Jack's Uncle Paul Wilton, age 90 (!) decided to visit the Alameda branch of the family, with the help of his caregiver, Mary. He flew up from San Diego -- at the airport, he was detained like the terrorist he obviously is -- and stayed at the Coral Reef Hotel. We had a lovely turkey meatloaf dinner at Doris', where Paul savored a bottomless glass of beer & told us stories of his days of judging boxing. The kids will certainly remember this (whistle, skiddleybobdebeboop, snort!), and I'm glad everyone made the effort, especially Paul!

Christmas 2009

Didn't think we'd be able to pull it off, but we were actually able to all gather at my mom's house again for Christmas eve. Hors d'oeuvre dining made things simple & we tried to keep things moving a quick clip before my mom pooped out. Sylvia even cleaned up -- life IS good!

The next morning, the kids gathered here for stockings & presents, wedged inbetween brunch @ Grandma Doris' & dinner @ Jack's. Hopefully I'll recycle the wrapping paper in a more timely fashion than last year (that would be LAST WEEK, yikes!). Hope everyone enjoyed their goodies ... I got a lot of lovely things, but as always, the best gift is all my kids under one roof. I truly have the best kids in the world How'd I get so lucky?! Joe, Laurel, and Charlie think I should try to give up the charade re: Santa, but I don't think I ever will. Hope they will "pay this forward" with their families some day.

Two Great Ladies

In August, only 8 months after George left us, Frida Jaber followed, leaving all of us in a state of shock. One of my sweetest memories of her was her telling me that at George's grave, she would pluck the heads off a bouquet of flowers and set them all along the edge in a little row ... she had married George when she was so very young, & much younger than her new husband. And to the very end, she was a whirling dervish of energy and caring for others. Hope she and George are enjoying that final trip through eternity.



Then, in October, Greg's mother Marjorie Riser Dupuich passed away at the age of 89. She was kicking 'til the end, walking the little streets of her trailer park, despite needing oxygen & being just a wisp of a thing. We had 3 wonderful trips to Mexico courtesy of Marge, where we stayed at the lovely beachside Anai Suites in Rincon de Guayabitos -- my Joe even came along one year. Lots of wonderful memories of a true Lady who treated me better than just about anyone.

Catalina, The Island of Romance!

Twenty-six miles across the sea ... we step back in time and notch the pace down a bit in beautiful Avalon. Been coming here since I was a child, and it sure hasn't changed much! This year's attendees were: Me, Joe, Laurel, Charlie, Greg, Jonas, Slavka, Erin, Mike, Charles, Joan, Andy, Bob, Phyllis, Coy, and Mardi. A few less people than last year, but still a great group!









Our annual Catalina adventure in August was sans my mother this year -- she just didn't feel up to it at the last moment & we cancelled her plane ticket & room, but soldiered on without her. Waiting for us was a wonderful 5 days of Southern California sunshine, relaxation, golf, walking, shopping, fun dinners together, water sports, an organ recital in the art deco theater, our lovely & comfy rooms at the Pavilion Lodge, Bananagrams, margaritas, and just all-around good times. The Pavilion Lodge is now closed, Nov. 30, 2009 until June 1, 2010, for a complete renovation, starting with it's name: now the Pavilion Hotel. The place is being completely remodeled, including an elevator, private patios, executive ocean view suites above the office, a wine/cheese bar, and the loss of the "lollipops" -- the iconic signs from the 50's. Change is hard, but I'm sure they'll do a great job. Looking forward to August 11 - 16, 2010.

Another Ladies' Getaway!

Once again, the Dynamic Trio hit the road -- the time to Pine Mountain Lake, just outside of Groveland. Bonnie Buss, Kathy Malloy, & I stayed at Marilyn Leedom's beautiful cabin (minus Marilyn, dang! -- she was in Hawaii) for 2 nights, sleeping like proverbial babies. A trip to Murphy's for wine tasting & dinner plus a concert at Twisted Oak Winery rounded out the first day.

Then, it was off to Yosemite for brunch at the Ahwahnee & a little hike to Yosemite Falls, along with a million other people. The sights were beautiful, as was the blessedly cool weather -- but, as always, the best part is talking, laughing, crying, commiserating, congratulating, toasting -- thank goodness for friends on this great journey of life.

