For the food gardener, winter ends in February. While it’ll be months yet – long, cold, soggy months – before tender annuals such as tomatoes, peppers and squash can go into the ground, now’s the time to plant perennial fruiting plants such as grapes, raspberries and strawberries. Shrubs, too, can be planted in the Northwest…
When Myra Beetle bought her 1892 Victorian, the two-story home barely hinted at its glorious past. Decades of remodels covered the home’s original gingerbread, bay windows and trim. Built in the Portsmouth neighborhood of North Portland as a wedding gift to Mary Jardine, the house once served as a gambling den, according to neighborhood lore….
Jewish weddings have always been a community priority. The patriarch Abraham went to great lengths to arrange the marriage of his son, Isaac, to Rebekah. And the great medieval sage Maimonides included marriage in his listing of the 613 commandments incumbent upon Jews. Closer to home, no sooner had the first Jewish young men arrived…
Weddings are always a joy, and when it comes to buying gifts to celebrate that joy, the options are endless. A great present is one selected with a great deal of thought for the happy couple. It is always good to check out the registry and perhaps think of giving cash. But if you would…
First-time Newlyweds: When and how should we start budgeting and combining finances? Discussion about finances is a process best started when you commit to marry and should continue indefinitely. A good way to start is by sharing each of your specific short-, mid- and long-term goals. Then, together, prioritize the goals, giving relevant details like…
Thanks to the TV show “Portlandia,” Oregonians west of the Cascades are now famous for their highly developed food sensibilities, militant bike activism, flowing long gray hair and ever-intensifying addictions to locally produced artisan coffees, oh-so-perfect pinots and craft beers. What “Portlandia hasn’t touched on – yet (hint) – is the amount of buzz generated…
Mazel tov to you, new bride! You may have been waiting for this day for a long time, and finally it has arrived. Get ready for your entire world to change because with the word “yes,” the whirlwind of happy, excited energy has just begun. There are a million and one things to think about,…
Dear Helen: I had lunch last week with someone I’ve known professionally for 15 years and seen through a divorce, substance abuse, car accidents (related to drinking) and other traumas. He’s done the same for me, but I have never abused anything except caffeine. We’re friends in a professional way, and he has absolutely made…
Local anesthesiologist Dr. Sam Metz has long supported the concept of universal health care. But when a relative lost his home about three years ago as the result of large medical bills, Metz became very active in the push to put Oregon on the front lines of health care reform. Metz says he awakened to…
Last year 357 young adults from Oregon had what many describe as a life-changing Birthright trip to Israel, but 382 others were put on a waitlist. Birthright Israel Foundation Portland cochairs Dana Hunt and Alan Bacharach organized a gathering to help raise enough money for a half bus from Oregon, which costs $60,000. About half…
