Blossoms both shimmering and grounded

Three words summarize my praise for Oregon’s many wonders: idiosyncratic, infrequent, and heartfelt. In summer, my deep and abiding love for Oregon-grown berries seizes center stage; come springtime, though, I only have eyes for the state’s amazing variety of flower farms. Tulips, daffodils, iris, peonies, dahlias, calla lilies—aside from adding charm to local lawns, in 2010 these [...]

A decades-long holiday love story, told in lights

For at least 26 winters and quite feasibly more than 40 of them, a small one-story house in a modest PNW neighborhood has transformed itself and its adjoining lot into something rather extraordinary: an homage to every archetypal creature and candy ever deemed part of an American Christmas. It’s a story of obsession overlapped with [...]

Twist

Lately, the universe seems determined to remind me that flexibility—or at least non-linearity—is a wonderful trait to demonstrate preferably early but definitely often. I’ll grant that limber and meandering minds tend to excel at creating or embracing new concepts. And that supple hearts and bodies tend to make it easier to go along and get [...]

Project Marigold Paint: Reunited and it feels so good

Previously, I discussed how Mr Vix and I moved slightly forward in our exterior paint project by madly laboring on Labor Day Weekend. Since then, we’ve had many a quality after-work/weekend moment while attempting to finish the front side of the house before being shut down by the 9-month long rainy season. While I generally dread [...]