Category Archives: Travel Log
May 11 2015 DAY 65 CALIFORNIA CAPITOL
Short blog today. I PROMISE! Trying to get to bed on time. Slept in today until almost 8:00 a.m. WOW! It felt so good. Rebecca and I had our own adventure today. I learned that I am not the only one that can get lost. However, I won’t say any more on that subject.
We took off for the Old Sacramento and actually found it. It was a very authentic looking old town of the mid 1800’s. It looks authentic because the building of old are all still standing, boardwalks and all. I took photos, but again forgot to do them on my IPHONE. You’ll just have to take my word for how charming it was. After I spent too much we headed to the Capitol building a short ways away. By the time we found it it was quite a ways away, only in miles driven, not in actual distance. It is a beautiful building. I remembered it being quite different than it actually is. I remembered it being larger but when I walked inside I realized the rotunda was much smaller and less height than the one in Madison Wisconsin. Truly it is beautiful but I must be a true Wisconsinite now because I thought Wisconsin’s capitol more beautiful by far. I’ve included a few pics below.
After the capitol tour we drove to Placerville about 45 min to 1 hour away. Had lunch, went to Rebecca’s son’s home so I could see him, (Adam) and then meet up with his other son’s (Ben) family and went house searching with a realtor. Ben and Sarah are shopping for their first house. It was fun to see the properties in the area. Placerville is known for being the county seat at the time of the gold rush. I am inserting one interesting story about the history of Placerville below. This is what it is most know for:
Excerpt from internet:
“Placerville was also known as “Hangtown” in its’ early days. Although many stories exist on how this name was acquired, the most famous story involved a colorful event that occurred in January of 1849. A gambler named Lopez gained a lot of attention for his big winnings at a local saloon. After he retired for the evening, several men tried to overpower him. Lopez fought back, and with the help of others, the robbers were captured. During their “flogging”, three of the robbers were also accused of being wanted for a murder and robbery.
With no more evidence than that, a short 30 minute trial took place and a unanimous “guilty” verdict was given. The crowd demanded that the men be sentenced to “death by hanging” and the rest was history. The famous hanging tree once stood in Elstner’s Hay Yard, next to the Jackass Inn. Today, the original stump from the old tree remains in the cellar of “The Hangman’s Tree” tavern on Historic Main Street.”
When I lived in California before moving to Wisconsin 30 years ago we often visited Placerville as we had some friends who lived there. Then it was a beautiful, quiet little tourist town at the halfway point between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe with a highway going through the rugged quiet hills. Now it is overcrowded, over built with wide freeways and lots of noise. Now the property values are even higher than those of Sacramento. Actually, between Sacramento and Placerville the scenery was wide open spaces of country. That all gone now. There are still some beautiful fields of natural grasses but they are few and far between. We didn’t go as far as Lake Tahoe. We are thinking we might go there tomorrow.
The house hunting ended and we took off for “home”. It so feels like home when I get back to wherever I am staying. I ate about half of the half that was left from lunch and now trying to get my blog finished before 9:00 p.m. So no reminiscing or long inner dialogue. I did meet two lovely ladies who worked in a oil and vinegar shop in old town. They touched my heart. Thank you ladies (if you read this) for sharing with me and allowing me to pray with you. I hope I hear from you.
Good night. It is 8:58 p.m. (But I’m not in bed yet)
Sunday May 10 2015 DAY 64 WHAT A MIRACLE!
The first miracle is that I actually attempted to write a blog last night. I did not proof read it until now and I am embarrassed. If you read yesterday’s blog you might want to re-read it. I just hope I found all the mistakes.
Today was another one of those wonderful, full of new surprises and wonders. Just life alone is a new surprise to me every day. What a miracle each day is when I arise and know I am still here. There is nothing quite as beautiful as an undisturbed day, yet to be lived.
I attended my second Calvary Chapel Church on my trip. The last one was in Modesto two weeks ago. This morning’s service was quite a bit different that the previous Calvary Chapel. Different presentation of teaching. The message was very interesting and simply stated. It is always a fresh new experience to visit the churches where my friends attend. I love being able to picture in my mind where my friends live and worship.
After the church service we visited awhile with Rebecca’s friends, enjoyed some refreshments and then walked to her house. Yes, we walked. The church is actually two short blocks from where they live. Rebecca lives in an industrial park area. She and her husband manage a 660 unit storage area. The facility is enclosed with tall wrought iron fencing. There is a beautiful building inside the iron fencing which is the office area for the business. Above the office is a full 1600 square house. A beautiful dwelling place. It has large rooms with lots of windows all around it. The windows overlook the APPLE COMPUTER facility next door. There is around the clock surveillance at the Apple computer headquarters right next door. Being in a house, on the second floor, behind a locked gate, within the “compound” storage units makes me feel like we are protected. Protected from what I do not know. ‘
We both went to the gym where Rebecca is a member and worked out for over an hour. It felt so good. Please look below and note that I have posted a new picture. It is off Rebecca and Eddie and his son’s family (the only one of their five children that made it home for Mother’s Day. We had a feast around the table. Rebecca is such a good cook and seems to do it so effortlessly.
It was a really delightful time around the dinner table with Rebecca’s son and family.
Before the company arrived Eddie and Rebecca told me the story of their last 14 years. Here is the story of Eddie’s MIRACLE. It is a story with many lessons.
In 2001 Eddie developed a rash that was all over his body. It itched with an intensity of pain. He was treated by several doctors with creams and prescriptions. Nothing seemed to help. He went to several doctors only to be prescribed more salves and topical creams and medications. The suffering was intense. In 2006 Eddie was in the room with several doctors and each one had different ideas. Eddie raised his hands and exclaimed in a loud voice that that was it! To stop all the talk about prescriptions and creams and to find out what was wrong with him. He told them he would not take another pill or cream until they found out what was wrong no matter how long it took and how many tests it took. THAT WAS IT! So they did a blood test and said not to be concerned and they would call him with the results. No one called on the first day. No one called on the second day. On the third day he received a call and was told that he had to come in immediately.
Rebecca and Eddie went together. He was told he had T-Cell Lymphoma and that there were some treatments for it. His was in stage 4. The doctors talked to them for awhile and they left. As they walked out Rebecca said to Eddie, “I think they just told you that you have cancer”. Eddie said he didn’t hear the word cancer. All Rebecca knew was that lymphoma is cancer.
Again Eddie was put through many different treatments. After many “treatments” there were 4 more options since the previous 6 options had not helped. His T-Cell count was up to 30,000 when it should have been in the 250 count range. There were many situations that came up that led Eddie to being chosen to do trials at Stanford hospital. He knew someone who knew the leading Doctor at Stanford whose specialty was working with T-Cell lymphoma patients. When he saw this doctor she told him that anyone in his condition will be dead within one year. He was chosen (the 10th patient) to do a trial medication procedure to lower his T-Cell count. The telling of his story was horrendous as to what he went through. When the white blood cells were almost extinct (as he lived in isolation) he had a window of time when he would be able to have a bone marrow transplant. The bone marrow implant was also being done on trial. He was one of the first few to receive the transfusion in the manner I describe below.
Three live donors were found. The best match was a man in the armed service serving overseas at the time. The U.S. government actually flew him to the states so he could be the donor for Eddie’s transplant. There were so many grueling situations that Eddie had to go through to get to this point. Multiple biopsies in the flesh and in the pelvic bone. Several different procedures were done while he was awake due to certain situations. Unbelievably painful according to Eddie’s description.
The bone transfusion was actually not painful at all. It was just getting to that point where his body would be suppressed enough to not reject the new morrow that was grueling. In the not too distant past the bone marrow transplant procedure was much more complicated as the while bone cells were harvested from the donor’s bone marrow and then through surgery deposited into the recipients bone. Now, however, the donor has blood drawn and the lab extracts what is need out of the blood and the patient then receives it intravenously. The T-Cells deposited in the blood stream make their way into the bone and set up taking over if not rejected. Well, Eddie’s body did not reject them. He was hospitalized until is was safe for him to be with people again. The doctors told him if it worked it would take two and one half years before he felt back to normal. After the transfusion Eddie was unable to eat anything that was not cooked, drink no water that was not boiled for many months.
They waited. Once the food restrictions were removed Rebecca started him on a regime of healthy eating, no sugars, and additives that increased his healthy. Eddie said it was exactly two and one half years before his body felt like it was back to normal.
Eddie sat across from me today as he and Rebecca told the story, each adding a bit of their own feelings and facts to complete the story. I wish it had been recorded because I have left out more than half of the experiences they went through. The greatest lesson I learned while listening to this is that we must be our own best advocate. Four years he went from doctor to doctor before putting his foot down and saying NO MORE! Only then was he taken seriously and in two days he had a diagnosis. The second thing I learned was that you need a recorder with you so you can look up all the words the doctors tell you, especially when they skirt the issue of saying the word CANCER. Eddie walked out of that consultation not realizing he had just been given a cancer diagnosis. And the third thing is that you need to take someone with you to receive any news that comes from a telephone message telling you to come in immediately.
Eddie told so many other stories related to the hospital personnel that were so attentive and caring. Had it not been for diligent nurses willing to stay past their line of duty to get him over near death experiences he wouldn’t be here today. The doctors may have the education to diagnose (sometime), it is the hospital staff and nurses that do most of the work in the hours between the appointments. Eddie went through hundreds of hours of treatments, some with very serious results.
Today Eddie is alive and strong and leading a life with his family, his wife, 5 children and their mates, and all his grandchildren, (of which I have lost count) with more on the way. I remember all those years he was struggling for his life as I read the email messages sent out.
Even the doctors know that Eddie is a walking miracle. A miracle that he was diagnosed because this disease does not usually get diagnosed for up to 10 years after the first symptoms. A miracle that he was connected to the doctor in Stanford. Another miracle that his chart was perused by a doctor with the clinical trials in mind and saw that Eddie fit the criteria for the trials. Eddie went in for more blood work in March 2015 and was old that 29 patients have now had this treatment with a survival rate of about 50%. So it is working for some.
It worked for Eddie.
I am celebrating this time of life with Rebecca and Eddie. I told him I am so glad to see him alive. They are dear dear friends to us who we have know for 41 years. I thank God for this miracle!
I asked Eddie what his wisdom for the world would be. Here is his response:
“If I had one book to give you I would give you the Bible and tell you to read it for it is the map of life. Everything you need to know about living your life is in those pages.”
Rebecca’s wisdom is”
“When you choose your life mate for life remember you are TEAM MATES FOR LIFE — NOT ADVERSARIES!”
Please read the article below taken from a website regarding the SEZARY SYNDROME which interpreted means T-Cell Lymphome”
What is Sézary syndrome?
Sézary syndrome is an aggressive form of a type of cancer called cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas occur when certain immune cells, called T cells, become cancerous; these cancers characteristically affect the skin, causing different types of skin lesions. In Sézary syndrome, the cancerous T cells are called Sézary cells and are found in the skin, lymph nodes, and blood. A characteristic of Sézary cells is an abnormally shaped nucleus, described as cerebriform.
People with Sézary syndrome develop a red, severely itchy rash (erythroderma) that covers large portions of their body. Sézary cells are found in the rash. However, the skin cells themselves are not cancerous; the skin problems result when Sézary cells move from the blood into the skin. People with Sézary syndrome also have enlarged lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy). Other common signs and symptoms of this condition include hair loss (alopecia), thickened skin on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet (palmoplantar keratoderma), abnormalities of the fingernails and toenails, and lower eyelids that turn outward (ectropion). Some people with Sézary syndrome are less able to control their body temperature than people without the condition.
The cancerous T cells can spread to other organs in the body, including the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, and bone marrow. In addition, affected individuals have an increased risk of developing another lymphoma or other type of cancer.
Sézary syndrome occurs in adults over age 60 and progresses rapidly; historically, affected individuals survived an average of 2 to 4 years after development of the condition, although survival has improved with newer treatments.
Although Sézary syndrome is sometimes referred to as a variant of another cutaneous T-cell lymphoma called mycosis fungoides, these two cancers are generally considered separate conditions.
Goodnight. It is 1:40 a.m. on the 11th. This is my May 10th blog documentation.
May 8, 2015 DAY 62 SAN FRANCISCO FOR A PURPOSE
I imagine there are hundreds of people who flock into San Francisco daily just for the delight of visiting and exploring all the city has to offer. Well, today Jeanette and I took BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) under the bay to visit with a different purpose. As a child I was fortunate enough to live in the San Francisco Bay area (Rodeo) an my mother made certain that we, as children, were exposed to as much opportunity and variety as possible on her limited budget. Her best friend Merle lived in the apartment below us (mother of my best and closest friend Albert) and owned a station wagon! What a luxury. In 1954 we had the grand experience of becoming a car owner of a new 1954 Chevrolet. But it wasn’t a STATION WAGON! Merel’s three kids and mama’s two youngest (which included me, as my older sisters wouldn’t be caught dead doing things with their younger siblings) would go on an adventure to San Francisco. We all sat in the back of the expansive wagon and played imaginary piano keyboards on the wheel hubs that stuck up through the floor. We waved at all the truck drivers and felt triumphant when they would honk their loud truck horns at us. We would be mesmerized as we traveled close to the edge of the bay bridge and peered out across the bay at Alcatraz. Many of the museums, exploratoreums and aquariums were free at that time. We always packed a picnic because I don’t even know if fast food places existed back then. If they did we didn’t have the money to go. We would also go to the Palace of Fine Arts which was like a fairy tail wonderland to me. High columns of magical doors and lakes that reflected the clouds skuttling by on a clear day. We often lived at the zoo for an entire and never tired of our adventures to San Francisco.
