LORNA & BILL

Over the past 40+ years as I've traveled on tours & cruises around the world, fellow travelers would exchange contact information during the trip vowing to keep in touch. In reality I've learned that very rarely happens. So much so that our last few trips I haven't even asked for or shared my email & phone number. On our recent Iceland, Greenland & Norway cruise Lou handed out his cards to our table mates. He hasn't heard from anyone yet.

There are two notable exceptions to this in my estimated sixty or so trips. One was a Carnival Caribbean cruise in March of 2016. We booked the cruise fairly late & the anytime dining choice was sold out. Lou & I normally take this option since we can often get a table for two & like to say that we prefer each others company rather than strangers. But maybe it's just because our kindergarten report cards had the "Doesn't play well with others" box checked.

We were seated at a table for eight on this cruise. It happened that Lou & I sat opposite a delightful woman named Helen & her husband, Weldon on the first evening. Helen & I hit if off like old friends, enjoyed each other's company & talked nonstop. Some of our other table mates thought we were traveling together. We did exchange info & regularly comment on each others Facebook pages but I wouldn't say that we "keep in touch" closely. Although I would love cruising with them again sometime!

The traveling companion who is still my regular correspondent after 7 & 1/2 years is Lorna. We met Lorna & her husband, Bill, from Michigan, on a Danube River Cruise for my 60th birthday. The river boat was small, I think around 200-300 cruisers. Dinner was always open seating & less than halfway through we started gravitating toward finding each other at the same table.

Lou & I were impressed that Bill was just a few months shy of his 90th birthday & here he was on a two week river cruise in Europe! If my math is correct, Lorna was about 12 or 13 years younger than him. They told us that this would likely be their last big trip. Wow, that's fantastic! I hope I'm still traveling the world at 89 years old!

A couple of things about Bill are etched in my mind. At one port in Bulgaria, the tour included a hike up to the top of a beautiful mountain. It wasn't super strenuous but it had me huffing & puffing a few times until we reached the top for the gorgeous views. As we took it all in, we turned around & there was Bill at the top! He had his little device that doubled as a cane & a three-legged seat when you unfolded it & he was enjoying the scenery as well You go, Bill!

As we conversed over dinners, Lorna pointed out that Bill had a shunt in his head to drain fluid for Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus just like my dad does. His had been caught early & really helped to reverse some of his symptoms allowing him to still enjoy traveling. Wine was included with dinner &, of course, we indulged regularly. Also regularly, Bill would knock his glass of wine over! The waiters would run over, wipe it up & pour him another one. It really endeared me to him.

But the real jewel of that trip was Lorna. She has emailed me regularly for 7 plus years, always complimenting me on my blog posts. Numerous times, she has thanked me for allowing her to travel along with us over the years or related her stories of their trip to the same places in the past. 

Sadly, Bill passed away this past February at the age of 96. Lorna has since moved to Texas to be closer to her children & grandchildren. She still keeps in touch, just recently emailing to make sure we weren't affected by the terrible wildfires in Northern California. We have really become friends over the years & I look forward to hearing from her.

I am always heartened to see an email from Lorna each time I include her in my blog post emails. It often says "sent from my iPad". How cool is that to be 80-something & sending emails from your iPad? She has told me if she stops writing it is likely because she is incapacitated or dead.

Lou & I are planning a trip to Texas next May to take in a Giants-Astros game & do some sightseeing that will take us through the town where Lorna is living. I asked her if she would like us to stop by for a visit. She was thrilled & so am I!. It's one of the things I'm really looking forward to on that trip.

GUN VIOLENCE

It is time to resurrect this post from December 2015 - almost two years have passed & nothing has changed, except perhaps that now each mass murdering lunatic feels the need to upstage the previous one. According to the FBI statistics almost 16,000 people each year are killed by gun violence in our country. When will we say "Stop"?

 

This is what I wrote two years ago:

 

Yesterday, two people armed with assault weapons killed 14 people & injured 17 more in yet another senseless mass shooting. This is happening at alarming rates in this country of ours. At some point those of us rational, appalled & disgusted citizens need to step up & say, "Enough is enough."

At this point, I'm not really sure what has to happen to stop this massacre of innocent people. If the killing of 20 elementary school children & 6 teachers in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, didn't bring the huge majority of Americans to unite & stop these horrific murders, I don't know what will. As a grandmother I just want to wrap my Charley in my arms & protect her from this evil. But I can't.

