The Osborne-Goweys

An Osborne-Gowey Christmas Newsletter: 2011

2011-12-23T11:22:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah and Cat, 2011

We hope this newsletterfinds you well. We usually write a family newsletter each Christmasseason detailing our past year and how much has changed. This year endedwith a bittersweet note of the passing of a dear young friend. Through ourgrief we had decided not to do a newsletter this year. However, aftergetting various cards from people with notes about how much you all love ournewsletter, we decided to put a quick one together.

Finn and Little Jeremiah, 2011

Kids are growing likecrazy. Our daughter Finn is in kindergarten this year...we know:crazy! We have all officially entered the world of elementaryschool...wow! She loves it and her teacher is an amazing man withthe patience of Job. Finn is already losing her baby teeth and has enjoyedwaiting for the tooth fairy, though she informed us the tooth fairy doesn'tbring money but a new toothbrush and toothpaste...which we thought wasgreat. She still loves horses and rides at a friend’s farm every week. Shecan't get enough of singing and dancing to her "country music" as shecalls it, and is the tallest kid in her class (as well as the youngest)...Ifear she is going to be taller than her tall mummy.

Our son Jeremiah is two and half and all boy. Weused to say that there is no difference between boys and girls...then we had ason...wow there is a big difference between boy and girl hormones. Wethink he came out grunting like a cave man and throwing a ball around the housean pumping his fists in the air. We so have enjoyed watching him grow anddevelop his likes and dislikes. He loves nature, being outside as much aspossible, trains, cars, and most of all, his sissy. He and his sister havedeveloped a close relationship...which often involves a lot of fighting. J

We have had a lot of positive changes this past year. Forthe first half of the year, Jeremiah worked a large amount of hours and wasasked to do more than any person should...he was working six to seven days aweek 12 to 16 hours a day...too much. He was getting no time with the kidsand his sweetie...which he treasures so much. Finally, one day wewere sitting down to dinner and our daughter put a picture of Papa at the tableand said "see it's almost like he's here"...he had to work late againand wasn't able to get home for supper. Cat took a picture of it and sentit to Jeremiah at work and said “I think we have a problem.” Shortly afterthat a blessing came to us...with the tight financial times the world is in, hiscompany realized they needed to downsize and he was laid off. It soundsstrange but it was such a relief for us...he took with him a few of theprojects he was working and started working for himself. We've alwayslived simply so our finances are small and we don't have a lot to worryabout. With his work and Cat’s working off and on for the tribe, we dookay...and Cat’s still able to work from home so the kids have mummy and not adaycare. The Lord provides...just not always how we think He will.

Cat’s work for the tribe has really picked up. Perfecttiming too...previously Jeremiah was working so much she never would have hadthe time to put into my work like she does now. The tribe has had some changesin the business committee and Cat’s finally getting a lot more support. Fiveyears ago she wrote a grant to start a family violence prevention program...thegrant was awarded but many in the business committee were not so happy. Shewrote a second grant last year and it was awarded as well, and, coupled withthe changes to the business committee, the doors are opening and amazing thingsare happening. Her program is seeing great progress and they've been ableto help quite a few women and their children leave abusive situations.

We have had our sadness this year at the passing of our dearfriend Deanna Kingston (and here, here and here)...but we have had many blessings as well. Our livesare full and rich, we have two amazing children, jobs that we feel reallycontribute to bettering our world, and we have a safe and loving home...reallywhat else could we ask for!?

Wehope this next year finds you safe and well and filled with God’s blessings.

Love,

TheOsborne-Goweys

A double present

2011-12-22T14:41:00.000-08:00

While preparing homemade Yumm! bowls for lunch for the family today, Finn comes up to me and says, very matter-of-factly,

"I have something I have to do for you today, Papa, and you probably shouldn't be here since it's a surprise. Maybe you should probably go out of the house for a little bit. Maybe you should go find Dan (Sobota) and go fishing for a little bit while I work on your surprise."

OK! Count me in! I get two presents in one! Now to go check the ODFW recreation report and river levels...

Fanning the flames

2011-11-07T11:06:00.000-08:00

Both our kids love participating in everything we do. Having a fireplace presents it's own challenges for the kids but we've worked hard with them to teach them what they can and cannot do around it. Little man loves to help with the wood gathering and with getting last night's coals ignited. This morning was no different...except that he had only partially changed out of his pajamas. Too cute...

Little Jeremiah gathering firewood.

Little Jeremiah in the wood wheelbarrow.

Little Jeremiah and Papa blowing on last night's coals.

Our community garden plot

2011-11-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

We've had so much fun over the last few years gardening in our community garden plot. This year, we had a bumper crop of peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos, squash, broccoli, sunflowers, pumpkins, leeks, spinach, etc. Just before the first hard frost of the fall, we all headed out to the plot to get the last of our produce and Cat had the great idea of getting a classic fall harvest family shot. We took a few and had a great time. Happy Harvest!

Sibling love

2011-11-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

The love between a brother and sister is something special and incredibly hard to break. These two love each other in a way I haven't had the pleasure of experiencing, being an only child.

Summer camping

2011-11-05T20:23:00.000-07:00

After finding in August that Jeremiah would be laid off from work, we decided to finally purchase the tent trailer we'd been dreaming about for a couple of years. So the day after his last day at work, off we went into the woods to go camping with our new-to-us 1997 Jayco 8D (8') tent trailer. We found ourselves up the South Santiam river just over the Tombstone summit in a little campground called Lost Prairie. It was a little too close to the road for us so the following morning we decided to head East just a little further. Just a couple more miles up the road, we turned off onto the Old Santiam Wagon Road and found the perfect site next to the creek and away from the road.

The kids had so much fun being right next to the creek. Finn and Papa got to fish whenever they wanted, and little Jeremiah got to throw rocks in the water at will. One late afternoon, we all decided to walk along a stretch of the old wagon road. We daydreamed of finding old stuff discarded along the trail by pioneers, made up stories from years gone by, and picked wild strawberries and both red and blue huckleberries for pancakes the following morning. On the twilight walk back, Papa stopped and and asked everyone if they heard those sounds, too. Sounded to him like a man talking to his horse, then telling it to "Whoa!". We all waited along the road for a spell but when nobody came along, chalked it up to just hearing things. Still, it was spooky-cool to think that the voices of settlers from a bygone era might still be hanging around...

Sense of wonder

Finn and Mompba Ty at the coast

Finn and little Jeremiah on the trail

Finn at Heceta Head lighthouse

Jeremiah at Heceta Head lighthouse

Red mountain huckleberries

Finn bathing in an old ceramic tub by the fire...

The family game of checkers

Finn's well-loved tenny-runners

Anyway, we had a wonderful time and spent 10 of the next 14 days camping and spending time together as a family. So much fun and an incredible way to touch base with each other again. We even got to meet up with one set of Jeremiah's parents over at the coast. Wonderful memories.

Nurses that deliver mail?

2011-08-30T10:23:00.001-07:00

Today after little man's two year appointment, Cat mentioned that she liked having a male nurse since it shows our children that it doesn't matter your sex, anyone can do anything. Finn was quiet for a moment then piped up - "You mean, a nurse that delivers mail?" Kids say some of the most wonderful things...

Finn's first pajama party

2011-07-10T09:52:00.000-07:00

Finn's first pajama party sleepover started off with a bang. A short trip up Kings Valley Hwy. 223 and a stop at Ritner Creek park and covered bridge for some creekside playing and geocaching. The girls found a small geocache (GCW5E5, Country Fried Monkey) and each grabbed a goodie, Finn a pirate eye patch and Julia a toy egg.

Little man woke from deep sleep just as we got back into the car and was fascinated that someone else was in the car and he had no idea when it happened - he couldn't stop looking at her (she is a cutie pie)! Then up to the Dallas Motor Vu drive-in theatre to watch Cars 2. All three kids snuggled in and were wide awake for the first 40 minutes or so but as darkness really settled in, little Jeremiah gave up the ghost and passed out in his chair. Finn eventually did the same around an hour and a half into the show but Julia stayed awake for the whole movie and loved it. She even stayed awake on the 20 minute drive back to Corvallis (what a trooper!) and finally passed out snuggled with Finn in her bed.

Morning arrived for the girls around 730 and Cat and I awoke to the happy sounds of the girls playing and giggling together in their room. Thirty minutes later, they were in Finn's "artsy-fartsy" area coloring and generally being creative. An hour later, they were using watercolors and creating marvelous pieces of priceless art followed by building the world's best train tracks! Then some farm fresh scrambled eggs and wonderful 10-grain pancakes (Bob's Red Mill) with MaraNatha almond butter and real maple syrup from a friend's farm in Maine! Yum!

The morning concluded with the kiddos dancing around the house while listening to some Rick Meyers' Old Time Music Show and Amadou and Mariam, then splashing in a tub and getting dressed in their Sunday's finest for a day of exploring and rodeoing at the Philomath Frolic and Rodeo. For all intents and purposes, Finn's first pajama party was a smashing success!

Happy Anniversary

2011-06-22T13:23:00.001-07:00

Happy 14 years my love. I was going to write or pen you a card with some kind of beautiful picture on the front but let's face it they get put into a drawer and not looked at again...so why waste a tree. So...in the spirit of the modern age...I'm going to give you an anniversary blog post.

