I have finally started on my To Do list. It has 42 items - some small (make an appointment for the cat), some huge (pack for California), some a bit odd (buy a deflated soccer ball for the school I am visiting in Zimbabwe), some quite unpleasant (get yellow fever shots), and some complicated (is it wise to change my specific health coverage plan before the upcoming due date?). To help the process along, I put the list on the refrig with a yellow marker nearby so I can cross off items as I complete them. This gives both satisfaction and keeps me going. As of this minute, 10 items are yellow - okay, okay, you're right, I did the easy ones. The cat has an appointment.
I continue, however, to find excuses to do other things. Last Saturday, for example, if I had been truly responsible, I would have come straight home from my library shift to work on the list but it didn't end up that way. Nope - and I couldn't help myself. The "attractive nuisance" that distracted me from doing the right thing was at the foot of the library steps. In fact, to avoid it was extremely difficult. Police and horses and children by the gazillions stood in my way. And anyway, who can say no to a parade? Especially the 100th running of the Portland Annual Rose Festival Parade? Come on, no one is that strong.
Actually, to be quite truthful, I am not a parade person. I find them long, tedious, and "been there, done that." In addition, I am spoiled in that Pacific Grove has 2 absolutely perfect parades (according to my skewed criteria). So perfect that I try hard not to miss either one - and this from a parade naysayer. The first is in September, The Butterfly Parade, that welcomes the monarch butterflies back to Pacific Grove. It is incredibly cute. Every child, from preschool through elementary, participates (there are only 2 small elementary schools so we are not talking a lot of kids). The children walk with their classes in costumes designed by their teachers. Well, the kindergarteners are always the butterflies and the 5th graders always wear Indian costumes their parents make for a social studies unit but the other grades vary from year to year although we usually see a lot of sea animals. The children are darling, the midde and high school bands add the necessary prance-along-with-the-kids music, the whole thing is over in less than an hour, the crowd is enthusiastic - a perfect parade.
It may be topped, however, by the annual Pet Parade in July. In this one, anyone with a pet is welcome to join in. It's short - once the people at the front hit the end of the second block the whole parade makes a U-turn and walks back to the starting point - 20 minutes max. There's no music, just the noise of the pets and the spectators cheering them on. And it's fun. Lots and lots of dogs but others make their appearance as well, many held in arms, some represented by stuffed animals. Costumes are popular - both for pets and owners. A favorite memory is the child who pulled a wagon with her fish bowl tucked carefully inside. This is home grown and very hard to beat.
So, now I am in Portland. This is not the REALLY big time but it is certainly bigger time. Not the Rose Parade in Pasadena but also not teeny Pacific Grove. And it was, surprisingly for me, lots and lots of fun. I first got an inkling of it when my bus was re-routed. I had no idea the parade's path took it right along the front of the library. It didn't reach us until almost 11:30 (we were near the end of the route) but participants had not lost their enthusiasm by the time they reached our vantage point. The horses still high stepped it, the floats floated (well, I was amused when the people behind one float helped push it when it hit the small rise in front of the library), the gorgeous roses still had life in them, the music was lusty - it was all as it should be.
Favorite memories?
An unusual Grand Marshall - yes, it was Pachy, the elephant born at the Oregon Zoo who turned 50 this year. Packy is one adored animal here in Portland. Naturally he couldn't make the walk so they had a replica. The crowd cheered and cheered.
And, of course, if you have an elephant (even a replica) you need a pooper scooper to follow - this one is called PoopLandia with a drawing of the iconic Portlandia statue turned into Pachy.
This was my absolute favorite. In front of this group of flight attendants (who you can barely see - squint hard) was the Alaska Airlines float - beautiful - showing Alaskan animals, etc. but the crowd gave even stronger applause to the flight attendants who followed behind. They did wonderful marching routines with their apparatus - no, not batons, not flags, look really close - yep, carry-on bags. It was hysterical. They marched, flipped those bags, circled, all in synchronization. The crowd roared its approval.
My sister, Mary, suggested that, next year, we volunteer in the wee hours of the morning to help finish up the floats. I suggested we join this group instead. It will take much more practice but these, by age, are my peeps. And look at them strut! I look better in silver than in gold so the trim on their outfits will match my coloring, I can learn the baton strut, etc. . . . . Well, maybe that float idea is better.
I loved how enthusiastically the crowd got into the mood - including elephant ear toppers. This woman shared the library steps with me.
When I had reached my fill (about 90 minutes into the parade) I wandered down to my rescheduled bus but stopped at a deli to grab a sandwich. Yep, parade spirit was there too.
