For the past year and a half, we have all felt sort of trapped in our homes. Even those of us who really LIKE our houses have felt stuck. With everything closed up, there was nowhere to go. With everyone masked, there was no one to see.
It was for me, a very comfy, familiar imprisonment. I love my home, and I love my people. But being told I CAN’T do something always gets my contrarian hackles up.
And now that people can go out and travel more, I am stretching my legs. I just spent a whole week away from my dear home and people, way across town. This was a favor, an adventure, and a sabbatical, all rolled into one. It was a good time-out-of-time for me to work on a new story idea about a cat detective.
I wonder what changes other people are noticing, what ideas they are having time to ponder while they are having their own sabbaticals.
Will this pandemic lead to people making career and life changes? And when all the changes are done, how will the world settle in?
“Fasten your seat belts,” Bette Davis said in AllAboutEve. “It’s going to be a bumpy night.”
I was in Lake Oswego for a week, and I got home yesterday. After a long wonderful afternoon of hanging out with Grandpa Nelson and snuggling with Mouse the cat, I had to go see what was happening in my plot in the Blair Community Garden.
My neighbor and garden-mate Tonya, whose tomato bushes are taller than me, had said she would water my plot. But you never know.
I will never doubt Tonya again! My garden looks like it is on steroids!
The zucchini plant has spread over the stepping stones, is nudging the lavender and crowding the new ladder I set up for the pumpkin. The whole place looks like it is preparing to run amok.
The tomatoes are setting!!
And there are enough zucchinis to feed us for a week.
What a wonderful homecoming. Now I just have to find a way to support that pumpkin before it snaps.
While I was in Lake Oswego, we made the most of being close to a state park. Grandpa Nelson, Auntie Katie and cousins Jasper and Kestrel all came down and we had a fun afternoon.
Since Tryon Creek runs right through the middle of the park, the trails in and out of the park are steep : DOWN going in, UP coming out. You start in an ivy covered, sparely spaced wood, and hike down to a fairy land forest of mushrooms, marshy berry patches, and ghostly trees.
The park doesn’t have any picnic tables, but we found a fine fallen log to enjoy our lunch on. Right near it was a “seesaw” , made of another fallen tree wedged in between two standing trees. Jasper and Kestrel, with Auntie Katie’s help, got it balanced and made it work!
Besides the seesaw, we found, further on, a “slide”, which Kestrel came down and lost some skin, and a “swing” created by a very loopy growing branch.
There was so much to see! Katie and the cousins climbed down to a boggy spot and found wonderful fungi growing in logs, and we found more just growing by the trail. This would be a perfect home for some goblins.
All in all, it was a day to have fun and remember what wonderful people my grandkids (and daughter!) are growing into!
(And now one with just the girls!)
We drank about a gallon of water and had nice long naps when we got home. What a wonderful day!
These past few days, I have been staying at my friend Amy’s house in Lake Oswego. She and her husband are away visiting their brand new grand baby, and they needed someone to take care of the cats and water their garden. That someone is me.
Lake Oswego is different from the Sunnyside neighborhood where I live. For example, my house is a small condominium in a very crowded neighborhood. There are about 25 people living in 12 different houses in the same space as this one house and yard. This is very much ‘out in the hills’.
And because of that, the neighbors are different. I have been visited by a deer and her two babies, who stopped by but decided that the roofers next door were making too much noise. A squirrel dashed up a tree, stopping just long enough to give me his opinion.
A woodpecker knocked himself senseless flying into the kitchen window and sat on the flagstones for a few minutes, looking like a tiny, disoriented pterodactyl. He flew away just as I was figuring out what box to put him in for transport to the Audubon Society.
The sounds are different here, too. Once the roofers take a break, it is very quiet for a very long time. When the sun goes down there is a wind that fills up the space with the sound of millions of leaves dancing. You don’t hear motorcycles, sirens, other people’s music, or even the chatter of pedestrians, because, being so far out of town, most people drive to get around. It can feel sort of lonely, to be honest.
Terri
The cats here are different, too. Terri and Charlie were strangers to me when I arrived, and I didn’t see them for a whole day. Then one evening, Terri came down to the guest room and stared at me from the doorway, dashing away when I moved. The next day was the same. The third day, I found her in her cat tower and gave her some scritches.
Charlie
Now, she and Charlie come down every evening to get petted, pounce around, and interfere with my solitaire Scrabble game. They still haven’t sat in my lap, but I will be patient.
I am missing Auntie Bridgett, who is in San Diego with her family, and Grandpa Nelson, who is home taking care of Mouse. But we will all be together soon.
Grandpa Nelson came to take me out to lunch the other day. I like it here in Lake Oswego, getting to know the cats and watering the garden, but I do love company!
