Oregon welcomed us home with cool temperatures and even some summer drizzle. We arrived home at 10pm, dropping through the thick layer of clouds, landing at the small airport, and then able to walk right out from the plane to the cool, summer evening. After the humid heat of Pennsylvania, the refreshing cool Oregon weather was almost cold to us.

Yesterday's sun and warm temperatures were a relief, with cool breezes. The humid air of the east tends to stick to the skin and hang in the air. In the west, the breeze whips the heat away and the air feels so fresh. Even when it's very hot, it's so unlike the humidity of the mid-west and east.

I'm excited today because my vacation begins tomorrow. Early tomorrow morning, my husband and I will fly out to Pennsylvania, to visit his family and attend the annual family reunion. I will get to discover the sites in Pennsylvania Dutch country and Central Pennsylvania. I am ready with pen and paper to write down my thoughts and create a few travel articles.

So, you will not hear from me until August, but keep reading and commenting. I enjoy reading your comments.

Thanks for reading!
Aurae

Recently at the hospital where I work, we've started utilizing eco-friendly containers for to-go food and cups. The cups are made from corn, and boast that they are "100% Compostable". The other containers for to-go meals or hot contents are made from bamboo, and are also compostable.

I think this change is great, especially since the old containers and cups were made from Styrofoam. However, our hospital did a great job at recycling, before the change was made.

So, just this week, the cafeteria has begun charging 10 cents for a cup to use for water. Before, cups used for water were free and styrofoam. The staff are urging us to bring our own containers in. I just keep thinking why didn't they do this before, when we were using the styrofoam cups? If everyone had re-used their cups before, then we wouldn't have the problem of filling up landfills? It just seems backwards to me. I just don't understand why we have to pay more for recycled material.

I have been enjoying my experience of becoming a travel writer. I love writing and I love to travel, so what could be better than being a travel writer! Sometimes I do struggle finding the time and energy for writing, because my job at the hospital has been so busy lately. But coming home and being able to be creative helps me thrive.

One thing I struggle with is remembering to write about the other states in my Travel Section at Suite101.com. The states included in my section are Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, Montana and Wyoming. I think it's just that Oregon has so much to offer and I live here, so it's much easier to see something and want to write about it. Yet, I am traveling to Utah, Wyoming and Colorado in August, so I will definitely have some things to write about for those states.

It would be my dream to just be a travel writer full-time or make enough money to just be a writer but it's not logical right now. It's nice to dream though.

I am excited about traveling to the East Coast next week, arriving in Baltimore and traveling through Pennsylvania. I will definitely create some articles from my travel. These articles may not be in my section but I can post them in the other travel sections. I'm sure I will enjoy researching and writing them, even if they aren't about NW U.S./ Alaska travel.

If you have any ideas for travel in my section, please let me know.

It's Sunday early evening and still 98F. This has been the hottest day so far, temperature-wise but at least there is a constant breeze today. Last night the air just hung, with no stirring. The fans blew all night, struggling to drive cooler air to the hot humans.

The garden is enjoying the heat, as the tomato plants seem to be racing to see who can be the tallest. The newly planted perennials don't seem to like the heat or need water every day.

The weeds have slowed their growth and now we had some time to pull them out of the flower beds, although we must endure the hot temperatures. The mist setting on the hose is our only way to cope with the heat. The dog even enjoys a cool off from the hose.

It's summer all right, full on hot!

Summer's bounty is upon us! The roses are in full bloom, with lilies, gladiolus and more summer flowering beauties producing such amazing color! The garden is becoming overgrown with massive tomato plants, peas reaching for anything to grab a hold of and melons and cucumbers running all over the place. Small tomatoes grow on branches, increasing in size daily. Green pea pods form revealing the delicious peas within.

Yet, perhaps the most anticipated is the arrival of sweet, succulent fruit in the yard. The early blueberries are just now turning blue, offering sweet fruit. The raspberries are red and soft, melting in your mouth. It seems that once I think I have picked all the ripe ones, I look back and there are more! We are to go pick cherries from the grandparents’ trees. Local farms boast u-pick berries and fruit and I eagerly fill bags ready to freeze and use in winter or for fruit shakes.

I was so busy just last month, with writing projects, article ideas, prospects of completing my Masters, and much more. That is, until my life was put on pause with the death of my father-in-law. I managed to complete my graduate application by the deadline, hoping my essay made sense with my limited focus. I was also able to publish just a few articles before I left for the memorial service. I hope those are error-free also, as my mind was only half there.

