NEW MARRIED LIFE UNDERWAY~Banana Bread Recipe

Well.

A lot has been happening.

I got married on January 7th ... and my laptop immediately took a nosedive, and was out of commission; so, Holland bought me a new laptop last week: and I've been trying to figure the format out, ever since.

I haven't been able to post anything until tonight.

Holland & Me; 3 weeks married.

You (Wedding Song) song:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZgr5pj-MIs&t=12s)

Last weekend, we drove across the bridge and into Oregon to find the Beaver Falls: neither of us had been to the Falls in decades ... by the time we found them, it was dusk, so we will have to go back in the near future ;-)

But while we were driving around, we saw an old church building at the Shepherd and Rutter roads junction; it looked kinda run-down, so I researched it when we got home - it didn't look like it was used much anymore.

Shepard Road; Quincy, OR - looking for Beaver Falls.

Stewart's Point Church (Old Finnish Church) at 19902 Shepard Road; Quincy, OR

Tuesday, I was in the mood to highlight my housewifey side ... so, I used the overripe bananas to make banana bread. I used a recipe I have never used before, and it's a winner.

It is definitely a repeat :-)

GOOD Banana Bread Recipe - not gooey.

Banana Bread dough in a loaf cake pan; bought at a garage sale last summer.

Banana Bread; perfectly browned & good form.

Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, we spent time at Willow Grove, enjoying some fresh air before the rains started on Friday. We are still newlyweds - we talked, getting to know each other on a deeper level/we touched across the pickup console/we joked and laughingly teased each other/we shared dreams and goals/we watched wildlife escapades.

Wednesday: Sea lions at Willow Grove County Park.

Wednesday: Big pod of sea lions.

Wednesday: They are FAST swimmers!

Thursday: They were everywhere, up and down the river.

Thursday: Ducks! I've never seen ducks here ...

Thursday: Cormorant.

In between the restful daytrips, Haus frau pride days, and the 'getting some fresh air' down times ... Holland has been taking care of the man-stuff in-house things that Bob didn't get around to before he took up his Heavenly residence - and things I let go because 'what's the point' when there was only me infrequently kicking around the empty house? After Bob's spirit stepped off this Earth 4 years ago, I spent 95% of my solo lobo days elsewhere: leaving the house as soon as I could every morning and coming home again basically to just fall into bed and get a few quick zzz's before repeating the daily routine of being gone as long as I possibly could before returning to park the Highlander and letting the tires cool down.

But now, I am sharing my life (and living space) with a new husband.

While neither of us needed to be "taken care of" in our solo lobo years, human beings are designed to share their lives - our spirits require a witness to our lives. You may ask, 'with a billion people claiming a spot on the Earth's crust, what does anyone's life really mean?' That a legit query. But in a marital situation, you are promising to care about everything in the relationship: the good things, the bad things - the terrible things, the mundane things ... all of it, all of the time, every day. With that promise, as you enter into that relationship, you are saying to your best friend/your spouse/your lover, "Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go un-witnessed, because I will be your witness."

My house is shaping up into a home as Holland and I begin to shape it into "our place". Bob only spent 18 months in this house after we bought it in June of 2017 - and though the house has been my sole domain legally, it is only now that I am actually beginning to live in it full time. I finally unpacked the last moving box from 2017, last year.

Basically, this house is still as "new" to me as it is to my new husband. Holland has added a water filter to the shower, so the city water won't burn my skin with all the {additive} crap that is supposed to {purify} it; a new bathmat was added to the shower upgrade, too. He also placed an air purification thingee in the bedroom, to filter out all the dust in the air that irritates lungs and eyes - the house has a heat pump that helps with that, but the filter is an added bonus. He loves me :-)

So, tonight while downtown shopping groceries, I suggested he treat himself with a little pampering, and buy a small grill for an early Valentine's Day gift: he loves the beaches and riverbanks ... and the grill, small enough to be hauled in the Highlander or pickup, will for sure be used.

Air Purifier & Shower Mats.

An outdoor grill for fishing & beachcombing days.

He spoils me - and he deserves a little spoiling too ;-)

While I am getting this post Blog-ready, my wonderful man is watching a man-film that was filmed across the Columbia River, on the Rainier beach: Longview Shipping Port Docks, and Longview's "mill city" Mills are highlighted in the background of this film clip:

Movie Holland is watching; filmed across the River, in Rainier, OR.

MOUNTAIN HIGH & RIVER WIDE ~Wandering Wednesday 2022-1

Lenny Kravitz – ‘I Want to Get Away’ song:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewfVFBqOLgw)

I was up bright and early this morning; my garden area was fully watered by 9:30 A.M.

