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My Poppa's 85th Bday
Many of his gifts were actually for Benny the dog. The first part of my US travels has been all about touching base with people from my past. I would like to begin by thanking everyone who picked me up, dropped me off, put me up, put up with me, and showed me around , fed me, and got fed up with me (hopefully not!). By inviting myself to sleep on your sofa or floor, in your guest room, your child’s room, your office or den I was able to glimpse your lifestyle and share precious time with you and your family. I loved reconnecting with various chapters of the past 30 years of my life, and in this blog entry I will tell you about my various visits.
After flying in to Los Angeles via Panama City, my sister met me at LAX and had a yummy meal waiting at her home (Claire’s an amazing cook!) I had been up for over 20 hours by then, but somehow still found energy to join her for a soak in the hot tub at her complex. It was so nice to catch-up on our respective lives and wind down for a restful night’s sleep.
Al & the Gals
L to R - My sister Claire, Dad, Barbara & Joanne (+Benny & Scrappy the cute little white dogs!) The next morning, Claire drove me down to Dad's place (almost an hour south) and I arrived in time to attend the weekly Leisure World Scrabble Club with him. He’s the only man in the club, and I remembered quite a few of the ladies from my previous visits. It was great to see my father and his delightful dog, Benny. I was glad to see that my Poppa was feeling well – he’s doing great for his age – just a bit of memory slipping. If he forgets if he’s already walked the dog, he just takes him out again. That’s one lucky pup!
This first visit with my Dad was a short one. Claire drove down again the next morning bearing a bagel breakfast and a homemade birthday cake and we celebrated my father’s 85th birthday together with two of his dog-walking lady friends. After the party my sister & I got on the road, headed north up the great state of California. Claire was on her way to San Francisco to meet up with her daughter. Jenna lives in NY but
Grady aka Mr Wigglebutt
I hadn't seen Joe's dog for 2 years, since I was in Panama and Grady consoled me after Chaco died. had work in SF. I got dropped off en route in Kettleman City (middle of nowhere) so Joe & Grady (his sweet lovey dog!) drove inland to pick me up and take me to Paso Robles where Joe lived for many years and his father still lives.
Although Joe & I keep in close email contact, I hadn’t seen him since my visit to Panama nearly two years ago. We met in Ecuador almost four years ago when he was considering buying property there. Alas, it appears that he’ll be settling in Panama -- I haven’t been able to convince him to return to Ecuador. However it was great to spend time with him in California and meet his Dad (a real character!) We took Grady for a long walk along the dry river bed (lots of good nature sights and smells, for us and the dog!)
The next morning we drove down the coast to a stunning nature reserve called Montana de Oro. The California coast, though overdeveloped near most cities, is still wild and unspoiled in many places. We visited a local
Montana de Oro Park
A beautiful drive with Joe & Grady brought us to this wild and woolly stretch of coastline near San Luis Obispo. farmers' market, in awe of the amazing California produce. Strawberries were in season and at each stand we were invited to sample the huge, fist-sized juicy sweet berries. In the evening we hung out with Joe’s dad watching “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” Jeez, they’ve even changed the rules to the games shows while I was away! Later Joe took me and Grady out to "The Pour House", a dog-friendly bar with a dog treat jar near the restrooms. Grady hung around the doorway, begging for biscuits from everyone who passed by. We enjoyed the live music and Grady had fun trotting around the place, pausing to let all the patrons pet him.
Since the next day was Saturday Joe and I drove around and took a look at the local garage sales. Coming from our "living in Latin America" perspective, we were struck by the excesses of US life! We stumbled upon the Paso Robles High School Rummage Sale. WOW! Mass quantities of second hand stuff! I got lost in the piles and piles of clothing stacked up in the gym, understanding the word "rummage" in a way I never
Rummage Sale
Paso Robles High School Gym heaped with clothing...gives the word "rummage" a whole new meaning! had before! By mid-afternoon the Salvation Army trucks were arriving at PRHS to carry off the leftovers, the mass quantities of donated stuff that had not been sold. We kept hearing announcements (in English and Spanish) dropping the prices every few minutes. By the time we left it was "all you can carry for $5". Joe and I were in a dilemma -- so much stuff we could imagine a use for "back home" but no way to get it all down to Central & South America! I did find a few articles of clothing that will serve me well. For 25 cents I bought the dress I would wear that evening.
