little bit country, little bit rock n' roll

i refer to myself this way sometimes..."little bit country, little bit rock n' roll." there are two reasons for this, well maybe there are more, but for this blogs purposes there are two. reason number one is probably the most obvious...i was born and raised in the country, in a small town, on a farm with cows and horses. but now i live in the city with all its pavement, traffic and noise. i like to think that i can blend in either location...small town USA or downtown big city. i'm definitely comfortable in either and there are things i love about both. small town life has its charm, its easy laid back attitude, and familiarity. while there is the exciting hustle and bustle, always changing atmosphere, diversity of the city.

reason number two is probably a little more subtle unless you are around me on a daily basis. it refers directly to my taste in music, which changes daily, sometimes hourly. i can go from linkin park to the black eyed peas to rascal flatts all in the same play list. i think the lyrics of the donny and marie song actually explain it best..."i like that peaceful easy feeling of a laid back country song. and when i sing my rock n' roll, i can sing it all night long. i love my country with all my heart and soul. i go out on saturday night for a little bit of rock n' roll." i often say that i don't really discriminate when it comes to musical genres. a point which i would say has been proven by the fact that i just quoted donny and marie.

i was asked recently which side i lean more towards, country or rock n' roll? i don't think this person meant in the musical preferences realm, i think they meant in life. and, as i said before, i would like to think that i'm a mix of the two. however, with that said, if i had to choose, i would probably say country. while i enjoy city life and all that it has to offer...the country is my roots. there are days where i miss it and i go for a drive, until the city lights are behind me and there are trees and rolling green pastures all around me. because, ultimately, whether i want to admit it or not...i'm a country girl at heart. and, as brooks and dunn say, "you can take a girl out of the honky tonk, but you can't take the honky tonk out of the girl."

i'll leave you with a few pictures from the 4th of July, spent at the molalla little buckeroo's rodeo. you can't get much more country than this...

life's a dance, you learn as you go...

webster’s dictionary defines “experience” as “the conscious events that make up an individual life. something personally encountered, undergone, or lived through. the act or process of directly perceiving events or reality. knowledge gained by actually doing or living through something.” i’m not sure when it happened, when i began to realize that life is made up of little experiences. but, i firmly believe this and actively seek out opportunities to experience something new.

these past few months have been very busy…filled with all kinds of new experiences.

1) in mid-april my boss asked if i would like to attend a conference in Nashville, Tennessee. i said yes immediately. 1) i love to travel. 2) i love country music. 3) why would i say no?

the conference was for writers, graphic designers, photographers, public relations, marketing…anyone who worked in the communications department for Baptist organizations.

two things i learned…
1) i love Nashville! my friend Amber (aka…tour guide barbie) showed me all of the hot spots and must sees.
2) all over this country there are graphic designers, photographers, writers, etc. that are just like me. it was great to meet a network of people that i can relate to.

this is a quote from one of these new friends…(as we were pulling up to a very sketchy looking bowling alley). “ladies, i predict that ya’ll are gonna get hit on tonight. there is a mountain man in there right now just lookin’ for a new wife.” (imagine this is said with a very thick southern accent).

2) shortly after returning from nashville i went to see broadway’s production of grease in downtown portland. i had no idea how much i would enjoy musical theater.

FYI…Taylor Hicks is less annoying in a broadway play than an entire season of American idol, which i think says a lot. that was until he pulled out his harmonica. a harmonica in grease…please

3) in the first part of may i traveled home for mother’s day, which also coincides with zillah community days. this brought with it my first experience running a 5K. it's something that i've wanted to do for a while now, but hadn't had the opportunity.


