Crossing the Road Ain’t for Chickens

I’m in the middle of a transformation, and so is my neighborhood. Yesterday I was trying to negotiate the seemingly endless construction with my usual calm confidence. (It helps to cloak myself in those words when facing danger.) At one particular intersection,...
The Power of We: Ramp It Up

The Power of We: Ramp It Up

Most Memorial Day weekends, you can find me at the Baker’s fishing cabin on the Deschutes River in Central Oregon. The river roar is constant. Ospreys fish from the same tree. The stand of yellow irises by the dock are almost in bloom when we arrive. Bill makes...

Pointing the Finger at Myself

I want to be honest about my more troubling emotions; about my reactions to difficult situations that aren’t easy to resolve. This week I attended a meeting with a group of people with various disabilities. I was one of 20 attendees joining a commission focused...

Getting a Seat at the Counter

If I have to go to each and every new eatery in my neighborhood to conduct access audits and negotiate deals, I will, readers. I will. Down here in the Square, Rain Shadow Meats opened last month. I tracked the new construction with great expectation. We resident...
Pondering Pride Mountain

Pondering Pride Mountain

Handmade pasta crafted with love and devotion mere blocks from my condo. And me, an Italophile. How to resist? I shouldn’t. I couldn’t. I didn’t. But I did have to tackle some obstacles: one steep hill, two awkward steps, and a whole lot of stubborn...

Can One Condo Catalyze Change?

I won’t lie. At first, I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it through this day. Working with Architect Carol Sundstrom, Consultant Karen Braitmayer, and Contractor Thomas Jacobson, we signed up for AIA’s Tour of Architects. We all thought it crucial to showcase our...