I wish you could see the transformation I've seen in you over these past 15 and a half years. The young boy I first met...so unsure of himself and the world but full of life and wonder. The amazing man who has laugh lines from laughing at life...always the dreamer...the loving and caring father...the romantic husband :) I've been gifted to watch you go from a boy to a man...and see the love you have for me in your eyes.

You are the next John Muir my love...you will in your own way change the world just like we talked about on that park bench... late in the night all those years ago. You will change how people see nature and the natural world around them. You will change how they think about it...about how they protect it...how they become a part of it. God has given you many gifts...but your strongest is your love of nature and your natural ability with people...those two things are going to make the difference in this world...the question is just how. You are a light...you walk into a room and you light it up.

Thank you for taking the chance on me...an onion to say the least. I may not always admit to my faults, I may take you for granted when I shouldn't, say things I regret, and even make you question why in the heck you said yes to my proposal all those years ago...but I will spend my life thanking God that you did. I will give you my heart and soul. I will fight harder than anyone ever has for you and love you harder than anyone ever has. I will be your best friend and lover, I will hold your hand when you are sad and hurt, I will fight away the demons in the night, I will laugh with you, cry with you, give you babies, and help you raise them into fine human beings. I will literally give you my life...you are that wonderful.

Happy 14 years of marriage and 15 and half years of partnership!

Dreaming

2011-06-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

Art by http://vxside.deviantart.com/

Dreaming.
I never want to stop dreaming.
I won't.
The what ifs and the plan B's,
they often whisper to me
from afar -
more of a conversation as of late.
And it brings me hope.
Dreaming.
Dreaming...

Woodcutting Day

2011-05-14T13:18:00.001-07:00

There's nothing quite like a day spent out in the woods. And this particular Saturday was no different. Our good friend Dan S. joined us for a day of woodcutting in the Oregon Coast Range outside of Nashville up on the Siletz River. Little Jeremiah wasn't feeling so good so Finn and I were going originally going to be the only ones going besides Dan. But just before Dan arrived at the house, we all decided we didn't want to spend the day apart so we hurriedly packed additional food, supplies and a couple of toy trucks and out the door we rushed, excited for the day's adventure. Four hours later, we had cut, split and loaded two cord of seasoned alder, the kids were exhausted, and Dan's and my backs were tightening up (guess we're not getting any younger!).

The fellas...just before our backs tightened up! ;)

Enjoying sitting on the wood pile.

Dan and I both had additional things we needed to get done so we all headed home around noon to unload and stack the wood and take some ibuprofen (wink). Little man couldn't stand the thought of me working out in the garage stacking wood without him so he did his best to help with the afternoon's work...and I was proud! :) All in all, it was a wonderful family day together and felt so rewarding knowing that we were putting up wood to keep our family warm next winter.

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Biking to school

2011-04-26T16:03:00.001-07:00

Finn just loves it - and, quite frankly, so do I - when we get to bike to her school together. I'm often already at the office when she heads to school with her brother and mummy - usually walking together - so when I get the opportunity to take her, we both usually pounce on it. It's the little things in life that seem to be the most rewarding to me. Is it the same for you?

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Finn's first horse

2011-04-10T07:58:00.001-07:00

Finn drew her first horse this morning. She's loved horses for the better part of three years but whenever we've asked her to draw one, either from memory or from looking at a picture, she says she doesn't know how. We've showed her but she's generally decided she wanted to wait until another time. Guess that time was now! What a girl. Of her drawing she says "It's ok but I want the belly a little bigger." We think it's wonderful!

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Updates...scroll down and check them out!

2011-03-20T20:45:00.001-07:00

Jeremiah finished a few blogs he's been working on but since they were started on dates prior to the haircut blog you have to scroll down to check them out. Check them out..the hiking pictures are awesome.

Finn's first haircut

2011-03-06T20:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday marked a milestone for the Osborne-Gowey family - and for Finn, in particular. Yesterday, Finn got her first haircut. Well, first all around hair cut. She had a run in with some missing bangs a couple of years ago but that doesn't count (wink, wink). A couple of months ago, around Christmas time as I recall, she mentioned that she might want to cut her hair. Her mummy and I loved her long hair but said that she needed to think about it...which she did. After thinking about it for a while, and perhaps after seeing a couple of her friends with their hair cut shorter, she informed us last month that she really wanted to get her hair cut "to the shoulders". So we explained to her that this was a big decision and that we'd been waiting for her to decide whether to cut her hair (mummy WAS getting worn down with a girl that just wouldn't keep her head still in the mornings while getting it brushed). And that she'd have to wait a full month to make sure that she was really ready. Yesterday marked the month. And she still wanted it done so we went in to the salon and she had it cut. She loved it and was such a great sport through the whole thing. Today, we can tell she misses her hair and sort of wants it long again but it's a good lesson for her, was hard for Cat and I (our girl is growing up), and her hair looks pretty cute. We just keep reassuring her that hair grows back (well, mine hasn't so much on top but that's another story) and that she's beautiful no matter if her hair is long or short. ;)

A typical Saturday...

2011-02-19T17:05:00.001-08:00

'Twas a beautiful Saturday morning. The sky shown bright blue and as we lay there deciding what to do with our day, we heard Finn's voice from her room - "I'm awake now Mummy and Papa!" We grabbed both kids and brought them back to our bed for a little snuggle time. We told stories, read a several books we'd recently checked out from the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, and reflected on each others dreams from the previous night's dream-scapades. And lest we be late for pancake breakfast at our friend's Dan, Janel and Lynn's place, we quickly showered, packed our bags for the day's adventures, grabbed the dogs and scooted out the door.

Breakfast consisted of Cafe Pasqual's whole wheat organic pancakes, organic Shelton's Farms turkey sausage links, and some natural pork sausage parties, seasoned up by Steve's Customer Meats out of Lebanon, Oregon - the pig delivered and raised by a friend of ours. And, of course, the prerequisite coffee and tea. After some wonderful visiting and watching our respective children play together, we gathered the kids up and headed over to LaSells Stewart Center at Oregon State University to meet some other friends and their kids for an interactive science fair put on as part of the "Song for the blue ocean" event. Kids and parents alike played and learned about things like water quality, ocean acidification, pressure and depth, coral bleaching, and the impacts of garbage in our oceans and on its inhabitants. We ran into several people at the event we hadn't seen in years - one I hadn't seen since around 1998. As the kids started winding down, we gave hugs and kisses and said our goodbyes and decided the day called for a little more exploration. It was just too sunny out not to take advantage of.

Neither of us were still fully recovered from our last bought of the winter-time cold/flu bugs so we decided that a winter drive around the backcountry roads and a shorter family hike in the woods was in order, so off we went. To where, we didn't yet know. But we did manage to find a benefit garage sale along the way.

We soon found ourselves traveling south on Bellfountain Road then heading west up to Alsea Falls recreation area, operated by the BLM, along the South Fork Alsea River National Back Country Byway. It had been quite a few years since we'd been up there so we decided to poke around the campgrounds and trail system for a bit. The campground-falls loop looked good so off we headed, the lot of us. It sprinkled some on us but all in all was perfect hiking weather. We walked the loop and by the time we got back, both Finn and little Jeremiah were beat tired and slept on our lazy drive back to Corvallis through the countryside.

The trail sign pointing the way.

The kids forging their own path.

Cat's cool bark piece find!

Finn's moss beard - "Like Papa's!"

The fam on one of bridge crossings...

On our way home, we stopped by the Samaritan Health Services Urgent Care Clinic to get Cat's sinuses checked on (she'd been miserably plugged up for weeks). Sure enough, she had a sinus infection so we got her taken care of then headed home for the evening. When we got home, we made supper with the kiddos and ate together at the table, something we like to do every night. Little man is now in the habit of reminding us to say our prayers and he does so by grabbing our hands and saying "Amens! Amens! Aaaaaaaaa-mens!" It's awful cute. Later that evening, Finn and I headed off on a date, just to the two of us, to see film "A Sea Change", a documentary film on ocean acidification, the showing sponsored by the "Songs for the Blue Ocean" symposium as part of OSU's Spring Creek Project. I wrote about that experience here. All in all, it was a wonderful Saturday.

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A Sea Change

2011-02-19T14:03:00.000-08:00

This evening, I decided to take my four year old daughter on a date - a date with our history, the present, and our future.

So on the back of my bicycle she hopped, helmet, gloves, warm jacket, and all. And away we rode, off to LaSells Stewart Center on the Oregon State University campus to see "A Sea Change" - a movie about ocean acidification, moral and social responsibility, and the future. The film was showing as the culmination of the "Songs for the Blue Ocean", a symposium on Oceans and Ethics put on by the Spring Creek Project.

The film is a touching account of the relationship between a grandfather and his grandson and their interactions around the ocean - interactions they, and millions of others like them, may not be able to continue having if our oceans continue changing at the rate they currently are. Given that nearly 71% of our planet is covered by oceans, it's not surprising that our oceans are absorbing pollutants we put into our atmosphere - pollutants that include carbon dioxide (CO2), the focal chemical compound discussed in this film. The gist of the story is that as the oceans absorb carbon dioxide, they are becoming increasingly acidic - a process known as ocean acidification. And while this change in pH may be seemingly very small (akin to pouring a can of soda pop into a bathtub), it's becoming large enough that many of the ocean's critters, specifically the ones with calcareous shells, are unable to adapt - they are either unable to build suitable shells or their shells dissolve too fast - and, as a result, they are either already dying, or are likely to die (e.g., coral bleaching).

