My phone rings. It’s my co-host Emma. Emma has a flat tire. She’s supposed to be here in an hour and there’s a giant screw stuck in the tire of her little “Emma Jeep.” She’s headed to her boyfriends to see if he can jack up her jeep so she can change the tire and the phone rings again, this time it’s Tim Chuey. You know Tim Chuey; he used to be the weatherman on KVAL. Now he has his own gig and was scheduled to come talk for Eugene Daily News about the big Dexter Lake 4th of July bash they’re helping put on.

Tim tells me he’s lost. He’s only been to Cottage Grove a couple of times and he left his directions at home (how many times have I done that?). In the end both show up we get our work done. Actually, Emma’s flat made the show more fun and it gave us one more thing to use against her in the future.

Perhaps next month, when we shoot the show from Coburg, we’ll take Emma out to the truck stop and have a trucker show her how to change a tire? (That’s Scott’s idea). I can just see it now. Emma, a young woman who is so jacked up she makes caffeine nervous, and the truck driver.
Here’s the show.
Hope you enjoy it and please, share it with your friends.

Photos by Gary Breedlove (copyright Gary Breedlove – all rights reserved)

Patriotism at it’s finest

As I drove east on Main Street in Springfield today, I could see an enormous flag waving high in the air.  I was in complete awe of this thing.  One could not help but feel the patriotism that came from it and the pride it’s owner must feel.

I pulled over to take photographs and see if I could speak with someone regarding the flag.  Immediately Tony Koloski, a mechanic from the shop approached me to see if he could help me.  I asked if I could speak with someone regarding this flag.

He said Jim Dobson the owner is who I would need to talk to, but he was with a customer at the moment.  While I waited for Jim to finish with his clients, I took some photographs;  Tony giving me a brief summary of the flag.

Once Jim was finished with his clients, we sat and talked about the flag.

It has been a permanent fixture in Springfield, Oregon since December 22, 1999.  The flag alone is 40 feet by 80 feet, the stripes are just over 31 inches tall and the stars must be approximately 2 feet each!

Jim Dobson – The man behind the flag

As we talked about the flag, Jim sketched out a drawing for me; showing me how the flag pole was constructed and then erected.  His friend Dave Fountain donated the old logging towers and light pole.

“Why did you go so big”? I asked him.

“In the City of Springfield, you could hang two banners a year, each one of them cost $60.00 just in permit fees and you could only hang them for 10 days.  So, I came up with this idea!  I also lined the perimeter of my shop with flags every ten feet.  I knew they wouldn’t tell me I had to take my flags down”.  He said with a chuckle.

As Jim continued to sketch, he explained that in order to do something like that today, it would cost 40 thousand dollars.  His flag, the one that is flying out side of his shop right now costs $3,000.00.  According to his research, he has found only three others in the United States bigger than his, located in Texas, New Jersey and Southern California.

He has two more flags, a bit smaller; one at 20 x 30 and 30 x 50 feet.

In remembrance of his mother, he flies the flag at half staff in her honor, as well as other family and friends.

The upkeep of such a flag can be pretty big.  Once the flag is taken down, it will go directly to Designers Workroom located in Eugene for repairs; Linda has been taking care of Jim’s flags since the beginning.  The flags whips pretty hard sometimes in the wind, causing them to tear.

“Often times, it will crack like a bull whip”.

It was not a small feat to erect such a pole.  The entire structure above ground is 125 feet tall (12 1/2 stories).  There is also another 16 foot logging tower encased in 40 cubic yards of concrete below ground!

A view of the flag from Kelly’s Butte

“On a good day, with no wind it may take 5 men and 15 minutes to raise the flag, if it is windy, it may take 10 people.  But if the wind is blowing particulary hard, we can’t raise it”.

Jim’s flag was used as a backdrop when President Bush was running for his second term and was campaigning in Medford, as well as when Dick Cheney came to Eugene.

Jim is a veteran and served in the Marine Corp. in Vietnam.  Jim is also an accomplished pilot.  A very warm, friendly and patriotic man.  I enjoyed my time talking with him and if it wasn’t for his business to run, I could have sat with him and his guys all day.

There is a lot of history in that shop.  He told me about putting a “free house” sign up 40 years ago.  Someone came and hauled off the house that sat on that lot.  Once the house was gone, he was then able build his shop.

Cascade Auto is located at 3842 Main Street on the corner of 38th Place and Main street in Springfield.

The Highway To Hell in my front yard

As I snuggled down in bed the other night, something caught my eye. Something black, hairy and nasty; high on my wall, in the corner about three feet from where I was about to lay my head.

“Oh God, please let that be my imagination”

Sending up a silent and urgent plea to the big guy up stairs (I live in a one level house).

My pulse quickened as I forced myself to look in that direction and focus.  Sure enough, it’s a spider!  I want to cry.

I keep both eye’s on the nasty thing while I try to figure out how to get rid of it, which is extremely hard for me.

You see.  I have Arachnophobia.  A horrific fear of spiders.  I know it is inherited, because my father was the same way.  My mother would tell me stories of finding my father on the kitchen table screaming like a girl because there was a spider on the floor.  My father was like the size of Buford Pusser in Walking Tall, he was not a small man.

When spiders are concerned size doesn’t matter.

I am sure it has to do with the fact that this nasty creature has 8 legs and they all work at the same time!  I have asked many people over the years about their fears, and my statistics show that people who are terrified of spiders, are not so much afraid of snakes, and vise versa.  Tell me there isn’t something to that theory.

Back to my crisis in the corner.  Only moments before I was about to go to sleep to dream about white fluffy bunnies and now my blood pressure has sky rocketed.

I got a brilliant idea about sucking it up with the vacuum hose!  Hallelujah!  Smiling out loud, I got fully dressed before I attempted this.  Why?  Just in case it jumps off the wall and lands on me!  (It could happen).

Image by Sandra Lynn’s Photography

It’s 10:45 at night and im standing on my bed, vacuum in my left hand, hose in my right.  I don’t have enough guts to get close enough to it!  My hose is too short!

I grab my computer and type out my despair on Facebook, my only lifeline (my cat is no help to me in spider situations) pleading with anyone in the neighborhood to come rescue me.

