December 31, 1972, I married this gorgeous, good man.

There he is, my husband-to-be, not too many minutes before we got married.


We wrote our own vows. I lost the 3x5 cards in a fire several years ago. Mostly I remember how proud we felt that we'd found each other, totally amazed in fact because I started out in Mississippi, ended up in Kansas City, and we came across each other at the Foolkiller Theater downtown where we acted in a play together, a play entitled "Transcenmental Hippiedations." We said from the heart that we would always be there for each other. Oh, before I forget, look at his beautiful hair! I did so love that man's thick, lustrous hair. Our best man is one of LeRoy's best friends, Ronnie. And my dress is not black, it's a deep pine green velour. I picked it to match the colors of the leaves in my bouquet of pyrethrum daises.


The photo was too wide for the scanner to get it all, or at the least I didn't understand how to make the scanner get it all. Who knows? Anyway I couldn't leave out my wonderful matron of honor, Marsha.


Here we are, embarking together on our married lives that began 38 years ago today at 2:30 p.m., Kansas City time. I had gone to the library and checked out a book about weddings. In it I read that getting married on the up-swing of the clock hand, from the half hour up to the hour, meant good luck.

We had that good luck until 1983 for 10 years, three months and 14 days before LeRoy died. Our sons were seven and four. A different kind of good luck has been with us ever since. We know we'll all be together again, someday.

A deviled-egg-carrier run, on the 15 bus

November 20, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, after I had enjoyed a lecture at the Architectural Heritage Center, I took the 15 bus to Mall 205 to Bed, Bath and Beyond where I planned to buy a deviled egg carrier so that I would have plenty of capacity for Thanksgiving dinner at Kailey's folks. I took this photo just as the bus climbed the eastbound approach of the Morrison Bridge, right where it crosses over SW Naito Parkway. Needless to say, those vivid leaves you see there as you look south have long fallen to the street, sidewalk, and grass in Tom McCall Waterfront Park where they've turned brown. Thank goodness for the camera's ability to capture such beauty so that it can be viewed again and again.

About the Hotel Fifty that you see on the right.


The deviled eggs were a big hit. The new carrier is on the right. You can see from the size of the one of the left--minus its lid so you can see the deviled eggs--that I really needed to get the new one to increase my capacity for carrying deviled eggs to get-togethers.

Here's the funny story that goes with the deviled-egg-carrier run: As the 15 bus neared the Mall 205, I asked the driver where I should get off to go to the store. "I'm looking for a deviled egg carrier," I went on, not being able to keep my mouth shut about my mission. Never missing a beat or taking his eye off the road, he said, "I know right where one is." "You do!" I exclaimed. "Right here," he quipped patting his stomach! I laughed and laughed--he joined in and then pulled to a stop so that I could get off and go on the rest my way. Later on I had to call our friends Milton and Kay--they love deviled eggs and humor. I got to laugh and laugh some more!

The MAX slows to stop on SW Morrison at Pioneer Courthouse Square

The MAX train will not completely stop until its eastern end, the one that you can see here, has cleared the sidewalk where these two men walk. I took a whole series of photos as the train crossed the intersection at SW 6th Avenue and SW Morrison Street. It didn't take me too long to decide to just post this one--I like the motion, the numbers of people visible on the sidewalk, the way you can see some of the Macy's store beyond the end of the train as it heads west. Did you notice Santa sitting there on the brick wall? The blurry pedestrians who have crossed at the corner?

Portlandia's pointing at the door of the Portland Building

Inside the door, to the left at the back of the lobby, there's an alcove where a city arts' organization hangs art each December. This year I was lucky enough to have one piece of mine hung there.


Here it is. "Highway 61 Bottle Blues," 1996, acrylic and found objects. If you open the little box, you read, "Get the juice. Get the blues." One of these days my plan is to have a space to spread out and create again. I've got a stash of paints, papers, frames, and egg cartons patiently waiting.

Another favorite sight of the season

The photo, altered at Picnik. I took it on December 17, after work. Pioneer Courthouse, a bright moon overhead, and lots of folks waiting for the MAX.


The original photo.

My wish for you ...

Because you love your pet, please...

...vote at the Pepsi Refresh Project for ARF, an endearing enterprise in Brandon, Mississippi.

