Category: Uncategorized

Freezing, Frozen, and Friendly

Dear Liza,

Our city of Portland, Oregon is just not prepared for all this cold! We usually get a few inches of snow, then it warms up, melts away, and we are back to mud.

But not this week. We started with sleety rain, then snow, then more snow, then more sleet… and it just never melted. We are in our seventh day of below freezing temperatures and nasty ice. The walkway between our buildings was getting really dangerous.

So Thursday, Auntie Bridgett and Stacy across the way got themselves bundled up and went out and did something about it! Using snow shovels, regular shovels and even a small sledge hammer, they busted up the ice and shoveled a path most of the way around the building! Lisa, our manager, came out to check on them.

They were out in the freezing cold for more than an hour. I knew I would not be very useful out there, so I made them big cups of hot cocoa to restore their will to live (and finish shoveling). They got a lot done, and then some other neighbors came out to finish the job.

I was totally impressed.

And that afternoon, Grandpa Nelson seemed inspired by their efforts and went for his first outside walk since December 23rd! He used his good sturdy cane and I used the stick Great-grandpa Lowell got in Alaska years ago. We only went a quarter of a block, but it was wonderful to see him up and about.

We are predicted to have a “slow thaw” starting midday today. I’ll believe that when I see it!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Rest In Peace, Brother Tim

Dear Liza,

My eldest brother, your great uncle Tim , died yesterday. He had been sick for a few years after a heart attack in 2019. My cousin Patty cared for him for years until he needed more help than she could give, and he spent his last year or so in a Veteran’s Administration Hospital, where he was well taken care of.

Tim was born March 16, 1948. He was my parents’ first child and was joined by brother Jim in 1950, and me in 1956. We were an active, busy, messy family.

The home movies I was watching last night (transferred from old celluloid film years ago) showed camping trips, water fights and turtles’ funerals. Several scenes show my brothers shooting bows and arrows in Red Rock Canyon.

We were a chaotic, but mostly happy, bunch.

Tim joined the Marine Corps in 1966, and he and Bridget Sequin were married soon after. A few lovely children came along, and Tim was a Dad as well as a proud Marine for about 30 years. He was stationed in Korea, Okinawa, Vietnam, and finally at Camp Pendleton.

When our Dad passed away, Tim joined us in helping Mom get along without her best friend.

For whatever reasons, Tim and I were never as close as we might have been. He was eight years older and a very different kind of person from me. We didn’t always agree with each others’ decisions. But he was my brother, and I will miss him.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Sunny Pictures and a Nice Story… From a Near-Disaster

Dear Liza,

We had some excitement the other day. In the midst of our coldest weather, a neighbor’s pipes broke, flooding his unit. Things could have been a whole lot worse!

David just sold his condo, and was packing up to head to his new home. But the storms made the roads to the coast impassible, so he stayed in Portland for the day, waiting for the roads to be cleared. While he was waiting, the pipe burst.

If he had been out of town, his newly-sold condo would have been flooded, unheated, and his first floor frozen into a skating rink.

As it was, the burst pipe drained the fire extinguisher system, setting off everyone’s fire alarms! We all rushed out to see what was the problem, and began bringing dozens of towels to sop up the mess. It was a real neighbor-helping-neighbor day.

Our dryers were full and our hands were cold, but all will be well. I only hope David’s carpet dries soon.

PS As you can tell, these pictures are not of the clean up. I was much too busy!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Snow Day 2024, Part 2

Dear Liza,

The East Side of Laurelhurst Park was quieter, but still full of adventure. Firwood Lake was frozen all around the edges, making for mysterious-looking layers of ice and branches.

As we rounded the lake and headed up the hill, we saw that the high winds of the night before had claimed some victims.

Two massive Douglas firs had toppled, blocking two different trails. As always, I was sad to see the fallen giants.

I took a dozen pictures near the closest fallen tree, trying to get some sort of perspective of its size. This was the best I could do, taken from just up the hill and showing the whole east end of the park, with folks walking away from us in the distance.

By this time, our toes were numb and our fingers were aching, and it was time to head home. We treated ourselves to some yummy hot cocoa after our hour outside in below freezing weather, feeling very adventurous and justified!

I hope you enjoy whatever adventures come your way.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Snow Day 2024, Part 1

Dear Liza,

It was 16 degrees F and overcast Sunday morning, but Auntie Bridgett and I decided we should go see what all that snow and cold had been up to while we were snuggled inside.

We bundled up in layers and layers, made sure our phones were charged, and headed out. There was plenty to see right around the neighborhood.

Roses were being brave,

trees were surrendering to gravity,

and adventurous families were off to the park!

Inside Laurelhurst Park, the Ravine became the best sled run ever, because you get sliding on the way out and on the way back!

The whole west end of the park was full of bundled-up kids and happy dogs, all being shepherded by chilly, patient grown ups. Happy squeals and panicked shouts were a fine sound track.

Once we got to the flatter part of the park, the shouts and squeals died away and the crackly stomps of winter could be heard. I’ll tell you about that tomorrow!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Yep, It Snowed!

Dear Liza,

The Snow came! Not only did it come, but it blew up, down, and sideways. The temperature didn’t get about freezing for three days. It was a real freezing …..cold …snowy …weekend!

When we woke up Saturday morning, we had just a dusting out on the walkway.

And as the sun came up and the day began, we got wind, and drizzle, and then snow. And it kept up for hours.

