Sunday, June 30, 2013

Together Again

My dear, sweet, wonderful mother joined my dad in the kingdom of heaven on June 24, 2013.
Doris and Eddie "Tex" Limper
Doris was born to Annie Dean Odom (pictured) and John Hiram Sheffield
on May 21, 1927 in Tatum, Texas
After graduating from Tatum Public School on May 26, 1944, Doris travelled for Western Union with several other women, setting up telegraph offices busy with war messages. A tall, handsome Texan, Edward "Tex" Limper, swept her off her feet and they married in 1950.  Eddie was a sheetrocker by trade and together they travelled the west, wherever Eddie's construction jobs took him.  Their first daughter, Susan, was born in 1952, an event that didn't alter their carefree, transient lifestyle.

When I was born in 1957, they were living in Portland, Oregon, where they had come to care for Eddie's mother, Lillian, until her death in December, 1956.  Suddenly, travelling with two children, one just about to start school, didn't seem practical or even desirable.  So they settled in southwest Portland, displaced Texans who grew to appreciate--for the most part--a more temperate climate.

Doris continued to work on and off for Western Union, quitting when she felt her children needed her at home and going back when the construction industry slowed.  In those days, the Western Union Offices were at Southwest Oak & Broadway. My sister and I watched many of Portland's Grand Floral Parades from the fifth floor office windows.

Dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in the 1980's, accompanied by a rapid onset of dementia.  Mom was his tireless caregiver, attending to his every need.  When Dad died in 1992, it seemed only natural that mom would come to live with us, though admittedly, Craig was the first to suggest that scenario.  I never had grandparents; all of my grandparents died before I was born.  It makes me so happy that the boys grew up knowing my mom, their grandmother, as well as both of Craig's parents. My only wish is that they could have also known their grandfather Eddie.

I miss you terribly, Mom, and I always will. You were the perfect mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, and always God's servant.  And most of all, you were my best friend.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

A Decision Has Been Made


The University of California at Santa Cruz was added to the youngest child's UC Common Application as an afterthought, with UC San Diego being first on the list and UC Santa Barbara a very close second. The more I read about UCSC, however, the more I thought that the Linguistics and Language Studies programs, combined with an available Computer Science minor, might suit said child perfectly.

Ben was accepted to UCSC as well as UCSB (UCSD, the boy's first choice, wasn't interested), making a road trip a necessity.  UCSB had been visited and fallen in love with, but UCSC was an unknown entity.  Ben and I set out for Santa Cruz and the trip was a piece of cake in comparison to those SLO jaunts.
Our amazement started with the tree canopied streets leading up to the campus entrance and never waned. What a fabulous place. It's like the entire campus was magically conjured in the middle of a fairyland forest.
Craig responded to an email from the Chair of the Linguistics Department, who invited Ben to stop by during his office hours on Friday morning. After checking in for Preview Day, we headed over to the Linguistics Department and Ben spent about 45 minutes with the professor, who answered questions and was engaging and delightful.  I think that conversation convinced Ben that UCSC was the place for him, but if he had a lingering doubt, a tour of the campus cinched the deal.
Redwood forests, blue skies, shady footpaths, dappled sunlight, fields of wildflowers framing a 180 degree vista of the Pacific Ocean ... pure perfection. The pizza was great, too. All you can eat. Cupcakes were just OK.
 
 




Preview Day activities wrapped up around 3 pm and we continued on to SLO for a quick visit with Peter. Still trusting the GPS, we took the recommended Hwy 1, a very beautiful but very slow route with many curves and one lane construction zones. I was not only annoyed with our slow progress, but also with myself for not embracing the moment and enjoying the ride. After arriving in SLO three hours later, Shayna, the native Southern Californian roommate, confirmed that Hwy 101 was the efficient route. Pizza Solo was as great as I had remembered, too great as it turned out and I was unable to join the boys in sampling the ice cream sandwiches at Batch. Next time. Definitely.

After a cajun breakfast at Bon Temps (we ate a lot this trip), Ben and I headed for Portland. Having learned to avoid San Francisco and Bay Area traffic at all costs, we headed for I-5 via Kettleman City. I must have gained confidence in Ben's driving skills because I dozed for a bit.  Oops.  Remaining on I-5 gets somewhat confusing around the exchange with I-580 and when I woke we were just a few miles from Oakland. A bit panicked and not thinking straight, I navigated with the GPS back to Sacramento when I really should have taken I-505 north to Redding. Following our progress via AT&T Family Map, Craig revoked my Road Warrior status. With both boys in California, I suspect I will have ample opportunity to regain that status.