Our mini-vacation to Southern Oregon

We just arrived home from being away in southern Oregon for three days, where we had a great time. On our way south on Monday morning, we stopped at The Oregon Vortex and the House of Mystery. You would think we would have stopped there before, considering our many trips through the years along the I-5 corridor, but it was a first for us. Apparently, it is an area of naturally occurring visual and perceptual phenomena where a whirlpool of force causes improbable things to occur. We went on the tour, and were actually quite impressed!

The House of Mystery, on the same property, is also pretty amazing. Things are not as they first appear (up seems down, and down seems up, and gravity seems to be defied), and it was fun to participate in the guide's demonstrations.
Later that day we ventured to the pioneer town of Jacksonville. The staff at our hotel in Central Point recommended the Jacksonville Inn for our dinner, and we are so glad we followed their suggestion. We learned that many celebrities have either eaten or stayed at the Inn, so we were in good company. Famous people include: George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Ginger Rogers, Jewel, Kirk Douglas, Joan Baez, Kirstie Alley, Julio Iglesias, Bill Gates, Dan Rather, and the Grateful Dead, among others. And the food was super delicious!
On Tuesday, we headed a bit further south to Medford, where our first stop was the headquarters of Harry and David. Of course their store was full of their products, but I think Mark liked the truck out front best of all.
After that we went on to Ashland, to the Angus Bowmer Theater, where we watched the play, "The Music Man." It was excellent. It was a sold-out performance, and many families with children were in attendance. The play was filled with delightful singing and acting.
The two stars of the play.
And then today we headed back to Jacksonville. We really like that little town! Today we went through the Jacksonville Museum, with its accompanying children's museum next door, and then we toured the Beekman House, where one of the town's founding families lived. The house is fixed up to represent life in about 1911, and is filled with the original family's belonging and furniture. Lovely!
The Beekman House.
It's always good to be home, but we carry happy memories of our mini Spring Break vacation.

A Colonoscopy, or... now I know how a Muppet feels

Warning: this post may contain TOO MUCH INFORMATION for those of you with a, shall we say, ''weaker" constitution!

Oh, the joys of growing older. At my last routine physical in January, my doctor recommended that I schedule a colonoscopy. This procedure tests for colon cancer and other diseases by allowing the doctor, using a colonoscope, to look inside the colon (part of the large intestine), take pictures, and take samples of any abnormal areas. And after age 50, people should have a colonscopy every ten years. Well, yesterday was my day.

The preparation for the procedure is pretty crazy. It involves fasting for almost 48 hours prior to going to the hospital, drinking a LARGE amount of vile, oily stuff, taking pills to "empty" you, and - bonus! - an enema. Mark was very supportive (he'd been through the procedure several years ago, so was very empathetic), and yesterday he drove me to the hospital for my appointment with destiny.

And, actually, once the prep was completed, the rest was easy. The reason is that I was "put under" for the procedure. I'd read a lot about what was going to be done to me, and the doctor explained it to me as well before he did his thing, but I remember nothing after I was given the sedative via my IV portal. Next thing I knew, I was back in the recovery room. The doctor came in soon afterward and told me I have an "excellent colon". And then he said the five most welcome words I'd heard all day: "See you in ten years."

Regardless of the discomfort of the prep for the procedure, I would encourage everyone of a "certain age" to be diligent about getting a colonoscopy. No one ENJOYS a colonoscopy, and I can definitely see where someone might put it off because of the preparation for the procedure, but it could save your life. Colon cancer is the second-leading cause of death (next to lung cancer) for both men and women in the United States.

And that's the end of this public service announcement!

Hey, gals! Ready (or not) for swimsuit season?

OK. It's pouring down rain in Oregon these days, but one quick glance at the calendar will shock you into the realization that it's not too long before the arrival of that dreaded swimsuit season, a.k.a. summer. Are you ready? Here's how to tell: click on this web site and let the fun begin. Create a 3-D model of yourself and personalize it with your own body type and features (you can even upload a picture of yourself if you really want to make it yours). Type in your current weight and your goal weight. You can then try on various styles of swimsuits to see which one best suits your body type. I like the one that claims that "full bottom coverage is butt-slimming," or the one that assures me that I can "bring up the rear with Lycra."

