Author: Judy

Dear Liza,

Grandpa Nelson had a medical check up the other day, and it turned into a new adventure!

We needed to get to both of the Oregon Health and Science University campuses within half an hour. One is at the bottom of Marquam Hill, by the Willamette River, and the other is at the TOP of the hill. At the bottom they perform the cat scans, and at the top of the hill, you meet with your doctor.

Seriously! But there is a way, and it is fabulous.

We took the magic number 15 bus downtown, then transferred to the North/South Streetcar. We took this to the bottom of the hill campus. This is a shiny-new area of medical and dental buildings, condominiums, apartments, and restaurants. I finished reading a book and played with visiting babies while Grandpa had his scan.

Then we got our tickets for the OHSU Aerial Tram! There are actually two trams, each 22 feet long. They are called Walt and Jean, after the first African American (Walt Reynolds) and the first woman (Jean Richardson) to graduate from Oregon State University. The nickname of the tram is “The Pill on the Hill.”

The tram travels at 22 mph , takes three and a half minutes to get to the top, and carries about 10,000 people on a regular weekday. The trams are usually pretty full, with tourists, doctors and nurses getting to work, and technicians carrying equipment and even medical specimens (in those little beer coolers) up and down.

The tram has been running for 12 years and has carried millions of folks up and down. The views of the river, bridges, and downtown are amazing, especially on a bright summer day like today.

I was worried that Grandpa Nelson would be scared (he hates heights) but he held up very well. We met with the doctor, who gave us good news about bone density, and then we headed back to downtown for lunch before heading home.

Even doctor’s appointments are exciting!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Dear Liza,

The other day when Grandpa Nelson and I were wandering around downtown, we walked past Cameron’s Used Books. It looked interesting, but we were on a mission for French fries, so the shop had to wait. Today, I went back by myself and explored a little.

Cameron’s has been in Portland since 1938. That’s eighteen years longer than I have been alive! That’s a long time. It has been at its current location at the corner of SE 3rd and Harvey Milk Street (formerly Stark) since 1960.

It was started by Robert Cameron, who opened it after realizing he couldn’t make a living in stamp collecting. Robert ran it, sometimes working nights at other jobs, until 1976. His friend Fred Goetz had been planning on buying a different bookshop and it fell through…so Robert sold Fred HIS shop instead.

Sometime back then, the shop’s owner came up with a novel gift idea: Giving a friend or loved one a magazine published on their actual birthday, in their actual birth year! Many of his magazines go quite a ways back, so I could even get one!

In 1982, Fred hired Jeff Frase, who admits he inflated his bookshop experience to get hired. Jeff fell in love with the place and, when Fred wanted to retire in 1989, bought the place rather than work for someone else.

I met Jeff (who didn’t want his picture taken) at the shop, sitting behind his desk. A small, quiet man, he was nearly invisible among the shelves of books and stacks of magazines. This Portland landmark has been the subject of articles in the local newspapers for years, including this one from The Portland Reporter in 1962.

Hand-lettered signs reading “Cell Phone use tenuously tolerated” and “No Cell Phone Cacophony allowed” were posted. Not wanting to irritate the man keeping this chapel of books alive, I turned off my ringer and only took pictures when I was around a corner.

There is good organization in the shop, but the shelves are so full it took me a while to see it. I enjoyed seeing the large collection of plays, though Guare’s House of Blue Leaves was not among them. One or two John Varley science fiction collections, but not Blue Champagne or The Barbie Murders. What DID come home with me was a sequel to Ursula K. Le Guin’s Catwings which will be a gift to Cousin Kestrel.

I enjoyed my hour or so in Cameron’s Used Books, and may stop in again sometime.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Dear Liza,

I know it must seem like I am having adventures everyday. Since I am not working, I have time for more big things in my life. But it is the little things that make my life so sweet.

I like going walking just to walk. If I notice flowers or acorns, I can stop and look, and not make anyone late.

I like being able to read a whole story in one sitting. Maybe I move from the sofa to the comfy chair on the patio halfway through, but basically, one sitting. I am enjoying old friends like John Varley and Robert Heinlein, and new ones like David Litt.

I like being able to take a day to recover. All the big things, parties and helping and adventures, take a toll on old knees and backs. It’s nice to be able to give myself the day off.

I like having time between chores to enjoy the smiles of my grandkids, and to appreciate the wonderful people they are growing into.

