LIBERTE, EGALITE, FRATERNITE!

2012-01-04T12:07:00.000-08:00

Urbi et Orbi

2011-12-30T08:24:00.000-08:00

sunset over Disneyland

"Urbi et Orbi" is Latin for "to the city and to the world" which was the title for the Pope's Christmas message this year. On this ever-shrinking planet it is an apt title for any communication from any individual. One is as close as the other. A single tweet is global, no? This little blog may be one person's perspective, but publishing it on the internet is a message to the world.
We Rioses got out of town this christmas. We are fresh back from our holiday exploring some urbi et orbi, Palm Springs and Disneyland in particular. And, may I say that a healthy dose of California desert does a body good!
Not to say that we didn't get our fill of the Northwest Christmas thing before we left. Christmas just doesn't seem like christmas without frosty pine trees and cozy white lights, hot toddies and dinner at the Sapphire Hotel. We just did all that a bit early! Personally, I began the xmas season in October. I don't really care for halloween, (so tacky!), so I pretty much ignored it and decorated the house for "fall" instead. No cheesy gourds or corn stalks here, however, Cora and I made candle lanterns (see previous post), and gathered acorns. We cued up Pandora with the "Bing Crosby Holiday" station, and got our yule on before thanksgiving even hit the stands. I love Oregon during the holidays, and this fall was particularly spectacular. There were plenty of sunny, frosty walks to be had throughout November! Faye and I soaked it all up, walking miles over Mt. Tabor, and throughout southeast Portland with Bing and Frank crooning away in our ears.

Merry Christmas!

view from atop Big Pink

December was just as beautiful, serene even -- this neighborhood is beyond lovely with its huge old homes and giant leafy trees. Greg, Cora and I had a special dinner on the top of Big Pink, 30 floors up, looking out over Portland. We saw the pink sunset turn to black, and all the lights of the city come on. We could even see the fanciful fairytale tents of Cavalia under the Fremont Bridge! When Christmas proper did actually roll around, I'd had my fill of a northwest holiday, and was ready to head south, to the desert...and to Disneyland!
I love to pack. Traveling for me is serious business. I could never be someone who throws things in a bag and runs out the door. Once a long time ago when Greg and I were dating he brought a paper grocery bag as a carry-on. I was shocked!

Vacation Vision

No, my vacation begins with packing. And personal preparation. I am at my best when I start a trip, legs shaved, toes painted. Only my favorite clothes, pjs, shoes, are packed. I bring simple jewelry to go with everything. I pack lightly because years of over-packing have taught me what not to bring. I just bought my first "expensive" suitcase. 89.00 at Target. It's beautiful. My carry-on, also from Target is a glossy black satchel that makes me feel urbane, but not ostentatious. It holds my purse, toiletries, and about ten pounds of fashion magazines which are my flight anxiety medication.

Goddess

Because this is my blog and I can talk about whatever I want, I will describe my going-home flight outfit. It embodies a style I've been wanting to rock for years, but only recently feel liberated enough to attempt: 1970's California girl. Not Marcia Brady, but more like Faye Dunnaway on the weekend in Malibu. I wore dark bell bottom high-waisted jeans, 2" heeled brown boots (they have an urban cowgirl look), a light-wash chambray denim shirt, untucked, tunic length, rolled sleeves. Hair parted in center, straightened. Long gold chain necklace. Light blue and smokey blue eyeshadow. I felt like a Charlie's Angel in LAX! It was awesome.

Rollerskating Disneyland Snowflake Girls

But I digress. Ok. Disneyland. I have a thing about Disneyland. I never knew I had a thing about it until about 7 years ago, I mean I've been going there since I was a kid, but for some reason I really fell hard for it pretty recently! I know what it is, of course. It's the nostalgia. I don't think I could fall for any other park the same way, even Disneyworld, or epcot center, it's got to be Disneyland in Anaheim, California. The rides there are the REAL DEAL. Mary-freaking-Blair's original It's a Small World is there! The Sherman Brother's Tiki Room is there! The amazing Abraham Lincoln theater is there, with the awe-inspiring animatronic 1960's Lincoln figure himself! And the train, and the monorail, and the freaking Matterhorn! All original. I love it.

Hotel Lobby

our cozy beds with good lighting

looking down to the lobby

I especially love it when we can spend the night there. As a kid I never spent the night because we lived nearby in Santa Monica. We would top off an exhausting day with a grueling drive home on the freeway. Now though, Greg and I have twice coughed up the (many) sheckles it takes to book a room at a Disneyland hotel, knowing full well that we were entering a land of corporate consumerism masked as childhood happiness on a level that was too profound to comprehend, and we had a great time. This time we stayed at the Grand Californian Hotel, a place I've dreamed of staying since I first glimpsed it from the monorail about a decade ago. A huge, Arts and Crafts-style lodge situated just along the park, it's gorgeous from afar. The massive beamed architecture landscaped with pine trees ironically reminds me of home. It's like Timberline Lodge, but 20 times bigger! And weirdly new! The moment you enter the hotel your breath is taken away by the lobby. Giant boulders surround a cozy fireplace nook that seats ten. Towering wooden pillars support the ceiling six floors above. And it's Christmas! There's an 80-foot christmas tree covered in glittering gold and red gifts, sparkling acorns, red flowers and ribbon! There is pine garland everywhere, festooned with white lights and sparkling glass balls. It's incredible. Our room is great, the beds are like magical cozy ships with good lighting. Everything is so damned tasteful, I'm freaking out! A tasteful attack! Ok. Hard thought it is to drag our asses from this magic hotel palace, Disneyland awaits! Onward!

Tarzan's tree, my next home

about to get soaked

It was a day of great fun and of lower back pain. The first thing I did was ride Splash Mountain, which is the greatest ride in the park, but I got completely soaked. I mean, completely. Hair-mashed-and-dripping-sitting-in-a-pool-jeans-stuck-to-skin-shoes-full-of-water-soaked. So I was wet all day and looked like shit, but I still had fun! I got separated from Greg and Cora for awhile when they stood in line for the Matterhorn, so I paddled around Tom Sawyer's island with the canoe guy and a bunch of strangers. I found the art gallery with Mary Blair's art in it, and I watched the Abraham Lincoln presentation for the first time. I fought the urge to wave back at Mary Poppins when she walked by with Burt. I love her. Also, I decided to model my next home on Tarzan's tree.

Disneyland palm trees in the morning

view from the back of the canoe

We braved the crowds (lots of family men with HUGE tattoos on their necks! And smoking! Smoking in Disneyland!!), and made it to all of the things on our list. We saw the holiday parade which was pretty cheesy (believe it or not!), not at ALL like the excellent Lion King parade I saw there like 15 years ago (ouch). Later, after I'd retired to the loving arms of my magical hotel bed, Greg and Cora stayed up late to see the lightshow. Evidently it climaxes by having a giant dragon set the entire lake on fire. When Greg told me this I wondered, "what about the ducks?" There are a lot of ducks on that lake by day! How can you set the whole lake on fire and not even singe one duck?

So....the morning you check out of a Disneyland hotel you feel a bit deflated. Once you leave that driveway, the magic is over and you are once again playing by the rules of the real world. The real freeway is just outside the gate. Sigh. But you throw your shoulders back and stick your chin out and close the door of the rental car, and you do what you have to do.
We were heading south. Christmas Eve, on the I-10 hurtling toward Palm Springs. Cruising through Riverside, through the soft, tufted desert hills, past the eerie wind mills standing giant against the rising mountains. It's beautiful, and desolate. It doesn't feel like humans should be there, but it feels full of life. Ancient, hardy plants and small animals rule the landscape just beyond the reach of the sprinklers.
I do love the desert and this was a great time to go. As different from our northwest pine trees and rain forest as you get, it is a welcome change to the spirit to see forests of palm trees and cactus, feel warm sunshine and smell the fresh december desert breezes. A different place than in the summer!

We spent Christmas with my dear mother-in-law, Ida at her house. We had a really lovely time being together, eating christmas dinner next to a crackling fire on the heated patio of a nice restaurant, tasty lemon-creme salmon and tangy white wine on our lips as we toasted the season. Giving thanks.

The next day we took a wonderful tour of the Moorten Botanical Gardens. I do love a good Botanical Garden, I must say. And this one was all cactus! Enormous prehistoric monster-cactus! Tiny, fuzzy hilarious little cactus! Mean, evil super-spiky gonna'-kill-you cactus! And one cactus that had a female-like form that was almost indecent! It was very interesting. Evidently the fellow that started the gardens was a friend of Walt Disney himself! He acted as a consultant for "Frontierland" at Disneyland! It's a Small World, indeed!

someone get her a robe!

So, I packed again. Re-packing to return home is not nearly as exciting as packing to go, but you still try to be thoughtful so security goes smoothly at the airport. As previously described, I was feeling particularly glamorous in my Charlie's Angel on the weekend travel outfit, and comfortably passed three hours in the zoo that is gates 30-34 by reading fashion mags. (And tuning out that one shrieking little child beast.)
Sadly for me, the flight home was especially bumpy. I get pretty freaked out by flying, and though I can distract myself with magazines, beer, and thoughts of celebrity get-aways, if there's enough turbulence, I sometimes quietly cry. So embarrassing! A few tears leaked out during our dramatic descent, but thank god we landed safely and I almost peed with relief. One eccentric cab driver later, we were collapsing into our dear Faye's excited kisses and tale wags, and locking the door behind us.
Urbi et Orbi. And home again. xo

Life in the Goldilocks Zone

2011-12-12T10:37:00.000-08:00

Here's a RATHER AMAZING DISCOVERY. Kepler 22b. A planet discovered in the "Goldilocks Zone"or the habitable zone near a sun-like star, that is a little more than two times the size of earth, has a surface temperature in the mid '70's and quite possibly could contain water and resources that sustain life. There could already be life there.
Space exploration has always fascinated and frightened me. I love the beauty and mystery of space, and I relish the proof to humanity that it is absolutely inconsequential in the face of mother nature,but I fear our desperate need to inhabit other worlds, and laying waste to them as we have to our own magnificent planet.
For magnificent it is. If we found even one single plant on another planet it would move us to exhilaration. But what of the plentitude of stunningly complex, sophisticated, brilliantly adapted species we already have? Some of the universe's most amazing creatures live right here. Some of the most colorful, impressive and truly wonderous displays of life are right in front of us! And we're killing them!
I love space. I love the ocean. I am enchanted by large, uncharted, wild and completely natural environments. I feel to proud to be a bit of nature, myself, even if I do happen to be a stupid human. Whenever my time does come to rejoin the infinite, I will be grateful to have had my eyes open to the beauty of my world.
here is a bit of one of my all-time favorite series, Planet Earth:

And here is an interesting editorial on the subject of a "new earth".

Merrie December

2011-12-01T09:56:00.001-08:00

"When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash."

Why, that's not Santa on the roof, it's my dear Mr. Rios!! Once again Greg has braved the shaky, almost-too-short ladder that rests precariously on a weak, almost-collapsing gutter to hang our Christmas lights! Hooray! Now, I must say we have the fanciest house on the block, which really isn't saying much as there are several rather squalid houses on our block, whose idea of christmas lights are a bleak, blinking green strobe light and a broken candy cane in the lawn.

Our tree this year is a monolith. It is awe-inspiringly large and a bit intimidating, actually. We actually stuffed this thing in the back of our car and then exhausted ourselves decorating it. We ran out of lights and ornaments! I do love this gorgeous tree, but I feel like letting it go back to the wild. It fills up an entire corner of our living room, and looks out of the little windows next to it like it's thinking about its herd.
I can't help but think there might be some kind of Chris VanAllsburg moment with this tree, in the middle of the night. Perhaps it will silently levitate on Christmas Eve and then Tom Hanks will pop out and say "All Aboard for the North Pole!" or something like that.

Much delicious food has been cooked and consumed this season, and here are some photos to prove it. I have never made so much stuffing at one time before. The giant piles of chopped pecans and onions and mushrooms looked beautiful and succulent, and I had to make a photographic record of such bounty!

I have also had the pleasure of watching two of the MOST WONDERFUL shows that I must recommend!!! First, the 2002 film "Nicholas Nickelby" which I had no idea existed and now am its number one fan! This film is not to be missed! The performances and art direction are impeccable, surprising, original!!! This is a true interpretation of Dicken's work, showing both the detailed and dramatic personal quirks of the characters, but also the whimsy and dry humor in their portrayal. The language used is perfect, and the delivery is hilarious.

Jim Broadbent and Juliette Stevenson make the worst and most horrible evil villains I've ever seen, Jim Broadbent is one of my favorite actors ever.

Christopher Plummer is absolutely wonderful, and soooo handsome still! (But I have a weakness for top hats, I must admit.)

I almost coughed up my coffee when I saw in the credits that the actor who plays Nicholas Nickelby himself is none other than Charlie Hunnan, the young Curt-Cobain look-a-alike who plays Jax in "Sons of Anarchy"!!!! So now I am a HUGE FAN of this young man, because he has to 1. have the cojones to put aside a tough-guy image and play a darling, almost-christian, goody two shoes (who does have a righteous temper when provoked, it's true) and 2. have the chops to look good alongside the revered, great actors in this cast! I don't know if many young, handsome actors would be able to pull it off, or even recognize the great opportunity such a role really is, so kudos to Mr. Hunnan!
Here is a great trailer for the movie:

The other show I am currently enjoying is yet another English period piece called "Cranford". ( An aside: for those of you who may not know already, I am a complete English History Addict. I cannot get enough of the stories from the middle ages through the current Royal Family. Castles make me giddy. I love James Herriot, the Sex Pistols,Watership Down and The Lord of the Rings. I also love Charles II, Harry Potter and Led Zeppelin. And Narnia.

