'Shrooms

Growing in our front yard. Yep, we're in Oregon!

(Taken with the new camera. Woo-hoo!)

New toy #1

Finally got the digital SLR I've been wanting. Now I won't have to mess with the crappy Canon point & shoot anymore. Nothing but problems with that camera, which went back to the shop for repairs four times in about as many years.

Got a great deal on the Nikon and a bunch of related extras here in the land of no sales tax. Now I need to get shooting!

Song stuck in my head

We all get songs stuck in our head, and it happens to me on a regular basis. But normally it's there for a reason. All day today, and I don't know what put it there, I've been singing "Big Bottom" by Spinal Tap.

The part that's been running through my head:
Big bottom / big bottom
Talk about bum cakes / My girl's got 'em

Good things ...

come in pink boxes and on Frontier jets.

Our friend Monica, a master ceramicist and all-around creative type (not to mention one of Angus' favorite people in the world), flew in from Denver last weekend to check out the Oregon College of Art and Craft. The bonus was that we got lots of QT with her.

The weekend was mostly about eating and driving around checking out neighborhoods and cute shops. We also caught the Blazers-Celtics game, with a surprise appearance by Maceo Parker, who was in town for a concert. He played the Black National Anthem before the game (as part of Black History Month) and performed during halftime. A good time, but despite a strong start, the Blazers lost. Aside from "real" food, we had lots of sweets, chief among them a selection from the ever-enticing Voodoo Doughnut, famous for Nyquil and Pepto-Bismol doughnuts, though those flavors are currently on hold (I can't imagine someone could eat many of those without getting kind of sick, despite both substances' curative properties).

Among our choices were Froot Loops, Cocoa Puffs and Butterfinger doughnuts. Voodoo is also cool in that you can get married in the shop, complete with a doughnut reception.

Before taking Monica to the airport, we stopped by the Stash Tea Store, where it's easy to drop a load of cash. Yes, Stash Tea is available everywhere, but this is the only place I know of where you can find all their flavors, and then some, in one place.

Shaker box

Got an unexpected box of Shaker goodies from Mom the other day. She went down to visit Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in Harrodsburg, Ky., recently with a couple of friends. Included in the package were handmade soap and soap dish, peppermint foot powder, moth repellant, pot scrubber, whisk broom, bookmark and jar scrapers.

The best part was a counted cross stitch needlepoint kit of the Mary Payne sampler. The original sampler, which hung in our house while I was growing up, was donated to Shakertown by my grandmother and her two surviving brothers in the 1970s. They were the grandchildren of Mary Payne, who was born in 1860 and lived with the Shakers into her teen years before settling in Washington County, Ind.

Had Mary Payne stayed with the Shakers, there would be no Grandma, Mom, me or a slew of other relatives since the Shakers believed in celibacy (the men and women, even married couples, lived and worked in separate quarters) and eventually died off.

The kit has been around for years; I've just never made it a priority to get one. And in case you're wondering, I am not learning yet another craft. I'll leave the counted cross stitch to the pros; just have to find someone who can stitch it for me.

Seems like spring

We've had our fair share of pleasant weather lately, with temps in the 50s and sunshine. The dogs have enjoyed getting out frolicking in the sun, which there hadn't been a lot of since we got to town.

The forecast calls for more sun and highs well into the 50s for my weekend (Sunday & Monday). Woo-hoo!



Welcome wagon

Our 5-year-old neighbor Ryleigh came over with her mom last night to bring us a homemade Valentine. Unfortunately, I was at work and missed all the cuteness. We had met our neighbors a few days ago, and we suspect her ulterior motive in bringing the Valentine was to get some more QT with the Chihuahuas.

Template

Depending on which browswer you use, my blog may look better or worse. That's always been the case, but with the new template, I notice there is more funky spacing when I view the blog on Internet Explorer. Our home browser is Mozilla Firefox, which gives the view as I see it.

Happy anniversary!

Today's the first Feb. 14 we've lived in Oregon since we got married in 2004, so to mark the occasion, we walked over to our little wedding chapel, Oaks Pioneer Church, for a photo op.

Luckily, a couple marking their fifth anniversary were also there and snapped a picture for us.

I'm working tonight, so we'll celebrate with dinner Monday.

Oh, and, incidentally, it's also Oregon's birthday (statehood Feb. 14, 1859), as Michael is fond of noting.