I like being able to work in projects that may, or may not, go anywhere. My Portland 1903 story is on hiatus for now, while I hunt for a proper voice for my main character. So far, it is being elusive.

But in the meantime, I am messing around with a map of Portland, appliqued and embroidered on the machine. It is very experimental and may end up in the bin, as they say. But that’s okay.

What all this comes down to is that after years of scheduling 190 days a year down to the minute, I now have whole weeks at my disposal, when what I do or don’t do doesn’t make much difference to the world at large. Sort of like being off the grid.

And it feels good.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Dear Liza,

After such a busy weekend, I thought I was ready for a restful day. I planned to attend a lecture by author James Blase at the Oregon Historical Society, about President Teddy Roosevelt’s visit to Portland in 1903. Grandpa Nelson was interested and came with me.

The lecture was disappointing, I am sorry to say. Considering the President’s trip was politically motivated, it was a shame that Mr. Blase was unaware of Oregon politics of the time, or even if Oregon was a state in 1903 ( this is when he started to lose his audience). He had a very worshipful opinion of President Roosevelt, unaware of the President’s now-unacceptable opinions on race and eugenics. I admire Teddy for many reasons, but this doesn’t blind me to his faults.

I was hoping to buy Mr. Blase’s book, called Keep it for your Children, but since I felt that I had learned more in my research than he had in his, I left without it.

After an hour of sitting in the air conditioned lobby of the OHS, Grandpa Nelson was ready for a walk. We wandered north through downtown to the Pine Street Market, where we got great fries from Bless Your Heart and not-very-good pizza from Ken’s Artisan. Cold drinks helped a lot, because once the clouds blew away, it was really warming up outside.

We headed for the Willamette River and walked south along Tom McCall Waterfront Park, enjoying the parade of life. Boats and jet skis on the water, kids on bikes and old men pushing their wives in wheelchairs, young men on skateboards being pulled along by large, happy dogs… everyone was out and about.

We saw some historic notes in the paving I hadn’t seen before, showing where the First Wharf was and the corner of the original city as it was laid out in 1846. This put things in perspective, especially when I looked up from visualizing the first wooden wharf and to see the magnificent, modern city Portland has become.

We kept walking, passing under bridges while looking past them to see the next one. Burnside, Morrison, Hawthorne, Marquam, and finally, the newest and prettiest, Tilikum Crossing.

This, as it turns out, was Grandpa Nelson’s goal. He wanted to walk across this beautiful pedestrian and transit bridge on this bright July day. The views from and of the bridge were wonderful! There was even a poem set right into the concrete sidewalk.

But there was no shade, and the reflection from the paving was very bright… we were pretty done in once we got to the east side.

We caught the B Loop of the Streetcar and transferred to the magic number 15 bus, getting home to drink lots of cold water and have a much deserved lay down.

I got more of an adventure than I bargained for, but it sure was fun!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Dear Liza,

One thing about being a Grandma…I get to carry a lot of fun memories around in my head. I remember Cousin Kestrel’s first hours on this planet, and her tiny babyhood.

And now her eighth birthday party was this past weekend. It was so much fun! It happened the day after the Grand Re-Opening party for Books with Pictures. I still don’t know how her mommy Katie keeps going… I would be a sleepy heap.

The Galaxy themed party was held just across the street from Kes’s house, in the gazebo behind her school, Abernethy Elementary. It is a very nice place, with the school garden and a mural by Botjoy artist Gary Hirsch.

Kids and grownups snacked and chatted,

and the little girls made ‘galaxies’ out of paper and foil, and then played a game that Kestrel made up… Comet Toss!

I sewed the comets, and Kestrel invented the game and scoring plan. Chelsea and I laid out the game area with planets and suns for targets. The game changed as the kids played, which made it even more fun! Everyone was a really good sport.

After the game and some cake (baked by Katie after midnight and decorated by Kes and Chelsea this morning), tree climbing was in order.

Kestrel showed her skill here, except for one little slip that left her with a scraped leg. Some ice from the cooler and my striped scarf helped her feel better.

Then came presents! She got some nice art supplies from friends, and a book from me… “Stuart Little”, one of my favorites. She really loved the card that Auntie Bridgett made for her, with a kitten in a space suit.

After a while it was time for Grandpa Nelson and I to say good-bye and head off on other adventures.

But in November will be Jasper’s birthday. The parties never end, I guess.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Dear Liza,

After months of hard work by lots of people (especially Auntie Katie), Books with Pictures had it’s Grand Re-Opening this past Saturday night. It was a humdinger of a party!

