Since my last post...

1. My boyfriend of almost 3 years moved here after about 18 months of living in California
2. I've begun coursework in Soils and Plant Nutrition, and I love it
3. I've begun coursework in Geology of the Pacific NW, and it is blowing my mind and is so far beyond my comprehension...but even so, my brain is enjoying the imaginitive trip through what our world may have been like billions and millions of years ago. It is an astonishing journey.
4. More snow fell in Portland than in the last 40 years, and then melted, thankfully
5. I've gotten a nice chair at work that helps with good posture (which was desperately needed)
6. I'm getting new office furniture, and I get to pick out a color for an accent wall...i'm thinking of going with "Tangy Green" or "Green Moth" - (they are much lovelier than they sound...:)
7. I've gone to an exploring membership dinner at the Methodist church I've been attending...and I'm still not sure I want to "join." I appreciate the people there. They are warm, inviting, inquisitive, and thoughtful. Ben and I are the youngest people by at least 5 years...there are a handful of early 30-somethings. I don't know why I have this need to have one foot in and one foot out of things like this..maybe it's part of my non-committal lifestyle, I'm not sure. I am torn between wanting tradition and wisdom, such as you would find in an older mainline denominational church, and the liveliness and peer network of a younger, perhaps non-denominational congregation. In any case, all of this requires that I commit somewhere, and that I seek to give to that community, not just continue "shopping" around for what a faith community can give me.
8. I love having Ben here - it has been wonderful in so many ways. He has brought a lively energy to our introverted home, helps with meals and dishes, and is just a good roommate. When he starts working he'll move out into his own place, and it will be good for him to have his own space, and not be living out of a suitcase and sleeping on our living room couch every night. But we will miss him. We are both praying hard that he will find a good job soon. Everyone knows how sucky it is to be looking for a job, and at this point in time (during an economic recession), in this city (which is overflowing with over-educated, ambitious, young and willing-to-work-for-nothing hipsters), it is particularly challenging. Ben is a dynamic, intelligent, enthusiastic, driven and genuinely caring person that any company would be incredibly fortunate to have. It is difficult to convey that to a company in a few short interviews or on a resume. We are praying for what feels like a miracle.
9. I am still planning on applying to grad school next year. I keep talking to people and asking them the same questions I've been asking for the last year and a half - and I keep coming back to Landscape Architecture.
10. That said, I've also entertained thoughts of bagging the whole LA thing and going to school to learn web design.
11. I've been obsessed with Etsy.com - little parts of me dream about being a full-time artist from time to time.
12. I guess that's it. My life has been so busy I've had little motivation to post anything, especially at home where my computer is slooooooooow.
13. One last thing: I saw this amazing lecture about mushrooms in my soils class - the more i learn about fungi the more respect I have for this incredible Kingdom of life. I still HATE the texture of them in my mouth, though. I respect and appreciate them without wanting to eat them :) The video can be found here. Enjoy.