My Guys

So every night I sit on my love seat, and to the left of me sit my two guys! Bubba is all about his dad at this time of the evening. He lays on Jim and then purrs with contentment when he gets a pet. He loves being groomed! He will let PACOG brush him, look how he loves it! ( Wonder if PACOG is reading my blog)

Desecration

Look at this! It is infamous! What is desecrating my Easter decorations! Cigarettes? Cancer sticks? Menthol? This is too much to be borne! SHEESH KABOB ! What kind of neanderthal would toss cigarettes into his wife's Easter centerpiece? That would be thloml. Can you believe it? He said that he wondered if I would notice. If I would notice the desecration of my little Easter Centerpiece?

Final Post About Desk

This is so artistic! ( Not!) What a still life! A picture of my brother on the Champs Elysee, a pencil sharpener from Sam Houston State, which was a gift from a friend, and a little Angel Friend thingee, which was also a gift from a friend. So random! So me!

More Pictures from Oregon Gardens

I did go to the Tulip Festival's website and they have beautiful pictures and the guy told what kind of camera he has. I want a new camera , his is hte same brand as mine, but more super duper.

Pictures from Oregon Gardens

A Trip Deferred Part III

We saw signs that said Oregon Gardens 9 miles. " Let's go there!" we agreed. So we took off for the Oregon Gardens with hope in our hearts. We passed through quaint towns always spying an Oregon Gardens sign now it was 5 miles. "Wasn't it 5 miles 5 miles back?" wondered PACOG. "We are almost to Salem!" ( Salem is the capital of Oregon for you geographically challenged) ( I'm spelling challenged because I don't know if I used the proper spelling for capital...capitol?)

Anyway, we stopped at EZ Orchards and bought tulips and fresh fruit and vegetables. We started again, " Look Oregon Gardens 5 miles." If we had continuously passed the same hitchhiker I would have known I was in the Twilight Zone.

Well, Guess what? We found the Oregon Gardens! ( Bet you didn't see that coming!) It is this HUGE PLACE with all sorts of gardens planted by different landscapers, and water features.. Because of Earth Day admission was free. Admission is usually $8 , but it includes a tram ride. As we hiked around the gardens I was wishing there wasn't such a long line at the Tram sight. We didn't see all the gardens But I will share some pic with you. I let out my innner photogrpaher.

What can I say? As we were plodding along PACOG said, "This sure as hell ain't no f''ing Tulip Festival." He said a mouth full then.

A Trip Deferred Part II

Oh, I have to mention that when we dined at the Chalet we discovered that we qualified for the Senior Menu. Wow! That was disconcerting! We didn't order off of it, no sirree! Apparently seniors like to eat breakfast all day long.

When we again began our odyssey we had some thought of finding the Tulip Festival by means of a back road. We rode through the most beautiful rolling farms. I exclaimed of the beauty and PACOG said, "Well dear, this is the lush Willamette Valley. LUSH! It was indeed lush. Just the word I was looking for!

And Another Thing About My Desk

There is a collage of pics of TLOML. One when he was a little boy, and one where he is looking buff in a swimsuit, and one where he is wearing this bomber jacket much like Ryan O'Neal in Love Story. He used to wear that when we dated in college. Yummy! Then there is one with he and the Bubster, the best cat in America. ( He says the world). I have one more little grouping to discuss, but I will get to that later. YOu can't wait can you? If you click on the pics you can see them better.

Again With My Desk

My desk cracks me up! I never noticed how cluttered it was. I was unpacking to fill my desk and I noticed all these holy cards. Cards I could never throw away, from Timothy's ordination, Dad's funeral, cards with inspiring prayers. Well, no use putting them in a file, one can't enjoy them in a file , so I taped them to my desk. Well, I know it is tacky, but I can admire them, and PACOG has learned to suffer in silence.

Then there are pictures. They are the pictures that Jim had on a former desk: one of us thirty years ago when I visited him in Oregon. Then there is a picture of my beloved cat, Bubba, and a cross ,made of palm, is tucked in the holder with Bubba's pic.

A Trip Deferred

Saturday was a beautiful, sunny day. It was the first day this spring when the temperature would approach the 70's. So my PACOG and I set out for the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival. This is a cool place where they have forty acres of tulips and daffodils planted. They sell cut flowers and bulbs. They have a lot of others things going on, but I am not sure what they are because we never made it there. I have often said that the best part of the trip is often the journey and ,in this case ,it was indeed true.

Let me say something about Portlanders. When there is even a hint of sunshine the shorts and flip flops come out. I would visit in the summer when the high would be in the 70's and I was wearing sweaters when everyone else looked like they were at South Beach. Yesterday it did reach the high 60's in late afternoon, but the morning was chilly. I wore long sleeves, and a sleeveless jacket. Pacog, now a true Oregonian, donned his shorts. I have to say one of the best things about summer for me is getting to admire TLOML's shapely basketball player legs. But, it was cold, and his legs are still so white that they could use them at the golf course for the out of bounds marker.

But, I digress. The Tulip Festival was about 40 minutes away, you turn off the highway by this huge outlet mall. Well, traffic was at a standtill. PACOG thought that there must be an accident. I figured that the mall traffic usually backed up and with the added TF traffic this must be the prob. I was busy deleting pics from my camera, so I didn't realize an hour had passed, and we hadn't gone 4 miles. PACOG was not a happy camper. " What is wrong with you?" I asked. I mean we were going to the TF who could be gloomy?

