I have been home from California for several days. It is back to hot and humid days in Arkansas, but I love Arkansas. I missed my home, my children who were at home, my grandkids and my dog, Zeppy and granddogs Trip, Fiona, and Bentley. All have come to visit me since we have been home. Last night we went out to dinner for Allison's second birthday. She was dressed in a special birthday tutu and sound asleep on Katy's lap. She had had a big day. The night before she had spent the night with me, Gigi and Eeah,Wendell. We ate plish (fish), walked, sang, danced, took a bath, read stories then she was ready for bed and laid down without a murmur. The next morning Katy picked her up and she went to work to see Daddy, visited various people, played with friends and didn't take a nap. She wasn't hungry for dinner. She was ready for bed. Katy has a party planned for this Sunday afternoon.
This morning Katy came over for lunch. Allison was at preschool. Sarah called then she and Finn came for lunch. Finn is getting so strong. He can stretch out his legs and stand and bounce. He can roll over. He has two lower teeth and can say, "Mawmmommmmammmammam." I am so proud!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Trip West July 20. 2010
Wendell and I flew to Salt Lake City last Tuesday. It was a good flight. We took a shuttle from the airport to a restaurant downtown Park City for a steak dinner. The name of the restaurant is Prime. Jamie picked us up and took us to his home which is in a large valley surrounded by mountains. We saw deer but no moose or elk this time. I love to sit on his porch and look at the stars. I was tired and went to bed but Wendell and Jamie stayed up till almost two visiting. Next day Wendell worked on the motorcycle we were going to ride and I sat on Jamie’s porch and watched a deer, read my Bible, drank coffee and pondered the magnificence of God. The air was perfect. For lunch Jamie took us to a Mexican restaurant. That afternoon I watched a video put together by a Christian speaker, Louie someone, about the universe. It had some spectacular footage of space, stars, galaxies…amazing things. Jamie is a good host and we had a great though short visit.
Cy arrived from Colorado by motorcycle late that afternoon and the three of us rode (me passenger behind Wendell) across the great salt flats of Utah. It’s a bit eerie I think. There was a beautiful sunset before us and the moon just over our left shoulders. After the sun went down it got really windy. I was a bit frightened by that. I was concerned that if I eased my grip I’d be swept off the bike by a burst of wind. Every time we passed a truck it would whip us around extra hard. I kept a death grip on Wendell. We spent the night just inside the Nevada border, Wendover.
The next day we rode across the high desert of Nevada. We rode past interesting rock formations and bare mountains. It was desolate and hot. There were long stretches of nothing but mountains. No cattle, homes, farms. Every once in a while you would see a sign of life and know there was water. We stopped at a Wal-Mart in Winnemucca. We walked around in the cool. I bought a different shirt to wear. As we neared Reno a river began to flow alongside the interstate. All along the river was life…ranches, cattle, horses…all clustered near the water. I focused on the water. It was so blue and looked so refreshing. There was a spiritual lesson somewhere. Just outside Reno I noticed a few trees on the mountains. Once inside California we were in a forest. It was still blazing hot, but the trees provided shade and beauty. We rode all the way to Pleasanton a suburb of San Francisco to my friend Jackie Honea’s house. It was a long day.
Jackie and I met at Springdale High School in 1977. She was a English/journalism teacher and I was the drama teacher. We were young and fresh out of college. We have been friends ever since. Jackie also worked in Young Life with Wendell and I. Wendell and Cy helped me unload my stuff then they were off to Monterrey, CA to watch motorcycle GPS races at a place called Laguna Saga. I showered and waited for Jennifer and Jackie to return from a party. Jennifer is Jackie’s oldest daughter. She works for an insurance company downtown San Francisco. She can ride BART the local transit train to see Jackie. We visited till we couldn’t stay awake any longer.
Next morning Jennifer and I were the early birds and we had a nice visit, then Jackie and I drove her to catch her train. That morning Jackie and I went to her church. She is the Front Line director. It is an actual job. She is responsible as the name sounds for the first things people see when they arrive at church, Crosswinds Church located in Dublin, CA. She prepares bulletin boards, tables, brochures, arranges furniture and is in charge of the greeters and a whole lot more. I liked the staff that I met. After she finished her responsibilities we went to lunch downtown Pleasanton. I love to go there. We shopped in quaint stores. I bought a Paula Cavalla necklace. I never knew about her designs before then, but I received many compliments during the weekend whenever I wore it. That night we went to an open area in a shopping center and heard an 80’s band called Journey. The city has free concerts during the summer. It was super crowded. One of the songs they sing is about San Francisco and everyone in the crowd knew the words to that song. I met a lot of Jackie’s friends. We went to a Mexican restaurant for a late dinner then home.
Next day we lounged most of the morning then went back downtown to the local farmers market and lunch then more shopping. It was Wendell’s birthday and we made four birthday videos on my phone to send to him. Wendell enjoyed receiving them, but regardless, we had a ball making them!@ Jackie also does commercials. She has an agent and everything. That night we dolled up and went to a friend of Jackie’s party. Jackie is part of a group of singles that meet on a pretty regular basis. They have dinner and dances and she has made some good friends. Several attend her church. It was Mimi’s birthday and she had a party. Mimi is Persian. Not sure which country. She made a chicken and rice dish that reminded me of something Jo would make. Jackie made a wonderful pound cake complete with fresh strawberries from a Chi Omega cookbook she received from her sorority when she graduated from college,. Mimi and a really cute younger woman who is also Persian did some middle east dancing. It was pretty interesting. Jackie had church the next morning so we left about ten.