The store looked wonderful, outside and in. The mint I planted is still a little scrawny, but a friend donated potted plants to give away, and they filled in the broad sidewalk nicely. Chalk drawings encouraged people to do their own art.

Inside, food from The Nerd Out (thanks, Mitch!) and beer from a local brewer helped feed the crowd. I met so many people!

Conch, who runs a local podcast, has been promoting comics shops, including Books with Pictures, for years.

Besides people eating, drinking and chatting, people were buying comics! Hooray for retail! Because as much as the shop is the center of a vibrant community, it is book sales that pay the bills.

Downstairs, a really interesting, quirky record shop called My Vinyl Underground has opened up and was full of folks looking for old, new, or unusual records. I found a Vickie Lawrence record my mom had back in the 1960s, and Grandpa Nelson saw a record of Yom Kippur songs. Now, THAT’S unusual.

Auntie Katie was in the middle of all this hubbub, making sure the food was managed, people had wine, and everyone got talked to.

We didn’t stay long, because it was very crowded, but later on there was a drawing contest. I’m sure everyone had a good time.

Congratulations, Auntie Katie! Long live Books with Pictures!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Dear Liza,

After Inez and I had seen and smelled hundreds of roses, we walked up the hill to the Japanese Garden. There were crowds there, too, but the atmosphere of tranquility and peace seemed to keep everyone on their best behavior.

We stopped in for lunch at Umami, a glass sided, tree top cafe. I have forgotten the proper name of what we had, but they were delicious! Edamame for appetizers, rice and chicken with spices, grains with Bonita flakes, with a red bean paste bun and citrus curd tart for dessert. So elegant, simple, and tasty.

Then we wandered around the garden. I have been here often, but seeing it with a friend always gives me new insight. Inez noticed angles, flowers, and shadows I hadn’t noticed before. That’s one of the many reasons I like spending time with her.

The bright overcast made for a delightful play of light and water.

There was an exhibit of Ainu and Chinook wood carvings, which were beautiful and very different from each other. The Chinook were very stylized, based on myths of their people, while the Ainu were both realistic and symbolic.

These works by Takeki Fujito were especially moving. Statues of an Ainu man and woman, these were portraits real people the artist knew and loved. The quiet strength of the woman and the determination of the man were so human and universal, I felt like I knew them, too.

We kept wandering, seeing some of the same parts of the garden from different angles. It was a wonderful few hours in the Celestial Realm.

Coming back down to earth, we fought the traffic and did some shopping at Trader Joe’s, then Inez got me home in time to get ready for Auntie Katie’s Grand Re-Opening.

Whew!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Dear Liza,

You remember my old friend Inez don Carlos? She writes the fun “Gulliver the Traveling Cat” postcards and sends them to classrooms. She lived in Salinas for a while and has now moved to Missoula, Montana, but this weekend she was in Portland!

It was so much fun showing her my new city. She reads this blog, so she recognized the Lone Fir Cemetery and other places I write about.

She wanted to see two things first: The Rose Garden and the Japanese Garden, up in Washington Park. Since she brought her car, our first chore was finding a place to park! It was a Saturday of a long holiday weekend, there were hundreds of cars and thousands of people… the gardens had fellows out directing traffic and calming nerves.

Once we got parked, though, we were fine. The roses are all blooming and we found some really nice smelling ones. I can’t tell you what they were called, though, because so many were not labeled.

It was a joy to see so many people wandering between the rows, leaning in to smell the roses, holding their little ones up to feel the soft petals, warning them about the thorns.

Inez is a social person. She was very good about noticing families trying to take selfies and asking if they wanted a picture of them all together. We had such nice chats with people from all over!

We found this lovely fairy person being photographed. She was having so much fun and was so lovely!

When we had seen all the roses and were getting a bit peckish (that means hungry), we headed up the hill to the Japanese Garden. I will tell you about that tomorrow!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Dear Liza,

Our new house doesn’t have much of a garden, but today I got to do some serious digging, transplanting, and watering.

Auntie Katie’s new shop, Books with Pictures, has sidewalks on two long sides of her building. Since it is on an acute angle corner, the look of these sidewalks has a lot to do with the look of the shop.

Before Auntie Katie bought the building, it was owned by an elderly fellow who had trouble keeping up on the maintenance. There was also a new optical cable installed, and the installation played havoc with the plants that were there. So what I started with this morning was two out of three pots totally empty, and a large planting area that was dead weeds.

