June 30th

For some reason I always remember that this is my neice Dania's birthday.
She is 36 today.
Happy birthday, Dania!

MOYNA'S RAMBLINGS (10)

It's been quite a while - a really LONG time since my last post, but here I am!
We just returned last week from two weeks in California visiting family & friends. As usual, we didn't get to see everyone that we had hoped to see. I wanted to see a friend I had grown-up with - Judy, but wasn't able. My mother saw to that... She wanted us to spend all of our time there at the house. She wasn't too happy that I did see some friends, but I told her I had made plans for getting together before our trip out there. So, except for a couple times, we just laid low at my parents' home.

My father turned 89 in April & my mother turned 83 in May. They are beginning to show their age some. My father isn't as steady on his feet when he first gets up from sitting, but his mind is still sharp. My mother's memory isn't quite as sharp, but she's still pretty spry - she out does me despite the fact she keeps saying she's getting old! They bicker quite a bit; Fred & I wonder if that's how we will be after 65 years of marriage - then I will say, "We won't be around to see our 65th wedding anniversary!" Actually, Fred will be sitting in his chair asleep (pretending to be reading) and I will be watching TV - the routine we now have!

We took my mother to San Diego to visit my brother Marty & his family. We had the best time there! When I was growing up, I always wanted to live in San Diego. How did I go from that dream to living in Alabama?! Anyway, the city has grown sooooo much, it doesn't have the appeal it did when I was younger. The weather is great, but there are just so many people!! Our visit was really nice. Our niece Jaime is now engaged to a man named James. They have been together since she was about 15 (she's now 30), so everyone is thrilled that they are FINALLY going to get married! Jaime has always wanted to get married in Hawaii, so they will probably have a small wedding there sometime in January of 2008. Our nephew Eric is doing well. He just bought his first home - a condo - just a few blocks from Marty & Nancy. He got what he says is a great deal on it - at least according to California standards... Jaime & James also have a home not too far from Marty & Nancy, so the entire family is still close enough to run to each other's place at any time! During our visit, Nancy's sister Marge came by to visit. It's always great to see her - she's a lively character that you just can't help but like!!

After two weeks, our visit came to an end. Needless to say, I was ready to head HOME - to my own chair & my own bed. We headed to Sacramento to catch the 'red eye' back to B'ham. While going through the checkpoint at the airport, they saw something on the x-ray in my carry-on and pulled it. The lady took out 2 brand new jars of body cream that I had purchased from a friend named Kim while visiting in Modesto. She (the lady) said the jars weren't allowed. When I asked why, since the airport recording says, "No liquids, gels or aerosols," she replied that the jars weigh more than 3 ounces (each). So, into the bin they went. Needless to say, I WAS NOT HAPPY...!!! And I believe someone that works at that airport is now enjoying those body creams!! Other than that, we made it home without further incident.

After dropping me off at home, Fred & Freddy went to pick up the other 2 members of our family - Webster & Doo-Rail, our cats. For 2 weeks of boarding, their yearly shots & exam, and a new bottle of insulin for Doo-Rail, our vet bill was just under $700!!!!!!! I told Fred that was pretty much the most expensive part of our trip; we can't afford to board them more than once every couple of years! They were happy to be home, though, and seemed to adjust to being back here a lot easier than they have when previously boarded.

Freddy went back to Georgia last Friday to catch-up on his bill paying. Fred is doing work for his job & I'm trying to do as little as possible until next week! Then I will get busy. We miss the California weather; it was hot while we were there - 104 was the highest temperature, but the air is dry. We're back where the humidity is so high that you sweat while you're in the shower - aahhh, the South in the good old summertime!! Who WOULDN'T WANT to live here?!!

That's it for this rambling...'til later.

Summer Doldrums

Summer is definitely here. The high today in the Birmingham area is supposed to be around 98. There is no relief in sight as we fight drought conditions.

Freddy is back in Georgia. Moyna and I are in Pelham.

Vacation is over. We are back into the swing of things.

Back in Alabama

The Hudsons have returned to Alabama.

After a final two days in Modesto with Moyna's parents, we take an overnight flight from Sacramento to Atlanta. After a 3-hr. layover, we arrive in Birmingham around 9 a.m. this morning.

It's good to be home. It feels good to pick up the cats from the vet. What an expensive bill they ran up!

Everyone seems to be doing OK in California. We are thankful for that.

We get some rain today: not much, but every little bit helps.

Back in Alabama, we move forward in our lives.

Toward the end of our California holiday

It's a beautiful, sunny day in central California. We are coming to the end of our California vacation.

Last night we enjoyed dinner and a great visit with long-time friends Marsha, Sydney, Kim, and Dale. Everyone seems to be doing well.

We've enjoyed running around Modesto. This is a great little town. I say little. The population is over 200,000, but it seems like a small town.

