Recycling Polystyrene in Portland, OR

PLC Recycling Center 3, located at 4404 N. Suttle Road, Portland, OR 97217, is the place to go to drop off Styrofoam, which is actually a material called polystyrene. Styrofoam is a trademark of the Dow company. Before I started saving polystyrene for recycling, I hadn't realized how much comes through our house. Every once in awhile, we buy meat packaged on a polystyrene tray (though typically my preference is to get it fresh from the case), and we sometimes receive blocks in the mail. After reading about how toxic polystyrene is, I will no longer buy food packaged in it (ever notice how some eggs are packaged this way?). It's shocking that it's used at all to package food considering how toxic it is and how much petroleum is used in its production.

See these pallets? This is polystyrene, which has been converted into blocks ready for recycling--95% of its volume (air) has been removed! It's no wonder Polystyrene fills up more than 30% of the world's landfills--and it's not biodegradable! Not only that, it's toxic when manufactured, and the EPA has classified styrene as a possible human carcinogen.

Did you know that Portland, Oregon is one of twenty US cities to ban the use of polystyrene packaging in restaurants and other businesses? It's called the Polystyrene Foam Container Ban-- it was voted on in 1989, and went into effect in 1990, thanks to the work of Jeanne Roy, her group Recycling Advocates, and then-city Commissioner Earl Blumenauer. In Sustainable Life, Kate Gawf writes about this ban in an article titled, 18 years later, banned polymer lingers. I'm not sure most Portlanders know about the ban, but I can think of numerous occasions where my take-out container was polystyrene foam. If this happens, you can report a suspected polystyrene violation by calling the Office of Sustainable Development at 503-823-7202. They will notify the restaurant or business by letter, and if they don't comply within 30 days, they will be subject to a penalty.

This super huge pile . . .

is reduced by 95%, melted down, sterilized, and cooled in this container, at which point it is stacked onto pallets and shipped to California, where it is used to make a wide variety of plastics. Choosing not to buy any food packaged in polystyrene is an important step, but with what polystyrene that does come through your home, try to break it up to reuse as packaging. Otherwise, drop off all polystyrene blocks and foam at the PLC Recycling Center 3 located here:
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Oh, and one more thing--now that you know about Portland's Polystyrene Foam Container Ban, don't hesitate to turn in any restaurants that might still be using this product. Read through the city code and charter on this ban (17.102.300), as there are some exclusions for non-profit organizations and some foods, but for the most part, if your to-go container is polystyrene foam next time you eat out, maybe it's time to call Portland's Office of Sustainable Development!

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Wy'east Tests Eggs for Lead!

A pretty, blue, Easter egg--but does it contain lead? If you have backyard hens and would like to find out if their eggs contain lead (this is especially important if you let your hens free range), Wy'East Environmental Sciences will test eggs for $30/egg. Contact them to take advantage of this service:

Wy'east Environmental Sciences
2415 SE 11th Ave.
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 231-9320

I'm still sorting through the lead contamination issue and trying to determine how we can afford to pay for lead testing (I was quoted $350.00 today by Net Compliance in Vancouver, WA just for our soil, and $800-$850 for the interior as well), let alone abatement or remediation costs. This isn't to say we won't pursue lead testing, because we will, but it does mean that I have more research to do on all the available options for testing/abatement/remediation that are out there. I promise to share the steps I take here, and hopefully by the time I'm finished, what I've learned will be helpful to someone else out there who, like me, values sustainable living practices, but hasn't maybe thought about hazardous issues like lead in garden soil before embarking upon them. There will be much more on this issue in the days and weeks to come.

