Oregon Coast Outing #2
Zoe and me at the Rakestraw's (it has been a couple years since we've taken a photo together) and more photos of the Oregon Coast. My favorite is the one of Zoe and I on the beach and the drift wood...you can see us at specs in this photo if you take a close look. I'm on the far right and she's on the far left...
Oregon Coast Outing
February 8, 2009
This is one of the biggest influences of my life, my dear friend Zoe....attempting to befriend Charlie...Kate, Marsha and me at the trailhead, me, me and me~!
Memorable conversations of the day included to shave or not and why, to thrift or purchase new and why, and extramarital affairs (not having them but our thoughts of them).
Middle-of-the-Day Staff Retreats
January 16, 2009
When I realized just how much of my time would be spent behind a computer screen, I started to crave the outdoors even more. So much of the impact of the work we do to protect our precious planet at the NW Earth Institute is so very far removed from the work we do on a daily basis...indoors, in concrete buildings, in an urban setting, behind computer screens. It can all feel so artificial and inconsistent. I have to make a conscious effort to remember what it is I'm doing and for what. Otherwise, it can seem indistinguishable from any other 9-5 job.
Thank goodness for an incredible understanding and open Executive Director. I ran an idea by him that he quickly responded to. I asked him if I could organize quarterly outings, some of which could happen in the middle of the day.
here is our staff at Forest Park, Lower Macleay Trail...a lovely walk in the middle of a work day! Top photo from Left to Right: Monica, our sweet bookkeeper, Sarah, our latest staffer and bright light, Me, Kerry, our fun Development Director and Chris, our contemplative and generous spirit Jesuit Volunteer Corp. member.
Second photo: picnic - Nina, our quirky intern in the background!
Third photo: Kate, our dedicated, and bright Volunteer and Community Coordinator Sarah and Deb, our beloved kindred spirit who we all miss terribly (she moved back to Colorado and will be giving birth to her first baby this summer).
Snow Hits Portland...?!
I awoke to an unexpected snow fall on Sunday morning and was I in heaven! I screamed so loudly and jumped up and down and snapped some photos of the gently falling snowflakes. What a serene scene....
I caught the tail end of my weekly soccer game with neighbors...this time in the snow (me kicking off!) and then we gathered for hot cider at Martha and Bernie's cozy apartment afterwards...steps across the hall from my apartment. I have a lot of fun with these neighbors. See photo of the puppy pile that happened before I arrived!
I knew snow fall was on the way, but I didn't know if it would arrive as early as Sunday morning. The weather reports predicted weather dipping into the 20s and teens! When it arrived, it continued to fall... all day and started sticking and piling up. Sidewalks even iced over and I managed to skid at least a couple of times in my car...I finally admitted that I had no idea what I was doing driving in snow! Good god.
Portland Public Schools closed their doors today...those must have been some excited kids. Families towed sleds behind them down the streets, people threw snow balls at each other and slid in their shoes across the icy roads. Something about these kinds of conditions brings out the inner child in people and I love that.
A headline from today:
Get ready for Round Two and Round Three.
Forecasters say another blast of snow is set to arrive Wednesday morning. The heaviest is expected to fall into Thursday morning from west to east along the Columbia River.
By late Thursday, another surge of Arctic air will drop temperatures into the teens with highs in the 20s for the weekend, said Charles Dalton, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Portland.
Secret Snowflake
Stayed tuned for explanation to quotes below!
"You have all made my Friday. And I concur, this brilliance should be spread ‘round the year!" - Kate
"I’m YES on seasonal secret bestowers!! LOVE this email exchange… we’re a funny group!" - Dani
"And thanks to my snowflake too! This is SO much fun! Maybe we should have Secret Spring Blossoms and Secret Summer Sunshines too. Today’s was my biggest hint snowflake." - Kerry
"I’m getting fat!!! Thanks a lot snowflake… ;-) I love the holidays!" - Chris
"I would just like to say that as dysfunctional as our snowflake coordination has apparently been…You all make me so happy, I love the holiday intrigue and excitement, and I can’t wait until the throwdown at our Tuesday breakfast! And to my snowflake…very very sneaky…and so sweet!" - Kate
"Some lovely holiday cut outs, some tasty candy, a call from “Jim”, a lovely new song to the tune of “Frosty the Snowman”, Marionberry jam, and a scrumptious sweetroll. I haven’t been that good this year. Thanks Snowflake!" - Mike
"Likewise to my secret snowflake – THANK you for the truffle, the chocolate bar, the lip balm, the lovely quotes, the yummy baked good… WOW I am lucky!!! =)
Thanks!!! Ps: I have my suspicions about your identity… =)" - Deb
"You have gone above and beyond secret snowflake! THANK YOU so much for your sweetness (literally and figuratively)! I am in heaven." - Dani
Soup Cycle....organic soup delivered via bike to work....yes, I have arrived!
