Clinton neighborhood

Tom, Dot’s and la Fete de la Bastille

Dear Liza,

As I said before, Summer days are incredibly busy here in Portland.

This past Saturday we went all over town! First, I watered my growing veggies and pulled out the under-performing radishes. I will plant some carrots in that spot this week and hope for better things.

Then we rode our bikes down to the Clinton neighborhood for brunch with our dear friend Tom! He and I taught together for about 15 years at University Park, and in moving to Portland, I accidentally moved to his hometown. Though he lives mostly in New Mexico now, he still has a house here.

We met him at Dot’s, about two miles from our place. It is a neighborhood classic, but we have never been there. It was delightful! Bright outdoor seating, wacky 1960s indoor decor, friendly service and tasty food all made for a great time.

After we ate, we headed down to Auntie Katie’s Books with Pictures to show Tom the ’new’ shop. Tom has known Katie since she was five years old, and was happy to see her being so successful!

We talked, bought some books, and then all headed off in our own directions.

We had to get to Jameson Square in northwest Portland, where the Bastille Day celebration was on. It was smaller than the previous ‘Fete’ (French for Festival) in 2019. Like everything else, it is still coming back after being shuttered for two years due to Covid.

But the fountain was there, full of happy kids. The wine and Cognac were there, delicious and cold. Beautiful handmade clothes were offered by June, and hung in the shade, allowing us all to feel rich and pretty.

And the music was there, delightful French tunes sung to the accompaniment of an accordion. We sat and listened until the music ended, then caught the bus home.

The day ended with the Giants’ Mike Yastrzemski hitting a walk-off Grand Slam to beat the Brewers! Hooray! And then off to bed.

Love,

Grandma Judy

First Bicycle Adventure of the Year

Dear Liza,

With warm and sunny weather in the forecast, it was only a matter of time before someone said, “We should go out for a bike ride.” This year, it was Auntie Bridgett.

So we did! There was some time spent pumping up tires and untangling bungee cords, but very soon we were off! Grandpa Nelson and Bridgett wore shorts, but I don’t own any! I wore jeans.

We decided to stay on “Greenways”, which are regular streets, but designated as “Bikes have the right of way”, and on special bikes-only paths. This means we didn’t have to worry about getting run over by cars. Always a good thing.

We headed down 34th to the Clinton neighborhood. I thought we were going for ice cream, but we kept going and going. We crossed the railroad tracks using the overpass, and the elevator was surprisingly working! It was very cool.

Not so surprisingly, we found ourselves at Grandpa Nelson’s favorite place : The Tilikum Bridge.

We hopped off the bikes and enjoyed the views of the river right below us and Mount Hood, covered in snow almost a hundred miles away. We were being watched over by a light fixture that looks like something from Star Wars.

But we were feeling the miles and the sun, and decided to head back towards home and find some nourishment. We found another branch of Broder, the Scandinavian restaurant we have enjoyed in the Mississippi neighborhood. Not needing lunch but desperate for sugar and hydration, we ordered ableskivers, lemonade, and cucumber soda. What a treat!

Ableskivers are a Danish speciality, round-like-the-globe doughnutty pieces of fabulousness, and are served with lemon curd and lingonberry jam. We stuffed ourselves and slurped the sweet sodas. It was wonderful.

Eventually, though, we did need to start back. I was dreading going back up the hill, but once I figured out my gearshift ( I have to re-learn it every year) I was fine.

We pulled in, parked the bikes, drank more water, and pretty much crashed. We had only done four miles, but with muscles that hadn’t been used in more than two years.

We will get out for another ride soon, I hope!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Pup Tent Flowers and Gifts

Dear Liza,

One thing I love about going for long walks is that you never know what you’re going to learn.

Grandpa Nelson and I headed south the other day, and ”almost accidentally”stopped at Palio Bakery in Ladd’s Addition for snacks and coffee. While we were there, we texted Auntie Katie, who came by and shared our cake. We caught up on news, and then it was time for the Cousins to be coming home from school!

Down at Books with Pictures, I found something new. Amarette Gregor has opened up her new business, Pup Tent Flowers and Gifts, out of Auntie Katie’s garage!

