Are you as weary as I am of political ads, polls and phone reminders? I can't wait for this election season to be over so I can answer my phone again. I've taken to checking the caller ID each time the phone rings - before answering. If I don't recognize the name I let the machine pick up. That is its purpose, after all.
I ALWAYS vote, but I don't always vote as soon as my party would like, hence the phone calls. They're only "reminders", but reminders get annoying. It's a lot like nagging, actually, and I do the same thing I do when I'm nagged - I tune it out and ignore it. Or I try.
So if you want to reach me during an election season email may be best. And if you call my land line and I don't answer, leave a message. I'll get back to you as soon as I clear all the partial robotic messages & phone polls from my voice-mail. What a pain!
And in case you didn't get MY message - REMEMBER TO VOTE! Vote early & you don't get nagged (smile).
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
The Halloweentown Buzz Builds
Great day today. Had lots of visitors from Portland, Longview & other outlying areas checking out all of the scarecrows and shopping at our local businesses. Families strolled the streets, snapping pictures of the younguns posing by the Halloweentown Pumpkin or interacting with costumed store-keeps. There's a lot of enthusiasm around Halloweentown this year and the buzz grows.
One young couple told me that the traffic leading to Sauvie Island and the Pumpkin Patch made theme rethink their plans - they decided to visit us instead. Good decision. There are lots of activies, photo ops & shopping discounts at local merchants here all through the month of October. And don't forget, we have an I Spy game and a Coloring Contest going on, with entry forms available at participating merchants.
Check out http://www.oldetownesthelens.com for information on St. Helens' attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the Largest Halloween Gathering. We can do it! You'll find a link there for an online registration form which you can print and fill it out in advance to speed up registration on October 30th. There'll be entertainment, vendors, additional activities and a chance to be famous (for at least as long as it takes to break the record we set).
Other activities share the day on the 30th as well. Don't forget The Little Spooks Parade at 5pm with trick-or-treating throughout Olde Towne following the parade, and the Humane Society's annual "Dogtoberfest”, a Pet Fair with Tricks and Treats at Columbia View Park in Downtown St. Helens from 3PM - 5PM.
Even our Scarecrows have their own Facebook page (St. Helens Halloweentown Scarecrows). They're still popping up all over town as merchants get into the spirit of the season, but I think one of my favorites is the single oversize eye with an eye chart that reads "HAPPY HALLOWEEN". You can find it in front of Family Vision on Columbia Blvd. 2nd runner-up for me would be at the fire station: 2 firemen with carved pumpkin heads, holding a firehose. (Of course my favorite seems to change on a daily basis.) You can vote for your favorite Scarecrow by purchasing raffle tickets at the Vault in Olde Towne, or at other participating merchants. Votes are cast by putting raffle tickets into containers at merchant locations. Proceeds will be split between supporting the Splash Park and the Food Bank - both excellent causes.
Surely you can find an event somewhere in this list that piques your interest. See you soon in Halloweentown!
One young couple told me that the traffic leading to Sauvie Island and the Pumpkin Patch made theme rethink their plans - they decided to visit us instead. Good decision. There are lots of activies, photo ops & shopping discounts at local merchants here all through the month of October. And don't forget, we have an I Spy game and a Coloring Contest going on, with entry forms available at participating merchants.
Check out http://www.oldetownesthelens.com for information on St. Helens' attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the Largest Halloween Gathering. We can do it! You'll find a link there for an online registration form which you can print and fill it out in advance to speed up registration on October 30th. There'll be entertainment, vendors, additional activities and a chance to be famous (for at least as long as it takes to break the record we set).
Other activities share the day on the 30th as well. Don't forget The Little Spooks Parade at 5pm with trick-or-treating throughout Olde Towne following the parade, and the Humane Society's annual "Dogtoberfest”, a Pet Fair with Tricks and Treats at Columbia View Park in Downtown St. Helens from 3PM - 5PM.
