My Music Man, Summer The first time I paddled a kayak as an adult, I borrowed a boat and floated MIssoula's nearby Milltown Pond. A few years ago I posted a blog about buying my first boat, and included the story about how my then-boyfriend now-husband tried to be patient while I, a somewhat stubborn … Continue reading Seeking calm waters: letting go
Willamette River
Three years of ripples
How is it that time passes so differently the older we get? Events from our past can seem long ago while almost in the same moment as if yesterday. Like yesterday it seems I read finalized sections of Beyond the Ripples to Mom. Together we would walk, she still using sticks then, to one of … Continue reading Three years of ripples
About last night’s book discussion
That was SO fun! Thank you to those who joined last night's book discussion about Humanity's Grace. Special thanks to the good folks at Bedazzled Ink Publishing Company (and my kind friends) for being part of it. You can now watch the highlights! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ooh8uHnVe5Y Available now in e-book and hard copies. Support local bookstores by … Continue reading About last night’s book discussion
Preserving Old Oregon: A tribute to John Klatt
John Klatt from Old Oregon website. Our community mourns, celebrates and shares tributes to a special man, John Klatt. I'm not sure exactly when I first met John, or whether it was his wife Jody who I met first. What I do know for sure about this friend: he was beloved by his friends, family … Continue reading Preserving Old Oregon: A tribute to John Klatt
Dear Mom, it’s Christmas and I miss you
Dear Mom, it's Christmas and I miss you. I've missed you every day since you died; how can it have been nine months? I miss you as I visit parks, so many places you and I journeyed together - later you using sticks, walker and wheelchair. I miss you when I cook certain foods, listen … Continue reading Dear Mom, it’s Christmas and I miss you
Sixty, American Pie and the dental drill
Today I turned sixty. Yes, sometimes my writing reads like a stream of consciousness. More recently, maybe less so. Today, I am certain, probably more so. Sixty. Sixty years ago, as Mom's nurse or doctor at Portland’s Good Samaritan Hospital told her “not yet,” she and Dad crossed Northwest 23rd Avenue to Quality Pie Shop. … Continue reading Sixty, American Pie and the dental drill
Paddling, mournfully I muse
I went for a paddle this morning. Knowing it to be one of the last warmer fall mornings. Relaxing a bit, knowing I couldn’t get in the water as early as I do in the summer with daylight lapsing, yet still one of the only boats on the water. Not being much of a cold … Continue reading Paddling, mournfully I muse
Gloveless and out of juice
I found two reasons to return to my office, once it was allowed earlier this summer. Those of us working as "non-essential" or "telework able" for large healthcare institutions aren't wanted onsite during these troubled times of infection and overcapacity. One reason I returned at two days per week –although I'm appreciative to have flexible … Continue reading Gloveless and out of juice
Summer in the Willamette Valley
"SUMMER IS TRUE river time. Lazy summer emanates nature's special recipe: a potpourri of carp and cottonwood that transports any grown-up river kid back to childhood on the rivers of the Willamette Valley. After cottonwoods cover banks and nearby roads with white fluffy fibers, mowers and tractors hew lawns and till soil. The milky fibers … Continue reading Summer in the Willamette Valley
Make way for ducklings!
My solo early morning kayaking ventures gives me space to breathe, remember and practice gratitude. I began these prior to publishing My Music Man and not long after Dad died (see: My Boat and I). Although I am surprisingly eager to return to work and no longer practice 100% telework, I do know working at … Continue reading Make way for ducklings!
Dede's Books and blog 