Tag Archives: life

Jan201225

PDXrover

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Resolutions Check

We’re nearly a month into 2012, a time when many of us start forgetting our ambitious New Year’s Resolutions, but I’m really trying to keep up with mine this year. It helps that my goals for the year weren’t too lofty to begin with, and a few are so vague they allow for pretty broad interpretation of the word “success.” Here’s how I’m doing so far (in no particular order): 1. Give up the guilt: This is an ongoing goal for me and one I’m sure I’ll be working on for the rest of my life, but I have to say I’m feeling pretty good about my progress so far this year. 2. Don’t let fear stop me from living the life I want to live: Another broad and probably lifelong goal, this one has already come up in the form of a strange and possibly wonderful opportunity which I’m hoping my family can seize next month. (More on that if it pans out!) 3. Find more activities my pre-teen son and I can enjoy together: I bought my son a puzzle over winter break (an impulse purchase as I shopped for holiday trappings) and we had so much fun doing it we’ve started doing puzzles nearly every weekend. Our whole family enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles when my son was younger, but we hadn’t done one in at least a year. My husband cut a large piece of cardboard so we can move the puzzle off the dining room table every evening at dinnertime, and now we’re back in business. It’s a great way to spend snippets of time together throughout the week/weekend and talk about anything and everything as we hunt for the right pieces. 4. (Re)learn a foreign language: I started an Italian class at PCC a few weeks ago and although I was panicked before the first class (I hadn’t taken Italian in nearly 30 years but I signed up for the second level), it all started coming back to me as soon as the class started and I love it! In fact, when our second class was canceled because of inclement weather, I was truly disappointed! (“You’re disappointed you get a snow day?,” my son asked incredulously!) 5. Learn to make great pie crust: I haven’t started on this one yet, but there’s still time, right? 6. Travel more: I’m working on this one. (See #2, above.) That’s all I’ve got for now, but having written it all down I have to say I’m pretty proud of myself. How are you doing on your resolutions, if you made any? Please share your progress and your challenges in our comments section below -– it might help you stay on track, get back on track, or even make new resolutions for the months ahead!

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Resolutions Check

Jul201108

PDXrover

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‘Portland’s hooked on roses’

There’s a famous saying that says you should always make time in your life to stop and smell the roses and there’s no better place to do that than up in the West Hills.

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‘Portland’s hooked on roses’

May201119

PDXrover

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Cirque du Soleil Ticket Giveaway!

At some point in your life, I hope you’ve experienced the incredible sensory-intake that is Cirque du Soleil. I’ve seen a couple different shows here in Portland and I cannot recommend… [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

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Cirque du Soleil Ticket Giveaway!

May201102

Jeremy

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Our May Issue

Our May issue is on the stands now with a special Mother’s Day Focus on Moms! Inside you’ll find a feature we hope will inspire you to “Live Your Best Life & Be Your Best You,” with tips for taking care of yourself to improve your life physically, emotionally and socially. You’ll also find a feature about moms returning to the workplace after taking a break to focus on their families. Find out how they’re doing it and what you can do to position yourself for a successful workforce reentry. Editor Marie Sherlock shares her annual Mother’s Day Retreat, too, this year in lovely Sunriver . Your favorite regular features are all included, with Ramona rocking out at the Rock ‘n Roll Camp for Girls ‘ preschool program, an Out & About overnight at the Oregon Garden , a Family Fare review of La Petite Provence , and an Angels Among Us spotlight of the Home Free program for moms and kids at the Gateway Center for Domestic Violence . As always, our Family Calendar is packed with family-friendly events and activities every day of the month. Pick up a copy at your favorite distribution point, or read it online today.

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Our May Issue

Mar201111

PDXrover

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Oregon county says no to woodland home rentals

Life used to be a whole lot better at the Life is Good Ranch.

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Oregon county says no to woodland home rentals

Jan201105

Jeremy

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52 Letters, 365 Photos … and more

In my editor’s note for our December issue , I wrote about finding a treasure trove of hand-written letters in my basement from friends and relatives. They were decades old and full of wonderful memories. Nostalgic for the days of receiving letters in the mail, letters I could save and revisit for years to come, I resolved to write some letters of my own. As these things often go, it was only a few weeks into December when I saw a post on Twitter from Katy Wolk-Stanley, Portland’s very own Nonconsumer Advocate , announcing a challenge she was posing on her blog: 52 Weeks, 52 Letters . Here’s how Katy put it: “I am going to write 52 letters in 2011. Not necessarily to 52 different people, and I imagine that many of them will actually live in the same city as I do. I invite you to join this challenge. Write to those you’ve lost contact with and write to those you chat with on a daily basis. Write to your spouse, maybe even your own children.” I hadn’t planned to write quite that many letters, but I thought it was interesting that at least two of us had a similar idea at the same time. (As it turns out, she got the idea from a friend, so it was more than two! And to be fair, Katy posed a similar challenge in 2009, so she beat me.) A week or so later I saw a post on Twitter (yes, I spend too much time on Twitter!) about the 365 Project , “a photography project where you document a year of your life by taking a daily photo,” according to the website. Another challenge, I thought, to help us take the time to notice and document what’s important in life. Why do we need such structured programs to help us remember to write letters to our friends or take a picture and document our daily lives? Probably just because we’re all so busy, but I for one am always more consistent when I have a structure or a schedule to follow. I clean the house on Fridays. I pay the bills on the 13th and the 27th of the month. Otherwise, it might just not get done. Both of these projects tie in closely with another article in our December issue , “What’s Your Story? Preserving Your Family’s Unique History,” by the way. What’s your feeling about such structured challenges? Have you participated in any yourself? If you were going to create such a project, what would it be?

