Portland a Shopping Mecca?

 

I haven't enjoyed shopping in the past few years.  Make that the past few decades.  Maybe it was all of those Back to School clothes shopping trips with my daughters that ended up with all of us bickering and somebody crying.  Usually me.  Like many girls, I grew up loving to browse through stores to check out the new clothes each season and, if I was lucky, maybe buy something.  My sister and I would meet up with our group of friends and walk downtown on a Saturday afternoon to work our way from one end of Chicago Street to the other.  Sears, Penney's, Klines, Printer's Ink, Fehrenbacher's and the ultimate in 1970's teen cool, Al Baskin.  Hours and hours of time spent browsing the day away and hoping to run into cool guys. 



Since I've been an adult, shopping has just been an annoying chore to get through.  If I have money to spend, it seems like I can't find anything I want to buy and if I'm not in a position to purchase (like now, with no home to furnish and no room to store more clothes or knickknacks in our car) I seem to find lots of things that strike my fancy. 

 

Portland is a browsers paradise and I've really begun to enjoy shopping again since I've been here.   Although the Portland Saturday Market is full of vendors and shoppers and gets a lot of positive press I haven't been that impressed the two times I've visited the Market.

 

My favorite places are the quirky little shops and second hand stores scattered in different neighborhoods throughout Portland. The Mississippi Arts District and the Sellwood District have become two of my favorite areas to explore.  I love to browse for vintage clothes and collectibles and these neighborhoods in particular seem to have my kind of stores.  (No, I did NOT buy the Troll Dolls but aren't they cute?  They are selling for almost $10 a piece!)

 

We've had guests the past two week-ends and it's been fun to take our visitors  to some of my favorite shopping spots, especially when they love to shop like our daughter Emily and her fiance' Grant.

 

I get a kick out of the way the small shops curate their displays (the wackier the better as far as I'm concerned)

 

mixing together old and new things.  My favorite store so far is Flutter, where 1950's prom dresses

 

 

mix with unusual odds and ends and the changing room is a crazy silk tent.

 





 

The STARS Antique Mall in the Sellwood neighborhood is another favorite spot.  It has so many items that they need two large buildings to house everything.  The aisles are wide, the antiques are clean and somehow they have avoided that musty smell that antique stores often have. 

 

 

My heart beat just a little faster the first time I walked through the door.  Our friend Nadine found an amazing Pendleton jacket there (very Katherine Hepburn) and Jack found a great Black Watch Pendleton shirt.  All I can say is thank goodness I broke my vintage jewelry addiction several years ago. It could have been very, very bad.  (One GOOD thing about menopause, I guess.  I can't stand to wear necklaces and bracelets they are just too hot!) 

 

There are so many great things about Portland: the food, the beauty of the city, the wonderfully preserved housing stock, it's proximity to some amazing natural wonders like Multnomah Falls and the Pacific Ocean, the wealth of microbreweries and wineries, I never thought that I would be writing about shopping.  All I can say is - visit Portland.  And maybe bring a slightly empty bag on the airplane.  You may need it 

 

 

 

 





New Orleans Voodoo

I hate slasher movies and don't like to read murder mysteriers or anything involving women or children in peril but I must admit to a fascination with the supernatural.  Fairies, vampires, werewolves - I'm your girl. New Orleans is a city that is closely associated with the occult so it only makes sense that I would want to do a little research into the supernatural while I'm visiting here.

When my sister Deb and brother-in-law Bob were visiting here recently we made a stop at the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum which bills itself as the original and only actual voodoo museum in New Orleans.  Located on Rue Dumaine in the French Quarter, the Voodoo Museum was created in 1972 by Charles Gandolfo who was a New Orleans Creole native, artist and cultural preservationist.  General admission is $7.00 but because I mentioned that we found them on the internet our admission was only $5.00.  On the day we visited no one was available to give us a tour so we walked around the 3 cluttered rooms ourselves.  Below is a picture of the altar room where people still leave small objects or money on the altar as petitions to the voodoo spirits for intercession.



The Museum's website states that it's purpose is to explain the history of voodoo and it's contemporary existence by exploring voodoo as a spiritual practice,  discussing the facts and folklore surrounding voodoo, and exploring the fusion of voodoo into music and jazz, Mardi Gras, movies and literature. 

