Strater Hotel Vaudeville Show

Wednesday July 29, 2012

Lazy morning, feels good. Up at 8 a.m. Ready to leave at 11 a.m. Feeling OK. Took Tylenol for aches and pains.

We go sightseeing and about 4 p.m. we change and head out for Durango where we have dinner at Randy's, a very nice restaurant. Then we meet our friends at the Strater Hotel, where we see a melodrama and vaudeville show. It's great. Alot of talented young people.

We get back to our condo about 12:30 a.m.

The Strater Hotel is located in a historic Victorian building and is celebrating its 125th birthday this year. The vaudeville theater has been performing for 50 years. Sounds like great fun!

Durango-Silvergon Narrow Gauge Railroad

Tuesday July 28, 1992

Up at 5:30 a.m. to leave at 6:30 for Durango. We arrive at 7:40 and board the Silverton Narrow Gauge train for a 3-1/2 hour ride to Silverton, Colorado, an old mining town. Our square dance friends are on the train with us. It's a long and beautiful ride through the mountains and canyons along a beautiful raging river "Animus."

When we arrive we split up in couples. Frank and I have a nice lunch and wander around town buying a few items. We return to Durango via a bus. We go by Purgatory where we skied about 12 years ago. Back in Durango we wander the town and have a great Mexican dinner, then return to our condo in Pagosa Springs. I am very tired physically. My feet really ache. I guess the arthritis has spread to my feet.

This is the ski trail map for Purgatory Ski Resort in Colorado. Mom and Frank enjoyed many years of skiing together at various resorts all over the country. In 1986 I even went with them to ski in Innsbruck, Austria. Those last few years of her life, even before she got cancer, she had to give it up because of arthritis in her knees. My husband and I had to give it up last year as well. He also has knee problems. Mom and I learned to ski together in a dry-land skiing class in 1974. That's where she met Frank. I liked him right away and encouraged her to date him. She had been single for two years by then. I was 21 and she was 40.

I'm not sure what kind of pain Mom is having here in her feet. She is probably at her heaviest at this time, so it is possible she had plantar faciitis in her arches. When I was 40 pounds heavier, I had that.

Pagosa Springs

Monday July 27, 1992

We sleep in and have a lazy morning. About 11 a.m. we head out to see our Fairfield resort and then on to Pagosa Springs. It's a quaint little town. It's main claim to fame is the mineral springs. The Indians called it healing waters. I think we will go into the waters one day this week. It can't hurt. It may help my arthritis.

We have a nice lunch in the Rolling Pin Bakery. There is a lovely river flowing through town. It clouds up and rains late in the afternoon for 15 minutes. We have a lovely dinner at the Greenhouse Restaurant near here. What a view!

Back at the condo we watch TV and I go to bed about 9:45-10 p.m.

Pagosa Springs is a very small town of approximately 1600 residents and is located in southern Colorado, surrounded by 3 million acres of national forest, and with beautiful views of the San Juan Mountains. It sits at an altitude of 7000 feet so they get plenty of snow in the winter, but surprisingly also get 300 days of sunshine. Ric and I never did try the "healing waters" but used Pagosa Springs as our home base to explore the area.

Fairfield Pagosa Springs

Sunday July 26, 1992

Up at 5:30 for a 7 a.m. breakfast with our friends. At 8 a.m. we board a tour bus. We have a great tour guide "Cynthia". We tour the Indian ruins of Mesa Verde. There are many many ruins. There is a hike down to enter some old ruins. I decide it would be too much for me coming back up, so I stay in the lookout. I have an excellent view. We visit the museum.

By 3:00 we have had lunch and are on our way. We arrive in Durango about 5 p.m. We follow our friends to their dude ranch. It looks interesting. We then go on to our Fairfield condo in Pagosa Springs. It's really lovely, like new in Southwestern style. Large living room, dining room, large bedroom and a jacuzzi room. We have a nice dinner at the lodge after orientation.

I have alot of funny heartbeats on the drive today.

Oh my gosh, so far they are visiting the same places Ric and I toured in June 2011. Not only that, but they are staying in the same resort, formerly known as Fairfield Pagosa Springs, now known as Wyndham Pagosa Springs, pictured above. The condo she is describing is exactly like the one where we stayed, right down to the separate room with huge jacuzzi tub.

