banana flank

banana flank, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Darth Vader (me) and Pink (Jess) surrounded by bananas (Tess & Amanda). at Mike's insane Halloween party. Last year I wore one of those banana costumes. I was happy to lend them out for another year's use.

liqour luge

liqour luge, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

a shot of liquor poured into your mouth via a giant ice block. seems like a terrible idea. I abstained. at Mike's insane Halloween party.

david hasselhoff and his girl, Pink

david hasselhoff and his girl, Pink, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Jess (as Pink) successfully convinced her fiance, Mike, to dress up as David Hasselhoff or the Hoff, because she thinks he's hilarious.

the most elaborate house party I ever went to

the most elaborate house party I ever went to, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

The craziest house party ever. kegs and kegs and kegs of beer. "margaritas". A stage with dj and karaoke (the party had a rock star theme). lots of heat lamps and fires. porta potties. everyone in costume. good times

halloween mob

halloween mob, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

I love Halloween!

the pink bunny has blue balls

the pink bunny has blue balls, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

John went all out for Halloween. His bunny outfit was unbelievably soft and cuddly. Just look out for that giant bunny erection

pulling out the big guns

pulling out the big guns, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

John is in fine form as a giant pink cowboy bunny (with a huge erection and a flashing blue balls).

Carl the gardner (from Caddyshack, Kyle) and a pirate (Elaine) look on. A wench (Gina) enters from the rear. oh my

her afro dreams realized

her afro dreams realized, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Melissa has wanted an afro since she was a little girl. Halloween can make your dreams come true

hooter adjustment

hooter adjustment, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Terry, dressed as a Hooters waitress, gets his fake boobs adjusted by his wife Erin. I love Halloween

superbaby

superbaby, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Gideon flies with the help of his dad, Jacob. At Molly & Andy's halloween potluck

intergalactic forces

intergalactic forces, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Darth Vader (me) and Captain Kirk (Cory) hanging out on the back deck at Molly & Andy's halloween potluck. good times

the banana laughs last

the banana laughs last, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Curious George (Domenica) flanked by the Man in the Yellow Hat (Matt) and a banana named Brian.

satan attempts to strike down jesus

satan attempts to strike down jesus, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

a battle of good vs evil in the backyard. I'm not sure why Satan (Tony) is wearing a Santa Claus hat. Andy (Jesus) & Molly hosted a halloween potluck in the afternoon for all the early birds. Lots of babies and some pregnant ladies. How things have changed...

Later would be the blowout house party without a baby in sight.

your days are numbered

your days are numbered, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

How I love the summer tomatoes! My garden is still pumping out some cherry tomatoes and hot peppers (how many serranos can one girl eat?) but they won't last long with these chilly nights.

Today was another warm, gorgeous, sunny, fall day.

with the trees as a roof

with the trees as a roof, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

the stone building along the Wildwood Trail in Macleay Park, a part of the huge Forest Park

charlies see me

charlies see me, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

this dog (named Charlie) was with two little boys exploring the stone building. Macleay Park, in Forest Park.

Portland, Oregon

I love Halloween!

Friday afternoon I went for a short hike in Forest Park where the leaves are dropping on the mossy forest floor. That evening I hung out at Elaine and Gina’s house for a bit before picking up some carryout from Pho Van and heading home. Seth was at our house, introducing Camille to his new puppy, Maynard. He was tiny and sleepy and adorable. After the puppy left I ate my dinner then watched Kiss Kiss Bang Bang which was really good and funny. I was happy to stay home knowing that Saturday would be a late night of Halloween parties.

Saturday was foggy and cool in the morning. I made brownies and banana muffins and brought the batter over to Elaine & Gina’s house to bake them. My oven is too temperamental for baking such things. When my baking tasks were done I went home where I read my book and talked on the phone with Greta and later Sara. In the afternoon I put on my costume (Darth Vader) and headed back to Elaine and Gina’s house. Erin came over and gave Gina & me a ride to Molly & Andy’s Halloween potluck. Elaine had gotten slammed with some work so she came over a bit later. Molly and Andy’s house quickly filled up with babies, pregnant ladies and a table absolutely jammed with food. All the dishes were fantastic as was the punch with the floating frozen hand in it. I had a great time talking with friends and holding adorable babies and eating tomato/pesto/mozzarella “eyeballs”. In the evening we left and headed back to Elaine and Gina’s house where some more friends were meeting. Melissa looked fantastic in her Studio 54 outfit and she realized her life long dream of having an afro. We hung out and drank some beers while people got their costumes together. Terry (6’8”) was hilarious as a Hooter’s waitress and John went all out on his giant pink cowboy bunny costume. Impressive! They were all going out to the bars while I was going to a house party so we took several group pictures before parting ways.