Click here to cast one of the most important votes you’ll ever cast.

ARF of MS is a no-kill animal sanctuary in Rankin County, Mississippi. Most of these rescued animals are abandoned, neglected or abused. All rescues are given veterinary care, good food, compassion and love while they wait for their "forever home" with a family that will continue to care for them and love them. We have found that even the most neglected pet can again learn to trust and gives back much more then they take.

ARF began with 35 dogs and 2 birds rescued from Waveland, Mississippi after the hurricane. In the months after the storm, ARF volunteers traveled to the South Mississippi Humane Society shelter and assisted the shelter in taking in dogs that were ready for adoption in order to assist the south Mississippi shelter in making room for more intakes.

Our goal is to find GOOD, safe and loving homes to the animals already in shelters. When one adopts rather than buys an animal, a life is saved. ADOPT rather than BUY please.

How will the 50K be Used?
$ 10,000 Promote and assist with the spay/neuter of pets
$ 10,000 Renovate outdoor runs and pens
$ 10,000 Upgrade Cat Sanctuary
$ 10,000 Veterinary Care for Neglected pets
$ 10,000 Add a fenced area around pond with walking trails.


Ginger with Kailey, Duncan with Mama--that's Leland beside Ginger and Kailey and Lamont beside Duncan and Mama. I took this photo last Christmas Day. We all loved that little dog Duncan and still adore that cutie pie Ginger. We love each other a whole lot, too!


Tinkerbell who lives in Smithdale, Mississippi, with her people who love her dearly. Mama and I love all three of them! I took this photo when we went home in 2009.



Ginger, who was dearly loved by my Aunt Baker and her family. She lived with them in Puckett, Mississippi, for all of her life. Mama and I love all of them, too! I also took this photo when we were home in 2009.

SW Morrison, downtown Portland, all lit up for the holidays

People waiting to cross the SW 10th as the MAX to Beaverton Transit Center pulls to a stop on SW Morrison, across the street form the Galleria, one of Portland's downtown terra cotta facade buildings. I took this photo on December 16, looking east, not too long after the Zipcar Christmas party where I left an unwrapped toy and spun the wheel for driving time--won $10--hooray. I enjoyed a thorough chat with a nice young Zipcar man whose name escapes me, all about the various sizes of nearby vehicles and whether or not we might be able to fit Mama's wheelchair into them.


Looking the same direction as the next MAX train approaches. It's easy to see why this stretch is one of my favorite holiday sights in Portland.


The lights on the trees continue to the west for another block.

Interesting facts in a reverse timeline, about the Galleria:
About $7,000,000 was spent on improvements in 2003.
In 1976, the Galleria won "Award of Merit" award from the AIA, Portland Chapter.
In 1978, the Galleria won the "First Honor Award" from the Downtown Development Award.
The upper floors were converted from retail space to offices during the mid-1980s.
Initially opened as the Olds, Wortman and King Department Store.
Naito Properties acquired the completely vacant structure in 1972.
The structure sits on top of a full-block site.
The building has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since February 20, 1991.
The local supervising architect was A. E. Doyle.
The third floor sky-bridge connects with the adjacent parking garage.
The Galleria was the first department store in the Northwest to take up an entire block.
It was erected in 1910. The interior was notable for a full interior atrium and grand staircase.

Working in sunshine, whoa oh.

A Clean Scapes man concentrates on moving those leaves off the sidewalk on SW Morrison. I shot this photo from inside the MAX train on my way home, early on December 3, to take Mama to a doctor appointment. Usually when I go by here, whether on the MAX or on the bus, it is already dark. So it was a real treat to see this action happening in the bright sunshine and to be able to get the photo.

Which one of these do you think better?

Two treatments of the same photo of the St. Johns Bridge, which crosses the Willamette River. See below for some info about a truly beautiful bridge.


The original photo is below. This one has been framed and made into neon, using a green, at Picnik.


Framed, Picniked a little bit in the exposure, and resized to fit, I hope, on the blog page nicely.

Which one do you prefer? Would you tell me why? Thanks.

Here's some information on the bridge, from Wikipedia:

he St. Johns Bridge is a steel suspension bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, USA, between the St. Johns neighborhood and the northwest industrial area around Linnton. It is the only suspension bridge in the Willamette Valley and one of three public highway suspension bridges in Oregon.

