GOOD. RANDOM. FUN. V.12 {2016}

GOOD. GOOD. GOOD.

street sign advertising the Alberta Art District in Portland, OREGON. 

RANDOM. RANDOM.

Richard, our Portland Walking Tour guide told us this statue has many names! Somewhat controversial, the local newspaper said it's a sex-education lesson, it's also known as Three Groins in the Fountain... but, officially, it's called "The Quest"

FUN.

Pretty ceiling in the Portland Opera House. This is the lobby, looking up!

Have to say, Portland, Oregon

"raises the bar" for public artwork.
(even controversial art)

posting with Tamar @ Random-osity

check out her "GOOD" this past week!

FIVE ON FRIDAY {3.11.16}

All these photos were taken last week on a trip to Portland, Oregon...

Last week on Friday, Mom & I were just finishing a Portland Walking Tour with guide, Richard. He mentioned he was a "DUCK" and his sister was a "BEAVER" --- you would understand this statement if you follow college sports. My grand-nephew is interested in becoming a "DUCK" and attend the University of Oregon (the other rival college, Oregon State University has a BEAVER as a mascot). Later, we stopped by a DUCK Store to check out the orange-billed mascot & capture several DUCK pictures which we shared with "D" in a text message. 

Before the Portland Walking Tour, we wandered around the Pioneer Courthouse Square... Portland has loads of "public art" including this series of game boards. Looking across this chess (or checkers) board, you can see how public this piece of art is. Don't worry! the wallet (cup of coffee too) is part of the art... check out the additional views of the chess board. 

Saturday, we headed to the Portland Saturday Market, down by the wharf... in addition to unique crafts, music, entertainment & food stands, there was an amazing young man demonstrating his balloon making skills. He definitely captured the 1-8 year old crowd with his smiles & twisty shapes.

Heard of 805 BEER? Well, that refers to beer that is brewed by Firestone Brewery in San Luis Obispo County (which is where I live)... this young vendor is capitalizing on this concept and selling t-shirts, caps and other local products using a "play on words"... Portland's area code is 503... 5-0-TREE, get it??? Once again, this is Portland's Saturday Market...

Arriving back at the BENSON HOTEL, I couldn't help but share the gorgeous chandelier located in the main lobby. Simply stunning! I wish my i-phone captured better pictures... perhaps it IS because the ceiling must have been 12 feet tall??? I must add "tips for taking photos on a portable device" to my research list.

Gosh, I never thought I would join the ranks of people who say, "what day is today?" but, just WAIT until you retire... you'll be joining our team. 

Posting with Amy @ FIVE ON FRIDAY

  

ON THIS DAY.... JANUARY 28th!

Being an "overachiever" and NOW a "procrastinator" I tend to avoid posting pictures on my blog if they aren't new or what I consider "blog-worthy"... I've been spending a chunk of time each day editing my photo library. It's gotten unmanage-able (over 42,500 photos)... and many of them need to be trashed. Of course, that prevents me from wanting to add more photos until I take care of this problem.

So... to SIMPLIFY life... I dug back into my archives for some notable happenings on this day... specifically, 2013 and 2011... Here's what I found. Also, I borrowed photos I hadn't posted to illustrate this post.

January 28, 2013

We took visitors to see the ELEPHANT SEALS on 1/28/13. An easy drive... it's always exciting being outside in the brisk, winter breezes along the coast of California. AND, who wouldn't like seeing the elephant seals... 

Actually, I enjoy seeing the expressions on people's faces while they watch the nuances of ELEPHANT SEAL life. This photo happens to be from February 2014, but I love the look on Matthew's face.

January 28, 2011

Then there was this LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE IN 2011. 

I had broken a bone in my left foot. I had written about the emotions that I was feeling as the result of being on crutches. Little did I know that I would use crutches until mid-July. AND, then have physical therapy for several months to regain my balance. 

JPE & I had already booked flights to see SLE & MB in Washington DC. So, off we went... You can see "da boot" that was "oh so glamorous!" We are laughing at MB, who was taking our picture! He's taken some of the best pictures --- and he's blind. Of course, we had all sorts of comments to help him snap this photo. 

Well... hope you enjoyed "On THIS DAY" (in 2013 & 2011)... perhaps I'll have to make this a regular feature here!

See you soon! 

GOOD. RANDOM. FUN. V47

Cambria, CA 11.23.15

Mom came up on Amtrak Sunday evening... We spent a GOOD part of Monday walking around Cambria... Isn't this a GOOD way to keep track of socks missing their mates??

hilarious book about breastfeeding

One of our RANDOM "finds"... some laugh-out-loud information about breastfeeding!! This might make you think I don't support breastfeeding... but it should be noted that I breastfed both of my daughters until they were almost 2 years of age. We couldn't help laughing at this silly cartoon, "Bad time to breastfeed"...

Ball & Skein Yarn Shop, Cambria, CA

I've seen plenty of cardboard reindeer heads, but this is my "first" cardboard sheep. What a novel, FUN way to display skeins of yarn. Allie would love-love-love the yarn in this store...

posting with Tamar @ RANDOM-OSITY!

