Partial DNA Test Results............

I just received partial results from my recent DNA test.  A friend of Roger's who is a scientist in the genetics field has agreed to interpret my raw genotype data so I won't have that information until he has time to work on it.

Meanwhile, I do have my ancestry composition.  I have always assumed that I was "100% German" but it turns out that 49% of my makeup is a combination of German and French.  The remaining percentages include 10% British & Irish, some Scandinavian and Balkan with 24% in the category of "Broadly Northern European".

"23andMe" is the company that I chose to test my DNA and it has been an interesting experience learning how and why this testing has become available and what it actually means.

Wonderful News - Roger's Last Chemo..............

Yesterday, Roger endured his last chemo session.  He'll be a little "under the weather" for a couple of days and then he can get back to normal.  The past two years, he has only had a mini-chemo quarterly but it still has an effect on his well-being.

Now, he's in a "wait and see" mode with a CT scan scheduled for late December.  Further treatment won't be necessary until a new lump emerges and right now, there's no sign of that happening.

It's truly a time for celebration !

15 Minutes of FAME..............

Friday night we were surprised to be the special guests at a cocktail party hosted by Lynne & Gary Hartshorn, our neighbors who live in a garden unit.  It was perfect weather for an outdoor party and, of course, it's always fun to be the guests of honor.










We've learned that we're quite the sensation in the complex.  Getting married at our age is apparently unusual (funny - we never really thought of that - it just seemed like the right thing to do).


SO - the party continues...................

MAX is right outside our condo back door.......... & Tillicum Bridge

I've always embraced "change" but, I'll admit that the loss of the huge old trees that surrounded our condo created a big impact.  The installation of train tracks for the expansion of the train system to Milwaukee, however, has resulted in some positive changes for us old folks.  Now we can hop on the train and go almost anywhere in the metropolitan Portland.  If the train and streetcars don't go there, we have four bus stops outside of the complex that take us the rest of "anywhere".  Tri-Met quickly planted large amounts of beautiful trees and they fully landscaped both sides of the street.  There's even ground cover growing under the train tracks to soften the environmental impact.  Today we did a practice run to the Farmer's Market and also figured out how we can take the MAX to our PSU classes.  The bridge shown on the logo is named "Tillicum" and it curves across the Wilhamette River on the way to Milwaukee.  The bridge will connect us to an area of Division Street where we buy groceries at New Seasons and there are numerous small cafes that serve some interesting ethnic food.  At night the bridge is lit and the colors of the lights change with the temperature and level of the river's water.  Yes............... we're even more in love with Portland !

And then it ends......................... PALM MOTEL AND CAFE IN ORICK CALIFORNIA

Our last stop on our driving trip was in a very tiny village ORICK.  We had enjoyed our drive through the Redwood National Forest and we drove until we were too tired to continue.  If we had known we would have gone another 20 or 30 miles and stayed in a newer place.  The Palm Motel and Cafe was right on the road so we checked it out.  The only two rooms left was one upstairs and a three bedroom suite.  Neither of us wanted to climb stairs with our various luggage and we didn't want to leave anything in the car that could be stolen so we asked how much the suite would cost.  He apologized about it costing $90 but, what the heck, Roger is a "big spender".  When we told him we would take it, he ended up reducing the price to a regular room rate of $70 if we promised to use only one bed.

It actually was barely worth $70 for the night but the sheets looked clean so "what the heck"?  The next morning we walked next door to the cafe and that's when we learned they were "world famous".  (That's what it says on the menu) so here's Roger's take on it.....

As it turned out, the breakfast was so bad, that we stopped an hour later in Crescent City and had a second breakfast.  The drive back to Portland was very enjoyable.  The coast route from Crescent City to Lincoln City is beautiful.  The drive took a little longer than using I-5  but it was definitely worth it.

Now we're back home with wonderful memories.  For the next week, Roger and I will finish our "body tuneups" with varied medical appointments and we'll finish all of the little repairs and fixes that need to be made in the condo.  Monday, September 28th is the first day of the fall term.  Roger will be taking one drawing class and one painting class and I'm going to take a Baroque Art History class.

San Francisco MAYKADEH and BUENA VISTA

Was the day finished after Alcatraz?  Well.......... no.  Helia felt that we should experience Buena Vista for cocktails before going to dinner.  This is where the "parking karma" kicked in.  She recently bought a fabulous Audi SUV and she's very fussy about where she parks it.  Her preference was to find a street parking spot.  HUH?  In San Francisco?  Well, as it turned out we found one only one short block from the bar and it was a two hour limit.

Our next goal was to sit at a table - not stand.  HUH?  It's a Sunday evening and the place is packed - but - one table has three vacant chairs so we decide to "make friends".  As it turned out, we actually did make friends and it was fun talking to a group of women who were having a really great time.  After my Manhattan and a couple of Irish Coffees for Helia, we were also having a really great time.