I didn't realize until now that the friends they met in Laughlin are driving with them to Colorado. It's probably a group of friends from their square dancing club who rented a tour bus and guide to see Mesa Verde. Almost all the trails to the ruins are down a steep path from the plateau to the cliff dwellings in the natural caves. Too bad Mom wasn't feeling up to the hike.

Mesa Verde National Park

Saturday July 25, 1992

Up at 5:30 to meet our friends at 7 a.m. for breakfast. By 8:30 we're on our way to Mesa Verde National Park. It's a long drive. We have lunch in Flagstaff at a mall. We finally arrive in Mesa Verde about 6 p.m. We are staying at the only lodge in Mesa Verde. It's expensive $89/night, but a beautiful view.

On the way to Mesa Verde we stopped at Four Corners. It's where four states come together. We bought tee shirts. I sleep off and on in the car, but feel pretty good.

At Mesa Verde we have a lovely dinner in the lodge and then off to bed.

The only accommodations in the National Park are at Far View Lodge. I checked their rates for a standard room midweek and they currently charge $129/night. That's not too bad.

Ancestral Pueblo people made Mesa Verde (Spanish for Green Table) their home for over 700 years, from A.D. 600 to 1300. Today the park protects nearly 5,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States. Ric and I were there just last year.

Four Corners is the point where Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah meet.

Laughlin, NV

Friday July 24, 1992

We're up at 7 a.m. and by 10:30 we're on our way to Laughlin, NV. We have lunch early in Acton. It's really hot when we arrive in Laughlin about 4:30. We rest in our room for a while. Then we go down to gamble and wait for our square dance friends, Dick & Gayle, Larry & Pam, and Leah & Jim. they finally arrive about 7 p.m.

We all go to dinner at the buffet where we're staying at the Flamingo Hilton. It's just OK. Afterward we go to Colorado Belle to gamble awhile. We go to bed about 10:30-11 p.m.

Laughlin is located on the Colorado River just below Davis Dam and Lake Mojave. Because the water is coming from the bottom of the lake, it is freezing cold and not an option for cooling off from the 120 degree temperatures common in the Mojave Desert. I have only been there one time, and I remember it burned my feet right through the soles of my tennis shoes to walk across the parking lot of the casino. Also it hurt my lungs to take a breath.

We Leave For Colorado Tomorrow

Thursday July 23, 1992

Awake at 7:45. Up and at 'em! Feeling good except alot of pain from arthritis in my wrist, right shoulder and right hip and back.

After breakfast I get cleaned up and pack my clothes to take to Colorado tomorrow. Frank brings me a Cupid's hot dog for lunch.

I call Chris. She is feeling much better from her C-section. Derek is nursing much better now. His diaper rash has cleared up.

I called Joan. She has good news: her tumor is shrinking. Thank you Lord!

Mom and Frank have only been home for two days and are already leaving on another trip. What happened to "Home At Last?" It seems like she is trying to cram a lifetime of adventures into a few years. My Aunt Cathy told me one time that Mom's side of the family has the wanderlust gene, having Scandinavian blood. She and her brother my Uncle Gene both love to travel, experience adventures, and live life with gusto. I just came across this photo of them together toay. It was taken in October 1990.

Library Books

Wednesday July 22, 1992

A fairly uneventful day, I'm still feeling quite good except for my backache. I'm still doing things to get ready to leave again. Frank helps give me a perm and I give him one. At 2:30 I go pick up Joe and Junior and take them with me to get the car washed and then we go to the library. The boys pick out books and check them out on my card.

Joseph reads aloud to me. He is a slow reader who does not comprehend what he reads, he says. He needs alot of help to bring him up to speed with his reading ability. It's real important especially as he is beginning Junior High this year. I want to help and have spoken to Gary and Maria and they understand how important it is also and will be working with Joe also.

I just read an article in yesterday's Sunday paper about the importance of having good reading ability by third grade. It said that up until third grade, students are learning to read, and after third grade, they are reading to learn. My son Derek struggled with reading comprehension so we enrolled him Sylvan Learning Center for about a year or so and that really helped bring him up to his grade level, which at the time was 5th grade. He still doesn't like to read, but is carrying a B average after 2 years of college.

Oh Thank God We're Home At Last!

