Mama and Duncan are together again.

You can click here to read what our friend Casey has to say about Mama, plus you can click on the two links toward the end of her post to see another Casey post about Mama's stuff and then actually hear her sweet voice at the last link.

I took this photo of Mama putting Duncan to bed on September 2, 2007.

Mama passed away yesterday afternoon.

She got exactly what she wanted, to lie down on her bed, fall asleep and never wake up. I found her when I came home from work, after having talked with her at 2 p.m. I often talked to her on the ride home on the bus, so I called her phone several times yesterday. When I didn't get her, I truly had a feeling that this was it, that she wasn't just in her recliner watching the Trail Blazers play Minnesota, her cellphone still in the bedroom. I told myself to plan exactly how I would react as I came through the door which has really helped me to hold myself together through the rest of last night and so far today. I've been crying, of course, but also I've been rejoicing that she is now with Daddy, my husband LeRoy, her parents, all the rest of her loved ones, and our little dachshund Duncan.

The photo I have here is my favorite that I managed to take of her after we had moved to Portland. For me it shows Mama at her best, looking up in curiosity about what's next. She lived her life as all of us should endeavor to, as a decent human being who loved her family and friends with a mighty love.

Thanks to each and every one of you for taking her into your lives.

Delivery Series

A quickly stepping young man caught my eye as I walked back to the apartment Sunday morning after buying the Sunday paper. We both were walking which I suppose is why the photo's out of focus, but I still like it because it made me wonder, is he hurrying to deliver those flowers or is he hurrying because it's so doggone cold? I imagine that he's coming from Trader Joe's--the flowers there are always beautiful, fresh, and affordable. The store is over his left shoulder; he's walking west on NW Glisan.


He turned the corner onto NW 22nd Avenue, heading south towards W. Burnside. Look at what grabbed his attention! I've been noticing this deck/porch ever since we moved into the neighborhood in October, 2006.


Ah, his transportation of choice so that he can deliver the flowers. I'll bet the person who got them loved them and put them into water right away.

P. S. If you've ever wondered about bouldering, watch the video I posted yesterday.

My son Leland's bouldering determination and his first Five, at The Circuit, 410 NE 17th Ave., as filmed by his brother Lamont. Five is the hardest.

After watching, Grandma says, "Perseverance wins!" Be sure you've got your volume turned up.

Serendipity #3: A guy on a bike, two times.

Monday as I rode the 10 bus back from eating lunch downtown, I took this photo from the window. I thought the serendipity was the way the wheels touch the markings on the pavement.


Here's the real serendipity. After I got off the bus across the street from my building I walked toward the corner to wait to cross with the traffic signal. I saw a bicyclist coming and thought, "It's the same guy!" I turned to follow his as he swept past. Click. There he goes.

Now that's real serendipity!

Serendipity #2. Look at his feet.

I saw this young man running toward me Sunday morning as I walked to a nearby convenience store to buy a newspaper. Running on NW 23rd Avenue. On a cold, cold morning. I thought, "Why not document his efforts for the blog?" Click. Then when I downloaded the photo to the iMac, I noticed that I had captured both of his feet off the ground--see the shadows beneath them, on the sidewalk? What a split second of serendipity!

Serendipity #1. Wish you had been with me.

Naturally I noticed this hat--it was cold outside, and I thought, "What a great hat for that lady to have on a cold day." Then, as we waited at a traffic signal, the bus idling rhythmically, movement caught my eye. Her hat vibrated, the brown stripes dancing before my eyes, still, blurry, still, blurry. I clicked this shot. And, lo and behold, when I uploaded it to Flickr, I discovered that you can see the blur! Those strips that appear to be double the thickness and come down like spokes from the top center of the hat--that's what I saw vibrating! Serendipity and the Nikon D50 rule!

Portland's downtown reflects the rising sun in front of gray skies

This might look like an every-day-sort-of-view. As I uploaded it to Flickr, I saw something else entirely. I looked at the roadway curving out of sight and thought about 2011 stretching out in front of us. I looked at the gray sky and thought about the shining buildings which mean there is sunshine around the corner. So, this photo is a metaphor for what I want 2011 to be for all of us, a journey towards whatever comes, counting each moment on the appearance of the sun.

January, 1, 2011--Monthly Theme Day

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants in today's Monthly Theme Day--2010, the favorite photo.


My photo is of a portion Portland's downtown skyline at the west end of the 100-year-old Hawthorne Bridge that crosses over the Willamette River. The Hawthorne Bridge in the midst of celebrating its birthday during July's PDX Bridge Festival.

Happy New Year, y'all. May you be healthy, wealthy and wise in 2011.

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.