Barbara J. Hamby

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Noise Worship

When did we become a culture that worships noise? I’ve noticed it’s becoming more and more difficult to find quiet corners in which to think. What a concept—thinking! Everywhere I go, there’s someone with a cell phone that’s either ringing or glued to an ear.

We live in a corner apartment with a view of a several block… click here to continue

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July, 05th, 2008

Bright Lights

I could probably count on my fingers (without resorting to toes) the number of violent electrical storms I’ve experienced since living in the Portland-Vancouver area in the last forty-five years. In the last three days, we’ve had two such storms. Last night’s was pretty spooky. The lightning and thunder rolled over our area for about an hour, starting around 2:00… click here to continue

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July, 03rd, 2008

Smoke Pollution

According to the news broadcasts, the haze in our skies today is due to smoke from fires in California and Central Oregon. Health officials recommend that elderly people stay indoors. I have to admit I’m an elderly person. I’m content to stay indoors as much as possible, but I will go to the swimming pool and the grocery store, if… click here to continue

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July, 01st, 2008

Beating the Heat

We managed to survive a couple days of unusual heat for this area that culminated in a violent electrical storm Sunday evening. Today’s high was at least ten or fifteen degrees less than Saturday’s scorcher.

Swimming helped me cool off each day and we ate out a couple of times to stay out of the kitchen.

… click here to continue

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June, 30th, 2008

Thanks to my California Childhood

For the first twelve years of my life, we lived in the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys in California. With no air conditioning in those days and poorly insulated houses, I learned about keeping a house cool. Fortunately, our apartment is brick and has storm windows. The bedrooms also have insulated draperies. We also have some trees that help shade… click here to continue

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June, 28th, 2008

Food Fallacies

Once in a while, reading the microscopic ingredient lists on food products will reveal one that actually is “sugar free” or has “no sugar added.” Many packages, however, show that they contain “sucrose” or “malt dextrose” or “high fructose corn syrup” or some other pseudonym for sugar. Maybe these ingredients are not derived from cane or beets, but they are… click here to continue

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June, 25th, 2008

A Pleasant Sunday Afternoon

Sunday afternoon we drove into Portland for a Chamber Music Concert at Sherman Clay/Moe’s Pianos small auditorium. My daughter-in-law, who has a lovely operatic voice, sang along with a small group of musicians. All were talented and entertaining. Various groupings of piano, violin, bass, French horn and cello performed with and without accompanying soprano solos.

I usually dread… click here to continue

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June, 25th, 2008

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