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LONG MARRIAGE, WITH AGREEMENT DEALS

September 30, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

If you are in a marriage, long or short, bride or groom, and it’s your first one, you are aware of certain deals, made aware of certain deals, from the start. They begin with to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: boomer blogger, boomerpdx, cooking, education, family, fitness, food, former flame, happier, health, healthier, high costs, history, housing, husband, Love, MARRIAGE, marriage challenge, money, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, richer, Social media, story, style, together, topiary, travel, Weight Loss, wife, wood, writer, writers, writing

GARDEN PARTY REMINISCING

September 25, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Remember your first garden party when you invited people over to the house to see what you planted, what you’ve grown? It’s a touching moment to behold after years of planning. You build a raised bed like the picture here, and buy plants you just know will grow. And they did.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: AGENT ORANGE, Baby Boomer blogger, boomerpdx, contaminated dirt, education, family, garden, garen party, history, kids, learning, neglect, next time, Portland Oregon, raised beds., responsible, travel, vegetable garden, vegetables, writer, writers, writing

OFF GRID, NO PHONE SERVICE, BUT . . .

September 22, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

I’ve had mixed results with off grid peace and quiet. Once I stayed in a place the had no telephones in the rooms for just that purpose, peace and quiet. Sounded very thoughtful until a road grader started grinding across the parking lot pavement the next morning. It couldn’t have been any closer if it […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: books, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, education, family, GUITAR, history, learning, look around, music, off grid, Peace, peace and quiet, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, quiet, read, Social media, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing

ARMY ENLISTMENT? HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

September 7, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Me: Today is my Army enlistment anniversary. Did you remember. Wife: It’s also the day my Mom died. Me: It is? I mean, yes, it is, and also my anniversary. Wife: I’m glad you remember it. Me: And there’s another thing to celebrate on the same date. Wife: What?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, army enlistment, Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, education, family, for ord, history, learning, Love, MARRIAGE, married, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Social media, story, travel, wife, wise words, writer, writers, writing

WANTED MAN vs NEEDED. THERE’S A DIFFERENCE?

September 5, 2026 by David Gillaspie

If you’re waiting for a wanted man to make life better, you’ll be waiting a minute. This man was a one-float parade around Silverton during my last visit. You could hear him from blocks away with his booming sound system blasting AC/DC. When I left, he followed my car out of town, then turned back […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, education, family, history, learning, Love, love you, MARRIAGE, millennials, music, need you, North Bend, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, silverton, Social media, story, town characters, travel, want you, wanted man, wife, writer, writers, writing

CLASSIC PORTLAND RIVALRY

September 3, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Social media Portland isn’t for the weak of heart. It’s either heaven on earth, or a hell hole from the underworld sticky goo. If you showed up recently, things are looking better; if you’ve been here a minute you’ve seen the ups and downs. Lastly, if you’ve lived here your whole life? Uh oh.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, chopping wood, classic portland rivalry, education, facebook, family, fitness, history, human rivalry, kids, learning, Love, millennials, North Bend, nostalgia, nostalgic, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, portland rivalries, rivalries, Social media, social media portland, wife, writer, writers, writing

FRESH AIR MAKES PEOPLE PEOPLE HUNGRY?

August 26, 2026 by David Gillaspie

If you’re looking for fresh air, and who isn’t, you’ll find it in abundance at your local nursery where acres of plants release oxygen. It may not feel, or look, like an oxygen tent, and you’re not a patient, but it does wonders. If it’s not the air that dazzles you, it’s the colorful blossoms, […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, breath, breathing, Canby ferry, dahlias, education, family, flowers, food, forest bathing, fresh air, get naked, history, hungry, Love, moody blues, Oregon, oxygen, oxygen therapy, plant nursery, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, rugged individual, story, swan island dahlias, wife, writer, writers, writing

LEAVING HOME? NO, JUST GET OUT OF THE HOUSE TODAY

August 20, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Leaving home is a life event? Not so much after the first time, whether it was leaving for college, the Army, or a first apartment. When baby boomers leave home what they’re doing is leaving their house. So when did leaving the house become such a big deal? Maybe right after some important study says […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, breaking news, customer, customer service, family, leaving home, millennials, opinion, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, slow news, slow tv, Social media, story, travel, twitter, wife, writer, writers, writing

ONE QUESTION, ONE ANSWER, OR . . .

August 19, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Ask one question, just one, and if you know each other, things start clicking, woman or man. If you don’t know each other? Good luck. Maybe don’t ask anything. It’s not any particular question we’re talking about; it could be anything. “Is that a new car?”

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: answer, Baby Boomer blogger, blog magic, boomer parents, education, facebook, family, fitness, history, life altering, MARRIAGE, married, millennials, one answer, one question, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, question, remember, Social media, story, travel, twitter, wife, writer, writers, writing

MATTRESS SHOPPING + BABY BOOMER = MARRIAGE COUNSELING

August 14, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Go mattress shopping and expect to find more than a mattress. Like what? The outstanding feature to me is meeting people who quote $20,000 for a new bed. Sound normal to you? Not to me, and here’s why:

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: bed frame, bed shopping, boomer blogger, deep sleep, education, facebook, family, head board, history, kids, kill you, learning, MARRIAGE, marriage counseling, married, mattress shopping, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, Social media, story, travel, twitter, wife, writer, writers, writing