Birthday Goodness

Sometimes birthday's are just another day. Usually they are. But I still enjoy my birthday, overall. Last year I organized a gathering and I decided to pass on that this year. Instead I celebrated with individual friends. My hope had been to get a picture of each gathering and I failed. But I still enjoyed the things I did and the people I spent time with. Marta took me to lunch, I saw the Nutcracker ballet with Holly and then my actual birthday I worked and Tera, a friend in Corvallis came up for the afternoon and evening. After eating yummy tacos for dinner we headed to Papa Haydn's, my new tradition birthday dessert location, for a sweet treat. I almost always get the Pana Cotta, which is like heaven in my mouth and stuck with it as a tried and true treat for me.

With raspberries and raspberry sauce on the top! Doesn't it look amazing?! It tasted AMAZING~
Tera and her multiple layer chocolate and something or other cake, which I hear was also excellent. Forgive the bad lighting, we didn't want to disturb others by using the flash~probably should have though...

Yummy!

Thanks to all my friends that called, texted, emailed and spent time with me for my birthday! I feel very loved at the end of one more year of life and going into my next year. Grand way to start it off!

A Lane of Lights

After living in Portland for close to 10 years I finally made it to one of the most popular Portland Christmas Attractions. The lights of Peacock Lane. Megan and I headed over after work with warm beverages in hand and in a slight drizzle that let up while we were walking the street lined in lights. It was glorious and made me happy. I love Christmas lights. Enjoy with me~

I loved the Charlie Brown characters and the Grinch house.

Pretty aren't they?!

A Gaggle of Girls for a Glorious Gathering

Apparently, I'm liking the letter "G" tonight. Really, I am grateful for these girls, for the laughter they bring to my life. This is a group of four of us, all friends from college, that get together once a month. Or try to. This year we've been fairly consistent. We've been gathering like this for the five years that I've been out of school, though some of these girls finished after me, and some have gone back to school in that time. We've been through a lot together--sicknesses, marriages, house buying, life changing things, life living. And, we always laugh. Always.

The plan was to meet at my place and take a "nice" group picture before venturing out to the Fantasy Trail. In setting the self-timer on my camera, and having a wonderfully curious cat...this was take one of our group shot. Thank you, Ezme. You never cease to make me laugh, this night you shared that experience with everyone!

behind the cat (from L to R): Jamie, me, Rose, Rachel

~

Our arrival at the Fantasy Trail. Aquiring hot cocoa and tickets.On the trail...

We encountered a bridge that was a little too fun to jump on. Notice Jamie's hair! :)

Smile Santa!

Such a good looking group of girls!

Notice the jail. Click on the picture to enlarge it and notice who is in it...

One of the houses on the trail was all slanted, off kilter...we had fun peeking through this "mini-opening!"

~me

~Rachel

~Jamie

~Rose

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Rose and me in another little house~

Our group in the castle!

That is the way to go...

Jamie was concerned about the "children being held captive" on the property. We kept coming up with stories about them peddling bikes to power all the lights, hiding in the woods, etc. Then, in the castle there were carvings on the wall. More proof of the children being held captive! :)

Yes, Jamie, I realize that child has been here since 1990. Haha~The Fantasy Trail was a lot of fun and we laughed a lot. I most definitely will return-maybe for Halloween next year!

~

Meanwhile, back at the ranch....

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....we had decided to have an ornament exchange and a white elephant exchange.

Rachel with part one of her white elephant.

Last year, we had decided to get the corny-est white elephant gift. I found this darling (read sarcasm into this) baseball cap bird house. Rachel ended up with the dreaded thing last year. It came back this year. Rose is the lucky holder of the awful bird house for the next 12 months.

Jamie and her book, "Where the Heart Is."

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The pictures of our ornaments that I took didn't turn out the greatest, so you'll have to live with an update later, or just not seeing them. They were great though, and I absolutely love mine! It came all the way from Michigan and will be a treasure that I put on my tree each year. When I hang it I am sure I will remember this night and these lovely ladies with fondness and a smile in my heart.

Jamie, me, Rose, Rachel (minus the cat)

~

For our November gathering, Rachel had written a poem as the invite. It was so much fun that I had to copy her idea for our December gathering--here's my handy work:

This is the time
That I would like to rhyme
I sit here to write
Of a girls gathering in the night.

It is the eve of the 7th of December
Please remember.

A special season
Is the reason
That we will gather in my home
And from there we will roam.

Christmas clothes you will be wearing.
Two gifts you will come bearing.

One gift will be a white elephant,
Just for the hell of it.
The other a nice ornament,
That will become tree adornment.

I will serve some goodies that will refresh.
I only hope they will impress.

If you have any questions,
Or even a few suggestions
Contact me please, don’t hesitate.
For this I will appreciate.

Merry Christmas!

November Poem of the Month

Where the Sidewalk Ends
by Shel Silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.