Making Lasting Memories

Road Trip... Mom in the passenger seat with her Coffee and "Sweet'nLow" , she will be alert and help with the navigation as always, pointing out all the familiar sites and landmarks as we head down to Kristen's wedding shower this weekend (March 7). I plug in my traveling music, Bob Seger's greatest hits on the Ipod so as not to disturb Mitch in the back seat, who is already back to sleep, head back and mouth wide open. We have all made this trip so many times in the past, but this trip I'm making many mental notes so I can keep them fresh for the blog. You have to love the California freeways ... we're doing 75 in the fast lane of 280 which posts a 65 MPH limit and I have to increase our speed just to merge into one of the slower lanes and then take up a slower pace. This is Jones's maiden trip and he settles in nicely for a quiet ride once he gets to make a quick roadside stop on 152. We arrive at the shower thrown by Joanna and Heather right on time and mom gets the queen's chair and remains there the entire day where she has a birds eye view of every event. We all pay homage to the tower of cupcakes that Joanna and Christine created the night before and the shower starts off with a comfortable introduction and story telling session as to how we all know Kristen. Linda, Kristen's future mother in law, gives her a blessing knowing that Jason is a high maintence kind of guy and Auntie Janice chimes in with "Kristen has had lots of practice with her brother Michael, so she will be able to handle that". The shower was so well planned with laughter, chatting, games, lunch and presents - all done according to the "agenda" and Joanna and Heather made it look effortless and everyone had a great time. I'm so thrilled that CC had the energy to enjoy every minute. Gary, Allen and Mitch headed to the Casino and buffet for lunch... all came back with full tummy's and Gary and Allen with a full wallet, Mitch came back with pride in tact but no big win!. And to top it all , after the shower Gary and Joanna made a "delicious paella" for us Saturday night.

Mom enjoyed a video Joanna had taken in 1990 of Granny Hill making pies in their kitchen. She watched it three times. Joanna will keep the pie tradition alive, but Allen and Chris brought down the last of the "Apple Hill" pies to share for desert, which was very tastey, but not like Granny's.

Sunday's ride home. Mom comments on all the green - this trip is so beautiful in the spring especially ... miles of blooming orchards, the green rolling hills speckled with cattle, the meadows of yellow sourgrass being manicured by sheep, fields of artichokes and grapevines and as we approach Gilroy, the aromatic smells from the garlic fields. As we pass Magdalena turnoff, she pipe in "oh we'll have to give Glady a call and let her know we made it home safely, she'll be worried". ( she says this on every trip, like clockwork!). All the while mom is counting the motorcycles she sees on the trip, she calls out 18 as we round the corner to head up Crespi Drive... I said what about all the Hells Angels we came across in Los Banos!... "Oh there was too many of them... they didn't get counted. " !