Portland

Portland is a city I definitely want to visit again! It was my first time here and just a quick trip but it was enough to realize it wasn't long enough. I was there for the TESOL 2014 conference.  I found this great house on TripAdvisor and passed on a sterile hotel to stay here. Stayed in Hawthorne - an awesome neighbourhood with the best bakery at the end of the street.  I visited it every day of  my stay - yummy pastries and delicious soups and sandwiches.

Grand Central Baking Co. on Hawthorne Street

After dropping off my luggage and enjoying soup and a salad at the bakery, I caught the bus to the Portland Art Museum. In the POURING rain. I was more than a bit waterlogged by the time I arrived. But it wasn't snow and with blossoms everywhere, so I didn't care.

Not nearly enough time to see all the floors of art but what I saw, I liked. It included the triptych of Lucien Freud by Francis Bacon (below), the most expensive painting to be sold at auction. It went for $142.4 MILLION at Christie's in November 2013 to an anonymous buyer.  It has been on loan to the museum for the Masterworks series since Dec 21 and only until April 6.

Day one ended with dinner at Kell's , an Irish pub near Skidmore Fountain. 

Dianne, Elisa and Christina - we all arrived at the same time

Dianne and Dan (horrible camera phone pic quality in low light)

Day two was day one for me at the conference (more on my ESL blog about the TESOL convention) and ended with an exploration of Belmont Street and dinner at Dick's Kitchen - delish!

Public Art on the bridge

"Happiness on a Plate" is promised at Dick's Kitchen!

Good food, great company! (Dinner with Christina and Silvia)

Day three was another good day of professional development at the conference.

Silvia, Bonnie, Christina, Elisa, Dan and I

To end off the evening, a group of us headed up to the Pearl district for Thai food in another downpour and a visit at Powell's Books. I had never heard of it and was surprised when we asked locals for a recommendation of what we shouldn't miss in Portland, more than one told us to go to Powell's Books. That speaks volumes about the type of people you meet in Portland and the wonder that is Powell's! It claims to be largest independent new and used bookstore in the world. When you shop, you find the 'room' that has the type of books you are interested in by the colour name of the room and when browsing the shelves, new and used books are all shelved side by side - interspersed so that you see all that they have by an author or on a subject. I ended up there two more times and it was a herculean feat for me not to leave with armfuls of books! 

A huge collection of Nancy Drew (old and new) and on the bottom left, two young boys reading in the Star Wars/ Superheroes aisle.

Day four and the conference came to an end. My last session ended in time to jump on the MAX and head over to the Portland Saturday Market. Another trip to the area by Skidmore Fountain and along the river and another reason to pull out the umbrella. The rain didn't deter a salsa dancing flashmob though!

Back and forth between rain and sun  

Fantastic curiousity cabinets

More wooden utensils (this pic is for you Jill!)

While Dianne and Elisa went on an underground tour of Portland, I enjoyed my second visit to Powell's before meeting them for dinner at Old Town Pizza, an icon in Portland and allegedly haunted although we didn't have any ghostly visitations during our meal. 

Last day in Portland. I headed out to church - a ten minute walk away and held in a historic 1929 chapel.  The Relief Society announced that they would be making cards on the next Thursday, the High Priests announced that they would NOT be making cards on the next Thursday. Someone was accepted into a prestigious Ph.D. program for oceanography and congratulated and the CTRs had the same lesson as my class back home - as evidenced by the young girl who shared her colour choices for her handout from the pulpit during her testimony. Oh, and singing hymns in this ward is an experience. It was a great set of meetings. 

After church, I explored the neighbourhood, the lovely homes and beautiful blossoming trees, and found lunch (at the food trucks) along Hawthorne before leaving for the airport. 

