The Saturday Morning Post: 50 States in 52 Weeks - Oregon

I have been to Oregon three times, a board meeting and a conference in Portland, and on our 2019 Pacific Northwest Road Trip we drove into Oregon so that Sweet Bear can say he has been there.  

Oregon is south of Washington State, and north of California on the Pacific coast of the United States.  The coast is spectacular, rugged, rocky, tree lined. The Pacific Northwest Coastline has a moderate climate that is seldom frozen and seldom super hot, with lots and lots of rain. I have not visited the central or eastern part of the state. In the mountains the climate would be significantly colder. 

This is a spectacular part of the country. Very worth seeing. I would go back anytime. I would live there, except I think housing prices make DC look cheap, and the place is crawling with refugees from California.  

When you have the opportunity, go explore that corner of the country. You will wish you had more time to spend there. 
 

Funky Friday: Musical Heidelberg

An long time lawyer friend of mine collects German Beer Steins. I had no idea how much of a hobby this was, it is good thing Fred made a lot of money, he has a large collection. He built a room in his home just to display them. 

A few years ago, the annual stein collectors convention was in Annapolis Maryland, about 40 miles from where I live.  Fred reached out to me, and invited me to join him and his girlfriend for dinner at the convention.  Needless to say, a good time was had by all.  Dinner was followed by a fundraiser auction of steins donated by members of the collectors club. 

This one caught my eye, the design is nice, but what set it apart for me, is there is a music box in the bottom of it. When you lift it up, Edelweiss plays, when you set it down it stops.  I don't remember what I paid for it, when the bidding stopped the person sitting across from me said, "you paid too much, it will take you years to get your money back out of it." I didn't buy it as an investment, I bought it because I liked it. 

Ten years ago we spent a couple of weeks driving in Germany, I booked all of the hotels, we spent a night in Heidelberg.  

The arts group here at the condo has a glass display case in the community center, the theme for the current show is Oktoberfest, this stein is in the display that opens this weekend. 
 

Thursday Ramble: Who are We?

Books, computer keyboards, cameras, lenses, lectern, running shoes, coins, airplanes, bicycles, subway trains, honey bees, airline boarding passes, GPS unit, passport, scales of justice, maps, hotel key cards, do not disturb signs*, farms, nature trails, and city landscapes. Each of these has a meaning or connection to my life.  At various times other items would be included, or excluded.  

What objects and places paint the portrait of our lives?  If you were commissioning a family crest, what elements should it contain?  What are the most important one's.  One of my favorite books explains that legacy is how we want to be remembered.** Part of that is how we paint the portrait of our lives by the things and experiences that mean the most to us.  

Immortality is being remembered.  How will we be remembered?  Unless we are famous or infamous, we won't be remembered for long, a generation or two, and all of us will fade into the dust of history.  

What objects represent you? 

* I have a collection of hotel "Do Not Disturb" signs collected over the past 25 years. 

** How to Say it to Seniors, by David Solie (available on Amazon) 

I was struggling with a topic for today's post, this one has been in the working drafts folder for a couple of years, and it's time was today. I am glad it waited patiently. 

My World of Wonders - aka The Wednesday Ws September 10, 2025

The new Mall side entrance to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum 

Where have I been this week?  Dyke Marsh, Huntley Meadows, the Farmers Market, Aldi, the gym, King Street, Homegoods for photo frames, a walk in Potomac Yards.  

Who have a talked with this week? Friday was our monthly LGBTQ neighborhood gathering, Larry and Giuseppe hosted, Ana and Susan were there, and Rafael. On Saturday I went to the monthly community coffee gathering in the community center, I talked with Ruth, Ana, Susan, Charlie and a few others.  A planning call last week with Erica, Jessica, Malya, and Charlie. 

What have I been up to in the kitchen? Burgers on Thursday, Pizza on Friday, grilled chicken sandwiches on Saturday, turkey tenderloins and roast veggies. 

What travel plans have I been working on? A flight from Milan to Vienna, hotel in Milan, for next spring. I still have a couple of hotels to book. 

What is coming up this week? A reset for the art gallery and showcase, the colonial market at Mt Vernon, and a gallery opening. I will be due for a library visit soon. 

