Author: paedwards

Sweet Lorane Community News, January 2, 2019

January 3, 2019Newspaper Columns, , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
January 03, 2019
By Pat Edwards

Happy New Year!

Personally, I was glad to wave good-bye to 2018, although I have to admit, it produced two wonderful, beautiful new great-grandbabies for us.

Transitioning has never been an easy thing for me, but it seems that about every 10 years or so, I feel the need to move my life along so I can experience new and different things. Once I reached adulthood, it was as a farmers’ wife and then mother. Soon, I donned the hats of active school parent and the Lorane 4-H coordinator. That coincided and eventually morphed into a sports mom with 4 kids all playing on different teams in different sports at the same time. When the kids were getting ready to begin leaving the nest, we bought our store – the Lorane Family Store – and I ran it for the first 8 years until Jim took over the reins. By then, my love for writing resulted in Nancy’s, Marna’s and my first book on the history of Lorane. The new computer skills I learned led me to my very fascinating job at the University of Oregon, working with a group of renowned scientists in the Institute of Neuroscience. Then, after 15 years, came retirement, and soon, my involvement with Judy Hays-Eberts on the Groundwaters magazine and, eventually, the establishment of Groundwaters Publishing.

I’m still the managing editor of Groundwaters and Jen Chambers and I hope to continue producing the anthology for as long as we’re able. I love writing my weekly columns for the Fern Ridge Review and the Creswell Chronicle and researching and producing what I hope to be annual books based on Lorane’s history.

But, the years are beginning to take their toll on both Jim and me. This new transition is possibly the most difficult yet because it means divesting ourselves of the responsibilities that go along with being business owners and landlords for 41 years. It’s not easy to let go even though we know we need to. Thank goodness we have the help and support of our family, but it is a huge burden on them, as well.

Once we get through all of this, we hope to free up time to do a bit of traveling and experience some of the things that we have saved for true retirement, if possible. We welcome 2019 and are excited to find out what it has in store for us.

My hope is that each of your expectations and resolutions for the year are fulfilled and that we all begin to embrace a kinder, gentler, more tolerant and forgiving world for all of us.

Sweet Lorane Community News, December 20, 2018

December 20, 2018Newspaper Columns, , , , , , Leave a comment

(Note: I wrote 2 short columns this week because of differing deadlines.)

Fern Ridge Review
Sweet Lorane Community News
December 20, 2018
By Pat Edwards

To my West Lane readers… I wish to thank each of you for allowing me to share my thoughts and Lorane’s news with you through another year. As the Lorane columnist, I’m able to connect to my many friends through the pages of the Fern Ridge Review.
Our children and grandchildren went to school first at the Lorane Elementary School, and then the Crow Middle and High Schools over the years. When I took over as the managing editor of Groundwaters magazine, later the annual anthology, it was under the umbrella of the Applegate Regional Theater’s non-profit license in Veneta. This allowed Jennifer Chambers and I to obtain grant support from the Oregon Country Fair to provide classroom book projects at Veneta Elementary School for its students.

I’ve worked closely with ART, Inc. and have grown very close to those who have made it an important part of the West Lane art and performance scene. I’ve also worked with the Fern Ridge Library, producing the newsletter for the Friends of the Library and, later, the monthly program flyer and PR work. Because of this, I feel a strong connection to each of these communities.

I wish each of you the happiest of holiday seasons and for all of us throughout the nation, a new year filled with love and respect for one another. Let’s all work within our families, communities, schools and beyond to add our voices and energies to ensure a bright future for our children and grandchildren.

And, may your holidays be filled with joy, love, peace and hope.

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Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
December 20, 2018
By Pat Edwards

Greetings to my Creswell Readers… I wish to thank each of you for allowing me to share my thoughts and Lorane’s news with you through another year. I frequently travel over Ham Road, which eventually morphs into Camas Swale Road, to visit family and friends who live over the hill from us. We consider you our neighbor!

I love your town with its quaint shops and festive streets during the holidays. Each year, we are “wowed” by the wonderful Christmas light extravaganza on Camas Swale Road. Thank you to the owners for sharing their joy in the season with the rest of us!

Your schools, which two of our granddaughters have attended, are great and I’ve grown to appreciate the music programs – choir and band – especially.

I wish each of you the happiest of holiday seasons and for all of us throughout the nation, a new year filled with love and respect for one another. Let’s all work within our families, communities, schools and beyond to add our voices and energies to ensure a bright future for our children and grandchildren.

And, may your holidays be filled with joy, love, peace and hope.