HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

Duncan Sprague sent a Scottish saying that I will share with you:

"May your troubles be less,
May your blessings be more.
May nothing but happiness come through your door"

Happy 2010 !!

More Snow.....................

The snow continues and the forecast is for three inches. For downtown Portland that is enough to cause walking and traffic problems so we're glad that we have no place that we need to be tonight. It's fun just watching it through the windows while we try to stay warm.

SNOW in Portland

It just started to snow and it's coming down very steadily so it will be fun to see how much we get. I don't remember hearing about this in a weather forecast so we're happy that we weren't out on the streets this afternoon.

Christmas Family Dinner

Today started and ended in the kitchen. Roger planned the menu which included beef and chicken dishes, three vegetables, potatoes and Iranian rice so it was an eating marathon.

The first photo is Roger's grandson, Chris and daughter-in-law Carolyn.

The third photo is his granddaughter, Rachael and her friend Jason.

Santa Remembered BELLA ********

Bella found a package under the tree for her and she had a great time checking it out and then ripping it open. Tissue and ribbon flew in every direction and when she found her new toy she ran around the room shaking it and making happy growling noises.

It's said that Christmas is for children but in our case, it's for little dogs, too.

Merry Christmas !

The cookies are decorated, the kitchen is clean (for now), the sky is bright blue and the sun is glowing. Santa came last night so it's a wonderful Christmas morning here in Portland. Roger and I hope that YOU are also having a beautiful day. Merry Christmas !!

Mike and Teresa

In today's mail I found a Christmas card and photo from Mike and Teresa that I want to share with you. They are still newlyweds with a first Anniversary coming up on January 31st.

I remember that this photo was taken at Jessica and Ryan's elegant wedding last August.

Merry Christmas, Mike and Teresa !

Jazz at Arrivederci in Milwaukee

My plan tonight was to have some great photos of our evening out at a darling cafe, Arrivederci in Milwaukee - a town about eight miles from Portland. Unfortunately the batteries wore out and I didn't have a spare so - no pictures.............

But - I have to tell you about the great music - Christmas songs played in a jazz style by some very talented musicians plus a blues singer.

Our friend, Ann, invited us to go with her and we hope to repeat the visit. The cafe serves Italian food with a wine bar and they feature different music groups in the evenings. It was another great way to get into the "Christmas spirit".

This afternoon Bella and I took the MAX on their newest route that leaves from Portland State University and goes directly into the downtown area. We had a little last minute Christmas gift shopping to do and the day was dry so she got a long walk and lots of attention while we were shopping.

Tomorrow I've reserved for baking Christmas cookies so it will be a fun day. Roger and I will be alone for Christmas but we're looking forward to being lazy and just enjoying our first Christmas together.

Kira and Dennis

Kira is my great-neice and today I want to share the darling Christmas card that she and her special friend, Dennis sent.

Kira lives and works in Wenatchee Washington.

Orlan and Sheila are her proud grandparents and the entire family is proud of Kira's accomplishments and her bravery for transplanting herself from California to the Northwest.

Merry Christmas Kira and Dennis !!

A Great Holiday Weekend

Nita and Bill invited Roger and me as guests to their Christmas Lion's Club Event at noon, Friday. It featured a choral of about 32 high school girls and boys as entertainment.

The meetings are held at the Multnomah Athletic Club in downtown Portland and we started the meeting in the downstairs bar - then had lunch and entertainment upstairs.

The teens are an amazing group - all of them excellent singers and active in community and school affairs. It was a joy listening to them sing and tell us about their accomplishments and goals.

This afternoon, we took the streetcar downtown to hear the 1980s group, Mannheim Steamroller. They presented a Christmas special featuring music from their new Christmas CDs. It was entertaining and exciting to hear music presented in a completely different way with a light show and amazing sound and percussion.

Yesterday, Harvey Clars (the Oakland auction house) shipped a huge container of sterling so now I have lots of eBay work ahead of me. Tomorrow we're staying home so I can bid by telephone at the Bonham's Auction in S.F.

So - that catches us up for this week. Christmas and the New Year are close so we wish you all a happy holiday and Merry Christmas!

