This was our great delight on the trip to school yesterday... four hot air balloons hovered close to the horizon over the hay and corn fields. You can only see two in the photo--they were all four very low. I have no idea what a hot air balloon expedition was doing out at quarter to eight on a Monday morning, but it sure did cheer me up. We had missed the bus due to Dundee traffic.
Dundee traffic is the bain of my new life, I must say. Normally we make it past Dundee, to downtown Dayton, where I pass by the old brick church where my dad was interem pastor for a year when I was five. That's where T is supposed to catch her bus. But if we miss it, we go another 15 minutes South. Those balloons were worth an extra 15 minutes!
Taj had her first soccer match yesterday, and to my great surprise, she played half of the game! She has only played soccer for one week now, so I thought she'd be on the bench the whole time. I was very proud of her willing attitude, and impressed with her coach for praising her so much. I hadn't even attended a soccer match before. I got there on time, and parents were trickling in, setting up camp chairs all along the painted line in the grass that designated the side of the playing field. I sat down in my skirt, in the dry grass (luckily it was a thick skirt) and smiled at toddlers who toddled by--they were the only ones at my eye level.
I have been shy around strangers since birth, which many of my friends would never guess, but these social situations with parents and sports are the worst for me. I definitely don't identify with soccer moms. I was so proud of myself for turning and speaking to a parent who came along and sat behind me.... but it didn't turn out very well. She was intesely cheering for her son, who I assumed was a daughter because it sounded like the name "Isa" which I thought I knew from Dora the explorer, and I always thought Isa was a girl.... My first mistake was distracting the woman from her son's moves, and then I assumed out loud that he was a girl. I don't know if she moved to another part of the field to get away from me or the sun, but I'm hoping it was the sun. So I have not really fully met another parent yet, and school is one week in session now. Next time I will bring my sand chair. That will get me a little closer to being at the parents eye level.
They won the match. Now that I know that T gets to play, I guess I'll start inviting family and friends to come watch, but middle school soccer is not really that fun to watch, to be honest. Jazz band concerts are much more interesting. I think the Timbers must be a lot more fun. We'll have to go to a match some time. I wonder if their season is up?
Today I made my first trip to the Farmer's Market that just started up about six blocks from our house. We got: three summer squash, a bunch of spinach, four apples, three dahlias and the last little green pint of orange cherry tomatoes. So yummy! All for about five bucks! Portland can't beat that!
Speaking of pretty things in the sky, I was sad to have to turn down an invitation to see the swifts in Portland tomorrow night. I've not yet done so many things in Portland, after so many years. Maybe next year. For now, I have one week and one day to organize and sew things in preparation for my wedding. I'm excited to see it all come together. And I think it will, even though one of my helpers had to leave the country suddenly yesterday to see her mother in law, who is ill.
Final good news of the day: I am thrilled to hear from my friend Ami in Dallas that she has a friend who is a musician and a gardener who lives in my new town!!! So thrilled. I have a feeling that any friend of Ami's is bound to be a friend of mine, if she has time for a new friend. This is really good news. The only friend I have here right now is soon to move away, unless you count the pastor who is doing our pre-marital counseling and my future mother in law, who really are friend-like, thankfully.
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