The End. The Beginning.

Four Lessons Learned

So as I sit in the airport on waiting to head home, I realized over the past week I learned a few things.

Number one:  I am YOUNG.  I entered this trip feeling old, fat and tired.  On this trip I realized I can walk, swim, lift, bend, and remember.  All jokes aside, my 90 year old Popsie is in fantastic shape because he never believed age mattered.  He surfs the web, reads his nook, watches his weight, and works from sun up to sun down. How many of us live like those from the Greatest Generation?

Number two: Do what you love, live where you want, and be BRAVE.  Popsie and Grandma left all that they knew to take a risk in living their last years the way they wanted.  How many of us think we are too old, too tired, too scared, too whatever to make a change.  So, it is on this blog that I will first announce that I am moving to a far away island to never have a chance of needing to assist in a cross-country road trip again,  oops, I mean if Popsie can move across the country at age 90, what can we do?

Number three: Family.  There is nothing more precious.  Our family, like most, is flawed. We could not be made up more different people. From conservatives to liberals, hunters to vegetarians, christians to jews, and old to the very young. In the world's eye we should clash.  And yet, we know that it is our deep love for each other, the pure bond of family that makes us special.  We do not let distance, differences or opinions sway the way we stand in the gap for each other.  If I have learned anything from being 1/2 Crackel it is that I got my fire, opinionated arguments and independence honestly...oops, I mean family sticks together.

Number four:  Endings always mean beginnings.  This is the final post and the end of our Epic Adventure, (HALLELUJAH) but is also the beginning of a new life of peace and community on the little side of the mountain called family for Popsie and Grandma (Notice I didn't say more peace for Vicki and John).  They lived an INCREDIBLE life in Illinois.  Just because that chapter needed to end, did not mean there wasn't a bigger, better beginning.  I love this. I am leaving California tired, but renewed. And very, very tired.

That's A Wrap!

Yesterday we unloaded.  Wow, that was a monumental task.  Surprisingly, we were able to completely unpack the kitchen, the bathrooms, Grandma's room, and most of the living room.  The guys also unloaded all of Popsie's woodworking tools to the garage.  Popsie still has a lot of boxes in his closet, and we need to hook up the computer, the scanner and TV. This morning as I walked down the little hill to join them for morning coffee at 6:30, Popsie was assembling his computer desk.

Everyone seems to be settling in and I wanted to share some pictures that will possibly give you a glimpse of the reward at the end of this long trip.

Vicki and John live in the beautiful area of Grass Valley, CA. They own 5 acres of gorgeous timber in the foot hills. It is hard to capture the beauty. Their incredible hearts to open their little part of heaven to Grandma and Popsie is one of the most loving and selfless things I can possibly imagine.  So grateful to have their example in my life.

I don't know if you can click on this and enlarge it?  But this is the best panoramic I could do.

This is when I stand on Vicki's front porch and look at Popsie's House.

This is the view when I stand on Popsie's front porch and look at Vicki's house.

This is what they have to do to protect their gardens from the deer!

The view from Vicki's deck.

Popsie's House...Look at those trees!!!