40 x 40 - 36. Go To Powell's Bookstore in Portland with My Sister

A couple of weeks ago I went to visit my sister.  For the few weeks prior to my visit, we came up with a list of places we "HAD" to go shopping while I was there.  This list included Powell's City of Books in downtown Portland.  

If you have never been to Powell's, let  me paint a little picture.  This bookstore in an entire city block.  I mean An. Entire. City. Block!!!  You can literally enter the store from all four of the streets surrounding the store.  

For any first timer, it's crucial that you pick up a map as soon as you enter the store:

Oh, and did I mention that that there are three floors of a full city block, wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling full of books!  It's a little overwhelming to say the least. 

We each entered the store with a list of wants but soon learned that, as amateurs, we needed to use the computer system.  Ahh, the computer system.  In every section, on every floor is a computer station where you can look up the book you are in search of.  The system will tell you exactly where the book is.  By exactly, I mean the system tells you which color room, in which section, on what shelf, how many they have, and if they are new or used.  Oh, did I mention that they sell both new and used books here!!!

We waited for a few minutes to try and get a good photo of the stairs, but finally gave up and snapped this one.  There was never a time when there weren't people every where.  But you never felt crowded. The cliental is fun.  You see all kinds in this store.  The atmosphere makes you want to grab a cup of coffee and stay for the entire day.

There were fun, artsy, items all around the store. It would have been so easy to leave here with bags and bags of books and goodies.  Being a little overwhelmed, I couldn't even think straight about what books I wanted.  I wanted them all!!!  But I restrained myself and only chose a few new (and used) books.  I also got my souvenir t-shirt.

If you are ever in downtown Portland, Powell's City of Books is a must!

And if you're looking for the best book shopping buddy, be sure to take a children's librarian! 

40 x 40 - 40. Be a Better (Friend) Person

I owe this whole list thing to my good friend Heather.  Every year she posts a similar list on her blog, which you can check out here.  After seeing her list, I was inspired to set some goals for myself.  Some of the items on my list are easy to determine if I completed them or not.  Others are more of a gray area.  When writing my list, I needed one more thing to reach 40.  I thought why not be a better friend.  I'm not sure how to judge if I have been a better friend over the course of the last two years.  I guess you would need to ask someone other than me about this one.  

The other day I was reading Heather's latest post and noticed out of the corner of my eye that one of her items still undone was to practice 12 Random Acts Of Kindness (RAOK).  I love this idea!  I wondered how I could tie this into my list.  Then I thought what if I changed #40 to just be a better person.  Then I challenged Heather to spend a day with me practicing 12 Random Acts Of Kindness each.  She immediately jumped on board with the idea and we spent two weeks each planning our list, not telling each other what we planned on doing.

We met up on a Sunday morning, compared our lists, and headed out to spread a little kindness around our community.  I won't give away what Heather's were.  You have to read them for yourself at her blog.  As for me, here is the list in no particular order:

1. Leave a surprise gift for a child - My friend Kim's three year old daughter recently started ballet and tap dance classes.  I picked up a few books about ballet and dancing, tied them together with a ribbon, and made a little card that was signed by a character in one of the books.  I gave Kim a heads up that we would be coming by.  I asked her to give me a few seconds after ringing the doorbell to get back to my car before she let Kenzie open the door and find her surprise.  This was my first act of the day and it definitely got my heart racing.

2. Take flowers to a nursing home and ask the front desk to give them to someone - This tied in with an item from Heather's list so we went in together.  We asked the ladies at the front desk to please give our items to someone who doesn't get many visitors.  In addition to cheering up a resident, it also brought a smile to the ladies who helped us out.

3. Hang a sign on a bulletin board - I will admit that I got this idea off of Pinterest.  I printed out a sign that said "Take What You Need" and included pull-off tabs at the bottom that had various words.  We went to a local grocery store and I hung it on the bulletin board in the entryway.

