California Dreaming – My Week Back Home in Northern California

We started off our Mother & Daughter-in-law adventure in Reno, Nevada, as many of you know. If you haven’t seen those posts… Just head backwards ’til early May, and happy reading forward! You will catch up fast. Now, strap on, and grab a favorite summer beverage as we have a bunch of photos and stories to share. Let’s drive on to California for a fun-packed week “back home”…

California Rebekah Assembly & Grand Lodge

We attended the 2026 California Assembly for the Rebekahs (part of the International Order of Odd Fellows) in Nevada, which sounds weird. They have had this meeting in Nevada for about five years now, but next year it moves back to California.

The Peppermill Casino was where every meeting and event of this assembly was held. It is a lovely hotel with large, beautiful meeting rooms. Probably why someone helped choose this location for the assembly. 😉

On this night, we attended a formal dinner welcoming everyone to the assembly.

We spent four days attending meetings each morning and some afternoons. Then, in the evenings, special events were held and finally an installation for incoming officers on the last night.

As we were getting ready to leave Reno, we finished up from the installation, made our goodbyes then drove over around 10:00pm to a McDonald’s close-by for two Happy Meals… Our really late dinner to eat on the way back down the mountains!

I had been shooting photographs all evening of outgoing and incoming officers plus many of the attendees. Right then at the McDonald’s… That’s when I learned I DIDN’T HAVE MY PHONE…

All night, I had been filming in a skirt (required for the events; I almost NEVER wear anything but pants or shorts.) with my Canon camera. I had set my phone with my purse and other bags off to the side. Well… at some point, my phone fell off… and I didn’t notice.

I had PTSD thoughts of when I lost my phone in Atlanta at High Point Market… (roll eyes and blame the apple martini!). THAT one was eventually found and I got it back 6 weeks later ~ after already arguing with our phone carrier about using the “insurance,” which I haven’t paid for since, as they didn’t honor it ~ and having to buy a new phone.

Long story and really an even longer story… I WAS NOT going to go through that mess again!

We went back to the Peppermill and found the man who had actually found the phone and had handed it off to another attendee. Turns out, we were following right behind that person, thankfully!

After identifying my phone at the concierge desk, we got on the road for California. We had a two hour drive back from Reno, Nevada, to Gramma’s home in the Sacramento Valley ~ about 150 miles to cover. It was now 11:00pm.

Go west, young woman (okay, older woman!)

The smell of pines driving along Highway 80 heading west into California was a magical balm on those twisty mountain roads! (photograph was actually taken when leaving California for home, but same pines!) I used to be pretty familiar with driving these roads, but it has been too many years… So I drove slowly and under the speed limit. Gramma was ahead of me in her car and I was in my truck.

We stopped in Roseville for a restroom break then drove onto Gramma’s house. After a quick shower, I was fast asleep by 3:00am… 🙂

After just a few hours of sleep, we went to the 11am contemporary service at Grace Church.

My husband’s sister and nephew play on the worship team. I like their pastor and it was fun being there and hearing Jodi play her flute and Corey play bass. Jodi played at our wedding almost 40 years ago and plays beautifully… A lovely message & a lovely time worshipping!

After a Mother’s Day lunch out with Gini, Jodi and Corey, we came home and crashed… Gramma took a 6-hour nap and I slept for 3 hours. Felt much better!

Then I took my first of many walks around their mobile home park enjoying all the pretty gardens.

The rest of the week, I helped Gini and Jodi with moving a few plants from one mobile home to the other. We cut back some oleander plants out along the back fence and got that area cleaned up a bit. Gramma wanted to tackle a shed but she didn’t have any more racks at the time. That will be a project for another time…

Oddly enough, I took no photographs of Gini’s mobile. I guess I only took photos of when I felt “on vacation.” They still had plenty of boxes to unpack, which was another factor.

The view as you come out from their front door looks onto a lovely neighboring yard which was very tidy and shaded by a couple of beautiful trees. I could have taken a photograph of that, at least! I don’t know. I also loved Gini’s primary bathroom as the light coming in the window had that super white sunlightm which I love.

Bingo adventures

While in the Sacramento valley, I was able to visit several days with my deaf brother Frank and his deaf-blind roommate Cynthia. We got together on Thursday with the Sacramento Valley Deaf-blind Club and their Senior Social group who play Bingo a couple of times a month.

I never knew there were so many ways a card could be played! Where have I been??

We had a blast but none of us at our table won. I met soooo many nice people and got to use my sign language, which is really rusty after so many years not living near my brother!

Of course, I signed at school sometimes for the kids who came to our middle school library, but it’s not the same as signing everyday. I am surprised I remembered as much as I did, actually! And Frank is really good at teaching me signs, which he has always done. We were always pals growing up.

Frank was sweet and made us all turkey roll-ups for lunch and brought bottles of water. I was still kinda wiped out from the long drive out west, and didn’t even think to bring my own drink thermos, which I had back at the house. Thank goodness for Frank’s thoughtfulness! We played three games before lunch, had a one-hour break, then finished with three more games which went faster.

Afterwards, we went and got ice cream and then I took them back to their apartment. They had ridden the bus over. Frank showed me his card which allows them to ride for free.

