Happy Holoweeeeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnn...

Yes this is me...I am "Stick it to Me"...ha ha and of course we are doing very important work!

back again

fun trip to Seattle this past weekend...saw my dear friend, a and her kids. attended the National Indian Education Association convention and it was big....went to their pow wow and saw n and c from psu...even ran into a former bsw student from nau...small world; fun to see him quite frankly...full circle. saw lots of other Navajos from the rez. did some shopping; mini trip to the Pike's Peak Market with a; spent the night there on Fri and drove to a house in Olympia on Sat then home on Sun am to attend UU at 11:15 AM. still not feeling too attached to UU re smaller groups; got to get going on this; feel attached to the ministers; starting to see people I have been introduced to so that is a good start; it is not uuff Flag....small and informal; it is LARGE AND FORMAL. this is a hugh change for me. oh well...it will be fine sometime. music is very special...handbells on Sun...25th year of handbells at UU. pretty tired today. comfy chair...i need one now...

Portland Art Museum

After UU this morning (Marilyn gave one of the best sermans of what UU is than I have ever heard or read before); I went to the Portland Art Museum and treated myself to lunch at their cute cafe next to the gift shop. Saw photographs from the earliest time re the Columbia Gorge...black and white and stunning. Saw an amazing Native show of beaded handbags/medicine bags...what dazzling colors and close intricate work. Then saw the China show (pottery from over 2000 year ago)...muted pale, green, brown, reddish...these were my favorite of everything....before paper was invented and during their warring period. It is the show just as you enter into the building...I am so happy I made myself go there...then worked at the office for awhile then came home and went to the club....I feel really good that I took care of myself today and had balance (mind, body, spirit). Sleeping better these days too.

music all around me

listening to the cd from l1---makes me want to dance and cheer...(after cleaning the tiny apartment that is good). It is small but it does get crazy. When you don't have a large garage, 2 bedrooms, 2 closets, linen closet, hall closet, shall I go on? oh I forgot the laundry room (ode to the washer and dryer; sure hope z is enjoying them)...the biggest regret about being in this apartment! So I guess the honeymoon is over...4.5 months...so off to speciall events at PSU today. Anyway, it is a beauiful fall day in Portland!

Sure looks like the Grand Canyon...miss u!

a few minutes left in friday

just saying---glad this week is over...long couple of days but lots of fun at the beginning of the week.

Beauty Way

love this person's artwork---I adore her sense of color and design...had some fruit today and it had figs in it...a rare treat for me. trying to get some balance in my life...off to the treadmill and did some "weights"...my muscles are going "are you kidding me after all these years and you really want me to work?" yep I do...there will be more. It felt good actually. Happy Birthday to H! I am using the pictures l took of us at the party she gave me on Sat. plus some other pix from an artist who has a site called http://www.patternoftheday.wordpress.com/. love it...nite nite

The Handmade Quilt re L1

Need I say more....quilt in beauty...lot of lov to l1 [pix taken by l1 from her blog..www.laura'severydayblog.blogspot.com]

October 13 or 14: You Select

Just let it be said "I had a wonderful, fun filled, joyous, crazy, happy, tear filled, sung to, hugged, dancing, walking, swimming, smiling, eating, cake making, shopping, & sparkling wine drinking birthday" for several days..thank you to everyone who called, sent cards [uu from flag----loved your card!, gave me a party, gave me presents [large Autumn design quilt from l], books, calendars, stationary, candles, etc. I am now officially one year older. Yea. So thanks mom even though I still don't know my real day of birth...but it sure has given me lots of stories that's for sure. I gave myself a new 32 in flat screen tv...plus got my taxes done! Thanks to all, miss u c in flag, Happy Birthday to U too.

Happy Birthday to H

joy plus laughter plus youth plus loving parents plus lots of girls plus pink cakes plus book/movie poster with frame: screaming H...she almost fainted! the delightfulness of being part of her growing up...she is letting my own 12 year old grown up again...thank you l and d. see u tomorrow. char (and thanks for the elevator working tonight! ).

Everyone Has a Story

just a busy week....started going to the club and that has been wonderful; swimming, treadmil, new friends, splashing around...it is next door. teaching today with the "Cultural Chest" I am doing race/culture, age, and ability...I think it will be so revealing for all of us and how complex our lives are; circles within circles within circles....sunny today! (the image is from another website; I did not write it down so I want others to know to give your thoughts to this other person's creativity). Just listened to a song "No One is Promised Tomorrow"---love and be joyous today.

Social Workers Rock!

We all look so cute don't we? thanks to l for taking the pictures...love what they are all saying about "why do they want to be social workers?" on our first day of class, last Thursday.

Here They R: Hot off the L Press--some other time

This quote is a replacement picture for the following story of the other picture. This is a picture l took of my first class at pdx re Diversity and Social Justice. These students look they are going to "take the world" by their loving hands, hearts, and heads...to help others by being social workers. Thanks, l. (well I tried) it will not do a doc format. Too bad...they are really cute! I was up at 4:30am and then walked downtown to see the Portland marathon...what an event. I got my own walking in by doing this...came home and fell asleep then went to UU. Raining most of the day....so it is here....yea for umbrellas!

Laughing Out Loud

I became a member at the RiverPlace club yesterday; started on the treadmill; it is right next door, maybe 6 minutes away...it has all the services, pool, hottub, sauna, 80 classes in a week, etc. it is where i am going to put my stress instead of eating all my stress...i walked 20 minutes and fell asleep last night at 8:30PM...so, a new life and new beginning with my body...l and i went to see "Menapause: The Musical" yesterday and we were both laughing outloud and I almost fell over...great music adaptations, lots of women of all sorts of colors, textures, beauty, styles, ages, youth, and a few brave men. then we went to "Red Star" and had a mid afternoon dinner/lunch and talked and talked. just darn good ole 'sis-friend' activities. it is official fall in portland...cool, leaves falling all over, golden, red, bare limbs, etc. had a great time and will continue to. miss Flag of course....had calls from flag.

my first class is over

Why do you do what you do? l came to my class and took pix of all the students re sw...it was very emotional and meaningful for all of us. the class went pretty good until they got all the assignments...so much. oh well. 2 students wanted to talk with me afterwards...that was tiring. one student said thank you to me re my talk with them in the intro to sw on Tuesday.she said it was "inspirational"..that feels good. so, i want to adjust the syllabus and see if I put it together in an easier way for them to "get" it. went to l re palin and biden's debat. very tired.

Oct 1st

yesterday, the bsw was born...it was the first class with 21 students...what a day and evening it was...it made me cry today with joy, excitement, and exhaustion. Today is the beginning of October a month with many events. the 4th t and would have been married for 15 years...good bye t. my birthday is coming up and h was born...it is fall, Portland has been both hot and cool, woke up to fog this morning over the river...it was so peaceful looking and mysterious. i was pretty tired all day. many people said sweet things to me all day...making friends....miss Flag. Just a bunch of mixed up feelings. thank you hp for making the first day so wonderful. I will always remember it. It was an honor to be a part of it. I sent psu's president a handwritten note about what happened to share it with him....an undergraduate program was born! bsw's for our community! i teach my first class tomorrow at 2:00 pm...