Everything!

On this epic Summer Adventure and Road Trip, we did everything!

We have been on a quest for a golden goblet, and fairy gardens!

We have experienced Nepenthe, tracked zebra, had a golden hour on California's Central Coast.

We crossed over the Golden Gate Strait to the Redwood Highway, and stood among giants!

We struck gold, again, in Eureka! Swimming, and exploring, resting, and singing as we traveled ever northward!

And golden was the hour when we met Mom and Dad, stayed in their woods, and dunes, on the Oregon coast.

They may be miles away, but they are close to our hearts.

We have seen new sights, and familiar faces. We have followed the call of crows, cats, poets, and dreams.

We have made new friends, and found happy endings.

We learned lessons on taxidermy, Lepidopterology, and glacies crepito. We have marveled, delighted, admired and exclaimed, and that was only one Tuesday in Portland!

Basically, we have been Enchanted.

And. We shopped. I often say that pictures are my favorite souvenirs, and my children know that rocks, sticks, moss, shells, sand, and feathers bring me no end of delight. But I am not immune to the siren's call of places where I can browse, stick my nose in a book, add to my sticker collection, find something novel, make another wish list, drag home something essential, and buy stuff! Page four of my very detailed travel plans was all about leads, and sure things, for shopping opportunities. And when we made it to Old Portland Hardware & Architectural, it was everything we could have wished for and more. We loved it. The End. Yeah, another stop that could have completed the entire trip.

Why, or what? What do we see here that makes us so happy? We like old things, stuff made by craftspersons, by artists and engineers, and artistic engineers. We like history, and the history of making, and the things that are tangible artifacts of creation.

We admire wood and woodworkers, carpenters, woodcarvers, joiners. We admire metal, forging, casting, welding. We love handlettering, glassblowing, book binding, gilding, words, dove tailing, bells, whistles, surfaces, repairs, tea cups, saucers, nuts, bolts, hammers, and maps.

Have I mentioned that our tastes are ecclectic? Ha! On reconsideration, our tastes were ecclectic before we had children, and now there are seven of us, living under the same rambling roof, and the one decorating-home style we might agree on is that we love many things, styles, gadgets and gizmos! A natural progression of our loves, pursuits, interests, and tastes, might be moving into a museum, if we haven't already created our own, or setting up our home in this store. Then again, I do daydream of a cozy home in the woods, with a tea cup, paint set, sewing basket, and wifi.

Behind the red lantern is a handmade sign, lyrics we know well, and attribute to our own workshop, especially when Geoff is in there, welding, or printing, or tuning his laser... What's he building in there? We know. We know it's something clever, new, different. Maybe metal. Maybe wood. Definitely wonderful.

What the hell is he building in there?

Now what's that sound from under the door?

I heard he was up on the roof last night

Signaling with a flashlight

And what's that tune he's always whistling

What's he building in there?

What's he building in there?

We have a right to know...