California trip, June 23

Today was Sunday, and Maureen and I went to church at St. Ambrose Episcopal Church, which is where she directs the choir during the regular academic year. Today and for the summer, however, she was free to be a congregation member. The day was overcast, and there was spitting rain and lowering clouds present as we left Maureen's. We arrived just as church started. Vacation Bible School children headed up the service and added a vibrant, celebratory accent to the proceedings. The church was ethnically varied, with Indians, Hispanics, Europeans, Japanese, Chinese, etc. attending the service. Father David Ota, whose family background is Japanese, is the pastor and delivered a good homily, making everyone, including myself, feel very welcome. There was a blind man in the audience who did the Scripture readings, reading so fluently and eloquently from his Braille manuscript that it was a joy to behold. He had a beautiful Golden Retriever seeing eye dog with him, with whom I later made friends and who was extremely attentive to every word and gesture of his master. After the service we stayed for a short fellowship, and I met some of Maureen's choir members and acquaintances in the congregation. After that, we stopped by the Plaza Gourmet deli close to the lagoon in Foster City (location of the church), and while there we picked up some pasta salad, carrot salad, crackers, an orange San Pellegrino, and a Baci chocolate each for dessert. Weather was still problematical, and the wind had increased, so eating beside the lagoon at a picnic table soon failed to appeal, and we ate in the car. Then we drove back to Maureen's, and I have assisted her in packing for her big move ever since. We have packed almost all her dishes, glassware, linens, and other various and sundry other items, and have taken down all her pictures and removed all the nails. Just a few minutes ago we ate some leftovers from yesterday and finished with some scrumptious watermelon. More we cannot do tonight, since the place is now overflowing with boxes, and the heart and soul of the place, comprised of art work and plants, has been lost as we stare at blank walls and boxes stacked everywhere. Maureen is making a list for tomorrow, when we shall be renting a U-haul to transport all the boxes and the art work from here to Maureen's new condo in San Francisco. More tomorrow, but now I am going to get some shuteye! Productive day!