One of our favorite ice cream places, Fifty Licks, had a terrible fire on Friday. The fire started in the basement, climbed through the walls, and pretty much destroyed the inside of the shop.
As soon as we read about it in the news, we headed over to help.
We were sad to see the lovely interior torn up and smoky. It had just been remodeled last year after being shut for a long time after the pandemic. Once the fire was out, Owner Chad Draizin and his crew took matters into their own hands. They parked the ice cream truck in the car bay at Burnside Collision next door, and were serving up six of their delicious flavors.
We were happy to see so many people coming by, having read about the fire, to support this local business with sales and tips.
We have had so many fun, busy days lately, there has to be some days to just do the stuff that needs doing.
I made an appointment for my annual “Wellness” check-up. That’s when the doctor makes sure my old brain and old heart are still up to snuff. It’s going to be a busy summer, so it’s good to get a tune up.
We are also predicted to have a solid week of sunny, over 70 degree days, so I spent some time in the garden, pulling out the invasive mint that climbs through the fence and (TAA DAA!!) putting zucchini seeds in the ground! Their packet says they should “emerge” in 5 to 8 days. I will hold them to it!
After I had washed up, I pulled your Daddy David’s oldest stufftie out of the cupboard. VIP TLC, as your daddy called him way back in 1981, was one of the Shirt Tales cartoon characters. I sewed this one from a printed fabric panel back in the days when money was tight. He was very cuddly!
It’s been 40 years or so since VIP TLC has been washed, and I want to bring him with us this summer. So he got unstuffed and put into the wash. While he was getting clean, I fluffed up the old stuffing. When he was dry, I put them back together. Now he is ready for a flight to Denmark!
My last ‘chore’ of the day was to bring my garden journal up to date. The last time I made a picture for it, the day was grey and wet.
But bright, sunny days inspire bright, sunny colors!
We went out to OMSI the other night for a Science Pub, a program that we have gone to before, but usually at The Kennedy School. Like other pubs, you can have beer or wine, sodas, snacks, and learn stuff!
The big show currently at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry is about Dinosaurs, but we walked right past them (after saying a polite Hello from a safe distance, of course) and into the Empirical Theater.
Urban beekeeper Mandy Shaw was there to talk about her love of, and work with, bees. We are all interested in the buzzy, pollinating honey-makers and Auntie Bridgett’s main character, Auntie Beeswax, is a beekeeper, so we wanted to learn everything we could.
And we did! In Mandy’s hour long talk (complete with great video and even audio recordings of different bee activities) we learned that male bees don’t mate with their own Queen, but with Queens from other hives, at a place called The Drone Zone. This was a complete surprise, and now I wonder where our local Drone Zones are!
We also learned that if a hive makes too many Queens, the spares are killed by the bees swarming her in what is called a Murder Ball, or “Cuddle of Death”, where their body heat literally cooks her. Gruesome, but necessary. This Cuddle of Death is also used to protect the hive from invaders such as Yellow Jackets and Wasps.
Mandy obviously loves and admires bees, and told us about honeycomb ‘memory’, Mason Bees, and how bees build their own honeycomb in a process called “festooning”.
It would take another two dozen blogs to tell you all I learned, and there are folks on YouTube, podcasts and elsewhere who will give you better information. So, go learn! My brain is still processing!
Saturday was National Free Comic Book Day, and we walked out into the Portland rain to celebrate.
At the Ladd’s Circle Park, we found Siri hosting some pool noodle Light Saber contests and handing out “Young Jedi” comics. As you can see, the rain did not dampen their spirits.
Further into Ladd’s, we found Cecily hosting photo ops with this troop of Charles Schulz’s Beagle Scouts and handing out Beagle Scout comics.Why are these little guys so cute? Because Auntie Bridgett painted them, that’s why!
We were getting pretty wet, but wanted to stop by and see Katie at her shop, Books with Pictures. After all, all these tents and activities had been masterminded by Katie and her wonderful staff as a way of building community with fun activities around comics.
We discovered that the shop was full to bursting, with a line out the door! That’s a lot of good vibes there, with folks chatting and staying dry. Sadly, there was so much going on, we didn’t get to hug Katie. A quick wave and a blown kiss will hold me until we see her.
Just up the street we found Charlie on the Abernethy playground, helping people hunt up Pokémon and giving out comics. This little fellow helped me find one!
The rain got heavier and we finally had to call it quits. We sloshed up to Floyd’s Coffee House on Ladd’s Circle for a hot beverage and a sweet treat.
Another volunteer for Free Comic Book Day was there! Felix had us draw pictures of things that frightened us and gave us a scary comic. It’s not my style, but I can put it in one of our Teeny Tiny Libraries.
When we were warm and fed, we waved goodbye to Felix and headed up to catch the number 14 home.
This past Friday was busy around here. It was Grandpa Nelson’s birthday AND First Friday at SideStreet Arts, where Auntie Bridgett was having a show.
The first part of the day was for presents and quiet puzzles. Grandpa enjoyed his refurbished clock and a gift card from Donna.
Later, we headed up to the gallery to see Bridgett’s art, along with the four other artists featured in the Love Buzz show. It was a chilly, drizzly evening, so the crowd was small. But the artwork was beautiful (and so was Auntie Bridgett).
She had paintings, moleskin sketchbooks, zines, buttons, and all sorts of adorable bits for sale. Her fellow artists Jackie McIntyre, Lea Barozzi, Michelle Gallagher and Brenda Scott and were showing paintings, ceramics, and collage works.
I think it is impossible to see bees and be sad. The colors and movement in the show even brightened the grey evening outside.
