Oregon

You just can’t help but see it everywhere.  Leaves on the trees are changing colors signaling the end of summer.  School supply shopping ads are filling the Sunday Oregonian, and everyone is getting back into the school schedule.  There are some great things you can do with your kiddos as we approach fall that includes all of the senses.

Get out there and get moving, Oregon.  Take your kiddos on a walk and talk about the things that are changing all around us:

Sight:

Have the children look at the trees blowing in the wind, and explain how the wind comes in the fall to help the trees shed their leaves.  Talk about how the trees and leaves blow in the wind.  Are they moving fast or slow?

Touch:

Have children pick up a leaf that has fallen from a tree.  Explain how the trees are starting to “go to sleep” for the winter.  Ask them to explain how the wind feels on their faces.  Is it hot?  Is it Cold?  Is it warm?  Is it blowing hard or soft?  Is the leaf they picked up dry or soft?  How long do they think it’s been on the ground?

Sound:

Ask if they can hear it wind in the leaves.  Have them close their eyes and listen.  See if they can make the sound of the wind.

Smell:

Ask the children to smell the leaves and explain what kind of smell it is.  Does it smell like dirt?  Does it have a smell?  Does the air smell different than normal?  When you get back from your walk, serve a fresh apple and explain that apples are picked in the fall.  Have them smell it, and explain that apples are a fall smell.

Taste:  Talk about the flavors of fall foods.  Ask them to explain how the apple tastes.  Different kinds of apples can be served as well, so you can have the sweet taste of a Red Delicious and the sour taste of a Granny Smith.  Cut an apple in half and show them the seeds, and explain how the apples fall to the ground in the fall, then they are carried by animals, and dropped in the soil to grow new trees.

PROJECT:

Cut an apple in half.  Have the children dip one half in tempera paint and stamp it on a piece of paper.  For more advanced little ones, they can turn their stamp into a drawing after the paint is dry, or use their fingertips to stamp fingerprint arms, legs, and heads on their apple stamp, using it as a body.

The heat wave is here, and it looks like we’ll be battling hot temps for at least the next week.  Many Oregonians don’t have air conditioning because generally, it doesn’t get very hot here, and if it does, it doesn’t stay for long.

How do you find a way to sleep comfortably on hot nights?  Here are some tips that can make all the difference:

1.       Buckwheat pillows and mattresses: they don’t retain your body heat like other mattresses and pillows.

2.       Sleep like an Egyptian: Dampen a sheet or run it through the wash and sleep with it on top of you.  Make sure you have a dry sheet or towel under you.  You can also dampen a T-shirt and ring it out really well and wear it.  Evaporation from the shirt keeps you cooled off.

3.       Ice packs: Either hard packs or soft packs will help keep you cool while you sleep.  If you use soft ones, put them in a pillowcase to keep you from it being too cold.

4.       Chillin’: Place your pillowcase, sheets, pajamas, or whatever you want to be cold in extra large freezer bags and place in the freezer in the morning.  By the time you need them, they’ll be super cool and you’ll fall asleep faster.

5.       Wet feet: Dampen cotton socks and ring them out really well.  Wear them to bed, but make sure there is a dry towel under your feet.

6.       Make a corn sock: Fill a tube sock with feed corn and place it in the freezer.  No feed corn?  Try rice.  No rice?  Try a mixture of flax seed and lavender.

7.       Baking Soda: Sprinkle a very light layer of baking soda on the sheet you sleep on.  People swear by this one.

8.       Go commando: Sleep in the nude.  This is a debatable subject because some think it makes you hotter while others say it makes you cooler.

9.       Take a cold shower: Before you hit the sack, take a cool shower and don’t fully dry off.

10.   Take a plunge: Fill up a pan or bucket with ice water then plunge your feet in it for as long as you can stand it.  You will be cooled off very quickly.

Take steps to stay cool and we’ll make it through this heat wave just fine.  Try to get sleep, because cranky hot people have more accidents, road rage, and make poor choices.  Stay cool, Oregon.

Every year on February 2^nd thousands of people flock to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania for festivities and the prediction of the most famous groundhog in the world, Punxsutawney Phil.  Also, every year on February 2^nd, when the rest of the world gets the news, the debate begins on what it means if the groundhog saw or didn’t see its shadow.  Just tonight, a news anchor who was trying to explain the logistics of the shadow confused herself.  If he sees his shadow, what does it mean?  Why a groundhog?  Here is a brief history and explanation that’s sure to answer all of your Punxsutawney questions.

Groundhog Day originated in the 1700’s by the people who settled Punxsutawney Pennsylvania, believed in the legend of Candlemans Day.  If the sun shone on Candlemans Day, so far the snow will swirl in May,” or so the legend goes.  Candlemans Day fell in the middle of Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox.  Clergymen would bless candles to be placed in everyone’s windows.

The earliest recorded reference to Groundhog Day in America is displayed at the Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore Center, and is dated February 4^th, 1841.  It explains that German settlers believe that if the Groundhog peeps out of his winter home and sees his shadow, he naps for six more weeks, but if it’s cloudy, he stays up.

Originally, the Germans were watching a badger for its shadow, but in Pennsylvania, it was replaced by the Groundhog.  In 1886, a newspaper editor named Clymer Freas printed in The Punxsutawney Spirit, “Today is Groundhog Day and up to the time of going to press the beast has not seen its shadow.”