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When You Grab a Bottle of Dealcoholized Wine for Book-Club

Saw these on an end-cap at Fred Meyer and without looking closely, I grabbed a bottle for book-club. Imagine my surprise upon further inspection when I saw the words "dealcoholized wine" on the label. I'm sure there are people out there who have gone sober but still crave the taste of wine, and I understand this! Having said that, I was most disappointed to carry in my hands a bottle of red wine for the ladies of my book-club that had the same alcohol content as a bottle of Organic Raw Kombucha. Except the thing is, dealcoholized wine doesn't have the reputation of being good tasting. Kombucha does (at least in Portland).

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Where There's Chickens, There's Rats: A Realistic View of Urban Chicken Keeping

Apparently, everyone knows that rats move in when the chickens do. I had hoped the potential of lead in our soil was the one and only roadblock I hadn't thought of prior to signing up for chickens, but now we have backyard rats. I'm not okay with this.

The first thing I knew I had to do was stop by Metro for bottoms to our compost bins, so rats will be unable to tunnel beneath them, where they pretty much have a wide variety of kitchen scraps from which to choose. We already knew our bins were starting to become magnets for vermin, so when I saw the rat in the chicken feeder today, I didn't waste any time eliminating the compost bins as a food source for them.

Here's the plastic bottom for the Metro compost bins. It will allow worms and bugs to come up through the little holes, as well as water to drain out, but we won't have any mice or rats living in our compost bins anymore. First problem solved. I must now figure out how to keep the mice/rats away from the chicken feeder.

We actually have a Mama rat (the one photographed above) who spends all afternoon taking grain back to her nest, which is unfortunately just over the fence on our neighbor's property beneath a mound of soil. I won't set traps unless they're live traps, and poison is completely out of the question. Really, what's the point anyway if the food source remains in your yard? There will always be more rats no matter how much poison you lay out. Some possible solutions I've come up with are to remove the chicken feeder at night, and to put out some sort of chicken feeder that is rat-proof during the day. I have to keep the squirrels away as well. I'm hoping when I stop by Pistils tomorrow to replace the chick that died that they might have a few suggestions.

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When It's Too Late

Some days, when you're on a bike ride with your Dad and there isn't a bathroom around, you have an accident. For a four year old, who doesn't yet feel bashful, a city sidewalk is just as good of a place as any to get cleaned up and get back on the road.

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Our Lost Chick

We only had this little chick for about a month when she disappeared the first night we had them outdoors. I feel terribly about it, and it really is my fault. We think something must have reached in and grabbed her or she got out during the night and a predator found her. The problem was the 2 x 4" wire on the new chicken ark was still a large enough opening for the chicks to fit through. So this chick, my favorite, and one I was sure was a hen, is now gone, and I will be replacing her with another one or two next week when another shipment of Bantam chicks arrives at Pistils. I'm a little heartbroken as well that two of our four chicks are most likely roosters, and I'm dreading the day I have to drop them off at Linnton Feed & Seed, where someone will most likely pick them up for food. I'm actually considering finding them a home on Craigslist, first, but usually no one wants extra roosters for fun. Chicken keeping is no easy task--there are predators, rats, and lead to think about, just to name a few, and I'm learning as I go (most of the time the hard way!).

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Best Day Yet

I think today had to be the most beautiful spring day we've had so far this season. I spent the afternoon in the backyard with the kids and chicks, thinned out the lettuce and herb rows (I seem to get a little too impatient when sewing seeds, and inevitably always sew too many), and kept the roof cleaners company while they worked.

Our roof was in dire need of a cleaning. The two guys who removed the moss from our roof used wire brushes, and it took them nearly six hours to complete the job. No chemicals, no pressure-washing--only the wire brushes. I'd had two other bids before LDJ INC, and both companies wanted to use chemicals. Both companies also quoted me $100.00 higher than LDJ. I would recommend this roofing company to anyone! The guys that cleaned the roof were professional, friendly, took their time, and even cleaned out our gutters, even though I had stated this was unnecessary, which was part of what got me a lower quote. I couldn't be more pleased with the quality of their work, and will now put LDJ in my file as the go-to company for all my roofing services (geesh, I should make a commercial).

