Bend,OR or Bust

"In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as the highest of mountains; it will be exhausted above the hills and all nations will stream to it." Isaiah 2:2

Rumors of Bend have made it to my ears over the years. I have heard of its trails, resorts, and its ambience. I have always kept it on my list of places to go, much like a list of good books to read or sports to try. Having almost gone last year, it seemed that 2020 might be the year…and we recently made the journey. 

We arrived on a beautiful winter day in February. First stop: Smith Rock State Park. This rock climber’s paradise was awesome. Having watched the movie Free Solo I can now see how this sport really grabs people’s adrenaline, attention, and lifestyle. This is the kind of rock that can easily be viewed as a true climber’s destination. 

Not into scaling walls like Spiderman? There is plenty of hiking. We went up a great trail called Misery Ridge Loop. You can stop at the top rock, First Kiss, while on Misery Ridge. Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think? (Thank you, Alanis for that wording.) I think I’ll pause on that tangent. J

One of the best things about Bend is Mt. Bachelor ski resort. It is wonderfully well groomed and smooth where it should be…but plenty of more challenging terrain is available as well. It is, of course, famous for being able to ski around the entire mountain – 360 degrees. Although the weather did not cooperate as fully as would have been preferred (that can happen at any resort, after all) and the Summit chair was not open, my family had a blast. It was easy to get a lot of runs in and the views are amazing. The particular day that my family went it, was a chilly 19 degrees. It was a day of fast skiing with great groomers, no lines, and tired legs at the end of the day. 

The town of Bend was a fun place to grab a bite to eat or coffee. At 3,600 feet, it is fun to shop and take it all in, with a few shopping areas to choose from. Bend was having their annual “Winter Fest” the weekend that we visited. It was a bit chilly for us to go to an outdoor festival but locals and visitors alike didn’t seem to think much about it. 

All in all, I like Bend; I bet you would, too. I anticipate coming again soon. It would be fun to make a summer visit – it’s as famous for the Deschutes River, hiking, and mountain biking, and more. The rumors are no longer spinning in my head about the high desert of Oregon. This is an outdoorsman’s destination with biking, hiking, climbing, skiing, and rafting and more. What a great place! 

Let's Stay Home

Shopping in Bend, Oregon last February, I bought a little, painted, white, wood block in a shape of a house. It said, “Let’s stay home.” I put it up on a shelf next to the other “Let’s stay home” white, painted, wooden block that I bought at Target two months earlier in December. The thought of staying home was the fantasy I was dreaming of in my pedal-to-the-metal lifestyle. A dream it was…but it became reality. Just a month after returning home from Bend my “Let’s stay home” signs were moved to the window above the sink. This was really happening. It was showtime as “staying home” became a reality.

 

Living into it: 

 

Wearing sweats, the car parked in the driveway day after day, Zoom as the new normal, watching the media with Covid counts and warnings, balancing kids’ school schedules/work to manage, Amazon, no haircuts/color, Church moving to the web right out of our living room, simple and predictable days, homemade macchiatos, relationships renewed, faith deepening, Disney +, cooking with my new air fryer, playdates and activities paused, a new dog, at-home school prep, and worldview renewed. “Let’s stay home.” 

 

There are things in this fantasy that are less than ideal. My son wasn’t able to graduate like he would have in years past. Relationships are missed. We have now been introduced to boredom, predictability, narrowly focused choices, and for some - it seems endless. We really want our kids to be at school with their special friends and awesome teachers. Living one-day-at-a-time is taking on a lifestyle of its own in this “let’s stay home” world. Looking around I can see variations of what was. Many of us aren’t as stable as we once were. When we look out and see the death toll of the pandemic and sense the suffering of those who have lost so much, we see our need to grieve, process, and help others in a new way. We have been outraged at racism and have stood strong with Amaud Arbery, George Floyd, and others in their tragic deaths; we have examined our hearts and beliefs and called out to society to do so as well. We got disrupted. Or did we?

