New Year Welcome

The Smiths surprised us in early December with a pot of amaryllis bulbs that just started to open this morning. They will be a beautiful reminder of a new year starting fresh and young.

Happy New Year !

Guess What ???

Echinacea Tea, DayQuill, NightQuill, Chicken soup, boxes of tissues...................

Yes, Roger has the "bug" so now we'll see if I'm tough enough to stay well. So far............. so good...............

Merry Christmas !

After four fun filled days, the house is quiet (and messy, but I'll worry about that tomorrow) and now we can reflect on a unique and happy Christmas. Our celebration included different religions and cultures but we were all able to share the love of this important Christian occasion. Masih and Helia are at the airport, ready to return to San Francisco, Bella is sad (she mopes at least one day after company departs) and we, admittedly, are tired from all the activities.

We are thankful for family and friends and we hope for a New Year filled with good health and new surprises and experiences.

A Lovely Christmas Eve..............

It has been a wonderful day with great food and company.

Roger made three different kabob for dinner (all delicious).

Sina was our "Santa". He's the younger brother of Soroush, a college friend of Roger's. Saroush's mother and brother are new to the U.S. so we included them in our celebration. Sina really added joy to the evening because of his excitement of being the person to deliver the gifts.

The last photo is of Helia, Brian, Rachael and Carolyn.

We had a great afternoon and evening and now we're "crashing" so we can rest up for tomorrow's Christmas celebration.

Enjoying the Multnomah Waterfalls

Helia is Roger's daughter and she and her friend, Masih, are visiting us from San Ramon for the Christmas holiday. Yesterday, after taking them to lunch at a favorite Iranian restaurant, we took them for a drive through the Columbia Gorge to show them the waterfalls. Since both of them are more familiar with S.F. they have been surprised at how small Portland is while still having similar cultural opportunities.

Reflection on 2011

Today was a quiet day so I decided to set up my 2012 calendar. In doing so, I copied some things from my current calendar; birthdays, special celebrations, holidays, etc. I was surprised to see that this year's calendar was really full of activities and happy events. We celebrated many birthdays, two very special weddings, several trips to California to connect with friends and family and some personal get-a-ways. Now, we look forward to a new year, hopefully filled with more wonderful experiences.

Pre-Christmas Week.............

It has been a lovely week sprinkled with a little Christmas gift shopping, hosting a lunch for four friends on Thursday and attending the City Club luncheon meeting today that featured singing by the Portland Gay Men's Chorus. Today was Roger's last day of school so he's feeling free and frisky, knowing he doesn't have homework for the next few weeks!

We're looking forward to enjoying the coming week while preparing for house guests and dinner for some of Roger's family next Saturday. He's already planning the menu so we're looking forward to some authentic Iranian kabab and other good food.

We continue to enjoy weather with no rain for the past several weeks so, even though it's cold, we're enjoying the dry and sunny weather.

Condo Association Christmas Party

Tonight we went to the Christmas party hosted by our three condo complexes. It was held in our large party room at Siver's Center with a five piece band, beautiful decorations and a potluck dinner. Lots of food, lots of fun and the music was great !

Christmas Dinner Cruise On the Willamatte

This evening we went down to the river and boarded the Portland Spirit to enjoy a dinner cruise. Tonight was special in that many boat / yacht owners decorate their vessels for Christmas and they parade them up and down the river between 7 and 9 p.m. It was nice seeing them from inside a warm boat as we are having freezing overnight temperatures. The boat was decorated for Christmas with live music and good food so it turned out to be a very enjoyable evening.

What Girls Do On a Saturday.............

Allison and I started the day by going to an estate sale in Lake Oswego (that's a ritzy suburb of Portland). It was amazing. We've not ever seen a house so packed with "stuff" so we thoroughly enjoyed leisurely walking through and looking at some very beautiful things (and purchasing a few.)

Our next stop was a local restaurant where we enjoyed "Joe's Special" a favorite dish of us both with good memories of San Francisco. On our way back into Portland we encountered a Shriner's parade of men on motorcycles. There had to be at least a thousand so we drove and drove until we finally got outside the parade route. (We call this a "scenic tour" - meaning that we're lost but enjoying the experience). Our next stop was a boutique that features local artists; such as blown glass, jewelry, fabric art, cast concrete yard items, ceramic bird houses and much more. (Yes, we bought more there, too.)