We had been invited to attend the marriage of Eliodoro (one of the first employees of the landscaping business Joe had started back in the 80's) to Josefina (Elio's partner of 8 years with whom he already had three children!) I suppose it was high time to throw the fancy party, essential to a traditional Mexican wedding. One of the customs was for the groom's buddies to carry him off to the men's room and return with his empty clothing
Mexicali Wedding
Eliodoro & Josefina said "I do" after 8 yrs and 3 kids together. Joe & I were treated like honored guests. stretched out above their heads. The bride's job was to snatch his clothes back and go dress her husband so he could return to the party! We were the only "gringos" in attendance, but since we both speak Spanish we fit right in (sorta).
The next day Sue drove over from Fresno to pick me up. She was the one who had first introduced me to Joe (via email). He had been inquiring about land up on Ecuador's northern coast in Esmeraldas where Sue has built her retirement home. When he decided to look for land further south in Manabi (where I own property) Sue passed along his contact info. Now Sue got to meet him in person for the first time. The three of us went for an early supper at an authentic Mexican restaurant before Sue and I continued westward to arrive at the coast in time for sunset. Sue had reserved a friend's house for us in Morro Bay and we enjoyed a lovely evening as the sky turned orange and red over El Morro, a large rock in the bay. Named by the Spanish conquistadors, "morro" means turban.
Me & Morro Rock
The conquistadores named this rock "El Morro" meaning "the turban" in Spanish. It dominates Morro Bay. After taking a wonderful a.m. barefoot beach walk (brr! the Pacific sure is cold this far north) Sue and I decided that we really wanted to spend another night in Morro. We contacted her friend and offered to do some yard work, tidying up her neglected garden. We earned our keep for the second night's lodging but paid later on with our aching backs. We're not as young or fit as we like to think we are! The cure; a nice long hot bath followed by watching movies and playing Yahtzee!
As we were driving back to Fresno we admired the distant backdrop of the snow-capped sierras. I loved Sue’s cute house and marveled at her amazing garden - stunning rose bushes and enormous citrus trees. They were sagging under the weight of the lemons, oranges and grapefruits and I got another workout harvesting as many as I could to ease the strain on the branches. It was interesting to attend a Rotary Club meeting with Sue. I told about Rotary funding that we receive for the Engineers Without Borders Water Project that I'm involved
Sue at Morro Stax
Many think that these defunct PGE (Pacific Gas & Electric) Smokestacks are an eyesore. Sue & I were brainstorming ways to turn them into public art. in and also learned about Rotary's Worldwide Solar Oven Campaign.
I took the Amtrak train from Fresno to San Jose. It was interesting to observe all kinds of travelers, from dark-suited businessmen to tattooed ex-cons (I only knew they'd been in prison because of their loud cell phone conversations!) Staring out the window, watching the scenery rush by. On the outskirts of cities and larger towns, the houses along the tracks were pretty ramshackle and seedy. In a dusty wash I saw a whole shanty town of cardboard shacks. As we approached one urban area a group of goofy tennaged boys were dancing & waving at our passing train.
Travelling north through California's central valley there were citrus groves and alfalfa fields as far as the eye could see. Passing by miles of vineyards I noticed a rosebush planted at the end of each row of grapevines and I wondered if they were only there for aesthetic reasons or if they had something to do with the pollination process. An irrigation ditch filled with murky water ran alongside the train tracks for miles.
Sunset at Morro Bay
Sharing the stunning colors with the shorebirds. I wanted to just stare out the window and zone out a bit, but I couldn't help overhearing a conversation several rows back; a pompous, know-it-all wine bottler was was very loudly bragging to his seatmate, using big numbers and percentages. In the seat ahead of me a young guy was singing aloud & bopping to the music on his headphones. As I was waiting for my checked bag I met a woman whose bag unfortunately had not been offloaded before the train started up again. She was from British Guyana (one of the tiny foreign colonies in the NE of S. America. This lady told me that she was just getting back frm London, her first visit ever and fulfilling a lifelong dream. The Royal Wedding was an excuse; she considers herself a British subject but thought it deplorable that she had never before seen a red phone box or a double decker bus!!
