BOOKS I FINISHED - OCTOBER 2020

 *****

The Unbreakable Child: A Memoir About Forgiving the Unforgivable, written by Kim Michele Richardson

Horrifically and continually abused throughout her childhood by the priest and nuns at the St. Thomas - St. Vincent Orphanage in Kentucky, Richardson decided to take action as an adult. Confronting the memories and emotions kept at bay for decades, she and more than forty other survivors won a lawsuit against their abusers. It was the first time in history that nuns from the Roman Catholic Church paid a monetary settlement for abuse that took place in the church's orphanages. Alternating between her childhood and the lawsuit process, this book is Richardson's story.

p. 164, (quote from her attorney, William McMurry) "It's important to remember that you cannot be angry and smart at the same time." He paused. "I prefer to stay smart."

*****

** This post contains affiliate links and I'm grateful when people use them. ** 

HALLOWEEN - 2020

Our church has a harvest festival each year that's a blast. They know how to throw a good party! Given all the current health risks and restrictions from our governor, they radically changed things up this year. Because we have a Saturday night church service, they also opted to have fun a couple days early this year. Goodbye, harvest festival at the church on the 31st. Hello, hootenanny at Lee Farms a couple days early. 

Silas was helping to run the event, so he was already there when we arrived. I wasn't sure if we'd see him or how busy he'd be, but told the other three kids I wanted one quick picture together before they went off to play and volunteer. It turned out Silas was just inside the gate and had time to hop in the picture with us. Perfect!

If you're thinking about visiting the farm yourself, please note the following sign in their parking lot.

Now you know. Smoking dogs are not welcome. But you are. Be sure to grab some pumpkin or cider doughnuts before you leave!

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for dental wax. What's one thing you're thankful for?

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for my sense of sight. What's one thing you're thankful for?

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful it will be almost two years before I have to start teaching someone to drive again. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

OUR SECOND LICENSED DRIVER

Devon and I left home at 5:00 this morning, which allowed us to see this smoky view of the sun coming over the horizon.

Once the sun was fully risen, Devon zoomed in for this shot.

We drove five and a half hours for a fifteen minute appointment to get his picture taken and his driver's license issued. Then we drove five and a half hours home. We made a quick detour at a rest stop and I told him we had to take a picture. Things were a little tense at the moment, but someday we'll (hopefully) look back and laugh at the phenomenally inconvenient COVID-19 style of acquiring a license that caused us to spend all day on the road together. 

We finally made it home and he happily set out on his first solo drive to run a couple errands. 

We now have more licensed drivers in our family than unlicensed ones!

SISTERS' WEEKEND - 2020

Beep and I made reservations for a weekend together in a cabin at Prineville Reservoir State Park nine months ago, but COVID-19 upended those plans since all the state park cabins and yurts have been closed the last several months. So we came up with another idea. The sisters went to Sisters over the weekend!

We had perfect weather as we strolled through town, browsed lots of shops, enjoyed outdoor dining at Sisters Saloon & Ranch Grill and Sisters Meat and Smokehouse, spent part of our mornings and evenings relaxing outside our rental, and spontaneously hiked Black Butte. Our hike is the main thing I took pictures of, but here are a few random shots.

Some businesses use security cameras, but this antique store in Sisters has smiling furniture watch their customers instead. Do you ever notice unintentional faces in strange places?

Some signs are a little unnecessary. Like ones saying the sidewalk is closed when the sidewalk actually ceases to exist. In related news, there's no such warning where the sidewalk ends on the other side of all that dirt and the intersection in the background has a bizarre sidewalk configuration. 

Sometimes you're just strolling through town and are startled to realize there are five deer just relaxing about fifteen feet away. I grew up with deer in my yard all the time, so it's not super exciting for me to see them, but this was weird because they must be super domesticated. They weren't phased at all by us walking by so close and one of them wandered by our rental several blocks away later that night.

Here's a peek at our hike. This shot is looking down on Black Butte Ranch, which just happens to be where Tim and I spent part of our honeymoon.

Squinting into the sun and catching our breath.

Nearing the summit.

Finally reached the fire lookout, which meant we'd made it to the top. 

There weren't very many flowers on this hike, but we saw a few of these.

I'd like to do the hike again someday when the skies are clear, but the potentially amazing 360 degree views were still good. 

An important job takes place up all those stairs. In fact, there are two spots near the summit that mark wildfires from 1991 and 2009. 

I'm pretty sure I see these on every hike I go on.

Just trying to show some of the elevation change.

Beep's hidden in the scenery ...

... and so am I.

I love the colors of the mountain I'm on, as well as the shades of mountain silhouettes in the background.

The moss was so bright! 

Fall leaves and pine needles. 

It was nice to clock out of regular life for a bit and to spend some time with my sister. I'm thankful it worked out!

(Photo credit: Beep took the ones of she and I together and the one of me hidden in the scenery.)

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for a yard to work in and a body that's capable of doing the work. What's something that you're thankful for?