Uncategorized – Page 69

Beyond the Exquisite Corpse

Dear Liza,

I wanted to tell you again about a game called “Exquisite Corpse”, which is not as gruesome as it sounds. Cousin Kestrel first showed it to me about three years ago.

It is a drawing game. You fold a piece of paper into three sections, one above the other. The first player draws the head of a creature, with the neck lines going just slightly below the fold. This gives the second player a place to start. Without looking at what the first player drew, the second adds to the creature. This continues with the third player, who adds the legs, or bottom part.

Auntie Bridgett, Cousin Kestrel and I played it last Friday when she was visiting.

This game is based on a word game invented in the early 1900s by Andre Breton, a surrealist artist in France. In the word game, you add to a story without knowing what it is about. Here, you do it with pictures.

As always, it was fun to draw and fun to see what we created together. I love this dancing-angel-god-thing.

Kes and I did a critter with just two parts, as well, and then there was this Soot Sprite (from “My Friend Totoro”) she drew. These critters were too adorable to throw away, so I made a piece of art with them.

I found a page in my art journal that was just sweeps of blue acrylic, trimmed the Exquisite Corpse drawings, and put them in a scene together.

Here is the story, as far as I have it : A tentacled merboy has discovered a lost baby bird at sea, and takes it to his friend, a confused Soot Sprite who lives on a teeny tiny island. The Soot Sprite isn’t sure what to do with it, but a ballerina-angel-sun god flies overhead and everything turns out okay.

I love that I took a picture game based on a story game, made pictures with it, and then made up a story about them. It’s like a spiral of word/art/word/art that just makes me happy!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Home-Made Wordle

Dear Liza,

It seems that most of the grown-ups in the country are playing an on-line game called Wordle. It has become so popular that Mr. Wardle, who invented the game, has sold it to the New York Times newspaper for over a million dollars.

When you play Wordle, you have six chances to figure out a five letter word. The game gives you clues as to which of your guessed letters are in the right place, the wrong place, or not in the answer at all. Most days, I can get the answer in four or five tries.

The problem is, there is only ONE official Wordle puzzle a day.

We wanted MORE!! So we started doing Wordles on paper.

This is how we play. One person comes up with a five letter word, which they keep secret. The other person makes their first guess, and is given their clues. A dot means “this letter is in the word, but not in this place”. A letter gone over in heavy writing means “this letter is in the right place.” If the letter has no mark, it isn’t in the word at all.

Sometimes the word comes easily, and other times it feels like there is no way you are ever going to get it. And because you have to remember the word you invented and give accurate clues, it is a good brain exercise for both players.

The on-line game has been a fun way to start our mornings, and we play our on-paper version at lunchtime.

Happy brain-gaming!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Unexpected Pie

Dear Liza,

The weather got beautiful for a few days (we call it Fool’s Spring) so Grandpa Nelson and I headed off for an adventure. Like most adventures, it started with lunch.

We had hot dogs and fries at Zach’s Shack while we watched some Olympic downhill skiing. As we were finishing up, Grandpa asked “Want to go up Mt. Tabor?” Of course, I said YES! We were on the right street, we just needed to go a mile east… and gain about 800 feet of elevation.

I love Mt. Tabor. How many cities have their very own volcano? Well, extinct volcanic cinder cone, actually. We followed the path up past the old reservoir on the west side and through the fir tree forest that covers the mountain. Spring growth is greening up the forest floor nicely.

There were lots of people with their kids, dogs, and strollers out enjoying the day. At the top, we chatted with some little girls, and Grandpa tried to tell them that hawks (we were watching one overhead) eat little girls! The oldest, who was about five, said, “No they don’t, they eat Grandpas!” I guess she showed him!

The view of Downtown from the top of the mountain always knocks me out.

We visited the plinth where the statue of Harvey Scott was the last time you visited. It was pulled down last year by folks who hate what he stood for, (which was rich white men being in charge of everything) and his replacement hasn’t been decided on yet.

By then, it was definitely time for pie! We crossed the top of the park and down the other side, finding this amazingly huge maple tree, and headed towards the Bipartisan Cafe.

We passed this cool sheet metal robot, the mascot for Vinje’s Sheet Metal Supplies.

Inside the Cafe, there were fewer tables than before and no couches, so we could all keep a safe distance. Vaccination cards were required, so we knew we wouldn’t be making people sick. I enjoyed the old campaign posters and the blueberry sour cream pie.

The red rosella tea was hot and sweet and just what was needed.

And when we had eaten every crumb, we stepped out and caught the number 15 back home and slept like dead people. We had walked five miles and felt very accomplished.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Katie Turns 4-0!!

Dear Liza,

Your Auntie Katie, my baby and your daddy’s little sister, turned 40 this past Friday.

It was a fun evening! Friends from all over ( even your Daddy in Denmark) got together on ZOOM, and three even traveled from Canada, California and Eugene, Oregon to come visit in person. We called Katie’s sweetie, Marion, mid-party and she came by to join the fun.

Grandpa Nelson, Auntie Bridgett and I brought good food from Pastini to feed everyone. Andrea, Auntie Katie’s business partner, brought a yummy cake and candles from Market of Choice.

There was lots of horsing around and silliness. Auntie Katie brought out her photo albums and we got to visit with long-gone friends and family.

