Chronicles of Nana

Friday was an exhausting but fulfilling day…and thankfully it was filled with nothing but happiness. I have not had a day so obviously happy that I did not notice how totally tired I was. My eldest son and wife are now empty nesters as their third daughter became a newlywed…

THERE IS BEAUTY ALL AROUND….

The morning started early with a ‘meeting-of-the-families’ breakfast. The wedding was mid-morning and reception late afternoon. By the time of the reception nearly everyone seemed fairly relaxed. The bride was beautiful and radiant, the groom was very cool. One grandaughter decided to lose the four inch high heels for flip flops so she could chase her almost 18 month old about the lovely old mansion. The great grandaughters ran about in white and black polka dot frilly dresses. And the photographer was working up a sweat trying to pose all the poses before guests arrived.

The highlight for me besides seeng a very happy couple was being able to play with a very happy five month old baby boy. I was in Nana heaven…

The bride and groom avoided a near disaster while cutting the cake but aside from that all proceeded in a well orchestrated manner. It was good to see the parents well satisfied with their efforts. And I am all for a family party where I can see nearly all my grandchildren…!

HONEYMOON TO …WHERE ELSE…?

At this time the newlyweds should be walking the various roads and pathways at Disneyland. The princess got her prince …..

I am wondering how long it will take my empty nester son to set up his naked room…

Phone before you drop by….

                                        Happy Wedding Day Kyle and Katy

                                        May love always be in your heart and

                                                   Congratulations!!!  

                                               Love Forever and Hugs,

                                                         Nana

                                        

                                      

My mother taught me at an early age that all people deserve some measure of respect…the fact that they take up space and walk the earth allows that they are and we own them our regard. However, as much as I have tried to adhere to that admonition I also believe that we need to walk our talk and earn the full measure of respect that all can obtain through our deeds and accomplishments.

WHAT IS FUNNY?

That being said, as confusing as it may be, I have been appalled by what I have seen recently. The movie “MallCop” takes a likeable, responsible over weight security guard and makes fun of him..his looks, his dedication to his job, his following rules and his desire to belong and be accepted by his peers.

Of Course, he eventually becomes the hero and good guys can win. But watching this movie was painful to me because it was his difference that mattered too much. At what degree do we laugh at someone’s expense? This movie made me sad…

PUBLIC DISPLAYS…

Sadder yet, has been what I have seen on television…not the sit-coms, or cartoons prime time but in and with the news. We have all seen the Inauguration and miles of video coverage that has followed. On one side was the Bush family being gracious hosts to the new presidential family. Here and there things would be said in a negative nature. There has been a photo of Mr. Emanuel thumbing his nose to the Bushes as he stood for the presidential swearing in…

And President Carter apparently did not see the need to shake President Clinton’s hand…and the snubs go on…not just privately but in public for all to see.

WHAT IS COMMENTARY?

Then, there is Governor Blagojevich and the antics and fairy tales that come from his little corner in Illinois. Now, he might be a Rocky want-to-be or a mafia offspring of sorts but he is not a convicted man…yet. I was watching the Fox Report with Shepard Smith and his afternoon program is meant to be a commentary.

However, as I viewed Governor Blagojevich spewing his sad stories Mr. Smith felt it necessary to speak over him with his own childish comments. I did not appreciate this. It certainly appears Blagojevich is a jerk but I wanted to hear his sad tale. What bothered me more was Mr. Smith’s constant interruptions and  not allowing me to draw my own conclusions. Give me a break, I have some common sense as well.

  Now, I know a little about journalism. I also know Mr. Smith’s program is meant to be commentary but this is news and Mr. Smith is not. If they were going to roll a tape then the viewing audience should have been given the right to see it without interruption. We all know Blago’s story..he’s a jerk. But Mr. Smith is a jerk as well…

If they chose to televise Blago then the decision was made to give him the forum to speak. I am assuming many viewers did not appreciate Shepard Smith’s immaturity nor his lack of common respect.

It has been said that true journalism is dead…I agree. Common respect is fast becoming a lost virtue. I see it in protest marches at churches, I see it between rival political parties and I see it in entertainment that is supposed to make me laugh.

Insensitivity is alive and well. We should celebrate our differences and offer our hand in friendship to all. Loosing civility is a step backward.

Perhaps, we need to focus more on our common-ness…

I tell my grandkids that being different is their footprint on the earth…

If Heavenly Father wanted us all to look alike we’d all be Barbies…

Oh, the thought of that is staggering..!

