4 July 2009 St. Paul Rodeo - "I wana be a cowgirl". I am an Oregonian, I have lived here most of my life, I'd always heard of the St. Paul Rodeo, I even recall seeing the sign on I5 pointing to the town of St. Paul, but it wasn't until this 4th of July when Mrs. Oregon was invited to be a part of the St. Paul Rodeo that I knew what it was all about. What an awesome time with some of the friendliest people I have ever met, and I came to the conclusion that being a rodeo queen is not all glitz and glamour, those girls work hard for their titles and those really cool cowboy hats with the crowns on them. Again with Bob as my chauffer and Daniela as my riding companion we wound our way through the town of St. Paul waving and throwing candy to the spectators on the parade route. Afterwards we were invited to have lunch with the rodeo queens it really was loads of fun.

Cans for a cause...

3 July 2009 - The Waterfront Blues Festival - On this day the ladies of the 2010 Mrs. Oregon America Pageant got together for a good time and a good cause. Entry into the Blues festival did not cost any money, but they were asking for donations of canned food items and wow did my fellow Oregonians come through; the festival raised $573,688 in cash donations and 87,577 pounds of donated food items all proceeds will go to the Oregon Food Bank. I met some really wonderful and interesting people as I sttod by the entry gate and greeted people and though we were not able to see the performances we did hear some great music including headlining rock-blues artist Johhny Winter.

6 June 2009 - The Portland Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade - The Grand Floral Parade has a rich, rich history and I am proud to say that I have been a part of it on more than one occasion as a participant and a spectator, walking and/or riding on a float and it is always a spectacle to behold. I love parades but none more than the Grand Floral, if I wasn't a participant or a street side spectator, I was watching it on television usually with my mom, I guess mom taught me my love for parades. So this year marching in the parade with the One More Time Around Again Marching Band as Mrs. Oregon America 2009, was really a treat. With Ian and Bob following along and popping up as various places along the route, I had a wonderful time walking with Miss Oregon Earth, Miss Portland and Miss Portland's Outstanding Teen. It was a truly unforgettable time.

Long time Portland influencers Paul and Geneva Knauls (and oh by the way they've known me since I was about 5 years old)

Miss Black Oregon Chelsea Deloney

27 June 2009 - Good in the Hood Parade - is a multi-cultural music and food festival held annually in North East Portland and I am proud to say this year I was able to be a part of it. The great part was that I was able to make it a family affair. We decorated Bob's Toyota Tundra up, Ian sat in the passenger seat and Daniela and I sat in the bed of the truck with Blanche and Patsy, my two English Bulldogs. I saw people that I had not seen in years, it felt like "old home week". It's funny how I have been gone from Portland serving in the military for over 20 years, but coming home and becoming Mrs. Oregon has reminded how much I miss old friends and old places, my reign

has really been one wonderful moment after another.

Mrs. Oregon a Proud Mama - On June 15 th I enjoyed one of the proudest nights of my life and it had nothing to do with beauty pageants. The Rankins and Goodwin families watched as son/grandson graduated from Monroe Middle School. The gymnasium was hot, it was almost impossible to see the kids as they "walked across the stage", people were rude and talked, but I was still as proud as I could be as I watched my baby receive his certificate of promotion. But the true highlight was being able to watch Ian and the band with no name (that's not the name, they really don't have a name yet) rock out as a part of the ceremony entertainment. There was poetry reading, piano playing and a number of speeches by the graduating 8th graders. But the crowd favorite had to be the finale, when Ian (lead vocals), Sora (guitar) , Jake (drums) and Corinthia (bass guitar) took the stage to sing "Rock and Roll High School", the kids had a blast and so did the adults. Corinthia was a last minute addition to the group and I must say a welcome addition. With the boys in their black pants, white shirts and tennis shoes, Corinthia added a certain something with her stylish black and white dress and really awesome platform wedge heels, she had a truly matter of fact aire about her that said, "yea I'm with the band", where the boys seemed a little more full of themselves. Corinthia was silently screaming out "GIRLS ROCK"! The kids did wonderful job, I look forward to their future gigs as they all move on to Sheldon High School. My baby a freshmen in high school? It seems like only yesterday that he was a 9.5lbs cherub in my arms.......

Ian receives his Promotion certificate

Ian Rocks

Ian and Sora Rock

Corinthia rocks

Sora, Corinthia, Jake, Ian

The Band with no name.....

4 June 2009 One of the customs of Rose Festival Fleet week is the Officers Reception on the evening that the ships arrive in Portland. This was the second opportunity that I had to attend the reception, the officers truly were ladies and gentlemen, we had a wonderful time and were treated like royalty. I hear that there was much revelry until the wee hours but the beauty queens needed their beauty sleep, to check on their babies, and get home to their hubbies. And so we left the sailors to navigate their way around Portland on their own.

Mostly Canadadian officers in this photo

Miss Oregon, Miss Oregon Earth, Mrs. Oregon and the
delegates of Mrs. Oregon America 2010


The Battleground princess court

Miss Oregon Earth

On 4 June I had the awesome opportunity ride down the Willamette River from the Port of Kalama http://www.portofkalama.com/ into Portland on the USS Shoup DDG86 the ship is named for General David M. Shoup (1904–1983), the 22nd Commandant of the Marine Corps www.shoup.navy.mil . I arrived with my friend Miss Oregon 2008 Danijela Krstic. We took a charter bus ride from downtown Portland to the Port of Kalama. We were soon underway and enjoying a beautiful northwest morning on the river. I was told that this was the first time in many years that during the Rose Festival fleet arrival that it did not rain or it wasn't horribly cold. Danijela and I enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, meeting wonderful civilians, Sailors and Officers.

Mrs. Oregon boards the USS Shoup in Kalama, Wa.

Miss Oregon and Mrs. Oregon embark on

their journey down the Willamette River

History of the USS Shoup

In the Army it's a mess hall. Not sure what it is in the Navy

One of our kind tour guides

We were joined by the Seattle Sehawks Seagals on our trip

Mrs. Oregon found a fellow female military officer and

fellow vegetarian...a good thing when all they were serving

visitors was hamburgers :(

Miss Oregon and Mrs. Oregon pose with a group of Naval

JROTC Cadets

Miss Oregon enjoys the view as she sales into the Rose

City.

The old and the new (Buildings not me) Memorial Coliseum

on the left, Rose Garden on the right

Standing watch as we arrive in Portland