What I did with my (2012) summer vacation (n. 2)

Oregon and the house of my dear cousin and her delightful husband was next on the schedule. They like to golf, and I'd never been, so it sounded like a good idea to take me along......More......

...only it got colder and colder, and that bug I must have picked up on the flight over took advantage of the situation, plunging me into a few days of fever and feeling miserable, though--seeing that fishing for pity doesn't seem to be working very well--I guess I should add that it could have been worse.

Here's a snap from my bedroom window in her house of the neighbor's place across the street, just to give you a taste of the flavor of her lovely area.

Spent some truly lovely days, despite the cold, getting to know them better, and listening to her play the piano for me. Thanks so much!

Then it was off to my mom's and stepfather's house a few hours away, but still in Oregon. Here's a snap out of their front room window. Nice to have a mental image of their new-to-me house. (I hadn't been back to the States for a visit in a verrrry long time.)

More lovely days--fever going down, too (I thought you'd never ask!)--snuggled under a throw on the couch getting enthralled by another thing new to me about American life: "picker" shows.

Huh?

Various formats...scrounging in garage sales, snooping around in scruffy junk-antique stores, bantering in a pawn shop...the outcome's the same: contestants are given a small initial amount, which they have to use to pick old stuff/antiques, and turn the original amount into bigger bucks through a series of buying and selling, until they get the chance to take their final choice before the experts to be judged. Lots of fun, and I miss them...think I might have seen something like this promised on Italian T.V., so will have to watch for it. (Upshot? Just because something looks in good condition doesn't mean that it is, or that that 'good' condition is original. Buyer beware!)

My (wonderful) sister and I did a bit of junk/antique store snooping ourselves, and I found this adorable little ceramic angel to watch over my delightful mother and stepfather, now that we're gone.

But my (lovely) sister and her (delightful) husband bring me to the threshhold of the next part of this trip, On the road again....

Enjoy!