I devour books about the Plague and the Great Fire of London in 1666. More on all of this later.)

"Cranford" is a series, is an absolute must-see, and is one of the best things I've ever seen from BBC. The writing is fantastic, the characters subtle and sensitive, and so tenderly funny! The acting is flawless, from Imelda Staunton's (Dolores Umbridge!) comic busybody Mrs. Pole, to the eerie, faded hauteur of Francesca Annis's Lady Ludlow. This is my favorite thing Judy Dench has ever done, she plays against type and is perfection as the mousey spinster Matilda Jenkins who lives in the shadow of her prim sister Deborah Jenkins played by another of my favorite actors ever, Eileen Atkins. Michael Gambon (Dumbledore!) stars also, as do so many other greats!!! The focus is not always on the characters, but also on the transitional time between an older age of aristocracy, and an industrial revolution that will forever change the face of the world. It is a time when greeting cards were considered vulgar, visits never lasted longer than 15 minutes, and eating a juicy orange was considered profane enough to remove oneself to the privacy of one's bedroom to do it! The horrors of the french revolution are not in the too-distant past, and when hearing news of the new railroad's depot coming to their small country town, Lady Ludlow bemoans the dangers of "moving the people about". "Cranford" is a beautiful piece of work that shows the struggles of the time just to survive, to receive good medical care, and the fear of education. It is also tremendously sweet and funny, and not at all at the sacrifice of beautiful language.
Here is just one of so many great scenes:

So Happy December 1st, and Merry Christmas to all of us, I'm hoping I can keep up the spirit from now until Spring!

"Turkeys are intelligent animals who enjoy having their feathers stroked and listening to music, with which they will often sing quite loudly" -- Ben Franklin

2011-11-17T10:29:00.001-08:00

Delicious "Field Roast" holiday roast. Takes 25 minutes to cook!

I love turkeys. So much so that I propose we take a quick reality check before the annual slaughter begins in earnest. For just a moment, let's think outside the "traditional" box. When you think of Thanksgiving dinner, your mouth might actually start to water at the thought of eating those perfectly cooked, savory dishes. When we eat our Thanksgiving dinners, we are looking for something jaw-droppingly delicious, yes? You can have that without turkey. Do we want to have something unbelievable delicious AND avoid thousands of extra calories? Avoid eating turkey, and you will. Do we want to spread love and joy and peace throughout the holiday season? When you choose a meat-alternative you help spare the lives of millions of animals. One simple change can prevent horrible torture and a miserable end for these sensitive, intelligent creatures. Do we really want to eat someone else's pain? It's time to think outside the box. We are not only killing turkeys, we are killing ourselves!

Once again, here is the MOST delectable veggie stuffing recipe that I make every year.It's a real crowd-pleaser, and served over your choice of delicious faux turkey options (see below for my favorites) you will be celebrating the holiday of thanks with the true spirit it deserves! Health! Happiness! Life for all!!!

CORN BREAD, WILD MUSHROOM, AND PECAN STUFFING:

1 1/4 c pecans
6 T butter
1/2 recipe Corn bread ( just use a mix, it takes no time and makes the kitchen smell good!)
5 shallots, finely chopped
1 rib celery, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
10 oz wild mushrooms (shitakes or chanterelles)
1 t fresh thyme, chopped
1 t fresh rosemary, chopped
1 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 c dry white wine
1/3 c cream (we use soy creamer)
1/3 c Imagine "No-Chicken" broth

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread pecans on a baking sheet. Place in oven to toast until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Set aside.
2. Melt 2 T butter in a small skillet. Cut corn bread into 2 inch-thick slices. Place, cut-side down, on a 17-by12 inch baking sheet. Bush tops with melted butter. Toast corn bread until golden brown, 10 minutes. Cool.
3.Heat remaining 4 T butter in a medium skillet on medium high. Add shallots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper: cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add white wine: continue cooking until absorbed, about 1 minute. Add cream. Cook 30 seconds, remove pan from heat.
4. Crumble corn bread into a large bowl. Add mushroom mixture and toasted pecans, toss. Add No-chicken broth, and bake in a buttered 0x13 inch baking dish until crusty and golden brown, 30 minutes. SUPER YUM!!!

Here are some incredibly delicious meat-free items to add to your thanksgiving feast:

Field Roast : An absolutely delicious loaf, or links of a spiced, moist vegetable protein. The best on the market!

Quorn Roast: Already cooked so you just marinate it in a little "No-Chicken" broth and stick it in the oven to warm. Eliminating turkey also eliminates the hours of cooking and the threat of salmonella!

Haines Vegetarian "Chicken" gravy. The best gravy I've ever had.

Try one Thanksgiving using these products, add your favorite vegetables, pies, rolls, sauces, desserts, etc. After you've eaten, see how much you miss the clean-up of a bird carcass, the threat of salmonella, the calories and cholesterol. Sit back, put up your feet, and revel in the knowledge that you've eaten clean and healthy, you've given back to the planet, and no violence of any kind was used in the preparation of your holiday meal. Once we realize we're not missing anything by not eating meat, we will realize how much we are actually gaining. Peace!

HAPPY TURKEYS AT A TURKEY SANCTUARY!!

Vita Incantatum (Enchanted Life)

2011-11-09T15:18:00.000-08:00

Well, HELLO FALL! In all your glorious color and whirling leaves! The west hills are dotted with crimson and gold, the sidewalks of Laurelhurst are tunnels of yellow, orange and bronze. The top of Mt. Tabor is swept by clean wind and the whistles of pine trees! Portland makes me wax poetic!

I've been away, living a bit of life, but have missed chronicling the beauty that I encounter every single day here in this incredible city. I think Portland must be one of the world's most beautiful places, even if it is like living in a college dorm sometimes.

Since I left Powell's books last March, I have reveled in my new life, away from customers, away from oppressive work schedules, and writing every day. I love my new job at Melange, it is creative and super-fun. I get to photoshop fashionable inventory onto their website which is like playing a clothing video game. I get to describe each beautiful piece in a quick, powerful little vignette...a fashion fantasy woven to create the perfect context for each item. When I used to work in a vintage clothing store -- the legendary "Old Friends" in Eugene, Oregon, I bought a lot of clothing for myself based on this very concept. I would imagine the perfect environment or event where I could wear each piece. For instance, that yellow silk sheath dress would be perfect at an afternoon cotillion by the lake! Or, that sheer hippy blouse would be just the thing for a walk at the rose garden on a spring day! The trouble was, I never went to any cotillions by the lake, but NOW I can live in my fashion fantasies for a living. You've just gotta' love that!

At Melange, I also get to help people coordinate their wardrobes. I am an online stylist! A personal shopper! Because I've spent practically my entire life searching for things that would flatter my own rather difficult figure, I have to say, I am a bit of an expert when it comes to fit, proportion and wearability! And I love sharing that knowledge with other women. I wish someone had shared it with me!
And last but not least, I blog for Melange. And we all know how much I like to blog!

It's been quite a transition.
In fact,the last 4 years have been amazingly transformative! Getting the job at Powell's in the first place was a bit of magic, I believe. There were 1200 applicants for 8 positions!
I remember waiting for my interview, sitting on a bench outside Henry Weinhard's at 12th and Couch in the sun, feeling....lucky. Expectant. Like I knew it would happen and become an amazing new chapter. And it did, and it was!

Working at Powell's on Burnside will be one of my most treasured memories of my life. A dream-come-true for a bookish girl from Eugene who visited Powell's every single time she came to Portland over the decades. Working there, I finally got to live out my bookstore fantasies and Portland dreams! There were so many incredible moments from the start of my day to the end. My commute to work first by bike from Southeast to Old Town,, later by car into historic northwest, and then a long walk through the Pearl District-- it was a crash course in Portland, and its many characters. Biking and walking through a place day after day you discover secrets, and see things change before your eyes. I had special moments with a secret Portland all the time!

I remember one freezing December night, walking back to my car at 11:15pm, tired and numb from cold, when I walked over a grate in the sidewalk. Looking down I saw twinkling white xmas lights lying below the street in some dead leaves. They glowed so cozily, there under the grate, in a hole. I almost cried it was so comforting. Like the cold street was saying, merry christmas Diane! There is beauty even in the dark. Right beside the grate there was a small fogged window, and then-- the most wonderful, delicious and unexpected aroma of baking cookies and croissants. It was an underground bakery, working into the night. I stood there warming myself, inhaling that heavenly smell and bluring my eyes so the xmas lights make a beautiful movie. I visited that grate again from time to time, but most often the lights were off and the bakery closed. That first discovery was the best. And there were all kinds of discoveries like that! Portland is amazing!

Then, there were all the unique and wonderful moments in Powell's, working as a Generalist. Most employees at Powell's work in one room, and in one section. It's set up like many little bookstores in one big place. I was lucky enough to work EVERYWHERE! A Generalist works wherever they need you, whenever they need you. So on a daily basis I might shelve fantasy books in the Gold room, cook books in the Orange room, Collectible children's books in the Rose Room, Dog books, nature studies, sports, travel, small press, zines, graphic novels, erotica!!! Literature, reference, paranormal romance!!! I got to know subsections and sub sub sections! I got to handle ancient tomes and bright and shiny new best sellers! I got to work at all of the info stations, from the top floor in Art to the Purple room info by the bathrooms, to the crazy Burnside entrance Green Room Info --or "The Doughnut", as it's called. (How many customers have been mystified over the years to hear a page over the speakers saying "MOD to the Doughnut, at your convenience, MOD to the Doughnut please.") I even got to help Annie Leibowitz sign books, and she took a picture of us together! I mean, come on!

There were parts of the store I especially loved. Upstairs in the employee-only area there are corner rooms and windows that have incredible views of downtown Portland. The small rooftop garden of Powell's is eye-level with the surrounding condos, and an amazing spot to eat lunch. The beautiful, quiet rare book room was always a joy to work in. Sitting at the big wooden desk under the green-shaded lamps and old prints, surrounded by first editions and ephemera of the most amazing writers in the world was an incredible gift for me!

I was privy to all of the different work spaces in each room, and they were all awesome in their own ways. The "Grotto" in the red room (so-called because the Red Room houses "Spirituality and Religion"), the "Lit Pit" in the Blue Room (with cookies on wednesdays and conversations about cute cats and Melville), and the "Cave" in the Gold, lined floor to ceiling with Sci Fi, Mystery, Romance and Horror. Sigh. I miss those cozy, book-lined spaces! I miss sweating it out shelving carts and carts of sci fi books while Queen is blasting out of the stereo! I even miss the sound of my lanyard, clinking against my chest as I ran up and down those three flights of stairs!
Plus, working at Powell's forced me to stay up late. They don't close until 11pm, so I really amazed myself by working till close and biking home at 11:15 pm, sometimes through rain and snow. That was pretty kick-ass, if I do say so myself! I'll never forget the night I biked across the Burnside bridge, and had to wait to it to open for a boat. While I'm sitting there, at the top of the ramp, on my bike in the moonlight, it started to snow. It was so quiet, and so magical. It started to snow harder and harder, and was a blizzard by the time I got home. Amazing!

The people I worked with at Powell's are the world's smartest, funniest, most stylish people I've ever met. Coming from a hippy culture in Eugene, that's saying something! I love my friends I made there, I admire their prodigious talents and good looks so much!!! We've had so many hilarious and touching times, people!!! And I miss you!

But I had to go, when I went. It wasn't because of unstable work conditions, layoffs, or the economy, thank goodness. It was just about me needing to get away from the giant retail environment. Although I had some of my favorite times there, I was also wearing out from the relentless nature of such a huge store in downtown Portland. Thousands and thousands of customers, every day! And a lot of them homeless, mentally ill, and in need of help I could not give them. Downtown Portland is crowded with people in need. Sad, cold, hungry, addicted, and often with sad dogs and cats in tow, it broke my heart, and depressed the hell out of me! I biked around for weeks with a ten pound bag of dog food in my paniers to give to someone with a skinny dog. After three years, I had enough, and I needed to change it up and move on. So, as I commuted to and from work I would sort of ask the universe for an option.

I got an email from an old friend and employer in Eugene. My dear friend Martha who runs Melange boutique, a store in Eugene that I used to work for, told me about a fashion show they were having and invited me to visit. Well, god knows I love a fashion show, and I hadn't seen Martha since I moved to Portland, so I went! And I had a great time! Martha is a wonderful person, someone I used to LOVE working with, and we had so much fun. I missed working for Melange, and thought of their website. As it turned out, they needed someone to help online, and voila! An opening in the universe appeared!

