Did this happen to you on your birthday, with Google? I am so curious to find out. Thanks!

I've already put this on Facebook a couple of hours ago--Flickr had a technical issue and I couldn't get to the HTML/BB Code until just now so that I could put it on my blog. Please and thank you for indulging my tooting my own horn, repeatedly!
 

OK. So, I just woke up after snoozing my alarm for 66 minutes because that is how old I turn today. I sat down at the IMac and saw my reminder to enter the Masterpiece Sweepstakes, so I opened a Google page, ready to go to the bookmark. I noticed that Google was a bunch of Happy Birthday goodies which I thought was cool to see first thing on my birthday. Then, as I moved the mouse, I saw a message: Happy Birthday Lynette! I just about fell outta my chair! Then I opened another page, and the birthday goodies are still there and that same message appears when I hold the mouse on any one of the goodies! How come all you other birthday-having-folks didn't tell me to be on the lookout for this? Oh, I get it. You wanted it to be a surprise. THANKS!!!! P. S. I have already received a whole bunch of great Happy Birthday wishes--thanks to everyone!

My home

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My home comforts me when I walk towards the front door and . . .



. . . when I turn to look out at the world one more time before I walk inside, turn right twice, and open my front door. 

I believe without doubt that my Mama, who passed away on January 7, 2011, approves of my new home, the place I found with the help of my two sons and to which I had moved by the end of January--with the help of my two sons, my brother who flew up from Mississippi, and numerous friends from work who helped pack, clean and move all of my stuff. She knew I couldn't stay in our apartment, not after she took an afternoon nap in her bedroom and did not wake up. She is happy that I found a studio apartment of a suitable size with a bonus room which works brilliantly as a bedroom and a closet large enough for 95% of my stuff--the rest is on display. And that fact that it's an apartment closer to my two sons that actually has nearby or right-out-the-front-door street parking for when they visit serves to increase the smile I know is on her sweet face. 

Mid-September Roses at the Rose Garden in Washington Park

I've been remiss, out of it, gone, down in the dumps missin' my little Mama, even sort of feelin' sorry for myself, escaped into an addiction to British spy/WWII television programs through Netflix, lazy, and good for not much of anything off and on for months now. I've been up for air at times, thanks to my two swell sons Lamont and Leland and to my work and those special folks at the workplace. And to Portland itself.

It's past high time for me to straighten out and partake of life every single second available to me.

Tiny steps still get it done.

Yesterday I went to a lecture at the Architectural Heritage Center and to two museums I'd never visited through the Smithsonian Museum Day. I rode the brand new Portland Street Car Central Loop between them.

Today I'm going downtown to Pioneer Courthouse Square for White Bird's West Coast premiere of Le Grand Continental by Montréal-based choreographer Sylvian Émard at Pioneer Courthouse Square on September 30, 2012! This exciting performance brings together 150+ participants of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds - dancers and non-dancers alike - to perform a contemporary re-imaging of a traditional festive line dance! Age range 9 to 75.
Read The Oregonian piece about it here.

Here's the first blog since Tuesday before last.



I took these photos the evening of September 16 when our dear friends Nora and Upa Parikh (plus Nora's sweet sister Aida) were in Portland for a family wedding. I got a Zipcar, picked them up at their hotel, met Lamont and Leland for a fine dinner at 3 Doors Down Cafe, then took the three of them riding around Portland. Lucky us, we made it to Washington Park and the Rose Garden before the sun went down. We made good memories, taking in the beautiful blossoms, some of which smelled so good, some of which had no scent whatsoever. How does that happen?

  Aida, Nora, Upa, taken with my iPhone at 3 Doors Down Cafe.

Happy Thanksgiving from Portland, Oregon

I count my blessings, past and current. I count them every day. I thank the Lord for them every day.


I am thankful to live in Portland, Oregon, where I am with my two sons, where Mama and I thoroughly enjoyed the years between June, 2006, and January, 2011.

While I don't have actual photographs of all of the special people for whom I am thankful, I do have some, so I'm sharing them with you today, Thanksgiving Day 2011.


Mama and Duncan, Kailey and Ginger and Leland, Lamont--Christmas, 2008


My brother Howard, my sister-in-law Vanessa, my older son Lamont, my younger son Leland, his sweetheart Kailey, my friend-as-sister Kay, my friend-as-brother Milton, me, and my friend-as-daughter Casey--August, 2011.

Photos from our trip back home, October, 2009.

Lucy, our sweetheart-of-a-friend. Kay, Mama, Milton, and my beloved Aunt Baker who joined Mama and lots more loved ones in Heaven on April 17, 2011. Aunt Baker had given me a ride to meet Kay and Milton on I-20, eastbound, so that we could be on our way to Talladega for the fall NASCAR race. She and Mama rode on back to Aunt Baker's house where they had a good time together until I got back several days later. Then Mama and I flew back to Portland.


Good friends: Jamae, Libby, and Jean. Fran, Yvonne, and Janet.


