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River View Cemetery, Part 1

Dear Liza,

Yesterday, Auntie Bridgett and I decided we wanted to go on an adventure. We wanted to ride our bikes across the Willamette to the River View Cemetery. It would take about half an hour to get there, and we had maps to show us a good bicycle route. But we hit a snag.

Auntie Bridgett’s Brompton folding bicycle, Nigel, had a flat back tire. Fixing it would involve tools she doesn’t have and time she didn’t want to spend, so we changed our plans. We would drive Nigel to Clever Cycles, then continue driving to River View.

Clever Cycles on SE Hawthorne is the first bike shop we ever went into here in Portland. Auntie Katie rented us bikes from here to ride around town years ago. Eva, one of the many bike mechanics there, looked at Nigel and agreed that she and her colleagues would take care of Nigel and we could pick him up in about a week.

We headed across the river and south to River View Cemetery. I’ve been told that “there’s a lot of good streets buried in River View,” and that this is the “high class cemetery.” It certainly is better maintained than Lone Fir…the lush grass is watered so often in these dry summer months that my sandaled feet got damp. Even the oldest stones are clean and legible, with no ancient grass covering them and no vandalism to be seen.

And this does seem to be the high-rent district for dead folks. George Abernethy, the first Provisional Governor of the Oregon Country, died five years before River View was founded, was buried in Lone Fir, then moved to River View. I guess Lone Fir had too much riffraff.

Founded in 1882, River View holds many of the founders of Portland, names that are familiar to anyone who has even briefly visited the city. William Ladd, (Ladd’s Addition), James Terwilliger, (Terwilliger Curves,) and Henry Pittock. (Pittock Mansion) are all within shouting distance of each other.

Their headstones are often huge, needing to impress upon you just how important these men were. Besides their headstones, there are three benches in a part of the cemetery called Founder’s Park where Mr. Ladd, Henry Failing and Henry Corbett are memorialized, with their accomplishments carved in stone. It seems a bit…much.

However, a bench is a bench, and we enjoyed Mr. Failing’s quiet company as we ate our cheese and crackers. I will tell you more about this interesting cemetery tomorrow!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Flying with the Panther

Dear Jasper and Kestrel,

Yesterday morning, Cousin Liza and I got to have another adventure before I left Salinas to come home to Portland. We woke up early, had a quick breakfast, and got our adventure clothes on. We packed some bread, cheese and blueberries for snacks and were out of the house by 9:00.

We enjoyed looking at all the flowers that are going to seed, and talked about how flowers help plants make baby plants. Her great grandma Billie would be so proud of her! Liza can recognize lamb’s ears by their fluffy leaves, magnolias by their big white flowers and seed pods, and maples by their hand-shaped leaves and helicopter seeds.

Once we got to Hartnell College, Liza knew exactly where we going and ran ahead of me, getting to the panther long before I did. She decided that we should ride the panther (who can fly) to Disneyland, where we would attend a Disney character party, in costume. We got into costume, had manicures, and put on make up.

Liza was Ariel, I was Moana’s Grandma, and the panther was Raja, Princess Jasmine’s pet tiger. We flew on the panther to the airport, where we got on separate planes (not sure why). We performed at a ‘show’ by the student union, where we snacked, saw a squirrel, and fed the birds.

Then we headed across Central Avenue to Central Park. Liza loves to climb and do things that scare her a little bit, knowing that most things are only scary at first. She is always careful to pay attention to where she puts her feet.

I hated to see the morning getting away from us, but soon it was time to head back to her house. On the way, we ran into Irene, a dear lady who worked at Beverly’s Fabrics until it closed last year. We had a hug and a chat and went our ways.

After Liza and I played with a picture puzzle that your mommy Katie used to play with, it was time for Liza and her mommy Olga to take me to the bus stop so I could head home. She told me “Spakoini Notchi” and “Paka” which mean ‘good night’ and ‘goodbye’ in Russian. I am glad that since she has gotten back from her trip to Russia to visit her other grandparents, she is speaking a lot more in Russian. That language and culture is a gift from her family and she should treasure it.

