A reunion with Toots

There are certain things in life that you absolutely don't have any control over. One of these is who your cousins are. You can't choose them neither can you determine the circumstances into which you were born into. 

Popeye and sweet pea @ the pier

For the petite lady in this story, there were no options, but to accept this writer - Noah, and his sister as her cousins, their mothers being sisters. The circumstances that bound her to them came in a way that there was certainly no means that they could develop animosity or get bored with each other, simply because they only saw each other during yearly summer vacations and these times together were just for about a couple of weeks. So what transpired between them all their lives was just fun, fun and more fun. When your relationship with someone is at this level, you would treasure each chance to reunite and reminisce. This is exactly what this blog is about considering that the cousins are now at the grand stage of their lives... I mean being "grand" parents already and not the roles they previously played as carefree youngsters.

There were about 6 - 10 cousins including Toots' siblings who shared these fun vacations together, and I'm quite certain that they wish that it is still possible to reunite on the island beaches where they used to hangout. Other cousins who were born a decade before or after them where treated with respect and awe, but with none of the elbowing, scratch-my-back-I-scratch-yours or sleeping-side-by-side-on-the-floor type of closeness.

Toots and her family lived in the big city while Noah and sis lived in the remote mountainous recesses of the farthest island from the big city - 4 days by boat in those antique years. Noah actually lived each day of the year in anticipation for the summer trip to Manila.

Since this blog is about a reunion and not about the bygone years let's leave the past behind. Toots at this time was spending some months touring the United States... so with Noah. She was based in Las Vegas and Noah in Bakersfield - just 6 hours drive between them. 

To bring Toots to Bakersfield Christian and Jinjin brought

her halfway to Barstow from where Noah and sis would take her

through the second half portion of the trip. There's no doubt

in the photos that the three are cousins by their unique

facial expressions.

 the next day they toured the museum of president

Ronald Reagan at the Simi Valley...

 ...where this horse brought back into remembrance

the years when Toots would visit the mountains

and Ethel and Noah would take her horse-back riding.
Some famous American photobomber with them.

 this time it took quite an effort to get

up on the saddle with less flexibility

of the joints.

The next day was Pismo Beach...

 ...where they got to taste the famous clam

chowder in an consumable bowl.

 waiting for the sun to set in a 

fabulous sun-sea-sky showdown.

The next day was free breakfast at

Ethel's hospital and apparently the 

temperature is very low.

At this point Noah would like to apologize for the succeeding videos

which may be too gross and offensive for some people. Viewers discretion is advised.

The lyrics of the songs have become to scarred and shredded in their
dwindling memory, so to stay on the safe side they only sang the chorus parts - "relax."

Toots is ready to board the plane at LAX for the Philippines and at this point this question begs for an answer: will another reunion be possible?