Tuolumne Meadows
Terri Webster Schrandt

Sunday Stills: The Legacy of Favorite #Places

Friday was the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of the official state legal lockdown here in California. It was a beautiful sunny day with mild temperatures. My neighbor and I walked our dogs, of course keeping the appropriate 6-feet of social distance.

I was struck by how many people were out and about, enjoying their front yards, walking their dogs, even some riding bikes around the neighborhood. I feel this crisis, just like 9-11 in 2001, will bring community together even more so.

This week’s theme is Favorite Places

A Favorite Backyard

To spark the creativity for this post, I share a previous photo of my lovely sunflower from last year. You might remember I was home bound for two months recovering from foot surgery last summer, so my back-yard, lush with sunflowers and plumerias was my favorite place for a while. I guess it will be again while we languish at home.

lazy opening of sunflower petals

A Leisure Legacy of Favorite Places Instilled

Some of you may know that my mother passed away in early March. While I am sad and still find myself weeping for no reason, I am content that she is at peace.

For recreation, Mom always insisted we all go somewhere every Saturday or Sunday, whether it was to church, the beach (we lived in San Diego), the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Sea World, or trips to the Cuyamaca Mountains to enjoy winter snow or summer picnics.

Summers found us all at La Jolla shores beach or tide pools. During my younger teen years, we also enjoyed weekly warm summer evening excursions to Pacific Beach after a quick dinner at Wienerschnitzel or Taco Bell.

Pier at Ocean Beach
Ocean Beach Pier

My mom and dad loved camping and spent two-three weeks each summer enjoying the Sierra Nevadas. When we kids were old enough, we joined them.

Woman Hiking
Mom at 41, hiking in the Sierras

I just love seeing this photo of my mom back in 1981, when she was healthy.

Before our 2-week camping trips, a trip to the local library was in order to stock up on books. We did a lot of reading on those 8-hour road trips and read on our down time at the campsite.

We camped in Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks, but always seemed to land in Tuolumne Meadows, in Yosemite’s high country. Less crowded than the Valley, with its onslaught of tourists and hot summer temps, Mom preferred Tuolumne’s campground, with Ranger-led evening campfires, endless hiking trails and daily fishing!

Tuolumne Meadows
Tuolumne Meadows

A Leisure Legacy of Favorite Places Continues

“Our camping trips and excursions instilled a strong leisure ethic in me that exists to this day and has been passed down to my daughters, my brothers and their children.”

A Disappointed Daughter’s Perspective
Family enjoying a hike on mountain
Sunset Walk on Lembert Dome, Yosemite, with my daughters and my brother

I had the honor of writing and preparing her obituary for publication in a local San Diego area newspaper. Diane loved her community of Lemon Grove. Services will be conducted in early June, around the date of what would have been her 80th birthday, in a beautiful park near the home where she grew up.

Obituary Image

We have obtained a permit to scatter her ashes in her beloved Tuolumne Meadows, in July, where she loved to fish in the meadows, where we hiked as a family for over 15 years.

At last, she will be at peace in her favorite place.

Today’s post is chattier than usual as I remember my mom and her legacy. Remember, your post should focus on the theme rather than reflect on what I’ve written.

Sunday Stills is taking a one-week break March 29. I will be back to the blog in April to participate in Becky B’s April Squares and resume Sunday Stills on April 5.

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99 comments

  8. Sending lots of love and thoughts to you Terri, and how wonderful you will be able to take her to Tuolumne Meadows. They are beautiful and I can certainly understand why it was her favourite part of Yosemite

    take care of yourself xxx

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  10. A heartwarming memorial Terri – I loved the photo of your mom in her younger days, followed by your kids and brother. So great to have a close family. Hoping you and yours are staying safe out there.

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    • Thank you, Tina, hopefully the quarantines will lift so we can gather as a family this summer for her memorials. I’m working from home, no classes on campus, hubby works in outdoor government facility maintenance mostly alone, so we keep good distance from others.

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  12. Lovely, Terri. Like your family, our family went camping almost every summer as I was growing up. I feel strongly (and I’m sure my brothers would agree) that those experiences are a main building block of who we are today. Funny, though, although reading books and going to the library were also important to our family, I remember that before each of our camping trips, we were allowed to buy a big pile of comic books. That was the reading material we enjoyed on those adventures 😄.

