TIES THAT BIND~Hanford-CA & Laton-CA

February 10th: Today we drove to Hanford to visit Holland's Uncle George - Holland talks fondly of this man: he loves him.

I took extra time getting ready to walk out the door this morning: first impressions are important; I am not well-to-do (and I did not know Holland's family was, until we were married), but I want them to understand that Holland didn't marry beneath him, and he didn't marry trailer-trash either.

We choose to be road gypsies … and I can clean up real nice ;-)

Sequined blouse - I chose makeup colors that matched the sparkle ;-) Maybelline 'Charcoal Smokes' - Pearly Gray for browline; Lt. Gray for upper lash liner.

Profusion 'Chocolates' Palette - glittery 'Illusion' for overall eyelid color.

Maybelline 'The Urban Jungle'  - sparkly upper right for inner eye accent & bottom lash liner.

'Auburn' Brow Gel; 'Deep Green' Mascara; 'Coral Ardent' crème blush & 'Pink Quartz' Lipgloss.

Necklace & some curling iron magic … and we're off like a herd of turtles ;-)

Yesterday I probably looked worse for wear after 24 hours on the road, sleeping in the truck - and wearing the same clothes … with a quick brush through my hair when I first met Brenda. But today is different. We've had a good night's sleep in our bed, we've showered road dust (and Bleu's stinky mess) down the shower drain, slipped into fresh clothing, and I dolled up a bit before walking out the front door to meet The Family.

Holland said, "They're just normal people Baby; you don't need to worry."

But Holland is a guy: and he loves me no matter what.

First impressions are important when meeting Uncle George ;-)

The atmosphere when we arrived was very welcoming and friendly towards me. I didn't say much because I didn't want to intrude on the tender moments: I just listened and learned more about my husband's early years.

When we drove to Brenda's for Supper, that was a whole other thing, and I opened up more; freely engaging in convo and sharing in the cohesive family unity. I met her husband Jeff (who knew Holland from his boyhood days in Laton), and her two daughters & their husbands. Laughter echoed around the table, and it was almost like I felt I had known those people all my life.

It was a good day, and a good evening.

And we're going to do it again, tomorrow :-)

Coming here was a good decision - we had planned this stop in Laton at the same time we decided to become road gypsies. I'm glad we came; we both needed this heartfelt connectivity - Holland because he missed them … me, because I am Holland's wife, and he is my sole family now: it is good to be accepted, embraced, and included into a loving family unit.

Super exciting Day - we both have been looking forward to this.

Visalia-CA

Hanford-CA from Visalia-CA; 20 min (20.1 mi) via CA-198 E

Hanford-CA:

 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanford,_California)

A little background of Holland's ties to this place …

Holland and his Uncle George are tight; George was excited to know Holland is in town.

Holland comes from a strong work ethic background.

We arrived …

The closeness of these 2 … and the love flowing between them had my eyes watering. It was a beautiful thing to see.

Cousin Brenda, Uncle George, & Holland. Together again.

Bleu behaved while left alone in the truck for the majority of the Day; a little freaked out, but no anxiety messes. Thank God.

The sunset on the way home in Visalia-CA, from Laton-CA.

Visalia-CA from Laton-CA; 31 min (28.9 mi) via CA-198 W and CA-43 N

Sequoia National Park KOA Journey~Visalia-CA (Internet Pic)

*BIKER BAR & BRENDA~Quartzsite-AZ to Visalia-CA: https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2024/02/biker-bar-brendaquartzsite-az-to.html