So this happened.

I had a birthday... in October.

Birthday celebrations are special and I am thankful that it brought us together to celebrate.  I really feel like this photo is just like a classic snapshot in time.  Not because we are all miraculously looking and smiling at the camera (which we are!), but because of the people in it.

I really am so blessed that my dad, my mom, and Bill are still alive, and healthy, and able to travel.
I am thankful that family is a priority to my adult children. I know their schedules needed to be tweaked in order to be here.  All the grandkids (all 9) are together.  Currently they live in three different states so having them all together is extra special (and rare.)

. . . . . . .

We have been working for the last two years on a dream, which has come to fruition!
Talking Crow Coffee Roasters is now open!  Between that and homeschooling and running our home, I'm stretched pretty thin and will likely only blog here periodically.  The truth is the longer the time goes between posts, the harder it is to post at all.   (Sorry Mom and Dad)
I really don't like to post without a photo, and lately the only photos on my memory cards are of coffee product. (imagine that.)  I do take photos of the kids with my phone and post them on Instagram.  It tends to be a quick way to capture a moment in time.  What doesn't go with that is much of any deep pondered thought, but for now that's what is working for me because currently, I don't have time to figure out how to put into words what's on my mind.   ( I do hope this doesn't sound like whining!  You never know how things come across.  I'm not,  I'm just trying to explain my absence. 😊)

So basically, don't hold your breathe, but I might shock you from time to time.











 

Summer day trip - Kingston beach

It's said that summer doesn't start here in Washington until July 5th.  I actually heard a weather expert explain why this is true.  Suffice it to say, that when the weather warms up and the sun does shine I get a little antsy to enjoy the beach.  

We have a favorite beach for several reasons: no crowds, lots of good beachcombing, and a fun ferry ride.

We asked a friend to join us too.

A coffee stand just a few feet from the ferry exit beckoned me, and I couldn't refuse.

Wild sweet peas were so fragrant and with the smell of the salt air it was almost intoxicating.

My new found hobby... look for shadows to photograph.

Like a million little diamonds.  The sea is so beautiful.

A sure sign of summer...sandy toes.

Souveniers

Until next summer, Kingston Beach.  With loving affection.

- Carol

30 years

August 27th marked our 30th wedding anniversary.

30 years! 

I feel like I can say with all honesty that we've experienced the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly.  Marriage is hard work.  It's also sanctifying.  It requires the hard things of ourselves like being honest with one another and by that I also mean transparent and vulnerable.  A willingness to be humble - willing to admit when you are wrong, willing to make the first move towards reconciling a difference.  It requires selflessness - a willingness to put the other one first - their needs or even simple preferences.  I'll be frank - even after 30 years, this must still be intentional.  Eric does a much better job of this than I do.  I can honestly say that he loves me as Christ loved the church.   I am so thankful for him. 

We were recently able to get away for a couple of days.  We had dreams of going away somewhere extra special (Paris?  Hawaii? ) but the Lord had other plans for us this year.  Honestly, I was just thankful we could still get away for a bit.  We chose our favorite inn on Whidbey Island.

While in the ferry line, we hopped out of our car and grabbed some "chowdah" from Ivar's to eat while on the ferry. 

After having hot smokey days all week, the weather took a turn for cool.  Only about 60 with light rain.  We didn't mind though, because we had had so much smoke in the air from the fires in California and Canada.  In fact, they said the air quality was comparable to smoking 7 packs of cigarettes, they also said it was worse than Beijing. (in other words...NASTY!)

We sat out on this lovely porch and drank coffee and chatted, and watched the local wildlife.

 We walked in the rain and held hands and looked in all the cute shops.   Eric loves a good antique shop like I do.  It's fun to find treasures.  We found a few.  We bought a vintage coffee can with pictures of people harvesting the coffee cherries, and a book trilogy of Flavious Josephus's works presented by an author from the late 1800s!

 We even found a very large heart rock. (not for sale 😉)

and another heart stamped into the cement sidewalk.  😍

and we sampled our favorite dark chocolate treats. 

I have a thing for shadows.  Not only do I just find them so fun and interesting, but to me they have a deeper meaning.  There is a song by my favorite music group called "The Shadow Proves the Sunshine".  This has been a difficult year.  Not just the accident itself, but the healing process too - (LOTS of doctor's appointments - good days and hard days) and then also all the hiccups that we've encountered with starting the business.  Sometimes it can feel like God is absent or not hearing our prayers, but the shadows prove He is there.  You can't very well have a shadow if the sun isn't there.  He is using the accident and other things (shadows) to grow my faith as I watch Him direct our path. 

Our actual anniversary night we ate at Salt Water Fish House.  Eric ordered some oysters on a half shell.  It was my first time ever having them.  They aren't my favorite, but they are his.  😛   While we waited for our dinner (fish tacos for me and crab cakes for him) we made up phrases from magnetic words they had on a wall next to us.  Considering the selection, I thought I did pretty good.

 When we first decided that we would go to "our" inn, we thought we would try kayaking one of the days, but then the weather was cold so we figured we'd have to wait until a different time all together, but it warmed up!  So around 9 am on our last day we walked to the kayak rentals.  The water was as smooth as glass.  A sea lion bumped our kayak and every now and again he would poke his head up nearby us.  We just hugged the coast line to play it safe since this was the first kayaking experience for both of us.  It was so much fun!

