A Slice of The Small Town Life

I'm settling in so there may be a little bit of a lag in my posts...but stay tuned!

Just a typical "vehicle" filling up at our bulk plant...

And I thought I was finished getting stuck in traffic?

WELCOME TO IDAHO

or Welcome to the Wind!!  

(I love my outfit...totally rocking the next trend)

Don't worry, in my honor it snowed and rained to welcome me home. 

Home Sweet Home (visitors are always welcome!!)

After we unloaded the Uhaul, my sister-in-law, AB, surprised me with an array of Asian cuisine...bringing a little bit of my Bay Area home to my Tetonia home. It was delicious and so very thoughtful! Thank you!

"Welcome To Palo Alto"

Every state, every city has "Welcome To [insert name] signs. More often than not we simply speed past them and those signs never register in our minds again-even if we pass them on a daily basis on our travels. Five years ago I flew by this sign, focused only on finding Louis Rd and moving into my "new" home. It was not until years later, after residing in Palo Alto, that I passed this sign and took note. Now you're each beginning to ask: why is she writing about a "Welcome To" sign...stick with me folks. It wasn't the sign, it was the message. I moved from a town of 247 people (not 247,000 but really 247) that was the only place I knew as home to Palo Alto. Boy was I scared. I knew NO ONE. Yet, instantly the people I met wrapped their arms around me (some times literally). To name just a few: Mer sat by me on my first day at church.  JW and ACF invited me to dinner the first week I was there, just to get to know me. My HP team welcomed me with open arms and teasing (mostly Pete and Roy) and while our original team has been disbanded for years, they are always my team.  The "acts" to welcome me to this place continued, in fact, they never stopped!  Remember this video? This is just a small fraction of the kindness that I've been shown in my time in Palo Alto. All of this doesn't speak volumes of this physical welcome sign, what it speaks of is the amazing ability of the people of Palo Alto (and its surrounding areas, of course) to embody this sign in their actions, in their words, and in their consistency of both.  Palo Alto has become my home, not because the Dish is beautiful or because the downtown is awesome or because it has 10,000 parks or because the weather is great (let me just throw in a note that these are all added bonuses). Palo Alto has become my home because the people, because they brought me into their homes, because they showed me that family can be built among anyone, no matter what their backgrounds.   As I leave this home, to return to my other home it is bittersweet, however, Palo Alto will also be home in my heart! (And luckily my many Palo Alto family members tell me I'll always have places to stay when I come home to visit)! I love each of you. Thank you. Thank you for everything. No matter small or large your acts of kindness I hope you each know that I'll forever be grateful for the love, (too numerous to count) hours of service rendered, and for the wonderful memories created. 

A HUGE Thank You!!!

The last 48 hrs in Palo Alto were bittersweet, stressful, tiring-really the recipe for the perfect storm (and don't worry it was pouring rain the night we loaded the Uhaul). Needless to say, among the many stresses of packing and loading up my life, my steering column started locking up and being the one handed wonder that I am, I couldn't get my car started on my own.  

After five years of having such loving and compassionate people surround, I was not surprised by the outpouring of love, help, and rescuing that took place. I was completely overwhelmed and then mortal angels appeared. Since this is my blog I'll be shamelessly calling out these angels. 

kt started my car after our BR run

Cec drove across town to start my car so I could meet CP to pickup the Uhaul (and then picked up drinks for the movers and she and Scott came to the rescue with bricks to prop the trailer up)

CP...well let's see. He'll be a hero for life. He picked up the Uhaul, started my car (seeing a theme here?), he took charge of the loading (in the pouring rain), took away a couch, and did all this with calmness

MC, IW, SL, CL, HD, JD, PR, CP, JH, HM, RMR, BR, The Bransons loaded the Uhaul and my car in about 30 mins. They are the dream team! 

CT took the next morning and just drove me around running errands since I still couldn't start my car!

The Bransons...the lifesavers of my life (that's really no exaggeration). LB literally packed my entire kitchen the week prior to moving. BB brought pizza for the moving party! BB, KB, JB, and NB helped in the moving party. They also provided me a place to sleep when I was bed-less on my last night in PA...and don't worry they went the extra mile with french toast the next morning, because the Bransons are my lifesavers! 

Thank you all!!!! You each made a stressful time bearable! In fact, you each literally were lifting my burdens. 

(the empty room that I probably spent more time in than most 80 years that are house bound) :)

The Three Kids

PR so graciously came over and helped Dadio lift the trailer onto the hitch and he surprised me by bringing LN!!! We started at HP together and we were all Roy's kids. :) I was and of course will always be the youngest. I will miss these two (and Roy and Lucy) so much! They are all such amazing people and friends!

(Leilee and I always like to stand in front of or behind Pete since he's so tall)

Goodbye San Francisco

Dear San Francisco, 

Oh how I'll miss your colorful architecture (a city truly built with my color loving soul in mind). I'll also miss your food, your farmer's markets, your shopping, your views. Most importantly I'll miss Gustavo (see his latest work below). I willingly followed him from San Jose to your city because let's be honest he really is a hair god.  As a going away present from him and indirectly you, he gave me my cut on the house. What a man!   

I won't however miss your traffic, your smells, your rain, your parking options, and your fog.

Thanks for all the good times! 

Sincerely, 

Jess 

FMC: Best One To Date...

in my humble opinion. 