Arriving in Silicon Valley I stayed with my cousin Scott, his wife Christy and their cute kids, Riley & Conrad. It was like entering a whole different world -
My Pirate Mate-y
"Wooden eye" love to snag a dude like this one? Maybe "knot"! a beautiful spacious home with a park-like yard. I was stunned by the ginormous appliances -- to me the washer & dryer looked like jet planes and the refrigerator seemed as large as a school bus! Since both Scott & Christy work and the kids are in day care, I spent a relaxing day reading, napping, watching old movies and just being alone.
That night Scott had set up a dinner with his two brothers and I enjoyed getting to know these cousins I hadn't spent time with since childhood. All three of them work for Apple so needless to say their homes were tricked out with all the latest technology. Darin's wife Diane had her iPad programmed to time each burner on the stove and adjust temperatures as needed. With the click of a mouse the image on the computer screen was transferred to the wall-sized TV screen. At several friends' places I enjoyed grazing through the choices of movies from Netflix on-demand, viewed on huge flat-screen TVs.
My lift to the CalTrain station was a squeezed-in visit with my friend Ellen. She and
San Francisco Scene
Lots of street performers at this public market in view of the Golden Gate Bridge. I had met at an Onsen (hot springs Inn) in Japan in 1990. We kept in contact and reconnected in 1992 when I was working in Malaysia and her family moved to Singapore. She had a very busy schedule that day, but we managed to have a quick "catch-up" session in the car.
It was a lively train ride; there was a San Francisco Giants game on that evening and at each stop the train filled with more and more baseball fans, enlivening the spirit and atmosphere of the train. My train ticket cost $8.50 (for an hour and a half) and the taxi ride from the station to Jamie's place cost $8 for 1 ½ miles. I wanted to try to walk it but I wasn’t totally sure where I was going and it was mostly uphill and during rush hour traffic. (When I left I did walk it with my rolling suitcase!)
I'd been to visit Jamie’s before and I love seeing San Francisco through his eyes. Jamie & I taught together in Quito over 20 yrs ago, and have kept in contact
Gaylord Hotel Entry
Jamie, former teaching colleague from Quito years has lived in this classic San Francisco hotel for over 10 years. over time. It's so great to be able to just wander the streets, window shop and ogle the architecture without worrying where I am and know that Jamie's taking me somewhere cool and will guide me back home safely. Jamie lived in SF years ago and has been back for over a decade so he knows the subway, bus & streetcar systems like the back of his hand. We went to a massive farmer’s market at Ferry Station by Golden Gate Bridge, cruised the Castro district, wandered through Chinatown and Little Italy (interesting that the two are side by side in Manhattan as well).
Jamie lives in the Gaylord Hotel, a fabulous vintage building located near the Tenderloin district (an area with a lot of homeless people). On just about every corner someone was hitting us up for $ or work. They each seem to have their "turf" and we'd see the same guy on the same corner day after day. My heart lurched when one morning I saw a middle-aged woman passed out on the sidewalk with her possessions strewn around her. One of her shoes had come off and I
Mural Alleyway
Jamie knows all the cool nooks and crannies which display San Francisco's hidden charm and beauty. watched as a passerby tucked it under her ankle. On one bus ride I was perched alongside a troop of girl scouts (about 11 or 12) and watched their leaders cringe as a crazy meth addict started ranting in the aisle and cussing out the other riders.
My favorite day was when we went to the Mission District to see the incredible painted murals. (be sure to click on NEXT at the very bottom to see more mural pix!) They had closed off the main avenue so only bikes, skaters & pedestrians had passage. There was a festival atmosphere with Klezmer music at one intersection, a classic car exhibition on a side street, and a Native American dance presentation. I enjoyed eclectic ethnic dining with Jamie - the few days I spent with him we ate Burmese, Chinese, Turkish and Italian cuisine.
