TUESDAY: JIM, PLUS THE TIME IN ENCINITAS

Yesterday, Tuesday, I went to Oxnard to visit Jim. He's in Granny's Care Home and there are only six residents. He was clean and neat, although still, of course, terribly thin. He seemed glad to see me and we chatted for about a half hour. Unfortunately, he was in a wheel chair and said he no longer walks.  It's run by the owners, Victor and Celeste--I think it's a franchise--and they were very nice. I asked if I could see the place and Victor gave me a little tour. You wouldn't think it was a care facility from the outside; it looks simply like a modest, middle-class home and I like that for Jim. When I saw his room, I liked it even more. It's very small--maybe was meant to be the nursery--but nice and homey with a flowered quilt on the bed and a white bureau. Victor mentioned Jim's fragility, but thinks he's dong fairly well. I agree, although Jim seems even more vague than he had. 

Home and went to Von's after lunch. Phone rang later and it was a man who said he was looking for Jim. I told him to identify himself and he said he was Roy S., a former student of Jim's years ago. Now I remember Jim mentioning him and saying they were friends. I told Roy where Jim was, said I had just seen him, and gave him the information about Granny's care. He gave me his number and I'll talk to him soon. 

After dinner, my upstairs neighbor, Leah, came down to give me some banana pudding she had made and had texted me about (it was delish and yes, I know it should be "about which she had texted me," but I don't care!).  She came in for a bit and we chatted. Leah is from Pittsburgh, just turned 33, and is a pathologist assistant (not sure of the title) with the county coroner's office--she actually helps in carving people up. She regaled me with some stories--harrowing, but hilarious. 

Today, it's off to Santa Barbara to see Betty, then lunch with Carolyn. 

 👈👈👈👈👈👉👉👉👉👉

SALLY TURNS NINETY

I just don't have the time or mental energy to tell about my time away in close detail, so I'll simply post a few pictures and sketch things out. Here are Sally and her family: five of her six children, her soon-to-be grandson in-law, Cooper, and Tigger, Ani's bow-wow: 

Directly below are Sally's grandsons, Chandler and Tristan, both terrifically engaging young men. Chandler is a meteorologist and Tristan a chef. Chandler was born female, but transitioned several years ago, which was clearly the right thing to do. 

Under them is Cooper, granddaughter Kendra fiancée. They will be married first in Switzerland, where her mother and other grandparents are, then in this country. Cooper doesn't look 90, does he?

Below are Ani, Sally, and Ani's dad, Ray, all acting silly after cutting the birthday cake. It's cheesecake, as Sally had requested.

The foyer is much larger and more impressive than the picture shows:

Ray makes stunningly beautiful and true-to-life model ships; this is just one of them:

Two of Sally's daughter with a picture of Sally and her first husband, Jim Nash, who was killed in an accident when Sal was pregnant with their second child. With her second husband, Ron, she had four more. 

Maybe more tomorrow.