The bridge has two 408 ft (124 m) tall Gothic towers, a 1,207 ft (368 m) center span and a total length of 2,067 ft (630 m). The adjacent park and neighborhood of Cathedral Park, Portland, Oregon are named after the Gothic Cathedral-like appearance of the bridge towers. It is the tallest bridge in Portland, with 400 ft (122 m) tall towers and a 205 ft (62 m) navigational clearance.
By 2001, average traffic on the bridge was 23,800 vehicles/day.

History

At the time of the proposal to build the bridge, the area was served by a ferry that carried 1000 vehicles a day. The proposal for a bridge was initially met with skepticism in Multnomah County, since St. Johns and Linnton were over five miles (8 km) from the heart of the city, and local business owners had minimal political clout. But after a lobbying effort that included a vaudeville-style show performed at grange halls and schools throughout the county, voters approved a $4.25 million bond for the bridge in the November 1928 elections. Initially a cantilever bridge was proposed, but a suspension bridge was selected due to an estimated $640,000 savings in construction costs.

The construction of the bridge began a month before the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and provided many county residents with employment during the Great Depression. Because of its proximity to the Swan Island Municipal Airport, some government officials wanted the bridge painted yellow with black stripes. County officials waited until St. Patrick's Day 1931 to announce that it would be painted green.

Dedication of the bridge was put off for one month in order to make it the centerpiece of the 23rd annual Rose Festival. It was dedicated on June 13, 1931, and during the ceremony, the bridge engineer, David B. Steinman said: “A challenge and an opportunity to create a structure of enduring beauty in the God-given wondrous background was offered us when were asked to design the bridge. It is the most beautiful bridge in the world we feel.”

The bridge was built within 21 months and one million dollars under budget. At the time of its completion, the bridge had:
the highest clearance in the nation, the longest prefabricated steel cable rope strands, the tallest steel frame piers of reinforced concrete, the first application of aviation clearance lights to the towers, and longest suspension span west of Detroit, Michigan.

In the summer of 1949, 15-year-old high school student Thelma Taylor was abducted and held by her captor, Morris Leland, under the east side of the bridge (which was undeveloped at the time, now the location of Cathedral Park, Portland, Oregon), and was eventually murdered there. The crime shocked the city and her killer was apprehended and put to death.

It was not until the Marquam Bridge in 1966 that another non-movable bridge would be built in Portland.

By the 1970s, the bridge had been allowed to deteriorate, and cash-strapped Multnomah County asked the state to take over maintenance. Initially, the state declined, since it was also suffering from a lack of funds. But pressure from an association of county governments forced the state government to take it over on August 31, 1975. A county official estimated the move saved them $10 million during the first ten years of state maintenance.

In summer 1987, General Motors filmed the introductory commercial for the 1988 Buick Regal in Portland, Oregon and vicinity, including the St. John's bridge, the Astoria-Megler Bridge, and on the Columbia Gorge.

Portions of the east approaches and east span were repainted beginning in 1987 and completed in 1994.

In 1999 the Oregon Department of Transportation announced a $27 million rehabilitation project that began in March 2003 and was completed in the fall of 2005. Included in the project was replacement of the deck, repainting of the towers, water-proofing the main cables, lighting upgrades, and improving access for bicycle and pedestrian traffic. By November 2004, renovation costs soared to $38 million, due mostly to the need to replace nearly half of the 210 vertical suspender cables. During the project, the bridge sidewalks were closed at all times. In addition, the entire bridge was closed at night and continuously for a month. The newly refurbished bridge was rededicated on September 17, 2006.

One more Christmas display window at Urban Outfitters

You've got your Charlie Brown Christmas tree, red headphones, cameras, books, and a record player.


Here's a close-up of the Crosley record player. You get a good look in both of these photos of the good work the store carpenter puts out.

One of the Christmas store windows at Urban Outfitters

As I stood there waiting for the bus, a woman came out the double front door, camera in hand. I watched her take several photos before telling her that I always liked their display windows. She told me, excitedly, that she had the best carpenter who could build whatever display items that entered their minds. She said he is also good at recycling lumber.