Tuesday July 21, 1992

Home at last, home at last, Oh, thank God, we're home at last! Our bed felt soooo good last night. I really handled our 8 days away from home quite well, normal. But it's always good to get home. I spend most of the day doing the huge wash and changing linens and beds. At 12:00 I have my nails done. I cry when I tell Carrie-Lynn that I told Frank when I'm gone I want Gary to have the boat with the understanding that he invite Frank along sometimes. Frank said he knew that's what I wanted and he agreed. Sometimes I think I won't be around too many more years. Most of the time I believe I will be cured of my cancer.

We go out for Chinese dinner.



Mom is a real trooper, willing to sleep on the ground in the heat and the wind, willing to go without a shower for days and use a porta-potty up the hill from their campsite. I grew up camping with my family in the dirt, but a couple of years before this Ric and I had acquired our first truck and camper to pull our new (to us) boat, a 1986 Beachcraft which Ric finally hauled off to the dump just last month. From that time on we were spoiled and rarely sleep on the ground now. A few years later we bought our first motorhome and have bought newer and bigger ones since then. Then in 2003 we bought our first timeshare and now most of our vacationing is in nice condos with hot and cold running water and electricity. We still use our 1995 Rockwood motorhome sometimes where we keep it stored in a campground near Morgan Hill, south of San Jose, CA.

Mom has started to think about her death now, and planning what to do with her assets. Her Kona ski boat with 140 hp Mercury outboard motor was purchased new with my dad in 1971. Dad always kept it garaged and well-maintained, so it was in good shape. My brother Gary did inherit the boat, pictured above with my son Justin and his son Joe seated in the back, but I don't think he uses it much. As for going to Lake Don Pedro, this was Mom's last trip there, and the last time our family met there as well, with the exception of one trip in 2003 when Frank and his son Paul met Ric and I with our two boys at Lake Don Pedro. That time Frank was camping in the campground in his fifth wheel RV, with hookups (water and electricity). He brought two jet skis, and we brought our boat. We set up day camp on the shore, but never again camped out on the shore. Ric and I stayed at our new timeshare at Angels Camp, an hour's drive from the lake.

Goodbye Baby Derek

Monday July 20, 1992

I'm up at 7 a.m. and in the shower to get ready to leave Chris for home. We are actually ready to leave at 8 a.m. We tell everyone goodbye and leave for Santa Rosa where we have breakfast.

We take the scenic route home through the Napa Valley and past Rio Vista and over the Sacramento River. I sleep alot of the way home. It's a good trip. We arrive home about 7 p.m. We order pizza for dinner. It's not very good. Remember not to order Vincencio pizza again.

That was probably a wise decision to take Highway 12 through the Sacramento Delta area from Fairfield to Rio Vista to Lodi and then south on Interstate 5. That way they avoided all the traffic congestion through the San Francisco Bay Area.

A Visit With Baby Derek & Chris

Sunday July 19, 1992

The baby cried alot last night. His diaper rash is bad. He's still having trouble getting ahold of her nipple because her breasts are so large.

Frank goes out in the morning to find a coffee shop for some coffee. Ric is up but no coffee is offered. Justin takes some cereal up to his mom. We have a bowl of cereal. Later I make myself a fried egg sandwich. About noon I make lunch for Chris and Frank. Justin and I are not hungry. Ric wants to make burritos from the freezer for himself.

I visit upstairs with Chris during nursing time. I give Derek a bath.

Frank and Ric fix a trout and fresh corn dinner. It's good. Chris comes down for dinner.

Oh my! How I do remember those first few weeks trying to nurse Baby Derek. My normal bra size of 40D swelled not to an E cup, not even an F cup, but a G cup. I didn't know they made bras that size! It was easier just not to wear one at all. Poor baby, having something like a soccer ball shoved into his face. How was he supposed to get ahold of something larger than his head? After a few weeks, my breasts went down a bit and I was able to successfully nurse Derek for 12 months.

Meeting Baby Derek

Saturday July 18, 1992

We're up early breaking camp. It was a really bad night. The wind was blowing really bad when we went to bed. I thought the tents would blow down. So I prayed over and over many times for God to please stop the wind. He answered my prayers as usual. I awoke at 1:30, no wind at all but a short way away a large bunch of young people were partying heartily very loudly til 3:30 a.m. The final thing they did was fire a gun 5 times. That really upset me. I didn't sleep at all from 1:30-3:30.