Kenny Rankin, rest in peace

Sad and shocked to hear that last Sunday, Kenny Rankin passed away, after he found out 3 weeks earlier he had stage IV lung cancer. Unbelievable. Here's a video -- sweet song at the end. Glad I got to see him in person at Yoshi's Jazz Club, twice -- even talked to him outside the building -- what a voice, and what a gentleman. Life is Good, but Life's Too Short.

Beautiful song starts at 1:27, if you'd like to skip to the music.

Maui No Ka Oi!

Just got back from a fabulous trip to Maui with Greg and all the kids -- one week in Paradise! Got a great package on Expedia including round-trip airfare from Oakland, a minivan, and deluxe ocean view rooms at the Westin Resort & Spa @ Ka'anapali. Hadn't been there since 1976, and it was just as beautiful as I remembered.


The weather was a bit cool & breezy but still oh-so tolerable! I started every morning with a brisk walk along the beach followed by a quick workout in the gym & 1/2 a papaya. Joe swam in the ocean every day, I think Charlie made it to the gym every day -- Laurel & Greg made no major plans and just enjoyed! We did all the tourist things: the great little aquarium, a drive to Hana, snorkeling @ Napili, the Old Lahaina Luau, Iao Needle, strolling under the giant banyan in Lahaina Town, plus lots of nice dinners & just plain relaxing. The week flew by -- too bad the zip-line was booked solid, but we'll save something for next time. Once again, I'm so thankful all the kids were willing & available, and I hope they had as much fun as I did! We even had fun doing Joe's crosswords marathon. Even with the cooler weather & meticulous SPF application, there was a little sunburning, but we found a great "Maui Secret" aloe potion that was a miracle.

Also found a great sushi restaurant, "Sansei", that was unassuming from the outside & absolutely fresh and delish (worth the 1 hour wait -- call ahead if you go).

I can think of no better way to spend time & money than traveling with family -- it just doesn't get any better!

JAPAN

Last year I was able to take my kids on a great trip to Japan -- it all happened spur of the moment: the tour was available, I could afford it, the kids wanted to go, and everyone could make it. In other words, the planets were aligned. We spent Easter week taking an all-inclusive tour with Japan Deluxe Tours, completely guided & BLD of the best Japanese food you can imagine. Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Hakone, & Mt. Fuji were all part of this intensive trip. The weather cooperated, the cherry blossoms began their annual show, and the last day we braved the Japanese rail system on our own (complete with ticket-buying & connections) to travel about 1-1/2 hours from Osaka to Omi Hachiman, my dad's home town. I had visited there in 1965, and not a lot had changed. We walked into town to the old historic section, and rode the tram to a great overlook of the town and Lake Biwa. Spent 15 minutes talking to a man on the train who could've easily been a distant relative, each of us trying out our limited linguistic skills on the other -- a true highlight! I hope Joe, Laurel, and Charlie enjoyed this as much as I did -- and I hope they know that just because they're adults now, I'll still invite them on family trips, and I hope they say YES! Lots more places still to see -- starting with Maui next month.

Passages

Haven't blogged in awhile -- one reason is because things are so busy at work since my boss passed away on Dec. 5th. Hard to imagine where all that energy goes when someone that dynamic is gone -- they say that energy is actually measurable, and that it's just a few ounces. But WHAT a few ounces it is!

I've always enjoyed working with older men: first my dad, then Hal Simpson @ Simpson's Nursery, and then George Jaber. It was hard to see him become so frustrated with his physical self when his mind was still so sharp. I regret I didn't hug him goodbye the last time I saw him, I don't regret the fact that not long ago I told him how much I enjoyed spending time with him, and I'll always cherish him telling me he wished he was 30 years younger so he could go on a hike with me!

Also passing in December was my old neighbor, Harvey Rydman, age 90. Harvey always had a twinkle in his eye, a spring in his step, and a project on the horizon, and never a mean thing to say about anyone. Can't do much better than that.

Then last week, Mike Malloy's father passed away, age 80. I didn't know him, but if he was anything like Mike, then I know I'd have liked him.

This all makes me realize anew how lucky my dad was to be working up to the moment he died -- as my cousin, Kay (now gone, too) told me, "If you could write your own ticket, that would be it." So true.