Hanging with my kids

Its been a fun few days, hanging out with my kids in Portland. Its snowed, rained, froze, thawed, and at times, the sun shine through the clouds. Everyone was panicking because snow was predicted, but seriously, a couple inches at most. Granted other parts of the city had an inch or so more, but not much more. I guess us midwesterners are just used to snow.
     Last night we went down to the river for the Portland Light Festival. It was really cold but lots of people of all ages and fantastic light art. Some friends of my son started the festival a few years ago and its become a big event in town. Turns out one friend, Lily, who designed the computer system for one of the installations, is also friends with a couple I met 10 years ago in Costa Rica. I saw a post on Mike's Facebook page with this art and his comments about his friend Lily. Then, after a few comments back and forth, it turns out that sure enough, its my son's friend, too. Small world. One of things I just love about travel — making new friends and connecting in ways I could never imagine.
     So despite the snow, today, the baby shower went on as planned. A big reason I made this trip was to be here today for the baby shower. Coed, about 40 people, held at a friend's house, 11-2, but actually lasting till 4. The planned activity was painting designs on baby onesies. Some of Dan and Dana's friends are very creative and the results were great. I did one that said "Camp Grandma, 2025" around the City of Ann Arbor logo. I did another too, based on zentangles. Their friends enjoyed each others' company, and I enjoyed meeting them and then sitting at the table painting my design. Turns out Lily was at the shower, too. Later we went out for Pho. Portland has great Asian food. So much better than Ann Arbor.
     And now its raining. And, rain is predicted for the next couple days along the west coast. Darn.
What I learned today: 1. I really need to do more art. It makes me happy. 2. Facebook enabled me to stay in touch with Mike in Santa Cruz, and 10 years later, I find he and Dan have a mutual friend.

A day in Eugene

My college roommate Sharon and her husband recently moved from the Detroit area to Eugene. Their daughter Samantha and her family live there and they wanted to be closer to their granddaughters. So, off I went yesterday mornings and drove 2 hours south to Eugene, to visit them in their new home. It was so great spending the day with Sharon. Their new home is beautiful and they both seem really happy there.
   Sharon gave me a driving tour of Eugene and The University of Oregon campus. Somehow, we ended up at the architect's office for the new cohousing community they will be building in Eugene soon. Of course I got all the details about the new site, and shared a lot of info about Touchstone. Architect Will said he'll be at the cohousing conference in Portland on May 30 also. It feels nice to know that if I do go, I will know quite a number of folks there that I've connected with on this trip.
     After a delicious Thai dinner at Sabai, Alan, Sharon and I ended up watching Rachel Maddow on tv. I may have converted another viewer for my favorite news broadcaster.

Portland is so Portland

Everything you've heard about Portland being its own culture is true. If you're a hipster, this is the place for you. Its hard to explain but it really is exactly like the show Portlandia. Lunch restaurants' today and yesterday menus have lots of gluten free, vegan, kale, grain-free, jackfruit, hipster food. Seriously, people just look different here.
     Schools were closed today because there was snow. By 11 it had mostly melted. Its cold though, much colder than I had hoped for. After lunch, I dropped Ben at work and wandered into a few shops, including Collage, one of my favorite art supply stores. As I walked around the store, though, I kept thinking of my basement with boxes and boxes of unused art supplies. Dan and Dana are really into uncluttering their house. If something doesn't give them joy, out it goes. Maybe part of my problem is that so much gives me joy -- even the 8 Disney mugs up in the kitchen cupboard that I hardly ever use. I remember our trip to Disneyworld with my mom when she bought them. And, the artwork on them really is beautiful.  Maybe when I get home in March, I'll reevaluate some of my stored stuff again. or not.

I made it to Portland!

