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

  

ONE DAY I WILL...

In RECOGNITION of WOMEN

throughout the world!!!

MARCH 8th

was

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!

turn up the sound

touch the close captioned button [cc] 

tap the brackets [ ] on far right to watch w/full screen

I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did!

GOOD. RANDOM. FUN. V.10 {2016}

taken 3.5.16

Mom & I flew to Portland, Oregon last week! We got an inexpensive flight from Long Beach to Portland, rented a car (although you can use public transportation) and stayed at the historic BENSON HOTEL. Here are a few GOOD - RANDOM - FUN pictures that I captured. Check out the LINKS in this post for more detailed information about Portland.

Thursday, March 3rd

After visiting with Mom's friend in the historic Hollywood District, we drove over to the ALBERTA ARTS DISTRICT to check out a few fabric stores, BOLT FABRIC BOUTIQUE & MODERN DOMESTIC. What a colorful, fun, creative place to stroll... and capture some pictures... I plan to post some of my favorite shots later this week. After an hour browsing (& buying) at Modern Domestic, we asked the staff where they would recommend eating... she suggested SWISS HIBISCUS just behind their store. What an incredible dining experience! small, intimate... Mom enjoyed pork schnitzel & spätzle, while I had a mouth-watering brat & creamy potato salat. Heavenly food! the owner-chef came out to speak to all the tables asking how they liked the food. Oh yum! will visit this spot again to try another dish! absolutely GOOD!

Friday, March 4th

Portland is a city for walking OR riding bikes. YES, they ride their bikes in the drizzle & pelting rain! Perhaps they are immune to the chill and dampness?? Mom & I took the Portland Walking Tour which met at Portland's historic "living room," also called the Pioneer Courthouse Square. More about the sights near this landmark will be coming in another post, but for now, two RANDOM pictures.

A dog carrying a basket... he wasn't homeless, but on closer examination of the basket, it said SMILE... and you could drop a donation in his basket. He was crossing the square and didn't approach us for spare change. Perhaps he met his $$ quota?

And, finally, the Portland BLUE MAN pontificating from notes he had written... objecting to government regulations... or lack of action on the part of the city council. Apparently he is a regular & his name is Mike! he keeps his face covered! And loves to SHOUT OUT his opinions via an electric megaphone. His ranting was a bit annoying!

Saturday, March 5th

FUN... of course eating donuts is FUN! We walked by Voo-Doo Donuts several times, but the line was so long (no surprise!! as you can see the donuts are legendary) we missed carrying around our own PINK BOX. But, any number of people eating a donut were willing to share their "puffy selection" for this photo op! What we were surprised to learn, Jet Blue allowed passengers to carry on their PINK BOXES to share their donuts with the people back home. Mom & I think Voo-Doo Donuts should open a shop in the Portland Airport!!

posting with Tamar at RANDOM-OSITY

more of Portland coming!!

WEEKEND WANDERINGS {CAMBRIA PINES}

Cambria Pines Lodge, Cambria, CA

I think I need to "pin" this so I can duplicate it
in my garden!

WOW! love this bedroom!

be careful! 

let's go check out the POOL now!

still following along?

ummm... this is an awfully small pool house...

the pool was closed for the winter!

well, it's time to head back to the car...

hope you enjoyed this magical visit??

website for Cambria Pines Lodge

(pssst... this was sort of a silly way to be able to post some of my pictures)

posting w: SUNDAYS IN MY CITY & WEEKEND TRAVEL INSPIRATION.

GOOD. RANDOM. FUN. V.7 {2016}

Sunday, February 14, 2016 - VALENTINE'S DAY

GOOD - Went for an afternoon drive to our favorite place along the Shell Beach cliffs! Yesterday was a beautiful, warm (mid-80's) day along the beach. Not exactly winter weather, but okay, I can live with a few days, THEN we better get some more of that El Nino weather (meaning... rain) before all the trees bloom thinking it's Spring. The 101 highway was sooo crowded it took us 65 minutes to drive home... in general, it's a 15 minute drive.

RANDOM - A group of women were practicing their hula dance for an upcoming performance. They were being accompanied by a guy on his guitar. A lovely addition to the beauty of the coastline.

Allie's classroom - Thursday, February 11th

FUN - Volunteered in Allie's TK classroom. (TK = Transitional Kindergarten). Haven't seen her students since October... they are ALL 5 years old now...

She has the most interesting items in her classroom! a new set of puppets with an upper & lower case letter on them...

