My Adventures in Writing

So, I’m back to my normal routine of driving to the Portland area for my graduate school classes. The drive from Salem to Hillsboro isn’t too bad most days, except that I think A LOT of people leave work early on Friday. Why is that really? To get a jump on the weekend? Why don’t we leave early on Monday? Or better yet, get to work an hour or two later on Monday? Maybe I should start a new trend.
But anyway, my drives have become routine again after a very long break from classes this past fall and winter. I got rather used to spending my free time at home and to be honest, some of it was spent being just plain lazy. The other time, I spent ripping out 40 year old flooring (some of it looked that old anyway) and putting in new laminate wood flooring and vinyl tile. It was a project and at times, more difficult than actual school work. But it was time well spent with my husband.
Getting back to my routine drive, I’ve found a new route, or rather am revisiting an old route. I now drive through Newberg, up over a steep hill, winding up and over it and then down to Hillsboro. It’s very windy and slow but then the other route requires slowing to an almost complete stop when traveling through three small towns. It’s a toss up but makes more sense lately to drive the revisited route.

Today as I climbed the steep, windy hill, I admired the view of the valley below. Sometimes I take for granted or actually feel punished to have to drive so far. But in reality, if I stop to take in what I am traveling through, it’s worth it. Springtime is especially eye-catching, as I pass lambs, calves, daffodils, and flowering trees everywhere. Not having to keep the windshield wipers on constantly is a blessing.
Today I realized how beautiful the area is when I turned a corner to find a towering, white Mt. Hood in front of me. Portlanders really are lucky to have such a magnificent mountain right out their backdoor, not to mention Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams (I think). Those mountains are amazing! If I am lucky I can catch a glimpse of Mt. Jefferson on my morning commute to Salem but not always. Mt. Jefferson is so much further away it seem. Right here in Portland, Mt. Hood is practically starring you in the face. It’s amazing I must say.

Well, this is my first post for 2010, and it’s already February 3rd! Time flies. I was just thinking on my way home today that I sure am busy. I am gearing up for Spring term at Pacific University. It’s tough since I’ve been out of school since October. I was able to transfer some credit and opt out of a class and then we had a nice break during December and January. But once I start back up it just means that I am closer to finishing. I just have five more classes left and finishing my capstone project. I’m getting there.

My job keeps me busy. I have a few projects that are my responsibility and they tend to drain my time. This is one of the only jobs I’ve had where I really enjoy working. To me researching and investigating laws and regulations is fun, not work. It does take a certain personality and I have it. I love to coordinate projects too.

So, here’s to a busy 2010! I told my husband that if he can endure me for six more months of stress that things will be okay after that. I’ll post again in August. Just joking.

Well, today good things happened. The day didn’t start out the best as I left home with a bad attitude. I just couldn’t face another unhappy day at work. But then around 10:45, all my prayers were answered. I was offered my now, dream job. Of course, I accepted right away. It was so surprising to hear back so quickly. It was great.
At the end of the day, I handed in my letter of resignation and felt a wave of relief. No more pain, no more hassles, no more not being understood. I had a fresh start coming with someone I already felt better connected to than in my current situation.
Now, I ask myself, do I write her a letter when I leave, telling her what she has done wrong? Do I even waste my time? Do I tell her the things she did somewhat right? Or do I just leave, leave her wondering what went wrong, again. I wish that she would hear what I would tell her but I don’t think she will. I think it will have to be a time of self-reflection when she really hears.
But for now, I am free!

Well, I’ve decided to look for a new job, period. I need a healthy work environment and I want to be happy where I work. I feel this is where God is pointing me. I’ve done a lot of praying but I’m sure I can do some more. Please continue praying for me.

I will let you know how it goes. For the meantime, I am focusing on school and being creative whenever possible. Happiness is growing and I’m all for it! To new beginnings!

Tonight I attended the public showing of the “Oregon from the Ground Up” exhibit at the InSight Gallery of the Arc of Benton County.

My mom, Peggy Paine, was one of the artists featured. Her series of photos showcasing water and reflections were part of the exhibit. This is my mom’s first public showing.

The “Oregon from the Ground Up” exhibit features photography, painting, drawing and collage, all by Benton County artists.

The next showing will be titled “Ability Awareness”, open March 26th from 2-5, showcasing artwork from the ArtFocus program and Art Careers Program. The May 28th show will feature “Seasons of the Sea” works of art.

Make sure to stop by the gallery or visit the website. Help support the Arc of Benton County.

Contact Information:
InSight Gallery, 414 N.W. Fourth St. Information: 541-753-1711.

Welcome to the 2009 version of Aurae’s Blog! I’ve updated and changed a few things. I hope my readers like it! I haven’t been writing as much lately, due to being busy with other things. But I have written several more articles about my trip to Wyoming last summer. Here are the links to those if you would like to read them:

Wild Horse Tour in Wyoming

Natural History Museum in Rock Springs

Well, I hope everyone has a great start to the new year. I have a few resolutions of my own that I hope will be successful. They all tie into my previous post about my goals for the year.

I have added a special page to this site, called "Special Stories". I will post my feature stories not published elsewhere here. Tonight I posted a story about my visit to a Mennonite Farm in Pennsylvania this past July. Here is the link: PA Mennonite Farm Story