Remember the four crowns I had installed with mi dentista muy guapo in Cancun?
I was feeling a bit unfaithful to Dr. Dave, my Auburn dentist ( he laughed when I told him that )
I was feeling a bit unfaithful to Dr. Dave, my Auburn dentist ( he laughed when I told him that )
so I went in to let him see the crown work, and file down one high spot so my chomping action was perfectly aligned.
I had lunch with Penny near my Auburn dentist. Penny was the last person to work with Mike professionally, when none of us realized that Mike was sick and would not be able to use the LinkedIn skills that Penny was coaching. She is also a good friend and listener.
My family sleepover connection for the first night out cancelled due to their health, so I made a last minute call to Deb and Ed who welcomed me to dinner and sleepover in Lake of the Pines. I hope we can enjoy a Motorhome trip together - how does a back east caravan sound, Deb?
After some annual-checkup doctor appointments the next day I had a first time ( but definitely not the last time) visit with Steve and Rochelle. I melted into a puddle when unbeknownst to either Rochelle or me, she opened a bottle of Double Oak Chardonnay for dinner. Coincidence? I think not! Mike and I were wine club members there and Double Oak was our favorite vineyard to visit in Nevada County. We toasted to him through my happy memory tears and enjoyed a pleasant dinner on the deck.
Thursday was my day to reconnect with Mike's clients who became Mike and my friends....
Here we are visiting with Dean and Joelle in 2013 like we did regularly after we started on our motor home travels.
This time it was only me for lunch, but Joelle cooked a gourmet meal as usual. I brought in some Double Oak wine, in honor of Mike, for our French friends to try, but today we drank the champagne that Dean had chilled and ready.
Later that day, for dinner and a sleepover, I returned to Jeff and Becky's house where Mike and I have stayed before. Jeff was Mike's partner at his last corporate-world job. Here is Mike looking dapper with Jeff and Becky at a Louis Vuitton function in 2003 in Paris. I was there, too - taking this picture of course:)
Jeff cooked dinner tonight and we enjoyed another bottle of Double Oak Chardonnay and good conversation about our travels through work and life together.
My visit the next day was unusual in that I had never met my lunch date in person until this day. Pam and I have been talking via phone, email and Facebook since last fall when I was hoping to rent her house for our Thanksgiving holiday season with our family. Today we met as grieving widows since she lost her husband in March after an extended illness. We hugged and cried and discussed our similar yet different experiences and felt joy at the connection and being understood by another member of a club neither of us wanted to join.
Thumbs up to moving on while embracing our grief as we go.
Then on a lighter note, I went with Glenda to an outdoor concert at Thunder Valley to see Huey Lewis and the News. "You know the heart of rock and roll is still beatin" but due to Mike's illness, I am no longer "workin for a livin". Instead I am taking my days "Step by Step, One by One". This was an excellent concert for me as I relived the joy of moving to San Francisco with Mike on our first year together in 1982 at exactly the same time Huey Lewis, a Bay Area musician hit the national stage. We saw him perform several times back in the day.
Next day Mike's favorite admin staff support person came to see me at MT parked in the Thunder Valley parking 
lot. We hugged and cried over the loss of Mike, and enjoyed the reconnection. Their adoration for each other is well know by those who know both Mike and Joycelyn.
lot. We hugged and cried over the loss of Mike, and enjoyed the reconnection. Their adoration for each other is well know by those who know both Mike and Joycelyn.
By this point in my travels through Auburn, I was very comfortable embracing my grief with those who knew Mike and me. The conversations have been very healing for me and connected me to those who listened to me cry. This experience is what I was hoping for and I am grateful to all who helped me heal during my pass through our hometown.
The last two folks I stayed with are in the same category.... I've stayed with them both numerous times before since Mike and I sold the house and started on this motor home journey. There are no current pictures since the visit was about the conversation rather than an experience to photograph. But we will all remember the deep connection we shared by expressing grief and supporting the griever.
John and Chris.....
Laurie and Bob....
Thank you all for being there for me.
That goes for all I visited with during my 4 week pass through our home base visiting family and friends.
This is a big hug, but not goodbye.
Until we meet again!
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