And now, back to San Francisco. I think over the years I have been to every garden, museum, tourist attraction, the different “towns” like China towns and eaten some delicious meals. Most of the meals were after I was grown, not as a kid. But today, San Francisco was for a different purpose. Jeanette and I were visiting a very special friend. Her name Kay and I have know her since we were teenagers. I saw her parents one evening in the basement of the J.C. Penney’s department store in San Leandro California and was bold enough (imagine that) to go up and and introduce myself (now remember I was a teenager) and to tell them how much I loved going to hear their daughter sing. They were always with her at concerts when she performed with two other teens. Their singing was so beautiful and had the unique harmonizing capability that caused the voices to sound like velvet. Kay’s voice still sounds like velvet. Her mom and dad were so impressed that I would come up to them and speak with them that they asked where I attended church. They showed up the next week and attended there after because they wanted their daughter to know me. Well, Kay and I hit is off from the beginning. She was a couple years younger but it seems I always attracted the younger crowds because I willing to talk to everyone. Sounds like I am patting myself on the back but I don’t mean for it to sound that way. It’s just the facts and I never thought anything about it.
This entire family had a great influence on my life in future years. They gave me a glimpse of what it was like to live in a beautiful home. At one time I actually ended up living with them before I married so I could save for the wedding.
Well, today Jeanette and I were privileged to once again meet up with Kay. We took the BART over and walked to a local cafe where Kay had taken a taxi to arrive. We sat in the middle of a very old San Francisco building, in a quaint cafe that served the most fattening, greasy, butter soaked San Francisco Sour Dough French bread, grilled to perfection! It was heavenly. It is a good thing I couldn’t find any to buy and bring back with me. That grilled sandwich was such a delicious fancy. I just watched (almost in horror) as I saw the renditions of foods that came from that kitchen and covertly watch as those around me actually ate the entire plateful of food. It was an amazing and interesting experience.
We three talked and talked and remembered and laughed and cried and just enjoyed the presence of friendship that only the old can really enjoy. I am smiling just sitting here writing and thinking of those precious moments. I so lived in the moment of those moments and soaked up everything I could. I told Kay I wished she would would sing me a song. Never in a million years did I think she would sing to me at the center table of a public restaurant, but she surprised me by singing the famous song about “San Francisco”. I think the title is “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”. She sang the entire song in her beautiful alto/tenor voice. Her voice was a bit older and not as practiced as it was years ago when she sang on stage but it was so beautiful and throaty and heart searing, especially with the words she sang. Then we sang together (quite low) but it sounded so good together. All three of sang. I think I was the only one that knew all the words to the song that started out with these words…”Oh what a wonderful, wonderful day. Day I will never forget”… When Kay sang her solo tears were streaming down my face.
So soon it was time to leave. Kay said she needed to use the Lady’s room and asked if I would take her. The aisles were very narrow and we had to maneuver through a narrow galley kitchen. I asked her to put her hands on the back of my waste as I walked slowly and guided her to the Lady’s room. Kay has been blind since birth but never once has it caused a blindness in our friendship. I truly believe our friendship was a divine appointment of God. It is not just everyone who was privileged to have a friendship such as ours. That night I met her parents in the basement of J.C. Penney’s fabric department was meant to be. I am a better person for having Kay as my friend. As we left the restaurant a man came us to us and told us how beautiful our singing was. He said he kept looking around to find the source of the radio or player but couldn’t find it and then realized it was coming from our table. He gave Kay high honor when saying he especially loved the way she sang “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”. And when I walked away from the cab that would carry Kay back to her apartment I felt like I was leaving a bit of my heart in San Francisco too.
I asked Kay what her wisdom would be. Here it is: “Make every minute count and cherish the friends and family that you have because you never know when your circumstances might change or when you might lose your friends and family.”
The Bart ride back under the bay to the east bay side was such an amazing ride. I have ridden BART many times when living in this area but it has been about 30 years. In the past 30 years the traffic and freeways have increased exponentially and it makes riding Bart that much more enjoyable. About halfway home I had the opportunity to speak with a young man traveling from San Francisco International Airport to a city close by where Jeanette lives. He was here on business from India. We had an enlightening conversation and I asked him for his wisdom. His name is Vikas. Here is his wisdom: “Give back to the word in some way. Help preserve the environment, help by giving food to those who need it and look around and see the many different ways you can help.” Thank you Vikas. If you read this blog please let me know by going to “contacts” and send me an email! I wish you the best on your travels here in the States. Thank you too for your conversation.
Well, I am hitting the road again tomorrow. The end of my respite is over. It has been a tremendous help to have a place where I could feel so comfortable and stay for a bit of an extended time. I need to regroup myself every few weeks. I thank Jeanette and Denny for this opportunity.
Lots more to say but I will use my wisdom and go to bed as early as possible as I must drive tomorrow. I have a feeling it is going to be a jam packed day! Seeing more family! My special nieces!
Good night 10:14 p.m.
May 7 2015 DAY 61 LOOKING BACK
Looking back for some is not always easy. I think that was the way it was for one of my sisters today.
My days are always so full and I always think I can just squeeze one more thing into this minute or that minuet. At least I’m optimistic. It seemed as if all day long I was always a little behind. Ever have days like that? Get up late…talk too much…try to accomplish more than earthly possible, drive long distances only to be bogged down in CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC, miscommunication, too far to go in too little time, get lost on the freeway system, forget to use the cell phone for pictures so you can put them on the blog??? You know, that sort of thing. Well, it was one of those days.
I met my sisters Velma and Faith again today at Velma’s house. We had lunch, had a late start for our adventure and I don’t think we really had time to finish it like we intended. Velma drove us over to Rodeo, the place where I spent my years from kindergarten through 7th grade. My younger sister was born while we lived “there”. “There” was at that time a little bay side town of about 3,000 population. My older sisters were in Junior high and High school when we moved there so we were pretty strung out in age and interests. We lived in a government subsidized housing project that had been built for the war workers during World War II. The apartments were located next to an oil refinery. I remember huge black plumes of smoke that rose up into the air and when the wind was blowing a certain direction it would bring all that toxic oil waste across and int0 our apartments and into the grammar school which set on a terraced hill facing the refinery. My younger sister Faith wanted to go back there because she had so many lost memories and broken memories. I was the one that remembered the apartment and school locations and where to go to find what we needed. So off we went. All the land that the apartments occupied is now fenced in with no admittance signs everywhere. The school land is enclosed with high fencing and is also not accessible. All buildings on both sites are totally gone and the land is considered toxic. It was found later that the people who lived in the buildings and attended Hillcrest School were victims of lung disorders and diseases. I was six when I moved there so I guess I was fortunate that I did not breathe that air as a baby. My younger sister was born there and breathed that air from birth until she was six years old. When she saw the toxic wasteland and I told her the facts that had surfaced in later years she turned to me and asked, “I wonder if that is why my lungs have been so bad all these years”. So many sad stories linger in our memories from that time. Faith stood there and cried. I told her tears could be healing but she wasn’t crying for herself. She quietly told me she hurt and was crying for all the years our mother lived there and how hard it was for our mother. I look back and I remember the tears my mother cried and the sobbing I would hear in the night. Poverty is real. Poverty is hard. Especially with a mother who more than anything wanted to do the best she could for the 5 children still at home. Our brother was grown and married by the time my younger sister was born. Our father was an illiterate laborer but worked steady and hard. The refinery is still on the hill, larger than it was even back then. The smoke is still belching but it isn’t black anymore. I’m certain by now there have been a lot of restrictions put on the amount and kinds of toxins that are excreted by the huge smokestacks. I couldn’t even bring myself to take a picture of it.
My family may have been poor but my mother was never poor in her spirit. As a kid I didn’t know what “slovenly” was but as I look back I remember some pretty grim families that lived in those cramped quarters. We were a family of seven in an estimated space of about 800 to 900 square feet with one bathroom and shower. Later we were given an apartment about twice that size in the same building. Some families were even larger than ours. One of the things my mother did not allow was a messy dwelling. Not just picking up things (of which we did not have much) but I mean we had to scrub the walls and ceilings and floors. I was 12 when we moved from the apartments so it was the next place we lived where I was the ceiling scrubber, and that was living with a wood stove for both cooking and heating. Same stove did both. More black belching smoke to inhabit our lives.
My mom kept her girls spit polished. Our hair was either in ringlets, which was like murder to sleep on the rag curl wraps, or hair was so tightly french braided that I used to cry because I could’t bend my neck down because it would painfully tug the hair on the back of my neck. One time the school teacher actually had to undo my braids and allow the hair to loosed because I wouldn’t stop crying. These are some of the memories that came flooding back as I looked over the hills with cement slabs still in large pieces where the foundations were. No trees lived among those hills. However the acres and acres of former school property was planted with all kinds of trees. Beautiful trees like a new forest. At first I thought that perhaps the birds had planted them with seed in their waste but when I now remember the stark contract between no trees and a new forest growing I realize they must have been planted for a purpose. There were no trees on the school grounds when we were attending there.
Not only did my mother have the absolute cleanest apartment she also had the cleanest kids when we walked out the door to go to school. She made all our clothing including our underwear. And it was clean. I know, because when it was hung out on the line I had to guard it until it was dry and then bring it in. If it wasn’t watched it sometimes disappeared, especially diapers. I took my job seriously. To be truthful, I sort of like…bossed the neighborhood! I was a nice boss though, organizing all the kids to play games and draw on sidewalks with sheet rock chalk scarfed out of the garbage cans when apartments had to be repaired because of holes in the walls (of course there were no holes in our apartment). There were so many memories that came flooding in when I stood there but these are the ones safe to repeat.
My sister stood there and cried. I stood there and patted her back. The pain for me is all gone. I have been healed of anything and everything that happened there in the past. I hope someday all my sisters can be healed from any memory that may hold them captive. For me it was good to go there and realize just how free I am from that place. I hope it ultimately will be the same for Faith.
After we left the hills we drove down into the little town that is’t so little anymore. My favorite place as a child was the library. It was a little building that looked like a little house made over into a charming story book library. It was so awesome as a child to walk through those doors and be in a room full of books that I could take home. I had permission to bring home as many as I could carry. We had no bags or containers so it was usually a stack of 10 or 12 children’s hard backs. We didn’t know what a paper back book was. When I walked into the library today I could feel a great big smile come alive from the inside out. Then the tears came. I couldn’t even talk (I tried) for a few minutes. I was in a place that held such awesome memories. When I was about eight, nine and ten years old I could not walk far, run, play recess or do things which required strenuous activity with my knees due to a condition I had. The “disease” is called Ozgood-Schlatter Disease. (Actually I just looked it up to see what the information on the internet actually described it as). All I knew at the time was that I wasn’t allowed to do much (except some work) and had to rest. During the summers my mom would drive me to the library and it was such a privilege to be able to go there, check out books, and have enough to read for about three or four days and then beg to go back. Usually I just read them over. Henry and Ribsy and Ramona became my good friends as did Anne of Green Gables and all her stories. Well, when I was in there today I was talking to the librarian and told him that Henry and Ribsy had been some of my favorite books and pointed to the place where they were kept. The librarian said that was exactly where they still were. I took one out, sat at the little table (which was not the same scarred wooden table of yesteryear) and held the book in my hand remembering. The librarian took a picture of me and then I asked him to take one on my IPhone so I could share it with you. This was a big moment for me! I hope you don’t quit reading my blog for an older woman’s reminiscing but this was almost 60 years ago and that little gingerbread library is still standing and servicing little kids just at it did me. I can now see why people donate and will money to libraries. Books may someday become obsolete in the electronic age but just to know that this little library still exist gives me a little hope that there will be those in the future who value the actual book.
And at this point my day is only half over!
We left the library went to Velma’s and I headed out on my next saga. And what a wonderful evening it was. My cousin Steve Robinson and his wife Lucy live in Antioch about 30 or 40 miles from Velma. But…and this is a big BUT…it was 90 minutes away driving. I hit the traffic jam hour. I did get there eventually.
Steve has a busy happy house. His son and his son’s girlfriend live with them AND their two little twin babies. Baby boy Adrian and Baby girl Aria. These babies are healthy and alert 8 month olds who were born almost 4 months early. Both weighed over one pound and were in the hospital for the first four months of their lives. They are now alert and smiling and “talking”. Such a joy to see them so normal and healthy after all they contended with at birth. Steve and Lucy’s other son Ryan and his wife Jo live across town from Steve and we stopped by so I could see his son all grown up. Both sons are fine young men. Beautiful and loving. Ryan and Jo have 3 children and a fourth on the way. I have a picture of them on my cell so it is on the blog. Carrie’s family is only on my camera so I put some single shots of the babies on the blog.
Though my visits were short I so enjoyed seeing Steve and Lucy’s family. I didn’t have a chance to see their daughter Mae, and her three children. Maybe next time.
Steve and Lucy treated me to a wonderful dinner and we had a quiet time visiting and getting caught up. There is so much more I could say but due to time must close. Before I close however I would also like to tell my family I had a chance to again meet my cousin Paul Michael’s son, Michael. He didn’t remember me but that is okay because I remember him. Again, I didn’t get a photo of him on the cell phone either. I’m trying to remember!
If you read through this I want to thank you. This blog has turned into a bit more than just my outward journey. It has replaced some of my writing that I normally do in my journal. I don’t have time for both so I just add a little of my heart to the blog and share what I usually just keep to myself.
