The Story of LEON

It's time to dedecorate for Christmas. That means putting LEON away for another year. LEON came to us about 10 years ago from Dan's sister, Bernie. She sent it along with that years Christmas gifts in a box with a note on the outside. Bernie wrote "Dan, remember how you used to torture Mother with "LEON"?
When recounting stories from his childhood, Dan often says that he should have been taken out and shot. I think he was really just your average little boy growing up in rural Minnesota - part prankster - part cutiepie. Anyway, every Christmas his Mom would put out this adorable set of angel candle holders and little Danny would rearrange the letters from NOEL to LEON driving his Mother crazy! Such fun!
We just love LEON - so sad to put her away for another 11 months.

Happy 2011

It was a Nutcracker Weekend 12/4 & 5

Here are 2 slide shows of Amy's performances in The Nutcracker this past weekend. It was a busy fun time and Amy didn't want it to end. She is already looking forward to next year and wondering which roles she will have. Sorry if you're tired of slide shows - it seems to be the nicest way to get all the pictures to you. Hope you enjoy! Customize a slideshow design

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Game Day 11/6/10 Ducks v Huskies

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Happy Halloween 2010

Amy is 14

We've been a bit busy but I didn't want too much time to pass without sharing some photos from Amy's birthday... She turned 14 on the 14th, which seems pretty special - but not quite as special as her Uncle Bob celebrating his 55th on 10/10/10! Happy Birthday, Bob!


Amy had a party with 8 of her friends at our neighborhood Clubhouse - we served them dinner - vegetarian lasagna - they decorated pumpkins - had feathers put into their hair (the latest fashion craze) - and had a fun game of outdoor hide & seek with glow sticks. She has a great group of friends - we're very thankful for that!



Halloween is coming and we are almost ready - bought our bags of candy for the trick or treaters today. Just have to finalize Amy's costume - Odile, the black swan ballerina from "Swan Lake". I'm sure we will have pictures to share!

Question:
What do the Bend Bulletin and the Albany Times Union have in common?

Answer:
They both featured articles on Dan Olson within the last 3 weeks!

It all started in mid-September when our local newspaper, The Bulletin, became aware of an announcement by InnoCentive of it's 2009 Top Solvers.

InnoCentive is where organizations—corporations, large and small, not-for-profits and governments—turn when they have important problems that need solving.

Dan was interviewed over the phone and also in person, then we had a staff photographer come to the house to take his picture. The article was in the next days paper and the reaction took us quite by surprise. He was recognized on the street, in downtown Bend, on our hikes, in church, just about wherever we would go. It was a bit overwhelming - mostly in a good way.
We did find that there is truth in the saying, "not everything you read is fact". In this case, the article leads you to believe that Dan holds the patent(s) for thin lenses in eyeglasses. It's a little more complicated than that...
Needless to say, it was a very nice article.

Last week, as Dan was reading the online version of our old paper in NY, the Times Union, he came across an article about NY's property tax nightmare - a subject near and dear to his heart! In this particular case, there was an opportunity to comment on the article and Dan did just that. His was comment #105, so it was clear that the article had touched a nerve. The next day, a reporter from the TU emailed Dan to ask if he could interview him for a story he was working on - following up on this previous article. They talked, by phone, for quite a while - the reporter asked for a picture of Dan & his family and a picture of our home here in Bend and told Dan that the article would be in the Sunday edition. We certainly did not expect to be on the front page!

What next??

Hello, Fall

Tomorrow is the 1st day of Fall - or, more poetically named Autumn.

When living in NY, our home was a mere mile or so from Indian Ladder Farms. Indian Ladder holds many dear memories for our family. Baby Animal Week every April, Amy's 5th Birthday Party, Summer Rabbit Camp, the petting zoo, apple picking, blueberry picking, strawberry picking - you get the picture...

One of my favorite walking routes in spring and autumn was past Indian Ladder Farms. Spring brought apple blossoms and the promise of good things to come - autumn, apples and the colors of the Helderberg Escarpment were very inspiring. Fall was definitely my favorite season in NY.

It's a little different here in the high desert of Central Oregon. Last week when the tug of fresh apples, applesauce and apple crisp came on, Dan & I hopped in the car and drove north. Our destination was the Hood River Valley just east of Mt. Hood and south of the Columbia River Gorge. Instead of walking or biking a mile to get our apple fix we drove almost 3 hours. It was worth it! We ended up at the Draper Girls Country Farm which is one stop on the Hood River Fruit Loop. We picked Akane apples - a new and unknown apple to us - while taking in the spectacular views of Mt. Hood.

