My First Expo...Post Views....19,785

       A busy Monday..last day of August.....hopeful results.....

     It's time to think of scheduling students for Grandma G's studio.  
    Actually I have been thinking about that for a long time and exploring various advertising methods.  A few I tried in the past were not successful.






 A couple weeks ago a friend of mine told me about a home schooling expo that was to happen soon. (Home schooling is a popular choice here in Vancouver area.)  I contacted them two times but didn't hear from them.....until mid morning of the expo day.  They would welcome me to present my resources.  
         Hustle to get enough info together and look good.....make sure my website is up to date, contact info readily available, have info packets to give out, a stack of business cards, sample lesson books to show, a bowl of taffy and free kazoos, my own table to set up.... 
        After three years living here I know the roads enough that I know where to go.  I have been to this particular church a few times. I am experienced enough with teaching piano that I am comfortable meeting people and answering their questions.  
       I am READY to do this even though I have never done this before or don't know anyone there...and they don't know me.
    


Set up time was from 6-7.  The expo from 7-8:30.  
Drive to the church was about 20 minutes. 
Another 15 minutes for a stop at a store for staples and candy. 
Need a few extra minutes in case of "traffic".  And to find which door of the building to go in.  A couple of polite teen boys helped carry in my supplies.


Grandma G all set for the expo..

(The sign was already made for me.)

Bring on the potential students!!

The room was quite warm but the time passed quickly as several people stopped to talk and make inquiries.  A few had questions about getting started with music.  One gentleman seemed impressed that I moved out here from Wisconsin.  A mother of 8 children talked with me about giving voice lessons to 6 of them..as a group...to sing Christian songs.  I gave out 15 info packets.  A few kids walked away blowing on kazoos.  A couple kids came back to chat.  There appears to be a few actual potential students.  It was a great evening and experience. No one there to help carry supplies back to my car, though.  And it was already dark outside...summer is over.   

This has been a good "first expo" day in the life of Grandma G.

"All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty."
(Proverbs 14:23)

What Has Gram G Been up to Lately?....Post Views...19,766.

  So what has Gram G been doing these past weeks while she appears to have been lazy or disinterested in keeping current with her blog fans?  

      Actually she has been lazy in between short spurts of "lets get this done" projects.  

New shelves on the back wall...



    After helping me clean up the floor covered messy garage, Jake agreed to paint the back sidewalk, at least the first coat.  He did have getting to his friend's house on his mind....that was last Monday, August 17.  We had to do this in the morning before the temps once again soared into the 90's.   
     

Tuesday morning found me out there applying a second coat....before the temps climbed in the afternoon.  
Nice looking sidewalk.  But....is Grandma G satisfied?  Hmmm....

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     What does one do when the temp continues to reach into the 90's on Wed?   Well, one or several have a  last minute meatloaf and baked potato dinner party.
      Deb does not have air conditioning in her home.  Her family sleeps over here occasionally when the heat is just too unbearable.
She texted Wed. morning asking about coming over to hang out, have dinner and stay over that evening. (Most Wed. evenings she has night school in Portland, but has a couple week break.)  I texted back, sure, but don't have anything for dinner.  She suggested meatloaf and baked potato since we would be cooking in AC.  She would get ingredients and do the cooking.  OK, I respond.  Shortly later there is another text, can Carole and Frank come too?  Sure. Shortly later another text, how about a co-worker and her family (Jake's friend) coming also?  Sure, but we will need more food.  
     I was busy spending the day vacuuming and wiping up the floors which hadn't been cleaned since April before all the summer activities began.  I was glad that project was already started (in the comfort of AC)....seeing that I would be hosting a dinner party for 11 later in the day.             

Dinner for one, Deb?

Frank and Carole, Deb and Keys,
Kim and "Big Daddy"

     Mic, Kelly, Jake, Kyle, Bentley dog....

Deb's friend, Kim, asked her if I would be overwhelmed to have so many people come over on short notice.  No! she responded.  Mom is use to larger groups.  I may have been overwhelmed if  I were to clean, shop and cook.  Thanks for dinner, Deb!!
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   Thursday was the day to harvest my backyard garden.
However.....the huge green bean plant that was suppose to supply me with beans all summer has produced 2 beans....yes, 2 beans.....
Looks beautiful, right?

But my pepper plant had a (1) mature red pepper.   Time to harvest!!

 And enjoy in a mega veggie omelet.
Yum....
I do believe backyard gardening is not what I am called to do.....


So, was Gram G satisfied with her green sidewalk?   NO....