Goodnight
May 6 2015 DAY 60 A FAMILY DAY
I think there is a conspiracy against me. Every time I am ready to write my blog and get it done early so I can get to bed on time my cell phone rings. Both by husband and my daughter know just when it is quiet time for me. My son is probably too busy with work, the house, two boys, law school, and trying to find time to sleep than to call often. We usually connect only about once a week or so. Otherwise I might not even get the blog written.
Today was a family day. First I drove into Oakland to visit with my aunt Lois. She lives in a care facility due to her health. This part of Oakland is close to where the riots have been. I had to park a way from the building and walk up a hill to where my aunt lives. I walked in the middle of the residential road as I felt safer than being on the sidewalk. Too many bushes and people about. If somebody was going to see me I wanted everyone to see me. I made it to and from my car safely and my car was intact when I returned from the visit.
Aunt Lois did not recognize me. She said if she hadn’t been expecting me she would not have known me. She looked different to me also. It has probably been 15 years since I have seen her. I do look different and OLDER! I had a haircut yesterday (short) and she definitely pointed out that she did not like my hair. She kept asking me what happened to my hair. Oh well…I like my hair and that is all that really matters. It was good to visit with my mom’s sister after all these years. I know it must be difficult to be so confined when your mind is sharp, as hers is. We had a 75 minute visit and then I had to leave to meet my sisters for lunch. Before leaving I prayed with her and gave her my farewells. I am very glad I had a chance to see her for awhile. I love all my aunts and my one uncle who is still living. Please take time to visit those you love who may not have the opportunity to come visit you. You never know when your last window of opportunity is still open.
Met my two sisters, Velma and Faith at Velma’s home in Walnut Creek. We drove over a bridge on the bay and went to “Captain Jack’s” for lunch. Captain Jacks sits right on the shoreline overlooking the waterway. It has a commanding view and a peaceful surrounding. It is in some sort of old building that looks authentic to its surroundings. It is in the town of Benicia, a quaint, well kept, seaside town that attracts artisans from around the world. There is an old World War II arsenal that is on the waters edge that has been converted to art studios and galleries and resale shops as well as other businesses. Very quaint, rustic and authentic buildings that show their age, their durability, and are now living a new life to a new generation. These business face the water’s edge where the ships used to come in and load up with ammunition to send to Hawaii after the bombing there, as well as to other parts of the world.
While on the bluffs overlooking the water we happened upon two very interesting buildings, both huge and impressive. The first is described below in this excerpt from the internet. I will post a photo of it.
- The Clock Tower Fortress, 1189 Washington Street: Built in 1859, this sandstone military bastion was strategically built atop Army Point to control the key passageway of Carquinez Strait to the gold mines of the interior and was designed to protect the post from Indian attacks, although the “Old Fort” never fired a shot in anger, even during the alarms of Civil War days. It is located in the Arsenal and is available for the public to rent for special events through the City’s Parks and Community Services Department.
The second building:
- Commanding Officer’s Quarters Mansion, 1 Commandant’s Lane: Built in 1860 by Col. Julian McAllister, the two-story, 20-room Greek Revival mansion was used as a residence for the Commander of the Benicia Arsenal. Now owned by the City of Benicia, it is listed on the National Register of Historical Buildings. The Quarters was recently restored by the City of Benicia and is located in the Arsenal across the parking lot from the Clock Tower Fortress.
I walked into the Commanding Officer’s Quarters Mansion and left Velma and Faith to rest in the car. The mansion was beautiful! Huge, open and OCCUPIED! After I walked in without knocking two men came from a room adjacent to the grand entry hall. These men were William and Carter. Carter has had a dream to open up what he calls “Carter Biz Cafe” a place where travelers can congregate and share experiences and gain knowledge from other travelers. I don’ t have information on this concept so can’t pass it on at a deeper level. Carter envisions opening Carter’s Biz Cafe’s all over the country and forming a networking of people working personally with other people in large rooms sharing travel experiences and sharing the wisdoms of the travelers. I took some photos of their endeavor and will include a photo of Carter and I. I guess he makes friends quickly because he reached out and hugged me for the picture. I think he was just excited that I stopped by, being that I am a traveler, on a journey, and had actually stopped by this beautiful mansion to garner knowledge and just to have the experience of my exploration.
Benicia is like an undiscovered jewel. It is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the East Bay traffic and noise along side the Carquinez Straights. It has interesting views, cool ocean breezes and well kept old graceful neighborhoods. I imagine it is an expensive place to buy a house. There are a lot of beautiful places in the Bay Area that would make wonderful retirement experiences if it were not for the exorbitant cost of homes. I think I would enjoy living in Benicia.
While in Benicia we also stopped at the second state capitol of California. The first state capitol was in Monterey CA, the second in Benicia (for 14 months) and the final one in Sacramento. I’ll include some photos from the exterior of the capital and its out buildings. The main building was closed and we could not enter.
It was finally time for me to leave so I returned a call to my friend Albert to let him know I would be stopping by (as we had previously discussed). I have had only one short visit with him since coming to the area and since he lives a few short blocks from Jeanette in the same neighborhood I wanted to stop over, say farewell and get one last hug. We strolled around his garden, talked a bit, hugged and again it was time to say goodbye to another beloved friend. I don’t think of it as a sad thing however. It seems to be a happy thought for me because it signifies the fact that I was spending time with him for all those moments I was there. My wisdom for this day: “Remember it is only the moment of NOW in which we have to live. Do not look back with regrets or allow the future concerns of your tomorrows rob you of even one moment of today’s joy”.
I came “home” to Jeanette’s with plans to begin my blog at 7:00 p.m. and be in bed by 9:00 a.m. because I have another busy day of Family events. It is now 10:00 p.m. I will include some photos with this blog taken at Benicia.
P.S. After proofreading it is now 10:44 p.m.
Good night!
May 5 2015 Day 59 Another Desire Fulfilled!
God is so good!
So many wonderful experiences to remember. I just hope writing the blog will help me remember more than I forget. Any one else out there have that problem?
Today was a lovely, busy day. To just arise in the morning is always a joy to me, no matter what the weather, no matter where I am, no matter if I am to work or play. To just awaken again knowing I have the chance to live another day makes morning all worthwhile. The earlier I rise the better I like it. Someday I will awaken on my last day and perhaps not even know it is my last day. And even that day will have its own wonderful experiences. Perhaps not to remember but to be enjoyed while I have every breath left in me. And oh what an experience it will be to awaken in a new place and be able to stand boldly in the presence of the Almighty God. I actually look forward to that amazing experience but on the other hand I am in no hurry to make it happen.
So, back to my lovely, busy day. Early workout to start the day. And then…I actually walked into a Great Clips by the gym and gave a perfect stranger the privilege of cutting my hair. Now I know my hair doesn’t look like much (that’s because there isn’t much of it) but I only allow one person to cut my hair and that is my sweet hairdresser Angela back in Wisconsin who owns Bonjour Barber. She cut it very short before I left on my trip so I thought it would outlast my journey. I guess I should have had it shaved. My hair had crossed the line into shagginess and I couldn’t stand it one more day. God provided a superb lady named Jennifer the opportunity to work her magic. And magic she worked! It is SHORT again. Not quite as short, but short indeed. Jennifer was wonderful. Not only did she cut and style it, she washed it, (remember I was all sweaty from the gym), massaged my scalp, wrapped my face in hot towels and put me in a vibrating chair while I lay back for the shampoo…then…gave me a short shoulder massage with a hand held vibrator. Oh man…I felt wonderful when I left there. And the best thing of all Jennifer was in love with the Lord too. She was a good listener too. Hmm…does that surprise you?!
When I arrived back at home base my friend Wendy from High School was sitting on the door step. She was early and I was a bit later than I had intended. I changed and we high tailed it out of there like two giggling teenagers we once were. It matters not how much time passes between visits or phone calls, we can just pick up from where we left off and still feel the comradely feelings we shared as teens. We had an enjoyable time together, eating lunch out, driving around awhile on side roads and stopping at the Meadow Lark Dairy in Pleasanton again (for me again) for an ice cream cone. We had great conversation and we had to part. I wish I could share all our conversations but of course I cannot so I’ll just say that God was in them.
After Wendy left I readied myself for the next event which was to leave in a short while to go to Jeanette’s sister’s house for dinner. Linda and Ron live about 5 miles from Jeanette in Danville California. The homes in this surrounding area are all beautiful, well kept homes. The property values in this part of California are exorbitant. I suppose if something retains such a high value it is well cared for. The homes are close but not as close as they are in other areas. So many people have cultivated beautiful flower gardens in both front and back yard. So much warmth and growing season that much can be accomplished in the growing season. I saw flowers I have never laid eyes on. Ron cultivates roses and another exotic flower that he gets from Japan or China (Sorry Ron, I guess I wasn’t listening too well) which are one of a kind here in the states. He orders them and has a collection of them in pots in his side yard. His yard is beautiful! On the other end of his house he has a gorgeous rose garden with a collection of extremely exotic looking roses. Amazingly beautiful. I took a few pics on my cell phone so I could send you some. Most I took with my real camera because they will be beautiful on cards.
I told Jeanette this morning that I wanted to stop in some of the yards in the neighborhoods around here and just pick one rose from each bush (especially at one house I drive by everyday). I told her I would love to have a boquet of the beautiful roses I see. They are so huge and diverse in color, style of blooms, sizes, and smells. When I was admiring Ron’s rose garden he said I could pick any I wanted! WOW! WOW! WOW! There it was again! God just giving me another desire of my heart! Linda came out with the clippers and kept encouraging me to cut more. In the photos I posted I included the bouquet I brought back to Jeanette’s from their backyard. They sit regally in a vase behind me in the office where I am writing and the fragrance mixture of all the varieties smells like a lush wonderful fruit drink of some sort. Sort of lemony and subtle and yet spicy all in one inhalation. I shall sleep with them in my room and then place them in a communal area for all to enjoy while I am gone tomorrow. Perhaps I’ll even take one to each of my sisters whom I will see tomorrow. That is…if I can part with two.
Linda and Ron set a beautiful table and the food was delicious! I’ll try to remember to get the name of the dish Linda served. It was a bit different and ever so wonderful. It will be interesting to find out if anyone has ever heard of it before. Not only is Linda talented in cooking she is also very artistic and creative and prolific in the quilt making department. She showed me many quilts and pillows that she has made and they were all exquisitely and finely made. She does all the quilting herself. Some she actually uses a straight stitch sewing machine to quilt curved repetitive designs in the quilt patterns and they look beautiful. I posted a few of her quilt photos that I snapped this evening. Enlarge them and look at them closely. I shot a lot of the quilts with my real camera too.
I returned to home base, leaving Denny and Jeanette behind to watch a basketball tournament game. Don’t know what team, can’t remember the team name and don’t recall even seeing them on screen to tell you the color of their uniforms (which I don’t know if that even matters). Some pro games to do with basketball must be going on right now because everyone here is ensconced in it. I am happy for them. But…their team lost tonight on this 5th day of May. (I included the date because my computer is blogging things with the wrong dates attached. Even when I put the correct date on tonight tomorrow it will show May 6th. I change it or at least try.)
I will close with Wendy’s words of wisdom she would like to tell others:
“Do not gain weight. Do not let yourself go because it is so hard to get yourself back. Stay active and work on being healthy”.
Thank you Wendy for your honest words to others.
And thank you God for all your blessings on this day. I love my roses!
Oh, and thank you Linda and Ron for allowing God to grow them in your back yard. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. It was so good to see you both and look through your old albums!
Good Night!
P.S. Note to cousin Joyce: I’ll return your call tomorrow but don’t know when.
Monday May 4, 2015 Day 58 Roses and More Roses
Note to readers: For some reason my computer changes the date of each day’s entry when I post it. The entry below was written and posted on Monday May 4, 2015. Day 58
Yeah! I found another gym to work out at this week for only $10.00 for a week’s pass. The other was free for 3 days only and then $25.00 per day. No thank you! The new fitness center has a great gym, small and cozy but excellent equipment.
After our workouts Jeanette and I headed out for an adventure. We decided to do a tour of the local area’s Arboretums and Botanical gardens. We first went to the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek. When we arrived, to our disappointment we discovered they are closed on Monday. It looked like a really great place! From there we drove to another location in Walnut Creek, The Gardens of Heather Farm and that one was open. It was on the small side (probably one full square block which included parking). It was well worth going to. Primarily it was a rose garden (again, one of my favorite flowers) and a small like/pond that you could walk around. I’ll post a few pics if any turned out on my IPhone. We stayed quite awhile and enjoyed the roses. There were a lot of them for me to smell so it took awhile! I think I will post a lot of the pics I took today so you can enjoy the roses too.
After the Gardens of Heather Farm we stopped in Concord Markham Nature Park and Arboretum. That too was well worth it. It was a wild habitat with only native plants from the area. Very rugged with a simple beauty. We got a little carried away with the hiking and realized we were in dangerous overly rugged territory and turned around and made it out safely. Actually going down was a bit more dangerous than the going up had been. Jeanette had a hip replacement just two months ago and I certainly did not want to hurt myself and need a hip replacement. Not much light in the woods so don’t have many pics. Besides, we had to watch every step carefully so we wouldn’t fall into the almost empty waterway and I couldn’t focus on photos.
On the way home we stopped at Costco so I could stock up on a few things. Picked out what I needed only to get up to the register and Costco would not take Visa. I did not think I would have enough cash with me. However, when I got my money out I had exactly enough dollars (and not a dollar more) to pay for my items. How is that for cutting it close. My cash was elsewhere and I didn’t have it with me.
