Blogs from Eugene, Oregon, United States, North America - page 6

Still sick today, but didn't want to stay indoors, so I took the bus down to Portland's Science Center. You know... every city has one of these places where the kids can go on field trips. Here, it is called OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry). It was fun, though typical. They had the regular mathematical brain teaser puzzles, touch and play phisics exhibits, and a life sciences area. There was this one cool liquid they had though! A ferrous (sp?) liquid that reacts to magnetism like iron does. It moves around like mercury. The other exhibit that was impressive was a week-by-week showing of how humans grow within the womb... with REAL embryos and fetuses (they had died prematurely due to accidents and the like). Unfortunately I forgot to take some pictures, so if ... read more

We set sail once again! Harry, Shayla and I will get on the boat in Newport tomorrow (Wednesday, July 25). Harry and I are both so itchy to get back on the boat that we’ve had to stop scratching, for fear of making scabs. So unsightly. As of this afternoon, the weather is suggesting we may need to wait until Thursday to head out. Our original “plan” was to leave Wednesday around 3 in the afternoon. At any rate, the journey will begin tomorrow and we’re eager for that. We were able to take all three of our girls over to Newport a couple of weeks ago to show them the boat. We didn’t sail, but we did have lunch on board so I was able to gloat and preen over my enormous galley for ... read more

The last week has been spent scrubbing, organizing, and packing away our home in preparation for our year long move to Scotland. We've run the gauntlet of emotions around this adventure as we've said goodbye to friends and our hometown. Early next week we are off to New York to spend time with family and relax on the shores of Lake Erie. It is my intent to document our adventures over the course of the next year, from the departure of our beloved town, Eugene, Oregon until we make our way home again. I hope you'll come along. Tim... read more

While many of you believe we've already departed Eugene for our destination, thinking wisely to yourself that no sane person would be putting up travel entries unless they were ... traveling, the truth is that we still have four days of home time before we leave town. This is to say that the adventure began for us weeks ago when the planning stepped up from "we'll sail up the coast" to "where shall we anchor in Smugglers' Cove?" and "what's a good remedy for seasickness?" Today, Harry packed up Shayla. Then he realized she still has three days of school left, so he took her out of the bag. Shayla and I packed her bag together, including ski pants, Sophie's super-cute rain boots and the hat Shayla knit in school last year. Shayla stood in ... read more

I'm going to France! That's so weird. I just can't believe that me, myself , moi, Sophie Elizabeth Pattison!!! ...Is going to France. It's one of the strangest feelings I've ever had in my life. It's so weird to think that in a little over a week I will be in Paris. I can go to the Louvre I can see the Mona Lisa! And not just in a book or a movie, I'll be there, seeing them, personally. Isn't it strange that this thing we call the world is here for our own exploration and experience? That all these wonderfully amazing things in it are available for us to see? We don't have to sit at home and twiddle our thumbs, we can go out and see the countries that we've heard and read ... read more