4) this past week found me travelling once again for work, this time to seaside oregon. with the busy schedule of the past two months travelling, house sitting, and a youth conference, it felt like really bad timing and i was not looking forward to the trip. however, my sister put it in the proper prospective when she said, “beckie, the worst thing you have to complain about is that you have to spend three days at the beach, really?”

once i saw the view from my hotel room, Christi’s perspective was reinforced. i mean, how can you really complain about this?

it IS a mad, mad world

i have refrained from blogging about my pick for American Idol this season. i found that people felt the need to convince me that i am insane. yes people, i am an Adam Lambert fan. i realize that while part of the world might not be ready for this type of artist, i am. because have you heard him sing? HE CAN SANG! no, i did not spell that wrong. i feel that "sang" is the only way to describe what he does.

i know that this is all pointless because last night america voted and Adam didn't win. and, believe it or not, i'm not heartbroken. i actually think that it will work out better for both of them this way. i agree with the following statement...
"I will just take solace in the fact that a) Adam Lambert will get a record deal anyway; b) not winning may allow Adam to have more creative control over his debut album, and thus he'll release more genuinely freak-flag-flying material; c) Adam won't have to release that insipid "No Boundaries" as his first single"

this is actually one of my favorite moments of the night...

i'm actually quite proud of cute little Kris Allen, who is also extremely talented. he became one of my favorites throughout the show and several times i was blown away by his performances. i'm also proud of Adam being so gracious as Kris won. i will be first in line to buy his album.

take a look...in a book...

i love to read! when i was a child i used to walk down to the library, check out some books, and start reading one while walking home. this is why it came as no surprise that i loved Powell's Books from the first moment i stepped through the doors. well, maybe "from the second moment" would be more accurate as the first moment was spent standing in an overwhelmed stupor as i took in the enormity of it all. Powell's Books is the largest independent used and new bookstore in the world. and, it is heaven on earth for this reader.


the great thing about Powell's is that it combines two of my loves...books and a great deal! i went in with a list of specific titles that i need for my book club. once i used the kiosk to locate every item on my list...i wandered from the blue room, through the gold room, onto the red room, gathering my books and taking it all in. it was definitely an experience. i could easily see myself spending hours in there. i ended up getting all of my book club books, plus two more, at a great price because they were all used. it was FABULOUS!


here are my purchases. who knew that "the princess bride" was science fiction? maybe that seem like common knowledge to most people, but it was news to me.

flippin' your fins...

i've been thinking about discipline lately. frankly, it's not something that i'm very good at...making myself do something that is difficult or that i don't want to do. i was reminded of this, once again, this past weekend as i watched my niece's swim meet. i was amazed as i watched these children, ages 6-14, swim for hours, not because they HAD to but because they wanted to. because they enjoy what they do and they want to be better at their sport.

here are some pictures and stories from the weekend...

each swimmer writes their event #, heat #, lane # and stroke on their leg or arm. this is so they keep track of where they should be, when they should be there and what they're doing when they get there.


Christi and Megan painted Cassadie's fingernails and toes alternating purple and green to match their team colors. Megan is a hilarious little girl. At one point I asked both girls what they think about when they're swimming. Cassadie said, "nothing, I just count my strokes." Megan said, "Chocolate cake! Oh, and pizza!"


warm-ups were my favorite part to watch. hundreds of little kids all in the pool at one time. sometimes they would be swimming three wide in a lane and i was amazed that no one ever got hurt. apparently it's organized chaos and they all know what they're supposed to be doing.


this is my favorite picture because of the smile on her face. she was obviously proud of herself and the race she had just completed.


at dinner the girls named Cassadie's calzone Patrick after a kid on their swim team that has blazing red hair. this got a little awkward when we opened the fridge the leftovers were in and found that it hadn't been on all night. Cassadie's response..."Patrick died."

i could probably go on with stories about poo in the warm up pool, kids who could barely swim trying to swim 4 laps, or waking up with socks on pillows. but, i will leave you with my favorite quote from some random girl that had just struggled through her 100 yard freestyle race..."i have two questions...did i make it? and, can you help me out of the pool?"

harnessing the wind

there are wind farms covering the hills of the columbia river gorge. you can see hundreds, maybe thousands of them off in the distance. i know that these wind turbines serve a good purpose...but i find them extremely creepy. i'm not sure what it is about them.


maybe it's their enormous size (they look small from a distance, but up close they are positively huge).


maybe it's the fact that you may only see one or two of them peeking over the edge, but lurking over that hill there are hundreds more. like i said, i'm not exactly sure why i find them creepy. they remind me of something out of a science fiction movie. like at any minute they're going to come to life, not unlike a transformer, and take over the world.

fast cars and freedom...