After I left Powell's and began my new life at home, I stopped blogging. I stopped making art. I also deleted my email from every single extraneous, unnecessary site I could. I even stopped socializing for the most part. (And I hope I'm forgiven for my absence) I wanted to create a clean slate, a fresh canvas. I needed to air out my brain! I had been working so hard for so long at my day job, and also on the book "Dizzy's Dream" which culminated in the trip to New York last year to see the editors at Penguin and Hyperion. After those experiences wrapped up, I needed to get a fresh perspective to decide where I want to go. I wanted to change old patterns, and open space for new opportunities. And so....I have!

The last 6 months have been truly amazing. After deciding to stop making art, blogging, etc, I boiled it all down to the basics, and thrived. I walk miles twice a day with my beautiful dog Faye, all over this glorious town! I know every single trail on Mt. Tabor! We also visit Sellwood, Reed College, northwest Portland, the waterfront, and inner northeast all the time! Belmont street, Division st, Clinton Street! Yamhill, Ash, and Taylor! Glisan and Flanders! Quimby, Savier, and Raleigh!
I eat well, and work out every day. My poor injured back has been doing very well (all those blueberries!) and I ride my little stationary bike like crazy in the basement while I watch movies. And I've seen the most amazing movies! "Bill Cunningham: New York", "The Boys: the Sherman Brother's Story", "A Matter of Taste: Serving Up Paul Leibrandt", "Smoke Signals"(remember that?), "Autism, the Musical"! And many more. Email me for more recommendations!

I've been cooking and cooking and cooking (and washing a lot of dishes)!! I shelved a lot of books at Powell's in the "Vegetarian/Vegan" section in the Orange room, and my collection is bursting with options. I find it so therapeutic to cook, so calming to shop for, and create a delicious, healthy meal! Greg has been the lucky beneficiary of gourmet vegan meals like "Bresse Mushroom Soup with Rosemary and White Wine", "Walnut Tofu Balls", "Vegan Beef Stroganoff", "Lentil and Vegan Chicken Fricasee" and "Pepperoni and (No-Dairy) Mozerella Calzones with Caesar salad". And there are more! I've been cooking all kinds of things! Love it!

Instead of making "art", I started crafting. I love the holidays, people, that's no lie! Santa is my special bud! (on a side note, try putting "Bing Crosby Holiday" into your Pandora radio, you will be launched into Christmas in the best possible way. When not listening to Led Zeppelin, or Crosby Stills & Nash, I listen to Bing Crosby and Dean Martin sing christmas songs while I walk the dog. It is such an innocent sound, and from a time before technology. They're not making any more it, that's for sure!)

I also decided to try out some of those incredible craft books I bought while working at Powell's and made these copper candle lanterns. They are beyond lovely at night, throwing designs of light on the walls. And, I labored hard over these pretty, but somewhat ridiculous beaded birds. They are nice, but very difficult to make and they take for-freaking-ever! You have to use invisible thread to make them, and believe it or not, IT'S VERY HARD TO SEE!

And....I'm writing. After I cleared the stage of my creative life, this story came to me. It just poured into my head, and now it's my new project. It's a fantasy middle-reader story called "The Magic of Fairfax, Oregon". and it's about a girl named Clothilde who is stolen by her uncle and sold to the forest gypsies. She finds a special magic to help her return to her mother and save her small Oregon town from the clutches of an evil hospital run by crazed doctors. It's about Oregon, it's about the magic of friendship,and it's about a profound love of nature. Stay tuned for more!

It's funny, but right after I stopped making art, I got a call from the art editor at Willamette Week, offering me the cover if I could make an illustration in a weekend. I shook off the cobwebs and got right to work, and last week I had the thrill of seeing my work looking at me from newspaper boxes all over town. There was even another of my illustrations, a full-page portrait, inside! A real thrill, and a reminder that the universe is working for you, whether you know it or not!

We're having a stunningly beautiful fall, Oregon is turning on all of its considerable charms! Cora is a long-legged 13 year-old beauty with a great sense of a humor, a terrible temper and wonderful friends, Greg is commuting by bike to his downtown office at the Department of Justice where he continues to carry out his many official duties including arguing cases in the Oregon Supreme Court (Go Greg, go Greg!), and I am blogging and writing and cooking away in our little yellow nest in Southeast Portland.
And sending love to all of my peeps! Happy fall!!! xoxoxo

Avenue of the Stars

2011-08-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

The funny, rolling street known as Santa Monica Boulevard playfully stretches between the Pacific Ocean, and my destination, Century City. Century City, Avenue of the Stars. It sounds like a place in a Love and Rockets comic book, but this time around it's where Greg took the California Bar Exam.

Where Greg went every day.

The test was held over 3 days, so we both went and I had the pleasure of driving him to and from the Plaza Hotel each day. It really was a pleasure! The rental car was smooth and new, the road in the morning was deserted except for seagulls and palmtrees (and that ONE guy with the plastic bags wrapped around his bike and his head!) We stopped in Westwood for a coffee and a bagel before anyone else was up, and walked around amongst the huge jade plants and silent shops. It was postiively serene!

Although the trip was peppered with some stress, it was also a lovely adventure by the sea. Our little 50's hotel The Bayside was beachfront. Literally steps from the water. And they provided beach towels and boogie boards for free! Waking to the California surf and gentle marine air every day is something I could get used to. We ate at nearby diners and beach restaurants. I took a short drive up PCH, without traffic, and breathed in that beloved scent of salt and eucalyptus trees.

The Bayside hotel

Now...for the coolest part! We visited our dear brother-in-law and master sculptor Chris Slatoff and his very handsome and sweet son James. Chris kindly showed us his ULTRA RAD art studio in Silverlake. It was filled with welders, spray painters, screen printers, model makers, carpenters, you name it. All working on amazing projects. Some for Disney, some for the Cartoon Network, many for movie sets, or videos. We saw props everywhere that had appeared in this or that spot or movie. It was a real treat to climb to the roof and admire the murals up there, and look at the california sage brush and palm trees filling the surrounding neighborhood. And once again, amidst the smell of spray paint and glue, there was that pervasive smell of a california canyon. Heat, eucalyptus, enormous prehistoric succulent plants. Incredible!

I love LA if you can't tell already. Coming back to Portland is always a relief with its beautiful, welcoming Mt. Hood and green trees. It's like drinking clean water getting out of the airport and breathing that air. But I still crave a little desert deep down. Desert by the sea. With spray paint.

Dude!

Outside our little hotel

Local Chicken Shack (we didn't eat there, but it's cute)

Me and my darling 93 year-old grandma

Front of La Fonderie studio in Silverlake

Dean Styers

La Fonderie from the roof

Cute man on the roof

Gee, this is cool!

Dean Styer's rooftop mural

Roof top mural at La Fonderie

Chris in his studio working on a Christ figure

Chris and James

Greg is finished with the bar!!!

Good (and Bad) Magic

2011-07-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

Country Fair 2011. The good:

The bad:

And the totally disgusting:

Then there was also the Jimmy Hendrix

Some Blue Queens


A Red Devil

A Golden Warrior (with a Mickey Mouse bandaid on his cut lip)

And a TOTALLY KICK ASS MARCH 4TH MARCHING BAND!!!!!

A great day at the fair, although it does take all my willpower not to freak out sometimes, and I grew up there!

That's me in the photo of the parade at the top of the blog, in the '70's!

I have a love/hate relationship with the hippie scene, in some senses it's a meaningful, loving home to me. All the hippie moms and dads that included me in their families, and their kids in ours, was an amazing experience. But today's fair has a lot of addiction and alchohol use and an aggressive sexuality that freaks me out, people! I kept it cool though, and enjoyed strolling the fragrant paths of the Veneta forest and saw some great performances. Here's one that isn't so great, but funny in a Shakespearean farce kind of way.

Independence

2011-07-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

I hate fireworks. I hate firecrackers. I hate commercialized, violent, war-based patriotism. That said, I had a wonderful 4th of July. Mt. Tabor on a sunny evening is sheer heaven, the exact opposite of what I hate. It is America at its best...peaceful, natural, beautiful. Mr. Rios and I biked to the top and had a picnic, overlooking the reservoirs and the city. I can't believe that this amazing place is ten blocks from our house! Ten blocks from the warzone hipster madness that is Hawthorne blvd is the serene, quaint quietude of Mt. Tabor.
Here's to independence from insanity! Here's to independence from loud noises and drunken "fun"!

Huzzah! Huzzah!

Ok, wait. Here's to a little drunken fun:

The Sultry of Summer

2011-07-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been glorious, I must say. My sun-starved soul has quieted its hungry mewlings. I have finally warmed my cold skin to the bone and strolled to my heart's content along summer sidewalks. I have even walked barefoot on a dirt path strewn with straw. The breezes are absolutely delicious, the lush green leaves of Portland's old trees are waving, and the birds are delirious with joy.

Part of my new-found zen is the fact that the 13 year-old is off camping with a friend for a week. I work from home so the house is completely peaceful. Bring on the sunshine and I am cranking up the Pandora radio and getting organized! My house is nearly spotless. I have sorted all of my books (lots), cleaned all the bookcases, took things to sell and to give away, and put only the best back in lovely, artful display. (sigh.) I have sorted every scrap of art I've made over the last 20 years, and recycled an entire can's worth of paper. I am looking at light, clean spaces, watching the warm summer breeze catch the sheer curtains near the bookshelf, sparkling. It's awesome!
Greg has been home for 3 days, studying for the California Bar he is taking in July. Because we have no parenting to do, we can take breaks and bike ride through these beautiful streets. We can grab lunch at a cart. We can bar-b-que (twice!) in the backyard with beers and Faye, and romantic chatter.

So, if I am distracted from blogging., it is because I am floating on a summer cloud, and will only look earthward occasionally, reporting what I see. Expect energetic bursts of archiving, and spells of silence.

I am turning 45 years old July 8th, and I'm so proud of myself! Look at me so adult! Such a lady. When I was 14 I tried to imagine what I would look like as a "real" grownup, someone middle-aged. It wasn't pretty a pretty picture. Happily, I do look better than I feared I would, but the Middle Aged Look is unavoidable, even if you're Ali McGraw. So...whatever! I'll rock it! In an age-appropriate manner of course!

Oswald = Oregon

2011-06-29T16:07:00.000-07:00

In my opinion my old band Oswald Five-O really embodied the heart of Oregon. Raised under the pine trees and along the coastline of Astoria, Robert Christie was steeped in the rhythm of Oregon's natural world. His father ran a tree farm. His older brothers and sisters sang Johnny Cash to Robert, and he cut his teenage teeth on old country and punk rock. Moving to Eugene in 1984 to attend the U of O, Robert started playing music. Eventually, he joined with the greatest guitar player in the world, Nick Tucker, and the luckiest girl in the world, me, and we formed the 3-piece rock band, Oswald Five-O.

We all wrote songs, and Nick and I sang them, but it was Robert who wrote the songs that mattered. To me, his songs were as great as any I'd ever heard. Other northwest bands of the time had similar heart, grit and brotherhood, not to mention that huge, rough guitar and livid drum sounds, bands such as Crackerbash, Snakepit, Dead Moon and the Wipers, and to me, Oswald belonged to those ranks, because of the simple brilliance of Robert's lyrics combined with the huge sound of Nick Tucker's guitar and supersonic hooks.

Robert's friendship meant everything to me. As a hippy kid in Oregon I also appreciated the beauty of the natural landscape. I loved the pines, too. And playing punk rock in damp basements, drinking coffee under wet trees, and hucking a baseball back and forth between practices was really the heart of our band, and our friendship.

Robert was always beating on the backs of chairs or tables with his fingers, a constant roll of drumming, his eyes looking over your head, his ears politely catching every couple of words you said. I miss that now, the gentle, muted sound of his fingers drumming, drumming.

We lost Robert, and his beautiful family. Right after the accident, while still swimming in the shock of our grief, our friends started to congregate in Eugene. People we hadn't seen in years arrived to share stories and each others comforting presence. Our dear friend Gayle wrote an amazing piece in the "Oregon Quarterly" about that time, about how we all have a commonality in grieving, even while each person's experience is at the same time unique. It was a beautiful piece, and since then Gayle has become rather famous for her young adult novels. The most recent issue of "Oregon Quarterly" ran a profile on her piece from 2001, and the photos of Oswald Five-O are welcome sights in its glossy pages. I remember!!

Sweet 16

2011-06-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

It seems impossible, but Mr. Rios and I just celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary! When you get married at 29, 16 years later means...you're old! But, no matter. Mr. Rios only improves with age, and our married life is more fun and full of love than ever.

I've known Mr. Rios for 24 years now, we were friends for 8 years before we dated for 3. We met through the northwest music scene, spending countless hours together in moldy punk basements and on mossy dilapidated porches. We fell in love on my band's rock and roll tour to California. After a great punk rock acoustic set in San Francisco, we decided that our friendship was lifelong and thus began our life together as a team. We've parented our asses off, and finally it's calmer, more serene around the house, and we have more time for each other. And in the case of Mr. Rios, that means F-U-N! And C-U-T-E!

The look? Mr. Rios in a black suit, white shirt, no tie. Moi? A bright floral kimono snap dress I got at H&M in New York. Wood heels, gold earrings. Fancy!

We took in the delights of Portland's Pearl district last night at Andina's, a beautiful Peruvian restaurant. We loved everything from the great service to the peanut sauce dip, to the lovely garlic rice and pappas fritas, to the super cute coffee pots and DELICIOUS mango cake. Feliz Anniversario, indeed!