On July 4, 1983, my 81 year old Grandpa Frank & my grandmother, who we called Nannie, left my parent's house at 9:30 PM to drive home to Oakland. We spent the evening eating dinner then setting off fireworks out front. I was 33 years old with a 7 year old son who laughed along with Grandpa Frank as a ground flower "chased" his father after lighting it.

With my son in bed after a fun day of family visiting, I took the call around 10 PM from my mother that Grandpa Frank had been shot & my parents were driving to the hospital to be with Nannie. About an hour later the second call from my mother told me that Grandpa Frank was dead. He had been shot in the head at point blank range as he sat in his car outside of their house.

We could only speculate on what had happened. As always, Grandpa Frank dropped Nannie off in front of the house to go in the front door. He would then drive the car to the detached garage in the back. Nannie would unlock the back door for him. When he didn't come in after several minutes she went back to the front to find him slumped in the car covered in blood - killed seconds after she entered the house. She hurried back into the house to call 9-1-1 but we learned later that he was already dead.

Again, we all had our theories on who committed this senseless murder of an 81 year old man. My father believed it was a robbery gone bad. He still had the $80 in his wallet. My grandfather was a man who called a spade a spade & didn't take any crap from anyone. I believe that someone in the predominantly black neighborhood who he offended decided the Fourth of July was the perfect time to kill him. Whatever the reason, Grandpa Frank was dead & Nannie was a widow.

We were all scared of our own shadows for weeks. Their neighbors were terrified as to who would murder an old man & wondered if they were next. My 7 year old son couldn't comprehend that someone would kill his Grandpa Frank & to be honest, neither could I. It was a horrific time as we packed up Nannie's things. My mother wouldn't let her spend one more night in that house.

So, even though it has been more than 32 years since that traumatic night, it comes back to me every time there is another senseless killing. Only the multiple murders are reported in the news now days. The individual killings, like my Grandpa Frank, don't even warrant a few seconds on TV since they are too numerous. His killer was never found & we've done our best to move on as a family.

My thoughts are that we need to outlaw assault weapons & high powered guns - period. No one needs them. If you want a rifle to hunt, fine. If you want a handgun to protect you, fine - hell, I know how to shoot a gun & I owned one for years. BUT no one, I repeat NO ONE, needs high powered assault weapons.

It is too easy to buy guns & far too easy to take them into schools & other places to kill innocent people. Those of us who believe this is unacceptable need to stand up & say, "Enough is enough!" Write your representative & senator telling them this needs to stop now! Don't vote for the politicians who won't support gun control!

And if any of you reading this disagree & want to tell me why my views are wrong & we should all have AK-47s in our closet, please don't bother. You will never convince me & I won't listen. And maybe, just maybe, if your grandfather is killed by senseless gun violence, you won't either.

Next day note: The newspaper this morning had one line that says it all, "Yes, 14 people were killed in a horrible tragedy yesterday but there were likely also 40 other people killed by gun violence in this country." These killings barely get a mention in the local paper. This has got to stop!

MATT CAIN

Unless you are a Northern California resident or a Giants baseball fan, you probably won't completely understand this post but I'll do my best to describe it to you. Our San Francisco Giants won three World Series Championships in five years - 2010, 2012, & 2014. It was magical to be a Giants fan during that time. It still is - because the organization, the players & the fans are amazingly special. Even though our team was terrible record-wise & were working to NOT lose 100 games (which they managed to do!) these last few games were incredibly moving & emotional.

That is because one of our starting pitchers, Matt Cain, a 13 year veteran, retired at the end of this season. Yesterday he was given his final start on the mound even though he hadn't pitched in about a month. This organization does a great job of honoring its players. Matt began his Giant career as a 20 year old & played only for the Giants. It is a rarity for a player to be with one team for his entire career as a Major League ball player.

Matt was on all three World Series winning teams. His post season record was one of the best. He had some huge wins for us. Matt was always an all-around good guy. I recall a photo of him posing holding his baby daughter who is now about seven years old. Yesterday he said in an interview he wants to be "dad mom" to his two daughters & commented that if their hair doesn't look right, he did it.

Back in June 2012, Matt Cain pitched the only perfect game in Giants history. A perfect game is extremely rare. That is when a pitcher faces only 27 batters, the minimum, no one gets on base at all - no hits, no walks, no errors, no one on base. There are only 23 perfect games ever in the history of the game. My entire life I wanted to be able to witness a perfect game. 

