2020 Year in Review- Christmas Newsletter

Family and Friends, 

2020 has certainly been an interesting year.  Things changed for sure, but not all for the worse. This year we were fortunate to have new adventures with some new friends, and some old friends we got to know much better. 

Thank you for taking the time to read about our year. I can only hope that you were also able to make the best of this shitfest and enjoy the best parts of 2020 with the people who care for you most. 

With love, 

Emily and Ruben

Because of the way Blogger imports pictures, scroll to the bottom of this post, and read up. 

Go ahead, go to the bottom. 

While I'm sitting on the floor in the electric blanket (the one we took camping and that lives on our couch) Ru is laying on the couch reading the third book in the Golden Compass series. He is really into it. 

In a while we are going to continue our Christmas clean up program, hoping to finish the apartment by tomorrow night. I had planned a trip for us to Crane hot springs, but they sent out an email saying that guests were not required to wear masks, and I wasn't comfortable with that so I cancelled. We are staying home I guess, so it will be nice to have a clean place to hang out. Seems like 2020 will just fade out, if we are lucky. 

Jeremy had leant me an electric guitar for a few years, but took it back to give as a gift to his daughter. Not having the funds or knowledge to purchase a replacement I fortunately received a replacement long term loaner guitar! This one is even better :)  In the background is our little live tree on top of the piano. My last live tree got huge and I gave it away when we moved in with Cab. Now we are back in an apartment (ironically the same one.) Hopefully the little replacement tree will have many lovely Christmases with us, and many happy summers on the patio by the fountain like the last one did. 

A typical school morning in our drafty apartment. 

Ruben ready to dish up his Thanksgiving plate. 

Thanksgiving pie that Ru had made. I'm wearing his senior class of of 2021 hat. 

I bought my first piece of adult furniture. A bookshelf made of real wood. (behind the fake fire by the free piano) This is a noteworthy event at 46 years old. 

Near Sisters Oregon, escaping the rain. Rick knows how important sunshine is to me, and on one rainy day took me for a drive. Hot apple cider, in a snowy meadow, with sunshine. :)

Ruben will be graduating from high school February 1, but we aren't having an official party till June. He is graduating early because of how they changed classes this year. (full year classes became semester classes) He wasn't too invested in his school community, but he was very involved in concert choir, and is missing that this year. He would have been taking a trip to NYC this year if not for Covid. He is already enrolled in Chemeketa Community College and will continue taking classes there after he graduates from high school. His major is undeclared. 

Senior photos. 

Going to school with your cat. 

Playing with Bruce in Jamkazam. 

He made it to the top!

After the fancy meal C tutored Ru in math. 

So I got a wild hair and decided that we should have a multi course fancy meal at the Starr house (our apartment isn't big enough for more than one guest). We had 4 courses, and everyone dressed up. We practiced table manners, and had great conversation. The menu was fantastic, the company even better. 

My office, (dining room) with cat tree. I hung a hummingbird feeder right outside, so we have an interesting drama of cats chittering, birds buzzing (seems like hummingbirds buzz), and papers flying off my desk when the cats attack the window. 

Ruben likes to challenge himself by cooking complicated things. This was zucchini lasagna. It was amazing. 

The rain will not keep us inside. Unless it's cold and rainy then maybe. 

RIP Niijii 

This amazing dog traveled everywhere with Rick for 13 years. I was lucky to get to spend a few months adventuring with her. I always let her lead the way through the brush because she found the best paths. 

I looked at this picture and burst out crying thinking of all the years that Ru has biked with me while I run. He's 17 1/2 now. I've continued getting outside and running when possible, and I'm now able to go 3.5 miles at a 12 minute mile pace. I walk when I get winded. It's not great compared to when I was 35, but it's way better than getting winded walking fast for a few blocks back in April. 

Fresh Tie Dye thanks to mom. Every year she does a tie-dye party, this year it was by appointment, but we still got our dose of color. 

We installed a pull up bar in the hall. 

When the smoke cleared and we were able to move home we got back into a routine which involved school, exercise, and for Ru playing on his computer. I continued with music online, adventures with Rick, and started jogging a little more. 

First day of school 2020 (online in the middle of thick smoke and a pandemic)

And as a bonus of staying with the Starr family they were raising kittens!!!  

The smoke was so bad from the forest fires in our drafty apartment we packed up our cats and moved in with the Starr family in their big climate controlled house. They were gracious to have us and let us keep the air filter in our room at night. 

Backpacking into an alpine lake in the Mt. Jefferson wilderness. I was pumping water through the filter for drinking and watching the salamanders and ducks. We only stayed 3 days, I could have stayed forever it was so calm and peaceful. It burned up completely a month later. 

