The joy of meeting the new grandson for the first time

Migration

In my column last week, I shared a bit about our recent trip to Japan and our satisfying stay at the cozy Sakura Hotel in Tokyo. As I mentioned, this trip to Japan was not for touring or sight-seeing. We had one purpose in mind. 

In August of last year, our son, Gabriel, and his wife, Hilary, arrived at Creekbottom for a short stay enroute from Ithaca, New York, to Tokyo, Japan, where Hilary would be spending the next few months on research as part of her Ph.D. program at Cornell.

Gabe quit his Cayuga County planning position to accompany her. 

While the two were here in Glen Ellen, we sat on the terrace, lunching, laughing and talking; we hiked in Quarryhill to take in the late summer scenery and had a generally pleasant visit. Both Sweetie and I knew we would miss “the kids” but we were happy to have them visit, for however short a time. 

Regeneration 

Within weeks of their departure from California and their arrival in Japan, they called with a surprise: Gabriel and Hilary were expecting their first baby, to be born in April 2015. That was great news!

Initially, we didn’t plan to visit Tokyo; we would see the baby soon enough, as they were expecting to return to the U.S. within months, including a stop in California, of course, 

As it turned out, Hilary’s research (on foreign workers in Japan) progressed well, and they filed forms with Japanese immigration to stay longer. 

For us, that meant an obligatory trip to Tokyo. Babies grow and change so quickly, I didn’t want to meet my second grandchild too many months after its birth. As it turned out, we arrived in Tokyo just in time to share in the celebration of Martin Raphael Crawford Holbrow’s one-month birthday. What a fine fellow he is. 

Admiration 

Like his Papa Gabe, Martin was born with a lush head of dark brown hair, and bright dark eyes. Sporting round cheeks, with pale eyebrows and a sweet cupid smile, the little fellow looks so much like a Crawford. But yes, with hints of his Holbrow heritage as well. I was smitten from the get-go. I loved this little babe and cherished holding him, talking to him, and simply being in the same room with him. 

Officially, Martin arrived April 19, 2015, at 11:17 p.m. Tokyo time. He weighed 8 lbs, 2 oz. and was 20-1/2 inches tall. Those stats changed quickly as he grew rapidly: the happy fellow is an expert nurser.

Exhilaration 

Born on a Sunday evening, Martin and his dear Mama stayed in the hospital until the following Friday, which is the tradition in Japan. Hilary enjoyed a variety of healthy, vegetarian Japanese food at the hospital and Martin shared her room. 

His maternal grandparents, Gwendolyn and Mark Holbrow from Framingham, Massachusetts, arrived just when Martin was ready to leave the hospital, remaining for more than a week.

Almost as soon as they departed, we Glen Ellen Crawfords arrived, exhausted from the long trip.  

As I reported in this column when our first grandson, Shiloh Robert Crawford of Portland, Oregon, was born, meeting a new grandchild is as close as I’ve come to seeing the eye of God, the center of love, the unfolding white rose of which Dante so eloquently speaks. 

Martin’s marten 

Martin was born on the same morning that Bill, my Sweetie home here in Glen Ellen, saw a little marten, a furry dark brown fellow (a mink-like creature, quick and small) traverse our front yard.

While Hilary was in labor 6,000 miles away, the tiny visitor to Creekbottom House made his entrance and exit. We emailed the Holbrow couple, sharing the good news of our marten, as they quickly shared the good news of their Martin, a name they didn’t choose until meeting the new baby. Our wild marten heralded their sweet Martin.  

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The Folks in Glen Ellen column also appears and continues online. Look for the column on the Index-Tribune website sonomanews.com under the category Lifestyle. Click on Sylvia Crawford for current and old columns. Want to see your own name in the news? Call or write me at 996-5995 or P.O. Box 518, GE 95442. Or email me at Creekbottom@earthlink.net. Glen Ellen chatter rarely requires timeliness; however, if your news does, please be sure to contact me at least three weeks before your desired publication date.

Neighborhood walks 

Our days in Tokyo at the Sakura Hotel took on a pleasant and familiar routine. Up in time for the 365 Yen breakfast (think about $3), we spent the early hours of the morning in the hotel’s common room, meeting new friends, reading, writing. 

Around midday, we explored the neighborhood, quickly discovering several favorite lunch spots, among those the lovely little Dubois French cafe run by Satomi and Satoshi Hanai. Down quiet little Nishihara Lane, past two schools and many little shops, the Dubois Cafe provided the most interesting lunches, a blend of French and Japanese, delightfully exotic. Nicoise salad was a favorite, preceded by some of the best vichyssoise I’ve ever tasted. Satomi’s pistachio ice cream quickly became a favorite, with their dark French roast coffee fueling our evenings. 

After lunch and a brief midday nap, we were ready for the trek to Gabe and Hilary’s apartment, slightly more than a mile away. Heading in the opposite direction, down another curvy lane populated with tiny shops, we’d walk along, collecting vegetables, fruits, meat or fish for each evening’s dinner. The old Veggie man always greeted me with smiles (I was, no doubt, a big spender). 

Just before reaching Gabe and Hilary’s apartment was a long hill. The saving grace of that was a small city park before the hill where we could rest and watch children playing.

The shop-lined street was always filled with busy walkers, speedy bicyclists and slow old folks, like us. Delivery vans and speedy cars maneuvered around busy bicyclists. Those folks included parents with up to three children on board: one in back, one in front, and another on the crossbar. Within a couple of days, people recognized us and we were greeted with bows and smiles, feeling entirely part of the tiny neighborhood. 

Chaos of happy children 

Well recovered from our Asian visit, now long back home in Glen Ellen, we spent the evening of July 4th with dear Glen Ellen neighbors Sandy and Armando Zimmermann. Of course, the couple hasn’t lived in Glen Ellen for many years (maybe decades even), but I still think of them as our happy neighbors just up the hill. On the evening of the 4th, the yard of their elegant Sonoma home, near the Vallejo fields, was filled with friends and neighbors as we all delighted in the fireworks show. 

Many children gathered, bouncing in the jump house, sliding on the inflatable water slides and running amok in the green grass. It was a delightful evening and Sweetie and I enjoyed the chaos of happy children entirely. 

Remembering great fires of the Valley 

Finally, two requests from historian and writer Jim Shere. Jim is compiling a definitive history of the old Chauvet Grist Mill and surrounding Jack London Village. He is particularly interested in first hand accounts of the complex. Those of you who remember what it was like back in the day should contact Jim at jshere@sonic.net especially if you have memorabilia or old photos. 

Jim shared, “The Glen Ellen Historical Society is planning their next meeting with an emphasis on Great Fires of the Valley and the history of our fire department. We’re looking at early September, and want to hear from people who remember the fires – especially those who fought them.”  

He continued, “These are the fires we know of at this time: Poppe’s Store in 1905, the Wolf House in 1913, the Great Fire of 1923, the Glen Ellen Schoolhouse fire of 1925, the Nunn’s Canyon Fire of 1964, the fires that destroyed St. Mary’s, the Rustic Inn, and the Weiss barn in 1974, the fire that destroyed the general store at Jack London Village in 1977, the fires that gutted the grist mill at Jack London Village in 1990 and 2002, and the Cavedale Fire of 1996.” Again, reach Jim at the email address above. 

News has been quiet in our village this summer. This is a good time for you to share your good news with me and see it in print. Let me know about your summer vacations, your Sonoma County Fair submissions and any lively, timely news. It’s always a good time for news in Glen Ellen. Until next week, here’s Grammy Crawford signing off with love to my two boys and their families. How thrilled I am to be the Grandmother of two little boys.