The upper part of the door and the sign at Urban Outfitters

While waiting for the 15 to ride to work on November 23, I decided to take a few pictures at the store, over on NW 23rd Avenue.

I turned 63 today!

I took this photo on November 7, the day my dear brother turned 60. The window is at Funny Bone, 617 SW Washington, downtown Portland. I catch the 15 home half a block from this store window. On November 7, I was on my way home from So You Think You Can Dance, the live show in Portland.

There's a lot going on here.

First time I've ever been on a deck on the top of a building, happens to be the 6th floor of a condo building on NE Broadway. Its roof is the white U in the Google Map below. If you zoom in, you'll see the very deck, there on the right, shorter side of the U, along its top and down its right side--there are lots of potted trees and plants in evidence.


View NE Broadway & NE 17th St in a larger map

Back to the photo. First, the building with the parking lot--that's the Helen Bernhard Bakery. I will return there at some point and get a baked good that will no doubt be delicious. I mean, click on the link and take a look, for goodness sakes.

Now notice the lone bicyclist at the bottom edge, center. The bicycle has just cleared the bicycle lane, the two parallel white lines, and heads through the intersection. Look at the Google map and you can see that the parallel lines take up again just at the next corner.

The little clear structure with the blue posts and the rounded roof is a TriMet bus shelter, stop ID 632, served by the 9 and the 77. Notice that the bus shelter opens away from the curb which is immensely helpful on streets where water collects and drivers get very close to the curb at high speeds. One stop where I often wait opens to the street--there's not enough space for it to face the other way--so I have to be careful there if much rain has been falling.

Now look just to the right of the yellow cluster of periodical dispensing machines (OK, so I don't know the actual term). Those two light-colored vehicles are parked at the curb. That's right. Parked. What do you think about that, parking at the curb with a delineated bicycle lane as part of the traffic flow? The black vehicle appears to have its right turn signal on and has entered the bicycle lane on the way to the corner. Hopefully the motorist looked in the side-view mirror before drifting to the right.

Grocery Glory!

Why glory? I'll be happy to explain what happened on December 1, using photos taken in available light and lots of words shaped into sentences. Let's start here, just inside the front door of our apartment. You see here the rolling black bag, handle up. The black and white bag with the circles functions these days as my purse/carry-all, while the pink and white black with the huge black circles is a thinly insulated bag that I bought recently at Fred Meyer after Fred Meyer decided to never-ever-again use plastic grocery bags. (I knew I'd never-ever make it home with loaded paper bags because the handles just might come unglued--besides, why take part of a tree every visit to the grocery store?)


First I carried the thinly insulated bag into the living room, set it down on a chair beside the table and unloaded it: broccoli crowns, bananas, potatoes, a Golden Delicious apple, two Bartlett pears, two bags of Hershey's Kisses, two boxes of Lipton Cold Brew family-size teabags, four boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, one box of Apriva sweetener instead of Splenda which was not on sale, a can of Private Select organic pinto beans and one of a three-bean combo, also organic. In the top left corner you can see Mama's hand as she's trying to put the lid back on the Skippy peanut butter. It takes her a few seconds to realize that she's got the two flat items where she places our daily vitamins, not the lid (see it there--it's blue). Did she ever laugh broadly at herself when she realized what she had done!


She picked up the lid, continuing to laugh. So good to see her laughing! I took this blurry photo, laughing myself.


The packed rolling black bag sits on the chair. I had bought this bag in October, 2009, in particular for our trip home last year. It's one of those with the zipper all the way round that lets it expand, depthwise. I like that in a bag, but more than that I adore a zipper that stays attached to the cloth of the bag and wheels that stay in one piece despite rolling lots and lots on Portland's sidewalks and crosswalks. This bag doesn't have that sort of zipper or wheels. Every time I take it to work empty on grocery shopping day, I pray over it several times: Please let your zipper zip and your wheels turn. So far, so good.


