Family

I am always amazed when I talk to people who have family reunions. My office mate just had one where her 13 cousins and various aunt and uncles on her mother's side of the family gathered. I only had an uncle for about 6 months before he died and left my only aunt a widow. I have never had a cousin. I have no sisters. I do have a brother who claims that I no longer exist so I could actually have a family reunion in a good sized bathroom! There would be me, my aunt, my dad and my niece, Amanda!

Since there are so very few of us, my vacations each year always include a trip to Chicago to see my aunt and then on to Massachusetts to visit my dad. My niece lives in Florida and since she is a head rider for the Lipizzander Stallions, she is seldom ever in one place long enough to visit. She did have a show in the Stockton Arena last year so we were able to hook up then!


Our vacation this year found us on our familar course. Fly from Sacramento to Chicago O'Hare, take the train to downtwon and then a cab to our favorite hotel, the Hilton Suites, where we always get a king room with a view!


This year this was a little twist to our trip. We flew into O'Hare on a Sunday afternoon, got our luggage and headed for the train. No problem...it was right there...paractically waiting for us! As we continued to the city, talking about what we would do during the week, we heard a message over the loud speaker telling us that the train was only going to a certain point because they were working on the track during the weekends. There had been no sign telling us of such work when we got on the train.

Sure enough, after a few more stations, the train stopped and everyone (with their luggage, if they came from O'Hare) had to get off! After finding a long narrow stairway to walk down (with our luggage which was getting heavier by the minutes) we found ourselves being directed to a line of waiting busses. It really didn't matter much where they were going...we were quite a distance from our hotel so on the bus we went. When we first got on the bus it actually went in the direction that we were hoping it would go! However, after about 20 minutes it began to take a turn in a direction that was going away from our hotel so we pulled the cord and got off.


There we were...hot, not close to where we wanted to be...and not a cab in sight. So we decided to start walking until a cab came by. I don't know how many hundreds of cabs are always in the downtown area but on that particular Sunday afternoon not one of them came near any street we were talking on during our journey. Needless to say, we walked all the way to the hotel and arrived sweaty, tired and a bit crabby!


The best thing about a vacation starting on a low note is that it has no place to go but up...and up ours went! Our main reason for being in the city was to spend time with my Aunt Pam. She enjoys taking us out to dinner each night when we are there and she always picks 4 and 5 star restaurants so we eat really well. This is a picture of Aunt Pam and Bob and me at Lawry's Steak House.

One of the things that Bob and I loved to do in Chicago when we lived there was to go for bike rides along the lake front. Of course we didn't have our own bikes but several years ago Bob discovered that bikes could be rented at Navy Pier. He went bike riding by himself on Monday while I slept in but I agreed to go with him on Tuesday.

As we got into the cab to take us to Navy Pier I thought I saw a few drops of rain on the windshield but Bob said, "don't worry." When we got to the bike rental place at the Pier I thought I felt a few drops but Bob said, "don't worry." When we paid our rental fee (2 hour minimum) the guy renting the bikes said that he didn't expect that we would have more than an hour since it looked like rain. Bob said, "don't worry." As we started on our ride I knew that I felt a LOT of drops. Bob said "it might sprinkle a little, don't worry." As we started our ride north along the lake it started REALLY raining...hard! Bob said, "do you want to turn back?" I was totally and completely soaked at this point and I said "don't worry, I'm already as wet as I can get!" So we rode for the full 2 hours in the pouring rain (but it was warm rain)!

When we got back to the kiosk and returned the bikes the rain stopped and the sun came out bright and warm! It was my first ride in the rain and I must admit that it was really enjoyable and I might even be willing to do it again. But don't tell Bob that (he doesn't read my blog!)!


We also went to two Cub games at beautiful Wrigley Field. I am not a baseball fan but being at Wrigley is so special and the Cubs even made it better because they WON!! TWICE

After shopping, biking, incredible dinners and lot of extra sleep for 6 days we left Chicago O'Hare for Boston. Remembering about the weekend track work, we elected NOT to take the train but went to the airport by van. The van cost $40.00 compared to $4.00 on the train but we really didn't have a choice...walking was NOT on my agenda!!


We arrived in Boston, rented a car and drove to Natick, MA which is only a 20 minute drive from my dad's house. Sunday we went to Mass at a delightful little Episcopal church that was build in 1813 and still has little individual boxes to sit in during the service. After Mass we went to see my dad.

Dad is 88 and considering that he had a serious stroke about 3 years ago, he is doing really well. Unbelievably, he has no gray hair! His eyebrows are quite gray but not his head! Check it out for yourself!

After visting with Dad and his wife, Anita, Bob and I took off to Freeport, Maine to visit our very favorite store, L.L. Bean! This is a store that has NO locks because it never closes. It is open 24/7 for 365 days of the year! Bob, who never likes to buy clothes, has fallen in love with L.L. Bean so for the years we have been doing there I have been able to buy him some new things without him complaining! From L.L. Bean we left for Booth Bay Harbor, Maine where we had reservations for a boat trip to see a lighthouse the next day.