And on the 8th day, around noon, I arrived at my son and daughter-in-law's home in Portland. 2500 miles, 7 states, 3 motels, 3 cohousing communities, 1 nephew of a friend. At least 3 new friends. I left Bend at 8:27 in the rain, and drove thru rain and snow, crossing the snow-covered mountains near Mt. Hood. I passed the trucks as they put on tire chains, praying that my tires were indeed the tracker style tires required to go thru the snow covered pass. It was a bit scary, but my Subaru Outback did just fine. At times, I drove 20 mph, with snow falling and no cleared roadway showing. But I made it thru the pass!
     Now in Portland its snowing. Probably the coldest week of the winter. But I'm here, and so happy to be with my kids. I made us dinner, then drove to pick up Ben from work. Again lightly snowing, but not bad.
What I learned today: 1. It wasn't smart to pass thru a town filled with gas stations, only to be aggravated with myself for the next hour because I'd not adhered to my "don't let the gas get below 1/2" rule and had to drive a long time before finding another station; and 2. My son Dan, at age 39, looks like a man; 3. a product called Glo is a very cool furniture polish and cleaner.

I just love cohousers

 I left Boise early this morning in the rain, anticipating a long, wet, stressful drive to Oregon. Fortunately about 1/2 way to Bend, on the high plains, the rain stopped and the sun came out. Once again, perfect driving weather. Bend is a pretty town, with a busy main street with lots of interesting shops. Once again, at the nicest art gallery in town, I found a huge display of Motawi tile. Its just fun to see these tiles, made 3 miles from my house, all over the country.
     I am spending the night at Higher Grounds Cohousing. The guest room was already booked but Carlos (who answers inquiries on their website) and his wife Gwen offered to host me in their home. I arrived early so I walked around, taking photos of their grounds and gardens, then watched the Super Bowl with some folks in the common house. The community consists of 29 individual houses and the common house, with a large playing field in one area, and large community garden in another. The houses all have attached garages so there are roads up to most of the homes. A very different layout than most of the communities I've visited. Gwen made a delicious dinner and the three of us sat and talked for a few hours. I showed them Gather online and the movie that was made about Ann Arbor cohousing last summer. I love showing Gather to others because its such an incredible program, created by my neighbors, and it really makes our lives run so much smoother. I think Carlos may come up to the COHO conference in May and wants to talk to Tom about how is could be used here.
     I just remembered my fortune for today from a fortune cookie I ate this morning. "You will meet an incredible person today." In fact, I met 2 incredible people — Carlos and Gwen.
What I learned today: 1. Costco in Bend has twice as many women's clothes for sale than ours does; and 2. My instincts to come to Bend and not drive straight to Portland so I could see Higher Ground and the town of Bend were totally right. Good to know I can trust my instincts.

New friends

Today's highlight was making new friends. First at Wasatch Commons Cohousing, then tonight, in Boise. Lynda (Hob and Sandra's old neighbor and close friend), hosted her weekly Cafe Breakfast at her home. It turns out that she and I have a lot in common. I thoroughly enjoyed looking at her paintings, rocks, bead collection, and photo books that she created for an online site, travel ideas, and more. I enjoyed meeting many others at Wasatch, too—some who I hope to see in June at the cohousing conference in Portland. Lynda and I agreed that we would now be Facebook friends, and I really hope that our paths will cross again. Her husband and Hob were very close friends. After he died, she hooked up with Wayne, a geologist who makes jewelry. I shared my enthusiasm with them about OAT, and hopefully, they'll book a tour. They told me about some cool places in Utah where you can go mine fossils and other rocks like amethyst.
   Then this evening I am staying with Clare K's nephew, Oni, his wife Anika, and their two kids in Boise. Their kids are absolutely wonderful— Ruby, 8, and Avi, 12. We went out for dinner, together with Oni's mom. Anika is a metal artist and teaches at the university. They were so welcoming and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them.
    Tomorrow its on to Bend. Hopefully I'll miss the rain.
What I learned today: 1. even though some of these states have a speed limit of 80, I'm not comfortable going above 75. Am I getting old? and 2. if you meet enough people, eventually you'll find a home for good stuff you don't need. Oni's mom makes tallit and I'm going to send her all the extra strings I bought years ago in Israel that I will never use.