I remember a technique my post lady Carla used when I went to mail some items a few months back.  ”Are you afraid of spiders?”  I asked as I walked in the door.  I assured her I would not be able to leave the building as there was a spider blocking the exit!

Seeing my anxiety, she got a broom, and headed for the offending culprit.  Once she saw the size of it, she came back for reinforcements.   She draped a towel over the bristles (genius) and stabbed the spider with it!  Brilliant!  Carla is my best buddy now!  We have a bond.

I grabbed my broom, found the perfect towel (it couldn’t be fluffy, I didn’t want to pamper the thing) secured it with rubber bands, wet it down under the faucet and sprayed it with hairspray for good measure.  If I didn’t kill it, at least I was going to make sure it stuck to the wall!

I would have sprayed it with hairspray in the first place (Aqua-net is great for this, get it?)  but if I messed it up and it simply dropped to the floor, I would have had to move.

I checked in with Facebook to see if anyone was coming to my aide.  No, but there was plenty of encouragement, notes of sympathy and suggestions.

A nightmare in itself

Once again, I am back up on my bed, broom in hand.  A friend had suggested I go at it fast and hard (seriously… I wasn’t about to do it in slow motion!)  I took her advice and stabbed it as hard as I could.  I missed the entire spider!  What!  Angle, it’s all about the angle.  I repositioned myself and went after it again.  This time I made purchase and got it!  I’m so proud of myself!

This whole process took half an hour.  With the situation under control and feeling as if I had just gotten off a roller coaster ride, I climbed back into bed, relief washing over me.

I have never taken the time to see what the definition of Arachnophobia was before I decided to write about it.  If you pull it up on google, you will see Sandy Harris!  I have it pretty bad.

I dread Halloween.  I don’t know why people think it’s okay to put spiders everywhere!  I think it borders on cruel and inhumane.  It doesn’t matter if a spider is fake and made of hard plastic, or a fluffy stuffed animal.  I cringe when I walk into a store and see one of those huge inflatable spiders suspended from the ceilings!  I just know it’s going to drop on me!  I can see the headlines now.  My skin crawls when I see that fake spider web stuff everywhere, because I know there is a spider nearby.

Psycho comes to my mind every time I pull the shower curtain back, just knowing there will be an ugly 8 legged creepy crawly staring back at me from the bottom of the tub!  One of the best and worse places to find a spider.  Easy to get rid of the sucker though!  Simply drown em out and plug the hole!

People, bless their hearts like to play jokes on me and tease me with spiders.  I simply don’t understand this.  This phobia is real and has brought me to tears more than once.  I would much rather live without this fear of spiders as it rules my world and turns it upside down, but alas it is part of my life and who I am.

As I mentioned before, size doesn’t matter.  I don’t care how tiny a spider is, they still scare me.  I Just don’t think it’s right when they have more hair and muscles then I do.  Some even have the ability to outrun me!

Image by Sandra Lynn’s Photography

I am always aware of where I walk, automatically looking for trees or shrubs that may be in my path, anchors for spiderwebs. I don’t go near hedges or arbors if possible, and when I have no choice but to pass through them, my arm and hand automatically raise up in front of me as if I am hailing a taxi so I wont take a web to my face. I have this innate awareness and can detect spiders from across the room.

I wanted to see just how many spider species there were, and guess what?  There are WAY too many!  It was a quick scan of google because I was terrified I would see a picture of one.  Yep!  It’s true. Pictures of them scare me.  My pulse has gone up to over 120 beats a minute now just trying to get this answer.  What I found is there are any where from 105 to 111 families and 33 to 40 thousand different species world wide, except in Antarctica, and more are being discovered as I type this.

Statistics also show we are always in the company of them, with one on average approximately 10 inches from you right now. Yep, bet your skin is crawling now isn’t it?

It is not a comfortable feeling as you are driving down the freeway, minding your own business when all of a sudden, a spider decides to descend from your visor!  Oh yeah, that my friends is a true story.  I worked down in Saginaw and was nearing the Hwy. 58 area just across the river when this happened.  What could I do?  I nearly passed out from hyperventilating as I kept blowing the thing away from my face!  The harder I blew, the more momentum it picked up swinging right back at me!

I have so many spider stories I could keep you entertained for hours!  I would like to invite everyone to share their experience in the comment section below.  Share this story, pass it on.  Arachnophobics unite!

We need them.  I get it.  I just don’t want to see them.  Often times, when I know I have seen and killed a spider, I will avoid that area for awhile.  I can’t help it.  I know I am not alone in this fear.

ALERT:  Please watch at your own risk.  This is really really bad.  But important information that must be shared.  If I had gone to Brazil for a vacation and stepped outside to this, I would have had to have been taken away in a straight jacket.

On behalf of all of the Arachnophobic’s out there (which in fact is the number one phobia) I would like to ask all of you to understand that this fear is very real.  It may seem fun to scare us, but it really isn’t.  We are surrounded by these creatures, and we know it.  We can’t help but think about them because we know they are out to make our lives a living hell.

Lhamo Thondup, the youngest of 7 children was born on July 6, 1935 to a farming family in a small hamlet located in Taktser, Amdo in Tibet.  When Lhamo Thondup was two years old, he was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama Thubten Gyatso.

Lhamo Thondup began his monastic studies at the tender age of 6.  His curriculum consisting of five major and five minor subjects, which included logic, Tibetan art and culture, Sanskrit, medicine and Buddhist philosophy; which then divided into five further categories; Prajnaparamita, the perfection of wisdom; Madhyamika, the philosophy of the middle way; Vinaya, the canon of monastic discipline; Abhidharma, metaphysics; and Pramana, logic and epistemology.

On November 17, 1950 when he was 15 years old he was officially enthroned as the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso (his name shortened from Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso;   Holy Lord, Gentle Glory, Compassionate, Defender of the Faith, Ocean of Wisdom.)  He was now the political leader of his people.

During the Tibetan uprising in 1959, fearing for his life The Dalai Lama fled with the help of the CIA’s Special Activities Division.  Crossing into India in March of that year and reaching Tezpur in Assam mid April.  80,000 Tibetan refugees followed him into exile.  Forming the Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan government in exile) he created the Tibetan education system; teaching the language, history, religion and culture.  In an attempt to preserve the Buddhist teachings and the Tibetan way of life, he supported the refunding of 200 monasteries and nunneries.

The Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso remained head of state for the Central Tibetan Administration until he retired on March 14, 2011.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, being recognized for his life long support and work for peace.

History of Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama is the high lama in the Gelug or “yellow Hat” school of Tibetan Buddhism.  The name is a combination of the Mongolian word dalai meaning “Ocean” and the Tibetan word bla-ma (the be is silent) meaning “guru, teacher”.  In Tibetan Culture, it is believed that each Dalai Lama is the reincarnate of his predecessor.

The first Dalai Lama:  Gendun Drup lived from 1391 until 1474.  It can take one to two years to find the reincarnate Dalai Lama after a passing.  It took 4 years to find the 14th Dalai Lama after the passing of his predecessor.  Since the second Dalai Lama;  Gendun Gyatso, each Dalai Lama has held the name Gyatso, with only the first name being changed with each Dalai.

“Today is a beautiful day in the life of the universe”

The efforts given to bring His Holiness here has been an amazing journey.

The story begins long ago and with a girl named Jangchup Palmo (knowns as Amala, honorific for mother).  She was about 15 years old when the Chinese Communists took by force the Tibetan region of the northeastern Himalayan mountains.  Her parents and three of her five siblings were killed.  She was taken prisoner but was able to escape two years later.

Jangchup was forced to flee her homeland along with many other Tibetans.  Injured by 6 bullets; two to her arms and 4 in her legs, she made the difficult journey over the Himalayan mountains by foot into India and then eventually into the United States.

Dedicating herself to the Buddhist practice, she spent sixteen years in solitary meditation in a cave.  She went on to having a family of her own, 7 children; five boys and two girls.

The Eugene Sakya Center is led by two of her sons the venerable Jigme Thrinley Rinpoche and Venerable Ngaglo Rinpoche, both of whom are Tibetan Buddhist leaders, arriving with their mother in 1997.

Jangchup Palmo, known now as Lady Palmo is highly known internationally.  She founded the weeklong annual World Peace Prayers held in Portland and Switzerland.  A wise and compassionate teacher, Lady Palmo is the person who first initiated bringing the Dalai Lama here to Eugene; writing letters to his representatives of the Office of Tibet every month over a ten year period.

With the efforts of Lady Palmo, the University of Oregon and the Sakya Center, his Holiness arrived by motorcade to the Matthew Knight Arena on May 10, 2013.

The arena was packed to capacity with 11 thousand people in attendance.  When His Holiness walked on stage, the arena erupted with major applause, even whistles.

“We love you” someone shouted from the audience.

He bowed to us and smiled, and then began to wave at us as if to say, “oh go on”.  He then sat in his chair, the stage adorned with beautiful flower arrangements.

Michael Gottfredson introduced The Dalai Lama and presented to him the University of Oregon Presidential Medal, (the highest honor bestowed by the president of the University) as well as a University of Oregon visor, which he promptly placed on his head.  As anyone could imagine, the arena erupted once again.

The Dalai at that time gave white silk scarves to Gottfredson, Mark Uno and venerable Jigme Rinpoche.  Bending at the waist, each recipient bowed so the Dalai Lama could place the scarf around their neck.  In all my years I have never witnessed such a beautiful gesture.  When after draping the white silk scarf around their necks, he embraced each person by their cheeks, raising them and smiling.

“For you” he said.

He then sat for only a couple of moments until the formalities were complete, Gottfredson turning over the stage floor to His Holiness, the Dalai Lama.  He and his interpreter once again rising, he stood at the front of the stage.

The arena quieted and the Dalai Lama began to speak in his broken english, which only added to his charm.  I didn’t want to miss anything, trying my hardest to retain everything that he said, wanting to absorb every word.  I am witnessing history.

He is a sweet, adorable, compassionate man and not without a sense of humor.  He had the audience laughing numerous times.

He emphasized that we can not have peace in this world until we have peace within ourselves.

His Holiness begins by saying “we are same human beings, we are human brothers and sisters.  We must accept our differences.  We are same.  Everyone wants happy life.  We are just one small planet.  One world.  We must make clear concept of oneness of humanity”

“Suffering due to injustice.. bullying all these are problems due to our own creation”.  We must become one.  For example.. “Faith creates we and they” separating each other.

He states that “Sometimes compassion does not bring happiness to others, but to yourself.”    He was in Germany and smiled at a woman, “my habit, I smile, the lady sees suspicion”.   He laughs at the memories

He talks about people who say “I, I, I and me and mine.  Those people have a greater risk of heart attack!”  He made light of this but it was clear the message he was sending.

Which ever religion you accept is entirely up to you.   “my religion is very simple, my religion is kindness”.    “Respect all religions”  We don’t have to know other religions.  Just respect them.

He spoke about meditating and praying daily but also says;  ”action is more important than prayer.  We must not rely on prayer or meditation.  Action requires vision.  Unrealistic action brings failure.”

He tells of a story when speaking to a woman.  “Do you think there will ever be a female Dalai Lama?” she asks.

“Yes, why not.  I think in 600 years, and she will be very, very  attractive!” he leads the audience with his own laughter.

The 14th Dalai Lama as a Child l File Wikipedia

I truly feel females should take a more active roll in history.  They are biologically more sensitive.  We would not have wars.  Please provide maximum compassion to your children.  Love, forgiveness, tolerance and contentment.”

When I was a boy, the baby of the family, my mother used to carry me on her shoulders, even when she worked in the fields, my mother was very efficient (he admitted to being spoiled) I would grab her ears and steer her where I wanted to go, if I wanted to go this way, I would pull that ear” he giggles at the memory.  “I never saw my mother with an angry face”.

“We get our affection from our mothers.  It is in their skin, in their blood.”  The Dalai urges us to spend more time with our children so they get the maximum affects of our compassion.

“Our very survival depends on community.  In order to promote individuals, peace must come from inner peace. not society or groups.”

“You must be healthy in order to do this.”  He gave an example:  “If you go to a doctor and he is not well, then he can not treat you very well.”

He preaches self confidence, compassion and moral ethics.

Taking a poll he asks the audience “below 15 raise hand” there were not so many.