An article I just wrote for a local publication...
Soup Delivery Service Is Off to a Sustainable Start
By Daniella Dennenberg, Northwest Earth Institute
One of his legacies would come in the form of something unexpected – organic, plant-based soup delivered on a bike! Our intern, Jonney, at the NW Earth Institute announced SoupCycle with a glimmer in his eye and I could hardly contain the glee myself!
Weekly soups would transform our Voluntary Simplicity discussion circle from special to extraordinary. The buzz of the kitchen at noon was brilliant - red lentil coconut soup one week...kale and potato the next...fresh greens and a brilliant nutritional yeast-based dressing...the aroma of toasting artisan bread. Our first delivery was generously complimentary as Jed, one of the founders, is a huge fan of NWEI's work.
SoupCycle was co-created by Shauna Lambert and Jed Lazar, who met at Bainbridge Graduate Institute while getting their MBAs in Sustainable Business. Shauna's passion for the local farming movement was a natural fit with Jed's experience as a bicycle mechanic and pedicab driver. They started in July 2008 with seven customers and now have over 100 weekly deliveries. Since the summer, they have cooked and delivered more than 700 tasty soups, saved 500 car-miles, and directed nearly $1,500 to local farmers.
Lazar has been a vegetarian for the past 10 years and says vegetarian and vegan customers are some of their most supportive "Soupetarians." Visit http://www.soupcycle.com to set up a home or office delivery today and help support sustainable businesses and add to the number of vegetarian and vegan customers!
Le-Yes!
Me and one of my dearest friends, Ms. Sarah Hurd. If this picture could speak words, it would say, "Le, yes!" Sarah and I have a special language and one of our favorite phrases is that one. It's said with a certain squeal, zeal and intonation and must be experienced!
Puppetry with the Girls
My trip home for Thanksgiving was bittersweet. Seeing the girls was the highlight of my journey back. We had a lot of fun putting on plays with a puppet set I found at ReRun, my favorite thrift store in Portland. Sara was ecstatic to receive that puppet set in the mail!
Dogs in Coats?
More hiking, and Charlie's trendy new jacket. I was never one for dressing animals in clothing as I always felt it was objectifying. Little did I know that a coat served an actual, practical purpose for small dogs with little body heat! People said Charlie would benefit from wearing a coat and I knew he'd show me the signs.
When Charlie started shivering this past Saturday (I think it was high 30's, low 40's), I rushed him inside and vowed to not walk him a step further until I had a coat in hand. I found myself at Green Dog Pet Supply later that evening and was I beyond excited when I found a locally made coat his size! It's fleece inside and waterproof materials outside and the person who made it picked up the materials from thrift stores....what an eco-friendly dream come true coat!
Hikes Galore with the Pup
I've made it a weekly tradition to head out of the city and take Charlie on hikes. He is such a constant companion and such a true joy to watch. The first photos were taken on Sauvie Island and the next photos were taken at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, both 15 minutes out of the city.
A New Angle of My Art Piece
Justin, a friend of Tarja's took this lovely photo of my work and just sent it. I really enjoy the lighting of this piece. Justin, thank you!
Art Debut in The Pearl - Part 2
Jonney, Sarah, Kerry and Kate from NW Earth Institute came out to support my show and that made me feel really special and really proud to work for an organization that is so supportive. What a team! One of the photos shows Jonney striking the stereotypical art viewing pose. Love it!
These are photos of some of the other pieces in the show. I was really impressed by the show of talent displayed that night. A few of my friends commented that they thought my piece was part of the gallery itself. So did the gallery owners! Nice.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
