#costa rican marriages

[hollygl125-tww]

so do those two people from CSI get together or are they just like that?

This is such a totally delightful ask! (I mean, who doesn’t want an excuse to talk about their OTP! But also this is undoubtedly way more than you wanted to know, because who doesn’t want an excuse to talk about their OTP!) Thank you so much, @andmethefivefooter! 💛

Although it probably goes without saying, this answer is spoiler-laden.

Very short answer:

They were just like that for a really, really, really long time. Then eventually they got married. Then they got divorced. Then they got married again.

Slightly longer answer:

These two rival Josh and Donna in the length of their slow burn. It was quite a roller coaster ride. 🎢

She showed up in the second episode of the series as a nebulously-defined “friend” of his from San Francisco. (They’d met about two and a half years earlier at a forensics conference. I say they slept together at the conference, but that’s headcanon.) They were eye-fucking by the third episode. She tried to get him to go to dinner with her in season 3; he shot her down. But season 4 confirmed what we all knew: that he was just as into her as she was into him.

We found out at the end of season 6 that they’d gotten together at some point (later revealed to be about a year earlier). Season 8 confirmed he’d loved her the whole time (just as she had him). They got engaged. A few episodes later, she left the show, and we finally saw them kiss onscreen for the first (the first!), ever-so-heartbreaking time. Then he left the show in season 9, and they reunited in the Costa Rican rainforest (and kissed for a second—much happier—time!).

She came back to the show starting in season 10, and we found out they’d married offscreen. He never came back, though, so the incredibly unimaginative writers (very poorly) split them up during season 13. They ultimately reunited in the TV movie series finale that followed season 15 and literally went off into the sunset together on his (soon to be their) boat.

They returned together for the first season of CSI: Vegas, and it was confirmed that they’d remarried. They were flirty and loving and kind and supportive and beautiful and perfect and basically a shipper’s dream. And, at the end of the season, they finally kissed for the third (yes, third!) time (on a roller coaster, no less).

(This is my best GIF-set for an overview of the first fifteen years of their onscreen relationship. This one shows every time—yes, all three!—that they kissed.)

So, in sum, that’s something like the equivalent of eight full seasons of TV they spent onscreen together, and there were all of three kisses, two marriages, and one roller coaster ride. But, anyway, they’re amazing, and I love them. 💕💕💕

[myemuisemo]

I've been waiting and hoping for an "explain it all" chapter in Letters From Watson's weekly breakdown of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Chapters XIII and XIV gave us a lot of excitement but not a lot I wanted to talk about.

Finally, in chapter XV, I am vindicated: Rodger Baskerville did not die without marriage or issue! To be fair, I had not even considered Costa Rica, best known for coffee-growing, as the destination of someone who wanted to get rich in mining. It turns out that Costa Rica had a gold rush as early as 1815 and continues to have significant gold, copper, and manganese mines.

Like most of its Latin American neighbors, Costa Rica had a tradition of recording marriages, births, and deaths at the parish level. Civil registration began in 1888, after Jack Stapleton/Rodger Jr. had already left the country.

Under the Naturalization Act of 1772, Rodger Jr. was automatically a British citizen, even though he was born in a country that had never been under British rule, because his father was a British citizen. The Naturalization Act of 1844 assured that Beryl, as a foreign woman marrying a British citizen, became a British citizen with her marriage. (source)

How Rodger Jr. was going to prove his claim, Holmes left unexplained. Also vague is how Stapleton got himself back to England with assorted identities. It turns out that standardized passports were not introduced until 1915, when World War I made border control a more serious issue. In the era of the story, a single-page letter would have been sufficient, though it had to be signed by the Foreign Secretary. (source) However, it's entirely possible that nobody ever asked to look at a passport for Rodger Jr.! Passports often weren't required at all, and a sudden increase of travel in the last quarter of the 19th century meant that there often wasn't much monitoring of whether travelers had one, or whether it looked valid.

Beryl Stapleton is left in a terrible situation -- though less terrible than if her husband were still alive, as her grounds for divorce were surprisingly scanty. She is legally a UK citizen, but she has no family in England. There is no social safety net. Her husband's money was tainted and is running low. It is unclear what, if any, skills she has to support herself, and her reputation is in tatters.

She would be better off going back to her family in Costa Rica -- even though she likely lost her citizenship upon marriage, a woman in 1889 didn't have enough rights for anyone to care, as long as her family received her. But would they? Marrying a scoundrel was usually blamed on the woman. (While Costa Rica had birthright citizenship for children born there of foreign parents, it required not claiming the parents' citizenship, as far as I can tell. A Costa Rican woman's citizenship followed her husband.) Her best bet would be remarrying, but the bloom is off that rose for Sir Henry Baskerville, and it's not like she particularly cared for him. If he did change his mind, he would be unable to take her into any polite society.

Laura Lyons is also left high and dry. Her biggest benefactor, Sir Charles Baskerville, is dead. Her father still won't see her. Stapleton's promises to fund her divorce were lies, so she's still tied to a husband she doesn't want.

Mrs. Barrymore is mourning the loss of her criminal brother, but she's in better shape than either of the higher-class women. Her husband does not, so far as we know, beat her. She and he can prevent Baskerville Hall from falling to ruin while Sir Henry is away recovering, then use their inheritance to start an inn or pub. Because she's not gentry, her brother's disgrace has little impact on her respectability. But people will come from miles around to eat her stew and hear the story of how the Barrymores served dinner to a murderer and to Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

Mrs. Mortimer is so far forgotten that James Mortimer is off on a long jaunt with his new bff, Sir Henry. She was a plot device to get him a fancy cane and relocate him to Devon, nothing more. Let us imagine her knitting contentedly in a cottage with a cat.

While I was correct in my vague recollection that The Hound of the Baskervilles involves a moor and a dog, I know nothing whatever about The Valley of Fear, which is apparently up next month.

[soultngell]

𐙚⋆˚࿔ Jen Masateli" .

﹙ If you are going to use the template, give me credits !◞  𓍯 ᝬ ،، @soultgnell on Twitter ᬊ ̫̥̫₊̫༉̫!̫ 

ׂׂૢ༘ ꕤ᳕҇༄+Jen is a single mother of two children (a lady and a boy) of whom she has taken care of for herself for more than 15 years. He is currently a professional in psychology and is a chef, he is one of the last daughters in Guillermo & Christina’s marriage, he does not have good contact with his brothers but with his parents. He is of Italian/Costa Rican nationality, however, he does not speak Italian as his native language. She is Francisco’s wife with whom she shares a child together within the marriage.

Do you want to know more about Jen and her family? Follow me! And you won’t miss anything.

[moorheadthanyoucanhandle]

FEEL THE BERNSTEIN

Now in the multiplexes; opening December 20 on Netflix:

Maestro--Bradley Cooper's imitation of Leonard Bernstein conducting is uncanny. Cooper captures Bernstein's histrionic, self-dramatizing, ecstatic style perfectly, and gets across how he used his gestures and facial expressions and body language not just to lead his musicians through a score but to tease the interpretation and intensity he wanted out of them.

The conducting scenes in this film, directed by Cooper from a script he wrote with Josh Singer, also suggest that the podium gave Bernstein a sense of liberation which he may have known in few other areas of his life. Cooper's performance, in general but particularly in these passages--especially a lengthy recreation of a celebrated performance of Mahler's "Resurrection Symphony"--is luminous.

