Ed Giovannoni 's 80th Birthday in Walnut Grove

           Our day with Ed started out with a powdered grey and ominous sky, stroking the road with numerous inclement talking points as we drove down Highway 101, edging ever so sullenly into Petaluma, wondering whether or not the back splash from the vehicles in front of us were going to severely damage our progress to Walnut Grove to celebrate the man who Joyce's family knew as the rich side, when they chowed down on Roast Beef and Orange Crush. As we approached Highway 80, off of Highway 37, our environment settled into a more disputable calm, in what could only be digested as the eye of the storm.
          Though before we had casually enveloped ourselves with the change in the meteorological nuances, we made a quick tour of where Papa Harry (The Old Bear) Joyce's had worked at Mare Island, and where her brother Russel had also spanned most of his early employment years, learning similar work habits and experience as his father.
           Before we really took to the back roads of Highway 113, we

had to take a quick sidebar to Winco, and since Russel had never been, he got the Grand Tour, and vowed to return someday while in Vacaville.  It was a new Back Road for all of us, and until we made the left onto Highway 12, Russel found himself bewildered as to where he actually was, and Joyce thought we were still going to be passing the Train Museum before we hit the Rio Vista Bridge.
          As we arrived at the celebratory location of St. Anthony's Parish Hall in Walnut Grove, the events began to transpire. Being

early gave us time to get acquainted with the "Party Room" and where most of the opportunities of communal joy were to take place, and waited for the caterer from Lodi to show up.  Then the congregation of friends, family and relatives made their way into the hallowed hall and scene that would eventually stamp it's collective wit onto Ed Giovannoni's memory banks.  Though I am not the stenographer of the event, though being tied into the celebratory nonsense by being part of the "Mortensen" clan, you would be best
informed of the individual members of the crowd by Joyce herself.  I can tell you that David and Kathy, Ed's son, and his spouse, Kathy were benevolent and worthy hosts, while Debbie, Ed's daughter, Joyce and a few very diligent members of the crowd, did the Kitchen Patrol.  David had just gotten a new camera, and made sure that from one moment to the next, you had better be prepared to smile for the casual Candid Camera or Polaroid Moments.
                                                             While on the other hand, Janine, Steven Nielson's significant other, with an i-pad, went around and did the same photographic shenanigans as David was doing.  Joyce had mad up this wonderful Old Stand Redwood Plaque for Ed which not only prominently displayed his last name of Giovannoni, but had the wonderful depiction of one of his favorite tractors.
Everyone did a lot of chatter, mingled from place to place, did a lot of reminiscing, barrel laughing and enjoyed the culinary treats of not just Lodi, but an Italian Rum Cake dotted with whole cherries inside circular mountain swirls of whipped cream, and numerous Anita and Vickie home made cookies for dessert.                             
                                                        Can't tell you all the secrets of the glorious event, but as the crowd began to disperse, we all knew that getting together for all the right reasons, as David had so eloquently said in his toasting speech, was certainly a blessing, and a great way to celebrate the history of Ed Giovannoni's life and times.  We all left with those bylines of a life well lived, and vowed to keep in touch the memories and community we all had shared for a few hours in a hall that often clamored with Bingo from time to time.  This is your guide, Steven, who for better or worse, goes along the roads of perdition from time to time for the ride, hoping you all have enjoyed similar moments in your own glorious lives, filled with the abundance of these type of beautiful gathering, Child, signing his way into future Oblivion's .    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1a1Ha3TJI8