A visit to the Willamette National Cemetery

The Mr., The Bean, and I took a drive through the Willamette National Cemetery this past week. We always wondered how the view of the Cascades was in this area and boy, were we in for quite a delight. The grounds of the cemetery are maintained by the government and only military personnel and spouses are buried here. The grass, bushes, flowers, and even the view is spectacular. It really is a nice place to show honor to the men and women that gave their all to give us what we have today. The Mr. and I were so pleased to be able to show The Bean this area before Fourth of July. It really put the entire holiday into a different light for all three of us.

Views of downtown Portland from the west side of the grounds.

View of Mount Hood from the south end of the grounds.

View of Mount St. Helens from the north end of the grounds. 

There is an area near the entrance that you can look up a grave. There are so many men and women buried here that the areas are marked off in sections. And this view is just one of the sections. It's really heartbreaking how many people have lost their lives due to war, but at least this place gives them the respect they truly deserve.

Oregon Korean War Memorial Wall

Honoring the men and women (nurses) from Oregon that served in the Korean War.

It's a beautiful area. If you have a bucket list, you might consider adding this one to it.

Out of respect, I did not take pictures of the graves-any that show up in the background was purely accidental.

Friday things

Things that made this week a bit of alright.

1. Afternoon golf

The Mr., The Bean, and I went to the driving range this week to practice our drives. The Bean is hitting harder and harder these days and pretty much has better form than The Mr. and I put together. We are really proud of him for a lot of things recently and his golf is one.

2. Nighttime badminton.

The Mr. and The Bean have been having afternoon badminton challenges lately. We lit the net up to be able to see the game better in the evening, and the games have continued long into the night.

3. Our garden.

 What a delight it is

  When, of a morning,

  I get up and go out

  To find in full bloom a flower

  That yesterday was not there. 

TACHIBANA AKEMI

(1812-68)

We have always had some sort of garden each year, but this year I am so thrilled. We have been reading a lot about Monsanto issues and decided to clean up our habits from the ground up. We purchased all USDA Organic seeds, or starts, and pulled out anything that wasn't organic. We literally started over from scratch and made changes that will last. The Mr. and I have included our habits into what foods we buy and what goes into our bodies. We have decided to purchase only foods that are USDA Organic, including drinks. Call us conspiracy theorist, but The Mr. has lost 40 pounds and I have lost 30. We feel good, have more energy, and also our moods are more positive. If you haven't read about Monsanto/Bayer, you might want to take a minute to read. My most recent tweet on Twitter is how we feel about the company completely.

What's the best way to control a population of people? Answer: @MonsantoCo and @BayerPharma #donotbetricked

— South North South (@sh3lly) June 30, 2017

If you're concerned about Monsanto/Bayer the first thing you can do is stop using any Roundup products in your lawn, or garden. You can read more about it here, right off the Monsanto site.

4. These packages.

The first one was this month's Mighty Nest packages. The glass lunch container with the orange lid was their monthly gift, but the other was a lunch container The Mr. wanted to replace his regular lunch container. We have completely cut out regular plastics in our home. BPA-free plastic lids are the only exception right now. We eventually want to become waste-free in our home and these changes are getting us in the right direction. You can sign up for Mighty Nest here and get a monthly item that will help you change your habits one item at a time.

This package was given to The Mr. for his service to the community for being a fire fighter. The package was given to him from Operation Gratitude. The Mr. was really grateful for the gift and felt humbled by the fact that Operation Gratitude thought of him in such a way. We are extremely proud of The Mr. for the years he has put in with the fire department and putting his life on the line to save others. Thank you, Operation Gratitude.

5. This telephone

The Bean finally got his 1950s hotel rotary phone back from the Old Phone Shop. The wires for the wall outlet had come loose in the mail and the repair man is shipping a new cord out to us. We can't wait to plug it in and use it for day-to-day calls on our landline. It will be such a neat treat to hear it ring and make calls on it. I'll update once we get the new cord.

Have a great weekend!