Urbi et Orbi

sunset over Disneyland

 "Urbi et Orbi" is Latin for "to the city and to the world" which was the title for the Pope's Christmas message this year. On this ever-shrinking planet it is an apt title for any communication from any individual. One is as close as the other. A single tweet is global, no? This little blog may be one person's perspective, but publishing it on the internet is a message to the world.
  We Rioses got out of town this christmas. We are fresh back from our holiday exploring some urbi et orbi, Palm Springs and Disneyland in particular. And, may I say that a healthy dose of California desert does a body good!
  Not to say that we didn't get our fill of the Northwest Christmas thing before we left. Christmas just doesn't seem like christmas without frosty pine trees and cozy white lights, hot toddies and dinner at the Sapphire Hotel. We just did all that a bit early! Personally, I began the xmas season in October. I don't really care for halloween, (so tacky!), so I pretty much ignored it and decorated the house for "fall" instead. No cheesy gourds or corn stalks here, however, Cora and I made candle lanterns (see previous post), and gathered acorns. We cued up Pandora with the "Bing Crosby Holiday" station, and got our yule on before thanksgiving even hit the stands. I love Oregon during the holidays, and this fall was particularly spectacular. There were plenty of sunny, frosty walks to be had throughout November! Faye and I soaked it all up, walking miles over Mt. Tabor, and throughout southeast Portland with Bing and Frank crooning away in our ears.

Merry Christmas!

view from atop Big Pink

December was just as beautiful, serene even -- this neighborhood is beyond lovely with its huge old homes and giant leafy trees. Greg, Cora and I had a special dinner on the top of Big Pink, 30 floors up, looking out over Portland. We saw the pink sunset turn to black, and all the lights of the city come on. We could even see the fanciful fairytale tents of Cavalia under the Fremont Bridge! When Christmas proper did actually roll around, I'd had my fill of a northwest holiday, and was ready to head south, to the desert...and to Disneyland!
  I love to pack. Traveling for me is serious business. I could never be someone who throws things in a bag and runs out the door. Once a long time ago when Greg and I were dating he brought a paper grocery bag as a carry-on. I was shocked!

Vacation Vision

  No, my vacation begins with packing. And personal preparation. I am at my best when I start a trip, legs shaved, toes painted. Only my favorite clothes, pjs, shoes, are packed. I bring simple jewelry to go with everything. I pack lightly because years of over-packing have taught me what not to bring. I just bought my first "expensive" suitcase. 89.00 at Target. It's beautiful. My carry-on, also from Target is a glossy black satchel that makes me feel urbane, but not ostentatious. It holds my purse, toiletries, and about ten pounds of fashion magazines which are my flight anxiety medication.

Goddess

  Because this is my blog and I can talk about whatever I want, I will describe my going-home flight outfit. It embodies a style I've been wanting to rock for years, but only recently feel liberated enough to attempt: 1970's California girl. Not Marcia Brady, but more like Faye Dunnaway on the weekend in Malibu. I wore dark bell bottom high-waisted jeans, 2" heeled brown boots (they have an urban cowgirl look), a light-wash chambray denim shirt, untucked, tunic length, rolled sleeves. Hair parted in center, straightened. Long gold chain necklace. Light blue and smokey blue eyeshadow. I felt like a Charlie's Angel in LAX! It was awesome.

Rollerskating Disneyland Snowflake Girls

  But I digress. Ok. Disneyland. I have a thing about Disneyland. I never knew I had a thing about it until about 7 years ago, I mean I've been going there since I was a kid, but for some reason I really fell hard for it pretty recently! I know what it is, of course. It's the nostalgia. I don't think I could fall for any other park the same way, even Disneyworld, or epcot center, it's got to be Disneyland in Anaheim, California. The rides there are the REAL DEAL. Mary-freaking-Blair's original It's a Small World is there! The Sherman Brother's Tiki Room is there! The amazing Abraham Lincoln theater is there, with the awe-inspiring animatronic 1960's Lincoln figure himself! And the train, and the monorail, and the freaking Matterhorn! All original. I love it.

