Painted Intersection

1. Paint your intersection. A street intersection is not something you think of as interesting. But in Portland, residents in some neighborhoods have made them really worth stopping for. Some paint, creative people and a bright design are all it takes to bring neighbors together and produce something the whole community can be proud of.

9. Get involved in your community. Another way to make friends is by volunteering in your community. Plus, if you’re an empty nester and have pretty much decided to stay put for the remainder of your life, it’s a good idea to get involved in local politics, which will sooner or later affect you and your property.If you’re part of the baby boomer generation, remember that you are part of an enormous community with big influence and purchasing power. Use that to your advantage and lobby for your future. 10. Ask for help. Having your loved ones grow up and finally leave home can be tough, psychologically and emotionally. You’re going to need to change your relationships, and that can be hard. Of course you’ll miss them like crazy too. (Maybe not.) So be sure to communicate with your spouse or partner and family members and seek out others in your community or friends for help in weathering the storm. Remember that it’s just part of the cycle. Before you know it, your house will likely be packed again with family members and grandkids, and you won’t even remember what it was like when things were so quiet. Here’s how Lisa Hoffman handled things: “My oldest son moved out in 2011, my youngest in 2012, and my marriage of 22 years ended about six months later. I went from large, sprawling country home to nothing. No kids, no pets, living in an apartment alone. Two years later I’m living in a 1,060-square-foot bungalow in a new city. The two years have been a tumultuous yet beautiful time. My relationship with my boys is strong. I have a grandson I adore and a circle of friends I enjoy. My boys and their friends often make the one-and-a-half-hour drive to spend weekends with me, and my little home is filled with laughter, jokes and many hugs.” Hoffman continues: “I spent the first year alone seeing a great therapist, I took up yoga for the peace that my therapist said it would bring me, and I still do it. Yes, there were sad days, but there were more days filled with love, laughter and hope.”“An empty nest is an empty nest,” she sums up. “The babies (no matter their age) always return home on occasion, and the nest again is a hum of activity, love and laughter. An empty nest allows you to rediscover who you are, to renew an old passion or hobby or pick up a new one. It’s a time to cultivate old friendships and grow new ones. Remember: An empty nest is not an empty heart.”

painted community commons intersection

9. Get involved in your community. Another way to make friends is by volunteering in your community.

Maxwelton intersection. Hill slope. Etc

paint the intersection Park Av + Woolworth

get your neighbors together to paint the street.