“below 30…” many raise their hands.  “Above 70, raise hand” he keeps his hand in the air…there were lots!  The arena erupts into applause.

“So, my generation…our century is gone.  Ready to say bye bye”.  He wave to the crowd.

“So for those of you below 30, you truly have opportunity to create new shape of this century.”  Encouraging words from a great peace maker.   “In your time, you can see peace world wide.”  It has to start with them.

When The Dalai Lama had decided it was time, he took a seat for a question and answer period.

“If you could say something to the next Dalai Lama, what would you say?”  He smiles “I don’t know… That is a foolish question.”  The arena broke out in laughter.

It was a huge honor to see him.  As much as I would like to have been able to transcribe all that was said, I simply don’t have the power.

If we could all learn from him, something very simple.  It would be to find peace.  First within our selves, and then to share it.  It is a small gesture of kindness, as simple as a smile that could begin to change our world.

As the Dalai Lama left the stage in his crimson robes, the arena stood, applauding him.

To view the entire event click on the following link.  http://uoregon.edu/dalai-lama

learn more about the Sakya center: www.http://sakyausa.org

There’s no place like home

Remember the good old days when things were easy?  You could walk into any public restroom with confidence, take care of business and be on your way.  With todays economy, cut backs are everywhere and with efforts to reduce our ecological foot print, businesses are trying to conserve water, paper towels and to speed things along.  Tom Hanks’ famous line in Forest Gump “You never know what you’re gonna get“ comes to my mind when walking into a public restroom.  I find it quite stressful at times, no rest to be had.

Take the toilet for example.  I grew up with the toilet handle on the left or the right…easy.  Ikea makes you think first; with an “up for one down for two” system.  Some toilets have a button on top of the tank, while others have an “eye” motion detector.  I fear for my life when I see these because I never know when it’s going to flush and what brute violent force will be behind it.  It could be anywhere from a F1 to an F5 tornado in the bowl!

There are even buttons on the wall similar to an elevator button (don’t get me started on that one).  I am not sure if I am supposed to push it or if it’s an actual sensor… so there I stand, foot hovering, having a stare down with the “eye” ready to push it with the bottom of my shoe if needed, and I wait… knowing the toilet police are monitoring how long it has taken me to figure out this simple task.

The button is actually missing

I make it out of my personal stall in one piece, only to get to the sink.  I wave my hands in, under and around the sink basin as if i’m David Copperfield trying to get the water to magically appear, while attempting to look intelligent at the same time.  I have a system in place.  I like to make sure I know how to activate the water before I attempt to get the soap out of it’s dispenser and onto my hands.

While at Sea-Tac on a layover; my hands full of soap, I could not for the life of me get any sink in that restroom to recognize me.  A flight attendant noticed my distress and thankfully came to my rescue, she waved her magic hands and the water began to flow.  Some sinks have directions printed in plain sight, but if you don’t get your hand placed in the exact position of the “eye”, there could be issues.  I am taken by surprise once in a while when I come across a manual sink.  I smile, knowing “I got this”.

The soap dispensers are often times not any easier to operate.  I have actually shot soap across the room when I didn’t have correct hand placement.  I thought it was quite funny, but giggling in a public bathroom when you are alone is not acceptable behavior.

Hands washed; now it’s time to dry them.  Blow dryers for your hands with fancy catchy names such as Toto Clean Dry. There is even a dryer named Tri-Umph that promises a high speed and quiet experience, hepa filter included!  Some dryers have so much force, you can see your skin being separated from the bone.  Finding this pretty cool, I take a little longer than necessary, playing with the air (I could totally use this at home).  Other dryers show their age and are extremely slow (I know I could blow harder than some) leaving me frustrated, I end up walking out wiping my wet hands on my pants.

There are paper towel dispensers that have the dreaded eye, again requiring me to wave my hands.  Pump action paper towel dispensers actually still exist, aw… the good old days, but now i’m afraid to touch the handle; knowing it’s loaded with soap from all those people who couldn’t figure out how to turn the water on to rinse their hands.

A restroom at the coast left me feeling completely incompetent.  Hands dripping wet, feeling like a surgeon who just scrubbed in for surgery, I hip checked the door as I left the restroom so I didn’t have to touch it.  My friend was just outside the restroom waiting her turn.

“I don’t know how to work the paper towel dispenser” I confess.  She went in to investigate.  Turns out, you have to actually place your finger tips into the area where the paper comes out!  For those of you who might need to know, this is at the Subway on the corner of highway 36 as you come into Florence.

Most recently on one of my outings, I went to wash my hands in the restroom, and there on the counter lay an actual cloth hand towel (there was no way I was about to use that).  Returning to my table, I chatted with a friend about it, he agreed it seemed a little unsanitary.  On his return from the mens room he bragged how they had a Dyson Blade!

Dyson Airblade behind the door

My curious mind got the better of me, I had to investigate.  With camera in hand I headed back to the ladies room.  I finally located the attachment on the wall behind the door and next to the ornamental trash can that is no longer needed.  Good thing the Dyson is fast (you can see how close the door is to the right) The way my luck goes, that door has my name written all over it!  I felt a little ridiculous sharing my story with my friend now, but why do we have to go through a competency test every time we enter a public restroom?

Without the aid of paper towels, we are now forced to use the smallest part of our body (pinky) or shirt sleeve to grab the door handle to leave the restroom.  I am all for automatic doors sensors.

With today’s technology, there should be an app for our phones that will locate the nearest and easiest restrooms to operate.

Sometimes I feel as if I have just crossed a finish line, hands raised in the air, my fans cheering.  I am proud of myself and my accomplishments as I exit the restroom ready to take on the world!

I dread the day when there is an eye sensor for toilet paper…

What size print, what price, what frame, what type of mat.  Will these decisions make a difference between my photograph simply hanging on the wall to be admired and talked about or will my work go home with someone?  Will it be accepted into a juried exhibit, will the jurors like it at all?

I want to save some money because I have very little to spend, but I want my photograph as large as possible, making the statement they require, maybe on canvas, but I know this will be simply beautiful on metal.  Yes metal!  So many factors come into play as I prepare for an exhibit.  So many emotions happily invade my thoughts.