Hotel Lobby

our cozy beds with good lighting

looking down to the lobby

I especially love it when we can spend the night there. As a kid I never spent the night because we lived nearby in Santa Monica. We would top off an exhausting day with a grueling drive home on the freeway. Now though, Greg and I have twice coughed up the (many) sheckles it takes to book a room at a Disneyland hotel, knowing full well that we were entering a land of corporate consumerism masked as childhood happiness on a level that was too profound to comprehend, and we had a great time. This time we stayed at the Grand Californian Hotel, a place I've dreamed of staying since I first glimpsed it from the monorail about a decade ago. A huge, Arts and Crafts-style lodge situated just along the park, it's gorgeous from afar. The massive beamed architecture landscaped with pine trees ironically reminds me of home. It's like Timberline Lodge, but 20 times bigger! And weirdly new! The moment you enter the hotel your breath is taken away by the lobby. Giant boulders surround a cozy fireplace nook that seats ten. Towering wooden pillars support the ceiling six floors above. And it's Christmas! There's an 80-foot christmas tree covered in glittering gold and red gifts, sparkling acorns, red flowers and ribbon! There is pine garland everywhere, festooned with white lights and sparkling glass balls. It's incredible. Our room is great, the beds are like magical cozy ships with good lighting. Everything is so damned tasteful, I'm freaking out! A tasteful attack! Ok. Hard thought it is to drag our asses from this magic hotel palace, Disneyland awaits! Onward!

Tarzan's tree, my next home

about to get soaked

  It was a day of great fun and of lower back pain. The first thing I did was ride Splash Mountain, which is the greatest ride in the park, but I got completely soaked. I mean, completely. Hair-mashed-and-dripping-sitting-in-a-pool-jeans-stuck-to-skin-shoes-full-of-water-soaked. So I was wet all day and looked like shit, but I still had fun! I got separated from Greg and Cora for awhile when they stood in line for the Matterhorn, so I paddled around Tom Sawyer's island with the canoe guy and a bunch of strangers. I found the art gallery with Mary Blair's art in it, and I watched the Abraham Lincoln presentation for the first time. I fought the urge to wave back at Mary Poppins when she walked by with Burt. I love her. Also, I decided to model my next home on Tarzan's tree.

Disneyland palm trees in the morning

view from the back of the canoe

We braved the crowds (lots of family men with HUGE tattoos on their necks! And smoking! Smoking in Disneyland!!), and made it to all of the things on our list. We saw the holiday parade which was pretty cheesy (believe it or not!), not at ALL like the excellent Lion King parade I saw there like 15 years ago (ouch). Later, after I'd retired to the loving arms of my magical hotel bed, Greg and Cora stayed up late to see the lightshow. Evidently it climaxes by having a giant dragon set the entire lake on fire. When Greg told me this I wondered, "what about the ducks?" There are a lot of ducks on that lake by day! How can you set the whole lake on fire and not even singe one duck?

  So....the morning you check out of a Disneyland hotel you feel a bit deflated. Once you leave that driveway, the magic is over and you are once again playing by the rules of the real world. The real freeway is just outside the gate. Sigh. But you throw your shoulders back and stick your chin out and close the door of the rental car, and you do what you have to do.
  We were heading south. Christmas Eve, on the I-10 hurtling toward Palm Springs. Cruising through Riverside, through the soft, tufted desert hills, past the eerie wind mills standing giant against the rising mountains. It's beautiful, and desolate. It doesn't feel like humans should be there, but it feels full of life. Ancient, hardy plants and small animals rule the landscape just beyond the reach of the sprinklers.
   I do love the desert and this was a great time to go. As different from our northwest pine trees and rain forest as you get, it is a welcome change to the spirit to see forests of palm trees and cactus, feel warm sunshine and smell the fresh december desert breezes. A different place than in the summer!

