August, 1994
Barb: Really sorry, Mom, I have to chair a National Charity League Fundraiser. We can’t make it to your house on June 11.
Richard: I’m really sorry Mom and Dad but I have to attend a meeting in Minneapolis to train for my new job as Associate Director of Vocations for the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese.
Eileen: Sorry but Tim and I have to go to Mendocino for Tim’s niece’s wedding. I was going to ask you if you’d come out to our house on the 12th for 3 days to keep Gerard company at night. He has his exams and can’t come with us.
Kathy: I want to come down but I have no transportation.
Joe: Mom and Dad, you know Jennie and I would drive down from San Francisco, but we leave for our month in Europe that week-end.
Jim: I thought you had switched dates to combine both parties on Father’s Day.
So Mike and I decided we’d wait for the 50th anniversary and have a Big Celebration then. Mike and I will just go out to dinner alone on June 11th. Our children had always been so good about celebrating our anniversary, but they all had reasonable excuses this time.
The Wednesday prior to our Anniversary, our son Dick as usual played golf with his Dad’s eight-some. He called as he often does from the 9th hole to say “Don’t cook we’ll go out for dinner.” I was a little surprised when he walked into the house carrying a jacket and tie. I was in casual clothes and decided to change into a dress and Mike grabbed his jacket. Dick said, “I’m taking you to Malibu for dinner.” As we entered Guido’s Restaurant in Malibu, the maitre d’ said to Fr. Dick Martini that his party had already arrived. Yes, SURPRISE, our children had not let our 45th Anniversary go uncelebrated! I was really surprised!!!
Elaine's Memoirs 