By 11:00 we're packed and ready to leave. Donna and Bob take alot of our stuff but Gary still has to make 2 boat trips. I have to wait in line an hour to launch the trailer. We have lunch at the store and are on the road to Chris' about 2 p.m. It's a nice drive. I'm sleepy and sleep. We arrive at Chris' at 7 p.m. We fix spaghetti for them. Chris comes down. Derek is cute and sweet. Justin likes him alot. He has a receding chin.

Wow, what an exhausting and stressful day! I would be livid to be kept awake until 3:30 by a bunch of drunks who are even firing off a gun. Breaking camp is hard enough on a good night's sleep! And then to have to wait in line for an hour to get the boat at the ramp? That's one of the reasons we always stayed an extra day after a holiday weekend; we had the smoothest water for water skiing, no crowds at the ramp, and very little traffic on the way home.

Then when they finally arrive in Windsor exhausted and hungry to meet their new grandson, the host doesn't have the good manners to make dinner for them while the hostess in in bed recovering from surgery! Mom has to prepare dinner for everyone after a long drive. Sorry Mom!

Looking at Derek today, just weeks away from his 20th birthday, I do not see a receding chin, so I had to look back at his baby pictures. If you look at his chin in the photo above, he does indeed have a receding chin! Mom is very observant.

The Boys Ski To Lake Don Pedro Marina

Friday July 17, 1992

It's a beautiful day at Don Pedro. The boys want to ski alot. We ski them to the marina. We need ice. That's fun.

We have a nice day camping and a real good ham dinner. Everyone eats alot. The wind comes up before 9 p.m. It's really blowing hard when we go to bed at 10 p.m.

We've had a really nice time this week and mostly nice weather. I have felt surprisingly well and normal. I think it was good exercise for me walking up to the potty tent all week and swimming some.



Lake Don Pedro Marina is 8 miles from the camp spot, so a very long ski ride, even for 3 boys taking turns. We usually went to the floating marina store, pictured above, every other day for ice, gas, and/or ice cream. Also, they had real flush toilets there, which was so nice compared to the potty tent we set up near our tents. This was very primitive camping: no tables, no trash cans, no toilets, no showers. Everything we brought in had to be boated out, so when we made a trip to the marina we usually brought a couple plastic bags of trash with us.

I Love The New Boat Shade

Thursday July 16, 1992

Slept in, resting til 7:30 a.m. Not my best morning this week. I have no energy and still have a pain in my chest for some unknown reason, right side under the breast. Maybe I pulled a muscle trying to get back into the boat. The ladder we bought just won't work on our boat. I had a terrible time getting back into the boat out in the deep water.

I love the boat shade. I have no problem riding in the boat during the heat of the day.

Maria and I help Marty and Kathy haul their stuff back to the marina. I call Chris and Justin talks to her about his new baby brother. Chris is feeling some better from her C-section.

Later, we all take a ride to Mocassin Point Marina, Donna, Bob, Heather, Dan, Gary, Maria and kids.

I can't imagine how Mom went 30 years without a shade for their boat. When Ric and I go boating on a hot day, the shade goes up first thing. It keeps us cooler and prevents sunburn. The bimini top probably looked a bit like the one pictured above. Since I wasn't on this trip, I didn't see it myself. Mom always got into the boat by stepping onto the ledge on the outboard motor just above the propeller, grabbing onto the back of the boat, and pulling herself up. She was the only one who did this and every time I would cringe. One slip and her foot would be sliced by the propeller. Everyone else got in by hoisting themselves over the side near the back of the boat, where it was just over a foot from the water. This required good upper body strength, though, something I no longer have, and neither did Mom. The boat that Ric and I use in the summer has a built-in ladder on the back, which makes it much easier to get into the boat, even from land.

Junior Becomes a Single Skier

Up at 7:15 feeling pretty good. Donna and Bob arrive about 10 a.m. with friends of theirs, Dan and Heather. They have a pontoon boat. I'm in the sun too much greeting them and visiting. I've been so good up until now, staying in the shade. We have a good day, no rain, not much wind.

Gary and Maria fix us a tri-tip roast dinner. It's really good. I don't feel well after dinner. I have pains in my chest. Indigestion? Chest pains in my lungs, right side mostly. We're in bed at 10 p.m. again.