We spent Christmas with my dear mother-in-law, Ida at her house. We had a really lovely time being together, eating christmas dinner next to a crackling fire on the heated patio of a nice restaurant, tasty lemon-creme salmon and tangy white wine on our lips as we toasted the season. Giving thanks.

The next day we took a wonderful tour of the Moorten Botanical Gardens. I do love a good Botanical Garden, I must say. And this one was all cactus! Enormous prehistoric monster-cactus! Tiny, fuzzy hilarious little cactus! Mean, evil super-spiky gonna'-kill-you cactus! And one cactus that had a female-like form that was almost indecent! It was very interesting. Evidently the fellow that started the gardens was a friend of Walt Disney himself! He acted as a consultant for "Frontierland" at Disneyland! It's a Small World, indeed!

someone get her a robe!

  So, I packed again. Re-packing to return home is not nearly as exciting as packing to go, but you still try to be thoughtful so security goes smoothly at the airport. As previously described, I was feeling particularly glamorous in my Charlie's Angel on the weekend travel outfit, and comfortably passed three hours in the zoo that is gates 30-34 by reading fashion mags. (And tuning out that one shrieking little child beast.)
  Sadly for me, the flight home was especially bumpy. I get pretty freaked out by flying, and though I can distract myself with magazines, beer, and thoughts of celebrity get-aways, if there's enough turbulence, I sometimes quietly cry. So embarrassing! A few tears leaked out during our dramatic descent, but thank god we landed safely and I almost peed with relief. One eccentric cab driver later, we were collapsing into our dear Faye's excited kisses and tale wags, and locking the door behind us.
  Urbi et Orbi. And home again.  xo

 
 

Life in the Goldilocks Zone

Here's a RATHER AMAZING DISCOVERY. Kepler 22b. A planet discovered in the "Goldilocks Zone"or the habitable zone near a sun-like star, that is a little more than two times the size of earth, has a surface temperature in the mid '70's and quite possibly could contain water and resources that sustain life. There could already be life there.
 Space exploration has always fascinated and frightened me. I love the beauty and mystery of space, and I relish the proof to humanity that it is absolutely inconsequential in the face of mother nature,but I fear our desperate need to inhabit other worlds, and laying waste to them as we have to our own magnificent planet.
   For magnificent it is. If we found even one single plant on another planet it would move us to exhilaration. But what of the plentitude of stunningly complex, sophisticated, brilliantly adapted species we already have? Some of the universe's most amazing creatures live right here. Some of the most colorful, impressive and truly wonderous displays of life are right in front of us! And we're killing them!
  I love space. I love the ocean. I am enchanted by large, uncharted, wild and completely natural environments. I feel to proud to be a bit of nature, myself, even if I do happen to be a stupid human. Whenever my time does come to rejoin the infinite, I will be grateful to have had my eyes open to the beauty of my world.
  here is a bit of one of my all-time favorite series, Planet Earth:



And here is an interesting editorial on the subject of a "new earth".

Merrie December

"When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash."

 Why, that's not Santa on the roof, it's my dear Mr. Rios!! Once again Greg has braved the shaky, almost-too-short ladder that rests precariously on a weak, almost-collapsing gutter to hang our Christmas lights! Hooray! Now, I must say we have the fanciest house on the block, which really isn't saying much as there are several rather squalid houses on our block, whose idea of christmas lights are a bleak, blinking green strobe light and a broken candy cane in the lawn.

Our tree this year is a monolith. It is awe-inspiringly large and a bit intimidating, actually. We actually stuffed this thing in the back of our car and then exhausted ourselves decorating it. We ran out of lights and ornaments! I do love this gorgeous tree, but I feel like letting it go back to the wild. It fills up an entire corner of our living room, and looks out of the little windows next to it like it's thinking about its herd.
   I can't help but think there might be some kind of Chris VanAllsburg moment with this tree, in the middle of the night. Perhaps it will silently levitate on Christmas Eve and then Tom Hanks will pop out and say "All Aboard for the North Pole!" or something like that.

