Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Sylvia came into my life while she was the church secretary at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Salinas, CA. Her husband Ocie and my husband Jim were also pals, and we shared many dinners and church events together. I remember her love for her pets, a cat named Scrabble and a dog whose name, I think, was Yahtzi. Sylvia was a marvelous cook. Beef brisket was a yummy specialty. When she and Ocie moved from Salinas to Southern CA and then to Lake Havasu City, we missed having them near but got to enjoy stopping to stay with them at "Casa de Hand" when we traveled that direction. Sylvia took pleasure in feeding the road runners and the little bunnies who visited their back yard daily, along with the quail. Sylvia had a marvelous collection of elephant figurines, a reminder of her days with the circus. But she did not like them if their tails were not up - apparently a sign of elephant happiness. Jim and I and Ocie and Sylvia had many games of dominoes together at the kitchen table in Lake Havasu City, sometimes enhanced by Sylvia's delicious Manhattans or a glass of wine. We took our dog Beau along on our trips, and Sylvia welcomed him too, introducing him to the dog park in town where he had lots of fun. Not too long ago I saw Sylvia for the last time. She and Ocie made the trip from Lake Havasu City to Paradise, CA (our home) to visit Jim at Paradise Hospice shortly before he died. That visit meant so much to us, because at that time it was not easy for Sylvia to travel. After Jim died and I moved to Maryland, Sylvia and I continued our friendship via email. I will miss this good friend in so many ways! I thank God that we shared a faith that promises eternal life in Jesus, and I look forward to seeing her again. I send my sympathy and love to Ocie and her daughter Sue and their family.