The weather has been clear - but very cold with freezing temps so it was good to get back home this afternoon.

Now it's time to relax, enjoy some Christmas music, the fireplace and a good book.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Through all the years there are only a few ornaments that bring back memories or are special. Many of them I gave to Ashley, but I couldn't let go of my most favorite, the little green turtle shown in the top photo.

The condo is bright and cheerful and it looks like Christmas so that's a good thing..............

"My Week with Marilyn" & Ringside Fish House

It was "girl's day" today so Cheryl, Allison and I started with celebrating Allison's birthday at the new downtown Ringside Fish House. It was our first time there (but not the last). It has an elegant dining room with 1st quality service and delicious food. We enjoyed scallops with risotto cooked with squid ink, a po boy razor clam sandwich and cioppino. Since it was Allison's birthday, we were required to have dessert and we managed to share two of them on the menu.

After lunch we walked next door to the theater to see the movie "My Week with Marilyn". Actress, Michelle Williams had the star role and she was amazing. We could have sworn that she was really Marilyn.

When I got home, I was surprised that Roger wasn't in the condo because he had lots of studying to do for an exam tomorrow. It turned out that he had spent three hours sitting in the lobby because he locked himself out of the condo (that's another story..............). We now have spare door keys to hide in appropriate places so it doesn't happen again.

A Special Couple.............

Orlan and Sheila have been an important couple in my life.

I send my wishes that you have a beautiful and loving holiday season.

The Girls' Favorite Places in Portland

The day started with a walk to the Farmer's Market where we found some hand made cheese and country pate with fresh baked artisan bread for our evening appetizers. The market was smaller and more quiet today but it actually was more enjoyable because we didn't have to fight the massive crowds that we see in summer.

Pam's very favorite place for lunch is a New York Deli, Kenny & Zukes so we hopped on the streetcar and went there for lunch.

Since we were only two blocks from Powell's Book Store, we decided to search for some good books so now the house is quiet with Roger studying and the rest of us with our noses in a new book.

The girls are going to Pok Pok for dinner tonight and Roger and I get to finish off the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers.

Weather is nice with no rain so it has been nice to get outside without all the rain paraphernalia.

Hello From Roger and Janice

Two Views of Our Turkey.......................

Roger was in charge of the Thanksgiving turkey and he did a perfect job of fixing a moist bird with pasta and fruit stuffing and delicious gravy.

The other turkey is one with a history. It belonged to Grandma Ann and she used it on our Thanksgiving table since sometime in the late 1940s. It's a special way to remember the love of a great mom and grandmother.

Thanksgiving Wishes A Little Late............

Lori and Pam arrived yesterday afternoon to celebrate Thanksgiving and we had a great evening with lots of delicious food.

Bella loves when the girls visit because she gets to cuddle with them under the down comforter on their bed.

Bumper Carts...............

Looking for a thrill? Hurry, get in the car and head for Costco. I guarantee that you'll get body slammed, hit by dozens of giant carts and do a little bump and grind through the aisles. Was it worth it? Well............. yes.

We use our back balcony to store fruit and veggies when the temps are low so we have our "balcony refrigerator" well stocked with oranges, grapefruit, potatoes, onions and apples. It's actually pretty with everything in baskets and we still have room in the refrigerator. Tucked away is a fresh 10 pound turkey so we're starting to get ready for the big day.

International Night..............

Last night started with a delicious dinner at Oba, in the Pearl, a popular Cuban restaurant. The atmosphere is great and the food is spectacular. After dinner we went over to Powell's Book Store to hear an author speak about her new book. It was a class assignment for Roger's English class but we both enjoyed the opportunity to meet an author, learn more about her book and have an opportunity to ask questions. The book is "Opium Nation" by Fariba Nawa and it chronicles the opium trade in Afghanistan. Fariba claims that 90% of the world's opiates come from Afghanistan and that there are many concerns about the American troops returning to the U.S. as addicts.

Snow was forecast last night but, this morning we awoke to ice blue skies and dry streets so it didn't get this low. There's a huge amount of snow in the mountains so it's going to be very cold this week (39 degrees now at 9:00 a.m.)

Warm In Portland..................

We're told that this winter will be unusually cold and, presently, we're told it will snow this weekend, so Roger found this portable heater at Costco. He barely had it unpacked and plugged in when Bella decided that it was a "personal" heater.

