After graduating from Santa Rosa High and winning a small pickup truck at an all-night graduation party, Caroline decided to attend the local junior college, staying with her friend Alisha, at her parents’ pool house. Caroline heard of a semester abroad program in Paris and was thrilled to be able to go. That winter I went to France for a visit. We went to Krefeld in Germany to spend a long weekend with Marie-Hélène and her family. Upon our return to Paris, I invited Nathalie, my sister’s youngest daughter who lived in Paris, her husband Hubert, Caroline, and her friend to a popular steak house. Nathalie asked me if she could invite Martin, a friend of the family that I heard about over the years but had never met. We had a great time with typical Parisian ambiance. A few weeks later Caroline announced to her mother that she had met someone, Martin, whom Pop met in Paris. Of course her sisters and mom were curious about him, but I was no source of information. He sat at the opposite end of the table and did not appear in the pictures I took that evening, a fact that I got me in trouble. Caroline went back to Paris to receive her Bachelor’s degree from the American University.
When he was eleven, Nick and I took a week-long camping trip through northern California and southern Oregon. The first evening, Nick caught a big fish, a bass I think, which he cooked that night on the camping stove. That trip was a great and memorable father/son time spent together. On our way back, we discovered a resort where we could rent ATVs to ride in the Oregon Dunes along the Pacific Ocean. We liked it so much that we decided to stay another day!
Nick also went to St. Rose School. He played a lot of basketball with CYO and also became a good soccer player. His high school years were difficult as he lost interest in sports and needed a change. He eventually graduated from a small school in Utah. He attended Santa Rosa Junior College, worked part-time, and lived at his mom’s family home. He transferred to USF as a junior.
Caroline and Martin announced their engagement and started to make plans. On a trip to France around that time, we visited the proposed site of their wedding reception, the Chateau de Monbazillac, helping them decide on the menu. Mary, Melanie, Nick, and I flew together to Paris. The next day, in a rented minivan, we drove to the airport and found Valerie, sitting on a curb in front of Terminal One, waiting for us. That evening, we were in Gironde. I am still amazed how we could do all this without cell phones! My sister provided the decorations and Michel the wine. I was very proud of the family togetherness. The morning of the wedding, Martin and I played tennis against a couple of my nephews. My brother, being the mayor of Sauveterre, officiated the ceremony, followed by cocktails at Martin’s beautiful property on the Dordogne River, then more drinks and fireworks at the Chateau. We sat down for dinner past 10 o’clock. Dancing started at midnight, music provided by Martin’s best friend Claude, who put his old rock and roll band back together for the occasion. They took a break at 4 a.m. and could have played longer, but everybody was ready to
retire. What a wedding! The next day, the immediate family had lunch at Martin’s parents property, trying to finish the open bottles of wine from the day before.
A few weeks later, Caroline and Martin arrived, with Claude, Nathalie, and Hubert for the California wedding. It was a church wedding at St. Rose, followed by a reception at the elegant Gloria Ferrer Champagne Cellars, a property I knew well since I was responsible for planting their first vineyard. My little girl—I walked her down the aisle and she is now married!
Valerie and Melanie completed their degrees at UC Davis where their parents met 30 years earlier. During those years, I often met them and some of their friends for a picnic dinner on the campus—with a handful of Safeway grocery store gift certificates. I always felt very welcome there.
Melanie got engaged soon after graduating. We all were at the celebration party at a large Sacramento apartment complex in the outside common area. Melanie and Tim had very unruly beagle named Cali, who was roaming around and suddenly appeared with a large, raw t-bone steak in his mouth—and we could not catch him. It probably was not funny for the people returning to their patio barbecue and finding no steak on the fire!
They choose to be married at beautiful Paradise Ridge winery, in late afternoon. The outside ceremony on the patio overlooking Santa Rosa was
officiated by three family-friend priests. My sister was there along with her son Frank and his fiancée. Marie-Hélène, the bride’s godmother came from Germany. It was a balmy evening and a great time for everyone!
