And Another...

But were the shoppers caught by surprise and caught in their tracks. It was nice to see so many who stopped to enjoy in all of the hustle and bustle that is holiday shopping.

Mery Christmas To You

I spotted this on a friends blog and since I love Coldplay, I share it with you here.



Merry Christmas to all of you and to your families. I love you to bits.

Christmas Humor

You gotta love this humor.
Who would have thought this up?
Who would have carried out the plan?
If you haven't noticed, look closely to the left.
One thing is for sure, it gets a lot of attention.
It caught mine.

In the Air Again

What do you notice about these pictures?

Well the first one is rather obvious.When have you been on a margarita plane?  It actually cheered me up when leaving Portland on a rather grey (or is it gray?) day. I am pretty sure I don't really care which way it's spelled. But they did not serve margaritas, d#$@'t.

But check out this next image.....let this just soak in.

There were just 26 of us on this plane and only 16 on the connecting flight. We had to sit in the back to balance the plane's weight. The stewardesses were not so busy and gave us a guided tour of our flight into California. I broke my #1 rule and did not have my camera in my purse right next to me and did not get images of the Three Sisters or Crater Lake from on high. So instead you get to see the backs of these peoples heads and how empty the flight was. LOL

Harry Potter

One of our family's last day of school traditions was to go to lunch and then to the book store to pick up some summer reading material. In 1999, Caite had just finished third grade and her choice was the second Harry Potter book. It seems that her teacher had read the first one out loud to the class. Since I had never heard of Harry Potter, she suggested I get the first book too so that I could understand the story. I did and it soon became a family favorite. We have all--that's all five us--read all seven of the books. On several occasions, Caite and I went to the local borders book store at midnight to pick up our copy. No we did not dress up in character...but maybe we should have. We have also all seen all of the films, many together. Twelve years of family fun. Thank you JKR for giving us Harry.

You gotta love this U-Tube trailer.

Icky Nicky

It poured down rain at Palm Desert on Saturday. Whaaaat is that about.

Sunday shined so we played golf on the Nicholas Private, better known as Icky Nicky. It is a tough course designed by Jack Nicholas. Here is just one of those icky holes...OMG!

Just what do you aim at? haha

11.11.11

What were you doing on this day?

Here is a pic of Rick and I playing golf at Indian Ridge. We were paired with the pro, Becky. What a treat. And just look at this view. Too bad you can't see the sky as it is true blue. Woo hoo!

Farewell, Steve Jobs

I always am especially sad when someone dies whose life is not yet fully lived. So it seems with Steve Jobs.  I offer this quote from a man who has truly changed our world.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

~ Steve Jobs

God Speed!

30 Good Years and 21 too!

On June 26, Rick and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. Where have all of those years gone? We dined at Metro Vino, a relatively new restaurant in the Pearl. It was a quiet Sunday evening and just perfect for us. I wish I had thought to have someone take our picture that eve but I didn't.

Not to be overshadowed by our daughter, who turned 21 the very next day. I remeber so well my OB/Gyn telling me not to have her on or anniversary if we ever wanted to celebrate that again. He was oh so right. LOL

Caite is away for the summer and so we waited a week to celebrate with her.. Portland City Grill, one of our favorites, was the venue of choice. Window tables with spectacular views of the city are the place to be and so we waited a tad bit longer.. We were not disappointed.

I did think to snap a photo of my girl. She's just so darn cute!  Awwwww.......

Happy birthday, Caite. Love you to bits.

Missing June

I have been on  a whirlwind effort  with house projects.

It all started when I had the cedar shake roof cleaned and stained.
That led to a serious need to power wash the deck. I started that project but have you ever noticed that men have a serious need to have power tools in their own hands. What starts with a "let me see that for a minute" ended with me quietly leaving the scene.One for me.

The next project was a powder room redo. It involved stripping wall paper, texturing and painting the walls and then replacing all of the fixtures. I had this work done by Tony, the painter, and Bob, the builder, two wonderful professional contractors.

Then I had the entire landscape in the front of the house removed and replaced.  I don't have before pictures but trust me, it was so overgrown it was scary. I would show you the after but it's raining today for what seems like the millionth day this month.

The next projects are 2 other household bathrooms. The one the kids used over the years has been totally gutted. The tub will be replace with a walk in shower. the vinyl floor with tile and all of the fixtures will be replaced. Parts of the basement bonus room bath are also being replaced. I am going with under mount sinks, CeasarStone counter tops, new fixtures, mirrors and wall paint.

Right now, I have nothing to show. The tear outs are complete and the work begins tomorrow. I can't wait.

I do promise to post photos of the completed projects. I am not big on the befores. They are what I am trying to forget.

Until then, here is something to look at...  Nice-a!

Piece of My Heart

We went to the play One Night with Janis at Portland Center Stage. It is the Janis Joplin story told from the concert stage. Cat Stephani plays Janis Joplin and if you didn't know better, you would think you were seeing Janis live. Stephani is spectacular. She can really belt a throaty, earthy, explosive tune. And, I loved the costumes. The audience sang along to Me and Bobby McGee but my favorite remains Piece of My Heart. Loved it, totally.