Much delicious food has been cooked and consumed this season, and here are some photos to prove it. I have never made so much stuffing at one time before. The giant piles of chopped pecans and onions and mushrooms looked beautiful and succulent, and I had to make a photographic record of such bounty!

  I have also had the pleasure of watching two of the MOST WONDERFUL shows that I must recommend!!! First, the 2002 film "Nicholas Nickelby" which I had no idea existed and now am its number one fan! This film is not to be missed! The performances and art direction are impeccable, surprising, original!!!   This is a true interpretation of Dicken's work, showing both the detailed and dramatic personal quirks of the characters, but also the whimsy and dry humor in their portrayal. The language used is perfect, and the delivery is hilarious.

Jim Broadbent and Juliette Stevenson make the worst and most horrible evil villains I've ever seen, Jim Broadbent is one of my favorite actors ever.

Christopher Plummer is absolutely wonderful, and soooo handsome still! (But I have a weakness for top hats, I must admit.)

I almost coughed up my coffee when I saw in the credits that the actor who plays  Nicholas Nickelby himself is none other than Charlie Hunnan, the young Curt-Cobain look-a-alike who plays Jax in "Sons of Anarchy"!!!!   So now I am a HUGE FAN of this young man, because he has to 1. have the cojones to put aside a tough-guy image and play a darling, almost-christian, goody two shoes (who does have a righteous temper when provoked, it's true) and 2. have the chops to look good alongside the revered, great actors in this cast! I don't know if many young, handsome actors would be able to pull it off, or even recognize the great opportunity such a role really is, so kudos to Mr. Hunnan!
Here is a great trailer for the movie:



The other show I am currently enjoying is yet another English period piece called "Cranford". ( An aside: for those of you who may not know already, I am a complete English History Addict. I cannot get enough of the stories from the middle ages through the current Royal Family. Castles make me giddy. I love James Herriot,  the Sex Pistols,Watership Down and The Lord of the Rings. I also love Charles II, Harry Potter and Led Zeppelin. And Narnia.

I devour books about the Plague and the Great Fire of London in 1666. More on all of this later.)

"Cranford" is a series, is an absolute must-see, and is one of the best things I've ever seen from BBC. The writing is fantastic, the characters subtle and sensitive, and so tenderly funny! The acting is flawless, from Imelda Staunton's (Dolores Umbridge!) comic busybody Mrs. Pole, to the eerie, faded hauteur of Francesca Annis's Lady Ludlow. This is my favorite thing Judy Dench has ever done, she plays against type and is perfection as the mousey spinster Matilda Jenkins who lives in the shadow of her prim sister Deborah Jenkins played by another of my favorite actors ever, Eileen Atkins. Michael Gambon (Dumbledore!) stars also, as do so many other greats!!! The focus is not always on the characters, but also on the transitional time between an older age of aristocracy, and an industrial revolution that will forever change the face of the world. It is a time when greeting cards were considered vulgar, visits never lasted longer than 15 minutes, and eating a juicy orange was considered profane enough to remove oneself to the privacy of one's bedroom to do it! The horrors of the french revolution are not in the too-distant past, and when hearing news of the new railroad's depot coming to their small country town, Lady Ludlow bemoans the dangers of "moving the people about". "Cranford" is a beautiful piece of work that shows the struggles of the time just to survive, to receive good medical care, and the fear of education. It is also tremendously sweet and funny, and not at all at the sacrifice of beautiful language.
   Here is just one of so many great scenes:



So Happy December 1st, and Merry Christmas to all of us, I'm hoping I can keep up the spirit from now until Spring!

