Middle of the Week Blessings:

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Malia and Ira

It is so fun when the little girl you cleaned houses with ten years ago grows up to be the best mommy to the sweetest and cutest little baby boy ever.  I'm just sayin'.  I had so much fun last night visiting with old friends and eating the best food.  What a blessing in the middle of the week!

Now I need to do some laundry and pack; getting ready to go see my own baby boy graduate (with honors, and he's giving the speech!).  Time flies so fast, not long ago this was him:

I love you too, Nigel, and two thumbs up to you!

Here are some things to look forward to when I get back:

•  A review of The Hotel Elliott in Astoria, Oregon
•  Nigel's Graduation Photos
•  A report about The Job Corps
•  Astoria Photos
•  and ... the April 2012 Blogging from A-Z Challenge, it isn't too late to sign up!  Just click on the button below:

Hope you all have a great weekend ...

~ Kathy M.

At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot!  All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.  

Sepia Saturday 119: "Work"

This week's theme on Sepia Saturday is work.  I just happened to have some family photos of people working; some are doing everyday chores and some are doing hard labor.  You may have seen a few of these before, but it was fun to group them all together into one handy spot.  

If I don't get around to visit you in a timely manner, it is because we are going to be at the coast watching our son Nigel graduate from the Job Corps ... and he is the speaker.  I'll catch up with you as soon as I can.  Thank you!

Retro Jimmy Buffett, "It's My Job":

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

These guys are working hard building a tunnel.  

I think this is the one near Elkton, Oregon.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I've posted this before, but this is my Uncle Hobart Hedrick topping a tree.  He is the little teeny bump on the tree underneath the letter "H".

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Here is my Grandpa Floyd Traylor, with a fully loaded log truck somewhere in Western Oregon.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

My father-in-law, Troy Matthews did hard work of all kinds.  When they lived on The Trinity River in California, Troy was also a logger, and a pond boss in the two pictures below:

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Earlier, in World War II, Troy was a Navy See Bee, and he is the guy with his hand on the cement lever in the photo above.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

My Great Grandfather, Benjamin E. Hedrick was a farmer.  Here he is plowing on his farm at Jack Creek Ranch in Hardscrabble.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Teaching was a career that women could have outside of the home.  This picture was taken around 1900, and here is the blog post that I wrote about it a while back McNeil "Panther Creek" School.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

My Great-Aunt Mary Davis Letsom Goodell took her spinning out to the yard.  Wonder who is hiding inside the front door?  The men behind her don't look to worried about having their picture taken.

Great-Great Aunt Myra Hedrick was a very hardworker in Drain, Oregon.  She owned a boarding house, raised turkeys, and "managed" everybody who she could get her hands on.  Your business was Aunt Myra's business.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

My Dad, Ralph, is the cook in all white.  I think that this was taken at a dance or other fun event in the Junction City High School gym.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

A woman's work is never done.  Just ask Frances; these two photos were taken in the late 1950's, Salyor, California.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Peter and Nigel work hard on washing 

our old VW bus 20 years ago.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

And, sometimes, even play can be hard work!

The next two are not sepia, but I thought that you would still enjoy them.  This is my husband Cary in the 1990's:

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

And our son-in-law, John, who is a bridge inspector:

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I could possibly have been a cop, but I NEVER could have been a bridge inspector.  Too scary!  Here is the post about John that I did last year:  "Washington Bridge Inspectors at Work".

To see some other neat old photos and read some great stories, please visit my friends over at Sepia Saturday.  You are welcome to join this fun group too.

~ Kathy M.

At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot!  All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.  

Celebrating the Positive: Shout-Outs to My Facebook Friends

I love to celebrate those who are doing good things with their lives and who are living their dreams. I love to give shout-outs to other bloggers, and today I thought that I would celebrate the accomplishments of a few of my Facebook friends. I went to high school with all of these peeps, except for Debb, who lives in Mayberry with me.  Though I may not have seen some of them for a long time, it is nice to know that they are just a click away. This is a long post, but I hope that you enjoy the introduction to these special people.

Dave Imus 

and 

"The Essential Geography 
of the United States"

Source:  The Essential Geography of the United States of America

Dave Imus, a friend of mine since junior high, co-worker at my first job, and one who sang at my first wedding, has worked extremely hard for his success and has created the very best map of the United States.  The very best!  He beat out National Geographic and the other big name companies.  You can read all about it here, Slate.com: David Imus "The Essential Geography of The United States of America"

This article by columnist Bob Welch at the Register Guard is a must read about how hard Dave worked to get to where he is today, just "CLICK HERE".

You can like his page on Facebook and/or purchase a map for yourself.  They only cost $39.95 (plus shipping and handling), and I am so looking forward for mine to get here.  Here is the link to the Imus Geographic Website.

Way to go, Dave, I sure am proud of you!  

