JessPDX

My beautiful garden!

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:56:00 +0000

I think being on Facebook is what's making me neglect my blog. But I am happy to share some pictures of my garden, the first real garden I have ever had, thanks to the encouragement and support of the Urban Farm Collective. So far, having fresh zucchini and beets is pretty amazing.

Red spinich

Chard

Baby beets

Zucchini

Overhead view.

Myshkin shows...

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 06:40:00 +0000

Been way too long since I checked in here, oops. Life gets pretty crazy. Musicians, concerts, kids, grandmothers, potlucks, new housemates....

Just wanted to let you know that the brilliant Myshkin is doing a short Northwest tour this weekend, all three nights of which I will be along for and two of which are with Seattle's Led to Sea (aka Alex Guy). Please do come out and see us (I won't be performing, but you can still see me), I promise you will not be disappointed. I'll include some quotes and stuff about Myshkin below.

fri. march 20 (tonight!!) House Concert - Seattle, WA - 209 NW 60th St - Myshkin with Led to Sea - 8pm - $15 - RSVP to: eliwest@gmail.com ***this is a great house concert series at the home of my friend Eli***

sat. march 21 The Raven and Finch - Ilwaco, WA (this is a sweet wine bar near Astoria, OR) - 215 Howerton Way - 8pm - $5

sun. march 22 Alberta Street Pub - Portland, OR - Myshkin's Ruby Warblers with Led to Sea - 8pm - $10 advance / $12 at door - for tickets go to www.shiningcitymusic.com

Myshkin took a year off from music in 2008 to build a cob and straw bale studio in the mountains of southern Oregon, and is currently working to finish her latest and most ambitious record, heart thumping to get back on the road. Myshkin plays an eighty-year old Martin tenor guitar, a vintage Gibson six-string, and a jumbo Lowden acoustic. But her voice is her finest instrument, and she wields it like a fortune-teller, an acrobat, a hunter, a gift.

"Both lyrical and politically pointed. A rich blend topped with her broad-ranging, keening voice." - The Washington Post

"Myshkin's voice is not to be taken lightly. A gorgeous rich alto infused with natural drama and melancholy, and best applied to her own songs: hushed one-act plays that speak volumes." - The New Orleans Times Picayune

"Dark, smoky folk-jazz. Gripping, affecting and disquieting." - Read Magazine

Heather on PHC, again.

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 03:28:00 +0000

Well this time it's too late to catch it on the radio, but Heather (new web site) was on Prairie Home Companion again, this time live from Duluth. I think Garrison likes her... So, you can listen to it online here, the whole show as well as a clip of her own song, "Mittens." Myself, I recommend listening to the medley she did (Battle Hymn of the Republic/I Shall Be Released/Wade in the Water). Go to about 77:30, then listen for about 6 mins:

Heather on Prairie Home Companion today!

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 23:10:00 +0000

Very last minute news:

Just wanted to let you know that Heather Masse of the Wailin' Jennys will be on Prairie Home Companion tonight singing some tunes with Garrison and the amazing singer Jearlyn Steele as well as Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks big band. The show broadcasts at 5:45pm eastern standard time Saturday (3pm in a lot of places on the west coast) and then a rebroadcast on Sunday. Check http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/ for more info. Hope you can tune in!

And yes, Heather is a current Shining City artist... I am booking a tour for her and Aoife O'Donovan of Crooked Still in the Northwest in late April. You can contact me or go to the Shining City web site for more info on that. Also, I highly recommend Heather's new 5-song EP with the great Jed Wilson, Many Moons.

The Flutter Effect

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:04:00 +0000

I have just discovered that one of my favorite singer-songwriters and friends, Beth Amsel, has a new blog, mostly political. From checking out what she's posted so far, and from knowing her for years, I can tell you has a lot to say about politics and it would behoove you to read it. Go there and leave her a comment welcoming her to blogland.

Heather Masse in the NW!

