While at the Beverly Center I used my gift card for lunch at the Grand Luxe Cafe.

I don't know why I don't go to this restaurant more often -- it's really good. Owned by the company that runs the Cheesecake Factory, Grand Luxe has a huge menu with great food, excellent service and moderate prices.

I think I have a bias against this restaurant because it's located in a shopping center (and one that I don't really like) but after enjoying myself there today I'm reconsidering my views.

Next I was off to the Costco in Culver City to buy some gasoline with the Costco gift card my Uncle Skip and Aunt Janeen Fliegner gave me.

Some sad news: My Great Aunt Eula Thompson of Winnfield, Louisiana passed away on Christmas Eve. Aunt Eula was one of Grandmother Green's younger sisters.

Political side note: Winnfield, Lousiana was the hometown of Huey P. Long.

Eula's family posted a touching Obituary and Tribute Video which you can see by clicking on this link:
http://www.southernfuneralhome.com/index.cfm and searching "Eula Thompson."

Near the beginning of the video there's a lovely photo of my Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother Dover (Maxie Green and Eula Thompson's parents). I'm guessing the photo was taken in the 50s after the Dovers sold their farm in Russellville, Arkansas and followed many of their adult children to live in Glendora, California.

And that reminds me of my favorite New Years story: At the end of the year they moved to California someone in the family suggested they all go to Pasadena to watch the Rose Parade. The "boys" in the family (probably in their 30s and 40s) offered to go the night before and stake out a piece of curb along the parade route.

It was recommended that Great Grandfather Dover spend New Year's Eve at home and come to the parade in the morning with the "girls." Well, he wouldn't hear of it. He was tickled by the idea of now living somewhere where you could reasonably sleep outside on December 31 and not freeze to death. So he and his "boys" spent the night camping along Colorado Boulevard and the entire family enjoyed the parade in the morning.

How's that for a welcome to California?