"Turkeys are intelligent animals who enjoy having their feathers stroked and listening to music, with which they will often sing quite loudly" -- Ben Franklin

Delicious "Field Roast" holiday roast. Takes 25 minutes to cook!

I love turkeys. So much so that I propose we take a quick reality check before the annual slaughter begins in earnest. For just a moment, let's think outside the "traditional" box. When you think of Thanksgiving dinner, your mouth might actually start to water at the thought of eating those perfectly cooked, savory dishes. When we eat our Thanksgiving dinners, we are looking for something jaw-droppingly delicious, yes?  You can have that without turkey.  Do we want to have something unbelievable delicious AND avoid thousands of extra calories? Avoid eating turkey, and you will. Do we want to spread love and joy and peace throughout the holiday season? When you choose a meat-alternative you help spare the lives of millions of animals. One simple change can prevent horrible torture and a miserable end for these sensitive, intelligent creatures. Do we really want to eat someone else's pain? It's time to think outside the box. We are not only killing turkeys, we are killing ourselves!

Once again, here is the MOST delectable veggie stuffing recipe that I make every year.It's a real crowd-pleaser, and served over your choice of delicious faux turkey options (see below for my favorites) you will be celebrating the holiday of thanks with the true spirit it deserves! Health! Happiness! Life for all!!!

CORN BREAD, WILD MUSHROOM, AND PECAN STUFFING:   

1 1/4 c pecans
6 T butter
1/2 recipe Corn bread ( just use a mix, it takes no time and makes the kitchen smell good!)
5 shallots, finely chopped
1 rib celery, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
10 oz wild mushrooms (shitakes or chanterelles)
1 t fresh thyme, chopped
1 t fresh rosemary, chopped
1 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 c dry white wine
1/3 c cream (we use soy creamer)
1/3 c Imagine "No-Chicken" broth

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread pecans on a baking sheet. Place in oven to toast until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Set aside.
2. Melt 2 T butter in a small skillet. Cut corn bread into 2 inch-thick slices. Place, cut-side down, on a 17-by12 inch baking sheet. Bush tops with melted butter. Toast corn bread until golden brown, 10 minutes. Cool.
3.Heat remaining 4 T butter in a medium skillet on medium high. Add shallots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper: cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add white wine: continue cooking until absorbed, about 1 minute. Add cream. Cook 30 seconds, remove pan from heat.
4. Crumble corn bread into a large bowl. Add mushroom mixture and toasted pecans, toss. Add No-chicken broth, and bake in a buttered 0x13 inch baking dish until crusty and golden brown, 30 minutes. SUPER YUM!!!

Here are some incredibly delicious meat-free items to add to your thanksgiving feast:

Field Roast : An absolutely delicious loaf, or links of a spiced, moist vegetable protein. The best on the market!

Quorn Roast: Already cooked so you just marinate it in a little "No-Chicken" broth and stick it in the oven to warm. Eliminating turkey also eliminates the hours of cooking and the threat of salmonella!

Haines Vegetarian "Chicken" gravy. The best gravy I've ever had.

Try one Thanksgiving using these products, add your favorite vegetables, pies, rolls, sauces, desserts, etc. After you've eaten, see how much you miss the clean-up of a bird carcass, the threat of salmonella, the calories and cholesterol.  Sit back, put up your feet, and  revel in the knowledge that you've eaten clean and healthy, you've given back to the planet, and no violence of any kind was used in the preparation of your holiday meal. Once we realize we're not missing anything by not eating meat, we will realize how much we are actually gaining. Peace!

HAPPY TURKEYS AT A TURKEY SANCTUARY!! 

Vita Incantatum (Enchanted Life)

Well, HELLO FALL! In all your glorious color and whirling leaves! The west hills are dotted with crimson and gold, the sidewalks of Laurelhurst are tunnels of yellow, orange and bronze. The top of Mt. Tabor is swept by clean wind and the whistles of pine trees! Portland makes me wax poetic!





