Ned Ludd

A friend sent me this post from Eater Portland.

One of Portland’s leaders in the hyper-local movement, Ned Ludd officially announced its closure in September. “Bittersweet to say goodbye to the last 13 years of wood fired fun, farm driven fare and all the culinary adventures this little space on MLK brought me,” owner and chef Jason French wrote in an Instagram post. “I’m the man I want to be, the husband and father I’ve imagined since my youth and the chef I’ve dreamed of since 1986.”

I was sad to learn that another unique and Portland restaurant had closed. Locally sourced food, an involved owner and chef, Ned Ludd had a presence and a story as well as excellent food beautifully served.

My friends and I miss Ned Ludd.

All Shall Be Well

All shall be well, and

All shall be well, and

All manner of thing shall be well.

Julian of Norwich, English mystic and author of Revelations of Divine Love

This was one the first thing I read this morning,

Even before leaving my bed.

These simple words comforted me.

Simple words written over 600 years ago.

Political scandal and upheaval here and around the world.

Epidemics that just keep coming.

The world on fire, the world flooding.

Unease and distrust among neighbors and citizens.

The constant drumbeat of urgent requests for political donations.

Feeling guilty when I enjoy the pleasures of my life.

Feeling tearful and upset that I don’t know how “to fix” the world.

All manner of thing shall be well.

All shall be well.

I will do my best to make it so.

Random Thoughts July 2, 2022

Today is the first day of a three-day weekend for most Americans.

On Monday, July 4th we celebrate Independence Day.

The day will begin with a neighborhood parade. It is sweet in the way that hometown parades often are. There are no flashy floats or celebrities, just local groups. You always see someone you know.

I walked in it one year along with members from my church. It was fun. The parade route was not very long but long enough that my feet started to hurt, thanks to my fashionable shoes. Ah vanity!

At the end of the parade, folks gather with kids in tow for ice cream, music, face painting, and best of all, a pie eating contest!

In the evening, we gather at the park for a concert and a laser light show.

But today is Saturday.

Chores and my little dog Riley are calling.

She needs a walk.

My house needs dusting, my garden needs watering and weeding.

I need to cook some vegetables and a pot of black-eyed peas.

I will sign off now and get busy so that I will have time to enjoy my weekend.

Thank you for reading.

Be well,

Lori

So matcha!

~PHOTO LORI GREER IN PORTLAND~

A warm weather favorite from Tea Bar in Portland, Oregon!

Decadent and healthy.

I love the peaceful Scandinavian decor found at all of the Tea Bar locations.

The locations are

Tea Bar Pearl

1055 NW Northrup
Portland, OR 97209 

503-227-0464
10am – 6pm Daily

Tea Bar Division

4330 SE Division
Portland, OR 97206

503- 477-5896
10am – 6pm Daily

Tea Bar Park Avenue

855 SW Yamhill
Portland, OR 97209

503-719-7577
*Temporarily closed*

Tea Bar Killingsworth

1615 NE Killingsworth

503-477-4676
*Temporarily closed*

One Saturday in May

Slow start this morning.

Slept in until 8.  Unusual for me.

Now on my second cup of coffee.

Cloudy skies, cold and damp outside. 

My dog is sleeping by the fire.

This could be a dreary day.

I can’t give in.  

My antidote

Turn on lights,

Tune into some happy, upbeat music.

Do little household projects to get moving.

Dust and water inside plants.

Text my sons.

Text my friends. 

Send a thank you note to the emergency clinic staff who saved my dog’s life.  

Send a thank you note to my two new doctors who are taking excellent care of me.  

Play with my dog.

Gather my art materials and create a masterpiece. 🙂

Wow!   So many ways to feel happy, connected and creative.  

It’s amazing— just writing this post energized me.  

Happy day to my blogging buddies! What are you doing today?

~Lori

Kindness from a stranger

It’s funny how you remember people. 

Take Linda.

I thought of her today.

She is not a friend, a neighbor, not  even an acquaintance. 

Her number is not in my phone.

I don’t know what she looks like, who her children are, if any.

She is a random person in my life from years ago. 

I had one encounter with her. 

I don’t remember where it was.

I  remember the day.*

I remember her talking to me. 

I did not answer.  I may have nodded.  I’m not sure.

My head hurt.  

I felt weightless. There was nothing tying me to earth. 

Her words came from a distance.  

You have  tough times ahead. You must take care of yourself.

Over the years I have often remembered her words. 

Unsolicited, barely acknowledged,

Granting  permission to rest a bit, 

To give up being in charge, in control, always needing a plan.

She reached out to a stranger in pain, in shock.

I am grateful.

~Lori

*The day I  learned my Husband had a year left to live.  In writing this post I wondered what made me think of Linda. Then I realized, tomorrow is his birthday.

Giving thanks…

Mid-morning last Thursday I tested positive for COVID.

Immediately, my healthcare system (Legacy) kicked into gear with amazing results.

A nurse called to talk about treatment.

I opted for the drug Paxlovid from Pfizer.

Next was a call from a pharmacist from the hospital.

We had a lengthy interview to review the side effects.

Then, he placed the prescription at the only drugstore near me that had the medicine.

Within minutes, the drugstore called to tell me the drug was ready for pick up.

My friend picked it up and I started treatment right away.

If you have ever worked with the medical system in the US, you know that it is generally slow with lots of waiting around. Not this time, not with COVID.

Happy news….my symptoms improved within 24 hours. I took three pills twice daily for five days.

The only side effect was a bitter taste in my mouth. Eating fresh fruit helped. It reminded me that my late Husband experienced a bitter taste after chemotherapy. Chilled, canned fruit in heavy syrup, something he would never have eaten before cancer, alleviated the yucky taste.

Today, I feel so much better and am planning to resume my normal activities.

Thank you Legacy Healthcare!

Thank you to the scientists who developed the tests, vaccinations and treatments.

Thus ends my COVID story.

Except…

Our job as a nation is to continue to send COVID tests, vaccinations and treatments to nations not as fortunate as we are.

Ruling the roost

Who’s not allowed on the back of my creme colored couch?

Continue reading “Ruling the roost” →

Wednesday morning

Hello,

I am coming up for air.

Too much going on.

Continue reading “Wednesday morning” →

Springtime in Portland

Cherry Blossoms ~Photo Lori Greer in Portland~

So pretty to look at!

I love seeing all of the trees, plants and flowers starting to bloom.

However, this is why I generally stay indoors with my windows closed.

This is why I take an antihistamine daily. It helps but I still feel terrible at times.

New carpet

Adding more pain this year is my new carpet.

After the installation almost a month ago, I still find tiny bits of fabric everywhere.

There also is a fine layer of dust everywhere.

I am cleaning everyday and know that “this too shall pass” but feel really drained.

Argh!

Adding more insults, I washed two Helly Hansen jackets so that I could put them away for the summer. The upshot was that there is now a fine scattering of lint (?) all over the jackets and, worse, all over my washing machine. I believe that the lining on one of the jackets may have disintegrated.

I have run the rinse cycle several times, wiped out the drum with paper towels and a sheet from a lint remover.

Thinking that the problem was resolved I washed some clothes only to have them covered in this fine lint.

Short of buying a new wardrobe and a new washing machine, I shall have to keep a lint remover with me at all times.

Truly small problems in light of the world today.

Time for a cup of tea and then soldier on!