One of the joys of aging is meeting those who follow your youthfulness. First it is the children and then the grandchildren. Heather, daughter of our friends, Wayne and Martie, has been a delight to watch as her life unfolds. At about 13 her father referred to her as a "praying mantis" not because of a proclivity for religion but rather for her slender build which she still maintains. Although Wayne advised Heather to specialize in pathology, his advise well went unheeded and she practices family medicine in a low income clinic.
We had the joy of visiting Heather, Mark and their children, Joshua and Julia when we passed through Illinois. Mark cooked a delectable grilled lamb dinner and we had the opportunity to have a good visit. I learned about the Wimpy Kid Diaries from Joshua and learned the names of members of Julia's stuffed animal menagerie. Doug became the resident story reader for Julia. We thank Heather and Mark for the visit and wish them safe travels as they visit her parents in Singapore for Thanksgiving.
The Western Plains through Oklahoma and Texas are an interstate blur with too many miles that looked so like the last miles. Then the terrain changed and we stopped for a moment in Cline's Corner, New Mexico where Jan's great-great-great uncle ended his freight line. As the family story goes, he had been a Yankee prisoner-of-war held Andersonville following an early Civil War battle. When the war ended and he was released he made his way home to Illinois and found his family had thought him dead. His younger brother had married his sweetheart and had taken over the farm. Great uncle struck out in a new direction and established a freight line from Wichita, Kansas to Cline's Corner, New Mexico. Thank you to Grandma Grace for preserving so many family stories.
Our next stop was Phoenix, Arizona to visit Jan's longtime friend, Heidi and her Bill. When Jan and Heidi met, Heidi had three girls under the age of two, Renee, Leah and Melissa. The girls have since grown into three beautiful women who still keep in close touch with their Aunt Jan. The eldest, Renee lives with her husband, Al, and their children, Trey and Ella in Phoenix. They live a short distance from their Oma, Heidi. It was such fun getting to know Trey and Ella who are characters in their own right. Al and Renee are delightful. Hopefully we will spend time with Leah and Melissa as we conclude our journey. We had a wonderful time and look forward to Heidi visiting us on the boat in the late spring. Plans are being made.
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