I've been away, living a bit of life, but have missed chronicling the beauty that I encounter every single day here in this incredible city. I think Portland must be one of the world's most beautiful places, even if it is like living in a college dorm sometimes.
  
 

Since I left Powell's books last March, I have reveled in my new life, away from customers, away from oppressive work schedules, and writing every day. I love my new job at Melange, it is creative and super-fun. I get to photoshop fashionable inventory onto their website which is like playing a clothing video game. I get to describe each beautiful piece in a quick, powerful little vignette...a fashion fantasy woven to create the perfect context for each item. When I used to work in a vintage clothing store -- the legendary "Old Friends" in Eugene, Oregon, I bought a lot of clothing for myself based on this very concept. I would imagine the perfect environment or event where I could wear each piece. For instance, that yellow silk sheath dress would be perfect at an afternoon cotillion by the lake! Or, that sheer hippy blouse would be just the thing for a walk at the rose garden on a spring day! The trouble was, I never went to any cotillions by the lake, but NOW I can live in my fashion fantasies for a living. You've just gotta' love that!

 At Melange, I also get to help people coordinate their wardrobes. I am an online stylist! A personal shopper! Because I've spent practically my entire life searching for things that would flatter my own rather difficult figure, I have to say, I am a bit of an expert when it comes to fit, proportion and wearability! And I love sharing that knowledge with other women. I wish someone had shared it with me!
And last but not least, I blog for Melange. And we all know how much I like to blog!

It's been quite a transition.
 In fact,the last 4 years have been amazingly transformative! Getting the job at Powell's in the first place was a bit of magic, I believe. There were 1200 applicants for 8 positions!
I remember waiting for my interview, sitting on a bench outside Henry Weinhard's at 12th and Couch in the sun, feeling....lucky. Expectant. Like I knew it would happen and become an amazing new chapter. And it did, and it was!

Working at Powell's on Burnside will be one of my most treasured memories of my life. A dream-come-true for a bookish girl from Eugene who visited Powell's every single time she came to Portland over the decades. Working there, I finally got to live out my bookstore fantasies and Portland dreams! There were so many incredible moments from the start of my day to the end. My commute to work first by bike from Southeast to Old Town,, later by car into historic northwest, and then a long walk through the Pearl District-- it was a crash course in Portland, and its many characters. Biking and walking through a place day after day you discover secrets, and see things change before your eyes. I had special moments with a secret Portland all the time!

I remember one freezing December night, walking back to my car at 11:15pm, tired and numb from cold, when I walked over a grate in the sidewalk. Looking down I saw twinkling white xmas lights lying below the street in some dead leaves. They glowed so cozily, there under the grate, in a hole. I almost cried it was so comforting. Like the cold street was saying, merry christmas Diane! There is beauty even in the dark. Right beside the grate there was a small fogged window, and then-- the most wonderful, delicious and unexpected aroma of baking cookies and croissants. It was an underground bakery, working into the night.  I stood there warming myself, inhaling that heavenly smell and bluring my eyes so the xmas lights make a beautiful movie. I visited that grate again from time to time, but most often the lights were off and the bakery closed. That first discovery was the best. And there were all kinds of discoveries like that! Portland is amazing!


Then, there were all the unique and wonderful moments in Powell's, working as a Generalist. Most employees at Powell's work in one room, and in one section. It's set up like many little bookstores in one big place. I was lucky enough to work EVERYWHERE! A Generalist works wherever they need you, whenever they need you. So on a daily basis I might shelve fantasy books in the Gold room, cook books in the Orange room, Collectible children's books in the Rose Room, Dog books, nature studies, sports, travel, small press, zines, graphic novels, erotica!!! Literature, reference, paranormal romance!!! I got to know subsections and sub sub sections! I got to handle ancient tomes and bright and shiny new best sellers! I got to work at all of the info stations, from the top floor in Art to the Purple room info by the bathrooms, to the crazy Burnside entrance Green Room Info --or "The Doughnut", as it's called. (How many customers have been mystified over the years to hear a page over the speakers saying "MOD to the Doughnut, at your convenience, MOD to the Doughnut please.") I even got to help Annie Leibowitz sign books, and she took a picture of us together! I mean, come on!

