John E and V in 2009

Paul and I met John Erlandson sometime in 2006. John played his music all around Evergreen, Colorado and I knew the songs before I knew the man. I loved hearing him sing and play his guitar at coffee shops and bars, house parties and Chamber mixers, and out on Main Street in front the Wildflower cafe. Below is John playing at the annual Gloamin’ Fest (thank you, Willie for sharing this photo).

John at Gloamin' Fest 2009

I’d heard that John E stood up for what he believed in and sang from the heart (even when he caught flack for it) and that he was always doing stuff to help out others and the community in general (still is). Looking back, I think I’d simply made my mind up that we would be friends, even if I can’t quite remember how and when it actually happened.

At a Cupcake Shop in Boston's North End

When Paul and I hit the road as Caretaking Couple back in 2009, we all promised to keep in touch.  Little did we know then that John E would actually come visit us every year, regardless of where we ended up!  The pic above was taken in early 2010, and is one of my all time favorite John E shots (and I have many).  You can read all about that East Coast visit by clicking here.

Paul, John E and Gary in Chattanooga (Humoring V & Posing in a Brick Boat)

In 2011, John E came to see us in Tennessee, and our mutual friend Gary just happened to be visiting the area as well.  I love it when that happens.  Coincidentally, those are boxes of cupcakes in John and Gary’s hands.  Our excuse (and we have a good one) is that John E traditionally comes to visit in February, his Birthday Month.

John E & Flat Stanley Love Southern BBQ

Oh, and let’s not forget Flat Stanley, who had flown out from Colorado for a visit as well and ended up in just about all of our photos. I kinda miss that little guy.  Yes, we are easily entertained.  Thank you for noticing.

Christmas Crowns (It's an English Thing)

It is once again February and John E’s Birthday…but there is no John E to celebrate with. That is because he came to visit us here in Oregon on Christmas Day. And he brought this wonderful woman with him.  We did a lot of lounging around the new digs, wandering Alberta Street and feeding our faces (it’s a theme).

I’m not going to lie…February without John E feels odd.  We are not sad, though, because this year he is celebrating his Birthday with not only his Evergreen friends (of which he has many) but with Pandora, aka his life’s love.

Singing Love Songs and Eatin' Cheetos (Inside Joke)

So, John E.  This is my Birthday card to you.  One never knows what will transpire in a year’s time, eh, Minnesota?  I have a feeling this is going to be your best year yet.   Happy Birthday, dear friend.  We love you BIG!  XOX Always,

Valynne & Paul

We celebrated our first year together by having dinner at the place we met (It was SoHo at the time and is now Rio Del Sol) in Evergreen, Colorado. Yup. We met at a bar, while I was bartending. Hey, ya never know. After dinner, Paul surprised me with a stay at one of the best B&B’s on planet earth, Highland Haven Creekside Inn. We walked from the restaurant to the Gardener’s Cottage in the snow that night.  So romantic…

At Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy back in 2007 *Disclaimer - this is not an Anniversary pic. Paul made me take the adorable Key West pic down. Whatev, Paul!

Our second Anniversary was spent in the Florida Keys, with Key West being our target destination. Oh, the fun we had! We keep saying we are going to get back. Can’t believe it has been four years already. We stayed at the Pilot House and had dinner at Kelly’s on Valentine’s Day. Sigh.

Anniversary Number Three was spent wandering Denver, Colorado. We went to Tattered Cover (one of our all-time favorite book stores), had dinner at McCormick’s (and drinks in the Cruise Room, which is a bitchin’ Art Deco martini bar) and spent the night at Hotel Monaco. The band Dakota Blonde puts on an amazing Valentine’s Day show every year and 2009 was no exception. Miss you, Robb and Mary!

A year later we were  in Cape Cod enjoying our first official sit as Caretaking Couple. We celebrated by going to dinner at our favorite local restaurant, Mezza Luna. Oh, how we miss Mezza Luna! To hear Frank crooning away while sitting at the bar, eating delicious Italian food, drinking and bantering with Rick and Sherri…another place on our “must get back for a visit” list.