Once home we prepared a dinner fit for a king! My kind of food! That’s why it was so good! Shh..don’t tell Jeanette!
It is even earlier than normal and I’ve already finished my daily blog! WOW! So…I will use a little of my time to share something I wanted to share way back when it happened. For about three weeks when my trip was young I did not have WiFi and thus got very behind in writing. I want to tell you one of the stories that happened then. There are three main stories in sequence I will tell over the next few days.
Story #1 THE MIRACLE
On March 19th Russellville was in my rear view mirror and Euless Texas loomed ahead. It was a long drive to Euless where my cousin Janet and her husband Chuck lived. I was driving there so I would have a stop over on my way to San Antonio Texas. It was a very short overnight stay at Janet’s before I was to leave for San Antonio. On the 20th when I preparing to leave I receive a call from Peggy and Dave who were my next destination. Rain and flood warning were being issued for the areas I would be driving through and the news stated that if you didn’t have to travel it might be best not to get on the road. This put a pondering in my thoughts. I called the emergency road condition number for the Texas Patrol and was told if I stayed off the interstate and went the back roads it would probably be safer for me. I called Dave and he told me to ask the Lord and do what the Lord directed. So I did just that. I prayed and this was what I believed the Lord impressed in my heart:
“You can do all things through me for you have My strength. Trust Me-allow peace to reign in your heart. Use wisdom and continually ask for more wisdom. The more you give love to others and do My work, the more evil will rear its head to fight and try to stop you. I call My angels to do My bidding–fear not the wars that rage around you, for your strength is in Me and My blood covers you. Speak in authority and the evil one flees. Trust! Stand firm. It is going through the perils of life that make you stronger. Fear not, for I am with you. My rod and My staff will comfort you. Go with a brave heart. You are my beloved and I am with you.”
So I decided to go.
The speed limit in Texas is 75 mph on most roads. Some highway speed limit is 80 mph. And that is on highways with light signals. Go figure that one out. Well, that particular day it was raining cats and dogs. The highway was divided and the speed limit was posted at 75 mph. To Texans I don’t think heavy rains means slowing down one little bit. If anything they keep pushing the speed limit and continue going 80-85 mph. I kid you not! They drive like maniacs. Well, I drove 75 mph just so I wouldn’t get run over in the slow lane. The road was divided and it slowed down periodically to go through little spread out towns. Then of course in the country part of the driving there were occasional light signals that allowed traffic cross. I saw one such light a ways ahead as it turned yellow. I had plenty of time to stop, nothing was following me closely and I was in the right lane of two lanes going in one direction with a high earthen berm separating the oncoming traffic. As I approached the intersection the light turned red just as I stopped. The yellow light is rather longer that usual yellow lights (perhaps to compensate for the 75 mph speed limit). I was sitting at the light approximately 3 or 4 seconds when a double cabbed, large pick-up truck pulling a large, loaded down trailer behind it, zoomed by me on the right (where there was no lane) out into the intersection. He was trying to get control of his truck and trailer, in the rain , on wet pavement, and it wasn’t going to happen as long as he was applying his breaks. I did not see where he came from, nor did I see him approach. On the right side of me there was a cement raised area where a light pole stood. This truck went by at about 60 plus mph, did not scratch my car, did not hit the light pole and I could swear there was not enough room for that big truck and trailer to sidle by me. It was amazing.
Since he couldn’t not stop the vehicle and the cross traffic was coming over the berm, the driver had to accelerate and keep on going. As soon as he swooshed by me I was so shocked I just spoke out loud, “Why’d he do that?” in a very perplexed tone of voice. In my heart I thought I actually audibly heard the answer, “Because he could not stop” in a very matter of fact, purposeful answer. Followed by the words “Now do you trust Me?“. Whew! that was a close call. I had no fear or adrenaline rush as I never saw him until he was already past me. All I know, it was a miracle for that large truck to get between me and that light pole, gain control of his vehicle and trailer on wet pavement, and have no one hurt or killed.
That morning before I pulled out of the driveway of my cousin’s home in Euless Texas I prayed a very diligent prayer that God would put double the angels around my car and place on duty his biggest and strongest angels. I said a lot more of that but that was part of what I prayed. After the above situation took place a laughter bubbled up within me as I imagined His angels surrounding my car and just directing that truck right around my little Kia Soul and through that narrow gap beside me. God protected me in that moment. I trusted Him before I left. I trusted Him even more in that moment! Just to retell this story to you again renews my trust in His love and protection over me. Thank you to all who are praying for me on this trip.
I arrived in San Antonio Texas safe and sound! And that is when the stories start getting even better. Remember, as God’s children we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!
Here is the poem I wrote after that miracle.
WHY’D HE DO THAT?
Each hour unknown as what is to come,
As to what will happen going to and from.
All I know is I’ll pave the way
By taking time each morning to pray.
Just as yesterday I prayed God’s will
That I be in His presence, busy or still,
To watch over me and protect my well being
From all that can happen which I am not seeing.
I ask for His angels to take extra care
That wherever I am they will be there’
In the authority of Jesus, Angels are at His call,
Whatever He commands, they do it all.
Their protection I felt; as disaster was averted,
The power of Jesus was definitely asserted.
A horrible collision did not take place
As angels guided the driver through a narrow space.
I sat in silence as angels swarmed my car
As the truck zoomed by not missing by far.
I asked out loud “Why’d he do that?”
And the answer came, “Because He could not stop”.
And then I understood the power of God’s force
That he could change a driver’s course.
Because of my prayers and my trust in Him
I am whole today in life and limb.
Thank You Lord for the protection you give
In all my hours of the life I live.
Your glory reigns within my heart
As my every day, with You starts.
by Kathleen Martens
March 21, 2015
I thank God for His protection. And believe me, I do trust Him.
Good night. It is now 10:28 and time for bed!!!
May 1 2015 Day 55 My Only Episode of Tired
I guess two months is a pretty good run of not ever getting tired during the day. Well today it hit. I haven’t worked out for many days due to lack of place, timing, and schedule. Finally today I hit the gym and probably over did it. Two hours, full workout, and probably too long. Felt so good afterward though. It is also a very hot day. Probably up in the low 90’s and getting in and out of a hot car sort of takes the starch out of you (or at least me).
Jeanette and Denny had previous plans for this evening before my scheduled trip interfered with their lives. They are gone tonight and I am happy as punch. I made a phone call to my husband and made a big mistake. I laid down on my bed and I could just feel the energy drain out of me. It really caught me off guard because very seldom do I ever have that happen. For one thing I don’t lie down during the day if I can help it and do not stop and even sit except to eat and drive and type. So…maybe I won’t lie down again during this day. Confidentially…”I will tell you that I am tired! It was only a little after 7:00 pm when I started this blog and hope to be in bed by 9:00 as I have a big day tomorrow. It actually feels good to be tired. Sometimes it is difficult for me to slow down. CORRECTION: It is always difficult for me to slow down.
This has been a coming down day for me. I am settled in and will actually be here more than a week. I leave next Saturday May 9th so I am feeling as if I have a temporary home. Wherever I am actually feels like “home” to me. Where my friends and family are is home. But at the same time I so love silence and solitude. I hear the sound of a clock ticking and it is like music to my ears. I am so grateful for the sounds I do hear. With hearing loss being prevalent in my family (dad’s side) and my hearing being so much less over the years, to have my hearing restored has been a blessing. That happened October 2013 and was a miracle of prayer.
So…here I am alone and loving it. I think I only took two or three pictures today of some flowers. That’s all I have today folks. Actually I will show you three photos. The first one is of a lovely rose that was on my dresser when I arrived at Vicki and Bill’s house when I arrived in Monterey. I love roses. The next is of a small beautiful bouquet of roses on the dresser of my room here at Jeanette and Denny’s. I know for certain that these must have been plucked from their backyard. They have so many beautiful blooming bushes of roses. I had forgotten about all the roses in California yards. It is just so amazing to see. And when I am walking by them I cannot pass them without smelling them. I actually think I could identify their colors by their frangrance with my eyes closed. All very distinct and unique olfactory pleasure. If you don’t know it by now I am a “stop and smell the roses” kind of gal. If we don’t look, we don’t see. I think my wisdom for this night would be “Open the eyes of your heart and appreciate all the blessings God puts on display for us every single day”. Such a simple gesture to place a flower in a room. But it speaks so much louder than words.
I had another good piece of wisdom offered to me today. I met a man, a perfect stranger in my eyes, but I think we both departed having been blessed. It doesn’t take much to have two persons start a conversation when God is in the meeting. I shared a bit of my travel story with him and he was actually the first one to bring up God. He asked me if I ever asked God about things. Can’t remember verbatim his first opening statement about God but that was all it took for us to realize we were brother and sister in Christ. He said some very affirming words to me (which have since been repeated to me by another totally unrelated person and event) and gave me encouragement and affirmation of what I am doing on my trip. I won’t go into the details but will say that it was confirmation that I am on this journey for a reason. I asked him for a bit of wisdom and he said: “Let your past help someone else”. That is very simplistically quoted and I am sure there was a little more to it. He said he would email it to me but I am writing now and will correct it tomorrow if I receive his email after this is published. I found out through our conversation that he is a Pastor of a Hispanic speaking Baptist church in Manteca. It was a delight to speak with him.
Just stop and think about what God has allowed to happen in your life, that today may be the very reason you are who you are, doing what you do, capable of helping others in the same situation. Use your experience and gifts to help others. It is a way of making beauty out of ashes.
I know these blogs probably get to long, but like I said before, even if no one reads them I am writing them for myself. It feels good to feel the keys dance under my crooked fingers as I express my love for words by putting them in written form. Words are powerful. Use your words wisely. I’m still trying to learn how to do that.
Hey, it is only 8:21 p.m. I might get to bed by 9:00 after all.
Have a blessed night.
Good night.
April 30 2015 Day 54 San Francisco Here I Come!
Right back where I started from. Well, not completely back quite that far. I was born in Arkansas but grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area until I married in 1973. And here I am again. There have been times when I said I would never come back to California and yet, here I am. Actually planning a trip to San Francisco proper for later next week. The rest of the time I’ll stay in the East Bay Area. Seems a little safer. San Francisco is beautiful to look from a distance but up close it is crowded and quite messy to navigate in. My word of wisdom for today is if you have a stick shift car don’t take it to San Francisco. It is dangerous on those hills.
Left beautiful Monterey this morning. It is always too soon to leave Monterey, the city by the sea. I am still living in the memory of the beauty I experienced there. And today, well today, I am in rows and rows of houses and long congested streets and lots and lots of people. It was around 40 plus years ago I watched this community of San Ramon grow and bloom into masses of people. At that time the trees were little. Now the city is a paradise of huge growth trees planted when I was a young woman. The streets are dark and shady and the homes have aged gracefully with beautiful lines of integrity. All in all, despite the miles and miles of homes it is a beautiful place to live. The surrounding hills show a light touch of green desiring to burst forth from last week’s rain. The brown grasses prevail on most slopes and often overshadow the hint of green. It give a beautiful aura standing proud above all the homes. This area consist of several canyons. A flat area of land where the streets and houses expand out to rolling hills setting stage for the mountains.
I have never seen so many mountains in my lifetime as I have experienced on this trip. It seems every state has their own particular design of mountains and they just keep going on and on, especially as I travel north as the mountains go north to south. The problem is, there is just no snow on them. Only saw a few very tall mountains with some snow and that was the day after the snow storm in Denver Colorado. By the time I left Denver most of the snow had already melted on the slopes. Pray for rain.
When I was in Oakhurst at my aunt and uncles home (by Yosemite) one of my uncles horses took a bad slide on the mud and fell hurting herself pretty badly. I called the other day to see how “Toby” was doing. She is doing okay and will survive but it will take a long time for her recovery. My uncle loves to ride and has actually taken his horses up to Yosemite National Park and ridden the trails there where no one can go without a horse. I can’t even imagine the beauty he must have seen. Well, I said all that to say this: When I was on the phone my uncle Jetton asked me if I missed being home. I told him I would think about it and blog my way through that question. He said, no, I just want a spontaneous answer right now. So I said, no, I don’t miss home. I miss my husband and family but I don’t miss being home. He asked me when my halfway point was and when I’d be turning around to go home. I told them I had no half way point, and as as far as I was concerned, that from the moment I left home I was on a journey that was leading home. I think the reason for that is that I truly do live in the moment. There is no other moment but the one I am living in. Each experience is an experience unto itself, to be savored fully for the moment(s) I am experiencing it and then I let it go for then I am living in another moment. Yes, there will be a time when am home again and then I will be experiencing the joy and thrill of that moment. But, to wish I was someplace else, or miss someplace else because I am not there would just rob me of the fullness of the joy I am feeling where ever I am at that moment.
Today was a special day in the fact that I had no plans except traveling from one location to the next. And the good part was that it was less than 100 miles away. It was a beautiful drive and I missed all the commute traffic by leaving in the middle of the day and arriving here about 3:00 p.m.
