Way back in the summer of 1968 I packed up many of my belongings in my new red suitcases and boxes to travel 60 miles east of my home to the University of Redlands in Southern California. My oldest sister Kathy drove me to my new home away from home for the school year. My dorm was Bekins Hall and it was an all girls dorm. Times have changed. The collage above shows my dorm, my sister lugging in my stuff and my roommate Violet and our suite mate Louise (Jana). We had a second floor suite with a bathroom/shower in between the rooms. Louise and Tracy were juniors in one room and Violet and me freshmen in the other room. My memories with this suite arrangement are all good.

My roommate Violet who we called Violeta and me on the quad. I forget who’s great old classic car this is. I just found out that this car belonged to Louise/Jana who is in the pink dress in the collage. She called it her purple and white tank! Spanish was Violeta’s major for her teaching degree and she also experienced college abroad in Spain fully immersed in the language. In her early years of teaching she taught in a Spanish Immersion school. I think I’m remembering these facts correctly. Tom and Violet were married right out of college a couple years before Dear and me.

Spring forward 47 years and our little reunion in San Francisco/San Mateo/Redwood City. When I knew we would be in San Francisco I messaged my college roommate to see if there was a chance we could get together. Violet and her husband picked us up from our hotel and drove us south to the neighborhoods where they work and live. We enjoyed a meal at Milagros Cantina in Redwood City.  Have you ever had fried ice cream? We split it four ways after our main dish. After enjoying catching up at their home they graciously drove us to the airport in time for our flight home. Thanks again Tom and Violet for a lovely day!

Here it is the first day of February! We enjoyed a quiet weekend here at this old house. We ate all our meals in house (shocking), a Saturday marathon of Downton Abbey viewing (I bought season 6 at Costco on Friday). Yikes tell me how you reacted to espisode5!!?? On Sunday we had a great church service with Communion in the morning, a dry walk on our heart pumping loop, and did a little more pruning on the apple tree. I think I’m halfway done now. My neck can only take so much at a time. Maybe I’ll have Dear take a photo of me in process. Have a wonderful first week of February!