I headed back down to the Silicon Valley to visit with Marion & Gabi. When I was teaching at the Atlanta International School I taught an after-school Faculty/Staff Spanish conversation class and both of them took my course and later married. Gabi
Old Friends Relocated
Marion & Gabi were in my faculty/staff Spanish course in Atlanta. I visited them in Dresden, Germany & now in Silicon Valley! was on a 2 yr exchange from her German School in Dresden and. She now teaches at the German International School of the Silicon Valley (yes, it really does exist!) I had been to visit them in Dresden (former East Germany) and it was fun to spend time with them in their new lifestyle in Calif. Next they're headed to Milan -- don't know if I'll make it back to Italy in the coming years! My thanks to them for shuttling me to the San Jose airport where I picked up my rental car.
I drove over the bridge, up to Marin County where Marianna lives and works. She and I worked together in Tucson at her brother's pharmacy almost 30 years ago! Our lives have crisscrossed a few times thru the years, and it was wonderful to visit her beautiful home and meet her partner Greg. We enjoyed a lovely early morning hike in the hills above her house, through a grove of dwarf oaks, across a creek, the trail winding up to where there were stunning views of the bay. I loved catching up with my wise, genuine friend Marianna.
Hiking in Marin County
Marianna took me up in the hills above her home. A stroll among the dwarf oaks opened out to stunning bay views. She has a sign that I love: "The best things in life aren't things." (Ironic that it hangs in the storage area of her garage!)
I continued driving north to Napa, where Beth now lives with her husband Bong and their son. I met Beth in Malaysia and we went trekking together in Nepal in 1994. We hadn't seen each other in about 10 years so it was my first time meeting 9 yr old Zachary. We had fun playing family Boggle and it was an honor that Zachary gave up his room to me (pretty cool sleeping among lego creations, swords, a massive car collection and the other stuff of little boys). He had this really neat building set called "Coinstruction" -- little linking pieces used to create things with coins of all sizes.
While the guys were at baseball practice, Beth and I spent some time looking at her Nepal photo album and reliving memories. It was indeed a memorable trip and many of the adventures made it into my novel in some form or other. We had a girls’ night out, driving
Tiled Stair Risers
Gaylord Hotel lobby -- up the stairs to Jamie's place. I adore these rich toned terra cotta tiles! thru the vineyards and visiting cute little towns. Beth told me about a creative fund-raiser for her son's school called a "Trashion Show". All of the garments had to be made of recycled materials. She showed me a picture of a prom gown made of old road maps...awesome!
Next I was headed further north to attend a wedding in Mendocino. I was glad I didn't have to make the 3 hr drive alone; Mark had been named the "unofficial officiant" for the ceremony and he joined me for the ride. Let me back up a bit and tell you the story of this wedding. If you have read some of my blogs from previous years you will remember that Tamara was my "co-madre" - we adopted Chaco together. When she finished her research in the Agua Blanca indigenous community, she took a waitressing job in Puerto Lopez. Mark lives in Bogota, Colombia and had come down to travel around Ecuador with Brian who had just finished his MBA and was having a last hurrah before entering the world of work. Brian had a hankering for spaghetti bolonaise so they wandered into Bellaitalia
Wedding Vows in the Woods
Congratulations to the joyous couple! Mark, the officiant, was with Brian when he met Tamara at Bellaitalia Restaurant in Puerto Lopez. while Tamara was working; lightning struck and Brian & Tamara fell in love at first sight.
They planned a super fun wedding (Camp Boda) in a beautiful redwood forest in Mendocino. Mark & I arrived in time on Friday afternoon to check into our rustic cabins (no bathroom or electricity but a great fireplace in each) and enjoy a friendly dinner. I didn't know anyone other than the bride and groom, and now Mark, but I soon met many of the other guests, mostly young adventurous folks they knew from various periods of their lives. Brian's High School buddies all get together every year for a ski trip (they call themselves the "foul weather friends") and they had all sorts of incriminating stories to tell about his past! It was great to meet Tamara's friends from high school and college.
