Judy – Page 72 – Dear Liza

Forty Seven and Counting

Dear Liza,

Yep, Grandpa Nelson and I are celebrating another anniversary! They just keep coming around, as they have since 1975.

We have celebrated in a variety of ways, as our circumstances (and the world) have changed. Our first anniversary saw us re-visit Francisco and run out of cash. In a world before ATMs and with no credit card, we two barely-adult-people ended up wiring my folks for gas money to get home.

Much later, after our kids (your Auntie Katie and Daddy David) grew up, we flew to Hawaii to celebrate. We had a wonderful time and I got third degree sunburn, just on my back, from snorkeling for three hours. Fortunately, there are no pictures!

This year, of course, there was no travel. The continuing pandemic and Omicron variant, and the cold winter weather, have put a snag in anything like that. We did manage to get a few blocks over to The HobNob, our local pub, for their Customer Appreciation night.

We saw neighbors there, and Jason, the owner. I respect Jason immensely. Like your Auntie Katie, he has managed to keep his small business alive during a really tough time. Through a combination of reduced hours and extra work, he has stayed afloat, and the whole neighborhood came to show their love.

Even the dogs!

After egg nog, dinner, and cookies, we headed home to warm pajamas, a cat for our laps, and a fireplace. Happy forty seven, sweet man.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Something for the Cats

Dear Liza,

Cats are a big part of our life, so it’s only right they should get some presents.

This year I am making sleeping pads, like braided rugs, for Auntie Katie’s cats, Hopey and Maggie.

I have never made one before, but a cat-sized project is good place to learn. I found a good do it yourself video on Megan Nielsen’s youtube channel. It seemed like a good using-up-the-scraps project, too.

I cut a pile of Cotton polyester blend scraps into 1 inch strips, but tee shirt fabric works well, too. On my first try, I combined long and short strips, and quickly realized this made for a very bumpy braid.

So I undid the 7 feet I had done (about half an hour’s work) and cut more, longer strips.

Much better!

I tied it around the back of a heavy chair so I could adjust it easily.

Then it got really long, really fast. I kept trying to guess when it would be long enough for a cat to sleep on, and finally realized I should just machine zigzag it together like Megan shows in her video, and see how big it got.

Once I started sewing, it was fiddley and tricky making sure the rug stayed flat and that the zigzag stitch caught both the rug and the new coil as it was added, but after not very long, I had a 12 inch diameter circle.

Measuring our own dear Mouse, I decided to make the rug 15 inches in diameter so the cats would have lots of room. This took more strips, and took a braid about 10 yards long in all. Adding the extra braid was interesting but not difficult.

And when it was big enough, I finished by tucking the end under and continuing the zigzag stitch.

I had a few gaps where the zigzag had missed, so I hand-stitched them up. And when it was all done, Mouse got curious…

I am so happy with the way it turned out, I may make one for Mouse. She would look sweet napping in front of the fire, like a real Pioneer cat.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Shopping Locally

Dear Liza,

Even though I made some gifts, there is still a lot of shopping to be done for Christmas! Faraway friends and family receive, and we received from them, edible goodies from companies like Harry and David, The Fruit Company, and Nut Cravings.

But for those closer to home, we have wonderful local shops to enjoy. Mix Tape is a vintage shop that has been on SE Belmont for years, and has just moved into a bigger place!

We were sad to see Noun, at the corner of SE 33rd and Belmont, close last year as its owners moved on to other things, but Mix Tape has moved in and made the most of all the new square footage.

Mix Tape has a more 80s vibe, which isn’t my favorite era (I missed a lot of it, being inside cuddling babies) but has real good vintage boots, clothing, jewelry and even VHS movies!

And just a block down Belmont, the space that Mix Tape left is being filled as Belmont books, run by Joe Witt, expands. He’s not quite all set up yet, but there’s a lot to see!

Further south, Hawthorne Street has a lot of shops, too. Tender Loving Empire, Presents of Mind and Asylum are full of goodies, and books, many by local authors. Sadly, there were so many shoppers that the small shops just didn’t feel Covid-safe, so we headed out into the fresh air and home.

With Omicron making even small gatherings feel scary (again), it is looking to be a quiet, home-bound holiday. Stay safe, and we will get together when we can.