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:54:00 +0000

So next up is a short Northwest tour for the Heather Anne Band, that would feature Ms. Heather Masse of The Wailin' Jennys. You get a gold star if you see the irony re the last post here. :) Heather is amazing, and since I'm in a hurry to go meet her for coffee, I will cheat and use other people's word to describe her.

Please come see her (and me, but not on the stage) in Tacoma, Bainbridge Island, Bellingham, or, Portland on Sunday night! Details of shows are here.

UPDATE: Tacoma on Thursday has been canceled and there will instead be a house concert in Seattle at the home of Eli West. You can contact me for info. Leave your email address in a comment if you want to come, and I'll tell you where it is.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A melange of soulful, thoughtful songs, Heather's newest project, The Heather Anne Band, crosses the borders between country, jazz, blues, and folk. With Heather Masse's expressive voice, and Jed Wilson's extraordinary piano playing at its core, the band creates an expansive, timeless sound that engages and inspires. The Heather Anne Band plans to record a full-length album of Heather's original songs and music this winter.

"What a voice! Every once in a while I happen on a voice so pure, with such great texture, intonation, time and phrasing that it stops me in my tracks. Heather Masse has all that and more." - John Ziegler, KUMD

"Heather Masse has a stunningly beautiful voice and impeccable musicianship. You don't want to miss a chance to hear this singer." - Jazz musician Dominique Eade

"The icing on the cake [of Joy Kills Sorrow] though, is vocalist Heather Masse, whose voice hovers somewhere between Alison Krauss and Maura O'Connell, with the versatility to take on material as widely diverse as Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone", Hank William's "Weary Blues from Waitin'," Paul Seibels's "Louise" and old time standards like "Train on the Island," yet give them each her own intriguing twist." - Sing Out Magazine

"Masse may be the perfect catch for The Wailin' Jennys, which is rounded out by Ruth Moody and Nicky Mehta... Of course, there's also her voice: Masse's surprisingly deep vocal sent a ripple of reaction through the audience. It's a throaty voice, fit for sultry jazz, and it was best showcased on a spooky a cappella rendition of Lead Belly's Bring Me Little Water Sylvie." - Uptown Magazine, Winnipeg

Annabelle in Cali this week

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:12:00 +0000

Hiya. I'm traveling up and down (or down and up) California this week in an effort to hone my road manager skills, which I usually just practice on Tracy...

I'm road managing Annabelle Chvostek, a former member of the Canadian folk trio The Wailin Jennys. She's a pretty phenomenal multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, and her new album, Resilience, is great. You can listen on Myspace.

18th Coffee Gallery Backstage, Los Angeles, CA www.coffeegallery.com
19th Tales from the Tavern, Santa Ynez, CA www.talesfromthetavern.com
20th Don Quixote's Music Hall, Felton (Santa Cruz), CA www.donquixotesmusic.info
21st Fernwood Resort, Big Sur, CA http://www.fernwoodbigsur.com/
22nd Café Flo, Chico, CA 530-342-1055 pullinsusa@aol.com
23rd Freight & Salvage, Berkeley, CA www.freightandsalvage.org

Rally against Prop 8 on Saturday morning

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 06:51:00 +0000

There's going to be a rally to protest the passage of Prop 8 and similar measures. If you are in Portland, please come. Here's the scoop:

A team of PDX-area LGBT folks and allies just announced Portland’s first large-scale rally to protest the passage of California’s Proposition 8 - and it’s all going down this Saturday, November 15th, from 10:30 am onward at the Portland State University South Park Blocks, near the Saturday Farmer’s Market (corner of SW Broadway and Mill Streets, bordering the Smith Memorial Student Union).

More information is here and here. That last link is national, not just for Portland. There are rallies on Saturday in every state.

What happened with Prop 8?

