I am feeling better! Yesterday evening I walked around the block, did laundry, and even took the trash out. I will live!
Two years ago today
Feeling so good, I will spend today making soup for Auntie Bridgett (who isn’t well yet), walking to do some errands and working on the story. But this morning, I was wondering what I was doing two years ago today. Do you remember?
I was packing up to come down to Salinas, to live with you for my last few months of teaching. That was the strangest thing…. leaving my home here in Portland to live in your home there, going back to a job I’d done for almost thirty years… Getting to see you every afternoon but having to work every day… such an odd combination of new and old, normal and weird.
Adventures with the Panther
And now I am retired, not getting up at six o’clock to teach until three and work until four; snacking when I want, reading what I want, walking where I want. I feel very spoiled.
And, except for missing my adventures with you, I’m okay with that.
This past weekend, after Auntie Christy and Cousin Kyle left for home, we got a call from Grandpa Nelson’s Cousin Paul and his wife, Candace. They were in town to visit friends, and wanted to meet us for a Portland breakfast and see Auntie Katie’s bookshop, Books with Pictures.
Me, Auntie Katie, Grandpa Nelson, and Paul in the shop
We met them at Pine State Biscuits down on Division Street, just a few blocks from Auntie Katie’s place. I’ve eaten their biscuits before, with jam, and wanted to try their gravy, as well. They were delicious!
I was so busy eating that I forgot to take pictures.
Auntie Katie came by to eat with us and catch up on family news before heading off to open the shop at 10:00. We followed along, and spent a fun hour looking at books and visiting on the comfy couch in the shop.
When we had talked ourselves out, they headed off and we headed for home. What a lovely morning.
Three generations! Me, Auntie Katie and Cousin Kestrel
In March, for my birthday, you and your family came up to help me keep a long-overdue promise to MY parents, to put their ashes into the ocean. We all drove over the mountains to Seaside, made a sand castle, and placed them in it. High tide would take them where they wanted to be.
David and Katie built their grandparent’s castle
A perfect Florentine
I started baking with more skill, with new equipment and confidence.
The summer came, and fall…
Leaves in Laurelhurst Park
In September we took the train to Vancouver, BC, and Seattle, Washington, and enjoyed what those cities had to offer.
Vancouver, BC, by daySeattle by night
Auntie Bridgett kept painting, working hard as a member of SideStreet Arts.
Auntie Bridgett and one of my favorite paintings, A Paris
This year also saw the young people growing into wonderful ‘older’ people. Cousins Kyle and Jasper got to know each other and became buddies, bonding over Dungeons and Dragons and video games.
Cousins Kyle and Jasper, being guys together
As for me, I am still working on my story. It has grown from being a story about a CITY to being a story about a girl living IN a city.
My had drawn map of Portland, 1903
I never knew writing a book was so complicated, but I am learning, and I think that as long as I take time and don’t give up, it has promise.
My (at least) twelfth outline, getting more complicated and person- centered
Last year, I kept my promise to my parents. Maybe this year, I can keep my promise to me.
I have spent way too long looking at pictures from this year, and am using this letter to you to put things in perspective.
We started the year with snow.
Chilly Gnome
Auntie Katie, the Cousins and I walked to Slappy Cakes to celebrate her birthday, getting all bundled up against the February cold.
Birthday girl and Kestrel at Slappy Cakes
Just about a week later, we were celebrating Katie’s purchase of the building that would be the new home of Books With Pictures, her bookshop.
Meeting the new shop in February…Less than 11 months later, in full retail mode for Christmas!
The building would also be the family’s new home, and they started off with celebrations, knowing there would be lots of work to do.
and the new home!
Before the summer was over, the Cousins were moved in and making the place into a home.
Cousin Kestrel’s art corner
Another change this year is in the health of my dear Aunt Bea. At Easter, we visited her in a hospital in Corvallis. She was recovering from a fall and feeling very… old.
Aunt Bea, a bit worn down
But by the time we visited her in September, she had moved to Bend and had been reunited with her dear Kitty Cat, and was feeling all spunky and fun again. Momma always said, “Bea doesn’t leave a party…she takes the party with her.”
Me and Bea, feeling like getting into mischief
I will tell you more about the year tomorrow, as I continue getting ready for the New Year!
The Hoyt Arboretum kept showing us things we didn’t expect.
It’s Cold!!
