[new][local][history]

 living in a city you were not born and raised in, means there's a lot of nostalgia to catch up on.

there's a mural in portland that's been hanging around on a wall for a long time...so i've heard.  although i don't look at this mural and get reminded of my parents driving me into the city, it does remind me on the side of town i use to live in.  it also has a fun authentic vintage vibe to it i always like.  

when the news reported that it would be coming down, i was in fact a little sad.  not as bad as though who have seen this their entire lives, but still, a little. i went and paid my respects and got a few pics to say i was there...

but it made me think. nostalgia plays a huge part of how you feel about something.  nostalgia is important but it's not everything.  and i think it's healthy for members of a community or citizens of a city to have different levels of nostalgia for items or buildings or places in a city.

i'll miss it, but excited to see what might replace it, and to see a new generation of people gain nostalgia for a new mural.

the [peanuts] of christmas past

is there any thing better than being a kid at christmas?


this is the first year in a long time i haven't had to worry about architectural exams.  not having to worry about point loads or plaster types has allowed me to enjoy more of the season this year than those of recent christmas past.

the season has been filled with christmas movies, holiday parties, gift exchanges, lights, food, drinks, family and friends; and i've been enjoying every minute of it.  besides visions of sugarplums dancing in my head, i've been in a very nostalgic mood. thinking back to the christmas of the mid 1980's when the season was filled with a type of magic you just couldn't put your mitten covered finger on; something unseen, but  heartwarming.

i think that's why the other day i sketched a little version of me as a peanuts character. something about it's joy, simplicity, nostalgia, and optimism perfectly reflects my feeling this season.

so whether you're running around doing any last minute shopping, or taking a few days off work, i hope everyone out there is able to take some time, put on a vince guaraldi album, and figure out "what chirstmas is all about" for themselves.