Being in our backyard is so much more fun with the chicks. I don't have any regrets about adding them to our family. They really are relaxing to watch as they scratch and scavenge for grubs. This one, which I thought would surely be a girl in her newborn days, is now shoring up to be a rooster, as he/she has been involved in some cock fights (already!) with another chick, which I'm certain will be a rooster as well. I don't think hens every indulge themselves in such behavior, but I hope for their sake I'm proven wrong. I try not to think about the day when I have to drop them off in a hutch in front of Linnton Feed and Seed, which is there as a food source for people in need.

Today, while Sam and his best friend Garrett chased the chicks around and found more beetles, worms, and other bugs than I can count, Juniper was jumping off chairs, climbing up chairs, toppling over chairs, and falling off chairs. She went to sleep tonight clean after a nice, warm bath, but she also went to sleep with a scraped chin, a lump on the back of her head, and two sizable goose eggs on her forehead. She also has scrapes in various places on her legs & knees. She likes to sit on the ground, find all her scrapes, and say "Owww" in a soft, quiet voice for each one. Makes me chuckle just to think of it.

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We Love Our Chicks . . .

. . . and we like to think our chicks love us.

I think this picture says it all, don't you?

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Garden Creatures and Princess Sandals

A simple beetle paired with two curious boys constitutes an afternoon of intrigue and dialogue.

What was the beetle going to do next?

Juniper doesn't care at all for beetles.

In fact, she could have cared less about what her older brother and best friend were up to in our backyard. Sporting her new $5.00 rainbow sundress from Target, she was much too preoccupied with trying and retrying on her new princess sandals. She only wanted the princess sandals. She kicked, screamed, and shook her head "no" at the plain, white, practical sandals I tried to buy for her, reaching instead for the pink Disney sandals. She wouldn't even let me try them on her, withdrawing her foot at the sight of them. And so I gave in . . . and rescinded all my previous judgment for parents of little girls obsessed with everything princess. As a parent, I've pretty much had to resentfully rescind every damn bit of judgment I ever carried up until now. I used to cringe when parents would refer to their daughter as "their little princess," and I still do, but I'm learning that this thing is out of my control and has a mind of its own. It's completely hard-wired, I'm telling you. Out of my control. You want proof? My daughter has so far grown up in a house full of Sam's trucks and animal figurines. Not one doll to be found. Nothing pink in our entire house. Yet, one trip to the Disney Store for EVE, one of Sam's birthday presents, and Juniper walked right up to the 2 foot-tall Cinderella doll, clutched her to her little chest, and proceeded to walk through the store proud as a peacock. When I put the doll back ten minutes later when it was time to leave, a 20 minute crying spell ensued. You would have thought she had been the victim of a kidnapping. It was that dramatic.

I have to admit, I find this all rather endearing . . . and interesting! I've a son who could spend hours playing with a beetle in our backyard and a daughter who, at the tender age of 16 months, insists on the pink princess sandals. All I know is this: their personalities have little to do with me (when was the last time any of you saw me wearing PINK?), and a lot to do with Sam and Juniper. I keep this in mind as I observe their ways.

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My First KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer

Since Landon and I got married in June of 2002, I have wanted a KitchenAid Stand Mixer. We registered for one at Meier and Frank for our wedding, but when it came time to open the gifts after the honeymoon in Nova Scotia, there wasn't a mixer in the whole pile. Every time we had extra money over the years, other things took priority. Buying a house, remodeling the house, paying for tuition, having two children, paying off our cars, buying our second house, and then there were the trips to Philly, Washington, D.C., and Disneyland.