Coming out of the forest, we saw a grove full of lacy bamboo with something…odd…hanging in it. We headed down stone steps and past a Japanese style gate to where we found this sculpture, called Basket of Air, by Ivan McClean. The sphere is about 6 feet in diameter, and it is suspended over a creek by cables attached to three bamboo poles. The “basket” is made of steel but looks as light as a soap bubble. It was so surprising, I laughed out loud! I want to visit it at other seasons, to see how it looks different.
Basket of Air by Ivan McClean Photo Credit Bridgett Spicer
We headed off to The Holly Loop, where all sorts of holly bushes are growing. From the top of the loop we could see Mt. St. Helens, a volcano only sixty four miles away from Portland. Maybe we will go visit it sometime.
When we had seen all the forest we wanted, we started back down.
But wait! There’s the Veteran’s Memorial! Grandpa Nelson and I hadn’t seen it, but Auntie Bridgett had. She sat down to draw while We walked around.
The memorial is in a large ‘bowl’ in the shape of a spiral, and near the top are plaques remembering the Oregonians who died in the Viet Nam War. The war went from the 1950s to 1973, when Grandpa Nelson and I were growing up. My brother Tim was in the war, and Grandpa Nelson would have been if his draft number had come up. This war always feels more personal than others.
Viet Nam Veteran’s Memorial
The cold started to creep through our coats and gloves, and the sun on the moss was chillier. We picked up a very shivery Auntie Bridgett and headed home, for sure this time. Tea and hot cocoa, a rest, and then dinner, put us right.
This has been an eventful year. In January, I left Grandpa Nelson, Auntie Katie and Bridgett and the cousins in Portland to come spend a few months with you and finish up teaching.
January: Dancing at my Goodbye Party
I have tried to find one photo from each month that was special to share with you, but I have too many! So I will fit in what I can.
February: Walking in the hills above Salinas
March: In the hills of Oregon
May: The Grotto in Portland
In the six months I was down in Salinas, I came back up to Portland twice…
There was always a bit of culture shock.
June: Retirement Parties
That is all the photos this writing program will let me include in one blog. I promise to continue with the rest of the year on Monday!
Last night we visited something I hadn’t even known existed: A Night Market. Down on SE 9th and Main, two warehouses and the street between them were closed to traffic and open for business.
Hundreds of vendors of food, wine, spirits, ceramics, jewelry, and handmade gifts of all sorts were packed side by side, filling the space. And filling in the space between the hundreds of booths were thousands of people!
Lovely people at Pip’s Doughnuts
Outside, we enjoyed Pip’s doughnuts, a Chop Chop Chicken Sundae (no ice cream but a very tasty dinner), Greek yogurt, and samples of all sorts of goodies.
Amazing historical industrial remnants
Inside, I enjoyed looking at the old fixtures from when the building was a factory of some sort and delighting in the contrast of cast iron and silver balloons. The mezzanine loft also held booths selling paper goods, handbags, and plants of all sorts.
Decor!
We smelled some lovely perfumes (and a few stinkers) , picked up cards from a few local publishers for future reference, and realized that we had seen all there was to see. It was time to go home.
Yesterday we spent all day, in one way or another, getting ready for Christmas. First thing, Auntie Bridgett and I walked out in 36 degrees F to go shopping. Hawthorne Street, just a bit south of us, has so many wonderful, locally run shops! Asylum, Kids at Heart, Tender Loving Empire, and Memento all have really interesting items that tickle my funny bone. We had a good time choosing special things for our special people.
When the lunch bell in my stomach started going off, we knew it was time to get home. Leftover chicken and cheese made for delicious burritos to keep our spirits up.
Miles and the new tree
Then, the three of us headed off to the big quest of the day: The Christmas tree! Last year, we drove all over town looking for a lot we liked…and finally found a small lot at Belmont and 48th. We went there first this year.
We usually get a Noble Fir, but standing very tall and shaggy, was a Nordman. This was a new type of tree to us, but we liked the height and slightly careless look , so we had the nice fellow tie it to Miles’s roof and took it home.
Sneakin’ in the tree
Our new garage is narrow and pretty full, so it took some real maneuvering to get it in and upstairs…but once installed, it fit perfectly. Grandpa Nelson put up the lights and I brought boxes of ornaments in from the garage, for Sunday’s decorating.
After resting a bit, we wanted to go visit the Open Studio of our friend Nicole Crucio, who makes ceramics. We met her at an Art Show this last summer, when we were headed for Silver Falls. Nicole’s studio is in southeast Portland, in her basement, with a good sized kiln and lots of space. We enjoyed looking at her vases, plaques and paintings.
