A Movie, Used Shoes, and Visiting Royalty

by Pa Rock
Galloping Grandpa

It was cold and rainy in Salem, Oregon, yesterday, but even so I managed to have a very good day with my grandchildren.   In the morning we attended a showing of the animated movie “Sing” at a local theatre.   It was a really fun film with engaging characters and a killer soundtrack – the first movie that all three children had ever attended together.  

Willow (age five) sat next to her grandfather, mesmerized by the show’s action and music – and managed to eat most of the bag of popcorn that she and I were sharing!

I highly recommend “Sing” for those who haven’t seen it yet.  I may buy a couple of copies – one for the grandkids and the other for me!

Later in the afternoon Molly, Sebastian (age nine), and I went to the local Good Will store where Sebastian tried and failed to find a briefcase.  (He is into collecting office-related items.)   At that store I bought my first-ever pair of used shoes.  They are soft and cushy leather tie-ups that were hand-crafted in Vietnam – and they are so comfortable!  I am wearing them now!  (It would be interesting to learn about the former owner and find out why he parted ways with his fashionable footwear.)

Judah (age seven) reclined on the couch with his head on my lap for nearly an hour in the afternoon while he watched a movie on a hand-held device.  He also took many of his small cars and created a major two-lane traffic jam on the carpet.  It was actually very artistic.

In the evening Molly and I took Willow to a local art center for young people where Willow engaged in painting a portrait of a princess – along with several dozen other little girls, most dressed as assorted Disney princesses.   Willow was in a beautiful yellow gown like the one worn by “Belle” in Beauty and the Beast.  The highlight of the evening was a visit by two real princesses -  Snow White and Cinderella – who mingled with the little girls and patiently posed with them while their mothers snapped photos.   Willow really enjoyed getting to meet the real princesses, and she visited with them several times during the evening.

One of the mothers was wearing a tee-shirt that read “Resist / Persist,” and that’s when I knew I wasn’t in West Plains anymore!

The princess painting was a very busy activity, so busy, in fact, that I slipped off and went for a walk-about.  I wound up at a Subway where I had supper and visited with a local derelict who tried in vain to sell me a watch.

During the evening stroll I picked up a brochure on the Salem Public Library – a place that I visited on a previous trip to Oregon’s capital city.  It is quite an amazing facility with dozens and dozens of activities for the local citizenry:  book clubs, cooking demonstrations, poetry recitals and contests, book exchanges, game nights, craft programs, concerts, talent shows, and movie nights.

One unique activity that caught my attention was the monthly read-to-a-pet night where the library brings in therapy animals for young, new readers to read to.  What a warm and fuzzy idea!  There is also one night a month when “Ukulele Fans of Oregon” meet at the library as well as a night when the Salem Adult LEGO Users Group (SALUG) gather to exhibit their creativity.  (There was no adult “Twister” group, but the more progressive Portlandia is just up the road and probably meets that need!)

I am glad that my grandchildren live in a community with so much going on.  Stay engaged kids.  Life has a lot to offer, and much of it can be found close to your home!