Election 2010

The elections are over. No more TV ads. I read today that Portland was #3 in the country for the number of political TV ads this season. Ugh, glad that is over but those shows we recorded still have them. Luckily we can skip right through that part.

Dick's campaign led us through a lot of ups and downs, letters to the editor, rumors about Dick, speeches, coffees, radio interviews and a few hives for me, stress for Dick before it was all over. He was overwhelmingly successful so it was worth it. Lincoln City has a population of about 8,000 people but about 30,000 with the tourists that come to town. There are approximately 3,600 voters but of course they don't all vote. Dick got a little over 1,600 votes to the incumbents 991 and there were a few who actually voted for the cannibus candidate. There were no real polls. Our friends said they heard that a lot of people wanted Dick to win but you never know if it is just the circle of friends you know that say that or if there really are enough votes to win. Thus, the last week before the election, I broke out in hives. I went for a massage and that helped so much. About the same time, we were out twice a day at the D River waving signs during what we call rush hour (actually, it is just the time people drive to work but no rush in Lincoln City except the tourists coming on Friday night and leaving on Sunday). I was also busy getting food together for our election night gathering. At least the last few days I had something to concentrate on and the hives didn't come back.

The sign waving was fun! Even when the rain dumped buckets on us and the wind almost blew us away, we smiled, waved and had fun. There were a couple of people running for city council out there. Dick was there. And one day a candidate for county commissioner showed up for a morning wave with the signs. It was fun smiling and waving and seeing how many people would wave back or you could at least get to smile. There was a lot of honking and thumbs up. There were a lot of ballots waved as people were on their way to city hall to drop them off. One man made me really nervous when he wanted to make sure he showed both sides of the road that he liked the candidates, took his hands off the steering wheel and did a thumbs up to each side of the road. One of the funniest signs had a hand written "Honk for Dick" on it. There were a few cars with passengers and drivers laughing so hard they had to pull over and then wave, thumbs us or honk. I only knew about 3 one-fingered waves and that is expected but it was an overwhelmingly a success.

The election night gathering was another unbelieveable election experience. We invited many of the people who were active in the campaign. We invited about 100 people but many of them were from out of town so we had no idea how many people would come out. Both Brett and Allison made it over from the Portland area for the night and it was nice to have family there! Allison hooked up her computer to broadcast our event online. It was slow but at least people could see what was happening even if they couldn't attend. Then she hooked up my computer to show the county results through a projector onto a big screen. We had lots of food and drinks and I brought out the custom M&Ms with Dick's picture and "Mayor Anderson" on them. We voted for our favorite local pizzas after tasting them. And then the results came in...

Wouldn't you know it but I was in the bathroom. I heard somone clap...just one or two. Then I ran out and up to the screen and saw that Dick had a wide margin and was in the lead. Everyone had believed it was going to be close. All of us! So, we just stood there and looked. We were shocked. No real screaming, clapping, hooting or hollering. We just stared at the screen. Then we all started congratulating each other and giving each other hugs. No one really wanted to jinx things by celebrating too early. But it didn't look like there were enough votes still out there to change the lead even if they all voted for Lori. But still no one wanted to jinx it! Lots of celebrating and happiness but no real outburst. It felt so strange but we were all so happy. It was a cautious celebration. Later, when more results came in, the margin got wider and we knew for sure and we all went home for a good night's sleep.

The group at the election gathering was unreal. There were those really active in the campaign people, behind the scenes people, financial backers, neighborhood walkers, sign wavers, and some who were quiet supporters. They were from all walks of life, retired folks, young people, Henry from the doughnut shop, the gravel pit people, construction people, waiters, people from the arts, people recovering from health problems, friends drove over for just a couple of hours from Wilsonville and it is a 2 hour drive, people from the coffee shops, art galleries, florists, accounting people, one friend who makes purses, a hotel owner, our kids, our friends and neighbors. It was a true mix of all kinds of people who had heard the names of most of the others but most had not met. We even had one couple who rarely get out attend. It was comfortable. It was Lincoln City at its best pulling together to elect someone who can change things and help the town become a true community once again.

