Our House in the Middle of Our Street

Ani and I took the train down to Portland in late August when she had finished up her first full-time summer job. We had a very quick 48 hours in the city.  It had been 6 years since we were there and we basically planned our trip around Powell's Books! We hadn't been there since 2018, but a lot of the city is boarded up, from our uber drivers, as a result of covid and businesses leaving.  A wall in just a small bit of the section of Newbery's! Imagine! On Tuesday afternoon, after our train arrived, we stopped in for just an hour to Powell's, and then walked to Tita's Juice bar for some smoothies. Later we ate dinner at Mother's Bistro - which was said to be a local favorite. I think we missed the memo on skipping dinner if we weren't able to make brunch. It was underwhelming and half the staff we interacted with were honestly terrible! The other was fantastic. Wouldn't go back unless it was brunch.  Ani's first Stumptown coffee. She liked, but nothi...

  Glen Valley dyke trail, early July, 6AM Watership Down (graphic novel) adapted by Richard Adams - I have never read this classic novel, but the graphic novel has stunning illustrations and I knew I'd read it this way if I had it from the library. I'm glad I read it as a graphic novel - I don't know that the premise of the story would entice me (well, it hadn't thus far anyway) to read it in its original format, but having the illustrations certainly helped me understand the storyline.  Swim Team (graphic novel) by Johnnie Christmas - Just a little piece of middle-grade, graphic novel candy for summer. The equivalent, I suppose, of most people's "beach reads"! The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbury - I followed along (late, however) with Joy Clarkson's online book club on her substack. I had bought this book at least a decade ago at a thrift store, then gave it away to someone (who?!) and then finally got it from the library and I finished i...