(Bleached elk horn coral; Flikr - World Resources)

While this may seem like heavy material for a four year old to digest, you might be surprised by how much they DO absorb - their minds are like little (non-calcareous) sponges. And the message was driven home by an experience we had midway through the movie during her restroom break. In the lobby, we bumped into Sven and Barbara, the writer and director couple from the movie. She couldn't believe her eyes that they were actually here - right in front of us. We visited for a few minutes, snapped a picture, then headed back to watch the rest of the movie. We thoroughly enjoyed our time together and on the bike ride home, she melted my heart more than she has yet to date. We were riding home, well after dark, our bike lights flashing and casting curious shadows about, looking into the well-lit windows of OSU's Dixon Recreation Center when - after a moment of silence - she says to me "Papa? You take me to see some of the coolest things" and then was quiet again. I was so moved...speechless and full of love.

(Sven, Barbara, Jeremiah and Finn...who's acting shy in this picture)

A Valentine's Day Story

2011-02-14T21:54:00.000-08:00

Fifteen year ago today - yes, that's right, 15! - a nervous young man parked his car in a a crowded space at the 5th Street Public Market in Eugene, Oregon, got out and opened the door for his beautiful girlfriend and they walked arm in arm around the Market together. They eyeballed pretty flowers in the center square, smelled the aromas coming from the freshly baked bread, peeked in the windows of the upscale clothing shops, people-watched together while sitting on a bench, all while the sun set slowly over them. As the last rays of the sun silently danced across the treetops, they walked across the street to a little hole in the wall juke joint called Jo Federigo's (affectionately called Jo Fed's by those in the know) - a well-known jazz establishment with wonderful nooks for cozying up together to listen to some wonderful live piano jazz together. Little did that young, beautiful woman know, but there was a surprise in store.

They sat down together at a second-floor table, overlooking the central foyer and piano, below. A beautiful bouquet of flowers had been set at their table, the only one in the establishment that had them. They exchanged loving glances across the table as they looked over the menu to see what they fancied. They had heard good things about the Italian food and were eager to sample some of the wares.The young man fidgeted and fussed, seemingly nervous but also excited. She eyed him with curiosity and wondered if it were her piercing gaze that was making him squirm. They ordered their meals, her a linguine-style pasta dish, he a heavily seasoned meat and pasta shell dish. Although the place was packed, both were so engrossed in each other, they hardly noticed anyone else in the place - the world outside of them simply didn't exist for a spell. And, aside from the young man consuming countless glasses of water and looking a little nervous, they were delighted to be lost in the moment, together.

Part of the way through their meal, the piano music stopped and a familiar-sounding tune began to play over the restaurant's PA system. Both looked at each other with a knowing glance, each knowing that this was one of "their songs". As the tune played on (it was Depeche Mode's "Somebody"; see links below), the young man got up from his chair, opened a secret compartment in a well-disguised faux rose that was part of the table's bouquet, pulled out a ring that had been in the family for many decades, got down on one knee, and asked her to be with him through thick and thin, for better and worse, to spend the rest of their lives together. As tears streamed down the young lady's face, she paused for what must have seemed like an eternity for the young man, gazing into his eyes, then smiled, wiped her tears...said "yes" and tenderly kissed him.

As they kissed and were enveloped in their own solitary, "time-stood-still world", they became rapidly aware of the rest of the world outside of their own table. Cheers and applause rang throughout the multistory establishment and all eyes seemed to be resting solely on them. They both flushed with slight embarrassment but reveled in the moment, happy to be holding each other, secure in the knowledge that they would be sharing the rest of their lives together.

A waiter brought over a bottle of their finest wine, compliments of a couple a few tables down. They had apparently been watching the couple all evening, figuring from the nervousness of the young man that he was about to propose marriage to the young lady. Neither of them could figure out where the ring might be and had guessed that it was in the young lady's pasta and they had begun to worry when the young lady only ate half her pasta and only poked at the other half. They were delighted when the young man had pulled the ring out of the flowers (why hadn't they guessed it was the flowers?!) and felt honored they had been able to witness it. The wine was their gift to the couple. It couldn't have been a more magical experience

Life has changed a bit in those 15 years - the distance between here and there sometimes feels like a long ways and at other times, just a flash. The couple no longer lives in Roseburg, Oregon. They both have worked in a variety of jobs over the years, some not so flattering, others seemingly well-suited for them. Both have earned advanced degrees, have adopted several needy animals along the way, and now have two magical children gracing their lives. And they've grown even closer together over the years. It hasn't always been easy - indeed, far from it. But it has also been the most rewarding experience for them both. And they continue to rest secure in the knowledge and certainty of each other. And their future together.

I'm sure you've already guessed it. That young couple those 15 years ago was Cathleen and me. And I remember many of the details from that day as if it were just a few hours ago. Other details, Cathleen remembers better than me. Together, they paint a beautiful story. One that is still being painted and will be for many more years...

Happy Valentine's Day, my beautiful bride!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Note: Sadly, Jo Federigo's is now closed, replaced by the Granary Pizza Company, a place with mixed reviews. Sad, too, because the venue is so wonderful!

Listen to the song, with lyrics in video format.

And lyrics from the official Depeche Mode website:

"Somebody"

Appears on: "Some Great Reward" album
"Catching Up With Depeche Mode" album

"Blasphemous Rumours" single
Lead singer: Martin L. Gore
Songwriter: Martin L. Gore
Publishing credit: ©1984 Grabbing Hands Music Ltd/EMI Music Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Lyrics electronically reprinted with permission.

I want somebody to share
Share the rest of my life
Share my innermost thoughts
Know my intimate details
Someone who'll stand by my side
And give me support
And in return
She'll get my support
She will listen to me
When I want to speak
About the world we live in
And life in general
Though my views may be wrong
They may even be perverted
She will hear me out
And won't easily be converted
To my way of thinking
In fact she'll often disagree
But at the end of it all
She will understand me

I want somebody who cares
For me passionately
With every thought and with every breath
Someone who'll help me see things
In a different light
All the things I detest
I will almost like
I don't want to be tied
To anyone's strings
I'm carefully trying to steer clear
Of those things
But when I'm asleep
I want somebody
Who will put their arms around me
And kiss me tenderly
Though things like this
Make me sick
In a case like this
I'll get away with it

Fort Clatsop and the Lewis and Clark Expedition: an educational and fun family field trip

2011-01-16T20:55:00.000-08:00

Fort Clatsop NHP sign. Beautiful.

This weekend, as our Christmas gift to each other and our family, we made a trip over to the coast and explored the northern coast region of Oregon. Partly as a result of the fee free dates at National Parks - this one in honor of MLK, Jr. day/weekend - we found ourselves at Lewis and Clark National Park's Fort Clatsop. We had also heard that this weekend was the largest live reenactment of the year, timed to coincide with the winter the expedition spent at the Fort in 1805-1806. What we didn't know, in advance, was that - similar to the time period - they were prepared to trade. Unbeknownst to them, however, we had dried apricots in the car...and Finn drives a hard bargain. And dried fruit was in high demand amongst the inhabitants of the fort (she knew this from our reading the signs in the interpretive center).


A living history "explorer" from the Lewis and Clark expedition

Before we went and retrieved the dried fruit, Toussaint Charbonneau - husband of Sacagawea - wanted to know what manner of thing was her umbrella? She said it kept the rain off and was called an umbrella. And he said, "Oh! Like a little roof!" She then offered it to him and he inquired what she might want in exchange for it. She declared - in a very matter of fact way - that she wanted his musket rifle. To which he thanked her and said that his musket was one of his most prized possessions and worth many beaver pelts so no thank you. Later, after we retrieved the dried fruit for trade, he offered her one white trade bead for an apricot for his wife. To which Finn replied, "I already have white beads at home". So he said, in his broken French-English "You are right, white trade beads aren't very special and worth very much. How about the white bead along with a special 'verde' green bead...but for TWO apricots?" She agreed and they signed to each other that it was a good trade (the sign is a fist over your heart and the other arm folded cross-wise across the other arm and over the chest, with moving one arm away from you in a flat plane and opening the fist as you do).

Captain William Clark didn't find it necessary to trade anything. Said the other members of his party should have first selection of the apricots. From another French boatman (whose name I have forgotten), she offered her apricots. He pulled out some beads to which she interrupted, "I have lots of beads and that last man traded me some, too. Do you have anything else?" He dug around for a bit and found his last military uniform button to which she beamed and accepted for one apricot. From another gentleman we encountered outside of the fort (he was out on a hunt with the hunting party), she got several small, blue trade beads and one small red bead for one apricot. He loved it so much he wanted another. So she traded him another apricot "but not for any more beads", she said. She had been watching him measure out beads for her in a small, tin thimble. He saw her eying it and, with raised eyebrow, surmised that she might want it (and asked her the like). She was beaming again, almost as if her smile went ear to ear and all she could do was nod vigorously in affirmation. The trade was made but she was too embarrassed to sign good trade (we talked about it later) but was beside herself proud of trading with them (as were both Cat and I)!

