Changes and Progress

I got a text from Clover that she had left an envelope in our mailbox.  It was ten $20 bills, totally unexpected.  I was just happy to know we weren't going to see the hottub on our power bill anymore.  I took myself directly, do not pass go, to our local nursery and bought five shrubs:  forsythia, two varieties of elderberry, burning bush and a quince with peach colored double-blossomed flowers, plus three daylilies.  A friend gave me clippings from her yard and I plan to get a few more.  There's still a lot to be done but that's all I'm going to do this year. 

The move was Thursday evening and they had the hot-tub heated and running by the weekend.  Clover sent me this photo.  The outcome pleases me no end.

Last Monday Alexia and I were back at the High Desert Museum living history ranch and Izzie once again baked a rhubarb pie from the garden.  The pie plate was missing so she baked it in the muffin tin as tarts.  I have a feeling this was pretty true to authentic baking, figuring it out without a recipe.

Izzie started as a volunteer when she was a high school student Alexia's age and now as a college student is hired as a seasonal worker.  It took two people to get the tarts out of the pan with four forks but they were just as good as the pie she made last week, notwithstanding the improvisation.

Alexia and I drove up to Redmond on Tuesday to take a painting lesson with Erik Holland.  His girlfriend moved here earlier in the year and is a nurse at the hospital, and has also joined my bookclub.  Erik decided not to make the move just yet as he's still teaching high school art.  This is his demonstration piece on two-dimensional art. I haven't had time to finish my piece but plan to before Wednesday because we have a second lesson that evening. 

I snapped this candid shot Wednesday July 4rd.  She and I went to Tuesday Morning at the Outlet Mall for yarn because we've decided she's ready to tackle a real project.  I found a shawl pattern on Ravelry that has basic stitches and is also interesting.  I was trying to figure out what we did that day, we tend to keep ourselves pretty busy, so I asked her.  "We bought yarn and then knitted for like five hours."  Yes we did!  We said on Patio A by the water feature in the tree's shade and knitted until could could knit no more.

We were supposed to go to a neighborhood yard party that afternoon but got carried away and the mac-and-cheese that I had taken from the freezer to bake was still sitting on the counter at 5:00, but the potluck started at 4:00.  We didn't go.  But we did light off legal fireworks that we got at Costco, watched an episode or Outlander, then Lex and I went down the driveway to watch the fireworks shot off at Pilot Butte and Grandpa toddled off to bed, keeping terrified Sammie company.  The same people who had wandered up our street looking for a good vantage point for the official fireworks ended up coming in our driveway and watching with us again.  They had guests from out of state so we all visited and watched.  It was really quite fun.  As they left we all laughed because we've never seen each of in daylight and would never recognize each other if we did. 

This is Alexia's scarf, and she's a little frustrated because there are mistakes that you can see if you look for them.  My grandmother always said, Who's going to notice that on a galloping horse???  Isn't that the truth?!  She has finally forgiven herself and continues to knit, says it's a fun project.  She's doing great for a first project and I'm really proud of her.  BTW, the Ravelry pattern is River Fog.  I've knitted it for a prayer shawl once and am now knitting it again.

This is my weaving project.  I have a long way to go but I can only weave so long as a time.  I am having to rebuild my strength and tolerance.  Sigh.

Meanwhile, I'm getting my things together to go to my last Ambassador shift (the volunteer who keeps the doors open) at the Bend Art Center.  Bankruptcy has eliminated another nonprofit organization.  I'll post more on that next time when I know more.  We're very sad but are looking at this as an opportunity, a Phoenix-rising-from-the-ashes event.

Passing the Baton

One of my assignments for Thanksgiving dinner is cherry pie.  Years ago when we all lived in Reno we would have quite the crowd and I baked three pies - pecan, apple and cherry.  This one is everyone’s favorite, and since I’m only making one pie I decided to make the crust with butter.  I had no idea that the characteristics of the crust would be so different than when I make it with Butter Crisco.  Someone told me that the chemistry of fat is different according to the fat.  This crust held together well and was pliable and malleable, and boy was it delicious.  It was a hit and I brought home an empty plate. I’m a believer.  Bye Bye Butter Crisco!!  I’ve always made good crust and I think the hand-thrown pie plate by Joe Winter is part of my success but there’s no comparison between my old crusts and the one we ate yesterday.