The groceries from the rolling black bag: three frozen Green Giant boxes of vegetables, two healthy weight, one healthy heart, all with sugar snap peas which we had recently in another Green Giant veggie dish and Mama discovered that she liked them; a Pillsbury Simply Rustic French Bread; four Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, Original; a half gallon Fred Meyer Lactose Free 2% Reduced Fat Milk, a half gallon Darigold 100% Lactose Free Milk, a half gallon of Breyers Lactose-Free All Natural Vanilla Ice Cream; a Lil' Butterball turkey, a bag of Fred Meyer Baby Lima Beans (thanks be these exist at Fred Meyer), a bag of Kroger Cut Okra (I haven't found whole frozen okra here and have only found fresh okra once at the farmers' market), a pot roast, bag of Farmland Fully Cooked Cubed Ham (more about that later), two packages of GenTeal Liquid Drops for Mama's dry eyes brought on by Sjogren's Syndrome, two packages of Werther's Chewy Caramels, two bags of frozen Grands Southern Style biscuits (thanks be for these tasty beauties), and two bags of Chex Mix, Traditional. You can see that Mama's drinking tea and that she's emptied our pitcher. You can see the Skippy Peanut Butter jar now has its lid. See the yellow circle to the left of the jar? That's what she had in her had, trying to put it onto the jar. It's a yellow-plastic-microwaveable chili lid, resting inside a paper-hotel-glass cover, those ones that are sitting beside the ice bucket in your room when you check-in. She puts my vitamins in the yellow one and hers in the white one.

Now, for the rest of the story. A bit of background first. At the first of November I vowed to pay attention to coupons for our grocery shopping. During that month, on three trips to Fred Meyer, I saved a total of $60.75. A little over $18 of that was from having always used my Fred Meyer Rewards card so that I got in the mail the $18+ gift card as well as four other $2 coupons relegated to specific categories--these come three or four times a year, I can't remember which.

So, without that ace in the hole, I wondered how I would do in December. I used the rewards card, thereby activating the coupons downloaded to it. I used coupons I had cut from the booklet in several Tuesday newspapers. I used coupons that I printed from several Web sites. And I used one that I got from the end of a can of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, Original. When the young man finished scanning all of the paper ones and the computer finished telling the cash register about the electronic ones, I had saved $23.65. Glory be! Better even than saving that money, though, is the fact that I didn't buy anything that we wouldn't end up eating. None of this getting tempted by a coupon for us!

Finally, about the cubed ham. Last night I stirred two thirds of the package into a boiler in which I had already put the two cans of organic beans. I had one box of the Jiffy corn muffins fixed and baking in the oven. I made a fruit salad from a banana, an apple, some raisins and some mayo. As we got situated to eat, I stirred my version of ham and beans one more time. What? Oh, no! I bent over to get a better whiff. Oh, no. I opened the frig and opened the bag with the rest of the cubed ham. Oh, no. The ham had gone bad. I didn't smell anything when I had opened the bag earlier, so applying heat must have activated the yucky stench. So, I'll be taking my receipt from Wednesday, December 1, right on back to Fred Meyer to let them know how that ham was on December 4 as well as the fact that it ruined two cans of beans. In fact, I'll be taking the rest of the package of cubed ham with me. It'll be on Tuesday, December 7, because that's the day I can shop and save an extra 10% on many Fred Meyer/Kroger store brand items, all because I was born before 1956.

Fun at Overlook Park, Saturday, October 16, 2010

I'm guessing the little girl standing in front of the clown is the birthday girl.


In seconds, the clown stood up on the board, balancing on the pipe, then flicked the stick upward causing the plate to fly up, then she caught it in the same hand that held the stick. The kids loved it!


Something the clown said to the party-goers got them off and running. The little girl in the lead on the left, the one that I think is the birthday girl, I think I've got it right because she's got on a petticoat that I'll bet the clown brought for her to wear during the party.


I took a couple of photos of this dad spinning these girls, watching how he threw his hands off the pipe, hoping to catch the action. I did!


As I decided to walk back to Interstate Avenue to wait for the MAX Yellow Line, I noticed a line of bicyclists coming across the park from my right to my left. I waited for them to cross and got this photo. What better place to stop for what turned out to be a short rest, especially on sunny, blue-sky day!

More shots of Overlook Park, N. Fremont at N. Interstate, on Saturday, October 16.

Here's the tree from my December 1 post, a wider view taken the side of the tree, to the left of that photo. I think the presence of the people gives you an idea of its size.


This is the tree that I've noticed every year when I go to Kaiser Interstate to get my flu shot. To get closer to it to take this photo is the reason I made my way into the park. Here in particular, I'm looking back towards Kaiser--the white building you can see part of on the right. On the left, a spirited soccer game played out on the grass.