I am across the street looking through the window, watching as the van backs into my driveway.  I can imagine the sound of the rocks beneath his feet as he walks towards my front porch.  He approaches the door and knocks.  There is no answer, I am across the street watching.  He taps his little machine and carefully places the flat 9 x 11 package against my door.  I watch him re-adjust it so it is just right, placing it first on the threshold, finally settling it on the first step, it rests against the door.  I am grateful to see him take such care of my things, I can tell he likes his job.  I whisper an unheard thank you to him as he climbs back in his van and drives away.

I am excited, but I let the package sit for awhile, I always do.  Just letting it be as it lays on the back rest of my couch.  I don’t know what I will find.  I pinch a corner of the plastic wrapping and poke a hole in it with a steak knife, slipping the tip of the blade inside and slicing across the top, taking care to cut as little as possible, preserving this very moment.  Always in the end I grab the wrapping and rip it off, my excitement I can contain no longer.

I pull my photographs out examining each one.  “Too blurry” “it looked good on the screen”  “oh this one has a particle of dirt on it’s petal, I can’t use that”.

“Will they like it?”  I am my worse critic, or best!

I hold it up, angling it to see how the light catches it, is it crisp enough?  Are the edges soft enough in just the right areas, what is out of focus, and should it be?  Where does my eye travel first?

When I get to the last photograph, I have to sit down.  This is why I do what I do, this is why I love photography.  I am in love with this photograph and I nearly cry.

Because I did that!

I walk through my home looking at the frames I have available, taking some of them off the wall and laying my photograph on the glass to see how it looks.  Back and forth between frames, finally walking away, I need a break.

I have made a decision, yet here it is a few short hours until the submission deadline, and I haven’t placed the photograph in the frame yet.

My stomach churns, because this is so important to me.  My photographs reflect on me.  My style.  They are intimate and special.  Each and every one of them, and I wonder will you see what I see?

It is time to make the final preparations.  Cleaning the glass and frame, matting the photograph, signing and placing it within it’s frame.  I must attach wire to the back so it can easily be hung.  There is a unique way to do this.  A very special person had taught me how, neither one of us knowing it would play an important roll in my life.

Completing the paperwork and the delivery is always exciting and a little nerve wracking!  Possibly getting to see other submissions before they are judged and hung on the wall.  I will usually talk a little with the curator and be on my way, entrusting my work to them.

Being accepted into an exhibit is an honor and a lot of work.  It all starts when something catches your eye and everything else disappears.

All photos copyright Sandy Harris/Sandra Lynn Photography
(good luck in the show! –ed.)

Every 33 minutes someone in Lane county needs a blood transfusion.

Every 2 seconds someone in the United States needs a blood transfusion.

One out of every ten people entering a hospital will need blood.

Approximately 35,000 units of blood are used EACH day in the United States

Only 5% of the population donates blood

I hope I have your attention now.  April is National Donate Life Month.  Every month should hold this title.

I had never donated blood before December 2012.  I just never thought about it until I was diagnosed with Graves Disease in 2007.  I was lead to believe I could never donate because of my disease.  I felt inadequate I guess you could say.  I resigned to the fact it would never be a part of my life and to me that was sad.  I didn’t have the correct information.  I just donated for the second time with the Lane Blood Center, my first time was with the Red Cross.

I wanted to share my experience with you, and maybe ease your mind and encourage you to donate.

The Red Cross

My heart beat was a little faster as I signed in and was given a pamphlet to read.  I sat down with others as they too waited their turn.

Once I was called, I followed a nurse into a little cubical where she poked my finger, testing my Iron levels to make sure I was not anemic, check my temperature and blood pressure.  I answered around 75 confidential questions on the computer.

Once I was done, she brought me out to where I would donate.  There were 5 stations in the room.  I climbed onto a “bed” with my legs stretched out before me, sitting in an upright position.

She had me squeeze a ball to see where my vein was and then marked it with a permanent marker.  She then swabbed my arm with a Betadine mixture for a little bit and then again a second time.  This was to clean and sterilize the area for the needle.

“You might want to look away at this time” she said with a smile. 

Once I was ready to go, I was instructed to squeeze the ball every 5 seconds to help keep things moving.

I was a little chilly, so she gave me a blanket to cover up with.  My nurse stayed with me, chatting, keeping the mood light and my mind off what was happening.  It took 11 minutes for me to completely fill the bag with a pint of blood.  She then filled a few vile’s of blood for testing and that was it!

“I’m getting kind of warm” I told her (what she heard was; “she is going to pass out”).  Immediately she lowered me to a laying position, staying by my side while another nurse swiftly brought two wet cold rags, one placed on my forehead the other around my neck.

I was really tired, I just wanted to close my eyes and sleep but they wouldn’t let me.  I lay there for about 15 minutes before they let me sit up, another five before they let me dangle my legs from the bed and finally stand up.

I headed over to the snack table that was set up and had some chili, cookies and orange juice.  I took my time, not wanting to rush, absorbing this whole experience.  This was an important day for me.  I was saving three lives.

Lane Blood Center

“I’m here to give blood” I said with a smile.  I gave the receptionist my identification so she could make me official in their system.  It was only moments after I completed my questionnaire that my name was called.  I notice photographs lining every wall as I follow the lady to a private room.  We went over my form ensuring there were no errors, and to address any questions I may have.  She took my blood pressure, temperature and a very quick blood sample from my finger.  I cringed waiting for the “sting” but it never came.

“Which arm would you prefer?”  She asked.  We chose the left as it “looked very juicy” she smiled.

My nurse Deb Haag came over and we chatted for a few moments while she prepared my arm.  I told her this was my second time donating and that I nearly passed out my first time.  She thanked me for telling her as she began to raise the legs on my very comfortable blue recliner!  Placing my arm on a rest with a white towel under it, she gave me an oversized squishy peanut to squeeze

They offer a list of juices to sip, I chose the pineapple/grapefruit.  Makes you pucker!  I was trying to be brave about it, but they could tell I didn’t care for it and took it away.

“I joked that I could have it my way, just like at Burger King”.  I decided to stay with my water.