The temperature hovered at around 19 degrees F, so the snow didn’t get wet or slushy, and when the wind kicked up, it blew off the roofs like sand off a dune. It was quite a sight.

In the afternoon, our buddy Stacy across the way went out to do some shoveling. We had seen her and her terrier, Trevor, going out for his walks, and her footprints had been getting deeper.

Bridgett thought that was such a good idea, she bundled up and grabbed our shovel and helped out! The Superwomen of the Belmont non-Dairy Townhomes!

The evening came and the snow stopped, but it never did warm up. What a Saturday. Me, I stayed inside.

All day. Drinking tea. No shame.

More news (and maybe pictures from the OUTSIDE of the house ) tomorrow!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Snow-Pocalyse or No-Pocalypse?

Dear Liza,

Here in Portland, Oregon, we do get snow. I know, I’ve walked in it, slid in it, and watched my cat bat at fat flakes through the window. Here are some of my favorite “Portland snow” pictures.

We usually get plenty of warning about it, too. Our local weather service isn’t shy, and even seems to rejoice in warning us of snow flurries, snowstorms, even of a SNOW-POCALYPSE. The problem is, of course, that every storm doesn’t materialize…. sometimes we have NO-pocalypse, just a disappointing set of chilly showers and icy side streets.

So the predictions become games of Weather Roulette… will it be THIS time that the storm comes, planes are stranded and highways become sledding parks? Or next time?

It leads to an uncertainty that can either paralyze or embolden, depending on one’s patience and plans.

Friday afternoon through Saturday of this week, we are predicted to have several inches of white stuff in town, and much more at higher elevations.

Stop by Monday and I’ll have new pictures of the snow (if it shows up) or an ironic poem about the science of weather prediction ( if it doesn’t.)

Love,

Grandma Judy

Rainy Walk

Dear Liza,

Now that I am feeling strong again, and Grandpa Nelson is well enough that I feel comfortable leaving him for a while, I took a walk out to see what last night’s storm had been up to.

The bioswales in the neighborhood are doing their job, collecting rain water as it washes down the street and holding onto it. This allows it to filter slowly into the water table instead of washing tons of street trash and pollutants into the river, making for a cleaner Willamette as well as these lovely little water-gardens.

In Laurelhurst Park, the wind blew down a lot of small branches, as well as turning the Ravine into a mud puddle as big as your house. No dogs were out running around today!

The ducks on Firwood Lake were enjoying all the rain, splashing and having very meaningful conversations. A drake and a hen even swam off together, bobbing their heads and making plans for a more permanent relationship.

And of course, the local daffodils are always impatient for spring! These are up and already have yellow buds, for goodness sake. They are hearty, these daffodils.

I’m glad I got out to see the rain, but very grateful for a warm fire and dry socks once I got in.

And this was what my hat looked like when I got back!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Garlicky Lemon Chicken

Dear Liza,

You know I’m feeling better when I start looking at new recipes. Our Portland weather is cold and is set to get colder, and cooking new things feels very homey and comforting.

An article on the Eating Well website promised Mediterranean One Pot meals, which had an element of poetic justice to it. The reason I cook in cast iron is that I inherited two wonderful pans from your Great-grandpa Lowell, and the reason I cook Mediterranean is that I inherited his faulty cardio-vascular system. So, thanks Dad.

Every recipe in the article called for the use of cast iron, of which I own two; a deep skillet and an even deeper Dutch oven. Cast iron holds heat well and can go in the oven as well as on the stove top.

For the recipe I needed chicken thighs, a lemon, a bunch of kale (I used baby spinach), chopped garlic, chicken broth, and baby red potatoes. It also called for tarragon, but I used oregano. The whole thing would take 45 minutes.

I did all the chopping and slicing, and had all the ingredients laid out in little bowls before I turned on the burner.. This “mise en place”method makes me feel more confident and less likely to be surprised as I go along. No one wants to be caught desperately chopping something as their chicken over-cooks.

I browned the chicken thighs and put them on a plate to wait. Then I browned the potatoes in all that yummy chicken-y olive oil. I then added the chicken broth, lemon, and garlic and the chicken to the pan and hefted then whole thing into a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.

After the 15 minutes in the oven, I hefted the pan out and stirred in 6 cups of kale, enjoying the wonderful garlic lemon steam wafting up at me. Four more minutes in the oven, and it was done!

The chicken, broth, and olive oil had become a wonderful sauce that coated everything. The lemon had blended with the kale to make a sunny-tasting greenery side dish right in the pan. The kale was a bit too wilty (maybe two minutes would be better), but all in all, a victory for Eating Well and ME.

With rain all this week and snow predicted for the weekend, it will be nice to feel fortified with some tasty dinners.

Love,

Grandma Judy

More Crazy-ness

Dear Liza,

With the holiday / sick in bed season over, I can get back to some projects I love. The Crazy Quilt, for example.

Here is my progress so far. 75 blocks pieced out of the 120 I will need, and all but 15 of them have been embroidered. In the picture, there are 20 blocks in each baggie. So, mathematically speaking, I am more than half way done! (With the “block making” step, there are a half dozen more).

I am getting more inventive in my piecing, using tiny scraps to make bigger chunks to apply. This uses up the tiny scraps and also gives a nice contrast of large and small pieces.

I am also having fun with the embroidery, following some curving lines and generally making things up as I go along. I am really enjoying it!

I like how some of the blocks are like their own little work of art, and how others look like an aerial photograph of a really interesting farm.

I’ll keep you posted on the progress!


Love,

Grandma Judy