Son Josh and family went to Reno earlier in the month for a football game between UNR and Boise State, where grandson Logan attends on a band scholarship, and of course the band traveled to the game too.  They had a visit with my daughter who gave them a Christmas present for us that she had lost and recently found while deep cleaning in the house.  It’s from 2015 and is the names of our eight grandchildren.  Since then Gavin became a big brother to Rhett (Everett), and Matt and Julia are expecting Delaney Jane in April, which will bring the total to ten!  My kids went way too long before having their own kids, and just I thought I would never be a grandmother.  Happily I was wrong.

Logan told me recently that he’s decided to declare a visual arts major to go with his criminal justice major.  He told me yesterday that he has signed up for a basic photography class in January.  They’ll be using old fashion SLRs and developing their own film.  My first art and long-time hobby was photography and I even tried my hand with darkroom developing, even took a college class in it.  I asked him if he be interested in my old equipment and he leapt at the chance.  He has to go back to school today so came over this morning to check out my stuff.  He was really pleased and slung the Canon AE-1 around his neck like an old pro. He was surprised at the short strap and was looking to lengthen it, but I explained that it’s short for a reason - closer to your face and doesn’t get bumped around as much.

These are the lenses that fit that camera, and now they’re going to live in Idaho. I laughed at the two packets of lens wipes printed at .21 cents a packet.  I’ve had this stuff for awhile.  My original Canon died a slow and agonizing death.  It had a pin-hole light leak in the cloth shutter so periodically I had to put a drop of India ink on it, but when the tower broke and wouldn’t wind the film, it was time to retire it.  Sadly the film in the camera that day were the shots I had taken of my son’s high school graduation and they were ruined.  And there were four rolls of unexposed film.  I told him I only wanted the canisters to use in weaving for weighting broken warps or floating selvedges.

I also found the folder with some of the work I’ve kept.  I could only develop black and white and so focused on buildings and structures with texture, and old mine buildings were perfect for that.  I got derailed when I discovered Photoshop Elements.

I took a lot of shots of water towers and street lights when we visited New York City and this is one of my favorites.  I’m so happy to hand down my equipment to my grandson and I hope he enjoys it as much as I did.  Meanwhile I need to sign up for a Photoshop class.

Ending a trip and getting ready for the next one

We decided to drive home on Hwy 84 through the Columbia River gorge so we could stop at the Bonneville fish hatchery which is just below the Bonneville Dam.  It’s a huge facility and the most of ponds were filled with 4” baby fish.  Big fish happen in the fall.  We were surprised when a blue heron took flight from one of the cages near us and landed on another cage before taking flight.  I had no idea they were so huge!.  Alexia was entertained by feeding the trout, then told us that her hands smelled like fish!

The grounds are well manicured, absolutely beautiful and very unhatchery like.  This little house holds the viewing window so you can watch the sturgeon swim in their pond.

Reflections on the Sturgeon Pond.

We stopped at the Peter Skene Ogden rest stop so see if anyone was bungee jumping.  It’s a very steep and deep canyon.

There were jumpers and there’s someone at the bottom of the bungee in fact. This gorge was cut by the Crooked River.

Alexia plays Pokémon and wanted to go down to the Old Mill District Sunday afternoon for the Community Pokémon day and also their celebration of two years as a game.

There a lot of people walking around, staring at their phones, and also a lot of people sharing information and giving advice.  There were also a lot of people floating the river.  It was over at 2:00 and I was ready well before that to leave.  My dogs were barking!

She asked me if I would mind giving her a knitting lesson again to see if maybe she could get it this time.  I started trying to teach her four or five years ago and still had her yarn and needles.  I think it’s all the hours of flute practice, but she got it.  Her first try had a number of mistakes so she asked me to show her how to cast off and then we started again.  She has about 8” knitting since yesterday and last night when Ian said goodnight, she told him that she was going to bed to but first she needed to finish her row.  Spoken like a true knitter!!

Yesterday was my volunteer day at the High Desert Museum and she’s so skinny that the costume she wore last year still fit her.  We were on a lunch break with with non-period appropriate brown bags - oops.  It was 97 degrees, the hottest day of the year so far, and we ended up leaving an hour early.  After all, we’re volunteers!

She pointed our this sign to me.  It’s new and tickled my funny bone.