So on Mother's Day

I arose at 6:15 AM to drive Drew downtown to run the Cinco de Mayo half marathon. There is no place to put your license or cash or car keys so I was the designated depository.

Hamming it up at the start

I wandered around and treated the morning like a photo shoot, finding some interesting things: flowers blooming, interesting things in windows, graffiti and lots of people.

I heard the holler that the winner was coming and so I rushed to catch a glimpse. Drew was hoping to finish in 2 hours. The winner was estimated to have completed the race in one hour 20ish minutes. I held my place along the route and it wasn't too long before I saw a very red shirt coming my way.

He ended up finishing the race in 1 hour and 51 minutes and with a grin on his face. He doesn't even look like he's working hard.. Running entitled him to 2 beers (at 9:30 in the morning:) I got one of them. HA! We toasted him.

Who Is Ted or is it What...

I was directed to this site today. I have not been there before. This topic is both thought provoking and the film is beautiful. Sit back, give it a go and enjoy!

Should I Stay or Should I Go

Precisely the question at the Rose Garden on Saturday. Down 23 in the 3Q, the crowd was just not sure. After all it was 80ish outside. First time all year for that.

But then Marquis Man started riling up the crowd with "Get Louder" signs. And 6th man did. It was so loud, the players later said they couldn't even call plays to each other.

And then, YESSSSS, the BRoy we all love, began chipping away at the score. With 59 seconds left in the game, he shot the tying bucket and then just a tad later, the winning one. He single handedly left Dallas with their mouths hanging open. Portland went nuts. We love our Brandon.

Internet photo from the BlazerBlog

And in the end, we are glad we chose to stay...

Voices Lecture Finale for this Season

Last week, I had an opportunity to hear Isabella Rossellini speak. She is elegant and graceful. She related stories from her childhood, specifically what it was like being the child of famous parents, Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini. Then, she told stories of her children and what it was like for them, growing up with a mother who was the face of Lancome for 10 years. She is a powerhouse, working in big business and producing movies. She loves her work. It is her life. The people she meets through her work have made a profound impact on who she has become. In the end, we are not all that different. It seems to be that way for each of us.

The warmth of Isabella Rossellini made for a truly enjoyable evening.

What a View!

Rick and I were gifted with some amazing seats to the Blazers vs Spurs game. We were seated just two seats away from Mike and Mike, at the same table and right next to the replay screen they drag out when need be. Got the picture. This is floorside.

These men look big from this vantage point.I took these photos during the pregame warm up. What fun is this. The best was saved for last when Dre threw Batum the ball with nano seconds left on the clock for a dunk and 2 point win. You go, boys.

Love this one. I captured both balls falling through...

Good Day Sunshine...

It's been a long wet winter in Portland. Maybe that is just what we say this time every year when we have run out of sun shine in our memories. I received this comic today and it speaks volumes.

Ta-da...

 

Enjoy your sunshiny day, I hope!

And remember, comments or just a hello, are quite free.

Promise Me

I just finished reading a book titled Promise Me. It is the story of  Susan G. Komen and the foundation which takes her name. Susan's sister, Nancy G. Brinker is the author and for me it is powerful read. It's been awhile since I have had the opportunity to observe big business first hand. This book gave me a glimpse. I was astounded by what the love for a sister, whose life was cut short, could accomplish.

My favorite thought from the book describes the moment when First Lady Betty Ford  informed the press that she had breast cancer, not cancer or women's cancer but breast cancer. It was a conundrum for the press. Prior to this moment, the words were unprintable and unspeakable. Did she expect Walter Cronkite to discuss breasts on the evening news? Yes, she did.

 The author states: That moment was like a glimmer of light shining through a keyhole. And all it takes is  a keyhole to reveal that what looked like a wall is in fact a doorway.

Grab it and read it. You will be impressed.

Blackberry Bramble Scramble

Last Saturday, our neighborhood had it's first Bramble Pull. Several sections of the hood had long been neglected allowing the bramble to grow to 10 feet high in places. It was suffocating the natural vegetation and trees around it. Always short on funds, we chose to host a volunteer day. Amazingly more than 25 people participated and much progress was made. This is one team of truly exhausted people. Those young people carried their weight in well uh bramble...we couldn't have done it without them.

Living on the Light Side -- a different meaning

I just finished reading the book The 100 Thing Challenge by Dave Bruno. I would have linked the book title to Amazon but then the author's challenge to himself was to live for one year with fewer than 100 things. How could I really encourage anyone to buy the book. I got my copy from the library.

Dave Bruno's  purpose in living with so few things was to unhook himself from the intravenous drip of American consumerism. It's a good read though a very difficult task for most. I found myself trying to imagine how I could do this. I can't imagine it. I am pretty sure that I could not reduce my stuff to100 things even within a single category in many cases--clothing, fabric, books ...

