Sunday, June 16 after taking my Patch mates home from church I headed north. A lovely, sunny day. I couldn't really tell you if it was hot outside because I like to have the air conditioning on most of the time. I have said I would happily drive a refrigerator. Well, it was quite warm somewhere around Redding when I stopped for a brief break - empty me and refill my water bottle. Gracie made it to the hotel in one tank of gas as I hoped.
I think Lainee had envisioned a big sleep-over, but Mike & Debi, Gary & Kris, and I each decided to take a room at a nearby hotel. We have rooms next to each other. Pretty sure Lainee arranged that. Arriving at Cimarron Inn, I found a nice surprise which Lainee also arranged for us.
We had thought to meet up at the hotel breakfast at 8, but the night owls and late arrivers decided to take a more relaxed course and changed the meeting time to 9:30 at the Black Bear Diner. For some reason I have long been attracted by the highway signs I have seen for the Black Bear Diner and wanted to try them. oh, good. Something to check off my list. If I had a list.
Miriam predicted that I would have breakfast and 2nd breakfast. I woke up around 5:30. No, I got up at 5:30 after a couple of premature awakenings as is somtimes my wont. Lazily showered and dressed. Had sausage and eggs at the breakfast room around 7. Not a big fancy breakfast spread, but not bad. Oatmeal, biscuits, other bread stuffs, sausage and eggs. No fruit.
Lainee tried to interest us in a writing activity for which she would provide the prompt, but enthusiasm was limited. So we went on to an art project she hd planned. Art therapy. There is no right or wrong way for it to look. Draw in your own style, as you see or feel it. We were to draw a tree with a box nearby, but before you put pencil to paper, here is the over view: Your Story Tree 1)in the roots of the tree write where you came from - specific or big picture, emotionally, whatever you want to put. 2) On the trunk, write a word that describes how you view your life, your journey on earth. 3) On each branch, write a dream, aspiration, wish, goal, want. 4) Draw a leaf for each person who has had a profound and positive effect on you. 5) For each leaf, add a flower or a fruit and write the gift that person gave you. 6) Seeds represent the legacy you hope to leave, things you want to be remembered for, how you want people to think of you. 7) In the foreground around the tree write the things you choose to do - not what you feel you have to do, what is expected of you, what you should do, but what you choose to do, want to do, love to do. 8) The box is your compost box where you will put the negatives, things that have been difficult, things you have removed from your life, are working on overcoming, or plan to remove. We had a sheet of paper for jotting notes to ourselves about our tree, another to do an initial sketch, and a GREAT BIG sheet of water color paper to do the actual drawing. We would black ink the final lines. Then do a watercolor technique to color it. I think one or two got to the sketching stage. At least one walked out, One fell asleep, which inspired me to go take the nap that was trying to take me. Me, I need time to process it. And I don't think I can do the big tree.
After my nap we went to the Lighthouse Yogurt Company. I was good. I had a small no-sugar added yogurt (the Elvis, peanut butter and chocolate flavored) with strawberries and almonds. 6 of the flavors offered are being retired today with 6 new ones on Tuesday. There is some talk of returning. But there is also talk of driving to Crater Lake. I am not sure both are possible.
Having had dessert, we went home and broke out our potluck dinner. Chicken, refried type beans, broccoli salad, tuna pasta salad, corn on the cob, ranger cookies. Did I forget something?
Between the 5 of us siblings, 4 biodads are represented. Some of us have had our DNA tested. We started talking about our ethnic make ups, how we compare with each other, and why in the world do our DNA reports not necessarily match what we expected. Michael does not think the tests are reliable and the evidence seems to back him. We need to do more research. If I were rich I would have DNA testing done by multiple companies just to see how they compare.
Jay is the only one who seemed disappointed that the Talent Show was cancelled. He brought out at least half dozen wood flutes, told us a bit about each of them and played them a little.
The genealogy type discussion continued with several laptops being fired up as we explored Family Search and / or Ancestor.com and Kris (a family research consultant) helped the less experienced. Jay mentioned that Kris was sharing one of her talents. By then I was dragging and I retired to the hotel.
We are different, but accepting each other and not trying to change each other. Jay wants to come down for a week and help me with some of my house projects before he starts cancer treatment. I was surprised how much gospel / scripture references made it into regular conversation. My siblings and I had been raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I THINK only Kris and her husband Gary and I are active. It seems some of the teachings linger. Or at least provide a common reference at times.
No comments:
Post a Comment