Finally, with Landon's recent severance, I declared we would each take a slice from the stash to buy whatever it was we wanted. After the past few months and the stress we've been through, it seemed we were each deserving of a small reward. I thought about it long and hard. I really wanted an iPhone. But I also really wanted a KitchenAid Mixer. Hmmm. Dilemma. In the end, with all the breadmaking and cooking I've been up to, I decided on the KitchenAid, while Landon put his slice into savings until the new iPhone comes out July 11th (for $199!). Although the iPhone was tempting (to the point where I wondered where my sense of self-control was), in the end, I decided I actually liked being unplugged during certain times of the day. Certain applications can be a little addicting, after all.

And so I am the proud new owner of a KitchenAid Mixer, which I broke in just this evening mashing potatoes. I'm kind of in love with the colors KitchenAid offers for their Artisan mixers--aren't you? I settled on "ice," one of my favorite shades of blue/green, and close to the color in which I painted our bathroom. I love its vintage look,don't you?

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Slipping

I feel like I'm walking along a slippery, slushy sidewalk, where every step could be disastrous if I were to actually slip and come crashing down. Life is funny. The highs and lows, that is. Things have seemed better the past couple of weeks, but now not so much again. I don't ever want to leave the reality of my life completely out of this blog, so without sharing too many details in this public place, know that with every blog post about a happy moment in what seems from the post to be a perfect day where the souls of mother and child are forever connected, there are also moments mixed in where it's really tough and I don't know how I'm going to get through. Having said that, in this recent crisis I am referring to, I feel hopeful that Western medicine will once again improve things for us around here. Hope right now is a mental choice for me, but I can feel deep down inside that it's the right one. For now, I must go to bed before Juni wakes me up once again at 5:30am. Before I go, know that I will gladly share details with my friends and readers--just send me an e-mail, okay?

Karli

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I Love Four

Four has got to be my all-time favorite age. If it gets better than four, then I'm in for a lucky surprise. Three was a hard year. Between the year-long potty training and the insane tantrums, I was ready to check myself into OSH more than once.

But now here he is: Sam Kuhn, the thoughtful, sweet, sensitive, inquisitive boy who picks his Mommy dandelions and exhibits patience with his baby sister, who constantly wreaks havoc on his projects. He is at the age now where moments of weakness constitute whining, pouting, or a hunchback, but most of his moments are about learning and figuring out this big world he was born into. He recently kept me company on a road-trip to fetch the chicken coop and run, and when I got home, I thought to myself that I couldn't have asked for a better passenger. I love you, Sam!

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First Word (Besides Mama, Dada, Nana, Cat, and Dog): SHOE

Little Miss Juniper is a lover of shoes. In fact, we attended a play-date/dinner the other night and she found a closet full of little girl shoes that made her very happy indeed. When I went to Target recently to get her a new pair of practical shoes, she wanted the pink sparkly ballet shoes, and when I put them back, she had a crying spell that lasted for quite some time.

I wish I could keep her in this early toddler stage. She's just on the verge of talking, still holding on to her babyhood in many ways, and formulating little bits and pieces to her personality. I just want to pick her up, squeeze her, and kiss her little cheeks when I see pictures like these. She's my little Juniper, and that's all I'm going to say about that.

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The Peas Have Sprouted

My peas have sprouted. I just wanted to show them off in their youthfulness as they grow up so fast.

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Coop for the Chicks!

I rented a truck and put 300 miles on it today--all for our four little chicks. Sam and I left bright and early this morning on a road-trip to rural Oregon to pick up a chicken ark and run. He was great company, and really made the trip seem like an exciting adventure. I was super excited once I arrived and realized the chicken ark was exactly what I'd been looking for!

Since I'm not sure if we'll let our hens free-range or not (this is contingent on the results of lead testing on our soil), I purchased this additional run, which fits up against the chicken ark and provides plenty of square footage for two bantam hens. I asked to have the wire on the floor as well to make it extra predator-proof. The little door inside the run and to the left of this photo is the door to the ark, so we can contain them within the ark at night or just leave the run up against it. Best thing of all, the ark is easily movable, so I'll be able to give the hens a continual supply of fresh grass and bugs while spreading their manure around easily as well. I'm thinking I'll probably move it every two weeks or so.