Come back tomorrow for photos of people engaged in various activities in Overlook Park on this sunny Saturday.

The 10.93 acre park was acquired by the city in 1930. Amenities at the park Include baseball field, basketball court, disabled access picnic area, disabled access restroom, dog off-leash area, paths – paved, paths – unpaved, picnic site – reservable, picnic tables, playground, soccer field, softball field, track, and volleyball court.

Decisions, decisions, at Portland's Overlook Park. Shall I swing or play basketball? Or do I have time to do both?

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants in the December 1, 2010, City Daily Photo Theme Day posts on Time.


The tree, human in its appearance
Must decide whether to swing on the left
Or to shoot on the right
Before time makes a disappearance.

Downtown Portland's Benson Hotel, one of A. E. Doyle's buildings

Mama's doing OK, not great, but OK. Thanks to everyone for the prayers.


On our first visit to Portland, summer 2006, Mama and I stayed here. We loved every second of it. I took this photo the evening of November 19, 2010.

Here's what I found at the Oregon Encyclopedia about the hotel:

The Benson Hotel, built in Portland by pioneer lumberman Simon Benson in 1913, was constructed as an annex to the adjacent Oregon Hotel to the south. It was originally called the New Oregon Hotel. Soon after it opened, however, it became known as the Benson. The older hotel was demolished in 1959 to make way for a new addition.

Conceived as a high-end hotel in downtown Portland, the Benson was designed by architect A.E. Doyle, who modeled it after the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago. Doyle's design used the elements of the Baroque Revival Style in a grand manner, sheathing the twelve-story building in red brick and cream-colored, glazed terra cotta.


The massive mansard roof is covered in copper and green terra cotta and pierced with pediment dormers. (My photo, taken August 5, 2010, during the Architectural Heritage Center Downtown Terra Cotta Walk. Near as I can tell, the golden sphere rests inside a vase-like depression and is held in place by a scroll-like shape. I was wishing for a gargoyle.)

The interior also displayed an opulent touch. The lobby featured rare Circassian walnut woodwork from Russia, Italian marble floors, and Austrian crystal chandeliers. The ceiling was punctuated with ornate plaster designs of acanthus, rosettes, egg-and-dart, and other classical motifs. Noted lighting designer Fred Baker created the lighting fixtures for the interior. The Benson Hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

The $1 million, 200-room hotel boasted the latest in modern conveniences, including private baths, automatic door switches, electric lights, and telephones in each room. The hotel has been well maintained over the years, receiving a thorough rehabilitation in 1991. The Benson Hotel has always sought to attract a high-end clientele, which included show business celebrities, business leaders, politicians, and many U.S. presidents.

Simon Benson (1852-1942) gradually accumulated a fortune in the timber business, shipping large quantities of lumber to southern California to supply a building boom in the early years of the twentieth century. He sold his holdings in 1910, invested in real estate, and built the hotel that bears his name.

Written by William F. Willingham

And this is from Wikipedia:

The Benson Hotel is a 287 room historic hotel building in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. It is owned and operated by Coast Hotels & Resorts. It was originally known as the New Oregon Hotel, and is commonly known as "The Benson." It has a reputation as one of Portland's finest hotels. The hotel is named after notable businessman and philanthropist Simon Benson.

Simon Benson had wished to build a world-class hotel in Portland. During the population boom that occurred between the 1905 Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition and the Great Depression, Benson fulfilled his wish.

The firm of Doyle, Patterson, and Beach designed the main hotel building in French Second Empire style. The hotel opened 1912 and Chicago's Blackstone Hotel served as the inspiration of the building's overall design. The building was originally an annex to the Oregon Hotel, and was known as the New Oregon Hotel.

In 1959, the old Oregon Hotel next door was demolished to, ironically, make way for a 175 room annex to the 1912 building. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

Update: Mama's in the hospital

She's home, in her recliner, waiting for the commercial to do off so that she can watch her beloved Trail Blazers who are playing the New Jersey Nets. We're ahead 52-44, second half is starting now. The doctor said to double her daily LASIK and the potassium and to see her primary care physician in a week. I'm staying home with her tomorrow and will make the doctor appointment calls then.

