Just Like Old Times...Only Better

Shaver Lake is a pretty big part of my past. I spent a week camping there every Summer in Junior High and High School, and a few of my relatives have lived and worked there, so it has become a familiar place. If you've never heard of it, and you probably never have, it's a very small nook of a town located in the Sierras, on a lake called Shaver Lake. The water is icy cold there, even in the Summertime, but it's beautiful. And it's mostly a tourist town, with cabins in abundance, attracting waterskiers in the Summer months and Snowbunnies in the Winter months.

But when I was a teenager, the cabins weren't even a consideration. My cousin, who took us camping every year, was pretty insistent on making our experiences the most austere and rustic as they could be. (Read: cheap) I'm pretty sure back then we even had a version of the pit toilet, which, for one day can be awful, and for one week can be torture. Showers were few and far between, but at least we did get a shower. I will say the food was good. My aunt always came and cooked for us, and she always knows how to care for a hungry mob. I'm pretty sure though, that it was experiences like those I had in Shaver Lake that made me the Anti-Camper I am today.

So this last weekend I went to a wedding....ANOTHER wedding (I know), this time back in Shaver. Driving those winding roads up to the town, I found myself remembering old signs and gas stations...the places we used to have dinner on the way down the mountain. And when we got there this time, we were staying in a cabin. My aunt (the same one who's a great cook), got us a huge cabin which accomodated 9 family members for the night, which was an upgrade fully appreciated by someone who has seen and experienced the worst. The only catch was that we had to share a room with someone...which is a bad idea for me because I have insomnia. Even under the best conditions, sleep evades me. So we shared with my parents. I don't have to tell you that I was up all night.

The family cabin

I was really fine in the morning...not too tired, so we went off to the wedding, in a hidden gem of a wedding chapel. Stained glass windows, a covered bridge, set in pine trees...it's really nice. I should've snapped a picture of it. I know the Pastor of the church...he's a kind man.

My cousin exiting the church after saying her vows

We left Shaver not long after the wedding. The reception was short, but not uneventful. My cousin (K) is kinda kooky and she had her guests sing songs during the reception. Our table sang The Beatles. As we drove out of town and down the mountain, my husband commented that he'd like to buy a house in Shaver. I told him he'd be bored in less than a month.

We'd been invited to stay at my cousins' (J & G's) house in Fresno. We always love hanging out with them, they're super cool, and on top of that, they love beading. Our other cousins (J & A) were also going to come over and make dinner for all of us, so we were in for a great night.

J & A made carne asada tacos which were mmm-mmm-mmm deee-licious---and gluten free. Then we all played this game called Ticket to Ride Europe, which was super fun. If you haven't heard of it, I recommend it.

The following day, we went to a birthday party for my niece, O. She turned two on Saturday. I absolutely love any chance I can get to hang out with my nieces--they live so far away, I don't get to see them very often. Of course, I also love to see their parents.

On our long drive home, we decided we'd go to the grocery store before going home and get some taco fixin's. We loved those tacos so much, we wanted to have a re-run. When we got home, we saw that the cats hadn't killed each other, (which is always our most morbid fear) so we were pretty happy. We had dinner and I turned on Big Brother...what a weekend. I had re-traced my steps in a way, this time with a husband and a new life. When I was in Shaver before, life was such a question mark for me, and when I went back this time, knowing who I am, I felt like it was more of an exclamation point.