Our Portland Tour with Mama Zelle…or so we thought

(Warning: Some material discussed may not be suitable for children)

Oft times in our daily travels, the world in which we live in and the world of which we can only fantasize miraculously blend into one. Our line between fact and fiction has suddenly vanished and we are now again attempting to get a grasp on reality.

In this case, the tour started with a phone call. Papa Jon and I had a friendly chat on the phone in which we discussed surprising Lynette with a visit from Mama Zelle.

Against all odds, with much distress and manipulation, I kept the surprise a secret. Lynette’s ability to sense the future is and forever will trump all my understanding of time and space, but that is another story.

Let’s start here, Mama Zelle arrives in Portland, here is Lynette’s reaction. It’s a good one. I hope you enjoy the primetime perspective on this occasion, I am quite sure the view is the only one of its kind. All others where impaired by a man standing in the way with a camera. 

After dinner at our favorite restaurant Gustav's (German Food), a late night of lovely conversation, and some fun time reliving the tour of the apartment, we all went to sleep so that we would be well rested for the upcoming events. One notable difference is that 4 ft. Christmas Brush that attempts to be a tree sitting in our living room, still vacant of any material gifts, but full of Christmas Charm.  

Once awake, the tour continues to a once in a lifetime experience of going to church. 

Then, we would obey the local custom of "keeping the sabbath day holy," in which we refrained from any unnecessary and otherwise deemed "unworthy" activity. It was quite a wonderful and restful day.

After starting the tour with a day of rest, we decided to take the tour to the city and give it everything we got. 

First we went to the Lloyd Center.

Then to the Portland Carts for Lunch. We enjoyed delicious Vietnamese Sandwiches. :)

Next, we were off to ride the Sky Rail and get a new view on Portland. 

Then we went to Tryon Creek State Park for a little taste of the "jungles of O-ray-gahn"(From the Movie Overboard).

After much heated debate, we enjoyed our next meal at Olive Garden.  Just as I was arriving to the conclusion that I ate too much, we were on the move again. It should be a sin to move so soon after having placed so much food in ones stomach, but I pressed onwards anyways. 

We enjoyed a wonderful early gift from Grandma Wade and promptly positioned in on our tree.

It truly was a wonderful day.

Everything was going perfectly as I said my goodbyes the next morning to Mama Zelle and thanked her for all of the good conversations and wonderful company. I then took off to work as if everything was usual. 

As I came home that evening, I opened my door to find, under our Christmas Tree, piles of presents that were not there before Mama Zelle had arrived. I quickly searched to find insight as to the origins of such great gifts, and to my great wonder, they seem to have come from Santa. 

The question is now, did Santa come disguised as Mama Zelle, or is Mama Zelle actually Santa?! The implications are astonishing and perhaps outlandish, but Lynette has reported noticing the same pattern throughout her childhood. As I said before, our line between fact and fiction has been blurred and we are eager to come to the truth. Were we touring with Mama Zelle, or Santa,… or both?