Next adventure

Remember our trip to Mexico, with the giant parrot fish and crocodile feeding? Well, let me take this opportunity to announce it wasn't just a vacation, but a fact-finding mission as the MannBowles family planned a new chapter in our life.

That's to say, we're moving to Mexico! Gulp.

Okay, but just for a couple of years. So Dave has never lived anywhere but Oregon save for a six-month stint in B.C. And my dreams of living abroad in a third-world country were long thwarted by...a desire for hot water. But Dave and I were reflecting on our lives and musing that it's kind of now or never. If there's any chance of us doing this at a time that's fair to Anneke, it's now.

So we're looking at this as sort of a Peace Corps assignment, only with hot water, Dave telecommuting, and me learning how to say "hausfrau" in Spanish. We're still nailing down the details, but we scouted around and are fairly certain about renting a casita in Playa del Carmen.

We're so excited, although as I type this I'm already nervous. We'll miss our life here, especially our friends and family. We'll rent our house out while we're gone. One advantage is that we'll actually be a little closer to my family (I'm pretty sure), though I'm not sure it will be any less expensive to fly.

Details to follow. Wish us luck!

You may as well...

...look your best.

Life is hard, so you may as well look your best, or so goes the philosophy of my very wise grandmother.

I think she's right. Sometimes I manage, but mostly I live by the tenets of the smart ladies who commented on my earlier posting: you may as well eat, play, eat ice cream, find and enjoy sweetness where ever you can, say your prayers, and have a restorative cocktail. Oh, and just accept that life is hard. I think taking part in the above tasks helps me accomplish the last one, when I manage to.

The Woods

During our trip to Arkansas Anneke got to visit The Woods, also known as The Deer Woods, also known as Mamo's land (technically a misnomer since we spent the afternoon at Aunt Alma's land). My grandmother and all of her siblings each have a piece of land in South Arkansas, near, on, or around the part of the world where my mother's side of the family lived for generations. When I was growing up we used to drive up to the deer woods to cut fire wood and hang out in the country. I don't think I've been there since high school. It's a powerful feeling to be in the place where you know your roots run deepest.

This is the branch (prounounced "brah-eench," please) where I used to play and where my grandmother used to play when she was a little girl.

This is the road where Papaw warned us of the dangers of wampus cats (imaginary) and wild hogs (real: if you run into one, climb a tree. fast. )

This is the church my grandmother's family attended when they lived in Jacinto, Arkansas, just down the road from The Deer Woods. Every year they hold a Homecoming, which I attended once when I was in first grade. It's complete with dinner on the grounds and old-timey hymns. Mamo invited me to come to Homecoming again, maybe when I was in college? And I believe at the time I was too "busy." Sigh. Oh, twenty-year-old self. Where do I even start?

This pavilion was designed by Rodney Parham, as in Rodney Parham Road in LR. His family is from here, too. Our families go way back, back to the deer woods and one-room churches.

South Arkansas signage

On the way to Camden

Good to know

The preacher's window

Not exactly a sign, but definitely emblematic of this part of the world, although why one needs deer corn in a place where the deer are as numerous as squirrels beats me.

I didn't get a photo of the Israeli flag flying in front of Believer's World Outreach Church. As silly as I find it when we gentiles break out the Yiddish, I think the most succinct response to that display is, "oy."

I think the Southern version of that is "oh Lawd, have mercy!"

Question

Am writing from Arkansas after emerging from a catfish/shrimp po boy/purple-hull-pea/sweet-tea coma to ask my five readers to finish this sentence:

"Life is hard, so you may as well _________."

This is inspired by a conversation with my grandmother as she, my sister and I drove back from the beauty supply in El Dorado--Emily and I like to drive over and take advantage of the product hookup we get from having a friend in the hair business. I got to hear Mamo's take on what you may as well do. I think she's on to something.

TWO!

For Anneke's birthday Daddy made a luscious chocolate cake with approx. $1 million worth of Scharffenberger chocolate.

We celebrated with both sets of grandparents, one set via Skype

Anneke ate lots of cake

And played her first game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey!

Happy Birthday, Anneke! We love you. You are such a blessing.

When the world is puddle-wonderful

Clearly, late February is a little early to get all e.e. cummings on you, ESPECIALLY in Portland, but can you blame us for acting like it's spring? It sure felt like it today (turtleneck and coat notwithstanding).