After an hour on the bus and two on a plane, I got home to my city and my people. We stopped for dinner at a new place called Perlot, on NW Fremont, which was tasty, delightful, and musical! We had delicious food, good wine, and listened to jazz by local musicians. What a treat!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Treasure Hunting

Dear Jasper and Kestrel,

Having such a short time to visit friends and places here in California, yesterday I combined one of my favorite people, Donald, with my favorite place, THE BEACH. I wanted to explore a part of the Sand City beach that has interesting things, just off of Highway 1.

We parked on a little road that leads to an old sand and gravel company. The gate was open, so we walked right in. Walking past old equipment and broken chunks of concrete and asphalt felt like we had found the ruins of an ancient city. The high dune above the beach had been covered with poured concrete of different textures, and looked like a lava flow.

We had fun taking pictures of the rocks, sand, and even a lizard who was very comfortable on his broken boulder. Nearby is a huge sand dune that was used by the city as a dump for many years. Because the sand and the stuff dumped in it are always shifting, you have to be careful and wear heavy shoes, because there are sharp and dangerous things. But it sure is interesting!

Climbing straight up a steep, soft sand dune, we found some old rusty chain, bits of beach glass and pottery, as well as new glass and bits of metal. Near the top we found a fellow sleeping in his tent, so we headed off and left him in peace.

On a bluff with a beautiful view, we found benches dedicated to people who had helped Sand City. Police chief Staples and Jerry Smith, men who worked hard to make the city successful, were people I had known when I lived in the area and worked on different committees. It was good to have a quiet visit in such a lovely place.

When we left the beach, Donald wanted to go by the Orchard Supply Hardware store. This country wide chain of really good stores has been around for 90 years, and they are all going to be closed by the end of this year! It makes me sad that 45,000 people will be out of a job, and that folks won’t have this store to help them fix up their houses.

We got Donald’s buckets, hummingbird feeders, and wind chime, walked back to the car and he drove me to Salinas. I was exhausted, but I didn’t care. I felt full of joy, sunshine, and friendship. At Uncle David’s house, I looked at the treasures I had put in my pocket, but realized the real treasures were kept in my heart.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Back to School

Dear Jasper and Kestrel,

**Me, Jamie Gaynor, and Amanda Nichols**

No, I’m not going back to teach! But while I was in Salinas for a few days, I wanted to go see me teacher friends and students at University Park. I got there early so I could get some hugs before everyone got into their lessons. I know how much an unexpected visitor can mess up the rhythm of a class!

I apologize for the shortage of photos in this blog. I was so happy being IN the moment, I didn’t want to spoil it by DOCUMENTING it. Fortunately, Pete Andresen, who has been a parent at University Park for 23 years, happened to take this delightful shot. Thanks, Pete!

I started in the office, to see Mrs. Stoopes. She makes sure all the paperwork (now, computer work) is done properly. She is such a dear lady and I have known her for so long! The office has been almost totally re-configured…the kindergarten classes have been moved to the big pod where I used to teach, and those big classrooms are now the teacher’s lounge and workroom. There is even what they call a PD room, for Professional Development. It’s set up with a screen, projector, and tables.

In the back of that building the old staff room has been turned into offices for Mrs. Padilla and Mrs. Laird, our Principal and Vice Principal. They are beautiful, bright and much easier to work in, I’m sure.

While I was there, I chatted with Mrs. Laird and made arrangements to visit a former student. B is such a fine fellow but has had a difficult time in school. With everyone’s help, especially Mrs. Laird and his Tucci aides, Daniel and Jessica, B is becoming his own best person. It was wonderful to have some time to just sit, eat a doughnut, and visit with him. I hope we will stay in touch!

I visited the new kindergarten rooms in the pod. I admit, I was skeptical about putting all those little noisemakers in one space, but it seems to be working. Mrs. Andersen and Mrs. Bateman are total professionals and know how to manage small people. It was good to see them.