The best part of the trip was the cider. Until now, I thought no one could rival Indian Ladder's cider but I was happily wrong. We brought home a quart of the most delicious cider - alas, no cider donuts. :(

The Akane apples make superb applesauce, apple butter (YUM!), apple crisp and I was able to eek out a Jewish Apple Cake to take to our church home group Sunday night.

Rave reviews!

a new school year begins...

Yesterday was the 1st day of school and that always gets me thinking about the summer that was...

The 2010 summer highlights that weren't the subject of a prior post include:

* A less than stellar garden - mainly because of our 2 week absence in June - although a miraculous cherry crop from our tiny tree makes up somewhat. One pie created & consumed - enough for 3 more in the freezer - mmmmm!
* We joined some friends for an all day rafting trip down the Deschutes River in late July. A few of our group brought along water canons - needless to say we got wet from more than just the waves breaking over the sides of the raft... COLD mountain water!


* A great weekend in July with our niece, Nancy, visiting from Portland. Nancy & Amy had a fabulous photo shoot - see previous post. Nan & I floated the river while Dan climbed South Sister. Then Amy performed in the ballet 'Coppelia'. We fit a lot into that day!


(make sure you click on this picture to see all the mountains in the distance)



* We celebrated our 21st Anniversary (actually June 24th) on 8/13 with a chair lift ride up to Scapolo's Restaurant on Mt. Bachelor for their Sunset Dinner. This is kind of a touristy thing to do but the food was excellent and the scenery couldn't be beat. We live in a spectacularly beautiful area and we don't want to miss out on experiencing all that we can.



* Dan was finally able to take me hiking along the Broken Top Trail. He had done this hike with friends our 1st summer here and had raved about the beautiful wildflowers and the views - but as we didn't own a vehicle that could handle the road to the trail head till this summer - my chance was finally here. It was worth the wait! 'Spring' flowers, crossing snow fields, cascading streams, No Name Lake that had floating icebergs, and views up into WA State. Really beautiful!





* Amy got a new bike - Craigslist came thru with a hot pink cruiser - nice!


* Last week - the final week of summer break - Amy spent 3 long days at school for WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) training. Last spring she had been selected to be a WEB leader - a program where 8th graders come along side the new 6th graders and are trained to be a source of information & guidance during the school year. She has a group of about 8 kids who can call on her for help. Her 1st day of school dilemma of WHAT TO WEAR!!! was.... the orange WEB Leader T-shirt. Problem solved!
Alanna, Gina, Amy & Miriam



Now we just need to get Amy's new dance class schedule down....10 classes in 3 different schools - should be a breeze!

A few weeks ago Amy had a photo shoot with her favorite photographer, Nancy.

Here are the results of their collaboration. Enjoy!

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Eat, Pray, Love

I actually won something! It's not the 1st time this has happened but it has been quite a while. When I was a senior in college I won a full stereo system from a local radio station. I still remember eating in the cafeteria shortly after winning and someone at the next table was talking about it. Me, they were talking about me!
Anyway, a few days ago the phone rang and it was someone from Allyson's Kitchen. She said that I had won a drawing for a spot at one of their cooking classes. Yes, I had entered my name the last time Dan & I stopped in - the class was last night and it was a very fun experience. This class was based on Elizabeth Gilbert's book "Eat, Love, Pray". I had read her book last winter and enjoyed it, for the most part. It comes out tomorrow in movie form and is the story of a woman who finds yummy food in Italy, spiritual awakening of sorts, in India, and love in Indonesia. This is my very sketchy synopsis of the book!
Chef Rose Makena prepared 3 dishes, each one representing a country.

From Italy: Panzanella
An Italian bread & tomato salad from Rome

Good crusty, stale bread - torn into 1 inch pieces
The best juicy ripe tomatoes you can get -farmers market heirloom tomatoes!
(don't make with crappy tomatoes!)
Fresh basil leaves - chopped or torn into pieces
White Balsamic Vinegar
Garlic cloves - grated or minced
Good Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Make your bread crumbs into croutons by tossing in a bit of olive oil, salt & pepper and toasting in the oven, on a baking sheet until crunchy.
Rough chop all your tomatoes and put them in a large bowl. Toss with salt & pepper. The salt will begin to draw out the juices.
Add the crutons, garlic and basil. toss well with clean hands. Drizzle some vinegar and oil into the bowl and begin to really mis the salad with your hands.
The idea is that the juices will soak into the bread. Taste the salad. Add more of any ingredient until you like how it tastes. Serve.