After five years together, we found ourselves on a sit in Tennessee. We drove to Atlanta and enjoyed a decadent meal at Nikolai’s Roof, on the 30th floor of the Hilton. I will never forget the cheese tray that was rolled over to our table that night. That cheese tray just may be the highlight of our six months in Tennessee, truth be told. Anyway.

This year, we are in Portland, Oregon. There are at least twenty restaurants walking distance from us. Paul has made reservations somewhere local, but isn’t telling me where : ) I have to wait until tomorrow night (Valentine’s Day). All I know is that it is somewhere we have not yet been to.  Fun!  I will post a pic of the restaurant he chose later.

Do you have a favorite Anniversary story or destination? If so, please share. In the meantime, Happy Sixth Anniversary to Paul, aka my One and Only. Life with you just gets better and better…XOX,

V

Use Your Social Connections to Find Trusted Pet Sitters at Stayhound

A few months ago, I clicked a link to this PBS video on Portland entrepreneurs via the facebook page of Barbara Winter, author of one of my favorite books, Making a Living Without a Job. That is when I found out about Alexis. I contacted her soon after and we have had two great brainstorming sessions over coffee since then. I am excited about what she is doing for the pet sitting community and can’t wait to share this start-up with you…

1. Alexis, in a sentence or two, what is Stayhound?

Stayhound makes it easier to leave your pets with friends and other carers.
Right now we’re helping people connect to trusted pet sitters using their
existing social connections, and we’re working on ways to help you track
and share details about your travels, your pet’s extended family (vets,
walkers, and other carers), medications, feeding schedule, and other important information.

2. Who or what inspired this great start-up?

My own hassles with finding and communicating with pet sitters to care for
my dog, Jake, and cat, Toby. I found myself spending more time interviewing
people I found through online directories than actually traveling! And when
I asked my friends to pet sit for me, I was driving all over the place to
drop off Jake before going to the airport. I knew there were people –
friends, professional pet sitters, and others – who lived closer to me and
I would trust, but I didn’t know how to find that sweet spot of social
proximity and location proximity.

3. What do you think makes Stayhound stand out from other online sitting services?

Trust. I interviewed dozens of pet parents and all of them wanted a better
way to find people they would trust with their animal companions. One told
me that she wouldn’t use Yelp to find a pet sitter because she didn’t
personally know the reviewers – she wanted a word of mouth referral. By
using your existing social connections, we make it easier to find pet
sitters who come with recommendations from trusted friends.

Jake and Alexis

4. What do you believe pet parents really want from sitters/walkers like Paul and I?

No one wants to have another thing to worry about, and when I trust the
person caring for Jake when I have to travel, it’s one less thing to worry
about. That comes from knowing – and liking – my pet sitter, but also
getting email, text messages, and photos of how Jake and Toby are doing. It
makes me feel like I’m with them.

5. What’s in it for the pets?

While all pets are different and many thrive in different environments, I’m
not a huge fan of kennels for Jake. Most kennel and dog daycare owners I’ve
talked to also realize that not all dogs do well in that environment. For
dogs who are more human-identified like Jake, staying with someone else in
their home or having someone stay in my home with him is so much better.
Kennels can also be dangerous for dogs – distemper, dog flu, and other
diseases are always a risk.

On a less tangible level, I believe our pets pick up on our anxieties. When
I feel confident dropping Jake off with someone I trust, he knows that and
feels more comfortable.

6. How have you gone about getting the word out on Stayhound?

Largely through friends and other people I’ve worked with who are
interested in what we’re doing. Partnering with the Oregon Humane Society
to donate a dollar for every pet profile created has been a great way to
get press from news outlets like the Oregonian.

7. What do you love most about being an entrepreneur?

Strangely, introducing people to others who can help them! I’ve never
considered myself an extrovert, but running my own business forces me to
get out and talk to people more than I would otherwise. I love being able
to connect someone I meet to a potential customer or mentor. I recently
spent the weekend at Reed College helping college students work on their
startup ideas and pitch to a panel of investors. I loved being able to help
students the way others have helped me.

