Napa population 74,116.5

I added myself as .5 as part of me will be here when my body migrates back to Phoenix. I picked Bill up at the airport yesterday. As hard as it is to leave, I must pack up my electronics and clothes so we can be on the road in the morning. This is my last blog from Napa as the modem goes back to Comcast and my internet is cancelled today.

It has been a darn good run. I am so grateful to have had this summer, this house, and my family to support me. I am grateful to Paul, my boss for letting me work part time from out of town. See you Tuesday in the office!

Sunday with Linda and a good night for sleeping

Linda and I met in about 1964. We moved to a new high school when our dad began training horses at Turf Paradise. Linda had seen us at the track and said, you're with us. I guess we were a big click but didn't know it. There were the racetrackers and the town kids. That was it.

She has lived in the bay area since 1969 I think. She came up to Napa for my birthday and I went to her house in San Ramon for a family gathering yesterday. Her son and his wife have a 5 month old son and live in Australia. They are visiting, her sister, her x husband's x wife and her kids, grandkids, families. It was fun to see everyone.

Linda's brother in law Carl has a hot red 1952 pick up that he has restored and updated.

I have been so busy. I took this week off work and am getting ready to make a haul back to Phoenix and working 40 hours a week. And living with my own husband, so I'm thinking there will be some adjustments to be made.

The night will be cool. I sleep with the sliding door open a little and have to use the comforter. This fun will come to a screaching hault when I get to Phoenix. Having windows open won't happen until at least October.

Thirty crayon cases

In the beginning of June the first grade teacher sent out a request for volunteers for sewing projects. I offered to help, so Annie volunteered to make 30 crayon cases for first graders.

The teacher cut out rectangles of red corduroy and a pretty print. They had to be sewn together, turned, corners shaped, pressed, 16 pockets sewed, name tags and ties. We honestly must have sewn 40 hours between us. Although we tried to get another sewing machine, our mechanical luck was poor and we only had one that stitched well enough. It looked and sounds fairly easy, but the rectangles were not the same size, we had trouble marking, on and on, it was a lot bigger project that we thought.

When Tina was here we enlisted her for a few hours one day. Bottom line, they weren't done and the teacher wanted them last Friday. Annie called and requested an extension and her and I hauled our bottoms on Saturday finishing about 8:30 PM. Annie delivered them to the teacher on Sunday.

Tess started school today. She is at Kelly's until tomorrow afternoon. She talked to her mom and wanted to know if we didn't get the cases done. The teacher didn't give them the crayon cases. Other than that, Tess had a terrific first day of school.

There was a Rose Ceremony this morning in which the new eighth graders gave the first graders each a rose. I guess they bigger kids kind of help out with the littles. They all lined up on a stage, we clapped, and they were off to class.

Chloe was nervous as she changed schools to attend the program Tess does. Her phone report also was that she had a teriffic day.

Tina's visit

My friend Tina was here from Northern Arizona; Eagar, to be specific. She came last Saturday and we have had a great visit. Told each other stories about the old days that we probably heard twenty years ago but forgot.

Annie and her girls escorted us to San Francisco on Wednesday. We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge in the mist, parked too far from the pier. They moved the departure gate to Alcatraz from where it was in the past which gave us a nice long walk. But we had time for lunch at Pier 39 and hurried to pier 33 to catch our ferry. The weather was warmer than we expected on Alcatraz, we toured the cellblock and walked the steep paths of the island. If you haven't been there, or to San Francisco at all, don't leave the planet without making the trip. It is a beautiful city and the skyline from Alcatraz island is stunning.

Annie left us and took the car and kids to do some shopping. Tina and I got some t-shirts and waited about an hour to catch the Cable Car to Union Square. (This of course was after about an eight block walk not knowing for sure if we were going in the right direction.) Everyone on the waterfront was making the Cable Car trip, I think. When we did get loaded, we didn't have a seat. We both had killer feet, but we had to stand and hang on to a strap or a little pole which puts you right in the faces of anyone sitting down. It's sardinelike. The joy of the cable car is that it travels the amazing steep hills of the city and you have a beautiful view. Joyful, of course if you are sitting on the outside bench and can see. Sardines see little except other sardine's heads. When the car started down hill, I had to plant my feet, one forward and one back to keep from tipping over. After each stop, it started with a jolt making all the standing people sway and lose their footing. When your toes hurt and are sliding to the downhill side of your shoe, it diminishes the joy of the ride.

