An Amazing Sunday

The morning started with brunch at Mari and Stewart's condo. They live on the ground floor so they have a small patio and back yard so brunch was served outside under the trees. There were twelve guests so the conversation was lively and the food was fabulous. Mari is a gourmet cook so everything was delicious with a beautiful presentation.

This evening Merry and I walked to the Heathman Hotel for an early dinner followed by a Live Recording Session with the group Pink Martini and the Portland Symphony. The founder is Thomas Lauderdale who lives in Portland. Much of their music is Latin rhythm and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. We both bought several CDs so instead of getting to bed, I'm writing this blog while listening to the music.

A Sunday Thought - Matthew 7

"Keep on asking and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks."

Ryan's Team WON The Game 11 to 5 - YEAH, Ryan

Ryan is the son of my special friends, Dawn and Doug and Ryan adopted me as his grandmother so when I received an invitation to watch him play baseball my answer was a definite YES..... This afternoon I drove to Milwaukie with Bella and Dawn was waiting with a comfortable chair ready for me in the shade. However - - we sat directly behind home plate so every home run ended in a dust storm directly in our faces. It was a lot of fun and Ryan's team played a fantastic game with a win of 11 to 5. The adorable puppy is Sophia. She's five months old and she is absolutely darling. It was fun watching her and Bella make friends although there was a touch of jealousy on Bella's part (yes, she's very spoiled). It was a perfect ending to a very lovely warm and sunny day.

Another Farmer's Market Day

Yes, it's another beautiful morning in Portland with sunshine and an 87 degrees high temperature for today. I got an early start this morning so at 10 a.m. my shopping is finished and the fresh carrots, shallots, strawberries and other wonderful things are in the refrigerator. The photos of the flowers were taken on my walk and the sculpture is in front of the PSU Engineering, Science & Technology Building.

Albertina Kerr Fundraising Dinner Dance

It's way past my normal bedtime but I want to share the evening's experience with you. My friend Merry paid for a table of eight for tonight's dinner / dance fundraiser for the Albertina Kerr Center where we both volunteer our time. As her guest we were treated to cocktails and appetizers with live music for an hour when we could bid on silent auction items and contribute money.

This was followed by a fabulous dinner with a live auction that followed dessert. They raised almost $100,000 this evening and there were only about 100 people in attendance. It was called the "Mad Hatter's Ball" so almost everyone wore a hat - some very crazy "Alice in Wonderland" type hats. We had a great time with lots of laughs. Pictured are my very special friends Connie and David who have embraced me as a "mom", Bill and Nita who live on the 14th floor of Lincoln so I always get an invitation to view the fireworks from their outdoor balcony and my friend Merry who hosted this lovely evening.

The items in the center of the table are decorated cookies that we each could take home. It was a fabulous evening.

Condo Shopping

Yesterday I met with a realtor to view six condos for sale in downtown Portland. Now that I'm more familiar with the city, I am hoping to relocate to a smaller and more open condo that is in the core of downtown or the Pearl area. Next week we'll look at some places in the Pearl. I'm still undecided about selling my current place and I will take my time to ensure that I make a smart decision. It's always fun to see how others live and I found a "possible maybe" in a building named "Mosaic". It is an ultra modern complex with lots of stainless and silver decor including a lucite, leather and silver metal staircase and stainless blinds that cover twelve foot high windows. The place I viewed is much too small but I'm hoping that larger ones become available. It's on 11th Avenue on the Streetcar line.

In the afternoon I had another skin cancer removed so I am taking it easy for a day or so.

Sentimental Journey

Yesterday afternoon the Portland Symphony performed under the direction of Norman Leyden who initiated the Oregon Symphony's Pops series in 1970. Mr. Leyden arranged the musical scores and he conducted the orchestra for many years. Now, at age 91, he still plays his clarinet for local functions and he conducted the orchestra for yesterday's performance.

The concert featured many of the most popular show tune songs of the 1930s and '40s and it was a wonderful experience. My seat was only four rows from the stage which made the performance even more enjoyable. I think that every one's favorite was "Stardust".

Lenis wrote to tell me that at Sunday's Memorial Day service at the Lodi First United Methodist Church they honored the people who had died during the past year and when Gary's name was read, they sounded a soft bell and added a dark red flower to a floral bouquet. Gary died on Memorial Day weekend so this was a meaningful tribute to his memory.

Hip Chicks Do Wine

Yesterday afternoon Callie and I went to a wine tasting party put on by a wine club called "Hip Chicks Do Wine". No, I don't see myself as a "chick" but maybe an "old cluck". (smile) The wine was all from Oregon with appetizers and live music so it was a lot of fun.