There were parts of the store I especially loved. Upstairs in the employee-only area there are corner rooms and windows that have incredible views of downtown Portland. The small rooftop garden of Powell's is eye-level with the surrounding condos, and an amazing spot to eat lunch. The beautiful, quiet rare book room was always a joy to work in. Sitting at the big wooden desk under the green-shaded lamps and old prints, surrounded by first editions and ephemera of the most amazing writers in the world was an incredible gift for me!

I was privy to all of the different work spaces in each room, and they were all awesome in their own ways. The "Grotto" in the red room (so-called because the Red Room houses "Spirituality and Religion"), the "Lit Pit" in the Blue Room (with cookies on wednesdays and conversations about cute cats and Melville), and the "Cave" in the Gold, lined floor to ceiling with Sci Fi, Mystery, Romance and Horror. Sigh. I miss those cozy, book-lined spaces! I miss sweating it out shelving carts and carts of sci fi books while Queen is blasting out of the stereo! I even miss the sound of my lanyard, clinking against my chest as I ran up and down those three flights of stairs!
  Plus, working at Powell's forced me to stay up late. They don't close until 11pm, so I really amazed myself by working till close and biking home at 11:15 pm, sometimes through rain and snow. That was pretty kick-ass, if I do say so myself! I'll never forget the night I biked across the Burnside bridge, and had to wait to it to open for a boat. While I'm sitting there, at the top of the ramp, on my bike in the moonlight, it started to snow. It was so quiet, and so magical. It started to snow harder and harder, and was a blizzard by the time I got home. Amazing!

The people I worked with at Powell's are the world's smartest, funniest, most stylish people I've ever met. Coming from a hippy culture in Eugene, that's saying something! I love my friends I made there, I admire their prodigious talents and good looks so much!!! We've had so many hilarious and touching times, people!!! And I miss you!

But I had to go, when I went. It wasn't because of unstable work conditions, layoffs, or the economy, thank goodness. It was just about me needing to get away from the giant retail environment. Although I had some of my favorite times there, I was also wearing out from the relentless nature of such a huge store in downtown Portland. Thousands and thousands of customers, every day! And a lot of them homeless, mentally ill, and in need of help I could not give them. Downtown Portland is crowded with people in need. Sad, cold, hungry, addicted, and often with sad dogs and cats in tow, it broke my heart, and depressed the hell out of me! I biked around for weeks with a ten pound bag of dog food in my paniers to give to someone with a skinny dog. After three years, I had enough, and I needed to change it up and move on. So, as I commuted to and from work I would sort of ask the universe for an option.

 I got an email from an old friend and employer in Eugene. My dear friend Martha who runs Melange boutique, a store in Eugene that I used to work for, told me about a fashion show they were having and invited me to visit. Well, god knows I love a fashion show, and I hadn't seen Martha since I moved to Portland, so I went! And I had a great time! Martha is a wonderful person, someone I used to LOVE working with, and we had so much fun. I missed working for Melange, and thought of their website. As it turned out, they needed someone to help online, and voila! An opening in the universe appeared!

After I left Powell's and began my new life at home, I stopped blogging. I stopped making art. I also deleted my email from every single extraneous, unnecessary site I could. I even stopped socializing for the most part. (And I hope I'm forgiven for my absence)  I wanted to create a clean slate, a fresh canvas. I needed to air out my brain! I had been working so hard for so long at my day job, and also on the book "Dizzy's Dream" which culminated in the trip to New York last year to see the editors at Penguin and Hyperion. After those experiences wrapped up, I needed to get a fresh perspective to decide where I want to go. I wanted to change old patterns, and open space for new opportunities. And so....I have!