It's Gettin' Real

2011-06-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

Mr. Rios sent me this video and I love it! I love it because for one, it's GETTIN' REAL in the Freddy's parking lot, too. AND because both Mr. Rios and I have an obsession with living in Santa Monica. When we visit there we always go to Whole Foods and feel super fancy. It's one of our favorite stops! So this video has special flavor. Don't jack my space, bra!

Knitting is Knotty

2011-06-17T05:58:00.000-07:00

The knit bombers strike again! My favorite kind of vandalism ever. Nocturnal knitters cover ordinary objects in warm fuzzies. Sometimes its in subtle hues, greys and browns blending in with their surroundings, and sometimes its RAINBOWS and SWIRLEY STRIPES! I saw these two bike rack cozies outside my Hawthorne auto shop. Love!

I Found the Sun!

2011-06-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

It was parked at 50th and Hawthorne.

Like a Tourist in Boca

2011-06-10T06:01:00.000-07:00

This drunken baby reminds me a little of Auntie Jill.

Sickness and Cinema

2011-06-03T14:22:00.000-07:00

Well folks, I'm back from some pretty strange, delirious worlds, all of them fuzzy and some of them starring...Tom Selleck? I've been sick as a tiny frail dog for a week, but I'm much better now, and as a result I have many wonderful movie reviews for you! So very many -- I must have watched about 15 movies in the last 5 days.
I woke up Friday morning with waves of serious vertigo, dizziness and nausea. I was diagnosed with "Labyrinthitis" (which Greg suggested I meant that I went into labyrinths too much, but which actually is an inflammation of the inner ear.) so for 5 days I couldn't move around a whole lot, or eat very much, which resulted in me watching movies all day long.

Now in my weakened state, I have to confess that my regular "filter", or point of view, was quite altered. I would bond violently with characters and suffer real emotion along with them. From time to time, clutching my blanket on the couch, I would burst out in tittering laughter, or sudden sobs. They sounded very similar, actually and both resulted in copious amounts of moisture leaking from my eyes. I was a wreck! But I actually had a great time!

For your enjoyment and edification, here is the list, in no particular order:

Pirate Radio -- AWESOME. Hilarious, stylish, cool. And Bill Nighy is in it. "Nuff said.

Lord of the Rings -- AWESOME. Of course I've seen this many times before. But when I'm sick I like to look at Aragorn and Boromir. It's medicinal!

Jaws 2 -- AWESOME. This one is as good as the first one, even though sadly it does not have Richard Dreyfuss in it, or Robert Shaw of course. BUT the totally awesome kick ass Roy Scheider can carry the movie all by himself! Roy Scheider has the sexiest 70's man legs ever in his cut-off beach shorts and slip on sneakers. Watching him run around in beach police vehicles and boats trying to kill that shark is so much fun. Plus, some of the teenagers that are in it are straight out of the Brady Bunch and although a few did display some surprising acting skills, they still got eaten.

Love and Other Drugs -- eh. Both stars are sexy and charming. But it was draining and boring at the same time.

Bambi 2 -- sad and bad. I tried this, burst into uncontrollable sobbing, came back to it, hated the cheap animation and turned it off.

Forget Paris -- AWESOME. I wanted to watch this movie on a loop. Billy Crystal at his best, Deborah Winger fer cryin' out loud, and great character actors. He's an NBA referee, she's an airline agent in Paris. It's 1980's romance, and it's totally soothing music to a sick person.

Two Men and a Little Lady -- AWESOME. Honest to god. I'm not lying. But I was sick, keep in mind. Evidently this movie is a sequel to another movie called "Two Men and a Baby" which I have not seen. I don't need to, really, I think this was enough. But Ted Danson in this movie is fucking hilarious (excuse me), and Tom Selleck...well, he's Tom fucking Selleck. He's hot, even with a hawaiian shirt on, even with shoulder pads. He's the hottest man on the planet. (And he seems so kind!) But Steve Guttenberg? Poor thing. (guess who else is in this? Aunt Petunia from Harry Potter!)

2012 -- AWESOME. This movie is hilarious, terrifying, and a jaunty romp through the apocolypse. I loved it, and was hanging on the edge of my seat. Poor Danny Glover. And watching a huge tsunami smash through the himalayas and wipe out monk's huts on the summits is pretty awesome. And, it really is a miracle because John Cusack, middle-aged ADD hipster guy, played a flawed but heroic dad, and he made me cry, too! (It wasn't hard, I was sick) It was even at the part where he hugs his son after diving under water to save the ship so they're hugging in the water, etc....so no matter HOW corny, I still cried! Unbelievable. But great! I didn't appreciate what happened to the step dad, "Gordon" played by Greg Kinnear. Step parents always get the bad rap. Killed, even! They conveniently disappear so the parents can get back together. Greg Kinnear got munched in some giant gears. Sad!

Working Girl -- AWESOME. Another movie I could watch on a loop. I don't care much for Melanie Griffith as a rule, but this movie is so much fun.The 80's element of this movie is fantastic, from the enormous Jersey hair and giant earrings to the full-length furs with shoulder pads. Sigourney Weaver and Harrison Ford look so young. I normally hate the sound of Giffith's breathy voice, but it's one of my favorite things in this movie. That and the solid clink of huge gold earrings against the phone.

Valentino the Last Emperor--(a little dull, but an amazing ending) He is a genius, and his life is surreal. The beauty of the end of movie caused me to... you guessed it, burst into tears. It was very moving, especially when Karl Lagerfeld grabbed his hand and whispered fervently, "Next to us, they are all making RAGS!"

How to Train Your Dragon --AWESOME. Love this movie! Vikings! Animated Beard Braids! The dragon....is adorable. And exactly like my big black lab, Faye.

Up - AWESOME. Brilliant characters, adorable and gut-bustingly funny. Charming beyond measure. Especially Kevin the bird.

She's Just Not That Into You (fun, lots of stars) I didn't know who was in this movie, but it was fun being surprised by yet another star popping up. A mindless piece of fun twaddle.

Solaris -- Good, but a little nauseating. The pulsing, hallucinogenic nature of this movie, not to mention the multi colored gasses that surround the planet Solaris make my sickness feel worse. But, George Cloony in a space suit makes it all better. George Cloony in a StarTrek-like space bed is really good, too.

Woman Scorned: the Betty Broderick Story -- AWESOME. This movie kicks ass. Total 80's blowout starring Meredith Baxter Birney as Betty Broderick a real-life socialite that shot her husband and his new wife. This was a real couch-gripper watching Meredith in her rage and her 80's chanel earrings ram her car through the front of a house.

So much so in fact that the next movie was:

Her Final Fury: the Betty Broderick Story 2 -- eh. The sequel is about her unsuccessful trials is definitely not as interesting as the initial action.

48 Hours -- AWESOME. I have to admit, I only made it to the middle of the movie when I heard my favorite movie line of the moment. Nick Nolte says to Eddie Murphy (cover your ears, kids)

"You've been dicking me around ever since we started this turd fest!"

When I heard that, I was done with watching tv, and gleefully repeating that phrase to myself for the rest of the day. I confused Greg when I used it on him after he asked what was for dinner.

So seeing as how I rated almost every movie as AWESOME, and I was delirious with Labyrinthitis, it might still be that you won't enjoy these movies the same way, or at all. But if you're ever sick, you'll have a handy list all ready to go!

Elle est un Peu Zinzin sur les Bords.....(She is a bit on the cracked side, literally she is cracked around the edges.)

2011-05-23T07:02:00.000-07:00

My new favorite book: "Merde! The Real French You Were Never Taught in School" by Genevieve.I am a huge fan of this hilarious read. Even if you never use the super-creative slang and often filthy expressions in this delightful book, it is just plain fun to read the literal translations and practice your accent while wrapping your lips around these truly disgusting vulgarities. Warning: Offensive language. If you can't take it, foutez le camp (get the f*** out of here!)

Here are a few of my favorite(and sometimes useful) phrases and expressions:

"Ou as-tu foutu les clefs de la maison?" Where the hell did you put the house keys?

"Il pet plus haut que son cul!" He thinks very highly of himself. (literally, he farts higher than his ass.)

"T'as vu ses ecrases-merdes?" Have you seen his really big shoes? (literally his shit squishers)

This one relates to current events if you substitute the name "Dominic Strauss-Kahn for Pere Dupont:

"Fais gaffe au Pere Dupont, il a le demonde midi, il court apres tous les nanas du bureau, a la main baladeuse, et te sautera dessus si tu te trouve seule avec lui." Watch out for Father Dupont, he suffers from middle-aged horniness, chases all the girls at the office and will jump you if you are alone with him.

"Les journalistes, ca picole drolement" Journalists are all boozers.

"Les gosses ont besoin qu'on leur foute les baffes de temps en temps" Kids need to be slapped from time to time.

"Ce salaud t'a roule, t'as casque une fortune pour du toc."That bastard ripped you off, you forked out a fortune on fake junk.

"Comment, ma fille epouser un cul-terreux et aller habiter a perpete dans un bled perdu? Pas question." What, my daughter marry a peasant and live in the boondocks in some god-forsaken hole? Absolutely not. ("cul-terreux" literally someone's ass that is covered in dirt.)

"Allez, bouge ton cul vielle bique" Come on, move your ass, old hag. ( "la bique" literally, the nanny goat.)

"On a fait le nouba chez les Duponts (again the Duponts! They are bad news!) Y'avait du champagne a gogo tout le monde etait paf, ca degeulait partout!" We whooped it up at the Duponts, there was champagne galore, everyone was drunk, people were puking everywhere.

"Une armoire a glace"-- A great, hulking brute (literally, an armoire)
"Etre plat comme un planche a pain -- to be flat chested (literally to be flat as a bread board)
"Un pot a tabac" -- a dumpy little woman (literally a pot of tobacco)
"Avoir les cuisses legeres"--to be an easy lay (literally to have light thighs)
"Avoir les atomes crochues" -- to hit it off (literally to have hooked atoms)

So handy, non? Probably not the best gift to a beginning speaker, they'll have enough challenges without inciting possible violence using dirty slang, but for the more advanced speaker this book is a hoot! (literally, the sound of an owl being excited.) If you need even more dirty french try the sequel, "Merde Encore!"

Middle School? They Got This.

2011-05-20T07:24:00.000-07:00

Usually when one thinks of Middle School one remembers a time of awkward angst, peppered with waves of false bravado, layered with self-consciousness. But if you go to a Da Vinci Arts Middle School performance, one of the many full-scale, intensively rehearsed productions they put on throughout the year, you'll think differently!
The annual Spring Dance Concert is sold out every year. This is the demonstration by the students in all dance classes, from the newly inducted dance 1 students to the skilled and experienced dance 4 students. This was my daughter Cora's first big dance performance, and she was awesome!!!

Check out this beautiful dance -- all by boys! Remember, these boys are all 12-14 years old. The whole show is incredible. Poetic pieces, avant garde choreography that tells stories... stories of teen age feelings and experiences. Stories about awkwardness, false bravado, and self-consciousness, but told with all the grace and uninhibited expression you would expect from adults, not 13 year-olds. They are truly amazing, the kids. In costume, boys, girls, dancing together with their arms around each others waists, unembarrassed, focused, lifting each other in difficult moves, trusting each other, watching each other risk vulnerability, and watching each other shine like stars. It's very touching, it moves us all to tears. The kids seem older than we are.

My daughter is finishing up 7th grade. She is a long, lean, girl with a great sense of humor (and cool aviator sunglasses) and an eager attitude about the future. She works hard at her acting and dancing. She's becoming so independent--walking down Hawthorne to get pizza with her friends, shopping at Buffalo Exchange and coming home to show me her purchases. She's even asking for weak coffee and soy milk in the morning! It's happening too fast on the one hand, and on the other it's like a beautiful time-lapse photography, watching her morph into an amazing woman.
A teenage girl is an awesome force of nature, mostly for the good, but I understand why some parents become fond of a daily glass of wine. Although if I was drinking wine when things got challenging, it wouldn't help. The power that comes out of these kids, when they are frustrated or pushed to do something they don't want to do, is frightening. I'd like to time-lapse right past all of that!
Meanwhile, I am privileged to be a witness to these amazing moments of beauty and artful motion. Go kids, go!

Springtime for Portland

2011-05-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'll tell you right now, the weather has sucked! (I'm grateful there is no flooding, tornados, earthquakes and nuclear meltdowns, yes I am. But this cold wet winter-in May!- is dragging down MY SOUL.) So...the first chance we got, Mr. Rios and I took Darling Faye on a walk in northwest, soaking in some fleeting sunshine and falling cherry blossoms.

As always, walking through those incredibly stately hillside neighborhoods, under the mature and newly-leafed trees and emerald green ferns, overlooking the city from on high..is positively therapeutic. Portland is gorgeous from the hills to the river. I will never tire of walking through this place, in all kinds of weather (ok, I do tire of walking through freezing rain, I do.) It really is a bit of heaven on earth!