And, doesn't this plate of (plastic) spaghetti look tasty? At the beginning of the school year, playing in the kitchen was the TOP choice during free-time... now it's the writing center (they love those glue sticks + scrap paper). Allie has a huge stack of little "treasures" created by her students!

 Posting with Tamar at Random-osity

Last I checked, she was enjoying
a snowy day on the slopes!

FIVE ON FRIDAY {2.5.16}

L.O.V.E. this publication!

 First issue - Christmas gift from Allie & Brian.

C.O.O.L... I'll be my brother-in-law could build something like this!

A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E.

who wouldn't want a TIN MAN?? he captured my HEART!!

Q.U.O.T.A.B.L.E

adding another quote to my collection!

C.R.E.A.T.I.V.E.

aren't you amazed at the creativity of people?

posting at Five on Friday

off to Cambria Pines to preview a workshop

...thinking I may have a hard time concentrating in such a beautiful location!

YAD SDRAWKCAB...

Nottingham Flea Market - London, England

You say you can't read the title of my blog post? Ummmm. Today is BACKWARDS DAY. Check out THIS LINK to learn more...

Yes, a day that is more appreciated by elementary school students. A chance to wear your clothes BACKWARDS, or eat dessert before your dinner, or write cryptic notes to friends.

Not sure what I plan to do? but here are a couple of pictures from my archives... the first showing our last name spelled BACKWARDS.

Of course, it's BACKWARDS for Americans to look to the left before crossing the street. Fortunately, England helps us by painting a reminder on major street crossings... LOOK to the Left.

Enjoy spending your day doing things in reverse or BACKWARDS... 

see you tomorrow... BTW, Monday is National FREEDOM Day! Did you know that?

STORY TIME...

CHRISTMAS is MAGICAL for me!

PERHAPS... because I was born in December? because I share my birthday with my brother (who was born on my first birthday)? because RED & GREEN are cheery colors? because of the traditions from my childhood? or the traditions I created with my daughters? because it means time with family (games, laughter, seeing the Nutcracker, movies, eating, decorating cookies...)

Actually, it's difficult for me to explain... certainly, one reason I can share is my LOVE of ornaments... well, to be specific, SANTAS. I've been collecting SANTA ornaments (or decor) since the mid-nineties! (makes me sound OLD, huh)... as word of this LOVE "spread like wildfire" among my family, friends & the kids I mentored, the number of my SANTAS exploded... into a delightful collection.

Several years ago, my grand-niece, Katie, tried to count the number of SANTAS in my collection.

Actually, my SANTA collection probably numbers in the 100's??
But, let's return to the MAGICAL! a "gifted" SANTA has been marked with the year & initials of the person who "gifted" the jolly, ole chap! 

Many of my SANTAS were "gifted" by my Camp Fire girls... they are also marked with the year & initials or name of the giver. Jackie (now the mother of 3 girls) gave me this red-glass tummy SANTA in 1997 (the year she was a junior in high school).

Unwrapping my SANTAS each holiday season brings back a "flood of MAGICAL memories"...

Oh... the story behind the glittery SANTA at the top of this post? One Sunday, during a drive through Ojai, CA (a delightful place that oozes artistic talents), JPE found this SANTA & gave it to me our first CHRISTMAS together. That CHRISTMAS he also gave me a beautiful "COAT of MANY COLORS"... ummm, that's another story to share... and reveals a flaw in my character that I'd rather not share right now!!!

How are your holiday traditions MAGICAL for you???

GOOD. RANDOM. FUN. V48

Sunday, JPE & I walked around Arroyo Grande Village (actually, our historic downtown area)... In addition to having a coffee of coffee at Andreini's, we watched the "locals" stake out their spot along Branch Street for watching the holiday parade that started at 5:00pm. 

Grace Bible Church performed at the gazebo on the So County Historical Society lawn... and led a sing-a-long of holiday songs.

The Santa Manuela Schoolhouse had been decorated so we took a "peek" inside.

We had to laugh at the writing on the chalkboard! It IS a GOOD idea NOT to SPIT on the STOVE... all those germs! 

Thinking of dining or having an appetizer at Rooster Creek Tavern? well, the resident rooster will be joining you!! pretty RANDOM eh? having to share your outdoor dining experience with the "local" roosters that prowl the downtown area.

In addition to the holiday decorations in the old schoolhouse, we had FUN reminiscing about how many of the items we had during our elementary school years... of course the American flag, but I didn't recognize the California map displayed. Both JPE & I recognized the two items that were used on the blackboard... I especially remember five-prong chalk holder (the bottom piece of chalk is missing) that drew parallel lines for demonstrating penmanship or for music class. Although we didn't sit at desks like these, I recognized several of the textbooks on top of the desks... a science book from 1959, a history book and penmanship book. I didn't attend a one-room schoolhouse, but there is actually one in our county that still operates. It's amazing to think this teacher is responsible for teaching lessons to multiple grades. 

