THIS AND THAT In Downtown Portland

 It has been awhile since I wrote so it's time to catch up.  What's happening in Portland?  Well........., not much.  Stores are still boarded up, restaurants are serving food outdoors, lipstick sales are down (no need with a mask) and mostly our lives continue to be unstimulating .........

However, life goes on and it's up to us to make our own fun so Roger continues to spend a lot of time painting and he has been successful in hanging some paintings in a Cannon Beach gallery. This gives us an excuse to travel to the coast at least once a month.  The latest exhibit was the theme of "Haystack Rock" so he entered several versions of his high relief mixed media paintings and the gallery owner was very excited about them.  That exhibit is now over but Roger has been invited to bring them back with others for a new showing.

SO, what am I doing? Cooking, mostly so that includes grocery shopping in four stores (because each has something unique), cooking, reading and enjoying lunch with my "uber elderly" lady friends.  (That is the new description for those of us over age 80).

My friend, Allison, and I have season tickets at Triangle Theater and the first show will be September 19th.  Proof of vaccination and masks are required and we're confident that we'll be safe because we are both vaccinated and we're very careful how we interact with others.  It's our first step towards "normalcy".

Another birthday just passed for me so age is slowly creeping into the 80s but, my brain still convinces me that I can still "do anything" so I give it my best.

My granddaughter welcomed a baby girl in April and my step-granddaughter just had a baby girl in August so we're thrilled to welcome two adorable little ones into the family.  

Life is good.................

CHANGING DOWNTOWN PORTLAND RESTAURANT SCENE

 

After finishing our reflexology session, Ann and I took the streetcar towards the center of town where we decided to find a place for lunch.  We were surprised to see that entire city blocks are now barricaded to make room for people to stroll and for restaurants to place tables on the street. 

Some streets allow one lane for vehicles but others are completely closed.  As we walked towards the corner where Jake's Crawfish, Zeus, Lardo, and Cheryl's are located, we found a couple of other new tiny cafes (one featuring a plant based menu).  It was like a giant party.  Even on a weekday afternoon, people were everywhere enjoying good food and beautiful weather

 

We chose Chery's for lunch.  They have an extensive outdoor dining area, as well as indoor facilities.  Ann had fish tacos and I ordered chicken fajitas.  My lunch was served in TWO huge plates so it was quite a challenge to figure out where to start.  Check them out on your next visit to downtown......................

Downtown Portland Sole2Sole Reflexology & Massage

Once a month Ann and I take the streetcar to Sole2Sole Reflexology for an intensive foot massage (reflexology).  This form of massage supports rejuvenation and wellness.  They are easy to find - just take the NW 23rd streetcar that takes you to within a half block from the spa.

You can find them at: sole2solereflexology.com

Today my friend, Ann, and I took MAX downtown to the Apple Store where we both went shopping for new Apple Watch bands.  It was so nice to see the store filled with employees and customers - lots of energy and activity.

Difficult to see, however, was the ultra strong fencing with concrete barricades that still surround the solid glass building.

Right now only on-line classes are being offered but we're told that "in-person" classes will be starting soon.  We always love the classes that are offered for all of our Apple products and it's a perfect excuse to walk a few more blocks to have lunch at "Q".

The Oregon Coast can revitalize our body and soul ...................

 Our time at the Oregon Coast has come to an end and I want to share a moment of serendipity that we experienced on our drive back to Portland. 

 Roger noticed a unique number on our odometer that we choose to believe is a portent of good fortune ahead.

Lincoln City ARTISAN POTTERY AND BLOWN GLASS

 Close to Salishan there is a narrow road that leads to two hidden places where you can watch glass being blown and shaped and then go to a small shop that is filled with hand thrown pottery made by local artisans.

The glass shop is ALDER HOUSE GLASS BLOWERS that is guarded by a huge Bull Mastiff and his smaller bulldog companion (I'm sorry that I didn't get a photo).  Watching glass turning into functional pieces, such as a drinking mug, gave us a new appreciation of the time and talent needed to create these beautiful glass creations.

Our next stop was MOSSY CREEK POTTERY where at least twenty individual pottery artisans show their pottery - everything from small ornamental items to huge bowls and dinnerware and accessories.  Each artisan has a unique style and there are many temptations.

ESCAPING THE PORTLAND HEAT

 Sometimes fate steps in and good things happen.  That was our personal experience when we drove out of Portland (112 degrees) Sunday to spend three nights at Salishan on the Oregon Coast.  Monday in Portland was 116 and Tuesday 114, while on the coast the temperatures topped off around 67 degrees. 

 We had the reservations since last year December so it was truly serendipity
.

Our room had a lovely view of Siletz Bay in the foreground and the ocean far off in the distance.