Saturday in Lake Oswego

So today we went downtown. Notice the beauty of Mt. Hood gazing serenely down over the hustle and bustle , and traffic of downtown Lake Oswego. Check out the charging station. If you are driving an electric vehicle you can plug in and charge up.

Sculptures in Downtown Lake Oswego

Lake Oswego is so beautiful that it is almost an embarrassment of riches to have wonderful, thought provoking, sculptures scattered all over the city. We shopped at the Farmer's Market today for some organic veggies, and treated ourselves to a walking tour of downtown where I shot many of the sculptures. Below are some of my favorites. I took many, many more, which I might share later. Here is some of the art from downtown. The first one is a fountain at the Farmer's Market. I took so many pics that you will have to push older posts when you come to the end to see them. Do it as those are some of the best.

Sculptures in Downtown Lake Oswego

Sculptures in Downtown Lake Oswego

Sculptures in Downtown Lake Oswego

Sculptures in Downtown Lake Oswego

Sculptures in Downtown Lake Oswego

Sculptures in Downtown Lake Oswego

Sculptures in Downtown Lake Oswego

Sculptures in Downtown Lake Oswego

St. Clare Church Portland, Oregon

So, this is St. Clare. I don't really think that you can see all the details. There are many beautiful stained glass windows in the church. The altar, and tabernacle are of burlwood.

St. Clare Church Portland, Oregon

When you enter St. Clare, during the Easter Season , you will see the Holy Water font where people are baptized during the Easter vigil.

St. Clare Church Portland, Oregon

So, the flowers are mostly fresh flowers from people's yards. It is a beautiful, homey place.

St. Clare Church Portland, Oregon

The very number one of my favorite things in Oregon, besides PACOG and Bubba, is my church, St. Clare. St. Clare has a wonderful feel. I don't know how to describe it , but it is a very humble church. It is a beautiful place, full of love. The people of St. Clare are what is so special about the parish. The people are the parish, the body of Christ. It is very beautiful outside now. I tried to take pics of the flowers on the church door, and of St. Clare, holding a monstrance , but I didn't get that picture centered correctly, the sunlight was blinding! ( I'm bragging now.)

St. Clare Church Portland, Oregon

Here is the altar during Easter Time. Notice that behind the altar there is an Alleluia banner. This was made by the St. Clare school children. On the last school mass before Lent they take the Alleluia banner and roll it up, and it lays at the floor of the altar all during Lent: a purple scroll. Then an art class decorates it after Easter with glitter, and butterflies, and they carry it into the first school mass after Easter. I think that is dear.

The Rhododendren Garden

The Rhododendren Garden

The Rhododendren Garden

Saturday was awesome! It was sunny, and the high was in the high 70's! Rhododendrens abound in Oregon! They are ablooming. I thought we should go to the Garden ! Three years ago , when I came here to apply for a job, TLOML fixed us a picnic, and we went to the Rhodie Garden, in Eastmoreland, for a picnic. I thought that it would be a good thing for us to do now. I didn't remember how beautiful it was! I took few pics of rhodies, more of the landscape, and the waterfalls, and rock gardens. There are a few artsy close up pics of rhodies ... sorry!

After the Rhododendren Garden

After the garden we went eat in Sellwood. Then we went to order me a new laptop. PACOG thought I was silly to spend $39 extra dollars to get it in cherry red, but I am smartly thinking. I knows Jimly Liss won't be borrowing his wife's cherry red laptop. Then we wound our way home, and PACOG spotted a nursery. He is so trying to make tomatoes in this land. Not enough sunlight SSJL! I want you all to see what rhodies look like as plants, and lilacs. Lilacs are everywhere, and they smell so good!

A Bittersweet Journey

So I wanted to see my old compadres when I went to Dallas. These are the people I taught with for many years. You become close to people that you" hit the ground running" running with . I was looking forward to seeing Dee, Shonta', Rhonda, and many more. Frisco, where Mama lives, is so, so far from Highland Meadows, in Dallas,that it took me an hour in a driving thunderstorm to get there. ( Of course I did get lost, and eschewed using highways whenever possible)
I was proud to see that Highland Meadows is a Recognized school! Yay Team! What I wasn't prepared for was how warmly I was greeted by people whom I didn't expect to remember me. Kathy, who works in the kitchen, beamed and said that she had been thinking about me the day before. ( She didn't say what she had been thinking)
Anyway, it was very bittersweet. Being there made me realize how much I missed everyone, and how much I missed working with children. It was a learning experience, but I'm a life long learner! Love you all!
I took a pic of a lovely Cinco D'Mayo display, and the sign out front but I couldn't film any children, as some of them are not allowed to be photographed, but I wish that I had shot my buds: Dee, Shonta' , Rhonda, and Chris.

Mother's Day in Big D

So I tearfully left my two boys behind in Oregon and flew to Big D for Mother's Day! Dallas was amazing! It was busy, and bustling with Mc Mansions being built everywhere, and mile after mile of strip malls, it was almost as if Dallas hasn't heard that there is a recession going on.

It was great being with my Mommy my best girlfriend. We got to go to the movies, shop at Steinmart, and hit the bookstore. We dined at Mac Grill, Chili's , all my favs. I visited with my sis, and my friend Nancy, and my niece, Kell Bell, and we did Happy Hour at Fridays.

I visited Highland Meadows Elementary where I once taught, and I will blog about that later.

We all got together at Angela's for Mother's Day. My trip was over all to soon, and I went home to my boys. PS Bubba hid a Mother's Day card in my luggage. What a kitty!