It’s Curtains for You!

Dear Liza,

One of the nice things about living close to Auntie Katie and the Cousins is getting to help out in fun ways. Sometimes that means feeding cats or watering the garden, but this week, I am helping with curtains.

Katie’s bathroom has a window that is old and a bit drafty (not surprising, the building is over 100 years old!) Fortunately, Katie found this gorgeous fabric in a friend’s fabric stash, and asked if I could make it into some pretty curtains.

”Easy Peasy,” I said.

Well, so I thought. The fabric is beautiful and fuzzy on one side, but the back is slippery and needed lots of pinning to stay put while I cut and then sewed it. I said some bad words. Quite a few, actually.

The style of curtain Katie asked for has loops along the top of the curtain to hang on a rod. These are easy…. But I managed to forget what I was doing and needed to cut twice because I had only measured once.
There were more words.

Still, I am making progress. Here is the ‘rough draft’, laid out on the floor with the bits just set together.

I will double check the measurements, pin and sew them tomorrow, and then on to the next project!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Storm Damage

Dear Liza,

We went for a walk between the last storm and the next one, and saw what all that wind, ice and rain had wrought on some of our wonderful trees.

Sunnyside neighborhood was built around 1895, and I can believe that some of these trees have been here that long. The enormous trees are what gives this part of town its charm. But huge trees planted in skinny parkways aren’t always a good idea. There just isn’t enough root ball to support the tree, and disaster can result.

This tree apparently gave a great lean, but stopped before hitting anything. The urban arborists were called, and a quick chain saw saved several houses and power lines.

This wonderful giant fell all at once, probably when it was coated with ice and blustered by winds. It fell across the street, taking down part of a roof and power lines and ripping up a chunk of sidewalk.

I imagine amidst all the crashing and blowing, the lights went out, as well. A terrifying night.

And finally, this power pole came down across from the bank.

Our next rainstorm has just started, and it is really coming down.
Stay strong, trees! We love you!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Stills from Home Movies Part 2

Dear Liza,

Seeing scenes from my childhood has me cracking up. Look at this home movie sequence of my Dad (your Great-grandpa Lowell) encouraging three -year-old me to help with some construction around the house.

He is working on what will become my brothers’ room and I have somehow climbed to the top of the ladder. He sees me (probably given the heads up by my Mom, who must have been running the camera).

So he hands me a hammer! I love the look on my blurry face as I realize how heavy it is, and how he grabs hold to support me.

Many of the movies are full of this sort of situation, things that seem horribly dangerous, but were just life as usual back then. Kids on roofs, shooting bows and arrows, climbing up and down cliffs, and (yep) riding cows.

The hammer sequence ends with Dad taking the tool back and me working my own way back down the ladder (which is missing a step, as you can see). I was not rescued , but allowed to retreat under my own steam. Thanks, Dad.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Stills from Home Movies Part 1

Dear Liza,

After my brother Tim passed away last week, I felt the need to go back in time a little and see where we were as kids. I dug through the DVD cupboard and found the disc I had made years ago of Great-grandpa Lowell’s home movies.

As I watched the badly focused, weirdly framed and out-of-order movies, I got frustrated that this DVD technology, just 14 years old, is already incompatible with the rest of our equipment. Without booting up really old computers, (not my strong suit) the only way to get still frames from the movies is to run the DVD, freeze the frame, and take a picture with my iPhone.

So that’s what I did. But the movie is so old, I ended up with not so much photographs , but a series of Impressionist paintings.

But I like them, anyway. So far this one, of my Momma and me on the shores of the warm, windy Salton Sea, is my favorite.

This one of my Dad and I by a river is my childhood in one shot: Standing by big scary things, feeling completely safe, with Dad quietly explaining them.

More tomorrow!

Love,

Grandma Judy


Braving the Icy Sidewalks

Dear Liza,

Grandpa Nelson’s walk the other day inspired Auntie Bridgett and me, so we headed out. The sidewalks were mostly clear where she and other neighbors had shoveled, but the curbs and patches of re-frozen water were, as Frau Bloucher says, “Twecherous”.

Still, out we went. Past delicate icicles on Camellia leaves.

Past bubbly-looking tree roots.

And past the driveway that had become a hockey rink.

As we rounded the corner, we saw, just a block down on Belmont, a welcoming bastion of American-style hygge…. Our local coffee house, Stumptown.

Golden turmeric milk warmed the cockles of our hearts as we enjoyed the coziness and watched the Magic Number 15 slosh by.

Stay warm, my love!

Grandma Judy

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