Chicken, cilantro and lime tacos from Neza Taqueria

Dessert from Carte Blanche

"Basketboots" from Carte Blanche

 Okay, I have to describe this most scrumptious dessert.  Pan-fried cornbread, berry-rhubarb compote, salted caramel, sliced apple,and  almond-cinnamon whipped cream. I had read about it on the yelp app and when I found the food truck, two girls were in front of me in line. They started to recommend the sandwich to me and I told them I had come for the dessert I read about. They admitted they had each ordered one and were back for seconds. Clearly a favourite and after enjoying it (during a sunny hiatus after the rain) I understand why.

Everything that makes Portland weird also makes it wonderful. A fun city to visit and explore.  I wasn't able to try out one of their vintage movie theatres or stroll through all the stunning gardens. Next trip!!

Keep Portland Weird (this is also a favourite bumper sticker)

Text Tuesday

There are many kinds of talents and it is easy to not recognize the skill involved in what is around you. Check out this master!



Amazing! And I think writing neatly on a blackboard is a skill!

From YouTube:  "Graphic designer Tom Williams records two city workers painting a new bus stop lane outside of his home in London. While most cities use stencils for uniform lettering, this city worker is far too skilled to use them and instead paints it freehanded."

"So Long and Thanks for all the Popcorn"?

It was the last weekend to see the elephants at the Calgary Zoo. I expected large crowds and I guess they showed up eventually, but they weren't there early Saturday morning, with the temperature at -6 and the cold north wind blowing. But it was the last chance I would have and so when I called Ashton and gave him the choice of going for breakfast or going to the zoo, I was pleased to hear his enthusiasm for heading to the zoo despite the weather.

We arrived just as the gates had opened and there were just a handful of cars in the parking lot. The enrichment activities for the elephants wouldn't begin for another 45 minutes so first stop was the penguins!

We headed out to Elephant Crossing next. Just the brief walk across the bridge and the wind whipping around us and we decided the better option would be a stop at the Kimba Cafe for hot chocolate!

I wasn't worried about rushing with the crowds looking like this!!

Hot Chocolate - worth every penny on this cold day!

We spent the time waiting for the elephants figuring out what the $3 hot chocolate could have purchased at 7-11.  I didn't care, it was warm and we were cold!

The fun happened inside. The keepers set up a number of engaging activities that the crowd enjoyed watching as much as the elephants seemed to enjoy.

The paper package of grass required a pinata-type beating to break open and the popcorn hidden around posts and inside cardboxes was a treat! (Sorry for the quality of my video but it was a quick decision to grab a video capture once I saw the fun the elephant was having!)

The rest of the time was spent looking for little elephant statues and visiting some of the other animals in the zoo.

It was a fun morning and I'm glad we braved the weather to say our goodbyes.

It was also a chance to say hello to newest great-grandchild of Fred and Hannah Puzey. Little Cadence Elaine. A great way to spend a Saturday!

Orff the Wall Concert

Orff the Wall concert at the Jack Singer Concert Hall - all the students up on stage to start off the night

I was invited to stand in for my cousin at her son's school concert performance. It was a night of Orff music - took me back to visiting my mom's music class and concerts. Fantastic performances from the children. It is amazing what an inspiring and creative teacher can do with a group of children when they are fully engaged in their learning.

This performance at the Jack Singer Concert Hall involved students in Grades 4-6 from seven Calgary schools. Each school performed pieces which included Happy by Pharrell, Stompa by Serena Ryder and a unique rendition of O Sinnerman.  The teachers performed and the evening ended with a group number of Katy Perry's Roar.

Pre-show staging of the students

Waiting for everything to get started. Ashton is right in the middle, in a white shirt, with glasses but no tie.

Douglasdale School Grade Fours

Ashton's school performed a collection of traditional Newfoundland folksongs. He is in the middle again - playing the xylophone.

Dr. J. K. Mulloy School Grade Fours

Such a colourful group from Dr. J.K. Mulloy School. Percussion using bouncing and thrown basketballs, drumsticks and Rona pails...

Dr. J. K. Mulloy School Grade Fours

...long dowels to beat out a rhythm on the floor and more drumsticks on the backs of the chairs. Fantastic choreography as well!