Voodoo came to Louisiana when African captives were brought to the territory as slaves bringing with them their religious beliefs rooted in spirit and ancestor worship and their knowledge of herbs, poisons and the ritural creation of charms and amulets used for protection or harm.  Over the course of time, Catholic traditions and practices were incorporated into the voodoo faith and the spirits that presided over everyday life gradually took on the names of the Catholic Saints.  Louisiana voodoo recognizes one God and multiple lesser spirits who intercede in the lives of their followers.  Followers can connect with these spiritual forces through music, dance and the use of snakes which represent Legba.  Unlike the traditional Judeo-Christian imagery of the serpent as a representation of evil, voodoo practioners believe that Legba represents the connection between Heaven and Earth and is the main spiritual conduit to all other spirits and to God.



During our visit we learned that the most famous voodoo practioner was the healer Marie Laveau.  Born in 1801, Marie Laveau was a free woman of color who specialized in love potions and sought to help the hungry and poor. 

In New Orleans, a voodoo priestess is called a Queen and a priest is called a Doctor so Marie Laveau is often referred to as the Voodoo Queen.  New Orleans musician Malcolm "Mac" Rebennack gained fame when he took on the persona of Dr. John, the Night Tripper a name that came from an early 19th century Louisiana voodoo practioner.  His first solo album was called Gris-Gris which is the word for both the act and the object of voodoo magical power.  Wikipedia says that the album contains voodoo rhythms and chants and was ranked number 143 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".  It might be fun to try and find that.  I wonder if it's on ITunes?



Our stop at the Voodoo Museum was entertaining and informative.  It made for a nice break in our exploration of the French Quarter and got me to thinking about the history of this area and the diverse cultures of the people that live here today.  I'm excited to learn more about New Orleans.





 

It seems like forever since I sat down to write about the first leg of our cross country road trip. I could say that I was just too busy experiencing New York City to sit down and write about it but, I think the truth is that I've just gotten lazy (let's say less disciplined) since I've not been working.   

We had a lot of fun in January trying to fit in all sorts of touristy activities that we had put off in the hustle and bustle of Emily's illness and the holidays. I came to really enjoy the energy of the city and felt comfortable finding my way around outside of the tourist center.  I could live in New York but it is a LOT of work just going about your daily life.  You just don't think about the logistics of walking home in the rain while juggling an umbrella and a couple of bags of groceries, and a purse until you HAVE to do it.  I can't even imagine getting small kids on the subway in a stroller or out the door to daycare on foot.  I know millions of people do it every day but it would kick your butt before you ever walked in the door to work!

Jack and I saw two Broadway shows while we were in New York and both of them were great.  I have wanted to see a theatrical production of The Lion King since it first came out about 10 years ago and it really lived up to the hype.  The costumes were truly amazing and beautiful and the singing was terrific.  Circle of Life always gets me choked up (except when Elton John sings it) and it was really powerful performed live. The audience spontaneously leaped to its' feet cheering at the end of the production.  I haven't seen that happen since I saw Rocky at the theater.  





We saw How to Succeed in Business with our friends Mardi and Cheri who were visiting and enjoyed that too.  It's a fun story set in the '60's about a young guy who wants to make it in the business world and the girl who loves him.  Again, I found myself noticing the costumes: men in starched white shirts, ties and suits and women in pastel colored dresses, nylons and some awesome heels in matching pastel colors.  Cheri, Mardi and I agreed that it's a polished, professional look but exhausting to maintain. 

 

Jack and I enjoyed several trips to the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side courtesy of our membership which was a Christmas gift from Amanda and Scott.

We visited the Museum of Natural History and the Cloisters with Kate and Ben and took several long walks throughout the city with them.



We had several terrific brunches in Brooklyn with Emily and Grant and a wonderful birthday brunch celebration with all of the kids at Schiller's. 

For us, the best thing about staying in New York City was getting the opportunity to spend lots of time with our children.  Getting together for dinner (on a work night!) with Kate and Ben



or going for a walk together are some of the simple things that we don't get to enjoy very often with any of our kids.  Jack and I were really sad about leaving them and at least one of us was teary (I'm sure you can figure out who THAT was). 

This time together with our girls and guys was a wonderful gift and worth the hassle of selling our home and living out of plastic bins.  We're looking forward to heading into warm weather for a few months and working our way West to see the rest of our kids.  Next stop, Charleston, S.C.!



It's Great To Be Alive!

On Saturday, my sister Deb and I celebrated our 55th birthday.  (I hope she doesn't mind my putting our age out there into cyberspace!)  We agreed that just being around to HAVE another birthday was the greatest gift and that no matter what our aches and pains are this is the best time of our lives. 

I can't speak for Deb, but I know that in my 20's I did not appreciate what a gift life is.  (Note the cigarettes!)  I spent a lot of time thinking, "Some day...", "When I ...", then I'll be happy. 