That brown building on the top with the three peaks is where we stayed...Saratoga Inn

We hit Mukilteo Coffee Roasters Cafe before catching the ferry home.  Great burgers (and burger wraps) and coffee.  It was a business meeting of sorts.  We discussed all that is left to do and tried to prioritized that list.   We're getting closer!

When we ride on the ferry, we often go up on deck for the sailing, but this time they had our car on the ramp, and even though the tires were chocked, it felt a little lot precarious so we opted to enjoy our ride in the car.  Still, though, we had a front row seat. 

We were greeted with a sweet homecoming message from the kids.

God is so good - So good to bring us together,  so good to keep us together.  I am just so thankful to the Lord and His grace on us.

PDX Coffee Fest

Hey There,

I forgot to tell you all about the Coffee Fest in Portland that we attended back in mid-October.  It was a Friday-Saturday-Sunday event.  The original plan was for Eric, Hannah, and I to attend the event, and Dan would come along to spend the weekend with Caleb.  The girlies would stay with a friend of mine, and Matt... well he had to work so he held down the home-front.

The Friday morning details of connecting with Caleb and getting to the event, all the while dealing with Portland-city-Friday-morning-commute traffic, made us have to change that plan.  (Need to get a new brother date on the calendar!)  As it turned out, Matt didn't have to work the weekend - only Friday, so Dan stayed home and had different bro time.  He was also spared from the 3:00 a.m. hit the road. 

Suitcases, pillows and blankets...

A silly bathroom selfie with my girl.  (And by the way the Oregon (Portland) convention center has very nice bathrooms!

This event is part trade show, part education with classes offered on everything from green bean buying to the logistics of running of coffee shop and everything in between.  There were also prestigious latte art and cold brew competitions going on.

This isn't any coffee - it's specialty coffee or what's maybe more commonly known as 3rd wave coffee.  SO good!

There are also tea exhibitors too.  We sampled some A-MA-ZING tumeric chai!  Be on the watch for that at your local coffee spot.

I love to look at packaging for idea and trends. 

This little beauty takes whole almonds (or whatever nut you use), blends them into a butter -which you can use at that point or, add water and it blends that into almond milk in about 5 minutes.  Would LOVE to have that.  So easy homemade nut butter/milks. Meant for the coffee house, but they are coming out with one for home use.

Cupping kettles.

Coffee - coffee - coffee

Hannah had homework that was due so she took advantage of free high-speed internet to get some assignments turned in. 

A young guy, who works for Cafe Imports (coffee importers) created this map.  It's like a work of 

art.  I asked the gal at the booth if I could take a photo because I admired it and thought it was so cool.  She said they had been giving them out for free, but they had run out.  😢

 He overheard me say how much I liked it, and he secretly called me over and said he had a few left stashed away, and handed one to me.  SCORE!  

We plan to frame it and hang it in the roastery, but we may leave it so that we can put map pins from each place we buy coffee.  Not sure yet though.  

The trade show part of the event is definitely fun with all the free samples you get to try and the free swag.  I think this was a horchada, but with oat milk.  So yum. (Pacific brand)

The best part of Coffee Fest in Portland - was that we got to meet up with family for dinner on Saturday night.  You know the theme there, right?  "Keep Portland Weird."

Caleb was cool to find a restaurant that Hannah could eat at.  Also - we were meeting up with Eric's two aunts who live in Eugene.  They drove up to spend time with us - so they were joining us for dinner too.  These two 😍

This aunt is an artist (specifically, a painter) and she painted our logo for us.

the other aunt is a grant writer. These two sisters are trying to convince their oldest sister (Eric's mom) to move to Oregon.  We'd sure like that.  😊
Anyway, if you find yourself in Portland, Dick's Kitchen is a good place to eat if you have dietary issues.  They are super accommodating and it's super good!

Each day we had early morning classes.  I have to say that they were super informative and motivating.  I learned so much - and tucked away thoughts and ideas for the future if we ever open up our own coffee house (coffee goals).

There's good reason that Hannah is our social media manager.

Also - have you ever tried macadamia milk?  It is so good and makes the best foam.

Once it was over, we decided to surprise Hannah.

She kind of couldn't believe it.  She has wanted Dr. Marten's for about four years.  This was an early birthday/Christmas present... kind of had to since were in Portland, you know (AND they have NO sales tax! yay for us.)

It was so much fun to watch her shop and choose.

Trying to decide between plum and cherry.

plum won.

I'm not sure who was happier - her with her new Dr. Martin's or us watching her be so happy.

She would have worn them home, but it was recommended to wax them each day for a week so they would be waterproof and the wax has to dry for a bit.

Our drive down to Portland was rainy, and much of Friday was too, but it turned into a lovely sunny weekend with temperatures in the low 70s. Truly picture perfect. 

Beautiful Mt. Hood and downtown Portland.

We are so excited to start on this coffee adventure.  Our plans have been submitted with the county and we are awaiting our building permit.  Hoping and praying for the end of November, Lord willing.

Cheers,
Carol