Us

The Sea

"Look at that sea girls---all silver and shadow and vision of things not seen.  We couldn't enjoy it's loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars and ropes of diamonds."  L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Vacation = Day 1

Fridays Letter

Dear Mr. Veen:  It's always a nice surprise to have a quiet morning chat with you before the kids wake up.  Dear Doggy Park:  Thanks for providing free entertainment last night.  It's official - I feel like I have a new kid now after hanging out with a bunch of human "parents" doting on their dogs.  Dear Gearheart/Cannon Beach:  Just a few short days and we will be getting reacquainted!  I can't wait to sleep in, not do laundry, eat too much, and play with my sweet fam.  Dear One Day on Earth movie:  You look amazing and make me and my little world seem very, very small.  And last to Mr. Veen:  Since I won't be blogging next week you'll have ample time to catch up on all the blogs you've missed = lucky you!

HAPPY FRIDAY!


One Day on Earth - Motion Picture Trailer from One Day On Earth on Vimeo.

Friday's Letter

Dear Mr. Veen:  this morning I grabbed your sweatshirt to throw on before going out back to check on my rhubarb.  Insert super cozy good feeling right here.  Dear Rhubarb:  it seems you are not quite ripe yet, however I am SO very excited to harvest you when you're good and ready (hurry up!) - no pressure.  Dear 10 day forecast:  although you look a smidgen better than this last week, I am still not impressed.  If you can manage to get to at least 75 then we may have something to talk about.  Until then you continue to be wimpy at best.  Dear bagel with peanut butter,honey, and sliced banana on top:  Elvis might be jealous of our relationship however I guess what he doesn't know about won't hurt him.  Dear The Head and the Heart:  I can be a little bit fickle when it comes to forming new music relationships however this song was love at first listen.  Mr. Veen thinks it sounds like a train ride - nice.  And last to Mr. Veen:  today I stumbled across info. on an all inclusive resort in Mexico.  Want to go in say three years?  It's a date!

HAPPY FREAKING WEEKEND!

Wordless Wednesday: Bend Weekend 2011

Poolside

Just a quick hi today to say I had a lovely, relaxing and very fun weekend.  Much of our time was spent soaking up some sun and gobbling up gossip mags poolside.  So wonderful!

I came home to a very sick little girl who's been hit hard with the flu.  It makes me sad to see her feeling so yucky but I'm hopeful she's on the mend today and will be able to make it to her last day of school tomorrow.

Speaking of school ending and summer beginning - where did the sun go?  If this "Juneuary" thing continues much longer I think I may be forced to pack things up and move to a land that actually has a real summer....because I need my sun!

Friday's Letter

Dear Mr. Veen:  it's pretty cute and funny how much you love your new beer glass.  It gets bonus points for being too tall to fit in our cupboards.  Dear Jake and Ella:  three more days of school to go!!  I think I am just as excited as you guys are for the change in our routine.  Dear Self:  you and I both know how long this week has been.  Your weekend escape could not have come at a better time - so excited!  Dear Gwen Stefani:  I am loving you and your music lately and this song sums up my thoughts exactly.  And last to Mr. Veen:  thank you for being the kind of husband and father who supports me getting away from time to time.  Good luck to you this weekend - I'll miss you!

A Little Getaway!

Over the weekend Mr. Veen and I were lucky enough to get away to the Oregon Coast to celebrate our upcoming 17th. anniversary.  For our destination of choice we decided on Nye Beach which is an artsy little pocket on the oceanfront in Newport.  We stumbled upon Nye Beach a few years ago and fell in love with it's art galleries, amazing little coffee shops, bakeries and vintage clothing stores.  And even though the weather wasn't exactly perfect for our getaway we had a wonderful, restful time!

One of the highlights of our trip was stopping in Depoe Bay for a late lunch at Tidal Raves which I'd mentioned over here a few weeks ago.  As usual, our visit there didn't disappoint!  We were seated right by the windows with a sweeping view of the bay and enjoyed halibut fish and chips with chowder, fresh sourdough bread and coleslaw.  I don't think I've ever had a bad meal or experience at this place and if you manage to save room for dessert it is out of this world.  But what really makes this place so special is the location.  It feels almost like you are hanging over the bluff and there's something so mesmerizing about watching the waves crash into the rocks below. 