I'll admit that it's taken me a while to come around where Bradley Cooper is concerned. But after A Star is Born and Nightmare Alley it was impossible to deny both his talent and the intelligence and heart with which he deploys it. Aided here by Kazu Hiro's amazing (and laughably controversial) prosthetic makeup, he gets across the conductor's mix of authority, of self-conscious, performative sophistication and of boyish wonder, and makes you see what made him beloved, both publicly and by his friends and family. You see what made him difficult, too.

Very wisely, Cooper chooses not to direct in the same florid manner that Bernstein conducted. Despite some flashy transitions, most of Maestro unfolds in long, sustained takes, beautifully shot by Matthew Libatique from a discreet distance; we're made almost into eavesdroppers at times. This directorial reserve balances the extravagant acting superbly.

The movie isn't a conventional biopic; there are no explanatory dates or places onscreen, no follow-up summary at the end, and only incidentally does it trace Bernstein's career highlights. The focus is on the relationship between Bernstein and the Costa Rican-born stage actress Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan), who married him in 1951. The other characters, though well-drawn and convincingly played--Sarah Silverman is a good fit as Bernstein's sister Shirley--are decidedly subordinate to the leads.

According to the film, Montealegre was well aware, going in, that Bernstein was a gay man (though his affairs were not exclusively same-sex even before she came along). "Let's give it a whirl," she says breezily to him toward the beginning, and you think, uh-oh.

On the whole, they don't seem to have done too badly; they had three lovely kids, sensational careers, countless friends, and they seem to have profoundly loved each other. But entering into a marriage with somebody of uncongenial sexuality cannot come without turbulence, and this can only be compounded when they're a titanic cultural legend.

It's possible that even the movie itself succumbs to this, a little. With her brittle yet mirthful, keenly observant, wholeheartedly engaged line readings, Mulligan is marvelous; the spine and centering force of the movie (she's top-billed in the credits, even over Cooper). But we learn far less of Montealegre's remarkable career or her activism than we do about Bernstein. The movie sees her in relation to him, and doesn't always make clear how formidable she was in her own right, not just within the marriage but in the world at large.  Even when part of the point of the movie is the perils of putting yourself in the shadow of a legend, the person at the podium tends to get the attention.

[my-efl-blog]

My Language Learning Journey

Hello! I'm Jay, the owner of this blog. I'm an EFL teacher, currently getting a Master’s in SLA-TESOL (if you don't know what that is, make sure to check out my handy Glossary Post. It has all of the definitions of the various acronyms and specialized vocabulary of this profession, because nothing says inclusion and diversity more than locking people out of your profession with impenetrable piles of obscure acronyms.) BTW, Jay is a pseudonym, and if you find any information on this blog that you think you could trace back to my real name . . . don’t? That’s super weird why would you do that? Don’t do that.

The Beginning

I was born and raised in various small towns in the Midwest of the United States. My parents are monolingual English speakers, and their parents are monolingual English speakers, but nonetheless I discovered my love for learning languages at a very young age. In elementary school, my dad taught me how to count to 20 in Spanish, and my mom taught me the alphabet in sign language, and after that I was hooked. Unfortunately, I went to elementary school in a very rural community with no access to language classes until high school.

Luckily, my parents’ various marriages , divorces, and remarriages resulted in my family moving to a small city, which allowed me to get into a specialized gifted program, which meant that I got to start learning Spanish in 7th grade. I absolutely loved my Spanish classes; I adored learning new ways to express myself, and as an avid reader I had access to a lot of the Latinate vocabulary that was associated with Spanish cognates, allowing me to quickly pick up the meaning of unfamiliar words.

I was always a good student, but in my highly specialized middle and high school programs I was never the best student in any class – except for Spanish. My Spanish teacher was amazing; all of her students moaned that even if they hated her class, they always ended up learning something. I never hated her class. She was actually the ACTFL president while I was in high school, and the year that I was a TA in one of her classes I learned a lot about how to structure a class so that students get the most out of their language learning experience – I credit her with a lot of my teaching instincts, because they were trained up under her experienced tutelage.

My Spanish teacher also invited me on a 2-week study abroad course in Costa Rica one summer. This was my first time leaving the country. I lived with a host family and studied at a local Spanish center in Alajuela, and we went on a few excursions to famous Costa Rican tourist attractions. It was the most magical experience of my life so far. I needed to get back there.

Around the time that the new Star Trek movies started coming out, I encountered a post on Live Journal explaining what xenolinguistics was, what linguistics was, and how that could be applied to the characterization of Uhura in the series. I fell in love with the field, I tried to learn as much about it as I could throughout high school, and I was determined to study it in university. So I did.

University

My university emphasized studying anything that you found joy in, so on top of linguistics, I also pursued Gender Studies and Spanish classes, which led to my 4 majors: Linguistics, Latin American Studies, Spanish and Portuguese Studies, and the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality. The courses I took for these majors, of course, also greatly influenced my teaching instincts and philosophy. (Personal Anecdote Tangent Time: in one of my first university Spanish classes, there was an assignment with every unit that required us to record ourselves in the language lab as a speaking exercise. I could not do this. Recording myself gave me horrific panic attacks as I listened back and deleted and listened back and re-recorded until I was crying in the language lab for every unit. I broke down and told my teacher, and she allowed me to do the speaking exercises with her during her office hours. This was absolutely a formative experience, and it informs my choice to attempt to always allow my students to complete alternative assignments: as long as they are showing me that they can accomplish the task, the specifics are less important.)

I studied abroad for one semester in university, at a national university in Costa Rica. I was determined to return, and I did. I took classes in linguistics and classes in literature, I made zero friends, and I spent most of my time either in class or in my room. I loved it. It was the first time in my life that I had ever felt truly happy and at peace. I don’t know that my language level improved very much, as I was already at a C1 level, but I enjoyed myself immensely. I will go back again, one day.

While in university, I also took a semester and a half of Portuguese and half a semester of ASL. The Portuguese class was specifically designed for Spanish speakers, and as such the students could be divided into three groups: those of us who were originally English speakers who had had to learn Spanish, those who were originally Spanish speakers who had learned English, and bilingual Spanish-English students. This resulted in an interesting class dynamic: English speakers who had to learn Spanish as a second language were much more familiar with the grammatical rules of Spanish and were thus more able to understand the descriptions of the Portuguese grammar rules, as the languages are very similar. The Spanish speakers who had studied English were more competent language learners, as they were studying in English at an English speaking university, and thus had in general attained a higher level of second language proficiency; they also had a much more intuitive grasp of what “sounded right” in Portuguese, though they were more likely to fall for false cognates. The Spanish-English bilinguals, on the anatomically improbable third hand, also had a great intuitive grasp of Portuguese but had never experienced studying either English or Spanish in the classroom, so the whole experience was new for them. This was one of my first experiences with differentiated instruction in a language classroom, and although I have yet to accomplish DI to the same level as this teacher, I do try to replicate some of her techniques.

EFL Teaching

After I graduated from university, I decided that I needed to finally learn a non-Indo-European language. I also needed a job. I found out about teaching English abroad and decided that I wanted to give it a go. I found a company that offered one-month TEFL certificates in Cambodia with guaranteed placement in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Vietnamese is a non-Indo-European language with tones and classifiers that is written in the Latin alphabet. Perfect. I moved to Cambodia.