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:05:00 +0000

So I am still thrilled about Obama, still often on the verge on tears when I listen to the news. But the Proposition 8 thing has really been bothering me. It just boils down to the fact that everyone I know is thrilled out of their mind to have elected our first black president, but not many people seem very upset that all over the country people voted to take away civil rights from another group. Maybe, as one friend said, this is a blessing in the same way that GW Bush was a blessing to Obama. As in, things have to be really f*cked up before can we understand how badly we need to change. Maybe.

But I am hurt. A lot of people are hurt. And even though I actually feel like I can say I love Barack Obama, I am angry at him now. Because he says he supports full gay rights, but he is still against gay marriage. Our beautiful new black president-elect would like to deny some of us our full civil rights. Or maybe he's not really, some people say he downplayed his support for gay marriage to get elected. And since a lot of the people who voted for him also voted against gay marriage, maybe that worked. But what he said is that he is against gay marriage but also against banning it. How do we expect people to make sense of that? Does mentioning us in his acceptance speech get him a free pass? Gay people are so used to accepting crumbs, it's ridiculous...

When I was in high school, in the early 90s, I was very active in the gay youth movement in Boston. I helped run my high school Gay/Straight Alliance, I was appointed by Gov. Bill Weld to his Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth (which was later abolished by Mitt Romney, but still exists as a non governmental-entity). I brought a girl to my prom, I was a member of the Boston Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Youth. Later, in Missoula, I got involved in fighting back when the home of my friends Carla and Adrianne was set on fire (with their 2-yr-old son inside) after they filed a lawsuit demanding benefits from the University of Montana. These days, since I moved to Portland, I am less political (aside for volunteering once in a long while). Not many of the people in my life now know much about that activist side of me. But right now, I am feeling the righteousness of my youth, and feeling called to get back to that work in some way.

I have been reading some blogs about this, and would like to share them with you. I'd love to know your thoughts on all this.

http://nailingjello.wordpress.com/2008/11/05/why-were-not-all-dancing-in-the-streets-today/

http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/2008/11/sf-mayor-denounces-yes-on-8obama-mailer.html

http://wearefambly.wordpress.com/2008/11/05/delection/

http://www.racialicious.com/2008/11/07/on-proposition-8/

President Obama

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:23:00 +0000

*image courtesy of obeygiant.com

I'm still kind of stunned when I think about it. An amazing day, amazing time. As part of a minority in this country, I feel so filled with pride and hope that things will truly change. Even with the disturbing outcome of Prop 8 in CA... I hope Obama can really change things. Today I believe he can. We can. One thing I heard today on NPR was that he is not the change, he is just the one who showed up at the right time to personify it, embody it.

I'm not at all used to the idea of a president I actually like. I do remember the night Bill Clinton was elected, and that was exciting, but this is a whole 'nother thing now. I don't think Clinton ever made me cry (well, not for a *good* reason).

Last night I went to the Oregon Convention Center for the big Democratic Party bash. I went with Holly and Amelia, Jennifer and Melina. It was a pretty cool thing to be a part of that.

Bridges for Obama

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 04:31:00 +0000

This made me cry, just a little.

Bridges for Obama: American supporters of Sen. Barack Obama have been staging rallies abroad at world-famous bridges to show support for the Democratic presidential candidate and his pledge to span old political divisions. My cousin Jonah and his wife Jessica, who live in Cairo, are in it (at 3:07, top of the frame).

Click To Play

Crazy times

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 04:02:00 +0000

Its been slow around the blog. Busy time. Road trip with Tracy and Holly, the next weekend a visit to Abbie and Tom in Philomath (we also went to Newport), then last Thursday a big concert (see post about it here), and this weekend a visit from my grandmother. I'm too lazy to re-post the pictures of everything, but if you follow those links...

Next weekend Edie Carey will be in town, and the weekend after is a meditation retreat with Arinna Weisman. Then Wordstock, them my next concerts. Lots of fun with kids and concert booking in between.