Thanks for inviting me along!

My cousin couldn't go for a VERY GOOD reason. When I arrived and before I was given my ticket I was shown a picture on a camera phone that made me so so happy.  Their sweet little daughter was born just hours earlier! For pictures of this perfect little girl, you can read her mom's blog post introducing Cadence Elaine. 

Honda to Hyundai

My shiny new ride and the reason I bought it. 

I haven't blogged about the way that my year started off. With a bang. My Honda was interrupted in its west to east journey by a red light running north to south taxi and the double impact spun me around and banged me up a little bit. But oh so luckily, not too bad. It could have been so much worse. I had put the car in neutral at the red light and and so that split second of needing to put it back into 1st when the light turned green meant that the initial impact to the driver's side hit the front nose instead of my driver's side door. I was thrown ahead and spun so that the taxi continuing its journey now also hit the back of the car on the driver's side. When I came to a stop - I was facing south down the cross road and the taxi was facing north in the opposite lane. Also luckily, despite a number of people out on the street (at the bus stop or walking), there were no cars in either of the lanes we were thrown into. So no one else became involved.

I was dazed and still after the crash. I could see people running to both our vehicles, a man opened my door and asked how I was. I don't think I even answered. He told me to stay in the car and said he was calling 911. I heard as he made the report. "She's about 40".  I smiled - he knocked off a decade. Then a woman came by, offering comfort. "Would you like some water, some chocolate?" She had run into the corner store and bought a couple of bottle and chocolate bars. I gratefully accepted the water but turned down the chocolate. After all, chocolate is for when you see a Dementor and I was only in a car accident. No Harry Potter soul-sucking fiends had been involved. I didn't say any of that out loud thank goodness or I may have been taken away from a brain injury but it was exactly my thought process at the time. I can't believe I turned down chocolate! I don't even remember looking at either of these people but I remember their kindness.

Next was the police, telling me the ambulance was just arriving and to remain in the car.  Then the EMTs. Did I have any pain? Did I think anything was broken? Could I move my ... the questions continued and I mumbled answers but was certain I was just in shock and not seriously injured. I called Mom and my nephew Sam. I was taken to a police car and my car was pushed off the road and into a parking lot. I called my insurance and AMA. I watched as the police took photos of the vehicle. The police asked me to fill in a report and I was barely able to hold the pen. They reassured me that witnesses confirmed my account of what happened. I think I asked about that multiple times.  My hands were numb and so were my feet. When Sam arrived, he put me in his car and cranked up the heat. Then he walked around, listening as the taxi driver told his boss he didn't know what had happened. Sam made the arrangements with AMA to tow the car to my place and took me back to his place so I wasn't alone. He wrapped me in blankets and gave me his slippers and offered me a hot beverage (As Sheldon would say "it is the social convention"). He took such good care of me!

Thus began my new year - having to shop for a car in the worst winter weather (roads practically undrivable with all the ruts so test drives were a challenge), dragging my poor nephew and brother-in-law out in the cold to salvage snow tires off the car before it was hauled away,  having my rental car also damaged the night before I returned it, multiple visits to the doctor for x-rays and now in week 15 of physio.

I had been thinking for the last 6 months or so that I needed to plan ahead for a new vehicle. Mine had very low mileage and so I knew the potential for it to last was there, but I needed to make the decision whether I wanted to sell it on while there was some life in it or whether I was going to embark on the inevitable repairs and work needed to keep it road-worthy.  I had an estimate of over $800 worth of work that was needed soon - and I had planned to do that right after Christmas so I was glad I hadn't put that money into the vehicle just before the accident. I also knew that the body damage, rust and some damage to the interior from a robbery a few years back would make getting my money out of the car very difficult. It wasn't much to look at.  It was certainly unique though with the stitch job my Dad had done to repair a broken up back end of the car (from backing into what wasn't a drift of snow but a big metal pole). (Read about it in an earlier post here). The car had its nickname "Frank" (from Frankencar) and was fondly thought of by the Young Women I had transported in it. It was easily identified in a crowded parking lot of other grey sedans and made me smile every time I saw it. It was also a feature of the car that the inspecting police took great interest in as well as photographs. ( I thought as they snapped away -"Well, that CLEARLY didn't just happen today -why are you documenting it?")