 

We have had some sobering moments since the beginning of this new year…my blog got bogged down with some serious stuff. Yesterday I spent some time catching up on my grandchildren by surfing through their websites…this is how I catch up on what they are doing…. BECAUSE NOBODY CALLS ON THE PHONE ANYMORE..!!!

FACEBOOK ANYONE..?

I even joined Facebook in order to keep up with them. I have got to be the oldest Nana on the site..but don’t tell anyone. Sometimes I just sneak in to see how everyone is doing and find out ‘what’s up.’

Anyway, this electronic stuff is pretty cool. One site I can see my grandaughter’s bridal pictures; on another I can view the lastest photos of my most beautiful great grandchild and on another I can keep up on my son’s latest travels and his take on being the father of seven children. There is always a story there, usually a crack up to read…

WEBSITE MANIA…

As a Nana these family sites are the best thing since spandex. I mean I am blessed to be somewhat close by most of my children, grandchildren and great grandkids…we live through out the valley. But for Grandparents living some distance away, how cool is it to be able to climb on board a computer and zap up the family..?

One of my son’s has been on the computer for years..first to create an electronic journal for himself, then to store and preserve his photographs. This is especially fortunate to the other grandparents who live on the West Coast…all they need do is type in the web address and view their (our) beautiful families.

This particular son has expanded his array of websites to include a Christmas site that has become very successful for him…

SECOND GENERATION…

Of course, all of his children are brilliant, sweet and handsome in every way. But, he has a  daughter who is questionably off -the-wall ( in a good way, of course.) I went to her website that has been neglected for several months and found several new entries…

Yesterday, I sat and read her most recent entries to her once dormant website. This bonefied teenager has got a youthful wit that borders on irreverence… and I laughed until tears came. For such a quiet, unassuming young lady she is out there as one of the bright stars..

How can I explain Abby…? She is a modern combination of Erma Bomback and ‘The Princess Bride.’ Her way with words rival her Dad ( he has a gift). Her sense of humor is sarcastic, biting and cynical…far too mature for her age. It is easy to see she is well versed in literary wording and the spelling of some really big words…

I was very impressed with her obvious natural ability..it’s a gift too. I can see how she easily can have a loyal following of readers in the future. I hope she continues to express herself through her website..

Like her Dad, someday they will be able to support me as I have been accustomed to…

Go for it Abby…reach for those stars and learn to fly among them!!

I have returned from an emotional but remarkable experience…a funeral of a good man beloved by his large family. I don’t do funerals well and true to myself I fell apart and cried like a baby…

ALWAYS A FRIEND…

He is a friend and we worked with him and saw him at church most Sundays. He has a lovely wife and had been married nearly 50 years. Together they are the parents of 11 children. And yes…he lived a full life and found many successes.

THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY…

I would venture to say, he would say his proudest accomplishment was his family. And judging by those who participated in his funeral program that was most obvious. It is always good to feel the strength and unity of family. To share and feel the faith they exhibit and the love poured out to a beloved patriarch is awe inspiring.

Infrequently do we observe  things happen when all circumstances come together to offer solace at a time of death. I was privileged to see that come together to the point that I was uplifted and full of hope. This gentleman…and he is every bit a gentle man left his footprint on this earth…

He had been sick for several months…he was allowed the precious time to prepare himself and his loved ones for the eventual end. He continued on with his journal, wrote individual letters to all his grandchildren, spoke words of wisdom and direction to his grown children and I suspect spent many longing moments glancing at his dear wife. His lawyer was called and all was in order…

THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF TIME…

This dear family had weeks of being able to serve and care for him on a 24/7 basis. It was easy to see this family was given the gift of time…and they used it and all was well. They were knit together in sacred moments of service. Their love for each other sustained them and was poured out in tribute to their father, husband and brother.

How often we are left with words upspoken and details not looked after. Some of us do not experience the precious moments. And then, we are faced to live with our guilts and sorrows and what ifs. This family in it’s stoic remorse has shown me the way to live..

And this dear friend has taught me how to die…

I have been remembering the old days of my youth wishing my grandchildren someday may realize that old can be good. Waltzing down memory Lane bring flashes of sorrow of days gone by that will never be again but with that come sweet and some bittersweet memories as well. I sincerely hope the kids of today will have their own sweet memories of their past too…

GRANDAD IN HIS GLORY…

Grandad and I met through a journalism and english class we were taking. He was a tall, skinny kid with a progessively deep voice. He was always connected with music, even then. Whatever high school musical that would come..he would be in it. By today’s standard Grandad would be a nerd. He went through his roll n’ roll stage that lasted about 4 months. He was always turned on by classical music. When the musical movies became popular he enjoyed the music in them and would collect record albums.