I think the experience made a distinct impression on her. And Cat and I had so much fun watching her. We also loved listening - via story - to the hardships they experienced. In time, I think Finn will love hearing the stories, too. But it was a wonderful experience, made all the more acute by the bone-chilling torrential rains and pounding wind we traipsed around in for a couple of hours while at the Fort. What a great time...

Christmas 2010 family newsletter

2010-12-15T08:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays Everyone….

We hope this newsletter finds you all happy and well this holiday season. Our year has been full of growing children, juggling work schedules, growing and harvesting our garden, and always trying to find time to slow down and enjoy each other and nature. We often look at the calendar throughout the year and wonder where the time has gone!

Jeremiah has been quite busy (when isn’t he busy?!) with his work at the Conservation Biology Institute and recently secured some funding for a project comparing streamflows from different models amongst themselves and to observed hydrology. He’s hoping it turns into a much larger project, both in geographic scale and funding size. He’s also busy working through a Rapid Ecological Assessment for the BLM for the Colorado Plateau and the Sonoran Desert ecoregions as well as learning about climate and vegetation modeling (projecting what the future may hold for us). It’s a brave new frontier for him but he’s loving learning some new “tools for his toolbox”. He continues to stay active as the External Director of the Oregon Chapter of the American Fisheries Society and was recently voted onto the Board of Directors for a homebrew organization. And he still finds time to hunt, fish, cut/split wood for house, hike, brew homemade beer, and even take mini vacations with his lovely spouse! Couple that with helping raise two children and spending time with his lovely wife and their friends and it’s a full slate!

Cat’s business and community activism is going full steam ahead this year. She wrote a federal family violence grant for her tribe last year and it was awarded this past January. The funds are used for the immediate care of women and children in the tribe who are victims of family violence. The grant is small but a good start on creating a consistent support system for women in her tribe. Now if only the tribal politics would work themselves out, she’d happy as a clam at high tide! Working from home is always a challenge but as you all know, Cat loves a challenge. The raising of our two children and being a stay at home parent has become a passion and it suits her well. And she’s thankful that she gets to take that time for the few shorts years before they’re in school full time. She often laughs that she’s one of the only people she knows who can make a quesadilla for the kids, fill a sippy cup, and have a conference call all at the same time!

Finn immersed in books. Dec. 2010.

Finn started her second year of preschool this year at the Good Samaritan School. She’s in the 4’s program with a new teacher and she loves it. It was a bit hard for her to realize she wouldn’t be with her favorite teacher from last year but with time her new teacher won her heart. She’s starting to read, loves all things horses, and has become a budding photographer and artist. She got a used digital camera for her birthday and spends a lot of time perfecting her craft…taking pictures of her feet and other things that capture a 4yr old’s imagination. She’s grown a great deal this summer and looks more like she’s six than four. We hope she slows down and stays our little girl a bit longer.

Jeremiah August and Grampy Gowey.

Little man is almost a year and half and wearing clothes for a two+ year old…he’s huge. He’s different from his sister in many ways but they share a strong bond and connection all their own. He’s crafty and fun, loves to crawl, and get’s into absolutely everything. Shortly after he was born, he was gifted a King Island name (Aakagak), after Gabriel Muktoyuk (see our "Naming" blog post). This past month at a launch party for the King Island interactive placenames website, our friend Deanna was speaking of those who’d worked on the project that have since passed on, including Gabriel. When she spoke about Gabe and told the story of how he lives on in Jeremiah August through his namesake, out of nowhere little man piped up from the back of the room and said “Hi” and waved at her. He certainly knows who he is…in every way.

Sidda and Quinn (our dogs) are doing quite well. They are our only fury kids now. Our beloved cat Katie Bird died this past summer. She was buried next to our Spencer cat under a young cherry tree on our friend’s farm. Finn is really hoping for a kitten this year but we’re spending our extra time and attention loving and adoring Quinn and Sidda and they seem to be appreciating it greatly. They even travel with us and are a real part of the family and our daily lives…we treasure them.

Have a safe and joyful holiday season and lots of peace and merriment in the New Year!

Our love and prayers are with you,

The Osborne-Goweys (Cat, Jeremiah, Finn, Jeremiah August, Quinn and Sidda)

Finn and the Three Wisemen

2010-12-13T21:32:00.000-08:00

Every night we go into the kids' room after they've been in bed for a couple of hours. You know, to tuck them in, wonder at their shear marvelousness, kiss the tops of their heads, that sort of thing. So we go in to their room this evening and Finn's head is at the foot of her bed, she's out of her covers but covered in her favorite blanket (she calls it "mimi"), the curtains are wide open (I told her when she went to bed they needed to stay closed tonight), the window's wide open (it's raining buckets outside), and she's wide awake, looking longingly - and expectantly - out the window. I whisper to her - in a slightly reprimanding but loving and playful tone - "What are you doing?!" And she says, "Shhh! I'm watching for 'The Star' and waiting for the Wise Men to come." Mind you - it's a howling storm outside and you can't even come close to seeing any stars right now and the rain is spattering into the window with each gust of wind. I tell her it's cold and raining and that she needs to have the window only open a crack (for the fresh breeze, don'tcha know) and to close her curtains (to keep the morning light from waking them too early). She protests - "But Papa!" She's too cute and awful imaginative and totally in her own world so we find a compromise that works (window mostly closed, curtains open a crack). We tuck them in, say our goodnights and give kisses. As Cat's leaving the room Finn says, very matter-of-factually "Good night. I love you. I'll probably be waiting here for a long time. They're coming from the desert..."

Good night, indeed!

Our little patriot

2010-12-06T19:44:00.001-08:00

The other day at the dinner table, Finn was saying the blessing/prayer over dinner when, out of the blue, she says "and please bless Barack Obama". And today, when we let her open one of the new Christmas cards that came in the mail, she exclaimed "Is it a picture of Barack Obama?!" Ever since I listened to his book on CD "Dreams of my father" (she was 2yr old at the time), she's loved him and his voice. We saw a picture of him in the newspaper a few months back and she had us clip it out and hang it in her room. Here she's blowing his picture a kiss. She calls the US flag "Barack Obama's flag". We've been trying to explain to her that it's every US citizen's flag, not just Barack's. She's definitely our little patriot. Funny how kids take to things.

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Summer Fun

2010-08-10T18:31:00.000-07:00

Wow it's been a bit since I've posted but what a fun summer we are having. Playing in the garden plot, going to the fair, and enjoying the summer sun!

An Anniversary Hike....an Osborne-Gowey Adventure

2010-06-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Jeremiah and I celebrated 13 years married! We decided to take a family day and go on an adventure up in the Cascades. With maps and GPS in hand, our family set out for an adventure to Gordon Meadow/Lakes. What was mapped at just over 3 miles one way (from a second trailhead further up Fall Creek) turned into over 5 miles one way...for a grand total of 10+ miles. Our girl walked the entire way...what an adventurer (or "pioneer" as she likes to be called). She picked wildflowers, fished, called for Smokey the bear, and explored. For part of the trip she only wanted to be called Laura (for Laura Ingalls, I was Ma, and Jeremiah was Pa). Little man napped, giggled, squealed, ate, and watched the nature around him. Jeremiah packed little Jeremiah around everywhere, what a guy...little man is so big and we had supplies in the back of the pack...that had to have been a long haul. I packed the family pack full of supplies, food, fishing gear...you name it. I had a great time even though I fell off a log, sunk in mud up to my knees, and packed a pack bigger than I've ever carried. The birds were out, the wildflowers were popping, and we saw elk and deer. What a family adventure indeed! :)

Finn and Jeremiah Ride Horses

2010-06-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

Finn had a chance to show her brother how to ride horses...they both had a great time!

Spring is Here and We're in the Garden

2010-05-26T21:16:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's already been two and half months since I've posted anything. So much has been going on in the past few months...spring has sprung and we're planting and getting 0ur garden ready. We've been hiking more and more, OSU's annual pow-wow has come and gone, and Finn's become a mechanic. I hope you all enjoy these photos.

Family Day

2010-03-25T15:23:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah spent the day with the family and decided to take a few photos to document the day. We started out by shopping for bagels at our favorite market up the street. Finn has always loved going to the First Alternative Co-op, she calls it the "market co-op". We then ran a few errands, Cat had a routine doctors appointment so Jeremiah and the kids came along. After the doctor we went to lunch, hung out at the Goodwill, and then came home for more gardening. Seeds planted and kids tired they took baths and went to bed. We love spring break!

Me and my boy

2010-03-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

While Finn napped Jeremiah took a few photos of baby Jeremiah and I in the sun. I realized I didn't have a lot of photos of just him and I. Oh...and this morning while I was putting together this post Finn was getting impatient for her vitamins...finally not able to get my attention she came up to me and said "earth to mummy". What a kid!

Morning Hike at Fitten Green

2010-02-27T19:50:00.000-08:00

Well the sun was out and so was the Osborne-Gowey family. We got up and quickly left the house this morning and enjoyed the sun on a great walk up on Fitton Green. Here are a few photos from the walk...

A "Mental Health" Day with the Family

2010-02-19T08:27:00.001-08:00

Our family packed a picnic lunch and headed to the beach for a "mental health" day! It was such fun, we walked on the beach, had a picnic, and then headed to the Siletz to fish. It was an amazing day :)

Peas...yuck

2010-02-01T07:26:00.000-08:00

This weekend we tried having baby Jeremiah eat peas...I don't think he's a fan. He loves fruit...of course it's sweet, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin. Finn would eat it no problem when she was his age...not her favorite but she'd eat it. Well our little man is proving he is his own individual and is nothing like his sister...he hates them...with a passion and made the funniest faces while eating that we had to capture it on film.

