After panicked phone calls to both Travelocity and United to make sure I could get through security and onto the plane with a boarding pass that said my name was Christineken, I boarded the plane at San Fran Friday night...it was a small plane, but it was packed.
All them there Washingtonians are good about goin' to see the mothers for Mother's Day, it seems.
I couldn't stop chuckling though once the stewardess started the greeting by saying, "Welcome aboard flight blah blah blah to...um...[longer than acceptable pause to anyone from eastern WA area]..."
"Pasco!" chimed the entire flight with great enthusiasm followed by happy laughs and a round of good-natured high-fives. Maggie summed it up well when I told her the story. She said, "if you're going direct from San Fran to Pasco, that's probably your final destination!" It's true...I think everyone on that plane headed to Pasco was happy to get their country mouse patooties out of the big city.
Mom and Dad met me at the airport - I just love getting picked up by loved ones at the airport...all the giddiness and big hugs make me feel so cared for and missed...no matter how long it's been since we saw each other last.
Saturday was the big day. All aunts, uncles and cousins were on site at 11:15 a.m. to help with set up at the Prosser museum. We had a posters up with pictures from Nanny's childhood, teenage years, adulthood, empty nesthood, grandparenthood and great-grandparenthood. We decorated with all things pink and brought in a beautiful birthday cake, plentiful veggie trays, marinated meatballs, ribbon sandwiches, a tiered cheese tray, assorted fruits, nuts, wine, punch and more. If this wasn't a 90th birthday party, I don't know what is.
The party started at 2 p.m. and while we all had moments of panic where we thought maybe no one saw the ad in the newspaper (Prosser is small, people...we put birthday party invites in the paper), we soon found ourselves directing people to overflow rooms so everyone had a place to enjoy the party. Lots of friends and family came by and Joe even brought his new lady friend and introduced her to the whole family!
Maggie, Kimberly and I were assigned to cake cutting duties. Courtney helped, too. Maggie and I get assigned to a lot of two-person tasks...gift taking, punch pouring, cake cutting. It's our fault though. We once made business cards for our gift-taking business and handed them out at our cousin Carrie's wedding reception. We were hot stuff until the dot-com bust.
It also works out nicely that Maggie is a lefty and I'm a righty...she cuts, I plate. Full disclosure: we only just realized this at Nanny's 90th.
To close out the party we all sang Nanny a song composed by Aunt Barbara. It's written to the tune of the WSU fight song, which I'm sure all of you know. Sing along now, don't be shy:
Cheer - cheer - cheer for Nanny so dear,
She's the birthday girl.
Come on and raise your glass
In toasting this lass,
Best in the west, you know
She gives us her best.
So cheer - cheer - cheer for Nanny so dear,
Hug her and tell her that you care.
Yes, cheer - cheer - cheer - for Nanny so dear,
'Cause she's NINE - TY!
Joe and his girlfriend, Brianna, arrive at the party.
Nanny and her birthday cake. Nanny wore a fancy dress ensemble she once wore to the governor's ball as well as one of her kiddo's weddings. Isn't it great! "Brown is a good color on us redheads," she says.
Mom's tiered cheese display.
Cousin Kimberly and Aunt Carol setting out pink napkins.
Nanny and Uncle Robert
Both my grandmothers are twins...that's Nanny on the right...she had twins herself. My uterus hurts. TMI...Sorry. 
Nanny (middle, tallest) with her mother, Charlotte, and two sisters, Florence and Lois, aka Pat and Looie. I should use this as an opportunity to tell you Nanny's real name is Virginia.
Nanny as a young girl.
Nanny with her children and their spouses. Plus two museum mannequins...pretend they're not there. 
Mom's cousins, minus Tom, in the famous cousin picture.
Maggie, me, Carrie, Kimberly and Nanny. I think the arrangement of the four of us and our hairdos is a fun coincidence. 
