Slight Detour: Fun Rendezvous

Dom Ruggeri, Marianne, Julia Ruggeri, Bill Love, Debbie Love, Will Love, Carol and Cliff Warren.

It was a meaningful and fun evening last night as we enjoyed a get-acquainted session with Dom and Julia Ruggeri of Austin, Tex.

They were in Sandpoint on a brief vacation and were putting faces to some of the names with whom they've been associated for the past few years.

Julia has been a longtime reader my blog, and the couple donates to the Bonner Community Food Bank so they've gotten acquainted with Debbie.

Talk about the Love connections!

And, did we ever talk and eat pizza and have a great time on a gorgeous and busy evening at Old Ice House pizzeria in Hope!

Julia had resided in Sandpoint as a small child. During World War II and for a few years afterward, her Polish family lived in a German refugee camp, managed by the United States.

In fact, the family was still living in a refugee camp when Julia was born in 1947. In 1951, her two sisters and her parents immigrated to the United States by ship to New Orleans, later traveling to Sandpoint by train.

The family was sponsored by the parents of Francis McNall and St. Joseph's Church through Catholic War Relief Services.

They lived in a cabin on the McNall Ranch at Grouse Creek. After a couple of years, they moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where Julia completed her schooling through college and where she met Dom.

Julia taught English and later worked with online curriculum; while Dom spent a career in the Air Force.

It took no time for our group--which also included Sandpoint volunteers extraordinaire Carol and Cliff Warren---to feel like old friends.

Heck, there was even a bit of individual pride shown by members of what we coined the "Cataract Club."

Five of our group of eight have had their cataracts removed. Soon to be a sixth in the fall!

Thanks, Debbie, for organizing this wonderful get-together. To Dom and Julia, it was so nice to meet you.

💖💖💖💖💖

In other news, we were hoping for a little LOVE on the ZAGS squad, but he decided to go to Arizona.

A bit disappointing BUT totally offsetting that and then some was last night's announcement that Anton Watson will be back for another year.

Anton has oodles of fans in the ZAG Nation who are likely very thrilled this morning.

Plus, he will have another year to really shine as his skills continue to improve.

Welcome back, Anton. Your decision made our day.

🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀

Bill and I have each reached a major conclusion about life at this age.

If it costs a little more money but it makes your life easier, spend that money.

I did just that yesterday by purchasing two more retractable hoses.

After a few weeks of watering, I've decided that dragging two sections of hose from the back yard to the front yard and then back again takes too much time AND I just don't want to do that like I did last year or the year before.

So, I bit the bullet, bought the hoses and posie and veggie watering will be much easier.

This seems to be a recurring theme with some of my other friends too. No need to kill ourselves before our time, so we're learning to make it easy on ourselves.

I guess ya call it "maturity."

And, with that, I'll fimblefamble and say I've got to get out there and do my watering.

Happy Thursday.