Dick came down with a cold the next morning and had to be on the radio the next morning at 7:30am. We put Nyquil into him and got a cup of hot coffee. He stopped coughing long enough to talk to the community for half an hour. We have been stopping by our coffee shop hangouts to thank our supporters. We have driven all over town to take down signs. Dick is doing a lot of planning for the future and we have to get him a new notebook he carries to keep track of people, phone numbers, email addresses and most importantly...ideas from the community. He has two more interviews on the local radio talk shows on Tuesday and Thursday. People are calling for meetings. He met with the Siletz Tribal people. Dick is on the move. People are coming out of the woodwork and speaking their minds. This is a true community.

It's just another sunny day at the beach!

Election Fever

Oh, I have election fever and I am worn out! The Lincoln City mayor's seat is a close race. The fangs came out with lots of rumors about Dick and of course I take that as an assault on me. I did chose to marry the guy anyway. Wait! Nothing personal was said about girlfriends or affairs or anything...just how he stands on some hot issues in town. Dick would rather not stoop so low as to argue back but a number of supporters have sent letters to the editor in our newspaper so things still get ugly. This is why I don't like politics.

The good news is that we have lots of people (some we are suprised to hear from) coming up and telling us they are voting for Dick. Some say they were strong supporters of his opponent in the past but have jumped ship. I think there is a good chance he will win, but it will be close and it will be a battle.

We have busily put up signs and banners in highly visible places around town. Lori, who is very green, had said in the past she would never litter the environment with yards signs. She now has yard signs. One of our supporters printed us bumper stickers. Lori printed bumper stickers. We have had some wonderful buttons from day one. Finally, Lori made some buttons. Wish she would get a marketing plan of her own. I just hope the citizens have noticed how she copies us along the way. Ouch!

My means of coping with stress from all of this is to cook/bake/can. I hope all my friends are hungry as the stress level rises. Today I made two batches of blackberry jam and finished up some applesauce. Tomorrow we go to Lake Oswego and make apple cider at Brett's house. At least we will get a day off to spend with family.

I have been working with Dick on mailings, writing his bio, answering questions from the employee union, the Newport newspaper questions, setting up for a Senior Fair this next week, Photos to use...take them and print them, make food for some coffees we have attended at friends houses to talk to neighbors, designing one last postcard to send out, doing bulk mailings, spending 5 hours at Safeway for a fundraiser where I did the work so Dick could talk to people coming through, writing letters to the editor for another campaigner, and anything else we can do. The house is dirty. We are on top of things for the campaign.

This week starts the radio interviews, prep for radio ads, the Senior Fair, a Candidates Fair for Federal, State, County and City hopefuls and still maintaining the usual with coffee at different coffee places each day of the week traveling to all ends of the city. The postcard should be printed and I will get to work labeling them so they can be mailed in about 10 days. Whew! Can't wait until November 2nd. Oh, wait! I have to plan the election night event. I will relax next month.

It's just another day on the campaign trail.

September Sunshine

Fall seems to be here according to the tourist drop off but it has been sunnier and warmer than most of the summer. We are really enjoying the clear mornings and beautiful sunsets. This is why we moved to the beach.

The grankids are back in school and I am back to babysitting one day per week. Eliana has been emailing me about our football pool as football season starts. She is a true Dallas Cowboy fan just like her dad. She loves cheering at the touchdowns and watching how many picks she got right. She has won the money before so this isn't something new to the 10-year-old!

Allison and Jason and the kids just got a new dog. We aren't sure exactly what kind he is but he is cute, about a year old and very well behaved. His name was "Puddin" but it just didn't fit. The girls decided that "Dreidel" fits him better so he is Dreidel. Sarina, who is our house cleaner grandchild, has taken on the job of keeping the back yard cleaned up. We will see how long that lasts. She does like cleaning bathrooms so maybe this won't seem like an awful chore. Otherwise, the other girls are going to have to rotate doing the job also.

Dick is off to a City Council meeting and his campaign for mayor rolls along. We went to a fundraising event for a wild cat sanctuary with Tippi Hedren last night and picked up new campaign bumper stickers while there. We met a number of new supporters for his campaign, also. It is always nice to meet more people backing him and gives us hope that he may even be successful. Here come the Letters to the Editor, mailings and then in October we will start hearing the radio ads. Keep your fingers crossed.

