When the pandemic first hit, it seemed like it was easier for all of us to count our blessings and find gratitude in the little things. Now six months in, and we’re staring at a glass half empty instead of half full.

Well, let me fill that glass up for you!

Here are 5 reasons to be grateful that you are living in Lake Oswego right now.

1. My son moved to London right when the pandemic struck and has been fairly sequestered in his small apartment since then. A big “outing” consisted of being able to go to the park. Fortunately, things have improved in Europe and he was able to take his first trip this past week and has been checking in from the Greek Islands. As good as that sounds, he did call a couple days complaining about the wind—so much so that he and his girlfriend considered leaving. Checking my weather app right now I see winds from the northwest at 10 miles per hour so a nice refreshing breeze, if that. No complaints here!
2. My daughter is in San Diego and when she calls at 7:30 p.m. in the evening, she complains that it’s so much lighter where we are than she is. That’s because the sun sets almost a half-hour earlier in San Diego than here. So we get to enjoy 30 more minutes of those precious summer evenings that I’ve extolled about before here. You won’t find me complaining!
3. My niece lives in Southern California, a place where many of us travel on our fantasy vacations. Her texts the last week have lamented the heat while I sit here enjoying our high 70s to mid-80s gorgeous weather. Not hearing any complaints from my neighbors either who, when I pass on my morning walks, greet me with, “Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Yes, it is.
4. My sister lives in Saratoga, California, a lovely small town where Silicon Valley types seek escape from all the hubbub. As lovely as it is, she can’t go outside right now because the air quality is considered unhealthy with an air quality index of 158 due to the fire in the Santa Cruz mountains. While we’ve had that problem here in 2017 with the Eagle Creek fires in the Columbia Gorge, right now our air quality is good with an index of 11. I’ll take it while I can get it!
5. In Washington, D.C. several of the Smithsonian museums are closed including the American Art Museum and the National Museum of Natural History. While one in every six museums in the U.S. risks shuttering its doors due to the pandemic’s financial impact, we have been able to enjoy our Gallery Without Walls throughout the crisis because there are no doors to shut. These outdoor sculptures appear to be immune from Covid-19 as long as sponsorships continue to come in and for that I am grateful. If you’d like to support this project, check out the Arts Council of Lake Oswego website for details.

A couple other things I can add to my gratitude list—outdoor dining spaces while the weather continues to make that possible, pedestrian-friendly pathways and courteous neighbors who cross streets or step aside to allow socially distanced passage. I know these are crazy times so I invite you to join me in finding the gratitude in the things that we can. Keep safe everyone!

If I can help you discover more reasons to love Lake Oswego, please give me a call at 503.939.9801 and/or check out my website. I’m a Realtor here and would love to put my 30+ years’ experience to work helping make your next move your best one!