Last post of November... the holidays are approaching! will share my decorating once I get over the frenzy that 2015 is almost over!

posting with Tamar @ Random-osity

THREE WEEKS AGO...

the daylight hours are getting shorter

flannel sheets are on the bed

sweaters & scarves are being pulled from storage

the birds were getting quiet

the water had stilled its movement

an hour before the sun dipped behind the hills

Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

snapping the final pictures

fingers pulling our coats closed

the chilly air swirled deep into our lungs

as we returned to the warm car

seems like yesterday

{instead of three weeks ago}

we stood on top of this stone wall

GOOD. RANDOM. FUN. V46

JPE & I celebrated our 11th Anniversary last Thursday. We took a drive to Cambria, CA (a 40 minute drive up Hwy 1). The weather was beautiful... we had a tasty breakfast at Linn's Restaurant... peeked into our favorite stores... and enjoyed a GOOD ole' relaxing day... topped off with massages & Linn's Chicken Pot Pies followed by a sliver of Linn's famous Olallieberry pie with a dollop of ice cream. Ahhhh! we certainly know how to celebrate!!

After Sunday's downpour, I was checking out the tree in our front yard. I've been watching our tree with "eagle-eyes"... A couple of days ago I noticed a leaf that appeared to be falling. When I put on my glasses, I could see the leaf was tangled in a spider's web. RANDOM sighting! even with a half inch of rain & some wind, the web is still hanging onto its leaf. Yeah for Mother Nature!!

Today is National Button Day. I'll bet you a "card of buttons" that you didn't know there was a website dedicated to button collecting. I looked around on the website and found a resource link for new button collectors. As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I collect buttons for the "cute-ness"... my Instagram post gives some tips for using buttons in your elementary classroom!

time to "button my lips"

{sorry for the pun, couldn't help myself}

& link this post to Tamar's blog at Random-osity.

Come back tomorrow for a review of the book I finished this morning!

BUTTON, BUTTON... WHO'S GOT THE BUTTON?

TOMORROW is National Button Day!

I love the sound of running your hands through a bucket or dish of loose buttons!! if you don't know what I mean, find a fabric or hobby store that sells loose buttons by the scoop. Weave your hands through the bucket of buttons & you'll probably notice it sounds a bit like ocean waves moving shells along the sand.  I saw these buttons in a yarn shop in Cambria... they were organized in containers... and sold individually.

Have you ever washed (or hand-washed) a sweater, only to have it shrink to Barbie size proportions? Of course you have! Have to admit, I have too... but before I recycle the sweater, I cut off the buttons. The round-wheel looking buttons were removed from a green sweater that was much too itchy! (so I don't miss wearing it). And swirly buttons (there are four of them) were cut off a off-white fisherman knit sweater that belonged to my mother-in-law, Lana. I don't know how I ended up with the flat silver buttons, but I love the design on the face of them.

A flood of memories come to mind when I see these buttons. I sewed most of my daughter's clothes during their early years (6 mos-9 years). Allison loved purple! Stephanie liked unusual shapes --- so I sewed the telephones on the pockets of a corduroy jacket. Remember Hello Kitty? both girls had the pink kitty buttons on their blouses. 

Christmas is my favorite holiday! Even though I don't have plans to use these buttons, I bear to get rid of them. One year I sewed an army of gingerbread cookies on the girls bathrobes... Notice the bells! the two red metal ones actually make a noise. Oh... and the little reindeer. They're sweet, but I don't remember why I bought them?? Do you have to have a reason to buy cute-ness?

Of course I could go on & on about the VALUE of a button jar, but I'll leave you with this link to my Instagram post about National Button Day. 

If you have any buttons that you're ready to get rid of ~ I'm here! ready to take them off your hands.

Don't forget to post your button pictures tomorrow on your blog.

ORANGE, ROUND, SCARY...

Winchester, VA ~ pumpkin patch
"curly vine & visiting spider"

Fredericksburg, VA
"colonial skeletons, webs & spiders"

Fredericksburg, VA ~ decorating contest
"If she'd ONLY had a BRAIN"

Fredericksburg, VA
"a splash of fall colors + Halloween decor"

Fredericksburg, VA
Mary Washington's House
{mother of George} 
simple pumpkin & PicMonkey enhancements

remembering... reflecting
Fall Colors Trip