4. Send a care package to a soldier - I thought this would be easier then it actually is.  I did a lot of research on how to send a care package to a soldier overseas.  But in the end, I determined that it would be very expensive and most likely my care package would never actually reach a soldier.  During my research I came across an organization called Give 2 The Troops.  I was excited to also find out that they are actually based out of my hometown.  I felt good about making a donation to this organization.  

5. Leave a note on a public bathroom mirror - At one point during this adventure we ended up at the local gym.  I thought this was the perfect place to hang my sign.

6. Tape a bag of microwave popcorn to a Red Box - This included a sign that said "Make your movie night complete with this free bag of microwave popcorn."  

7. Leave a treat for someone - This item, far and away, was the one that took me most out of my comfort zone.  It's one thing to leave something behind for someone to find later.  It's another when you actually come face to face with the person you are RAOKing.  For this item I put together a basket of goodies for a new family in town. There were toys and coloring books for their four small boys, a loaf of zucchini bread from a local bakery, and tons of brochures that I picked up at our local Chamber of Commerce highlighting lots of things to do in and around our town.  I wasn't sure what I was going to say to them when I delivered the basket.  It took me a while before I was ready to do this one.  Unfortunately when we got to their house, no one was home.  I was secretly relieved.  We left the basket on the porch and headed out to our next RAOK.

8. Return a shopping cart for someone - This one made us laugh the hardest.  We practically stalked the people in the parking lot at our local grocery store.  First we had to select our target, and then we had to act nonchalant while trying to time our approach to someone just as they were finishing loading their groceries.  What seemed like the easiest thing on our list, turned out to be one of the funniest.

9. Buy a coffee for a stranger - Of course I had to include this cliche.  Early in the day we went through our favorite coffee stand.  After getting our coffees, I slipped this note and the attached $5.00 to the barista and asked her to use it to pay for someone else's coffee.  She smiled and took it.  As we drove away we heard her turn to the other barista and say "how cool!".  That was all the encouragement we needed to continue.

10. Leave change on a vending machine - You have no idea how hard it is to find a vending machine when you are looking for one.  This was the very last RAOK of the day. We settled for this water refill station at the local grocery store.

11. Randomly distribute $1.00 scratch-it lottery tickets - I made little signs that said "Is today your lucky day?  Enjoy this Random Act of Kindness".  I attached them to five $1.00 lottery tickets.  We then walked through a local store, randomly setting them out for people to find.

12. Leave $1.00 bills around inside the Dollar store - This was along the same lines as the lottery tickets.  I made a note that said "Use this dollar to buy something that is not on your list.  Treat yourself."  I attached them to five $1.00 bills and left them all around inside the local Dollar Tree.

It took us about two and a half hours to complete 24 Random Acts of Kindness.  So what did we get out of this little adventure?  We stepped outside of our comfort zone several times.  We got some exercise (we actually ran a couple of times!).  We probably looked a little suspicious a few times.  And, in the end, we got the great feeling that we spread a little happiness to more people than we will ever know.

40 x 40 - 15. Catch a Steelhead

I have talked before about our annual girl's steelhead fishing trip.  This year was our fourth year of battling for that elusive giant steelhead that would win one of us the Women with Bait tournament title.

The first year, I landed two steelhead, the first two fish I ever caught!  Also, the last two fish I ever caught!  The next two years I would come home with nothing.  When that happens, you tell yourself that it's not about actually catching a fish, it's about being out on the water with your friends all day.  And while that is true, it still sucks to be the only one on the boat to not catch a fish. TWICE!

The weather this year was beautiful.  When we weren't moving up and down river, we took our jackets off to enjoy the sunshine.  We stopped at a little beach to enjoy lunch.  Heather and I would have been fine taking a little nap at this sunny spot.

But no, Paula and Laurie were determined to get every minute of fishing in.

Heather was so excited to catch her fish.  Chad, the bait boy, did his job of landing the fish on the boat.  Don't be fooled, this little fish put up quite a fight.

