Tag: Travel

On My Way!

Dear Liza,

I can’t believe that I am on my way to you, and will be seeing you Saturday for lunch in Billund, Denmark!

This past week has been busy. I spent part of every day taking care of Maggie and Hopey, Auntie Katie’s cats, while she was in Chicago.

I also got to water her garden, which is always lovely and refreshing.

I had a nice walk around the Alberta neighborhood with Cynthia. I have never spent much time there, but it is green and interesting, with lots of history and quirkiness of its own.

It is an eclectic mix of urban and parks, with native plant gardens right next to apartments and tiny toy exchanges.

I even got to spend an afternoon with Cousins Jasper and Kestrel at the Portland Art Museum. Most of the museum is closed for a major renovation. However, along with the Post Impressionists exhibit, a few galleries upstairs are filled with a delightfully random collection of art from the museum’s collection.

Each Cousin picked a favorite piece to be photographed with. Jasper’s is a ‘quilt’ made from computer circuit boards, which makes perfect sense, him being a science and technology kind of guy.

Kestrel chose this enormous still life with incredibly realistic flowers and fruit. It looked so fresh, you could almost smell the strawberries!

And now I am all done packing for our trip. We will spend a few days in Leiden, the Netherlands, get over our jet lag, and then come see you and your folks. I don’t have any pictures of that, of course, but this gets the feeling across…


I am so excited!!!

Love,

Grandma Judy

SOAK Day 3

Dear Liza,

Friday morning at SOAK 2024 dawned warmer and I went for a walkabout with some of my campmates at Limbo Lounge. Following the Principle of Consent, I won’t include their photos here because I forgot to ask permission.

As I walked around, I was surprised by how few cameras I saw. With all this incredible eye candy about, why was no one taking pictures?

I asked a lady who was setting up her camp about this. She explained The Principle of Immediacy, of being in the moment. When you are chatting or cooking or enjoying, putting a camera between you and your subject can spoil that special moment. This made sense to me, and I stopped taking so many pictures, just enough to help my slippery memory be able to relive these days and the magic of stretching out in a sunny hammock.

On one of my walkabouts, I met a fellow named CJ. He asked me if I was sleeping well in all this lovely mountain air, and I confessed that I hadn’t been able to get warm enough to sleep very comfortably. He smiled, walked to his tent, and came back with a fluffy leopard print onesie, like giant baby pajamas with a hood. He put it into my hands.

“How can I thank you?” I smiled, overwhelmed at this gift. “You just did,” he said. “I brought it to give it away, and now it’s yours.” The Principle of Gifting had come home to roost. Part of the charm of this place is intentionally bringing or making things to give away. Not to sell or trade, but simply to gift for the joy of giving.


I regret, just a little, that I didn’t take CJ’s picture. But it would have gotten in the way.

Embracing my new pajamas as well as a new understanding, I walked back to camp and made a few circuits of neighborhood, handing out the four dozen chocolate chip cookies I had made, to bring, to give away.

Katie, Douglas, and I walked out to the Gate with Kestrel for her Gayte shift (everyone has a job to contribute to the festival, according to the Principle of Civic Responsibility).

After some confusion, we had snacks with some lovely people at camp Misbehavin’ and headed back to our camp. We met a dear friend of Katie’s, who knows Kestrel is a textile artist and had brought a new weaving craft to teach her. The two of them hunkered down and had a craft festival of their own, right there by the Cosmic Messenger’s feet.

We got back to camp worn out and happy, and I spent quite a long time just laying in my borrowed tent, listening to the sounds of the camp and appreciating where I was.

Later that evening, Kestrel and I got to make the long walk around the camp in our fancy jellyfish hats! The dark, and the uneven ground, made walking a challenge. But so much fun! Folks would holler “I love your hat!” from their camp chairs, and we even ran into a swarm of about 20 others people in umbrella -type jellyfish costumes, and danced along with them for a while.

I felt like we were really part of the festival, not just visitors. After midnight, we made our way back to the tents. I fell asleep, Kestrel took off to find her Troupe.

Love,

Grandma Judy

SOAK Day 2

Dear Liza,

My first morning at SOAK, I woke up at 5 a.m. The campground was still mostly empty and totally silent. I pulled on my shoes (I had slept in most of my clothes) and went out to see what I could see.

The Tyge Valley is nestled below these incredible basalt buttes, remnants of a volcanic past. The buttes above and the river below, with all the rocky cliffs in between, caught the early light in a magical way. I took deep breaths and let the beauty and peace fill me up.

Walking back toward camp, I got my first look at some of the art and humor of SOAK, and figured we were going to get along just fine. Some of the signs included topics I don’t want to include here, but be assured that the Principle of Radical Self-Expression was on full display.