I couldn't be more pleased with our chicken ark and run. Sam and I arrived on a little farm outside Philomath belonging to a newly married couple who are truly living a sustainable lifestyle. As I looked around their farm, I realized how small my efforts at sustainable living are in comparison to those that truly can live off the land. Even though my little yard is small, I still have big plans. If you are interested in keeping chickens, I can't recommend these coops and runs enough, which are built by Jesse Sullivan. He can custom-build them as well. Visit his farm's website, where you can find his contact info as well.

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The Lead Issue

A few days ago, I linked to a Portland Tribune article written by Tamara Rubin about the risks to keeping urban chickens in backyards that may be contaminated with lead. I had initially felt I needed to do more research after reading the article, feeling the article lacked sources. I somehow missed the link to her blog, My Children Have Lead Poisoning, printed at the end of the article, which contains helpful resources, discussions, and information on this important topic. I know from experience that our pediatrician hasn't taken this issue seriously enough. Knowing that we live in an older home, she shrugged a blood test for lead poisoning off as something we could wait until her 15 month appointment to do. It wasn't until recently that I realized that her 15 month appointment came and went, and she still hasn't been tested for lead.

I guess the reason this article resonates with me is that our house was repainted in 2004. We bought the house in 2006. Just about every time I'm gardening around the perimeter of the house, I find broken glass and lots of paint chips. I'm fairly certain that a lot of the soil around our house is fill, hence the broken glass, but when it comes to the paint chips, I haven't given them too much thought other than to feel annoyed that they were in the soil.

Now I'm starting to realize that we could have a serious lead contamination issue in our soil. Sam was tested shortly after we moved into our house, but only because a few of his Thomas trains were recalled when it was discovered that they had been possibly painted with lead-based paint. He passed that lead test, but since then, we've had Juniper. She's still hanging onto her oral phase, and I noticed when we were outside yesterday that she was putting her hands in the soil, then into her mouth later. It's easy for me to see how children are so easily exposed.

When I read Paula's story, I felt sick inside and overwhelmed at what a big issue this is. I needed perspective, so I think what I am focusing on at this point is creating awareness and doing whatever we can to ensure our soil is lead-free or at least within an acceptable range. Tamara has a list of resources on her blog, and has written a comment beneath my post "Testing Soil for Lead" that I found to be helpful.

I'm in the process right now of tracking down a testing kit, then it'll be a few weeks before a lab will send us the results. From there, depending on the levels, we'll have to figure out what kind of assistance we could qualify for to get our backyard lead-free. I'm not concerned about lead inside our house, because our house is almost entirely old-growth fir paneling, and it wasn't until 2004 that a few rooms were sheet-rocked and painted, long after lead-based paint would have been an issue.

Tomorrow I leave to obtain the ark & run for the chickens. Had I been aware of this issue, I would have pursued lead testing in our soil long before signing up for chickens or a vegetable garden. Still, it's never too late to do the right thing, and hopefully my blog entries will also create awareness on this issue for urban dwellers. We won't let the chickens free-range for now, keeping them cooped away from the house, continue to maintain our raised bed, and go from there once we know--hopefully the testing will show everything is fine. If we're lucky, the paint chips around the house were from a coat of paint put up long after the era in which lead-based paint was commonly used. Any feedback (good or bad) on this issue would be greatly appreciated.