Christmas Shopping

Roger and I put off our Christmas gift shopping until today and it was quite a surprise. The Macy's parking lot was so full we had to drive through it for at least five minutes before we located a spot. It was pouring rain so we thought today would be a good day to shop - wrong.............. There were people everywhere with long lines at each cashier station. (HINT - go to the luggage department to check out because hardly anyone is buying luggage right now). Anyway, it was still fun seeing all the activity and Christmas decorations and the good thing is that almost everything has been purchased and wrapped.

Yesterday Cheryl treated me to a delicious lunch at Le Bouchon and we had a long lunch with lots of "girl talk". Tomorrow Bella and I both get some TLC - she gets a haircut and bath and I get my nails manicured.

I'm still very busy on eBay but I'll slow down a bit since Christmas Day is just a little over a week away.

Merry Christmas to you ALL !!!

Sunday in the Kitchen

Roger's son and daughter-in-law, Brian and Carolyn came to Portland from Springfield yesterday to attend a Christmas party and then they came to our place last evening for dinner. The dinner entree was center cuts of a leg of lamb and the food was amazing. We were having so much fun that I forgot to take more photos so I'll catch up with them when they return for Christmas.

The icy rain and snow did not materialize this weekend so today we're back to a blue sky with cold temperatures.

I'm busy selling sterling on eBay. I just received a small portion of a set of 376 pieces of Grande Baroque sterling flatware. (The remainder is being shipped by a professional packing company so it should arrive later in the week). The former owners must have owned every single design created from this popular pattern. If you know of anyone who collects this pattern, please give them my web site at: www.goldturtle.com

Raclette and Viridian Oregon Pinot Noir

Last night our friend Ann hosted an Oregon Pinot Noir tasting. Each guest brought a bottle of Pinot that costs under $20 and we enjoyed a "blind" tasting. It turned out to be a lot of fun and also it was a great learning experience. Wine ranged from $20 down to $6 and it was interesting to find that the $6 bottle was scored at the 3rd best out of the five. (Trader Joes). Ann, with her sons, own a winery and they bottle using the name VIRIDIAN.

After the wine tasting we sat down to a Raclette supper. Ann has spent a lot of time in France during the past few years so she fell in love with Raclette, just like Roger and I.

Freezing Rain and Snow - On its Way Tonight.......

Tonight may be another new weather experience. I'm told that freezing rain hits Portland about once a year but in the two plus years that I've lived here I've not experienced it.

Today was still sunny and clear - but extremely cold- so I and everyone else was on the road picking up groceries and running errands. Our refrigerator has enough food to feed us for at least three weeks so our plan is to stay close to home and not venture out unless it is absolutely necessary.

The freezing rain and snow is forecast to hit downtown Portland about 9 p.m. tonight so we'll see if we wake up to snow in the morning.

Portland Will Have a High of 28 Degrees Today !

This condo wasn't made for high or low temperatures because of the huge windows everywhere so today there's no way to keep every room warm and cozy.

The forecast is for 28 degrees high and 16 degrees tonight but the sky is bright blue and the sun is sparkling.

Yes, that is Bella inside her bed wrapped in her favorite blankie.

Finally

Yes, I know that a tree this small shouldn't be a major decorating event but this year things didn't go smoothly. Anyway, it is officially decorated and there are touches of Christmas in every room so we're ready for Christmas. Oops....... I guess we still have to buy Christmas cards.

After talking to Mike and Lori today I learned that California is expecting snow - thankfully, it's your turn since we had ours in Portland last year. The big problem is that cities that don't normally get snow aren't prepared so streets don't get plowed and traffic turns into "bumper cars".

We're not exempt - the weather forecast is for "possible" snow mid week when a storm is arriving. Today has been bitterly cold with a high wind so every crack on every window has been letting in some cold air. The (0ld) heaters are cranked up and we have our woolies on so we'll be OK. Thankfully, the electric blanket helps at night.

Today I made some absentee bids at an estate auction in Oakland and I won all my bids except one. One purchase is 350 pieces of Grand Baroque sterling housed in a silver chest that is bigger than a bed night stand - SO - we'll be driving back to California whenever we can get through the snow over the Cascades.

It may be early to wish you all a Happy Holiday and Merry Christmas but I'm "feeling the spirit" now that the decorating is finished - so make every day special this month !!!

Happy Birthday, Dear Kathleen...............