I remember listening on radio to Elvis when he just became popular. I ended up collecting all of his 45″s records. I had quite a early collection that would be worth a bit of money now. I am thinking the wicked witch of the east throw them away…but that’s another story.

MOM MEETS GRANDAD….

My mother was always a room mother while I was in grade school. She was kind and gentle. When I started dating Grandad she would leave the porch light on for me. Periodically Grandad and I would “suck face” while out in the driveway. I could always tell when she was getting antsy when the porch light would flash on and off repeatedly…

Mom was a baseball freak. She loved the Yankees being a New York girl. She would go to many a game and was at Lou Gerhrig’s last speech and game before he died. She also liked speed racing. Every Memorial Day she would listen to the Indy car races on radio, mainly because her only brother raced cars as well…

fAMILY DAYS….

My most memorable days with my parents were Saturdays. My dad would putter in the yard or be building something. He made me the coolest tether ball station. I recall a birthday party I had and he saw to it the laundry tub in the garage was filled to the brim with ice and bottled cokes and the barbeque fired up for burgers. He built my mom her clothes line out beyond the pump house. He built the pump house over the pump station for water for the house. It housed his tools, a large freezer and shelves full of all matter of fruits and vegetables my mom had canned for the season. He was always fixing something.

Mom enjoyed her backyard. She had a picket white fence around the house. It was there, close to the house, where she planted her beloved Iris, sweet peas and calla lillies. She absolutely loved the orange fruit tree she planted in the front yard. I especially enjoyed her miniature rose bushes. Big bushes but filled with tiny little rose buds that didn’t bloom larger than an inch in size.

The years were not kind to mom and she had demons to burn within. She passed away at the age of 49. I look back at the trauma of her passing and can remember the sting it left in my heart. It just did not dawn on me that she would so soon pass out of my life. Her funeral was tolerable, perhaps lovely to some…beautiful flowers, gracious friends and neighbors but for me I had lost my best friend. When I was married and moved across town, in just a phone call I could tell whether she was having a good day or bad. I regret not asking more questions concerning her past…it didn’t seem that important then, but now…..

Hindsight is a great teacher…and I suppose that is why so many old folks like me keep journals of some sort. Perhaps the words of Grandad and Nana may someday ring true. But, if nothing else it will tell of a time our grandkids will never know.

BECOMING OLD MARRIED COUPLE…

Our married life together started when we were still teenagers. By the time we were at voting age (21 in those day) we had nearly all our children. Grandad and I bought a small post war home for less than 11 thousand dollars. Grandad went back to college at UC Berkeley during the peacenik days of the 60’s. Many a day he would walk over students knee deep into sit-ins and demonstrations. Cal is consider the “Harvard of the West.” But he went there because it was the closest university to where we lived and among the cheapest in the state. With a growing family those things had to be considered. To support us Grandad took on a custodian job at our old high school. Many a night we would take the kids and clean erasers, empty garbage and mop the floors. Classes were know to be hard at Cal….so much so that he had to sing a sob story to one of his professors that he was a struggling father trying to get through to support his family…he passed the class with a D- and was happy to have it!!

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I tried going back to college but pregnancies got in the way. Seems my education would be given to me by my children…and as an only child myself I had to learn fast!!

CHEAP FAMILY TRIPS….

 When Grandad finally started his retail career we made it a habit to get away with the kids now and then. In those days gas was really cheap so jumping into the family station wagon was an exciting way to see the sights. We traveled all over California….spent nights up at Tahoe, camping by the Lake. Summers we would head for Utah. Utah is Grandad’s home state so we would revisit family and old haunts of his past. We especially liked all the National Parks that could be seen in such a short period of time there. During these summer we would always make time for Fishlake…

AAHHH…FISHLAKE…

I was first introduced to Fishlake by Grandad’s Uncle. He was a country gentleman who knew just where to drop a line into the water. Since that time we have gone back with our children who have some lasting memories. It was there our kids learned how to kill and gut a fish. It was there they learned that their mom could cuss a blue streak if you crossed her line. And it was there where they roller skated in the grand lobby of the lodge and suffer the mosquito bites from the night before. It was there where one of our son’s caught the “abino” fish that would never die. He even flopped around in the skillet while being cooked. Do you think anyone ate that fish?…..not on your life!!!