Love,

Grandma Judy

… More Art with Ruthie!

Dear Liza,

It feels like forever since I have gotten to get online with my friend Ruth Inman and my fellow artsy students. I have really missed it!

And Thursday, we made some adorable snowmen. Ruth found the original at the blog Adventures in Fiber, by artist Paulette Insall, at carpaulette.blogspot.nl. I decided to photograph the process in case I wanted to do it again. I’m glad I did, because I would never remember all the bits.

First, we laid down letters. I used different sized stencils and waterproof Sharpie and Micron Pens. I wanted to play with pinks and blues in the snow, so I collaged some printed paper. Some text torn from a Mad Libs tablet gave it a nice full bottom layer.

The next step was to add some color. I added just a few watercolor brush strokes of pink and blue.

Of course, in collage, things change once you lay them down. Since part of the charm of this piece is seeing through the layers, I put some some white acrylic on with crumpled saran wrap, to soften the colors and create a nice blizzard effect. It took several layers before I liked the way it looked.

Then it was time for a tree. A nice, curvy tree… Ruth recommended finding a suitable curve in a magazine, and I did! It was a bit too light, but that’s what Sharpies are for. A little trimming and gluing and I had my tree. I sponged a bit more white on, to keep it in the blizzard.

I used watercolors for the decorations for the tree, though Ruth had a lot of fun hunting up the right colors in a magazine. The snowman was next, drawn with a Micron, with text in his tummy and a collaged magazine paper hat. I added some black Micron dots and white Posca dots for the edge of the hat.

I used a thin Micron for his face, and orange watercolor pencil for his nose. A little heart from the same paper as his hat put on the final touch!

As I have said before, collage is very freeing. You glue and sponge and add until it looks like you want. You can’t really mess it up…. if you don’t like it, you’re just not done yet. Add more, paint over bits you don’t like, let it dry and start again.

And above all, have fun!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Winter Sunshine

Dear Liza,

It is winter in Portland. It doesn’t officially start until December 21, but it’s winter. We have rain which may turn to snow flurries, bridges that are getting icy, and dark, dark afternoons.

But then you look up and the clouds are gone for a while, and the sun comes out! And you don’t care that it is 40 degrees F. You put on two scarves and a wooly hat, and out you go.

We are blessed to live in our Laurelhurst/ Sunnyside neighborhood, with its gardens and hundred-year-old stone walls.

Moss and evergreens glow nicely in the low angled light of a Portland afternoon.

Succulents in a wall resemble magic gardens.

Azaleas and rhododendrons put out buds, defying the seasonal cold. And even though we know that tomorrow will be rainy and grey again, our mammal brains are happy for the light.

Love,

Grandma Judy.

More Gifty Crafting

Dear Liza,

While Cousin Kestrel loves Fairies and Goblincore, 12 year old Cousin Jasper is a life-long Dungeons and Dragons player. Auntie Katie suggested I make him a “battle board”, which is a way of keeping track of what your characters are doing during the game.

Continuing my habit of ”using what you have”, I pulled our old, unused Trivial Pursuit game out of the closet. Since we only ever use the cards, I decided the board and box would be useful for Jasper’s present.

Auntie Bridgett got me started by giving everything we were going to paint a nice layer of gesso.

I mixed some leftover indoor acrylic housepaint with a bit of black and painted the battle surface, then added a bit more black and made dark speckles with a crinkled up potato bag.

A little more black gave me a third color and made it nice and rocky looking.

I liked it so much, I painted the lid of the box and the little boxes inside, as well.
The little boxes are useful for holding the weird dice, the character pieces, and whatever else you need.

But to make everything good for playing, it needed a grid pattern, which can determine distances, battle plans and magical spells in the game. I borrowed Auntie Bridgett’s white Posca marker and spent most of Saturday drawing really ……careful …… lines.

I liked it! I added a little bit of green speckles and blobs to look like moss on the vertical surfaces ( we are in Portland, after all).

And when the whole thing was dry, I folded it up. The back side of the new battle board still has the original surface and the “Trivial Pursuit” logo, which I decided to leave just as it was. I like things to be able to tell their own story.