What is the email quote of the week? 

Unfortunately, the air conditioning in the Fitness Center has decided to take a little summer vacation of its own. We’re currently waiting on the arrival of a new compressor.  For some of you, this may be the perfect excuse to skip the Fitness Center guilt-free (“Sorry, can’t work out, management said so”). For others who absolutely must get your workout in, think of the condo's newest amenity: a luxury sauna with gym equipment included.

What made me stop and think this week? I realized the artists paint brush I was using was one of the first one's I bought, over 50 years ago. Two thoughts, how can it be 50 years, and if you buy quality it lasts if you take care of it.

What have I been reading? The Importance of Being Educable, by Leslie Valiant a professor at Harvard.  Kind of deep and theoretical, and exploration of what it means to be able to learn. When I finish that I have a book by Gordon Ramsay about travel and food to read. 

Who have I traded messages with this week? Doc Spo, Mitchell and Sean. 

What is the colorful bug? A spotted lantern fly, a nasty invasive species, if you see one, crush it. I crushed about 50 of them on my Sunday afternoon walk. 

Travel Tuesday: Reykjavik Iceland 2022

We have been to Iceland three times (four if you count changing planes), and I want to go back again. There are places to see, things to do, people to meet, foods to enjoy. 

Iceland is at risk of being over-touristed, especially in the summer.

 

Monday Mood: What Have I Been Reading

The title caught my eye at the library, I didn't read the subtitle, I just added it to my stack to check out. It is well written and a fast and breezy read. 

When Kyle turned 30 he wanted to do something special to mark leaving behind the angst of youth. For some silly reason he decided to build a cardboard viking ship and burn it to mark the end of his youth, and the start of adulthood. 

From that flowed the idea of building a larger viking ship, filling it with note cards of people's regrets in life and burning the whole thing. Many people find it therapeutic to write down their regrets.  The author Wendell Berry used to host an annual gathering at his farm where after dinner everyone was asked to write about things that they regretted or made them sad, and come forward and toss them in a bonfire. 

Kyle invited submissions, setting a goal of 10,000 cards. That is a lot of regrets he hoped he could help people let go of.  He gathered cards at speaking events, had them mailed to him, and set up a website where people could submit things they wanted to let go of. He read them all, broke them into categories, such as fears. One quote from the book, "the cave you fear to enter, contains the treasure you seek." There is even a chapter in regerts, or no regerts. 

In the end the boat was about 16 feet tall and over 30 feet long, made of cardboard over a wood frame. It took over two years to finish with some odd starts and stops.  It contained over 21,000 regrets, when it was burned. Symbolically letting go of fears, beliefs, and past mistakes. 

It was a good book. I know I tend to be a bit of a Hippy in my outlook on life. Reading things like this helps me to feed my mind with positive thoughts. 

Regrets, I have a few, 

Do you have regrets you should let go of. 

The Sunday Five: What is Your Art

Lobby of the Torpedo Factory Art Center

1: Describe the last time you visited an art gallery or museum? 

2: There are many different creative medias, what do you most enjoy? 

3: In looking at art, are you looking for meaning, or simply pleasure? 

4: When was the last time you took an art class? 

5: What is your creative media? 

My Answers: 

1: Describe the last time you visited an art gallery or museum?  Last week we went to lunch in Old Town Alexandria, then wandered through the Torpedo Factory Arts Center. 

2: There are many different creative medias, what do you most enjoy? Painting and photography. Maybe because I dabble. Most sculpture I really don't understand. 

3: In looking at art, are you looking for meaning, or simply pleasure? For me it is pleasure. There is a big debate if art is simply a way of telling a story to an unread mass.  

4: When was the last time you took an art class? In the early 1990s, I am well past due. 

5: What is your creative media? I am passionate about photography, and over the last year started to believe that some of what I do is worth sharing. I smear paint on canvas, I don't know if it is paining, but I find it relaxing and I enjoy it. I will warn you that if you come to visit and like one of my paintings, you may find it in the backseat of your car when you leave, in the words of Spo, I have heaps. 

Please share your answers in the comments.