Christmas Archives • DAVIDPDX

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HOW TO GROW A SENSE OF WONDER IN PORTLAND OREGON

December 22, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Most of the time a sense of wonder in Portland means a painful memory from the days of old, of Meier and Frank downtown and the Georgian Room for tea. The place had a special aura during the holidays. The painful part? It hasn’t been there for years, Meier and Frank and the Georgian Room, […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: baby boomer, Baby Boomers, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, Christmas, december, education, football, georgian room, history, hustle, married, Meier and Frank, Oregon, Oregon Ducks, painful memory, Portland, Portland Oregon, sports, story, streets, travel, urban, urban canyons, writer, writers, writing

CHOOSE HOPE, DO THE RIGHT THING

December 14, 2025 by David Gillaspie

I read a post on social media that ended with ‘Choose Hope.’ So I am. Every time I hear bad news I say it. Things could work out better? Say it to yourself.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: abandoned, Baby Boomers, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, choose hope, choosing hope, choosing love, Christmas, disaster, forgotten, holiday fair, holiday season, influencers, kids, let it be, Love, loved ones, Mother Mary, outrage, right thing, Santa Claus, words of wisdom, writer, writers

CHRISTMAS DINNER 2024 IN REVERSE

December 25, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Christmas dinner at the end looks like more work for someone. It’s not a mystery. Besides I like the whole process of getting things cleaned up for the next mess. Maybe it’s about getting older, but it’s fun setting things up.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: beer, brining, champagne, Christmas, Christmas dinner, city of David, cooking, dance, david, dinner, drinking, food, holidays, married, merry christmas, parchment paper, turkey, turkey dance, wife

HOME COOKING THE OLD FASHIONED WAY: BRINED TURKEY

December 24, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Home cooking sounds like a memory. Who doesn’t have dreams of past food? Ma’s mashed potatoes; Grandma’s gravy. Maybe it’s time to move those memories up a notch with a brined turkey?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: alone, blog, blogger, boomerpdx, brined turkey, Christmas, cooking, cool dish, empathy, holidays, home cooking, pioneer woman cookbook, recipe, time investment

NOT THANKFUL? TRY HARDER

November 28, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Not thankful is not a season and not a holiday. With no one to be thankful for, be thankful for yourself. How does that work? Please continue:

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: birthday, Christmas, football, holidays, most thankful, no thanks, not thankful, Oregon, Oregon Duck, Oregon duck football, secret, thankful, thankless, thanksgiving, very thankful

A MERRY CHRISTMAS LOOKS LIKE:

December 25, 2023 by David Gillaspie

Johnny looks ready for some merriment? Or:

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: blog, blogger, boomerpdx, choose, Christmas, Christmas day, christmas memory, David Gillaspie, Elvis, Johnny Cash, merry christmas, writer, writers, writing

NEW STORY PROBLEMS? CHANGE THE SETTING

December 24, 2023 by David Gillaspie

New story problems are like cooking a chicken. You know how you’d like it to turn out, but that’s not how it always works. When it’s your Christmas story, and it’s December 24th, you’ve got work to do. Start with your story.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, chicken, Christmas, christmas eve, Christmas story, cooking chicken, David Gillaspie, education, new story, new story problems, problems, story, story problems, Tigard, travel, writer, writers, writers experience, writing

CHRISTMAS CONTRAST: LONGEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR

December 22, 2023 by David Gillaspie

A Christmas contrast happens every year. Whenever some adult says, “I remember when I was a kid. Christmas was different,” is just the start. Different? Compared to what? Was Christmas nicer?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: America, baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, Christmas, Christmas contrast, christmas eve, christmas shopping, David Gillaspie, education, family, longest night, Love, the mall, writer, writers, writing

SHORTEST DAY, LONGEST NIGHT . . . AGAIN

December 21, 2023 by David Gillaspie

Today is the shortest day of the year? If that’s true, then the shortest day follows the longest night, or tonight is the longest night. There’s got to be some kind of astrological meaning, but I don’t know. What I do know is the night before Christmas used to last what felt like a week. […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: ancient greeks, astrological, blog, blogger, boomerpdx, Christmas, christmas shopping, David Gillaspie, gods, Hipparchus, longest night, mt hood, Portland, romans, shopping, short tempered, shortest day, toys, travel, winter solstice, writer, writers, writing

DO PORTLAND CHRISTMAS LIKE A THREE YEAR OLD

December 16, 2023 by David Gillaspie

A Portland Christmas goes one of two ways: “I will never set foot in that hell-hole.” Or? Peacock Lane? Let’s go.”

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: baker city, beaverton, better self, bigger markets, blog, blogger, boomerpdx, built portland, Christmas, christmas stress, city Christmas, David Gillaspie, good timing, klamath falls, lake oswego, middle managers, modern portland, Oregon, Portland, portland christmas, portland news, Portland Oregon, portland perspective, safe portland, timing, travel, tualatin, writer, writers, writing