Sadly, Bob became sick that evening and so our plans changed. Our previous plan was to go and see the lighthouse and then leave and travel about 120 miles to Arcadia National Park. Bob thought it might be a better idea to stay in Booth Bay another day. That was great news for me...the view from our balcony should tell you why.

The next day we were off on the boat to a little island that housed a little lighthouse! It was so foggy that morning that we couldn't see the front of the boat much less the island we were going to that day. Bob said, "don't worry!" I was almost afraid to get off the boat because I couldn't see the steps and was afraid I would lose my husband but just as I was about to "worry" the sun came through the fog and the day was just gorgeous!

After a beautiful day on the island not only did we decide to stay an extra day but an extra two days! The next day we took another longer boat ride to another island and saw another lighthouse! We spent the rest of our time in Booth Bay Harbor enjoying the view from our room, eating LOTS of lobster and clams and getting much needed rest!

Thursday we drove back to Boston and had another dinner with my Dad and Anita. Friday morning we left Boston for our trip back to Sacramento (via San Francisco!) and home! It was a lot like our previous vacations but we both feel that as long my aunt (who is 77) and my dad are still alive that trips east will be a part of our summers.

I may have a very small family and all of us may be able to have a reunion in a good size bathroom but I thank God every day for their presence in my life. I am truly blessed!

So Much to Do and So Little Time!

How can it be that this is July 13th and I have not written since the end of June? It seems like I just had that special day yesterday. And now I am preparing to go on vacation and barely have time to pack before we are off for 2 weeks.

The weeks since my last post have been VERY full. Preparations for saying good-bye *SIGH* to our priest and his wife at church have been mind boggling! My dear friend C and I were working on a project for what seemed "day and night" for almost 3 weeks. It turned out to be a wonderful pictorial memory book of our church, our Liturgy, our congregation and many memories which we presented to Fr. C and B at their "good-bye" brunch last Sunday. We had worked on the book so long and hard that I felt like I had been in labor "forever" and then finally given birth only to have to give the "baby" up for adoption! I know it is going to a good home, but...!

The brunch was actually the second "good-bye" function. Last Friday was a "good-bye dinner" that was simply delightful...if it wasn't for the occasion! The weather was beautiful for outdoor cocktails and goodies and the dinner was delicious. Toasts were given, gifts were presented, a lovely power point presentation was shown and speeches were made. All in all an enchanting evening...but lots of tears flowed also.

I have been lamenting all of the "lasts." My last Sunday to serve at the altar with Fr. C, my last time at EP with Fr. C (that occurred tonight and all I did was drop little tears on my prayer book). Tomorrow will be the last time I serve at the altar with him forever and just thinking about it makes my eyes water! His office gets emptier every day in direct proportion to my heart breaking. I sure do like to say "hello" so much better!

Along with getting ready for the "final good-bye" to Fr. C I have also been facilitating 3 different adult bereavement support groups for the last six weeks. I seldom have three going at one time but I wanted to accommodate everyone before I left on my two week vacation so I tried it. With the Lodi (Monday nights), Stockton (Weds. nights) and Manteca (Thurs. nights) groups I had a total of 53 people in the groups. Fifty three stories of 53 beautiful people who are grieving the death of someone who was so very important to their lives. Mother, fathers, brothers, sister, sons, daughters, husbands, wives, and other loved ones were remembered by the participants telling "their story." Not the story of their deaths...but the stories of their loved one's lives and who they are as survivors today because of they were blessed to have their lives cross.

In one of the groups I had a very devastating thing happen. One of the gentlemen in the group was there with his only child, his daughter. They were grieving the death of his wife and her mother. I watched them grow and heal during the first 5 weeks of the group. Then two days after the 5th week I received a phone call telling me that the gentleman had died that morning. So here was this daughter who had just buried her mother in April and now had to bury her father. The members of the group rose to the occasion. Forgetting their own grief for a while, every single one of them sent her a card and many of them called her. When I went to the funeral on Thursday she said those cards and calls are what kept her going.

The groups are so rewarding. The first night everyone just sits very quietly just looking at their feet or glancing through the literature they are given. By the last night everyone is laughing and talking and making plans to get together and talking about the future. Wow! However, all that emotion for 3 nights a week for 6 weeks along with my OWN emotion has been one very long roller coaster ride!

I need a vacation! Of course going on vacation with B is seldom relaxing but it is always interesting. We fly to Chicago early Sunday morning. I tell everyone I am going to Chicago to visit my Aunt Pam...he tells everyone we are going to Chicago to see a couple of Cubs games and maybe see Barry Bonds break the record of home runs in the beautiful confines of Wrigley Field! After a week in Chicago (during which we shall do both of the above...although I can't vouch for the Barry Bonds part!) we fly to Boston. I say we are going to Massachusetts to see my Dad. Bob says we are going East to take a road trip up the coast to visit light houses and a National Park! Again, we shall do both!

I'm not taking my laptop computer so I won't be able to send posts like by good friend K did on her vacation. In fact, I'm not even going to look at a computer!

So, to those who may occasionally frequent this little blog I say "good-bye" for two weeks! I know I will have itchy fingers to write again when we return on July 27th. May God bless each and every one of you and keep you in His loving arms!