Karli

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Memory

Juniper, summer of 2008. Her "I love rainbows" t-shirt and chubby thighs are memories of her I'll always carry close.
Today was one of those afternoons I don't ever want to forget. I unburied part of an old sidewalk in our backyard, where I found lots and lots of juicy worms, much to Sam's delight. We brought the chicks outdoors, now nearly a month old, where they scratched and pecked for hours in the warm sun. Once Sam discovered the chicks ate bugs, he brought them as many as he could, which they gobbled up merrily. Juniper got her hands dirty playing in the big hole I made in the yard, then eventually took off her shoes and got her toes all dirty, too. She doesn't seem to be interested in insects or worms like Sam, but instead tries to mimic what she sees me doing in the yard. She follows me around, and sometimes, when I'm pulling weeds, she comes up behind me and hugs my back as tight as she can. We stayed outside all afternoon, and then some friends came by, and Landon made us a chicken salad that was better than any salad I can remember eating before. This evening, I'm drinking a pint at a local pub, thinking about my day, and looking forward to many more sunny afternoons in the weeks and months ahead. My little ones will only be 4 and 1 once, and I hope to make the most of it.

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What Today Was About

Today, while waiting to cross the Ross Island Bridge, the passenger in the car in front of me leaned out and threw THIS garbage out onto the street. I immediately laid on the horn, got out of my car, and picked it up. I'm not sure if my actions will make much of a difference to them, but my hope is they'll at least think a little harder before littering next time. What is WRONG with people?

This afternoon was sunny and bright, so I thought, what better way to spend it than at Portland Nursery? I could easily spend several hours at this nursery. They have every plant a gardener could ever want (and more).

You can imagine my delight this afternoon when I discovered this elderberry tree. I've been looking for this particular variety, a Sambucus nigra, since 2006, with no luck. I left this treasured elderberry behind when we sold our first house and bought this one. The past few years I've picked up two other varieties while out searching for this one, but they haven't been quite the same. I am very excited to have finally found this Sambucus nigra, which I think will grow into a beautiful tree (note: these have to be shaped as they are quite hardy and will appear to be more of a shrub unless pruned heavily).

Sam loves nurseries almost as much as I do.

While Juniper blends right in with the other plants on the shelf.

Tonight I put up the trellis for the peas, which have all sprouted nicely, planted the elderberry tree, assembled our new reel mower, which replaced our gas-powered mower and works perfectly, and spread some compost around the garden. Yesterday, I weeded and pruned our whole lot, and things are really starting to look pretty nice out there. Next week, I hope to put up the bean tepee, plant two tomato plants, and collect soil samples for lead testing. I'm hoping the results aren't too frightening since we now have the chickens and a growing vegetable garden. In this case, what you don't know CAN hurt you, so it's important we do the test so we know what we're up against.

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Rain and Sun Breaks

Spring this year has been typical in every way. We've had heavy rains, beautiful sun breaks, warm and sunny days, and even hail and snow up here in the west hills.

All this water . . . if only we had a green street so this water could be diverted from the sewer system.

But then the rain stops and there's a sun break, such as the one shining through the skylights at Washington Square when I took this picture of little Juniper.

Or this sun break, during which Landon and Sam went for a bike ride and Sam didn't make it to a nearby tree in time.

Or this sun break, which put Juniper to sleep in the place she naps best: her carseat.

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Testing Soil for Lead

My vegetable garden has sprouted in neat little rows and it's exciting in a way I haven't experienced in gardening before, because these little sprouts will be food for our table! Having said that, I realized today that we have not had our soil tested for lead--a very important step before growing vegetables. I have raised beds, but may need to go another 6" deeper next year. Soil testing is also important if you plan to have backyard hens. Check out Chickens eating lead not sustainable,' an article written recently by Tamara Rubin for the Portland Tribune. It's important not to expose your backyard chickens to lead if their eggs are to be used as food for your family. I still have a little more research to do on this as Rubin doesn't provide sources to back up her claims, but I have to admit, I hadn't thought to test my soil before taking on vegetable gardening or chicken keeping. If our soil has high levels of lead contamination, which is a huge possibility as I often find lead paint chips in our soil around the house when I'm gardening, I'll have to keep their chicken ark away from the house where the contamination is, and will probably have to keep them cooped up at all times, which might be okay, since they will be in a movable coop, providing them continually with a fresh supply of grass and bugs as they are moved around the yard. I hadn't been informed of the risks of chicken keeping in urban areas due to lead contamination. I think I'll e-mail a few local nurseries and feed stores that sell chicks and recommend they inform customers to raise awareness on the serious risks of lead, not only to humans, but to chickens and homegrown vegetables!

