Life at a "Swell's" pace

Five simple things

So since I skipped last Friday posting about the "Five simple things," we are going to post for the last two weeks. In all honesty, The Mr. had the fifth off after the Fourth of July and it threw my entire week off. When he gets a day off during the week it feels like it's a Sunday to me and therefore I am behind in my thinking for the rest of the weekend. But anyway, we did have a nice time with him having that day off and it was a great day for us to be able to relax and enjoy the day. The Mr. and The Bean put on a great fountain show and we displayed old glory all over the place. The rest of the week was fantastic and this past week was even better, so here are the things that made this week-and last-great!

1. The flag, of course.

We have an ecclectic collection of U.S. flags at our house and the two posted above are our favorites. The one on the left is from an old trunk we bought at a yard sale about 15 years ago, before we moved to Oregon, and it has been proudly flown every year for various holidays. The one on the right is one that was flown on the Navy aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise. It's a great flag with history and we are so proud to fly her still.

2. Lavender honeybees.

I mean really, is there anything more amazing than watching a honeybee suck nectar from a lavender bloom?

3. This moment.

Good ol' Baz. Still going strong after 17 years and loving/living life to the fullest.

4. Dirt pile.

It's gone! It's finally gone! And we have the driveway back. If you don't follow me on Instagram and know the story well, what are you waiting for. Check it out here!

5. July book.

Check out this month's book selection: Thirteen Ways of Looking

by Colum McCann. -Find out more here.

Happy birthday, America!

Hope your Fourth of July was great! Here's what we did...
We here at the South North South house, or as my son likes to refer to it, "The Thicket," blew up the neighborhood with fountains. The Mr. had July 5 off so I wanted to make it a day where we spent some time together at home, doing nothing. We did just that and we all were in need of some down time. It seems the last few weeks we have been running and going and we all, even today, are wanting to take long naps. Maybe by this weekend we will have caught up on some much needed rest.

With our Fourth though, here in Oregon you can't have anything that leaves the ground and nothing that explodes. Boring right? When we lived in Arkansas we were blowing things sky high and the best part, you could even shoot fireworks off throughout the year. But then again, it wasn't as dry in the south as it is here in the north. Oregon, however, if snakes and sparklers are your favorite things then this is the place to live! The Mr. ended up buying the packaged fireworks that are always way over-priced, but he thought, it's the Fourth and we never do this, so let's mix it up a bit. So he brings home this...

...and he is going to light them with his "homemade" blow torch. See I told you, blowing up the neighborhood.

Before the fireworks went off, PITA was sitting with us all calm and collected, but once the bangs happened, he wanted to go hide in his blanket. I really do hate this time of year for our doggies (and other animals) they just don't understand what's happening. We let PITA get all snug in his blankets before starting and Baz-the older one-went deaf a few years back and it was the best thing to happen to him when it comes to this holiday.

Before we shot off some fireworks, I ran to the store to pick up a few things for dinner and this view of the sun setting was kind of magical. I couldn't help but snap a few shots from the car.

The Bean made our sidewalk all festive for the day and I couldn't help but share his creativity. I just love what comes into his head sometimes.

Almost is a shame that it will disappear over the next few days.

Hope your Fourth of July was amazing!
Happy Birthday, America!

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.