i learned something about myself recently. well, i've actually always known it to be true, but could never put a name to the behavior. it's something that lies dormant most of the time, not letting others in on the secret, but every once in a while it makes itself known. you see...i am an "autophile", or a car enthusiast. i know that this is probably pretty rare for a girl, but i love cars, everything having to do with cars. i credit this to my father, because whether he realizes it or not, i would consider him to be an autophile as well. he is always pointing out cars on the road, classic cars...thunderbird, barracuda, ford fairlane. he can tell you the make, model and year. and, while i can't claim this same prowess (i'm pretty good with makes and models, but years not so much) i find myself noticing cars and sometimes pointing them out, generally to people who could care less.

i was asked a while back..."if money were no object and you could have any car, what would it be?" easy...1967 Shelby Mustang...you might recognize her as "Eleanor" from the movie Gone in 60 seconds (consequently the only nicholas cage movie i can sit through, and that's only because of the cars).


what brought on this sudden realization? about a week ago, i was driving with my sister and we passed a car lot. out of the corner of my eye, i saw it, as if there were a light shining on it. i didn't know what it was at first. all i knew was that it was BEAUTIFUL! after some research i found it...the new Dodge Challenger (when i was buying a new car last year, had i known that this existed, the outcome might have been different).


something in my response to this car triggered my revelation.

so, you might ask...what does an avid car enthusiast drive? if i were the kind of autophile that could actually work on cars, i might drive my 1960's mustang. but, since i'm not, and the new mustang seems slightly impractical, this is what i drive...


a 2007 Nissan Murano (the deciding factor...the salesman opened the hood and i saw this beautiful, clean, V6 engine and then i started her up and she rumbled to life...SOLD!) but, i firmly believe that someday, when love wins out over practicality i will drive my mustang. someday!

this one's for the children...

letters to santa claus from children all over northern california, delivered to the oakland, california post office:

dear santa,
i am 9 years old and all my friends say there is no santa claus or tooth fairy. i don't know because last year i asked for a PSP and i didn't get it. i didn't get any tooth fairy money either for my last five teeth. i have teeth but no money! i don't know!

dear santa,
i write you this letter because i want to ask you if with your magic you could make me smarter. i will be expecting your letter in a while.

dear santa,
i like Diego. i wish he would kiss me. please, santa, make Diego kiss me. just talk to him and i will be happy because if you talk to him he will merry me.

merry christmas santa. let's talk presents. i was wondering if i could have a Wii or a gameboy. or both. i don't want to push it. and how is dear mrs. claus? have you ever taken her on a date? alone? with no elves?

dear santa,
i've been naughty and such, but i do hope i'm on the nice list. i'm not trying to be modest and hope to be on the nice list. it's entirely up to you. i love you.

dear santa,
all i really want for christmas is an american girl named Kit. and for peace in the world. i really like your hat.
p.s. we should have lunch

all i want for christmas...

sometimes in life there are decisions you have to make. you know the right choice, the choice that circumstances may require, yet you long for the other option. this past week i was faced with such a decision...real tree or fake?

i admit to having prejudices towards fake christmas trees. there is just something about the smell and LOOK of a real tree. there is also something to be said for choosing your tree, bringing it home, and decorating it. it's the experience. however, there are definite advantages to a fake tree...you can move the limbs wherever you want them to be, they are more balanced and therefore don't tip over, and you can put the tree topper on before you actually put the tree together (saving yourself from teetering precariously on a stool and pulling a muscle while stretching because you're still not quite tall enough). so, these were the factors weighing my decision...real vs. fake.

until this year, i thought i would never have a fake tree...as i said, prejudices. but, circumstances were pointing to this being the wiser decision. and, after much thought and several discussions, it was decided...a fake tree it is. the decision was made, the tree purchased, put together and decorated (including the "blood star" on top...yes, we realize that it's tacky and often discuss how to best distract from its tackiness, but it now has sentimental value).

i can honestly say that i'm content with this choice and actually think it turned out pretty cute. here is the finished product...

b-e-a-utiful...

i've had my moments...

there are these moments in life. moments where, maybe something big has happened to you. moments of sweet joy that you hope you will remember forever. moments where you want to stop and look around, memorizing every detail. do you know the kind i'm talking about? well, i had one of these moments. while it wasn't of the life altering variety, like a wedding day, or birth of a child, it was a moment of pure joy. and, it involved 5 boys from Boston, yes, New Kids on the Block.