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  14. Terri, Florida is not under a mandatory quarantine yet, but I think we should be. Most people are taking things seriously, but some are not. On the positive side, I have seen neighbors out walking and bike riding – keeping a safe distance, that I have not seen out and about in years.

    Your legacy of favorites is beautiful. It is wonderful when a photo can produce loving reflection on a moment captured in time.

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  22. What a moving post, Terri. My condolences to you and your family on the loss of your mother. Tuolumne Meadows is one of my favorite places and what a fitting tribute spot for your mother. Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos and your touching story. Be safe and stay healthy. 💙

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  24. What a lovely, loving tribute. I am so sorry for your loss and am grateful you shared it with us.
    It is a tender time on so many levels, these days we’re living. I send you peace and light and love and health.
    Sharing a snapshot of one of my absolute. Favorite. Places. On. Earth.

    Favorite Place


    Na’ama

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  26. What lovely memories you have of Mum, and what a happy childhood it sounds. You had a very beautiful ‘back yard’ to play in. Long may that continue, for you and your family. 🙂 🙂

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  27. What a lovely tribute to your Mom and some beautiful photos. Your family camping trips will provide you with memories forever.

    Good luck with the lockdown. We are also essentially locked down. I am hopeful for warmer weather so we can get outside and enjoy our patio. My daffodils are just starting to peak up. I have plenty to do at home, and don’t mind it so much. We walk down to the lake when it isn’t raining. It is harder on my husband than on me, he is used to being out and about all the time. We will survive! Stay well.

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  34. What a beautifully written obituary for your mother, Terri. Your memories of her and the days out you had as a family are lovely. At these uncertain times, these favourite places can seem all the more special to us.
    I remember your sunflowers from last year so well. We grow them too, but they were not very good last year. However, at least the birds got plenty of feeds from the seeds.
    Here’s a photo of one of our favourite places.

    We’re blessed to be living so close to it.

    Take care and stay safe.

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    • Thank you, Hugh. My whole family is grateful for our parents’ leisure ethic. Getting outside these days is critical to our mental health! It is easy to maintain social distance outside…more room. What a lovely area you have nearby to engage in walks and romps with your dogs! Stay safe, too!

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      • We’re in lockdown in the UK until at least April 13th, Terri. However, we’re allowed to go out of the house once a day. So we can still visit the beach with the dogs. I hope they don’t decide to close all the beaches. I’ve just returned, and it was pretty deserted, so it looks as if people are taking notice of what the government have told us to do.

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      • Wow, once a day? Sacramento county was the 10th county to stay at home, but we can still go out any time to walk, go to the store, etc. Maybe it needs to be stricter in some of the more populous cities. As large as our area is, the confirmed cases are low in comparison.

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  37. I knew you LOVED Yosemite, but now I understand even more why. What a fun, rewarding, and leisurely active childhood you had, Terri. And I think it’s important and fitting that you can spread your mom’s ashes in her most favorite place. Peace. Rest.

    Last year, we joined Mark’s family on a boat trip to spread his sister’s ashes. Closure. Always sad, but the memories live on.

    Have a nice rest of the week, stay healthy, and enjoy your garden!

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    • Thanks so much, Liesbet! I can go for walks with the pups, but allergy season is winding down for me, at least (fruitless mulberry trees) so I can enjoy the yard without sneezing! Now that you mention your boat trip, my mom had her own Lido sail boat and loved tooling around San Diego/Mission Bay Yacht Club years ago. She was quite the adventurer.

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  41. Hi Terri – so sorry about the loss of your Mum – it must be heartbreaking for you atm. She was a gorgeous looking woman and obviously enjoyed life and the world around her. Beautiful obituary and thanks for sharing a little bit of her with us.
    Thanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I’ve shared on my SM 😊

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  42. Hi Terri! Aren’t we fortunate to be able to get outside and enjoy the weather where we live? That is making this pandemic experience much more tolerable don’t you think? Thank you for sharing your photos of Springs. And again, I am sorry to hear about your mom’s passing. Never easy. Your memories of her are very touching. Stay healthy! ~Kathy

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  43. Hello Terri. I understand the feeling of missing your Mom and also being at ease knowing she is at peace. During all of this virus scare and our recent earthquake, I can’t count the number of times I’ve thought I need to check on Mom, only to remember that she doesn’t need checking on. She was spared what would have been a scary time for her. It would be very difficult to know she was in a care center without any family able to visit her. At the end, she couldn’t hear over the phone, so we wouldn’t have been able to talk to her at all. I feel lonely and comforted at the same time. As for your photos, they are lovely as always. Thank you for brightening my day with them. Stay safe!