Please do two things (in this order) in you live in Oregon:

1. VOTE!

2. Come to one or both of my November shows, which you can see here.

Rainbow road trip

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:45:00 +0000

Just returned from one of the greatest road trips ever. Nevermind that it was only three days. I was pretty sick when we left on Friday, and well when we returned last night, so it must have been good for me.

Tracy and Holly and I went to Ashland and Pistol River, where Tracy had some gigs. We got some bad coconut mate and great live music at the hippie coffee shop in Ashland, I got to experience nausea on the ridiculous and harrowing route that Tracy's GPS took us over the mountains from Grants Pass to the coast (people have died up there in worse weather...), we walked on the beach outside out hotel in Gold Beach, we ate delicious food prepared for us by the concert promoters in Pistol River, I got to sell lots of Tracy's CD to eager fans, new and old. We watched Tina Fey and Queen Latifah make fun of Sarah Palin on SNL and then proceeeded to use the word "mavericky" as many times as possible in the next 24 hours. But most of all, I came back with a [super soft] rainbow T-shirt and a deep love and appreciation for my friends.

Also see pictures here.

Sisters Folk Festival.

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 07:27:00 +0000

I seem to be slowing down here, busy time, etc etc. So, what I will share today is that I had a great time at the Sisters Folk Festival this weekend with The Wailin' Jennys. You can find some great music links, read more about it here and comment here or there.

PS Thanks to Carrie for the stellar accommodations. Big love.

Goodbye Mooses (or, tons of pictures)

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:02:00 +0000

Jonah, Jessica, Makaylah and Zoe Moos left this morning. Or they meant to. They left the house at 3:45am, and then their flight was delayed (after they boarded) so they have now spent 8 hours in the Portland airport. I'm sorry I missed out on one last morning with them, but I got some sleep. I already miss them though. Makaylah has made me promise that I will come to visit her at her house in Cairo (don't think she remembers the first time I went there), so I'll have to do that...

Anyway, here are a bunch of pictures from their visit (not in order), of them and me and various other friends and family who you should recognize...

Pete, Lily, Happie and me.

Jessica, Makaylah, Melina, Jonah, Zoe, me and Jack.

Zoe and me.

Me and Zoe at The Bite of Oregon.

Tracy playing at The Bite.

Makaylah loooves Jim Henry.

Makaylah loooves to play with her food.

Makaylah and Jessica on the front lawn.

Holly and Josie at The Bite.

Makaylah in the hammock in the community garden down the block.

Josie and me, reading a story.

Amelia and Zoe.

Melina and Makaylah at Wilshire Park.

Happie and Zoe.

Abbie and Lily on the deck.

Love this face.

Mk and Melina at storytime at A Children's Place on Fremont.

Mk and Melina. These two hit it off swimmingly. Such a bummer they can't hang out all the time. But we always have Skype....

Zoe, Makaylah and Willa and Old Town Pizza last night.

Zoe and Willa.

Goodnight Bush

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 06:17:00 +0000

Something I have noticed the last few times I have taken kids to storytime at the kids bookstore on NE Fremont is this great parody of Goodnight Moon: Goodnight Bush. You really should check it out. Its funny stuff, great for gift-giving.

Cousins in town

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:12:00 +0000

I've been pretty busy with all the cousins (from Egypt and from DC and from Seattle) in my house, but it's so great to have them here. And so great to have the space now to have them here.

Here are some pictures.

Miss Zoe Moos on the deck.

Makaylah and me. She was trying on Sophia's wings.

Pete and Lily (from Seattle) and Katie (from DC).

Saturday morning brunch, from left: Abbie, Jessica, Zoe, Jonah, Jamie, Pete, Lily, Makaylah and Katie.

Jessica, Zoe, Makaylah (lining up her blueberries in her waffle), and Jonah.

Makaylah and River.

Prema and River.

Pickathon!

