A thick juicy burger on a soft roll with pickles, mustard and lots of other good stuff was one of my favorite restaurant lunches, however, my favorite burger places in downtown Portland are still closed.
I've never before mastered cooking a burger at home but desperation brings out new talents.
SO, here's my version of a "smashed" 80% lean/20% fat burger with a thick slice of Tillamook sharp cheddar on a Grand Central Bakery potato bun.
Good? Oh, yes ................................
It has been three months since I talked about the pleasure of living in the Portland inner city area, even during a crisis. Now it's time to tell you how well our city and state officials have been keeping us safe.
The polite attitude of most people has made personal safety easy because neighbors and shoppers are wearing masks and other protection while maintaining a good attitude. Grocery stores are ultra clean and organized to make shoppers feel safe and those of us over age 60 are given special accommodations by shopping for an hour before the stores open to the public.
Life has become somewhat stressful but Roger and I are daily thankful for being healthy and safe in our home.
Yes, we miss our social activities that included theater, symphony, restaurant dinners, trips to Hood River and the waterfalls, a wedding, a graduation and my cancelled 80th birthday celebration but we have health - our most precious gift. Living in beautiful downtown Portland makes our isolation even easier because we can walk to the nearby river area and take short road trips to soak in the beauty of nature.
Persians celebrate New Year at the moment that Spring arrives. Today it will occur at 8:49 p.m. PST. This custom goes back at least 3,000 years and there are rituals that accompany the new year.
Many symbols are used to celebrate rebirth, fertility, sweetness of life, health, beauty, love, patience and age.
WE WISH YOU A HAPPY NOWRUZ AND WE WELCOME THE BEAUTY OF SPRING
I was having a "blue" day until my friend, Ann, sent this gorgeous photo that she took while out on a walk this afternoon. I find myself worrying about the Corona Virus but seeing how nature brings us everlasting beauty, I'm reminded that we'll be fine!
Friday I took the leap and ventured out to Tigard to visit Costco. The plan was to get a few cleaning supplies, some chicken and fish that could be cut and rewrapped for the freezer and get some fruit and produce. Well, friends - don't make any plans because you're likely not going to get what you came for................
The first challenge is getting into the parking lot. Prepare to be in a very long line of cars that end up blocking cross traffic and end up in horns blaring and fist shaking. OK - several minutes will go by and then, YES, you're on your way to parking. Now you have a new challenge - I won't scare you with the details - suffice it to say that if you manage to park without someone hitting your car, running over a shopper or any other mayhem - CONGRATULATIONS. You are now ready to get a shopping cart and enter the store.
Did I say "shopping cart" ? OK, at a distance I see about 20 carts left standing and about 30 people running to get one. Perhaps this is an advantage to being "old" because a nice young man got two and gave me one.
OK ............... it's time to shop!
Costco employees are doing a great job. As I entered a girl wiped my cart handle with a disinfectant and everywhere I looked, the employees were hard at work. It was disconcerting, however, to see the lines waiting to cash out - with the end of the lines approximately 3/4 of the way to the back of the warehouse.
ONWARD - now it's my turn to grab and go ......... OK, there are three packages of fresh salmon so I make a running leap, grab one successfully and go to check out the fresh chicken (organic, please). Sorry - there isn't even one package of chicken anywhere in the store except for the cooked ones (oops, only about 8 left so, another running leap for this old lady.)
Toilet paper, paper towels, Kleenex, cleaning supplies??? Well, No, not today .......... Navigation through the aisles is another challenge but finally, it's my turn to wait in one of the 30 cart long lines. It's said that "patience is a virtue".
The checkers are amazingly efficient and they have me checked out before I barely finish loading my items on the belt. So, all is good.
Only one more challenge left - loading the car and leaving the parking place and heading for the street. It's a last chance to be patient - just allow about 20 minutes to a half hour to get out and ........... SUCCESS - you are on your way home.
Costco is now a half day project so plan ahead and good luck!!!
A thick juicy burger on a soft roll with pickles, mustard and lots of other good stuff was one of my favorite restaurant lunches, however, my favorite burger places in downtown Portland are still closed. 
Having a hobby during this time when we are isolated in our homes is a great gift. Roger continues to paint at least several hours a day. His latest projects have been for personal reasons. He has been painting portraits as a gift to the physicians who have provided him with life-saving procedures. Actually they are more than just a portrait. He has added hand made sculptured enhancements to each such as a dove for Dr. Dave, a flower for Dr. Rockove and carved scrolls for Dr. Lufkin's wife. Each is unique and now, Roger is working on my birthday present, incorporating a portrait of the two of us with - - well, I don't know yet what sculpture he'll add to it as it is a "work in progress". 
Persians celebrate New Year at the moment that Spring arrives. Today it will occur at 8:49 p.m. PST. This custom goes back at least 3,000 years and there are rituals that accompany the new year.
Friday I took the leap and ventured out to Tigard to visit Costco. The plan was to get a few cleaning supplies, some chicken and fish that could be cut and rewrapped for the freezer and get some fruit and produce. Well, friends - don't make any plans because you're likely not going to get what you came for................
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