we'll all float on

I survived the trip to California. It was hard to see my mother going downhill, but I was glad she perked up a bit the last couple of days I was there. The weather cooled off and I had a couple of nights/mornings of the fog I miss so much. I was the only one not running around in a sweater, I enjoyed it so much.

I talked about Marina as I always do while I was there, and my sister and I had some good laughs and memories of the things she and her cousin Tony did when they were little. Other than during those times I didn't cry about Marina other than the occasional quiet tear when somebody said something about her.

But on the way to the airport to head home, I couldn't keep the tears in when my brother told me about a plaque he wants to have made to put on a small grove of various redwood trees he planted that he wants to dedicate to her. He wants it to read:

Marina May Grove:
in memory of all sheep
who have lost their way.

She loved sheep -- one of the last things she did was to draw one at the end of the letter she left; she used to draw this little sheep on everything, but this time she added wings. I hope the wings helped her to fly away to a better place.