Or maybe I'll try to find one of these hot little numbers like women wore when they went swimming in 1858.

Johanna needs...

So, what you do is go to Google, and type in your name followed by the word "needs." Thus, in my case, I typed in "Johanna needs." Then write down the first ten things that pop up. Pretty funny. Also, it's weird to me to see that there are apparently several other Johannas out there - I thought I was pretty much the only one. Here are my results:

1. Johanna needs your phone number
2. Johanna needs to finish her paper
3. Johanna needs this loan
4. Johanna needs thicker skin
5. Johanna broke her phone and needs numbers
6. Johanna needs a room
7. Johanna needs to add some contacts and favorites
8. Johanna needs new editors
9. Johanna needs a haircut, badly
10. Johanna needs the work

OK, so then I just had to see what my dear husband needed. Here's his list, according to Google:

1. Mark needs a chick (and Johanna says a definite NO to that!)
2. Mark needs an Oscar
3. Mark needs a job
4. Mark needs to breathe
5. Mark needs to look south for inspiration
6. Mark needs your help
7. Mark needs to keep in touch with the people who really matter
8. Mark needs a team
9. Mark needs a new tattoo
10. Mark needs encouragement

I'd love to read what y'all need, too!

"It's Great to Be at Curves"

In November of last year, I decided that I needed to "up the ante," so to speak, with respect to my level of fitness. I've lost some weight over the past eight months or so, but I was still feeling out of shape and lacking in muscle tone. I had belonged to the Women's Fitness Center in Corvallis several years ago, before they closed, so I was on the lookout for another place that was friendly and non-threatening, where I could work out with other women. I knew that a friend at the high school where I spend most of my days was a member of Curves, and after asking her about it, she hooked me up with a free 30-day trial. And I've been going three times a week ever since. It's a good workout, the staff is so friendly, and I've met some very nice members. As to the title of this post, that's how they answer their phone, "It's Great to Be at Curves." And I agree.

Happy 29th Birthday, Jake

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAKE!!! I just returned from being gone for two days, but before this special day is done, I wanted to post a few pictures of the birthday boy. How the time has flown, and our sweet baby Jacob Mark Dorr is a very accomplished 29-year-old man. We love you, Jake - we'll celebrate this weekend!
Jake and sister Sarah.
Jake and the catch of the day.
Our whole crew at Lake St. Claire.
Jake today - photo by Lauren Hurt.

Happy Birthday, Chris... Wii had FUN!!!

Yesterday we journeyed to Vancouver to celebrate Chris' birthday. As many members of Chris' family and our family as could make it gathered at Sarah's and Chris' home to honor the birthday boy. A few days previous to the party, on his actual birthday, Sarah gave Chris her gift to him, which was a Wii system. So yesterday we all had a chance to try it out, and to add to his collection of Wii games and accessories with our various gifts to him. Sarah made a fabulous
dinner for all of us, and we had a wonderful time. Congratulations on your birthday, Chris! We love you so much.
Usually Chris and Sarah play their Wii on their regular television, but with the crowd they had invited, it was fun to enlarge the screen by quite a bit. Chris' brother Jon brought a sheet and a projector, and with a little ingenuity the screen was soon very HUGE!
Here Chris' dad tries his hand at golf. He and Chris are actually taking real golf lessons together these days, so this was a good time for them to practice their skills! In the background are Chris' Uncle Michael, his sister Jen, his cousin Gina, and his Aunt Laura.
Jake takes a turn.
We got Chris a Spider Man game for the Wii. Go get 'em, Chris!
Chris' lovely birthday cake - which was actually a luscious confection with multiple layers of chocolate mousse, crushed chocolate cookies and Heath bars, and whipped cream - SOOO yummy!
Sarah and me.
Beka, Hannah and Sarah, with Goliath warily looking on.
Sarah and Mark play air hockey - it was a riot to watch. Sorry the video is pretty dark, but you can get the idea anyway.

Thanks for hosting such a fun-filled evening, Sarah and Chris!