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  45. Hello Terri, thank you for joining us at #MLSTL as it is always lovely to have you. I’m so sorry to hear about your Mum but you have written a beautiful tribute to her. I lost my Mum 33 years ago and I would still become teary for quite some time after especially if it was a song or something else that reminded me of her. Take care and I’m sending you a virtual hug for comfort. xx

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  48. Hi Terri, You are totally right in bringing community together. In our neck of the woods, Vancouver Island, the neighbourhood is very quiet and only a few people walking outside throughout the day. We live almost right across from a park with a playground and usually there is a lot of activity. I look at it as everyone trying to help each other stay healthy. Your sunflower is exceptionally beautiful. Did you use an app to help play with the photo?

    I am very, very sorry to hear about your Mother’s passing. Your Mom was a very beautiful woman and I can see the family resemblance. Your Mom instilled a love of nature and family values. You wrote a heart warming obituary. I have no words except I am trying to read this through blurry eyes. Hugs and sincere condolences during this very difficult time. The photos did make me smile and reminded me of days gone by. I am sure your Mother was very proud of you. xx. #MLSTL

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    • Now you have me typing with blurry eyes, Erica. Thank you for your kind words. We are all managing fine and relieved that she passed before COVID19 was such an issue. I’m glad you like those flowers. Watching them grow from seeds and catching them with my lens at different angles is a great hobby. I do use a post-editing app to crop, adjust exposure and color if necessary and add my watermark.

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  52. I am sure the love you felt for your mama guided your pen in writing that beautiful obituary. My father was cremated and mother wants to be as well, then they asked to be scattered over the Rockies near Creede, Colorado where we spent several very special summers as a family. Thank you for sharing this glimpse of your mama with us.

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  53. Two years ago today, my mom died. For much of the past week, isolated from our sons and their families, I’ve mulled over my mom’s legacy to me. She left me with a love for being social, being tested today. Everyone who knew my mom remembered her outgoing, gregarious nature, and how she made everyone around her feel special. Even the last 10 years of her life, lived in a residence for those with Alzheimer’s, my mom greeted every single person – fellow resident, family members, administrators and caregivers – as though they were her best and most cherished friend. Your mom and mine left us with a legacy worth praising. Thanks Terri, for letting me read this tribute to your mom.

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    • Aww, my sympathies to you, Shari, on this auspicious day. Our moms would have gotten along, both were outgoing and chatty from what it sounds. I thought of you as I was writing this post, of your mom’s Alzheimers, and how my mom dealt with dementia over the last 10 years. During the last 2 years, she exhibited a Tourettes’-like communication, repeating and shouting, but then she could have a perfectly normal conversation with you. Amazing how our brains can work (and not work). My mom was very social and I always teased her that she should have had a career as an investigative reporter…she could deftly get information out of people like no one’s business. Our moms would be sad to live through this covid-19 business. I’m sure they would have found ways to break the rules (and still be safe). Take care of yourself, Shari and thank our Heavenly Father for peace.

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  54. Such a wonderful tribute to your beautiful mother. From your image, I can see why Tuolumne Meadows was her place and the perfect location to memorialize her in July. And your consistent commitment to leisure, whether in your backyard, in Yosemite or any other place chose to wander, continues to honor her legacy.

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    • Thank you, Lisa! While she was alive, and living in the nursing home, we felt bad when we would tell her we had recently visited Yosemite, because she would wistfully say she wished she could go. She knew what it meant for us to continue to go though.

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  55. a great celebration for your Mother Terri! She would be very proud of you!
    I’ve only been to Yosemite twice and both times were in dead winter. So I could never get to the meadows. Anywhere in Yosemite would be a great place to rest!

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