SharivilleLife stories from Shari

I think that I am deliberately dragging my feet on getting home to Chico.  Must be some kind of psychological thing.  I am so close now and not so really excited.  I guess 6 + mos. is a long time.  I’m scared to get home and back into a routine………..maybe.  Time will tell.

So meanwhile, we shall endeavor to carry on.  So today we woke up to a powdered sugar sprinkling of snow on the ground.  Its cold in the mornings but jumps up into the 50s during the day, a real heat wave. So when it warmed up so extensively, we proceeded to drive up to a cooler place in more ways than one. Lake Lake Tahoe, and it was about 37 degrees up there, and the folks were still into snow stuff.  In fact I have a picture of Teddy with snow on his snout.  He uses his nose like a snow plow.  It was so beautiful up there.  We crossed the summit at over 7000 ft, and the town is at about 6500.  We had lunch at the Bear Beach Cafe.  Its was such a cute little diner directly across from the lake.  Such a gorgeous view.  The omelette’s were gourmet.  We didn’t stop at any of the Casinos, by now I could afford to miss them, once again,  in more ways than one.  After Vegas, nothing compares.  We drove around and took some photos, let Teddy play in the snow, and just really enjoyed the area. The magnificent alpine scenery is world  class.  We checked out the M.S. Dixie  2  paddle wheeler at Zhphyr Cove.  There is a mile long sandy beach at the cove.

We then drove back to the Carson Valley, and over to Genoa. The Carson valley is so picturesque, it’s surrounded by scenic mountains, some snow covered, esp the ones to the west, which would be called the Sierra Nevada’s. Vincent would be glad to hear that its said to be one of the nation’s top soaring locations.  The Mormon Station State Park is located in Genoa, and is the site of Nev. first permanent settlement, est. in 1852.  There is a very fine regional museum in the old historic Genoa Courthouse.   There is also some quaint shops and galleries there.  But what I love, love, love about this little village is their herd of White Tailed deer.  We were hoping to see them this time of year, as last time we were here it was in the fall.  We were not disappointed in the least,  in fact we even saw an albino deer.  The herd traveled so fast across the road that I didn’t get the albino in a picture.  I’m sorry.  But as we drove around the houses we found lots more of them.  Teddy’s first sighting of deer.  But then after all he’s only 5 mos. old on the 30th of this month.  He got a close up of a cow, he growled and gave a couple half hearted barks.  Come on Teddy, you were bred to handle these cows.

So as not to waste time we then toured the State Capitol in downtown Carson City. Very nice architecture and lovely marble floors Lake Tahoe,  We talked to the governor’s secretary and she said Nev. governor, a republican, is probably one of the governor’s who will have their Attorney’s General file suit over Obama’s heath care plan.  Interesting.  We drove around the town of Carson City, it’s close to our hearts, as close to 38 yrs ago Jerry and I got married here.  It was in a little chapel called the Victorian Chapel.  We drove by there and took a picture , its now an insurance office.  appropriate .  When Jerry and I got married some of my customers, I was still a waitress at Studio Inn, commented that I had a concrete deal.  At the time Jerry was a concrete truck driver,  how funny……we had a small wedding family and a few friends.  Angie was our flower girl and she was precious. She was not yet 5 yrs old. At the time her hair was so long she could sit on it. She looked so cute.  My girlfriend Judy, and my matron of honor made her dress.  We had our reception at the Ormsby Hotel which was newly opened.  We made prior reservations at the Ormsby.  This was one of the funniest things that went on.  We had a choice of blue rooms or red rooms.  Since red is my favorite colors and I was looking forward to a colorful wedding night, I chose a red room.  The  newly opened hotel had the swimming pool on the 4th floor and were still in the process  of building it.  So I asked for any floor but the 4th as I figured it would be noisy.  So we arrived and our room was on the 4th floor and it was a blue room.  By then I was so stressed over the wedding and all that we just lived with it.  It turned out just fine. After the reception the wedding party drove up to the lake, Lake Tahoe,  to Harrah’s  for the Dion Warwick show.  She was big in the 70s.  So we have some real ties to this area. It always makes me happy to be here.  More tomorrow, I’m enjoying a mighty fine Bloody Mary and getting ready to  relax for the night…………………..Hugs,     S and J