Snow covered mountains

My drive from Rawlins was uneventful. Clear, dry roads, not a lot of traffic but more trucks than I'd like. I went by miles of wide-open spaces and then crossed the mountains before coming into Salt Lake City. What impresses me most is how beautiful the mountains are so easily seen in the distance. The city itself is sprawling and congested, but oh, that view!
     I arrived at Wasatch Commons Cohousing, my home for the night, early enough to go explore the city a bit. First stop, Utah Museum of Fine Arts on the University of Utah campus. They're a member of the NARMA so I got in free. A new exhibit opened today on the Transcontinental Railroad and the American West. Lots of amazing photos (1863-1869) and the gold and silver spikes used at the ceremonial completion of the railroad. What is especially cool is that the railroad route going east from here is all along what is now Route 80, which is what I've been driving since Michigan. All the towns I passed by were important stops for the railroad. All the scenery I viewed is where the railroad workers laid down the tracks, to connect America's east coast to its west coast. Even today as I drove I saw dozens of trains hauling goods across the states.
   After leaving the museum, I found a Trader Joes and bought some Wasatch Chocolate Coffee Blond Ale as a gift for my neighbors Hob and Sandra who used to live here. Its a much bigger store than Ann Arbor's. We need to talk to corporate.
   I also stopped by the Mormon Temple downtown. Blocks and blocks of huge white stone buildings, all connected to the church. I expected to see more young men in white shirts and dark suits, but it was late in the day by the time I got there and only saw a few. I did watch a small group of young girls, who by their conservative dress and whiteness, were obviously here on church-related business. I know its a stereotype, but it seems to hold.

Back to the snow

 I thought I had left winter behind, but today, as I drove through Nebraska and into Wyoming, it reappeared -- rolling hills and stony outcroppings, covered with snow. The roads were dry, though the sign warning of 50 mph winds was a little scary. I made two fun stops along the way. First in Ogallala, Nebraska, at the Petrified Wood Museum and shop (amazing artwork and a pair of jasper earrings I couldn't resist) and in Cheyenne, where the road crossed over the largest and busiest train yard I'd ever seen.
   I am spending the night at a Microtel in Rawlins, Wyoming, about 4 hours east of Salt Lake City. Not much of a town, with only fast food restaurants as my dinner choices. But, I finally broke down and went into the Walmart, where I bought a prepared salad for my lunch tomorrow, and sweat pants and shirt, both on sale for $5 each. An irresistible bargain which saves me from doing laundry for another couple days. I had a nice conversation there with the clerk, who told me she made a good wage and got benefits even. So, maybe I shouldn't feel bad about shopping there.
     I remember driving thru Wyoming before in summer, and it looks and feels so different now in winter. There's still the wide open spaces that go on forever, rocky landscape and sage brushy bushes along the road. Lots of oil wells, and now, also, wind generators, and what I think may be huge oil refinery plants. When I fly cross-country, I love looking out the window at the land below. Its so different actually driving thru it and experiencing the changes as I go from one state to the next. I'm a little more than 1/2 way there. It hasn't been the least bit boring. There's so much land to look at!
What I learned today: 1. Wyoming has mountains; and 2. driving in high winds uses more gas. 

From -22° to 25° in one day

Yesterday I drove from Portage, Indiana, to Iowa City, Iowa. I was lucky enough to stay last night at Prairie Hills Cohousing.  I was greeted by Michele, an original member, and then settled into the "Nancy Drew Guestroom." From what I could tell, Iowa City is mostly a university campus. Even though it was frigid out, downtown was busy with students walking everywhere. I found a great art gallery and discovered a huge selection there of Motawi tiles. I just love when I see stuff made in Ann Arbor when I travel. One time I was in a small town in Spain in a paper store and found art kits made by Colorbok, a company just down the street from us on Little Lake.

Val and my frozen pants

    Prairie Hill just opened in March 2018 so is in its infancy as a community. They are a 3rd sold and are their own developers. I shared some marketing ideas with them and other things about Ann Arbor cohousing that works well for us, like our work hours and multigenerational activities. Right now they are all older folks, with no young families. I couldn't imagine Touchstone without our kids and young parents. They make all our lives so much richer. I enjoyed a delicious community dinner and then watched a movie with a dozen or so folks in the common house. Everyone was so welcoming. Their common house is 2 stories, with a number of small studio apt. units on the second floor. I think its a brilliant idea. The owners of one of the units, Val and John, have decorated so beautifully and gave me some good ideas for my basement space. I'm hoping to see John, and maybe some of the others, at the Coho conference in Portland in May. One really funny thing that happened was when I brought it the pants I had washed out in the morning and laid in the back of the car to dry. Needless to say, they didn't dry but instead froze solid. They literally could stand up on their own.

