Retire In Style Blog Too

We were discussing every imaginable thing over a delicious salad luncheon before our monthly book club meeting. Conversation wandered from the construction on our home to the knob that fell off of one ladies cabinet...the brass screw was broken. After trips to big box stores and little box store, she arrived at the Ace Hardware store. The clerk actually found her what she needed. One (1) brass screw of the right length and she paid almost nothing for it. She does not have 25 screws in varying sizes rattling around in the junk draw. The knob is on the cabinet. It is just amazing. Women, believe it or not love a hardware store. We can find pot and pans, squeegey, mops, screws, light bulbs and paint. If you don't know how to repair something, chances are some helpful man/woman will be will to sell you the tools and give you a free lesson on how to use them. We actually decided that we all love the ACE Hardware store on 185th at TV highway. There was poetry first, well more o...

After doing some further research into the paint situation and the condo front doors I have found Bluestone & Hockley (This is the property management group for our master HOA.) has the paint pallet binders. So if you are interested in painting your front door on your condo (which is your responsibility) you should contact Heather at Bluestone & Hockley to get your color. I am not certain if it requires a visit to their office or not. I also am not sure if you need to call your building representative but I would suggest that you do. Just be on the safe side and they really want to know what you are up to. Heather Hutchison, Association Manager 503.222.3800

A friend sent me this email this morning inviting everyone to fly the American flag on September 11. The idea here is that we pass the word on to at least 11 people. On Tuesday, September 11, 2007, an American flag should be displayed outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States. Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this sixth anniversary of our country's worst tragedy. We do this in honor of those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.... I would suggest that we might fly flags everyday of the year. I look forward to the day that we have a holder for our flag so it can fly upright and free. b

I was in for a shock when I went to the Sherwi n-William Paint store!!! I was looking for those now famous "Accent Colors" for our condo's front door. If you just tuned in, you need to know that we are not allowed to paint our front doors unless we use the "accent colors" that were used by the original builder. We were told at the last condo association meeting that all we needed to do was go to the Sherwin Williams Store on 10th Avenue here in Hillsboro, Oregon to find the colors AND we are responsible for caring for our front doors when they become shabby looking. It seemed like really good information that we could work with. Given this reality, my husband and I ventured out Saturday to the paint store to buy our quart of "permitted" paint. The conversation with the clerk went something like this: Clerk: Can I help you? Me: Yes. I am told that Sherwin Williams has the list of accent colors for the condos at Orenco Station. Clerk: Why do the...

Board judgement clouded. Wisdom is the sun through clouds- The sun warms us all. by the neighbor I love the idea of haiku although I have not perfected the art. It seems that saying a few word with a huge impact can be liberating and poignant. We have had so many discussions on this blog about CC&R's and how the "Interpretation" of them play out in the real world. One of The Neighbors shares our disappointment in the very nature and tone of our boards attitude of control. We all would like to see a board that encourages people to make their places look like home. We would like to hear them say, "Use your deck, put in one one rose bush you can call your own, put pots on your patio on the corner units and make our "homes look beautiful". Be careful where you place things so people won't fall and don't make a mess. But people can fall over door mats, cracks in sidewalks, door jams and stairs!!! That is why we have insurance folks . Please do...

Note of caution: My husband and I received an email from a credit union in Arizona asking for private information. After checking with the credit union we found out it was a scam!!! Be very careful about what you open and what you respond to. There is probably not a free computer out there and certainly credit unions do not operate over the Internet ! Do you have a back up account somewhere on the web that keeps all your precious information safe? I happen to have a .mac account and pay a fee to keep it on a yearly basis. But up until yesterday, I did not actually understand how it worked or even if it was worth it. Then my computer went on a binge of misbehavior that sent me into a fit of useless computer work. It would not let me write or move and would not accept my password. All I could see was a screen full of pixels. I broke out in a sweat and imagined a computer gone forever and maybe, no new one replacing it. I was fit to be tied. We did actually have to reformat the ...

I love to post pictures with my blogs. I should have taken a picture of the inside of my purse this morning. After visiting the library yesterday with my granddaughter, it was full of pamphlets, book markers and information on our NEW library services. If you have not gone to the Hillsboro Public Library on Brookwood, you need to make plans to do so very soon. (Go down Butler west until you hit Brookwood, turn right.) The move our city made to this new location was just perfect. The space is huge!!!! You can buy a cup of coffee or a snack, buy used books, cruise the stacks or get information on just about anything. If they don't have what you need out with pamphlets, ask the librarian to help you. I have used this service over the years to find out about companies my children have applied to for jobs and others that were seeking property when I sold real estate. The services they offer are just astounding. While I was visiting them yesterday I found (and put in my purse): A list of...

When the women of our neighborhood gather for coffee, you know that there will be some of the most interesting conversation and discussion of your whole week. This neighbor is a very involved woman in the summer time. There is family, recreation, doctor's appointments, home and community. So I am usually late, not dressed beautifully like everyone else and just a little tired. School will start soon and then the day will slow down almost to a stop. Yesterday, when we gathered at Carolyn's, the room was filled with conversation and folding chairs. Plans were being finalized for an outing to the Japanese Gardens, a lunch and of course a ride on Max. Book club plans were discussed and deserts were eaten. Carolyn has a beautiful cottage both inside and out. Inside little lights sparkle on the mantle and in the kitchen. Her displays change continually and are always a feast for the eyes. On her deck she has lovely flowers. A large planter is situation on a pot holder stand ...