I find that when I tell my friends how old my children, neices and nephew are - they immediately calculate MY age - SO, dearest Kathleen, I am wishing you a Happy 39th birthday.

I hope that it is a special day for you because you are truly a special lady.

Enjoy........................

Portland's Singing Christmas Tree

You've met Alicia before in my blog - she's Bella's sitter and my assistant for helping me clean, change light bulbs, work on a new recipe and so forth. She's my "Portland daughter" so when Roger said that his cold was worse today, I invited Alicia to join me for a performance of the Singing Christmas Tree at Keller Theater. She had never seen it so she was especially excited when she saw how professional and beautiful it was. The singers gathered on a tree shaped stage but there were as many standing on the stage and all had beautiful voices. There was a live orchestra, ballet dancers and a children's choir so there was something for everyone. It truly is a perfect way to get into the mood of the Christmas season.

Happy Birthday, ORLAN

Happy Birthday, Orlan. I hope that you enjoy every moment of this special day.

Montmartre Brasserie & Champagne Seminar

Tonight started early with Ann and I taking the streetcar downtown for "happy hour" at a new Portland restaurant Brasserie Montmartre. This place was famous in the earlier years and it was the "hot spot" for dining and jazz. Several years ago it closed and new owners have now renovated it. It opened about one month ago so we decided it was the perfect place to get something to eat before going to a wine class at the Culinary Institute.

Ann and I enjoyed a cocktail and salad and we shared two appetizers and it was great fun. The restaurant is comfy but elegant and the service was perfect.

After our snacks we headed across the street to attend a two hour seminar on French champagne. The speaker was Peter Gibson, owner of the wine consulting firm Gibson Consulting.

Ann just finished a semester of wine classes and she invited me to attend the last class as her guest. It was a great opportunity to learn about quality champagne and the different characteristics of each region where the grapes are grown and bottled. We tasted seven champagnes so after class we went back to the Brasserie for coffee and dessert and to listen to the live jazz music. Not a bad way to spend a Thursday night !!!

Something About Nothing..............

Since returning to Portland it seems that the days are flying by. Roger is still having ear therapy (yes, there is such a thing), I have a hair and nail appointment this week as well as a mammogram and we're slowly decorating the house for Christmas. The weather this week is sunny - but very cold - so it's nice to stay inside where we can keep warm.

Tonight Roger barbecued steak kabobs and fixed saffron rice and an apple / cranberry dish so we had a fabulous dinner. Meanwhile, I was busy working on the computer and starting to list some of the beautiful sterling that we packed and brought with us from San Francisco. We're still talking about the enjoyable time that we spent with family and friends.

Ashland Ready For Christmas

Downtown Ashland Oregon is like a "fairy-land" with twinkling lights decorating every tree, shop and cafe in the center of town. I wish that I could have shown a photo but it goes on for many blocks and it's breathtaking.

We had to wait awhile but we were lucky to get into the popular Italian Restaurant. Being a Saturday night on the weekend of Thanksgiving we considered ourselves fortunate.

We were both very tired and very ready to return to Portland so we crashed early to get a start for the last leg of our drive.

Weather cooperated the entire trip so we're back safely with the car unpacked and laundry already in process. Dinner is on the stove and now we have memories of spending time with friends and family and enjoying a wonderful time in California.

Mt Shasta

Our drive today was easier than we anticipated with light traffic the entire trip. The drive from Redding to Ashland was beautiful with only a sprinkling of snow on the mountains near Ashland. Shasta has much more snow than last week.

If you happen to be in Redding we found a great coffee shop that serves breakfast and lunch all day. It is near the freeway and the name is Country Kitchen. On this trip we stopped there both times.

Tomorrow it's about a 4 1/2 hour drive to Portland. It was an enjoyable trip to California but going home is always nice, too.

Boeger Winery and Apple Hill

After lunch at Magpie in Sacramento we headed for the hills and drove outside Placerville to visit Apple Hill and Boeger Winery. This is a popular time for people to drive to the mountains to buy fresh picked apples and pears and cut fresh trees for Christmas. It was a pretty sight to see almost every vehicle loaded with a tree on their way home.

We stopped at a huge outdoor market where they sold a large variety of different apples and they featured local crafts and entertainment.

We got lucky with the weather. The forecast was rain but we didn't encounter any on the drive.