It took me a little over five minutes to donate blood this time.  The staff was keeping an eye on me, being very attentive.  I noticed I was feeling a little different and I let them know.  Their response was immediate.  A cold wet towel was placed on my head.  This time, they had me raise my legs in the air, alternating them.  I assured them I would not be able to do them at the same time.  (They thought that was funny.) They also had me cough.  Both of these actions get your blood circulating.  So, not only did I save three lives, I also got my cardio in for the day.

“After donating, you may feel a little lightheaded, as your body has lost a little of your oxygen rich blood cells and blood sugar, but soon our bodies recover fully.”

After about 10 minutes, when I was able to get up, I went to the cafeteria for a treat.

Kristi McElhinney, Marketing Communications Specialist with Lane Blood Center sat with me and we discussed the whole process.  She also explained the photographs that line the walls.

“Those are pictures of people who have donated 100 times”.

That is astounding as that can take as long as 20 years!  A person can donate up to 6 times per year.

“a single drop of blood contains millions of red blood cells, delivering oxygen and removing waste along the way.  Did you ever wonder why blood is red?  It’s because your cells contain a bright colored protien called hemoglobin.  Hemoglobin contains Iron, which makes it a great transporter of oxygen and carbon dioxide!”

Platelets.  These little guys are a miracle in itself!  They are what helps our blood to clot.  When we get cut, for example, they have little sensors that react to air and kick into overdrive, creating clots or scabs!  Amazing isn’t it.

Plasma is the liquid part of the blood, making up 55% of blood volume.  It is essential in the clotting / coagulation process and is used for patients experiencing heavy bleeding and for burn victims.

Did you know you can donate Plasma?  You can do this at Lane Blood Center and the Red Cross.

Please be aware of where you donate plasma and what it will be used for.  There are for profit businesses that pay you for your donation.  Often times using it for purposes such as cosmetics and medications.

Kristi McElhinney, Marketing Communications Specialist with Lane Blood Center explains why the Red Cross does not collect blood in Lane County.

“For many years, every hospital had its own system for drawing and processing blood.  As populations and needs grew it became difficult to assure blood would be available when and where it was needed.  It also came increasingly difficult to assure that blood wasn’t wasted.  To help solve these problems and keep pace with the growing demand for blood and blood products in modern medical and surgical care, Lane Blood Center (formerly Lane Memorial Blood Bank until 2011) was established in 1961 by a group of local pathologists.

The same process was happening all over the country as many other independent blood centers were forming.  Now a little more than half of the nations blood supply is provided by independent blood centers of varying size and a little less than half is provided by the American Red Cross.  Lane blood Center remains the sole provider of blood products in Lane County with American Red Cross drawing blood in the rest of the state.”

“What happens to my blood now” I asked Kristi.  Her eye’s lighting up “want to see?” she asked.

All blood is processed the same day it is collected.  It is brought to the back and put through a process called Leukoreduction.  The blood is hung on a tall rack, filters are attached to take out the white cells.  “Very important because the white cells carry markers for all diseases, viruses, etc (like chicken pox) that a person has had”.  Through several different processes, it is then separated into three different parts.  Red blood cells, Plasma and Platelets. Each having their own specific specialty and purpose.

Red Blood Cells are refrigerated up to 42 days, Platelets are stored at room temperature and agitated for 5 days and Plasma can be frozen for 1 year.

The need for blood and blood products never ends.  Cancer patients going through treatment often times need multiple blood transfusions, burn patients, hemophiliac patients, car accidents.  This list is endless.

The wall of the 100′s

“Did you know that most organ transplants also require blood transfusions to be successful? For example, a typical liver transplant will use up to 10 units of red cells, 20 units of plasma and 10 units of platelets. That’s up to 40 blood donors needed to help just one patient!”

Take for example our most recent tragedies at the Boston Marathon, or the plant explosion in Texas.  We want to reach out and help, and sometimes that just isn’t possible.  Giving blood is.  The rewards are life saving!

To donate you must be 16 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds.  To prepare for your donation, I would recommend visiting the website or calling the center with any questions you may have.  Most definitely make sure you are well hydrated and have eaten a good meal prior to donating.

Want to hold a blood drive?  You can!  Minimum requirement is 25 people.  The mobile center can come to you!  Even on weekends.

Lane Blood Center is located at 2211 willamette Street, Eugene. http://www.laneblood.org  Phone:541-484-9111.    www.donatelife.net   http://www.redcross.org/

Housing Sales are on the Rise in Lane County

For the answer to that question, and a few others about our local real estate market, I asked the realtor and mortgage advisor that helped us purchase our home in 2011, “how is the real estate market doing this year in Eugene and Springfield, is it better than the past 5 years, worse or the same?”  To this question they both replied, “2013 is definitely better!”

Something else they both agreed on right off the start of the interview, is that if you are thinking about buying a home this year, you should do it now. Why? There’s many reasons, some of them specific to the realty side and others specifically due to the lending side. These reasons include changes with FHA loans and laws, interest rates and home sales that may affect your decision to buy or sell a home now.

Let’s begin with the great news, which according to our realtor interviewee, is that the housing market is definitely making a great comeback this year. Prices are staying in a modest range, making it a great time for buyers. Just remember, that as the market gets better the prices will rise, although she doesn’t expect them to rise to the quite ridiculous level (my words not hers) that they did about 5 or 6 years ago. Still, they will go up, and are already, so this is one reason that now is a time to lock in at a great price if you’re buying.

Sales Up and Inventory Down

To explain how well the market is doing, my source told me how many homes they normally (the new normal that is) have a backlog / inventory of, which was 21-22 months worth of homes to sell. What that means is that it would take 21-22 months for them to sell all the homes that were on the market, which of course meant there were a lot of homes on the market!

So what’s the backlog today? Well as of last month it stands at 5 months, or even a bit less! What a dramatic change for the good. There always seems to be a but or however when it comes to good news, and with this good news it’s no different. In this case our however is that this smaller inventory of homes for sale, will be, and are already, being sought after by quite a few buyers since there are now less homes for sale.

Nationally we are seeing a lot of bidding wars beginning to happen due to this. People know that times are returning back to the way they once were, as a 5-6 month backlog is the old normal, the good normal. It’s actually even at the high end of normal, so it’s maybe even better than normal once was. Certainly hope that makes as much sense to you as it did to me. Anyhow, due to this return to normal, there are once again more investors coming in to buy up the homes while they are still at great prices.