Great Family Hike to Beazell

2010-01-28T15:54:00.000-08:00

Ahhh...I love winter. Jeremiah went in early yesterday so we could go for a family hike in the day. We were out for a couple of hours...it got a bit cold but we had a great time. The dogs hiked until they were exhausted and Finn ran most of the way singing "the ants go marking one by one..." that's our girl. Here are a few pics from our daily adventures.

A Night at the Rap Concert

2010-01-22T08:17:00.001-08:00

Wow did we have a great night. We left the house at 4:30 and it was a beautiful sunny, warm, sunset. We walked into campus to see Litefoot (Cherokee Rapper/Actor)perform at the MU on campus. We were invited to the Longhouse for a pre concert potluck. Finn had a great time making (or eating) fry bread and being one of the "girls". The concert was awesome...little man kicked his feet to the music and doodle danced in the isles. It was such a great chance for Finn to see that being an Indian is more than what she sees on Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. Litefoot even talked about the importance of respecting your elders and your roots. She was enthralled. He talked about the Cherokee Trail of Tears...and on the way I home I talked to her about how our family made a very similar journey to Oklahoma.

I put her on my shoulders during the concert and she just stared wide eyed. Well my kids can't say I'm not cool...I realized half way through the evening I was breastfeeding my son at a rap concert.

Family...and Piglets

2010-01-20T08:46:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to a dear friends house who raises pigs. She has several batches of baby piglets that have been born in the last few days...one batch was just born. Both kids loved it! When I wasn't looking Jeremiah put baby Jeremiah in a small area with piglets...I was a bit nervous but wow was it cute. Enjoy!

Family Hike

2010-01-20T08:08:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we went on a family hike. Our girl loves to be out in nature...here she is enjoying the rainy Oregon day.

This is Finn hiking...she's directing Papa. She loves to play that she's the mummy and we're her kids...she calls him "Son" and me "my dear"...it's so cute.

Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!

2009-12-24T06:54:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year...twinkling lights, warm drinks, crisp air. Last night as we were leaving our friends farm and saying Merry Christmas and we'll see you soon, Finn stops dead in her tracks, turns and faces our friend,and yells "merry Christmas Charlie Brown". What a character!

Happy Holidays Everyone…

We hope this newsletter finds you all well and happy this holiday season. The year seems to have flown by and we find ourselves already in December getting ready for another year. This has been quite a year for us; we started a new job, purchased a new vehicle, Finn started pre-school, and we added a new addition to our family – Jeremiah August Bluejacket Aakagak Osborne-Gowey!

As many of you know, Jeremiah started a new job this spring working as the Aquatic/Landscape Ecologist for the Conservation Biology Institute, a national non-profit ecological research firm with global projects but based out of Corvallis. He’s spearheading the development of an Aquatic Conservation Program for them and is really enjoying the work and the people he works with.

Cat's work is going well and she started her own business – Feather River Consulting. Check it out on the web at FeatherRiver.us. Right now she's been hired to start a family violence prevention program for her tribe...which means a lot of grant writing and networking. Recently, she and her tribe were awarded their first grant to start the project so hopefully soon families will be able to access the care and resources they need when they need it the most. This work has allowed Cat to fulfill both her passions – justice for women and families and being a stay at home mum while the kids are small.

Finn turned three this year, my how time goes by. She’s had had a great year this year and started riding horses and doing farm chores this past winter and loves it. On her birthday, she rode all by herself (with our friend Trish holding the reins of course) for the first time. And this past fall she started pre-school and really seems to be enjoying herself. She's learning the ABC's…or her “letters” as she calls them.

Our children are our greatest accomplishment and this year our son came into our lives. On a warm summer evening in August (August 21st) he surprised us by coming on his own. We were scheduled to be induced Saturday a.m. but started having contractions at 4:30 a.m. Friday. They stayed every 45 minutes to 1 hour all day. We even had a chance to go garage sale-ing and have breakfast out. And so at 10:10pm on August 21st, we delivered little baby Jeremiah. Papa, under the watchful eye of our doctor and the nursing staff, helped deliver him, give him to his mummy, cut the cord, and bathe/weight/measure the little one. He had a full head of thick, black hair, a single cowlick at the top of his crown, and long fingernails. He weighed in at 8 pounds, 14 ounces (nearly 9 pounds!). His head was 14 1/2 inches around and he was 22 inches long. He seems so delicate and small and yet he was nearly twice as big as Finn when she was born. And let me tell you - when you cook in a water-warm oven for 2+ weeks longer than normal, you come out looking like a wrinkled prune. He was so wrinkly it was comical...especially his feet and hands. Looked like he'd been left in a bathtub for too many days. Too cute! Finn was amazed that this little creature was finally here and no longer in Mummy's tummy (she was immediately enamored with him). Suffice it to say, the whole thing was a simply amazing event! We fell blessed. For the complete birth story and updated pictures throughout the year check out our blog at http://osbornegowey.blogspot.com/j

Sidda and Quinn (our dogs) are doing well, enjoying a full household and little ones to scratch behind their ears. Our cat Katie bird is doing well...getting older but still spry and running around the house batting at the dogs when they get out of line. We did suffer a loss this year, our old cat Spencer died just this week. It was a hard time for our family, we were blessed to have him in our home for 14 years. He was our first animal, we brought him home when he was just a few months old. It was Finn's first experience with the death of a loved one...it hit her hard...they were the best of friends. Of all our furry kids, he was the one she really loved and they did everything together. We always joked that we should have gotten him a little girl years ago, we were amazed that such a grumpy and down right mean cat turned into a marshmallow when she was born. For some reason she was the one person he really loved, she could carry him around, dress him up, and he would patiently purr and let her do as she wanted. They took many naps together, read books, and shared far too many snacks I'm sure :) He will truly be missed. He was buried next to a cherry tree on our friends farm, what amazing friends we have.

Have a safe and joyful holiday season and a merry new year.

Our love and prayers are with you.
The Osborne-Goweys (Cat, Jeremiah, Finn, baby Jeremiah, Quinn, Sidda, Spencer, Katie, and several dozen oddly assorted fish)

Spencer...

2009-12-16T16:29:00.001-08:00

This morning at 6:20am our friend Spencer slipped away. This picture was taken this summer of Kate and Spencer, our two cats, napping on the couch as they loved to do. Spencer is/was our orange Tabby. We brought him home almost 14 years ago and today I feel like I've lost a true friend. I'm writing this as my own way to say good bye and get my feelings out. Many of you know what I'm writing about, losing a furry friend can be so difficult and often others don't understand that furry people can be family and losing one leaves a whole.

He had a heart attack this morning. It was sudden...we never saw it coming...he wasn't sick and we had no signs that he wasn't well. I woke to him making noises and I thought that it was him screaming because my folks were staying over and they had their dogs with them. Thank God for Zip and Tig, their dogs, they barked when Spencer had his attack and got our attention...by the time I made it to Spencer he was in the bathroom unable to move, he had several seizures, and then after an hour and half he died. My mom and I laid on the floor with him, stroking him, telling him how wonderful he was, and letting him go. I can't thank her enough for helping me make my friends last few moments warm and loving...she is a treasure to me.

Then...I had to tell Finn this morning. Spencer had become her best friends, anytime we travel she'd cry and ask about Spencer for our whole trip. The nap together, she reads to him, dresses him up, and they loved to watch movies. Explaining to her that she won't see her friend again was one of the hardest things I've had to do.

I know this post is depressing and many won't be able or want to read it...but I needed to get it out. I needed to say goodbye to a true friend. He saw me through my first years of marriage, college, graduate school, both of my babies, he was always there to make me feel loved.

For 14 years I've opened my front door and this orange Tabby would jump off the couch and come running to inspect whatever I brought in or to see where I'd been. We still have Kate Bird...I plan to shower her in love and help her through her grieving process...Finn said it best...she walked over to Birdie and said "I'm sorry you lost your sweety...I'll be your sweety if you want".

Bye Spencer

Thanksgiving Weekend and Tree Hunting

2009-12-14T20:50:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving with our family...busy! Filled with cousins, Christmas trees, and great moments.

Bed time

2009-11-09T17:18:00.000-08:00

Every night Jeremiah puts baby Jeremiah to bed and he gives his papa a sweet smile (though I must admit the angle of this photo makes it look a bit scary). Jeremiah has never told me about this ritual the two of them have. The evening time has always been their time together...it's my time to spend getting Finn to bed and reading to her and Jeremiah feeds baby his last meal before bed and then puts him to bed. The morning is Jeremiah and Finn's time and I have my one on one with baby Jeremiah.

Last night Jeremiah took this picture of baby's "good night papa" smile...and now we're sharing it with you.

Halloween and Ice Cream

2009-11-09T17:06:00.001-08:00

Finn had a wonderful time with her friends trick or treating around downtown on my birthday last month. She had her first ice cream cone after wards she and her friends ran and screamed out all the sugar on the waterfront.

Elk Hunting 2009

2009-11-02T10:44:00.000-08:00

Elk hunting was a great success this year! We didn't get an elk but we had a great time with family and friends. Finn had a great time hiking and being a part of the process and baby had a great time napping with grandpa around the fire. Jeremiah was a true woodsman...changing diapers while hunting, I was rather impressed.