From India: Spiced Cauliflower & Potatoes with Raita


This spicy Indian dish is served with raita to cool the palate. Serves 4 as a side.

1 (3/4 lb) head of cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
1 1/2 lb Yukon gold potatoes, pee;ed & cut into 1/2-inch cubes (she actually used red potatoes)
5 T. vegetable oil
1/2 t. cumin seeds
3/4 t. salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 t. minced fresh jalapeno, excluding seeds
2 t. minced peeled fresh ginger
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. ground coriander
1/4 t. turmeric
1/4 t. cayenne (these last 4 spices are basically her own curry mix - can be altered to your own taste)
1/2 cup water

Method:
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and place a shallow baking pan on rack. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F
toss cauliflower & potatoes together in a bowl with 3 t. oil, cumin seeds, and 1/4 t. salt. Spread in hot baking pan and roast, stirring occasionally until cauliflower is tender 7 browned in spots and potatoes are just tender - about 20 minutes.
While vegetables are roasting, cook onion, garlic, jalapeno and ginger in remaining 2 t. oil in a 12" heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until very soft and beginning to turn golden - 8 to 10 minutes. Add curry spices and remaining 1/2 t salt and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Stir in water, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom & sides of the skillet, then stir in roasted vegetables. cook, covered, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.

Raita Can't take the heat? Then eat some raita. In India, this condiment is used to cool the palate. Makes 1 cup
1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
1/2 cup chopped seeded English cucumber
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
2 t. chopped green onions
1/4 t. ground coriander
1/4 t. ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced

Method:
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt.

From Bali, Indonesia: Ikan Senten

Fish in a hot coconut sauce over rice. Serves 2-3

1 lb firm white fish - she used tilapia
salt & pepper
oil
1 medium onion
1 T Sambal Oelek (chili paste)
1 stalk lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed
1 t. palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1 slice ginger root, peeled
1 14 oz. can coconut milk
1 bay leaf
2 Kafir lime leaves, finely chopped - can substitute lime zest and/or juice
1 1/2 cups rice, steamed

Method:

Season the fish with salt & pepper. Pan sear fish on both sides in the oil to a golden color. don't overcook, the fish must remain firm. Set aside.
Using a food processor, blend to make a paste, the onion, Sambal, lemongrass, sugar & ginger. Transfer to a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat for a few minutes. Add the coconut milk and, on a low flame, reduce the sauce to about half the volume.
Place the fish in the sauce and add the bay & lime leaves - simmer for a few more minutes.
Serve hot with steamed rice.

Each dish was excellent!! I will be trying the Panzanella next week after the local farmers market on Wednesday afternoon - for sure!

If you're adventurous, give one or all of them a try - let me know how it works out...

Amy just finished a 4 day Cheer-leading/Dance Camp and she came home with a trophy for Best Overall Cheerleader. She had a lot of fun and even managed to become a role model for some of the younger girls. There were 4 or 5 girls that seemed to be clustered around her hanging on her every word. As we drove home, I reminded her of when she was younger and looked up to older girls - now she is in the position to influence those around her!

WOW, she is really growing up!

Mt St Helens

Last week we drove up into Washington and met an old GE walking buddy of Dan's, Rick Sheldon. Dan and Rick used to walk every day at lunchtime. When we were back in NY in June they met up at their usual spot and walked again. This time Rick was the one doing the traveling. He and his wife had just completed an exciting Alaskan Cruise and while his wife was busy with other interests Rick met up with us at Mt. St. Helens.

It has been 30 years since the blast and Rick remembers brushing dust from the volcano off his car in NY. We were all impressed by the Visitor Center, movie presentation & exhibits. What is left of the mountain is also pretty awesome. We had a spectacular day to enjoy all the sites. After about 6 hours together Rick rejoined his wife in Tacoma and we drove back to Portland to spend the night.

After breakfast at IKEA - yum! - we did some shopping then raspberry/blueberry/cherry picking at Olson's Farm just outside Salem right off the highway & then home to Bend. It was a great 2 day adventure.