She asked if we could go back to the museum today since it’s been years since she’s gotten to see the exhibits.  Miss Emily was going to light the wood stove at the Miller Ranch House and bake cookies today which Lexi was anxious to see.  Emily is getting better with her wood stove cooking, and in spite of them being rich and very buttery, Lexi ate four of her them.  We both love that museum but after being on our feet for almost four hours, we decided to skip Summerfest, a craft festival in downtown Bend.  We had planned on that this morning but when she pulled the plug on that plan, I wasn’t sorry in the least.  It’s 93 degrees. My dogs are barking again!
She and I worked in the community garden of our church this morning and she wants to go to church with me tomorrow morning.  We’re going to Redmond after lunch so she can see Uncle Matt and Aunt Julia’s new house and pack our bags sometime in between since we need to leave Monday morning at 7:00 for Tacoma.  We didn’t get a housesitter until Tuesday so that’s a relief.  It’s been a busy week.

Portland Trip, Day 2

The Japanese Tea Gardens far exceeded my expectations.  Even with the many visitors I had a feeling of privacy, rest and peace.

I was inspired by the deliberate placement of color and shapes, something I hope to be able to apply here in our high desert yard.

We walked over the koi ponds on wooden walkways.  The fish were huge!

Reflections on a koi pond!

Alexia really wanted to have tea in their tea house which was absurdly expensive but the experience was absolutely worth it. I’ll forget what we paid for it but I’ll never forget that we did it.

When we left, the line for admission snaked around the ticket building and down the street.  Boy was our timing good.  We walked the 1.3 miles back downhill to the Goose Point Max stop - ouch my feet! - and stopped for a late lunch in downtown Portland at the Rock Bottom Brewery.  The Max ticket is for all day so you can get off and on at will.  Our ticket doesn’t say “Senior” it says “Honored Citizen” - so special.  We saw this guy from our table, doing his part “Keep Portland Weird.”

We got to MacKenzie Stadium a little before 6:00 for the 7:00 DCI show.  The first band was from the National Guard for the national anthem, and The Battalion from Salt Lake City were cued up to be the first performance band of the evening.  Parking is always the problem so people continued to pour in through the first couple of the nine competing bands.  Grandson Logan’s performance was our reason for the trip.  All the rest of frosting.

The percussion section includes xylophones and marimbas in addition to the drums on the field.  Only half of the performance is music; the other half is dancers, flag corps and “baton” twirlers who also use wooden rifles. It’s wonderful and exhausting to watch.  When the brass instuments turnEdit to the stands and unload their music full volume, my hair stands on end.  We watched the last band from the top of the stands and then bolted for the car, us and a whole lot of other people.  Last year it took us over an hour to get out of the parking lot.  As it was we got back to the hotel about 11:00.

We stayed at a Best Western by the airport and our suite had a separate room for Lexi, all paid for with credit card points.  It was an easy off and on the freeway, so with the total breakfast they served downstairs we were on the road home by 9:00.  And I can see that I’ll need to finish up with a third post.  This one is long enough.

Quick trip to Portland

We picked up our 13-year-old granddaughter at the California/Oregon state line, halfway between Reno where she lives and Bend where we live, and she’ll be with us for the entire month.  It was July 4th and we quickly realized that few restaurants were opened.  We ended up eating lunch at the Indian casino on the Chiloquin reservation, a surprisingly good lunch.  Ian bought a pack of fireworks at Costco and we started setting them up after dinner.  This is called Poopy Puppy because when lit it produces, well, use your imagination.

Alexia and I walked down to the end of our driveway with camp chairs to watch the city’s firework show launched from Pilot Butte.  A couple of neighbors joined us and Ian stayed in the house with Sammie who was beyond frantic.  There were plenty of illegal fireworks set off in the neighborhood which made for a very entertaining evening but rough on pets.

Thursday morning we were on the road by 9:00 with plans to stop at Timberline Lodge for lunch.  This is the hotel used in The Shining and friends jokingly warned to watch out for the twins!

It is truly on top of the world.  Ian pulled into this space and I made him move the car to an interior space.  The drop-off here is at least a hundred feet with no guardrail.  This is the timberline, no trees grow above it, and many skiers were still enjoying the snow.

Timberline is a WPA lodge finished in 1937 after the six-mile road from the highway was completed.  It was built during the Depression by local craftsmen, many of them over 50.  The furnishings were created by local woodworkers, weavers and blacksmiths.  Many of the original work has worn out and the replacements are still made by local craftsmen.  The Portland Handweavers Guild continues to provide yardage for the curtains and bedspreads.

