Political protest in Portland

President’s Day Protests

Dear Liza,

As you know, the United States’ newly installed president has spent his first three weeks in office dismantling the Federal government, rolling back human rights laws, and generally setting himself up to be a dictator.

With his appointment of billionaire racist Elon Musk as head of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), he is quickly firing the staff of any agency that might stop him.

Even more frightening, the Republicans in Congress are doing nothing to protect the government they were elected to.

This angers me… and hundreds of thousands of other Americans.

So on Monday, which was Presidents’ Day, about 2,000 people showed up at Portland City Hall to protest, chant, and eventually march through the streets. A peaceful but vocal crowd marched across the bridges and up the east side, carrying the message of resistance to tyranny.

It was good to be part of something bigger, of a flood of hope and passion for our democracy. Portland’s Raging Grannies were there, and Federal Workers, Union Members, and thousands of just plain folks.

This will not be our last protest, you can be sure. I’ll keep you posted.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Grand Floral Parade, 2024

Dear Liza,

Last Saturday was Portland’s Rose Parade, and we took the number 75 to the Red line train to get there. It was a delightful, sunny, breezy day, and thousands of folks had lined up before we got there!

Fortunately, we found a spot by the rose hedge along MLK Blvd. that was just right. Bees buzzed and flowers bloomed just for us.

The Parade had all the things a parade should have.
High school bands with great cadences,

Silly floats,

marching groups from Portland and around the world,

Therapy llamas,

and kids to share it all with.

There was also political drama, as we should have been able to predict. A group of protestors were demonstrating against the U.S. involvement in the Israeli-Gaza conflict and moved into the path of the parade.

Some of them laid down in the street snd blocked the road, so the marching groups just bunched up and went around them.

I couldn’t get very close, but here you can see, from left to right, the flags of the Peace Corps group as it marched by, the police line, and the Palestinian flags carried by the protestors.

The irony was a little heavy handed, but so it goes.

Everyone behaved themselves as well as could be expected, and the parade continued with the Police maintaining their line. It all made for a busy, entertaining, perfectly Portland Saturday morning.

And when it went from “Lots of Fun” to “Way Too Much Noise”, we caught the Red Line back to the Hollywood neighborhood and walked up to Fleur de Lis bakery for quiche and coffee and some quiet jazz by these two lovely people.

When our tummies were full and our souls at peace, we bussed back home for a well-deserved lay down.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Lots to See in the Neighborhood

Dear Liza,

Spring weather is here! The flowers are popping, birds are singing, and the days alternate between sun and showers.

On a walk through the neighborhood to Collage Art Supplies, we saw our first tulips, hanging out with their friends hyacinths and daffodils

Down in SE Division Street, the employees of our favorite vintage shop, Artifact, are protesting unfair promotion practices and pay. We waved in support of the protesters and will shop elsewhere until the management figures out how to treat its staff better.

Grandpa Nelson was very patient while I picked out my birthday presents, two jars of Mod Podge, two pencil sharpeners and some Liquitex acrylics, which will fill in some gaps in my art cupboard. Then we walked to The Daily Dose coffee shop for a pick-me-up. Nicole Little’s art on their walls was intricate and colorful, showing real skill with a bandsaw and showing the peace sign from my childhood.

Heading back home, we ran into a free roaming duck and chicken, wandering up 32nd Street.

And just to put the SPRING stamp on the day, we saw our first tulip tree blooming! This variety of Magnolia, which popular here in Portland, is not as bulky as those I knew in Salinas. I like them so much better!

Have a great day!

Love,

Grandma Judy