She has been laying in front of it for the past two days so tonight I decided to just put her bed in front of it. The toy in the bed was a gift from Vicki and Steve when they visited in September so she's a happy (and warm) dog.

Photodynamic Therapy for Skin Cancer

This morning I had a new treatment for skin cancer that I am very excited about. It's called Photodynamic Therapy and it's used for large areas of skin (mine was for both legs from the knees down to the feet. First they rubbed on a chemical which interacts with all the individual tumors on the skin. The second phase of the treatment is to expose the skin to an intense light that kills the cancer cells. I was told to expect burning and pain but it has been three hours since I finished the treatment and all I can feel is a little stinging similar to a sunburn. It will take about two weeks for the skin to heal but that's a small price to pay for a cure.

"J Edgar" Movie Day With The Girls...............

Today, Cheryl, Allison and I enjoyed a delicious lunch at Brasserie Montmartre and then we walked to the theater to see "J. Edgar." The movie is excellent so it's highly recommended. The acting is exceptional and the story has some enlightening moments.

It's cold here in Portland so the trees are rapidly losing the rest of their leaves, making thick blankets of color in the parks. I couldn't resist picking some up to use for decorations on our Thanksgiving table.

Snow is forecast later in the week so we are looking forward to seeing some "white" soon.

L A Z Y....................

I'm working at my computer - Roger is doing homework - and - Bella is laying directly in front of a portable heater using her favorite toy for a pillow.

A perfect way to spend a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon........

Another Week In Portland

I wish that I had something really interesting to communicate, but, unfortunately, our lives our reasonably boring - the colds are finally (almost) over - two weeks of misery - Roger is studying for mid-terms and I've enjoyed a few lunches with my "girl" friends. Work has started outside on Lincoln preparing for the new MAX train so we have lots of activity to keep us entertained.

We had a lovely week with temperate weather and sunshine but, starting tonight, we're looking ahead to a cool and wet week.

Lori and Pam are flying into Portland on Thanksgiving day and they'll be here through Monday so we're looking forward to seeing them.

Am I just getting old or is Christmas coming a lot earlier this year???? One of my favorite radio stations here in Portland was playing back to back Christmas music today while I was running errands. I quickly switched to CD's. This is much too early..............

Happy Thanksgiving. We all truly have much to be grateful for.

Beautiful, Bright and Sunny............

We've had a quiet week - mostly bundled up and trying to get rid of our colds. Fall colors are at their peak so we have a beautiful view of multi-colored leaves on all the trees that surround the condo.

Since I was home most of the week I have been reading a lot and I just finished the latest John Grisham book. It has a similar theme to his others; about a small legal firm that runs into some chaos but it's entertaining. The World's Greatest Novel? No......... but still worth taking time to read.

We're looking forward to spending the evening with friends and we love having the extra hour added to the day !

It's Tomorrow.................

No better.................. sigh..................

Roger and I are sharing a cold.................

It's not a pretty sight with us both coughing, choking, sneezing, dripping. So - all I can say is "Out, damned cold! out, I say!

Maybe tomorrow will be better...............

A Visit With Ashley

While in Reno it was a good opportunity to see my granddaughter, Ashley. She and her mom treated us to a great breakfast and then drove us to the airport. We had a great visit and got lots of hugs................

Reno Wedding - Josh and Virginia Hatefi

Roger and I flew to Reno Friday evening to attend a very special wedding of his grandson, Josh.

We stayed at the Peppermill Casino and Hotel and had a fabulous room - very elegant and large with all the amenities.

Saturday was a perfect 70 degree, sunny day and the wedding was lovely.

We're glad to be home now because we both have developed sore throats and a cold so we'll be staying close to home for the next few days until we feel better. The lovely lady in one photo is Josh's mom and the three men are Josh's dad in the middle and grandfathers on each side.

A Great Weekend............

We're looking forward to enjoying some special family time in Reno this weekend. Tomorrow is Roger's grandson's wedding. Josh and Virginia will be married in the morning. Then we're looking forward to seeing my granddaughter, Ashley. It's a quick trip as we'll be back in Portland Sunday afternoon.