Last night I went down to the Pearl for Happy Hour at Oba and then walked the entire way back to the condo. It's the first time that I've walked that far but the sun was still out so I felt safe even though I was alone. The weather for the entire week is in the 70s and 80s so it is perfect for outdoor activities.

The wine that I'm holding is "Drop Dead Red" so I couldn't resist buying a bottle.

Sunday At River Front

Tonight Callie and I and Bella walked down to the river and enjoyed "happy hour" at a sidewalk cafe.

Note that Bella took advantage of the photo and tried to sip from my Manhattan but we don't think her tongue made it into the drink.

It is a balmy evening and people are everywhere so it was fun doing "people watching" and enjoying the ambiance.

A young couple brought two huge parrots that were loose so it was entertaining watching their interaction with other people.

Rose Festival

Friday was the opening of the two week celebration of the Rose Festival so the first major activity was to open a carnival at the waterfront and fireworks on Friday night. My friends gave a small party on the 14th floor of the building so we were able to see the fireworks from far above. It is exciting when you view the display from this height.

Each day there will be a new activity or function planned so there's something for everyone.

This week includes a wine party tomorrow, the Symphony on Tuesday and the "Mad Hatter's Ball" at the Governor Hotel Friday night. Merry has invited ten people to be her guests and it's a formal dinner dance and auction in benefit of the Albertina Kerr Center. Everyone is expected to wear a hat (as crazy as possible) so I may have an opportunity to get some good photos.

This afternoon Bella and I will walk down to the river. The forecast is for 80 degrees so it's a beautiful day.

In Memory of Gary

364 days ago on a beautiful sunny warm Saturday morning at 4 a.m. one dear life ended and another life was changed forever. Today it's another beautiful sunny Saturday morning but the memories overwhelm me and the emptiness remains ......................

Census Bureau

I just received an interesting call from the Census Bureau. I applied for a temporary part-time job several months ago and took a test. I didn't receive a call-back so I assumed that I scored too low

I just learned that I missed only one question so I scored 98. What a great surprise! To qualify for a supervisory position I have been asked to bring my passport to their office and then I will receive a call-back for an interview. The job won't start until this Fall so I'll make sure not to schedule any new vacations until I hear from them again. This could be a great opportunity to meet other people in the community and make some money, too.

Condo Fire Update

Well, the fire drama is over so today the clean-up begins. My friend, Callie, lives directly across from the condo that burned so she has smoke and water damage. The firemen used a high pressure hose to water down the exterior of all the condos on the third floor so the water leaked inside through the doors. They also used a foam material so the third floor is a mess right now. Callie has to skip work today so the people doing the clean-up can inspect each unit and fix the damage. So far the rumor is that the condo occupants lit a small hibachi in their kitchen and then left to walk the dog. I'm sure there will be more details (gossip) today.

The coming week is what we Portlander's dream of - temperatures between 68 and 84 degrees for at least seven days. The best thing is that the Rose Festival activities start this Friday so there will be a lot of activities at the river which is only a few blocks from where I live.

Back To California

The fire is contained and the smoke is almost all gone so all is well. OK, it's time to get back to my visit to California. After Lori picked me up at the airport and we had lunch, I headed to Lodi. The sunset shot is the view from Ernie and Sally's gorgeous home on the Lockeford Bluffs.

The photo of Jessica and I was taken at the restaurant where we had breakfast with her mom,
Teresa, and step-dad (Mike).

The photo at the top is an amazing pasta chef at a really cool Sacramento restaurant "TULI". Lori and I sat at the counter and she knows the chef so we enjoyed a wonderful lunch and very interesting conversation.

The next photo is of my friends Liz and Ed when we had dinner at School Street Bistro.

Last night Pam, Lori and I went to an upscale Sacramento restaurant "Emma" to celebrate Lori's birthday. We had a fabulous time and the food was unbelievable. Yes, now it's diet time for me....................

It was an enjoyable trip but now, it's nice to be back in Portland. The fire trucks are still here so the Drama continues.................

Fire At Lincoln Tower

My plan tonight was to tell you more about my California trip but as they say" this is breaking news". I'm sitting at my computer watching five fire trucks dealing with a condo fire on the third and possibly fourth floors. I am on the lobby floor so the fires are to my left side and two floors above my unit.

I'm guessing this will be a major Portland news story tomorrow morning.

A fireman came to the door to tell me that things were under control and that I didn't have to evacuate so that's a good thing. I'll write more about my visit with California friends later.

California

My time in California has been busy and filled with visits to friends and family. When I arrived Friday afternoon at the Sacramento airport, Lori was there to pick me up. We stopped at a new cafe in downtown for a light lunch and then she rode her bike back to work and loaned me Pam's Audi for the weekend. I headed for the Petruccis (but first I had to pay a visit to the Berghold Winery in Lockeford to say hello to the owners and taste their new vintages). It's always fun to revisit the places that created many happy memories.

