How's this for a job description?

Meet Chester! He works at Guide Dogs for the Blind. His job description is "distraction cat". Obviously you can't have a working guide dog who chases cats so part of the training involves letting Chester roam among the dogs so that they can practice NOT being distracted! I would worry about his job satisfaction but he spends most of his day sleeping and getting attention from volunteers and staff alike so I think he is content!

Ten Grands!

I was intrigued when I heard an advertisement for a "Ten Grands" concert. Ten grands! Ten pianists! Plus it was a fundraiser for the Snowman Foundation which 'brings music to all kids, regardless of socio-economic status, cultural background, gender, or race, with a focus on the underserved and those with the highest need." Sounded like a fun night and it was!

Some songs featured all ten pianists, some were duets or quartets. Each pianist performed a solo. The music varied from classical to jazz to tango to a wonderful tribute to Michael Jackson. The Michael Jackson piece was arranged by one of the youth helped by the foundation....a blind youth I should add!

The winners of their "Young Artist" awards played an arrangement of Coldplay's song Clocks. I didn't even know that I liked Coldplay!!!

Tulip Festival

Spring is here! Well, actually spring was here yesterday and we enjoyed it with our friends at the Woodburn Tulip Festival. Today it's cool and rainy once again! Yesterday was just a teaser but a wonderful one!

Acres and acres of amazing color!

Can you see Mount Hood in the background

Sharing!

Look who's sharing the birdseed with the birds and squirrels!

All I can say is YUCK! I have been sweeping up the scraps and took away the place where he had been hiding. I don't want to share with him. I don't want him running across my patio when I open the door. I want him gone! My love of animals doesn't extend to rats!!!!

Nativity from China

Last December I ordered a nativity from Nepal through a family in Utah. http://bondia2000.blogspot.com/2010/12/nativity-scenes.html When I found the nativity from Nepal there was also one I wanted from China but it was out of stock. It is available again so I ordered one. I think it is beautiful.

This Nativity scene was designed by a Chinese Christian man. The extra man in the central group represents God, the real father of Jesus. The Christian woodcarver patterns his designs after scriptures he read, so he wanted to portray both fathers of Jesus mentioned in the scriptures.

The Chinese characters written on the wood area are a beautiful Chinese translation of Isaiah 9:2. "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: those who lived in a land of deep darkness, upon them hath the light shined." Don't you think that scripture applies perfectly to what is slowly happening in China as the gospel is given to them?

Hail? Yes!

Yesterday we didn't have just a normal Portland rain. We had thunder and rain so hard that I couldn't even hear the TV. Then we had so much hail that it looked like snow outside. And I loved it!

NRA

George joined a shooting club and with that came a membership in the NRA. I asked him if he planned to put a "I'm in the NRA and I vote" bumper sticker on his car. I think not. Could be dangerous here in liberal Oregon! George, Johnny, and Scott enjoyed a morning of shooting last week. I was the official photographer.

I love these father son bonding experiences!

Portlandized

We've been 'Portlandized'! Here we are sitting out in the pouring down rain watching the Portland Timbers play soccer!

I've watched games in rain, sleet, snow, and in wind so strong that I could barely stand up! I remember watching a game on Memorial Day in Idaho Falls while wrapped in a blanket and wearing all my warmest ski clothes. But I was watching my own kids play!!! We are becoming real Oregonians to sit out in a downpour to watch the Timbers!