Tag: Portland Oregon

Who needs sleep?

I should have known that I was tempting fate when I set my alarm for 8 A.M. today.

Sure enough Riley was up at 5, “requesting” my attention.

I had to get up…

I carefully made my way down the stairs and opened the door to the back garden.

A few minutes later she was back in the house.

I foolishly thought we would go back to sleep.  

To her credit, she did lie down but just could not settle into sleep.

A few puppy kisses later, I was up for the day at 5:30.

She went outside again and I made coffee.

Now she is asleep by the fire.

Thanksgiving Morning 2021
Riley snoozing by the fire.

I am wide awake sipping coffee earlier than I had planned.  

I heard a train’s whistle blow as it passed.

At least someone else is awake!

How it is

I learned years ago with my children that I had to adjust my life to meet their needs.

Some were easy adjustments, others more demanding.  

Such is the price of loving and caring for others.  

Have a wonderful day!

~Lori

A small victory

Another foggy cold morning.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee enticed me from my warm bed.

It felt wonderful to enjoy a cup of hot coffee while sitting in front of the fire in my living room.   It was still dark outside and so quiet. 

A long leisurely morning was not in the cards as I had to leave early for the gym.

Driving there I noticed that my tire pressure readings were 32 per tire.  

I know very little about tire pressure but I was nervous because 35 is the recommended tire pressure.  I could just see me with a blow-out waiting for AAA on a really cold morning.  

Also, I had planned a quick jaunt down the freeway later in the morning so this had to be resolved before I left home again.  

Photo by u0412u043bu0430u0434u0438u043cu0438u0440 u0413u043bu0430u0434u043au043eu0432 on Pexels.com

At the gym my trainer worked me very hard as she was leaving for Japan for a couple of weeks.  This took my mind off the problem.

Back in the car, one tire pressure had risen to 33…some improvement.  Still, this was not enough to risk driving on the freeway. 

So, driving home from the gym, I stopped by the local Shell station.  As the attendant filled my tank, I asked her if she could help me put pressure in my tires.  A skill not in my repertoire!

Long story short, she was so gracious and helped me fill all of the tires.  I learned how to use the machine…easy peasy!   I was so grateful to her!  I felt so empowered!

This was a little victory that had a big impact on my day.  It was a joy to drive knowing that my tires were fully inflated!

~Photo from Pexels.com~ This is not me. I dressed in warm layers and sensible shoes on this cold day.

Boo boo butt

Buying books for children leads to wonderful discoveries such as The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak.

Read this delightful book to a child, or better yet, a passel of children.

~Photo Lori Greer in Portland~

I laughed out load reading this book.  

Check out the YouTube video of the author B.J. Novak reading from his book  to a group of kids. 

You really should read this! The child in you will love it.

Don’t be a boo boo butt!!

Note: You may recall B.J. Novak as one of the writers of the American version of the hit tv show The Office.

Friendship in a rose

To see a World in a grain of Sand,

and heaven in a wild Flower,

To hold Infinity in the palm of your hand

And eternity in an hour 

~William Blake

  • ~Photo Lori Greer in Portland~

A friend welcomed me home after my long trip with this lovely rose.

Not a wild flower, but I can still see a glimpse of heaven in her lovely gesture.

Rilke on autumn

“At no other time does the earth let itself be inhaled in one smell, the ripe earth; in a smell that is in no way inferior to the smell of the sea, bitter where it borders on taste, and more honeysweet where you feel it touching the first sounds.

“Containing depth within itself, darkness, something of the grave almost.”

“For me, it is a foretaste of all of my life of faith. Each year repeats itself, proclaiming more loudly than before,

“It is not over, it is just beginning. Wait ‘til next year and see how much more glorious it will be.”

~Rainer Maria Rilke

As you can see from my previous post “Herbsttag” I am still reading Rilke when I find time.   Longing for the wonderful days of my youth when I could  read at leisure!  

Roasted Vegetables

Delicious, nutritious and easy to prepare!

Before and after.

These will be eaten in less than two days!

My kingdom for a bathroom!*

I was in a large building, mostly empty.

The halls were dimly lit.

The offices on either side were dark.

This was the way to the only bathrooom for customers of the restaurant.

If you have been out and about in our pandemic world, you know that public bathrooms are hard to find.

It was creepy to be there.

I was aware of my vulnerability.

Yet, I felt as though I had no choice.

I was hyperalert.

I ran back to the exit and the safety of my car.

It was beautiful day.

People were out and about.

No one knew my panic from a few minutes earlier.

Blame the victim?

Some would say I put myself in a dangerous situation.

I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A few days later on a trip to Seattle, I saw this sign on the door in my hotel room.

I felt compassion for people who have to enter hotel rooms alone on a daily basis.

My world felt a little darker.

Maybe we all need panic buttons.

~Photo Lori Greer in Portland~

*An exclamation from the play Richard the Third, by William Shakespeare; the king cries out, “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!” after his horse is killed in battle, leaving him at the mercy of his enemies. http://www.dictionary.com

Take your best shot!

This brought a smile!

Takes my mind off other “shots” such as covid vaccines, boosters, flu shots…

My doctor expressed his frustration the other day with his patients who would not get their covid shots.

A local theatre requires proof of vaccination for entry.

So much controversy.

Maybe I will try a shot of whiskey after all!

Photo Lori Greer in Portland

Note on my messy desk…

Life continues to be chaotic.

Too much to do in too little time.

Too much uncertainty.

Good intentions however.

Looking for something on my desk, I ran across this note.

Not sure when or why I wrote this.

My scribbling tells me that I was in a hurry.

That seems to the state of my life these days.

OK, I need to breathe deeply and enjoy the view from my window.

Everything is OK.

Crying in church

I don’t cry very much.

In fact, I wish I could cry easily  and more often.

Over the years I have learned to maintain control.  

My emotions are contained.

I wear a happy face. 

Masks and sunglasses have helped maintain my facade.  

Unless I am in church.  Then my guard is down and tears come easily.   

“Amazing Grace” did it for me this past Sunday.

The healing grace of a good cry.

Does a body good.