5/16/18

Gathering Graces 5/13/2018

*Paul and I started this glorious day with a walk around the north end off Moscow where Vince and Jill live.  We had beautiful views as we walked through some neighborhoods on the edge of town.
*When we returned back to the house, Jill’s son Steven Frank had woken up, and was told he would be preparing Mother’s Day brunch for all of us, and it was to be ready by 10 a.m.  Steven is a KHS graduate, and also did a Melodrama show with us one summer.  He attended Culinary School at NIC, and for the past 10 years or so has held chef jobs in upstate New York, New York City and Miami, Florida.  About six weeks ago he decided to take a break and come back to Moscow to live.  He made a delicious frittata for our brunch.
*After a good night’s sleep, Jason was able to join us for a while outside while we ate.  He was looking a little better.  Molly, Travis, Cosette and Taylor all joined us for brunch as well.
*During the summer, we always have some fun rounds of bocce ball in our backyard.  Jill and Vince have an actual bocce court in their backyard.  So we teamed up and played a couple of rounds.  Molly and I were the Champions!!!  We beat Zoe and Jill first, then beat Paul and Cosette next to be the overall winners!!  When I grew up on the Sunnyside of Kellogg, there was a bocce ball court in between some houses on the West 500 blocks of Mullan and Mission.  Old Italian men would play back there into the evening on summer evenings.  I would be at Linda Pouttu’s house, and I think her grandpa might have been one of the men playing.
We are the Champions!!!
*Soon Zoe and Jason were back on the road, headed for Meridian and Caldwell.  Molly and Travis and Cosette and Taylor soon went to their homes, and Paul and I packed up and headed home as well.  It was a wonderful Mother’s Day, with all the girls, we enjoyed the awesome hospitality of the Jill and Vince, and a beautiful day on the Idaho Palouse.
*But the fun didn’t end on arriving home.  Later that evening, we headed over to Bill and Debbie’s house for family dinner.  Debbie made a delicious dinner of pork chops, broccoli fritters with remoulade sauce, and roasted radishes.  Very, very tasty.  I was able to check out the continued remodel on their house, and also next door at Christy and Everett’s.  It was a great way to end a wonderful weekend of celebration, love, joy, and family time. 
*This was the first Mother’s Day without Mom.  Being surrounded by family and friends throughout the day helped ease the loss.  That is what I have found with many of the days when she is missed most, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, her birthday and Mother’s Day.  For each of these occasions I was surrounded by family, so Mom’s spirit was definitely present throughout each occasion we celebrated without her.  For me, that helped deal with the loss immensely. 

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