Boeger Winery has always been a favorite of ours and Lori, Pam and I used to participate in a holiday fair each December where we sold our seasalt. It was nice to visit with the owner's family and we tasted some delicious wine. The vineyards are golden yellow and orange so the rolling fields have a beautul glow of colors.

Pam purchased a Boeger Rose that we took to "Tapas", a downtown Sacramento Spanish Restaurant where we enjoyed dinner.

Now it's almost time to pick up Bella at Lori and Pam's and head to Ashland. It has been a wonderful week, introducing Roger to friends and family and enjoying the California sunshine.

Turkey Day

The first photo is Teresa and Lori who are busy preparing today's dinner.

Mike and Teresa live in the country and the back yard is huge so Lori, Pam and I enjoyed the warm weather outside.

The dogs are "Baby" and "Duke" who are seen begging for turkey scraps (yes, they were successful). Baby is a tiger for such a tiny dog and she's clearly the boss. She can stand on her back feet and twirl around when she's begging for food.

Roger and Mike are both excellent backgammon players so they challenged each other to several matches. We're not sure who won because they both declared themselves to be the best player!

Playing scrabble are Jessica, her brother Tony and husband, Ryan.

Roger and I are now in Sacramento for two nights before we start our drive to Portland on Saturday.

Tomorrow we're spending the day with Lori and Pam so we are planning to drive to either Placerville or Yountville. We'll let the weather help determine the destination.

We truly have much to be thankful for and this year was a special Thanksgiving visiting with new family members and long-time friends.

Mr. Turkey Man

Today started early at Mike's and Teresa's country home with Roger in the kitchen preparing the turkey and stuffing.

The second photo shows the results and everyone agreed that it was cooked to perfection.

Teresa, Jessica, Lori and Pam each took part in the food preparation and the list is too long to share but the combined efforts resulted in an amazing meal.

Evening With Lenis and John

Today we drove to Sacramento to pick up the turkey that Lori ordered for tomorrow's dinner so it's iced in a cooler and ready for tomorrow morning's preparations. We had hoped to visit two of Lodi's most impressive new wineries but both were closed and only open on weekends so we ended up having a relaxing afternoon.

Lenis and John treated us to wine, appetizers and dinner so we had a great time catching up on what's happening in all of our lives.

Tomorrow the day starts early when we get to Mike and Teresa's and prepare the turkey for the oven. We're really looking forward to a special day with family.

Tuesday in Lodi

Today we enjoyed visiting with special friends, the Petruccis and the Reagors.

This morning we left Oakland and we arrived in Lodi before noon. When we checked into the Wine & Roses Inn we were upgraded to a special spa room so we're enjoying an elegant huge room for two nights.

This afternoon we visited Barbara at Bora Winery and did some wine tasting. Then this evening we were guests for cocktails at the Reagors followed by dinner at Wine & Roses.

Now it's time to be lazy and enjoy the beautiful California weather.

Monday in San Francisco

Today was a work day for me so we started out at Bonhams and Butterfields this morning to pick up and pack my auction purchases from the October and November auctions. I had forgotten which items I purchased so it was exciting to see the beautiful things that were waiting for me.

Then it was time to introduce Roger to my favorite cafe in S.F., Perry's. Unbelievably, we found a parking place directly in front of the cafe and we had a perfect table for two in the front of the restaurant. Afterward Bella had an opportunity to go for a walk and get attention from everyone on the street.

Our second stop was Harvey Clars in Oakland to pick up more sterling and then we headed for 4th Street in Berkeley. The weather today was perfect in the high 60s with bright sunshine so we enjoyed walking and doing some window shopping.

Tomorrow we are looking forward to the drive to Lodi and visiting more friends.

A Special Day

Alma Friedli was a special lady - this is the day she was born 97 years ago. She was a kind and loving woman and there are so many happy memories. SO - here's a toast to you, Mom Friedli for raising two special sons and being a wonderful Grandma and friend.

A Lovely Day In San Francisco

Our morning started with a drive to Ron and Rosanna's home in San Francisco where we enjoyed champagne and a delicious Italian Brunch. Bella got to go along so she received a lot of attention.