Thanks for your prayers!


Here she is on December 25, 2007, standing at our building's front door, light snow falling.

When I woke up Friday night around 12:45 p.m. to go to the bathroom, she was still awake and asked me to come see if I thought she was wheezing and/or short of breath. She was, enough so that I called 911 and soon four firemen and two EMTs joined us in the apartment. The firemen left her to the EMTs who checked her out thoroughly, hearing noise in her lungs. They ran several EKGs which they didn't like the looks of, so they called Portland Providence Hospital--the one where she's been most often--and said we were on the way. I rode up front as we sped to the hospital, lights flashing and the siren in use whenever we came upon other vehicles. In the back, along with oxygen, she got some nitro and some LASIK, plus they'd given her a couple of aspirin to chew before they ever got her out of the bed.

In the ER they took a chest x-ray and saw fluid in her lungs. The EKGs didn't show anything significant going on with her heart. About four hours later we were in a room--on oxygen and with a telemetry hook-up in the gown's pocket so that they could monitor her at the nurses' station. Finally around 3:30 p.m. the hospitalist doctor stepped in and said his theory is congestive heart failure which means a weak heart that pumps inefficiently, causing fluid to leak into her lungs which causes the shortness of breath. So he ordered more LASIK and an echo cardiogram so that the function of her heart could be checked. By then we'd both had something to eat and several dozing naps, and Leland had come to the hospital. Lamont had to work, so did Kailey.

Leland brought me home because I was pretty much shot from lack of real rest. I ate supper and fell asleep off and on in my chair, finally going to bed at 9 p.m. This morning I woke up at 5:40 a.m. and started on the laundry. I've talked to Mama on the phone. The nurses are talking like she could come home today, so we've decided the easiest way to get her here is a cab because the doors will be wider and at the best height for her to get in and out of. I'll wait until I've had some lunch before I head that way on the bus, then if/when she gets released, we'll call the cab.

She's supposed to go to her primary care doctor tomorrow, the hematologist on Tuesday and the pulmonary doctor on Thursday. I don't know what this hospitalization means in relation to those appointments.

The blood count from the blood taken at the hospital shows that she is not anemic and doesn't at this time need a blood transfusion which is good news. And from reading about congestive heart failure, it appears that her increased fatigue could certainly be related to it, along with the Sjogren's Syndrome which also can cause fatigue.

All in all, Mama's outlook in the face of continuing fatigue which means she can not do very much around here to contribute to our lives makes her sad, guilty, upset and/or down in the dumps. Naturally, given her nature which is basically to make the best of any situation, she continues to struggle to enjoy life as much as she can. I've explained to her that her main job here at home is to keep herself from falling down--she's doing her best at that.

Y'all please add her, her condition, her doctors and us to your prayers.

Thank you.

Love y'all,

Lynette

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all

For your enjoyment, the window at Knit-Purl on the corner of SW 10th and SW Alder.


I took a picture of what I suspect is some of the same felted Thanksgiving food in 2008. When you click on the link, you'll see not only the earlier photo of the felted food but also the turkey pot pies that Lamont had made that Thanksgiving, plus our loved ones who enjoyed being together, thankful for each other. Two are no longer with us--Brody's dad Gary and our darling dachshund Duncan. Oops, I just noticed that I spelled Brody's name wrong back then--sorry, Brody.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?

Saturday as the 15 bus pulled to a stop at the traffic signal at NW 23rd and NW Everett, I spied this little boy in arms, wearing a wintertime hat that I at first thought was a teddy bear. Then I realized, the hat actually was Scooby-Doo! I managed a few quick shots before the bus moved--thus this one--and then took a few standing still on the sidewalk--thus the top photo.

Strength

Look closely at the ballerina. The word core comes to mind. She's certainly paid proper attention to hers. Wow.

The absence of color waits to board the 70 bus

I took this photo looking north at the intersection of NE Sandy, NE 12th and East Burnside. The 70 bus stop is on NE 12th. Perhaps someone is inside the bus at the door, about to step off. I say this because it appears the woman with the white hair hesitates, with her right knee bent, before stepping forward. She seems to be looking straight into the bus, too, which makes me think she sees someone moving towards the door. Or perhaps I just clicked at the split second that captured her beginning to move. What do you think?