FAMILY KEEPS COMING BACK TO LAKE.

Byline: Posted by Minerva A. Hernandez

valleynews.com user

Last Saturday, I was supposed to meet a lady and her grandchildren at Balboa Park. I must confess that even though I've driven by the park many times, I had never been there.

I didn't realize it was so big. I had erroneously assumed there'd be only one parking lot, and all I had to do was find the lady's car. Silly me.

The day turned out to be quite an adventure! Not a good one, of course -- the lady and I never encountered each other. However, as I went around the park several times trying to find her, not having any luck, I decided to head back home. It was then that I spotted two gorgeous little girls -- Hailey and Brittney -- accompanied by their grandma Margaret Phipps.

I approached them and asked their grandma if she would allow me to take a picture of her and the girls, and she pleasantly agreed.

After taking a couple of pictures, I asked the girls if they went to the park frequently, and they said, "My dad used to come here when he was a lot younger."

Grandma giggled at their response, (he's only 31).

While Brittney was getting her skates on, Grandma and Hailey were on their bikes, waiting for her so they could start "rolling" down the pathway at the park.

I thought, what a 'cool' grandma, so much different than most grandmas I know.

They seemed to be having so much fun even before they started "rolling" away. I wish I could have put the camera away, go rent a pair of skates or a bike and join them. But, I neither know how to skate, nor ride a bike.

My grandma was so much different!

Don't get me wrong, I loved her dearly, and she taught me many things, but for her, skating and bike-riding were out of the question. It's just that some grandmas think and act differently.

Surprisingly though, Margaret said she didn't know how to ride a bike as a child either, until her husband taught her. Maybe I still have a chance.

Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked here, since this is about what a cool grandma Margaret is. As if biking and skating weren't enough, she told me that they had been horseback riding before going to the park.

But wait, the story gets even better. It turns out that Margaret's husband lived right by Balboa Park, so it was sort of his "backyard" where he used to hang out during his childhood days, and later on, as a young man.

When David and Margaret got married, they moved to Simi Valley. However, Balboa Park continued to be a hangout they kept coming back with their son Andrew -- the girls' dad -- or as they referred to him, the "old man," remember?

"Andrew enjoyed flying his model airplane at the park, which of course was much more open and not divided into sections, as it is now," said Margaret. "The park has become sort of a tradition with us. Hopefully it'll continue with Hailey and Brittney."

A beautiful tradition, if I may say so too -- one that's kept the family together and very active.

I was surprised to find this lovely family because coincidence or not, that's what I had gone looking for, and though I did not find the lady I was scheduled to meet, I had the fortune of "running" into Margaret, Hailey and Brittney.

So there you have them, pictured pedaling and rolling away, while I also rolled away, not in skates or on a bike as you guessed it, but in my car.

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Photo:

Grandma Margaret and granddaughters Hailey and Brittney spend the day at the park.

Minerva A. Hernandez/valleynews.com user