Even our Scarecrows have their own Facebook page (St. Helens Halloweentown Scarecrows). They're still popping up all over town as merchants get into the spirit of the season, but I think one of my favorites is the single oversize eye with an eye chart that reads "HAPPY HALLOWEEN". You can find it in front of Family Vision on Columbia Blvd. 2nd runner-up for me would be at the fire station: 2 firemen with carved pumpkin heads, holding a firehose. (Of course my favorite seems to change on a daily basis.) You can vote for your favorite Scarecrow by purchasing raffle tickets at the Vault in Olde Towne, or at other participating merchants. Votes are cast by putting raffle tickets into containers at merchant locations. Proceeds will be split between supporting the Splash Park and the Food Bank - both excellent causes.
Surely you can find an event somewhere in this list that piques your interest. See you soon in Halloweentown!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
HALLOWEENTOWN IS ON !
Halloweentown in St. Helens is bigger and better this year. Every weekend in October you can find goblins, ghosts & ghouls wandering the streets (and that's just the merchants, LOL).
Join us throughout the month of October for the Scarecrow contest, I-Spy, a coloring contest, and an attempt to beat the Guinness World Record for the most people gathered in costume in one place. There are also special October sales, special drinks and dishes at our restaurants and a space set aside for family games & activities (located across the street from Word for Word). Forms for the coloring contest and I-Spy will be located at the stores of various merchants.
Participation by merchants in the Scarecrow Contest has doubled since last year - yesterday I counted 30 scarecrows lining Columbia Blvd. from Highway 30 all the way down into Olde Towne. The scarecrow in front of the Municipal Court bears an uncanny resemblance to the Municipal Court Judge who presides there. Coincidence? I think not, LOL. Visit the Vault and purchase raffle tickets so you can cast your vote for your favorite Scarecrow (and incidentally, win one of a number of prizes provided by local merchants). Votes can be cast at each of the participating merchants by dropping your raffle ticket into a designated container.
The Little Spooks Parade is back! Held in Olde Towne, the parade will form by the Vault at 4:30PM on Saturday, October 30th, and begin at 5PM with children in costume following a short parade route to show off their goulish attire. After disbanding they'll be able to do some safe Trick-or Treating among the Olde Towne merchants. A popular event, the parade attracted around 400 children & adults last year. This year the parade will be sponsored by the St. Helens Chronicle, who originated the idea many years ago in the Houlton District.
Also on October 30th, join us in Halloween Gathering 2010. We'll be making an attempt at breaking the record of The BlueBird Night Club of Bloomington, Indiana for the World's Largest Halloween Gathering. To beat their record we need more than 508 people in costume. If successful we'll be registered in Guinness Book of World Records. Take this opportunity to be part of something BIG. Visit the Facebook Page "Halloween Towne Gathering 2010" for more information.
Lots happening in little 'ol St. Helens this month. Don't get left out of the fun.
And before I forget to mention it: Come in costume to Word for Word Books & Espresso during the month of October, tell me where you saw this offer and get 20% off on your book purchase (excluding the collectibles).
HAPPY SEASON OF THE WITCH!
Join us throughout the month of October for the Scarecrow contest, I-Spy, a coloring contest, and an attempt to beat the Guinness World Record for the most people gathered in costume in one place. There are also special October sales, special drinks and dishes at our restaurants and a space set aside for family games & activities (located across the street from Word for Word). Forms for the coloring contest and I-Spy will be located at the stores of various merchants.
Participation by merchants in the Scarecrow Contest has doubled since last year - yesterday I counted 30 scarecrows lining Columbia Blvd. from Highway 30 all the way down into Olde Towne. The scarecrow in front of the Municipal Court bears an uncanny resemblance to the Municipal Court Judge who presides there. Coincidence? I think not, LOL. Visit the Vault and purchase raffle tickets so you can cast your vote for your favorite Scarecrow (and incidentally, win one of a number of prizes provided by local merchants). Votes can be cast at each of the participating merchants by dropping your raffle ticket into a designated container.
The Little Spooks Parade is back! Held in Olde Towne, the parade will form by the Vault at 4:30PM on Saturday, October 30th, and begin at 5PM with children in costume following a short parade route to show off their goulish attire. After disbanding they'll be able to do some safe Trick-or Treating among the Olde Towne merchants. A popular event, the parade attracted around 400 children & adults last year. This year the parade will be sponsored by the St. Helens Chronicle, who originated the idea many years ago in the Houlton District.