I did enjoy the humor of it all. I love that Portland does NOT take itself seriously. The bus ride home was full of parade goers carrying sleepy children, folding chairs, and smiles.
Okay, now back to more serious stuff - 32 items on my list still to go. I CAN do it - as long as parades and such don't get in my way. Oh, the mind is willing but the flesh is so very weak.
I continue, however, to find excuses to do other things. Last Saturday, for example, if I had been truly responsible, I would have come straight home from my library shift to work on the list but it didn't end up that way. Nope - and I couldn't help myself. The "attractive nuisance" that distracted me from doing the right thing was at the foot of the library steps. In fact, to avoid it was extremely difficult. Police and horses and children by the gazillions stood in my way. And anyway, who can say no to a parade? Especially the 100th running of the Portland Annual Rose Festival Parade? Come on, no one is that strong.
Actually, to be quite truthful, I am not a parade person. I find them long, tedious, and "been there, done that." In addition, I am spoiled in that Pacific Grove has 2 absolutely perfect parades (according to my skewed criteria). So perfect that I try hard not to miss either one - and this from a parade naysayer. The first is in September, The Butterfly Parade, that welcomes the monarch butterflies back to Pacific Grove. It is incredibly cute. Every child, from preschool through elementary, participates (there are only 2 small elementary schools so we are not talking a lot of kids). The children walk with their classes in costumes designed by their teachers. Well, the kindergarteners are always the butterflies and the 5th graders always wear Indian costumes their parents make for a social studies unit but the other grades vary from year to year although we usually see a lot of sea animals. The children are darling, the midde and high school bands add the necessary prance-along-with-the-kids music, the whole thing is over in less than an hour, the crowd is enthusiastic - a perfect parade.
It may be topped, however, by the annual Pet Parade in July. In this one, anyone with a pet is welcome to join in. It's short - once the people at the front hit the end of the second block the whole parade makes a U-turn and walks back to the starting point - 20 minutes max. There's no music, just the noise of the pets and the spectators cheering them on. And it's fun. Lots and lots of dogs but others make their appearance as well, many held in arms, some represented by stuffed animals. Costumes are popular - both for pets and owners. A favorite memory is the child who pulled a wagon with her fish bowl tucked carefully inside. This is home grown and very hard to beat.
So, now I am in Portland. This is not the REALLY big time but it is certainly bigger time. Not the Rose Parade in Pasadena but also not teeny Pacific Grove. And it was, surprisingly for me, lots and lots of fun. I first got an inkling of it when my bus was re-routed. I had no idea the parade's path took it right along the front of the library. It didn't reach us until almost 11:30 (we were near the end of the route) but participants had not lost their enthusiasm by the time they reached our vantage point. The horses still high stepped it, the floats floated (well, I was amused when the people behind one float helped push it when it hit the small rise in front of the library), the gorgeous roses still had life in them, the music was lusty - it was all as it should be.
Favorite memories?
An unusual Grand Marshall - yes, it was Pachy, the elephant born at the Oregon Zoo who turned 50 this year. Packy is one adored animal here in Portland. Naturally he couldn't make the walk so they had a replica. The crowd cheered and cheered.
And, of course, if you have an elephant (even a replica) you need a pooper scooper to follow - this one is called PoopLandia with a drawing of the iconic Portlandia statue turned into Pachy.
This was my absolute favorite. In front of this group of flight attendants (who you can barely see - squint hard) was the Alaska Airlines float - beautiful - showing Alaskan animals, etc. but the crowd gave even stronger applause to the flight attendants who followed behind. They did wonderful marching routines with their apparatus - no, not batons, not flags, look really close - yep, carry-on bags. It was hysterical. They marched, flipped those bags, circled, all in synchronization. The crowd roared its approval.
My sister, Mary, suggested that, next year, we volunteer in the wee hours of the morning to help finish up the floats. I suggested we join this group instead. It will take much more practice but these, by age, are my peeps. And look at them strut! I look better in silver than in gold so the trim on their outfits will match my coloring, I can learn the baton strut, etc. . . . . Well, maybe that float idea is better.
I loved how enthusiastically the crowd got into the mood - including elephant ear toppers. This woman shared the library steps with me.
When I had reached my fill (about 90 minutes into the parade) I wandered down to my rescheduled bus but stopped at a deli to grab a sandwich. Yep, parade spirit was there too.
Pachy was everywhere.
I did enjoy the humor of it all. I love that Portland does NOT take itself seriously. The bus ride home was full of parade goers carrying sleepy children, folding chairs, and smiles.
Okay, now back to more serious stuff - 32 items on my list still to go. I CAN do it - as long as parades and such don't get in my way. Oh, the mind is willing but the flesh is so very weak.
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