I vividly recall watching that game on TV. As the innings wore on & still no one reached base, I called my son, my sister, my father & asked if they were all watching. They were. It is considered a superstition to never mention a no-hitter while it is in progress. We didn't know if that applied to a perfect game as well, but we all just said, "Are you watching this?" It took a few great defensive plays & unbelievable pitching from Matt to complete the first perfect game in Giants history. It is a moment I will never forget. Thanks, Matt!

Yesterday, when Matt pitched the final game in his career, even though it was a terrible season, there was an incredible amount of emotion rolling around the ball park. He completed five innings giving up only 2 hits & no runs scored by the other team when the manager took him out of the game. The crowd gave him a standing ovation when he took the mound, at the end of each inning & when he was finally finished. The moment was one of the most emotional I've seen in baseball.

Of course, I cried but that's not a good indicator since I cry at coffee & beer commercials. But Matt was teary, the announcers were wiping their eyes & most fans & players needed a tissue or two. There were hugs for Matt from every coach & player when he left the game. There was a strong, heartfelt embrace between Matt & our best pitcher, Madison Bumgarner, that lingered for many seconds which moved everyone. "There wasn't a dry eye in the stadium," our announcers commented on their hug adding, "These aren't touchy, feely guys." But for a few seconds they were.

When talking with my sister, who said she, too, was in tears for the whole thing, I wondered why this particular retirement was so emotional. I believe it is because this signals the end of the three championship era for the Giants. Maybe there will be more or maybe there won't. But this was such an unbelievable accomplishment & to have one of the icons of the Giants reign retire moved every fan to tears. His genuine love for the game, the organization & the fans came through loud & clear. Yes, winning is good, but there is so much more to the game than that. We witnessed that yesterday & today with the celebration of Matt Cain.

OUR ROCK STAR

Today I was in Hayward helping Darrin clean his old apartment & take the final couple of car loads to his new duplex - close by, smaller, quieter & much less expensive! While looking through some of Charley's toys & hanging up her princess dresses, I was reminded of a fun time we shared this past summer.

My granddaughter has quite the imagination. I spent the afternoon with her at our house in Sacramento while her dad was at a meeting & Lou was volunteering at the airport. Charley decided that she wanted to have "a rock star party" when everyone returned home.

I quizzed her on what we needed to do to have this rock star party. She told me that she would sing a song & we had to make a stage. Our house has a staircase to the upstairs bedroom that goes up 7 steps to a landing before making a 180 degree turn to continue another 6 steps up to our bedroom. The landing was to be the stage.

We spent close to an hour figuring it all out. I had made her a long princess dress that she would wear for her performance. We tied her lighted snowflake wand from "Frozen on Ice" to the banister so that it shined on the landing with sparkling, multi-colored lights. A green tablecloth was stretched across the landing to make a curtain that would be dropped when the rock star appeared. Beads, leis, flowers & any number of other decorations were strewn up & down the stairs.

Charley wanted Lou to sit at the bottom of the stairs & play his "kitar" while Charley sang. I love how she always calls a guitar, a "kitar". There were lots of words that Darrin mispronounced as a child but Charley rarely does.

When Lou arrived home first, Charley briefed him on his part & they did a quick rehearsal. Charley said, "We need a microphone." Lou replied, "I have a microphone." I had no idea we had a microphone. Turns out, it was a relic - a microphone with a cord! But it was a microphone never the less & did the job just fine.

When Daddy arrived home, it was SHOWTIME! Stagehand, lighting director & announcer, AKA Gaga, & Charley went up the stairs then stretched the curtain/tablecloth across the stairway. Lou took his position at the bottom of the stairs with his "kitar". Charley stepped into position behind the curtain. Gaga turned on the flashing lights of the wand & announced, "Ladies & gentlemen, we are proud to have one of the biggest rock stars in the country with us tonight. So without further delay, I present to you CHARLEY ELLEN!"

I dropped the corner of the curtain to reveal Charley in her princess gown holding her microphone. The crowd went wild with applause & yelling. To my total surprise Charley sang a song that she made up about stars in the sky. She went on & on singing a few different lines that all talked about the night sky with all the stars. It was just beautiful! We were all blown away!