So I was relieved of having to make the hard decision of when to part with my car and having to negotiate to get something back for the value. I was able to go and buy the car I had been considering for sometime and upgraded from a cassette deck to Bluetooth, satellite radio and a usb port! Such a technological leap! I also have electric windows. Cranking those old windows was so hard, I had resorted to just opening the door and leaning out to scan my pass for the parkade or pull a ticket from a machine.  And I'm in a hatchback again, with a moon roof - I missed those aspects of my stolen Camry most of all. (Yep, that is how I ended up in the Honda fourteen years ago- my Camry was stolen and totalled by joy-riders or, more accurately, young felons).

My shiny new Titanium Metal Hyundai Elantra GT (I went Korean) is now my ride (only paint colour with the features I wanted and the boxing week sale price - I know - boring). I also gave up on manual and opted for automatic transmission with all the stop start city driving that I do. That means I can share the driving on a road trip (Jo - this means you!) so another plus. It just needs a good Korean name. Any suggestions?

It wasn't such an auspicious start to the new year, but it will make 2014 a memorable one.

Music Monday

I am determined to start blogging again. In fact, I started with a post yesterday on my Family History blog. As I went in to write the post, I found a LOT of DRAFT posts that I have never completed and posted - on all of my blogs. So I will do some catching up alongside some fresh posts.

So here we go again. I need to catch up on some events that have happened since Christmas with the most recent being my first trip to Portland, Oregon for a very large conference. More to come on that.

But this is Music Monday and so instead, I share this little bit of joy. I can definitely relate to this woman. Sometimes, you just can't hold it in! Enjoy!

4000 more views and this clip hits 1 MILLION views! 

She was tracked down and told she has become an internet sensation. She seemed chuffed.

Goodbye Ghost Tree

The Ghost Tree

Before I unveil my 2013 Christmas decor, I thought we could have one last look at my white "ghost" tree. I call it that because if I entered the living room with the lights off, it seemed to haunt the corner of the room  - the only thing visible in the dark. This picture is from 2008 when it still had most of your needles and I wasn't quite as frustrated with the process of trying to put it together and wind the green-corded lights around it.  Since that time,  the tree didn't live in this corner but on the opposite wall.  I've returned to decorating in this corner but now it looks quite different. I am still on the hunt for some of my decorating bins in the basement. I haven't located my tree skirt yet so no pictures can be posted until then. I will have Santa back under the tree. He is looking his age (he was our Santa when I was a little girl so that is some old Santa - it is amazing he still has a beard attached to his jolly face) .

So --so long to the ghost tree. You will live on in our memories and lots of photos in front of you but thankfully I won't have to live with the dropped white plastic needles for the rest of the year anymore. Your days of shedding all over my home are done.

Disclosure - I now have a baby white tree that lives in my upstairs office. I still do love a white tree.

More Seurat

I wrote my Friday November 22 post about the Seurat painting I took a photo of at the Art Institute of Chicago and the puzzle we did of it during our vacation.  Then today November 23, I updated my calendar from Thursday. Here was Friday's entry. A study done by Seurat for the same painting. Synchronicity. 

Flickr Friday: Our Puzzle's Origins

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grand Jatte (1884 by Georges Seurat)
Art Institute of Chicago

Maybe this is why I chose this puzzle to buy for our week in Arizona. I had forgotten that I saw the original work when we visited Chicago in 2010.

