This post isn’t about our trip, rather it is about one incredible woman “back home” in Santa Cruz. This post is about Marcey, the most generous woman I know, and though it is inspired by her most recent act of kindness, she has been doing stuff like this as long as I have known her. Years ago when I took a new management job “downtown”, Marcey brought in a giant bag of clothes from a store she worked at part-time and said (I paraphrase) “you’ll need new clothes … try these on and take what you want.” She takes care of everyone and everybody with whatever she’s got to give (and I’m fatter because of it.) Here’s a report from Kim (another generous, incredible woman but that’s a different post!) about what Marcey did:

Marcey continues to amaze…she read the cover article in the Sentinel yesterday about a young couple who had lost everything to the Summit fire. Something in the story got to Marcey and she decided to give them a call (their number was listed in the article). She GAVE her truck to them.

This photo of Marcey and me is cropped from a Louden Nelson Community Center staff photo a few years ago (well, maybe more than a few now!) Anybody want to send me an updated one?

It is hard to write a fitting tribute to Penny Sue because I can’t really believe she is gone. And because of all things, Penny was a very present kitty. Where ever you went, there she was. She slept in bed with me her first year of life. No matter that it was because she couldn’t figure out the cat door; she was poison oak-free, and it was wonderful. Penny approved of only four people in the world throughout her life … Steve, Mike, Westi and me … and she didn’t just love us … she OWNED us. And she kissed us. Sweet little sandpaper tongue kisses. Right on the lips. When we prepared our house for market, Penny moved to Mike and Westi’s, and she reduced that number to two. Always skittish with others, she now looked at Steve and I too with great mistrust. It was heartbreaking but I knew that Penny was happy and loved. She tormented their poor Jasmine-kitty, and ruled their household just as she had ruled ours. I am eternally grateful to Mike and Westi for giving Penelope a happy, loved last year of life, and it gives me comfort to know that just before the car took her life, she was snuggled in bed with Westi, and everything was right in her world.