I'm having trouble focusing or doing something for long periods of time. Like for example, this morning, I made the choice to skip the Sunday church service because I knew I wouldn't be able to focus or keep up with the sermon. I didn't think it was fair to the minister, God or anyone sitting near me, to sit fidgeting in church, unable to follow along. Is this normal?

I had so much momentum just last month. Now, I sit here this evening, with a blank stare. What do I do? It's also hard to be alone, waiting for my husband to return home after several weeks of being away. I'm glad he was able to help his mom and sister but I've sure missed him.

Yet, it's not like my state is constant. I do have periods of joy, delighting in getting to know my relatives better. I enjoy their stories, jokes and authenticity. What a wonderful family I have! What a wonderful God we have too!

Instead of going to church this morning, my husband, my mom and I went to the beach, taking in God's awesome creation, basking in the sunshine. Sometimes a breath of fresh air or enjoying God's glorious creation is all it takes to feel alive and worthy.

Now, it's like someone has released the pause button but it's on slow motion. We're moving forward, I think, but oh so slowly.

The memorial service for Will Beidler will be held Saturday, July 5th at 3 p.m. with light supper to follow. The Community Baptist Church is located at 4590 Hwy. 101 in Florence---just across from Fred Meyer. We understand if you are unable to attend, and sincerely appreciate your thoughts and prayers. We are looking forward to this celebration of Will's life.

To help offset Will's medical expenses in lieu of flowers or gifts a donation site has been set up at US Bank.

If you call or go to any nationwide US Bank and ask to donate to this account, you will need to specify:

Willard Beidler Donation Account
Please do not feel obligated to donate.

My father-in-law passed away Saturday evening. Until three weeks ago, I knew him as a healthy 61-year-old runner and outdoorsman. But I’ve learned that aggressive pancreatic cancer can take down even the healthiest of persons. We had no idea that within several weeks of being diagnosed, he would be gone. We were all ready to fight the cancer battle.

We are still in a state of shock, not even able to find the right words to express the situation. I guess we should be glad we had the couple of weeks to spend with him in the hospital. We were able to laugh and cry together. I guess we should be glad we were able to say goodbye. We are thankful for these things.

It all still feels like a bad dream. Sometimes I think Will is on vacation or just gone for a little while. I guess when I think of it that is true. It won’t be long until we are all united again.

We were talking with the chaplain at the Peace Harbor Hospital after Will’s last surgery, and Sue asked, how do people without faith cope with these situations? How do you deal with it, when you think this is it? We all thought it must be so much more difficult thinking this is the ultimate end.

We attended church yesterday, rejoicing that Will has gone home. At first I felt strange thinking we are all smiling and in a good mood, even though Will has just passed away. But then it passed and I was so thankful for my faith in God.

I’m sure the memorial service on Saturday will be a glorious presentation of Will’s life. He is a true example of how a person should lead their life: a faithful husband, trusting father, true friend, missionary, and disciple. As my mother said, he is on loan to us from God. I’m sure he and God are rejoicing now and for eternity. As Sue says, our tears are just for us. We are singing halleluiah! for Will.

I am glad I got to know Will, even if only for three short years. He was so open and inviting, with loving hugs. He taught me things I didn’t learn as a child, like how to fish. I will always remember being on the open ocean with him and Jeff. I’m sure that right now he is fishing on the open ocean in Heaven. His smile and laugh is embedded in my mind, bringing a smile to my face just imagining it.

I take comfort knowing that Jeff will be a wonderful husband and father because his dad was such a good example. I have no doubt or worry for our future.

I was at Borders the other day looking for a book on healing, when I ended up in the diet and nutrition section. There are so many different books on diets! Wow! So, I looked through them. After my father-in-law's shocking diagnosis of cancer, I have decided that I need to stop putting off getting healthy and do it. I'm tired of being overweight and tired of waiting for the right time to lose weight. I have learn the past few weeks that the present is the best time for most things. Life is precious.

So, I picked up two books I thought were interesting: The Maker's Diet and a diet started by a cardiologist. I really thought the Maker's Diet sounded great, using the Bible to guide our eating. It also talking about treating the body in a holistic way. So, I bought that book and started reading it. I found it's principles very logical and without argument. But it was a little extreme for me, now. I need something I can do and succeed at.

My mother-in-law had a book on her kitchen table by Bob Greene on the Best Life Diet. I started reading the book while I was there. I thought this diet sounded like something I could do and do well. So, I looked up his website, The Best Life Diet and signed up.

I like how his diet has 3 phases, with the first phase consisting of being more active and getting into the right way of eating. It's really pretty simple but just takes getting the mind into the right state.

I will update you on my progress. I'm not supposed to weigh-in for 4 weeks. That will be hard! But I'm sure I will see and feel the results before that.