La Rue Bellisimo

Starting this collection of reminiscences a mere seventeen days ago, all of the 22 stories thus far have been about the past, our adventures at Powell or when our children were little. This story is also about the past but the recent past…only six days ago, as I write. This story is partly a tale of the end result of all the years and experiences that have gone on before.

Last Thursday, September 10, 2010, we all gathered in Seattle (minus Dan unfortunately) to see Rebecca and Tom off on their Alaska honeymoon/cruise. Naturally it was appropriate to eat at La Rustica, the little Italian restaurant that is only a block from Cece and Rusty’s place in West Seattle. It also was the scene of Cece and Rusty’s wedding reception in July 2009. That is another story waiting to be told. Rounding out our party to eight people were Claire and Joey, Tom’s sister and brother-in-law. What a wonderful time we had in that noisy, crowded and snug café. We had a large table up on the raised level where the musicians had been for the wedding. As always, the food was scrumptious, but that is not the real focus of this writing.

As I sat at one end of the table with all these young people in my vision, I could not help but reflect on how beautiful and accomplished our girls are and how neat my new sons-in-law are too. I was filled with contentment and a real sense of accomplishment. This is not accomplishment for what I have done but rather for how blessed Kate’s and my life has been. It was so enjoyable to see all six of them laughing and having fun and really connecting in a youthful and familial way. I could see each of our girls as little ones and the motion picture that was going through my head was a never ending show of them as they were in many of these stories. I could see Cece with her 4H lamb, diving off the high dive at the Davis pool, snuggled in my lap in front of the fire on Adams Way. I saw Becca as the little steam engine in her car seat in San Ardo, dressed as a cow for Halloween in Yakima, wrestling with her pigs at the Wiley City fair. Pictures of Rusty as we first knew him; a lanky teenager with a souped up Chevy pick-up, surviving the many, many family get-togethers over the years, later as the wonder man that brought the Durant to Eugene. I saw Tom as we first met him while we were on the train in Chico, later making yummy scones in Mom Coop’s kitchen, installing a ceiling fan in our house in 25 minutes! It was a wonderful mélange of memories both past and present and much promise for the future.

Now these girls are grown young women. They are with the men they love and embracing the future. The path that began with their birth, and Dan’s, and which has carried them along with us through all these stories, is now forking. Cece and Becca’s paths are diverging a bit from ours, Kate’s and mine, as they begin their respective married lives. We are still twined and I pray always will be during our earthly existence with new richness from added extended families in Yakima and Chico. I hear my mother’s words to me as I left for Placerville, and my first teaching job in 1974: “Life is change and change is life,” and I smile.


9-14-2010