Kestrel and I had both made jellyfish hats to wear as our contribution to the festival. Kestrel wore hers during the day, but mine was mostly for night wear.

One of the Ten Principles is Radical Inclusion and Participation. We are both allowed and expected to not just SEE the festival, but to BE the festival. Living by the same principle, Auntie Katie and Douglas wandered the grounds some time every day, serenading folks who could sing along with their ukuleles. It is fun to be in all the games.

During the day I walked around with Kestrel and met some jellyfish friends and enjoyed some fresh-made pasta. Only ice is for sale at SOAK, because of the machinery needed to maintain it. Everything else, food, clothes, trinkets, anything on offer, is freely given. This reflects the Principles of Decommodofication and Gifting.

We found some out-of this-world installations that mirrored the clouds.

The main structure, which will be burned Saturday night, was getting its finishing touches. Following the Principle of Communal Effort, it takes many skilled hands to create this wonderful thing. It will be sturdy enough to climb on once it’s done.

By sundown, I had walked miles and miles around the camp, talked to dozens of nice folks, and my eyes and heart were full. It was time to tuck in.

Love,

Grandma Judy

SOAK Day 1

Dear Liza,

I promised to tell you about my first SOAK adventure, so here goes. SOAK is the northwest event connected with Burning Man, and is operated by the same folks, following the same rules. I won’t go into the ‘rules’ right now, because they are easier to understand in practice, which is how I learned them.


But first, we had to pack up and get there. Kestrel, Douglas, Jasper, me and Katie all helped with the packing of the U-Haul. There was so much stuff! Each person needs two gallons of water per day, since there is no water at the camp ground. That means our little trailer carried fifty gallons, or 400 pounds, of water. One of the Principles is Radical Self- Reliance, which means being able to tend to your own needs.

We five packed into the car and headed off up the Columbia Gorge. The long sunny afternoon made for some lovely scenery, and we took pictures out the windows.

By the time we got to Tyge Valley, it was past sundown. Fortunately, SOAK folks must have planned for some work to be done in the dark, and installed this nifty lighted archway by the path that passed through our camp.

Auntie Katie was our tireless, fearless leader.

And before long, we had five tents up and the gear stowed, and with hugs and tired kisses, we all turned in.

Coming up, Thursday morning, 5 a.m.!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Eris, Our New Friend in the Neighborhood

Dear Liza,

We will soon have a new place to eat and drink here in Sunnyside!

Tony Pepe is opening a cocktail bar called Eris (named after the goddess of chaos, and also the dwarf planet) right where our Rendez Vous used to be, just a block down on 34th.

Tony is a very friendly fellow who showed me his progress and told me his plans. He will have some wine and some food, but is mostly a creative cocktail maker. He also, much to my appreciation, loves cats. His own cats are called Victor Babitch and Dante.

Tony was painting today, hoping to get the ceiling done before his furniture gets delivered.

Since he is the sole owner and designer, the place will be a direct reflection of him…. Which means it should be delightful, intelligent, quirky and fun.

I’ll tell you all about when we get to visit Tony and Eris next month!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Pages for The New Journal

Dear Liza,

Once we had the journal cover made, it was time for pages. Since this isn’t a journal for writing, but for doing art in, we were free to experiment.

I started gluing images down to scrap paper, which is always fun. Making THIS piece of junk mail look spiffy by sticking on THAT piece of old napkin is very satisfying.

When the pages were dry, I lined them up with the butterfly cover. I love the way the greens and soft pinks go together.

But wait a second! That cartoon dude is SO out of place! He looks like he got into the book through an unlocked window. He’s adorable, but he’ll have to wait for another project.

I kept looking, and more images kept showing up. This little girl and part of a watch face came together nicely. It needs something else, but it will come.

The Zoom Art group got together again this morning and I added this landscape over the splattered page. Not bad, but as it is here, it felt unfinished.

I put it aside and went on with the day. When Cousin Kestrel came over this afternoon, I asked her for advice. She suggested a setting sun with some rays, and I gave it a try.


I love it! Thanks, Kes!

This page of text strips goes with the color scheme and looks suitably cryptic. The splatters add a little character. As I told Ruthie, “Splattery will get you anywhere!”

And that’s the newest art journal so far.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Tidying Up Inside

Dear Liza,

Auntie Bridgett is expecting a delivery of a book project she’s been working on, so we needed to make some space in the garage. We have quite a few boxes we haven’t even looked in since we moved up from Salinas, so it was time to re-evaluate some stuff.

We waited for a warm day so we could have the garage door open and pull the car out, and hauled boxes from all the far corners and under-stair cupboards. While we were shoving and pulling, there wasn’t time for pictures.

But we found some nifty things!