    It was -22° when I awoke this morning. But, after getting reassurances from the Subaru dealer that my car would be just fine, I hit the road. And, it was just fine. There was a small stretch of strong wind blowing snow around, but basically the highway was dry. Slowly, as I headed west, the temperature rose, and eventually, somewhere in Nebraska, the snow disappeared. I was doing so well, in fact, that I didn't stop as originally planned at 4 pm, and drove all the way to North Platte where its a balmy 25°. Tonight I'm in a Rodeway Inn, comfortable and warm. I'm remembering back in 1976 when Ray and I drove cross country and I was reading the book Colorado by Michener. There was a lot about the Platte River and tonight, I'm sleeping just down the road from the river. I'm thinking maybe its time to reread that book.
What I learned today: 1. Cohousers are the best!; 2. don't get the pretzel crust pizza at Little Caesars, and 3. there's a lot of windmill farms and cattle farms in Nebraska.

I beat the snowstorm

Up at 6:15, out the door by 7:30 and in Jackson by 8:15 am. It wasn't until I got closer to Jackson that it started snowing, but then very lightly. To avoid driving thru Kalamazoo, I took M-127 instead of continueing on 94. I think that wasn't the best decision because I ended up driving south on a less traveled road, then west on M12, which was snowy and slow. But doable, and by 11:30 I was warm and cozy inside my hotel room in Portage, Indiana. I was told the road to the lake and sand dunes would probably not be drivable so I spent the day relaxing on the bed, watching movies. I guess today's storm really was bad north of here (and in Ann Arbor!) and the temperatures are dropping fast and furiously.
    Driving today was good. I felt confident and safe. Only when trucks passed me and blinded me momentarily with snow, did I get a bit nervous. Fortunately that didn't happen too often. I drove by Hillsdale and Coldwater, two Michigan cities I'd never been to before. So that was good. I guess I like seeing new places, even if its just driving thru. But this photo out my front window is really what Michigan looks like in February. White and grey. This is actually a color photo (note the red roof on the right.) I really need more color in my life.
   Tomorrow I'm going to check out downtown Portage, then drive 3 hours to Davenport, Iowa, to visit the Figge Art Museum. One of my goals on this trip is to take full advantage of my new membership in the North American Reciprocal Museums Association. By becoming a member of the Ann Arbor Art Center (for only $100), I got this card that gets me into about 1000 museums, cultural centers and botanical gardens across the country. It includes the DIA and other museums in Detroit, tons of places in California, and other places like the Rock and Roll Museum in Cleveland. If you travel and like museums, this is a great deal! Thanks to my sister Judy for telling me about this.

2 things I learned today: 1. don't order Chinese takeout in an unfamiliar city; and 2. ask if there's a dog staying in a hotel room close to yours when checking in.

Its crunch time

The last couple days I have slowly inched my way towards being ready to leave on my trip. I stopped by Dunning Subaru on Friday and had a multi-point inspection done on my car. It passed with flying colors. (No charge and excellent service!) With 4-wheel drive and all its safety features, I feel like my car will serve me well. I'd never bought a new car before but for my 65th birthday (2017) I took the plunge. I'd driven with my friend Roddy in her Outback for the D.C. Women's March and loved her car. As it was, I ended up with the exact car as her, even the same color. Afterall, with Social Security checks now coming in, I would barely see those car payments going out -- a 0% interest loan and now, only 3 more years to go. I figured this car should last me at least 20 years, and 200,000 miles if I do regular maintenance. Not only is the car big enough for me to lie down in the back, but I can carry both my bicycle and kayak in it if I want though not all at the same time, of course. So, yesterday afternoon, after vacuuming and basically emptying out my car, I am confident that my Outback is now ready to pack up.
    Last night, coming home from the Ann Arbor Folk Festival in a snowstorm, all I could think was 2 more days. Just 2 more days. I'm still not sure whether I can leave tomorrow although I am determined. Edging my bets, I made hotel reservations yesterday morning along 2 different routes. I have to decide today, before 4 pm — depending on the weather forecast —which one to cancel.
    And today, the serious packing—what clothes to take for 30+ days and every kind of weather imaginable — begins. Is 5 pairs of shoes too many?