“You’re Having a good day”
The Everton family came by. Wendy and I have been friends since we went to Reed school together in first grade! We spent our childhood birthdays together❤️
Ever since my birthday on November 30, I’ve been having a good day. It started with friends and relatives giving me lots of warm and fuzzy texts and messages, and continued with sharing cake and bubbles and beer koozies with people who dropped by the store.
The next morning I boarded a plane to Phoenix and flew down to see my daughter. I hadn’t seen her since July, and we had plans. Plans to pamper ourselves and spend time together at Civana Spa. My friend had told me how great this place was and then she sent me a 50% off coupon for two nights stay. The overnight fee includes classes like yoga and meditation and Soundbath… mixology with good-for-your-healthy mixers is not.
We did classes, hot tubbed, cold plunged, and borrowed bikes. It was a very good weekend!
Back at work, I felt good. The days between Small Business Saturday, and the second Saturday before Christmas can be very hard for small retail businesses. You expect to be busy and bustling, but the truth is, it can be really slow. My time away clearly helped my seasonal blues.
This past weekend, Marsh and I decided to drive to an area we’ve never been to, and try a new hike. He found a trail on his GPS maps and we headed off to the Maury Mountains in Crook County! I’d always heard of Post and Paulina, but I’m almost 100% sure I’ve never been on Hwy 380, past the turn off to Prinveville Reservoir.
It took us awhile to find the trailhead, and the start of the trail, but with Marsh’s GPS we scrambled along and then we started seeing plastic ribbon marking trees and our path. The trail is a nine mile loop called Hammer Creek Springs Trail. We saw 1/4 of it.
Old massive Ponderosa’s dotted the Maury Mountains.
See the trail marker?
After our hike we drove another 28 miles to the town of Paulina. We were hoping for some food, but the General store didn’t have any lunch. We got drinks and candy, and a free Oregon map. Our phones were not showing any clear way home except back the way we came. The woman at the Paulina Store showed us on the map, three options of well maintained roads that made a nice loop to complete our drive.
Cool vibe at the Commons Cafe
We got home just in time to clean up, before heading to The Commons Cafe and Tap room for music. Jeff Plankenhorn, was the artist. I didn’t know who he was, but I trust Dan, and Eric the booking guy. When Marsh and I arrived, I realized I had left my phone at home (with the tickets on them). Thank goodness for choosing small town events with your heart and pocketbook. Eric that books great music, let us in. It was so beautiful sitting in the Historic Rademacher house with the lights twinkling outside, and fantastic music and storytelling with kind, generous people inside. It was a special event in a gorgeous setting that instantly put me in the holiday spirit and closed out another “really good day.”
Sunday morning we got up and headed to Craft-O for their holiday market. This was Craft-O’s 13 th year. I think of Craft-O as a fairly new group of artists banding together at a once a year extravaganza… haha it’s been happening since Cowgirl Cash opened. I loved seeing familiar faces, high quality products, and good vibes at this really special annual event! Marsh and I both bought interesting things, made with hands, for people we love.
Now I’m home and settled in on a Sunday night. I managed to get away the last few weekends and it feels good. A happy life certainly begins with a happy, healthy state of mind. Kris texted from the store. “You’re having a Very Good day”
I’m going to continue this “feel good birthday vibe” and set my intentions for a “very good YEAR!” Cheers to 2024
Here is to Healthy local food in 2024!
