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!

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!

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.

Thankful for Thanksgiving at the guys--mushrooming to return soon

Thanksgiving Dinner

Close-up of the turkey and carrots

Close-up of the rolls

Close-up of the butter

Close-up of the mashed potatoes

Close-up of the apple pie

Close-up of the pumpkin pie

Close-up of the cranberry sauce

Now that I've got you wondering, I'll explain. This series of photos does not show our Thanksgiving at the guys--I took them standing on the sidewalk at the corner of SW 11th and SW Alder, outside Knit Purl. I just called the store and found out that the food is felted, which I suspected it might be. Then the nice lady told me that it's not knitted, then felted, it's just felted, which she explained as working with the yarn with hot water--one of the ladies who teaches classes in the store made all of it.

Here's our real Thanksgiving lunch, courtesy of Lamont who used the meat from smoked turkey legs, the stock from the carcass, and pearl onions, butternut squash, parsnips, celery, and chanterelles (not the ones we found, though), plus a wonderfully flaky crust, to make these three turkey pot pies. He had smoked the turkey on Tuesday, after taking it off the bone; he shaved the breast meat into the perfect size for sandwiches.

I took this photo through the partially open oven door which made that shadow across the back two.

Lamont reached into the oven to get the pot pies out and put them onto the counter.

Here's a close-up of two of them.

Mama and I had the dessert assignment. After work on Wednesday, I went to Zupan’s at NW 23rd and Burnside where I had gone last year for a cute little cheesecake. I found another cheesecake, not a Dave-at-3-Doors-Down-looking-cheesecake, but an acceptable substitute. Then I got to sample a Jaciva cherry pie and knew I had to get one of them. The sample-lady informed me that Jaciva also makes apple pies, so I got one of them, too. I know, I know. That's a lot of dessert, but I wanted to do something special, out of the ordinary, and this is what I decided to do. Little did I know that dad and brother of the guys' other roomie, Brodie, were bringing pies, too! Theirs came from Whole Foods, a pumpkin and a pecan. I couldn't resist taking a pie-line-up photo!

Mama and Lamont, with her plate of turkey pot pie.

My pot pie.

Leland and Kailey with their pot pie.

Brodie's brother Chad and Brodie.

My cherry pie and my pecan pie. To tell you the truth, that's the best pecan pie that I've eaten in years, and I know where to go buy one for us--Mama and I love pecan pie!

Duncan walked all over the living room and kitchen, circling and sniffing, over and over until he finally wore himself out and flopped down on the floor. We'd brought his quilt, so he curled up underneath it while we finished eating and visiting.

Brodie, his dad Gary, his brother Chad, in front of the guys' fireplace, just before Gary and Chad left for home.

About half an hour later, Mama, Duncan and I left for home, too, courtesy of Leland who had driven over to pick us up and then took us back to the apartment. Kailey went along to keep us all company. Our Thanksgiving was memorable.

Getting ready for Christmas in Portland's living room

As the MAX train I was on pulled to a stop on Nov. 15, I got this shot of Portland's Christmas Tree. Workers had it upright and ready for plumping and shaping. Trimmed branches encircled the tree's base. I wonder if the man in the bucket is trimming or attaching?

After the free "tour" of the Central Library's new eco-roof (more about that on another post), I walked back to Pioneer Square to take more photos of the process.


This fellow explained and demonstrated how to make the branch into an attachment.

You can tell from this direction just how much plumping and shaping will make a beautiful sight for everyone to enjoy once the light switch is thrown Friday night after Thanksgiving.

Here's a close-up of the trunk. I cannot remember for sure, but it seems to me that the trunk is surrounded by a base that doesn't allow the public to get to the branches. By "get to the branches," I mean touch them and/or mess with the lights. I'll have to look at last year's photos to know for sure.

This shot was taken from almost the same spot as the first one, but I was standing in the square instead of on the MAX.


I looked back to Nov. 24, 2007, and found out that my memory still works! You can see the base in this photo of the unlit tree.

And a bit of it at the bottom of this photo of the lit tree.


Good Lord willin' and the creek don't rise, I plan to attend the lighting again this year, for my third time which is all of my Thanksgivings in Portland.