Judy – Page 81 – Dear Liza

Pumpkin Progress

Dear Liza,

Growing fruits and vegetables is like growing anything else. Kittens, children, flowers, and veggies all have things they need to do well. The trick to having a successful garden is to find out what those things are, and provide them.

But veggies don’t explain things well! Sometimes the seeds just never pop up out of the ground. Did you keep them too wet? Too dry? Were there weird little slugs that feed on seedlings? Were things just really interesting down there in the dirt?

And once the seeds do come up, you need to help them grow. They need enough room to spread out, support to keep them out of the mud, and plenty of water and sunshine.

And if you have done everything right, and you have a few female flowers, you will get some actual pumpkins. So far I just have one, but I am happy with the progress! I am even a little worried that it is getting too big for its britches….

And now, there is this little late bloomer to help along. I will call her Leo.

Love,

Grandma Judy

A New Hat

Dear Liza,

For years, I had a favorite hat. It was an Indiana Jones style that was good for winter, spring and fall, waterproof for rain, and heavy felt so it was warm.

When I was teaching, I wore it every day. Parents and kids told me they could identify me anywhere in town because of the distinctive silhouette of the hat.

Then, in 2019, I lost it. On vacation in Seattle, I left it in a taxi cab. Gone, gone, gone. Now what?

For months, I was too sad about it to think about replacing it. That winter came and went and I wore wooly hats and my new Hufflepuff scarf.

For the next summer I got a wonderful straw hat. But still no replacement.

And then the other day at Artifact, a fabulous second hand shop down on Division, I found it! Second hand and on sale, I fell in love with it. It fit, it was close enough to my old one but just different enough to be ‘new’, and the price was right.

I love my new hat!

Hooray!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Long Time, No Zoo…

Dear Liza,

It has been a long time since I went to the Oregon Zoo with the cousins. These two pictures show how the three years between visits have changed the Cousins.

This photo, with everyone wearing masks, was taken Monday. Look at those long legs!

This was taken just three years ago, on our last visit. No masks and really small cousins! Time just keeps on slipping, as they say…

A lot has changed at the Zoo itself, too. There is a new Polar Bear enclosure, but makes me feel sad. The enclosure has grass and trees, but no water or snow-y looking things. It feels like they were trying to get the Polar Bear used to living without snow. He doesn’t look too happy about it, either.

But, not counting the whole global warming thing, it was a good day. I enjoyed watching the Cousins as they visited their favorite places. We watched the sea lions zoom and swish through the water.

We explored the new Primate habitat.

We visited garter snakes and mongooses, which I want to call mon-geese but have been told that is not right.

And of course we found lots of ways to be silly. Grandpa Nelson found sort of a shrine to hands …

There were also lots of ape hands to compare ours to…..

And Cousin Kestrel sat and listened to Dr. Charles Darwin talk about The Origin of Species.

It was altogether a wonderfully delightful, exhausting, and heart felt day!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Moore Coffee, Please!

Dear Liza,

Mostly, when we need groceries, we make small trips and walk the goodies home, but when we are out of soda, ice cream and cat litter all at once, it’s time to bring the big guns.

And since we had the car out, we decided to so some wandering. We drove to Collage Art Supplies on Division and picked up some card stock and watercolors on sale.Then we headed to Artifact, a curated second hand store with really neat stuff. I got a new hat! (That is a story for tomorrow).

Then, worn out and needing sustenance before grocery shopping, we hunted for a new place Auntie Bridgett had heard about, Moore Coffee…. “It’s in a little alley,” she said. And she was right. And such a pleasant alley!

The actual coffee is served out of a tricked out Volkswagen van, and the van is parked in a delightfully comfy and bohemian space between and behind two buildings. There are cozy chairs and yummy food and drink. There is shade from the sun and protection from the rain.

And, the young man told us, on weekdays after lunch, there is beer and wine and sandwiches! (Which means we need to make a return visit).

And there was a vintage MAD magazine!

Enjoying the yummy pastry and cooling iced Earl Grey tea while enjoying spoofs on the elections of 1976 was relaxing, delicious and very Portland.

When we finally pulled ourselves out of the old Adirondack chairs and headed for Safeway, we were well prepared. What a lovely day!

Love,

Grandma Judy

August Rain

Dear Liza,

It was been so hot and uncomfortable lately here in Portland. We aren’t at 117 degrees anymore, but consistent 90s and no rain for 50 longs days has made everything very forlorn.

So imagine our joy when we awoke Friday morning to RAIN!!! Glorious, cool, nurturing rain. I opened the windows and sat for a long time, just smelling it. The word for that smell of rain after a dry spell is “PETRICHOR” and is one of my favorite smells.

But after a while, I wanted to get out in it. To feel the splashes on my face and hear the cars whizz by on wet streets, to hear the flowers singing with gratitude. So out I went, and I was not disappointed.

Drops sat like jewels on our hostas and dangled from the birch leaves.

They drooped off the daisy petals as though they were happily sweating dancers.

They turned spider webs in sparkling mysteries.

They made the dusty August colors brighter.