It has been a long while since I've been a tourist in S.F. since most of my trips here in the past several years have been business related or visits with the Lutzs so this afternoon we ventured out across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito where I took a photo from the base of the bridge. We traveled slowly through the town and then drove to Tiberon to see the Bay from a different perspective. To return to Oakland we crossed the Richmond Bridge so we ended up making a full circle of the Bay from the Bay Bridge all around to Berkeley.

The sunset photo is from the balcony of our hosts in Oakland and, as I write this, the clouds have turned a charcoal gray color with bright peach, orange and red behind them. The colors change every minute so it's nice to just sit and watch the show.

Saturday in Oakland

We're staying in the Oakland Hills so tonight we have a view from the San Mateo Bridge all the way to Berkeley. I tried to get some good photos but I wasn't pleased with their quaility so I'll try again tomorrow. We broke the trip into two days but it's still surprising how tiring the drive can be. But - it's worth it all to reconnect with long-time friends and seeing family for Thanksgiving.

Today the drive was beautiful with just a sprinkling of snow between Ashland and Shasta. The road was wet but clear so we were able to make good time.

Today was sunny the entire trip and it's nice to see sunshine again.

No Snow - - - - Yet - - - - - - -

We're in Ashland for the night. It has steadily rained all day but so far we haven't seen snow. The forecast is snow at 3,000 feet so we may encounter some between here and Shasta. We've allowed extra travel time just in case. Even with the rain it was a beautiful drive so we're looking forward to the second lap of the trip.

We opted for a budget hotel tonight since we're here to just rest and move on early in the morning. We hit the jackpot - $82 for the night and no extra charge for Bella. We're at a La Quinta Inn so it's not fancy but it appears to be fairly new and the room is darling with state of the art heating and computer access. Definitely a good bargain - so we plan to stay here again on the way back to Portland.

Ready For Our Road Trip To California

We had plenty of time to prepare for this trip, but somehow everything ended up being done at the last minute. Bella is groomed and clipped with rhinestones in her hair, my manicure is fresh, clothes are organized, and all that "stuff" that we seem to need when we travel is ready to put in the car.

Our trip may become a challenge because of the large amount of snowfall in the mountains during the past week. We'll take blankets, water and snacks and see how it goes.

Saturday we'll head for Oakland to visit an old-time friend of Rogers, then Sunday is reserved for the Lutzs. Monday I'm going to Bonham's in S.F. and Harvey Clars in Oakland to pick up auction purchases and then Tuesday and Wednesday we'll be in Lodi to visit friends and family. Thursday we'll get to see Mike and Teresa's new country home and enjoy Thanksgiving (I don't have to cook - so I'm very thankful - (smile) ) Friday we've reserved for Pam and Lori so a trip to Apple Hill or Truckee is being planned - then it will be time to return to Portland. You can expect some snow photos tomorrow..............

Oregon College of Art And Craft

Today Pat invited me to join her for a new dining experience at the "Hands on Cafe" located at the Oregon College of Art and Craft. The cafe is small and pretty much "self serve". Their specialty is Sunday Brunch but they also serve lunch and supper daily. The cafe is on the campus of a studio school of art. I ordered meat loaf stuffed with caramelized onions and bleu cheese (fabulous).

After we finished lunch, we toured their juried student exhibition and then we stopped by the gift shop that features a large variety of crafts made by college alumni. We viewed some beautiful items ranging from metal work, to pottery, jewelry, silk scarves, paper and wood products. Each piece is an original hand crafted item so it was exciting to see many beautiful things made by Oregon artisans.

Judee Moonbeam

This morning we took a short drive to check out the Chanukah Gift Fair held at the Neveh Shalom Temple here in Portland. We were invited by our friend Judee who specializes in wearable art. She selects fine quality unusual fabrics and screen prints original designs onto the fabric - then she sews handbags, scarves, and clothing. She also specializes in transforming older style clothing into something new and original. I try to attend all of her open houses because she works with other artists who make original designs with hand blown glass, ceramics, jewelry and photography. There were about 30 artists and vendors today so there were many beautiful things to see. Check out her web site at:
http://www.judeemoonbeam.com

This afternoon I had a new experience; that of bidding at a live auction over the telephone. I've seen others do it for years so I decided that it was time that I learned how to do it. I was connected to the Bonham's auction in S.F. and over the speaker phone I could relay my bids to a person who bid on my behalf. I won three lots today so there will be even more silver to pick up when we get to S.F. next weekend.