8. What can we do here in the sitting community to support Stayhound?

If you’re friends with your clients on Facebook, tell them about us! Anyone
can sign up for a Stayhound account and find out how many of their facebook
friends (and “friends in law”) are already there. There are so many people
who are involved in our pets’ lives, and we’re working on ways to keep all
of them in the loop. We’d love to hear feedback about how we can make that
communication easier for carers and their clients.

Alexis, thank you for taking the time to talk with me and share Stayhound with everyone…you are definitely onto something, here. As always, we welcome feedback and questions from all of you pet parents, sitters, and otherwise curious readers!

When Valynne asked me to contribute to the blog and highlight some of my favorite places in the US I thought that would be easy enough, but when you have visited 43 of the 50 states you begin to see the problem.  Anyway, here goes.

View of Evergreen Lake from the Old Digs (New Year's Day, 2008)

Colorado has to be high on my list. Not least because it’s where I lived, happily most of the time, for about 6 years and for the last 4 of those with Valynne. Colorado is scenically very beautiful, a photographer’s dream if you will. I lived in a picturesque little town called Evergreen, approximately 15 miles west of Denver at an altitude of 7,200′ (we were a little above 8,000′, on Bear Mountain). The main feature of Evergreen is the lake and this provides a meeting place for the community with concerts during the summer months and skating in the winter. We have many friends there still and it’s always wonderful to return whenever we can.

Valynne always has a yearning to be close to the ocean and I’m not far behind her, although throughout my life in both Europe and the US I’ve always lived as far from the ocean as you could possibly get, until recently. My favorite oceanside spots, in no particular order are: the California coast between San Francisco and Santa Monica; the Oregon coast; driving from Miami to Key West and having a wild time in same; Provincetown (right on the end of Cape Cod) and last but not least, the Outer Banks in North Carolina and particularly Ocracoke Island.

The Atlantic, as Seen From the Deck at Louie's Backyard in Key West, Florida

I think it was back in 2006 when Valynne and I flew out to San Francisco to attend a wedding in Santa Cruz (a friend of Valynne’s) and then take a week driving down to L.A. stopping at places that had been on my ‘must see list’ for a while. I wouldn’t say I’m a big wedding fan, but this was as good as it gets. The ceremony was held outdoors in a redwood glade at a vineyard followed by a reception amongst the vines. This was also my first exposure to the redwoods…more later. We then headed south to Monterey. Both being avid readers, we wanted to get up close with some of the locations familiar to Steinbeck followers. Things have changed since Steinbeck’s time of course and while Cannery Row has become ‘touristy’, there is still an atmosphere that you can feel.  Also, the Aquarium is a must see…..probably one of the best in the world.

We continued south stopping briefly at Carmel for lunch….think we missed the best bits. Need to go back. We drove through the private estate of Pebble Beach and via the world famous golf course of the same name. If you can afford the fees, this must be a wonderful place to play golf. Next of course, Big Sur. More writer connections if you are a Kerouac fan. The real attraction is the dramatic coast line where the surf races in like nowhere else in the world. Erosion is severly damaging the highway these days, so be sure to check the news reports before planning a drive down highway 1 as long road closures have become frequent.

After spending the morning at Hearst Castle (ostentation at its best or worst, depending on your reaction), we headed for Santa Barbara. Now that is a place I could live if anyone wants to donate a few million to the cause. A perfect place to do a ‘sit’ methinks. Wonder if Oprah needs any help.

Cora's Coffee Shoppe in Santa Monica, 06

We couldn’t drive past Ventura without calling in on Valynne’s family…could we?  Just joking, Valynne and Mum. Our first meeting and I thought it went pretty well…I hope.  Our last stop was Santa Monica where we spent a few days amongst the beautiful people. I guess technically it’s L.A. but it feels like a different world. We hired bikes and cycled along the bike path through Venice Beach and basically had a great time.

More of Paul’s favorite places to come….

Simply Magnificent

I recently asked Paul what five places he loved most in America so far (he has been here for nine years this coming March). The Redwoods of Northern California made #1.  We will be making a return visit, in the late spring/early summer.  Do you have a favorite camping spot in the area?

