the group photo!

 The Tiapos (aka Fluf) Gang last Sunday. Such a delightful day in and on Chef Sarah's patio. This was late in the day and it was getting a bit chilly so our hostess, on the end (left), was wrapped in a blanket. But still a lot of warmth all over and throughout the day.

in less than 3 weeks

 I have a bit of work to do before I fill out the ballot and mail it in. Mostly the confusing propositions and just a few of the lesser candidates require some research. Well worth the effort to keep our democracy alive, especially during these perilous times.

there is potential here...

 Still waiting for Doug's group photos, but in the meantime...last night I watched some Animals on Netflix, with Ben  Affleck and Kerry Washington. So far, so good and more tonight.

Sunday in Napa

 So much food and fun, thanks to Chef Sarah. Another perfect Tiapos with delicious food, as always.  We await the group photos from Doug's camera, but until then you do get a glimpse. My piece was about my "new" family on the East Coast and of course folks were intrigued. Top photo is Sam with his art, he is always such a great addition to our group and his fresh garden tomatoes? The best. Also grateful to Doug who did the driving and did not get lost once. Feeling blessed again.

and now, the Finals!

 I saw a lot of purple on my walk yesterday afternoon ~ men and women and kids wearing the colors of our amazing Valkyries Women's Basketball Team. So much fun and such a lovable and joyful group of young women who are giving the Bay Area a huge bolt of energy. Go Walks!

meet my "new" parents

 Catherine Beall and Charles Flook of Frederick County, Maryland. How did they meet? Was it a romance or a one night stand? They were not teenagers, in their twenties. We think Mom was in college. My adoption was private and at 10 days old my Aunt Kit of Mckeesport, Pennsylvania, brought me to Pasadena, California, on the train. I cried all the way. I still well up quickly and way too often.

back on the Farm

 Yes, I'm home in SF after this whirlwind trip. I did want to show you where Sister Jane spent the first nine years of her life, dodging cows as she walked a long way to catch the school bus. Flook Farm is now a lovely park in Frederick County, with an official plaque dedicated to the Flook Family. So very beautiful here with walking paths and picnic tables. And, of course I'm happy to be home and Annabelle has forgiven me for leaving her and we are pals again. Now the laundry. Grrrrrrrr.

a day with Father Flook

 

I have a ton more photos and words from yesterday, but MsBook Air and Ms. Stein are both slow this morning. Yesterday started with a lavish breakfast at Sister Jane's beautiful home right by the Potomac. (We do not share the cooking gene.) Then she kindly drove us to the Flook Farm which I will show you tomorrow when I am home and the internet will be stronger. Then to the lovely cemetery where the relatives on Jane's side reside. Dinner last night at Bistro 112 in Shepherdstown and so nice that Sister Carole (on the maternal side) joined us. A treat also to have nephew Tanner and the two boys ~ we sat outside, good food and fine service. We fly away today and my head and heart are bursting with all that I have learned. I promise lots of pictures tomorrow after a good night in my own bed. None of this would have been possible without the Blogmaid who started this whole thing ("let's find your biological parents!") and what a trip it has been. Kristin organized this whole thing, did most of the driving and made sure I was a ok as she handled everything with aplomb. Right word? She is now OFFICIALLY a member of the Flook and Beall blended family. I could NOT have had a better time. Truly. Deep gratitude to all.

now picture Pennsylvania (mostly)

 

The day started beautifully at the Airport Grille in Hagerstown where we met Sister Jane's friends Candy, Laura and Karen 2 (or maybe 1?) Wonderful women! Then the Blogmaid and I went to Gettysburg to try to find where her second great grand uncle, Willian Philander Cromer, from South Carolina, died in battle in 1863 at Seminary Ridge. We had a full day first at the National Park (fabulous!) then toured the Lutheran Seminary which became a hospital for the many wounded during the bloody battle. Also walked around the charming town of Gettysburg and ALMOST had dinner at the Gettysburger, but drove back to Hagerstown for the Blogmad's beloved Cracker Barrel (5th photo), which was actually rather good. (Shhhh, don't tell anyone I said that.) It was a long, full day and we both learned so much. For instance the cool wooden fences seen all over here are called worm fences and were used in battle. Feel free to Google them as I have run out of words and space here. Today is Wednesday, home tomorrow. Or as one fun young woman said when we told here that we were from San Francisco, "ah, the Promised Land."

this amazing life

 Well yesterday started at 11am when sister Carole (on my biological mother's side) met us at the Quality Inn for the first time ever. We liked her at once, meaning she passed the strict and often fatal Blogmaid and Blogger test ~ lucky Carole! Then sister Jane (whom we have loved for three plus years) joined us and we all learned about Mother Catherine, or tried to. This woman told no one about me, what a burden she carried. Women back then ~ well, we know from reading about their lives dominated by men and society, but hey, not today, Ms. Stein, let's DO the blog. So we four had a fine lunch at Rumsey Tavern (cool place) and then the photo sessions, thanks Blogmaid. Carole and Jane tried to figure out how my parents met, leaving us with so many unanswered questions. After lunch the Blogmaid drove (bless her!) to the Mt. Olivet Cemetery where Carole's parents are buried and we paid our respects to Mother and gave her a little  plant to thank her for all she endured. I learned so much yesterday, almost too much to comprehend. Carole was open and forthright and painted a picture of our mother that I won't soon forget. She was a good mother who smoked and read fiction a lot and did not care about how she looked. What a day. OK, the 4th picture should be on the bottom but after blogging for decades I still can't figure out how to move it. This was our dinner from the Food Lion across the street as we watched SNL on the Blogmaid's computer. So much we learn so late, etc. We were both exhausted and I bet Carole was too. What a day! (Oh, p.s., lovely sunshine and blue skies all day. Yay.)