Tomorrow we are flying overnight from Sacramento and will arrive in B'ham Tuesday morning. Back to Alabama!

Modesto

After returning from San Diego last Monday, we've been ensconced in Modesto, Moyna's hometown.

Modesto is in the Central Valley in the very center of the state of California.

It gets very hot here in the summer, but the humidity is low. The temp yesterday was 103. The humidity was 17. The hot here is a more pleasant hot than we have in the South.

We watch Sacramento TV while we are here. There are always things going on in the Capitol City. Protests, wrecks, crime, human interest stories. Never a dull moment in Sacramento.

Last night we had dinner with the Duvals: Kim, her son Kyle, and his girlfirend Leah. Beforehand we visited with Kim's parents, the Scotts. Moyna has known this family her entire life. They used to live next door to the house where Moyna grew up in Modesto.

We have this weekend in Modesto. Then we are heading back to Alabama.

In California

We Hudsons have been on the move in California.

We arrived last Tuesday, flying into Sacramento, driving down to Modesto to stay with Moyna's parents, the O'Rileys. Last Thursday we (including Moyna's Mom) drove to San Diego to visit with the O'Rileys down there, brother Marty, sister-in-law Nancy, nephew Eric, and neice Jamie and her fiancee James. What a great visit we had!

Friday night we went to the Padres game, courtesty of free tickets secured by Jamie, who is a travel agent and who works for the Padres organization. What a rocking good time we had at Petco Park in downtown San Diego. The Pads lost 6 to 5 to the Mariners in 11 innings, but we didn't let that dampen our good time.

This was Freddy's first major league baseball game and my first in a long time. We will be following the Padres from now on. Currently the Pads are in first place in the NL West.

Freddy went hiking Saturday morning on the beach and somehow hurt his back. We figure he pulled a muscle or something like that, and so he's been having to rest his back. Eric and Jamie typically go hiking on Saturday mornings.

Jamie is engaged and she and James are planning on a Hawaii wedding in January. We are hoping that Freddy can go. She and James seem to be doing well.

Eric recently bought a condo near his parents. He works in computers, and he seems to be doing well.

On Sunday we have a splendid Mexican lunch prepared by Marty and Nancy. We see Marge, Nancy's sister. She is a lively one!

Yesterday we drove back to Modesto---that long drive up I-15 to 210 in LA to 5 North of LA and finally to highway 99 in Bakersfield. It's a long drive, but I can tell you one thing. The scenery in Southern Cal is spectacular.

Today we will be tooling around Modesto. We have social events planned with our friends here the rest of the week.

California

We Hudsons are a hearty bunch.

We are up early Tuesday morning to catch the 6 AM flight to Atlanta. By the time we get to our next gate, the plane is already loading for the 4 hr. 37 minute flight to Sacramento. This is the first time we've flown into Sacramento. In the past, we've always ridden into San Francisco. We find that we prefer Sacramento because the airport is smaller and therefore easier to deal with.

We cover about 2165 miles from Atlanta to Sacramento. It's a smooth flight except for some shaky moments over the Sierras as we motor into the Sacramento Valley.

To our left on the plane there is a man who works at UNC-Charlotte and who is taking the summer to barnstorm on the West Coast. His first destination is Medford, Oregon. It must be nice. Another man is going to see his U of Florida son compete in the steeplechase event in the NCAA track and field championship. I hope he wins!

We get our car and drive down I-5, switching to Highway 99 in Stockton. We get to Modesto around 2:45. On the way, as is our tradition, we eat lunch at an In-N-Out burger place in Manteca. We are ready for our California vacation!

We are back to Moyna's hometown of Modesto, back to the house where she grew up, back to visit her parents, whom she calls Mom and Pop. We see that they seem to be doing well. Energetic and sharp of mind as always.

We have plans. We have things to do. We are in California.

This Sunday

The day is partly cloudy and hot in Pelham, Alabama. With Freddy home we splurge for breakfast at Cracker Barrel. I sit in a rocking chair in the front of the restaurant, watching the cars pass up and down I-65 as I wait. It strikes me as funny that I am ordering takeout breakfast in the town where I live as I watch dozens of cars race up and down the local interstate, thousands of people passing thru our town everyday on their way to somewhere. Where are all of these people going?

June

There was a time when I thought June was a mostly useless month. After all, there are no major (or even minor for that matter) holidays in June. The only birthdays I know about are Scott Walling June 4th, Nathaniel Walling June 28th, and Dania Lane June 30th. Nothing normally to look forward to in June except that this year the Hudsons are going on vacation in June. We leave for California next week.

Freddy is home from Georgia. He will accompany us to the Golden State.

We plan on visiting Moyna's parents in Modesto and her brother and his family in San Diego. We'll be reporting on our activities.