“California, Here We Come!”

~Or~

The G Family’s Quest for the Sun™

I’m writing this from the home of my favorite Sunday school teacher EVER, Pam B, in Nevada City, California. It’s actually the last day of our week-long stay in the area, which has bee filled with visits to and from family and friends we left behind when we moved to Idaho four years ago. I’ll do my best to have pictures up later this month—once we’ve gone back home and settled into our “normal” routine. For now, enjoy the amazing story (which I’ve tried to keep as brief as possible) of how God provided for this trip:

* * *

“I’m going—on an Adventure!”

It all started when we suddenly realized that four of our five elderly relatives who live in the Grass Valley/Nevada City area of California are in their nineties…and having major health issues…and not getting any younger. We felt very strongly that we ought to make an effort to go down and see them, since this may be the last year we’ll have some of them. Plus we figured it’d be more fun for us to visit Grandma and Grandpa this year, instead of vice-versa, considering they’re not big on sightseeing at their ages anymore.

     Then we were all three involved with the musical that Mom’s piano student (we’ll call her “Amy”) wrote (with lots of help and guidance from Mom and Mrs. J, her mother). On April 20^th, we did two performances because of the number of RSVPs and the smallness of the church-building we performed it in, and the play was a big success—to God be the glory!

     A few days later, Mrs. J came by with a thank-you card for Mom, Peter and me…with TEN “Uncle Bennys”* inside! Mr. and Mrs. J wanted us to know how much they appreciated Mom’s help and al the extra hours she put in, helping “Amy” with her first play…and how! We figured this was a sign that God wanted us to go to California!

* “Uncle Benny”: A one-hundred-dollar bill. A nickname for Benjamin Franklin, whose portrait is on the front of the bill.

~Tom’s Dictionary of Whacked-out Terms and Old Family Sayings

     That same week (I think), we got a $300 check from some lawsuit against our former mortgage company—I guess they were overcharging their customers, so the government or some higher-ups were suing them and making them pay compensation…or something. In a nutshell, we found out the check was legitimate, and the bank accepted it. The funny part is, Dad’s name was on the check, and it said that both recipients had to sign it. *Holds check Heavenward* “Here, Daddy, sign this!” LOL Once Mom explained how hard that would be, the people who issued the check said that, if the bank wouldn’t accept it, they’d issue us a new one with only Mom’s name on it. Wow! A Government organization that actually works with the customer?! Club me with a feather. But as it turns out, since the check didn’t have Mom “and” Dad’s names, they took it to mean Mom “or” Dad…and our Vacation Fund was $300 fatter! We also got some money from the Grandparents and Aunt Betty, so by God’s grace, we had the exact amount Peter figured we’d need to make the trip, plus some extra. Awesome!

     So, on Wednesday, June 26^th, we got up early, packed up the car and headed out on our strangely unreal vacation. I actually wondered if I was just dreaming as we drove toward the Washington border….

     The distance from Post Falls, Idaho and Nevada City, California takes about seventeen hours to drive, but we decided to take three days and just relax and enjoy ourselves. I call this vacation our Quest for the Sun™ because apparently, North Idaho didn’t get the memo that it’s Summertime now, and we had a lot of clouds and rain and 60-degree weather right up to the day we left. Ugh! So we figured it’d be sunnier and warmer in California, wot? Once we hit Redding, it certainly was! 95 in the shade with 60% humidity—quite different from Idaho, to be sure! But it was simply lovely to paddle about in the hotel pool! :-D

     We got to the Grandparents’ house on Friday, June 28^th, around noonish and had some lunch with them and Uncle Dave, who lives with them and helps them about the place. Oh yes, and Dave’s dog, Bella. She was actually my late Aunt Donna’s dog, but she’s taken a fancy to Grandpa in recent years. :-) After lunch, we headed over to Pam’s house to spend some time with her and her husband Ty before they left on their own two-week vacation, and as a result of my very nice talk with Pam, I now have some goals for when we get home, which will hopefully help resolve some issues in my life—mainly Learning to Drive (AAAAAHHHH!!!!!) and Project Dollhouse™…but that’s another story. ;-)

     It’s been a good time, overall. A bit more of a treadmill than we figured on, but we got to see the main folks we wanted to see…save Cousin Ray’s wife Alberta, who died back in March or April. (Ray is Grandma’s cousin, BTW.) We’ve been alternating having supper here and at the Grandparents’, playing Apples to Apples afterwards and having a barrel of fun.

     Tonight, we’re scheduled to attend a potluck at the P family’s place (nicknamed “Sherwood Hall” because we used to call Peter’s friend Shawn “Robin Hood” in our late teens), mainly so Peter can see his old friends Shawn, Matthew and Caleb…otherwise known as Robin Hood, Little John and the Random Yeoman, respectively (Bro was Will Scarlet).

That’s all I have time to write at the moment; I’m in charge of getting things ready to be packed up for the second leg of our Adventure—namely, four days in Mendocino with Aunt Betty and Cousin Brenda. OCEAN!!!! Hehe. So I’ll write more when/if I have time and try to get those pix up…probably late July or early August.

Until next time, Gentle Readers,

God bless,

~“Tom”~