Question

Why do people in Eugene hate Columbus Day and heart Halloween?

I mean seriously, no one batted an eye at one of our few national holidays and today everyone, including professors, was dressed up.

It is crazy to live so far from the Atlantic.

Apples

Eugene is filled with changing trees, shortening days. Fall is definitely here. Fall is my favorite season. Maybe its because I grew up in Vermont and fall to many of its residents and most outsiders its most beautiful time of year. I think this is true although in recent years I have begun to find beauty even in mud season. (This is made much easier by the one good thing Bush did in the past eight years which was pushing back spring daylight savings.)

I love fall. I love the start of school. And all of the hope, new goals, new perspectives fall brings. Sort of buckling down in cold and commitments with a very fresh memory of all of the goodness of summer.

Today I went apple picking. (I've been urban apple picking a few times in the past six weeks. There is rotting fruit all over Eugene and sometimes on walks with Diesel I pick apples and make crisp or sauce or whatever. ) And it was beautiful. I went with a new friend from grad school and the yellow dog. All I could do was smile. I think apple picking might be a perfect activity for me. All things I love come together: manual labor (ok, fine, a stretch), being outside, changing leaves, crisp air, bright colors, buying local, planning for baking, kids, dogs, honesty, america.

Today I made plans for the future: everything from I am going to eat two apples a day this week to I am coming back next weekend to buy more apples to I am going to bring my kids to a place like this every year and take pictures. I also thought of my childhood: picking apples at Chapin Orchard, the honey sticks and apple press and the amazing scraps of smooshed apples, loving the idea of being allowed to eat as many apples as possible, seeing friends from school and knowing home I was so close.

Recently, my grandparents gave me some pictures of me as a kid. And there are a bunch from a day my family went apple picking. My grandparents, my parents, my brother, and I. I am maybe 2 in the pictures. I look like I just learned to walk and have blond hair just around my head, it hasn't grown out yet. I am wearing red, canvas mary janes, white stockings with the crotch at my knees, a corduroy dress and a little sea breeze cardigan. And I look so happy. And everyone else does too. And its 1983 and everyone is wearing the right costumes. I wonder if we all really were. I am sure that I was and pretty sure Michael was too. But the rest, I don't know. Maybe apple picking always has and always will bring joy. Maybe its something to remember when I am in a fight with a future husband, or a current mother, or a future child... I think I will.

Another thing we did when I was growing up (maybe age 7-12, I don't exactly remember) was have an apple crisp making competition. Erin vs Michael with Momo as the judge. Always fun, always epic, I don't ever remember really winning or losing. This was a good play on Momo's part or I always lost and have blocked it out. Tonight I am making apple crisp. It is in the oven. I have found the perfect recipe and it is killer. It is from The King Arthur Cookbook (like the flour.)

4 cups apples (peeled, sliced)
3/4 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup butter, softened

pre-heat oven: 375, cook for 35 to 40 minutes
and smoosh together with hands, this is key, and it will clump well, stirring does not work

Ok. Happy fall. Go pick apples. Make crisp. Be well.

First Impressions

Ok. So lots has happened in the past few weeks: attended my first rodeo, moved to Eugene, started grad school... I have a lot to say and some good pictures which I hope I will share. Blogging sometimes feels like therapy in that if I think about what I am going to say it ends up contrived and I feel like I have already resolved all issues (in therapy) or my astute observations have become unfunny (blogging.)

I just got back from an overnight retreat in the Cascades with the folks in my program first year students and professors. It was nice and simple and Oregon.

1. Many people, perhaps the majority, wore low hiking boots. I think that some of you would assume that I do the same on a regular basis, but I do not. I learned about the fashion sneaker sometime in 2002. There was a hiking option, but LBH, there's no way anyone would hit the trail in their jeans and low hikers.
2. Lots of wedding rings.
3. No one has heard of Wesleyan. And I realize how old/far I've come by not asking everyone where they went to school. More like what have you been up to recently.
4. No one responds negatively to super annoying people. They just don't react at all. I find this super impressive and makes me realize even more the level of professionalism that is grad school.
5. I think people used the word "sustainability" about 50 hundred times over the past two days.
   
6. Everyone was pumped about doing good in the world. For real. Everyone wants to solve problems and make positive change. Awesome. I am excited to be surrounded by these people for the next couple years.

And about Eugene:

1. It has rained only about twice since I've been here about 9 days. It was cold and wet. It makes me fear the "winter rains" which I've heard about on OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting.)
2. After I make relevant, smart observations about Eugene and its citizenry I often get the response "oh, thats Eugene." I find this annoying and condescending. And it makes me feel out of place and not part of the gang.
3. Everyone bikes here. Everyone sort of judges people who use cars. People love bikes and talking about bikes. I am a happy owner of three.
   

Looking for Housemate

http://eugene.craigslist.org/roo/814471165.html