Forgiveness to Move on

Forgiveness is a double gift.  It is a gift to the one who
is forgiven, but also a gift to yourself, freeing
your form the prison of resentment and bitterness.
                                              With God in Russia
                                    Walter J. Ciszek, S.J. with
                                    Daniel L Flaherty, S.J.

                










College of the Desert flea/swap meet.

All kinds of merchandise.

New hat for girl.

A little sunshine and exercise for boy.

My blue bracelet says Stand Tall
StopAS.org.                                

There is turmoil but I have to be
strong and have gratitude.
Happy Happy Girl.

Keep your Eyes Open

One must never stop living because of a storm.
                                          Carolyn Rubenstein
                        from the book Desire to Inspire

Oh yeah, there have been times when
my compulsion was to simply fall off the face of
the Earth. 

But when my eyes are wide open, I see the diversity
and charm of other human beings.  I get a sense to
keep heading in the same direction.  A nod, a peace over
me.  Everything will be all right. 

In Riverside, a town of over 300,000, we never
run into anyone we know.  But occasionally, when
God knows you need a push of faith, He places
someone in your path...the experience is to let you
know everything will be all right. 

Everything will be all right. 

Spring.Voorjaar.Primavera

Pumpkin Collage is a multicultural experience.
Language, customs, stories, and food.
A sensory explosion.
Right now the garden is starting its own color, textural
and smell explosion.

Immigrants, no matter how small their
garden, grow herbs, vegetables, and
flowers.  In pots or in the ground we
have to have some of the flavor of home.

The Portuguese like Meyer lemons, figs (figos),  passion
fruit (maracujá), guavas, heirloom tomatoes, grapes (uvas),
rosemary (alecrim), and flat leaf parsley (salça).

Finding Your Bliss

Will we only find our bliss after our passing?
Or could we, while we are living, work on
being blissful.  Letting go of hurt both
ancient and new.  Finding our calling.


Refuse to be an accomplice.  Don't
lie-don't keep your eyes shut.
                            Simone Weil

What would you choose to do,
even if you didn't get paid for it?

My bliss is in conversation, listening
and giving away of opinions.
Sharing of hard earned lessons.


Part of our road trip bliss is the hunt
for treasures: tangible, tasty, or visual.
Sibling time. 
Mid-century vignettes brought to you
by  Midway Mall in Sacramento.                      .

Seriously, the get-along-gang spent
hours in this place, drooling.
Quality furnishing from another era.
Meticulously preserved.

Wrapping Up the Roadtrip

Here's something we missed in Portland,
Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, but as always
the get-along gang covers a lot of ground.

Indoor pools:

The Fishwife tasty seafood.  Not fancy,  but totally our style,
you will love the food and friendly service.

Fancy entertainment near Powell's.
This too is our style. Surprise and in
your face.
The largest book store in our universe.

A visit to Dusty Tiger.
Antiques and collectibles mall.

Tasty home cooking like at
VoVo's or Oma's. So so satisfying, also not
fancy.

More table top games,
what my generation referred to as board games,
with the boy. Guardian Games in Portland
aka the mother ship for table top enthusiasts.

Portland weather, we love it, and beautiful bridges.

Roseburg, Oregon, Bagel Tree Cafe...oh yes, you must stop.

Happy Easter : Feliz Páscoa

Whatever's in front of me,
help me to sing Hallelujah.

              Bethany Dillon

Welcome Oregon

This water is the color of a blue/green
Kool-Aid.

Welcome to the enchanted forest.  People who can drive in
the rain and the lush variety of nature's greens.

Hungry in Eugene, Oregon?

Glenwood, yummy yum yums.
Friendly staff and really good eats.

Boy heaven.

Beyond excited.  He hadn't realized walking in.

Eugene is a college town. Young fresh faces
all around.  Pedestrians, bicyclist and then cars are king.
It's a lovely slower pace. Southern California is all about
cars and speed.
Memorials like this one are a reminder to stay aware of those
who share the road.

Rain, hail, a tasty hotdog and fries like my mother used to make.
Perfection.  Roake's the original stand since 1937 located in Milwaulkie, OR.

People watching is part of the fun.
The kettle calling the pot black.  His sign says Liberalism is
a mental illness, okay.

Thrift store art.  You got to love it.

Holly modeling. Tulips are a family favorite not necessarily
this 80s print but still.

A $12.00 afghan, Mr. Lee said it felt creepy, go figure.
There was a lot of work to appreciate.
 

Crispy Creme Easter Donuts..it's
vacation.

A hunt for a favorite Australian
magazine.

Road trip projects.

Another road trip project.

Dinner in the hotel picked up from Screen Door in Portland.
Worth the trip...southern deliciousness.