Sally and Ernie joined me for dinner at the Feed n Fuel in Clements and it was the first time in a long time that I ate deep fried food and mostly everything that is bad for a diet. No regrets, though, the food was fabulous.

Saturday morning I headed for Stockton to get together with Mike, Teresa and my new granddaughter, Jessica. We had a delicious breakfast and it was a great opportunity to hear more about Jessica's wedding scheduled for August 15th.

After some shopping at my favorite Chicos I headed for Borra Winery where the wine tasting room manager, Barbara, and I spent over an hour enjoying tastings of their new wines and catching up on the past few months since we last talked. Barbara and John are planning to visit me in Portland and I can hardly wait because we have such good times together.

The rest of the afternoon and evening I spent with my friends Ed and Liz and we ended the evening with dinner at the School Street Bistro (another old favorite of mine in Lodi).

This morning I started my trek to San Francisco and the ride was delightful. The weather today is warm and balmy and the Bay was beautiful. There's something special about the smell of the air when I start to see the water in S.F. Bay - a crispy clean salty sensation that is difficult to describe.

Once I crossed the Bay Bridge the plan was to meet Ron and Rosanna at Perry's on Union Street but that's where things started to get complicated. It turns out that today was the Bay to Breakers Marathon which draws a huge crowd of people walking the streets - SO - the streets that I needed to navigate were closed. Imagine the feeling of being in stopped traffic 4 lanes wide with no place to go for over an hour. I finally managed to get free of the traffic and then I went directly to the Bonham's Butterfield's Auction. The bad news is that I didn't buy anything but the good news is that I didn't spend any money.

I'm spending the night in S.F. and tomorrow I'll head to Sacramento. I've taken a lot of photos so I'll share them when I return to Portland.

More Waterfalls............

Today I would like to introduce you to a new friend, Roger. After lunch at Pasha we drove out to the Columbia Gorge to check out the waterfalls. I thought that by now they would start to have less water but it turned out to be the opposite. The Falls are better than ever so to see them up close we ended up getting pretty wet. Tonight Roger is cooking dinner and we're having barbecued rack of lamb with saffron rice. Of course, we can't have dinner without at least some backgammon first. Roger has played for years and he's pretty tough to beat.

Portland is Quiet

Most of my blogs tell you about my "play" time but, yes, I sometimes have to take time to clean, do laundry, cook and all those domestic tasks. Yesterday was house cleaning day and today I'm back on eBay still selling sterling that I purchased a month ago in San Francisco.

Tomorrow I'm meeting two friends for lunch and getting a manicure and pedicure so it will be a fun day.

A Lovely Sunday in Portland

Callie spent the afternoon practicing rowing a Dragon Boat in preparation for a race (I'll tell you more about them when we celebrate the Rose Festival) and she and I decided we should go down to the RiverFront tonight for dinner. The weather is balmy and warm so we took Bella and sat out overlooking the marina.

Wednesday night we're taking Salsa dance lessons so I'll let you know how that goes. I'm at the learning level of "Unconsciously Incompetent" so I may have some funny stories to tell.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day. If you're not a mother it's still a day of celebration for who you are............

This picture is a rare one because it was hand tinted. The year would be approximately 1941. My mother did not marry until she was 31 years old (to a younger man, my dad, who was 29). The adorable bald baby, of course, is me. My face was the shape of a ball and hair did not appear for real until I was well over two years old.

I won't be with family today but Lori, Pam, Mike and Teresa have all visited in the past several weeks so we were able to have an early celebration.

This morning at 11 a.m. I'm going to Merry's for brunch with a group of other "old ladies" and I know that it will be lots of fun since we're all just a tiny bit crazy and we love to laugh.

The weather today is warm and sunny so this afternoon Bella and I will take the streetcar down to Stumptown Coffee to stock up on beans and take a walk through Pioneer Plaza.

Dogwood Tree

As I was leaving the under ground garage this morning on my way to an early doctor appointment, I just had to stop to take a photo of the beautiful dogwood tree in bloom near the Lincoln Tower. My condo almost missed the photo but it's the lowest one on the far right side. Even though I don't have a river or Mt Hood view, I'm content because of the beautiful trees outside my windows.

In a short while I'm joining a friend to visit my favorite wine and cheese shop and then we're off to a Cuban Restaurant, "OBA" where they have an amazing "happy hour" with $4 Margaritas and appetizer plates for $3 and $4. The music is great and it's really a buzzing place.

Bella's Friend Merry

I'm a little late tonight because I had to catch up on my eBay shipments with almost half going outside the U.S. Thankfully, the Europeans are still spending money so it has been a great week.

Tonight I took my friend, Merry, to the Culinary Institute for one of their great five course dinners with a 2000 St Clement Cabernet.