The evening continued with bluegrass music, raucous dancing, lots of libations and singing around the campfire. Using my headlamp the 1/2 mile walk back to my cabin was eerie -- the woods looked creepy in the beam of light and the bog was a loud
Redwood Chapel
Awesome height, width, age, wisdom of Mendocino's coastal redwoods. croaking frog fiesta! The next day was fun and games in the meadow - beer pong, badminton, bocce balls and plenty of food and drink. It was such a beautiful setting and the informal atmosphere made for a really good time. Mark and I took a break from the festive gathering to practice our respective readings for the evening's ceremony.
At 5 pm we all hiked through the forest, across a log bridge to clearing amidst the big trees. The LA socialite branch of Brian's family struggled a bit as their fancy high heels sunk into the soft pine needle carpet. I put on my rummage sale dress with a sweater and tennis shoes, apologizing for my footwear as I shared what I'd written to honor the couple. At the very end of this blog entry you will find an excerpt of the reading.
At the lively dinner following the ceremony a number of folks told me that they'd enjoyed my reading and that they appreciated being reminded to look up and look around and fully appreciate the wedding’s awe-inspiring setting. Evening turned to night
Mendocino Coastline
Heading south after the wedding, Mark & I stopped for breathtaking glimpses of this savage stretch of coast. as we all got a bit crazy at a fancy dress dance. A room full of wacky costume options helped everyone to let down inhibitions, cut loose and dance the night away. It was fun to see the disguises rotate from one guest to another as the evening progressed. Next morning saw fond farewells over a bleary-eyed brunch; then Mark and I hit the road for the drive south. On the way up we'd been eager to arrive, but on the way back down we fully appreciated the savage beauty of the Mendocino coast.
After dropping Mark at his brother's place, I continued down to return the car (checking out rental fees I was amazed to see that San Jose was less than half the price of San Francisco!) Doug came to meet me at the car rental bldg and off we went to meet Lee at home (she'd prepared a fabulous meal of artichokes, twice-baked potatoes and gently poached salmon). Lee & Doug were colleagues in Malaysia; now retired they live in San Mateo (where my family lived back in 1964!) Just a year ago they came to visit me in Ecuador
Former KL Colleagues
I worked with Lee & Doug in Malaysia 15 yrs ago. Now retired, they came to visit me in Ecuador last year. Pictured here at their daughter's gorgeous SF home. and stayed at Mandala while I was working there. They also continued on up to the village where I work with the volunteer engineers and were my representatives at the grand opening of the community center building. It was nice that they knew about my life in Ecuador and could picture places and people I talked about.
I enjoyed visiting with their younger daughter Ashley (whom I’d met in Costa Rica in 2001), and meeting their older daughter Jessica, who is pregnant with their first grandchild, ready to give birth any day. Lee & Doug will be such great grandparents! We visited Jessica in her newly renovated South San Francisco home with stunning views of the city. After a too short visit Lee & Doug shuttled me back to the airport (this time to San Francisco airport where the flight to LA was half the price of San Jose --go figure!)
Of course my flight was delayed and a nice lady whom I'd met in the security line let me use her cell phone to let my sister know I'd be getting in late. It
Gracie & Gigi
Kelly & I met in a German night class in Tucson in 1984. She now teaches English in LA and these are her girls! was a bit frustrating traveling without a cell phone - these days it's almost impossible to find a pay phone. The few times I’d had to ask folks to allow me to make a call on their cell I received varying responses; one guy reluctantly said ok but insisted that HE would dial for me – I guess that makes sense so he could make sure I wasn't making an international call. When I got back to LA I bit the bullet and bought a pay-as-you-go TracFone for the remainder of my travels.
I spent a few days back in Leisure World with my Dad, going to Scrabble club with him again, playing some cribbage and walking his sweet pup Benny. Claire shuttled me back up to her area and I met up with Kelly, a gal I met in a German night class in Tucson in 1984. She now teaches in LA and it was interesting (and sad) to hear the tales of woe of public education in California these days. Kelly and I went enjoyed spending time together, walking her two little dogs around the neighborhood and just hanging out.
