Connecting in Community through Dance

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Francene Grewe

Finding community. The need to belong. The common/shared interest. I love finding ways to connect here in Portland, and my recent association with dancing has given me yet another sense of community. Not only amongst dancers, but to the community at large. Last Saturday my previous association with the sponsor, White Bird, and their Le Grand Continental (a wonderful gift to our community) was brought back to life for an ever so brief repeat at Union Station for National Train Day.

Our last rehearsal before National Train Day

To prepare for that performance, rehearsals have filled my days. It was well worth the effort, looking back, but though that performance is complete the rehearsals haven’t finished. Many of us from Le Grand Continental are continuing to dance – dedicated to rehearsals 3 times a week – to prepare ourselves for the launch of the Portland Rose Festival with the Starlight Parade on June 1. Known for being a ‘zanier” parade, we’re practicing our hearts out to make sure we’re ready. Of the 100 or so that committed to this, there are about 70 who have stayed the course. Yet another community, and for many of us this will be our third performance together. We shivered through another chilly and wet evening last night as we ran through the paces. We may never look like these two professional dancers but we’re ready to bring fun and frivolity to the people of Portland 15 days from now. Will you be there?

Francene has over 30 years in the home mortgage business, and she loves being part of the Portland community. Connect with her on Facebook for Portland-centric updates and news or subscribe to her newsletter to receive monthly resources and tips just for locals. If you’re interested in homeownership or refinancing, contact her today to schedule a consultation and find out more about Portland mortgage options.

Memories and Mosses: Finding New Things in Old Places

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Francene Grewe

How often are you reminded: ‘You Can Never Go Home Again’? It’s one of those frequently repeated mantras that often plays out. Class reunions, family holidays, hometown gatherings. But is it really true? And why is it so much embedded in our culture?

You Can’t Go Home Again was a novel by Thomas Wolfe, in which the main character George Webber, a fledgling author, writes a book that makes frequent references to his home town of Libya Hill.The story explores the changing American society of the 1920s/30s, including the stock market crash, the illusion of prosperity, and the unfair passing of time which prevents Webber ever being able to return “home again.”

This week, after nearly 20 years, I returned to Opal Creek–a family vacation spot that has remained near and dear to my heart. A place so special, so pristine, that I held it in my heart above all other places I’ve visited. Would it be changed? Would it live up to 20 years’ worth of lavish memories?

The last time I visited was an OMSI family weekend, and I’ve long since forgotten what the theme of that outing was. But this time I came to study mosses, lichen, and liverwort through the Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center. Really! I know that’s pretty nerdy, but it was fantastic. And it was was thanks to this amazing exploration that I was able to see this place live up to and exceed all my expectations. Opal Creek, Ancient Forest Center, and Jaw Bone Flats was exactly as I remembered it. But this time, I got to see a lot more of the details.

The Opal Creek Wilderness and the neighboring Bull of the Woods Wilderness is the largest contiguous area of low-elevation old growth left in Oregon. The cool, cloudy, wet weather in western Washington and Oregon is ideal for these organisms. There are approximately 12,000 species of moss classified in the Bryophyta. The division Bryophyta formerly included not only mosses, but also liverworts and hornworts. These other two groups of bryophytes are now placed in their own divisions. See what I mean about details? I definitely didn’t notice this stuff last time I was here.

After driving nearly an hour beyond Salem, the last 15 miles or so on rugged Forest Service roads, the lessons began as we hiked in the next 3 miles by foot. Lucky for me, we were only going to focus on less than 300 species. Standing there with my rain proof notebook, and rapidly taking notes with my water proof pen, I quickly abandoned any hope of keeping up with our instruction, and turned instead, to my camera.

Beautiful, no?

Dancing in the Streets

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Francene Grewe

Who all out there is going to be here for the Starlight Parade? Well, I can now give you one more reason (of the many wonderful reasons) to attend: one of the many dancers you’ll see in on the streets that night will be yours truly!

Join me June 1st, 8:30 pm, through the streets of downtown Portland for two miles of dancing. The dance we’re doing is by Bodyvox, one and the same as THE dance–the Advance dance in this amazing video of one dance, two minutes, and fifty lovely locations.