Faye played with an hilarious boxer at the dog park, and we saw this funny sign on the street, all the funnier when we realized that someone ignored it completely.

the Bin Laden Bunch

2011-05-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

Newsweek ran these amazing photos of the Bin Laden family on vacation in Sweden, circa 1971. Nothing could be farther from the recent image of Osama crouched near that tiny tv, huddled in his blanket in the compound. So strange!
The Bin Ladens probably would have made for a great family sitcom, or these days a reality show. They are really groovy!! I like the guy on top of the car on the right with the purple pantsuit. And what about that crazy car! A pink Cadillac?! Are you kidding me?!

Noble Steeds

2011-05-07T11:21:00.000-07:00

Today is Derby Day. A real big deal for some, but a day of stress in an uncertain life of over-training, injury and an early death for many. Horse racing is a dangerous and cruel sport and should be outlawed. The horses are given drugs and forced to train hard at too young of an age for their bodies to stay healthy. They are slaughtered as soon as their productivity goes down, and some die in agony on the track.

That said, I did get a (somewhat bitter) kick out of reading the names of the Thoroughbreds running the 137th Run for the Roses this afternoon. Naming Thoroughbreds is pretty easy, evidently. Just pick any random, insane non-sequiter and register it. For example here are some of the horses going to the post today:

Stay Thirsty
Comma to the Top
Pants on Fire
Dialed In
Brilliant Speed
Twice the Appeal
Decisive Moment
Derby Kitten
Twinspired
Master of Hounds
Mucho Macho Man
Shackleford ( I like that one!)
Midnight Interlude
Animal Kingdom (WTF?)
Watch Me Go (that's what my toddler used to say to me when she was potty training!)

These names do not belong on a high-strung master athelete, a noble steed that gives its heart (and sometimes its life) to achieve glory for their stables. These names are a joke and an insult in my opinion. They're like names of boats, not beautiful, glorious horses!

"A horse loves freedom, and the weariest old work horse will roll on the ground or break into a lumbering gallop when he is turned loose into the open." ~Gerald Raferty

Laugh! Go ahead, it's REALLY funny!

2011-05-05T08:43:00.000-07:00

I can't help it, this must be shared. It's like a laughing pill!

Astoria!

2011-04-26T10:34:00.000-07:00

A positively MEDICINAL day! 68 degrees in town, and a gorgeous warm drive all the way to the coast! Mr. Rios and I took a day trip to Astoria, home of our friends the Christies, and went out to lunch with John Christie and his son Pierce. A brilliant blue sky and wheeling gulls carried my city troubles away and we soaked up the warmth along with the rest of the world. Astoria was beautiful as always, the victorian houses twinkling on the hillside and the enormous log ships loading at the docks. Sailboats and barges went by and we stopped under the huge bridge to watch.

At John's farm we sat on the porch and let the happy cats keep us company in the sun, listening to the newly-hatched bugs buzz in the grass. So peaceful!!! Thank you John!

Poncho in the Pearl

2011-04-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

Ordinarily this post would go on my fashion blog A-Line: Life Stylist. But because it is mostly about the Pearl, not the poncho, I will put it here. The weather in Portland has been SO INCREDIBLY SUCKY for so long, that when we got a sunny day last week I leaped into the car and took Darling Faye down to the beautiful Pearl district for a walk. And a coffee.

I LOVE THE PEARL! I don't care if it's gentrified and filled with yuppies, it is BEAUTIFUL!!! At the very end of 10th street, just past my favorite bakery the Lovejoy Bakery, and just past one of my favorite little parks, Tanner Springs Park, is a huge dog park, under the Freemont Bridge. There are lovely, modern glass condos all around, but this giant open space just breathes fresh air into the residential neighborhood. The sun was shining, the cars windows were twinkling as they crossed the bridge, and Faye and I took in the beautiful juxtoposition of old industrial buildings and brand new, shiny development together. It's lovely down there, I highly recommend taking a walk all the way down 10th street to the end. If you're lucky you'll even hear the whinny of the police horses coming from the police stables down there! Surprises everywhere you look!

I decided it was the right weather for my poncho, not too warm and not too cold. I love this multi-colored wrap because it is so adjustable, allowing you to shift the arms however you need for coverage, or exposure. It also hides love-handles! Cute with boots, too. Although I wore it with the other pair of piece of crap Gap City Flats.

Mother. Nature. New York City.

2011-04-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

Watch live streaming video from nytnestcam at livestream.com

Live from New York! A splendid, beautiful live hawk cam from the top of the Bobst Library, the 12th-floor window ledge outside of the office of the president of New York University. Two beautiful, wild red-tailed hawks make their nest and sit on their eggs. Watching this reminds me of the fullness of time. The softly ruffling feathers in the wind. The gentleness of the nest. The sense of duty and of anticipation. It's a connection to nature we're lucky to have, ironically thanks to fiber optics.

Super Stars

2011-04-11T07:56:00.000-07:00

My daughter goes to the COOLEST MIDDLE SCHOOL ever, Da Vinci Arts Middle School. And because of this happy fact we are privy to some of the BEST PERFORMANCES middle school can offer! For example, this amazing, professional, beautifully-designed, staged and choreographed production of "Once Upon A Mattress" this weekend. Wow! What talent!

Anyone with kids knows that school productions can be iffy affairs. Especially middle school productions. But this one was auditioned and vigorously rehearsed and it was impeccable. Brilliant, even! The lead actors were so good, especially the girl who played the princess "Fred", she brought so much warmth to the role, it was way beyond her tender years of maybe 13. She could really sing, really dance, and really brought the house down. All the kids on stage were great! Take a look at these videos, they will knock you out! Remember, they're all 11-13 years old!!!!

Mr. Rios and I volunteered at the concession stand. We were a good team!

THE FASTERS

2011-04-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

"This one's for all the teachers, the preachers, and the Star-Bellied Sneeches!" cries Dan McClure, guitar player feroshe as his band The Fasters took the stage Saturday night at Mt. Tabor Theater. Mr. Rios and I joined our friend Dan and his beautiful wife Noelle for an evening at the Mt. Tabor Theater, conveniently located 2 blocks from our home. Although I have lived in this neighborhood for almost 6 years, I have never been in this particular establishment before, although Greg has, once to see the old punk band Agent Orange.

Although you have to fight your way through piles of cigarette butts and spitting smokers outside, through a nightmarish hallway emblazoned with vulgar black light paintings, then sit through the first band's torturous, shallow and angsty mewling, Dan's band was totally worth it! The Fasters are tight, had a powerful guitar/bass/drum sound and funny lyrics!
They sing about education, useless degrees, needing to find a place to live, and breakfast cereal. They also have the coolest looking bass player ever! Tall, skinny, with huge aviator sunglasses and a very short mohawk, I thought he was awesome!

The spirit of rock and roll lived in that vile, black-lit hell hole!
The Fasters are a great new twist on old punk. And as they were mostly old enough to actually see shows when punk still actually existed, they KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, MAN! And maybe if we're all lucky, the first band, "Ugly Flowers" will take some lessons on how to write a song. Please!

Leathery

2011-04-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

Totally surreal watching Iggy Pop on American Idol last night. He's like an alarming leathery elf! And I was a little worried he was having a medical emergency at the end. I don't think Jennifer Lopez cares for the Igster.

In the Pool

2011-04-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hooray!!! I got an illustration in the Willamette Week!!! The nicest editor Ben Mollica gave me a last minute offer to come up with something by 4pm for a breaking news story! So exciting! All about Campaign Financing! I got three copies of the paper this morning!

I am thrilled to have my work in the paper alongside my friend and extremely talented artist Jonathan Hill. I'm honored to be in the WW pool, swimming with such beautiful fish!

Another version of the illo:

Ta-Ta, Transparency!!!! Hello World! xo

Bluejean Baby

2011-04-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

Me (center), Aunt Caroline (left) and my Mom Karin (right) circa 1976

Hey hey, I'm blogging for Melange! Check HERE for the latest post about my uber-love for 70's style! And while you're at it, enjoy this lovely video:

Portland House Series: SE Lincoln st.

2011-03-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

Portland is chock-full of works of art you can live in. It is truly amazing how many gorgeous, solid 100+ year-old craftsman houses fill this fair city, making it even more fair! Neighborhood after neighborhood in all 4 quadrants of the city are filled with different beautifully designed craftsman houses! Also gorgeous old houses in the Victorian, farmhouse and Federal styles! I walk every day of the week with Darling Faye through many of these neighborhoods, and between the ancient, mossy, huge amazing TREES to the stunning OLD HOUSES, I am blown away!!!!!!!!!
I've decided to make a few prints of the wonderful houses -- concentrate on the shapes and blocks of color they display so proudly. Honestly, the Museum of Life is best though, do yourself a favor and take a long walk through the SE Hawthorne/Division neighborhood. The different architectural elements in the porch designs, or eaves, or chimneys are truly charming!

Love Cannon

2011-03-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

I DO love Cannon Beach! Somehow Mr. Rios and I were able to get the heck out of town and spend 3 beautiful ( and sometimes stormy ) days at the dazzling Oregon coast. Without child and with dog.
Fun!

(See "A-line" for a discussion of my coast trip style issues.)

"The Inn at Cannon Beach" is our favorite dog-friendly hotel situated on the south side of Cannon Beach, away from the main tourist strip. The hotel is beautiful -- wood paneled, modern glass sculptures, cozy fireplaces, and awesome cookies in the lobby! It's also immaculately clean, has a great DVD rental list, views of the ocean, and a courtyard complete with fairy lights and koi pond. The whole neighborhood is great, lots of beautiful new beach houses that have great design, cute little markets and coffee shops, it's changed a lot recently and looks wonderful. Now I just need to get rid of my fear of tsunamis. I'm constantly noting where the "tsunami evacuation route" signs are pointing so I'll know where to go. Basically, you just go up.

As you drive from the main part of town towards the south end there is an absolutely jaw-dropping view of Haystack Rock on the way. It rivals any coastal view I've ever seen. Truly magnificent!

Right across the street from the hotel is the BEST LITTLE BAKERY called "Waves of Grain" where the
Raisin Bran muffin is coated with a killer butter/sugar/espresso glaze! And don't forget to try a chocolate chip cookie, you will die. Also, the carrot cake is amazing. Can you tell I've eaten too much there?

Mr. Rios and I were surprised and delighted by the lack of crowds, the quaint streets of Cannon Beach and Manzanita only peppered with a few souls like ourselves, congratulating each other on our luck to catch the frequent sun breaks on various verandas, over various beers. Delicious! We braved the very cold beach countless times in my TRUSTY DOWN JACKET and Darling Faye was perfectly behaved. She didn't eat anyone's lunch or run into the street--NOT ONCE! Good Faye!!!

A great place to shop at the coast is at UNFURL in Manzanita! We love this shop's great clothes and amazing shoes for men and women! An unexpected fashion source, better even than most Portland stores. Plus the owners are the cutest and the sweetest! This time through Greg scored a great pair of men's sneaks for $22, on super-sale from $65! I got some terrific-smelling soap. But I have a hankering after their natural abelone and pearl earrings, also several tops I saw, and of course their wonderful stick perfumes!

We also took a hike through Oswald West forest to the beach. The trails there are through old growth forest, and are densely and richly filled with entire waterfalls of giant ferns, huge rotting fallen trees with entire fern walls growing out of their root systems. Mossy banks and banana slugs. Freezing cold rushing streams and slippery rocks. Beautiful driftwood logs. It's heaven!

All in all, a successful voyage for the Rios troupe. Child enjoyed several days with Grammie in Eugene. Perfection all around!!

First Farmer's Market Post!!!

2011-03-25T08:07:00.000-07:00

Dave Adamshick, Social Network Guru of the Portland Farmer's Market, and all-around BON VIVANT, has posted my profile for the Portland Farmer's Market on Heidi Ho Organics!

Check it out here on the Farmer's Market Website, and give their delicious cheezes a try!

We'll Miss You Velvet!

2011-03-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

Glorious, brilliant, stunning original Elizabeth Taylor has passed. From her tremulous, other-wordly portrayal of Velvet Brown to this intense role with the inimitable Monty Clift in "Place in the Sun" she's dazzled me since I was a girl. She was an incredible actress with range and a delivery all her own. Her beauty, style and infamous marriages to uber-hottie Richard Burton made us all crazy. Love you Liz, say hello to heaven for us!

A Morning on Top of the World (and in the loving arms of Gouda cheeze)

2011-03-21T07:04:00.000-07:00

Well little did I know what delightful adventure awaited me the day before yesterday when I woke up at 5am! (cat walking on me, demanding breakfast.)

Saturday was the opening day of the Portland Farmer's Market near Portland State University. It was a beautfiul morning after weeks of rain, and I was planning on visiting my friend Dave Adamshick, social networking guru of the Market. Dave wanted to introduce me to one of the market's newest vendors "Heidi Ho Organics" a local vegan food company that reportedly made a delicious vegan cheeze. This challenging assertion intrigued me -- would their product stand up to my taste test? They must have pleased the Market taste testers in order to become a vendor, but I'm really picky.
Dave had asked me to write a profile on this new vendor for the market's website, understanding that I might have a special passion and interest in this difficult vegan undertaking, and might have a better perspective than a dairy-enthusiast.

I eat vegan cheeze every day. However, the only vegan cheeze I like is the "Follow Your Heart" cheddar. I've heard that Daiya makes a great cheeze, but it's so expensive, and only comes in shreds! I like the block cheeze so I can cut it as Iike.And until now I haven't had much choice.

