CA Trip #1

I was in CA for four days and four nights. The occassion was my dad's health, Stage 4 melanoma that has spread to his lungs.

It was good to visit my family and some old friends. One visit of note was seeing my dad's half-sister Judy; it had been 17 years. My brother and I picked her up on our way from Los Gatos to Sacramento. She's an original! But talking with her about her father (Harold. also my dad's dad.) and the whole family dynamic back then was really enlightening. I have never been one to be too curious about our family tree but this was a room that had never been opened.

Harold was quite an artist in the area of photography. He hobknobbed with respected area artists of the time and owned his own studio for awhile. His mother was a control freak and strongly disliked Judy. Whatever his relationship with my dad's mom (Regina), at some point it was completely shut down. That's why my dad was adopted by the lady known to me as Gramma Holmes. Strangely enough, Harold seemed to be a kind man and the harshness in shutting out Regina was either a dark and hidden contrast or the result of his mother's influence.
Learning about Harold gave me some insight into my father, and even myself. It is interesting how physical and character traits are passed on from one generation to the next.

Back to Aunt Judy. She and I won't agree on some moral or political issues but I appreciate some things about her. She's frank. And in a world of cover-ups and appearances that's refreshing. She's a hard worker. [several aspects of the newspaper biz, real estate agent, cattle nurse, librarian] She cares about animals like my oldest daughter does. She cares about people close to her. She really likes my dad. I don't know how things will go for her over the next 17 years but I do hope that things take a turn for the better. She's a unique lady and I like her.