I'm back and, oddly enough, we had a wonderful time. I'm not going to innumerate all we did--it's just too much, but it included
Dinner at Frank's our first night, Maureen and Francine and families bringing Mexican food, plus beer. Lots of kiddies running around, which was so nice.
Dinner at the Pasta Pelican, right on the water in Alameda, which instantly became one of my favorite restaurants. Stopped at Francine's afterward to see their very large house in Alameda. Francine is in the judicial system and had a conference in San Diego, so we had to say goodbye to her on Monday night.
Dinner at Maureen's with her terrific guy and their boy and girl. She had a truly lovely house, built I'd say in about 1890, enormously high ceilings, beautiful parquet floors, and original oriental art on the walls. They surprised me with a cake for dessert with "Happy 81st, Mimi" on it--and it was absolutely delish. Sang Happy Birthday and I was so touched.
Went to see Marybeth in Mercy Center Memory Care and had lunch there. I thought she was gaga, but everybody else remarked on how "good" she was that day. Oh, well...
Went to San Francisco on the ferry on Tuesday, took a cable car, ate lunch in Chinatown, called Uber to get back to the ferry, then dinner at Maureen's, as above.
I stayed with Frank, Ellen at Francine's (Maureen's is in Oakland, farther away), but we were together most of the day every day.
It was so great to have Ellen there. She ferried us here and there, using her phone person directions, and we covered a lot of ground. I greatly enjoyed spending time with her, too.
We left about 9am yesterday and stopped for lunch at the Apple Farm (a hotel and restaurant) in San Luis Obispo. Brother Jim called and my friend Nancy and others. Got home about 5:00, stopped to tell Suzanne I was back, and stayed to chat with her.
We had great fun most of the time. We sat and talked about out childhoods and so on each evening when it was just the two of us. But my brother wasn't there. A very nice elderly man had taken his place and I miss Frank so much.
5 comments:
Hey, there birthday girl....glad you had a good trip. Happy Birthday!
The last two sentences of today's post say it perfectly. It's painful to grieve while the person is in front of us. Maybe it's a gentler way of saying goodbye. I don't know, but it still hurts. Being able to share those childhood memories was so important. He knows how much you love him and that's the best medicine you can take....knowing he felt your love.
Thank you, Pat. I know you understand what it is to lose a beloved brother, either through what I mentioned here or ultimately, death. Had either--or both--of your brothers been memory-impaired before they died? I just don't remember that. BTW, I mentioned your brother Jim to Frank--I think that was the one near his age--and he said he remembered him.
Yes, Rosemary, my brother Jim and Frank both graduated HSHS together. My brother Frank (St. James with your brother JIm) did have some mental problems the last six months of his life....more than likely due to his medications and ongoing vascular problems. Jim died of an unknown primary cancer which metastasized to his lungs. He was the runner....ate healthy....very active and out of the blue...cancer. Brother Frank had ongoing vascular problems....we were not surprised by his death. The loss of my brother Jim was much harder. I'm so glad you got to spend time with your Frank.
That should read my brother Jim and your brother Frank graduated HSHS.
Thanks for writing as you did, Pat. It helps a little to know others understand.
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