Belated Mother's Day in Anderson California

I celebrated a belated Mother's Day with my 'other mother' Mom today. Judy Bland has been my only Mom since my mother passed away almost 21 years ago. Today I drove down to Anderson California, where she lives, and spent the day with her. As always I throughly enjoyed being with her. We are both Virgo's and naturally move through our day in very compatible ways!

After a beautifully sunny 2.5 hour drive down Hwy 97 and I-5 I got to sit and chat with Mom for a couple of hours before we went to Vittles and had our favorite lunch.... patty melts. From there we went to the nursery and picked out a pink clematis which I'd promised her when Aunt Margo died. I didn't send flowers for the funeral... I prefer giving a plant to my loved ones that can grow and be a memorial of the one that has passed on to the next phase of existence. We also got her Mother's Day gift... a hairy looking grass to plant in a very unique pot Friend John gave her. I'll have to get a picture of it and post it for anyone to be able to understand how that works together! Of course we looked at every plant in the nursery while we were there!

I only got to see Teri for a couple of minutes as she was dashing off to Farmington to visit with her daughter, Ryan, for the weekend but we exchanged ideas for travel arrangements to Brett's upcoming wedding in Utah and their plans to visit me at Quinn River Campground later in June.

Thank goodness for longer days! I made it back to Klamath Falls shortly after 8 pm and it was still light! The drive was extra-ordinary for me for some reason. I noticed several landmarks I'd never seen before although I've traveled that stretch of highway for 30 years now and colors just seemed especially vivid.

Maybe it was just that I had such a happy heart. I love Mom and it was good to see her in such good health and happy. There has been a great deal of sadness and worry for her lately but she is still able to enjoy a good day. Maybe I learned that from her. She certainly has been a model of stability in my life! Thank you God for all our mothers.

MOTHERS DAY 2010

Is the first one in ten years that I've spent with Brett!

He was laying in bed and told Maya he was going to call me like he has for the last 7 years that he has been overseas and then he remembered I was in the next bedroom!

So I got this lovely bouquet of roses instead! (At least partially because Maya said a phone call just would not do!)

Jack took all of us to a delicious Mother's Day Buffet brunch at Nibleys on the Green where we all ate until we were uncomfortably stuffed. The restaurant gave Maya and I each a long stemmed rose - I'm the retired Momma and she is the Momma-to-be.

Jack snapped this picture of us as we were leaving the buffet.

Once we got home I recieved calls from my other two sons wishing me a happy mothers day so my day was complete!

And then it was time for Brett and Maya to pack up their SUV for the next leg of their journey. Today it was only to Grants Pass to spend the night with friends of Brett's and then they are heading over the Coastal Mountains to hook up with Hwy 101 in Crescent City, California and go along the Pacific coast line to San Francisco.

The car top carrier and back of the vehicle were packed with the essentials and camping gear as the two will be camping in Zion for a week before Jack and I get there and two weeks before the wedding.

Brett and Maya had a week of bonding with Shiloh and Jacup so saying farewell included them as well as Jack and I! Maya is a dog lover too - which is almost an absolute requirement for anyone staying in our house for any period of time. Shiloh loved snuggling up to Maya on the couch and listening to the baby's heart beat anytime she could. Jacup warmed up to them after a few days. He is something of a one person dog - I'm his person. He tends to ignore all others and be a bit stand offish.

So now the house is back to just Jack and I. Seems rather empty.

All the projects are done and the containers stacked in the garage - waiting to go in the travel trailer after I've put all our stuff in for the trip.

My momment of feeling at loose ends came quickly to an end as 6 o'clock approached and I went to tell my story as a guest speaker at one of the local recovery treatment centers.

My life is full. I am fortunate to have family and community connections that give me a feeling of purpose and usefulness. Even with the unknowns around Dad's health, the pressures of the upcoming trip and wedding I get to ENJOY today. Life is good.

What have I been doing with my time?

Brett and Maya arrived in their sleek new-to-them ride on April 30th and the days since then have flown by.

Friday night we had a pazole dinner party with friends that doubled as a cupcake taste testing. The vegan chocolate cupcakes passed muster without any changes. Everyone was surprized that the favored mocha almond cupcakes were sugar and gluten free so they are a go - with modifications. It was decided to forgo the almonds and increase the coffee flavor. Brett has a sensitivity to nuts! I didn't know that! The angel food cupcakes were the worst. They were dry. Krista contacted a real baker (her ex-sister-in-law) for some tips on making a moister angel food cake.

Saturday we were off with my hiking group to the Rim Trail above Moore Park. It was only an hour and a half walk but everyone enjoyed it. Brett and Maya got to streach their legs after days of traveling. Then we set to the numerous wedding preparation projects!

Sunday we took in the caves at Lava Lands National Park in California. It was only an hour drive and the two caves we went through were terrific. Mushpot Cave was lit and and interpretive signs but Golden Dome Cave was not. I felt like a true spulunker! The visitor center supplied us with high powered lanterns which were a must as the floor was uneven and there was absolutally no light coming from outside. I think I'll take my bicycle helmet next time too. The ceiling were really low in some places. There are many more caves yet to explore but we wanted to take in Captain Jack's Stronghold also so we limited ourselves to two.

Among the wedding projects I packaged up the wonderful homemade jam's my sister Diane sent to be given to the international guests. Maya and Brett have hand picked the special guests to receive the blackberry, blueberry, triple berry and pear mix sweets!

And for those who wondered if Hogback Mountain was something out of Harry Potter.... here is a picture of the real Hogback Mountain that several friends and I climbed several weekends ago! The Lone Pine on the top of the mountain was our goal. Now every time we look up we can say, " I touched that tree- I own that mountain!"

Today is go through the camping gear day. Brett and Maya will be in Zion before anyone else and are going to be camping until it is time to take over the houses at Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort.

Jack is busy preparing the truck and our new-to-us travel trailer for our trip to Zion more towards the end of the month.

The wedding is quickly approaching and excitement levels rising! Emails are flying through the ether!