I called Chris and Ric from the marina this morning. Ric answered to say they had a C-section baby last night. He weighed 9 lb 14 oz, 20-1/2 inches long. She went to the hospital yesterday with labor pains but no dilating so they sent her home. Rick said that's enough. Call the doctor and insist on a C-section. He said OK, come on in.

I love this picture that Mom took of Junior, Joe and Justin playing in the mud at the edge of the water! Good sunburn protection!

Donna, Mom's best friend, and Donna's husband Bob live in Pollock Pines, not too far north of Lake Don Pedro, so it was an easy drive for them. They often met us at the lake.

Thank goodness Mom finally got someone to answer the phone at our house! I'm sure she was relieved that Baby Derek had arrived and Mom and baby were healthy and doing well. As I mentioned in this blog earlier, Justin was a C-section baby because his head was too large for my pelvis. His head was 10 cm, my pelvis only 9. My doctor told me he thought this baby was smaller, around 8 pounds and I should be able to have a vaginal birth. Boy was he wrong! Justin was 9 pounds, Derek was 9 lb 14 oz and his head was 12 cm, way too large for my pelvis. I suffered 36 hours of unnecessary labor before finally insisting on a C-section.

Derek Martin Roncancio is Born

Tuesday July 14, 1992

It's a beautiful morning but the day develops into a warm cloudy day while we're at the marina calling Chris. No answer at Chris' house. I called Santa Rosa hospital. She's not there. Maybe they're between or out to shop, who knows! But I have a strong feeling she's going to have the baby today. I can't wait to call her tomorrow. Justin has not been interested in calling Chris each day. Interesting. Will he be more interested when the baby comes?

It begins to rain on the way back to camp from the marina. I'm driving. It pelts my face and chest as I hurry back.

Gary and Maria fix ribs for dinner. The rain stops, the wind blows so hard it rips our tent. We spend the next couple of hours repairing it.

Again, I am thankful for cellphones today! That must have been so frustrating for Mom not to be able to get hold of us, and having to drive 1/2 hour in the boat just to get to a pay phone, only to get a ringing phone. I'll bet there is cellphone coverage today at Lake Don Pedro even away from the marina.

Mom's intuition was right. I was having a baby that day. I went into labor with both Justin and Derek right on my due date, although it was the next day by the time they both arrived. Ryan's birth was a scheduled Caesarean section 5 days before his due date.

Chris' Due Date

Monday July 13, 1992

We awake our first morning at Don Pedro to a beautiful sky and no wind. By 8:30 the guys are skiing. All the boys are skiing really well this year, and they're eager to ski. We have a beautiful day with Marty and Kathy. the weather is near perfect. The afternoon clouds up and looks like rain but no moisture.

We sit up and watch the stars. The full moon is so bright we can't sleep with the shades down.

Gary and Maria make us hamburgers for dinner. It's great!

Our usual campspot was on the shore between the two houseboats on the left side of this photo. We always got up early before the boats arrived from the campground near the dam and chopped up the water and before the wind came up. The water was like glass and great for water skiing. After everyone got to ski, we would come back to camp to make a hearty breakfast.

I first learned to water ski when I was about 6 years old in 1959. At that time we would camp at Lake Nacimiento near Paso Robles. A few years later I learned to ski on a single ski and by then we were camping every year at Lake Don Pedro. The original dam was built in 1923 by the Turlock and Modesto Irrigation District. With a storage capacity of 289,000 acre feet, it was barely able to accommodate the irrigation needs of a single growing season. After numerous dry winters, the Districts decided to replace the original dam with a much larger one in order to store water necessary to bridge multiple dry years. Construction of the new dam, which was much larger, began in 1967 and was completed four years later, primarily to store irrigation water, but also for power generation, flood control and recreation. The old dam is still in place, 250 feet below the surface of the full reservoir. The new dam is 580 feet high, 855 feet above sea level, 1900 feet long at the crest and 40 feet wide at its crest. More than 14 million people have visited this lake since the new dam was completed in 1971. It has 160 miles of shoreline and 13,000 acre-feet of surface area. It is one of the few lakes that allows primitive camping on the shoreline. Not too many people can say they camped there before the "new" dam was built in 1971, but I am one of them. Mom taught her children to ski in the 60s and now she is teaching her grandchildren to ski in the 90s. She was a very patient teacher.

