She flies with her own wings.
– Oregon State Motto
This morning, I was sure that this was going to be a simple “Hey, look at the pictures from my kid’s field trip!” type post. And, yes, there are pictures from my daughter’s field trip.
But, instead, this post has become a love letter to my home state. I am proud to be an American, but these days that is sometimes a hard cross to bear. What is happening here is patently un-American and I only hope that it wakes up the voters and gets them to the ballot boxes next year.
Yet, in this mess we’ve found ourselves in, there are pockets of places that still work. Oregon is one of those places. It is not a Utopia–like any state, we have our problems and our eccentricities (but our eccentricities are weirdly cool!). But we seem to have our acts a bit more together than many states. Our districts are un-gerrymandered and we make it harder not to vote than to vote. These things are reflected in our successes.
Naturally, we are a gorgeous state. I truly believe that the most beautiful coastline runs up and down Oregon’s west edge. We have nearly every type of climate–seaside, valley, mountains, desert, you name it. And we have not only the best cheese but also the best wine.
Today, I went with my daughter’s class to visit the State Capital in my hometown of Salem. It is a rite of passage for Oregonian children to make this visit in their 4th-grade year and I don’t think I had been there since my own childhood field trip. As an adult, I more fully appreciated the beauty of the building and all the symbolism it contains and I was honored that both my State Senator and State Representative stopped to talk to our group.
Oregon, you are weird. You are unique. You are wonderful. You are home.
A Web of Stories 
I love Oregon, too! Like your state, ours has some pockets of good, too. Unfortunately the city in which I live in Central California is not one of those pockets. LOL.
My youngest son lives on the Oregon border, and I love visiting there.
Thanks for sharing your state.
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Buildings with history & emotional connection turned out to be a joint theme for us this week😊
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That’s a lovely tribute. We visited Oregon some years back on a rock hunting expedition, and spent time near the ocean, in the mountains, and in the desert. Of course we stopped in to see the Beverly Cleary statues in Portland and visited Powell’s Books. It was a mecca for both rocks and books. I’m happy you are proud of your state.
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We’ve been to Oregon too and it is a beautiful place. As a Canadian, it is so sad (and maddening) to see what is happening to your beautiful country. The problem is it is now seen worldwide that that kind of behaviour is acceptable. We are seeing the same type of racism and bigotry creeping into our own politics on both the provincial and federal sides.
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It’s beautiful post. I believe people of the USA will make a good choice next time, because your choices affect us too….
Thank you for hosting.
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