The best FMC yet for numerous reasons:

1. We watch You've Got Mail (definitely in my top 5 movies)

2. TB got white daisies!!! (daisies are the friendliest flowers)

3. It may have been the pink table cloths 

4. Or the delicious pink colored white chocolate popcorn

5. Most likely it was the best because so many awesome folks came!

Also, TB and I were the only ones in pjs! 

One More Game For The Road

I love baseball. I love going to games. I especially love going to games with LE, MP, and SP. Saturday night we hit one more game together before my exodus from the Bay. (SP's little bro was in town and so he joined us as well).  It was such a warm night, so fun, so entertaining (even if LE insulted my Yankees and I got beer spilled on me), and even though the A's lost we practiced celebrating the small victories of the A's (there is a life lesson to be learned and applied here too). I'll miss this live pass time dearly! More importantly, I'll miss watching A's games with these folks.   

Also, had to snap a shot of this classic tourist baseball behavior...since Dadio is so in love with his iPad I could see him bringing his to the ballpark as well. 

One More Round For The Road

Saturday Afternoon JNS, JM, MC (Jester as he was named for the day to fit in with the other Js), and I hit Poplar Creek. It was a beautiful day! So warm! It was actually my first round since surgery. My short game killed my score but I had some great drivers and nice recovery shots. JNS and I of course had a hilarious time chatting on the course as well. A good time was had by all. 

 Also, at the angle of this photo my right leg looks like it is skinny enough to be a prosthetic leg. I just remind myself, both my legs (particularly my calves) are awesome -separately of course.  

Farewell To ME...

Friday night HB, JNS, JLS, HN, KM, and TB threw me an awesome Farewell party. I typically do not like parties, especially big parties, however Friday was wonderful. Thank you all for your efforts!! And thanks to the men of 68 Shorebreeze for hosting us. It was so great to see and visit with so many people that have each had such a great impact on me during the past five years. I surely didn't get to spend as much time with each person as I would have liked but I hope each person felt my gratitude and love. It was humbling to have so many people I cherish come. I'll miss you all more than I'll miss golfing year round (that is definitely saying something!).  

(I couldn't help myself by crashing their old roommate photo) 

The J-Crew! I have enjoyed each moment we've shared on the golf course! What is said on the course, stays on the course! Looking forward to our next golfing trip. 

HB and I had about 10 of these photos, trying to take a "nice" photo together. With JNS behind the camera it is hard to be serious. 

 The best we could pull off...HB, thanks for spearheading this great evening! 

Can one be serenaded by a rap? JB and MC performed a rap for entertainment. The lines I'll document are in my opinion the most catchy (partly because JNS and MC kept singing them on the course the next day).  

"Jess Berry, she's the type of girl whom you want to marry" (I had no idea I was such marriage material before this song) 

"I hate to see her leave, but I love to watch her go" 

"She's fly like a bird, but her name's not Larry" 

KM and I were twins as well! Lovin'  the pink and the bling bling necklaces. 

I Love To Win...

Winner of the Jess Berry Invitational -- Hold'Em XXVI : the first woman to win her second title, and the first player to ever win their own invitational!  And no we don't gamble with money, it is a clean and friendly game using the same candy month after month...and yes I won with two pairs. 

See Ya Later Water Filter

As previously mentioned Sunday this wild crew went to San Juan Batista to give the Water Filter support and a proper send off. We love her quite a lot and so much that we felt it important she get photographed individually with each of us... 

This is classic Water Filter/Jess relationship posing... hehe

Meet TP, the nurse by day and model by evening along with "Miss I cannot keep my eyes open for a picture if you paid me".  

Dancing the night away...

We will miss you Water Filter!!! 

The 17 Mile Slice of Heaven

Today kt and I headed south to take in the 17 mile drive around Pebble Beach, soak in the Mecca that it is, see the deep blue ocean, visit Carmel, and have one last kt/jb day. It was so amazing! More amazing than I anticipated. It was beautiful. I decided today that the Greek Isles have some serious competition for my retirement location...mostly because there are so many courses to golf in this area!  There are few places I feel are little slices of heaven, besides LDS temples of course. Yankee Stadium. Golf courses (particularly Pebble Beach). Tetonia, Idaho. Today was a little slice of heaven. Thank you kt!  

A Berry on "Huckleberry Hill"

 Love this tree

I could hardly contain my excitement at Pebble Beach. I'm looking forward to the day when I golf this course (hint hint Dadio). 

We ended the day at the beach in Carmel. It was rather fitting that I hit the beach one last time before heading to Idaho. 

Being Productive And Not Just Sleeping In

`I've been a productive machine with all this new found freedom. 

Monday:

Exercised (it has been a long time)

Ran errands

Made Sloppy Dans and rolls for 10 beloved friends

Enjoyed a great and entertaining evening with said friends

Tuesday:

Exercised (wow)

LB came over and in a 2.5 hr time frame packed up my kitchen, I mostly just gave direction and was quality control. LB is a wonder woman...and heaven sent! I'll miss my Branson family so very much and have appreciated their love and support more than words can express! 

My remaining food supply for the next week...do not panic just yet. Almost every meal time is scheduled out with friends between now and then for goodbyes.

Case in point: Tuesday night my friends I worked with at HP and I went to Sultana's and I savored every single bite! It was so good to have one last meal together before I leave. Although I am extremely grateful to move on from HP, the friends I've made there I'll miss and I'll cherish our years together always. Roy hiring me I still feel was divine intervention. I couldn't have asked for better first boss and team. We worked hard together but more importantly we laughed hard together...and most of the time very loudly. hehe Thanks for everything, Roy, Lucy, Leilee, and Pete.