Let's face it, during the beginnings of vegan dairy alternatives, cheeze was often, well... terrible. No real cheese-eater would convert based on taste, that's for sure.
But these days the most WONDERFUL vegan alternatives are coming from dedicated young chefs, and it seems every week there is some new delicious faux meat or
ice cream, or baked good, so this new vendor had me excited to try their wares!

But before I could get to any of that I had to first, of course, choose my "Going to the Opening Day of the Farmer's Market" outfit, and get Faye the dog leashed up, because we were going to take this opportunity to explore some of southwest Portland at the same time!

After some consideration I wore: dark jeans tucked into boots (so sick of the jeans/boots combo by now, but it's still freezing cold and I am going to walk the dog, fancy flats just won't do... see my other blog "A-line" for further analysis of this issue). As a nod to the advent of SPRING (!), and the fact that it's a farmer's market...

I needed something sort of sweet, folksy, as a nod to the market, but not too folksy, god knows, we left that behind in Eugene (!), definitely modern, urban, but not too "done" because for God's sake it is a Saturday morning.

So, I decided on an orange silk floral blouse from Anthropologie, with a cream-colored short-sleeve cardigan over it. I wore my hair down, and an eastern- looking pendant at the last minute. Reddish lips and my thigh-length army coat over it all, soft orange inifinity scarf in the bag, just in case, and I was ready to start the day's adventure!

Faye and I arrived at the market early enough to find great parking near the university, and hit the streets for a good hill walk before meeting Dave. We walked up through campus, crossed the almost-deserted freeway off ramp (love the weekend mornings--no traffic! Very few people! ), met a sweet older gentleman and his adorable dog, and then discovered.... a long, steep, very old and mossy flight of stairs up straight up the hillside.

I've taken stairs like these in northwest Portland, they are public and rigorous to climb and always result in astounding views of the city and mountains beyond. You also get interesting glimpses into hillside backyard areas, unseen by most. There is wildlife, and overgrown flowering bushes, and did I mention moss? It's often breathtakingly beautiful! Like a secret world above the city.

Faye and I enjoyed climbing to the top, and took in the majestic views (such a beautiful morning!), and then headed back down to the market.

It was absolutely lovely at the market. Clean, uncrowded, and the sky such a fresh, bright blue. Bunches of beautiful flowers, booths of delicious baked goods, cheeses, jams, beeswax, it was very pretty. I purchased vegan pastries and a beeswax candle for Cora (oops! not vegan!). Then it was time to meet Dave, and I caught up with him filming a segment at the Sassafras booth. We then ambled over to meet Lyssa Story, manager of Heidi Ho Organics.

Poor vegan cheeze, always the hopeless rival. When asked to try vegan cheeze, real cheese eaters are often scoff. And it's true, there really is no substitution for the best dairy cheeses, (especially if they're French.) However.... we CAN get awesome flavor and texture and a delicious daily substitute, one that does not oppress animals and that actually promotes health rather than clogging our hearts vital arteries, and after trying their samples I am thrilled to announce that Heidi Ho Organics has proved it!!!!!

I was astounded by the sudden and fierce flavor of their Feta Cheeze samples, followed by the delicious Chipotle Cheddar and then the amazing Smoked Gouda. Here is how they describe the Gouda:

Rich, buttery, and slightly sweet, this cheeze is an uplifting shade of yellow and has a smooth, creamy texture that develops with a mild smoky aroma and finishes with a uniquely intense flavor that is reminiscent of caramelized butterscotch and smoldering hickory embers.

I couldn't agree more, it was kick-ass and I bought some!

Arms filled with purchases, energized by my hillside walk and super-fun chat with Dave, not to mention a tired dog waiting to return home, I set off to my car, smiling to myself. The capper? A friendly stranger said to me while passing, "Your hair has a nice bounce to it!"

Perfect!

THIS IS DEFINITELY IT.

2011-03-16T15:29:00.000-07:00

The title don't lie. Michael Jackson's final film "This is It" tells the simple, brilliant, devastating truth. And ironically, it's in this masterpiece finale that I finally fall in love with Michael Jackson. Of course I love the Jackson 5 hits, and "Billie Jean" and a couple of other hits from that era, but I never cared for"Thriller", and anything released after that was just boring! Too 80's! No soul! But this amazing show-- these shows that would have been, are sheer genius.
Post child-scandals, post baby-dangling, post drug-addled court appearances, and rumors gone wild, Michael Jackson shows up for rehearsal after rehearsal, totally together. Totally on and inspired, even at half-voice for rehearsal. He is faultlessly coordinated, soulful, perfect. His dancers ROCK. The film version of Thriller is beyond wonderful, the incredible costume design and coreography kicks the old Thriller's ASS, in my opinion. It's a funky fantasy that's totally modern and hip.
I dare you to watch this movie and not bust at least ONE move.

A-Line!

2011-03-02T13:02:00.000-08:00

Hey, hey, I have a NEW BLOG people! It's called "A-Line" and it is about Fashion. Art. Life. I'm excited to start a daily dispatch from the streets and the internet about the style I see, the art I notice, and how to dress to look ten pounds thinner. No lie!
Since I have finished my time at Powell's Books, I am writing for a fashion website called Melange, and taking the opportunity to write about my creative process. Look for PHOTOS and FILM by my daughter Cora Rios, I might play a song or two...and lots and lots of commentary!

Aurevoir Mon Ami!

2011-02-26T06:50:00.000-08:00

Transition indeed! I am changing my career trajectory, and aiming at writing, and art. After nearly 3 years I'm moving on from Powell's. I have thoroughly enjoyed my commute across the river, biking across bridges, driving through northwest, walking through downtown.I have marveled at the sheer mass of crowd that fills Powells every day, and thrilled at each celebrity sighting. But now those very things, (except for celebrity sightings) charming though they were, are starting to wear me out, and I feel ready for a job closer to home.
Although of course, I must honor my beautiful Powell's family and my amazing time there. Are you KIDDING? IT'S POWELL'S! I'm sooo lucky. To all my new friends that I had so many charming conversations with...all over the store, I will miss you! I have some unique and fabulous memories, snapshots of working at Powell's, that I will think about proudly. Favorite scenes around the store: deep in the Gold Room Cave, sorting mass markets for hours, listening to Queen or ELO or some awesome 60's girl group, BLASTING. And the inflammatory banter! Somehow in there the F-Bomb is perfection.
The quiet corner of anthropology in the Purple Room-- hardly any customers in there, beautiful windows and very interesting books. A peaceful respite from the rest of the store.
Middle Readers in the Rose Room. Magical books with none of the short skirts and sex from across the aisle in young adult. Redwall! Little House! Roald Dahl! Oz books! Even Julie Andrews wrote middle readers. I have a killer 1972 version of "Mandy"!
I also loved shelving in lit. The Blue Room smells bookish and feels warmer, the books feel closer in. It's a little dark, but the books themselves are delicious. Love the disheveled, overflowing Dickens section. Love the indignity of shoving Philippa Gregory next to Graham Greene.
I loved it all, and I'm so grateful to have met so many AMAZING, TALENTED souls!
Favorite place in the store? the 4th floor corner meeting room. A little glass room, perched high on the side of 11th and Couch with views of the Freemont Bridge and the West Hills. Gorgeous in any weather, I always looked forward to any meeting.

I am looking fondly at my little french books in aisles 817 and 818, Red Room, Powell's City of Books, and saying goodbye. We both sigh sadly, but promise to remember the good times we had. I loved my little french aisle at Powell's, and faithfully maintained its lovely, rarified air. I made Simone de Beauvoir displays, Victor Hugo displays (totally cool 60's 3 volume paperback set of "Les Miserables" available now! Alexander Jardin displays (complete with "Le Zebre" Zebra shelf-talker!) Tolkein displays of "Bilbo le Hobbit". George Simenon, Fred Vargas! Then of course the beloved children's books and young adult. Aurevoir Harry Potter et la Chambre de Secrets!

It is time to move on, I am going to be writing for the tres chic boutique "Melange" and their fabulous website. Check it out! My love of fashion has only grown since I've moved to Portland. Clothing design and styling has always been an interest, and I can't wait to write about the
gorgeous fashion, and at the same time eliminate my commute! Quelle Chance!

Stay tuned for fashionable postings, and a personal photo challenge.

Transition

2011-02-23T04:38:00.000-08:00

From plastic flowers in the window of Porque No Taqueria, to the real thing in a couple of weeks. There are already daffodils waving against the sharp wind. It's a time of transition for the world and for me! I am hunkering down and hatching plans of beauty for the forthcoming warmth.

Rejoice in the Acorn

2011-02-17T13:57:00.000-08:00

Get ready to eat one of the best dishes of your life. "Roasted Stuffed Squash with Almondetta and Spinach." This hearty, sweet yet OH-so savory, creamy-yet-structured dish will make you hum while you eat it, and also impress your neighbors at the next potluck!

This killer vegan recipe comes from the new cookbook "the Veganopolis Cookbook" by David Stowell and George Black. They used to have the best vegan restaurant in Portland called "Veganopolis" on SW 4th street. Unfortunately for us they decided to move back to Chicago, but at least we get this wonderful cookbook! No reservations required!

Here's the how-to:

Squash ingredients

2 acorn squash, halved, seeds and fibrous material scooped out
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 shallots, peeled and very finely diced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/3 c diced red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 c dry breadcrumbs, divided1 pound fresh spinach, chopped
1 c /Almondetta (recipe follows)

Almondetta (make first)

2 c almonds, chopped and soaked in hot water for one hour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 c (plus 2 tablespoons for later) water
2 tablespoons agar or arrowroot powder, or cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons bread crumbs
1 pinch cayenne pepper

Place all ingredients (except 2 tablespoons water and agar powder) in a food processor, pulse 3 times
then puree until smooth.
Wisk agar powder and 2 tablespoons water in a saucepan), heat until thickened. Add this liquid to the almond mixture, blend, and pout into a glass bowl. Put in refrigerator until needed.

Squash

1. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking dish with parchment paper.

2.Use 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to lightly oil the insides of the squash halves and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3.Arrange the squash halves face up in the prepared baking dish and roast for 45 minutes.

4.Heat the remaining olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the diced shallots and saute until softened.

5.Add the oregano, diced red bell pepper, garlic, nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs. Saute for a few minutes.

6. Add the chopped spinach. Cook until the spinach is fully wilted and most of the moisture is gone.

7.Stir in the Almondeta. Remove from the heat.

8. When the squash halves are finished roasting, remove the pan from the oven and lower the heat to 350 degrees.

9. Divide the spinach mixture among the squash halves,moundingit up a bit on top with a rounded spoon or scoop. Sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs on top.

10. Bake for 15 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are browned nicely.

11. Remove the stuffed squash halves from the oven, plate, and serve.

12. Be prepared for bliss.

Relentless

2011-02-15T13:25:00.000-08:00

Oregon is a rain forest, after all. Moss will coat any surface, and most verdantly wherever there isn't much sun.

In the forest the moss is brilliant, soft, the perfect fairy forest carpet. The only time the green velvet loses any of its beauty is when it is coating some sign of human squalor. Few things are as depressing as a moss-coated trailer home. When driving sometimes past mossy clearings with mildewed shacks and algae-covered broken cars in the driveway, I always wonder if the forest will close over and reclaim its hold on the surroundings before anyone will stop it

It's Getting Hot in Here

2011-02-14T09:37:00.000-08:00

Way to go Melange! The look? Luxury Casual. The way you wish you looked everyday. At their recent "Affairs of the Heart" fashion show in Eugene Melange Boutique hosted quite a lively event. The clothes were lovely, the models were beautiful and the firemen were....naked? While my eyes were on the clothes (honest), other eyes were absorbing the arresting sight of a buff, shirtless young fireman. The fact that there was also chocolate on every table in the hall made the perfect trifecta of female desire.
Martha Harvell, fashion czarina of Melange looked as cool and gorgeous as ever, and threw quite a backstage party for the models and myself. Thank you Martha!
you can visit Melange here.

How to Make a Dumpster Charming

2011-02-10T11:28:00.000-08:00

I saw this dapper gentleman near my house, gracing a dumpster. It has a strong Love and Rockets flavor, calling to mind an older Speedy or Ray.
XOXO Hoppers

Employee SPOTLIGHT!

2011-02-07T15:42:00.000-08:00

Merci mille fois and a thousand more thanks to Gigi Little, marketing maven at Powell's Books. She has so kindly shown the Powell's Employee Spotlight on myself and my work. Displayed on the mezzanine, right outside the blue room, my wall of infamy is bright and bold. Gigi is a wonderful writer herself and has a blog here "Ut Omnia Bene". It includes the interview below, and has all kinds of other points of interest, regarding writing, art and la vie a Portland!

Gigi: How long have you worked at Powell’s?

DR: I’ve worked at Powell’s for 2 ½ years now! I started as a cashier, then moved to a Generalist position, and am now in charge of the French section. I post a blog on Powells.com about the most interesting French books both new and out of print that come into the store.

me: Has working at Powell’s or being around books had an influence on your art?