Nanny and me. Maggie said she has a better picture. Ha!Saturday night my dear old friend Erin came to visit so Maggie, Drew, Erin and I went to the Blues & Brews festival in Tri-Cities. Overall we had a nice time, but it was a low blow to get there and find out it'd been open all day, the taps were closing in 45 minutes, there was a $30 admission fee AND you had to pay for scrip once you made it to the beer garden. It's only slightly embarrassing when you're the one making sure all parties have enough cash only to find out you yourself don't have enough. Story of my life. Luckily I was in good company and taken care of at the Blues & Brews fest.
I saw a few familiar faces from high school and enjoyed catching up with them. None of them believe I actually have a husband, though, because I leave "him" in "California" when I come home to visit. I promise you'll meet this supposed husband of mine someday, folks! My favorite part though was getting in some face-to-face catch up time and laughs with Erin R. We'll be friends 'til the end of time.
Sunday was Mother's Day. I presented mom with new towels to match her new kitchen and we went on a walk to keep her 7 new bypasses in shape. Then we all went to Snipes for a fun brunch with the Olmsteads and the Rabes.
Mom and dad are redoing the kitchen...not all the tile is up on left in this picture, but you get the point. It looks great!After brunch we went to Nanny's house to deliver Mother's Day gifts. I just love quick 1:1 moments with Nanny where she takes a deep breath, looks at you in the eye and says, "now, how are you doing." Sitting there with her at her kitchen table got me a little teary-eyed thinking of all the memories I have in that house and of her.
Back at home I helped mom and dad with a bit of yard work before everyone came for the BBQ.
Now, let's take a minute here to praise the genius who invented the leaf blower. I grew up in the same house where my parents currently live...they have a big yard full of deciduous trees which is surrounded by orchards with more trees...
Hand me a rake to this day and I'll automatically start spurting out excuses like, "I have a headache, I have a book report, I have a stomach ache, I have a blister on my hand, my brothers are annoying," just to see if you'll let me off the hook.
Hand me a leaf blower and I'll run right out to the yard and blow away every leaf, pine cone and stray branch until the cows come home. Those things...simply life changing.
Peeps came for the BBQ at 6 p.m., which we kicked off with a rousing set of the celebrity name game where one person names a celebrity and the next person names a celebrity whose first name starts with the first letter of the aforementioned celebrity's last name. I'm not one for knowing who sings what or who is who, so I had to skip around the circle early on in the game.
Momma and daddy grilled up some salmon and we all sat around chatting until it was time to get to bed. After saying my goodbyes to everyone and also to Joe who stuck around for a little while longer, the sad tears finally escaped. Only a few of them though.
Maggie and me on the patio Sunday night.4 a.m. came early Monday as we met Team Chyterbok at Nanny's and carpooled to the Pasco airport :(
:(
:(
The super-strict lady at the security gate didn't bat an eye at my Christineken boarding pass, but she did make me take the chapstick out of my pocket.
I made it back to stupid California in time to stop at Starbucks on my way to work...and now, here we are at day 7 of my return.
As for the ribbon sandwiches...
They consist of layers of:
- white bread
- wheat bread
- chopped olives & cream cheese
- tuna and mayo
- egg salad
- Kraft pimento cheese mixed with cream cheese
Once they're unwrapped, use an electric knife to slice off the crust. Sneakily take the crusts and go eat them in the other room with your dad and uncles Robert, Lou and Don. Then watch Uncle Lou skillfully carve the cubes in half and then carve the halves into fourths. Arrange on a fancy platter and watch them disappear.
*Be careful not to make the fillings too gooey as they'll make the bread soggy.
**Yes, overnight. The flavors meld and the sandwiches hold together better for cutting and serving.
Forever a Washingtonian,
Christineken
2 comments:
Oh friend, it breaks my heart to hear you say you hate California... because I hate that you live in California!! I really wish we could "hang". Sometimes a girl just needs her good friend to remind her who she is and where she has come from. I pray that Grace will meet her lifelong friend someday and she too will have red hair :-) I stinkin' miss you!!!
Another excellent post, Christineken!!! Loved seeing you in Washington. Hope to see you again real soon kiddo!
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