Angie Windheim

Joe has been taking drum lessons from Randy Sage in Newberg since February 2009. He’s getting sooo good.

Thanksgiving started out with a very fun run/walk at the annual Give N’ Gobble. There were easily twice as many participants as last year which was great to see.  We all beat our times from last year and are already talking about goals for next year.  I’m definitely going to find myself a goofy turkey hat for the occasion.

I haven’t hosted the Thanksgiving meal in quite some time. I’ll have to say, now don’t groan, that I loved doing it. I actually had fun. The stuffing, the turkey, the pecan crusted sweet potatoes and the gravy all turned out super yummy. Oh, and I must not forget the fondue. Jennifer’s easy and so delicious cheese fondue was an amazing starter (2 bricks of cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan, 3/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp garlic, 3/4 cup milk). I’m still not a big fan of the green bean bake though, so I’m changing that up next year for sure.

Holy moly.  The Christmas bug has finally bit and bit me hard this week. I think it started with stuffed animal shopping for an Emmanuel Children’s Hospital drive.  Later that day I signed up for the Give ‘N Gobble and loaded up a bag of canned food for that drive. And, then today, I went on the Thanksgiving Day feast shopping trip. I was actually giddy as I pushed that 22 pound turkey around the store. Yay!!!

My photography is taking an interesting turn from the usual candid and sports photography to portraits. You might think that should be easier.  And, in some ways it is. However, it’s definitely more nerve racking. The candid and sports shots are unsolicited, so no one has any expectations. It’s just a fun surprise to deliver a great shot to an unsuspecting friend or fellow team parent. Portraits are deliberate and analyzed and there is a definite higher quality assumption by both my subject and myself.  That said, I’m still having a great time with it. I get so excited when I get a great shot. It’s making me study my camera and photography in new ways. You can see some of fun on my photo sites new portrait page.

To celebrate our Memorial Day weekend we headed out for a hike to Ramona Falls (near Welches in the Mt Hood Forest).  We’ve done this hike numerous times, but it had been probably 5 years. We needed Sam to be able to make it on his own two feet rather than on Brian’s back. The hike is pretty long…maybe 6 miles, but it’s beautiful from start to finish.  The falls are amazing. This time around we had lots of extra challenges. First, the bridge was out.  But determined hikers find a way (see the log crossing photos).  And, we ran into some major snow drifts along the trail. Those of us in sneakers had to slip and slide with cold toes quite a bit.  Windheims are tough though. At the end of the journey, all three kids gave it a thumbs up. I think Joe was the most enthusiastic and really seemed to love being out in the forest.

Click here to view some great shots of our hike to Ramona Falls

Click here to view these pictures larger

Sam had a fabulous 7th birthday as you can see by the pictures. He was counting down the days for about a month.  He’s so darned cute. I can’t believe my “baby” is 7.

I just updated my photo blog for the baseball season and added my first round of pics for Ben’s team. Go take a look!

Spending a day in downtown Portland with the boys is fun, and we definitely need to do it more regularly. On our Spring Break trip downtown, we started at the Portland Art Museum.  It’s free for kids 17 and under. Only $10 for adults. The museum is huge. You could get seriously lost with all of the floors and the underground tunnel that links the two buildings.  The boys lasted about an hour and a half.  Ben liked the contemporary art, the Native American collection is very cool, and the classical/impressionist collection is neat as well. Joe and Sam had the most fun circling and examining a very, to scale, naked male sculpture. Ben was so embarrassed! 

We got lunch at the new Portland expansion of the Deschutes Brewery.  The kids love that restaurant in Bend, so they were excited to try this one. Sam and Joe tried the bread pretzel. They didn’t go for it, but I’m telling you it was awesome! I took them home and shared with Brian. The garlic, mustard, cream cheese sauce it comes with is sooooo yummy.  Ben had the wings as usual. He actually shared them, and Joe discovered that he likes the hot wings.  He likes them a lot 🙂

Lunch was followed by an awe-inspiring trip to Powell’s City of Books. The store is amazing. We got the map and just stood there for a few minutes.  The kids filled a basket full of great books and started reading as soon as we got in the car.  And, they read all afternoon when we got home. I think we’ll start summer vacation that way as well. Very neat.  Oh, but don’t park in the Powell’s parking garage. That thing is sooo steep and so scary.  It’s probably what the boys will remember most about the trip!

Today I read a very interesting article in the Oregonian regarding the common ground between Christians and Muslims. I’ve always felt that most religions seek to create good energy in the world and that the differences in details are not so important. The fighting based on religion is dangerous to all and completely out of tune with what faith should bring to our lives. So, the Oregonian’s article wasn’t swaying me to a new way of thinking, yet I know that it could be revealing something new to many people.  The article was about an open letter to Christian leaders that was signed and/or endorsed by over 300 Muslim leaders in 2007.  You can read the entire letter at www.acommonword.com.  The letter successfully supports a common ground between Christianity and Muslims with what is written in both the Qur’an and the New Testament. The “Two Commandments of love” in both include the Unity of God, the necessity of love for Him, and the necessity of love of thy neighbour.  I was particularly pleased to see even the historical overlap of the messengers of God.  It’s worthwhile reading.  Here’s the excerpt that got me started:

“Finding common ground between Muslims and Christians is not simply a matter for polite ecumenical dialogue between selected religious leaders.Christianity and Islam are the largest and second largest religions in the world and in history. Christians and Muslims reportedly make up over a third and over a fifth of humanity respectively. Together they make up more than 55% of the world’s population, making the relationship between these two religious communities the most important factor in contributing to meaningful peace around the world. If Muslims and Christians are not at peace, the world cannot be at peace. With the terrible weaponry of the modern world; with Muslims and Christians intertwined everywhere as never before, no side can unilaterally win a conflict between more than half of the world’s inhabitants. Thus our common future is at stake. The very survival of the world itself is perhaps at stake. 

And to those who nevertheless relish conflict and destruction for their own sake or reckon that ultimately they stand to gain through them, we say that our very eternal souls are all also at stake if we fail to sincerely make every effort to make peace and come together in harmony.

So let our differences not cause hatred and strife between us. Let us vie with each other only in righteousness and good works. Let us respect each other, be fair, just and kind to another and live in sincere peace, harmony and mutual goodwill.”

Business Week trashed Portland as the most unhappy city in the U.S.   Whatever! The Edge column in the Oregonian is asking for rebuttals in the form of a limerick contest. Very appropriate with St. Patty’s Day coming up.  So here’s my attempt…I thought about changing the last line to “So Biz Week can go to hell.” But I don’t know if that is OK for the paper. It’s funnier though 🙂

Whine Country