Rick is an avid climber and mountaineer, and he taught Ru and I the basics of climbing. We have climbed Skinners Butte in Eugene a few times now. 

Eating breakfast in the middle of the Alvord desert

Bonneville Salt flats with Rick. This was part of an amazing road trip just before school started in which I met his family in Colorado, and spent time in Moab before slowly coming back home. I really enjoyed life on the road. 10 days went by so fast. The hat I'm wearing Rick found on the side of the road. It's now my dirtbagging hat. 

Beach trip with Rick and the Starr family

Watching TV with Jenkins. Whenever we are almost done cooking he starts meowing to remind us to come sit on the couch so he can sit with us and get pets while we eat. 

Ruben decided he wanted to learn guitar in September. He has had a few mom lessons, but he doesn't seem motivated to practice on his own. Sure a cool picture though. I made the background shelves for my records this summer. I switch them out whenever I feel like it. 

I joined the SRG (Salem Riders Group) and made a whole bunch of socially distanced friends. They meet every Tuesday at one of those food truck courts and look at each other's bikes and plan rides. I haven't gone on any group rides yet, not sure I want to be on someone else's schedule. I've been riding alone for over 25 years. Sometimes I ride with Rick, but really I like my independence. 

Ruben had to get his wisdom teeth removed, it went as well as possible I suppose. 

More Starr family adventures on Mill Creek I believe they were making a little dam.

Rick and Ruben in a waterfall. This happened many times this summer!

We spent a lot of time with the Starr family this summer. E is a little younger than Ru, and M is in middle school. We took them on the boat, or to the river, quite a few times. Everyone gets along quite well, and they understand that sometimes we like to talk, but sometimes we like to just be quiet and enjoy the sensations of the day. 

This is my new motorcycle Byron. Yes my bike has a masculine name. 2012 Triumph Bonneville. I already had blue gear, so I guess I bought the bike to match. He's a quick bike, heavier than what I was used to, but I really like him. He is now in storage in the Starr's garage until the first sunny day in February or March that I feel compelled to go get him. Riding is such good therapy. When I put on my helmet all the monkeys in my head stop chattering, and I just focus on enjoying the feeling of riding, and not dying.

Baker Bay

Jenkins and Billy Mays on their 4th birthday. 

Mom and Jeff on their front porch. 

Pinard falls

Rick and I at Upper Trestle Creek Falls. 

That's Ruben on the trapeze

We spent almost 2 weeks camping at Baker Bay, with various friends and family members. We burned up all the gas in Mom's boat, and sailed on my dad's old Hobie Cat. Every morning we would hike to a different waterfall in the Umpqua National Forest, and every afternoon we spent on the water. I'll be reserving campsites again soon!

Our first camping trip of the year (there were many) with the Judson PLC language arts 7th grade team. What a great group!  This is Ru enjoying the first of many da bomb sandwiches over the course of the summer. We camped in  our tent in constant drizzle, under a giant blue tarp. Because it was an RV campground I had brought an extension cord and electric blanket, so we were pretty dang snug. We left early, and forgot our campfire chairs which we missed for the rest of summer. 

I found a computer program called Jamkazam and started jamming online with friends. I didn't have band rehearsal anymore because I needed to limit my exposure to any potential viruses. I jammed with people all over the US, but mostly with Bruce, my good friend who I met in the FBI (Funky Beats Initiative, the band I sang with for a few years). Bruce plays keyboards, but lately has been obsessed with Bass guitar. 

On Mother's day this year Ru and I went to visit mom in Springfield. We had Mezza Luna Pizza in the backyard. She gifted me this amazing bouquet. Her garden is astounding. 

In April I got hit up by a FB friend to go for a motorcycle ride, and that began a series of events which involved me falling in love with riding again, (and with my riding companion Rick) and buying a new bike. Ruben finished his Junior year of high school from home, and spent his entire summer, except the parts where I dragged him from his room, on his computer. This pic is of my old Kawasaki on the battery charger (with the seat off)

Start here: 

In March, just when Covid was hitting in the US, I was diagnosed with Hashimotos thyroiditis and Lupus along with nonspecific rheumatic syndrome. And kidney issues. I spent a month in bed. I saw a doctor, naturopath, nutritionist, acupuncturist, and rheumatologist.  I changed my diet, now take daily meds, rested more, and limped through the rest of spring. Ruben persevered. We started taking slow walks in the neighborhood on nice days, but otherwise we just stayed at home, soaking up the sun on the patio when it shined, and finishing out the school year.