A Picnic At Lake Sonoma

Saturday November 28, 1992

Don't feel real good this morning, stomach feels crampy and pains everywhere. Gary and Maria and boys leave for San Francisco about 10 a.m. They'll camp out and head home tomorrow.

We take Donna and Bob and Leah to Lake Sonoma. Chris and Ric and Justin go too. Leah rides with them. Donna has it figured Leah and Justin should marry some day. They barely like each other now. We have a nice picnic at the lake.

Later Frank drives Donna and Bob to Costco. I take a nap.

Chris gave Gary and Maria and us our Christmas gifts this morning, little villages for Christmas decoration.

Donna and Bob leave for home about 4 p.m. Tearful goodbyes as usual.

Donna's granddaughter Leah was born May 22, 1981, just 5 days after Mom's grandson Justin was born on May 17. They never saw each other enough to actually become friends. Leah is still single, but Justin was married last year to his lovely wife Briana.

Lake Sonoma is just a 30 minute drive from our house in Windsor, and the drive through Dry Creek Valley to get to the dam is a stunningly beautiful drive through acres of vineyards and past dozens of wineries. The marina has a lovely picnic area right on the water's edge and that is where we had our picnic.

Derek's Christening Day

Friday November 27, 1992 "Derek's Christening Day"

Up early and ready before 10 a.m. to leave at 10:40 for the church. Donna, Bob and Leah are there when we arrive at 10:50. Ric's mom, Carmen, is there with some family. Derek looks so cute in his white suit and hat.

The priest gives them quite a lecture about being Catholic. Ric says he believes in Christ, though he told us he is atheist. Chris agrees to bring Derek up Catholic though she is Protestant. I am very upset. This seems so wrong to me. I thought about it all night.

Back at the house Chris puts out a lovely lunch. Gary and Maria as Derek's new godparents pass out favors with money in it. Maria is taking this christening very seriously.

Later at 7 p.m. Gary and Maria go out to buy pizza and salad for all of us. We play cards with Donna & Bob. They sleep in their motorhome. I feel good.

What a big weekend, first hosting Thanksgiving dinner, and then hosting a big party for Derek's christening. The photo above is again taken on our front porch with the party guests. In the front row from the left are Carmen's granddaughters Crystal and Sabrina, Donna's (Mom's best friend from Pollock Pines) granddaughter Leah, Ric's friend Scott's two boys Nash and Mason (Scott is the photographer). In the middle row from the left are Carmen's grandson Daniel, Carmen, Justin holding our dog Jessie, and Joe, holding our dog Chewy. In the last row standing from the left are Carmen's brother Armando and his wife Ligia, Mom's best friend Donna and her husband Bob, Frank, Mom, Maria, Junior, my brother Gary, me holding Derek, and Ric.

The christening ceremony was held at Carmen's insistence. She was raised Catholic and believed that Derek would go to purgatory if he was not baptized, so even though I was not Catholic and Ric did not even believe in God, we agreed to the christening to make her happy. Mom was right, this was so wrong. The priest knew that I was not Catholic, but he addressed Ric during the ceremony and lectured him that he must raise his son in the Catholic church. We never went to that church again. I started attending a Protestant church when our second son Ryan was born 3 years later and Derek and Ryan both attended youth group and church camp (in fact Ryan just left for snow camp today), but I put my foot down with Carmen on having Ryan baptized in the Catholic church. It was fraudulent to go through that ceremony with Derek. I believe baptism represents being reborn through putting our faith in Christ and that the decision to be baptized is a personal one to be made by the person being baptized when they are old enough to understand that decision. I accepted Jesus as my savior when I was 15 and was baptized at Van Nuys Baptist Church. When my boys are ready to make that very personal decision someday, they will do the same.

My Birthday #58

Tuesday May 26, 1992

My Birthday #58

Up at Donna & Bob's and ready to go by 9 a.m. but Bob is turning the rotors on our brakes so we leave for Tahoe about 10:30 a.m. When we get to Tahoe, we have a buffet breakfast. It's real good. Of course, we pig out. We wander through several casinos making a total contribution of $24 in 2 hours. We are back at Donna & Bob's about 6 p.m. Jennifer, Leah, & Ron come to dinner. After dinner comes the party hats, noise makers, ice cream, cookies, and gifts. What fun!

Leah has grown quite tall for 11 years. Jennifer looks great. Hard work agrees with her. I'm still feeling great! Thank you Lord!

Donna & Bob live in Pollock Pines, about an hour's drive east of Sacramento, and midway between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. I'm so glad Mom got to celebrate her birthday (her third time!) with her best friend Donna. Donna's granddaughter Leah was born just a week after Justin, on May 24, so the birthday celebration was undoubtedly for both Mom and Leah. Leah's mom Jennifer is a few years younger than I am, Donna's youngest of 3 children.

