The Trip to WA, etc.

The trip was wonderful. It was great to visit with Grandma and equally great to have a little adventure with my favorite niece. We packed quite a bit into our three days. In no particular order:

with grandma
Originally uploaded by suzipaw.

We spent all day Sunday with Grandma, as well as Saturday evening and a bit of Monday morning. Sunday was Palm Sunday, and we watched the Lutheran congregation across the way ring their bell for service, then file out, led by Pastor Holly, all waving lengths of palm fronds. They paraded through Vista Manor where Grandma lives, some stopping to hug or say hello. We had a visit from other friends of Grandma, Ves and Isabelle. We discussed religion and family. Grandma's tales of my niece's father were tactful. As always, we dined at Doxie's Diner. For the first time I also had lunch at Billy Burger, a joint across the way from the Settle Inn where we stayed and a drive in with one of the most fascinating and disturbing signs I've ever seen (I don't have a photo to do it justice yet). Feesha and I went on a little photos safari around town. We were stared at regularly throughout the weekend. We visited the Grandpa's grave in the cemetery, home to some of the most beautiful trees and headstones I've ever seen; we listened to a bird call that was one of the sweetest and clearest I'd ever heard, piping like a classical musician. Came across a pair of turkeys scampering down the highway at the cemetery gate, a bouquet (or "nye" according to the San Diego Zoo web site) of pheasant near Haden Road, then a lone handsome cock, smashed in the highway, and a very interested shaggy canine that came to our door at the motel as we were checking out, as if supervising. In a friendly way. I ate my most favorite doughnut in the world, plain cake, two mornings in a row. I watched my first episode of "Gray's Anatomy." Grabbing coffee and shopping in the little coffee/gift shop on our last morning, we ran into my great uncle Chet. Did my part for the local economy by purchasing flipflops, a sweatshirt, and Wilbur tshirt at the local department store that opens at 7:00 a.m. since it's also the gym. Was awakened twice Sunday night by my niece's very loud sleep talking. Played cribbage with her while waiting to board our plane on the way up. Enjoyed the many photo albums that Grandma keeps. And her many stories of family and growing up rural.

And those letters I promised? My uncle has them, and will be bringing copies for me when he and my aunt visit later this month (yay!). To keep us company til then, he sent this photo of the author, Ina Diener: Elwin and Anna are my great grandparents; Charles is Elwin's uncle, they owned adjoining land. My uncle dates this photo at about 1904.

*****

Isn't this a nice message that I received on MySpace?

Hello dear,
How are you doing? I cant help but say you are beautiful, you are a pure dublicate of an angel. I am really amazed at your beauty. I am patrick, am 45yrs old,i work with a road construction company here in london I am currently a single. i really dont have much to say about my self, except I am being asked. Dearest, I will really love to know you better, maybe to get to reach GOD more easily. knowing an angel is like knowing the personal asistant of GOD. Please endeavour to send me a reply,you can add me to ur yahoo IM my id is (patricknoblack)while my email address is patricknoblack@yahoo.com i will love to chat with you on yahoo chat so we can get to know more about our self, I will be greatly honoured by it. I wait with curiousity to hear from you. Till then. Have a loving day. and may your best of yesterday,be your worst today.stay cool

Who falls for this crap?

*****

Tonight is M's first final. He was very worried about it, but it's done by now. I hope he'll be home soon to tell me how it went...