Postcard from Singapore

This is from Kathleen, who lives in Singapore and makes it a point to read at least one book per month.  She is a wedding cinematographer and has a blog.  She sent along a great quote, which is also featured in this beautiful picture on her blog.

It also came with this fabulous "Vanishing Trades" stamp.

I kind of love Kathleen.

Great Aunt Betty's Obit.

This is one of my grandmother's younger sisters.

Elizabeth Jane Whitmore MacDougall

October 15, 1920 - April 8, 2014

Betty was born in Portland to Helen (Hawes) and Raymond Whitmore, the sixth of 15 children.  Betty is survived by her children Dolores (Woods) Veenendaal and Dwayne Woods. 

To Betty, family was life's most important gift and she loved them all.  She enjoyed family occasions both big and small.

"Grannie" aka "The Great One" was thrilled to welcome her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.

Betty was a retired meat wrapper.  She was a skilled seamstress and ceramic painter.  She loved to crochet, a skill she learned from her mother.  She enjoyed gardening and having flowers in her backyard.  She also grew berries to make jam for her great-grandchildren.

Betty's memorial will be a party serving her favorite foods, chocolate, ice cream, Sprite and coffee.  All family and friends are welcome.

Catching insidious sexism in Parade Magazine.

Ah, the profile of real moms.

"It would be a lot harder if she didn't have so much help at home from her husband..."

Why is what the husband does at home "helping"?  Does he not live there too?  Does he also "babysit" his own children?  

Three sentence movie reviews: The Lego Movie

This was a second viewing for me (a first for Matt) and I found the movie just as funny upon repeat viewing.  We miscalculated, and attended a screening with very many children, which is always informative, learning about the parenting practices of today.  However, everyone settled down once the movie got going and Everything [was] Awesome by the end.

Cost:  $4.00 (McMenamins has finally raised their prices)
Where watched:  Kennedy School.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2014/lego_movie_ver12.html

Three sentence movie reviews: Brokedown Palace

I got this movie only because a friend told me that ever since she saw it, she fears that a cockroach has climbed into her ear.  Besides that tidbit, I was pleasantly surprised to find such a solid story of female friendship and tough choices.  It included top-notch acting all around and I highly recommend it.

Cost:  free from library
Where watched: at home

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1999/brokedown_palace.html

PS.  Totally passes the Bechdel test!  So exciting!

Oregon Humanities Dear Stranger has a quick turn around.

I participated in Oregon Humanities first Dear Stranger project where you write a letter to a stranger (the theme was "me") send it to Dear Stranger at Oregon Humanities with a SASE. They shuffle the letters and send you one, theoretically from another part of the state.  I got my letter in right before the May 5 deadline, but I was still surprised to find a letter in my mailbox on May 9.  

My letter was not from someone in Oregon, it was from a student in Wisconsin who was writing the letter as part of a college assignment.  She also did not include a return address, so that was unfortunate.  Still, I enjoyed the mail and hope that the person who got my letter will write me back.  I really need more pen pals.  

If you are interested in participating in Dear Stranger in August, sign up for the Oregon Humanities newsletter.

Postcards from Arizona and Germany

This is from my friend D. who says the colors and the vastness of the canyon are awesome.

This is from Frank and Jeannette who are 47 and just got back from a Peter Gabriel concert.  They also saw two of the Bavarian royal castles and did some walking.