We arrived home last night, safe, happy and none the worse for wear. The dogs were thrilled to see us. Annie was her usual demanding attention Yorkie self and even our Sammi who is a most aloof little Dachshund wanted to sit on my lap and be hugged. The parrots were most happy to be allowed the freedom of the top of their cages and a few extra peanuts for good behavior.

Now it is morning, I have been out to check the flower beds. The roses are blooming with Spring’s warmth and my little Zinnia seeds have taken hold with the tiny promises of a Summer of backyard color. I have had my coffee and a kiss on the cheek from my sweetie as he passed by my office to the kitchen on his way to get the dogs their morning treat and his first cup of coffee.

Life is good and there is something wonderful always in the returning home from a trip even a trip as much fun as this most enjoyable one. For me it is always a thrill to see my sons and their wives thriving and prosperous, but even more important healthy and enjoying life. That was what this trip was all about. A quick look in, a hug, a laugh or two, a great dinner and then on our way again.

We spent an evening with each couple before heading to Bob’s Officers Meetings and for me, two fun days with friends that I enjoy. It was the usual routine of wive’s shopping and lunch, while the guys held their meetings followed cocktails and dinner before heading off for a good night’s sleep in a beautiful room overlooking the Oakland Bay and Marina.

I have put a few family photos from the trip together. They are on the right under NEW ALBUM. So just click on the first photo to enter the album. There are eleven photos. The first five photos are of our evening with John Vincent and Rhea and the last six are of the next evening with Kym and John.

I am packing bags, getting the house in order, and writing directions for our pet and house sitter. Tomorrow we head out to an Ex Comm meeting in the Bay Area. Before our final destination of Oakland where the meeting is scheduled, we will stop and visit with both sons and their wives. One night in Palo Alto and one night in Dansville. I sure hope the Northern California rains are finished for awhile.

My daughter Dawn was off to New York on business last week. She was at the Volvo for Life Awards and was lucky enough to get someone to snap this photo of her with the famous astronaut and first woman in space, Sally Ride.

Dawn told Dr. Ride what a huge fan her mother was and how I often mentioned the Weekly Reader articles about Sally Ride. The articles sparked a desire for the Space Program in many of my students. Dawn said she knew I would appreciate a photo of the two of them together and Dr. Ride graciously posed with her for this photo. Bless both their hearts because this is one picture, I will treasure forever.

It is true that Sally Ride is one of my heros. I admire her courage and applaud her efforts at breaking yet another glass ceiling for women. I have always appreciated her pioneering spirit and her desire to see more young women actively engaged in science. If you have daughters, grand-daughters, nieces, young female friends, or if you just love science check out The Sally Ride Science Club. It makes me wish I were still in the classroom because I know I would make certain it was available to all my students.

The following comment from my last post “Happy Easter” lead to today’s writing.

Dave Kerr whispers:

“You forgot to include the part about me calling that morning asking ““what you two were going to do that day?”” to which you answered ““We’’re waiting for you to arrive.”” I have to admit that if my driving skills were not up to par I most likely would have crashed into the side rails when I realized what I had done. No harm no foul, or at least that is what I would like to believe. Look forward to seeing our visit today posted tomorrow. And yes I will admit for all to hear that Maria and Bob’’s grandchild can not keep an appointment schedule straight for the life of him.”

To quickly re-cap, Dave, our grandson, was coming for the day, forgot, and was most chagrined. What he didn’t realize was that older people with memory gaps are reassured when the younger generation forgets something. It is kinda like. . . “Well, guess it is not pre-Altzheimers after all. It is just poor memory genetics” or, “If the kids can do it, and call it stress, perhaps we can just relax and quit blaming our embarrassing lapses on aging.” Sorry Dave, but there is a gleeful dance that goes with this revelation. One of those kick up your heels, clap your hands, and twirl around twice routines that come from our days before the Senior Citizen Center beckoned.

Dave did a make-up visit yesterday and we had a delightful day. The guys grilled for us. Well, Dave grilled and Bob watched and took some mental notes on how to do it the right way. I made the salad and warmed the baked beans and we simply enjoyed a quiet dinner hour.

I do hope our Doctor from the UCLA Geriatrics Department does not drop in on the blog this week. I know large grilled steaks two days apart would probably be frowned on. Who am I kidding? I can just see Dr. Whiteman shaking her beautiful head in dismay. Yes, these old arteries are clogging as we speak, I can almost feel it.

I don’t care because we had the most wonderful time. Dave is on his way to a new job in the Seattle, Washington area so this visit which will be his last for awhile was bittersweet. New adventures are always exciting and he already has a great apartment chosen with a golf course nearby. Of course we will miss him, but new beginnings are what makes life exciting and we wish him the very best in his new adventure.

Happy Easter everyone. Since neither Bob nor I am particularly religious, Easter Sunday just kind of snuck up on us. Our grandson Dave was to arrive in the morning in time for breakfast, have lunch with us and then leave to go back and check on the restaurant that he manages. As it turns out, he made a mistake on the dates, and planned to be here next Sunday. This gave us a very quiet day watching our neighbors friends arrive for a back yard party and using the extra time to plant more zinnas seeds in our flower beds.

We did have a wonderful lunch however. For the first time this spring, Bob grilled steaks for us. They were absolutely wonderful and Sammi and Annie who never get table scraps, loved the small pieces we cut for them. Even the parrots had a small sample of beef and I think would have loved seconds.

I started a new book by Sarah Bird called The Mommy’s Club. I don’t know if she wrote it before or after she wrote The Yokoto Officer’s Club which so far is my favorite read of the year. Sarah Bird certainly weaves a good story. The Mommy’s Club is about a 38 year old woman who becomes a surrogate mother for a wealthy Texas family. I am enjoying the bittersweet quirkiness of it all.

A few weeks ago, I bought a counted cross stitch project to work on. I used to love doing cross-stitch. Unfortunately, my eyes are not what they used to be. Even using a large magnifying glass, I was unable to do the tiny stitches. There is no point in working on something that only causes frustration so I gave it away to a friend who is an avid cross-stitcher. Somehow I feel almost liberated. Maybe there is a time to choose new hobbies. . . like blogging.

Thank you everyone for the comments about Hal Holbrook and Mark Twain Tonight. It is difficult to believe that Holbrook is now 8o years old and has been perfecting his performance as Mark Twain since his first performance in 1959. That is a lot of years and there is no doubt in my mind, that this is an act of pure love for the work of Samuel Clemens.

Today turned out to be a bummer. I was planning on a great trip to Westwood Village with two friends. It was to be one of those “Girls Night Out”. Only at our age, the adventure would include a next day appointment at UCLA’s Medical Center. I was looking forward to a movie tonight, staying at the wonderful Tiverton House and enjoying a good restaurant or two before having to return home. No such luck. Both friends came down with a stomach flu and are out for the count. We canceled the trip indefinitely.

So I washed clothes, (hear the martyr whine) and picked up the house. Sigh! To top it off, the weather is awful. The clouds are hanging over the desert and they are dark black and ugly. We are just minutes away from a deluge.

The good thing about today, is reading Marley and Me , which is one of the sweetest, funniest books to come out in a long time. The story reminds me of all the wonderful dogs that have blessed me with their companionship over the years, so as I read it, I laugh, cry, and reminisce all at the same time. If you have not read it, I highly recommend it and I can almost guarantee you will love it.