I saw a story on NBC News about a woman that has been trying to buy a home somewhere on the east coast, and that she has been outbid on over 30 houses, mostly by cash investors. Not only was she outbid, she was outbid by far as she was also offering to pay more than asking price by  as much as 5%. Sadly, it was a tug of war that she still hadn’t won as of the airing of their interview with her.

Tug of War in Real Estate

After relating this story to the realtor I interviewed, I asked her if this is something we are seeing locally? To this she tells me that there is similar happening here, not to the scale of someone being out bid over 30 times on 30 different homes, but that it is happening. In fact, she was happy to say that many homes she sells are going for more than asking price and they are selling quite quickly.

The same goes for those that she assists in buying homes, in that they do have to sometimes bid a bit more than asking and there are more bidders than there were say a year or more ago, and she said that there are definitely more investors returning.  This is all the more reason though to heed what both she and those in the mortgage industry are saying, which is buy now.

What about buying a new home though, one you have built for you? As for these types of homes, the answer from our realtor is that it’s going a bit slower in returning to normal. This is partly due to something many are familiar with and that is that there are a lack of construction workers or laborers. This is not only locally an issue, it’s also a national one. There are a few other reasons new construction will be slower to catch up, including there being not a lot of new lots to build on and the fact that it’s taking months to get some permits going even if they do find a lot and workers.

Aside from new homes though, the news is all good for being able to find and buy a home at a good price this spring of 2013. But let me have my trustee realtor source tell you what she has to say:

“We still have a low inventory and a lot of folks wanting to buy while the rates are still low as well as the prices are still down. This is creating a situation where we are seeing multiple offers on many of the homes. It is still one of the best times to buy that I have seen in the 20+- years I have been helping folks with real estate in the Eugene area…….and the market is definitely looking up for sellers!!”  I would say that what she had to say about says it all, wouldn’t you say?

Part 2 of Home Buying and our Real Estate Market is Loans! So we talked about how the home sales are doing, but what about the rest of it, because finding a home that you want to buy is only half the battle. The loan or financing is the second half, yet it is actually something that should be considered first. That means that before you even look at one home, you should call your bank or mortgage broker to see if you can 1) even buy a home and 2) if you can, how much can you afford and spend?

This is the part of my interview that I turned to our mortgage advisor that helped us get out loan. So what does she have to say on this second, really most important part, of home buying? First, as I said earlier, she tells me that she agrees with our realtor, that the housing market is better, and that now is the time to buy a home, and when she says now, she means NOW.

“What’s the rush,” I asked?  Well along with agreeing with our realtor that the homes are still selling at great prices, she also says that it’s a great time because of the interest rates. We thought we got a great deal at 4%, and it was and is still a great rate, however, now rates can drop as low as 2.5%! However, although you will see this low amount being advertised a lot, you should know that the average Oregon and national interest rate as of April 7th, 2013 is at 3.49%. Rates change quickly though, and that and the low prices are just 2 of the reasons for buying now.

Time to Crunch Some Numbers!

This is also a good time to refinance, something I found out actually through this interview as they both told me that now is the time for us to also refinance and try for a lower rate. Not only trying for that lower rate, but also trying to get rid of something all FHA mortgage holders have; mortgage insurance.

This is where the real push for “now” comes in, which is due to some FHA changes coming. If you have an FHA loan or are going to be getting one, you will have to pay for mortgage insurance. Not only do you have to pay this extra money on top of your loan payment, beginning June 3rd, 2013 this payment will be required to be paid for the entire life of the loan.

It was at one time only added until your home had 20% equity in it, then, in fact at around the time when we bought our home (which was Sept of 2011), rules changed and it became that you have to pay this insurance (around $100 a month for us but depends on your total of your loan) for the first 5 years of your loan. Not only is it changing to be for the life of the loan, the rate or amount of the insurance is also going up, something it has done 6 or 7 times in the past 5 years. And as of April 1st, which was it’s latest increase, it’s currently at 1.55% of your loan.

What does this all mean for those wanting to buy a home in 2013? Again, take a mortgage advisors and realtors advice and buy it NOW. Get pre-approved and then start the hunt so you can get locked in before these changes, and a few more that are not so good, take place. This, however, does not affect you if you are getting a conforming or conventional loan.

Unsure about what loan you will need, FHA or conventional or if you have good enough credit to qualify for either? I asked those questions for you. Here’s what I found out from our source on mortgages that you need to know :

What you need to know about conventional or conforming loans verses FHA loans:

To get a conventional loan, which is loan not backed by the government (which is what the FHA loan is), you have to have pretty decent credit, meaning a credit score of at least 680 or higher. With a score less than 720, you will pay a bit more, but it’s not anything significant in most cases so it’s still worth trying for. You also put more money down on this type of loan, which is 5-20% and this amount must be totally from your own funds. The good news with this loan is that there is no mortgage insurance that you need to pay monthly and there are no upfront fees, both of which the FHA loan has.

The FHA loan is a loan that is given to 90% of homebuyers. This makes sense as it is easier to get an FHA loan than it is to get a conventional loan. For instance, with an FHA loan you need as little as 3.5% down, which unlike a conventional loan can come from someone as a gift. Your credit score can be much lower than that of a conventional loan, as low as 600 in fact. Of course there will be some penalties for a lower score like that, such as higher fees or interest, but for most people they don’t mind as they have now gotten for themselves the American dream; ‘homeownership.’

With either loan there is more to it than what I have outlined, but this is the gist of it and your loan advisor will be filling you in on all of it.

So, let’s sum it up, as much for me as it is for you so I know if I have covered everything!

Let’s start with the Good news:

• The real estate market for Eugene and Springfield is the best it’s been in about 5 years.
• The interest rates are at their lowest rates, not just for the past few years, but ever! In 2012 we hit a record when rates were at 3.31%, it had been 65 years since we saw that rate, so with some rates going as low as 2.5% (which isn’t going to be everyone getting that rate, more likely around 3-35%), we are now in record setting times.
• Housing prices have gone up, but not tremendously, so it is great for buyers but also not bad for sellers.
• Credit guidelines are still okay for those with lower or not so great credit, but it is tightening up in some areas of the loan, such as the FHA loans used to accept a utility bill or other payment that has been paid on time for a year or more, as extra proof or help towards a not so great great record. That is no longer to be. 

