Another Beautiful Morning at Bosky Dell Natives

Amelia walking beneath a canopy of quaking aspens at Bosky Dell Natives.

"You're not supposed to be gardening on a day like this" I was told as I walked into Bosky Dell Natives today.  And no, I won't be gardening today (going to be 98 degrees here in Portland), but sometimes you're in the right place at the right time, and who doesn't need another bunch of cattails for the rain garden or Cardwell's penstemon for the dry, hot sedum garden?  I do!  And, of course, we have those things now, along with Indian paintbrush, which is a parasitic plant--this means it never grows alone!  I was told to wrap its root system around the penstemon and plant them together.  I haven't yet begun meadowscaping, but I have just the spot in the yard, and lots of ideas--these two would grow beautifully together in our future urban meadow!  

Leave a Comment Backyard Habitat, Gardening, Native, Rain Garden

Our Favorite Juice Bars this Summer

Sometimes, when we drive out to Bosky Dell Natives in West Linn, we stop at Renew Juice Co for smoothies.  Amelia loved her Raspberry Punch, and my Green Tropicana was delicious!  Spinach, kale, pineapple, mango, strawbery, banana, coconut manna, hemp milk, mango nectar, and coconut water?  How can you go wrong!?  Have loved this place, as well as Kure Juice Bar over the summer.  I haven't had alcoholic shots this summer, but I've had plenty of wellness shots!  My favorite is the Extra Mile with the Immunity Shot.  I couldn't ask for more! 

Leave a Comment Healthy Living, Self-care, Treats

Loving Yourself

I took myself out for a pedicure this afternoon--needed some time to myself and self-care after three long nursing shifts was definitely in order.

My pedicurist was Vietnamese, and was commenting on my white skin, and how coveted white skin is in Vietnamese culture.  I got to thinking about how so many of us covet tan skin, then of course, I got to thinking about loving ourselves the way we are born.  It felt nice for a change to meet someone who would give anything to have skin as fair as mine, as I've spent my entire life in a culture where I have felt embarrassed and ridiculed for having skin so fair.  No matter how many times I went to a tanning bed back in the day, I was not tan.  Only burned with lots of freckles.  I stopped going in my early 20s when I went to a talk by a dermatologist who said to picture a tanning bed as your coffin.  My skin and the sun do not get along very well.  I have to be very careful not to overexpose myself without sunscreen, especially when I'm in Australia.  I had a moment of true self-acceptance this afternoon, thanks to this wonderful Vietnamese woman Nina, who made my day.  x o , Karli

Leave a Comment Healthy Living, Self-care, Wellness

A Year Ago Today

Happy anniversary to our dear friends, Sharla and Peter, who were married one year ago today.  In one year, they have been through so much, yet their love is stronger than ever.  I am inspired by their strength and their courage, proof that love conquers all.  x o, Karli

Adam and I at Camp Arrah Wanna at the Wedding of Sharla and Peter.

Leave a Comment Commitment, Love, Marriage

Meeting Adam in New Orleans

After nursing school, I made plans to visit a friend from my class, Maggie, who moved down there shortly after we graduated.  It was an amazing five days, spent hanging out with Maggie and her roomates, and experiencing all the food, art, music, and architecture that makes up the wonderful city of New Orleans, Louisiana.

The night we met in New Orleans.

On my last night, we all went out to celebrate.  After dinner, we headed back to my hotel room off Bourbon Street, where my friend and her roommate fell asleep.  I wasn't ready to call it a night, so I walked back up to my favorite bar I'd been to, Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar, where I ordered a pint and sat down to enjoy the music.  On most nights, I'd discovered that many of the Bourbon Street musicians would gather at this bar, which had a piano, to jam together after their gigs.  I'd no sooner sat down when Adam popped over to my table, making an awkward attempt to hit on me.  I cold shouldered him initially, then warmed up eventually.  Thought he was British at first, but no, got that wrong!  This Australian guy and I had a talk for about 30 minutes before I suggested we head out to find the absinthe bar I'd visited earlier in the week.  It was closed!  We walked around Bourbon Street for another hour.  I noticed he walked with a limp and asked him about it--he told me about his pediatric stroke, as well as how he'd survived stage-4 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.   I told him about my work as a nurse in end-of-life care, and the experience of losing my Dad several years prior.  We seemed to hit it off, and by the end of the night, we were Facebook friends.  He kissed me on the cheek and we parted ways at the door to my hotel room (my friends were still asleep inside).  Next morning, before I boarded a plane back to Portland, I Facebook-messaged him to say it was nice to meet him, and I hope he had a great rest of his trip through the US with Contiki.  He messaged me back a couple of hours later to say he was on a bus headed to Alabama, and "Sweet Home Alabama" was playing.  One message led to another, and soon we were sharing more about our lives.  In a few weeks, he asked if he could change his flight details to stop in Portland for a few days on his way back to Australia.  I wondered if we'd hit it off, but he said he'd book a hostel, and if things went South, he'd get to see Portland.  I felt I had nothing to lose, so I said yes.  Those few days led to us falling in love, but we thought we'd have to let each other go.  Month after month, we grew closer.  We had a couple of short break-ups over some hard things that we had to work through, but after two trips to see me and one trip where I traveled to Australia to see him, Adam booked a third trip to see me after traveling through Italy and Belgium with his family.  It was on that trip that we saw an immigration attorney.  It was with tears I drove Adam to the airport, and didn't know how we'd ever find a way to be together.  We stopped for a drink at Stanford's at PDX, and an hour went by.  I thought he might miss his flight, then he proposed and he missed his flight--on purpose.

The evening Adam missed his flight and proposed.

We were married three months later.  Today marks two years, seven months since that day.

Adam and I on our wedding day.

And so I believe, with all my heart, that life is a mystery.  You never know what is around the corner, good or bad, and Adam popped into my life like a gift from Heaven.  And New Orleans will always be the city of love to me, not Paris.  x o, Karli

Leave a Comment Commitment, Love, Marriage, Memories

Coastal Kale and Beet Salad

One of the ways I treat myself is to coastal kale mixed with the beet salad at New Seasons, one of my favorite Portland grocery stores.  It's the perfect blend of flavors, and their coastal kale salad has sunflower seeds in for a little salt and crunch.  It's beyond delicious, especially in the summer!  Check out the link above to the recipe, or drop by their deli and try it yourself sometime! 

Leave a Comment Balance, Good Food, Healthy Living, Self-care

Happy 40th Birthday, Tracy!

To my beautiful sister, Tracy, I want to send a wish for a happy 40th birthday.  An ICU RN, mother, friend, daughter, and sister, she makes this world a better place every day.  Love you, Tracy!  Your big sister, Karli x o x o 

Leave a Comment Celebrations, Family

Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?

Because they do.  Life can throw the hardest punches to those that deserve it the least.  Saying a prayer for my friend tonight, and hoping the difficult journey they are on will lead to joy in the end.

Leave a Comment Friends, Grief