09 January 2009

37 things (or, the good that slipped in through the back door)

in the spirit of last year's list, I give you this: an ode to unpredictability. a new list. a collection of the unintended, the unplanned. one that commemorates the unexpected little (and big) things that happen over the course of 365 days. I'm not going to lie, it hasn't been the easiest year. in fact, parts of it have been so painful I can barely stand to speak of them. but this is how you get over, you make a list of the good.

these are things that snuck up on me from behind. these are things I never really saw coming. in my 38th year, I:

1. found the most perfect pair of socks ever.



2. made it through my first portland winter.

3. learned to work my camera manually.

4. watched the urban bush women from the nosebleed section.

5. saw my photographs and words in print.







6. fell head over heels in love with a lens.

7. fell head over heels in love with a hammock.

8. marched in a parade.









9. said goodbye to the company that brought us out here and hello to a better life.

10. stumbled onto the most beautiful display of photobooths in the history of the world.



11. picnicked at the top of mt. tabor.



12. constructed a robot cake.



13. picked strawberries from our own garden.



14. stood on the hood of a car parked on the side of a ridiculously dangerous highway and photographed fields of sunflowers.



15. had my hair blown willy nilly whilst riding the ferry with leslie.



16. traveled along the edge of the pacific ocean and fell in love with the 101.

17. watched ava learn how to ride a bike. was there the moment ward let go of the back of her seat. watched her pedal off in the most heartbreakingly wobbly and triumphant way.



18. stood on the burnside bridge and watched the fireworks.



19. collaborated with the birthday girl and pulled off perhaps our best party yet.



20. rode my bike to the local farmers market.



21. tie-dyed 88 pieces of fabric for 88 kids in one hour.



22. got hooked on sugar cane lemonade and empanadas, the likes of which can only be found at a restaurant housed in what is surely the brightest colored building in all of portland.

23. introduced the kids to dairy queen dilly bars.



24. fell madly in love with ten tiny dances.



25. stood barefoot in a rose garden with mati and kelly rae.



26. found myself right smack dab in the middle of a lovebomb.

27. discovered magnificent manzanita, found starfish and anemones hiding in the tide pools at short sands.









28. watched belly dancers jiggle and undulate on mississippi avenue.



29. watched b-boys spin and flip at the mister's first solo art show.



30. saw my first double rainbow.

31. spent an afternoon wading in a spectacular public fountain.



32. spent an afternoon wandering through a quiet orchard.



33. spent time with so many rad women. all of them, terrifically lovely and amazing. fantastically extraordinary, fabulously gloriously marvelous. luminous and brilliant, radiant and remarkable women. absolutely inspiring, each and every one. so totally and completely awesome. I mean it, so awesome.

34. went a little bananas over an old polaroid camera.



35. was treated to dinner prepared by the best chef in portland.



36. visited the museum of giant shoes.

37. learned to love 82nd avenue.

63 comments:

  1. I'm so in love with your lists...this one is no exception.

    Those strawberries, by the way, are ridiculous. So gorgeous.

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  2. oh! it is a good, good life. i'm so glad you share it with us.

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  3. that's a whole lotta good, girlfriend!
    wonder what will slip in this year... ;-)
    xoxoxo

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  4. these are so lovely! and WHERE IS THAT MAGICAL SHOE MUSEUM?!?! I hope this is the year I come to truly explore and love this awesome city.

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  5. I love your list. I love your socks. Where'd you pick them up?

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  6. It most definately is a good place to live!

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  7. so colorful, so fun. you always inspire. xo

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  8. I love how rich you make life!! Beautiful as always! Here's to another year of finding treasures!

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  9. very inspiring! Thank you for sharing. Hope 2009 is just as wonderful

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  10. looks like a great year... as a fellow Portlander (okay, Oregon City, but I grew up in Portland), I could imagine the places you've been... thanks for the perspecitve...

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  11. I just looooooooove how everytime I stop by I'm SO pleasantly surprised. Thank you thank you thank you for sharing your world!! xxo

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  12. jeezlouise i love your photos, sister.
    you are pure magic.

    happy new year. xo

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  13. all sounds so wonderful and your images just are icing n a very pretty cake. love it. thanks for sharing.

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  14. i adore you. do you know this?
    also... i have those very same PERFECT socks!!!!!!
    xoxoxoxoxo
    btw, i'm craving breakfast

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  15. lovelovelove this and oh my dear and darling friend...i giggled to see that i made your happy list! you know my world is a better place for having you in it, yes? yes? yes!

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  16. such a great list! i always love your exuberence...it's infectious. thanks for that.

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  17. On my list: receiving a gorgeous Hula Seventy photograph of photo booths as a Christmas present. Thank you for such beautiful work.

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  18. Every single one of these photos are gorgeous. You capture such color and vibrancy! This was a wonderful list to read. Thank you. Happy New Year! xx

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  19. I love this list, especially since signing a lease for an apartment in Portland is only a day away and we will be moved down next weekend.

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  20. andrea...what a beautiful year.

    82nd ave. is full of wonderful surprises. let me know if you ever want to karaoke on 82nd ave with the girls. i know the best secret spot in pdx. seriously.