I don't remember learning very much about TESOL in this TEFL certificate course. There are many reasons for this: the company was undergoing reorganization due to their main instructor’s recent illness, there were only four students in our course, and unfortunately a lot of teaching and classroom management is simply really hard to learn until you are in the classroom as a teacher doing the work. Most of the lessons were about the English language (vocabulary, grammar, etc.) and were thus focused predominantly on things that I was already aware of as a linguist. Because of my extensive language learning experience in my Spanish and Portuguese classes, I had already encountered a lot of the strategies for teaching the four skills, functional language, etc. What I did learn was a lot more life skills than language teaching skills: I learned that I could survive in a country where I didn't speak the language, couldn’t read the street signs, and had no personal connections. This has served me well in my travels – I’m not afraid of just moving to a new place and trying new things.

Because I was planning on getting a placement in Vietnam, for the last week of the course, the company hired a Vietnamese teacher for me. This is when I learned another life lesson, one that I am still trying to work on. On the first few days, I would ask him questions about the language, and I was not satisfied with his replies. For example, when I asked what letter the tone markers should go on, he could not answer. “They just go over the word,” he would say, “they don't need to go over a certain letter.” I decided he had no idea what he was talking about. Now, as someone who speaks intermediate Vietnamese, I also have absolutely no clue what letter the tone markers are supposed to go over. They just go over the word. He was right. I tend to make (often negative) assumptions about a teacher’s ability if they’re not very knowledgeable about specific linguistic information, but I try now to remember that not every good language teacher is a trained scientist, and that knowing how to teach a language is equally important.

I moved to Vietnam. I had emailed one company, one of the top English centers in Saigon, and had scheduled an interview. I got on a bus from Phnom Penh to Saigon on Saturday. I interviewed on Monday. I taught a demo lesson on Wednesday. I observed a class on Friday. I started teaching on Saturday. For three or four months, I was teaching almost every day: one class in the evenings, and almost every class over the weekend, 7am-9pm. I loved it. It was a steep learning curve, but I enjoyed it so much. I didn't think I would like teaching children – I absolutely adored those kids. I didn't think I would like teaching adults – I still don't like teaching adults, but they're not that bad. I absolutely love teaching teenagers: I love getting students right at the time where their critical thinking skills are developing and helping them learn how to (productively) question the world around them.

My company offered Vietnamese classes for teachers; I took them for a few months, but I did not find them particularly useful. The teacher was a local EFL teacher with the company with no training in teaching Vietnamese. He did not know much about the rules of his own language, and it was evident when he walked into class. So eventually I found a Vietnamese language center which specialized in teaching Vietnamese to people working for consulates or multinational organizations, and I studied with them for around four years. I never achieved a level higher than intermediate, and I don't really regret that? My language learning goal, in general, is considerably different from the majority of people: I want to be able to think in a language; I want my internal monologue to be in a variety of languages, so my ability to communicate with others isn’t as high a priority as it would need to be to get to a higher level. I also view language learning as a hobby. I’m not as invested (Norton and Darvin, 2015) in Vietnamese, as I don’t gain any social capital from speaking Vietnamese in particular, and my future identity, my ideal future self (Dörnyei, 2005, 2009) isn’t necessarily fluent in Vietnamese.

Present Continuous as/and Future

After working and teaching in Vietnam for 5 years, I returned to the US (influenced in no small part by the COVID-19 pandemic, which ramped up in Vietnam in 2021). I got an online CELTA certificate in an absolutely grueling 10-week course, after which I was so burnt out on TESOL that I stopped teaching English for 10 months and became a math tutor. But my local university offered me a part-time teaching opportunity in Summer 2022, and after expressing that I would love to be paid more than a few bucks to teach with them in the future, they offered me a deal – they would pay for my MA in SLA-TESOL, during which time I would teach in their EAP program, and in return I would move to China after graduation and teach for some time in one of their partner programs. I am not the kind of person who turns down a free master’s degree with a guaranteed job placement, so here I am.

I am currently learning Chinese on Duolingo because all of my university’s Intro Chinese courses are taught while I’m teaching English. I’m also learning ASL on an app (Lingvano), and I have plans to start learning Cherokee in the spring (my mom’s family is Cherokee, and she desperately wants me to learn; in another life, I may have become a language revitalization expert in Oklahoma instead of an EFL teacher in Asia). I’m in my second semester of my master’s program, and hopefully with this project I will pass my classes well enough to receive my degree and continue on with my journey.

My ultimate goal is to continue learning languages around the world, and teaching English is a means to that end. Language learning is my passion; I love teaching, and I enjoy the complex socio-political issues that are inherently involved in spreading English around the world, but I admit that I am a bit mercenary in my intents. I will eventually move back to Costa Rica, perfect my Spanish, and learn LESCO (Costa Rican Sign Language), but I want to explore the rest of the world before I do that.

[michel-tanguy]

New Post has been published on Michel Tanguy

New Post has been published on http://micheltanguy.com/lovefort-evaluations-read-customer-support-reviews-of-lovefort-com-2-of-three/

Lovefort Evaluations Read Customer Support Reviews Of Lovefort Com 2 Of Three

Content

Shopping For An Asian Star of the wedding: The Worth Of Off-line Courting

Finest Worldwide Relationship Websites To Find Russian Ladies

Lovefort Is Actual Or Fake?

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[sasa-chans-random-history]

January 04

[1643] Isaac Newton, English physicist, mathematician, and astronomer, born in Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, England.

[1785] Jacob Grimm, German philologist, folklorist, and editor of "Grimm's Fairy Tales", born in Hanau, Germany.

[1809] Louis Braille, French educator and inventor of a system of reading and writing for the blind, born in Coupvray, France.

[1905] Sterling Holloway, American actor, born in Cedartown, Georgia.

[1914] Mohammed Zahir Shah, last King of Afghanistan (1933-73), born in Kabul, Afghanistan.

[1939] Jens Jørgen Hansen, Danish football right back, born in Stuer, Denmark.

[1949] Mick Mills, English football player and manager (Stoke City, Colchester United, Birmingham City), born in Godalming, United Kingdom.

[1953] Norberto Alonso, Argentine football midfielder, born in Vicente López, Argentina.

[1969] Kees van Wonderen, Dutch football player and manager (Heerenveen), born in Bergen, Netherlands.

[1980] Miguel Monteiro, Portuguese football right back, born in Lisbon, Portugal.

[1982] Paulo Ferrari, Argentine football right back and manager (San Martín de San Juan), born in Rosario, Argentina.

[1982] Richard Logan, English footballer, born in Bury St Edmunds, United Kingdom.

[1986] James Milner, English football midfielder, born in Wortley, Leeds, United Kingdom.

[1990] Toni Kroos, German football midfielder, born in Greifswald, Germany.

[2005] Dafne Keen, British-Spanish actress, born in Madrid, Spain.

[1248] Sancho II, King of Portugal (1223-47), dies at 41.

[1465] Charles, duc d'Orléans, French Duke and poet, died.

[1821] St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, first native-born American to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church, died.

[1825] Ferdinand I, King of Sicily/Naples (Ferdinand IV), dies at 73.

[1926] Margherita of Savoy, Queen Consort of the Kingdom of Italy by marriage to Umberto I (1878-1900), dies at 74.

[1953] Prince Yasuhito Chichibu, brother of Emperor Showa, dies at 50.

[1965] T.S. Eliot, American-born British poet and Nobel laureate (1948), dies in London at 76.