Off To Don Pedro

Sunday July 12, 1992

Up t 6:30 a.m. to get packed and ready for Don Pedro. We leave at 9:20 a.m., pick up Gary and Maria in their van at Marklein house. We stop for lunch along the way. We arrive at Don Pedro at 4:10 p.m. Marty and Kathy are here already waiting for us.

Justin has been really good in the truck driving all day. He read alot.

We manage to get all the camping gear over to our camp spot in 2 loads. Gary does the boat driving. frank, Junior and I set up camp though I'm not really much help. Luckily, it's pretty cool. Not too hot.

By 8 p.m. we're eating dinner of fried chicken, potato salad and beans.

Wow, after I just said in my previous post that we always went to Lake Don Pedro on holiday weekends, here they are leaving on a Sunday morning and spending a full week. When we would camp on a holiday weekend, we would leave home at 9:00 at night, drive in the cool of the evening about 6 hours to the lake, sleep for a few hours on the ground at the launch ramp parking lot, and then be up with the sun to launch the boat and begin making trips to our campsite on the shore with all our camping gear. This had to be done early in the day before the temperatures reached the upper 90s. This trip they arrive at 4 p.m. They are lucky it's not too hot. Our campspot was always right about where the letter N is in the word California on the map pictured above. This is about 8 miles from the Don Pedro Marina launch ramp.

I am home about to give birth to Derek.

We Are Excited To Go to Lake Don Pedro

Saturday July 11, 1992

Lazy morning. Up at 8:30 a.m. time to get the wash done and pack the food and clothes for Don Pedro. I have good energy all day again.

We are all excited about going to Don Pedro for 6 days.

Since I was a little girl my family always went camping on the shore at Lake Don Pedro every holiday weekend in the summers: Memorial Day weekend, Fourth of July weekend, and Labor Day weekend. We always added an extra day onto the end of the weekend to avoid holiday traffic, so enjoyed 4 days of camping, boating, water-skiing and swimming. This trip is unusual in that they are not leaving until Sunday and are staying for 6 days. It was often baking hot in July because it is located near Modesto in California's Central Valley, but sometimes on Memorial Day weekend we got rain. This tradition faded away after Mom passed away, along with many others.

Sabre Saw

Friday July 10, 1992

Time to stay home and get ready for Don Pedro. Gary and Maria have the day off again. I shop for groceries and bake and make potato salad. Justin goes to the valley with Frank to pick up the boat with its new bimini cover. Afterward, they shop and show up at Jim Willis' retirement party.

At home Frank shows Justin how to use the sabre saw. Justin keeps busy making cut-outs and painting them. He really likes that. This activity takes him well into the evening. We have tacos for dinner.

I have been blessed with yet another wonderful day of high energy though my muscles are aching from walking yesterday. Thank you Lord!

While Mom is busy cooking and packing for their camping trip to Lake Don Pedro, Frank makes it his mission to entertain Justin by teaching how to cut wood with a sabre saw. So cool!

Disneyland Day!

Thursday July 9, 1992 Disneyland Day!

I'm up at 4:30 a.m. after not sleeping all night in anticipation. I'm real bad about that. If I'm getting up early by alarm clock, I don't sleep at all. I feel surprisingly well at 4:30 and feel good all day until 1 a.m. when we arrive back home. I have enough energy to keep up all day. I do look forward to each sit-down time.

Frank and I leave at 6 a.m. with Justin, Junior and Joe in tow. Gary and Maria meet us at 11 a.m. in Frontierland for lunch. We have already done the 4 best rides.

It's not too crowded today so waits for rides are 20 minutes or less. We go on all we want and some twice. It's great fun. At 9 p.m. we have the best seat there is, on the balcony in New Orleans Square, to watch "Fantasmic". It's truly wonderful! Beyond belief! The lights parade and fireworks are great as well. A wonderful day was had by all.

Wow, what fun! What better way to entertain 3 grandsons than taking them to Disneyland. This photo must have been taken when they met Gary and Maria for lunch. On the left is Junior (Gabe), who is 13 here, then Joe, who is 11. Behind them is their mom Maria. Next is Justin, who is 11 and then my brother Gary. On the right is Papa Frank. Mom is often missing from photographs because she is generally the photographer.