The Shining (Photo Courtesy of www.ManILoveFilms.com

Last night, I felt like reading a fiction book. I picked up The Three Weissmans of Westport and read it in almost one sitting. I wanted something breezy and am a sucker for anything inspired by Jane Austen (except for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel.  Not my cup of tea).

My interest was piqued when two sisters who called themselves “home sitters” were introduced to the story. No real spoilers here ~ let’s just say that they didn’t exactly make us caretakers / house and pet sitters proud. As I contemplated this, other books and films featuring “our kind” came to mind, and I pondered the generalizations.

So, out of curiosity, what is the first thought that comes to mind when you think of people who do what we do? Does a certain character from a book or film come to mind, or someone you know personally? If so, please leave a comment. If not, please leave a comment. Thanks!

Valynne

Your Story Matters.

I met a Monica at a Portland Bloggers meeting back in September.  We are close in age (I’ve got a little more than a year before hitting the Big 4-0) and she caught my attention with a post titled “39 Things to do Before 40” on her Life Ohm blog.  I responded to her post with the comment you see below:

Thank you for the inspiration, Monica! Sounds like we are about the same age : ) I went with your 39 things to do before 40 theme…

1. Finish writing our book
2. Rent an Airstream for at least a week
3. Get back to England to see Paul’s family & friends
4. Take an Ayurveda class
5. Join Toastmasters
6. Pay off school loans (or at least a good chunk)
7. Really learn to embroider
8. Go back to a vegetarian diet
9. Continue to grow my Beachbody business
10. Spend more time with my little brother and sister
11. Take a digital photography class
12. Build up our Caretaking Couple business
13. Sell the 4Runner (don’t need it here)
14. Continue my search for vintage buttons & ephemera
15. Join ancestry.com with my Mom
16. Make my own toiletries and candles again (just for fun, not as a biz)
17. Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity
18. Get back to my yoga classes (at Exhale)
19. Start a poker night with new friends
20. Calligraphy
21. Polish up on my geography
22. write a letter a week to a friend, family member, or stranger
23. Blog on a regular basis (at least 3x a week)
24. Garden (4 raised organic beds at our new digs – yay!)
25. Get a monthly massage
26. Finish my scrapbooking projects
27. Run
28. Find a tennis partner
29. Learn how to play my guitar
30. Go ziplining
31. Continue vision boarding
32. Visit my friend Laura in Valencia, Spain
33. Treat myself to a spa day (for the first time)
34. Practice more acts of random kindness
35. Finally visit Pike Place Market!
36. Figure out all (or at least most) of the functions on my Mac & use them
37. Continue to transform our rental house into a “home”
38. Get into the habit of staying in the moment
39. Focus on people and projects that bring me joy

I would love to keep in touch with you regarding our lists ~ maybe revisit them periodically. Seems we have a lot in common!

V

This (like the vision boarding) has been a fun and enlightening process for me, and I encourage you to make your own list.  You don’t have to be turning 40 in order to play ~ just come up with a list of things that you would like to accomplish by a certain date.  And if you feel like sharing said list, please do.

PS I have crossed a few things off since September ~ feels good!

Anyone can create a vision board.  All you need is images and/or words (think old magazines,flyers,postcards,maps, etc.), a poster board, and some glue or double-sided tape. I feel that a lot of us aren’t quite sure what it is we want, exactly, and that the process of exploring images and contemplating why certain ones appeal to us more than others can help us to clarify.

This year, my vision board evolved (is evolving, I should say) in a way unlike prior years.  The most noticeable difference was that my chosen images did not revolve around travel as much as they have in the past.  Paul and I are very comfortable and happy here in Portland.  We are curious as ever when it comes to travel, but the conversations revolve more around weekends in Seattle versus month-long road trips across the US.

Fret not, fellow nomads ~ I still dream of buying an Airstream and living/working from the road one of these days. For now, we are loving our little rental home here in NE Portland. We are reacquainting ourselves with old books, having guests over, and planning our backyard garden.  We are wandering Alberta Street, supporting local and befriending our neighbors.