And I am here with my childhood friend Jeanette and her husband. Today was Jeanette’s last day on the clock at work. As of closing time today she is retired. She had her hip replaced in February and was on disability leave and today that leave expired. She says she doesn’t know yet how it feels to be retired. Funny thing, neither do I. But I’m practicing. Jeanette and I met when we were 12 years old at church in Oakland California. Our mother’s became good friends and thus we stayed in contact also. We had our babies close together and our boys used to play together. Well tonight one of Jeanett’s boys was on a TV show called “IT TAKES A CHURCH”. He was the bachelor looking for a prospective wife. The only thing was that it wasn’t him who did the choosing. The show was filed at his church with his friends and his pastor watching the auditions of the girls that would like to be chose and then the church chose the four finalist. Then it was up to Ryan to make the final choice. Of course mom and dad were proud as punch watching their young son (in his 30’s) do an excellent job of being himself. I’ve know Ryan all my life and he is a wonderful young man. I once did a model shoot for him in San Francisco at the Palace of Fine Arts. He is a gorgeous man as well as a great guy. We were all rooting for our favorite gal. We all chose the same favorite for of course we knew just which one would be the best for him! And he didn’t fail to deliver! We haven’t heard from after the show’s debut so we are wondering if they hit it off and are still dating. This was filmed several months ago and his parents did not know a thing about it until they were told a couple of days ago that the show was coming on. What a surprise they received when they watched the program because they didn’t know what it was about or what his part in the show would be. It felt very satisfying to be here and have the opportunity to watch this show with his parents. It was a fun night. Ryan lives and works in Southern California so he is not home very often. Ryan is an R.N.
Oh, one more incident I want to tell you about. I have a friend that lives a few blocks from Jeanette in this same neighborhood. We have been friends for 60 years. We met because we lived in the “housing projects”. My family of 5 girls lived in a small three bedroom apartment on the top floor. Albert’s family of four kids lived in the apartment below us. That made for a lot of angst with his dad because I often went to sleep with my coffee can full of marbles on my bed only to have them topple over in the night and hit the linoleum floor above Albert’s dad’s bedroom. Not a pretty sight to have him come upstairs banging on our apartment door saying things I can’t say here on my blog. Well that is how we met. We have been true friends ever since. Albert is retired now and he and his partner live close by Jeanette’s house. Jeanette and I were off on a journey to find out if I could get some passes to a gym and on the spur of the moment I asked her if we could stop by Albert’s. Albert did not know I was coming or in the area. Jeanette and I knocked on the door and Mark answered, looked at me and I just stood there with a silly grin and forgot to say anything. I could tell he did not recognize me. My friend Judy and I stayed with Albert and Mark 4 years ago when I was here for a planning session for an event I was “co-producing with a cousin”. Finally Jeanette asked if Albert was there. Mark recognized her. When Albert came to the door he immediately knew who I was and then poor Mark was embarrassed for not knowing me. I guess that is what happens when you grow as old as I did in such a short time as four year. He actually did not recognize me because of the hair style and the 80 pound weight loss. It was fun none the less to surprise them. They immediately made us feel welcome and we had a great short visit. I told them I had to do something to write about in my blog. The back of their house opens up to a beautiful yard. In standards of Wisconsin yards it is pretty small but he has made a small place absolutely beautiful. Other than the pics I took there I have no others today. I will post some for you to see. He has a rose garden oasis. This is blooming time in drought ridden California so these flowers are very precious.
I asked Mark what his words of wisdom would be. Here is his answer: “When you look at your life and see you have less time ahead than you have behind, take a a trip”. He said he did just that and had an amazing time. It seemed he really connected with why I wanted to go on this trip. He understood the value of the journey, one moment at a time, experiencing what life brought to you in each moment. That is somewhat how I feel. The value for me is what God brings to me. Everyday I see God’s hand and direction in my life and I am so grateful for the opportunity of this journey. It really is a journey of a lifetime.
Thank you for those who take time to read these pages. I do not feel bad if you do not read them, if they are too long, too boring or too time consuming. For me it is documentation of my journey of today and melding the moments of my past into the beauty of the present. This journey is bringing back so many memories and I find that regardless how uncomfortable some of the situations I’ve experienced are, I no longer have pain from any memory. All the negatives have been let go and there is no longer any pain associated with any one memory. All the pain has been released through the healing presence of Christ living within me for He has shown me the truth of what really is. It is a wonderful place to live.
And every day I learn something.
Good Night
April 29 2015 Day 53 Aquarium and Movie Tour
It was another one of those “GREATEST DAYS” again. Like I’ve said before, whatever moment I am living in is one of those greatest days. Perhaps it doesn’t even matter WHAT I am doing, but rather, the fact that I am doing it! Today was unbelievable. What is so unbelievable can’t really even be put into words. I went to an aquarium (the number one ranked aquarium in the entire world, so I was told by the aquarium personnel) and it was awesome. I was spell bound by the intricacies of the different marine life. So exquisitely and gracefully made. As I watched some of the tanks full of aquatic life I was mesmerized as if watching an intricate and profoundly complicated dance. And that was just watching one creature. I even captured some of the choreography on video so I convince myself that what I saw was not really just imagined. I wish I knew how to add them to my blog so I could share them with you. It seemed as if some of the fish were dancing on threads.
I believe part of the joy I feel on these awesome days is just experiencing what I am seeing that seems so magnificent and beautiful. From the tiniest fish to the vast ocean crashing against the rocks. Both have a power all their own. And I am awed.
After the aquarium trip I took a tour on a bus through Monterey and Carmel showing all the places where movies have been filmed. This tour was awesome even though I haven’t seen the movies (or even heard of some). There were T.V. screens in the bus where the scenes of the movie were filmed and we would go to that same place, same road, or house, or beach and see exactly where they were filmed. Most times it was just snippets in the movie scattered throughout the movie, but they would all be filmed on these locations and then back to Hollywood to do the rest of the filming. My husband would have enjoyed it because he enjoys old movies and has probably seen them all. It was interesting to me to see the beautiful buildings still standing and looking as groomed and graceful as they did 60 or 70 years ago. Some films were from the 50’s, 60′, and 70’s also. We were able to get out and photograph in three places. We went to the water’s edge on the 17 Mile Drive (a famous drive so I’ve been informed), to the lone tree on a rock in the ocean, and spent 40 minutes at Pebble Beach Resort and Golf Course. FANCY! Elegant and grand to say the least. The houses around Pebble Beach sell for between $15 Million Dollars and $50 Million Dollars. The tour guide informed us that most of the homes there are lived in an average of three weeks a year. Go figure that one out.
Had the opportunity to meet two delightful sisters on the tour and later meet their mother. It seems God blesses me with wonderful people wherever I go. If I remember correctly the sisters were named Vickie and Mallory. I asked Vickie what her word of wisdom would be to others. She promptly replied, “Don’t ever take anything for granted“. I asked her why she said that. She then told me that her 35 year old son is battling cancer. I asked her if she minded me praying with her and she responded that she prays every day. Her son is Daniel. We prayed for Daniel. Please say a prayer for this young man. I know you do not know him but God knows him and God hears all our prayers. Daniel’s cancer is in his sinuses. What a blessing it is for me to be able to pray with others on this trip. It’s like God drops a little seed of love in my heart for all the wonderful people I meet. I will remember Daniel. He is my son’s age.
After the tour my cousin Bill was off work and he took me out for more sight seeing in and around Carmel. We went to an old old mission . It was closing soon so we didn’t go in but I did take a few shots around the property. So beautiful and so old. I am sorry that I have already packed my information brochures so don’t have any facts or names of things.
After all the sight seeing Bill and I met Vicki at a restaurant and…let’s say…we had a feast fit for a king. BRUSSELS SPROUTS was on the menu. And oh, were they ever delicious. This is what showed up on our table. Artichoke and dip, Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Root Vegetables, Kale and Beet salad, and Shrimp. Bill and Vicki ordered Fish. Actually we shared some of the dishes. And I still have enough to eat on the road tomorrow.
Before coming to Seaside/Monterey area I had only met Vicki briefly two previous times. My cousin Bill and I spent minimal time together growing up even though we are close in age. I was hesitant about asking if I could come and visit them from out of town. They were very gracious and willing to have me come. I came planning to stay two nights and they thought I was staying three nights. They finally convinced me to stay three nights as they had lots of things planned for me to do. It was Bill’s sister that I was planning on going to next and she and I made arrangements to have me come another night. What I didn’t know was that Vicki works in the vacation/resort business. Well, she gave me two passes to the arboretum and told me if I found someone to give a ticket to, then offer it to them. And, she also gave me the bus tour pass. These were all expensive gifts and I felt so blessed. I would have felt blessed even if they weren’t expensive. Just her generosity and hospitality overwhelmed me. The dinner was a an award she won for being such a valued person in her field and donating her time. It was such an awesome gift to know that she shared her gift with me. It was a fabulous restaurant. All I really wanted was just to come and visit with them and to get to know them both better. Bill and I look like brother and sister. He’s quite handsome (Smile).
A note on another pleasant family I met. The recipient of Vicki’s generous offer for me to offer a ticket to someone. I had pulled up in a metered parking space and was just ready to slide my credit card in to pay for the place when a lady asked me if my parking place was marked for commercial unloading. To my surprise it was. So was hers. Well she saved me from a parking ticket. I got in the car as so the other family got in theirs. We ended up on another street very close together and this time had legitimate parking spaces. So, I asked them if the were going to the aquarium and they were. I offered them my guest pass. These guest passes must be returned to Vicki as they are like a credit card and can be used again. So the teenage son walked with me, as the others were too slow and I had limited time, and I was able to get him in with the pass. They were delighted as the tickets cost $40.00 per person. They blessed me by saving me from getting a parking ticket and I in turn was able to bless their family through Vicki’s blessing to me. I just love the way God works out the details of our lives.
Another beautiful day has come and gone. I praise God for this day that he has made and I rejoiced in this day. When I stood at the edge of the mighty roaring ocean today I raised my hands in praise and triumph to the God who created such a world that I would be able to have such joy. Look around you at all the great and beautiful and amazing creations of God and let your heart rejoice. I think that when the powerful waves beat against the rock and create the loud roar that God hears that as praise.
Good Night
April 28 2015 Day 52 Monterey and Big Sur “WOW!”
How can one day be the greatest and then the next day is the greatest too?. I must sound like a broken record. God is so good. I think each day is the greatest because “this is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it”! Everyday I live is a day of rejoicing. I wish everyone could feel life with the joy and intensity that I experience life. It is especially intense now that I am constantly seeing new sights and each one I see is so awesome and inspiring that they take my breath away. Today was not exception. I had planned to go to Santa Cruz but My cousin Bill’s wife Vicki spoke so highly of Seaside, Monterey, Big Sur and the ocean views that I had to do some investigating for myself. What made it easy to do was that cousin Bill took the day off of work to escort me to all these breathtaking views. I was so glad he was driving so I could gawk.
Not only did I have a chance to actually sight see instead of doing the driving, there were many pullouts that allowed us to stop and explore. We walked down trails, and up trails, and down hillsides of stairs and back up hillsides of stairs. We walked across bridges and out onto catwalks to take a better look at the sights below us. And having Bill with me meant that I had a built in photographer with me. So you may get to see more photos of me than usual on this day. All I have to do now is stay away so I can get the blog done.
I will make this blog short as I must get up early for another busy day tomorrow.
Bill drove me all around the ocean view points, we ate our lunch in the car and kept driving some more. We went across lots of mountains and through several state parks. Then we headed home and met Bill’s wife so we could go to the farmer’s market. An interesting farmers market. A lot of singers and entertainers performing for tip money. There were many things that were non food items but somehow fit into the theme of farmer’s market. There was hand made jewelry, jams, breads, lots of strawberries, kettle corn, purses, scarves and lots of personal items for sale.
After the farmer’s market we walked on the wharf overlooking where the cannery used to be in years long gone. It was a beautiful wharf but the time of day did not bode well for photos. I was shooting into the sun. I did come across a pelican that allowed me to get within two feet of him/her (want to be politically correct) without ruffling a feather. Up close and personal I don’t think I would want the pelican to nip me with its beak. There was a long curved nail-like claw protruding from the upper beak point. It looked wicked. The pelican was so stunning up close.
AND THE SONG IT SINGS
By Kathleen Martens
April 28 2015
The grandeur of the mountain is such a small thing
When compared to the ocean and the song it sings.
Waves crashing one by one on the sandy shore,
From whence they come there is always more.
Relentless and pounding; the heartbeat of the earth.
And only God knows the Ocean’s priceless worth.
It’s beauty alone unable to express in words
So the reason it’s voice must be heard.
Listen carefully so that you will hear,
The heartbeat of the earth while it is still near.
The above poem is my poem for the day. I wish you could have been with me and experienced the sounds of the “heartbeat”.
After walking the wharf we came back to the house and had a wonderful dinner of salad and chicken. Delicious! Tomorrow is another day and it is packed full again. I suppose I won’t get to slow down until I arrive at my long time friends, Jeanette and Denny’s on Thursday evening. Tomorrow is aquarium day and a Tour. We changed our days around.
Note to Lana: Be sure and refresh your screen on my blog when you want to see new post. I had several posts of my time with you. Let me know if you can access it.
Must close my tired eyes. I’ll proofread tomorrow. Smile!
P.S. I am going to post a photo of me looking out over the ocean. Bill is standing in a tunnel looking toward me with the ocean in the background. I asked Bill to take it just like that because I liked the view so much.
April 27 2015 Day 51 “I See the Ocean”
Up close and personal I can see the ocean. I posted a couple of pics for you.
This day as been awesome! I actually slept in until 8:30 a.m. That is very late for me. It felt so good because I knew I would be driving. I have found that I have a tendency to get drowsy on some of these long drives. When I do start nodding I look for a place to stop, get out, walk around, fill up the car or empty me out. It breaks the cycle of the drowsies. Well today’s trip was less than a three hour drive but I still had to stop once. It was a very interesting day of driving because I was going across the state of California instead of driving south to north. There are four major highways that go north/south. Well, today I drove on all four and I was going from east to west in a southerly direction. First I was on Highway 99, then Highway 5, then Highway 101 and finally on highway 1. I was constantly working my way south/west in a stair step sort of patter in order to arrive at my destination. I arrived on time or there about and had a delicious dinner and evening out.
