Seattle and Niece Dawna

Norm's niece (and Norma's daughter) Dawna Holloway and her husband Brian Beck have an Art Gallery in the Georgetown area of Seattle (and live on the second floor of the same building Brian and Dawna built.) They have built 4 or more houses and are both very talented. Dawna is also an electrician, a side-car motorcycle rider, and an artist. Brian is a wood sculptor , a motorcycle racer,and they both also have a Lighting Studio and Store where they produce elite lighting for European and American clients. They have 2 cats.
Dawna met  us in her Art Gallery where they exhibited the work of a local Toner Transfer artist,

Robert Hardgrave.
Dawna had to be at another Art Opening to help out and so Brian took us for a walk around the  downtown. We saw the renovated Train station,

Renovated Train Station

White painted wood, marble

Georgetown section of downtown Seattle

Spheres in a window shop

Vintage Shop

Sun on the buildings. Los of renovation going on too.

Older buildings

    We joined Dawna at the Opening in a Bookstore. The Exhibiting Artist was Jane Richlovsky and she uses 50's fabric to cover her canvases. Then she paints on the material, leaving part of it showing. Funky and fun.

Dawna speaks with clients (wearing a 50's apron) and artist does too.

                   See the fabric showing through on the bathing suits and curtains at the back.

Brian, Jane and Dawna. The artist was promoting her 2 books. She made a dress to match the fabric on a book cover.

Then we saw their Lighting Studio

Brian has tons of tools and machines to make lamps and other lighting installations etc.

Above the art Gallery their apartment is huge. This is Brian's wood sculpture studio

and Dawna's Studio.

We met Dawna for lunch at a deli the next day and we took Norma home to Olympia. We plan to meet my cousin Nancy at a Sushi restaurant tomorrow. She lives just north of Seattle.

Portland and Cousin Teri

Teri, Erika, Malea, Bob Carlson

Portland, Oregon

Teri has beautiful flowers all over her yard.

Opps. This Post is supposed to be just after the visit with Marty and before we went to Olympia.

We drove to Portland Oregon to visit my cousin Teri, her husband Bob and their 2 daughters, Eliza and Malea. We were able to park right in their yard on their big driveway. What a wonderful time we had. We didn't want to leave. Teri welcomed us with her own floral bouquet. She sells flowers in a market in Portland. Bob is a K-12 science teacher. Eliza graduates from high school in a week and is very creative and smart. Melea has spent almost 2 years in India and makes beautiful hand painted glassware with India influenced designs of hers. Their Springer                                                                                       Spaniel, Ollie won our hearts.

peonies in Teri's garden

7 chickens in the coop

hens and chickens

                               The made us a delicious fresh King Salmon dinner. What a treat.

Eliza served water

Malea made Sourdough Bread

Farmer Bob

In the morning Teri, the dogs and Norm and I went on a lovely forest hike right behind their house. It was the Tryon Creek Forest- equestrian and running too. Ferns, moss, tall firs, wildflowers, etc. There was also a wonderful Nature Center where we saw a lot of cute Owls, woodpeckers etc. After lunch we went

Later we went to Washington Park to  to the Rose Test Garden. Thousands of beautiful rose bushes, trees, arbors, plants. WOW. I must have taken 200 photos of the roses! Good research for me.

I love this silly face. He is showing a Horse Tail plant.

We watched this tiny bird go in and out of the hole to feed the young birds inside

Teri suggested a great rooftop Garden Restaurant for dinner- The Noble Rot. A great view of downtown Portland. And great food!

We wanted to stay here withTeri and Bob. We love them....and Portland. It's a lot like Boston.