It was on one of these trips that the wind blew Grandad’s cowboy fishing hat off into the Grand Canyon and he went over the rail after it. And it was there I had a near heart attack! We have camped under the stars at Verde Mesa among the old indian ruins. Where all the stars shine so bright it is like day. We have made camp in the parking lot of a shopping center in Page, Arizona having coasted down the hill out of gas. It was late at night and no gas stations opened. We spent a sleepless night huddled in the wagon as the bats sang above our heads. There was the time we pitch the tent in Farmington, New Mexico thinking we would have the park to ourselves when deep into the night we heard strange and loud noices. Thinking it was a bear in our food we peered out to see a sea of late arriving campers all around us. And It was on these trips that I would find petrified pickles and hamburgers stuck to the sleeping bags when we arrived home!!

MOVING AND A FAMILY SURPRISE…

As Grandad’s career advanced, it required us to move. We had a hassle in selling our post war home. Bringing it up to code and adding a carport was expensive. We had to borrow money to meet our living costs. Grandad, being Grandad, was sent to the boonies out into the central valley of California. Lodi, known for it’s grapes and mellow wines, became our home for several years. It all ended up being a blessing in disguise. We were truly off on our own and it was here we became a real family. The kids were growing older, could be trusted to bike all over town without harm and it was here our family was cemented with our last child being born.

1967 was not a good year for me. I lost my mom and I had a life threatening pregnancy that nearly killed me. It was then I was told that the possibility of my getting pregnant again was not going to happen. So when we moved to Lodi we all were under the impression that it would be a time of growing up for us all.

Grandad knew I was pregnant again before I did. Once it was made official we told the kids. I suppose the most moving remark that was made was by our daughter who was nine at the time. She said it had better be a girl or she was leaving town…she did that once already! The pressure was on… but on a sweet December morning our second daughter was born. The children anxiously waited her birth and by the time she came home in a christmas stocking everyone already felt that christmas had come….and yours truly beathed a sign of relief!!

Jingle bells are coming and to be continued…

HO-HO-HO…………..

This week presents one of those times in life when the planned and unexpected converge…One of our grandaughters will be getting married and a good friend has passed away. I am never prepared for these diverse extremes and once again I am left feeling things beyond explaining…

MARRIAGE AND DEATH..

Similar in some regards…a young girl giddy with excitement taking the big step into another life shared with a beloved soulmate. From them will come a whole new generation and the cycle of life goes on. Death puts a close to the final chapter here on earth…

If one is a faith based person it is but an end to a test of choices. From there we pass into a better place and the spirit learns the secrets of the universe. And we pass from life into eternal living…

CHAPTERS..

I find myself strangely mixed with feelings at moments like this. Living life is indeed a book where we write each chapter by the choices we make. From the bad choices we hope to correct our actions and reverse wrong behaviors and from the good choices we build a map to an enlighted and constructive way to live.

MARRIAGE…

Starting a marriage is a journey…some are short, others long. Grandad and I will have our 50th wedding anniversary next year. I ask myself, where has the time gone? It almost seems there is not enough time to learn and do it all. We were terribly young and now we slide down the hill rather than climb it. The days sometime seem long but the years become short…

My grandaughter is caught up into the excitement of building a new home. Another grandaughter is flying high in dIscovering her second child is on the way. Another one is contemplating serving on a mission…choices that are sweet and satisifying.

FINAL CHAPTER…

Death, on the other hand, is not a choice. It is a guarantee…it will come. All who live will know it’s dark sting. The disturbing thing about death is what it leaves behind. A bevy of unresolved issues, words not spoken, hugs not given and painful sorrow. It is not the one who dies that suffers but those who are left behind…

Regardless. life with it passages and eventual ending is still worth the journey,

Hello life…and goodbye dear friend…

I haven’t waltzed back in time to certain memories because they have been hard to bring back without alot of heartache. I don’t know if this is the time to vocalize these treasured moments or not. At the time there was great hope that circumstances would work out differently. Divorce is a hard pill to swallow…

FALLING APART…

In retrospect, I suppose the only way to work things out was to separate the disfunctional family members so that a more stable atmosphere can develop. When divorce involves children finding a new normal can take years. Perhaps a lifetime to pick up the broken pieces so that relationships can once again flourish. One can always have hope…

THE BEGINNING OF THE END…

I have grandaughters who have no memory of their early past. It is a shame because so many people shared their love with them. I was there at their births…it was in happier times. Who knows what takes place to destroy a marriage?  My take on this one has been…too young, too stupid, and too selfish. In any case it ended and for nearly 20 years the girls have been raised by their custodial parent and families.