when i was young i was a huge fan of the New Kids, not unlike every other girl my age. i had their posters on my wall, their faces on my school books, and a giant button depicting my favorite...Joey. i dedicated countless hours to learning details about their lives, to say the least i was slightly obsessed. and, i always dreamed of seeing them in concert, but never got the chance, until now. i didn't realize until i was sitting in my seat, that it had been 18 years. that fact didn't make me feel old, as it should have, it made me really excited, giddy in fact. when those boys, now men, came on stage i transformed back into that 13 year old girl, along with every other woman in that room.


now, for those of you who know me, you know that i'm pretty laid back. i don't get overly excited, i don't yell or scream, i don't lift my hands or even clap when i sing. well, you would not have recognized me, because i screamed to the point of losing my voice. i clapped, i sang at the top of my lungs, i waved my arms back and forth, and yes, i danced. like i said...13 year old girl.

the "moment" came during the second encore...hangin' tough. of course the crowd was singing along, because no amount of time could erase those lyrics from our minds. i looked around and saw thousands of people waving their arm, just like we saw the boys do thousands of times, singing "oh oh oh oh oh, hangin' tough." I realized that the dream of my 13 year old self had come true...i got to see NKOTB in concert. i had waited 18 years to hear Donnie tell me to throw my hands in the air and wave em' like i just don'e care. and in that moment, there was a complete sense of happiness, joy and familiarity.

i had been nervous for the boys. i mean, they're not really boys anymore, they're men with wives and children. they're in their late 30's, dancing around like they did when they were teenagers. i was worried that it wouldn't translate, that it would be awkward, and i desperately wanted them to succeed. they did an amazing job! in fact, i found myself thankful that i was seeing them now, as an adult, when i could appreciate it, appreciate the talent and hard work. it was a great show!

how fun are these humpbacks?

this question was asked of me by a child, who i can only guess suffers from ADHD, as he ran around the deck of a boat on a recent whale watching tour. a friend and i drove up to anacortes washington (north of seattle about an hour from the us/canadian border) hoping for two things...good weather and a whale sighting. here are pictures of the trip....


our home for the day...Island Explorer 3


we got wish number one...beautiful day! you really can't beat weather like this at the end of october...it was amazing!


we saw lots and lots of birds, but these two bald eagles were by far the most spectacular. Kate, our naturalist, told us that this was a male and female and that eagles mate for life, so...these are lifelong mates.


at one point some porpoises came to play. they followed the boat for awhile, swimming along and then playing in the wake.


how fun ARE these humpbacks? we got our second wish...whale sighting. not one, but two humpback whales.


here is proof that i was actually on the boat. it got pretty cold on the water, especially when the sun went behind the clouds.


this picture was taken in the marina. i thought it was pretty cool with the reflection in the water.

this is a story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down...

in a post on july 17, 2007 i talked about a trip i took to clovis california for world changers. i was a last minute chaperone and had never met most of the 30 people that went with us. now, over a year later, those people have become a huge part of my life.

in this past year i have been working alongside a team of 17 adult leaders who minister to the students at Greater Gresham Baptist Church. this past weekend 16 of us went to Madras, Oregon to hang out, get to know one another better, and talk about how we can more effectively reach those students.

here is a picture of us at the Cove Palisades, at about 7:15 in the morning, where we watched an amazing sunrise. it was freezing cold, but well worth it.


Back Row (left to right): Jordan, Nicole, Me, Lance, and Brian.
Front Row (left to right): Tim, Jeremy, Megan, Sheila, Abi, Crystal, Nicci, Sara, Ken, and Wendy.

do you read like a girl?

call me a nerd, but i'm so excited because this week i went to my first meeting of the "read like a girl" book club. it's a group of about 10 girls, some i knew previously some i did not, who love to read. we'll get together once a month and discuss the book we unanimously chose to read. a book club is one of those things that i never knew i always wanted to do, if that makes any sense.

