Nicest thing to ask someone is...

"How was your trip?"

If you asked me, I would tell you all about it. My long time friend Anna, who is also alone, invited me to go with her to Solvang, CA for a week at her Time Share. She had never been there before, and Bob and I had been there many times. The trip coincided with the weekend of MY 60th High School Class Reunion, in Playa del Rey, CA. So, I invited her to go with me to that, and we would do some sight-seeing around L.A., and maybe even visit some of my family down there.

A gracious invitation came from my friend Letty, to stay at her house if I was coming to the class reunion. Letty and I go all the way back to 2nd grade, at Machado Grammar School, on the same campus as Venice High School where we graduated (her, #1 in academic standing, Bob #2 and me #34) in 1946. She graciously invited both Anna and me. We found her house, a mansion really, in Bell Canyon, by dark that Friday. She was out for the evening, but told us to make ourselves at home. That was not difficult.

Here's Anna in one of Letty's guest rooms

On Saturday morning, Letty fixed us a scrumptious breakfast, then drove us to the reunion. Anna became my willing photographer. It was so much fun recognizing guys and gals some of whom I haven't seen in 55 or 60 years. All of them knew Bob, so each had a word of kindness and sympathy for my loss, and a hug. This reunion was more about "surviving" than about what we had accomplished in our lifetimes. We were just grateful to be there. The reunion committee did a great job of planning. The catered food was excellent, there was plenty of time to talk and share photos of the old days at Venice High, and to renew friendships. There was a moment of silence and prayer as we remembered those who had already died. At least 14 of us were there, out of a class of only 87, the first class to graduate at the end of World War 2.

Front row: Doris (Oden), Letty (Derus), Gloria (Davis), Rosemary (Rosenhouse), Sophie Marcus, Margie (Larson), Marvin Rubin, Lyla (Trump) and Shirley Stayton.

Back row: Shirley (Young), Don Pierce, Gordon Williamson, Dan Skidmore and Don Desfor.

On Sunday, Letty took us to visit The Getty art museum in L.A. What a thrill to see paintings done in the 13th and 15th centuries. It's a wonderful place. Beautiful architecture and grounds.

Later she took us to downtown L.A. to see the new Disney Concert Hall. She doesn't have a high regard for the design... she likens it to a plane crash!

Disney Concert Hall

In the evening, we invited ourselves to attend Mass with her, where we heard really wonderful 4-part music and listened to the Word of God.

In the morning, Letty again fixed us a huge breakfast, and then sent us on our way to our next adventure. We stopped in Simi Valley to visit the Ronald Reagan Museum and Library and spent a wonderful 4 or 5 hours there. The biggest surprise to us was to discover that the Presidential plane, Air Force One, is housed there in a grand new addition to the buildings, built since Bob and I visited there just a few years ago.

We got to go on board. What stories of international importance could be told by those walls?

We arrived in Solvang at the Time Share on time, but that's another whole BLOG.

Scattered...

In July this year, I invited my nearly 90 year old sister in law, Charlotte, to drive to Oregon with me, for my granddaughter Annie's wedding. We drove up the coast of California, stopping for a picnic near the "Drive Thru" Redwood tree, and a rest stop at the Ben Bow Inn where Bob and I always had our picnics. Wonderful memories for me.

Then, on through the Avenue of the Giants, cool, shady, quiet forest of Redwoods for miles and miles. We stopped near a large marker, "BOLLING GROVE" and a sign that pointed toward "Eel River...13 miles." There were three huge Redwoods in a semi-circle near the road, with lovely ferns growing all around. There, I scattered Bob's ashes, as we had cheerfully decided years and years ago. Now, all you who pass by... please remember the good times!

Charlotte had already gone through this experience, so was a great comforter. We traveled on, making it all the way to Eugene, Oregon the next day where we celebrated 4th of July with my sister Rachel and Wil and their son Paul and his son Will, who would be coming to the wedding.

Another day, we had a reunion kind of lunch including my sisters Rachel and Mary.

The wedding was a delight as you can imagine, beginning with my son John playing the piano beautifully, the wedding party coming down the aisle to Rachmaninoff's 18th variation on a theme from Pagonini... or the theme from the movie "Somewhere in Time." Dan brought his darling daughter Annie down the aisle to the theme from "Anne of Green Gables." All my children were gathered there, Janice, the mother of the bride, Joanne and Scott came from Colorado Springs, David and Teresa came from Carlsbad, and my heart was full. My brother Paul and Mae came all the way from Hacienda Heights. The only ones missing were my brother Andy and Jeannette.

Matt and Annie Beghtel

Charlotte and I stayed for a week full of fun, and sight-seeing trips with Jan and Dan. Terrific hosts, and wonderful cooks. We came back home via the coast again, as the weather had turned to record heat inland. I wondered what it would feel like, passing by the spot where I'd scattered Bob's ashes...

But he was NOT there.