Also on October 30th, join us in Halloween Gathering 2010. We'll be making an attempt at breaking the record of The BlueBird Night Club of Bloomington, Indiana for the World's Largest Halloween Gathering. To beat their record we need more than 508 people in costume. If successful we'll be registered in Guinness Book of World Records. Take this opportunity to be part of something BIG. Visit the Facebook Page "Halloween Towne Gathering 2010" for more information.
Lots happening in little 'ol St. Helens this month. Don't get left out of the fun.
And before I forget to mention it: Come in costume to Word for Word Books & Espresso during the month of October, tell me where you saw this offer and get 20% off on your book purchase (excluding the collectibles).
HAPPY SEASON OF THE WITCH!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Take a Deep Breath And . . . It'll Be Halloween!
I was just checking out a friend's blog and suddenly began experiencing pangs of guilt about my own - I have NOT been a good correspondent lately. It isn't that things have been quiet and dull or that there's been nothing to write about, but rather that life has been busy. One of the things I've been doing is helping plan Halloweentown here in St. Helens. Between that planning & a couple of trips to California in preparation for my middle son's wedding this month I've definitely not been bored.
An old tradition in St. Helens, the Spooktacular Sale, is being revived this year. Businesses in the Houlton, mid-town & Olde Towne areas will be offering great bargains between 6:13PM and 9:13PM on one of two Thursday evenings (no final decision yet on which) before Halloween.
Throughout the month we'll be having an "I-Spy Adventure", prizes to be awarded in both child and adult categories. There will also be a coloring contest for kids. Other games and activities are still in the planning stage, but the Halloweentown festivities will culminate in a Little Spooks Parade in Olde Towne at 5PM on October 30th, sponsored by the St. Helens Chronicle.
We are in the second year of reviving yet another local tradition that fell by the wayside, the Little Spooks parade. Originally it was held in the Houlton District, but last year was brought back to life as a new Olde Towne tradition. Children are invited to come and show off their costumes to the community, following the parade route from where it assembles at the intersection of St. Helens and 1st Streets, down 1st Street to Cowlitz & around the block to disband at Courthouse Plaza. The parade will be followed by Trick-or-Treating from participating local merchants who are all stocking up on candy, even as you read this.
A new October tradition was begun in Olde Towne last year and is being expanded throughout the other merchant areas this year: The Scarecrow Contest. Merchants located along both sides of Columbia Blvd. all the way down into Olde Towne are invited to display scarecrows of their own design during the month of October and compete for a prize. Raffle tickets will be sold which will then be placed in a voting box at each business to determine a favorite Scarecrow. Some lucky voters will win prizes, along with the business owner whose scarecrow gets the most votes. 50% of the proceeds will be donated to the Food Bank, with the other 50% going to Slash It Up, an organization raising funds to place a Splash Park in the Courthouse Plaza.
All in all October is going to be a busy month in St. Helens. And don't forget Banned Books Week from September 25th through October 2nd. Celebrate Your Freedom to Read! That freedom has been threatened in the past and will be again. One of my grandchildrens' favorite books, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?", by Bill Martin Jr., is on the list The 11 Most Surprising Banned Books: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/29/the-11-most-surprising-ba_n_515381.html
I think you'll probably see some of your own favorites on one of the many lists you can find online, as well.
An old tradition in St. Helens, the Spooktacular Sale, is being revived this year. Businesses in the Houlton, mid-town & Olde Towne areas will be offering great bargains between 6:13PM and 9:13PM on one of two Thursday evenings (no final decision yet on which) before Halloween.
Throughout the month we'll be having an "I-Spy Adventure", prizes to be awarded in both child and adult categories. There will also be a coloring contest for kids. Other games and activities are still in the planning stage, but the Halloweentown festivities will culminate in a Little Spooks Parade in Olde Towne at 5PM on October 30th, sponsored by the St. Helens Chronicle.
We are in the second year of reviving yet another local tradition that fell by the wayside, the Little Spooks parade. Originally it was held in the Houlton District, but last year was brought back to life as a new Olde Towne tradition. Children are invited to come and show off their costumes to the community, following the parade route from where it assembles at the intersection of St. Helens and 1st Streets, down 1st Street to Cowlitz & around the block to disband at Courthouse Plaza. The parade will be followed by Trick-or-Treating from participating local merchants who are all stocking up on candy, even as you read this.
