Nori's sister Rosal and friends Balaji and Tamara

We spent the next two days in the comfort of Rose and Tony’s home and spent quality time together. We watched a Philippine folk dancing of their son Tony and the Caesar Chaves High School band DVD of their daughter Priscilla.

While there, we met their Pastor friend and wife. Married for 25 years and unable to conceive children, they applied to be Foster Parents. When they came for a visit they brought three girls (all sisters) whom they agreed to foster. The eldest was 12, the middle was 3 and the youngest was 10 months. All these pretty girls had problems due to a mother who smoked crack during her pregnancies and Child Welfare removed them from their mom’s home. The Pastor and his wife had prayed for children to care for and in one instant they had a full spectrum family. (Be careful for what you wish for….your wish just may be granted). Anyways, Janet who was twelve sat beside me for diner and we talked in English as Nori and Rose talked Tagalog to the Pastor and his wife. I did very well in age 12 lingo…I’m so proud of myself. After dinner Janet asked if she could call me grandfather…..wow….my heart stopped (my eyes are welling up as I write this now) and I said of course you can sweetie. Sometimes we just take things for granted! I am now a proud adopted grandfather and just when I thought it was impossible to be a grandfather again. I happily wear the badge.

On Thursday the 22^nd   Nori and I went to visit our good friends Balaji and Tamara and their son Praveen and daughter-in-law Deepa and their baby in the Bay Area of San Francisco. Our GPS, for the 3^rd time had us drive in circles to find the address and we had to call for directions even though we were very close.  Tamara served delicious Indian cuisine and Balaji made super flavorful homemade teas and coffee during our visit.  Believe it or not, the baby girl warmed up to me quicker than Nori so I guess that I’m still a ladies’ man. The baby had a running nose and Grandmother Tamara got ill and needed some bed rest. We spent quality time with everyone and Nori made a Filipino dish the night before we left. Praveen showed me an easy web site to get started with a travel blog which you are enjoying. We were honored to get to see an old video of Tamara when she was a wonderful dance performer of various styles from India. Beautiful! Beautiful! It’s nice that they have this to pass on to the next generation of family members. We are so grateful to get to know Balaji and Tamara’s family and plan a future meeting when our paths shall cross again.

Tehachapi

March 17: We went to Nori’s sister Floria’s work at an assisted living home (I may have to go there someday….wow what a thought)! We were there for diner to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the residents. While there, I got to interact with one particular male resident who had lived a fascinating life. He told my brother-in-law David and I of the time when he was in charge of new US draftees. He was processing one person who had an unusual last name (I will not say, to protect the innocent). Since he was a history teacher prior to serving in the army (1958) he told the young man that he had the last name of a President of one of the South American countries. The newly drafted student smiled and said that it was his father and that he (not the father) was OK with serving in the US army. This could have turned into an international incident if the press or his father would have found out. After superiors were notified of the situation, it was quickly sent to the Department of the Army, Secretary of Defense and finally the President of the United States to officially release the young draftee who had the famous father. This was kept very hush-hush and this story is known to so very few and would probably be denied but now we know a part of unpublished history. The fine gentleman that told the story had all of his faculties intact and I’m grateful to have been at the right place at the right time since he was going back to his own place at the end of the month of March.

Sunday, March 18^th, my birthday and I was ^3 years old (it’s a test). We woke up to fresh laid snow. …..Beautiful! Later that afternoon David and I went to town to get ingredients that Nori needed to cook smoked salmon with Alfredo sauce on linguine (great stuff). We go to the cashier at Save Mart and standing in line are our two nephews Tony and Jody from the LA area who came to Tehachapi to play in the snow. Wow, what dumb luck is that….well it was my birthday…_ _it happens. As if that wasn’t weird enough, we grab the groceries and in walk Dave’s son Marlon, his wife Charina and their two boys Odin and Zen to get dessert for Nori’s diner that evening. Can you believe that we were having this family reunion in Save Mart….well… everybody else in the store was watching 8 people taking turns hugging each other were just as surprised as us. We invited Tony and Jody for diner as well. All in all, it was a great birthday.

It kept snowing and Marlon and his family left to go home in Tehachapi and after finding out that highway 14 and 58 were closed to travel, Tony and Jody had to spend the night. Nori and I got some quality time with Nori’s sister’s Rose’s sons. The birthday surprises just kept coming. 

By mid day Monday the 19^th the temperature rose and Tony, Jody, Nori and I could all get on with our travels. Our next stop was Nori’s sister Rose and husband Tony (parents of Tony and Jody) home in Delano, Calif.

Travel plans and contact info

Hello Friends and Relatives,

Nori and I are going on a 6 month trip. Three of those months will be in the Philippines with two weeks in China.
Our home phone 575-434-5361 is just a messaging service to leave a message. We plan to check daily.

Our cell phone 575-446-8957 is good until 21 April 2012 then it is inactive.

If and when we get a phone while in the Philippines...we will send out a new e-mail and post on FB.

The best way to communicate with us is via patandnori@hotmail.com and or FB Patrick Morgan.

Periodically, we will send out greetings from us to keep everyone posted.

We will back Canada/USA 18 July 2012 and home in August.

First 10 days

Hello friends and family,

Nori and I left Alamogordo on the 5th of March and stayed with Tina and Bruce in Phoenix who have been our friends for many years. We always enjoy our stay with them. We then went to Palm Desert to visit my aunt Monique aka (Nickey). She gave us the grand tour and we had some French Macron cookies. Tasty!
She gave me copies of old family photos that I had never seen before. I've got to do the family tree some day when I retire....oh yea...I am retired...well ok, some day.

We did not get to see our good friends Nell and Grady from Alamogordo who were at the Indian Wells tennis tournament. High winds delayed our arrival.

Friday the 9th we departed and went to the Chinese Consulate in LA to apply for a visa to China. It takes four business days to process. Later that afternoon we arrived at my other aunt Monique in Rancho Cucamonga to see her and her new home. On Saturday we all went out to Vince's Italian Restaurant with Monique's children (my cousins) and their children whom the youngest was 16. Wow...I'm old. It was great to be with so many family members. It was Monique's and Nori's birthday.





Monique showed us the whole city including city hall. We were so busy that I left two projects that she asked me to do undone. Sorry! Guilty! We also enjoyed our visit with her and I got more family tree information.

The three of us were invited to diner at my cousin Mireille's home in San Dimas. It was great to see her again. Super salad!

We were in the audience for the Price is Right Show on 14 March 2012 which will air on 17 April 2012. We are in the far lower right corner and my aunt Monique from Rancho is sitting between us.
We stayed till our visa to China was ready on Thursday and we picked up the visa and traveled to Tehachapi, California to visit with Nori's sister Floria. We are doing laundry and getting ready for St. Patrick's day.