This birthday was to be Mom's last, so I'm glad she had a big celebration! I am 58 right now and because of that, I am acutely aware of how Mom died way too young. My 59th birthday is just a few weeks away, on April 9. When I reach that milestone I will have outlived my mother. In many ways, I feel like my life is just beginning, and I pray that God blesses me with many more years than my beautiful mother had. Mom did enjoy 12 years getting to know her only grandchild, my son Justin, but she never got to know my other two boys or Gary's twin sons, a sad loss for all of them.

Fireworks

Friday July 5, 1991

No skunk last night! We put all the trash and cans into the rubber boat and floated it between the big boats. It was so hot again at bedtime. Couldn't sleep. Some people far away were shooting fireworks. We worry alot about fire. The hills are all brown.

I ski only a short way. My back hurts too much. We ride to the marina in Ron's boat to call Frank's dad. He's doing fine from the surgery on Monday.

Bob gets hot when our neighbor beefs about our wake and we have an anxious moment trying to keep them from fighting.

Alika, Leah's dog is more fun! She swims with us in the water, catches frisbees, and fetches sticks. Only 8 months old and she's very smart and trained well.

It cools down a little for sleeping. I'm tired and ready to go home. So is everyone else.

After already battling a grass fire at the lake years before, the last thing mom wanted to do in this heat, was fight a fire, or even quickly break down camp and head back to the launch ramp. When you check in to the marina, there are huge signs that say Fireworks Forbidden, so we never did get to enjoy fireworks on the Fourth of July for years at the lake. After mom passed away our tradition of meeting at Lake Don Pedro faded away as did many other traditions. She was like the spoke of the wheel that kept the family together. After her passing everyone drifted apart. We do get to see fireworks now but our 2 younger boys never did get to camp at Lake Don Pedro in a tent. We are spoiled now camping in a big RV. It would be hard to go back to camping in the dirt with no shower, no running water, and a porta-potty. I give mom alot of credit for sleeping on the ground at her age, which is my age now, in spite of her sore back, aching muscles and sleepless nights in a pool of sweat. My idea of "camping" now is a king-size bed with a pillow top mattress, air conditioning, TV with DVD player, hot shower, electric refrigerator and propane stove. Oh and our campground has a swimming pool.

Bob's Retirement Party

Friday June 30, 1991

Up early again to get ready for Bob's retirement party at 12:00. Jettie (Donna's oldest daughter) arrives at 9 a.m. with Don from Lake Havasu. Cousin Shirley, Marc, Chris, Ric and Justin arrive.

Eventually about 35 folks are there to help eat the mountains of food Donna has prepared. Bob has a good time with all his friends. Tom, Jennifer's ex-husband is there. He seems so sad and depressed. Everyone else has a good time. Ron and Don cook the burgers and dogs and seem to have alot of fun. Justin has made 2 new friends. They have a great time running in the woods. They have found a great tree fort down the road.

Leah (Donna's granddaughter) spends the night. She and Justin sleep in bags in the living room. They talk for an hour until I go down and ask them to stop. I don't sleep well. It is too warm.

One of the things I remember about Mom was she was a people-watcher. When we would be in a restaurant or other social arena she would be eavesdropping on other conversations and studying the people. She was so interested in people. I'm sure not another person at that party noticed that someone was sad and depressed. I'm not sure why he was except that he was the ex-son-in-law, so he probably felt out-of-place. Donna's daughter Jennifer was there with her new husband Ron. The ex-husband was there alone.

Justin and Leah were 10 years old and born just 5 days apart. They had not seen each other for years so I'm sure they had lots of catching up to do. I do remember the house always being warm. Living in Pollock Pines at 4000 feet elevation meant that the electricity went out frequently every winter, so residents had wood-burning stoves for heat. That wood-burning stove really cranked out the heat.

A visit with Donna & Bob

Saturday June 29, 1991

Awoke at 6:30 sleeping on the air mattress at Donna & Bob's. Slept well. Backache is somewhat better today.

After breakfast we take a walk. The sky is partly cloudy. By afternoon it is mostly clear. We are in Placerville for coffee and yogurt with Donna and Bob, Mark & Yvonna and Heather. Heather is so cute at 18 months. A doll! Jennifer and Leah are with us too. Leah is crazy about Heather. They are so cute together.

Back at the house, we all have a nice dinner and relax til bedtime at 10:30.

Mom and Frank are spending the weekend with Donna and Bob at their home in Pollock Pines, just east of Placerville, California. Donna and Bob moved there from Southern California in 1980. It was hard for Mom to be separated by distance from her best friend. This weekend was Bob's retirement party. His son Mark and Mark's wife Yvonne are there, along with Mark and Yvonne's baby Heather. Jennifer is Donna's daughter from a previous marriage and Leah is Jennifer's daughter. Leah and my son Justin were born just 5 days apart.