Good friends: Barbara, Renee, and Libby. Eve, Rusty, and Peggy. Sorry, y'all, the rest of the photos I took that night are blurry--I was just too tickled to see everyone that I couldn't be still!

Part 6, our last fun day together, Sunday, August 28, 2011

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at 3 Doors Down Café, SE 37th and Hawthorne--a family dinner for the seven of us, plus Lamont manned the kitchen as sous chef.

We were all pretty hungry, so I didn't take many photos--we just got down to it.


Fresh fettucini with heirloom tomatoes, sent to our table by Lamont. We shared like the grown ups that we are, enjoying every bite. Lamont got to come out and talk with us for a few minutes. Sweet.


Spaghetti and meatballs. Vanessa, Kay and I ordered this Sunday night special. I can't remember what anyone else ate, and I didn't write it down either. Having too much fun with my own dinner.


Kay and I got this for dessert, the banana cream pie. It is so fabulous, just looking at the photo floods me with fond memories of the taste and texture. One of the things that makes it even better is the consistent cool temperature that it is when served.

Dinner over, I took Howard and Vanessa to their hotel. They had to be at the airport about 5 a.m. Then I dropped off Milton and Kay at my apartment and headed for where the SUV lives. That's what you do with a Zipcar. You take it back where it lives when your reservation is over. Leland and Kailey met me there and brought me home.

Milton, Kay and I called it a night pretty early. We were to be picked up by Lamont the next day for brunch at the Bijou Cafe and then to Union Station so that they could board the train for the long ride home.

What a splendid time everyone had. I can't thank all of them enough for coming up here to visit us, to enjoy Portland and Oregon with us. Blessed, truly blessed. All of us.

Part 5, our last fun day together, Sunday, August 28, 2011

With the help of both the Garmin and the iPhone, we made our way from Gaston to Portland and our destination, 3 Doors Down Café, SE 37th and Hawthorne. While we waited in the bar for Kailey and Leland to meet us, we noticed a sight I've seen before. I took these through a window. I think they're best friends. What do you think?

August 26, an emotional yet wonderful day

A friend gave us, Mama's family and friends, a ride on the Columbia River, so that we could sprinkle Mama and Duncan's ashes. It was especially poignant to see her ashes change the color of the water instantly, then float away.

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.

Bowling at Grand Central with friends from work and my family.

I didn't get any action shots--too busy bowling, eating and talking when we went after work last Thursday!

Mama came to watch. She's wearing a Mississippi State Basketball sweatshirt that Teresa from work found at lunch when she went to the nearby Goodwill Super Store! The SEC stands for Southeastern Conference.

No one could believe it that Teresa found that brand new, never-been-worn-but-Mama-washed-it-anyway, sweatshirt right after the Bulldogs were here in Portland, playing basketball! By the way, I had a blast at the free practice session. I just put my finger on the button with the camera set on Sport and took pictures! I've got so many that I haven't even had time to look at all of them!

I digress. Back to bowling buddies from work. Mama and Sarah. Oops! It's blurry. Me and the CoolPix made a mess of the focus here. Sorry.


Marsha and Teresa.


Sharon and Marsha.


Mama and Lamont.


Kailey and Leland. I blurred it again! Sorry.


Here's not-very-good photo I took of Grand Central Restaurant and Bowling Lounge, on SE Morrison, back in September. I took it from the car, stopped in traffic.


I'm going back sometime to get a photo of the sign at night. But we probably will bowl somewhere else next time. Variety is the spice of life!

Saturday, July 5, 2008 ... 4th Friends and Family. Food and Fireworks ... tomorrow

I walked over to the Buick to get it so that I could drive around the corner to get Mama and Duncan. It wouldn't start. I assumed the battery was dead, that something had been left on Wednesday evening after we had gone out to eat, to meet Leland and friends from Mississippi. Vincent, Leland's best friend since middle school, and his wife Michelle flew in earlier that day to visit Leland and the rest of us--how wonderful is that? We are so blessed with our friends and family. And we got the grand news that they're having a baby in February! I cried when I heard the joyous news.

I called Leland to ask for help. He and Vincent came in Vincent's rented red Impala Chevrolet. The Buick wouldn't jump, the hood came down on Leland's right wrist and cut it pretty bad, I had forgotten Duncan's dog food for 5:30 p.m. What a mess of a few minutes. We left the car. I walked back to the apartment to get the dog food, Bandaids, ointment, etc., while the guys got Mama and Duncan from one car to the other. They picked me up on the corner, and we headed east, across the Willamette.


Michelle and Vincent, the proud parents-to-be, happy visitors to Portland. On Thursday they and Leland, and Lamont and Lindsay, shopped first for the 4th of July cookout meat at Gartner's, ribs and flank steak. Then they headed for the beach, stopping at roadside stands along the way to pick up yummy, fresh vegetables and fruit.


Friends Kimberly and Tom


Friends Katie, Angela and Kailey


Kailey and the lovely lilies she couldn't resist




Duncan and Lindsay


Leland and Vincent


Lindsay and Lamont


Mama, Duncan, Kailey and Leland