WWBGD....what would Bear Grylls do?

my cousin Jessica and i were having a random discussion on Bear Grylls, you know "man vs. wild?" i find myself intrigued by him, while Jess refers to him as just "plum crazy." shortly after our discussion on his eating yak eyeballs and turning his pants into a life vest, i ran across his website and blog. i learned some things that i thought were interesting and worthy of sharing. here are a few quotes from the man himself...

"i always feel like i have done it since i was 4, just without the cameras. i hope to keep living this life but maybe with less mosquitos and danger."

"my dad always said 'be the most enthusiastic person you know!'"

"i was christened Eddie, that became Teddy, and that became Bear! not very butch but there you go! i used to find it a bit awkward as a kid but it could have been worse, and since then it has stuck, from seargant-majors in the army to bank managers, i have ever since been 'Bear.'"

"i depend on a few simple verses everyday that have held me thro so many touch times. they are a mix of these: 'i am here to help you,' 'i am holding you by your right hand,' 'the Lord himself watches over you.' that's it for me in a nutshell."

"i always loved being filthy dirty, covered in mud and climbing things. the army seemed a good route to achieve this."

when asked...how do you feel right after you finish filming a man vs. wild episode?
"whacked!"


this is a clip of his blog. one of his upcoming locations looked familiar...it's in the yellow box in the picture...OREGON.

another from Bear..."this quote has always summed up the way i try to live my life...enjoy!"

'life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, covered in scars, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'yahoo!', what a ride.'

i would say that about sums it up! and yes, Jess, i would say he might just be "plum crazy."

if it makes you happy...

here are a few things i've heard recently that have made me laugh...

1. "i'm a midget, and i know my rights." - person standing on chair illegally at Tim McGraw concert.

2. "i tried out for the choir, they put me in charge of sheet music." - my friend Lisa.

3. "if i spell Chesney wrong, will i still get paid?" - deputy sheriff at Kenny Chesney concert.

4. this next one is a conversation between me and a lady at my new apartment complex.
little old lady: honey, what is that down there in the road, i can't quite make it out.
me: well, it's a rooster.
little old lady: where do you suppose that came from?
me: i have no idea
little old lady: well, there are some crazy people living here, maybe one of them has a pet rooster and it got out.



this is an actual picture of the resident rooster. luckily we've only heard it crow once, other than that it's pretty quiet.

5. finally...

it only took two years, but they finally act like they like each other.

two musicians, a barracuda, and the buzz = one cheap date

a radio station in the portland metro area, called the buzz, sponsors these events called cheap dates. they line up musicians to come and perform to a small group of people. all you have to do to be a part of this elite group is...become a buzz freeloader, get online when the dj tells you to, print off your ticket, and you and a guest are in...for free.

last week was the second of these events. the musicians were Ryan Cabrera and Charlotte Sometimes, the location was barracuda's, and due to Ang's freeloader status, we were in. the venue was small and intimate, and any seat in the house was a great seat (although, there weren't actually any seats).



i had forgotten how much i liked Ryan Cabrera back in the day. i remember him looking more like a frat boy than the "emo" boy before us now, but he had some great hits! if often felt as if we were just sitting in someones living room with about 100 of our closest friends listening to him strum his guitar. i love live music and he didn't disappoint.



i admit that i had no idea who Charlotte Sometimes was going into this. but, going in with little expectations, i was pleasantly surprised. in fact, i really like her a lot. she has a great sound and an amazing voice.

a two week addiction...

i love the summer olympics and i always have! the summer games have some of my favorite events...gymnastics, swimming, diving, track & field. i admit that i have become a little bit obsessed. i even admit that i have completely bought into "Phelpsmania." i remember what he did in Athens. i vividly remember the VISA commercial that showed him swimming from New York to Greece, so i am excited to see hiim doing so well in these games. and, yes, i'm fairly sure that i was standing on my couch last night yelling "go michael" as he won his seventh gold medal by such a slim margin.



in an interview with michael phelps before the games began, he was asked what he was most looking forward to in Beijing. his response..."standing on the blocks in the stars and stripes. to be an american up there representing your country with all of their support on your shoulders...it's an amazing feeling." i can't judge his honesty in that statement but i liked his response. today as i watched the weight of the world rest on the shoulders of an 18 year old cyclist from colorado, i thought...it's odd how i feel this connection to this kid that i've never met and most likely never will meet simply because we're both americans. i don't know anything about him, or if he deserves to win, but i want him to just the same. i'm sure that my response to him had nothing to do with the sad story about his father's fight with parkinsons right before his race. but, there are countless athletes that i feel this same connection to...dara torres, ryan lochte, nastia luikin, and shawn johnson. that list could go on and on.

