I'm on the Wall

Local Talent Coffee & Dessert Company is the creation of Heather and Ryan Brown. They have created a gallary of photographs on the wall of their coffee shop. That's me in the middle of the second row.

Here are the creators of Local Talent.

They are graduates of the Western School of Culinary Arts and have created a wonderful coffee and dessert shop in downtown Sandy. They have created a mini cafe in part of an old service station in downtown Sandy (38871 Proctor Blvd -- the west bound (toward Gresham) lanes of hwy 26). In addition to a wide range of desserts, Heathers creates scrabbles and breakfast sandwitches. At lunch there is a soup of the day and usually some type of salad. I also forgot the biscuts and gravy.

So, next time you are passing through Sandy, take a few minutes to visit Local Talent. The coffee is great and the desserts and food is wonderful. Heather and Ryan are truly local talents. Also, check on my picture on the wall.

Memorial Day 2009

This is from my blog post on Friday, March 09, 2007

A Memorial Day Note

I know Memorial Day is still several weeks away, but I came across this article I had written in 2002. I was looking or something else but this one spoke to me. If we want to do something different this Memorial Day, May 28th, we should start planning now.

While researching material for my Memorial Day presentation to the Columbia Gorge Kiwanis Club I came across the following on the Internet:

"This weekend I am going to do something different. I am going to buy some carnations each day and go to one of the nearby cemeteries and walk through the sections for soldiers. When I find a grave that has no flowers, I'll leave one and say a prayer for the family of that person, who for some reason could not bring their soldier flowers. I will pray for our country and all who serve or have served. For their families, who also serve by losing precious days, weeks and months spent with their loved ones who are off serving, preserving peace and the freedom we have in this country. I'll pray for the families who paid the ultimate price, who's loved ones died, or were taken captive and never returned. I'll pray for anyone who may still be held in captivity and thinks perhaps they are forgotten. I do NOT forget."

How are you going spending this Memorial Day? Is this just the third day of the three day weekend that marks the beginning of summer? Did you visit the grave of someone who served his or her country? Did you pause for a moment to remember the true meaning of today?
I will be in a local cemetery tomorrow morning with a bunch of carnations, looking for the graves of servicemen without flowers. I will leave one and say a prayer for that person. In many cases, it’s not that the families forget; there are no families left to remember these men & women. I do not forget.

Moina Michaels wrote in the following in 1915.
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

General Order 11 of the Grand Army of the Republic, issued in 1868, states:
“Let us, then, at the time appointed gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with the choicest flowers of spring-time; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved from dishonor; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a sacred charge upon a nation’s gratitude, the soldier’s and sailor’s widow and orphan.”

In 2002 I went to a local cemetery. Since then I have traveled to Cathlamet, Washington, my mother’s hometown and visited the cemetery when my relatives are buried. I have taken a bunch of carnations and visited each of their graves. I have also honored the veterans long forgotten.

Where will you be on Memorial Day?

Just write

It’s Saturday and time for my weekly blog post. That’s my plan now, to create a posting every Saturday regardless of any other posts during the week.

I have been encouraging a high school classmate to start a blog. She is a wonderful writer and story teller, but she feels she has nothing to write about. That’s the nice thing about blogs. You just write.

This past week I sent her the following:

“You have a ton of material in the emails you have sent me. Just write about what you are doing and thinking. Write about the sunrise to the East on a beautiful morning, the sunset to the west, the memories from the fresh cut grass. Write about growing up in Stayton in the shadow of the woolen mill. Write about finding a Paris Woolen mill lap blanket in a bottom draw that you just opened, and the memories it brings to life. Write about you spiritual journey. Write to leave a legacy for your grandchildren, great grandchildren and their great grandchildren. Leave them more than the dash between the dates on your tombstone and on the family genealogical records.

“Writing that last sentence made me remember the thrill of searching a microfilm of veteran pension applications at the Oregon Historical Society and finding the grandma McCoy's application, in her own handwriting.

“Write whatever comes into your mind. Let the spirit, let your God move the pen across the page (or your fingers across the keyboard of your computer) Write and share your life with the world.”

Mountain at the end of the street

One of the things I like about living in Sandy is the ever changing views of Mt Hood. The mountain can be very close or very far away, depending upon your view. When I walk out to Proctor Blvd I can look East and see the mountain. Well, on clear days I can. It looks like the mountain is at the east end of Proctor Blvd. The earlier picture was taken just a few blocks away. It's too bad the power lines will remain. This picture was taken in the early evening and the mountain was catching the beginning of a beautiful sunset.

The New Me!

Last month I was invited to be the Master of Ceremonies for the Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce's annual awards banquet. I remained very calm when asked, but it is one of the things I had wanted to do. I had actually put it on my "bucket list". When it is written down it is just wishful thinking. So, I wrote it down and it happened. Paula Root, a local Farmers Insurance agent took this picture of me. A year ago I was 80 pounds heavier. What a difference! Ask me how I did it.

Mothers Day

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Graduation

In my last posting I mentioned that my daughters would be graduating from the University of Portland. That happened this past weekend. It actually took two days. Saturday was the pinning ceremony for the nursing students. Aimee is a member of the 75th class of RN’s. They are 160 strong this year.

Saturday night was the president’s reception. It was held on the indoor tennis courts. Sunday stared with brunch and then standing in line to get into the Chiles Center. The commencement ceremonies started at 1:30pm and it was nearly 5pm before all the degrees (700+) were presented.

Aimee has a BS in Nursing. She is on her way to Texas and a new adventure. Ashlee has earned a BS in Secondary Education, with second major in history and a minor in Psychology. She is now looking for teaching position here in Oregon.

End of Month Thoughts (A day late)

I know, the title of this blog is “Tom's Rambling” and I would be the first one to admit that I have not been too faithful in rambling. I will try to do better.

Sunday is graduation day for my daughters. They are wrapping up four years at the Unversity of Portland. Aimee will have a degree in Nursing and Ashlee’s will be in education. I’m very proud of the two of them.

The picture was taken four years ago at their graduation from Grants Pass High School. It seems like only yesterday. That's Aimee on the left and Ashlee on the right.

It was a year ago that I finally asked Melissa Niece to set down and explain the weight loss program that she had been promoting at the Good Morning Sandy. A friend had gone from a size 44 to size 36 overnight and I was headed for a size 46 and larger shirts. After she got my attention I understood a simple fact: it’s calories in and calories out. I had managed to save up about 300,000 calories on the chance that I might miss a meal or two. I went on the program and it was a life changing experience. Melissa and John and now my health and business coaches and I’m helping other people discover the can take control there health. http://www.coachtom.tsfl.com/

This past week I also sent out my 200th greeting card. That’s only since December 2nd. The link to my card site is http://www.remembergreetingcards.com/TheCardCoach. Take a few minutes to check out the site and send a couple of cards on me.

Ok, I'm a day late, but I promise to do better in the future.