Hmmm...that's interesting.

Here is Talula, pondering the meaning of life. I hope that she can figure it out for the rest of us. Actually, I think I have it figured out in my head, but I'm not sure I can articulate it. Something like, "Free yourself, free others." It's vague, but it has special meaning to me.

Well, it has been getting colder here in Portland, and we had our first cold rain day today. Maybe people that live hear would knowingly throw their heads back in laughter and say, "You think you know cold? Ha! Wait 'til it gets really cold!" But we slept with the heater on last night. It's cozy.

People here paint their homes really weird colors, and I think I figured out that it's to give the town a bit of color after all the leaves fall off the trees and the sun goes away...which is happening right now. The leaves are kinds of pretty shades of red, orange, yellow, green, purple and brown. Tania and I have been collecting them and pressing them to mail to our friends and family in Hawaii. Speaking of which, we heard that there was a 6.6 earthquake today! I can't believe it happened right after we left! Even though no one was killed or injured, it makes me feel like I am where I should be.

We've been getting our for a walk every day, and to play at the park, but we've been getting more and more comfortable indoors, reading or using the computer. Tania is really into a couple of games that she plays with Joey. She is reading "The Littles" right now, by John Peterson, and we are on Volume 2 of the Story of the World books, the Middle Ages. Tania has really taken to the history books. She asks me to read them all the time. And she has excellent comprehension and memory, not like her mother. She remembers things that we read months ago. We aren't doing any math right now. We got through simple multiplication and division, and she grasps the concepts well. She hates sitting and using a workbook though, so I will try to help her build her skills through games and practical life situations. She's really interested in fashion right now, and spends a lot of time sketching designs. I'm going to learn how to knit soon, and she says she wants to learn too. I also plan to get a sewing machine soon and she wants to learn how to sew. So we're following those interests right now and we'll see where they take us!

The sun just came out, so I think we'll be off to take a walk!