To be honest, my vision board isn’t 100% complete yet.  It has been more of a process for me this year.  I like to have it hanging on the wall by January 1. This time around is different.  My vision for 2012 is still a bit blurred, but each day brings a bit more clarity.  Don’t you just love those Aha! Moments?

I remain enthusiastic around all things Caretaking Couple and Coach Valynne and will be focusing more on my writing, my health (and yours, too if you’d like), and maintaining a steady income.  I will post what that looks like in the comments section below once I have more clarity around it.

And now, because you knew I would ask…what is your vision for 2012 (or your goals, priorities, dreams, resolutions…whatever word you prefer)?  If you feel like sharing, please do.  Meantime, a very HAPPY and HEALTHY 2012 to all of you with love from Valynne & Paul.

PS The handwritten affirmations are from the book You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay.  I have referred to this book off and on since I was a teenager.

It is hard to believe this is my second season sans Mountain Girl Organics.  I do miss it sometimes but am super happy that Paula is doing so well with it!

In celebration of Paula and MGO and this little blog up and running again and it being the most wonderful time of the year and all, it is Holiday Giveaway Time!

All you have to do is leave a comment on any post here on this blog between now and Friday, December 16th.  If your name is drawn, you will be the lucky winner of a handful of hand selected MGO goodies (sigh).

Of course, if you don’t want to take your chances, and/or you are searching for lovely gifts for lovely people, you can always go here and order directly from the site. She has completely revamped it and it is gorgeous! OR, if you are a Colorado friend, you can look here for local shops that carry MGO.

Again, just leave a comment on *any* post on the blog (there are two years worth of posts to choose from) and your name will be entered into the drawing.  Good Luck and Season’s Greetings to you all!  Love,

Valynne & Paul

Indie shops are all over NE Portland.  This is a pic of Wanderlust owner Vanessa with her friend and her hubster.  Other favorite shops of mine include digs (if you love gnomes, you gotta check this place out) and Tumbleweed, where lots of the clothes are sewn by the owner and one of a kind.  Sigh.  I could go on but will save that for another post.

When you live in a cool city, you are more likely to have friends visit.  Not that Nancy and Chad wouldn’t come to visit us elsewhere, but it just helps to live in a cool city.  This is us at McMenamins Kennedy School, an old elementary school that now sports a hotel, pubs, movie theatre, etc. etc.  It is walking distance from us.  Our favorite spot is there is the Detention Room, thanks to the atmosphere and Alex, who tends the bar.

If you love live music, Portland will not disappoint.  Sade played here not too long ago and it was phenomenal.  Our friend Libby came out to celebrate her 50th with friends and we are so happy she included us in the festivities.  This concert was at the Rose Quarter, but there are plenty of smaller venues that host outstanding acts as well…

First Thursday is huge on Alberta Street during the summer.  Twenty blocks are closed to traffic and it is one big party.  Here you see Myrtle singing “You can take my husband, but please don’t take my man” outside the Star E Rose Cafe.  There are jam sessions going on here constantly.

My little sis came out for a quick visit last month.  So happy she hung out with me for a few hours when she could have been hanging out with friends (I am a generation older, after all).  This is her outside the Alleyway.  I can’t vouch for it as we haven’t been in yet, but Em liked the sign.  We had a yummy meal at Thai Noon, which I can definitely vouch for.  Paul and I love it there.

So.  The food.  It is out of this world.  I am not kidding. We are walking distance from deliciousness in all directions.  I do love a good breakfast, and Helser’s has never let me down.  Never.  This pic is of their potato pancakes with creme fraiche and applesauce. Another favorite of ours is Vita Cafe.  I get the huevos rancheros for breakfast and the buffalo tofu wrap for lunch.

What you see here is my favorite burrito joint, La Bonita.  I grew up on Mexican food and it will always ALWAYS remain near and dear to me.  I can make a pretty mean burrito (according to the Brit, anyway) but this place is SO GOOD.  I know, I know, I sell Beachbody products for crying out loud.  The good news is that there is plenty to do here to stay active. Between meals.

This is Aaron, manning the Townshend’s Tea booth at the Alberta Street Fair.  This place has every tea you could possibly imagine. We went to a tea tasting the other day, which was super interesting.  Does that make us tea nerds?  Whatever. Don’t care. Latest addictions = White Rose Kambucha and Roasted Coconut Mate.

