June 17 2013--Visiting Family in El Monte

June 17 2013—166997 Odometer reading

         We are heading north today to see family.   Today we are going to El Monte California to see cousins, Coranne and Fred Marquez, and Corrane’s sister Jeneth Jacobs.  It is sad to say, in a year when too many people in our lives have been afflicted with the Big C, that Coranne too is now contending with malignant melanoma.  And while the prognosis is not good, she is taking it with her usual guts and good attitude and dealing with it like a trooper.

         It has, of course, been way too long since we've seen each other. But upon arrival, Fred was giving her some medication so we walked Guayo around for a little while and then went in to visit. Fred was rather elated that she had been up, showered, washed her hair, dressed and gotten her hair and makeup done all by her self and was feeling very good that day. We went in to see her, and she looked great. She said they had changed her medications and was now on a level dose that kept the pain down, didn't make her all groggy and yukky feeling, and was feeling much better. This was good news to say the least.

        Not long after our arrival, Jeneth came, with son Mike. They both looked great and we all had a wonderful 3 hours of visiting and reminiscing and laughter.  Why does it take things like this to get family and friends together again? I guess because we always feel there will be tomorrow, and we’re all busy trying to make our lives work. We don’t realize that even without the diagnosis, we are all terminal and damn well better take advantage of each and every day to see the people we care 

about, and tell them how much we care and what a great part of our lives they have been. Certainly true of these two cousins from my father’s side of the family.

         So back to Huntington Beach through the delightful traffic of Los Angeles, but not caring so much about it now--just not important in the big picture. We assured Coranne that coming home from our trip we would definitely make another stop to see her and the family once again.