We drove down to the actual Lake that Lake Oswego, the town, is named for. It is a very pretty lake, surrounded by groves of trees and houses, piers and small boats. There are lots of shops and restaurants, too. People rich enough to build and buy houses on the lake want fancy places to shop and eat. Once these lovely places are built, other folks, like us, come to visit and shop, too.
We walked in the sunshine past public art and fountains down to the lake, looking for a place to have lunch. We saw folks out on the lake, on kayaks and SUP boards, enjoying the sun and the water.
Stickmen’s Lakeside Smokehouse and Brewery served us a wonderful lunch. The staff was very friendly, the pulled pork sandwich excellent, the beer cold and sweet, and the views delightful.
We saw crowds of happy, pretty people, walking, eating, and driving all around town. Families with kids in swimsuits, life jackets and flip flops, teenagers on colorful skateboards, and lots of well-cared-for cars.
Up ahead, I saw a Salt and Straw Ice Cream shop, which I thought was Grandpa Nelson’s destination.
But nope, we continued past, finding a new and different ice cream parlor!
We have visited Tillamook, where they make Tillamook ice cream, and know that they do good work. Besides, a place to sit in air conditioning seemed a good idea. And so it was.
Once we had finished, Grandpa Nelson drove me back to ‘my’ house in the hills, and headed back to Portland. I had a quiet evening with Amy’s cats who are becoming more friendly by the day. Here is Charlie, showing how pretty he is.
After we said good-bye to Jack at Cult, we headed off for a sit down and some refreshment. We knew where there was a good coffee place, so we headed a block up and a block over to Barista. Iced coffee and some A/C sure help on a hot day!
Grandpa Nelson felt better, but was wearing out quickly. He decided to get on the number 20 and head home. Auntie Bridgett and I still had a few places to visit, since we’d come all this way. Along the way, we passed this delightful doorway. Of course, they are a frame shop!!
We continued to Oblation, where they sell nifty cards and writing supplies, including selections from their International Pencil bar. I thought it was a joke, but Auntie loved it!
We also enjoyed looking at their collection of restored manual typewriters.
Our final stop of the day was Dick Blick, a good sized art supplies store. They have just about any pens, pencils, paints, brushes, paper, canvas, beads, plaster, or clay you could want.
They also have a very earth friendly up-cycled basketball court as their floor.
Well, downtown is coming back to life. There are some folks still living on the sidewalks and in the parks, which isn’t really good for them or the city. Some stores are closed and some are damaged. But I am crossing my fingers that the worst is behind us.
And with that happy note, I show you some of our lovely old skyline… trees, clouds, and the Benson Hotel, built in 1913.
Before we moved to Portland, we got rid of an awful lot of books, tools, and clothes that we’d been holding onto just because we had room for them. Garage sales, Goodwill donations, and giving the exercise bike to one of the moving guys helped lighten our load.
But now that we are moved in and settled, we are realizing there is STILL too much stuff, and with the Covid shutdown closing all our local charity donation stations, I felt buried. I mentioned this to Auntie Katie.
”You know about Buy Nothing on Facebook, right?” Well, no, I didn’t. “It’s an online group, but they are totally local. You can give stuff away and ask for stuff. Go check it out.” So I did.
Wow! Buy Nothing is an organization and Facebook Group, organized by neighborhood. Not city, mind you, neighborhood. Ours is Sunnyside/ Laurelhurst. I answered some questions and got signed up. Each post was from a person within 10 or 15 blocks of our house and had a description and a photo of the item being asked for or offered.
“Offer: Five brand new baby onesies, size 6 months.” Or “Ask: Rototiller to borrow for this weekend.”
I realized this wasn’t so much a marketplace as a group of friends who hadn’t met yet. There are a lot of positive, helpful folks out there, and this lets them get together. I gave it a shot.
“ Offer: Tire chains to fit VW Golf. Near SE 33rd and Alder.” Within a few hours, I heard from a lady who needed them, and after a few false starts, she stopped by to pick them up. Since we weren’t vaccinated yet, I put them down by the gate and said “HI” from the balcony. Since then I have lightened our load by two big coats, a few puzzles, a giant box of Mardi Gras beads, and a hat.
The only snag I have run into us the hand-off stage. One lady forgot, twice, that she was supposed to come pick up a puzzle. That’s when I realized I am a better ‘deliverer’ than ‘waiter’. When I have something to give away, I ask for their address and just walk it over, since everyone is so close. I knock, smile, and get one more thing out of my closet, all while meeting someone in my neighborhood.
