Just Call Me Pollyanna

I went dancing with my awesome husband last night at the annual Halloween dance a few hundred friends attend every year. We spent a good part of the day helping with set-up and stayed to help clean up. The DJ kept playing classic rock & roll while we were folding chairs and tearing down the decorations. It was such good music that, at times, we dropped the cleaning and continued to dance.  It's weird how one can get a 2nd wind when John Cougar Mellencamp is belting out "Hurt So Good". 

Yesterday, I had an idea for today's blog post  but I ditched it soon after we got home from the dance last night.  The topic was going to be about how hateful we've become in this country. I decided I didn't want to spend my entire Sunday thinking like that. The truth is I really like being a Pollyanna  and I make no apologies for it. 

I read a post my very good high school friend wrote this week and couldn't quite push it out of my mind. She had an experience she shared eloquently on her blog and it reminded me of how precious every waking moment is. I'd rather talk about love than hate any day of the week.

Having said that .....

Where am I going with this? I've got stuff to say about the hateful things going on in this country but it makes me feel "down-to-the ground" sad to think about it. I've decided to sit on it for a while and mull it over. When I write about it, I want it to be thoughtful and for it to come from a loving place.

In the meantime, if you are reading this I hope you have a warm roof over your head, food enough to keep you and your family from being hungry,  enough money in your pocket so you don't have to worry where your next meal is coming from, peeps who love you and a sense of hope that things will be alright.

love, Pollyanna

Mt. Rainier from another view

"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So ... get on your way."  ~ Dr. Seuss

We took what was probably my last ride of the season yesterday. We traveled a road we had not been on before. I saw deer, hawks, feral kitty cats, turkeys, and Mt. Rainier from a different place.

It was a cool ride. Yeah, it was fun but it was really cool, as in cold.

I'm so glad I didn't miss seeing this beautiful view!

A City So Nice They Named It Twice

"Our senses are indeed our doors and windows on this world, in a very real sense the key to the unlocking of meaning and the wellspring of creativity." ~ Jean Houston

We drove to Walla Walla, WA and  stopped at Pioneer Park Aviary to say hello to the birds.  We inadvertently drove through the Whitman College campus.  The campus is b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l! Any student would be lucky to attend school there just for the walk through the gorgeous grounds in between classes. 

We drove right past this open window and headed to the bird park but I couldn't leave Walla Walla without backtracking to snap a photo of it. I noticed after I got home that the vines have actually overgrown the parts of the windows that don't open. 

I'm not sure how many times we have been to Walla Walla but every time we go, I see something different. We parked downtown and walked up one side of the street and down the other. There are wine tasting places all along main street along with bistros and sidewalk cafes. I thought it was interesting that people were actually sitting outside eating lunch as the weather is turning colder. It was a beautiful fall day.  Here are a few of my other favorite photos from the trip. Hope you enjoy.

 

Thai Food To Die For

I mentioned to my husband yesterday while on a road trip that I have been in a writing slump for a couple of weeks now. He suggested I look up "writer's slump" and do some writing about it.  Nah.  Who cares? Not me.  And, probably not you either.

We headed to The Dalles, Oregon early in the day with one goal in mind: to visit the Salvation Army thrift store without the constraints of time or having our dog with us. In the past, we have only spent 15 or 20 minutes in this store and discovered they have so many treasures it left us wanting to come back. Yesterday was a perfect day to do it.

Armed with a thermos of coffee, cash hot out of the ATM, and the camera we headed down the road. The above photo is the only one I shot. I must be having "photo slump" too because he practically had to pry me out of the car to take it.

The real treasure of the day, besides the really sweet, heavy cotton sweater I found for $3.49, was Montira's Thai Cuisine.  If you are a local person reading this blog and you love Thai food as much as we do, you should put this on your "places to eat before I die" list.   My recommendation is the Pumpkin Curry but I suspect you wouldn't be disappointed with anything you order there.  I regret I didn't take my camera into the restaurant to snap a quick one of the beautiful presentation. It would not have done justice to how wonderful it tasted.  We will be going back.

love, susan