DR: Oh yes, I’ve made several prints of Powell’s itself, and am constantly inspired by the books and what they’re made of. As well as the beautiful covers of course, I love the delicious papers, old typeface, and lovely old ink illustrations in the books. New books are such a glossy, decadent treat, but the old books are my favorites--dusty, foxed, and with that bookish smell. I’m working on a very large print of a big stack of old books right now.

Gigi: Which book has made a profound impression on your life?

DR: I would say Traveler by Richard Adams. I loved the books Watership Down and The Plague Dogs by him, so I tried Traveler which, strangely enough, is told from the perspective of Robert E. Lee’s horse in the Civil War. I learned so much about the Civil War and completely fell in love with Robert E. Lee and Abraham Lincoln. This led me to read several books about Lincoln and the Civil War which led me to love American history, which led to an interest in European history and now I’m a huge history buff and can’t get enough of the 1700 and 1800’s. And it all came from that one book told by a horse.

me: What are you reading right now?

DR: High on Arrival by McKenzie Phillips. It’s sad, but a really interesting snapshot of the 1970’s boho scene, which, being a hippy kid from Southern California, I can relate to.

me: Are you willing to identify a cheesy book that you like?

DE: There are so many! How about Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico? It was made into a movie with Angela Lansbury! There’s nothing like a salty old London Char woman to make you smile. You know he also wrote The Poseidon Adventure? He had real range!

Gigi: What is your ultimate goal with your art?

DR: I want to sell my illustrations to national magazines and newspapers. I think my style would lend itself very well to editorial art. I would also love to do a children’s book with my stencils. I have one started called “Lulu in Paris” that I will shop around.

Gigi: Who do you feel are the biggest influences on your art?

DR: Definitely early commercial art and turn of the century poster art from Paris--Toulouse Lautrec, that kind of thing. Also, I used to be a street artist, putting my stencils on walls until I was caught. So other street artists still influence me, but my work is a little softer than what I have seen come from other spray paint artists. More bears, horses, and French angel dogs, than is usually done.

Gigi: Do you have anything exciting on the horizon?

DR: I just got back from a trip to New York where I met with Disney/Hyperion and Penguin/Dutton publishers. They were excited about my unusual style and gave me a list of artist reps to contact. I am submitting work to local publications as well as national ones, so stay tuned for exciting developments. I’m looking forward to 2011!

All images: copyright Diane Rios.

Bring on the New Guard!

2011-02-04T07:34:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful young man. I'm so excited for the new generations to stand up and change the world!

Scorched Splendor

2011-02-01T11:13:00.000-08:00

A while ago I was walking through beautiful northwest Portland and passed this dramatic sight. The lovely historic house is like a giant spent matchstick. So strange how even the scrolled columns are still intact, just smoked with soot. Beautiful in a Goth sort of way.

Happy War Day to You!

2011-01-29T12:28:00.000-08:00

This country is crazy. During the holidays I saw this decidedly UN-festive Nutcracker who is apparently off to Afghanistan to shoot some Al Quaida terrorists. Oh my God. A Nutcracker?! Going to war?! That is the craziest thing I've ever seen. And you put this where? On the mantel for the kids to enjoy?!

Then the other day I was shopping for my daughter's birthday decorations and I came across the CAMO BIRTHDAY party accoutrements. What is going on here?! Do we really want to dress up our little children on their birthday as soldiers, men and women who often are critically injured and die? Don't get me wrong, I support the troops. They ARE heroes and much braver than I am, but is a little kids birthday party the place to take a stand against terrorism? Does it really warm the heart to see them in their little paper camo hats blowing camo noisemakers and wiping the cake off their face with cammo napkins? To me, it's a disgusting use of an innocent, care-free celebration to promote a violent act. It seems that war-images, references and camo-style pop up in the most ridiculously inappropriate places these days. I don't feel that as a country we really understand why we're at war in the first place. It's so far away, and for the American without a family member in the armed forces it hardly affects us at all. No sacrifices, no change in our daily lives. To slap camouflage on a Christmas Nutcracker and a little kid's birthday party decorations seems repugnant from a holiday point of view, but also from the troop's point of view. Is this how we "participate"? Is this how Americans really go to war?

She is Rock

2011-01-27T09:16:00.000-08:00

This band is one of America's treasures. The Yeah Yeah Yeah's tear it up.

Cora Cartoon

2011-01-21T13:55:00.000-08:00

A Fierce Desire

2011-01-20T07:37:00.000-08:00

Transformation. That's what life is, what no one can stop. Over millennia life adapts, its constant river swirls around obstacles put in its path to form new shapes, new ways to keep living. It's amazing. And no less on a more minute scale. In our own particular little tiny slice of life I am watching my daughter evolve. Cora turned 13 yesterday. I am astounded when I look at her, eye to eye, she's every bit as tall as I am. Her astute assessment of the world around her, her wry commentaries on society, her kindness to her friends. She is evolving at a lightning speed. The world is lucky to have her, it is a better place with her in it. Although she has her own obstacles in her life's path, her own lessons to learn and temptations to resist, I see her river already swirling around them.

Coffee Above the Clouds

2011-01-18T16:57:00.000-08:00

Is there any place cozier than a lodge built in 1937, six thousand feet up a snowy mountain on a winter's night? Especially after spending a half an hour in the outdoor hot tub, moon overhead, and winter winds lashing snow flakes into your hair. I felt like one of those macaque monkeys in the snowy hot springs. But the monkeys don't get to dry off and have delicious beer afterwards. I'm so glad I'm not a monkey!

Timberline is truly a heavenly place. The enormous hand-hewn wood beams and staircases, wrought iron fixtures handmade furniture and stained glasswork, the beautiful paintings and tile mosaics...it is all delicious. Our little cozy room looked right out the front of the lodge into the snow-swept valley and indigo pines. In the morning I crept down to the embers in the huge lobby fireplace, before any other guests and availed myself of the hot coffee already there. I cracked open the last Jane Austen novel, "Sanditon" the one she died while writing, and settled in to wait for the breakfast buffet. Ahhh, this is the beautiful northwest life!

Self Portrait

2011-01-09T15:46:00.000-08:00

Bonjour, here I am in all the splattered glamor of spray paint. I am making family portraits in stencils, Cora's is especially fun, I will post it upon completion. She makes a lovely cartoon! My favorite though is a large print of all of us which when finished I will frame and hang in the living room.

The truth might make you angry, but it will still save your life

2011-01-06T12:18:00.000-08:00

A Metropolitain Christmas Wonderland all tied up in a diamond bow from Fendi

2010-12-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

Ok, so New York is nearly everything. Paris still wins, but just barely. Now I'm left wondering, why does anyone live anywhere else? 4 days in the beautiful, bedecked, bedazzled City has left me yearning for more interesting digs. New York has it all, even drowning in Xmas tourists, even freezing its full-length-fur-coated behind off, even demanding every last cent for you to breathe its rarefied air. Sign me up!
We spent our days bundled to the gills, but soaking in the bright sunshine. We had the incredible luck, thanks to dear friends, to stay in the spectacular Brooklyn Heights neighborhood, right on the waterfront with the giant buildings of lower Manhattan about 800 feet away across the river. Reflecting morning sunshine, gleaming lights at night, they were there amidst the tugboats and helicopters, nestled between the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty, visible a little ways to the left. I sat in the window with countless cups of coffee and bagels, and dreamed, communing with New York City, thanking the gods and musing on he possibilities out there.
Speaking of possibilities thanks to another dear friend who is also a magical, successful writer, I got to have a meeting in Soho with Penguin/Dutton children's books, and at Union Square with Disney/Hyperion children's books, my own copy of "Dizzy's Dream" in tow. The meetings went fabulously, I received a warm receiption and all kinds of great advice, suggestions, referrals and inspiring direction. Stay tuned for much anticipated developments, I am quite optimistic that 2011 is going to be a very good year. I capped off the possibility-list by dropping my portfolio off at the New York Times! It is there as I write, keep your virtual fingers crossed. My delightful friend also took me to a super fun book party at the "Book of Wonders" bookstore, celebrating its 30 year anniversary. What a charming store! A full-length glass case full of collectible Oz books caught my eye,( including one signed edition selling for $75,000!) I met all sorts of children and young adult writers, and Peter the owner was so hospitable and jolly and regaled us with hilarious bris stories!
We had a magic afternoon in Central Park. All the leaves are off the trees so you can see all of the huge, beautiful buildings around it. I ice skated with my friend Bill and his wonderful daughter Jane, I marveled at how cute everyone seemed to be in their puffy winter wear, although not so cute in their full-length fur coats. I saw the Children's Gate as written about by Adam Gopnik. And everywhere, Christmas decorations, garlands, music, lights. Unbelievable!
Then we took in all the crazy wonderful Xmas windows down 5th avenue. 5th Avenue was Humanity Insanity. Thousands of people. But sooo exciting! Bergdorf Goodman's Xmas windows are true art, a sparkling Jules Verne holiday fantasy. We made it to the NY Public Library, huge lions and everything. Their Xmas tree is gorgeous. Then we

subwayed back to Brooklyn for a wonderful latke dinner at Gayle's, all of us --Bill Kate, the kids and the Forman Tuckers together for the first time. And Willa singing the Hanukkah song! It was a soul-bolstering evening.

We saw the Lion King. It moved me to tears! The singing is outstanding, the art direction amazing. I mean of course it is, being Broadway and all, but what a treat! And Times Square has become the wierdest, most futuristic Blade-Runner candy-coated, giant flat-screened wonder of all. I can only handle that in small doses.
We went to the Met. First we tried to warm up by running up 5th avenue, but my legs got tangled up in Cora's long legs and I FELL DOWN. I left a bit of skin on 5th Avenue, to remember me by. Then we moved over to Madison Avenue to escape the bitter wind and for me to cuddle my throbbing wrist, and wow, what a neighborhood!! The incredible penthouses, the scrolling cornices, the rich and the wealthy, the ancient stone churches, and... OWEN WILSON! He biked right by us on the sidewalk! Cora was in heaven.
The Met was its own huge, glorious self. What I loved more than the Picassos, Van Goughs and Gaugins were the 18th century French furnishings and porcelain. How delightful, how delicate, how delicious. I took tons of photos of vases and urns, crazy armoires with steel bullheads and hooves. Ahhh, the whimsy of it all. They even had an entire Parisian storefront that they'd resurrected inside!

Besides all of the wonder of Manhattan, Brooklyn has also captured my heart. The friendly people, the gourmet grocery store playing the best Xmas music, the electric Menoras everywhere, the lovely buildings and churches, I can't even describe how good it all feels, even in 30 degree weather. We got proficient at taking the subway back and forth from the City, the subway is not dirty and gritty like it used to be, it definitely has a cozy factor, very warm and for the most part full of kind people. And people from everywhere! All kinds! All ages! Living in Oregon you get used to two kinds of people. White 20-somethings and White 50-somethings. What a relief to see the rest of humanity! Hello humanity!
I know I'm late to the party. They've been making those "I heart NY" tee shirts for decades. But I do heart it, with a new passion, and it's never too late to create a new adventure.

"A large city cannot be experientially known: its life is too manifold for any individual to be able to participate in it." - Aldous Huxley

2010-11-22T07:03:00.000-08:00

This year I have found so much inspiration walking through the neighborhoods of this beautiful city. When I drive to work I intentionally park really far away in Northwest Portland so I can enjoy the walk in. I put on my headphones and listen to great music from Nat King Cole, or The Thievery Corporation, or even the Bee Gees, and I drink in the splendor of the grand brick apartment buildings, great old trees with such huge leaves and ferns growing out of the branches, the stone churches and cozy, historic streets. Then there is downtown Portland that stretches east with hip new modern skyscrapers behind beautifully designed vintage brick. If you're lucky there might be a pinkish tint to the sky reflecting in all that new glass. The details of the buildings are magnificent, whether it's a rusty old fire escape or the brick cornice on a machine shop. I love this beautiful place!

Video Happiness Pill

2010-11-15T10:06:00.001-08:00

Once again, the animal show us what it's all about. xo

"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work... I want to achieve it by not dying." -- Woody Allen

2010-11-07T15:51:00.000-08:00

The latest portrait

High on Fumes

2010-10-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

I had to work in the basement today because of the rain, but here are two of the latest results!

The beautiful Union Station and the also beautiful Decemberists.

My Dear Friend Lulu

2010-10-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

After 19 years my dear friend Lulu has passed away. I miss her terribly, she was there for me through all the good and difficult times of my late twenties into my early forties. That is a lot of history, and she gave me love and companionship all long the way. She was adored by all of us, what a special soul! When I was pregnant with Cora Lulu used to keep me company while I bathed. Sometimes she would sit on my belly with the steamy water all around. She slept on my pillow for years. When I went through my fear of flying, and when I performed with the band and had stage fright, Lulu would comfort me. She never got sick, in all those years. She was steadily cheerful and forgiving of baby hands pulling on her fur.
Lulu was my dear friend and an example of good humor and kindness. I was lucky to live with her for all that time. I love you Lulu!

"Cry to the angels, And let them swallow you, Go and part the sea, yeah, in Malibu" -- Hole

2010-10-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

Our moment of Zen? Cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway between Malibu and Santa Monica, Palm trees and beach houses flashing by, Fleetwood Mac blasting on the radio. It doesn't get much better than that!