GOOD. RANDOM. FUN {WEEK 38}

 

another trip to Gopher Glen Apple Farm for a 10 pound bag of apples!

the picking season for Mutsu & Mohawk apples
has come & gone!! 

near the southern entrance to Pismo Beach

Isn't this FUN? 

posting with Tamar @ RANDOM-OSITY

SUNDAY ON THE GO...

enjoying our company (the Skids)...

breakfast + movies + coffee + dinner + ice cream for dessert

:: two movies ::

"This is Where I Leave You"

{hilarious! about a dysfunctional family}

"The Drop" 

{intense!! organized crime & the use of neighborhood bars

as money-laundering drops}

BABES 4 DINNER...

hosted BUNCO BABES for dinner!

we DON'T play BUNCO

(a dice game)!

we DO eat! talk! laugh! 

found this adorable little heart at World Market! 

wrapped raffia around the neck
of an inexpensive glass vase
 (from the Dollar Store)
& attached the heart!

easy... peasy!

SURPRISE! SUPRISE!!!

{Stacy, me, Mom, Jodi & Janene}

no long car or plane trips for me {yet}!

so, {last Saturday} my niece, Jodi, arranged
a Girl's Weekend to

"keep me company"

while JPE was in Cincinnati for his dad's 90th birthday.

we laughed! we ate! they shopped! we ate!
they visited Avila Barn! they shopped in SLO!
they dined at the Apple Farm!

we talked about food! we giggled!

we drank tea! & we ate more!

{four chatty, giggling females + one motel room = LITTLE SLEEP}

we decided to make this an annual event!

{& we'll invite the other girls who weren't here!}

Mom made all of us Girl's Weekend pillowcases!

{they left this morning! bummer!}

GOOD. RANDOM. FUN {WEEK 23}

 DON'T FORGET to check in with Tamar...

"garden art"

looking forward to bike riding after I heal from surgery!

(S)PUTTERING... PAINTING...

(S)PUTTERING... PAINTING....

looking for some photo ops that can be created with WATERLOGUE

Mom, Jodi & family have been here since last weekend...

Jodi's family has been "GLAMPING"

{camping?  in their trailer... with hook-ups}

Sunday evening - getting set-up!

Yesterday, we took a walk into Pismo Beach

& got caught in a downpour!

on the walk home!

Mom, Katie, Felix, Matthew, Archie & Derek

I took these photos on the pier, BEFORE the downpour...

this photo even shows evidence

of the spitting sky!

finishing lunch at Garland's

The downpour began about 5 minutes after this picture.

We walked the kids back to the trailer...

{JPE drove my mom home}

It was quite the adventure!

Something I think the kids will remember as FUN??

hope so!!!

GOOD. RANDOM. FUN. {WEEK 3}

:: GOOD ::

poinsettia's are still ALIVE! 

they are difficult to grow + they need a lot of attention.

Amazingly, they are "hanging in there" which is GOOD.

:: RANDOM ::

PHRENOLOGY is defined as a pseudoscience

that focused on the brain as an organ of the mind; scientists believed different sections of the brain

were responsible for certain characteristics or functions.

Thankfully, Phrenology is no longer practiced. In the 1700's, Gall, a researcher studied young pickpockets and noticed they all had a bump behind their ears...

he suggested this bump was an indicator for identifying pickpockets.

RANDOM, huh?

I saw these PHRENOLOGY heads when I was out-&-about!

Wished I had purchased them to use as bookends.

:: FUN ::

sorry, I've forgotten what these are called?

I think it's a horned melon? if not, they are certainly FUN to look at.

posting these with Tamar @ Random-osity...

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY 12.1.13 + SONG-OGRAPHY

SHS 12.1.13 + SONG-OGRAPHY

 Can you believe the holiday season has arrived?

So, THANKFUL to have had the entire Thanksgiving Week off!

We slept in, started decorating, car shopped, went to movies, visited with JPE's family...
I took some pics, but seem to have lost my photography "mojo"... 

My offerings for SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY,
hosted by the beautiful Ashley at Rambling & Photos.
Words this week:
STARTS WITH "S", TEXTURE, BLESSINGS, WARMTH & I WENT...

recently wandered through Apple Farm Gift Shop
if you're feeling "bah-humbug"
this is the place to find some holiday SPARKLE!

 some cloud TEXTURE 
no, we didn't get rain, unfortunately!

 definitely, two of my greatest BLESSINGS!
living on opposite coastlines {California & Washington DC} 
they don't get to see each other much!

WARMTH = comfort food
 {charming holiday graphics!}

 snow globe in the Apple Farm Gift Shop
{such fond memories of our travels}

AND, for SONG-OGRAPHY, check in with Kathy at DON'T SHOOT YOUR EYE OUT.

L-R: Natasha & JPE; Thanksgiving feast; Perry, Lauren, Daniel & Jenna; Celebrated Hanukkah too!

  this week's song is
"CELEBRATE ME HOME" by Kenny Loggins

"I believe I've missed each and every face.
Come on and play my music,
Let's turn on the love light in the place." 

M-E-M-O-R-Y  M-A-K-I-N-G  T-I-M-E-S! 

 

SITE 33 - CAMPING @ PLASKETT CREEK

Plaskett Creek Campground, south of Big Sur

gorgeous views of the ocean... a 90 minute drive from our house...

Lydia chose to sleep in her own tent this year... ummm...

no shoes in the tent...

 ...almost done!

surprise... due to lack of running water (low water table),

we weren't able to build a fire!

so'mores over a propane stove?

they were actually G.O.O.D!

...it's heavenly having clean hair!

and riding bikes!!!

...building memories!