I just went through all my cooking magazines that have been stacking up over the summer while Allison and the girls were here. They keep me busy so I didn't get to decide which recipes I want to keep and try and rip them out. Usually during the year I can keep up with them and try lots of new ideas. I guess I take the summer off. Watch out waistlines...I am inspired. Plus, my corner where the magazines were piling up is nice and clear now!

Yes, I am inspired but when will I get to buying apples to make applesauce and cider? Finished the jams but it is apple time in the Northwest. Brett will gather friends together for the cider pressing sometime in October. Hope our campaigning doesn't interfere with attending. It is a very fun, kid-oriented, outdoor time. All the kids do the grinding and pressing with Grandpa Dick's help. We also have any newcomer join in helping the job along.

Well, it is September and just another busy time of year!

Summer's Over?

I can't believe that summer is almost over! The grandkids have already gone home and I didn't get a chance to write much about our adventures. The girls grew an inch each the first month they were here. All that fresh air, exercise and good food did the trick. Dena has been singing all summer, all day. She seems even taller but I think it is maturity that makes her seem to have grown. At 3, she is much more mature like her older sisters. At 7, Sarina survived...rather devoured her first weeklong overnight camp. She was really into it and went both inner tubing on the lake behind a boat several times and tried out the ropes trail. Art is her favorite other activity at camp. We still have a grocery bag full to prove it. Eliana, at 10, blossomed this year as well. She took guitar lessons, spent her first 3-week overnight session at camp and also grew a lot taller. She came home and immediately got on her computer to input all the email addresses of her new friends and was amazed she had emails waiting for her from her friends back in West Linn. Busy girls.

Allison had a hectic summer with all the things you don't really see behind the scenes at summer camp. They had a van totalled in an accident (no one injured) and had to rush around to find an emergency replacement vehicle for the next day's outing. In Lincoln City that is a miracle. The car rental place...if you want to call it that...is owned by the heating and air conditioning company. We multi-task around here. There was also a flu outbreak at camp and I think Allison bought out the store in the hand sanitizer department the first day. Luckily it only lasts 12 hours and the kids could go back into circulation but sometimes it hit 10-12 kids at a time. They had to make quick recovery rooms out of anything available and many extra runs to the laudromat for clean linens in each cabin as a sick kid appeared. That too did pass. Eliana's cabin was hit early and 11 kids went in the first night out of 16 in her cabin. She made it through the session staying healthy until the night before camp ended...it finally got her too. Even the doctor got sick but put on a mask and continued to watch over the kids in the health center.

Dick's campaign is in full swing now. We have buttons galore, brochures going out with a big mailing work party next Tuesday (8/24) and I am picking up signs today, I hope. Coffee at Starbucks and other places have turned into 2-hour morning rituals. Coffees are being set up at homes and new supporters are coming out of the woodwork. It is interesting. I have never liked politics but as long as it isn't me running, answering all the questions and being under the magnifying glass, I can support Dick's efforts. Keep your fingers crossed. It is a long time until November 2nd.

We will be out of here for a few days to meet up with the whole family in Camp Sherman in Central Oregon soon. A few days away will be fun and Camp Sherman is an even smaller town. The post office, gas station and grocery store are all in one. Otherwise there isn't anything else there except rental cabins, homes, etc. and one nice restaurant. I think we will hit that at least once. Last year I tangled with a brown recluse spider while there so I have already bought my bug spray for the bedroom. I didn't see any bugs but the spider found me in the middle of the night. I have a nice, huge scar on my neck to prove it. And I am going back again, you ask? Yes, it is a nice place to watch the wild life, trees, flowers, creek and no tv or computers.

It will be just another quiet day with at just running water, toilets and electricity!