And they let us know God has not forgotten us.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Twelfth Night at Laurelhurst

Dear Liza,

Last night we went over to Laurelhurst Park for some Shakespeare. The Original Practice Shakespeare Company, which could only do Zoom Performances during the Covid Shutdown, is now back to performing its open air, 18-play repertoire in person!

Feste, Sir Andrew and Auntie Toby have a drunken romp

Original Practice means that this talented troupe of players prepares for and performs the plays as the troupes did in Shakespeare’s day. Since there were no copyright laws and printed scripts could be stolen and performed elsewhere, each player was given a scroll with only their lines. Also, since each troupe would perform many plays on a very tight schedule, rehearsals were non-existent. Each performance was, and is, a new experience.

It is delightful!

Twelfth Night is a raucous comedy, full of gender switching and mistaken identities, pompous aristocrats and clever underlings. Performed by the talented OPS, it had us laughing, cheering, booing and swooning.

Sitting in lawn chairs under the trees, enjoying Shakespeare, snacks and wine and surrounded by people, kids, and dogs also enjoying their snacks and wine, is a uniquely Portland experience. I have missed it more than I can say and am grateful to have it back.

Love,

Grandma Judy

It’s a Mystery to Me

Dear Liza,

I am writing a new story!

You might remember that my last story was about a girl who lived in Portland in 1903. She overcame many difficulties and was in a parade for Teddy Roosevelt.

Mouse helps with my map of 1903 downtown Portland

I had so much fun doing the research for it, I sort of hated having to make up a plot. I just wanted to keep learning about the city. I didn’t want to change any of the history, so I couldn’t commit to the story. With that sort of mental conflict, it’s no wonder it didn’t go anywhere.

My new story isn’t taking any research at all, because it is a mystery story that happens right here, right now. All of the action happens in our condominium building as the Covid pandemic is winding down (fingers crossed).

The mystery being solved is a series of thefts from our very own porches, porch pirates style. The Amazon packages go missing and no one knows who is doing it or why. Since I am not being limited by history, I am getting to make it up out of my own silly brain, and I am having so much fun!

The story was suggested by our neighbors John and Stacy and their three legged dog, Trevor. Trevor is in the story, of course, but the hero of the whole thing is our own brave detective, Mouse.

Her natural curiosity is important, because the story is told from her point of view. I am spending a lot of time trying to get into her furry little head. What does she think about things? What are her motivations? What skills does she have that would make a good detective?

Needless to say, this is going to be a very silly story. But I hope it will be fun, too.

I will let you have a read when it is ready.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Pumpkin Gender

Dear Liza,

I learned something at the garden yesterday!

I was bemoaning the fact that so many of my beautiful pumpkin blossoms weren’t turning into pumpkins, and my garden-mates Morgan and Abby set me straight. It turns out, every squash plant (pumpkins, zucchinis, acorn squash, and such) will produce BOTH male and female flowers.

The male flowers will never mature into squash. Their only job is to pollinize, that is, fertilize, the female flowers. Once the bees are done with them, they just shrivel up. They are useful, however, for fancy ‘stuffed squash blossom’ dishes, where you put rice and meat into the flower and then tie it up and bake it. Yum!

The female flowers, once their blossoms are pollinated, will fatten up and become a squash. Ain’t life interesting?

Yellow male flower on the bottom, green female blossom-turned-pumpkin above….

I didn’t know any of this! I love that I am still learning things about gardening.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Sports in Perspective

Dear Liza,

We have always been an active family. When I was young, and when your Daddy David and Auntie Katie were young, we camped and hiked.

Katie played softball for a few years and David sailed in high school.

But while watching the Olympics this week, I realize that we aren’t really a ‘sports’ oriented family. We are not competitive. We have fun whether we win or lose.

We play games to have fun, to spend time together, and to work up an appetite, more than to win.

I understand the benefits of competition, I really do, but recent year’s Olympics have shown the more harmful side of pushing young bodies to their limits, and I am glad we play just to play.

I won’t be bringing home any medals in this lifetime. And I’m okay with that.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Late Summer Magic

Dear Liza,

Welcome to August! I can’t believe this summer is racing past so quickly.

The heat wave here in Portland has sort of upended my usual way of doing things. Since it is so hot in the afternoon, I go to the vegetable plot early to water and harvest the zucchinis, and to check on the tomatoes and pumpkins.

Some days it feels like a race to harvest and eat as fast as they are growing. My gardener friend Tonya has clued us in on how to freeze zucchini to use later, when it isn’t too hot to bake.

Inside the house, Auntie Bridgett’s Sundew (which she bought to eat the fungus flies…. Don’t get me started) is blooming! The perfect, delicate spiral is so pretty!

At Laurelhurst Park, the local Faerie Folk have been out improving their summer homes.

Morning Glories are creating some accidental beauty on telephone poles. They follow the spiral growth model, climbing around and around.

And last but definitely not least, the sunflower that has made this dead chestnut tree its new home. The tree was fatally pruned to a height of about ten feet. I am glad it is having a useful afterlife.

We should all be so fortunate.

Love,

Grandma Judy