I drove over to Mike’s house (my friend Jess’ fiancé) where a monster house party was under way. I had never seen such a party. The entire backyard was carpeted in an attempt to save the lawn which had to be re-sodded every previous year after this party. There was a bar with many kegs of beer and huge jugs of vodka drinks and margaritas. A stage was set up with a dj and karaoke. The party had a rock star theme so Michael Jackson got up and sang Thriller while Axl Rose (both of them actually) sang some Guns ‘n Roses songs. It was pretty entertaining. The whole party was outside so they had porta potties and heat lamps and hanging barrels of fire to keep everyone warm. I had a great time at the party talking with friends and new people. I stayed very late and didn’t make it home until 4 am (3 am with setting the clocks back).

Sunday was a lazy day for me. I only had 3 drinks at the party but I was tired from staying out so late and all the running around. I watched “The Incredibles” and ate some lunch before heading over to Elaine & Gina’s house. I got my photos off my camera and hung out watching tv while Gina knit and Elaine did some work. I headed home early and read my book and slept like a champ. So that was my Halloween weekend. On Tuesday I’ll go over the Elaine & Gina’s house to help hand out candy. I love seeing all the kids in costume and I don’t get to so many trick or treaters in my neighborhood even though it’s just 10 blocks away from them.

Please let me know if you did (or will do) anything fun for Halloween. Did you dress up? As what? do tell do tell!

I hope all is well and hallelujah I’m caught up!

xoxox,
carolyn

rose city still

rose city still, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

It's late October but the roses are still blooming. Another spectacular warm, fall day.

View of Mt Hood from Council Crest, the highest point in Portland.

sunday sun lover

sunday sun lover, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Gina and I went up to Council Crest, the highest point in Portland, for views of the mountains (Hood, Adams, St Helens & Rainier) and lots and lots of sun

pumpkin patch insanity

pumpkin patch insanity, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Gina and I went to Sauvie's Island (an island in the Columbia River just west of Portland) to get pumpkins. The Pumpkin Patch and markets were total insanity. 1/2 mile long line for a hayride? a wasteland of sad pumpkins (rotting, stemless, otherwise deformed)? a traffic jam on a tiny island? I swear all of Portland was here (and Scappoose and St Helens etc etc).

we found some good pumpkins at the far, far end of the field and loaded up on fresh, local fruits & veggies at the market. I love Sauvie's Island. without the crowds is better though

eat the sun

eat the sun, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

the wine grapes in my backyard just keep getting sweeter and sweeter. I adore them.

east winds

east winds, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

in winter they're brutal and lead to the occasional ice storm in balmy Portland. Today though was one of those beautiful, warm and sunny autumn days. It didn't matter what you were doing as long as you were outside.

swimming through the forest

swimming through the forest, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

reflections in the koi pond at the Japanese Gardens in Washington Park.

Portland, Oregon

the whole wide world

the whole wide world, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Sam takes it in. With his dad, Andy, at the Japanese Gardens.

couples in alignment

couples in alignment, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Matt & Jess look at me while Molly and Andy look at them. Sam looks at the whole wide world.

at the Japanese Gardens

teahouse

teahouse, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Molly, Andy, Sam, Matt (Molly's brother) and his wife Jess at the Japanese Gardens

I don't know them

I don't know them, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

At the Japanese Gardens to take photos of my friend and her family. I don't know who these people are but they looked nice on the bridge.

A beautiful fall day in Portland

handsome sam

handsome sam, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

My friend Molly asked me to take some photos of her family for a birthday gift for her mom. We went to the Japanese Gardens. Sam and Molly. everyone loved the pumpkin hat.

the city by the mountain

the city by the mountain, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Mt Hood and the not so tall buildings of downtown Portland. It's called Stumptown not just because of its logging history but also because the buildings aren't so tall as say Seattle's in order to maintain the views of the mountains. Seattle is definitely a bigger city but still...

view from the Japanese Gardens in Washington Park.

