Tag: Stumptown Coffee

Braving the Icy Sidewalks

Dear Liza,

Grandpa Nelson’s walk the other day inspired Auntie Bridgett and me, so we headed out. The sidewalks were mostly clear where she and other neighbors had shoveled, but the curbs and patches of re-frozen water were, as Frau Bloucher says, “Twecherous”.

Still, out we went. Past delicate icicles on Camellia leaves.

Past bubbly-looking tree roots.

And past the driveway that had become a hockey rink.

As we rounded the corner, we saw, just a block down on Belmont, a welcoming bastion of American-style hygge…. Our local coffee house, Stumptown.

Golden turmeric milk warmed the cockles of our hearts as we enjoyed the coziness and watched the Magic Number 15 slosh by.

Stay warm, my love!

Grandma Judy

Smiling Anyway II

Dear Liza,

It was nice to see you, your Mommy and your Daddy on our Mother’s Day ZOOM call yesterday. It was nice to visit with Auntie Katie, too. I am surrounded, as much as I can be, by people who love me. That is a real gift.

Auntie Bridgett and I even got out for a bit of a walk. We avoided the park, because we had seen dozens folks heading that direction and knew it would be too crowded to safely social distance. We walked through our Sunnyside neighborhood and enjoyed seeing flowers, kids on bikes, and even a “Free to a good home” bicycle sitting on the corner. I hope it finds someone nice.

We were happy to see Stumptown Coffee open, and got an iced coffee to help our closest coffee shop. I found the image of the day there, in this magnificent lupine growing out front. The angle of the sun was such that it highlights the Aalto Bar, which isn’t even open now, but that’s the way the photograph clicks sometimes.

We also found this cartoon by a local artist, posted on a telephone pole, that sort of said it all for me at that moment. Amidst the flames, we sit in our houses and cope. “This is fine,” we say.

So, for now, I will be fine, even when I’m not. I will appreciate and relish the beautiful while quietly acknowledging the underlying “What the Heck?” aspects of our current situation. It’s a delicate balance.

Love,

Grandma Judy