In the Resource Room of the pod, I found one of my favorite people ever…Richelle Drollinger. She has taught special education and Resource for a very long time, and has been an advocate for kids who learn differently for her entire career. I love and respect her for it. She also has a very sweet smile.

As I walked around campus, I saw former colleagues, all of whom are in different classrooms because of the kindergarten switch. Everyone is still finding their feet and unpacking boxes, but the kids all seem happy and glad to be at school.

In the cafeteria I visited with Debi Massey, who is a teacher’s aide and also has the difficult job of running the lunchroom, and Miss Annette, who makes sure the kids get good food. These ladies work so hard and make the school better everyday.

Recess time came and I got to catch up with more students. Aaron has been back to Las Vegas, and got to be a ring bearer at a wedding in Mexico. I was happy to hear that Ramon is still drawing. It seems many of the boys have given up other activities to play Fortnite. This worries me, for lots of reasons. First because it is a game about war, and I would rather they practice peace. It also sets up all sorts of responses that will not serve them well in real life, where they will have to return when the game is over. I do not understand why their parents are willing to spend money to do such a disservice to their sons.

After more hugs and chats, I realized I needed to take off if I was going to get downtown in time for lunch with Pat van Noy, so I said goodbye to my old home away from home. My 28 years there were some of the happiest, and hardest, I have ever had.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Changes

Dear Liza,

The seasons keep swinging around. Summer, though still hot and dry, is turning to Fall. Mornings are cooler, breezes and coming back down the Gorge, and plants have stopped blooming and started seeding.

Our neighborhood has so many fruit and veggie gardens that it’s hard to keep up. Apples, squash and pomegranates are all over, going from blossom to fat fruit.

Maple and linden trees are putting out seeds. The maples helicopter down when a breeze comes by, and the lindens still smell wonderful.

Another sign of fall is house painting and other repairs. Our building is getting power washed, patched and painted in the next few weeks. All our patio furniture and the dozen potted plants are sitting inside, looking like uncomfortable guests. Cousins Jasper and Kestrel finally started school at Abernathy Elementary. I know you are already in your third week of kindergarten! I am so proud of all of you for doing so well and growing so sweet and strong.

With Fall comes changing leaves. These bright red ones way up high are the first I’ve seen, but I know they won’t be the last!

See you soon.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Busy Sunday!

Dear Liza,

Sunday was another full day. As Summer comes to an end, it feels like we are all trying to fit as much sunshine time in before Autumn chases the big events indoors.

Auntie Bridgett was busy most of the day, helping host Mimosa Sunday at the SideStreet Gallery. Grandpa Nelson and I walked down to the Hawthorne Street Fair to see what was going on there. The weather was cool enough that I actually wore my jacket and hat!

The booths were a lively mix of local artisans, people with political agendas, and established businesses hoping to pull in some new clients. The more interesting of the first was a lady (whose name I neglected to get) whose company, Deja, makes lamps from old 33 mm film strips. Each lamp has film from a particular movie…my favorite was “ParaNorman”. The strips of film are hand-crocheted together to make lampshades. The lamps aren’t very bright, but are delightfully moody and I love the re-use of materials.

Another a creative example of re-use was this dress made entirely out of beer bottle caps. at The House of Resource booth. Each bottle cap was hammered flat, pierced, and strung to its fellows with a slightly stretchy rubber strip. I imagine it would need an undergarment and would be very heavy, but it was wonderfully creative.

A booth with a very unusual political agenda was the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement. This is a group of folks who see humanity as a real blight on the Earth, the one species that seems to be making it harder for all the others, as well as ourselves. They say that fewer humans would make a healthier planet and advocate that humans stop reproducing, or, if we have already, don’t pressure our children to. The members of the movement that I met are very positive, cheerful people, who just want to make sure people understand that, when it comes to population, sometimes less is more.

Pets and their people are always a big part of Portland events. We met Millie, a dog who must weigh over 100 pounds, and Hollandaise, a hen who looked very well cared for.

