Dodgers! 2014

1st place, baby!

Rick still on the road

And I'm back...

Rick on the Road

Shasta is just a little bare...

July 5, 2014

Me n Dad

Holiday wishes!

What a year it has been. I suppose the holidays give us that opportunity to look back over our shoulder and marvel at how far we have come.

Becca Lyn

Becca packed up and headed out to live in the big world. She established a solid two-year employment history at her first job and then moved on to a management position at a new store in the mall. She stays busy with work, taking care of her hedgehog, hanging out with her friends, and more recently, "making Christmas explode all over my apartment!" She's becoming quite the cook and baker, doing Aunt Vernetta proud with her sweet rolls. It is not unusual for her to text me from the grocery store for recipes so that she can shop for the ingredients, from meatballs and lasagna to brownies and cornbread. she has a new boyfriend, Nate, who never has any complaints about her cooking.

Merissa Jayne

When Becca moved out, Rick and I were without children at home....for two whole days until Missy moved back in. Ha! Missy quit her retail management job, gave up her apartment, and moved home to regroup. She attended school for a quarter (loved it), turned down the (repeated) offers for new management jobs (same-old-same-old), did a ton of welding with Suri Iron, and was ready and available for a job at Michael Curry Design as a metal welder, working on the team that builds Transformers. As in, The Transformers, the movie. I think she loves it. When she's not welding or building art, Missy's cooking, hiking and snake hunting, and spending a lot of time with a boy coincidentally also named Nate.

Nichole

Nichole has had an eventful year herself. Her job in the mortgage industry ended mid-year, she moved into a new house in Oregon City with Michael and her little bird, Nugget, and a large dog and a couple of roommates. She's planning on starting school in January and keeps busy painting, going to music shows with Michael, and baking. One weekend while berries were in season, we had pie-making day, and I think she's got the hang of it! Lately, she's addicted to Pilates and her Kindle.

Ryan

Ryan has been busy with the ups and downs of life, keeping up the homefront for his son and girlfriend. He seems most happy working on his latest computer project, e-mail server, webserver, VoIP or PBX system. 




Rick

Rick is my darling love....same as always. This year, he had a few jobs on the road - Boston, Chicago, New York City, Long Island, Costa Mesa. He's also keeping busy at home, doing a lot of tiling and remodels of late. In between, he's done a bunch of climbing (even during forest fires, although in this photo, he looks rather like the source of something...) He has been my most constant support and biggest fan. Also my road dog as we've been back and forth to Seattle all
summer, to Salt Lake City, Washington D.C., Modesto, and then for Thanksgiving, Denver. He makes my lunch for me every day before work, indulges my obsession with football, baseball, basketball, etc, and keeps our little house ship-shape, even protecting us from that baby raccoon who got all stuck in the foundation vent by the front door.

Sherri

My year seems like one big headlong-rush: school, work, gym, and writing. On January 14, I will defend my thesis and present my final reading to complete my MFA in Writing from Pacific University. It has been life-changing. I've had a few pieces published this year and continue to work on the novel with high hopes. My writing mentors have been most amazing and supportive. This last term while writing my thesis, I also took all my GRE tests and wrote four sets of applications for PhD programs across the country, sending them out with hope to move to the next phase of development. I re-discovered how much I love baseball this year, and of course basketball and football. Yeah, I'll always be that nerdy sports fan.

What an amazing and unexpected life.

Thanks to you all for being in it with us.

Love,
Sherri and Rick

end of summer

Rick went to Boston to work for a bit. I sent in my thesis for review. And then it was fall.

Probably not as sudden as all that.

Last Saturday, we went to Seattle on a spontaneous whim. Rick got us Mariners - Angels tickets in The King's Court, which is a fan section dedicated to pitcher Felix Hernandez. They call him King Felix. Rick says he'd like to see Felix get together with LeBron James. We got King Felix t-shirts and "K" posters to hold up on every 2nd strike and call for a strikeout.

It made me nervous for poor Felix - an entire section of jeering fans calling "K! K! K!" Plus I never got to see the 3rd strike because of all the signs in my face. The Mariners lost, but it was fun, and we went away with our baseball fix for the day.

Road trip to Washington D.C. coming up. Going to see Jim and Steph and their new home. And....baseball! Got tickets to two Nationals games.

Next adventure....

