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

Cats Watching Cats

Dear Liza,

With winter colds and Covid, we have been spending more time on the couch, watching TV. It turns out, Mouse has been watching it, too. Our laps are her front row seat!

In years past she has enjoyed baseball and the Winter Olympics, fascinated by the moving images.

And last night, she enjoyed another show. The documentary “Inside the Mind of a Cat” included footage that was just too good to ignore. She got up off my lap and went to investigate, coming almost nose to nose with the cats on the screen.

I know she recognized them as cats, because when they meowed, she reacted. But how she was making sense out of it all, I have no idea.

Ain’t life fun?

Love,

Grandma Judy

Wandering Downtown

Dear Liza,

Grandpa Nelson is still down with Covid, and is staying inside. But Auntie Bridgett and I had some business to do, so we masked up, caught the number 15, and headed downtown. We stopped at the Apple Store to exchange a wrong-sized iPad cover, and Bridgett did some looking at some new goodies.

We wandered down to Muji, a store with lots of wonderful things from Japan. Bridgett loves all the storage options, little boxes and baskets, and picture frames. It is all useful and modern, but what fascinates me is the old books the shop uses to fill up display shelves. Some of them were printed before I was born!

Soon, we heard a man’s voice telling us his name was Jarvis and offering us coffee. There, around a corner of the store, was a one armed robot barista waiting patiently behind a counter.

Of course, we had to give it a try. We ordered and paid from the iPad at the counter, then watched, fascinated, as “Jarvis” made Bridgett a cappuccino, twirling, measuring and pouring. Apparently, it was delicious!

Refreshed by the coffee, we picked out a few nifty things and headed off for lunch.

Up at the corner of Harvey Milk and 5th, we found a new pod of food carts called The Midtown Beer Garden . There were trucks offering tacos, Korean food, Thai baos, and Hawaiian food. I had a Hawaiian chicken katsu, and it was sweet and sour and crunchy, just what I needed.

The most interesting truck was called Bring!, and sold dog treats. As we were standing there, a cute potential customer came by and got a few free samples.

Full of lunch, we walked down to the river and across the Morrison Bridge. I love the long views we get from the bridges, even when the sky and the river are nearly the same shade of grey.

On the east side of the river we caught the bus back home. This was the most exercise I’ve had since I was sick, and I was worn out. A long lay-down and dinner put me right.

I hope you are well, too.

Love,

Grandma Judy

New Year’s Eve Silliness

Dear Liza,

Our New Year’s Eve was spent inside, as usual. It’s just cozier, and Grandpa is still down with Covid. But we did celebrate! Auntie Bridgett made sure the room was properly festive, using banners and garlands we have made over the years.

When it was time to eat, we walked up to Baby Doll Pizza, enjoying Christmas lights on the way. Their vegetarian is my favorite, but Bridgett prefers their cheese pizza on a gluten free crust.

After dinner, I wanted to remember the past year. I had been filling a jar in the kitchen with scribbled notes when good things happened, so I opened and read them out loud. “Nelson books tickets for European trip!” “Kitty, Mike, Isaac and Rhys Visit”. “First Roof Party as Jasper turns 14”.

We toasted the old year’s highlights, smiling at the memories and looking forward to making more. Bridgett and I played a few rounds of Bananagrams. She whipped me, for sure.

Since we were all sick at Christmas, we hadn’t lit (or eaten) the wonderful Christmas Pudding that Jofish Kaye sent up. I got brave, poured on some rum and lit it up, producing this lovely blue flame. PS..It was delicious!

Thanks, Jo!

A few years ago we started a tradition of making silly hats out of used wrapping paper, and it is always fun. I decorated mine with the celebration notes, going for a raccoon-hat sort of effect and missing entirely. It sure was fun, though!

Bridgett’s jester cap was more successful, though Mouse spent a long time figuring it out.

We watched some of the new Scott Pilgrim series and looked at Bridgett’s photos from last year, and at midnight, watched the fireworks over the Seattle Space Needle on TV. And just like that, 2023 was over. We headed for bed so we could see the new year in bright and early with the Rose Parade!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Farvel, 2023 (Good-bye!)

Dear Liza,

I was feeling good enough New Year’s Eve morning to go out for an early walk. Auntie Bridgett was live streaming the service at Twin Lakes Church and Grandpa Nelson was still asleep. It was chilly and damp, but not raining. I layered up with my beautiful new sweater from Donna, warm presents from other years, and headed out.

Even though it wasn’t raining , it has been a wet winter so far and Laurelhurst is beautifully foggy. I don’t know for sure that Narnia runs through here, but it certainly could!

A fine mist hovered in the treetops, making everything mysterious and quiet. The people and dogs seemed to notice it, too. Everyone was extra quiet.

I made a long lap around the park and headed home, feeling that I have ended 2023 as I began it :

Grateful for the love and beauty in my life and ready to give back as I can.

Love,

Grandma Judy

De-Christmas-ing

Dear Liza,

This year’s Christmas has been, to put it gently, weird. We put up the tree and made the house pretty. Parties were lined up and concert tickets bought. Then I got sick with Covid, then Auntie Bridgett. Grandpa Nelson is still fighting the virus.

But it was still Christmas! Bridgett made the house beautiful with boxes and boxes of ornaments, bows and random wintry pretties.

And now it’s time to put them all away. I know, we usually leave things up until the New Year, but our tree is crispy-dry and may be aggravating Bridgett’s allergies. Mouse the cat is getting even nuttier than usual about the ornaments.

So to keep things simple, we’re de-Christmas-ing. Most of the pretties get wrapped up in old tissue and placed gently in boxes, which get Tetris-ed into bins which live in the garage. Some are being offered on our local “Buy Nothing” group in Facebook to make room for the new ones, sent by Bridgett’s mom or bought from local artists.

And the tree.

To get it out of the house without tracking needles over three floors, I got out the pruning shears and pared it down to the nubbins. The branches were taken down in bins and the stump will get lowered off the balcony, sawn in half, and composted. Mouse was not pleased.

I am looking forward to the New Year, but not particularly sorry to see this Christmas season pass. It’s been a bit of a stinker.

Love,

Grandma Judy