As I was driving and merging onto the coastal Highway 1 all of a sudden the ocean just appeared. I had to quickly take a look and it was breathtaking and up close. I wasn’t expecting to have my first glimpse in such a dramatic way. I was stunned and sorry that I couldn’t stop the car and just gawk. I rolled down the windows and let the ocean breeze blow in. Coastal air is so different than inland. It is fresh and cool and heavy and moist. When I left Modesto at 1:00 p.m. it was 87 degrees. It dropped to 73 degrees, then 65 degrees and then to 58 degrees the closer I drove toward the ocean. I purposely checked often to see how the temperatures changed. Every time I got over another huge mountain the temp was lower. It’s as if the Ocean feels my thoughts right now and the curtains rustle and the cold air wraps it way around my legs caressing me as if to say welcome. It is quite cold. I wish I knew what the temperature reading is. But I don’t.
My host home is my first cousin Bill Tackett, son of my mother’s, late brother. They live nestled high above the town of Monterey overlooking a view of the water. Monterey is a seaside town built on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. After dinner they took me on a short tour around the town. The light was so beautiful. The fog lay thick out over the bay and the sun played with the light to create some beautiful illusions. How am I so fortunate to be just where I needed to be at the right time to view such beautiful sights. I took a few pictures but they cannot do justice to what my God-designed eye of the heart is able to see. We also stopped by the home of where they go to Bible Study on Monday evenings so I could meet some of their friends who would be there. I met some wonderful people. I asked one for her word of wisdom. She quoted something from Ghandi: “There are seven days in the week and only two days in which you cannot do anything, Yesterday and Tomorrow”
This lady I met is Susan, and we had a few other discussions. We talked about living in the moment, which I like to believe I do. I said that I enjoy who I am and the age I am and have peace and contentment. She replied that she thought the reason I was so content was because I do live in the moment. When we do live in the moment and accept who we are we do have the tendency to be satisfied with life. It was a good insight to be brought to my attention.
The farmlands are being irrigated and they look lush and ripe. Strawberries and blackberries and blueberries are being sold at roadside stands along with the first picking of nectarines and peaches. Last years harvest of almonds and walnuts are in abundance also. So many local vegetables are already being harvested. It felt like late summer in Wisconsin because of all the fresh varieties available. I so crave fresh food and I have been buying it along the way. Sometimes I forget and leave it behind if it hasn’t all been eaten and other times I take it with me in my thermal bag and eat it for lunch. I have not stopped at a fast food place for a meal since I left home. I carry enough real food with me that I don’t need to do that.
I drove by a large Reservoir today. As I looked down I realized it was almost empty. Sand bars broke through the placid surface. I believe it was the San Luis Reservoir. The article below is from today’s paper discussing the information about the dam that I thougth might interest you. Here today but it may be gone tomorrow.
San Luis Reservoir
Panoramic view of Reservoir
The San Luis Reservoir is an artificial lake on San Luis Creek in the eastern slopes of the Diablo Range of Merced County, California, approximately 12 mi (19 km) west of Los Banos on State Route 152, which crosses Pacheco Pass and runs along its north shore. It is the fifth largest reservoir in California. The reservoir stores water taken from the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta. Water is pumped uphill into the reservoir from the O’Neill Forebay which is fed by the California Aqueduct and is released back into the forebay to continue downstream along the aqueduct as needed for farm irrigation and other uses. Depending on water levels, the reservoir is approximately nine miles long from north to south at its longest point, and five miles (8 km) wide. At the eastern end of the reservoir is the San Luis Dam, or the B.F. Sisk Dam, the fourth largest embankment dam in the United States, which allows for a total capacity of 2,041,000 acre feet (2,518,000 dam3).
Completed in 1967 on land formerly part of Rancho San Luis Gonzaga, the 12,700 acres (5,100 ha) reservoir is a joint use facility, being a part of both the California State Water Project and Central Valley Project, which together form a network of reservoirs, dams, pumping stations, and 550 miles (885 km) of canals and major conduits to move water across California. The San Luis Reservoir is located in Merced County, and has a visitor center located at the Romero Outlook where visitors can learn more about the dam and reservoir. The surface of the reservoir lies at an elevation of approximately 544 ft (166 m), with the O’Neill Forebay below the dam at 225 ft (69 m) above sea level. This elevation difference allows for a hydroelectric plant to be constructed – the Gianelli Hydroelectric Plant. Power from this plant is sent to a Path 15 substation, Los Banos via a short power line. Those 500 kV wires, carrying both the power generated here and elsewhere, leave the area and cross the O’Neill Forebay on several man-made islands.
California is big. I thought Texas was big. It is. It is big Wide. California is big TALL. The landscape is so diversified that it seems I go from country to country around the globe, One thing, it has a lot of are mountains. Boy have I crossed some mountains since being on this trip. Beautiful, beautiful mountains. And when I arrived in California there are even more mountains. Check it out online. The below paragraph was taken from the internet to give you a little info regarding some of the ranges in California.
Coast Ranges
Coast Ranges, series of mountain ranges along the Pacific coast of North America, extending from SE Alaska to Baja California; from 2,000 to 20,000 ft (610–6,100 m) high. The ranges include the St. Elias Mts. in SE Alaska and SW Yukon, which have the highest elevations; a partially submerged portion that forms the islands off the coast of SE Alaska and British Columbia; the Olympic Mts. in Washington; the Coast Ranges in Oregon; the Klamath Mts., Coast Ranges, and Los Angeles Ranges in California; and the Peninsular Range in Baja California. The Coast Ranges are rugged, geologically young mountains formed by faulting and folding and are composed mainly of granitic rock; the northern third is glaciated. N of San Francisco the ranges are humid and thickly forested; the southern parts are dry and covered with brush and grass. Lumbering, mining, and tourism are important.
Back to Bill and Vicki: After dinner we drove around the community here on the coast. They made such a believer out of me regarding the things see to see and do that I called my next destination and postponed arriving at their home until Sunday afternoon. So all is well in regards to my going to my next panned stop. After the short car tour we went to Bill and Vicki’s place of home Bible Study and I met all the people that were there. We then came home and here I am. SLEEPY.
So Sleepy…
Where do I lay my head?
Kathleen Martens
April 27, 20015
I walk into the arms of God
Never does He think it odd.
He nestles me in a quite place
With me alone in this space.
I am His and He is mine
Oh such a beautiful time.
I rest in Him and His peace
He rests in me and does not cease.
April 26 2015 Day 50 My last full day with Sue
My last full day with Sue. Forty two years ago she stood by myside as Dave and I spoke our vows. Forty two years of life lived by each of us. So many roads travelled. So many experiences experienced. As stories unfold I comprehend that I could use just the story of one life to write a mini-series or several volumes of books. And as I speak and share with others I realize that I too have accumulated a lifetime of stories. The stories of this trip are also accumulating. I am beginning to see some of the lessons that God has prepared for me to learn. Day after day the building blocks of my trip are beginning to take shape. They come in the form of each experience, each person I meet, the roads I travel, the words I speak, the words others speak to me, and even in the beds I sleep in.
I have slept on soft beds, hard beds, couches, air mattresses, on fold out beds, in low beds and in high beds needing stairs to climb into them, in living rooms, in kitchens, in twin beds, in a toddler bed and in beds fit for a king. I have slept on new sheets and worn sheets and smooth sheets and rough sheets, clean sheets and sheets that had been previously used. I haven’t slept on the floor… YET… One thing I have discovered, no matter which bed I was in I slept like a baby. And for that I thank God. It has been amazing. As I think back over these places of rest the stories surrounding the beds surface in my memory. So many that haven’t been told and may never be told, tucked into that special place of my heart to be savored only by me. Friends and faces and surroundings and incidents all come flooding back into my memory. I will take them home with me.
Every day I am learning; about the world, about others, about God, about myself. Today was a God learning day. My friend Sue wanted to go someplace different today for church. She gave me the scenarios of what she knew about different churches in the area but didn’t know which one to choose. I felt impressed that we should go to Calvary Chapel in Modesto. So we did. EXCELLENT CHOICE! After looking back over the day I believe it was a God inspired choice. The praise and worship service was amazing and the teaching was illuminating. Senior Pastor, Damian Kyle, used the scripture reference Isaiah 66:1-6 as his topic. I deduced that this was the last day of the series of sermons on Isaiah. The last teaching of the Isaiah series was tonight at the 6:00 p.m. service. Sue and I planned to attend but our day zoomed by too quickly and we couldn’t make it back. I do hope I can listen to the entire series on Isaiah online as I do my workouts. The only problem with that is that I can’t take notes and get into the deep study of the series while exercising. Reverend Kyle’s presentation just opened up the scriptures with understanding and comprehension that I had not understood previously. To discover Damian Kyle’s teaching is like a gift presented to last a long, long time. I thank God for my ears that I can hear so I can learn more and more about who God really is. And I thank God for a teachable spirit. If you don’t have one just ask God for one and I’m certain there are a lot of things He’d like to teach you.
Not only was the teaching excellent but from the time we stepped out of the car onto the parking lot we could feel the friendliness of the people around us, from the grounds attendants, to the greeters at the door, to the people in the restrooms, concluding with those sitting around us. I have never felt so genuinely welcomed at a church service as I did at Calvary Chapel, Modesto. I was also very impressed with all the volunteers, each doing separate jobs preparing the building for the next congregating of “THE CHURCH”.
So much packed into the session this morning that I can’t go into it all here. I would recommend going to the website www.ccmodesto.com and do some exploring. Believe me, I already did and am excited to see listed all the topics I will be able to listen to.
It was so refreshing to be so welcomed into “The Family of God” in a “foreign” land. Thank you Robyn and John and Jenny and husband and Mrs. B. You helped make this Sunday Sabbath special! God bless all of you!
Sue and I have had a wonderful time remembering the good and the bad times, filling in the blank episodes of our lives that we hadn’t shared before and just loving being in each other’s presence again. I do hope all of you have this kind of friend to remember with in your later years. Sometimes the remembering is easier than it was going through it. And life has a different perspective when looking back, a little older, a little wiser. The best part…we can look back and know we survived. I can look back and see all the times when God was right there beside me as I trudged through the cement of life. So much more to tell.
Yesterday I said I would write part of an essay I wrote about 47 or 48 years ago. If the typing goes fast I’ll write the entire essay I wrote as a teenager:
*************************************************************************************
THE FUTURE IS TOMORROW
In the beginning God…In the beginning God created…And our beginning was created by God. And we were created for a purpose.
Where were you in 1872? Where will you be tomorrow? Tomorrow is our future. What we, you and I, do with it is completely up to us. Tomorrow is our future. Yesterday is gone. Soon tomorrow will be gone. What will we, as Christians, do with our lives? Is the future really ours? How can we as individuals be certain we will have a future?
Life is now lived at an exceedingly fast pace. Violence and death are nothing unexpected. Individuals are abused and slaughtered; whole nations can be wiped out by one bomb. What is life anyway and how can we be so sure we will be here tomorrow? Too often “tomorrow”, “next week”, and “nest month: are taken for granted. “I’ll do it tomorrow.” The familiar phrase that has certainly been spoken by many of us at one time or another. As one character in the popular play, THE MUSIC MAN, said, “Pile up a bunch of tomorrows and you’ll find you’ll end up with a lot of empty yesterdays.” These words are so very true. What is a future if we don’t use it now? Empty?? The future is ours because of what we do with it now. We must live to the fullest of God’s plan for us as individuals. Not by saying, “I will do”, or “I did”, but by doing His (God’s) will and works for our lives now. The future is ours because through a day by day walk with God we can claim each day not for ourselves but for God; awakening with the thought, what can I do for my neighbor, my friends, my pastor, my country…for GOD?
What we do today will reflect what happens tomorrow and the many more to come. God has not definitely said, “I promise you a tomorrow,” but when this physical life is ended our tomorrow with Christ will begin…for eternity. The future is ours only because we live in the complete will of God today.
And that is what I wrote all those years ago. This was the entire essay.
Good night. It is 11:23 p.m. and I am going to eat dinner and go to bed. My dinner will be goat cheese, peanut butters and an orange. I don’t like eating quite this late but my lunch was at 2:00 p.m..
April 25 2015 Day 49 A Day in Modesto
Sue was gone when I woke up at 7:10 a.m. I needed to sleep in because I was up until 1:30 a.m.. So was she but she had an early morning commitment to prepare breakfast burritos for the homeless on the streets. She prepared 320 burritos with help of seven other people. This group was preparing only one part of the breakfast. Someone else made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, another group made chicken salad sandwiches and another group made huge pans of a hot dish. Cakes and dessert were made by another group. Drinks were also provided to feed anywhere from 200 to 300 homeless. They do this once a month on the last Saturday of the month to help the homeless because most of the people have run out of government assisted food stamps by the last week. Entire families come.
Back on the home front I started the beans cooking and preparing the food to put in the soup later. With the beans cooking Sue and I left for the downtown area for the Modesto Farmer’s Market. Sue’s husband is recovery from a very major back surgery and is currently able to walk around with a walker so he was home and able to turn the beans off at the appropriate time. Sue’s husband was injured in Vietnam when he was working on a two story water tower on base and was blown off of the tower by a rocket. He was propelled over three or four vehicles and landed on his head. The injury eventually caused him to be permanently disabled. In 2007 he became paralyzed. He had surgery on Feb 23rd. His back was fused and he had cages, rods and screws put in his entire spine. I saw the X-rays and they were painful to view. He is now able to be upright and with the assistance of arm crutches or a walker can move his feet and legs as he strengthens them in hopes of eventually walking again.