I am much more familiar with the details now than I was at the time.  But I only completed a small fragment compared to Ingrid and Jill - the true puzzle masters of the trip. And Jo-Ann's very very late night efforts also outweigh my contribution. Having the puzzle always set up over the course of the week meant that anyone could sit down and stare and squint and try to see how this green piece was really green, yellow, and blue while this other green piece was really green,  blue and red. It was a lot of that. And having the very last piece actually lost on the carpet until there was nothing else to do but give up or look further afield than directly under our feet didn't help.

I took one additional photo of the painting in Chicago - this part of the painting was actually part of what I worked on in the puzzle.

I think this young girl is the only one in the painting who is gazing out at the artist. 

For the Whovians out there.... (and in honour of the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who with the special episode this weekend - so exciting!!!) here is the same scene with a bit of a difference.

http://www.tonecartoons.co.uk/blog/archives/5399

Daleks are not the scariest of monsters to me anymore. ( I blame Steven Moffat for that).   I am much more freaked out when I turn my back on one of these. I now believe they do come to life if no one is looking. At least this one is missing its fingers so it would be easier to evade its grip as it tried to send you back in time!

While not truly a Weeping Angel, I couldn't help but try not to blink when I saw it!

Christmas Countdown

I've been thinking that I want to plan to enjoy this Christmas season - try as much as possible to experience the season and not let the busy-ness of my life distract me to the point that I only realize the holiday is here when I am madly attempting to do all of my shopping the day before Christmas Eve. (You think I joke, but I do not.)

Okay - so this all comes because my mother finished her cards before the middle of November and has already had all of her nativities set up. A while ago.  And then on Monday she stopped by my place while I was at work and added the first bit of Christmas decor to my home. (Isn't it pretty?)

And now she has the tree up. The official "time to put the tree up" date has come in the form of my little brother's birthday (Happy Birthday Kevin!) so she is right on schedule. (It will all be down on Boxing day so she needs to get it up early enough to enjoy it.)

The next reminder also came in the form of my first Christmas card of the season.

My friend has her mom busy early creating different crocheted ornaments for her cards each year. This year is holly - so pretty!  Thanks!

So I suppose I might be ready to start to think about what I may try to pencil in to my calendar to lead up to Christmas. That's a solid commitment - to begin to think about what I may ...

I have good intentions to send Christmas cards. Or something... something to connect with friends and family and wish them well. Maybe it will be a card. That is something I'll have to think about.

And what do I want to do to make it more like Christmas.  I could have participated in the Nativity Pageant at Heritage Park in some way but that is a commitment that I just didn't think I could make this year. I could have joined the choir - another multiple day commitment. I need to get rid of some of the other commitments I've made before I start adding more. I can however plan to go and see the pageant and hear the choir.

I will put up my advent calendar. It is a definite must for me to know that Christmas is on its way.

It hung in my home growing up, made by my Grandma Puzey but it is missing some of the ornaments so I've improvised in the past. I finally bought felt and the sparkly bits last year but never got around to the maintenance task I had planned.  Last year I had my Dad and step-mom living with me so my Christmas was a busy one. There was a lot of de-cluttering and projects going on taking advantage of the help I had at hand. But this wasn't one of them. It will be this year, but this goes back to the idea that started this blog post. I read about some advent calendar ideas on another blog and one click led to another and I found this link.

http://racheldenbow.blogspot.ca/2009/12/hello-december.html

I like the idea of adding not just the ornament to each pocket on the calendar but also a small card with a Christmas activity on each one. It may be as simple as a Christmas carol or one of my Christmas books. Or it might be an idea of service or some way to connect with someone during the holidays. Do you have some suggestions of what I could write on the cards? What would be on your cards?

Tis the season...all signs point to it!

**Bonus picture: Here is my little brother and sister possibly ready to fire upon Santa should he appear down the chimney. Definitely not in the Christmas spirit kids!

Jamieson Place Winter Garden, Calgary

Jamieson Place Winter Garden, Calgary, originally uploaded by whistlepunch.