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  21. tiny nuggets of colorful, loving, happy brilliance. thank you for sharing.

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  22. a good year indeed andrea! i hope 2009 brings you so many more little (and big) joys in your life. xo

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  23. Congratulations on finding the delicious and bright in your year.

    I was in the nosebleeds for Urban Bush Women also, in pre-labor with my daughter. It was good inspiration for really gettin' down on it when we got home. :)

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  24. What a fabulous list! Where did you get those socks and where are the photoboths????? Please!!!!!!

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  25. thank you for the journey through your 2008 - great!!

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  26. A fantastic list - and documented so beautifully as always.

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  27. what a fantastic post. i really enjoyed reading about all the lovely things you did last year, the photos just make it that much better. It was great to meet you, hope to see you and the fam again soon! oxoxox

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  28. Our Portland worlds are not completely overlapping, but there is enough on that list that feels familiar that reading it made me feel all warm and happy. Sounds like you had a great year!

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  29. Wow! Your list makes me think I need to get out more this year! Yep, that's my new new year's resolution...get. out. more.

    Thanks for sharing. I love you pictures.

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  30. I like your list, and your year in photos has such delicious, eye poppingly bright colors.

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  31. How fun to stumble across a Portland blog! I just love your list of good. Now I must find the fields of sunflowers (I do hope that was in Oregon) and the sugar cane lemonade.

    I found those same purple starfish this past spring when I saw a family peering over the edge of the rocks just past Hug Point. They were so beautiful.

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  32. Happy New Year Andrea! I loved reading your list :o) I have been eyeing that very same lens you are in love with... and thinking I could very easily do the same! Have a happy Sunday.
    xo,
    Linnea

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  33. thank you for sharing the good of your year...this is one of the best posts I've ever read. and such beautiful photos. I hope 2009 brings you much joy, laughter and happiness.

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  34. wow your photos are stunning - such a lovely way to capture the memories of your year. could you follow me round and make a photo diary for me?!

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  35. Wonderful, wonderful post:-)

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  36. Gosh, this would have to be one of the most beautiful posts I've had the pleasure of reading/viewing. I hope 2009 is filled with just as much goodness for you. Thanks for sharing your lovely and inspirational list!

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  37. I'm glad that you found so many beautiful things of what sounds like an incredibly hard year. The description of the first solo bike ride and shot of your son for fireworks are especially lovely. Wishing you many more happiness in 2009.

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  38. Amazing! Thanks for sharing your experiences with us!. Here's to a new year filled with many more!

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  39. I love to find fellow list-lovers. Maybe I will make a list of all the list-makers that inspire me. ps-you'll be one of them. Thanks for sharing!

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  40. you are devine
    when are you going to write a book?
    jus xx

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  41. lovely should be your middle name. see you soon lady. promise.

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  42. wow what a great year!!!

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  43. hi friend. WOW! what a super lovely entry. i too have the same pair of colored stripped sockies but am missing its mate. i get so bummed out whenever i pull its other out of the closet. then i go on rampage thinking 'well its gotta be somewhere', 'where did your little other go' - its a funny spectacle to watch. i really think your world is so beautiful and i'm trying to emulate some of that beauty through my blog. enjoy!

    2 wishes right now i have:
    --money for a new camera
    --wishing i could get out of my lease one month early and move into the cutest 1 bdr. courtyard cottage apartment on 29th and Upshur. i accidently moved from 20and overton to oldtown chinatown persuaded by a co-worker (friend at first turned into witch who continues to make everyone think that if i hadn't moved into her building i would have never met the love of life **how do you deal with that**) and now found the best little pad but am unable to move out of the corporate owned income restricted building. the landlord of the cute place said he would work with me. to call him closer to the end of this month. **cross your fingers for me. xo

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  44. Fabulous photography. Love your list. Inspiring.

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  45. Oh goodness.
    Thank for that list.
    Now I really want to be in a parade.
    =)

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  46. A list of the good...how beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

    I'm always so amazed by the color in your world. When I click to your blog, I feel like I'm opening that technicolor door into oz. Magical.

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  47. A totally gorgeous retrospective! May your coming year be filled with even more delight, awe, laughter, and beauty!

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  48. Beautiful, wonderful! And Dilly Bars-oh, the memories!

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  49. Miss you! You are amazing, gentle, talented and someone I can't get enough of. Look fwd to our next adventure! xo

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  50. as usual...such a lovely list. Thanks for sharing:)

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  51. Fabulous list! (and photos to compliment!)
    I too am a list maker. *dreamy sigh*...and I like your thinking regarding remembering the good in order to get over the bad. :)

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  52. This is a beautiful, wonderful list with the photos to match!

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  53. that's a visually stimuating year!

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  54. it must be said that your lists are fantabulous!

    ready them here on this morning makes me want to go out and accomplish lots of wonderful things myself!

    thanx for being so inspiring!

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  55. what a fabulous celebration of your year! love the pictures and words. what a fine life you have! Patricia

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  56. I'm speachless - enjoyed it so much!
    it's beautiful & inspirational
    stunning pics
    wow

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  57. Such wonderful, bright colors!

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