In my quest for zen perfection, I am undertaking a massive decluttering project. But it’s hard when you keep running across the scraps, orts, and fragments of the life you lived. Here is something I love remembering: seeing the Police and XTC when I was in high school. Note the $10 price tag – back when bands made money from records and not from touring. This ticket stub is in the keep pile.
Beautiful moon, long walk with a waggy dog, Negroni with home-made cocktail cherries.
Blogging is a seasonal activity for some of us…some of us with seniors in high school. Fortunately, seniors in high school eventually transition to other things–in our case, freshmen in college. Now that our eldest daughter is off at college, I can resume other pastimes, like writing. Besides packing up our daughter, this is how we spent our summer, enjoying the bounty of the backyard.
It’s a sad time of year for so many reasons. How do we cope? As much music as possible–both playing and listening–and spending as much time as we can outside in any sunshine we can find. Cheaper than therapy and drugs.
Last weekend, we finally made some time to head up to Mt. Hood to stay with our friends John and Kerri at their sweet cabin near Trillium Lake. The cabin has been in Kerri’s family for several generations, and it’s fun to hear her tales of pioneers and bootleggers. In winter, you have to ski or snowshoe in, and it’s peaceful and beautiful. I adore the sunshine, but I have to get some snow each winter, or it doesn’t feel right. Maybe it’s that you have to pare down to the essentials, and everything else is put away and covered up. I was so happy that i forgot to take pictures until the end, when we got stuck in the sno-park. (Moral: put on your chains when you arrive, even if you don’t feel like it.)
Well, I am back after a longish illness and recovery. Let’s start over.
A very Portland approach to Christmas ornament decluttering.
We had a fifth of everclear in our basement–don’t ask–and as part of our ongoing decluttering & frugality endeavors, we thought it would be a good idea to use it in some way that did not resemble a fraternity party. Hence, cocktail bitters. We’ve been steeping cardamom, orange, and kumquat since August. Yesterday, we strained them…..and I am pretty sure that the result will cure what ails you.
So…my new book, The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to Portland Oregon is now out, and on Sunday, I’ll be at the Oregon Historical Society to sign copies and talk to readers. If there are any. You should attend this event if for no other reason than to talk to the REAL Oregon authors who will also be in attendance. There is a $5 admission fee unless you are a member of the Historical Society or are 17 and under, in which case it’s free. If you’d like a coupon for 25% off non-Holiday-Cheer merchandise from the gift shop, drop me a comment and I will e-mail you one.
This year, we spent Thanksgiving with family on the southern Oregon Coast–Brookings, Oregon, to be specific. Over the years, we have stayed in hotels and rented houses, but we have come to prefer staying in yurt at Harris Beach State Park. Why do we love this? Because the yurts are inexpensive (usually less than $40 per night); you can bring all the comforts of home since you’re not schlepping them up a mountain on your back; and you get to enjoy the fresh coastal air. Yurts are equipped with furniture and lights (and a locking door), but we style them up for our stay: We bring our own cozy flannel sheets and down comforters, and we like to hang string lights for atmosphere. We bring music, hang out by the fire, and gaze at the millions of stars–unless it’s raining, in which case we sit inside and play cards. We didn’t actually make Thanksgiving dinner at the yurt–that was held at the family compound–but maybe next year. We were able, however, to take advantage of the beautiful beautiful weather for some spectacular post-Thanksgiving walks. Camping at its best–warm, dry, cheap, and spectacular.
chezportland 