Our Trip to Apple Hill and Auntie's Home Town

2009-10-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the month we took a trip to Placerville California to visit Apple Hill and see what we call the "auntie Kai Hall of Fame". We've been planning this trip for quite some time...a chance to go to our friend Kai's home town an visit her folks, see her old haunts, and spend time together. Finn had a great time and Ann and Richard (Kai's parents) seem to enjoy our zoo. We toured an old mine, spent time walking in nature, ate caramel apples at Apple Hill, and then saw family on our way home. What a blessing to have such great friends...we are grateful to the Henifin's for their hospitality.

Our Girl is Growing Up...1st Day of School

2009-10-07T01:21:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures...the first two are of Finn's first day of school. She was up and dressed by 8am...she insisted on carrying her lunch box and wearing her backpack around even though we didn't have to be at the school until 10am. She was so excited...we were nervous but our girl was brave and ready for independence. The first week, parents go to school with the kids...it's suppose to help with their (and our) nerves...our girl was ready for us to go home...she looked at us when we got there like "why are you staying here?...this is school". On the second week you drop the kids off and they spread their wings...I wondered if she'd be sad or upset when we actually walked out of the school...nope...she hung up her jacket and walked into class without giving us a second thought (no hug or anything!). She's such an independent and brave kid...very unlike her mum as a child who cried, screamed, and if my memory is correct hung on my mother like a monkey...sorry mom :)

The other picture is of both our kids...wow...is Finn growing up...she's feeding her brother and helping out...she's the best friend and sister a kid could have.

What's in a (kid's) name?...

2009-08-25T23:10:00.000-07:00

How do people generally come up with names for their children? Is/are there common themes? And how often does history (family or not) play a part? I'm curious...

Are YOU interested in how we came up with the names for our two children? If so, read on...

I suspect that most people probably spend quite a bit of time selecting names for their children - even those that name their kids "Rocky Gravel" and "Ima Lima Bean" (no joke, real names!). We, too, spent quite a bit of time compiling lists of our favorite names, narrowing down the lists, playing with naming order, etc. I remember finally narrowing the list of names for our firstborn down to about six. And one delightful afternoon drive up the South Santiam River, we tried all the various combinations to judge flow and cadence and awkwardness (for all those unpleasant rhymes that kids might come up with to tease the child as it grows).

In fact, trying out the crazy rhymes is how we decided that Finn would be the first name instead of the second name. See, it went down like this - we decided that we really liked the name Emma, too, and narrowed it down to that and Finn. But Emma Finn didn't flow off the tongue very well. And we decided that Emma Finn sounded too much like "I'm a muffin". So that went the way of the recycle bin. Harmon, her first middle name, is an old family name from Cat's father's side of the family. And Finn was a name I'd liked prior to meeting Cat but she was never that hip on it. So I forgot about it until years later when, out of the blue, Cat says (with a mischievous, knowing wink), "Whadya think about 'Finn'?" And just like that, it stuck.

Both our kids have two middle names. Finn's second middle name was gifted to her by her King Island Iñupiaq family/community up in Nome, Alaska. And it went down like this: Cat had worked with the community (of which, her major professor Deanna Kingston is a member) for several years. She (and I) fell in love with them and they with her and sort of adopted her/us into their family units. And in their tradition, when an elder passes into the afterlife, their namesake (which also comes with some of their personality traits) passes to the next newborn member of their community in a long-standing name incarnation tradition. And they pass the names along to the next little ones via a brief, but moving, naming ceremony.

The last time we were up in Nome, Cat was 9 months pregnant with Finn. And all the elder ladies were pulling for her to deliver on King Island (it would have been the first delivery there in nearly half a century). But the relative security of and collective staffing in a medical facility were important to us, especially for our first born (we didn't know what the heck we were doing...). And we had planned to have both our families with us (but waiting outside) for the delivery so we scheduled our flight back to Oregon for the end of June (we'd deliver just over a week later). Knowing that we were heading back home to Corvallis for the delivery, the community decided that they would break slightly from tradition and give our child her Iñupiaq Eskimo name in utero (they usually wait until the infant is born). And so it was. They threw us a baby shower at one of Nome's tribal buildings and gave Finn her Iñupiaq name - Awaluk (the "l" is a special character with a tilda/~ through it; it's pronounced "Owashlook" with the "shl" [or "thl", depending] spoken like you have a lateral lisp; it's also sometimes spelled "Ugathluk").

Awaluk was also called Akorak, which means Big Sister in Iñupiaq. And many of Awaluk's peers referred to her as Akorak. After the naming ceremony, all the elder ladies would talk to Cathleen's belly (Awaluk) and say they couldn't wait to see her again. And spend time with their Akorak. Share their memories together again. Spend time together, again. And to this day, many of them still only talk to Finn in Iñupiat and call here Awaluk or Akorak. And she, for all intensive purposes, fully understands and interacts with them as if she fluently speaks Iñupiaq. It is really something special to see.

The previous woman to have the name was Cecilia Muktoyuk (b. 1936?, d. May 25 or 26, 2006). She was a marvelous woman and we had the pleasure of getting to know her and her strong, quiet ways. And she was a fine Eskimo dancer and a damn good bread maker, too. Funny thing is, when Finn was old enough to control her voluntary movements, she would dance and move her hands like nothing we'd ever seen before, save for watching the King Island dancers. She had hand/arm movements that were fluid and graceful. But she'd never seen that kind of dancing before, not like the herky-jerky movements you'd expect from an infant. One day, Dede (Deanna) brought over a DVD home movie with some of their community dancing on it. And Finn danced with it like she'd been doing those movements for years. She was entranced...and so were we!

The naming of our second child went down in much the same fashion as our first: go for a nice drive, narrow the name list, try all the different combinations, and see which one(s) just seem to work. Cathleen was really pulling for Jeremiah. I wasn't so sure about it. I really like my name but didn't want to have a "Junior" or give him a complex that we were trying to create another me (we weren't). We talked with several parent/children duos to get their perspectives and, without fail, they all said that it just seemed to work and none of the children felt pigeon-holed into being their parent. And so it stuck. Jeremiah's first middle name, August, is a family name from my father's mother's side that goes back at least to the 1400's. Bluejacket is Cathleen's tribal family name (Eastern Shawnee) from her mother's father's side. It, too, goes way back. The Bluejackets were the Shawnee chief-dom line for a long time. Cat's great-grandmother's last name was Bluejacket before she married an Irishman. When she did marry, the name ended with her. We're just carrying it on in Jeremiah August.

About two weeks after Jeremiah August Bluejacket was born, he, too, was gifted a King Island Iñupiaq name (which will now be his third middle name; wow!) as another tribal elder, Gabriel Muktoyuk, Sr. (b. , d. , 2009) had recently passed away. Several community members apparently agreed that they wanted to give Gabriel's Iñupiaq name(s), Aakagak and PaGiina, to little Jeremiah. And in a perhaps not all that ironic twist, Cecilia and Gabriel were brother and sister (by marriage, but still a cool coincidence). What a wonderful gift. Like Finn's, we cherish it as part of who he is.

And I have no doubt that the next time he sees his Iñupiat family, they will speak to him in Iñupiat and he, like his sister, will understand, respond and interact with them as family. It's truly an amazing sight to behold...and, in fact, Gabriel's daughter (Theresa) recently spoke with us and said that she's going to call him "dad" and he will caller her "kal" (which is what Gabriel called her).

We are truly surrounded by (and have) an amazing family...

Jeremiah August Bluejacket is HERE!!!

2009-08-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

Our boy is here! He surprised us yesterday by coming on his own. We were scheduled to be induced Saturday a.m. but started having contractions at 4:30 a.m. Friday. They stayed every 45 minutes to 1 hour all day. We even had a chance to go garage sale-ing and have breakfast out. By 1pm they ramped up and were a bit more intense. By 2pm we called Jeremiah's sister Rebekah, Auntie Doula, to come down because baby was on his way. By the time she made it to our house, the contractions were 30 minutes apart. We visited for a bit and within 1 hour, the contractions were coming every 10 minutes. We called the hospital at 7pm to say we were coming in and that the contractions were coming every 5 1/2 to 6 minutes. By the time we got the hospital ~20 minutes later, the contractions were about 3 minutes apart. By the time we got up to our room about 5 minutes later, they were coming every 2 minutes (and stayed that way until delivery). By the time the doctor made it over about an hour later, Cat said she felt like she wanted to push...so we did and a little bit later, out he came!

And so at 10:10pm last night (August 21st), we delivered Jeremiah August Bluejacket Osborne-Gowey. Papa (Goo, Jeremiah), under the watchful eye of our doctor and the nursing staff, helped deliver him, give him to his mummy, cut the cord (and inspect it), deliver the placenta and inspect it, and bathe/weight/measure the little one. He had a full head of thick, black hair, a single cowlick at the top of his crown, and long fingernails. He weighed in at 8 pounds, 14 ounces (nearly 9 pounds!). His head was 14 1/2 inches around and he was 22 inches long. He seems so delicate and small and yet he was nearly twice as big as Finn when she was born. And let me tell you - when you cook in a water-warm oven for 2+ weeks longer than normal, you come out looking like a wrinkled prune. He was so wrinkly it was comical...especially his feet and hands. Looked like he'd been left in a bathtub for too many days. Too cute!

