When we took the kids back to Salem last weekend we went on up to Canby and spent the night with long time Marshall friends Charlene and Tony. Charlene knew Terry (ansel's son) from college days, and had remained very close to Martina all these years. She and Tony usually travel over to Bend for the various Marshall Ann. and B-day celebrations.
Tony has his own little vineyard and vegetable garden behind their house and makes his own blend of wine from the grapes each fall. He says that is his therapy to go out and weed the garden and tend to his grapes. ( combined with being an avid Oregon Duck fan )
The weather was so nice the night we were there that we spent the evening on their patio visiting and sampling Tony's homemade wine. 
Visiting with grandson Brendon, (or is it Brandon? sorry) son Mark, and daughter-in-law Mia while Tony cleans the pool.
Grampa Tony plays Ku Fu Panda
Here I am scolding the self timer on my camera ;o) Guess the camera got the last laugh!
Oh and did I mention the veggies and tomatoes they grow in their garden... and that leads to the canning and to the incredible Italian dishes that Charlene always fixes when we are there. Tony is the real deal as far as being an Italian. He, his brother and Mother were born and raised there, and immigrated to the United States when Tony was 9 years old. The boys didn't know anybody, didn't have any friends, didn't know a word of English and were thrown into the Portland, Oregon school system cold turkey with no one to help them learn the language or translate their Italian. The boys went to different schools so they didn't even have each other to hang out with or talk to. And guess what - - he learned English and survived, graduated high school, graduated from Oregon, passed the bar and is an Attorney at Law. <<< I'm smiling as I say... >>>