The Maryland Campaign

 Such a full Sunday. First breakfast at the Red Byrd where I met my two brothers (Bill and Dan) on my father's side for the first time. So much to talk about. Then, Antietam. We are in the heart of Civil War country and the bloodiest one day battle took place here in 1862. The Blogmaid has researched this so she filled me in as Jane kindly drove us to see where all this horror took place. And these great photos are mostly due to the Blogmaid's talent and expertise. The National Park Service does a fine job of honoring the fallen with monuments and cemeteries  ~ majestic views of the stunning countryside mixed with vivid reporting of the activity on the battlefields. Then dinner with nephew Tanner, Jane and her friends Karen and Melinda at the Press Room in Shepherdstown. (And let us not downplay the Potomac River which is so important to this entire region.) Quite a day. Gratitude to all!

Quality sleep, decent in-room coffee

 Some photos from yesterday. VERY pretty country with lots of green, lovely old homes and then the unexpected delight of the small towns. The bottom photo is where we had dinner ~ I mean, wouldn't you? The Blue Moon Cafe. You can also see the Blogmaid in front of The Little House in Shepherdstown. I did not plan on GREAT sleep here at the Quality Inn, but that is what I received last night. Yay! This morning we meet relatives on my biological father's side ~ tomorrow on the mother's. How exciting is this? And, once again I am missing the SF heat wave, as I did when in Ashland. This is all so delightful.

SFO to Shepherdstown, W. VA

 The Blogmaid picked me up at 3:30am this morning and now we are in Shepherdstown at the Quality Inn. A long day but a smooth uncrowded fight, then a rental car and a drive here. This is such beautiful country and the town is so charming. Photos and more news tomorrow but I did want to report in. Thanks to the Blogmaid for all the planning and heavy lifting. Early to bed now. Zzzzzzzzz.

let's get packing

This isn't really my suitcase, but you get the idea. Travel used to be so easy. I do like the packing cubes and on this trip the Blogmaid has extra space so everything will work out just fine. She will pick me up at 4:30am tomorrow morning. We will sleep on the plane and in Maryland and when we get home in a week.Am I ready for an adventure? Well, almost. 

we finally agree ~ no data centers

 

“Clinton, Iowa, is topographically flat and economically declining. The sawmills that made the city rich in the late 19th century have been repurposed as a museum. One of the Victorian mansions long since abandoned by the old lumber barons is open for tours, but tourists are scarce. Clinton has shrunk to about 24,000 people, and the town center, along the Mississippi River, feels nearly empty. On the west side, miles of deep-green corn and soy fields are crisscrossed with transmission wires and zoned for heavy industrial use. The city’s economic activity includes corn processing, pet-food production, and methamphetamines. With available land and a dire need for investment, Clinton seems like the perfect place for a gigantic data center.” Well, it seemed perfect to everyone except Clintonians. Instead, the town of Clinton is the latest site where one of the most quickly formed and widely supported partyline-crossing political movements is taking place. “The meteoric emergence of the data-center rebellion is a response to the speed and scale of construction, which in turn reflect the sudden ubiquity of generative and agentic AI. President Trump’s policy has been to turn everything about the technology, including data-center construction, over to private industry ... But on this issue, most of Trump’s base remains angry and opposed to him.” A local newspaper editor described the way the issue has formed unlikely partnerships. “Outside of this, there’s no way in hell these people are talking to each other.”

THANKS TO NEXTDRAFT by Dave Pell for this article which I "borrowed".

summer has arrived

 I went over to the Chase Center yesterday to soak up some Valkyrie vibes and then treated myself to lunch at the good old Ramp. Most of the lunch crowd had gone by the time I got there and I almost had the place to myself. So many memories, including Husbando's memorial here 8 years ago. 

SF has turned purple

 Our women's basketball team, theValkyries, are in the playoffs. Hooray. They are such fun to watch. Here is a photo of Terri at the game Sunday night with the Go Valks banner that she quilted. So nice having talented friends. Next game, tomorrow night. 

the smart way across the Bay

 Heidi and I hopped on the ferry to Larkspur yesterday where we met Shelley who kindly drove us to lunch and then to this GREAT movie about James McNeill Whistler. So interesting to learn about this American artist who was so prolific and a bit of a showman. Ridership on our ferry systems has increased dramatically now that gas is so very expensive.