Cross-Country Drive/Fly June 18 - July 3, 2010

We left early on a Friday morning and drove through Washington, northern Idaho and finally settled in Butte, MT, 700 miles from home on our first day of driving. The next day we drove 650 miles and found ourselves in Bismarck, ND. It didn't take quite as long since the speed limit is 75 mph through Big Sky and Prairie country. After a relatively short drive, we stayed in Minnesota visiting Dan's family for several days.

The fly part of the trip was from Minneapolis to Albany where we spent several days with Nancy's family. On the way back to Minneapolis, our 6 a.m. flight left Albany 55 minutes late and we had only 5 minutes (in theory) to make a connection in Detroit. What fun it was to run from Gate 67 to Gate 15 carrying luggage. But we made it! It felt really good to get back to our car, which was waiting for us in Minneapolis.

The third leg of the trip took us through, SD, WY, and Idaho before we got back to Oregon. Along the way we did "touristy" stuff in western South Dakota, which is very nice. We found Rapid City to be almost as nice as Bend. Mt Rushmore and Yellowstone had all kinds of tourists, but they were both fun to see. However, Bend really looked good when we got there; but maybe not quite as good as it did two and a half years ago when we drove across the country to move here.

The photos in the slide show are essentially in chronological order and capture what I wrote above.

I know we have just returned from our cross country summer adventure but I'm just too lazy to try to sort thru 250+ photos today so I will just put that off for another day.
Here is a photo of Amy with her best friends - they have really become quite a foursome this year and they are an interesting mix. Gina was born in Korea and although her Dad was born & raised in the states he works in Seoul while Gina, her Mom (a native Korean) and brother live in Bend. Miriam was born in Germany - her Dad is German and her Mom was living & working in Germany when they met, married and had Miriam. Alanna was born in Hawaii. Her Mom is of Mexican heritage, grew up in So Cal and her Dad, of Indonesian & Dutch heritage. He grew up in Guilderland NY. Amy & Alanna were email buddies prior to us moving to Bend. They all have a great time together and we enjoy them when they spend time in our home.

We made it home in time for Bend's annual 4th of July Pet Parade. Bella did her best to be patriotic!

last day of school and a few other details....

Amy says goodbye to 7th grade today. Just a 1/2 day with 10 minutes in each class and and hour for yearbook signing. No need for a bookbag or a lunch - she'll be free for the summer! I think she would say she has had a good year - middle school is not an easy time...
From a parents perspective, she has had a terrific year - excellent grades, good work ethic and attitude, happy & productive - can't ask for much more from a 13 year old. She is a terrific kid, if I do say so myself. :)


We leave on Friday, the 18th, for our 'Eastward, Ho' expedition. We'll drive to Minnesota, visit with Dan's family, then fly to NY, visit with my family, fly back to MN and drive (at a somewhat more leisurely pace) home with stops in South Dakota & Yellowstone. We're hoping to be back by the 4th of July so that Amy & Bella can participate in Bend's annual Pet Parade on the 4th. If it sounds like alot to accomplish in 2 weeks ... you're not the only one!






Our backyard is blooming with all sorts of beautiful plants (our luck - the strawberries will ripen when we are away, I'm sure!). These 2 Iris were planted last year but did not produce flowers so we were unsure of their colors. They are like night and day - one so gloriously light peach and the other almost black-purple. Just beautiful!




Dan spent last Saturday morning with our friend, Dave. I'll let him write about it...

Dave is a guy in our Home Group, and he asked if I wanted to come and watch him and other members of his club fly the model airplanes that they have built. They lease a plot of land between Bend and Sisters, which has a panoramic view of the Cascades (you can only see a few mountains in the picture). All the guys in his club are pretty impressive with their knowledge of airplanes, airplane history, aerodynamics, electronics, and materials. Besides that, it was just plain fun watching them fly their planes.




Amy's last band concert was last week and she has enjoyed playing the flute alongside her friend, Miriam, all year. They have nicknames as you can see - Amy's is a variation on amyo and I'm not sure where Mirma came from??




In early May we changed up our daily walk along the river trail near our house and hopped in the car. Drove into downtown Bend and walked another section of the same trail along the Deschutes River. Many beautiful homes and a different perspective on our river - it was a nice change of pace - but we still enjoy being able to access the river within a few blocks of our front door. We are so spoiled. ;)



And whooda thunk we'd be skiing on May 6th?? This was our last day on the mountain till next winter and we are both anxious to strap those skis back on come November.

Till then we will certainly enjoy some warmth and sunshine this summer.

Bring it on!