Dave Imus is being interviewed by another high school and Facebook friend of mine, Dave Leonning in the You Tube video below:

"Joe Pishioneri Runs for Oregon House"

"There can be barriers removed and environment created to promote new businesses,  but also encourage current businesses to expand, which will greatly enhance our sustainable jobs."

Source:  Joe's Facebook Page

Another friend from high school, Joe Pishioneri, is a Lane County Sheriffs Deputy and also a long-time Springfield City Councilman.  Last week, Joe has announced that he will be running for Oregon House District 12.  Joe is running unopposed on the Republican ticket, and I certainly wish him the best as he runs for this office.  He has consistently proven to accomplish great things for the community, and for those who live in the state of Oregon.  Best of luck to you, Joe!

"Debb's Doggie De-Lites"

Rebel, Debb and Rob

My friend Debb Kraft has began a new business creating high-quality doggy snacks from scratch.  No longer do you have to worry about buying a bag of treats from out of the country that could be tainted and unsafe.  Made with rice flour (gluten free), these yummy snacks are low-fat and are made with fresh ingredients.  Even better, Debb bakes them to order, so you know they will be fresh!  The cost per bag ranges from $5.00 to $5.75 plus postage and handling.  Please check out her website to learn more, at Debb's Doggie De-Lites.
 

"Baked to order low cal, low fat, gluten and preservative free treats to help your best friend keep that 'canine waistline'. "

"Debb's Doggie De-Lites are made with rice flour to avoid wheat allergies."

"My produce is purchased from local farmers (no more than 125 miles from me) and is used fresh in season or frozen fresh to be used out of season."

"Treats are baked fresh when you order and shipped same or next day depending on the time and quantity of your order."

"Taylors Crossing"

I have been friends with Leon Taylor since 10th grade, and we reconnected a couple of years ago on Facebook.  I am also friends with his super cool wife, Kimberly, and am so proud of what they are accomplishing in their marriage, their family and with their music.

"Taylors Crossing is a country rock duo husband/wife team formed in 2006. They are backed by drummer Rick Spencer and bass player Rich Lee. 

This dynamic country rock duo has played in groups and solo for years before their introduction in 2004 which lead to their marriage in 2008. Kimberly Taylor's (lead singer) need for a band and the willingness of then group, "Steppin' Out" to accompany her for a County Fair show, began their journey. Since that time, they have become the official backup band of the Texaco Country Showdown. Their talent and popularity with Nashville's SPI management team has them on their 4th year backing up performers working their way to the Ryman stage in Nashville. The venues hosting the Showdown enjoy the show Taylors Crossing performs during the competition which is what keeps them coming back each year. Apart from their time working with SPI each summer, Taylors Crossing performs at outdoor concerts, fairs, festivals and concert venues. During the off season you may even find them in local clubs entertaining the fans who have supported them throughout the years.

Leon (Lead Guitar, Vocals) and Kimberly Taylor also have done solo studio work. Leon's guitar can be heard on CD's and demo's from Blues, Country and Rock singers throughout the area. Kimberly has two CD's she released prior to her time with Taylors Crossing. Both members of the duo, write their own music. Some of it is played at their shows while others are written for TV, movies and other recording artists. Both are members of Nashville Songwriters Association, Country Music Association and BMI.

Their achievements are only a picture of what got them where they are today, but the talent and success of this duo is only understood through their music and performances. To listen to some of Taylors Crossing original songs, please CLICK HERE."


Kimberly has two earlier albums under the name Shannon Reigns.  Here are links to them; CD's begin at only $9.00.

 Country ~ "A Place in my Heart"

Christian ~ "Moving On, Lettin' Go"

"The Dick Danger Band"

Source:  The Dick Danger Band's Facebook Page

Previously, I did a shout out to Kevin Angvick and his band, The Dick Danger Band from Eugene, Oregon.  To read that post and see a bunch more pictures, please "CLICK HERE".

So, there you go.  I know that this was a very long post, so thanks for hanging in there.  But if you need to buy a map, know who to vote for in Oregon, need doggie treats, or are looking for music and want to dance, you are now set. 


Have a wonderful week, everybody! 


~ Kathy M.

At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot!  All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.  

Fun With Friends in Bend:

Last night, Cary and I drove into Bend to have dinner with my BFF Nancy and her son Nigel.  They were in town for the weekend, and we ate at the lounge in the hotel where they were staying.  The service was great, but the food really wasn't.  The company was awesome though!

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Yesterday was also Cary's birthday.  

Happy Birthday, best friend husband!

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Nancy and Nigel just got a beautiful new German Shepard puppy.  Her name is Athena.  She had to stay in the car when we were in the restaurant.  The hotel was pet friendly, but you can't leave the pets unattended.  Especially active little puppies.


Athena is absolutely gorgeous:

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

We had such a fun time.  After we got home, Nancy called me and we visited for another two hours on the phone.  We have been friends for nearly 30 years.  Wow!

At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot!  All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.