Tag: Spring in Portland

More Art with Ruthie

August 8, 2035

Dear Liza,

Between her busy art gallery (Artful Journey in Peoria, Illinois) and my Shingles, it has been a long time since I’ve sat down for a ZOOM art session with Ruthie Inman in Illinois.

So when we finally got together this week, we yakked and cut and collaged until I was totally worn out! Ruthie had chosen a very fitting collage project.

She had us building a small accordion book to glue into an existing art journal. I am still writing most days in the Journal I was keeping on our France trip, and always welcome the chance to add something interesting.

We measured some light-to-medium card stock about 3 by 5 inches, and joined 5 pieces together by their one inch flaps.

Since it was going in my France Journal, I chose bits and pieces that reminded me of the gardens, museums, restaurants and Emergency Rooms we had visited.

I used quite a few pages from Jennifer’s donated art calendar, adding them to ‘failed’ Gelli prints and roll-off papers, bits of an old Time/Life book on medicine, and pages from falling apart French language Agatha Christie mysteries. When I’m totally happy with it, I’ll stick it in my Journal.

I just love sticking bits of nonsense together to tell a story!

Doesn’t everybody?

Love,

Grandma Judy

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

Barely Spring at the Japanese Garden

Dear Liza,

We got lucky for the last few days, as the clouds scooted east and the sun came out for the Easter weekend.

Cynthia drove us up to the Portland Japanese Garden in Washington Park. The cherry blossoms, these lovely dangling pink flowers, and a few brave camellias were blooming, but most of the flowers were still napping.

Fortunately, this is a garden that doesn’t depend on blooms for its beauty. Trees, bridges, and even the paths are so strong and peaceful, just sitting there.

The stream flowing through the garden, under a variety of bridges and koi ponds, lets everything be quiet but alive, as well.

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And the view of downtown and Mount Hood from the Pavilion Garden was striking.

I wonder, if this time, spring is here to stay?

Love,

Grandma Judy

Early Bloomers

Dear Liza,

Spring doesn’t officially start until next month, but many of the flowers here are ready and willing.

Camellias are always early to the party, and this multi-colored trio at Laurelhurst Park is taller than me and blooming like crazy.

Playing nicely alongside is this amazing striped one. It looks like peppermint!

I do not know the name of this spindly, skinny tree, but it is always one of the earliest to bloom. I love its tiny pink flowers against the dark green of the fir tree, a hundred feet over head.

Warm weather is due this week, and I’ll be out in it. But I love the soggy, as well.

Love,

Grandma Judy

A Ducky Mother’s Day

Dear Liza,

Sunday was Mother’s Day. It was also almost 90 degrees F here in Portland.

Still, I was determined to spend the day somewhere pretty with Auntie Katie and the Cousins. I walked through a very pretty neighborhood full of azaleas to Ladd’s Addition and helped Katie pack a wonderful picnic. When Jasper and Kestrel arrived, we took the Orange Line train to Bybee station and walked a ways around the golf course to the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden.

There was a certain amount of grumbling about the heat, of course.
But we found a shady spot by the lake and settled in. We enjoyed delicious hunks of bread with creamy cheese, strawberries, and radishes.

And as we sat there, a Momma duck and her three babies swam over, hopped out just by our feet, had a grooming lesson and then fell asleep. Right there. It was magical.

And of course, when you get to witness magic, you want to share it. Kestrel quietly walked around, letting people know there were adorable sleeping baby ducks right over here, if they wanted to see them. Many did, and it was nice to see grown up people go all Gaga over the fluffy babies.

When we were full and rested, we packed up and walked around the lake. We found that there was a sale of Rhodies and azaleas, to share the wonderful plants and help support the garden. Auntie Katie found a plant for her garden at Books with Pictures.

The garden folks would haul the heavy plant to the entrance on a wagon, so we were free to make our way back. But we couldn’t carry the plant on the train, it was too heavy and the weather was just getting hotter.

We took some silly selfies and appreciated the incredible blooms, and debated how to get home. Lyft? Uber? Call home? That was it. Grandpa Nelson said he would come fetch us.

And after a very warm day and a very crowded ride home, we all got to relax in our cool houses.
It was a Mother’s Day much like motherhood itself: a bit busy, a bit out of control, but full of love and memories.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Warming Up!

Dear Liza,

We are predicted to have a heat wave in all the western states this coming week, so I headed down to Portland Nursery to gear up! The whole place was very full of happy people. I hunted for a tiny Japanese maple for my bonsai Hundred Acre Wood, but the ones they had were way too big. They did have this extra-large bonsai, called a Penjing. But still no tiny maple for me.