A pile of postcards sent to your Daddy David and Auntie Katie from your great-grandparents when they were traveling around the country…

….Memories from Auntie Katie’s Drama class at York School in Monterey, and her bat mitzvah….

…. And memories from long ago visits to Disneyland with Rick and Sheila.

We also found some hidden treasures, probably gifts from my adopted Grandpa Phil Conway, in the form of old, old coins. I have no idea what these are worth, but will browse the ‘net and see what I can find out.

All told, it was a busy, get-stuff-done-day, and we were happily exhausted by the time the garage was put back together.
I will tell you about the delivery when it happens! (Insert dramatic music).

Love,

Grandma Judy

Shopping for My Jellyfish

Dear Liza,

Auntie Katie and Cousins Jasper and Kestrel have invited me to be part of their camping group at SOAK this year!

SOAK is the regional version of Burning Man, with lots of folks camping out, making art and music, and having fun together. SOAK is closer to Portland than the ‘real’ Burning Man, being just 93 miles away, and shorter, (four days) and in a more human-friendly area ( a grassy campground instead of a dusty desert). I think it is going to be a fun Adventure.

I haven’t been camping for a long time (here is a picture of your great grandma Billie and me about 56 years ago at Coyote Creek), so I will need to pick up a small tent, cot, and sleeping bag. But I’m sure there are folks out there to borrow from, so I won’t run out and buy those just yet.

Sunday, I went shopping for materials for my “festival” outfit. Since the theme of SOAK this year is “Electric Ocean”, I will try and make a jellyfish-like thing, with dangling lights and lacy bits. The first thing I needed was a hat from which to dangle the bits.

I walked down to Hawthorne Street, where there are lots of used and vintage clothing- type shops.

2nd Street was clean, bright and well organized. Most of their clothes were very current, with lots of jackets and high end atheletic shoes. Good stuff, and a nice staff, but not what I needed.

Crossover, just across the street, was also very current, with nice clothes and about three dozen ball caps, but not what I needed. The lady at the register told me that this store is part of a national corporation, which surprised me. Has clothing become so pricey that used clothes are a paying business?

I made my way a few blocks down to House of Vintage, an old favorite. This store is huge, with lots of corners and nooks and shelves to hunt in. Besides clothing, it carries kitchen knickknacks, fabrics and laces, records and books.

And it was in the middle of all the clutter that I found my hat!

It is a vintage straw hat made by “Billie” Ross of the Palm Beaches, and feels sturdy enough to hold all the lights, ribbons, and doodads I plan on attaching to it.

Now comes the collecting, sorting, and attaching of all the floaty, sparkly, electric bits. I’ll keep you posted. Wish me luck!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Thirteen Hundred Days

Dear Liza,

I have been a student for most of my life. I went to school, like everybody, then college. When I started teaching, there were constant classes (some of which I appreciated more than others) to keep my skills fresh.

When Auntie Bridgett fell in love with France in 2008, she decided to learn French, and I went along for the ride. We took lessons with Veronique Sepulchre and Shawn Quiane, and kept getting better at it. We felt very clever.

Then we returned to France and discovered that while we could read signs and plaques in museums, our lack of spoken language skills left us feeling tongue-tied and a little stupid. Clearly, more work was needed.

Enter Duolingo! This is a free (though you can pay and get extra lessons, if you like) on-line language learning site. You learn at your own speed and can repeat any lesson as many times as you like. There is even a listening component to help with grasping a new language racing by at conversational speed.

When you moved to Denmark, I decided I needed to learn Danish, and Duolingo had me covered. (This little guy at Tivoli is saying “We are building something new here.”) So I have enjoyed a double dollop of language.


And as of this morning, I have been on Duolingo every darn day for 1,300 days!

I thank Auntie Bridgett for being a good example and Mouse the cat for pinning me down on the couch until I finish my allotted hour.

And now I need to get this posted.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Getting Revved Up

Dear Liza,

We are starting to get ready for our trip to visit you!!

We have dusted off the passports, bought the tickets, and arranged for a sweet cat-sitter for Mouse. We are looking at all our travel books, feeling homesick for dear Paris and three other cities we have never even been to.

With weeks still to go until we leave, I have been channeling all this travel energy into an art-y calendar. This has allowed me to do my worrying in advance, looking at days that will be spent on planes, trains, and bicycle.

Each day has a color that shows what sort of energy I’m expecting in that day. Some days are bound to be more chaotic than others… our first day in Paris (notice the green swoosh of the Seine flowing through those days) and the Sunday when Auntie Katie and the cousins will join us (and you) in Horsens.

Of course, this is all speculation, but it is a harmless place to get my ideas and dreams for the trip down on paper when words escape me.

See you soon, my love.

Grandma Judy