We have just six weeks to learn, and last week I had my first rehearsal. There were so many familiar faces – the people of Le Grand Continental, a similar group dancing experience I did last September (pictured above), made up one special family, to be sure, and many of us had hoped for just such another opportunity. Here we were, back at the very familiar location of BodyVox to learn our new moves! I’d invited anyone that I thought might find this fun, and was delighted to see a couple women from my Zumba class, and the new girlfriend of a dear old friend as well. The initial invite said they were looking for upwards of 100 people, and my quick assessment of the crowd put us at about 80 +/-. Nice. Mostly women, but a good diverse group of us. Big, small, young, old, black, white, etc. Perfect. Two hours of practice for six weeks, for two miles of dancing, smiling, and laughing.

And so it begins!

Hidden Portlandia Treasures

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Francene Grewe

Last week, after my adventure in the Pendleton store, I have to say I was definitely feeling my Portland groove. So, of course, the next stop had to be to the food carts–how can you get more Portlandia than food carts? I’ve always known we have some of the best in the world, but I didn’t know what sort of surprise awaited me today. I’d pegged a Mediterranean cart for my meal, but found it closed. Hmmm. Circling, I found myself back at Frank’s Noodle house. I’d been there before, and knew it was a safe bet – Frank’s Noodle house hasn’t let me down yet. It’s delicious! But my mission today was to step outside my comfort zone–and that’s when I noticed a sushi cart: “Rolling Gourmet Fusion.” Interesting. After studying the menu, I nervously decided to give it a try.

Apparently my hesitation was apparent, because chef Bobby Maki asked me to describe what I liked. To be honest, sushi has never appealed to me. Raw fish just doesn’t sound that great. So, having no experience, I had no idea what I wanted. He suggested the Dynamite Roll, and I thought–why not? Steamed asparagus, avocado, cucumber rolled and topped with tempura fried snapper and wasabi Pico de gayo, all with a side of cucumber spinach sunomono and seared sesame tofu.

Wow.

As I watched Chef Bobby deftly arrange my lunch, I noticed his laminated magazine. All across it rang the praises for this executive chef who hailed from Houston, Texas. What?! What was this executive chef doing in a food cart on 9^th and Washington? As it turned out, he moved here six months ago for the lifestyle! Thank you, Portland. We talked. I ate. And I decided sushi wasn’t that bad. In fact, it’s DELICIOUS. Thank you, Bobby!

So head on over to 9th and Washington. There’s an executive chef there waiting to make your WEEK with raw fish magic.

Francene has over 30 years in the home mortgage business, and she loves being part of the Portland community. If you’re interested in homeownership or refinancing, give her a call today to schedule a consultation or find out more about Portland mortgage options.

A True Portland Moment

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Francene Grewe

It seemed like a typical Portland morning in March when I headed off to Zumba one Saturday. This particular Saturday, though, was anything but. This was the once-a-year-only sale, with the new Pendleton Portland collection, and I snuck out early to secure a good parking spot on SW Broadway. Once inside the door, I found that it was literally wall to wall with people. This line of clothing was made for the trendy, young hipsters of Portland, and they had all turned out accordingly. But I wanted in on this, too! Could I find a large or extra-large in hipster-size (that would be a medium in any other line, right?)? After a frantic search I happily found several items and joined the checkout line to cash out on my bounty. The line, however, took longer than an hour to get through! Normally, a wait that long would have made me CRAZY, but that’s when Portlandia happened. And by Portlandia, I don’t mean high-nosed hipster indignation. I mean the most laid-back people on earth, who can’t help but make friends and bond over any shared experience–even waiting in line. By the time we snaked up to the checkout counter, I had traded and swapped for styles and sizes while generous strangers held my place in line, carried the cargo of my neighbors and had mine carried in turn so we could race out to fill our parking our meters, and we had all praised and encouraged each other to step outside our comfort zone to go for the biggest, baddest tribal print. I love Pendleton, and I adore Portland. I halfway wondered why we didn’t all exchange email addresses by the time I left.

Here’s some of the great finds I snagged:

Drinking in ALL of Portland…Spring Break!

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Francene Grewe

Well, it’s a wrap on Spring break, and my in-box seems to announce the fact that I’m back. The Sheraton San Jose wants to know how I enjoyed my stay, as does the Seattle Westin, and the Hotel Paracas in Peru. Yeah, my timeshare, hard at work, making sure I’m a happy traveler. But no, being a mother of adult children, my new freedom lets me avoid spring break travel without any guilt at all, and all those stays were for my daughter, son, and brother. I stayed in Portland for Spring Break, and found PLENTY of fabulous things to do.

