Southern Oregon is Shakespeare Country

Last summer for my husband's birthday, I presented him with tickets to two plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. He was really not excited about it. I was patient with him because he had never been to the OSF, and therefore had no precedent upon which to base his silly emotional response.

Of the two plays in question, only one was Shakespeare: "Coriolanus". The other was Thornton Wilder's classic, "Our Town".

Since it was his birthday, it was his choice on how we spent our time when not otherwise engaged in culturally bettering ourselves. For my husband, that usually means going to unpopulated places for physical exercise. The more competitive, the better.

What else would you want to do in Southern Oregon in August, when the temperature tops 102 degrees??? We also had only a few extra hours.

Right. A hike it is! (was?)

View from the top, back to Ashland:

Can you feel the heat? Look at that sky! It was toasty.

We found a hike of reasonable distance and drove to the trailhead. It turned out to have been the location of a recent forest fire. I can imagine how quickly the fire swept over the top of the hill, pushed by winds. The clearing offered great views of Ashland, which is beautiful any time of year.

Does this man look 30???

It was a beautiful hike, through cool forests and open, grassy meadows until it reached the peak here, at (I forget the name of) this hill. It was open (as you can plainly see) and offered beautiful views of the valley below.

Here's the man...

"Do something funny! Strike a pose!" I requested, always looking to add interest to benign photographic situations. He complied, offering up a very 'Lewis & Clark discover the Pacific' kind of thing:


Might I add, if you haven't been to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, you are quite simply missing out on an amazing experience. It isn't hard to understand the language. Besides, you will be mesmerized by the set and costumes and acting that pulls you into the story without needing to be an English major.

Trust a man who, though skeptical at first, thoroughly enjoyed himself.

Forty Stone and Six Months Ago

Last year, OC turned eight years old. She wanted to have cupcakes, and she wanted to make them.

The mixer is carbon dated to be 1.2 million years old. It weighs just over forty stone. That would be, forty Stonehenge-sized stones.

Speaking of stone, this is Pampered Chef stoneware. VERY easy to crack, but cooks up a nice batch of cupcakes. You don't have to take my word for it. Let's ask a qualified expert...


"How are the cupcakes, OC?"


"These cupcakes – much like my mama – rock!!!"

Hey, I'm just the messenger.

Feline Psychology

This is Rum.


Note the greenish blob on the floor in front of her. This is an old sock filled with nepeta, commonly known as catnip. This herb makes Rum behave in very un-Rum behavior, such as exhibit mirth, joy, and playfulness.

Run has earned the nickname "Crabby Patty", and through a careful program of desensitization, she now receives kisses to the top of her head without vocal protestation. She has her limits, but this is considered progress within the context of the Rum/human relationship.

A Person Who Knits

I learned to knit about three years ago. In that time, I've made several scarves and many, many hats. I've even made a wrap.


But this, this is an Alice Starmore sweater pattern. It was begun six months ago, and it still looks like this:


When a pattern is so complicated and with new stitches I've never done before, it requires my undivided attention. I have ripped out many times. That's okay, but what is problematic is the rate of growth of my daughter. It's not her fault, but she is putting the pressure on to get this done before she grows out of it before it exists.

I aspire to be a knitter of sweaters and socks. These, to me, will be the pinnacle of knitting accomplishment.

From January

If there is one good thing about being sick, it's the quality storytelling by certain members of this household.

High Art

It's a pancake...........


.......shaped like a heart. At one time, this was awesome, but I have since forgotten why that was.

Here is another way I spend my time:



It is easy to see the awesome in this photo, sans explanation.