FEELIN' FINE

I woke up this mornin' feelin' fine... sounds like a song I know. The girls weren't quite so cheerful this morning when they woke up. A little homesickness set in. Dena wanted her pink hippo (which Daddy is bringing over tonight) which made Eliana want to sleep in her own bed. So waking up was a little rough this morning. But, after a few Mommy cuddles and some of Grandma's Famous Buttermilk Pancakes all is well. By the time we were headed out the door for camp (and Grandma to Starbuck's) all of us were singing "Bye, bye Miss American Pie. Drove my Chevy to the levee and the levee was dry. Them good old boys were drinking whisky and rye"...wait a minute. A 3-year old singing about whiskey and rye? At 8 o'clock in the morning? Oh, well. At least all 5 of us girls were singing and the sun was out to make us all happy.

I have been enjoying the musical touch the girls have brought to the household. Their favorite songs are Miss American Pie, Leaving on a Jet Plane, Jimmy Buffet's Volcano Song and Taylor Swift's song about "she wears short skirts, I wear tee shirts". Eliana has taken a few guitar lessons this summer between overnight camp sessions. So, as she practices each night, we are serenaded by guitar music. On Thursdays, Grandpa Dick walks her up the street to the nearby music store where Richard Paris (his middle name is France, according to Elie) tries to teach her as fast as she can learn. Dick sits by and listens for an hour before he walks her back and tells us Eliana tries to teach her teacher as much as he is teaching her. She is trying to keep her mouth shut during lessons but boy is it hard. Last night they even stopped by Humble Pie and brought back pizza for dinner. If you wear a tie dyed shirt there you get a discount. Both Dick and Elie forgot their shirts this time (Eliana had made one at camp) but next time we will remember. Do tie dyed shirts go with campaign buttons that Dick always wears? Why not?

The campaign is going well. We are hearing all kinds of support from people we don't even know but the 2 time mayor is going to run again so it is still a long road ahead until November 2nd. A friend and supporter is making buttons to pass out. They have all kinds of sayings so it is fun to let people pick their pleasure. There are simple ones with "Dick Anderson for Mayor" and ones with his face and a message like "Innovative Leader", "Integrity with Ears" or even "Lets move on". Not all are my favorites but we let people choose. A big check is going to come in today, we are told and that should cover our signs. We have collected enough to print and mail our brochures...which are just about ready...so we are moving into the radio and newspaper ads part of the fundraising. Signs will be ordered next week once the check clears the account. Should be interesting.

Today is my housecleaning, cookie baking, jam making, go to the library, drop off buttons day, and a day to myself day. My quiet time while Dick is golfing and marshalling all day. The kids all stay for Shabbat Dinner at camp so even dinner will be a quiet affair. It gives me a little rejuvenation time for the next week so I will take advantage of this time. The sun is shining and the beach is calling my name, so I think a walk is in order before my day gets too far along.

It's just another perfect day at the beach.

It is Official

Dick has filed for running for Mayor of Lincoln City in the November election. His press release came out in the Newport Newspaper last week and a great article ran on the front page of the Lincoln City News Guard this week. We have received some nice calls from people supporting his campaign. It is encouraging but he may be running against the long time Mayor so we will just have to wait and see how things develop.

All the girls are in town and this weekend, so is Jason. Camp has not started yet but Allison has been busy morning, Noon and night with the administrative work that needs to be done. She is in charge of the camp store this year too, although there is a person experienced in retail working in it for most of the summer. I visited yesterday and the new t-shirt line with Hebrew writing on them looked great. One that I recognized had a Coke ad on it. They do popcorn, big pretzels and home baked cookies for the kids to buy also. No candy sold in the evenings I was told which is a good idea.

I have again been helping by putting together linen packages for those traveling by air (or just for the convenience). I can't imagine carrying on a sleeping bag, blanket, sheets, towels, a beach towel and a pillow with the luggage restrictions we have now so this is a great idea to help campers. I put together about 14 packages for the staffers who are there all summer first. Then went this weekend and put together another 11 for the one-week campers. But, the first 3-week camp session has something like 30 campers who need packages. Guess I better get busy! We did discover a water leak from an old washing machine next door that ran into the linen storage area while I was working yesterday. Ugh! we had to throw out a few pillows and dry and clean a few sleeping bags but luckily most things were up and didn't get wet. We were also lucky at the timing so we aren't scrambling to get all the linens out for another week.