And there were presents! Auntie Bridgett and I had picked out an embroidered pillow at GiftyKitty weeks ago, and now the two snuggling kitties look like Katie and Marion! It is so cute I almost exploded.

When it was time to get Cousins Kestrel and Jasper to bed, we dropped Jasper at his best friend’s house and brought Kes to sleep here so the Party Ladies could continue.
I am so glad we got to be together.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Everything’s Waking Up!

Dear Liza,

I don’t have anything planted in my garden yet, but a whole lot of plants are awake and blooming in the neighborhood.

Jonquils, sometimes called daffodils, are very showy.

There are tall ones over a foot high, who sort of look down on the other plants, and tiny little ones that bloom on stalks about three inches long.

And the deep purple of the crocuses is a nice contrast to the bright velvet green of the moss.

A few streets away, I found quince trees blooming in incredible combinations of colors. One of the ladies said I could come back in the fall and help her pick them. I’ve never made quince jam, but I’m willing to learn.

Happy Spring!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Stitching Memories

Dear Liza,

This past month in Better Homes and Gardens magazine, I saw an idea I really liked. I usually don’t go for their ideas; they are too fancy or expensive or just not my style.

But this one struck a chord with me. The idea is pretty simple, really. You have dinner guests sign your tablecloth with a pen (or in my case, pencil) that will wash out.

You embroider over the signature, then wash the tablecloth, and there is the beginning of a keepsake!

I think this struck a nerve because for so many years we could (and did) have dozens of friends to our house. Dinners, parties, pizza, you name it. But then two things happened in succession. First, we moved away from our home of 35 years, Salinas, to Portland, where we knew literally three adults.

And just as we were getting to know more folks, Covid kept us from having guests over. Having taken all those guests for granted now feels criminally negligent. I want to cherish their presence in our home, to have them with us even when they are gone.

With vaccines, we are able to have people over again! I started the new project last week with Auntie Katie and her friend Marion, and I like the way it looks. I hope to get this tablecloth really crowded with signatures before long.

Including yours, when you visit this spring!

Love,

Grandma Judy

First Day Back in the Garden

Dear Liza,

This past sunny, warm week was so wonderful, I got to get out to the Blair Community Garden.

I pulled up the over-wintering burlap, borrowed the pitchfork from the tool shed, and turned over the heavy, wet soil in my ten by ten foot plot.

I think I heard some earthworms grumbling that it seemed early.

I was happy with my newly-turned soil, and the lavender and catmint seem to have wintered well. I will come back next week and give them a trim.

Once I had woken up my own space, I went to find Ruth, the manager of the garden, and see what I could to to help the rest of the garden. It is a community garden, after all, and all the members of its community help make it the wonderful place it is.

She assigned me the delightful task of ‘waking up’ one of the side beds. This involved light raking (which I do with my hands to avoid breaking tiny new shoots) and pulling off the mulch that has protected the soil and roots during the winter.

This was the best part of the day. Feeling the damp, chilly soil between my fingers and discovering the new plants there was absolutely life-affirming. I felt like Mary Lennox in the Secret Garden, healing the earth as I healed myself. And when I got to repair the edging of the bed with Ruth’s nifty battery powered drill, that was the icing in the cake.

Of course, the next day I woke up, with a sore back, to rain. But the world keeps turning and I have plenty of aspirin, and spring will come.

Looking forward to more garden adventures!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Making Valentines

Dear Liza,

I had so much fun this year, making Valentine cards for those I love! Each one is personal to its recipient.

Auntie Katie has a love of strong colors and deep feelings.

Cousin Jasper is a twelve year old boy who loves food and video games.

Cousin Kestrel is a ten year old art loving, nature loving, fairy loving sweetie.

Auntie Bridgett loves blue, which is complementary to orange. I added words that help describe her, as well.

And for Grandpa Nelson, I used the box from his favorite Valentine candy.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Mouse Goes to Olympics

Dear Liza,

We have been enjoying the Winter Olympics broadcasts. And so has Mouse!

The other evening, Mouse was napping on Auntie Bridgett’s lap and the curling finals came on. She sat up and stared at the screen, then hopped from the couch to the counter. She watched the match for quite a while.

She sniffed at the sweeper the curlers use, trying to figure it all out.

She followed the progress of the stones down the sheets, twitching her ears as they ricocheted around. We still don’t know who she was cheering for.

When the snowboarding started, she got very excited and looked ready to pounce! She is a very athletic, entertaining kitten, for sure.

Have a great week!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Winter Light Festival

Dear Liza,

February is a dark, cold month, and that’s why this is the time for the Portland Winter Light Festival. About six years ago, Chris Herring, an artist and engineer from Portland, visited Lyon, France, and saw their festival. He decided that was just was needed here in Portland.

He got in touch with all sorts of other folks here in town, and they have created our Light Festival for these dark evenings.

Friday evening, we walked out to the two small installations that are closest to our house. It was really cold, so we didn’t go far. They are in the shop windows of an auto parts store and a vintage clothes shop.

A glowing origami style bunny was in one window and a weird, day-glow scene with bouffant hairdos and tiny aliens was in another.

There are bigger installations across town, but they are a long, cold walk away. maybe we will drive there tomorrow evening. But for now, here are some of them, taken from their website.

Pretty neat, huh?

Love,

Grandma Judy