[2011] Coen Moulijn, Dutch football winger, dies from a cerebral infarction at 73.

[2013] Derek Kevan, English footballer, dies at 77.

[2020] Herbert Binkert, German football striker, dies at 96.

[2020] Walter Ormeño, Peruvian football goalkeeper, dies at 93.

[2021] Tanya Roberts (Victoria Blum), American actress, dies of sepsis at 71.

[2022] Anatoliy Kuksov, Ukrainian football midfielder and manager (Hirnyk Rovenky), dies at 72.

[2022] Javier Astúa, Costa Rican football forward and manager (Puntarenas FC), dies at 53.

[queerasfact]

Happy International Lesbian Day, and shout-out to all our lesbian followers!

If you’re looking to learn some lesbian history to celebrate the day, check out our episodes on these wonderful women - it’s impossible to say for certain if all these women were lesbians, but they definitely have a place in our conversations about the history of women loving women!:

Anne Lister - 19th century English landowner who journalled the intimate details of her love affairs with women in Secret Lesbian Code.

Audre Lorde - self-described “Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet” who fought for women who, like her, were excluded from mainstream US feminism, whether because of class, race, sexuality, or disability.

Yoshiya Nobuko - prolific author whose popular works on friendships and romances between women made her the richest woman in Japan

St Brigid of Kildare - 5th-century abbess whose rejection of marriage and relationship with fellow nun Darlugdach has made her an inspiration to Irish queer women

Chavela Vargas - Costa-Rican-born musician who put a lesbian spin on traditional Mexican music

Bíawacheeitchish - a renowned warrior, and highly ranked Crow chief in the 19th century, who married four wives (note this image is of Barcheeampe, a possibly-fictional Crow woman who may have been inspired by Bíawacheeitchish - we sadly have no pictures of Bíawacheeitchish herself)

[Images: portrait of Anne Lister; photograph of Audre Lorde next to blackboard which reads “Women are powerful and dangerous”; Yoshiya Nobuko; stained glass window of St Brigid; Chavela Vargas singing on stage; line-drawing of Barcheeampe on a horse holding a spear]

[knifenymph]

has there been any clashes in culture between you and your partner? since you're from america initially :) thank you!

hi! definitely haha. my costa rican partner tells me that i am suuuper blunt lol which makes sense as i dont have the nuance of spanish as a first language. so sometimes i hurt his feelings unintentionally, especially because he's generally sensitive (cancer moon energy lol)

relationship milestones is also a big one! in the states, id say that the typical relationship timeline looks like 1ish year dating before moving in, 2ish years dating as minimum before proposal, 1ish year engaged, and then marriage – and not typically very young.

here in costa rica, the timeline looks like moving in together almost immediately after dating and getting married young within the first few months! he's so ridiculously in love and wants to get married and have lil curly haired kids with me like yesterday HAHA. he moved in with me around our 6 month mark and we'll soon be celebrating 11 months together in early feb. given that we're both young, im in no rush to get married haha but i love him with my eeeverythingggg hehe

animals! growing up in the states, i used to see having like 1-3 dogs as normal, and more as excessive. here, we already have 4 and he wants like 3 more HAHA + the cat we have, our 7 chickens, the rooster, and our 2 bunnies. but i also no longer live in the suburbs haha so it's definitely more understandable to have wild jungle pets lol. animals arent typically allowed in the house either - only our cat lives inside (though she poops n pees outside + hunts) and our puppy is allowed inside as she's small, but later on will be kept outside as well.

there are surely a few more culture clashes, but those are just a few! we fit each other quite well though 💗i get jealous about him sometimes when he jokes around but nowhere neaaar the normalized jealousy here, which he is grateful for. i also trust him a lot and am not worried when he goes out which is a change for him – he's used to partners that count down the minutes and are super controlling and possessive as thats the norm here.

[addictedtostorytelling]

Since we seem to be on a domesticity train, I suppose it's a good time for me to send in an ask that I've been procrastinating: do you think Grissom has taught Sara to cook during those six years? :D (I really am here just for the domesticity lmfao)

hi, @coping-via-clint-eastwood!

i think her cooking skills probably improve starting back when they first get together in s5 of the original show, tbh.

that said, i don't think it's so much that grissom gives her formal cooking lessons as it is that she'll just kind of be in the kitchen while he's cooking and picks up things by observing him and asking the occasional "how did you do that?" question.

even just moving in together is probably helpful to her culinary development, as grissom actually owns things like a full set of cookware, measuring spoons, a colander, whisks, peelers, a zester, tongs, etc. and keeps an array of base ingredients (oils, spices, flour, rice, beans, cooking wines, etc.) on hand so that he can cook from scratch whenever he wants to whereas she'd been using the same burned-out skillet and dented saucepan since grad school and had more condiments in her fridge than staples in her cupboards.

just having access to "the right tools for the right job" for the first time in her life likely helps her immensely.

of course, they undoubtedly pare down a bit when they're living on the boat, but still: they have the essentials, which is more than sara could say during her bachelorette days.

i also think that while sara is much more comfortable around a stove now than she was back in the day, she still wouldn't consider herself a chef (or even a cook) by any means—like, she can make a simple stir fry or pasta dish, but she's not going to attempt a recipe that has more than ten steps and baking is a flat-out no-go. she's competent but by no means an expert, you know?

of course, even with her improved culinary skillset, i still think that grissom does about 80% of the cooking in their marriage, as a) he actually enjoys it, and, b) it's kind of a love language for him.

sometimes love is flying 3,370 miles to reunite in a costa rican jungle; sometimes love is a vegan lasagna.

that doesn't necessarily mean that grissom cooks every meal by himself but more that he'll take the main dish while sara handles the side.

he's constantly learning new recipes to impress her with and has become a really damn good vegetarian cook (and baker!) over time.

[ceekbee]

Xtra Thoughts

January 3

Serenity isn’t freedom from the storm; it is peace within the storm.

–unknown

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.

–Buddha (B.C. 568-488)

“The more you invest in a marriage, the more valuable it becomes.”

–Amy Grant

Envy shoots at others and wounds herself.

–Costa Rican Proverb

If you dig a grave for others, you might fall into it yourself.

–Irish Proverb

I embrace the beauty of life, and depend deeply upon God.

–Shelley

[thezodiaczone]

Gemini Compatibility

GEMINI + ARIES (MARCH 21 - APRIL 19) ♥♥♥♥ You're two high-strung, passionate Fire signs who both like to be the Alpha dominant. As such, you'll need to toss the hot potato back and forth, submitting to the other's rule—at times through gritted teeth. Acquiescence may not come naturally, but it builds a necessary trust. Aries is a paradox: you're the zodiac's infant (its first sign) and its gallant hero (you're ruled by warrior Mars). You want to save the world and be saved at the same time. You'll need to occasionally allow yourself to play wounded knight or damsel in distress, and let your mate charge to your rescue. However, don't spiral into neurotic helplessness or analysis paralysis. Nobody can beat a topic to death quite like you can—but that's what therapists are for, Aries. Neither one of you can be saddled with the emotional care and feeding of an adult baby. You're too independent for that. When your problems gain too much mental gravitas, it's time to move—literally. Disperse your Martian angst and anger with lots of physical exertion. As fellow adventurers, you travel well together. Try snowboarding, exotic bike tours, Costa Rican rainforest expeditions. Passionate sex is another antidote to prickly feelings for your high-touch sign. Like Aries Hugh Hefner, you have a champion libido (and an awesome sense of entitlement). Some Aries couples may mutually agree to flex the terms of your monogamy, although the jealousy it stirs might not be worth the trouble.

