Laguna Beach

Before I begin this blog I have a message for Anon and Jodie and Pot. regarding the Tosca. Go back and read the Tosca blog which now is totally re written with correct info.

One Friday morning, when I was straightening up the house, fluffing pillows and tweaking off dead leaves on houseplants etc, I suddenly had the most insistent compulsion that I must call my mother in Sweden. It was a very strong urge that I could not evade or avoid. I called my mother only on Holidays or Birthdays and I thought, why should I do it today, a normal Friday. I would fluff and throw a pillow in the air, and if it landed good side up I would call, and if the back side landed up, I wouldn't. This went on for a while and suddenly I found myself dialing Sweden.

Mother answered and she was crying. Seriously crying. I said several times 'Mother what's the matter. Are you all right? What's the matter. She calmed down eventually and told me that Gunne, my older brother, who had been missing for over 18 years had turned up alive and well. Can you tell me some of the details?

The Lutheran minister who lived across the street from her had knocked on her door. It was not his usual time of day for his parish calls. He sat down and held out a letter and said ' this came in the mail today. It is from Gunne. From Australia. Apparently Mother had become terribly upset by the news and he said 'let me get you some water. Then he read the letter to her.

It said something like this.' Dear Sir, I have lived in Australia for many years and lost all contact with my siblings. Is there anyone in the community who could give me news or addresses of any of the four people I would like to reach.' My mother was 88 years old and one can surmise that he believed mother already dead. The letter gave his address in Upper Ferntree Gully Australia. Mother and the minister had immediately tried to phone him but there was no listing for him in the phone book. The minister had left and as the door closed behind him the phone rang and it was my call. It sounds as if my urgent feeling of having to call Mother coincided with the minister's arrival. I said that I would try to reach him and I would call her again if I found out anything about him.

I tried to get the phone number for him and as soon as I was told there was no listing, I sat down and wrote him a long letter. But Australia is long way from California and I knew it would be days before there would be any answer. When I put the stamp on the letter, the phone rang.

It was Steve, my son-in-law calling from his office at the club house. Can you and Sam play tennis this afternoon with Ron Ziegler and his assistant. They just called from the Western White House. I said, Steve, You can find people who are a hundred times better than we are. He said "I know. I did yesterday. Today they want to play with people who are worse. You will be perfect for them.