Frank came alone on Friday evening, and we went with Jodi and her friend Suzanne to play Bingo at the mobile home clubhouse. Suzanne has been teaching students in special education for almost 40 years, and she signs. I am so glad they were there as we were all signing the numbers for Frank. I ended up winning $68.00, which was great!!!

Visiting my best friend and her family

Janet and I have known each other since our sophomore year of high school and we always pick up right where we left off with each phone call, Christmas/birthday card or letter. I love that when we get together, we can just hang out, have a bite to eat, and we might go somewhere, or not. Some of my favorite little Christmas ornaments came from a trip up to Auburn, California, to a Christmas shop which used to be there.

We went camping once together before my kids were born and Charles saved their daughter Sara when she fell into the campfire. That was a scary evening, but thankfully their daughter wasn’t injured. Later, when our kids were small, we would all go swimming in their above-ground pool and Janet’s husband Ken would grill burgers or steak and veggie shish kabobs. For my 40th birthday, Janet surprised us by driving down with her son and daughter to hang out for the weekend. These are my favorite memories of coming over to their house (or to ours)!

Then as our kids all grew into their teens and early 20’s, a big paintball battle ensued down in their lower field. I don’t remember but I think our husbands were in on that battle, too. 😉 Janet and I stayed out of it because… Well… because paintballs really hurt!

Between Janet & Ken’s kids graduating and moving onto jobs and college, and our kids were still in their busy-running-to-events-high school years, the visits became further between, but they have always been good.

Whenever I was up visiting Pete and Gini, I would make a point to get over for a visit. We met up at least once at Disneyland during joint Easter/Spring break vacations and all four kids had fun being together. I remember going to Legoland, too. These were when the kids were still young.

This time, we went to a garden center Janet likes and was closeby. Then we drove over to this larger garden center ~ Pottery World, in Rocklin, California. It is the place off Highway 80 that I saw with Gini as we were driving home at 1:00am the previous Sunday morning. Funny, we were talking on the phone as we drove by and I tried to get Gini to commit to going there during the week, but no go. So, I was thrilled that Janet was game to go!

I was interested in looking at a small water fountain***. (Hold onto that thought, friends! ;D ) I will share that adventure soon. 😉

After visiting those two garden centers, we got back to Janet’s place and she called her daughter to invite them to come over for dinner. It was now late afternoon and going on towards dinner time.

Once Sara was off from work, she and her husband came over with their kids and brought Chinese food for dinner. I haven’t seen Sara and Kyle since their wedding back six, seven, eight years ago?!! It was fun seeing them all and meeting their three kids! They are adorable. 💜 

I brought a few small gifts for the kids and then we all went out to see Kevin’s house and an RV he is working on on their property, and to check out the chickens. Always fun for me since I have wanted to keep chickens for years!

I think I wiped Janet out with running around to two places as she is still recovering from her surgery a year ago, and then all of the chemo and radiation, which has thankfully ended! She is recovering well and goes for good walks with several friends in the community, but she still gets really tired. And she misses her husband dearly, who passed away just two short years ago from a type of Alzheimer’s dementia.

Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as she continues gaining strength everyday and for her loss. We were only able to get together just the one day, but it was wonderful!

A Belated Mother’s Day Tea

On Saturday, my sister-in-love Jodi hosted a belated Mother’s Day tea for the ladies who attend Grace Lutheran Church.

The day was a perfect 80 degrees and sunny with just a light wind… The front garden at Grace Church was joyfully filled with gladiolas, geraniums and agapanthus in full bloom…

Jodi had spent a lot of time gathering all of the table decorations for the tables including: 3D butterflies which she put together while I set the tables for her. She found floral-themed paper plates and matching cups online as well as small favors for the ladies, like little bubble tubes.

Who doesn’t like to blow bubbles? 😉

I didn’t take any photographs of all of the dishes everyone brought to share, but the food was delicious and there was plenty of it! Gramma Gini baked a sheet-pan of tamale pie and a pasta dish.

Jodi also invented a Jeopardy game which everyone loved playing! All of the attendees had a nice time and thanked Jodi for a lovely tea as the day wrapped up around 2:00pm.

After a quick clean up and me helping to wash a very few dishes, we drove back to Gramma Gini’s house and everyone relaxed for the rest of the day. I took my last nap of this trip before the big drive heading back home on that Saturday afternoon.

Some final thoughts

Then Gramma and I watched some more of ER with all of the cute doctors on there! She got me hooked on watching old ER reruns on cable tv. I had never seen ER and do like Noah Wyle’s acting. I remember him from an Indiana Jones-like series of movies made in the 1990s, I think.

We finished up this trip with attending Grace Church the following day, Sunday. Frank and Cynthia came and I signed for Frank and Frank signed into Cynthia’s hand for her. We left everyone there as they were having a luncheon but I wanted to spend the day with my brother before heading home on Monday.

That’s when we went up to Placerville and to the cemetery, and onto Boa Vista Orchards, where we found jams, jellies and those apple donuts… YUM!!!

Great trip!

I have a little more to share with you in two more posts, but I have shared the bulk of my trip at this point. Now there is just the fountain adventure and the ride home. All along the trip, I found some great rocks for my garden, too.

Let me know what your favorite part of this week was and this whole trip so far! I have some awesome photographs of the drive from Salt Lake City, Utah into Moab. The mountains and massive boulders there are gorgeous. Next week!

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Big hugs and thanks for coming along on this trip,