Kabob Man - Barbecuing in the COLD

Interesting weather - really cold at night (in the low 40's), sunny and warm about 2 p.m. and at 5 p.m., cold again. This is when being outside using a barbecue isn't as pleasant as in the summer so Roger prepared himself for the event - he's bundled up like an Eskimo, including a wool beanie.

I'm supporting him by watching the news (since the World Series was cancelled for tonight) and sipping on some excellent Borra red wine.

We're preparing for a weekend in Reno to attend and celebrate the wedding of Roger's grandson, Josh. We're also looking forward to seeing Ashley and her mom to spend some time touring the city and surrounding areas.

Symphony POPS Concert - Brunch at Heathman - A GREAT way to spend a Sunday afternoon

The Oregon Symphony just gets better and better. This afternoon's POPs concert presented music from the '60s and '70s featuring four singers with amazing voices.

Brunch before the performance at the Heathman Hotel made for a perfect afternoon.

Now, it's time to watch the World's Series to see if the Cardinals can win another game...................

Date Night..............

So, what do old folks DO on a date night?? Well, first, they stop at a nearby market to buy groceries - BUT - this was actually exciting because Fred Meyer stores are very popular here in Portland and the one near us did a complete reconstruction during the past six months. Yesterday was their grand opening and it was like a giant party ! They had lots of great special prices and, of course, everything was fresh, perfect and beautiful. We actually had fun buying groceries.

Our next stop was a nearby cafe in an area called Multnomah Village. I've not been there before and it's a cozy little street (sort of like those in the S.F. Marina District) with little shops and restaurants. We went to "Down to Earth", a tiny Persian cafe and the food was authentic and cooked by the owner's wife. Roger says the food is as good as he cooks and we know how good that can be.

A lovely evening - a nice way to start a weekend...................

I'm in LOVE again +++++ with FRATELLI

After a nail appointment this morning I walked over to Fratelli for lunch and I've found a new favorite lunch spot !

Lunch started with a cup of cauliflower soup with fire roasted Brussels sprouts and truffle oil followed by a cracker thin crusted pizza with crispy pancetta and fresh tomatoes, hazelnuts and arugula. The food was fabulous so I'm looking forward to taking my friends next time.

We're staying close to home - Roger has a busy school schedule and I manage to keep busy doing "stuff".

Ho - Hummmmmmmmmm

A quiet week - mild and cool fall weather - time to read good books - fireplace - colorful falling leaves - lunch with friends - Bella on my lap - time to cook a big kettle of soup - lovely...............

Ummmmmmmm - Snickers..................

I LOVE October when you buy these tiny candy bars that don't make you feel guilty when you eat them - unless you're tempted to eat them all day. Today I found "one bite" sized Snickers - 45 calories - not bad for a guilty pleasure.............

Happy Birthday, Rosanna !!

You are a long time friend who looks younger every year.

I celebrate your birthday and I know that today will be a special day with your family in New Jersey.

Enjoy every minute............

A Busy Weekend in Portland..............

The street was busy about 6:30 this morning with thousands of marathon runners who came down 1st Avenue and turned on Lincoln. Meanwhile, downtown is being occupied with "Occupy Portland" protesters who have been marching since Thursday - apparently not yet ready to leave since tomorrow is a holiday. Are we staying home? Oh, yeahhhhhhh.

Roger is busy with classes and homework so this week it was a good opportunity for me to spend time with friends - yoga, lunches, shopping, reading - lunches, shopping............... and, finally, Friday "date night" with dinner at Iorio.

We enjoying cool "typical" Oregon weather - cool, warm, a little sun, and a few sprinkles.

Thought for a rainy Tuesday...............

"Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own."
Robert Heinlein

Bargain Night in Portland.............

Roger and I enjoyed a "ritzy" date tonight on a budget. We found a free parking place across from the entrance to the Schnitzer Theater, then walked four blocks for an early dinner at Brasserie Montmartre. They recently changed ownership and their food is beautifully prepared at an affordable price with several entrees under $20. They offered a Groupon several weeks ago ($15 for $30 worth of food and/or drink) so we used that tonight. An appetizer, one Manhattan, sturgeon and steak cost us $34 (plus the original $15).

After a short walk back to the theater, we went to our front row seats for a symphony performance. It was a special bargain night so our seats were only $20 each. (Normally those seats sell for about $75). I doubt that we'll sit that close to the stage in the future, but it was fun for one time because you can see everything going on during the performance.

