Justy for Sale

I feel soooo disloyal selling the humble Justy. But it is for sale. 145k miles. Good tires. Everything works except the radio and shoulder belt. Oil just changed. Full tank of gas. Reliable as the sun. $825 cash or bank check. ($600 to nice young couple like Courtney and Dan, but don't advertise it) Bunga

Treadmill heart stress test

I had a treadmill stress test today at Kaiser cardiology. I did well; no evident heart problems. It seems that it is better than I deserve considering my poor eating and exercise habits. I'm gonna shape up next week. But for now bring on the salt, sugar and grease!

Strange Word

Here is a stange word: creolization. It means (Wikipedia) a geographical concept which focus on the inflow of commodities to a place -- it is the process of seeing how commodities are assigned meanings and uses in receiving cultures. Bet you always wondered what it meant??
I was reading - trying to read -- an overly wordy book on consumerism and it kept surfacing. I thought it came from NOLA; you know, creoles, blacks, and whites.
There is no excuse in my opinion to use such odd words when others might do.
grandpathegrump

NieNie Auction

I don't know how many of you have heard the tragic news about the Nielson family. It's all over the blog world. I am auctioning off a free photo shoot on my blog for the cause. I'd be willing to use this for Jonathan's senior photos (if you happen to want to try this out). Also, let people you know aware of this! Go to my photoblog for details on the event and to bid.

Be the change...

Ghandi said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world", well I want this world to be more loving to eachother; to follow the words of Christ and "Love your Neighbor". Since I couldn't find anyone to join me on International Free Hugs Day, I posted on Craigs List and met a few people who wanted to join me. So, now we have a web site (that isn't quite up yet) so in the meantime you can go to our blog to see the latest at www.freehugsportland.blogspot.com.

If you want to join in, we meet on Fridays at Pioneer Courthouse Square at 5pm.

my photography blog

{click on the image}

and share with your friends

4th of July!

Pearson's Weekend at the beach!

grandpa's summer art project

"Trailer Trash"

We are trailer trash! At least we were. We (Munga & Bunga)and Mel & Val & Jennifer lived in a trailer park in Mississippi and in Tucson. And living in a trailer in Mississippi in the sixties might be about as low as you can go?? I was a poor student when we were in Tucson in a trailer. It was on the edge of town.
I just finished reading an article in the last issue of "Oregon Humanities" magazine titled, "Immobile Dreams; How did the Trailer Come to be a Symbol of Failure?"
When we got to Mississippi, we decided to buy a trailer house even though we could have gotten into base housing. When Jennifer was born she came home to a trailer. Oh, the horrors of even thinking about it! But my boss in Base Supply, a fine Major and his family, also lived in a trailer, so maybe it wasn't so bad. So only Andrea escapes the stigma of coming from "trailer trash".
A few quotes from the article; "Thier crime was simply that they didn't know any better than to live in a trailer. Yet the trailer -the mobile home-has become a powerful cultural icon of class immobility. Thus trailer parks were relegated to industrial areas, nonresidential zones or alongside highways outside of or at the eddge of town. Americans have un critically embraced the negatave cultural image of trailer parks. Americans use the trailer park as a way to distance themdelves form athea economic failures of society. The stigma of trailer trash priveleges "us" over "them' and ..."
And, to make it worse, I was a "dirty truck driver" at one time. Pretty bad family legacy, yes?
Bunga

Join us at the beach

I have rented a house in Seaside for a week starting this Sunday (the 13th). It has a hot tub and is 3 blocks from the beach. There are 5 bedrooms. Only Wednesday night is out at this point as we are already 'full'. But other than that, come join us! Let me know when to expect you and I can send details. Val

Let's spread some LOVE!

Tomorrow is International Free Hugs Day.....

Who wants to make a poster and go celebrate? Come on...get out of your comfort zone!

Love ya! Val