A new October tradition was begun in Olde Towne last year and is being expanded throughout the other merchant areas this year: The Scarecrow Contest. Merchants located along both sides of Columbia Blvd. all the way down into Olde Towne are invited to display scarecrows of their own design during the month of October and compete for a prize. Raffle tickets will be sold which will then be placed in a voting box at each business to determine a favorite Scarecrow. Some lucky voters will win prizes, along with the business owner whose scarecrow gets the most votes. 50% of the proceeds will be donated to the Food Bank, with the other 50% going to Slash It Up, an organization raising funds to place a Splash Park in the Courthouse Plaza.
All in all October is going to be a busy month in St. Helens. And don't forget Banned Books Week from September 25th through October 2nd. Celebrate Your Freedom to Read! That freedom has been threatened in the past and will be again. One of my grandchildrens' favorite books, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?", by Bill Martin Jr., is on the list The 11 Most Surprising Banned Books: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/29/the-11-most-surprising-ba_n_515381.html
I think you'll probably see some of your own favorites on one of the many lists you can find online, as well.
Monday, August 30, 2010
WORD
I keep seeing the term "woot" used on internet postings, and although I thought I could probably tell what it means just from the context in which it was used, I decided to explore further.
I've always love tracking word derivations. When I was young I spent many satisfying hours deep in the basement of the Pomona Public Library, absorbed in a world of enormous reference books and potential answers to my questions. The Pomona Public Library was one of the original Carnegie Libraries, complete with stone lions guarding the entrance. It was my favorite place to be and a major influence in my life. Thanks to the internet I can do my research from home now, although my laptop doesn't have the satisfying heft an old book or the odor of ancient wisdom.
Here's what I found in the Urban Dictionary:
1. WOOT
Woot originated as a hacker term for root (or administrative) access to a computer. However, with the term as coincides with the gamer term, "w00t". "w00t" was originally an trunicated expression common among players of Dungeons and Dragons tabletop role-playing game for "Wow, loot!" Thus the term passed into the net-culture where it thrived in video game communities and lost its original meaning and is used simply as a term of excitement.
Examples: "I defeated the dark sorcerer! Woot!" "woot! i r teh flagmastar!" (Think Tribes)
Cool, huh? Another word is coined. Ya gotta love English. It's a convoluted, confusing, mongrel of a language, but it is constantly growing and changing. It's alive! WOOT!
I've always love tracking word derivations. When I was young I spent many satisfying hours deep in the basement of the Pomona Public Library, absorbed in a world of enormous reference books and potential answers to my questions. The Pomona Public Library was one of the original Carnegie Libraries, complete with stone lions guarding the entrance. It was my favorite place to be and a major influence in my life. Thanks to the internet I can do my research from home now, although my laptop doesn't have the satisfying heft an old book or the odor of ancient wisdom.
Here's what I found in the Urban Dictionary:
1. WOOT
Woot originated as a hacker term for root (or administrative) access to a computer. However, with the term as coincides with the gamer term, "w00t". "w00t" was originally an trunicated expression common among players of Dungeons and Dragons tabletop role-playing game for "Wow, loot!" Thus the term passed into the net-culture where it thrived in video game communities and lost its original meaning and is used simply as a term of excitement.
Examples: "I defeated the dark sorcerer! Woot!" "woot! i r teh flagmastar!" (Think Tribes)
Cool, huh? Another word is coined. Ya gotta love English. It's a convoluted, confusing, mongrel of a language, but it is constantly growing and changing. It's alive! WOOT!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
A Matter of Taste
Tastings are the subject of the day at Word for Word Books & Espresso - tasted so much coffee this afternoon (trying to find a new source) that I may be permanently buzzed. Settled on a locally roasted (St. Johns), organic, fair trade Sumatran coffee. I'll give that a try for a few weeks and see how my customers respond. Stop in after Thursday and register your opinion. No food so far today, just caffeine. Hmmmmm, maybe I'd better think about a little late lunch.