So what do you do in a new city? Go shopping of course. We hit some of the resale shops and had a good time just being together. But duty called so we went home to make certain Sue’s husband had what he needed. Also, we had to finish the soup we were cooking and eat lunch. We ate our farmer’s market fare. So good…
Again we left to hit the rest of the resale shops. Didn’t quite get to all of them.
And again our stomachs called us home. This time we had homemade soup that was really, really excellent! (Even if I do say so myself). After I cleaned up while Sue helped her husband we are both here in her home business office on our computers. So…another special day with my friend is coming to a close. We plan to take it easy tomorrow and go to the late church service so we can sleep in. How the days get away so quickly I’ll never know.
When I arrived yesterday Sue brought out some old albums of pictures of us and a book I wrote for her over 43 years ago. I don’t have the awake power to share some of what I wrote but I hope I can do that tomorrow. It is interesting for me to read what I wrote so many years ago. It might surprise some of you. I’ll try to write an exert of an essay I wrote for a possible scholarship for Bethany Bible College in Santa Cruz CA. I had included the essay in the book I compiled for her. I actually won the small scholarship but did not use it as I did not end up attending Bethany Bible College. Since it is too long to write now I will leave you with one of my words of wisdom I included in her book “For every hour that passes a million are added to eternity and even then eternity has not yet begun”.
One more closing. I met one of Sue’s closest friend, an 82 year old woman named Betty. When asked what wisdom she would like to pass on this is what she said
“IF YOU HAVE A DREAM, DON’T WAIT. START IT TODAY.” As quoted by Betty.
And so I will…
My dream is to get into bed. So I will do so.
April 23 2015 Day 47 My New Love
I think I have fallen in love again. I am in love with Yosemite. I never suspected that Yosemite would woo me as she has. OH SO BEAUTIFUL AND MAGNIFICENT! And I haven’t even seen it all yet. Nor shall I on this trip. Other than the fear of forest fire and having no water, Oakhurst would be a wonderful choice for retirement.
My second day at the park was absolutely delightful. I started the morning off going to breakfast with my uncle Jetton. He meets his “old” cronies once a weekato a place named DUCYS. It sits beside Bass Lake or perhaps I should better describe it as Bass Pond. When I drove over a bridge to our destination I could see out across what was formerly a beautiful blue expansive lake. What I saw were piers and docks sitting on dry desolate land. The ground was parched and dried in a myriad of colors; browns, beige, off white, dark rocks and a small portion of water in the middle of the lake. It actually made me want to cry. I could just feel the desolation of the drought up close and personal. This lake is home to a golf course, restaurants, places to stay, creating a choice environment to draw in people. People who create a livelihood to many. It was so sad to see.
On the way to Ducys I saw a large portion of land being cleared. There were home foundations and chimneys and burned out trees being cleared away. When I asked what happened I was told that the fire had been started by hunters who had killed a deer and had gutted it out. “The guts got to stink’n so they poured gasoline on the guts and started it on fire and the woods started on fire” as quoted from my Uncle Jetton. He and my aunt were told to be ready to leave so he put his horses in trailers and grabbed what they needed. What they needed was financial records, pictures off the wall, jewels, guns and that’s about it. My uncle said that when you have just a few minutes to leave and you have no plan, it is difficult to even think clearly. Since that time all financial records are kept in a storage filing case on wheels like a suitcase and can be wheeled out. The plan now (since they live in a very high fire zone) is to put both horses in one trailer and use the single wide horse trailer to pack a few of their other valuables. Sometimes there is no notice so you just grab and run. Other times you have some warning as the fire approaches. One woman whose home burned down was able to grab her purse, get in her car and escape the flames. In the fire I mentioned above there were 32 single family homes that were burned totally down. The loss of the trees scarred the landscape even from across the lake looking out from Ducy’s. My Aunt and Uncle now have an exit plan and everything is easily accessible for a quick pack up. That is one threat I would not like to live with. There were no deaths reported in the fire mentioned. This fire happened last summer. Well, the area is now another year dryer. The threat is real to those who live in this area. The hills are pock marked with towering brown trees that would go up like tender. The reason Jetton and Georgia’s home did not burn is because the wind changed. I think I’ll keep looking for that perfect place to retire. But…I’m still in love with Yosemite!
Well, after breakfast my plan was to go back to the park because I did not have a chance to see the Giant Sequoia’s. It was worth every minute! I enjoyed the breakfast with the “old men” and my dear Aunt Vela who also came. We couldn’t get Aunt Annie to come nor Aunt Jeanette, my mother’s brother John’s widow. So two ladies with the four old men, one who was 93 and acted like 65. I saw so much light and life in his sparkling eyes. Oops, one of the men wasn’t old. The 93 year old’s 19 year old grandson was also there. Jetton and his ride had to leave along with Vela. I had my car and was going to Yosemite. I was in such a maze of roads that had no way to get out without help. One of the older men said he would take me out, better yet, he would just take me to Yosemite. I could tell he really enjoyed having company with him and an excuse to do something. He drove me up the mountain in his truck. Let’s put it this way…I’m not nervous when I do the driving. We arrived safe and sound, all 13 miles from where we started. Then once in the park we had to go about 3 more miles to the Sequoia grove and those roads were even more precarious because of being so narrow. But I made it without even gasping. He was just so kind and enjoyed being with someone for the company. He was delightful and surprised me by his stamina and quick walking. We were at about 4,000 feet altitude and I was again having a bit of difficulty with heart exertion. I just stopped and gawked extra long if my heart accelerated too high.
What there was to look at deserved to be gawked at. Unless I am present with the tall giants I have a tendency to forget their magnitude. The old ones stand 200 to 300 feet high. I encircled one giant with both arms spread wide and went all the way around it 10 times That was its girth. My reach is 5 feet. The total circumference estimation is 50 feet. I hope that helps give you a clearer realization of just how big these trees are. Yosemite would be a wonderful destination to go to because there are so many interesting excursions to go on. I plan to come back with Dave as soon as possible. I may not go to another destination in California but I do Hope to return to Yosemite so I can see what I’ve missed.
One of my favorite parts of my day is meeting all the interesting people I meet. And today was no exception. I often offer to take photos of couples or families that are taking pictures so everyone can be included. This often opens up opportunity to get involved in short conversations. It is so interesting to hear people’s stories, where they are from, where they are going. Today was no exception in meeting people but the exception was in meeting a group of four exceptional young people traveling up from Southern California to purposely visit Yosemite. I would imagine they were in their early to mid twenties. One lady and three young men. I took photos of them and they did likewise for me. They were so alive and in love with life and nature. Their life is before them and I so enjoyed talking with them and hearing their words of wisdom. I didn’t write it down, so much of it is lost. I have contact info to reach them so maybe I’ll text and see if they will remind me. I should leave nothing for memory.
It is time for dinner. I will write more after dinner. I post this now so it will not be lost accidentally. Maybe I will proof read it tomorrow…(or never)…
Dinner is over. And it was delicious. Corn bread and beans, fried potatoes, and coleslaw. All the others also had ham with theirs. I had two pieces of corn bread. It was so good. If you had been a fly on the wall you would have thought
During dinner we had three deer having dinner on the back yard plants. We watched them for awhile. I posted a photo taken through the window.
It is wash night. One load drying and another washing. A good feeling having everything clean when I head off for another place. I leave tomorrow morning and head out to Modesto. I will be visiting with my long time friend Sue, who was my maid of honor at our wedding. I’ve known her about 47 years. She is my dear friend I met after I graduated from High School that has remained my friend all these years. She was still in High School while I was going to college but our age difference was no big deal. Now it is a big deal! She’s younger!
All in all this has been another wonderful day. God is good. Time to write a poem.
P.S. Just looked up Redwoods and Sequoia Trees. I thought they were the same. They are not. Here is an excerpt taken from an online information page: ” Natural habitat.—The giant sequoia is found growing singly or in groups scattered for a distance of 250 miles along the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada in central California at elevations of 4,000 to 8,000 feet. The redwood grows near the Pacific Ocean along the northern California coast in a more or less continuous belt about 450 miles long and 15 miles wide.
Method of reproduction.—Both species reproduce from seed, but the redwood is one of the few conifers that is also able to develop sprouts from cut stumps, roots, and burls.
Foliage.—The foliage of the giant sequoia is scalelike and somewhat resembles that of the junipers; redwood foliage is in the form of two-ranked needles like the hemlock.
Shape and size.—The giant sequoia is the largest tree in the world in volume and has an immense trunk with very slight taper; the redwood is the world’s tallest tree and has a slender trunk.
Cones and seed.—The cones and seed of the giant sequoia are about three times the size of those produced by the redwood.
Woody structure.—The wood of the giant sequoia is much coarser in texture than that of the redwood, and growth rings of the redwood are wider. Both woods are highly resistant to decay.
Color of bark.—The bark of the giant sequoia is bright reddish brown, whereas that of the redwood is a dull chocolate brown.
April 22 2015 Day 46 The Cathedral
Where do I start when everything that happened today just seems more grand than the moment before? Well, I’ll start at the beginning before I knew it was such a grand day. We (Georgia, Jetton, Annie, Jeanette and myself) all slept in today. That was a grand thing! I was up first at 7:50 a.m. and everyone followed. This was my day to get an early start and go to Yosemite. Best laid plans of mice and men…Too much talking, having my picture taken sitting on a horse to impress you. But, I forgot to use my cell phone and I can’t post it off my camera so I won’t get to impress you after all. My uncle rides horses and has two of his own He’ll be riding in a parade on Saturday. Well, finally I did get all ready to leave and misplaced my keys (that a nice way of saying I lost them). We all looked high and low to find them and they were no where to be found. I figured they were in the car as I had come out and unlocked it and then got on the horse. We could not find them. “I Myself” did not even get upset with”Me”. I just prayed figured they would turn up because God knew where they were. So, I retrieved my “spare” set of keys and left for Yosemite.
“continue reading…” Read the rest of this entry
April 21 2015 DAY 45
Oh my, what a day! Right now it sounds like a bunch of chickens cackling. (Too many sisters in one room). I am in Oakhurst CA at the home of my aunt Georgia and Uncle Jetton. After driving several hours I walked in the kitchen entrance to three rooms full of old people (my age) all sitting down listening to the pick’n and singing. In case you don’t know what pick’n and singing is you need a lesson on people from Arkansas. And that is where our family comes from. You can take the girl out of Arkansas but you can’t take the Arkie out of the girl. In this case you can’t even take the Arkie out of OLD WOMEN!
What a fun night. Georgia and Vela (my mother’s sisters) singing their Hillbilly tunes, one harmonica player, who also sang with the most beautiful voice I have heard in a long time. His voice reminded me of George Beverly Shay who was a voice from the long ago past. There was also a base guitar player that added a lot to the ensemble. Not only did Georgia and Vela sing they pulled in aunt Annie in too (another sister of my mom). Their voices harmonize beautifully together. It was especially fun when Vela did the chicken dance. I’ll see if I can upload a video. Well, I tried to post the video and it did not work.
Woke early this morning so I could go work out before hitting the road again. I packed everything up last night so all that needed to be done was load the car. Of course it doesn’t sound like much to do….WRONG! I have so many little bags to load and arrange that it always takes longer than I think it will. Finally got on the road at 11:00 a.m. I was trying to get to Oakhurst as early as possible because of the shingding. But, I was late. I had an opportunity arise that I didn’t want to miss. Last night when Betts treated me to dinner she told me her daughter lives in Fresno and she thought I would be going through Fresno and perhaps I would like to stop and meet her. Remember Betts is the maternal birth grandmother to out daughter. Her daughter is our daughter’s biological aunt and her children Rebecca’s cousins. I love meeting Rebecca’s birth mother’s family. So, I called her and stopped in tot see her family. It was delightful. I really enjoyed meeting Janice and her husband Lazarus and two of her 6 children. It fills in pieces of Rebecca’s genetic traits. Thank you Janice for such a delightful time with you and your family albeit short.
It took about two hours to drive from Orange County to the other side of LA County. I can’t believe the throngs of people, the crowded freeways and congested traffic. But…the signs were great. No problem following California traffic signs and highway markers. Such a pleasure when compared to several other states I have gone through. After leaving the Los Angeles area the terrain becomes mountainous. Long climbing roads with trucks laboring up slowly in three lanes. Cars passing at about 55 to 60 miles per hour. It seemed so odd to see hundreds of trucks climbing the mountain all packed end to end, side to side for as far as you could see. Coming down the mountain the trucks had to stay under 35 miles per hour. As I hit the peak of the mountain I could see between a Vee of mountains the valley way below. It looked green and lush…until I saw the rest of it as the mountains dropped away. The ground was parched and dry and the old growth of grasses in some parts looked almost like powder due to the dearth of water over the past three years. Entering the fourth year of drought 98 percent of California is in drought. Some parts of California are without water and must have it trucked in. The news last night reported that this is the worst drought in the last 800 years. It would be interesting to know how that could be figured out.
The San Joaquin Valley produces food in abundance because of the kind of soil and temperature that the plants needs. Warm days and cool nights create the environment needed. It is one of the leading producers of food for our country as most areas allow for more than one crop.