When Chad wasn't busy netting our fish, he spent a good amount of time breaking the ice on the river so that we could get farther upstream.  We had to be careful not to breakup too big of ice pieces because they would then float down the river and disrupt the other boats out this day.

Then it was my turn!  I was so relieved to land this guy.  I didn't care how big he was, I just wanted to have something in my hands!

We were coming up on an ice bank with everyone's line in the water.  The boat driver told us all to go ahead and reel up and he would move the boat back to a good position.  As we're reeling up, Paula shouts that she has a fish on, which tells the rest of us to reel up faster so that we don't get caught up in her line.  That's the point when I realize that I too have a fish on.  As I open my mouth to say something, I hear Heather, who is standing next to me, yell that she has a fish on!  The next few minutes were a blur.  Three out of four us with fish on our lines. The boat driver desperately trying to negotiate the large iceberg that we are heading directly towards while trying to turn the boat in every direction so that we don't loose our fish.  The bait boy running from the front to the back of the boat yelling that we are going to CRASH.  And Laurie calmly grabbing the net and going from one to another landing our fish.  It was one of my most favorite fishing moments.

At that point, the boat driver needed a few minutes to regroup.  He immediately docked the boat on a snow bank and kicked us all off.  We were all so excited, we just kept telling each other the story over and over.

In the end, we would each catch at least one fish that we got to keep.  There were a few others, but they were native and we had to throw them back.

Here we are on the snowbank right after our triple landing!  Not only can Laurie net fish, she also caught the fish that would eventually come in second in the entire tournament.

You might wonder what the boys do while the girls fish the tournament.  This year they rented two drift boats and went fishing on a different part of the river.  Scott had a good day fishing as well.

We are all set for next year.  We've picked a date, reserved a boat, made lodging arrangements, and started planning what we are going to take.  Laurie has set the bar pretty high for the rest of us.  But me, I'll just be happy to catch any fish.

40 x 40 - 14. Learn How to Bind a Quilt

Over the past couple of years I have started a new crafting experience with quilting.  I love playing with the fabric.  Picking out different patterns, different textures, different colors, and then using my imagination to make them come together.

Making a quilt actually happens in four main stages.  To help explain the stages better, I will equate them to photography.

Stage 1: Selecting the pattern and the fabric = Snapping a photo with your camera (This is like looking at something raw and having to see the end product in your mind.)

Stage 2: Cutting out and sewing the top of the quilt and the back panel = Editing your photo on the computer (This is often the longest step in the process and really requires that you take your time and focus.  Sometimes you have to rip out a seam if lines don't match up.)

Stage 3: Taking the top panel, the middle filling, and the back panel and quilting them together = Getting your photos developed (Unless you have the proper equipment, you often send this stage out for someone else to do.)

Stage 4: Binding the quilt together around the outer edges = Framing your photo for display (This is putting the finishing touches on your project.)

Once you start to quilt, you start to look around you and see all of the beautiful things you can make.  When Scott, the boys, and I went to Hawaii a couple of years ago I made a point of dragging Scott to a quilt shop that I found on the Internet.  I really wanted to get fabric that I would later make into a quilt.  Not having a pattern in mind, I just bought a yard of eight different fabrics.

I decided on a pretty basic block pattern.  What I liked about the pattern was that it has black borders around each square.  This really helped with the bright mismatched Hawaiian fabric.

Here is the quilt top that I took down to be quilted.  (It's very hard to quilt on a regular sewing machine.)



Once I got it back, I was ready to try my hand at binding.  I picked one of the eight fabrics that I the most left of.  I cut the fabric into several strips and then sewed those strips together.    Once I had a strip long enough to go completely around the outside of the quilt, I pinned it to the quilt front and headed to my sewing machine.



Here you can see the quilt top with the binding pinned to it.  You can also see the white inner fill and a little bit of the backing piece.  Once the binding piece is sewed completely on, these extra edges are cut off so that I can wrap the binding around to the back and hand sew the rest of it.