A lovely evening - delicious food - beautiful music - less than $100. Not bad..............

Fall Produce - BEAUTIFUL - - - - -

Another leisurely walk to the Farmer's Market - a perfect way to start the weekend.

A thought for today

"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."
Mae West

The Wedding Couple, Kira and Dennis and COUSINS..........

Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Bohanon.

The couple is adorable and the wedding was perfect !!





























































This is a group photo of the Friedli cousins; Kim from Chico, Dean from Las Vegas, Kathleen (the mother of the Bride) who lives in Murphys, Lori from Sacramento and Mike from Stockton. They had a great time reminiscing.

Wedding Weekend.............

Saturday was a special event - My niece's daughter, Kira Bennett, got married to Dennis Bohanon in Angels Camp at a beautiful Country Club. It was an afternoon outdoor ceremony followed by a formal dinner on the patio that overlooks the golf course.

Lori, Pam and Mike were invited so I had a great day seeing my children and reconnecting with members of the Friedli family.

Allison is going to Japan !! Janice is going to California !!

Tonight Allison and I enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Iorio to celebrate my birthday (a little late) and Allison's trip to Japan starting next week. She'll be there for three weeks and I'm looking forward to seeing lots of photos and learning more about the culture as she travels. She has a great advantage of going with her friend who has family in Japan so Allison will be enjoying a more personal view of the country and its customs.

My trip to California tomorrow isn't as exotic but it will be personally rewarding because I'll get to see Lori, Pam and Mike and also spend time with the Friedli relatives as we celebrate the wedding of my niece's daughter. The wedding is in Angels Camp at a Country Club so we'll spend the night and enjoy the party.

Today I decorated the condo for Fall and everything is in order for the Smith's return tomorrow. They will stop by for the night on their way back to Chico.

Roger went grocery shopping so he's ready to eat "Roger food" while I'm gone (that's interpreted as "healthy" food versus what I like to eat).

So - get ready kids - your mom's on her way and ready to have some fun.....

Summer is BACK in Portland !!

• Windows open
• Tomato plant still growing
• Sunshine and blue sky
  
• Lazy, slow walks
• Heating up the barbecue
  
• Another lovely day........................................
  

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I'm only about a half way through this book but I must tell you about this fascinating book narrated by "Death". He has moments of pity but he has his job to do and he does it well - often with a wry humor. The story is serious. It is 1939 in Nazi Germany. As a book review states "Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.".

Please don't think that this is a morbid or macabre story. It's a story that could have been real during this sad time in history and the book is extremely well written.

Lazy.................

• 70 degrees
• light rain to clean the air and foliage
• fireplace
• candles
• cuddles with Bella and Iraj
  
• good food and drink

Perfect...................................................

What a CUTE Couple !!

On The Road Again.................

We bid farewell to the Smiths this afternoon. They are headed for Port Angeles where they'll stay the night and tomorrow they head for Victoria where they'll spend the week celebrating their wedding anniversary.

Happy Trails...................

Shopping and Happy Hour With The Smiths

Steve and Vicki drove in late last evening for a short visit on their way to Victoria. After breakfast, they decided to do some shopping with the eventual goal of going to Jake's Crawfish Restaurant for Happy Hour. Steve had his heart set on Crawfish, but when he saw the menu, he sort of went crazy. Well, actually we all went wild by ordering an oyster shooter, hot wings, deep fried calamari, pot stickers, corn dogs with bacon and cheese, chips with a spinach dip, a cheese burger, steamed clams and - finally a dish of crawfish.

Yes, it was a lot of food but we managed to make it through almost everything. Now we've waddled back home and - no - there won't be any dinner prepared tonight.......

Spotted Today In Portland............

Homeless man with fuschia hair, talking on a cell phone. Cool..................... - well for Portland, anyway. Here, "homeless" is a lifestyle.

A Thought.............

To be seventy years young is sometimes far more cheerful and hopeful than to be forty years old.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Pink Martini Tonight in Portland

We enjoyed a busy weekend, culminating in a performance by Pink Martini and the Portland Oregon Symphony tonight. The music was terrific and the theater was really rocking.

Memories...............

Ten years doesn't seem that long, does it? Yet, for me it's somewhat like a dream because my life was so different then. Today I've taken a short trip down memory lane by looking at a scrapbook of one of the most enjoyable cruises that Gary and I enjoyed - with the most dramatic ending...............