When the performance ended, everyone clapped & cheered loudly. Darrin said, "Wow, Charley! Did you make that song up all by yourself?" Both Charley & I answered, "Yes." Darrin looked at Lou & said, "When she is a famous singer & songwriter, you can say you accompanied her in her debut on your stairs back in 2017!"

It was such a joy to remember this special time with my beautiful granddaughter today. These sorts of things are my favorite times with my Charley. When we make up something totally out of our heads & then follow it through, I love it. I can only imagine that as she gets older the shows will get better & better. Can't wait to make more memories with the light of my life!

CRUISE NAILS!

I’m sitting here looking down at my long, square cut, sparkly purple fingernails! In my 67 years on this earth, I have never had any kind of artificial nails…..until yesterday. After a crazy couple of weeks with my dad in the ER, the hospital & finally back home with more care, doctor appointments & home health nurses literally every single day, it was past time to treat myself to something special for our upcoming cruise to Iceland, Greenland & Norway.

With my dad on the road to recovery, I made an appointment for a gel manicure & wanted to ask about tips to increase the length. This was a wild & crazy step for me! I’m afraid of acrylic nails that cover the entire nail. I have known a couple friends who had an awful time when they were taken off ruining their natural nails until they completely grew out. Nope….not doing that.

When I had my hair trimmed a couple weeks ago, the stylist I always go to had moved to a new location. Next to her station was a woman who does nails….a woman whose native language is English, who makes appointments & doesn’t rush like crazy if another customer comes in the door that she doesn’t want to turn away.

This woman explained how tips work with various options for this nail neophyte. She explained that they will grow out completely in just a few months since they are only glued on about the first 1/8 to 3/16 inch of each nail. She suggested doing something glitzy for the cruise. I figured, “What the hell, do something crazy, Kath! Go for the bling!” Then I went even crazier & had her make them square cut since I’ve never had nails long enough to do square. Probably should have stuck with oval but, hey, might as well go for the gusto, right?

Even though they are long for me, they are probably short by most fingernail standards. But I’ve got to tell you there are sacrifices to be made with longer fingernails. For example, it is not easy to type. I seem to leave out or add letters all the time. Hopefully, I’ll learn how to type better as I practice because this is a necessary part of my life. Otherwise, this may be the only cruise on which I sport fancy fingernails.

Today while going about my day running errands I discovered that getting a credit card out of your wallet could be quite an ordeal. It took me long enough at CVS that it was getting uncomfortable watching me try. I was close to asking the clerk to pull it out for me when I finally got it. Geez! Things like scratching your head or picking up tiny, flat objects can also be a bit challenging. Not to mention that several times today I would catch a glimpse of my long, glittery, purple nails & think, "Whose hands are those?"

Yesterday morning before my appointment, I decided to polish my own toenails. I had a bad experience with a pedicure a few years ago & just do my own. But it is getting harder & harder. Removing the old polish isn’t easy since pulling my foot up into my lap with the toes facing up is a bit more difficult now days. And when the new polish goes on, it is getting tougher & tougher to see well enough for the detailed brushwork.

I usually sit on the kitchen floor by the sliding glass door for natural light along with the overhead lights on. After the first coat of polish was on one foot my cell phone rang….in the living room. “Damn it!” I exclaimed since it was likely a doctor’s office or home health nurse calling. Remember, I’m sitting on the floor with wet toenails so I can’t slide my foot under me or twist onto my knee without smearing the polish everywhere. By the time I managed to pull myself upright with purple toes intact, my phone had stopped ringing.

About this time, Lou walks in & says, “Your phone is ringing.” I simply replied, “Yes, sweetie, I know.” I called the number back saying I just missed a call from this number. It was indeed, a home health nurse scheduling a visit to my dad. I eased back down to the well lit corner of the floor with my phone close by to finish my toes. I wonder how long I'll be able to contort myself enough to polish my own toenails? Hmmm, when Charley is a little older, maybe I can pay her to do them for me?

STAR WARS FIGURES & MONSTER HIGH GHOULS

Sometime in the mid-1980s, I walked into the Hayward Toys R Us by myself heading straight to the back aisle. I knew exactly where to find the Star Wars toys. Darrin was in school but since the latest shipment of Star Wars figures was due to arrive about 10 AM, I was on my own. It wasn't the first time I was flying solo on the Star Wars quest & it wouldn't be the last.

