Most UN-Traditional

Well, folks, I could report on the campout in just two short words: Rained Out.
This was the first time in lo these many years that we have actually, factually given in to Mother Nature's wrath...it rained so hard I thought I was inside the world's biggest popcorn popper during the night...the rain slapped and pounded our tent top like a brazillion fire crackers exploding all night long...but let me backtrack a bit....
Mark and I were the first campers to arrive on Thursday around 1:00...check in isn't really until 4:00, but the rangers never say anything if you are moving into an empty campsite....it drizzled as we were leaving Beaverton, but just as we rounded the curve to head north to Seaside on Hwy 101, the sky broke clear and blue and cloudless...we had a beautiful afternoon to set up our camp...and when other folks started to arrive, we drove into town (Warrenton) to buy our groceries...one of our stalwart traditions is to shop at the Warrenton Fred Meyer any number of times...boy, they stock up on the camping goods, so it's actually fun to peruse the aisles to see what exactly we can't live without....
Thursday evening's activity was a bonfire on the beach, and a ceremony to retire some American flags which were no longer in service...our good freind, Austin Maxwell's Eagle Scout project is collecting and retiring flags, as well as teaching local Troops the proper procedure to respectfully retire a flag...it was nice weather, the ceremony was incredibly moving...
But the rain began in the early hours Friday morning.....and monsooned until we left early Saturday.....we had to modify our games and activities, with the exception of the Annual Talent Show/Campfire on Friday night...our very own Chanel single handedly delighted the group with sing-a-long songs...everyone enjoyed it...and the rest of the "skits" were really cute, too.....
Unfortunately, we had to cancel Saturday's beach day...everyone was pretty soggy by then, and there weren't too many tears shed over the decision to get the heck out of camp! The Ward provided the fixin's for sack lunches, which everyboyd made, bagged and then hit the road...it rained all the way home, and all day Sunday.....
And guess what?!?!?!? It is clear and warmer today.....and the rest of the week at the beach is forecast for clear skies, temperatures in the 70's...purt near perfection! And we won't be there......sigh.......since there was very little to remind of our earlier trips, we didn't feel like Geoff would have missed a whole lot.....so we start thinking of the future....there's always next year, right??????

Our summer ritual

Just a couple of quick things...tomorrow we leave for our annual campout at the Oregon Coast...we love Fort Stevens, just outside of Warrenton, Oregon.

There is probably no other tradition which so completely defines the Taylor family as camping for a week at the beach. We started going when Geoff was four years old...we haven't missed a single year. With the exception of last year, every year has been with our ward...thirty families or so...lots of kids, dogs, bikes, and NOISE...it is like nothing else in the world....and we love it. I have always maintained that NO ONE enjoyed the ward campout as much as Geoffrey Taylor. From the minute we pulled into our campsite and unloaded his bike, he was off and riding...we sometime saw him for meals, but he was usually out and about until time to retire to the "Jolly Roger," the tent he always shared with Bobby Peru...(that's Bobby Boland who is serving a mission in Peru...we have shortened it to Bobby Peru)

This is the first time we will ever go to Fort Stevens without our boy...and actually I cannot write about it....suffice to say, it breakes my heart to break a tradition, but never fear...we'll be back at it in 2 short years!

Mark and I are on the activities committee and have a lion's share of responsibility for the festivities....we have a lot planned but Mother Natuer is bent out of shape at me, apparently.....it's pouring rain and the forecast is for more of the same for the entire weekend.....nothing puts a damper on things like a dampener.....seriously.

BUT!!! We will perservere,rain or shine......bcause that's how the Taylor's roll.......especially during shine when one is free to pay homage to the Sun God.......like I always say..."To each his own, right????"

I'll let you know how it goes...we come back on Saturday night (another break with tradition) as I am teaching Relief Society on Sunday.....and THAT is is great story I'll share with you later...

Feb-you-ary

I promised to recap the year 2007 month by month to date, so here is February(which, by the by, seems FOREVER ago) as it was a pretty significant month for me...I (and this is the word I wish to emphasize) I celebrated my 31st wedding anniversary...yes, to the same husband...and I left my son at the MTC in Provo, Utah the same day...what a dumb move to meet Bennett Malley the self same day! Yeesh, who in their right (or left) mind would leave TWO adorable boys within hours of one another??? I put it to you...you do the math, but the equation will always be....HuH??? What were you thinking??

I'll be candid with you here, I can't remember if Chanel and Geoff went through the Portland Temple in January or February, exactly, but I know it was close...somebody set me straight if it was January, but I do b'lieve it was February....the lovely Miss Reyna flew in to be Chanel's escort, and Bishop Garrett was Geoff's...
I freely admit it was a bittersweet day.........but suffice to say it was lovely and I am grateful for children who are so upstanding and decent...my Patriarchal blessing has reference to my being the mother of a "friendly, obedient, loving family." Until just recently, I thought the whole obedience deal was meant to me....but I jut figured out it means obedience to the Lord.......huh! I guess this old dog can still be taught a new trick or two......
I was warned ahead of time that I would be called upon to offer the opening prayer when Geoff was set apart as a missionary........good thing, too! I don't think I would have been coherent if I hadn't had the chance to "steel myself" ahead of time........but I'll be doggoned if I wasn't taken completely off-guard when I was handed Geoff's name tag as we entered the MTC and given the privilege of officially turning him from Mister to Elder.......it still brings tears to my eyes...a hard hearted ol'biddy like me.......I was totally moved to tears.....can you even feature it??? Well, it was something, I'll tell ya!