New look

I decided to update my blog template after noticing the "older posts" link at the bottom of some friends' blogs. It seems easier than having to go into the archive every time to read a past entry. I poked around Blogger to find out how to get the link, and it was simply a matter of switching to an updated layout. Not sure if I'll stick with this template or use another one, but that's the reason for the change.

Our castle & our keep

Here's our house, in the middle of our street. Not so much a castle as a cute little bungalow that we intend to inhabit until our lease is up in a year, then we will assess.

One of our favorite features is the working fireplace, which we've put to good use on several occasions so far. Oh, and I've always been a fan of the front door with the little cutout windows and always wanted to have one.

The walls are still mostly bare; we have much less wall space here than in Denver so haven't figured all that out yet, but it will definitely add a lot to the place one we get to hanging.

Our landlord told us we have a certain kind of plaster that doesn't like holes in the wall too much, and he suggested we use only the nails already in place or use straight pins to hang stuff. As if! In Denver we were able to use picture molding for much of the art; unfortunately, the molding here is only decorative and won't accommodate hooks.

Oregon Chihuahuas

Laugh if you must, but at least now they don't stop to shake off the rain every 5 feet along the way.

Seattle sunset

Here I was thinking I didn't have anything for the blog, and I completely forgot to post photos from my trip to Seattle last weekend to visit Stacy & Co.!

We got to the Olympic Sculpture Park just as the sun was setting on the waterfront (and the giant Alexander Calder piece, top), and it reminded me of one of the reasons I missed the Northwest so much. Yes, there are great sunsets in Albuquerque and Denver, but you just can't beat sunsets on big bodies of water.

At top right, Stacy, Ada (left), Harriet and I huddle for warmth as Andy snaps a pic.

It has been more than 10 years since Stacy and I have lived so close to each other. It's not quite as good as when we lived two streets from each other in Louisville, but a three-hour drive away is much better than we've had it in years. Now if I can just get Mom & John to move West ...

Oh, and on a separate note, go see "Juno"! A smart, sweet movie and a great soundtrack. I love the Mo Tucker-esque tunes by Kimya Dawson.

Hope springs eternal

Thought this was a good read in the NYT:

A President Like My Father

By CAROLINE KENNEDY
Op-Ed Contributor
Published Jan. 27, 2008

Over the years, I’ve been deeply moved by the people who’ve told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama.

My reasons are patriotic, political and personal, and the three are intertwined. All my life, people have told me that my father changed their lives, that they got involved in public service or politics because he asked them to. And the generation he inspired has passed that spirit on to its children. I meet young people who were born long after John F. Kennedy was president, yet who ask me how to live out his ideals.

Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.

We have that kind of opportunity with Senator Obama. It isn’t that the other candidates are not experienced or knowledgeable. But this year, that may not be enough. We need a change in the leadership of this country — just as we did in 1960.

Most of us would prefer to base our voting decision on policy differences. However, the candidates’ goals are similar. They have all laid out detailed plans on everything from strengthening our middle class to investing in early childhood education. So qualities of leadership, character and judgment play a larger role than usual.

Senator Obama has demonstrated these qualities throughout his more than two decades of public service, not just in the United States Senate but in Illinois, where he helped turn around struggling communities, taught constitutional law and was an elected state official for eight years. And Senator Obama is showing the same qualities today. He has built a movement that is changing the face of politics in this country, and he has demonstrated a special gift for inspiring young people — known for a willingness to volunteer, but an aversion to politics — to become engaged in the political process.

I have spent the past five years working in the New York City public schools and have three teenage children of my own. There is a generation coming of age that is hopeful, hard-working, innovative and imaginative. But too many of them are also hopeless, defeated and disengaged. As parents, we have a responsibility to help our children to believe in themselves and in their power to shape their future. Senator Obama is inspiring my children, my parents’ grandchildren, with that sense of possibility.

Senator Obama is running a dignified and honest campaign. He has spoken eloquently about the role of faith in his life, and opened a window into his character in two compelling books. And when it comes to judgment, Barack Obama made the right call on the most important issue of our time by opposing the war in Iraq from the beginning.

I want a president who understands that his responsibility is to articulate a vision and encourage others to achieve it; who holds himself, and those around him, to the highest ethical standards; who appeals to the hopes of those who still believe in the American Dream, and those around the world who still believe in the American ideal; and who can lift our spirits, and make us believe again that our country needs every one of us to get involved.

I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.

R.I.P.

"Like Sam the Butcher bringing Alice the meat;
like Fred Flintstone driving around with bald feet"
LOS ANGELES -- Allan Melvin, a character actor with countless credits best known for playing Sam the Butcher on "The Brady Bunch," has died. He was 84.