One of his thoughts: "when is the moment we stop looking for something of value and start desiring something that we think will make us more valuable ourselves?"  It did give me pause, a chance to consider why I buy things and perhaps make a commitment not to go to the mall. LOL

Would you be able to take this challenge?

On another note, my son, Nick, celebrated his 24th birthday on February 17 and I was remiss to write about it here. He sent me this photo snapped by a newspaper in Asheville, NC, where he lives. He was running a 5K or a 10K. I'm not sure which. He could do the 100 Thing Challenge though he would probably have to buy some things to get to 100. He has not bought into American consumerism. 

You go, Nick, and happy birthday.

Living on the Light Side

The Wildly Funny Internet

So today, I tried to cancel a car reservation that I had made for next week. The original res was made with Orbitz via Alaska Airlines. The car rental was from Budget. Orbitz' cancel link did not work: "They are aware of the problem and will get to it shortly." Should I be grateful?

Next I tried dealing directly with Budget. I canceled the res in their system. I received a notification that I had successfully canceled the car I was to pick up in July, 2015 but needed to return by March, 2013. Oh, OK!
I'm not sure if I should worry until 2013 or 2015...

Just sayin'...

Here is a photo to soothe...

Traci Murphey Designs Blog Blitz

Whoa! Check out this new kit Ring It In by Traci Murphy Designs.

Isn't it just spectacular! You gotta love the colors, so useful for many

celebrations. And what about those masks. Makes you want to go to

Mardi Gras.

Traci gave me a copy of this kit and asked me to use it and write 

an independent review.

The first thing I look at when purchasing a new kit are the papers. 

Traci has included 23 beautiful hand distressed papers in Ring It In. 

I wanted to use as many as I could in my layout. I picked a template 

that would allow me to showcase the papers. I prefer simple layouts 

that help me tell my stories. This kit worked beautifully on many levels.

In addition to all of the papers, there are 10 elements and an alpha,

all sparkly and glittery. Ribbons and swirls and word art and frames...

It's all here.

Wouldn't this kit be amazing in hybrid projects too. I can imagine

making small boxes and bags and tags and...yeah that too. What about

printing a two sided paper so when folded, you get a totally different

view. Oh my!

I bet you wanna know more about Traci. Check her out here.

You can also find her:

At Her Store | On The Team | In The O Gallery |  On Facebook | On Twitter | Her Blog

Whew! She's a busy gal.

Did I mention that there is also a contest...
1. It's a Gallery Crawl: .Love Traci's designs? Ready to try a new designer?

Well keep reading for a chance to win a $20 gifty code to Traci's store.Visit

Traci's designer gallery - http://bit.ly/TraciMurphy-gallery. For every comment

you leave on a layout in the gallery, you'll receive one entry (one per layout) into

the drawing for the $20 gifty code to Traci's store. Deadline: All comments must

be left by 10 p.m. CST Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011. The prize will be awarded

using Random.org by Sunday, Feb. 13. We'll post the winner in Traci's welcome thread.

Here's the scoop:

1.) Grab a spot in this thread: http://bit.ly/TraciMurphy-welcome

2.) Go to the Traci Murphy's Designer Gallery - http://bit.ly/TraciMurphy-gallery -

and start leaving comments on layouts!

3.) After every comment - copy the link to that layout and paste it back in this thread -

http://bit.ly/TraciMurphy-welcome -  by editing your original post! Each post should

hold approximately 100 links before you need to create a new post to continue your

list. Please do not create a new post for each link.

We only ask one thing.....

Please do not copy & paste or leave one word comments (beautiful....gorgeous...

lovely). We want to make sure that the members are receiving genuine comments 

and love. Thanks for understanding!

Bonus - Bonus - Bonus
Earn a bonus entry into the random drawing for each blog you comment on, part of 

the blog blitz announcement. (One entry per blog).Start by leaving a comment  

right here, right now.

And then go grab Ring It In and scrap away.

1.11.11

This is even more fun to write...

I am taking a photography class called Picture Winter at Big Picture Classes, an online site.
My images are posted on my photography blog, Photoworks, under the Picture Winter page. See that choice just under the header and to the right of Home.

My favorite so far is this image. It's prompt is:
                All the Possibilities.                   

For a fiber artist, it speaks volumes.

1.1.11

OMG! I just had to write this. I totally love when the numbers allign.

I had to kiss my Caite good-bye today as she returns to college. For the rest of the first day of this new year, I spent un-decorating. I have company coming on Thursday and need to get Christmas put away. Finish it up, you know.

I am taking an on-line photography class called Picture This: Winter. I think if you can take decent photos in the winter, any other season is a piece of cake. We will see. At any rate, here is my first image. This is a Christmas camellia and is particularly spectacular when nothing else is thinking about blooming in my yard.

I hope your New Year is magnificent and becomes all that you hope it will be, with a few surprises thrown into the mix..