In my 30's and 40's in between a job, and kids, and household chores I spent most of my time running from one thing to the next like the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, "I'm late, I'm late!"  I was so busy trying to cross things off of my To Do list that I wasn't enjoying the "doing" only the "finishing". 

I am so grateful to be here in my 50's and to be starting another year with my sister and our family and friends.  Being a little older and a little wiser makes a big difference in how I look at life these days.  Although we aren't together physically this year, Deb and I are together in heart.  She has always been the BEST sister.  She is, by the way, the Evil Twin.  :)









Brooklyn Is Cool

 

This past week-end we spent some time with our daughter Emily and her guy, Grant exploring Brooklyn.  Emily has lived on the first floor of a brownstone in Brooklyn for almost the entire time she has been in New York City and really loves the apartment and the neighborhood.   

I always tell people that walking around in Brooklyn (well all of New York City, really) is like walking around in a movie.  Jack and I like all of the trees and think that the brownstones are beautiful.  A typical brownstone might be broken up into one apartment per floor and have hardwood floors, high ceilings, tall windows, no elevator and no central air conditioning. There are no alleys so the garbage cans are kept in the front of the house.

Brooklyn is very different from the part of Manhattan where we are staying and the many neighborhoods of Brooklyn each have different personalities, too.  Emily and Grant live in a neighborhood called Park Slope which, in 2010, New York Magazine declared New York's most desirable neighborhood.  It reminds me a lot of the Lincoln Park neighborhood in Chicago with shops, restaurants and access to some nice open space which is important when you live in a borough with 2.5 million other people! 

One of the things that makes Park Slope so special is Prospect Park which is 585 acres of open space that was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead who also designed Central Park in New York City, the Midway Plaisance in Chicago, and the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.  The park is about 5 blocks up the "slope" or hill from where Emily and Grant live so it is very easy to get to and a nice place to walk, run or just hang out when the weather is good. 

On Saturday, we wandered through two neighborhoods we'd never visited before. The first was Brooklyn Heights which seems to be populated by primarily families and is within walking distance of the downtown Brooklyn government complex.  The weather was so warm that we sat outside on a bench to drink our coffee.  Jack and I were surprised that the streets were so quiet, especially on such a Spring-like day.  As we strolled through the neighborhood we passed several converted carriage houses which were the servants quarters for the mansions across the street.  We especially loved this house and wished that we could have gone inside to check it out!

Later, we strolled down the hill to the DUMBO neighborhood which stands for Down Under Manhattan-Brooklyn Bridge Overpass. We had a tasty brunch at Bubby's overlooking the water (New Yorkers seem to be really big on brunch) and took some great shots of the Brooklyn Bridge.  Grant told us that DUMBO is a place that people move to if they want to live in a loft and can't afford the Manhattan prices or if they are artists, musicians, etc., looking for live/work spaces.  For me, DUMBO was a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there.  I liked the old warehouses and industrial buildings that will probably be converted to more lofts when the economy turns around but I'm too old to live in an emerging neighborhood.  Or, too fearful I guess.  I want to live in a place that's a cross between suburbia and city living at a price I'm willing to pay.  Sounds like Oak Park, Illinois, doesn't it?  Maybe not the price I'm willing to pay part. 

Jack and I have really enjoyed learning more about New York City and our girls have been terrific tour guides.  We only have a few more weeks here and a LOT of ground to cover before we move on.  I've attached a link to an article about Brooklyn from GQ magazine for you to check out. 

http://www.visitbrooklyn.org/pdf/GQ%20Nov%202011.pdf

I'm Sorry, It's Almost Like A Christmas Newsletter

I swore that I would never, ever write one of those obnoxious year-end recaps that people tend to send out ("Biff was promoted at work, Biff, Jr. is the President of the Debate Club, and our little Muffy is at the top of her class") but as I reread this post I realize that I've done just that.  It's just that 2011 was a big year for the Payton's and the Spurr's.  Lots of change - most of it good, some of it bad but overall it was a good year for us.  As Jack and I talked over our coffee this morning we agreed that we were very, very lucky in 2011.

For us, 2011 started off on a high note.  On December 31, 2010 we were celebrating the wedding of Heather Meszaros and Juan Aleman and the party lasted until the wee hours of January 1st.  Their wedding was such fun.  My brother-in-law and sister, Bob and Deb Meszaros, Heather, Juan and our nephew Craig Meszaros put on an awesome party.  Best New Year's Eve ever!