GEMINI + TAURUS (APRIL 20 - MAY 20) The stubborn Bull locks horns with the willful Ram, nostrils flaring, heads bowed in determination. So begins a fierce but fiery courtship, as splashy and menacing as a Pamplona stampede. Aggression, however uncivilized, is part our Darwinian natures. It certainly is for your signs—who possess an arsenal of steamrolling tactics, from doe-eyed charm to old-fashioned philistine strong-arming. No weak-willed mate will survive your natural selection process. Nor should he. Neither one of you feels safe in the arms of a mate who can't protect you. Thus, your initial faceoff is simply a warning shot: Show me your strength so I can trust you. Once the fanfare is over, you make a great team—like British pop royalty Victoria (Aries) and David (Taurus) Beckham.

As tight as two mafiosos, you like to dress up and flaunt your natural superiority over the rest of the animal kingdom. The deal is sweet for both of you. Taurus gets an attractive show pony and a lusty mate to satisfy his Earthy libido. Aries has a lifelong provider and benefactor to supply creative freedom and endless playtime. Issues can arise if Taurus grows too possessive or tries to tame independent Aries. Indulgent Taurus will need to remain active to keep pace with the energetic Ram (read: lay off the nightly steak frites and vino). You both crave attention, but don't go looking for it outside the relationship, unless you want a real showdown. Like two tots in a nursery, you share a favorite word: Mine!

GEMINI + GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUNE 20) We'll spare you the joke about there being four people in this relationship, mainly because it's an understatement. Like twin kaleidoscopes, you're each a fractal pinwheel of personalities that re-pattern at the slightest twist. Good news: versatility is a virtue in Gemini-land. Monogamy, not always easy for your restless sign, becomes a non-issue when your mate embodies more personas than Sybil. Dyed-in-the-wool dilettantes, you never run out of things to discuss. Clever Gemini rules communication: your ideas come fast and furious, and you love to debate. Intellectual tussling is a turn-on, although you must take care not to talk over each other. Remind yourself: listening skills are just as important as a well-crafted sentence. The pop psychology technique of "mirroring" (listening, then reflecting back your mate's communication) can be shockingly effective. Your main challenge is making time for each other, since you're both forever juggling any number of jobs, businesses, classes, hobbies, social circles and whatnot. Gemini is a collector; your home can resemble a natural disaster zone, piled to the rafters with books, newspapers, DVD sets from your favorite screenwriter, old-school vinyl, vintage costume jewelry. Forget couples' counseling: a cleaning service or storage unit can save this marriage. (Thank God for the Internet and YouTube.) With your wonder-twin powers, you can start a creative business together. Just make sure to hire a team of Earth or Water signs who can finish what you start, since you'll both leave a trail of loose ends. Light the spark, and let others keep the flame.

GEMINI + CANCER (JUNE 21 - JULY 22) Cancer is an emotional Water sign who loves to nest and bond; Gemini is a restless Air sign who prefers intellect over sentiment. You have similar interests, different temperaments. In many cases, this works out anyway. You both adore culture, the more obscure the better. You love to discover new bands, read novels by controversial authors, gorge yourselves at the jewel of a restaurant tucked into an undiscovered neighborhood. You bond over TV shows and bargain-hunting for treasures (you both have a thrifty streak). No flea market, tag sale or eBay store is safe from your scouring, and your home can resemble a bizarre gallery of antiques and modern gadgetry. The tricky part is when you lapse into astrological auto-pilot. Cancer is the zodiac's mother, who heaps on affection, nurturing and well-intended care. To Gemini, this can feel like clinginess and smothering. Gemini is the zodiac's fickle tween, waffling between bouts of dependence and asserting autonomy. There will be moments when Gemini greedily laps up Cancer's doting, and others when mama bird is roughly pushed away with a sarcastic, heart-piercing insult. Cancer must work hard not to take these moments personally—otherwise, the Crab lashes back with a below-the-belt barb, and it turns ugly. Remember, Crabcake: it's not you that Gemini is rejecting, it's your overprotection. Get a pet to dote on instead. Gemini needs space, Cancer needs reassurance. Memorize this formula.

GEMINI + LEO (JULY 23 - AUGUST 22) ♥♥♥♥ You make great friends, since you both love to gab about everything from the Times to the tabloids, Ferragamo to flea markets. Conversations are fever-pitched and fascinating; you're both well-versed culture hounds. Romantically, the temperature may be tepid, though. Leo is a Fire sign ruled by the blazing Sun—the regal Lion wants to be consumed by passion, heat, devotion, attention. Gemini is an Air sign driven by speedy, information-gathering Mercury. Listening to The Leo Monologues, which span from political diatribes to emotional melodramas, is sheer torture. When Gemini dares to interrupt the King or Queen, suggesting that s/he actually GET TO THE POINT, hell breaks loose. Leo must learn to take Gemini's tough love and unvarnished feedback in stride, not as an ego assault. Unconventional Gem should assent to traditional romantic gestures: red roses, the Tiffany bauble du jour. Learn to adapt. Gemini rules the hands, and will need to put them on affection-hungry Leo more often, since the Lion is greatly reassured by touch. And yes, as an Air sign, Gemini will need to blow a little smoke you-know-where; Leo can be a nightmare without regular doses of praise. Gush and flatter—it won't be the first insincere thing to pass through Gemini's lips. Leo should keep a battery of patient friends on speed dial. Gemini may have multiple personalities, but as a romantic partner, s/he can't be your de facto shrink, psychic hotline, career coach, parent and social director. Spread the demands around.

GEMINI + VIRGO (AUGUST 23 - SEPTEMBER 22) Gemini and Virgo share a common ruler: speedy Mercury, who zips around the Sun gathering light and information, then disseminating it to the masses. You're both natural communicators with a thousand ideas and opinions. Romance is a cerebral affair for your intelligent signs. Conversations spark into lively debates; asking each other "What do you think?" is akin to foreplay. Although Virgo is a more staid Earth sign and Gemini is a breezy Air sign, you share a "mutable" quality. That means you're flexible, and you can adapt to each other's quirks. Good thing, since you each have a bevy of rigid, borderline obsessive-compulsive habits. (Virgo's can include folding underwear into identical, neat little squares; Gemini's usually involve hoarding, starting new hobbies or impulse shopping.) You both love control, though Gemini is loath to admit this, while Virgo flies the flag. At times, you may wrestle for dominance, a habit you'll need to overcome for this match to work. Virgo's nagging can take the wind out of Gemini's sails; Gemini's sketchily researched half-truths set off Virgo's trust alarm. But combine the depth of Virgo's cautious planning with the breadth of Gemini's boundless curiosity, and you've got the total package. You can make great parents, too, since your styles tend to complement and you'll divide up roles with ease. Gemini can help serious Virgo lighten up, and responsible Virgo can help ground the easily distracted Twin.