In fact, this place is so special that  movie was filmed here not too long ago.  The Burning Plain is not necessarily a cozy, feel good movie but I went to it because I wanted to see one of my favorite places on the big screen.  It's also fun to think of Charlize Theron hanging out in Depoe Bay.  Here's a little clip from the movie where you get a glimpse of the outside of the restaurant and the bay behind it.

The sun is shining today and it's helping make my transition back into the routine much more bearable!  Wishing you a marvelous  Monday!

Friday's Letter

Dear Mr. Veen:  the other night you dreamed you were chasing a hamster and were running in your sleep.  I'm afraid even our California king is not large enough for this sort of extra curricular sleep activity.  Dear mixed bouquet of tulips and daffodils:  thanks for reminding me how good fresh flowers are for my soul.  Can't wait to visit my flower lady at Saturday market soon.  Dear Zack and Cody:  just when I had somewhat gotten used to Justin Bieber now we're watching you two on a daily basis.  Heaven help me.  Dear Anne Lamott:  I can't believe you are going to be in Portland TONIGHT of all nights!  Please promise to come back soon, I might be your biggest fan.  Dear Pricilla Ahn:  this song is dreamy and also reminds me of Darlene.  Dear Darlene:  you were smart, strong and sassy! I think it's safe to say those qualities have been passed on to your daughter and granddaughters - thank you for paving the way - rest well.  And last to Mr. Veen:  we've made it!!  Whoop!  Can't wait to celebrate with you!

Beachy Good

This past weekend I was lucky enough to get away for a few days with my family to the Oregon Coast.  For those who may not be familiar with Oregon coast weather in the springtime, I can sum things up in one word:  wet.  We did get down on the beach for a quick rainy walk and then again to snap some pictures before the sun set, but other than that our trip focused on what we really came to do - namely drink, eat and be merry!

We decided ahead of time to divide our meals amongst the three families.  My parents took breakfasts, Mr. Veen and I took one dinner, and my brother Mark and his wife Nancy took the other dinner.  And here's where I have to explain that while my family might not be considered official food snobs, we do take our food/cooking pretty seriously.  I consider myself somewhat of a novice/ learner/ dabbler in gourmet-type cooking.  My mom has always been an awesome cook, but Mark and Nancy are in a whole entire league of their own!  It was a lot of fun to watch them make their magic in the kitchen together Saturday night.  The end results were:  the most amazing guacamole I've ever had, incredible crab salads, and delicious salmon chowder.  And to finish it all off Nancy baked not one but two wonderful pies - lemon and apple.  I don't know if I've ever seen my dad eat so much!

Nancy has promised me her official guacamole recipe - but I have a sneaking suspicion it's more of an art form than a recipe.  Here's what I picked up about how to make this heaven in a bowl:

Avocados (she used 8 for our large bowl)
Tomatoes (only the outside portion - take seeds and innards out!)
Jalapeno (adjust to taste - I think she used 2)
Onion (not much was used for ours - maybe just 1 or 1/2 - but this can be adjusted depending)
Lime (fresh!)
Sea salt to taste

One of the things about this guac. that I loved is that it was chunky not soupy.  Also - it had a bit of a kick to it but not too spicy.  I will for sure be trying this version out next time I make guacamole!

I'm so FULL!

Happy Monday after Christmas!  Today my plan was to share with you a few recipes from Christmas Eve but I must admit I'm too full to even think about food right now.  So unless anyone's interested in carrots, celery and salad there will be no food-type postings this week!
And speaking of the week ahead I'm  taking a mini-vacation!  Well, vacation might be a tad of an exaggeration but I am going away to a place that will not have internet connection thus my throngs of admiring fans will have to endure a few days of me not posting.  Somehow they will survive. 
Yes, I'm packing up my peeps and heading to a cabin in the mountains!  The technical definition is "deluxe" cabin which means we'll have heat, electricity, an indoor bathroom(YES!), sink, fridge, microwave and gas grill (*note NO T.V., NO VIDEO GAMES, NO INTERNET).  I'm super excited to play in the snow, read, play games, and generally connect with my nearest and dearest.  Hopefully we'll come out of the experience alive and intact;-)  I'm taking my camera (of course) and will be sharing the experience with YOU my adoring fans sometime soon!
Until then - here's some pictures of where we're going.  It's supposed to SNOW there Tues, and Weds. nights - yippee!!