The Best Two Dollars I Ever Spent

My fellow magazine Whore-ders will understand my delight at finding this fabulous little rack leaning against a white picket fence at a randomly struck upon yard sale. I literally feel inspired every time I look at this display. Tingles. Seriously. I know, I am very strange.

Sitting in my house filled with so many beautiful things that make life easier, richer, or just prettier; I think it is funny that just a few moments ago I had the unmitigated gall to feel poor because I will not be able to buy those great boots from Anthropologie.

Oregon Jamboree Merchandise 2010

The Oregon Jamboree 2010 has been and gone. Keith Urban has packed up his guitars and is far away from Sweet Home by now. These photos, however are just now making their way into the spotlight for a special behind-the-scenes rundown.

I still think it is gorgeous the way the light shines through the image, and the metallic ink lays on the screen.

The ladies tanks got wrapped with silver barbed with this year. Very tough.

Don't ask me why there is a crow on this shirt. Crows are just cool, ok?

My favorite shirt got a damask print. It took us about 2 hours to get that copper penny shimmery verdigris just right, but it was so worth it.

The merchandise booth had record sales this year, despite the fact that overall ticket sales were down 10%. I think it was the crow, don't you?

Birthday Presents

Lucky, lucky, lucky me.

I'm a lucky son-of-a-gun. I work eight hours, I sleep eight hours, that leaves eight hours for... Well, actually that leaves about 5 hours for housework, chores, and errands, and about 3 hours for anything resembling as fun. But it could be worse, right? After all, we have birthdays! And birthday treasures! And even if you don't like birthdays, you just have to love the treasures.

* The compact says, "Never underestimate the power of a woman." So true.

Some things

Did I say free time? Did I set it down somewhere and forget where I put it? Did it escape out a window? At some point I will catch up.

Until then, a few things:

• Greek Yogurt may be the best food ever invented. I am not kidding. It is better than ice cream. If I had a readily available supply of this stuff I would weight 500 pounds in roughly three days. It is second only to heirloom garden tomatoes. Which brings me to...
• Heirloom tomatoes from the garden are the best food ever. Ours are not ready yet, but someone special brought some from California, and they made my week.
• Water balloons, while extremely time consuming to fill, are BIG FUN for all involved, even if "involved" means "just watching."
• You cannot make everyone happy all of the time, but you can make a ten year old very happy with a trampoline, a basketball hoop, and water balloons.
• My daughter is spoiled, but it is not my fault.
• Sitting in the shade, at a winery on a hill, sipping some good red is definitely on my list of top 10 places to be.
• Steak Tartare is probably quite disgusting.