Jasper has the cool dice and character sheets, and in a different package is his new Player’s Guide with all the rules. I just need to wrap these up and wait until Christmas.

I’m feeling like a very successful crafter!

Love,

Grandma Judy

You Can’t Not Leikam

Dear Liza,

This past weekend we had a short break from our wet weather…. a very short break, like thirty minutes. It literally stormed all day Saturday and all night as well, so when we saw a sliver of blue sky, we headed out.

There was a craft fair way up on Burnside and 58th, at the Leikam Kosher Brewery, so we went. You pronounce it “Like ’em” as in their advertising slogan, “You can’t not like ’em!”

Inside the brewery it was bright and cheery, and Grandpa Nelson ordered a delicious cider.

Outside were some booths where well-bundled up folks sold goodies they had made. A lady named Sam sold fudge (named after her dog, Mudge) and the Fuzzy Chef Pottery folks had made funny ceramic pots adorned with banana slugs.

Inside were Cass Rose and Leah selling very cool embroidery and knitted goods, but the light was weird and my pictures didn’t come out. It started raining again, a cold, sideways sort of rain that made getting home seem like a good idea.

Dashing with my head down, I noticed this great embossed sidewalk just in front of the Element Lounge, just across Burnside from Leikam, and stopped to click a picture.

It was a short outing, but being cold and drafty makes me appreciate the fireplace and a cat on my lap even more!

Stay warm, sweetie.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Our Christmas Tree, Molly

Dear Liza,

There is an old Irish song called ”Molly Malone” about a pretty girl who lived in Dublin. Using the same tune, here is a song for our Christmas tree for 2021.

MOLLY FROM MOLALLA

In Portland’s fair city, Where trees are so pretty

Our Molly stands out, ‘ cause she’s seven feet tall.

She grew in Molalla

Way down in the holla

And she is the loveliest tree of them all.

She came over the railing, And it was smooth sailing

She got covered with lights

And stands right by the door

She wears memories’ laces

And far away places

The beauty that cannot be had from a store.

***** ****** ********* ****** *******

That’s my Ode to Molly the Nordman Pine, 2021.

I hope you are enjoying your Christmas season!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Stitching Some Goblincore

Dear Liza,

Our weather has been wet, cold, and threatening to ice up, but I have been having a busy week , sewing.

Cousin Kestrel is still very into Goblincore. This is a style of art and clothes that is fairy-like, but with more of a focus on nature like mushrooms, spiders, and snakes. Kes loves walking in the woods and parks, finding tiny things, and appreciating all the processes of life.

Continuing with my idea of “using what I have”, I found this pale sparkly fabric in the Big Box in the garage and made a Crazy Quilt.

After I laid down some curvy vines in embroidery, I found pictures of mushrooms online and tried my hand at watercoloring them. Once I was confident at that, it was just a matter of paying attention to do the embroidery, which is just like watercoloring, but with thread.

I looked at pictures I had taken on our hikes in the woods to get ideas for the smaller patches. Ferns, flowers, and a spiderweb are helping create a wallhanging I am very proud of.

And there is, of course, a patch dedicated to Sir Isaac Snooten, Kestrel’s pet snake.

I added quilting and a back, edged the whole thing with bias tape, and added three loops. A branch I found at the park does nicely for a support bar.

Now, onto the next project!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Playing with Darkness and Light

Dear Liza,

It gets dark very early now, and the high temperatures are in the 40s during the day, and 30s at night. We are doing a lot more indoor activities. We made rum balls to send to Mr. Murphy, and cookies for neighbors are up next. I am making Christmas presents for friends and family. We are wrapping everything!

But every now and then, I just need to get out and wander. This morning I did a lap of Laurelhurst Park, hunting for just the right stick for Cousin Kestrel’s present, which I will show you tomorrow, if it gets finished.

The sunlight was very pretty coming through the trees.

This evening, after a day of sewing and sending packages off from our newly -found favorite Post Office , I headed out again, and discovered that all lights are pretty on a cold wet night.

I love being able to find beauty in ordinary things. My Dad, your great grandpa Lowell, would stop and stare at a shadow, or the line of a tree, just to appreciate how pretty it was.

His early example, and all the artists in my life, allow me to see what is right in front of me. Have a good day!

Love,

Grandma Judy