A 20-cent cut in price this morning; still pretty high in a recession period.

Prices have been holding even until today: 8-2-22 prices.

Clatskanie-OR from Heron Pointe-WA; 25 min (19.8 mi) via WA-432 E and US-30 W

I hadn’t eaten anything yet, and my stomach wanted a Bundy Burger for lunch … so I switched out my thongs for sandals, and and drove to Clatskanie, thinking I’d eat my ‘burger, then drive to Lee Wooden/Fishhawk Falls County Park to get a short hike in: but when I got to Clatskanie, Bundy’s was closed tighter than a clam at high tide ☹

So, I jetted across the street to the mini mart; and bought a pound of chicken gizzards … and zoomed back across the street and up the backroad behind Safeway 😊

I had intended to drive the familiar backroad loop route from Clatskanie … but instead of turning towards the Camp Wilkerson Park road towards Apiary, I veered off onto a different road just for the adventure of it 😉

This Daytrip to Vernonia via Mist Mountain, Highway #47, is my first 2022 Daytrip.

I passed the road sign pointing to Scappoose/St. Helens – feeling Venronia drawing me forward. I got surprised in several ways: the Highlander climbed Mist Mountain, at an elevation of 1,320 … and this route into Vernonia led me to different part of Vernonia – both were new adventures for me; I hadn’t driven over the mountain before (with or without Bob), nor had I ever visited the part if Vernonia I found myself in (Bob may have driven through on his truck route – but if he did, he never said anything to me about it).

“Mist Mountain” (is actually higher than stated in this article – I read the posted elevation sign to be 1,320 ft/elev.): https://traveloregon.com/things-to-do/clatskanie-mountain/

Bridge work along the route ...

I was thoroughly enjoying myself 😊

Radio waves were channeling the cheney dog barking … and it appears to me that she is behaving exactly how she tried to prove (falsely) President Trump was behaving – refusing to accept that she lost the election, verbally denying the election results, staging a political coup with a bid for the 2024 Presidential Election, and inciting {mob} mentality. cheney is hosting her own insurrection: and the deadhead obamanites are eating her political barf, up – and spewing it all over social media.

I tuned the biased chatted out.

America has had enough of liz cheney: that was glaringly obvious in her total loss when the count came in. We do not want – nor do we need – liz cheney in DC; let alone, in the Oval Office! Anyone who believes for a nano second … that dementia poster boy biden, actually won the Presidential Election, is as delusional as obama’s puppet is. That is a dangerous person: and that person should not be seated in our governing seats. Kick her treasonous ass to the curb! Kick it hard.

Highway #47 may be a country backroad – but it is a very busy backroad; log trucks were every other vehicle on the road … and cars, pickups, and SUV’s, were seriously crowding my back bumper from beginning to end: I finally pulled over at the Big Eddy campground, and let the bumper riders pass me. I was going the speed limit; but Oregon drivers are rude and obnoxious drivers because they are by and large stoned out of their minds 95% of the time.

This was a new road to me, and I was intent on taking my time, and leisurely looking at the surroundings. I didn’t need to be top-dog on the road.

The area of Vernonia that I drove through was pretty suburban, and edging closer to citified. It’s still got a small-town vibe … but it’s not as {country} as the section of Vernonia I was aiming for – and missed.

WOW. This is a side of Vernonia I never knew existed.

Vernonia from Clatskanie; 39 min (28.4 mi) via OR-47 S

Vernonia, Oregon

Vernonia - along Highway #47 backroad.

Forest Grove was half a mere hour in the distance; so ... I backtracked.

I did not want to end up in Forest Grove! So, I had to backtrack to the green highway sign that pointed to Scappoose/Vernonia 😉

This is a different route than I am used to: there are 3 road routes that lead to Vernonia – this is a new one. I like learning different routes: each route has different scenery, and I like that, too 😊

This route dropped me behind Burgerville, in St. Helens – which is about 30 minutes from home.

When I got to Rainier, there was back-to-back traffic on the Lewis & Clark Bridge, crossing from Rainier to Longview this afternoon; around 1 PM. Bridge crossing was very, very busy.

St. Helens-OR from Vernonia; 40 min (27.2 mi) via Scappoose Vernonia Hwy

W.T. ...

Heron Pointe-WA from St Helens-OR; 34 min (28.1 mi) via US-30 W

Back in Longview - and that little daytrip is a definite repeat.

It was still 90-degrees, but the humidity wasn't sky high, so I decided to nip over to Willow Grove, on my way home, and get a short riverside hike in before parking the Highlander in my carport.