Darrin was a huge collector of all things Star Wars. Our family room was home to an X-Wing Fighter, a Millennium Falcon, a Rancor, an AT-AT (All Terrain, Attack Transport), Ewoks & lots more. He was able to recreate many scenes from all three of the original Star Wars movies. The small action figures were often his primary focus since they were affordable & plentiful. I'm sure there were well over 100 of them but many were really difficult to find.

Being an involved, somewhat crazy mom, I embraced the search for hard to find action figures. That is what had me heading to Toys R Us after dropping Darrin off at school. It seemed we would never find a few particular figures. I recall the search for "Lando Calrissian in Skiff Guard Disguise" being the pinnacle of action figure nirvana. Months went by without ever finding that particular action figure.

We knew the days & times that new shipments of Star Wars stuff arrived at Toys R Us. It was so popular that often the store employees just put the cardboard boxes filled with various toys & figures in the aisles. That morning I was there sitting on the floor along with a long haired, nerdy teen-ager (not sure why he wasn't in school) searching through the boxes of action figures.

Many of the older teens & adults were collectors & kept the figures sealed in the original package. It was assumed that the resale value would be much higher way in the future if they ever decided to sell the prized possessions. Darrin, on the other hand, played with all of his Star Wars toys & spent countless hours setting up scenes.

As I thumbed through one box, I saw it!!! Lando Calrissian in Skiff Guard Disguise!!! OH....MY...GOD!!! I let out a shriek & grabbed the cherished figure. The long haired, nerdy guy turned & asked, "What did you find?" I exclaimed, "Lando Calrissian in Skiff Guard Disguise!" "Oh, man", he whined, "Are there more?" as he resumed his search. I'm not sure who was more excited when I picked Darrin up from school with the coveted figure in hand!

I just now checked on eBay & there are three "Lando Calrissian in Skiff Guard Disguise" action figures from 1983, unopened in the package. One is listed for $100, another for $129.99 & the other for $165. That doesn't mean anyone will pay those prices but the vintage figures out of the packages were going for $5 to $10.

Fast forward at least 30 years to Charley & Gaga heading to the same Toys R Us for another Monster High doll. To quote Yogi Berra, "It was deja vu all over again." Every time I go to that Hayward Toys R Us, I am reminded of the long ago search for Star Wars figures.  Last week we found a Monster High doll we didn't know about, "The Toralei Garden Ghoul". Neither Charley or I had heard of Garden Ghouls. Toralei had wings & was pretty cool.

The back of the package showed about 6 or 8 more Garden Ghouls & Charley saved it. She placed an "X" next to Toralei & told me she really, really, really wanted the Twyla Garden Ghoul. Gaga stopped at three stores on her drive home but there were no Twyla Garden Ghouls to be found. I did some online research & found that the Garden Ghouls are brand new. I could order it on Amazon but they didn't have a release date yet. Of course, Gaga ordered it!

Explaining the concept that it isn't manufactured yet to a child who is staring at the picture of the doll isn't easy. Hopefully, it will be shipped soon. Charley gets such enjoyment from all her ghouls - they sing, go ziplining, put on shows, do gymnastics, wear each other's clothes & have a wonderful time together. She feeds them tentacles & spider webs for a midnight snack, puts them to bed & reads them stories. Her imagination is endless when it comes to her Monster High ghouls. I just heard they are putting on a fashion show soon.

I am thankful to be reliving my Star Wars days with Darrin as I embrace the Monster High era with his daughter! Lots of fun for a 67 year old grandma - who knew?!!?!

DAY TRIPPIN'

Yesterday we headed out on what began as the "day trip from hell" but turned out to be an almost magical adventure. My 88 year old father & my mother, who died 26 years ago, loved the Northern California coast. They especially enjoyed spending a week two or three times a year in Bodega Bay or Sea Ranch. We were always invited for a weekend visit.

One misty, foggy weekend about 30 years ago, my mother & I took the dog for a walk & discovered a mile long trail near a home they often rented in Sea Ranch, 120 miles north of San Francisco. My dad, my husband at the time & my son had gone out for a day of golfing. Following the hike, my mother & I opened a bottle of wine & settled into the hot tub on the deck. It was one of the best afternoons I had ever shared with my mom. We took the guys on our hike the next day & the whole family made sure to walk that trail each year.

When my mom passed away my dad wanted her ashes scattered along our Sea Ranch trail. With pilots in the family, we easily made that happen. My father has told me often that he wants his ashes scattered along that favorite family trail with her. Darrin & I will make that happen as well when the time comes.

