Five Simple Things (July 16)

Hello.

We figured out our exact generation with a generation website. Jeff and I always assumed we were of the same generation, but we aren't. We're five years apart, but we are different generations because of how his birthdate falls. He does relate more to my generation, which is the Xennials. We feel we fall with Generation Y, which floats between Generation Z and Millennials. We are the lost generation.  But, you can figure your own here. We also watched Virgin Galactic Unity 22 flight with Richard Branson. We are eager to see Jeff Bezos make the same flight. We love anything space related. We also added our names to the Parker Solar Probe back in 2018. If you aren't familiar with the Parker Solar Probe, it was launched into space to orbit the sun and collect data. Our names were added to a USB drive aboard the probe. We also took a trip to Bend and checked out the Whitewater Park surfing area along the Deschutes River last Sunday. We are definitely going to be doing this soon! Here are five things this week.

1. These Clouds.

The cloud cover in the valley has been quite interesting lately. The top one is on our way to Eugene, Oregon, and the bottom one is one Jeff sent me from his work parking lot. He says it looks like a Strong Man about to smash the building. I would much rather be making out images in clouds than see wildfire smoke everywhere, so for now we will take the interesting clouds.

2. This Stool.

I bought this stool at an estate sale for $10 and it was broken. I was hoping to bring life back to it, but couldn't figure out how to repair the broken leg. Jeff surprised me by taking it to work one day and having another worker take it home and weld the leg back together. He gave it back to me and told me what he had done. I was so excited that he got it fixed and even more so, excited that I can now start painting it and bringing it back to life. 

3. This Thought.

As simple as this sounds, it makes me smile.

4. This Sticker.

On one shopping trip to Whole Foods in Portland I noticed this sticker that was in front of the elevator. Each time we returned I took a picture of it to document how much it progressed as it was repeatedly stepped on. The last picture shows the inevitable outcome of the poor sticker.

5. This Mission.

It was cool to watch Richard Branson make history with this flight to space. With so much uncertainty in the world lately, positives such as this event are thrilling to watch. I don't know if any of us will ever make it to space, or not, but we are excited to watch others create a pathway there for those in the future. Right now, you can win a trip to space for you and a friend with Space for Humanity through Omaze.

Did you catch the moon beside Venus and Mars (11), or Venus and Mars kissing (13), or how about the moon close to star Spica (16)?

Positive affirmations this week:

You never have to make yourself be a certain way to the right people. What I mean is, when good things happen to you, be proud of yourself, and only listen to your fans, not your critics. There's a time to be humble and a time to celebrate and celebrating the good you've done or talking yourself up before a special moment is not arrogant. There is no shame in talking yourself up and saying good things to yourself. Things like, "you've got this," "you're awesome," or even "you did great today." This thought that you can't be your own coach is awful. There is absolutely nothing wrong in saying good things to yourself and being your own best friend. This is a great self love technique that will help build your confidence and actually help with mental health issues. Doing these positive thought routines and even saying them out loud changes your mental state, too. Ignore then naysayers and tell yourself you're awesome, you got this, and you're the bomb! Do it every day when you're feeling down or less than yourself. And, don't forget, you're incredible and you can achieve great things! 

Have a nice weekend.

400+ Hours of Color

"400 hours of color"

This is what we call the "tunnel of happiness" under SW Colorado Avenue near the Deschutes River in Bend Whitewater Park (Bend, Oregon). The tunnel follows the Haul Trail and is part of the Deschutes River Trail Project in the Old Mill District of the city. Tunnel artist is Tom Cramer and he created the explosion of color to help brighten your day. The outside of the tunnel was created by Sandy Klein and features spring flowers and birds prominent to the area, including Red-Winged Blackbird, Osprey, and Kingfishers, to name a few.

One more thing. This signage is in the bathrooms around a lot of the Bend parks. I wish all bathrooms would take note of this and add them to add bathrooms. Sometimes people at their lowest point use public restrooms either to go to the bathroom, or take some time to themselves to use, or contemplate their next moves. Just a subtle reminder of these could possibly save someone's life. If you are one of these people, please reach out. As much as it seems like it doesn't help, there is always someone that will do their very best to help you in some way. I've been there. It's hard and I understand. I am not ashamed anymore of my struggles and you shouldn't be either. Let's talk.

