Castoville in August with Gramma

In August, we decided it was high time Gramma Norma got to visit her sister and brother-in-law in Salinas, so Rene, my mom and I packed up and took a girl's trip to Castroville. Mom was excited about the trip for the whole month, and she seemed to have a great time reminiscing and remembering all her old haunts and favorite spots in the area once we landed and headed south from San Jose. We knew this would be a great visit with her sister and brother-in-law and it would unleash lots of memories for her. 

We spent a lot of time with them, at their home and at lunch in my Uncle and Aunt's favorite local restaurant, the Black Bear. Luckily, Stacy was able to get away to join us overnight, and once she arrived in Castroville, we made some cookies and headed back to Salinas for dessert with Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Louie.

Next morning we girls took a trip to Santa Cruz for brunch at DeLaveaga Golf Lodge. My cousins Jon Bei and his daughter Marci are always gracious hosts. Mom's sister- and brother-in-law, Tom and Joy joined us, having only eaten there once before, and it turned into a beautiful Santa Cruz day. Jon's a great chef, and we were very well fed--our favorite dish was a prosciutto egg scramble that was absolutely delicious. We got to catch up with both sides of the family, learning that cousin Marci is expecting another baby--gender is to be a surprise--and Tom and Joy are also going to be grandparents for the second time. (It's a boy!!) I'm so happy for both pairs of proud Grandparents, they were all beaming with joy.

We also had the opportunity to eat at the Giant Artichoke Restaurant, filling up on every artichoke specialty dish they offered. As you know, I may be an artichoke evangelist, but Mom was the first Artichoke Queen of Castroville!

We're going to try to convince her to ride in the 50th Anniversary Artichoke Festival parade next May. She wasn't keen on it at first mention, so we'll need help with the sell--what a great way to bring back a little history for her!? Stay tuned, and help us get Mom on that float next year!

Our trip home was delayed by monsoon storms in Phoenix, which Mom snapped a photo of outside the plane's window. Spooky but very cool. Our arrival was eventful to say the least, as the trip was very tiring for Mom and she had to take a detour to the hospital. There's a parking shuttle driver out there who was left a little shell shocked, I'm sure!! But all has calmed down now, Mom is recovering well and we're all home safe! What a wild ride that was?!

Another Old Photo Find

I found another old picture from the past. I found this displayed at my Aunt's house. These folks are all relatives of mine, from the Bei side. My Grandfather, Lio Bei came to America from Italy in the 1920's, following his brothers as they married, started families, settled and resettled across the country. One of the traditions they carried with them was picnics...big ones with friends, neighbors and relatives. My Aunt says even when money was very scarce they still scraped enough together to have a picnic with everyone bringing something to chip in. They played games, cooked great food, played bingo and cards and spent the whole day together. This picture is a great example of the fun they had.