Jazz phenom...from Portland?

Letterman called 23 year old Esperanza Spalding "the coolest guest he's ever had on his show", but what compelled us to buy tickets to see her preform at a sold out show at the famous Bimhuis is the fact that she is from Portland. We even chatted with her after the show and she lives in our neighborhood. Unfortunately, I don't think she'll be asking us over for a jam session any time soon.

The Hiding Place

If you enjoyed reading The Anne Frank Diary, and haven't read The Hiding Place: The Story of Corrie Ten Boom, pick up a copy. Then, when you come to visit, you can see it for yourself in nearby Haarlem. The picture to the left is a preview.

Grits Blitz: Maw n' Paw's 10 day tour

On a phone call prior to their trip, my dad told me he "didn't want to be sittin' around on their visit" he wanted to see as much stuff as possible. I made sure his request was fulfilled. Amongst the six bags of my mom's luggage and thirteen pairs of her shoes, the only pair they really needed were their Nikes. (shameless plug for the swoosh) The 10 days consisted of visits to; Delft, Gouda, Madurodam, Schreveningen Beach, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Bruges and Haarlem. Note: Willie Adventures charged them no commission seeing as they are my parents n' all. Click here for the pics.

Boda en Espana!

Our very smart British friends (living in Amsterdam) decided to tie the knot in the lovely beach town of Moraira, Spain. They initially thought the distance would be tough for folks....uh, they had like 99% Yeses. As you can see in the pics, the bride was stunning, the groom not half bad either ... and the views coupled with perfect sunny weather made for a magazine feature story.

While everyone was well behaved during the sit down dinner (all centered around a pool) ... we all became fast friends by night end ... proceeding to toss nearly all the cool kids in the water. Even the bride (although they let her change out of her dress!). Click here for pics.