Grandma Ree's letters

 Dear Family and Friends,  The month of September began with a large, seemingly uncontrollable forest fire that was fairly close to us. Called the Rum Creek Fire, it was ignited by lightning that hit several places on Aug. 20th. Others were extinguished quickly, but this one was in such a remote location on the mountain range directly behind, or to the west of us, and the surrounding terrain was so rugged, that firefighters were unable to get to it.  When strong winds came and carried sparks and embers to other places, it soon became a violent fire that was now approaching the more populated areas. So, more men and helicopters and planes were brought in from all over the country to help control this monster that was creeping closer and closer to our foothill homes and small communities. People were being told to prepare to evacuate at a moment’s notice, as it continued forward, crossing the river into even closer areas. It was really getting scary!  Here at the Park,...

Dear Family and Friends,     I must say that August was a rather busy month for me and my household. After True made up some meals for me, and left specific instructions about watering and caring for the plants during an anticipated heat wave, she left on July 19th to meet her daughter Cedar in Spokane to begin their long-anticipated hike of the last part of the Pacific Coast Trail, expecting to return around Aug 19th. I was to be on my own for a full month, which was OK with me. I kind of like being on my own once in a while, just to see how much I am progressing, and if I am fully capable of doing everything by myself. True had arranged for Linda to get ice cubes from the fridge to give the orchids and other indoor plants a drink of water twice a week. And with the extremely hot weather coming up, the outside plants had to be watered every other day, but she was unsure how it could be done.      That's when I spoke up and said I could move along in my mobile c...

     The month of July literally started off with a BANG! As I was able to observe, from the rooftop of a six-story apartment building overlooking the Willamette River in Portland, the fireworks being shot off with a loud bang skyward from a barge floating on the river. It was a fantastic sight from that vantage point, and I “oohed and aahed” over each one as they burst very near us. How was I, who has not been out of my own surroundings for over two years, witness such a sight, you may ask? Because True invited me (wheelchair and all) to accompany her as she promised to "house-sit and dog-sit" the 4th of July weekend for her friend Kathi in Portland. I was very hesitant to stay overnight anywhere other than my own home, but True kept urging me to give it a try; to have the experience of my first outing. It would be a great challenge, but she would be there to help me. So, I soon became excited to try it.      We enjoyed Kathi’s lovely home and garden, but ...

 

My Dear Ones,      Well, it seems that summer has actually arrived, with temperature salready in the 90s and 100s. I hope this doesn't lead to drought and forest fires later on.      True loves working outside, and has our place looking so nice, both outside and inside, where she has several beautiful orchids. Whenever True leaves for any length of time, she makes sure Linda knows about watering and taking care of everything here. When True was gone for 10 days in June, she was delighted to see everything still healthy and doing well upon her return, including me!     I'm getting to be rather an old hand at taking care of myself while True is gone, especially since she always provides beforehand things for a main meal each day that just have to be heated in the microwave. She is so conscientious about being a good caretaker, even when she's away. I'm so glad she knows that she can be gone for a few days now and then, knowing that I will mange just...

 

Dear Family and Friends,     Well, the month of May has come and gone, leaving me with a few experiences I'd like to share with you.     Since receiving my first prosthesis back in August of 2021, and struggling to learn how to adapt to it, I've felt lucky to have had only one minor "rolling backwards" fall that didn't seem to bother me at all, and True was immediately there to pick me up and get me back using my walker again.     Early in May, I was invited by the youth of the church to a "tea party" in honor of Mother's Day for the elderly sisters in the ward, and I was anxious to attend. I arranged for a ride with someone else to take me to the church. But as the time approached, I was hurrying around and getting frustrated because my ride hadn't arrived yet, but when True told me it was still 45 minutes until they they were supposed to arrive, I was startled, and from the bathroom I turned and stretched to see what time it was on the clock in...