Here is my husband being crafty with his camera angles.



In this photo you can see the quilting thread pattern and the binding sewed on to the front.



Then it was time to head to the couch to finish with the hand sewing part.  You can stitch this part on by machine, but I wanted to be somewhat of a traditionalist and sew it by hand.



Folding over the binding piece from front to back, I would take my needle and catch the binding and the back piece, sewing them together.



And finally, the finished product.



This quilt taught me one very important lesson in paying close attention to the pattern shapes and the direction of the fabric.  Some of the fabrics had patterns that went in one specific direction.  Not thinking about this, I had to recut some of the squares because I cut them in the wrong direction.  I could have used them if I needed to, but because I had enough fabric I fixed this.



I currently have two baby quilts at the quilter and one ready to drop off when I pick those up.  One of my favorite parts of binding a quilt is that I can make a cup of tea, put on a Hallmark Channel movie, and sit on the couch with the quilt on my lap without feeling like I should be doing something.
Yeah, I think this quilting thing might stick around for a while.

40 x 40 - 38. Ride on a Ferris Wheel

It's not that I have never been on a ferris wheel.  Heck, I've lost count of how many times I went to the State fair when I was growing up.  But there is something more exhilarating about riding something a little larger than the snap together death trap that Davis Carnivals set up every summer in the local Albertson's parking lot.

Scott's niece Jenny got married at the end of July in Woodinville, Washington. Our plan was to make this trip into our summer vacation.  (You see more of this trip in later posts).  But for now, back to the ferris wheel idea.  This was a prime opportunity to ride the "Seattle Great Wheel".  Now we're talking big time.  

Here is what their web site says about this marvel:

About the Seattle Great Wheel

The Seattle Great Wheel was built in the last year, but its story goes back much further than that. Seattle businessman Hal Griffith had envisioned a Ferris wheel in the city for nearly 30 years, but it wasn't until he realized he could build one on his own pier that his dream became a reality.

The Seattle Great Wheel opened to the public on June 29, 2012. Since then, it has become an icon of the city and a destination for tourists and locals alike.

Here are some fun facts about the Seattle Great Wheel:

• The Seattle Great Wheel is the largest observation wheel on the west coast, standing 175 feet tall.
• The wheel has 42 fully-enclosed gondolas.  Each gondola seats up to eight people, meaning the wheel can hold over 300 passengers at any given time.
• The wheel was manufactured in various parts of Europe and the United States, and assembled right at the end of the pier.
• The wheel extends nearly 40 feet beyond the end of the pier, over Elliott Bay.
• The Seattle Great Wheel is open year round. With fully-enclosed gondolas and a covered waiting area, the rain can't stop the wheel from spinning!
• The Wheel weighs 280,300 pounds.
• 550 tons of concrete were poured to create the foundation for the wheel.

I knew that if I was going to ride a ferris wheel before I turned 40, this was the one to ride.  

 I quickly got in line.  Lucky for us, it was not very busy on this day.  We did go on a Thursday thinking that there would be less people.  

So you get your ticket, then go through a little booth where they take your picture with a green-screen background (so that you can purchase a souvenir copy after the ride), and then finally go get in the actual line to board a gondola.  They load each car and then the wheel goes around three full times before they unload everyone.  The first go around was a little sketchy with all the starting and stopping. There were a lot of rules posted inside your gondola, like don't open the doors (duh!), don't switch seats while the ride is moving, don't rock the gondola, etc.  There was even a very large red button that was clearly labeled "push if you need to get off this ride".  It's a good thing I sat on the opposite side of the car and was too afraid to move. I didn't particularly like being stopped at the absolute top of the wheel!  But once we got going, it was a lot of fun!

The views of Seattle, and the entire waterfront, were amazing.  I would highly recommend this to anyone who has an hour or two to kill in Seattle.