That Jolie Girl

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Last Friday, we celebrated my Mother-in-law's Birthday by taking her to see Ladysmith Black Mambazo in Salem.  My husband had a trigger finger when he purchased tickets and we had glorious  front row seats.  The show was amazing.  It was far beyond my greatest expectations.  The energy these guys have is unreal. 

The concert was at the beautiful Elsinore theater.  I have walked past this place many times, but this was the first time I got to see the inside.  It was breathtaking.  All of these photos are from my iphone and the quality isn't the greatest.

It felt like we were in a castle.   The following day, we went CD shopping in Salem and found some great cheap used CDs.  We left the farm that evening with bags filled with veggies.  The farmer is very generous!  My mother-in-law also sent us home with grape juice, apple butter and fresh baked bread.  We are so spoiled!

Sunday was spent with friends to celebrate a very belated Birthday.  We had brunch at Toast.  They gave me a gift certificate to Collage for my previous dog sitting stint at their house.   I've heard all about this place, but I've never checked it out.  Now I have the perfect excuse.  After brunch we bowled.  On our 3rd game, I bowled a 181.  People who know me, know this is quite the miracle.  I doubt I will ever bowl this well again.

For a weekend that was spent celebrating other people's Birthdays, I sure felt like the lucky one. 

Wondrous Art Wednesday

Peggy Wyman is my artist of the week.  She weaves these amazing sculptures using pine needles.  She got her start in this craft while researching a book.  Her main character is a basket weaver, so she took a class to get some insight on the craft.  It turned into a while new path for her.  Her work is just beautiful and so unique.

 

Portland Marathon 2008

Yesterday was the annual Portland Marathon.  My husband was among the 9300 runners.  He did an amazing job and I couldn't be more proud of him.  This is something I could never do.  The race kicked off at 7am.  It was crazy being downtown with so many thousands of people.  Spirits were high and everyone was very friendly.

Having the pace setting lizards was so great.  I was able to see my husband and his friend at three different points along the race.  The pace setter clued me in so I knew when to get my camera ready.  Since it rained all day, it was nice to only bring my camera out when needed.

The course had lots of musicians along the way.  These guys were great.  I hung out at mile 11 for almost an hour and I loved having some music to pass the time.

It's amazing what 26.2 miles does to the human body.  We saw lots of people need medical help upon crossing the finish line.  It really puts into perspective the time, energy and drive it takes to accomplish a feat such as this.  Luckily, my husband and friend had no issues beyond being tired and sore.  This is definitely something to check off the life list. 

Scholarship Quilt

Remember way back in February when I embroidered lavender for my school's scholarship quilt raffle?  Well, the quilt is done and tickets can now be purchased!  Each ticket is $10 dollars and the proceeds go towards student scholarships.  If anyone is interested in buying tickets (hint, hint Moms), let me know and I would be happy to help coordinate this. 

 

Here is my beautiful square.  I'm so proud of it.  The entire quilt is so beautiful!  I'm already on board to do a square for next year's quilt.