Speaking of food (and tastings), my oldest daughter pointed out earlier today on Facebook that she hasn't yet been invited to sample the fare at the new culinary enterprise,Crossroad Chicken, opened recently by my two oldest sons. Located in Napa, California, Crossroad Chicken offers great food made from quality ingredients, which in Napa are available pretty much year-round. This is the only catering truck I've ever seen with an imported Italian wood-fired pizza oven. Not only does a wood-fired oven produce moist chicken with a crisp skin, it turns out superior pizza. And in Napa you know there will be fresh ingredients and great cheese involved. My next visit is scheduled in two weeks, so I'll be doing some sampling myself, I hope. At least that's the plan.
Meanwhile, I'm off to find something to balance all of the caffeine in my system. Enjoy the last days of August and I'll do the same - til next time.
Speaking of food (and tastings), my oldest daughter pointed out earlier today on Facebook that she hasn't yet been invited to sample the fare at the new culinary enterprise,Crossroad Chicken, opened recently by my two oldest sons. Located in Napa, California, Crossroad Chicken offers great food made from quality ingredients, which in Napa are available pretty much year-round. This is the only catering truck I've ever seen with an imported Italian wood-fired pizza oven. Not only does a wood-fired oven produce moist chicken with a crisp skin, it turns out superior pizza. And in Napa you know there will be fresh ingredients and great cheese involved. My next visit is scheduled in two weeks, so I'll be doing some sampling myself, I hope. At least that's the plan.
Meanwhile, I'm off to find something to balance all of the caffeine in my system. Enjoy the last days of August and I'll do the same - til next time.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Hot - Hot - Hot
It's 5:30pm, and the outside temperature reads 97 degrees. Luckily for me I'm inside. No, I'm not a hot weather person, which is why I live in Oregon now, not Southern or Central California. I had enough hot, dry weather growing up to last me a lifetime. Hot is hot, regardless of the humidity. I'm a true Pacific North-Westerner now, preferring cooler temperatures & lots of rain to keep those beautiful forests GREEN. Green trees, blue rivers and lakes,and a plenty of books & coffee (keep 'em coming).
What? You don't live in Oregon? Well here are some sites that may at least make you think about visiting:
*http://www.el.com/to/oregon/ This site is full of fascinating information about the state that might be of interest to residents as well as visitors.
*If it's Oregon's state resources you're interested in, perhaps http://oregon.gov/ would be helpful. This is the official state site, offering information and links for information about Oregon business, education, employment, human services, natural resources, public safety, recreation and transportation.
*There's a site for Oregon facts and trivia, as well: http://www.50states.com/facts/oregon.htm . Did you know that Oregon is the only state that has a state nut? Yup, the hazelnut (also known as a filbert); or that the coastal town of Florence boasts the largest sea cave in the world (a cool place to be on a hot day)? Maybe you already knew that Bend has a volcano within its city limits, a cinder cone named Pilot Butte, but it was news to me. In my defense I DID already know that Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States, so give me points for that at least.
Well, now you know how I spent this extra warm day (besides huddling inside the store with my air-conditioner and an iced mocha). I was busy checking out online resources for you and learning about the state I call my home. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday.
What? You don't live in Oregon? Well here are some sites that may at least make you think about visiting:
*http://www.el.com/to/oregon/ This site is full of fascinating information about the state that might be of interest to residents as well as visitors.
*If it's Oregon's state resources you're interested in, perhaps http://oregon.gov/ would be helpful. This is the official state site, offering information and links for information about Oregon business, education, employment, human services, natural resources, public safety, recreation and transportation.
*There's a site for Oregon facts and trivia, as well: http://www.50states.com/facts/oregon.htm . Did you know that Oregon is the only state that has a state nut? Yup, the hazelnut (also known as a filbert); or that the coastal town of Florence boasts the largest sea cave in the world (a cool place to be on a hot day)? Maybe you already knew that Bend has a volcano within its city limits, a cinder cone named Pilot Butte, but it was news to me. In my defense I DID already know that Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States, so give me points for that at least.
Well, now you know how I spent this extra warm day (besides huddling inside the store with my air-conditioner and an iced mocha). I was busy checking out online resources for you and learning about the state I call my home. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday.
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