Cool Blue and the Sacred Trust

Sometimes in search of the sun, we will put a low bid on Priceline and succeed on getting a 3 star hotel with a pool for $50 in San Jose, for the night. This pool was great, big, warm enough- and just what we wanted. Fog I love your horns and how you crawl up a hill but glad to leave you, for a day. For D & especially O, a place like New York was acceptable once we could sell him on going somewhere where we had no access to a pool- or New Orleans, with a promise of some pool time daily.

Oliver is also taken to playing catch continously -anywhere, anytime. Both are getting ready to play baseball, sometime, somewhere- although Dexter's interests are becoming more diverse. Maria is wanting Oliver to venture away from the inflattables and learn some swimming skills. He needs more convincing. Dext is more confident in the pool and leads the family in cannonball splashes. Dexter has about 100, I'm up to zero. If I can stroll into the cool blue within 10 minutes, that's good for me.

Recently, Dad allowed himself to be taken to dinner by a group of my Mom's great circle of friends- some that Mom had relationships with for sixty years. It's a bit of a chore to figure the logistics and to get Dad willing to go. However once he's sitting within this loving crowd, my strong man of a Dad becomes emotional and touched by how they wish to be in his company and at the same time, honor my mother and their friend. In conversation around the circular table of immense servings of food, it was a pleasure just to sit with these people, friends and caretakers.

Aunt Blossom who spoke of the first road trip she and my mom took after turning 20 to Los Angeles, staying at a hotel they both were scared to enter the room, and for good reason. It was a hotel for gangsters and their prostitutes. At least the rates were reasonable. At our recent dinner, Blossom's daughter Maggie was there- always a conversationalist speaking about her mother and her recent trip to Egypt. When I was growing up along with my first cousins Judy, Jadey and Doreen, Maggie and her sister Priscilla- I never lacked female role models as friends and equals.

Aunt Helen, vibrant, independent and riding Bart several times a week to get where she needs to. When Uncle Pete was around, I would remember a friendly big guy (he was the muscle man of the family) of quiet, gentle humor. Aunt Helen's sister, Aunt Florence is also my conncection to my relative, Tom Hanks. Aunty Bess who with Uncle Dan always checked in with how I was, had a eatery of some type downtown SF for a time. Aunt May Fong who in later years spent a lot of time with my mom. It finished with let's do this again. Sooner than later. Tonight they gave Dad, life.