Wow…where has the time gone. After Sav’s graduation, Dan headed off to Michigan where I’ll meet up with him on the 23rd, so the Gypsy Tour became a man down. I stayed so I could scoop up more family time. My daughter, Kristin, two of my sisters, and I headed off for Portland to enjoy the Portland Saturday Market. When we got to the hotel it was so loud we were struggling to hear the desk clerk. Found out we picked the weekend that the Waterfront Blues Festival was going on…right across the street from the hotel we were staying…yep, two events to fill our weekend.
Friday night we were all pretty tired from our road travel so we opted to find a nice…quiet…restaurant and have dinner. It was worth the walk (which we needed after being in a car all day) to enjoy such fine cuisine. 
It was fabulous. From the wine to the dessert my palette was very happy. The next day was spent enjoying all the items the artists had on display. This is my second time visiting the Portland Saturday Market. I have such an appreciation for the heart and soul artists put into their craft. Everything from decorative wood boxes to some of the finest jewelry your eyes can take in. But the adventure didn’t stop there. After a rest and another good dinner, Kristin treated us to the Waterfront Blues Festival so we were able to enjoy the experience first hand. What an amazing evening. I really enjoyed one of the blues singers, Ruthie Foster. Her voice and energy were so great I purchased two of her CD’s, which she autographed. I decided to ask Ruthie Foster if she would take a picture with me, so here we are…
– she was so humble and sweet. If you get a chance, look up her music and take a listen. After a full day Saturday…happy and exhausted we headed home Sunday morning back to Washington. It was an amazing weekend. Of course, when you are with such great ladies how could you not enjoy your time.
The following Tuesday, my sister, Marianna, and I headed for Canada for a little more sister time. We spent two days in Chilliwack visiting our sister, Erica, and then on Thursday the three of us headed to Hope where we met Fred (Erica’s boyfriend). It was great getting to know Fred and to see life in the Hope area. 
Low-and-behold, Jamie Davis, the owner of the towing company from Highway Thru Hell – one of my reality favs, is just down the road. 
And to top it off, Fred is the key person that was responsible for having Rambo filmed in the area. We ate lunch in the pub, Silver Chalice, where filming was done. The movie also featured the Othello Tunnels…yes, I’m wearing my “fan” hat right now…but, hey, it’s pretty cool…right?
Today I spent a nice afternoon with my sister-in-law, Judy, niece, Amanda, and her new husband, Terry. Catching up on the post-wedding news and enjoying the peaceful river environment. My last week will be filled with busy times of visiting more friends and overnight stays at my sister’s…so it will continue to fly by as if time doesn’t know how to stand still…and I love every minute of it.
I’ll be leaving on the 23rd, and will miss all my family and friends so much, but I’ll be off on another adventure with Dan so that is always a positive. A big thank you to everyone that made this home visit so special. I’ll be back in a few months. Until then…love to you all.