After taking in the Bill W and Dr. Bob play, I did a cleanse, which seemed appropriate. But after that, I headed out to find a beverage.

I headed to the Cornell Nursery for a class labeled “The Drunken Botanist.” Local author Amy Stewart is something of an expert on this subject matter, and was inspired to write her sixth book after happening upon a work published in 1858 – Fermented Liquors: a Treatise on Brewing, Distilling, Rectifying, and Manufacturing of Sugars, Wines, Spirits, and All Known Liquors, Including Cider and Vinegar: Also, Hundreds of Valuable Directions in Medicine, Metallurgy, Pyrotechny, and the Arts in General, by Lewis Feuchtwanger.

Amy’s book is chock full of great information, and I brought home a whole tray of possible cocktail ingredients that will go into a container garden on my deck.

Finally, I wrapped up the Spring Break with more local legends: Storm Large joined Pink Martini for a free “Singin’ in the Square” event in the fabulous afternoon sun on Saturday.

Much like my experience when I danced in Le Grand Continental this past September in Pioneer Courthouse Square, I was overcome with emotion at the vast numbers of local Portlanders as we came together to sing for two whole hours. This city really is the best.

Governor Roberts leads us in song. Along with some really strong support from Storm Large.

Check out Amy’s website – she a local gem! http://drunkenbotanist.com/

I’m filing her right next to Lisa the Beer Goddess: http://beergoddess.com/

Drinking In Portland

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Francene Grewe

There are SO many local theatres in Portland, it’s hard not to find SOMETHING of interest every week. During the Fertile Ground festival, I saw the fabulous world premiere of International Falls at the CoHo. This weekend, I was back at the theatre to see Bill W and Dr Bob. It is based on the story of William Wilson (Bill W.) and Dr. Robert Smith (Bob S., or “Dr. Bob”), the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous and their wives Lois Wilson and Anne Smith, creators of Al-Anon.

In 1929, the famous New York stockbroker William G. Wilson crashed with the stock market and became a hopeless drunk. Dr. Bob Smith was a surgeon from Ohio, who had also been an alcoholic for thirty years. In fact, he often went into the operating room with a hangover. Through an astonishing series of events, Bill W. and Dr. Bob Smith met and formed a relationship, each helping to keep the other sober. The two went on to form AA together. The show told this story in a delightful way, and also managed to give me pause.

We had dinner after the show, and I skipped the usual glass of wine. But, as fortune would have it, I had already planned on skipping that wine long before I’d watched the show. I had purposely given up alcohol that weekend, and so it was especially poignant to see Bill W and Dr Bob on Sunday afternoon. Was that coincidental? Probably not, as I find my life always runs little themes that get woven into glorious threads and ribbons. But I was giving up alcohol for another reason: The Cleanse.

For the past year, I’ve been trying to understand a friend’s regular “fasting”. Why does one “fast”? With food such an important part of experiencing the company of friends and family, and being part of the foodie town that I live in – why would one chose to go without? Is fasting about religion? Or diet? Or some other mystic goings on?

But it finally hit me – the rest of the world may “fast” – but here, we “CLEANSE.” And after reading one of my younger zumba pal’s blog – I wanted to CLEANSE as well!

I quote my new “facebook friend” Yoona: “I remembered that long ago, my friend Kim had extolled the virtues of the juices at Portland Juice Press—in particular, a milkshake-like drink that came at the end of each day’s ration of juices. I researched the company online. Six juices a day, for three days? With daily delivery to my house? How hard could that be?”

My box of juices have arrived this morning at my office. So begins THE CLEANSE.

More Aerial Schools–This One’s In Cambodia!

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Francene Grewe

My blog last week detailing the fantastic time I had at one of Portland’s great aerial schools got me a a little wistful for some of my recent travels. You see, while I was traipsing through Cambodia several months ago, my travel companions found a similar school. This was the first time I’d really heard of something like that being open to the public, so needless to say I was very excited. The school was in Battanbong, the second largest city in Cambodia. The group at this school was known to have an amazing blend of traditional and modern theater, music, dance, acrobatics, juggling and contortion. What’s more, this group wove all those activities into a beautifully choreographed performance which told the a story of Cambodian people and society The famous artists of this school, called Phare Ponleu Selpak, had performed all around the world. We scheduled our time in Battanbong around an afternoon performance that might allow us to participate.

