portland

Oregon Adventures

I spent the last five days in Oregon – a whirlwind of get-togethers with family members, old acquaintances and friends. Fortunately, almost everyone I met with about my memoir project was enthusiastic and helpful. No one gave me the cold shoulder, but some may take a little longer to warm up to the idea. Just as it is with my trophy wives, I need to earn my interviewees’ trust.

 

On Friday, I got to "do lunch" with three of my LJ friends. It’s always so much fun to link people’s smiling faces and personalities to their online names and blogs! We talked about writerly things, of course, including our current projects and future plans. As for me, I talked about how I’m piecing together my memoir project (all apologies to Anne Lamott) bird feather by bird feather. 

Left to Right: LKmadigan, lorraine T., Lisa Schroeder, and me. 

Did I mention that I excel at flitting, not only when I’m supposed to be writing, but also when I’m out on the road? Well, here’s photographic proof. On your left, Haystack Rock, which we passed on a misty morning walk in Cannon Beach. On the right, a meandering drive through wine country, in the Willamette Valley. Just so you know, the car was parked when I took this photo. And yes, we had a designated driver.

Next time I post, I’m going to ask you to join me on a trip down Memory Lane. I hope you’ll say yes! ‘Til then, I hope you have a wonderful week!

To hell and back

On Sunday morning, I sweated over a passage in my fledgling manuscript, trying to capture the cadence of my father’s hellfire-and-damnation, call-and-response sermons. Glory be, and can I get a witness: that was very hard work!

 

What better reward, then, than a matinee performance of WICKED? Okay, so I bought tickets months ago. We’ll call the timing serendipitous.

 

Those wildfires in Orange County? Fortunately, they didn’t come close to my house. But it hit 96 degrees here yesterday; by late afternoon, it was hot as Hades! I’m not complaining, though: the warm sun’s working its seductive magic on all the budding plants in my yard. Here, unfolding blooms from my champaca tree and banana shrub, tropical relatives of the magnolia. They aren’t especially beautiful, but wow, they smell heavenly! (Champaca flowers have a sweet fragrance, like Hawaiian plumeria; banana shrub blossoms smell like — you guessed it — bananas. Or maybe Juicy Fruit gum.)

I’m headed to Portland this week, to do more research for my memoir project. I’ll also be taking some side trips — the Oregon Coast, a few Willamette Valley wineries, and Hall Street Grill in Beaverton, where I’ll meet three lovely LJ friends for lunch. Boy, do I feel blessed!