Mark has become somewhat of an advocate for families delivering the Elderos in person to the MTC, no matter what...he had such an incredible experience, that he can't understand why anyone would willingly send their missionary off from their local airport.........Now, to each his own, I say, but I do agree with him that if it is at all possible, it's a once-in-a-lifetime moment...no one should deprive themselves of that opportunity if they are close to Utah...anyone got a soap box he can preach from????

Funny thing is, I was thinking this morning of last July's camping trip at the coast...and the drive home when Geoff talked at length about his indecision....whether to serve a mission, or not...and it was by no means a "done deal" at that time...bless his heart, tho.......he came to his decision knowing that no matter which way, we would support him completely and without question......and now look at him today....nearly five months into a mission that we live and breath right along with him......ah, February....when it's all about YOU, it becomes quite a month!

Rubic's Cubicle

So....three or four months ago, my office space was re-arranged when we aquired some hand-me-down office fixtures from our parent company. It was difficult and challenging to move things around, but we got it done and it looked sort of newish, and different, and kinda nice...then, I swear, barely two weeks later the guy who runs the office next door came ove to offer us very nice cubicle/office fixtures FOR FREE if we wanted them......much nicer than what we already had......GAD! I thought, why couldn't he have offered just a couple of weeks earlier.......my boss said NO, but my co-worker Jeff and I said YES. So, my boss said as long as he didn't have to be any part of the moving, hupping, shoving, pounding, and cussing...we could go ahead.

The neighbors brought the "stuff" over last week, Nader went on vacation this week, and Jeff and I tore our cubicles down and rebuilt them from the ground up.....giving us much greater appreciation for Rome and all their days.......

Jeff's space is almost completely back to normal...mine isn't.....after two days, it still bad....really bad......and the worst of it is that I lost the counter that held all my beautiful plants....no one believed I would every really make a change that would eliminate my jungle, but I am nothing, if not flexible......besides, I have a new plant plan....I'm going to surround myself with my wonderful green and blooming plants in a whole way.....you won't recognize me!!! You'll be asking yourself......hmmmmmmm, what's different?....did she lose weight? Get a haircut? New glasses??? But it will just be my new floral display!!! Seriously!

Keep checking back...I'm going to have a picture posted soon showing off the new "shading type of arrangement" but I can't do it before things get spiffed.......I only mention all of this because I'm pooped! The last couple of days have wored me right out........BUT the silver linging ito all of this is that the wind is NOT blowing.....

It's hot! I LOVE IT!

Most people don't care for hot weather. I, however, love it. I think I could be happy in any dry, arid location.....as long as it isn't WINDY!!! Something you may not know about me is that I don't particularly care for the wind.......boy, do I hate it. It tells me that the Cosmos is in chaos when the tree limbs are bending, when the napkins are blowing off the picnic table, when your hair swirls about you as if independent of your head!!!! (not an original thought)
ANYWAY! Today was hot, but not windy, unlike the last 20 thousand or so days........and I liked it.....I'm just sayin'...........

By the by....I said I would summarize by month.........January 2007 was cold, and rainy and weird...we bought Geoff's missionary clothes at Remingtons, a very cool CTR clothing store, and met Elder Jeff Hale from Salt Lake...Murrayhill Ward was his very first area to serve and he certainly had a "deer in the headlights" look about him..........and doggone, his bike helmet is still on backorder.......credit trouble, or something?!?!?!

So it's Monday night and we are sitting out in the back yard on my wonderful swing. I got this fabulous swing/bed/hammocky futon for my birthday. I could spend my entire life out lounging in the back yard. Technically, its not my backyard, but since we are the caretakers, it it ours by default.....and it's great. We had a wonderful 4th of July gathering of friends for an ice cream social, and then we showed a movie on a screen we built out of some pop tops and horse glue...I mean a sheet and some 2x2's....it was great...fortunately, our neighbors were all away watching big fireworks displays, so we could have the volume up nice and loud and no one complained...we watched........what else??? "Independence Day" was the feature at the Taylor walk-up movie and ice cream emporium...it was great fun, but a late, late evening...I wound up as hung over as if I'd been drinkin'....whoosh...

Did you miss me???

It's been over nearly 2 years since I posted to this blog, and for some strange reason, I am compelled to start posting again. Maybe it is because of all the other family bloggers and the fact that I enjoy reading them so much, or maybe it is because I figure I can journal this way...and if, by some very slim chance anyone actually reads this nonsense they will see what I have (or have not) been up to, so....I'M BAAACK!!!
Rather than detail the last many moons, let's summarize.....I had a mild stroke, I recovered fairly well, I moved to a different house, my in-laws both passed away, I kept working full time, my son embarked on a full time mission for the Church, my daughter enrolled in a Master's Degree program at Portland State University, I held Church callings..............and cooked a delicious,nutritious dinner every night!

So....while this site isn't exactly what you would call "under construction," it is basically under construction...and man, oh man, the standard is high....if you look at Chanel's blog, or Geoff's blog (which of course is Chanel's, too) or at Art the auction hound at auctionroadtrip.blogspot.com (maintained by the multi-talented Uncle Donald) you'll see why I'm anxious to do my best to portray my life's coming's and going's...NOT THAT IT'S A COMPETITION!!!! I just wanted to give MaryKate something else to do, that's all........
So, now that we're sort of up to speed, I think I'll start with 2007, and recap each month to date......so watch this space for January 2007!!! WOOHOOO!!!!!