Grandpa Nelson and I visited with the artists for a while, then walked around the corner to Ankeny Tap and Table for his birthday dinner. Yummy sliders (my first actual beef in over a year… amazingly delicious) , French Fries, good conversation and a glass of red wine made for a fine celebration.
We waved at Bridgett as we headed home, walking quickly as the rain had started in earnest. Love,
Last November, I found Grandpa Nelson’s old clock in the garage. His mom, Mona, had embroidered it for him and his sisters when they were little, about 60 years ago. Over many years and many moves, it had gotten stained and damaged.
I decided to take a chance on repairing it. I peeled the fragile fabric off its Masonite backing and gave it a wash. The stains faded, but didn’t go away.
There was still lots to do. The delicate fabric needed to be strengthened and stabilized. Looking online, I found Hemline Iron-On Invisible Mending and ordered some. Then “craft cowardice” set in, the fear that I would mess it up, and the clock sat waiting for me to get up my nerve.
With Grandpa’s birthday coming up, I wanted to see if I could get the whole thing back together. I pulled out the iron-on repair kit and gave it a try. It worked beautifully! From the front, the repairs were barely visible and the whole thing was stronger.
I added bits of embroidery to spiff it up a bit. A stitch here and there put some of the main lines back, while still letting it show its history.
I ordered a clock mechanism from Amazon, and it went in quick and easy. Polished glass and a red ribbon made it look ready for birthday giving!
Back in March, I got some books about Sister Corita Kent for my birthday. As you might suspect, Corita was a Catholic nun. She was also an artist and teacher at the progressive (as far as Catholic institutions go) Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles back in the 1960s.
I will not attempt a detailed biography here. There are dozens in print and online, by folks who have done their research.
What I want to talk about is how some of Corita’s “Ten Rules’ have affected me and my art.
Number 4. Consider everything an experiment.
I know Crazy Quilts are an OLD thing, but mine is a NEW thing, at least to me. Combining piecing, embroidery, beading and quilting in one totally original creation big enough for two people to snuggle under was a seven month expeiment. It worked out pretty well.
Number 6. There are no mistakes. There is no win and no fail.
This is comforting to me, after years in the classroom where I dreaded making mistakes in front of my students. Knowing I can learn from everything makes me braver.
Number 7. The only rule is the work. It is people who do all the work all the time that figure things out.
For the past few years, with help from Auntie Bridgett and Ruthie Inman, I have been reading, thinking and experimenting with art. The stitches in my Crazy Quilt were an experiment. Laying down layers of collage, then tissue, then ink. Three dimensional constructions covered in paper mosaics… all experiments. I like some better than others, but I learned from them all.
And, as Sister Corita promised, I am figuring things out.
Amy and I went out for lunch the other day, and since we were both feeling adventurous, we went to Cubo de Cuba. I have walked past it since we moved to our house six years ago, and it always smells delicious. Turns out, it is!
This place is colorful, friendly, and very funky. The walls are a bright yellow and have been drawn and written on by hundreds of folks. Tiny cartoons and bits of poetry elbow each other for room all over the place.
Delightful portraits make you feel like you are visiting a happy cantina on a backstreet somewhere in Havana.
It is also very informal. The menu is on the wall by the order window, and there is a wooden pig you can sit on while you make up your mind. The fellows behind the counter are helpful and charming. The cooks are also the waitstaff and bring your food out when it is ready.
And, of course, it is delicious. On such a rainy, chilly day, it was delightful to slurp up some black beans and rice with fried plantains with mango and avocado on the side. There are spicy options, but I opted for non-spicy this time. There was chicken and pork, but I went vegan. And it was all wonderful.
We chatted about upcoming trips (Spain and Italy for her, Netherlands and Denmark for me) , family and remodeling headaches, and cleaned our plates! When it was time for dessert we split a flan.
It was the perfect sweet mouthful.
When we were full and warm, we hugged and parted ways. It is amazing to me that I have such dear friends in my ‘new’ city, places to explore, and new adventures to be had.
We are in The “April Showers” part of spring, and boy, is it drippy! It’s not terribly cold, though, so still good weather for walks.
I needed to get to Auntie Katie’s place to feed Hopey and Maggie while she’s away doing comic business, so Grandpa Nelson and I headed out.
The rose gardens in the Ladd’s Addition Rose gardens are getting ready to bloom! This little guy is showing color already, and by Monday when Katie gets back, there will be lots of blossoms.
In Katie’s own garden at Books with Pictures, the wild roses by the fence are fully open and making the bees happy.
They sure brighten up the corner by the stage!
The tall purple irises are up and looking gorgeous. I love how they look with the antique bed frame Katie has installed as a part of the fence.
Another way you can tell it’s April is that the neighborhoods are covered with tiny green maple seeds.
They look like tiny helicopters close up, but like a green carpet from a distance.
They sure look pretty with the pink cherry blossoms.
When I’d fed the cats and said hello to Sir Isaac Snooten, I joined Grandpa Nelson at Floyd’s coffee house to warm up and rest before heading back up the hill.
We had some lovely bright days this week, before the rain set in. On one of those days, Cynthia and I went to the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden. It was full of happy people and magnificent Rhodies and azaleas.
The forest-y design of the garden lets you wander aimlessly, finding little side trails with wonderful views.
Kids were out, enjoying the day. This fellow wanted to “go talk to the goose.” The goose had no comment, apparently.
And, of course, the bees were busy. This purple azalea was humming with activity!
There is so much peace and beauty to be had in this wonderful place. I have renewed my membership and will head back soon.
Dear Liza 