Grandpa Nelson and I got tired and went back home, and then Auntie Bridgett got done at the SideStreet Gallery. She and I walked to the library to return some books and then went back to the fair! I was totally worn out by the time we got home for dinner. We had planned to go to Laurelhurst Park for another symphony concert, but we were done in.

I am sad to say that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and we sure had it yesterday. We slept like rocks and today are enjoying the sounds of men pressure-washing the building prior to re-painting.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Oregon State Fair, Part 3

Dear Liza,

Even more than farm animals, junk food and local history, State Fairs, for me, are all about the handicrafts. After we had seen everything else, including pig races, we finally found the “Creative Living” building.

On the way to the quilts, I met Denise Steele and Carol Dare, who are local authors. Denise has solved an 800 year old mystery surrounding The Magna Carta, and tells about it in The Mystery of the Magna Carta that has computer apps that make it even more interesting. Carol has written four books about women in history, like World War II nurses ( titled When the World Wept) and the Vanport Flood. I plan to keep in touch with them both, to enjoy their books and get advice on my own story.

After some interesting conversation, I was finally headed for my goal. The back wall of the hall was lined with quilts! I have always loved quilts. Historically, quilts were a way of using every scrap of precious fabric, of making a thing of beauty out of leftovers.

But the quilts at the State Fair are not historic quilts, but new creations made by contemporary artisans, men and women who use new fabric, machine piecing and machine quilting to make works of art. Some patterns were very traditional, like the hand appliqued pattern Sunbonnet Sue. Others were charmingly modern, like a flamingo scene or a caricature quilt that looks sort of like Auntie Bridgett’s cartoons. They were bright and fun and made with skill and care.

As far as I could see, the only quilter to use old and recycled material was Bill Crane, a quilter from Portland. He used fabric, found embroidery, and even a tuxedo shirt to make a beautiful, interesting piece of art.

**Bill Crane’s delightful recycled work**

What I missed were hand-quilted quilts. I noticed only two out of the hundred-plus quilts, and these used hand quilting as a bright feature of the quilt, a folksy feature to make it obviously hand-sewn. The goal of “the most stitches per inch” seems to have gone by the wayside with the availability of quilting machines. Beautiful as they are, the precise, overt machine quilting lines lack a subtlety that I value.

We finally felt that we had seen and done everything we could do, and headed back to the car. Grandpa Nelson drove us home and we crashed on the couch, feeling all Oregon’d out.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Oregon State Fair, Part 2

Dear Liza,

After we had visited all the animal barns at the Oregon State Fair, we headed to the midway. The rides and junk food were delightful, but we were careful how we combined them.

Years ago, my equilibrium decided I shouldn’t ride the fast rides anymore, but I sure enjoy watching. Most of them are rides that have been around since I could, though. One vintage swing ride even bills itself as “A Michael Jackson Ride, from Neverland Ranch.” The paint job and simple construction are elegant and really take me back.

The one ride we got tickets for was the “Fair Lift”, benches on a high cable, like the sky ride at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. “See the fair from a chair!” Says the sign. “In the air, if you dare!” We added. It was not only a great view of the whole fairgrounds, low enough to smell the BBQ ribs and hear the music, but a chance to sit down for a full 30 minutes!

Down the fair from the midway was the one room Criterion School, which was in use until 1925. It was moved here from Maupin by the National Guard in 1976 as an example of a standard schoolhouse and is currently maintained and staffed by retired educators from all over the state.

I enjoyed talking with the ladies and seeing the old report cards and desks, but what really got my attention were the old books! I have been trying to find curriculum materials from 1903 to use in my story, and here they were! I took lots of pictures and notes…I will be cruising old book sites soon.

Tomorrow, quilts and things!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Oregon State Fair, Part 1

Dear Liza,

Portland is only about 45 minutes north of Salem, which is the capital city of Oregon. Yesterday we all drove down to see the State Fair. Since the weather has finally gotten a little cooler, it was a pleasant day.

First, of course, was the animals. The FFA and other livestock barns are the heart and soul of any state fair. We enjoyed seeing the sheep and goats get all spruced up, then dressed in little robes to keep them clean while they waited their turn to be shown.

