A full day, and a good one. I caught the 9:43 bus to Santa Barbara and walked the shore distance to the transit center. Asked which buses went to Alamar Street (the 6 and the 11), boarded the 11, and got off very close to Villa Alamar.
The place no longer requires visitors to fill out a long form, then don an institutional mask and a face shield. They do ask that you fill out a form, listing your vaccinations. When I got in, Betty was in what's called "the living room," witnessing a kind of informal show by a man who was from SB Human Services. During a lull, I asked her if she knew who I was. "Yes, my sister," she said, and when I asked if she knew my name, she immediately said, "Rosemary." I found this heartening, although I know it's subject to change.
After the program, I walked to the lunchroom with her, then waited on the patio. Niece Carolyn came soon after and the three of us went to Betty's room to chat. I had brought her a little Valentine gift, which she enjoyed--I think. We stayed an hour or so, then said goodbye.
Carolyn and I went to lunch and were joined by Carolyn's son, Finn. Had a good time talking. Finn, who will be 21 next month, asked me how I got into acting, as he's interested in it himself. I encouraged him to pursue it--men are at a big advantage because it so heavily attracts women--and gave him a few pointers. After, we went to Carolyn's and I admired her newly done décor. She got out Aunt Maggie's sewing cabinet, which she's giving me, and I was pleased to see how small it is. It will fit nicely in the hall after I remove the small bookcase I have there now. Not sure what I'll do with that, if anything.
Carolyn then drove me home, came in to visit, and we had a long, long talk, mostly about family matters having to do with our large, complicated, and sometimes troubled clan. That was so satisfying. Carolyn left about 5:30, I had dinner, then my cousin Sally's son, Duane, Messaged me, and we went back and forth about arranging a visit with Betty, Frank, and me. Finally, I called him and we had a 45-minute conversation.
Duane is a software engineer--he went to UCSB, as Mike and Paula did--and has been with Apple for twenty-some years. He lives in San Diego near his mother, my cousin, whom he wants to bring to see Frank in Oakland, then Betty and me. He'll be bringing his sister, Theresa, and his girlfriend, Anita (he's divorced and has two daughters, Kendra and Jasmine). Anyway, he's thinking March, which is fine by me.
The squeegee for the sliding glass door came (overnight!) and now I need some kind of bucket it will fit in. Okay, I just ordered it from Amazon, too, and it should arrive on Saturday. Also received the two COVID tests the gov is sending out. Don't know if I'll ever have to use them.
California had degreed that, starting yesterday, masks were no longer mandatory in indoor places, with some exceptions. However, I didn't notice much of a difference anywhere and, they're still required on buses, both local and inter-city.
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