Camping with Critters

One of the joys of camping is the communication with nature. The sun was high, the sky clear, and a cool breeze wafted throughout the campground. Each of us were enjoying the day, relaxing or playing when we noticed a ground squirrel coming across the road with a bunch of stick and leaves in his mouth. He paused at the side of the road, then turned and ran back & up behind the rocks. I grabbed a chair and my camera to sit up away from the hole but close enough to watch. Within a few minutes he was back but again got cold feet, or paws I should say and ran back across the street. Patience is the key I thought. I sat as still as can be and turned the camera back on. Look carefully into the shadows and check it out!

Catching up to do

There's been so much going on this past month that I am just now catching my breath. June was a busy month with all the family goings-on. Sharon came out to California with her two children, Nicholas, age 8, and Emilia, age 6. They out in the south-eastern states. They flew to LAX from Atlanta arriving on Sat. June 7th. The trip was uneventful if you describe spilling orange juice on both mother and daughter as a normal event for the day. Sunday we went to church and then had a picnic in Heritage Park, Cerritos, Ca. It was a revisit back from when my husband Leo and I had our first outing, can't really call it a date with 7 children tagging along. Lots has changed over the last 25 years. The trees are a lot bigger, good for climbing by my grandaughter, Emila. There used to be only one way on and off the island which made it pretty secure to let your kids run wild over there. Now there are many different ways but then the buildings have been renovated to include climbing structures and activities in what were once just empty buildings. It sort of saddens me because it seems we have taken away some of the imaginination that was needed to explore the island. The playground was still cool.
On Monday, June10th we left to go camping for the week. I've never gone camping for a whole week before so I was real excited. It was soooo...much better than just a weekend. Of course, we had my sister Kathy, Sharon, Emilia, Nicholas, my husband Leo and myself all together so that made it so much funner!

We camped in a spot just east of the city of Julian, Ca. famous for it's apples. We walked through town on Tuesday exploring the candy stores and looking at all the tourist gegaws. We brought home Cherry-Apple cider to have with lunch. Yummy!
The campground had horseshoes, tennis, fishing, swimming, jacuzi, horseback riding, recreation center, campstore, playgrounds, tetherball and a kids club. Can you guess what the kids liked best? The kids club of course because it had painting, arts & crafts and video games. My favorite part was the smores. My least favorite happened Wednesday night. I woke up haven fallen off my air mattress (twin bed high), trapped in my sleeping bag between the mattress & the tent side. I hollered for Leo to help, and then heard the tent zipper. "Leo, I'm INSIDE the tent!" I yelled. He pulled me up and I painfully went to back to sleep. No bruises showed up and at this time, a whole month later, still haven't but the pain is still with me every time I make a sudden move or lie down. At least the pain has stopped for this last week when I walked. For more pictures and other information, go to: http://byrumnews.blogspot.com/

Eric & Brooke

Eric is the oldest of 4 siblings raised in our home. Eric and I have the same type of personality in that we like rules and don't mind inforcing those rules even if nobody else cares. We also recognize a good thing when we see it. When Eric was approximately 8 years old, he threatened to run away from home. I sat down with him and explained all the pros and cons of leaving home. Evidently I did such a good job that years later as a teenager, when there was so much teenage angst, he would threaten us to NEVER move away from home and in fact, we moved to So. California in 2000 leaving HIM behind. Later on he and his wife moved down to Los Angeles area near us. Six years later and with his divorce and different moves in the works, he has wound up back at home with us once more.
About 3 months ago Eric was surfing the net and met up with a girl. They talked a few times, when they had the following conversation (as told to me by Eric):
Eric: Where do you work?
Brooke: I work in Rancho Cucamonga
Eric: So do I! Where do you live?
Brooke: I live in Pomona.
Eric: So do I!
Brooke: I live in a mobile home park across from the DMV.
Eric: So do I!
Of course this is sort of simplistic but you get the idea. He came out of the room laughing saying he just had to go see this girl just for the fun of it if for no other reason. Here he has been living in this house for the past 2 years and he might have seen the girl many times over the years and not even realized it. It turns out that if you walk out our front door, through the neighbors house across the street, through the neighbor behind them and out to the corner house, you would be standing in her front yard.
You have to understand that except for work and an occasional night out with a friend to a wrestling match or comedy act, Eric never left his room and his on-line gaming. Since he and Brooke have been dating, he is never home.
Eric and Brooke will be married January 10, 2009.