We had a great time and the waiters had fun serving us because when Merry and I get together we're talking and laughing and thoroughly enjoying ourselves.

My friends in S.F., Ron and Rosanna are spending the month of June in Buenos Aires and their apartment has two bedrooms SO, I've been invited to join them for part of the month. I am really excited and I definitely will take advantage of the opportunity. Now I need to find some dates that will fit into my schedule. Merry has been there three times so she's already making a list of the places that I need to see. Ron and Rosanna have also been there numerous times so I suspect I'll be very busy while there.

Uptown Billiards Club in Portland

This evening was a new experience. From the outside, the place looks like a dive. When you open the door you walk up two flights of stairs and then enter into a huge bar area with billiard tables everywhere. The dining area is quite small so now I know why reservations are required and hard to get.

The five course dinner with wine was perfect - small portions beautifully prepared and presented like a 5***** restaurant.

We started with Leek, Asparagus and Watercress Soup, Grilled Asparagus Salad, Seared Scallop, Roasted Lamb Loin and Lemon Pound Cake. We were having such fun, Callie and I decided to top the dinner off with a glass of Moscato d'Asti.

We couldn't find any cowboys to teach us how to play pool so we'll have to go back later in the night.

We finished off the evening with a little shopping so it was a perfect "girls' night out".

Another Rainy Day in Portland

Today is another sort-of rainy day but the weather can fool us - ten minutes of blue sky - ten minutes of overcast then 10 minutes of rain and so forth. Since today is a Mexican holiday I decided that I must go back to my favorite new Mexican Restaurant and I'm working on a take-out taco salad as I write this.

Tonight will be a new adventure. Callie has invited me to join her at a place called "Uptown Billiards" which advertises themselves as a "Trendy and Upscale Pool Hall". They have a popular Chef who puts out some interesting food and if you book early (5:30 p.m. - perfect for us old folks) we can get a five course meal with a different imported wine with each course for only $20. Tonight the entree is Roasted Lamb Loin so this will be a treat.

This afternoon is a busy eBay day so I need to get busy and make more money since I'm going out so often.

I'm not sure if Callie and I will play pool but it would be fun to try. I figure there's a first time for everything so we'll see..........

Rainy Days And Mondays..........................

You may remember the Carpenter's Song "Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Down". Well, today that's where I am.......... My blog tends to always be cheerful and fun but you need to know that there are many secret moments of sadness and melancholy. I miss Gary so much. Today has been quiet - I've finally caught up with my weekend eBay sales and the house is back in order but I'm not feeling well so I have canceled my evening plans and Bella and I are going to sit in front of the fire and listen to music or I'll read a book.

I have started to date but they tend to be a "one time only" event. Those that I date the second time generally end with them telling me enough about their lives to know that I can't continue seeing them; Some examples - the one who has a part-time live-in girlfriend but wants to "see" me when she goes back to her home - or the one who has been married 5 times and is looking for #6 - or the one who has health issues and needs a woman to take care of him - or the one who has a limited income and thinks that I could nicely take care of him - and.................... on and on. I'm taking a vacation from dating so this week I'm spending time with my lady friends who are smart, make me laugh and love to entertain and dine out. I'm learning the value of having true friends - those here in Portland and my many long time friends in California.

50th Wedding Anniversary

50 years ago at 3 p.m. Gary and I were married at the age of 18. Who would have guessed that love could stay strong for that long - and, how lucky we were to have those beautiful years together.

Now I have no choice but to move ahead but he will always have a large piece of my heart. Rest in Peace, my darling........................

Saturday Night With Mike & Teresa

Time has gone too quickly. It seems that we did so much today but there's still so many things left to do. Mike and Teresa will have to come back soon and stay a little longer. After my last note, I brought Merry back home and a minute or two after I came into the condo, a gale wind started with thunder and lightening, and a massive downpour of rain. Poor Mike and Teresa were out shopping and they just left Safeway when they got hit and by the time they got back here they were dripping wet. It only lasted about five minutes but it was an intense storm.

Shown in the photos is my condo (the short and stubby one on the right) and the Marina view from the restaurant where we had dinner tonight. Teresa and I shared razor clams and the meal was really enjoyable. Oh, I guess that I forgot to tell you about the appetizer, salad and dessert.......................

Now that we're back home, Mike and I had some spirited games of backgammon and he really whipped my............ After losing $20 I decided that it was time to write my blog and sulk (smile).

Mike & Teresa

Mike and Teresa arrived last night and this morning we hurried off to the Farmer's Market. After stopping for coffee, we returned and got into the car for a trip to Zells for breakfast. They are currently shopping downtown and I'm on my way to the airport to pick Merry up so I'll write more later. I was anxious to share the photos of my beautiful new daughter-in-law and my "hunk" of a son.