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WRITE FOR BETTER OR WORSE, RICHER OR POORER

July 13, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Write for better because who doesn’t want to be better, hope for better, strive for better. A better you is good for everyone else. The better you doesn’t fly off the handle at every setback, spin out at every turn in the road, or quit when the going gets tough. The best you handles diversity […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, beef, better, better or worse, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, casserole, cooking, Costco, dinner, food, Oregon, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, recipe, richer or poorer, shopping list, Social media, story, tomahawk steak, wife, write for better, writer, writers, writing

BOOK POWER TO BRAIN POWER

July 11, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

We were talking about books the other day, talking about book power, in our little salon. You know it’s a salon when the other people have thousands of books in their home after a downsize. How do you downsize a book collection? Don’t ask me, I just make another bookcase, but there comes a time.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: book, book decoration, books, books by the foot, boomer blogger, cook books, deep reading, education, history, history books, learning, library, Love, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, reading, research, Salon, scholarship, smithsonian, Social media, story, travel, travel books, writer, writers, writing

PORTLAND RECHARGE PRIMER

July 10, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Walk down Broadway and you can feel the Portland pulse, the Portland recharge, which is no surprise when you see the volcano map. But, more than that, the city feels primed for a renaissance, a Portland Renaissance. And that means an Oregon Renaissancea? . . . new growth of activity or interest in something, […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, BOOMER, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, education, imagination, learning, Love, millennials, mind boggling, Oregon, oregon renaissance, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, portland doors, Portland Oregon, portland recharge, Portland Renaissance, story, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing

NAME RECOGNITION IN AMERICA EXPLAINED, TO BE OR NOT

July 8, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Two nights ago I watched Hamnet from the blue velvet couch. It’s about Shakespeare, which isn’t a spoiler. At least it shouldn’t be. With one of the more helpful movie openings, it explained that Hamnet and Hamet are the same name. The same. So I was set. Hamnet it is?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: belgium, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, college, denmark, education, family, feeling, Florsheim shoes, france, german, hippies, learning, Love, millennials, music, Oregon, paella, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, problems, Shakespeare, social change, Social media, Spain, spanish rice, story, travel, twitter, Vietnam War, wife, writer, writers, writing

LOCAL HISTORY STUDENT + HOBBYIST = HISTORY FANS

July 6, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

What we have here for the history student is a picture of a post-industrial landscape typically found beside polluted rivers across America where time has passed it by. The industrial ruins-looking build-up is a common sight from New England to North Bend. What we need to know is this particular mess can be considered the […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Andrew Carnegie, baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, Carnegie mellon, enthusiast, fitness, historical, history, history fan, history fans, history professional, history student, history writing, hobbyist, local history, Love, Oregon City, Oregon History, powerful, pre-oregon, rich, state and local history, state history, story, willamette fall, writer, writers, writing

WRITING PARTNERS? CHOOSE CAREFULLY

July 4, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Two nights ago I watch Hamnet from the blue velvet couch with July 4th coming around the bend. It’s about Shakespeare, which isn’t a spoiler. One of the more helpful movie openings, it explained early that Hamnet and Hamet are the same name. The same. So I was set. Hamnet it is.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: AI, Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, Chloe Zhao, choice, choose, choose carefully, creatively reimagined, google, google AI, hamlet, hamnet, history, imagination, magna carta, MARRIAGE, married, partners, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Shakespeare, Social media, story, travel, twitter, wife, writer, writers, writing, writing partners, WWII

PIECES OF A LIFE TOGETHER, AND ‘THE PAST’

June 30, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

If you spend enough time with someone you may eventually get the feeling of living a life, of sharing a life, together. With that in mind, why wait until the last minute to get, or give, the flowers. Is there a plan for how to do that? How do two people put those pieces together? […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, education, facebook, family, feeling, fitness, good husband, history, husbandry, learning, life together, living a life, Love, MARRIAGE, marriage husbandry, married, millennials, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, sharing, Social media, story, the past, together, tranquillity, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing

THE CUVEE PROM PLAN: TUXEDO REQURIED

June 29, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

The Cuvee prom plan works when the star align: A birthday? An anniversary? A retirement? Combine all three and it’s time to break out the tuxedo? Yes, it’s time.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: birthday, boomer blogger, carlton oregon, chef, chef henri, cuvée, cuvee prom, education, fashion, fashion sense, French food, history, kids, Love, MARRIAGE, married, memorable, Oregon, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, prom, Social media, story, travel, wedding anniversary, wife, work milestone, writer, writers, writing

WALK THAT LONESOME VALLEY, OR BABY SHARK, PICK ONE

June 28, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

You know you’ve got to walk that lonesome valley. That’s just how it is. The part about walking it by yourself? I’m not so sure about that. I tried walking it by myself and got pretty far, even though I wasn’t alone. Technically.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, baby shark, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, lonesome valley, North Bend, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, Social media, story, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing

GREAT NEWS FROM MT. ANGEL AND JOHN ROSSI PODCAST

June 26, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

The great news from Mt. Angel comes via the John Rossi Podcast visit to Lou’s Kitchen. The Kitchen is a big winner in Best of Willamette Valley 2026 claiming the Gold Medal for best all-round restaurant. When I opened the door the place was packed and buzzing at noon. One grilled chicken salad and an […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, Coos Bay, football, great news, history, john rossi podcast, Lous kitchen, Love, mt. angel, North Bend, Oregon, oregon day, podcast, Portland Oregon, sportsmanship, story, tiny's tavern, travel, wife, Willamette valley's best, writer, writers, writing