Day trippin'

We did a one day, round-trip blitz to the San Francisco Bay Area on Tuesday. My husband is gone on his annual trek to Washington, D.C. (more on that later) and we are off from school for the week. It was a rainy day, and a long drive, but we had an absolute blast. Mom wanted to go for a visit with a dear friend who is recently widowed. Her husband was Mom's boss for many years, and Mom is an important part of the family. He was a remarkable man and has left a huge gap. Mom is a great listener, a hard worker and a very funny person, so she is just who you want to have around when you need to do the emotional and physical work of grief. It was a blessed time for both of them. The property where this woman lives is a bit of country in the midst of suburban peninsula living. They've been there since 1962, and the majestic oaks, blooming wisteria, signs of deer life, and the seedlings for their son's organic produce (an article about Craig Murray here) were all irresistible to us. This is the oak in their circular driveway:





and this is the front walkway:




The wisteria was of special interest to us as we have one that simply does not bloom. I was glad to see what the blooms would look like should ours ever decide to be a functioning wisteria (I'm not holding my breath.)


Waiting for Latte Mama


We then headed south to my dearest friend in the entire world. But first: a stop at the cafe. I sleep terribly when my husband is gone, and we had set a 6:00 a.m. departure for our whirlwind tour, so I was already getting the sleepies at 10:30. None of the usual decaf. option on Tuesday; it was a triple-shot latte kind of day. That one mug kept my wings flapping for the entire day. Oh, the joy of caffeination.

Our time with friend Stacy and her crew of five children was bittersweet. We hadn't been together as families for too long, and the children enjoyed the pleasure of getting reacquainted with friends who are like extended family. Stacy and I curled up on the couch to try and catch up. Over the last two years, we have been unable to have annual visits for our families (we usually go away for a weekend each summer) because Stacy's dad's health has been failing. He passed away this winter, after a long battle with lung disease, so the grieving has only just begun. I was so glad to be there and to listen. Stacy is the most loyal kind of friend; I refer to her as the president of my fan club, and my life is much richer because of her commitment to me. Our few hours together were over in a blink.




Our next stop was the Palo Alto Goodwill. Passing on the love of thrifting to my children has been such fun, and I was amazed at the treasures each discovered. Suit jackets, pottery, linen shirts, twirly skirts, and a rocket launcher are examples of the loot we plundered. This bowl was the source of serious negotiations. My youngest daughter found it, but Mom and I both tried to talk her out of it. Not a chance.




Our final destination was The Stanford Barn with my mom's cousin. She is a close friend to our family, and we usually only see her in Oregon during our summer vacation. But this year she moved her California residence to a retirement center near her college alma mater, Stanford, and we have been down twice now to help her settle in. Dinner was a little fancy (not the kind of practice I can provide for my children on my budget) and our quick visit was filled with anticipation of our summer vacation together. I would never be able to justify 50K a year to send a child to Stanford, but it sure is a gorgeous campus. All the rains in California have only made the greens deeper, and the contrasting brick made the perfect canvas to display it.

But, as always, it was heavenly to pull in our own humble driveway at 10:00 p.m. I love the Bay Area, I love the hustle and bustle of a more urban environment. I enjoy a fix once or twice a year, as I spent the first twenty-eight years of my life there, and it still feels like a familiar and happy place to me. Oh, but it's good to be home again.