The last 6 months have been truly amazing. After deciding to stop making art, blogging, etc, I boiled it all down to the basics, and thrived. I walk miles twice a day with my beautiful dog Faye, all over this glorious town! I know every single trail on Mt. Tabor! We also visit Sellwood, Reed College, northwest Portland, the waterfront, and inner northeast all the time! Belmont street, Division st, Clinton Street! Yamhill, Ash, and Taylor! Glisan and Flanders! Quimby, Savier, and Raleigh!
 I eat well, and work out every day. My poor injured back has been doing very well (all those blueberries!) and I ride my little stationary bike like crazy in the basement while I watch movies. And I've seen the most amazing movies! "Bill Cunningham: New York", "The Boys: the Sherman Brother's Story", "A Matter of Taste: Serving Up Paul Leibrandt",  "Smoke Signals"(remember that?), "Autism, the Musical"! And many more. Email me for more recommendations!

I've been cooking and cooking and cooking (and washing a lot of dishes)!! I shelved a lot of books at Powell's in the "Vegetarian/Vegan" section in the Orange room, and my collection is bursting with options. I find it so therapeutic to cook, so calming to shop for, and create a delicious, healthy meal! Greg has been the lucky beneficiary of gourmet vegan meals like "Bresse Mushroom Soup with Rosemary and White Wine", "Walnut Tofu Balls", "Vegan Beef Stroganoff", "Lentil and Vegan Chicken Fricasee" and "Pepperoni and (No-Dairy) Mozerella Calzones with Caesar salad". And there are more! I've been cooking all kinds of things! Love it!

  Instead of making "art", I started crafting. I love the holidays, people, that's no lie! Santa is my special bud! (on a side note, try putting "Bing Crosby Holiday" into your Pandora radio, you will be launched into Christmas in the best possible way. When not listening to Led Zeppelin, or Crosby Stills & Nash, I listen to Bing Crosby and Dean Martin sing christmas songs while I walk the dog. It is such an innocent sound, and from a time before technology. They're not making any more it, that's for sure!)

I also decided to try out some of those incredible craft books I bought while working at Powell's and made these copper candle lanterns. They are beyond lovely at night, throwing designs of light on the walls. And, I labored hard over these pretty, but somewhat ridiculous beaded birds. They are nice, but very difficult to make and they take for-freaking-ever! You have to use invisible thread to make them, and believe it or not, IT'S VERY HARD TO SEE!

And....I'm writing. After I cleared the stage of my creative life, this story came to me. It just poured into my head, and now it's my new project. It's a fantasy middle-reader story called "The Magic of Fairfax, Oregon". and it's about a girl named Clothilde who is stolen by her uncle and sold to the forest gypsies. She finds a special magic to help her return to her mother and save her small Oregon town from the clutches of an evil hospital run by crazed doctors. It's about Oregon, it's about the magic of friendship,and it's about a profound love of nature. Stay tuned for more!

It's funny, but right after I stopped making art, I got a call from the art editor at Willamette Week, offering me the cover if I could make an illustration in a weekend. I shook off the cobwebs and got right to work, and last week I had the thrill of seeing my work looking at me from newspaper boxes all over town. There was even another of my illustrations, a full-page portrait, inside! A real thrill, and a reminder that the universe is working for you, whether you know it or not!


 

We're having a stunningly beautiful fall, Oregon is turning on all of its considerable charms! Cora is a long-legged 13 year-old beauty with a great sense of a humor, a terrible temper and wonderful friends, Greg is commuting by bike to his downtown office at the Department of Justice where he continues to carry out his many official duties including arguing cases in the Oregon Supreme Court (Go Greg, go Greg!), and I am blogging and writing and cooking away in our little yellow nest in Southeast Portland.
  And sending love to all of my peeps! Happy fall!!!  xoxoxo