We got to our hotel by early afternoon and Ian wanted to chill in our room and take it easy.  The reason for the trip was grandson Logan’s DCI (Drum Corps International) performance the next evening.  And that’s when I realized I had forgotten my book, Kindle and iPad.  This was our first trip to Portland and the place I wanted to go was Powell’s book store.  Ian surprised me when he decided that we should go there right then, so we drove two miles down to the shopping center by the airport and IKEA where we parked for free and caught the Max, the light rail commuter train.  Looking at the freeway traffic from the window, I was so glad we didn’t drive in!

Powell’s City of Books is absolutely a destination.  Ian didn’t find any of the books he wanted, but Alexia found two and I found a used copy All Over but the Shoutin’ by Rick Bragg which I’ve been wanting to read for a very long time.  The previous owner left a note in the front that I have left there:  “I thoroughly enjoyed Rick Bragg’s descriptive writing and his honesty in storytelling.  Hope you enjoy it too.”

Ian’s place to visit was Chinatown for some authentic Chinese food.  For the past 15 years he has talked longingly about a place we ate at in New York, where the meats hung in the window and were sliced fresh for meals.  I didn’t like it then and I didn’t like it this time, but I couldn’t complain since I just left Powell’s.

The next morning we ate breakfast at the hotel and caught the Max for a quick trip back to Portland.  Alexia’s choice of a Portland destination was the Japanese Tea Gardens so Ian asked if we thought we were up for a 1.3 mile walk from the rail to it.  She was in track and field this spring and thought it would be a breeze.  We didn’t know it up straight uphill!  And it was a warm humid day, holy cow!  We did it but boy were we dehydrated by the time we got to the top.  First we had to walk through the Rose Test Gardens which are flat, thank goodness.

Fortunately is was still morning so wasn’t too crowded yet.  What a magnificent display!

This was one of Alexia’s favorites.  She quipped that it was a whole sunset in a single flower!


To be continued.

It's a New Day, a New Year.

The celebration on New Years Day centers around sushi and tempura, since after all, we're in a Japanese home.  This party started about 1960 and Ian was there for the first one and I've attended since 1995.  Many of the originals still show up, though some have passed away.  The children are now parents, the college kids show up and there's a new crop of grandchildren.

The sake toast is part of the tradition and this year Mineko and Angie passed it around.  There are three sakes, three cups and three participants in the toast to "past, present and future."  The "future" toast this year was coconut flavor, and as we put our cups back on the tray, Diana quipped, "Oh, the future tastes very good!"

Thursday was the only day that wasn't fully planned so we took the girls to see Into the Woods, which we all loved.  Alexia is a voracious reader and when her parents dropped her off, they realized that we hadn't packed any books.  Ian and I remedied that with a trip to the indie bookstore, Frugal Frigate, and let her pick out three books.  Sis declined, saying that she wasn't really interested in books.

We decided to drive home in two days instead of driving straight through, so Ian made reservations in Modesto but we got there right at 4:00.  Alexia had polished off two of her three books, so after unloading our luggage, we made another bookstore stop, this time to Barnes and Noble, where Alexia got the third in her trilogy and helped Sis pick out a couple of books that she was surprised to find herself enjoying. They were sandwiched into the back seat which only got worse after we made our usual stop at the Ideda's, a Japanese fruit stand in Auburn. No room for feet!!

 This was the sunset that welcomed up home Sunday night.

I haven't been knitting in the past couple of months.  I had two projects on needles and I'm discouraged by the moth damage to the sweaters I knit from handspun yarn.  The truth is that I rarely wear them anyway.  The hotel bed hurt my lower back and it hasn't gotten any better since Sunday so today I took some Aleve and just sat.  This shell was almost done so I finished assembling it, all but the neck.  I bound off too tight so hope that it will stretch in the blocking.  Otherwise, I will have to perform surgery.

 And then I realized that I really don't like the other sweater in progress.  Time for it to go.

There are several steps before this yarn will be ready to knit again.  But it feels good to start over.

 And in the pile of mail waiting for me was the first installment of my Yarn Sample Club from Yarn Barn.  I was too tired to order and when I did call on Tuesday, I got the last cone of silk.  My order is supposed to arrive this afternoon.  I keep looking up at the gate to see if UPS has dropped it off yet.  Somehow I think it's like the "watched pot that never boils."  And now I've got another pot to watch.  I just hung up the phone with Ryan from AVL Looms.  He called to let me know that my electric bobbin winder shipped today and could he please get the credit card information again.  You bet!!