Papa was again amazed at how tough Cat is (women, in general, really). At one point while in the middle of a particularly large contraction, Cat smiled and winked at the doc and said, I'm not done pushing (with Finn, she was making jokes with the nursing staff during contractions)! Mummy (Cat, Cathleen) was amazed that a nearly 9 pound baby felt no different to deliver than a 5+ pound baby. Auntie Doula was again amazed at how strong and in control Mummy was. The doc was amazed at how well Cat dealt with huge contractions. The nursing staff was amazed at how big a head and heavy he was based on Mummy's laboring (she has such a high pain tolerance that you wouldn't have guessed his size based on her visible pain level). And Finn was amazed that this little creature was finally here and no longer in Mummy's tummy (she was immediately enamored with him). Suffice it to say, the whole thing was a simply amazing event! We fell blessed. And thank you to all those that have been keeping us in your thoughts/prayers over these last several weeks. We so appreciate it (and have felt the good vibes coming our way).

Until we chat again,
Goo, Cat, Finn, and Jeremiah (The Osborne-Gowey Clan)

No Baby Yet...but We're Having Fun

2009-08-16T12:33:00.000-07:00

Well we don't have a baby yet but we are hoping it will be soon. Yesterday I mowed the lawn, swept the back, front, and side patio, swept the house and then moped. After that we went to the farmers market, had friends over for lemonade and supper, and then went to the end of the year softball party down in Halsey. We didn't get home until after 11pm. Today we got up and had a relaxing breakfast while reading the paper and then did yard work. Now it's time to relax and enjoy the afternoon...I see reading and naps in our future. Jeremiah's going to make homemade pesto so we can have pesto in the freezer for the rest of the summer and fall.

What a beautiful day today is, spending the day with my family is the best present I could ever ask for. Now just to go into labor and then our son can join us. Soon...soon as Finn says.

Finn Riding Rigins on her Birthday

2009-08-03T10:28:00.001-07:00

I can't believe how big the horse looks when she's on him. She had so much fun riding him on her birthday.

An amazing weekend

2009-07-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

Ooops. Forgot to post this blog entry a month back...

We've had an amazing weekend! Yesterday we went to the coast to escape the heat and enjoyed playing on the beach, had a picnic, and then took the long way home. We went through Toledo to Elk City, through Harlan, and then stopped at the old Blodgett Country Store. We didn't get home until almost 9pm! We stopped at a boat ramp on the road from Newport to Toledo...it was so beautiful...the birds were out, the evening sun was up, the leaves were moving in the breeze and wildflowers were everywhere. We sat on a boat dock and threw rocks in the water...it was such a great summer moment.

Finn and Nudity

2009-07-24T18:14:00.000-07:00

What a funny evening we are having. First I must preface this story by explaining that our daughter loves to run around the backyard in the buff...sleep in the buff...basically we're lucky to get clothes on her. Tonight, while Finn and papa barbecued dinner, papa took his shirt off and Finn asked if she could take hers off too. Papa said yes and brought her in the house to take her shirt off...before we knew it Finn was totally naked and ready to go back outside and play. Laughing Finn and papa started to head out...Finn then turned and looked at papa and said "papa please take your shorts off too and be naked outside" to which papa replied "no if I take my shorts off and go naked outside I'll be arrested". Oh the funny moments in parenting...the things you never thought you'd have to say or explain.

Have a great evening everyone!

Our Little Girl

2009-07-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

Wow have we been busy! Finn is now 3 and going on 30 sometimes. As I write this she is passed out in her papa's arms while we watch a movie...so sweet. We've had a busy few weeks. Last week was her birthday, she rode horses, had a party, and then danced the evening away at a friends wedding. The party was such fun, full of family and friends. At her party her grammie gave her a box of dress up clothes and this outfit was in it...she loves it so much we have a hard time getting it off of her. She wore it to the doctor's office the other day...complete with sparkle shoes and these glasses. It was like traveling with a movie star. Last night we went to a concert in the park by campus and she wore it again...she ran around in the night with her girl friend and they looked like fairies dancing in the night...such an amazing thing to see. They giggled, twirled, danced, and ate popcorn. Today we went to breakfast, worked in our garden plot, and then went to DaVinci days. Now our family is relaxing at home waiting for baby "limpet" to arrive.

Summer and Berries

2009-07-09T10:19:00.000-07:00

What fun we've had the past few days...picking raspberries in the evening sun last night and blueberries in the early morning hours this morning. Our girl ran up and down the rows eating as much of the berries as she could and we enjoyed good friends, good food, and great conversation. Can summer get any better!

Bottling Beer

2009-06-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

Hello all...

I just had to add a post about Finn and Jeremiah bottling his home brew tonight. First they inspect the bottles...she looks at each one while squinting her whole face...then hands it off to papa for further inspection. Then they take the brew to the bath tub where they clean the carboys...again she inspects everything and takes it back to the kitchen. Then it's bottled and she helps place each cap perfectly on top of the bottles. She's the only soon to be 3 year old who loves to bottle beer and hang out at the brew shop while papa has his home brew club meetings. She knows right where the toys are at the shop and play happily while they discuss home brewing. Finn is definitely a papa's girl. I love the two of them.

Limpet Is Officially A BOY

2009-06-20T20:04:00.000-07:00

We had our 32 week ultrasound and all was well. Our doctor has ordered an ultrasound for 32 and 36 weeks to double check that our little guy is putting on weight (his sister was a bit petite) and their are no placental abruptions from the accident. The worry has been that a small one could have existed but gone undetected until the placenta got larger with baby. I'm proud to report all is well. All his measurements were perfect and we noticed he is in fact a boy. At our 20 week ultrasound the tech told us Limpet was a boy but their is always a chance of error...but at our ultrasound last week we discovered their is no room for error :) So far he looks just like his sister...same nose and chin and head.

All is well in our world. Jeremiah got a new job at CBI (Conservation Biology Institute) and is really enjoying it. Finn and I are settling back into a routine where papa is gone all day...hard but we're getting used to it again. That's when we all wish we were independently wealthy and he could be home with us everyday.

My work is going well...slow at times and fast at others. As the pregnancy progresses I find I need a few more naps than I used to so I have to be more organized to get everything done in a day. That's when I really rely on Jeremiah.

I had an amazing baby shower last week and a fabulous mummy shower last Friday. My best girlfriend Kai put it on for me...women visiting...good food...and a fabulous atmosphere.

Finn is still riding horses and loving it. She's getting ready to turn 3 next month...where has the time gone. She had her first Urgent Care experience last week. While at the garden plot she fell with a hand trowel and cut not only her finger but took part of the nail with it...ouch. Papa scooped her and a queezy mummy up and we all went to the urgent care. She was so brave...and her papa showed his amazing fathering skills. What a great father I have chosen for my children...I'm amazed everyday.

Love to you all!

Some very busy days...

2009-05-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

We've been pretty busy these last several days (when aren't we, I guess) but we've also been having a pretty great time.

Last week, Finn could hardly wait to get back out to Trish and Roger's farm to ride Riggins the horse ("with the purple sadd-oh" [saddle], she says). Sure enough, as soon as we got out there, she promptly asked to ride Riggins and use the purple saddle (it's actually just a riding pad but she loves it). And she wanted me (Papa) to walk Riggins around (Trish usually does for the first little bit). So we called all the horses up from the pasture, saddled Riggins up and walked over to the riding arena.

Without skipping a beat, she asked to be hoisted up and off we went, her happy as a clam, me leading Riggins around (we're still getting used to each other out but have developed a nice, respecting relationship), and mummy nervously watching as I led them around the arena.

Then, perhaps in an act of defiance since we called him up from pasture and saddled him up BEFORE giving him grain, Riggins decided to trot rather than walk as I'd asked him to. So there's mummy standing very nervously by the fence, Finn looking a little uncertain and me trying to get Riggins to mind. After Riggins and I worked it out, Finn got back up on him again as Trish had just returned with a camera to take some pics. I've included a pic here but you can view all of them on this Picasa web album (http://picasaweb.google.com/jeremiahosbornegowey/TheFarm?feat=directlink).

Friday, after several exhausting marathon days working on a proposal (prospective job), I decided to take the day to "relax". And by relax, I mean "do all the outdoor chores that had been piling up". But the day's activities hinged around making another batch of homebrew (this one an Imperial Red-Rye). It was my second all-grain batch and I've been learning a lot with every brewing session. Since so much of the time is spent waiting for water to boil, or grains to steep, or proteins to rest, or enzymes to break down, I had the chance to clean the gutters for summer, pot several more hops rhizomes (hops are the herbs that give beer its bitterness and impart floral/citrus aromas to balance out the malty sweetness), move the greenhouse to let the grass grow, mow the yard, get some more veggie starts going, organize my brewing supplies, and build a new-fangled hops trellis for the roof. A busy day for sure.

