Al, Mickey, and Me

By Frances Nelson

Al, Mickey, and Me is a delightful, true story of second chances. Call it serendipity, karma, kismet, or whatever you like. Life is full of endless possibilities and not just for the young but for the young at heart as well. This is a story of reconnecting after years of separation and the wonderful relationship that develops as a result of this rekindled friendship. It fills us with a sense of hope, adventure, and purpose that is timeless. It affirms our opportunities to be there for one another and the joy of responding to and seeking out those opportunities.

The story aptly takes us to the magic kingdom Disneyland where all things are possible; there is wonder at every turn, and they even have an attraction called Adventure Land. This is where the story began and echoes forward even today.

We as human beings are about connection: we are never finished; we are led down many paths, and some even twice. In this marvelous, feel-good story, we are encouraged to explore our connections and perhaps find a path of our own to venture down again.

Review by Vicki Lamanna

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662447204

Book preview

cover.jpg

Al, Mickey, and Me

Frances Nelson

Copyright © 2021 Frances Nelson

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2021

ISBN 978-1-6624-4719-8 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-6624-4720-4 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

The Adventure Begins with a Birthday Surprise

Music and Mickey Memories

Planning Return Trip to Disneyland

Things Get Emotional

Our Oakland/San Francisco Trip

Our Fiftieth High School Reunion

Mixed Feelings and Good Friends

First Visit to Minnesota

Mickey and Miracles

Minnesota and Mayo

Special Celebrations

What the Future Holds

Al, Mickey, and Me is a delightful true story of second chances. Call it serendipity, karma, kismet, or whatever you like. Life is full of endless possibilities and not just for the young but for the young at heart as well. This is a story of reconnecting after years of separation and the wonderful relationship that develops as a result of this rekindled friendship. It fills us with a sense of hope, adventure, and purpose that is timeless. It affirms our opportunities to be there for one another and the joy of responding to and seeking out those opportunities.

The story aptly takes us to the Magic Kingdom—Disneyland—where all things are possible; there is wonder at every turn, and they even have an attraction called Adventure Land. This is where the story began and echoes forward even today.

We as human beings are about connection: We are never finished; we are led down many paths and some even twice. In this marvelous, feel-good story, we are encouraged to explore our connections and perhaps find a path of our own to venture down again.

—Vicki Lamanna

Foreword

I have written this short story to share my thankfulness to our Lord and show people to always look forward to the gifts he has for us. I am still in awe of how magical it has been that Alfred and I reconnected after fifty years. We had not seen each other since high school, and it is a little crazy how fast it all seemed to happen. On January 4, 2013, I was sharing my story to my granddaughters of how I met Al on our Disneyland high school trip in 1962. On January 9, I received my very first Facebook message from Alfred, and four days later, on January 13, he was at my front door with a cute card and a box of candy; it was my birthday. He had flown in from Minnesota to visit with his family in San Francisco Bay Area and came to Modesto, about one hour and a half away, the same morning to wish me a happy birthday. It was so amazing and a lovely surprise.

God sends people into our lives for different reasons maybe because they need us, or maybe because we need them, or because we need each other. It is what we do with that opportunity that matters. I am so blessed by the caring relationship that has developed between Al and me over these last eight years. He brings much joy into my daily life, and we have been able to visit each other at least once a year. Sadly, with COVID-19, we could not see each other during 2020, and I miss those visits very much. I love spending time in Minnesota with Al and his family, so hopefully, it will not be too much longer before it is safe to travel.

I am very blessed because God gave me such a wonderful mother and the best little sister in the world. My sister has always been there for me, and our late mother who left us in 2017. I am so thankful for everything my sister has done for both of us. I am so thankful for her hospitality for inviting both Al and me to stay in her home when we visited Texas. I was so happy Al was able to meet my mother and my sister Jeannie. God, please bless my sister and my extra special friend, Alfred, who means the world to me.

Chapter 1

The Adventure Begins with a Birthday Surprise

My name is Frances Carnes Nelson, as it reads on Facebook. I am a seventy-six-year-old widow, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. I have been very busy caring for my family since I retired; actually, most of my life, family is very important to me. My story actually begins back in January 2013 when my fiftieth high school reunion was coming up on September 28, 2013. My daughter, Heather, put me on Facebook as Frances Nelson so I could get information about the reunion. I attended Fremont High School in Oakland, California, and graduated in 1963. On January 4, 2013, I was in my backyard with two of my granddaughters April and Allyssa. April was telling us about her upcoming senior class trip to Disneyland; she was graduating in May 2013. She told me that kids at school said the trip was no big deal, and she probably wouldn’t go. I was surprised by her statement and told her not to say that. You earned that trip, and you’ve never been to Disneyland! It was then I shared my experience with April and Allyssa of my trip to Disneyland during my senior year.

Al and Fran’s HS photo

It was not our senior class trip with the school, it was Y-day in Hollywood, a trip sponsored by the YMCA. I told them how I met this really nice guy and had loads of fun. There were