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.

PLEASANT SURPRISES

Today dawned bright and beautiful, so I thought I’d get out in my garden area as soon as politely acceptable (trying to be a ‘good neighbor’).

A few weeks ago, I had potted some Bonanza Marigolds, Bachelor Buttons, Pink & Yellow ‘dwarf’ Cosmos, Zinnias, and some taller Vanilla Marigolds to tuck among my growing veggies in the veggie boxes … they were ready to be transplanted: past ready, actually, but the steady rainfall had delayed the planting.

But, they were going to be planted today. 

The rain has stopped.

The sun was shining.

The temperature was being cooperative.

I quickly got dressed, quickly ate a chocolate filled croissant (one of the ‘pamper me’ treats I run over Cornelius Pass to ferry home 😉); and grabbed a bottled Snapple Watermelon Lemonade to take outside with me.

I gathered my potted “bait flowers” (pest control marigolds to snare the harmful insects, and the others mentioned, to lure beneficial insects for pollination), my gardening stool (to save my aging back), and a digging trowel.

I was also weeding the veggie boxes as I moved down the line; from one box to the other.

The work was going smoothly.

I was working my hands into the soil of Box #9 when Pam called – she was inviting me to go walking with her around Lake Sacajawea.

I glanced at my waiting transplants.

I glanced down the line at the remaining waiting 4 veggie boxes.

I glanced at my hands – then at my clothes: the clothes were acceptable (they hadn’t had a chance to get dirty, or wet, yet); my dirty hands were not – they needed soap and water applied: my fingernails needed to be thoroughly scrubbed.

I said I’d be glad to go with her, but I hadn’t washed my hair (I hadn’t planned on going anywhere): and I needed to put my garden things away, and wash my dirty hands.

She said she’d pick me up in half an hour – and “your hair will be fine: don’t bother changing”: she was going to be wearing grubbies, too.

By 10:30 AM, the remaining transplants, ect. were under the carport; and my surprisingly clean hands were clasping the seat belt latch in place: we were off.

We only walked the upper end of the Lake – 1.2 miles.

We saw that at some recent point in time, a tree had toppled into the lake. I don’t think there are any beavers hiding out at the Lake, so the fallen tree must be a victim of the tempestuous weather we have been having in these parts, lately. The bank was probably so saturated, it just gave way.

Seeing a tree sprawled across a vast span of the lake’s surface was surprising.

A downed tree at the Lake this afternoon.

I spotted a sun-worshipping cormorant … that had me laughing out loud, when images of Bela Lugosi popped into my thoughts.

A Cormorant mimicking Dracula. LOL

On our return loop back to Pam’s car, we saw that the Japanese Garden doorway was flung open – so we walk through it. There wasn’t much to see yet (the bamboo isn’t plumping up yet & the floral highlights aren’t blooming yet); but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to walk through the garden since the entry door was open 😉

It’s been closed since last year … when demonrat lunatic inslee shut public places down, statewide.

I’m glad to see it back open. Even if it did have a neglected aura hovering over it.

It was a pleasant surprise.

As we exited the Garden, and stepped off the footbridge, I spotted a bumble bee mimic, sitting on a large flat rock slab; I had seen a fly like that the other day on one of my FB Garden Groups, so I knew what it was – I just didn’t expect to see one here.

Seeing it sit there, surprised me.

The Japanese Garden was open this afternoon.

A Bumble Bee mimic Robber Fly in the Japanese Garden area.

When Pam dropped me off, back at home; I saw that it was only 11:30 AM: I still had time to make Bingo, if I skedaddled.

I like the game. 

I like meeting new people. 

I like that I’m starting to add activities into my life that gives me something to look forward to – it may not seem like much to some … but when all you have before you, is a day full of empty hours kicking around an echoing empty house, little things become satisfying things that add life into the day.

I play Bingo just to play – if I win a game, that’s okay (and a nice surprise); and if I don’t win a game, that’s okay, too. There’s always another day 😊

I had to change my shorts out – the shorts I wore gardening are my {work shorts – threadbare ‘acceptable’}; my pullover top was workable (it was clean), and my hair was okay, too (it had been washed yesterday). I really didn’t have time to waste washing and drying it, if I hoped to get to Bingo on time.

So, I jumped into a newer pair of shorts and changed from my walking tennis shoes into a pair if sandals … grabbed my keys, hopped in the Highlander, and zipped across town.

Longview Senior Center from Heron Pointe - 12 mins.

I paid for 3 hard cards, and 2 paper cards: just like the last time I played – I paid $6 for the cards, with the $15 winnings I garnered last week (basically ‘free $$’) 😊

I won 2 games with the hard cards 

I won $10 right off.

Then it was time to play my 2 paper cards: I am still learning how to play these types of cards – I’ve never played them anywhere but here.

They are something new.

The little square paper card packed a nice surprise 😉

I won a $50 game! What a surprise: a winning $60 day 😉

The 'prize' is noted for the hard cards - not so with the paper cards. There was no indication of a $50 payout.

I had no idea!

The win was a very surprising surprise 😉

I decided to have Supper at the Country Folks Deli.

I could have hoarded the money; but I figured I’d still be going home with more money than I left home with … so why not spend a little, and have supper in town.

I celebrated my increase at Country Folks Deli.

Fat and sassy on a tasty burger and fries, I pointed the Highlander toward home to finish what I started early in the day.

I like puttering around in my garden area. 

I’m enjoying the garden area this year without crying when I look at the veggie boxes Bob built for me to enjoy.

This year I am engaging more in my new life, and living the promise I made to my husband: to live fully, and to remember his life with joyfulness instead of sadness at his passing from this life to the next.

It has taken 30 months, but I am doing it. 

Without focusing on the exact hour and minutes everything changed.

I didn’t know if I would ever be able to reach this point: I am glad Bob’s love carried me.

This year, my garden is surprising me with the quiet peacefulness that envelopes me, now. My heart doesn’t squeeze anymore when I look at my garden boxes.

Bob built them with pine boards because he said they’d last longer than other wood building materials.

He sorted through every board pile at Home Depot to find ‘just the right board’ – straight, flat, and highlighted with a colorful grain pattern: damp, and fragrant pink, green, yellow, and white psychedelic grain designs (and he smiled with each selected board, and said, “because I know you like color”): the boards have weathered now, and the colorful grain pattern is a memory.

I can smile with the memory; with dry eyes, this year.

Bob’s love for me gave me good memories.

My garden is surprising me with the unrestrained joyfulness I feel this year.

While weeding Box #11, I noticed that the stir-fry peas are blossoming.

The blossoms are stunning. 

I was caught off guard.

I had read in the seed catalog, that these particular peas would “have a purple blossom” – so I bought the seeds because I was intrigued: normally, stir-fry peas have white blossoms.

I was pleasantly surprised by these charming blossoms.

Bi-color purple Stir Fry Pea blossoms. Very pretty.

And I was gratefully surprised when I saw, in Box #12, that the salvaged broken tomato stem was flourishing 😊

My broken tomato plant has survived - and is thriving. YAY!

MAY 17^th: Hoping to salvage a broken tomato plant - the river wind was strong today.

And, even though it had rained all week long, this past week … I watered the veggie boxes because the rain wasn’t sufficient to carry the transplants through todays’ 77-degree temperature.

77-degrees, and the air was not miserable sticky with humidity.

That was a welcome surprise 😉 

Today – all the way around – was a day of pleasant surprises.