THE GRAND-KIDS ARE COMING! THEY'LL SOON BE HERE!

Lucy and I anticipate eagerly our grand-kids' stay with us beginning April 13 and ending on Easter Sunday. It'll be a new experience for them and for us. Whereas in DuPont, they had the run of a large house, a fenced yard and parks, here in Portland they'll be in a small house they've never seen before, a tiny yard and only one nearby park—small, with minimal play equipment.

Eli and Julian

Questions galore have come up about the visit. At the top of the list: What will the kids do for nearly a week while their parents are in California? We "grands" are making a to-do list, including the Portland riverfront, an OHSU tram ride, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and the little known but fun Rock Museum near North Plains. Also, the grand-kids' cousins' live only a mile away and that'll lead to fun times whenever they can be together.

Abby and Jasper

Looking back, I have such vivid memories of my many childhood trips to Spokane with my parents for family visits. I loved sitting on Grandma Elisabeth's lap as she rocked in her chair. She was a totally sweet woman.

Also, I enjoyed working with my mom in Grandma Emma's huge flower gardens covering three city lots north of Spokane Falls. More than the garden work, I thrived on playing in her root cellar. Yes! She had a 12-by-12-foot root cellar under her house. I remember the pungent odor and the darkness of the place, barely dispelled by one naked light bulb hanging from the ceiling. I recall the mystery of the many shelves and their contents.

(All of this and much more on Spokane area visits in Growing Green Two Ways! My relatives there were so helpful to me. Spokane is the "old country" to me.)

Back to the future, I hope that my grand-kids long will retain great memories of their visits to Lucy's and my series of homes in Washington and in Oregon. We'll try our dead-level best to make their experiences here in Portland both novel and loving.

What are you doing by way of family visits in the coming couple of weeks? Or, if you have any suggestions about what we might offer by way of field trips, games or whatever, let us know by commenting (use button below) or by e-mail.

P.S. Click the "Comments" button below to read a great recap of Holy Week and Easter experiences at Indian Fields United Methodist Church. Then, for additional perspective, read the "Indian Fields" article in Wikipedia. The present church boasts a fantastic history dating back more than 200 years to colonial times.