The girls and I have spent a couple of wonderful digging expeditions out on the sand. Dena was tremedously impressed with burying her legs and then fashioning them into a mermaid tail. Wish I had a camera with me. The weather has been gorgeous! Eliana is getting the hang of roller skating in our common driveway area. Sarina and Dena are more impressed with the puddles left behind after rinsing off sand from the beach and come in with black bare feet when they are done. I remember how black my feet used to get in summer as I spent many days washing them off in the bathtub before I was allowed to roam the house. Deja vue.

Today is Family Fun Day at camp. Many families take advantage of this Sunday before the one-week camp session to introduce the new kids to camp life. They can check out all there is to do with their families and even eat 2 meals today in the dining room. If they have never been to camp before or away from their families it is a much easier transition than going cold turkey on Monday when camp starts. Some families just come have a little fun for a day before their kids start because they have heard so much about it. The swimming pool and camp store are open and even the ropes course with tree climbing and all it entails.

Dick and I have a phone conference set up with Pippa today to finish the campaign brochure after many changes. Then off to the printer. Otherwise it is just another sunny day in Lincoln City.

Brochure time again

We were all together at one time this past Saturday so Dick and I took advantage of this rare occasion and we took pictures of Dick with all the grand kids so he could have an updated photo for his campaign brochure. Last time it took about 40 pictures to make sure we had one with all 4 kids looking at the camera, not crying, all sitting still and with Dick looking good. But we set a new record this year with only 26 pictures to get the perfect photo.

Dena decided halfway through that she was done. At 3, she is showing her independence, of course. So, trying to take just a few more photos, her mom, Allison, hid behind Dick while down on all fours and tried to convince Dena it was okay to get back into the photos. Not too much success there. Finally, I had to step into the group so she would give it another try. I don't like being in pictures but anything for the campaign and for my grand kids. I will share a couple with you to give you the idea.

It was just another Spring day for the Anderson clan!

A Whale's Tail

Brett, Liz and St. John were visiting us here on the coast this weekend. We had a great visit with the one-man wrecking crew (SJ) and he discovered all sorts of new adventures at Grandma and Papa's house. There is a window seat that his cousin Dena told him about that can be closed off with curtains for a great escape and hiding place. The rocks on the beach are great for climbing and contain lots of critters. Small rocks on the beach are just right for throwing into the ocean. And, letting Mom and Dad go out by themselves can be a lot of fun when you are at the beach house, too.

The grown up people made one discovery, too. As the whales are migrating North, they decided this was the weekend to come close to shore and romp a little. The sunshine seemed to make us all pretty happy. But this was our first time seeing the whales so close to shore. They were right behind the breakers! One was huge and you could see it's dark shadow/shape in the water as it would swim along and then whoosh, it would break the surface and flip it's tail up or roll it's back out of the water. The most spectacular event was when the whale was swimming right in the breaker as it curled up and broke. At one point with the sun out, you could see the whole whale through the breaker. It was almost like looking at the whole body through a window. What a spectacular view!

I didn't get any perfect pictures because I was glued to watching it, but later on another one was close in and I did try to catch him/her on film. Above is my attempt but you can just barely see the back breaking the surface of the water. I am also posting a picture of the rocks outside our place and the first whale was just past the rocks and breakers in view. It was just another whale of a day.

Garage Sale Anyone?

Have you ever shopped a garage sale? Have you ever held one? This weekend Lincoln City is holding a huge garage sale...all over town. Addresses of the sales were published in the newspaper with maps, times and an idea of what each garage sale might have. Some were individuals, some were churches where members all gathered together for a big garage sale and I even saw one where someone or a group of people are actually using a vacant storefront for their garages sale. A warehouse just up our street and across from the Catholic Church is open as a garage sale selling flowers for the garden. The Connie Hansen Garden is also having their plant sale this weekend. WOW!

This is an annual event and is even extending into Newport this year. We even have a group of women staying in the vacation rental next door who came down last night so they wouldn't miss any bargains. They hit the sales early. Dick and I had a heck of a time downsizing to move here so I don't think I will venture out. I don't really need anything but would probably drag something home anyway. So I think it will be just another flowery day...I might hit that sale up the street!