GEMINI + LIBRA (SEPTEMBER 23 - OCTOBER 22) ♥♥♥♥ You're compatible Air signs with silver tongues and gilded wings, a magical match indeed. Libra is a pretty pixie and Gemini is an impish sprite. Your meeting rouses the fairies and gnomes, stirring up mischief in your midst. You love to mingle and schmooze, and you'll chatter like two little tree monkeys, gabbing a mile a minute. But will the breathless excitement last? Getting past the superficial romance stage is the challenge. You're both so indecisive that nailing down a commitment is like catching moonbeams in a jar. That said, the illusionary quality of your relationship is a magic you both enjoy. It's when life becomes too real that you vanish in a pinch of enchanted dust. To make this last, you'll need to dip your toes into the murky morass of intimacy, then learn to swim. Money can become an issue between you, particularly the way you spend it. Gemini is ruled by intellectual Mercury, and would rather invest in college degrees, a film collection, enriching travel. Libra is governed by beauty and pleasure-loving Venus, and splashes out on art, couture, custom suits, spas. You'll need separate wings for Gemini's books and Libra's handbag or shoe collection. You have different approaches to romance, too. Libra loves a lengthy courtship with all the trimmings, but Gemini bristles at picking up too many tabs, especially with Libra's extravagant taste. You'll probably need to keep separate accounts to avoid meddling in each other's purchase habits. Cut up the credit cards, too—many happy relationships can be destroyed by debt. Don't let that happen to you.

GEMINI + SCORPIO (OCTOBER 23 - NOVEMBER 21) You live on completely different planes, which either turns you off or utterly fascinates you. Both of you are accustomed to reading people like flimsy comic books, then tossing them aside. Here, your X-ray vision fails to penetrate each other's psychic shields. Mutable Gemini is the shape-shifting Twin, home to a traveling cast of personalities. Intense Scorpio is shrouded in mystery and bottomless layers of complexity. Being baffled leaves you without the upper hand, but it also stokes your libido. You're piercingly smart signs who love a good puzzle—this is your romantic Rubik's cube. The challenge sets off sexual dynamite. You tease each other with cat-and-mouse evasions, neither of you making your attraction obvious. This prickles your insecurities, daring you to strive for the other's unbroken gaze. No two signs are as quietly obsessive as yours! There will be frustrating moments, too. You're both prone to depressive spells, and swing from giddiness to unreachable shutdown. Clever mind games edge on cruel or callow, breaking the trust that Scorpio needs. At times, airy Gemini may not be emotional or sensual enough for watery Scorpio; in turn, the Scorpion's emotional and physical passion can be overwhelming to Gemini. However, if you combine your strengths, you'll go far. Gemini is dilettante and a trivia collector who's always got a pocketful of creative ideas. Instinct-driven Scorpio rules details and research—this sign hones in like a laser and masters his chosen field. Whether it's starting a family or running a business, you can be an indefatigable team, with Gemini playing the rowdy ringmaster and Scorpio running the show from behind the scenes.

GEMINI + SAGITTARIUS (NOVEMBER 22 - DECEMBER 21) ♥♥♥♥ You're opposite signs that actually have much more in common than this label suggests. Gemini rules the so-called "lower mind": common sense, reasoning, facts, hard data and intellect. Sagittarius governs the "higher mind": wisdom, philosophy, consciousness, ethics, metaphysics. Together, you find sweet neurological nirvana. You're both restless adventurers who hunger for knowledge and experience. With Gemini's curiosity and Sag's nomadic nature, you get antsy in commitments unless there's a lot of excitement and variety. Boredom is simply not an option for your signs, and you're both involved in a billion projects. Scheduling issues are your biggest hurdle, but for true love, you allow nothing to interfere. Take globe-trotting Sagittarius Brad Pitt and Gemini Angelina Jolie, who traipse the continents with their ever-growing brood. As best friends and playmates, they make their own rules about love and family—and you will, too. Conventional coupling holds zero interest for your signs. Your main difference is in disposition. Air sign Gemini is cooler and distant compared to Sagittarius, harder to read emotionally. The fiery Archer has a hot temper and wears his heart on his sleeve. Still, you make each other laugh; you're both clever, entrepreneurial and quirky. You do best with a common goal that's a thousand times bigger than yourselves, and you'll dream up many. However, you may need Brangelina-sized paychecks to fund your lofty visions. Who has time to consider the bottom line when you're focused on reaching the top? Take time to consider the practicalities before leaping off the cliff. Knowing you, you'll jump anyway.

GEMINI + CAPRICORN (DECEMBER 22 - JANUARY 19) A metaphor for this match: a music producer combines a soulful 1970s classic (Capricorn) with funky electronic hooks (Gemini) and delivers a mashup that's either a mess or a chart-topping hit. You couldn't be any more different if you tried, yet you can really benefit from each other's natural resources. Gemini is ruled by speedy Mercury, the lightning-fast trickster who speaks in silver-tongued half truths. Capricorn's overlord is Saturn, the cautious, conservative planetary patriarch, who only trusts that which stands the test of time. Gemini is versatile and restless, like a fusebox with a million criss-crossed wires. Capricorn is the dutiful ox who carries the yoke and plows the field, rarely diverging from routine. While Capricorn's dogged consistency and family loyalty can frustrate Gemini ("How can you let these people walk all over you?" Gemini asks, referring to Cap's elderly parents), it also grounds the scattered Twins. Gemini is Capricorn's one-man circus, keeping the Goat amused and entertained, adding color to his monochromatic world. You both have a lusty, experimental side, too. The magic really appears when you get physical, which happens fast, since your sexual attraction is intense. In fact, Capricorn is one of the few signs that can spike Gemini's jealousy. There are so many people who rely on sturdy, supportive Cap, and Gemini doesn't like to compete for the spotlight. To make this work, Gemini will have to accept that Capricorn's loyalty extends to family and lifelong friends. Stoic Cap will need to show a little more emotion, since impish Gemini needs to know he can get under Capricorn's skin. It will take time to work out the kinks, but the erotic tet-a-tets will be worth the trouble.

GEMINI + AQUARIUS (JANUARY 20 - FEBRUARY 18) This match of compatible Air signs can feel a bit like high school romance—teasing, texting, movie dates with jumbo popcorn and licentious groping during the previews. You bring out each other's breezy, buoyant spirits, and that's a plus. You'll bond over TV shows, favorite sci-fi novels and superheroes, obscure philosophers, music. With your clever comebacks and verbal repartee, you could take a comedy act on the road. Although you can both be overly cerebral at times, you prefer laughter and light conversation to emotional melodrama. Eventually, though, you need to get out of the shallow end of the pool. Intimacy is a challenge for your signs. We're talking true intimacy—being caught with your pants down and no clue how to get them back up. Telling each other your entire life stories in monologue form (which could have happened on the first date) doesn't count. You must soldier through the post-infatuation "awkward phase," or you'll end up feeling like buddies. That would be a shame, as you can make excellent life partners and playmates. The biggie: you'll both need to give up fibs and lies—particularly lies of omission. You're excellent storytellers and politicos, gifted at crafting a spin to fit your agenda. However, the naked truth is the only way out of the Matrix. Though it may topple your PR-friendly public image, it's a necessary risk you must take to build the character and depth of a lasting commitment.