I can totally relate to my Mom's problem of not being able to sleep when she has to get up early to the alarm clock. I have had that problem my whole life: now I know where I got it! When I was working and had to get up early for a meeting out of town I couldn't sleep at all. Now that I am retired, it is somewhat less of a problem, but if I have to catch an early flight in the morning I have a sleepless night. I am amazed that Mom was able to keep going for 21 hours though. I usually fade by mid-morning after a sleepless night.

Gene Autry Museum

Wednesday July 8, 1992

Up at 7 a.m. feeling real good. No reaction from the chemo. Had to wake the 3 boys at 8:30. By 10 a.m. we're on our way to pick up my prescription at Woodland Hills, then we're off to lunch at Carl's near Griffith Park.

After lunch we toured the Gene Autry Museum for 3-1/2 hours. I did well, only tiring a few times for a quick rest on a bench. My energy level is good today and I feel no sore muscles from my walking through sand at the beach yesterday.

We pick up Maria at her Mom's house and take her with us shopping at Costco. Later we take her and the boys home. We come home for dinner after which Frank and Justin cut and paint wood in the garage all evening.

During the week that Justin visited Mom and Frank every summer, she entertained him as much as she could. What 11-year-old boy doesn't like cowboys and guns? The Gene Autry Museum sounded like a good place to take 3 boys to look at guy stuff.

Frank enjoyed working with wood in the garage and for awhile made many folding deck chairs. During this last and final summer with Grandma Dolores and Papa Frank Justin spent this evening making a birdhouse out of wood with Frank. Thank you Frank for giving of your time and talents so generously with my son. While the relationship between my dad and Justin was virtually nonexistant, Frank made up for it by being a wonderful Papa.

Ventura Beach

Tuesday July 7, 1992

Up at 6:30 Frank takes the boat to get an awning for shade installed in Van Nuys. I'm up at 7:40. I must pick up Junior & Joseph at 8 a.m., but I feel queazy from my chemo I just started last night again for 2 weeks. I have a hard time getting going. I try a banana. I manage to pick up the boys at 8:00. They're ready to go. At 10 a.m. I'm feeling better and we take off for the beach in Ventura. We find a nice beach but it is quite a walk to the water. I'm pooped when we reach the water. Then it's another big walk to the restrooms.

The boys make a sand castle and swim. We have lunch and Frank plays volleyball with them. The boys are really good even serving from outside and good dives.

At home Frank gets lots of help cleaning the garage. The boys decide to go to bed at 10 p.m. 3 in a bed.

Nothing like alot of fresh air, sunshine and exercise to tire kids out! I wish I had a picture of those 3 pre-teenage boys sleeping together in one bed. Cute!

Growing up in Southern California my mom would take us to the beach every week during the summer months. Mostly we went to Santa Monica Beach near the pier. Even back in the 50s there was horrible traffic on the 405 Freeway coming home, so we would have to leave before 3:00 to beat the traffic. Later, as a teenager, we usually went to Zuma Beach in Ventura County. Ventura County beaches are less crowded than Los Angeles County, but the water is still warm. Zuma Beach had great waves for body surfing. I have lots of good memories of building sand castles and swimming in the warm water. Here in Sonoma County where I live now in Northern California, swimmming in the ocean is out of the question, even in the summer. The water is much too cold. Fortunately, though, we have plenty of lakes for swimming.

Good News from Dr. Schwartz

Monday July 6, 1992

We're up and doing wash, etc, so we can leave at 12 p.m. to go to Ward's for parts, then Gledhill to pick up rent and see the new baby. She's so tiny at 4 lbs 12 oz. They only have part of the rent. We meet Laura's mom. The dog Sophie is expecting pups again soon. They will keep them outside this time. Good!

Off from there to see Dr. Schwartz. He does a complete exam. He hurts me pushing and prodding to feel the tumors. My white blood count is up to 4.6. Best in a long time! He says he'll see me in a month. Good!

Frank had taken Justin to the library this morning. He got 4 books. He finished one before we got to the doctor. Justin swims and eats with Maria and boys. We eat out at Acapulco.

Chemotherapy stresses the immune system, thus reducing the white blood cell count. This is probably why Mom had a hard time getting over her summer cold. But now she is feeling better and her numbers reflect that.

Mom instilled in my brother and I a love of reading. She would take us to the library in Panorama City every two weeks to check out 10 books. I have always loved to read, and Justin does too. For two weeks every summer Justin flew down to visit Mom and Frank and she devoted herself to him during those visits. This year looks to be a bit different, as Justin spends a bit more time with my brother Gary and his family. Gary and Maria have two sons just a little bit older than Justin, and they had a great time swimming in Gary's pool. Not much fun to drag Justin along to rental houses and doctor appointments.