When we got off at Powell and Post streets, we walked across the street and called Annie. She said cross back, she was sitting on the curb in her car, we hopped in and were on our way. Quite good timing, I say.

Anyway, Tina had never been to San Francisco. You MUST do the Cable Car when you go, but I recommend not waiting until the end of the day. There are also bicycle rickshaws, fyi.

One day while Tina was here we took a ride to the beach at Bodega Bay. There were some surfers, and a lot of people using the beach. Not many folks go in the cold water here without a wet suit. We stopped to see the town of Bodega Bay which was having a big street party patio sale to raise money for their volunteer fire department. All so small town. There was a band playing and people drinking beer. We didn't see anything we wanted, but it was a kick to see it. Northern California is beautiful, not at all like the LA area.

Oops, I didn't finish the day I started. Tina left yesterday. It's about 60 miles to Sacramento and she was flying out at 10 AM. So to avoid getting up too early on Saturday, we went on Friday and got a room. I dropped her at the airport and was back in Napa by 9:45.

Contemplating retinas and mascara

I contemplate more living alone. Maybe I always contemplate, I just speak it. Anyway, I was putting on mascara and trying to remember how many days since I had done so. Then I remembered I can't see all that well. I thought of people who really can't see and how they must do their eye make-up, and I wondered if I walk around with noticeably gobby mascara. I was trying to put it on smoothly and remember what Oprah's make up guy said about doing the bottom lashes when I slipped and make a big black spot on the side of my nose. Now I am wondering about old people putting on make up. Not too good. Think about people with obviously dyed red and black hair, maybe they don't know it doesn't look so good not because they have bad taste; maybe it's bad vision.

Tess's day

Chloe spent the night with a friend and was not here with Grandma today. Tess came in time for lunch. She had raisin bread, cream cheese and honey sandwiches and a banana. She is not a huge eater. We had a gift certificate from a local book store. She wanted to see if they had a book by an author she has read, Mo Willems, she brought the book to show me. It's called Nuffle Bunny. Tess was looking for Nuffle Bunny, too. We found that and she was happy. Then we went to the swim club and she swam awhile. I watched. She can jump into the deep end and swim back now. She has become quite confident this summer. Her mom wanted to know if I was watching real closely, which I was. She got a thumbs up. I wasn't worried about the deep end. Apparently they are supposed to pass some test with the lifeguard before they go in the deep end. I didn't know that and I guess neither Tess nor the lifeguard knew either. The afternoon was cut short by the mysterious appearance of some poop in the pool. Ms lifeguard made everyone get out and called whoever. I guess she was closing up shop. We came home. Tess had a dechlorinization shampoo and then we read the new book twice.

I also had my granddog, Sid, who mostly stays outside, but she does like the house, the car, anywhere you are. If you look her in the eye for a moment , she lays on her back with her legs all spread out for you to pet her tummy. She is indiscriminate, she spreads out for strangers, any one who looks like they might pet her.

My childhood friend Janet tells me that her mom just got out of the hospital. She has been in maybe two weeks. They discovered a cancerous place in her colon, and removed a section and felt they got the whole problem. She came through the surgery fine, then got terribly sick to her stomach for several days. She is not able to eat and I guess is in pretty fine shape. We celebrated her 90th birthday last August in Phoenix. We were raised together in Wyoming, then they moved to Tucson. We were all in Arizona for several years, but Janet now lives in the LA area. So we are celebrating in our hearts that Hazel is doing better. I was pretty worried about her for several days.

You all know how sappy I am. I could go on and on about what a blessing this summer in this little house has been for me. But that says it, I think.

Commit random acts of kindness

I saw a bumper sticker with those word years ago and they stuck with me. Sometimes I try of slip in a random act of kindness when I see an opportunity. I must tell you this little story, then I will go watch the Olympics.

I went into a Chinese noodle restaurant the other day, alone. It was full, so I waited to sit at the bar. I was the only person of my race sitting there, and the ones right next to me did not have a handle on English. They kept trying to order and the bar tender kept asking for the menu number and they kept not getting it. It was a little amusing to me, then an African American woman sat down and I started a conversation. She was there alone too. I told her the next day was my birthday. She was very good at English. We had a pleasant chat. I put my debit card out to pay my tab, and she handed it back to me. She wanted to buy my dinner as an early birthday wish. I almost burst into tears. Random act of kindness!

Think about starting some of your own! They have a way of playing on. Bye.