When Are You Coming For a Visit?

CNN and Travel & Leisure Magazine received over 600,000 votes on their "America's Favorites" poll. On this day of bright sun and 78 degrees, it's not hard to see that here is what they found:

Quality of Life & Visitor Experience (Overall)

1 Portland, Oregon
2 Charleston
3 Austin
4 Honolulu
5 Minneapolis/St. Paul
6 San Diego
7 Santa Fe
8 Denver
9 Seattle
10 San Francisco
11 San Antonio
12 Nashville
13 Chicago
14 Phoenix/Scottsdale
15 Boston
16 Washington, D.C.
17 Miami
18 Orlando
19 New Orleans
20 New York
21 Philadelphia
22 Las Vegas
23 Dallas/Fort Worth
24 Atlanta
25 Los Angeles

Based on: Noteworthy neighborhoods, Skyline/views, Public parks and access to the outdoors, Cleanliness, Public transportation and pedestrian friendliness, Traffic, Safety, Weather, Peace and quiet, Affordability, People-watching, Environmental awareness

Random Thoughts From My Thursday

Every year I say that I'm going to get my taxes done "early", but then I have to spend an exorbitant amount of time organizing before I can print out my nice spreadsheets for my lovely accountant. Once again, I find myself surrounded by bank statements and receipts at the end of March.

I just realized that my phone has not rung since Monday. I'm glad, because I really don't like talking on the phone.

When I was confirming the above statement, I saw that I had received a text from my seven-year-old. She's so cool.

My oldest two have been in central Oregon with my parents since Monday. I feel a bit guilty that today is the first day that I have really missed them.

My baby's tonsils are so big that it may be keeping her from regularly eating solid foods. That could explain her resistance to finish nursing. Surgery is likely in our future (for the tonsils, not the nursing).

I made up a recipe last night for Life Group that worked! Layer inch-cubes of potatoes, frozen Costco corn (the only non-fresh corn to eat), bite-sized hot dog slices, and a healthy heaping of Tillamook cheese (of course, the only cheese). Same layers again. Pour 2/3 cup of milk over. Cover with foil; bake for 90 minutes at 375. It would be great with sausage, ham, chicken, or hamburger, too, I'm sure. Yum!

I'm not going to make dinner tonight. I'm not in the mood and I don't think we have any dinner-worthy food in the house anyway. Fiona & I already ate the leftovers from the above recipe for lunch.

Easter candy should be more about quality chocolate and less about marshmallows and cheap jellybeans.

If you are my friend, you should be twittering. I'm kristicw in that land. For some reason, I find twitter oddly enjoyable and addicting.

Enough of a break - Back to the tax slog.

I've Been Tagged

Aimee Jo tagged me, so here's my List of Eights...

Things I'm Passionate About:

1. PUMP
2. My marriage
3. My children
4. Experiencing the world through travel
5. Sports watching
6. Organizing my calendar & to-do lists
7. My Scottish heritage
8. Helping children feel valuable

Things I Want to do Before I Die:

1. Watch my daughters' weddings
2. Hold my grandchildren
3. Spend extensive time in Scotland
4. Have a romantic trip to Florence, Italy with my husband
5. Write a book worth reading
6. Witness how the Lord will use Connor as an adult
7. Adopt a child or two or three
8. Climb Mt. Hood again
* note: I'd take a trip to heaven over any of these, so Jesus can feel free to come back tonight

Shows I Watch:

1. Lost
2. Extreme Makeover: Home Addition (Trinity's fave)
3. Heroes
4. Sunday/Monday Night Football
5. Boston Legal
6. Deal or No Deal (Trinity's other fave)
7. Hannah Montana (Trinity's obsession)
8. Spongebob Squarepants (the only one all three kids agree on)

Things That Attract Me to My Friends:

1. Shared passions
2. Shared history
3. Shared life stage
4. Shared faith
5. Humor
6. Authenticity
7. Kindness
8. Peaceful spirit

Things I Say Often:

1. Excuse me?
2. I love you so much.
3. You are such a sweet girl/boy.
4. Put your shoes and coats away!
5. Let's go! We're late!!
6. I'm so tired.
7. Chill!
8. Be respectful - we're talking to the Creator of the Universe!

Artists I Never Tired of:

1. Monet - oh, not that kind of artist?
2. Third Day
3. Natalie Merchant
4. Nichole Nordeman
5. Sarah McLachlan
6. Sheryl Crowe
7. Sting
8. U2

Things I Learned in 07:

I don't remember 2007.

2007 in Review

Best Fiction (first time read): The Lion, The Witch, & the Wardrobe

Favorite Non-fiction: Personality Type: An Owner's Manual

Favorite New T.V. Show: Life

Favorite Continued T.V. Show: Lost

Worst Moment in Sports: It's a two-way tie between he Oregon Ducks loss of Dennis Dixon and the Blazers loss of Greg Oden

Favorite Commercial:


Movie to Cause the Most Nightmares: A two-way tie between Children of Men and I Am Legend (with the exception of Ratatouille, the only two movies we saw in a theater this year)

Best Vacation (only vacation in many, many years): Christmas in Victoria, British Columbia

Best Food Blog: Smitten Kitchen

Biggest Laugh At Someone Else's Expense: Poor Miss SC

Favorite New Toy:


Hardest Decision of the Year: Transferring Trinity from Woodlawn Elementary to Columbia Christian

Scariest Moment: Connor's close encounter with a waterfall

Favorite Connor Quote: I love my mommy so much my brain hurts!

iTunes Song Receiving the Most Plays This Year: Bad Day by Daniel Powter (thanks to Trinity)

Favorite New Song: Justin Timberlakes' What Goes Around

Favorite Picture:


or Maybe This One:


or Maybe This One:


Happy New Year!