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 02:00:00 +0000

So this weekend is the 10th annual Pickathon Roots Music Festival and I'll be there for most of it. Looks to be a very fun festival this year, tons of great music including the awesome band Crooked Still, who I have promoted several times. Plus plenty of fun stuff for kids (especially those who like pirates...).

There's a post by Dave Allen about it, also featuring a video interview with Pickathon founder Zale Schoenborn and some other cool footage from the site.

See you there!

Neighborhood Obama update

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:09:00 +0000

So the Obama campaign office three blocks from my house re-opened. Nice to have that there. :) I have some young friends who were pretty excited about it when it was there before the primary.

Also just signed up for free Obama buttons from MoveOn.org. OK, I actually gave a little extra money to get more buttons to give out. You can get yours, too, and give a few extra bucks if you feel inclined. While you're at it, go to the main MoveOn.org page and sign a the petitions there. It's an easy way to support their important work.

My grandmother, Happie, is now volunteering for Obama in Seattle 2-3 times a week, mostly making phone calls. She's still a little slow from falling on her hip a few months ago, but you can never accuse her of not doing her part.

July adventures

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:25:00 +0000

I'm finally emerging from my allergy-induced haze, and also a two-week visit from my dad, who lives in Germany, followed by a few days with my friends Kate and Jen, from DC. Here are some pictures, first from the day I took my dad to the coast (Ecola Park, Cannon Beach).

We went to the Oregon Country Fair with Holly, Scott, Amelia, Josie, Prema, Steve and River. Much fun was had. Wish I'd had some wings...

My dad and I went to Seattle to visit Happie, also had brunch with my cousin Ben.

My friends Kate and Jen came to visit. With any luck they'll move here in a few years... :) If they don't, it's not because they didn't have the best tour guide ever.

Pseudoephedrine rocks

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:51:00 +0000

So apparently pollen levels in Portland were the highest in the country today. And I believe it, because I was feeling it. I got some Claritin, I got some homeopathic stuff, got out my neti pot, I have allergy eye drops (which do help a bit), but I still felt like a wreck. I couldn't breathe last night so I had to take some Nyquil (which I don't enjoy the side effects of). This morning I couldn't breathe at all through my nose, my eyes were a red watery mess, and I felt like my head was going to explode out my ears. It wasn't pretty.

So, I did a little Googling of allergy symptoms and drugs. It seems that I somehow missed the fact that on July 30th, 2005 the Oregon Senate approved a bill requiring prescriptions for all medicines containing pseudoephedrine aka Sudafed. Because pseudoephedrine is a key ingredient used to make meth, and Oregon has had a big meth problem. But a bit of research showed me that pseudoephedrine is really the strongest most effective decongestant out there. There are others, so you can look at the shelves full of allergy and cough/flu drugs and feel like you have tons of options, but they're not as good. So now we are the only state where you can't get the most effective decongestant over the counter. Sudafed PE (while easier to find a picture of it at this point) is not the same thing.

There was some debate about this in the press at the time. Because lower income people and/or those without health insurance are unlikely to have access to prescriptions, and even if they do, the prescription cost will be much higher. So populations with less access will just have to suffer, or hope something else works for them. I did enjoy this blog post and this one about the issue.

A bunch of other states, including Washington, have restricted sales of pseudoephedrine to behind the counter. Meaning it's only sold in pharmacies and you have to have ID, sign your name, and not get more than two at a time. But you still don't need a prescription.

Lucky for me, Washington is a short drive across the river from my house. So today, my dad (who is visiting from Germany) and I got in the car and drove to the Target in Hazel Dell, WA. He was all excited because they just don't have stores like that in Germany. So much stuff to choose from!

Me, I am excited because I feel close(r) to fine now, I feel a thousand times better. Totally clear nasal passage and my eyes are less of a mess too. I really want to say nice things about homeopathy and herbal remedies, but pseudoephedrine rocks.

Update: Two days later... I think this stuff is keeping me awake at night. It works amazingly, but that's a bit of an issue. Anyone know anything about that?