Four days of 80 degree weather in blousey tops and sandals, riding bikes along the Venice boardwalk, drinking beer on the Santa Monica 3rd street promenade, seeing friends in Palos Verdes. Eating vegan muffins and smelling the sweet spicy scent of Eucalyptus trees in Topanga Canyon. Truly California Perfection. My amazing grandmother perched in her old folks home aerie patio on 15th street, reminiscing over lemonade about the good old days of motorcycle rides and sailing trips. My favorite aunt Caroline calling "Yahoo!" when we knocked on her condo door. And the most-hospitable hotel staff greeting us, "Welcome back Mrs. Rios". "Have a great day Mr. Rios". We could get used to that!
I love California. Santa Monica is a magic pearl by the sea. Even the crazy collagen lips I saw at the "El Chollo" restaurant couldn't dim the wonder.

Splendor in Spray Paint

2010-10-05T06:53:00.000-07:00

Fresh work, of the historic and the newly minted. Regardez! The brilliantly enervating Portland band The Gossip, in all their glory.

And the beautiful Bagdad Theater, warmly welcoming in its benevolent glow.

French is the language that turns dirt into romance. -- Stephen King

2010-09-12T08:56:00.000-07:00

Merveilleux! Another post of "Le Blog Francais" at Powells.com is ready for your viewing pleasure! Clickez et Amusez-Vous Bien! xo

The People

2010-09-08T08:43:00.000-07:00

Portraits of the famous, more to follow. Can you tell who they are? Hint: two French, two Americans and one very handsome Brit.

Peggy's a Hottie

2010-08-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

I just finished this portrait of Peggy Seeger for my friend Nick's blog "Ghost Capital". I'm doing a series of portraits using the spray paint stencil technique, and I will post them here shortly. Stay tuned, and check out Nick's remarkable music blog!

Rock Out to Walk Out!

2010-08-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

Hey Hey comrades, feast your eyes on this pearl of musical wisdom, THE LITTLE RED ALBUM sponsored by our own union, the inimitable ILWU LOCAL 5. The dedicated efforts of Gold Room Guru Bryan Bingold and the smoothest union vice president ever Ryan Takas have resulted in a glorious collection of workers songs that you can now own! 11 songs written by various workers of yore, Joe Hill most notably, and reinvented by 10 Powell's bands including my own solo project Lovejoy are ready for sale. The liner notes were written by none other than our working man's hero and uber hottie BILLY BRAGG, and the songs include numbers by Nate Ashbury and the Picknicking Friends, Michael Ford, The Legendary Black Mark Savage, and Ay, Claudia! A project of love, brotherhood and ferocious tenacity, to be sure.
Check the Mercury's interview with Union board president Ryan Van Winkle HERE.

Come buy your own copy of the cd and attend the very exciting downtown concert next Friday, August 27th at the Cleaners SW Stark and 10th, at the Ace Hotel from 5pm -2am! The proceeds from the cd sales and the concert will benefit the union's strike fund and celebrate their ten year birthday.

"Let the workers organize. Let the toilers assemble. Let their crystallized voice proclaim their injustices and demand their privileges. Let all thoughtful citizens sustain them, for the future of Labor is the future of America." -- John Lewis

DIZZY'S DREAM by Diane Rios

2010-07-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

Dizzy's Dream by Diane Rios | Make Your Own Book

Tootle-OOOT! The book is finally finished and electronically here for your enjoyment. "Dizzy's Dream" is on its way to publishers across the nation. Keep your fingers crossed and your thoughts light, and please take a minute to peruse a sneak preview of the Dream itself.
xoxo D

Oh,Taxi!

2010-07-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo I took with friend and colleague John Stevenson. It was taken in front of a green screen inside Powell's City of Books. You can get one too, come on down!

John is holding a great middle reader called "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jaqueline Kelly. You don't have to be a kid to love it, I did!

Hippie Party in the Woods!

2010-07-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

It's been a few years since my last trip to the unparalleled hippie extravaganza The Country Fair. I grew up at the fair, sporting face paint and bell bottoms, marching along in the parade alongside the legendary luminaries of Hippie Yore. The Reverend Chumleigh (who I assisted once onstage), The Flying Karamazov Brothers, and the Midnight Show continue to dazzle people with their irreverent (and often nude) performances.

I spent 10 years working at the venerable food booth "The Tofu Palace", alongside food maven Toby Alves and all our fabulous friends. This time I returned as a civilian, only for a day, with mom and child. The fair is beautiful, all banners and pretty booths, aged trees and mossy paths, but there are alarming sights that one must try to avoid.

Watch out for fat hairy, nearly naked men who enjoy a pressing crowd. Nevermind that they might be wearing "festive" sparkle paint or have peacock feathers in their loincloth waistband.

But the Butterfly Queen was friendly, as well as the Pink Flamingos and the Dragon. We saw an amazing acrobatic troop called Kazoum who are from Portland (!). Very Cirque du Soleil, and what a great band they had, too! And we saw the Karamazov's perfom at the Main Stage, they were charming and silly as ever, even with two new guys.
A pleasant country interlude, spent eating veggie tamales and drinking iced tea.

Our wonderful Oregon summer is really here.

Bon Anniversaire a moi!

2010-07-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

at the Mt. Tabor dog park

Well, I had another birthday. And it was delightful! Mr. Rios had to work, but I started out the day at the wonderful Mt. Tabor dog park. Gorgeous views! Gorgeous trees! Nature singing a happy birthday song to me!

Then the Child and I strolled over to Petite Provence on Division street to enjoy some incroyablement delicieux french pastries and then drove to Northwest Portland to enjoy some bourgeois shopping.

We stopped in at Cargo, a crazy asian import store. Cargo is a huge warehouse full of brightly colored items. You might want a fake moss-covered rock? Non? Then how about a bin full of old ma-jong tiles? Still no? Then you must want this plastic inflatable glove with a head inside of it and pop cans tied to the bottom! Ah- ha!
From there we proceeded up to 23rd street and ambled down the shady avenue, stopping in here and there.

Les Chaussures!

My own birthday present to myself came in the form of SOME SHOES. A creamy nude, soft, and deliriously Italian pair of shoes that make me feel like a movie star. Who says I'm getting old? At only 44? Pas moi!

Cora at Cargo

C'est Moi

After such a pleasant morning, we came home to eat delicious soyrizo burritos from Los Gorditos and watch the wonderful animated movie "9". What an adorable, clever and touching movie. Highly recommended! Then, we had my sister and her family over for some birthday cake, complete with silver candles, and fizzy drinks with pink paper straws. We ate too much, but since we're usually rather spartan in our eating habits, it felt pretty special. A lovely day, and hopefully the beginning of a lovely year.

Le Gateau

Hail the Portabello God

2010-07-09T10:53:00.000-07:00

First of all, let me thank my sweet friends who have emailed about my last post, hoping Greg is better and everything is ok. Not to worry! Greg is fine and everything is good. Summer is (finally) beautiful and we're making the most of it!
Now, I must share a most amazing, recent discovery. If there is heaven in food, this is it. This dish is EASY, QUICK and one of the MOST DELICIOUS things you've ever eaten. It's like Thanksgiving any day of the week. Once you've tasted the sauce on these mushrooms, you will triple the amount you make the next time and put it on everything. Even our 12 year-old begs for more. Try it and please let me know what you think!

1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Braggs
1/4 - 1/2 c water
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
4 large Portabello mushrooms, stems removed
1 medium onion, sliced

Prehat oven to 350 degrees. In a blender or food processor, blend the almonds until powdered. Add oil, Braggs, water, vinegar, garlic, rosemary, and oregano, and blend until well combined. In a large baking dish, place the mushrooms upside down and top with onions. Pour sauce over top and bake for 20 -25 minutes. Makes 2-4 servings.

YUM.

Redemption

2010-07-06T18:48:00.000-07:00

A week of confusion, chaos and ugly surprises has turned into a bit of a second honeymoon for me and Mr. Rios. We had planned a completely different sort of week. Plans were made for an endlessly amusing vacation. But alas, the Gods stepped in and thwarted our very best-layed plans. A bizarre and unpredictable series of events took place all beginning with an avocado pit. Greg attempted to best the pit with a knife, and lost. Two days before the trip, we found ourselves in the emergency room, stitching up Greg's finger. (The emergency waiting room is truly hell on earth. Frightening people in distress, waiting for hours and hours, suffering, coughing, hacking, rubbing their veins. I waited in the car, in the dark parking lot where it was very peaceful. At 12am, there was a balmy breeze whispering through the pine trees, and I slept. Very surreal.) At the end of his ordeal, the "kindly" nurses decided to give poor Greg a tetanus shot. Without any explanation of how this might affect him in the next few days. No warning. No questions like, do you have anything important to do tomorrow or the next day or the next? Just shoot and release.

The next day is the day I have to drive our child an hour down to Salem to meet my mother, who drove an hour up from Eugene thus sparing either party a four hour round trip commute. Pretty clever! Cora will stay with mom for 5 days while we have our special vacay. However, this is also the day when Greg falls terribly ill. Fever, shaking, weakness, pain. What could we possibly do? Did we really have to cancel everything? Everything was completely and perfectly set for our escape.. did we really have to cancel it all?
But you can't argue with the Fates, and Greg was definitely too ill to travel.
So... unpack, make the appropriate calls, and try to heal. THEN a completely unforeseen and terrible family event that I can't talk about took place. Devastating. A whole new set of concerns and chaos and emotional upheaval. All while Greg's ill, and we're scrambling to adapt. Total craziness. And... throughout it all, it rained. Rained and rained and rained which it has been doing steadily for the past 6 weeks.
And so, we coped. On the phone constantly, to family, and deciding how to use the next few days best. First, Greg must recover. Then... well, we had 5 days without children or work! This may never happen again! So, once the dust settled a bit, and he felt up to it we decided to have a Portland Stay-cation, and enjoy a bunch of the local things we've been "meaning to get to". And it's been wonderful.
Greg feels lots better (though his arm is still killing him!) and it the sun has finally graced the world with its warming rays. The birds are singing their (and my) joy.

Here are some of the things we've finally gotten to:

Slept all we wanted to.
Read the paper and had leisurely coffee with great jazz, every morning.
Walked together along 28th street, visited Una, Rad Summer, Butterscotch, and had coffee at the Bakery Bar on Glisan.
Went to the Farmer's Market
Fixed up the backyard with lights and plants and an outdoor rug, sat with delicious beers and watched the sun set.
Watched AMAZING home movies from my grand parents, complete with 1940's footage of my mother's christening day, and 1950's footage of my grandparents waterskiing on Lake Arrowhead. A whole blog post in itself!!!
Ate out on the patio at Por Que non? with the best chips in the world, chunky guacamole and more delicious beers. Sunshine, check.
Bought a new dress at Target.
and today.... we're off to Paradox cafe for a huge buckwheat pancake breakfast, then we're going to Dog Mountain, near Hood River, for a leisurely hike with Faye the dog.
Tomorrow... we'll stroll down Mississippi Avenue, have a dinner on some veranda and mourn the return to work on Wednesday.

(sigh) Being childless and workless for a week is actually medicinal. Life can be totally unpredictable sometimes, and shocking and difficult. What can you do but be as prepared as possible, and then just roll with the punches. My personal arsenal of coping skills are from the ORGANIZED/BRIGHT SIDE school of thought, and they see me through pretty well.
This next week is supposed to be in the 90's from Tuesday through Saturday. Making up for lost time, I guess. Stay cool.

Enchantee!

2010-07-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist it, there were too many fantastique finds in the french aisle, I've gone and blogged again HERE.
Read about Angela Davis's "Femmes, Race, et Classe", Burgess's "L'Orange Mecanique" and a do it yourself alpinist guide "Neige et Roc". Et beaucoup plus, bien sur!

Fanzanita

2010-06-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

Oh, I could die and drift right up to heaven in Manzanita. The mountain, the views, the soft moss on the iron-red rocks. The surfers (ahh, the surfers!), the gentle dunes. The pelicans! A magic place. Two nights at a cozy hotel, hot tub in the room, lots of vegan baked goods and mexican food. It's a tonic, a medicine, L'ELIXIR MAGIQUE!
Here is the beauty, as seen by a small digital device.

And look! We found Gayle's book "If I Stay" at the local bookstore!! xoxoxo

Magic in an Antwerp Train Station

2010-06-26T13:53:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things in the world. Unbelievable!

City at Night, and sewing!

2010-06-24T16:15:00.000-07:00

Portland is so beautiful, it takes my breath away. Working in Northwest and commuting from the east side I get to see downtown in all its glory, all times of day. The architecture in Portland is wildly diverse and truly lovely. There are glimpses of ancient plastered cornices and rusting, once-elegant fire escapes, nestled up next to a brand new shining blue glass building, complete with wind turbines on top. There are wooden water towers atop brick warehouses converted into upscale restaurants, next to a mom and pop carburetor shop that's got the original vintage signage still up. It's lovely, it's surprisingly lovely.

I took another sewing class, this time SEWING BASICS II!!! I took it at the wonderful shop "Joanne's Drygoods" on 11th and Washington. I highly recommend these classes, the teacher Elizabeth Miles is so helpful and really knows her stuff. I made a dress, but I'm still finishing the sash, so you have to wait to see it. In the meantime, here are some photos of Joanne's storefront, after class, and of the lovely buildings next door.