Today was one of those phenomenally beautiful fall days: sunny, warm and perfectly gorgeous. It would have been criminal to not be outside.

the glory days of fall

Friday evening I stayed home and was oh so happy about it. I got back from NY on late Tuesday and then was out late on both Wednesday (Decemberists show at the Crystal) and Thursday (Naked Lady Party, a clothing exchange thing). I spent Friday night watching Netflix (episodes of Deadwood) and reading my book (Under the Banner of Heaven).

Saturday morning I drove over to Molly and Andy’s house in Sellwood. I had a cup of coffee and some marionberry coffeecake (yummm). Once Molly’s brother, Matt, and his wife, Jess arrived we all drove up to the Japanese Gardens. Molly’s mom’s 60th birthday is coming up so Molly asked me if I would take photos of her family. She wanted to have some nice family photos blown up and framed as a gift for her mom. I was flattered that she asked me. I have much more experience in taking nature photos than portraits but I was welcome to the challenge. I was also looking forward to spending the afternoon with Molly, Andy and their 4 ½ month old son, Sam. The Japanese Gardens are really beautiful, especially on a sunny day in all their fall glory. The views of Mt Hood with the tall buildings of downtown Portland in the foreground are famous and hard to beat. We took lots of pictures all around the gardens. Afterwards Matt and Jess headed back to Seattle and Molly, Andy, Sam and I went out for lunch. We sat outside at St Honore Boulangerie in NW Portland where we shared a bottle of red wine, ate delicious food and talked in the warm fall sun. It was a beautiful day out. When I got home I headed straight for my backyard and a patch of warm sun. I talked on the phone with Nandita in San Francisco for awhile then I ate bunches of grapes from the arbor and read my book as the sun dropped below the neighbor’s roofline.

That evening I spent several hours going through the photos I’d taken that day. I deleted the obviously bad ones, edited the best ones and burned it all to a disc for Molly to decided which photos to use. Later that night I watched movies and read my book.

Sunday was another sunny and warm day. I went to the local coffeeshop for a breakfast sandwich (prosciutto croissant please) and a mocha. I read my book in the sunny window seat before heading over to Gina’s house. We drove out to Sauvie’s Island, just west of Portland in the Columbia River. The crowds were already pretty nutty at the pumpkin patch. We had to walk to the far, far end of the field to find intact pumpkins. We skipped the hayride and the crazy lines for elephant ears. After paying for our pumpkins and putting them in the car we walked back to the market where we loaded up on fresh veggies (sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, beets, green beans) and fruit (a pomegranate and apples) along with some apple cider. We got outta there just as all of Portland was arriving it seems. This little island was jammed with traffic flowing to the pumpkin patches. We were happy we had gone early and got the hell outta there. We headed up to Council Crest for some lovely views of all the mountains and to soak up all the sun. On Saturday there had been a small earthquake on Mt St Helens which caused part of the growing lava dome to collapse and sent a plume of ash 4,000 feet up into the air. All was calm and clear on this day though. We stopped at the grocery store to pick up some stuff for dinner that night and I bought some mums to plant in my yard. Back home I planted mums, pansies and bunches and bunches of bulbs (dutch irises, tulips, daffodils, crocuses, grape hyacinths etc). I can’t wait for spring when they pop up and bloom. The garden looks much better cleaned up too. Later that night I headed over to Elaine & Gina’s for dinner. Steak on the grill, baked potatoes and beets and green beans from Sauvie’s Island. It was a fantastic meal and a great end to my weekend.

Please let me know how you are and what you’ve been up to. I promise to get up to date on this blog pronto.

xoxo,
carolyn

leaving nyc

leaving nyc, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Leaving NYC to take the train back to New Jersey and then my plane back to Portland. I found some moss but it wasn't shaped like a heart and was full of garbage. I was ready to go home.

New York City is an amazing city but I would never want to live there. I'm a west coast girl. I need wide open spaces and wilderness. Portland is perfect for me, a city but not a never ending metropolis, green, green, green with mountains all around, the ocean nearby and the Gorge full of waterfalls. I take my mossy heart home to Oregon.

a rainy day in new york

a rainy day in new york, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

walking down 5th Avenue, along Central Park, in the rain.

ancient egypt and modern man

ancient egypt and modern man, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

a blurry man walking through the Egyptian wing (Temple of Dendur) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

modigliani, te amo

modigliani, te amo, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

I love Modigliani's paintings.

at the Met in NYC

the empty room is full of flowers

the empty room is full of flowers, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

apparently the gallery of still lifes is not so inspiring...not a soul to be seen. I took this photo then kept on walking through the crazy honeycomb of galleries. they never stop!