Nicole Crucio’s work by the fire
She shared her show the her friend Jeni Lee, who does wonderful acrylic paintings with raindrops!! These capture the beautifully atmospheric conditions here in the Northwest and feel cool and welcoming.
Jeni Lee and her raindrop acrylics
At Nicole’s, we also met her dog Stevie, who is very sweet and loves to show off her tricks. She does a figure eight between Nicole’s legs, rolls over, and dances. She was fun. We also ate some cookies from the Morsel Code Cookie Company, baked by a lady who wants cookies to taste good but be less bad for you! Amen to that. Very tasty, indeed.
Nicole and Stevie, showing off
Back home, Auntie Bridgett started the wrapping g of the goodies we had bought on Hawthorne ….coming to you, heading the San Diego for kidlets there, and some staying here in Portland.
One of the many things I love about Portland is that theater and music are everywhere! Last night we took the number 15 to The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall downtown and enjoyed “Swing is the Thing”.
The Schnitz
But first, dinner! The Artbar, a pretty restaurant in the same theater complex, fed us not-too-fancy quiches, fries, and nice local wines. As we entered the lobby of the theater, we heard applause coming from the balcony and went to investigate. Two pairs of dancers were jitterbugging to lively swing music, egged on by the well-dressed crowd. We could tell we were in for a good time.
“The Schnitz”, as it is sometimes called, was built in 1928 and has been restored to its historic voluptuousness. Ceiling decoration, lighting, and painted iron railings all let you know you are in a special place. The performance included the entire Oregon Symphony, directed by Jeff Tyzik and, at certain points, the theater took on the feeling of a opulent lecture hall, with Mr. Tyzik explaining the finer points of jazz and swing and how they morphed into early rock and roll.
Mr. Tyzik and the Symphony were assisted by Julie Jo Hughes, a wonderful vocalist, and Dave Bennett, who plays clarinet and does vocals as well as a wicked Jerry Lee Lewis turn on the piano. Dancers Stephen Sayer, Chandrae Roettig, Hunter Krikac and Karine Hermes came on stage every now and then to stun us with gravity-defying moves and light footwork.
Dancers put on a show before the show!
The first half of the program was dedicated to swing music, starting with “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”, “Pennsylvania 6-5000” and “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”. There was also an original piece called “Harlem Street Scene”, written by director Tyzik. It had a swingy, jazzy dissonance that was easy on the ears but definitely not boring.
The second half was rock and roll, and not nearly as good as the swing portion. If it were not for Dave Bennett’s crazy acrobatics on the piano, the music selections would have felt disappointingly like a mother-daughter dance.
No, I take that back. A song that was not even listed on the program, Julie Jo Hughes singing Peggy Lee’s “Fever”and taking a turn dancing with Mr. Tyzik as he was conducting, was knock down gorgeous.
When the show was over, we crossed the street to catch the bus back home, along with some other music lovers and a violinist. Another lovely night in Portland!
We finally got to have Auntie Katie and the Cousins over for dinner at OUR house last night. I’m not sure why I kept putting it off, I just really needed to feel I was home…and now I guess I do.
The day started with baking! Auntie Bridgett and I made a peanut butter and oatmeal candy I learned from a mentor teacher about 42 years ago. Her name was Joann, so I call them JoJos. We made them for First Friday at The SideStreet Arts Gallery this evening.
Yummy tiny Monster cupcakes
Once they were cooling, we started on tiny cupcakes for dessert with Katie and family. The kitchen sure got messy, with buttermilk flipping onto the counter and powdered sugar making little clouds, but we got them baked, cooled and frosted. The candy eyeballs Grandpa Nelson found at the market last week sure came in handy!
I made pizza dough from a Bobby Flay recipe and had a rest before our guests arrived. We made pizzas, played with Legos, chatted about everything and caught up on Cousin Jasper’s after school program of computer coding.
Kestrel, ready to hand me the paper
Cousin Kestrel taught me a game called “Exquisite Corpse”, which is not as gruesome as it sounds. It is a drawing game. You fold a piece of paper into three sections, one above the other. The first player draws the head of a creature, with the neck lines going just slightly below the old. This gives the second player a place to start. Without looking at what the first player drew, the second adds to the creature. This continues with the third player, who adds the legs, or bottom part.
When everyone is done, you open up the paper and see what you have created! Kestrel suggested I write a story for this one. I will try.
Our finished critter
When Auntie Katie and the Cousins had to leave (bedtime!) we loaded the dishwasher and melted on the sofa for a while before going to bed.
