Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Julia!

Dear Julia,

Of COURSE I remember you. I even remember where you sat in the room and can "see" you there!

You are doing incredibly exciting work. As we say in Hebrew, Kol HaKvod...honors to you. I so much appreciate hearing from you.

Peg

Monday, January 01, 2007


English 105: online

I know you're here because you think you have to be...really, you don't. You can leave now.

OK...you're staying. To read an example of an introduction, read my English 104 online posting. Some of you already have...it's the same, no changes.

So, I'm going to add some new information on this posting just for Josh, Nicole, Megan, and Katie, who took an online class from me last term and are taking English 105 online this term. What you four might not know, is that I was in Oregon for all of 12 days of Winter term. This is the beauty of teaching online! Starting October 12, I left for the long jaunt: first, to a family wedding in Chico. It was the first time in a year that both of our children were with us at the same time-- a real treat from a parent's point of view. From there I went straight to Manhattan where I occasionally do some volunteer work for HADASSAH, an organization I am absolutely passionate about, an amazing organization that sponsors programs in both Israel and the United States. After a week in NY, I returned for 2 days to Corvallis, then left again for 2 months in HAWAII, where our son lives and works. Home again for 2 days in early December, then off again to Seattle. I think I'll actually be in Oregon most of winter term--that will be unusual! All the traveling might sound glamorous to you, and I assure you that I do know how to have fun. However, lugging a computer to Hawaii is NOT fun! Also, living out of a suitcase gets old; I'm glad to be home, though I'm absolutely freezing. None of my friends feel sorry for me! "See" you online at WebCt!

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Papa Elefant's hat, thanks to Artie & Susan! Posted by Picasa

Friday, August 19, 2005

English 104 online: Introduction

October 2006

Good whatever time of day it is! Maybe you're reading this at 2am. Maybe you travel through many time zones, as do I.

Welcome to my blog. You're probably here because you are one of my students at Western Oregon University, you have an assignment to write, and you want to see how to write it. If you're not one of my students, you'll be bored, so you might as well logoff now! So, on to the assignment...I'm an artist, or, more accurately, a wannabe artist, an artist in process. Posted on this blog are a couple of my watercolors of the Oregon coast. I also paint portraits. Someday I'll post a few. My story centers around one of my painting mornings, a very stupid painting morning. First, though, you have to know this: I'm a know-it-all, or so say my husband, two kids, and the rest of the extended family. But I wasn't a know-it-all on this particular morning. Specifically, I know beaches, I know oceans; all us old surf bums do, or so we say, but there's always that one time. My one time was an October day in 2003 on Lost Creek, a little known beach south of Newport, Oregon. I had just finished what I thought was a gorgeous colorful churning seascape, so I packed up my materials, slung my pack and easel on my back, and proceeded with Steve, the husband, and Tiki (black lab, very nudgie) and Shayna (chocolate lab of blessed memory), to fossil hunt. Steve had just made me a fossil scooper out of a slotted mixing spoon stuck on the end of a mop handle. I was intently using it to search for curlies and scallop fossils. Have you ever seen fossil hunters on the beach? Where are our eyes? NOT on the ocean! Rule #1: never turn your back to the ocean. Suddenly, Steve and I felt the water rapidly elevating to our shins, our knees, our waists! Next, we see the doggies swimming around us, having a great ol' time in the ocean. They're labs, remember. We're not. Luckily for us, the beach at Lost Creek is long and flat--it's shelf rock. The sneaker wave was gentle with a very mild, barely noticeable rip. For you none surf types, a rip is a strong, strong current. Rips can pull you out beyond the breakers before you even know it! But, as I said, we were lucky. We sloshed to dry land. Immediately, we both said out loud, "How stupid can we be?!" Soaked we were, but lucky, too. The worse thing that happened was the soaking; the 2nd worst was slogging into Fred Meyers in Newport to buy dry clothes and explaining how the know-it-alls got caught. NEVER, but NEVER turn your back to the ocean!

Wednesday, May 25, 2005


Son & Mama in Kona
copyright Rivertooth Artworks

Saturday, February 19, 2005


Fogarty Beach, Oregon
copyright Rivertooth Artworks

Oregon
copyright Rivertooth Artworks

Peggy Freed-Elefant

Shalom and Aloha!
You are here because you want to see some my amateur artwork, born & bred out of chaos, emerged into the light of the occasionally sunny Oregon coast and Willamette Valley. Most of this art is not for sale because the pieces have fond memories for me, much like a travelogue. The stuff for sale means nothing to me, and I'd just as soon not store it! Maybe it will mean something to you; if so, just let me know. Art will be here for your viewing enjoyment in a few days.