And no, I have not lost my love for latte.  There are so many great coffee shops all around us.  I am *trying* to limit my coffee consumption to the weekends.  Caffe Vita is one of my faves on Alberta.  The baristas are great.  I also enjoy fuel cafe and Random Order.  Oh, and I can’t wait to try Barista now that their space has been renovated (there was a fire on July 4th).

Introducing three of the lovely ladies from binks…Holly, Grace and Ally (you are lovely as well, Dan).  This has become Paul’s local.  I am sure it has nothing to do with the binkstenders pictured above.  Yes, I am rolling my eyes over here.  Seriously, though…we love this bar.  Next door is another fave, Siam Society, where it is always a pleasure to see Don.  He reminds me of a young Leonard Cohen. We also enjoy Bernie’s and Bar Lolo.  All of the above are walking distance from our abode.

Portlander’s love their pets and we are enjoying our new canine and feline friends.  Jonny C brought Charlie over for a photo session the other day.  She is a nine month old Beagle/Pointer mix and very sweet.  She sniffed all around, vacuumed the kitchen floor for me, ran up and down the stairs and  otherwise entertained us for a good hour before conking out at Jonny’s feet.

Adorable, I know.  And while we are on the subject…

Allow me to introduce Macey.  I met her at the Alberta Main Street office.  She is the mascot and Sara is her human. I love this pic because I swear she is smiling at me.  She let me follow her around and take several photos and of course my two faves of her are in front of the trash cans and the boxes you see here. Macey prefers to keep it real.

We have even made a handful of human friends. People say it gets harder to make friends as we get older and I am doing my best to prove that theory wrong.  I met Michelle and her hubster Jeremy (see below) at a bloggers meeting set up by Sara, who I met at WordCamp back in September.  This pic is of Michelle and I at Livewire, which was performed and taped at the Alberta Rose Theatre that night.

Besides being world travelers (sigh) Michelle and Jeremy boast some serious culinary skills.  Michelle has her own blog, Feed Your Skull. Jeremy is a developer and an all around smart and mellow guy.  This is Jeremy with his delicious apple pie at our place on Thanksgiving.  Thanks for all the yummy meals, you two!

Portland is the land of creatives. One of my favorite places (again, walking distance ~ dangerously so) is Collage.  I took an embroidery class there and plan on taking others as well, including bookbinding and encaustic painting.  Getting the nerve up for that last one. They have tons of fun stuff for sale, too, including stamps.  I gave away most of my stamps when we left Cape Cod (Trish, I hope you are using those stamps!) and am rebuilding my collection, one stamp at a time.

I helped out behind the makeshift bar this past Thursday night for a Community Cycling Center fundraiser. This place and the people who keep it going are great. Tomorrow, they will be giving bicycles to over 400 youth across Portland.  Watch this short video by Quin, a twelve year old who volunteers for CCC.

The sense of community here in Portland is strong all around. I took this picture at a recent Occupy rally. This woman gave me a wink afterwards. I know there are a lot of people that disagree with this movement. So be it. I find the people involved to be a huge inspiration.

Portland is about an hour and a half away from the Oregon Coast.  Life was good back in Evergreen, Colorado but I never did get used to being that far from either the Pacific or the Atlantic.  I need an ocean nearby.  We had a couple of weeks off of our sit a few months back and spent some time in Yahats at the SeaQuest Inn en route to the Redwoods. That trip was nothing short of magical.

On our way back to Portland from the coast, I spotted this mother of all busses parked along the road.  Paul turned around so that I could take a closer look.  Since then, I have seen a variety of rolling homes that make my heart go pitter pat.  We love living in a place that celebrates individuality.

So, there you have it.  Just a few reasons why we chose Portland for our home.  If you are looking for someone to take care of your own home sweet home, please let us know.  We are staying local for the most part these days, but have several sitters that we know personally and are happy to recommend.  Thank you for reading, and be sure to drop a line via the comment link ~ we love hearing from you!  Seasons Greetings,

V&P