Jacaranda Trees
Los Angeles was bursting with these blooming trees, lining residential streets and dropping their exquisite violet-blue petals to form a lush carpet! The following day Stacy & Kyle drove up from San Diego to visit with me. Stacy and I had met way back in 1976 in a summer course at Northwestern University. I usually try to visit them in SD when I'm in Calif. and this time they came to me. They had never visited the Venice canals or walked along Venice Beach. We were practically tackled by the hawkers on the boardwalk who tried to convince us to pay just $30 to obtain a Medical Marijuana "Kush" Card. The fragrance was wafting everywhere and I was amazed at how openly folks can (and do) legally smoke weed now in California.
Back to the airport again, this time to fly to Atlanta. Air travel has become so stressful and it seems to bring out the worst in people at times. It was intriguing to see folks jockeying for outlets to charge their computers/cell phones/ipads. People were clustered around the "charging towers" (like gathering around the water cooler at the office) all attached to their high-tech gadgets by their umbilical lifelines. My first flight was delayed and I missed
Strawberry Season!
Farmers' Markets bursting with color and flavor. Fist-sized super sweet strawberries. Yum! my connection in Houston. I might have been able to sprint and make it to my next departure gate except for the fact that a passenger had had a heart attack on board, which delayed us further. The two doctors who answered the flight attendants' call for medical personnel kept the patient stable inflight, and when we landed we all remained seated until the paramedics could board and transfer the patient to the ambulance waiting at the gate. As soon as any flight lands, the cabin is a cacophony of electronic sounds as everyone powers up their cell phones!
Thanks to all for letting me raid your fridge, use your laundry facilities, borrow your soap and shampoo, etc. However, at my Dad's I had to use my own tiny travel shampoo (he's bald!) unless i wanted to try Benny's fur-whitening formula! I've now been in Atlanta for a week and enjoyed attending the Atlanta International School graduation -- running into a few of my former students whose younger siblings were graduation. It's been so great to reconnect with old friends, meet new babies (hi sweet Aidan!), see how kids are growing up (i.e.
Sue's Rose Garden
Stunning roses as big as a cabbage! Joyce & Kami's five boys!) I've enjoyed house-sitting and dog-sitting, borrowing vehicles (thanks Leigh!) and remembering good times in Atlanta. I have a few more loose ends to tie up and people to see before I catch the overnight train to Baltimore next week (my brother booked me a sleeper car "roomette" - I love the rocking motion of sleeping on a train!
As promised above, here's an excerpt of what I wrote to read at the wedding (much of which was inspired by a wonderful book entitled "The Wild Trees" by Richard Preston):
Look around – the majesty of these gargantuan living things inspires deep reverence --Tamara & Brian have chosen this arboreal setting to celebrate their marriage. These trees bear witness today to their union.
Look up – The crowns of the redwoods conjoin, a radiant array of entwined limbs and branches forming a labyrinthine canopy which supports a fragile raft of diverse new life -- May your coming together strengthen you each as individuals and foster your creativity as a couple.
Look back – Born of fire and nurtured by fog, these trees seek coastal valleys just out of
Grapefruit Galore!
While Sue was at work, my morning chore was to harvest some of the hundreds of grapefruits that were weighing down the tree branches. sight of the sea, sheltered from salt air and nourished by blackened earth -- You will adapt to each place you choose to make your home together, embracing communities; enriching them with your presence.
Look ahead – The most ancient redwoods may be over two thousand years old; seeming to have come down to our world as an inheritance out of deep time. As the trees age, their fused crowns enable them to support one other – You are always climbing, reaching towards the awesome power and exhilarating beauty of nature’s gifts. May your lives together be laden with joy and wonder, made stronger and richer by your love for one another and your love for nature.
Thanks for reading this rather journal-like blog entry. Don't forget to scroll down and click NEXT to see some more great photos!!!
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Marvelous!
Jill, thank you for allowing us a little insight into your life and the lives of your family and friends. Can hardly wait to hear about the rest of your awesome trip!