First, I watered. The lavender, rosemary and spirea bushes that were in the space had been neglected. Pruning and water, and a little digging to loosen the soil, will help them back to their happy place.

Next, that huge space full of dead grass needed to be raked and pulled… tedious work. Then it needed the hard soil broken up and amended, and watered to get it ready for new plants.

These new plants were the easy thing. Dozens of mints shoots had come up under the maple tree, and just needed to be dug up and set into the newly dug, damp soil. This was messy, but fairly easy. The green bits that stick up are only about half of the transplants! Mint grows so well from roots that I buried a bunch, knowing they will be up within a week. A little bark mulch to pretty it up, and that job was done.

Then it was lunch time. I made quesadillas for Cousins Jasper and Kestrel, and had some myself. It felt so good to sit down! While we were sitting down, Kestrel and I figured out the rules to the bean bag game she invented for her birthday party this weekend. She wanted comets, so I sewed some… now we have the rules written down. More on that later…

Once I had caught my breath, it was time for the last gardening chore. There was a trash can in the back, filled with hostas. This shade loving plant was new to me when I moved to Portland last year. They are beautiful perennials with impressive leaves, and popular all over Portland.

Kestrel helped me remove the dry and damaged leaves from the plants, then held the can down while I pried the hostas out, and helped me carry them to their new home. I had dug four holes under the maple and set the newly divided hostas in, watering them while Cousin Kestrel gave them words of encouragement.

After putting the tools away and hosing off, I was all done in. I asked Grandpa Nelson to come fetch me and I went home to eat. Friday evening was First Friday at SideStreetArts, but it was going to be a crowded show and we will go see it another time.

This week, Friday was for staying in! Go Giants!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Dear Liza,

We had such a wonderful Fourth of July!

We took the bus downtown and walked north. Both the car and pedestrian traffic were very light because of the holiday, so it was quieter than usual. The sun and clouds reflected in the newer glass buildings, while the details on the older ones showed up like vertical sculptures.

We had lunch at Kenny and Zukes, our favorite deli, and watched the world walk by the big windows. Fortunately, we got there just ahead of the lunch rush!

Bridgett had found a new French patisserie on Oak, just a block down from the deli. They were closed, but we looked in the window. It looks tiny and charming…. and delicious! We will be back.

We spent a happy hour in Powell’s City of Books, hunting gifts and just browsing. I found things that allowed me to celebrate our nation’s birthday. Red, white, and blue stars in the book stacks!I found this memorial to Miriam Sontz, who was a CEO of the bookshop for thirty years, apparently. it is imbedded into a cement ramp in the store. I’ve walked over it dozens of times and finally stopped to look!

As we walked around, Grandpa Nelson suggested we walk across the Willamette, instead of taking a bus, on our way home. I was happy he was feeling up to the walk and we all agreed. We navigated through the Pearl district and in to downtown and caught the Morrison Bridge. The views of the river, the blues festival and all the activity there was amazing. We found this memorial to two folks who died in car/ pedestrian crashes on the bridge. I imagine their deaths urged the city to make the bridges safer, and for this, I am grateful.

Once on the east side, we started getting warm. We walked through the warehouse house area by the river and up the hill, getting thirstier all the time. We stopped in the shade to rest and found these plaques to Abigail Scott Duniway, a suffragist, and Esther Clayton Lovejoy, who was the first woman doctor on the city board of health. These women made life better for everyone in Portland.

Just a little further along, under the Morrison Bridge, we found the old cobblestones from a hundred years ago, peeking out from under the asphalt! I was so pleased to have history right under my feet!

Being a planner, Grandpa Nelson had a destination: the Crush bar! Cool and comfy, serving drinks with lots of ice, the Crush was just what we needed. A tall gin and tonic, creamsicle, and an absinthe in the rocks cooled us down and made the world rosy again.

We finished our walk home and had some well deserved downtime.

Around five o’clock, we had revived enough to pack a picnic and head to the park…no concert today, but a Fourth of July Picnic seemed in order. We settled in and watched the theater of life…. lovers smooching on blankets, parents chasing children, kids and adults playing the newly painted piano… all the coming and going was life affirming.

We even played frisbee, only bonking folks on blankets two times. They were very good sports, actually. We got pretty good!

Eventually the sun went down and we got cool, so we headed home and watched James Cagney in “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” our holiday tradition.

Love,

Grandma Judy