Jason Wayne Milwrick

Jason Wayne Milwrick
Born January 21, 1981
Died May 11

Sunday, Mother's Day 2008

“Now I know why the Lord took his day off on Sunday. That must be the day he personally greets his favorites.” Jack Cooper The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright

The Highway 247 collision happened when Milwrick, heading south on Highway 247 near Stoddard Valley Road in a 2004 Nissan Altima, drifted to the right and left the road while going around a curve in the highway at 1:45 a.m., according to the CHP report. Milwrick, the only occupant in the car, lost control while trying to steer to the left, and the car overturned. He was ejected from the car and pronounced dead at the scene, according to a San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner’s Division report. He was not wearing a seatbelt, according to the CHP report. Daily Press Newspaper.

That is what you see in the newspaper. What you don't see is a grieving mother and father as they bend over their sons body in the casket.

You don't see the tears that fall on the face or the hand as it smooths back a brow that will no longer wrinkle with laughter. You don't hear the brother's, fiance, ex-wife, grandmother, aunts and cousins as their cries mingle with those of the rest of the family.

This is, was my nephew. Jason is the second son of Colene Honey and Michael Milwrick. He is survived by his brothers, Michael and Mark, ex-wife Beckie and fiance Sarah. He was a soldier in the United States Army. He served in Iraq, the same as both of his brothers. He was training to be in special forces while stationed in Ft. Irwin, CA. He loved his family and his country and they loved him.

Jason was buried on Monday, May 19th @ Mountain View Cemetery, Kingman, AZ.

We will miss you.

Adventures in Traveling

I had planned the trip to GA back in the fall of 2007. It was going to be just the girls and I but when Sharon found the Skybus website and was able to get such cheap tickets, I couldn't deny my husband a chance to come see the girls & grandkids too. Then the youngest in Illinois started talking about coming out to see us, and so I looked on Skybus.com and found tickets for him for only $35.00. How could I pass that up? I bought his tickets for the same weekend. Then we found out the oldest was coming in the same weekend from MS. We were so excited. As you have probably guessed when you first saw the name of the airline, this airline was one of those that went out of business, the Saturday before we were to leave for GA. So now we were scrambling for some way to get out there. Tickets were purchased at a significant additional cost. We were to fly through Boston, Mass. then down to Charlotte, NC where Sharon was to pick us up. Here is where the adventure starts: My husband uses a wheelchair for long distance walking. The attendant was waiting at the ramp for us in Boston. I showed her the printed directions to go through baggage claim, to the 2nd curb, take the #11 shuttle bus to terminal B. All is well until we get to the baggage claim.
Me: Why are we stopping here?
Her: Don't you have luggage?
Me: Yes, but don't the airlines transfer luggage from one plane to the other when you have another flight?
Her: So you don't have luggage?
Me: Yes, but don't the airlines transfer luggage from one plane to the other when you have another flight?
Her: So you have luggage?
Me: (showing her the directions again) We need to go through baggage claim, to the 2nd curb, take the #11 shuttle bus to terminal B. (extremely frustrated by now)
Her: Oh, now I know what you want.
We proceed out the double doors to our left and see a bus pulling away from the curb. I thought, knowing how luck is going, that is going to be the shuttle we need. An 1/2 hr. later the shuttle returns (confirming my suspicions), I ask for the handicapp ramp for my husband. The ramp comes down but won't open. They fiddle with it for another 5-6 min. when they pull it back in. By this time, I am climbing in the shuttle regardless and Leo follows. We get to the other terminal at 6:20 pm, (our flight leaves at 6:25pm). There is no wheelchair waiting. We ask customer service for a wheelchair which takes another 5 minutes. Mind you, we still have to go through security checkpoint again, which of course is jam-packed. Even with wheelchairs being passed through ahead of the line, it still took what seemed forever. We hurried to the gate, and while the plane was still on the ground, the doors were closed and would not open again; we had missed our flight. The next flight out was 6:10 am the next morning. We were stuck in Boston. We called family and then spoke with customer service. I explained what happened, and requested they get us a room at their cost as there was no way my disabled husband could stay up in the airport all night. A gentleman came out later and gave us "vouchers" for 2 dinners (already had it), 2 breakfasts and a room at the Embassy Suites. We took the shuttle to Embassy Suites and checked in at the desk. By this time it is 10 or 11 o'clock at night. That is when we find out that we don't have a "voucher or comp" room (meaning the airport picks up the tab) but we get the $400+ room for only $159+. Ooooooohhhh, I was so mad!!!! What choice did we have? Return to the airport or pay for the hotel? I paid for the hotel and we went to our beautiful room in which we immediately went to bed; Leo to sleep, me to toss & turn (my white noise fan to drown out Leo's snores is in the luggage in Charlotte, NC.)



