Six Months, and a few other things

It just dawned on me that I've been back in my home state for six months exactly today.

Wow.

Six months with the love of my life. Six months of being back where I belong, of building a new life from the ground up.

I've never been happier.

And in a few days, E and I are flying to Portland, OR for a visit! Officially, I'm going because my ex-roomie (and one of my best friends) is having a medical procedure done, and her parents will be out of the country, so they offered to buy me a ticket if I could take care of Roomie for the week. I, in turn, bought E a ticket, because our dear friend S (another Detroit native) lives in Portland, and they haven't seen each other in over a year. And then of course there's the bonus attraction of my sister, bro-in-law, and Little V, who turns one whole year old on the 22nd! Sooooooooooo, yeah - first trip together!!!! So excited!!!

Because of the nature of the visit (fertility treatments are not an exact science), everything is pretty much up in the air...we know that E and S will get to spend a couple days together; that I will get some family time; and that we will most likely be staying both at Roomies' parents' house just outside Portland, and Roomies' apartment in Salem (which was my apartment too. So strange to go back so soon...). We will probably be going agate hunting at the beach, depending on how Roomie is feeling (she desperately wants to make that happen, so it most likely will, no matter what, lol). I would like to take E to Random Order Coffeehouse - my favorite place in the entire pacific northwest, and the first place I learned to get to on my own there - for a coffee and pie date. (I plan on eating one piece of pie, and taking another home for later, just because I know it will be so hard to choose just one kind! They seriously have the best pie in the world. No, I mean it. If there is pie in heaven, they get it from Random Order!) Otherwise, we don't plan on doing very much. Just a nice, relaxing vacation with no fixed plans. We are so thrilled to be traveling together!

 I also finally, finally started seeds for the garden! Just Alpine strawberries, sweet basil, and Cherokee Purple tomatoes for now. We'll probably start the Roma tomatoes this weekend, and the other stuff will just be direct-sowed when it gets warm enough...which, in the case of the kale and lettuce, is technically now...hmmm....