The neighborhood gets really quiet when the weather is hot! Windows close, air conditioners come on and we settle in. Some neighbors do not have air and so they love the evenings when we can open the windows and listen to the night. We love to look around the web for interesting and beautiful blogs. Today we found several blogs you might want to take a look at. Garden Voices has some beautiful pictures and is a feast for the eyes. We borrowed this image to whet your appetite. If you will go to the Blogs by Women in the side bar and click on it you will find a great variety of blogs. So many of these are very interesting and insightful. We have also included links in the sidebar. Click on these and read away. The choices we have made are ones we think you will enjoy. Just have some fun. We do this for you!!!! But most of all we want you to all know that at Blogger you can create your own blog for FREE!!!! They have the templates that allow you to set up an attractive and inte...

Would you believe it if I told you there is one or more families that actually have to take all the pictures off their wall during our Airshow? They live at the end of the runway line and as the jets make their ascent, they can see the afterburner and must wear earplugs...big earplugs. They are warned each year and, as I understand it, have actually embraced the whole experience. Just thought I should tell someone. By the way the whole thing really scares me. The sound is deafening at times and I can not help that fear grips me. Sorry!!!! b

Have you ever heard of a "meme"? We are using the word more and more in today's web culture to describe lists of qualities or connected ideas. The web describes the theory in the following way: As defined by Richard Dawkins in The Selfish Gene (1976): "a unit of cultural transmission, or a unit of imitation." "Examples of memes are tunes, ideas, catch-phrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or of building arches. Just as genes propagate themselves in the gene pool by leaping from body to body via sperms or eggs, so memes propagate themselves in the meme pool by leaping from brain to brain via a process which, in the broad sense, can be called imitation. It all sounds very high flown and difficult to comprehend but if you get email, you have received a meme of one kind or another in some form. When someone sends you an email that wants you to list 10 things about yourself, that is a meme. Generally there is a pattern that you follow. My favorite inspi...

Our counsel for the condo association suggested vetting the placement of pots on steps and landing. Vetting is a term used usually when a back ground check is done or newspaper stories are checked before being published. However, in this case, he thought that the post office might have some information on hazards for carriers and that they could "vet" this problem with us. Sometimes, we are afraid of things that are not a problem at all and checking with those we are trying not to harm is a good thing. We do not want to get sued. It is every one's problem. He also pointed out that the board does not own our condos. We all own everything in partnership with the other condo residents. We, like the board, do have a say in what happens. Please note that the information given below is NOT official and is only our interpretation of what we heard. Please be sure to read the minutes when they come out!!! Boy did we learn a lot last night! Our board led by Bill Ferber and...

Oreonco Opinions is always trying to find new ways for you to enjoy life in the community. We have discovered a couple ways to dine out without distroying the bank book!!! Interested? The first is a website that is related to Golf 503 called Dine 503 . Dine 503 is a website where you buy certificates to eat out. You will, for example, pay $25 for a $45 certificate at a restaurant called Mint 820 located on Russell Street on the east side of the Willamette. It is off Interstate near Legacy Emanuel Hospital. You need to buy two entrees per gift certificate. You are allowed two certificates per group/table. Of course, reservation are recommended. We used this a while back and had a wonderful time. * Note this restaurant is just a short walk east of the Gasthaus Pub home of the Widmer Brothers Brewing. We think a Max Line runs up Interstate if you wanted an adventure AND a lot of fun!!! The other dining option that we use is the Passport Unlimited card. This card allows you to dine ...

My husband and I have a built in surround sound system in our condo. We are both a little deaf...well maybe a lot deaf!!! Our movies are a bit loud. I love plants and seem to overflow a little with plant enthusiasm. We have small grandchildren than can be rambunctious. And, as with people that have always lived in large houses, we have way to much stuff!!! I ask a lot of my neighbors when it comes to forgiveness and understanding. And they tolerate me. Needless to say, I love my neighbors. We have such a great relationship and we each lead lives that do not intersect in anyway accept when we visit on the front porch or have a small social gathering . I had a group in for wine last evening and we visited about past experiences, things we were reading or which bottle of wine we liked best. The party extended down the way to a neighboring townhouse as well. I play golf with one woman, belong to a book club with another, get beautiful vegetables from an organic garden from ...

Click for full sized image Have you taken Max to downtown Hillsboro for the Tuesday evening summer market? Well Tuesday, August 7th will be a special event for those of us that love art and want to support local artists. Artists, merchants and the Glenn and Viola Walters Community Center have teamed up to give us a Tuesday Evening Art Walk. You can view art from 6 to 8 pm. Location will be from the space above the Stratford House all the way down main street to the community center. Hopefully, it will be the first of many such events. Plan on going, have a bite to eat, and wander around to see the art.

When you finally go back to your old hometown, you find it wasn't the old home you missed but your childhood. Sam Ewing When you are raised in a small community you have a totally different outlook on life. My little town was called Huntington, named after a famous railroad man. It reminds me very much of the old community of Orenco (Oregon Nursery Company). It boasted a population of 800. My high school had about 75 students and I graduated with a class of 17. While the street were relatively safe, as a child you learned to be very careful, not talk to strangers and would get in big trouble if your roller skates took you down town to the front of the pool hall. We did have a policeman. His name was Ralph. He lived with his wife in a small house on main street that used to be a store. He was old and they were childless. As I remember he was a tall thin man with a slight stoop. But tall is very relative when you are a little girl. And we never saw him during the day...there didn...