Melvin died of cancer Thursday at his home in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles, said his wife of 64 years, Amalia Melvin.

The jowly, jovial Melvin spent decades playing a series of sidekicks, second bananas and lovable lugs, including Archie Bunker's friend Barney Hefner on "All in the Family," and Sgt. Bilko's right-hand man Cpl. Henshaw on the "Phil Silvers Show."

But his place in pop culture will be fixed as butcher and bowler Sam Franklin, the love interest of Brady family maid Alice Nelson, played by Ann B. Davis. Melvin played the role from 1970 to 1973.

He saw steady employment as a voice actor from the early 1960s to the early 1990s, most famously providing the voice of "Magilla Gorilla" for the Hanna Barbera cartoon of the same name.

His other credits include several guest appearances on "The Andy Griffith Show," "Gomer Pyle: USMC," and "The Dick Van Dyke Show."

Outtakes

Since we're still getting settled, I haven't taken many pictures to post, and you don't want me to blog about unpacking boxes and organizing the kitchen, so thought I'd share a few favorites from shortly before leaving Denver.

At left is Keona, daughter No. 2 of Jon & Franchesca. Anytime I want to smile, I look at this picture, and it does the trick. She's even more adorable in person, if you can even imagine that.

At right, remnants of a winter storm; unlikely we will see a scene like this for a very long time, though that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'd say we are not missing the snow.

Below is Esther using a dog carrier in her own special way. We'd also often find her sleeping on top of a hamper full of clean laundry.

A wad of talent

Please find the time to read this tribute to my Albuquerque colleague Barbara, who retired this week after a remarkable career in journalism. Best headline writer I've ever known. The piece was written by Phill, my all-time favorite editor.

Out and about

"Mister blue sky, please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long"
Michael and I took a rare break from the rain to walk the dogs at the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden a couple of miles away. As much as we pined for Portland weather while living in drier environs, it's definitely been an adjustment to up and leave a city with 300+ days of sunshine and arrive just as rainy season here is getting into swing.

The park was gorgeous and a pleasant walk; I'm excited to see it in all its springtime glory, when Michael says it will be filled with blooming rhododendrons and azaleas.

There were lots of ducks and geese in the ponds, and this curious bird was standing nearby. For lack of a better idea, I deemed it a turducken for its turkey face and duck body, even though I know turducken's a dish and not an animal.

Best bathtub ever!

Our new place has a few problems -- namely, it's tiny -- but not so the bathtub. Our tiny clawfoot tub in Denver made even me feel tall, but I can luxuriate in the new one.

And it's more than enough room to bathe two smelly Chihuahuas at once!

Surprise, surprise!

Yes, we are still here! It's been a LONG few weeks, and I couldn't blog about any of it because we were keeping our move to Portland a secret from Michael's mom, Becky (top photo), and his dad and stepmom, John and Janet. These photos are were taken about the time they figured out the secret (we wrapped change-of-address forms in Christmas packages for them).

We have been in town a little over a week, staying in Vancouver with Michael's sister, brother-in-law and niece Rebecca. They have graciously let us and the dogs crash in their basement, eat their food, watch their digital cable and use their washer and dryer. Thanks, guys! LOTS of free babysitting in our futures.

Michael's parents didn't know we'd be here for Christmas, let alone that we were moving here for good, so it was quite the double whammy of surprises. On top of all that, it was Rebecca's first Christmas!

The movers are showing up tomorrow, so we're still not settled or feeling like we are actually living here. Will post more once we get in the house and get our Internet service hooked up. 

In the meantime, happy new year!

This year's model

I got Michael a gift certificate a year ago for a straight-razor shave at a men's spa. He decided to make the most of it before it expired, so for the first time since I've known him (our first date was Dec. 18, 2002), he's clean-shaven.

It's like having a whole new, younger-looking husband! I love both versions, of course, but am definitely in favor of the change. Yay!

Bonita birthday

Not unlike South Park's Cartman, we are psyched for our visit tomorrow to Denver's famous Casa Bonita. Figured it would make for a memorable birthday, even though from everything we've heard, the food is wretched. Hey, they have Skee-Ball! And sorry for the YouTube link on Cartman; I couldn't get the embed feature to work today for some reason.

Check back for photos of cave-divers and the crazy gorilla.

And sorry I've been a blog slacker lately. You can blame the aging process. : )