Next door was the poultry, where Auntie Bridgett spent some time talking to the ducks and chickens. They actually seemed to be listening for a while, but were confused by her accent. She speaks California poultry, I guess.

The barns are not just big, they are historic. The poultry barn was build in 1921, the year my Momma was born, and the horse barn in 1919. Included in the poultry were pheasants, which I always think of as wild birds, but these seemed comfortable being in a pen and being admired by hundreds of strangers.

**Not just a building, an historic poultry building**

In the historic wooden horse arena we saw the “Showmanship” judging. This involved a few dozen horses standing, stopping, walking, and backing up. I admired the construction of the arena as well, all wooden trusses and bracing, and wondered how it would have sounded in 1919, when it was jam-packed with local horsemen showing off their prize animals. I confess, horse shows make me miss my dad, your great grandpa Lowell. At every fair I ever went to, he greeted every horse like an old friend.

Walking out of the cool barn we found the beginnings of the dog judging. One handsome fellow was being the practice dog, to make sure the timing mechanisms were working. He was having so much fun, he kept running through his paces backward and forward, having a ball!

By then, it was time to eat, so we went in search of healthy food! Just kidding. I had a baked potato with everything, Auntie Bridgett had a pulled pork sandwich, and Grandpa Nelson had a three course meal: Karmelkorn, a milk shake, and giant pretzel.

More tomorrow!

Love,

Grandma Judy

A New Treat

Dear Liza,

**Quirky Decor in Farmhouse Kitchen Thai**

Yesterday, Portland broke a record, having more than 30 days above 90 degrees this summer. It has been so hot for so long! And today, the weather changed. Yesterday’s high temperature was 93. Today it is 73. Whew!

So Auntie Bridgett and I went for a walk. How nice to be able to walk and not dodge under trees for shade, or worry about if your destination is air conditioned. We wanted to try a new place for lunch, so we walked to Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine, down on Southeast Hawthorne.

This lovely, welcoming place is one of four branches of the same restaurant, the original being in San Francisco. It is located in an old farmhouse and uses the yard as a patio and the glassed-in porch for extra seating. We were greeted and seated and given a menu. Everything looked good, but nothing looked familiar… so we asked the manager about the food.

She explained that this is very traditional Thai food and some was very spicy. She steered us to milder dishes and we ordered Vegan Fresh Rolls for an appetizer.

We got ginger beer and ginger tea to put out any unexpected fire.

The Fresh Rolls arrived, looking like flowers in a pond. The rolls were rice paper, veggies and tofu, tasty, fresh and bright. The pond was a delicious chili/peanut sauce that we couldn’t stop eating. Seriously, we held on to the plate and enjoyed it the rest of the meal.

Our main dish to share was Kai Yang Chicken. The large plate held a half chicken, roasted with a spicy coating, a large bowl of noodles, salad and a quarter of cabbage, a bag of sticky rice, and two sauces; one sweet, one savory.

We were instructed not to worry about utensils, but to use our fingers to pull the chicken apart, peel a leaf off the cabbage, roll the chicken in it, dip it, and enjoy! Also, to dip the sticky rice in everything, including our sauce from the appetizer. We did use our fingers more than usual, but also the knife and chopsticks. Everything was so good!

The combination of moist chicken, sweet and spicy sauces and incredibly fresh veggies was so good, we ate long after we were full.

We chatted about the food and what we are working on. I started writing the new mystery version of my story this morning, and she is getting ready for her last day of training at The SideStreet Gallery, since she has become a full member! So exciting!

We finally had to stop eating and ask for a box, and we walked slowly home, feeling like happy pandas.

We walked past a house that has plums, apples and even sweet chestnuts growing in the front yard! We were marveling at the sheer amount of food growing in this tiny yard when the owner came out and we congratulated him on it. “Come by and get some in the Fall,” he said. “We always have more than we can use.”

Hooray!! We will, thanks so much!

Love,

Grandma Judy