REMEMBERING DADDY…

Though divorced, parents must get on with their lives. Grandparents must sit back and watch with silent tears. From the beginning I had the pleasure of knowing a sweet little girl who came with her Mom into the marriage to my son. Then came 2 others. These girls were the apple of their Dad’s eye… жесткий трах создать сообщение лесби уфа

I remember he would take them for car rides to quiet them down so they could be put down to sleep with ease. I remember their visits to Nana’s house with the wading pool out on the deck and laughter everywhere.

Once divorced, I remember their Dad driving hundreds of miles to pick them up and come to my house to spent 12 hours of playtime only to have to shuttle them back again before weekend’s end. It was a difficult trip each time and this was faithfully  done on weekends for quite some time. I worried about them all. How normal could this ever be..?

Young children, now grown, have no recollection of the good times and sacrifices made on their behalf. That is a real shame because attitudes present themselves upon false impressions. These girl’s perceptions are the sum total of a one sided life.

I had hoped that once the negative atmosphere had stopped they would experience something that would bring love and normalcy into their life. I knew someone would come to perhaps take my place who would love them  unconditionally. They so deserved that…

I tried for some time to stay in contact with them but one day was called to cease all communications. It broke my heart. They again moved and I lost track…of them and my son. Only mothers can relate to such losses…

HOW TO PICK UP THE PIECES…

Who knows how the human heart takes in account such heartaches..? It surely wasn’t the children’s fault. But their lives are the sum of where their custodial parent choose them to live it. It would have been wonderful to be part of their lives…and I have lost many years with my son.

But life is unfair…and we tend to complicate even more  our struggles for lasting relationships. It would seem to me if someone, anyone, who offers their hand in friendship one ought to grab the chance to simplify life and just love the moment. When hearts can be mended…. It is never too late.

It ain’t over ’til it’s over!

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Today was a historic day in American history…our first black President, Barrack Obama, was sworn in as the 44th man to be elected to the highest office in the US government. That alone is significant enough to note into a journal…

WATCHING THE EVENTS OF THE DAY…

I glued myself to the TV and spent the better part of the day watching the pomp and circumstance. I had a very large duty in the laudry room and tried to get that done in between some meaningful moments. It seemed very much like the other inaugural proceedings I had watched in years gone by…but I was most mindful of the significance of the moment, maybe not so much for me but for the African Americans who have waited so long to close the circle of humanity.

PRESECUTIONS…

There is minor similarity as a faith based person as myself whose religion suffered greatly at the hands of an American people and it’s government who sought to persecute so many because of their religious doctrines and values. Ignorance walks down many paths…

KEEPING IT SIMPLE…?

I am trying to see where my tax dollars paid for the big stuff of the day, perhaps the cost rose because it became a four day affair. Perhaps it was costly because tons of pheasant and duck needed to be fed to the Washington elite. Maybe it was the massive security force needed to protect the powerful…

What I did enjoy was the great historical anadotes of the past that were described during the commentators repose. I enjoyed learning facts of the past.

THANKS MR. PRESIDENT…

Most of all, I suppose, I am grateful that the balance of American power can be tranferred so peacefully and with honor. To see the graciousness of the Bush families as they were ushered out of Washington was bittersweet for me. Above all else, Mr. Bush has been abused, melined and disrespected by so many. The Presidency deserves better than that and so does Mr. Bush. I am grateful for his leadership on 9/11 and his devotion and respect he so obviously has for the troops. Thanks for keeping us safe…

So, as Mr. Bush goes home to Texas where he will be more appreciated it is hoped he can relax and let the arrows and sharp tongued comments and criticism land on the steps of the White House where they belong…

May Heavenly Father continue to bless the United States of America!

I have been known and teased grossly for my habit of making lists…It started years ago when I realized I was totally out numbered by children and my mind could not think fast enough to keep up with them…

LISTS GALORE…

So I made all sorts of lists…shopping list, groceries lists, hubby-to-do lists and lists for all sorts of things I am sure you can imagine. As I have gotten older, even with the kids all grown, I am still making lists. Has it just become a nasty habit..? Have I gotten so old now I really need to write things down…?

SENIOR LISTS….

