from a 13-year-old in her life. What an absolutely great gift it was! An acrylic painting titled “Jupyter being waited on by Maya and Cyndi.”
As unhelpful as it is, cats frequently spend time on desktops, annoying their owners. Pedro is a big softie about it. I used to be that same way with Racecar, too. Hey! Speaking of our cat, her one year birthday is tomorrow. We are going to an early Tet party hosted by a friend tomorrow, and I am bringing cat-themed snacks so that the guests can celebrate the kitty with us.
One of the MOST FUN things was and still is, to be honest, that one of my most favourite musical artists is Bad Bunny, and he has been in the news every single damned day for a month. I have four of his albums and I’ve been listening to his music for years, so proud of how he champions women and the LGBTQ community from a position of power: being male in a male-centric culture. I was tickled that he was selected to perform at Super Bowl halftime. But then when I saw the show, I was nearly in tears. That was the most beautiful celebration of community and the people that make up communities I could ever have expected to see. We spent our next Spanish class analyzing the importance of so many elements of that performance, to actually SEE some of the cultural things our teacher has been trying to teach us. Every single day I learn one more new piece of amazingly cool information about what Bad Bunny put into his performance. This was the purest celebration of the core of what has made America great. (Also some direct, biting criticisms of how the US government neglects its Puerto Rican territory.) I am still glowing from it. Glowing.
OK, that’s a pretty good catch up!!
Soon we will be joining ALL the kids (Pedro’s twins and my kid and their fiance) at a Studio Ghibli film festival at the science museum here in Portland, called OMSI. Then it’s Pedro’s birthday and I have a fun night of steak, flaming dessert, and comedy planned for him in downtown Portland. On the 27th, I’m meeting a Cherokee sister to attend the McMinnville Short Film Festival where another Cherokee sister, Emma Barrow, is presenting her film called Redbird.
The 28th, Kellen, Cameron, and their roommate Dane are arriving to see another Ghibli film at OMSI, then they will all stay the night with us, because March 1st all FIVE of us are flying down to Los Angeles to spend a week at Disneyland. Naturally, I am super, super, super, super excited!!! (with extra exclamation marks) This is going to be especially fun because Pedro has only been one time, and it was back in the 1990s or something, and he had a bad time because the couple he went with was fighting, so he has never wanted to go back until now. And Dane has never been! So Cam, Kellen, and I are eager to see how this amazing park strikes them. Pedro is a really big Mickey Mouse fan, and I think he is going to find it more enjoyable than he expects he will.
I have burdened you all with ten bazillion Disneyland photos in the past. Because of that, I plan NOT to take my camera this time. I am sure I will take a few photos with my phone, but I think not very many will be necessary, and I want to simply try to have a blast and document it with my heart instead.
Conscious Engagement 
Jupyter will soon find that sitting on the keyboard is an effective way to get attention, and being waited on paw and foot? Of Course!
Yes, she figured that one out already. As you see, Pedro moved his board off to the side. It’s wireless, and sometimes I come into his office and find the keyboard on his lap while Jupyter is stretched out on the desk. Oh my. She is a princess.
Lots to see and do Crystal. My daughter used to tie Cheech’s leash to a concrete block so he couldn’t run away or chase things. It was funny to watch a cat drag a big block around. It sure built muscles 😹
I went to see a Spanish magician. He said he would disappear on the count of three. He asked everyone to count in Spanish. We all went UNO…..DOS….and he disappeared without a tres 😁
That’s a good idea: find something to tie her to that will slow her down. I’m going to come up with a plan based on that. I want to see a muscley Jupyter, ha ha! Your Dad joke is a groaner.
My only Spanish joke and glad it was received appropriately 😁
ha ha ha ha!!
It is so good to see you have experienced such happiness in such a difficult month
Thank you, Derrick. We are doing really, really well, even though the U.S. is still rapidly disintegrating around us. We have each other, and countries have recovered from fascist leaders in the past. We will too.
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Great post. I love that you notice all the little things around you. That makes for a big life! I hope you all have a blast at Disneyland! I think the people you go with either make it or break it. So this time, I think Pedro will have a good time. Safe travels!
You are so right! I had to learn the hard way. The first time Kellen and I ever went was with a boyfriend who never wanted to go, but couldn’t bring himself to tell me, so I didn’t realize till we were there. When he arrived, he was determined to prove to himself that he would hate it. We fought, and he screamed at his kids the whole time and made everyone’s visit so much harder. He yelled at the top of his lungs AT his poor boy right in the middle of Disneyland! On our flight home, Kellen and I were already plotting a return trip without the guy. ha ha ha!!