I asked how this came about, and Amarette said that she just walked into Books with Pictures, introduced herself to Katie and said, “How would you like a flower shop?” And she did!

Amarette’s business is mostly pop-up and delivery, but she also has display space in the garage.

After hugs and a chat with Jasper and Kestrel, we walked through the Clinton neighborhood, passing the historic Clinton Theater, where they still show The Rocky Horror Picture Show every Saturday at Midnight.

As the weather is getting colder, these long walks will be on hold until Spring, but I sure love walking around town!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Print Artist Annie Meyer

Dear Liza,

I met a new artist Saturday! Well, she’s not a “new” artist, she’s been working for years. But she’s new to me. Her name is Annie Meyer and she has a studio and gallery down in the Clinton neighborhood, just about a mile and a half south of our house.

Annie is a painter, but works in different media: mono prints, oils and acrylics, and ceramic tile. Her subjects are mostly abstract landscapes and the human figure. Since she is from the Midwest, she says, she paints mostly empty landscapes, highlighting the feelings they evoke rather than the details of trees and such.

Her large, dreamy works absolutely captivated Auntie Bridgett, and she and Annie talked for a long time. Annie even let us step through a curtain for a glimpse into her studio. It was wonderfully big and cluttered!

Auntie Bridgett explaining something to Annie….

I found a new connection, too! When Annie is in eastern Oregon, doing landscapes there, she works with the Crow’s Shadow print studio, that I learned about at the Fine Art Print show with Poppy Dully a few weeks ago.

I love finding all the networks!

Love,

Grandma Judy

South to Clinton

Dear Liza,

With cooler weather coming on (although it is sunny today) I decided it is time to start thinking about how I’m going to keep busy when it gets too cold to go for long walks. I have started knitting, but what I really love is making quilts. So I need to find some fabric.

Hunting online for fabric shops, I found the ones I already know about, The Whole Nine Yards, which only carries upholstery and drapery fabrics, and Cool Cottons, which carries only cotton/polyester blends. I want a store where I can find heavier and lighter fabrics, cottons and blends, corduroy and sheers, all in one place. I want to be able to see all the fabrics before I buy any of them.

A bit further away I found Josephine’s Dry Goods, about a mile and a half south on Clinton Street. I dropped Auntie Bridgett at Luke’s Frame Shop and headed off.

Along the way, I saw some lovely things and made some discoveries. These beautiful red balls that I have been seeing are actually dogwood tree seeds, and there is another sweet chestnut tree at 26th and Division.

Just past the sweet chestnut tree, I smelled something delicious and realized it was lunch time, so I stopped at La Panza Cafe, It is a small New Mexican place that doesn’t look like much from the outside. I was made to feel at home by the young waiter, whose name I carelessly forgot to ask.

From their lunch menu (though you can get breakfast all day) I ordered chili verde stew with meatballs and a cold, creamy horchata to drink. Maybe it was the long walk and the warm day, but both were incredibly delicious. Jose, the chef, knows his flavors.

After that delicious meal, I continued south to Clinton Street. I found a theater, a video store, art gallery, and comic shop, but finally, Josephine’s Dry Goods, my fabric store of the day. Josephine’s has a beautiful selection, but again, a narrow focus. They carry natural fabrics, the sort used in high-end dressmaking: silks, wools, cottons, linens. Beautiful, but not what I can use for a quilt. I drooled over the silks for a while, thanked the lady, and headed off. Cloud Comics, next door, was clean and bright, but not as nice as Auntie Katie’s Books with Pictures.

The Clinton neighborhood is very pretty, filled with Victorian homes from the turn of the century and old, well tended trees. The street signs highlight the fact that Clinton Street is a Bicycle Throughway, a road that has very little car traffic. Indeed, you can ride down Clinton Street to the river and cross the Tilikum Crossing Bridge. I want to do that bike ride!

I continued up past Sewallcrest Park (which, according to the map, is actually Hazeltine Park) and then home. A three mile walk, a fine lunch, and new things to see…I am a happy Grandma.

But pooped!

Love,

Grandma Judy