Vintage 60s RCA stereo console....

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:08:00 +0000

Vintage RCA Stereo Console

Earlier this year, one of my mom's old friends sent me a stack of her old records in the mail. I was excited, except that I didn't have a way to play them and the only person I knew who owned a record player was my friend Willa, who is five and has a plastic Snoopy one that her super cool parents got her. She did end up loving some of the records of my childhood, like the Annie soundtrack and Free to Be You and Me. So I left all my records with her and kept my eyes out for a cheap record player for myself.

And then, then other day, I found this at the awesome thrift store near my house (Rerun - NE 7th and Fremont). Only $20. The record player and radio both work great, the speakers sound really good. I asked why it was so cheap and they said they don't like to sell these, they take up too much room, they just wanted it gone. So Willa and her mom, Kate, came with their truck and helped me pick it up yesterday. It fits perfectly in my dining room. I am so excited to have it.

It's an RCA solid state, The Moncaya, Model VQT62. Can't find any of that online anywhere, so if you know how to figure out what year it is (or the value), let me know. I'm guessing early 60s-ish, based on the similar stuff I did find. (Click the link above for more pictures.)

A weird quilt of artsy gardening things

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 05:38:00 +0000

My friend Holly, who writes for the Oregonian, wrote an article about my super cool neighbors and the things they are doing on the lot on the other side of their house. The article is even better with the picture of them throwing their daughter in the air, but it's still totally worth reading online.

For now, vacant lot is neighbors' domain

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Holly Carpenter

Special to The Oregonian

Goings-on at a vacant lot in Northeast may be best described by Maryetta Jacques-Bietz: "It's just kind of a weird quilt of artsy gardening things over there."

The owners, Jacques-Bietz and her husband, Matt Bietz, who live next door with their 23-month-old daughter, Sophia, have opened the lot to the community. Portland State University students used the lot -- on Northeast 15th, just south of Alberta Street -- for gatherings this spring. Neighbors have gardened on it for a few years and are now invited to sow 14 new plots.

More tea shops and space for rent

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:15:00 +0000

Its soon to post about another tea shop, but the other day Prema called and said she was having the best bubble tea ever. So later I met her at this tea shop in NW Portland, which I had actually been to before but just to eat (the food is really good). They have very good bubble tea at Townshend's, and it turns out that Coconut Mate is very good iced, but the blended bubble tea at the Tea Zone was even more delicious. The one both Prem and I got was called something like the Rose Garden (?) and was green tea with rosewater iced and blended with tapioca pearls. If you haven't have bubble tea is might sound weird, but it was great. Try it. They also have wifi, of course, and live music most nights. They need to work on their web site though.

In other news, I am trying to rent some space in my house to massage therapists/healers/artists/etc. Please see my Craigslist post and pass it on to anyone you know who might be interested. It's already taken on Mondays by a very sweet French man named Didier Noblia who does Reiki, numerology, past-life regression therapy, sound healing, Qi Gong, and other intuitive healing work. Thanks for connecting us, Carrie.

Speaking of Craigslist, I got a really great chair this morning. My furniture budget is very low, but I have a lot of house now, so I needed something else comfy to sit on. And since it was close by, the guy was willing to tie it to the top of his car and drive it over here. God bless Craigslist. Where would I be without it?

Now I am back home with all my windows closed suffering from the worst allergies of the season so far. Runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing all over the place. I'm a mess. I need to go watch a movie in a dark room.

New albums of note: Annabelle Chvostek and Eliza Gilkyson

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 06:54:00 +0000

Since it's such a rare occurrence, I thought I'd let you know once again that I posted on my music blog about some great new albums that you must own.

If there are any others recent releases you feel I should know about, let me know here (or there).

In other news, I made it back home to Portland safely after a lovely few days in Vermont. I have so far (aside from being picked up at the airport by Holly and Scott) not spent time with anyone over three. But I can't say it's been bad. I needed a few trips to the playground.