Spring Break

It has been Spring Break here at the Oregon Coast and lots of people are visiting. Not in our house but in our city. We finally had vacationing neighbors show up next door just a few minutes ago. It is the last Saturday of Spring break so I suspect they are on a different schedule and will be here for more than one night. The vacation times in different areas and states vary so I don't think the onslaught is over after this weekend. Dick informed me the neighbors are from Washington. Aha!

The weather has been better than usual. Most of the rain has been in the evenings with some sun breaks each day. There was one bad day where people either congregated at the mall, swam at the community center or went bowling. It poured! But that isn't bad for Oregon. There are lots of people crawling over the rocks but I think it must be Spring Break for dogs, too. More of them than usual out there having fun. We are seeing extended families around with 2 or 3 dogs so the dogs all have playmates just like the kids. We just saw a three-legged German Shepard having a blast running wobbly along the beach. The unusual sight was a small black dog with him that didn't seem to be having much fun but managed (with 4 legs) to wobble along side the German Shepard. Dick and I wonder if they were raised together and the little black one imitates the big one with the wobble. Cute!

Our cat is enjoying the warmer weather after hibernating all winter. She is on daily treks in the great outdoors. She hides in the grasses and sunbathes on the deck. After originally living on acreage, she certainly has adapted to the coast and no longer roams very far. Just far enough to enjoy all the views of HER ocean.

We are off soon from our vantage point to our regular life but love watching life go on in front of our windows. Wish you were here to enjoy with us. It's just another day, watching the tide come and go.

2010 Census

I am now officially working for the 2010 Census Bureau! I have completed 24 plus hours of training, I have all my materials and I am ready to roll. Can't tell you much about what I will do our I will have to either kill you or go to jail. Privacy is a must. I can tell you that the US Government has labelled me a GQ Enumerator and I will be enumerating. It sounds like exterminator or annihilator so it does sound ominous, doesn't it? I will be counting heads.

I learned the scripts, forms and have boxes of materials. I started each day of my training much earlier than I would have liked but I have a temporary job and it only comes around once every 10 years. It should be fun meeting people, too. Did you send in your survey? Did you receive one? Dick and I didn't but we managed to find a place to get one so as of tomorrow, we will be legal according to the Census Bureau.

Census Day is April 1st. Happy birthday, Janet, also. I will be out interviewing. Be thinking of me. It will be just an Enumerating day!

Aaahhhhhhh!

That is the feeling I have now that I have finished babysitting a 3-year-old at the same time I decided to paint my bathroom. The prep work was all done. Taped off the mirror and anything else that needed it. Removed all hardware and switch covers. Cleaned! Removed towels, tp, kleenex, soap, lotion, etc from the counter and toilet back. Of course, I didn't remove the toilet! That would be too easy. So I was well prepared.

Then, Dena came over after we had coffee together to get my blood pumping. She decided she wanted to paint, too, so Grandma got out the paintbrushes for the kids easel that is always out. She had a great time and took home a cute painting for her Mommy. Did I mention we are also potty training? Dena even brought her own potty along. Well, I decided to set my goals a little lower in the paint project. If I could get the corners and edges done while she was here, I would be happy. The roller part would only take a few minutes to complete later in the afternoon.

When I set lower goals for myself while I am babysitting, the results seem to be much better. I had lots of patience for stopping and starting my painting. We had numerous snacks that also translated to lunch since Dena ate her way through the morning with crackers and cheese, popcorn...I had to pop it...a whole apple (mustn't cut it, you know), another bout of crackers and cheese, some fruit snacks and a little bit of bran muffin....and this is after a half a bagel at the coffee house. We stopped several times to try to go potty and guess what! The pee pee wasn't shy and it came out this time...according to Dena. We celebrated wholeheartedly! And still, I got some painting done.

TV was the next request but at the condo we don't have DVR or on demand TV. This concept is new to Dena. In her lifetime, she hasn't lived without one or the other. So, we settled for what Grandma did have on and I got more painting done.

By the time Mommy got here to pick her up for naptime, Grandma had finished the bathroom, including the roller part. The edges are a bit messed up but I did get to do another once over for spots I didn't get completely covered. I will get back to those edges when I don't have the distractions of any of my grandchildren. They are only kids once so I prefer their company to a perfect bathroom. If you disagree, I will probably stick my tongue out at you and feel sorry for you and your priorities.