Question #3

First of all, I am not cheating on my one post per day, if you noticed that some dates have changed (and really, who would have noticed that - but I feel the need to come clean). I put a bunch of post drafts up the other day but forgot to change the dates as I finished & posted them. Whew - I feel better now.

What's boring you?

Things are too comfortable. Comfortable is boring with good p.r. Stir things up!

This is a tough one. I really wish I could feel bored more often, but that is so hard when there are so many diapers to change and children to direct and miles to drive and meals to cook. Boredom sounds kind of nice right now.

The only times I can think of being bored is when Allan has control of the remote. He has some compulsion, some odd attraction to shows that have 1. guns, 2. war planes, or 3. martial arts. Say it with me now, "Booorrring." It kills me, really.

Otherwise, I don't feel stuck in a rut. Between PUMP and family, things are pretty much always on the move and always in transition. I think that's a good thing. It helps keep me thinking and dreaming about the possibilities ahead. Or, if not that, at least it keeps me focused on keeping my head above water.

Question #2

What are you trying to ignore?

Anxiety is a tap on your shoulder saying, "Something important is happening here!" Pay attention.

I'm afraid that I am ignoring a few important health considerations. With a family of diabetics, including a sibling, I have a huge bullseye target sitting right there on my pancreas. Can't you see it? None of us are overweight, so it is easy to think we are healthy. I'm not sure what greater motivator I could have for daily exercising, but somehow diabetes is not enough of a threat for me.

There's a few relationships that could use some healing in my life. I'm not sure how to make that happen, so I ignore the splinter. Not so wise an approach.

Everyone has dreams that creep into consciousness at times and whispers, "Why aren't you coming after me?" I wonder sometimes if I am ignoring some Spirit-led direction in my life - because to answer the whisper would be scary or hard or confusing.

I'm trying to ignore all the TO-DOs that I see around me each day - the cluttered basement, the roses that need trimming, the cookies that should be baked...

*shiver* I'm feeling somewhat vulnerable at the moment, so I think I'll go do something else and ignore these feelings.

Question #1

My friend Jennifer, over at Creative Outlet Labs has introduced her readers to Canadian executive coach Michael Bungay Stanier and his 5 3/4 Questions You've Been Avoiding. I figure that if I work through one question per day, I'll be a whole new person by mid-afternoon on Saturday!

What's going well for you?

My marriage is probably my greatest team success story. Allan and I talk deeply, argue well, laugh often, and genuinely enjoy each other.

My kids are not out-of-control and I have not caused them any intentional physical harm (how's that for looking at the positive!). Although parenting is a tough process, my children are generally sweet kids who hug me a lot, make me laugh, and dance & wrestle with me with reckless abandon. They are healthy, active, and on target developmentally.

We are financially stable. We have a home and a car and can pay our bills on time (or close to it).

I have a wonderful extended family to whom I am immensely proud to be related. Everyone is healthy. No one is too much of embarrassment to handle.

My job is one for which I feel deep passion.

I am enjoying the age I am, the health I have, and the ways I am growing mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Although we do not connect as much as I would like, there are seasoned friendships in my life that bring me much peace.

We get to live in Portland - a place I deeply love (especially on a sunny fall day like today).

Another List

Never one to dismiss a friend's instructions to write a blog post, here are today's eight random facts about me.
________

Tag...you're it!
I've been tagged...here's the rules:

1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.

2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

3. People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules. (If you don’t have a blog, email me)

4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

________

1. I very rarely sit upright while watching television.

2. Much to my husband's chagrin, I have a tendency to not screw caps down tightly.

3. I eat a bowl of cereal almost every night before bed.

4. I believe that all non-Tillamook dairy products should be banned from Oregon.

5. I have no desire to visit Disneyland.

6. I secretly long for liposuction.

7. Mopping the floor on my hands and knees with a cloth is my preferred method.

8. While I very rarely get upset when driving, slow grocery checkers make me crazy!

________

I'm tagging: Leah, Sarah C, Sarah W, Kristi B, Jennifer, Elice, Jessica B, Jessica G

Ten...Make That Eleven...Things I'd Enjoy Doing Before I Die

1. Take a ballet class.

2. Walk hand-in-hand with Allan through the streets of Firenze, Italia.

3. Attend an NFL game.

4. Learn Spanish.

5. Write a book worth reading.

6. Explore Scotland during an extended stay.

7. Climb a few more of the Cascades with my family.

8. Become a good piano player.

9. Spend a weekend or two or ten with my childhood friends, Lisa, Lezlie, & Kristin.

10. Draw plans for our dream house (& then have it built).

11. Have season (even half-season) tickets to the Blazers.