I did find five cherry tomato plants and six lettuce starts, and walked them home. I put them on our balcony to be safe from the predicted thunderstorms.

By then it was noon, so Auntie Bridgett and I had the first-of-many lunches on the balcony, sharing our space with Mouse, the veggies, and whatever neighbors strolled by. When the storms were taken out of the forecast, I hauled the new plants to the Blair Community Garden and put them in.

It was a happy, sweaty, exhausting hour, for sure. But it was what I have been waiting for since March! Getting my hands in dirt is always so satisfying.

Now I need to rig some sort of sun shade to protect my baby lettuces from the upcoming 90 degree heat.

It’ll work out. It always does.
Love,

Grandma Judy

Walking Out for Dinner

Dear Liza,

One of the great joys of a Sunnyside Portland summer is walking out to find lovely places to eat. In any direction from our house, there are at least a dozen places within a mile.

You can walk west through Ladd’s Addition for Central American food at Teote House, north to Helen Bernhardt’s for bakery goods, or east to the Bipartisan Cafe for pie and sandwiches, just to name a few. There are also half a dozen food cart pods.

Last week, on a bright afternoon, we walked down to Division to try the newest, The Farmhouse Carts.

This arrangement of food trucks is in the former parking lot of Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider, a locally made yummy drink based on apples and other fruits. (There is some fermentation involved.)

But aside from being able to buy yummy cold drinks, there are trucks for Thai food, hamburgers and fries, Lebanese Saj, hand-held sushi rolls, and boba tea. There is also a large covered area with family sized tables, which will be much appreciated on our long, warm summer evenings.

We enjoyed the food and drinks, but mostly the theater of humanity that we have missed during the winter (and since the 2020 shutdown)…. Kids finding other kids to play with, moms chatting, dogs nosing around under tables.

It’s good to be out with our species!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Springtime Whimsy

Dear Liza,

After months of being mostly stuck inside, people in Portland go a little silly when warm weather comes.

For example, the Laurelhurst neighborhood flamingos are out again! This plastic flock comes out to support local football teams, celebrate Mother’s Day, and lots of other times. This spring day they are taking a more serious stand, reminding us of their support for Ukraine in its war against Russian oppression.

And as we are spending more time out walking, we see more front yard silliness just down the block. Near one of the city’s tiny free libraries is this tiny tyrannosaurus scene, which might be more terrifying without the tiny cow and frog.

And speaking of tiny libraries, more are sprouting up! Different designs keep the neighborhood interesting and the books safe, and I always enjoy borrowing a new story to read.

I hope spring is lovely where you are, too.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Heading to Auntie Katie’s

Dear Liza,

Our weather has gotten so pretty! Almost 70 F, sunny, and just a tiny breeze. Today I got to appreciate it all as I walked down to Auntie Katie’s house.
I was there for difficult reasons, but the view was wonderful. The garden at Books with Pictures is looking good, and Nick, Kitty and the staff are keeping the shop open and running well.

There is a mighty strain of strep throat racing through Cousin Jasper’s Middle School. He caught it from his best friend’s sister, and gave it to Katie. Jasper is currently staying a few nights at Randall’s Children’s hospital getting treatment, and Auntie Katie is home on antibiotics. We hope for a good recovery for all.

I took chicken soup and made sure Katie had food and a clean kitchen to live with until she recovered. Then I got some lunch for myself from Tori’s Underbite food truck (roasted cauliflower soup, yummy!)

I headed home past the East Rose Garden of Ladd’s Addition. They are all looking good, at a uniform level of new-red- leafiness. Give them another few weeks and they will they explode with color.

The neighborhood between Ladd’s and Sunnyside is always so pretty, with the yards well-tended and explosions of color! This colorful rock garden just tumbles down the side yard of this old craftsman style house, with tall red tulips standing happily above.

Sending love to you and hope you all stay well!

Grandma Judy

A Spring Walk in the Park

Dear Liza,

It was warm and sunny all day yesterday! Grandpa Nelson went to the zoo, I got some ground eggshells worked into the soil in the vegetable garden, and Auntie Bridgett and I went for a walk in Laurelhurst Park.

All our favorite things were there.

Lovely pink magnolias were blooming right over the path, making a fine summery arbor.

A fellow was playing banjo and singing, and lots of folks were enjoying the day.

This sunny and shadowy view of the ravine never gets old.

Even the dandelions are looking good!

On the way home, we ran into this lavender bush that was absolutely alive with bees! Go, bees, go!

And, of course, it’s kitten season. This little guy was pouncing on everything from seeds to bugs to his own shadow, and finally just flumped down on the sidewalk. We are a pretty trio of shadows, aren’t we?

Love,

Grandma Judy