Big City Adventures

On Friday 4 'sisters' from my Mom's Group went to Portland for our annual big city overnight & shopping adventure. We had dinner at the 'top of the city' & enjoyed the great food & city lights. There are 8 in the group, but with illness, a mother in the hosp, a dau. in Europe (so that mom was in Paris - poor thing!) etc. only half made it - which meant a window seat!!

We strolled a bit after checking into our hotel, & in the AM went to breakfast at a lovely little 'slow eating' restaurant, 'Mothers' - famed for local & seasonal & just plain good food! It's next to the oldest bookstore in Portland, Cameron's - a place my former hubby & I enjoyed in the 70s! So I poked around there while the others were off in the big department stores; then lunch at the NY deli on 23rd & strolling among the sweet, eclectic shops.

This Camellia is in front of a 23rd street Chinese shop I'd hoped to visit - a fun labyrinth of porcelain, jade, & lovely objects. Last year another Mom & I got jade bracelets. Alas, it closed a month or so ago, & a rug merchant is in the grand old Chinese building.

The sunset as we returned home was spectacular! My son & dau-in law were also driving, & we sent each other 'dueling' photos!

This year at 8, my oldest granddaughter participated in her first weekend performance of Nutcracker (4 shows down, 3 next weekend)! I began dancing in this studio 30 years ago, after watching my niece in Nutcracker. (I 'always wanted to dance,' but never had the opportunity.) Lynn Marchant trained with Branaslava Nijinska (Nijinsky's sister) in California, & the style is classical Russian. My granddaughter studies with Lynn's daughter Emma Seth, who did an excellent job with the choreography & setting the show!

The friend I invited to the performance took class with her girls in the early 90s, (after I'd moved to Breitenbush), so she'd also spent time on the stage, as a parent in the 'party scene.'

I was Clara's (Marie in our production) mother, Mother Ginger, a Snowflake & a flower . . . ah, those lovely big skirted dresses! & oh, the confusing choreography! I was a 'flake & flower with the same group of teens, & the music is so similar - which entrance is this?? I took copious notes, & they often looked to me to figure out where we were supposed to be!

This week the round of Harping for the Holidays begins - always appreciated! I've begun practicing the Holiday music & reassembling the music that 'fits' this season.