Sherri

it's me and rick

Rick was gone for all of June. While he is often on the road working, every time he gets home, we are very happy to be together again.

As always, the future is not a clear shot. Rick's work is changing again. Which could mean more time at home...or more time away.

I am in the process of finishing my MFA and applying to PhD programs, none of which are local. Which means I may be away from home for long stretches of school.

Who knows what will happen next.

So to stay in the moment, I'm still working full-time, writing my thesis, studying for the GRE tests (general in August; subject in October). Rick is working in Boston sometime soon, and I will (hopefully) join him on the road. Never been to Boston before.

Minor setback with that pesky Achilles tendon tear in my right ankle that we thought had healed....apparently it is not. So I am also back in physical therapy for a bit. It is not as painful as it was back in February, and they did not slam me into a boot this time. Grateful for small favors. PT starts this Friday.

Next Monday: Mariners vs Yankees game in Seattle!

Life is good.



~ sherri

summer might be here

Warm enough to kick up the cooler in the house today for the first time. Sunset is well after 8:30pm and it's still light on the  horizon at 10pm. Rick always says summer doesn't start until after the 4th of July.

The final term of my MFA began in June with a 10-day residency on campus. Lots of work ahead to finish my thesis by November deadlines. Lots of reading. Also taking the GRE in August and getting some PhD apps out into the world. Who knows what will happen next.

Rick spent all of June on the road working: Chicago, Long Island, Costa Mesa. Missed a bunch of birthdays, two climbs, Father's Day, and a couple of baseball games. Plus I missed him every single day. Now he's home and catching up on some climbing, yard puttering, and lots and lots of snuggling.

Today, we saw Prometheus (a disappointment) at the HD theater in the 21+ Living Room that started out with pre-show accordion performance from the balcony. Decadence got nothing on Cinetopia.

Short and sweet. Just like summer in the PacNW.

~ sherri

to utah

Coming to you, Utah. There may be some Utes in the making...

the momgoose

glimmers

There's signs of spring, glimmers of the cycles turning once again. Robins in the yard. Red finches and black-headed juncoes. Even a few doves, although they were re-thinking their return when temperatures hit freezing last week.

Rick made the first climb of the season today on Dog Mountain. Pretty sure sign spring is near.

School is still my primary focus. My work this term is non-fiction, not my genre of choice. I find myself writing about the twin girls that I relinquished for adoption when they were just 10-days old. It's been 27 years this spring, and yet when I write about those days that followed losing them, it feels just like the present.

I told Rick that I couldn't have written this essay even ten years ago. It must be time. I don't get to pick what comes up for me in my writing. I only get to choose whether to meet it with courage or step away again. Perhaps I've stepped away enough.

The Hoffman house shifted again. Becca moved out with some friends nearby. Two days later, Missy moved back in. Everyone is on their own path, it seems. Sometimes that path leads back to the old homestead. If I pursue the next level of education next year, I may find myself on that path exactly. Wouldn't that be interesting?

Love to you all.

sherri

p.s. Check out Sam's new blog that tells the story of the Christensens in Hawaii. We sure miss them!! samssurfinsummer.blogspot.com

holiday cheer

It's going to be a quiet December compared to the last couple of months. The girls are definitely doing their own thing this year, and the "tree" is non-traditional climbing houseplant.

We're committed to supporting our local economy by shopping local for the holiday. Spent the morning in 33 degree drizzle at Saturday Market. It was worthwhile, but my toes were numb by the time we got back to the car. All good.

Best wishes to everyone for a happy holiday season.

the momgoose

halloween

Seriously. They weren't kidding when they said life comes at you fast.

Worked both jobs today, and it was nearly 7pm as I'm at the store to buy trick-or-treat candy. Watched football curled up on the couch with a migraine, homework undone.

I'm not really complaining. I signed on for it all. It's just sometimes a bit overwhelming.


Best quote from today is from the head-to-toe tie-dyed owner of the embroidery shop in Rainier, Oregon where I picked up an order of hats for the company rebranding project:

"I look out my window this morning, and there's a horse standing right there," she says. She points to the curb in front of her shop where her truck is now parked.

"The sun was just coming through the morning clouds, shining on the river. Tule fog laying in the folds of the earth. And I think, 'life is pretty damn good.'"
Agreed.

Hangin' in.

sherri

spinning through summer

The Pacific University Boxer - it's a dragon

It's all going so fast.

