DOWN MEMORY LANE, PART TWO...

Last week, 

I left you at the cross roads

 of our trip down memory lane (here).

  Now we will start

 at the beginning of

 the Captain's and my married life together.

  We had a very small wedding. 

 We went to Reno with just two of our friends who stood up for us and whom we had stood up for the day before, at their wedding.

  However,

 my folks gave us a reception awhile later 

with many of our family and friends.

  The only thing I regret

 was not having the picture album 

that a conventional wedding 

usually produces. 

 But we did have, on our side, 

all that mattered to us at that time, 

love and youth,

 and we did manage to get 

one photo that 

we cherish (above).

Our first home together 

was a cute, little rental cabin, 

which I was unable to get a photo of,

 tucked back into the trees.

 It had one bedroom, 

was fully furnished 

and the walls were all a warm knotty pine.

  It was a true fairy tale cottage.

 We thought we had made a big mistake,

 however,

 when we arrived on moving day. 

 We were greeted with a horrible smell 

as we came to the front door and,

 what we didn't know was, 

that the old woman who owned the house 

had spread manure on a garden bed 

to make it pretty for her 

newly married tenants.

  

How were we to imagine 

the beautiful and fragrant sweet peas 

that would eventually grace our doorway 

and welcome us home every time 

we stepped over the thresh hold?

  

This was a happy place 

as Tami was born

 while we lived here.

We bought our first home 

from friends of ours 

just before Brent was born. 

 It was a cute house

 with a large rear garden 

and a bright and welcoming 

orange front door.

 We didn't stay in this house very long 

as it was only two bedrooms

 and I wanted each of the kids 

to be able to have their own room.

 It is being used 

as a pre-school these days 

and the lawn and flower beds have,

 sadly, 

been turned into 

a parking lot.

Tami was just starting kindergarten 

when we bought this house. 

 Each of the kids finally got their own rooms

 and I was able to decorate them 

to my heart's content.

 The house had a 

wonderful back and front garden 

and the tree that you see behind the house, 

in the top right hand corner,

 was a sapling 

when we brought it from 

my grandparent's ranch. 

 It would now be about 

53 years since we planted it there. 

 It is also 

where we hung a crystal chandelier

 in the bathroom, 

way before it was fashionable to do so.

 The house was about 

two blocks from the ocean

 and was where I started getting 

the feelings that fog 

wasn't my friend!...

...and that is how we ended up

 back pretty close 

to where I had begun in Soquel.

 This is where we raised our two kids

 and this is where Tim and Tami 

are living now

and where they raised Jake.

 In all the other houses 

we have lived in, 

never did we put up any of the fences shown.

 Only in this one,

 possibly,

 to surround the place

 where the very best

 of our memories were made.

  

It is also in this house 

that we spent our

 recent beach vacation...

A drive along the Capitola cliffs

...but this is the closest

 we got to 

the beach...

...most of our time was spent 

lounging on the couch

 with Bo...

...or with Bo

 lounging on the couch 

with Rosie...

...or with Bo 

lounging on the couch by himself 

because Rosie...

...preferred 

lounging in her

 clam shell.

Kai is wondering, 

not too happily,

 who does this big guy think he is, 

lounging with my Papa. 

 That's my job!

The kids have Netflix

 and we binged watched movies.

 If you happen to have Netflix, 

I strongly recommend 

the three seasons of "Last Tango in Halifax".

  It was the best entertainment

 we have had in ages.

The kids had a great time 

in Alaska

 and brought us back these 

really pretty

 coffee mugs...

...and this beautiful flower arrangement 

that was waiting for us 

when we got back home.

 We really felt like

 we were on vacation, 

but it is always good 

to come home.

...Judy...

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