On Saturday, while Cat was participating in the 5K CARDV (Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence) with some girlfriends, Finn and I helped dig camas bulbs to bake for the annual OSU Native American Longhouse Salmon Bake. We've been digging camas bulbs for the event for several years but this was the first year Cat had another prior engagement. We missed her dearly but had a great time anyway. Camas bulbs are a traditional PNW tribal food staple and, when baked, taste something akin to a starchy onion (think potato and onion cross). The property we dug on this year was VERY soggy and we got covered in mud but enjoyed ourselves tremendously. Finn had a blast walking around to all the different diggers but had a particular fondness for a few of the ladies...and they, too, were enthralled with her (go figure, eh?!). I dug about 150 bulbs (and have a blister to show for it) of various sizes and had a great time making with new friends. Later in the day, after her 5K walk, Cat was able to join us for lunch (what a treat!). We were invited to stick around for a sweat in the sweatlodge later that afternoon but we headed home, all exhausted from the day's outings, as Finn was in desparate need of a nap (which lasted until nearly 6pm!; perhaps we'll sweat with them in two weeks time...). Later that evening, Finn and I got out the crepe paper, scissors, crayons, markers, pencils, pens and tape. We made mummy a very special Mother's Day card and wrapped a few presents (bird feeders). What fun!...

Sunday morning, Cat got up early for her early morning walk (ritual) with Quinn and Finn and I snuck out of the house, walked down the street to a friend's house, and picked some beautifully dark purple (almost black) lilacs. I made her a special breakfast of tarragon egg puffs, yogurt and a scone from the local food co-op. We spent a wonderful day together playing the yard and gardening but the previous day's activities caught up to us both and we took a marvelous short nap together while Finn napped. A wonderful day indeed!

2009-05-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

Wow...it's been way too long since we've updated our blog. Well, for those who don't already know we are having a boy! He's due August 10th...but his sister was due August 3rd and came July 11th so who knows. We've been wanting to post our ultrasound pics but we've been having technical difficulties. Things are going well...Finn is growing so fast and talking all the time...she loves to say "mummy let's have a conversation". We've had a great start to our mothers day weekend...I walked the 5K family violence/domestic violence prevention walk with a girl friend and her mom this morning while Finn and Jeremiah dug camas with the Native American Longhouse for the Salmon Bake on Wednesday.

I'll try to update with new pictures today...but the sun is out so I might have to go plant flowers...we'll see.

Stay Tuned...

2009-02-17T21:33:00.001-08:00

On March 11th we will know the gender of our little Limpet...as soon as we know we'll post and let you all know.

Our Faith Restored in Humanity

2009-02-17T21:15:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know two weeks ago our family, while on vacation in California, was hit by a drunk driver. After a visit to the emergency room our family is all fine, I was checked out the most since I'm pregnant and the impact with the seat belt caused small contractions. Unfortunately our car is not alright...it's totaled.

At first the woman who hit us took off and never stopped, she looked right at us and speed away. We limped our car off the road and sat there scared to death...me in contractions and Jeremiah trying to comfort me and Finn while calling the police. We were in a strange large city feeling like no one cared...boy were we wrong. Two amazing individuals restored our faith in human kindness. One man who witnessed the accident got the woman's plate numbers and pulled in behind us, called an ambulance for us, and stayed all through the event to make sure we were okay. Another man who witnessed the accident followed the drunk driver and pushed her into a parking lot, called the police, and stayed blocking her exit until they arrived.

These days it can often feel like we are all alone and no one cares but in that moment we had two individuals show us that we were not alone. We were able to get a copy of the police report last week and found both of their names and addresses and I plan to send a thank you card to them...they have no idea how their faces made us feel safe and not alone. I can't tell you how grateful we feel...how terrified we were. I haven't been so scared in my life. We sat in an emergency room, me crying, Jeremiah with huge eyes trying to get me seen... wondering if we would lose our baby. Thankfully we have also have an amazing family, Jeremiah's brother and sisters live in the area and took Finn for the evening, and our dogs who were also in the car, and allowed us to go to the hospital without scaring Finn more than she already was.

Hold your family close tonight and be glad for the little things...and know you are not alone in this world...we sure learned that.

A Tough Day Being Parents

2009-02-17T21:07:00.000-08:00

Hello all...

Today has been a tough day being a parent...if I could have a glass of wine I would. Finn has been having a terrible 2 day...saying all the things she shouldn't, getting fussy, getting teary, and just having a hard time. By the end of the day Finn couldn't even eat her favorite meal, noodles, without crying and getting frustrated...though she gladly ate all her cauliflower. Finally the evening is coming to a close and mummy escaped outside to take the garbage outside (a mini vacation) and I come in to find Finn bent over crying and throwing up all over the kitchen floor and papa trying to comfort her. Goo and I have had a bad cold and Goo has been gargling with salt water to help a sore throat...well Finn was at the sink watching papa do just that when she took a big drink of her sippy cup and tried to gargle...as you guessed it...it didn't go well. She cried and was very scared...but after a warm bath, lots of hugs, a teary promise to not gargle her water anymore, she's in bed while papa reads her a "libary book" she checked out on valentines day. Oh the joy of being a parent...I don't think there was anything in the parent book about a day like today...I just wish she could always be little and a hot bath, hugs, and papa reading a library book could fix anything.

Rainy deluge and dreams of sunny hikes

2008-12-29T23:17:00.000-08:00

It's been raining like the dickens (etymology?) for several days. Most of the local rivers have risen to near or are at flood stage now, especially along the North Coast. Everything's sopping wet. And we love the water...but our whole household is longing for a sunny hiking break. So we figured the next best thing was to go back and look at some of our hiking photos from this past year. And it worked. Except now we're REALLY longing for a sunny break in the weather, and it looks like it's coming this weekend! Nevertheless, we thought we'd share some of our (mostly) sunny outdoor photos from this past year with ya'll.

("Huh! How 'bout that?! I said ya'll. I guess I AM local!") name that movie...

Baby Limpet's first doctor appointment

2008-12-18T15:21:00.000-08:00

And there you have it. Limpet's first exposure to modern medicine; the probing ultrasound. But the pics came back and guess what?! Limpet should be pluralized!

No not really! The doc just happened to flip the monitor around for a mirror image of the same thing. But it sure made our hearts skip a beat for a second. Cat had been thinking about the "what if" thing (naturally) but we hadn't really discussed it together this time (we did prior to Finn) so it did cause us to pause and look at each other momentarily. But Amy (the doc) saw our faces and musta read our thoughts/looks and alerted us to what she had done.

Since we are all about the experiential things in life, Finn accompanied us to the appointment and thought the whole ordeal was pretty cool. But her interest started to wane as nap time drew near. We'd been having discussions with her that a new brother or sister is on the way and she sorta gets it. But on our ride to the doc's office, Jeremiah began explaining to Finn how baby Limpet isn't really in mummy's tummy but next to it in the uterus in it's protective shell called the placental sac. Aaaaand that just about sent Cat over the edge, given the slightest things can set her stomach to untold nausea in hundreths of seconds flat. And that little discussion had done it...and thus ended that discussion (for the time being, anyway).

Mummy had a full blood workup and Papa and Finn played with chairs. That's right, there were all kinds of toys around. But Finn wasn't interested. She wanted to organize chairs into rows. And she informed me it was supposed to be "just like a schoolhouse like Laura on Little House on The Prairie". Oooo-kaaaay. Our girl's just may have been born in the wrong centery...

And just as we were about to leave the office, Finn looks up at a gentleman (in his early 60's I'd say), and looks at me and says "Papa, look! It's Great Grammie!" This gentleman is obviously taken with her and smiles and waves back. I say "You mean he looks like Great Grampie Gowey" (Great Grammie's son)? And she says, "No, Great Grammie!" She waves to him, he kindly smiles and says something to the effect of "Seasons Greetings" or "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas" or the like, says "She's beautiful" (funny how she gets that all the time) and carries on about his business. Finn again says, in an excited tone, "Papa, it's Great Grammie". As many of you know, her great great grammie Gowey is fast passing into this next world, we had just visited her again a week ago, and she is totally taken with Finn...has been since she was born. As Great Grammie (as we call her) slips in and out of consciousness, I couldn't help but wonder if she paid Finn a visit, through another's persona, in the doctor's office just to see her shiny face and perhaps tell her everything's ok. I was without words...

I love you Great Grammie. J

Our Exciting News

2008-12-01T18:23:00.001-08:00

We had some amazing news...we learned this weekend that we are expecting our second child. We are still in the early stages yet so we're a bit nervous. Our first appointment is Christmas week...after that we'll feel a little more secure.

We were going to wait to tell everyone for a bit...but I'm already feeling sick and didn't think we'd be able to hide out for awhile with the holidays coming or convince everyone I have the flu for a month and a half...

Thanks for sharing in our glad news!

Love,
Cat/Jeremiah/Finn

2008-11-25T12:21:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is around the corner and we wish you all and safe and happy holiday!

We picked several pounds of apples over the past few weeks and finally got them all pressed and made into cider...and soon hard cider. We've put our garden to bed for the year and have enough firewood to last us plenty of cold nights. Jeremiah is working hard in the field and in the office, I'm busy writing for a new project I'm working on, and Finn has successfully conquered potty training...our family's greatest accomplish!

In a few weeks Jeremiah and I are going on a small vacation to a cabin on the McKenzie River, just the two of us, for our Christmas gift to each other. I can't wait...hiking, reading, snow shoeing, napping...I'll make sure I post some nature shots when we get home.

Halloween

2008-11-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

Wow...what a great day. Finn had a great day enjoying the holiday. She made an adorable Dorothy from Kansas. I had a great time making her outfit.