Today was Landon's last day with the employer he's had for eight years. He had an early exit interview at 10AM, turned in his key, badge, company American Express card, received his severance check, and came home and started cleaning his office, where the chicks have been living in a plastic bin for three weeks now. Who knew how dusty a room could get in a few weeks' time from just four little chicks? It was amazing. A thick coating of dander (I know, gross!) was on everything. This experience has been all the assurance I need to see that raising birds indoors is NOT for me! We both washed down the whole room, which included every item and every book, and moved the chicks to the basement, where they'll stay until the end of the week, when I plan to drive to Corvallis to pick up a movable chicken ark for them. In the meantime, I must collect soil samples for lead testing! Here are the names of two local labs where you can get your soil tested for a small fee:

• Wy’east Environmental Sciences, Inc., 2415 SE 11th Ave, Portland. 503-231-9320
• A & L Western Agricultural Laboratories, 10220 SW Nimbus Ave, # K 9, Portland. 503-968-9225

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A Walk on the Wild Side

Easter, 2009 was a success, and what a nice day we all had with the kids, watching their excitement over Easter candy and egg-hunting.

But now it's late, the day is over, tomorrow is a new day, and I'm listening to a little Lou Reed while drinking Spanish Syrah:



Hmmm, the best end to what was a great Easter Sunday.

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Happy Night Before Easter

The eve of Easter, the night when Easter eggs are decorated (ours with Transformer stickers and markers) and an excited little boy falls asleep in anticipation of tomorrow's Easter egg hunt. We'll be down in McMinnville with my parents for Easter dinner, and will be bringing Sam's decorated eggs down with us for a hunt with his cousins (I'm hoping Juniper might participate, too, as she has her own basket, but not counting on it too much). Happy Easter, everyone!

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My Hooks from Anthropologie

It's been many years since I've browsed an Anthropologie, and I've been missing out big time! Today I picked up some vintage hooks from there with which I'm pretty much in love and don't see that feeling being demoted to like anytime soon. It's the kind of thing where every time I walk by the already-mounted hooks, I congratulate myself on the selection and can't help but notice how it seems like they were always meant to be there.

Anthropologie is the sort of store where you don't even have to find the right spot for their products necessarily. The work has already been done for you. Everything they carry is pretty much made to look like that antique for which you've spent months of weekends searching, and their clothing looks like all the sorts of things you'd like to make for yourself. Wherever you put their stuff, it will brighten a room like nothing else.

I picked up a replication of an aged, vintage vase today as well, and can't wait until the flax seeds sprout that I've planted. I'm pretty much in love with flax flowers (and anemones and hellebores, to name just a few). It'll be a nice addition to the other indoor plants in the living room, and I love bringing a little perennial growth into our living space, though I do most of my perennial gardening outdoors. I plan to start working on an outdoor flax patch soon as well!

You love it, too? I thought you would.

Before I picked up the vase and hooks, I stopped off at Landon's work to say goodbye to some of our friends, as today was their last working day (Monday they will have their exit interviews).

I gotta say, though I'm not brave enough to sport pink jeans and a Miss Kitty t-shirt, I love that Landon's coworker Kristina does. Nothing like embracing Spring in all its glory.

It was a day of goodbyes and endings for Landon and his coworkers. There will be new beginnings in store for each employee. Even if they don't yet know where they will end up, good things are ahead. New companies will be built, opportunities in the job market will come up, and others will pursue the dreams they never thought they would get the chance to. It's the end of something really good and something rare in a work environment, but the people that made the Portland office what it was will go on to do great things. I will miss having all of you in our daily lives!

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