Fall in Eugene

The victorian Mansion next to Ya Po Ah

 After a week of rain the sun came out just in time for a trip from Ya Po Ah to see the covered bridges in and around Cottage Grove, half an hour fron Eugene. There are a couple more weeks of the outdoor market and then they move inside to the holiday market that continues to Christmas. It being a beautiful warm day this last Saturday many people were out and about. I spent a couple of hours watching the people.

Yesterday on the way home  I looked up and saw these Kites flying above Ya Po Ah

She has a baby strapped to her front and holds a baby in her arms

The dog is inside his shirt and has a puppet attached to his neck

I love the outfits. How about the lady with the zig-zag skirt and guy with the skull and bones.

plenty of good food 

dancing to classical music

This is where the 1924 movie the General was made. It is fameous for the train wreck scene.

The farm land is flat and the hills are all around

People in our lives Thanks for love and friendship

Pam Posed for me

Five months have gone by since I have been living at Ya Po AH in Eugene OR. A couple of years of  remarkable life changes, from a near death experience to a move across the country. When you get to my age there is a lot to reflect on, the experiences  of life, the ups and downs, rolled up and stored somewhere in the brain, mixed up and perhaps for the most part forgotten. Enough are remembered  to say, did I learn anything from from those experiences. Of course learning is on going and change is  constant, things are the same familiar patterns, but move on to something different. I have accomplished very little since I have been here. Lots of time to think or not think.  Now I have few responsibilities, no walking the dog, mowing the lawn, keeping the house heated, dealing with bills that I might not have enough money for. I have feelings of guilt  because I have time and freedom to do whatever I want. How ridiculous, it is what most people want.

 All the people at Ya Po Ah are 62 or older.  I am curious to know what these people’s lives are about, what they have done in their lives, what their professions were.I have met many interesting people here and observed many kinds of people on the streets. I have never been around so many people. They are friendly and helpful. Many people outside, walking, riding bikes, sitting with friends in cafes. When I am on my bike, I pass a man sitting on a bench staring ahead. He is there almost every time I go to the river. There are so many homeless people in Eugene and I wonder how did they get to be homeless.

I have had a good life, and I am thankful and appreciative for everything I have experienced. I do not know why I have been given so much. I hear of other peoples problems, with family, jobs, etc. I had a great marriage, two loving sons  and their mates, that have done everything for me. It amazes me. Doug and Christopher rebuilt the old house in Maine. After I agreed to move to Eugene, Diane investigated the low housing programs and through her we  found Ya Po Ah. I would never have made it to Eugene without without the help of Doug and Christina  packing all my stuff, mostly paintings and then Doug driving  the truck across the country. What a fantastic experience that was. All the people that contributed to the Go Fund Me enabled me to have money to pay for the cross country trip. Alice daughter of my friend Pam sponsored a show in Newburyport at the art association and I was able to return to the East Coast for that and to be in Maine again. These are just the recent things that have happened in my life. It gives me pleasure to have friends respond to my blogspot, even though I am not good responding on facebook. So for all the people that I know and have known I honer you all. I am grateful for your friendship, help and kindness. It is the people in our lives that enrich our lives, that give meaning and purpose to our lives, that help us be better people, that help through hard times and be with us to celebrate the joys. It is the energy of love that binds us together. For all those that have contributed to my life's journey, I thank you now and I am sorry if I did not express my appreciation sooner. 

Chris sketching

Doug carving

Iris and her niece

Charlie napping

                                                               I rarely took photos of gatherings

Chris and Diane 

Doug and Christinaa

 brothers

working on the house

Nancy and Doug

Charlie and Jane

Alice

Diane, Doug, Charlie, Audrey, and dog Mocha at Pemaquid

Thanksgiving potluck, table extented into porch room

Thanksgiving

Christmas season

Fall is here

Wires

Fall is here and the weather is cooling down. There were a couple of warm days last week and I probably had my last swim. I was the only one in the water except for  the ducks and  a few rafters floating  down the river.  

The painting above is a neighborhood scene. What interested me was the open window on the roof dormer and the wires and roof  shapes of the building behind the apartment house. Here residents and business are together, side by side.  No beautiful New England style homes so I have to look at everything from a different perspective. The views from my window are great but I haven't attempted to paint one yet. When I go to Chris's farm I usually make a small painting, mostly trees. I have only painted 12 watercolors. I am painting on the backs of old paintings, and for some reason there is no sizing and I have had to use acrylic on some of them. They are not great but I will get better with practice. I also ordered some paper.

I go every Saturday to the outside market. As you can see the winter vegetables are in. I love the fresh food and seeing the people and food arrangements. I get outside every day for exercise. I have my own little garden. I haven't counted but there may be 50 little Ya Po Ah plots, flowers and vegetables together, very pretty, with benches to sit on and enjoy the scenery.

ducks at my swim spot

rafters