Your update was fun, Crystal. I liked going on your walk with you, visiting with the trees and critters in the wetlands, hearing about your Spanish class, and plans for Disney. As you travel, stay safe and enjoy yourself with those you love. ❤
Thank you for your kind wishes and for your sweet response to my comment on your post. I have teetered between despair and stoicism for a year, so when the past six weeks turned out to be happy, I decided to sink into it and feel it. It’s like a balm.
Sounds wonderful. ❤
There is always a lot to digest here and this is no exception. Glad you are enjoying classes again. I imagine you always will. The photos are all wonderful. I didn’t know you collected glass chickens. How fun. They have a place in Pinetop that sells ice cream and has ax throwing upstairs. Obviously, I’ve never been but it seems to be all the rage. Jupyter and the squirrel might be good friends if Jupyter can avoid chasing. I fed a squirrel years ago. He would pull open the screen slider to get to the peanuts on his own if I didn’t put them out. Have fun in Disneyland. I went 7 times when we lived in Burbank. Loved all of it but won’t do a roller coaster. You move at warp speed with something going all the time. Takes my breath away even reading about your adventures. Enjoy every moment. Love and hugs, m
I have the same thought about Jupyter and the squirrels! I think they would have so much fun together, as long as I kept giving peanuts to the squirrels. Jupyter only wants a playmate. I don’t actually collect glass chickens, but I have a friend who used to collect roosters and friends and family gave her lots of nice ones, and she has decided she doesn’t want them all. She has been gifting them to me each time she finds a new one she is done with. I think she has given me five now, and this is the first glass one and the smallest. 🙂 I am doing so much better with Spanish and actually having fun this time, and Pedro is doing his best to help me study. We started watching a telenovela called La Reina del Sur – Queen of the South. It’s a soap opera about a woman who becomes a drug lord (I gather, we haven’t got that far yet). Anyway, all the actors are gorgeous, and it’s set in Morocco which is exotic, and it’s very thrilling and 100% in Spanish. I don’t use captions. I’m just trying to get used to hearing the language. Pedro is enjoying the show very much. So I just sit there each night and try to guess what is happening. ha ha!!
Immersion learning is the best way. I listen to German music all the time and try German shows but they talk too fast and of course my brain is slow. This country is so bad about learning other languages. I wish I had been able to learn more. My mother wouldn’t allow German to be spoken in our house. Sad.
Your story is sadly common with immigrant families. I imagine the pain that leads someone to make that choice to hide their language from their children. Someone who must do that is suffering.
Talk about filled with information. Your post was quite entertaining as well. You certainly keep your life full, Crystal. Learning Spanish and axe throwing. It would be hard to find greater opposites. Good for you! 😁
If it works out, Pedro and I can help you two set up a portable axe throwing station to bring with Iorek and Serafina. You’ll be the hit of the RV Park!
Way, way, way back when I was growing up, our local county fair hosted a lumberjack night during the fair. Racing up poles, cutting logs, rolling logs and throwing axes were all part go the competition. With my dad working in the lumber industry as an electrician, going was almost mandatory.
I almost, with the emphasis on almost, tried out axes at the Renaissance Faire Peggy and I went to in September. Are you sure it is the best new sport for an 83 year old to become involved it. maybe I should start with knives. 🙄
ha ha ha!! Maybe this is true.
As a youngster, Crystal, we played a game called Mumblety-peg where we throw a knife between our feet with the objective to getting as close to our feet without actually hitting them. The closest to the foot won. We wore shoes, but…
Loved the Halftime Show! Bad Bunny did such a great job introducing everyone to the culture of Puerto Rico!
Be sure to update us on the ax throwing! 🙂
Ha ha!! I’m sure there will be an update. Our biggest challenge will be finding a spot in the back yard where dozens of poorly thrown axes won’t damage anything, till we get our skills figured out.
Disneyland now? How fun. (I only went once, back in 1966…) 😳
It’s a vacation borne of a gift idea for the kids. My own Kellen, and their fiance Cameron, and their roommate are all struggling, poor, and in their twenties in a old and cramped apartment in a rural, conservative town in Oregon. They are all 3 transgender and had a seriously challenging 2025. The gift that Kellen likes best is experiences, not things, and all of them would probably rank a trip to Disneyland as an ultimate experience. They won’t be able to afford this kind of trip for years. Sooooo all that added up to a super cool gift opportunity from Mom. I invited Pedro to join us, assuming he would decline because he has always made it clear he is not interested in Disneyland because of one awful visit years ago. BUT! He surprised me and said he wanted to go! So now I’m doubly excited. I get to spend a whole week with my kid that I miss so much, and also with my guy, and in a fun place!
How nice that you should all get together. Trans must have a very hard time right now, with the Crook’s lashing out…
Enjoy Disneyland.