“If I had a flower for every time I thought of you… I could walk through my garden forever.” — Alfred Tennyson
We did everything together, even heart bypass surgery
It’s been almost a year since I saw Aunt Kaye as Sue was unable to travel that distance. Colleen and I took off this morning at 5:00 AM and went VFR via I-5 to Stockton! I enjoyed leaving early. It was dark out and having Colleen and her GPS was very helpful.
Colleen captured the sun just starting to rise as we swiftly made out way towards the grapevine.
Zooming along watching the sun raise its head!
She had been moved to a new location but we finally located her. When she was not in the last place we visited, I nearly lost it because I thought she might have passed.
When we showed up in her room, she knew me immediately and was very excited.
We talked for an hour
She was “well” considering her age. Perhaps a bit confused, she told me that my mom visited her last week. She confused Colleen with Jan and Sue at times. That was OK, she was clean, happy, well-fed, and looked good! Ninety-seven, wow! I did not tell her about my beautiful wife as there was no need to bring sadness into the conversation.
Back into the Silver Ghost, and we zip-pipped to Saratoga, about 90 minutes toward the coast. We got there a little early, and I needed a drink, so we stopped in downtown Saratoga at a Peruvian Restuarant.
Colleen is just now beginning to be an “adventurous” diner. I reminded her of Sue’s saying “Order it if it sounds interesting; don’t eat it if you don’t like it; if you do not try something, how do you know if it might not be your next favorite?”
My plate was beautiful, and it was delicious without many calories, yeah!
Did You Know? Ceviche, also cebiche, seviche, or sebiche, is a seafood dish that originated in Peru, typically made from fresh raw fish cured in citrus juices, such as lemon or lime, and spiced with ají, chili peppers or other seasonings including chopped onions, salt, and coriander. Because the dish is not cooked with heat, it must be prepared and consumed fresh to minimize the risk of food poisoning. Ceviche is usually accompanied by side dishes that complement its flavors, such as sweet potato, lettuce, corn, avocado, or cooking banana. The plate is popular in the Pacific coastal regions of Latin America. Though the origin of ceviche is hotly debated, in Peru, it is considered a national dish.
We texted Pat and Hannah answered, saying she was there waiting for us. The restaurant and Diane’s house is maybe two miles apart. We sat with Hannah and Pat for about 45 minutes before Diane came in from work. We did unload all the albums and other goodies before she got there.
We continued to talk until Lisa and Patrick arrived about an hour later. Then we had a home-cooked meal. Diane, like her wonderful sister, are natural cooks. They could make rope taste like the best steak ever made! We sat around the table talking and even managing a few laughs. I’m so glad that I have a wonderful sister-in-law like Diane (and her family) in my life.
One of our many visits together; this picture was 2009! Hannah, Paul, Sue, Lisa, Diane, and Pat
I have known Diane since the late 1970s as she worked with Sue on the Space Shuttle!
After dinner, we visited until about 11:00 PM, and I was beaten. I indeed crashed, I mean boom I was out like a light! When I woke up, I swore it was morning. It was only 12:26 PM. Another night without sleep!
Today was unusual as I got to spend the entire day with Colleen in confined quarters, and it was terrific. She is slightly insane, but that is not her fault, she got it from her father, me!
We laughed, giggled, cried, and told each other stories of growing up, stories about Sue, and watched the miles fly by at 65 miles per hour! I am so proud of her growing up to be such a fine lady. I was also taken aback by the phone calls between her and Mark. Listening in, hey, I could not help it, I heard the love between these people in the bantering back and forth. Like Sue and I, when apart, we talked all the time. It was a great day!
Enjoying my beautiful daughter
Going up to see Diane and Kaye brought back many memories of Sue and me taking these trips every few months, especially since my cousin Tom passed. I was dreading the trip going alone but I wanted to see Kaye as soon as possible, but with Colleen by my side, the positive memories were re-enforced, and I know I can do it alone next time!
