the thing about portland is all it takes is a two degree dip in the wrong direction and all that rain turns into all that snow.
over the weekend we got completely snowed in, it was pretty delightful. we got just about a foot or so, it didn't stop dumping for three days straight. grandma did a lot of baking, i got a lot of writing done (and good thing too, as i'm pretty sure everything i've written since yesterday has been straight up crap), and henry watched a lot of spider man with his grandpa. which is funny because the way this kid carries on about spider man you'd think he'd seen at least one already, but nope, this weekend was his first spidey and judging by the amount of wrist jutting, hero stances, and little boy grunting going down, i'd say it was a hit.
snow days bring out the best in everyone. at one point over the weekend i walked past the front door just in time to see a wild pack of cross country skiers out the window, and on saturday while driving back from costco (just to prove what a bad ass i was, i miss driving in the snow, thanks idaho) i passed a dude hitchhiking in a bear coat. in the two minutes it took me to crawl past him with my car we exchanged some funny looks. i was sort of apologetic that i wasn't going to pull over for him, and he made it pretty clear he didn't really want anyone to pick him up, because then nobody else would get to appreciate his bear coat. and wouldn't that be a shame?
the snow is long melted by now and i think i'm in the home stretch of this thing. i think. depending on how i'm feeling when you ask i'll either be finished in a week, in two weeks, or never. today i'm leaning toward never. get back here, mojo!
the snow, the snow...
just a buncha cooped up chickens. we later risked our lives to go see the lego movie (cute cute cute, two thumbs up). portland still has approximately zero snow plows, it's pretty thrilling.
here is huck's proudest accomplishment to date, this squatty little penguin snowman. honk honk.
these fat robins had the time of their lives pecking berries out of the snow. they played there for hours while i typed, we got to be pretty good friends. they give only so-so writing advice.
p.s.
this isn't the first time portland unexpectedly snowed us in
once? when we were supposed to be in portland just long enough to catch a flight out to to hawaii?
(don't let brandon's astonishing paleness blind you.)
I'm trying to let these beautiful pictures of snow make me ready for the snowstorm we're supposed to get tomorrow in NYC. Update: there are walls of garbage frozen into gray miserable ramparts everywhere, and salt and dirt have coated our entire city in a jacket of filth. Don't come home till Spring.
ReplyDeleteBut hopefully this new snow will cover up the old snow and make everything pretty again?
I feel pretty bad that I have not prior introduced myself because I have commented on a few of your Instagram photos! Im Dakota im an avid reader of your blog and I love that you grew up Portland because I live about an hour or two away from there! I think your family is awesome! Im almost 19 and it is cool to be able to look up to someone as a role model quite as rad as you are! My name on Instagram is d_pete13 and I feel ridiculous writing all of this, but I just wanted to say how awesome you and your family are! :)
ReplyDeleteamazing photos! everything looks so gorgeous.
ReplyDeletewww.modernsuburbanites.blogspot.com
So beautiful! I really wish we got more weather here in San Francisco. Just rain and fog and hardly any of that, lately. You're so lucky you get to see all that beautiful snow. Can't wait to read everything you've been hard at work writing. Your parents must be loving all this time they get to spend with their grandson! And I LOVE your old post of you in the snow but my goodness, how did both of you not die of hypothermia?! - Leith
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thesanfranciscan.co/
totally excited for our snow day tomorrow!! http://semiweeklyeats.blogspot.com/2014/02/tea-and-toast.html
ReplyDeletehave you listened to the song of the titmouse? they give decent writing advice. plus, that name! if nothing else, it's a good distraction to ponder if your stuck.
ReplyDeletecontinued luck with the writing and hop to it! we're all anxious to read it. ;)
www.currenttempo.com
Oh my. When I saw Huck's (adorable) snowman my brain registered the hat as the head. The "eyes" I saw as nipples (or maybe buttons if I want to make this slightly less off-colour). The "nose"... well, I did NOT register it as such. I am clearly a terrible person. Erm.
ReplyDeleteAs an antipodean in the height of sweltering summer, I'm loving these snow / winter pics. It must suck to be cooped up but man, it's pretty.
OMG! The last time Portland Dumped on you was HILARIOUS!!! You are so funny funny funny!!! :) Beautiful pictures of all that snow! :) Happy writing!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures!!
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beautiful! and huck is the coolest in those shades. :)
ReplyDeleteHahaha I love the "NOT Hawaii" post, that has to be one of my favourites. And while we're on the subject, it has to be said from one woman to another, that you have a slammin' body in those shots! Never in my life have I ever looked like that in a bikini, even before pregnancy brought in it's wrecking ball to finish the job :o)
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking of you lately as my ill fated kindred spirit, while I've suffered chemical pregnancies these last two months...sucks to be us sometimes huh? Good luck finishing the book lovely lady x
katie@ http://whatyoudoingkatie.blogspot.co.uk
I love the snow! -Hanna Lei
ReplyDeleteThose pic are beautiful!!!
ReplyDeleteOriana x
www.stylexis.blogspot.com
love these pictures! it really is true that the snow seems to just make everyone a little happier!
ReplyDeleteOh Natalie, I just love your posts, and Henry is so cute I could just bust! Seeing your love makes me so excited to grow up and be a momma (my roommates think I'm crazy for wanting to be one so badly!) Thank you for sharing so many beautiful insights with us.
ReplyDeleteI would love nothing more to be snowed in. It's been disgustingly hot here in Australia. There is sweat where sweat should never, ever be. Ever.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the writing. I cannot wait read to be able to read the final product!
There is just something so special about snow days. Fantastic pictures!
ReplyDeleteOk, I'm curious which Spider-Man he watched. My son, aaaalllllmooooost 3, is OBSESSED with Spider-Man (even though he's never seen it either). He has a costume he wears daily and wants pretty much everything in sight with Spider-Man on it. The thing is, I've looked at a few of the cartoons on Netflix and they all seem pretty violent for an almost 3 year old. Have you found one that's pretty tame? It would make his LIFE to actually watch Spider-Man in action!
ReplyDeletei've been meaning to tell you, if you're still in town i think huck would love going to a mr. ben show. they're tuesdays at 10am in north portland at the woodland swap and play. i think he's doing a show tonight at mississippi pizza studios too. we go along with 50+ other portland mommies and daddies and tots every tuesday and i thought of you because he always sings the blast off song - which i remember you saying puts huck to sleep :D
ReplyDeletehttp://rebecca-combs.squarespace.com/
oh and this, too: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/02/why-writers-are-the-worst-procrastinators/283773/
ReplyDelete~rebecca
I was gonna ask you… what are you still doing in OR (if you don't mind me asking?) I'm jealous!
ReplyDelete