Tugboat on the Columbia River; Willow Grove-WA

This tree root reminded me of a beached octopus. LOL

Hijinx on the River ...

After a light Supper, I watched the fading sunlight gild the clouds 😊

Today was a good day – from start to finish.

ROBUST DAY

Early robust birdsong before dawn had fully lit the sky.

Early robust morning coffee aroma blending with the unfolding day’s scents.

Now I know why Bob liked this time of day, best 😉

I checked my FB Page; and had a Friend Request: granted 😊 We’ll see where it goes; I’m not good with new friendships. I’m too much for most people – too vociferous on too many topics; too much energy for people my age (65½); too interested in what’s going on, that in any way affects my personal life/livelihood; too much woman – just plain too much for most people. It takes a robust person, comfortable in their own skin, to be in my Tribe.

Then, I checked my Blog … and saw that one of my posts had been featured in the‘Craftastic Monday’ Blog Hop – I am glad others will be utilizing my patterns: they have been designed for a worthy cause.

Featured on 'Craftastic Monday' Blog Hop.

(http://www.sewcando.com/2022/05/craftastic-monday-link-party_22.html)

As I was shutting the laptop down, Pam called and asked if I wanted to go walking with her out at Willow Grove; she knew it was Little Cloud’s birthday today (https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2022/05/little-clouds-birthday.html), and she knew my spirit needed to be uplifted – plus, I’m always up for a stretching of the legs 😊

Pam and I go back a loooong way in friendship: just out of high school. New brides – new mothers. We lived in the same small hamlet town. For a while, we attended the same local church. We know the same people.

The walking … and the talking, is easy and carefree. We’ve been friends a long time.

We noticed the river was busy with fishermen, hoping to land a nice fat salmon. We also noticed that viewing platforms are being built out over the river in specific places. I’m not happy to see this new development: Discovery Passes requirements to utilize the Park, are sure to follow ☹

Viewing Platforms being built at Willow Grove.

When we’d finished our morning walk, I dropped Pam off at her house and came home to plant my sprouted bush beans, cucumber, and corn seeds; and to broad-spread carrot seed in two planter boxes: rain is forecasted for the weekend, but the seeds needed watered this afternoon … especially the sprouted ones, if they are to robustly thrive.

As I was watering the various seeded boxes, I noticed that tiny apples were appearing on the Patio Apple Trees. I hadn’t expected any because of the late-season surprise snowfall and continuing cold snap that delayed Spring, here. But I am happy to see these little robust fruits!

Apples! Apparently, the surprise freeze didn't stunt the output.

Baby Apples on both trees.

After I was done dinking around in my garden area, I came inside and washed my muddy fingers; and got ready for my Zoom Meet with what I assumed were friends. Things went south quickly – remember how I said I am too much for some people? Well, until tonight, everything had been moving along smoothly and amicably: tonight, I didn’t grieve the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings robustly enough to satisfy everyone. People who are pro-choice (which is actually pro-abortion, just a pussy-footing way to embrace it), were robustly upset because I said “all lives matter” … that comment started a race war … and I just left the whole damned thing to fall in on itself. I also will not be attending any more of their Zoom Meets. I don’t make room for that kind of nonsense in my life.

Especially with people who claim to be Christians!

Admittedly everyone (except me, because I don’t have a TV running 24-7-365 in my home & I don't subscribe to the news rags), was highly emotional to start with, because of the shootings; but the race-baiting really was the straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak. I don’t engage in those types of games: and those types of games have NO PLACE in Christianity.

Elohim does not see people by the color of their skin. And Christians should be above that type of sterotyping.

Though they were very robust in their hypocritical piety – they lacked the robustness of a solid Christian foundation. In short, they showed themselves to be very shallow people with a racist bent (they assumed I am 'white' because my skin is light). It was a sad revelation (they courted me - I did not seek them out); but it did show just how critically divided we, as a Nation are.

And I should have known it would end this way, because they showed themselves at the Sedar, when they were snarkily, and kinda angrily surprised that Stan (a good looking black man) had married a white woman; rather than 'one of thier own'.

The girl with the braid is Stan's wife.

I should have known that they would also turn on me when hot-topic buttons got 'touched'. I was tracked down after the Seder, and pressed to join their Zoom Meets. I see now that I was just a body count to meet their Meet status. In the angry byplay, I found tonight, that I had not been fully embraced as a Friend: friends do not devour one another.

And I never engaged in high school popularity games – I don't intend to, now. Especially when they are poisonously tinged with racism in all it's ugly showings.

I won’t miss them.

I’m sure they won’t miss me.

And I’m robustly okay with that 😉