Metropolitan Museum of Art

mountain gazers

mountain gazers, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

I bought a Balthus book in the Met gift shop. Somehow I've never noticed this artist before. I like him lots.

at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, exhausted on a bench looking at The Mountain by Balthus

back to where it all didn't begin

back to where it all didn't begin, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

a rainy day in nyc and I'm back at the Met. This time I'm going in.

totally overwhelming

empire by warhol

empire by warhol, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

at MoMA. Their description...

"Empire consists of a single stationary shot of the Empire State Building filmed from 8:06 p.m. to 2:42 a.m., July 25–26, 1964. The eight-hour, five-minute film, which is typically shown in a theater, lacks a traditional narrative or characters. The passage from daylight to darkness becomes the film’s narrative, while the protagonist is the iconic building that was (and is again) the tallest in New York City. Warhol lengthened Empire's running time by projecting the film at a speed of sixteen frames per second, slower than its shooting speed of twenty-four frames per second, thus making the progression to darkness almost imperceptible. Non-events such as a blinking light at the top of a neighboring building mark the passage of time. According to Warhol, the point of this film—perhaps his most famous and influential cinematic work—is to "see time go by." "

an interesting concept but really...who can watch more than 5 minutes of this. I liked watching the people watching the film

red on red

red on red, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

a woman listening to the audio guide walks past a Barnett Newman painting at the Museum of Modern Art. I've never cared much for these canvases of solid color. It doesn't move me.

MoMA wc

MoMA wc, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

in the loo at the Museum of Modern Art

nyc

the wyeth made me cry

the wyeth made me cry, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth. For the girl with an art history degree going to museums has always been sort of overwhelming and exhausting. I was ready to leave after going through 2 floors, my brain and eyeballs at capacity, but I'd paid $20 so keep looking, keep looking. sigh

the man with a camera

the man with a camera, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Mark films on the ferry taking us from the Statue of Liberty back to New Jersey. I'm not sure what he'll do with the footage but I'm sure it will be something more than your average tourist capture. He just graduated with his Masters in Art from Rutgers. I've known him since I was 18.

city sailing

city sailing, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

On the ferry taking us from the Statue of Liberty back to New Jersey. Sailing in the city...I prefer the San Juan Islands but this is probably pretty fun too

lady liberty under surveillance

lady liberty under surveillance, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

oh my...surveillance cameras on lady liberty's ass. The security to get on the ferries to Ellis Island & Liberty Island are just as strict as airport security

the leaves fall and the buildings rise

the leaves fall and the buildings rise, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

view from Liberty Island towards Manhattan. Fall is here.

tour crasher

tour crasher, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

I wasn't on this tour but I joined for a few minutes just to take photos of these little girls with their foam crowns.

Statue of Liberty

she is tall and serious

she is tall and serious, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

not a light hearted woman that Lady Liberty.

Statue of Liberty

she flies

she flies, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

on the ferry approaching the Statue of Liberty

the registry room

the registry room, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Also called the Great Hall, at Ellis Island, this was the main room where immigrants lined up for inspection and to be registered as they entered the United States.

Ellis Island was the main entrance for immigrants into the US from 1892-1924. All my family was here long before this so my family names don't appear in any of the records.

not on the list

not on the list, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

My friends Mark & Salomon looking up names in the computers at Ellis Island. Salomon and I knew that all of our family was here before Ellis Island even opened in 1892. Mark found his grandma's name from 1919 but found out later that it must have been someone else with the same name as his grandma was here long before that.

Supposedly about half of the US population can trace family back through Ellis Island but not us.

wood and steel

wood and steel, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

waiting to take the ferry from Jersey City to Ellis Island and then on to the Statue of Liberty. You have to go through security just as strict as at airports in order to get on the ferry.

alice and her muses

alice and her muses, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

In Central Park there is a bronze statue of Alice in Wonderland with the Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit and swarms of children crawling all over them

New York City