s

It seems like only yesterday I was counting down the days until Elvis Presley was to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show, and now it’s 54  yrs later and I remember it as if it were yesterday, and I know  lots of my friends and family are thinking the same thing.  Elvis Presley, the “King of Rock and Roll”, would have been 75 today.  I personally cannot visualize him as 75, and maybe it was fate that spared us all that vision, including Elvis himself.  I really cannot imagine a 75 yr old Elvis.  Still it would have been better than the way it really did end.    But I still miss him.  I miss all these yrs of lost entertainment and memories we won’t have.  I miss never having been able to go see him in person again.  I think of the song “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” and yes, I am lonesome tonight, lonesome for one of those wonderful love songs he was so good at. I realize I can put on a CD, or tune into Channel 6013 Satellite music on dish Network, but it’s not the same , is it? Elvis was such a very real and important part of my growing up years. I feel so blessed to have ever had him in my life and memories. He contributed so much to my teenage and early 20′s yrs.

 With each of his many songs I can remember back to what was going on in my life at the time. I remember where I was and what that particular boyfriends name was.  One memorabilia occasion was while I was living in Charleston, South Carolina. The movie was “Jail House Rock”, and his name was Michael Herndon.  Wonder where he is now?  I also remember the exact place I was and what I was doing when the news came across the TV that “The King Of Rock And Roll was dead!!! ”  I was, I’m sure, along with many many other people in sheer shock and denial.  I think back to 1971 when I was fortunate enough to see Elvis in person. That was one of the two things my X husband, Bob did for me.  He took me to the Saraha Tahoe Casino in Lake Tahoe to see him in person and got me a front row table.  I not only got a kiss smack on the lips, but I got my arms all the way around Elvis’ neck.  When I did I could feel him tighten up, I think he thought I would try to pull him off stage.  I never would have.  During the show Elvis introduced  us to one of his friends, and there sitting a couple of tables away was Clint Eastwood, looking really good,  in fact he still does look better than ever. Elvis  did his wonderful gyrations on stage and caused some of us to nearly faint.  He sang ” I Just Want To Be Your Teddy Bear,” while tossing teddy bears out into the audience.  He sang his famous ”Trilogy”, “Poke Salad Annie ”, ”In The Ghetto”, and so many many of his gold record songs.  He tossed scarves out into the audience, accepted flowers from girls close to the stage, and just put on a show that was unbelievable and sustainable for my lifetime, because I was never to see him in person again.

My cousin Bobbie and I were both about 12 or 13 when he came on the scene.  Since we were both the same age we had Elvis in common.  Although I’m sure I was far more crazy about Elvis than anyone else in the world.  Bobbie and went to the Senator Theater in Chico when we were 14 to see Elvis’ first ever movie,” Love Me Tender,” and it was so wonderful. I remember the first scene we saw Elvis in was where he was way out in the field plowing with the mules, the whole theater went wild, at least that’s the way I remember it.  Subsequently through the yrs I have seen all 33 of his movies, have seen all his specials and concerts on TV.  My best friend Kathy Augustine and I have shared memories of Elvis all thru the yrs, she also got a kiss from Elvis when she saw him in Las Vegas.  We have spent the last 40 some yrs getting each other Elvis memorabilia and CDs. We have delighted in seeing who could get who the best of the best Elvis stuff.

Several yrs ago Jerry and I went to visit Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley.  It was one of the best places I have ever been.  There is so much there to see about MY IDOL.  There is a huge room there with all of Elvis’ gold and platinum records on display. For an Elvis fan it’s the most wonderful place to ever go.  It’s also where he is buried, in the “Memorial Garden.”  I remember how I felt looking at his grave, kind of the way I feel tonight.  I feel and felt  a great loss.  A loss that for one reason or another Elvis Presley never got to live out a full life, never got to expand his God given talent.  Maybe that was God’s plan and we were never to know a 75 yr old Elvis. But thinking about it today, I am lonesome and I do feel a great loss, after all these yrs.  But I do remember, just like it was yesterday.

By the way the second best thing, and most important one, my X husband did for me , was to give me my precious daughter, Angie.