GEMINI + PISCES (FEBRUARY 19 - MARCH 20) You're both dual signs: Gemini is the Twins, and Pisces is symbolized by two Fish swimming in opposite directions. You're pop psychology's poster children for commitment-phobia. Are you in or are you out? It depends on the day, the mood, the cosmic alignment. Obviously, this is no way to run a relationship—but wait. Here's a golden chance to peer into love's looking glass and see your own shadowy Id mirrored back. Yes, your psyches and hang-ups are as bizarre as Alice's rabbit-hole tumble into Wonderland. Pisces, you really can be as needy, emotionally exhausting and manipulative as Gemini says. Gemini, you are indeed capable of being a double-talking, evasive ice-tyrant with a heart like polished marble. And…so what? If you can actually own your dark sides—which we all have—you're also capable of spreading tremendous light. You must negotiate your differences with transparent honesty, though. Pisces is an emotional Water sign; Gemini is an intellectual Air sign. Unless you balance the proportions, Gemini drowns in Pisces' undertow and the zodiac's Mermaid suffocates from breathing too much oxygen. Gemini must strive to connect emotionally, and Pisces will need to lighten up. Perennial dissatisfaction is also a killer. Don't say you want something, then refuse to be happy when your partner provides it. Gratitude is an intimate act: it requires you to acknowledge that your partner can reach you, a vulnerable place. Two words to save your relationship: "Thank you" and "You're right."

[biblionation]

The Reading Rush 2020: expectations vs. reality

Hey my darlings! I hope you’re doing well and you’re all safe during this pandemic.

This year I’ve started participating in readathons by my favorite booktubers. In May, I participated in the Tome Topple for the first time and I was so happy to actually finish an 800-page book in that readathon (I read The Priory of the Orange Tree and I LOVED it!). 

Now I’m participating in the Reading Rush 2020 (formerly known as the Booktubeathon), which runs from July 20th until the 26th. And I wanted to share how I’ve been doing with this readathon.

This was my original TBR:

Read a book with a cover that matches the colour of your birth stone: I planned to read a Costa Rican historical graphic novel called “Puerta Langosta”, because it has tons of turquoise in its cover.

Read a book that starts with the word “The”: The Marriage Game, one of my most expected romance new releases of 2020. 

Read a book that inspired a movie you’ve already seen: I have the perfect book for this, The Golden Compass (I watched the 2007 movie, but I haven’t read the books). 

Read the first book you touch: I closed my eyes and picked one from a small pile I recently bought and I got “Love in a Fallen City” by Eileen Chang, one of the most important Chinese authors from the 20th Century. 

Read a book completely outside of your house: I’m probably gonna  skip this one. 

Read a book in a genre that you’ve always wanted to read more of: I’m always saying I want to read more classics, short stories or memoirs. Some possible books for this challenge are: Sanditon by Jane Austen; “The Dangers of Smoking in Bed” by Mariana Enriquez (horror short stories by an Argentinian author, she’s BRILLIANT, you need check her out); The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis, Becoming, I Am Malala, Hunger, Men We Reaped, Eloquent Rage, Open Season. 

Read a book that takes place on a different continent than where you live: I started Americanah a couple of weeks ago but I got a bit of a reading slump, so it’s the perfect book for this challenge.

This is how it’s actually been going:

My first book of the Reading Rush 2020 was “The Marriage Game”, which I'm counting this as challenges #1 and #2 (lol don't judge me); the cover looks like a light turquoise, right? 

My second book was “Love in a Fallen City”, my pick for challenge #4, but since I realized it fits challenge #7, I counted it as well. I live in Costa Rica and the book takes place in Hong Kong.

The last book I finished, “Hurricane Season” by Fernanda Melchor was a brutally brilliant short novel by a Mexican author, and the truth is I’ve always wanted to read more Latin American literature, so what the hell, I’m counting this for challenge #6. 

There you have it folks. I’m a cheating mess, but I actually don’t care because I’m just too happy participating in this readathon and completing some challenges. I know people go all out and try to read 7 books in 7 days, but I have a full time job, so it would be extremely hard to complete that many books in one week.

So, with all my cheating lol now technically I only have challenge #3 left with The Golden Compass, which I DEFINITELY need to complete during the weekend. Wish me luck.

Have you participated in the Reading Rush? If you are, what are you currently reading? Let me know!

[latte-fairytaekwoon]

Hey how much do you like coffee? Because we Costa Ricans are one of the best coffee productions in the world. I could be your personal coffee maker who cooks, cleans, gives cuddles, supplies you with kitties, and fulfill all your darkest fantasies. I can even throw in the guarantee of murder, but only after 21 days of marriage. - Venus 💙

I don't drink coffee that often, but when I do I like simple vanilla lattes. That's all I want, preferably a little heavy on the froth.

Now.......imma need a little more information on fulfilling my darkest fantasies for research purposes 😏

[thebrewstorian]

This is the [incomplete] story of Oregon beer, part 2

This is the second part of the story of Oregon beer. 

Read This is the [incomplete] story of Oregon beer, part 1

This talk is based on an Oregon Encyclopedia article I wrote.

Last February I gave a talk at the Oregon Brewers Guild dinner. None of us knew what was ahead for public health, the economy, and social change. I love giving talks and will certainly repurpose this one, but for now, here are the slides and script with a few additions to reflect the pandemic shut down and updated screenshots from the beer guides.

https://guides.library.oregonstate.edu/beer_research

https://guides.library.oregonstate.edu/brewingarchives

In the spring of 1980, Charles and Shirley Coury, who had owned a vineyard for 13 years in Forest Grove, opened a brewery Portland. They called it Cartwright Brewing Company (Cartwright was Shirley’s maiden name) and their first offering was 150 cases of a mild, English-style ale called Cartwright Portland.

Coury found century-old beer beer-making recipes in “beautiful, old brewing textbooks” in the stacks of the Multnomah County Library. He also made Legal Lager and Deliverance Ale, the latter an attempt to raise money to keep the business open. The beer was nearly $1 per bottle, which was more than customers expected to pay; but the price point wasn’t the issue, the inconsistency was. Although Cartwright closed in 1981, it roused consumers’ appetite for a locally made, small-batch beer, but it also inspired the brewers who came a few years later.

The mid to late 1980s were an exciting time for Oregon Beer. 

Richard and Nancy Ponzi, also winemakers, opened Columbia River Brewing (later called BridgePort) and brothers Kurt and Rob opened Widmer Brewing (they added “Brothers” to the company’s name a few years later). Karl Ockert, a recent UC Davis graduate with a degree in winemaking, joined the Ponzis summer 1983 at their vineyard. He and Ponzi were interested in beer and began planning a brewery and portfolio of ales. One became their namesake: BridgePort Ale. Others followed: the award-winning BridgePort India Pale Ale, Blue Heron Pale Ale (named after Portland's official city bird), and a barley wine named "Old Knucklehead." BridgePort was acquired by The Gambrinus Company, owned by Carlos Alvarez, in 1995. Brewery operations ceased in February 2019, and the brew pub closed the next month.  

Kurt Widmer enjoyed homebrewing and full-flavored beer. After seeing Chuck Coury’s brewery he knew he had a chance at success. His brother quit his job, his father came out of retirement, and his sister in Germany joined as a partner. Their first beer was a Dusseldorf-style Alt and in 1986, they introduced their "Hefeweizen" to America. Rather than a traditional Hefeweizen characterized by distinctive yeast flavors, this was an unfiltered version of their existing wheat beer (Weizenbier) and used Cascade hops. They served it with a slice of lemon to accentuate the citrus flavors of the Cascade hops. In 2007, Redhook Ale Brewery and Widmer Brothers merged to form a new company called Craft Brewers Alliance, which was later renamed as Craft Brew Alliance. In January 2019, Widmer Brothers Brewing closed its taproom after 22 years. In November, 2019 Anheuser-Busch purchased the remainder of CBA.

