THOUGHT FOR THURSDAY

QUESTION: WHEN WAS THE FIRST THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION?

(I'm going to post the answer this afternoon - at 3:00 p.m.)

Hope you have a Happy Turkey Day!!!

A Trip to the Library - Stocking Up on Books

My husband and I ran down to the library to stock up on books for the long holiday weekend. The Multnomah County Library has a Tree Growing in It!



The Beverly Cleary Children's Library has a brass tree sitting in the center of the room. It has all sorts of things carved into the tree and children come and rub the animals' faces. The more an animal is rubbed, the more he shines. It's a beautiful sight to see.


What a wonderful way to spend a holiday weekend: reading.

And, now on to more serious holiday subjects. It's time to talk turkey. If you need help calculating how long to cook your Thanksgiving bird, just click on the upcoming link and then scroll down the page to the "calculator" and this little helpful link will give you your exact Turkey Time.

Go Green this Holiday Scene - Sustainable Thanksgiving Ideas

This holiday have a Sustainable Thanksgiving.

• Decorate using items found in your yard. Make a centerpiece out of pinecones, popcorn, cranberries, leaves and branches.
• Buy local produce, meat and fruit – if possible.
• Go green when you clean. We all may be doing a little extra cleaning up around the house. Why not try a few organic cleansers. Check out these ideas here.
• Compost your leftovers, or even spread a little peanut butter on left over corn on the cob and roll it in bird seed or sunflower seeds and put it outside for the birds.
• Turn off your t.v. and take a hike, go to a local park, or ride your bike. You’ll save energy and burn a few extra calories before the big meal.

And Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Twilight the movie - My own review

I've read all the books by Stephanie Meyer in the Twilight series. I loved them all - so maybe I'm a bit biased.

However, I did not expect to love the movie like the books. So when I went to see Twilight the movie with a girlfriend from my bookclub, it was with no preconceived expectations.

Actually, to be honest, I thought I wouldn't really enjoy it too much. Was I ever wrong.

From the trailers, I thought that Jacob would look about 12 years old, not much of an arch enemy for Edward. However, in the film, Jacob was much better than I'd expected.

The only thing I really didn't like was Dr. Cullen. He wasn't what I'd expected, he wasn't what I'd hoped for, he just wasn't...

And, the makeup was over the top and could have been thought of as campy - by someone - but not by me. The vampires from the Cullen family were more "white" than pale, which I thought was a mistake. However, I loved little perky Alice - she was perfect.

And Edward was much better than I'd expected. The movie was a lot better, all around, and a lot of fun for a girls' day out.

I might even see it again - with my daughter.

So what did you think of the movie?

Celine Dion and Josh Groban - The Prayer

A great song for a Sunday.

Laurelhurst Park in Portland Oregon

There are so many parks in Portland - it's unbelievable. Within walking distance of my home is Mt. Tabor Park, Laurelhurst Park, Normandale Park and probably a few others.

Last Saturday was such a beautiful day we decided to take the dogs to the park to play.

Here are a few photos from our walk.

EARTH FRIENDLY FRIDAY - AND ANSWER to Thought for Thursday

ANSWER TO THOUGHT FOR THURSDAY: R.S.V.P. comes from the French expression "répondez s'il vous plaît", meaning "please respond". And etiquette requires that you send your regrets, if you won't be attending. You are supposed to respond one way or another.

And now for EARTH-FRIENDLY FRIDAY:

Portland State University envisions city as its green lab. Read all about it here.

PSU plans to use a $25 million donation over ten years to become a leader in sustainability. How cool is it to get a $25 million donation and what an earth-friendly thing to do with the money.