"I'm hungry." he confided. Now I was worried, PACOG with low blood sugar is no fun. "Well, let's get off and go find something to eat." I suggested. Always ready to be helpful, especially if it includes checking out a new restaurant. So he zoomed into the left lane, leaving the sluggish TF traffic far behind, and we exited. We spotted a place called the Chalet where they are supposed to have the best pies in Oregon. We didn't get to the pies but our food was "OK". The best thing we could say was that we were refreshed and ready to go to the TF on a back road. What happened next? I will leave that for next time.

Irony

Can you spot the irony in this picture of my desk? My husband and I are now sharing a desk, and so we have twice as many things to put on the desk. Though, I seem to have the lion's share of decorations. The desk was also moved to our bedroom. Last night I was sitting in bed, and I looked over at the desk, sitting in the corner of the room, and burst out laughing! My goodness! Pictures, note pads, holy cards, and in the middle the sign. The sign suggesting, "Keep Life Simple". That is too funny! Maybe I should start with my desk.

The Miracle of the Penny

Yesterday , when we were out on a soon to be posted adventure, I bought some tulips with a ragged edge. When I got home they looked droopy. I was not worried. I know a helpful trick. I scrounged a few pennies from PACOG and put them in the water. When I got up Sunday morning the tulips were much improved. This posting is a public service.

The Exultet

Rejoice heavenly powers! Sing choirs of angels!
Exult, all creation around God's throne!
Jesus Christ, our King is risen!
Sound the trumpet of salvation!
Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,
radiant in the brightness of your King!
Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!
Darkness vanishes forever!
Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
The risen Savior shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy,
echoing the mighty song of all God's people!
It is truly right
that with full hearts and minds and voices
we should praise the unseen God,
the all powerful Father,
and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,
and paid for us the price of Adam's sin
to our eternal Father!

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Okay, I confess I could not resist decorating my house for Easter though it is still Holy Week, I try to wait until Holy Saturday before I let the bunny out as it were, but I could not resist. Mea Culpa! It's just so much fun! Here are some pics!

Pati and Dogs

Seattle, Soirre, Good Friends

We had a wonderful weekend! We had our first bit of warm , sunny weather this spring. Even Seattle had warm weather. We got up early on Sunday and drove to Seattle to attend a wine show. Actually, we had a booth for the Soiree', a wonderful product that Jim reps,that is a wine decanter that fits on the bottle.

We had a great show! People were seeking us out, big chain stores expressed interest, big wine snobs have come off their high horses a bit some even saying it decants better than the traditional decanter. We got a lot of comments about the beauty of the soiree' as opposed to the space age look of the nearest competitor, which leaks, and is twice as expensive. The soiree' retails for $20 which is a nice price point.

Well, after standing on concrete all day I was ready to go visit my college roommate Pati Suter Irish, and her husband Mike. We enjoyed a late dinner, lots of good conversation, and a game of Scrabble. ( Guess who won?) The Irishes have a beautiful home on a large piece of land. Seattle is colder, and wetter than Portland, so their lovely rhododendrums , and flowering trees weren't quite at their peak. Here are some pics of our friends, and the wine show.

St Clare Church Portland Oregon

Pacog on Palm Sunday Vigil

Hosanna Filio David!

Holy Week began tonight with the Palm Sunday mass. Our Parish, St. Clare, does such a nice job of the procession with palms, banners, incense that I brought my camera to mass. That was the Holy Spirit, I guess, because PACOG was asked to carry the cross at the head of the procession. I was there to capture the pageantry.

We sang Hosanna to the Son of David, and marched into the church. I can't understand why you have the heady adulation of the triumphant entry to Jerusalem , and then go right into the passion reading. I think we used to do that on two separate Sundays back in the day.

Well, the reading was very touching, and two of my favorite songs were sung today: O Sacred Head Surrounded, and Now We Remain. I will share them with you this week.

New Free Throw Coach for the Tigers?

Jim Liss Schools Calipari

John Calipari Bails

TLOML and I were stunned when John Calipari the once beloved coach of the Memphis Tigers accepted a job coaching at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. After the disappointments of the past week ,when the Tigers did not get to the Elite Eight of the NCAA basketball finals, Memphis was confident that the Tigers would go all the way next year. After all we had wonderful players returning, and the top recruits in the country. The country might be in recession, and many of us facing unemployment , or under employment, but we had our Tigers. The Tigers were something that has united the city of Memphis ever since the racial tensions of the 70's. The Tigers were good for Memphis and Memphis was good to their coach. They overlooked inconsistencies between word and deeds, they gulped when Coach Cal let the Tigers lose a nine point lead in the last two minutes of the Final game last year without using his two remaining timeouts. But they supported him.

When the rumors flew that Cal was being courted by Kentucky the boosters scurried to pull together even more money! People held a candle light vigil outside his home. Which is a little scary, but so touching.

After the deed was done Coach John Calipari held a press conference in Memphis where he teared up, and had to excuse himself for a moment to collect himself. COME ON CAL! Crocodile tears. Apparently, he hated to leave Memphis. ( Especially since he believed he could take the team all the way next year with his great recruits) But, he needed a new challenge. And , Ky. is to basketball what Notre Dame is to football. ( He said it not I!)

Memphis is sooo over Calipari. He is dead to us. See how he likes it with those hyper critical Kentucks. The thing is will he take the assistant coaches with him? Will he take the players, and recruits? We pretty well think yes!

Who will want to come to such a decimated program in a minor conference? I don't know. But , my husband is available to school them on free throws. Think back to 1974 when Little Jimmy Liss of Crown Point Indiana won the Arkansas game for the Tigers by making a free throw in the final second. Memphis you need someone like that. I offer you his services!