Not so Good News:

• There are fewer houses on the market, the backlog went from 22 months to 5 months, which is such great news. But it also means that when buying a home you are going to have more competition than in years past and may pay more than asking price.
• FHA loans are changing. New laws are going to have FHA loan takers paying on their mortgage insurance for the entire 30 years of the loan, and this mortgage insurance rate has been, and will again June 1st, go up. With a June deadline, now is the time to get pre approved and start finding a home. Some other changes with FHA loans are also making this the time to buy before other rates, fees and rules change. 

Few final tips and advice on home buying right now, some from me, some from the relator and mortgage advisor I interviewed, but all of it we agreed on. The first tip is that if you are worried that you have bad credit or your credit just isn’t good enough to buy a home, apply anyway.

It doesn’t hurt to find out if you can get a loan now, it does hurt if you don’t go ahead and ask because you will not likely find lower interest rates combined with these still great prices for a long time to come. Not to mention the change in the FHA laws that are going to be quite costly.

Next, starting now is a good idea because once you find a home, it takes around a month to complete your mortgage, maybe a bit longer or shorter in some cases and depending on who you go through. With some of the larger banks it is taking a lot longer. With a smaller and perhaps more local bank or credit union, it’s fortunately shorter since they often have their key people, like the underwriters, all in-house. This means your loan isn’t being passed around the country to all sorts of different people, people that don’t know you and that are also swamped with so many more loans.

This is already too long, but I do have more to tell you, including more tips, but there’s also a few other things that may be of help.  What could I possibly have left to say? How about this: How can you buy your home online? What apps or sites are there to help you buy and even furnish or design your home?  

You can buy a home online.

Don’t think you can buy a house online? It’s quite possible these days, I know because I did it. The only time I left my home was to look at the homes we wanted to see and to do our final signing. Everything else was done from home, online. I was 100% disabled at the time so this was not me just being lazy, it was me needing to do it this way and I am so thankful to both our realtor and our loan officer, for working with me in that way. But they are totally used to it they say, and it’s a trend they both agree is becoming the new way of home buying.

So, I now really must conclude by saying that they are both simply awesome, as people and at their jobs, and thank them for helping me by doing this interview for this article. And remember, if you ever dreamed of buying a home in the future, the future is now, or at the very least, it’s before July 3rd.

If you are still ready for more, more of a bit of a tech point of view, then follow me to my blog site. The first article on How to Buy a House Online in Just 4 Steps is up now, and  I also went ahead and researched and found some apps and sites that can help you buy your home.

A special thanks to realtor Pam Haggard of Eugene’s Alternative Realtors and Angela Kinari with Alpine Mortgage for helping me with this article.

* All images in this article are courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Author Daniel Ruiz with his grandfather’s newly refurbished shotgun

There are memories buried in the chipped and faded veneer of my grandfather’s shotgun, and there are stories in it that I can only invent, not discover buried in the slowly growing rust and caked oil of the barrel. It is a Springfield-Savage model 511 shotgun, at least twice my age. Like many other facts about the gun, its age is guesswork. From a cursory online search, I learned only that the Springfield-Savage name was removed from that model in 1948.

The gun must be at least 65; my grandfather would be 92 this year. I’d like to think that he acquired it at the age of 30, like I did. It is a comfort that our lives be tied together by more than bloodline and fading childhood memories. It is a comfort to be able to hold something that I knew my grandfather held.

My grandfather never told me much about the gun. After his hospitalization and then death, it remained in a torn, slightly oily leather case in the back of my father’s closet. The gun was left to me, but I was not told that until much later. My grandfather was a fisherman, raising his family in the Florida Panhandle, living a life that is quite opposite of what I have lived. I am a city-slicker, more or less, an academic and the son of an academic, but my present-day life is the direct result of 4 am wake-ups on the water and taking tourists to catch marlin 50 years in the past.

My grandfather took me fishing, and always promised that he would take me shooting when I got older. I got older, but diabetes kept my grandfather bed-ridden for the last years of his life; consequently, I learned how to shoot in rather poor fashion in haphazard manners. The stigma of an urban Mexican-American teenager becoming proficient in firearms in the 1990s was too much for my parents. My grandfather was the quintessential American sportsman in many ways, and he wanted me to learn of that pleasure, but I never did.

Every summer and spring break for the past 4 years, I have come to Oregon to slowly undo this, and thanks to my friend Dante “The Backwoods Blaxican” Zuniga-West, I am slightly less a creature of only urban comforts. I visited him for break yet again, but this time, it was something more. My father reminded me of the shotgun, idling away in his closet, and perhaps it was the newly found batch of pictures of my grandfather that stirred an intense feeling to hold something of these memories, to embrace metal and smell gunpowder. I took the shotgun, drove up from Los Angeles, stopped by Bi-Mart with a list from “Backwoods,” and headed to his home. There, I sanded down the stock, re-varnished and polished my grandfather’s gun. I took a toothbrush and WD40 to every millimeter of metal that I could. I oiled the break and repeated the motion a hundred times to clear at least two decades of neglect from the gun.

It is not the prettiest shotgun, but it is the most beautiful gun that I have ever seen. There are scratch marks from rust removal, the varnishing could have been a bit richer and the metal could be bluer, but it is mine. It kicks like a mule, but it shoots clean and accurately. It smells like sweet burning wood after it fires. When I felt the barrels, warm with use, I though of how long those barrels had been cold, and I would like to think that my grandfather is quite pleased with this.

Ruiz’s shotgun, post make-over.

What I feel, now that I have cleaned and fired my grandfather’s gun isn’t about the joy of owning one’s first firearm. It isn’t about participating in an activity that my grandfather enjoyed or the thought of taking the gun deeper into the field to test myself with it against something that has more survival instinct than a shooting clay. It is about the thought that this gun is the physical memory of a man, a good man who never got to teach me how to shoot it. That man will never take grouse, duck, or pheasant with that gun. We will never sit down and clean it together. But I will. He can never be the one to teach me how to shoot it, but maybe being taught is the best that I can manage, so that I can be the man who teaches my own grandchildren how to use it.

A guest article By Daniel Ruiz.