Then, the groundhog was given the name “Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary”.  Suddenly, Punxsutawney was named the “Weather Capital of the World.”

On his first appearance, there was no shadow, which meant there would be an early spring.  The next year, the tradition of going to Gobbler’s Knob began.

Today, Punxsutawney is still a fairly small town of under ten thousand people, but on February 2^nd every year, thousands flock to Gobbler’s Knob to see the famous groundhog predict the coming of spring.

In 1993, a movie starring Bill Murray called ‘Groundhog Day’ created an even bigger buzz for the annual ritual visit to Gobbler’s Knob.  Suddenly thousands of people became tens of thousands of people.

Just how often does Punxsutawney Phil get it right?  According to http://www.groundhog.org/about/ he gets it right 100 percent of the time and is 120 years old.  In reality, the guessing groundhog only gets it right 39% of the time.  Since the first official trip to Gobbler’s Knob, he’s seen his shadow 97 times, no shadow 15 times, and there is no record for 9 years of the festivities.

February 2^nd, 2009 marks the 123^rd trip to Gobbler’s Knob for Punxsutawney Phil’s official prognostication.  Among the festivities in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania will be fireworks, fun, and the official prediction at about 7:25 a.m. Eastern Time.

Most Oregonians won’t be awake when the groundhog shows himself, which will be at about 4:25 our time, but every morning news show will be doing a report on the famous fur ball.

Want to celebrate with a movie and your favorite brew?  Alberta Street Pub will be showing the movie ‘Groundhog Day’ at 9 p.m.  Alberta Street Pub is located at 1036 NE Alberta Street.

Oregonians watched with the rest of the world as President Obama was sworn in, parades wound by, and crowds of millions cheered all day long.  The solidarity of the President and his First Lady never faltered on this long, exciting, and trying day.  The Obama family is strong, and it shows no matter where they are or what they’re doing.  This is a refreshing twist on the most powerful man in the world.  For the Obamas to open up their lives for all to see is going to be a wake up call for America, and hopefully will raise the bar as far as family is concerned.  The first dance of the night was a perfect example of what they stand for.

The most beautiful thing about President and First Lady Obama’s first dance of the night was the way their eyes shined when they looked at each other.  So many times in past inaugurations we’ve seen two people who were raised in wealthy and powerful families robotically waltz their way through the inauguration balls as if they were straight out of charm school.

Tonight, we saw two people who didn’t come from wealth or power, and weren’t brought up with butlers and drivers.  Tonight, we saw two real people who came from Middle America, where most of us reside.  Tonight, it wasn’t a stuffy awkward ordeal, but a testament to solidarity.

Instead, we saw a man who right off the bat shouted, “First of all, how good-looking is my wife?”  We saw beautiful awkwardness as they took the stage together, because they weren’t forced into dance lessons and schooled in how to be “proper” at a ball.  We saw them look at each other, and cling to each other a little tighter, as if saying, “Don’t you leave me here alone, because I cannot do this without you by my side.”  When he looks into her eyes, you can see that she is looking back.  We saw a man who isn’t ashamed to tell the world how much he loves his wife.

If the Obama family does nothing else but to teach us how to strengthen our marriages and be parents to our children, then he has already done this country a great service.  If the only new trend is that people want to stick it out through thick and thin, then we are winning a war in our own country and saving thousands of children from being casualties of divorce.

Michelle Obama was beautiful, as always, in her white chiffon skirted dress by Jason Wu.  She showed America that it’s okay to be sexy and that you can do it with elegance.  Sexy doesn’t have to be super thin, cleavage, and short skirts.  When you look at Michelle Obama, you see a strong confident woman who is comfortable in her own skin.

Beyonce, who performed ‘At last’ with Etta James, saw the strength of the bond between them.  They symbolize strength, unity, and change, and it brought Beyonce to tears to witness such a beautiful moment.

Here’s to the Obamas!  May President Obama be a tool in God’s hands as he works tirelessly to save our country from sinking.  May Michelle be the spark in his eye as he fights for change.  May they stand together as a pillar of strength and a beacon of light for the world to see.  Let them be an example to American families on how to bind together through thick and thin so we can weather any storm.  Let us all take lessons from them on how to be better parents to our children.  Good luck and Godspeed President Obama. 

All year people wait for the Pendleton Round-Up, happening now through Saturday, September 13, 2008.  Thousands of cowboys and cowgirls flock to the city of Pendleton to watch the best in the world compete in events such as the Professional Bullriding Classic, the Happy Canyon Indian Pageant, Barrel Racing, Calf Roping, Bareback Riding, Saddle Bronc, Team Roping, Steer Wrestling, Steer Roping, Brahma Bull Riding, cow milking contests, parades, and many other events.

Saturday’s events begin at:

• 6:00 AM with a Cowboy Breakfast at Stillman Park
• 9:00 AM there will be a Tribal Ceremonial Dancing Contest in the Round-Up Arena. This event is FREE.
• 10:00 AM is the Main Street Cowboy Show on Main Street. This event is FREE.
• 1:15 PM RODEO FINALS
• 6:00 PM Main Street Cowboy Show-This event is FREE.
• 7:45 PM Happy Canyon Night Show and Dance.

Tickets are available at the Round-Up Office, or online at ticketmaster.com