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.

Uptown Billiard Club Portland Oregon

It's Friday night so Allison, Rae, Roger and I decided to start the weekend by visiting the Uptown Billiard Club for an Early Bird Dinner. Their five course meal features pumpkin this month so each of the courses had pumpkin as an ingredient.

The courses included Bisque, Endive Salad, Pheasant, Short Ribs and Creme Brulee, each served with a different Oregon wine so we have very full tummies this evening. We enjoyed talking about all of our Thanksgiving plans; Rae in San Diego, Allison in Sun River and Roger and me in California so we'll all be on the road during the coming weeks.

A Lazy Fall Sunday in Portland

I haven't blogged for awhile and generally I start receiving e-mails and phone calls asking if everything is OK - so the purpose of today's blog is to say "yes" everything is fine. I took a picture of the trees outside the back balcony so you can see that Fall has arrived with an array of beautiful colors. About half the leaves are already gone from the trees outside and as I walk through downtown, I see many trees that are already completely bare. We've had rain for the last two days so the streets are covered with a blanket of huge multi-colored leaves.

Roger and I are busy preparing for our drive to California. We'll leave here Nov. 20th, stay the night in Ashland and then head to San Francisco to visit the Lutzs and a friend of Roger's who lives in Oakland. After picking up some antiques that I've purchased from Bonham's in S.F. we'll arrive in Lodi the night of the 23rd. That gives us two days to visit friends and show Roger around the area.

Thanksgiving Day will be at Mike's place in the country (He and Teresa recently moved) - then we'll spend a day or so in Sacramento before starting the trek back to Portland. Bella is coming with us so I've had the challenge of finding lodging that will allow a dog in the room, however, it has actually been easy. Hotels are becoming more "pet friendly" these days.

This Thanksgiving is extra special because it will be the first with Roger and Mike's new family. It truly is a year for thanks as we blend our families. Of course, Ashley will always have the #1 place in my heart but now my number of grandchildren has grown to include Rachel, Tony and Jessica and her husband, Ryan.

Portland Oasis Learning Center

Today I enjoyed a new experience; that of being a teacher. The Oasis Learning Center provides a large selection of classes for senior adults and they have a fabulous computer center. I was asked to teach a class on how to buy and sell on eBay.

I had five students and they were all fabulous people. They all knew enough about basic computer operation so we were able to get to work quickly. All five are serious about selling (mostly stuff they have on hand that they want to get rid of) and they were all excited and motivated by the end of the class.

I started out a little nervous but I found that it was really fun sharing my experiences and helping teach new skills.

Tonight is "girls night" so at 5:30 I'll head upstairs for wine and then we'll walk next door for an early dinner.

A Special Day

70 years ago today my parents went to Reno to get married. My father had been previously divorced and my mother was a spinster at the age of 30 so this was the most practical way for them to start a new life. They were both very special people and I am so fortunate to be their child. There are so many wonderful memories and I loved them with all my heart - how I wish that I could hug and kiss them one more time........