In April, we sold our home in one week (thanks to our wonderful realtor, Jeff Gregory at Realty Executives) which was unexpected and miraculous.  Although Jack and I had been planning our road trip adventure for several years we just didn't think that things would move so quickly and it took some quick readjusting.  We loved our little house and it was a bittersweet thing to walk away from the home where we shared so many good times with our family and friends. 

On August 20, 2011 our daughter Kathryn Spurr married Ben Loeffler and and Jack and I had two special events to celebrate that day.  What a gift that our daughter was happy and marrying such a terrific guy, and that we had all 6 of our children together under one roof.  It had been almost 10 years since the last time everyone was together.  Such a happy day!  Good food, good booze and the people you love most in the world.  Life doesn't get much better than that.

  

The happy times of 2011 helped us get through the challenging times.  Jack somehow developed a herniated disc (could it have been all of that snow shoveling????) and he suffered with back and leg pain for most of the year as he tried to avoid surgery.  Shots, pills, chiropractics, and yoga were not able to take away the pain and in September, Jack had surgery which was successful.  He is now pain free.  My Dad used to say, "As long as you have your health you have everything." and I would think to myself, "Yeah, yeah but I need a bigger house."  I think that you don't really appreciate the gift of good health (and the simple joy of being able to sit and stand pain free) until it's taken away by injury or ill health. 

In November we packed up our car and our little dog and set out to have the adventure of our dreams - visiting all of our children across the country and seeing the places we've always dreamed of seeing.  We arrived in New York City and shared a happy Thanksgiving celebration with our girls and their guys, pinching ourselves and unable to believe our good fortune.  Oh the plans I had for shopping, sightseeing, and blogging! The following week our 29 year old daughter, Emily Spurr was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and my plans

changed to doctor visits, medical tests and post surgery recovery.  We were (and are) so grateful to be here to provide moral support and to take care of our girl.  Never have I enjoyed fluffing pillows, washing dishes or cooking more!  It was a scary time for all of us but again, we feel very, very lucky.  Emily's cancer was caught early (a miracle with ovarian cancer) and was categorized low malignancy.  She is cancer free and requires no radiation or chemotherapy. 

As we close out 2011 and look toward 2012, Jack and I have a lot of uncertainty about what life will bring in the coming year but we're o.k. with that. (As much as a control-freak/planner can be) We've been reminded that each day is a gift and each day with family and friends is the best gift of all.  Everything else is just extra.  Happy New Year!

Much To Be Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving to All of our Friends and Loved Ones!  We hope that your day was filled with family, food and fun and that the sun is shining wherever you are today.  

It was a beautiful day yesterday in New York City which made it perfect for viewing the 85th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.  The parade route passed 1/2 block from our apartment - how lucky is that?  We didn't have to get up early and fight the crowds we just walked out the door at about 9:00 a.m and walked down to the corner.  The sidewalks were super crowded but we were able to see the parade pretty clearly, especially the giant balloons and the floats.  Jack was able to take some great pictures of the parade, especially when you consider that these shots were taken while holding the camera over his head!

Each balloon has scores of handlers to keep it under control as it travels down the street.  I'm not sure how they manage it on cold, blustery days because it looked like they were having a tough time yesterday which was relatively mild. The Buzz Lightyear balloon got hung up briefly while we were watching but the balloon handlers managed to disengage him from the tree branches and keep the parade moving.

Jack and I particularly liked watching all of the marching bands pass by.  The kids seemed so excited to be a part of the Macy's Day Parade.  You just know how much hard work and how much fundraising went into making such a trip possible.

 

After the parade, Jack and I grabbed our contribution to this year's Thanksgiving feast which was wine and a quinoa and butternut squash stuffing.  Jack and I feel so blessed to have celebrated Thanksgiving with some of our children.  We headed off to our daughter Emily and Grant's house to spend the day with them and our daughter Kate and her husband Ben. Jack and I, along with Kate and Ben had a completely vegetarian Thanksgiving and we didn't miss the turkey at all. Emily and Grant had pork chops and they seemed pretty pleased with the feast as well.  My highlight of the meal was the roasted brussels sprouts made by Emily and the homemade apple pie made by Kate. We finished off the evening by watching a family favorite movie, A Hard Day's Night.  

This morning I'm feeling a little twitchy to get out and take advantage of all of the Black Friday deals but I'm holding off.  I can only imagine how crazy the stores are here.  Instead, we took Coco for a walk in Central Park (it's another beautiful day here) and we're heading back to Brooklyn to eat leftovers, set up the Christmas tree and hopefully catch The Muppet Movie.  Sounds like a perfect day - hope that your day is wonderful, too!