 

The family spreading out from corner to corner of our home has often felt like the culmination of my “let’s stay home” fantasy. My home has been bustling with activity like never before and it has taken on new looks and ideas. It is the center of my universe. I love extra time for domestic life and walking the dog. Never has observing nature been so fascinating and newsworthy. Exercising has become the perfect break (that it should have been before as well) and not driving so much has been refreshing. Like an eager-to-grow shoot in the Spring, I have been invigorated by quality time lingering at the dinner table, local adventures, and fixing up the yard. 

 

I was so drawn to the prophetic thought of being home in December and February, I had to buy two wooden blocks. How odd is that!?! Yet, time and again I have looked at those signs as inspirations for manifesting a robust hope in these unique times. They are times which certainly haven’t been all rosy, but we “Spring shoots” have blossomed none-the-less. I trust that you have had similar mementos of hope and purpose as you pause to “stay home,” be safe, and make the most of it all.

Running for my Life: The Coronavirus Hits the Seattle Area

Walking down Pine in Seattle today on my way back to my conference after lunch at Beechers, I noticed something unusual for the busy Seattle I knew: the streets were nearly empty. 
Before long, I walked by a man who looked troubled with mental instability and difficulties. It looked like he was holding a lighter that was extra thick, metal, and big. When I got a stride past him a SUV Police car rushed up and a policeman emerged with a large double barrel gun and demanded, “Drop that in your hand!” I quickly ran and ducked around the corner of the building with two other women. After a momentary pause, I told them, "Let’s run ladies," and the three of us ran a city block in an alley to get away. I took the pictures in this blog minutes before my fleeing incident. After the recent acts of violence in Seattle, I knew to flee.

After gathering myself I reflected: in ways similar to my experience this morning, I feel like I am living amidst the danger, with the heart of the coronavirus outbreak in my city residing just miles from my home. Things looked calm, but they weren't. 

I was walking down the sidewalk the other day, when my neighbor mentioned that she is on personal lock-down with her family and not going anywhere. It was later that evening that I saw that Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon were allowing workers to work from home. Even though I continue to work, I still do my best to follow the directions of people who know what is going on, such as the Center of Disease Control.

People around me are pretty freaked out. Is this right?, my friends and I ask ourselves. Indeed, it is a horrible thought to potentially contract an illness that could be passed on to a person who has a weakened condition, oh my heart! Nevertheless, it is worth it to be vigilant: not be in large groups, stay home when able, sanitize, and of course be stocked with toilet paper (if you can still find any, of course). After my incident where my adrenaline led me to run for my life today, I wonder if we are faced with a less visible tyrant.  

Danger is visible and invisible. Today things seemed nice, but danger was just around the corner. I am constantly conflicted and trying to figure out what is right. As a society let’s do our best to “run for our lives,” as best as we are able, even if we are surrounded by something as sweet as the public market. "Let's run ladies."

Happy Walk

Today was perfect. Seattle was shining bright!

It is easy to lose one’s way on a long walk; it is easy to take a wrong turn and get lost in a thought or idea. Yet, I am reminded that with a little determination some great opportunities turn into open doors. Those open doors give eyes to speculation, vision, and greater thinking. Even in a big city, nature can grab you and change your mind on a few things. 

Not to be a pessimist, but here are so many bad times to get outside in the great Northwest. So often when I want to go out, I just don’t. When the sky parts and the sun comes out, it is hard to argue and come up with an excuse. 

Today was the best! 

The perfect day was upon me and I headed up the steps of Queen Anne to check out the city. As I walked I was able to see so many cool things. I found new parks. Birds. Craftsman homes. I was able to process some things and spend some time in prayer. The commotion of life was swept up by the cadence of my steps. 

 

So how do you get out? A walk, run, jog or class? As the year has settled in I have been running with my daughter and heading out for a few walks.  I have a few places that I really love to go. As I shared, today I went to one of them. I know that you too live a little in these winter months. When the sky clears up, sometimes you just have to walk outside. Enjoy!!!! 😊