Oldest Friend holding Newest Grandson

Isn't life grand? Here is my oldest girlfriend, and sister, Marci....she is holding my newest grandson Tommy. Marci and I have been friends since we were 8 years old.

sunny chilly day

Not much to say today, just that life is full of work, school, kids, family, dinners, groceries, bills, appointments, get the oiled changed, rake the leaves, take a nap, take a breath...

keeping it all in balance while spinning requires a good sense of equilibrium.

Here is a beautiful painting of Joan of Arc, by Rosetti, a Pre-Raphaelite painter. What a woman.

Bunko Queen

Well, I've now played a game of Bunko at my daughter's home this week. Monday night, various women from her Mom's Club gathered for homemade dinner of Wildrice Soup, mixed green salad with feta and apples, bread and Taffee Apple Pizza (one of those Pampered Chef things). soda, wine and beer. We were all ready to have a good time!
I was a bit confused at the beginning, watching the dice tumble and be scooped up quickly, while the player counted her wins. Then we moved tables, switched partners and did the throwing dice thing some more. It was way too much eye-focusing, brain-processing work for me. I'd been up since 5:30am. Eventually, however, I got into the swing of things, and tallied 50-some points during one long roll of the dice!
When I rolled a Bunko (three of a kind in the 'suit') I donned the tiara and fluffy decorated 40DD bra!

I got to take home the $5 I put in the kitty, as well as $5 more for a win/lose ratio of 12/12.

Book, Movie and Music Recommends

• Life of Pi by Yann Martel; I just finished this book today, and I have to say it was a rolicking read. This book was constantly with me, I could NOT put the book down for long. I bought into the fiction of the story. It is the enjoyable and captivating story of a young Indian teenage boy, a practicing Christian, Hindu and Muslim, who survives the sinking of a Japanese cargo ship in the Pacific Ocean. His family perishes, but a Zebra, a Bengal Tiger and a hyena survive (some survive longer than others) with him in the lifeboat.
• The Helsinki Roccamatios also by Yann Martel. Three short stories in one book. Skimmed through the story about the friend dying of aids, skipped the story about the last days of death row inmantes, and enjoyed the middle story....the details of which escape me at this very moment. Sigh.
• Now I remember...the middle story was about a Vietnam Vet who composed music, and performed it in a derelict theater. At night he was a janitor for a bank.
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Awesome. Get it. Read it. Tell me how you liked it.

Silverton Art Festival and a painting of mine

A small painting, 2" x 2", oil on paper with goldleaf, stitching and in the manner of the surrealist idea of 'automatic writing' (really just stream of conciousness). 1998.
Yesterday we went to the Silverton Art Festival and I was pleasantly surprised at the high quality of art/craft, food and music. The location was in a shady forest park in the center of town. Violin makers, bow makers, guitar makers, card weaver, calligrapher, mural painters, Indian dancers, Hawaiian food, Indian food, Thai food, glass makers, bead stringers, painters, potters, metal smiths. We listened to our friend Ted Swensen play bass for a couple of steel drum players. Dan Balmer was on guitar for this set, as well as for the Mel Brown set. Ran into friends Band A, with their three pea-in-a-pod boys. Also ran into friends T and E with their youngest daughter. The drive to and from Canby to Silverton that we take is along the backroads, very rural, and feels like one big 20 mile long backyard between the towns.A lovely outing. Now it's back to the daily routine of jobs for D and me.

Skylights from Cape Meares Lighthouse

A week of vacation in August

A week of vacation from August 14th to 20th began with K's 17th birthday party, followed by two nights of camping at Cape Lookout, on the coast (not the 'beach'...that's California talk, I've been informed). We toured the Tillamook Cheese Factory, saw the old Octopus Tree near the Cape Meares Lighthouse, climbed up the lighthouse (see photo), walked on the beach (well, I read a book instead, nestled up against a washed up log) I finished two of three Alexander McCall Smith books (light-footed reads): The Portugese Irregular Verbs and The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs. I'm currently in the middle of The Villa of Reduced Circumstances. I enjoy McCall Smith's take on the idiosyncratic differences of Germans and Brits, especially in the academic world of jealousies and power-plays.
Tuesday night (home again): Heard Raul Midron at the Aladdin Theater. Young, blind musician/singer/songwriter originally from New Mexico. Kind of a blend of Al Jarreau and Bobbie McFerrin.

Wednesday: Recouped energy from the previous 4 days, then saw Ingmar Bergman's last film, Saraband, at the Hollywood Theater. Wow. Liv Ullman is more incredible than ever.

Thursday Aug 18th: Hike in Ancient Old Growth Forest of Opal Creek.
Here is a view of the rocks in Opal Creek, seen through 6" of water. Opal Creek is a tributary of the N. Santiam river, high in the foothills of the Cascade Mtn range, east of Salem. It took 2 hours of driving (4 mi. of gravel road) and 1 hour of walking to reach Merten Falls, aka Cascado de los ninos. Had we walked another 1.2 miles we'd have reached Jawbone Flats and Sawmill Falls. As it was, 2 miles of walking was enough for me. We carefully climbed down a rough rock cliff to reach the pools below Merten Falls. The water was very very cold and very very clear. It beckoned to me, and I HAD to go in. I nearly went 'el buffo' until I spotted a two men above me, looking down. Oops, more people on the trail than I realized. So, into the water with the undies on I went. MOST REFRESHING. Almost a religious experience. Hubby kept an eye out from above.

Thursday night: Johnny Clegg concert at the Aladdin Theater. Amazing energy and love. So glad we got to see him.

Friday: rest up and putz around. Always laundry to do and groceries to buy.

It's been a good week.

My 2005 self portrait with an update photos from 3.23.19

Oh yes, I can see a difference...52 and 65......

                                                                                                        

It's been awhile since I mused on my blog site, since that earlier posting, a year ago, I've accomplished a few new things...teaching art and a credit recovery class at a nearby High School for one. It is a new job for me, and one that I've wanted to do for nearly 40 years...yes, that makes me a rather 'old' teacher! But I find that high school kids are good people, earnest, energetic, enthusiastic, and willing to try new things.

I also did another summer musical show, Wizard of Oz. I played Auntie Em. A small role, but it was the role I requested! This is the sixth show I've been in, and I have 'The Artist's Way' book to thank for helping me discover how much I'd always wanted to be on stage, and prompting me (through the exercises in the book) to audition for the Music Man in 1996.

After the Hot Air Balloon ride

This is me, holding down the hot air balloon that we just rode in on June 26, 2005. I enjoyed the ride immensely, especially when the able pilot gently brought the basket down to the Willamette River for a few moments...we hovered on the surface of the water and watched a grey heron on the shore. It was an amazing balancing act, a white knuckle experience....leaving me wondering which shore I'd swim for if we suddenly sank!