An enhanced version of the tree. I can't do this tree justice!

Ella likes Rocky too.

Grandma Judy, Ben and the tarantula, and a pig at the farm where we went to pick pumpkins.

Fred and Ben watching the DVD, Wall-e. Ben has loved Wall-E for over a year.

I'm surprised to learn this tarantula (named Rocky) is quite easy going- doesn't bite unless provoked. I'm not ready to hold it yet.

Gourds at the pumpkin farm.

Some views of the kids, The pets, and life in general in Portland

I thought a view of this amazing tree in Fred and Sharon's back yard would be a good way to start to tell you about my visit to Portland, Or. It's a protected, historic tree. I don't know if you can see it very well, but parts of it are covered in moss and there's even fern growing out of it in one place. A monumental tree, here long before us and hopefully here long after we're gone.

Bicycle Dreams- here's someone's 1950 (or so) Christmas present which has been rusting in the basement of my neighbor's house.The house was deserted for the past 30 or more years, thanks to some sort of family feud. To think of the joy it must have brought and to see it now as a skeleton. The life of a bicycle. The life of a human.

Here's to new life and new bicycles.

Here's the group around Ellen's humongus dining room table.This is her Chambers stove, an old gas stove. My mother had a Chambers and was inordinately proud of it. It was just like this one. Ellen has a menorah on hers.

Ellen Bierhorst holds a "Salon" every Wednesday, from 5:45 to 8:00 PM. This happens 52 weeks a year. This is her house, and Ellen in her kitchen. Everyone is welcome. It's potluck, so you just bring a dish and come. We discuss politics (the lefty kind), health, nutrition, and anything anyone can think of. This is Ellen's house, an old mansion formerly owned by the family. I'll tell you more about that when I think of their names.

Northside Farmer's Market -every Wednesday @4:00PM
Brick Oven on a truck for pizza making at the farmers market. Good idea, right?

Vintaage clothing fashion show

More from the fashion show.

Janet and her walker. She's 97 years old and has a most interesting history. In the background, 3 beautiful ladies in 1920's fashions.

Today was coming out Sunday at the UU, for gays who want to come out. It was a very moving service. There have been a lot of suicides recently of teenage boys who were taunted for being gay. A service was read which had been written by a UU minister who waited until he was 50 to come out. He talked about living in fear of being discovered constantly. A woman who is transgender and now lives as a woman after being a man for years said she always felt like a woman. She stressed that transgender and transsexual are not the same thing. I'm not sure of the differences. The choir sang a wonderful song," Everything Possible." Here are the words.

We've cleared off the table, leftovers saved, washed the dishes and put them away. I've told you a story, tucked you in tight at the end of your knock-a-bout day. As the moon sets its sails to carry you to sleep, over the midnight sea, I will sing you a song no one sang to me, may it keep you good company.

Oh you can be anybody you want to be, you can love whom ever you will. You can travel any country where your heart leads, and know that I will love you still. You can live by yourself, you can gather friends around, you can choose one special one. And the only measure of your words and your deeds will be the love you leave behind when your done.

There are girls who grow up strong and bold, boys quiet and kind. Some race on a head, some follow behind, some go in their own way and time. Some women love women, some men love men, some raise children, some never do. You can dream all the day never reaching the end of everything possible for you. Don't be rattled by names, by taunts, by games. but seek out spirits true. If you give your friend the best part of your self, they'll give the same back to you.

Nina, Mira, Sister Alice and me in the red hat. We do this every Monday, in the median on Central Parkway, corner of Vine. Reactions are interesting. Mostly people don't even seem to be thinking about the war. It's "over there," and not their kids, so why get excited. The human race is strange, don't you think?

Joellen, one of our RE students, in a 1940 something

Andy looking 1920ish
This is the fifties. I remember those white gloves and hats well.
Only Ruth Anne would decide to dance in a corset. I think we should have a contest to guess why. Andy doesn't seem to mind.

Hello dear friends, family, rapt admirers and anyone else,

I've been out of touch for a while, because when I get back to beautiful Cincinnati I get so busy that I don't seem to find the time for blogging. However I won't give up. I've been working on selling the house, (keep your fingers crossed, someone may be interested), planning my trip to India, and doing all my UU things, so that time flys by. In addition, yesterday we got the sad news that my good friend, Pete Altekruse, died. He will be missed.

So, I will try and catch up on the comings and goings here. I hope I don't bore you to death.

Saturday night our UU church had a fund raiser which was a vintage clothes fashion show and musical performance. It was definitely above average. The singers and musicians were great. Styles from the twenties through the sixties were featured. Herewith are some of them;