Sunday morning we were up very early. I sat in a large open area drinking coffee and writing notes about interesting things on my IPAD. Jackie seemed everywhere at one time, greeting people and arranging things. She was a whirlwind of activity. I enjoyed the sermon very much. Jackie had planned a lunch of sandwiches, fresh watermelon, peaches and pound cake. She was exhausted after all her church work and we took a nap then went to a very nice mall with a Nordstrom’s. Jackie is also a product consultant for some company, can’t remember and Nordstrom carries their line. We stayed up as late as we could getting in every minute of visiting that was possible. Next morning we walked then Wendell and Cy came. Jackie was off to an audition.
The three of us headed for Sacramento. Wendell has a storage unit where he keeps the motorcycles. Cy was staying in California to make calls on customers and Wendell and I headed home.
Cy arrived from Colorado by motorcycle late that afternoon and the three of us rode (me passenger behind Wendell) across the great salt flats of Utah. It’s a bit eerie I think. There was a beautiful sunset before us and the moon just over our left shoulders. After the sun went down it got really windy. I was a bit frightened by that. I was concerned that if I eased my grip I’d be swept off the bike by a burst of wind. Every time we passed a truck it would whip us around extra hard. I kept a death grip on Wendell. We spent the night just inside the Nevada border, Wendover.
The next day we rode across the high desert of Nevada. We rode past interesting rock formations and bare mountains. It was desolate and hot. There were long stretches of nothing but mountains. No cattle, homes, farms. Every once in a while you would see a sign of life and know there was water. We stopped at a Wal-Mart in Winnemucca. We walked around in the cool. I bought a different shirt to wear. As we neared Reno a river began to flow alongside the interstate. All along the river was life…ranches, cattle, horses…all clustered near the water. I focused on the water. It was so blue and looked so refreshing. There was a spiritual lesson somewhere. Just outside Reno I noticed a few trees on the mountains. Once inside California we were in a forest. It was still blazing hot, but the trees provided shade and beauty. We rode all the way to Pleasanton a suburb of San Francisco to my friend Jackie Honea’s house. It was a long day.
Jackie and I met at Springdale High School in 1977. She was a English/journalism teacher and I was the drama teacher. We were young and fresh out of college. We have been friends ever since. Jackie also worked in Young Life with Wendell and I. Wendell and Cy helped me unload my stuff then they were off to Monterrey, CA to watch motorcycle GPS races at a place called Laguna Saga. I showered and waited for Jennifer and Jackie to return from a party. Jennifer is Jackie’s oldest daughter. She works for an insurance company downtown San Francisco. She can ride BART the local transit train to see Jackie. We visited till we couldn’t stay awake any longer.
Next morning Jennifer and I were the early birds and we had a nice visit, then Jackie and I drove her to catch her train. That morning Jackie and I went to her church. She is the Front Line director. It is an actual job. She is responsible as the name sounds for the first things people see when they arrive at church, Crosswinds Church located in Dublin, CA. She prepares bulletin boards, tables, brochures, arranges furniture and is in charge of the greeters and a whole lot more. I liked the staff that I met. After she finished her responsibilities we went to lunch downtown Pleasanton. I love to go there. We shopped in quaint stores. I bought a Paula Cavalla necklace. I never knew about her designs before then, but I received many compliments during the weekend whenever I wore it. That night we went to an open area in a shopping center and heard an 80’s band called Journey. The city has free concerts during the summer. It was super crowded. One of the songs they sing is about San Francisco and everyone in the crowd knew the words to that song. I met a lot of Jackie’s friends. We went to a Mexican restaurant for a late dinner then home.
Next day we lounged most of the morning then went back downtown to the local farmers market and lunch then more shopping. It was Wendell’s birthday and we made four birthday videos on my phone to send to him. Wendell enjoyed receiving them, but regardless, we had a ball making them!@ Jackie also does commercials. She has an agent and everything. That night we dolled up and went to a friend of Jackie’s party. Jackie is part of a group of singles that meet on a pretty regular basis. They have dinner and dances and she has made some good friends. Several attend her church. It was Mimi’s birthday and she had a party. Mimi is Persian. Not sure which country. She made a chicken and rice dish that reminded me of something Jo would make. Jackie made a wonderful pound cake complete with fresh strawberries from a Chi Omega cookbook she received from her sorority when she graduated from college,. Mimi and a really cute younger woman who is also Persian did some middle east dancing. It was pretty interesting. Jackie had church the next morning so we left about ten.
Sunday morning we were up very early. I sat in a large open area drinking coffee and writing notes about interesting things on my IPAD. Jackie seemed everywhere at one time, greeting people and arranging things. She was a whirlwind of activity. I enjoyed the sermon very much. Jackie had planned a lunch of sandwiches, fresh watermelon, peaches and pound cake. She was exhausted after all her church work and we took a nap then went to a very nice mall with a Nordstrom’s. Jackie is also a product consultant for some company, can’t remember and Nordstrom carries their line. We stayed up as late as we could getting in every minute of visiting that was possible. Next morning we walked then Wendell and Cy came. Jackie was off to an audition.
The three of us headed for Sacramento. Wendell has a storage unit where he keeps the motorcycles. Cy was staying in California to make calls on customers and Wendell and I headed home.
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