Summer Soiree 2008 - A Great Time Had By All!

The Pattons and Richard & Nancy outdid themselves again - they organized a better weekend than any of us could have asked for! It was great to see everyone again, especially so many of our kids, who are about the age most of us were back when these Summer Soirees first began back in 1976! Thankfully, I got my cast off last week, so after a nice visit with Julie and Gabe in SLO, we arrived at Wildwood and I got to enjoy the pool as well as old and new friends, great food and drink, and beautiful views of the Santa Cruz Mountains. As we would often say while floating in the pool with our drinks, "They sure run a great place here!"

A New Pond Visitor

We were lucky to see this guy before he saw us!
We hope there isn't enough flying room between the bridge and the avocado tree for him to try catching fish in his talons because he is gorgeous and we'd love to see him up close again!

Watching the Fish

One day before I broke my leg, I finally finished my pond "remodel". (I'll link to photos of the process when I get a chance.) There are still plants and rocks that need to be put back and more plants to add, but until my leg is healed, I'll just have to wait. Tom moved a few things for me (especially the fish!) and feeds them every night. During the recent heat wave, we've really enjoyed sitting on the back porch with our evening drinks, watching the fish eat. Here's a video I put together as the fish learned it was safe to come out and eat while we are still in the area.

Amazing How One Second Can Change Your Life

That's what I heard several times this past weekend after stepping off the deck without planning to! I had finally finished my pond remodeling project the night before and was spacing out and admiring the results before I was truly awake . . .
Thank goodness Tom hadn't left yet, so we were able to spend time in the ER, get x-rays, and surgery before the sun set. Two nights and a morning at Community Memorial later, Tom was helping me back into the house.

I have a metal plate with six pins and two screws holding together the break and the fracture of my tibia and fibula (right ones) and I'm able to slowly move on crutches. My main responsibility (and goal) is to sit with my foot elevated for as long as possible until Tuesday morning when I will see the surgeon again. Now that I've stopped taking the pain pills, I feel better but it will be more work to sit still!I will have to concentrate on sitting still!

A Wedding and Three Concerts

Last week came and went but left me with lots of great memories, images, and melodies in my head. We spent the first half of the Memorial Day weekend in San Luis Obispo and celebrated love, marriage, family, and friends at Holly & Chris's wedding. Sam and Jenn came down from Tahoe and the four of us stayed in a suite together.

We all (Doug included) drove back to Ventura for a night at home. Tom helped me finish the pond by doing the more detailed digging and we put the liner down the next morning. (More about that in another posting.) We spent Monday at the UCLA Reggae Festival and had a great time with the all the sounds and sights of the day.

Two dress rehearsals later, we joined the Cal State University Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra (CHICO) and the CSUCI choir for two performances of Ralph Vaughn Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem. We performed at the Camarillo Community Church on Friday night and at our First United Methodist Church in Ventura on Sunday afternoon. We got to enjoy Mariam and CHICO perform Rhapsody in Blue twice!


More photos are coming!