4. The Matterhorn 2010 I took this shot of the Matterhorn at Disneyland while Mom and I were waiting for the monorail to take us back near our room in the Disneyland Hotel’s Dream Tower. I wish I’d known that this visit to the Magic Kingdom was the last time she’d have energy to run around from ride to ride. We never did that again.
5. Celebration Cake on Main Street Aunt Mildred and Mom used to share mashed potatoes at this restaurant on Disneyland’s Main Street. Mom and I did too, adding salads with thousand island, and dividing a piece of Mickey’s Celebration Cake.
6. We always rode It’s a Small World because it was Grandma Wilkins’ favorite. Jim and I once got stuck on this ride. Argh!
7. Endless rides on theDisneyland Express! On our last few visits, we ate at the Blue Bayou and rode the train round and round.
9. Ribs sound good! Charlie, mom, and I shared a rib dinner at Claim Jumper on 17th Street in Santa Ana. It was enough for three and more—leftovers for another day! Mom didn’t like ice cream or chicken or turkey, loved fried potatoes and biscuits and gravy. Always ordered a cheese enchilada. Drank margaritas. When she came to visit, she liked to have Jimmy’s pot roast and mashed potatoes. Pork chops were a special favorite too, so he usually fixed those.
10. And we had mud pie too! Waiting for our treat. Mom didn’t like ice cream. She liked this. She’d say she didn’t want any, but several forkfuls later proved that was a lie!
11. We used to get gardeniaswhen we arrived at Union Station on the train from Santa Anamany years ago.
12. TAQUITOS!! Mom and I have been eating taquitos at the same little restaurant, CelitoLindo, at Olvera Street in Los Angeles since the 1950s. They haven’t changed at all. October 2010 we had our last taquitos together except for the ones I brought back to her on the bus the next time I visited.
13. Clifton’sLos Angeles Aunt Mildred and Mom always split the chocolate cake layered with bananas and whipped cream. They usually had macaroni and cheese and the iceberg lettuce wedge with thousand island dressing too. Sugar and I liked the mac and cheese and I loved their stuffed peppers.
14. What can we split? After Aunt Mildred died, I became the splitter. Before then, Mom and Aunt Mildred always split a meal and picked at what I ordered—the Claim Jumper’s mud pie was a special favorite of theirs. They never ordered it, just liked to take bites of mine. It used to annoy me, but in later years, I loved the camaraderie and the predictability of their “no dessert” protestations while enjoying whatever someone else got.
16. Third StreetSanta Monica After the movie, we’d sometimes have onion rings and Fatburgers. Mom’s was always “no mayo, no catsup, add mustard.” Mustard, onion, and pickle was her regular McDonald’s hamburger order. Lots of ketchup for her fries—I used to tease her that she had fries with her catsup. Almost all my pictures on our adventures are unposed. Mom usually said “no” to photos when she didn’t have lipstick or a comb handy!