We had a wake up call at 4 am for our 6:10 am flight. Everything went smoothly until we started our return home. We are to fly through Las Vegas this time, with the same 1 1/4 hr window. I gave instructions to the wheelchair attendant that we need to go to terminal D for our next flight. We are about 100 ft along when he turns to me and asks me: "Do you have any luggage to pick up in baggage claim?" Oh, no!! Not again!!!!

Gift Wish List

So I have been tagged, huh? Well, I caught the jest of what is happening but I don't know the ins & outs of word verification & deleting comments etc. Sharon has an awful lot to teach me when I get out to GA next week.

Gift Wish List

1. New shoes for my husband Leo. He wears orthotic shoes which cost more than your average "expensive" shoes. He only has the 1 pair of shoes & he has worn these for probably over 10 years. Last I remember he got them when we lived in Modesto.

2. A "red hat" Victorian Ball gown with hat & bling


3. I want to go on a "Red Hat Society" convention. Paying $400-$900 for an convention might be reasonalbe with everything you get for the money, but not for my pocket book. I guess I'll just have to plan ahead.

4. Deseret Books, Seagull Books, Ensign Books, store gift certificate of several hundred dollars. I have several series of books but they're not complete. I just want to go into the bookstore and not count how much it all is when I get done.

5. I want to stop working, be independently wealthy, so I can play, play, play.

Corrections and Additions

Is this what life has come to?...getting corrected by your children? Is this payback for the years I corrected them in childhood? It would seem so. In my first blog I inadvertantly wrote Erin's name twice. The listing should have read, Erin,Eddie & Eric. Sorry Eric. Also, Leo fell down on Thurs. 03/13 although the blog looks like it was that day. Thanks you Kenney for the corrections.

It also looks like the old adage is going to be in effect here...what adage you ask? Well the one that says "If you want anything done, do it yourself"...of course.
This year is going to be a busy one. Leo & I are going to GA to visit with Sharon, Margaret et al, April 10-14th. Roger, our oldest, will also be there so we will get to see him too. We haven't seen him in over 10 yrs. I would say. We were still living up North in Modesto when Roger & Kay moved back east.
I am also excited because I get to go to my first "My Pretty Pony Tea Party". I also get to go with my beautiful GA daughters, Sharon & Margaret & granddaughters, Emilia & Jordan. Because I am a member of the Red Hat Society, tea parties are part of my culture. I can't wait to go all dressed up in my red and purple, with my pink & lavender girls. If you want to know more about the reasoning behind the colors, go to www.redhatsociety.com. I don't know how to link yet, so you'll just have to copy & paste. Looks like that is something I'm going to have my daughter Sharon show me how to do while visiting. She can help me spice up my blog layouts. Bye now-

Leo's Big Tumble

I was at work for only about 30 min. when I received a phone call from Leo. Apparently Leo was sitting in a chair reading a book when he stood up and the next thing he is aware, he is lying face down on the ground. Eric, our son who lives with us, heard a thump and came out to investigate the noise. He found Leo on the ground snoring. He shook Leo's shoulder and asked him if he was okay..."ugh huh"...do you want me to call the paramedics?..."ugh ugh"...do you want me to leave you to sleep?..."ugh huh". So Eric left him alone. Leo must have gotten up and taken a shower then called me. He came out of the bedroom with rug burns, abrasions and bruising all over his face. His glasses were bent, the glass popped out of the frame. He doesn't remember falling. Mom, who also lives with us, took him to urgent care which took all day. The doctors did a CAT scan and found nothing abnormal. The doctors say that he might have had a petit mal (seizure), and could have a small concussion. He is not allowed to drive for the next few days. The doctors say he may have some blurred vision, and dizziness. Each day the bruises will deepen untill they start fading away. Check out his face!

Let's Begin...Again

I started this waaaaay back in October with the intentions of my husband Leo doing the writing. Well, it helps to teach him how to do it first and as you can see, it's now the next year, 5 mos. later. So today is the day because our daughter Sharon is on my case about visiting HER blog. Now, I am turning this over to Leo....Here's ....Leo!!
So Hey it's me, Leo, but I don't care what you call me, just don't call me late to eat. In the past few months a lot of things have happened. Debbie's mother has moved in with us, and she is a card and a half, more on her later. Also, on the 4Th of March Debbie and I celebrated our 25Th Anniversary. Where did the time go?