My 10-day residency on campus at Pacific University flew. So much learning. So many amazing writers. Every night I went to bed in my harder-than-a-rock dorm bed and felt blessed for the opportunity.

I read, wrote and workshopped writing. Classes from 9am - 5pm, readings from 7 - 10pm. Some nights there was the post-reading party, followed by the post-post-reading-party. Homework every minute in between.

I'd give up all the marketing jobs in the world to go back indefinitely.




But before that, Papa and Grandma came to visit during Rose Festival weekend. We hiked Wahclella Falls, watched the Dragonboat races on the Portland waterfront, partied with the entire family to celebrate all the June birthdays and Father's Day.


Rick and I also took them out to a unique Portland restaurant - completely vegetarian/vegan - and no one went away from the table hungry. Papa says the only problem is that now all his local friends want to take him to their vegetarian/vegan restaurants. Ha!

As for the spinning part, I spent several weeks with my driving privileges revoked due to four long days of what the doctors all call "labyrinthitis." (Like I should be watching for David Bowie to appear at any minute.) It's a form of vertigo, and seriously, the world spun like I was on a perpetual ride of the Wild Teacups. Vomiting included. I couldn't get off the floor where I had fallen and Rick thought it was a stroke, called 911. Several hours in the hospital later, a cocktail of medications had the worst of the symptoms under control and we went home. Glad that's over - hope it never returns.

Gearing up for the Big Party in August: Papa's 70th Birthday Bash. So excited. It will be the first time in years the whole family is together - our attempt three (is it three?) Christmases ago came close, only lacked Rick and Merissa.

Dress-shopping for the party tomorrow with the girls. On with the adventure.

The Momgoose

I'll do it...

Sherri won't brag about it, so I will for her.


This is the "narrative transcript" provided by Sherri's Faculty Advisor, a written evaluation that will be placed in her permanent file at Pacific University, regarding her work for the first semester of her MFA course:

"Sherri Hoffman is a terrific writer. I had the good fortune to work with Ms. Hoffman during the residency as well as during this semester. Her work already stood out even though she is only a first semester student. During the semester together she has only gotten better.

"Ms. Hoffman is working on a collection of linked stories about a family of six brothers growing up in Washington State in the 1970s and 80s. The lot of them make a heart wrenching coming of age story. She is gifted with voices; her dialogue is so real that I often forgot I was reading and not listening. During this term, she has worked hard to make each of the brother's voices unique and she has succeeded mightily. A real standout is the story "Show up to Move Up."

"Sherri has talent plus an intense work ethic. Her revisions show real work, and also a willingness to follow instructions. I fully expect to see these stories published. She is a gifted artist, a writer to watch."


That's my baby.


http://www.sherrihhoffman.com/
http://www.facebook.com/Sherri.H.Hoffman

now what?

I'm on a short break between terms of school, trying to catch up on a few things. Here's what we've done lately. Cue montage music.

It's been a wet spring, much like last year.

Becky went to China—and back.

I spent a weekend in Seattle with the Christensen Clan pre-Easter. Ellie and Jayne made fabulous Egg Cakes and we all went to the Easter Egg Hunt and were enormously successful,  even Jake, although his were mostly catch-and-release.

At home, we had our own holiday celebration, complete with zombie bunnies and the traditional video.

Rick finished his climbing as an assistant at BCEP for the year, and we spent a beautiful weekend at Smith Rock where he climbed, and I hiked around, did homework, and took some pictures.

Maxwell the Hedgehog has grown twice as big, and we all survived the prediction of the rapture.

In a moment of sunshine between storms, Rick and I hiked to Elowah Falls in the Columbia Gorge. It was a "baby" hike to accommodate my Brandon-Roy knee.

Rick is moving Ryan and Atreyu into a new apartment this weekend. This afternoon, Missy picked up the keys to her very own don't-have-to-share-with-a-roommate apartment, and she'll be moving on Monday. Nichole is gearing up for school in the fall at PCC. Becca is registering for summer classes at Clark, turning 18 next week, and hoping to get a car soon so that she can become an official driver (what-what?!!).

And for me? Second term begins on my birthday next month with a 10-day residency on campus at Forest Grove. Finished first term with four new fiction pieces and a healthy dose of reading completed.

So it continues. Life—keep up.

The Momgoose