it's just that sometimes i feel like it takes something devastating to unite us as americans, so i appreciate that the olympics, something positive provides a sense of unity. i know that there are people who are tired of all the michael phelps hype, but i am not one of them. it's really an amazing thing that he has done, with seemingly little effort. i think maybe the USA needed a little positive attention for a minute, and he brought that.

i feel the need to mention the olympic events that i haven't been able to get behind...trampoline, badmitton, and synchronized diving. my question...why don't they have olympic surfing. if they do and i'm just not aware of it...please somebody make me aware.

workin' for the man every night and day...

today as i arrived at work, began my morning routine, said hello to people as i passed them in the hall...i felt extremely blessed. i've been in this job for almost three years, which blows my mind sometimes. i know that three years is not all that long in the grand scheme of things, especially when you're working with people who are starting their thirtieth year. but for me...three years is a long time. there are days when i don't want to come to work, and today would be one of those days, but as i visited with my co-workers this feeling of gratitude came over me. i am so blessed to be in a job that i love, most days, and to work alongside people who i can call friends (a fact proven by a recent move when they showed up to hall my boxes). blessed to work in a community of believers that are striving to help others grow and change. just blessed.

i'm thankful that, today...a crazy day amidst a crazy week...God decided to show me the wonderful things about my job, which far outweigh the frustrating things.

this picture is just a portion of my co-workers. they are truly great people to work with. if you want a small glimpse into what i do...the woman on the left (red/white striped shirt) and the tall older man in the back (hawaian yellow/blue shirt) were not originally in the photo. my task was to photoshop them in. i admit that it was a pretty quick patch job, so if you can see flaws...please don't point them out!

'cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life....

a couple of days ago a friend of mine's status on facebook said..."i'm thankful that good friends are still good friends." or something to that affect. there is something about a good friendship...one where you can go months or even years without talking, but when you're together again, you just pick up where you left off. i am so thankful for these kinds of friendships.

this past month has been filled with the bittersweet. from vacationing with good friends overlapped with the loss of a loved one, to a going away party for my best friend. i have had to think a lot about friends and how important they are in my life. as i get older i realize more and more my need to be surrounded by people who know me, really know me and love me anyway. it's such a comforting feeling to sit in a room with a dear friend and know that you don't even have to talk, you can just be.

meeting up, in san diego, with some great friends that i hadn't seen in over a year was a time of sweet fellowship and bitter loss. what began as a fun week of hanging out and catching up came to a crashing halt as we lost an AMAZING father...husband...friend to a fight with cancer. though sometimes i question God's timing and plan...i have to giggle when i imagine Leon worshipping his Father any way he wants to without the little old biddy's telling him how it should be done. and even amidst this heartbreaking loss...i felt blessed to be among people who truly know me and the comfort that it brings.

following that emotional roller coaster, i celebrated with friends and family as we sent my cousin Jessica out on her new adventure. as i'm writing this...she is spending her first day in her new home...south asia. she has said "yes" and given her life for something far greater than i can imagine. i'm so proud of her and i'm thankful that ours is a friendship that won't be gone in an "mmmbop" (see post from may 30th). Jess and i have said "goodbye" several times over the years, but we have been blessed to have lived in the same town, in the same house for the past three. ours is a friendship that picks up where it left off and i look forward to the time when our paths cross again...Thailand maybe!

there have been sweet moments of quality time overshadowed by grief. this has left me feeling emotionally spent and tired. so, i am choosing to remember and to reflect on the fond memories, rather than the sad and dreary.

Gerri and i at seaport village in san diego, california

me, Rachel and Beth

the girls might kill me for posting this picture...(left to right) Jessica, Mandy, Ang, Christi, and me. if you remember the show kids incorporated...this was our interpretation.

Ang, me and Jess last christmas!

it's a rainbow of fruit flavors....this picture was taken at Jess' party (the thrillah' in Zillah). i didn't make into the rainbow because i was wearing black that day.