How I ended up in Westwood

When I met the man that would become my husband Ed, we both did not want to live in southern Ca. anymore. We lived on the border of Los Angeles County and Orange county. We grew up just perhaps 1/2 mile away from each other, however did not meet until I was 16. I am sure this was due to the fact we were from different counties, thus going to different schools. Plus he was 7 years older than I. We both longed to move up north, actually planning on moving to Bend Oregon. On our way to check out what Bend was like , we stopped in the town of Westwood, to see a friend Wesley and spend the night. It was an absolutely freezing cold snowy night when we stopped. The next morning we went out to breakfast in the only restaurant that Westwood had. When we walked in with our friends Wes and Mandy, everybody in that little coffee shop was so nice. We were introduced several times. It was bitter cold that morning but the little Cafe was toasty warm. I do not remember exactly what I had ordered that morning except I remember it came with what was called, home fries. I could see the cook from where I sat and I watched him scrub potatoes and then cut them up and cook them, right then and there fresh. This may sound odd to who evers reading this, but up to that point I had always been a waitress, working for Sambo's (Does anyone remember Sambo's?) and Dennys . Their hash brown potatoes in those days were frozen patties that were (if I remember right) pre-cooked and then they were heated up from the frozen state. So when I saw this cook scrubbing a real potato I just could not believe it. I was young and quite impressionable, and I tell ya, that cook and his fresh potatos really impressed me. When we were done eating breakfast we said our "see ya later's" to our friends and headed on up to Bend Oregon to check it out. It is strange because we never really needed to make the rest of the trip up to Bend that day because I knew right then and there I had just found the town I wanted to live in for the rest of my life.
And so far that is what happened. Ed and I came back and moved to Westwood. We had 3 sons in this town. Cancer took Ed away from us 11 years ago. He is buried up here in the Westwood Cemetary right amongst the trees. Our kids are grown and only one still lives here in Westwood along with my first born grandson. I remarried 5 years ago and I now live over in  Pinetown. And I still love it up here.