And I realized it can work both ways. Just the other day, I decided I really needed an old ladder to help support my every growing pumpkin. I put an “ask” on BuyNothing, and got an offer I couldn’t refuse. Free, ten blocks away, and delightfully old. Auntie Bridgett helped me carry and set it up. I am so pleased!
This is a really cool way of getting your stuff out to folks who can use it, knowing you are helping someone out while helping yourself. And it lets you help clear out other folks’ stuff! Check it out!
This spring, our family lost several dear members. My Auntie Bea, her baby brother (my Uncle Rodney), and his wife Barbara all passed away. They had been sick for a while and it was not unexpected. Still, a big part of our family history went with them.
My Aunt Veralene, the baby of the family, is all that is left of that generation. Of my own generation, there are still many cousins with us. And the other day, I met a new one! I will explain.
Uncle Rodney and Aunt Barbara had one son, Mike. He was about 15 years younger than me, so we didn’t know each other well. He grew up, got married, and had children, and I was only dimly aware of it. He got divorced and married again and had another child. And then, tragically, when that child, Mykie, was 17, Mike passed away.
This spring, when Rodney and Barbara passed away, I got in contact with their daughter -in-law, my cousin Mike’s widow, Dawna. We chatted online back and forth as she was trying to clear up the stacks of paperwork that happen when folks die. Quite a while had passed since we talked.
Then, out of the blue, I woke up this week wondering how she was, and sent her a text.
It turned out that she was bringing her child, Mykie, who is now a young adult, up to Portland for a doctor’s visit this week. I asked if we could meet somewhere.
Happily, it worked out. The two of them drove across town and met me at Laurelhurst Park, and we got to visit, exchange philosophies and family stories, and get to know each other. They brought Mykie’s cat, Juney, who travels with them in a backpack that is like a mobile home. He was so excited to be outside!
One of the kids at the park was pretty excited, too. He came over to visit and we all had a laugh.
After a while we hugged and said good-bye, and I headed off to meet Grandpa Nelson and Auntie Bridgett for pizza. I am really happy to have this new cousin in my life!
Auntie Bridgett’s new comic, AuntieBeeswax, has just had its first publication in our local newspaper, Willamette Week! We are so excited, we ran out and got a dozen copies. It is just so wonderful to see her art in the paper.
This morning, Grandpa Nelson even showed us how people who don’t live in Portland can see the comic. This is how you do it.
Google “Willamette Week”. Once you get to the WW page, go to the bottom of the page, where it says “Print editions”. Click on THIS one.
Once you are at that issue, scoot the arrow to page 29, or just flip through the paper (using the arrows) until you get to the comics, which are at the back.
And in case you have trouble, here it is!!
There is a new edition every Wednesday, so just follow the same steps and click on the issue of that date and go to the back to find Bridgett Spicer’s AuntieBeeswax!
Beginnings are delicate, exciting times, and I have a feeling this is the beginning of something big for Auntie Bridgett.
On Saturday, I took Auntie Bridgett on a walk to one of my favorite places, Poet’s Beach, on the West Bank of the Willamette. It is a three mile walk from our house, but it is all a gentle downhill slope, so it doesn’t feel that far! And since it was National Teddy Bear Picnic Day, we took Patches and Brown Bear along.
Walking through new neighborhoods is always fun, so I try to take streets I haven’t been down. This time, we discovered this new tiny free library. It has a chalkboard for messages, and the door opens UP, like a garage door. Very pretty and practical.
As we left the neighborhood and got down by the railroad tracks in the industrial area, shade was hard to find. We were grateful for our hats and the cool breeze from the river.
We found a beautiful new street mural in front of the Portland Opera. It is too big to show in one photo, but here is a fisheye lens picture that shows a keyboard producing music, which then swirls out into the world.
We got to the best bridge in town, the Tilikum Crossing. This bridge is only for pedestrians, busses, and trains. No cars! It is also the newest bridge and not a drawbridge, so it is quieter, without the bangity-bang of the older metal ones.
We picked up lunch at the Starbucks just on the other side, and carried it to our picnic spot by the river. Poet’s Beach!
This is a small area, just under the very loud Marquam Bridge. The river bank here is sandy and the bridge makes deep shade, which we really appreciated on the warm day. The reason this little area is called Poet’s Beach is that there are poems by school children etched into stones along the path down to the river.
We had our tasty lunch, harassed by a very bossy flock of geese who wanted some. They got a surprise, though, when a lady and her dog showed up, and the dog scared the geese right back into the river. We went on our way, too. We enjoyed watching folks play in the fountains and along the promenade of the Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
We walked back across the Willamette on the Morrison Bridge, and then figured out that we were pretty tired. We caught the magic number 15 bus home and rested while watching the Giants beat the Washington nationals.
Dear Liza 