Mustache Harbor -- Oh yeah!

Band-aid Cheese aka American Cheese

Sorry American Cheese.
You've never been my favorite.
I tried, really I did.
People told me you were the best as a grilled cheese sandwich.
Nope.
Then during a visit to Canada, there you were calling yourself Canadian Cheese.
You have no shame.
You'd probably rename a family member for a sale, wouldn't you?

So when a co-worker shared with me that her husband calls you Band-aid Cheese?
I had hysterics at your expense.
No, really. I laughed pretty danged hard.

You call yourself cheese?
You ought to be ashamed!

Come on down, to downtown Salem!

Countless times I've driven on Mission, S Commercial, or off one of the other I-5 exits to Salem, and wished we (the collective Salem resident we) had a way of ushering interested traffic to our downtown.

Perhaps an attractive billboard series, with a different historic landmark on each version? And perhaps with a  url to an informative, well designed website or a GPS type app for their phone? An app that would highlight where necessary locations were: parking, bathrooms, gas stations, restaurants. The rest (walking tours, bike paths, parks, events, galleries, shops, museums) would also be included, but farther down the list.


When our family first moved here in 1991, I didn't embrace the area. I'm a small town girl and 4 lanes heading in one direction, or arterials going in directions other than north, south, east or west, were foreign and daunting to me. There were many things I appreciated, though this list changed in tune with the ages of our girls.

But now? Now I love this town. I've discovered a welcoming community, beautiful sights and I think we ought to be willing to admit it and share it.