Tag: Picnicking in Portland

Dealin’ with Camellias

Dear Liza,

We are expecting our lovely Easter weather to turn to rain overnight, so I headed out to the garden plot to do some spring cleaning.

The camellia tree next door always blooms like a lunatic and drops hundreds of blossoms on my plot! I don’t mind much, because nothing is growing yet. But they need to get picked up or they get slimy and invite the slugs in.

Two years ago, you were here and helped out!

But rather than get melancholy about you being far away, I went to work and got the plot cleaned up.

Back home just in time for lunch, Auntie Bridgett suggested a picnic (two picnics in two days!! I am so spoiled!!)

We packed some leftovers from Easter, found a table by the dog park, and enjoyed just BEING. Smelling the blossoms, hearing the people, watching the dogs, tasting the blueberries.

We walked around the park and talked to all the new trees, giving them encouragement and welcoming them to the neighborhood. And anll the way home, the azaleas are beginning to bloom.

What a perfect day.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Dear Friends and Music in the Park

Dear Liza,

As summer is winding down, the activities are ramping up! Sunday was a busy, exhausting, happy, musical day. First our friends John, Jennifer, Amy and Phil came by for lunch. We got caught up on everyone’s news, adventures, children and grandchildren. It was wonderful.

After lunch, I asked our friends to sign my tablecloth. They did, with John (the tall handsome fellow on the left) giving me a real challenge. His self-portrait sure makes things interesting!

When all the shenanigans were done, our guests headed off and we packed some leftovers and went to Laurelhurst Park for some music.

The Providence Stage Band is a very talented group of doctors from our local hospital, and they were performing a concert. We love their Big Band and Jazz era music, and the vocals were classic. “Ain’t that a Kick in the Head?” and “Queen Bee”, “Too Darn Hot” and other songs from the 40s and 50s bounced among the Douglas Firs and picnickers.

As usual, though, the real joy was watching the people! Youngsters dancing by the stage made their own show and got just as much applause as the band.

Couples dancing under the trees had romance, music, and conversation.

There were Dads carrying infants while supervising young stick-collectors.

And of course, everyone brought their dogs!

The air got cooler as the sun went down behind the trees, and the band ended with “In the Mood”, my favorite Big Band piece of all time. We packed up the chairs and walked the three blocks back home, worn to very happy nubbins by the day.

Thanks, friends! Thanks, Providence! Thanks, Portland!

Love,

Grandma Judy