A Little Oregon History

Many of you may have heard about the Oregon Trail; so this is a little history lesson. One of these days I will take some pictures of the actual end of the Oregon Trail. It's where my grandson and daughter live. Right now it is having a big transition. It had a large paper mill right on the river. Originally it was sacred fishing grounds for the Indian nation and now the land has been returned to them. The paper mill is coming down. The governor just had a ceremony to dedicate the land last week. 

Jane Kirkpatrick is a local historic fiction writer that writes most of her stories about the Pacific Northwest. I have a book on my "to be read" pile about women in history along the Oregon coast. I am looking forward to reading it, as I read the first of the two book series several months ago. I didn't realize there would be a second book and I was left hanging; so glad she will finish the story.

Well another place she has written about is Aurora, Oregon; which is very close to Oregon City. Oregon City is the end of the Oregon Trail. Just down the road by covered wagon a religious group settled. It has remained a small town with many antique shops, a few places to eat, and a sweet little museum. Every once in awhile I like to venture there just to browse and have lunch. It's about 30 miles from where I live and right along Pudding Creek. 

"The colony was established by Dr. William Keil, a Prussian‑born tailor, apothecary, and preacher, along with followers from the Bethel Colony in Missouri. Keil had rejected organized religion to create a primitive Christian community based on the Golden Rule and communal living City of Aurora. In 1856, after moving from Willapa Bay, Washington, he purchased a donation land claim on the Pudding River in Marion County, naming the settlement after his daughter, Aurora City of Aurora+1.

The Aurora Colony grew from about 250 settlers who left Bethel, reaching a peak of over 600 people City of Aurora. The community was known for its orchards, crafts, and German traditions, and its members practiced the principle of “From each according to his abilities; to each according to his needs” Old Aurora Colony."  Quote taken from my search online.

Jane Kirkpatrick's trilogy includes: A Clearing in the Wild, A Tendering in the Storm, and A Mending at the Edge. All about Emma, a young woman that settled in Aurora and a part of Dr. Keil's group.

The museum has different events throughout the year. In October they have a quilt show. One year I actually entered a quilt square into a contest and got chosen to be part of a quilt they auctioned off for a fundraiser.  The museum hosts Jane Kirkpatrick occasionally for book promotions too.

Saturday my "live-in gardener" and I went to the White Rabbit Bakery for lunch and a little browsing, but I couldn't help myself; I had to snap a few pictures just for you.

If you ever visit Oregon and you love a bit of history; Aurora, Oregon is definitely a peaceful, pretty place to stop for awhile.

Sending love,

Marilyn

David Hockney

 On the first Thursday of every month the Portland Art Museum has a free entrance day. Off my "live-in gardener" and I went, as I wanted to see the temporary exhibit of more than 100 pieces of art by David Hockney. 

This was David Hockney sitting in two different chairs viewing bouquets of flowers. Each of those flower pictures also showed up individually around the room.

What a variety of techniques from collage, video, photographic art There were whimsical child like drawings to very intricate personal artwork of friends and lovers. There were scenes from Yosemite, British landscapes, his dog Stanley, flowers, swimming pools, and intimate pictures of people. And then there were paths, which fit in very well with my word for the year (Path/Adventure).

Here is Stanley.

I was enthralled by the different art techniques he so creatively used to express his artistic talents.

And a swimmer for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

The museum recently built a new entrance to the museum and added a small French style bistro/restaurant. We stopped there for a bite to eat and a pot of tea. For a little while I felt like I was in Paris. They even served and sold tea and jellies from my favorite teashop in Paris, Mariage Freres. Their baguettes, which they made, were amazingly good.

The park outside the museum was so pleasant to walk through both to and from our car.

Two books completed recently, both about young girls that grow into womanhood in different ethnic lives. One is from Iran and the book is The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali. The other is from China and the book is Teagirl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See. This second book was a re-read from several years ago. I read it to refresh my memory for a presentation I am doing at TeaFestPDX the end of June. I really enjoyed both books. 

Now I wrote this post a couple weeks ago and forgot to say "Publish".  The museum exhibit was amazing and the books were too.  Already I want to return to the museum before the David Hockney exhibit leaves the museum.

Sending love,

Marilyn

A One Day Adventure

 If you have followed along with me for a long time you will know that occasionally I like to have an adventure with my grandson. Sometimes his mom comes along and even my "live-in gardener". Most often our adventures happen in the summer. Since he didn't have school on Friday I planned an adventure for the four of us. In the first picture you will see the Portland train station. We were up early and caught the morning train, going north.

The train ride took 3 1/2 hours to arrive in Seattle. My grandson had never been to Seattle.

I loved just having time together, plus watching the view out the window.

The weather was perfect, no rain!

We arrived at lunch time and walked to the International district for lunch. Then ordered a Lyft ride to the Seattle Asian Art Museum. None of us had been there and we thoroughly enjoyed it. What a beautiful museum.

Of course you knew if I spotted a tea pot I had to take a picture.

And since grandson, D, hadn't been there before, we made a stop at the Seattle Center to see the Space Needle and do a bit of walking. By now my feet were tired, but there was more walking to be done.

Off we were to Pike Place Public Market. This is definitely a tourist draw. We paused at The Crumpet House for fresh made crumpets. Some crumpets actually came home in my bag.

