Like a Good Matriarch, Adele Mortensen is There

      Once upon a time, there was the small town Hamlet of Santa Rosa, nestled into the valley of Sonoma County, where Adele Mortensen and her family slowly passed into the future, being

raised generously on Hoen Avenue.  Here now, in the sleepy hollow of Occidental in 2011, at the Union Hotel, Adele had gathered with the now expanded multi-generational extended

 family, comprised of her kids, in-laws, grandchildren, a small sprinkling of relatives, along with the new band of great grandchildren, to celebrate her 85 years of existence.

         Slowly, as the troops filtered in, greeting Adele the Matriarch, after being driven over in Bob's MG, they all spilled the present day beans of their daily lives, and their past historical memories.

      At first, while everyone was milling around, dispensing the usual chatter, they all felt out the banquet hall, where the Union Hotel's history was strewn about the surrounding walls.

     Then it became time for the family meal, everyone in attendance took a familiar seat.  A toast was given by Adele's daughter Joyce, and then everyone darted into the salad, bread  

and two types of soup, both Clam Chowder and Minnestrone, that was placed in front of them at the dining hall's table. Then came the main meal, where


Ribeye Steak Plate

Chicken Pot Pie

Personal Pan Pizza

Shrimp Scampi

Raviolis

Pizza for the Kids

Chicken Parmigiano

Meatball Sandwich
(with "The Works")

everyone chose a variety of different things. While this was all in play, the the Long Table of Conversations ensued and everyone laughed, cajoled and scampered to and fro, divulging long time stories of various encounters with life.  A few tables away, another family was celebrating their

Matriarch's birthday, and down the time line, she came over and visited with Joyce and Adele, and even later, both groups sang Happy Birthday in Unison to their perspective Guest of Honor and all seemed very pleased and comfortably satiated.  At this point, Adele drove herself around the table,and spoke how

how we had all made her day, her life, so precious, and how these were the times she lived for.  Afterwards, we all had banana and apple fritters, and the Birthday Girl, herself was treated to a

Ice Cream Sundae, by the folks of the Union Hotel, and preceded to share it with most of the great grandchildren.  Before everyone left for home, we gathered outside the Dining Hall for a

group picture to be taken by a curious, well spoken and innocent bystander.  The day dispersed into the horizon, as each generation took to their personal Happy Trails and headed out in different directions, for their domiciles of choice.

         This is Steven, who had an actual history at the Union Hotel back in 88' and our host, Barbara Gunnella, having worked in the kitchen, making fettucini in cream sauce, salads, baked chicken, and Apple Fritters

and had been at Kendall-Jackson one year for the tomato festival, with Barbara, where the Union Hotel had actually won best of show, and one year for Mother's Day, had cooked off 600 half

chickens, and is doing his best to chronicle the history of the things that evolve around his own personal being, Child, hoping all of you tread such Happy Trails, until, we meet again on these arcane, and undulating keyboards of life.....