Our final week in California was bittersweet. It started off with the celebration of my cousin graduating from college (see last week's post that included the Sunday celebration) and ended with lots of good-byes and arriving back home! Here is what happened.....
We returned to Bakersfield at the beginning of the week with only a small detour onto CA-134 and went right past my old townhouse in Glendale, CA from the days when I was first working in downtown Los Angeles back in 1989-92. Apparently I drifted off to sleep, and the navigator was therefore not minding the necessary instructions to stay on I-210 !! that transition in Pasadena has always been a tricky one, oh well, a fun detour down memory lane.
Duncan administered finals and worked on the grading and I focused on my projects, washing, packing, tidying up our accomodations, etc. I just have to show you the most up to date item in the house. Mind you this house was built in 1949 and is owned by the survivors of presumably the 2nd owner (Dr. B) which acquired the house in the 1950's. Dr. B made the front room into a long room with a projection booth at one end and a movie screen at the other so that he could show educational medical films back in the day. The projection room is still there along with a big reel projector. In 2000 the master bathroom shower was redone to have this tile work. The family had been missionaries in the south pacific. I'm sure these made him smile every day to be reminded of the those special times.
His daughter was my mother's roommate in college and was so kind, along with her brother to provide the accomodations for us during the six weeks we were in Bakersfield. She said that this is just what her father would want them to do with the house--use it for the Lord's work. We felt very blessed.
I had lots of quilting projects to try to wrap up, and I was fairly pleased with my progress. Lots of photos posted in my WIP update.
Big news was on Wednesday when I found out that "Spinner" is a semi-finalist in the Pacific West Quilt Show. This is a juried and judged show that takes place in Tacoma, WA, August 24-26. This means that you send in photos of your quilt to be 'juried' or selected into the show. I'm honored to be included. There are phenomenal quilters on the list!
On Thursday I went on a personal mission to see some family homes from our past in the local area. My father proposed to my mother in front of this house (right), in a car almost like the one still sitting there. It felt like I was in a time warp.
When I was a child and we came to visit my grandparents, we'd come to the house (I think) pictured below which was across from a beautiful park (below left). Lots of great memories running straight to the freezer to get double popsicle sticks or running in our underpants in the sprinkler to try and stay cool.
We said our good-byes to those at the school and our accomodation host, gave the borrowed lab equipment to a parent headed to MBA and chose to go I-5 due to it's straighter and wider lanes (vs. CA-99) and made it to the Sacramento area and stayed with Marlene's friend, Sylvia (Brouwer) Beamesderfer, from high school and college days. Great to re-connect and catch-up on life.
Friday we continued towards home making a detour to Crater Lake. Getting a stamp in my National Park Passport, reminded me I had been there almost 10 years earlier with Lollie (we had just worked with her at Bakersfield for the past 6 weeks) on a NW roadtrip from our days in San Francisco together. Crater Lake's north entrance was still closed due to snow and typically doesn't open until July. We had to walk quite a ways out onto this ice field to get this photo. A spectacular site! Glad Duncan got to see it as an adult. He's not sure, but he might have been there as a 5 year old, but not since then. 
The Bodnar's once again accomodated us on our trip ....three times in the last 7 weeks. THANK YOU so much!!As we entered the Walla Walla Valley, it was a stunning day. Great to be home and finished with that mission. We just wanted to help the students if they wanted to learn and provide some stability even if they didn't. We were grateful for the Lord's blessing in our safe travels and hope the time spent with the students will make a positive difference in their lives.
My California Poppies were spectacular, greeting us home to Washington! ha!!!
Our next adventure starts on Monday. I hope to be posting daily starting on Wednesday upon arrival in Ireland!
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