Fred Bowman started homebrewing after receiving a “How To” guide from high school friend Jim Goodwin, who was also a talented jazz musician. They brewed test batches in Bowman’s basement and were soon joined by high school friend Art Larrance. In 1984, Bowman and Larrance had a franchise agreement for Portland Brewing Company to produce Bert Grant’s Scottish Ale and Russian Imperial Stout and had leased the 58-year-old Holly Farms creamery building in Portland, but they needed more money before they could open. The two raised $125,000 with a common stock offering and leased equipment from Imperial Leading in Lake Oswego. “Mac” MacTarnahan invested $25,000 and in 1992 they named MacTarnahan’s Pale Ale after him; it became the Portland Brewing’s flagship brew. By 1998 the company was in financial trouble, and that year MacTarnahan bought $3.5 million in debt in exchange for stock. Portland Brewing Company merged with Saxer Brewing Company of Lake Oswego in 2000. In 2004, MacTarnahan, then 88 years old, sold the company to Pyramid Breweries of Seattle. In 2008, Pyramid was acquired by Magic Hat Brewing Company, which was subsequently bought by North American Breweries and then by the Costa Rican company Florida Ice & Farm Company.

McMenamins is famous for brewpubs, music, and hotels. Many of their locations are in rehabilitated historical properties and at last nine are on the National Register of Historic Places. McMenamins was founded by brothers Mike and Brian McMenamin, who grew up in northeast Portland, Oregon. Their influence began in 1974 with the opening of Produce Row Café, which soon made a name as one of Portland's first bars devoted to quality imports and craft beer. Don Younger’s Horse Brass Pub, which opened in 1976, was also an essential component in increasing consumer access and awareness of imported and local beer, as well as provided a community space to share beer experiences. In 1985, the McMenamins opened Oregon’s first brewpub in the Southwest Portland neighborhood of Hillsdale with brew master Carlos Santos. They didn’t adhere to a style and their beers were often unsettling to brewing traditionalists; they used ingredients like blackberries, apples, blueberries, spices, and candy bars. Their first theater pub, and the first in Oregon, was the Mission Theater & Pub (1987). The company then entered the broader hospitality business starting in 1990, when they converted a 74-acre site (that at one time served as the Multnomah County Poor Farm) into McMenamins Edgefield.

One major event that impacted the trajectory of the beer industry in Oregon in the 1980s was legislation that married production and sales. 

Before 1985, brewpubs were essentially illegal in Oregon. The state’s post-Prohibition laws said alcohol manufacture and retail could not occur on the same premises; instead, breweries had to work with a third-party distributor to add taps and sell their product. Bowman, Larrance, the Ponzis, the Widmers, and the McMenamin were instrumental in lobbying to legalize the marriage of production and on-site sales. 

In early 1985 House Bill 2284 proposed a brewery-public house license that would allow the brewing and selling of malt beverages at the same location; however, wholesale beer suppliers feared new brewpubs would cut into business and launched a counter campaign. On May 9, 1985 HB 2284 was tabled and died. The second bill, SB 813, proposed a bed and breakfast license to permit the sale of beer and wine, as well as a brewery-public house license for manufacturers producing less than 25,000 barrels of malt beverage. On July 13, 1985, Governor Vic Atiyeh signed Senate Bill 813, the “Brewpub Bill,” into law. It allowed brewers to make and sell beer on the same premises, key for increasing revenue and gaining new customers.

Although growth over the next 10 years was slow, throughout the 1980s, four other breweries opened in other parts of the state: Full Sail Brewing (Hood River) and Oregon Trail Brewery (Corvallis) in 1987, and Deschutes Brewery (Bend) and Rogue Ales (originally in Ashland) in 1988. Portland has always had the largest concentration of breweries and Central Oregon has seen exceptional growth, but breweries have opened in new areas to attract diverse consumers. Examples include Calapooia (1993, Albany), Cascade Lakes Brewing Company (1994, Redmond), Terminal Gravity (1996, Enterprise), Barley Brown’s (1998, Baker City), Walkabout Brewing (1997, Medford), Ninkasi (2006, Eugene), Fort George (2007, Astoria), and Block 15 (2008, Corvallis).

A maturing industry needed skilled brewers and since its establishment in 1995, Oregon State University’s Fermentation Science program in the Food Science and Technology department has led brewer education. Homebrew clubs and organizations around Oregon have also provided training for future professionals. Founded in Portland in 1979, the Oregon Brew Crew is one of the oldest and largest home brewing clubs in the United States; it is appropriate that their meetings are held at F.H. Steinbart, a homebrew shop founded in 1918 and the oldest in the country. Other pioneering clubs include the Heart of the Valley Homebrewers (1982, Corvallis) and the Cascade Brewers Society (1982, Eugene).

The Oregon Brewers Guild fills an important role as a non-profit advocate for the state’s breweries; founded in 1992, it is one of the nation's oldest craft brewer associations. Two other important organizations to support increased gender equity in brewing started in Oregon. The Pink Boots Society was founded in 2007 by Teri Fahrendorf, former brewmaster at Steelhead Brewing in Eugene, as a professional organization to support women in the brewing industries. In 2011, Pink Boots members created Barley’s Angels as an educational community for consumers; it became its own organization in 2012.

In addition to more breweries to choose from, consumers had other ways to engage with beer. The Oregon Homebrew Festival, established in 1982, is the Pacific Northwest’s oldest homebrew competition; others followed, including the KLCC Brewfest Homebrew Competition and SheBrew. The Oregon Brewers Festival (established 1988) is one of the nation’s longest running and largest craft beer festivals; others throughout the state include the Portland Craft Beer Festival, the Festival of Dark Arts in Astoria, Bend Brewfest, and Mt. Angel's Oktoberfest.

The increasing popularity of homebrewing and accessibility of imported beers certainly had an impact on the preferences and palates of consumers, as did writing about beer in the public press. Fred Eckhardt was a well-known advocate, critic, educator, mentor, and historian, and his written work on beer and brewing encouraged generations of people to think about beer in new ways. Inspired by a 1972 visit to Anchor Steam Brewery, Eckhardt became an avid proponent of tasteful, complex craft brews. He urged people to focus on flavor, style, and experience in the Oregonian, and also wrote regular articles in national industry publications like Celebrator Beer News and All About Beer. He rose to prominence with his 1970 A Treatise on Lager Beers, a guide to homebrewing and the evolution of lager beer, and 1989 The Essentials of Beer Style. 

The Oregon Hops and Brewing Archives acquired his papers in 2015, and I feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to preserve and provide access to materials that document such important moments in this history.

In more recent years, as print publications have folded, blogs, podcasts, and news aggregate sites have dominated Oregon beer news and information. Reporting about the beer industry has changed a lot in the past year, and I am grateful that there are still web sites like New School Beer and Brewpublic, as well as notable journalists and authors like Jeff Alworth, Denny Conn, and John Abernathy reporting on local issues.

Electronic, paper, oral histories? I’m interested in collecting all the things that document the industry. In the last year we’ve added collections from the Oregon Brewers Guild, Widmer Brothers Brewing, the Pink Boots Society and Barleys Angels.

We have Fred Eckhardt’s papers, as well as Denny Conns and a collection of research materials from Pete Dunlop. Other collections include Master Brewers of America District Northwest Chapter Records, the Oregon Hop Growers Association, and scanned collections from both Fred Bowman and Art Larrance.

Find a list of all collections and oral histories on the OHBA guide. 

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