A red baseball diamond!

This Sunday, July 22nd at 1:30pm.. PGE and the Portland Beavers are teaming up with the American Heart Association to host a "Go Red for Women Day" at PGE Park.
Go Red for Women is part of the AHA's efforts to educate women about the risk of heart disease and stroke while empowering them to take charge of their heart health.

I'm proud to be one of the Go Red ambassadors.

Here's the Go Red line up: Lina Garcia Seabold, me!, Caprial Pence-- Carprial's Bistro, Congresswoman Darlene Hooley, Susan Sokol Blosser-- Sokol Blosser Winery and Peggy Fowler-- CEO of PGE

Hope you'll join the AHA as it turns PGE Park Red this weekend! The first 500 fans Sunday will get free red baseballs. And every fan at the game gets an 8.5 by 11 inch card-- half in white and half in red--- to wave during the game to rally the Beavers and show their support for Go Red. Also look for a Go Red area with free health information, fun prizes and giveaways. Experts from NW Personal Training and Fitness will even be on hand to answer your questions about healthy eating and exercise.

Cardiovascular diseases-- including heart disease and stroke--- remain the number one health threat facing women. Each year, 500,000 mothers, daughters, sisters and friends die from heart disease.

Be part of the solution. Please join our effort to raiser awareness.

Go Red!

Posted by at 1:22 PM | Permalink

I got an email today from a viewer named Mike.
Here's part of what he said after a story I reported in the 5pm news.

"Laural, your insistence on reporting Harry Potter news ad nauseum is becoming annoying. Give it a rest! Please!
It is a mediocre piece of literature that is cookie-cutter marketing-- nothing more,nothing less. You tend to be way too giddy about
reporting on this subject."

I wrote Mike back, and told him I understand how all the coverage of "Harry Potter" could be annoying to those who haven't read or don't like the books.

Then, I told him why I love "Harry Potter".

My children and I started reading the series seven years ago when we were moving to Florida.
I read the first book out loud, as we traveled across country in our mini-van.
They were six,eight,ten, and twelve years old at the time.

As each subsequent book came out, they waited for me to read it to them aloud.
My oldest daughter couldn't help herself and read ahead, but still sat around with us and enjoyed hearing the chapters again, as we read the book together as a family.

Now, as we anticipate the seventh book coming out midnight Friday night/Saturday morning, they are looking forward to me reading them the seventh book out loud again.
They are now almost 13,15,17,and 19 years old.
As a Mom, that makes my heart happy.

They have also reread the books themselves. Right now, the two youngest are rereading the sixth book to refresh their memories as they anticipate book seven.

I love that Harry Potter has encouraged their love of reading and their imaginations.
They love the characters, Harry,Ron, Hermione, Neville, Dumbledore and company; even Snape.

I have a feeling, there are thousands of other families with their own "Harry Potter" stories.

I have to admit I have really enjoyed the adventures myself, and I feel a bit sad that the series is coming to an end, as it seems their childhoods are as well.

But, we always remember reading Harry Potter together, and I think that like Harry himself, the books will always keep us young.

Laural

Posted by at 6:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

We had a story on the news not long ago about Portland's ranking as a dog friendly city. We were rated #1 by Dog Fancy magazine in 2006. Clearly, the people running the survey have never been to Newport Beach, California.

We were there over the 4th visiting some old friends. Lots of beautiful people live there with their beautiful dogs. We saw a Great Dane the size of a pony checking in with its owner at the hotel. Some smaller dogs were lounging with their people around the pool.

But I didn't really understand what dog friendly meant until we went to check out an upscale shopping mall across the street. We were doing a little fantasy shopping...looking not buying...and there among the designer clothes were equally designer dogs. Not for sale of course. They were shopping with their owners.

Some had matching outfits with painted toenails. Would I make that up? Lots of fluffy little friends wandering thru Neiman-Marcus on sparkly leashes and a few tucked sweetly in strollers. Special dog strollers. One was a double decker for a set of Pugs. I think I audibly squealed when I saw them. No hiding that I was NOT a local.

Plus, there were no less than 3 competing doggie boutiques in this one mall to supply all these things. Am I the only one who thought this was just a Hollywood star kind of thing?

Just for the record, I did not catch the fever. I still make my poor pooch WALK when we go outside and I'm hiding the Nordstrom sale catalogs from him. Just don't tell Dog Fancy magazine on me.

It's good to be home. And as always, thanks for watching.

Tracy

Posted by at 2:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)