Spent a few hours decorating with leaves....but that is for another day and story......




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I recently received a thank you card from Bill and Amanda for baby's shower.
Baby Berklee Evergreen is due Oct. 9.

Both Bill and Amanda grew up on Evergreen St.   


The thank you included a package of purple coneflower seeds.  We can watch the flowers bloom like baby Berklee is blooming.  They will look good in my Hobbit yard.

I am eager to welcome my 19th grandchild soon!!  You bet that Gram G will be hanging out with her for awhile!!
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 How about a fresh Baptism for serving the Lord west of the Rockies in the beautiful Pacific Northwest?

Even have a little angel watching!!

In the Lewis River. 


This has been a good many "what's she been up to" days in the life of Grandma G.

"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.  You know when I sit and when I rise, you perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways."  (Psalm 139: 1-3)

She Went to the Poor Farm....Post Views...19,697

      Wednesday was Red Hats day.  We ladies went to the Poor Farm for lunch. 

I'm at the far left end.....that itty, bitty head way down there...

And that little guy is just that...

a little guy who is being cared for by his great grandma.  He "got" to come along.

SEE?



I always get a corner cause I'm the only one in her right mind...

Did I say that correctly?

I mean, I am the only one who is left handed.

 I had a half sandwich with Moroccan vegetable soup.  I thought it would be full of exotic spices.  It actually tasted like vegetarian chili.  Good, though, and spicy.  

Portland condiments....
Organic ketchup
Terminator Mustard
McMenamin's Spicy Dijon 




This particular complex of 2 restaurants, 2 hotels, pool hall, garden, spa, gift shop and glass blowing shop was at one time past the 
"Poor Farm" where  down in their luck families could come for shelter and help. 
(I had heard of the poor farm or poor house in my growing up, but I didn't know they really existed.  A grown up would say, "Your spending will send me to the poor house".)

(Poor Farm, TroytDale, Ore)

(McMenamin's is a chain of restaurants in which historic buildings have been bought and refurbished into restaurants.)

An authentic gas street light.  I had  never seen one before...

Surrounded by trees with gorgeous huge leaves...don't know what the tree is....









We watched the glass blowers at work. 
I asked if indeed glass is created from sand.  They said yes, there are 3 ingredients....silica, something, something (I don't remember what).  
The silica is the sand.

Blowing the glass

That's 2100 degrees....



 









They were making a purple lamp shade...

 

And so we all headed home again.....
We left the poor farm.....

The haze in the background is from the wild fires burning in mid Oregon.  

(I still get rides into Portland....
not brave enough to drive there)




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 Angie's last excursion in Ireland....


The cliffs of Mohr.....


Unfortunately it did not go well.....
           .
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           .
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Fortunately there were friendly leprechauns around....

Boosted her back up.....

Luck of the Irish, I say.....
Bunch of Blarney? Bolony?

   All packed up and ready to fly home...
On Friday..... 

This has been a good "poor farm" day in the life of Grandma G.

"He [the Lord] raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap."  (Psalm 113:7)

Three Year Anniversary.....Post Views....19,680

HAPPY DAY!!

GRANDMA G IN HER NEW HOME!!

August 25, 2012

     Three years ago today (a Saturday evening) I arrived here in Vancouver to start my new life as a PNW mountain mama.  Two sisters and I embarked on a "Three Sisters Great Cross Country Road Trip" from Park Falls, WI.

Are we there yet?

Late welcome dinner with the Miller ladies..

Back up a Bit.....

Tuesday, August 14,2012

leaving Park Falls, WI

3 Sisters....Georgia, Betty, Kate

Wednesday, Aug. 15

Bemiji, MN

Thursday, Aug. 16....North Dakota

Rugby, North Dakota

Geographical center of North America

 Montana

Friday..Aug. 17..Great Falls, Montana....

We welcome niece, Vicki

On to Glacier National Park

Lake McDonald...Going to the Sun Road

 St. Mary's Lake

Monday....Aug. 20.....Banff, Canada

      Gnarled trees found in Banff 
        That's one large Chambered Nautilus 

        Wed.  Aug 22,  
Lake Louise, Canada

     Athabasca Glacier








    Thursday, Aug. 23-24
Canadian Rockies

 Somewhere in Canada.....

Kate compiled this record of maps and miles traveled

THE THREE SISTERS....

                                                             

  This has been a good three year anniversary day in the life of Grandma G.

"The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands.  He has watched over your journey through this vast desert."
(Deuteronomy 2:7)