Roads

"Two Roads diverged in a yellow wood, ..." and I -

I took the one less traveled by,...

-Robert Frost

Roads beckon to me. They say come follow me and explore...you never know what you will find round the next bend or up over that hill. I love a road that stretches out before me, no traffic behind me pushing me forward, that says take your time. I love to meander and just drive, take my time and see what there is to see.

I got my love of road trips from my Mom. When we were kids, growing up in New England, she'd pack up the car and off we'd go for the day or a weekend. In the Fall we'd drive up Route 5 through Massachusetts and see the fall colors, stop at road side stands for pumpkins and dried flowers and explore antique barns looking for treasure. In the summer we were off to Rhode Island or Cape Cod to walk miles of beach and go camping. If there was a museum or art show she felt we needed to experience in the car we went. No distance was too great. I'll never forget the trip to upstate New York so we could go to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. My brothers were in rapture and I couldn't help but think "we drove this far to look at baseballs all day?"

Over the years Mom and I have taken many a road trip vacation together on some memorable roads; the Pacific Coast Highway 101 on the California coast from San Diego to Eureka. There is no road quite like the stretch of Route 1 through Big Sur- incredible scenery with rugged cliffs on the Pacific Ocean, breathtaking but... take it from one who learned the hard way, start early in the day! We started late in the afternoon and as the sun went down the fog started to come in and 75 miles of s-curves in pea soup is not fun. You had to pry my hands from the steering wheel after that trip! I love Highway 49 or the Gold Highway on the other side of the Sierra mountains. A winding country road predominantly that meanders through old mining towns like Volcano and Placerville. A girls weekend spent driving up Highway 12 through the Sonoma valley to Santa Rosa stopping to taste wine and olive oil. We've even driven cross country from the East Coast to the West. Highway 395 through the Sierra Nevada is beautiful too. One of my favorite stretches is through Walker Canyon, winding its way along next to the Walker River through pine forest and of course the road through Yosemite is incredible!

Part of my "blooming where you are planted" philosophy is that I get out and explore my new territory as much as possible. I've found old home foundations and remnants of rock chimneys on the roads to Pine Creek and Lake Sabrina; driven dirt roads looking for petroglyph's out on the mesa and explored off-road through the Buttermilk's; discovered old cemeteries and learned about local history stopping at roadside markers. I've visited with any number of cows and horses along the way, marveled at fields of wild iris and stopped to smell wild roses growing on old wooden fence posts. The mountains change during the day as the sun and shadows highlight the different contours on their path. There is so much beauty in the world to see and experience and that is why I choose to take the road less traveled because it ... " has made all the difference."

Bye Daddy

On July 31st my Dad, Robert, passed away at the age of 88.

When someone dies, after the initial period of sorrow and pain have passed you start remembering and sharing those things that meant something to you personally. These thoughts just seem to appear, perhaps something physical like a smell or sound triggers them out of thin air, and they comfort. I want to share some of my memories of my Dad with you.

When I was 5 years old my Dad took me to New York City for the first time. We took the train from Massachusetts into the city just for the day. It was also my first train trip. It was winter and before Christmas. I'll never forget going to Rockerfeller center and watching all the people ice skating, the huge decorated Christmas tree, the giant mailbox to put your letter to Santa in and it was the first time I had seen a policeman on a horse! It was a big day and it was just me and Dad and I felt so grown up.

Dad was never really the outdoor type... he was never comfortable at the beach and he always wore socks with his sandles... on the beach! Mom took us camping herself...Dad didn't go camping. Mom said that they got poison ivy on their honeymoon because he cleared the yard for his aunt just before and didn't know it was loaded with the itchy weed.What a way to spend your honeymoon. He hated insects with a passion and I remember living in fear of hearing a mosquito because he would start fumigating the whole house. Mind you he got malaria when he was in Panama in World War II so I understood his fear. I even remember once on a Sunday afternoon going to the local park for a picnic and he tripped and sprained his foot. He grilled hotdogs over the hibachi as he lay on the blanket with his foot up.

He was always meticulous in dressing. He loved ties! He worked for the Department of Defense for 40 years and always wore a suit. I'll never forget the first pair of jeans my Mom bought for him so he could do yard work?! He had them tailored! He just didn't get it.

Though I never remember my Dad watching or being interested in sports my youngest brother has fond memories of going to Whalers hockey games with Dad in Hartford, CT when he was a kid (he's 11 years younger than me). He loved to read, he was an expert ballroom dancer and even taught for Arthur Murray studios, he loved being in the sun, he loved apple pie and donuts and he loved his grandchildren very much.

In the last year he talked alot about his Grandmother Kindred and her home on Nelson St. in Fitchburg, MA. He loved her dearly and his best childhood memories were from there...he was a known blueberry pie thief at the age of 2! Head to toe blue, licking his chops and not showing any remorse...so we are going to take Dad back to his Grandma as we think that is where he would like to be most.

Thanks for everything- the good times and the bad as it shaped me into the person I am today. Thanks for being strict...I never doubted I was loved. I'll miss you. I love you.

Until we meet again....

Your Daughter