The differences between yester-years lists and today’s is that they have become shorter and more urgent. As I have aged I have noticed that making list empowers me to feel like I am still somewhat in charge and useful. My limitations have become such that I must rely upon my family to bail me out on a lot of things. The big difference is that I have raised children who are a lot more easy going than I, whose standards aren’t made of perfection which at times drives me crazy…..but that discussion is for another time.

A NEW LIFE…

Our grown #4 child and wife presented us with a new grandson recently. I took the phone call and delighted to hear the wonderful news and that all was well. Ironically, our Church family was putting to rest a child who sadly passed away and was buried the same day. So, once again I experienced the “sunrise-sunset” part of life. As one grows older the extemes tend to tug at the heart and draw a flood of tears….

A POSITIVE LOOK…

So, it all lends pause to thinking about a new life…it is more manageable, at times like this, to go for the positives in life. I have been thinking about ALL my grandchildren and how much I would like to totally control their lives….oh, not make every decision but be available to put up warning signs that can bring sorrow and pain…or just to be present for a warm, understanding heart and hugs. Hugs are so under rated these days…

My grandchildren run the gambit from 20 something to newborn. Yet, for each one I fear that life stings might leave lasting wounds. We all know how much the world has changed and the future may not give the opportunities to let the spirit soar…

A NEED TO LOOK AT THE PAST…

So much technology and moral laziness has seeped into our daily lives that I wish I could bring back the old days when life seemed innocent and bright with opportunities. I never thought that I would hearken back to my youth and consider those years as “innocent or memorable.”

But the new generations will not know much of the past. They seem so intent in pushing towards the future. As a 60 something I have passed through a life they will never know…so sad. download Beneath the Planet of the Apes movie

MEMORABLE MOMENTS…GOOD STUFF…

I remember…living in a podunk town with less that 5,000 people. There was one elementary school and a combined middle high school. I was walked a half mile to the bus stop and traveled through town to that school. Girls did not wear pants or shorts to school. We were always in skirts and dresses. When in high school the coolest things were Pendleton skirts, angora sweaters and white buck shoes. Pony tails, crinoline slips, poodle skirts and sack lunches on the quad were all the rave. A sack lunch consisted of a hamburger, chips and a hugh cookie topped off with cold milk all at the cost of 25 cents. At mid break time it was a large maple bar with a carton of milk…yum!

Friday nights were always fun, even innocent. There were sport games to attend or a dance at the high school gym. Kids were more interested in the old car they just purchased or showing off their new block D sweater they had just earned. My first real car was a ‘58 Chevy white and teal Biscayne…it was more than cool. And yes, I had the white dice dangling from the mirror!!

GUYS….

I was not much as date bait but I had a few. My first real date was to a dance at the Sportsman’s Lodge. It was just a regular dance with current records (45’s) that blared loudly. At date’s end I received a peck on the cheek…

My first real boyfriend was a nice guy who was all hands. You would never want to go to the Drive In with him…really. Drive-ins, now a passing fancy, but in those days considered the cheapest date around. Outdoor movies with a play yard for the little kids, snack bar and staticy speakers that fit unto the window pane.

MORE FOOD THAT TASTED GREAT…

There were Drive-Ins for food as well….really good stuff. The best drive-in around was Hoky’s…the best burgers, fries and shakes. We had a local creamery that seemed to attract all the popular kids as a gathering place for the high school elite. After I met Grandad I would always go to Dairy Belle and get a chili sauced burger, fries and apple pie and drop them off to him when he worked for the Oakland Tribune…

Shakey’s was the best pizza pie place. Grandad and I spent many hours watching them make pizzas and plugging the jukebox with quarters. We would have years going on a pizza run after we were married. When we moved to Lodi we found 3 legendary places to eat. Pizza Garden became our eatery of choice. It was reasonably priced which was great while raising kids but it made it’s own unique style of pizza. Local german sausage, Bruno’s peppers and secret sauce and loads of a variety of cheeses. I can still taste that first bit…

The second place to eat was a local Deli. Howard’s catered to the high school crowd and made the best homemade everything!! Their potato salad riveled mine and the french dipped beef sandwiches were to die for…no skimping and juicy. The best bakery was a draw between two in town. One made the best sandwiches on a homemade roll. The other baked to perfection the old world german delicacies so familiar to the local towns people. The German Chocolate ring and almond coffee rings stand out as our family’s favorites…

Geez…this is sounding more like a menu than waltzing down memory lane. Let’s call this Part One…more later…

I’m hungry…..

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