Last summer I blogged about the "Portland and Columbia River souvenir playing cards" I was gifted by my Boston friend Jack. Upon the advice of a staff member at the Oregon Historical Society, I scanned the 52 cards, each with a unique image. The cards hold a copyright date of 1909 by the U.S. Playing … Continue reading Oregon’s past in a deck of cards
Old Oregon
Maps for Mary
My good friend Mary sent me a short text the other day while she was in the middle of reading My Music Man. "I need a map in the book!! 2nd edition!" I have to be honest: At the time, I was quite satisfied to produce both a family tree and an organized list of … Continue reading Maps for Mary
The Falls: History, stories and lamprey
Willamette Falls. Last week was sprinkled with references and stories about this powerful local cascade. Our Willamette Falls. Its beauty and history poked and prodded at me so many times during the week. Each moment linking the past with the now. It began with an unforgettable memorial service for our dear friend, Chris, in the … Continue reading The Falls: History, stories and lamprey
Worker safety, politics, the past
I didn't want to blog about politics. In fact, when I began these "musings" and my novel last fall, it was precisely because of politics. And my worries for our country. I imagined a creative outlet; a needed heart-and-brain-break from news. Neither did I imagine much of an intersection between my career and day job … Continue reading Worker safety, politics, the past
July means baseball
Yep, it's been a year. A year since I fractured four metatarsals running over home plate during the Old Fashioned Baseball game at West Linn's Willamette Park, pitching distance from the Willamette River. Silly me - I should have just avoided the base and merely rung the bell, which is all that really counts in … Continue reading July means baseball
Surprises in the mail
There is something a bit mysterious about an unopened, gifted package. The idea for the novel I am working on (see: A note in a bottle) was made even more special by the surprise package I received in the mail that one day, so many decades ago now. The post-office delivered mailer I received the other … Continue reading Surprises in the mail
Barges, I would like to go with you….
For the past ten years I have ridden the Portland Aerial Tram to work at OHSU, rising up to Portland's Marquam Hill. In these four moments of travel time I have watched breathtaking sunrises and exquisite sunsets, gray socked in days amid torrential loud downpours, and once, in a gusty windstorm, my tram car stopped … Continue reading Barges, I would like to go with you….
Ferries: the Willamette to the Mekong
Our dad loved ferries. We grew up ferrying across the Willamette River on the Canby Ferry, and back when I was little, we crossed the mouth of the Columbia by ferry between Astoria and Washington's Long Beach Peninsula. While I have been lucky to work a few times in Thailand, it really wasn't until this … Continue reading Ferries: the Willamette to the Mekong
Oregon’s visitor from the sky: the Willamette Meteorite
Most West Linners, at least those who have been here for awhile, likely know at least a little bit about a famed humongous piece of iron that sits today in the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. And if you happened to know nothing, but were out walking the paved trail that meanders along … Continue reading Oregon’s visitor from the sky: the Willamette Meteorite
Portland Pipe and Book Club
Today, many Portland visitors put Powell's - advertised as the "City of Books" - at the top of their list of sites to see when they stop in the Rose City. Thankfully, we still have popular small independent bookshops, libraries, and a thriving writing community. And - like in so many other places in the … Continue reading Portland Pipe and Book Club
Dede's Books and blog 