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52 Letters, 365 Photos … and more

Jun201029

PDXrover

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Stumptown

Last week I spent a few days in Portland, Oregon to say goodbye to some old friends and to have a little vacation before packing up my life in New York. I’m nearly ready to go and can now count down the hours until I leave the country for the year. It is an odd feeling, but also very exciting. Being …

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Stumptown

Jun201020

Samantha

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In Praise of Funny Fathers

The following first appeared as an Editor’s Note in the June 2005 issue of Metro Parent. My sweet father got a big kick out of it. Dad passed away on May 17, 2008, leaving a permanent hole in our family – and in our hearts. I’m posting this today to honor him, and all of the loving, funny fathers out there. My dad’s a funny guy – and I mean funny as in “ha ha” not funny as in odd . All of his life he’s enjoyed laughter, his own and that of others, whether it was over one of life’s countless spontaneous moments of mirth or a good solid joke. Here’s an example: Dad and three friends (all fathers) went fishing one weekend when he was in his 30s. The fish weren’t exactly biting so he and his buddies decided to stop at a roadside stand and buy several large salmon. One of the group – my dad can’t remember whom – came up with the idea of telling the wives that they caught the fish. This group of jokers then went a step further and had a local photographer take several shots of them with their “catch.” One of the proud wives brought a photo over to the local newspaper (you can see where this is going …). They published it in the next edition with the headline “Local Men Get Lucky.” Dad’s still laughing about that one, nearly fifty years later. Not all of dad’s jokes are so elaborate or staged. In fact, for the most part his humor is the seamless sort that blends into his life and relationships, an underlying premise – an assumption, really – that’s always there. It’s made the lives of his five kids so much richer and, during rough times, simply more bearable. Dad’s always looked at life through that lens of humor – and I feel strongly that it’s due to his comic nature (whether genetic or acquired) that all of us kids have funny bones. I really can’t think of a greater gift that he’s given his children – except, of course, his love. To be sure not all funny fathers are loving – and not all loving fathers are particularly funny. It’s pure serendipity when they’re both. I came across another funny father recently. The book The Poo Bomb: True Tales of Parental Terror by Jeff Vogel (Andrews McMeel, 2005) landed on my desk. The prologue promised that the book contained “everything funny that happened in our daughter Cordelia’s first year of life.” I skimmed through it, expecting hackneyed dirty diaper jokes and projectile vomiting anecdotes. What I found instead was genuinely funny stuff – irreverent, sometimes bordering on obscene, but funny nonetheless. Even the diaper jokes and vomiting scenarios were hilarious. In Vogel’s version of FAQs, he writes: “Q: Why did you use so many dirty words when writing this? A: I do not feel that it is possible to write honestly about parenting without using a lot of obscenities.” See? Funny stuff. Lest you conclude that Vogel is a lousy father – and this would be a fair assumption after reading some of his passages – it’s clear that he isn’t. He’s just another funny, loving dad. Consider this passage about his infant daughter: “I don’t have what my wife refers to as ‘foo foo’ feelings. No warm fuzzies. But I strongly suspect, if necessary, I’d get hit by a car for her.” I have no doubt that my dad feels the same way. My father is almost 90 years old now. And he’s still making us laugh. But, more importantly, he still makes us feel loved. By Marie Sherlock, editor of Metro Parent, in loving memory of Gerald Sherlock (1915-2008)

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In Praise of Funny Fathers

Jun201015

PDXrover

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World Forestry Center: A hands-on adventure through the tall trees

A visit to the World Forestry Center teaches you about the links between your life and the beautiful forests both in Oregon and around the world. Any visitor to Portland will notice that trees populate each city block and the surrounding areas as well. The majestic forests of the Pacific Northwest are not only beautiful, but also in need of preservation.

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World Forestry Center: A hands-on adventure through the tall trees

Jun201005

PDXrover

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Avedon, Stegner, Curtis, Hatfield, McCoy …

The American West. Says a lot. Ralph Lauren made his fortune on it. Hollywood spent much of the 50s and 60s filming it. I’ve lived most of my life in it. One of my great-grandfathers walked behind a covered wagon from Minnesota to Oregon in the late 1800s to his family’s new homestead, the wheat ran …

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Avedon, Stegner, Curtis, Hatfield, McCoy …

Mar201006

Samantha

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Northwest’s Largest Family Expos– @ Portland Expo Center (04.23.11)

Northwest's Largest Family Expos– When: Sat 04.23.11 , April 23, 2011 19:00:00 Where: Portland Expo Center Price: $10 Adults & Kids. Age 3 & Under Free Family ; Community An amazing weekend focusing on active & healthy family lifestyle and raising kids successfully. Non-stop entertainment, hundreds of interactive exhibits for babies, kids, teens and parents, family fun zones, products and services designed to enrich your life! **Hours: Sat, Sun 10:00 am – 5:00 pm** **Note**: The date and/or time of this event has not been confirmed. Please check source event page for updates. View Page At CultureMob.com

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Northwest’s Largest Family Expos– @ Portland Expo Center (04.23.11)