GOOD. RANDOM. FUN. V.14 {2016}

Oh... this is a cute way to advertise! ROYCE CAFE & COFFEE HOUSE (named for the owner, Joy & Rhoda, her daughter). GOOD coffee, tasty cookies & signage!

RANDOM... Loved this shoe form! How would you use this to decorate your home? I'm thinking I would use it as a bookend... or maybe add a couple of brushed silver knobs and use it to hang a coat or dog leash (if I had a dog!!)... Of course, you would have to hang it on the wall!

When we were in Ohio, we stopped by TAFT'S ALE HOUSE (downtown Cincinnati)... there were several parties of noisy (very, very noisy) people in the downstairs bar. As we passed the door to the outside, we discovered they were taking taking a BEER TOUR. You can check out these FUN tours by going on TripAdvisor.

Well, that's all for now!

Posting with Tamar at RANDOM-OSITY. 

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!!

GOOD. RANDOM. FUN. V.5 {2016}

Saturday, we took a drive to Montana de Oro... about 25 minutes from our house. There are H.U.G.E. cliffs with sweeping views of the midnight blue ocean. Waves were pounding the rocks, people stood along the bluffs enjoying the wind and watched the storm blow in. It was sooooo GOOD to be out in nature...

Hopping rocks, looking in tidepools, exploring between the incoming tide... A few RANDOM samples of ocean life. 

Some FUN... a break from procrastinating

(still decluttering the bathrooms,

honestly, I haven't gotten far...).

Too late for Christmas, but it was certainly FUN mailing this ornament to Allie & Brian. 

• I photocopied both sides of their wedding invitation on card-stock, cut it into slivers of paper, which I rolled around a pencil & dropped them inside this glass bauble.
• Then I punched purple(s) & green confetti from the crepe paper I used to make their wedding flowers. 
• Here are the photos I sent to family showing them how this looked. Since no one had seen the ornament, I labeled the arrows showing them what the curled paper pieces were... C.U.T.E. & FUN!

posting with Tamar @ Random-osity

BUNU (means THIS ONE)!!!

PICTURE HEAVY post!

we woke up at 4am & couldn't go back to sleep!

Stick close!

we'll never be able to find each other if we get separated!

doesn't every tourist spot have t-shirts for sale?

cars, buses & trams WILL NOT stop for pedestrians!

so, you can imagine taxi rides can be hilarious!

Actually, our taxi driver from the airport to our hotel was

a sweet little Turk w/a gentle soul

(& spoke just enough English to point out some sights)

wanna buy some dried eggplant?

yep! next to the delicious pomegranate tea is something for the GUYS!

a quick turn down this street!

in the market for a LAMP?

a pretty little shop!

purchased a "kese" (washcloth) for each of us to take to the Turkish Bathhouse!

Halloween costume?

for me? ummm... perhaps 40 years ago I might have tried this on?

wandered back to the center!

NOW, this is more interesting! a fabric store...

and dozens of stalls selling buttons!

how do these men stay in business? they all sell the same stuff...
 (only men work in the bazaar) 

when Steph & Allie were young, I sewed a cute, little dress that had similar purple buttons...

shopping was exhausting! we headed outside...

of course, JPE found the book stalls!

for Lydia, Derek, Katie & Matthew...

Diary of a Wimpy Kid...

in Turkish!

exited the Grand Bazaar...

for tea & a spinach-filled phyllo dough "goodie"

AHHHH! the adventure(s) of shopping mall!

my FIT-BIT recorded 15,191 steps today!

MERHABA (HELLO)...

Azade Hotel (Istanbul) - in Old Town, two blocks from the Blue Mosque

this post is for Mom... check out the rating! and, it's a Best Western (but, clean & modern)!

looking toward the Blue Mosque!

a fountain in a beautiful park separates the Sophia Hagia Mosque & Blue Mosque

inside the Istanbul Archaeological Museum

(near Old Town)

JPE was interested in the Syrian & Hittities

(dating back to the 13th Century).

we had a cup of tea in the courtyard...

among the outdoor artifacts!

weather was pleasant! a bit of humidity! 

photos are slow to load! will post the day's highlights!

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY 6.22.14

Lydia spent her first week of summer with us.

It takes a day or two for her to leave the "fast-paced" daily routine of being home.

We got the "only available" campsite in North Beach-Pismo Beach campground... 

it's our "go-to-campground" 8 minutes from our house...

it's a treasured place for many reasons!

LYDIA has the freedom to ride her bike around the campground... unaccompanied!

Another benefit of camping... fresh air, walks on the beach & mindless relaxation!

... also, you can get a "dose of nature"

... Lola & Allie have wide open spaces...

... and you have more opportunities to nap!

posting with Ashley at Rambling & Photos!

 

 

next week's words:

PINK, WHEELS, FRIEND(S), EMOTION & SWEET

(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!!!

SONG-OGRAPHY + SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY 2.214

Chinatown, San Francisco

talked to SLE this afternoon as she was walking home from yoga... the snow was melting into puddles...
our phone conversation reminded me of my last trip to Washington DC!
Katie, Mom & I spent five days exploring... Katie probably felt like she
WALKED A THOUSAND MILES!

sharing this photo with
Kathy at You'll Shoot Your Eye Out

also stopped by Ashley's for

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY

this week's words:

BEVERAGE, SNUGGLE, THICK, BEHIND THE LENS & WHERE WERE YOU?

BEVERAGE of choice... coffee w/a splash of non-fat milk!

elephant seals in a SNUGGLE... the "pups" are molting!

JPE's compost is THICK with worms...

nothing like traveling... to put me BEHIND THE LENS!

wondering WHERE I WAS?
in Sacramento... bleary-eyed = reading grants!

see ya tomorrow! 
at Tamar's for
GOOD. RANDOM. FUN.