After an appointment downtown, I took the opportunity to visit Jamieson Place and their Winter Garden on the +15 level in order to see the Chihuly art glass installation.  I left Phoenix a few weeks back knowing we were leaving just before a full exhibition of his work at the Desert Botanical Gardens and although I still hope to find my way back down by May 2014 before the installation is complete, I was excited to learn that we had some of his work available to view in a public space in Calgary.  The Winter Garden is designed with the Prairie Style of Frank Lloyd Wright as inspiration (another favourite) and includes lush green plants and a living wall on the West side across from the Chihuly piece.  Under the glass is an infinity pool which unfortunately was dry at the time. 

The glass is all the more amazing knowing a bit about the installation process.  The inner framework of metal spikes and the individual glass pieces of snakey arms and globules arrive disassembled and then from a picture only, Chihuly's minions put together the art pieces. No "put glass tube A on spike A" instruction manual for these pieces.  And so fascinating to see up close.

After visiting here, I headed over to the Glenbow Museum to check out the current exhibits "Transformations: Otto Dix and A.Y. Jackson" and "Made in Calgary: The 80s". Both were great. I found a few new favourite pieces and was able to revisit some familiar pieces I have enjoyed in the past.

On my way out, I passed through the Epcor Center to see the art in the public spaces there.  I was able to experience the sound installation by Kyle Whitehead as part of Soundasaurus, which is this weekend in Calgary . I made a quick Vine of it - look away if you don't like flashing lights!

There are some art spaces I still have on my "to visit" list here in the city.  We may not have anything to rival the grand art museums of other cities, but if you pay attention and take the time to visit - there is still a lot going on right here in YYC.

July 3: Summer Begins

I found a few pictures in a draft post I never got around to publishing to the blog this summer.  Enjoy!

A spontaneous party with my nephews and neice after work! Yum!

Preparing to welcome the Summer International Students in Stampede fashion!

Students listening for their ticket numbers in the prize draws. I think some were VERY successful at the games.

This was just the beginning of a fun filled summer. Maybe I'll update on this with another "Look back at Summer" post. 

Flickr Friday: Stained Glass

Israel, originally uploaded by whistlepunch.

I told myself I would start blogging again when I was no longer President of ATESL. Actually, I told myself I would do a lot of things once I had finished my term as President. So far, I haven't quite got there but I am working on it. I've been at my computer and determined to upload photos I've had in the queue to add to Flickr so a handful have been going up each night as I was working on other things.

I've added photos from the ATESL conference, photos from my mission experiences in Korea and finally got around to posting just a selection of the photos from each country on my Mediterranean cruise back in 2011. The stained glass detail at the top of this blog post is from our day in Nazareth and our visit to the Basilica of the Annunciation. I loved the saturated colours of the window panes. Click on the picture to go to the collection and view more! I still need to add Egypt and my last free day in Rome and that trip will be posted. More activity as well as sharing the links has meant many more views of my online albums. What typically was averaging 400-500 views a day has jumped to a record day of 7,261 views and a weekly total of 21,239! Wow. And they aren't that great. I really want to take a photography course and get a decent camera before my next trip. But since there are no solid plans for that yet, I will wait.

My cousin Heidi shared a link on Facebook about a film that is being included in the Calgary Underground Film Festival: Documentaries next Thursday. It is the story of Vivian Maier, a New York nanny who enjoyed taking pictures when she was out in the city. She was what is now called a 'hoarder' but I see it as an intense collector of life. In 2007 someone found her immense collection of the negatives from her street photography when a storage locker she didn't keep up payments for was finally sold at auction and these are now being catalogued and shared as a significant look at life in the second half of the 20th century America. I'm so glad Heidi posted the link!  I had heard about this collection and Vivian shortly after the find and have looked forward to seeing this documentary but had no idea when I might get the chance.  Tickets can be purchased in advance here.  Let me know if you want me to save you a seat!

http://www.vivianmaier.com/media/gallery/self-portraits/53-119.jpg

(Me in 2007 in Cambridge)
We both took self portraits in mirrors before everyone else started taking "selfies".