Oh I should have taken a picture of the fish market, but I did capture a few flowers. The market is near the downtown area and in my daughter's words "a vibrant place". It was very active with people out enjoying the day.

What a special way to spend time with someone you love. We were home by 9:30PM with another adventure together, creating memories.

And that was one extra special adventure day for me this past week.

In the middle of two very different books this week, more later on them. I did finish reading The Perfumer's Secret by Neroli Lacey. It was pretty good, I enjoyed it OK; but not as much as the last book I read before this one.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Finding Joy

 Buddhist proverb: Three things will always rise; the sun, the moon, and the truth.

This quote reminds me to search for the small joys in life.

When I lived in my house you often found me early in the morning strolling through the garden in my robe or even in summer just in my pajamas. I loved the early morning hour strolls through the garden. I was always searching for new blooms, new growth. It is what brought me joy. These days I am adjusting and relearning how to do this. I find if I just step out on my patio at sunrise and look toward the sky I can find stars and sometimes the moon. It delights me.

If I spy a flower or take my cup of tea in hand and breathe in the scents, I smile.

My "live-in gardener" was in the hospital for a few days this past week. He is better now and we are both almost back to normal after having the "icky" virus going around. Our appetites aren't quite back to normal; so for Valentine's I thought we would have a simple teatime.

I made cucumber sandwiches, Coronation chicken sandwiches (British), cream scones, mochi with marachino cherries (Japanese), fruit, and moon cakes (Chinese); then tea was rooibos Marco Polo (French). It was a multi-ethnic teatime, but it satisfied our teatime appetite quite well.

Do you enjoy candle light in the winter evenings? Or even in the morning? It also brings me joy and delight.

Then today there was a Chinese New Year celebration with my tea group.

It was a potluck and tea tasting.

Wow! There was a lot of food and tea.

I made the pink mochi balls with maraschino cherries inside.

This week I finished reading Mrs. Endicott[s Splendid Adventure by Rhys Bowen. It takes place during the late 1930's, early 1940's; which is an era that fascinates me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Even through their struggles, the characters found small joys.

Finding small joys in the everyday times.

What brings you small joys?

Sending love,

Marilyn

Adventure or Not to Adventure?

Picture taken a few days ago in Port Townsend, Washington

I have an adventurers heart, my "live-in" gardener, not so much. I love it when I find a friend that likes to take adventures with me. My "live-in gardener" loves to be snuggled in his chair, reading. Now nothing wrong with that for sure, I like that too. But I do anticipate adventures from time to time.

The dictionary says an adventurer is "someone who seeks dangerous or exciting experiences: a person who looks for adventures".  Not all my adventures are dangerous for sure, but I do occasionally like a bit of a thrill.

A few years ago, as my grandson, arrived at an age that I thought he might like an adventure, I started planning one special adventure each summer. The first one was to fly to California and do a bit of swimming (even with a swimming dog). Then there was white water rafting. He was a bit terrified until he did it. Then he wanted to immediately go back and do it again. Then there was ziplining. Again "terrified" but loved it. In 2024 was a Big Foot boat excursion down the Willamette River and Columbia Rivers. This past year was a hot air balloon ride at dawn.

Those are all a bit "terrifying", but fun. This is just what my adventurers heart loves. As a young girl I would do crazy stunts on my bicycle or climb a tree and swing from the branches. This terrified our neighbors. They were sure I was going to kill myself.

There are those "terrifying" type of adventures, but some adventures are more of solitude or time spent with a friend. I consider my drives and tea times under the apple tree branches as an adventure, an adventure in friendship spent together. Or I might say "come along with me for a drive to the beach".  

Do you have an adventurers heart or would you prefer being tucked by the fireplace with a good book? A good book can be an adventure for sure. Right now, I am reading a book by Joyce Maynard, The Bird Hotel, and it has taken me to a lake by a volcano in Mexico. Oh, how even a book can whisk us away on an adventure.

Sending Love,

Marilyn

Seasons of Friendships

  In the Bleak Mid-Winter

In the bleak mid-winter

Frosty wind made moan,

Earth stood hard as iron,

Water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on snow,

Snow on snow,

In the bleak mid-winter

Long ago.

    This past week I took the time just to "be", to think, and to be tidy at my desk. It was time in this "bleak mid-winter" to just sit with my thoughts. Tax season will be here before we know it, and it was time to get my papers in order. In doing so, there was time to think. I thought of people I have known and know. What hit me was the seasons of friendship. Some friends come into our lives for a short time and some for a lifetime.        

"Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart"   Eleanor Roosevelt
The flowers showed up in a friend's garden, and they felt like friends themselves. Hello little snowdrops, Hello hellebore!

Then on Saturday a dear friend that I have known since high school passed away. He will be missed, a lifetime friend, a dear friend.

Then this week I exchanged phone numbers and a message on my phone with a new neighbor. I wondered, would she become a confident, a close friend, or just for a season a friend that says, "how are you doing?".

Often, I burn a candle on these bleak winter mornings. I read and I ponder.

The book I am reading this week is 101 Teas to STEEP before you die. Fascinating to think like that. The book is a good primer of tea and even though I have learned a lot in the past, there is always more to learn.

So, I sit here with my tea this morning, pondering the mysteries of friendship.

A friend for a brief season made the cup. A friend I love dearly gave me the glass pitcher.

Again, for a season we find friendship in many forms.

Sending love,

Marilyn