Dreams Pass Into the Reality of Action

Winter Veggies and Garden Update

2011-09-05T15:15:00.001-07:00

The garden has been great so far - in spite of a late summer start. Here are the winter veggies that were planted this week: broccoli, two lettuces, spinach, red cabbage and cauliflower. And now we are having hot hot weather! Hopefully they will survive...

Photos from trip

2011-09-05T12:52:00.000-07:00

The photos from our trip to Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, and Morocco are up in two slideshows: http://www.auramarketing.com/2011_travel_1.html and http://www.auramarketing.com/2011_travel_2.html. Enjoy!

Moroccan lemons

2011-09-05T12:50:00.001-07:00

Since returning from Morocco in June and discovering how much we loved the food, I wanted to purchase Moroccan lemons. But at $20 for 8 oz, plus shipping, decided to make our own. So the lemons are marinating in salt and real lemon juice on the counter for 3-4 weeks. Will be back in touch to see how the results are....

New Logo for the Willamette Heritage Center

2010-11-07T13:50:00.000-08:00

Mission Mill Museum and Marion County Historical Society have merged to form The Willamette Heritage Center. Check out the new logo by Aura Marketing!

2010-06-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

First serious garden harvest today - bok choy, swiss chard and spinach - then steamed and frozen. Tonight = Chinese cooking with fresh boy choy and pork. Here is the first photo of Rylee June 4 and today's photo June 26 - 3 weeks later ! Finally we have sun and ONE sugar tomato.

New Logo for SHINE

2010-05-25T14:02:00.001-07:00

Check out the new logo for SHINE - Salem Heritage Network - hot off the press and hot on the web. Visit http://salem-heritage-network.blogspot.com/ to learn more about this worthwhile organization of significant and historical events.

Chihuahuas Soak up the Sun

2010-04-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

Pinki Martini and Twinkle catch some rays this week on the deck ...one pound of bacon biscuits later and we have a photo!

Geneology Research for the Walstroms

2010-04-16T18:16:00.001-07:00

Many of you know I have been doing geneology research for the past few years. At the moment I am looking at records in 1750 Norra Kedum and Tadene, Skaraborg, Sweden, where my father's family is from. I was truly amazed to find that the father of Anders Lööf or Anders Löf, my ggg-grandfather, was Anders Svensson Vannerlöf. Anders dropped Svensson and went by Vannerlöf in his later years. Vanner löf means friends of leaves, something like that. Really odd, but this was the name that he chose as a last name. NOW HERE'S THE KICKER: Anders Vennerlöf Svensson was a Klockare - this means he was the parish clerk/teacher who wrote all of these parish church records! How amazing to look at these old Swedish records, and realize that my own gggg-grandfather in the 1750's laboriously wrote them! I hope to be able to visit this parish in Sweden before too long and actually see these original records. Here is a photo of the beautiful church in Husaby, Sweden, which was the center for Christian pilgrimages from about 1000 AD. The church is also known as the church where Olof Skötkonung is said to have been baptized (in a holy spring just east of the church) - making him the first Christian king in Sweden. The Barglofs, also relatives on my father's side, probably worshipped at this church.

Christmas dresses for "the Girls"

2009-12-20T13:30:00.001-08:00

Oregon has had record cold temps so far in December, and since Twinkle and Pinki Martini are so xx-small, nothing fits! I have been sewing like crazy for them. Here are their new winter outfits and Christmas photos.

Wine Country and Zena Church

2009-11-02T16:26:00.001-08:00

Went to the Spring Valley /Zena Church 150 year celebration on Sunday - the church was built 150 years ago. West Salem families - many descendants still here from the 1830's and 1840's - shared stories and talked about the early pioneers. The church and cemetery have been reported to be haunted, and in recent years the internet press has contributed to a surge of vandalism...really sad! Then on to the wine country - it doesn't get any better than this!

Pumpkin Gathering

2009-10-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

Sat. was a fun day for a great excursion to Heiser Farms in Dayton - lots of sun once the fog burned off, and lots of huge pumpkins in the fields! Here's Rylee peeking around the corner of the gift shop.

Halloween Girls

2009-10-27T14:04:00.001-07:00

Here are Pinki Martini and Twinkle, all dressed up in their Halloween dresses and ready for doggie treats. The background is Heiser Farms.

Extreme Chocolates

2009-10-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

As of last week I have finished photographing Carrie Wong's chocolates and truffles (see http://www.extremechocolates.com/). Yum! (Of course, getting to eat them was the best part...no wonder this was a TOP priority!) Her new website will be launched soon, also featuring an outstanding new product line of Magic Potion cocoa spice rubs for meats.

To everything there is a season...

2009-09-19T19:38:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I took Rylee to the Oregon Garden. It's probably the last big Friday trip before she leaves for Disneyland next week. Of course, nothing will top Disneyland! But this will be something she will also remember...the garden was beautiful in its last blooming efforts of summer....a few stray berries on the vines in the berry garden, the grapes that have almost turned into raisins that Rylee just had to sample, the late harvest of veggies where she managed to pick up and hurl a giant squash to the ground. Nothing compares to a four-year-old who has never seen these wonders, who runs from plant to plant exclaiming "Ooh" and "aah", and "Grandma, look at this!" I think we hiked through the entire five acres in under 30 minutes. I am as predictable as every other grandparent...as nostalgic for those similar memories with my own children...and as much in awe of the cycles of life as I could have ever imagined. There was no time for photos, even at the hobbit house with the round doorway that Rylee quickly ran through. Next time! I'll be sure to capture these fleeting, magical moments with my camera. But in keeping with the spirits of the seasons and recent past memories, here's Rylee enjoying the cherry blossoms in our yard earlier this year.

On the Patio

2009-08-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

The Clark Parties of Summer 09!

How much fun it's been...and still is! Here are some truly happy people!

A Burger to Die For

2009-06-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday night was a summer highlight - good friends, great food, awesome beers and complementary Au reds and whites from Australia. Brian and Jen fixed a superb dinner: french onion soup, bleu cheese bacon cheeseburgers, grilled sweet potato wedges and onion rings...accompanied by broccoli salad with pine nuts and bacon and a dessert of English trifle with rich custard...all while enjoying the garden views and watching the goldfinches volley for seeds on the patio.

2009-05-10T12:14:00.000-07:00

Fun at Woodburn Tulip Festival! It was FREEZING...but the tulips were beautiful and the best ever! The Portland editor of Moms Like Me snapped photos of Rylee for their website and called her "Princess of the Tulips."

2009-05-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

Alder Planked Chicken and Pinot Noir

Saturday night's dinner was awesome at our good friends Gaz and Mindy's. Alder planked chicken on the grill, sweet crunchy baby lettuce salad with asparagus and olives, long grain wild rice with crimini mushrooms, a few bottles of Willakenzie Pinot Noir, of course...all topped off with an outstanding dessert: luscious lemon gelatino cake! Harley the macaw also enjoyed a few nibbles.

Garry is an awesome photographer: check out some of his outstanding shots: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31672646@N08/