After driving quite a few miles the valley opened up to green, beautiful orchards and fresh growth of ground plantings. As far as the eye could see the irrigated crops grew lush and green. Water is so scarce I wonder where it comes from to irrigate so many thousands of acres of farmland.
The drive from Fresno to the Yosemite area was absolutely breathtaking. I drove during the golden hour of sunlight, right before dusk. The orange sun swept across the mountains and the flat lands turning the dried grass into golden flames. As the mountain became steeper I could look down upon rows and rows of undulating land. Though my glimpses were quick and fleeting I could see the valley below nestled like a baby in a bassinet, enclosed and secure among what appeared to be rumpled quilts of gold. The only altitude sign I saw today stated that I was at 2,300 feet above sea level. There were mountains much higher than where I was but I think that is about the highest elevation I went over. As I drove down to the lower levels a little sign stated that I was entering Oakhurst with a population of 13,300. Tomorrow I hope to go into the national park area of Yosemite.
To be continued when I live another day…
April 19 2015 Day 43 A day of good “Betts”
This will be the fastest blog ever because I must get to bed on time. That means I have 12 minutes.
This is Sunday Sabbath. My favorite day of the week because I love to go to church and then spend time with the Lord in the peace and quiet of my library, which unfortunately sits quietly at my home, empty and alone. The good thing is, is that God is here with me in Orange County California. It is just a little more difficult to find peace and quite, not to mention solitude. No ones fault but my own. I don’t want to miss anything. Even now I sit at the central location of the home, the dining room table. Bob works on his computer at the opposite end of the table. A big artificial fern sits in the middle of the table obscuring our view of each other. He is quiet. The T.V. is not. Linda is doing what women of the house do, being constantly busy. She has a big day tomorrow as the news crew from the Orange County Register will be here as well as her sons to do the interview regarding the Mother’s Day article to be published.
My trip to my cousin Mary in Tehachapi will not be happening. The reason being, I forgot to call her back to confirm the date and since she hadn’t heard from me she and her husband went on a trip. I will be so sorry to miss seeing her. I haven’t seen her since the reunion in Russellville 4 years ago. I told her what I really wanted was to come and see her quilts. She makes the most spectacular quilt designs. I’ve only seen pictures and really wanted to see them up close and personal. (I hope you know I was kidding when I said I wanted to see the quilts more than her).
I will be leaving So. California on Tuesday morning. I will be driving at Yosemite National Park area to see my Aunt Georgia and Uncle Jetton. I look forward to arriving as they already have a houseful of company and it will be exciting to see everyone. If I am not mistaken my Aunts, Vela and Annie will be there when I arrive. Jetton told me on the phone to get there as early aspossible as they are expecting a lot of people over to their house on Tuesday evening and would be having music and a dinner. Music means getting the guitars out and the southern voices blending into beautiful harmonies. Lots of music in my mom’s family, singing and picking. It is always a fun time.
Enough about tomorrow, back to today!
Up at 6:00 a.m. Showered and readied myself for the first church service with Betts. I actually arrived at her house ON TIME! I attended church with her at the United Methodist Church in Tustin Ca. Excellent service and good teaching. Pastor started a new series today on “UN-CHRISTIAN”, the cause of why those who are not Christian do not want to be. He will talk about all the reasons the unbeliever does not want to be a believer after being around those who claim they are Christians. Very sobering.
After service Betts and I drove over to St John’s Lutheran Church of Orange to join Linda and Bob at their church. Again, another great place to worship. St. John’s is quite a campus. There is a preschool there as well as Kindergarten through 8th grade school. The school has over 700 students and the preschool has over 150 children. We enjoyed a singing concert this morning of the entire Kindergarten class. It was unbelievable. Words sang with the sweet pure diction of children who are taught to speak well. . The children were amazingly well behaved. When they filed down from the stage they all sat in rows of reserved seats for the rest of the service (and sermon) without a peep. We were sitting behind them. They then filed back up tp the stage at the end and performed once more. Again, once it was over they filed out respectfully and orderly all the way down the long side aisle to the outside. There were between 50 and 60 children all Kindergartners. Very impressive behavior for children so young.
On the way from the car to the Lutheran church Betts and I met an interesting group of…well, let’s put it this way…it was a group. This group was on the front porch of a house. One skeleton (with clothes on) two “older men”, one Mastiff that probably outweighed me. His name was Newman. Newman was a giant of a dog. I wish I had taken a photo with him, My face was probably less than half the size of his face and my head a lot smaller than his. He was amazing and so docile and gentle. This place had a detached garage full of beautiful relics of the past. I had my picture taken in an old old buggy. There was also a 1926 fully restored Buick that was built like a limousine inside. It was so beautiful. It is so fun to meet such interesting people and interesting dogs while walking to church.
By the way my time is up and I’m not quite finished. So I’ll speed on ahead. Betts and I came back to the house and I made a lunch for Betts. It was a good one too but remember not all people appreciate the kind of foods I like to eat. Cooked trout, crumbled with avocado slice on top. The bread was some of Bob’s friends bread and so delicious. We had salad with kale, cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. I also served small carrots, a strawberry and half of an orange.
After lunch we went to a Goodwill Store and had fun browsing. I only bought one book for $.89 so I could give it to someone. God will direct as to who will receive it.
Then, we went to church again. The concert was at the church Betts attends. It was mostly middle aged to older men and women and they did an excellent job. Quite a list of the old old songs of yesteryear” like “Gimme that old time religion…” It was very good. Aftewards we went back to Betts’ to pick up my car, drove to Linda’s and she had a delicious dinner waiting for us. We had roasted pork, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, asparagus, bread, and oranges (fresh ones off a tree). Oh my, it was good! Better than good. Betts left for home and here I am.
A fun day to let happen around me. Thanks for listening. Pretty boring I suspect, but still good for me to log it so I will remember it.
Good night
April 18 Day 42 Battleship Iowa
Well, another Surprise Day!!! I found out last night that there is a Farmer’s Market here in Orange California close to where I am staying. Linda’s husband Bob said he gets up every Saturday and goes and asked if I would like to go. I followed him in my car as I had only about 45 minutes to stay before meeting my husband’s two sisters in Anaheim to go out for breakfast with them (Faith and Jon) and with Faith’s son Wade.
The market was spectacular. Such beautiful displays of fresh fruit and produce I’ve never seen. So different than our farmer’s market in Madison Wisconsin around the capitol. Ours is also a spectacular event but has very different offerings depending on the season. I think the Madison farmer’s market opens the last week of April and goes through part of October. I was so surprised to see such an array of food so early in the season. Oranges and lemons and grapefruits and avocados and blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries all fresh from farms in the outlying areas. Not much farmland close by. Lots of nuts with various flavorings and seasonings, jams, and personal products such as soaps and oils. Breads and cakes and cookies and unbelievable pastries that I could’t even begin to name. All so amazing. Vegetables so big that I could hardly believe they were real. Every kind of vegetable that we don’t usually have available until late July or August. Squash, Shallots, greens of many varieties, even dandelion greens, sweet potatoes, several varieties of onions, carrots, farm fresh organic eggs for $7.00 per dozen. Yes, I said SEVEN DOLLARS PER DOZEN. (I didn’t buy any). So many foods to feast my eyes upon and to take pictures of. Took them all with my camera so don’t have any to post. I get so focused when I am intent on camera work that I forget to get my IPhone out and take a few. I was exhilarated with just feasting my eyes upon the beauty of the “REAL FOOD”, to smell it and at times caress it. I just couldn’t help myself. I love working with live foods. I love eating live foods, foods that have not be processed, cooked or boiled or baked. Just to smell the food made me happy! But I only purchased some Brussels sprouts and some fresh picked oranges. You see, Brussels sprouts are one of my most favorite foods. Bob brought home some bread that is so tasty that I even ate a piece. I don’t normally eat much bread but this bread was so exceptional. Ciabatta bread is what Bob called it. Crispy crust with lots of air holes in it. I loved it. Glad we don’t have it accessible close by where I live. And if it is accessible please don’t tell me where.
I left the market and drove to Anaheim on the grid layout of the city. This must have been a very planned area at one time. Before homes were “planted” on the flat coastal lands the grids marked the boundaries of the orchards. Orchards of oranges, lemons, and grapefruits in precision rows, defined the first roads, Before the citrus were planted the area was planted in vineyards. In the late 1800’s a blight killed off all the grapes and the fields were planted in groves of citrus. Dave’s father came to Orange County in the early 1900’s. At that time he could have purchased as many acres as he wanted for $2.00 an acre. He didn’t have the funds to do so. Orange county was originally part of the Los Angeles County. When all the orange groves were planted the area was separated from Los Angles County and called ORANGE COUNTY. When I moved here in 1973 many of those orange groves still existed. The are all gone now. In their place are high density apartment buildings and closely crowded homes, all in straight squared blocks. Major streets stretch from east to west with other major crossroads from north to south. The major long streets are at least 4 lanes wide and the most of them are 5 lanes wide. The middle lane is enclosed with double yellow lines and is a turning lane of safety when trying to turn left or right against the traffic, either crossing the traffic to turn or when trying to get across the street to turn against the traffic. Wish we had this safety lane in Madison. There is a lot Madison planners could learn from the both the flow of traffic in this heavily traveled area and in the designs of their parking lots.
Well, lets’s get back to my visit with my sisters-in-law. We went to Denny’s which is their favorite eating place. Wade met us there and we had a nice breakfast. It was too short and I didn’t even get to take one picture of Wade. He does not like his photo taken and I honored his request to not take any pictures of him. My loss. After our breakfast Wade left and we three women headed out to Long Beach to visit the docked Battleship IOWA. I would like to share a bit from the brochure I received this morning:
“Battleship IOWA was designed as the lead ship of the world’s last class of battleships. She was completed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard during the frenzied early months of World Ward II, and joined at the Navy’s Atlantic Fleet in February 1943…IOWA’s designers created an armored steel box about 500 feet long and about 80 feet wide, put all the critical components of the ship inside it–the big guns, machinery, fire control , magazines, engines and boilers, communication and navigation systems, and then they built a ship around it. This armored box is called the Citadel, and it extends from just forward of Turret One to just aft of Turret Three below the second deck.”
So many other interesting facts I learned. To just walk on the decks and climb the steep ladder stairs and gaze out on the waters of the Bay gave me a melancholy feeling as I thought of all the perils and horrors of war, wondering how many men walked on those decks who did not come back. That ship played a strategic part in the war. To see the close quarters that housed 3,000 men gave me a reality check of what it would be like to live in such a confined area for months and months. There are way too many facts to relate in my short time frame. Finding out what I did makes me hungry to find out more.
We finished the tour and headed home. The day was clear and light winds blew. It was so beautiful down by the water. We crossed a beautiful bridge and scooted in to the traffic lanes of frenzied drivers. A bit a rudeness goes on on those freeways. If you put your blinker on the car to signal a lane change the car on your blinker side will accelerate and try to block you from coming over into their lane. My little Kia Soul has learned how to change lanes without signals. When in Rome….
On the way home Faith drove by the home where she and her siblings (one being my husband) grew up. The house was ready for Dave’s family to move in to in July 1948. Dave was just a baby and lived his life in that house until after he graduated from Fullerton State University. The house was sold after his mother died. I can’t remember the date. The house brings back nostalgic memories of my children going to grandma and grandpa’s house. Our little toddler stretching to reach up and touch the chimes of the doorbell on the outside of the house. Memories of our little two and three year old walking with Grandpa to the corner store for a treat. They loved going to grandma and grandpa’s. And of course they were always angels!
We had a nice afternoon eating at Faith’s house, sharing stories and taking photos. All too soon my wonderful day with my family was over. Linda had dinner waiting for me and I knew I couldn’t miss it. LINDA IS A REALLY GOOD COOK! And it was delicious. There was trout, asparagus, rice pilaf, a grand salad, and I contributed a strawberry.
I made some phone calls long overdue, planned my itinerary for next week (sort of) and wrote this blog. I know these blogs are long but since my days are so packed I haven’t had much time to write in my journal so this is the part of the journal writing that I can share. I will close with a Goodnight!
April 17 Day 41 Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library
“Once you begin a great movement, there’s no telling where it will end. We meant to change a nation, and instead we changed the world” Words spoken by Ronald Reagan’s Farewell Address to the Nation on January 11, 1989.
Today is a memorable day in this trip. Visiting Ronald Reagan’s Presidential Library and Museum was spectacular! Of the four Presidential Libraries I’ve visited this one now ranks as my favorite. It is located about 45 miles north/west outside of Los Angeles. The 100 acre site sits on a high mountain top overlooking the valley. It consist of 100,000 square feet in 24 different galleries. Just so you know, 100,000 square feet is really a lot!
One of my favorite exhibits is the Air Force One plane that is positioned in a glass enclosed building. When you are in the cockpit and look out the window it actually feels as if you are flying. No photos are allowed to be taken inside the place due to security measures. A helicopter sits in the building also.
Linda and I had a marvelous day. The facility closed at 5:00 p.m. So went to a nearby Costco and spent 2 hours browsing and sampling before Linda found all she needed. Then… we each had a soft serve yogurt and drove home. By lolly-gagging- at Costco for two hours we missed all the traffic jams coming out of LA. The freeways are so full of people when it is not rush hour that I don’t even want to think about subjecting myself to the freeway between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Thus, our Costco stop did exactly what we planned it to do.
Our entire day was taken up with the Library. No great exciting stories to tell other than I was entirely focused on what I was seeing and hearing.
Good night one and all.
Visions of Poetry 