Day 66: Travels and homes

We spent the afternoon with Gram today. She is back to her perky cute self, at least conversationally and mentally. Physically she is more stooped than I've ever seen her. But mentally, she is amazing. She and I chit chatted while JE drove to Boudin to pick up our order. Gram and I both love their butternut squash soup. I learned that Gram was born in Worcestershire, Mass by the same doctor who delivered my father--there was a war on, and all the young doctors were helping with that (who knew?). How many generations where born there? Quite a few.

All her life, my gram wanted to live in Southern California. Just as my father was graduating high school, Gramp was relocated here, so they packed up the family and headed west. Upon arrival, Gram bleached out her hair, only to return to her natural color for a quick trip to Massachusetts. Blondes definitely have more fun. The home that they bought when they first arrived in California is located on one of my bike routes. I pass by it all the time.

I didn't meet my Grands officially until I was 15 years old. Lisa (my older sister) and I flew into John Wayne airport and then took a shuttle to Escondido, where my grandparents owned a small avocado orchard. Gramp squeezed orange juice for us each morning. We watched slide shows of their travels to Africa, which admittedly, at 15 bored me to sleep (all I wanted to do was go to the beach--typical for 15). How interesting and fun to see those now! Instead, I hear the stories of Gram's international travels and the places she wishes she had gone. And I get to tell her about my adventures.

JE and I got home this evening and set up our Christmas tree. Each ornament on our tree has a clear and distinct memory of a place in the world we brought it home from, an experience we had together, or a person who gave it to us. Some of those people are no longer living, so those ornaments are especially precious.

Good news: My dad gets his hip replacement this Wednesday! He has been trying for years to loose weight and keep the infection out of his foot (exaserbated by diabetes). His hips are terrible--bone on bone in his joints. He finally will have some relief from that.

Bad news: no running for me today, though I did walk and got a wee bit of Yoga in. SO here is my plan for the week:

Monday: Get up and RUN! 5:55 am for about 30 minutes. Stretch and do some lunges, sit ups and squats. Ride to work--as long as it isn't terrible out. Deliver some Christmas cheer AKA baked goods. Start a dress for JE's fancy work party--all my formal-ish stuff hangs on me at the moment and making is easier for me than shopping--go figure-same amount of work, different energy-one creative, one destructive-I hate shopping.

Tuesday: Get up and work on dress in the morning. Ride to work-fast-training. Get home and go for a swim. Work on dress.

Wednesday: Same as Monday, except swear a lot while making cookies for a church function on Thursday that I can't even go to, but get them done anyway and wonder why I didn't just pass them off to some one else. Work on dress.

Thursday: Hopefully dress will be magically done (can I hire those darn shoemaker's elves?) and the cookies delivered, so I can ride to work in the morning. Leave work early to get ready for fancy party (when did I get my eyebrows done? and my pantyhose shopped?) After party tradition: head down to Laguna beach and walk on the sand in our formal wear. If it is still early enough, getting home (doubt it) go for a swim... And Blog about it!

Friday: Same as Monday, except now I need to get serious about all those people in my life I need to shop/make something for...

Saturday: Go for a nice looonnggg ride! I deserve it, Boy Howdy!

Looks like another week of eating out. I'll have to see what I can do.