OakMonster’s Den

It’s truly been an old friend reconnecting weekend! Saturday was Frenchy. Yesterday was high school reunion of sort. Heh.

I spent almost an entire day down in the OC yesterday, visiting my host mom Bonnie and host dad Bob, and then hung out with my best girl Nora.

I haven’t seen Bonnie in quite sometime. The Wilkinsons are pretty busy bunch with grand kids and family in Northern California, Utah, and Arizona. Her younger daughter Jenny, husband Mike, and son Eli live in the same house. And man, Eli is growing up too! And he said he remembers me. What a charmer!

Bonnie shows me pictures of the San Jose’s grandkids. I couldn’t believe it that her granddaughter Caitlin just graduated from high school! I remember Caitlin as this little blond girl we had to take to the emergency room on the night before Halloween because she had a fever. Ryan, the younger brother, is 6′ 4″ at 15. Not the same boy who woke up with Bat Mobile’s tire threads on his cheek because he went to sleep with it the night before. Then, there’s Sarah. The todler with a head of golden curls is taller than Caitlin. The rest of the gang, Jenna and the new baby boy I don’t remember his name, I haven’t really gotten to meet.

This is when you REALLY feel the time passes, y’all.

Bonnie fixed us some lunch, and then we chatted for some longer time. Then I headed down to see Nora. We chatted at the house for a while and then we headed down to Wing Nuts, a wings specialty restaurant/bar thing. Kind of fun, actually. And the wings were good.

And of course, a trip to Nora’s always ended at the Beverage and More. I stocked up on sake for my summer brewing of strawberry sake, and found my Chaucer Mead. Yey! Nora experimented with a few bottles of fruity ales.

The weekend fun is not yet finished. We ARE going to the Tolers’ this afternoon for Fiesta and Fireworks. As much as we wish we are in New Mexico with Brandon’s folks and the entire family right now–Stephanie, Lauren, and Morgan Claire are out there too along with Jacqueline, Jim, Cheyenne and Sierra–but we’ll settle for hanging out with our extended “family” locally.

Friends = Family = Fun. Happy Fourth, y’all. Be safe. And hopefully, have a quiet night sleep.