So, then it was time for dinner and Helia chose one of her favorite Persian restaurants in North Beach "Maykadeh".  This is probably the best Persian restaurant food that I've ever eaten and the place was "drop dead gorgeous".  They have valet parking but, now, Helia is convinced that we can find another street parking spot.  Yes, she was right - only about two short blocks and we saved the $10 valet fee.  It was a perfect day, especially because we got to enjoy it with Helia.  www.maykadehrestaurant.com

Finally - San Francisco with Helia..............

After leaving Santa Barbara we went back on 101 and drove to San Ramon where Roger's daughter, Helia, lives.  Her condo is adorable with a lovely view of Mt. Diablo.  She treated us to a tour of Alcatraz so here she's standing in front of one of the cells that visitors are allowed to enter.

The weather was warm and sunny so I was able to take some photos from the boat and from the island.

Breakfast on the BEACH....... At the Boathouse

 On our way out of town we found this beach front restaurant for breakfast and it was the perfect "farewell" to Santa Barbara.  The ambiance was perfect and the food was beautifully prepared and delicious.  We hope to return................

Overnight in Santa Barbara - Dinner at Carlitos Cafe

After leaving Malibu we took 101 up the coast to Santa Barbara where we spent the night.  Carlitos Cafe was only two blocks from our hotel so we walked there for dinner.  The food was fabulous with fresh made tortillas and lots of interesting salsas and garnishes.  My only regret was that I couldn't eat everything on my plate.  If you go to Santa Barbara don't miss this place!

Malibu

Our next stop was Malibu where we had a lunch invitation at the home of another childhood friend.  Majid still owns a huge book store in Tehran and he has spent his life in the publishing business, both in Iran and in the United States.  His wife is a sculptor and artist.  We let the GPS guide us and it didn't take long to realize that we were entering some prime real estate.  The road wound up and up along the Malibu hills - almost to the top.  I tried to not look too "star struck" so I only took a few photos.

I'll start with one of Majid and Roger who haven't seen each other for many, many years.  They have been friends for almost 65 years.

The art in the background is by Ardeshir Mohassess, a famous Iranian Cartoonist.  Majid's home is filled with paintings by Iranian artists and for Roger it was like touring an exclusive art gallery.




This is the entry of the house.

 Outside views of the ocean.

Calabasas

Our second stop was Calabasas where we stayed with Kio (pronounced "Q") and Mehri.

Roger and Kio have been friends since high school when they were both in a four year boarding school that provided scholarships to 100 boys to teach them agricultural engineering.  After graduation, they were sent to outlying poor areas in the countryside to teach people how to farm and grow their own food.

Living together for four years cemented friendships that have lasted all of their lives even though many of them haven't seen each other for many years.  Kio and Roger had non-stop conversation the entire time we visited and Mehri and I had a great time doing "girl things" and getting acquainted.

This is their adorable African Grey Parrot "child", BeBe Naz.  BeBe speaks both English and Farsi and she talks, whistles and sings, especially when she wants to eat.  She knows the names of her favorite foods so she'll say "almond" or "give me that" if we're eating something.  One of her favorite toys is a bell with a handle that she holds in one claw and waves back and forth so it makes a ringing noise.

After an afternoon touring Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills we were treated to a Persian dinner at Raffi's Place in Glendale. 

Driving Trip To California

We began our driving trip to California on September 4th.  Our first stop was to visit Roger's brother Sadegh and his wife, Rohan.  They moved from Iran about a year ago, with their son, Adam, who is now a senior in high school.  Sadegh is a writer, film maker, producer and actor so he is already busy working with Persian film makers in the San Jose area and in Los Angeles.

75 Years Old On August 28th

Saturday, August 28th I celebrated my 75th birthday so, Roger bought a glass of champagne to celebrate.  It was a nice start to the day!












This handsome guy is my 79 year old husband.  Marriage is still a strange concept but one that I'll enjoy getting used to.

More Wedding

I just found this photo that was taken by our waiter the night of our ceremony.  Salishan has an elegant formal restaurant with beautiful views of the forest and bay and the food was spectacular.  Roger had an Asian prepared fresh halibut and I ordered Cioppino (one of the best that I've eaten).  The dinner was a special start to a perfect weekend.

A New IPhone Camera Toy.............

 Roger surprised me with a unique gift while on our honeymoon.  These photos were taken with my 5S IPhone camera.  Four lenses clip onto the phone; 2 different sized macros, one wide angle and one fish eye.  To get the close view of the rose, I can hold the camera within a fraction of an inch away so there's lots of variables in what the camera can see.  The lense maker is "OLLOCLIP" and they offer a variety of lenses