Ed and Liz joined us in Barcelona on September 1st, 2001 where we boarded the Golden Princess for a 14 day cruise. We toured ports through Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey.

The cruise was ending on Thursday, September 13th in Istanbul where we were scheduled to return to San Francisco.

On September 11th, the unthinkable occurred. We had returned to our stateroom after touring Ephesus and we were talking on the balcony when our neighbors shouted out that we should turn on CNN. It was close to 5 p.m. in Turkey so the first plane had already hit one tower, but to our shock, we saw the second plane hit. When I try to recall my feelings all I remember is not being able to think.............. it just didn't seem real. We soon learned just how "real" it was because the ship immediately lost all communications and the Captain began making emergency announcements. Since we were scheduled to continue to Istanbul, the Captain assured us that protection had already been provided and the ship left the Port.

When we arrived in Istanbul, the first thing we saw was guards standing every 100 feet or so on the dock with machine guns. We were told that scuba divers would be under and around the ship full-time so, even though we were in a foreign country, we felt reassured.

We were allowed to remain on the ship for two extra days because airplanes couldn't fly or land in the U.S. On the 15th, we were put on a chartered flight to Shannon, Ireland where we landed for fuel. At that time the pilot still wasn't sure that we could land in the U.S. but while on the ground, he made an announcement that the U.S. agreed to accept our flight. We were the first International airline to land at JFK after the tragedy. While landing, we looked out the window of the plane and saw only one runway lit. Everything else was dark. There were about 500 people on the plane but the Customs people hurried us through and then drove us to a hotel for the night. We got to bed about 2 p.m. and were up at 8 a.m. when they transported us back to JFK.

It took the full day for us to get our tickets, go through security, (they checked every single little thing in all of our luggage) and get on a plane. As we left early that evening, all we could see was the smoke that still came from the ruins. Even then, it just didn't seem to be real.........................

Chris Botti and a Birthday Dinner

Wow, I love birthdays. Tonight we were treated to dinner at the Heathman Hotel (thanks Teresa and Mike) and afterwards we went to an Oregon Symphony event featuring Chris Botti. Our seats were only four rows from the front so we could see everything on the stage. Delicious food - beautiful music - a perfect Saturday night out.

Nummmmmmmmmmmmmm

Farmer's Market in the Fall is the best with an amazing variety of fresh produce still available. We came home with cherries, corn on the cob, tomatoes (of course), several varieties of berries, peaches and zucchini for a new corn bread recipe that I'll bake tomorrow

After doing our shopping, Roger enjoyed a fresh made crepe with strawberries and blueberries and I returned to my favorite Italian sausage sandwich place. Sweet Italian grilled sausage with grilled sweet peppers and onions, a Pearl bakery roll and a choice of mustard. Who could ask for anything better???

Movie Day For The "Girls"

This afternoon Cheryl and I went downtown to the Living Room Theater to see the movie "Sarah's Key" The movie was made from the book, written by Tatiana de Rosnay, and the story features the capture of a French Jewish family in Paris during WWII and a modern day writer who writes about their story. It's a well made and touching movie.

After the movie, it was "happy hour time" at Jake's Crawfish so we enjoyed drinks and an inexpensive and delicious early dinner.

Now I'm back home, cooking dinner for my honey.

We're having an unusual week of temperatures in the low 90s so no one is complaining about cold or rain................ Now we're complaining about the heat..............

Book & Movie - THE HELP

Read the book and see the movie. It's a moving portrayal of life in the South in the 50s and 60s.

Art In The Pearl - Annual Arts Festival

The holiday weekend started with a dinner party here to get acquainted with Gary, Ann's new friend. We cooked too much food, ate too much - but had a fabulous evening.

Yesterday Bella and I took a walk down to the river where I read for awhile and had a delicious lunch at one of my favorite restaurants.

Every year on Labor Day weekend, artists display their wares in a park setting, covering about three city blocks under huge trees in the Pearl.

It's a wonderful community event, featuring paintings, photography, glass, clay, metal, jewelry and fabric art (including the $169 silk scarf that I was lusting over......but didn't buy....).

Tomorrow Allison and I plan to see the movie "The Help" and have lunch downtown and in the evening the complex is hosting a jazz cocktail hour.

So far, it has been a perfect weekend.