I even got the switch covers back on, tp holder back where needed, all the essentials back in place and I have a nice warm sand color in my bathroom. Aahhh! The sun is out and Dick is on his way over from the beach so we can have dinner with friends tonight. Aahhhh, again! It's just a perfectly painted day.

The End of February

I can't believe it is the end of February and I can't believe our ocean view still changes everyday. We have a pebble covered beach as we do each Winter but it is moving. As we look out the window, the pebbles used to be mainly to the left. That area is now pure sand and the rocks are directly in front of us. The pebbles or small rocks include many agates so it is agate collecting time again. I am amazed we don't see people bumping into each other as they walk with heads down on the beach looking for agates but so far it hasn't happened.

We also are dealing today with a tsunami alert. Just unusual currents for this area so I am hoping Hawaii and other areas will be safe also after the big earthquake in Chile. We have a lot of problems on the Oregon coast with currents already. People don't respect the power of the ocean and we recently had a drowning of a man trying to save his dog and another near drowning the same day. Jim, the local safety and rescue person with the fire department told Dick that actually that one day, Valentine's Day, there were 5 rescues just here in Lincoln City. Beauty and the Beast out our window.

Politics are a main topic in our household since Dick is running for Mayor this year. Our accountant is pretty well set up now. I set up the records online so she can take over with the legal stuff with the State. I set up the books and we are already pleased to have a few donations coming in. It is amazing what it will cost in this little town just to print and mail flyers. I was planning on taking pictures this weekend but it is still grey and drizzling. It is supposed to improve and be sunny on Monday...maybe even Sunday ...so we will try then.

Dick had a wonderful listening session at a small coffee shop around the corner Thursday night. There were 17 people and they had great ideas and concerns to share. I think it will be a good idea to keep this up as we meet some very interesting people this way. I am still amazed at the diverse and interesting backgrounds of the people we meet in our little town of 8,000. Just today we stopped by a little shop only 3 blocks away where they sell Persian rugs, throws, pillows and other imported items and the man there also does awesome work restoring furniture. He does beautiful work! I took my Grandmother's old rocker in and had the seat recaned but he insisted on tightening up the joints and giving the old rocker a little TLC as well. While picking up the chair, I visited with the woman who runs the store...his wife. She has been teaching GED educational classes for the past 34 years at the community college. She had great stories about some of the students, especially single moms who had dropped out of school only to come back enthusiastically once they have children of their own and grow up very fast. What success stories! Lincoln City schools have a very high drop out rate and the schools themselves aren't great so that is another challenge to face. I am glad there is someone out there to help when the kids need to get that GED. She said many need them to get electrician certification or a license as a beautician. Reality hits when jobs are needed.

We still go almost daily to Starbucks and gather with friends to discuss all sorts of concerns for the community as well. There are many people who drop by and who can share background on topics if they have lived here forever, fresh ideas if they are new and a sense of humor to most topics...even septic tanks! I see people becoming more interested in speaking out about problems and stepping up to the plate to either run for office or volunteer for committees. It is exciting to see a friendly, but quiet woman grow by feeling she can speak up and let people hear her thoughts. For now it was a group of 17 over coffee but soon it will be at the City Council meeting on TV. She is up for the challenge!

It is a quiet place...Lincoln City...but it's just an amazing place to live.

It's an Election Year

It is an election year for Dick in Lincoln City. He has been a City Councilor and enjoyed the work but this time around he is trying for Mayor. Oh, joy. I am not political but of course support whatever he wants to do.

As usual, as Dick talks with people he refers to "his people" and in a small town...I am "his people". So, we headed to Salem to meet with a CPA who specializes in filing the policitcal/financial forms with the State this past week. I did this for him last time but it is a fairly difficult program and even when I called the State to ask questions, then didn't know how to answer. So, we are now paying someone to file those forms to make us legal. The checking account and paper trail is no problem for me but boy am I glad the State stuff is out of my hands!