Surprise Birthday Party for Dolores in San Diego

Sunday July 5, 1992

Up at 5:30, we're off at 7 a.m. to pick up Frank's folks at 8 a.m., then off to San Diego for Dolores' surprise birthday party at Peohe's Restaurant on Coronado Island. It's a lovely drive and a lovely restaurant. She had been told we were coming but all were very surprised to see the folks. We had a really good brunch at 11 a.m.

After brunch we go to Dee and Steve's house for birthday cake. We visit a few hours. I'm tired from my cold and cough but have felt pretty good all day. Wonderful compared to last week! I help drive home 1/2 way. It's good to get home. Dolores loved our gift of rabbit wind chimes.

Thank you, God, for answering my prayer for recovery! We go to pick up Justin at 7 p.m. but they're still swimming so Gary brings him over at 9 p.m.

This sounds like an exhausting day for someone who is battling cancer as well as battling a cold, but in spite of all circumstances, Mom is thankful for a good day. Peohe's Restaurant on Coronado Island looks like a beautiful place with scenic views of the San Diego skyline. Frank's daughter Dolores must have been very pleased and surprised.

July 4 Potluck

Saturday July 4, 1992

Slept in, took it easy all morning. My cold is better, so we pick up some chicken and take it to the 4th of July party at Harold and Joan's. They have a good turnout of 40 plus with lots of good potluck food.

we visit, play games, and dance. After dark we watch the fireworks at Simi High from their front lawn. Then we come home. I'm tired, but it was a great day! Feels so good to feel good!

Wow, that's quite a party with more than 40 people. By being part of the square dancing club, they will always know just about everyone there and are guaranteed to have a good time.

July 4 is one of my favorite holidays. We watch the local fireworks show here in Windsor from our neighborhood on July 3. The fireworks are shot off from the high school or Kaiser Park next door. Then on July 4 we usually see the fireworks set off in Healdsburg 7 miles north of Windsor, and sometimes we even see fireworks a third time on July 5 by driving south to the Marin County Fair, where the fireworks are shot off a barge in the small lake there. Last year we went to Lake Tahoe for the first time to see the fantastic fireworks set off from 3 different barges from the south shore. That show is one of the 5 top displays in the country. Nevada Beach is just 200 yards from our timeshare in south shore, which provides a good viewing spot. We immediately decided we wanted to go again in 2012, but July 4 was already booked up a year in advance. We have been waitlisted for almost a year, so so far there are no cancellations.

Justin & Grandpa Bob

Friday July 3, 1992

Had a better night. Awake alot but not so much aching. Out of bed most of the day though did sleep in. Just really took it easy.

Gary will pick up Justin at the airport tomorrow at 4 p.m. He'll take them all to Castaic to see the fireworks. Then he'll keep him Sunday for a BBQ at Gary's with Bob & Geri. Bob and Justin have little to do with each other. I hear they just pretty much have nothing to say or do. But Bob's such a queer duck, he doesn't try or care or know how to reach Justin. Justin takes it as rejection; so does Bob. Too bad.

I don't think it was a rejection so much as just a huge generation gap. My dad was a child of the Great Depression. He was born in 1932. His parents reminded me of the couple in the famous American Gothic painting by Grant Wood, pictured below, very stoic, very unemotional and very conservative. They moved from Kansas to California to find work during the depression.



My dad shocked me years ago when he told me that during his entire childhood, he never once received a birthday present, a Christmas gift, or a party. That to me is borderline child abuse. Life must have been joyless without those things that most children enjoy. That sort of upbringing made my dad very conservative and emotionally unavailable. When my brother and I were growing up, we did have birthday parties and presents because my Mom made sure of it. My dad was the typical 50s father whose job was to just bring home the bacon. It was the wife's job to raise the kids and keep a nice home. When my Mom wanted to get a job outside the home when I was 12, my Dad's reaction was very negative. It was probably the beginning of the end of their marriage. He did not want an independent wife with a life of her own and views of her own. After their divorce, my Dad married Geri, pictured above, who was much more submissive and conservative. They were married for over 30 years until Geri passed away in 2010.