Hallelujah! It was a successful flight to California: on-time departure, in-place pilot, on-carousel luggage, and well-behaved passengers! Lucky me! This was my post-pandemic, re-entry experience in the travel world. Departing AND returning. I take nothing for granted these days, after hearing so many horror stories.

A WARM HELLO to each of you during this interim as I prepare for my next adventure, a trip to Northern Spain and Portugal. A pre-pandemic planned getaway; it is back on the calendar. Hurray! On my return from this three-and-a-half-week odyssey, in late August into September, there will be much to share in my October newsletter. Stay tuned.

Being enroute to California was the culminating reward for tackling tedious tasks in advance. Grossly out of practice, I needed to retrain myself in packing and preparation. Little did I think it would entail not only an overhaul of the toiletry cabinet, but also a complete reorganization of an all-encompassing closet. To find and familiarize myself with items dormant over two years in the recesses of closetdom necessitated mindful rummaging, sorting, and recycling. After all, during home lock-down, daily apparel consisted mostly of the same few tired knock-arounds. Now I entertained a veritable shopping spree in my closet. Wow, look at this! I forgot I had that! Some things with tags on, never worn! Woohoo! After two non-stop days, enervating but well spent, I noted with accomplishment the salvaged prime inventory and current accessibility. And yes, I did do a dry run of packing. It seemed odd that applying pressure to close the suitcase was unnecessary, even AFTER adding an extra jacket and sweatshirt for cool, foggy days. Why was it so easy? I kept thinking I must have forgotten something. Evidently not. What a dress rehearsal for travel!

Seeing dear friends on the West Coast after such a long time was like stepping out of a shuttered room into fresh air and sunlight. How exhilarating to be on their turf together, celebrating life and each other. Recapturing and comparing past memories invigorated our time capsules, constantly stoked with a raucous mix of senior moments and riotous guffaws. Ah, the laughter! Reflecting on our younger and older selves created a fullness of the now, where all merged. Such glorious moments to treasure…

From my stay in the Golden Gate environs, there is an image I feel compelled to share with you. It seems so California. The packaging and promotion captured my attention:

The first time she flew in an airplane was in 1957, ten years after her arrival in this country. It was the last time she would see her parents alive in Germany. I remember this trip as a major event… for all of us.

Karola flew with a leading carrier of the era, Pan American, and in those days sartorial sophistication was de rigueur in onboard travel. I don’t know if I actually saw a photo or if I simply have an indelible memory of what she wore. I do remember she wanted to impress her father, out of an independent sense of fun and self-sufficiency, more than anything. She wore a fashionable, knit navy suit, which she made herself, a white, wide-brimmed hat, white dress gloves, navy handbag, and appropriate dark leather heals, further elevating her 5’7” stature. It was the first time I had ever seen my mother so glamorous.

My twin brother Bill and I were nine years old at the time and our sister Carolyn was three. The youngest sibling was not yet in the picture. During Mom’s absence it was agreed that our paternal grandparents would be staying with us for the ten-day period to help hold the fort. During that particular garden harvest period, eggplant was in season and that’s what each of us remembered Dad frying up for almost every dinner. To this day I do not gravitate to the aubergine.

Oma was known for her Butterkuchen (butter cake) and she did not disappoint her Enkelkinder (grandchildren) during the babysitting experiment. I can still smell the yeast and butter/sugar aroma; we could barely wait for that sheet pan delicacy to cool before diving into it.

With her good intentions in the cleaning department, Oma decided to go the extra mile and polish the silverware. For us, the stray set we had was old worn silver, probably tossed rejects from one of Dad’s previous estate bosses. Anyway, Oma used a Brillo pad to do the deed.

Poor Oma, poor silver. It remains an amusing recollection. Mom’s first absence provided a new experience and special bonding for all of us.

On my trip ahead I will be taking Mom with me…promoting her memoir, Journey Between Two Worlds. I call it “Karola on Tour.” She won’t need a passport…just twice the money.

I hope you all continue to enjoy your summer activities, whatever they may be. May they lift you up and reconnect you with those you love and care about.

Most of all, be well. Until the Fall...

Love and cheer, 
Margaret

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