Pippa, a friend, is working on a better handout/mailer for this campaign. I still have to take pictures for it but she is creating the "look". Next will be fundraisers at people's homes. We didn't need to ask for money last year as we didn't spend more than the $2,000 maximum before the more detailed State filing. This year, however, newspaper ads and some signage may be necessary.

Dick has been on a "Listening Tour" with the other Councilor in our Ward (Lincoln City is divided into 3 Wards to cover such a long city-26 miles). They are meeting people in the Ward at a community coffee (and bead) shop and talking issues, problems, etc. He has already had people asking if he is running for Mayor...still just a rumor traveling around since he hasn't declared yet. Sounds like some decent support but the current mayor is very well known and has been in politics for years so there may be a rough road ahead.

Wish us well. It will keep us busy in 2010 and out of too much mischief. It's just an election year!

2010

It is already February and I haven't blogged forever! Where does time go when you are having fun?

I just started learning to knit! There were a number of us who are friends who wanted knitting lessons either to improve skills or to start from scratch and learn the basics, so we started checking out the times and places to learn. Since I am only in the Portland area on a limited basis I was determined not to hold back my friends by restricting their choice of classes to fit my schedule. However, I did mention these were my friends, and they rallied to adjust their schedules to mine and we set the date for our first class...I didn't have to take classes here in Lincoln City all by myself.

We found a coffee shop near our condo in West Linn that also houses a small knitting shop. Coffee first, yarn second. The woman who runs the knitting part, hosts knit-ins where women come to share a cup of coffee and knit and she is there to help out if needed. Ruth gratiously agreed to take us on and teach a basic class on Tuesday mornings. On the day of our first class, I picked up my friend, Shirley in the next building down from our condo and we drove over to the coffee house. We both ordered coffee arriving early to do so and chat a little before the rest arrived. Ruth helped us select yarn and needles and we were ready to roll. Shirley and I would be the only true novices. Donna, Sandy and Joan arrived and we all settled in with coffee to start. Ruth had us cast on and showed Shirley and me how to actually knit. She suggested we not worry about mistakes but just knit away to get the feeling and ryhthm. Ruth also has the philosphy that little mistakes make the knitted item unique and handmade. I like this woman! I knit away and had plenty of holes, blips and ended with more stitches than I started with but I was getting the hang of it and it felt good.

Class was over but my group of friends decided we needed lunch. Not wanting to move, we just ordered sandwiches and soup right there at the coffee house and kept knitting. It was such a joy to sit there and talk with these great women. The knitting became the secondary purpose of our meeting. We had a new member to the circle of friends, Sandy. She has been going through personal triumphs and hardships yet had such a vivacious personality it was amazing. I hope she will continue to join us in other gatherings. She was amazed to hear that Donna had 3 women gatherings in one day! Most women struggle to share time with friends even weekly! She is another one of my amazing friends. Joan is full of spunk and the funniest woman I know...well there is Linda but that is another story. Joan writes funny stories for the Lake Oswego Review and I know I have been in a couple of them. She too has had a demanding 2009 but the fighter she is, Joan has conquered it all and now stands on top of the mountain of life enjoying what she sees. Shirley is another awesome friend who has had a rough 2009. Smiling and beautiful as always, Shirley was struggling with knitting. She finally shared with us that she may be putting up a block beacause her mother was a perfectionist who told Shirley she couldn't do anything right. We all disagreed with Shirley's mother and encouraged her to stick with it...and hopefully she will. As for me, I feel very lucky to have friends like these women and to be able to share time with them. They encourage me. They make me laugh...and cry. I feel so blessed to have had a great 2009 knowing what these women have been going through and still are experiencing. If I can be there for them just a little, I feel lucky. I hope everyone has friend just like them. Joyce will be joining us next week and she too is a charming and caring person who went through some milestones last year like turning a big one...no I won't mention which birthday exactly but we are also glad she is healthy again.

By the way, I went home Tuesday night and ripped out my knitting so I could practice starting again. Well...I practiced about 10 times because I couldn't do it again. Sometimes I would drop a stich and it would come all undone. Sometimes I couldn't remember how to get going. But, after all those tries, I am proud of myself for getting back to where I had finished in class all by myself and for figuring it out. I haven't checked with Shirley but I hope she is on a roll too.
It is just a happy knitting day.