Summerbridge 2nd Annual Picnic

It may not be summer in San Francisco, but it was still a Summerbridge Picnic in the park. It wasn't raining, and it wasn't cold enough to keep the families away Sunday from the 2nd Annual Picnic. Food, Fun and Games were had by all. There was the superb BBQ chef who kept the burgers, dogs, and links coming off the grill, there were all the volunteers who brought all the necessities, and all the families that shared their favorite picnic dishes. The kids were happy to just be out running around in the fresh air of the park, whether they were chasing or being chased, playing "Bridge Ball", or having water balloon tosses, or just sitting and enjoying the company of their friends. Parents had time to chat. Thanks to all who came and special Thanks to Meredith and Deundra for making it all happen.

The Music of Labor Day Weekend

There was definitely a diverse choice in music over the Labor Day weekend in the San Francisco area. With the Bay Bridge closed , it seemed a little quieter in the city, however, if you wandered out to Golden Gate Park, it was like wandering back in time to the summer of 1967. The 40th Anniversary of the Summer of Love concerts took place in the Speedways Meadow on Sunday. Just like the ones in '67, this one was free. It was standing room only, and looked almost like time had stood still, except everyone was older looking :>) There were lots of unexpected guest artists that showed up including Grace Slick singing White Rabbit. Some of the entertainment was lost on our kids who thought everyone looked a bit bizarre. Must be a lack of "Hippie History" being taught in the schools. Oh well, we wandered over to the Stow Lake and rented some paddle boats, and were still able to hear the music just fine while drifting around the lake.

Monday took us to Oakland on BART right to the entrance of the ART & SOUL FESTIVAL at City Center. There were multiple stages offering up all styles of music for our enjoyment. After visiting all the stages, we ended up settling in for a great lineup of gospel music. Edwin Hawkins, The Mass Unity Choir, Lynette Hawkins, and many other inspiring singers and praise dancers. But the star of the day had to be Tramaine Hawkins. She brought everyone to their feet and filled the park with love and spirit. It was like having church on Monday.

Happy Birthday, Arlene

We attended one of the best birthdays we have been to in a long time. Cousin Arlene, to us, was honored this month at a luncheon in Sacramento. As Arlene loves to say, "The only thing that gets OLD is clothes!" That is certainly true in her case. As one person told me, "The birthday girl doesn't look a day over 55."
Arlene's kids went all out bringing family and friends together from far and wide. They came from Washington, they came from Michigan, and all points in between. There were sisters and a brother, her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, cousins, and on and on.
Of course, it wouldn't be a gathering of the Hayes' without music and song. It was definitely a musical tribute and reflected how much she is loved and admired by everyone. The party continued into the evening like a family reunion. No one wanted it to end, as many of us don't see each other often enough. Thank you again, Val and Lynn, for all the effort you both put forth to make it a truly memorable day.

Girl Scouts Go Worldwide

London Bridges, Castles, and more. They didn't come falling down but they may never be same after our finest descended on them. The girls were everywhere from Big Ben to Little Ben, from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square, from the Thames to Oxford University. They managed to be invited inside the gates for the changing of the guard and "all" tried to get inside an infamous red phone box. The uniformed Queen's men and unmistakable Bobbies held great appeal as well as the Oxford men. Their level of appreciation for world history and architecture took on a whole new meaning. The girls will definitely be discussing this trip for a long time to come.

Fireworks on the 4th!

Our last minute plans for the 4Th of July turned out to be a "picture perfect" day. No cooking, just a blanket and chairs, ready-mades from the store, and a good supply of fireworks, oh, and don't forget the Pacific Ocean. Throw in good friends, and a GREAT time was had by all. It is pretty rare when there is no fog on the coast in July even past sunset, but the pictures don't lie. The water was warm enough for the young and brave. The sand was warm enough for burying and rocks abounded for sculptures. It reminded many of us "older" ones of the 4Th's we had as kids when the neighborhood block got together.

Hungry and in Hayward????

Now you have a wonderful place to stop and have breakfast or lunch. Karen and Carl have opened their new deli cafe at 1236 West Winton Ave., Hayward Ca. 94545. The cafe is open from 7 am to 2:30 pm each day. Close to the Hayward airport and Southland Mall, it is easy to find.
Grab coffee and great pastries in the morning, or a different lunch special everyday. Call ahead for an order if you are in a hurry. 510-887-1519. Enjoy and spread the word or on your next visit back here, post your comments to the blog.

Beat Those Drums!

The drum corps was invited to participate in an "Art Around the City" event that mixed various mediums at several sites. Red Poppy Art House hosted the drummers in an afternoon of rhythms. This was their first solo appearance and their leader was unable to be there, but they rose to the occasion and held their own. Great energy from such a young group.

A Little Back in Time

I realized before I could move forward with our activities, I needed to catch you all up with our most recent past. The girls have been ending their school year with several events. Carnival San Francisco is a very big event and two of them participated in a contingency with the Mission Cultural Center and their school. One is in the drum corps and the other dance. As you see them in the slide show, the practicing for weeks on end really paid off. They were amazing as a group! It was televised locally, and a DVD of the entire parade route was made.

Wash., DC Trip Highlights

Only a few of you have heard the details of our trip to DC, so I thought I would post a little summary, if there is such a thing! Getting there was a trip in of itself. We were taken off the plane twice due to severe weather in the Midwest. Soooo, four hours later we finally took off, and made our way across the country. We stayed at George Washington University in the heart of DC proper. As you will see in the slide show I have posted, we happened upon the infamous Watergate Towers our first day there.
We participated in the 95th Anniversary "Still Singing After All These Years" of Girl Scouts on Saturday. Girls for as far as the eye could see. And then we were free to see the rest of the town and monuments. We made full use of every minute and every step our little feet could take us and then some. Our stops included, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, WWII Memorial, The Vietnam Wall, all the statues in between, the museums at the Smithsonian, Air and Space, Natural History, American History, African Art, The Castle, The National Portrait Gallery, Ford Theatre, Library of Congress, Supreme Court, and a fabulous personal tour of the US Capitol, with a visit to the Senate when a large number of very famous senators were in the house i.e., Hillary Clinton, Diane Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Ted Kennedy, Charles Schumer, Trent Lott, etc. etc. We stayed for two hours to hear not only the debate but the vote as well. Nothing quite like history in live action! We spent an entire day in Mt. Vernon, VA at G. W.'s plantation. Wow. It brings history up close and personal from another time.

Welcome to Our Life

Welcome to our acres. This is our attempt to share with our family and friends our most recent activities. Our busy lives tend to leave little time to share our happiest moments, but now we hope you can take a moment, now and then, at YOUR leisure to stop by and see what is going on with us. Feel free to comment and send words of encouragement. The photo at the left is my most recent creation in the world of technology. I have created a "wiki" of my book reviews for the school library. Recommend one of my "5 Book" books to a child or adult that you know. I am also encouraging everyone to create a book review of their most recent "great" read to share with others. Feel free to submit your review to me to post to the wiki.
www.ecalibrary.pbwiki.com

My goal is to encourage reading among young and old alike. To share that love of reading with each other.