For the first 15 years or so after my mom died, my father made a mini pilgrimage to Sea Ranch to place a flower on the hillside below the trail & get lost in his memories. I went with him often for these day trips along with Darrin or my sister or various friends. His deteriorating health has limited his trips to Sea Ranch these past twelve years.

For the past several years I have been telling him that we would get him up there again but in truth, I was dreading the trip. It is daunting to think about the reality of getting him in & out the car many times, into wheelchair accessible bathrooms & find places he is capable of visiting with his limited mobility.

My incredible son suggested a few days ago that he & Charley could go with me to take him to Sea Ranch. Darrin has wonderful memories of his beloved grandmother & the times they spent together on these frequent mini vacations. My mother's birthday was July 9 - today. To avoid traffic (oh, how naive we were), we planned the day trip for Saturday.

One of my dad's favorite caregivers, John, who lives in Vermont but cared for my dad for two plus years keeps in touch & has made the effort to visit from across the country. It turned out that he was meeting his first grandson in Washington & made the journey south to spend a couple days with my dad. We asked if John was game for a crazy-ass day trip of over 400 miles to Sea Ranch with a 5 year old, an 88 year old & 3 adults - although that term "adults" is debatable. Yep, he was!

Yesterday morning we met Darrin & Charley in Vallejo. After the first of many bathroom breaks, the five of us piled into my dad's 1998 2-door Pontiac Grand Prix. That meant my dad in the front seat with the driver, Charley in her car seat & two others in the back seat. Cozy to say the least - plus the wheelchair, walker & various supplies in the trunk. Charley had some of her Monster High "ghouls", the iPad with movies to watch & assorted toys & snacks. I included towels & garbage bags in case anyone got car sick on the winding coastal roads. Whew, they didn't!

Before even connecting with Darrin & Charley we ran into a decent-sized traffic jam making us 20 minutes late for our rendezvous. It was the first of many. I know that the traffic in the greater Bay Area has definitely gotten worse but I didn't know it extended to Bodega Bay & beyond! I lost count of the number of slow downs & outright stops in the traffic. Ridiculous!

We brought lunch intending to eat it along the coast but Darrin found a park in Petaluma on his iPhone that worked out great. It was already noon & we weren't even halfway there. We had to load up the car, drive two blocks then head into Jack in the Box for a bathroom break. That sounds easy but it is not - piling five people (& four ghouls) into the car & getting everyone's seat belt fastened is not a simple chore. That was when I gave up my original ETA of returning home at 6:30 or 7 PM. 

I was amazed at my motley crew of support on our adventure. My dad was disgusted at the difficulty he was having & sounded ready to say forget it. But Darrin & John really stepped up. Darrin did about 80% of the driving & engaged his Pop in conversations about their memories. John took over getting the wheelchair & walker out of the trunk on every stop & bathroom break. He embraced the job of bathroom help like the true caregiver he is freeing me up to enjoy my time sharing Sea Ranch with Charley.

Since my dad could not climb the few steps up the hillside, we had Charley place the crepe myrtle flower for her great-grandma on the rocks. It was an emotional moment for all. Once we arrived in Sea Ranch, my dad's memories came flooding back & he was in his element. We could tell that he was embracing it all - it didn't matter that many of his recollections were not quite right. We all knew we had done a good thing - a really good thing. We didn't even leave Sea Ranch until 6 PM & none of us cared.

After dinner at McDonald's & dropping Charley & Darrin in Vallejo, we made it back to my dad's around 11 PM - after one more inexplicable traffic jam in Vacaville at 10 PM (WTF?). We had driven 400+ miles & endured a 14-1/2 hour day in cramped quarters. My father was extremely appreciative of what we all did to pull this day off for him. He was truly happy & loved the old memories it brought back for him.

I can tell you that I have never been more proud of my family - my son for taking the reins & making this day trip happen, my granddaughter for being a real trooper spending 9+ hours in the car, our friend who has become family for pitching in & my dad for genuinely expressing his gratitude to all of us willing to share his day.

There was something magical that occurred yesterday. It was a long, tiring day but so worth the effort we all put in to make the day a reality for my dad. I know my father feels blessed to have a family that would do this for him. Sure, I had been kind of dreading this day but ended up feeling that together we all accomplished something special that won't soon by forgotten. And I'm pretty sure my mom was looking down with a smile.