River Surfing the Deschutes

Most people we tell that we surf in the Deschutes River look at us like we're nuts. But, believe it or not, you can actually surf a wave here in Deschutes River at Bend Whitewater Park in Bend, Oregon, and I'll tell you, it's a blast. You get a least one minute on the wave each round, and sometimes longer, depending on who's behind you waiting. 

This wave was created by Surf Anywhere/Jacob Kelly. It is 40 feet across and 3 1/2-5 inches high depending on the flow of water along the river at that time. It was a project brought together by the city of Bend in order to create a space at Bend Whitewater Park through the bridge for adventures to kayak, tube, surf, or even just to enjoy the river's flow through this area. 

Five Simple Things (July 9)

Hello.

We had a fun week actually. With Fourth of July and a few other fun activities, it was a pretty good week, actually. We also have a trip to Bend planned this weekend to look at some land that may become part of our future. We are pretty excited about it and have our fingers crossed it all comes together, but we've been here before and it hasn't come through, so we aren't putting all of our chicks in the same basket just yet. But, we are hoping for a positive outcome. We also went on a nice bike ride this week and also laid a lot in our hammocks. We've been enjoying out backyard a lot this summer and are hoping it remains a calm summer and not an edgy one like last year. We also took this week to organize our camping equipment and get things in order for camping. We don't normally camp in the summer because of how warm it is, especially the last few years. We enjoy our camping time towards the end of summer and into the autumn months. We have a few new things we added to our supplies, and plan on adding a few more items soon. Here are five things this week.

1. These Flowers.

This plant is called 'Lucifer's Tongue' (Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’) and the honeybees and other pollinators love its bright red blooms.

2. This Salt.

Been spending a lot of time this year soaking in bathwater with a mix of dead sea salt, Epsom salt, baking soda, and Himalayan salt. The combination has been great for healing the scars from my surgery and overall helping with stress and anxiety. Upon doing my own combination of salts for the month this huge chunk of Himalayan salt was at the bottom of the bag. I ended up using it in the bath water for the night and letting it dissolve on its own. My mixture I use is as follows:

1 cup of dead sea salt

1 cup of Epsom salt

1 cup baking soda

1 cup Himalayan salt

40 drops lavender essential oil 

(Soak for at least 30 minutes)

3. These Cupcakes.

These are the best cupcakes I've ever had. They are from our local food co-op and are chocolate with buttercream frosting. The difference is that they are made with better ingredients and not artificial additives. It's interesting how our taste has changed by changing what we eat and put in our bodies. Chocolate even tastes better to me now and name brand chocolate tastes like eating a wax candle now. Once you make the change, you won't go back. And, you'll feel so much better.

4. This Dispenser.

We've been filling our own water bottles for a couple of years now and not drinking the city water here. We had a pump on the top of the water bottles, but the water was at room temperature. We still use the pump when we want room temperature water, but colder water was needed for the amount of heat we've had here lately. This water dispenser also dispenses hot water, but we mostly use the cold water side, especially this week and last. It's been great.

5. This Art.

Have you heard of Gus Fink? He's an artist with a different eye. I entered a contest and won this Edward Scissorhands art drawing done by him. I was excited to win, but I figured it would fit right in with our podcast room and add to the "horror" and "originality" of it. You can check out his other art pieces here.

Did you catch Mercury in the sky this week (3)?

Positive affirmations this week:

Trauma/PTSD, or even fight or flight response, is a sometimes difficult thing to navigate through from day to day. Some days you get through the entire day without issue, but some days it feels as though you're being crushed beneath a pile of wood and screamed at that you're a failure. These days are the hardest and the most undeserving. There are times I feel as though I may die, never get better, or wish I could end the pain as soon as possible. These days are getting better to navigate through due to my own strength and perseverance. I don't want to ever give up, or give into people that try to pull me under water. You, too can do this! You are strong, capable, and above all deserving of a better life. We are better than our past and our mental illnesses. Fight and never believe the negative of what your mind likes to trick you with. 

Have a nice weekend.