But alas, when we arrived at the school we found it closed. The country was mourning the passing of the Cambodian King Father Norodom Sihanouk. We wandered the grounds, melancholy as we climbed the bars, dangling aloft. Slowly, though, our disappointment dissipated as children arrived from the surrounding grounds and joined with us to frolic in the so previously empty structures. My aerial lesson would have to wait until I least expected it, but meanwhile we made some new friends.

Our new buddies trying out some headstands.

Birding from Costa Rica to Portland

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Francene Grewe

One of my very first family vacations outside of the US was a trip to Costa Rica. Oregonians are quite fond of this small country, and I ran into numerous folks with ties to the two places. No doubt the green-loving personality of a typical Oregonian is enamored with a tiny country where more than 25% of its land is dedicated to national parks, reserves and wildlife refuges.

Costa Rica hosts more than 5% of the world’s biodiversity even though its landmass only takes up .03% of the planet’s surface. There are more than:

130 species of freshwater fish
160 species of amphibians
208 species of mammals
220 species of reptiles
850 species of birds
1,000 species of butterflies
1,200 varieties of orchids
9,000 species of plants
34,000 species of insects
and still counting as new species are discovered every day!

So it comes as no surprise that I stumbled into my first brush with bird watching while touring Costa Rica. Bird watching is one of the fastest growing recreational sports in the world. The equipment required can be nothing more than your eyes and ears, so you can do it ANYWHERE–but I have to say, it’s especially fantastic in Costa Rica! Traveling just a short distance by bus into the jungle, a young man guided my family and I into a lush setting where we saw Woody Woodpecker! Wow – he was real! And macaws! And toucans! Holy smokes – those cartoons from my childhood took on a whole new meaning!

The Pileated Woodpecker

After the initial excitement of seeing those showy tropical birds of Costa Rica, it might seem less enticing to head into a slick muddy trail in Forest Park back home to find little brown birds. But little brown birds, it turns out, are also an exciting bunch of birds. Most of us will come into contact with the tiny Bushtit both at home and in the work place on a daily basis. You’ll know them because, first of all, they are REALLY tiny, and they swoop in with the whole dang family and a cast of friends. And boy, do they keep a schedule. DANG, these guys are predictable! That’s one of the characteristics that helps Birders identify their birds.

This weekend at the Crystal Springs, I was greeted at the entry way by a slightly larger bird that also shares this characteristic behavior – the Crossbill.

Crossbills also share in that predictable behavior–you could set a clock by them!

Birding can be frustrating if you’ve had the experience of someone spotting these gorgeous creatures for you, and then head out on your own to find them. Birding by Ear is one of the solutions, and it’s offered this spring at the Audubon. Check them out!

A Very Unique Birthday Party

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Francene Grewe

When my neighbor invited me to her 69th birthday party last week, I have to admit that at first I didn’t quite realize what I was getting myself into. As it turned out, this was no garden party, folks—this was a group class at the Portland Aerial School.

You read that right. Aerial. Like trapeze, acrobatics, and other hang-from-the-roof type activities. Needless to say, I was thrilled! I didn’t even know we had an aerial school here in Portland! And what a fabulous event they led us in. After watching the talented students perform, we were invited to learn “the ropes”.

The very first thing I attempted was the Aerial Silk, or Tissu. Performers climb the suspended fabric without the use of safety lines, and rely only on their training and skill to ensure safety. They use the fabric to wrap, suspend, fall, swing, and spiral their bodies into and out of various positions. Aerial silks may be used to fly through the air, striking poses and figures while flying. I managed to hoist myself up, over, point my toes, and descend with the help of the experts. It was such a thrill! Next up, the trapeze. Incredible! Then juggling. Wow! (I really should have started learning this MUCH earlier in life) Finally, I moved on to the Hula Hoop. Sounds like the simplest of the bunch, right? Wrong. How was it even possible that I’d forgotten how to keep the hoop in the air?! But the students patiently guided me through, and I was happily hula-hooping yet again.

The Pendulum Aerial School is celebrating 13 years here in Portland. I had an amazing experience and hope to go back. If you ever get a chance to give it a go, I only have two words for you: DO IT!!! And post about your experience in the comments!

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