Good Grief! It's Raining Eggs!

HOW could I allow you to worry all this time about my electronic devices, my dear blog!?
I found everything - phone and camera - shortly after posting the picture of Sir Laurence and was actually going to immortalize him as a saint through some nifty Photoshop work ... but then that plan fell by the wayside. The universe did look out for me once more.
I had better post something tonight, however, because I have a meeting tomorrow night and may not have the time.
-The picture of eggs is from a magnificent collection at the Pioneer Museum in Tillamook, Oregon. Go if you ever have the chance.-
Today I listened to a voice mail from Barb in Michigan, one of my dearest, dearest friends and she said she reads this blog (oh, isn't she the dearest?) and she said it sounds as though I'm leading an interesting life.
I had to laugh since I have been feeling quite recently (yesterday) that my life is depressing and meaningless. I have been (still) reading "Reading Lolita in Tehran" by Azar Nafisi and in the book she quotes from Henry James' "The Ambassadors" as Lambert Strether, the hero of the novel, tells a young painter, little Bilham, whom he has unofficially appointed as his spiritual heir: "Live all you can; it's a mistake not to. It doesn't so much matter what you do in particular so long as you have your life. If you haven't had that what *have* you had? I'm too old -- too old at any rate for what I see. What one loses one loses; make no mistake about that. Still, we have the illusion of freedom; therefore don't, like me to-day, be without the memory of that illusion. I was either, at the right time, too stupid or too intelligent to have it, and now I'm a case of reaction against the mistake. For it *was* a mistake. Live, live!"
And, yes, there were times when I was too stupid or too intelligent to take a different path than the one I'm on right now, and there certainly are some regrets. All the time I've wasted for instance. Some would say I'm doing that again right now, but not me.
The Mister and I spent Tuesday, Sept. 21, celebrating our 14th anniversary in Oceanside, Oregon. We walked through the tunnel carved into Maxwell Point and came out on the other side to dig through rocks to find another heart-shaped one for our collection. Lots of great finds and it was a beautiful day on the coast.
This Friday I am joining a friend to hit the Art Harvest Tour in Yamhill County. That area of Oregon looks a lot like Tuscany, only the hills are farther away from each other and the lanes are much longer and dustier with no impromptu boccie ball in the fields. And on Saturday the same friend and I are taking a travel writing workshop. This is our second one together and soon we will have to do some traveling for research on an article to $$ sell $$! Then we can take more trips.
And I've saved the best for last: On Oct. 10 I am taking Katie Kendrick's Art & Soul class in Portland, "Every Face Tells a Story." If I don't have actual artwork to show you after that I don't know what my excuse will be. Check out her blog if you want to see some of the wonderful work she's produced. So now I guess I'm not living a meaningless life. It's a self-directed life toward more art and travel - femminismo
p.s. The sunset picture, with fishing boat and gull on pole, was taken after dinner at the coast on Sept. 21, 2010, in Tillamook.

Not Quite Through With Tacoma

IF YOU LOOK closely, you will see one of Chihuly's putti in the lower left (semi-center). The putti are Renaissance figures that were usually cherubic and carved from wood. Dale Chihuly decided to construct them from glass. They are so sweet and mischievous, reclining above octopi or holding hands while swinging above ribbons of glass. (this is another BlackBerry photo)
If I already told you I won tickets to the Museum of Glass, I apologize. I really want to go visit and see them produce the glass. I guess, for a price, you can even make your own and if you goof up the pros will "rescue" it for you. Now that's what I call an authentic souvenir.
This adorable pink bicycle was propped up against a perfect gray/blue background. The Northwest is BIG on bikes.
What else did the city hold for us? Well, we had dinner in the restaurant below our hotel - Pacific Grill - and had a delicious dinner. The establishment was even kind enough to move our party of two away from a party of 1,000 talkative chatterers. My dinner? Prawns with tiny, skinny spaghetti. Don't think it was angel hair pasta, but close. My compadre had clams or mussels in a very light garlicky sauce. Delicious! And then we had Julia Child's perfect fudge brownie with Madagascar vanilla ice cream for dessert. This started us off on ideas for a party to mark Julia's magnificent contributions to our world of food. We are planning the perfect gathering - food and guests. They all complement each other. The food will taste even better with the right mix of people.
And guess what else we found near the Bridge of Glass? That's right: a used book store. When in doubt, choose something by Henry James. I have never read "The Ambassadors," and I'm sure it will be delightful. It will be my "after gardening book."
Now, if you'll excuse me, I am off to Ace Hardware for some house primer - and no, it's not for the house. I'm going to paint a huge annual report we got. Thin, cheesy paper; but Judy Wise is always painting even newspaper with house primer and then going on to paint it with exotic colors and stamp it and then use it to all sort of things with, and I want to try it too - femminismo